Merry Blogmas, everyone! The holiday season has officially arrived.
Can you believe it’s already December? 2020 has been absolutely wild, with so many challenges and surprises that a lot of us didn’t see coming. Somehow, it’s been one of the longest years, yet it’s also flying by. I know I feel like I aged a whole year in August alone, and I have the brand new grey streaks to prove it.
No matter how you celebrate the winter season, this year will most certainly bring its own twisted flair to all of our usual traditions and festivities. But some things remain unchanged.
Like unpredictable winter weather. It’s either unseasonably warm or insanely cold everywhere right now!
And taking time to appreciate and spend time with loved ones… even if your gifts are virtual and your gatherings are on Zoom.
Don’t forget eating too many treats and gaining 10 pounds… not just me, right?
Oh yeah, and Blog challenges! As long as there are bloggers, there will always be blog challenges.
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Speaking of unseasonable winter weather... Have you prepared your home, family, and budget for unexpected emergencies yet? Learn how in these preparedness posts.
- How to Prepare for Short Term Emergencies
- 120 Disaster Movies to Enjoy While Isolating
- How to Cope When You Don’t Have an Emergency Fund
- 6 Reasons to Build Your Get Home Bag Now!
- How to Get Out of Debt: A Step by Step Guide
- 15 Last Minute Gift Ideas That Save Money All Year
- How to Build a Get Home Bag for Under $60
- 10 More Reusable Items That Save Money All Year Long
What is Blogmas?
Much like Blogtober, Blogmas is a seasonal blogging challenge that some content creators like to undertake each December.
Blogmas looks different for each participant, but here are a few of the most common situations I’ve seen. Some bloggers choose to publish 12 posts leading up to Christmas, either spaced out or all grouped together before the holidays. Others like to publish 25 posts, one for each day up to Christmas day. A few brave souls even try to publish new content every single day in December!
The content you see might be holiday themed, normal content/posting schedule, or some combination of the two.
We participate because we enjoy the torture! Kidding… mostly.
There are tons of reasons why someone would undertake this challenge.
It can be a great way to get into the holiday spirit leading up to Christmas time. Frequent posting this time of year also tends to give bloggers a boost with traffic and SEO, which can mean more blogging income during the busy shopping season in the last quarter of the year.
Blogging challenges help build community between readers and other bloggers, too. Something we all need right about now!
Why Will I Participate in Blogmas 2020?
I know what you’re thinking. I failed Blogtober spectacularly, achieving only 12/31 scheduled posts. You know what they say in climbing, though? If you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough!
I’m great at falling, so I’m great at growing, right?
Or maybe I’m just incredibly stubborn and like to run headfirst into challenges, even after defeat. (It’s this one, guys!)
Anyway, in October, the first virtual report card season ate up my life. Then we all caught COVID simultaniously, locking down my household for 3 weeks. But we were both still teaching from home – sick – with a toddler in the house and no access to childcare. Oh, and Thanksgiving break snuck up on us. You know that the week before any holiday is the hardest week of any teacher’s life, right?
A lot of stuff converged to conspire against me all at the same time, and I’m not a superhero. Turns out, I couldn’t juggle my job, child, family, health, and blog, especially once the extreme fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, and nausea kicked in.
I couldn’t even take a sick day – y’all, I tried. I lost my sick day and I STILL had to teach a class and attending staff meetings…
Now, I’m not trying to gain your pity or brag about my sacrifices. My last challenge didn’t work out because I got overwhelmed, and something had to give! I love this blog, but it’s not paying my mortgage yet. It’s ok to fail at something. That doesn’t make you a failure.
It’s also okay to try again! That’s why I’m tackling Blogmas! Because failure is a good thing. It’s how we grow! Now, I have a better understanding of what I can actually manage, and I’ve adjusted my Blogmas plan accordingly.
What to Expect from Problems and Projects This Blogmas
Well, let’s just start by saying that I have no intentions of posting every day in December! There’s just no way. Christmas break, another report card, prepping for the holidays… did I mention we’re not back at full health yet?
The vast majority of my posts will be holiday themed content this time around. Although I still need to publish my last 2 budget reports AND I was nominated for 2 different blogger awards, like 100 years ago. So those might pop up in there somewhere.
I’ve planned out all the posts I want to create (you can grab a free copy of the exact planning pages I used to set my goals and plan my content at the end of this post, BTW), and I’m confident that I can give you the 12 Days of Blogmas you deserve, hopefully in a row!
