FIVE APPS EVERY BLOGGER NEEDS.

I always say that a bloggers day never stops – I count time spent on social media as hours clocked, and I’m constantly thinking of ideas for new content, planning Instagram posts and more.
I spend a lot of that time on my phone – in fact my iPhone is never far from me at all times! It just helps me to stay ahead of my to-do list, as well as keep in touch with my readers.
With that in mind, there’s a lot of Apps I use to help me do my blogging thang…

Mosaico
This is actually a recent discovery for me, but since VSCO updated, I’ve been in need of something to help plan my Instagram feed.
I’ve said before ( I watched this How I Take My Instagram Pictures video) that I don’t really subscribe to the whole Instagram theme thing, but sometimes you do want to have an idea of how it will come together.
For that, I use Mosaico. It shows your feed in full, and you can add photos from your library to get an idea of how they’ll look. What’s more, you can go in to ‘ghost mode’ to see what your feed will look like if you delete a picture or two. Very handy!

Bloom & Wild
I’m calling it, fresh flowers at the click of a button is an amazing concept and so helpful if you need pretty props for an upcoming post!
If I know I’m working on a campaign and the photos need to be extra special, a bunch of blooms will turn the snap around.
I always order from Bloom & Wild, the letterbox flowers are so ideal if you don’t want to wait in all day for the delivery, and having the App makes the process all too effortless.

Evernote
I am forever planning posts, making notes, jotting down my thoughts… and Evernote allows me to take this to the next level!
Evernote allows you to pretty much store everything – from to-do lists and reminders, to little notes, and you can organise it all pretty thoroughly too. I also like that you can take photos of notes and receipts and things too, it’s just so helpful for leafing through all the clutter.
Plus, the App syncs with your laptop, tablet etc. so you’ll never be without your lists!

Hootsuite
Scheduling social media is one of my least favourite jobs, it’s just SUCH a hassle! I usually try to send out a few tweets a day, with blog links or a link to my Instagram etc. and Hootsuite makes that so easy.
I use Hootsuite for desktop and iPhone, and it makes light work of keeping up with your social profiles. You can choose up to three accounts in the free setting, so there’s no excuses for not replying to tweets and messages!

bit.ly
I love, love, love bit.ly! Sure, it’s just a link shortener but it’s so handy for making your social updates a little sleeker.
I recommend getting a short URL and hooking it up to bit.ly, it looks way more professional!
I find the App is great for when you’re using affiliate links or trying to update your blog Facebook page on the go.

YouTube Creator Studio 
This is an extra one because I did say ‘bloggers’ and not ‘vloggers’, but I thought I’d add this in since it’s new to me!
I didn’t know YouTube offered an App for content creators, it was the one thing I’ve been missing as I always use my time on the go to reply to comments.
The Creator Studio App allows you to keep track of views and comments and view analytics on the go, it’s beyond helpful!

Have you tried any of these Apps? Are there any you recommend for bloggers and content creators?

What’s on my Iphone XR

What’s on my Iphone XR

I have a Iphone XR in red which was a gift by my parents for my late birthday. I got a case which is Disney's lilo and Stitch, from E-bay. These are my favourites Apps which I use the most:

Instagram

Yes, like most people in the world I love Instagram! I am forever looking through my feed checking out what people are up to on their photos or little videos as well!

Wizards Unite

It’s so much fun when playing this app!  I love the game, this is the best; you should totally download the app. When I start playing I cannot stop and the good thing about it, in my opinion, it only changes its layout once in awhile! Well I do want to say thanks to the makers and creators Niantic, inc. for this app! 

VSCO

I'm still learning how to use the App at the moment it is complicated!

IGTV

Update: Went back to an older version reinstalled and did an update for new one...worked like a charm. IGTV app is back up and running.

Gmail

 The app works seamlessly through receiving and sending. It's also extremely useful to have Drive work with the app which makes sending a pdf file easy. Really well designed and thought out app.

Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds to Calm & Meditate

This is a really great app to fall asleep to. I can't be without it now, and I've been using it for a couple of years. I probably don't use all the options as much as I should, like the meditation exercises etc but the choice of sounds are so varied. I have to admit that the free version, which I put up with for ages, did annoy me with the ads and restricted sounds.

10 Easy Ways You Can 'Go Green' in the Office

It's no secret that sadly we are having a very negative impact on our planet and 

the environment we live in. Thankfully, the subject is now being brought up more than ever 

and as a nation we are encouraging and inviting people to think about their lifestyle choices, 

and see how they can be altered to prevent further damage to our environment. 

And these changes don't just have to come from your households.

 There are various ways in which we can implement these changes at work too.

Seareach recently conducted a survey to find out which factors play an important part 

in improving our workspaces by going green. 

Whether you work in shared offices, or work at an at home office like me,

 these easy tips are something we can all do to play our part in saving our planet.

1. Go paperless

Seareach found that going paperless will actually have the biggest impact of all the points. 

Instead of having piles upon piles of papers, and files, storing everything digitally 

and ultimately reducing the amount of paper used is definitely the way forward with going greener.

2. Recycling Bins

Now it may seem like an obvious choice to simply recycle, but in the workplace it's not always that simple. 

Think about it, whilst at home we often separate our rubbish to recycle, 

but we don't tend to do this at work. Usually this is because in the office, clearly labelled recycling bins 

aren't available, or we're not made aware of them. 

By changing this, you can encourage those at work to consciously separate their items into the appropriate bins. 

3. Use Solar Panels

Solar panels are made out of Photovoltaic cells that convert the sun's energy into electricity.

 Installing solar panels will provide you with a green renewable energy source in which you can run lighting, 

and run any appliances around the office. 

4. Switch to LED bulbs

Another sure way to reduce the amount of energy being consumed, 

is switching your light bulbs to LED bulbs. 

Not only can this reduce energy consumption by up to 75%, 

but it is also very cost effective so will save you money in the long run!

5. Green heating

Switching to 'Green' heating is an alternative way of generating energy that can be renewable, 

and sustainable. 

Not only that, but they can also be cheap and easy to install! 

These sources of energy don't cause pollution in the same way as traditional fossil fuels.

 For example, heating your homes and workspaces using coal or gas pollutes the air as it needs to be burned. 

6. Reusable bottles

Encouraging people around the workplace to bring in their own water bottles is a simple, 

and small step which can have a big impact on the environment. 

By doing so, you are reducing the number of  discarded plastic used in and around the office. 

7. Install bike facilities

For those who live close by, cycling to work could be an option for them instead of driving. Installing bike racks can encourage employees to do so, and ultimately reducing the amount of pollution created by driving unnecessarily. 

8. Electric Car Charging 

And for those who maybe live a little further away, and simply can't cycle to work there is

 always more eco friendly ways to drive. Electric cars are more greener to run and 

are more energy efficient by up to 85%. 

For anyone in the office who does have an electric car, make sure you have charging points at your workplace 

installed for them!

9. Motion detection Lighting

Another small step you can do to reduce energy consumption is install motion detection lighting. 

This can be ideal for larger workplaces where rooms can often be left unattended and 

unused for periods of time. 

10. Plants & Natural Light Sources

And my final tip is to optimise any natural sources you can in the office. 

Try placing desks near any windows you may have to minimise the use of artificial lighting. 

You can also decorate offices with various plants and flowers which are not only aesthetically pleasing, 

but will help oxygenate the work space, providing fresh clean air and an overall better environment. 

My Birthday Haul

My Birthday Haul 

So on Wednesday 29th May was my birthday and today I'm going to tell you got:  

Iphone XR/ 10 in Red from my parents it's amazing.

I got a phone case from my uncle it was a Disney's Stitch. 

HOW TO MANAGE EMAIL OVERLOAD: 5 TIPS WHICH NIXED MY INBOX DAEMONS

HOW TO MANAGE EMAIL OVERLOAD: 5 TIPS 

WHICH NIXED MY INBOX DAEMONS

I used to absolutely DREAD my emails. My inbox was a daemon-like figure with a head which would grow back the moment I chopped it off! Sound familiar? Since then, ‘how to manage email overload’ is a topic I’ve become VERY friendly with.

