Food Fun Family

December Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas}

Lolli — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 11:00:10 +0000

Need some writing ideas for this coming month? Here is a list of blog prompts for the month of December!

I’m not ready to say goodbye to 2015, but the last few months of the year have flown by, and I’m sure that the rest of this month will be the same.

Lately, my challenge with blogging has not been what to blog about, but where to find the time to write all of the posts that I wish I could write. I’m honestly full of ideas but don’t always have time to make the things that I want to make or write about them when I’ve made them.

December is one of my favorite times of the year for reflective blog posts and round ups of favorite things. What ideas do you have for your blog this month?

Here are a few writing prompts for this month:

December End-of-Year Blog Prompts

What are some of your favorite traditions during the holiday season?
What are your favorite flavors of the holidays?
Write a round-up of your favorite blog posts from 2015
What were some of the best things that happened during this past year?
What are some of your favorite things about the winter?
Do you love holiday shopping or dread it? Share some shopping survival tips.
What December movies are you most excited about, or which movies have you seen? Share your thoughts, reviews, or movie-themed activities.
What would you like to change about the coming year? What will you do differently in 2016?
Is there a person that made a big difference in your life this year? Write a letter to them to let them know about the impact they had.
When you’re stressed, what are a few things that help get you back on track and feeling less stressed? Share your tips (because I guarantee you’re not alone!).
Where would you love to travel in the next 12 months if time and money were not an issue?
Set a timer and write whatever is on your mind – for 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
Who do you look up to? Why?
What is something you’ve always wanted to do but never have?
What do you like to do after the kids have gone to sleep? Do you relax, get to work, or go to sleep, too?

Have a wonderful December!

Need more writing ideas? Check out the last 24 months of blog prompts!

Why I Rebranded My Blog #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 03:02:48 +0000

This week has flown by way too fast! Now that it’s been nearly a week since I rebranded my blog, I’m starting to feel at home here. I am so happy that I made the change! Today I took the final step and changed my twitter handle over to @foodfunfamily. I’ll miss @1momof5, but I love having the same handle across all of my accounts. Now if only I can get Facebook to make an exception with my fan page url… (I’m not holding my breath!)

I figured that I would take a minute to mention why I decided to rebrand, and explain a little bit of the process that I went through. When I started blogging back in 2008, I didn’t realize that blogs had “names” or that people I didn’t know would visit me. When I realized that I wanted to turn my friends-and-family blog into something bigger, I knew that I wanted to get off blogspot and buy my own domain, but I wasn’t sure at that point “who” I was as a blogger. I chose “Better in Bulk” because, back in 2009, I was neck deep in lots of little kids. Everything I did was “in bulk” (yes, that’s including my kids!).

But I found that as I branched out and started meeting other bloggers and brands that “Better in Bulk” didn’t tell people who I was or what I blogged about. Most people assumed that I was involved in couponing or shopping (I’ve heard references to Costco so many times!). Even though I DO, in fact, shop in bulk, that’s never been what I’ve blogged about.

When I was at Type A Conference at the beginning of October, I had two conversations about rebranding. The first convinced me that I needed to bite the bullet and rebrand. And it left me absolutely terrified. The second conversation, just 24 hours later, also convinced me that it was time to rebrand. But that conversation left me excited and motivated and ready.

I came home from the conference with a vague idea of the direction I wanted to go, but I could not for the life of me find a name that made sense AND was available (along with all of the social handles). One thing that was important to me was making all of my online presences “match” – it was hard to be 1momof5 on social and Better in Bulk on the blog. They didn’t fit together. I bought another url that I liked but was hung up on one word. It wasn’t totally “me.” I sat on it for about a week and a half, unable to move forward with it.

And then, last week, I came up with Food Fun Family, which (at least in my mind) describes to a T what I blog about: FOOD (recipes and round ups), FUN (entertainment, outings, travel, books) and FAMILY (parenting, family-friendly products, home tips, crafts & DIY, etc). I was thrilled to find a name that was fun but descriptive of what I wanted people to remember about me.

