blogging challenge Archives

30 Fall-Themed Lifestyle Blog Ideas

September 22, 2022

Today we’re rounding up 30 fall themed lifestyle blog ideas to bring more traffic this autumn!

Fall is a big deal here on Long Island. The weather is beautiful, the leaves change in waves, pumpkin patches and corn mazes cover the North Fork. After some unbearably humid and hot summers, fall feels like a gift.

I love creating fall-themed posts for my blog that match my love for fall! I really wanted to creat this post prior to #blogtober, so that I would have something to reference for ideas.

I’ve written before about how much I got out of #blogtober21 and writing consistently. Writing challenges are an excellent way to become a consistent blogger. Whether you blog for money or treat it as a labor of love, fall is the perfect time to start writing.

Why do content creators produce more content at the end of the year?

Every wonder why your favorite blogger/influencer/YouTuber puts out seemingly infinite amounts of content or videos at the end of the year?

The answer is obvious and the answer is always the same!

Money.
Ad networks and brand deals typically pay more at the end of the year. Brands want to use up their marketing budgets in preparation for the next year.

More content = more clicks = more money.

I remember when I spent more time on YouTube and would see #Vlogmas and think that it sounded absolutely exhausting, it didn’t make sense. Wouldn’t you want to take December off? That’s where the money makes it worth it, of course.

I personally don’t want to spend my favorite time of year (October-December) in front of a computer screen, which is why I schedule a lot of my posts!

5 Blogging Lessons I Learned in 2021

Fall Writing Challenge Tips

Before we get to the list of 30 fall-themed lifestyle blog ideas, let’s look at some tips for creating fall content.

Get outside of the house and get inspired.

Get up and go outside! Enjoy the weather while it lasts. Being out in the world is a surefire way for my brain to start firing off ideas for blog topics.

Go through your current daily routine.

Do you do anything different now that it’s fall? Do you change up the vegetables you eat or drive the long way home so that you can see the changing leaves? Your daily routine may hold more subject matter than you know.

I know I have a special candle that I bring out for fall (I feel like such a loser typing that out but my people know what I mean). I love changing out my wreath and drinking out of pumpkin cups. We also do a lot more chilis and savory meals when the humidity tapers off.

Revamp your own favorite blog posts.

If you’ve completed this list or are looking for more inspiration, why not scroll back to your old blog posts?

Maybe last year you wrote about autumn date ideas, and this year your single. You could write about solo date ideas or fall activities for groups. Maybe this year you had a major life chage, like a new work opportunity or had a child, which changed your perspective on an ideal autumn day.

Fresh perspectives on old topics is nothing new, but it’s a great place to start when you run out of ideas.

Try a new blogging challenge like #Blogtober.

What is blogtober? According to Tea & Cake for the Soul, “Blogtober is where bloggers from all over the world publish a post every day during the month of October. They also link up with other bloggers who are also taking part to share the love.”

You can see my post How to Prepare for Blogtober 2022 for more information about how to get started! I highly recommend blogging challenges if you’re a beginner or you’re stuck in a “writing rut”.

I believe writing is a muscle and by exercising it everyday, we get faster and our writing grows stronger.

I also have a post Why You Should Try Blogtober, which shares my results from last year.

Fall Graphic Printed Tops for Cozy Autumn Days

Below is the list of the autumn blog post ideas!

Your essential fall playlist
Describe your favorite Thanksgiving memory
Your favorite fall baking recipe list
Fall reading list
Best places to see the leaves changing
Best pumpkin patches near you
Fall bucket list
Your sweetest fall memory
Autumn movie list
Halloween costume ideas
Fall fashion finds (see my favorite sweaters here)
Autumn soup recipes
Favorite fall decor (I’m loving velvet pumpkins)
Fall photo dump with stories
Ways to use different fall produce (apples, pumpkins, etc.)
Favorite fall drinks (sweet fall mugs here)
How to plant and take care of mums
TV series to start this fall (HBO, Netflix, Hulu, etc.)
Plan a fall date night
How to roast pumpkin seeds
Fall photo challenge
Describe the process of helping at a food bank or donating school supplies
Unique s’more recipes
Pumpkin carving how-to
Rank cafe’s pumpkin spice lattes
The best fall nature hikes
Rank the best fall scented candles
Describe your ideal fall day
Fall bonfire party planning checklist
Take family Christmas card pictures

So, those are the 30 fall-themed blog topics to keep you inspired and writing this season. I know I plan on writing a post for each and every one this year!

What do you like to write about this time of year? Have you ever written about one of the topics on this list?

