blogtober2022 Archives - Leaf and Steel

Making the Most of the Fall Season

October 3, 2022

Today we’re detailing the best ways to embrace autumn and make the most of the fall season!

Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love the cooler temperatures, the earlier sunsets, the falling leaves.

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Hygge

What is hygge? According to the New Yorker, hygge is “a Danish term defined as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” Pronounced “hoo-guh,” the word is said to have no direct translation in English, though “cozy” comes close. It derives from a sixteenth-century Norwegian term, hugga, meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” which is related to the English word “hug.” Associated with relaxation, indulgence, and gratitude, hygge has long been considered a part of the Danish national character.”

It’s easy to practice hygge by unplugging, lighting some candles, changing into a cozy outfit, and grabbing a book and some tea.

Saving errands for after dark

I really enjoy saving my errands for nighttime in the fall. Maybe it’s because stores are quieter, but in reality it tricks me into thinking I’m getting ahead for the next day. It can help “extend the day”, which is extremely helpful when the sun sets at 4:30pm some days.

Get Outside

I definitely need to check out There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids.

We try to get outside no matter the weather. My daughter loves playing in the rain, and I have no problem bundling up and taking the dog on a walk during a squall.

Getting in touch with nature and enjoying the beautiful weather is one of my favorite parts of the autumn season.

One of my most consistent outdoor routines is taking my dog for a walk around the block while my husband puts our daughter to sleep.

We bundle up with coats and flashlights so that drivers can see us! The other night we went in a rainstorm. There was something so freeing about just accepting that we were going to get soaked and need to dry off later. My dog loved it and I felt so connected to Mother Nature.

Use a Happy Light

I love using light therapy to help stave off the winter blues. I definitely am prone to feeling more low-energy as I take in less sunlight. This is the light box that I’ve had forever.

What does a happy light do? According to Popular Science, “The goal of light therapy is to correct the disruption to the body’s internal clock brought on by the changing seasons. Happy lamps are designed to imitate natural sunlight and correct disturbances to the circadian rhythm. In the morning hours, these lamps bring the sunlight that’s missing from the outside world indoors to let the body know it’s daytime and ensure its internal clock is set correctly.”

I love my “happy light“. I use it for 15 minutes every morning while I drink my coffee. I start to use in once I really notice the sunset time change.

Cook Something New

Turkey chili, homemade bagels, and French bread are my usual fall go-to’s, but this year I want to try something new.

I love Pinch of Yum so this fall I really want to try to make their Sheet Pan Meatballs with Tomato Salad and Green Sauce and Life Changing Instant Pot Beef Stew recipes.

Set the Mood

In the same vein as hygge, making conscious choices about your space is like #1 for me as far as embracing fall. My baby and I call it “getting cozy”. We light some candles, put on classical music, and open the windows to feel the fall air. I also love turning on the “fireplace” on Netflix, since we don’t have a real one.

Youtube mixes are another easy way to set the mood. Just look for any type of “fall mix” or “fall background music” and you’re set.

Those are our top ways to embrace autumn!

How do you make the most of the fall season?

Do you do anything on this list? What’s your favorite?

Let me know below!
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This is post 2/31 for #Blogtober22. If you’re interested in learning more about Blogtober and how to participate, check out my post How to Prepare for Blogtober 2022 and Why You Should Try Blogtober.

Looking for inspiration? Try 30 Fall-Themed Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas.

September in Review

October 1, 2022

I guess I’m just going to have to accept that time really does go by faster as you age. Days whip past me. I can’t believe it’s October 1st! I’m excited to be participating in #Blogtober22 this year and delighted that the first post is a monthly recap!

Here it goes:

The Not-So-Great

I fell with my kid. Face first. Into pavement. You heard that right. My worst nightmare. An event made worse by my ridiculous screaming, a LARGE iced pumpkin spice latte being spilled onto my daughter, and a very bloody knee. We were both shaken, but completely fine!

Whew, what a good month if that’s all I can think of! Nothing else to report except for the usual life stuff, like chores, not getting around to reading/yoga-ing/hydrating as much as I wanted to, or inflation just decimating my food budget.

The Good

I had a perspective change. I have a lot of subconscious conditions on joy. A lot of them have to do with money and looks and timing. A lot of conditions. A lot of “I’ll be happy when…” or “I could be happy if…”. Fill in the blank, I’m sure you know the drill. I know most of us are like this. I don’t know what happened but I woke up a few weeks ago and remembered that I have a lot more control over how I feel than I’d like to admit. I reset my perspective and I’ve been feeling so much better about life.

We got back outside. Sweet Jesus the heat is gone. We can finally emerge from the air conditioned cave and back out into the real world. Most days have been park days, which has been excellent for Baby M’s confidence and my sanity.

I did NOT get any allergic reactions. After the summer I had, this is a huge accomplishment. Check out my August in Review for context.

I got to go away! I got to Connecticut with my mom for a weekend. Without my child. Pure bliss. We did some Christmas shopping and I had a delightful dinner at Hopkins Inn (my first time). I’ll definitely be going away for a child free weekend soon!

How was your September? Did yours fly by as quickly as mine?

What are your plans for October?
Let me know below!

This is post 1/31 for #Blogtober22. If you’re interested in learning more about Blogtober and how to participate, check out my post How to Prepare for Blogtober 2022 and Why You Should Try Blogtober.

Looking for inspiration? Try 30 Fall-Themed Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas.

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?