Being hacked is possibly the worst thing that can happen to any blogger. It’s awful to see your hard work just, well, gone like cake around kids.
Last week I was hacked, and if you were in the market for cheap Viagra then you seriously missed a trick because that shit was going cheap on tobyandroo for about 48 hours. Yet, if you find parenting or lifestyle articles are more your bag, then you would have been very shocked. Being a total bimbo when it comes to the technical side of blogging (just learnt how to chuck out a deep link people… Sigh) I really didn’t have a clue what to do in this instance so had to turn to my ever fabulous tech support.
Eventually, with the help of more friends and the host, we managed to decipher that the hack was Russian, and let me tell you, they were about as welcome on my site as Putin at a democracy celebration. Eventually, after hours and hours of tearing hair out, we (by which I mean my tech goddess Sarah) managed to boot them out Cold War style and take the site back with full force. We’re all up in those Russian references… I have more, but I will spare you.
Anyway, without waffling on too much (I do that don’t I?) I wanted to talk about how having something that you have worked fucking hard for, that has literally naff all to do with you as a parent but is a source of pride to you – just for you – is precious. As parents, a lot of our proud moments are centred around our children, and while that is epic, it’s so important to remember that you are more than just mum or dad, more than just a one dimensional person, and there are things that YOU have done that are important and something to be proud of.
I’m incredibly proud of what I have built up here, last month the blog hit a record 40,000 unique users, it holds its own against some truly amazing bloggers who I aspire to be like and my social media reach has grown in the last year to a solid 35,000 on its own. While that might not be enough to consider myself in the rankings of Zoella (though if she ever finds herself wanting to have a natter about leaky boobs and the post birth car crash formerly known as a vagina, then I’m totes her girl) it is something I have done in the last 3 years TOTALLY by myself and for me. I’ve forged a career out of blogging and been able to give up work, and earn more than I did as a pleb at Mothercare.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a brag post, I am small fry (think teeny tiny plankton, probably the molecules in the algae of the plankton actually…) compared to a shit tonne of big bloggers, and that’s cool. I wanted to write this because, more than ever, I have an appreciation for that side of me that isn’t a mum. That part of me that is proud and strong and achieving things – not through my children and as a secondary party. Yes, Edith’s newest little phrase fills me with an immense level of pride (though, not shut up, when she started saying that, I wasn’t so pleased…) or when Reuben and Toby surprise me win their genius and read letters or words that I never knew they could – especially Reuben, when did he learn to read signs?! Despite these immense moments of pride, I am also ok with saying that when I hit a new milestone in Instagram, or I get a message from a reader to say that my silly, slightly unhinged Facebook daily rant has made them feel normal about motherhood, I am for to bursting too.
Find something, anything, to be proud of yourself for, outside of what came out of your hoo-ha. Yes, celebrate your amazing parenthood but don’t ever stoping having something to celebrate for YOU. It could be a promotion at work, a gardening project, a reclamation project (like my diet for example) but find SOMETHING for you. And if the Russian’s come for it… Well, you know what to do.
H x
Such a shame about the hackers but well done you on 40k!
Well done you! I love your writing style – you write as you speak and it makes it very natural.
Ahh thank you very much, I try really hard to be myself on here 🙂
Oh god what a nightmare for you! Glad everything is all aorted now!
Thank Nikki 🙂
Oh No! Haha I would not know what to do at all, and of all things viagra lol sorry don’t mean to laugh but that is just so unfortunate. Need to check out what I should be doing so I don’t follow suit. P.S. the photo with the domino’s does not help this dieter here 😆
I know!! Awful!
Oh my god I can’t believe you were hacked poor you :/ so glad that your site is up and running now.
Thanks Ana x
Wow well done you for getting the site back. I don’t know what would happen if I got hacked, I simply wouldn’t know where to turn. I’d likely just cry and give up haha x
It was awful!!
There are so many bloggers being hacked at the moment – it really is quite scary.
It is terrible isn’t it – so upsetting! H x
It seems like a lot of blog hacking is going around lately. I really don’t get why something would do that; this is so awful.
It does doesn’t it!? Awful!
Oh gosh how annoying that you got hacked. I literally wouldn’t have a clue what to do 🙁 xxx
It’s horrible!
Oh no! That must have been quite a surprise. I ‘m glad you were able to reclaim your blog! It’s amazing what you’ve built up here.
Ahh thank you 🙂
I am so glad that you were able to sort everything out. I’d have no idea what to do if I got hacked x
Me either! Tech team to the rescue!
Can’t believe you got hacked. That’s like my worst nightmare. So glad you got it sorted though. xx
It was awful!! H x
Oh my word how heartbreaking and so annoying that you were hacked!! sorry that you lost stuff that you worked so hard on! I’m also a mum and I started blogging because I wanted to keep this part of me, the person inside me that isn’t just a mum, the writer and creator and person with ambitions and so much to give. I sound way too passionate right now! Anyway I totally get where you are coming from and I’m really pleased to have stumbled across your blog 🙂
It was awful but so thankful it’s over now! H x
Love the pic with the Dominos! HEHE!
I completely agree with what you said, you should be proud, proud, proud. SCREW the Russian hackers! Pleased you got it sorted x
Haha thank you! H x
It must be SO damn scary being hacked. I would honestly not know what to do, I spend so many hours a day on my blog, SO glad you got it back though! xxx
It was crap! I was so so upset! H x
I am so sorry this happened to you. I like you wouldn’t have a clue how to combat that. Glad you got it all sorted.
It was awful! H x
OMG, that’s is some very serious thing!! Do you know how it happened that you got hacked? I’m asking just so we all know how to prevent it.
On another note, well done – 40 000 unique users is an amazing achievement! It’s not minor at all. I’ve been blogging for 3 years and weeeeelllll below you. Keep up the amazing work, girlie!!
It was through the plugins I believe! I just don’t understand why that would happen, but hey, big traffic makes you a target I guess! x
how awful, sorry that you got hacked. my site went down for 24 hours the other day and it was so stressful. I am such a bimbo when it comes to the techy side of blogging! x
Oohh thats how mine started Rebecca! I hope it’s not a hack! H x
Babes, that’s amazing! Those unique visitors you deserve. I’m not a mother but I do regardless love to come by and read your blog . I enjoy your style and honest ways and it sucks when hackers get the best of blogs and all hard work is lost but I’m glad it’s back!! x
Ahh thank you! It’s something that was so upsetting but I got it all back in the end! H x