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 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 may be price a learn. Running a blog has been a part of my life for therefore 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 stop within the foreseeable future, I’ll most likely go away my weblog up till the web isn’t any extra (I doubt that can occur) or I get too outdated to sort on right here, whichever comes first. Ha! However, I now not have the burning want to maintain climbing increased on the web or social media. That feeling has been with me for just a few years and is much more pronounced now. I wish to settle right into a semi-retirement I assume you could possibly name it, posting once I really feel prefer it and nonetheless sharing some outdated content material as I’ve been doing for a number of years too.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 a whole lot of 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 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 stop. 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 transferring 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 somewhat 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 observe, 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 on the whole. Our whole 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 induced 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. A lot of you understand 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 onerous and is prone to get tougher this 12 months for therefore many. It breaks my coronary heart to see the place our nation is at the moment. In case you have been studying my weblog for lengthy, you understand 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 fact will prevail. That provides me a lot consolation in what we’re all dealing with sooner or later. The outlook seems to be so dismal, however my religion is robust that God will see us by way of, it doesn’t matter what comes our means. We can not hand over hope.

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

To date 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 in a foreign country. I don’t know but what all that might 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, you understand 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. As an illustration, Viking requires all passengers to be vaxxed, so it seems to be like we’ll by no means go on one other Viking cruise until 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 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 a whole lot of model new issues occurring home sensible, however I’ll hold the weblog going at a tempo I’m pleased with. Now’s 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, but it surely’s right here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and when you’re near my age, you understand what meaning. April right here I come! I’m trying ahead to somewhat extra journey cash to play with. There are such a lot of locations I’d wish to see and go to and that might 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 it will likely 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 at some point 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 after all 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 sequence Residence Model Saturdays and Model 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 likelihood is 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 hold site 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 point out it off once more.

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

Life feels so quick at occasions, the times fly by and we wish to profit from it, so thanks for becoming a member of my journey and studying alongside. I’ll most likely proceed some vogue posts through 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 vogue once I began that just a few 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, it’s a must to 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 depend upon to make a dwelling, nor do I wish to spend my time on that. There are a ton of vogue bloggers to comply with 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 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 ladies 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 wish to get extra concerned in. I’d like to assist make my very own group a greater place.

How will you help me and my weblog? 

God has blessed my weblog greater than I may have ever dreamed 16 years in the past once 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.

One of the simplest ways you may help me and my weblog is to proceed to come back right here, LIVE on my weblog once I publish and open my emails once I ship them out and browse the posts right here. That’s the VERY BEST strategy to help 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 effectively for over 10 years of getting cash. God has really restored all the pieces I misplaced once 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 adverts are annoying and I nonetheless get feedback about that generally. I feel studying on a telephone might be essentially the most annoying strategy to learn a weblog and that’s the place a lot of the advert intrusion is available in. I learn on my laptop computer for many all the pieces I learn lately and I don’t see the popups like a few of you’ve gotten stated. However, once more thanks for trying previous the adverts and to your help all these years. I couldn’t do it with out your continued help.

Amazon Store and Residence Decor hyperlinks

The opposite methods you may help me is to purchase by way of my affiliate hyperlinks on Amazon and Prefer to Know It. I don’t share hyperlinks continuously, however when you can please assist me on the market too. I make commissions whenever you use my hyperlinks and that provides to my revenue.

Yow will discover all my hyperlinks below 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 exploit and a few that I really like and suggest as effectively. The store has classes you may have 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 getting by way of my hyperlinks!

I even have many gadgets 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 accessible anymore, however I hyperlink all I can which can be energetic.

One other Truth of Running a blog for So Lengthy

My e mail checklist has declined over time 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 have 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 though there’s room for all, individuals 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 revenue, 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 accomplished 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 help and love over time. I’m not going wherever, however once more, I do plan to gradual 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 a whole lot of posts to share once 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 once 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 may have by no means made this weblog profitable and not using a core viewers to share with and also you all make that attainable! With that being stated, deliver 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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