The Best Apps for Bloggers

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

When you first start blogging, you might just pull out a laptop one day and decide it's a good day to start a blog. Your photo quality may not be great, your photos probably aren’t all that impressive, and it may not be until later that you'd like to step it up and work on delivering more professional content. I definitely have made a lot of blogging mistakes along the way, but a lot has changed since my first year of blogging. When you're ready to take your leap into the world of more serious blogging, using applications will make your workflow as smooth as possible and provide a lot of support for you. Many applications even have a free package that will work well for you. Here are some great apps to check out!

Photos

Photography and editing photos are the bread and butter of blogging. They affect not only your blog itself, but also your Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter accounts, and so much more. You want them to be slick and easy to access. Icloud sharing is fantastic for this. Of course, that will only work if you own something in the Apple family - an iMac, Macbook, or iPad. The file transfers take seconds. SmugMug comes highly recommended for ease of access to high-res images when you don’t want to compromise on quality and aren’t at home. Of course, for things like screenshots for information step-by-step guide style posts, you should read https://setapp.com/how-to/screenshot-on-mac. I also really love working with Canva for easy, high quality posts and labels for Pinterest-friendly titles. Before using Canva, consider using filters on Preview, Lightroom, or Adobe Photoshop. If you need free use photos, Unsplash is a great option!

Social Media

Once you have written a post, you can't just post it and be done. In fact, writing the post is only the beginning of the work most of the time. After all, you created the content for people to read and enjoy. In order to do that, you need to share it- as much as possible, and sometimes even more than once on a platform! It is worth remembering that even though the blogging world might seem small and oversaturated - you can’t over saturate the internet - it is limitless. So share a lot and often. Hootsuite is very popular and manages all of your social media in one space. It's especially great if you hate swapping between tools. Buffer now has more options than it has in previous years, and the free package is worth checking out. Once you have that in order, creating a drip feed campaign with MissingLettr will serve you well too. You can also stick to simple schedulers like Tailwind, which is a nice option I use.

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

Writing

You may not always be home when inspiration for a great post shows up. There are a few spaces that offer great ways to capture those ideas that pop up on the fly. I've even used text- to- speech before to get great blog posts started while I'm driving. Google Docs is a leading contender - they are constantly introducing new tools within docs. Slack is great if you are working with a virtual assistant, or need to be in communication with people often. Trello is perfect for arranging your to-do list and having it there on your phone to access instantly, and Pocket is a quick way to save pages that you want to read later. I love just sitting and writing on Blogger for my posts, but some people even kick it old school and hand write some draft of posts! 

Focus

If you struggle to stay focused, then you really need to think about putting deadlines throughout your day. Staying productive can be exhausting sometimes, but setting goals means you are more likely to get everything done when you need to. Pomodoro is the most popular method to get things done. There are a few options for this in terms of apps:

• FocusBooster
• Be Focused Pro
• Pomodoro Tracker
• Pomelle
• Toggl

When you are creating content, it is better to maximize the time you have, and apps like the ones mentioned are a quick way to streamline what you do and help you get it done better. You can also check out some great blogging books for more info!

All in all, blogging is a rewarding creative outlet, but there is definitely a lot more to it than people may assume at first. It's a great idea to use the tools available for you in order to make it less work and less time-consuming overall. Hope these tips are helpful, friends! 

Currently,

Kelsie

 

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Clint Harp on Why Marriage is a Funeral

"Marriage is a funeral." That's probably one of the last things I expected to hear Clint Harp say when I was invited to attend a meet and greet interview with him last week before the Johnson County Home and Garden Show. Clint is best known for his role as a carpenter on Fixer Upper, but he has also been busy with his own DIY Network Show, Wood Work, and a recently released book Handcrafted. Clint's journey with Harp Design Co. is pretty inspiring, and I was so excited to meet him in person!

