A post about the Jozi meetup

 


So I went to the Jozi meetup last Saturday.

I must say, I felt really odd at first, arriving and knowing absolutely no-one. Then I saw Heather and Laura, and later, Sharon, Sam and Funso, and Lebo. And Salome (photographer) who I first met at the event I spoke at in May last year.

I also recognised Wenchy but still haven't actually spoken to her :o



The not knowing people didn't bother me much because I'm an extrovert but it's odd to feel a bit out and yet know that I've been blogging for over 10 years. There's this whole community I'm not a part of so that was interesting. (this is a tip from Big Magic - when you find things "interesting" you turn down the level of drama :))


Anyway, 3 things about the event:


 

1. The venue was amazing. I was so disappointed to not have time to walk around Maboneng afterwards because I had to rush off to another friends date. I would have had more photos if I had more hands to pull out my camera and carry the swag. The lift was gorgeous and the light was absolutely fabulous! 
2. We got such a lot of stuff in the goodie bags that I shared it all with Nanny S. I don't drink wine and we got a bottle of wine. I was going to give it to a friend (!) but D was aghast - how could I do that? So now I need to get rid of it but it feels so wasteful.
3. I used to run workshops in my home and I know how much work it is to organise them, yet they had (for me) such small profit margins. So hats off to Laura and Heather - clearly they have the secret to make these things work. And when I want to next run a Love Languages workshop, they need to organise it :)

 

I realised that there are two types of blogs and bloggers, and I have/ am one of each. One is niched and has its own Instagram and Facebook page, and the other is written for the pure joy of connecting (and therapy!). Except... my Organising Queen blog is like such a baby because I have no idea about when "my people" are online, which brands I resonate with, and all of that jazz.

Honestly, I don't know where these people get the time to be checking all these stats and responding to everything throughout the day. Unless they don't work, or they're faffing around the whole day at work.




Blogging seems like a lot of hard work these days and clearly I'm not interested in doing all of that enough to "stay current".

It's largely because I do have a full-time job that pays me a reasonably good salary so I don't feel that I need to monetize anything.

Best quote: "what do all moms do the whole day? They're on Facebook, of course" and with that, I suddenly felt like, "who are these moms because I'm actually working, but maybe it's an age thing, or a firstborn thing...?



One more thing - brand love. How do you feel about instagramming and blogging for brands just because you received free product?

I posted one pic on IG on Sat from a hamper I won and I fully intended to post another to enter a competition (peer pressure?!), but suddenly I didn't feel right inside. I tend to listen to those feelings so nothing went up. I don't even eat those biscuits and actually, I had my first one this Saturday... and I wasn't wowed. The kids are eating them though!

What makes you post a "brand" pic on Insta or Facebook or your blog? 

For me, I must be wild about the product, so wild I would have paid for it myself. Like I do with stationery :)

Which blog group do you fit into? Were you in one before consciously moving into another?

I have, of course, been blogging about organising, coaching, time management and goals for many, many years, simply because it's my passion, while this blog is my just my stress relief :)

PS don't you love this sewing machine?!

Most popular posts this year, month by month

• 7 things I want to do less of in 2015
• This capsuling thing
• I'm mortified, frustrated and blue
• Grab a cuppa - here's some fantastic reading for the weekend
• Vulnerability hangover
• It almost feels like Christmas when we have power
• People I need in my life
• So the kids went to a party
• 5 things I want more of now I'm 41
• It's now blue!
• If Christmas is to be, it's up to me  followed very closely by Laura is a genius
• My special talents include leaving things out
• It's the last month of the year, will I make it?  - (still have 2 to go!) 

And from this list, we can therefore deduce:

1. Christmas is something people want to read about
2. Blue is another...
3. The posts I throw up in 5 minutes are more popular than things on my heart
4. The lists still work
5. You like to read about my shortcomings!

Do you remember a post you really liked on this blog this year? 

How easy it is to fall of the blogging bandwagon

Amazing how easy it is to continue to not blog daily once you start!

Once a habit is broken, it takes such mental reserves to get that habit back.

A boss of mine started running about 4 years into the time I worked for him. I thought it was a fad seeing as he was not a healthy-type person (!) so a few months later he made a comment and I said something like, "oh, you're still running?" and he said, "Marsh, the only thing keeping me going sometimes is knowing how incredibly hard it is to come back from a relapse".

