Skip to content

  • Home
  • Categories
    • Beauty
    • Creative writing & opinion pieces
    • lifestyle
    • Outfits
    • Travel
    • The Honest Fashionista Series
    • The Prêt-à-porter series
  • All posts
    • Artículos
    • English language
  • The typing machine girl
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Search

Tag: londoninfluencer

A Day of my Life in Pictures (blogging behind the scenes)

Back in the day, in what now feels like a hundred years ago, I used to be an active Livejournal user. For those of you who are (far) younger than me, LJ was an early blogging platform intended to be used as a personal journal. Although I didn’t post so often over there, I was still an avid content reader. My favourite community was A Day of My Life in Pictures (a.k.a. ADIML), a group whose main target was to document the daily lives of anonymous people around the world. As you were posting, let’s say, about your daily errands in a little English town, other individuals were sharing their day-to-day from Korea, Argentina, or Morocco. Cool, right?

Those were candid times when social media was not developed yet and DSLR cameras were a rare privilege, mostly used by professionals. This means photos were taken with domestic devices/phones and the edition was close to nonexistent (shocking!) Oh, the good ol’ days!

A couple of months ago, I published a mock day in a blogger’s life post which was written with a humorous tone and produced a good dose of positive reactions. The truth is that post made me feel a bit sentimental about the bold simplicity of blogging on those first early days, just for the sake of it: there was no editorial calendar, no SEO research, and of course, no content strategy—we didn’t even know about those things back then. As strange as it might sound today, we used to blog for fun. Hence, I thought that for a change I could write a new article, reflecting a random day of my new life as a Londoner. Just as I would in 2005. Don’t say I am no nostalgic…

So, here we go: this is my November 27th, 2019.

a-day-in-the-life-of-a-blogger

08.00 a.m. (My apartment)

I’d love to write I woke up with that Hollywood movie golden sunlight but for the sake of honesty, I’ll confess this is the gloomiest day this week so far. (Because, as we all know, if you plan a photo day, the chances are it will be the darkest morning ever. Hey, Murphy’s law! I love you too…) Given the fact I live in London now, rain and fog are on the daily menu at this time of the year which means coffee is an integral part of my morning survival strategy. I should be probably taking a photo of me, just as I wake up but c’mon, no chance that happens before coffee… There you go a photo of the bedroom views instead.

a-day-of-my-life-in-pictures

08.30 a.c. (After coffee, FYI)

Once the coffee has helped to vanish that heavy morning cloud of doom, I am ready to start my day slowly. Reaching for the phone seems unavoidable, but it is a necessary part of my early routine: while I finish my first cup, I use the time to check my email inbox, post on a few daily twitter morning threads, and schedule social media posts for the day. Once I’m done with the most basic digital errands, I relax a bit with a magazine (old school girl here) and then, I am ready for some self-care.

a-day-in-a-bloggers-life

09.00 a.m.

After the shower is time for skincare! Since I started embracing my mid-thirties—or how I affectionately call them, the beginning of the end (I am joking. Sort of.)—I’ve been experimenting a bit with natural rose-based products (more on that coming soon). So far, my favourite is The Ordinary Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. I apply about six drops every night after my normal evening routine and next morning my feels soft and radiant. Also, it seems to reduce my hormonal breakouts sensibly—in other words, Saint Grail.

In the mornings though, I am using Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for very dry to dry skin, applied with my Foreo Luna 2  for a deeper cleanse and exfoliation. After that, I am finishing things up with the Garnier Soothing Botanical Toner, followed by the Dramatically Different Moisturizer and (still under test) Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Creme de Jeux. Then, I wrap myself in unicorn tears infused silk and I am good to go. Oh, the times I would splash some water on my face and leave the house…

blogging-behind-the-scenes

10.30 a.m.

Before getting ready, I sit to drink a second coffee and make some quick blog admin. Replying comments is my favourite part (although I probably spend far too much time thinking about what I should reply and kicking myself for not being a bit better in conversation). By the time I am finishing, I check the watch and oh my… Houston, we’ve got a problem. As usual, I misjudged the time span after breakfast and I suddenly realize I’ve got about fifteen minutes left to blow my hair, apply makeup and get dressed to leave the house. Great, right?

a-day-in-my-life-in-pictures

11.15 a.m.