After implementing a few new tactics myself, I feel like I might *just* have defeated my inbox daemons.

Here’s how I’ve been tackling my inbox of late, so that most days I am fully on top of it.

Sometimes even (whisper it!) at inbox zero!

HOW TO MANAGE EMAIL OVERLOAD: 5 TACTICS WHICH NIXED MY INBOX DAEMONS

1 – UNSUBSCRIBE FROM (NEARLY) EVERYTHING

After a conversation with a blogger friend of mine, when we both lamented our unmanageable emails, I revisited my inbox and dug deep into my newsletter sign-ups.

I was SHOCKED (like truly jaw on the floor) at the number of newsletters I has unconsciously signed up to!

Not to mention the number of databases which I’d been added to.

I was signed up to brand emails, blog roundups, educational resources . . . you name it!

From that moment onwards I started to unsubscribe from (nearly) everything.

Unless a newsletter truly added VALUE to my inbox, I unsubscribed.

Slowly but surely I systematically worked through my subscriptions, and suddenly my inbox OPENED UP.

I realised that it wasn’t just the time I spent reading these emails (since I barely read any of them!), but the time and head space I allocated to selecting them and deleting them which was creating inbox fatigue.

2 – SHORTEN YOUR REPLIES

I enjoy the process of writing, and historically I’ve carried this passion through to my (long, descriptive!) emails.

Whilst there is nothing wrong with writing a personality-filled message, if each email takes a long time to write, you are quickly going to rack up the hours in your inbox.

I’ve been there!

Nowadays I’ve learnt to shorten my replies.

I still infuse elements of my personality into my emails, but if a short and sweet message is all that is needed, I’ll aim to stick to that.

3 –  CREATE TEMPLATES

Do you find yourself writing the same email over and over again?

Consider creating a template!

An email template will save you SO much time, and ensure that you’re replying to your emails in a tone you’re confident with.

I identified seven common questions I am asked over email, and I have created a template reply for every one.

These templates still leave room for customisation and personalised details, but it saves me typing out the same response many times over.

If you’re unsure of how to create an email template, simply google your email server + ‘template’ and you will find instructions.

4 – TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS

I have never had email notifications turned on, on any of my devices.

That way I don’t get distracted by the ‘ping’ of a new email, and instead consciously opt into my inbox.

I set aside dedicated time (normally an hour or so per slot), to answer my emails in full.

When you are trying to juggle many things, it’s not always possible to get to ‘inbox zero’ and that is OK.

If I can, I’ll empty my inbox completely. But if I’m out of time I log out and save the rest of my emails for another sitting.

I read a quote recently which said that “answering emails is not your job” and I couldn’t agree more! Emails are part of your job, a supporting role to it, but emails are not the be all and end all of what you do.

5 – DELETE OLD UNANSWERED EMAILS

If inbox overload has truly settled in, and you are staring at 2,000 unanswered messages, I give you permission to go ahead and DELETE.

(After you’ve had a quick scan to check that there is nothing REALLY important in there!)

If someone really wants to reach out to you, or needs a reply from you, they will email you again.

SOMETHING TO PONDER . . .

If after employing all of these strategies, you are still drowning in emails, it may be time to consider getting assistance.

If you run your own business, can you take on a part-time assistant, a freelancer or a VA?

Do you need to use an auto-responder to manage peoples’ expectations?

If you work for a company, can your manager allocate you an assistant, or divvy up your responsibilities?

Remember: your inbox should SUPPORT your work, not become it.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?

Do you suffer from inbox overwhelm? If so, how do you handle your emails?

Can you share any tips of your own?

I’d love to hear from you!