I totally get that.

But I still don't see myself blogging daily anymore.

We've spoken some about the reasons for that.

But also there's this thing I never fully understood til now but it's something my friend Natalie said once or twice - I don't want to have to go onto Facebook or your blog to find out what's going on in your life. Just tell me.

Love that!

Still, let me catch you up quickly on the last few weeks :)

We went to see Michael Buble in concert. Man, it was awesome. AWESOME. He is so naughty and fun, and was a great entertainer.

He had a support act called Naturally 7 and they were AMAZING. I now follow them on Instagram :)

Something interesting about the concert - the last time we were at that venue was at the Rod Stewart on 6 Dec 2008, the day of my trigger shot to get the twins!

Too crazy to think about, imagining those days.

It was pouring with rain and I was so glad the concert was inside! When we were at Bruce Springsteen last year, it was also pouring with rain... on us. I'm too old, or comfortable, or boring but going to a concert in the rain is just not my idea of fun.

So, a great many of you are also not blogging as much as you used to (except Laura). What's going on? Was it easy to fall off your blogging bandwagon?

(Blogging is still not dead!)

I'm working on a habit at the moment and I can't believe it's been 15 days and counting.....

Let me hit 21 days and I'll tell you about it.

Meanwhile, I think I'm going to buy the audio version of Gretchen Rubin's book. I'm quite addicted to these 4 tendencies.

Have you taken the free quiz? What's your tendency?
(I'm looking at you, Se7en!)

I'm mortified, frustrated and blue

So please, for the love, go read half of the post that disappeared when I pressed publish last week.

And then tell me those tips are good, ok?

I realised something. I'm frustrated with blogging, not because I necessarily want comments (I do!), but because I want feedback and to chat, and to engage and connect.

It's the strangest thing - I keep thinking "I need to talk to the blog about X" and then I have this weird feeling of almost deja vu. So I go check my blog and sure enough I have talked to the blog about X, but it doesn't feel like it because no-one's talking back.

*sigh*

That's what I miss about old-school blogging.

When everyone was just having a fat (online) chat with friends in the computer via the blogs.

I had some emails from concerned parties because it's no secret that I've stopped the post-a-day for a few weeks and the thing is this - I enjoy it but it's a 30-minute (or longer) exercise and I could be getting my kicks from other things in the evening (reading, clearing emails, working on my business or tidying my house - I get satisfaction from my sorted spaces).



I'm not really blue but I am super busy at work. So on the one hand I feel slightly out of my depth and on the other hand, I'm totally earning my salary (!) but I'm also getting to that cool stage of anticipating client needs and doing really good work. It always happens at a point in time, and I love it because it feels like I'm on my game.

How are you doing...really?

Hot chocolate, heaters and my heart

I've so loved reading through all the comments on last night's post. Also, page views look like normal again. Really, what is happening with blogging these days?

You know the comments and conversation are the best part of blogging and in case I forget, thank you to those of you who so faithfully leave comments here to encourage me to keep writing.

I was watching the Amazing Race this evening while attending to emails and finishing up a few things.... I really didn't feel like coming to blog but I remembered the lovely dialogue in the comments and that inspired me to make some hot chocolate to come write.

Thank you!



The wind is howling outside my window, as much as it does in Jhb (not very much). It feels very cosy in here with my big, ugly green jersey (I bought it in first year varsity - 1991! - at Edgars Grahamstown) and the heater.

So Louisa's let the cat out of the bag - I went to do a talk for her secret team on Friday, and while that was lovely, the best part this time was the preparation.

It's strange but there are two things I like about speaking - the energy of delivering the talk and that feeling when all my vague thoughts and feelings come together during my hours of preparation into The Picture.

I had such a good time putting it all together the last few weeks. I also realised again and again how my two languages of appreciation were just never spoken to me in that team. No wonder I was a flower who didn't bloom. It sounds a bit dramatic but yes, sometimes the words were said but you could feel the insincerity a mile off.

Anyway.... moving on to the real point of this.



I also noticed something the last couple of weeks, something we all know but we don't do enough of.