Now, I have about 11 additional pieces of content that I’m especially psyched out of my mind about (guess who’s been watching Elf) and some fun things I really want to give you in the new year. I’m just not convinced I can juggle everything!
For this reason, my Blogmas content agenda looks a bit different than last time.
You’ll have two sections. The first will outline your 12 Days of Blogmas as I plan to release it. The second section will include a list of additional content I REALLY hope to bring before 2021. Feel free to comment about what you want the most, so I can prioritize them they way you would like!
*There’s also an extra goodie I’m keeping a secret, just in case I can’t finish it in time*
Oh, and just like in October, I’ll link each post back to this agenda as it goes live, so pin or bookmark this page, and you’ll be able to refer back to it all month long!
December Content Agenda
On the 12 Days of Blogmas, Mrs. P&P gave to me…
- What to Expect this Blogmas (that’s today!)
- How to Make a Stress-Free Gorgeous Ornament Tree
- Non-Electronic Toddler Gift Ideas
- 15 Underrated Christmas Movies You Need to Watch Now
- 20+ Zombie Survival Gift Ideas for Non Preppers
- PVC Christmas Tree Tree String Light Yard Decor Tutorial
- Master Your Money Bundle
- Have Yourself a Spooky Little Christmas
- 12 Affordable White Elephant Gift Ideas People Actually Want
- Free or Cheap Christmas Traditions to Begin This Year
- Finance Lover’s Gift Guide
- Low Waste Gift Wrapping You Didn’t Think Of
And if you’re really good this year, Santa might also bring you…
- October and November Budget Reports
- Fire Cider Recipe
- Ugly Sweater Shopping Guide
- Golden Bloggerz Award
- Gift Ideas for the Slightly Crunchy and Super Frugal
- Pomegranate Jelly Recipe – my fave DIY gift tradition!
- Bloggers Gift Guide
- The history of Wassail – Plus a Yummy Crock Pot Recipe
- Last Minute Gift Guide Roundup
- Learn About More Winter Celebrations
- Sunshine Blogger Award
- Why I Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions – And What I Do Instead
- 2020 Year in Review – Lessons, Finances, Debt Payoff, and Blog Income
Pin It For Later!
Let's Get This Blogmas Started
That’s a ton of festive excitement! I’m a bit nervous, but also super excited to start sharing some of my favorite gift ideas, traditions, and recipes with you. I hope you find tons of valuable, helpful tips this month!
If you don’t want to miss any of the wintery goodness, be sure to share this post to your social media to save it for later!
Then, sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all the Problems and Projects goodness. You’ll get updates once or twice a week on new Blogmas content, and you’ll be the first to hear about home, budget, and blogging tips and deals throughout the year.
Plus you can grab that free Blogmas planning printable! If you get started now, you could add some Blogmas content to your own blog, and join in on the fun.
Remember, I’ll be updating the list above with links to the content as it goes live, so you’ll be able to come back here and stay up to date on what’s happening all month long.
See you tomorrow, where we’ll go dashing through a speedy quick, but super cute Christmas craft!
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Oh wow, I’ve never considered taking part in Blogmas this way before, and I’ve now been doing it for 5 years! Such a fab way to go about it – helps prevent the burnout I suppose!
I really liked this post and how it simply explains Blogmas for any newbies out there, and hope you’re enjoying the festive season! As mentioned in my post – The Ultimate Guide to a Successful Blogmas – I am working on making this Christmas the biggest and best one yet on my blog, so I look forward to now keeping up with your posts!
Giving myself the freedom to take breaks has really taken the pressure off! I hit a point in October where I just quit because I couldn’t ever catch up. This way, there’s room for failure built in, and I’m still motivated to post every couple days. I hope you enjoy what’s to come!
Can I just say you are an amazing blogger?! Also I tried Blogtober and failed Miserably as well…I wanted to take on the challenge of 30 days but there’s jus no way. I am sorry to hear you have COVID and still feeling the effects, I will keep you and your family in my prayers! As for this post! What a wealth of information! How amazing and I will for sure be sharing this!!
Aww, thank you so much! Fortunately, it’s been about a month since we have been allowed to leave isolation. We’re definitely on the mend, but some side effects remain. I’m glad you found this past useful. There’s no shame in trying something difficult and failing!