Mummascribbles – Mummascribbles meets…The Helpful Hiker – Mummascribbles

This week we meet the fab Lauren from The Helpful Hiker. Thanks so much for taking part Lauren 🙂

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family 
I live in Northampton with my husband Luke and two year old son. We actually met online dating in 2012, I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but just goes to show that you never know! We got engaged at the summit of Ben Nevis in 2014 and got married last May. It’s been a busy-and hard- few years, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging?
I work about 50 hours a week, so have very little me time. When I do I just enjoy the simple things, like cooking and eating a delicious meal in peace. Both me and Luke are foodies and love going out for meals, it’s a real treat these days.

What is your biggest achievement to date?
I think that being chosen as an Ordnance Survey GetOutside champion this year is the best thing I’ve ever done (apart from giving birth, graduating uni etc!) I am essentially helping to inspire the nation to spend more time outside. It’s still sinking in, I’m very proud to be a part of such a great campaign.

From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part?
The hardest part is definitely the guilt. I think a lot of this comes from the fact that I work very long hours. But if I didn’t work, I’d still feel guilty that I wasn’t contributing, like when I was on maternity leave and Luke was setting up his own business and was under so much pressure. I worry all the time whether I’m doing the right thing, I am prone to overthinking and being a parent has magnified this.

The most rewarding part is hearing my son laugh. It’s easily the best sound ever and makes me think that in that moment I’m doing something right. I don’t think there’s any easy bits, although we are very lucky in that our son loves to sleep! He often sleeps for 3 hours in the day and then 12 hours overnight (sorry!) so that makes life easier.

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 don’t think I do! I have lots of lists but I never get to the bottom of them. I have lowered my standards somewhat (you should see the state of the house!) and do what I have to. When I first went back to work, this really bothered me, I felt like I wasn’t achieving anything. Now I look around and feel pretty proud of what I have done, rather than focus on what I haven’t.

Why did you decide to start blogging?
A couple of reasons really. Firstly, we started going away on camping trips and doing lots of walking. Luke is a really good photographer and I wanted a way of documenting our trips and remembering where we’d been. Secondly, as we got more into the outdoors, I started reading other outdoor blogs, but I found some of them a bit intimidating. I thought that there must be a market for accessible information for people with limited knowledge and equipment.

Tell me a bit about your blog?
The Helpful Hiker is all about inspiring people to get outdoors. There’s lots of walks, camping advice, gear reviews and days out. It has become a bit more family orientated since we’ve become parents, but it’s really for everyone. I just want to ignite that spark and inspire people to want to spend time outside.

What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows?
I never intended my blog to make money and so it has grown very slowly and very organically. Now I’m at a point where I would like to make a few quid, just enough so that I can cut back on some hours at work. That’s all I really want! Obviously, I need to make sure that I remain genuine and don’t change too much. I think that people like the fact that I’m very normal, I really don’t want to lose that in a quest to make money. I’m trying to smarten it up a bit and have a more professional approach, but retain my authenticity.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog?
Don’t do it to make money! It’s not easy and it’s not quick. Do it because you love it and that will shine through and you’ll be successful in the end. Also, have a very clear idea of who you’re writing for and why. That’s always at the back of my mind when I’m writing a post.

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s a hard one! I could spend hours debating this so off the top of my head I’m going for Elvis, Dolly Parton and Adele. Can you imagine the jam session?! Plus I think there’d be loads of booze, laughing and good home cooking.

Tell me three random facts about you
This is hard, I’m quite boring!

1. I did Spanish at uni but haven’t spoken a word since. What a waste!

2. I have a diploma in wines & spirits (really!)

3. I’ve forgotten how to ride a bike

Along with her blog www.thehelpfulhiker.com, you can also find Lauren over on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest