16 Years of Running a blog – Southern Hospitality

What number of extra recaps like it will I write? I do not know, however welcome to 12 months 16 in my running a blog journey. I’ve written recaps sharing my weblog story all the best way again to the start in 2007, so should you missed these, it may be value 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 modifications coming, nonetheless, 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 most likely depart my weblog up till the web is not any extra (I doubt that may occur) or I get too previous to sort on right here, whichever comes first. Ha! However, I now not have the burning want to maintain climbing greater on the web or social media. That feeling has been with me for a number 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 a variety 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 gradual it down much more than I’ve and never fear in any respect if I don’t publish. I’ve watched others cease running a blog and simply chilly turkey give up. I don’t plan to do this both, however gradual 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 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 do this. We love our home and are staying right here for the lengthy haul, however which means we don’t have much more tasks to do and that may get a bit of boring since I do write this weblog and DIY and residential enchancment are a giant a part of what I write about.

My objective 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 offers me pleasure!

On that be aware, 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 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 triggered me to do extra analysis and studying than I ever have in my life and what I’ve discovered shouldn’t be a fairly image. Lots of precisely what I imply. I gained’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 more durable this 12 months for thus many. It breaks my coronary heart to see the place our nation is right now. 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 absolutely 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 provides me a lot consolation in what we’re all dealing with sooner or later. The outlook appears to be like so dismal, however my religion is robust that God will see us via, it doesn’t matter what comes our means. We can not hand over hope.

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

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

Sure, He certain 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 in a foreign country. I don’t know but what all that will likely be, however I’m going to begin planning extra journeys. I’ve to search 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 might 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. As an example, Viking requires all passengers to be vaxxed, so it appears to be like 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 search out out which cruise traces don’t have the mandate. To date, 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 may not see a variety of model new issues happening 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 imagine that the time has come for me to attract SS funds, but it surely’s right here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and should you’re near my age, what which means. April right here I come! I’m trying ahead to a bit of extra journey cash to play with. There are such a lot of locations I’d prefer to see and go to and that will likely 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 undecided but what all I’ll be posting, however I do assume will probably be much less. My plan is for my weblog to be a part of my retirement revenue and I’ll hold it going even when in the future 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 happy to chime in right here and let me know what you assume on what I publish right here on the weblog.

I do know my posts about my mother and father are at all times standard and you like them, so in fact I’ll proceed to share our household. That’s a given. We don’t understand how lengthy we could 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 collection Dwelling Type Saturdays and Type Showcase with my mates. You’ve most likely found out by now that these posts are recycled posts that we share with one another, so chances are high you may not have seen all of them and it offers us an ideal 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 typically it will get buried so it’s good to point out it off once more.

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

Life feels so quick at instances, the times fly by and we wish to benefit from it, so thanks for becoming a member of my journey and studying alongside. I’ll most likely proceed some style posts in the course of the 12 months, 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 style after I began that a number 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 style blogger, you must consistently share new garments to make a dwelling. I’m so glad I didn’t selected that solely as my subject. As soon as these garments can’t be affiliate linked, they’re ineffective to share. In order that’s not what I wish to depend upon to make a dwelling, nor do I wish to spend my time on that. There are a ton of style bloggers to observe if that’s your factor. I really 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 12 months 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 will you 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 dwelling off my weblog. My advert community income is the primary means I make this weblog work. So let me point out this to you all.

The easiest way you possibly can assist me and my weblog is to proceed to come back right here, LIVE on my weblog after I publish 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 primary means I make an revenue 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 properly for over 10 years of being profitable. God has really restored every part 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 cellphone might be essentially 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 every part I learn nowadays and I don’t see the popups like a few of you may have stated. However, once more thanks for trying previous the advertisements and in your assist all these years. I couldn’t do it with out your continued assist.

Amazon Store and Dwelling 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 consistently, however should you can please assist me on the market too. I make commissions if you use my hyperlinks and that provides to my revenue.

You’ll find all my hyperlinks underneath Store my Dwelling 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 really like and advocate as properly. The store has classes you possibly can 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 additional. Thanks for purchasing via my hyperlinks!

I even have many objects linked in my Dwelling Decor web page right here on the weblog that I replace alongside the best way. A number of the hyperlinks are issues in my home and they won’t be obtainable anymore, however I hyperlink all I can which might be energetic.

One other Reality of Running a blog for So Lengthy

My e-mail listing has declined through the years as an alternative 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 take care of. My pageviews right here proceed to say no 12 months after 12 months, so I don’t know what issues will appear to be in 5 extra years. 5 years in the past, my pageviews had been double what they’re now. That’s the reality of working 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, individuals solely have a lot time to go round and studying blogs may not be on the prime of the listing 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 revenue, however I don’t really feel the stress to attempt to develop anymore. I nonetheless see the hustle happening on the market and I don’t wish to be part of that. I’ve accomplished very properly over these years and have had a lot success at running a blog well beyond 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 an in depth, thanks all once more for ALL your assist and love through the years. I’m not going wherever, however once more, I do plan to gradual it down and which means 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 a variety of 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 may be a bit totally different from the others, but it surely’s the place my coronary heart is headed for now. Thanks all once more, I might have by no means made this weblog profitable and not using a core viewers to share with and also you all make that doable! With that being stated, 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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