Brigette Danielle

Hey y'all!
Can you believe it is 2021? We are officially out of 2020 and to be honest- I feel like 2020 barely existed lol. Don't get me wrong... the days still dragged and there were plenty of wonderful moments. But most of it was a blur.
One thing I was able to see clearly was that my role in my household had changed. I was officially transitioning from a stay at home mom to a working mom. While my husband works on a new career path it was decided that I would head back to the working world and get a full time job. Thankfully- God provided me with a job that would allow me to work from home and make a decent amount with my little work experience.
During my transition from a stay at home mom to a working mom, the first few months were HARD. And by hard I mean cry on my break, sleep in until noon on my day off hard. I was so stressed out and tired that my body literally started to break down. I was over my head and out of my league. Thankfully I had awesome friends to encourage me and my husband to stand beside me.

Through out this whole transition to working mom, I was able to reflect on a lot of things AND come to terms with things about myself that I may have not realized.
The first thing I realized was my husband is AWESOME! He has always been a hard working guy. When he was able- he always worked over time. When he was off work, he found side things to do to make money, grow spiritually and help me around the house. He truly carried our family on his back and for years. And for that I am beyond thankful.
The second thing I realized was that my kids are growing up faster than I thought. Being at a desk all day was taking me away from them and it hurt. I was missing our time together and so were they. Plus- they began to struggle in school and that was hard for everyone.
The stay at home mom to working mom transition period stinks- but it can get better.
Here is how you can transition from being a stay at home mom to a working mom.
1. Set a clear expectation- When going back into the work force you have to have a clear idea of what you will and won't be able to do. Understand that you are human and can only do so much. Talk about schedules with your husband so you both can refrain from burn out. When we talked about me going back, I didn't think about the cooking and cleaning so much (I should have). I just thought I would work and do business as usual. Boy was I wrong lol. Having a clear understanding that pretty much everything will change will make this transition much easier.
2. Pace yourself- If you are able, pace yourself back to work. Being a stay at home mom and going to work full time right away feels like a shock to the body. Try finding a part time job instead of going full time right away or find a "side job" that you can create your own schedule like driving for a rideshare company or doing freelance work.

3. Step out of the Momdrobe- Another way to transition from stay at home mom to working mom is investing into your wardrobe. As moms, we tend to stick to what we are comfortable in. Especially when we are a stay at home mom. When you get ready to enter the workforce, grad some new clothes that you will love to wear to work. New clothes will definitely help you prepare for this new chapter.
4. Find a job you love- We all know that a job is just that- a job. In most cases you are just working to ensure that you can provide for your family. And that is a wonderful thing! However, when making the transition from stay at home mom to working mom, finding a job you love will definitely make it easier. If you are like me then staying home with the kids is the DREAM job- so leaving it to work elsewhere is extremely hard.

I have now been working at my job for 6 months. When I first started this post, I was full time. I decided I needed to scale back to reduce my stress and make sure that I was more present to homeschool my children. Every family is different, so please consider this a mere guide to help make it a little easier when changing your family dynamic.
I hope these few tips help you and your transition to being a working mom a little easier.
Are you a working mom? What do you find to be the biggest challenge? Let me know in the comments below.

No comments

Hey y'all
I don't know about y'all- but these past few months have been beyond stressful. My mental health has struggled which in turn has made sleeping seem like a thing of the past. Thankfully these 4 apps have helped me reduce my stress and regain a more peaceful sleep that is not anxiety driven.
As a mom (now a working mom), my plate is constantly full. Between work and home life there never seems to be enough time in the day to complete my to do list. So- at night when I get ready for bed, my head is constantly spinning with tasks I need to complete the next day, when I need to run to the store, what I need to do before the weekend and so on...
HELLO STRESS!
With my head spinning every night, I would eventually fall asleep- over stressed and anxious, only to wake up the next day sluggish, tense and sometimes with a headache. One night after struggling to get comfortable and relaxed, I saw an ad for one of these apps and they talked about how it helped reduce stress and improved relaxation. So I decided to give it a try!
After a few weeks of using these 4 apps, I noticed I was falling asleep faster and waking up more refreshed. Plus, when I would play them during the day, I would also feel more at peace and more focused when trying to complete a task. These 4 apps definitely helped with my day to day stress,
So... what are the 4 apps to help reduce stress you ask?

1. The Bible App- I know this app might not be for everyone but I think it is one of the best Bible apps around. Each day it provides you with a scripture of the day so you can reflect and meditate on it. I love how the verses are different each day. Plus, there are videos that go a long with scriptures to really bring God's Word to life. This app definitely helps me focus on the big picture while keeping me in the Word and encouraging me day to day.

2. Calm- This app is great for soundscapes! Sure they have other features like stories, meditation and things like that. But the one thing I love about this app is it has a variety of white noises that are calming and comforting. I personally choose the thunderstorm one at night to emerge myself into a peaceful nights rest.

3. Headspace- This app also has meditation and sleep techniques inside. However, the reason I use Headspace is for the stories. I love the soothing voices and the soundscape behind it. When I have had a really trying day and I know the next day is going to be long, I play a soothing story that is set on a rainy day and I am OUT lol. I always feel so relaxed as soon as the narrator begins speaking.

4. Spotify- Music is another way to reduce stress and add encouragement to your day. I used to use Pandora, but I recently switched to Spotify. Both are great music apps, however, Spotify does give you more control when selecting your music. I have a playlist full of my favorite uplifting songs that are encouraging and positive. Create a playlist of some of your favorite calming and uplifting songs let the music help you relax and destress.
Stress can be very overwhelming and it can definitely take a toll on your mind and body. During this wild time, having an outlet of some sort always helps. These apps are great outlets for me. I am able to relax, destress and feel encouraged with one tap. Gotta love technology huh lol.
So let me know..
How have you been doing during this pandemic? Are you over stressed and full of anxiety? How have you been dealing? Feel free to let it out or celebrate the positive notes in the comments. While I have been crazy stressed, I have to be honest.. I have had great moments that definitely made me see the positive during this year.
I truly hope you found this blog post to be helpful and that you use these 4 apps to help reduce stress ( or at least one of them ;).

