To blog all you really need is a laptop or mobile device to write, upload and share your posts. However to take it that one step further, you might want to  invest in a few extra things to improve your blog. Today's post is all about the typical blogging equipment you might want to have, whether you're a newbie just starting out in this hobby and want to know what you'll need, or someone who wants to know what equipment to invest in to up their blogging game.

Most bloggers will be familiar with the website Bloglovin. A site which allows you to follow other blog's, let your own readers have an easy way to stay up to date with your posts and discover new blog related content. The way Bloglovin readers can keep in the know about their favourite websites new content is simply through a RRS feed, that the owner can also link to their own profile by claiming their blog through the Bloglovin.

You may or not be signed up to Bloglovin as a content creater and have no idea where to start with it! But today I'm here to tell you ways you can get the most out of Bloglovin. Whether you're a newbie to the content world or you're someone who has never got on with it right from the day you published your first post. I know that some people don't find it useful and don't see much point to it. But hopefully this post today will be able to help you understand Bloglovin a little better. 

Excuse the play on words there, but today's post is going to be all about the top tips to help you take pictures for your blog. These are some of the things I find helpful to think about when I've got my camera out, ready to snap a few photos for my posts and want to achieve the best imagine I can. I'm nowhere means a professional photographer or anything like that, I'm more like a beginner who has learnt how to take photographs properly, since I started blogging and is always trying to improve!

The weekend is the perfect time to not only chill or go and have some fun  but also to do those small tasks that you have been putting off throughout the week. I find I'm more prepared for the week when I've been slightly productive during the weekend. Today's post is all about the five beauty things you can do at the weekend. These are the sorts of things you can do to prepare yourself for the week commencing, as well as cross off anything on your to do list. Plus their beauty related, so there's still an element of fun if you're a beauty lover!

So recently you might have seen my How To Blog On A Budget Post, where I shared some tips and advice on blogging on a budget. Today I thought I would present to you some post ideas that are budget friendly. You don't need to have money to blog. Sometimes the best and most read posts created are purely based on experiences, thoughts and by having a good old chat with your readers. You can simply read this list, take a look around you or gather some inspiration to build your own budget friendly post ideas.

Blogging when you have little or no money can be difficult. It can be demotivating when you're unable to go out and buy the latest product launches to then go home, try out the product and write a review. The same goes for when you want to buy some new clothes, put together some outfits and create a few looks for your blog posts. However it doesn't have to be that hard. There are so many things you can do to continue blogging without having to spend your money buying things for your blog. Here are some ideas that you could use to continue blogging whilst on your budget.


Use what you've already got - It's seem's straight forward, but using what you've already got is the easiest thing you can do. Rummage through your make-up collection, sort through your wardrobe, look through some old storage and you'd be surprised what you may find. You could do a round up of a certain favourite type of product from your collection, like lipsticks or you could talk about how your style has changed over a certain amount of years. There's so many ideas you could create from your own objects. This can really help make your post's unique to you!

Other examples of how to use what you've got, include finding old wallpaper samples, magazine pages or covers, newspaper, flooring, posters etc to use for photo backgrounds. Alternatively, you could look around the house for some blogging props to use, such as fake flowers, ornaments, notebooks, jewellery etc.

Tip: In terms of photography, using your phone camera and any free editing apps, is a cheap method in creating perfect photo's without having to spend a lot!!!

Use free options - Another option is that you could go use free options. An example of this would be to go look on social media and other blogs to gather some inspiration to form your own blog post ideas. Also you could search online for some free printable's to use for your blog. In terms of blog backgrounds, simply printing off whatever background image you would like off Google images and onto an A4 piece of paper is a free service to use. Another method is printing off any blogging worksheets, like a blog post planner, a stats tracker or a printable calendar to help keep you organised. All free to do!!

Tip: When you do spend, if a particular store you spend a lot in, has a points reward card scheme, such as Boots or Superdrug for example. Then sign up, get your card and collect points when you purchase something new. Over time you'll end up having enough points to treat yourself to whatever it is that you want! 



Re-do old posts - Redoing your old posts is another free method. Maybe there are some posts that didn't get as much traffic as you would have hoped, since you loved the idea or maybe your style of writing has changed or your photography has improved. Why not have a go at redoing these posts and updating them for your readers. This also saves you some money, because you will already have what you need.

Write from experiences - Instead of lusting over what you want to buy and would love to review, why not get personal with some of your own experiences. Most people love being nosey and having an insight scoop into people's lives. C'mon don't lie now, we all do it and love it! Why not share some of your tips relating to a certain experience from your life. Maybe you've been through a difficult time, one that others can relate to and are seeking some advice. Why not share your tips and tricks with them. On the other hand, you could write about more positive experiences like a trip you went on, this way you can include some of your holiday photos and a description of your time there or places to visit in a guide form.

