Post Comment Love and Blogger Showcase - 18-20 November 2016

Hello there and welcome to another Friday edition of Post Comment Love. If you were here last week, it was great to see you. If you're new here, welcome, it's great to have you along. I was at Blogfest on Saturday and met up with many bloggers, some I knew, some new to me and i had a great time. It was good to catch up with Morgan again and to see many of our lovely linkers too. If we missed each other, then there'll be another time and there's plenty more blogging conferences to meet up.

Although I am minded that sometimes the blogging conference bit can get in the way of a good old chinwag. Perhaps we should all pool the blogging conference ticket price, book a corner in a pub or restaurant and just get on with the chat! Just as long as it's somewhere not too loud, and they don't run out of prosecco or whatever I'm drinking.  

My snap this week is from Greenwich Park on a beautifully sunny morning. It was a glorious walk to work and I *might have* lingered longer than I should have getting some arty-farty shots. It didn't last though, by the evening it was torrential rain and I looked (and felt) like a drowned duck when I got home. Ah well, that's autumn for you!

This week I'm pleased to be showcasing a relatively new blogger. Remember if you'd like to get involved and have some of those all important backlinks to your site then get in touch with Morgan or I, either use my contact form or drop either of us a tweet.

Blogger Showcase: Lianne from Mrs Mummy Harris86

1. Who are you?

Hi guys! I am Lianne Harris and I blog at Mrs Mummy Harris86. I'm about to hit the big 3-0 and live in Essex, UK.  I have been married for 18 months, and have two cats and a five month old son Benjamin.  I work in London as a Legal Costs Negotiator for a large international Law Firm but deep down has always wanted to be a backing dancer for cheesy pop bands!

2. How did you discover blogs and blogging?

One of my friends Kayleigh announced on Facebook that she had set up a blog and having read a few posts it opened my eyes to a whole new part of the internet that I didn't know existed!

3. Why did you start blogging?

I have always loved writing, i used to think I was quite good at it however failed to show anyone my work.  Having suffered with depression and anxiety most of my life and now suffering from Post-Natal Depression; I thought writing could be an outlet and having initially put the feelers out on Instagram, I found there are several people out there in my situation and mostly what I am going through is normal for a parent.

4. What do you find most challenging?

The actual aspect of blogging for me is easy. Its the ability of spreading time between being a mother, wife and successful blogger that I find tough. Trying to find this new identity of mine now I am a mother is tough enough, let alone linkies, writing posts and taking photos!

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

My family of course! That is what my whole blog is about. I really enjoyed writing my posts regarding me and hubby. Now I have received so much praise for our Alphabet dating and the fact that people are intrigued by the next date of Bingo madness I am very happy to continue this series.

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

Oh I definitely have goals. My goal is pretty simple; be successful.  Success is all in the eye of the beholder therefore at the moment, for me I would love for brands to approach me for reviews and to have a four figure following. I think if you set an achievable, realistic goal; then you wouldn't be disappointed and maybe set goals in stages??

I've actually been approached by a well known brand already which was amazing to have, but this could be a one off so to have it on a regular basis would be super. I am already on a four figure following and considering I started little over two months ago, I say give it to 2017 and fingers crossed my second goal would have been achieved!

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

I love the community. When I started a different blog last year - pregnancy made it hard to keep up as I was very new to it- I thought blogging was all about competition, but I was wrong, through research and experience I have learnt that it is all about support.  If you support each other and encourage and praise it sends a message out to others. Positivity goes a long way!

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?

No I haven't! I'm very much hoping that I'll be big enough next year or at least know enough fellow bloggers to attend Blogfest. For now I feel too small and it will probably knock my confidence as it will make me feel like a fish out of water.

9. What are your three best posts?

Having been advised by several bloggers to ignore stats and figures I will go based on the general comments and response received, so here goes:

  1. Families I aspire to 

  2. Alphabet dates #1

  3. PND battle

The latter is one of my earlier posts. I'd only been blogging for two weeks, however I was constantly being told how brave I was to share such a raw and honest story. For that, I still think of it to be one of my major successes.

10. Describe yourself in three words?

Organised, loving and marmite.

11. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

I'm both! I love a coffee in the morning and I'm up for anything sweet. I loved tea before Ben was born but I drank so much of it when pregnant that I over did it a bit, but usually I do love a cuppa.

12. What's your idea of a perfect night out?

It has to be a lovely London restaurant followed by a West End musical. I love some singing and dancing.