When I focus on my own life instead of caring too much about the versions other people display, I'm much happier.

Basically, run your own race.

If you're a bit PMSy (or stabby, as Julia calls it), just stop reading FB, IG, whatever. Much healthier for you.

I used to feel like I had to see everything every one of the people I follow on IG was posting but... no more. Who has the time? If I have 5 minutes, I scroll through, enjoy the pretty pics I see and consider it a win.

It's like my blog first, and then read other blogs rule I have for myself. Except I've been a bit careless with that one over the last week so tomorrow I'm on it again.

And last but not least, I am overall happier and more content when I'm plugged in enough to God.

I was sharing a few God-incidences with D last night (oh right, D had a birthday!!!) and he reminded me that my life used to be FULL of this kind-of thing. Lovely little and big happenstances all over the place, authored and designed by God. Very true - I love it!

So... what was the best happening in your life last week?

PS 9 days til my birthday!
PPS the photos with the leaves are straight from my camera - I've done nothing. That is their colour!!!!! LOVE them. My new favourite feet pics.

All manner of housekeeping

First, some bloggy housekeeping.

1.Some of you lovely folk leave me comments and I click over to your Wordpress blogs, leave a comment too and I know it disappears into The Cyberspace.

If you've visited and left a comment, please check your spam folder. I would hate to appear inhospitable :)

(especially since I had such a lovely conversation with someone last night about hospitality)

2. And the Google + folks - I don't know how the heck to find your blogs - I just click on something and hope it goes to the right place where I'm leaving comments ...

3. Last but very definitely not least, the normal comments are behaving in a terrible fashion. I don't mind (okay, I do) them behaving badly ALL the time, but I do go a bit crazy when they're erratic in their behaving badly fashion.

So, some of your comments come through to email and some don't. Sam tried to help me decipher this "huge bloggy dilemma" over supper the other night, and we think it's got something to do with people commenting from WP accounts. It would be WP, wouldn't it? Because I hate it something terrible.

Do you know the only reason I blog on Organising Queen using WP is because when I was going through The Crazy Newborn Stage (that lasted a year), I needed a scheduling tool and at the time, Blogger didn't offer it, so I paid my lovely technical VA to move everything to WP all so I could schedule posts. Or use the times of less-than-totally-crazy for good.



Mental housekeeping

This may not be a shock for some of you but it was for me. I realised about two weeks ago that I'm actually never going to go back to work at the old secret place.

Is that strange?

It started when I was trying to make a friend date and I said, "I'll meet you at ____ shopping centre, but not at That Place".

Even when I totally get over the issues, I know I'm the type who doesn't look back. Also, this may be paranoia talking but I'm sure some people have badmouthed me.

So that's that.

Very strange to admit it to myself but totally freeing.

Business-y housekeeping

I went through my mailing list system last week and had a ball deleting things. I went down from about 43 templates to just 6. Yes! I love deleting things!

As part of that process, I also went through printables I'd created, added them to a members site I have going and sent out the link to all previous and current users of my ecourses, and clients, of course. It felt delicious (Sam, I always think of you when I use the word "delicious") to have all that stuff being used and the old things off my site.

I also made sure all my articles are in the online directories I use. When my VA is done uploading them all (this is important but not urgent - we have two lists we work from), there'll be 103.



Real housekeeping

Some of you on IG saw me start the real house stuff. I went through my kitchen and Nanny S went home with half a table of stuff on Friday. That was after the 5 jerseys and two maternity long-sleeved tops I decluttered.

I love my wardrobe with white space!

Next I'm attacking those handbags.

D asked me if I want a bag for my birthday and I said NO!!!! I mean, no, thank you, I have quite enough :)

this is not my house - I need to tell you about this though!

So where have you been doing housekeeping in your life?

PS on my list today, to do the personal budget (business is done and tithe paid) and sort out my My Documents. I've been downloading like crazy and just dumping things willy nilly. It's got to stop!

So, is blogging dead and other questions for you

First, a baby book project update:

I managed to finish those photo frames for both K & C. Pics on Facebook and Instagram. And then I was done - I haven't worked on the rest of the 50 pics.

However, I've found a really cool way to keep me doing this baby book project. I'm not allowing myself to start planning the 4th year party til it's done.

