I think it is time for a little inward contemplation about this blog.., yes lets blog about blogging! (cue eye rolling now) Feel free to click away now if you like, I won’t be offended I promise!
I’ve been blogging for a while now. I resisted blogging for quite some time (being a net nerd I knew lots of people who were blogging long before it was even remotely cool) but eventually gave in deciding a bit of a blog would be a good way to promote my digi scrapping designs – since everyone else in the digi scrap world was starting a blog and you know how much of a sheep I am! baa! I got hooked pretty quickly and the blog became much more about my life than about digi scrapping.
So here I am now, a little over two and a half years later. I have my own domain name. I have moved to self hosted wordpress. I am totally addicted, to put it mildly. Yet for the past few weeks I have been wondering what exactly my blog is about.
I started a new blog which launched the other week – lazycowdesigns.com It’s all about digi scrapping, my designs, photography, graphic design, being creative and stuff like that. It is also a home base for some custom design work I have enjoyed doing in the past and would like to do more of (anyone need a custom designed invitation or greeting card??). While I could have included all that stuff here at picklebums I felt the need to split it off, give it its own voice so to speak. So while it has been a slow beginning over there I am hoping it will quietly grow and I’ll enjoy posting there as much as I do here (tip – go visit on a friday and join in my Flickr Friday fun!).
So I know what my lazycow blog is about – but what is picklebums about?? Do I have a direction for this blog? Do I need one??
When I sat down to re-write my about page the other day I was totally stumped. What is this blog about? Um… er… well… it’s about my kids. It’s about having twins, and how I cope, or don’t cope with that.. though the older the Twinadoes get the less immense the fact that they are twins seems to become. It’s about having three kids and all the fun that involves. It’s about being a Mum, a house wife, except I am not a very good housewife! It’s about living on ten acres in a semi rural area, about trying to grow veggies, trying to live simply – though we are not very good at that either! It’s about stuff to do with your kids. It’s about how I desperately want to be organised but just aren’t.
I guess it’s just about me, and that’s ok…. people come and read, they leave comments (and I love you for it!) but I am feeling like I need a little direction. Have you noticed on this blog I tend to start things, think they are a brilliant idea for a while but then they peter out not to long after? Grateful Friday? This new(ish) ‘What Can We Do Today?’ thing? I think that is all about me looking for direction but not being exactly sure if I am on the right path.
I still want to blog about me and my crazy family. I still want to blog about failing miserably at being organised. I still want to blog the odd recipe, the odd tid bit about our garden and our property. I still want to make you smile when you read about the bizarre things me and my kids get up to. I still want to do all that….
I think I’d also like to blog more about activities you can do with your kids. That is a part of my brain I used to love using when I was teaching preschool, that I still love to use with our kids, and that I think I’d like to share that. I’d like to be a little useful, would that be useful? I am not sure exactly where to go with this, or how or if anyone is even remotely interested.
So help a girl out here please. What makes you read my blog now? What would make you read it tomorrow and the next day? What makes those of you who leave comments comment? What makes those of you who visit but have never commented not comment? What do you want me to blog about? (anyone who is remotely related to me doesn’t need to give their opinion I already know that you want more photos of my children)
Also while I am talking about comments – I must apologies for not comment around the place as much as usual of late. I’ve been trying to get the new blog up and balance where I spend my computer time as well as deal with a few issues with the kids so my comment time has lost out in all this. I am still reading all your blogs, still loving you all and I will try to do better, I promise.
I am also not very good at following up and replying to your comments here either. I am having a bit of a dilemma as to what is the best way to reply to your comments. Should I reply by commenting in the comments section here on the blog? Or should I email you with personal replies to your comments? Or should I do both??
Ah I am just so indecisive aren’t I!?! So do, please, let me know what you think!
I enjoy your blog, simply because I find it fascinating hearing about your life on the other side of the world! I’ve never been to Australia, and getting a glimpse into your lifestyle is such fun. I’d love to hear more details, about a typical day in your life, and what activities are popular there.
I try to leave comments, for the simple fact that I love to receive them myself. “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you”, after all, right? =) God bless!
Well I think your writing is what I like best about your blog. Your style is just so crisp, funny and pure that it doesn’t matter much to me what you’re talking about there’s so much humour- and such clever observation that I want to read it. :D
I just really enjoy insights into other people’s lives as a mother or a crafter or an anything really…It’s good to know there are people who have the same issues, thoughts and worries. And I think it reaffirms how none of us are alone in this sometimes difficult, often joyous gig called life!
So keep on bloggin!
I think sometimes we get too caught up in what our blogs should be about. I know I do. In the end it’s okay to have an eclectic mix of topics you blog about. This blog is about YOU and what YOU have to say on any particular day. That’s how I view my blog. Great idea to spin off your designs blog though. You should be able to work on ranking well in search engines that way. I don’t think that matters for a personal blog. In fact, I think a bit of variety is good.