13. Your perfect night in?

A bubble bath, a glass or two of plonk followed by a takeaway in front of the telly with trash TV on or a movie snuggled on the sofa with the hubby.

14. What would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

My husband says my humour. It's very dry and I have no issue with taking the mickey out of myself or others, even when it's inappropriate to do so. He also says my caring side is beautiful, but it can be a detriment at times.

Thanks Lianne, it's lovely to know more about you.  And don't forget you can connect with Lianne here:

Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Instagram  -  Pinterest

Post Comment Love and #BloggerShowcase - 4-6 November 2016

Hello and welcome to Friday and Post Comment Love.  And thank you for your reactions to our lovely new badges, we're glad you liked them as much as we do. If you're new here welcome and if you've been here before, welcome back.

My week has passed in a bit of a blur. We had a great weekend in Norfolk and left with these windfall apples from one of dad's neighbours, some cooking pears, some quinces and as you do a squid. I've some cooking to do this coming weekend. I've got crab apples from the allotment too, and no doubt there's some more ready to be picked too. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a cake as I've a cake tin to put to the test too.  

What are your plans this weekend?

PS This week I'm linking up a pre-Christmas competition. I've joined up with lots of lovely bloggers to offer our readers the chance to win a share of £250 in Amazon vouchers, so good luck!

NORFOLK WINDFALL APPLES

NORFOLK WINDFALL APPLES

This week I'm pleased to share our first new-style #BloggerShowcase - Morgan and I would love you to get involved too, so if you fancy answering our questions please get in touch.

Blogger Showcase: Helena from The Queen of Collage

1. Who are you? 

I’m Helena aka The Queen of Collage. Mum of two and lover of all things creative.

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I don't actually remember how I came accross blogging. I did write voluntarily for the BBC's online version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy prior to setting up my blog, but that was only going to have scrapbook pages on it then something happened.

3. Why did you start blogging? 

I started to take it seriously when I realised that it would be a wonderful way in which to memory keep.

4. What do you find most challenging? 

There’s so much to learn and do as soon as you’ve worked one thing out something else grabs your attention. 

5. What is your favourite topic to write about? 

My favourite topic is probably talking about my children.

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

Both.

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

The community.

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?

No I haven’t but I would love to.

9. What are your 3 best posts? 

I don't think I have best posts as I see blogging like art, i.e you are always perfecting things. The blog is like a labour of love.

Then Helena asked Morgan which posts she'd choose, and so here they are, and why:

  1. For the bright photos, particularly the rose: Our Garden: A Photo Walk

  2. Because it's a beautiful piece of personalised wall art, and because Morgan wishes she was crafty enough to do something like this: Storing Sentiments 

  3. And as tags are always a great way to learn more about someone: The Mummy Tag

10. Describe yourself in three words!

Creative, crazy and chaotic ;)

11. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Tea and cake!

12. What's your idea of a perfect night out?

A Ceroc Ball.

13. Your perfect night in?

Snuggled up with my family.

14. What would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

Whenever they've been on holiday I have been the one that's made most of their holiday by raiding the tourist information of the latest literature and scheduling things to do with everyone.

PoCoLo

Post Comment Love 28-31 October 2016

Helloooo!  Friday again, and we've got something special for you today. And I mean really special, but we'll get onto that in a moment. If you're new here - welcome, and if you've been here before - welcome back. Either way, it's great to see you.

This week I've had a haircut and found myself rushing through Greenwich Park two evenings to make sure I'm out before the gates shut. With the clocks going back next week I'm going to need to rethink my journey home, or at least be prompt at leaving work!

I did get a chance to wander through the Flower Garden though one evening, and this shot of one of the hydrangeas made it all worthwhile. I really do need to get myself one for the garden. They are a bit of a blogger cliche, but they are still oh so beautiful!

A hydrangea in greenwich park, decaying but still beautiful

The #BloggerShowcase Questions: Morgan from Morgan's Milieu

We haven't had a #BloggerShowcase for a couple of weeks and we don't think that's because no one wants to take part, but we think having a blank piece of paper to start with might be making it harder than it needs to be. So we've put together some questions to bring some structure to this feature.

And we thought it would be fun to answer those questions ourselves this week. Below I'm sharing Morgan's responses and over on her blog Morgan is hosting my answers. Do pop over there and see how I've answered the questions and learn more about me!

Morgan from Morgan's Milieu (with new glasses!)

