I started my blog back in 2011, after the hazy 'what's my name' weeks of a newborn had cleared. I was on maternity leave and looking for something to keep me going. For months I simply wrote stuff. I didn't know there was a blogging community out there. I didn't know you could review things. I didn't know you could make money. I was pretty clueless. I just knew I wanted an outlet. A release. The majority of my mum friends seemed to enjoy singing nursery rhymes at baby groups but I felt like a bit of an idiot! Blogging made me realise I wasn't the only one who felt like this.

Then my life changed again and I started university later that year. It was something I had never, ever thought I would do, let alone with a small baby and a two year old. I took a career break from work and started on a huge adventure. I made friends with people ten years younger than me, worked bloody hard and did well. Blogging kept me sane through this. It remained my outlet, my escape, my sanity.

I learned very early on that blogging was so much more than just a release for me. There was a community out there. Other bloggers. Supportive, wonderful people. Intelligent, strong women changing the world through their blogs. People I am now proud to call my friends. Blogging has opened up a new world to me that I didn't know existed.

I might not be changing the world, but blogging has certainly changed my world. I cannot imagine my life without my blog. I have my ups and downs, periods when I dislike my blog, where I don't see the point. But largely, I love blogging and the community. When my grandma died, I was sent regular messages, checking I was okay. These messages were from bloggers. They kept me going. They checked up on me. They looked after me. Something that the vast majority of friends I have known for years didn't do. I appreciate this so much more than I can begin to explain.

This is my 1000th blog post. It feels kind of momentous. I am so happy with my blog at the moment. I love the way it looks. I love the opportunities it brings me. I love that my hard work is paying off. I spend a lot of time in my little corner of the internet and I'm totally at peace with it currently. It has brought me so many opportunities. I have interviewed celebrities and explorers. I have spoken at a blog conference. I have learned so much along the way.

Blogging has helped me to find myself. To feel confident in myself. To enjoy my own company. Thank you so much to all you wonderful bloggers out there. You all make this community what it is. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. Thank you to you, the readers of my blog. I love that you keep reading and you have been through so much with me over the past few years.

I leave you with a quote. We have been listening to audiobooks in the car recently and I heard this when we listened to The Twits. The full quote is, “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

So let's take a leaf out of Roald Dahl's book and spread a little happiness simply by having good thoughts! Here's to many more years of blogging!

HelpfulMum