Mummascribbles Meets Archives – Mummascribbles
Today I meet the very lovely Catherine from Mama vs Teacher. I’ve actually met her in real life so it’s a real peleasure to have her here with me today. Thanks so much for taing part Catherine
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
I am Catherine, I live on the South coast with my hubby and Sprog (born August 2013). I met my husband a very long time ago when we both worked in Clarks for our Saturday jobs… I trained him to fit kids shoes when he first arrived! I’m a full time History teacher, he’s an accountant.
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
Well, I’ve been struggling with this myself as there’s not actually a huge amount of this time. It’s been about 30 minutes a day, so it has been watching trashy telly. However, over the summer holidays, I’ve challenged myself to redress that balance ready for the new term to have a bit more time for me in it. So I’ve been running more, painting my toenails, making things for Sprog’s birthday cake. I’d love a sewing machine and time to learn how to use it but that is definitely not going to happen for a while.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Oh so cheesy but I am going to say that it is helping Sprog to be such a lovely little man, I have no idea how much of it is down to me (I work full time) and how is that he is genetically chilled out and happy but I just love the way he is so caring and loving. If I’ve had any impact (let’s hope so) then helping to create and grow another human who is that wonderful is definitely my biggest achievement ever!
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
The hardest part for me is not having the energy to be Mama that I want to be and also we’re at a stage where Sprog can get frustrated but he can’t verbalise it for us to be able to help him and I find that really difficult when he’s trying so hard to let us know what’s wrong. I also find it tough that a lot of the time, he wants Daddy over Mama but I do still get amazing cuddles from him!
I don’t think there’s an easy bit. The most rewarding is seeing the joy and excitement in his face when he does something new or when something makes him happy. I love watching Daddy and Sprog tickle and chase each other, that’s when my heart glows the most.
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
Um… I don’t do housework. My poor suffering husband ends up doing the hoovering etc most of the time. I do general stuff like washing up and washing but beyond that I’m a bit useless. I always have something that is more important/fun to be doing like marking, planning lessons, playing with Sprog, painting with Sprog, running round the garden with Sprog… you get the idea. I have to be super organised for the things that have to be done and I will always do my food shopping online now – I would have no idea where some of the stuff we eat lives in the actual supermarket.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I wanted to balance the 2 bits of my life as they collided when I returned to work. I’d never even read blogs before, I just wanted somewhere to be able to offload my thoughts and help me to focus on the positives.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I write about the positive things we do as a family whether it be days out, activities at home or new things that we’ve experienced. There’s also the odd rant and rave thrown in when something frustrates me in either the parenting world or my teaching world.
I run a linky which goes live every Monday and runs all week called Imagination Matters where we share ideas for creative, imaginative and free play based on a particular theme each week. I started it so that I was more focused on talking about a variety of things with Sprog rather than having the same old conversations with him. It’s really helped us to do new things and discover what he does and doesn’t know. I’ve just realised that he doesn’t really know anything about shapes yet so we’re working on that at the moment!
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I don’t really have any grand ambitions, just to be able to have a space for my thoughts.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Go for it! Google and Youtube any techie stuff that you don’t know or understand as it comes up. And take part in linkys if you want to grow your audience!
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. Michael McIntyre… he cracks me up every time we flick channels and he’s on telly.
2. Sarah Millican… same reason really, she’s totally like my Auntie and I’d love to see how funny the pairing of her and Michael are together.
3. My husband… because we don’t get a huge amount of time together and I love being able to sit down and actually see his face and talk to him.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I have matching freckles under each arm pit!
2. I am now working back at my old school
3. I forgot to take my bouquet with me when we went out for our wedding photos so there’s no flowers in most of them.
You can find Catherine over at www.mamavsteacher.com and also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+
This week we meet the lovely Stephanie from A Cornish Mum. Thanks so much for taking part Stephanie.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
I live in Cornwall (shocker and a big surprise I know!) with Si who is amazing simply for putting up with me for the last 5 years, and my two mini men Fin and Harley. I’m an incredibly impatient person and hate not knowing things, which is why Si hides my presents at other people’s house and I can’t stand being late for anything.
My eldest Fin has inherited my impatience, so it’s pretty much like karma has had its hand in, whereas Harley is ridiculously laid back in the extreme at times and I suspect will always be late for everything. My boys really could not be more different from each other in pretty much every way apart from the fact that they hold my heart equally in their hands.
I’d do anything for my little family, and the last 5 years being with the man I’m meant to be with have been the happiest in my life even though urghh I’m not a fan of soppiness believe it or not!
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
My only ‘job’ other than parenting is blogging, which I am lucky enough to be getting paid for on a fairly regular basis now. When I’m not blogging (but I am a LOT of the time) I like to do stuff as a family.
I love evenings at the beach collecting shells and jumping waves, singing really badly with the car windows open in public with the boys, curling up with a good book on the rare occasion I have the time, and I love being out doing stuff whether that’s a walk by a river, watching ballet, riding a log flume, seeing some fireworks or just having a picnic at the park.
I do love having the occasional child free day out with Si as well!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Other than my handsome mini men, I’d say either overcoming my fears to do a charity solo skydive, reaching the top 100 of Tots 100 in my first 6 months of my blog or just finally being happy!
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
I would say the hardest part is when they are ill, it physically hurts that you can’t make them better or take away their pain. My eldest has Type 1 Diabetes and when he was diagnosed 6 years ago he almost died….whilst I feel happy every day that the worst didn’t happen and he’s still here…it kills me that I can’t take away what’s wrong with him.
The easiest part is just spending time with them, they make me laugh every single day, and they make me a sillier more fun version of myself. We have a lot of fun the four of us, and I love seeing glimpses of the men they will be when they’re older and they make me very proud.
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
After Fin was diagnosed he was rushed in to hospital pretty much every 6 weeks for a while afterwards as he was so weak he couldn’t fight anything off, and I ended up giving up work. These days I still don’t work as he’s ill more often than most people’s children that I know and I wouldn’t trust many people on this planet with looking after him when he’s ill – Type 1 really complicates a lot of things!
They are both in full time school though, so I have plenty of time during the day to focus on my blog, and a panicky 20 minutes every day to clean before Si gets home from work. I do need to cut back my blogging hours really as I neglect Si more than the boys, so I am working on juggling things a bit better. I never do things by halves though, and I hope my blog reflects how much work I’ve put in in the last 6 months!
Why did you decide to start blogging?
