16 Years of Running a blog – Southern Hospitality

What number of extra recaps like this can I write? I do not know, however welcome to yr 16 in my running a blog journey. I’ve written recaps sharing my weblog story all the way in which again to the start in 2007, so if you happen to missed these, it is perhaps price a learn. Running a blog has been a part of my life for thus lengthy that I can’t think about not doing it anymore. This yr has some modifications coming, nonetheless, and I’m excited to share these with you all!

I’ve to say that that is the yr I begin pulling again a bit and never posting as a lot. I’m not planning to give up within the foreseeable future, I’ll in all probability depart my weblog up till the web isn’t any extra (I doubt that can occur) or I get too previous to kind on right here, whichever comes first. Ha! However, I now not have the burning need to maintain climbing greater on the web or social media. That feeling has been with me for a couple of years and is much more pronounced now. I wish to settle right into a semi-retirement I assume you may name it, posting after I really feel prefer it and nonetheless sharing some previous content material as I’ve been doing for a number of years too.

I’ve written round 4,000 posts on this weblog over these 16 years and that’s numerous speaking! It’s been so enjoyable for me and I can’t think about stopping it, so I can’t. However…and there’s at all times a however, I wish to be free to sluggish it down much more than I’ve and never fear in any respect if I don’t submit. I’ve watched others cease running a blog and simply chilly turkey give up. I don’t plan to try this both, however sluggish running a blog is a time period I’m going to embrace.

Mark and I’ve been in our home for five years now and we’re nearly on the finish of our undertaking journey on this home. No, we aren’t shifting both as many I’ve seen do, to purchase one other home or construct a home to then showcase on their weblog or social media. We’re not about to try this. We love our home and are staying right here for the lengthy haul, however meaning we don’t have much more tasks to do and which may get slightly boring since I do write this weblog and DIY and residential enchancment are an enormous a part of what I write about.

My aim for this yr is to journey extra. I’ve been saying that for awhile and we’re lastly going to do it. The final couple of years have been bizarre journey years anyway, with the pandemic issues have been not so regular, however hopefully that’s all opening up extra now. Thank goodness for that!

This Daisy canine offers me pleasure!

On that observe, let me simply say that as I mentioned for the final couple of years on my yearly recap that I’m nonetheless extraordinarily involved about our nation and the world generally. Our total nation appears to have misplaced its thoughts all at one time, on each entrance and it’s very disconcerting to say the least. I’ve by no means been very political on this weblog, however the previous couple of years have prompted me to do extra analysis and studying than I ever have in my life and what I’ve discovered shouldn’t be a reasonably image. Lots of precisely what I imply. I received’t get any deeper into the state of our nation on right here (you don’t come right here for politics), however life has been very onerous and is more likely to get more durable this yr for thus many. It breaks my coronary heart to see the place our nation is at the moment. You probably have been studying my weblog for lengthy, I’m a conservative lady and that’s the place I lean politically. That hasn’t modified a bit however my eyes have certainly been opened much more the previous couple of years. God is our solely hope, our refuge in time of hassle and I do know that His will and reality will prevail. That offers me a lot consolation in what we’re all going through sooner or later. The outlook seems to be so dismal, however my religion is robust that God will see us via, it doesn’t matter what comes our approach. We can not quit hope.

I beloved the December thirty first devotional from my Streams within the Desert: 

To this point has the Lord helped us. (1 Samuel 7:12)

Sure, He positive has and I do know he’ll proceed to assist us.

Charleston

So again to the weblog. We actually wish to journey extra this yr…go to new locations we haven’t been earlier than, within the US and in a foreign country. I don’t know but what all that can be, however I’m going to begin planning extra journeys. I’ve to seek out locations we are able to go to that don’t require the vax, the one. We didn’t, nor will we ever get the photographs, in order that may very well be a deterrent for the place we journey relying on insurance policies sooner or later. That’s not a political assertion, nor do I want to argue, however that’s our place and we’re united on that entrance. For example, Viking requires all passengers to be vaxxed, so it seems to be like we are going to by no means go on one other Viking cruise except their coverage modifications. I’m studying up on these insurance policies to seek out out which cruise traces don’t have the mandate. Up to now, from what I’ve learn, NCL and Royal Caribbean don’t. I’d love to do a European cruise this spring/summer season after which we plan to return to New England within the fall. So I can see us doing far more journey and weekend journeys and naturally, I’ll share all these right here on the weblog. You won’t see numerous model new issues occurring home sensible, however I’ll hold the weblog going at a tempo I’m pleased with. Now could be the time for us to journey earlier than we get any older.

I can’t consider that the time has come for me to attract SS funds, nevertheless it’s right here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and if you happen to’re near my age, what meaning. April right here I come! I’m wanting ahead to slightly extra journey cash to play with. There are such a lot of locations I’d prefer to see and go to and that can be a transparent focus for us as we transfer into this yr, so be ready for me to take longer breaks between posts. I’m simply undecided but what all I’ll be posting, however I do suppose will probably be much less. My plan is for my weblog to be a part of my retirement earnings and I’ll hold it going even when someday I cease posting a lot of something new.

I’d love to listen to from all of you too.

What do you want probably the most? Please be happy to chime in right here and let me know what you suppose on what I submit right here on the weblog.

I do know my posts about my mother and father are at all times widespread and you’re keen on them, so after all I’ll proceed to share our household. That’s a given. We don’t understand how lengthy we can have mother and pop with us, so I’ll do recaps all alongside about them and their well being.

I’ll proceed to do the weekly sequence Residence Fashion Saturdays and Fashion Showcase with my buddies. You’ve in all probability found out by now that these posts are recycled posts that we share with one another, so chances are high you won’t have seen all of them and it offers us an awesome alternative to share content material with one another’s viewers and sure, helps us hold visitors flowing on our blogs. Thanks for supporting these weekly options! All of us have some actually nice content material and generally it will get buried so it’s good to indicate it off once more.

