Monday, January 30, 2017

National Trust Properties You Have To Visit ♥

One thing we love to do as a family is get outdoors and discover old places, as well as visiting some old haunts of ours again and again. We're definitely outdoorsy people, being lovers of nature, historic places and destinations which allow for the most perfect of picture opportunities.

I'm quite proud of our outdoor lovers status and I think it's quite apparent from my photography that my boys and I like to surround ourselves with nature and frequent places of interest on a regular basis. In fact, myself and the children have spent the last two days strolling around and exploring the beautiful gardens of an old manor house quite close to our home (I'm not going to lie, I was pretending it was my own garden as we were walking around - a girl can dream, right?).

I see so many of my blogging friends and people I follow on Instagram, visiting the most beautiful buildings and gardens, many of them part of the National Trust and honestly, from the pictures alone I dream of visiting these destinations with my own little family as they all look so beautiful.

I love that the National Trust encourages people and their families to get outdoors and explore.

I wanted to share some of my fellow bloggers posts on their days out to National Trust properties, just to give you a glimpse of what the National Trust has to offer and to give you some inspiration for any family days out you may be planning -

Nikki from Yorkshire Wonders has a great post about her family's visit to Beningbrough Hall, which offers a beautiful house, an adventure playground, den building and tea rooms - just to name a few.

Kate from Lesbemums has shared a post about her and her sons visit to Sheffield Park & Gardens, which is a beautiful historic park featuring waterfalls, landscape design and horticulture - as well as plenty of space for the little ones to run around and soak up some fresh air.

Halina from Viechoufleur has written about her experience of Basildon Park with her toddler in tow. Basildon Park offers rolling hills, woodland, fairy doors and did you know that Basildon House is where Downtown Abbey was set?

Samantha from North East Family Fun has shared her day of exploring (or rather getting lost in!) Labyrinth at Cragside. Her pictures of this place are absolutely stunning!

Karen from Mini Travellers has shared her family's experience of Roald Dahl's Tremendous Adventures at Tatton Park. The park itself looks absolutely beautiful, offering woodland, flowers and lots of things to keep the kids busy and entertained as they explore the grounds.

Jenny from Midwife and Life has shared a post about her family's trip to Bodiam Castle, which offers extensive grounds, activities for children, a fort and of course, the castle itself which has interactive displays and demonstrations of medieval life.

Emma from Life According to Mrs Shilts has a post detailing five things to do at Dudmaston Hall - I won't ruin the post for you but the place looks beautiful!

Louise from Pink Pear Bear has shared a post about her family's visit to Waddeston Manor - which looks absolutely stunning by the way!

Colette from We're Going On An Adventure has shared a post about Bodnant Garden, an absolutely stunning property (the stuff that dreams are made of, seriously!), beautiful gardens and dreamy views over the Welsh countryside.

Emma from The Joy of Five has shared her family's visit to Limpsfied Common to search for Peter Rabbit's office amongst the bluebells, her photos are stunning.

Jane from Hodge Podge Days has been very busy exploring National Trust properties, sharing six of her visits to different National Trust locations over on her blog, all of which you can read about here.

Helena from Babyfoote has also visited and written about many National Trust properties on her blog, all located in the North Wales/Chesire area. You can read about her National Trust adventures here.

Hopefully the above posts will give you some family day out inspiration.


Share:

Friday, January 27, 2017

5 Tips For Saving Money When Shopping Online ♥

I love online shopping, it's convenient, quick and easy, I can browse at my leisure and there are some great deals to be had. When shopping online at catalogue shops, there are some tips which can make your experience more enjoyable. These tips will also help you to save as much money when buying what you are looking for.

Compare
When shopping at online catalogue websites, be sure to spend time comparing so you can get the best deal. Most offer interest free credit, so make sure you choose the one that is offering you the best price. Be sure to check out postage costs too to make sure you aren't paying too much.

Don't Only Look Online
Although online catalogue shopping is easy, you shouldn't just look online. Online prices are typically cheaper than prices in store, but that's not always the case. Make sure you look at store prices too, just to make sure you really are getting the very best deal.

Use Cash back Websites
Many online catalogue shops have signed up to cash back websites. These cash back sites are a great way to get a little bit back on your purchase. This can be anywhere between 1% to 10% and sometimes even more.

Look for Coupons
Sometimes you can find coupon codes online to enter into the catalogue websites, these will help to reduce the purchase price - I used some promo codes when doing my Christmas shopping and they really helped me to save money on Beau's Christmas presents. Beware though if you are using coupons, they may make any cash back claims invalid. Sometimes cash back sites list some coupon codes which be used whilst still allowing you to earn cash back.
          
