Happy New Year! - Pretty Real

Happy New Year!

12:32 PM

This is my first post of the New Year! Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season.  Ours was busy but great overall.  Even with a new baby I felt more on top of things than I have in years past.  Which if you're the uber organized type wouldn't mean much!  For me it meant showing up to our Christmas Eve service early (always a struggle), having my food and snacks for our annual family gathering that night already prepared, and not hastily wrapping gifts (where's the d@#$ tape?!) into the wee hours of the morning. The "Cancer Free" post sort of summed it all up.  We are beyond blessed.

Now, can I be honest with you? I really struggled with what my first post of the New Year would be.  I have a sponsored post tomorrow and (while a very exciting one for me) I knew I didn't want that to be it. I thought about doing a "Top 10 posts of 2014" like last year but looking back didn't feel quite right (but in case you're wondering, this post was #1!).  I thought of a year in review but honestly my year pretty much felt like it was all about cancer and a baby and I've shared enough of each this year (and Joe has too).  And then I decided to just be real about my goals for this blog.

I've been feeling really torn about Taste{FULL}.  In times past, whenever I've felt unsure about where it is (where I am), something would happen to make me feel like what I do here matters just a tiny bit.  Like a feature on a well known site, or an acquaintance telling me they've been reading, or a sweet comment on the Facebook page, or landing a paid gig, or a random e-mail asking if I mind being included in a round up or an article or an e-magazine.  But this year as I posted less and less and saw my numbers dip, I wondered what the purpose of Taste{Full} is.  Is it to journal? Is it to make money? Is it a creative outlet? An escape?  And since I'm being honest, for now, I have to say it's all of those things.  It's something non-mommy and non-home related that I can do for fun. It's an outlet I take pride in. It's a way to continue doing what I love (writing and photographing).  It's a random payday from time to time.  It's a way to journal my life (more this year than any other).  It's a way to vent, share, encourage, and teach.  And that has to be enough.  Because my focus right now is to be a stay-at-home mom.  Not a work-at-home mom.  Even though I'm tempted by that every single day. I know that just as I shared here, my calling is to be home with my kids. And more than be home, be present.  That means I can't be on my computer all day.  Or even DIYing all day (which I miss!).

So, for now, I'll continue doing what I do, sharing some of it along the way, and waiting for the right time to really push this blog to the next level.  I know I'm not alone though and I appreciate every single page view from you, every comment, every question in my in-box, every share, pin, or tweet. In that vein my main goal is to continue posting.  I hope to be able to do that weekly (at least).  And something a bit more exciting that I plan to do is redesign Taste{Full}.  I can't wait to get a fresh look.  I also plan to develop relationships with other bloggers.  My friendship with Jessica of Live the Fancy Life has blessed me so much, both personally and professionally (I'll talk more about that in tomorrow's post) and I maybe wouldn't still be blogging if it wasn't for her encouragement and example.  So that's me!  I'm hoping this isn't coming across as melancholy. I'm really excited about what this year has in store and I know it's going to be a good one!  Thanks for coming along for the journey!

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2 comments

  1. These are the same feelings I had going into 2014. Last year I posted a lot less than I had in the past and didn't engage in the blogging community as much so I could focus on how to manage going from a SAHM to a working mom more intently. It was what I needed for that time in my life and now this year's focus is to get back to posting consistently since I really do love my space. It's just a matter of really having a very deliberate plan this year about time management so that I can be a quality blogger (in the mist of all of my other obligations). I pray that you are able to find the balance that you're looking for as the new year progresses.

    Looking forward to following along. By the way, your family is BEAUTIFUL!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Nicole! glad to know I'm not alone! You hit the nail on the head about time management. Thanks for stopping by and for your encouragement :)

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