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Leaf and Steel

motherhood - growth - living

Why You Need to Start Accepting Guest Posts

June 7, 2022

Do you accept guest posts on your blog? If not, you seriously might want to start.

Guest posting is a tried-and-true way to elevate your blog. I started accepting guest posts in 2022 and I can’t believe that I waited this long to try it! I honestly didn’t even think of it as an option for my style of blog. I also didn’t realize how many people out there would want to post on my blog!

Keep reading to see why you need to start including guest posts today.

What is a guest post?

A guest post is exactly what it sounds like – it’s a post on your blog written by a “guest”, typically another blogger. It’s different from an article written by a freelancer or ghost writer because it usually serves as a mutual promotion for both parties.

How do I find writers to guest post on my blog?

The simplest way to find people to guest post on your blog is to ask your readers! 

Ask them in a blog post or on social media! I was surprised when I posted a call for writers on my Instagram (with a very meager following). There were so many people wanting to write for my blog in exchange for promotion or just to exercise their freelance skills.

Be sure to include a Guest Post FAQ page on your blog with details on what kind of posts you’re looking for.

Here are some examples of what you might want to include in a guest post FAQ:

  • Suggested word count
  • Suggested topics
  • Banned topics
  • Banned language or themes
  • Where the post will be promoted
  • If you charge or pay for guest posts

Some blogs charge to feature guest posts. This is fine if you’re willing to provide stats to prove that the price is worth it.

It’s important that you aren’t just slapping up any old post from any old writer.

I ALWAYS check out the writer’s blog, social media, and I’m not afraid to give them a quick Google to make sure nothing controversial shows up. It’s my due diligence as a blog owner to make sure that the content I’m putting out is responsible, inclusive, and safe.

A social media search and hashtag scan can tell you a lot about someone’s beliefs. Make sure you know who’s writing for you and their reputation.

How do I guest post on a blog in 2022?

Start with your favorite blogs that are in line with your niche! Check to see if they have guest posting information on their contact or about page. If not, there is no harm in asking! Sending a friendly email with a request to send over your work might lead somewhere.

You can also simply do a Google search for guest posting opportunities in your selected niche. I would check out a few of the site’s articles to make sure that it’s somewhere you would be proud to be associated with.

How often should I feature guest posts?

You get to set the rules here.

It also largely depends on how often you post.

Here are some guest post scheduling ideas:
  • A guest post the first/last week of the month
  • A guest post every Monday
  • Guest posts for one whole week or one whole month
  • Guest posts with different perspectives on the same topic
  • Guest post themes (like recipes, book reviews, etc.)

Experiment and find what works for you!

Why you need to start accepting guest posts today:

The benefits of guest posts are endless, but here are some of my favorites:

You’ll make new friends

I have connected with so many interesting and insightful women through guest posting. It’s allowed me to “meet” people from different cultures and at so many different stages of life.

You get a writing “break”

Unless this is your full time job, you probably have other things you need to be doing during the day.

I know I have many days where I don’t even open my laptop, let alone write. That’s where guest posting can be helpful. I can post those articles on the days or weeks where I know I won’t be able to put my own work up.

This helps me stay consistent with my posting schedule and keeps my readers engaged.

If you also have annual word count goals or a posting schedule, this can be really helpful.

Increased traffic

Well written guest posts drive traffic, plain and simple.

Think of it like gaining a temporary second audience. Your post will (hopefully) be shared on different social media accounts or reposted to the guest posters blog. This will lead to an increased amount of eyes on your posts- and some of those readers might stick around for more.

You’ll support other bloggers

Guest posting is an excellent way to support other long form content creators. Both sites get extra sets of eyes on their posts and it’s always good to give a little love to other bloggers!

You might learn something new

It’s true! You might learn a new skill, recipe, or way of thinking. This is one of my favorite reasons to feature guest posts.

This is why guest posting is so great – you can get an expert to write on a topic that you do not fully understand or have the desire to research.


Some of Leaf and Steel’s most recent guest posts:

Keeping the Focus on You

Give the Gift of Reading

How to Be a More Self-Confident Mother and Enhance Your Life


Do you currently accept guest posts? Have you ever guest posted on another site?

Would you be interested in guest posting on Leaf and Steel?

Let me know below!
O.

More from Leaf and Steel:
  • Bunny Decor for Under $20 to Decorate with This Spring
  • How I Get Over Writer’s Block
  • Gift Guide for the Tired Mama in Your Life
  • Lessons from Stay-at-Home Moms
  • How to Take Care of Your Baby When You’re Sick
  • Little Things I Do To Make my Baby Feel Loved

Filed in: blogging, Uncategorized • by Olivia • 3 Comments

27 Lessons in 27 Years

February 19, 2022

It’s my birthday!

Well, it was. I’m officially 28!

Where should a young woman be at 28?

The truth is, I have no idea.

I took markers of “success” off of a timeline years ago.

“Age is just a number”. It’s the oldest cliche.

It gets repeated for a reason.

It doesn’t really matter when or how you get to to the things that you want, or if those things look different to you than your peers.

Let me tell you about the last 6 months…

My life is different than it was 6 months ago – how amazing is that?

I created some habits that I practiced (almost) daily that made monumental changes to how I felt about myself and how I handled my procrastination issues.

Some of the changes that I made six months ago were:

  • Blog consistently
  • Get moving every day
  • Tidy my house at the end of the night

That’s it! Nothing groundbreaking. After dozens and dozens of speeches to myself saying “this is the day I’m going to change my life!”, it was the creation of tiny habits that actually changed me.

Where I am now.

I’m in what they call a good place. What that means to me is I’m pretty content with the way that I handle things and what I’ve done in my life so far.