Sorry to be a Type 1 Diabetes bore (not a surprise to many!) but that was one of the main reasons I wanted to start my blog. It was very hard when Fin was first diagnosed and I had no idea where to go for support, and I was hoping to provide that for other families who are newly diagnosed…without having to train as a nurse to do it!
I have also always loved writing and in all honesty I was lonely. With the boys at school fulltime and so many Mum’s I do get on with working I was spending too long on my own and bored. I’m naturally someone who needs to be too busy, I am never just doing one thing at a time and I hate boredom.
The opportunities that my blog has given us already have been amazing, and I’ve made so many online and in real life friends through blogging now, that I don’t feel bored or lonely anymore, and I love that.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I’m a bit greedy with my blog, I cover so many different areas because my interests are quite varied and I want there to be something for everyone if that’s actually possible. I’d say my most popular sections are my Type 1 Diabetes, Cornwall, and linkies ones.
I run a monthly Ten Things blog link up alone and a joint weekly Pick ‘n’ Mix one with Eilidh at Mummy and Monkeys, and I love how popular they both are. Though I have got about 70 blog posts to read and comment on in the next 5 days or so.
My blog is so varied that one day I can be writing about making my Will and the next I could be showing off a DIY home project or reviewing a day out or a holiday. I’m an Approved Family Friendly blogger so there may be more holidays and days out to read about on there in the near future as well.
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
This is a tricky one as if you’d asked me a couple of months ago straight away I would have said that I wanted to be in the top 100 on the Tots 100 table…but I’m there already which I still can’t believe.
My goal at the moment really though is nothing to do with rankings, I just want my blog to help others, whether that’s to cope with a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, to help someone spot the signs of
Type 1 and save a life or whether it’s to help someone to choose where to visit in Cornwall. I just want to feel like I’m doing something important that is valuable to others, if that makes any sense?!
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
This is one I have mulled over for a while, but it’s one of the key things people really do wrong as far as I can tell. It’s be careful with your choice of blog name!
Check that no one else is using that name as it will really confuse things on social media, you will have major competition on google searches as you’ll be mixed in with their results, plus they may not take kindly to it.
Also when choosing a name think hard about whether that name will suit you in years to come, a name like ‘Mum to a 4 year old’ for example (just made that up sorry if anyone has it!) will only be valid for that year and won’t make sense afterwards.
Your blog name is important, and it’s a big decision that shouldn’t be rushed as you may regret it later on.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Oh no last time I answered this one I chose very randomly and said Elvis and then had about 15 ‘official’ Elvis’ follow me on Twitter afterwards!
Here goes…I would choose Hugh Jackman partly because my boys love X Men (and I!) and this would give me big ‘cool Mum’ points, but also because he’s gorgeous.
The comedy genius Katherine Ryan because she is just hilarious. Most importantly my sister Tracey with my niece Melek and nephew Zeki (a cheat but they come as a package so count as 1) they live in Turkey and I haven’t seen them in about 2 years now sadly.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I can’t stand the sound of anyone touching polystyrene or similar squeaky noises it actually makes my toes curl and makes me feel a bit sick! Of course the boys and Si use this to their advantage the scamps.
2. I can’t ride a bike, I just don’t have the natural balance to do so and almost hit a dog when I tried as a child, swerved and hit a wall instead.
3. On ‘fat’ days I wear gym clothes…not to go to the gym, but just so if someone looked at me they’d think ‘oh well at least she’s trying!’ – I never claimed to be normal by the way.
You can find Stephanie over at www.acornishmum.com and also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Today I bring you my first ever mummascribbles meets with a dad! Where are all you dad bloggers hiding huh?! So, I bring you Jeremy from Nerdy Dad Shirt. Thanks so much fo taking part Jeremy.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
I am a married father of three and an only child with a small, immediate family in Gloucester, MA.
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
Aside from teaching, coaching, writing, editing, side work, and parenting, not much! Television on the couch with the missus is a favorite, or time with the kids (of course). There’s that perfect 45 minutes of “missus and me” time between putting the older kids to bed and falling asleep myself—we try to grab it every night before we both fall asleep, usually with a sleeping baby on the couch with us. Time is the only luxury I truly want more of.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
A healthy marriage and three amazing kids, for two. My writing at the Good Men Project and Nerdy Dad Shirt are also pretty significant, along with a career in teaching that I love. I’m exactly who I want to be, with a list of achievements to go.
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
Hardest—my kids are seven, five, and ten months, so it’s the constant upkeep and kids’ schedule for my wife and me that is the hardest, it just never ends it seems. My kids are really amazing—they’re bright, polite, interesting, and I love spending time with them whenever I can, so it’s easy to just be with them anywhere, really. We’re a solid club, and very close. The older two are getting more independent, so that’s a relief. To be honest I love being around them any time, but it’s impossible to write at times, and of course, they love to ignore you when you’re asking the same thing five times in a row. I hear parenting gets easy when they turn 40. Is that right?
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
Getting everything done, ha! My wife is amazing, and we communicate very well, so we take turns with the difficult things we’d rather avoid—laundry, dishes, putting kids to bed. In the summers we each work half a week (during the year I teach full time), so I get enough done to feel good about short-term goals; sometimes things just don’t get done, and we survive with the most important things intact. Just think, one day the kids will be grown and our clean house won’t mean much without them around to mess it up. We might even have enough saved for a cleaning service then, but we’d rather have a LEGO set here and a tea set there. Life wouldn’t be life without it.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I’ve been writing, blogging, doing ‘zines, arguing on long posts online, and writing for various small publications here and there since high school, and after several blogs that seemed to go nowhere, I finally decided to start Nerdy Dad Shirt on a whim and stuck with it, sort of daring myself to write 100 essays and see what would come of it. I’ve been working on my fiction for years (novels, screenplays, short stories) and breaking through that medium can be impossible, so I took a left turn and started writing essays akin to what I was assigning my students for their personal journal questions. I finally had a minor “hit” this past Fall and then started submitting to various popular blogs—the rest is the beginning of my online writing history! The Good Men Project took me on as a contributor, and then a columnist, and finally an editor this past April, and I’ve been fortunate to have been featured on several wonderful websites before that, and then after as a result. I’ve also had great luck with meeting successful writers and editors in grad school and online who have helped me along the way.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
On Nerdy Dad Shirt I write about anything and everything—nothing is off-topic, and it’s not just a “Dad blog.” The name sort of stuck after my first post about getting nerdy dad shirts as gifts and how much I loved them. But it’s all encompassing as far as writing. I try to tackle cultural and existential topics as well as generate essays I would want to read as a reader, not just as a parent. On The Good Men Project, my column—Bergamot Ink—tackles the same issues that the Good Men Project is built on, and usually I’m writing about being a man or a dad or whatever’s come up that week—with plenty of anecdotes and universal truths! And we have wonderful female writers and editors as well as readers, so it’s not just all about men!