My husband, Aaron, was also able to come along with me, which was extra exciting because he teaches a basic woodworking class at his school and loves to build things on the side (like our front room pew). One thing that we liked about Clint was how down to earth he was, along with the fact that he loves to share his story in hopes of inspiring others along the way. Handcrafted isn't all about woodworking, but rather the story that brought Clint to where he is on his journey- all the tiny little steps and people along the way that led him here.

Clint runs Harp Design Co. with his wife Kelly, so they are not only spouses but also business partners. I asked Clint if he had any tips for working with your spouse, and he responded with “Be very careful. It’s hard.” This led into some really beautiful points about marriage (and even business/life in general):

Marriage is a funeral.

“Marriage done well is you allowing this person that you have created to protect you from everything else, to control everything around you, that person has to die. That person is not going to do you any good moving forward.” Man, I love this point, and it is SO true. Numerous times I have found myself sitting in my stubbornness, wanting things a certain way- and not wanting someone else to mess it up. But as Clint said, “That is not going to let me survive, that’s going to kill my marriage.” So marriage is not a funeral because you’re stuck with someone else forever and dying as a result, but rather because you need to die to yourself in order to be willing to open up and let someone else in. That’s love right there. 

Let them royally screw up.

According to Clint, this idea is even harder in business, where you freak out even more about decisions, and feel like everything will undoubtedly fail if you don’t get your way with how high the curtains are hung or what color you’re going to paint the walls. But I loved Clint’s point in this. That in so many areas, “If we want to get better, we have to let each other try things and mess up- to fail in order to get better.” And this is something I’m also not so good at, but it’s so true. Just like I don’t expect perfection from my students - we can’t expect perfection in life, and we certainly can’t expect it from our spouse or loved ones. So let go. Let them royally screw up, and don’t be mean about it. Give them room to grow, and go work on things that you’re good at.

Let them own it. Stay in your lane.

Clint has learned that he has to step out of the way in several areas and “Let [Kelly] own it— and she lets me own my stuff, and the more we do that with each other the better it gets.” Clint also has this same approach with his employees, and I love that. No one can feel good about what they’re doing if no one lets them truly do it, or if they constantly feel you breathing down their neck. And when you stay in your lane and let other people be in theirs, it’s a beautiful thing when they start asking you to come into their lane- to help them out, and to just them be themselves but “when you are constantly forcing yourself on each other, it doesn’t happen”. Yes. We may be offense and defense, but we’re all on the same team. That’s powerful stuff. I think it’s a safe bet that Clint’s employees, along with his wife Kelly, appreciate this approach, and I’m pretty dang inspired to do the same in my own life.

In case you're interested in other nuggets from Clint:

We knew that Clint started his business with really no money, so we asked him what advice he had for those lacking the finances to fund their dreams. His answer: take the little steps. Keep taking tiny steps along the way, even when you can't see the end result yet. This is how he ended up going from totally broke to someone who now employs over 30 people. He may have only been able to pay his first employee $750 cash every two weeks, but with the help of local bankers, they just kept inching their way forwards towards their dreams.

Clint's story is an incredible testament to the idea that one little small thing can set you on a crazy path to something huge. From time working in ministry, serving as a missionary overseas, taking a medical sales job, moving back to Waco, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, and then eventually buying the Habitat building for a shop, along with buying the house next door for $10,000: it has been a crazy ride. Oh, and did you know that he met Chip Gaines at a gas station one day while filling up after playing at the park with his kids? If you remove any of those small steps, there's a chance that none of it may have happened. That's inspiring. Nothing is by chance. Nothing is wasted!

You can read all about this (and more) in Handcrafted. I'm reading it on my trip this week, and I can't wait to let you know what I think. (Be sure to follow along on Instagram for more!) In the meantime, visit the Harp Design Co. website at https://harpdesignco.com/ and use code HARP10 for 10% off of your purchase of anything! Treat yourself!

Currently,
Kelsie

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Can Your Blogging Career Become a Business?

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Currently, Kelsie.