Look for cheaper alternatives - If you have caved in and cannot help but want to go out and spend, then a safer option than to splurge in one go, is to look for cheaper alternatives before you do. Looking online and comparing prices is a great way to start. Is there something you can get cheaper online or instore? Is there something you can get cheaper somewhere else? Is there a cheaper product alternative that does the same thing for the same quality.

Tip: Maybe you should ask yourself, whether or not you actually need it?!

Save!!!!!! - An obvious one, but maybe one we should all stick by. The urge to spend is real. But if you think logically about your money and set a proper budget in place, putting away some money at the end of the week or month isn't so bad. If there's something you really want but can't afford, then this might be the option you turn to. Maybe you want a new laptop, camera, some new products or a new outfit, some photography equipment, whatever it is you might be after. Opt for putting some money into a savings account or a pot each week/month, until you have saved enough to purchase that item you have been after.

Don't forget to follow me here on Bloglovin and never miss a post!

When you want to interact, gain a following and promote your posts on social media, it can sometimes be hard to work out which platform is best for you and what will bring you the most traffic to your blog. After a good few months of blogging and using different types of social media for my blog, I think I have finally found one that happens to be the best platform for us bloggers. 

It may or may not come as no surprise to you as to why I think Twitter is the best platform for bloggers. But in many ways I believe it has proven to be a really beneficial and useful social media network to link with your blog. It doesn't only help you to gain followers, share your random thoughts with others and check out what other people are up to. But it also can really help your blog grow, give you the chance to meet new people, work with brands and other bloggers, build relationships and so much more!!! 

Community:

Twitter is great for getting involved with a community and particular one that shares the same interests as you. It is also such a good way to meet new people. The blogging community on twitter is great for not only social interaction, but to also gain advice and knowledge on things you might be struggling with, whether that's online or offline. One particular great way to get involved in the community is by joining in the blogger chats that happen almost every night each week. There's also a series of different types of chats to suit different bloggers that all have their own specific topic each chat. Just search whatever hashtag the chat is using into the search bar when a chat takes place and follow the chat that way. Also make sure you're joining in by asking questions, responding to them and chatting away to others.  A list of some of the blog chats and times can be found here. Blogger chats have been proven to bring in lots of traffic to your blog, because not only are you chatting to others, but you're also promoting your blog and the posts you have produced. 

The whole reason behind twitter is to follow others. The same applies for when you're a blogger, you can easily follow all your favourite bloggers to keep up to date with their latest posts, have a little nosey what they're up to behind the scenes and get to know some of the thoughts they experience daily that they are willing to share online. But you also can gain followers. To do this, make sure you include your social media links, in your posts or somewhere on your blog. This is a quick and easy way for people to follow you back. Also twitter is so easy for you to build relationships with your followers. They can really feel like they get to know the person behind the blog.

Promotion:

These days it's takes quite a big effort and hard work for your blog posts to get recognised. We'd all be lying if we said we didn't care whether or not we got views or comments. Because let's face it, we all do that little squeal of excitement when we gain a new follower, hit a milestone in our views and see that someone has took the time out to comment on our most recent post. It's so rewarding when that happens. Because the blogging community is so competitive, you have to be willing to use promotion as much as you can to gain that response you desire for your blog. 

Twitter is amazing at getting the word out there about your blog and the posts you have created. It has a large audience, with people all over the world of different ages, cultures and lifestyles using this social media platform. With Twitter you are able to write a 140 character tweet, that also can include a picture, any links and hashtags of your choice. You can easily promote your latest post or blog within that requirement! Adding pictures to your tweets that are used in your posts can help you to stand out. It's more than likely people are going to click on a pretty picture, as opposed to a tweet that simply has a load of writing on it. Also using hashtags is a really easy tool to getting the word out there! The most popular ones to use are #bbloggers, #fbloggers, #lbloggers etc. People will search these tags to find relevant content that they are looking for and will more than likely see your posts pop up there.

Collaborations:
If you're lucky enough, brands or other bloggers might possibly reach out to you to work with them. In terms of brands, this could include anything from helping to promote a product or service, offering you a discount code off their services or products, to sending you free samples for you to try and review on your blog. This side of blogging definitely has it perks and can be very rewarding for not only brands, but also yourself as a blogger. Twitter can enable you to be recognised by brands who are on the look out for new bloggers or people to spread the word about their services/products to others of a similar audience. Some brands might even offer the opportunity for you to work with them simply by putting out a tweet advertising for bloggers. A great way yet again to keep an eye out is by having a look through the #bloggerswanted hash tag again. Those blooming hashtags! They're everywhere, aren't they? 

