Blogging

Now that I've been free from the corporate world for a while, I finally had time to dedicate to this idea I've been nurturing for what seems like forever. I’ve always wanted this corner of the internet to be a fun, fearless, supportive community. I mean, duh, that’s the cornerstone of Not Your Average Gal.

The beauty of letting the gates open to the vulnerability of writing for the masses, is you meet so many like-minded individuals who say, “Oh heck yeah! Me too!” It makes the world a bit less lonely and a lot more inclusive. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the people we choose to look to for inspiration or friendship.

So, about a year ago, I reached out to women and men who I admired from either afar or knew from past and present. These wonderful people exhibited chutzpah and individuality for choosing something a bit off the standard path of life.

Not Your Average Gals are kickass, blazing-their-own-path, independent-minded, free-thinking, kind-hearted and all around wonderful humans beings.

Sort of like this person at the end of this photo from high school homecoming.

So why not feature that and share their stories? I’m not asking you, really. It’s a rhetorical question because our community loves a good voice, a kind soul and someone who speaks to leading an unconventional life that is still wonderfully fulfilling.

These trailblazers do their own thing and have done so with passion, and I think that's one of the best things in the world. 

So, with all of that in mind, I’ll be introducing a new monthly feature around here. It will showcase some Not Your Average Gals (and Guys) that have inspired me and, in turn, I know will inspire you. It will be a quick-format Q&A, with the same questions asked of each person featured. They’ll showcase some of their favorite photos and include the things that most motivate them, give them a reason to get up in the morning, the things that melt their butter. You get the idea.

In fact, you’ll probably see a theme amongst most of them.

Zero shits given.

But, admittedly, they also offer glimpses into a space and world I haven’t been able to touch on from my perspective. Because we all have different experiences, ones that come from different lenses and adjust our intrinsic perceptions. It’s something I—hand to heart—love learning about.

For now, it will be a monthly feature. But, depending on the responses it could be something I'll do every couple weeks. This will be a fun space to comment and share our on anecdotes to life, so I’m hopeful we’ll be supportive and interact with each other. We shall see—it's an adventure!

Do you know a Not Your Average Gal or Guy? One that maybe has taken a different path or created something unique in their trailblazing glory? Let me know, so they can be featured here.

Give me the deets!

I’m the worst when it comes to buckling down and getting something done that requires a bit of peace and quiet. I get caught up in the minutiae. My desk must be clean. Paperwork and bills cleared off and filed accordingly. (I was like this in college too. You knew I had an upcoming exam because my room was spotless.)

The right music must be playing, but which station? Classical today or Top 40? When I get a glass of tequila water to accompany me, I notice that the Brita needs refilling, and that’s where I see there’s some dishes that need to be put away and 2.75 hours later, I’ll sit down to write, only to stare at the screen in self doubt.

This isn’t good enough. No one will identify with it. I need better photos before I post this garbage. God, how does so-and-so get so may posts out per week that looks so damn perfect!?

Then, avoiding the thought of imperfection, I peruse over to Facebook. Just for a minute, I say!

And we all know NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS WHEN YOU JUMP DOWN THE FACEBOOK RABBIT HOLE.

It’s like I wait for a reset button that never comes, to put my anxiety at ease and allow me to just hop into my task at hand, without judgement or the limits that I set for myself. It’s only me too! I’m my worst critic. Aren’t we all? The Hubster is so flippin’ supportive with my website and freelance work that he just stares in disbelief as I list off the 18 bajillion things that should be done before I take care of my passions or hobbies.

Well, I’m not waiting for the damn reset button anymore. All the details? They are just noise.

In fact, I wasn’t totally prepared to write this here very post. I’m listening to a dance station that was on while I was working out and isn’t particularly great to listen to while writing. My hair is still wet from my shower and the glass next to me has water in it, not wine. Sacrilege! 

It’s taken me about 15 minutes to write this much and yet, had I listened to the “other list” of things that needed to be taken care of first, I would have spent time on those things but thinking the whole time about how I should be writing and that writing a blog is time consuming. Hint: IT IS. But not when done in small bits, or not pushing it off until it’s overwhelming. Prioritizing aspects of my life that are integral for making my goals come true is crucial. This site is one of them.

I’ve been waking up earlier each day to focus on the things that bring me peace and contentment and have developed a bit of schedule, including this website. I’m working on upcoming content, and truth be told, going through the blog post ideas I’ve had on my phone for years, that somehow always got lost in the details.