Shop the Deals
Catalogue stores often run promotions and special offers. Be sure to get the best price by trying your best to shop the deals. If the product you want to buy isn't on offer at the moment, consider waiting a bit to see if it does go on offer. Sometimes the people in the store may know when the next promotion is starting, and what's likely to be included. If you would like to compare some catalogues to see what deals they have then click here.

By using these five simple tips when shopping at catalogue stores online, you can hopefully save quite a lot of money while still buying everything you want - and that's always a win-win situation!
Share:

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

11 Baby-Tastic Things To Do On Maternity Leave ♥

Congratulations, you've made it to the last stretch of your pregnancy! Officially you should be on maternity leave two weeks before your baby is born, but if you're luck you might even get a bit longer! Now it's the long dreaded wait for baby to make its appearance. This could be anytime now.

On my first I had to wait extra long as he was 10 days overdue. On my second I started maternity leave on a Friday and I was in the maternity ward a day later. Pregnancies can be so different.

Now that baby is here, you might be busy changing nappies, feeding, cleaning up sick, changing outfits after a poo incident, but yet you still need to keep your head clear and get out of the house. Remember babies sleep 16 hours out of 24 hours after all - or so they say! (Wasn't the case with my second)

Here are some tips how to keep yourself busy while on maternity leave:

1. Go for a walk everyday
Fresh air is important for babies. Try to aim going for a walk everyday, weather permitting of course. I didn't go outside that much when Matthew first was born but I changed this when Chloe came along and we were outside as often as we could be. 

2. Meet other mums 
Baby/Toddler groups are great for meeting other mums with babies/toddlers. Ask your public health nurse when they are on or look for ones online, one a week should be enough. They are normally on in the morning.

3. Go to a baby massage 
Baby massages are very popular these days. Whether your baby has reflux, has trouble bringing up wind or you just want to simply do your baby something good. For most babies it is nice way to relax.

4. Book a baby swimming lesson 
Obviously your baby is not going to learn how to swim that young but water is great for babies. They can build up their strength and learn so much floating in the water. Water Babies is one organisation who provide this service. You can bring your baby from birth. Have a look at their website and see if they do a session near you. We tried it with Chloe when she was only 3 months old.

5. Meet a friend for lunch
It’s nice to meet familiar faces for lunch like your friends and talk about the latest gossip.  The least thing you want is to get lonely now that you have a baby. Keep in touch with your friends as regularly as possible.

6. Setup the nursery
If you haven’t done so already, start on the nursery for your baby. Sit down with your partner and decide on the colour and theme of the room. Matthew's room was finished by the time I was 22 weeks pregnant with him. I did Chloe's room while I was on maternity leave with the help of a few friends and I've shared a video of Chloe's nursery too.

7. Gardening
If your baby is born in spring time, it’s a great opportunity to do some gardening. Put the baby in the pram and leave him/her in the garden beside you. That way she still gets fresh air and you get things done.

8. Book a photo session
It’s nice to have some baby photos hanging in the house - especially precious newborn pictures. We had photos taken by a local photographer who specializes in baby photography with both of our kids.

9. Get hand and foot prints done
This is a lovely keepsake. I recommend to get this done as early as possible. Once they are older and can move/roll around it can end up in a disaster. I’ve been there.

10. Book a place in the nursery 
Find that perfect nursery for your child to start in. Both my kids started creche when they were 5/6 months old as unfortunately, in Ireland, you only get 6 months paid maternity leave.

11. Start a blog
As a parenting blogger myself, I can't stress enough to start your own blog while you are on maternity leave. I have done a monthly update on Chloe when she was a baby and I am so glad I did. I can always look back on these updates and a blog is a lovely keepsake of all yours and your family's adventures and memories together.

*This is a guest post by Janine from Janine's Little World - a full-time working mother with two young children, Matthew and Chloe. Janine is originally from Germany, but now lives in Ireland with her family. Her blog shares posts on parenting and lifestyle.

Share:

Monday, January 09, 2017

The Common Misconceptions Of Being A Stay At Home Mother ♥

Before I became a mother, I was wrongly under the impression that stay at home mothers had it made. What could be better, I thought, than staying at home all day with your little darlings, not having to conform to strict time keeping to make it to work on time and being able to plan your week how you wanted. Essentially I thought stay at home mothers were their own boss and oh how wrong I was! 

I get the opinion that people think I collect the dole and sit on my arse all day. I do neither (okay I may sit on my arse occasionally...). I take no money off the government, nor do I think I'm entitled to any and now that we've that cleared up, I can continue.

I will admit that when my first baby was born, it was a breeze looking after him. I'd only be lying if I said it wasn't. He used to sleep all the time and I'm sure he would have loved to have slept twenty-four hours a day if it wasn't for the fact that he had to eat and have his nappy changed. 

He was such a little angel and my house was cleaner than it ever had been, I had everything organised, dinner made every night and I even had the time to shower and do my makeup on a daily basis. I was becoming the "perfect housewife", a status which I never thought I would achieve (I bloody hate cleaning and cooking!). "This mothering malarkey is easy!", I oh so foolishly thought. 

