Posts Tagged ‘Born to Blog’

  • I’m Getting That Feeling Again. Makes Me Itchy.

    Sunday, June 28th, 2009

    Friends, it’s happening again. I’m getting that feeling. That feeling that attaches itself and won’t let go.  You know the one I mean. The one that says something just isn’t quite right. Something needs to be fixed, or changed, or added, or taken away.  It’s going to bug me and bug me until I figure out what “it” is.

    One thing I’m not going to do is change my blog theme, I can promise you that. Adam at IZEA worked way too hard on it. I just feel like I need to do something different with this blog. Make it…better, somehow, or something.

    Like I said, it’s a very itchy kind of feeling. Like the kind that starts right between your shoulder blades and you can’t quite reach it. Except in my head.

    Weird, I know.

    I used to have this awesome “100 Things About Me” page, my long-time readers might remember. I had to take it off during a redesign and I thought I saved it to My Documents, but now I can’t find it.  So now I have to write a new one only I don’t know what to say in it! Anything in particular you want to know?

    I’m also thinking very seriously about shutting down my food blog MomCooks and posting recipes here instead. I mean, it makes sense, this is a blog about parenting, and cooking is part of being a parent, right?  I’ve been going back and forth about it so nothing’s for sure yet, just something I’m contemplating.

    Another itch in my head, you might say.

    So yeah, that’s what’s going on with me.  I just want this blog to be the best it can be! 

    These two yahoos love me no matter what my blog looks like :)

    Ryan and Kaitlyn

    6 Comments » Filed under: Born to Blog, Stuff I think about

  • In Case You Weren’t Sure, THIS Is A Mommyblog

    Saturday, April 25th, 2009

    What does it mean to be a Mommyblogger? When I started blogging in 2005, I was writing about being pregnant with my third child, and my two boys, and my life in general.  I found a small group of other Mom blogs that I really liked, I commented on their posts, they commented on my posts. They were my COMMUNITY.

    And then on February 25, 2006, I decided to write about how much I loved Swiffer Sweepers in this post titled I Love Swiffer, Yes I Do. Why? Because cleaning my house was part of my life, and it seemed like a good topic for a post.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that anyone representing Swiffer would read my post. Except, that’s exactly what happened.

    A P.R. person representing Swiffer read my post and emailed me, saying that he liked my post, and he was getting the word out about a new redesigned Swiffer sweeper, and would I like to get one? And if I felt like it, would I write my opinion of it on my blog?  I was dumbstruck!  But I said sure, why not, and I got the swiffer, used it, took some pictures of it, and wrote a post about it.

    That was the beginning of my “career” as a product reviewer.  Since then, I’ve developed relationships, yes actual relationships, with P.R. firms all across America.  These are real people whose jobs are to market products, who decided they liked the way I wrote and the way I expressed my opinions. We’ve talked on the phone, arranged to meet in person, sent each other Christmas cards. They know the names of my kids, I know the names of theirs.

    So, let me ask you a question. And by “you”, I mean, those of you who come here and read this blog because you like the way I write. Those of you who are part of the TABLE FOR FIVE COMMUNITY.  Do you have a problem with me calling myself a Mommyblogger?  Is the fact that I review DVDs and other products and run occasional giveaways a problem for you? Do you ever feel like I am “tricking” you into reading a post?

    This blog is going to change, evolve, and grow. As opportunities arise, I am going to take them if they seem like a good fit for this blog. When I get a product to review, I am never going to pretend that I bought the product myself. If I ever forget to tell you who exactly sent me the product, please ask me in the comments. If I write about going to a marketing event, and you want to know exactly what items I received from the company, ask me.

    I have nothing to hide.

    And also? I AM STILL A MOM. I do not think that I have to turn in my Mommyblogger card because I choose, on MY BLOG, that I PAY FOR, to write about products and run giveaways.  I am not SHILLING PRODUCTS. I am writing about MY LIFE.  And right now? My life is about helping companies market their products that appeal to Moms and kids.

