This Month Wasn’t Flashy, But It Changed Everything

Gardening

It finally rained here in north central Florida. It has been dry for months. We even had a couple of wildfires nearby. One fire on January 2, 2026, came right up to our northeast fence line. That got my attention fast.

Spring gardening is underway now.

I’m trying a method called tower planting. I’m using square milk-carton-style containers stacked three high. Each layer is lined with hay or straw and filled with a mix of compost, potting soil, and a little vermiculite.

The potatoes are placed with the eyes facing outward toward the corners so the vines grow out instead of crowding inside.

What surprised me most is how fast they took off. Within two weeks, the growth exploded. One container I planted later is already outgrowing the first one.

That told me this method works.

Work Progress

This has been a heavy backend and restructuring phase for me.

I’ve been working through my 12 Months of Survival Prepper Challenges series, cleaning up the structure so each month is now a proper post instead of a mix of pages and drafts. That meant fixing URLs, removing duplicates, and setting up 301 redirects so everything points to the correct final post.

I also standardized my post layout. Each post now follows the same structure with a clear intro, content sections, internal links, and call-to-action blocks. This makes it easier for readers and much easier for my son to help me manage the site.

Internal linking has been a big focus. I’m no longer just dropping links in randomly. I’m connecting related posts together and tying everything back into my Ultimate Disaster Survival Guide, which now covers 29+ scenarios.

I also added new content to support that guide, including:

• Water contamination planning
• Power grid failure preparedness
• Evacuation planning
• Food shortage strategies

On the design side, I created reusable CTA blocks, so I don’t have to rebuild them every time. That alone saves time and keeps things consistent.

I love that I’m already seeing an increase in traffic and longer time spent by people reading my posts.

I’ve also been building out my Pinterest system. I use two types of pins:

• Simple Scout pins for discovery
• Designed pins with text overlays (TOBI)

I created templates in Adobe Express so I can reuse layouts instead of starting from scratch each time.

Most of this work is not flashy, but it matters. I’m building a strong foundation, so everything I do going forward is faster and more organized.

In my previous post on WA, I told you my views had grown from 334 to 12k, but now they're up to 46.9k! This is just for 3 months!

What I’m Learning

I’m learning that structure matters more than speed.

Before this, I was creating content, but it wasn’t connected. Now everything links together and supports something bigger. Think Pillar.

I’m also learning that simple systems beat complicated ones. Templates, reusable blocks, and clear layouts are making a big difference. I learned to make Kadence blocks and patterns. What a difference! This allowed me to have my son help me post.

And I’m learning that progress doesn’t always look exciting. Sometimes it looks like fixing things behind the scenes.

Goals for the Next Month

My focus now is to build on this foundation.

Here’s what I’m working toward next:

• Finish cleaning up the remaining months in the challenge series
• Continue improving internal links across older posts
• Create more Pinterest pins using my new templates
• Keep adding to the Ultimate Disaster Survival Guide
• Stay consistent with posting instead of jumping around

I also want to keep things simple, so I don’t get overwhelmed.

Final Thoughts

This has not been a fast month, but it has been an important one.

I’m not just creating posts anymore. I’m building a system.

And that system is going to make everything easier going forward.

Small, steady steps are still steps forward.

Where are you in your goals? Do you have pillar pages with associated posts? Leave a comment below :)

Teri