As the months went on I found it harder and harder to get my house in order. To this day, the lack of organisation drives me mad. I now don't have the dinner ready until Jacek literally walks in the door and even at that it's a 'take frozen food out of the freezer but it in the oven and bam!' job.

A stay at home mother is most definitely not her own boss. In fact, my boss - or should I say bosses now that Beau has graced our lives, are the most demanding bosses I have ever had! Work starts at four or five in the morning, depending on which child wants to greet me first, and doesn't end until five-thirty that evening for baby boss and seven o' clock for the child boss - that's a twelve and a half hour day for one and even more for the other! Breaks are not included in my contract. 

Tyler still needs everything done when he wants and not a second longer otherwise his whinging becomes intolerable. I swear, I can't wait for his Oscar's award ceremony in the future, because the child is definitely a master in dramatics! Thankfully Beau is of a calmer disposition... for now.

I'm not allowed to work on my own initiative, the bosses have me on a strict schedule that allows for no other 'jobs' to be done. The laundry basket keeps breeding whilst I'm not looking (much to Tyler's delight. Seriously, anyone know of any other three year olds obsessed with washing machines?) and the basket of ironing (*snorts* ironing. Who even does this in 2017 apart from my mother? Creases on pant legs n' all) sits on the tumble-drier unloved and untouched. 

By the time my 'shift' ends I am exhausted, I want to do nothing but lie on the couch and chill out, but unfortunately there are things to be done, bottles to be prepared for the morning, blog posts to be written and other bits and bobs which are necessary to the smooth functioning of my next working day. In reality it's a twenty-four seven job, you are always a mother, always on call, always needed - thanks for the middle of the night wake up calls boys, I'll be remembering them when you're both teenagers and I'm demanding toast which I won't bother eating either...

Stay at home mothers are unable to leave the house on their own and this task is no longer as simple as getting yourself ready and picking up your handbag. Do you know how many things a child needs when out and about? A lot! 

I went on a three day holiday with my eldest boy once and had to take four big bags, four! Being a stay at home mother can also be quite lonely, some days go by where the only adult I get to speak to is Jacek when he comes home from work. 

There are no work colleagues to have a laugh and some banter with, no work nights out and no company throughout the day. You're not part of a team, you are the team and everything is up to you to get done. A stay at home mother plays many roles - chef, cleaner, driver, carer, playmate, entertainer along with many others, how many jobs out there have these many roles for one employee?

People seem to think I have all the time in the world to do what I want when I want and I think they're crazy! As you can probably tell these are people without children, oh the shock they're in for when they do eventually reproduce - to be a fly on the wall when the thought finally hits them that being a stay at home mother isn't all it's cracked up to be.

One of the most challenging things in my day is entertaining my kid. Do you know how easily kids get bored?! They can be occupied for literally twenty minutes before they need something new to catch their attention.

I am constantly on the move looking for a new toy to give to my sons and am permanently having to turn Beau onto his back when he rolls over and gets stuck.

People laugh at me when I say I have to feed the baby at a certain time and need to go home, find somewhere to sit, etc. They think he'll be okay for another few minutes, he most definitely won't be, when it's lunch time it is lunch time and that's at one o' clock. If I didn't follow this strict schedule my life would be chaos and that would most certainly not be fun. 

Stay at home mothers have no time to be sick, therefore it's necessary to make sure you're in optimum health. There is no cover to take over for you. Young children do not understand that mummy needs a day in bed. They're unable to fend for themselves. 

When people express how much they're looking forward to the weekend I just smile and nod, the weekend is nothing to me, just another day just like the rest of the week following the orders of my bosses and sticking to our routine.

However, there are many perks to my job which I could not live without. I get a lot of cuddles, what other boss would be so affectionate? I get to play with my sons, see them laugh, giggle and shriek with delight on a daily basis because apparently I'm hilarious. I get to see them grow, explore, learn and be amazed by the general wonder of the world that surrounds them

Being a stay at home mother is one of the hardest jobs in the world and I am now thinking that 'job' is the wrong word, perhaps 'vocation' would be better. This vocation that I decided to undertake (twice!) has been the best thing that has ever happened in my life. 

To be a mother, it's a feeling I cannot describe. Nevertheless, there are far too many misconceptions surrounding stay at home mothers, people really think we have it made. I would love one of these people to spend a week in my shoes and do what I do everyday, it's bloody hard work but my God is it worth it.

Share:

Monday, January 02, 2017

My Daily Blogging Schedule | How I Get 42,000+ Page Views A Week ♥

Back in 2015 I wrote one of my most popular posts ever - My Daily Blogging Schedule | How I Get 25,000+ Page Views A Week, and more than a year on, I thought it was time to do an update and share the new things I've been doing to gain my blog exposure and get people to view it.

