How many times have you sat down in front of your computer and felt overwhelmed by your blogging to do list? Themes and templates to clean up, sponsors to contact, comments to reply to, emails to answer, and the list just goes on and on. It can be a little overwhelming.
I recently heard about a Blog Staycation opportunity and immediately signed up for it.
This awesome event was hosted by:
Julie – Girl on the Move
Jen – JENerally Informed
Trish – The Trish List Blog
Farrah – Reflective Mama
These four ladies prepared several days of chats, informative posts, motivation, and encouragement. Seriously, they need a round of applause!
I participated fully with the exception of missing the final Twitter chat. I must say these ladies were organized and kept us engaged! I learned so much and made some great new blogging friends.
To make my staycation successful, I also did the following:
1- I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish
2- I made an itinerary as to what I would tackle and on which days
3- I made an itinerary for my kids to keep them engaged and busy (i.e. brought the train set out, new colouring books, new reading books, tea party, and they watched Frozen for the 100th time)
4- I prepared all our meals (and snacks) ahead of time so that my “chores” would be minimal during the staycation
So what did I accomplish on my Blog Staycation? Well, I hunkered down with my mommy snacks and went to work….
* Cleaned up the font display issues on my theme
* Wrote and scheduled 6 posts
* Wrote drafts of 11 other posts
* Changed the way the menu galleries display on all of my pages – check out my PARENTING page as an example
* Made a rough editorial calendar up to and including the beginning of January
* Made a detailed/complete editorial calendar for the months of September and October
* Made lead-in graphics for my Guest Posting page and my Kid’s Activity page
* I made some co-host arrangements for the SHINE Blog Hop
I would say that was a success! I’m super excited because my blogging “workload” will now be lighter in September… which is great since we’ll be back into homeschooling.
I would definitely do a Blog Staycation again and I’m hoping this will become an annual event. Have you ever participated in something like this? How do you stay on top of your blogging to do list?
SHARE WITH OTHERS
What a brilliant idea Jennifer! I am such an ad-hoc blogger! I don’t plan past the coming week, it just kind of happens depending on what I’ve eaten/created that week. Which means spending very inconvenient times quickly typing out a post and getting frazzled! I so need to get organised. You’re my blogging idol!!! SO organised!! xx
I had such a fun time “attending” the blog staycation and I’m delighted I got so much done. We each have a method to our madness… I need a plan or I fall apart.
Thanks for sharing in my excitement and enthusiasm Meg!
xoxo
Wow you got a lot done! It does feel good, doesn’t it?
So glad you enjoyed the Staycation!
It feels GREAT! I loved the staycation and would definitely participate again!
I didn’t participate this year but if the opportunity arises I will definitely join in on the fun! And congrats on your accomplishments!
It was fabulous and I’m delighted I accomplished so much.
Thank you for sharing in my excitement Ana Lynn!
WHOA! You got a LOT done! Good job!
Thanks for sharing in my excitement Kristie! It feels good to have accomplished so much.
Wow, you accomplished so much! Six post, 11 drafts, and plans until January is huge. Congratulations!
I can’t believe I accomplished as much as I did! It really pain to have a plan of attack.
Thanks for joining in my excitement!
Hi Jennifer, WOW!You are super organized! I wouldn’t know where to have begun, I only have to see a list or a spreadsheet and my brain goes into meltdown and my IQ drops like a brick! I plan my week in my head, nothing on your scale mind, and it works for me as I’m pretty self disciplined.
When I read that you have planned a rough editorial until January, at that moment I realized that you really are a super woman! I doff my cap to you!
Thank you Debbie. I do well with motivation. The Blog Staycation organizers inspired AND motivated me. It was such a fabulous event.
Love your recap! Thank you so much for sharing and participating. I’m inspired by all you’ve accomplished… time for me to get back to work!
You ladies kept me inspired and motivated… so I need to thank YOU for that! It was an awesome event and obviously, I got a lot from it!
Um, can you set up MY next blogging staycation?
Kudos to you, Jennifer, and the blog is looking great! Perhaps that best thing of all is that you can take a breather and focus on a great start to this year’s homeschooling.
It was awesome. The blog staycation team kept me inspired and motivated! I would definitely participate again.
