Good morning & happy Wednesday! This mean’s on thing on the blog, time for another Wise Words Wednesday on the blog and this week we are welcoming Laurie to the hot seat!
Her blog is a great place to start if you want to live an alcohol free lifestyle but it has so many more great posts on being in a positive place with yourself, well worth a read!
Ok over to Laurie 🙂
Tell us a little bit about you & your blog:
Hello I’m Laurie! I’m a twenty-something yoga teacher recently relocated to rural Norfolk from Hackney, London! I write the alcohol free lifestyle blog Girl & Tonic; on the blog I write about not drinking, yoga, meditation, self love and more!
What inspired you to start blogging?
I stopped drinking and started writing about it! I had always wanted to start a blog but it was something I kept putting off and I could never quite find a name. I decided I wanted to stop drinking last December and it seemed like the perfect blog niche!
I write about loads of lifestyle relating things but I began by starting writing about how I was finding my life alcohol free and all the different non-alcoholic options out there!
What has been your highlight of blogging?
The people I’ve met and friends I’ve made via the blog and via my Instagram account. When I stopped drinking I didn’t know anyone else who didn’t drink and now I’ve met loads of people who know my story and are so lovely!
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
I wish I knew what DA was!!! Honestly everyone kept talking about DA and I was like … what is this? What are they talking about …? (It’s Domain Authority btw for anyone reading this who was like me!)
Bloggers sometimes get a lot of stick however many work really hard and are reaping the rewards, what has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?
When people message me having read the blog saying I’ve inspired them to cut down or stop drinking, or just to say thanks for being brave enough for sharing my story – that makes it all worth it!
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Just start!! Don’t worry too much about if your writing is perfect or how many people are reading what you’re doing to begin with. Write content you really care about and keep writing – you can worry about the traffic and all that other stuff further down the line. Start by doing the things you enjoy – writing and/or photography.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
I used to be hooked on The Londoner – but know I live in Norfolk I find I just get FOMO when I read her London posts!
I am a big fan of Laura Jane Williams who writes the blog Superlatively Rude – have you read it? You definitely should!
I’m also massively inspired by Cat Meffan who writes Imperfect Matter and have followed Media Marmalade for a long time, she gives great advice and has fab style!
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I keep toying with the idea of doing videos … it’s still a pipe dream at the moment! I’d also love to incorporate more yoga and meditation into my blog – I have been thinking about doing a free mindfulness meditation for people to download on the blog – perhaps documenting it here will get me to do it!
Overall my dreams for the next year are for me to keep enjoying writing my blog Girl and Tonic and for it to keep reaching people who enjoy the content and whom it can help!