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
Well I challenged myself to write 100 solid essays, and I’m holding myself to it. What I really want is a career in writing, so between now and death I’m aiming for books of essays, short stories, novels, and scripts galore, as well as collaborations with other writers. Nerdy Dad Shirt could be a whole lot more, but I’m already writing for great blogs, and I’m not sure if I could or should do better. I also have big, secret plans for specific projects I’m looking to work on with great writers, so stay tuned!
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Read, read, read, read, and read some more, and then find your niche after you’ve learned as much as you can. If you’re in it to write, then write, and just find avenues for your writing—maybe start a small page to warehouse your essays. If you’re in it to grow a business or brand, then take workshops and classes from the masters, and really put your heart and guts and ass into it. Collaborate with as many writers as you can, and always be writing, even if it needs revision later on. And engage your readers, because they’re all you have.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
John Updike, Woody Allen, and Bob Dylan, or Kurt Vonnegut, James Baldwin, and James Joyce—whoever is available that night, just so I could listen to them talk and learn from them. But it’d have to be at least a seven-course meal with drinks beforehand and a prolonged dessert so we’d have time to really connect.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I’m a huge chess player (becoming a chess master is one of those Bucket List goals)
2. I once applied to the C.I.A. after watching Three Days of the Condor just so I could read all day and get paid for it (I became an English teacher instead)
3. I went to a world-famous Boychoir school for three years (the American Boychoir School) growing up.
You can find Jeremy at www.NerdyDadShirt.com and also on Twitter, Facebook (nerdy dad), Facebook (bergamot ink), Instagram, Pinterest and Google+
This week we meet the lovely Stacey from A Teaching Mum. Thanks so much for taking part Stacey.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
My name is Stacey, my partner (namely the Other Half in my blog) is Robert and we are both secondary school teachers. I teach English and he teaches PE (or letters and football, as my daughter says.) We have two children – Grace is three and Zach is almost seven months. We live in a village called Ackworth, which is in Wakefield. Rob and I have been together for eight years and even though we own a house together and have our two children, we are still not married. I am always bugging him about it and I sometimes (often) complain about it in the blog! Despite our ups and downs though, we are very much a team and realise how lucky we are to be blessed with two beautiful children.
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
Being a parent to two young children and working full time means that I have very little time to be me. One thing I do love though is netball and it has been a part of my life since I was six years old. Some of my earliest memories are of watching my Mum play netball on a Saturday morning. Before children, I would play, train and umpire at least three times a week (umpiring is a good little earner), but now I am limited to once a week. In fact, I am returning to training this week after having over a year off! I am a qualified netball umpire and love being a part of a netball club and the girls in the club are fantastic. A lot of them, like me, are mummies which means we get to have plenty of play dates away from the netball court. I am looking forward to Grace being old enough to play and then maybe I can retire and just watch and cheer (and be a competitive Mum) from the sidelines!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Apart from having my children, I think my biggest achievement is becoming a teacher. I never had any real focus during my years in education and the only subject I was ever any good at was English. After leaving university with a degree in English, I lacked direction and started working as a PA for an orthopaedic company. I wasn’t happy as I wasn’t using my degree so I thought I would apply to be a teacher. It was never a job that I thought I would be able to do as I am very shy, but nowadays I love being in a classroom with thirty teenagers – it’s the best bit of the job. It may sound like a nightmare to some, but I have taught some amazing children during my career and I hope to teach many more. It’s a tough job and very challenging at times; it can leave you physically and emotionally drained, but in what other job can you experience such a plethora of emotions and feelings in just one day?
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
The hardest part for me is fitting everything in. I don’t feel guilty when I am working as I don’t have the time to stop and think about what I am missing at home. However, I do feel bad that I struggle to fit in quality time with my children. I spend a lot of my working day trying to encourage children to read and yet when I finish work, I am often too tired to read with my own children. That kills me a little inside and makes me feel like the worst mum in the world. However, we are very lucky that we have extremely supportive grandparents who look after, entertain and educate our children.
It’s difficult to say what the most rewarding part of parenting is. I often feel proud when my children learn new skills. I almost burst with pride when I see Grace go and play with someone in the playground; it pleases me that she is not afraid to ‘put herself our there’ when I found it very difficult to do that as a child. (I still struggle as an adult to be outgoing.) I think it is very easy to complain and moan about your life so I remind myself often that I am rewarded by the fact that I am lucky enough to have two healthy and happy children; I can’t ask for much more that that.
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
Come September, this is going to be my biggest challenge. I am going to be working full time with two young children. I am aware that millions of people do this everyday, so I am not going to complain about it. I just worry that either my work or my parenting is going to suffer because there are not enough hours in the day. However, all I can say right now is that I am going to have to cross that bridge when I come to it and take each day’s challenges as they arise. I am lucky enough to have a job that gives me twelve weeks holiday a year. Many people complain about the amount of time teachers have off, but what they don’t realise is that a lot of that time is spent working or teaching half term revision classes.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I have a friend who is a very successful parent blogger and you all know her. I have followed her blog for a few years and I just wanted to see if I could do it too. We have very different writing styles, in that she is very good and very professional and I am not! Also, another friend of mine blogs at www.educatingroversi.com and she contacted some mum friends of hers (including me) to ask some questions about being a parent. She explained that she had started writing a blog herself and once again, I just wanted to see if I could do it too. I contacted her and she gave me a few tips about Blogger and I set up my own account. I initially wrote a few silly posts about me not being the greatest parent in the world, but I didn’t dare tell anyone. It wasn’t until I opened a Twitter account and found a lot of other parent bloggers out there who think like me. I then started promoting a few of my posts and have recently started linking up to linkys. I have always wanted to write, but never thought I was good enough. I will never think I am good enough, but I do enjoy writing when I find the time.
As a great lover of books and stories, I wanted my blog to read a little like a narrative story. I wanted each post to give a little snippet of our lives as a family and I wanted it to be funny. As my blog continues, I have to admit that I often struggle to write as the posts literally take me hours to think of, type and then proof read. If I am being realistic, I think I will struggle to grow the blog as others have done due to the length of time it takes to write and the limited amount of time I actually get to write. However, as I said earlier, I am enjoying writing and if my blog and website grows then this can only be a positive thing.
