It all started on Sunday night.
I had my feet up on the couch and I was enjoying me some football.
It was nice to be next to my husband on the couch.
It was nice to laugh.
It was nice to put my feet up.
It was nice to watch some TV.
It was nice not to be in front of the computer (though I was following Twitter sporadically on my phone to see what people were saying about the game real-time…)
It was nice.
Then my son got sick on Monday night and this whole week went downhill.
I spend every second of my free time doing something related to this blog. Of course the “free time” of a working mom is after I put my son down…and then spend the rest of the night on the computer. One night this week I had the audacity to talk to my husband for about 50 minutes and ended up going to bed at 11:30. I can’t do that and be functional. Then with my son’s illness, he was up for almost two hours in the middle of the night. It’s my job as mom to be there for him (and I love it — his little comments in the night were hysterical); it’s just a lot.
I need to go through all the emails I have received since January 14th.
I need to announce the winners of The Unhealthy Truth giveaway.
I need to post pictures of our lunches sometime this weekend.
Sorry to anyone waiting — I’m tapped out!
I haven’t decided if I’m post less frequently or take a week off from blogging (or both) some time in the next month. I love doing this, I just need a little break.
What are your biggest challenges as a blogger?
By all means, take time off!!!! We'll be here waiting when you return. Take care, Mrs. Q.
Mrs. Q — If I'd had any idea what I was getting into when I started The Lunch Tray . . . 🙂
Actually, the truth is, I'd still do it (as I'm sure you would, too) but I do feel your pain. E.g., I used to be a great email correspondent and now the mail comes in so thick and fast that I have to just hit things with a flag and pray I'll get back to people eventually. When I finally do hit the button that shows me all the flagged mail, my stomach sinks with guilt because I'm SO behind. And my kids now think that my laptop is surgically attached to my face.
I will say, the two weeks I took off from daily blogging (in December) left me feeling incredibly refreshed and raring to go. I say, take a breather, put your feet up, and we'll all still be here when you return.
Bettina
I don't post daily, but I'm always researching/writing posts, keeping up on food news, interacting with readers and food activists in other forums and by e-mail, and just plain thinking about blogging. So I feel your pain.
But I think it's important to remember that we are in control. No one is forcing us to post more often than we'd like. And readers always come back. Remember, readers are busy, too! So if there isn't as much for them to read, that's more time for them to engage.
I say follow your gut. That never, ever, fails.
You have to not let it eat your life….a posted break is fine…just say you're gone for a bit, and post less often if that's what you need to do…..
Should at some level be enjoyable and not a drain, no?
Hang tough, hope your son is better now,
Cheers,
O
You post a lot and we all love it BUT everyone knows you are busy. Post less, we will all understand!
I periodically take time off-otherwise blogging becomes a chore, instead of something fun. I took the week off in between Christmas and New Years, and a few weeks ago I took several days off due to a death in the family. I think breaks are necessary for a 'healthy' blog.
Right now I blog Monday-Saturday, but I'm actually playing around with a new schedule because I just can't keep up. I think I'll now be blogging M/W/TH/F, and take Tuesday and the weekends off. That will give me some breathing room!
My teenagers just discussed this week starting a blog of THEIR schools' lunches. So cool to see there are some!
your readers won't go away if you take a week off…or post less…just saying!
Then…don't blog. What do you want, an organic cookie for all of the time you're putting in?
Take a break! I'm amazed by how you're able to come up with quality posts every day. You won't lose readers if you take a week off. In fact, there are a lot of bloggers who only post once a week. If you want, write up a few posts when you have time, then schedule them to publish themselves during the week you decide to take a break from blogging.
Don't let this become something you dread doing! Maybe you should block off time on the weekend and leave the rest of the week just to live life.
I love reading your posts, Mrs. Q! They got me through the 2 weeks of sick children, snow days, and spouse out of town that I lived in January. Now that everyone is healthy and back to "normal," I've been inspired to make new meals & lunches, thanks in large part to your blog. I'll be happy to read more again when your household is back to "normal." Thanks for everything!
seriously – take some time off! the world will keep spinning, and your personal world will be healthier for it. there's no rule saying how much content a blogger has to churn out. come to think of it, i rather like it when bloggers write intermittently. it's like a surprise treat when it pops up in your rss feed. i understand feeling pressure to keep a timeline when you were posting daily meals, but now it's totally up to you.
i've never commented on your blog, but i've read it for a while. take it to heart that this is the first time i've come out from the lurch!
There is a really strange pressure to post that comes with blogging. I cannot imagine the pressure you feel writing a blog of this magnitude and hope you take a well deserved and much needed break. Everyone will wait for you to come back.
Enjoy a really nice break!
enjoy the break!! BTW (if you can) could you post the friday lunch wrap-up, I enjoy seeing it each week
Take a break when you need it, the blog will be here.
Since I have a cooking blog, the hardest thing for me is editing photographs. I don't have the software on my little laptop thing, so I have to be on the regular computer, and it's time consuming.
Most of my blogging actually gets done in bed, believe it or not! I get the photos uploaded for several posts at a time, then spend a little time at night (8-11pm-ish)in my pj's in bed putting them together. A crazy schedule but for now it works.
Good luck and rest up!
Mrs. Q, take a look at your archive. In 2010, you made 424 posts. 424 posts in 365 days. You haven't gone more than a few days without posting in 14 months. Of course you're getting burnt out!
You teach full-time, post almost daily on this blog, and parent a toddler – just thinking about doing all that makes me tired! No one could blame you for needing a vacation.
Mrs. Q, you had a compelling reason to post every day last year. I think you're audience would understand if you needed to reduce your number of posts or unplug for a week. I often dial down the number of posts I'm making when life gets busy, kids are sick. Blogging has to be fun or you won't keep it up, it is a lot of work. do what works for you. your readers will adjust.
http://whitewhine.tumblr.com/
Mrs Q,
I'm going to start with the important stuff. If your boy is sick with a runny nose, and he won't eat (much) throwing up is to be expected. I know because I did this to my parents my ENTIRE childhood. What happens is that there isn't enough food in the tummy, then when he sniffles the snot (I know, gross) goes down his throat and winds up in there, the environment goes off kilter in the tummy, and next thing you know…barf! He doesn't feel good so he doesn't want to eat. You've got to do your best to keep food in him somehow, it will eliminate the barf factor. I know, easier said than done.
Now to the blogging thing. If you want my opinion, (and you probably don't…but…) you should probably blog LESS. I don't think any of us (and I've actually been reading since day one…) will be mad if you start to post 3-4 times a week instead of everyday (and sometimes multiple posts per day.) Once you finished eating school lunch you started a lot of smaller type of projects here (book club, etc) and I think it might be more than you thought it would.
Simplify, eliminate, condense, whatever you have to do. You have nothing to prove to us. We already know how committed you are to all of this, and we love you for it.
Take care of YOU and your family. We'll be here when you have time for us…
Miranda
MirandaRR8@aol.com
It is just a blog, repeat after me JUST A BLOG. =}
Go take care of your stuff, don't devote every spare moment to this stuff, life matters more than these words on the screen. Seriously, just a blog.