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Balance and writing

May 22, 2016 by Lisa 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking more and more about balance — you know the type of work-life balance that we all seek. In seeking that balance, I have found myself starting to rebel. When I started blogging, way back in 2002, it was a place to write and be heard. It wasn’t about sponsorships, press trips, and stuff.

It was just writing.

I miss that. I also think that’s why I don’t write here as often. There are things I want to write about, but I want to be genuine. You don’t have to send me the “mommy blogger” rant from a week ago, I’ve read it and I feel bile rise when I think about it.

You see, if I write about something here, I honestly love it. One of the first posts that I ever wrote on this blog in 2009 was about finding the perfect mascara (not a very good post) and the different ones I had tried. I’m still a mascara junkie, but I’m not young and beautiful, nor particularly talented with a wand, so I don’t share photos of myself on here wearing my fresh new mascara, because isn’t that what beauty bloggers are for?

But I do write about beauty. At least I used to. I write about a lot of things and I want that to be genuine. I want it to be about Lisa and what Lisa likes and is doing. I’ve lost sight of myself — which is a shame. Because I believe I have a place out here in this blogging world. I may never be popular, but I don’t care. I should be blogging because I love to write. I should be writing about what I want to write about. Which is why I started this blog and gave it the name I did — a daily pinch — where I write about a pinch of this and a pinch of that.

I never meant to pigeonhole myself and thought that in order to be successful, I needed to put myself into a niche and title it. But that’s bullshit. I want to write about what I want to write about — whether it’s a fresh new mascara that I’m in love with (Michael Kors), the book I’m reading (Hemingway), the music I’m listening to (my playlist just switched from early Metallica to Pavarotti), or my love-hate feelings towards bottled water.

What I’m saying, at the end of all of this, is that I need to circle back and write what I want to write. I owe to it my readers, but more importantly, I owe it to me.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Life Tagged With: Blogging, Life, Writing

October 1

October 1, 2014 by Lisa Leave a Comment

It’s the first of October which means two things. It’s my birthday month. Two, email marketers have done everything they can to remind me that it’s my birthday month and have started flooding my inbox with “special offers” and “great deals.” All so I can become emotionally attached to a percentage off, or receive a free dessert if I spend $150 for dinner at their restaurant.

What does all of this mean?

It means I really hate my inbox right now.

My business partner and I were discussing the fun Halloween header I put up today to commemorate the month of October. She mentioned that if I really wanted to be spot on with timing, I’d have made it a Christmas themed one. By the looks of my inbox, I could also be using Valentine’s Day and swimsuit/sunless tanner season as a theme.

Not that I’m truly complaining, but I get what I call “seasonal blah” disorder. When you’re a blogger, if you want great search engine optimization and want people to find your great holiday posts, they need to be up much earlier. In other words, I should be feeding you Halloween recipes in August. However, I’m much more organic, or at least I try to be. After all, there are a few of my readers I know quite well who would probably call me up if I serve them a Christmas post next week — the second week of October. Although, that would be a good test to see if they’re still reading my blog.

#144697776 / gettyimages.com

Do you ever suffer from marketing overload? Because I am pretty sure that’s what this seasonal blah “thing” is. Normal emails on top of press releases this time of year is always in overdrive. Especially since I’m putting together a holiday shopping guide this year. Nothing super fancy, but it is things I love and would recommend to everyone, and am possibly buying, as seasonal gifting items, a/k/a Christmas gifts.

Is it still PC to say Christmas anymore? This is where I “harumph” and keep on saying “Christmas,” because, well, it’s Christmas. The next thing you know, people are going to say we can’t say “Happy Thanksgiving” because we eat turkey and they’re not happy because we’re cooking them and we have to think of their feelings.

If you’re still reading, you’ll see what the seasonal stuff does to me. I’m like Ricochet Rabbit, only worse.  This is where I bid you adieu. My to-do list needs creating as that’s what keeps me on track during this busy time of year. Be on the lookout for some new recipes over the next week, as well as a few revamped ones. I’ve been holding off due to the atrocious gray days we’ve been having — they’re not good for photography. I’ll also be adding some fun DIY/crafty things. They may even be Pinterest worthy — you’ll have to be the judge.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Lifestyle Tagged With: birthday, Blogging, marketing

It’s Conference Time — 10 Tips for Type-A Parent Conference Atlanta

September 23, 2013 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Type-A Parent Conference

I’m on my way to Atlanta Thursday for the Fifth Annual Type-A Parent Conference. This is my fourth year attending and Type-A is what I consider to be my conference home base. Founder and Type-A Mom, Kelby Carr, puts on a top notch educational experience for bloggers and this one will be no different.