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I just want people to read and smile at something I have written. I love that I have become a part of a blogging community on Twitter and knowing that there are some people out there who have laughed at something I have written makes me very happy. Ultimately, I would like to develop a professional looking blog, but it takes time, effort and money.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Through blogging and Twitter, I have stepped into a little virtual community that I didn’t know existed and I have found myself striking up conversations with like minded people. During the lonely night-feeds after having Zach, I read and commented on posts and it made me realise that there were a lot of support out there for parents. I think that if you want to feel a part of a supportive community then blogging is for you. I think that if you enjoy writing then it is most certainly for you and I think that if you want people to read an idea that first of all developed in your mind and grew on page then blogging is for you. Don’t be scared – the blogging community is kind.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
The first person would be my dad. We lost him to Cancer six years ago. I feel that during his illness I was quite absent as I didn’t want to see him not as himself. I was a newly qualified teacher when he was ill and I was obviously very busy and wrapped up in my new developing career. I feel that there were a lot of things left unsaid between us, and I wish I could speak to him more open hearted than I did back then. I have grown up a lot in the last six years and I would like him to see that. I would also love to tell him about his two amazing (and sometimes challenging) grandchildren.
The second person (or group) would be my favourite band – Green Day. I have loved them since I was fourteen years old and Dookie is the soundtrack to my teens. I have seen them live eight times, but have never met them. I don’t know what I would say to them if I ever did meet them. I would probably just mumble, cry and then show them my (rubbish) Green Day tattoo.
The third one is tough. I should make it literary. I’ll say Shakespeare, although without a York Notes at hand, I wouldn’t understand a word he said…!
Tell me three random facts about you
1. If I am in my car, I become the greatest singer known to mankind.
2. I was on a TV show called ‘Top Banana’ with my Brownie Troupe when I was ten. We won a tape cassette player on a segment called ‘Band behind the Banana Tree’ where me and four of my fellow Brownies sang along to Kylie Minogue’s ‘I wouldn’t change a thing.’
3. I gave birth to both my children in half an hour and most of my mum friends hate me a little for that. In fact, my waters broke in Natwest Bank on the 7th January this year whilst I was waiting in the queue to pay some money into my account. Unbeknown to the cashier, I paid my money in, scurried out, phoned Rob, calmly drove the short journey home and a couple of hours later, Zach was born.
You can find Stacey at www.teachingmum81.com and also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Today I meet the lovely Yvette from Big Trouble in Little Nappies. Thanks so much for taking part Yvette
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
Hi, I’m Yvette, a spritely young girl who has suddenly found herself involved in all manner of boring grown-up things like being married, becoming a mum and getting older… I’m not quite sure how I got to 35 so quickly but the dates can’t be argued and neither can the lines on my forehead! I live in the East Midlands with my husband and 2-year-old son, and am a very proud aunt to three nephews. Basically, it is just me and loads of boys – all the time – which is lots of fun. It does mean my only chance at girliness is playing with the tester pots at boots with my toddler who is too young to tell me to stop colouring his hand with lipsticks. I think I’ve got a while to go yet before he gets wise though…
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
Although having a child is amazing, it turns your day into a series of non-stop tasks from the minute you wake up so it is definitely nice to take a bit of time out sometimes. Adventures with my 8-year-old nephew are very high up on my favourite things to do – from baking to tobogganing – our time is always quality, lots of fun and leaves me full up with happiness!
My husband and I are also big into box sets – The Sopranos our absolute favourite (perfection) – and we’re currently working our way through Dexter, Breaking Bad and Teachers… we tend to find TV preferable to talking to each other 😉 I also love tucking into a novel on the odd night I don’t pass out as soon as I get to bed!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Without doubt, it is becoming a mum. Making a baby was no easy feat for us, and our son arrived after IVF treatment and our fair share of tough times. I am so proud – and so grateful – that we got there. Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done but he is my masterpiece.
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
The worrying – I have never worried so much! Particularly in the early days when the responsibility was just overwhelming and it was hard not to panic over every little thing, I just couldn’t relax. I would love to be a laidback mum and before I became one, that’s probably how I saw myself, but it’s not the case for me. At all!
And though I worry much less than when he was a mysterious, scary newborn; I know I will fret as he gets older and goes off to school, or when he has a problem and is upset by something I can’t help with. It makes me well-up sometimes thinking about it – part of me wants to freeze time – yet I know watching him grow and learn to solve things himself will also be amazing.
Other than when he’s asleep? I would have to say the fun stuff and affection. I still find some days exhausting and unpredictable and trying, for sure; but the times when he is planted on my knee reciting a questionable version of ‘Goosey Gander’ or squealing and laughing as I chase him round the garden like a big monster (which probably gives him nightmares), or when we cuddle up at night with his milk and I can just reach his head to kiss… all of that is so easy, so rewarding, and I could do it forever.
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
I’m currently a weird mix of the two. I became at stay at home mum, but with the pipe dream of starting a career in writing… which started to happen! So I work part-time around my son – sometimes VERY part-time – which is fine because I wanted to be here with him and am of course lucky to be able to. It is a juggle though, sometimes I feel like I am failing at both work and parenting as there is no line between the two, but because I love the work I am doing so much, it propels me to keep going. I also have in mind that if I push myself now and build up my freelance work, I will be in a position to work flexibly around family life as we grow. We have a little childcare in place from September though, so I am hoping things will get a bit easier to manage!
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I didn’t really know anything about blogging until I began. I had a bit of a pre-conception that a blog was just an online diary: ‘today we went to the park and fed the ducks etc.’ – like a long version of a Facebook status update! But then a writer friend suggested I start one around parenting, partly for practice and partly to showcase my work. So I did, and a whole new world was opened up to me! I’ve since found lots of great blogs that I love reading, and have become a much better writer thanks to my blog work.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
My self-made stipulation for my blog was writing article-based pieces that were entertaining and above all honest. Big Trouble in Little Nappies is funny at its heart, but I have also written about infertility, loss and attachment within the main frame of common parenting topics written in a light-hearted manner. I run one semi-regular feature called Totsnet, an online forum where babies and toddlers turn the table on their Mumsnet loving grown-ups, and discuss parental issues with their peers. It’s a lot of fun to write – embracing my inner tot is clearly a sign of my immaturity…
And I have just – hot off the press – opened up a guest slot for posts on perfectly imperfect parenting. Step this way if you fit the bill!
