Happy Friday to you.
I finally got new glasses. $18 frames from Walmart. Lenses were $60.
Pretty good, huh?
I was wondering if we could have a heart to heart.
(I know. Lots of pictures of me today. How conceited am I? I promise not to post any more pictures of myself for at least a day.)
And those (Lucky brand) jeans down there are one of my $5 thrift store finds.
So about that heart to heart.
1) Let’s talk.
About grown-up things.
Like being an adult. Bills, responsibility Real life, heavy stuff.
I read this article, from Tiffany Gee Lewis, about making choices when there’s only so much mom to go around. It resonated with me, especially since I’m the sole present parent for awhile. I highly recommend you read it, too. It’s not just for moms, it’s for anyone who thinks they have to “do it all.”
I especially liked: “Childhood only swings around once, & we want it to be filled with laughter, bubbles, board books, happy music, finger paints, museum trips & a pile of life-changing memories. We want to be Magic Mom, the kind who pops a rabbit out of her hat every morning & spins the straw of daily life into gold.”
I’m afraid the www (ehem, pinterest), can exacerbate the problem. We may feel like we’re not measuring up because we just serve our kid a regular PB& J sandwich instead of one cut into a fun shape, or the grapes we serve are just grapes & not some sort of edible masterpiece. Our kids are not clothed in baby Gap or designer wear. We don’t fill every moment with magic & music. Mary Poppins, we are not. The gap between reality & pinterest (or facebook, or blogs) can be a source of frustration, disappointment, depression even.
Fortunately for us, Mary Poppins doesn’t exist. And neither does “magical mom.”
As Tiffany suggests, “pick the few things that are most important & make those the center of the family, & the rest must drop by the wayside.” This is beautiful advice & I know it’s true.
I’m currently home schooling. And I blog. That pretty much sums up my life right now.
Of course, there is more to it than that, but really the simplicity of my life is laughable. I am not supermom. I’m just focused. Right now, my kids are my world, & that’s okay with me. I know enough about life to know that no state of being is ever permanent, so like it, hate it, doesn’t matter too much, it will pass.
2) Ads.
I have held off putting ads on my site for a number of reasons, of which I won’t go into detail here, only to say, I never want my blog to look cheap or spammy. Which sometimes, ads, if there are too many of them &/or are poorly placed, will do that to a blog.
Can I be honest? Blogging, as much as love it, is hard work. I treat it like a job (even though I’m currently getting very little $$ to do so). I’ve talked a bit about the intricacies of blogging beyond just a hobby, & part of taking it to the “next level” is figuring out how to get compensated for your time. Many people have an etsy shop attached to their blog. Or they sell their cookbook, ebooks, or other products. I’ve got none of that. So, I’ll be experimenting with various forms of advertising over the next while, & I hope it won’t interfere with the overall look & feel of my blog.
Also, reality check #2, is that advertising on a blog is a poor way to make much money, unless you’re one of the big players (ie. Pioneer Woman). Like 1/2 million pageviews, or more a month. I’m still quite an insignificant little bitty blogger. I get about 27,000 pageviews a month & ~7,000 unique visitors. May sound like a lot, but believe me, it’s nothing compared to big bloggers or sites. It’s enough, however, for me to put a few ads on my site & make a little more than pocket change. Not going to be a raking in the dough any time soon, but it is something.
Besides ads, I’m also looking into developing relationships with brands for sponsorship. I promise I’m only looking to work with brands that I love & can wholeheartedly support. While I cannot handpick the ads that run through the ad network, I can hand select those companies & brands I choose to work with.
I hope you understand where I’m coming from. I hope you’re okay with ads being on the site. I welcome any feedback on the issue, & appreciate your understanding. I just thought you should know.
3) Weekend stuff.
I’m taking the kids to the county fair this weekend with cousins.
Yesterday we went to a u-pick farm & picked some pumpkins. I also ate a fresh honeycrisp apple, just picked off the tree (3, actually). Honeycrisps are going to be the food of heaven, I just know it. I love autumn.
Also, Joseph graduates from COT (commissioned officer’s training) today. He’s graduating with honors (top 10%). I’m proud of him. Now he’s off to JAG school. Only 11 more weeks!
♥
I’m glad we had this conversation.
See you back here on Monday. Hope your weekend is a good one.
P.S. Two recipes to check out this weekend: Leanne’s vegan masala basmati casserole & Wendy’s barbacue ranch quinoa salad.
♥♥♥
What fun have you planned for the weekend?
Comments