Hi Friends!
I’m back. I took several weeks off after the birth of Little Miss and I think I’m finally ready to get back into the swing of things. To be honest, I desperately needed the time off. Yes, partly because I had a newborn who didn’t ever sleep more than 2 hours straight for the first six weeks of life, but also because I was a little burnt out on blogging.
To prepare for my maternity leave, I really packed a lot into the month of October. The end of the year is the busiest time for bloggers and I worked really hard to get ahead on a lot of posts, finish up the last posts in several year-long partnerships, etc. By the time baby came I was worn out both physically and mentally.
It’s been 8 weeks since baby girl was born and there have been several times since then where I didn’t even open my computer for 5-6 days in a row. That’s unheard of for me, but it was necessary. It helped refresh my mind, body and soul…and now I’m excited about blogging again! I’m brainstorming lists of ideas, i’m itching to use my camera again, i’m filling in my editorial calendar….
I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted 2017 to mean for me….both personally and for the blog. To be honest, I’ve struggled a little bit with my blog since I became a mom. For so many years I was just a food blogger…and now, I’m a Registered Dietitian, I have two kids, I’m a work from home mom, I’m a home cook….and in a blogging world that’s so focused on forcing bloggers to choose a specific niche in order to become successful, I’ve struggled to find my place.
Well this year I’m saying “who cares?” After a lot of reflection, I’m finally at peace with the fact that my blog can’t really be easily defined anymore. In fact, I’m kind of excited about it. Because I think it’s going to make it easier for me to get back to my roots and fall in love with blogging again.
A couple weeks ago I took the babes downtown to visit my girl Alexis. She’s a fellow RD and blogger and she runs Alchemy (an amazing juice bar and cafe in downtown Columbus). I try to make it down there every couple of months so we can catch up. This time we spent most of our visit talking about how much blogging has changed since we started. When I got home, I was catching up on some blog reading and I came across this post by my friend Anne at Fannetastic Food. It perfectly articulated a lot of what Alexis and I had just been talking about as well.
Anne said “Now it seems like there’s so much going on online, constantly jostling for everyone’s attention, that it’s hard to feel like I’m still here offering something interesting or worthwhile. I also feel like in order to continue to get traffic there’s so much pressure to have every post be polished/fancy, optimized for Google, pimped out with pin-able graphics, shared and scheduled a billion times on social media, etc. – that it takes a lot of the joy out of posting.”
YES. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve struggled with this exact thing.
The next day, Alexis wrote a post about how she’s so much more than a food blogger.
She said: “In the early years, it was far more the former. The blogging world was less saturated, less competitive, and less serious. I felt little to no pressure to make the titles of my recipes searchable on Google and to make images that everyone and their brother would want to pin twice. I felt free to curate content around what made me happy. The beauty of growth is the opportunity to turn your hobby, turn what you love, into a career. The downside is just that—it’s no longer your hobby. I love it just as much as I always have, but I’d be lying if I said it was the same.”
Again, yes…just how I feel.
So now the question becomes….what am I going to do about it?
The answer is I’m going to break the blogging rules.
In 2017 I’m going to:
- Quit chasing pageviews.
- Write about things I wanna write about even if it probably won’t do well in a google search.
- Not write about buzzwords like carb cycling, detox and fasting just because they will do well on Pinterest, unless they are things that I really care about and believe in.
- Balance my time between family and blogging and not overcommit myself just for a few extra dollars.
- Plan ahead but not worry so much if life happens and I don’t stick to a schedule all the time.
- Be present and engaged with my kids.
In 2017, I want to be more helpful. You guys, my readers, are the main reason I’ve continued to blog for the past 6+ years. It’s my hope that many of you already see this blog as a helpful space, and this year I want to continue my work and connect with even more of you!
A few weeks ago I got this email from a reader and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time:
Hi Lindsay –
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about being able to balance running a blog, doing part time work and being a full-time mom to two kiddos…but I’m up for the challenge and excited about the year ahead!
