I have learned many lessons since I first started blogging way back in October 2011.
First and foremost, I now know that blogging is hard work, and involves a lot more than just writing.

Table of Contents
1. Social Media and Marketing
You must write, and write plenty, but that's just the beginning of a blogging journey. Nobody will stop by to read my brilliant, and sometimes not-so-brilliant words of wisdom, if I don't let it be known I'm sharing my insights.
And how might I ask do I do that? Why social media and networking of course. The very words put the fear of God in me.
Yet over the past few years my website has come a long way. Thank you to all my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest followers. This little blog would NOT be possible without YOU.
But as we spread the word about my writing, a never-ending cycle begins .....
The more you market and publicize ......
..... the more visitors come to my site.
The more visitors come to my site.....
...... the more server space I require.
The more server space required ......
....... the more money it costs.
The more money I don't spend ......
....... the more my site crashes.
The more my site crashes......
....... the more visitors I lose.
And that's where I must end this cycle. I don't want to lose you, my readers.
If I don't address problems, and sometimes throw money at them, all of my hard work could be for nothing.
2. Technical Glitches
Now don't worry, I'm an optimist not a pessimist, and I truly believe that for every problem there is a solution.
But in the interim .......
I'm never surprised when things go wrong.
I knew that at some point on my blogging journey, technical difficulties would inevitably raise their ugly little heads. Don't forget I'm Irish, with an inherent respect for Murphy's Law. That's when I want to curl up in a little ball and cry out:
"But I know nothing about computer programming."
Faced with the dilemma of whether to give up, or move on, I always choose to try to master new skills. Success is never guaranteed, teaching this old gal new tricks.
But, I've come too far to give up now, even if technical glitches try my
3. The Business of Blogging
All of these challenges have taught me a valuable lesson.
Blogging can turn into a little business in the blink of an eye.
As a little blog baby grows and grows, who feeds it? A growing blog needs marketing support, technical back up, accounting, security, policies, artistic creation, socializing, business development, advertising ..... I could go on and on.
Blogging turned into a little business for me before I knew where I was, and guess who tries to fill all the business roles in my little company. Yes! That's me, and half the time I haven't a clue what I'm doing, just learning to fly by the seat of my pants.

I started this blog for fun, but with increasing traffic I now need to pay for more server space, which means I need to do something to generate a little income, if I don't want to totally raid my kids' college funds.
Luckily, my little blog doesn't need to generate income to feed my family. Phew! Right now it doesn't even cover overheads, so we'd be starving if I was hoping to feed my hungry boys.
And so, when you see a few advertisements flashing away on the side bar of my site, please understand I'm just trying to keep the lights on.
Heart failure struck a few times, when I saw some wiggly, jiggly belly fat ads before my very eyes. Then to make matters worse, my mother reported some soccer betting ads were popping up on her side of the Atlantic, especially around the time of the World Cup.
I'm working with my advertising agencies, and fingers crossed all ads will be of a higher standard in future, but in the meantime, if a wobbly belly appears on your screen, I really do apologize.
4. Coping with Blog Anxiety
My audience has started to grow, and I cannot thank you enough for visiting my little corner of the world wide web.But let me confess, that makes me feel a little nervous when I realize:
YIKES !!!!!
Readers want to read MY STUFF!
When I work on a post for a few days, and time comes to hit the "publish" button on my blog, my stomach goes a little queasy. I guess I worry that my ramblings may disappoint some of the wonderful readers who revisit my blog over and over again.
But then I think of what my granny would have said:
"Ah, just get over yourself!"
Believe me - my granny was a very straight-forward, no-nonsense kind of Irish gal. She milked over 60 cows on a daily basis. Now in the latter years she had a lovely milking parlor to make life "easy", but she was milking cows right into her 70's. When we would fuss about homework, her motto was:
"Just clap it down, and get on with life!"
So guess what? Granny's advice wins out every time. I do just as she would tell me, and get over myself.
No more worrying! No more anxiety! And if today's post isn't good enough, then hopefully tomorrow's will be a little better.

But believe me, your heart warming comments and e-mails go a long way to keep me motivated. It's lovely to read your two cents worth at the end of my ramblings. Your heartwarming words are what makes all this hard work so worthwhile.
THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.

Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
You might enjoy some Irish recipes. Check out my complete Irish recipe index here....
