Must-Have Apps for Your Tablet

I'm so ecstatic and thankful to have gotten the Dell Venue 8 from Intel! I've had it for almost a month and I still get excited to use it! I've loved being able to take it with me everywhere so that I can work or just stay distracted in general. I especially love that I'm even writing this post on my tablet right at this very moment :]

Of course, one of my biggest struggles have been figuring out what apps to download for my new tablet. I already had the usual apps that most people have, like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I also had a few other apps that I'll be mentioning later, like Evernote and the Bible app, but I wanted to try some other stuff that I wasn't familiar with before or that would be better suited for a tablet instead of a smartphone.

I asked a few blogger friends for their opinions and I took some of their suggestions on top of apps I already had. Here are my must-haves:

1. YouVersion Bible App

Verse of the Day!

When I don't have my physical Bible or don't feel like looking for it, I go to the YouVersion Bible App! It has some great features, like a bunch of different biblical translations, devotionals to choose from, and even sermon notes from churches in your area. My church uses it for that too, and it's cool so that you can follow along with the notes right in front of you when you're at church!

Oh, and the Dell Venue 8 also allows for you to install widgets for most of your apps right onto your tablet screen for easy access. I decided to download the Verse of the Day so that it's right there in front of me without having to open the app itself!

Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows

2. Evernote

I downloaded this app on my MacBook so that I could take notes on it for class. I read lots of great reviews but didn't think it was amazing. I kept reading about how this was a must for people to have to take notes but I never really (and still don't really) understand why people think it's the greatest app ever. Don't get me wrong, I'll be honest and say that I do really enjoy this app and I recommend it to all of you, but it's not spectacular like Disneyland fireworks. It's just really user-friendly. Maybe that's what it is.

Anyway...

5 Reasons Why I Read a Blog [Guest Post]

Hey, everyone! It's Kriselle here. So I'm currently away at camp for this whole week, so you will be getting to know some great people and reading some great things from them while I'm away. So today, please welcome Felecia from Hello Felecia!

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Hello Livin and Lovin Readers! I'm Felecia from Hello Felecia dot com. I write a lifestyle blog, it has a little bit of all my hobbies from books to fashion. I am glad to be able to share with you all today. As a reader and a blogger there are a couple of factors that keep me going back to a blog.

1. Personal Connection.

Who does not like making friends and staying up to date on the goings on of their life. I know I do, and I enjoy not only receiving tips and advice from different blogs but the ability to get to know the blogger behind the advice. Although, I may have never meet them in person, I know them a little better when the blogger shares personal information.

2. Humor.

I enjoy a sense of humor. Life is pretty serious already and a little humor lightens things up a bit. I am not super hilarious, but I do enjoy reading blogs written by bloggers with a sense of humor.

3. Beautiful Photos.

I do appreciate photos within a blog post, it breaks up the text nicely. I also enjoy when blog post have quotes tried in that has to do with the topic of the post or are the topic of the blog post.

4. Comment Response.

I enjoy getting replies to my comments almost as much as I enjoy getting comments on my blog. It is a another way to connect with readers on the blog. It is cool to know not only was the comment read but time was taken to thoughtfully response to the comment, and get to know me, the reader, a little bit better.

5. Outside communication.

I enjoy communication and connection, I have mentioned these two factors a couple of times. It is cool when the interaction happens outside of the blog. When I can interact with the blogger like any other friend I know through various social media, in particular Instagram and Twitter. I enjoy getting to know people, hearing their stories, and being a part of their world.   Why do you keep coming back? What do you enjoy most about blogging or reading blogs?

  

7 Tips for Maximum Instagram Engagement

Instagram is easily my favorite (and strongest) social media platform out there (right next to Pinterest, that is). Although I don't post on it every day, I am definitely always on it, checking out other peoples' posts.

As a blogger, Instagram becomes more than just a place to showcase your life. It also becomes a way to promote your blog (and potentially other businesses/brands), depending on how strong your Insta-game is.

Depending on the type of blog you run and your own personal preferences, you can also choose between using your personal Instagram for your blog or creating a separate account for your blog. For myself, because of the nature of this blog and my own preferences, I've chosen to keep my personal Instagram even for my blog.

Regardless of whether or not you have a separate account for your blog or even if you're a blogger or not, let's face it: we all want more followers and likes. It's a natural thing to desire, since as human beings we want to be affirmed, and Instagram can be a space for that, if used in a healthy context.

But that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm talking about my tips (based on personal experience) on gaining more followers and engagement on Instagram.

I've read blog posts and articles where they say things like "use a ton of hashtags" or "use _____ filter" or whatever. I'm here to say that based off of my own experiences with Instagram, those don't work. 

With that being said, here are my top tips for Insta-engagement.

The Importance of Rest: 2 Tips to Remember

Hey, everyone! As you probably noticed, I unintentionally took a blogging break these past few days. It was hard to step away from writing for the blog for a while, but it was much needed.

It was hard because I had my #LNLblogturnsone giveaway running so I was receiving new followers left and right and I also wrote a lot the week after my blog's anniversary because it was my anniversary with the boyfriend. Last week, it was my sister's graduation on top of many other graduations and birthdays. I've also been interning at my church and working with them as well. I even had to do an all-day training for the camp I'll be working at next month. After all of that, I've just been too exhausted to write, quite honestly.

Two main tips to remember when taking a break:

Breaks can be healthy. With anything, it's always hard to step away from the position or situation for a few days or weeks, especially if you have an obligation to it and there are certain expectations placed on you. However, it is always so healthy (and okay) to take a break, especially if it is something you love and are passionate about. You don't want to burn yourself out and feel forced to be doing whatever it is you're doing. Besides, what's the point of loving something if you don't love doing it?

Quality over quantity: I love to blog and want to always put out quality work. I'd rather take a break then come back with some amazing content than continue writing less-than-great work just to stay consistent with stats. And the same goes with anything that you love. Of course if it's a paid job or school, you'll have to find ways to work around that without getting fired or failing your classes, but with anything else, taking a break is always good and many times preferred if it means that you'll come back with more energy and motivation.

With all of that, be ready for more awesome and quality content as I get back into blogging! If I ever disappear again for more than 3 days, please know that while I may not be on my computer, I'll still be active on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

And don't worry, I didn't forget about the #LNLblogturnsone giveaway! I will be announcing the winners later this week. Stay tuned!

By the way, don't forget I'm still collecting questions to answer in a future Q&A post! Be anonymous or leave your link to be featured!

So You Want to Start a Blog? Part 2

My last post on starting a blog, "So You Want to Start a Blog?" was so popular, here are 5 more tips for starting a blog! If you want to follow these tips more in-depth with some freebies, check out my FREE "I Want to Start a Blog" course!

*Note: this post was updated April 2017.

1. Decide where you want to go with the blog.

By this, I mean that you should have a clear vision with what you want to do with your blog, whether you want to turn it into a business someday or if it is simply just a hobby where you share your interests.

Knowing from the start what you want to do with your blog in the future will affect the types of things that you post and the way you are going to run your blog in the future. And if you decide you want to turn your blog into a business someday, you don't have to start that now. Building up a blog takes time, and for everyone, the time it takes to start using their blog as a business is different.

**Another note I want to add is that if you want to blog for business, do not forget to have some authenticity in your posts. People will see right away if you are just trying to make money or if you really care about what you are talking about.