So in 2017 I’ll continue to provide easy, healthy recipes using simple ingredients….but maybe sometimes it’ll be a little less polished. Maybe it’ll be a few more shots of my actual dinner plate instead of a perfectly staged recipe. Maybe instead of a perfectly curated recipe video, I’ll share a messy iphone video of Squish helping me in the kitchen. And maybe I’ll share a post about some toddler art projects or how to deal with a colicky baby without worrying about the fact that they’re not recipe posts. Maybe I’ll even blog about fashion. Kidding! I hate fashion 🙂
So now it’s your turn! As we kick off the new year, tell me how I can help you! What kind of recipes do you want to see? What questions do you have? What resources do you need?
Fill me in!
Wishing you all the best in 2017!
–Lindsay–
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Carla says
I could go on and on and on. I began blogging online for someone else in the year 2000. I launched my own thing quickly after that. And after close to 17 years playing this game – – I stopped playing a few years ago 🙂
I think for me the biggest piece was not the level of competition increasing it was the fact I found a time most motivated inspired sparked to want to write through a sense of community and I’ve found that list on my blog recently and more other places.
Some online. Many off. My life is one big work in progress
Lindsay says
haha mine too 🙂 always a work in progress.
Angela @ happy fit mama says
I was just having the same conversation with another blogger friend. Blogging is way different now. I’ve been at it 5 years and I’m feeling the burn out. I don’t want to always do evergreen content. Sometimes I just want to write and not care about SEO. I’ve decided I’m just going to be me and see what happens. I think we have to let us run the blog not the blog run us. Thanks for writing about this!
Lindsay says
that’s awesome angela! best of luck to you too as we take this similar approach this year!
Heather @Lunging Through Life says
I love following along with your blog and all that you share. I agree blogging has gotten so much harder in an effort to always make your content stand out and Pinterest photos and such. But, I still love reading blogs to get to know the blogger, too. I love your focus of who cares. So true!!
Lindsay says
thanks girl! happy new year!
Jeanne says
I love this idea. I love seeing real life, balancing the kids, daily life, kids activities and art as well as bean bytes my fave and recipes. Just basically how you juggle real life mommyhood the kids family workouts. No need for anything fancy. 🙂
Lindsay says
thanks so much jeanne! and thanks for reading 🙂
lindsay Cotter says
girl…. don’t even get me started. LOL! I am old blogger. I miss those days. But you are so right, we have more to offer and engage with our readers. <3 keep that focus and being present. True inspiration.
pass the bagels. I am carb cycling mmm k?
Lindsay says
xo love you!
Cheri says
Lindsay – just a quick comment. A few if your recipes have become my “go to” recipes that I use on a weekly basis. My husband can’t survive without his quinoa breakfast bar every morning at work. Stay true to what you love, and those that love the same will follow and be so appreciative too! Enjoy your babies, time will pass quicker than you think.
Lindsay says
thanks so much Cheri! i appreciate it!
S Alton says
I am not a blogger and love reading them. I have been following you for about a year and a half. I love the recipes because it helps me get out of the rut of making the same thing over and over. What I really like are the bean bytes. I have found so many ideas thanks to your links. I really just love what you do and will continue to follow however your blog evolves. Keep up the good work!
Lindsay says
so glad to hear you like bean bytes! It’s always my favorite to put together!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says
Yes to all of this. This is pretty much how I felt at the end of last year. Blogging and social media stopped being fun and I didn’t always want to write evergreen, SEO, and pinnable content. I think I needed to take the pressure off myself. So I did. This past year has been a lot more loose and I think I’m *finally* starting to want to blog again and to get back to the roots of why I started blogging in the first place. You offer so much and you truly inspire me!
Lindsay says
glad to hear you took the pressure off! And so glad blogging connected us! xo
Liz Shaw says
Beautifully written Lindsay! I can’t imagine what it’s like to balance all of that but you really seem to rock it! I can promise you as a small fish in a big sea when I gave up on trying to chase page views and just continued to blog with my lizisms and all it felt like my hobby again! I can’t wait to see those iPhone videos! Wishing you much continued success in 2017!
