Blogger’s Corner with Maria from Passion Fruit, Paws and Peonies

The Blogger’s Corner series is an interview series featuring advice and experience from bloggers whose blogs are older than six months.

If you would like to take part, you can find all of the details here.

This week, we have the lovely Maria from Passion Fruit, Paws and Peonies.

1 Introduce yourself

Well, I guess you could call me a dog crazy, family loving, food obsessed, middle aged, gin loving woman.

I tend to be either passionate about something or otherwise ‘meh’ about it. So, give me a chance to travel and I get super excited and itinerary the hell out of it – but give me a gardening job and it doesn’t get done until it’s got a bit desperate.

2 Tell us a little bit about your blog

My blog Passion Fruit, Paws and Peonies is an English lifestyle blog aimed at midlife women.

I write about places to eat out, travel destinations, home stuff like recipes and dogs, and discussions about life for women over 40.

I’m looking forward to adding a grandchild section in a year or so (I have my fingers crossed for that one).

3 What can your readers learn from your blog?

I hope to inspire women over 40 to make the most out of their midlife. I got really fed up with society’s attitude to older women, as if we should bow out quietly. It’s tough with the whole hormone thing as it is. So, I hope that my blog teaches other women to live a more fabulous midlife.

4 What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

I really love the creative side. Making up recipes and photographing for the travel articles, for example. I do also love getting my voice out there. I’m not a hugely social person so it feels great to connect with others.

5 And your least favourite thing about blogging?

Oh, this is easy – the technical side. Although the thrill of achieving something is pretty awesome.

It took me an hour the other day just to put my profile into my side bar. Urgh! But, the high when it was done…

The other thing I find really hard is being IN the photos. I cringe myself out – my face starts to do weird stuff. Someone has to catch my unawares or make me laugh to get a decent shot of me.

6 Tell us one random fact about you

I worked at a television studio before I had children. I used to put the schedules into the only computer in the office – one false schedule we let the BBC get and then the real one.

7 If you could only blog about one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Oooo this is tricky, because a midlife lifestyle has so many aspects to it. It’s a bit like picking your favourite child.

Could I have two? Food and travel. Although I couldn’t imagine traveling enough to just write about travel – so food. There.

8 What was the hardest part of starting your blog and why?

Sooooo much. I was clueless. I thought it would be a bit like that Julie and Julia film, you know the one?

But sadly, those days have gone and now if you want to be a successful blogger you have to graft. SEO has to be your friend. OK not your friend, but you’ll need to spend A LOT of time together.

9 If you could give new bloggers one piece of advice, what would it be?

I have read people say, “Learn on the job” and “Just get started”. Yes, OK but, learn fairly quickly because I’m having to go through 50 old posts and update them for google analytics. It’s a chore, let me tell you.

10 Is there anything you know now that you wish you’d known in the beginning?

Apart from SEO?

Yes, answer someone’s question. Understand that people are inherently selfish and are searching for articles to improve an aspect of their life. Always think of them.

11 Do you have any long term goals for your blog?

I would LOVE to earn money through affiliate links. I know I could start this already with Amazon for example, but I’m aiming to work with John Lewis or an equivalent. Hey, if try to touch the stars you might at least get the moon, right?

12 Who’s your blogging hero?

I’m finding new women that wow me all the time. If I try to list them, I’d be afraid to miss someone out.

Aby Moore from You Baby, Me Mummy is a true heroine of the blogging world. Her courses are brilliant, but more than that she is a very warm and decent person who deeply cares about her blogging tribe. I hope I do her proud one day.

13 What’s your favourite social media network and why?

This varies actually. It was Facebook for a very long while. That was until I took blogging more seriously and realised they trample on your tender blogging soul. A little dramatic probably, but it is frustrating how few people get to see you on that platform. I’m currently into Instagram Stories. I’m really having fun with it.

14 Anything else you want to share with us?

Well, I guess I’d just like to say to any new blogger out there, understand that blogging is a lifestyle choice that saps away endless hours in a week. But, it is also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

Can I also say, thank you so much for the support of other bloggers out there. It’s a tremendous community and it makes me proud to say I’m a blogger.

15 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)

BLOG Passion fruit, Paws and Peonies –

INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/passionfruitpawsandpeonies/

PINTEREST – https://www.pinterest.co.uk/rialkelly/

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/passionfruitpawsandpeonies/

TWITTER –