IT'S MY... BLORTHDAY

I AM ONE TODAY. Happy birthday to me.

The Daily Muttering spluttered into the online world a year ago with this post. Gasping for Air

HOURAY FOR ME. I did it!

In a year, thanks to this blog, I've found a missing part of my voice, grown in confidence, started writing articles for newspapers again, started to manage the chaos of my life better, found an outlet for my frustrations with the kids (this blog) and cleared my head of the madness that threatened to consume it this time last year. 

What a year it's been as I've resurrected myself from the ashes of motherhood. 

A lot more work is still needed, but it's a brilliant start, and I'm thrilled. 

Over Christmas when I was too tired and busy to update the blog, I questioned whether I would continue it. What was the point of it? Who was I writing it for? 

I decided that even though I don't have the time to update it every day (yet I still love the name Daily Muttering) I needed it as therapy, as a way of understanding myself better. I needed to keep writing. 

Today I am celebrating the journey I've experienced in my first year of blogging. I don't feel ready to look back over my blog posts yet, but one day I will, I'm sure. And I'll cherish these mama mutterings as beautiful souvenirs of my misadventures in motherhood. 

In all that time I've had 13,499 page views, which seems like loads to me, so thank you everyone for visiting, reading and supporting me in my endeavours to regain a lost part of me. 

By far my most popular post was HANDS OFF MY CHILDREN'S ALLOWANCE which netted 669 views, so hurray for the collective power of the BlogMarch. Second-up, much to my delight, was my post about turning 40 LIFE BEGINS.... which attracted 355 readers.

I'm just getting my head around stats - and realising that many bloggers get thousands of visitors every day and make money from advertising on the site. Maybe this year I might try to look at earning more than nada, zilch, zero from my blog - cos I'm totally skint these days! Um, is anyone able to give me advice on this please?

Being a stay at home mum is hard. You need resources and support - I found a delightful world of support online, from all corners of the world. In the Irish Parenting Bloggers group I found a community that makes me laugh on a daily basis. Via Facebook I connected with old and new friends who found something they liked in my writing. And I learnt how to use Twitter to promote my blog (I think). 

I end my first year wondering what the future will bring. I've just started a hardcore training course to be an antenatal teacher, my eldest child turned 5 yesterday, I have articles in my head but I need time to write them, I want to get back to painting, my youngest (20 months old) is a joy as he masters everything he tries, and my family have health and good cheer.

Is it too early to crack open the champers - on my lonesome at home at 12.47pm?