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The Summer holidays are all but over now. I don’t know why but I love September because it never seems that long until Christmas! My roundup and bucket list this month will be showcasing my favourite post from August, and my to-do list for September.
August Roundup
August has been about preparing baby girl for the dreaded return to work. I return at the start of October. It’s all be confirmed now as I have been in to have a chat with my manager. I worked out a little back to work plan for myself as well. To help ease us into the process. For 8 weeks I will be working only 3 days a week and taking the other 2 as holiday, which I have accumulated while being off. That will take me up to the start of December.
How I will fit in blogging, working full-time, and having a 10 month old is still a mystery to me at the moment.
But I do love a good challenge!
Who needs sleep?
My favourite post for August was Formula Feeding in Preparation for Heading back to Work
It wasn’t a pleasant experience giving baby girl formula for the first time. I actually found it quite upsetting as it’s not something I want to do but kind of need to do. She will want milk while I’m at work. I cannot over produce breast milk for her so I have had to resort to formula.
Looking back over my August Bucket List I have achieved quite a lot this month. Finally my media kit is finished! It’s taken a while to do. You can have a little geek over on my work with me page if you want to have a look. I still need to work out how to add a link to it on that page but for now its on there as a photo. Please do tell me if you know how to add a pdf to a page!
Media Kit finished.I have cleared through my backlog of posts and reviews to publish.My husband and I took one afternoon and sorted through all of baby girls clothes.Its surprising what is too small for her and she only wore it once or twice! She is growing so fast.Start weaning baby girl off the breast during the day and onto formulaNow she is on 3 small meals a day she only has a 2 or 3 milk feeds during the day so we are making progress.- If the weather clears up I need to finish weeding, tidying and replacing the bark in the garden – still needs doing!
I just want to add that my own guest post series called New Mum Stories is a great success and I have had 5 wonderful bloggers share with us their story of the first few weeks of being a mum. You can read their stories over on this page.
I’m always on the look out for new stories so please send them to me at admin@rachelbustin.com to be featured.
A couple of days ago I changed my blog theme and I love it! I hope you do too! Since I went Self Hosted back in July I have been on the look out for the ‘perfect’ blog theme. One that suits my personality, easy to use for all of you and one that was suitable on all devices. So I discovered this gorgeous theme from Pipdig. Please have a browse through and let me know what you think.
September Bucket List
As always I love to share with you my social media stats. It’s great to look back over and see how they have changed from the previous month.
- Twitter: 3727 (+187)
- Facebook 383 (+45)
- Instagram 838 (+116)
- Pinterest 324 (+39)
~ Aim to work on Pinterest.
Blog Statistics
- Page Views 3000
- Unique Monthly Users 1250
- Posts Published 32
~ Aim to keep on building my page views.
~ Pitch to brands for pre-school toys and games to review and feature in my Christmas Gift Guide I want to set up on the blog.
~ Start up my newsletter campaign for subscribers.
~ Join more linkies
~ Dig out my pre-maternity work clothes and see if they fit ready for heading back to work.
I hope you all have a lovely month
I’d love to join in with your series – can I even if my girls are now 3?!
Good luck for returning to work. The thought is usually worse than actually going. Well done on the stat growth x
Thanks so much for linking up again xx
Thanks Beth. Yes please do join in with the New Mum Stories Series I’d love to have you. xx
Oh what a busy but happy lady you are.
WOW you were busy in August weren’t you!
Well done with all your achievements. I’m sure you’ll achieve all your goals.
Well done on growing your followers across your social media.
#kcacols
ahh thank you very much. Cheers for stopping by x
Blog’s looking good! So hard going back to work after baby! I’m self-employed so managed to work hours around baby a bit but went back to working sooner than friend who were employed- there’s no easy way! #KCACOLS
Thanks, I’ve been putting all my spare time into it before back to work. Thanks for stopping by xx
You managed to achieve lots this month
I’m sure your uniform will fit
Good luck
Thanks xx
Love the idea of a monthly list! Good luck with your return to work and streamlining the constant juggling act that is being a working mum! #KCACOLS
Good luck with getting ready for work. I love the idea of having a monthly bucket list. I could really do with that sort of focus in my days.
#KCACOLS
Hi Rachel, you have done so well with your lists, you should be super proud of yourself. Good luck with the return to work and all the new experiences with family life that that will provide. I’m so impressed with your blog stats too!:) 🙂
mainy x
#KCACOLS
Thank you very much x
I think you can add a pdf to a page in the same way you add a picture. Not sure what software you’re blogging with, but on WordPress, you just add the pdf to your media and then add media to the text you want to link from, and the link will directly open the pdf. Good luck with your return to work and September blogging goals! #KCACOLS
You’ve ticked off some great things on your list. Well done. It’s tough building up towards going back to work but you will do it, not problem to you. It’s great that you’ll be doing a 3 day week for a while #KCACOLS
Good luck with returning to work. You sound like you are getting pretty organised already. Seriously impressed with your stats, 32 blog posts in a month! That’s amazing! Well done.x #KCACOLS
I hope the return to work goes well when the time comes. The theme of your blog looks great. I am not sure how good the weather will be for you finishing your garden lol.
#KCACOLS
Hope the return to work goes smoothly, sounds like you’ve got a good plan in place to ease you back into it slightly. Good luck with your September to do list! x #KCACOLS
Fab round up post! It’s always really fun to see what other bloggers have been up to. Well done on your stats and your media kit is looking very snazzy. Ahhhh… maternity leave flies by so fast don’t you think. I can’t believe you literally blink and it’s over. Crossing my fingers that it’s an easy transition for you. Thank you for co-hosting the other week on the #DreamTeam xx
Good luck with going back to work! I am sure you will find a happy medium with the blogging (although 32 posts in a month might be a little unrealistic – seriously impressed with that statistic – I barely manage a quarter of that on a good month!) but I’m sure it’ll work for you! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
Best of luck going back to work! It’s an adjustment but it will all get sorted out. #KCACOLS
Gosh well done Hun. I’m very impressed with how organised and motivated you are! Great stats! Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime ????
Thanks, I get my motivation from my baby girl and husband xx
Love the new theme. I just updated mine too, it makes such a difference when you feel the look of the blog matches your personality doesn’t it? Well done on achieving so much in August and good look with September.
#monthlybucketlist
Thanks very much. I love my theme totally matches me! xx
Good luck with going back to work. I know it can be so hard! And Congratulations on meeting so many of your goals that is awesome. Love the idea of the new guest series. #DreamTeam
Thanks very much Sarah xx
Good luck with going back to work. I know it can be so hard! And Congratulations on meeting so many of your goals that is awesome. Love the idea of the new guest series. #DreamTeam
Thanks xx
Good luck with September goals and the return to work. #monthlybucketlist x
Thanks I think I will need the luck for work! xx
Well done you, all looks great and really personalised, nice! #DreamTeam
Thank you. I have to say I really like it too! xx
You sound like you are really organised! I hope that back to work goes ok. I will have my fingers-crossed for you xxx
Thanks Emma. xx
Good luck with your back-to-work preparations! It can be hard to balance it all (she says as she rocks a sick toddler when she’s supposed to be in the office), but you’ll manage somehow. Blogging may become a late-night activity!
Thanks, I’m sure I will manage, but it’s gonna be hard to get back into that routine again. 10 months off of being in my pj’s has been fun. I wonder if the uniform will fit?! xx