Why I Started a Blog and 5 Reasons You Should Too

*This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please see my Disclaimer page for more information.

Life as a mom is busy, so why did I go and add another activity like blogging to my already packed schedule? 

Let me tell you why - I needed to find an outlet to expand my brain, stretch my skills and give myself an outlet to the outside world. 

With a limited amount of time and money to learn something new, blogging seemed to be the right kind of fit and new challenge for me.

Because I stay home with our four kids and homeschool them, there isn't much time for me to learn a new skill. But I knew I needed this - I was craving an opportunity to learn something new and challenging. Do you ever feel that way as a mom? 

Blogging was this uncharted territory for me - HTML coding, graphic design, writing content, SEO/keywords and many other skills I didn't have - yet. Once I started I just couldn't stop. Blogging  has become this wide open endless space with countless opportunities and I'm enjoying learning new things everyday. 

The flexibility is the most important aspect of blogging for me as a mom too! If I'm having a super busy day I don't have to stress about not writing a new post or even working on my blog. It will be there ready and waiting for me when I do have some time. 

Where did I start learning about blogging? The Internet, Pinterest, Youtube and a bazillion Google searches. I just read and watched a ton of videos and then tried out the tips, tricks and skills I learned about on my own real blog. 

Trial and error have become my BFF.

Side note here - I chose not to purchase any courses or resources starting out since I didn't feel that I had a good sense for what would work for me or not. In the future this may change as I continue my blogging education.

First Big Decision - Which Blog Platform Should I Choose?

I started blogging using both the Blogger blogspot platform and the free Wordpress blog platform. Since I had no prior knowledge of either I really wanted to compare each platform side-by-side as I got started and find out which one best suited me and my style and my massive learning curve. 

I read countless reviews, tutorials and have had a ton of fun playing around with the endless (free) themes and gadgets each platform offers.

There are a TON of blogs that teach a newbie how to set up a Wordpress blog in like 1 minute but honestly it has taken me way longer than that. Sometimes this whole blogging world is like learning a new language and can be confusing! 

The start up steps like picking a blog name, opening an account and some of the basic stuff takes no time at all (like 1 minute) but after that the real learning starts happening. I had no idea what a header was or a favicon or even a gadget - but I do now thanks to my independent studies. 

Wordpress Platform (Free Version)

I set up my Wordpress blog and decided to use it as a platform for books I have re-published, ebooks I have written and reviews for books I have read. You can find it here - Good Book Publishing.

The beauty of Wordpress is that if I decide someday to upgrade to a paid monthly plan and self host my blog the transition should be seamless and rather easy. The features available once you upgrade are endless. 

Lots of bloggers choose Bluehost for their web hosting service. Bluehost has gotten raving reviews and it seems like a ton of bloggers use it and like it. 





What I have learned so far with my Wordpress blog:

• how to set up an account and select a blog name
• how to create a static homepage to display the books I sell
• how to make links to Amazon and other sites
• managing comments from readers
• how to add media (pictures & graphics)
• how to create site pages and blog posts 
• how to insert HTML code 
• how to customize the theme 

If you are really serious about blogging and want professional help with your blog, selecting a theme and getting it up and running smoothly and easily I would recommend trying Wix.com who offers free website design and many other services. 

Blogger Blogspot (free version)

If you are reading this blog post then you are currently viewing my Blogger blogspot blog (try saying that 10 times fast!). 

I am using the Blogger blogspot blog to try my hand at lifestyle/mommy blogging. Blogger has been super easy to use and figure out however there doesn't seem to be as many tutorials on how to set up certain features as there are for Wordpress. 

I really love the Blogger dashboard and the toolbar available when I am writing a post. It is user friendly and simple to understand.

I have put a lot more time into the Blogger platform since this seems to be the platform that resonates with my style more than Wordpress. The downfall is that if I ever want to convert my Blogger blog to Wordpress I have heard it is quite difficult and may require hiring an actual IT professional to help out.

What I have learned about so far with my Blogger blog is

• how to write a blog post, add labels (like tags), add links & pictures and post to the web
• how to use gadgets like adding a Pinterest button, sidebar links, and footer info
• set up new pages within my blog like an About page and Disclaimer page
• add and modify HTML code
• create a favicon which is that little icon you see in the address bar or next to the site name in a bookmark list.
• how to modify the theme I chose to use
• how to create a header for my blog (still working on tweaking this!)
• how to monetize my blog

Whew, that is a lot! It is kind of fun to look back and see what one has learned and put to use. I am by no means an expert and there is so much more to learn but I am having a blast figuring this stuff out!

* Update 11/6/2020

Guess what? You CAN make money with a Blogger Blogspot Blog! Contrary to popular opinion it is possible to make some money with a free blogger blog. How do I know this? I am actually earning some money with my blog! 

I'm using affiliate marketing to earn some income and I have seen it consistently grow each month. I'm sure if I spent more time on the blog I would see a significant increase in affiliate revenue but the reality is I have 4 kids and just don't have that kind of time! 