Well, it looks like time elapsed again while getting ready and Sebastian is now standing at the room door, looking to his watch and frowning at me consecutively. I am ready and good to leave the house but you know what? I’ll just make use of an extra minute (or five) to take an atrocious mirror selfie. I like to live dangerously, it seems.

a-day-of-my-life-outfit
The only “outfit of the day” picture I can show you right now. Take a second to appreciate my moody expression. Very festive, indeed.

day-in-life

12.30 p.m. (The Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street)

After a stressful tube ride, one line exchange, and what it feels like a hundred years, we finally arrive at the location selected for today’s photoshoot. Of course, our friend Murphy comes to the rescue again: since we are shooting at The Royal Arcade, the second we reach the place it starts pouring and waves of people shelter in, which leaves us with an interesting decision to make:

A) Wait for the rain to eventually stop, so we get some privacy while we work (at greater risk of missing the scarce daylight we’ve got to work with)

B) Acting plainly stupid and trying to work with a crowd looking at us

So yeah… we went straight for the latter. I mean, obviously. We love to feel super-weird while we work, after all.

blogger-life

 

13.30 p.m.

After one hour of hard work in which we had the privilege to feel like freak circus locals (thank you very much to that group of about ten tourists who thought it was totally OK to take random photos of us with their phones while we were working…), we packed our stuff for good and moved on. I’d like to say the effort was worth it, but the pictures we managed to take on those conditions are not that great—I predict a long editing session coming my way—so, can I hear a hallelujah here?

We left the place and stopped at the closest Café Concerto to eat something light. I totally failed at taking a neat picture of my sandwich but I was far too hungry and upset. Am I nailing this post or what?

a-day-in-a-full-time-bloggers-life

15.00 p.m. (Fait Maison, Gloucester Road)

After lunch, I say goodbye to Sebastian, who has got a late professional appointment, and I take the underground to Gloucester Road. Today, I am meeting the adorable Tatiana Bellator for afternoon tea. We are visiting Fait Maison, a charming tea salon decorated with flowers and fairy lights, which thankfully sweeps my bad mood in about a minute. By the time she arrives, I have got a delicious Moroccan mint tea, dates and scones in front of me and life is good again.

19.00 p.m. (My apartment again)

Once we leave Fait Maison, I take the tube back home. By the time I arrive home, it’s pitch dark and I am feeling a bit sleepy due to all the delicious food. Hence, I make myself another cup of coffee and start drafting this post but I feel far too tired to finish it. In the end, I switch off the laptop and get myself comfy on the couch. It looks like I am going to have an early Netflix session.

day-photos

20.00 p.m.

Sebastian gets home just as I am finishing a fascinating documentary about Highclere Castle (a.k.a. Downton Abbey). Unfortunately, it’s now too late for him to perform any damage control since I’ve already redefined my living standards, so:

  1. We need at least one butler, two maids and one chef (I will pass without the so-called deer-killer for now because… you know? Creepy.)
  2. I am searching online for fancy tiaras, preferably with pink diamonds
  3. How do I get my own castle? Does anyone know? Asking for a friend…

09.00 p.m.

By the time we sit down for dinner, I am not over the fact no butler is serving us (#sounfair), although it’s probably for the better. As Sebastian kindly remarks, I can be socially awkward in the presence of strangers and an army of servants would not help. Well, I might have no faithful Carson to serve dinner today, but I have pasta on my plate and that can only be a good thing.

10.30 p.m.

I went to bed with the firm intention of catching up with my read but it looks like I fell asleep at some point. I think I should call it an early night. I have written 1500 words by now and most likely nobody will be reading this, anyway. But if you are: first, you’re a hero and second, thank you for reading about this crazy fashionista daily shenanigans.


 

And this was my Wednesday, 27th of November 2019.

