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Life Lately- Family, Blogging, & Summer Fun
Hey everyone! I feel like it’s been forever and a day since I’ve got on here and just “chatted” with you guys, so today’s post is just that. I’m sharing what’s been going on in my world, why you’ve been seeing a little less of me this Summer, and exciting things ahead!
Life Lately
I took a little break from the blog and social media last week and I must say it felt amazing to a. sleep in and b. just relax and not worry about 98,700 things on my to-do list. I’ve really been trying to take a step back from the blog this summer and spend more time with my kids while they’re on break, so if you’ve not been seeing as much from me, that’s why.
To be honest, that’s the whole reason I wanted to start a blog and be my own boss to begin with. Being able to take time off and set my own schedule according to when my kids are on breaks is such a blessing and I try to take advantage of it as much as I can.
Although the Type A in me wants to beat myself up over not getting as much done on my blog this summer, the Mom in me is soaking it all in. I try to remind myself that they’re only little once and one day I’ll look back on it and really cherish these summers and time spent together. (Plus let’s be real, even a “step-back” from my normal blogging schedule is still a lot of weekly hours #lifeofablogger)
The boys and I have been enjoying lots of day dates to the park, backyard fun on the trampoline, and we even managed a trip to our huge downtown library this past weekend.
I was so excited to get my hands on the new book from lifestyle blogger, Rachel Hollis. In case you haven’t heard of it, it’s called “Girl, Wash Your Face” and although I haven’t yet finished it, it’s such a GREAT read so far.
Rachel talks about letting go of all the negative thoughts and fears that holds us back in life and how to let go of the comparison trap in order to be the best version of you. Definitely worth checking out, if you struggle with comparison and self-doubt.
I’ve actually followed Rachel on her blog for a few years now and I love watching and supporting the success of other lifestyle bloggers. Plus, writing my own book to help other women has always been a huge dream of mine, so this just fuels my creative fire that much more! 😉
Blogging
On the blogging front, I have some amazing collaborations coming soon to the blog, with brands that I absolutely LOVE. I’m so excited to share them with you, as I know it’s brands that you all really love too. (For IG stories sneak peeks, be sure and follow me on Instagram here!)
I’ve also really been working hard behind the scenes this year on growing my traffic, improving my SEO, and mastering Pinterest. Pinterest and Google bring in the most traffic on my blog, so it only makes sense for me to invest in courses to help me continually improve my site.
One of the courses that has helped me tremendously this year is the new Adventures in SEO course from Lena over at Adventures in Blogging. I took the course when it was first released in March and by the end of April I had literally doubled my traffic!
Related: Best Blogging Tools & Resources for Growing Your Blog
I used to ignore SEO, mostly because I didn’t have a clue about what it was or how to do it, but this SEO course really helps simplify things and shows you how to optimize your blog posts for both Pinterest and Google, in order to get the most traffic possible.
The course doesn’t open back up for enrollment until August, but if you’re interested you can get on the waitlist here to be alerted when it’s open!
Feel free to check out some of her other courses over here, like Traffic Transformation which is another course I’ve taken and absolutely LOVE.
(Use code = 10julygift to save $10 off any Adventures in Blogging course. Expires: July 31, 2018 )
Catch Up On My Latest Posts
If you’re like me and you haven’t been online as much this summer, you can catch up on all my summer posts below! Lots of fun family + travel posts and of course helpful beauty tips and recommendations. And for all my baking lovers- be sure and check out three summertime treats below.
Family/Travel-
- 5 Tips to Protect Your Family’s Skin From The Sun
- 10 Essentials To Pack for Your Next Summer Vacation
- Smart Tips for Visiting Zoo Atlanta
- Family Weekend Getaway At Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta
- Important Life Lessons My Boys Taught Me
Beauty/Tips-
- Summer Beauty/Fashion Favorites
- Honest BoxyCharm Review- Is It Worth It?
- New Summer Makeup To Try
- Essentials For An At-Home Spa Day
- How to Do Microdermabrasion At-Home
Recipes-
Summer Fun
As mentioned above, our summer has been full of days at the park, swimming in the pool, and just enjoying time spent together.
We just recently took a short trip back up to Virginia for a few days and it was so nice to get to see all our family. I hadn’t been home in over 9 months, so it was nice to soak in the mountain views and catch up with everyone.
Here’s some photos from our Summer so far.
Little man graduated from second grade and celebrated his 8th birthday all in one day in May! He’s a huge Roblox fan, so I made him this simple, yummy cake for his b-day.
We also had an amazing 4th of July celebration with our family. As always, it was a lot of great food, fireworks, and fun.