Five Blogs to Snuggle Up & Read This Weekend

With the weather still requiring a minimum of six layers of clothing to keep you feeling somewhat toasty, I’m happily eking out one of the last Sundays of winter on my sofa paired with a delightful combination of baking, Netflix and blog reading. It’s cosy and quite frankly I don’t want to move until Monday. It’s been one of those weekends: relaxed, chilled, recharging. I thought it would be rude of me to sit here and not share with you my current reading list, so if you too are refusing to get out of your PJ’s today then here are five of my current blog favourites to snuggle up with and have a read of this weekend…

STYLE THE NATIVES. Charly is the ultimate wordsmith. She has a way with words that I can only dream of. She writes pieces that make me laugh till I wee a little, though I often find myself tearing up and reaching for a tissue when I get to some of her conclusions. It’s really beautiful and seeing that I’m a big believer in that you are what you read, I always head here when I want to get my lexicon juices flowing.

LOVE TAZA. This blog came up at one of our recent #BeautyChatLIVE events and I remembered that I used to read this ages ago when Naomi and her husband had one child, Eleanor. Now they have three (!!!) as it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. A great NYC lifestyle blog that will make your ovaries explode. You have been warned.

DELICIOUSLY ELLA. Ok, so I think I managed four days without mentioning my current girl crush of the moment – Ella Woodward *pats self on back*. If you’ve yet to pick up her book, her blog is a great place to find a wealth of healthy eating inspiration, including recipes, store cupboard essentials and London eats. I religiously check it to see what tasty treat she’s been rustling up.

DESIGN SPONGE. I’ve been finding myself getting seriously into interiors blogs recently. To the point where I’m even finding myself ‘pinning’ – I know. Design Sponge is like a visual feast of ‘Through the Keyhole’ peeks into very beautiful homes, but I also love Gh0stparties interior design posts and find myself looking at French By Design too. Anymore recommendations for monochrome, Pinterest-worthy blogs? Hit me up.

LIPSTICK WITH SOME SUNSHINE. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Tamira’s Instagram before because it’s one of the most dreamy feeds I follow, but her blog is equally worth the heart eyed emojis. With on-point photography, it’s like if a design blog had a baby with a beauty blog, it would look something like this amazing corner of the Internet.

10 WAYS ANY BLOGGER CAN IMPROVE THEIR POSTS

Probably the most important aspect of any blog is the content. Stellar posts more often than not mean more views, more readers, and more shares on social media - all things that bloggers are eager to attract. While there is no secret formula for the perfect post, here are 10 easy ways you can improve your blog content today.

INCLUDE HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS

Now, I'm not saying you have to rush out and buy a $2,000 DSLR. Photos are extremely important for your posts though. Whatever you're using to take your pictures (whether it's a professional camera or just your phone), make sure to use natural light whenever possible, always edit pictures before posting them (Picmonkey is a great free site for editing), and make sure to crop your photos to the same width as your blog posts so they look visually streamlined.

WRITE SHORTER PARAGRAPHS

Instead of writing big blocks of text, break your post up into smaller paragraphs. These will be easier for your readers to digest, and they'll be more likely to finish reading the entire post.

CHECK GRAMMAR AND SPELLING

This is one that I think every blogger, myself included, have been guilty of at one time or another. Sometimes we can get so caught up in what we're writing that we don't notice an accidental "teh" or "i;m". After writing your post, take 10-15 minutes to give your eyes a rest and then come back and re-read what you've written with a fresh perspective.

GET YOUR READERS INVOLVED

It's a great idea to end your posts with a question - something that will give your readers incentive to leave a comment, adding their opinion to the mix and potentially starting a good conversation in the comments.

BE PERSONAL

There is a certain amount that every person is comfortable with sharing on the internet. It is different for each blogger, but I think it's important to show a little bit of vulnerability from time to time on our blogs. Not only does this show readers that there is in fact a real person behind the blog, but it can also make you more relatable and more like a friend.

SOLVE A PROBLEM

One of the best ways to write a popular blog post is by solving a problem. Try to think of a problem your readers might be facing and how it can be solved. Maybe you've recently fixed a problem of your own and now you can share what you've learned to help others.

