Blogging: A new structure for my posts!

I have been thinking about structuring my blog for a while now, and organize my posts on daily categories. This way, you, my lovely readers, would know what to expect from each day! 

Even though I do think that structuring is a really good idea, and I would have a more organized blog,... at the same time it really scares me as I would have to follow a plan.... And to be honest I am terrible at following plans!

But, starting from next week hopefully I will be posting following these categories:

Monday: My Monday Making 

On Monday I will write posts about all things DIY, as tutorials or project ideas. So here you´ll find news about how my sewing is (not) improving, as my sewing machine is enjoying her stay in my closet, or upcycling or recycling ideas, more reupholstering projects..., drawings, paintings... basically everything crafty.

Tuesday: Tuesday's Style

This day will be dedicated to my ramblings about interior design, fashion and style, or how I adjust to a new body shape. My post-pregnancy shape is still the same as I left the hospital, after 17 months (with no virtual exercise, even though I bought a magazine with some useful exercises, that I am not following...at all!), meaning, big tummy....

I might just post about a wish list (like this post) either for mummy, baby, or our home...

To be quite honest, I don´t usually post on Tuesdays. And I am completely out of either fashion and style.... And starting to exercise and follow the recommended exercises of my old magazine?? Dream on! But it is really easy to write and grow my wish list!

Wednesday: Day off blogging!

Sorry, I definitely won’t be blogging on Wednesdays. That is usually my fieldwork day!

Thursday: Baby and me!

I will write about my adventures as a mummy on Thursday...! This is as topic that I have never-ending stories to share... This would be the category where you would find my comics too (remember this post? And this? And this other one?)... Would be really nice to draw some more comics, but again... it has been so difficult to find the needed time!

I usually link up with Honest Mum.

Friday: Friday's thoughts

On Friday I shall ramble about current news, old news, and intimate thoughts, whatever my mind muses about...!

Basically it will work as an open category. I might even gather some courage and invite other bloggers to write a guest post! Or maybe feature an interview? I would love that... I do however need to gather some courage to do it!

On Fridays I link up with Verily Victorial Vocalizes.

Saturday: Baby and me, our day out!

On Saturdays we always go for an outing. I will be posting about our little adventures, and if we find a really cool outdoor place that is baby friendly I will blog about it, so that you can visit it too!

You can find me linking it at Coombe Mill!

Sunday: My Sunday Photo || The ordinary moments

I have been posting every Sunday a photo that describes an ordinary moment for a time now, and it´s something that I quite enjoy and have been quite consistent too!

I love this category, as by looking back, it´s so easy to remember this little moments that are so ordinary, but amazing at the same time! This is what our life is truly about, and these little moments are so worth remembering! Our life’s are only meaningful because of this little ordinary moments...

So I will continue to do this, and I always link this moment with Onedad3girls and mummydaddyme.

I will do my best to always post on Mondays and Sundays. And if I post on a daily basis (minus wednesdays)...Good for me, but that’s not a sure thing...! 

I am juggling so much at the moment that having two posts per week is quite an achievement!

Quite ambitious, right?

 

I am linking up:

My Liebster Award

The lovely Stephanie, who blogs over at Our next few steps nominated me for a liebster award!

I was really surprised,  happy but mostly honoured to  be nominated. Basically, this award is a way to meet new bloggers and  give other bloggers a chance for them to know you. This is an excellent way to interact with other bloggers, and better yet, get your blog out there too...!

The rules are very simple:
Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog;
Answer their questions in a blog post;
Nominate at least 10 blogs with 400 followers of less for the Liebster Award;
Ask some questions of your own;
let your nominees know you nominated them!

All is explained and now, lets answer the questions prepared by Stephanie:

1. Why did you decide to start blogging?

I don´t have a simple answer for this, so bear with me... I have been through different moments in life that led me to blog, stop and resume blogging again. My very first post went live sometime in 2006, and it just shows a picture of my favourite bush, Magnolia x soulangeana which happens to be the reason why my blog´s name is Magnolia, and why the web address might be considered complicated for some, it´s the landscape architect side of me showing up... I didn´t continue to blog as I didn´t have a real reason to blog at the time. Some years later, late 2013, my partner and I  moved to a new rental and at the time I started and finished some DIY projects and decided to blog about it. I also bought my very first sewing machine and posted about my sewing projects. Then the most wonderful thing happened to us, we became pregnant! Our lives changed completely and my reason to blog was more obvious. I then started to post about motherhood, the little mischiefs of my little one and all things babies and now toddlers, related. I still post about my crafts projects, when I have time to do some.

2. What do you love & hate most about blogging?

What I love about blogging... There are so many things that I love about it...! For starters, I love the blogging community, who mostly is welcoming and so very helpful and friendly! I also love the fact that blogging has pushed me to learn so much about different things as designing techniques, even made me learn about html, and gave me a reason to draw once again!

What I hate? Humm, I don´t think there's any reason for me to hate blogging, otherwise I wouldn´t be doing it at all....

3. If you won £1,000 what would be the first thing you buy?

I have no idea ... maybe I would buy my babynew things that he might need, as usual, like some new outfits or similar... Or I just might  indulge myself with some new fabrics for my sewing projects!

4. How would you describe yourself in three sentences or less?

This is a difficult one!
First and foremost I am a mother, which pretty much defines me and influences anything that I do. I am also a post-grad student and I have to finish my doctorates degree at some point this year which means that I am a really  stressed up person! I am also a very friendly and social, although very shy; I love hanging out with my friends which rarely happens nowadays; finally I am a caffeine addict and I also love to end the day with a nice glass of red. 

