Living with a diagnosis can be very difficult, especially if you have more than one. Spoonies rely on their friends and family for support and understanding during these hard times. 

We understand that it might not be easy for you to always show your support, and it can be hard knowing what you can say to help us. But more importantly, you need to know what not to say too! 

Earlier this year, I created a couple posts that I thought would help individuals that may interact with chronic illness warriors: 25 Things Not to Say to a Spoonie and 25 Helpful Things to Say to a Spoonie. And after recent events, I thought it was important to add a few new points! 15 to be exact!

Personally, Zach and I don't play cards very often. We usually stick to board games and it just so happened that we received a free deck of cards from Veteran's United after purchasing our home. So we definitely didn't need those!

Next was the mouse pad. Lucky for us, we already got a free one from Shutterfly and since we only have one desktop, we didn't really need another mouse pad.

That left the notebook and the iPhone case. Honestly, there wasn't much of decision to be made. The only time that I take off my OtterBox case is to get the cat hair out of it. So, that left the notebook. It actually worked out though, because I am constantly running out of notebooks!

I know I've talked about Stephii from the Stephii Mattea blog before, but I'm gonna do it again! This wonderful soul has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award and I couldn't be happier!

She is such a sweetheart and she's a relatively new blogger, just like me! She actually had her one year blogiversary a few months ago and I won the awesome giveaway she was hosting! So, if you aren't already reading her blog, I suggest you go check it out!

Recently, I started posting a series of Blog Stats & Income Report posts and in doing so, I've received a lot of questions from you guys!

The biggest one being, how do bloggers make money? And since it's been such a popular question, I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to my answer!

So, after figuring out what works best for me and checking in with a few other bloggers, I have come up with a list of six different ways to monetize your blog!

1. Ads

From my experience, ads are the best way to monetize your blog and earn a passive income! At the moment, I have two different types of ads on my blog: Google Adsense & sponsor advertising.

Google Adsense allows you to earn money whenever your ads are seen or clicked. That's it! You don't have to do anything except upload the ad's code to your blog template and then they practically run themselves!

In addition to my Google Adsense ads, I also have the option for sponsor advertising on my blog! I got the idea from some of the other blogs that I love and I thought I'd implement it myself! Basically, brands, bloggers, and businesses pay me to put their ad in my sidebar for a predetermined amount. Currently, I have multiple packages that range from $1-$10 and they include various benefits. The reason that these ads work for me, is because I get to pick and choose who is the right fit for my blog and what I will do for them. Most of the time, I just have to put the ad on my sidebar and schedule a couple shoutouts for each sponsor.

To get more of an idea of how it works, you can check out my advertising page here!

2. Products

Products are another great way to monetize your blog and there are so many awesome bloggers out there that do this too! If you've checked out my sidebar recently, then you know that I have a shop of my own as well!

A lot of the bloggers that I follow make a majority of their income from their products. And I'm not just talking spare change either, some of them make thousands of dollars from their products each month! It definitely helps that bloggers have so many different product options too! From e-books to courses, to printables and physical products, your options are endless!

The best part about having your own products is, you only have to create these products once! And if you play your cards right, you can have them sent directly to your customers and you won't have to handle the orders at all! I mean, who doesn't love passive income?

3. Referral Programs

I have a love hate relationship with referral programs! At the moment, I only use a couple and I'm not a huge fan of them. Mostly due to the fact that I don't actually earn cash, but instead earn a shop/service credit! And although this isn't exactly what I'm looking for, it's perfect for other bloggers!

The way referral programs work is pretty simple. After signing up, you'll get a link to share with your friends and family, and each time someone uses that link, you'll earn something for that referral! For me, most of my referral programs pay between $5-$15 per referral. However, as I mentioned earlier, the majority of these programs pay with credits instead of cash. So if you're looking for cash, I recommend affiliate programs!

4. Affiliate Programs

Besides my usual ads, I'd have say that affiliate income is my second favorite way to monetize my blog! There are just so many wonderful affiliate programs out there, you are bound to hit the jackpot with one of them! For me, I signed up with about 15 different brands and I've made less than $5 total in the past few months, then I signed up with another company and I've made a little over $60 in about three weeks!

Now, there is a little bit more work involved with affiliate programs, but it's worth it! Most affiliate programs have pretty great commission rates compared to regular ads and other forms of monetization. In fact, the one I was just talking about gives 25% commission to the affiliate that makes the sale. Of course, it's important to note that not all affiliate programs have commissions this high, but it is something to look forward to! In my experience, a majority of companies stick around the 8% range, which is still pretty good!

