When I started the blog, I really hadn’t spent time exploring other blogs and setting measurable goals for its success. I just started blogging to build community with other people. I wrote to a weekly theme because as a teacher I had taught to one. Posts were about great deals I found of the web, lessons I was learning as a mom, finger plays, craft, recipes, and anything else that came into my mind. This time last year the blog was nine months old and I was still in blogging niche limbo.
I did finally find a couple of memes to join. I visited everyone that linked to each of them. Visiting people’s blog would draw traffic I had read so I visited. Most of JDaniel’s naptime was spent visiting.
After awhile I sought a group that I could interact with and grow as a writer by being a part of it. Thank goodness I came across posts linked to Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe-Thursday, The Writer’s Workshop and a few other writing workshop type memes. I joined them and it has really changed what I post about each week. It has encouraged me as a writer. I have learned by reading others wonderful posts.
It has also allowed me more time to write. Knowing the Matlockians and other great blogging friends will stop by has me less panicked about whether people will stop to read what I have written.
I am not a big time blogger with tons of comments and amazing stats. Thank goodness! It would take me forever to respond to all those comments.
I do have the best set of commenters in blogdom! Many have been with me since the beginning cheering me on. You really are the best!
I couldn’t end this post without mentioning the wonderful societies that I have discovered in the past year. The blog has grown due to lessons the bloggers in the have taught me. I hesitate to list them for fear that one of you may comment that they haven’t really done that for me. You can view them on the left hand side of the blog.
I will mention the Mom Loop Community on BlogFrog. When I was asked to be a co-community leader at Mom Loop last spring, it totally changed the way I viewed my blog. I really try and think about Mom Loop when I make decisions about the blog. Being a positive and contributing member of the leadership team is really important to me. I really don’t want people scratch their heads and wonder how I ended up getting to work with the rest of the amazing bloggers that are on the team.
There is no question in my mind why each of the other leaders was selected to be a part of team. Have I told you why I was asked to be a part of it? It is because of you. My main asset is the ability to meet and stay blogging friends with amazing people. Actually I said that wrong. It is your ability to stay friends with a blogger who is still growing and evolving. The community support you share with me on my blog and I try to give on yours is my best blogging attribute.
JDaniel4’s Mom is still evolving. There are fewer giveaways and reviews. I don’t post deals any more. I have moved all crafts and most learning activities to Read.Explore.Learn. the reading meme I started last fall. Great Post of the Week appeared on Saturdays for seven months and has disappeared. It may return.
There are several exciting things coming up. I will be sharing the blog with several amazing guest posters who have agreed to be part of a series starting next week called Pausing Life for a Moment. Each hosts an amazing blog. I am so excited that they will be sharing their thoughts with you. Another virtual event for April is in the planning stages for Earth Day. I hope you will join the Tissue Box Challenge.
I am not sure where the next year will take the blog. I do hope you will stay with me and see where it goes.
Is there anything you miss from last year?
This post is the answer to the Writing Workshop prompt- What were you blogging about last year at this time? What has changed?
I love your blog! I think we met through MTM, and I’m so glad we did. You always inspire me to try new and exciting things with the boys.
we love Earth day so much, and I can’t wait to participate in the tissue box challenge!
I like that you say this isn’t a big blog, and you have 1500 followers, that kind of cracks me up.
I’ll have to check out the writer’s workshop blog, I’m a little curious.
I am glad that you found me so I could follow your blog!
I wonder where mine will be in a year?!?
I have found the writer’s workshop to be really helpful for writing prompts and for finding other blogs to read and follow. It’s amazing how much things can change in a year.
I totally agree about the blogging community! And I think it’s important to think about the direction of our blogs (and actually, the way we spend all of our time) every so often.
I’m sure you’ll make the right decisions, and I’m keeping your blog in my blog roll. 🙂
I almost wrote about that, but realized not a lot had changed for me. I pretty much blog about whatever flits through my mind at any given moment. I love the Writer’s Workshop, and I’ll be checking out the Alphabe-Thrusday.
I liked your post today! I actually didn’t know you are teacher too. I’m curious to check out Read, Explore and Learn.
You’ve come a long way in a year! Thanks for visiting me every once in a while. I never forget a name:)))
As a newbie to the blogging world, you are an inspiration. You encourage me to continue blogging. Thanks!
Wait for this…. a year ago, I hadn’t even begun blogging. What’s even more amazing is that I’d never *heard* of such a thing. Imagine!
I can’t imagine life without blogging now, nor without my blogging friends.
I really like this post, it made me smile! Glad blogging has taken you in so many amazing directions and led to SO many great opportunities! Yay!! Its a great blog and I love reading, so keep it up 🙂
I know I have loved meeting new friends through blogging, learned so many great things and am so happy to have my healthy living blog to share the struggles and hopefully help other moms out there find motivation when our lives become so filled and crazy!
I feel like my blog is constantly a work in progress, too, which is what I love about blogging! Meeting other bloggers who also have a passion for it is so much fun. I had a blast participating in the comment cocktail hour with you last night!
I have to say, you seem like a pretty big-time blog to me! : )
And I love the use of “Matlockians.” I did Saturday Centus for awhile and it was a neat bunch of people. (I’m terrible at sticking with memes.)
I do have to say that Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop has been the longest-running meme I’ve done. I like the variety of it. And it always helps not to have to come up with a post idea from scratch at least once a week.
Thanks for the visit.
It was so comforting to read this post and realize that many of us feel like this in the beginning. I’ve only been blogging a few weeks…I just jumped in and started before I really learned things. Not like me at all but I figured if I didn’t do it NOW I would talk myself out of it! 🙂 So my blog is just a baby right now but I’m loving the fact that I’m writing again. That’s what’s important.
Your ideas on how to connect with others will help me so I thank you for that. I also thank you for your comment on my blog. It encourages me soooooo much to know someone read it.
I will be back! 🙂
I’m so glad that I stumbled on your blog! It’s a great read, always something to pause upon and reflect. Keep up the good work!
Hi JDaniel….thanks for stopping by over at my blog…I greatly enjoyed reading your blogging experience, as I am a new blogger myself : )
I’ve really enjoyed Writer’s Workshop, as well. It does take the pressure off of thinking up a topic for the day. And I agree–part of my growth as a blogger has just been discovering what is my niche; what shape do I want my blog to take?
I love that you are still evolving as a blogger. I think that is so important. We never know where this journey is going to take us!
I’m with you! I look at some of those blogs with oodles of comments, and I think, “how in the world do they ever keep up?”
Blogging really does open up some wonderful channels, though, doesn’t it?
I think you rock it in bloggy world girl. You always make me want to come back and I have developed a bloggy friendship with you that I love. Keep it up! 🙂
Being retired blogging is a great hobby for me. It forces me to go out and see things I would never thought of before, I learned about photography and it keeps me busy in an intelligent way ! I also meet a lot of people have gotten “virtual” friends I couldn’t imagine my life without this.
My blog is just reaching the 9 month marker now, and it is really interesting for me to read your reflections on your year since then. That must be about the time of a turning point because I’m now needing to better define my blog too. Thanks for sharing your insight.
I remember mom loop starting – I still think what you guys have started there is really cool.
also, meant to ask, what is the tissue box challenge?
I am so glad that I found your blog…
Reading it and seeing what JDaniel is up to is so wonderful!