Are you twitching?

Yes, me too - which is exactly the motivation I need because I usually start in May.

Two months left!

 

I have a number of very random questions/ things on my mind about blogging so I thought I'd write one post and put them all down.

Commenting

So if you leave a comment, do you go back and check if the blogger replied?

If a topic is seriously interesting (like SERIOUSLY!) then if the blogger uses blogger, I'll leave a comment and tick the block like this, and I can keep track of what's been said or if my question's been answered.

However, for the Wordpress users, I usually have to be bossy and tell the blogger to please email me because I don't check back! (it sounds very bolshie writing it here)

But seriously, if you want to follow the comment trail in WP, you can subscribe and then you have to click a link - it's a whole process which makes no sense to me and that's why I don't bother.

So please friends, tell me what you do to follow the comment trail... if you do...

And what do you do with those darn wordpress blogs :)




Feeds

There's been a lot of talk (obviously) about Google Reader shutting down and which feed reader is the best.

I don't know!

In the old days when I first started blogging, there were Bloglines and Google Reader. I signed up for both and eventually settled on GR because it looked prettier. Honestly, that's it. I'm superficial with reading on the internet. There are some really nice blogs out there but if I have to strain my eyes to read it with weird fonts and so on, it's not worth it. I think I once even told Mandy to please change her font because it was hurting my eyes :) :)

For now I've signed up with Bloglovin and Feedly. I really like Feedly but that could be because I've played around there the most.

I need to play some more with Bloglovin and then make my choice.

However, someone will have to physically take me off Google Reader because I'm using it til I can't anymore :)

The main thing to consider is what is most important to you... and then see if these services work for your style.

But the most important thing I want to discuss is this - is blogging dead?

Just this weekend Tertia said on her blog that the reason she doesn't blog very much these days is Facebook...

And I know a lot of you have Facebook pages for your blogs (I was very tempted to write "Facebook pages" :)) and you link to them here, there and everywhere.

I'm obviously slow (and cautious) because I don't do all that linking business, well not to this blog.

Have  you seen a decline in your comments and page views over the last two months?

Mine have gone down drastically. I'm only getting about half the page views these days. What about you?

(you can see this easily if you're a Blogger blogger)

And are people rather writing on your FB pages?

Tell me all!

I will still be blogging even if just my friends read so blogging is not dead for me :)

PS pics all taken in Wicklow, near Dublin, Ireland - April 2009

I have had such an evening with the old blog

Did you see it disappeared for awhile?

I tried to log in and it said Google suspended it for suspicious activity. And I'm on my own server! But I'm a die-hard blogger fan and will not switch to WP for all the love and money in the world.

Moving on.

 So I posted a post on my private blog.A very, very long one.

And then I was too tired to write on here too. So I wanted to post Easter pics - the ones you didn't see.

But my email trick is again not working. Gah! (I picked up that Gah! from Katelyn James :))

So I had to look in my drafts for some pictures I haven't yet posted.

Here you go - pics from the point and shoot that is in my bag permanently. I need to try to play with it more because of Superhero Photo but I've got so used to the other one and I'm a girl who doesn't go back easily.

Anyway, here you go.

i love the reflection of those big eyes in the table :)

Thank goodness she's stopped walking around the house. Up to when they got the big beds, Kendra would come wander around the house every night. The one night she came out as usual, went into our bedroom (I was in the study) and when I came out to take her back, I saw this in the passage. This is a girl who travels heavy. I had to quickly take a pic before she woke up too much.

Cute babies living dangerously - on the top of the couch. I'm strangely pleased when K does this kind of thing because she's more timid :)

love the sun through the trees

hey, this could be a superhero photo. We're supposed to be moving our bodies to try different angles

pizza - they always want pizza when we go out.

my attempt to get into the pic with the babies

funny boy trying to escape

it looks like I'm hugging him; I'm actually just containing him

at the gym waiting for our smoothie

playing

investigating

having fun

Did you enjoy the randomness?


How was your Wednesday?

PS I really want to write about my US trip - tomorrow!