Another perk is that as long as you're recommending things that you love, you're actually getting paid to enjoy those things! So for me, I earn money for wearing leggings, using Photoshop, and even shopping at Walmart!

5. Sponsored Posts

Similar to sponsor advertising, bloggers can also get paid for sponsored posts! Usually, brands and businesses will reach out to the blogger directly for this type of collaboration, but many bloggers also get jobs by pitching to brands on their own. Personally though, all of my sponsored posts have been through different networks that specialize in connecting sponsors and bloggers.

One of the great things about sponsored posts is that you get to choose who you work with, how much you make, and what you have to do! Honestly, I love that sponsored posts aren't limited to blog posts alone. Some bloggers get paid just to post a picture on Instagram or give a shoutout on Twitter! So don't let your blog stats deter you from exploring sponsored posts! Some companies care more about your social media engagement, so as long as you're doing well on one platform, you've got everything you need!

6. Freelance Services

Just like products, many bloggers offer up their own freelance services too. Whether they're selling coaching sessions, content editing, or graphic design services, many bloggers are also freelancers! In fact, I'm a freelancer and that's where a majority of my blogging income comes from!

Usually, if you've been a blogger for a while, then you've picked up a couple of important skills! For me, I've learned a lot about graphic design and social media marketing. So, I've taken those skills and turned them into an opportunity for income!

In addition to these types of services, other bloggers also freelance as virtual assistants for other businesses and bloggers. Personally, I've tried my hand at this, and I wasn't too fond of it. It was fun and all but ultimately, I just had too much of my own work that needed to get done. On the plus side though, the job paid pretty well!

Honestly, there are so many different ways that you can earn money as a blogger! This post just includes my favorite six from, what I can only imagine is, a list of 100+ different ways!

Ultimately, I'd like to share them all with you and I hope to do so soon! Not only that, but I plan on making lists of all the best affiliate networks and brands to work with too!

Do you have any other tips or questions in regards to monetizing your blog? Take a moment to share them with me in the comments below!

These are all of the books that I have purchased in October! I have received a few more from authors, but I want to keep those a secret until I post my reviews!

I went ahead and had the tests done and I already know I did poorly on one of them. Now I'm just frantically awaiting the results. In the meantime, I've been looking up alternative medications to treat Lupus. However, I haven't had much luck. The next one I found was well-known for giving patients blood clots and then there are various infusions and chemotherapy, which I'm definitely not ready for!

Today when I went in for my appointment, everything went wrong. It appears that my previous blood work showed inflammation in my joints, which she believes might be something more. She thinks the reason I fell last week is due to another sleeping disorder, so she's sent in a referral for another sleep study. Not only that, but after reading my CT results, she determined that we should get a second opinion. So the one thing that I thought was going well, is no longer true.

After dealing with all of that, I made sure to update my Rheumatologist on my eye situation. She was immediately concerned. She told me to stop taking Plaquenil and requested that I get a second opinion from another eye doctor. She then requested blood work and began talking about alternative medications. She mentioned the one that leads to blood clots, but before I couldn't even reject, she had already changed her mind. She then rattled off another one and said we'd try that one.

A second later, she looked at me and asked "Do you plan on having children anytime soon?" I quickly told her no. She then explained that the drug she'd be prescribing could harm any fetus and could potentially hurt my chances of becoming a mother later on. I accepted the prescription anyways.

Honestly, it didn't make any difference to me and here's why: if I have to make the choice between losing my sight and having children, I'm not going to have children. If I have to make any choice between my health and something else, I'm going to choose my health. It's as simple as that.

I know that some people think that's selfish, but I don't really care. If I'm being selfish for choosing my own health and the rest of the life that I have left, then I will gladly agree that I'm selfish.

More than that though, I think bringing a child into this world would be way more selfish than anything. What people don't understand is if I were to have a child, it would be because I want to have a child, not because I think it is what's best for the child.

I mean think about it this way. Is it not selfish to bring a child into this world that I could pass on one of my 15+ chronic illnesses to? Is it not selfish to try having a child when I know the simple act of being pregnant could harm both me and the baby? Is it not selfish to have a child when there is no guarantee that I can take care of it after it's born?

