Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Recommendations, Please!

If you're not interested in my blah, blah, blogging journey skip to below the stars if you want to know how you can help me out.

There was a time, years ago, when I was obsessed with blogging. Nothing terrible, just the way most of us felt early on when we were making lots of new friends and really coming to love this community and the ability to toss out things we are thinking about, however important, trivial, silly or serious, and the surprise of realizing that we aren't the only one, or at least if we are, people like us anyway.

It was pretty early on that I realized that it was getting to be too much. I was on the computer too long. The little follower widget was a source of happiness but I realized that I kept looking at everyone's number. I hated that. "Oh! She's got a lot of new followers since I last checked!!" and "What is the deal!?! Why isn't she getting more followers!?!" I felt it was against my own philosophy (blog for fun and don't worry about number of comments or followers). So, to keep from feeling like it was a competition, I removed the widget.

Soon after that I realized that I could not keep up with everyone who visited or followed my blog. I seriously hated knowing that I was missing out on potentially awesome friendships but I hated even more knowing that I was missing out on my children's potentially awesome childhoods.

Awhile later I had the pregnancy from Hades and had no desire to communicate with anyone, though I did try to peek in on others now and again. The baby came and suddenly family was all I ever thought (and sometimes blogged) about.

As things normalized I started getting back into reading blogs and posting occasionally. I realized that many of my friends had also stopped posting regularly (or at all!) while I'd been pre(self)occupied. Sad! But then I definitely understand.
******
Here we are today. I feel fairly disciplined in my blogging habits since getting back into it and I am realizing that with the changes in my friends' blogging frequency I can definitely afford to add a few more blogs to my reader. Now my problem is that I don't know which ones to add. I definitely don't want to spend hours blog-hopping to find people that "fit" me, so I thought I might ask YOU.

I really value having blogging friends that I feel are either like me, or like the person I'd like to be in some way or another. I guess that is sort of the definition of "friend". Duh.

Anyway, so who do you think I might like (or love) to read? I don't read any of the hugely popular blogs but I would if you told me I had to, but mostly I'm wondering about the people in your comment trails that I have seen around all this time but never got around to checking out their blogs.

Could you let me know (by either comment or email) who are maybe a few of your favorite bloggers? I would really appreciate it! It will narrow down the time I spend searching out new people and give me more time to make my children's childhoods awesome. Ha!

(I am looking forward to Stephanie's Find-a-friend Fridays! I'm already emailing the first one from friday, Jocelyn, about some family history info she needs from Poland! Hooray for new friends!)

14 comments:

Janelle said...

Hmmm, I did a blog clean out about 2 years ago and got rid of everyone I didn't actually know in real life. (I have made a point to meet many of my blogging friends in person) But in the sweep I missed your blog and lo, you and a woman who goes by Momzoo are the only people I don't actually know in my reader. And I'm glad I missed both of you...

I think you would make great friends with my friend Julie. Maybe you already read her blog, but she blogs at
www.rarelyhomemom.wordpress.com

Happy Blogging!

Janelle

That Girl said...

Well - WOW - I'm pretty sure I could have written this post. Same thing - used to be really into blogging, then stopped for a long while, now I'm just getting back into it. But recommendations? I'm the wrong person to ask. I seriously check like ten blogs lately. It's all my life can handle right now.

Be happy that you're one of them! ;o)

Kazzy said...

If I had had younger children when the blog storm swallowed me whole I would be in trouble. You seem to have found good balance.

I just found a blog that is almost all about photos and color. It is low committment, but I like design and color and so I enjoy it.
http://www.current-observations.com

Also, Crash Test Dummy Diaries. She is sweet and funny and very cute. ANd I like her optimism.
http://crashtestdummydiaries.blogspot.com

Have fun.

Barbaloot said...

I'd have to try and figure out who you're reading first and I'm not even sure... I think we read most of the same people.

A few people off the top of my head:
http://alittlebitofkooky.blogspot.com/
http://bakowbabble.blogspot.com/
http://aclangston.blogspot.com
http://egangarden.blogspot.com

I have more, but I don't wanna take over your comment box and overwhelm you:)

Lara Neves said...

I'm starting to be in the overwhelmed by blogging phase. Which is weird for me, because I feel like I've always found an okay balance, even while blogging often. It was a release for me. But this last few months I don't even care.

Um. I'll have to think on that for you! Because I'm fairly sure we read most of the same blogs and I'm not sure I have anything new to add. :)

Heidi said...

I can so relate to this. I don't think I'm quite ready to be disciplined and balanced. I love my blog friends so much and honestly miss reading your blog posts more than I miss comments on mine so it's hard for me to not be blogging much but I'm scared to death that it will become an eight hour a day thing again like it used to be. I just can't do that again. Ack!

Carolyn V said...

I know the feeling of being overwhelmed with the whole blog thing. I pick out people who I have made connections to, or that I love to read.

Lesley said...

I feel the same way. I think Facebook kind of took over for a lot of us bloggers...we could just leave a status and have people comment and it was kind of like "blogging lite". I'm at a point where I want to write more personal stuff, yet I'm afraid to. Um, anyway, check out Momza's House if you haven't already, 71 Toes and Enjoying the Small Things. Then I want to find out who you like! I want some new ones to follow too!

Andi Kate, Children's Author said...

Blogging went through phases for me. First, it was a creative outlet. Then it was a form of communication. Then it was to keep the grandparents updated. And now, it's mainly family history. It was really fun for awhile, but I am too interested in too many things for it to keep me on a strict schedule. So I now post when I can, keeping the important milestones in my family's lives--and then hope to publish it into a book yearly (so it doesn't matter if I don't get to my Christmas post, until, say Feb--since the date of the post won't matter in the end anyway. And I don't have to apologize for it!)

Oh. I am sort of writing this like an email. Sorry. :)

As for people I think you might like, you should read my dear friend, Daisha Lanyon. LOVE her. http://lanyons.blogspot.com/

skizels said...

please read my blog and pass on the word

http://melzy-boomboompowitsallher.blogspot.com/

Lesley said...

Oh and I LOVE Cake Wrecks. Always gives me my daily chuckle!

Sebastian said...

Alright... this is Sebastian.

I don't come to your blog very often, but when I do, I have tons of fun, so keep it coming!

Anyway... I don't really read blogs for fun (I follow quite a few work ones, but probably, you're not interested in Internet Marketing type stuff...

Anyway...

I'll be setting up a personal blog here pretty soon as well as an IM one, so I'll drop you the links if you'd like. Just let me know.

Great to be your friend!

melissabastow said...

Yeah, I don't know who to suggest. Maybe you could just read through my archives when you get bored. HA. (More like when you can't fall asleep at night and need something lame to lull you along.)

Nancy said...

Do you already read PetitElephant.com? She's an American married to a man from Poland but living in America. Fun blog, and maybe of extra interest to you.