Letter from the Editor: January

Ah, it feels so good to be back. After taking a little hiatus, I am finally back on the blogging train. Did you miss me? Well, I hope so!

Since it's a new year, I am going to get back to my "letters from the editor", which is something that I write each month and it tells you about what is going to go on around these parts, my goals for the month, any blogging news, and of course, give you a run down of what is to come :)

2018 Recap

For me, 2018 was an ok year. There were some really great points and some really low points, but overall it was a good year.  

• In March, I was fired from a job that I loved.
• In April, we lost a close friend.
• In May, we got 6 baby chickens and then after some interviews, I started a new job at the end of the month. 
• In August, my son started 2nd grade and I started on my second master's degree- this time in ABA
• In September, the hubby and I celebrated 9 years of being married, I saw The Offspring (my FAVORITE band), and my son turned 8.
• In October, we celebrated Halloween with my son being Freddy Kruger
• In December I put in my two weeks and moved on to a position more closer to home, ended the semester with two Bs, saw my bestie, took family pictures, and tried alligator for the first time. 

My biggest blog posts of the year were:

15 best beauty products of 2017

Cruelty-Free vs. Vegan beauty products: 3 things to know

4 ways to use oils in your beauty routine

Finally getting the right diagnosis

My mental health story

Five things I learned about raising baby chickens #friendsnotfood

10 ways to keep your sanity in grad school

So, on to THE new year.... and the many things that I want to do around these parts...I love the newness of a fresh year. It's like a blank notebook just waiting to be written in.

My seven goals for January are:

1. Organize all of my pictures on my computer

I am an avid picture taker and every time I need space on my computer, I just upload a bunch of pictures to my computer. And they are not organized- they are labeled with the date. So, a big goal is to organize those pictures into the right folders.

2. Draft and publish three blog posts

I have been neglecting this here blog for sometimes now and it's time to shift my focus to it. My goals is to write three blog posts: one beauty, one about tech, and one about mental health; it may end up being two about beauty and one about tech, but I'm not 100% yet.

3. Film and upload one video to YouTube

It's a little known fact that I have a YouTube channel.... and I post lifestyle videos. This time I want to make a beauty favorites video, so we'll see where that one goes.

4. Use my planner for one month
I am not in the habit of using my planner, but I do think that if I commit to it for one month, it will become a habit. Maybe. Well, I hope so anyways.

5. Post at least 5 times a week to Instagram
Instagram is my FAVORITE social media platform, and just like blogging, I have been lacking in the picture department. I want to grow my following, so the best way to do that is to post!

6. Post at least once a week to Facebook
I don't know why I don't post to Facebook more frequently, but I don't. Not this month, though!

7. Post one sponsored post
I used to do sponsored posts all the time, but I have gotten out of it for some reason. Sponsored posts make me money. Yes- you can make money blogging. So I am going to go full throttle with my networks and get me some money.


Well, that's all folks! Thanks for listening/reading and I will see you soon!