Weekend Recap




Hi Peachies! Welcome to my little slice of internet Heaven. It's 9:30 Monday morning & my house is still quiet. My children, both fur and human are still sleeping so i'm sitting in silence with a candle lit drinking coffee and up-loading round one of the pics i'll be bombarding Facebook with this week.

Every summer our family from Illinios comes to Georgia for a week. We count down the days and look forward to it all year long. This is the week that they're here so before I get too carried away with enjoying the week with them I thought i'd share a weekend recap wth y'all.

+FRIDAY+
My son had been asking me to take him to get sushi so I obliged and took him on a sushi lunch date. This is something we usually do without my hubby because he's allergic to shellfish. While I miss my hubby when our son & I go on our sushi dates it's nice to spend that one on one time with our son. He's 13, it's not like he's going to be into sushi dates with mom forever. Soon he'll be taking girls on sushi dates. You know, real dates. My mama heart doesn't want to think about that though.

I bombed in the photo department because my son thinks it's totally inappropriate to snapchat my meal. Well, that and I was totally into soaking up every second of time with him. Don't worry, I'll be taking lots of pictures of him and with him this week though.

My hubby sweet hubby worked late Friday night so my son and I just stayed home. I was snuggled in bed blogging and catching up on The Bachelorette with my Willow girl. We're partiers around here, y'all. You just can't even hang with us. #oldpeoplestatus


+SATURDAY+
The family from Illinois got here around 9:30 Saturday morning but while we were waiting on them to get here my hubby & I drank our coffee and tracked them on Facebook while my Aunt & I chatted about their drive so far and Princess Buttercup (she's 2) making up songs about Aunt Whitney's house (that's my mom).

Once I got my sleepy crew up and moving we went over to my Mom and Dad's where we spent the rest of the day hanging out at the pool and grilling out.

My sweet Willow girl swam her little heart out.

And we got Big Mama Bella up on a float where she floated around with goggles on for at least 30 minutes.


+SUNDAY+
My hubby sweet hubby had to go into work again so I ran to Five Below and bought tons of pool floats
{like this adorable flamingo}

and other fun things then came home and loaded up my car and took my sweet boy and our Willow girl to play and swim again. This time though, my sweet Willow got stung by a bee or wasp again (8 times in two weeks-for anyone keeping record) so she was snoozing on my parent's couch by 2 while the rest of us just hung out because a thunderstorm rolled in. After the storm cleared everyone was outside by the pool again, enjoying the cooler temps.


So i've been awful at taking pics so far but there are still 6 days of shenanigans so look for more to come.


P.S.-If you want super cute floats, like my flamingo pictured above and you live near a Five Below consider yourself lucky. You hit the jackpot with adorable floats for $5. In blogger land we all know they make for some really fun summer pictures!









"post signature

Happiness is...{6.26.16}

Happy Sunday Lovelies. It's a rarity that I blog on Sundays but today I had a few extra minutes and thought I'd stop by and share what's been making me happy lately. It's been a while since I linked up with these lovely ladies but my hubby is at work and I'm waiting for my children, both fur and human, to wake up so while it's quiet I thought I'd throw in a special bonus post today.


This link up is with Krysten, Charlotte, & Lindsay

You can check out their awesome blogs here:
Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird
Charlotte @ My Pixie Blog
Lindsay @ The Flynnigans


Here's how the link up works (as written by these lovely ladies).


Rules:
Take the button when you're posting your link up. We will be switching up Buttons every few months to change things up a bit.
Don't forget to leave your link to your post. Be kind and visit some other links - show them some love.
Lastly, and most important: What makes YOU happy is entirely up to you, so when you write your post, run with it. Write about what made you happy this week, or what you were grateful for.
Link-Ups on Krysten's and I blogs will be open on Friday mornings at 6 am and will be up until Tuesday, March 15 at Midnight. Remember, have fun and stop by every Friday to check out the ushe. ;)


Happiness is...

+ Quiet time in the mornings, drinking coffee, snuggled in my favorite blanket, blogging.

+ A little snail mail with the reminder that I Matter. Of course I know I do, it's just nice to hear it from someone else sometimes.



+ Family who drives from Illinois so spend a week with you. This is family that we are incredibly close to but we only see each other once a year so our time together is even more precious. We spend a week eating, swimming, laughing, and making memories. We cherish this week of the year most of all.

