Post Comment Love & Blogger Showcase 11-13 May

Hello there and welcome to this week's #PoCoLo - if you were here last week it was great to see you, if you're new here this week then it's great to see you, but either way I know you're very welcome.

The four day week has got me - I'm well and truly confused over what day it is, and I'm never quite sure how that happens. I know that I'm always grateful for an extra day at home, and a sunny Bank Holiday was a real treat. 

As well as everything else there was time for some gardening too, and my photo this week is of a variegated ivy at the end of our garden. I was struck by how it looked as if it had been painted, isn't nature wonderful?

varigated ivy

This week we've even made it over to the allotment for a couple of hours easy weeding, leaving just as it got dark.  Somehow though I've been bitten again and have three bad bites on my foot. They're painful but I'm hoping they'll calm down and heal well, I can't believe that once again I've a reaction to insect bites.

Blogger Showcase: Carmen from Wellington World Travels

1. Who are you?

I am Carmen and I blog over at wellingtonworldtravels.com. I am from the Philippines, but currently live in Doha, Qatar. I am a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful kids: 3-year old son and 3-month old baby girl.

2. Why did you start blogging?

My blog started out as a place to document my travels and experiences. Now, it has become a platform on which I can voice my thoughts, opinions, knowledge and ideas.

3. What do you find most challenging?

The most challenging part is driving traffic to my website. It takes a lot of time. It means I have to be in front of the computer or on my phone all day - being active on social media, joining Facebook groups, creating post consistently. It takes a lot of my time.

4. What is your favourite topic to write about?

I started writing travel guides, tips and musings. But I realised I enjoyed more writing family travels, parenting and perspective posts. I just started my blog, so I am still figuring out my niche.

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

I think, I am blogging 80% for fun. I blog for pleasure and leisure. Since I have become a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to do something aside from taking care of kids and doing household chores. It is one way of making my time productive. But I didn't expect it to take up a lot of my time.

I also set goals on my blog, but not being too hard on myself. At the end of the day, I don't want to blog aimlessly. I have goals when it comes to number of visitors and followers a day, and posts per month. Of course, ultimately I want to monetise my blog so that I can help my husband and the family financially.

6. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing about blogging is knowing you have a little space in the big World Wide Web where you can be ‘you’ and share knowledge, feelings, and opinions.

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

I am new to the blogging world, so this is my first time hearing about a blogging conference. I would love to attend someday.

8. What are your 3 best posts?

9. Describe yourself in three words...

Sweet, Shy. Simple.

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

I don’t drink coffee, so that will be tea and biscuits. I love to eat cake once in a while.

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

Nowadays, we rarely have a night out. As much as possible, I want to be home by sunset. I guess, a perfect night out is a good meal with my husband and kids in a restaurant or by the beach.

12. Your perfect night in?

My perfect night means snuggled in my bed, watching a movie or two then an UNinterrupted sleep. That is too perfect for my world. But a girl can dream! 

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

  • Mom: reliable and good daughter

  • In-laws: shy but thoughtful

  • Husband: kind, supportive and loving

  • Son: “I want Mommy.” I guess I am ‘want-able’...!

Connect with Carmen on her social channels here: Facebook  -  Instagram  -  Twitter  -  Pinterest - Thanks for taking part Carmen, it's great to find new blogs to read.  

If you'd like to be a future Blogger Showcase, then please get in touch with either Morgan or I.

Post Comment Love 4-7 May

Hello there and welcome to #PoCoLo and yet another Friday, but this time with a difference. It's a long weekend, and even better is that the weather forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend is good. Of course, I don't believe it, do you?  But I'm very happy to be proved wrong!

As it's a Bank Holiday weekend we're keeping the linky open until Monday evening so do pop along and link up.  If you were here last week it was great to see you, if you're new here this week then welcome. 

All being well - and I'm crossing my fingers as I type this - today is the day we should have builders in the house.  I'm not sure what they're starting on, but we have a delivery slot for our new bifold doors and new window for the week after next, so I'm glad they'll be here and starting work. Of course that meant a bout of last minute activity, but that's to be expected...

My photo this week is one that's gone a bit bonkers on Instagram, and typically I snapped it as I walked home one night, rather than being a photo that took ages to set up - who'm I trying to kid, my photos are all snaps it's just some are given more thought than others.  This wasn't one of them though!  But even so, it turned out pretty well.

BLOSSOM-TASTIC

BLOSSOM-TASTIC

Blogger Showcase: Anneli from Pigletish

This week you can read Anneli's full answers over on Morgan's blog - but before you go, let me give you an intro to this week's Blogger Showcase.  Anneli is a mental health advocate, blogger and podcast host based in Sheffield, whose post about Stephen Fry was shared by QI on Twitter, which is pretty cool, and we learn that she loves her striped t-shirt collection.  

Post Comment Love 27-29 April

Hello there and welcome to another Friday and another PoCoLo - it's great to see you, whether you're new here *waves* or are a regular PoCoLo-er - either way, Morgan and I are pleased you're here.

I am going to revert to type and talk about the weather this week.  Goodness hasn't it been peculiar.  There's been the typical April showers - I've not managed to get caught in one yet, but I have discovered that my brolly is well and truly broken.  Thankfully it's only one of a few, and one I picked up somewhere several years ago, so that's been quite unceremoniously dumped in the bin.  

I'm hoping that's symbolic and the temperatures will be on the up again. I've seen the forecasts and I'm not convinced my optimism is well placed, but let's hope we don't have another few months to wait until we see the sun again!

On the plus side, the cherry blossom in Greenwich Park is looking glorious.  There's trees with branches laden of posy-like arrangements, and it's a wonder that they can stand upright. They are pretty though, aren't they?

cherry blossom in Greenwich Park

Blogger Showcase: Gemma from Waist Trainer

1. Who are you?

I'm Gemma, a mum of two children (boy and a girl) from the South Coast of England and I blog as Mummy's Waisted on www.waisttrainer.uk

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I'd read quite a few mummy/parenting blogs whilst on maternity leave with my two children, and when I joined Twitter, the whole blogging world opened up to me!

3. Why did you start blogging?

Originally I started writing content for the waist training site, and discovered that I really enjoyed it and wanted to expand the range of topics I was blogging about.

4. What do you find most challenging?

Just talking about one thing in a post! I often get distracted or go off down a different path than I'd originally intended.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

Trying out new things with my children, whether it's getting crafty or testing out a new recipe with them - my son loves baking.

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

It's early days so I don't have long term goals yet, I would like to make enough money from blogging to not have to go back to accountancy!

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

It gives me an outlet for all the ideas running around my head - especially during night time wake ups with my daughter!

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference?

Not yet.

9. What are your three best posts?

That's me in the corner, losing my identity; Little Chompers (testing out celebrity recipes for ease of cooking and whether the kids like them), and a guest post I wrote about making dinosaurs from junk boxes!

10. Describe yourself in three words

Organised, cuddly, surprising.

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

Definitely coffee and cake, I need caffeine!

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

I'm getting a bit old for late nights out at gigs, so probably going to see a comedian with my husband, with a nice meal beforehand.

13. Your perfect night in?

Watching a crime thriller with a takeaway curry.

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

I always put my family first, making sure they are happy - even if it means giving up the last slice of cake!

Thanks Gemma, it's great to find new blogs to read and wow, giving up cake - that's quite something!  

If you'd like to be featured as a future Blogger Showcase, please get in touch with either Morgan or I and we can sort out a date.