I slept on the name, still liked it in the morning, bought the url, and within days I had designed a banner/logo (on my own) and contacted someone to do the transfer for me (not on my own. Eek!). Once I found that name, everything fell into place pretty quickly.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time organizing things behind the scenes, and there’s still plenty to do but I’m glad I decided to go for it early versus waiting until everything was perfect before starting the change.

Have you ever rebranded your blog? Have you considered doing it?

Here are a few of the pictures that I’ve taken this past week. Honestly, now that the vibrant fall leaves have mostly all fallen, it’s a lot harder to find good subjects to photograph.

PS – did you notice that gorgeous wrap bracelet up there? You can see my recent Instagram post about it here, or you can check out Rocksbox and give it a try for FREE for a month with my code: 1momof5xoxo. Note: I am a Rockbox Insider and am trying out a membership for free in exchange for sharing pictures and thoughts on social media. I am loving it!

What have you been photographing lately? Feel free to link up your picture posts below!

An InLinkz Link-up

November Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas} #BlogPrompts

Lolli — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 12:00:19 +0000

October has flown by! I’m writing these prompts as I wait for trick-or-treaters to ring the doorbell on Halloween. Before we know it, we’ll be roasting the turkey for Thanksgiving.

Since this time of year – after Halloween and until the New Year – is the busiest time of the year for my family (I’m sure we aren’t the only ones) then I need to keep my blogging as simple and streamlined as possible. What do you have planned for your blog this month?

Here are a few blog prompts for the month of November. What will you be writing about this month?

November Blog Prompts

What are you thankful for this month? Add a daily or weekly feature about what you’re grateful for or what makes you happy.
Holiday memories – what do you remember from the Thanksgivings of your childhood?
What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions?
Write about your morning routine.
What are your favorite things about this time of year?
How do you stay productive? Share some of your productivity tips.
How do you fit family time into your busy schedule?
What shows are you watching lately? Make a top 10 list (shows on Netflix, Thanksgiving movies, classic TV shows to re-watch, etc).
Do you make a weekly meal plan? Share your plan (and recipes)!
How early do you start getting ready for the holidays? Share your tips and methods.
What are some of your favorite treats this time of year? Make a round up of recipes.
Shout out to a special person that has made a difference in your life.
If you could invite anyone to your Thanksgiving dinner, who would you invite?

Happy blogging!

What Every Family Road Trip Needs #LifeConnected

Lolli — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 23:25:21 +0000

This post is sponsored by Netgear, but all thoughts are my own.

We are a family of road trippers. We love our road trip adventures – from the unique sights that we see outside the car window to the extra family time that we get to spend together while we’re crammed into a small space for hours on end (sounds amazing, doesn’t it??).

Our family’s needs have changed over the last 19 years of traveling by car with kids, and frankly the world has changed right along with us. When we took our first cross country trip in 1997, we just had one baby girl. We had no cell phones. No idea that the internet could be anything but slow dial up on our desktop computer at home.

We’ve gone from a family of three to a minivan full of teens and tweens…and lots of devices. While I am still the type of mom that encourages the kids to pull out a book or chat with the person sitting next to them, I am also a firm believer in staying connected where ever you happen to be heading. For the kids, being connected means that they stay entertained during long hours on the road (that goes for our night time stops at campsites and hotels, too), less sibling fighting (I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard complaints about so-and-so touching or breathing or making noises) and far fewer cries of “I’m bored” heard coming from the back of the car. For me, being connected means that I can get a little work done while the husband drives (yay for being productive and having a TRUE mobile office!).

We’ve taken 2 cross country trips over the past 2 years, and I’ll just say that having the whole family hook up to my phone’s wifi was not a great alternative. It ate up my battery like crazy and I ate through my phone’s data allotment pretty fast. But as we prepare for our next family road trip in a little over a month, I know exactly what I’ll be packing: my Netgear mobile wifi device.

The AT&T Unite Express wifi hotspot by Netgear lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge, and you can connect up to 10 devices (ten!?) at a time to fast 4G LTE wifi. That’s even more than my family needs, which is incredible to me. What’s better is that you can pay as you go with flexible data plans and no contracts. In other words, I can add data when I am traveling (with the family or without) and only pay for the times when I need it wifi on-the-go.