Since there will be many people new to Atlanta area, I’m sharing some of the great things to do in Atlanta, as well as a few things to prepare you, whether it’s your first blogging conference, or 100th.

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just roll with it.

2. Don’t Outboard.

3. Don’t Suitcase. (See Outboarding.)

4. Take a lightweight jacket or sweater. Hotel conference rooms tend to get chilly.

5. Go to the Varsityto eat. If doesn’t matter if there are a thousand people in line, you’ll never wait longer than 10 minutes.

6. If the Varsity isn’t your cup of tea, hit up Mary Mac’s Tea Roomin the Virginia Highlands neighborhood. Order the tomato pie.

7. Forgot your, well, anything. Walk down to Lenox Square for some of the best shopping the in the country.

8. The High Museum of Art is the leading art museum in the Southeast, with 13,000 works of art contained in it’s collection. (I’ll be down early Thursday to see Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”)

9. Find me if you want to know where the best coffee in Atlanta is. (I don’t share it with anyone.)

10. If you have time, go to the World of C0ca-Cola and see how many different sodas you can sample with going to the bathroom. Make it a game with your friends. First one to the potty has to drink Beverly. (It’s a very, very bitter aperitif that was sold in Italy.)

Thre are many more places to go and visit in Atlanta: Grant Park, Zoo Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park, Yellow River Game Ranch and Kangaroo Conservation Center, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change. I’ve visited all of these but a few, and each one is worth your time.

Blog Conference Packing List

Type-A Parent Conference Charlotte 2012

Blog Conference Neccessities or “Lisa’s List”

The Business of Blogging

What are your conference essentials?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Travel Tagged With: Atlanta, Atlanta GA, Blogging, type-a parent conference

Travel Tuesday: Travel Withdrawals

July 10, 2012 by Lisa Leave a Comment

Normally, I’d be writing about travel today and I am. However, this post is going to be a little different as I think I’m going into travel withdrawals. I’ve been on the road for 8 weeks out of the past 14. That’s a lot of time spent in cars, airports, planes and hotels. That also means a lot of strange beds, dinners out and coffee in paper cups.

English: Large concrete Dixie Cup in front of ...

Large concrete Dixie Cup in front of the former Lilie-Tulip manufacturing company in Riverside, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Let’s say I’m happy to be getting reacquainted with my sofa. However I’m having issues adjusting to all the time off. I feel like I have too much time on my hands and I’m not accomplishing anything. Admittedly, working under the gun is not something to strive for, that kind of pressure isn’t good for anyone.

Yet, I’m trying to NOT put things off so I CAN work that way. I miss the adrenaline rush of meeting my deadlines as I’m sitting in a hotel room drinking bad coffee and Smart Water. I miss the hectic pace of getting from one destination to the other. I also miss picking out different restaurants and having someone make my bed for me everyday.

However, there are other things I missed more. Kissing my son after he’s gone to sleep at night and watching him in the cocoon of blankets he’d made. Curling up next to my husband, only to wake up to him watching me sleep. Cooking. Soaking in my tub. Talking to my family for more than five minutes at a time. Laundry. (Ok, I lied about the laundry.)

When you’re a blogger, there is a season for us that involves a lot of travel. Throw in work travel with family vacations and we’re busy gals. Never mind that our conference season runs a full 12 months now. I’m looking at the travel schedule next year and it starts January 6th. Right after Christmas. Do I want that much travel on my plate? As much as I love it, unless I have a vested interest in a conference, I think I’ll be sitting out more than I attend.

Instead, I’ll plan some amazing family trips. We have London on our itinerary, as well as 2 weeks on the coast. Then, I’ll need a vacation to recover from those vacations.

What do you do when you’re missing travel but in desperate need of downtime?

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Travel Tagged With: Blogging, Travel

Blog Conference Packing List

May 21, 2012 by Lisa 2 Comments

Travel.

Blog Conference season is upon us and with that bloggers everywhere are answering the eternal question, what do I pack?

Well, I’ve narrowed it down and had it vetted by Type-A Parent, The Centsible Lifeand Tech Savvy Mama, conference host and pros, to make sure I’ve added everything you could possibly need this blogging conference season.

Here’s the download link to the .pdf I’ve created. Please let me know if there is anything you think I need to add!

Blog Conference Packing List

blogger traveling to blog conference

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Travel Tagged With: Blogging, Travel

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Lisa is a lifestyle blogger, writer and social media strategist living in Charlotte, NC.

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