to make a comeback...

I got overwhelmed, I started drowning from information overload. I thought I had to be something I was pretty sure I could never be and wasn't even sure I wanted to be. I lost sight of why I even started in the first place. 

for ProBlogger...almost

According to my countdown app we have just 19 days (at the time of writing this) until we head to the Gold Coast for ProBlogger...eeekk!!

If you're going then an email from Darren with some updates and asking us to reflect on our blogging dreams would have landed in your inbox on Thursday.

I am getting so excited about heading to the coast for these few days, I applied for 2 days long service leave which was granted without question and Marleisa from This is Who I am and I are heading there Thursday so as not to miss a minute of the action! As the event draws nearer I am reading more and more from other amazing bloggers getting prepared for the trip, some have already started packing, some are booking in hair appointments, some are planning their nautical outfits for the Friday night and the Helm Bar....to be honest I am just thinking of the MOUNTAIN of work that I need to get through before I can even think about anything else.

In a way I am also so nervous. It kind of feels like I am heading off to High School again for the first time, and I am a junior. Even though my blog is about 18 months old I still feel like such a Novice. When I was looking through the program and deciding what sessions to go to there were things mentioned that I have no idea what they even are!! I have been reading tweets, blogposts and facebook statuses by many other bloggers who I love reading that are attending and I am so excited to be in a room with all these other wonderful bloggers, let alone potentially having the opportunity to talk to them. I feel like they are the seniors, the cool crew, and that I will be standing in the corner in awe of their awesomeness and wondering if any of them will want to be my friend (damn I hate the introvert in me sometimes)! I feel like I am going to be way out of my league! hahaha...

I also am not quite sure how to respond to Darren's question about what my dream is for my blog. I guess my main reason for starting the blog was to share my 12wbt journey and just document rantings, ravings, and events of my life. Kind of like the LiveJournal I had years ago. Somewhere to just ramble and rant and rave and maybe someone would find it worth reading. But the more I have blogged and the more I have discovered about blogging the more exciting the prospect that you could actually make money out of blogging is kind of exciting. I don't think I would ever be there but it's exciting nonetheless.

Recently there has been that 'why I write' prompt going around and when no-one mentioned me in it, at first I was kind of cut a bit (yes just like at high school when all the popular girls are invited to something and you miss out) but then I realised I was secretly glad that I wasn't asked because I had no real answer. I loved how people wrote about writing being in their blood and that they wouldn't know what to do if they didn't write, that people say they HAVE to do it, I love how creative some people are and how passionate people are about their writing and their blog themes. I have no real theme to my blog, I'm not a fashion blogger, definitely not a mummy or craft blogger, I put myself in the 'general' category. I'm not really sure why I write, I just do...

I am coming to ProBlogger with no real expectations and just looking forward to being a sponge and soaking up as much information as I possibly can and seeing where it can lead me on this journey. I am also super excited about it being held at QT, Marleisa and I stayed there earlier in the year just on a girls weekend away and L.O.V.E.D it!

Are you going to ProBlogger? What are you hoping to gain from the experience? Will you talk to me if you see me standing in the corner by myself?

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT!

for another challenge!

As if my reading challenge wasn't enough (as well as my fitness bootcamp challenge and working full time), over the weekend I decided to sign up for a blogging challenge!!!


I stumbled across this one whilst catching up on my blog reading over at Over Cups of Coffee.... Psych Babbler is also joining the challenge.

So what is it and are you going to join me???

The Blogging From A-Z Challenge runs for the month of April, where you blog each day from the respective letter in the alphabet. What you blog about is up to you and some people find it easiest to have a theme. With some help from Psych Babbler I am blogging about...

I think it's kind of perfect...given that my blog is a bit of a random mix of ramblings about my life it seems to really fit. There was the suggestion that I also do stories from my teaching career so will weave that in as well.... I know what you are all thinking... "How awesome crazy is this woman?, she's always complaining about not having enough time!".. Well in response to that, I have now learnt how to schedule posts (Thanks Ms Mystery Case!) and I have 2 weeks off in April so SURELY I can get organised!

