So I launched a new site. Before we begin this post, I’m going to calm all your fears. Yes, I’m launching a new site, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me right here on OneHundredDollarsAMonth.com basically until the end of time {or as long as you’ll have me. Whichever comes first}. The new site is not taking the place of the old site. Think of the new site as more as a complimentary dish or maybe even an appetizer to the main course. Now that I’ve calmed all your fears, let’s begin {and we’re beginning by rewinding a few years, so buckle up…}.
Back in 2009 when I started this little ole site, it was a simple diary. For myself. Just me {although I think my mom popped on a time or two to spy on me}. It was a personal chronicle of my garden experiences in my own backyard. We had recently moved from a .25 acre lot in downtown Puyallup, Washington to a 1.25 acre lot in Gig Harbor, Washington. Gig Harbor seemed like a quaint waterfront utopia with properties hidden along the waterfront and winding country roads. It screamed suburbia, which was exactly where we were looking to settle down and raise our family.
2009 was also the year I discovered the internet could be used for things besides answering emails and selling the my occasional hooked rug on eBay. I realize I was a little behind the times but up until that point, I really didn’t use our home computer that much.
I stumbled upon the blogging world for the first time and thought it was super weird that strangers were writing about their lives AND sharing pictures of themselves and their families online and other strangers were reading all about it. Strangers like me seeing all the ins and outs of other people’s lives. I mean, ANYONE with computer access could see this, right? What a bunch of weirdos.
I was one of those weirdos who found some blogs I was fascinated with and starting leaving comments. And those bloggers started responding. It kind of blew my mind! Over the course of a few months I met some really cool people with interests similar to my own. Those blogs inspired me to start a blog of my own. Which was a totally weird thing to do for someone who is a MAJOR introvert. But it’s safer being an introvert behind a computer screen. It actually allowed me to branch out and be social on my terms and from the comfort and safety of my own home.
Then came the coupon craze of 2010. I went a little a little mad snatching up every possible box of junkity junk I could get my hands on for free. My blog shifted as I taught people how to coupon and showed off my scores of food bought for mere pennies. It was a challenge and it was fun for awhile. But I soon found myself missing fresh vegetables from my garden. Yes, I was saving boatloads of money, but I was also feeding my family boatloads of garbage. So while I liked saving my family money, after about 2 years of playing the extreme couponing game, I pretty much bowed out of the game completely.
With the end of my couponing days, the content on the site saw another major shift as I started to write about other things. Before I knew it, I went from having about 2,500 blog visitors a month to having well over a half million people stop by on a monthly basis. That’s crazy talk.
But it was also awesome. As I interacted with these new readers {that’s you!}, I got requests to do all sorts of different DIY, recipe and tutorial posts. With the increased interest came increased content variety. Suddenly, my simple little diary grew up into a full-blown blog {they grow up so fast, don’t they?!}. I was blogging about everything from food waste to chickens to money saving tips; Christmas crafts to DIY remodeling projects to bento boxes. And everything in between. And I was loving every second of it.
But, I wanted to get back to basics. I wanted my garden journal back. But I didn’t want to abandon One Hundred Dollars a Month, not in the slightest so….
In 2013, an idea was hatched and a new site called Dig for Your Dinner was born.
But then life happened. The Girl’s senior year came along and we were considering selling our big house {and obviously the 1.25 acre garden as well} so I put Dig For Your Dinner on hold.
2014 brought with it all sorts of change. Our daughter went off to college, we bought a vacation home on the East Coast, we sold our McMansion in the suburbs and downsized by about a third. I wanted to go smaller, but with only 28 days to find a house, we were in a time crunch. That led us to purchase the house we currently live in now. This house is fine. Just fine. I don’t love it but I tolerate it. And in all honesty, it’s probably a perfect fit for this period in our lives.
Our son, Monkey Boy, is still living at home while working a full-time job doing something he LOVES. Our daughter, The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird, is off at college on the east coast full-time. And so here we are, in that awkward in-between stage. The not quite empty-nesters, not quite ready to retire part of our lives.
So I’m making the most of it and passing my time gardening {among other projects!}.
I LOVE gardening. And I wanted to get back to the day-to-day garden writing I used to do before blogging became a full time job {which is really the best full-time job anyone could ever ask for. Honest}.
I wanted a sort of second home for all the little things that don’t really fit into what this site has become. So I decided to dust off Dig For Your Dinner and get it launched. Dig For Your Dinner will not be as elaborate as One Hundred Dollars a Month. There won’t be multiple random posts daily. Maybe just a handful a week. It’s really more of a gardening journal; I’m getting back to my roots.
Not to worry though, there will still be weekly garden updates here. That won’t change. You’ll just see some fun additional gardening content over there.
Speaking of gardening, I was missing that gardening aspect so much so that I gathered all of the gardening knowledge I’ve acquired through the years and packed it into 11 monthly {and awesome I might add} gardening eBooks. An eBook for every month of the year, with month-specific planting guides, gardening projects and chores and of course, seasonal recipes.
If you’re looking for all of my very best gardening content in one convenient spot, those monthly gardening eBooks are a must.
Once you’ve read them {or while you’re reading them}, head on over to Dig For Your Dinner for more real time gardening content. And then come back on over here for all the rest of the canning/gardening/crafting/adventuring/traveling/deals/Lucy-loving fun. Because we all know two is better than one!
