There's Always Time For Tea and Cake | Time To Catch Up

It's been all systems go for me since Nellie and Co. took off in July and well, it's been a busy old month or two, and I just felt as thought I needed to share all the fantastic things that have happened lately, and that I have planned. This 'al ellie is being kept busy, let me tell you!

This Cowgirl Only Went and Got Herself a Job!

Yes yes, thank you everybody, you may all stop clapping and sit back down. After just under a year of job searching, I can finally say that I'm no longer one of the unemployed Brits lounging around, doing nothing with her life. Sure, it's not a full-time 40 hour contract, but 12 hours is nothing to be sniffed it, and it means I can still keep up the job search and find more hours elsewhere. This also means I've got bags of experience under my belt that I'm dying to share with you all - in fact, I'm hoping to create a small series following the lines of my 4 ways your blog can help your CV giving advice on application forms, tips on how to rock an interview and how to become a comeback queen after rejection. If I can get a job, you definitely can!

I Lost Something Very Precious To Me.. My Phone

You may laugh people, but being one of the techny generation, my phone is something I consider bad to live without. I check Twitter regularly, I live for checking and updating Nellie on a constant basis, and now, I am without these options. Without going into much detail, my phone suffered water damage from, can you believe it, sweat and perspiration from being in my jeans pocket, and was beyond repair (I don't believe it, but hey, it doesn't work, so something has gone badly wrong) which means I'm now living with a not so good phone that doesn't sing and dance. This means less pretty pictures, unless I can somehow turn my broken phone into a camera.. Lets just say that was not a good day, and I'm still grieving for the sad being.

I only went and got myself a brand new bed!

I say I - I mean my Mum and Stepdad. Seriously, I've never actually had my own bed, I've always had hand-me-downs people would have ditched, so to not only have my own actual bed, one that was bought for me, but to have it be damn right beautiful is wonderful, and it's done wonders to ease my randomly brought on back pain late July. It hurt so much, I thought I'd need a back transplant, and let me tell you, trapped nerves in your spine are a killer. Trust me, you do not want to experience that pain in your life..

There's a new member of the Nellie and Co. family

No, I'm not pregnant, trust me, that is not that kind of of announcement. No, instead, a beautiful cat has joined the ranks and become my CEO - Cat Equals Oh-My-God-Why-Are-You-In-My-Face-And-Waking-Me-Up-At-Silly-O'clock-Stop-Meowing-All-The-Time-Please. True Story. I kid, Simba is a wonderful cat - he was a little vocal at first when we refused to let him out and was pretty demanding for his food, but he's now the most adorably lazy moggy and I'm so so pleased to have him. You know you're jealous.

I went on a weekend break away to Blackpool!

Since I'm only just getting started with a big girl job, money has always been too tight for a holiday, but man did I need that break away. As much as I love blogging and my homelife, getting away from it all and shutting off for a few days was absolutely wonderful. I didn't have to worry about Nellie thanks to Buffer (post coming soon!), I switched off my emails and Twitter notifications (a must for when you're holidaying!) and I had such a beautiful time. I do have a wrap-up post in the process of being written with reviews on my B&B (wonderful), the places we ate (super super awesome!) and loads of pretty photos (because duh, tower, seafront, piers, super things!) We're already planning another break away in May all over again, and I can't wait.

I've been working a design elsewhere..

Sure, I didn't actually work on commission, but I helped a friend out with a new blog and design. You know Nitzan, one of my partners in crime behind Who Wore It Better? Well, she's planning on doing what I did - leaving her co-blog behind and going back solo, so of course, she needed a new blog, and a new design, and as far as I'm aware, she's pretty happy with it.. I think? No, she's pleased, so do make sure you keep an eye for Afterwords in the next few months, I'll be sure to mention it near it's official opening, as well as share some secret behind the scenes stuff too..