In the world of blogging, you’ll often find that there are two types of people. There are those that have started out with a blog kind of on a whim. They’ve created their own platform to share their stories, their ideas, or to talk about a particular topic that they love, with no real intentions. (That was pretty much me at the start, and is still a big part of why I'm here in this space!) A lot of the time, this is when blogging is a hobby. But that’s not always the case. There are also the bloggers out there that have started this as a business. They’ve started out on this blogging journey with every intention of it becoming their full-time job and even a really big business! When you fall into the latter camp, you can often wonder just how the business bloggers did it.

Source

Even if you’ve started a blog as a hobby, it can definitely become your business. Because that’s the beauty of blogs and websites - they can make money! Right now, you may not really know how they do it, or how they can be transformed into businesses in their own right. But that’s okay!  It’s not something that you can change overnight or put in place to start generating an income right away, but if you do want to turn your blog into a business (and a big business at that), you can. You just need to put the work in. Here's how you can do it.

See It As A Business

The very first thing you need to do is shift your mindset. Because when you’re thinking about your blog as a hobby, you’ll probably treat it as one. And when it comes to creating a business out of your blog, you have to start to see it like one. This means prioritizing the work that you need to do for your business above everything else, and even taking a more business-minded approach to your blogging process in terms of your systems and planning.

Create A Plan

Planning is a huge part of turning your blog into a business in its own right (or really doing anything, for that matter!). The first kind of plan that will help you to do that is a business plan itself. You may wonder why you need to do this, because not every blogging business has completed a business plan. But if you want to make sure that you have a sense of direction, and that you will be able to start thinking of your blog as a business, this plan will help you do it!

Consider Monetization Options

As part of your business plan, and just to be able to turn your blog into a business in general, you need to think about how you want to make money from your blog. There are tons of different ways that you can make money from your blog, and there are even monetization options for smaller blogs too. Do you want to sell ads? Write posts? Use affiliate links? The list goes on and on: you just need to look through your options and work on a plan to implement different ideas.

Increase Your Traffic

From here, you then need to think about your traffic: mainly for two reasons. The first is that the readers that are visiting your site are kind of like your first group of customers. They are the ones that read your blog, may potentially buy products from you, and will allow you to make money through avenues such as advertising and affiliate marketing. So generating more traffic is always a good idea. But secondly, you may also want to increase your traffic so that you have stats to share with advertisers and the businesses that may want to work with you on projects too.

Push Your Marketing

At the same time, you’re also going to want to think about pushing your marketing activity. Not only is this a great idea to help increase your traffic, but it’s a way to raise awareness of your blog, increase more interest in your content, and generally make sure that your business is getting the customers you want it to.

Source

Hire Some Help

Next, you’re going to want to think about bringing some help onboard, because you may soon find that you can’t do everything yourself. It’s a lot of work to try and run an entirely blogging business on your own. However, when you’re able to hire some help, whether that’s a virtual assistant, a marketing consultant, or a website designer, you won’t have to do everything on your own, and you’ll probably find that you’re able to generate more money as a result.

Do Your Homework

From here, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve covered most of the business paperwork that you need to do. Whether that’s applying for licenses or processing taxes, you’ll need to work out what you need to do and then get on top of things as a legitimate business.

Sell Yourself

As much as you may not be used to it, your next job is to then start selling yourself. Basically, you need to think about networking. You’ll want to start to network with potential advertisers and business customers that you can work with in the future. This is something that you can do both online and offline.

Set Up Shop

From here, you may want to think about your setup. When things start to get big, you may want to create an office or look into commercial properties that will be suitable. It’s not for everyone, but if you want your blog to feel like a business, setting up an office is a great way to do that.

Grow, Expand & Plan For The Future

Finally, you’re then going to want to start thinking ahead. This is something that not everyone is always comfortable with. But if you want to make sure that your business has a future and can continue to grow, then you need to know where you’re heading. Expanding can be fun, so definitely start to think about where you want to take things in the future.

Are you ready to bring your blog to the next level? How did you turn your blog into a business? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Go get um!

