Hello,
Many moons ago, all the way back during the Month of August, the lovely Sarah from Boo, Roo and Tigger too tagged me in the Mummy Central “Why?” Meme.
I have been awfully rude and am only now getting around to linking back to her! Please accept my apologies, Sarah! I was so excited to be tagged by someone, I have no idea why it has taken me so long!
As I have left it so long, the original Mummy Central linky page for the “Why” meme no longer exists.
The original Meme was a chance to list all those questions beginning with “Why” to which you wish you knew the answer, for example,
- Why do I have so many odd socks? (Does the Land of Odd Socks in Enid Blyton Stories really exist?!)
- Why is there never anybody in my local elections that I actually want to vote for?
- Why is there “good tele” on the box when I am busy but a load of rubbish when I finally get to sit down? (What did I do before Sky Plus? Actually, I probably got a lot more done thinking about it!)
- Why do my kids wait until a busy room goes quiet to ask me the most embarrassing questions?
- Why do my knee high boots never last for longer than a month? What am I doing wrong?
I could go on and on… But there is one question that I have been asked nearly every day for the last few weeks and I thought that here, in this “Why?” titled Blog Post would be the best place to answer it.
If you Blog yourself then I’m sure this question will be of no surprise to you…
Why do you Blog?
It seems a strange question to those of us who read and write Blogs. I think it’s something that you either get…or you don’t.
For me, it is a bit like asking somebody, why do you take photos? The reason why I started writing a Blog was purely to record the memories of life with my children.
Since, they have been born, I have recorded every special moment by taking a photo or saving a memento. I had more time when Danny was a baby, so I made lots of photo albums, I labelled every picture, I listed his age in weeks and days, I put his weight in pounds and ounces, I tried to write little snippets that would always remind us of those special days.
Now with four children, I have two problems (well more than that really, but we’ll just list the two here for now!), firstly, I am running out of storage space for many more physical mementos and secondly, I find that I don’t have so much time.
Therefore, to write our memories and record our photos in this Blog makes perfect sense to me. When my Blog is a year old, I would like to have it published as a book like Pippa from “When I get the Time” does each year.
I am not blogging or recording things as often as I would like, but I am slowly improving and getting better at it, so I hope my Blogs (and Blog Books) will be something that the kids will love to look back on in the future.
I love reading Blogs, I love that insight into other people’s family life. I think I started reading Blogs whilst I was breastfeeding Rebecca, it was comforting to read about other Mum’s going through the same things with their babies while I was up in those wee hours with my little one.
I went back to work and forgot about those Blogs, then returned to new parenting Blogs when I was once again up all night feeding Caitlyn. I would also search for Eco household tips or craft ideas with the kids and find tutorials on lovely blogs which I then kept returning to.
I love American blogs, homeschooling blogs, lifestyle Design blogs, craft blogs, Waldorf Blogs, and since I started my own Blog, I’ve been finding lots of great UK Family Blogs. I’m also discovering a new love of Fashion and Beauty Blogs (there may be hope for me yet!).
I used to be a lurker. I may have read a blog for over a year before I left a comment! It was only when I started my own Blog that I learnt how to “Follow” those Blogs I love. I have yet to track down some of my favourite Blogs, which were book marked on my old phone. This is why I understand why there are lots of “Lurkers” here on this Blog, yes it would be lovely to know who is actually reading it, by having more followers and comments, but I don’t want to run a competition just to get followers. If you weren’t here reading this, then I would still be here writing it. But, yes, I do like to look at those Stats from time to time and see where my Blog is being read. I’m one of the strange Blogger variety that get more excited looking at where my audience come from to how many page views I am having in a day!
I then started finding my favourite Bloggers on Twitter. At first, this felt strange, but then through them I found other Bloggers, some Bloggers suggested I follow Tots100. Then I joined Tots100, and Brit Mums, Love All Blogs and other Blogging networks.
Through these, I started to see another side of Blogging. I found that we could benefit in even more ways from our Blog. From belonging to a community, educating and supporting each other, reviewing products, having occasional sponsored posts to having regular advertising on our Blog.
I love reviewing toys, stationery and other lovely things on our Blog. The kids feel it is “their job”. A very fun one at that. They take the reviewing seriously and are so happy to get to keep the object in return, so I am more than happy to review quality items that we love on this blog. Isabelle even got her lovely posh carseat from our reviewing. Days out are always fun to review too and I know some families are reviewing holidays (just to be clear, this is not a shout out for nice things to review, I’m just trying to explain that I Blog for the sake of blogging, but have enjoyed my reviews- honest!).
I have done one sponsored post that was of relevance to me, but every other one I have turned away. It would be nice to have the money, but I don’t want my family and friends to have to read about car insurance in between what my children are up too. It would have to be something I was going to write about anyway (and so far no one wants to pay me to write about my life- I can’t think why?).
Personally, it puts me off reading a Blog if there are too many competitions, reviews and sponsored posts. These Blogs are very popular though, as lots of people do love a good competition, so there is a place for them, just not in my Reader. Just as my Blog does not have a place in other people’s readers. I know that I nearly went that way on this Blog too…you don’t mean to but you find yourself being sucked into it! I escaped and reminded myself the point of the Blog for me, and now feel like I know where I’m going again!
During the last month, I have had lots of offers for Private advertising on the Blog, but my first priority is to get this Blog where I want it to be. To be recording the parts of the children’s lives that I need to. I am still Blogging on a broken laptop, with a broken camera and the slowest broadband ever (don’t tell me, that’s Wales for you!).
I know it will get quicker and easier as I save up to buy the right equipment, I know that I will learn short cuts and tips. I will hopefully learn to start organising my online photo albums too! Why do I hate house keeping and organising, even when it is online, soo much?!
So I hope that explains a bit about why I do blog. If you blog and I don’t already follow you, then please leave your blog url below (unless your blog is purely competitions of course- I say in jest!).
I now have to tag five people in this Why? Meme.
I tag Starshollow, When I get the Time, Simply Life, Handmade Haven and One life, 3 kids and Countless Possibilities.
Thank you in advance if you do take part, but no worries if you don’t, I realise we all have to write about what we want to and not just what we’re tagged to.
See you tomorrow!
love
Claire
xxx
