This blog has been on my mind for a long time so to see it live is very exciting. I first had the idea of launching the blog when Annie was born. The idea of going back to work was hard to fathom and the reality felt even worse. So, I started brainstorming options. When Covid hit, I started writing, bought the domain name and started working on the site. But a full-time day job with a baby at home made it hard to focus on it at first. So, it sat inactive for months.
When we had Ace, my determination grew. I wanted to, and needed to, find another way to support our family, since it’s clear we are a two-salary household. So set my sights on launching the blog by October 1 even if it wasn’t perfect.
That was always my problem. I thought it needed to be perfect on day one. But I changed the mindset and while I did work hard to get it up in the best state possible, I decided I would allow the blog to grow with me as we go.
Pros and Cons
My October 1 deadline roughly corresponded with going back to work after maternity leave, which had pros and cons. On the pro side, I was able to give it everything I had, uninterrupted (at least not by other work – baby was a different story) during maternity leave. I had several articles ready to go and a fully planned out calendar for the rest of the year.
On the con side, once work started (amid conference season mind you) it was hard to make time to keep up the pace I had on maternity leave since the only thing I wanted to do at the end of the day was be with my husband, toddler, and baby. So, it became a little more of a soft launch than I would have liked.
Launching the Blog
I started out October with 10 posts relating to kids, mom life, home & hosting, recipes, lifestyle, pregnancy, encouragement, family and working from home.
- The Gentle Sleep Training Strategy that Works: Part 1
- 3 Easy Tips for Holiday Travel Prep
- 4 Important Strategies for Pandemic Travel
- The Gentle Sleep Training Strategy the Works: Refresher
- Practical Steps to Become a Stay-at-Home Mom
- Last Minute Healthy Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Family Dinner
- Our Positive, Almost Unmedicated Birth Story
- Celebrate Fall with this Apple Cider Mocktail
- Taste of Fall: Pumpkin Bread
- 4 Awesome Baby Items We Swapped in for Baby 2
Making Money
During the month of October, I set up my account to be an Amazon Affiliate and posted a bunch of links to some awesome things we use at home. I still haven’t made a sale, but I’m working on some strategies to utilize that a little better.
Also, I applied for Google Ads and thought I had that set up, but it never populated my site, so I need to look back at that.
Current Income = $0
Social Media
Remember this ended up being a soft launch, so this is an area that I haven’t done much with yet. I have posted at least on Pin on Pinterest for each post, most of them two with A | B style headlines and photos. I’ve added this to my blog post template, so I remember to do it for every post. I saw 14 impressions and 1 engagement. So definitely some room for improvement.
I have set up a Facebook and an Instagram account but haven’t started utilizing those yet. Hoping to work on that over the Thanksgiving break.
Site Traffic
This has been depressingly low, but remember I was launching the blog softly and I need to do more to get it out there. So, I expect to see this increasing over the next few months. I know my sister-in-law Tara checked it out. Here’s a little shout out and thanks to her for taking a peek.
I did learn though that I’m not happy with the analytics system I’m using. So, I’ll be looking for another option in November.
Coming Up
In November, I’m going to focus on creating more content, developing and implementing social media strategies, getting Google Ads up on the blog, and finding better ways to see the insights from my traffic.
Check back for some Thanksgiving related activities for kids, a recipe for some yummy oat balls, and my secrets for cleaning our house with little time.
I’m so glad to have Sippy Cup Barista open and out there. I can’t wait to see how it grows over the coming months and years. Thanks for being on the journey with me!
Cheers!
