At the end of each month I want to do a roundup post. I've been wanting to start on this for the longest time but I just haven't really known the best way to go about it if I'm being completely honest. I really think blogging is so hard at the moment and if you're not sharing the next big thing or some epic tips and tricks then it's pretty hard to stand out. I don't know about you but I don't really read blogs as often as I used to and I'm sure there are many other people who feel the same way. I want to fall back in love with blogging and so I just want to write more.
I initially wrote about this in a blog post I shared in November last year (read my blog post: Hitting 50k on Instagram and Bidding Farewell to Autumn), the idea of perhaps treating my blog as more of a diary as opposed to a slick magazine/editorial piece. I haven't written anything similar since though, I think it's down to the lack of a schedule because I can't seem to function without some sort of routine! I'm thinking of sharing a monthly roundup where I can just write about whatever I fancy really.
Excitingly, I think I've managed to get back into a routine with my blog. I don't want to jinx things too soon but I've shared new blog posts twice weekly throughout January which I'm so happy about! I've wanted to work on my blog for the longest time but I just haven't for so many reasons, there have always been niggling thoughts at the back of my mind that have prevented me from sharing new blog posts. I'm hoping that this burst will continue throughout the year because it truly makes me happy to work on my blog. It's where I first started my online journey and it's the only platform I can call my own.
This month I also set up a Goodreads account in the hope that I'll get into reading more this year. I read a few books last year and would really love to read even more this year. I've set myself a goal to read 12 books in 2019 which probably sounds ridiculously low to some people but I don't want to set myself up for failure. I'm thinking one book a month sounds feasible and I hope I'm able to stick to it! The reason I made an account wasn't for the added pressure but to help me discover books I'd like to read as I find it so hard to choose what to read next.
So far this year I've actually read a total of 4 books! I finished off Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell at the start of the month, followed by Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, I whizzed through It by Alexa Chung one Sunday evening and I dipped in and out of How To Be Parisian. Currently I'm reading On A Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond which I'm hoping to finish soon before starting Crazy Rich Asians which I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to!
I actually want to register at my local library this year. Despite wanting to read more, I'm not so keen on constantly buying physical copies of books that I'm probably only going to read once and then never reach for again, it just seems a bit wasteful. I've been thinking about getting a kindle or something similar but for me, the idea behind reading more is to allow myself to switch off from technology for an hour or so each day. It will be a good excuse to get me out of the house too because when working from home, I find that I can spend multiple days in a row without leaving the house which is so bad.
Mid-January I finally set up the Fitbit Flex 2 that I got for Christmas and after getting past the initial disappointment of it not tracking my heart rate (which was practically the only reason I wanted it and Amazon's poor advertising shows a photo of heart rate being tracked in the listing), I've actually really come to love it! It tracks your steps as well as your sleep - it's meant to be for tracking activities such as fitness and swimming but that isn't why I'm primarily using it - and you can also add a few other categories which can all be tracked within the Fitbit app too.
I'm finding it fascinating to see my sleep patterns forming and seeing just how little I move when working from home! If anything is going to inspire me to get moving, it's seeing how few steps I take some days. You can set yourself goals on the Fitbit app, track your daily steps alongside distance walked, calories burned and active minutes. You can log your food, water, weight and sleep, as well as, track your exercise, set alarms and even track your menstrual cycle. There's so much you can do which I'm still getting to grips with.
I was invited to a beautiful event with Shu Uemura Art of Hair and I had the most wonderful time, treated to an overnight stay at The Mandrake Hotel - I was insta storying like crazy! I loved it! Updating my Instagram story on a daily basis is actually something I find quite challenging because despite some incredible events I get invited to, there are also the boring at home days when I spend the entire day in loungewear with no makeup on, glued to my laptop screen and I doubt that would be much fun to tap through! I'm trying to find a good balance between every day, cross-promotion (sharing new YouTube videos and blog posts) and events to be able to share.
The ASA/CMA have recently shared new guidelines for influencers and I've been trying to work out the best way to integrate these ensuring that all types of collaborations/sponsorship/partnerships are clearly declared. It's quite a tricky one because currently, they suggest a blanket statement of [AD] regardless of the type of partnership (so this is the same if you've been paid money for a collaboration, if you're sharing an item that has been gifted to you (with or without your consent), if you're using affiliate links and if you're featuring a brand that you've worked with in the past year - even if the item(s) you're sharing were bought for with your own money and not part of the past collaboration). I'm tweaking my disclaimer and doing my best to incorporate partnerships in a clear way without misleading.