Aimee
Thanks for sticking with your blog! I don't know what I'd do without your recipes and fun Irish posts!
Irish American Mom
Aimee - And thank you for visiting so often. I'm so glad you enjoy a little taste of Ireland, brought to you via Kentucky. I don't post half as often as I plan, or would like to, but I think if we bloggers just keep plugging along at our own pace, we'll build a little legacy of words to pass on to the next generation.
Take care and I hope you and your lovely family are all doing well, and enjoying this mild, glorious summer we are having this year.
All the best,
Mairéad
Aimee
You are definitely building a wonderful little treasure chest for your sweet kids! And the weather this summer has been SO lovely. We have been loving every minute of it!
Irish American Mom
My kids have loved this Kentucky summer too. Beautiful breezes by day, and I can count the number of days in the 90's on one hand. This is my kind of summer.
Debra
Ah sure Mairead - as they like to say in my ancestors neck of the woods. For certain, it's not easy to entertain, & basically that's 1/2 your job. You do it well, so don't be fussing about blue backgrounds, etc. We read your postings to learn about the country we all wish we had been able to grow up in. I know I felt more at ease visiting Ireland knowing what I learned from your blog. Keep up the great work, take a deep breath & relax.
Irish American Mom
Thanks so much Debra. I'm delighted to hear my ramblings helped you so much for your first visit to my homeland. So I will take your advice, and breath deeply, and stop fussing. That sure would be my ancestors' advice too.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kay G.
Hey!
I love your blog! And I am the one who does not know what she is doing! YOU keep up the good work!
Love, Kay
Irish American Mom
Likewise Kay - I really enjoy your blog and your thoughts on living in Georgia, married to an English man. I think you appreciate my observations on the subtle differences between Irish and American culture because you know England so well. I also appreciate your take on life on both sides of the Atlantic. I know how time consuming blogging is, and your prolific posting schedule amazes me. So I hope you too, keep up the good work.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Fuschia
I just discovered your blog and really enjoying it. Thank you for writing this post - I have just started up my own blog and am feeling the Wordpress stress. I swear I have no idea what it's doing most of this time! The thought of server space had never crossed my mind, not that I am in a situation to need it yet, but it's good to have the heads up!
Irish American Mom
Fuschia – Wishing you every success as you begin your blogging journey. Mastering WordPress takes a little while, but it’s amazing how much help can be found on the internet through forums and blogs. I recently changed my hosting service, but luckily my site migration went smoothly. I handed that one over to the experts, and didn’t even attempt to do it myself.
I’m delighted you found my blog, and thanks so much for adding to our blogging discussion.
Take care, and I look forward to all your future posts on the wonderful city of London – I love your idea of a home city travelogue.
Deborah
Just came back from my 2nd trip to your lovely homeland and, every day I log onto Carroll's live cam of lower O'Connell street and dream I am there! I don't know what your blog looks like, as this is my first time visiting you, but I'm sure I will enjoy it and have a bit of craic while I am here! Thank you for keeping me "connected" to Ireland- can't wait for my next vacation!
Irish American Mom
Hi Deborah - Welcome to my little corner of the world wide web, where I hope you will join in the "craic". It's always lovely to hear from readers. I'm delighted you had a lovely time in Ireland. I had no idea Carroll's have a live web cam on lower O'Connell Street. I'll have to check it out. It'll do my heart good, if I ever feel a little homesick. It's so nice to know you have returned from Ireland, already planning your next trip.
You may not have seen my blog when it boasted one of the forty shades of green, but let's hope I can return to green before St. Patrick's Day. Fingers crossed!
Take care, and do stop by, whenever you have a moment to spare.
All the best,
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead, the decisions to be made become mind boggling. I've watched as your site has grown, you can tell by the interaction and comments, the icons for the social stuff the building of e-mail lists, the addition of ads, but in the end a blog is just an opinion from a hopefully knowledgeable source. Sometimes it is a muse sometimes it is a voice, sometimes it is just letting the world know you are out there. You have done a nice job of holding on to your blogging soul, as it is tempting to turn traffic into dollars, and there may be a time for that, but in the meantime "just clap it down and get on with life". As for worrying about things I'll leave you with a little Maine ism from my grandfather-"It's too bad she died she made good doughnuts".