What would you add to this list?

Let me know below!

How to Prepare for Blogtober 2022

September 4, 2022

In this post I’m going to talk all about Blogtober! Blogtober is a writing challenge guaranteed to leave you feeling a sense of accomplishment and a collection of published posts.

I did #Blogtober2021 and I am definitely doing #Blogtober2022!

If you’re looking for a way to improve your writing and get consistent blogging, Blogtober is your ticket!

What is Blogtober?

There are endless amounts of writing challenges out there. Seriously, there is a challenge to fit any niche or bloggers “needs”.

Blogtober is very, very simple. All you have to do is publish a post a day for a month.

See this explanation from Tea and Cake for the Soul,

Blogtober is where bloggers from all over the world publish a post every day during the month of October. They also link up with other bloggers who are also taking part to share the love.

How do I participate in Blogtober?

If you have a blog, a little extra time, and a calendar, then you’re all set for Blogtober! Add a little enthusiasm and discipline and you’re good to go!

What are the Blogtober rules?

The only rule for Blogtober is to hit ‘publish’ every day during the month of October.

It’s the internet – there are no rules. Maybe your way of participating in this challenge means you take weekends “off” or try to post every other day in October. Adjust it to what’s realistic for your schedule. I have found that much like waking up early or meditating, the best effects are felt when writing is practiced every day.

My Results from Last Year

Listen, adding 31 blog posts to my repertoire was no small feat. To date, it’s my best month for views and for added posts. Of course, this meant that I had an uptick in ad and affiliate revenue, which is an added bonus!

If you are looking at making a profit from your blog than Blogtober can be a helpful tool – consumers spend the most money at the end of the year!

The biggest benefit I got from Blogtober 2021 was discipline. I woke up early and stayed up late and I got the job done. Up until I got super sick in January and lost my momentum, I was very consistent with posting on my blog.

You want to know why?

I had built habits that made writing every day a no-brainer. I had my routine: wake up early, make coffee, change, brush teeth, drink coffee, light a candle, write. I wrote until my daughter woke up and then would usually write again at nap time or after she went to bed.

It had become as natural as drinking a cup of coffee or brushing my teeth.

Looking back, it was one of the most peaceful times in my recent life. I was spending time everyday doing something that I loved.

It apparently takes an average of 66 days for a new habit to become automatic. While that may be true, after 31 days I felt like daily writing was an instinctive part of my day.

How I prepare for Blogtober

Find a calendar you like. Be it pen and paper, an app, or your phone. I like Google Calendar the best. I have different color labels for posts in different stages, like “published”, “scheduled” and “hope to post”. I like that I can pull it up on any computer and there aren’t any bells and whistles.

Brainstorm ideas. You don’t have to wait until October to let inspiration come to you. Start collecting ideas now! A great place to look for inspiration is Pinterest. Another thing I do is I’ll look back at posts from this time last year and see if I can make an updated version or if I’ve changed my view on a subject.

Connect with other bloggers doing Blogtober. This is a great way to keep up your momentum and get some encouragement.

Turn to your favorite blogs. If you have a blog, chances are you love to read blogs too. Head over to your favorite blogs for inspiration and motivation.

Set themes for different days of the week. 31 posts is a lot. If you didn’t plan posts beforehand, you can feel burned out pretty quickly. Last year I did “Fall Friday Favorites” where I did a weekly roundup of my favorite things. I actually really enjoyed the series and it gave me an “anchor” throughout the week where I had a set format and I could just plug in information.

Schedule posts. Okay, maybe this bends the “rules” a little bit, as it doesn’t lend itself to building the habit of writing every day. However, I know I will be saving some scheduled posts in my “back pocket”. I’m human and I take care of a tiny human (and a very needy puppy) and I know that there will be at least 1 out of 31 days that taking care of them and taking care of myself will come before my blog. That’s why I have no qualms about pre-writing a little content!

Stock photos. If you use stock photos, find a bunch of them now. Save them in a little folder on your desktop. Future you will thank me. I like to use Pexels.

Set good habits now. You don’t have to wait until the first of October to become someone who blogs everyday. Start waking up early or finding the time today to work towards your goals!

Have you done Blogtober before? If so, what were your results?

Are you planning on participating in Blogtober this year?

Let me know below!

If you are interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel, please check out our Guest Post page for guidelines!

30 Day Motherhood Blogging Challenge

June 9, 2022

Today I’m sharing 30 writing prompts for mom blogs! If you’re feeling stuck and in need of inspiration when you sit down to write, make sure you check out the ideas below!

