Behind the Scenes With Love Chic Living: February 2018

Welcome to the second in my new series, where I’m sharing more about life behind the scenes with Love Chic Living and delving into what it’s like to be a full time blogger / freelancer in this crazy digital world. There were some great comments from last month’s post (go have a read HERE if you haven’t seen it) and I think you’ll find that February’s review paints quite a different picture, so keep reading to find out what I got up to, how I made my income and what happens when the kids don’t go to school.

Blog Highlights:

The blog has been a little quieter this month but the big news was that Love Chic Living turned 6 years old! Yep, it’s 6 years now since my first post – 1400 posts later and it’s still going strong. It’s the centrepiece of what I do, the mainstay of my creative world and the thing I come back to time and time again because my love for it never dies.

So to celebrate, I launched a few giveaways. You could win some beautiful Wax Lyrical Fired Earth candles (examples in the image above) or £150 to spend on skirting boards! There are more giveaways to come too so keep an eye out.

Brand Collaborations:

I did an interesting collaboration with Signomatic – great if you need some typography signs for your home – and I posted the review for the robot vaccum, iRobot Roomba 980. It was an interesting month testing this one out.

I also had the pleasure of receiving a few items, like the beautiful Cox and Cox throw and a set of lovely sage cushions (below). They are lounging on my bed and I’m making very good use of them in this cold snap.

Generally the blog was a little quieter, and that was a conscious decision. There were two main reasons:

1. My children had half term which meant I was at home with them, working but also being there for them. It makes sense I do this – the husband has to get into an office and couldn’t take time off this month anyway. But it was a tricky week because…..
2. I had a commitment on a very big copywriting job. This was my main work this month, collating and curating over 100k words for a new interiors website. It was tough. There were some early mornings and late nights. It was a big job and one I was thrilled to win.

Instagram:

We had great fun with our new hashtag #SUYHome, chose our first winner and launched our second prize with Christy Home. It’s been well received within the IG community and I’m loving Instagram once again.

Pinterest:

My clients’ accounts are all doing well I’m pleased to say, and even though Pinterest through in a curveball messing about with stats and a few other things, traffic to their sites is strong. Stolen pins are prevalent on the platform though so watch out if you’re a regular pinner.

PLUS. Sarah Akwisombe and I are in talks again about launching a 3rd round of Pin School. If you haven’t come across it before, this is our collaborative Pinterest course run through her No Bull Blog School. Go give her a follow and look out for more information about this coming very soon.

Income vs. Expenses:

It’s been a very strong month for income, with some good collaborations and the big copy-writing job. Not all months are this good. I’ve worked hard for it though.

In terms of expenses that’s not been so good. 

I’ve been sued. For what, I’ll disclose in the coming months, but suffice to say I’ve settled the demand for something I did on the blog 4 years ago. It’s galling, but real. Blogging is not for the faint-hearted; if you’re going to get into this world, don’t play around at it, make sure you understand what you’re getting into.

Then on top of that, the accountancy firm I use to manage the Love Chic Living Ltd business put up their fees by over 40%. I can’t afford it – and don’t want to pay it –  so have decided to use someone else which took some time sorting out.

Month in Review:

I think overall it’s been a hard month. School holidays and juggling a pretty much full-time job is tough. Often I dial back my workload but that wasn’t possible this month so I had to just get on with it. It means I don’t enjoy the job so much. I do think, after doing this full time for 5 years, that I learn to cope with the tougher weeks and look forward to the calmer months. March is going to be good. I have a few events lined up, some lovely collaborations, pieces to write for other clients and generally lots of lovely interiors to lust over.

So there you have it, February had a much different feel to January and illustrated how diverse the job can be. I feel you need a degree in multi-tasking, a very tough skin when things go wrong and a fabulous community around you to pick you up and dust you off.

Thank you to all my amazing online (and real life) friends and family who have made this month bearable! Onwards and upwards to March.

PIN FOR LATER:

Do let me know your thoughts, I’d love to discuss the diversity of blogging and whether this month showcases that it’s not all pretty pictures and being sent ‘free stuff’.

Jen x