Degrees of Maternity Bits and Pieces

It’s time for some Degrees of Maternity (DOM) updates. Yes, it’s time.

I haven’t done one of these “providing you with an update” blog posts for awhile, so I thought I’d bring you up to speed on some of the changes that are going on in my content creation world. A briefing of some DOM-newsworthy items.

Today’s briefing will outline a few major to-dos in the works or in completion — to-dos that are completely visible out there in the online streets and that have materialized spontaneously in this first quarter of 2023.

Yes, it was like spontaneous combustion on these action items. And what I mean by that is that most of these items weren’t necessarily on my list of goals from way back when. Almost all of them were thoughts in my mind — ideas that were roaming around in my head here and there — but were never actually planned out for execution at the times that I decided to act on them. And two of them weren’t even planned out at all.

I just woke up on that day and it was time to “GO-LIVE” and DO the thang!

I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and it’s kind of liberating. To just get things done and stop holding myself up by thinking about it off and on for three to six months.

I just want to be more action-oriented in 2023. I don’t have time to spin my wheels (wasted energy) in the vicious cycle of procrastination, getting nowhere FAST! I truly want and NEED to make strides in the areas that can bring positive results in my life and in the lives of others.

That’s my simplified focus, anyway. To bring positive results in my life and in the lives of others by using the strengths I’ve been given and the creative passions I’ve developed.

And good, old-fashioned work and sound decision-making are the main tools I’m using to get me on that action-oriented trajectory of positive movement.

So, let me explain a bit.

First of all, I went into depth in my blog post, entitled READ THIS! I’ve Cracked the Code for My 2023 Online Outlook about the pivot in my blog content, beginning in 2023. And, I know you’ve been able to see that change pretty clearly if you’ve read my blog posts, starting back in January. But, it’s imperative that I provide some explanation on the following updates as well.

Blog Site Changes

Well, this endeavor is an ongoing one, but I’ve made some tiny strides in appearance of the site. I’ve changed the main image to more of a therapeutic one. Beautiful nature scenes always make me feel some kind of way. A good way, in fact. So, I decided to put a “where the water meets the shore” pic up there since WordPress was offering it. And I’ve cleaned up some of the blog post categories, moved posts into the correct categories, and updated one of the pages. (Read the next section to find out which one.)

I haven’t changed anything else major in the appearance of the site as everything I currently have is pretty simple, straightforward, and hopefully, user-friendly to you. I would like to do a huge reno with the whole layout someday, but that might require a monetary investment that I’m not ready to commit to just yet. So, please bear with my Jana-manageable updates for now.

I also have a degreesofmaternity.com domain that I’ll be switching this blog over to, hopefully sometime this first quarter. I’m currently utilizing the degreesofmaternity.wordpress.com domain, but I’ve had my custom domain for awhile now. I’ve been a wee bit nervous to make the old switch-a-roo, though. I just need to make sure I have all the logistics understood before I do the update. Because it’s a BIG DEAL! A domain name change affects a lot of content that I’ve put out there on different platforms, as well. So, there will be quite a few updates I’ll need to make, regarding correspondence that would have the old Degrees of Maternity contact information. (And, I’m not quite ready to tackle all of that just yet).

Plus, I’m a scaredy cat about all my content switching over to the new domain seamlessly. You’re talking about almost 600 blog posts being affected here. And, I know the process seems simple enough through the WordPress workflow to make it happen. But, it’s not registering that way in my brain just yet. Being the non-techie type and all. But, I plan on making this update happen very, very soon. So, stay tuned on this endeavor.

Closed a Shop

Yes, I had to do it. Finally. I closed the Degrees of Maternity Etsy Shop. I gave it a go for almost 3 years; and selling on this platform, for me, was cost-prohibitive. I was racking up the seller fees but making minimal sales on that platform. So, as sad as it was, I had to say goodbye. For now, anyway. I’ll never say I won’t go back, but I’m not active there at this point in time.

I love the platform and wide assortment of unique offerings it provides; but quite frankly, that’s one of the problems as well. Degrees of Maternity offerings are getting lost in the Etsy shuffle. The competition is stiff and it’s hard for my target audience to find me over there with all the handmade shops vying for their attention. I know my peeps are there, but I don’t have the bandwidth to dive that deep on the platform to go find them.

