Dainty Alice


A pretty little LUSH, Beauty & Lifestyle blog.


Making Time For Blogging

For a lucky few, blogging is more than just a hobby. Some of the top influencers manage to make a living out of their blog quite nicely, however for the majority of us blogging is a side hustle. So how do we manage to make time for blogging alongside full-time jobs, college, parenting and more? I asked a few blogging babes who work full-time to share their secrets in this post today.

Taryn / @TarynLikesYou

"Because I work full time, making time for my blog is crucial and I have to be regimented. I rely on Asana (an organisation app) to keep me focused on what I need to do for the week and set aside usually 2-3 hours a night to work on blogs, guest blogs, or organising content for my social media. I also work through my lunch breaks sharing content, or commenting and replying to messages and comments on social media. I work hard on my blog as I love it, but I also know when to take a break completely and put down the phone, so I’ll do a night or two a week to binge watch GLOW or see friends. Having a balance is needed but also having at least a loose plan of the week helps me to react to things faster and make sure that I keep quality content coming for my readers."

Beverley / @Beverbeee

"Juggling a full time job, part time study and blogging can be difficult, but I usually set myself times on certain days to get stuff done. So I'll work between 9-5 and then reserve 2 days for study in the evenings and a couple of hours in an evening on the other days to blog. I started a bullet journal type thing to plan my days I'll be writing or studying or having a me day. I find it easier to do things in bulk so wrote a few posts one day and then edit the photos, add them in another and schedule the posts. If you post 2/3 times a week you can usually get 2 weeks worth done in a day or two so you don't have to worry. I try (it hasn't been my most productive time lately!) to have a few posts just in case I don't get chance to write anything."

Alli / @MetaBabyCow

"There are a few things that make my life easier when it comes to blogging as I work full-time from half eight until five, with a 45 minute commute every day. First is my phone - I need to be able to write blog posts, record ideas, post on social media on the move, or whenever I have the time, so this is invaluable. I also often transfer photos I've taken for Instagram straight from my DSLR to my phone or tablet to edit and post, which saves me a lot of time. My photography lighting also gives me the freedom to shoot after the sun sets, or on a day with terrible weather, which helps a lot especially in winter.
I hate that I don't have as much time to blog as I'd like, but that won't stop me blogging. I love the whole process of creating something useful or beautiful (or both) that I'm proud of and sharing it with the world - that's what blogging is to me, and I'm proud to say it's my hobby!"

Erin / @MakeErinOver

To be honest I have no idea how I manage to juggle full time college, work, parenting and the blog. I think it all comes down to a routine. I set aside time every day to do each of them. That is what I find is key - prioritising what needs to be done, and what can wait. This makes me sound really organised - but really it’s more like organised chaos. Right now I post every two days, but in busier times (or if something comes up with college/my son/work) - something has to give - and it is usually the blog - and that isn't something I will ever feel guilty about - as it is meant to be fun! :)


Lucy / @lucyalanaxo

"I make time for blogging basically around my shifts. My shifts can be here, there and everywhere, I learnt early on that if I wanted to actually be able to have and run a blog I needed to be organised. At the start of the week I look at my shifts in work and then think about anything which I have organised on my day off, and then everything to do with my blog is built around that. Some weeks I'll have two days a week to focus on my blog. Another week I'll only be able to squeeze in a few hours. I also think it's down to wanting to make time to blog, as I know when I need to take photos I'll do it in bulk so I've always got content ready. I can therefore write and schedule the post at any hour of the day."

Bella / @Bellaa_Inizio

"to be honest it is really difficult. Every spare moment I have I spend blogging and everything that goes with it, the actual blogging, the photos and content, the social media, the interacting with other bloggers and reading their content. It does feel like a second job sometimes. The only way I do it is by scheduling, I sit down and write a massive list of all the potential posts I would like to cover (usually when inspiration kicks in) writing blogs as in advance as I can, doing things in bulk (taking the photos to several blogs I'm planning on writing). And a little bit of luck. It does get tough sometimes as I do miss out on certain aspects, like going out with friends and spending quality time with my boyfriend and family etc. But it's just a bit of a balancing act. I absolutely adore blogging and am so happy I found it, wouldn't change it for the world!"

Lauren / @Lollalong

Trying to blog whilst working full time is something I’ve struggled with for the past two years, check my post dates if you don’t believe me! There are not enough hours in a week! The main thing I’ve learnt is that if I have an idea I need to write it down (with bullet points!!!) so I can write it in full at a later time. If I’m at work and I have an idea, I quickly type it up on my emails and send it to myself. Cheeky but effective. Another good thing I’ve learnt to do is to set myself time limits of when to blog. Usually this means I have an hour on a Monday night to type out some post that I can then read through and edit on a weekend. Blogging and working full time is difficult but if you plan your time right, you can manage at least one post a week!

You may have noticed the beautiful watch featured in the photos of this post! It's the Classic Petite Bondi* from Daniel Wellington's new collection, and I thought it was perfect to feature in this post today, as well as being the inspiration for the 'time' theme. You can get 15% off the whole site with my code DAINTYALICE15, so snap one up for yourself!

How do you make time for blogging?
What are your tips?

