Cookies & Clogs – Then & Now #MSNKnowNow

Reimagine / Redesign Cookies & Clogs Blog, Sponsored Post…

Almost three years ago, I launched Cookies & Clogs. This was not out of a need to express my inner emotions, as a creative outlet, or as an online family journal. As a stay at home mom, though I knew my role of caring for the home and for my family was important, I still felt that I wasn’t contributing enough to the family since I didn’t bring home a paycheck.

The goal of my blogging was to somehow bring in some funds to help the family by means of advertising, even if it was only $5 per month. In a way, it was connected to me needing some kind of validation of my worth.

I started by sharing deals. We lived on one income for so long, knowing how to save and how to stretch what we had kind of came naturally for me. Plus, my mother taught me long ago the value of a coupon or sale. This was followed by posting about giveaways other bloggers hosted and even entering some myself. I also got busy with participating in twitter parties and won some nice things here and there.

Pretty soon, though, I hit a wall. I had to be online practically all the time and it really took a toll on my time and energy. That’s not what I started the blog for.

Over the next few months, I had to step back and examine my motivation for blogging. I kept hearing others tell me that it should be fun and to find my own voice. What fun is it to scour the internet all day for deals and just hope you beat everyone else to posting it first? How could I share my voice when I only wrote posts about 30% off and buy one, get one free? What did ‘my voice’ even mean? What it even worth it for me to keep going? Would anyone even miss it if it was gone?

Through a lot of conversation with my husband, we decided that the blog would be good to keep going. Blogging helped me to realize that I’m still a capable, intelligent woman and to gain some self-worth. I also discovered that I that I had the ability to express myself through written words and to relate to others across the nation and in other parts of the globe. Cookies & Clogs needed a fresh start and I needed to approach it with more balance.

It was time for a new blog design and a new direction. In person, I often told others about things and places I liked or didn’t in. It got to the point that friends and even random people I met during my daughter’s extra classes would even ask for my opinions. That’s how I entered into product and travel reviews, among other things. More changes followed and plenty are still in the works. This taught me that it’s okay to take a break once in a while, reassess, and make changes. This helps us move forward and to improve.

Why am I telling you this now? Well, I thought it was a fun writing prompt  in connection with the all-new MSN. Microsoft has reimagined  and redesigned MSN to be four times faster than other sites, allowing you to keep up-to-date on your favorite interests. It’s a great way to stay ‘in the know’. MSN is available on Windows 8 devices, iPhones, and on Android phones. Now’s a good time to give the new MSN another go and see if it’s worth a bookmark in your favorites.

Have you ever experienced a time when you needed to reimagine or redesign something in your life, blog, or career?

This post was created in partnership with MSN. Find out more about the all new MSN experience at allnew.msn.com or see it in action on Windows 8, Android, or on iOS at msn.com