Now, TpT and Classful cater specifically to parents of students, students, and professional educators looking for the kinds of resources I provide. Those are my people and finding them is a no-brainer over on these two platforms. So, I’m going to focus my attention on the TpT and Classful marketplaces for now. I’ve been moderately successful on Tpt, so it’s a given that I’d hang in there with them. And Classful’s a new platform for me, so I’ll give it some time and see how interest for Degrees of Maternity products develops over time.

Please note: when you go to the Shop Products page, you’ll no longer see Etsy there. Only TpT and Classful, which carry the same Degrees of Maternity offerings that Etsy once did.

Degrees of Maternity on Facebook?

Seems counterintuitive of me, doesn’t it? I mean . . . to open a Facebook account when stating I’m trying to simplify life is a bit confusing. I know. But, let me make some sense of this particular undertaking for you. The fact of the matter is that I’m always seeking ways to make myself more visible to the community-at-large. I love the blogging community here at WordPress. And, this is where I most feel at home. I’ve even determined in 2023 to stop being such a homebody and start visiting you all at your digs more. So, for those of you who have your own blogging residences, don’t be surprised if you see me at your doorstep more than you have in the past.

I definitely don’t want to make myself a stranger, so please forgive me for not making myself more consistently available in your nook of the blogosphere. I’ll just say that I had a lot going on in 2022 that, unfortunately, made my MIA performance more of reality than the rarity. But, no excuses. I’ve missed you guys and all the great things going on where you are. So, I want to do much better this year with checking in on your sites, liking, sharing, commenting, and all the good stuff.

Plus, I know I’m missing out on a lot of great content while I’m not actively participating. And, I also know there are other blogging communities that I’d like to become more acquainted with, as well. I’ve found out over time that one of the reasons we have a lack of online friendships is because we don’t, first, show ourselves friendly.

Therefore, I’ve decided to delve more into the social media rinks to see the budding friendships that could be established out there, just as I’ve been able to establish great friendships over here. So far, so good. But, it’s very early in my relationship with Facebook and the blogging groups I’ve joined. So, we’ll see. I’ll give it a chance this year and see what a solid 12-months of participation brings about. Hey, and if you’d like to be my friend on Facebook, you can find me HERE.

Oh, I’m back active on Pinterest, too. I always say, “Never say Never.”

And THE BIG ONE!

Weeelllll . . .

I’m creating an online course this year! Whew. I finally stated it here on my blog. I’ve stated it other places, but stating it here makes it truly seem REAL. I feel better now. You know how it feels when you get something off your chest that’s been heavy on it for a bit and then that weight gets lifted. Well, that’s how I’m feeling right now. I feel a little lighter.

And honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to let you know about it, because it’s not like I’m going to back out of this endeavor. No matter how long it takes me, this online course I’m creating is a heart thang. I’m in it to win it. And the mission to go after this charge was truly one that slapped me in between my eyes one day. Actually, it had been looking me in the face for a long time but never got the attention from me that it deserved.

So. . .

This course is very much in the making and has support from my immediate family. It’s a definite GO. I had even gone so far as to talk about it with my online family who subscribe to the Degrees of Maternity monthly newsletter – not in a lot of detail, though. However, I hadn’t yet shared the news with you. And now that I have, I feel like I’ve let ALL the family know now. And because I’ve let all the family know now . . .

I better get ‘er done!

Just know: I’ll be working hard on getting this online course up and running, hopefully sometime this spring. We’ll see. That’s just me talking in tentative terms, regarding the timeline. I don’t know what the rollout for this course will actually look like. I just know that I intend on taking as much time as I need to make this course on healing husband and wife communication through writing therapy what it needs to be to do its job. This course will advocate for healthy couple’s communication, which is much needed as a foundational basis for a healthy marriage. Gotta have it.

You did notice that writing’s involved, didn’t you?

Hey folks, like I said — I got slapped in the face with this one. So, I can’t ignore it. I see the need and I’m going after it to fulfill it in a capacity that contributes to strengthening marriages and families. More to come on this endeavor.