Christy at kidsrsimple.com invited me to join this blog hop about writing processes. She is a fulltime working mother residing in Singapore, and I enjoy her posts as she introduces many options for families in Singapore, has pretty organised ways to deal with the everyday life (and good tips) and also deals with raising multilingual children. I like her positive, practical and energetic outlook on life.
As I realised this blog hop is about writing processes, I first thought “hm, do I have any ‘process’?”! My blog is mainly about sharing ideas and experiences, most posts are short and based on my every day life or what I hear or see in it. Typically I don’t do a lot of research for them (but I may do some research before I do something I later end up blogging about). I don’t even think of myself as a writer. I started to write because I thought there are so many things to create a fun life with that does not cost much but it seemed to me not everyone finds those options.
Initially I thought I’d gather a few ideas and then stop. But then I found the world of blogging, and a number of interesting blogs. I’ve learned heaps. Blogs give me a peak in other cultures from a personal perspective, something I’ve always found fascinating. And my blog gave me a new angle on what is going on; I started to pay more attention to other free things.
Usually I think of something, often save the theme in drafts on my mobile, and then write the post when I have an inspiration (and the time) to do so. A very simple process! Typically I come back to proof read the post later before sending it but not always.
In my blog I’ve decided to focus mainly on affordable activities, crafts, events and travels, therefore I have an index page for all of those too. The emphasis between the four main themes varies, in the summer we are more out and about, there is more time (holidays) and more light, before festivities and in the dark evenings we do more crafts. Most of events and activities we go to or try are naturally where we live, in Helsinki. As I am now on my holidays, the next posts will have more other locations in them too. I didn’t mean to create a mummy blog but since my free time is mainly spent with my two young children, quite naturally the things we do are family friendly.
I don’t really know how to compare my blog to others in the same genre, I think my combination is pretty unique… but I enjoy a large variety of blogs too: I enjoy travel blogs, crafts blogs, and blogs that give me an insight to other cultures or the practices of other multilingual families.
At the end I am to introduce the blogger that I pass this writing challenge on to: Nancy at My Year of Sweat has been an inspiration to me. She initially gave herself a year to become fit and healthy, and is now continuing on that road. As a fulltime working mum I’ve struggled to find enough time/motivation to exercise, even though it for me is just about organising the time. Reading Nancy’s blog reminds and motivates me to keep myself active too. But she also has a good wit and interesting adventures… You should take look at her blog and also read about her writing process on July 7th!
Free But Fun 
[…] weeks ago, the lovely Vilma of Free But Fun sent me an email, asking if I would join in on a giant chain letter blog hop focused on writing […]
Oh – I just found this. Where did it get to before?? I’ve been waiting to hear your take!
I still don’t know quite how you find the time 🙂 Between work and the kids you seem to get so much posted!
I do like your angle, though. There’s so many simple and enjoyable things out there but it gets drowned out by the big marketing budgets sometimes. Plus, I’ve learned a lot about Finland!
I’m “quick as Lightning MacQueen” 😉
Based on the posts from fulltime working mums in Singapore I think I actually have shorter work days anyway, and our kids go early to bed. And I guess some posts are formed in the head and then the typing part is quick. On the recent road trip I was typing away drafts while kids were napping and husband driving, I’ll get them finished up little by little 🙂
I guess somehow you just find the time to what you enjoy… But how do you find the time? Your posts are always so informative and you’ve done so much research for them, they must require so much more effort!
The work days in Singapore are typically longer than elsewhere.
I guess for me, I also tend to use information I was researching anyway, or stuff I’ve learned before. It’s easier this year because I do have a whole morning when both kids are at school together, but I give a lot of credit to paying someone else to do the housework as it leaves my evenings free after the kids go to bed – I never used to sit down for long enough in the evenings before that.
Help with housework would be good but then…maybe our house isn’t quite as organised then…?! ;D Most nights there is an hour or so “own time” for me, especially if I count the time I spend sitting upstairs waiting for kids to fall asleep. Good blogging time. Oh, and we hardly watch tv, I think I’ve seen about 4 movies this year…
Yeah, who has time for TV?
The kids won’t let me use devices while they’re falling asleep. We’d end up with the whole family awake all night (instead of just me!) Although I have to say Æ does bed time more nights than I do (having been out all day).
We’ve had those phases too were it just didn’t work with a laptop when putting kids to bed. Luckily those have passed! 🙂
What did you do? Push through? I have given up!
Oh, but where are you in the room? Because we haven’t got to the stage where we can be anywhere but lying down on the bed next to the kids.
Mostly outside with the door open so they can see me but not what I am doing. We do the lying down thing pretty much only if we are somewhere new, because at home it just seems to prolong the process of falling asleep. There is initially some whinging and whining usually involved most nights but I guess they are used to it now?
I’m sure we could train them to do it. In the past we’ve tried not being there and it’s been a heck of a lot worse than whinging and whining but they’re older now so it’s probably worth another go. (I’m a little worried they’d kill each other in the dark, though….)
Yes, the whinging here is not bad, just the normal type of “I need to try/ protest for the sake of it”.
We decided on how we wanted it when it pretty much every night took at least an hour of lying down, and often our kids ended up over tired before finally falling asleep (and a very frustrated parent). So we got fed up, told them that this how it is (and if the whinging gets louder, I’ll shut the door, they don’t want that. We are tough 😉 ) and they settled in a few nights. Maybe I need to mention that before we walk out we read and cuddle for about 30 minutes, then we sing, hug and say good night.
Yeah, we were getting more of the “I have been abandoned forever to my certain death” type of crying, and it was rapidly escalating into uncontrolled terror from which it would take hours to wind down. That was after the full bed time routine. Lying down for an hour seemed a small price to pay – although we hope for less than that on an average night 🙂
Who is it talks about “tension releasers” and “tension increasers”? The first you let cry and the second you don’t, if you know what’s good for you. We have one of each.
Tricky, when they are different! But I think we just have to stick through the more time consuming phases too, at the moment it’s pretty easy for us but who knows when it all changes again?
Yes, that’s true. They do change, and not always for the easier!
And the open door is pretty good for the prevention of the killing part…
Oh, and, obviously, Saturday mornings when Dad’s home (hi courtesy of Dad being home!) and also times I really should be sleeping. I think I’ll do a follow up post on how I spend my blogging time because I’ve had to get a bit more of a system together lately so it doesn’t completely swallow me up!
Please do a post on that, I’d be interested as I also did this spring think about that a fair bit to try to find a good balance.
Congrats! Always interesting to read how other people do what they do and why they started doing it in the first place! Really nice post! 🙂
Thanks!
[…] blogger is Vilma from Free But Fun. She lives in Finland and shares many fun and free activities in the ever child-friendly country. […]
You tag a good blogger! Nancy is a motivation! Interesting to read your writing process although we always think we don’t really have one standard procedure of writing. I do write on my mobile alot too. Many times I complete the blog posts on it. Thanks for taking on this blog hop 🙂
Thanks for inviting me 🙂
I do like that you vary it up – but I like even more that sometimes you come back and proof the post, and sometimes you don’t! Because I’m just like that! Only a couple of times have I had to go back and edit something already live because I noticed a major mistake! 🙂
I’ve never edited the content as such (or maybe some detail?) but plenty of times typos. Every time I write on the mobile it seems like every message and comment is full of typos (and I comment mostly on the phone… Now you know why the poor spelling 😉 )
LOL, I comment on my phone all of the time, so I don’t even notice anyone else’s typos any more – i figure they are doing it too!
Thanks Vilma! I look forward to carrying on the blog hop next Monday. Cheers!