~Mavis
Hillari says
Exciting news! Your gardening posts are my favorite.
Patty says
Very cool! Happy New Year!
Kari says
Ah, love this! You never cease to amaze!
jackie says
I really missed the gardening and chickens of 2013. Happy to hear this brews!
Julie says
Omg that is so exciting!!!!! I love all your gardening advices so I can’t wait to read your new blog!! (and I can’t wait to know how you built your garden boxes, I’m getting ready to build mine… when snow will go away from PNW 🙂 )
Henrietta says
I’m excited!! I love all your adventures, but you had me at gardening!
Kim says
Mavis, I love love love this. I’ve been lurking for about a year now but your blog is a favorite. I’ve been constantly inspired and started following you for the gardening aspect of your blog but I love it all. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got going on Dig for Your Dinner. As soon as I saw that I thought, ‘man I need to get that saying printed up and hang it on my kitchen wall.’ Anyway, keep on keeping on and I’ll keep on reading. 🙂
Jen says
Mavis, congrats on your new adventure and I will follow there and here!
Alice says
I have two little raised gardens and look forward to reading about what you get in to this summer. I miss Washington so much, but I think our Zones are very similar. I hope you have fun with this new part of your blog.
Heidi P says
So excited to follow your new website. I’ve missed gardening and its one of my biggest focuses for 2016. I will happily be filling my 14+ raised beds along with you. Perfect timing!
Leslie says
Great! Looking forward to the new site.
Teri says
More Awesomeness from you! LOVE YOU MAVIS!
Donna says
This is going to be super awesome. Excited to see what the year brings on your new blog. I’ve been reading your blog since you started ‘jumping off the processed food chain’ (I think that one was my favorite one ever).
christine says
I love it! Congrats!
RebekahU says
Hooray for you!! I just purchased your January book and hope to read it tonight.
Carrie says
What great news! I started following your blog two years for your chicken and garden advice and have stuck around for the money saving tips and recipes. I just moved into a new house and have been dreaming about my garden plans. Dig for your Dinner has been bookmarked and subscribed to! wahoooo!
Rynda says
Mavis,
I’m so pleased that you’ll be spending more time sharing information about your gardening. When I first started reading your blog 4 years ago I was hooked on your garden, chickens, and smart money saving ideas. I have to be honest though, and say how much I like the sharing of your annual goals. It’s such an inspiration. I already have mine written down. So- I’ve been waiting for yours. It’s Sunday, January 3rd – I want to know what wonderfully, crazy goals you have for 2016. Keep on, keeping on.
Eagerly waiting –
Rynda
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Rynda! I will be posting my goals tomorrow afternoon. 🙂 And they’re good ones too!!
Maria says
I went to Dig for your Dinner and enjoyed it very much. I’m looking forward to reading it regularly and learning so much.
Amy says
Very excited about the garden blog!
Can’t wait to hear your 2016 goals tomorrow. Something to do with that very clean pantry?
When are we going to find out what was in the Amazon box?
Mavis Butterfield says
From the giveaway? It was a Flexrake. 🙂
Tracy says
I just bought January! Least I could do for all I’ve enjoyed reading your blog. Haven’t read it yet, but will start tonight. Perhaps February, March, April, etc. will be in my future…
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Tracy! That was very sweet of you.
Amanda says
I’m so happy about this! The gardening aspect is what really drew me to your website and I’m excited to see you focus more on this…although I will still avidly follow onehundreddollarsamonth, because its awesome too!
Jennifer says
Good for you Mavis on your new website, goals achieved, happiness you clearly experience, and the expansion of your online presence over the years. Regarding the couponing craze–I never got into it myself because we don’t have double coupons in our area and, just like you, I thought all the couponed food was just junk! I’d rather spend my money on seeds and dig for my dinner. For sure.
Laura Z says
Yeah! I have kind of slacked off on gardening this last year, so planting a big one to save money is high on my resolution list. Looking forward to the new blog!
Diana says
I’m excited for your new adventure! Looking forward to seeing your goals tomorrow and will be hopping on over to the new website to check it out.
Because of your goals from last year, I’ve actually decided to set a few for myself this year. I like the idea of calling them goals vs resolutions. I am very goal oriented and it appeals to me. Not sure how to set them up so I won’t get discouraged and let them go, but working on that. Maybe sharing them, like you have, will help with the follow through?
You’re an inspiration, Mavis. Thank you for being out here. Happy New Year!
Michele says
Mavis- thank you so much for all you do! I fell in love with your hilarious commentary a loooong time ago! I am so thrilled you’re still sharing your knowledge – with a side of some LOL’s!
Thank you for all you do!!!
Michele
Jannette says
I follow you from France since a couple of years and I’m pleased you got around to realizing your idea for Dig For Your Dinner. Thanks to you I started my own modest two squares of veggie gardens and I love it! Thanks ever so much for sharing.
Jannette
Katie P NC says
Please oh please oh please don’t change this site to truncated posting- I loathe that style blogging. Yours is the first blog I read in the morning and I look forward to your adventures, I was super excited for the new blog… until I opened the link and saw the format. Just food for thought.
I’m sure I will check in on the new site occasionally when you remind us but not with the excitement or voracity that I read $100. Good luck with your new adventure!
Amanda says
This is so wonderful Mavis! Thank you for all your hard work! It really motivates me to keep up on my garden 🙂
Angie says
I think this is awesome! We all need change! Looking forward to reading both.