+ A mini beauty haul. I'm obsessed with all the tiny travel products but when Target started carrying things like mini bottles of Batiste Dry Shampoo and those adorable bottles of lotion my obsession blossomed.



+ Being content with where I am right now because I know that big things are on the horizon for me and my family. And knowing that everything works out the way it does for a reason.

+ Knowing that this girl's love and affection is forever. She's the sweetest thing ever. I'm beyond grateful every single day that my hubby said we could give her a fur-ever home. She's simply the best.



Happy Sunday Loves! Share with me something that is making you happy right now.

"post signature

Oh Hey, Friday! {Inspiration, Blogger Faves, and Pinterest}

Hi Peachies! Happy Fri-YAY!! Cheers to the weekend! I'm ecstatic, because, other than my hubby having to work late tonight and potentially all weekend, too, we have awesome plans. Our Illinois family is coming into town early in the morning!! Once every summer they make the thirteen hour drive to spend a week with us. We all look forward to it all year long. We'll be spending lots of time outside swimming, playing corn hole, drinking, eating, laughing and creating memories. It's the best week all year. Follow me on snapchat:georgapeachy82 to see all our fun backyard shenanigans.

Before we get caught up in our super fun week I have to share Oh, Hey Friday with Karli Bell from September Farms Oh Hey, Friday!. This is one of my favorite posts of the week. I can sum up all my randomness in one place?!? Who doesn't love that?

Oh Hey, Friday!

1. Monday was kind of a rough day. I had a lot on my plate emotionally and was in need of a quiet moment. A moment with God where I could clear my mind and pray about all the things that were heavy on my heart and soul. He got me through with so much Grace and the comments left on this Instagram post by friends that I know in real life and friends I just know through blogging and social media were huge blessings. Sometimes you just have to get things off your heart and mind and have that moment of realness. Sometimes your friends will even surprise you with a mutual "me too" and you can lean on each other and help each other through.

{In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus.} Y'all, I need to have a real, honest, raw moment here. I'm sitting in my pajamas on my front porch drinking coffee. The dog is sitting at the widow watching me because she just got out of bed & needs to go out. My entire house is a mess, I need to write & publish a blog post today. I want to do yoga & my devotional & paint my nails. I want to re-fold the clothes that we shoved into a basket b/c we were tired last night. I want to re-pot some of my plants. My heart is heavy today & I want to be selfish and take care of me but I can't because my phone has already started ringing like crazy. I try to practice what I preach about self care but every now & then life catches up to me and I feel torn between doing what I need to do and what everyone else expects of me. The good news is that I have today to go sit on the back porch with my Mama and clear my mind. Life sure ain't easy but with my mama, daddy, hubby, & son we'll rise above. If you have an extra minute today will you stop & say a prayer for my family? It seems like the Devil is trying to win.

A photo posted by {Leslie Soto} (@georgiapeachy31) on




2. Monday the blessings were just abounding from everywhere. God was definitely watching out for me. I had signed up to be part of Ludavia from Nifty Betty's #momcardmovement. Little did I know just how big of a blessing this would be to me. It really did come at just the right time. As I read her word, after my morning Instagram post, it made me smile BIG. It was such a wonderful reminder that I matter and I should celebrate myself and treat myself to something I love.



3. I'm loving Pinterest right now. I'm back to being obsessed with it. You can see a snap into my Pinterest account to see all the pretty things i'm loving. You can follow me on Pinterest here



4. These are a few of my favorite blog posts from fellow bloggers this week.
+ Crystal @ Hall around Texas Our Sweet Diesel Boy
+ Maegen @ The Modern Tulip Currenlty Obsessed-Skin & Beauty Products
+ Sarah @ Sarah Emily Blogs From Runge to Ricker-First Look

5. This morning's Instagram post really just poured out of my heart and soul. It kind of finishes up Monday's post and proves that God's Grace is enough.

