Hello again, friends!
I honestly can’t believe I’m sitting down to write my second monthly blogging update. It feels like I blinked and a whole month disappeared! But here we are—Step 2 of my food blogging journey, and I’ve got plenty to share.
Earlier this year, I made a decision to stop waiting for “the right time” and just begin. I mapped out a plan I call the “12 Steps”—a month-by-month roadmap to help me build and grow Just Simple Recipes in a way that felt focused, achievable, and true to me. Each step includes goals for traffic, content, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to keep a blog running. If you missed my Step 1 update, you can read it here.
Now that I’m two months in… let’s just say, blogging while managing a family, demanding work, and the beautiful chaos of everyday life? It’s no small thing. But I’m loving it—even on the messy days.
This Month in a Nutshell
Step 2 has been a whirlwind! There were moments when I felt right on track, and others when life had completely different plans for me. We had a few unexpected home projects pop up (more on that in a sec), the kids’ schedules got even busier, and I found myself juggling more than I’d anticipated.
But somehow, in between school runs, work arrangements and shift swaps, and cooking dinner, I made it work. Maybe not perfectly, but honestly? I’m really proud of what I’ve managed to get done this month.
Let’s take a closer look.
Step 2 Goals – Keeping It Real
One thing I promised myself when I started this journey was to keep my goals realistic. No wild expectations or pressure to go viral overnight—just steady, intentional growth.
For Month 2, I aimed to:
- Increase my total blog posts to 110
- Reach 24,000 monthly impressions (roughly 800 per day)
- Get 300 clicks from Google and Bing
- Hit 1,200 sessions, mostly from social media
These targets felt doable based on the progress I made in Month 1. Not too big, not too small—just enough to keep me moving forward.
The Costs of Blogging – Little Bits That Add Up
Let’s talk about money—because even a simple food blog like mine comes with expenses. No one tells you this part when you start, but every plate, photo, and post costs a little something.
Here’s what I spent this month:
- Keysearch (for keyword research): $24 USD/month
- Lightroom (for editing my food photos): €6/month
- Props (because pretty plates make a difference!): 4 towels from TK Maxx – €12 + Dish and plate set from Dunnes Stores – €30
- Custom vinyl photo backdrop from Etsy – €55
(This was my “big treat” purchase and I cannot wait for it to arrive!)
I’m not including the cost of food, though. Everything I make gets eaten—usually within minutes! I’m not buying anything fancy or extravagant, just wholesome everyday ingredients that my family already loves.
Thankfully, my bigger yearly costs (like Hostinger and the Feast Plugin) were covered last month, so this month felt a little lighter on the budget side.
What I Worked On – Progress in Between the Chaos
🧁 New Recipe Posts:
I wrote 10 new recipes—a bit fewer than I’d hoped, but I’m calling it a win considering everything going on.
🛠️ Updating Old Content:
I updated 12 older posts with better formatting, improved SEO. These older posts are my foundation, and I’m slowly giving them the glow-up they deserve.
📸 Photography Practice:
I experimented more with lighting and angles using a mix of my Redmi Note 14 Pro and my old iPhone 12. While I didn’t get around to taking a formal photography course (yet!), I did dive into a few inspiring books:
- The Perfect Plate by Jeff Solberg – full of beautiful images and wonderful recipes. It is a true masterpiece!
- Cooking as Art by Sarah Powell – this one really got me thinking creatively. This book makes your brain work!
- The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by Meredith Hayden – almost finished, and loving every page! She is amazing and I totally in love with that lovely lady!
🧖♀️ Life Update:
Oh, and… we built a sauna in our back garden! Yes, really. My husband’s dream finally came true and now, on rainy Dublin evenings, we have our very own warm retreat. It took up a bit of time and energy, but it’s already worth it—and yes, I’ve already planned a few traditional BBQ + Sauna evenings!
Step 2 Results – What the Numbers Say
Here’s how the month shaped up in terms of traffic and growth:
- Posts: 105 total (just shy of my 110 goal)
- Impressions: 30,900 – smashed my target of 24,000!
- Sessions: 2,100 – way above my 1,200 goal
- Clicks:
- Google: 226
- Bing: 117
- Total: 343 (Goal was 300 – ✔️)
- Adsense Revenue: €2.61
A few thoughts:
- Sessions were slightly lower than last month, but that’s because one of my posts was featured in Google Discover back in Month 1, which brought a big temporary boost.
- This month’s traffic came from search engines and social media—and it still exceeded what I planned.
- Adsense earnings dropped, but I turned off some ads to improve user experience. I’m still testing things out and may switch to a different ad platform once my traffic grows a bit more.
What’s Next
Looking ahead to Step 3, I’m sticking with the plan. But now that I’ve settled into the blogging rhythm a bit more, I want to start layering in new strategies and habits.
Here's what I’m planning: just keep moving!
Yes, I am planning to continue working on the blog, continue with new posts and recipes. I have set the goals in targets, and have mapped the road to achieve it.
Final Thoughts
Two months down, ten to go.
I started Just Simple Recipes to share the food I love and to finally give myself the creative space I’d been dreaming of for years. And while it’s hard work (some days, really hard), it’s also incredibly fulfilling.
Every click, every post, every photo—it’s one more step toward something bigger.
Thank you for following along and being part of this journey. Whether you're a fellow blogger, a home cook, or someone who just stumbled in for a quick midweek dinner idea—I'm so glad you’re here.
Here’s to Month 3. Let’s cook, write, learn, and grow together 💛