Currently,

Kelsie

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My Two Year Blogging Anniversary

The blog is two years old this week, and I can hardly believe it! The last two years have definitely been a journey. To be honest, at times I've wondered if I should keep blogging. After all, it can be hard to juggle with a full-time job, ministry, and some much-needed time unplugged (not to mention the Baby we have on the way). But you know what? Every time I start to doubt myself, something fabulous happens: someone sends me a wonderful message, reaches out for a new sponsorship opportunity, or simply tells me that they loved reading a post. And then it all makes sense again, and I feel a renewed sense of vision for this little piece of the internet.

Last year I shared Five Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging, and I would say that they all still ring true: ESPECIALLY number one and number three. This year, I wanted to celebrate year two by looking at some of the lessons and highlights from the year, as well as share a few goals I'm setting for year three. And of course, I've wanted to take a little time to thank you, because this blog wouldn't exist without all of you fabulous readers!

Highlights:

It's been such a joy to see this blog grow during year two. Although it's not all about page views, pins, or social media followers, it means so much to me to see growth in these areas. Along with this, I've been excited about new partnership and collaboration opportunities. I've taken some risks this year with the blog, and I've learned from both the successes and failures along the way. My biggest highlight would simply be some of the amazing conversations I've had with so many folks this year, especially as a result of posts like Nine Reasons I'm Afraid to Have a Baby and 5 Ways I'm Conquering My Pregnancy Fears. Although I'm no counselor, I love seeing the ways that sharing these vulnerable posts has led to amazing conversation and community!

Currently, Kelsie

Top Posts of the Year (In case you missed them!):

• Five Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging
• Nine Reasons I'm Afraid to Have a Baby
• What No One Tells You About Your Mid-Twenties
• What We've Got to Stop Telling Young Married Couples 
• Gender Neutral Nursery Inspiration 

Lessons:

• Don't give up on a dream. Even when it's hard or time-consuming or scary. 
• Be real: that's when you are your best. People want to see you for who you are. There are enough fake people in the world already. 
• People are dying to ask questions, if only you start the conversation. You never know who may need to hear (or read) exactly what you've got to say.

 

Goals for Year Three:

• Write a book? It's a dream of mine...
• Grow my readership and social media followers. I've seen numbers double this year, and would love to do it again in the coming year!
• One sponsored post a month. I'd love to monetize a bit more to help with baby costs, while still remaining true to the Currently, Kelsie mission and focus.
• Add a new motherhood focus (while still blogging about other stuff too).
• Take time OFF with Baby K. Like seriously, off from work, off from blogging, off from it all!

Thank You!!!

I just wanted to end this post by thanking each and every one of you for all of your love and support over the last couple of years. I so appreciate the comments, clicks, shares, and just real-life conversations that come as a result of sharing my words in this place every now and then. Thank you for believing in me, cheering me on, and pushing me to be my best. Thank you for making me feel like my time blogging is worthwhile. And thank you for filling this space with your own heart, stories, and selves. Y'all are the very best and I couldn't do it without you! I'm excited to see what year three together brings, and I hope you'll come along for the journey.

Currently,
Kelsie

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8 Blogging Mistakes I'm Guilty of Making

Blogging is definitely not easy, but there are so many mistakes that are easy to make with each and every post. Like I shared in 5 Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging, maintaining and growing a blog is a lot of work, and there is always something new to be learning and mastering. As bloggers, we've got to give ourselves a whole lot of grace, and constantly reflect and learn from our mistakes. Here are eight mistakes I'm guilty of making, how I'm learning from them, and how they can be avoided.

 

1. Being Afraid to Promote My Work

From the start, I'd spend time writing a post I was proud of and excited about, but then I would just sit and wait for people to read it. I had a Facebook page, Pinterest account, and Instagram account, but I wasn't using them to promote content regularly. As time has passed, I've had to teach myself that sharing content on social media and asking people to follow along was a good thing. Of course, I want to find a good balance and not over-promote, but I've got to share what I write if I want people to read it. As bloggers, we can't be shy about promoting our work.

