Wednesday, July 28, 2021

10th Bloggy Birthday & Giveaway!

Happy 10th Birthday to Polka-Dotty Place!

I cannot believe I've been blogging for ten years.  Wow!  My blog is older than my kids - ha!  

I started blogging back in 2011 to stay connected to family and friends.  I have blogged about everything from teaching to travel from pets to parenting.  The good and the bad of my life over the past ten years.  My blog has survived 6 moves, 4 states, adding 3 kids, 2 kittens and much more ups and downs.  I've loved every minute of it and am so thankful to have had this creative outlet.

 

 


 

I'm a list maker so here's my list of blogging favorites ten years later:

1. My friends.  

I'm so thankful that you show up here every week to read what I write.  Thank you for following along and being my friends.  I've known some of you since the very beginning and you've become dear friends to me.  And if you're a newer blog friend, I'm so glad we got connected.  I am always so thankful when I see a comment, a text or a card in my mailbox from my blog friends.  I just love that I've made friends that I can connect with about so many different things all thanks to this blog.  If I had to scroll through my phone you'd see text and emails about adding a 3rd kid to the family, losing a beloved dog, praying for a friend's husband, a new house, a new move, cats, prayer requests, kids going off to college, bonding over the lack of sleep we're getting in this stage of life, tips about traveling to Naples, cancer and the loss of a daughter.  All from blog friends that I've mostly only met online.  It's wild and wonderful!

2. Documenting the Highlights

I love scrolling back through the archives to see the highlights of our trips, our family moments, day to day life with littles and more.  I'll always be thankful that I took the time to write stuff down.  My memory isn't the best so rereading old blog posts is my favorite.  I really love rereading each kid's birth stories, our infertility story, birthday party posts and funny things the kids say.

 3. Sharing What I Love

I love my family and being a mom.  I love cooking, making pretty food and wearing outfits I love.  I enjoy all things hospitality related - party planning, hosting, organizing, holidays, decorating and making friends.  It's so fun to share those interests with you and build community here.  I've enjoyed meeting other bloggers, working with brands, reviewing books, styling products I love and sharing things I use and love with you.  I really, truly look forward to blogging when I see it on my to do list.



And since we're talking favorites...

I have a fun giveaway to celebrate Polka-Dotty Place turning 10!

I'm giving away one $25 Amazon gift card via email to a lucky reader.

All you have to do is comment below:

Tell me your favorite blog posts from me or any future post ideas that you'd like to see from me!

 

For a bonus entry, head over to instagram (@polkadottyplace) for one more entry option.

You've got from now through the weekend to enter.  I'll announce the winner on Monday morning.  Be sure to include your email in your comment so I can contact you :)


THANK YOU for reading and enjoying my blog!  You're the best!

24 comments:

  1. Congratulations on a DECADE of blogging!! That is an awesome milestone! Thank you for sharing your cheerful love for people with us!

    I've learned so many great tips from you over the years on everything from party planning to travel tips, meal prep and marriage. I think some of my favorite posts involve hearing how you planned ahead for something like the first day of school, a road trip or a party.

    I'm SO thankful that we connected through blogging in the old H54F linkup! Yay for bloggy friends!! <3
    Whitney - comehomeforcomfort@gmail.com :)

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  2. Congratulations! What a milestone! I love your shopping hauls/Amazon purchases and day in the life blogs the most! You are always so full of fun and inexpensive ideas and tips, here’s to 10 more fun blogging years!

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  3. Congrats my friend!! Favor posts, gosh, all of them?? What comes to mind at the moment is fashion, organizing, decorating, the cute things your kiddos say…I could go on and on! I think I found your blog in 2012isb when you linked up with WIWW, and you were wearing a beaded layered necklace that I had been contemplating buying. After seeing it on you I did buy it! :) Then I contacted you about how you moved your kitties cross country since we were about to do the same. Thankful for you! 💜

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  4. Congratulations! I love seeing day in the life and Amazon purchases.

