I thought it might be fun to do a little Q&A session. I've been getting some really encouraging emails since I started blogging and I thought I'd share some of the questions that I get asked. A lot of them are similar and rotate around the same topics, so I thought it be fun to share my answers here! :) Happy Tuesday!
How many kids do you want to have?
We both want 4. When I met Joshua, I told him I wanted a soccer team, i.e., 12 kids, haha. We are both 1 of 2, both boy/girl (he has an older sister, I have a younger brother) and we both envision lots of kids around our table when we're older. I've loved being pregnant and Joshua has already asked when we should start trying again after she's born! Lord, help me.
What did you do for work before you moved to Arizona?
I worked Monday through Friday for a chain of resorts called The Villa Group. Our offices were located in San Diego, CA, but the resorts were located down in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Loreto. Mexico has a very special place in my heart, so this job was very fitting. I was an e-commerce coordinator, meaning I worked online with all of the rates, promotions and marketing involved in running 12+ hotels. It was insane, a lot of stress, and it really sounds a lot more glamorous than it was. Me and my boss, Sara, did get to go on a few trips down to the hotels and that was incredible. But we both quit last April 2011, and don't miss the drama or stress at all!
She's one of my best friends and we are only 3 days apart in our pregnancies! :)
What is your degree in?
Paralegal Studies. This still baffles me. I hate anything to do with law and I am a creative soul that was lost in law libraries. How I graduated amazes me! Ha! If I were to encourage my younger self, I would say to chase the major in college that absolutely fascinates you. I always got A's in music, English, the arts. But people say you "don't make any money" as a artist. Bah-hum-bug! Listen to your heart, and go with it. Do what you love and you'll never work another day again!
How many kids do you want to have?
We both want 4. When I met Joshua, I told him I wanted a soccer team, i.e., 12 kids, haha. We are both 1 of 2, both boy/girl (he has an older sister, I have a younger brother) and we both envision lots of kids around our table when we're older. I've loved being pregnant and Joshua has already asked when we should start trying again after she's born! Lord, help me.
What did you do for work before you moved to Arizona?
I worked Monday through Friday for a chain of resorts called The Villa Group. Our offices were located in San Diego, CA, but the resorts were located down in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Loreto. Mexico has a very special place in my heart, so this job was very fitting. I was an e-commerce coordinator, meaning I worked online with all of the rates, promotions and marketing involved in running 12+ hotels. It was insane, a lot of stress, and it really sounds a lot more glamorous than it was. Me and my boss, Sara, did get to go on a few trips down to the hotels and that was incredible. But we both quit last April 2011, and don't miss the drama or stress at all!
She's one of my best friends and we are only 3 days apart in our pregnancies! :)
What is your degree in?
Paralegal Studies. This still baffles me. I hate anything to do with law and I am a creative soul that was lost in law libraries. How I graduated amazes me! Ha! If I were to encourage my younger self, I would say to chase the major in college that absolutely fascinates you. I always got A's in music, English, the arts. But people say you "don't make any money" as a artist. Bah-hum-bug! Listen to your heart, and go with it. Do what you love and you'll never work another day again!
What do you do for work now?
Well, fortunately, moving out-of-state afforded me the "out" to quit my job (previously mentioned). My previous employers were trying to work with me to work at home, but it didn't work out and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Shortly after our move last May 2011, I started this blog, really got to enjoy being a wife and homemaker, and in September, started working with Casey Wiegand, of Casey Leigh, as her virtual assistant which has been so much fun!
What is your story? Have you been through hard times, too?
Ummmm YES. And you can read all about that here under "Our Testimony"!
How do you get your blog to grow?
When I started blogging, I had no intention or purpose for it other than simply documenting our new life over here in AZ. It was fun to have a place to share with our families that lived out-of-state. In no way do I consider myself to be a "succesful blogger"-- whatever that means! I do this because I love it. But since I get asked this question frequently, hopefully I'll be of some help:
My blog really started growing when I got involved in the blogging community. How does this happen? See all those ads on the right or left hand sides of blogs these days? I just clicked away at images that interested me, left comments, etc. I also paid for advertising on a few larger blogs where I got to write guest posts and that expanded my audience. I did advertising swaps for about the first 8 months. When you choose to advertise, focus on blogs that share a similar audience. I've made the mistake more than once of shelling out money for blogs that attracted a totally different audience than mine and it did virtually nothing. The best way to get involved on a day-to-day-basis is start using Twitter! It's a great way to interact with your readers. Also, Facebook and Instagram, all which are interactive and free. Another big tip is to have a blog with big, full pictures. I love pictures and good ones really make a blog. It stinks when a photo is good but it's so little you can barely see it! How many blogs do you look at just to see the photos? Good photos don't mean you have to be a professional photographer. Instagram can make anyone look like a pro! Everyone hates it when their photos are stolen off their blog and credit isn't used, but please take off your watermark logo that is splashed all over your pictures-- it's distracting and takes away from the beauty of your photos! Keep the amount you write to a decent length-- this is not a thesis paper. People get lost! And you can always tell when someone leaves a comment and didn't really read your post because it was too long, ha! The best advice I learned at my last job is that you can take half as many words as you think you need to say what you need to say precisely. Take OFF word verification! A great tutorial for that is over at my friend Ashley's blog here. People will rarely take the time to comment on your blog when it takes them 5 minutes to get through all of the necessary steps. PLEASE take it off. Oh, and, like Ashley said, include your email in the return address on your blog so that people can respond to you! Finally, be a nice blogger. Everyone likes, and is interested in, following people that are genuinely kind and professional! Don't be a rude blogger. I could share some stories, but I'll refrain :) I know it's really time consuming, but if someone leaves a comment that profoundly impacts you or warrants a response, try to take the time to do so.
What are you naming your baby girl?
I can't tell you until she's born! :) But it starts with an "E"... so take a guess!
