Category Archives: Life

Tips & Ideas For Starting A Blog

Welcome back to my blog!

Today I’m posting a few tips and ideas for those of you who are thinking about starting up a blog. This is inspired by a chat I had with my friend Kelly who was thinking of starting up her own blog and asked for some advice. I’m by no means an expert in blogging, I just like to post little rambles, reviews etc and people are free to read them and give me feedback if they want to. I’ve actually done a post similar to this which was called “Top Ten Tips For New Bloggers” if you want to check that out too 🙂

So here are a few starting points, tips, and ideas for those of you who want to start a blog of your own.

  • Choose a platform : There’s loads of blogging platforms out there, but the two most popular seem to be WordPress and BlogSpot/Blogger. I’ve used both of these and my personal preference is WordPress. I think the layout looks sleeker, you get a lot more choice in layouts/ themes and I find it easier to use. My first ever blog was actually on blogger and I absolutely cringe looking at it now (It’s still online!)  It’s worth checking out both though to see what you prefer, and if you don’t like either of them, you can view a list of the “12 Best Free Blogging Platforms” here
  • Choose a name : Perhaps the most difficult part of starting a blog. I’ve gone through so many names and so many blogs, the first one I ever made was called “The Life & Times Of A Fashion Student” then it turned into “Polka Dot Teapot” then I started loads of random new blogs, before eventually turning back to Polka Dot Teapot. I know I probably sound daft, but that’s the name that always felt right to me, even though it probably doesn’t make much sense to anyone else.  Before choosing a name for your blog, write a few notes, what you want your blog to be about, topics you are interested in, your hobbies etc. You may find some inspiration there. Or you could use a blog name generator if you’re really struggling, something perfect might pop up! The one I like the most is Spinxo
  • Choosing a blog theme/ topic : What is your blog going to be about? What genre does it fit under? What are your hobbies and interests? These questions are a good starting point, but as you write and your blog evolves and grows you may start to venture into other topics. Don’t put pressure on yourself to stick to one genre! My blog was originally meant to be about beauty and fashion, now I post my business makes, craft projects, recipes, and general chit chatty life stuff.
  • What is the purpose of your blog? Is it a place to share ideas, make new friends, connect with people with similar interests to you? Or is it something you eventually want to make money out of. If it is something you’d like to make money out of then you’ll need to think carefully about the name, content, marketing, and basically create a “brand”.  Also you’ll need to start thinking about how you’re going to promote your blog, which social media platforms you want to use etc. If this is the way you want to go with your blog, remember these things take time and hard work! It won’t happen overnight
  • Inspiration & planning: One of the things I get asked a lot is “how do you think of things to write?” The honest answer is stuff just pops into my head! When I’m having writers block, I look at other blogs, Pinterest, YouTube and Google for inspiration. I actually have a whole board dedicated to blogging over on my Pinterest (click the Pinterest button to have a look!). I also find planning posts, and jotting ideas down helps a lot. Get yourself a little notebook and write down anything and everything that comes into your head, or check out my post on my Top 3 Blog Planners for printable planners.
  • Take a little bit of time on your photographs: Good photo’s make a blog so much nicer to look at. You don’t have to go all out and fancy, just use a nice simple background and decent lighting. I didn’t really bother with this for a long time and looking back it makes me cringe so hard!
  • Be Yourself: Don’t try to hard to be what you think a proper blogger should be (I hope that makes sense) Be honest with your thoughts and opinions, turn your “fails” into funny content. One of my friends Siobhan has a YouTube channel and I love watching her because she’s just so honest and funny. Being “real” will appeal to your readers much more then trying to be a copy of Zoella, or another well known beauty/ blogger guru.
  • You never know who’s watching: Have a think about what you’re comfortable putting out there, as you never know who is reading your blog. I’ve published a few posts on relationships and my previous relationship (which in all honesty weren’t very flattering), thought nothing of it until his current girlfriend popped up on my blog and left comments. I’m not really arsed about them seeing that, as it was a true experience and I was willing to share that online, but it did surprise me that the girl was taking the time to check out my blog, as it was someone I never expected to see it and I wasn’t putting it all over social media. So before you post, just think would I want my parents, colleagues, etc to see this? Especially if you want to build your blog into a brand, because even if you’re not putting your blog all over social media, people might still find it.
  • And Finally…. Take the plunge! Starting a blog can be intimidating and confusing and stressful, but its so much fun! I’ve met some amazing people and one of my best friends (hey Abbie!) through blogging, its a great hobby to have and I find it very therapeutic. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it right the first time, and don’t pressure yourself into unrealistic goals (for example: posting everyday). It’ll all develop the more you get into it, so just enjoy it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post, and I hope it was helpful to anybody thinking about starting a blog. If you have recently started a blog, leave me a comment and I’ll check it out.