Lindsay says
Thanks so much Liz! I hope 2017 is your year! xo
Marcy says
Congratulations on your beautiful family and good luck with letting your blog evolve however it will. I went through a similar process during the six years of my blog (although I never tried to monetize other than a few small ways). I used to have a focus of finishing a 101 things list, and once I finished the list I still felt pressure to do the same kind of posts, but it eventually evolved to being for whatever I felt like (which I love!)
Lindsay says
yay! love that. good for you!
Sarah says
I’d love to see more posts on kid food/snack/meal ideas. I really struggle with giving my kids variety since it seems they’re eating all day long! I’d also be interested in meal ideas for families that are healthy and quick.
I have also been unsure what to do with my blog after kids. The things I want to blog about now have changed and I wonder I’d they’re only interesting to me or to others as well.
Also, two kids is hard! Keep up the good work! 😀
Lindsay says
awesome! thanks for the suggestions! i’d say write about what you want to! I’m certain you’re not the only one finding them interesting!
Anne @ fANNEtasticfood says
It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in feeling how I’ve been feeling about blogging lately – and I’m glad to hear that you also will be “breaking the rules” and just blogging how you want, when you want. Even though our blogs are a big part of our jobs, they should also be fun – no point in forcing ourselves to blog in a way that doesn’t feel authentic. You do you girl – can’t wait to see what you share! xo
Lindsay says
thanks lady! cheers to you!
Emily @ Zen & Spice says
I have been feeling the EXACT same way. I read Anne and Alexis’s posts as well and it totally hit the nail right on. I’ve only been blogging seriously for about two years now, and there is SO much pressure for everything to be branded, beautiful, perfect, and I just can’t keep up with it. It’s so great knowing that others are feeling the exact same way as me. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed– that there’s so much I SHOULD be doing that I just can’t bring myself to do any of it and it’s a really weird feeling! Love your advice here. Gaining real readers takes just that– being real. I will follow your advice on this one 🙂
Lindsay says
You’re doing a great job girl! And we’re definitely not alone! Hang in there and have fun!
Chelsey says
Bravo to you Lindsay on staying true to yourself and keep on doing you! I can’t wait to read all of your posts on motherhood (and forward to my sister-in-law who’s due in April!)…. you’re such a role model to me as a registered dietitian, blogger, and balancing it all!!
Lindsay says
Thanks so much Chelsey! I appreciate it!
Diane says
Beautiful Lindsay. I have no doubts you will continue to be relevant to your fans. Happy New Year! I l enjoy all of your family /baby pics
Lindsay says
Thanks Diane! happy new year to you too!
Ginger Hultin says
My favorite is definitely: Write about things I wanna write about even if it probably won’t do well in a google search. Love this! Can I join you in that?!
Lindsay says
yes! please do!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
yes yes yes!! i totally feel you on this – this past year, i’ve blogged so sporadically that sometimes i’ve gone a whole month without a blogging. while i missed blogging, i didn’t miss it enough to force it. now i blog when i want, how i want, about what i want, and have removed the pressure of “i have to blog.” it’s freeing and it reminded me why i started a blog to begin with ! 🙂
Brittany says
I think I could have written this word for word (except for the only sleeping in 2 hour increment part— sending you love and coffee!). I took 2 weeks off and am so energized to approach 2017 with a lot fewer expectations and stress. My renewed focus is on writing what I love and not worrying about fitting in a niche. I’m looking forward to reading more of what you have to say in 2017! Happy new year!! 🙂
Lindsay says
glad to hear it, friend! happy new year!
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian says
This is so similar to a post I just wrote about my goals for my blog/business in 2017. I struggle with the same things, it was like reading my journal when I read your wonderful post.
As a mom, girl, RD, wife, etc I often want to write about non-reicpe related posts but they don’t do as well analytics-wise, so it’s easy to get swept up in the SEO game and write about buzaworthy topics instead of just what’s in my heart.
I love your goals and can’t wait to follow along on your journey.
Congrats on the addition to the family, she is a cutie!!
Lindsay says
cheers to writing from the heart!