How was your day?

 

51.507351 -0.127758

December 2, 2019December 2, 2019

Allegra Caro16 Comments
how to keep your blog running

How to catch up with your blog when life gets in the way (or you get the worst flu ever)

I’m not going to lie: if someone would ask me to sum up last week, I’d probably describe it as “notorious”. Although I mean that in the sense of the-black-death-kind-of-notorious. As I repeatedly complained over Twitter last week (and Instagram Stories, and to the postman, for the matter), I got THE flu—or to be more exact and as I will refer to from now on, the plague.

Last Wednesday, I went to bed feeling a bit dazed but I didn’t take it too seriously. I’d planned an early work morning, expecting to go through most of my blog to-do list while Sebastian was off to France for a conference. Unfortunately, I woke up to a not very pleasant palette of symptoms including (but not limited to) aphonia, a running nose, and the unquestionable promise of a descent into the abyss. It was that good.

Now, I am not telling you about all of this asking for sympathy but to give you some context for this post. I am the kind of person who enjoys being super productive when the opportunity arises and—case in point—with Sebastian gone for a couple of days, working was my number one priority. Of course, Mr. Murphy’s Law had a different plan for me.

By Thursday afternoon, it became quite obvious I was not going to spend the next 48 hours writing without distractions. Instead, there were going to be loads of honey lemon ginger tea, countless tissues and an embarrassing number of The Spanish Princess episodes (hello Starz, could you please stop producing addictive Tudor’s period fiction? I try to have a life of my own, you know?). At a certain point, I was not even able to stand comfortably—let alone researching for SEO—so I resigned myself, lay down on the sofa and ordered a cheeky Domino’s to comfort me. (I don’t know about you but I take heart in tasty pizza instead of chicken soup and it usually makes me feel about a thousand times better, although I suspect my family doctor would be hesitant to prescribe it as a remedy.)

The point is, sometimes life gets in the way: 9-5 job, children, sickness…—you name it. If you haven’t established an emergency plan or routine, the chances are you will end up stressed and with a to-do list as long as your arm.

So, how do you manage to keep your blog running when you are busy or unable to focus? These are the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way.

how to keep your blog running

01.

Create batch content

You might have heard about this over and over but that’s just because it is a real life-saver for bloggers and content creators. At least once a month, I block some time to sit down and write as many posts as possible—which was what I was trying to do when the flu hit me last week. Sometimes, creating content on the spot can be stressful and lead to writer’s block (not to speak about how this affects your sub-editing time and the general quality of your writing), so content batching is a great alternative. Although I prefer to take pictures of my outfits in real-time, I have been feeling a bit more inclined towards shooting in batches as well. To be completely honest here, it is not my cup of tea but since my spare time can be quite limited, this a good solution too.

 

02.

Keep an editorial calendar

This is closely related to the previous tip and absolutely essential. Grab a diary or create a special Excel document in your laptop where you can plan your schedule ahead (organize your upcoming content for the next few days, weeks, months…—the most time, the better!). When I first started blogging, I had created three months worth of content before the official release. I knew my spare time was limited, so this way I was sure I had some room for manoeuvre. As I anticipated, this worked wonders and I could keep posting with minimum hassle.

03.

Set your alarm

Whenever I am short of time, I use this prioritisation strategy: I set a phone alarm for 10-15 minutes and assign a given task for that specific time slot (let’s say, replying emails). Until the alarm rings, I try to do as much as possible in decreasing order of importance (urgent emails first, for instance). You would be surprised to see how much you manage to do without distractions, focusing one thing at the time. Extra tip: Don’t forget to turn your phone notifications off so you don’t get distracted by external time-wasting factors.

 

04.

Stop procrastinating

I said once but I will again—turn phone notifications off. I can’t count the number of times I will grab the mobile if I keep it ringing next to me. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook… Pick up your poison. When working on your blog, you should try to treat that time as office time, so keep your phone out of reach. That way, even if you only work on an hour, you’ll make lots of progress compared to what you would do if you check your phone every couple of minutes. And you know what? All those cute kitties photos you receive through your family Whatsapp chat can wait too…

 

05.