I Should Quit Blogging

I’m just so shit at it!

But I’m not really quitting blogging anyway (since I know you all couldn’t live without my blog post’s 😉 even if the are so rare!) I’ve just had a little bit of a situation. By situation I basically mean I have no wifi in my new house yet, because the post office seem to be the biggest pile of poo ever. But my lovely neighbours have let me use theres until mine gets sorted.

Funny story actually, I went for two weeks without actually meeting my neighbours, then one night while I was on my todd playing xbox, I heard some noises outside. So being as nosey as I am I went outside to investigate (in my dressing gown, pj’s and slippers) and interrupted a group of teenagers breaking into their shed. I know its a bit mental to just run outside and shout at burglars, but in all honesty they weren’t the brightest bunch of criminals I’d ever met.  They ran off, I knocked on my neighbours door, police turned up etc. To cut a long story short it turns out I have two very lovely neighbours and wifi access! (After writing this little rant turns out wifi will be live on the 21st of this month!, only took since the beginning of January!)

I’ve also started up my little illustration business again which has been keeping me busy! If anybody wants to check that out, I have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/polkadotteapotdesigns

In terms of the house it’s turning into a lovely little home. We have few more bits to buy and things to do, but its so nice to have a space that’s totally our own 🙂 . I think the thing I’m most excited about is having a work room, (no more working in my bedroom and getting paint all over my bed!). I have a few posts planned with DIY’s, room décor etc so keep an eye out for those.

Anyway thanks to those of you who keep popping back regularly, I keep seeing a few familiar IP addresses, it’s nice to know you’re enjoying my posts. (What little of them I’ve been doing!) Let me know how you all are in the comments 🙂

 

A Reflection On 2016 & Goals For 2017

Happy New Year!!

This year has gone so quickly! It literally seems like 2 minutes ago I was writing this same post for 2016.

It’s been a mixed year in terms of my personal life to be honest. There’s been lots of highs and lows. I’ve switched jobs twice and now I’m in a job I love, moved to Leeds, then got a new house in Doncaster (more on that here), passed my driving test and bought a car. I’ve struggled with anxiety,  stress and exhaustion (mainly due to the job I had, driving in Leeds for 15 hours a day is not fun!) and then the progression of my granddad’s illness (He suffers from Alzheimer’s : I explain more about that in this post).  The one thing that’s got me through these shitty times is Dan. I don’t want to be that person who feels the need to plaster their love for their partner all over the internet, but I really want to acknowledge just how supportive he’s been through all of this. I’m so thankful for this, and I’m very lucky to have him in my life. 2016 has been a good year for making new friends too, I’m going to do a blog post on that soon (meeting friends in the strangest circumstances).

It’s been a mixed year in terms of my blog too. I’ve had burst of posting and then had periods where I don’t post much. (You can check out reasons why I’m a shit blogger here) I’ve become a lot more open on my blog this year, and started talking about more personal topics and things in my life that I struggle with. This was such an intimidating thing to do, especially knowing how cruel people can be on the internet and being aware of who is following my blog, but I’m so glad I did it. I had such a lot of support from people and a lot of people tell me that the posts have helped them which far outweighs any negativity.  I’ve also really enjoyed my Book Review Sunday series, and I’m going to carry this on, I’ve even started a little book diary so I can keep track of all the books I’m reading.