Funny you should be thinking all this, because I have been wondering much the same about my blog. but I must point out that your blog way outweighs mine. I want to be an interesting blogger, but I don’t quite get there! Anyway I cooked the cookie recipe today, except I added pureed cauliflower, broccoli, and apple .. (trying to combat the fussy eater). I linked back :) Keep doing what you are doing, I love visiting your blog, although I am a bit slack with commenting :)
I agree with what has already been said. (baa!!) I enjoy your writing style, the insight into your world, the variety…
A lot of what you write I can relate to, and the differences I find interesting.
Well I am very related to baldy boy but am leaving comment anyway. Although it is a tad voyeuristic I love wandering through your mind. I hope you don’t decide to direct your thinking Its great to just meander in and hear what you are thinking
Cheers
I love the eclectic mix of topics you blog about too and the twin things ;)
You are funny and interesting too.
I reply in my comments now and sometimes by email if I get notification or in more depth.
I am still waiting to get some good photos for a header …shhh I have a secret there are new drums coming …
I love reading your blog too and I think you have a very charming writing style. Something I do which helped me sort out what to write about was to allocate general “topics” to particular days.
This takes quite a bit of the thought process out of it for me which I like. You might like to add a particular day for recipes, another for What to do today, another for your gorgeous photos. But then again you may not! This might be a little too rigid.
I think the thing is to experiment with a few things and see what works. I tried Wordless Wednesday for a couple of weeks, but found my photo skills are way to abysmal for this type of thing. I am still trying to find something that feels right for the middle of the week, so that I don’t post on the week ends any more.
I can’t even remember how I stumbled across your blog but I know i love it. I love that you have twins, I can relate to that. I love that you are crafty, I can relate to that. You live in the country, something else I can relate to… You come across as a very full and interesting person and I think I would love you in real life! That’s why I visit.
I don’t think you should change the way you blog here. it’s like sitting down for a cup of tea and a gossip! it feels comfortable and friendly.
Oh and the comment thing? I’m not too fazed by that. i comment because i want to, I never expect anything back.
I’ve always found the the more bizarre, the more comments. Also you have to keep it real. Be true to yourself and your readers will follow.
I personally love it when someone returns back to leave a comment, reciprocating the initial action.
Too often, if you leave your response within your comments sections the person may have forgotten to return back or they don’t return to that particular post.
Do feel free to pop by and say hello.
I visit because I love how you write. I love your style and the variety of things you blog about. And I love that you allow us to see you as you are, good times and challenging things (especially since I feel challenged by similar things, like organisation and laundry!).
I haven’t left comments because I am slightly embarrassed by how much I enjoy reading your blog, without knowing you irl. It feels a bit voyeuristic or something – but that’s my own hang up!
I visit coz I like you!!! You keep me amused – and I like that!!!!
Honestly? I read because I am a horribly, terribly, completely and utterly nosey stickybeak. I like seeing what others get up to. What sorts of stuff they think about and why and what is is they think about that stuff. Photos – because I am a hopeless junkie and that just never goes away. Some stuff is relatable (*coughbeingorganizedandlivingsimplycough*) and it’s neat to see others views on the bits that are different. And tbh… becuase most posts recording your girls conversations should come with drink warnings. ;-p
I have no idea about directions for blogs. The fact you’ve even realized you might want one is impressive enough for me… atm I’m doing good if I remember my name and where I left my keys! X-p
do what works best for you with replying to people’s comments.
Now, I read your blog because I enjoy reading about the things people get up to from day to day, the things that they find funny or sad or interesting or entertaining ;) the little glimpses into their lives.
Don’t change a thing, I love your blog. You already know I think you have a great writing style, and I think it is perfectly OK to be scatterbrained about your ideas and what you are trying to achieve in your every day life, and to be terribly honest it’s really comforting to see that I am not the only person in this world with a million grand ideas with considerably less motivation and time to get around to achieving them. I don’t come here for all the ‘promise’, I come here because I enjoy the ride. In saying that I know exactly where you are coming from, I deal with all these doubts regularly, I think it’s just part of the process (at least that is what I think today, tomorrow, I may decide to delete my blog LOL). It’s hard to know why we do it, but I think it’s just nice that we do.
My advice, go with the flow and have fun doing it :-)
Hi Kate! I love reading your blog. I probably get on here once a week now and read a whole heap in one go, so my comments might be a bit late.
I don’t even get time to update my own blog at the moment, but I still read yours!
I love that there is always something new to read.
And you know I am a stalker so I love to read about what is happening in your lives.
With the comments, IF you commented back (not that you are expected to) I would never see it if you put it in the comments, but it is good to read your reply to someone elses comment if there is one… so the result of my rambling is a suggestion to comment back in the comments and email back as well.