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So recently, I’ve been trying to find a balance in my life between my day job, my husband, my dog, Thor, my family, my friends and my side hustle…my blog. If you’ve been a reader for awhile you know that I am able to make some profit from my blog through sponsored posts and more recently affiliate links. Finding the balance, isn’t easy, especially when my day job is from 9-5. I also don’t want to be on my laptop as soon as I get home from work until I go to bed; it wouldn’t be good for my eyesight (I wear contacts) or my family & friends. No one tells you when you want to start blogging that it’s easy to be consumed (almost) by focusing on the blog. Growing your followers, readership, creating great content, trying to find your flow, how many days a week you’ll post, if you share your blog post on groups, you’ll need to make sure you reciprocate. The list of things to do when you have a blog is endless, I know because my to-do list is as long as the day and then some.
I am lucky that CA supports my side hustle, he takes pictures for posts when I don’t want to grab my tripod and remote. He doesn’t mind being the guinea pig for new recipes I find, he enjoys coming to events with me. Plus, he’s my editor-in-chief! He used to be a teacher so whenever I have a blog post he’ll fix & tweak it to make sense to my readers plus sound more professional. Finding balance doesn’t just require finding a plan that works for you, but also having support from your spouse, family & friends. Having people who understand what you’re doing and why you’re working so hard makes it worthwhile.
I used to call my blog a hobby because that’s what it started out as. But now, it’s truly a side hustle, I work hard to make my blog grow. I have an editorial calendar with ideas for blog posts. I work on my photography skills, I try and think of different ideas or views to write about. Since I’ve made it a side hustle officially in my mind, I know I needed to really figure out how in the world to find balance. While I don’t feel like I’m neglecting anyone, including myself, how do I find this delicate balance? What makes it work and not feel like you’re drowning with your to-do list? I’m sharing my tips and the ways I keep my side hustle alive while finding balance in life.
One// PLANNER. My husband definitely thinks I have too many planners; maybe I do, maybe I don’t {Editor’s Note: she does :)}, but these help keep things in order. I have one that covers blogging & VA work, aka my side hustle bible. I have my blogging schedule, VA work needed to be done or things I have on my to-do list. Even though many people don’t like paper planners, I’m a visual person so seeing it all laid out is essential.
I also have a planner for everyday life that’s like basically a journal. Everything I have to do, any events, date nights, appointments & etc. go in this one. I also do an overview of side hustle; it makes it easier to keep a general idea of my days.
Two// This goes hand in hand with the first one, making a schedule. Whether you work outside the home, or in the home, make a set schedule.I work a standard Monday to Friday, 9-5. So no blogging gets done within that time frame and I know that and work around it. So recently, I began going to the gym again (that’s a 4 am wake up) and get home around 6 am. Between 6am-9am, I usually make my breakfast & lunch, shower and get ready for work. But I carve out about an hour to either do VA work or blogging work. Maybe fill Buffer (social sharing platform), to share tweets or Facebook posts throughout the day, this helps get my pages out there without being at the computer.
At night, usually, I either make dinner or get out leftovers. After dinner, I hop on the computer for an hour or two to do VA work & blog things. Sometimes I spend more time if I have a sponsored post due, or if I want to schedule a few blog posts for that week. Usually, around 8 pm, I spend time with my family, watch TV and talk or go out and get ice cream LOL.
My weekends vary, I do blog work early in the morning just because no one else is awake and Thor is still sleepy. It helps me feel accomplished without sitting at my computer all day long. Especially with it being nicer out and summer around the corner, I don’t like staying indoors too much when it’s the weekend.
Three// Take a break. This past Monday, CA wanted to go to the beach with Thor. I had work to do, and my husband is amazing, said I could stay home if I felt the need to do my work. Well, I didn’t stay home, I told him I’d do my work later on (which I did), and wanted to enjoy the night. Thor loved the beach (it was his first time), we took pictures, watched part of the sunset and just spent time together. Sometimes taking a break from the side hustle is what you need. Get fresh air, take a walk, take some pictures (like I did), get away from the computer. I know I need the mental break sometimes and there’s no shame in that.
Four// If it starts feeling more like a chore or a job that you hate instead of a side hustle you love…. stop. Even if you pull away from your side hustle for a day or maybe even a week. It’s okay! Life literally happens, things happen when you don’t expect it too. Maybe you have been feeling burned out by doing too much. Step away for a day, don’t do anything with it and re-access the situation. Maybe you can tweak your schedule for more downtime, or maybe you can go pamper yourself, or spend time with your girls!
I love spending time with my friends & family, in non-side hustle form where there’s nothing to worry about. I love binge watching new shows or re-watching old ones. Which is why I’ve made sure that I cut out time to watch Season 1 of Queen of the South. Have you heard of it? QUEEN OF THE SOUTH tells the powerful story of Teresa Mendoza, a woman who is forced to run and seek refuge in America after her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico. In the process, she teams up with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. So without giving too much of the show away (you NEED to watch this show if you have a side hustle!), it has the perfect combination of loyalty being tested, moral compasses being made and love is even more dangerous. It sounds like an amazing show, amirite?! So if you need to catch up on Season 1, go on Netflix, because Season 2 has already started on June 8th! It airs each Thursday 10/9c on the USA Network!
If you’re a binge watcher like me, what does every binge watcher need? An amazing dish to go with it! I love easy to make dishes that are different but not difficult! Which is why I’m sharing my favorite dish, Tater Tot Taco Pizza. It is delicious, easy to make, and it’s the perfect mix between the love I have for tacos and pizza. Plus any ingredients you love can be added!
Ingredients
- 30 oz bag tater tot crowns
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¾ cup water
- ? cup diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (1 packet)
- 1 tbsp minced onion
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp taco sauce
- Toppings:
- ½ cup shredded lettuce
- ? cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Cover the bottom and sides of a greased 12-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan with tater tot crowns.
- Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
- While the tater tots are baking, brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add water, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and minced onion. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the tater tots from the oven and flatten them with a spatula.
- Top with one cup of shredded cheese and the taco meat mixture. Drizzle with taco sauce. Finish it off with another cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes at 425°.
- Remove from the oven and top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
Recipe Originally from The Gunny Sack
You can check out my first ever video! On YouTube!
What are you the #Queenof? I would like to think I’m entering queenpin status when it comes to cooking. I love trying new recipes, finding different ways to cook regular foods. I love cooking food for getting together, especially if it has to do with spending time with my mom or girlfriends. I’m also looking to really focus on my side hustle as much as I can while keeping the balance. I know that if I put the right amount of time, and work smarter not harder I will be able to grow my own empire into something amazing.
