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Balancing my blog looks completely different, now that I have a baby. I used to spend an enormous amount of hours each week writing up posts, reading other blogs and networking with companies. My blog is still a fun hobby for me, but spending time with my daughter is where my heart really is these days. I do all blog related things during her naps, which means I may only get 1-2 hours max a day.When Rilynn was born, I made the decision that I would be ok with only posting 1-2 times a week. I wanted to use the other days to share helpful or useful information on my blog. I created the Tough Topic series for Fridays, where other women can come and share difficult things they have gone through in their lives. That series is important to me because I know what it feels like to be encouraged and find someone who "gets" what you are going through. I also wanted to come up with a fun "mom" series for the blog. Posts about different things they are going through with their kids so that I (and other moms) can have helpful resources for questions we may have. My current From Baby To Big Kid series has been amazing at introducing a ton of transitions that kids go through in their first years!
The other three days I post when I want to. If something personal is on my heart, I write up a post. If I come up with a recipe to share or think of a good tutorial, I publish it. Right now, one of the most fun things I do every week are my Lookbooks with Rilynn. We've been indoors a lot of the Winter, so one day a week, she gets all dressed up and we laugh and catch photos of her "modeling". These are not only an enjoyable outlet for me to use my fashion background and love for clothes - they have also provided weekly, priceless photos of my daughter that I will treasure forever.
Over the past few months I have been moving a lot of my "blogging activities" to Instagram. Instagram is an incredibly quick way to share things and also connect with other women and moms. I have greater interaction with others and receive more feedback and answers to questions on Instagram, than I ever have with my blog. This was an important discovery for me, as it allows me to continue on with the community aspect that I love about blogging, but requires much less time. You can create linkups, post topics & questions for others to answer, and share glimpses of your life with friends on Instagram. It's everything I used to do on my blog, just on a different platform.
Moving away from blogging and onto Instagram was not easy at first. I was "trained" to look forward to blog comments, check up on pageviews, and commit a lot of time and energy into Wifessionals. Sometimes I would feel "weird" when I didn't even look at my blog for a few days. But then I began to realize that I could maintain everything I enjoyed about the blogosphere - it would just look a little different. I strive to use my blog and my Instagram as a helpful and encouraging resource for other women. I enjoy finding friends and people with common interests. I love sharing pieces of my daily life & seeing glimpses of other lives as well.
My blog/life balance is something that I am really content with nowadays. My blog gives me an outlet when I need it, my Instagram gives me a wonderful spot to connect and meet friends, and most of all, I never feel I am sacrificing precious moments with my family, working on blog-related things. I have found a way to maintain these various parts of my life in a way that lets me "keep it all" - even if it looks vastly different than it did two years ago.
