My long time visitors know that I have been “blogging” long before the word “blog” was even invented.  I’ve been journaling my shopping sprees and personal experiences via e-newsletters and websites for over a decade now.  Many of you have helped me celebrate many milestones and comforted me during frustrating times, and it’s your support that has motivated me to continue.  And I thank you all for that.

Now, it seems like several “mommy blogs” are popping up everywhere as of lately, even getting a lot of press. For example, do you ever read Dooce.com (a blog by Heather Armstrong)? Funny stuff.

Anyway, yes, I’m a mom, and yes, I’m a blogger.  But I don’t really classify myself as a “mommy blogger”.  No offense to those that do. Or those that want to be a mommy blogger.  In fact, many people have asked me how to set up their own personal haven online.

So, what would I recommend for “mommies” (or anyone really) wanting to share their good fortunes or life’s mishaps?  Google offers Blogger.com which is totally free and very easy to use. And it’s a great place to play around and experiment.  But keep in mind that Google owns your content and can delete your pages at any given time, or even go out of business.  I doubt Google will ever go out of business, but they could close out Blogger, just like Yahoo bought out and closed Geocities.

I highly recommend registering your own domain name (I  suggest a registering a “.com” instead of a “.net”, “.biz”, etc.), and domain names are under $10/year.  Next set up a web site hosting account. The cheapest plan is usually all you will need unless your traffic soars beyond belief, and you do not need dedicated hosting at this time.  Then install your blog platform. Many domain hosting accounts offer Wordpress installs with a click of a mouse. If not, you can download Wordpress for free at WordPress.org.

For more info on setting up a blog (and ways to even make money from it), visit Work In My Pajamas.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net