    But it’s also about potty training my daughter and watching my 12 year old son grow into a young man, and feeling my heart swell with pride when my 10 year old brings home a test with an A+ on it after all the struggles he’s had in school, and dealing with the stress my husband is under at work, and everything else that happens to me on a daily basis.

    This is MY MOMMYBLOG. This is what it means, TO ME, to  be a Mom who blogs. And those of you who are regular readers, REAL readers, THANK YOU. Thank you SO MUCH for taking a few minutes out of your day to come here. If I had no advertisers and no products and no giveaways and no trips, I would still be here and I hope you would still come here too.

    24 Comments » Filed under: Being a Mom, Born to Blog

  • Today on Table for Five- it’s DVDPalooza!

    Saturday, April 18th, 2009

    Okay, that title might not make any sense. But here’s the thing- I’ve been, like, paying attention to my family and whatever, which is great, but I am so far behind on reviews that it’s starting to become this huge weight on my shoulders. And that’s not what blogging and reviewing products is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be FUN.

    The fact is, I get excited when someone offers me something new to review, and I say yes to way too many things, and never keep track of how much I’ve said yes to. Then all of a sudden my email inboxes are filled up with polite messages reminding me of things I should have reviewed weeks before, and I sit here mentally berating myself for not being better organized in the first place.

    I don’t actually know how I’m going to get caught up completely, but one thing I am going to do is get all the DVD reviews posted. So, I hope you wanted to know what I thought of some of the newest DVD releases, because today, that is what you are going to get. Enjoy! :)

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    2 Comments » Filed under: Born to Blog

  • If I Blog It, It Will Have To Happen. Right?

    Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

    I am officially announcing to all of my readers that starting tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25th 2008, I am going to be posting EVERY SINGLE REVIEW I have agreed to do and EVERY SINGLE GIVEAWAY I have agreed to run. It might mean 5, 6, 7 posts a day, but I am going to do it until I am completely caught up.

    Just wanted to let all of you know :)

    11 Comments » Filed under: Born to Blog

  • What do you do when there’s too much to do?

    Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

    Those of you reading this who are able to stay organized and on top of things, would you PLEASE tell me HOW you do it? Because Donna Reed I am NOT. Chris has been in Toronto since last Thursday and gets home this Friday, and it’s going to take a freaking miracle for me to get this house clean enough so he won’t feel like he can’t ever leave town on business again for fear of losing his children under a pile of dirty dishes and coffee-table piles.

    Every day I get up and I make a big mug of coffee, and I think about my day. I think about reviews that are due and giveaways to start. I think about dusting and vacuuming and putting in another load of laundry. I think about the fact that my daughter is watching TV all day (that’s right, I’ll admit it. Kaitlyn watches TV for most of the day, when she isn’t jumping off of overturned laundry baskets or drawing on her Aquadoodle mat or dumping out a board game or galloping up and down the hallway). I think about the dishes in the sink and the piles on the end tables and the fact that I haven’t seen the top of my desk in months.

    I look at my email inboxes.

    I think this image that I found on Google images accurately depicts how I feel:

    And then I take a deep breath. All I can do is the best I can do. My kids are safe, loved, have plenty to eat and clean clothes that fit. They have warm beds to sleep in at night. They have toys and books and video games. I might have a lot to do, I might be failing miserably at housekeeping, but stressing out about it doesn’t help anybody. I got behind on my reviews and giveaways because I procrastinated, plain and simple. So now I just need to make a list and write them one at a time until they are done. It might require me to post 3 or 4 or 5 times a day until I’m caught up.

    And that isn’t going to include Saturday, because my husband will be home and I intend to give him my undivided attention. He needs to know that he is more important to me than email inboxes and dropping Entrecards. After all, those won’t spoon me at night while I’m sleeping :)

    9 Comments » Filed under: Being a Mom, Family, Parenting, Personal