Lately, I’ve been thinking about blogging a lot.
How I want to change things up, tackle new topics, and how to reach more mommas out there.
Most of you know that I used to be a teacher…and besides working with amazing little kiddos, I really enjoyed having my own income. Nothing is better than independence, right?!
But then I got pregnant and decided I wanted to stay at home with Mabel when she arrived. That meant goodbye to my salary. Yes, my husband works…but that doesn’t take the place of a double income home. Not to mention, I like being able to pay for things and not have to rely on a joint account.
Enter blogging…
It’s a creative outlet for me, a way to connect with other mommas, share moments of my daily life and also make a little money here and there. Yep, I said money…hopefully that’s not a bad thing.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been doing a decent amount of sponsored content lately and though I feel silly discussing it, I think that every once and a while it’s nice to address everything (because I want to keep it real with new and long time readers). Towards the end of 2013, I wrote The Truth About Sponsored Posts and to this day stick by every word in it.
That post is my blog bible. I will NEVER post anything sponsored on my blog that I don’t truly use on my own, believe in, or think won’t be beneficial to you all. I will never stop being true to myself and you all. If a sponsored post isn’t your thing…that’s cool too and I can respect that.
As this little blog of mine has continued to grow since that original post, I’m in the works of having the blog redesigned (I won’t go into how much this can cost!) and switching hosts (which can cost over $100 a month…yikes!) so that my site will be faster and be able to handle more viewers. So guess what helps cover those costs? You got it…sponsored posts!
Then are are other things that income from sponsored posts go to that are family expenses. For examples, I’m able to pay for Mabel’s preschool each month due to this blog and I cannot express how thankful I am for that. Lastly, other money made goes right back into the blog = buying photography equipment, products to review, and food for recipe posts.
I don’t own designer clothes, bags, and I’m certainly not a shopaholic (I’ve actually put a lot away for the girls’ college accounts)…but I will admit that sometimes I have a weakness for beauty products, lol.
That’s as transparent as I can get. 🙂 And I have no problem putting it out there for everyone to know!
With that being said, I’m wanting to get back to adding more good old daily posts about life (feel free to comment on posts to let me know how I’m doing, lol!). But understand that almost every night I’m up until 2am trying to respond to emails and things don’t always go according to plan. And sometimes sponsored posts will happen in clumps on the blog. Hopefully you can let me slide every once and a while. 😉
Lastly, to those reading this…I truly value you being a reader. Without you, Modern Mommyhood would not be where it is now.
Thank you.
Having moved countrys with a 2 now 3 year old, i understand the difficulties choosing to not work and the loss of your financial independence (no matter how luckly you are/ how understanding your partner is etc). Its something i don’t like to moan about but find quite difficult. So if sponsored posts works for you, then great, i do love how include stories about your girls in themx
Caroline,
Thanks so much for your comment. It is a bit challenging to constantly move and have to look for work all over again so it’s nice to be able to work from home. Not to mention, childcare can get expensive too…so almost all you make goes right back into someone watching your kids. I am in the process of working on a bunch of regular posts about things I haven’t had time to discuss lately so I appreciate your kind words. 🙂 Have a great day!
I’ve been a long-time reader of your blog, but honestly have found myself visiting less and less because it seemed like every. single. post is sponsored now. And I get it, it’s your job and the way you make money but inserting a little real-life day-to-day stuff without a giveaway or review would be refreshing.
Hi MM!
I totally appreciate your comment! I’ll be the first to admit that this summer I truly overextended myself with working with companies and after my obligations through the middle of next month are up, I’m going to get back to consistent writing. I have been torn recently about oversharing so I need to find a happy medium. But it really will be nice to have more time to write creatively (that is if Millie lets me, lol!). I wrote this post because I felt that my readers deserved an explanation of what’s been going on. So I hope you’ll stick with me and please know your opinion means a lot to me! Enjoy your Thursday!
Morgan, anyone who follows a blog knows that with increased followers/blog success comes opportunities from sponsors. It’s a natural progression. The entire point of having a blog is to develop a following of individuals who can relate to your message on a personal level. And, how better to offset your blog expenses and get paid for your valuable time than with sponsored posts. We, your followers, benefit from your sponsored posts! You offer opportunities to win amazing giveaways, and give us honest reviews of various items. You give us the real deal. If you are not confident in an item that a sponsor wishes you to review on your blog, you will decline to review the item. This is nice to know as we, your followers, know we will not be fed untruths for the sake of a few dollars in your pocket. I, for one, enjoy how you integrate sponsored posts with posts about your family. Thank you for allowing us to share a glimpse into your personal life, and follow you and your family as it grows.