Good morning loves! Happy Fri-Yay! We've survived another week. As I sit here on my couch in silence, with a candle lit reflecting on my week, I can't help but feel a sense of completeness. My Mama had surgery on her right hand on Monday & I've been helping her daily since then while managing to keep my household up and running, too and tending to our Willow girl who got stung by a bee so bad that her face, eyes, and neck swelled up. All the while there was only one day that I felt overwhelmed (and it had nothing to do with any of these things). I simply sat outside & enjoyed the cool weather & my coffee and prayed my worries away that day. I feel like this week has blessed me & I feel like I've handled it all flawlessly. It's proof that God will never give us more than we can handle& his Grace is enough. #fridayvibes #fridayiminlove #leslieshappylife #livelifeblessed. { @niftybetty this is my favorite mug. My Mom bought it for me because it is hilarious. My grandma thought it was inappropriate so that made it even more hilarious to me b/c it's not the least bit inappropriate. Every Time I use it I think of the both of them and giggle at the funny story that goes along with it!}

A photo posted by {Leslie Soto} (@georgiapeachy31) on



Happy Friday, Peachies! I hope you all have an amazing weekend! I'll be back with more lovely things soon.





I'm also linking up with Full Hands Full Heart

























"post signature

Summer Bucket List


Hi Peachies! Happy Summer Y'all! Summer is officially tied with fall for my favorite time of year. I just love all the festivals and outside time. Plus all the cookouts, fresh produce, and snowball stands that pop up this time of year. Not to mention bright colors and pretty floats and being at the pool all the time. It's easy to see why this time of year is my favorite. I'm a southern sun loving girl and that's why i'm here today to share with you my Summer Bucket List. Our little town really has a lot of fun things to do if you're into being outdoorsy and exploring. My husband and I have gone off the beaten path to find a couple of these places but it's so worth it.




So tell me, what's on your Summer Bucket List?
Is there anything unique to do in the town you live in?






"post signature

Six By Summer

Hey Peachies! Can you believe it's officially summer? I love it! I feel like i've been waiting on summer to come forever because it's tied with winter for my favorite season.

Back at the beginning of spring I started this challenge with my sweet blogger friend, Kayla from Polished and Bubbly. The point of this link up is to use those products up by the first day of summer, June 21st.


You can find the original post here.

1. Vanilla Jasmine Bath Set
2. Victoria's Secret Body Lotion and Body Oil
3. Bliss Day Spa Gift Certificate
4. Dior Lipstick Set
5. Samples
6. Shine & Sparkle Make-Up Brush Cleaner in Pumpkin Cheesecake

How am I doing?
1. I ended up using some of it but throwing the rest away. The scent was too flowery for me and I just couldn't do it anymore after a while.
2. I used up all the lotion but not the oil.
3. I haven't used it yet.
4. I used up some of the colors completely. My lips went through this weird phase where everything other than Carmex made them swell and hurt so I didn't use a lot of lipstick through that.
5. Yes! I did use these up. Now I have more because I can't help myself. I love sample sized products.
6. No. Honestly it's so much easier for me to put all my make up brushes in a cup with the cleaning solution and get them clean all at once.

So I didn't do too shabby but I definitely could have done better. The important thing is that I got rid of some products and had fun in the meantime. Out of everything I did use, the only thing I will replace is the Victoria's Secret lotion though. It's my favorite!


In Kayla's post Six by Summer you'll find all of the links to our social media accounts so you can follow along.

If you want to check in on me, you can find me here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaPeachy31
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/georgiapeachy31
Blog:Peachykeen32.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peachykeen31




"post signature

Week 25: Currently



Hello Peachies! Happy Monday. Fresh week fresh start, right? I hope you're all feeling as refreshed and relaxed and ready to take on the week as I am. Of course that is requiring some coffee and planning this morning.

It's time for the 52 Week Challenge with Sarah from Sarah Emily Blogs and Ashley from Girl Talk.

Let's talk about my Currently


Sitting on my couch in my favorite sweat pants, coffee in hand.
Looking through cookbooks and Pinterest for recipes and dinner inspiration for this week.
Making lists of what I need at each store.

And, oh! Look at this pretty pin I saved. Because i'm distracted easily like that.
Now i'm sitting here with three lists made + my meal plan for the week and a window open on backdrop ideas for blog photos + my blog window.

Drink more coffee! Do more stuff!

Now i'm off to change the laundry over and get ready to run errands.
Target anyone?

Happy Monday Lovelies!


If you want to link up with these beautiful ladies here's how it works.

Rules for the Link-up
1. follow the prompts exactly or put your own spin on them
2. make sure to add our button to your post and link up with us
3. visit other blogs and show them some love
4. the link up will close in 5 days!





"post signature

Oh, Hey Friday! {My Favorite Posts This Week}

Hello Peachies! Happy Fri-YAY! We survived the week and are now headed to the weekend so cheers to that!