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
My blog means much more to me than what I initially thought it would – I love the freedom of being able to experiment with different thing and the feedback and interaction from readers – mainly via my Facebook page. It is a real funny and supportive community and I have laughed out loud so many times at comments and replies from fellow imperfect parents! Going forwards, I want to continue to grow my audience, try some new content on the site and – after being shortlisted for a ‘Brilliance in Blogging’ award this year – would LOVE to make it to the final in 2016!
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Do it! The great thing about setting up a blog is, it’s completely free to do. If it doesn’t work out, no harm, but if it does, it could be one of the best things you’ve done. I would also say don’t compare yourself to how others are doing – nobody else has your voice and you don’t have anybody else’s – it’s good to do your own thing. Also don’t be afraid to put yourself out there – it pays off more often than you might think!
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
My Dad – I would give so much to be able to talk and break bread with him again.
Marian Keyes – She’s one of my favourite writers and I could imagine having such a lovely chat with her, plus she appears to bake good cakes (that’s dessert sorted!).
Kate Middleton – So we could talk toddlers and I could introduce her to Big Trouble in Little Nappies… maybe she’d like to guest post..!
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I found being stung by a jellyfish nearly as bad as childbirth… this might have been different had someone offered to wee on me (post sting that is, not mid-labour)
2. I’m a very happy drunk but completely miserable with a hangover
3. When I read this question I was filled with dread because I’m far too boring to have anything interesting to reel off. Therefore this is my third!
You can find Yvette over at www.bigtroubleinlittlenappies.com and also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
Today we meet the lovely Kate from The Kate Brochu Blog (previously known as Karmama’s a Bitch! Thanks so much for taking part Kate.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
I am a stay-at-home mom to two young sons, ages 2 and 3 (“but allllllmost four”). My husband works in New York City and we live in a New Jersey suburb that is super family friendly- I love where we live. I come from a family of FIVE kids so my husband and I are always in a conversation about whether or not to have more kids. Depending on the day, how the boys napped, etc. the answer can go either way! I tend to be pretty lax in terms of schedules, but do have a routine- morning activity, lunch, quiet time/naps, afternoon activity, bath, books, bed. That’s my mantra!
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
When I’m not blogging I enjoy running and working out- essential activities for my SAHM survival! If I happen to get an afternoon to myself, I love shopping downtown- I never really believed in retail therapy until after I had kids and realized one day that I hadn’t bought a new article of clothing for myself in years! Going shopping and getting a sense of the trends outside my mom bubble helps me feel connected to the outside world!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
The appropriate mom answer- my children. When I see them being polite and applying lessons that I’ve taught them, I am extremely proud.
The appropriate mom answer from a SAHM who is really missing work- Last year I submitted an idea to Quirky- an American company that supports inventors by helping to bring their concepts into reality. My idea was selected over thousands and made it into the “Evaluation Phase”. While progress is currently stalled, I remain optimistic that something will click! An equally exciting accomplishment is having made it to final round auditions for a role on a home shopping network. I have a strong background in media sales and marketing but always wanted to be a brand representative on-air….but I was always too afraid/embarrassed to admit that!
But since having kids I’ve realized how short life is and the idea of going through life without really pursing personal goals seems so sad now. I started from nothing in terms of on-air experience and while I have yet to book the dream role, I am really proud of myself for getting invited to the table with some of the big decision makers in this industry!
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
“The neverendingness”. I came across this description on a blog called Love is Blonde and it just hit me as being SO SPOT ON. I love being a mom. I love the cuddly moments, the silly moments, and even the tough moments. But what I find the hardest is that it. never. ends. A diaper always needs to be changed, a face always needs to be wiped, hands always need to be washed, a meal always needs to be made, and, most recently, a brotherly argument always needs to be stopped. Some days I wish we could slow down and not participate in so much- camp, gymnastics, swimming, pool, playdates. But on those days when we actually don’t have plans. THOSE days are rough. Everything is fine for the first hour or so but then the kids start climbing the walls and there is no turning back.
The easiest part: Loving these little creatures who never seem to stop moving!
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
I feel like I actually don’t do a good job of juggling. The kids are the priority. Getting them to an activity, meal planning, staying on top of our schedule so that the day goes smoothly. Sometimes at the end of the day I look around my home and am in absolute SHOCK at how disgusting it is. I used to be a pretty tidy person and when I look at this clutter I get sad and, to be honest, sometimes angry. That’s when I really rely on my husband to help out. Some days it just seems so overwhelming to keep the kids on track and the house clean! But once the kids are down, if my husband and I can find the energy, we will chip away for a half hour- doing the dishes, wiping down the table, putting toys away, cleaning up the messes I avoided during the day…. And then that few hours of quiet time we have before our own bedtimes is that much more enjoyable…when the house is in relative order.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I always knew that I’d be a SAHM but walking away from work was really challenging for me. On an emotional level I felt like I had spent so much time learning about marketing and sales, working with specialized software, networking with peers….then POOF, my son was born and my day-to-day changed…a lot. I felt a little irrelevant and I really feared losing touch with reality. Quite frankly, being home really did isolate me. No matter how many playdates I coordinated or how many mommy and me groups I joined, there was an element to my life that I lost and really missed. Blogging helped me to cultivate something all on my own. And while my children play a significant role in my blogging, they aren’t the center of it. My blog is a beauty blog with a cheeky mom of two young kids angle. It’s really geared at helping new moms manage through the weeds of motherhood while trying to feel sort of put together. I love to share tips and tricks to help moms, for example, how you can use some of the items in your diaper bag to help you look a bit more polished!
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I really dedicate my blog to health and beauty but through the mom lens! I offer plenty of “mom-com” antidotes along with some really helpful actionable tips for helping busy women look and feel their best. My favorite thing to do is product reviews. I am a self-proclaimed beauty junkie. I love trying out the latest skincare and health trends and I really have a preference for the science-backed skincare products! But those can be SUPER expensive. When I find one I LOVE I share it and tell my audience about the benefits. I hope that it helps them make educated decisions about their beauty products and prevents them from spending money on products that don’t work.
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I really want to position myself as a mom skincare expert- someone who gets that as moms, we don’t always have a ton of time to put on a full face of makeup or get a long night’s rest. But what we can do is identify products that work for our skin, establish fitness routines that work with our schedules…. and those will help us feel put together and health while we navigate motherhood. My dream would be to be identified by a respected brand as a influencer and to be invited to represent that brand as an ambassador!