Also other bloggers might want to work with you and be on the hunt for some collaboration styled posts. This again can be a great way to support one another by working together to promote posts, but also to promote each others blogs to their own following. Not only is it beneficial, but it can also help you to build relationships with other bloggers and have lots of fun whilst doing so! The same as before, if you want to collaborate with someone, then why not be on the look out for anything that might pop up or you might even decide to seek others to collaborate with you? 

Being Active/Social:

Seeing your blog grow is such a rewarding thing to happen to you when you are putting so much hard work into your blog. I have found Twitter the quickest and easiest way to improve my blog traffic through promotion and interaction. But twitter is a social platform. So making sure you're being social is essential. Making sure you are regularly talking to people, whether that's by answering any questions, asking questions of your own or even just letting people know that you loved their recent post can be some of the simplest ways to bring in growth all whilst being active. If people can see the hard work, dedication and that you are honestly genuine, then they will more than likely take an interest in you and the work you've produced.

Also if you find you cannot always be around your phone or laptop to promote your tweets, using websites like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule posts can be really helpful. It is basically pre-promoting your posts before hand, to suit around the times you've chosen and it means you can still continue doing those daily activities you have to do without worrying about needing to write a tweet. It does it all for you once you've scheduled it into place. This saves time and worrying. But also ensures traffic is coming in even when you're busy. 

Research/Previews:

When you  have a following on Twitter or any social media account for example, you can quite easily use the following you have to create any research you might necessary need to track your progress or see what it is your followers enjoy. Twitter has recently given you a polling option when tweeting. Setting up a poll about a topic that you might have been stuck on and need the help from others, can be great for reaching a decision that suits not only you, but the people who read your blog too. Although you can still just as easily, tweet a question and wait for others to respond back. This is great for more in-depth discussions! You can also use the response you get from promoting a tweet, whether they got more likes, mentions or retweets on them. This can enable you to see what most people enjoy. Twitter is also great for finding inspiration for posts ideas or photos.

Also it can be great for sharing previews of posts with your readers. You can give them a teaser of a photo, maybe even a short snippet of the introduction of your post or what your next post is going to be about! This will help to increase the drive towards your blog and will make people aware of what to expect from you. 

As a whole, it is pretty evident to see why Twitter is a really useful, easy to use and traffic driving social media platform for bloggers to use. All these points that I have mentioned, can help bring in growth to you and your blog. Whether you want to meet new people, create a discussion, seek some advice, build your following, gain inspiration and feedback, collaborate and get yourself out there, Twitter gives you the chance to do all of this and much more!

You may or may not have noticed, but over a week ago I decided to go on a week long blogging break. There was many reasons for this. One being that I just didn't have the motivation to blog any more. I was feeling bad about my whole blog and it was just really getting me down. I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I use to despite having the passion for it. I decided a break from blogging was the best option for me. Taking a break from your usual day to day activities can be so beneficial to bringing back your motivation, help you gather new ideas and get your head back into the right mind set. 

If you have been or ever debate about whether or not to go on a little break from your blog, I have a few tips and things you can to do on your break that will still benefit you and your blog. These tips are mainly to help you make the most of your break, but still continue to be active and drive your readers to your current content without the whole pressure side of publishing new content.

• Chat to others - As mentioned, talking to people can spark up ideas. But it can also boost your self-esteem and confidence. Talking to other bloggers really helps me to remind myself as to why I started this hobby, why I took such an interest in this little part of the internet and how much fun it can really be. Most bloggers are so supportive and will always be willing to listen to you. Also speaking to a friend or family member can really help you find your feet again in the blogging world. They can help you see more positive and clearer.

• Schedule to engage - To keep readers coming to your blog and let your readers know that you're still blogging but on a short break, a good idea would be to put a schedule in place. There's two ways you can do this. If you know that you want to still upload post's on your blog, but not write them or do anything for your blog during your break. Pre-writing and scheduling posts can be a good step to take for you.  This way you can still be consistent with your uploads and continue to engage your readers. Also making them aware of what's going on with you and that you're having a break is essential! The other method you could take if you prefer to not upload at all is to continue promoting your most recent posts. Scheduling tweets or posts on other social media platforms can be great to bring in new readers whilst your away. This way you can still create traffic whilst you're away!