It's also time for Oh, Hey Friday with Karli Bell from September Farms Oh Hey, Friday!.

Oh, Hey Friday.
Here are my favorite posts from fellow bloggers this week.

1. Honeymoon Gift Basket from Maegen-The Modern Tulip
Honeymoon Gift Basket

+This would be a dream for any bride and groom so they don't have to worry about packing that kind of stuff up for their honeymoon.
They could just grab it and go and since most of the stuff you can find in the dollar section of Target it's a win for everyone!


2. Perfect Two Day Hair from Jasmine-Jasmine Maria
Perfect Two Day Hair

+I found out about a couple of great products from her post. I can't wait to run out to the store and grab them and try them for myself.
Because who has time to wash their hair daily? No, but really. These products sound amazing.


3. Summer Photo Dump by Crystal-Hall Around Texas
Sweet Summertime

+Don't her pics just make you swoon? I'm in love with all the bright colors she captures. Her pics are definitely post card and framed art work worthy.

4. Love is Love is Love by Nelle-Simply Love
Love is Love is Love

+Her beauty shines through in the words she says and her perspective on everything happening in the world today is a message of love and acceptance. It's one that needs to be heard. I got teary reading her post.


5. Monday Motivation from Mistle-Sweet Tea and Hydrangeas
Monday Motivation

+When I logged on and saw her post Monday morning it was exactly what my heart needed. My heart and soul were heavy from the Orlando shootings and I couldn't focus but when I read her post, I felt better. I found motivation and my spark of positivity that were missing. I especially love the quote "She was on a journey that required her to be fierce. She was up for the task."


There have been so many beautiful, fun blog posts this week and i've pinned and saved so many. These especially speak to me some way.
Happy Friday Friends.

And if you'd like to check out my posts from the week i'll leave them below.
3 Cities You Want To Visit
On Wednesdays We Confess
Always Stay Humble And Kind




"post signature

Always Stay Humble & Kind.


If you're a country music fan then you've heard those lyrics before, if you aren't a country music fan; it's from Tim McGraw's Humble and Kind. My heart is so heavy right now with all the negativity in this world. I try hard to surround myself with people who only lift me up, believe in me, inspire me and mirror the kind of person I hope I am. Not only the kind of person I hope I am but also the kind of person I want as a role model for my son. It's hard enough to live in this world and raise kids these days so I am a true believer in having the right kind of people in our lives as opposed to many people in our lives. Quality over quantity.

Then you add in social media and I feel like this is where it's harder to surround myself with only positive people because social media platforms give people a place to speak their minds and say things they usually wouldn't because they have a safety net around them. It's easy to sit behind a screen and type away things that you feel in the moment instead of walking away and giving it some thought and deciding it's really not a big deal after all. There is a part of me that HATES Facebook, especially. I've thought about deleting it several times but I do have family out of state whom I keep up with via Facebook and I want to be able to share with them all life's happy moments. I also use Facebook as a resource for my blog, so there's that, too. And I hope that the people on my Facebook page can find some inspiration through the things I share and my blog.

Facebook especially has become such a negative place where people are real quick to voice their thoughts and beliefs and if someone else doesn't agree then they can verbally attack them. But then there's this side of it, too. Just because you believe something doesn't mean you should be shoving it down other people's throats to believe what you believe in, too.

Generally speaking, I don't talk about politics and my opinion on world tragedies on social media because I am just as accountable for what I put out here on the web as I am for the things I say. I feel like people tend to forget their accountability when it comes to social media, Facebook especially. In times like these you see people's true colors come out and it's an eye opener. There are people who have shown a side of themselves that has shocked and disappointed me. It hurts my heart.

What's going on in this world isn't a weapons problem. It's a heart problem. I'm trying my best to not let this cruel world make me have a cold heart and I'm trying to raise a member of society who can and will speak his voice but also who shows respect and who always stays humble and kind. Someone who isn't so narrow minded that he can only see his own beliefs and views. Someone who knows when to stop talking and listen to others beliefs and views, too. That's what the world needs now. The world needs to know when to sit down and listen. When to show respect. And that we can agree to disagree without fighting. No one can make you change your views so hold on to them tight but stop and listen to others.

