Decorating my blog

November 8, 2012 1 Comment

I'm writing this on Melbourne Cup Day ready for this week. The A Man is exhausted from a full day spent with family, leaving me some quiet time to write this. Yesterday we headed into the city for the Cup Day Parade, which was also a lot of fun and the photos made a great blog post.

One thing I like to do for Christmas is to tweak my blog template so that it's festive. This year, I'm working on my header using photos from the Melbourne Christmas last year, including the big Christmas tree in the city centre and the various decorations we saw. I'm still playing with it, but it's already looking great.

I also plan to use similar images on my Facebook cover page and I've updated my headshot to have a picture of me in a Santa hat.

My aim is to have all this ready to go for the start of December, and change it back after Christmas.

It's fun to decorate my blog for Christmas, but I know I must remember to change it again as soon as possible after Christmas so that it doesn't become out dated. This is a bit like Erica's Christmas Windows, but I don't just change an image on my home page…

Do you change your blog template for Christmas?

 

Linking this post up with Tina Gray dot me for their Christmas blog hop.

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Register an ABN

October 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Phew, The A Man is finally in bed and I have a chance to write my money tip post.

With my blog, I haven't had to look after money very much, however I have started getting a few small advertisers an sponsored posts. The first time someone asked me for an invoice, I freaked out a bit as I had never done anything like that before. I found a simple temple and sent one, only to be asked for an ABN (Australian Business Number). I didn't have one and didn't think too much of it, until the advertiser withheld quite a bit of money, nearly half of what they were going to pay me!

I did some research and found that an ABN is free and I don't have to register to collect GST. That was one of my biggest fears, collecting GST. If you're in Australia and need to register for an ABN, click here.

I've been keeping copies of any invoices I send and receipts for coffee and entry fees and will take them all to an accountant at the end of the year. We'll see what she says about paying tax. You never know, I might earn some more money by then…

If you've been holding off, register an ABN, it's the first step to becoming a "real" business, and it pays off with suppliers.

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The things I know – School holidays

September 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

The A Man isn't at school yet – after all, he's only one – so the school holidays take me by surprise. Donna asked me to do a school holiday post, so I opted for this one…

I know that cafe's and play centers are usually full with kids on holidays, so we find somewhere else to go on our weekly outings.

I know that there are often fun activities at the local shopping center.

I know that it's fun to hang out with some of the Mums I don't often see during term time as they are working. It's a fun outing and The A Man loves playing with the big kids (as much as he's able).

I know that many of the blogs I usually read go a bit quieter as Mums have kids on holidays and don't have as much blogging time as normal.

I know that I'm not the only one looking forward to school going back – if only so The A Man and I can find some great new places while they are not full of school age kids.

They are just some of the things I know. What do you know?

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Setting a posting schedule

September 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

One way I keep up with my blog is by having a posting schedule. I know mine isn't as stringent as most, but it works for me.

My aim is to go on one outing every week and blog about it. My post for the week must be up by Friday at the latest.

To complement this, I do a post earlier in the week with some random tips, usually about going out and about with a small child. Many of these are list posts, such as a list of what to include in the nappy bag when going out, or what I look for in a good cafe or activity. A third post is a general post about life in general and The A Man, such as the post when he started walking.

There are some weeks when I post more. This could be because I've gone on more than one outing or I'm simply inspired to post more, but my main goal is to post three posts a week.

The general post is one that I often schedule in advance. Knowing that this post is to be there on a Monday or a Tuesday helps a lot when I get ideas for a few blog posts in a day (this is one reason I love WordPress), and having a deadline for getting my outing post up makes sure that I not only go out during the week, but also get my blog post up in time.

Most of my writing happens at night after The A Man has gone to bed and I'm waiting for hubby to come home. If I have time, I'll write blog posts while The A Man has his afternoon nap, though generally I try and do some housework during that time, especially now that he's walking an in to everything!

If you're a blogger, I'd love to hear some of your tips for having the time to get your blog posts done and still manage family life.

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The things I know about blogging…

September 7, 2012 4 Comments

Donna discovered a link up on Singular Insanity called "The Things I Know" and thought it would be a great idea to take part, and I drew the short straw this week. Actually, I didn't, Heather did, but seeing as she hasn't introduced herself yet, I'm stepping up.

So, what do I know about blogging? There's not much, but here goes:

  • I'm not very creative at choosing a nickname for my son, unlike some other bloggers. He's called "The A Man". For some creative nicknames, check out Good Googs, Where's My Glow and Redcliffe Style.
  • I'm still learning a lot about blogging, especially working with brands. It's hard sticking to my topic, especially when there are so many cool products out there to promote.
  • I'm not the best writer in the world, but I can write some half decent blog posts.
  • Part of the fun of blogging is getting out there to find great places to blog about.
  • Blogging is a lot of fun.
  • I love being able to schedule blog posts… this post was written last night after The A Man went to bed…

I think that's enough for now… need to keep something up my sleeve for next time!

So, what do you know?

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Hello from a Bored Mum

September 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

Hi, I'm Amy. I have a son nicknamed The A Man. I run a blog called The Bored Mum's Guide to Melbourne. The A Man and I explore Melbourne and I blog about it.

It seems strange blogging about blogging, but I'll do my best to share any tips I have with you. I'm not as well known as some of the other bloggers out there, but we all have to start somewhere…

Right now, I know I'm having fun. My blog is helping me get out of the house and I'm discovering all sorts of places that I never knew existed – and I've lived in Melbourne all my life!!

I'm gearing up to move my blog from WordPress to a self hosted site. This is a big step for me as it means I'm now spending money on my blog, at least more than just train tickets, entry fees and coffee.

I hope you find my posts useful in building your blogs and, if you're further along in your blogging journey, you can help me by answering some of my questions.

xx Amy

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