Tag: mom blog

The Mommy Blog Identity

Top Mommy BlogsIt used to bug the crap out of me when I’d see “mom” in someone’s bio. True story. I was like, I see you’re a mom, I feel that’s one of those things you don’t really have to tell me. The entire “Mommy Blog” trend annoyed me. I thought separating them into their own category was just silly. This was of course because I had no idea what I was talking about.

So now, here I am, with “mom” usually first in my short bio. It took me so long to become a mom, that people are just lucky I don’t walk around wearing a badge that loudly proclaims my mom status. Oh wait. I’m usually dragging a toddler while wearing clothing with various food smears and have Cheerios in my hair. I think that speaks for itself.

Today I got the message that my blog was finally accepted into the Top Mommy Blogs website. For some reason, it made me feel a little more official. Maybe because I got a cute cartoon badge. (Go ahead! Click it! It’s a vote for my blog) But also because I decided to embrace the fact that yes, I am a Mommy Blogger. That’s what I enjoy writing about the best – being a mom and raising my son and all the crazy things that come with it. ❤

 

 

Why do you blog?

I was reading an article called something like “8 Reasons Your Blog is Failing,” not because I think my blog is failing, but because I was intrigued by what exactly they considered failing.

One of the reasons mentioned was not having a focus or knowing why you blog, then they listed the possible reasons to blog and they mostly centered around making money. If I ever make any money off my blog I will post a happy dance on YouTube to celebrate. But I didn’t start this with the intention of making money. I blog because I love writing. I started writing in journals around age 6 and kept it up all through college. I imagine I would have had the oldest blog around if the Internet existed when I was little.

And then I did something I didn’t realize would have such an effect on me – I went to school for writing. My major was Magazine Journalism, and I spent my last two years of college having the desire to write beaten out of me by a big red pen. Writing was my thing! And here I was doing what I thought I did best and getting articles back scribbled and marked through with ugly red slashes declaring “Exposition!” which I later learned was the big no-no in reporting. Don’t tell a colorful story! Don’t include details and humor! Just stick to the facts. So I graduated with a degree in journalism and didn’t want to write anymore. They had sucked all the fun out of it. Every time I tried to write it felt like work. I needed to find my voice again.

Then I started the process of going through IVF. It’s not something I wanted to share on Facebook. I didn’t even tell very many people. I was just tired of trying and failing and having to tell friends it didn’t work again and again after years of failed fertility treatments. (clomid, timing, IUI, etc.) But I still wanted to be able to talk about it with somebody. Preferably somebody who really got what I was going through.

So I started an anonymous blog to help keep me sane. Something I could pour my heart into, all my frustrations and not care who was reading because nobody knew who I was. I discovered the joy of writing again while telling my story. It helped me tremendously through a grueling ordeal with a wonderful outcome. I left my blog up because when I was going through IVF I loved coming across blogs with happy endings. If you have any interest in IVF, you can read my story here, in all its uncensored glory: https://stoptellingmetorelax.wordpress.com/

After that, I knew I wanted to keep writing. So that’s how this blog was born. I’m not here to make money or sell you anything. Oh I may do product reviews because I do love free stuff! But that’s not my main objective. I just want to share my stories and interact with the people that read them. So any time someone comments or lets me know they actually read what I wrote? That’s what I consider a success. So thank you to everyone who takes the time to read what I have written 🙂

 

 

 

Tag, You’re it!

awardI am both flattered and happy when another blogger includes me in those “blog awards” that are kind of like chain letters just without the threat at the end. I’m like “squeeeeee…you picked me for something!” But there’s also a little angsty voice inside me going “Oh noooo, now I have to DO A THING….” (but seriously, I am happy to be nominated)

I have 3 of them I have yet to participate in, so I thought maybe I could roll them all into one post. But then I couldn’t find the first one because it has been so long, and one of them was a “Book Blogger” thing that would probably take me a while, so I settled on the “Versatile Blogger Award.”

So without further ado…

THE RULES

  1. Thank the person who nominated you.
  2. Share 7 facts about yourself.
  3. Nominate 5 other bloggers of your choice. 
  4. Link your nominees and let them know of your nomination.

So 1) Thank you Runaway Nuns and Leprechauns for the award! And also to Purple Slob In Recovery for the Book Blogger Award 🙂

2) THE FACTS

  • I have been married 15 years and have a 2 year old. I don’t know a lot of people who wait that long to start a family lol
  • I ran my own costume and corset boutique for 7 years before deciding to be a stay-at-home-mom
  • I’m 5’9″, so 6′ ft. with even short heels. The #1 comment when people meet me is, “You’re tall.” (in case I didn’t know already, lol)
  • I love the water, sun, sand and ocean. That’s where I feel most at home.
  • I also love the rain
  • Cooking makes me happy. Maybe because I like drinking while I’m cooking, but it’s a magical combo
  • My mom was a dancer so that’s where my love of costumes and dressing up comes from

3) ... AND THE NOMINEES ARE…

4) ok yeah, I’ll get around to notifying them sometime, lol

New Category Added: Biz Buzz

I added a new category today called Biz Buzz. It seems like 99% of mom blogs are angling toward some kind of business. You know what I have a ton of experience in? Starting and building small businesses using the Internet. Seventeen years to be exact, since I built my first personal website in 2000 using the ancient Geocities platform. I think it would be silly not to share what I’ve learned over the years.

So welcome to the new business category, aka Biz Buzz 🙂

 

Diary of SAHM – Day 120

Ok, to be honest, I don’t exactly know what day it is. I started in November so I just averaged the months together. If you are doing this too, you understand I’m short on time!

Time is this amazing valuable commodity I can’t seem to get enough of. In fact, that’s the only present I requested for the next year. I told my husband “I only want guilt-free gifts of time for myself.” Guilt-free means they are given without making a fuss about how it is taking away from his precious time to get all his very important things done. And also a good chunk of time because a couple hours is NOT enough and it just sucks to have a little time for yourself but rush everything because you feel like you have to get back home asap.

This is my first blog since the holidays. I missed all those golden blogging opportunities the holidays present, the optimistic or often nostalgic “where did this year go” New Year’s blog…and now we are heading straight into Valentine’s Day and all I asked for was a day to go get my hair done at a salon. Something I used to take for granted. I could spend alllll day getting my hair colored and cut if a wanted. But now I have to plan way in advance, coordinate schedules, etc. I really want to get low lights and be a little less of a blinding blond color. But that takes time. About 4 hours last time I tried it. Where on Earth does a SAHM get time for that? Well they probably don’t and they manage to whip some box color up during a nap time to get by. That’s probably where I’m headed. And if all else fails, at least I look good in hats.

You know what the weird thing is? I’m still super happy I made this decision and I still love it. Every day. Even the tough days, of which there are many. But I had tough days when I ran my boutique. No matter what you choose in life, there will be tough days. As my Green Beret husband would say, “Embrace the suck.” So I do have some seriously sucky days, but somehow they still make me happy when I go to bed at night.

pooh

But seriously, he needs to embrace the suck a bit more and let me have a spa day or something because this momma could use a pedicure, a massage and new ‘do!