People have criticized me for saying that I don't want to have kids, but they have no idea what my reasons are behind that decision. Instead, they just force their opinions on me and expect me to want what they want. Of course, that's not going to happen.

To me, it doesn't make sense to put myself through the harsh realities of multiple miscarriages. To me, it doesn't make sense to try and have a child when it could put my own health at risk. To me, it doesn't make sense to risk the chance of giving a baby all of my illnesses. Nor does it make sense to me, to have a child only to realize that I can't take care of it.

Now I don't entirely mean it when I say that I don't want children. As I've mentioned before, I always thought I'd have three: two little girls and a boy. But the reality of the situation is this, I should not have children. Frankly, it would be selfish of me to even try.

Kami Lingren is a perfectly ambitious woman currently residing in Southern Oregon. In fact, she and her husband just moved there at the beginning of the year! Kami is still soaking up all of the mountains, trees, and the beginning of fall!

She is the owner and operator of a chronic illness blog titled Living Grace. Kami primarily blogs about life with chronic illness, with topics ranging from marriage and relationships in illness, self-care, spirituality & faith, finding community and more. 

Kami describes her blog as a sacred space for her to unpack the harder aspects of life with illness, but also a place where others can feel safe to share honestly too!

A couple weeks ago, I collaborated with Cassandra Larsen to review her book Deceitful Circle. She was even generous enough to give away 10 copies and I've got to say, that was a pretty great giveaway! 

Cassandra was then kind enough to send me a paperback copy of her most recent novella, Gray's Dilemma! And since I was still reeling from her last book, I knew I needed to read it right away!

Now, for those of you that are interested in reading the series, please don't read this book before reading Silent Circle and Deceitful Circle!

Synopsis:

Pack life can be harsh. The price for disobedience is swift and severe. Gray knows this. As the Alpha’s son, he’s even had to mete out a few punishments himself. But when a close friend of his lands on the wrong side of pack law, Gray must choose between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his pack. And this time, a wrong decision could cost a lot more than a beating… Gray’s Dilemma is a novella from The Witches Circle series, told from Gray’s perspective. It covers events in the Silver Ridge Pack that take place at the same time as the first book in the series, Silent Circle.

Have you ever walked into a room and forgot what you went in there for? Perhaps you lost your train of thought mid conversation after being distracted by a noise. Maybe you forgot a name or a number or to buy milk. We’re human! We forget things. However, the more we multitask, the less we focus and the verdict is out on how this affects our brains long term.

So how do we strengthen our brains? Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD, a New York City based licensed neuropsychologist and teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College, shares how we can exercise our minds and master our memory.

What are some brain-boosting activities someone could do before work?
There are a lot of activities one can do to boost your brain. Research shows that any stimulating activity will "boost" circulation and activate areas of the brain. According to Dr. Hafeez things like writing with your left hand, trying to remember phone numbers, doing mental math calculations, the daily crossword, or looking up a new word in the dictionary on a daily basis, helps your mind stretch in ways you can't see but certainly feel. “The frustration that you feel when doing something that’s mentally taxing is when you know your brain is getting a workout. It's good for you,” she says.

How do brain-boosting exercises help when it comes to work life?

There are a lot of websites and computer generated programs that offer memory training and visual spatial exercises. Dr. Hafeez suggests looking for puzzles, numerical sequences, and recall activities that can help boost processing speed, attention, and memory. Just like your body, the more you do, the more your brain can stretch and accommodate.

How does doing these exercises before work enhance our performance?

“Doing something stimulating and challenging, before work, gets your brain geared up for the day. If you run two miles in the morning, walking seems like a stroll. Similarly, if you perform math calculations as you're driving or insist on spelling words backwards for the fun of it will make the stuff you do at work every day seem like a breeze. It'll make you more aware and vigilant not to mention focused and almost raring to keep moving from one task to the next,” Dr. Hafeez explains.

Can it enhance our performance in other areas of our lives? If so, which areas and why/how?
Mental health practitioners agree that over time, brain boosters such as learning a new language, a sport, a musical instrument, or painting, sewing, arts and crafts, boost the brain in bigger, more long-term ways. “It may even reduce or delay the onset on Alzheimer's and other mental decline, again by strengthening the cognitive reserve. Brain exercises are good for one's overall daily health and may actually protect one from more serious ailments. Daily smaller brain boosters can help with mental agility, daily memory, an active work and even social life, by helping increase attention, focus and creative, problem solving skills,” adds Dr. Hafeez.
About Dr. Sanam Hafeez:

* I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. *

When I first got the campaign invite for a pair of Axon Optics glasses, I was more than intrigued! I've been suffering migraines for years and so far, I haven't found anything that can relieve them.