That feels like everything I have to say this month (it was a lot!) I know some months will definitely be quieter than others and I'm sure that will have an impact on how much I write but I hope you enjoy seeing these monthly updates pop up on my blog.
I'm travelling to Scotland tonight for the rest of the week in search of some snow, I've packed all my thermals and I'm looking forward to a week away! I'll share more from my trip when I'm back in London. In the meantime, you can see what I get up to daily on my Instagram @peexo.
This month I also set up a Goodreads account in the hope that I'll get into reading more this year. I read a few books last year and would really love to read even more this year. I've set myself a goal to read 12 books in 2019 which probably sounds ridiculously low to some people but I don't want to set myself up for failure. I'm thinking one book a month sounds feasible and I hope I'm able to stick to it! The reason I made an account wasn't for the added pressure but to help me discover books I'd like to read as I find it so hard to choose what to read next.
So far this year I've actually read a total of 4 books! I finished off Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell at the start of the month, followed by Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, I whizzed through It by Alexa Chung one Sunday evening and I dipped in and out of How To Be Parisian. Currently I'm reading On A Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond which I'm hoping to finish soon before starting Crazy Rich Asians which I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to!
I actually want to register at my local library this year. Despite wanting to read more, I'm not so keen on constantly buying physical copies of books that I'm probably only going to read once and then never reach for again, it just seems a bit wasteful. I've been thinking about getting a kindle or something similar but for me, the idea behind reading more is to allow myself to switch off from technology for an hour or so each day. It will be a good excuse to get me out of the house too because when working from home, I find that I can spend multiple days in a row without leaving the house which is so bad.
Mid-January I finally set up the Fitbit Flex 2 that I got for Christmas and after getting past the initial disappointment of it not tracking my heart rate (which was practically the only reason I wanted it and Amazon's poor advertising shows a photo of heart rate being tracked in the listing), I've actually really come to love it! It tracks your steps as well as your sleep - it's meant to be for tracking activities such as fitness and swimming but that isn't why I'm primarily using it - and you can also add a few other categories which can all be tracked within the Fitbit app too.
I'm finding it fascinating to see my sleep patterns forming and seeing just how little I move when working from home! If anything is going to inspire me to get moving, it's seeing how few steps I take some days. You can set yourself goals on the Fitbit app, track your daily steps alongside distance walked, calories burned and active minutes. You can log your food, water, weight and sleep, as well as, track your exercise, set alarms and even track your menstrual cycle. There's so much you can do which I'm still getting to grips with.
I was invited to a beautiful event with Shu Uemura Art of Hair and I had the most wonderful time, treated to an overnight stay at The Mandrake Hotel - I was insta storying like crazy! I loved it! Updating my Instagram story on a daily basis is actually something I find quite challenging because despite some incredible events I get invited to, there are also the boring at home days when I spend the entire day in loungewear with no makeup on, glued to my laptop screen and I doubt that would be much fun to tap through! I'm trying to find a good balance between every day, cross-promotion (sharing new YouTube videos and blog posts) and events to be able to share.
The ASA/CMA have recently shared new guidelines for influencers and I've been trying to work out the best way to integrate these ensuring that all types of collaborations/sponsorship/partnerships are clearly declared. It's quite a tricky one because currently, they suggest a blanket statement of [AD] regardless of the type of partnership (so this is the same if you've been paid money for a collaboration, if you're sharing an item that has been gifted to you (with or without your consent), if you're using affiliate links and if you're featuring a brand that you've worked with in the past year - even if the item(s) you're sharing were bought for with your own money and not part of the past collaboration). I'm tweaking my disclaimer and doing my best to incorporate partnerships in a clear way without misleading.
That feels like everything I have to say this month (it was a lot!) I know some months will definitely be quieter than others and I'm sure that will have an impact on how much I write but I hope you enjoy seeing these monthly updates pop up on my blog.
I'm travelling to Scotland tonight for the rest of the week in search of some snow, I've packed all my thermals and I'm looking forward to a week away! I'll share more from my trip when I'm back in London. In the meantime, you can see what I get up to daily on my Instagram @peexo.
Looks like you've had an amazing start to the year!
ReplyDeleteChloe X http://chloelxuise.com
January is just one of those months that always drags and is dreary but I've actually enjoyed it this year! More months like this please xx
DeleteI loved Dolly Alderton's book - I read it within a few days and was obsessed! It's definitely one I'll read again, but like you, I also find it expensive and wasteful always buying new books. I joined my local library last year and love it! xx
ReplyDeleteJessie | allthingsbeautiful-x
I got through it really quickly too! I still have yet to sign up but I'm hoping to really soon, I just think it makes so much more sense to join rather than constantly buy buy buy! X
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