31 Day Writing Challenge

Right on the heels of the A to Z Blogging Challenge, I accepted the 31-day writing challenge by WritersBra. I really liked the topics, however, knowing that daily blogging is WAY too time-consuming for me, I’ve decided to space this out AND include links to those items I’ve already done on my blog and links to those that will appear in the near future.  That may be bending the rules a bit, but there’s no sense reinventing the wheel.  In this post I will list the topics, linking them to qualifying posts scattered throughout my blog.

Infographic, longer About Me page and the story behind the name Surviving Mexico Adventures and Disasters

I’ve combined the above three items into one page.  I made a nifty little infographic and added it to my About Us page.  On the infographic, you’ll find the quote that inspired my blog name.  I also went a few steps further and edited the About me pages on Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.

Book reviews

I recently have become an online book reviewer and have had the opportunity to review a number of books.  You can find the books I have reviewed on Surviving Mexico and those that are reviewed on other sites under the subheading Book Reviews.

My favorite quote and Why I blog

I have been asked about my favorite quote before.  I was nominated for the Brotherhood of the World Award by a fellow blogger in 2015.   In the responses, I also talk about why I blog.

The passions get me out of bed in the morning are inseparable from my current goals (blogging and otherwise).

In January I made some concrete resolutions.  I revisited them in June to provide an update on my progress.

Contest

In July I scheduled a contest for a free e-book.  Entrants must complete the 8 question quiz about Surviving Mexico’s media sites.  Everyone who answers all the questions correctly is entered into a drawing for a free e-book from the list of books I have reviewed. (See And the winner is…)

Expert guest post

I was the expert guest post on WritersBra in May 2017.  My blogging tips post (16 Blogging Tips to Help Your Blog Blossom and Grow) highlighted some ideas that can help you keep on blogging.  Each of the interviewees in my series was an expert in his or her own field.  (Modern Day Marias, Inspirational Women Writers in Mexico, Blogs About Mexico Worth Reading) I also started a new series written by Geneva on Southern Comfort Food Mexican Style.

Blogger’s bucket list

This is my first ever bucket list.  Twenty-two items that either I have already accomplished or am planning on achieving before retiring from blogging.

Quality affordable tools for blogging

I don’t often post about the process of blogging as that is not what my blog is about.  However, I have recently posted Failing at your own business–Blogging and Blogging Thingamajigs highlighting different tools that I have used in the writing of this blog.

Summarize other person’s work

In May, I took an Introduction to Permaculture class.  You can see the summary of my coursework here.

Publish ebook

I’ve been working on a series of ebooks about our adventures and disasters in Mexico.  But, did you know I have one already published?  Find out more here!

Publish post of most successful media posts

I received quite a bit of positive feedback from both the Modern Day Marias series and the Blogs about Mexico Worth Reading series, both from participants and readers.  I enjoyed compiling these series as well and hope to continue adding to them down the line.

Build a mailing list/Offer free help/Favorite blogs about Mexico

All of these I did during the month of June.  I contacted many of the bloggers on my blogroll and asked if they would like to be featured on my blog.  If they were interested, I sent them a questionnaire and a badge with the link to their post when it was ready.  My hope was that a few of those who read their blogs would find my blog interesting, thus adding to my mailing list (followers). In the spirit of reciprocity, my readers would be encouraged to check out the featured blog and follow the ones that tickled their fancy.  It also gave me a way to display my blogroll around the topic of Blogs about Mexico.  See Blogs About Mexico Worth Reading.

Share my failures and successes

Creating a life is a hit or miss deal.  For me, there have been more misses than hits.  I wrote an entire series about Failing at your own business for you to learn from my mistakes.

Publish list of myths

There are all sorts of myths that relate to starting your own business.  Launch Your Dream by Dale Partridge mentions and dismisses a number of them.  You can see my review here.

Publish hidden gems

Did you know that you are a hidden gem?  Read an earlier post about relative value and work.

Create a how-to guide

My posts are full of how-to type ideas.  In April I did a series on how to survive various disasters (mostly by moving to La Yacata) as my topic for the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I hope you had a chance to read it!

Host an interview

In December, I hosted a series of interviews in Modern Day Marias.  In them, women who have moved to Mexico with their significant other told their stories.  They are really remarkable!

Write an inspiring/motivational post

I consider my post Learning Gratitude my most inspiring post.

Survey/Reader’s comments/Publish most popular blog comments/Answer comments personally

During the month of July, I had a Reader Survey open to gather some data on where I was going with my blog.  I posted the results in August.  I don’t have many reader’s comments, so instead, I shared the comments I received with the survey.

Handwrite a post /Thank you post

I added a handwritten thank you image to the Reader Survey Results post.

Share a secret

I have a secret hobby.  Nothing earth shattering mind you.  You can read about it, here.

There you have it, folks!  The links to my completed 31-Day Writing Challenge sponsored by WritersBra.  I think I’ll take a break from challenges for a bit.  Unless of course, you have a good challenge to share?

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