So...are you up for the challenge? I know Flood Proof Mum is also joining us...anyone else???

Linking up this IBOT with Essentially Jess of course!

to turn 100...

I have spent a lot of time over these holidays on blogs, reading blogs, discovering new blogs, commenting on blogs, googling blogging tips, sussing out designers for blogs, playing around with new templates and redesigning my blog, but what I haven't spent a lot of time doing is actually blogging!

Late Sunday night when Ms Mystery Case put the call out that she would be hosting the I Must Confess linkup in Kirsty's absence my immediate thought was "huh...what? is it Monday?" (one of my great loves of holidays is I totally lose track of what day it is!) and so without much thought I slapped together a quick post and linked up following her theme of Movie Choice Mishaps. 

In my haste I neglected to realise that that was in fact my 100th post!

YAY!! Happy 100th post to  me!!

I am sure (hopeful) that I will meet many milestones with my blog but it's nice to know I've made this one. When I started this blog I really had no idea where the journey would take me, had no idea if I would even make it this far but it is enlightening to know that people have found what I write worth reading/commenting/following! Every bloggers dream I guess! Funny to even think I have come up with 100 things to write about really!

To celebrate this little milestone, and while redesigning my blog layout and theme I enlisted the help of the WONDERFUL Felicity and Pursuit of Felicity Designs to create me a new header, button and signature (there were just some things beyond me!) and luckily enough she contacted me today to tell me my design was ready to be uploaded!! What a way to celebrate! If you have even had an inkling to get some pro to do some of your design blog for you please, do yourself a favour and check her out! So helpful and professional and did I mention WONDERFUL! I could not be happier with what she has developed for me. I do have one question for you though....Should I keep the photo strip there or not? Just have one piccie over on the sidebar?? Am torn so am taking the vote to the public, what do you think?

I have read a lot of posts recently about people's goals for their blog for 2014 and I must say, a lot of mine are the same, increase traffic, find 'my' voice, write more scheduled posts and drafts so I am not writing one at 5:30pm on the day of the link up (like I am right now!) etc. I would love to start a series of posts but am unsure of a theme or topic? Any ideas? Give me some topics you'd like to read about in the next 100 posts!!!

Of course it's Tuesday and you should know what that means!? IBOT time!!

for tips!? Pleeeease!

I have been contemplating for a few days now what to write about this IBOT... My posts have been few and far between lately for a variety of different reasons and to be honest I feel like I have hit a bit of a wall, lost my mojo...not that I am sure I ever really had it.

I feel like I love my Monday and Wednesday link up parties - Monday, Kirstie tells me what to blog about and I love that...Wednesday, no words are necessary and I can just find a beautiful pic to post which I also love.

Monday, my first offical day of holidays, I met a friend for coffee and then slothed on the couch for a few hours, Ipad in hand (If you read my confession post you are probably thinking I should have been upstairs cleaning my wardrobe!), scrolling through Pinterest I came across a few articles on 'how to make your blog better'. My blog is almost 12 months old and originally started as a way of sharing my 12wbt journey but in all honesty, I started it on a whim. I really had no idea what blogging was really all about, had never heard of linkys and widgets and really didn't do any research before starting. Truth be known, I didn't even regularly read any blogs before I started my own - so I really had no idea what I was doing or getting myself in for.... almost 12 months down the track and I am not sure that I am that much wiser when it comes to this blogging business!

So as I scrolled through article after article of blogging tips and blogging mistakes people make (yep, I've made them all!) I feel even more confused.

Publishing Platforms/Web Hosting/Analytics/SEO/Host your own URL/Web design v template/Advertisements/Sponsorship......huh????  :-/

A lot of the tips talk about having a theme to your blog - something you blog about regularly not just random ramblings..... well looking back I think I definitely have the random ramblings things covered. Now that I have had time to reflect over all of this as I have slothed on the couch is that a lot of the blogs I follow and enjoy do have a theme, most of them are Mummy bloggers (which don't get me wrong I love) and considering I am not a Mummy that rules that out.... Then there are the Crafty Bloggers...nope not me. The Chef/Cooking Mummy Bloggers...again, not me.... Fashion Bloggers - huh not likely! So that has left me thinking, what do I really have to blog about???

