This week, we have Yvonne from Double The Monkey Business taking part in the Blogger Spotlight interview.
If you would like to take part, and your blog is under six months old, or has been re-launched in the last six months, please email me randommusings29@gmail.com
1 Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself
I am Yvonne. I married my husband James 8 years ago and I am a twin mummy to two little monkeys, who are four in September.
I started my blog Double the Monkey Business in January, and I have been hugely surprised by how much I have enjoyed it.
I also have a day job, Reporter/Sub-Editor for a newspaper.
2 What is your blog’s name and what is it about?
My blog name is: Double the Monkey Business.
I blog about parenting, pregnancy, HELLP syndrome and preeclampsia. However, I have recently completed a couple of blogging challenges and also started my own Guest Series: #parentingscoop.
3 Why did you decide to start a blog?
I started Double the Monkey Business for a few reasons.
For a few years, I had been quietly blogging on a different site. However, I was never really that into it, I didn’t promote it and it was almost like a personal diary. I felt the style wasn’t really ‘me’.
With this in mind I felt like I really wanted to start again. Do things properly. Find my voice.
Additionally, as much as I love working at the newspaper, I really wanted to write about things that were close to my heart. Particularly, my struggle with HELLP Syndrome and Preeclampsia. I felt that a fresh new blog would allow me to do that.
4 Do you have any goals for your blog?
I would love to raise awareness of HELLP syndrome. That was my initial goal and I feel like I have managed that to a small extent already. I recently started helping the Preeclampsia Foundation and that was a huge milestone for me.
Mostly I just want people to read my blog, enjoy the posts and interact with me.
Longer term; I would love to be able to spend a bit more time on my blog. I always feel like I need more time to promote it. But, there are only so many hours in the day.
I would love to get into the photography side a bit more. I love Instagram and I think it adds a really nice dimension to a blog. Unfortunately, I am not a natural photographer. So, it will be a bit of steep learning curve for me.
5 Tell us one random fact about you
I am on the local radio every Wednesday, talking about the news in the paper. I mostly phone in though, so often forget that I am on the radio at all.
6 What is the best piece of blog related advice you have received so far?
I really wish I had went self-hosted from the beginning. I was told this repeatedly when I started, however I was so unsure about my ability and sustainability that I didn’t want to take that leap of faith.
I have been live with my self-hosted site for a few months now. My site has still not been ’discovered’ and my domain authority is still at one. I find this so frustrating after months of hard work.
7 What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I have been pleasantly surprised by the blogging friends that I have made. I genuinely didn’t think that would happen. I thought I would start my blog, promote it, and that was it. I didn’t realise that I would meet people, albeit virtually, and become friends with them. I have been lucky to meet some wonderful and supportive people on my journey so far.
8 Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over knowing what you know now?
I really wouldn’t worry about sticking to a niche. Some of the posts I have completed for the blogging challenge, were brilliant to write and no where near my normal topics. They came from the heart.
If I could start over, I would tell myself not to fret about finding/sticking to a niche. It is your blog, so why not write from the heart?
9 Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I just want to say thanks to the blogging community for being so friendly. I have heard a few times that a lot of blogs don’t make it past the first year. I am approaching my six-month anniversary now, and I am so happy about that. One of the reasons for this is the community I have found along the way.
10 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)
W: www.doublemonkeybusiness.co.uk
E: doublethemonkeybusiness@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/von_nee
Facebook:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doublethemonkeybusiness/
Twins… I’m in awe. Twins are hard.
Me too, it must be really hard
First year is very hard I am not going to lie. A lot easier these days now they are older 🙂 xxx
Blogging friends have amazed me too – I didn’t expect to make any, I didn’t think that was a ‘thing’, and yet I’ve made some fantastic friends in a fairly short amount of time. I hope your DA creeps up – elusive buggers! #AnythingGoes
Ha ha thanks, it jumped up recently so I think my site has been discovered – woo hoo! 🙂 xx
I didn’t expect that either. If someone had told me, previously to blogging, that you can make real friends online I would have been sceptical to say the least! Blogging makes you see its definitely a real thing 🙂
I definitely fall into the category of new blogger and niche blogger!