Most girl's, if not all girl's will be able to relate to that annoyingly horrible thing that happens to our bodies at least one a month. Yes, you know what I'm on about. Periods. The dreaded time of the month where you literally feel like ripping out your uterus, stuffing your face with the closest unhealthy food in sight and crying over every little thing. And that's only just some of the things us girl's have to go through!

I was one of the first people in my high school friendship group to actually get there periods in the first year of high school and let's just put it simply, I was so not happy about it. My first one wasn't actually that bad. I remember actually thinking 'hey, this isn't so bad'. But how ever wrong was I? The next few that followed taught me just how horrible it really is. Today I thought I would share some of the things that I find useful when I'm on my period. I felt like doing something a little different, so let's just roll with it. Some you might already do since they're pretty obvious things, but others you might have not thought about before.

 1. Prepare:

I find being prepared for my period is essential. I roughly work out when it is. Apps are great for this or simply just jott it down on your calendar. This means I then have a clear idea of when I need particular things at the ready, e.g sanitary products, pain killers, comfy underwear or what I like to call 'my period pants', please tell me I'm not the only one who call's them that?

2. Minimize pain:

As soon as your period starts, I like to take pain killers. This way I think it helps to prevent the pain or allows it to help minimize the pain as much as possible. Also I like to take some before I sleep so then the pain doesn't stop me from sleeping. Although sometimes I opt for other options. For example I like to apply heat to my lower stomach. I have one of those heat pads you put in the microwave for just over a minute and then you can hold it against your tummy. Another great tip is for when you're on the go, you can purchase some of heat pad strips, that you heat up and then stick under your clothes for when you're out of the house like at work or school. This way you can still have some form of heat being applied to your pain.



3. Stay hydrated:

It is really important that when you're on your period that you stay hydrated. Drinking water can help not only prevent dehydration, but it also helps to prevent water retention which is that awful bloated/heavy feeling you can get in your tummy. Also water helps to keep your skin feeling hydrated and prevents any acne from forming caused by your period.

4. Skin care:

As mentioned, drinking water can be really great for helping your skin. When you're close to or on your period, you are more likely to have break outs. It is essential that you take care of your skin all of the time, but mainly around your period. Remember to wash your face twice a day, apply a moisturiser, cleanse your skin from any dirt and make-up you might have worn throughout the day and any other products you might decide to use, for example a face mask.

5. Chill out:

There's nothing better than when you're feeling rubbish than just simply chilling out. If you have just got in from work or school, why not go run yourself a bath or climb into bed, grab a book or some films and just have a relaxing end to the day. Of course, if you have the whole day off, then why not just spend the day taking care of yourself and doing the things you find relaxing. If you're lucky, you might also be able to have a massage from your loved one or treat yourself to one in your local beauty salon. Nothing beats a good back massage!

6. Allow yourself to feel 'crappy':

There's no shame in just allowing yourself to feel the way you do. You have the right to sulk, feel bad, sad, angry or whatever it is you're feeling. You deserve to because of what your body is going through. If you want to go eat that slice of chocolate cake, then go eat that slice of cake and enjoy it. If you want to lay in bed all day, then go lay in bed all day. If you want to sit and watch soppy rom-cmon's, then go watch them and cry about it. Just let yourself feel rubbish! 

Do you have any tips? 

I hope you enjoyed this slightly different, yet 100% relatable for all woman out there!

Therefore, I have decided to put together a kind of guide to making sure you stay motivated when you are blogging or a blogger. These are some of the things that I find useful in times of no motivation and I believe help me to get my blogging head back on. I hope that you can also benefit from them.

Stay Organised:

The first tip I would recommend is staying organised! Even if you aren't the most organised person and struggle to maintain a clear path way, there are a number of different things you can do to keep organised. For example, a great thing to do is set yourself a schedule. This can be done by picking certain days and times to upload new posts to your blog. If you find you have enough time to blog every other day or a few times a week, then set that as your schedule and let your readers know just when exactly you're going to be updating each week. This way it will also help to keep your readers in the know of when to expect new content from you. Or if you're someone who can only upload once or twice a week, then pick your days and times, then you will have a clear idea of when you need to upload that week. 

Another tip I would suggest is planning your posts. Obviously, you don't have to go into full detail but making sure you know what it is that you're going to be writing about, what pictures you might be taking and how you're going to set out your content is great for staying organised. Therefore, you will have a clear idea of what it is exactly you're doing for this weeks post(s) and won't have to worry about certain parts of your next post(s).

