i need to clear the air.
yes….i have ads now.
which you very well know.
there was a comment left recently that said she missed my old blog where it was just family.
and i understand that.
in the words of Zeke Braverman….i hear you and i see you.
if you have felt jipped about my "family" blog then i truly feel bummed about that.
BUT if i may defend myself for a few moments…. (on my my own blog?)
some of the reasons things have changed a little this year:
1. since i started this little blog in january 2007 i have had a child at my hip every single day.
she let me take a zillion pictures of her.
well…SHE LEFT.
she decided to become a kindergartener and leave me in the dust.
a big chunk of my blog-able family photos went with her.
2. i have a new-ish photography business that took a BIG part of my time this year.
i spent several hundred hours on that….and i love it.
3. i have much less creative personal crafting/sewing time that i can photograph.
i wish i had more.
and this winter i will….but i haven't for 7 months.
4. i don't have any house projects going on now to blog about.
no wallpaper being stripped….bathrooms being demo-ed….furniture being painted.
there is plenty of laundry which i always show you.
5. when you have BlogHer ads on your sidebar….you get paid!
and seriously…that is cool.
because for 3 years i was blogging for free.
and that is great…but after all that time it was awesome to get a check in the mail for
what i was doing everyday anyway.
BUT when you have Blogher ads….you can't blog about other companies because that
would be like running two tv commercials at the same time side by side….not fair
to either company.
SO i have the other identical blog (without the BlogHer ads) for when i want to
talk about other companies.
AND with those other companies….i GET PAID.
please realize that i have potentially five college tuitions in my future….
and possibly three weddings.
oy vay.
6. i like having new opportunities to learn new things, meet new people, and earn money.
i like this new blog world i have entered.
it's exciting and FUN.
i am in a new phase of life….
kids ALL in school….mom to a teen & tween…no babies or toddlers…or even preschoolers.
NEW.
i expect t0 grow and change and the blog will grow and change with me.
i appreciate every single one of you who reads my words.
i read the comments.
i treasure your emails.
YOU encourage me in so many ways.
(except for mean commenters….they are not awesome.)
it's your choice AS ALWAYS to continue reading or not.
i hope you stay.
i promise not to start advertising for motor oil or after shave….
but Sara Lee…GAP…French Bull…
those are great companies!
i like them.
i have a give-away for every ad post!
that is super fun for ME to be able to give you cool prizes.
i really really love that.
i promise to continue to be true to ME…
to the person God is calling me to be…
to share my passion for helping the needy….
to showcase ways for others to GIVE….
to blog about what i like and see and enjoy and create different every day.
thank you for all the support & BLOG LOVE you have given me all along the way!
(or maybe i will just pregnant miraculously and get to start all over again!!)
Kimberlee J. - Someone very cool once quoted the song to me, “God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.”
I love that girl.
jeana - Hello love. I just wanted to drop in and say how much I’ve always loved your blog. You continue to be a source of inspiration to me. I totally understand you wanting to make money from all of this, really…..who wouldn’t at some point? Keep it up, you’re doing a wonderful job!
Sarah - Perfectly stated Kp.
Kp - I have been following Meg since she was featured last year on ohdeedoh and opened up a whole new world to me, via blogland. And one thing I have noticed is meg’s ability to lift people up. Whether it is a great link to an etsy print that just makes you smile, or photos that show us that meg’s house is a disaster zone too π who didn’t laugh out loud at that one! And now that Meg is trying something new, and going on some new adventures as a mom with 5 kids in school, trying to find her place as a woman, as a bread winner, as a wife and creative spirit, shame on any of you for criticizing! I have a feeling that running ads, and joining blogher, wasn’t an easy one for Meg. But I can’t imagine not sharing my morning cup of coffee with whatever! Hmmmm, what craft can I make with th kids, check meg’s blog. What should I make for dinner, check meg’s blog. How do I core a pineapple, check meg’s blog! Hee hee my point, and this is directly to you Meg, keep on doing what you do the best way you know how. Try not to take the critics comments personally, as I know I would, let the other zillion positive comments lift you up and motivate you to finally show us a full post of that dining room!!! I love your blog, your family, your dog, and your margarita recipe! Here’s to a great day π
jeannett - ::hugs::
Julie - Sparkles! Rainbows! Unicorns!
