Dear Readers,

You're welcome.  Why?  You have no idea what all I could be posting here, if I actually did what I'm constantly being asked to, via email requests.  Instead of reading posts written by me, I could be sharing all kinds of information, infographics, and posts written by some random stranger.  And the funniest part of this is that these email requests?  All want me to do this for free.  Because, apparently their content is JUST SO SPECIAL that I should be happy to do this.  Now, normally I just hit delete on these emails, but a few weeks ago I was bored and responded to one, just out of curiosity.  Here's the email chain, minus the company/contact names:

Hey Shelley!
I hope you're having a great week! My name is XXXXX and I came across My Journey to Fit back in October while looking for healthy living inspiration.

I wanted to reach back out to you because I thought you might be interested in sparking a conversation about the best post-workout snacks. From beginners to seasoned workout veterans, many people don't know how to properly refuel after a sweat session. We'd love to see an upcoming post on your blog that shares some of your favorite post-workout snacks to inspire others to get the most out of their workout recovery.

Just let me know if you are interested and I would love to provide you with more details!
Yours in health,
XXXXX

Hi XXXXX,
I get several emails like yours on a weekly basis and usually just delete them, but I'm curious - will you pay for this post?  Why would I spark a conversation about post-workout snacks otherwise?

Hoping to hear what's in this for me, because I honestly don't know...

Hey Shelley,
Thanks so much for getting back to me! We have found that this is a very hot topic that people are looking for more information on and have had bloggers write on it using us as a resource to their readers. These posts have received many great comments and are helpful for those seeking to live a healthier lifestyle. We would love for you to participate, but unfortunately, for this project we are not looking to partake in sponsored placements or monetary exchanges- I'm really sorry about that. However, we are running social exchanges with some of the posts we receive. That being said, I completely understand how much work goes into a successful blog and I also understand if this doesn't fit within your blogs requirements. I appreciate you following up with me.

Best,
XXXXX

Just to be clear, this is a daily occurrence.  And no, even if they offered to pay me, I wouldn't do that...which is why you aren't seeing a post written about martial arts - that was the rare email who did offer me a cool $30 to write a sponsored post for their company, but I'm not in this for the money, obviously.

Now, if Hoka would send me free shoes, sure, I'll write a post about them - but I've already done that, just because I liked the shoes and wanted to share that.  So I guess I screwed myself out of a potential freebie, dang it.  Sadly for my bank account, no one is beating down my door offering me things that I really want, and would love to review, like running gear or yarn.

Oh well, such is life.  And hey, at least not making any money from this blog means I don't have to report anything on my taxes and try and figure THAT out, so I've got that going for me.  Happy Income Tax Day to my fellow Americans - hope you've got your taxes filed and had no unexpected surprises in the form of having to pay.  We made out OK, but I sure miss our little deductions...darn them for growing up!