First of all

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I always thought personal bloggers were card-carrying narcissists (see About). And I was sometimes (ok, lots of times) wary of people who cry foul when criticized. Putting yourself out there is hard, y'all. But people really, really need to hear what I have to say. They need me. 

 Yeah, ok. To be honest, I have been kicking around the idea of starting a blog for a while now. I wanted to start a conversation about things that I care about, laugh about, hate, or want to create. I imagined glowing comments about my beautiful children or amazement at the nutritious, creative meal I put on the table. I'd get virtual fist-pumps from women who shared my views on feminism, and our roles in society. Does that a narcissist make? I guess I'll wait for the page views for the answer.

 But then I was directed to a website that knocked my socks off. GOMI. I really did not know a lot of these personal bloggers (mommy, lifestyle, fashion, etc.) could make so much money for writing about their lives and interests. Book deals, sponsorships (what is that?), free shit. Why haven't I done this already? Oh right, I need something to say. 

 GOMI forced me to see the dark side of writing a blog for profit: alienating family and friends, selling your life for money, not being responsible or considerate to your audience. Sometimes I disagree with the posters on GOMI, but I'll always be appreciative of their analysis of blogs and their authors.

So, I'll start with what I won't do. Should this be a contract? Do I need to consult an attorney?  
Who am I kidding, this is the Internet. Everyone is a member of the post police.
  • I won't post pictures of my kid's faces, or what I consider inappropriate for people outside of our family. 
  • I will not censor comments that are critical, but I will delete them if they are offensive to myself or others, inflammatory, or just plain creepy. Don't be creepy
  • I won't be precious. I hope not, anyways. What a thing to learn about yourself, to see how precious you are. Ugh
I will only refer to my kids and husband by their first initials: 
  • K: 7, boy-all boy-loves nonfiction, Minecraft, spitting image of his daddy
  • A: 4, boy, self-proclaimed brony, best snuggler
  • C: almost 2, simply the sweetest sweet girl to have ever sweeted
  • S: 35, man, soldier, great daddy, LOTR and HP nerd
And me. Tana, 30, woman. I'm not even going to try to write an extensive about me list. I have lots of roles, that sometimes change, but I've given up on trying to create a description of myself that I'm happy with. 

 Now to what I will do. I'll probably cuss, quite a bit actually. The photographs that I will post will probably be crappy and basic. I will most definitely put my foot in my mouth. I'll be judgy, but follow it with a bless their heart!

And if I ever do make money off this thing, don't hate. I'm a full-time mom who works part-time from home, with an average of 15 hours a week. And lemme tell ya, 3 kids + military salary + NJ cost of living=I'll hustle if I have to. But I won't sell out. Promise. And if I do, I'm sure you (and GOMI) will tell me all about it. 

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