Six on Saturday

I'm having the worst time commenting on blogs lately - I keep clicking refresh and it still doesn't want to display the form. It is probably me.... but Katie, all your organising looks fab! Mandy, your photos are amazing! MandyE, your week was super-fantabulous :) (I can't do this for everyone but these ones came to mind) I can't even upload a pic!

 

  

1. This was the post that should have been written last night if my computer/ blogger/ the internet co-operated. I tried a couple of times and eventually took it as a sign that it was not to be... and cleaned the study. Well, as much as you can clean when the contents of your HUGE cupboard are  all over the bed.

2. I slept in yesterday so Connor and I didn't go to gym. I learnt that I really need to set my alarm and get moving otherwise I only eat at 10:30 and get dressed at 11:00. Basically the day just gets away from me and I get nothing done.

3. D and I had date afternoon yesterday. We dropped the kids at MIL, went to have a long, leisurely (hot) lunch and talked about all the things we need to, some of which include upcoming holidays, V, work pressures, etc. And then we went shopping and spent far too much money on books for the kids and a few puzzles. Apparently Connor told D that he doesn't like the puzzles with the little handles anymore! We bought 2 X 9-piece wooden puzzles each and they got one each this morning.

4. I think I may have a SLIGHT problem. I think I enjoy the kids' wooden toys more than they do. Honestly, if I had my way, I'd only have them play with wooden things. They're so solid and heavy and for a tactile person like I am, it's just a slice of heaven :) There are two wooden toys for them to use in the study - stacking rings that make a very satisfying thud as you drop them, and a ramp with racing cars. I LOVE THEM BOTH!

5. I finished the second round of book edits. I'd been procrastinating for about 2 - 3 weeks and it took me all of..... TWELVE minutes. Yes. Let that be a lesson for you too - don't procrastinate :)

6. I am SOOO enjoying my non-fiction read for this month, "I thought it was just me (but it isn't)" by Brene Brown. I have about 8 - 10 post-it flags marked because I have some stuff to blog!!! Oh, the book is about shame and shame resilience. I have 44 pages left and I may just read it all tonight, I'm enjoying it so much.

How was your weekend?

What are you procrastinating?

What are you reading?

Seriously Blogger!

I am so cross I could just throw this laptop through the window.

I've been battling with blogger the whole evening (eating into my reading time!) but I typed out a whole post for Shell's Pour your heart out.

I saved twice. And I saw it save.

I was busy adding the button when the whole thing froze and I went out.

I really wasn't worried because I'd seen it save and even if it didn't save the last two sentences, it definitely saved most of my long post.

And now when I went into blogger, nothing except my post title.

Leap, Ireland (it's pronounced Lep)

I am kind of freaking.

Who knows if I will be that eloquent (hahaha) if I decide to write it again?!

GRRRR.

Plus I don't have the time to re-live my life.

Did you at least have a good Feb 29th?

A bit of decluttering and organising

1. So sorry that the word verification was showing on my blog.

I had no idea because when I'd comment on my own posts to answer questions, I never got those words.

Cat then told me nicely but firmly to please remove it :)

So I played around, logged out of Blogger and then tried to comment. Sure enough, I also had to enter the stupid words. I have now removed them - please see if you can comment with freedom :)

There are a couple of you who also still have it on - now it's my turn to ask you nicely but firmly to please check your settings. Normally I didn't mind the one word (annoying but I didn't mind so much) but they've made it two words now and it's impossible to read, at least for me.

Here's how you do it:

1. Switch to the OLD Blogger interface by clicking the little cog on the top right of your blogger dashboard.
2. Go to Settings and then Comments and disable word verification.
3. Save. (my business website has a button in the template that's called "Big A$$ Save Button" (no jokes)
4. Click on Try the new blogger and you're back to where you were.

And we can all comment happily and do the community thing :) Happy days!

2. I was looking at my blog post labels the other day and was quite horrified. How in the Sam Hill do I have 536 labels? That is crazy.

Please comment and give me the broad categories you think I should put on this blog.

It's going to be a mission and a half but I can do 5 minutes a day, right?

I saw on another blog (who knows where? you guys know I'm bad with remembering where, I only remember what I see) she had cute categories all starting with a C. I'm partial to cuteness so I'm thinking of modelling mine on hers.