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Blog everyday. This was a piece of advice that media guru Barbara Barna Abel shared with me and it is so so true. I was a fair-weather blogger for a while- posting tips and thoughts and ramblings. Barbara really helped me to narrow down into my niche. I still have a lot of work to do, but blogging everyday (Even if it’s just posting a picture!), and keeping true to my brand has helped me to establish a pretty hearty audience. I hope to continue to grow and reinforce my voice in order to establish myself further in this area.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. My older brother- he passed ten years ago and I still miss him everyday. While motherhood has really prompted me to pursue my interests, the passing of my brother reinforces just how fleeting life can be. I am lucky to be here, on this earth, to fight to reach my goals one email, audition, phone call at a time
2. Jackie O- I’m fascinated by her life, her style, her sophistication. I’d love to see how she sipped her wine, ate her meals, and handled herself in social situations
3 The decision makers in the areas that I want to excel- Quirky and QVC specifically. I wish I had an opportunity for these people to meet me. Not the “audition” me or the “buttoned up marketing pitch” me. But the silly and outgoing me. I wish it weren’t the case, but when I walk in the room knowing that the reason for a meeting is to be judged specifically for a position or opportunity, I tend to get a little rigid. But when I walk into a social situation, I can be more fun and casual. My quirky (no pun intended) personality really shines through and my bubbly, enthusiastic self comes out.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I’m a fraternal twin (which makes me nervous to consider having more kids!)
2. I’m “terminally ambitious”- stealing this quote from Twitter. When I get an idea in my head and manage to find a little traction, I will pursue it until something comes of it!
3. A lot of people may see me as ditzy and bubbly- but I am actually viscously competitive and behind these blond highlights, I’m usually calculating my next opportunity for success!
You can find Kate over at www.thekatebrochublog.blogspot.co.uk and also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+
I have a slightly different interview on my blog today with Emma from What Emma Did. The only reason it’s different is because she is not a mum and so any parenting questions were a tad redundant! This is a great interview and you might want t get your credit card ready haha! Thanks so much for taking part Emma
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
I’m Emma – I’m 29 and run the fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog www.whatemmadid.com . It’s been running for almost 6 years so is pretty much a huge part of my life. In May 2015, it also launched into an online dress boutique too, so as you can see it keeps me very busy. I have just moved into my own house (which of course has a dedicated blogging office!) but I am very close to my parents and my twin sister. Family is pretty important to me, so I like to be close to them and see/speak to them everyday.
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not working or blogging?
This is fairly hard to answer, as blogging and working take up most of my time. If you are passionate about blogging, it can become a ‘lifestyle’ – which is great if you enjoy it like I do! My day job is within PR, which sees me working with press and bloggers on a daily basis, therefore it is closely linked to what I do outside of work too. Other than that, you’ll usually find me at blogger events, press shows and events, occasionally the gym, seeing friends, shopping, or on my laptop in some coffee shop in Manchester city centre!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Winning the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards for best new fashion blog in 2010 is definitely my biggest achievement. Bloggers weren’t as popular back then, so I feel it was a real proud moment to take away that title. It opened so many doors for me and my blog that I am eternally grateful for. Another achievement is working in the fashion industry in Australia for a year, where I headed over there on my own and wanted to experience a new country. I continued whatemmadid.com over there too, covering lots of Australian brands and events.
How do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
I have three main areas I have to juggle daily: working in PR, running my blog and running my online boutique. Sometimes, I have no idea how I manage it and feel like there is always room for improvement with my time management. I make sure I get up an hour earlier for work and upload images to the back office of my blog, allowing me to update my blog during my lunch hour if I can, and then continuing during the evenings. I use hootesuite to keep my social channels alive whilst working, and then usually dedicate my weekends to the blog and boutique too! I do give myself around 2 evenings a week to see friends and socialise, usually by going out for dinner and drinks, or popping to see people/inviting them round to place. In a nutshell, the hardest part in managing time efficiently, and the most reward part is meeting other bloggers and working with new brands daily! The blogging world is so supportive – if you feel low one day, there is always another blogger who reaches out via social media which can instantly cheer you up.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I started blogging in January 2010 from the back of being a freelance writer. I set up whatemmadid.com to record all my online features, which then lead to writing about brands and products I was loving. This then lead to reviews, travel pieces, outfit photos… and the rest is history!
Tell me a bit about your blog?
It’s a nice mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle features – some weeks I focus on beauty product reviews and make-up tutoritals, and the next I’m posting my outfits in gallery form, or the next it’s sharing the best cocktail bars in Manchester. I feel like there is something for everyone – a real lifestyle mix. The fact is now has an online dress boutique page means that not only can readers learn all about the fashion and beauty brands/launches I’m loving, but they can shop my favourite styles too! All my dresses are affordable and are timeless – you can take a look here: www.whatemmadid.com/the-boutique
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I aim for it to grow as a ‘blogtique’ – a combined blog and boutique which provides a wide offering. It’s nice to offer a platform for people to read about the latest fashion, beauty and lifestyle reviews, but also be able to shop on the site too. When people want to find an affordable wedding guest dress, I’d love them to remember that WhatEmmaDid offers this service too…
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
My usual advice would be to just go for it, and give yourself six months to work on the design and content before you can expect a sudden growth or brand interest. But with how crowded the blogging world is now, my new piece of advice would be to find a niche. Think of a USP that would give your blog something extra, something unique.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. Jude Law – because he is my secret celeb crush 2. Cara Delevingne – My ultimate idol, and seems like a right laugh too!
3. Shakespeare – I’m a sucker for inspirational quotes and intelligence, so who better?
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I can play the acoustic guitar, and have done since I was 14 2. I have a strange phobia of belly buttons
3. I have an addiction to having porridge oats, banana, peanut butter and soya milk for lunch, to many people’s disgust!
Today we meet the lovely Chantal from Milk and Nappies. Thanks so much for taking part Chantal
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family
I’m Chantal, I’m 23 and I live in Cambridgeshire in a beautiful but crumbly house with my boyfriend Jono and our little boy Zach. Jono and I met three years ago at his sister’s birthday party, bonding over a Mighty Boosh joke and a Panic! At The Disco song. We survived two years long distance whilst I finished my degree, and I feel pregnant pretty quickly once I got home! Zach was a massive surprise, but he’s made us into a family and we couldn’t be happier.