 

2. Trying to Post Too Often

It's easy to feel like you're not posting enough when you see lots of fabulous blogger and writers posting multiple times a day. But as someone who works a full time job outside of blogging, it's just not realistic for me to blog more than a few times a week. I've finally landed on about two posts a week, and I think it's consistent enough but also manageable. I also have to give myself grace in the fact that sometimes I may only post once a week. We've got to be flexible and focus on quality over quantity.

3. Forgetting My Audience 

I think there's something so important about being vulnerable and real with our readers. After all, that's the heart of this blog in the first place. At the same time, when sharing personal posts I have to remember that my audience needs to find something of value in my post. Sure, it's fun to follow along and learn a little more about my life, but if the reader doesn't learn something, think in a new way, or find what I say to be valuable, then they won't come back to read more another time. As bloggers, we've got to ensure that we are giving our audience something worth reading.

4. Letting Numbers Determine My Worth

In the world of blogging, it is so, so easy to let numbers and page views and followers seemingly shape your worth. I've found that it's easy to get frustrated or impatient about growth in social media or other types of follows. But you know what? I didn't start blogging because of page views. Sure, I want people to read what I write. But I'm still learning and growing and figuring it all out, and I can't solely determine my success based on a series of digits. If I do, it's easy to doubt myself and feel like I'm too scared to really go all in with blogging. We've got to give ourselves grace and room to grow in this area.

5. Forgetting Vertical Pins

This one is Pinterest specific, but it's so important. I love including lots of great images in my posts, but I often forget to include a vertical image that can easily be pinned and shared on the web. Pinterest loves vertical pins, and I hurt myself for the first year and a half by only sharing horizontal images. I should probably go back and update these images, but I've yet to square away time to do it. Word to the wise, get those vertical images in the first time around! You definitely won't regret it, and will see huge growth in engagement.

6. Considering Others Competition, Instead of Community

I think it's just human nature to constantly compare ourselves (and our success) to others. When it comes to blogging, there are so many others out there that it can make you feel like a total failure on a daily basis. I constantly have to remind myself that other bloggers are knowledgeable, valuable, potential friends who have much to share- and I have much to learn. I've always loved the statement "Don't compare some your beginning to someone else's middle", and it's so true. Just because I've got fewer page likes or Instagram followers doesn't mean I have to be disengaged with or jealous of another blogger. It's much the opposite- that bloggers have to unite and provide community for one another.

7. Neglecting My Newsletter Subscribers 

The struggle with newsletter subscribers is real, y'all! Anyone else feel my pain? I started out promoting my newsletter subscription and getting some people on board, but I honestly have done nothing with it for months and I've totally neglected those who have signed up. I guess I feel like it's just one more thing to do. I know it's important though, so I'm working to be more consistent in this area. Any tips from you bloggers out there?

8. Slacking with SEO Optimization 

Another area where I've really dropped the ball is when it comes to consistent SEO optimization. Sure, I like to think of good titles and the occasional keyword, but I really haven't done a tone of research or focused much on optimization. Although it isn't the end all to blogging, I do recognize that it could help bring readers and success to my blog, and thus I need to dedicate a little more time to it. That's on my list of goals for the next year.

What mistakes are you making in the blogging world? How can you make some changes to bring fresh life and success to your writing? I'm all about learning from others, and would love for you to join in the conversation with a comment below, or on the Currently, Kelsie Facebook page. I'd love to have you follow along! Cheers to community and meeting the needs of our readers with renewed success and excitement.

Currently,
Kelsie

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Five Things Every Blog Post Needs

As I begin year two of Currently, Kelsie, I'm starting to see my approach to blogging change. If I'm honest, a whole lot of year one was figuring out what I wanted the blog to be, how to really grow my audience, and what I wanted to focus my writing on. I didn't do a lot of research "pre-blogging". I chose more of the "learn it as I go" route. But now, I feel like I'm starting to get into a groove when it comes to crafting a post. So here are five things every blog post needs, and some tips on how to make them happen.