I just love these cute graphic tees from Old Navy on the boys!
Fun outings
Pool days
Hope you enjoyed catching up with me today on the blog and hearing about what we’ve been up to this summer. Now it’s your turn- How has your summer been going so far? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by! – Cara
Your little family is so beautiful! I’m so happy you’re spending time with your kids more this summer rather than using all your free time to blog. When I was a kid, spending time with my mom and dad was my favorite thing to do!
Aw, thank-you so much! That’s what I hope my kids will say one day. 🙂
Such a sweet family! It looks like you are having an amazing summer!
Thank-you! We really are- in one way I’m sad that they start school back next week.
Good for you for taking this time with your family! It looks like you’ve been having lots of fun! I just started that book too and I love it so far.
Thank-you! We’ve just been enjoying a low-key summer and at the end of the day that’s what’s most important is spending time with them. Also- I’m just a couple chapters away from being finished with Girl, Wash Your Face, and it’s SO good. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it too!
Awww your boys are such sweethearts!! Glad to hear it’s been a great summer- and sometimes less time blogging is good to clear the head!
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com
Thank-you so much! I definitely agree with that. I can spend all the time being super busy with blogging when they’re in school, but when they’re on break I want to be there for them.
Good for you for taking time off to spend with your family! That is what’s most important in life anyway. I bought Wash Your Face on Prime Day, so I can’t wait to jump into it.
Thank-you! I definitely agree with you! And hope you enjoy it- it’s such a great read and super inspiring.
So many things to do in the summer, it’s going by way too fast!
I agree- it feels like it’s absolutely flown by!
Loved all of the pictures and really loved seeing you guys this Summer back in Virginia .. We really miss you guys and can’t wait to take the trip down your way to spend a few days with you and Rob and the boys. So proud of you and your family and love you very much. Dad
Thanks, we love you too!
It can be such a balancing act but taking a step back and enjoying time with your boys will always win! I love all of the fun you’ve been having and look forward to your upcoming collaborations. I need to check out that SEO course. Sierra Beautifully Candid
I agree! I never want to put my work ahead of my family, because they’re what’s most important. And that SEO course has been super helpful- let me know if you have any questions about it if you’re interested. 🙂
So excited to hear about your upcoming collabs! And yay for time with the fam – SO important and so refreshing <3
Green Fashionista
Thanks girl! It’s been nice to be a little more relaxed with blogging this summer.
You have a beautiful family! So glad you were able to enjoy some time with them. Can’t wait to see all the surprises you have in store. That pink lip makes your eyes pop! it looks so good on you
Thank you so much! I’m a pink lipstick girl for sure! 😉
Looks like you’ve been having so much fun glad you’ve gotten to spend more time with your kids! And that SEO course sounds awesome!
xo
Sami
The Classic Brunette
Thank-you, we’ve been having a blast. And that course has been amazing! Definitely one worth investing in for sure.
Looks like you all are doing summer up right! Time with your boys during their time out of school totally takes priority over blogging.
I couldn’t agree more, Rebecca. It’s been really nice to spend more one-on-one time with them. 🙂
It looks like you guys have been having a lot of fun this summer and making some wonderful memories! I have Girl Wash Your Face on my to read list. I wish my library had it, but I will probably just end up purchasing it eventually.
Thank-you! It’s been a blast. And it’s so good that I do plan to purchase. Definitely one I can see myself re-reading and referencing back to for inspiration.
It’s always nice to take a little break. And I’m sure your boys are loving it too.
We’ve been having a blast. The way I see it is they’re only little once. 🙂
Looks like you’ve had a great summer with the kiddos!! That’s so good. Cherish that time while you can… there’s plenty of work to do when they go back to school. 😉 Excited about your upcoming collaborations (including the bralette one – you hottie!!) because you always do great work on the things you enjoy and believe in! I also always appreciate your course recommendations. It can be so tough to sort through all the noise on them!
Thank you SO much, Sara! Your comments always make my day- seriously. I couldn’t agree more that I’ll have all the time in the world to work when they’re back in school so I’m trying to soak it all in while I can. And thanks, I’m really excited for what’s in store for my blog this fall. Blogging is something I’m passionate about and I love sharing/helping out others whenever I can. If you ever have any specific questions about courses don’t hesitate to reach out- I’m all about being honest with others because I know it’s an investment and I don’t like wasting my money on fluff courses either lol. Hope you’re having a great Tuesday, friend!
What a fun summer!! You’ll never regret picking your family over your to do list 🙂 I have to remind myself of that regularly. Excited to see the collaborations you’ve got in the works.
Absolutely! Thanks so much, hope you all are having a great summer too!