Children, Cooking, Creating, Capturing, Celebrating, and then I thought I need something to capture my life list/ goals/ living life big stuff, work (that can be career), friendship stuff (Community?) and what else??? Christianity?Courage?

Ooh, I just thought of one - Crazy (for the I have issues label :) HAHAHA)

3. Words of the year

I want to make a little box on the sidebar with all our words for the year.

These are the ones I have

• Action - Heather and Mandy
• Aware - Mandy
• Embrace - Lynette
• Hope - Cat
• Nurture - Julia
• Simplify - Deanna

If you want to be included, will you leave yours in the comments?


And last but not least...

4. How are you guys doing on your Feb goals?

Who else is working on goals besides Mandy and Louisa?

Do you need help?


Are you stuck?

I've just updated my list and most things are going along nicely except... the health and fitness. I'm realising that I really, really need to go to Weigh-Less so there's some accountability for my eating. I can't stand the thought of paying to keep me on the straight and narrow, and yet that's exactly what I have to do.

What are you decluttering and organising this weekend?
Any other blog housekeeping I need to do?

Am I alone?

Thanks for your lovely comments about “cross Marcia”.

Those pics were taken this month but the night I put them up was a night I was cross, sometime around Christmas.

So I am FINE now, thanks for asking.

******************************************

Although… hang in there :)

I read lots of blogs. 110 to be exact.

Yes, I checked earlier today.

I read and comment on a good number of those blogs.

Some people read and comment back on my blog. It’s all lovely – community, I think they call it in the blog world – and happy and rosy.

Except when some people comment on everybody else’s blog but not on mine.

You see, at some point, the thought fleetingly crosses my mind, like “why doesn’t so and so ever comment on my blog?” and then I dismiss the thought by saying, “maybe they just don’t like to comment” but then, dear friends, I go and read other mutual people’s blogs and I find lots of lovely comments by these same non-commenting people. On many subsequent days.

  

Which makes me feel deflated and realize, “oh, OH, they’re just not into ME”.

It’s terrible.

I know it makes me sound like a teenager but this is how I feel so I’m putting it out there J

It also makes me ask those questions like, “what’s wrong with MY blog?” and sometimes when I feel like being particularly mean to myself, “they're my friends too. They know how important words are to me”

Oh I know I need to grow up.

I just needed to get that out.

But can you relate or not?

 

PS still one of the favourite pics that I actually took with the point and shoot :)

Tutorial - how to quickly add photos to your blogger posts

Finally, it's here. The tutorial 3 of you have been waiting for :)

How to quickly add loads of pics into your blogger posts. This only makes time sense if you like lots of pics in your posts like I do :)

Some background and things you need to do first: 

1. Download Picasa (free google thing to sort out your pics)
2. Get an email address so you can post to your blog from email.

Here's how you do number 2 above:

1. Go to your dashboard
2. Click on settings and then on mobile and email 
3. Under the email section, choose a word to customise your blogger email address
4. Save this email address somewhere 
5. Click the little button next to Save emails as draft post
6. Click save settings

Right, you're sorted.

Moving on.


Here is the brilliant part - when you email pics from Picasa, it automatically compresses them for you. Genius!

I no longer have to use Faststone Resizer (which is also brilliant).

Right click on ANY pic you want to blog, open with, Picasa

Click on Edit in Picasa

Click Back to Library on the top left

All your pics will appear like this - I like to save things in folders...

Either control plus click to highlight all the pics (I like this) or if they're in multiple folders, click the little green pushpin on the bottom left of the screen to hold that selection and then find your other folder, highlight and click the green pushpin again

Then click File and Email

I use Microsoft Outlook so I click that button

This beautiful screen appears with all your pics neatly compressed (my originals were 4 MB each) and it conveniently tells you how many you have - genius! Put in your email address that you saved right in the beginning, I like to put a subject so I'm clear and SEND.

Then in Blogger, all you do is go to your drafts, go find this one, open and type in between the pics or whereever you feel like. You may have to rearrange the order but they're all there.

I LOVE IT!

This tip has sped up my blogging so much. As you can see, I now put many more pics in my posts because it's not such a huge schlep to upload them.

Here's to seeing lots of your pics :)

So how did I do on my first tutorial with screenshots? I feel quite accomplished :)

Are you going to use it?