1. Meaningful Content

A blog post isn't anything without meaningful content. You can have all the bells and whistles in the world, but if your actual content doesn't have purpose that your audience finds valuable, they won't keep reading. What are things you've always wanted to know more about? What do you know that's worth sharing with others?

2. A Great Title that's SEO Friendly

Titles. Are. Everything. Readers want to know what your post is about (and what they'll get out of reading it), just from a few simple words. Not to mention, this title will be what readers look for in your archives, on google searches, and in your pin-worth pictures! If you need help figuring out how to make your post more SEO Friendly, check out this awesome post from Yoast!

3. Pin-Worthy Pictures (That Match Your Brand)

If titles are everything, pictures are a close second. You know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words. When choosing a photo, try to take your own, and make it as high quality as possible. If that's not possible, find some free stock photos on great websites like Unsplash or Pexels. Definitely be careful not to use photos that aren't free use without citing your source. After choosing your photo, work to brand your image using editing sites like Photoshop, Canva, or PicMonkey. Keep in mind, longer photos get more "view time" on Pinterest. If the photo in your post isn't pin worthy, odds are it won't be pinned (and then you miss out on traffic).

4. Links to Previous Content

It's a fact of blogging: not all of your readers will see every single post you've written. So if you've got great, relevant posts that tie seamlessly into your post, link them up! Let your readers know that you've got helpful information that's worth their time, and encourage them to read more of your words. It's also a good idea to have a "popular posts" or "recent posts" widget or section on your blog for people to read some of your best work!

5. A Call to Action

Once your readers get to the end of your post, give them a chance to act. Let them know how to follow you on social media, how to join your email subscription list, or even share other posts they should check out on the same topic. How are readers supposed to do these things if they don't know that they can? Sometimes, it just takes simply asking. It's also a great idea to embed these things into the end of a post, or make a short list for them!

I hope these tips help you navigate your posts, and maybe look at them in a new way!

Currently,
Kelsie

Here are a few other posts on blogging that you may like:

Five Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging 

2015: A Year in Review

When Blogging Becomes Ministry 

Are you following along with Currently, Kelsie on Facebook? Join us! 

Today's the day, y'all! I dreamed and dreamed, painted and repainted (and repainted again). And today, I'm finally...
Posted by Currently, Kelsie on Monday, January 25, 2016

I'm linking up with A. Liz Adventures,  The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Grace and Truth, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, and Life in Leggings. 

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5 Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging

As of yesterday, Currently, Kelsie is officially one year old! If I could share a big piece of birthday cake with you all, I would. It's been such a joy to see what started with a simple domain name morph and blossom into much more over the last 365 days. I've watched blogging become a type of ministry, readers unite over shared stories and vulnerability, and this small little corner of the internet grow into a community. I've learned how to run a weekly link party, apply for affiliate programs, and edit my own HTML code. But more than that, I've walked away with these 5 lessons- ideas that all bloggers (newbies or veterans alike) can be reminded of.

1. Choose community OVER competition. 

Like so many other areas of our lives, it is so so easy to look around the blogging world and be incredibly discouraged. Comparison can be hard. People will always have more page views, more Facebook followers, or more sponsored posts than you do. If others are succeeding, it's easy to think that you can't- and it's easy to shy away from "competitors". But I have found other bloggers to be the most amazing source of community and support. To truly succeed, you've got to have a solid blogging group or two and a community to share blogging life with. Once I stopped seeing other bloggers as people to "beat", I met so many wonderful and encouraging people!

2. Photos and titles can make or break a post.

I learned pretty quickly that quality photos are necessary for any good blog post. If you really want to have quality photos, take your own (or find free stock photos), and then create your own labels or titles on your pictures using Canva, Picmonkey, or Photoshop. Let's be honest, you've got to pull people in with your keywords, titles, and pictures far before you ever get them to read your entire post. Also, list posts (like this one) are the best!