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  5. Congratulations! I read your blogs while trying to motivate myself to work in the mornings! HA! I love reading about your Aldi finds and hauls, including Amazon. I have enjoyed watching your charcuterie business grow! Congratulations, again!

    Faithful reader,
    Lora Bryant
    lbryant0226@gmail.com

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  6. Congrats! 10 years is a big accomplishment! I am a newer reader and enjoy your Amazon and Aldi shopping hauls, as well as cat stories and pics of your cute kids holding the kittens.

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  7. I love reading your blog! My favorite is dinner ideas, kids lunchboxes during the school year, and day in the life.
    Congratulations on your blogging milestone!!

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  8. Congratulations!
    I always enjoy reading your Aldi post since I do not have one here!
    -Danielle

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  9. Wow, how can that be. Congratulations sweet girl. I love your Day in the life and the Walmart/ Amazon finds. You always get me in trouble with those cute clothes at amazing prices........Yep, I'm a bargain shopper too....:)
    ❤️Jodi

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  10. Congratulations again!! That is a long time to stick with something. I like your homemade strawberry butter blog post. I think I’m going to try to make it. I will probably have to buy fresh strawberries from the store since our frozen strawberries from our own little patch probably won’t work.

    Your post also reminded me of taking Lincoln to Ditzler’s to pick strawberries when he was around Leo’s age. He ate a bunch and even ate the stems and all before I could stop him 😂

    kaylynn_0419@yahoo.com

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  12. I honestly love pretty much all your posts, but especially any food ones or any kid activity ones. :)

    laurarene05@yahoo.com

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  13. Congratulations! I love your blog and always look forward to your posts. Your helpful hints and product recommendations are my faves. And of course seeing sweet pictures of the kids. O and F have about the same age difference as mine, and I just love seeing the different stages all over again. :)

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  14. I think I've been following for almost that long! I love your holiday decorating posts, your themed snacks, and my favorites are the hand and footprint kids' art crafts! Congrats on a decade!

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  15. Congratulations! 10 years is a huge accomplishment. I have enjoyed reading for many of those 10 years, especially since you are a fellow Hoosier. 😉 You make your blog relatable, which I love. Keep it up!!

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  16. Wow 10 years, that is a great accomplishment. I really enjoy your blog for how real you are. This blog has gave me some smiles though the last two years that has been pretty difficult. Olive is the same age so it give me smiles so thanks.

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  17. I've been reading your blog since right after Fletcher was born. I enjoy reading about your family adventures and how creative you are with food.

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  18. congrats on 10 years! I always love to see your party posts!

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  19. Congratulations! I have been reading since Olive was a baby and I now have two little ones of my own. My family and I have loved these ideas from you:

    Ritz cracker chicken
    Birthday books that everyone signs
    Asking my husband How can I help you?
    Lunch ideas
    Naan bread pizzas

    Jen
    JADurkin@gmail.com

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  20. Whitney! Your blog is my absolute FAVORITE. I love reading it every day- you are filled with joy!!! Congratulations on this milestone friend!!!!💛💛💛

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  21. Congrats on 10 years. I have never commented before but I very much enjoy your blog. You seem incredibly genuine which seems to be hard to find with many blogs. My favorite posts are the party posts. I love all of the details!

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  22. Love your blog and the variety of content and real life you capture! I'm wondering if you've converted your blog to "scrap"book before and have a favorite site that does the work. I used to use Blurb, but they no longer convert blogs to books. There are so many to choose from, but I don't know which one is best!

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  23. Congratulations on your 10 year blogiversary! I love reading about your party planning ideas and your day in the life posts. Of course, reading updates about your adorable kids is always fun.
    sbrieseacher@mvths.org

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  24. Happy blogiversary! This is a fantastic accomplishment, and I've really enjoyed getting to know you and the Jordans since I found your blog.

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I LOVE hearing from you!! Thanks for taking the time to leave sweet comments; I enjoy reading every one of them.