I started this blog back when I was single and it was called “Inspirations from the Holy Land.” My intention then was to provide my friends and family with an easy way to keep up with me while I was spending my year abroad. I chose to make a blog because in the past, I had received beautifully detailed emails about the various travels of my friends, and I always, always skipped them (sorry). I didn’t want my friends to feel the same guilt that I did, so I put my experiences on a blog, and then whenever they wanted to, they could come “visit” me.
Well, that incarnation of the blog served its purpose well, even lasting through getting married and moving to a different city. I changed the url address, though, since I was no longer in the Holy Land (much to my chagrin, though I’m glad I married my husband and all). It was now “Life in the Married Lane.”
I updated very sporadically (as you can tell from my archives), until this summer. I don’t remember why I decided to dedicate more time to blogging. Like, really blogging. But I did. And here are some of the benefits I’ve discovered which have kept me writing.
Benefits
1. Blogging provides me with a reason to objectively view my life. Instead of just coasting through each busy, relatively similar day, finding myself once more at nighttime, I observe my own actions with (hopefully) more awareness. I pay attention to see if there’s anything that might be worth sharing. Anything which may help someone else (see Rule #2), or be entertaining, etc.. I like looking at married life and parenting with a certain appreciation for the silly and the poignant moments that are so lovely and fleeting. It has heightened my appreciation for each day.
2. I’m not great at remembering to take pictures (that’s my husband’s department), but I do like to write. So these posts will hopefully be nice to look back on and read when my kids are older, like my version of going through photo albums. I can revisit all the joys of changing diapers and pacifier struggles and sweet baby snores. Won’t that be nice?
3. Mommy mush brain is somewhat counteracted by the self-imposed deadlines of blogging on a relatively frequent basis. I usually try for 4-6 posts a week, which means I’m thinking at least that often (we hope).
4. There are some really fantastic bloggers and readers in the J-Blogosphere (and the blogosphere in general), and I’m glad to have gotten to know some of them (and looking forward to getting to know more). I love feedback, so please don’t hesitate to comment or contact me. It is nice to know that the words I’m putting out there are actually making a difference to someone, and it’s delightful when a post encourages discussion through comments.
So, those are my thoughts on the whole blog thing. If you blog, what are your reasons? And if you read blogs, what are some of your favorites?
Rivki Silver ~ thoughts & music 
I got the incentive from a few great blogs that I read at the time (4 years ago now) and still read now. I do not blog quite as often as I used to or would like but I also find it is a great way to try and view my life in a more objective manner.
Yes, life can get in the way of blogging sometimes…! I suppose we’ve been blogging for almost the same time period, and only now have discovered each other!
I blog because my husband told me to. That sounds so frummy, doesn’t it? It fits right in with the woman who tell their female listeners “I always listen to my husband even when I know he is wrong.” But, in truth, my husband, who began his own blog, DivreiChaim (I suggested the name) before I began mine suggested I blog. My idea at the time was not so much to talk about my own life but to engage audiences for the magazine. The blog was a perfect forum in which to hear different people’s views.
My first blog was a WordPress one fed by http://www.kallahmagazine.com. Unfortunately, that was zapped out of cyber space when I switched my site to another host. So I switched to blogger. I also gradually spoke more about things beyond the topics of engagement, weddings, and marriage. Most of the stuff that fits straight in that category, I now post to http://www.examiner.com/jewish-bridal-in-new-york/ariella-brown and that includes some really good, inexpensive, delicious, and easy recipes!
What a cute beginning! Your blog always has interesting content. I have it on my iGoogle page.
It’s great that you have this – sort of like an online diary which you will LOVE to look back at in a few years…It’s so nice to have these memories saved up here!
4-6 posts a week – I don’t know how you manage to do it!!
My blog is out there just to spread inspiration – the name says it all. It’s like, there’s so much (garbage) out there on the internet and people are using it anyway so they might as well have a good place to go to and be inspired!
I love your blog! It definitely serves a great purpose.