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 yr 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 could 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 yr has some modifications coming, nevertheless, 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future, I’ll in all probability depart my weblog up till the web is not any extra (I doubt that may occur) or I get too outdated to kind on right here, whichever comes first. Ha! However, I not have the burning need to maintain climbing larger on the web or social media. That feeling has been with me for a number of years and is much more pronounced now. I need to settle right into a semi-retirement I suppose you might name it, posting once I really feel prefer it and nonetheless sharing some outdated content material as I’ve been doing for a number of years too.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 lots 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 all the time a however, I need to be free to sluggish 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 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 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 which means we don’t have much more tasks to do and which 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 purpose 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 provides 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 on the whole. 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 induced 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. Lots 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 arduous and is prone to get tougher this yr for thus many. It breaks my coronary heart to see the place our nation is at the moment. When you’ve got 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 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 appears to be like so dismal, however my religion is robust that God will see us by way of, it doesn’t matter what comes our approach. We can’t surrender hope.

I cherished 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 need to journey extra this yr…go to new locations we haven’t been earlier than, within the US and overseas. I don’t know but what all that might 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, you understand 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. As an illustration, Viking requires all passengers to be vaxxed, so it appears to be like like we’ll 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 strains 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 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 happening home smart, 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, however it’s right here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and should you’re near my age, you understand 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 wish to see and go to and that might 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 it is going to 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 probably the most? Please be happy to chime in right here and let me know what you suppose on what I publish right here on the weblog.

I do know my posts about my dad and mom are all the time common 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 may 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 Residence Type Saturdays and Type Showcase with my associates. 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 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 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’ll see the way it goes.

Life feels so quick at instances, the times fly by and we need 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 through the yr, 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 once 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 trend blogger, it’s a must to consistently 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 need to depend upon to make a dwelling, nor do I need to spend my time on that. There are a ton of trend bloggers to comply with if that’s your factor. I 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 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 wish 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 once I began it. I make a really good dwelling 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 may assist 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 option to assist me.

That’s the primary approach 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 earning profits. God has really restored every little thing 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 typically. I feel studying on a telephone might be probably the most annoying option 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 every little thing I learn as of late and I don’t see the popups like a few of you’ve gotten mentioned. However, once more thanks for trying previous the adverts and on 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 may assist me is to purchase by way of 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 whenever you use my hyperlinks and that provides to my revenue.

You could find 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 lot of good merchandise that I take advantage of and a few that I like and advocate as properly. The store has classes you may have 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 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 best way. Among the hyperlinks are issues in my home and they may not be obtainable anymore, however I hyperlink all I can which can be energetic.

One other Reality of Running a blog for So Lengthy

My electronic mail checklist has declined over time 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 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 operating an internet site and I face all of the challenges with a BIG dose of actuality. There’s a lot competitors for pageviews and although there may be 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 need 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 strain to attempt to develop anymore. I nonetheless see the hustle happening on the market and I don’t need to be part of that. I’ve performed 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 over time. I’m not going anyplace, however once more, I do plan to sluggish it down and which means 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 not really feel the necessity to do lots of posts to share once I’m gone. I simply don’t have all of it discovered but, however I really feel the necessity to take any strain 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 strain to carry out there in any respect anymore. I’ll share once I need to and I don’t care if I develop on these in any respect both.

This recap could be 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 out a core viewers to share with and also you all make that attainable! With that being mentioned, convey 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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