I was able to test out the AT&T Unite Express wifi hotspot at Type-A Conference earlier this month, and I was in heaven. There are a few common problems that I run into when I’m traveling (and my hotspot helped me avoid all of them!)…I’m sure you’ve experienced a few of these travel woes yourself:

You have a layover at the airport and hate the idea of hooking up to the less-than-secure airport wifi.
You get to the hotel only to find out that the hotel wifi only works in some areas…and it keeps asking you to log back in (annoying!).
You are one of 300+ digital influencers trying to tweet your heart out and the conference center wifi just isn’t able to handle your awesomeness.
You keep having to check your phone’s data usage to make sure you’re not getting close to your limits.
Your phone has no signal and you have work to do.
You have a signal, but it’s too weak to upload pictures, and the pictures are the most important part.
You’re worried that you’re sharing an internet connection with hundreds of people, and your information may not be secure.

Have you ever had those worries when traveling? I know I’ve experienced each of those problems and more, and I didn’t have to worry about any of them while I was at Type-A. In fact, more than once I was able to let my blogging friends connect to my wifi to share the love.

I am convinced that every family road trip needs a wifi hotspot. And every blogger who travels or attends conferences needs a hotspot. And since I’m both, I definitely needed one.

A hotspot may just be the perfect holiday gift – for anyone who travels, blogs, or works on-the-go.

Connect with Wifi Family Powered by Netgear:

On twitter: @wififamily
On Facebook: facebook.com/WiFiFam
Online

Cruella Didn’t Like My Dopey Costume… #PSF #TypeACon

Lolli — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 02:48:52 +0000

It’s been an insanely busy but productive and enjoyable day here in Atlanta. We kicked off Type A Conference with a fun dinner out, followed by a party with Disney Parks. I dressed up in an outfit inspired by Dopey, the adorable dwarf. I admit I didn’t look much like Dopey, but the outfit was fun anyway. Honestly, I could have ditched the rest of the outfit and been happy with the purple slouchy hat I crocheted last weekend.

Cruella De Vil, however, was not impressed with my Dopey costume and let me know of her disapproval.

Yes, she was hilarious and had all of us cracking up.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter for conference updates and tips that I learn over the next few days.

And now I’m going to try to get a little bit of sleep.

It’s your turn! What have you been up to lately? Link up your posts (any posts with photos in them) below. Have a fabulous weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

October Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas} #BlogPrompts

Lolli — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 12:00:31 +0000

‘Tis the season of pumpkins and cooler weather and baking and costumes. And now that we’ve turned the calendar over to October, it’s time for another round of blogging prompts.

Here are a few blog prompts for the month of October. What will you be writing about this month?

October Blog Prompts

Ghosts. Bats. Black cats. Spider. Write about something that scares you.
Write a letter to someone who did something kind to you.
Do you ever day dream? What do you day dream about?
Think back to a memorable Halloween of the past. Tell us about it.
How has blogging changed you?
What is your favorite thing about October?
Write a bucket list –>
- 10-100 things you want to learn
- 10-100 places you’d like to visit
- 10-100 people you would love to meet
- 10-100 books you would like to read
- 10-100 things you would like to accomplish
Make a Halloween-inspired treat (use some of that Halloween candy!)

Happy blogging!

September Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas} #BlogPrompts

Lolli — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 10:00:45 +0000

Happy September! School has started in these parts, but we’re still trying to adjust to the new routine and the craziness that inevitably comes with a new school year. Fall is my favorite time of year (and not just because my birthday is in the fall) and I look forward to fall traditions and fall foods all year long. Yes, summer is fun. Spring is beautiful. Winter…well, winter is just cold. But the fall is full of the best baked treats, the best colors (I love oranges and reds and yellows and browns), and the best smells. Plus, the weather is nearly perfect.

Here are a few blog prompts for the beginning of fall. What will you be writing about this month?

It’s back-to-school season. Write about what you love (or maybe don’t love) about back-to-school.Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? What made them so memorable?