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Thanks, Brian. Love your grandfather's Maine ism. Sounds exactly like something my granny would have said. I think "clapping it down and getting on with life" is the best blogging lesson for anyone out there who is starting on their blogging journey. It can be so easy to get completely distracted by the endless information on the web. Thanks so much for reading all my musings. It's always lovely to read your comments.
All the best,
Mairéad
T.M. Johnson
St. Patrick's Day two years ago I found myself puzzling over an Irish blessing to send my mom, a tradition that has spanned many years, and found my stock of blessings exhausted. Then I discovered your blog, Mairead, and you saved the day. Since then I try to stop by and check in on the IAM to see what her Irish is up to lately. I enjoy your blog very much. Not only am I impressed with your format, but I find your posts interesting and entertaining.
As a former blogger myself, I confronted some of the issues you share in your latest post, although my blog was primitive compared to yours...but then the service was free and I got what I paid for. There were times I lost entire posts before I could publish them; they just disappeared into the ether. (You referenced Murphey's Law. Have you heard of Peterson's Corollary? "Murphey was an optimist.") Then there were the photo/video issues. "Blog anxiety" was perhaps my biggest issue, however. I felt obligated to post frequently and like you, wanted my posts to be interesting, as well as editorially "finished." In short, I came to feel I was held in thrall by my own blog.
I look forward to more quality posts from the IAM. Keep 'em coming. You write 'em; I'll read 'em. And many thanks. TMJ
Irish American Mom
T.M. - So glad to hear my blog saved the day with a special Irish blessing for your mom. It's lovely to learn of wonderful family traditions like yours.
You truly do understand the trials and tribulations of blogging. The whole process appears simple at first, but the further into this blogging world we delve, its complexity becomes more and more evident. Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy the writing process - it's all the other stuff, like programming and bills, that gives me gray hair. Anyway, thanks to support from readers like you, T.M., I'm going to keep plugging away at it.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Christie Gregor
I guess you've found your real mission in life...to blog for the common good 😉 as you share your insights and interesting topics as an Irish-American 🙂 It's a God-given talent and I'm sure you are indeed putting it into absolutely good use. More power to you and kudos to your generous time and effort to blog to everyone's content! 🙂
cheers and God bless you!
Christie Gregor
on Gift-Giving
Irish American Mom
Thanks, Christie. I really appreciate your lovely words and support.
Blessings to you too,
Mairéad
Christie Gregor
Hi Mairéad,
You're absolutely welcome and may your tribe increase! 🙂
Stay blessed!
God's blessings and peace!
Christie Gregor
on Gift-Giving
Kassandra
yes blogging is VERY hard work! A nice little post you have here about it and you are terrific at writing (thats my weak part). Also thanks for stopping by my blog the other day 😀
Cheryl Barker
Amen, sister, blogging is indeed hard work. Sorry about your blue problems. I have a son-in-law who takes care of my technical difficulties. Just think, one day your kids will be able to help you! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - Kids today learn how to use technology so quickly. It amazes me how my eldest son seems to intuitively understand the nuances of apps and downloads. The day he can help me is probably far closer than I think. I know you fully understand how time consuming blogging is. Your posting schedule is one for me to aspire to achieve. Thanks for being a writing role model for many of us bloggers.
All the best,
Mairéad
Phyllis
I really appreciated reading this. You're about 3 years ahead of my blogwise and lightyears ahead of me techwise! I'm so impressed with all you have here. And I'm still so grateful for you posting my own little story to your blog. Now a faithful follower . . .
Phyllis
Irish American Mom
Oh Phyllis - I wish my tech skills were better than they are - sometimes I feel like such a novice when I'm trying to play with plug-ins and widgets. I always think I must sound so inept whenever I have to talk to a technical help desk about my blog. I hear myself saying "and where might that be" over and over again, as they try to direct me around the screen.
Wishing you every success with your blogging journey too. We may both be traveling along a steep learning curve, but I must say I'm enjoying the lessons learned, and connections made along the way.
Thanks so much for following, and I too will be following your stories on your blog.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Dinesh Ramakrishnan
Absolutely true. Blogging means working for long time for free and then reap your reward. We all know that blogging is a long term commitment that demands consistent hard work for quite a long time before you start seeing results. It is quite easy to get demotivated soon for various reason.
Irish American Mom
Thanks Dinesh - Blogging really is a long term commitment. Keeping motivated is very important. Wishing you every success with your blogging too.
All the best,
Mairéad