Why I Haven’t Planned ANY Blogmas Posts

Dec 1, 2018Leave a comment

It’s the 1st December and bloody hell hasn’t that gone quick! Throughout the internet, I’ve seen people starting Blogmas and Vlogmas where the very dedicated post every single day either in the run-up to Christmas or throughout the month of December. So, what about me?

I love seeing everyone’s post and last year had a great time with my own Blogmas posts, however, when I came to this year I had to think about it. Things are different to last year, mainly, because I started working freelance and running my own business all of my spare time and energy are going into that to make it a success. I’ve been doing this since August. And, honestly, I really want some time to relax in December. I need to take a break before the madness of 2019 when I’m hoping to get a few projects going.

Really, this is a form of self-care for me. When I blog I want to put things out that I’m passionate about and care about. Trying to write and schedule 25 posts just felt a little overwhelming this year and so I decided to take care of myself. That said, I’ll still have all of my regular blogs up and ready to go! There’ll even be some bonus blogs with my favourites of the year posts that I LOVE to do (they’re my absolute favourites).

Why am I writing this? Mostly because I wanted to remind other bloggers too that if you simply don’t have the time, the energy or don’t want to do Blogmas don’t feel like you have to! We all know how long blogging takes getting the ideas together, writing, editing, taking any images, making images etc. With Christmas being such a hectic time of year I don’t think we should put more pressure on ourselves.

While I will 100% be supporting and cheering on my favourite bloggers as they take part in the mammoth task and maybe next year I will get involved again, who knows? Right now, my focus is going to be recharging my batteries a little and making big plans for next year!

Are you taking part in Blogmas or Vlogmas? I’d love to know why/why not in the comments. If you are please leave your links too – I’d love to support you!

How Blogging Helped Me Get Jobs

Nov 12, 2018Leave a comment

I’ve been blogging for a long time. I started my first blog at 17, it was just for book reviews and an excuse to keep all of the books I had accumulating in my bedroom. I never dreamed at that age that blogging would help me get jobs. I don’t think I’ve ever had an interview where blogging hasn’t been bought up – in a good way!

People will look you up on the internet before a job interview, that’s just the way of the world now. How much they ~~stalk~~ find out varies from person to person – which is worth keeping in mind if there’s stuff on a blog you’d rather people didn’t know in a professional sense.

It shows you can write

A big part of blogging is writing. No matter what you choose to write about from beauty to books and beyond, you’re writing. You’ll also develop your own style and opinions.

Almost all jobs require writing at some point. It might be emails, it could be proposals or reports. Even if you have an outside adventurous job you’ll probably need to be able to write.

It showcases so many other skills too

I’ve learnt so many skills blogging. I create graphics, I’ve learnt about SEO, marketing. I probably wouldn’t have the job I have now if I hadn’t started blogging. You can really show these off in a blog.

It shows you have a good understanding of digital

Digital is the future. People can try and deny it but it’s true. This kind of follows on from what I was saying about showcasing skills. You also understand the pace of online vs other media. Always a good thing.

It shows a little bit of you as a person!

No matter what you blog about, this shows insight into who you are. Are you into books, movies, politics? This gives a flavour and a lot of companies value getting to know the person they are going to hire. After all, you can spend more time with your colleagues than your family!

So, that’s my list, I’d love to know what you would add! Let me know in the comments below!

What’s Happening To My Blog?!

Oct 20, 20181 Comment

Hello, hello, hello

Well, I’m writing this when I should be cleaning my flat – procrastination at its finest, am I right. That’s all you need to know about me even when I’m procrastinating I’m still doing something. Anyway, I digress.

I’ve noticed both this month and last month that my stats have dropped. Part of me didn’t want me to admit this – I see so many bloggers getting amazing opportunities, growing their followers and talking about the 1000+ views they get a day. It’s easy to hide away and feel down. And I did – I try with my blog and not seeing it go up does frustrate me. BUT there is a reason.

Earlier in the year, my blog was what I did every night, any spare moment I had was spent on the blog and it grew. Every year I eagerly watched as my stats nudged up and it made me feel like I achieved something. I paid so that I could edit my SEO better this was a huge thing for me.

