I'm putting myself out there A LOT this week. I looked like an idiot (more than once) to my new professor. My self esteem didn't end up totally shot! But my nerves did. I went to my first meet-and-greet at my son's new school. I didn't shrivel up and die! I met people!
In an attempt to resist my hermit ways and broaden my blogging horizons, I'm participating in the Sunday Social linkup for the first time. I want the chance to discover great blogs and hope that some like-minded individuals find mine. So here goes:
1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it?
My blog is called "If You've Seen My Mind...I'd Love it Back." I suppose it's a mash-up of "losing my mind," and "I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached," among other sayings. I'm a mom, wife, and full-time student. It's hard and discouraging . . . but also rewarding. Sometimes it feels like my sanity is hanging by a thread. Many days I feel like I have too many balls in the air...and one could drop at any second. I doubt myself daily. I also pat myself on the back when I do something really well. Now if only I could pat myself on the back for a mediocre job, I'd be all set. In the end, I blog about everything: fashion, food, fun and frazzled-ness.
2. What do you love the most about blogging?
I know a lot of people say this, but I blog for my own sanity! It is cheaper than therapy. And I've been to therapy. She would just stare at me for an hour and I'd talk it out. I can do that here! It is also an amazing outlet for those days when nothing earth-shattering has happened . . . I just want to share an amazing outfit I saw in the J. Crew catalog. During the semester I rarely get to read or write for fun, and this blog allows me to that.
I also love finding a great new blog to read. I could spend hours jumping from blog to blog and the reward is usually finding someone I never would have found otherwise.
3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written?
4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world?
I am just starting out. I am definitely not the Yoda of blogging. However, I have learned one thing: Put yourself out there! Join hops, walks, and link-ups. But don't lose your soul in the process. I've joined hops that required following 10+ people, many of which I would probably never read again. It was nothing personal, our interests just didn't jive. Then I'd look at my Blogger blog reel and think "I miss my old reel. The one that had a select few that I loved to read everyday. Now I can't even find them." There is definitely a balance. Although it is SO easy to get caught up in the numbers (been there, and still am!), don't forget who you are and what you set out to do. If you just wanted to reach the masses, awesome. If you are like me and wanted to get your thoughts out and find beautiful, interesting blogs in the process, let go of some of the ego that comes with following willy-nilly. It's hard and I struggle with it every day. There is nothing worse than spending hours writing a post that you consider your opus only to have exactly zero people read it. Stick with it!
5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?
This kind of goes back to what I was saying before. I spent an entire week before the semester started joining every blog hop I could find. Because I write about anything and everything, I typically had a post that fit into the parameters if there was one. In the process of doing so, I started following dozens of blogs. And felt a great deal of remorse for the fact that I was following them because of the rules, not because I loved reading their blog everyday. It bummed me out because it wasn't fair to them and I wasn't being true to myself. I got caught up in the page views and G+ followers. Since then I've spent hours trying to get my blog reel down to a manageable size by going through and actually reading all the blogs I subscribe to while deciding if they are something I want to keep following. Now I try to only follow people I really like. And not because I'm a snob, but because I respect them and their work. They deserve to have followers who really appreciate what they are doing. I want others to follow me because they like what I have to say, too. I'm not going to have the same interests as everyone, nor will they have the same as me!
6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love.
The Minimalist Mom (I learn SO much from her on how to live simply. Or simpler than I do.)
This was fun! I can't wait to read what everyone else has to say. But hopefully not at the expense of my giant homework pile. Until next week . . . Happy Blogging!
