This feels like a bit of a random post to write, but I’ve actually received some real-life reader mail asking how to find things, so here I am. It’s rare for me to get an email from a reader. Lots of bloggers seem to hear from people all the time, but sadly I’m not one of them. It’s okay, I’m okay.
Incidentally, despite my lonely inbox I think I just might be the luckiest blogger in Australia because I’ve got the nicest readers. It’s true! Recently Amanda from A Cooker and a Looker created a very funny video where bloggers read out the nasty comments they receive and I had nothing to contribute, not one thing. I really, really wanted to be a part of that video, but the truth is I’ve never received a single nasty comment in all my years of blogging. I’ve had borderline mean people, but noone has been outright awful, so that’s hugely encouraging, especially when we read about the bitterness and vile that some people seem hell-bent on injecting into the internet.
So, thank you for being the nicest readers around. THANK YOU. And thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings and hang out with me a little. This little space we’ve carved out together on the internet has always meant the world to me.
But enough with the love fest, it’s time to show the world’s nicest readers around properly.
Blog roll
It’s true that there are a few changes when you move from Blogger to WordPress and one of the things that changed was that I lost my beloved Blog Roll (or list of other blogs I love to read). I am a huge advocate for a blogger having a Blog Roll (check out my Blog Tour series as well), so it’s a little awks that I don’t appear to have one… but I do! If you go up to “Blog Life” on my contents bar the very first content on the list is my Blog Roll. The list changes frequently because there are just so many bloggers out there who I love to read. Countless.
Archives
I only recently added these back in and you can find them on my sidebar. It’s a drop down menu, so select the month and all the posts I wrote that month will show up on the screen. Click on the post to ‘read more’. No, I’m not a fan of that either, but it does keep things neat.
You can also use the content navigation to find my old stuff.
Regular features
I do love a good series and I have quite a few on the go. Of course, ‘regular’ is always a matter of interpretation with me, but here are links to all of the series I have on the go at the moment (you can also find them under their category area on my content bar at the top of the page):
Weekend Rewind – a place for bloggers to come together on Fridays at 8pm. You could say this is an organic blog roll!
Blog Tour – just me wandering from blog roll to blog roll (gotta kick these off again)
Photography for beginners – where I tell you everything I’ve learned so far about getting better at photography.
A morning in the life – exploring somewhere new with images and words.
Teach me something – guests write a post for me, teaching me things I’d love to know how to do (let me know if you’ve got something for me!)
Dealing with difficult people – a long-time series where we attempt to unravel the unravelled.
Other people’s parties – sharing the cool parties mums make for their kids.
Parenting by heart – getting to the nuts and bolts of raising kind kids who have enough grit.
Contents and search
That’s plenty, right? You can also eat well, get organised, play with the kids, throw a party and inject a bit of joy into your life, just by browsing the content bar at the top of my page. You can also go to the search area in my sidebar, type in what you’re looking for and hey-look result!
Newsletter
Now, I know I keep chopping and changing with my newsletter, but these days I am sending out a round up of all the posts I’ve written that month on the last day of the month – here is the newsletter for November. Hopefully it will help keep you up to speed because I am definitely on a bit of a blogging buzz at the moment and there is lots of stuff to read if you’re keen.
From time to time I’ll also send a random ‘just because’ newsletter full of cool stuff I’ve found around the interwebs, just because. You can sign up for my newsletter by entering your details in the boxes on my sidebar or just click here. I completely get that I am a hopeless blogger who doesn’t do any of the consistency stuff right, but that’s me and there we are and I hope you like me anyway.
I have also archived my ‘Past newsletters‘ under ‘Blog Life’ in my contents.
Other stuff
Two things I quickly wanted to mention before I go – the first is that a lot of the wonderful comments on my blogger blog didn’t make it over here to WordPress. I’ll be keeping my Blogger Dashboard alive forever just so I can keep those comments. The second is that I haven’t added a ‘feature image’ to lots of my old posts, so in the archives pages they just show up as text. Same bat channel, though, so I hope you don’t mind. The idea of adding a feature image to about 1000 posts isn’t exciting me…
I hope this helps you find your way around and I’m sorry I took so long to tell you all of this!
Am I missing anything? Do you have any questions about my blog? About me? About life in general? Fire away!
