I'm so excited to share my first review with you as a member of Mosaic Reviews! As a team member, my goal is to use and become familiar with a product and then share my opinion. Totally fun, right?!
My team leaders were wise to make our first review item a free blog planner to help us organize our writing, posting, and sharing. There were a handful to choose from and while I was first drawn to some of the more detailed, fancy designs, I knew that I would fare better with a simple, streamlined planner. (But maybe, secretly, I chose Mama Jenn's planner because she, like myself, has four boys and one princess...grin!)
Mama Jenn has created a clean, no fuss, down-to-business-with-a-dash-of-pretty blog planner. Her free blog planner has over 50 pages for the entire year. The sweet daisies add enough color to brighten up the pages without breaking the bank by using up your colored ink.
Each month's pages include sections for:
Monthly Blog Calendar
Major Blog Posts to Write
Blog Related To-Do Lists and Goals
Giveaways/Reviews
Blog Post Notes
Mama Jenn has included bonus pages as well:
Year at a Glance Calendar
Monthly Blog Statistics
Future Blog Post Ideas
Notes
You can print as many or as few of each page as you'd like for each month. I printed the planner exactly as it comes though I imagine in the future I will be going back to reprint a few of my most used pages.
I chose to 3-hole punch my pages and place them in a 3-ring binder with tabs separating each month rather than having my planner spiral bound. (Ahem...someone still needs to label the tabs...) I want to be able to insert additional pages about each review product during the month my review is due. Even if I write details down, I'm the type of person who needs a hard copy to refer back to otherwise I constantly second guess what I've transcribed. I figured it would be easier to look right in my blog planner to double check information than to search our team forum each time.
And, goodness gracious, in my current stage of life homeschooling with five cutie pies ages ten to four months, I don't even remember what I ate for breakfast let alone important due dates and information about review products! Grin!
This page, Monthly Blog Planner, is perfect for me to see if I'm meeting my goal of blogging at least two to three times each week. The small boxes are for noting whether I've shared my blog posts on social media which is totally new for me!
To be honest, I am pretty hit or miss when it comes to blogging. I have a lot of ideas swirling around in my head, but often times when I sit down to the computer to write, I draw a blank. So I just post a lot of pictures which is totally fun, but I'd like to write more. Major Blog Posts to Write became a section to jot down my ideas for future posts even though there is a specific page for ideas at the end of the planner.
The Giveaways/Reviews page was really the most helpful to me of all the pages. We usually have up to six weeks to review products. Remember how I said I can't remember what I ate for breakfast???!!! I certainly won't remember my first impression or thoughts from weeks ago. As I'm using a product, I can take notes so at the end of the review period, I'll still be able to give a complete and thorough opinion.
You can see the blog planner pages, my printed out details from Mosaic Reviews, and my folder tabs holding information on a product I'm reviewing in March!
I am certain that, over the next few months, using this blog planner will become much more habitual and natural for me. I just might even get ahead a bit and schedule a blog post. Wouldn't that be something?!
Thanks, Mama Jenn for creating a great resource for anyone who would like to be more organized with their blogging!
{Disclaimer: I received a copy of the above mentioned product to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own. Your results and opinions may vary.}
Miss Lola and Miss Clementine tucked in for nap time with Sadie...night-night girlies!
