Another Year Has Gone By

Another year has gone by and another Ultimate Blog Challenge begins! Are you ready for the challenge again? I am and I even completed my biggest challenge since the October UBC. I ended up getting way behind on replying to comments on the last challenge, I had over 190 comments that needed replies. I’m happy to say I have a clean slate after responding to them all and I thank all my readers for leaving them.

So as the saying goes out with the old and on to the new and wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year and thought you might like to start the New Year off with a laugh. Most of you know I love to recycle and since I couldn’t find a pair of 2024 glasses for Lia I edited her 2022 picture!

Back in January 2016 I found the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I wish I could remember how or who recommended it because I’d love to thank them! Since January 2016 until October 2023 I have completed every UBC, four times a year, a total of 32 blogs over the past 8 years. Can I make it to 50 UBC blogs??

I started The Martha Review in December 2014 and was mainly used for writing my product and book reviews. But since this challenge I have opened up my brain to writing a little about everything. I finally settled on lifestyle blogs and write about baking and cooking, photography, healthy eating, gardening and nature, recycling products, organizing clutter and family to name a few. Of course Lia has a big part in my blogging also.

A few years ago, my now 5-year-old great granddaughter Lia joined me in sharing her blogs mostly about baking and cooking, gardening, arts and crafts and her day-to-day activities. She posts her Friday Story Time blogs on A Day in Lia’s Shoes category on my blog. Lia blogs weekly and sometimes even writes two blogs a week.

What are we looking forward to during the January 2024 Ultimate Blog Challenge? Lia and I are excited to see the friends we have made through this challenge and welcoming the new participants! This challenge turns bloggers into friends. We are also excited to be sharing a blog each day for the month of January. For those who are new to the challenge, The UBC runs four times a year, January, April, July, and October and participants write a blog each day for those months. Of course none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for our great host and organizer Paul T. He emails out daily blog suggestions so if you have brain fade, no problem! I’m excited to be a part of this challenge again and thank you Paul for all you do to keep everyone on track!

A few tips I would like to share with my blogger friends:

If adding a link to your blog make sure it opens in a new window so when readers click it, they can still have your blog open.

Remember to save a draft if you write your content on your blog. It’s easy to lose everything if your power goes out, a great safety precaution for your all your hard work.

You may have accidentally had the last sentence you are writing disappear. As long as you haven’t typed after losing it, you can get it back by holding the CTRL and Z key. Like magic, your content will return!

The last tip is to use eye appeal photos. I find if you have an awesome feature photo it gets your readers interested to read more. Also when adding photos, use your imagination and find unique ways to make eye appealing photo with backdrops.

Okay are we all ready to start this awesome Ultimate Blog Challenge? I will be reading, commenting, sharing and liking your blogs and hope you will do the same and watch your blog stats soar!

This is a poem I wrote a few years ago that I share at the start of the Ultimate Blog Challenge!

Time to start down the blogging road and see where it takes us!

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Martha DeMeo

I started my blog on Christmas Day 2014 mainly to review products I received. Since then it has evolved into many other categories of lifestyles, family, money saving ideas, low cost, delicious and healthy meals plus other surprise posts. My granddaughter has her own category, Alex's Articles and the latest addition to my blog is my great granddaughter now has her category, Lia's Likings The Baby Blogger! Lia started blogger at 8 months old and she now has a Friday Story Time blog you won't want to miss! I welcome you to join the conversation, ask a question, give a suggestion or leave a comment on any blog post. I hope you enjoy Lia's Likings, she has some great posts that will make you smile!

24 Discussion to this post

  1. Kimberly W says:

    Hi Martha! I have to say, your UBC track record is impressive!! I keep coming back because I love the connection and the way it pushes me and my writing but I’ve only completed 2(!!) since I started participating a few years ago. I always go in with the best intentions though and this month is no different!

    Thanks for the tips on making blogs more appealing (and not losing our work!) Looking forward to reading what you and Lia are up to this month!

    • Martha says:

      Just keep going with your intentions Kimberly! Start small with a challenge, maybe say you will post at least once a week. You can do it, I’ll cheer you on!

  2. Happy New Year! Give Lia a hug from me. Thank you for the treats you send this past year. They were amazing.

  3. I’m excited to try out this challenge again! I haven’t completed one yet, but the circumstances are different this time.

    I appreciate the tips. I still have quite a few things to figure out on my blog, but it’s getting there.

    Happy Blogging!

  4. Andrea P. says:

    Great tips!

  5. Tamara says:

    Happy new year, dear Martha and Lia! And Snowball 🙂 It wouldn’t be a UBC without you ladies 🙂 Of course you will make it to 50 participations!

    • Martha says:

      Happy New Year to you and your family Tamara! Not sure where last year went but we’ll just keep moving on and counting down til I reach 50!

  6. It’s great to see you again, Martha, as always! You are one of my favorite things about doing the challenge. And I’m glad you revised Lia’s pic – it’s adorable.

    • Martha says:

      Aww thanks Jeanine, I think part of this challenge is I never know what I’m going to write about until the night before! Glad to see you too and Happy New Year!

  7. Great hints that you shared here, Martha! Kudos!

  8. Martha, great tips and it’s wonderful to have you and Lia back! A very Happy New Year and all blessings!

    • Martha says:

      Lia says hi Kebba! Her life is so busy, you’d think she was 15 instead of 5! LOL She loves baking and her latest is coming up with her own recipes!

  9. Alice Gerard says:

    I am so excited to start this blogging challenge! Each one is an adventure! I feel like my writing and my approach to blogging have evolved since I first started. I always struggled with introspection. That changed during the lockdown. That was something positive that came out of a sad time. Blogging has brought me so much, including some really great friends. It’s been amazing to read Lia’s stories and realize how far she has come!

    • Martha says:

      So glad to see you back again Alice. I love the UBC for being able to come up with blog ideas AND mostly to reconnect with my blogging friends! I love your stories, you artwork and photos!

  10. Hi Martha,

    I’m very excited for this blogging challenge! And your granddaughter is SO cute!

  11. Glenda Cates says:

    Good evening, I Pray this finds you, Rich and Lia well and that the New Year is everything you want. I can’t wait to read your and Lia’s post and all the amazing cooking and adventures you two go on. Have a good night, my friend. Charlie said to tell everyone hello.

  12. Glenda Cates says:

    Welcome back to the Challenge and its so nice to be able to check out the tips you shared with us. I can’t wait to see what all you and Lia have to share with us. Enjoy your week and make sure to take care of yourself.

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