Willpower and Motivation

Have you ever heard the idea that “willpower is a finite resource”? If you haven’t, then listen up.

You will run out of willpower.

You will not feel motivated every day.

You will procrastinate because it feels good in the moment.

If you’ve ever tried to do anything consistently (work out, get up early, WRITE), then you know what I’m talking about.

See this quote from Verywell:

Willpower is a limited resource.The idea behind this theory is that willpower is like a muscle in that it can be both strengthened and fatigued. For example, if you exhaust yourself doing sprints, you will be less able to perform other physical tasks.
Kendra Cherry, Verywell, “What is Ego Depletion?”

Habits

So, it’s not just you.

It can be frustrating to have a goal but be unable to reach it due to a lack of willpower or energy.

The good news is there’s a way to hack it.

The answer lies in habits.

Creating small, daily habits will improve your blog. There’s no doubt that writing every day will add more content to your site. Creating a number of Pins for Pinterest or connecting with a few other bloggers on Instagram will bring in more traffic.

There’s no better way to build up your blog than to practice consistency.

In 2021, I found myself in a place with lots of time to blog and not a lot of direction. In the beginning of the year I was sporadically posting and I didn’t feel like I was getting anything out of it.

How I Get Over Writer’s Block

I created some new habits.

I started getting up early so that I could write, uninterrupted.

I learned how to shut out distractions and how to do writing sprints.

I stopped waiting for inspiration to hit.

I stopped waiting for the motivation to come.

I leaned into my habits and the results that I got were invaluable. Not only did I add dozens of articles to my site, but I got into a writing rhythm. Writing every single day made me a better writer.

I got better at transferring my thoughts and formatting my articles.

Having those habits made me more efficient and creative.

Now, writing and working on my blog is as natural as making my bed or feeding the cat.

Here’s my favorite way to build new habits. The Harvard Business Review refers to it as “Piggybacking on a daily task”.

The benefit of micro habits is that you should be able to perform it with minimal effort every day. It’s important to execute on a new ritual daily so it becomes second nature, and if it’s small enough, you won’t be as tempted to defer your task from one day to the next. However, no matter the size of the task, it’s easy to get distracted, make excuses, or forget. Perform your new action at the same time as (or right before) an action you do without thinking. Need to read a paragraph each night? You can do that while brushing your teeth. Meditating for 30 seconds each day? Check that off your list while waiting for your coffee to brew.
Sabrina Nawaz, Harvard Business Review, “To Achieve Big Goals, Start with Small Habits”

Blogging Challenges

A blogging challenge is an excellent way to create a writing rhythm.

In my experience, writing every day is what works best for me. Whether it’s an hour or just ten minutes, writing everyday enforces that habit.

Blogtober was my first writing challenge. To this day, October 2021 serves as my statistical inspiration for blogging. I added 31 new posts and I saw my traffic almost double. I loved having a challenge to keep me consistent, with a finish line in sight.

5 Blogging Lessons I Learned in 2021

You can choose an online blogging challenge or create your own! I love using prompts when I’m feeling “stuck” or uninspired.

I compiled 30 writing prompts for motherhood/early childhood blogs. If writing a whole post every day is too much right now, try keeping the posts short or spread them out over two months.

Another way to do this challenge is to set a word count objective and to tailor each post to meet that goal.

You can move these around or alter them to fit your blog’s niche.

These prompts are also excellent for Instagram pages, if you aren’t a fan of long form content.

30 Day Motherhood Blogging Challenge

About Me
What’s in My Diaper Bag
My Thoughts on…(sleep training/cloth diapering/BLW, etc)
10 Things I Can’t Live Without
Favorite Outdoor Family Activities
Summer Bucket List
10 Things About Me
How I Practice Self Care as a New Mom
My Baby’s Birth Story
The Best Baby Books
My Baby’s Favorite Toys
Baby Clothes We Can’t Live Without
How to Stay Energized as a New Mom
My Postpartum Experience
How My Relationships Changed After Kids
A Letter to My Baby
My Thoughts on Screen Time
Overrated Baby Advice
How to Road Trip with a Baby
What I Wish I Knew Before Having Kids
What’s in My Labor & Delivery Bag
How to Keep Your Marriage Strong After Kids
Day in the Life of a SAHM or Working Mom
10 Baby Items You Didn’t End Up Using
My Top Parenting Hacks
5 Facts About Me
How to Find the Time to Blog
DIY Baby Toys
Apps that Help Me Parent
Favorite Baby/Toddler Meals

Have you ever done a blogging challenge? Have you written about any of the topics on this list?

Let me know below!