I’m excited that I can focus my energy on homeschooling for the next little while. Our first few weeks back are usually a little bumpy.
Thanks for joining me in my excitement!
Sounds wonderful! I have never participated in anything like that, but it sounds like something I might like to try in the future!
I would definitely encourage you to participate in a future blog staycation event. It was productive, inspiring, motivating, and community building!
Holy moly – you were productive! That is for sure! So glad you had this staycation!
Thanks Caroline. I do well with a plan, so this was perfect for me.
Jennifer,
What a great idea! My birthday is coming up next weekend and it’ll take all my best efforts to step away from the computer and actually take a real break– maybe this post was the answer I’ve been needing!
Your blog looks great and I love your hello bar. I think I follow you already but if I didn’t, I would!
P.S. Nutella and pretzels… you’re my kind of lady!
Seeya around and happy blogging!
Brittany
Thanks for celebrating my accomplishments with me Brittany! Help yourself to some Nutella and pretzels!
This was a wonderful event. I would definitely do it again. It was the perfect balance of inspiration and motivation that I needed. Plus anything that builds community… I’m in!
I so need a blog staycation!! This is awesome! I have so many things I want to do, and not enough time to do them in. I need to sit down and plan appropriately…that’s the key…the planning!
The blog staycation was awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed the process (and the final outcome was good too). If they host again, you should join us!
Let me know if they do!
Um, AMAZING how much you got done!! I feel motivated to do the same now although I missed the blog staycation! I love, love, love getting my blog organized and scheduled.
The Blog Staycation was such a success! If they host one again, you should join us. It was loads of fun too! A great, encouraging community of like-minded bloggers… you can’t go wrong with that!
I only wish I was that organized and had that many posts written out ahead of time. I’ve been trying to iron out the kinks in my blogging schedule. What I’ve realized since we started homeschooling is that I just can’t do as much as I did during the summer, and I need to be ok with that.
We’re back to homeschooling today! Eeek!
I have already been coaching myself to remember that I won’t have as much time to dedicate to my blog… I too, need to be okay with that.
Thanks for sharing your perspective Ai.
I’ve never heard of this before but now that I know about it I would love to participate in one. Just today I was thinking that I have to write my post that i wanted to publish yesterday. :( I’m so bad at preparing posts ahead of time and having a blogging schedule.
You’ve inspired me to sit down and start blogging. :)
The blog staycation was amazing. I listed what I wanted to do, made a plan for the four days of the staycation and tackled that list the best I could. I felt it was a HUGE success.
I’m delighted I could serve as some inspiration. Best wishes as you write.
Mmm! Your staycation snacks make me want to try the pretzel/Nutella combo. DELICIOUS!
The pretzel/Nutella combo is ahhhhh-mazing!
Ok, this was such a refreshing read Jennifer. I HAVE been sitting at my computer for all this week feeling very overwhelmed and underprepared for blogging in the Fall. I’m going to designate 1 day next week as my blog-staycation and tackle that ever growing list. P.S. To keep me company will be roasted chic peas, sweedish raspberries (candies) and tea. Weird combo, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! :)
So glad you enjoyed this Barb! It was a really positive experience and I’m delighted I accomplished as much as I did.
That IS an interesting snacking combo!
What a great idea! It’s a challenge homeschooling, running a home, and trying to blog, isn’t it? I’m still trying to figure out my groove in all of it. This sounds like something I could benefit from in the future. Thanks for the post.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Heather. I think this really helped my rhythm of getting back into homeschooling too. It’s so refreshing to have a bunch of posts waiting in the the background to be published… it allows me to allocate my time to other areas of my life!
This is brilliant! I loved reading this and I plan to do the same! However, I wish I had not missed such a great event. Next time I hope.
I loved the Blog Staycation. It was awesome and I’m still reaping the benefits of getting all that planning done! You should definitely join us next time!
I thought I’d already commented on this post. I love the idea of a blogging staycation. I keep telling my hubby I need this and he just laughs and rolls his eyes. But I’m totally serious!
You got a lot done too lady. So great!
The staycation was amazing! I got so much done. It really helped me bridge into this busy homeschooling season.