I BETA-read another bloggers novel

The wonderful Cait at Paper Fury is an aspiring author, and on her journey to being a fabulous best seller, she needed people to BETA read her new novel, a guess who was one of the lucky people asked to do so? That's right, yours truly. I can proudly say that not only was it such an amazing honour to be chosen, but Cait's writing is one of a kind, brilliant and laugh-out-loud funny and I seriously cannot wait to see where this book takes her. If you haven't yet, follow her blog, and then keep your eyes peeled for her work in the future, it's going to happen on day, and when it does, she's gonna be huuuuuuuge.

I was featured on Ink Monster Reader Spotlight!

Ink Monster have been with me since I started my blogging experience in Oct. 2013, with some of my very first official review copies being Angelbound and Alpha Girl, so to have been recognised by the lovely ladies behind the scenes is absolutely amazing, and it means so much to me. Their books are awesome, the ladies themselves are so sweet and so kind, and I love working with them to promote their new books - in fact, I can't wait to read and review Alpha Unleashed this month and Portia for them the next, and I'll be very sad to see these series ending. If you haven't checked out any of Aileen Erin or Christina Bauer's work yet, you need to check out my reviews of their books pronto.

I'm sooooooo behind on ARC's

Yeah.. I wish this wasn't the case, but those who followed me previously at BBB know that things went a little pair shaped in March and my reading took a hit pretty badly. Sure, I'm reading regularly now, but between April and June, main I was baaaaaaad. I must have read about 6 books in total, and only 3 were ARC's, so it's fair to say, I am very behind right now. It does however mean that when I'm caught up on some of them, I might be offering them up for trade (UK) and even giving them away (if you're willing to pay postage) so do keep checking my Trade and Giveaway page - there's some pretty cool books up for grabs, including The Winners Curse, The Last Summer of Us and Because You'll Never Meet Me!

I have read some awesome books lately though..

As you can see up top, I've been eating through some of my ARC's in the last month or two, and making my way through firsts and sequels of series I've been meaning to start or finish in forever..

Lets Have a Snoop Around Nellie and Co.

Since Nellie and Co. has now been in fine working order for just over two months, I thought it'd be interesting to take a look around and have a snoop, talk about the interesting new content you've been loving and see how well we're doing in terms of growth and stats, because I personally always love a nosey on someone else's blog.

Since 12th July, Nellie and Co. has:

• received just under 5,500 pageviews, over 2,000 sessions, and over 200 comments,
• gained 32 Bloglovin' followers, 22 Email Subscribers and 41 Twitter Followers
• kept a consistent 70% visitor return and a bounce rate of 60-65% throughout
• gained 46% of views through referrals and 36% through social media

I'm seriously impressed with myself over here, let me go and have a jig for a moment. *dances up a storm* Okay, I have returned.. No, but seriously, I'm really pleased with those statistics. Having already made the transition and move to another blog in the past, I know how difficult it can be to build your brand and blog up from the start, and trust me, it's tough, but seeing the results of just under two months hard work is fabulous and I couldn't be happier with the result.

Your Most Loved Posts Where:

Nellie and Co's Top Commenters Were:

1. Cait from Paper Fury: (18) comments
2. Charnell from Reviews From a Bookworm: (16) comments
3. Jeann from Happy Indulgence: (11) comments
4. Lisa from Lost in Literature: (7) comments
5. Alise from Readers in Wonderland (5) comments

So, what's happening in the next few months?

Obviously now that I'm working, I'll be online less than I was previously, and with it being retail work, there's a big opportunity for extra shifts and overtime, something I will be grabbing with both hands. I'm going to attempt to keep up the schedule I have set for myself, as I honestly don't think that 3 posts a week is unachievable. When I'm not working, I'll obviously be blogging and throwing a few parties with Simba while my Mum's away, and I'll also be planning for Christmas (I hope) and trying to sort out some present ideas for some super special bloggers who deserve them. I never for one moment expected the last two months to be as crazy as they have been, and I never expected for so many awesome things to have happened either, so it's fair to say that I definitely don't know what life has planned for me in the next few months, but I'm ready.

What have you been up to lately? Have any exciting news?