Sharing my first non-food post with you guys! In my previous job I had to do a monthly review, so I thought I’d try and do a similar thing here at The Mindful Hapa. Personally, it gives me an opportunity to reflect on my wins, while keeping in mind areas of improvement for the upcoming month. For this review, I’m going to be chatting about:

1. September/October recap – Diving into what I’ve been working on, things I’m proud of, and new products I’ve tried/been loving!
2. November Goals – What I want to focus on next month. Hopefully this will hold me a smidge accountable?! Fingers crossed on this one. 

September/October Recap

What I’ve been working on

• Work flow – Knowing what to start with and what to prioritize has been difficult. I started a google spreadsheet with a weekly schedule in addition to a content calendar that I’m working on utilizing more effectively.
• Consistency – Making sure I’m putting out content at least twice a week that is quality content. I really enjoy the creative aspect of recipe development and food photography, but writing up posts is difficult and takes me a lot longer. This has been one of the things I’ve struggled with in these first two months and hopefully something I’ll continue to get better at 🙂   
• Recipe Development – Figuring out a process, trying new things…it’s all pretty new to me, but I enjoy the creativity and new food combos I get to think up and try. 
• Photography – This should probably be at the top, because I think it’s so important for the growth of my account AND it’s what I’ve been working on the most (through sheer practice and repetition). It’s rewarding to go back and look at the first photos on my Instagram from just two months ago and already see huge improvements. I’m excited to see this trajectory continue as I spend more time photographing food.

Things I’m Proud of

Not going to lie it makes me pretty uncomfortable to talk about myself. BUT, I’ve worked really hard these past two months so I’m doing it. Here are a few things I’m proud of that happened in September and October:

• Instagram Features – Sometimes it feels good to know that other people besides your family might be seeing your recipes. I’m still not sure if anyone is actually making my recipes, but here are some of the pages that featured my recipes/photography:
  • Vegan Eats Please posted about my favorite Flourless Peanut Butter Bars. Well and Good Eats shared my Moose Tracks ‘Nice’ Cream. Theo Chocolate highlighted my Paleo Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Wild Friends shared the banana bread skillet I made using Dash of Mandi’s recipe. 
• Giveaway – I partnered with the makers of my favorite dark chocolate bar, Theo Chocolate, on my very first giveaway. Having the opportunity to work with brands I love is something I want to continue to do and Theo Chocolate set the bar very high.
• Recipes getting saved – Another thing that makes me happy- people saving my recipes on Instagram! Hopefully some people are/have/plan to make them?  The ones that did the best were my Moose Tracks ‘Nice’ Cream, Tahini Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding.
• Community – Getting messages from people saying they enjoy my content is still one of the most rewarding things I get to experience. It gives me goosebumps every time I read sincere messages from people talking about how they enjoy my recipes/page.
• Talkin’ it up with Emily from Thrive on Life – This girl. I could gush about her all day. She reached out and asked if she could interview me for her series about bloggers looking to empower others, and I was so honored. The questions she asked are important ones to reflect on like why I’m doing this, what I’m hoping to achieve, and who I’m trying to help.  If you haven’t checked out the interview I did with her, you can do that here. Besides from getting the chance to think on these questions, it also gave me the opportunity to make a meaningful connection with Emily. This is something I’m super appreciative for, especially when I’m spending a lot of my time on social media platforms where everything can feel so…fake.
  
• Starting – Yes, just starting this blog was the hardest part! Being okay with the fact I have no idea what I’m doing, and doing so in such a public space was and is still HARD. But I won’t know how/what this might turn into if I don’t give it my all, so that’s what I’m here doing.

New Products/Brands

• Soom Foods – This women-owned business reached out to me in my first month.  As a newbie, it’s exciting to be recognized and have someone say they like what you’re doing. It was a confidence booster that let me know I’m on the right track, and on top of all that, their tahini is to-die for. Did you check out my Tahini Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal yet? I created this recipe using both their premium tahini and chocolate tahini spread and it’s the most popular recipe on my blog! 

• Theo Chocolate – I love their dark chocolate. Like, really love it! Their 85% dark chocolate is my go-to bar of choice. It’s also organic and fair-trade so I feel good eating it AND supporting a company whose values I stand behind.
  

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• Beanfields Bean Chips – They sent me their bean-based chips to try and I’m hooked. Andy literally screamed, “THESE ARE SO DAMN GOOD!” while scarfing down an entire bag. Gotta say that pretty much sums it up. 

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November Goals

So, it was an exciting and total whirlwind the past two months, but what about November? This time of year everything just flies by so I want to be intentional with my goals. Here is a quick review of the things I want to focusing on this month:

• Blog posting – I want to be more consistent with my posting. I want to continue with my Sunday Soup series, in addition to posting at least one (hopefully two!) recipes each week. I also want to try to keep things balanced with an equal mix of breakfast, main dishes, sides, desserts, etc.
• Pinterest –  I will master you this month! I’m going to set aside time to learn all about Tailwind so I have zero regrets about not starting sooner.
  
• Work Flow – Honestly, this has been a huge struggle the past two months. When you’ve got a never ending to-do list it can feel like you’re getting pulled in a million different directions. By planning out my day in chunks I’m hoping I can be more intentional with my time and to-do list. 
• Learning – I want to set aside more time to LEARN. I signed up for Food Blogger Pro (partly because I am a huge Pinch of Yum fan/loved their podcast) and I plan to dedicate time to actually utilizing the amazing content they provide with their membership. All about working smarter vs. harder. 
  

Okay, that about sums up my first two months blogging. I can go on ALL day about this stuff, but I tried to keep it short-ish. Alrighty, time to crush November! 🙂