Over the weekend I read a post on a kind of spammy looking blog that really resonated with me. Basically, the guy says people should stop “blogging” and start talking about their day-to-day lives. It made me think back to 2 years ago when I first started this blog – a lot of my initial posts were either backstory or random observations. That was before I had readers and became plagued by thoughts like OMG MUST GIVE THEM SOMETHING AMAZING AND USEFUL OR THEY WILL NEVER COME BACK.
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of pressure associated with maintaining a blog (assuming it’s a real blog and not a bunch of generic articles written for search engines). It’s not easy to crank out multiple posts every week that are interesting enough to share with other people. I’ve cut back my posting schedule a lot in the past few months, and it’s not because I don’t want to post; it’s because I haven’t been able to come up with something “good enough” to say.
Part of me feels like it’s snooty to think that way. Like people are frantically refreshing my homepage, just waiting for me to dispense my infinite wisdom and enrich their lives. (And for the record, that’s not really how I think of myself and this blog.) I don’t really know how to describe it… Something just changes with the awareness that people want to hear what you have to say.
So in the interest of having a Monday post instead of panicking and/or publishing an old draft that I don’t even like, I’m going to tell you about my weekend. I’m sure you’re all on the edge of your seats!
This Was My Weekend
I was sick all last week, so I spent most of the weekend catching up on work. I’ve really tried to stick to the schedule I set for myself at the end of 2012 but it’s nearly impossible. If I stop working for the day, I feel like I can’t even check Twitter after that because my clients will be like, “She’s not answering my email yet she’s sitting around tweeting!” I just don’t know how to achieve balance yet.
Remember all the drama with my Target card? They ended up closing my account completely for lack of use, so I called back to reopen it and they wouldn’t do it without a new hard pull on my credit report and a whole new account. So now I’m mad at Target forever and ever.
I finally broke down and bought an iPad mini (without the 5% discount from those assholes at Target), which arrived on Friday. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d like it, but I decided I’d compare it to my full-sized iPad. And holy crap, you guys… I don’t ever want to use a “big” iPad again – the mini is awesome! It’s the perfect size and weight. So the mini will stay and the big iPad will be going to a new home, thus paying me back for what I spent on the mini. It’s all one big delusional Apple circle of life.
Jayden’s new glasses also arrived this weekend. I ordered them from Zenni Optical for like $37, compared to $200+ if I had bought them from our eye doctor. He made me promise I wouldn’t put a picture on the blog or on Facebook, but since I’m a fan of loopholes, you can see them on Instagram if you want. I’m amazed by how different he looks… So much more grownup. It makes me a little sad.
There are a lot of things going on in my personal life, few of which I’m comfortable sharing right now, but I’m pretty stressed and it’s affecting my ability to concentrate on work. When I had a “real job” I could get away with slacking every now and then, but it’s not really an option now that I work for myself. Every hour I spend worrying is an hour I’m not getting paid, and while I try to remind myself of that, some issues are just bigger than money. It’s kind of funny to see myself type those words, but it’s true. I just try to stay positive because I know things will get better – they always do somehow.
So there you go – that was my “exciting” weekend. This wasn’t a blog post – it was a blabbering diary entry – but maybe that’s okay every now and then. I hope spammy blog guy is happy. Anyway, if there’s anyone still reading, what did you do this weekend?
I like diary and life posts. Obviously I do because I have multiple life posts per week 🙂
And his glasses look great!
I got eyelash extensions this weekend, one of my co workers has a sister who does them, so I went to the sister's house and had them done. They look great and I got a steep discount (Which was the only way I could find room in my budget to have them done).
Okay, I need to know more about this. Are eyelash extensions like fake eyelashes only better? How long do they last? How long does it take to have them put on? I am totally unfamiliar with this.
You can have either fake or real eyslashes put on, they use a speical glue to bond them to the eyelash. Depnding on how well you take care of them, they last 4-6 weeks, and it takes about an hour to have them done. I think they are much better than fake eyelashes, since once they are on you are good for several weeks, plus since they put the lashes on indvidually, they don't have that "fake" look.
That's astounding! I'm going to talk to my hair lady about this… My eyelashes are really long already but I'd love to try it out.
I love Zenni Optical! I purchased a pair of prescription sunglasses from them four years ago for $17.90…and I still have them, no scratches (my eyes have not changed, fortunately). That even included shipping!
Hang in there. It can be difficult to constantly come up with fresh content, especially when other things are going on.
I wish my eyes would stop changing… My eye doctor used to tell me when I was a teenager that they would stop by 21. Then when they didn't, he said 25. Then he said definitely 30. And now I'm 30 and while I think they're slowing down, I can tell I need my prescription updated again. I'm honestly not sure how much worse they can get – I'm legally blind without glasses or contacts and can only be corrected to 20/40 with contacts, 20/80 with glasses. The madness needs to end!