For a little while, Tramadol was helping, but then my doctor took me off of it. We traded out the good stuff for some Tylenol Arthritis, and it wasn't nearly as effective. Immediately after, I began getting daily migraines all over again! So, this campaign couldn't have come at a better time! 

If you guys saw my LuLaRoe clothing haul, then you know that I'm obsessed with their leggings! Unfortunately, their clothes are just a little to pricey for me. So, I was more than excited when a friend recommended Legging Army to me!

They told me that the LA leggings are made with the exact same materials that LLR leggings are and they are buttery soft too! And as I've mentioned before, this is a huge necessity for me! Between the Fibromyalgia and Lupus, these leggings are really the only things that I can wear right now. So finding them at a cheaper price point was a must!

Now, I don't know if you've shopped with LLR before, but it can be a bit of a production. I was lucky enough to skip all of that with the ever so lovely Tina from LuLaRoe Lovelies Tina & Noelle. Unfortunately though, most customers don't get so lucky.

From my experience, while trying to shop with other consultants, I've realized a few things: 1. Leggings are anywhere from $25 & up, especially with the finders fees, taxes, shipping, and even unicorn pricing. 2. Every consultant has a different stock, so you have to shop with more than one to find your print and your size. 3. There's a lot of drama between customers.

So, of course, I was ecstatic when I found out that none of that was true for LA. You get the same buttery soft leggings for $16-$18. There's free U.S. shipping and tax is almost always included! And the best part is, there's only one website! You don't have to join a bunch of groups to find the one thing you love, you just head to the website and purchase your stuff like you would anywhere else! Not only that, but you can also purchase an affiliate kit, which is exactly what I did! 

Before hearing about LA, I honestly considered coming up with the funds to become a LLR fashion consultant. However, after looking into it, I realized that the start up costs were between $4k-$6k. And if you know me, then you know I definitely couldn't afford that! So, when I heard I could do the same thing with LA, but for just $10-$29.99, I knew I needed to take advantage of it!

Immediately, I logged on and purchased a kit that included the affiliate membership and two pairs of leggings and then I patiently awaited my package. It didn't take long for them to arrive and it took even less time for me to fall in love with the company! I loved my leggings so much that I ended up ordering 10 pairs that night! 

And here's what I got :)

I know I haven't posted a DIY project in a while, but don't fret! I've got a quick and easy project for you today!

As you guys know, my husband and I bought our first home in April! And I've been filling the house with DIY decor ever since. So today's project will be no different!

In our kitchen, we have extra space above our cabinets, but we don't have much to fill it with. We found a couple of vases at Marshall's but they aren't nearly enough. So, I thought I'd try something new!

If you're interested in following this tutorial, then you will need the following materials:

I was recently nominated by the oh so lovely Emma from Emma and Family for the "20 Things About Me Blog Tag". Emma and I met through an awesome blogging group on Facebook and she posted some great facts about herself, which you can read here!

I know that I've already written quite a few posts like this, but I figured it's a great time to reintroduce myself to you guys! If you recently read my "Blog Stats and Income Report: September 2016" post, then you know there's a bunch of new readers, followers, and subscribers! And I'm so happy to have you!

So, without further ado, here are 20 things about me:

1. I don't have any tattoos

Secretly, I want at least five tattoos, but I don't think I'll be getting them anytime soon. Before, I always told myself that I didn't want to get them before my wedding because I didn't want them in the pictures. Then we decided to have a seperate reception, eight months after the wedding, and I didn't want them in those pictures either. I had joked about getting them with my bridesmaids later on, but I'm not 100% I could go through with it. You'll see why in fact number two.

2. I absolutely HATE needles

When I say that, I mean it with a passion. Needles, blood, and any other medical situation stresses me out beyond belief. It doesn't matter how many doctors appointments I go to or how many times I have blood drawn, I still have an issue with needles. It's to the point that I will walk into the lab room, put my stuff down, and repeat the following:

- I don't like needles so please don't show them to me.

- I haven't passed out yet, but I might.

- You will need to take from my left arm in this vein, because the other one has built up too much scar tissue.

- Do not hold the tube or vial in front of my face.

- You will have to tell me when to make a fist and when to let go of it.

- Oh, and you will probably need to remind me to breathe.