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
I’m quite a social person so I like putting on make up, doing my hair, and heading out for dinner and drinks with my friends. Nothing makes me feel more me than sat with a cocktail in my hand chatting to those I love.
I like doing creative things such as crafts and baking, and I absolutely love cooking and trying new recipes – which is good as Jono is not a great cook! I also spend a lot of my free time on the internet watching YouTube videos and reading other people’s blogs. I find it hard to put down my iPhone!
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Aside from having Zach my biggest achievement would be my degree in Psychology. When I began the course I didn’t think I would make it through the first year, let alone finishing with a 2:1. I told my supervisor that I would be so proud of my dissertation once I had finished it I would want to make wallpaper out of it, she told me I would want to burn it. I was right, we just need to buy a house now so I can make my dreams a reality.
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
I’ve always wanted to be a parent, but it happened a lot earlier than I had planned and for me I think that is the hardest thing. I only have a couple of friends with babies, and the rest are out travelling, beginning careers and having lots of fun. I feel like that part of my life is on hold whilst Zach is so young. And whilst I wouldn’t change it for the world it can be hard seeing what my friends are up to.
On the whole I feel like I’ve taken to parenting quite naturally, and *touch wood* I find most parts relatively easy. My favourite part of being a parent is that feeling when they’re asleep, the calm after the storm. I find it so rewarding, and each night I think “wow, I’ve kept us both alive and happy for another whole day, I must be alright at this parenting thing.”
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
Quite honestly, I don’t. Our house is always a bit messy and there are always jobs that need doing. I wish I could be one of those people whose houses are always clean and tidy but life is too short and I hate spending time doing chores. In general we keep the downstairs tidy-ish as that is where people see when they come round, and our bedroom looks like a bombs hit it. My least favourite job is putting away laundry so there’s often piles of clothes scattered around our room!
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I’ve attempted blogging a couple of times, but this time it has finally stuck it seems. The first time I started a beauty blog, and after two posts and a handful of comments I figured I’d achieved something and called it a day. This time around I started writing about how I was feeling as a new mum, letters to my son and anything else that popped into my head. I found it to be a great way to keep my brain working during maternity leave as I’ve found I need to be doing something productive.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
Milk and Nappies is a place where I write about my experiences as a mum, our adventures with Zach and talk about the things that inspire me. I write a lot of posts from the heart about being a mum, how I’m finding it and anything I’m struggling with – because I know so few mothers in real life it is nice to talk to people about these things online.
In general it’s a bit of a mish mash of everything as I’m still finding my voice and discovering which posts give me that warm feeling when I publish something I’m proud of.
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I see my blog as being many things: an online diary, a place to share my parenting advice, a creative outlet and a way to make new friends. I’d love for it to be popular, but if it doesn’t go anywhere I’m happy with that too. I enjoy writing it, and I hope that people enjoy reading it too.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Just do it! There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain. Try not to get caught up in the figures or comparing yourself to others, although sometimes that’s hard. Find your own voice, everyone else’s is taken.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. Mary Berry, I think she’s amazing and reckon she’s got a lot of stories to tell. I’ve read her autobiography and she’s had a very interesting life. Plus, she could bring cake.
2. Ryan Gosling, because he is gorgeous.
3. Taylor Swift, I think she could be my best friend but she just hasn’t met me yet. I’d like her to bring her cats too!
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I have very limited general knowledge but I can name a ridiculous number of MAC eyeshadows!
2. My mum is from Germany, and my biggest regret is that I never learnt to speak German.
3. The furthest place I have travelled is Nicaragua in Central America, and it was amazing!
You can find Chantal over at http://www.milkandnappies.co.uk and also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+
This week we meet the lovely Faye from Tales and Tea. Thanks so much for taking part Faye
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
Hi, I’m Faye! Mama to baby Twink and Lizzie the dog. Married to hubster since 2011 (and have been together ten years!) We live in a lovely little idyllic location in Surrey, tucked out of the way from the hustle bustle but still close enough to join the craziness if we so wish! I am a lover of wellington boots, dog walking, picnics, strawberries and cream, and tea…and cream teas…and all other cake in the land. Yes. Cake. Nom….
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
Ah wow, you know it is pretty difficult to remember what I used to like and do before baba! Does anyone else feel like that? Well…I have many, many interests actually….too many in fact which means I rarely get to do them all! I love socialising over a bottle of sweet rose wine with good conversation, or a spanking cup of English tea if the circumstances do not happen to lend themselves to alcohol. I like to read books but not really fussed about magazines. I love to sew and get creative. I love taking pictures (Instagram is my absolute fave app and social platform!) and do like a bit of home DIY and upcycling – I am a real stig of the dump and can be found most weekends trawling through other people’s unwanted treasures at boot sales.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
Besides having my baby?? Ummm… nah, you know what? That is my greatest achievement.
Mostly it is the strength and belief in myself that came from the birth of my baby. As soon as Twink popped (I wish) out into this world, out popped with her a new me. I found an ‘I don’t give a flying flamingo’ attitude that helps me live true to what I believe is best for my family and I. Learning to politely thank people for their opinions or ‘advice’ and then swiftly ignore it all to follow my heart and mama instincts. That is what I am proud of.
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
The hardest, I find, is the worry and guilt that comes with every decision I make. That internal dialogue that questions whether you are doing the right thing, and if it is best for your baby. In a world of conflicting ideas of what is best from varying ‘professionals’, to other parents or just random strangers in fact, it is hard to know what is right sometimes!
Most rewarding…seeing how we are nourishing this tiny human, watching her flourish and change every day. And this is only the beginning….sigh…
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
I am currently on maternity leave so am home a lot. I have learned that some days, the housework has to wait. I will never get that day back and if it was my last day on earth? What would I rather be doing? Cuddling or cleaning?
I am currently trying to complete a leadership and management diploma which I started when pregnant and then had to put on hold….catching up has proven to be verryyy difficult as baba doesn’t like to nap which was part of the plan to catch up in time! This change of game plan means that I have 10 days to catch up on 10months worth of work. Eek! The hubster is off work this week thankfully, so sadly I have had to hand over all parenting duties to him for the time being so that I can lock myself away and get this beast of a diploma nailed before the deadline.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I started blogging some years ago as I simply love to write, but was never committed to the cause really as I was out drinking rose a lot of the time. Ha!
When Twink was born, I had the urge to get back into a bit of writing as a way of venting some ‘brain stuff’ and share our goings on with family and friends. I soon decided that I wanted to share with more people, especially other parents and so got chatting to other mummy and daddy bloggers on the Twittersphere. I am so glad I made that choice. What a flipping amazing community it is!
