When you're a mom, you work full time and love blogging you need to keep it in your list of priorities. I broke down my current blog strategy and how I manage my blog when life happens. I try to eliminate the overwhelming task by not starting from scratch each time I want to write a post, and have a plan before I get there.

Editorial Calendar (Monthly)

I started using an editorial monthly calendar and it has worked really well for me. I use a free printable that I put in my A5, it can be found here. I look at my month and try to fill in the upcoming week or two and keep a post it note with potential topics I would like to cover for this month. Having a calendar and my next week planned makes it so much easier to sit down and write my next post. It also gives me a plan and I can take the pictures ahead of time knowing I want to write about it soon. It makes the task much less daunting and it gets rid of the "I don't know what to write" thoughts. Once my son is asleep, I can take some pictures and then work on the post later. Baby steps when it comes to getting a post done.

Notes (Setting up an article/review)

Once I have my calendar and I know which posts I want to have coming up, I break down the task. I start jotting down notes and start to outline. These note pages are also in my A5 planner, which is with me throughout the day. I can do this here or there when I have a minute or two or when something pops in my head. I can quickly write it down and have it available when I'm ready to write. This really helps me alot and I highly recommend doing this rather than starting to write from scratch, and feeling like you don't have enough time or suddenly you don't have enough to say.


Lists

I keep running lists of ideas. You have no idea how much this helps. I have product reviews, discussion posts, lifestyle ideas in my A5. It's important that you put these where you can easily glance at them either to add to it, or when in need of inspiration. You don't know how many times I think " I have nothing to write about" until I check these lists. Without fail, something always jumps out when I'm looking through these lists and will inspire me to start writing. I have a list of 40 Blog Topics for Beauty Bloggers on a Budget here.


Social Media

Growing your social media can be difficult and time consuming. It can also feel like you're over reaching and all over the place. I decided to take one social media account a month and try to grow it. This month I worked on my Pinterest and have really seen growth. Focusing on one account gives me direction, and the other accounts are not ignored but they are not a priority for that month. (I do have a group board for beauty/lifestyle/hair content if you would like to join. Just let me know, and I can send an invite via email.)

Theme

I did change my theme and decided to purchase a low cost theme through Etsy. It was very easy to install on blogger, and I had no issues. There are lots of free and/or affordable themes available for blogger. Don't be afraid to change it up. Make sure you backup your current blog before uploading a new one.

Commenting on blogs 

I personally love when bloggers leave their link in my comments. It allows me to check out their site and return a comment. Leaving your link behind makes it easier for someone to find you. I use the following html code, and you can customize it for yourself.

Jennifer | <a href="http://www.mrsqbeauty.com">Mrs Q Beauty</a>

Stay Ahead

I like to stay ahead of the game and have 2-3 blog posts written and scheduled ahead. This allows me to create content and not feel rushed. If life happens, and I don't get a post up that's fine. It takes away the feeling of time constraint.