Talking toilets is not for everyone but for my boy they make a difference between living life and feeling worthless. ~AnythingGoes
Off to check out your blog 🙂 x
I think its great that you’re raising awareness of this. Until I read your blog, I’d never given it much thought, but since then I’ve noticed more and more how often places don’t have disabled facilities
I love the blogger spotlight! Finding out about the people who write those words that we love to read is just beautiful. Bloggers are such lovely lovely people and I’m the smell I didn’t realise I would end up with a network of friends in such a short space of time #anythinggoes
It is a brilliant community! Makes it all worthwhile 🙂 x
Thank you 🙂 I love a good nosey into people’s lives lol 🙂 It’s a great community and you do make friends really quickly
Lovely post and great to ‘meet’ you! Can’t wait to read sone more #anythinggoes
Thank you, I hope you enjoy the blog 🙂
So nice to meet new bloggers! I always wanted twins! The blogging community is awesome, so welcoming xx #anythinggoes
Twins are a lot of fun that is for sure 🙂 x
I totally agree, the community is so friendly and welcoming 🙂 x
So nice to learn a bit more about you and your blog Yvonne. I enjoy reading your blog. I know what you mean about going self hosted, it took me over a year to make the plunge and I wish I’d done it sooner xx #anythinggoes
Always the way, I think I just didn’t believe it would become such a huge part of my life or I would have definitely done it a lot earlier. x
It was nine months for me and I wish I’d done it sooner too x
Lovely to get to know you a bit more Yvonne…I love your blog! I feel the same and wish I had gone self-hosted from the start but it’s hard to know where it is going and how passionate you feel about blogging in those early weeks. Little did I know I’d be hooked within a month haha. Your comment on finding your niche is music to my ears as it’s something I often worry about too xx #anythinggoes
So very true hun, I had no idea it would grip me either 🙂 x
It’s a big step to take when you’ve never blogged before and have no real idea if you’ll enjoy it or not. x
Love reading your blog as I have twins (and an older one too). Twins are special (and a challenge :-)). x #AnythingGoes
I love twins, I imagine they’re a handful, but a very fun handful! x
Yet another new blogger to me. Lovely to hear about them and good luck in raising awareness of the condition. #anythinggoes
Thank you!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy her blog 🙂
I’m definitely with you on the blogging friends.#anythinggoes
Me too, the community is so friendly
So great to read about people like this. Hellloo Yvonne! #anythinggoes
Hello! ***waves*** thanks for reading 🙂 x
Thank you 🙂
Lovely to read more about Yvonne, I love to always read more about my fellow bloggers. xx #bloggerclubuk
Thank you 🙂 I do too x
A great way to find new bloggers – thank you and hello Yvonne! I’m only a month into blogging so still finding my feet a little 🙂 Amazing job with twins! #bloggerclubuk
I hope you’re enjoying it so far 🙂
Lovely interview and your comments give us hope – we are only in month two of our journey! Twins are also part of my family (plus two older ones!) and it is always lovely to hear from other mums about the particular joy they bring. Great post! #bloggerclubuk
Thank you 🙂 I hope you’re enjoying the journey so far!
Great to get to know you more. I enjoy these posts to get a better insight into people. Good luck with all of your journey,
mainy x
#anythinggoes
I love reading these types of posts, it’s great to get to know the person behind the blog x
Lovely to read more about you Yvonne and your reasons for starting your blog. I’ve certainly learned a lot more about HELLP syndrome after reading your posts about it. Going self-hosted early on is good advice – it took me about five months to do so and I wished I’d done so earlier. Six months is a lovely milestone to reach – I have to admit I thought you’d been blogging longer than that! #BloggerClubUK
I’ve learned loads about HELLP too, I’d never even heard of it until I found Yvonne’s blog. I waited nine months to go self hosted, I wish I’d done it earlier too
Found your blog for the first time today so is lovely to also read more about the woman behind it. Will be logging in for some more updates. Lovely to meet you. #BloggerClubUK
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
I love your blog Yvonne and you are doing amazing for 6 months 🙂 I really need to get myself into the blogging community more and get some blogging friends, I think that would be the cherry on the cake for me X
I love this blog too 🙂 Don’t be afraid to reach out to bloggers, everyone is really friendly x
I like your tip about not worrying about sticking to a niche. I know my blog has wondered over the years as the kids have grown up. #BloggerclubUK
I think as we grow and change as people, it’s natural that our blogs will grow and change with us
Yet another clue that I should bite the bullet and go self hosted! And to be on the radio, that’s pretty cool! #bloggerclubuk
Good luck if you decide to 🙂
Great answers! I enjoy reading Double the Monkey Business. Hope the blog gets ‘discovered’ soon. #BloggerClubUK
I love this blog too 🙂
Great to hear a new name on the scene. The blogging community is friendly and you learn so much, it really is amazing journey to be on X #bloggersclubuk
The community is amazing x
wow, I would never guess from looking at your blog that is only a few months old, it’s gorgeous. And I LOVE the name!
I totally agree with both of your points 🙂
Such a great series of posts, I love reading about the people behind the words. I’ve only been blogging just over a month so very new to the scene too 🙂 #BloggerClubUK
Thank you 🙂 I do too! Feel free to email me if you want to take part 🙂
I love that you’re raising awareness. I had a relatively uneventful twin pregnancy, but my girls were still born 7 weeks early. 10 years on, I still have such guilt. #anythinggoes
It’s not your fault, but then I guess that’s much easier to believe of someone else than yourself
I know it’s not my fault intellectually, but the feeling never quite goes away, despite all rationalization. There are so many “ifs”.
I know what you mean – knowing something and actually believing it are often two different things!
Lovely to read more about you and your blog Yvonne. I have to say the blogging community is great, I’m still fairly new to the blogging scene and was nervous about starting but everyone is so lovely makes you feel like you’ve been part of it for years instead of a newbie! #BloggerClubUK
That’s so true, everyone welcomes you like a long lost friend!