Things I Can't Say

Tips and Tales from an Introverted Mom

Pour Your Heart Out: Second Anniversary

Two years of Pour Your Heart Out. Or #PYHO if you are a twitter junkie.

I was nervous hitting publish on that first link-up, wondering if I’d feel bad if no one grabbed that bright button and linked up.

 

wine bottle

Got the point across, even with my craptastic graphics non-skills. So happy for the new one in the sidebar. 😉

Thankfully, I shrugged that self-doubt off and realized that I needed to do Pour Your Heart Out for me: to make sure that at least once a week, I was digging deeper and blogging about what was really on my heart. It would be my safe place to post something that I might otherwise not put out there: last week’s post is the perfect example, since it was probably my hardest to admit to. 

But, wow! Join in, you did!

And the posts that are linked each week- they make me cry, laugh, smile, nod my head in agreement, or make me think about things in a different way.

As you know, there’s never an assigned topic for PYHO because I want you to write from your heart, not force you to write about what I happen to be feeling strongly about that week.

But, what all the posts have in common is that they are very real. When I read your PYHO posts, I get to know you better.

And what I really love is when I go read the PYHO linkers and you have gotten there before me- and I see all the supportive comments. We aren’t all going to agree on everything, but with Pour Your Heart Out, we realize that we can have different views and yet still show kindness and understanding.

Prizes

Thank you all for joining in these past two years. To show my appreciation, there are prizes up for grabs this week.

Visit the Pour Your Heart Out Prize Post for prize descriptions.

For those of you who link up now thru Thurday night, you can win prizes from Eyedews, By Word of Mouth Musings, Divine DigiDesign: Creations by Aramelle Wheeler, Bruner Party of 5, Earth to Alice, and Lisa Leonard Designs. Winners will be randomly selected from those who link up a PYHO post.

Both for those of you who link up and those of you who show your support in other ways, there are two other prizes. You can win a Bloggy Bootcamp Ticket courtesy of SITS or a Kindle Fire from How to Rock Your Blog. Click on those links to enter those giveaways, please.

Link up!

Click if you want to find out more about Pour Your Heart Out. Remember, it’s about what you want to pour out: it’s personal, so there isn’t an assigned topic. It’s also about being supportive of others who are sharing: so visit other linkers and be kind with your comments. Please add the button from the sidebar or add a text link to your post if you are joining in. Just for this week, you’ll see I’m requiring an email in the linky- that’s so I can easily contact you if you win a prize.

Comments

  1. You were one of the first bloggers I connected with. I love that you forgive my mistakes. I love that you make me feel welcome everytime I come here. Thank you. For mentoring a new blogger. Thanks for PYHO.

  2. I have enjoyed participating with PYHO over the last two years. Some of my most revealing, hard to hit publish posts have had that PYHO button at the bottom. You have created a beautiful community here. 

  3. I love the community that I have found here through your blog. It feels nice to have a place that you feel like you belong and you won’t be judged. Thank you for that Shell. It means more than I can tell you!

  4. I am so excited to see you celebrating this milestone. Looking forward to many more to come, and so excited for future projects!

    I love PYHO and love you xoxo

  5. I so love PYHO. Its how I first found you, and Im so glad I did. Thanks for this amazing link up every week. My hardest-to-publish posts have come from it, and I always feel so much better after all of the supportive comments.

  6. Congratulations, Shell! I love this meme and the community of writers, sharers, and honest human beings that you’ve created around this meme. Seriously. This, or the feeling that I get through sharing and listening to others is why I blog, or one of the main three reasons why I blog. 🙂 So for that, thank you!

  8. Congratulations on reaching this amazing milestone! I think I commented earlier this week that #PYHO is my favorite Wednesday linky. What I love about it is that it makes me “dig deeper” once a week, to write about what I’m really feeling. Thank you so much for this.

  11. PYHO is one of my favorite parts of the week. I think you are so right on when you say how much you learn about each blogger from their PYHO posts.

    Congratulations Shell!

  12. Congratulations on 2 years! I have participated on and off since I found you and I think this is an absolutely wonderful idea. So much of what I write feels like pouring my heart out that sometimes I feel bad linking up, but there are occasions I’ve posted with your badge when I needed an extra ounce of confidence and for that I thank you. 

