blogs

I MISS THE OLD PERSONAL BLOGS. DO YOU?

October 24, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

I miss the old personal blogs back in the days…. Do you?

I really loved reading blogs back in the day, especially when I discovered the blogs of Bianca Gonzales, Patty Laurel, Cat Juan and even KC Concepcion blog posts at Multiply account. I love the tidbits of sharing they do in their blogs from their movie recommendations, meet-up sessions with their friends, their travels and their thoughts on love & life. Those days, the blogosphere wasn’t as saturated like it is today. There were less of those curated posts. There were no sponsored posts. The blogs have no specific niche. They were just personal blogs that people come to visit to read & enjoy the sharing.

Then suddenly, blogging became so popular in the internet. Everyone started to blog. Blogs became more promotional and lost its charm. Even my favorite blogs became too commercialised and too niched.

In 2008, I tried my hand in blogging too (with apprehension) all for the love of writing. I love writing. I love pouring my thoughts into strings of sentences. I love documenting my experiences with my own words in lengthy paragraphs. So I started my blog. I started in the defunct Multiply the transferred to Blogspot.com or now called Blogger.com. Then I eventually got my own url: https://www.littlemisshoney.com.

Initially, I just enjoyed writing for writing sake. I would write anything that I fancy. But there was a nagging urge for me to monetised my efforts and to gain bigger readership to affirm that I am an “real blogger”. When I was already working and living in Singapore, I took my blogging seriously. After I got my own url under godaddy.com, I hired a blogging coach. Then I got a website designer. I joined online blogger groups. Then (magically) suddenly, I have brands and PR company emailing me to work with me. I would get lots of free products that I would review. I would get free hair and nail services, I would get to try yummy foods from restaurant for free. I would get free passes from concerts to playgrounds for kids, etc. I got to earn a few dollars from some collaborations too. It was fun times. But sometimes, if I accepted too many collaborations, it took the joy of the whole thing and it became just a task to do. It did lit me up anymore like it used to. It became almost unauthentic and too promotional.

In addition, it is advised by experts that blogs must be niched. Goodbye to personal blogs and lifestyle blogs. They say, you cannot just write about anything. They say, you must stick to your niche which I try my best to follow. I think I found one which is an expat blog – to blog about my journey as a Filipina working abroad from Singapore and now in Oman.

But I miss the freestyle writing of yesterdays’ blogging (though yes, I am aware also that blogging has been dead for so long. My favorite bloggers stopped blogging in 2019. Hello Vlogging!). So I decided to get back to that. I will, of course, still write about my expat adventure but along with it, I will share a smorgasbord of what peak my interests. Would you like that?

P.S. My thoughts on Vlogs

Vlogging is the “in” thing these days. Everything is moving towards video-based storytelling. Look at Instagram, promoting reels. Most vlogs now are sponsored and have lots of ads interjected within the video but then again, it is already considered a legit livelihood. I have so much respect for vloggers. I could imagine the hardwork and time they put in to create one video. I think it is amazing. But after giving it some thought because I mentioned I am mulling over the idea to start an Youtube channel by next year. I realised it is really not the platform for me. I could not sustain the energy to create a vlog weekly. Maybe in the future future, who knows but definitely, not in the near future or definitely not next year

5 INSPIRING BLOGS

August 2, 2013 by Little Miss Honey 763 Comments

I love reading blogs. I love being inspired. I love reading blogs that keep me inspired, blogs that radiate positivity, blogs that make me smile or laugh and blogs that share exciting new food discoveries or travel destinations. I follow a lot of blogs over the years so it is hard to choose only 5 favorite blogs that truly inspire me.

1. SUPERBIANCA

The blog of the TV host and UNICEF ambassador Bianca Gonzales is first blog that got me hooked into reading personal blogs. It’s her blog also that inspired me to make my very own blog. She started blogging when blogging wasn’t very much recognised like it is right now. I enjoy reading her insights, her travel stories, and her love for her family & friends. She would always take tumbling shots in her travels. Sadly, she doesn’t post entries more often in her blog maybe due to her gruelling work schedule. But there is no denying that her social media presence is very influential to the youth and the Filipino people.

2. PATTY LAUREL

My sister and I were sad when we couldn’t find her blog in the web one day. We love reading her entries about her travels. But thankfully, she made a new blog site and it is even bigger & better than before. She writes in a funny and geeky kind of way, just like how you & your friends would talk to each other which endears her to her readers. She has a very ‘sunny’ and happy outlook in life that make you want to be a happy and ‘sunny’ person too. I love reading about her wedding and being a newlywed myself, I enjoy reading about her newlywed adventures with her husband.

