I think a change (a change)... would do you good!

Is Sheryl Crow stuck in your head now too? Good. :)

Welcome to the last installment of Blogiversary Week!

In my last post, I promised to reveal some upcoming changes for the blog, so let's dive right in...


Common to Moms is not about being "common".

It's about the fact that we have "common experiences" in life as people and particularly as women.

Remember that verse in Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun"? Someone has been where you are. You are not the only one going through what you are going through. I truly believe that when we function as community we can glean experience, knowledge, support and love from one another no matter what we face.

Woah... that was an intense start. I'm not sure if I meant to do that. Let's do a wiggle dance now to lighten up the mood. You dance, I'll wait...

Go ahead... wiggle, wiggle...

One more time- Get your wiggles out...

Okay... I'm feeling better. How about you?

What I mean to say is that the "common" in "Common to Moms" is about common experiences. As I stepped into celebrating one year blogging I began to really question what this blog is about. Why do I spend my time writing here? Reading others blogs? What keeps drawing me back to the online community?

And then I found it.

The obvious answer.

I am an inspiration junkie.

Confused? That's okay... Allow me to expand on that thought. I personally have a mental block on most daily life things. Folding laundry, washing dishes, stacking blocks and singing "wheels on the bus" is just not very stimulating or exciting. I know in my head these things are important for my family, but sometimes just knowing that it's important in the moment isn't enough to keep me going. I need... INSPIRATION!

OR... I have deep desires that will also bless my family. Desires to decorate our home, to make it beautiful and clean and a place to invite others in. Again, I need.... INSPIRATION!

OR... Sometimes I am selfish, going through a hard time, confused about God, in need of a friend- whatever it is internally- so I go on a search, a bit of a quest (without leaving my seat of course!) for motivation, answers and... you guessed it... INSPIRATION!

And that's where Common to Moms fits for me. The connecting thread to everything I write here is my personal quest to find inspiration from others who have been there and have come out where I want to be.

I am excited to finally see the clarity in this for myself, because now my goal- Common to Mom's new focus- is to turn that around back to you. My mission, my desire for this blog is to offer writing and resources that serve as inspiration for daily life to you!

Since I am apparently in a list making mood this Blogiversary! week, let me show you in list form some of the changes that will be happening (or have happened) here at Common to Moms. (I am so giddy about these... there are butterflies in my stomach!)

The Blog Itself...

• Have you noticed the new mission-type statement at the top of the page? Take a minute to read it- it has changed! This is the FOCUS of what Common to Moms is about now. Basically, Common to Moms is less about me now and more about you.
  
• The 'About Me' page. Not for narcissistic purposes, but to let you get to know a little bit about the person behind the writing. Seeing info about me in one place makes me feel the blog is a bit more organized.
  
• The 'About Common to Moms' page. (This will be coming soon.) Common to Moms has changed a lot in the last year and in the name of organization and efficiency, I think it will be helpful for you to have one place to read about its beginnings and where it is now all in one place.
• A FACELIFT! (Coming soon if it's not already here by the time you read this post.) After a year of the same colors and backgrounds, I figure it is fitting to try out some new "cosmetic" changes to go along with the new focus and ideas that are coming! Disclaimer: I love change, so I reserve the right to change the look of 'Common to Moms' at a whim!

The Writing...

• I am excited to announce "Inspire Me, Mondays" where I will compile inspiring posts from across the blog world to give you a lift for the beginning of the week. (Don't we all need one of those?) However, I may use some creative license here, so it could look different from week to week (Examples, I may use only one story or personal events to "inspire" you on any given Monday.) But basically the gist is, you can stop by Common to Moms each week to fight your "case of the Mondays".
• Books! They inspire me, whether they are fiction, non-fiction, self-help, whatever! I am excited to begin sharing them with you (without overwhelming you- Common to Moms will not be turning into an all about books blog!) and to encourage sharing inspirational writing with one another.
• A more clear focus in general. It is so much easier to write knowing what your purpose is. I am just plain excited about that!
  

The Money...

• Okay... this is a bit of an awkward subject, BUT- hear me out! I am pretty sure I have made the decision to monetize the blog. This won't happen right away (I kind of want to make sure it is worth the trouble first), but since I really want to offer writing that is focused and intentional, I think this is an appropriate move. Here's the thing though- I WILL NOT be bombarding you with ads. And this will be a GRADUAL change. (I really don't know much about the whole advertising thing so I will be learning as I go.) Basically, the blogs I am personally inspired by to the right of your screen- those are my role models for monetizing. I would be blogging whether I made money or not (which I haven't for the past year, since I'm not monetized now and never have been- so you know I want to be here!), so I want you to know my intention is simply to give myself the option to make a teensy bit of money for my writing efforts. And if for some reason it turns out to be a waste of time for Common to Moms, I will happily return to the world of blogging solely for personal motivation.
• Part of wanting to monetize is my desire to use some of that money to turn around and sponsor some Give-Aways! This is an aspect of a lot of blogs I love since it allows us to give something back to the readers. I know that often you don't have to pay for your own Give-aways, but just in case I can't find people in the next few months to offer items to you for free (or I am too chicken to ask a company, etsy shop owner, etc if they want to sponsor one), I have no problem sponsoring them myself to give a little something back to you. I'm not sure when these will begin to happen, but you will obviously be aware when they do!
  

What will stay...

• Of course some things will stay the same here on the blog. I still want this to be a blog you as readers feel comfortable to share your ideas and your own inspiration for life.
• Sharing about my family- particularly my daughter. I still plan to chronicle life at home with my family and share things that I think are fun. Inspiration often comes from family!
• ME! I am the same me whether I am focused, monetized or anything else. Sharing from my heart is what I have been doing and what I hope to continue to do.

Now, after the longest post in the history of posting... What do you think? Did you actually read all of those lists? Do you like the new look?

Love, Rachel

PS. A little foot-note about spirituality for those that are wondering. Obviously I am a Christian and God inspires me, but I have a bit of writer's block when it comes to sharing about God and my faith sometimes. Know that He is my ultimate Inspiration, but I often find that difficult to put into words. So even if I am not saying it outright, it is there. Any inspiration I find in the world, I believe it is God created and rooted in His Goodness.