16 Years of Running a blog – Southern Hospitality

What number of extra recaps like this may I write? I don’t know, however welcome to 12 months 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 when you 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 12 months has some adjustments coming, nevertheless, and I’m excited to share these with you all!

I’ve to say that that is the 12 months 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future, I’ll in all probability depart my weblog up till the web is not any extra (I doubt that may occur) or I get too outdated to sort on right here, whichever comes first.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into a semi-retirement I suppose you can name it, posting after I really feel prefer it and nonetheless sharing some outdated content material as I’ve been doing for a number of years too.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 lots of speaking! It’s been so enjoyable for me and I can’t think about stopping it, so I cannot. 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 put up. I’ve watched others cease running a blog and simply chilly turkey give up. I don’t plan to do 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 virtually on the finish of our challenge 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 do this. We love our home and are staying right here for the lengthy haul, however meaning we don’t have much more initiatives to do and which may get a bit of 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 12 months 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 provides me pleasure!

On that word, let me simply say that as I stated for the final couple of years on my yearly recap that I’m nonetheless extraordinarily involved about our nation and the world usually. Our complete 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 triggered me to do extra analysis and studying than I ever have in my life and what I’ve discovered will not be a reasonably image. A lot 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 exhausting and is more likely to get tougher this 12 months for thus many. It breaks my coronary heart to see the place our nation is presently. When you’ve got been studying my weblog for lengthy, I’m a conservative woman 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 bother and I do know that His will and fact will prevail. That offers me a lot consolation in what we’re all dealing with sooner or later. The outlook seems so dismal, however my religion is powerful that God will see us via, it doesn’t matter what comes our approach. We can’t hand over hope.

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

Up to now 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 12 months…go to new locations we haven’t been earlier than, within the US and overseas. I don’t know but what all that will probably 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 pictures, in order that could possibly 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 like we are going to by no means go on one other Viking cruise except their coverage adjustments. I’m studying up on these insurance policies to seek out out which cruise strains don’t have the mandate. Thus far, from what I’ve learn, NCL and Royal Caribbean don’t. I’d love to do a European cruise this spring/summer time 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 lots of model new issues occurring home smart, however I’ll maintain the weblog going at a tempo I’m proud of. Now could be the time for us to journey earlier than we get any older.

I can’t imagine that the time has come for me to attract SS funds, however it’s right here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and when you’re near my age, what meaning. April right here I come! I’m wanting ahead to a bit of extra journey cash to play with. There are such a lot of locations I’d wish to see and go to and that will probably be a transparent focus for us as we transfer into this 12 months, so be ready for me to take longer breaks between posts. I’m simply unsure but what all I’ll be posting, however I do assume it is going to be much less. My plan is for my weblog to be a part of my retirement earnings and I’ll maintain 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 essentially the most? Please be at liberty to chime in right here and let me know what you assume on what I put up right here on the weblog.

I do know my posts about my mother and father are at all times widespread and you like them, so after all I’ll proceed to share our household. That’s a given. We don’t know the way lengthy we may have mother and pa with us, so I’ll do recaps all alongside about them and their well being.

I’ll proceed to do the weekly collection House Model Saturdays and Model Showcase with my mates. You’ve in all probability discovered 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 provides us an amazing alternative to share content material with one another’s viewers and sure, helps us maintain visitors flowing on our blogs. Thanks for supporting these weekly options! All of us have some actually nice content material and typically it will get buried so it’s good to point out it off once more.

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

Life feels so brief 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 trend posts throughout the 12 months, however that’s not going to be an enormous focus for me both. I could do a pair shares a month. If something, making an attempt to share trend 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 trend blogger, you must always share new garments to make a residing. 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 upon to make a residing, nor do I wish to spend my time on that. There are a ton of trend bloggers to observe if that’s your factor. I really like garments, however I can’t do it on a regular basis.

I’d wish to get extra concerned in my neighborhood, 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 ladies in my neighborhood. I’m making an attempt to affix the tourism board as a volunteer and I’m hoping a spot opens up for me this 12 months on that. So these are some things I’d wish to get extra concerned in. I’d like to assist make my very own neighborhood a greater place.

How are you going to assist me and my weblog? 

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

One of the best ways you possibly can assist me and my weblog is to proceed to come back right here, LIVE on my weblog after I put up and open my emails after I ship them out and skim the posts right here. That’s the VERY BEST technique to assist me.

That’s the primary 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 being profitable. God has actually restored all the pieces I misplaced after I moved from Birmingham to Atlanta all these years in the past (2011). He’s trustworthy 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 typically. I feel studying on a telephone might be essentially the most annoying technique 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 as of late and I don’t see the popups like a few of you may have stated. However, once more thanks for wanting previous the advertisements and on your assist all these years. I couldn’t do it with out your continued assist.

Amazon Store and House Decor hyperlinks

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

You will discover all my hyperlinks beneath Store my House on the house web page of my weblog on the menu bar.

I’ve an Amazon shop with a lot of good merchandise that I exploit and a few that I really like and suggest as effectively. The store has classes you possibly can take a look at with a lot of merchandise. Anytime you purchase from Amazon and use my hyperlink, I earn a small fee with out it costing you something additional. Thanks for purchasing via my hyperlinks!

I even have many objects linked in my House 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 may not be out there anymore, however I hyperlink all I can which can be lively.

One other Truth of Running a blog for So Lengthy

My e-mail checklist has declined over time as an alternative of rising. Individuals 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 12 months after 12 months, so I don’t know what issues will seem like in 5 extra years. 5 years in the past, my pageviews had 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 despite the fact that 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 checklist 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 finished 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 over time. 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 12 months. 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 lots of posts to share after I’m gone. I simply don’t have all of it discovered but, however I really feel the necessity to take any stress off and simply be me, residing 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 totally different from the others, however it’s the place my coronary heart is headed for now. Thanks all once more, I might have by no means made this weblog profitable with no core viewers to share with and also you all make that potential! With that being stated, convey on 2023! I’m prepared for it! And I’m able to journey and see extra of the gorgeous world that God created for us!

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