Why I Started Blogging ~
*For all of you who couldn’t give a rat’s behind why I started blogging and just want to hop to the next giveaway or sweepstakes – this blog post is not for you. 😉
Recently Nicole at MamaNYC shared her story about why she started blogging. She also double dog dared me to share mine, too. As the unwitting bully on “A Christmas Story” learned, you can’t back down from a double dog dare, right? Anyway, here goes. “Picture it, North Carolina, 2011..”
…in September of 2011 I found myself couch-ridden. I got injured and ended up messing up my knee and ankle pretty badly, leaving me out of work, in physical therapy and MEGA bored. So, I started entering some sweepstakes. I remember my husband finding it kind of hilarious that the particular injury that I suffered to my knee was an injury that is commonly seen in football players. A season-ender. That was fun to hear *rolls eyes*…Earlier in the summer I had won some Maroon 5 tickets from Bud Light and I had won one of the Grand Prizes in a Skintimate Sweepstakes…so entering sweeps was not a new thing to me, anyway. However, I only entered them occasionally.
When my hubby would go to work and my daughter would go to school I would find myself really bored and concentrating on the pain. After a couple weeks of watching TV, I realized that I had to find something else to do. However, when you are immobilized, there aren’t many choices. I found that entering sweepstakes not only entertained me, it also took my mind off of how bad my bleeping leg was hurting! Try getting yourself to the restroom in a Terminator {what we lovingly referred to it as} leg brace! And our bathroom is on the small side, too…so not bending the leg {which was extremely painful to bend anyway} was almost an impossibility. I had to find some fun!
So, I started entering sweepstakes online – a lot of them. But, there was a problem. I found that, for me, the biggest problem was keeping all the sweeps straight that I was entering. Sweepstakes have strict rules as to how many times you can enter them. And I sure didn’t want lose a prize because I entered too many times! Then it came to me! Before I was injured I LOVED couponing {it slacked off when I got immobilized, lol} and I knew that most of my coupon expertise came from other bloggers. BLOGGING! YES! That was the answer!
So, why I started blogging is so that I could keep my sweeps straight, never once planning to make it my full time job. However, 9 months later here I am. 🙂 Of course my blog isn’t just sweeps anymore, but I still love them. Now I focus mostly on sweeps, reviews and giveaways {which was something else I never considered before but I now love}, pop culture and news type stories. Oh, and lots of Blogger PR stuff! And I have also learned how much fun entering blog hops are – which I never did before having my own blog. I am not even sure that I knew they existed! Now that the months of physical therapy are behind me and the leg is {almost} completely healed, the Cheap Is The *New* Classy is here to stay. 🙂
Now that I have shared MY story of why I started blogging, it is time for some other bloggers to share theirs! I am tagging FIVE blog posts from FIVE of my blogger friends and hope they will continue this and share their story, whether short or long! We all have a story to tell. Tell your story and tag five more people to keep this chain goin’! Be sure to tag one of their blog posts so that they receive a trackback! It can be a recent post, or a favorite of yours that you want them to know you have enjoyed!
– I am going to try to make sure I tag some who were not tagged by Nicole 🙂
** Lisa @ Drugstore Divas => Sunday Speak: Are You Reading Fifty Shades of Grey?
** Leila @ Life As Leels => Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Presents DRAGONS!
** Tiffany @ Fabulous Finds by November Girl xoxo => Wordless Wednesday: Insert Light Bulb Joke Here
** Stace @ Newlywed Survival => 9 Affordable and Trendy Home Decor Ideas
** Ghada @ Mama Goes BAM => Your Mother at 8 Months
I hurt my back 12 yrs ago and never been the same since. I enter tons of sweeps, win a few. Still fun.
When you do win, it saves you money (from buying it)
and we are really lacking in that $$ department. So you will always see my cat holding her sarcastic funny sign..
as my avatar. Tell your mom I said hi :o)
Glad you are healing!
You are right! Once you hurt something good, it’s never the same again! I am not as young as I once was, lol! But when I win something that I no longer have to buy {or that I just wanted!!!}, it sure puts a smile on my face. 😀 Hope you continue to improve, as well. Love the cat, by the way!
Dawn
Thanks Dawn! I will have to work on this! 🙂
I’m glad you shared your story. I was going to ask how you got started. I had no idea that it would begin with an injury. I’m glad you were able to turn something bad into something good. It pays to keep the mind busy. Keep healing strong!
Thanks a bunch!!!
Dawn
OK who sorry to hear about your injury. Glad that everything worked out and your back on the mend. I have always wondered how my Blogger PR folks got started. Think I will do the same kinda post.
Please do! I would love to read it! And thanks for the well wishes!
Dawn
I’m sorry that you were injured but your blog is wonderful. My daughter is going through some of that. Serious illnesses had on down a year ago and she hasn’t completely healed. She started doing surveys and some giveaways. Thanks for sharing your story and expertise with us.
Awww, thanks so much. It has been a little over 2 years since my injury now and my knee seems completely healed on most days. My ankle is still sore, but I can walk and I have a great life, so I am very thankful. 🙂
I hope that your daughter is healed soon.