Post Comment Love & Blogger Showcase 17-19 August

Hello there and welcome to this week's #PoCoLo - how's your week been?

If you were here last week, it was great to see you and thanks for sharing some great posts.  If you're new here this week, you're very welcome I'm sure you're going to find some great posts to read, and perhaps some new to you blogs too.  Once again I'm joined by Suzanne from Chicken Ruby who's co-hosting with me while Morgan is on her holidays, so do please also pop over there to say hello.

Last week was just a short post as it was also the day of my FIL's funeral, everything went as well as these things do and the weather certainly made itself known.  People were arriving in the pub completely soaked and we had a lovely afternoon sharing memories, and learning some new ones too.  There is of course, still much to do but this milestone has now taken place, and it was quite a task to get that to happen all told.

white rose

We'd planned to go for a boozy picnic in Greenwich Park on Sunday but it seemed the weather had other ideas (again) and so I dragged MOH cushion shopping instead, with some success.  MOH couldn't believe we needed that many cushions, but as we have three sofas to fill we definitely did and we left with six cushions from a couple of shops.  And a shopping list for two more, one to collect from my mum and another that I want to make from the samples I collected during our sofa shopping.  

It must be said that MOH is gobsmacked by all the soft furnishings - I'm sure he thought the one we bought in Yorkshire was plenty.  I've linked the cushions we browsed on our trip, so you can see the one that MOH chose!  I'll share our purchases soon, as I'm on a bit of a cushion roll.  And that boozy picnic has been rescheduled for Bank Holiday Monday when I'm sure the weather will be no better, or maybe it will...

Blogger Showcase: Kirsten from Obtaining Bliss

1. Who are you?

My name is Kirsten and I have a blog called ObtainingBliss.com. I write about personal development through depression and anxiety, domestic violence, and everything that helps a person find more bliss in their life.

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I found blogging as a business through a site called MakingSenseofCents.com. She had a few posts on starting a blog as a business and I got interested.

3. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging as a business because I really wanted to be an entrepreneur. That has since expanded to helping other women who also suffer from depression and anxiety and who may have experienced an abusive relationship find peace and bliss. Hence the name of my blog.

4. What do you find most challenging?

Juggling a full-time job with a full-time business and making sure to keep time for myself and my family.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

I have a few, but I love talking about self-care and personal development specifically for those suffering from depression.

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

Oh, I have BIG goals. But I do also write for fun - I think that's the best part of being a blogger is that I get to do what I love (write) and help others in the process. 

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

The connections. Meeting other bloggers and readers. Getting feedback from others about my content.

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

Yes, I attended the EBA Live conference. It was the very first conference by Ruth Soukup of Living Well Spending Less. When I first started blogging this was the course I got. This course put me on the right path to setting up my blog and being successful. The conference was awesome! I met so many people and got so much great feedback and learned so very very much. I would definitely recommend going to a blogging conference if you get the chance because it can be so beneficial for your blogging business.

9. What are your 3 best posts?

10. Describe yourself in 3 words.

Empath, tenacious, resilient.

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

Totally a coffee and cake person!

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

Dancing and singing with my favourite people.

13. Your perfect night in?

A good movie cuddled up with my hubby and/or my kiddos.

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

I actually did a survey with this exact question. They all said the same thing. I'm super loyal, have a huge heart and I'm very giving.

Thanks Kirsten - I love that you did some research for that final question!  Don't forget to connect with Kirsten's social channels:  Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Instagram.  

If you'd like to be featured as a future Blogger Showcase then please do get in touch.

Post Comment Love & Blogger Showcase 10-12 August

Hello there and welcome to this week's #PoCoLo - if you're new here this week, hello and welcome along.  If you were here last week, it was great to see you and I'm sure this week you'll find some more great posts to read.  Once again I'm joined by Suzanne from Chicken Ruby as co-host while Morgan is having fun Disney style - thanks Suzanne.

It's a short one from me today, but let me tell you about the photo.  It just about sums up last weekend.  Something to read, a cook book and a magazine, some crafting - sewing in the ends of my spring crochet and of course some tech.  With MOH away, what else could a girl need?

crafting, reading and tech

Blogger Showcase: Chloe from Beautiful Bundle of Chaos

1. Who are you?

Hey! I’m Chloe, married, mother of one and 23 years old from Leicestershire. My daughter Lola is a bubbly, crazy child that keeps me on my feet every single day, and is also my inspiration behind most of my blogs.

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I actually have no idea how I discovered blogs! I didn’t tend to read many blogs and I really didn’t know much about them either. One day I decided to set up a new Instagram account, basically because I thought my friends and family were sick of seeing Lola’s outfit choices for the day – and it went from there. Once I started that page I started to discover more and more blogs and I loved the pieces of writing I read and it reminded me of being a child again and the hours I would spend writing at my grandma's house.

3. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I loved the sense of freedom it gave me when I wrote my first post on Instagram about my feelings. I opened up to people I had never met or spoke to before in my life, something that I would strangely never dream of doing in front of my friends and family. Truth is, I can’t talk about my feelings out loud, the words just don’t come out. I started blogging and I was having conversations with people about my worries/guilt that I'd never been able to talk about before. I started blogging as a kind of therapy.

