Emma Edit’s Blogger Survey

18 Jul 2017 28 Comments

by Ritu in Tags, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogger Survey, Blogging, help A Blogger, The Emma Edit

Emma, over at The Emma Edit has a survey she is looking for answers to, as she changes things in her blog.

I decided to take the survey, and invite you all to do the same, pinging back to her so she gets the results she needs – click here to get to the original post!

The questions are:

On average, how many hours a day do you spend on your blog during the week? (including anything blog related like social media)
On average, how many hours a day do you spend on your blog at the weekend? (including anything blog related like social media)
Daily, how much time do you spend reading other people’s blogs?
How often do you leave comments on other people’s posts?
How many blogs do you follow?
How often do you post on your blog?
What social media accounts do you have to go alongside your blog?
Do you have a posting schedule? How do you plan out your posts?
What do you use to take pictures: phone camera? basic point-and-shoot camera? DSLR camera?
How do you promote your blog?

And here are my answers… I promise to be truthful! Even if I horrify myself!

I think it can be, cumulatively, 2-3 hours a day, as I check my notifications and reader whenever I have a free moment, and if inspiration hits, I will write and schedule a post or 2.
I think the weekend depends on whether we are doing anything else, but it can be, again cumulatively 3-4 hours every day, with the added time if I want to write anything out of my usual posts!
See above, it is all part of my browsing and keeping up! It can be an hour of that time, or longer depending on how much my favourite bloggers have posted!
I will always comment when I feel I have something to add to the post content! I don’t put a limit or a target on this, it depends on my time, and if a post resonates with me.
At the last count, I follow 803 blogs, but I am not able to physically read EVERY post from those 800+ blogs! I have set my following so that I get emails for the blogs I NEVER want to miss! And I browse the reader when I can to keep up with the others.
At the moment, I seem to have posted every day for whatever reason. But I don’t have a strict schedule, apart from my Friday healthy eating post and my Sunday Serene Sunday post. But the challenges I like to take part in mean that I will probably have something come up every day!
Social media… I have FB, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, Flipboard, StumbleUpon, Bloglovin’ and Tumblr…phew! They are all connected in some way to my Blog.
I find writing by schedule is something I can’t do! I write from the heart to be honest, so when the fancy takes me, I will just write. I don’t spend ages planning my post, I just let the verbal diahorrea take hold, to be honest, then I reread and edit if I need to!
I wish I had a dedicated camera to take fantastic photos, but to be honest, usually it’s my camera phone that provides the photos to my posts! Failing that, Pixabay!
I think my blog has grown by word of mouth. I haven’t actively pushed it out there, but it has kind of grown by itself. I trust that means that people pop over, like what they read then decide to stay! Over 5000 followers, and just shy of 4000 of them are WP followers!

There you have it, my blogging heart on a plate in front of you! If you want to help Emma with her research, and are prepared to say what an addict you are to your blog, please, go ahead and visit her post at https://the-emma-edit.com/2017/07/17/blogger-survey-i-need-your-input/

Thank you in advance! And if you fancy finding me at any of my Social Media places, the links are below!

Website: http://www.butismileanyway.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhantomGiggler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phantom_giggler/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/butismileanyway/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/bhathalpadhaal/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/56854412-ritu-bhathal
Flipboard: https://flipboard.com/@Phantom_Giggler
Stumbleupon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/ritubhathal75
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ritusmiles
Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/@ritubhathalpadhaal

Last Night … (Clone Machine Required – Read On For Details!)

18 Jul 2017 96 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, Clone Machine, Last Night, Life of A Teacher, Proud Mummy, Responsibilites

Oh man, the tiredness (sorry to keep mentioning it, but it’s a constant companion at the moment!) last night culminated in another headache. That is the fourth Monday in a row where I have had to pop pills. I may need to rechristen my Mondays to Migraine Mondays!

Still, I had been looking forward to the evening.

After a busy day where all the classes got to meet their new teachers for the next academic year, and any surprises regarding staff movement were unveiled, we were to be heading to Lil Man’s school as he had been selected to participate in the school’s Sports Presentation evening!

It was a large, stuffy hall we were packed into, and after introductions, there was a motivational talk from a former pupil, who is now a business man.

All well and good, using language that the kids understood (including a couple of bad language slip ups, and referring to snogging!) until he showed his presentation on the projector and there were… SPELLING MISTAKES and MISQUOTED QUOTES!

I’m sorry but the writer in me got het up straight away! I wanted to go and edit his presentation! And the teacher in me wanted to get a red pen!!!

The Achievement Formular! Formula!!!!!

