Bluehost: Every blog needs a home—and for me, that home is Bluehost. Reliable, beginner-friendly, and officially recommended by WordPress, it gave me everything I needed to launch Soft Money Moves without feeling overwhelmed.

With one-click WordPress installs, a free domain for your first year, and 24/7 support (just in case tech gets spicy), Bluehost makes it easy to go from “idea” to “up and running” in a matter of minutes. Plus, their plans are super affordable, which is perfect when you’re just starting out.

I didn’t want to stress over hosting or security—I just wanted to build my blog and start sharing my voice. Bluehost let me do that with confidence.

If you’re ready to start your blogging journey, Bluehost is where I recommend you plant your flag. It’s simple, secure, and made for creators who mean business.

Astra: When it came time to choose a WordPress theme for Soft Money Moves, I wanted something clean, fast, customizable, and beginner-friendly. Astra checked every single box—and then some.

This lightweight theme doesn’t just look good, it performs like a dream. Pages load faster (which Google and your readers love), and it’s designed to work beautifully with page builders like Elementor and Gutenberg, so you don’t need to know code to make your site feel like you.

As a new blogger, I didn’t want to spend hours wrestling with design or speed issues. With Astra, I didn’t have to. It gave me the structure I needed and the freedom I wanted to make my brand shine right from the start.

If you’re starting your blog and want a theme that grows with you, Astra is it. Stylish, speedy, and super intuitive—just how we like it.

Kit: (formerly ConvertKit): From day one, Kit made it easy to build clean, high-converting opt-in forms, create landing pages that matched my brand, and send emails without second-guessing every click. The visual automation builder is a dream for bloggers who don’t want to mess with code, and the Creator Network helps new people actually discover you.

What really sold me? Kit isn’t just about sending emails. You can sell products, set up paid newsletters, and earn affiliate income—all from the same dashboard.

If you’re building a brand and want your email marketing to grow with you instead of stress you out, Kit’s the one. Effortless, elegant, and built with creators in mind.

Tailwind: Growing on Pinterest without a plan? Stressful. Growing on Pinterest with Tailwind? A soft life dream.

Tailwind takes the guesswork out of content scheduling. With smart automation, suggested post times, and built-in design tools, it helps you pin consistently, drive traffic, and grow your blog—even while you’re living your best life offline.

The best part? It’s more than just a scheduler. Tailwind Create lets you whip up dozens of branded Pins in minutes, and Tailwind Communities help expand your reach by connecting you with other creators in your niche.

I use Tailwind to plan my entire Pinterest strategy in one sitting, then let it do the heavy lifting. It’s efficient, beginner-friendly, and a total game changer for bloggers who want visibility without burnout.

If Pinterest is part of your blog strategy (and it should be), Tailwind is a must. Set it, style it, and let it work.

Termly: Legal pages aren’t the fun part of building your blog—but they are necessary. That’s why I use Termly to handle mine.

With just a few clicks, Termly helped me generate a custom Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and Disclaimer that keeps my site compliant with global privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.

Whether you’re blogging as a hobby or running a full online business, legal protection is non-negotiable. Termly makes it simple, affordable, and actually beginner-friendly—no confusing legal jargon, no stress.

I didn’t want to spend hours reading privacy laws or worrying about fines. With Termly, I didn’t have to.

If you’re launching a blog, selling digital products, or collecting emails, go ahead and protect your peace (and your site). Termly handles the legal side so you can focus on what you do best.