Why I Love Blogging | Reflections of 2014

I thought this would be a suitable post for the last day of 2014 (tomorrow Teacher Types turns 1!) Please check back in tomorrow - I have another special post ready to go!

made with wordswag

I really do love my blog, and love blogging.

Here's why...

• It combines all of my interests - parenting, teaching, early learning, (a bit of) photography and (a bit of) ICT. I'm so grateful for a dear friend who suggested (when I stared the blog) to stick to one area - which for me is early learning, and I'm proud that I've managed to do this!
• It's visual and gives me a chance to be creative - I have loved learning to use graphic design apps and websites such as canva, pic monkey and wordswag, plus I got reacquainted with instagram!
• I feel like I'm helping others - sharing ideas with other parents and teachers and promoting local businesses (not sponsored - just love).
• It gives me a hobby - when little Miss M is asleep during the day or in the evening, I have something productive to do which is relaxing at the same time.
• Writing (well in my case typing) is so therapeutic.
• I've made friends and internet connections with other bloggers (and I've found many other brilliant blogs to follow - just see my sidebar!) The blog world is such a positive and friendly web interwoven with links, comments, photographs and wonderfully written words. 
• It's a record of what my little miss and I have done together over the year, it's made me get out our digital SLR camera and capture lovely little moments of our days together - it will be nice for her to look back on it when she's older :)
• My blog has given me a place to retreat when I needed it - sometimes in the blogospehere I feel a million miles away from the daily grind.

Are you thinking of starting a blog? Jan 1st 2015 might just be your time to do it!

Have a look back at my first post here.

I remember scrutinising every word, sentence and image. Now of course I still edit for spelling mistakes and glaringly obvious errors, but I don't worry so much about my wording. I love that bloggers have the freedom to write how they talk.

I wonder how many friends joined Pinterest after reading my first post? (Because let's face it, it probably was only my friends who read my first post). I wonder if anyone got the 'collect' photo a day app?

I still love my blog name - wouldn't change it!

Little Miss M still loves playing with discovery bottles (although she likes to tip the contents out), however treasure baskets aren't really functioning as such any more. They're sometimes filled with play food, pebbles, or just random toys when we tidy up the lounge room. But I'm so keen to use them at school next year as 'phonics baskets' filled with items beginning with the letter of the day!

I could definitely write another 'books I love' post early in the year (for 1-2 year olds)... You can never have too many favourite books! I'll also blog again about Little Miss' 2nd birthday party in March. What a 'to-do list' I've given myself already.

Thanks to everyone who has followed along thing year. I'm so interested to know in the comments - when did you start following me? How did you find me?

Have a great NYE. 

Here are my kisses xx

Lauren

P.S. You may have noticed that I've slightly changed to the look of the blog - less of the green and I'm embracing the white. Hope you like it!