Yes that's right....my little blog turns 1 year old today!
I remember SO clearly sitting in my old living room with Jon and talking about being bored in the third trimester of pregnancy while he was at work all day...we were talking about my hobbies and the subject of blogging came up, as I had previously dabbled with beauty blogging but it had trailed off when I became pregnant and suffered badly with morning sickness.
Jon knew how much I love writing and he suggested I start blogging again but this time about something more relevant (my interest in make up and beauty products waned massively in pregnancy!)
And so the idea of a pregnancy blog was born....I changed my old blog into Sparkles & Stretchmarks and I wrote my very first blog post which you can see HERE.
I have never looked back and have loved every minute every minute of blogging ever since!
New Friends....
I never imagined that a hobby could bring me so many lovely new friends....
Over the past year I have become even closer friends with a lovely girl I already knew from my beauty blogging days....Louise from Confessions Of A Secret Shopper.
It also gave me a shared interest with an old friend and has brought me closer to her too....Rachel from Beauty Queen UK.
And it has introduced me to so many new friends who I now talk to pretty much every day and feel as though I truly count as real friends....namely Emma from Handbags to Changebags, Alex from Bump To Baby, Emily from London Mummy of Two, Jess from Our Baby Blog, Kerry from Lived With Love and Liza from Glambambini.
As well making new friends, I have also persuaded some of my friends to take their first steps into the blogging world and seeing their blogs grow and become fantastic has been wonderful to... if you haven't already, please take a look at their wonderful blogs ... they are Lauren from Mrs Hippo & Me, Sarah from The Natural Momma In Me and, a new starter, Nicola from Mummyhood & Mayhem.
Of course as well as making new friends, I have also been introduced to so many blogs that are an absolute joy to read and inspire me every day....
New Reads...
Particularly Oh So Amelia, This Little House & My Pretty Mummy....their blogs encourage me to want to work harder with my own!
New Opportunities....
As well as meeting new people and finding new reads, I have been absolutely STUNNED by the opportunities that blogging has brought my way in the past year...
Unfortunately due to anxiety issues and living in the arse-end of nowhere, I have had to turn down SO many invites to events that sound absolutely wonderful....most of them take place in London and would require me travelling alone for the day which my anxiety doesn't really allow me to do....but I want to try harder to work past this in 2014 and accept some of the wonderful invitations I'm given.
I have had the chance in the past year to review some amazing products and work with some wonderful companies, I've been given some fantastic prizes to give away to readers and have even been able to make a bit of extra cash from a hobby that I absolutely adore...infact I have now been able to turn this hobby into a work-from-home job that provides me with a comfortable earning to not have to go back to work now that my maternity has ended.
This is amazing and not something I ever even thought remotely possible when I started this blog 1 year ago today!
So in short, I am so glad I started this blog and I already enjoy looking back over posts about Tyne as he's grown up and can only imagine how much better it will be to look back on it all in years to come.
So I will be continuing to blog - perhaps a little less frequently than before as I want to improve on the quality of what I post rather than sacrifice it for quantity - and I will be taking on fewer reviews to make space for more of my own writing and articles.
And of course, there'll still be plenty of pictures of this little guy....
If you have any suggestions for my blog in its second year of life, please do let me know...I would love to hear from you!
In the meantime, I thought it only right to celebrate this little milestone with a good old fashioned giveaway!
If you would like to be in with a chance of winning £250 of New Look Vouchers, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below!
The competition will close in 2 weeks time.
Good luck everybody and thank you for following me and supporting me! :)
GIVEAWAY!
Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com
Happy Birthday and all the best for the year ahead. I think in years to come it will be a great piece for you to look back and reflect on :)
ReplyDeleteHappy first birthday and I hope you have a great 2nd and continue with your fantastic blog :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to sparkles and stretch marks!! You know that I love your blog, and you encouraging me to start mine is something I am very thankful for! Here's to many more happy years of blogging! Xx
ReplyDeletehappy birthday xx
ReplyDeleteHappy 1st Birthday! I love reading your blog and find it inspiring! X
ReplyDeleteWow a year already, I remember talking to you about blogs when I debated whether or not to set one up and look at us now! So happy Blog-birthday and I love the term 'Arse-end of nowhere' I say it alot!
