I have done a few giveaways and product reviews, some I have been compensated for or received something in return and some I haven’t. I did a giveaway for a local photographer for nothing because I thought it was nice to do. I was recently on my local NPR, talking about mom/dad blogging, and wasn’t paid for that either.

I do know a few review bloggers and I tend to skim past their posts because they get boring. I know one who has NEVER said she didn’t like something and that makes me suspicious. And I was contacted by a company that wanted to send me a “custom written” post for my site, that I said no thanks to, because it didn’t feel right.

I have no ads, and if the free stuff dried up tomorrow, I’d still be blogging because I still have plenty to say about my family, city living, and life in general.

If I’m reading this post right, your problem is NOT bloggers who blog to make money, it’s those who are fake about it. And I hate fake.

Why am I here? I got into the whole “blogging thing” because I wanted to write. I wanted a place to actually get my words published, and a potential audience. I thought by reading some good writers I could become a better writer myself, and be inspired for my own writing.

What I found was friends. Some of the best friends I’ve found since I began the (sometimes isolating) phase of motherhood. But I also found the more good blogs I read, the more I began to doubt my own ability to write, well or otherwise.

Now I’m wondering, “Why am I here? I’m not a good writer. I don’t write well, or often; I haven’t been writing for very long. Why would anyone want to hear (read) what I have to say (write)?”

Still working on it.

I mean, sure… I comment on their blogs… but just to get the SWAG!

sigh.