Before you share something on social media think about every person on your friend's list and ask yourself will sharing this hurt them? If the answer is yes to even one person you care about then you shouldn't be sharing it. How would you feel if your kids read what you were sharing? If their friends read it? Is it something you can back with facts? Not just your opinion. Before you press the post button, pause for a minute and let what you've typed really sink in with you. You may find that just typing it out is enough and that sharing it isn't necessary. If, after that minute you still feel the need to share then go for it but remember, you are just as accountable for what you say on social media as you are for what you say in real life.


"Her mouth speaks from that which fills her heart." Luke 6:45









"post signature

On Wednesdays We Confess


Happy Wednesday Peachies! I hope you're all having an amazing day. We're thisclose to Fri-YAY! For some reason this week I haven't been feeling it. I'm beyond exhausted but I am super excited to be here with you to share my Wednesday confessions
with Mistle from Sweet Tea and Hydrangeas

On Wednesdays We Confess.

+I Confess the events of the world this week have left me feeling drained. I've really been able to see people's true colors through all of this and it's not at all what i've expected from some people. Social media tends to be an ugly place in times like these.

+I Confess I've been getting up at 6:30 for the last two mornings to take my son's friend to camp. I've actually enjoyed it. Being cozy in the car in the mornings, driving to where we'll be living before long, and doing something nice for someone else is a pretty amazing feeling.

+I Confess the threat of storms we've had for the last two days hasn't come to fruition yet. I'm wishing they would though.
My body needs a day of being cozy at home.

+I Confess i'm feeling like I need to up my instagram and blog pictures game.

+I Confess that Pinterest has been my jam again lately.

+I Confess I caught up on all this season's The Bachelorette and Southern Charm. I'm patiently anxiously awaiting the next episode of both of them.

+I Confess I've gotten all the things for Father's Day already and I'm super excited about it!

+I Confess I haven't given into the Starbuck's Strawberry Acai Refresher but I'm thinking I can whip up my own with my Nutri Bullet.

+I Confess I have so many blog ideas and collab ideas. I just need to sit down, write them out, and send out e-mails.
I'm also envisioning pretty pics with this idea.

+I Confess I'm in love with the Designer planner line at Target. Im hoping they'll be selling then for 2017-18 instead of July 2016-2017 because I have one I already love for this year.

+I Confess my Mama gave me more BareMinerals make up the other day. I've been using it in conjunction with my regular make up and I must say, for the last 3 days my make up has been so pretty. I just can't get a good picture.

+I Confess I'm blessed to have a hubby who doesn't care if the house is clean and dinner is done when he gets home from work because it's only 12:46 and I'm done for the day.


What do you want to confess?


"post signature

Week 24: 3 Cities You Want To Visit



Happy Monday Peachies! I hope you're all refreshed and relaxed from the weekend. I just love weekends. I love the down time and the family time we get to spend together. Life slows down and we really get to enjoy ourselves. This weekend involved a lot of cooking out and swimming for us. It was really enjoyable. Now that it's Monday it's time for the 52 Week Challenge with Sarah from Sarah Emily Blogs and Ashley from Girl Talk.


Today's topic is 3 Cities You Want To Visit
There are so many for me but these are my top 3, currently.

1. Nashville, Tennessee
Music city! Yes, please?!? I'm a southern girl through and through, country music is my jam.
As my husband says-I'm a little bit country, he's a little bit rock and roll.
What's to love about Nashville?
+The Bluebird Cafe
+Hattie B's Hot Chicken
+Country Music Hall of Fame
+Draper James (Reese Witherspoon's Boutique)

I might even be able to talk my husband into this trip with a visit to the Johnny Cash Museum and the Jack Daniels Distillery.

2. Waco, Texas
Yes this might have this has everything to do with Chip & Joanna.
Don't judge me. You know you want to go too.
What's to love about Waco?
+Magnolia Market
+World's Longest Lazy River
+Dr. Pepper Museum

Okay, so this one really is all about Chip & Joanna but I have blogger friends who live in the area. So there's that!

3. New Orleans, Louisiana
What's to love about New Orleans?
+Cafe DuMonde's beignets
+French Quarter
+Swamp Boat Tours
+Gumbo
+Jackson Street-the history and architecture. Yes, Please?!?

My hubby was born in Louisiana so I have no doubt we'll be back someday.

Those are my top 3 cities I want to visit inside the US. There are so many places I'd love to travel to and wonders i'd love to see.
Niagra falls, the Northern lights, Santorini Greece, Fiji, Rio De Janiero Brazil and of course, you'd have no trouble at all getting me back to Hawaii. I'd be on the next plane out of here if someone offered me a trip to Hawaii.