So these were my goals this time last year:

  • Blogging – Plan more, better pictures and more videos. Do a “make it with me series” and a “recipe of the week series”. Keep on top of a blogging schedule: This one kind of worked out, I did plan more and take better pictures. I stopped filming when I moved as I didn’t have the time with my new job and had nowhere suitable to film. The make it with me series and the recipe series did fall through due to not having a lot of time.
  • Pass my driving test: This one I achieved! Learning to drive, and actually driving was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done, but it’s being able to drive and having a car has been brilliant and given me a lot more opportunities.
  • Loose a little bit of weight and exercise more (standard!): Again kind of half and half with this one. I’m like a turkey, I fatten up for Christmas!
  • Try some more beauty brands: I have most certainly achieved this one!
  • Keep on top of my skincare routine and don’t get lazy : Other then a few occasions I have pretty much stuck to this one
  • Complete my teaching assistant course: I haven’t completed my course, with everything going on it kind of took a back seat. But I do have a job in education so I have achieved this in a way
  • Move house: I moved house (into a house share which was not the original goal, but I’m counting it!) and now I’m moving into my own house with Dan in the next few weeks.

2017 Goals

  • Make my new house into a home.
  • Eat healthier, exercise more. (This is a standard year to year one!)
  • Do more creative projects
  • Start up my little business again. (More on that in another post!)

Blog Goals:

  • Be more consistent with posting. (GoDaddy have just charged me £75 to renew my domain name and website so that’s a good motivation!)
  • Start making videos again.
  • Keep up book review Sunday posts
  • Post more craft/ DIY projects
  • Post more food related posts
  • Preschedule posts

Obviously this list of goals is on-going and will probably be added to as the year progresses and life changes. I hope all you guys enjoyed this post, and thank you so much for sticking with me this year. I had a look at my stats today and I couldn’t believe just how many of you have visited over the last year! Let me know how 2016 was for you in the comments and any goals and dreams you have for 2017. Happy New Year!!!

 

Time For A Change

So, it’s nearly a new year.

& nearly time for the obligatory “new year, new me” social media post’s. But I actually have a pretty big change happening in the new year. I’m moving house again!

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I moved to Leeds this summer after I got a new job and had moved into a house share, but after a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to move back home for a bit.  I’m quite excited about this thought because I actually have my own house, it’s currently being redecorated but I’m moving in around new year time. I actually can’t wait to have a house to furnish and make into a home. Expect lots of DIY post’s in the new year.

There’s a few reasons I’m moving out of Leeds for now, the main reason being my Grandad. I wrote a post a while back explaining this (here) but to cut it short my granddad has Alzheimer’s and the disease seems to have progressed very quickly these past few months. I visit him whenever I got back to my parents, and 2 out of the last 3 times I’ve been, he hasn’t known who I was. I don’t actually have the words to explain how heart breaking this is was. So I want to be in a position where I can visit him frequently and see as much of him as possible until the inevitable happens. Also with me living in the same village if anything does happen I can be there quickly and not have to drive an hour through traffic.

That’s actually another reason I want to move out of Leeds, driving in Leeds is the worst! I passed my driving test in February, so me being the absolute genius that I am decided to move to busy and confusing city and get a job that basically required me to drive around the city for 15 hours a day (No I wasn’t a taxi driver and thankfully I’m out of that job now).  I literally feared for my life on a daily basis, even driving back to Doncaster scares me. I’m quite a nervous driver anyway, I don’t trust other drivers at all and people get so impatient and angry on the roads in Leeds so it’ll be a bonus not to have to deal with that everyday.

Leeds is a pretty cool city, but I miss not being able to go for a walk down the river and more importantly I miss not having a pub down the road. And I think I’m far too old for a house share, don’t get me wrong my housemates are all lovely, but I want to be able to have a whole house to myself and not have all my stuff in one room, or wait in line to use the washing machine.

