No Workday of Mine is Complete Without These Essentials…
I‘ve always been a corporate girl, loving the world of the 9-5. Working from home was an alien concept to me and something I never thought I’d be able to embrace. But I guess they say never say never and since taking a “career-break,” I decided to utilise the time to focus full-time on my blog. I guess it’s far from a break though, because I haven’t stopped working. But I enjoy it nonetheless. The change in my tastes and requirements for a typical working day are far different for me now, which is to be expected since the two worlds couldn’t be further apart.My recent article on tips for Growing Your Blog shared some of the necessary processes and procedures for maintaining and growing your blog but to make that possible, those all-important workday essentials are key. Some motivate, some inspire and then there are those things that your work depends on. So here’s a breakdown of the things I can’t be without on any given workday:
Laptop
An Instagram Worthy Laptop With Caseapp
Although I also have an iMac, my MacBook Air is what I use the most. Lightweight and portable, I really can’t be without it. Writing up blog posts and scheduling social media, to tackling my inbox and filling out my calendar, this stores and handles what seems like my whole life. Since it’s such a workday essential for me, I was pretty chuffed when CaseApp asked if I would like to collaborate with them and design my own laptop skin and phone case.
A Swedish brand, CaseApp make high quality custom phone cases and laptop skins. You can either design everything from scratch or use the designs available and anything from images and text to logos can be added. There’s quite literally hundreds of designs to choose from for a variety of devices and their in-house design tool is very easy to navigate.
I couldn’t resist the marble aesthetic and went for this Marble & Dusty Pink & Gold Laptop Skin.* Feminine and chic was the look I wanted and after much debate I added “Flawless” at the bottom. I think a custom laptop skin is a great way to add character to your device without being bulky. It comes and applies like a large sticker, which prevents scratches and doesn’t leave any residue either. Needless to say, I am extremely happy with the result and so pleased that now I have an Instagram worthy laptop!
iPhone
I’m a Bit Lost Without My Phone
It’s amazing how we are all so lost without our phones and I’m one of them. Perhaps some of it is an unhealthy addiction and a mix between social and business, but nonetheless it’s one of my workday essentials. From engaging on social media to a quick scan of emails when I’m on the go, it’s more than just a mobile phone to me. Also, it works in sync with my laptop too so things like photos and calendars are automatically updated.
As much a I love my iPhone in its original state, having a protective case around it is a must and I’ve been through a fair few over the years, my tastes changing each time. Again, as mentioned above, I was lucky to be able to choose from the many options available at CaseApp and rather than match it to my laptop skin, I went a bit more bright and colourful with this Parrot & Flowers iPhone Case .*
I think the two compliment each other really well. I opted not to personalise my phone case but just like the laptop skins, you can also design and personalise your phone cases if you want. There’s also the option to get a skin instead of a case but I prefer something a bit more hard-wearing and durable when it comes to protecting my phone, which is exactly what this case is.
Your Very Own Discount Code
Like what you see? CaseApp have very kindly sent me a discount code to share with my followers entitling you to 20% off your order on a custom phone case and/or laptop skin.
With so many designs available I hope you have as much fun choosing what to go for. All you need to do is enter the code FRANKLY20 at checkout, which is valid until 22nd May 2018. Click here to get yours now.
WordPress
My Blogger Essential
Since WordPress is my chosen platform for my blog, my workday would be defunct without it. I log into and use its functions every day. Whether it’s scheduling drafts to a quick overview of stats, I can’t think of a day when I don’t need to use this so very essential platform.
Camera
The Fun Bit
Taking photos is the bit I enjoy most and also a big part of blogging. When I’m not creating content, I’m usually off taking photos and I try to schedule these in advance. I find this a huge time saver and I also find it easier to write my content around my photos.
I use a Canon 6d (it’s not the camera in the photo) and together with my 50mm lens, this is my ultimate go-to for photography. If you want to know how I get creative with my camera, then check out my post on Flatlay Tips.
Lightroom
This is Where I Do All My Editing
Editing is a skill in itself and one I’m always trying to perfect. Brightening things up, rotating and cropping and making some post-photo fixes, Lightroom allows me to polish things up and add that finesse that isn’t quite there with just my raw images.
Over time I’ve started to play around with the various functions learning via a mix of You Tube tutorials and trial and error. I want to do a blog post on how I edit my photos so I’ll save the details for that.
Social Media
That Addictive Networking Tool
Love it or hate it, social media is an important part of my workday. I have tweets scheduled everyday, post at least once a day on Instagram and maintain an active pinning schedule on Pinterest. This doesn’t even cover the engagement that comes with managing these accounts.
In essence it’s a stand-alone job that I combine with my other activities and although I enjoy the social side of it, the upkeep is no doubt hard work.
There are ways to manage this effectively and I share some in my post on Growing Your Blog. Whilst a social media detox every so often wouldn’t hurt me, it is an essential element to maintaining my online presence and building my blog.
Bloglovin
My Blogging Best Friend
I rely on Bloglovin a lot for a typical working day. Whilst there are other social media platforms to promote your content, Bloglovin is solely about blogs.
Linking my blog to this platform is key as is reading other blog posts. The latter isn’t just what I enjoy to do but it’s also a part of growing my network and followers. I therefore dedicate a large portion of my time to this activity with the aid of Bloglovin.
It’s also my main source for finding new bloggers to follow. Bloglovin provides you with recommendations but you can also follow tags such as beauty, lifestyle or home decor and I find this a great way to increase my network and attract new readers to my blog too.
Diaries, Notebooks & To-Do Lists
Finally That Stationery Gets Put to Good Use
It’s no hidden secret that I am a massive fan of stationery. I always have been although I probably have more stationery than what I get to use at any given time. However, since pursuing more creative endeavours, those mountains of notebooks are somewhat justified. I’m now forever jotting down ideas or making lists of things to do (but very rarely ticking them off).
My Katie Leamon Batik Diary is perfect for me because I can start it any time of the year and just fill in the dates as I go along, not having to worry about unused pages. For those “To Do” lists Kikki-K have some great ones with options to add your top priorities and I’m always relying on memo blocks and post-it notes as reminders to myself.
The Most Important Of All
Those Things That Make My Workday A Bit More Enjoyable :
A Cup of Tea Makes it All Better
We all need those things that make getting through the day easier and I can’t normally function without a cup of tea. In fact, my Kikki-K Tea Cup and Saucer is a permanent fixture on my desk (my office is pretty much decked out with everything from Kikki-K)!
Some Motivational Prints
I also like to surround myself with motivational quotes and prints. They’ve always been my thing and I source them wherever I go. Some of my favourites are pictured in my post on When You Feel Like Your Hardwork Isn’t Paying Off.
Listening to those Beats
When you work from home you sometimes miss that background noise of a buzzing office so a bit of music playing in the background always helps. I love listening to my fave tunes on Capital FM and currently loving High for This by The Weeknd.
Healthy….and Not So Healthy Snacks
So although my Instagram feed may suggest that I keep eating macarons and cakes…I don’t. I’m actually really restrained and sensible when it comes to snacking. I much prefer a healthy snack like fruit and a handful of nuts. Whilst I’ll enjoy the odd sweet treat or two I try to keep them to a minimum (I did say I try….)!
So these are my workday essentials…what are yours? Also, don’t forget that you can get 20% off your own custom phone case and/or laptop skin with the code FRANKLY20 over at CaseApp. It’s valid until 22nd May 2018. Also, make sure you are following me on Instagram as I will be hosting a giveaway with CaseApp soon. x
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