I have just completed a pretty big feat. I have just completed updating all of my old Quote Monday posts. Back in November, I decided that I should be using the same layout for all of my Quote Monday posts. By then I was already up to 110, so that meant I had to re-do 110 posts. It has taken eight months, but I am proud to say it is done. It wasn’t easy. There were so many steps to make it right.
The first thing I did was go through each and every Quote Monday post and enter the details into a spreadsheet. I had columns for the date posted, the post title (number), the quote and the author of the quote. Another great use for my spreadsheet is to keep track of which posts have been shared on Instagram and Pinterest.
Now that I had a template for how I wanted my Quote Monday posts to look, it was simply a matter of duplicating it. Which meant copy and pasting the quote and the author into the template.
The template I’ve been using is set up in Canva, so when I am ready I need to download it to my computer.
Before I upload the new image to my WordPress library, I rename it. There are a few reasons for this. It makes it easier when I need to search my media library in WordPress. I can copy and paste the title detail into other sections like the ALT tag. And it helps with another step further in this process.
The next monster task was to update all the posts with the new images. My spreadsheet came in handy once again to help me find the right image for the right post. So I had to go into each new post, remove the image that was there and add the new one.
Once the image has been updated on the blog, I transfer the image to another folder on my computer. I feel that I should keep all my images, just in case. I also add the post number to the beginning of the title, making it easier to find should I need it again.
Now I can pin and Instagram until my heart is content because I know all my Quote Monday posts have the same look. Except if I find a spelling mistake. Which happened too many times when I was updating the post!
The Sunshine Bloggers Award is given to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community.
Back in February I was nominated for the Sunshine Bloggers Award by Kirsty from That Noise is Mine.
Ok, so here are the rules for the Sunshine Bloggers Award:
It’s tough for me to choose between summer or winter. They both have the option for comfortable clothes. I live near many beautiful beaches but also have a pool in my backyard. And to top it off, my birthday is in winter.
Shake it off by Taylor Swift. It’s just so catchy, I always have to sing it and if I feel like it I will also do a little dance. I feel that I should also mention that this is ‘our song’ and by our song, I mean mine and Harley’s song. Harley is my dog. On quite a few occasions we have danced to it together.
My perfect day starts with me waking up naturally. The day is sunny, the temperature is about 25 degrees. I have pancakes with banana and strawberries for breakfast and wash it down with a coffee. I potter around in the garden for way too long. Then go out for a walk with the family after lunch. The rest of the day is spent running around after my toddler, helping her play. After dinner, my husband and I watch a movie in bed.
Put some effort in. Things go pretty good for you to just coast through for a while, imagine what you can achieve if you actually put in some effort.
I think I’d prefer my future self. I’d love to know what I’m doing with myself in 10, 20 or even 30 years time. Plus, you can’t change the past.
The silly things that my daughter does make me smile. She reminds me of my self so much sometimes.
My go-to meal when I’m at home and hungry is two-minute noodles. I like to throw in a handful of frozen vegetables or a tin of tuna. I’ve also been known to add sweet chilli sauce or peanut butter, I love satay.
Don’t worry about perfect. If you keep waiting to do things until they are perfect you will never do it.
Today? Yes.
My favourite quote that I try to love my life by is “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there” by Lewis Carroll. This is actually from Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire cat says it to Alice when she reaches a fork in the road.
I’ve had a few challenges, both physical and mental. The most physically challenging thing I have experienced was completing a 35km charity walk. The biggest mental challenge has been Postnatal Depression.
I have to admit, fall favourites does sound a lot better than autumn favourites. But in the spirit of being true to myself, I’m going to stick with calling it autumn, my beloved autumn.
Autumn is actually my favourite season. I just love the colours. Especially at the start of the season, when parts of the trees just burst into different colours.
I was also lucky enough to be in the US during the fall. I tasted almost everything pumpkin flavoured that I came across. At one stage I think I almost turned into a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I had that many! One of the best things was pumpkin pie, I got a takeaway slice at a restaurant the night before Thanksgiving. I ate it for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.
On that trip, I was also fortunate enough to visit New York City. Strolling through Central Park on a crisp day is something I will never forget. One of the photos that I took there is still my personal Facebook cover photo.
As the weather gets cooler, different clothes come out of hiding. I start wearing socks to bed and sleep under an extra blanket. We often start using the heater in the house again. I also use heat packs or hot water bottles to warm up my toes if they need it. Autumn also means my scarves come out from their hiding place. My favourite scarf is a large grey pashmina, grey goes with absolutely everything.
The mornings are foggy and sometimes the day remains misty. The dew that gathers on the plants amazes me, sometimes it hangs suspended in time. I’ve also recently enjoyed planting winter crops in my garden. I had tremendous success with peas last year, so I have planted them again this year. There is something about the shape of the leaves and flowers of the peas that I love.
What are your autumn favourites?
The last twelve months have been the year of change. Twelve months is a long time, but then again it isn’t. I know my life has changed dramatically in that time. I quit my job after 9 years. My experience with postnatal depression is now behind me. Our little family went on an interstate holiday for the first time since 2010. And I shouldn’t forget that I turned 30, gracefully.
About halfway through my pregnancy, I decided that I wanted to quit my job. I loved the work, I had a variety every day with what I did and who I worked with. But I just wasn’t satisfied. I wanted more. I wanted more responsibility, more recognition for my achievements, and of course more money for said achievements.
I had my daughter almost 18 months ago but started experiencing something in the first few weeks. I feel everything got a lot better around the time of her first birthday. While still being breastfed, she was much less reliant on me, which meant I had a bit more time to myself.
Over the new year, we drove 803km from our home on the peninsula to Adelaide. We spent a week exploring. We visited Harndorf to sample pastries, chocolates, and fudge. A spot of shopping in Rundall Mall. Lunch at Carl’s Jnr, twice because we liked it so much. A day at Middleton beach via the very busy Port Elliot bakery. Then we rung in the new year watching the fireworks at Glenelg pier.
I’m not one to a make a fuss over birthdays kind of person. But I got precisely what I wanted for my birthday. My husband made me breakfast, we went out for lunch, then my husband made silverside for dinner. My present wasn’t that flashy either, but it was exactly what I asked for. For my 30th birthday, I got a 2000L water tank.
The French version of the above quote was written in one of my school diaries. I loved the way it sounded: plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
I started organising a monthly Girls Night with my friends as a way to improve my relationships, a major focus for me in 2018. We all get busy with work, family, and other commitments. We often don’t make time to catch up with those that have been there for us. Life just gets away from you sometimes.
To me, a girls night is a night with my girlfriends. No Partners. No Children. Just food, drinks, and great company. It’s a little bit of ‘me time’ which is much needed since most of my friends are also new mums. It’s a great chance to get away from everything, just for the night.
I decided to call it Squad Night Off. Then I created a Facebook event to invite everyone, as well as help to keep track of it. Since it was still summer and we have a pool at home I invited everyone to my house.
We have just started planning our fourth Squad Night Off of the year. I can say for certain that the idea has been a great success. Inviting everyone into the pool was also a great hit. A few were hesitant because of their mummy tummies, but they soon decided that they didn’t want to miss out. I was actually one of the last to jump out of the pool at 10 pm and the last of the guests left around 1 am.
To find out how to plan your Girls Night, sign up to my email list below to receive the Girls Night Guide. You’ll find out the things you will need to consider when picking a date and time, alternative location ideas, and some activities.
I’d love to hear how your Girls Night went, send me an email or use the hashtag #girlsnightguide
Kathleen (noun), newly 30, bustling employee, inventive house wife & wannabe creative, just wanting to share the favourable parts of my life.
