I love blogging. I love using my talents and sharing them with others. I love having a record of my projects and recipes. I actually go to my blog often to look up recipes or tutorials-- I don't have the memory capacity I used to.
The thing I love most about blogging is the friendships I've made along the way. So many ladies that I would have otherwise never met I now call friends. I love the communication I have with all of you readers. Like your comments on my most recent giveaway post. I was touched by your kind words.
Here's another example: I recently got this comment on my blog:
Erin, The writer of another blog that I read just announced that she's pregnant with her 10th child. I notice that you haven't been posting lately. It makes me wonder if you're about to be a mama again.I'm not pregnant again (thankfully!) but I loved this comment! I appreciated that she had noticed my absence and had taken the time to write to me about it. Thanks, Kathy!!
No matter, I hope you're away because you're well and out having fun!
At this point you are probably wondering why I am giving up blogging if I love it so much, right? Well last month I went on a girls trip with some friends. I was gone for four days. I have never left my kids for so long. I felt guilty for leaving but I had such a fantastic time! Being removed from my daily life gave me time to reflect and ponder the way I do things. And I wasn't happy with what I saw.
Try as I might, I have never been able to master balancing my priorities. Blogging takes a lot of time, more than I would have imagined, especially when you are a craft blogger. Creating something, photographing it, editing the pictures, uploading and writing the post (writing does not come naturally to me either). Just for one post. Tutorials are even more time consuming! I would set certain times of the day or evening that I could blog or do projects but I would often try to squeeze things in during the day. I would choose working on a project over playing with my kids more than I would like to admit. I found that even when I was with my family I would find myself thinking about blogging-- projects to do, ways to photograph or present the project, composing blog posts in my head. It was just too much a part of my life.
Over the last year or so I kept getting the feeling that I needed to quit blogging. I finally decided to listen to the prompting. My kids are the best things I have ever created. Being their mother and teaching them is by far the most important thing I will ever do in this life. They deserve 100% of my attention. That is not to say that I can't have other interests or hobbies but I need to cut back and so blogging is what I am cutting. Without blogging I will actually have more free time to craft when I feel like it.
At first I thought I would just remove the ads from my blog. In doing so I would no longer be contractually obligated to blog. I would blog when I felt like it, not on a schedule mandated by someone else. I removed the ads but after a few weeks of not posting I found that I was happier, more relaxed. Without the self-imposed pressure to create on a daily basis I was free to do other things. I have been playing more games with my kids, reading with the kids more, I have been exercising (!!), keeping the house cleaner, staying on top of laundry, I still have managed to create too. I sewed myself a cute new skirt and have plans for a few more. I have even started teaching Liam how to sew! He's doing awesome, by the way! I am spending very little time on my computer. I even unsubscribed from 90% of the blogs I had been reading. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing!
I still don't have enough hours in the day for everything I would like to do but I'm closer. I am getting more done and I am happier. This wasn't an easy choice. I know I will miss blogging, I already do, but I also know it was the right choice. In ten years it won't matter if I had a blog or not but my kids will be 18, 15, 13 and 11 (Yikes!) that is what is important. And that is what I want my focus to be.
I will be leaving the blog up. I will still be using it a reference I hope it will still be a source of inspiration for some out there. A big thank you to all who read and commented and supported. I will miss you! Love, Erin
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42 comments:
Wow. I will miss your blog SO much. But what a great set of reasons to step back from blogging for now. You are so talented and also a great mom. Wishing you and your family all good things, now and into the future.
With gratitude,
Mary
Erin,
I think you're a genius. As you may have noticed, my posts are few and far between for many of the same reasons you mentioned. It's also why I don't allow ads on my site.. so I can blog when I feel inspired to. But it still takes time, and it still requires attention that should probably be spent elsewhere. I may follow you shortly.
B
Erin,
We will all miss you! I know I've loved getting to know you over the past while! sometimes I feel like my blog is taking over my life too, I respect you so much for putting your family first. I need to learn more balance. I hope your life is less stressful and more full of joy! Good luck with everything!
Jess
Oh I will miss your blog! I stumbled upon it last year when looking for doll house tutorials, and I was able to make one for my daughter last Christmas! I was also inspired to do the kiddie car wash and the skirt to dress refashion. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and creativity AND your patience for step by step picture tutorials... I will keep coming back to look at your other tutorials that I haven't tried yet. Good luck and God Bless and wishing you all the best... Thank you, Dada Lanza
I will miss you but I'm glad you've got your priorities straight. :) I'll leave you in my blog roll though, just in case you decide to pop in one of these years. :)
I'm leaving you on my blogroll! We will miss your creative ideas--I've been following you for a while! Take care of your sweet family and God bless.
I will miss reading your blog - but TOTALLY get it. I personally have a very neglected blog that gets very occasional attention. And I am at peace with that, because it should never be my priority. Cheers to you and your lovely family. Hopefully you'll still stsop by once in a while and share a picture or two - you are so talented!
Balance is a really hard one for me as well. I find myself too often telling Clark to wait just one more minute while I finish sewing a seam. I never want my kids to feel like they are less important than a silly project, but sometimes I fear that my actions might make them feel otherwise.
You're a really good mother. Your kids are lucky to have you. I fully understand why you are doing what you are doing.
Dear Erin,
I will miss seeing your posts, sweet lady but admire you for recognizing that blogging isn't where your priority lies. Balancing it all is one of the trickiest aspects of being a mother and having any kind of outside interest. Be that reading, sewing, running or blogging. You are a wise woman. xo. Danyelle
Sweet Erin. I love what you do, I love the inspiration you've shared. I'll miss seeing your posts, but I hope we can still stay in touch via email etc. I love that you've listened to what the Lord has put into your heart.
I knew we were kindred spirits when I first found your blog and read how much you liked spray paint. LOOOVE it. I am thrilled to know that nothing terrible has happened for you not to be blogging. I have 5 boys of my own and am trying to adopt a baby girl, so I know of your struggles with time management. Thumbs up to you for picking your kids. Even though we have never met and I have never commented I sign this
Love, Rebecca
this makes me sad since now that we have moved away, i'll rarely get to see the projects you're working on. we'll have to skype more. :)
you've always been a good mom, but i'm glad taking this step has left you feeling happier and more available for the kids. they grow so fast!
Erin,
I have to tell you that you are nothing short of fantastic in my book! For the life of me I could NEVER figure out how you raised the kids, took care of the house and blogged at the same time. I have 3 kids who are older than yours and very independant. I work full time, have hired help and keep 2 poorly maintained blogs. I write easily, but the creating of tutorials is super duper time consuming! They're a treat for readers but can be a stone around the neck of their author.
I'm sad to see you go, but I'm so happy that you're choosing yourself and your family over blogging. Sutton Grace has been my go-to blog for more than a year. I'm sure some other crafy mother will come along and sweep me off my feet, but she won't be you!
Please know that whether i'm reading you or not, i'm keeping a good thought for you and yours.
If you ever get a minute, you can check out my blogs. They are: http://householdhowto.blogspot.com/ and http://kathy-whatsfordinner.blogspot.com/
One is for cooking/recipes. The other is crafts. They are both poorly maintained - just the way I like them.
Be well sweet mama!
Kathy
I've loved reading your blog, sad to see you go, but it is for the very best reasons! I too haven't been blogging like I used to. I was just blogging for my family, but it was taking a lot of time that I didn't have to give it. Good luck to you in all your endeavors, especially raising those beautiful children!
Good for you!!
We'll miss you here is blogland! I love your blog, but I think we all understand that family always comes first. Wishing you the best!
You are amazing my friend.
and now i feel a little guilty for turning the blogosphere on to your amazingness! i really don't know how full-time blogging moms do it. i just blog because it is my scrapbook and i like keeping in touch with family and friends. i could never hack it as a business, so i'm impressed you did it for as long as you did!
I was going to email you today. I was secretly hoping you were pregnant with me. I'm so glad to hear it wasn't something else keeping you from blogging. I have to admit I've loved not being online for the last 6 weeks. But, I still look forward to having the strength to start blogging again.
You will be missed. I know I'll still stay in touch, but I'll miss your inspiration. You really are amazing and don't give yourself enough credit.
i'll miss your posts! and thank you for leaving the blog up. i love your minestrone recipe and i frequently google to find it. i guess i should just start saving the link!
Been wondering about you. But you will be missed. Please say you'll still be on Instagram!
I too had missed your posts and wondered.. thanks for the encouragement to live life more and not miss out on the kids while they are still little. I've loved following you partly because you are the kind of woman that clearly finds family so important, faith defining, and creating beauty, a gift.. it makes sense in order to keep doing all of that you have to stop doing this..
I don't know you, but I'm proud of you! I have often wondered how mothers with families are able to do all the mothering/wife-y jobs and BLOG. It seems so daunting to juggle it all. There's only so many ways your attention, both mentally and physically, can be stretched, am i right?! :) So, I'm proud of you for your pirorities. Good for you!
I would like to say that I am saddened by this post, but I'm not. I think you are making a wise and very honorable decision. I knew when I started my blog, that I would only do it on my terms and has been great! I don't know how other everyday mommy bloggers do it? I will miss reading your posts but hope you will at least keep your Pinterest account going! Best of luck in Mommyland. It's a wonderful place to be!
Oh no! This is my favorite blog out there!! I check in ALL THE TIME and I've been wondering where you've been! I will definitely be sad to see you got but I completely understand the draw to spend more time with your family! Best of luck to you!! If you ever head up towards Salisbury let me know. I would love to meet up!
Vivian
spacegrl_viv@yahoo.com
Yours is the very first blog that I started reading, and I loved every entry. God bless you and your future endeavors. Thank you for being so real and for sharing your life. :)
Laura
I just found your blog a few weeks ago as I was looking for tips on how to construct a dollhouse. I fell in love with your blog, and even added it to my favorites. I am sad to hear you won't be blogging anymore, but as a mother, I think I understand and I just wanted to write you a quick comment to congratulate you for putting first things first! I must admit, I felt a little guilty when I looked at your blog, thinking that obviously I wasn't prioritizing things right in my life, because I don't have enough time to do all the crafting, that I wanted to do AND play with the kids AND keep the house AND... you get the point. Your decision is somehow affirming to me. Best wishes!
The world needs more moms to put their kids first. Bravo! A million times over. I check in here every so often. Your lentil tacos have become one of my family faves. I wish you all the best!
These are some of the exact same reasons I stopped blogging! It just took up too much time, and too much headspace that I wanted to allocate to my kids!
So, I TOTALLY get it. Can't say I won't miss you (and that I haven't been checking back every day to see if you had posted anything new). But heck, I GET it. I did it. So you do it too.
Actually, I've been thinking about how I want to start blogging, AGAIN, only differently, and less, and totally selfishly (as in, never ever comment back because I haven't the time for it). Anyway, I loved getting to know you on here. And I'll be keeping you and your family in my heart and my prayers!
So goodbye, and HAVE FUN!
Erin, this may sound strange, but I'm so glad you are taking a break/stopping blogging. I have slowed waaaay down on my blogging too because I too feel that my family is and should be my greatest priority and they should be the ones I'm spending most of my time with (not my computer or my camera, etc., etc.) Good, Better, Best, right? The Best just feels better!!!
~Robin
Thanks for everything you've shared. . . especially this final post. Just what I needed today (most days actually)
I've really enjoyed your blog and I'm sorry to see you go but glad to see that your priorities are in order.
Thanks again!
God bless you as you raise your dear family. I will appreciate being able to check your archives and hope =) for an occassional update. well, a girl can hope, can't she?
Thanks for saying why you left. I don't even have a blog and just reading them takes too much time from my family. I'm proud of you. I need to read and look less and do more. Here's to you and your family. Post a quick photo and hello if you do something cool. Other than that have a great time with your family. I'm glad your archives will stay I have yet to try a few ideas I've bookmarked. Have fun.
I have to admit, that was the most refreshing blog post I have read in a long time! When I read blogs of moms and all they do I feel like I fall so short! I just don't know how people do it AND enjoy their children. I can't seem to. Congrats on putting your motherhood first (and your sanity!). I will miss reading about your crafting adventures but I will lovingly think of you with your absolutely amazing children. Thanks for sharing so honestly with us!
I will miss your blog for sure Erin... I thought about starting my own but in the end didn't for similar reasons, so I understand your reasoning. I cut back on my reading too, though yours was still one I'd swing by when I had a few spare minutes to see if anything was new. You always seem so real and I love that you re-claim things and make them beautiful, I'lll miss seeing those before and afters. Guess I'll have to head the the thrift store and start making my own now! Best of luck with your little ones, its such a magical time and I wouldn't trade a minute myself. (It's a struggle every day to get through it, but it looks great from the other side, doesn't it?)
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I know just what you are talking about. It's why my own blog has become so infrequent. I was realizing the same thing about me and my own children. There are just more important things for me to be doing. I hope you post here and there so that others will be able to keep up with your kids, but I understand if it isn't possible. Enjoy your kids!!
Ah, Erin. This was an absolutely awesome post. I love ya. Just the way you are. I'll miss the peeks into a life that you have filled with so much that is beautiful. So glad you're my friend.
Erin, you're wonderful. And I hear you 100% on wanting to step back. Blogging takes an insane amount of time. I had NO idea. I'm doing it full time right now cause I don't have kids and I have the time available (sort of..it's still at the expense of so many things. As you saw in NY. eeks.) And I really would need a full time nanny if I had kids and was keeping up with the time I put into it now. Anyway, I think you're lovely and wonderful for going with your gut. I am excited for you to have a new schedule and freedom. Love you so much!
M
Wishing you all the best. Thanks for the inspiration and ideas. It was nice to peek into your world from Pennsylvania!
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