USE BOLD, ITALICS, AND UNDERLINE TO HELP CONVEY YOUR VOICE

Living in a digital age, it is often hard to understand someone's tone of voice when reading text. Very often people will read something online and take it one way when really the author meant it in a different way entirely (sarcasm, for example, is often hard to detect online unless you are familiar with the person and their personality). I find it helpful to use text editing like bold or italics whenever I want a word to have more emphasis. Doing so can help readers better understand your writing "voice".

LINK TO RELEVANT POSTS

Whenever you're writing a post and you have a previous post that would be relevant to the topic you're writing about, definitely link to it for further reading. This is a great way to give your readers more content to check out, will help increase traffic, and helps improve your blog's SEO as well!

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

We're all good at something, some of us at several somethings. Share your experience. Share what you know, what you've learned. If you've failed at something, share it. Share how you got better. Share how you overcame. One of the coolest things about the blogging community is that we're able to reach out to so many people and share our stories with one another. This allows us to grow and help and learn, and it can be very beneficial to contribute your advice and knowledge as often as possible.

WRITE A SHORT STORY, NOT A NOVEL

What I mean by this is don't make every blog post a 3,000 word essay. People are pretty busy with their everyday lives, and most only have little breaks here and there where they're able to check up on their favorite blogs. If they're checking out your blog on a 5-minute coffee break and see a huge post that they have to read, they might just decide to skip it and go for someone else's shorter post. (I'm not saying to only post a few sentences and pictures each day. By all means, share as much as you feel necessary. Just keep in mind that for readers, it's easier to digest 500-1,000 word posts than it is for 3,000+.)

What things have you done to improve your blog posts?

The Five Podcasts That I’m Loving Right Now

…and listen to whilst I dust the flat

I remember about two years ago I exclaimed to Mark how I thought that podcasts were the lamest thing ever. I KNOW. Then, approximately 24 hours later I discovered Serial, wore my headphones 24/7 until I got to the end of the series and found myself up to my eyeballs on Reddit info on Adnan Syed for the next two months. Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it. Then came ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’ my first comedy podcast, ‘The Jess Lively Show’ my first self-help podcast and the first one I was ever interviewed for and of course ‘At Home With’ that Lily and I created (and hope to continue in the future). During election season Mark and I listened to a handful of political ones avidly on long journeys to see his family and they all got my cogs turning and put a fire in my belly. I GET IT. Podcasts aren’t lame. I’m an idiot! They’re bloody brilliant and there literally is something for everyone; from self-care to celeb gossip, it’s all there tucked away in your iTunes.

In recent weeks I’ve found myself listening to a snappy 20 minutes of podcasting each morning, which makes for a nice bit of background noise as a I start my day. I mean that’s the best bit of them. You don’t have to sit and be stuck to a screen, you can be free – cleaning your home, driving, making dinner – it’s a form of entertainment that can be accessed at all times. Heck – listen to them regularly enough and they even automatically download to your phone (something I found helpful and distracting during a recent extremely turbulent flight). Here are the five that are top of my charts right now…

Breaking Beauty Podcast. In my mind, beauty is such a visual thing that a purely audio-based show on beauty sounds completely nuts. But you know what? It works, and that’s down to the hosts Jill and Carlene who do a great job of describing everything that that’s hot, not and that they’ve tried in such great detail that you’re like ‘Ahhhh – yep I totally get it’. I really love listening to their reviews, but their interviews with brand founders and fellow beauty fanatics are also a great listen. The story from the founder of Drunk Elephant is a good one, as well as their in-depth review and Q&A with Emily Weiss from Glossier. I’ve also got to give it props for being such a slick production, thumbs up all round.

The High Low. My new life mission is to meet Dolly and Pandora – the presenters of the show – one day and somehow become their real life BFF’s. The premise here is that they split their time on the podcast talking about a high-brow topic and then something a little more light-hearted. Think a discussion over arranged vs forced marriages and then 10 minutes at the end on whether Blac Chyna will succeed in her task of suing the entire Kardashian clan. It’s a great mix and I always leave feeling inspired to do some of their suggested reading (seriously check out the show notes – they’re vast and awesome). It’s the perfect blend of factual and slightly frivolous – one episode contained a sound bite of Louis Theroux singing along to Baccara’s ‘I Can Boogie’ which was AMAZING – and it makes me want to read more which is always a good thing.

