Getting your blog into shape:the link up fiasco

In response to my dear Rambling Heather, today's post is all about virtual organization part one:

The link up fiasco

I came late to the blogging game, for sure.  In college I had a random blog but lost it years ago to the way life gets busy... who am I kidding is busy.  But two years ago there was a huge change in my life, my husband and I quit our jobs to buy a business.... alas it didn't work out but all the same in launched a completely new BOOK (not just a new chapter) in our lives.

With a blog the point/reason will vary but any which way it is nice to know you are being heard, being looked at.  When I started blogging I looked around to see what would be great way to do this and in laid a system already in place: link ups.

One of the ways Google places your site higher on the search list is by the size (amount of content) and the number of sites your linked with.  I looked around and decided to map out the options of link ups.  I wanted to come up with a better/more effencient way to link up.  I started marking down the link up options on Monday I found, I did searches, followed buttons, gathered information for each day of the week and started with this horrible looking piece of paper:

I have four blogs but only three do I link up with other sites so I did this chart with the intent of three sites across the five day "work week".  I slowly weeded out the link ups that asked too much, that were too specific in their desires making it impossible to link up with more than one blog in a day.  Till I whittled it down to this spread sheet:

Sorry it is hard to see but it is the same list idea as above but now instead of having to type in each link up site I can click and jump right over.  Most days there are only a handful of sites that have a close enough theme that one post can touch on it all but Wednesdays are completely different.  Everyone and their mother's brother does a Wordless Wednesday: it is like a global blogging hug where we can all come together with one project and beneficially for any that are participating you can link up with all of them.  I know of over 100 sites that do link ups for Wordless Wednesdays.

The number one thing to remember about linking up is courtesy!  Make sure if you are linking up with a blog you have their button, if they don't have a button just do a straight link back.  You are getting the benefit of their readers make sure you give back.  If a blogger doesn't like you linking up, don't whine accept it, say sorry (whether you think you did something wrong or not) and move on.

If you are nice to others, comment, praise, mention others the blogging world is a reciprocatory place!

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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Organized Chaos

One of my goals when I started this blog was to talk about organization... I haven't done that a bunch.

There isn't really a right way or wrong way to organize something.  Just because "Suzy" likes the label maker and Rubbermaid containers doesn't mean you have to too.  "Organized Chaos" is actually a legitimate style of organization... so long as it actually is ORGANIZED chaos... and not just chaos.

I do a bit of OCD organization but I also have my "Organized Chaos" areas too: one being under our bathroom sink.  It doesn't look neat and pretty but it all works.  Things we use on a regular basis are at the front and refill items are at the back.  All "getting" ready products are in the same stack and all grooming aids are in a different stack.  

The point is: no organization style is better than another.  If you do better with labels so that everyone knows where it goes: GREAT!  If you do better when things are stacked: AWESOME.  If you do better with having messy baskets that divide up your categories: AMAZING.  

If it works for you and your family: don't let someone look down on you for it.  Be you in every way!  Even down to the silly things like organization: find your organizational personality.

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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Failure

So I totally forgot that I said I was going to continue the organization train... Ooops.

Okay so getting back on.

Another great way to start getting organized is clearing out and organizing something you don't use on a regular basis. I like to do things like my household cabinet, we all have one.  Filled with light bulbs, extra cleaning supplies, and other random needed household items.  The best way for me to organize is to pull out everything.  Organize the different items and dis-guard anything I don't want before trying to organize where they go in the cabinet.  The largest thing in organization is the ability to dis-guard unusable items.  It is a difficult task but it is extremely necessary.  More often then not there are things in your house, closet, kitchen that you will never use or rarely use.  The enemy of an organized home are one use wonders.  Unless you make a whole lot of doughnuts the "doughnut maker" is unnecessary, much like the "Perfect brownie maker" or the "mini pie maker".  These devises though they might sound need crowd and already full kitchen with clutter.  Unless you are using an appliance a few times a month: it is unnecessary.  There are other more efficient ways to do whatever that appliance might do.  A pan with some oil in it and dough will make just as great doughnuts.  The oven does wonders for pie ; D

My point is take it small.  Getting overwhelmed with the task ahead doesn't help anyone, but know that throwing stuff away is a huge and necessarily part of getting organized.   And this is coming from the queen of free, the lover of never spending money.  I am all for storing something you will use: toothpaste, running shoes, sugar...

Be encouraged: you can have a home you are proud of you can have an organized home and it doesn't have to take a lifetime!

By Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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