Also if you find it hard to stay organised, then setting yourself some attainable goals might be the solution to you. Setting goals helps to keep you motivated because you will have a certain path to follow to achieve that goal. Examples of goals you could set yourself to keep motivated when blogging could be, taking pictures of the new product that you're going to be reviewing in your new post or writing at least three paragraphs a day to bring together your blog post for that week. Whatever goal, whether it is big or small, can be helpful to keeping motivation high and making it easier for you to enjoy your hobby the best possible way. 

Remembering:

Whether you're a popular blogger or just starting out in the community, using feedback you have received on your blog can be a hugely motivating! Reading back old comments you have recieved on posts may inspire you to write a similar themed post or can boost you back into blogging by hearing the positive things people have to say about your blog or just by being reminded that people have took the time out to comment on the content you've written might be enough to get your motivation back! Or maybe you don't have many comments to look back on since you're just starting out, (this isn't a bad thing, sometimes things take time and as long as you're enjoying writing then there isn't no rush) looking at your views and seeing that people do actually read your blog can be just as much of a boost as if you were getting hundreds of comments! You also might look back on those who have shared your posts or blog with others. It also suggests they take the time to share what they have found interesting to other people and want others to also experience it too! There is also those who may keep their blog anonymous to the outside world, but maybe tell those who you are close to like your family and friends. They can share their own feedback and opinions on your blog which will help you to feel motivated to get writing more and working hard at your hobby! 

Also another great tip is to reflect back on why you even began blogging in the first place. Why did you decide to create a blog and what impact did you want it to have on other people. This can help you to gain that motivation back and make you remember why you started it all in the first place. Also if you have been doing it for a long time, go back and see just how far you have come. See how much you have grown as a person, how you've gained loyal readers or how much your content/layout has improved since the early days. By doing this, you'll remember just why you wanted to create a blog and how much fun you have had with doing so. Therefore, this will push you to continue on!

Look For Inspiration:

Enjoy Blogging:

I believe this is one of the most important things when it comes to blogging! Making sure you're enjoying it and are doing it because you want to is essential. Blog for you. There's nothing worse than just 'feeling' like you have to blog for the sake of it or just to please other people. Of course creating interesting and exciting content is essential to bringing in readers and keeping them there, but if you're really not enjoying the whole process, then what is the point of doing something you're not loving?

Having said this, if you're feeling bad about your blog, maybe you feel like it's not going where you want it to go or you're not pleased with what you're creating, then it is absolutely fine to stop and take a break. There is no problem with doing that. A break can be great for you to find your feet again, not have to feel pressured to write or stand out in the blogesphere and it might even make you miss the whole 'blogging' thing. If you don't feel like writing for a week or more, then don't force yourself to. 

Do not worry about wanting to take a break from it all or wanting to start over. There is nothing wrong with trying again or taking some time away from it. It can be healthy and good to refresh again at a later date. After all blogging can be a great hobby and there's nothing wrong with going away for a little while. Also don't worry about what others may think if you do this or worry that readers will go away, if they really are loyal readers, then they will stay and be excited for new content. Blogging might come across as being serious and hard work, but even then it is still fun and something to be enjoyed by the blogger and the readers. 

Accept Failure:

This next tip can be used for when you have decided to take a break with blogging or you feel like your blog is failing. This obviously can be for a number of reasons and it's completely fine to feel like this once in a while. We all have days when we feel bad about ourselves and the things we do. However, if you do feel like your blog is failing or you're unsure of whether to give up completely, my advice is don't. If it is honestly something you're enjoying and you like having it as a hobby, then accept the failure you're going through. It will help you to set yourself some goals of where you want to be and make you work harder, as a result increasing your motivation immediately. 

When you are new to blogging (just like myself), I have learnt that not letting your failures or lack of success get to you is so important. Don't give up on the first hurdle. The blogging community is so popular and if you're only blogging to become popular, successful and earn money, then you are in it for the wrong reasons. It should be about enjoying the whole experience, the writing part, taking photos, exploring other blogs, communicating with other bloggers and welcoming any opportunities however big or small! My advice is to learn from your mistakes and the things you haven't been as achievable as you would have like to be. Re-write your posts, re-promote your posts to fellow bloggers or readers, learn new tips and tricks of getting your blog out there and improving your blog as a whole. If you really want your blog to work and impact readers, then don't give up on the first hurdle. Use your goals and failures to motivate you to get to where you want to be! 

Within time, however long it may be, if you want something and are willing to work hard for it, then it will happen.

I really hope this post has helped any bloggers out there or maybe someone who is struggling to gain any form of motivation back in a hobby, job, school, college, university or just in life in general. These are just some of the things that I find useful and I thought I would share them with you.

Thanks so much for reading,