ReplyDeleteMy New Look wishlist if massive and I need some new clothes now ive lost over 1.5 stone as everything is too big...
Beautyqueenuk xx
Wishing you a Very Happy 1st Birthday, with lots more to come x
ReplyDeleteGood luck for the New Year.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, what a beautiful little boy
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your blog. Very exciting! I'm definitely looking forward to your second year of blogging :)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and thanks for a lovely blog
ReplyDelete(kim neville)
Happy birthday to you
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Sparkles and Stretchmarks.....
Happy birthday to youuuuuuu!
Happy 1st Birthday
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday.....Blogging is such a nice way to keep memories - help other people, and expel all the bits and pieces flying round your head. I had a hysterectomy at 40 ..... and I blogged all the way thru it... I stopped when I "got better"... I think it was therapy!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday :)
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ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1 year!
Happy Birthday
ReplyDeletehappy Birthday
ReplyDeleteWe must have started our blog at pretty much the exact same time! Mine was 1 yesterday!
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ReplyDeleteCat
http://www.rockandrollpussycat.co.uk/
Morning, congrats on your 1st birthday, Tyne looks a lovable rouge,birthday in March, hope you and your family had a great festive celebration, wishing you and family, a healthy, happy and prosperous 2014, thank you for running a great competition
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on making it to a year!
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ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY xxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteHappy 1st Birthday, Happy New year and thank you!
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ReplyDeleteHappy 1st birthday, thanks for the great prize :-)
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ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Happy New Year and thanks for a great give-away! x
ReplyDeleteHappy 1st birthday blog! It's scary how fast this year has gone. We'll soon be wishing Tyne happy birthday.
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ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and wishing you many more to come! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday. Blogging is fun but it can be quite challenging can't it? Sometimes it's like having a full time job, as well as kids!
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ReplyDeleteHappy 1st Birthday and all the best
ReplyDelete@avelte2000
Congratulations on your 1st Birthday, I wish you many more x
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteHappy 1st blog birthday and all the best for the future. Good idea to have New Look vouchers as the prize for your comp as most of us could find something we like at New Look, so, along with everybody else, I shall be keeping my fingers crossed hoping for a little bit of luck to come my way. As I don't have Blogloving I have copy & pasted the link to share the comp on Facebook as sure friends would also want to enter. Have a good day celebrating :)
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ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Sparkles and Stretchmarks! :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy 1 st Birthday Tyne(you'll make a gr8 parent one day wee Capricorn:-)!
ReplyDeleteX
amazing giveaway thanks and happy birthday x
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!! :D
ReplyDeletehappy birthday :) x
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! One whole year - that is great! Hope you get lots of new fans.
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ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Sparkles & Stretchmarks wishing you many more
ReplyDeleteHappy 1st Birthday x
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ReplyDeleteCongratulations & Happy Blog Birthday, looking forward to reading many more posts :-)
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ReplyDeleteThank you for your competition, it would be so cool to win these vouchers, and happy birthday!
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Happy 1st birthday x
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fab giveaway! congrats on your 1st Birthday!
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ReplyDeleteHazel Rea - @beachrambler
Hi, I've just stumbled upon your blog, great work and a massive congrats on your 1st Birthday.
ReplyDeleteI've signed up on Bloglovin so will receive regular updates.
Thanks for hosting this competition, muchly appreciated.
Margie ❤️
Congratulations and your first birthday! Wishing you many more happy ones to come!
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ReplyDelete@sarahrees151286
Great prize for my girls & a Happy Birthday
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Happy 1st Birthday & here's to many more years of your blog:)
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ReplyDeleteOoo Happy 1st Bloggy Birthday :D And thanks for the mention. It made me feel all loved, hehe.
ReplyDeleteLouise x
Confessions of a Secret Shopper
Happy 1st birthday, hope there are many more
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Happy Birthday! x
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ReplyDelete@ChrisA2468 wants to wish you a happy birthday
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ReplyDelete