What I Love About Blogging

My blogging adventure has been set at my own pace allowing for flexibility in my schedule and not overwhelming me with due dates or time crunches. By far what I love most is the challenge of learning something new! I consider myself a lifelong student and just have a deep need to keep learn new skills and be exposed to new ideas and technology as I grow older.

I have found such joy in this process and I think you will too. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should start a blog.

5 Reasons You Should Start A Blog Today

1 - Blogging is just plain FUN. Blogging is a great outlet for you to be creative, communicate with the world, and share your ideas and opinions. 

2 - It is fairly simple and FREE to start a blog. No more excuses that you can't afford to start a blog. You can thanks to the free Blogger and Wordpress platforms anyone can start a blog.

3 -  Blogging can challenge you and teach you something new and help you stay current with the ever changing technology in our world. 

4 - You get to create some awesome graphics (pictures on your blog)! Free sites like Canva are amazing and have pre-made templates to help you make your blog pretty!

5 - Your voice can be heard around the world! You have something to say and it matters so why not use a blog to tell others.

I hope this post has given you a little glimpse into my blogging experience and provided you with some encouragement to start your own blog. What are you waiting for? Go on get that blog going!

Link to start a free Wordpress blog - click HERE

Link to start a free Blogger blog - click HERE 

Once you have yours up and running link back to mine so I can see what you have to say! Thanks for reading.

10 of The Best Books for Children ages 8 - 13

Books are one of the most important tools you can provide for your children as they are growing and learning. Making sure you are reading to them or they are reading good books is essential to their success throughout their school age years. 

Sometimes though as a parent it is hard to know what the best books to let your children read are so I've put together a list of the top 10 Children's books for ages 8-13 to get you started!

Designed by Freepik

Maybe you noticed (or maybe not) that I/we are a homeschooling family. One of the many "perks" of this job are the wonderful stories and books I get to read to/with my children.

I have to confess there have been books that I had to take a quick break from because I got choked up and needed to go dry some tears - but isn't that one great reason to share books with your kids? So you can experience the story's emotional ups and downs with your children.

For the last seven years we have been using Sonlight for our main curriculum. If you know anything about Sonlight you know that the program has a rich selection of great quality literature. We just love it!

This book list includes some of the books Sonlight offers in their curriculums as well as many other stories that are good quality books.

Top Ten Books for Children Ages 8-13

1.  The Secret Garden - by Frances Hodgson Burnett

via: Amazon

2.  Heidi - by Johanna Spyri

3. Red Sand, Blue Sky - by Cathy Applegate

4. The Chronicles of Narnia (series) - by C.S. Lewis

via: Amazon

5.  Anne of Green Gables the Ultimate Collection - by L.M. Montgomery

via Amazon

6. Johnny Tremain - by Esther Forbes, Lynd Ward

7. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew - by Margaret Sidney

8. Red Sails to Capri - by Ann Weil

via: Amazon

9. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsburg

via: Barnes & Noble

10. Little House on the Prarie (collection) - by Laura Ingalls Wilder

via; Amazon

There are so many more to include here but these are some of our all time favorites.

Tips to Encourage Reluctant Readers

Maybe your kids don't love books quite as much as mine. Do you have any reluctant readers? There have been times that in order to really get my kids into the story I've had to be pretty creative and let them get their "hands dirty" digging into the story. What did I do you might ask? Well let me give you a few examples that might help you with any reluctant readers in your home.

1. Bake a Treat or Meal Found in a Book: 

When we read Heidi I had the kids help me make bread from scratch. After it baked I served them a lunch similar to what Heidi would have eaten up on the mountain - fresh baked bread, chunk of cheese and cold glass of milk. I spread a picnic blanket out on the livingroom floor where we shared our lunch while watching the Heidi movie staring Shirley Temple!

2. Visit a Local Museum or Farm to Learn More About the Setting in a Story

If you have read the Little House on the Prairie series you might recall how Laura and her siblings loved the early spring season when trees were tapped for collecting maple sugar which they turned into maple syrup. Laura and her siblings would drip the fresh maple syrup onto the snow and eat it as a treat. 

After reading this story, which I tried to time with our sugar season here in Michigan, I took the kids to a local non-profit organization that hosts and annual maple sugar festival. We learned about tapping trees with a spile, how to make maple syrup and sample some of the sweet syrup and maple candy. We brought home a spile and tapped one of our maple trees. The kids collected the sugary liquid and cooked it OUTSIDE in an electric frying pan and make a little syrup of their own. (please do  not try to cook the liquid maple sugar inside - it will coat everything with a sticky sugary mess as the water evaporates)

3. Prepare a Craft Along With The Story

I read The Secret Garden to the kids during late winter one year. I had them make seed bombs which we then planted in outdoor containers in the spring. They were excited to discover the different flowers that grew and bloomed and could relate to the joy Mary felt while working in the secret garden with Dicken and Colin in this wonderful story.

Read Post Here: Make Your Own Seed Bombs

I would just love to hear what you have done to get your children inspired to read or crafts/projects you've done to make the story come alive! Also, if you have any books you think should be added to the top ten above let me know. It is fun sharing books and recommendations with fellow book worms.