Sunday Confessions: Blogging for Me

Blogging has changed a lot since I first started writing here a looooong time ago. It used to be something that people did for fun, to keep their friends and families updated on their lives. Personal blogs used to be really big, and I loved being able to keep up with my friends and whatever they were doing. 

Then things changed.

Blogging turned into something people could make money at. Soon, instead of fun, personal posts, bloggers were writing about crafts and recipes and anything else that appealed to a wider market. Then they started hosting ads on their pages. Next came sponsored posts. And now, we are where we are. People are blogging for money, and taking high profile sponsors. Every post had to be Pinterest worthy and appeal to everyone.

And I don't like it. 

I used to love writing about the random things that happened to me. I wrote honestly about my life. So when the era of big bloggers started, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I wrote a post or two that maybe could have been popular. But I didn't like how it felt. I wasn't saying things that I really thought, I was saying things that I hoped people would like. I wasn't being true to who I was. 

So I'm changing it. 

I've started doing monthly recap blogs because I like to. Sure, I was inspired by some popular bloggers, but I genuinely like looking back through the past 4 weeks and remembering the adventures I had. I've written about goals I've set, because that's something important to me. I want to start writing blog posts about dream vacations, short stories, and just random things because that is what I find interesting. That's what I like writing about, and I don't care if it makes me popular or not.

And I don't expect it to change. 

It's clear that blogging is now it's own beast, and that there's no way to control it. I don't expect to change the world of blogging with my little stand. I'm going to keep writing for me because it's how I want to grow as a writer, not because I want a thousand followers or to become popular on Pinterest. I just want to be a better writer. And when I start listening to me, and stop writing for other people, that's when I write the best. 





February Recap

I was all set to put up a recap for February during the first few days of March. And then my computer charger died. Turns out, those things are kind of hard to come by, and it took almost a week to get a new one. And now, here we are, reading a monthly update two weeks later than planned. 

Compared to January, February was nice and relaxing. We didn't make any big trips this time, just a long weekend up to Bear Lake to visit with family.  

For Valentines, we went out to our favourite local Italian restaurant, then browsed around the bookstore. Nothing too exciting, and it was nice and quiet. I was worried everywhere would be crowded, but aside from a bit of traffic, we had no problem getting a table. 

A few weeks back, the Relief Society had a crafting activity. Ever sense, a few of us have met on Thursdays to work on projects and chat. It's been really nice, and I've been making some serious progress on my biggest craft, an embroidered quilt

My little sister came through town on her way to chase the perfect wave. Even though I only got to see her for half an hour, it was awesome to get together and share a cheeseburger. 





I didn't meet most of my monthly resolutions, which is kind of a downer. I had dinner with a friend, but Luke and I didn't get to see any of our couple friends. I also didn't try any new recipes. I didn't get around to seeing a new release movie, but I did watch two "classics", Riding in Cars with Boys and Almost Famous. Neither of which was anything like what I was expecting. Almost Famous was a bit full of itself, but was kinda fun if you're into early 90s rockers. Riding in Cars with Boys wasn't nearly as scandalous as it sounds, and was a great story about a woman who's life doesn't turn out the way she dreamed it would, but it still works out okay. 

I started reading One More Thing, which I'm loving. I'm really starting to get into short stories, and this collection was a great one to start with. 

And to finish off, some fun nonsense from around the web: 

I bought this day planner, and I love it! You know I love London themed anything.

Used books are fun, but sometimes the covers are falling apart, or creep me out a little (this Great Gatsby cover is made of nightmares), so when I get a free moment, I really want to try this tutorial for covering books in a new fabric cover.