If you want to link up with these beautiful ladies here's how it works.

Rules for the Link-up
1. follow the prompts exactly or put your own spin on them
2. make sure to add our button to your post and link up with us
3. visit other blogs and show them some love
4. the link up will close in 5 days!





"post signature

Oh, Hey Friday!

Hi Peachies! Happy Fri-YAY! Let us pour a glass of wine and celebrate. Actually, i'm baking cookies. What kind of wine goes with cookies?
Since it's Friday, it's time for Oh, Hey Friday with Karli Bell from September Farms Oh Hey, Friday!.

Oh, Hey Friday.

1. {Jewelry}
I love making it and selling it but last summer it took a backseat to the wedding. This week I finally had the inspiration to start it back up. I came up with a name, and a focus, and learned how to make tassels. Here's the start of what I've been dreaming up.



2. {My Best Performance}
I totally lip synched my favorite song for y'all this week on SnapChat and Instagram.
Notice my apology in the caption. I'm sorry. Not Sorry.

Now y'all, I'm no singer or even lip syncer but this is my jam lately. #lesliessparkofhappiness #jammin'

A video posted by {Leslie Soto} (@georgiapeachy31) on



3. {Sick Babies}
The beginning of the week started with my sweet Willow pup injured. She cut her leg and tummy going under a fence that she shouldn't have.
The week has ended with my son being sick in bed with strep throat. Hello Summer! I'm getting cabin fever!

4. {Bangle Bear}
I'm obsessed with this bracelet from The Bangle Bear on Etsy. It's the best buy i've made in a while!


5. And in case you missed it, my blog posts from the week.
What Blogging Has Taught Me.
On Wednesdays We Confess.



Happy Weekending Loves!





"post signature

On Wednesdays We Confess



Hi Peachies! Hope you're hanging in there. It's Wednesday! We're half way through the week! Woo Hoo! It's also time for On Wednesdays We Confess with Mistle from Sweet Tea and Hydrangeas.

On Wednesdays We Confess.

+I Confess Willow pup missed the memo that it's still summer and we could sleep in this morning.
She woke me up at 7:20 but in her defense, she had to potty. She's finally accident free in the house so I don't mind getting up for that!

+I Confess I'm in no mood to get off the couch today. I have a sick kiddo, I think we may take it easy.

+I Confess My last blog post, What Blogging Has Taught Me, really got a lot of attention and I love it!

+I Confess Christian from The Bachelorette just liked one of my tweets and it made my morning!

+I Confess Speaking of The Bachelorette, it just got creepy with Chad. He scares me. He's like watching a nightmare un-fold.

+I Confess I still need to book my massage.

+I Confess I need a mani/pedi since I had to cancel mine yesterday.

+I Confess I'm making new jewelry to sell and loving it!

So Peachies, What are you confessing?

"post signature

Week 23: What Blogging Has Taught Me


Hello Peachies! Happy Monday. You know what Monday's mean. It's time for the 52 Week Challenge with Sarah from Sarah Emily Blogs and Ashley from Girl Talk.

Today we're talking about What Blogging Has Taught Me.

I started blogging before it was the in thing to do because I wanted to document the important moments in mine and my son's lives. We have family that lives out of state and I thought that was a good way to keep up with them, too. In May of 2013 I was inspired to take my blog to a new level and start networking with other bloggers. I had no idea how to do it, I just had a wish and a dream and I chased it. I re-vamped my blog and set out into the blogging world. Instagram and talking with other bloggers led me to numerous Facebook groups and from there I am making my blogging tribe and blooming with my blog.

What i've learned from blogging is:

+ The look of your blog is important.
I went from using pre-made blogs (which is fine) to making my own designs because I want to learn how to.
I like nice, clean coherent looks with pops of color.

+ Pop ups annoy everyone.
And I will never have them.

+ It's okay not to have a niche.
I'll probably never have a niche because I don't focus solely on one thing.
I'm a lifestyle blogger. That's pretty all encompassing.

+ Blogging requires a lot of time.
It's not just sit down and type out some words, hit publish, and boom! You're done.
It's hours of writing, researching, snapping pictures, creating headers, etc.

+ Having a week's worth of posts ready to go on Sunday and scheduling them to be published through out the week is a dream in my world.
In a dream world, I'd love to be able to do things like that. It's just not how I roll though.