I’m undecided if I’ll proceed the Friday Favorites sequence regularly. I would do as soon as a month or so, we are going to see the way it goes.

Life feels so quick at occasions, the times fly by and we wish to take advantage of it, so thanks for becoming a member of my journey and studying alongside. I’ll in all probability proceed some vogue posts throughout the yr, however that’s not going to be an enormous focus for me both. I’ll do a pair shares a month. If something, making an attempt to share vogue after I began that a couple of years in the past has gotten much more difficult since I don’t plan to purchase new garments on a regular basis simply so I can share them and make commissions. That’s the factor about being a vogue blogger, you must continuously share new garments to make a dwelling. I’m so glad I didn’t selected that solely as my matter. As soon as these garments can’t be affiliate linked, they’re ineffective to share. In order that’s not what I wish to rely on to make a dwelling, nor do I wish to spend my time on that. There are a ton of vogue bloggers to observe if that’s your factor. I like garments, however I can’t do it on a regular basis.

I’d prefer to get extra concerned in my group, in order that’s going to be a spotlight too. I’m a member of our native Acworth Enterprise Affiliation and I’ve loved attending to know different girls in my group. I’m making an attempt to affix the tourism board as a volunteer and I’m hoping a spot opens up for me this yr on that. So these are some things I’d prefer to get extra concerned in. I’d like to assist make my very own group a greater place.

How are you going to assist me and my weblog? 

God has blessed my weblog greater than I may have ever dreamed 16 years in the past after I began it. I make a really good dwelling off my weblog. My advert community income is the principle approach I make this weblog work. So let me point out this to you all.

One of the best ways you’ll be able to assist me and my weblog is to proceed to come back right here, LIVE on my weblog after I submit and open my emails after I ship them out and skim the posts right here. That’s the VERY BEST solution to assist me.

That’s the principle approach I make an earnings and weblog pageviews is how I receives a commission from my advert community. I’m so grateful that I’ve the chance to make a enterprise of this weblog and it’s supported me effectively for over 10 years of creating wealth. God has really restored all the pieces I misplaced after I moved from Birmingham to Atlanta all these years in the past (2011). He’s devoted and has by no means let me down and I’m eternally grateful!

I do know that advertisements are annoying and I nonetheless get feedback about that generally. I feel studying on a telephone might be probably the most annoying solution to learn a weblog and that’s the place many of the advert intrusion is available in. I learn on my laptop computer for many all the pieces I learn nowadays and I don’t see the popups like a few of you’ve got mentioned. However, once more thanks for wanting previous the advertisements and to your assist all these years. I couldn’t do it with out your continued assist.

Amazon Store and Residence Decor hyperlinks

The opposite methods you’ll be able to assist me is to purchase via my affiliate hyperlinks on Amazon and Wish to Know It. I don’t share hyperlinks continuously, however if you happen to can please assist me on the market too. I make commissions once you use my hyperlinks and that provides to my earnings.

You could find all my hyperlinks beneath Store my Residence on the house web page of my weblog on the menu bar.

I’ve an Amazon shop with a number of good merchandise that I take advantage of and a few that I like and suggest as effectively. The store has classes you’ll be able to take a look at with a number of merchandise. Anytime you purchase from Amazon and use my hyperlink, I earn a small fee with out it costing you something further. Thanks for purchasing via my hyperlinks!

I even have many objects linked in my Residence Decor web page right here on the weblog that I replace alongside the way in which. Among the hyperlinks are issues in my home and they won’t be out there anymore, however I hyperlink all I can which might be lively.

One other Truth of Running a blog for So Lengthy

My e mail record has declined through the years as a substitute of rising. Folks unsubscribe and take away themselves and in order that’s additionally disheartening, however an actual a part of running a blog that I’ve to cope with. My pageviews right here proceed to say no yr after yr, so I don’t know what issues will appear like in 5 extra years. 5 years in the past, my pageviews have been double what they’re now. That’s the reality of operating a web site and I face all of the challenges with a BIG dose of actuality. There’s a lot competitors for pageviews and though there’s room for all, folks solely have a lot time to go round and studying blogs won’t be on the prime of the record on a regular basis. I completely get that. That’s why I wish to step again and simply do that at my very own slower tempo. I can nonetheless make a pleasant earnings, however I don’t really feel the stress to attempt to develop anymore. I nonetheless see the hustle occurring on the market and I don’t wish to be part of that. I’ve executed very effectively over these years and have had a lot success at running a blog well past any of my expectations and I’m so grateful for the blessings that running a blog has meant to me.

As I draw this to a detailed, thanks all once more for ALL your assist and love through the years. I’m not going anyplace, however once more, I do plan to sluggish it down and meaning much less posts and extra breaks over the yr. Posts could also be extra sporadic and slower to come back. If we go on trip, I’ll now not really feel the necessity to do numerous posts to share after I’m gone. I simply don’t have all of it found out but, however I really feel the necessity to take any stress off and simply be me, dwelling life on the tempo I really feel like going. That features social media. I nonetheless have a presence on all of the social media websites, however I don’t really feel the stress to carry out there in any respect anymore. I’ll share after I wish to and I don’t care if I develop on these in any respect both.

This recap is perhaps a bit completely different from the others, nevertheless it’s the place my coronary heart is headed for now. Thanks all once more, I may have by no means made this weblog profitable with out a core viewers to share with and also you all make that potential! With that being mentioned, carry on 2023! I’m prepared for it! And I’m able to journey and see extra of the attractive world that God created for us!

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