This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
I’m amazed at how fast November has gone and that it’s already time for a life + blog update. The holidays are fast approaching and I don’t think I’m close to being prepared for any of it. I mean, I did decorate before Thanksgiving, but the gift giving and all the traveling? Not ready. I’m already tired thinking about it.
What’s Going On In My Life
Favorites Of November
My birthday! I’m :gulp: 31 now. Yikes. It’s not that scary. I’m just an adult now doing adulty things like going to bed at 9:30pm because I can’t hang.
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving means I can stop hiding my love for the Christmas season, blast my holiday music, and cover every inch on my apartment in lights. Don’t care. Christmas is the best holiday. Nothing compares!
Sleep. Ri slept through the night for the very first time after Thanksgiving. Forever thankful, except it seems like I’ll never see that again. But he slept once, so it’s a start.
Could Do Without
Milk Allergy. I haven’t touched on this in any of my blog posts because we are all still adjusting, but Ri has a milk allergy. Almond milk is our new BFF, except he hates it unless he’s drinking out of a glass with a straw that has no lid. My poor carpet. He broke out in hives two weeks ago, and the doctor wants us to do a trial of no milk and then milk reintroduction before going in for some testing.
The weather here is really annoying. It’s supposed to be chilly, yet here we are once again with another 70 degree day. Over it.
Weight Loss Journey
Well, I’ve kind of stalled due to an overwhelming need for pie with all meals. Maybe not all, but too many.
Food is blah. I really need to focus on what I am putting into my body and make better choices.
Couch to 5k is going well, though. I had a bit of a struggle yesterday on the treadmill that makes me think I might be better suited for outdoor running. I know some people just can’t run on the treadmill. I’m bummed if I am one of those people who can’t run on the treadmill! I never saw myself as someone who would run in the cold weather, but I might give it a go this weekend.
I’m wrapping up a fitness challenge and there isn’t one scheduled for December. I’ll need to be really diligent with myself and working out over the next few weeks!
November Blog Update
November has been such an amazing month for the blog! I’ve been looking forward to writing my blog update for November for the past week.
Followers
Facebook: 330 (+56%)
Pinterest: 3,074 (+48%)
Twitter: 4,186 (+18%)
Instagram: 565 (+19%)
Email Subscribers: 9 (No Change)
Views: 10,571 (+39%)
Income*
Sponsored: $61 for this sponsored post from Hefty for Linqia
Affiliates: $8.50
Total: $69.50
*Note: Income is what’s actually been paid out! I’ve made money using Amazon Affiliates and Google Adsense, but those have not paid out yet. I only account for what goes into my pocket each month!
Expenses
BoardBooster: $5
Earnings: $64.50
This is the first month I actually made an income! It wasn’t my main goal when starting this blog and happened very organically. Making money is nice, but it’s not a priority for me right now.
Read more about my disclaimer about affiliate marketing and sponsored posts here.
I have so many blog posts coming in December that I’m really proud of and looking forward to sharing with you. I’ve done a really great job at planning the month out regarding posting and I hope to stick to my schedule. I know with the holiday coming I’ll want to kick my feet up, but things are going so well I need to keep my focus strong.
If you’re looking to start your own mom blog check out my tutorial here! My “How To Start A Mom Blog” tutorial covers everything you’ll need to know to get you up and running in less than 15 minutes.
Additional resources
When I started my blog, I really had no idea where to go. I turned to Find Your Tribe Online from Jen Snyder of Women Winning Online. I found Facebook groups, Pinterest boards, and other bloggers in my niche easily. We help each other, share posts, and support each other through the blogging process.
If you’re just starting out and looking into affiliate marketing, I highly recommend checking out Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing from Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents. This blogging course has taught me the best strategies for my blog in regards to affiliate marketing. Michelle earns over $50,000 a month through affiliate marketing! Even if you’re a new blogger (like me!) I highly recommend taking this course.
5 Blogging Goals for December
- Grow my email list. I’ve seriously neglected this! It’s my number one goal for December. I don’t have a number in mind because I’ve just started my newsletter. I have a few free webinars I’ll be attending throughout the month to help me learn more about list building.
