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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / blog & handmade advice / {guest blogger :: Lisa Leonard}

{guest blogger :: Lisa Leonard}

December 20, 2010 · 17 Comments
Filed Under: blog & handmade advice, guest bloggers

Lisa Leonard is a sweet friend of mine. We first met earlier this year at Blissdom and then connected again at The Creative Connection.

Lisa is here to share some tips on turning your blog into a community :] One of my favorite things about her blog is how honest and friendly she is. Lisa’s such a hard worker. She’s a true form of inspiration and a great mentor. Love you, Lisa!

Find her on twitter or her blog.

***

Keep Your Blog Fresh and Inspiring

Sometimes it feels like a challenge to keep my blog fun and new. In the last few months I’ve really tried to share little bits of my day that might seem ordinary to me but interesting to my readers. We have a journey to share and it’s fun to know the details about each other’s daily lives. Also, I am often doing little creative things, so why not share them with my readers?

  • I carry my camera with me everywhere.
  • I don’t always know when I’ll be able to capture a beautiful image or share a special moment.
  • I’ve learned to keep my camera battery charged. It’s so frustrating to want to take pictures but not be able to!
  • I think about what I would like to see on other people’s blogs. A new sweater, a table setting or a fun idea for gift wrap can be so inspiring!
  • Don’t be afraid to post pics of yourself. People want to know you and pictures are a great way to connect. This is still hard for me, but it’s getting easier.
  • If you have kids, get them involved. Even with harder projects, there are little things they can do to help.
  • Listen to your readers’ comments. They’ll tell you what inspires them and what they want to see more of.
  • Keep blogging even if you feel uninspired! Keep your rhythm and inspiration will come!

Lisa with husband Steve and boys David & Matty ~

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17 Comments
Filed Under: blog & handmade advice, guest bloggers

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Comments

  1. april c. says

    December 20, 2010 at 6:23 am

    what a lovely lady and a very well-written post! i enjoyed it :)

    Reply
  2. April Foss says

    December 20, 2010 at 7:28 am

    I loved meeting Lisa too at TCC!! Very sweet person:) My daughter has one of her necklaces:))) We love it!! Great post Lisa and Maggie!

    Reply
  3. Jacky {The Sweetest Petunia} says

    December 20, 2010 at 7:42 am

    Lisa, I always love visiting your blog – you’re always so sweet and genuine. Thanks for sharing these pieces of advice with us!

    {{hugs!}}

    Reply
  4. Ashley Pichea says

    December 20, 2010 at 8:08 am

    I like these suggestions, but with a non-crafty blog, I find I have a harder time getting reader feedback. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Gussy says

      December 20, 2010 at 8:29 am

      Lisa suggests taking your camera and showing photos of your everyday life on your blog. I think that even without a crafty/product blog you can still accomplish these ideas. Another suggestion would be to poll your readers and get to know them a bit more so you can have some tips on what they’d like to see on your blog :]

      Reply
  5. Megan Lane says

    December 20, 2010 at 8:45 am

    straight-forward but helpful tips. i really need to start carrying my powershot around with me! p.s. lisa you are so stinking cute and i am obsessed with that lovely peach dress!!

    Reply
  6. lisa leonard says

    December 20, 2010 at 8:52 am

    thank you for having me maggie. and thank you ladies for your sweet comments! ashley, i agree, you don’t have to be crafty. what do you love doing? reading? start a little book review? gardening? tell us what to plant when. just let us inside your heart a bit.

    ps {{i love you maggie!!}}

    Reply
    • Ashley Pichea says

      December 20, 2010 at 10:47 am

      I’m an “encouragement” blogger – blogging encouragement and challenge from the Word of God. Most of my posts are related to how God is working in my life.

      I used to blog more about my daily life, but it took a bad turn, so I’ve gotten away from blogging about daily life. I’m trying to incorporate more about me in the blog – I’m just trying to avoid going down the same “bad” path again.

      I’ve started using more pictures in my posts, so I like the idea about carrying my camera with me all the time. Maybe I can find a way to incorporate daily life into my posts again.

      Reply
  7. Jenilee says

    December 20, 2010 at 9:17 am

    those are some great blogging tips! thanks for sharing them with us!

    Reply
  8. Nish says

    December 20, 2010 at 10:41 am

    Great post, Lisa! Thanks for sharing these great tips with us. And thanks, Maggie, for asking Lisa to guest post! Both of you have such strong creative talent… grateful to witness it!

    Reply
  9. Lauren says

    December 20, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    I love me some Lisa Leonard!!! :) Great tips – thank you so much Lisa!

    Reply
  10. Robyn says

    December 28, 2010 at 10:59 am

    I’ve been a fan of Lisa for a while. My husband was nice enough to remember her site when I sent it to him months ago. For my birthday, he surprised me with one of her lovely creations with our children’s names on it. Lisa is truly inspiring.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      December 28, 2010 at 11:12 am

      Not sure if my reply came through to you. This may be a repeat.

      I have a basic rectangle from Lisa. My kiddo’s names are Milady and Jake. You pronounce her name Ma-La-Dee. We named her after my husband’s paternal grandmother.

      Reply
  11. Laura @ Just For Love says

    December 28, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    Thank you for all of the WONDERFUL advice, Lisa! You are a gem : )
    Love, Laura
    P.S. I love your blog and all of the gorgeous photography. Sooo pretty!

    Reply
  12. Iska says

    March 19, 2014 at 2:48 am

    – wonderful! His hat is aaoldbre, too! I’m right there with you on the props I think I might need to rent a storage space if I buy another prop chair lol :)July 18, 2011 8:46 am

    Reply
  13. clarisonic mia sale says

    March 25, 2014 at 2:50 pm

    I enjoy what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting!
    Keep up the good works guys I’ve included you guys to my blogroll.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. {creating community on this blog says:
    March 7, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    […] Lisa Leonard recently shared tips on creating/establishing community, as did Allora Handmade. Hope you read them! ;] […]

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

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Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
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Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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