Mummascribbles meets…The Kate Brochu Blog – Mummascribbles

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+