Have I convinced you I hate needles yet?!

3. I don't have many fears

I've always been an a nature girl and an animal lover, so I'm not afraid of the usual things. I've held/touched more tarantulas and snakes than I can count. I even asked my parents for one of each, but was told no. I'm the kind of girl that will save little creatures and insects that get into our house and release them outside. EXCEPT for cockroaches. I tried to be nice once and it started charging at me. Needless to say, that one didn't make it outside. If I could have it my way, I'd probably live on a wildlife sanctuary with at least one of every species!

4. I used to play piano

It was the first instrument I played and I enjoyed it immensely. If I could go back in time, I would have found a way to continue learning. I remember playing a couple of recitals in Elementary school and I used to play with my step-dad's aunt, but I had to give it up shortly after. I think that's one of my biggest regrets.

5. I have way more at the age of 21 than I ever expected to

It's crazy to think about, but I'm a wife, a homeowner, and a mother to three fur babies. Not only that, but I've also started my own businesses and two blogs. Plus, I've begun working on two different novels! I honestly didn't see my life turning out this way, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.

6. I look forward to the winter season all year long

Even though I was born and raised in Florida, it has never been the place for me. I long to live in a city that stays cold all year long! That's why I'm hoping we get stationed somewhere up north next! 

7. I have 15 chronic illnesses and counting

I know this isn't a new fact for some of you, but it deserves to be repeated! I never thought that I'd be going through this invisible illness journey, but I am 100% better for it! These illnesses have forced me to focus on the things that matter in life, whether it be my dreams, my little family, or the community of chronic illness warriors that I've grown to know and love. Oddly enough, each diagnosis has been a blessing in disguise.

8. I love breakfast foods

If you know me, than you know how much of a picky eater I am. Between my sensitive stomach and my childlike tastebuds, I usually don't eat anything that isn't listed on a kids menu. However, when it comes to breakfast foods, I'll eat just about anything. In fact, my family frequently visited Denny's on the weekends and even as a child, I would get a grand slam. Not only that, but I would finish it and then proceed to finish clearing the rest of the plates on the table. So if you want to win me over, make me breakfast foods!

9. I will always be a child at heart

I know a lot of people say this, but for me, it really rings true! I'm the kind of girl that still watches all of the ABC Family shows. And yes, I know they changed their name to FreeForm, but to me they will always be ABC Family. And then there's the fact that my favorite foods are chicken fingers, french fries, and dessert. Plus, I am the type of girl that has a jumbo coloring book on hand as well as a 96 pack of crayons AND a 64 pack of crayons. And guess what?! I was doing this before adult coloring books were cool! Personally, I will take a trip to the zoo, bowling, or building a pillow fort over being a regular grown up any day of the week!

10. I have a MAJOR sweet tooth

Part of my problem stems from needing sugar to keep my body functioning, but the other part is that I just love sweets! Any time my husband and I go to Savannah, GA, we have to stop by the candy store and fill a bag with all of our favorites. And I probably shouldn't admit this, but I always have s'mores granola bars, gummies, oreos, chocolate chip cookies, candy bars, pudding, and ice cream on hand at all times. And when we go out to eat, I will decide on a restaurant based on their dessert menu.  So they either need to have a cookie sundae, a brownie sundae, a funnel cake, or churros!

11. I will always be a cat person

Growing up, I have only ever had cats and fish, which weren't always the best combination. I always wanted a dog, but my parent's didn't want any more animals. Of course, I got it in my head that my husband and I would get two cats and two dogs. I can tell you right now, we are 75% of the way there and we will not be getting to 100%. Two cats and one dog is way more than enough! Trying to mediate between the three constantly is an ongoing battle.

12. I am a bit of a nerd
Besides my love of reading and writing, and my constant need to correct others, there are many other reasons that my husband refers to me as a nerd. I'm the type of girl that has always been a list maker, a planner, and an overachiever. But the real thing I'm nerdy about is my games. While the usual 20 somethings are playing *Insert popular game here*, my phone is filled with sudoku, word searches, word scrambles, scrabble, and solitaire. And if that's not unusual enough, the only "normal" games I have on my phone include bejeweled, mancala, jenga, and snake. The thing is though, I love these games and my husband doesn't have much room to talk! He's a superhero lovin', Lord of the Ring watchin', physics studyin', nuclear engineer. Pretty sure he takes the cake for the nerd in this relationship!