5. Name one thing you would never change about yourself?

Another difficult one! My forgiving and caring nature.... these two are very important these days.

6. Tell us your most embarrassing memory?

I have so many of these, which one to choose.... Leaving the house wearing a different pair of socks, but wayyy different socks. My husband was the one that noticed it once I got home, by the end of the day. I blame being sleep deprived. Or baby head brain, or whatever baby related affliction...

7. Three things you couldn't live without?

 My camera, my laptop and my blackberry. In that order!

8. Your favourite quote?

 I have a favourite author, Fernando Pessoa, and there´s a quote from his Book of Disquiet which I relate with: “My soul is impatient with itself, as with a bothersome child; its restlessness keeps growing and is forever the same. Everything interests me, but nothing holds me. I attend to everything, dreaming all the while. […]. I'm two, and both keep their distance"

My Nominations:

Our tiny life

Very much so

Run, jump, scrap! 

Little Dorothy makes

Wait what I´m a mum?

The novice

A pocketful of dandelions 

It´s a miracle xo 

37 weeks to love 

on the changing mat

 My Questions

1. When did you start blogging and why?

2. What is your favourite blog post and why?
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?
4. What do you do in your "offline" life?
5. If you could choose any place, where would you live?

6. What is your favourite movie?
7. What is your favourite book?

8. Name three things on your bucket list.

9. Name three dream destinations.

10. Three things you could not live without.

Stephanie,  once again thank you for the nomination!

Lovely ladies, I am looking forward to read all your posts!

I am linking up with these amazing bloggers:

Friday's thoughts:Am I the perfect mum?

I am aware that this post title will be misleading…or maybe not?

Today I have loads of dirty laundry to make up for a really busy week. My little one may be wearing the last perfectly sized clean outfit, and tonight he might be eating a pre-preraded meal, far from a mummy cooked meal. My kitchen is in a state of pure chaos… And I am coping with the worst cold ever…! However I still managed to leave my little one in the nursery this morning and head to a normal work day. Literally, I feel  that this past week I was crawling everywhere... I still have tons of Christmas shopping to do, and I barely had the time to decorate my Christmas tree. I still haven’t bought my baby´s Christmas gift. But I managed to decorate the Christmas tree and this year I had a precious little help, and we had lots of fun while decorating it! 

So can I claim to be a  perfect mum? Well, in the end I am not a perfect mum, but this is rather just a note that maybe not every mother has the perfect living room, all organized and perfectly decorated. And Christmas ready. That not all moms prepare and cook every single meal that our precious little one eats (really, I will be running out of Cow and Gates ready meals this week)… And be ready to entertain our little one endless hours until the day is done. Some moms (me included), only manage to arrive home from work and play for a little while before it is time to bed! And does this make us lesser moms? Or just another ordinary and normal real mom? Or are all really, a perfect mum?

I will be frank; I do feel that I am not a good enough mum for my little one most of the times. When I check other blogs, I feel inspired with playful ideas to try and have fun with my baby, but  I also feel overwhelmed with pressure to achieve the same or even more than the rest all these amazing super-moms out there are able to do/craft/bake/and so much more….! 

I also feel overtaken by guilt. I don’t do enough. I have to do more. I have to push myself harder. I have to do and achieve must more. Or do I?

Sometimes we do forget that what we blog about is just a small part of our busy life. And we often just blog about what we feel is either interesting to show, like some glamorous outing, or our outstanding achievements, or our babies amazing milestones, or how fantastic are our playtimes.

And of course is far from inspirational to blog and post about your untidy kitchen and how your meal was just a quick take-away, our some frozen pizza (you will not post how you just micro-waved a slice of pizza will you?). And so I am posting about it today. How today was a far from fabulous, but pretty normal day and the end of a pretty busy week … but just as a happy day. Managed by a perfectly real normal mum.

I could blog that I prepared the little one’s dessert…: mango and yogurt!

 
And behind I also have all of this to deal with!

Tomorrows outfit is ready…: such a smart outfit, he will look gorgeous!

But we are definitely running low on clean outfits!

I have a Christmas tree…..and some Christmas décor….! My home is looking pretty Christmassy!

 And right next to all this Christmas decor it is today´s breakfast leftovers!

So yes, I have loads of laundry to do, I sure hope that I don’t have to cook dinner today, and I don’t know if I will be able to face the chaotic kitchen today. But I had time, but mostly the energy to play a bit with my little one (one hour before bed time).

I don’t have the most glamorous life and the glowing kitchen...
I don’t have the perfectly tidy home.... I just manage our home the best I can.

I can have it done, and I am able to have a super tidy home, but only when I have the time and energy to do it... Definitely not by the end of an exhausting week.

I don’t spend the whole day playing with my baby, and with entire new games and toys. I have to work. But I love my little one to pieces, and I enjoy every single second of our play time. And he has the time of his life when we are at it! 

So, I shouldn´t be consumed by guilt if I don’t present my little one with the most tidiest of homes every single day, ....and if this Christmas he will not be showered by Christmas presents (I still have to buy the one gift)....or even if we don´t do amazing games or crafts every day...!

I manage our home the best I can. I work the best I can. We play whenever and however I can.
But I love my little one to the moon and back, with all of my heart and soul! And just that makes me an awesome perfectly real mom!

What about you? Do you feel pressured to be a perfect mum?  

And to excel at every daily task?

  

 I am linking up with these amazing bloggers:

 

You might also like these posts:

Friday's thoughts: My experience in breastfeeding in public

Baby and me: The world´s cutest alarm clock!