    • You can always join in! My intent was for those who do  this anyway and for those who need that extra push to have a place to come together. 🙂 

  14. Congratulations on 2 years! That’s such a big milestone! I am so glad that I found PYHO. I linked up the first time on a whim, figuring that it would get me to write about stuff that was on my mind and that would be that. I never anticipated the support that I have received on those posts. Thank you for that.

  17. Happy anniversary!  I may not participate as often as I would like, but I truly love PYHO.  It is a safe place to go when I have something to blog about, but am afraid to hit publish.

    • So happy to have you when you do join in! And can you believe it’s been 2 years? You and I have known each other a lifetime, in blog years. 🙂 

  18. Thanks so much for stepping out on faith and starting PYHO! I have dwindled down to only posting about once per week and PYHO is my weekly medium! It is a great way to read some other really great blogs and gain some readership and comments of my own blog! Thank you! Thank you! Happy Anniversay you are truly a trailblazer with this blogging thing!

  20. Love PYHO and love reading your blog and getting to know you better each week. Thank you for starting it and thank you for doing all that you do! So happy you are my a friend in the cyber world! 🙂

  21. You’ve provided something that so many (I’m sure) have treasured! So, thank you Shell for 2 great years! And, congratulations! You have always been one of my favorite bloggers and I’m sure you’ll continue to be at the top of my list for many years to come.

  22. This is only my second time linking up, but I love that this exists. Whenever I feel the urge to blog about something that is bothering me, I often don’t let myself. But this group of women (are there men in here???) is so supportive that it reminds me — It’s OK to grump occasionally. It’s OK to let it out. It’s OK to disagree. Thanks for offering this forum, Shell. And congrats on two years!

    • There’s the occasional male. Mostly just a great bunch of supportive women! 

      Thank you! 

  25. Congratulations on 2 years! I love that you host this link up for us. I think it’s wonderful to give us a place each week to write from the heart without being judged.

  26. I found your link up almost one year ago and it has given me a great opportunity to say things straight from my heard that I might not have otherwise said.  Thank you for pushing our boundaries as well as giving us the opportunities to meet other bloggers.  I know I have been blessed by the opportunity!

  27. You have made PYHO a great weekly meme…actually more than a meme. A place where we can share and received support from each other. Love ya girl! xoxo

  29. Congrats, Shell on reaching two years with PYHO!

    The community you have created here is something that I have no words for.  It is great to be able to write something from your heart and know that there is a chance you will connect with someone who feels or has felt the exact same way you do.

    Thank you for PYHO and thank you for being the sweet lady that you are.

  33. Congratulations on two years!!!  I love your PHYO posts.  I always think you are such an excellent writer, and I’ve truly enjoyed connecting with you, and some of your other readers.  So proud to have you as blogger in NC.  I feel like we’re related. 🙂 

  34. I don’t recall how I found your blog but it has expanded my horizons and helped me “meet” other bloggers on here.  Thank you and happy bloggerversary!!

  35. Shell, thank you for hosting this and leading the way, showing us how to pour our hearts out! You’ve created a community where we can be open and honest and I know I speak for everyone who links up when we say thank you! Happy 2 years, chica!

  37. Happy 2 years of a compassionate, wonderful opportunity you’ve given to others to share their thoughts and feelings. Thank you for hosting, for commenting, and for your kindness.

  39. Congratulations on two wonderful years of Pour Your Heart Out! When I first happened upon it I was really hesitant to link up because I didn’t have anything good like what I read here and on those who linked up. But then I finally realized that I didn’t need to compare myself to what everyone else was writing and that all I needed to do was write from the heart. So now I link up when I have something to say!
    Thank you, Shell.

    • Oh no, girl. No comparing allowed. We all have things that are important to us to share- there’s no comparing! 

  40. Happy Birthday Pour Your Heart Out 🙂
    I love #PYHO & you & what you do for the blogging community. You’ve created such a safe place for us, and thank you for that.

  41. Congratulations on your two years! You’ve done a great job with this linky, and it is obviously feeling a really important need for people.

  42. Happy Anniversary Shell!! I can honestly say that this meme has helped me grow! I’ve had the chance to write about the past, share stories about present struggles, and everything in between! Thank you!!!

    • I’m so sorry for the rough time you are having lately, but glad that writing it out through PYHO is helping, even just a little bit. 

