Every so often something comes up that makes me need to pause and take a moment to tell you about being a blogger and handling a busy life at the same time. Â I think many bloggers are a little secretive about how daily bloggers write but I’m not that way…I will pretty much answer any question or comment that anyone asks. Â The teacher and love of learning does that to me.
I don’t blog every day. Â I know you see a post twice a day but in reality, I don’t blog every day. Â On some days I write three blog posts. Â On other days…none. Â On some days I write six blog posts on a Sunday and then I hardly touch the blog for a day or two.
How you read the posts isn’t always the exact order of how I did things. Â For example I didn’t want to leave Thanksgiving with no posts for you read but I wanted to spend time with my family and not be required to stop everything and write a blog post so I wrote both posts a week in advance and scheduled them to be shown to you on Thanksgiving at the prescribed times.
Sometimes I get three boxes of fabric from blog readers all in the same week so I write stash report blog posts for the next three weeks and schedule them out that way so I can thank each person personally who sent a box and showcase each gift.
Some weeks I listen to five books in a week. Â The next week, I only listen to one. Â I know that although book reviews are popular, they aren’t something everyone enjoys so I will write all of the posts and then space them out to be seen over the next two weeks or so showing two, maybe three, book review posts each week.
All bloggers do these types of things for a couple reasons….we need time away from the computer. Â We want your reading to seem seamless and frankly we all need a couple days that don’t have demands on our time. Â While I love blogging (I truly do) I do need a day where I don’t have to have to do something related to the blog.
I’m taking a moment to tell you this because a reader “caught” me. Â On Saturday I showed you this picture of my Wild Child quilt on the frame.
But on Friday, the day before, I showed this picture via my Instagram feed. Â (Follow my here if you’d like) Â A reader notice that the quilt is actually finished.
I don’t want anyone to think I am dishonest or lying so let me explain what happened.
Reading my blog is often like reading a day old newspaper. Â I’m sorry, but it’s the most honest way I can explain it to you.
With Thanksgiving coming, I didn’t know for sure when my kids would be home. Â With five kids, 4 with spouses, and multiply that with their in-laws it’s a crap shoot to see who all will be home when. Â I was working to fill in blog posts for the week so that I could enjoy some family time last week. Â So the weekend before Thanksgiving I snapped a picture of my Wild Child progress. Â I wrote the blog post for Wednesday’s UFO challenge. Â I got everything I needed together and on the frame early of Thanksgiving week so I wrote the Saturday morning post. Â I really didn’t expect to have any more time for the quilt that week….but alas, the stars aligned and I finished the quilt sooner than expected and it was off the frame.
I knew Kelli was coming on Friday for a sewing day so I stayed up late to complete the binding and show the quilt off to her. Â She plopped down on the bed when I was showing it off. Â I snapped the picture and loaded it on to Instagram….and yep the finished quilt was shown there while the blog read that it was on the frame.
Did I lie? Â NO. Â The blog tells the order of how the quilt was done..not exactly shown with the “right” progress on the “right” date. Â I still have the exact same feelings that I’m having at the time I write. Â If I say I was frustrated…I was at the moment of writing. Â If I say I can’t wait for it to be finished…I can’t at the moment I’m writing.
So…the truth about bloggers is this…sometimes in order for readers to see a post every morning and every night a blogger has to blog ahead. Â I do this more now since I am doing childcare than I did before. Â I have to. Â There are just more people in my life with more schedules that aren’t completely predictable. Â I can’t guarentee that every nap time the kids will all sleep at the same time so I can go on the computer and write a blog post so readers will see it in “real” time. Â I sure wish I could…but I can’t.
The bottom line is this….If you read something on the blog, I may have done it a day or two before. Â If you see something on Instagram I am doing it right at the moment. Â I am sorry if this seems dishonest but trust me, I’m not the only blogger that has to do this…we all do to some extent.
I like to be up front and honest about how blogging works.  You can read a previous post I did on how bloggers make money here as that is one of the questions I get most often.
I welcome any other questions or comments about blogging. Â I hope this post helps to give you a little insight and understanding.
First! lol. Thanks for sharing that. Having taken the 31 Days of Blogging Challenge to give myself a kick in the pants, this is useful info for sure. Plus — sometimes when inspiration for a post hits, you want to get that down in writing, but the timing may not be right for the blog. Thus, scheduling. Thanks for your educational info!
Thanks for the inside scoop! I struggle to keep up with my blog, and often, my posts get way too long. I like the idea of breaking them up into smaller posts over a series of days. (P.S. I had already figured out some posts are written ahead of time, and I’m okay with that!)
I appreciate you letting us know how it all works but I don’t like that you feel as if you have to justify how you blog. I love hearing how you do things, see your quilts and other projects you share with us. To me it doesn’t matter in what order you post something or that you write ahead of time and space it out. I’m amazed that you have any time at all to share with us readers and appreciate the fact that you do.
Wow! What great tips for how to manage your time but still keep your blog flowing along. I’m flax to know you, and others, have a system, and a good one. I have really struggled with keeping my blog going–I’ve lapsed terribly! My mom and I love what you do, all you get done, and your range of topics. Please, don’t fix what isn’t broken, or feel you have to bow to anybody. I’m just so impressed with the way your make it all work, and honestly.
It’s your blog and you get to write what you want, when you want and do what works for you and your family.
Ahem, that should have said *glad to know, not *flax to know…..
HI Jo!!! I totally agree with Cindy F. above!! Don’t change a thing,it is why I like you so much. You are a real down to earth BFF. lol You are!! That is the reason we all come back everyday, twice a day and in my case, sometimes THREE times…just to check in!