No more.

Do you ever struggle with the details? 

 

I’d like to introduce you to something special. Something that has been in the works for quite a while. Something that means a lot to me.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor to welcome you to…

*sound the trumpets*
*toss some confetti*
*attempt to bang a large gong*

Welcome to Not Your Average Gal!

I always envisioned this space as a place where common ground could be met and the freak flags could fly. As my newly updated About page mentions, this place is for you. You, my not so average pals.

You can expect the same wit, sarcasm and eye-rolling as ever before, it’s just organized in a much more SEO friendly space. Check out my new navigation bar at the top, where you can find anything your heart desires about Travel, Health and my Soapbox ramblings.

No need to worry about updating your bookmarks either. If you go back to Caroline Made This, you’ll automatically be forwarded here. I just assume most of my readers are drunk, so it’s best to make it as easy as possible to find your way home.

Additionally, with a rebrand comes the inevitable new social media handles. If you followed me before – no worries, you’re still following the best. I just updated my handles to reflect the new site name. If you don’t follow me – take charge of your life and make some good decisions. I’ve placed links below that you could click on if you know what’s good for ya’.

Twitter @notavereagegal
Instagram @notaveragegal
Pinterest @notaveragegal
Facebook

With a rebrand comes some special shout-outs.

You, my wonderful readers: thanks for sticking by in the last few weeks while it’s been a bit quiet. Could you do me a favor? Take a moment to share this page and spread some Not Your Average Gal love.

Kiki, a kick-ass Art Director and Designer: thanks for going back and reworking a new logo when I decided to change the name (again)! Find her work here, highly recommend: http://www.kikikarpus.com/

Jessica, a brilliant Copywriter: thanks for providing so many spot-on names and taglines. Your taglines will soon make an appearance on here! Find her work here, she’s fabulous to work with: http://verveandvigour.com/

 

While I love and appreciate everything that Caroline Made This brought, it was originally created as a place for my video portfolio. This site grew into so much more than a video portfolio and Not Your Average Gal encompasses more of what I write about. So, let’s have a moment of silence for Caroline Made This – thanks for everything you’ve provided; your work is appreciated. May you rest in internet peace.

Now bring on the Not Your Average Gal launch party!

*Waiter. More champagne!*

 

I follow and read a lot of blogs. It’s basically how I learned to use our miles and points to pay for our upcoming trip to Southeast Asia this July.

In order to keep up with how often blogs are updated, I use a blog aggregator called: Feedly.

It basically houses all the blogs I follow and updates as new blogs are pushed live. You can organize them all by category and add or delete blogs at will. A lot of people use blog aggregators for news stories to keep up with current events too.

It’s quite easy to use and after initially being annoyed I had to switch, I’ve found that it was a good replacement for Google Reader (which is now defunct) or the good ol’ bookmarking technique, which is super time consuming.

Plus, if you miss a post or update from your favorite blog on Facebook, it’s right there in your Feedly to read.

How does Feedly work?

I access Feedly through the website and have also downloaded the app to my iPhone and iPad.

You can sign up through various types of accounts. I used my Google account because it was easier to migrate all the blogs I followed on the Google Reader.

 

Once signed up and in, you can either explore content you’re interested in or plug in any blogs you already follow by clicking Add Content.

 

Feedly will often try to choose which category it thinks that particular site or blog would fall into, but you can also just create your own.

 

After your read or mark “Hide” on an article, it will disappear from your feed. I read so many blogs that I often just hit hide to get it out of my feed if they are posts I’m not very interested in.

Bloggers love comments and the pitfall of Feedly is that you can’t actually comment on particular posts through Feedly. All you need to do is click the title of the post and Feedly will take you directly to the site so you can comment on there.

I often see that images and graphics are aligned a bit funny in Feedly, so it’s great to go to the actual site. Feedly acts as a nice intermediary and I just end up going to the blog site anyway after I see there is a new post. I don’t work for Feedly and I haven’t been paid to show you how it works. I just know that, for me, it’s been really helpful when I want to keep up with the blogs that I read daily.

You’ll notice on the right side of my blog there’s even a Feedly button so you can add me to your hopefully long list of blogs in Feedly. I can’t tell you how helpful it has been for me and organizing loads of information from the interwebs.

Do you use any type of RSS feed or blog aggregator?