I still love my blog BUT as most of you know, back in the summer I became a freelancer. That is amazing in itself (update to come soon) but it takes up a lot of my time. I am working a lot because as you know there are no guarantees as a freelancer. Work, work, work – am I right? Because of this, I’ve had to cut back a bit on the blog.

This is not, in any way, me stepping away from the blog. I might not have thousands of views a day, deals with big businesses or get trips around the world because of my blog (although, I 100% would do that) BUT it’s something I love to do. So, while I might be stepping back slightly to get this off the ground – I’m not going anywhere.

Sorry guys, I think you’re stuck with me!

Disneyland Paris – Part 1

Sep 15, 20189 Comments

It happened! I went back to Disneyland Paris for the first time since 1999. Yep. The last time I went to Disneyland I was 5 years old and things have changed a little bit! This time I went with my Mum and sister and OH MY GOD DISNEY. So, because there is so much to cover so as requested on Twitter I’ve split it into 2 posts. So get ready, here we gooooooo!

Day 1

I had a 4.00am alarm. 4am. To get a lift to the station (thanks Dad!) in London. From there, things got a little manic we got there when we were told but hardly had time to get a cup of tea before rushing off.

We then took a train to Lille, where we changed. Then, after an hours wait, we got onto another train (this time a double decker…apparently that’s a thing?) to get to Disney. The station is right next to the Park, thankfully and we’d already booked for our bags to be taken to the hotel.

By the time we’d arrived we’d been awake for a damn long time, I’d had limited caffeine and was starting to flag. So, we took a look around the shops before taking a peek at Hollywood Studios, which I’d never been to in Paris! We even went in the Slinky Dog ride but, we were absolutely exhausted so went to our hotel to finally check in.

We stayed at the Newport Bay Club which was BEAUTIFUL! I mean c’mon look at that bed. The whole hotel was sea themed, we ever had little porthole designs with the characters in them in our room. The end of day 1 was an early one, with dinner in the hotel. The food was good with options but the best part were the desserts. Tiny, perfect desserts. I went to bed with a happy tummy indeed.

Day 2

Our second day had a really early start but it was okay because we were off to character breakfast in the park! My Mum booked this as a treat for my sister and I. It was so worth it. We met 6 characters and while I still wish I’d seen Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy too we had fun! Here are some pictures of me and my sister that Mum took during the breakfast. And yes, yes I am wearing rainbow ears.

The rest of the day was full Disneyland! We all wore matching shirts and matching ears because, you know, my Mum is adorable like that. So after you’ve just eaten breakfast what’s the first thing you do? Go on Buzz Lightyear shootout of course. I LOVE this ride. Next up I decided I’d give Hyperspace Mountain a go. Stupid me. I didn’t realise it was in the dark, nor that it went upside down. I did it but I was slightly traumatised after.

Through the day we took pictures in front of the castle (obvs), sheltered from the pouring rain before having to shade ourselves later in the day because it was boiling. We went on rides like Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan and Pinnochio – thank god for access fast passes! Mum also treated us to so many snacks and treats…I kinda forgot how much she likes to feed us.

I met my fave, Woody. I LOVE Toy Story and he was just wondering around and so we had to get pictures (which Mum didn’t want to be in because apparently, his head is too big?!) We also waited and watched the parade which was super fun. I haven’t watched a parade in SO LONG. And it really, really is magic and was worth the hour and a half we spent reserving our spaces.

And that’s just the first part of the trip!! Make sure to pop back tomorrow for the second half and even more Disney magic! But, before you go – who’s your favourite Disney character? Let me know in the comments below!

Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Week 2018!

May 14, 20181 Comment

So, a few days ago I realised that it’s Mental Health Awareness Week and had to get a plan together, quick. You see, mental well being is so important to me because I haven’t always been in the place that I am now (here’s a whole post about my story from last year).

Ok, but why?

I think we need to talk because being mentally ill can be really lonely and make you feel like you’re the only person in the world who has these feelings. I promise you that you’re not. This is your brain goblin, stay with me here, that likes to take over your brain and make everything look and feel terrible. It is lying to you, it loves to lie to you.

