Well, hi there! I really enjoyed taking a couple weeks off to enjoy the holidays with my family and am feeling refreshed and ready to dive into a new year of projects, writing, and photography. I get a little eye-rolley every year about this time as the entire world seems to suddenly resolve to get fit, get organized, eat healthy. It all feels so cliché…and yet…
I get it. There is something about a new year that holds promise and makes you evaluate, recalibrate, and try to right imbalances in your life. I’ve noticed a big shift this year among bloggers. Where last year the buzz word seemed to be “hustle,” this year everyone is talking about balance. It’s like most of the bloggers I know got exhausted all at the same time. Me included. And I do feel like I need to find a better balance and schedule for working if I’m going to keep all the balls in the air.
This doesn’t mean I want to stop blogging. It has its downsides but for where my life is right now, it has loads of upsides too. I get stressed about deadlines, feel pulled between work and family, and have days where I’m tired and don’t really feel like doing it. But, honestly, does anyone with a full-time job NOT have that experience?! I also can make my own schedule, work on my house, and be home when my kids get home from school. Those are major upsides for me.
But before we dive into another year of projects here, I want to talk honestly about a few things that have been on my mind lately. I don’t want you to feel like I’m hiding anything from you or operating insincerely. So in the interest of starting the new year fresh and all, let’s get a a few touchy topics out in the open :)
Real Life vs. Social Media
Gracious. The firestorm over this topic makes me want to pull my hair out. Have you noticed all the people suddenly coming forward and sharing how oppressed they felt by needing to keep up this curated image of themselves on social media? And now they are all, “Know the truth!,” “It’s not real!,” “Fight back!” It just feels like the latest bandwagon to me and a new way that some people are trying to gain notoriety and bring the focus onto themselves. Sure, there are people who put fake versions of themselves out there. I think they’re pretty easy to sniff out though. I also think there’s a fine balance between real life and total falsity when it comes to social media. People want to see pretty pictures. Not everything in my life every day is pretty pictures. I have stuff piled on my kitchen counter right now. There’s a laundry basket full of laundry to put away in the middle of the mudroom and it’s been there since Saturday night. I’m sitting here with no makeup on wearing exercise clothes. My family room looks like raccoons tore through it in the night. I’m not trying to pretend I’m something that I’m not, but an Instagram account full of photos of those things wouldn’t be very much fun to look at. So I do choose to share select snaps from my life, my projects, and my home, and while those things may be cropped, or tidied, or set up to look pretty, they are pieces of my real life.
Sponsored Posts
Yikes. Let’s talk about something that’s kind of uncomfortable to talk about. Money. I write this blog and do everything that goes along with it because most of the time I like doing it. But it is not a fun little hobby I do on the side. It’s something I work at least 40 hours a week on most weeks. Bloggers make money in lots of different ways, and one of those ways is sponsored posts – where a company pays to have their product featured on a blog or social media. I totally get – truly – that this makes readers suspicious and can feel unauthentic. Early sponsored posts I did were sometimes a bit forced but I was so thrilled to be getting paid offers that I just sort of dove in headfirst. I get now that it cheapens my content to write about things just because I’m getting paid. I mean, really, duh. But for some time now I have only approached companies I really admire and have only accepted paid opportunities that really contain products I like. Every blogger says that when they have a sponsored post, but for whatever it’s worth, I mean it. I will only ever share things I really like here. I say, “no thank you” to a lot of opportunities because they aren’t things I would actually use in my real life or would be promoting with sincerity. And I will still write about things I just want to write about and I will do projects because it’s something that’s organically happening in my house and I want to share tutorials or how-tos with you. I am not going to stop accepting sponsored posts, because I need to make money for doing this job. But it won’t ever completely take over what I write about and it won’t ever make me lie to you.
Affiliate Links
Eeeeee…I am nervous to talk to you about this. People seem to get so fired up when it comes to affiliate links. Affiliate links are when a product is linked using a special code that translates into commission paid to the person publishing the link if a sale is made. Kind of like with sponsored posts, I get why this is a touchy subject. If it seems like someone is just constantly throwing affiliate links at you then it can start to feel insincere and like you’re being used. I use affiliate links sometimes. I use them here on my blog and I use them on Instagram. I’m not trying to trick you. If you buy something using an affiliate link you pay the exact same price as with a regular link. I’m not trying to make an easy buck by pumping out as many affiliate links as I can on any given day with any product I can share. I use them when I’m linking to products that I’ve used for a project or in decorating, so things that I really use, have, or like. Sometimes I use them to share a great sale on something I like or have. I am partly doing this to make money. Again, I’m kind of itchy inside talking about this, but am trying to be honest. I’ve heard people say that bloggers are greedy for using affiliate links. I don’t doubt that some people are being greedy, because in the world, some people are greedy. But I’m not just trying to make money, I’m also trying to be helpful by sharing sales, products, and sources with you. Affiliate links are part of my income puzzle. If you like reading my blog and/or following me on Instagram, and I share something you like or need with an affiliate link and you buy that thing, I earn a small commission, which helps me keep blogging sustainable as a job. I don’t know if that softens the blow at all, but that’s how and why I use them. And I thank you for whatever role you play in supporting me in this job, whether it’s buying with an affiliate link, leaving comments on posts, or sharing my work with other people.
So. There you have it. A whole bunch of kind of serious stuff to start the new year. But I wanted to put it all out there before we start another year together here. I hope you will stay with me. I’ve got some big projects I’m hoping to accomplish this year and will be telling you all about them tomorrow!
Love this post Jen. In fact, I want to copy and paste it and use it on my own blog because you articulate all these sensitive topics so well. Kudos for your transparency – and the fact that you ALWAYS seem genuine to me! Happy New Year friend!
Thanks, Sarah – this is such a nice comment! Sometimes I feel like it’s hard to know how you come off to others. I’m always aiming for genuine :)
I feel the same, hope I come across as I am in “real life”. As for affiliate links, as a blogger, I was so glad that those started since we were all linking our favorite products anyway (basically promoting a brand) without any compensation. It’s nice to get a little compensation for the shout out. I also always try to link out of courtesy to readers because they usually want to know where something came from and it’s so much easier to link than to go back and forth over emails. Love what you do here! Looking forward to seeing what 2016 has in store for you! Hope we get to hang out again too!
That’s how I feel about affiliate links too – I was linking to things long before I used affiliate links. I hope we can see each other in person again this year too :) People are buzzing about Haven already…I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. It’s such a hard time for me to add travel since I’m already about 5 weeks every summer!
Love this post and as a newer blogger, it’s great for me to hear and learn from. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Whitney :) Blogging can feel a bit lonely sometimes and is at once very public and very isolated. So it felt good to get that out there and really start the year on the blog in an open way!
Thanks, Whitney :) Blogging can feel a bit lonely sometimes and is at once very public and very isolated. So it felt good to get that out there and really start the year on the blog in an open way!
Jen, I thoroughly enjoy your blog. I couldn’t remember if I had received it since you took your break so I went to your website to see if you had posted again. So glad I found this most recent post. I am glad you benefit from all you do. The fact you are able to work from home, are there when your girls get home, and are able to do 95% the work yourself speaks volumes to me. I was a stay at home mom for years and had to return to the workforce but I gain so much pleasure that you are enjoying those years when it is most important to be home. AND you should earn an income from what you do. Please continue helping me and others with our homes, projects, and pure enjoyment that you can use power tools! And on a personal note, my 13 year old son’s room was destined for your kitchen gray paint. He chose BM Stonington Gray over my choice. I will say it is fantastic and his fishing rods look fabulous hanging on stainless hooks from Lowe’s Home Improvement. You are rubbing off on me. Peace!
Aw, you just made my night. Can’t tell you how happy it made me to read this because it’s what I always hope – that people will translate some of this into their homes. I’m sure your son’s room looks great in the new color! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this comment, Liz :)
This has been on my mind lately too! It’s like the air needs to be cleared, I just want to say “this isn’t all sunshine and roses over here, this is work too!” Ha. Glad I’m not alone. :)
So much work – I have never worked harder at any job! I think the point of life where we are, with our kids the ages they are, makes it that much more challenging too. I noticed today that I didn’t sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time, which makes writing a post take forever and feel sort of disjointed. I really need to work on scheduling myself!
Great, great post! I feel the same way. It’s hard to make money and icky to talk about. Well said ;)
Hugs, Jamie
Yes, who likes to talk about money?! But I think there can be a misconception that bloggers just kind of twirl around all day, throw a post up every now and then, and rake in the money. So not the case :)
Real life vs social media…YES!!! My daughter and I were just talking about this over the weekend (she is 15 and writes a fashion blog) and we both agreed that if you are feeling fake or unauthentic then thats on you, NOT your readers! It feels as if they are all blaming the “world” for their path. Thanks for writing this, all of it is so true! I write my blog and share pics on social media to inspire others and I feel sure my basket of dirty laundry won’t do the trick! Have a great day!
I completely agree – everyone can choose who they do and don’t want to follow. And kids growing up now, like my daughters, will have to learn and understand that social media doesn’t always depict “real” life. Just like we had to learn that magazine images were airbrushed and weren’t totally real either.
I appreciate your honesty Jen. It’s a great tone to set for the new year! There are so many things that we bloggers feel guilty about – the photos we post or don’t post, the money we make. Balance is a great mantra for the new year… blogging is a life and business and those who do it well should be supported not torn down. Someone once told me to be happy if someone unfollows you on IG or stops reading your blog, because that person was obviously not in tune with how you see the world. I loved that. Here’s to being moms, wives, bloggers, and business women in our own way.
Such a good point. I know I’m not going to connect with everyone and everyone is not going to connect with me…just like in real life :) Happy new year, I’m excited to see what you have in store!
Great post, Jen! I also took a step back at Christmas and reflected on what’s important and what’s important for my family. I feel like I’m looking at everything with fresh eyes and have made the promise to myself to slow down. To focus on projects that will bring meaning to our home and our family also. Excited about this year.
I’m excited for this year too. Hoping I really can find a better balance of everything that’s important. It’s so hard!!