The Glossy Podcast. Whenever I listen to this podcast I feel v.intelligent and v.in the know. It features 30 minute conversations with guests that cover how technology is transforming the landscape of the fashion, luxury and beauty industries. Yep, sounds interesting, right? Well it is and so far I’ve listened to episodes with Rachel Zoe, the co-founder of AYR, Mejuri’s founder and Glossier’s VP of Growth. Although I don’t always find their knowledge directly applicable to my business, it’s interesting getting to know how things work behind the scenes and how companies grow from a simple speck of an idea and are transformed into industry giants. A good one to listen to if you want something that’s a brain tickle, but is still an easy listen.

Happy Mum Happy Baby. I’m throwing this one in here with a hint of caution, because I don’t want anyone to get any ideas and I really hope that my Mother-in-Law isn’t reading this, but being someone who is nearing 30 and hoping to have children over the next couple of years, I’m pretty into researching everything to do with babies. JILL – CALM YOURSELF WOMAN. I’m a Type A Virgo who loves nothing more than organisation and preparedness so of course it makes sense in my brain to research the topic of children extensively before we consider it seriously. I know, I’m sure future me will read this one day and laugh hysterically as a mini-me smears yoghurt down the back of my trousers. As part of my research/weird obsession with babies I’ve been listening to Giovanna’s podcast which is really ruddy good. Not only is Giovanna a lovely lass (Lily and I had her as a guest on our podcast!), she also talks to various celeb mums about their experiences in motherhood so you feel like you’re having a coffee with your two mates who are already Mums as you quiz them on ‘Do your bits ever feel the same again?!‘.

Who? Weekly. I’ll let you into another little secret. I’m a sucker for Z-lister gossip. I used to sneak a look at the showbiz pages in my Dad’s newspaper and being someone who grew up in the MTV reality show golden age, I just will forever have an urge to know what is going on in Lauren Conrad’s life. This podcast satisfies this need by telling me ‘all I need to know, about the celebrities that I don’t’. It’s genius and Mark loves nothing more than rolling his eyes at me as he listens to a podcast about how we should all be recycling more and I chortle away as the hosts Lindsey and Bobby dish out the goss on the latest season of The Batchelor. I’m a terrible person but I love it and I am well and truly a Wholigan thanks to a recommendation from a U.S friend who even knows who Gemma Collins is thanks to the podcast. Yep, they discuss Gemma Collins and they bloody love her. I save up all the episodes and listen to them as I clean on a Saturday. Who’s the lame one now, eh?

VSCO Cam for iOS review

VSCO Cam for iOS review

This is a blessing to an amateur photographer out there, I do not own any good Hi-Tec expensive  camera. However, passion comes at any time, and when it’s photography, VSCO is nothing less than a blessing to me.This app is amazing it has amazing filters and lot of tools to make your perfect.It edits the photos without damaging it’s quality and the effects are outstanding I think! This app is perfect for any Instagram feed to create any theme as well! 

However it's quite upsetting that in some filters you have to pay for. Overall I think this amazing is great

Technology Review

Technology Review 

Apple Ipod Tach 6th Generation

It is easy to use if your all ready side up to iTunes! It has similar features to an iPad but has an stock exchange app on to it! there has wifi built-in with, Siri built in with the choice on female or male view! my chose of apps are :Instagram, VSCO cam, instapicframes and Hyperlapse as wall as Subway Surf, Pocket Frogs and Solitaire.I’ve got on there BBC i-player as well as one for the BBC radio and the channel 4 app too ! The music plays wonderfully on the iPod as well as a clear  picture on the videos, photo’s and lots more! If I give it a rating system I’ll give it ten out of ten I think!  

Apple Mac Book pro

For a long time I had a HP laptop and for my birthday I got a new Apple Mac book pro! I’m really loving It! windows word is pages and it is really easily to use it! all the icons are colourful and bright! I've enjoyed everything in this laptop I really recommend it to people.