ErikaMC says
I do not blog but there are several that I read. I personally prefer the ‘non polished’ blogs that aren’t ‘professional’ and aren’t structured. I like a mix of things and find ‘just food’ blogs boring – I want to read a mix of things. I’m looking forward to your new posts. I follow you on snapchat and would love to read more about things I see there – the family stuff, behind the scene things 🙂
Lindsay says
great idea! i’ll work on that! thanks 🙂
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
exactly why I absolutely love your space. since i have always taken blogging as a passion rather than a job, i havent been able to grow as much but i do love the flexibility of writing whatever, whenever i want. i do struggle with finding a niche you were talking about because again i am not vegan, baker, chef or anything really so, it will continue to be my space where i will share whatever i want, hopefully something inspirational and educational to others. im so excited to see what 2017 has in store for you!
Lindsay says
i’m excited for your 2017 as well, friend! happy new year.
Katie @ Live Half Full says
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this. I miss the olden days of blogging!
Kelly Jones says
It is so comforting to see that super successful bloggers like yourself get frustrated with the same things that I do as an RD maintaining a blog mostly as a client resource. I spent more time than I probably should have in 2016 making everything look perfect with the thought that it legitimized my knowledge versus other non-RD bloggers online. I need to focus more in 2017 on relatable quality content vs. pretty/fancy/searchable content to get back to helping who my blog is for in the first place. Thanks for this post!
Lindsay says
Go for it girl! Cheers to a great 2017
Ange says
Hi Lindsay,
I’m a first time commenter but just wanted to say how much I love your blog.
I don’t have kids so I’m probably an odd one out in terms of your regular readership but I just wanted to say that I love seeing your posts about your changing family. For me it was your food prep Sundays and awesome workout tips that got me hooked and I have stayed for the rest of the content.
Please stay real, I honestly feel there is no need to polish up the house or food photos. It’s far more honest when it’s actual snapshots of real life rather than staged and filtered. And I’m feeling these days that the more PERfECT a post appears the less I can trust it.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Lindsay says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Michele G says
Lindsay I love this blog! You have always. We. real! I’ve been following your for over three years now(before you were pregnant with squish!) I look at your blog weekly for recipes and food prep and to see what you have been up to (you are the only blog I do this with). Enjoy this time with the family and taking a step back from blogging,
I will keep reading regardless!
Lindsay says
thanks so much Michele! That means a lot!
Amelia says
Thanks for this honest post, Lindsay. I’m with you, on everything. I’ve struggled a lot to maintain my blog and online presence since having my second child. I always feel behind, and like the content I used to feel proud of isn’t good enough anymore, now that videos and amazing photography and millennial things I dont even know about are the baseline, not the outlier. And, sometimes I feel like people should get off their phones and computers and Pinterest and just eat a PB&J and get on with their (real) life! 😉 Anyway, i look forward to 2017 on your blog, no matter what it ends up being!
Lindsay says
cheers to pbj! love you!
Aggie says
Oh Lindsay, I love this post. I feel this way pretty much every other month for the last few years, since I had Micah actually. Juggling it all – and well – is such a challenge. I like your list of rules, I’m with you!!
You have always been one of my favorites, I’m happy you are sticking with being you! Your blog is a true resource & always has been!
Happy New Year! xo
Lindsay says
xo friend! thanks for reading
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
Totally agree with you Lindsay. Feeling so burnt out and miss the days of writing and posting recipes without worrying about pageviews, # of pins or even making those darn long pins, perfect photography, etc etc. I spent way too much time in 2016 behind the computer screen and iphone rather than being present with my girls and my husband. Hoping to do it a little differently in 2017. Much luck and success to you Lindsay!
Olena says
This is an example what kids can do to you – a complete 180 and brutal honesty LOL. Yep, I’m in the same boat and started doing the same a few months ago. Amazing how too much information can be our own worst enemy. Happy New Year! Your babies are super cute! xoxo
Ashley says
I love your blog and really enjoy watching your family grow while continuing to be inspired by your heathy recipes. Happy New Year. My motto for this year…. “Do what makes you happy”