+ Using a planner is a lifesaver in the blogging world.
I winged it through May because I had so much going on and was so inspired but on those days when I'm not feeling it, It's nice to pick up my planner and look at what I have planned.

+ The best way to learn is through other bloggers.
They've been through it, they've figured it out so they know what they're talking about.

+ Join Facebook groups because that's where you get exposure for your blog.
And you can engage with other bloggers, too!

+ Find your blogging tribe and lift each other up. My blogging tribe is amazing.
Sometimes I feel closer to them than I do real life friends. They just get me.

+ Quality over quantity.
Creating good content is better than having posts 7 days a week.

+ Blog about what's important to you.
Your blog should be a genuine reflection of you so share your most genuine self with others.
Sometimes that even means sharing the messy, crazy things.
Being real with your readers will keep them coming back because they'll feel a connection with you when they can read something and think
"Oh, good! Me, too!" OR "Yes! I like, that, too!"

Sarah, from Sarah Emily Blogs and I have had many of those moments. We swear we're long lost sisters because we're so much alike, even the bad stuff.

Don't be afraid to show the bad stuff. You might help someone else through a tough time or you just might bond and make a new friend over it!

+ Interact with your readers.
When you get comments, comment back!

+ Pay attention to your analytics. See how many re-pins you get, how many comments because that's how you gage what your readers enjoy.
And give them more of that and less of the things that don't bring you as much traffic.

+ Never blog for free. I made this mistake a couple times because I felt like I was getting good exposure but in reality, I wasn't.
I was still the only one promoting my posts and doing all the work.
One company even nit picked my post to death and asked me to change it three times! Needless to say, that's when I realized I was being taken advantage of and won't make that mistake again.

I still have a lot to learn in the blogging world and my blog doesn't look perfect.
That's why I join as many groups as I can, I ask for help and advice when I need it and I take webinars.
I'm not blogging for profit yet but i'm in the middle of learning how to make social media kits and how to pitch ideas to companies.
I'm also learning about collaborations and affiliate programs.
It's always a learning experience but I feel like any good thing always will be.


If you want to link up with these beautiful ladies here's how it works.

Rules for the Link-up
1. follow the prompts exactly or put your own spin on them
2. make sure to add our button to your post and link up with us
3. visit other blogs and show them some love
4. the link up will close in 5 days!


"post signature

June Goals


Hi Peachies and Hello June! Can you believe that we're almost half way through the year? I knew that life was going to go fast once I got married last September but I had no idea how fast. I love the beginning of each month. It's like getting a fresh start 12 times a year. It gives me new motivation to tackle all those goals i've been setting or meaning to set. Speaking of goals, let's check out how I did in May and set new ones for June.

May's Goals

Personal
+ Get 10,000 steps at least 3xs a week.
Fail.

+ Do yoga 5 days a week.
Fail.

+ Win the 28 day challenge.
Fail.

+ Cut out sugary junk foods.
Win. Mostly anyway. I have cut way back.

+ Donate clothes to thrift shop.
Fail. They're bagged up ready to go though.

+ Do a good deed for someone.
Win. I took my grandma to the doctor.

+ Spend time with at least one girlfriend.
Win. I got to get my nails done with one and go to lunch with another.

+ Spend more evenings un-plugged.
Win. My husband has taught our son and I how to play Munchkin and we've played it every night for the last two weeks.

+ Spend at least one hour a day outdoors.
Win. This is a no brainer. If the weather is nice I can't help but be outdoors.

+ Practice grace.
Win.

Peachy Keen Blog Goals
+ Create a sidebar button
Fail.

+ Do Helene's webinar Monetize Your Blog
Win.

+ Use buffer to schedule Social Media/Blog posts
Fail.

+ Use the new signature I made
Fail.

+ Put together a blogger's gift swap
Fail.

Social Media Goals
+ Look into creating my own Instagram giveaway
Fail

+ Host a Follow Friday loop on Instagram
Fail



June's Goals

+Finish reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler
+Spend at least one day with a girlfriend
+Get active at least 3 days a week
+Find my hubby an awesome Father's Day gift
+Cut back on sugary goodness
+Start making and selling jewelry again
+Get my massage
+Create a sidebar button
+Spend at least an hour a day outdoors
+Do something nice for someone, just because
+Donate clothes to thrift shop
+Focus on needs over wants

So friends, share with me your goals for the month.
Let's be accountability partners!


"post signature