My Cafe Bebe Blog
I began writing Cafe Bebe on 13 May, 2009. My goodness that seems like an ETERNITY ago! I happened to be sitting at the dining room table, surfing the blogosphere, trawling through “mommy blogs” in America and thought, “What the Hell…let’s start another blog”. You see, I had started blogging about 4 times over with various and sundry themes before this. So, I went to good old Blogger, picked a name (Cafe Bebe if you must know) and started the ball rolling. This was the header that I created…
Gah! Nice header! I do believe I have come a long way. If you’d like to have a look at that first version of Cafe Bebe, you can still see it HERE. I was only there for a short time as I get bored quickly. I moved to another webhost where I began to improve my blogging a bit. It’s amazing to look back on those first posts and see how horrific they are. And how FEW or NO comments there were! How did I keep going? No clue…delusions of grandeur I guess. Or daft…one or the other!
I got a lot of help from kind bloggers along the way who advised me on how to write my posts and paragraph them; how to use keywords and SEO; how to learn from others. I heard about bloggers getting 300 visits a day! I was amazed with 20. Gosh blogging is a hard slog when you fist start out!
Cafe Bebe morphed again, when I began my self-hosting phase in August of 2009. See, I told you I don’t hang about! I decided Cafe Bebe was going to be a resource for mummies everwhere. Again, delusions of grandeur. I highlighted “mumpreneurs”, did product reviews, ran competitions and managed to blog about our life at the same time. God, was I busy! I did get to know a lot more bloggers and wonderful mumpreneurs, got to trial and review a lot of cool products and began to aquire my mammoth pushchair collection. At one point there were 9 pushchairs in my garage and over the course of a year I tested and reviewed over 20! I am the pushchair queen…well, I was.
Finally, I decided to focus Cafe Bebe a bit more. I split the blog into a personal one and a reviews blog. But you know what? Very few comments were generated by the reviews and I started to feel that maybe I should just limit myself to ONE blog and include reviews as and when. It was about this time that Cafe Bebe finally managed to gain a bit of a reputation, started to climb this index and that and generally was on the up. Coincidence?
Cafe Bebe became us. Adventures as a first-time, stay-at-home-mum. And I think this is where Cafe Bebe is meant to be. I’ve created a plethora of headers, changed themes, changed colours, added widgets, learned how to use html, given myself a load of things to do and have enjoyed virtually every moment of it. 13 May, 2011 is Cafe Bebe’s 2nd Blogoversary. I’m nearly at 500 posts published and have managed to create a paying job through blogging. Not bad for two years “part-time” work. But ultimately, my blog is still, at it’s core, about my Little Miss (my photo muse), my husband Mark, our life together and the challenges that come with it. And hopefully you’ve enjoyed most of it along the way. Thank you for being patient with my ever changing blog, for following me from one host to the other and for encouraging me through your comments and engagement. Here’s to a few more amazing years of Cafe Bebe. You never know what surprises are around the corner!
This post was inspired by Tara Cain’s Gallery…My Blog.
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Brilliant take on the theme. I think I remember one of those headers!
I can’t believe it’s only almost 2yrs you’ve been blogging. It seems like you’ve been around forever and I absolutley love your blog. I hope you are around for a long time to come. Great blog with good balance between family stuff, news and reviews. I bow to your blogging brilliance, you are a legend lovely and if I could be only half as good, I would be delighted. Keep up your amazing work lovely xxxxxxxxxx
Michelle-
Goodness me! What have I done to deserve such praise. Thank you very much. You have made my morning much brighter!
Karin
If I Could Escape,
Yes, I think there have been at least 10 headers…I have a problem!
Karin
aww that’s lovely (and so many hairstyles lol)
Lovely pictures. I have been blogging since 2005 and have starteted this new blog last December. Since them I have been digging the UK blogs. Nice to have met you!
Lovely images but even more I loved your words. It made me reflect on my own blogging journey and where it might take me next. I found you very honest too.
My attempt is at http://gigglingatitlall.blogspot.com
You are an inspiration to many of us Karin and with that a lovely woman too. I’m so pleased to have met you on my journey and may tap into your font of knowledge one day
Back when I started my blog you really took me under your wing and gave me so much help. I thank you for that Karin and wish you blog a very happy birthday! xxx
Your blog is a HUGE inspiration to me, I had been a secret reader for many months and yours was actually one of the blogs that made me start one myself. I don’t say much because I am new to the blogging world and find it all a bit daunting but I just wanted to say that I think your blog is fab and it is really interesting to read how it started.
I shall have a nosy at your original blog later.
x
It’s lovely to see it all from the start and gives me some hope that I can eventually produce a blog that people will want to read. Happy 2nd Blogoversary (for 13th May) – long may you continue.
xxxx
Oh my word. I was just about the comment what a lovely post and how far you’ve come, then I spotted a photo of myself at the end! Brilliant! Love ya! I’ve come along way since then too x
Wow Karin your blog has achieved so much in such a short space of time! Well done you! And Flashback Friday was a flash of inspiration on your part
x
Oooh Karin, I so enjoyed reading this and finding out about the birth of Cafe Bebe – it’s amazing what you’ve achieved.
SAHMlovingit-
Thanks very much lovely! It’s been a pretty good run with hopefully, more good things to come!
Karin
Jenny-
Thanks very much Jenny! I quite enjoy Flashback Friday…bringing a bit of happiness to the blogosphere is a good thing!
Karin
Rosie-
It’s been a lovely journey which has allowed me to meet amazing people like you!
Haven’t we grown up?!
Karin
Tickled Pink-
We all start somewhere! Thank you for your kind words and I know you’ll be ticking along with the rest of us!
Karin
Katie-
How very, very kind and lovely of you! You’ve made my day with that…thanks so very much. Don’t spend too much time on the original Cafe Bebe…it’s a bit rubbish!
Looking forward to watching your progress as well…
Karin
Bec, I do believe I taught you how to do links!
Thank you so much for being a loyal follower…and for your kind words! 
Karin
Mari-
How wonderful of you to say! Thank you so very much…we simply MUST do coffee!
Karin
What an amazing journey for you,and just look at Little Miss, how much she has changed. @Kahanka