The Whirlpool
If you knew either of those were song lyrics without needing to be told, please assign yourself two cool points.
“But how can anything you like be worth cool points Sarah”, you are currently asking yourself.
Touché
I started ye olde blog in 2010 to just share a few ideas with others to help them lead a good life at a lower price point. I didn’t have a real direction or big plans – it just was a hobby.
I eked away at that for a year or so, and then things picked up a tad, and I cleared the “100 follower” hurdle. Still very much a hobby, but I started thinking bigger.
Then things went from fast to furious (dropping Vin Diesel movie references? Oh yes, I went there) almost overnight last March. A post I had written brought a lot of new traffic to my blog, and many of those people stuck around (thank you!).
This blog takes up more and more of my limited spare time these days. Please note, I am not complaining about this – just stating a fact. It’s fun, I enjoy it, and I get to meet some awesome people like you knuckleheads.
And even with all the time spent here, I feel like I am doing everything half-assed. I feel like no one is getting the best version of me. It takes me forever to respond to emails, I’d love to actually learn how to properly use my camera, and I haven’t done nearly all the cool things on this site I have planned in my head.
Being pulled in so many directions away from my family and this page leaves me lacking in other aspects of my life. I hate it. I hate the routine of it all. I hate that I have to wake my kid up so early to leave for work and that I’m always rushing him around and having to juggle an insane color-coded schedule (no lie) to make sure I have spawn coverage because I’m always fucking working late, and my husband is always gone.
Let’s recap: I HATE IT.
A day or so after Jack recovered from a recent bout with a fever and feeling poorly, I had to wake his little ass up early to leave the house. He looked at me from his cozy bed and said “I’m too tired to go anywhere mommy”. And you know what? So was I. I’m sick and tired of bags under my eyes, and feeling like my head weights 6,212 pounds (approximately). I drove to work that morning feeling like I was trying to scream under water. It was like treading water in Jell-o.
I don’t believe in making resolutions.
I don’t believe in hokey crap like “The Secret.”
I don’t believe in putting things “out in to the universe.”
What I do believe in, after years of being a giant dumbass, is that “ain’t shit getting done without the assistance of others.”
So, here we go. I’m asking for help. I’m asking you to help me achieve what I’m calling “the next steps.” The “next steps” aren’t 100% defined (go me), but they all lead to an end goal – for this blog to be my full-time job. I’m not sure if I’m cut out to stay at home, but dammit, I’d love to try.
People ask “what do you want to be when you grow up” and I never have a legitimate answer, because I feel like they’d scoff if I told them the truth.
This.
This is what I want to be when I grow up.
How can you help?
- Suggest things that you want to read more about! This will help me generate ideas that I know you’ll enjoy.
- Send your friends. Like something I’ve written? Share it with someone you think will enjoy it, link it on Facebook, etc.
- Do you have an Etsy site, business, etc. that you think is a good match for my readers? My advertising rates are stupidly low, so shoot me an email and we can discuss ideas, details, options, etc.
- Send happy thoughts if all else fails.
I don’t know what will happen, but I’ll keep on trucking. I hope you want to come along for the ride!
Greedy selfish thought for you(on my part), cuz I wanna know 🙂 or maybe I haven’t discovered ir it already exists on your blog yet; ‘for dummies section’ Canning; materials, product brands, do and don’t, shelf life for individual things, how to store, temps to reach… yeah maybe emphasis on the dummies part, but what can I say i’m green in this area.
Sara,
I LURVE your blog (lurve is like ‘love’, but with more feeling). I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I made your laundry detergent, and ended up giving some of it away for Christmas. I keep it in empty cat litter jugs. Maybe giving laundry soap as a Christmas present is lame, in this instance, I thought it was a thoughtful, and practical. The person I gave it to is currently unemployed and liked having something like that, which can be expensive to buy. (I gave her other stuff, too.) Anyway, I thought you’d like to know the ripple effect of your blog. And ust to let you know, I used your orange baking soda idea and used orange scented Castille soap, and it turned out having a lovely scent, without being too perfume-y. Do you have any ideas for a stain stick or pre-treat for stains?
You were looking for ideas for future posts, and I have a request. I came upon your site originally through a Pinterest link for the Vick’s Baking Soda Shower thingies. I bought essential oils specifically for this, but don’t have anything else to use them for. I’m also buying more essential oils for this project:
I’d love to find more ways to implement these oils and make use of them.
Thanks for the awesomeness that you are!
Staci
P.S. I love the ‘Hippy Shit’ link/list on your blog. I always go there, first. Please add more!
Staci,
I love that you gave away laundry detergent for Christmas! That is totally the kind of gift I’d love to receive. My side of the family focused on what we called “homemade and heartfelt” this year, and your gifting would full under that category.
Check and check on the essential oil post idea!
I totally need to add stuff to that link, I know. I’m working on it hopefully this weekend!
I love your blog!!
I would love to know more about your milk supplier but I also know sometimes we have to keep low about the things we love if we want to keep them.
Love your recipes.
From what I have seen on other posts try to get Tropical Traditions as a advertiser. I know you got some free product a while ago-Ask for more so you can have a huge give-a-way! I have seen links to all the give-a-ways if you google it. It is a really nice product and I use it too!
Have you ever thought about writing a cookbook??? I know it takes a lot of time which you don’t have just yet. Start compiling your recipes now and testing the crap out of them or have your friends test them too. Make sure they are easy enough for all the at home readers to do and trouble shoot some mishaps that might go wrong.
Get an awesome company in your area to give you something you can also give-a-way. You always get the most followers when you offer something free! LOL!
I will now also PIN all of your posts to my personal Pinterest page for you!!!!
I used to have an ETSY store but I am way too busy now for it- I also work full time and crazy ass hours!
I love your blog!!!
Good luck!
Alicia
Please don’t ever make your blog accessible from facebook only. I would have to quit following or commenting. I quit reading two blogs because I could only comment if I signed up, followed them, on facebook.
Ha, don’t worry, I won’t! I barely know how to use Facebook myself. I don’t have a personal Facebook account, and only use it to keep people updated on what I’ve posted on my blog.