When too sick to work, do the fun part

During the plague, I was far too dizzy to focus on writing or planning content, but at some point I found myself reaching for the phone and checking the blog comments which I could easily reply while watching some Netflix on the couch. That’s the good part of this job, you know? It is lots of fun and some parts do not require for you to be 100% OK. With that said, whenever you are not your usual self, it’s time to ask for help or simply have a sick day. Your health goes first and rest should always be a priority—after all, the sooner you get well, the better for your blog.

 

How to catch up with your blog when life gets in the way

 

 

 

November 18, 2019November 19, 2019

Allegra Caro40 Comments

Hi, I am Allegra!

A thirty-something Spanish expat with a love for Haute couture, books and period dramas. Way too many little black dresses in my closet. You can read more about me here.

Categories

Top Posts

Does fashion blogging even make sense anymore?
The Vintage Guide: Madrid city break
5 tips for a luxury holiday on a budget
A Day in a blogger's life: Expectations vs. Reality
5 style lessons I learned in my first 5 weeks as a Londoner
Fashion Lessons I learned in Japan

Hot off the press

A Day of my Life in Pictures (blogging behind the scenes)

Follow me around for a sneak peek at one day in the so-called glamurous life of a blogger … Continue reading →

December 2, 2019December 2, 2019

Allegra Caro

Instagram

Trying to keep it positive with a chilled morning routine on this freezing early Winter. ❄ Being Spanish it has been difficult to me to get used to dark winters but it's a small price for living in such a wonderful place like London. ___ Today on the blog, I am sharing a normal day in my life as a Londoner. (Link in bio.) __ Leave a comment with your tips to survive Winter!
Happy Sunday everyone! 🎉 We're making some plans to go for a Christmas Market today. I can't honestly believe it's the first day of the holiday season (where did time go?) and I am a bit sad Autumn is over. 👋🍂But we will put the tree up in a couple of days and that can only be a good thing. What are your plans for this wonderful Sunday? ___ #londonbylondoners #londoninfluencer #londonblogger #londonbloggers #regentspark #londonstreetstyle #londonfashionblogger #fashionbloggersuk #ukfashionblogger #whatiamwearing #londonstyle #londondiaries #littleprettylondon #lifestylebloggeruk #londonlifestyleblogger
I am the kind of person who enjoys being super productive when the opportunity arises and—case in point—with Sebastian gone for a couple of days, working was my number one priority last week. Of course, Mr. Murphy’s Law had a different plan for me. 🤦‍♀️ ____ By Thursday afternoon, it became quite obvious I was not going to spend the next 48 hours writing without distractions. Instead, there were going to be loads of honey lemon ginger tea, countless tissues and an embarrassing number of The Spanish Princess episodes (hello Starz, could you please stop producing addictive Tudor’s period fiction? I try to have a life of my own, you know?). ____ The point is, sometimes life gets in the way: 9-5 job, children, sickness…—you name it. If you haven’t established an emergency plan or routine, the chances are you will end up stressed and with a to-do list as long as your arm. ____ HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO KEEP YOUR BLOG RUNNING WHEN YOU ARE BUSY OR UNABLE TO FOCUS? THESE ARE THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY. (Link on bio!)
By now, I've spent so many days indoors while recovering from the flu, I don't ever remember how it felt outdoors. 😷 ___ It's been four endless days of soup, ginger tea and @thespanishprincessstarz (which kept my spirits high despite of the plague). Hence, I am taking Sunday easy today. How is yours going?

Recent Articles

  • A Day of my Life in Pictures (blogging behind the scenes)
  • I am not adopting a capsule wardrobe and this is why you shouldn’t either
  • How to catch up with your blog when life gets in the way (or you get the worst flu ever)
  • Reasons to love Autumn (even in the Instagram age)

Click here for more Allegra in your inbox!

Old Posts

The Prêt-à-porter series

Our favourite fashionable posts

One click away
Blog at WordPress.com.
Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy