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| This is why I write! |
The short version of why I write is that I write the blog for myself and for Piper's future reference. I have an injury to my right hand that prevents me from hand writing anything for any length of time without tremendous pain, but I wanted a way to record everything about my journey through conception to childbirth. I figured an electronic journal in which I could type would be the best solution. Next thing you know, I'm blogging! Writing in a program such as Word is frankly damned boring, I wanted pictures and videos and other whatnots. Blogging seemed a natural way to use modern day technology to record all things Piper and in a format that allowed everything I wanted without holding me back due to the hand injury. And why not share my experience with the world? A single woman deciding to do an IUI to conceive a child, it's not a story you hear every day unless you are looking for it.
Once I started writing online, I found I enjoyed discovering who was reading and from what part of the world they hailed. It's exhilarating to see that someone from Russia has visited the blog and showed an interest in what I have to say. Everyday it's something new and everyday my readership tends to grow. While I'm still very small potatoes in the blogging world, I take a strange pride in every new page view. I very much enjoy the writing process, so sharing my story is fun in and of itself, but having a response makes it that much more exciting. What can I say, I'm a dork!
I absolutely love the fact that we have the ability this day and age to have this sort of technology at our fingertips on a daily basis. I so wish I could go back and see my babyhood unfolded day by day. Unfortunately I was not born in an era where that was even an option. For Piper though, what fun to be able to one day look back and see it all! I hope she enjoys this blog one day as much as I do, for it is her life that I am wanting to record for all eternity.
Initially the blog was going to be just about my experience getting Piper here. Once she arrived, however, I figured why not continue to let the blog grow with her. Now my posts are centrally about her, in one way or another. She is my muse. Whether it's writing a baby product review or sharing the nursery design, everything revolves around her world. That is one thing that will always be the focal point of my writing.
A few things about what you'll discover about my entries...
I do not write for money, but I did finally decide to join some affiliate programs and place advertising banners and such on the sidebar that I think are appropriate to the type of blog I write. I write some product reviews, but the product reviews I publish are completely honest and not written because someone has paid me to do so. I may receive products to review, but I promise to always write my honest opinion of those products. Most of my reviews are simply written regarding products I have purchased and felt the need to write about. If I am writing about a product received for me to review, this will be stated clearly so there is no mistake about it. As far as my writing style goes, I don't want to be required to write within a certain time frame or on a certain topic, that's too much like my college experience. I want to write when I feel like it and about whatever tickles my fancy at the moment Putting other pressures on it just zaps my drive and depletes my motivation, which I have to have in order to get anything done. So anyone who may approach me about a product review, please be aware that I do like to truly get to know a product before posting about it, and although it may take a few weeks before the post goes live, it will be from the heart and not rushed and boring.
I don't write a blog entry a day like some bloggers. I once tried posting daily with shorter entries, but that didn't feel honest to me. I've seen some blogs where daily posts occur and they consist of a few pictures or a short paragraph in length, and that's fine for those writers. I, however, just can't pull that style off. I may take a week or more to publish between entries sometimes, but that's because I'm mulling things over and/or writing in my head what will later get published. I tend to be of the contemplative, over thinking type. My entries are often lengthy and sometimes I jump around a bit. I like to let my writing unfold as it happens, although I usually have a general idea of the direction I'm heading on the front end. As a matter of funny fact, this is my second time writing this as an oopsies with the Alt-Z deleted my entire original post, and it was complete! I know my general direction, though, so rewriting may suck but at least I think I know where I'm still heading. Anyways, I write when I get inspired, when I have the time, and when I have more to say than just a paragraph. I talk a lot naturally, so my writing is typically an extension of that personality quirk.
Some things you will not find among my posts...
Couponing and shopping advice, organic living and/or green living, advice on how to raise your children, homemade baby food making tips, fashion advice, healthy diet and exercise tips, and other works about being crunchy and/or granola.
Why you won't find these things and what you should expect...
I dislike shopping, I cannot afford organic items at the grocery store although I do love to buy fresh produce from the locals or eat out of the garden, I don't use cloth diapers but I do breastfeed, I raise my child based on my instincts and not what "they" say is correct, I sometimes eat fast food and TV dinners, I don't always have time to exercise on a daily basis, I love nature but do not spend every moment of my life trying to make this a better planet by riding a bike to work or making my own clothes, I like my wine and beer, I sometimes have a very bad potty mouth which I'm trying to curb around Piper but I admittedly slip up, I still think farts are funny, I love sarcasm and laughing without constraint, I write what I know instead of trying to create a perception of falsehood about my life and who I am inside and out.
Now moving on, a quick heads up about the layout of this blog...
I unfortunately cannot publish pages within this blog which allow multiple entries. To overcome this issue I have tagged blogs with similar content so that they can be referenced via the heading links, which you can find just below the Top Baby Blogs banner on the Home page. Here is a breakdown of what can be found under each heading...
Food Fantasies contains recipes. There is only one right now because I haven't been creating much in that department since I got pregnant, and even less since Piper's arrival. My future hope is to expand this section to include kid-friendly recipes. I used to teach preschool and loved getting creative with snack time. Once Piper gets old enough to get off the boob and baby foods, I'll definitely be adding more. As for now, I have to be inspired to pass along recipes that I have either created from scratch or discovered and tweaked. This section is definitely a work in progress.
The IUI heading links to all entries that reference my path to conception. As you can see from the number beside the heading, there are 13 such entries. No more will obviously be written since I now have Piper, that is unless I get crazy and try for a second child!
The Book Nook was supposed to include book reviews. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. I do love to read, but I hated book reports in school. I may delete this heading, but for now I'm leaving it be in case I decide to start reviewing children's books. These reviews would be based on Piper's response to them, so I will just have to play it by ear and see where it goes as she gets older.
The Nursery heading contains links to all my posts about designing the nursery. While the nursery is technically complete right now, if changes are made this section will expand. And if I decide to hand craft anything that goes in the nursery like I have done before, I will definitely be throwing up posts about whatever the current arts and craft project happens to be.
To Buy or Not To Buy is where I stick all my product reviews. I wasn't aware I was going to ever write such things, but after I accidentally did one I decided I actually liked writing the reviews. Plus, I realized after using certain products how a good review could definitely come in handy before making a purchase. Mind you these are not the typical reviews you might find on a manufacturers website. These are a bit more personal, a lot more detailed and quirky, and a hell of a lot more honest since I'm not getting paid to write them. But my opinion is my opinion, I neither endorse nor discourage any product purchases, I simply share my experiences, good or bad.
Those are the current headings you will find, however I am wanting to eventually expand into some other areas. If I ever get my dream Etsy shop up and running I'll definitely be pimping it out on here. I also want to have a kids arts and crafts section. Remember that preschool teaching gig I mentioned? Well I was an expert at being creative not only at snack time, but also when it came to creative play. I cannot wait till Piper and I can get all crafty together. When this happens, expect a new heading to pop up. Additionally, once Piper gets old enough, I want to show my fan appreciation and host giveaways of hand-crafted Piper originals. Not sure why, but this idea really excites me. And last but not least, if this blog is still going years from now, I would love for Piper to contribute her own writings. That would be many years from now, so that's a definitely a wait and see kind of thing.
Well hopefully I've covered everything I initially set out to address the first time I wrote this! I'm going to leave well enough alone less I get bogged down in the finer details and end up screwing the pooch again. If there is anything left I need to address, I'll add it on later. If there is anything you as reader would like addressed, feel free to drop me a comment and I'll get right on it!
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| Life is perfect right now, why not share it? |
I have added a few new headers to the Home page. The 52 Random Acts header is where you will find all posts regarding the 52 random acts of kindness I have vowed to perform. The Hyper Piper header is where you will find all posts that are either directly about Piper or feature a slew of Piper pics. Also recently added was the Losing the Baby Weight header. This one features any posts I might write regarding, you guessed it, losing the post-baby weight. This is still a work in progress, so more will be added, deleted, or changed as needed. I'm about to add the Book Nook back in with my reviews of Children's books and/or book clubs that Piper likes. Now that she is showing more interest in books, I figured I'd get to writing more about her selections of choice.
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