I wondered if the Head Teacher was cringing as much as I was!

But no matter, the kids thought it was great!

And then the awards started…

It was a loooooooong night, as they mentioned every team they had and all participants got a certificate, but certain pupils were named and rewarded with a mention for player of the year/most improved etc!

Lil Princess was getting bored… and thirsty! She took several loo breaks, and stated that she now knew what dehydration felt like (guilt trip inducing comments all night as we hadn’t brought a bottle of water!). She lolled around over mummy and daddy all evening in the sticky hall…was not fun. My headache was emerging and tempers were fraying!

After pretty much every team had been mentioned, in EVERY year group, and the presentation had gone on an hour longer than stated, finally cricket was mentioned!

And we came away as very proud parents with an extremely happy Lil Man.

He got his participation certificate and was named Wicket Taker of the Year and Player of the Year!

The Cricket Team getting their certificates!

Thing is, by then I was suffering from a pounding headache, and just wanted bed!

We all crashed out early last night!

Oh and did you say you wanted to hear what my job has in store for me next year?

I’ll still be working with the Early Years, but instead of restricting me to the Nursery 3-4 year olds, I will be being spread, like jam, across the whole foundation stage, so two days as a Reception teacher (4-5 year olds) and three days with my Nursery babies (3-4 year olds).

On top of this change, I will have joint responsibility for the Eco Team of kids we nominate in school, Healthy Schools, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) and the School Council! There are three of us who will oversee all that but my special interest will be in the School Council!

AND – yes there’s more – I have been chosen to be part of the Board of Governors as of September too!!!!

So, new responsibilities, on top of being basic teacher, wife, mummy, daughter, daughter-in-law, friend, writer/blogger….

Did I say I was busy?

I believe I may need to really find a clone machine over the holidays!

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #158 Pink&Shell

18 Jul 2017 24 Comments

by Ritu in #ronovansweeklyhaikuchallenge, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #ronovansweeklyhaikuchallenge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Haiku, Pink & Shell

Lovely Ron’s prompt for his haiku challenge this week…

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge Image 2016

Pink & Shell

I am afraid, due to my crazy-mad tiredness, I wasn’t able to be as inspired as usual… but here goes!

Pink hues of seashells
Painting the sandy beaches
Colours of sunsets

Ritu 2017

TJ’s Household Haiku Challenge – Garden & One

16 Jul 2017 30 Comments

by Ritu in #tjshouseholdhaikuchallenge, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #TJ's Household Haiku Challenge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Garden & One, Haiku

TJ’s Haiku Challenge this week!

This photo…

Versailles Palace Orangerie in Autumn

And these words

Garden & One

The first two use the words and the picture for inspiration.

Careful! One wrong turn
You could be lost forever
Topiary Hell!

Ritu 2017

A-maze-ing planning
One path leading to others
Gardener’s Delight

Ritu 2017

The third uses the words and my own garden

20160717_175516

Enjoying the view
Relaxing in my garden
At one with nature

Ritu 2017

Proud member of the Haiku Hub!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 126

16 Jul 2017 32 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Calm, Quote, School, Serene, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday, tired

“I’m so tired, my tired is tired.” – Anon

Seriously, Spidey, you hit the nail on the head with this one!

Currently writing this with matchsticks holding my eyes open… (not really, but that’s how tired I am!)

I have been running on adrenaline and my second wind the last few weeks, but Saturday morning, it really hit me!

I had to get up a little earlier to get the grocery shopping done, because I had a nail appointment…

All important stuff. We need food. I need nice nails!

I would usually go on a Thursday evening after school but we have a wedding this weekend in Birmingham, a three-hour drive away. So I will be packing stuff on Thursday night.

To avoid getting up at 5 am to get ready and drive there on Saturday morning, we have to go to Birmingham on Friday night, in the traffic, straight after I finish school for the year.

At least I get to stay with my parents for one night, but seriously, I will be shattered!

But I am falling asleep at the thought of the weekend already!

It’s not that I don’t want to go to the wedding. I love a good get together, but this is not a function from my side of the family, it is a distant relative from the in-law’s side, so forgive me if my heart isn’t in it this time!

And yes, my six-week school break is there, languishing ahead of me, but will I be laying across a Chaise for the whole time, doing NOTHING?

Heck no!

The first week, I will be back in school, clearing the classroom and preparing for the next academic year!

Then the week days are relatively clear, but every weekend, we already have invitations to functions!

I will have to draw the line somewhere!

So, I shall attempt to have a restful Sunday, so I feel slightly more sprightly for the last few days of term with my darling kids!!!

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week, Peeps!