What I wish I had done differently at this point in my life.

I could make a post called “27 Regrets in 27 Years”, but I don’t think I have that many. I’m a big believer in the “everything happens for a reason” baloney. The decisions that I’ve made in the past have brought me to this exact moment. 

I know that if I had done one thing differently in my past that my daughter wouldn’t be here today.

If I do have one regret, it’s not wearing my retainer after I got my braces off. Now, I’ll eventually have to spend thousands of dollars to fix my crooked teeth. I’d like to thank my 16-year-old self for the lack of foresight.


27 Things I’ve Learned in 27 Years

  1. It’s okay to love the things you love (music, clothing, etc.).
  2. There is no way around car maintenance – it’s not going to fix itself.
  3. Love is a very small fraction of what makes relationships work.
  4. Tattoos are permanent (the reality of this didn’t really sink in until a few years ago).
  5. Spend more time with the people you love.
  6. Get some hobbies that you won’t try to monetize.
  7. It’s okay to not be informed about everything going on in the world.
  8. There is a right and a wrong way to apologize.
  9. If it can be done now, do it now.
  10. You get out what you put in, in most cases.
  11. Don’t pour boiling hot water on your windshield.
  12. Books are not a waste of time.
  13. Neither are really good TV shows.
  14. Never mix bleach with another cleaning product.
  15. It’s never too late to start.
  16. Time really does go by faster the older you get.
  17. You gain more confidence with time (a group of “old” ladies told me this and I didn’t believe them).
  18. There is freedom in routines.
  19. If you spend the money to go to a professional, filing taxes isn’t all that painful.
  20. You will only have yourself at the end of the day.
  21. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
  22. Take care of your body.
  23. You don’t have to be productive all the time.
  24. Be exceptionally kind to service people.
  25. Good sleep and free time are the true currencies of adulthood.
  26. You can change your life through actions, not decisions.
  27. Joy is a choice.

Are you in a “good place” in your life?

Do you agree or disagree with anything on this list?

Let me know below!

O.

More from Leaf and Steel:
  • 10 Mom-Influencers I Follow for Inspiration
  • Back to School Chaos? 5 Ways to Simplify Your Life
  • Zero Waste Laundry with Kind Laundry
  • 7 Things I Do Every Day as a Stay at Home Mom

Filed in: Personal, Uncategorized • by Olivia • 2 Comments

2022’s Word of the Year

January 1, 2022

2022’s word of the year is…drumroll please….COURAGE!

You may have heard of the idea of choosing a word of the year instead of or in addition to a New Year’s resolution.

Each year, my friends and I select a word for the New Year. We share them with each other and then check in throughout the year to see how much progress we’ve made with it!

This year, I’m going with courage.

I have so much that I want to accomplish in 2022, and I can’t do it without f

I remember being a preschool teacher and being SO anxious to talk to this, ahem, intense parent about their child’s behavior.

Right before I had to meet with them, I was discussing my fears with my boss, terrified.

“Don’t be scared,” she told me, before doubling back.

“Or be scared, and do it anyway”.

Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s being scared and doing it anyway.

That’s the kind of energy that I want to bring into 2022.

Why choose a word?

Choosing a word of the year can be a less stressful alternative to a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions are easily broken or difficult to maintain for a full year.

Picking a word that you’d like to bring into the New Year offers infinite opportunities for practice and growth with that principle.

How do I pick a word?

There are plenty of lists out there online. Taking a few moments to meditate on what you are leaving behind in 2021 and what you want to cultivate in 2022 can be helpful. 

I noticed that in 2021 I was holding myself back in a lot of areas of my life because the logistics of getting what I wanted seemed too complicated or scary. Part of why I chose my word was because I felt myself turning away from opportunities because I wasn’t willing to practice courage.

I wanted to leave all the self-doubt and fear in 2021.

Ironically, the word courage scares me. That’s how I know it’s something I need.

How do I use my word of the year?

You practice it!

My word last year was discipline. I practiced discipline in my day to day life by exercising, writing consistently, and working hard to keep my house clean. 


It’s cool to sit back at the end of the year and see how that principle has altered your life.

There have been a few years where I can’t even remember what mine was by the time the next ball drops, and that’s okay.

I think the important thing about New Year’s resolutions and choosing words is really about acknowledging that we still have room to grow and we are capable of change.


Do you choose a word for the New Year?

If so, what’s your word?

What do you want to bring into 2022?

Let me know below!

O.

More from Leaf and Steel:
  • Reflecting and Moving On: Goodbye 2021
  • Winter Quote Wednesday
  • Sunday Night Routine for a Successful Week
  • Zero Waste Laundry with Kind Laundry

Filed in: Living, Personal • by Olivia • 8 Comments

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Leaf and Steel is a collective on all things motherhood, growth, and living. Read More…

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2023’s word of the year is “peace”. The purest, simplest way to incorporate peace is by being in nature. We are incredible excited to try to spend #1000hoursoutside this year. ❄️🌻🌲 #getoutside #leafandsteel #nature #toddlerlife
Never have truer words been spoken…
Up on the Blog: Here’s Why Christmas Season is the Best
Not ready for the pumpkins to be gone 🎃🫤
Blogtober is almost here! #blogtober is a writing challenge where writers publish one post a day for the month of October. I did it last year and it was definitely…a challenge! 🎃
Up on the Blog: Dying for #Fall but I can’t help but feel antsy about summer ending! There is still so much left to do 🌊 head to Leaf and Steel to see what’s left on my end of summer bucket list. #leafandsteel #summer #fall #bucketlist #toddler #baby #blog #sahmlife #todo #wordpress #longform #watermelon #beach #summerbucketlist #pool

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