So, what’s going to be happening over here

I’m going to write a post about mental health every single day of the week. Yep, that’s a thing now. I want to talk about things to make others more comfortable and open. I’m going to be talking about whether I think therapy works, how to support someone with a mental illness and how we talk about it and ourselves. It’s going to be a full ride of information, emotions and more. Honestly, I could write about it forever but this is just a tiny portion of the internet.

I just want to get people talking and if they’re comfortable, sharing. It’s such a personal thing that gets turned into a political agenda. I’ve been at the point where I thought there was no coming back, I’ve been on a huge high where I thought I was cured forever and it was never coming back (lol, no). This is just what I think, what I’ve felt and hopefully, this week can help someone else as well.

So get into the comments, start talking and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

How to Start a Blog

Apr 17, 20182 Comments

I’ve been blogging for about 7 years now, I feel like I’ve got a good following and people saw me as being the one to talk to. Then someone asked if I’d write a post about starting and I thought, why not? So, here’s my way of setting up a blog.

Choose your blog name

This is where a lot of people start and then stop. This is hard and you need to find something that suits what you’re about. I’ve seen some great quirky ones but also using your name is fine as well! It’s completely up to you.

Choose your platform and theme

Personally, I like WordPress because it’s just easy to use so I mention it to everyone. There are a lot of others you can use and all have their merits but I’m 100% a WordPress girl! To start though trial something for free, I didn’t start paying for my blog until a few years ago because it was something I wanted to do, the same goes for themes there are a lot of great free ones before you go ahead and pay money out!

Note down some ideas of what you want to write about

Blogging needs some consistency as in posting a minimum of once a week to start. There’s no point in putting out 5 blogs at once and then nothing at all for 3 weeks. Spread it out and remember scheduling is your friend!

Follow other bloggers and interact

The blogging community is brilliant, so make sure you interact with them. There are Twitter chats to join in on every single night and it’s a great way to get hints and tips as well as views! Also, read and comment on other blogs.

Welcome to blogging!

So, there are a few things to get you started! Blogging is fantastic and a great way to get to know yourself better and get better at your passion. I’d love to see new blogs so make sure you link them in the comments or if you have any more questions about blogging you can email me at chloefmetzger@gmail.com for a chat!

How to Start a Blog

Apr 17, 2018Mar 14, 2018Leave a comment

Hey everyone!

So in the last two or so years, I’ve had something interesting keep happening. A lot of people I know on Facebook or in person have come to me to ask how they would go about setting up a blog of their own. When this first happened I was so confused, me? It was weird. I didn’t feel like a huge authority on blogging but then I got it. I’ve been blogging for about 7 years now, I feel like I’ve got a good following and people saw me as being the one to talk to. Then someone asked if I’d write a post about starting and I thought, why not? So, here’s my way of setting up a blog.

Choose your blog name

Choose your platform and theme

Note down some ideas of what you want to write about

Follow other bloggers and interact

Welcome to blogging!

I’m in a Funk

Apr 6, 20189 Comments

Blerghh. That’s not a normal start to a blog post, is it? Recently I’ve been sitting at my laptop trying to write, well, anything and not being happy with the result. I’ve attempted blog posts, non-fiction book ideas, fictional book ideas and I’ve just felt really ‘meh’ about it. The thing is it doesn’t just cover my writing. In general, I’ve been in an odd fidgety mood where I just can’t seem to feel good about what I’m doing.

I wrote a little while ago about what’s been up with me and got a lovely response from so many people, so thank you. I’ve been trying to get myself out of this mindset and pinpoint if there’s anything in particular, but I’m coming up with nothing. That was until I spoke to a friend of mine and found out she had quite a few of the same feelings.

Now, we’ve been friends since we were 11 years old and we have drastically different lives but we still had these feelings of not quite knowing what we’re doing and feeling like we’re not doing enough or what we should be for our lives. I’m going to throw it out there and say I’m not the only 20 something that feels like that at the moment.

There’s so much uncertainty about everything that even the smallest things can feel like they’re a huge deal. Take blogging for example. Logically I know that if I only post twice a week no one is going to die. It’s not a life or death situation but the thought still fills me with panic. Am I where I should be with my blog? Why am I not getting as many views as XX? Am I doing enough on my own social media? The list goes on.