13. I hate the sound of things cracking
I know we all have pet peeves, but this one genuinely drives me crazy! Anytime I hear someone crack their knuckles, or really any part of their body, I'm incredibly grossed out. Not only that, but pissed off too. I just cannot stand that noise for the life of me. Oddly enough though, it doesn't bother me when I do it to myself. I think that's just due to the fact that my conditions cause a ton of joint pain and if I don't actively bend and crack things, my body will lock itself into place.

14. I am almost always hungry
I know I've mentioned this before, but I can eat A LOT of food! It's to the point that my husband and I not only have a kitchen pantry full of food, but we also have two large kitchen drawers completely dedicated to snacks. And I snack all the time! Again, part of it is due to my blood sugar, but the other part is just because I'm always hungry. I mean, today alone I've had a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, a hash brown, a pack of fruit snacks, chicken fingers, french fries, a DQ blizzard, bread, and half a dozen chocolate chip cookies. And I'm not even done for the day!

15. I have only left the country once
A Christmas or two ago, my husband and I took a trip to Canada, but that is the only other country I've been to. Personally, I hope to be able to change this fact soon! I'd really love to head to Europe. My ultimate dream vacations though would be to visit Ireland, Iceland, and New Zealand. After that, it wouldn't matter much where we went next, as long as it was in Europe!

16. I wear glasses
I don't think I've told you guys this before but when I was younger, I envied the girls that had glasses. Don't ask me why, because I honestly don't think I had a logical reason, but it's true! I wanted glasses so badly, that I actually remember failing my eye exam on purpose in an attempt to get a pair of my own. Of course, that didn't exactly work. And little did I know, I would actually need glasses later on in life. Sometime during middle school, I learned that I have astigmatism and I am nearsighted. At first, I was only five points off from normal, but now my eyesight is much worse. Currently, I receive a new prescription every six months and I'm frequently being tested for eye toxicity due to my Lupus medication.

17. I drive a Mazda 6
Originally, I wanted a Nissan Altima, but my husband wouldn't let me get one. Now don't read too much into that! At the time, the Altima was named one of the most popular stolen cars in America; so it made sense that he wouldn't want me to have one, especially since I was living in Jacksonville, FL at the time. Nevertheless, I still love my car. I did a TON of research when I was car shopping and I ended up falling in love with a used model at CarMax. I didn't even need to see it in person or test drive it. I simply took a screenshot of the one I liked, walked into the dealership, and said "I want this one" to the first employee that I saw while showing him the screenshot. It was easy as that!

18. I clean when I'm angry
I don't know why I do this, but it happens time and time again. When I'm really angry, I'll start cleaning whatever room I'm in and then when I have to move something to another room, I start cleaning that room too. Eventually I move in and out of rooms until the whole house is cleaned.

19. I am a bit of a pack rat
I'm not sure when it started, but I've been doing it for the longest time. I keep anything and everything that I consider to be sentimental. I've kept everything from my prom dresses, to my concert tickets, and I even have my Girl Scout vest from elementary school. Of course, I haven't reached full hoarder status though. When it really comes down to it, I'll go through everything and get rid of some clutter. There is one thing that I will never get rid of though, my books!

20. I love fairs, concerts, zoos, and aquariums
It's true! If someone asks me to go to one of these things, I will almost always say yes. They are the of the very few activities that I can actually enjoy and forget about my illnesses and limitations for a little bit. When I was younger, the local fair was a yearly tradition and I still try to keep up with it as often as I can, no matter where we're stationed. As for the concerts, you guys already know that I've seen more than 50 artists in concert, and I can't wait to see more! Plus, zoos and aquariums are just one of the things that my husband and I like to do together. We've made sure to visit at least one in each state that we visit and we've been to more than I can count!

Well, there you have it! Now I tag:

If you're interested in getting to know a little bit more about me, you can always check out these great pages:

I can't wait to get to know more about each and every one of you! So feel free to post some facts about yourself in the comments or drop the link to your own "20 Things About Me" post!

What are your favorite self-care activities? Tell me in the comments!

A couple months ago, I decided that I was going to start tracking all of my blog stats, social media followers, income, and expenses. I've seen a lot of big bloggers do this and I've been inspired to do the same, especially by Melissa Griffin. I mean did you see her report from July 2016? She made over $100k!