So I’m pretty excited for the new year! Let me know if you have any exciting things coming up in 2017!

Reasons Why I’m A Shit Blogger

Hands up fellow bloggers who feel that they’re a bit shit sometimes, and put themselves under massive pressure to produce content all the time? That’s me right now.

I’ve neglected my blog for a few weeks, and I’ve not even put up my book review Sunday’s which I’m normally pretty good at.  So while instead of just putting up a random post, with “sorry I haven’t blogged in a while!” up, I thought I’d not make any excuses and just tell you why I’m a shit blogger sometimes.

  1. Writers block : This is the worst, as any blogger, writer, YouTuber knows! Sometimes I’m super stuck on idea’s. Then I put myself under pressure, make loads of lists full of topics that I’m not that keen on, then not feel like blogging because I don’t like the idea’s. It’s a vicious circle.
  2. I’m scared of commitment : I just can’t commit to a schedule. (Other than book reviews on a Sunday) I plan things out like : Monday is for beauty, Wednesday is for rants, Friday is for food, Sunday is for books. Then I think but I’ve just got this new product and I really want to post about it now but it’s Wednesday, and the whole thing goes out the window and my post’s just end up mismatched.
  3. Sometimes I’m busy : I have plans and life gets in the way, so sometimes I forget to blog
  4. And sometimes I can’t be arsed : I’m an adult, I have a full time job which can sometimes be quite mentally draining, so when I get home I can’t always be bothered to blog. It’s actually quite a lot of effort to blog, especially if you’re blogging beauty products, making sure all the photo’s are right and you have swatches etc and don’t even get me started on making YouTube videos.

I put myself under too much pressure sometimes and forget that blogging is actually just a hobby for me. It’s not my job, so in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter if I take a break once in a while. Fellow bloggers, if you feel like this too sometimes, let me know! Also let me know any other reasons why you might be a shit blogger sometimes, just so I know I’m not on my own!

What I’ve Learnt From Relationships

A relationship post for you today,

A few weeks ago it was mine and Dan’s two year “anniversary” (I use that word loosely- we’re not married). We spent a few days in a Scotland to celebrate, and in the car on the way back, I started thinking about all the things I’ve learnt, in the ten years Iv’e been “dating”, about relationships (I was 16 when I met my first boyfriend) and thought it would make a pretty cool blog post. Obviously I’m only talking about my personal experiences here, I’m not speaking for everyone, 🙂