Products marked with an asterisk (*) were gifted to me by the lovely Madeleine at Daniel Wellington. The code DAINTYALICE15 is not an affiliate link and is valid until the 15th August 2017.

30 comments

  1. Thank you so much lovely! So sweet of you! Everyone seems to scheduled and organised, I am still so so useless 😂😂👏🏻

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm a full time blogger but I loved reading this, so many good tips!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm not a full time blogger but I do juggle my blog with parenting. I love blogging but I do slack on that side of things as I'm always so busy. I want to blog more though

    ReplyDelete
  4. So far I've not been at school while blogging, but I'm planning to try and schedule as many posts as possible at weekends I think. This was really helpful for tips too x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ever since returning back to the UK I have really struggled to find any time to just sit down and blog. It was a lot easier when I was 8 hours ahead actually. I need to get a plan together, that Asana app sounds perfect which Taryn mentioned.

    Lovely post, great to hear from different people and how they manage their time with blogging amongst other things.

    Abs x
    https://afababulouslife.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  6. As someone who also juggles a blog and job this was really nice to read! It just goes to show that organisation is everything

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm honestly the worst when it comes to being organised. However, I know a time will come when I need to get my act together and be more organised otherwise my blog will probably end up going out the window.

    Abbie
    overpeachchic.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I work full-time, and try to study art in the evening, so my blog is really just a place of reflection for me.

    I admire everyone who can keep a regular schedule going, and getting to see how different people do it is really fascinating! Great idea for a post!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I loved this post! I find it so hard to make time for blogging, even though I am fairly organized. Just finding the time to take blog photos is time consuming!

    xx, The Makeup Feed

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is such a great post, loved reading all the answers! We both work full time and are currently travelling, and blogging twice a day and vlogging! Don't really know how we do it but we love it and that's all that matters!

    Jessica & James | www.foodandbaker.co.uk / www.foodandbakertravels.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  11. At the moment I am lucky enough that for the summer I only work at weekends so have all week to do what I want and I focus on blogging a lot. I don't want to loose track or focus less on blogging when I get more work in September but know it'll happen so these are some great tips here. I enjoy blogging as a hobby so much and intend to stick to it!
    Lois x
    www.lifeasloismay.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Some great tips! I don't know how I'm going to keep up with my blog when I go back to work but I guess I'll just have to get myself a schedule like these organised ladies!
    PaleGirlRambling xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. Some of this is such useful advice! I find that not only time is hard to find - sometimes it's motivation too! Thank you for a super useful post xx

    Abi || https://theskilllessart.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for sharing! It's really inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great post! I definitely have to schedule time for blogging when I go to college!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I loved reading this. It's always nice to know how other bloggers juggle everything. Definitely feeling inspired to work harder on my blog now.

    Antonia || Sweet Passions

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great post and I like how you've left links to the bloggers you've mentioned so we can all get to read and discover new blogs! I definitely would love for blogging to become a career, but at the moment that is just a dream! :)
    - www.roisinslatest.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm very new to blogging, so this has been very helpful. I'm very busy a lot of the time, so finding the time to blog was something I was worried about. Thanks for the great post! X

    ReplyDelete
  19. Some fab ideas :)
    Whenever I have a few spare minutes I tap out some content and save it as a draft. It adds up eventually!

    ReplyDelete
  20. That is a really prettt watch! I work full time and blog and whilst it is hard, I enjoy it and for me once the enjoyment stops, that will be the end x

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great post! I work full time andalso have an online store so finding timefor blogging and social media is always a struggle. Yet there's balance somewhere and sometimes if I need it I just take a break andtry not to worry too much about it. I love blogging, of course do and it helped me out so much but sometimes life takes the presidence and then I take a mini break x

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is a great post and I have picked up some fabulous tips, I am so unorganised and need to be more so, but my health means I can't plan anything, I blog when I can, and when I'm feeling up to it, but I have a lot of help too, my daughter takes my photo's for me, I wouldn't manage without help, but I enjoy blogging it's a lovely hobby and I am so glad I am able to do it, all be it with a little help :) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love this post Alice. If you love what you do it doesn't feel like a waste of time, but getting used to blogging and working full time is definitely hard work xx

    ReplyDelete
  24. Such a fab post. Blogging takes up so much time, alot more than people think.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This has been an interesting read! It can be hard to find time to blog or if blogging's your job getting the right balance between work/life.

    ReplyDelete
  26. What an interesting post! I struggle sometimes trying to work, do youtube, blog and have a life on the side of things! But it somehow works out!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Such a great post, it's interesting to find out how other bloggers fit blogging around their work!

    Rachel | Hey Rachieface

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love how you get to hear a little bit of lots of people's opinions in the post, juggling blogging and work (and life) can definitely be rough. Also I think it's really clever how you related the time theme from the watch to the post, it's a gorgeous watch!

    Julia // The Sunday Mode

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great tips in here. I blog, work and am a mum who is also committed to volunteering for my boys footy club running the canteen every second Saturday. This has pushed my two posts a week back to one. I am looking forward to the end of the season so I can have more time to blog. I think I need to be better at scheduling time to work on my blog as I really enjoy doing it. Great post.
    Michelle Xx | www.thisismybliss.com.au

    ReplyDelete

Every single comment means so much to me, thanks for making me smile! :)