I apologize for my absence around here lately! We got back at 3:30 a.m. yesterday from a quick trip “home” for another interview for Joshua. It was his final one with the firm we are interested in and now we are waiting. Again.
Though our trip was short, we had a great time with both sides of the family. We’d so appreciate your prayers for contentment in God’s guiding.
While I’m busy getting my home put back together, how about a giveaway? Better yet, how about two giveaways?
Jacinda, the lovely author behind Growing Home, released two new ebooks in the past few weeks!
Grow Your Home While Growing Your Blog
Jacinda is one of those bloggers that I watch and scratch my head wondering, how on earth does find time to run a successful blog, write ebooks and be active online WHILE managing her lovely home?
When Jacinda released her ebook, Grow Your Home While Growing Your Blog, I ordered a copy immediately and quickly gobbled it up.
The book is short, just 25 pages, but jam packed with good advice for new bloggers, as well as those hoping to take their blog “to the next level.”
[The only advice I would add to a brand-new blogger is please don't have music playing automatically in the background. Especially if your audience is made up of young moms whose kids are probably napping!]
The book is not just a collection of blogging tips though. My favorite chapter is titled “Should You Blog?” In it Jacinda asks a series of thought-provoking questions about what really holds our hearts and motivates our writing.
On a side note, Grow Your Home While Growing Your Blog was the final impetus to follow my husband’s encouragement and start actually using my Twitter account.
Design a Blog for Free
Do you want to design your blog, but are clueless about editing? Do you want to make updates but have to hire a designer (or bug ask your husband) each time?
In her latest ebook, How to Design a Blog for Free, Jacinda walks you through the steps of designing your own blog header, custom social media buttons, buttons and much more. Her instructions are simple and easy enough for someone with no design experience to follow.
If you’ve hung around Jacinda’s blog very long, you’ll notice that she frequently changes her design… and that each design is so cute. She said that once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to tweak your blog to get just the look you want. My blog is in serious need of an overhaul, so I can’t wait to test that out!
Now, for the giveaway! Two winner will receive their choice of Grow Your Home While Growing Your Blog or How to Design a Blog for Free.
[Full disclosure: Links to products in this post are my referral links.]
My greatest challenge is getting regular and quality posts up on my blog! I sometimes hit creative blocks and just plain being busy, and find it hard to maintain the regular posts at times. I go through seasons of solid blogging and blog post gaps.
Me too…like this past week. I am really trying to get a solid chunk of posts written ahead, but I never seem to be able to do so.
Thank you for this giveaway opportunity!
My greatest challenge of blogging is learning how to put a blog together, understand html codes, etc. when time permits without constant interruptions. In the past, I’d google to try to find tricks how to do certain feature that I wanted on my blog. When I found it, I thought I had it memorized only to be faced that I needed to repeat this step and forgotten how. It takes time to get the hang of it and keep a balance while still running a home. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! I’d love to win How to design a blog for free!
My biggest blogging challenge is tiredness! I love to blog, and I can make time for it…but having a 19 month old and being 8 mos. pregnant a lot of the time I’m too exhausted to form good posts by the time I have “me time” to write.
Probably consistency and content. I’m praying for a mission for my blog….
I don’t blog yet. been considering it. Not sure how to fit it all in
I would be one of those “should I blog”-ers 
My biggest challenge is to actually start! I love to write, but I have no idea what to write about. Plus, all the other stuff that goes along with blogging, like what website to use, can be overwhelming. Thanks for the opportunity to win the book!
My greatest challenge in blogging is finding time to sit down, write, and edit a decent post. Plus, I would love to redo my blog design and have no clue how to do it! Thanks for the chance to win!
I recently started my own blog and am hoping that it will be a stepping stone to replacing my income so I can be in my home full time with my baby boys. Any help about growing my blog would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for this opporutnity!
My biggest challenge is technological deficiency
. Design especially! I just don’t possess the know how.
I’m enjoying your blog. Thank you for sharing all that you do!
My greatest challenge is finding the right time in my days to sit down creatively at the computer. Honestly, I think I should hang a note pad around my neck and jot down my thoughts as they come to me, and then type them up after everyone is in bed, or early before they get up.
I hope that the interview process works out – how exciting that you might be able to find work closer to home!
Thanks Jenny, I’m hoping but trying not to get too excited until we have a firm answer.
My biggest challenge is probably balancing it all. I’ve decided to blog only 2-3 times a week, to ease some pressure. Another is editing my photos to look better. I am so not a creative person – and I depend on my husband for anything design related {not that he’s complaining, though}
My greatest challenge to blogging is time. I need more hours in the day (and daylight savings time did not help).
I love to write about homemaking, my children, craft projects and most of all – posts that glorify my Lord and Savior. But finding the time to do all of this can be difficult as life ebbs and flows.
My biggest challenge is without a doubt design!
Well, since I only post on Fridays and then I nearly always have something since I post stories or parts of stories, I don’t have trouble balancing blogging with other things. My problem is that I don’t know how to do many things to make my blog better. I guess I just don’t know computers that well. It would be fun to learn more though.
My biggest blogging challenge is the learning curve for all things, tech and design, and then the struggle to know when to pay someone or just muddle through, These prizes would probably help a lot. Thanks for offering.
My greatest challenge is making the time for it. I don’t use my blog professionally, yet, but I love blogging and I love using it to keep track of milestones and events in our lives. Someday I may use it professionally… but I need to find more time in my days.
My blogging challenge is consistency. I’m not as consistent with posting as I should be…
I also entered this link on Twitter.
My biggest challenge is having time to keep writing good quality posts. A close second is learning the technical side of blogging and html.
My greatest challenge is being organized about my time and not spending too much time getting lost in the rabbit trail of the internet!