3. There is always room to learn and grow in the blogging world.

Holy. Smokes. There is a whole heck of a lot to know about blogging. HTML code, plug-ins, alt text for photos, Google Analytics, Pinterest plug ins, link parties, the list goes literally on and on. This can be intimidating at first, but the best approach is to focus on a few things at a time, and then learn a little more and master a little more as you go. Thankfully, there are lots of awesome bloggers out there who are happy to offer lots of advice and feedback along the way. Learning fearlessly is part of my mission, and I love how the blogging world provides for constant learning and growth that keeps me on my toes.

4. Maintaining a blog is a LOT of work. Find balance! 

Blogging is a lot of work, and can be very time-consuming. Sometimes you'll find yourself up super late, finishing a post or commenting on other blogger's content. It's worth it, but can be a little daunting sometimes. Since there can be so much to manage, you'll need to take breaks sometimes to avoid burnout. And guess what- the world will still keep turning! When we went on our 16 day European adventure, I didn't blog or touch social media at all. I prescheduled a few posts and things on Facebook, and enjoyed my time away. I also took a break from social media on my phone from Thanksgiving to Christmas. These times of rest were so valuable, and helped me be present in a world full with technology and looming blog tasks.

5. Be yourself, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there.

The best blogs aren't necessarily the ones that promote the most ads or share the most sponsored posts. Instead, they are the blogs that are real and authentic and true to the author's heart. Otherwise, an audience will see right through your content. Figure out your mission and what drives you as a blogger, then come up with a statement for it. The story behind my tagline helps readers see what makes me tick, and why I'm here.

You've also got to promote a little bit, without being ashamed. It can be scary to start a Facebook page or share posts on social media, but readers don't just show up overnight without any work. And when they do start to show up (or maybe they don't for a while), don't get too focused on the numbers. Statistics are great, but they aren't everything. Don't give up.

If you'd like to see some of the top posts of the year, along with some fun video and silly photos, check out 2015: A Year in Review. 

I hope these lessons help you as you start out or continue to blog. I know I need to be reminded of them sometimes. Thank you to Aaron- my number one supporter! Thanks to anyone who has read, commented, liked, or shared a post (this includes you)- you make it all worth it and I'm so glad you're here! And thanks to my Alder Collective ladies- Abby, Cristi, Kayla, Ashlynn, Lisa, and Brandy- you rock! 

It's been a great year, and I'm excited to see what year number two brings!

Currently,

Kelsie

I'm linking up with  A. Liz Adventures, Motivational Monday, Modest Mom Blog, Me, Coffee, and Jesus, What Joy is Mine, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, Life in Leggings, Tell it to Me Tuesday, Bliss and Faith, Raising Fairies and Knights, Sweet Little Ones, Testimony Tuesday, Intentional Tuesday, The Painted Teacup, Twinkly Tuesday, Sitting Among Friends, Women with Intention, Waiting on Wednesday, and Quintessential Mommy.

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2015: A Year In Review

As 2015 comes to a close, my nostalgic heart loves to look back and fondly remember all that took place this year. Ever since we wrote our love story in our back and forth journal, I've always told Aaron that I want to remember. I want to remember it all, even when we're old and gray and don't have much of a memory left. And so, I write things down. This is just a small part of the reason that I hit "publish" on the first Currently, Kelsie blog post back on January 14, 2015. A lot has changed and happened since then, both in the blogging world and in life. And so, today, I'm here sharing a little year in review for 2015 (complete with words, photos, videos, and the most popular posts of 2015!). Here's to memories, love, joy, and all that this year has been.

Check out our monthly highlights, photos, and silly videos below (as well as links to the top 7 blog posts of 2015)! You'll find some special surprises along the way. 

January

• Rang in the New Year on an amazing, almost-entirely free trip to Cancun!
• Purchased a domain and started Currently, Kelsie !

