Search This Blog

Sunday, February 10, 2013

BBHQ February Task ~ Blogger's Office & Organization


I wasn't sure if I should jump on this month's task, as I already know I'm not the most organized person out there. However, for someone as disorganized as I am, I have sort of a system that surprisingly works for me, lol....Read on to find out more :D

  • Where do you blog? Do you have a space dedicated to your blogging work? An office, a table, a corner of your room... 
    • I live in an apartment and I'm rather limited on space. Plus I also share a room with my daughter. I have an old computer desk that I keep in our room. I dump anything and everything on it, so yeah it's a disaster zone, lol. The desk is also falling apart but because it's huge and heavy. I've not gotten rid of it yet. I can certainly use a new desk and when I do get one, I'd probably go with something smaller. 

Here's a glimpse at how messy my desk is :-/. My nail polishes are all over the place.

    • Fortunately, I have my beauty related stuff on separate desk, which is a little more organized.  



  • What do you blog on? Computer, laptop, tablet... what do you recommend? 
    • I blog on my desktop. I sometime have connectivity issues with the router, which is in the living room. Sometimes connection lags or dies and I have to reboot the router a few times, which can be annoying.  There's nothing in particular I would recommend. As long as you are comfortable and happy with what you have, that's what matters. Otherwise a fast computer and connectivity is always a huge plus. 
  • Do you have any blogging rituals? Drinks, music, movie, candles...
    • Well, I don't know if that's considered a ritual, but perhaps more of a habit. I work on my blog on a nightly basis. When you don't see me post something, you can be certain that I'm working on stuff for my blog behind the scene. Even when I am tired as hell, I'm sitting at my desk working on my blog, lol. I've often found myself dozing off on my chair. No joke. This is how serious I am about blogging. I work on it as if it is my second job, well sort of, except that it's more fun.
    • I blog because it's therapeutic for me. It lets me unwind from the daily stress. It allows me to be sane and enjoy beautiful things. It allows me to think, to be creative, and productive in some ways.  
  • How do you keep your blogging ideas organized? Notepad, planner, post-its...
    • I kind of work on my blog like an assembly line. First step, I always take pictures of new items as soon as I get home from my shopping trip or as soon as I receive them. Also whenever I'm in a photography mode, I take as many pictures of products and swatches I plan on reviewing. 
    •  The second step is editing. I also edit my pictures in bulk as soon as time allows as well. Once I have the pictures out of the way, I upload them into Picasa and start drafting my posts. If I'm in the mood to post right away, I do so.

This folder, along with sub-folders, is where I keep all my blog pictures
    • The third step is to test the products for a few days. I type whatever I can on my drafts and once I have a good feel for the product, I update my drafts. I try to take advantage of the weekends to write the majority of the contents. Once my draft is complete and I am satisfied with it, I post it. Sometimes I manage to get ahead of the game and I try really hard not to post 5 posts in a day, lol, cause as soon as I'm done I have this urge to just post it. 


    • I find that the "assembly line" system works really well for me and I get a lot of posts done this way.
    • I save random ideas or things I want to do for my blog on a phone app that allows me to take notes. I refer back to it whenever I'm caught up with my blog or run out of ideas. I rarely write anything down on a piece of paper because I'm very likely to lose it.
  • Do you have a blogging schedule for the week? Or the month? If so, how do you stay on top of it all?
    • With me anything goes...It's usually what I feel like I wanna do at the moment and what I have available. My goal is to deliver 1-3 post daily. I typically try to post new products or limited collections as soon as possible. Otherwise for items that have been on the market for a while and are permanent, I don't really rush unless I feel the urge to or I am caught up.
  • If you review products, how do you keep track of what needs to be reviewed in your collection?
    • I try to review most products within a week of two from the time I purchase them. If I take any longer, I am likely to forget or lose interest as I am constantly shopping and acquiring new products. 
    • Again I always draft everything on Blogger so I check back on my drafts to see which one I left off, which one needs some more work, and which ones are ready to post.  
  • What do you do with all your "old" data? Photos, videos, extra drives, online storage...
    • I still have all of my pictures saved. I guess I need to find the time to delete stuff I don't need cause it's sure taking a lot of space. Fortunately, I have an external hard drive for additional storage. 


    • The original pictures are saved in date order. The edited pictures that I use for my blog are saved by category. I have a folder where I dump everything new. Those are the ones I know I need to review and work on. Once I'm done reviewing and posting them, I move the pictures to the corresponding folder. 
  • For fun, what beauty/non-beauty products do you need to have on hand near your blogging station? Hand lotion, lip balm, chewing gum...
    • Water.
    • Snacks, candy, or food. Sometimes I like to munch when I'm busy working on my blog.
    • My phone.
So that's pretty much it, I guess. I ended up writing a lot more than I anticipated. What do you think of my so-called blog organization? How do you keep your blog organized?


    11 comments:

    1. I really like your assembly line approach. I tend to do blogs one at a time which is really hindering my progress.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Perhaps you can integrate that "assembly line" system and see if you get more done. Personally, for me it has been very productive, which is how I am able to post almost every single day.

        Delete
    2. I'm so disorganized also! I'm trying to get a little better at it though. For example, I need to set out a box labeled "empties" for my monthly empty bottles and packages rather than scattering them all over the desk until I'm ready to film or type up a monthly post! Hopefully I'll get my act together in 2013.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. That sounds pretty doable. I'm confident you won't have any trouble doing so.

        Delete
    3. Aw, I loved your post! And your helpful photos! :) I need to get back into the habit of created drafts and working on multiple posts. After having my last child, I totally got out of my blogging routine and have been itching to get back into a cleaner process. You've inspired me!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Thanks! I'm glad this post was inspiring. I can only imagine how hard it must be to have young children to tend to and maintain a blog. I'm fortunate my kids are older and don't really need much attention anymore. You have an awesome blog as well. Keep up the good work :)

        Delete
      2. Yes, it is a juggle to manage the house, kids and my websites, but blogging's too fun to slow down ;)
        Thank you for the kind words! oxo

        Delete
    4. I really liked this post. Thanks for taking the time share it with us. Thanks for all of your tips and swatches. It seems like so much work, but I really appreciate it.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. It is a lot of work, especially if you are meticulous and particular in how you like things done. But hard works is more rewarding in my opinion.

        Delete
    5. I found your blog through BBHQ. I diffidently need to start saving my photos since I tend to delete them after I add them to a post. Now following your blog via GFC!

      -Angelica @ angelicadiscovers.com

      ReplyDelete

    Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you found the contents helpful. Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated and I'd love to read what you think. I'd be glad to respond to any questions you may have in a timely fashion.

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...