I saw an Angry Birds t-shirt at the mall. Wish I invented that app. I would be a zillionaire.
ALi - So if I were to sum up the other comments I would say they either say, “What happened to Meg’s voice?”or they say, “Leave her alone you are not allowed to complain about a free blog.” Do the fans of Meg – and she has soooo MANY – not have the right to complain when her voice goes, well , in a different direction? I mean all great writers (and Meg is one of them) have always been criticized for various things. But criticism is good!
It means people are reading her and noticing the changes, which is a good thing. No one should be afraid of criticism. Literature courses in college are all about learning how to criticize the great writers. So if some people don’t like the tone of the post (and I agree – it is not bad, it is just not the voice of Meg I like to read) then all it means is that the readers have their own personal reasons for reading Whatever and are afraid that like Anne is off to school, so too is Meg off to another type of blogging.
Meg, we want you back – and this is not criticism, it is only a wish of a reader that liked the other kind of writing, photography and crafts.
And for the people that are offended by those of us with criticism, maybe you should rethink what freedom of speech is about.
Karen - I have to agree with many others. My first reaction to reading this post was, “who wrote this, because it sure wasn’t Meg!”
christy - I agree with Janine! Well said π
Laura in LA - Amen Sharla…amen!
Janine - Eek! I knew the comments were going to be ugly on this one. I will start by saying I support you in making money by blogging. I think you’ll just have to find your voice in how to do it. And that is the key – your voice. This one reads like an e-mail forward from a company. You are new to doing it and mistakes happen. But that’s okay, I’ll stick with you. Please don’t dismiss the “negative” comments as just meanies, or the positive constructive criticism. If you want to make money with ads you can’t alienate your readers because if no one is looking, then no money is coming in. I’ll tell you why I’ve been reading, and probably why others are reading and why these ad posts seem so weird to people. Your blog is what I imagine it to be like sitting down and having a chat with you. Catching up with a friend on their day/week/family, etc. You don’t expect the hard sell “amway” pitch or in this case “blogher” in the middle of that, and when you see it, it’s kind of jarring. You’ll figure out how to blend the ads and the blog, I am confident of that. (look back at your coca cola post – you did a great job on it. That is a good example of your voice while still basically advertising) You have featured blogs, etsy pages, charities, etc. and whether you realized it or not, you were advertising. I think you are trying too hard now. Subtle advertising is always the best, in my opinion. Hang in there, keep blogging and don’t let anyone get you down.
cooldadwt@hotmail.com - My very first comment on a blog….ever! This is comical. Can any of you explain what compels you to complain about the way someone runs their own FREE blog? I don’t have a blog, I don’t go and read any blogs unless I search for something specific and a blog just happens to be one of the results. The wife, she blogs. She enjoys doing it, she enjoys following others. She showed me this blog and how one little ad as well as one single post about the ad has as of now, 5 people complaining. Really?
Hey Zaffron, since she wants to make money off her blog like a business, she should have to accept these bogus complaints? What product is she selling? What service is she providing for a fee? I guess I didn’t stumble onto that portion of her blog.
How many of you go to “business” websites and complain about how their web page is setup?
“Anonymous”- Let me guess, your the type that fills out complaint cards, but doesn’t leave personnal info for someone to get back to you. Just complain to complain, what a weezel.
Meg..or whatever your name is….my advice, do what you have to do. If it means posting an ad then writing up a post every now and then to get attention to that ad, do it. Obviously, even the complainers like what you have done enough to keep coming back.
Kait, Dawn, Theresa, Zaffron, and of course “Anonymous”, I have left my email address in the name field specificly for you and any other future haters. Email me. Show me what you have done that is so GREAT that you can be so critical of the way someone runs their own blog. I’m curious as to what you have accomplished. My guess, nothing remotely as interesting as what Meg has going on.
Meg…..your blog is now saved as one of my favorites. Going to be following my first blog, well other than the wife’s!
Kait - I’m not begrudging her the ads. I think it’s fantastic that she can make money from her site because I think her site IS fantastic. I’ve purchased things from her Etsy site, from auctions she’s had, and from when she sold stuff from 31 Bits. I will continue to read her blog and continue to support the decision to monetize her blog.