  1. Its important to laugh: Literally, laughter is the best medicine, its important to be silly and have fun with somebody. It’s great to find somebody who you can be a little bit immature with.
  2. It’s nice to be part of a team: Whether it’s putting up Ikea furniture together, cooking together, or bossing the housework. It’s nice to have someone who’s got your back #teamwork
  3. Don’t be too proud to apologise : I literally used to be the most stubborn person in the world. It was my way or no way, and I would never apologise even if I needed to. This wasn’t because I was a spoilt brat, I was just so insecure that a felt like I needed to argue and make a point that I wasn’t a push over (even though I totally was). Now I’m in a relationship where I don’t feel like I need to prove myself all the time, it’s easy to say sorry and I realise its just so not worth spending hours sulking over silly things.
  4. Don’t bring up old arguments : I used to be the worst for this, holding grudges for things that had happened months earlier and bringing them up again. You really do need to forgive and forget, otherwise you just keep going round in circles.
  5. Never stop communicating : Talk about everything, the future, plans, dreams, goals, things that are getting you down or just have a good old gossip. Ask how their day has been, tell them about yours. For me this is one of the most important things in a relationship and my favourite thing about Dan, we can talk about anything and its totally comfortable, there are no subjects that are off limits.
  6. Honesty is important: If something about the relationship is bothering you, tell your partner. Don’t bottle it all up until you have a screaming row and say things you might regret.
  7. It’s not your fault if they cheat on you: I was cheated on (not by Dan obviously). I wasn’t cheated on physically (as far as I’m aware) but I found countless messages to other girls, pretty x-rated ones, and pictures too. The response I got when confronted that person was “you shouldn’t have looked through my phone” I spent years being so insecure thinking that is was somehow my fault and I’d not tried hard enough, or I wasn’t pretty enough, and what was wrong with me? The answer absolutely nothing was wrong with me, I wasn’t responsible for someone else’s actions, and neither are you.
  8. If they cheat with you, they’ll probably cheat on you : Speaking of cheating still, if somebody is willing to cheat with you, when you’re together they’re probably going to cheat on you too. That sounds really harsh but in my experience I’ve found it to be true. Boy messages other girls, then has a relationship with other girl, then sends messages to ex. Can you really start out a relationship which came from a lie, without becoming paranoid and insecure about whether or not they’d do the same thing to you? Personally I couldn’t.
  9. Trust : It’s an old cliché but it’s so important. If you don’t trust your partner, you can’t have a happy relationship. I can hand on heart say the only reason I’ve gone on Dan’s phone is to set alarms for him to make me a cuppa (I find this highly amusing, he doesn’t) You’re both entitled to a private life, there’s no need to check each others phones or social media. Personally I’m not really arsed about seeing his group chats about football or whatever it is boys like to talk about.
  10. A relationship can make or break you: Your partner should make you confident, they should support you, encourage you, listen to you and make you feel like you can do anything you want. They should make you a better person. A toxic relationship will break you. Your partner shouldn’t make you feel insecure, like you’re worthless, and like your constantly doing something wrong.
  11. Time apart is important : Don’t get me wrong I love my boyfriend, but I also love it when he buggers off sometimes and I can chill and read my book, blog and watch some trashy TV. I love spending time with him, but I also love time by myself and seeing my friends. You don’t need to joined at the hip, and spending time apart makes you appreciate the time you spend with them
  12. It’s the little things :  Big romantic gestures that cost fuck loads of money might seem pretty cool, and give you bragging rights on Facebook but its the little things that matter. For me the most romantic thing is getting a cuppa made for me in the morning (I’m easily pleased). It’s them being there for you when you need it. A few weeks ago something pretty awful happened to me, and I called Dan. He drove an hour (on a week night) to come and see me and didn’t leave until late that night, just because I needed him and I was a wreck to be honest. That might not seem a lot to some people, but to me it meant the world to have someone there for me when I needed it the most. Value the little things
  13. You get really comfortable and that’s ok: You stop wearing make up, stop bothering with your hair, and have no issues in stomping around in your pj’s shoving food in your mouth. Or is that just me?
  14. It’s ok to argue :  Nobody relationship is perfect and everyone has arguments. It means your comfortable enough around each other. It’s when arguments get out of hand or happened every day there’s an issue.
  15. If a relationship makes you sad more then it makes you happy it’s time to leave: If you can’t remember the last time you laughed together, or made you happy, is it really worth it?
  16. You don’t need to post your relationship all over social media for it to mean something: I do post pictures of me and Dan on Instagram sometimes, but massive I love you essays and pictures of us kissing? No thanks. In a world where literally everything is shared online, it’s nice to keep somethings private., you don’t need to declare it to the world.
  17. Don’t jump into things too quickly: I got together with my first boyfriend when I was 16, we were together until I went to uni (so two years), then I got with my next boyfriend pretty much straight away and we were together for 4 years. Looking back I wish I’d not rushed into anything and just had some time to myself to enjoy the uni experience.After that I was single for a year and it was amazing. It was so nice to just spend time by myself,  doing things for me and the time on my own did me the world of good. When I met Dan I was ready to be with somebody else, we had a few dates and then ended up together, by that time I’d figured out what I wanted in life, and I was comfortable with myself.

That’s today’s little rambling, I could post so much more but I’d be here forever and this would be thousands of words long. Let me know what you’ve learnt from your relationships. What advice would you give to other people?