- Pay more attention to Instagram. I think I am missing a key portion of my audience and will focus a little more attention on Instagram. My growth was much better on other social media platforms and IG didn’t do as well. I only post maybe once a week and I will focus on posting at least 5x a week. I know there are people to say post 3 time a day, but ain’t nobody got the time for that.
- 15,000 Page Views. I can do it!
- Continue learning about SEO. I read, listen, or watch something every day on SEO. No idea if I am getting the hang of it, but I will continue to expand on this throughout the month of December.
- Work on a social media strategy. There’s so much to cover. I know I mostly focus on Pinterest because that’s where a lot of my audience does hang out, but there are so many other avenues. It’s time I really focus on a schedule and work on my time management.
Roundup of Posts From November
Parenting
Holiday Related
- 33 Fun Stocking Stuffers For Toddlers
- The Best Toys For Toddlers 18-24 Months Old
- Easy DIY Holiday Yarn Wreath
- 25 Holiday Books For Toddlers
Lifestyle
I am thrilled with my blogging progress so far. I’ve had this blog since April and have been blogging seriously since July. It’s been a lot of hard work but really rewarding for me. I am looking forward to December and planning a lot for 2017!
How was your November? If you’re a blogger, share your blogging updates for November below!
So awesome! Congrats! This gives new bloggers hope, like myself. You can only go up from here. I also need to pay attention to my SEO, I’m having trouble finding the right keywords. With time, learning and reading blog posts like this on offering advice, it helps tremendously. Thanks for posting!
Something I need to work on is keywords too! I know a lot of bloggers swear by Jaxxy and SEM rush!
I’m going to look into that, I have never heard of it. Thank you!
Hey Ashley, I chanced upon your blog via another blog’s repin of your “How I made $69.50 blogging in November”. I think the bright neon turquoise colour really stood out and grabbed my attention!
I’m inspired by your post. Because you made money even though it was not your current priority.
Wanted to say I’m on Jaaxy, and I think it’s great 🙂 Have you already joined?
I have a Jaxxy account, but haven’t really used it! I need to start!
Your doing a great job Ashley! Awesome! Keep up the hard work and you will keep growing! I will continue to be a follower.
Thank you Jehava!!!
Good job this month. Onwards and upwards. I need to focus on Pinterest and SEO for December I think.
Good luck this month! Pinterest does really well for me!
Good job!!! This is an inspiration for newbie bloggers like me. And you know one thing, I also turned 31 this November 26 :-).
I started my blog in November. I have to work on various social media platform to find out which is better for me.
Let me know if you have any suggestions for me.
Thank you 🙂
Happy belated birthday! Pinterest is by far the best for me, followed by Facebook. I think I focused too much on Twitter but my niche audience is hanging out elsewhere!
Happy belated birthday! 30’s are so much better than 20’s. 🙂 And congrats on your blogging success! Keep it up, mama xo
Thank you!!!
Awesome Job & Happy Belated birthday. 🙂
Congrats on your income report for Nov! Woo hoo.
Thank you!
Great job on the income. I look forward to reading more updates in the future!
Thank you!
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this information! I’ve always been so curious to see the “behind the scenes” from other bloggers. I’ve only recently been wanting to increase my traffic, so it’s interesting to see your stats. Where do you feel like you’re getting the most traffic from? You’re doing an amazing job – I’m definitely finding myself clicking around to learn the fun things you share 🙂 Keep it up!!!
Thank you for your comment! Pinterest is where most of my traffic comes from!
Thank you for sharing! It’s always great to see how others onetime their blogging 🙂
http://smileisit.com
Thank you!
I love reading realistic income reports, about an income which is realistic for me to hope for. I always thought that you need 10k followers and 10k email subscribers before you can start thinking about blogging.
My social media followers are pretty similar to yours. I have more Facebook followers but a lot less Pinterest followers – how did you grow your Pinterest audience?
If I may ask – how much did you made from Google Add sense so far, even if it didnt paid out yet?
I hope I can start monetizing my blog in the new year as well.
I’m going to shoot you an email! 🙂
Congrats on making money! You give me hope that I can make money eventually too 🙂
Keep on working! You will!