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I share a bit of this, that and everything else on my blog. It took me a while to work out what kind of blog Tales and Tea is, and am still not too sure really besides from it being parenting and lifestyle.
I love to share tips for new mamas as I work my way through motherhood, review fab products, brands and places that we discover and of course write about our little adventures as a family too. I enjoy taking photographs – my posts almost always feature a nice shot or two, as that is what attracts me to others’ blogs. I mostly enjoy sharing my monthly collection of photos that don’t make the cut to my Instagram account called ‘The Outtakes’. Most of these pictures are my faves as some are pretty funny to me and show the ‘truths’ of my journey through motherhood.
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I have never really given this lots of thought you know….I write and share because I enjoy it. I suppose it would be wonderful for my writing and photography to become known by lots of people. Who knows where that could lead?! I would love to work with amazing and inspiring people, and perhaps in time be given some amazing opportunities that will make my family’s lives richer and even MORE fun!
I suppose, ultimately, I would love for my blog to enable me to go it alone and work for myself in one way or another. Perhaps through blogging, but perhaps through other avenues off the back of it…I haven’t decided yet. Either way, being able to work for myself would be the ultimate goal, enabling me to have more freedom and be as present as possible in seeing my family grow whilst still providing for them.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Enjoy it. Be you. Think about what you want to share and who you want to share it with. And then go for it! It doesn’t have to cost a penny if you don’t want it to, so why the hell not give it a bash?
My top tip would be: Think about what your blog will look like. For me, a good looking blog that is easy on the eye can be super important as many people are very visual and may click away if they are not enticed by what they see before they start reading. This is me in a nutshell, I like pretty things. Hence my advice to you.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. Amy Winehouse, I loved her music and her style (apart from the whole drugs thing!) Her life ended so prematurely, I would love to ask her so many questions that she was never able to answer.
2. My friends in Oz, that would be cool. It’s a long way for tea but it would be totally worth it!
3. My great aunt Rene. She died when I was a child but I have so many fond memories of her. I would love to show her my family and get to know her as a grown woman.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I have a fashion design degree, which I do not use out of choice. I would never change the decision I made.
2. I have quite a few tattoos and would LOVE to be covered in them, but don’t have the courage. My nan would never forgive me.
3. I used to have a bulldog. She was called Stella Artois.
You can find Faye over at www.talesandtea.co.uk and also on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Today we meet the lovely Claire from Mum’s the word in Cardiff. Thanks so much for taking part Claire
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
My name is Claire Jones I’m a stay at home mum to my 18 month old son, ‘G’. I live with my husband Lewis who’s a fantastic father and a very supportive husband. We met in 2007, at a friend’s party, and after chatting on good old msn messenger, we decided to go on a date. We married in 2012, had our son in 2014 and the rest, as they say, is history!
What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
In between housework and parenting I enjoy running, blogging, cooking, and shopping. I also enjoy making things and cardmaking but don’t get a lot of time to do that any more. I’m hoping to set up my own wedding stationary business when ‘G’ starts nursery.
What is your biggest achievement to date?
My biggest achievement is bringing my beautiful son into the world and raising him to be kind, helpful and smart. I love it when he understands something that I’ve been teaching him, for example animals in a book, and I love the sense of achievement and proudness when he goes and gets the book, sits down and opens it on a page and says a new word or has learned a new animal from the book. The other day his pop up zoo book was broken on the monkey page, and every time we went to that page he said ‘broke’ and looked quite upset! Bless him!
From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
I find the hardest part to be the tantrums. My son can get really red in the face and stomp his feet, kicking and screaming when he can’t have his own way. I hate seeing him working himself up like that. But you have to stick to your guns, and let them know that they can’t have something no matter how much they scream or shout. (Usually the tantrums are because I won’t let ‘G’ have my car keys!)
The most rewarding is watching them grow and learn new things. I love seeing the developmental leaps they go through and I love how quickly they learn. I love seeing ‘G’ happily dancing or babbling away.
Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis?
Generally I get up at 5.30am, wash last night’s dishes, and prepare and eat breakfast. Then I get ‘G’ dressed, have a shower (he stays in the bathroom whilst I shower) dry my hair, (which he loves) and get myself dressed. Then its usually snack time for ‘G’, I load the washing machine before heading off out to a Playgroup/soft play. When we come back its time for ‘G’s nap, I peg the washing out/load the tumble dryer, sweep floors, clean up the breakfast dishes. I grab 10 mins for a drink and maybe something to eat, do some blogging then prepare lunch.
‘G’ then wakes up, has his lunch, and we play all afternoon or if its nice we may go to the park. After that it’s dinner preparation and time to sort the dry clothes. Then bath time for ‘G’ an hours play, tidy up time and bottle and bed. After that it’s time to relax, watch a bit of tv, have dinner with hubby and (finally) bedtime for me! Some days I ditch the relaxing for a run or exercise class, dinner, shower then bed. It’s a busy schedule but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Why did you decide to start blogging?
I wanted a way to write about the experiences of parenthood, I also wanted a relaxing hobby.
Tell me a bit about your blog?
I wanted to write about my experiences and challenges as a parent, letting other parents know that they aren’t the only ones facing these challenges. I also write about the rewards our children give us too. I include reviews and competitions on my blog, and recently was one of the 10 finalists for the Hillary’s blinds craft competition. Unfortunately I didn’t win but keep a look out for my entry in the next competition!
What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I blog mainly as a hobby, however I do get a sense of achievement and excitement when I see that lots of people have read my posts. I’d like to be in the tots100 poll and see my blog grow in the future.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Write frequently, write interestingly, join in with linkys and join bloggers groups on social media. It’s fun to meet and chat to like minded people and you can gain helpful blogging tips in these groups.
If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
1. My great grandmother. She was a lovely lady and fantastic grandmother. She would have loved to have met my husband and my son.
2. Princess Diana. She was such a great british figure who carried out work for many charities. She truly was a remarkable role model. I’d love to see what dinner options she would choose.
3. Ellis Evans (Hedd Wyn) the welsh poet. He was awarded the bard’s chair at the eistedfordd in 1917 and was an extremely talented poet in the welsh community.
Tell me three random facts about you
1. I love the colour pink.
2. I hate to admit it but I’m a nail biter.
3. My signature dish to cook is homemade lasagne.
You can find Claire over at http://www.mumsthewordincardiff.wordpress.com and also on Twitter and Pinterest.