  50. I love PYHO it gives me a reason to say exactly what I want and not feel bad.  I feel bad enough right now to begin with. Thank you for providing us with the outlet. Also, thanks for letting me know last week, that indeed I am not alone

  51. I love PYHO and I adore you. This space and place you gave us to talk about the things we can’t say is such a GIFT and I’ve been thinking of how something so mall has gotten SO BIG and so important to all of us. it’s just like YOU….your first blog post to NOW….I’m just so glad you are part of my world.

    Enjoy your celebration my friend.

    xoxoo

    • Thank you so much, my sweet friend. I’m so thankful for everyone who continues to join in and be so supportive. It never would have kept going if it weren’t for all of you!

    • And thank you for joining in. I may have started this, but it only works because of supportive friends like you! xo 

  56. I have enjoyed PYHO since the beginning!!!  It’s been very therapeutic for me, as well helping me find other bloggers with whom I connect with.

    Congrats on 2 years!!!!

  59. I don’t always participate here but I love reading the posts and that you have given people a safe place to dig deep and really share a part of themselves. 

    You are awesome and Congrats on your new venture with your new site. 🙂

    • I’m so glad to hear that the spirit of support that I so hoped for really is a reality! 

  61. I am forever grateful for PYHO, Shell. As it’s one of the best ways I have gotten to know YOU! And it gives me an incredible way to voice my own self – who I truly am. Much love to you and happy happy meme-iversary!

  62. Happy Anniversary, Shell!! I haven’t written one for quite some time, but I know I need to start it up again. It’s amazing therapy 😉

    xo

  65. I am so excited for the 2 Year Anniversary for PYHO! Shell, you are quite an amazing friend and blogger. I am so happy to have you in my corner. PYHO has helped me out on so many occasions. You are truly an inspiring person!

  66. I’m so happy to see the number of participants this time!!! I love PYHO because it really gives me a chance to open up more than I normally would.. without feeling like readers are going to judge me for it!! Thank you for starting this!!! (btw, I Loved your old button!)

    • I love seeing all these linkers! And am working my way through reading all of them. 🙂 

  67. Two.years. Wow! Congrats, and it sounds like, from reading several of the above comments, this is much more than a link up. It’s a community, a warm blanket for a lot of ladies.  That is something to be incredibly proud of! I can’t wait to read more, and link up myself very soon.

  68. I’m so glad to number you among my bloggy friends! I thought I commented already when I put up my link, but I guess not.
    i look forward to seeing your blog every day!
    Sandy

  69. Happy TWO years of PYHO, Shell! 

    This link up is a true gift – an open forum to spill it, because wowsa do we all EVER need to do so!

    Thank YOU for THIS!

  70. Congrats on the milestone! Even though I only just found you a few weeks ago I have really enjoyed everything about your blog! Looking forward to knowing and growing with you in the future. And thanks for the chance to “Pour my Heart out!”

  71. I have seen these posts on a few of the different blogs I read.  I always love them!  I came to your blog from Living in France, and I’m glad I did!

    I’ll definitely be linking up for future PYHO posts!

  73. Shell, 

    Happy 2 Year Anniversary =) So excited for you.  You’ve created an amazing link up that I truly enjoy being apart of taking the time to read various blogs each week. 

    The amazing thing is that you take the time to visit every story and leave a comment when the people partake.  That’s pretty dang awesome!  But you make it very welcoming for all.  

    Anyways, thanks for starting this link up =) It’s pretty awesome.  

    • Such sweet words, thank you! I figure if I’m going to host, I need to visit them all. I don’t always get to them all right away, but I do get there! 

  74. Hi Shell! Congrats on the anniversary! I am new to your blog, came across it from Eyedews! So glad I found you this seems like a wonderful little community! I would love to learn how to get more followers! If I can help just 1 person with my story I would be a happy camper! 🙂

    • Welcome! 

      Did you see the class we are doing through How to Rock Your Blog? There’s one on community building for your blog! 

  78. Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!
    I really appreciated your honesty about being nervous to begin the link up. I can totally relate…getting ready to do the same thing myself this next month.
    It looks like you’ve had amazing success though and that it has meant so much to so many.
    I hope to be back sometime and take part myself. Congrats again! =)

  79. I love PYHO but often I am terrified to post anything REALLY personal on my blog to link here and sometimes I really want to. This week the FB posts had me longing for that outlet. I love that you offer this as to us to vent or praise what ever we want to pour out. You always make me think and that’s a good thing. Congratulations on two years! 

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