10 Lessons Learned During My First 6 Months of Blogging

Photo by Anne Marie Janssen LA PHOTOS CO

Sock Box 10 has been rolling for 6 months.  Are you surprised?  Well, I’m amazed and I’d love to share 10 Lessons Learned During My First 6 Months of Blogging.  Yes, there might be 10 lessons but for every lesson, there is a blessing.  Speaking of blessings – I really appreciate your participation in Sock box 10.   I have each and every one of you in mind when writing the posts.  Sure, you might relate to some more than others but you’re here and I give thanks for your support in what I like to call, The Sock Box 10 Community.  You ROCK!

1.  Technology – The Lesson  Don’t believe anything you read that says you can start a blog in 20 minutes.  If you do, it’s probably the simplest form available.  I began my research months in advance and then took online courses learning WordPress and everything I could get my hands on.  I know this learning will never end because the blogosphere changes almost as often as the decoration on our front door.

The Blessing – The learning is good for my brain.  It’s like learning a new language.  Coding, a little programming – all the new really stretches my brain working both sides and it’s got to be good for me.  Right?

2.  Photography – The Lesson My 35 mm that I’ve had for about 6 years is my new best friend.  I’ve always loved taking pictures of food, but WOW, I had no idea all that was involved in getting quality food pics.  There’s a lot of prep time involved, I use all natural light so I’m always concerned about the forecast and preparing that shoot for the perfect time of day.  The big glass front door that was chosen during a remodel in 2014 has really come in handy. Most pictures are taken inside the door or next to a kitchen window.  I’ve been reading a book on food photography by Nagi Maehashi , that’s been a huge help.  She has a food blog called Recipe Tin Eats .  Check it out, it’s great!

The Blessing –  Two blessings. The first one is my niece Anne Marie.  She has a blog and has been a huge inspiration with her quality photography and her writing.  She took the photos of me on my About page and captured the exact feeling I was looking for.  You can find her blog at –  The Story of My Life  She also has a photography business LA PHOTOS CO .  She is one busy millennial! Keep it up Anne Marie.  Blessing #2, my neighbor Matt.  Yes, I knew Matt was into photography so at the beginning and even now he has been so gracious in answering my questions and he lives right next door.  So when we moved to this house in 2014, I had no idea I would have this resourceful neighbor and that I’d be blogging.

3.  Social Media – The Lesson It takes a gob of time and to do it right it takes even more.  I’m still learning which platform works best for bringing people to my site and YOU are a big part of this lesson.  The following platforms are where I spend the most time sharing my posts and I’d love for you to follow along.  They are – Facebook , Instagram  , Pinterest , and Twitter.  If you are on any of these platforms I would appreciate a follow.   Thanks a million!

The Blessing – Each platform has its own feeling of community and a different way to express it.  Sure everyone has their preference but social media has been a great boost for businesses of all sizes and a great way for individuals to keep in contact with friends and families.

4.  Time – The Lesson Blogging takes a lot of time and blogging in addition to a job takes time management which has never been a strength of mine.  So I’m learning to manage my time.  Definitely a work in progress.

The Blessing – I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work out of my home after 17 years as a sales representative in the gift industry.  This change in careers has given me the time to focus on the blog.  Yes, a lot of people think I’m retired.  No, I will be working for a while and no complaints here.

5.  Community – The Lesson  You know how I love to find community in all aspects of my life.  Sock Box 10 is a community.  A great way for you to participate is by adding a comment or question to a post.  It’s the perfect way to learn from each other, share our stories and keep the community vibrant!

The Blessing –   YOU!

6.  Writing – The Lesson  It’s a struggle.  In blogging, it’s important to find your voice, so I try to write like I talk hoping that will help.  I also follow a writing blog by Mary Jaksch called Write to Done .  She’s great.

The Blessing –    Dominic.  I can always count on a call from my son Dominic if there is a grammar issue.  The degree in Rhetoric Writing and Discourse from De Paul University is paying off.  And – he is always so nice about it. Keep it up Dominic; I’m counting on you!

7.  Friends – The Lesson  They say to get your family and friends on board and make it happen.  Well, my friends have been great!  They accept my food with open arms and are great at sharing on social media.   And then there’s my neighbor Carol.  How perfect could it be that a friend and neighbor of mine is a fabulous cook with a degree in Home Economics from the University of Illinois?  She is an endless source of knowledge and we have so much fun sharing food.

The Blessing  –   You!  That’s it.  You’re the blessing!

8.  Family – The Lesson   “Just get it going”.  That’s what I heard from my sister Jane (5).   It was the encouragement of my sister and my immediate family that helped me hit the ‘publish’ button.  For me it was scary.  I guess I knew that once it got started there was no looking back and it was and is a commitment.  So, I keep plugging along.

The Blessing – I can always count on my family for brutal honesty and much needed support.  The inside joke is “just click around”, meaning head to the site and click the pages.  My daughter Maggie is one of my biggest fans and is supportive in every way imaginable.  Oh, and let’s not forget how much fun it is to cook with the family.  I recently had my sisters Katie (10) and Jane (5) in my kitchen preparing special treats for you.  You’re gonna love it!  Thank you, family!

9.  What to Post – The Lesson    The million dollar question – what to post.  The big part of the answer is the community.  I do have analytics which helps me track the popular posts and categories and as of right now, you love sweets and bread.  Go figure.

The Blessing – Changes can be made.  It’s possible to respond to your requests and comments and your likes can drive the direction.  So if there’s something you’d like added, just drop a note and I’ll do my best.

10.  Persistence –  The Lesson   Don’t give up – just keep showing up.  This lesson is a combination of all the lessons and I know it’s a process that will evolve with many ups and downs.  I call myself a newbie and at the same time wonder what I’ll be calling myself when newbie no longer fits.  How about community leader in training?

The Blessing –   Having the opportunity to keep showing up is a huge blessing.  I’m tapping into my creative side, I’m thinking lots about marketing, preparing dishes with family members, getting to know my neighbors, and the list goes on.   And then there’s YOU.  Thank you for being here.  Remember, your comments and suggestions are important and they can help shape the Sock Box 10 Community.  Let’s have fun!

Thanks for stopping by,    Rose