Meet my friend and mom blogger Abby Lawson at The Ultimate Mom Blogger Series! In this series, we are sharing the whats, hows, and whys of being a mom blogger with other moms who have been wanting to start their own blog or have been blogging already and need inspiration and encouragement to continue their blogging journey!

I am thrilled to have Abby joining us and talking about her journey as a mom blogger in this series.

Meet the Ultimate Mom Blogger Abby Lawson!

I am the author of Just a Girl and her Blog where I write about organization, home decor, and growing your blog and business. I live in Pittsburgh, PA with my husband Donnie (who is also my business partner!), and our two sons, Connor and Caleb.

Tell us more about Just a Girl and Her Blog.

Let’s talk about setting priorities and finding balance as a mom blogger:

As a busy mom blogger, how do you make sure your marriage, kids, ministry, work and home are in the right order of priority? Balancing home and home business can be tricky. What has worked well for you and what has not?

Balance? What’s that? 😉 I don’t know that there’s ever been a day where I feel like I was perfectly balancing all of my responsibilities at once, but I do try to start the day by doing the most important things first– spending time reading the Bible and praying, having breakfast with Donnie and the boys, and squeezing in a quick workout. I find that if I stick to my morning routine, I feel much more energized and motivated throughout the day and can accomplish more.

Donnie and I split time– one of us is in charge of the boys while the other works and then we switch– so it also helps that we work as a team to get everything accomplished. Finally, I have just had to reach the point where I’m okay with knowing that I’m not Superwoman, I can’t do it all, and I need to give myself grace.

Organization and planning are a must in the life of a mom blogger, share with us your productivity secret!

My favorite productivity method is probably time blocking. Usually at night before I go to bed, I use a printable that I created to write down my to-do list for the next day and assign each task to a time slot. This helps me stay on track throughout the day and not get distracted because I have mini deadlines in place for each task.

Let’s talk about blogging!

When you started blogging, what did not expect to happen? What surprised you in the blogging sphere?

I was most surprised at the amount of time it takes to put together a blog post. All of those bloggers make it look so easy, but really each post represents hours and hours of work.

How often do you post on your blog? And what do your readers love to get from you?

I typically post twice a week, though I post more during the busy holiday season!

What has been your most successful way to monetize?

Digital products are my favorite income stream! We have 5 now, and I love them because once we put in the work to create them and set up sales funnels and systems, they are pretty passive and generate revenue every day of the year!

Do you have a blog accountability partner or mastermind group you belong to? If so, tell us a bit about it. How is it helpful to you?

Well, Donnie is my main accountability partner because we both need to pull our weight for our business to work the way we want it to! Other than that, I’m in a group of about 12 bloggers that have been together for a few years. They are my go-to girls anytime I have questions about blogging, and we all help each other promote our projects and collaborate on events as well.

I wouldn’t be able to blog without…

Ooh, there are a lot of things, but I would say #1 is my email list. Growing my email list has been the best thing I have done for my site. It has helped me increase sales of my own products and affiliate products, boost my traffic, and get to know my readers even better.

Tell us about your first big blogging A-HA moment. What was it?

When I had been blogging about a year, Donnie wrote a post on my blog about going paperless. He included a few affiliate links to an eBook he liked and some scanners, and we didn’t really think anything of it. Within a very short time after publishing that post, those affiliate links had brought in a few thousand dollars, and we were stunned. It was the first time we really started to believe that my little hobby blog could turn into something bigger that could actually support our family someday!

What would you do differently if you were starting again?

I would start growing my email list earlier! I waited about a year to start, and I wish I would have started on day 1!

Give us your best 3 blogging tips for a beginner mom blogger.

1. Grow a focused email list from day 1.
2. Get to know other bloggers in your niche.
3. Show up every day and put in the work to get better.

We would love to hear about your own products and affiliate opportunities, freebies and resources!

• Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook

• BookBoss: Write + Launch a Profitable eBook in 90 Days or Less
• Simplify: 35+ Printables to Help You Organize Your Life and The Intentional Life Planner
• The Paperless Home: How to Use Evernote to Organize Your Life

• The 10 Day Blogging QuickStart
• Build Your Launch List
• Intentionally Organized

Want to win an Ultimate Mom Blogger Toolbox loaded with blogging boosting goodies? Enter for a chance to win here:
The Ultimate Mom Blogger Giveaway

Your Turn: How has this interview with Abby Lawson inspired you as a mom blogger? Share your thoughts with us!

About Ana Willis

Ana is the unhurried homeschool mom of 3, wife, and homeschool blogger. She loves to encourage, inspire and empower moms to go from stressed to blessed by providing them with the tips, strategies, and resources they need to succeed. Ana is the founder of They Call Me Blessed and the creator of: Hebrew for Homeschoolers, Charlotte Mason Online Conference, The Homeschool Sisterhood, and the Beyond Blessed Life Planner. She leads a vibrant free community for homeschool moms on Facebook and you can connect with her at www.facebook.com/theycallmeblessedblog.