March 31, 2014

2014 Update

Hello everyone!

I have not blogged in so long and have been meaning to give you an update on what I've been up to and what my plans are for the future of this blog. Please keep reading and provide your feedback in the comments for this post.

So what have I been up to??

Hanging out with this little guy:



And getting ready for this little guy to come!!



Last fall I spent most of my time feeling sick and just trying to get through each day. In December, I was finally feeling better and tried to catch up on housework, get ready for Christmas and get ready for January when it was my turn to teach preschool for my son's co-op.

I must have overestimated how much I could handle because Christmas morning came and I started to feel a sore throat coming on. That sore throat turned into a horrible cough and cold, the kind of cough that makes your whole body ache from coughing so hard. And since I was pregnant, there wasn't much I could take to relieve the symptoms. My cough was so bad that it kept me up for hours every night. I wasn't getting any sleep and so it lasted for weeks and weeks and weeks with no sign of improvement. I went to the doctor but was told it was just a cold.

January came and it was my turn to teach preschool for my son's co-op preschool. (All of the moms teach a month.) All of my energy went into teaching and planning those lessons, all while still pretty sick. It was terribly exhausting but I survived and the kids had a lot of fun, I hope anyway. :)

By February, my cough finally started to calm down and I was finally getting sleep at night. I tried to relax and take care of myself but I also had so much to catch up on. During this time, my husband decided he wanted to go back to school. I totally support him in it and really think it's what he needs. But it means that we will have a major financial setback. So I thought to myself, I can't quit my blog completely. I've got to find a way to keep it going, add some ads, find a way to contribute to our income. That is when I posted my big news of coming back to my blog!!! Woohoo! Right?

But as much as I wanted to come back, I still have so little time for it. I replied to months worth of emails, but haven't gotten back to it since. I can't stay up late like I used to because my pregnant body just can't handle that anymore. And honestly, it is hard to get back into a blog like this. I don't really know where to start. However, here's what I came up with:

My future plans for this blog:

A. I want to continue posting, myself or with guest blogger contributors. I won't be able to post often. But I hope to have a post at least once a month from me and possibly once a week from guest bloggers to help to keep this blog up to date. This means I need 2 things from my readers:
    1. I need your ideas and suggestions. What tutorials do you want to see? What old tutorials do you want me to update? Do you want any more designs? Do you want to see posts about anything other than tutorials and designs?

    2. I need contributors. I was slow to reply to contributors that replied last time but I will ask again. Would you like to make a guest post with a blog design tutorial or other blog related topics? Send me an email to blogdesignsbydani@gmail.com.  Include your tutorial ideas as well as a sample of your writing. Feel free to email me with any questions.

B. To keep this blog going, I need advertisements to help pay my hosting fees. If you would like to advertise your blog or business in my sidebar, please send me an email at blogdesignsbydani@gmail.com. I will email you my current rates. (I will only allow advertisements for companies or blogs that are wholesome and clean as well as relevant to my readers and myself.

C. I would love to be able to help readers that have technical problems when following my tutorials. However, those requests are incredibly time consuming. I have to go through another person's code, try to figure out what they did, what they did wrong, try to fix the problem on my computer and then try to help that person to fix it on their blog. I love helping people with this but I just don't have that kind of time. In the future, if I am able to, I would like to do this, but I may need to charge a fee. Please tell me if this would interest any of you.

D. I need to update this blog. I know it could use some improvement. In terms of usability, what improvements would help you to better navigate this blog? Are there any improvements that would help you to get more out of this blog, besides more tutorials? 

E. Now, I am due in the middle of May and I do not anticipate getting back into things much before then. But once I get into a good routine with my new baby, I will try to work on what I mentioned above.

These are my thoughts for my blog. I hope that you'll leave a comment offering your ideas and suggestions. Thanks for still following me!!

~Dani

9 comments:

  1. Hi! I actually added your blog to my favorites list and look forward to get the same quality content every time I visit your blog. Thanks a lot.Nikky Bawa Spa Treat indore


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  2. Hi! :) I am so happy to hear the wonderful news of adding a blessing to your Family. :) But I am also sorry that you've felt so sick and have had a hard time keeping up with your blog, but you come first no matter what. I'm new to all of this...I know how to make tags, I know how to design banners and headers and pretty much anything, but as for as blogging, I'm new, but if there is anything I can help you with, I would be more than happy to do so. My Blog is Star Struck Graphix on Blogger. <3

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  3. Hello. I love your site. Congrats on the new baby. I was wondering if I am still able to get your background. I tried several times, and also downloaded your button, but no luck. Please let me know. I am new to this and loved your backgrounds.

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  4. Yep, backgrounds not working anymore. Miss them! Hope you're doing well with the new little one.

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  5. Hi Dani
    You could be feeling that you are obliged keep up blogging because of the following you'll betray. Well, beloved sis, that is the hardest burden you are shouldering.

    I'd confess I'd experienced the same. Why?

    You are straining for sake of others but not for love or passion of your hobby or profession. Do you know if you'll switch and do something you cherish like making lesson notes, schemes of work, lesson plans , learning activities, brief notes pertaining to how care for the young guys at your work-station and alike, you'll be surprised that you have so much that your lifetime on this earth is still not enough for you! Think of that and in this line articles will flow like charm.

    It is good to tell your fans of your headway difficulties, but remember as your fans you are our hero just like your kids. In contrast, do not show weakness because you are our goddess!

    Let me tell you dear sis, you are read worldwide. For me for instance, am doing this from Kenya.

    Coming to your financial hard up, I've realized your blog appears to rarest in that it lacks ads to boost your plea. Given your cognitive inclination, I believe you be minting a minimum of $1000 from ads and affiliate marketing. You wont fail to material resources from Clickbank and assembly of your work as an e-book at a throwaway price. Always remember that the world is a big sea with many people searching for that you want share even at a cost.

    You are wealthy! Whatever you are doing now is an opportunity cost. Stop it and and let the real milk and honey, teaching passion techniques, flow out.

    Lastly,
    "When you are hardest hit that is when you mustn't quit!", British Prime Minister,Churchill.

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  6. Oh, yes! Post more designs! I LOVE your designs and they are pretty much all i use! :-)

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  7. Learning new technolgoy would help oneself at hard part of their career. And staying updated is the only way to survive in current position. Your content tells the same. Thanks for sharing this information in here. Keep blogging like this.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment! I would love to answer everyone's questions, but I am a busy mama. I will try my best, but technical questions that require me to study your blog's html are very time consuming for me. I may not be able to answer all of these comments. If you are a reader that knows the answer to a question, please help your fellow readers by offering your advice.