Things 'n Stuff

I've obviously been pretty sporadic (at best) with my blogging this summer. I don't have any excuses for that, but I have spent my time well: hanging out with an awesome toddler, working on getting said toddler potty-trained, doing fun family stuff, letting my brain sit and stew, and writing for Green Child Magazine and Thirsties cloth diapers. While I've had ideas galore for blog posts, every time I sat down...nada. And that's okay.

Over the past year or so, the blogosphere has taken an interesting turn. There's definitely a sea change going on, isn't there? Some of my favorite bloggers have called it quits, and that sucks (I still mourn Young House Love...daily), but I can't blame them...or anyone. The pressure, especially when you're getting tons of hits and tons of money, is incredible.

Luckily, I don't have that problem. My hits took a hit (ha) this summer, and I'm fine with that. I make $0 here on the blog currently. Yet, I enjoy writing and sharing, and I'm not ready to give it up. So, even though things will be getting busier, I'll be easing back into posting more.

That said, things will be different.

I'm looking to streamline my posts. As you may know, I'm a pretty random writer. Seriously, I talked about pickles yesterday and have a post about cleaning your washing machine coming up. Personal posts about trips and others about nursery decor. It's how I write and who I am. That aspect won't change, necessarily.

The focus, however, will. Ultimately, we're a pretty normal, down-to-earth (I like to think) family. What makes us a little different than most is the fact that we're trying to live a simpler, more natural life.

So, that's where I'm going here. I'm planning on doing a complete blog overhaul (which may take a month...or a year...no big hurry, we're dealing with enough of that lately) with better organization, particularly regarding the topics that I love talking about that may help people in living a happier, simpler life.

What I'm asking for today is a little input of your own. No SurveyMonkey, no quiz - just leave your thoughts in the comments. Where do your interests lie? What visual style do you prefer for a blog? What do you already like here and what do you dislike? Go ahead and share!

Oh, and one of the most important changes I'll be making? My name. I've loved "Meg Acts Out" (or "Meg, Acting Out" -- I never figured out how the heck to use it), but considering that a) I haven't had much time for community theater acting and b) I'm ready for a fresh start, I'm starting new.

I'm brainstorming everything from "Simply Meg" to titles not utilizing my name to jumping on Dave's "The Dorky Daddy" bandwagon with a "The Dorky Family" (because, let's face it...we are). That last one may not align well with the natural thing, though. So, I'm always up for suggestions. Heck, it's how I got my original blog title. ;-)

A little rambly, but you guys are used to that, right? Please and thanks for any comments, and I welcome you along on the ride!