We all know we’re not supposed to compare ourselves but, let’s be honest, we all do. My friend has two kids under 10 and worries about career stuff. I have started in my career and worry about having a family in the future. I guess it doesn’t matter where you are, you’re still going to worry about something and feel that you’re not doing it right.

Have any of my fellow bloggers been stuck in this funk before? What did you do to get out of it? Let me know in the comments below!

Why Do You Blog?

Mar 17, 201810 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about why people blog after seeing conversations on Twitter about it. There have been some questions about entitlement (which, let’s be honest, there always are) but I think it goes deeper than that. I’ve seen quite new bloggers constantly tweeting and asking about how to make money and get things for free. This really irritated me. Hear me out.

I’ve been writing on this blog for 5 years this summer, I had another one for 2 years before that. I do not make money from my blog. Do I wish I did? Of course, but that’s not the reason that I blog. I blog because I love writing content, connecting with people and just having space on the internet to share my own thoughts and opinions.

This doesn’t mean I haven’t worked with brands or companies. I regularly work with publishers and some small businesses in exchange for gifts. I also know there is a problem with big name brands refusing to pay bloggers for their time, which is ridiculous.

Now as you may know I have a small button on the side of my blog ‘buy me a coffee’, I agonised over putting this in. I didn’t want it to seem that I was demanding this of my readers and I think this is the first time I’ve mentioned it because of that reason. I thought it would be ok because I’m happy to do it for other bloggers when I have the money to do so.

I’ll put it out there I would love to work with brands, publishers etc and make money from doing this, who wouldn’t? This isn’t a post against that, not at all. I just don’t believe bloggers should go in thinking yep I’m going to write a few bits and make loads of money. You need to love what you do, which most of the blogging community do.

I’m not writing this to rant or blame anyone, it’s just something that hasn’t been sitting well with me recently.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Fantastic Feminist Authors

Mar 6, 2018Mar 4, 20183 Comments

On the 8th March it’s International Women’s Day, so what better time to share some kick ass authors for you to get into. In a recent Twitter poll you guys said you wanted to see more bookish content on the blog which is fine with me, so let’s get started!

Holly Bourne – YA Queen

From the first few pages of The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting, I fell in love and knew that Holly was one to watch. Her novels speak to young adults in a way I haven’t seen before. She talks about Feminism, without making you feel like she’s preaching. A fantastic author and you can read my review of Am I Normal Yet here.

Laura Bates – Conquering Everyday Sexism

Laura created the Everyday Sexism project, started to show that sexism is very real and giving a platform to share it. She has just released her third book Misogynation, after Everyday Sexism and Girl Up. She’s factual as well as standing up for women’s rights. A must-read author.

Caitlin Moran – The Reason I’m a Feminist

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, How To Be A Woman changed my life and perspective and, ultimately, made me a feminist. Caitlin says what she wants and has no time for bullshit. I’ve read all her non-fiction works as well as her novel How To Build A Girl, which is also a cracker. Great for getting the information with a great laugh at the same time.

Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett – Taking on the Magazines

Holly and Lucy run their own blog of the same name but I found the book first. This is different to any I’ve read before, particularly as neither are that much older than me. This examines the way we take in magazines and the media industry. It was fantastic, absolutely fantastic. Here’s my review to wet your appetite.

Rupi Kaur – Bringing Poetry Back

She’s become amazingly popular and for good reason. I haven’t seen poetry get this popular, well, ever. Rupi talks about the female experience in her poetry and it’s absolutely beautiful as well as thought-provoking. You can read my review of her second collection The Sun and Her Flowers here.

Louise O’Neill – Tackling Taboo

For incredible, thought-provoking fiction Lousie O’Neill is the one to go to. Her novel Only Ever Yours freaked me out but I couldn’t stop thinking about it and later novel Asking For It has been raved about since its release. She’s not afraid of writing about taboo subjects and feminism, what more do you want? Review of Only Ever Yours here.

Who would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Chloe Metzger

Lifestyle, Books and More

Tag: blogging

Why I Haven’t Planned ANY Blogmas Posts