I had to make that "tough call" whether I got a mini or full sized ipad, and in the end got a full sized because I watch a lot of TV on it. But it is heavy. 🙂 Oh well, there is no way I can complain. I know what you mean though about work. My one client is driving me so crazy it's affecting my sleep. He text and calls me at all hours of the day/night/weekend/whenever, and now he texts me random bullshit emails about nothing related to work. WTF. I told him to stop texting me unless someone was bleeding and they needed a video to stop it. Hope things get better!
It's really hard to cut that off… I did fire a client who emailed me FOUR TIMES last week – every email started with, "I know you're sick, but…" and I just lost it. It's so hard not to get angry when people don't respect my right to be sick, sleep, eat, or spend time away from work.
Aw — sorry to hear you're stressed. It's all about seasons of life! (If that's annoyingly trite enough….)
Trite but very true! Everything passes eventually… I try not to let it get to me too much. Someday very soon I'll look back and wonder what I was so stressed about!
I like this post much better! But I know your blog is also like a job to you.
About iPad Mini, YES! OMG! I never use the bigger iPad anymore… the mini is just right and if you're already in the Apple ecosystem, it all just makes sense, can't wait until they come up with the retina screen.
HS
Glad to know that people still like to hear random stuff! 🙂
I never thought I'd like the mini better, but it's absolutely perfect. So glad Apple decided to make it.
1) The guy on that blog is a great Rob Lowe doppelganger.
2) Zenni Optical is legit!
I will never understand why more people don't order glasses online. My last pair from the eye doctor was nearly $600 because of my amazingly bad prescription… Last pair I got online was $150 ($90 of which was the lenses). I love the internet.
I've done the same thing over time. I used to post about this, that, and whatever, so long as it was related to finance. But, over time, the pressure to deliver a well thought out post that has meaty content has caused me to reduce the number of posts I post. Maybe we need to do more of these type of posts to fill out the schedule, but maybe it also adds a bit of "me" to the site as well.
I'd rather post less often and come out with something remotely useful, but the only reason people ever started reading my blog is because there was so much of me in it. Over time I think I forgot that. While I still want to write things that are helpful to people, I definitely need to write more rambling posts – they're more my style anyway. 🙂
Screw the douche and his stupid thoughts.
I don't care about keeping a particular schedule or anything like that. I write when I have something valuable or informative to say (which in reality means I should be posting multiple times a day!), otherwise you get the kind of garbage that some people pass off as "content" on their websites, blog or otherwise.
And if you want to solve the stress issue put up a popover on NAB that says "Don't even consider hiring me if you don't know what the fuck you want me to do, if you're a cheap-ass who want s everything for nothing, or if you don't understand that quality takes time!"
I LIKED that post! I don't necessarily post on a schedule, but I do like to have something new on Mondays. If I waited until I had something valuable to say I wouldn't even have my first post up yet – there would just be an "under construction" graphic or something. But honestly, even though I felt stupid writing this post, it seemed to help shake off some of the writer's block. I thought of all kinds of post ideas while I was writing it.
Oh man, my oldest daughter just got her first pair of glasses. They look really nice on her but it's sad because she looks older too! my littel girl is growing up so freaking fast! Slow down, kid! __
No doubt! The other night I had a dream that Jay was about 5 or 6…. We were just hanging out in the dream. It made me incredibly sad to realize he'll be 15 in a few months. It's so hard to balance wanting to see them learn and do new things vs. wanting them to stay little!
I'm glad you like the iPad mini. When the first iPads came out, I thought they were far too large and clunky for my tastes, THEN they release the iPad mini and after playing with it at Best Buy I am smitten. Although I'm not in the market for a new tablet YET – I think I will eventually buy the mini. It is cool and very responsible that you decided to sell the larger iPad to cover the costs of the smaller one 🙂
I love Jayden's new glasses! Also, all the pictures of your dogs are SOOOOO cute!!! My Instagram is full of pictures of my cats, because I am crazy.
It's kind of funny – I read all these reviews of the mini and people kept saying it made the regular iPad seem heavy. And I'm holding my iPad going, "How can someone think this is heavy? I love my iPad!" Then I took the mini out of the box and I'm looking at the old iPad like, "YOU FAT LARD! GO ON A DIET!" Apple excels at making you think you have a piece of crap once you see the latest and greatest.
Lol!!! After I purchased my iPhone I really thought an iPad would be silly since it was sooo big. I receny bought an 11.6" Chromebook and whenever I go back to my 15.5" laptop I feel the same way, "OMG look at me!!! I'm using a giant's computer!!!!"
My weekend started with me working from home Thursday and Friday due to the snow and ice that came through mid-Missouri. On Saturday, I prepared tax returns for my brothers and a friend. Definitely not fun since one brother has to file in 4 states and the other in 3 because of their jobs. Once my husband left for work Saturday night, I decided to sand and stain my new-to-me dining room table. Sunday was for church, grocery shopping, relaxing, frying chicken and watching The Walking Dead. Overall, a pretty good weekend, but I'm glad to be in my office today!