4. What do you find most challenging?

My biggest challenge has been confidence, there are amazing bloggers out there that stand fierce in their photoshoots, they travel for days on their own to events and that is something that I majorly need to work on.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

I love to talk about my daughter and the mischief she gets up to, and it feels so good when I get parent responses explaining how they are going through the exact same thing. They are always happy to hear I’m experiencing the worst of the terrible twos haha! I also love fashion, I forever get the latest trends for Lola and share them with my readers.

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

I have big goals for my blog, as a first time parent that works a 9-5 job I’m envious of people living the self employed dream. I miss my daughter and feel guilty I can't spend as much time with her as I want to. Not only that, I want to create something where people want to come and read my blog when they're feeling down, or when they want a giggle or even want to know what the latest beauty products I'm using are. I want to build a community.

7.  What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing about blogging is not only the writing but being able to be creative with my pictures, I like to tell a story or make people laugh with my pictures. Again, I also love that blog posts can be so relevant to issues going on in peoples lives, but they are able to read and know that they are not alone and that we are going through the same issues – especially new mums, times are hard with a new baby and it's nice to have a community around you.

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

I have never attended a blogging conference but I would love to one day.

9. What are your 3 best posts?

I think my 3 best posts are…

10. Describe yourself in three words!

Myself in three words

  • Imaginative

  • Sensitive

  • Slight control freak

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

Tea and biscuits all the way!!! Only because I’m not a massive fan of cake.

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

My perfect night out is being with friends or family, grabbing ourselves a few 2 for 1 cocktails and some food, maybe a little dancing and there 100% HAS to be a kebab on the way home.

13. Your perfect night in?

My perfect night in is good food, good tv and bottle of wine to share with my other half and of course in an ideal world my daughter to actually be in bed on time.

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

My best friends would say I'm completely crazy, my other half and daughter would saying I’m very loving – hopefully!

 

Thanks Chloe, it's great to learn more about you and your blog.  Before you link up do pop over to Chloe's social channels:  Instagram  -  Twitter.

Post Comment Love and Blogger Showcase 3-5 August

Hello there and welcome back to another #PoCoLo and welcome back to the sun!  If you were here last week, it was great to see you and if you're new here this week then welcome aboard, I'll know you'll find some great posts and blogs so do take some time to check some of them out.

Thank you to Nikki from Someplace Strange for guest co-hosting with me for the past two weeks, this week though, and for the rest of this month, I've a new guest co-host, Suzanne from Chicken Ruby so please do pop over and say hello.

It looks as if the higher temperatures are back doesn't it?  And while it was nice to have a break, and some rain, it's nice to have the sun back too.  We're never content are we?

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend pleasing myself, getting my craft on and spending some time on the sun loungers, while MOH is away on a stag weekend.   

This week my photo is one of our redcurrant bush which arrived as a bare rooted plant.  It's come on loads and has since been potted up, and the birds are showing a little bit too much interest so it's also netted.  AT the same time I bought a blackcurrant bush which still looks the same as when it arrived - bare rooted. 

This week I remembered to get in touch with Suttons to say it wasn't growing as expected.  They immediately said they'd send another if I let them know the variety, but sadly they're out of them for this year and so they've refunded my money.  You can't say better than that can you, especially as it was part of a pack with the redcurrant bush.

Our redcurrant bush in a trug on the patio

I wish I could say the same for the new pots I ordered at the same time.  I'm still waiting for their one day delivery and rapidly losing my patience with them.  I'm not naming the company yet as I'm trying to be fair and give them the chance to work this out, but it's not going so well and it's  a real shame when a company gets it so wrong.

Blogger showcase: Kylie from Simple Little Secrets

1. Who are you?

My name is Kylie I am from the north of England but live near Brighton I have a 2 year old daughter and am absolutely mad about makeup.

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging and why did you start blogging

I discovered blogging when all my friends told me I should write a book about my tips and tricks for make up and how to do things yourself rather than pay a fortune.  This led me to create a blog where I could write about whatever was interesting me at the time or whatever new tip I could easily post. This is why I started blogging.

3. What do you find most challenging?

I find filming myself most challenging because I always doubt whether what I am recording is really of interest to anyone else, I can sometimes be self conscious and over critical of what I am talking about. It takes me a while to remember everyone is different and maybe not everyone will enjoy my videos, but there are people out there who do and like them enough to subscribe to my channel which makes me stop second guessing myself.

4. What is your favourite topic to write about?

My favourite topic to write about is finding deals and vouchers - anything that can save money and make you feel good.

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

I am blogging for fun, but I do hope it may take me somewhere in the future. I’m not sure where, but as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing that’s all that matters to me at the moment.

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

I have never attended a bloggers conference.

7. What are your 3 best posts?

My 3 best posts are my I Sea Pasta, Desio Lens Review and MAC Rosegold and Purple Eyeshadow.

8. Describe yourself in three words

I am funny, girly and helpful.

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

I am a tea and biscuits girl of course!

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

My perfect night out would be a really tasty meal in a cool restaurant with my close friends and then maybe go to a trendy bar where we can have a dance.

11. Your perfect night in?

My perfect night in is watching a good film with popcorn and lots of sweets possible a pizza with my partner and a good bottle of wine.

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

My mum would say my best quality is how I try to always see the positive out of any difficult situation and to try and see the good in people where it might be hard to.

 

Thanks Kylie for sharing more about you and your blog.  If you want to connect with Kylie, here's her social channels:  Twitter  -  Instagram  -  YouTube.  If you'd like to take part in a future Blogger Showcase feature then please take a look at our questions and get in touch.