5 Weeks of Celebrating 5 Years: Week 1

December 20 of this year marks 5 years since my very first post.  Five years of blogging. 

I never thought I’d make it this far. 

In that time I’ve “met” some wonderful people, some I’ve met in person, some I’ve yet to meet, some I see on a regular basis.  One I’ve even become very good friends with, who knows more about my life than many of the people I actually see on a daily basis—you know who you are—I am forever grateful for your friendship. 

I’ve gotten support in many areas of my life from this community.  What started out as a hobby has become a major part of my life, and one that has opened doors I didn’t even know existed.  So while it started out as planners, it has grown into much more than that.

In the past 5 years, there have been many changes, too.  I had to change the name of the blog once and feared I’d have to do it a second time.  I have reconfigured the layout of the blog.  I have created new labels.  All of this was done to my liking, of course, but also to make it easier for my readers to access information.

My readers. 

Without you all, of course, this blog would be a huge void.  You all have stood by me in times of trouble and times of babbling.  In the wake of hundreds of YouTube channels and Facebook planner groups, I’ve often considered giving up on this blog, fearing and wondering if anyone was still listening.  And while the rate at which people subscribe to this blog has dwindled considerable in the past 2 years, I still get one or two new subscribers every once in a while and haven’t lost any (that I know of).  Of course, it doesn’t mean that all of them read everything I put out there or that people who aren’t subscribed aren’t reading.  But what keeps me going is the fact that with almost every post I hear from someone new.  So while the numbers might not be growing as steady as they once were, there are still readers.

And that is the point.

Of course, NONE of this would have ever started without Philofaxy, Steve, Nan, and Laurie specifically.  It is because of you all that I started the blog in the first place.  It is because of the community you created and have built along the way that I even thought to start blogging.  And all of the “core original” readers from back in my early days—some who are still active, some who are not—well, you all hold a very special place in my heart.

So thank you all—new and “old”—for reading and sticking by me through all 355 posts along the way.

SO!

I want to give back to this community.

I have decided to close out 2014 with gifts. 

Over the next 5 weeks I will be giving away 5 prizes, just because you read what I put out there.

We will start with this week’s give-away.

One of my favorite products is the Command Hooks by 3M.  They are great for hanging random items around the house, and there are plenty of styles and weight limits to choose from.  They are especially handy during the holiday season.  If you’ve never tried them, here is your chance.

To Enter: Be sure to subscribe to the blog and leave a comment below telling me why you want to win the Command hooks.  Entries are open to everyone, worldwide.  Only one entry per person; any additional entries will be deleted.  (I do approve comments, and sometimes it takes me a while to get to them.  Don’t be alarmed if your comment doesn’t show up immediately.)

Deadline:  All comments must be received before Friday, November 28 at 11:59 p.m. (United States, Eastern time).

Winning:  Winner will be chosen at random using Random.org on Saturday, November 29.  I will announce the winner at the bottom of the comments below this post; be sure to subscribe to the comments so you are notified.  Winner will be mailed the products in the photo above.

To Claim:  The winner must claim his/her prize by Monday, December 1 at 9 p.m. (United States, Eastern time) by emailing me at wellplannedlifeblog at gmail dot com.  If the chosen winner does not respond by that time, I will choose a new winner.

All decisions are final.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

*Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the Command or 3M brands.  All purchases were made with my own money.  All opinions are my own.