A lot of the tips talk about being yourself, "write as if you are talking to your best friend"...well if that happened I may never have another reader again! Lol... There are also some things best left unsaid, especially when you never know just who might be reading! Another tip suggested knowing your stats, now when I look at them it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me... apparently most of my page views come from something called vampirestat.com?? Anyone explain that to me?

I discovered today that most of the tips I read I actually do do them, so perhaps things aren't all that bad! My follower numbers are slowly increasing so some of you are finding something worth coming back for.

Having said that though, I would still cherish any other advice or suggestions you may have? Obviously I am a "blogger" blogger and I would like to know more about making my blog more appealing, to look at and to read, so any and all advice welcomed? How do I take my blog from 'template' blog to 'MY' blog?? When coming to a childless, craftless, non-chef , single (non-cat) lady blogger's blog what would you like to read about??

I know I have blogged about my blogging mishaps and asked for advice before but I still feel like I am muddling my way through so am hoping some on you IBOT ladies can help a girl out!!!??

to talk about the things I know this week...

....I am totally hooked on my new CD which is the soundtrack to 'Nashville' a TV show that I am also totally hooked on...problem is it is Volume 2, so now I am in search for where I can find Volume 1!

....I am soooo tired of being soooo tired.

....dealing with insurance companies is beyond frustrating but it's one of those necessary evils.

....sometimes you just have to have a day off.

....I went to a travel agent last weekend....am excited about what might be on the horizon. :-)

....working with some of these teenagers has made me realise that I was a relatively 'normal' teenager (whatever that is!)

....I really really want Taylor (or Dami) to win XFactor.

....I am reading 2 books at the moment that are providing me with plenty of thoughts.... One is called The Happiness Trap.

....One thing that stood out for me in one part of the chapter is Myth no.4. You should be able to control what you think and feel. It's a myth because truth be known we have less control over our thoughts and feelings than we would like. Interesting reading..

....being the only non-pregnant female at antenatal classes is kinda awkies! lol...

....that I am not sure 'everything happens for a reason' because I can't think of a reason a mother would have to lose her son in such a horrible accident :-(

....it's been a week since my last post and I hate that when I am tired/busy it's my blog that is the first to suffer. :-(

....I should quit my day job and become a plumber! $77 for a 5 minute plunger job!!! wtf?? (and apparently that was 'mates rates!')

....that things are a little haywire in my life at the moment but it's nothing compared to what those poor people in the NSW bushfires have had to face

....that we all have our own demons to deal with.

 ...that I am teaming up with Rhianna over at A Parenting Life with other people who know stuff!!

What do you know this week???

 

and With Some Grace for FYBF!

for another Leibster Award

Was totally stoked when Aroha at Colours of Sunset told me she had nominated me for The Leibster! For those who don’t know, the Liebster is “The award is given to support and recognize up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers (on their blog) or likers (on their Facebook page). The word “Liebster” apparently has German origins and is reported to mean sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.” (stolen right from Aroha's post which she stole from her nominators post!)

My blogging journey started back in January and to be honest has been a bit hit and miss every since.. it was something that I had been thinking about for a while. I had no real idea where to start or what to do until Mish Bridges recommended we start one when we started our 12wbt journey, but the real kickstart was a friend of mine starting her own and she helped me get started.

I had always considered that my blog, as a single woman in her 30's, would resemble that of Cara Bradshaw in Sex and the City...I'd blog about my adventures in the single world and make people laugh and someone one day would notice it....

It didn't take long for me to come up with the name, It's time..., It kind of felt right. I had made some pretty big decisions to make some positive changes in my life and I decided it was time to start putting me first, it was time for me to meet someone and I imagined finding similar people in similar stages of their life. But the truth me know, many of the bloggers I have found are mum's blogging about their life, loves and journey with their families...Don't get me wrong sometimes I love reading them and get a lot out of them but I will admit to skimming over the occassional blog post once I realise it's another blogpost about something I don't get to write about...