HOWEVER – my single complaint is that she’s losing her voice in the shuffle of posting exactly what Blogher tells her to post. If she genuinely likes a product, I’d love to hear about it. I respect her opinion. But something like this, something where it sounds like an email Blogher sent her that I could find on 17 different sites, is kind of silly and a waste of time.
Again, I’m all for Meg getting paid to do something she enjoys and is good at. More power to her for putting ads up. But I don’t think ads should dictate the content of your site.
Stephanie - I think a picture of waffle mid post would distract everyone from everything that bothers them about this.
It’s different, but change is good.
Much love!
Dana@Bungalow'56 - Yay! I was so happy to see Canadians were included in this contest. But now I’m worried about who I would sit with if I won it?
Dana
Erin E. - FYI – Links aren’t working, momma.
Shana - I work for a non-profit organization – sometimes I have to speak to funders about what I do in order to receive a paycheck. It’s not my favorite. But I love what I do and I love the people I serve.
Sometimes making a living requires we go out of our comfort zone to meet an obligation.
It is surrender.
It is obedience.
It is not selling out.
Dawn Zaffron - If you’re going to turn your blog into a business, then you should be able to field complaints from “customers” like a business.
Trish - geesh people… don’t get your panties in a wad! If the only thing you have to look forward every day is reading real peoples blogs, maybe you should get some new hobbies! Just sayin’
Sugar Mama - Wow, and I thought I was critical of others…. maybe I’m not so bad after all. Not only did I not feel that this was a “sell out” but I clicked on the Blog Her link to check it all out. I’ve been trying to get a blogher ad to run on my page for a few months now… to no avail.
I’m just a little fish in this huge ocean of blogging, but I wanted to say that it seems to me the second someone makes their blog profitable for ALL of their HARD work some people get upset. I’ll never understand it. What do you people think Meg does all damn day? She works to make this blog as amazing as it is. And what happens to those that work hard? They get compensated for their job well done.
Sharla - The negative comments from these bloggers make me think of little kids who don’t get their favorite toy every time they go into a store.
Miss Muffs Cottage - Meg, keep blogging – PLEASE…still love you – bunches!!!
Kait - I’m with Dawn and anonymous. Obviously I’m not going to stop reading since I’m still here but it does feel lame when you put up something like this that doesn’t sound like you at all. It sounds like a pitch Blogher emailed you and asked that you slap up so you did.
I think you’re still finding your footing with the ads and hate that I’m being so judgmental but honestly, I really hate how phony this post feels.
Dawn - Maybe anonymous could have phrased her comment more constructively, but I agree with what she said.
Anne - Ignore the complainers Meg – they are complaining about something they get for free. I for one really enjoy reading your blog and understand that you have to make some money too.
Anna Marie - Oh come on! Meg, this is your blog…do what you want with it. Good grief people! Move on and get over it!
Jill - Thanks for putting up with rude comments and continuing your blog for the rest of us. I know you are making choices that are best for you and your family. I love your blog!
Nichole - It amuses me how being anonymous gives people the guts to say things when you can’t track them.
I’ve never been to the BlogHer website, so it’s an interesting link. While I would prefer a blog about life, I know how hard it is sometimes to find anything to really talk about. Life isn’t always interesting and surprising on a day-to-day basis, and in those times you have to find something else to talk about.
Jen christians - Be nice people… If you don’t have anything nice to say say nothing at all..
-- - ive never commented on your blog before. ive been following you for awhile now and i loveeee your blog. or should i say loved?
i read your previous post on how you now have ads on your blog. thats fine. doesnt bug me at all. i dont usually look on the side of your page and i have adblock. however, when your posts begin to become one entire advertisement, thats when theres a problem. theres a difference between trying to make some additional money and being, as teresa said, a sell-out.
believe it or not, but i look forward to reading your posts every morning. so imagine how disappointed i was when i saw this post. nothing personal. nothing about your family, your life, your crafts. just a plug for a company. and to be even more honest, it reads fake. its not you. it sounds like someone from the company wrote it for you and you merely posted it.
please take this into consideration. i know i am not the only one who feels the same.
Teresa - Sell out!
Transparent Mama - I am heading over now. Oh, how I would love to go to BlogHer. San Diego right?