Questions Answered!

Thank you for all of the beautiful comments on my 400th post!  I had so much fun going back through all of my posts to see how much I have done in the last couple of years.  I found posts I had forgotten I wrote!   It's one of the things I love about blogging...looking back and seeing how much I have changed, grown and evolved from 2009 when I started this blog.

I love the questions you asked!

Cheryl asked....Do you plan ahead for things you are going to write about, or do you fly by the seat of your pants, as the saying goes. Just how much planning goes into each blog... estimated of course.

Great question!  I will often start posts and save them in my drafts so I have lots of ideas saved and ready to blog.  Sometimes a post takes months to write, like my Girls Without Friends post from a few months ago.  I have another one I started writing last year that I just don't feel is finished yet.  The tough topics take longer.   Usually when I cook or visit a new place or take photos of interesting things I start a draft for each one then when I have some free time I get them all written and ready to post! 

WholeHeartedlyHannah asked...My question for you is what tips do you have for new bloggers? I've only been at this about two months, and I'd love to hear any advice you have!

Blog what you love!  Dont try to make your blog be something....that's too much work!  Also, be wary of pigeonholing yourself as it might be hard to maintain the momentum on one single topic.  Once you present yourself as a cooking/fashion/decorating/parenting blog it might be hard to write about anything off topic.  Blog what inspires you, makes you happy, makes you sad, what you are doing, watching, wearing and everything else.  Limiting your topics will limit your audience.  That is if you are writing for an audience.  Interact with your readers, comment on their blogs too...time permitting.  If someone comes every day to comment, return the favour and comment on their blog.  There's nothing worse than feeling like someone is a taker and isnt willing to give a little black to make the blog world go around.

Look at your blog as a magazine publication.  You know when you invest 8.00 on a magazine and have to wade through the first 80 pages of ads to get to any real content?  Blogs are the same way!  A reader has invested their time and energy to click through to your blog, give them some real content and not just a bunch of product ads.  If you are going to blog about companies and products as least contact the company first to give them the opportunity to give you product to review and give away.  Doing free advertising for big companies and then telling your readers the company did not pay you one single cent to do it has companies sitting back laughing all the way to the bank and tells your readers you dont have any thing else to blog about.  People want to hear about your life and this is a great chance to write it the way you want it to be seen.  

JulesTX asked...My question for you is related to your Scottish heritage. I am a fellow Scot, born in Glasgow and now living in Texas. What part of Scotland is your family from ? Do you ever make it back there ?

I come from a place very close to Glasgow called Bishopbriggs.  The Suburban Prince comes from Paisley which is wayyyy on the other side of the city.  I always say this song by Craig Armstrong is our theme song...





My dad is from Stirling which is where I go when I visit Scotland.  My uncle has a big house very close to the center of town and it's nice to be able to walk to everything.  My dad's family is all still in that area and my granda's cousin lives in Edinburgh as well as a set of the Suburban Prince's cousins so I will often take the train down to spend a day or two with them.  I come from a line of only children so I dont have many relatives - tho I did spend a lot of time on Ancestry.ca and found all kinds of things about my great grandparents and their families!

I havnt been in Scotland since 2004 so I am due a visit.  I will be scouring the blogs looking for tips on how to survive a transatlantic flight with a 3 year old!

Hines-Sight asked...Do you set aside certain times of the day to interact on twitter, FB, and blogging?

Yes and no.  In the morning before everyone is awake and up I will spend time catching up with everyone then during the day I check in.  The Little Prince is quite independent so he will often toddle off to read a book or do a puzzle and I will check in with all of my people to see how the day is going.  Pretty much any time I have to myself I will check in and see what's happening in the world.




Thank you to everyone who reads and comments!  I love hearing what you have to say and look forward to writing a few thousand more posts!


Have a fabulous day!