Bele @ BlahBlah says
This is so good to see how you structure your blog – thank you! I find this blogging thing fascinating. I don’t get a whole lot of comments, but I get a lot of emails. Maybe my readers are shy? Can’t say I’ve had anything particularly mean, mainly people asking about how to do something and occasionally someone is frustrated by not understanding something, which I get when you’re trying something new x
Maxabella says
I mustn’t have shy readers – it’s all here on the page. x
KezUnprepared says
So glad you have so many nice readers 🙂
I think that is fantastic x
Maxabella says
It is truly FANTASTIC. The readers make this blog. x
Kylie Purtell - A Study in Contradictions says
Some of these backend things are the very reason I’m too scared (and to cheap!) to migrate the blog to WordPress. Plus the thought of having to add a featured image to well over 1200 published posts terrifies me!
Maxabella says
I have really been happy with the move to WordPress, but it certainly takes some getting used to. I do think my blog is 10x more accessible now. It really brings your old content up front, which is something Blogger makes hard to do. x
JodiGibson (@JFGibsonWriter) says
I’ve found your blog lovely to navigate. But… I only just realised I am on your blogroll! Thank you. You have made my day. 🙂 I must do a blogroll one of these days. So many great blogs.
Maxabella says
Of course you are! x
Helen K says
Thanks Bron – the more different bloggers explain how they’ve chosen to structure their blog, the more it helps those of us who are still figuring it out. Isn’t it interesting about the emails – I assumed that comments were better? (and love to see those when I do get them) – but maybe others prefer emails? (a lot more to administer, I would have thought!) xx
Maxabella says
I try to make it as easy as possible, but I can see that I might have complicated things a bit!! x
Mother Down Under says
This post reminds me that there is still so much backend stuff that I have been meaning to do since I migrated to WP…in about May!
If you do a Google search, so many of my links end up as a 404 error.
Maybe I should re-read your procrastination post and actually get to work on some of that blogging nitty gritty!
And that is lovely that you have nice readers…I have nice readers too…I think I would find it harder to love blogging if I received nasty comments or emails!
Maxabella says
I agree – it would certainly take the edge off it for me. x
Erin says
Surprised to hear you don’t receive many emails! 🙂 Always checking out your blog roll:)
Maxabella says
I don’t mind… 🙂
Amanda @ Cooker and a Looker says
Thanks for mentioning bloggers read mean comments Bron.
I hope you start your blog tours again soon. I loved those. 🙂
Maxabella says
I thought it was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages, Amanda. And one of the most perplexing too!! x
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen says
Thank you, gorgeous Bron!
I haven’t had any mean comments yet, but I’m equating that with the fact that I don’t have a whole lot of readers either 🙂
I love going back through your old posts, always seem to find something I need to read at the time xx
Maxabella says
You have plenty of readers, Lisa. Dedicated, chatty and lovely! x
Holly says
I have the same issue with featured pictures! My blog is in desperate need for a revamp.
Maxabella says
I’m slowly adding them here and there to posts that show up a lot in my contents. I like things neat and orderly, do it kinda kills me when I see a pits without one!
A blog revamp is lots of fun! x
sarah@Tomfo says
I love your new site on wordpress… Thanks for all your valuable info too, I’ve been meaning to do up a Blog Roll for ages, I must add on to my list to do. x
That’s so cool you have such nice readers too.x
Maxabella says
Exhibit A!! x
Jode@mummymusingsandmayhem says
Such a timely article for me Bron as I am currently in the process of a migration to WordPress but still having second thoughts, at least I know what I’m doing on Blogger haha. Good to get out of the comfort zone though and love seeing how you have set things up. Now I just have to work on the whole consistency thing…if only there were more hours in the day 😉 Have I told you how much I am loving your header?
Maxabella says
Thanks Jode. I really think you should make the move across – WP offers so many more options than Blogger for keeping your ‘old’ content alive. You have so much good stuff and you could really bring that out. Consistency, I can’t help with! Unless you pull it back a bit and commit to posting just 2x a week on, say, Tuesdays and Thursdays and build back up from there? And, like I always say to you, why post one really long post when you could make that post into 3 shorter ones… remember that conversation? 🙂 x
Jode@mummymusingsandmayhem says
Me write long posts? Yes, I remember those wise words and I think that shall be my goal for 2015 blogging wise, I just try to fit everything in in the short time I have! Have transferred over and just fussing with design now so a brand new me in 2015! I didn’t think about bringing the old content back, good point. Thanks Bron x
Monique@The Urban Mum says
Hello! I must be the last person in Australia to discover your lovely blog….and just in time for all your great Christmas posts…great to get a heads up on all the places around your site…short attention span here, so nice to have someone do the hard bits for me…looking forward to reading many more of your posts. Cheers and thank you . Mx