No comments

Hey y'all! I recently shared a post talking about how Pinterest tripled my page views with a few key tips. If you found this post on making clickable pins through that post- WELCOME! If you didn't, after you read this one be sure to check out my post on how to increase your page views through Pinterest, which is linked below :). Now, on to why you clicked this post. You want to make clickable pins to drive traffic to your blog or website. Let me start off by saying there are many, MANY ways to make beautiful pins that drive traffic. These strategies are ones that I have used to grown my blog from 100 page views a month to tens of thousands. Some of my posts have upwards of 37,000 a lone within less than a year. Being that I am a small blogger, that is pretty awesome since all that traffic ( 95%+ ) came from Pinterest alone.

So, how do you create clickable pins for Pinterest? 1. Use great photos- As much as we all like to believe that pictures don't matter on Pinterest... they do. Using stock photos or truly beautiful photos that you captured are the first key to creating something that people want to read more about. 2. Fonts- Use a variety of fonts when creating your pins. This was something that I would get caught up on from time to time. I personally am a very cookie cutter kind of person when it comes to certain things. I personally prefer words to look uniform, clean and straight forward when it comes to the font. However, using a variety of fonts (usually 2 is enough) will add depth to your pin and cause it to be more eye catching. 3. Key Words- Again with the key words lol. Including key words in your pin are sure to make them more clickable. For example, if you write a post about ideas for mother daughter time using key words like Mother/Daughter, Bonding, Date, Girl Time etc you will gain more reach and clicks because they are great key words. Mother/Daughter being the best. 4. Mood- Pins have moods. If your post is something serious, using darker hues fit the mood better and people are more likely to click it. If your post is light and fun, having a pin with brighter colors or white backgrounds are more eye catching. The overall mood color may very from topic to topic. Try not to get to hung up on if the topic is serious or not. Try to find the mood between the words and images. If you incorporate these simple elements to your pins, then you are sure to see an increase with your Pinterest engagement. A lot of my older pins are currently in the process of a makeover themselves lol. When creating your pin, take your time. Don't try and rush for the sake of sharing something.. make sure it is beautiful, eye catching and fits with what you are sharing. Don't forget to check out this post on how Pinterest helped me increase my blog's traffic HERE!. Did you find these tips helpful? What do you do to create beautiful pins? Let me know in the comments below.

No comments

Hey y'all! Who is ready to talk Pinterest?! Pinterest has kept my little blog a float and my page views steadily growing over the years. Pinterest literally tripled my page views in a matter of 24 hours. When it comes to increasing blog traffic, Pinterest is a absolute must. I have been so busy working and trying to adjust to life during the pandemic that I sort of let my blog sit on the back burner. Every time I would have an idea, I would text myself a note about the title or I would hop on blogger and start a draft. I have so many drafts right now y'all, it is wild lol. One post I definitely wanted to make sure I got up ASAP was this one. I wanted to share with y'all how Pinterest tripled my blog traffic over night and how it has kept my page views steadily increasing with out hours and hours of working on my blog. ** I do want to make note that your content still plays a vital role in page views/bounce/and reoccurring readers** So let's begin. Let's talk about how Pinterest tripled my blog's traffic, that way you can start growing yours!

1. Have a Pinterest account- You are probably seeing this post via Pinterest so this really doesn't apply to you. But, if by chance you happen to see this post outside of Pinterest-- this is where you need to begin. Create a free account and get ready to journey down the wonderful rabbit hole that is Pinterest. 2.Set up a Pinterest Business Account- If you already have an account ( or are making one), set it to a business account. Pinterest Business accounts offer a lot of useful tools to help you maximize your reach including analytics, ads, audience insight and trends. All of these allow you to keep up with what your followers are looking for and what they engage with the most. 3. Create Clickable Pins- This was something that I did struggle with in the beginning. I tried to incorporate all the things I wanted in my pin when I should have been focusing on what people want to see when they are scrolling through Pinterest. Want to know how to make clickable pins? Check out this post HERE! 4.Use Key Words- Pinterest works like a search engine, not Instagram. You may notice when you search for something, majority of the pins you see will now relate to that search. Using the right key words in your title, on the pin and in the description helps A LOT. When creating your pin make sure the key words are relevant to what you are sharing and are words that people use. 5.Group Boards- Joining group boards is another great way to increase you blog's traffic. Group boards are boards that have multiple contributors. Usually on a group board, if you pin something you created you are encouraged to pin something else from that board that you are truly interested in. I have found some of my favorite posts/recipes from group boards. 6. Create Multiple Pins- Also related to making clickable pins, you have to create multiple ones. A general suggestions by many bloggers is that you create 2-3 different pins. I found a post would have more traffic if I created 3-4 pins. Each one different but just as clickable. Pinterest is truly amazing, especially if you have a smaller blog like I do or a business you are trying to drive traffic to. I have applied all of these best practices over the past few years and I have seen my blog grow from less than 100 page views a month to tens of thousands a month ( which is more than triple). I truly believe if you use these tools and put in the work in the beginning, your blog views will increase before you know it! Do you plan to use these tips to increase your blog's page views? Are you currently on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments below. Check out what I am pinning and LET"S BE PINpals.

No comments

About me

Follow Me!

Categories

recent posts

Blog Archive

Featured Post

Welcome!

BMB

clever

Collective Edge

social fabric