February

• Had an amazing time playing in the Faculty/Student Courtwarming Game and performing in the debut of the LHS Staffires (See video below for a laugh!)
• Enjoyed a long Valentine's weekend off exploring KC with the hubby

March

• Dabbled in HTML coding and gave the blog a new look!
• LHS Lady Jays Bball went to state- and got 2nd place! 
• Started the Currently, Kelsie Facebook Page
• Went on a Southwest Spring Break Trip

April

• Decided to take blogging a little more seriously
• Worked on our outdoor deck space and planted lots of flowers
• Started the Currently, Kelsie Twitter
• Hit up some Royals games!

May

• Finished up year four of teaching and Aaron said goodbye to teaching Elementary
• Went to Colorado and taught Aaron how to ski!
• Decided to lead EF Tour for Greece

June

• Celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary at Vacation Bible School (See video below for a piece of the action!)
• Joined a Blogging "Tribe"- The Alder Collective
• Relaxed and enjoyed the blessing of summer vacation

I have some pretty talented friends who have incredible hearts for kids to know Jesus. Vacation bible school went up!
Posted by Michelle Jankovich on Thursday, June 18, 2015

July

• Spent a week with some amazing High Schoolers at Castaway YoungLife Camp (see video below for our amazing leader lip sync competition rendition of "My Heart Will Go On")
• Went on a 16 day European Adventure (this post on planning it was the 5th most popular of the year)
• Wrote How to Fly to Europe for Almost Free (4th most popular post of 2015)
• Took a little St. Louis getaway weekend to see Jenn!

One time at Castaway there was a leader lip sync competition and this happened..
Posted by Michelle Jankovich on Monday, July 6, 2015

August

• Aaron started a new job at a new school- teaching Middle School Industrial Tech/History
• Started Coaching Softball
• Wrote Why I'm Still Dating my Husband (my most popular post of 2015!)
• Wrote Things I Don't Regret (6th most popular post of 2015)

September

• Spent Labor Day Weekend in Des Moines with friends
• Wrote Sorority Stereotypes that Aren't True (7th most popular post in 2015)
• Stared renting out our guest room on Airbnb
• Set the record for the winningest coach in C Team history- with three wins

October

• Royals won the WORLD SERIES! We attended the parade with 800,000 of our closest friends
• Started The Alder Collective Link Party
• Enjoy the Bears/Chiefs game in Kansas City
• Wrote Venice in 2 Days: A Travel Guide (2nd Most Popular Post of 2015)

November

• Celebrated Aaron's 25th Birthday with a bday video
• Went on a Non-Stop trip to Dallas with YoungLife kids
• Had a weekend getaway in Oklahoma City for a wedding
• Started my social media fast
• Kept the Thanksgiving day football tradition alive, even in the rain! 

December

• Scotty graduated from College!
• Wrote Meaningful Gifts for Anyone on Your List (3rd most popular post of 2015)
• Prepared for Christmas with our very first Holiday Home Tour

To give you the overall glimpse into the year, check out this One Second Everyday Video from September 2014 to December 2015. I fell off the video train more than I'd like to admit once May came around, but it gives you a one second glimpse into lots and lots of days, making it a 2 min and 46 peek into a year and three months of our life. I'm going to be much better about this in 2016! It's my favorite little collection of memories.



And that's a wrap, folks! See you again back in 2016. Have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year! Thanks for being a party of this journey with me. I am thrilled and honored to have you stop by.

Currently,

Kelsie
Did you know you can follow Currently, Kelsie on Facebook? Come join our community of 400!

Posted by Currently, Kelsie on Saturday, December 19, 2015

I'm linking up with  A. Liz Adventures, Motivational Monday, Modest Mom Blog, Me, Coffee, and Jesus, What Joy is Mine, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Uniquely Unfolded, Grace and Love Blog, Grace and Truth, Running for Cupcakes, Momfessionals, Life in Leggings, Tell it to Me Tuesday, Bliss and Faith, Raising Fairies and Knights, Sweet Little Ones, Testimony Tuesday, Intentional Tuesday, The Painted Teacup, Twinkly Tuesday, Women with Intention, Quintessential Mommy, Messy Marriage, and DIY Just Cuz.  

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