It has been three years since I started blogging here on Dejlige Days. I didn’t start this blog as a business to make money and as a blog it still doesn’t do that. I was told by someone back in 2013 that no one ever made money from a blog and that I was essentially wasting my time. I didn’t think that I was and I ignored this and carried on. Once my son was at kindergarten and more recently at school, I started to take blogging here more seriously and by seriously I mean I took time in planning what I would write about, I listened to my readers and the wider community, kept up with current issues and make sure I had something worthwhile to say about them. I put effort into the quality of the text and the photography and I started to promote the blog to a wider but still interested audience, I became less shy about what I was doing and stopped the negative voices (in my mind and outside) from preventing me from pushing forward.
I work harder on this blog than I ever did in a paid job because it is for me and my community and writing here has given me opportunties I would never have had otherwise. Paid opportunities as the blog has given me a way to showcase what I can do and what I know a million times more effectively than just telling people I can do these things.
I have been able to contribute to other blogs such as Museum Diary talking about our love of museums in Copenhagen, I have been approached by The Sunday Times and Expedia (amongst others) to talk about living in Copenhagen, I am now a Huffington Post contributor, I have a regular column at The Local.dk and I have been invited on podcasts to talk about my business and my blog. I have worked with startups and larger companies on their communication materials. I have been able to start my relocation and settling-in service as my blog has positioned me as someone who knows their stuff about living here and it has given me to confidence to work on my ebook about relocation, which has already has people interested in it before it is even published. A few of these opportunities I chased but others came to me because of the hard work and reputation my blog and I have.
All of this because I started a little blog and worked hard on it. I really believe that an authentic blog should come before a business not as a promotion for an existing business (although I seem to be a minority in this). I know a number of vastly successful women who started out ‘just blogging’ and for whom that success wouldn’t have happened without that blog.
I know it’s not always fashionable here to show pride in yourself but I do feel proud of what I have created over the last three years. I have built this myself and they say things you have built yourself are the strongest and will last the longest. I still hope to be blogging here in three years time and you will all still be reading it. I hope it will continue to offer me opportunities and also to help others.
I thank my readers for coming here and enjoying what I write and you have made my hard work be even more worthwhile.
Dejlige Days 
You have every right to be proud of yourself – it’s great what you have achieved! Happy Blog Birthday x
Thanks, Jenni! x
I follow you and often (almost always) share your articles, not just from here but your other sources as well. I think you are wonderful!
Wow! This message has made me very emotional. Thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to share them. x
Well done Melanie, you should feel proud and celebrate your achievements. Happy blog birthday!
Huge congrats Melanie! Absolutely fantastic and seriously impressive too. Looking forward to the next three years. Kx
Congratulations Mel. I can’t believe I have been reading your blog for there years. It is one of the first pages I open to read at the beginning of my day 😃 I still miss your weekend blog posts though xx
Thanks Helen. Sadly I think you are in the minority on the weekend posts 😉
I have recently started to read your blog from the very beginning. And also read preview chapters of your book. You’re making fascinating things! Thank you. Keep going, please!
Happy Blogthday!
congrats on three years and here is to many more!
Happy blog birthday!
Thanks for being you on the web… Not an easy task these days… Being proud of ourselves is such a great feeling! We all need outside recognition, but we should not forget to listen to our little voice :« Yes, I have done a good job»! Congratulations ! Eager to read your next post!
Congratulations on three successful years. I enjoy reading everything you have to say.
Always a good read.. keep it up… One day I may live in Copenhagen .. **sigh**
I love your blog already Melanie, it’s how I found you and how I ended up using your relocation service. As you know I recently shut down my own blog because it’s location specific and we will soon be living in Copenhagen, and although I write every day for work, I really miss writing from my own point of view, about what I like, and being able to use my creative muscle in whichever way suits my mood (instead of to meet briefs). I have already had lots of my old readers, for whom it won’t be relevant, ask if I’ll transfer Little Lewes over to become Lille København. Not sure about that! But you have every right to be super proud of yourself – blogging can be a thankless task sometimes and it is hard work to keep going even when you sometimes want to be quiet and not say much. I’m going to start reading yours from the beginning. Happy blogging birthday to you! Kate x