School memories: Write about a memorable first day of school from when you were a child.
What are some of your fears for the new school year? Are your fears different as a parent than they were when you were the student?
Tell us about your 5 favorite things about September.
Summer recap: Now that summer is officially over, what are some of your favorite memories from the summer months?
Photography: Go on a fall color photo scavenger hunt. Find yellow (or brown or orange, etc) in nature and put your favorite pictures together in a post.
Throwback: Pull out some old school pictures of yourself (and maybe your spouse, too). Find pictures of yourself when you were the same age as your kids are now. Do you look alike? Talk about how your life is the same (or different) compared to your child.
Food: It’s almost pumpkin season! Make a new pumpkin recipe or gather a round-up of some of your favorite pumpkin treats.
Organization: Share your best tips for staying organized when starting a new routine.

Happy blogging!

Top 5 Reasons to be Excited About Blogalicious #BYOE15

Lolli — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:00:52 +0000

Note: I am a member of the Blogalicious Social Squad, which means that I will be volunteering at the conference in exchange for my conference pass. All thoughts are my own.

I’ve struggled over the last year+ with maintaining a balance – in my personal and family life, in my work, in my health. I took on too much, which meant that I wasn’t doing anything really well. I also wasn’t sleeping much, which naturally made everything else I was trying to manage harder to keep up with.

In the spring, I decided that I needed to make some changes. Change is not something that comes easily, but my 27-day road trip, sandwiched in between 2 trips with members of my extended family not only kept me away from my desk for the majority of the summer, made it just a little easier to break free from a few habits and commitments that were tying me down.

The kids just started back to school this week, and I am easing back in to a more normal work routine….a work routine that leaves room for lunches with girl friends and a mid-day bath every now and then. My new schedule is focused more on living life instead of working my way through it.

One of the keys to making sure I have time and energy to LIVE my life the way I want while still managing my blogging business is to spend my time and resources wisely. This past year has taught me a lot, but it has also made me more aware than ever of the things that I could be doing better. I decided that it was time to take a break from my blogging conference hiatus and head to a conference to up my game.

While I was preparing to leave on my road trip back at the beginning of the summer, I decided to apply to be a member of the Blogalicious Social Squad…which means that I will be joining an amazingly talented, energetic, focused, driven, and fun group of volunteers at Blogalicious in Baltimore next weekend. Basically, I’ll be one of the people helping the Blogalicious conference weekend run smoothly. I’ll be making sure that conference attendees get through registration without a hitch and walk away with a badge, a swag bag, and a smile on their face.

And I promise that when I drive home after the conference, I will be wearing a bigger smile on my own face. This year’s conference theme is Build Your Own Empire, and it will be taking place September 11 and 12 in Baltimore, Maryland, with a special add-on VIP day on the 10th.

Here are a few more reasons that I’m excited about Blogalicious this weekend:

The Learning – With sessions like these, I know I’ll be filling my brain with ideas on how I can do what I’m doing even better. There are so many things I need to learn. Yes, after 8 years of blogging (count them…EIGHT years!) there are still days that I feel lost. In addition to the classes, I am also excited about the networking and sharing of ideas between bloggers (that’s where I get some of my best ideas!).

The Friendships – I am so excited to see some of my long-time blogging friends at Blogalicious, and I’m excited for the chance to not only meet but work closely with a whole new group of friends. Because I know we WILL be friends. I also have one of the most inspiring, amazing roommates at the conference hotel EVER.

The Connections – I value the brand connections that I make at conferences. Some of the connections that I’ve made at past conferences are still going strong after several years. Why? I believe it’s the value of the face-to-face relationship. Next week, I’m particularly excited to participate in an intimate “board meeting” with Toyota and a handful of other bloggers.

The Focus – Blogalicious is focused on building up. Whether it’s building individuals up or helping individuals build their businesses, I love the focus of this group!

The Renewal – And I need it. I can’t wait to soak in the enthusiasm that I have already noticed on social media from my fellow Blogalicious attendees. Hopefully I have a few things that I can give back to them. We’re a community, as diverse as we are as people, and as diverse as our websites and businesses may be. We are connected.

