Chilihead has started a blogging carnival where you can share your blogging story. I’m joining in, because these seemed like great questions, and, I often submit to peer pressure. lol.

How did you start blogging?
I started blogging in Spring 2006 on a journaling site (not really a blog) but the site was cumbersome, and it was hard to upload pictures and customize/format the way I wanted my site to look, so I switched to Blogger last September.
Originally, I blogged for just my eyes. I had my site password protected and had no feeds running loose across the web. Then I realized it was a great way to keep in touch with some IRL friends and internet friends, and, hell, it wasn’t like I was blogging anything BAD… so I let my little blog loose.

Did you intend to be a blog w/a big following? If so, how did you go about it?
No, for the reasons above, but then I started meeting other people who had great blogs and seemed like interesting people, so I figured, the more the merrier! I signed up with BlogTopSites, Blogexplosion, and Technorati in an effort to find more blogs and enable them to find me.

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
When I started this blog, I really just needed an outlet to jot down my feelings. And then I mixed it up with talking about my son, my hobbies (like my purse addiction) and my work-at-home situation. I guess my goal is the same as it was from the beginning, to meet other bloggers, be entertained by other blogs, and to blog about my own topics.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
Not really (see above), but I can tell you that I’ve developed a huge interest in writing about the day-to-day challenges of the WAHM Mom, and I would love to incorporate more about that subject in my blog. I love to meet other Moms who have the same struggles. I’ve also pondered writing for other blogs in the “working moms” space. I just haven’t come across the right situation yet.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started?
Hmmmmm, probably to put more thought to the blog platform used. I am on blogger at the moment, and pondering a move to another platform with more flexibility.

Do you make money with your blog?
I try half-heartedly 🙂 No, really, I think I made like $20 bucks in total from ads, but it’s not really about the money to me. I guess it wouldn’t hurt though, right? Maybe I’ll ponder that awhile longer and get back to you.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?
When I started this blog, I really wanted to remain anonymous to everyone. But as I’ve developed a love for writing again, I’ve begun to share with some friends and family, but others…. I don’t know. It’s like, if I put all of it out there on the table, do I really want everyone to read everything? Now that the cat is out of the bag somewhat, more and more IRL friends/family are readers. My husband knows about my blog, but isn’t a regular reader. His take is this is my space, and he doesn’t mind. But I do hope he checks in once in awhile… he probably does at work 🙂 Are you there honey????
A few of my close friends are loyal readers, some long-term internet buddies are regulars, and my sister-in-law.
I don’t think I’d want my parents or my in-laws reading this, but if they found me, I wouldn’t be disappointed. Everything in this blog is me.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?
Pick a platform with care and don’t try to do everything at once. Blogging is an evolving process, and the beauty of it is what it becomes along the way. Some people blog for themselves or others, or a mixture of all three. Blog what you want and what you know, but don’t get caught up in blogging a certain way because someone else does that format well.