Anyway, enough of the pity party... this is meant to be my acceptance post for my award!!!

When you receive a Liebster the deal is you are to

• answer 11 questions set by your nominee
• write 11 additional facts about yourself
• write 11 new questions of your own
• pass the award onto 11 other bloggers to answer

 So here goes, my questions from Aroha...

1. Beach or mountains?
Can I say, sitting on a mountain looking at the beach!

2. Favourite blog subject to write about?
I guess I blog about life in general, not sure many of my posts follow a theme... I write about whatever is going on in my crazy head at the time.

3. If the world was ending in 12 days, what’s the first thing you’d do?
Buy as much chocolate and wine as I can and sit and eat it while hanging with all my favourite people listening to my favourite music.

4. Where can people follow you? (FB address/twitter handle/instagram name. etc.)
Great question!
Facebook 
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

5. What are you wearing?
Sounds seductive...lol.... black shorts, Lorna Jane singlet and thongs... Beautiful start to Spring here in Toowoomba

6. Adult beverage of choice?
Used to be rum and coke every time! But now I am a little older and wiser I tend to go for a sweet white wine.

7. Favourite exercise activity?
At the moment I am trying to fall in love with running, and it's slowly working.. But to be honest I am loving getting fitter and healthier at the moment

8. Here’s a $100 visa card. What’s the first shop you go to?
Myer...although $100 won't go far :-(
 
9. Give me 3 words that describe you.
Right now....tired, stressed, busy

10. What’s one thing on your “bucket list”?
Get married and have kids.... failing that I would settle for a trip to America, and inparticular to Nashville for the CMA Country Music Fest!
 
11. Are you a morning or a night person?
Neither but both...I think I used to be a night person but circumstances now are that I have to be a morning person... And I guess my body has adjusted to that, both mornings this weekend when I did not set an alarm or have any scheduled time I needed to be up by, and I woke up just after 6am! :-(

Now for 11 facts  about me....
1. I recently turned 34 and wrote a list of 34 facts about me...so if you really want to get to know me I guess you can go there!

Now for my 11 Nominees....
I found this really hard and this is why it has taken me so long to get on to doing this post. To be honest, I have no idea how many people follow my blog.... I am still such a novice at all this that most of the time I feel like I am just bluffing my way through... As I said I have no idea really hwo far reaching my blog is, a little daunting at times... and from what I can tell 53 people like me on Facebook, I have 5 friends in Google Friend Connect (or whatever that is!), 11 people have me in their circles on Google+, and in my followers it says I have 5 (but I am not convinced of this because someone who I know follows my blog is not listed there...)
Anyway, for me, I tend to follow people more through Facebook than their acutally blog so I decided that  for my nominees I would look for blogs that had less than 200 Facebook Followers... So my nominees are:

• 1. DanyaBanya
• 2. A Life on Venus
• 3. The Motherhood Herald
• 4. Dr Leanna Winter - raising boys
• 5. The Jenster Files
• 6. The Very Inappropriate Blog
• 7. Mumma Tells
• 8. Just one more chapter
• 9. Life Living
• 10. This is who I am
• 11. Random Acts of Zen

So be sure and check them out and like them on Facebook! and if they choose to accept the nomination, the questions are (and I may have stolen some from Aroha!)....

1. Favourite movie of all time?
2. Where can people follow you?
3. Chocolate or lollies?
4. If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
5. What is the last thing you ate.?
6. Favourite childhood memory?
7. Is there a topic you would never blog about?
8. What's your favourite linky?
9. Stranded on a desert island - which 3 famous people would you want with you and why?
10. Ultimate holiday destination?
11. What is the number 1 item on your bucket list?

Thanks again Aroha for the nomination, I really was chuffed!


and I'm also linking up with another great blogger Essentially Jess for IBOT!