Oh, are you the designated tax return preparer too? LOL. I don't know why but I end up doing taxes for like 10 people every year. I always warn them that I'm not an accountant and they might go to prison, but most people seem willing to take the risk.
I was kind of mad at Walking Dead last night… I was bored! This season has had so much more action, then it suddenly slowed down again.
I am the designated tax preparer and don't mind helping family and close friends so they don't have to pay exorbitant fees. On the flip side, I've finally decided to get my MBA so I can sit for the CPA exam and possibly earn some money by doing taxes for people! Of course, I'll have to have a friends and family discount.
Walking Dead was boring last night. I can't decide if I like Merle or not. One thing about the show that drives me crazy is that the walkers aren't able to walk in a straight line, but they are able to run and chase someone without any problem. I guess it's kind of like the victims running from Michael Myers in Halloween and all he does is walk after them…
Walking Dead was dull Sunday. I usually stay up for the "Talking Dead" show but Sunday I just shrugged and went to finish up my episode of Downton Abbey instead.
Andrea, please blog about whatever you want. You're awesome!
Thanks, friend. You're so kind! 🙂
I love posts that venture into one's life story. It makes the blog more real plus I just like reading about people's lives and how finances affect them.
I like to mix the PF with the personal, hence my random Sunday updates 🙂
Whatever it is that you're dealing with on the personal side of things, I wish you luck and a whole lot less stress.
BTW, way to kill it with the income this month, Ms. Rockstar!
I do not have a blog myself but I do like hearing the "real" side of any type of blog……ya' know shopping for toilet paper, being pissed at the boss, making over the bathroom, cats vomitting, parenting stuff…….it really does make a more interesting place to visit. IMO
Also, yay on the IPad mini, mine should be here tomorrow, can't wait!!
Oh, and way to rock the income!
I guess random stuff about one's life is what blogs are really supposed to be about. I like though that it has enabled anyone to essentially create a column since it enables a lot more voices to be heard, where before it was limited to people editors chose.
I really enjoy your blog and all the "backstory" that you post. Not long after I found your blog I went waaayyy back to the beginning so I could get to know you. I also bought an iPad Mini a few weeks ago and I love it! I retired my Kindle, the spiral bound calendar,and the notebook that I took EVERYWHERE (I'm a list maker) and my purse is soooo much lighter now!
I enjoy hearing about people's daily lives because it makes them more "real" to me. Also, even though I'm into pf blogs I can't just read about money all the time and feel like the posts that are off-topic add to the blog
I think it is definitely worth it to throw in some "life update" posts from time-to-time. I agree with other comments here that it helps the reader connect more to you as a real person. Keep up the good work!
Definitely need to give it the personal touch. Otherwise, why would anyone visit my blog over a general site like MSN Money?
There's a reason I supported you in the name change from So Over Debt to So Over This!
Just because this isn't a journalistic report on personal finance doesn't mean it isn't relevant to your audience. There are plenty of other blogs for us to follow that are dry and boring – we follow you because somehow, we all relate to you! (And judging from the comments, mostly because of a love of iPads. Which I don't own, btw.)
But did you realize that this post IS relevant to what you consider your target audience? The balance between earning money and the REASON you're earning money. You're allowed to enjoy yourself! What employee doesn't make personal calls from the office? You could benefit from putting in your retainer contract (if it's not already there) that your business hours are from x until y. Make it 8 hours, 10 hours or even 12 hours if you want, but outside of those hours LIVE YOUR LIFE. Tweet. Throw a frisbee for your dogs. Tweet pictures of you throwing a frisbee. And for god's sake don't reply to any emails outside of those hours!
Give yourself permission to be yourself. Physician – HEAL THYSELF!
I hear ya! I love to blog and I know its kind of boring for some to read, but hopefully, I am starting a relationship with people and they want to come back and see what is going on. If not, then the digital gremlens have some fuel!
😉
Thanks for being gut honest in this post. I often feel like I don't have much to say as well, so sometimes I just take a break from blogging. Life happens and sometimes it gets in the way, but if we are willing to write about our experiences we can likely help others a lot more than if we keep everything to ourselves. Thanks for writing.
This is my favorite type of post. I want to hear a story and learn more about you as a person. Thanks for sharing.
That's sometimes the problem with us bloggers. We sometimes feel unworthy or we're not good enough to post the interesting facts of life but why did you start blogging in the first place. Always remember to be true and honest because people will see through that. And that what matters most.
From the moment I saw an iPad mini at Best Buy, I knew that I could never enjoy a full-sized iPad. Enjoy!
I really liked this post. Kept my attention, maybe you should talk about your daily life more often lol. I got a Kindle a couple of weeks ago and I am loving it. Although my four year old daughter has pretty much claimed it. She refers to it as "her Kindle."