Another bonus reason I’m excited about Blogalicious – it’s in my own backyard this year! I love finding conferences that are within driving distance, and since Blogalicious is in Maryland this year, I know I’ll be seeing some of my favorite local blogging friends.

Will I be seeing YOU at Blogalicious next week?

August Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas} #BlogPrompts

Lolli — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 12:00:24 +0000

I’m happy to say that the summer is NOT flying by…though I wouldn’t be surprised if I felt differently at the end of the month of August. Spending the entire month of July on the road (literally) was pretty intense. Exhausting, exciting, enlightening, invigorating. We saw so much of the country, completely different from the cross country road trip that we took last summer.

And we’re already planning next summer’s road trip.

Luckily, my kids have another month of summer vacation before school starts again in the fall. And, believe it or not, all of us thought that school was starting a full week earlier than it is. We just discovered that we have another week of summer break. Not sure how ALL of us overlooked the late start date…

Since I just came back from my vacation, I’ve got an over-abundance of travel posts to write over the next few weeks…which is handy, considering I’m heading on yet another vacation (this time without kids) in less than 2 weeks. But for those of you who need a little inspiration (or maybe a little kick in the butt) here are a few writing prompts to get you started on some killer blog content for the month.

Happy blogging!

Be sure to check out the archive of blog prompts – 19 months and going strong!

Writing Prompts for August

What are some of your favorite products that are better store bought versus homemade?
Which products do you refuse to buy at the store because they’re so much better homemade?
What are 5 traits that you got from your mom (or dad)? Take it even further and talk about 5 strengths and 5 weaknesses you got from each parent.
Do you see yourself in your children? Does it make you proud…or does it make you cringe?
When I was a tween, I wanted to change my name to Jessica because it was my “perfect” name. Did you love your name growing up? How has that changed as you’ve gotten older?
What are 5 habits you wish you could eliminate?
What are 5 words you wish you could eliminate from your vocabulary?
Share your best tips for back-to-school shopping.
Share your best tips for getting your kids ready to head back to school (physically, emotionally, and mentally).
Cookbooks versus electronic recipes versus printing out recipes from the computer. Which do you prefer? Pros and cons?
How do you stay connected with your friends?
What is one of your fears? How have you worked through it (or do you just wish you could)?
How do you help your kids work their own fears?
How have you changed in the last 10 years?
How has becoming a parent changed you?
If you’ve been a parent for a while, how has being a parent of older kids changed you?

What will you be writing about this month?

June Blog Prompts {12 Months of Writing Ideas} #BlogPrompts

Lolli — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 17:00:49 +0000

It never fails. May is always scorching hot. I can’t wait for the pool to open and schools to close and to get started on THE SUMMER….only to have June begin and bring with it cooler temperatures and lots of rain. And yet, despite the fact that it hasn’t been feeling quite like summer this past week, there’s a certain FEEL in the air. Something feels different as we prepare to transition from the school year and homework and waking up before the sun to the lazier days of summer.

With focus shifting to the coming summer season, I thought it would be fun to build this month’s writing prompts on summer themes.

What will you write about this month?

Writing Prompts for June

My favorite childhood summer-time past-time was…
Describe your most memorable summer.
Make a summer bucket list (would it be the same or different if you made a bucket list for your kids?).
How did you spend your summer days when you were a kid? How do your kids spend their summer days? How do they compare?
Share your summer reading plans (if you don’t have any goals yet, join the Scholastic summer reading program!).
Share a summer-friendly recipe.
Top 10 songs on your summer playlist.
10 ways to keep your kids occupied (and not bored or playing video games) during the summer.
Create a craft with your kids and share how you made it!
5 places you would love to visit if money and time weren’t a factor.
10 things you’ll miss about the school year.
Top 5 things that happened in the 2014-2015 school year.
What’s inside your swim bag?
Show off you summer-time fashion (or have your kids be the models for some adorable fashion trends)
What is the one thing you struggle with the most when your kids are on summer break? What do you look forward to the most when your kids are off school?

Have a fabulous month of June…and enjoy the summer!