1. Who are you?

I'm Morgan, I'm 35 years old and a stay-at-home mum to my two boys, LP (7yrs old) and BP (12yrs old). I've been a stay-at-home mum since BP was born. I like spending my free time (when I get it) building Lego sets like my Taj Mahal and Tower Bridge and I occasionally enjoy piecing together jigsaws. I'm a bit of an introvert and prefer being on my own or in a small group of people. 

2. How did you discover blogging?

It was about 6 or 7 years ago, I'd just finished reading a great book by Heather Killough-Walden and did a search for more of her books. I stumbled across her blog and got reading, I was hooked. It was then that I began writing.

3. Why did you start blogging?

Unlike most parenting bloggers it was not to keep an online diary of my boys' lives. I began blogging as an aspiring author. I was writing a novel and spent a lot of time reading authors' blogs and learning about how I should be writing a blog myself. I started my blog as a writer but it was just because I thought I had to. It wasn't until I began spending more time on the blog than on the novel that I realised how much I enjoyed blogging.

4. What do you find most challenging?

Balance. The balance between being a mum and keeping the house running smoothly and blogging. Blogging takes up a lot of time and sometimes it can spill into the time I generally save for my boys. It's tough keeping them separate.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

Being a stay-at-home mum and being proud of that. Most of my posts come from my experience as a SAHM and through the years I've battled with self-doubt and loathing because I didn't earn the money. I'd like to think that my blog posts on this topic help other SAHM's realise that they're doing an important job and just because they don't earn the money doesn't mean they're not valued.

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

I've always had goals with my blogging, it started out as an outlet for my author side and since switching to a parenting blog it's now my chance to do something helpful for others. Eventually I'd love to earn a living wage from blogging but I'm in no hurry. I don't need it to happen this year, or even in the next 2 years. I'll keep chipping away slowly at my own pace, I think this will help me not get burnt out and I'll still be around in 10 years!

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

The people. I know everyone says this but that's because it is true. Every single blogger you interact with is caring, helpful, and always on hand to answer questions if you need them. Even when I think I'm being totally rubbish and not helping others they're still there to help. Bloggers are a lovely bunch and I wouldn't want to be without them. 

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?

I have - I went to Blogfest 2015 (that was my first) and I attended BML 16 in June too. I loved them both but for different reasons. Blogfest was terrifying, mostly because it was my first conference and I had no idea what to expect, but at the same time I had a great day. I learnt a lot and it helped my confidence. BML16 (BritMums Live) was more about the people, meeting people I'd spoken to online hundreds of times, listening to other bloggers and their thoughts, finding like-minded people and knowing I was in the company of friends. They are a great way of meeting the people you interact with all the time and you may even learn a few things too. That's why I'll be going to Blogfest 2016 in a few weeks. 

9. What are your three best posts?

This is a tough one because it really depends on what mood I'm in, but here's 3 of my faves:

  1. Your weight doesn't determine who you are!

  2. Sometimes it SUCKS being a woman!

  3. Secrets

10. Describe yourself in three words

I do hate these questions (Grr Stephanie!) - erm... Busy writing mum, I think that about sums me up!

11. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Gotta be coffee and cake for me! I'll occasionally have tea but not often and I rarely have biscuits in the house but coffee is a must and well cake is just a given right?

12. What's your idea of the perfect night out?

The Hubby and I going to a quiet restaurant and eating a tasty meal then heading to the cinema to see a romantic comedy. Heading home knowing the boys are staying with their Aunt so I don't have to worry about morning breakfast duties. 

13. And the perfect night in?

Again the Hubby and I watching one of our favourite movies. Popcorn, snacks, and drinks are sorted and the boys are in bed so we can get on with the movie, uninterrupted. 

14. What would your best friend/OH/Mum or kids say is your best quality?

Grr to Stephanie again - I can never settle on something when asked these kind of questions. I'd like to think they'd say I'm caring, that I'm always there for people when they need me, but who knows, it depends what mood they were in when asked I guess!

Thanks Morgan, and apologies for those Grr questions. if it's any help I also found some of the questions - especially number 14 - hard to answer, but I managed!  How would you answer, get in touch with us, we'd love to share your answers.

And I'm so pleased we get to meet again at Blogfest!

Some new badges for #PoCoLo

I told you we had lots to share this week, didn't I?  I need to thank Morgan as she's been super busy over the past few weeks and has given our #PoCoLo badge a makeover, and I love them. I hope you do too.  And as well as a new badge, we've also now got a featured badge. So new questions, new badges, we really are spoiling you!

We would love to feature you and find out more about you, so whether you're a regular linker or have joined us more recently we want to share more about you. 

PoCoLo
Featured on PoCoLo