As a blogger, amazing opportunities seem to present themselves when you least expect it. Sometimes, these said opportunities are extremely helpful when it comes to taking care of myself or my family. I don't blog for these opportunities or to make a living off of it, but I blog because I love it, I love the community, and I love the uplifting support I receive from the friends I have made.
However, when I am presented with a chance to take care of myself or my family (ex: paid posts, free products, etc) and it is relevant to my blog and the things I discuss on my blog, 95% of the time I'm going to do what's best for my family.
Let me tell you a little story...
As most of you know, Z and I are having a baby girl. We had nothing for her up until a few weeks ago; all of the clothes we have are for a boy and because it's our second baby, we aren't expecting a baby shower. Starting over is EXTREMELY expensive and with our upcoming move, things have been extremely tight. I found a girl on Facebook who was selling brand new Carter's clothes, all tags still on, and for super cheap. Perfect, I thought! That's the solution.
Well long story short, it still wasn't in our budget. I was super bummed because it was SUCH a great deal but there was just no way we could have swung it that week. I was browsing Kohl's website to see what kind of deals they had and to see if there was a way to use my Kohl's charge and save even more. Still, wasn't looking promising.
And then I got an email. Seconds later...
The email offered me a chance to shop at Kohl's and buy new clothes from Carter's! Had God heard my heartbreak when I realized I couldn't afford those clothes that week? Had someone tapped into my computer?! How could this be explained, other than a strange coincidence but in my opinion, a miracle from God.
I never want to stray away from ME, and why I started blogging. I blog for myself, and to encourage other amazing women I have met along the way. I have been so blessed to receive emails, comments, opportunities, and more from this blog and the best reward of all is the friendship I've made and the women I have helped. These opportunities I have received have also provided me with more exposure, which in turns means more exposure for my sponsors and blog in general. If I can give someone else more exposure and help my family along the way, I'm going to do what's best for my blog at that point.
I really try and balance personal and reviews/sponsored posts. I always post reviews/sponsored posts in the evening (unless a said deadline dictates otherwise), and never want to lose readers or followers based solely on that. I know that comes with the territory of having a blog but it doesn't mean it hurts any less when it happens.
I guess my point in all of this is yes, seeing reviews on products we don't care about or things we might not be interested in may get old from time to time. But my advice? Skip over that post if it doesn't interest you and just remember that you might not know the reason behind it. Maybe that blogger couldn't pay their gas bill and accepted a post to pay it. Maybe someone needed extra money for a vet visit. Maybe this person's baby is allergic to that formula and they are looking to this new product for a solution. Just like life, you never know the full story.
Thank you to everyone who reads my blog on a daily basis and has provided me with love and encouragement over the past year. You truly have made this such an amazing experience and if I can ever help anyone in anyway, I would do it in a heartbeat.
With that being said, reviews/sponsored posts will be scheduled in the evenings/weekends, only after all of my personal content has been posted for the day/week. I only accept sponsored posts/reviews for items that I personally use/want to try or I think all of you would be interested in hearing about. As any blogger knows, getting free stuff is a perk but not the reason any of us started blogging. I had NO clue that it would lead to such opportunities but since it has, I have to use my discretion on what I think/believe will be best for my sponsors, readers, family, and myself.
Thank you for those of you who have voiced your opinions and given me the constructive criticism in regards to this matter. I hope that you'll understand personal situations vary and that in the end, we have to make our best judgment calls.