Obviously my numbers will be no where near hers, but they're still worth keeping track of! I know sometimes it can get overwhelming to see bloggers making thousands of dollars, so I thought it was important to show what it looks like for me. I only launched this blog in January 2016, so I still have a lot to learn, but I'm glad I can share it with you!

Actually, I'm more than glad, I'm super excited! I have been watching my numbers and waiting for the month to be over, so I can finally compare everything. Usually my husband is the math guy, but I can't wait to calculate everything!

Traffic Report

September Traffic

To be expected, I think this is my best month so far! It's partly due to the giveaway I hosted, but I will take whatever numbers I can get!

Unfortunately, I did go down in two sections: duration and new sessions. Honestly, I think I might be to blame for my duration going down. I know that I will go to my site just to copy a link for someone, plus I host a lot of giveaways which could negatively affect duration. Also, I noticed that my bounce rate went up this month, which is slightly disappointing, but I know it's something a lot of other bloggers struggle with too.

September Traffic Sources

• Social: 57.73% (+ 19.28%)
• Pinterest: 30.31% (- 16.52%)
• Facebook: 49.78% (+ 102.85%)
• Instagram: 5.42% (- 64.85%)
• Twitter: 9.81% (- 16.85%)
• Blogger: 4.17% (- 63.29%)
• Google+: 0.15% (- 75.41%)
• Direct: 20.96% (- 12.67%)
• Referral: 7.69% (- 10.58%)
• Organic: 13.52% (- 28.84%)

Social Media Report

September Social Media Growth

• Instagram: 1156 (+ 7.04%)
• Twitter: 1194 (+ 11.48%)
• Pinterest: 710 (+ 26.56%)
• Bloglovin': 225 (+ 30.81%)
• Facebook: 66 (+ 37.50%)
• Google+: 24 (+ 20%)
• Email Subscribers: 29 (+ 123.08%)

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't been the best on social media lately. So I am very surprised to see how much some of my social media accounts grew!

Not only that, but I set a goal to increase my Email subscribers and I'm happy to say that they more than doubled! I mean look at that! My numbers are still small, but in just a month I was able to increase my newsletter stats by 123.08% !

Profit & Loss Report

September Income

• Freelance: $52
• Affiliate Programs: $45.05
• Miscellaneous: $22.47
• Products:
• Book: Free ($5.89 + includes shipping)
• Total Income: $119.52 + $5.89 worth of free products

September Expenses

• Storenvy: $9
• Adobe: $32.39
• ConvertKit *: $29
• Blog Boss Babes *: $37
• Legging Army Affiliate Kit *: $29.99
• USPS P.O Box: $70.00
• Business Cards: $18.33
• Giveaway: $31.58
• Total Expenses: $257.29

(Anything with an * next to it is an affiliate link)

Total Profit: - $137.77 + $5.89 worth of free products

This month's expenses were a little over the top, which is why I didn't end up with much of a profit. In fact, according to this report, I actually lost money.

In the end though, I'm not concerned about it. Ultimately, the bulk of my expenses came down to my P.O. box purchase. I was going to keep putting it off, but the need arose. I realized that the more that my email list grew, the more I felt uncomfortable sending out my personal address to each of my subscribers.

Not only that, but I also started a new affiliate program which required a couple upfront expenses. The company I'm working for actually had a couple of other cheaper affiliate kits, but I decided to go for the bigger one. In the end, it was the better deal. And after wearing my leggings out a couple of times, I got an insane amount of compliments and realized that I needed to order some business cards. So that's exactly what I did!

Finally, there was a giveaway expense this month. Usually, I send out gifts from the wonderful brands and authors that I collaborate with, but this time I picked up something special for one lucky winner. However, I didn't intend on shipping to be so much, so there was a little bit of a loss there. So not a big deal though!

Post Report

September Posts

• Number of Posts Published: 13
• Most Popular Posts:
• Product Review: Vera Bradley + Giveaway! (Published September 2016)
• Book Review: Deceitful Circle + Giveaway!* (Published August 2016)
• Chronic Illness + Loneliness (Published September 2016)
• What You Should Do If One of Your Medications Is Recalled (Published September 2016)
• Guest Post: Living Life One Day at a Time with Chronic Pain and Illness (Published September 2016)

Goal Report

Last Month's Goals:

• Finish secret project
• Gain Newsletter followers
• Host an awesome giveaway
• Hit 2k pageviews

This Month's Goals:

• Finish secret project
• Publish at least 15 blog posts
• Hit 4k total followers/subscribers
• Write at least 2 guest blog posts