3. CATJUAN

This woman, the better half of the director Carlo Ledesma, is a gifted writer and a talented photographer. I love how she writes and captures photos. She has a new lay-out and theme in her site which gets me excited because it means she will be blogging more frequently now. Her words are filled with wisdom and her writing is fired with inspiration and positivity. I am enlightened by her philosophy in life. And I trust her book and makeup recommendations.

4. FAB AFTER FORTY

This blog has gained so much followers because of its creative, uniqueness and humor. I love reading Chinie Hidalgo-Diaz’s blog because it make you laugh and think at the same time. Her doodles are funny but they are also thought-provoking and very true. You know that this gal is one great lady who know to laugh and enjoy life. She does a lot of cool drawings in her blog. I admire that because the only thing that I can draw is bunny and thats it. Look at the picture below for my one & only “masterpiece” drawing.

5. CURRYSTRUMPET

This is my new blog discovery. I like how she writes. There are those who just post pictures and describe them. But it is great to read blogs by people who have good writing skills. She has lived in several countries. She used to stay in Singapore with her hubby & baby. I can get ideas where to go here in Singapore by reading her blog. She is now blogging from Amsterdam. Since I have never been to Europe, reading her blog allows me to see glimpse of Amsterdam and other places in Europe through her blog. She also take lovely photos. Something that I should learn to do too..

So these are my 5 current favorite blogs. What are yours? Do share.

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LITTLE MISS HONEY BOOK CLUB: BLOGGING FOR NEWBIES

July 10, 2013 by Little Miss Honey 14 Comments

I intend to have more Little Miss Honey Book Club posts every Wednesday, introducing some books I have read recently or I have recently reread (#nerd alert!). I just got a Public Library Card so I would be reading more books to my hearts content.

To start this week’s book club, I will introduce to you, not one but two books. This books are more for bloggers, more specifically newbie bloggers.

I recently resolved that I want to take blogging seriously so I try to read more about blogging. I may have been blogging intermittenly for years but I never tried to get on the “serious” side of blogging like SEO, Google Analytics, Page Ranking and Focus Keywords. What the heck is that?!! But to take on a title of being a blogger, one must at least have an idea of the technical side of being one.

Book 1: Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers & Kyle Lacy

Looking at the book you might think, This does look like a book of how-to’s for newbie bloggers?!” Hold your horses. Believe me it is. Did you remember that scene in Entourage (series) when Vincent Chase was looking for another manager and he was pitched by the new agency that He is a Brand? Well, that is what the authors of the book is trying to tell us. We all are brands. We have something special to offer to everyone. No need to be a big-ass celebrity. In this day of age, internet is the King. We could resist it (and miss opportunities) or join in and step up in the game. In the original Total Recall movie, we see how (we thought) the future is like. So it happens that this is the future. We have phone guiding us where to go, we communicate with people face-to-face miles away from us through applications and we can look for our long-lost friends with a few clicks on the computer, etc. We have the remote control on what to put out there and what not to divulge to the public. Social Media is an opportunity for growth depending on how you use it. I’ll give you examples. Julia Powell had a blog that chronicled her attempts to make all the menus that Julia Child have written in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. Her blog catch on to people and she gotten a book deal as well as a movie adaptation of her book. BryanBoy’s entertaining and racy blog has caught Tyra Bank’s attention and made him a correspondent in America’s Next Top Model. Instagramer “Nomyourself” posts pictures of her vegetarian food creations in Instagram. She got so many followers, she was offered a recipe book deal and several TV guestings. This book will teach you how create your blog, try to increase your traffic and how to use the other types of social media like Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin. It is written in a very clear, detailed and humorous manner.

Book 2: Blogging by MIllion, Earn by Million by Laura Maya

This is actually an ebook. This is a very concise book teaching you the elementaries of blogging. Laura Maya would enumerate names of good web hosts, sites that would track ranking & SEO, affiliates and applications. She teaches you how to monetize through blogging. She also laid out steps in starting a e-commerce site for those interested in using a blog to sell items. It is straight to the point and best to have a copy for future reference.

I am still in the learning mode for all this blogging stuff. I am practically a baby in the blogging industry and I am willing to learn more. If you have any tips or suggestions for me, all blogger gurus out there, show some love and share with me some of your expertise please.. Appreciate it a lot if you do.