Sub Categories and Linkies

So here I am ready to start my first new official blog post and I don't know where to begin!! I have sooo many ideas for topics and they are racing around in my head!

Image By Awesome-Kathi @ Deviant Art

So I was thinking that until I catch up I'll break it down into 5 categories and then I thought hey why not start up some crazy linkies and then I can find out who does what I do and I can start following their blogs too! So although I know this is going to start off slow I am going to start up some weekly blog posts and linkies.

1: Pimp My House

This is where I am going to be telling you about all the house renovations/decor I have done/doing/going to do! And OMGoodness I absolutely want to see what you guys are doing because I NEED all the ideas and tips I can get, maybe we can all help each other, start a support group called "I can't stop renovating my house"

2: I {Heart} Being a Mum

I am, like a million other mothers out there, overwhelmed with my job as a mother. I sometimes suck and I make major mistakes and I have regrets, but without a doubt I love my kids unconditionally. They are my whole world. This is where I'll talk about my kids and my life as a mother who juggles 500 hats just like every other mother I know. I'm not perfect but I am a FANTASTIC mother to my kids. Yep and I want you to all feel the same way about yourselves so this is where I want YOU to celebrate how awesome YOU are as a mother too!

3: Heading Off The Grid

I have future plans of living in the middle of nowhere as self-sufficiently as possible only doing the things I love and the things I need to live.  I am becoming more passionate in wanting a cleaner life for me and my family. I want to share my journey with you in this dream. If you are living this lifestyle or trying to I absolutely want to know about it all!!! I'm new at this and I absolutely want to learn as much as I can. I also really want to start being so much more environmentally friendly and start trying harder to make my families Eco Footprint much much smaller.

4: Crafting Keeps Me Sane

I started this blog as a craft blog, it has evolved into more than I could have imagined, but I am still a passionate crafter. So please as I share mine I want to see yours too! Any kind of crafting counts I don't mind, I just love seeing people making things with their own hands!!

5: Free to be Me

Life has changed for me a lot over the last 6 years and I have changed in many ways, I've made life choices that were great and some not so much, I have experienced a whole lot of new challenges and obstacles that I have worked my way through.  I have grown and I feel like I'm in a good place in my life right now. This is where I will share my life journey in finding out who I am as a person, take away the mother label and who am I? Lets find out together!! And please share with me who you are too!

I'm really looking forward to getting back in the blogging world and sharing and learning with the blogging community again.
Please if you stop by make a comment, even if it's only a 'HI' I'd love to be able to repay the visit and get to know you too, if you have blogs or otherwise.

So thanks for coming along for the ride!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I hope to!

Internet Friends

So I was reading this blog post this morning, from one of my favourite bloggers (and who I have had the pleasure of meeting!) Lisa over at All In A Daze, all about how she has Internet Friends. It got me thinking.
A scary thought .. me thinking ..

In her blog post Lisa says

There’s is often talk that the internet is making us lonelier, or devaluing 'real life' friendships.

I agree with her when she says that that isn't an issue.  Personally I think if anything the internet, for me, has given me MORE 'real life' friendships.

I met Jason online. I never went into a chatroom looking for love. It was a random thing that happened. I didn't even have a computer, neither did Jason. We met and talked online and over the phone for 6 months before he came out to NZ from the USA and the rest is history, he kind of never went home.
It was about 4 years later that we finally got a computer of our own. Abbey was about 6 months old.

The first thing I got involved in was the online crafting community. I joined up with a few message boards.  I met a few online people who had lots in common with me, we shared many of the same hobbies and they were around to talk to when I was at home alone with my little kids.

Not long after I got into the world of blogging. It started out as a forum to share my crafts with like minded people and ended up being a semi life story!
My very first blog post was on May 15th 2008 - WOW!!!  I can't believe I have been doing this for 5 1/2 years!

Through blogging I have met even more people.

I can't really remember how or why or where of the most of them. But I have developed some really strong friendships with these women that I met through the internet.

I think I now have more friends that I have met through the internet than I have met in other ways.

And in no way are these people ONLY friends via the computer screen.

I have met MANY of my online mates. There are still a few I am hanging out to meet.
I have been on retreats, visited their homes, they have visited mine. We have met for lunch or dinner dates. We go camping together, our children have become friends with each other.

Then there are the exceptions. The ones that have become more than just friends. The ones I class as my family. The ones that drive 7 hours non-stop to be with me after Jason died. The ones that fly up from the South Island to surprise me on my Birthday. The ones that have accepted me into their homes and lives and taken me to family events. The ones I meet regularly to craft, drink, chat or gossip with. The ones that grace me with precious gifts that I can't even begin to repay.

I think my life has been enhanced by the internet. People who I otherwise would never have met have become my favourite people in the whole world.

To those of you who I am talking about, you know who you are, I LOVE you all. Thankyou for making my world a better place. To those of you who I met in other ways, I love you too!!!

Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap 2013

You guys should totally sign up for this!! I did and I already know what I am going to make ... here's hoping it works out hehehe

I can't wait!