Your system makes sense, especially with the child are business. BTW, I like mushrooms, but not pepperoni (I don’t have Instagram).
You don’t owe anyone an apology. We are happy to read your blogs – in whatever order they happen to be posted. I’m always amazed at how much you juggle!
Jo, just like you, I work and have a business to run everyday. Your blog is my downtime reading for the day. It inspires me and gives me pleasure to see someone so honest and refreshing in their daily life. When it comes to quilting, it’s a bonus!
You take care.
Jo~ I just love reading your blog and if that is how you accomplish those blog posts that I enjoy so much ~ good for you ~ just keep em rolling!!
I also agree with Cindy I love your blog and so enjoy reading it. Keep them coming. You never cease to amaze me
I figured out several years ago that probably bloggers didn’t all stay up until the wee hours to post. Ha, ha. Not to mention, scheduling ahead seems like a smart way to not advertise when you are traveling, etc. This seems to me like more a case of looking inside and seeing how the watch works than how the sausages are made. IOW, interesting rather than off-putting. Just keep doing what you’re doing, please.
I don’t chime in very often, but I have to say I enjoy reading you every day, no matter the order!
Whoever caught you out on the timing doesn’t have enough going on in their own real-time life!!! LOL I can’t remember what I did yesterday, let alone keep track of what others are doing on blogs, IG, FB, Pinterest, Snapchat or Twitter!!! If you posted that you pieced, quilted and bound the whole quilt in one day, I’m going with that!!! I think that all bloggers who post every day write numerous posts ahead and schedule them to post on different days and times! Those who blog the way I do write the post and immediately post it, but I post something 2-3 times a month!! A wee bit OCD I think!! Keep on doing what works for you, we’re enjoying it!!
I do it all the time as well. I’ve caught myself doing the same thing and have had to go back and edit the blog post a little. I too stretch things out that might have happened in all the same day or two but post them at later times. It’s okay. I’m quite sure all bloggers do it.
Nothing wrong with that–you DO have a life outside your blog, after all! :) I enjoy your posts–whenever they might have been written.
Jo, I’m in complete agreement with Connie, your BFF, lol. Of course you need to take breaks and fit in blogging when it fits into your life. I am so glad that you blog and I too come back 2 or 3 times a day to get any updates. I also love following you and Kelli on IG. I for one was so excited to see Wild Child getting closer to completion! I really want to make that quilt, as I do most of the quilts you make! As I’ve said before you are such an inspiration to me.
I don’t see anything wrong with scheduling posts ahead of time to make sure you give your readers something to read, and give yourself a break. I haven’t done it very often myself, but I do need to use that feature more effectively. I wonder if it would be helpful to write a note at the bottom of the post which has the date that the post was written, or whether that would turn off readers who want “fresh” news.
Thanks for all you do. You are such wonderful inspiration on so many levels. This is just one more lesson on time management. Keep up the good work.
No explanations needed as far as I’m concerned, Jo. I love to read your posts and am so glad to have discovered your blog (via Bonnie Hunter’s blog, by the way). I used to use your Making Learning Fun website before I retired a few years ago and didn’t realize until a year or so ago when you mentioned it that it was yours. That was a fun connection to make. I KNEW there was a reason I liked this blog! Keep on doing what you do best….motivate the rest of us.
Love your honesty but I don’t really care when you write, just keep writing.
Scheduling posts is the ONLY was to blog and keep your sanity. Every Sunday, I write the posts for the following week and schedule them. I also prepare a blog for the Fiber Guild and often prepare and schedule the posts for up to two weeks.
I too love your blog and the openness you write with. Don’t worry about when the blog is posted. I feel as if I have found a true friend and look forward to reading whatever you post whenever you post it. I do wonder if you have found a way to add—-oh—say 4 more hours to the day?????? LOL I don’t know how you accomplish so much and ever get to sleep in just 24 Hours!!!!!
great explanation – but in my “real ” world – we live next to each other and are best friends so what’s a little time warp magic
Like most who have commented, I don’t care when you write as long as you keep writing (plus send pictures of quilts and Ruby). I don’t have Internet access at home, so unless I have my iPad and go somewhere with Internet access, I am without the blog over the weekend. That makes Monday more enjoyable for me, as I get to read several days worth of blogs on Monday. Keep up the good work :>)
Love to read your blog! So much so that it’s the very last one I read on my feed, I save the best for last – like dessert. So please, continue to manage it in a way that works for you as I’d really miss your posts if you decided you couldn’t keep up your blogging.
I have to tell you that a quilting friend came out to class Monday evening with a Tonga Treat in hand and a request for a quick and easy (yet stunning) pattern for an auction quilt. I immediately thought of your blog’s free patterns and she now has her sights set on Jimmy John.
Hi Jo, I don’t blog or know anything about it, so it was interesting to hear about what happens behind the scenes. I love your posts and check a couple times a day just to see what is happening. I guess I need to figure out the instagram thing!!
You do what you have to do. I am just grateful you take some of your valuable time to keep us happy! You and Kelli are very generous with your time and talent! Thanks.
Goodness! I don’t think that scheduling posts is “lying.” Please don’t pay attention to anyone who implies that it is. I love your blog. I get lots of quilty inspiration from it.
On Instagram, I noticed the finished quilt on the bed with Kelli and was excited to know that it was finished and we’d soon be seeing more details on your blog! I know from reading other blogs that many bloggers “upload” several days at one time. I would think it would the only way to blog and still have a life. I miss the farm photos but like the daycare blogs. I appreciate your quilting tips and have used several! Keep up the great blogging Jo!