Today I decided to make a fun sign for you to remind yourself that you are a good mom no matter what and to stop looking at other moms and trying to compare yourself. If you haven’t read my previous post in regards to #momenough make sure you do!

I did not make this a desktop like last week, but if you would like it for a desktop let me know and I will make it!

I’ve been reminded over and over this week how important it is as a mom to take care of myself. That if I don’t put my healthy and well being that it could hurt my family. So I wanted to share that message with you today with this quote I made up:

Free Desktop Versions!

I also have created desktop images for you to be able to download!

I hope that you enjoy this quote and I hope to make more soon. Let me know if you like having it available to put on your desktop.

One thing that can make or break your navigation is you categories. When you first create your blog you should draw out a road map for your categories. If you do this they will not get out of hand. But even if you didn’t start out with a category map you can still tame your categories.

How many Categories?

You should try and have between 5 to 10 top categories for your blog. More than this and they become too overwhelming for your reader. You want to use this great tool to help your readers navigate your site. If you give them too many choices they will get overwhelmed.

Limiting your categories will also help make sure you are keeping within your niche. If you don’t have a category that fits your post are you writing off topic. Though you know my feelings about niche blogging. If you are a niche-less blogger, limiting your categories will help make sure your readers can navigate to what they are most interested in reading about.

You can have sub categories also. I don’t expect if you are writing a food blog to not want break down so your readers can read by meal of the day, ingredients, season.  But make sure you create a tiered road map for your readers.

Examples:

Craft Blog: Paper Crafts, Crocheting & Knitting, Sewing, Home Crafts, Kid Crafts

Food Blog: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sides, Desserts, Snacks, Beverages, Holiday (create subcategories)

Parenting Blog: Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Preschooler, Grade School, Middle School, High School

Beauty Blog: Fashion, Accessories, Makeup, Hair, Trends

Tag or Category or Subcategory?

As you are creating your road map for your blog now is the time to start thinking about the differences between categories, sub categories, and tags.

A category is a main theme that you share throughout your blog. You may post a article in a category about once a week or more. (Food Blog Example: Holiday)

A subcategory is related to it’s parent category but is a bit more specific. You may write an article in a sub category about once a month. (Food Blog Example: Holiday>Christmas)

A tag is a word that if someone was searching for something very specific. You may write about it once in a while, very rarely. (Food Blog Example: Cranberries)

Make your Categories Make Sense

It used to be popular on blogs to make your categories cute and fun names like Made with Love. But “Made with Love” could be anything and it will not help your new readers to know what they are going to read under this category. Make sure that if someone is new to your blog they would be able to instantly recognize what they could read under each category.

Great Examples of Category Use

The Pioneer Woman not only a great example of how to use your categories well, but also a great example of a Niche-less blog.

Mashable is a great example of how to map out your categories and how to use subcategories.

1st Web Designer shares how you can create a visual category menu to help guide your readers where they want to go.

Your Homework & Free Printable PDF

Now it is time for you to site back and brainstorm your blogs categories and sub categories. If you are just starting your blog now is the time to really plan out your blog.

If you have a preexisting blog it will be a little harder and take a little work to move some things around, but I promise the end result will be worth it!

Download Category Taming Worksheet

Are your categories organized? How do you feel about the navigation of your blog?

Download the PDF with 16 exercise cards!

Poor little Zaney isn’t having a very good night. We are struggling with potty training after getting sick last weekend. So far tonight he has fallen out of bed (hard), wet the bed, and had another accident. I would put a diaper or pullups on him but he just takes them off.

So here we are in the middle of the night, early early morning with him on the couch and me on the big chair. Hopefully he will feel like going to bed in a little  soon, so mommy can get a little sleep before Zarek wakes up.

Sometimes it’s hard being the mommy. Always worth it but hard.

Print out some mommy cards for the next time you have your little ones over for a playdate or just meet a mommy you want to meet up with again.

I forgot to mention that I was featured at The Frugal Homeschooling Mom, I got together with her and made a coloring sheet. I will be making more in the near future so stay tuned!!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Hope you have some great plans for tomorrow. Why not bake some cupcakes and decorate them with some fun cupcake toppers? Check out some of the other freebies from earlier this month and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on the upcoming freebies the rest of this month!!

This is going to be short and sweet, maybe even a little literally. These are candy bar wrappers. Print them out, trim them and wrap around your favorite full size candy bar or there is one for mini candy bars. Great little personalized sweet treats for your sweetie.

I will have more freebies this month so don’t forget to subscribe!

We have had so many big milestones hit in our house, it’s so amazing and joyful! I love my little boys they are such a blessing and everyday is a reminder of this.

Zane decided two weeks ago that he wanted to go potty in the potty. From there on we have been going potty in the potty 90% of the time. Just today he decided to start taking himself with no reminders into the bathroom and go potty on the big potty.

He did really good until he tried going #2 on the big potty and missed. I was on a chat with a new client and had to drop everything. He came out of the bathroom with toilet paper streaming all around him saying he needed to clean up. LOL I went in and helped him clean up and just tried to explain to him it may be better to go poo poo on the little potty.

Zarek has been making his own big steps this last week. Literally. He has started walking. He had taken a few steps here and there a few weeks ago, but this week he started taking more and more. And today I am pretty sure he walked more than he crawled. You could tell he was thrilled with himself as he would giggle as he walked around the room.

It has also been a great week to watch the boys interacting. Zane is starting to have fun with Zarek. He is starting to look at him more and more as a playmate. They run/crawl up and down the hallway. Zane calling out behind him, “Come on Zarek, let’s go!” And Zarek of course is thrilled to be included in the games and is happy to chase after Zane. Earlier today Zane started getting really upset that Zarek was taking his nap because he wanted to play with him

February is Freebie month here at PepperScraps so here is another fun valentine freebie! These are labels you can print, sign, cutout and tape to the lids of play doh to make some really fun Valentine’s Day “cards”. Click the links below. Choose All Sizes. Choose Original. Download and print.

Here is two free bag toppers for you to print and make little goodie bags. Instructions are with the images at flikr.

Don’t forget I will be posting printable freebies all month this month so if you don’t want to miss out make sure and subscribe to my feed.