I have to admit, last year I was a bit lax with my blog and wasn't writing or promoting as much as I used to and it wasn't until December that I really stepped up my blogging game again, but even in the short space of a month my page views have rocketed due to the work I've been putting in and I couldn't be more delighted with the results.

In my last post, I stated that blog promotion was a lot of hard work, but since then I've found and been using promotion tools which do all the work for me, and to be totally honest, I'm relieved that I no longer have to participate in Twitter retweet threads in various Facebook groups, as some of the content I really wasn't happy about sharing. The threads seemed to turn from bloggers helping bloggers to bloggers helping businesses promote their crap and that really wasn't for me.

However, I will stand by what I said in my last post - you have to work for your blog, not just have it work for you, and this is what I do on a daily basis to make sure that my blog is seen and read by people all around the world.

BLOG
  • Check stats from the previous day to see how well my blog did and record them in my diary so I can tot up my page views at the end of the month.
  • Prepare and publish a new blog post - I always create and publish blog posts on the same day, as my creativity flows better when I'm not preparing posts in advance.
  • Capture photography for the blog post and social media promotion - this is such an important aspect to blogging that I think some people don't bother with at all, but it's so important for getting people to want to click on your links and read your posts. After all, the visual is what captures a potential reader's attention  first, and what will ultimately make them want to read your words. Photography sessions for me can take up to an hour, depending on what I want to capture. I've been known to take over 600 photos for just one post and believe me, whittling them down to a select few is a job within itself. 
  • Edit photography for the blog and social media. I use the Royale feature on PicMonkey, which costs €66 for the year.
  • Re-read the post before publishing, check the HTML and make sure the layout is just the way I want it.
  • Respond to blog comments.

TWITTER
  • In December I began using a new promotion tool for Twitter, which I discovered by reading this helpful post from Sparkles & Stretchmarks. That new tool was SocialOomph. This allows me to submit tweets and set them up to be published at a time or frequency of my choosing. Twitter allows you to tweet 100 times per hour (but note that retweets are included within this). When I publish a post, I add it to my SocialOomph updates and always select for the post to be shared once every hour. I've also added old and seasonal posts to my SocialOomph updates and have seen great results. Since using SocialOomph I gained 170,000+ page views in December alone - a big increase from my average of 55,000 page views during the previous months of the year. SocialOomph costs €338 a year for the Professional version and €188 a year for the Twitter Unlimited.
  • Respond to comments people have left on my tweets.
  • Retweet some tweets from other bloggers which caught my attention.
  • Follow back relevant accounts which followed me. 

INSTAGRAM
  • Add new pictures to Instagram feeds (I have three accounts) and mention 'link in bio' if I think a post may be relative to my Instagram followers.
  • Add 30 hashtags for maximum post exposure.

PINTEREST
  • Add post photography to relevant boards.
  • Re-pin 20+ old pins to new, relavant boards.
  • Re-pin 10+ pins from other people.

 STUMBLEUPON
  • Add post link to StumbleUpon - however, I only do this if the post is a photography/DIY/Inspirational post. I do not add review or other generic posts to StumbleUpon as they're not inspiring to the StumbleUpon audience. 
  • Give a thumbs up to at least 10 stumbles.

FACEBOOK
  •  I have to admit, I hate Facebook, so I'm not too bothered about promoting my blog there, but I do post updates to my blog's Facebook page.
  • I also post blog links in various blogging Facebook groups.

 EMAILS
  • Respond to emails throughout the day.
  • Send collaborative posts links to relevant PRs and keep them up to date.  
I honestly can't believe how successful this schedule has been for me and just how much by blog has benefited from sticking to all these things.

As I stated above, last month I gained 170,000+ page views, which I think was a result of posting tweets every hour via SocialOomph. Some people may think that this is too frequent, but the way I look at it is - if you're not shouting about yourself or your blog, then who's going to know about it? You must be your own cheerleader to get your voice heard and your blog seen amongst the sea of other bloggers and blogs there are out there.

By 9' o clock every morning by blog has gained over 2,500 page views and knowing that people are reading and visiting my blog because a tweet, pin or Facebook post caught their eye and made them want to read and visit it is a really great thing.

I'm expecting my page views to grow even more this year and will be back with an update in a few months time to share just how helpful SocialOomph and other techniques I'll be using, have been to my blog and I.

I hope this post has given people an insight into all the work that really goes into creating and establishing a successful blog.

It's absolutely amazing to see your hard work paying off and to see that people are interested in your blog and are reading your posts, admiring your pictures and engaging with you on social media. It means an awful lot to a writer or blogger such as myself and I am forever grateful to those who take the time to stop by my blog and for all the opportunities it has given me.
 

Share:
© Dolly Dowsie | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig