3 Things I Learned My First Year Blogging

To celebrate this blog’s 1st birthday, I’ve put together a list of the three things I learned my first year blogging.

1. I love working in my garden. YES, I stress out about what to plant, when to plant, and what bugs might eat the plants…BUT, I also love sketching new plans in my marble notebook, seeing buds peep out from the soil, harvesting lettuce for a salad, and sharing my “crops” with my sister. Starting my garden last Spring took a lot of time, but the whole process was so rewarding. I learned I really love to garden.

These first daffodils of 2015 peek out, despite the snow flurries today.  Spring must be near!
These first daffodils of 2015 peek out, despite the snow flurries today. Spring must be near!

2. I love trying to be a minimalist.  My house is filled with 16 years of stuff that I’ve bought, saved, or inherited. This past year, I started small with my closet. From there, I shredded old bills, letters, and kids’ school paperwork from several years. I’ve thrown away most of the “one-day-I’ll-fix-this” junk in my garage. My basement and garage are still filled, but it’s easier deciding what to toss. More importantly, I avoid bringing new junk into the house. I hope to show you the progress I make with my basement this summer.

3. I love taking time for myself again. When the kids were younger, I read their books, watched their shows, and planned their activities. Now that they are more independent, I love spending time on me. Cliché, I know.  But it’s really fun. I read (and finish) books. I watch scary or adult shows. We’re busier than ever, but now I feel good about making time for myself…and I feel healthy.

So…would I have done all of this anyway, without a blog? Possibly. But writing about my projects motivates me to actually follow through with them.

With each post, I get braver. This blog is scary to maintain. I easily talk myself out of new posts. There’s always that voice that whispers, “who cares???” I am constantly worried that something will crash and that the blog will just vanish into thin air.

But still, here we are, one year later.

As the blog grows, I will share better photos — thanks to the things I will learn from a photography class I’m taking.

Bojangles (March 2015) - the photography teacher says to get down to the level of my subject.
Bojangles (March 2015) – the photography teacher says to get down to the level of my subject.

I will also try to improve my writing using the tools that I’ve learned from this mini-course called, “Define Your Blog Voice,” by Daniela Uslan.  It’s quite a leap for me to join a facebook group and get feedback from strangers.

A special shout out goes to my sister, mom, husband, and kids who indulge me by reading and commenting on all my posts. I am also thankful for my readers who occasionally drop in to say hello.

Happy Birthday to www.cozintransit.com! Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts with me!