On Being Real

This is a big year for KERF – the big 10 year anniversary – and I think it’s ironic that what I want most for this site is to go back to basics, back to my roots, and keep it real.

I’ve always had two goals for my blog:

  1. Blog about what feels most natural to blog about. This could mean blogging about my meals, my life, nutrition topics, round-ups, recipes, motherhood, personal life, home organization, and more. Some of you have commented that what you like most about KERF is the variety, and I’m glad to hear it because I share your sentiments!
  2. Share the how behind living a healthy life. From the beginning, I have said that people usually know the What and Why when it comes to making healthy lifestyle choices, but it is the How that is hard to put into action. When I go back to my very first blog posts, along with the topics mentioned above, my mission is to share things that are working for me and things that aren’t. I want to be relatable and to share my tips and tricks along with my struggles and real life experiences. I love having you all along for the ride as we navigate life together as digital friends.

I listened to a Young House Love podcast (love those guys!) recently about how the internet changed and found myself nodding in agreement. I can’t remember exactly how Sherry worded it, but she spoke about how, when blogs were first getting going, their biggest draw was that the bloggers were real people. Blogs were personal, relatable, and approachable, and that’s why readers felt so connected to the writers behind them. In contrast, magazines and other big brand media were formal, polished, and uber professional, but not-so-relatable. During the past 10 years, there has been a shift for magazines to speak more to the everyday person (particularly through social media), and bloggers have upped their game by cranking out magazine-style content.

While I admire and respect the bloggers who turned into big brands with teams of people, in-house photographers, graphic designers, apps, and more, that’s never been what I wanted for KERF. I am my brand, and I like the simplicity, efficiency, and flexibility of working solo. I knew that outsourcing things would take the personality and fun out of it, so I have teetered in the middle, trying to create content that is shareable while also trying to put a realistic, personal spin on my posts. I felt somewhat pulled between the two extremes of a diary-style blogger and a site that produces evergreen, Pinterest-friendly content.

Real life on a Thursday morning –>

That same week, I read this post on A Healthy Slice Of Life and the head nodding continued, especially when Brittany said “oversharing is my love language” – haha!!! Yes. I agree with her thoughts – the only thing I am an expert on is me. (Although even that statement could be questioned…ha.) I am not an expert on nutrition, motherhood, cooking, or even blogging. Bloggers are real people who are allowed to change their minds, make mistakes, and go with the flow. I am always learning and growing and sharing the journey with you all as my friends.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to make a living blogging, and for that, I thank my lucky stars when I get up for “work” each day. When I collaborate with brands on sponsored posts, I still want the experience of real life to shine through. I try to put context on these posts as much as possible so they fit within my lifestyle in a natural way.

As a blog reader, my favorite blogs are those with real life woven throughout. That’s why I continue to share real meals that aren’t shot in a lightbox, to post photos of me and my family enjoying our weekends as they actually happened, and to write about my experiences with brands in the hopes that they are useful or inspiring to you guys in a practical way. That’s my very long-winded way of saying that I hope that me keepin’ it real is still what you guys really want to read <3

Love to you all.

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