Little Treats are links to mommy blog posts I’ve enjoyed throughout the week.
This entry was written by , posted on July 24, 2009 at 2:54 pm.
Filed under mommys and tagged blog links, Little Treats, mommy blogs.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
You know that feeling when you’re in the middle of reading a great book, the one you’ll tell everyone about and you’ll give as a gift for years? A book you hope will never end…that’s how I feel about Her Bad Mother.
Catherine is a mother of two young children, based in Toronto and one very busy, busy lady. She’s got lots of great stuff going on. A background in the academics and a career as a writer, her posts range from the inner turmoils of motherhood to great sociological debates. I found Catherine’s writing refreshing and if you really want to get a sense of what her blog is all about, begin by reading The Bad Mother Manifesto. Thank you Catherine. It’s such a relief to read words that not only support motherhood but also remind us that there is no such thing as perfect and as mothers we create unity by withholding judgement and by practicing respect and acceptance of all types of mothering. In Catherine’s words: “the only persons who can measure our mother-worthiness are our children, and even they are unreliable”.
A list of her most Popular Posts are found on the left hand column. While the content of the Popular Posts are personal and heartfelt, there are a few that pose very interesting debates, debates you’ve surely had amongst your friends and fellow moms. As I was reading, I found myself wondering “what would I do in this situation” or “how do I feel about this”, which I think is a sign of well written blog post. As a blogger, you want to engage your readers and the best method of measuring this is by the quantity and quality of comments. You will notice that all of the Popular Posts have a very high number of comments.
Want to get riled up? Read Who’s The Dummy, Mummy?
Great blog features:
Check out Catherine’s blog: herbadmother.com and then come back to tell us what you think!
This entry was written by , posted on July 21, 2009 at 1:25 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged blog, Catherine Connors, mommy, online community, Toronto, writer, www.herbadmother.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Little Treats are links to mommy blog posts I’ve enjoyed throughout the week.
This entry was written by , posted on July 17, 2009 at 3:32 pm.
Filed under mommys and tagged blog links, Little Treats, mommy blogs.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
The concept of What do we do all day? is pretty straightforward. Mom lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two young boys. Her posts are tricks and tips to get through the days with a busy 4 year old, which in her words “do not involve complicated craft projects or expensive electronic toys”.
What do we do all day? site appealed to me because like Mom, I live in a small walk-up apartment with no outdoor space, a busy young boy, and I too will soon enough be toting around the infant sibling in an baby carrier. While it is “easy” to flick on the television for a few moments of peace, who always wants easy. I want my son to remember the time we spent together exploring our world. But my tricks get old and boring, so I’m always looking for new activities to try out, preferably ones that are creative, simple, and economical.
There are some fantastic ideas on this site. I particularly liked the Catapult Action and Unplugged Projects, especially the one about rocks. To have fun with a kid, you have to think like a kid. For my toddler, a bowl of rocks is likely to be the best 20 minutes of the day. I found myself thinking “ohh, I have something like that or I could use this instead…” Must go, there is fun to be had.
Great blog features:
Check out Mom and Kiddo’s blog: What Do We Do All Day? (the url is momandkiddo.blogspot.com) and then come back to tell us what you think!
This entry was written by , posted on July 16, 2009 at 7:51 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged activities for kids, blog, Brooklyn, Kiddo, Mom, New York, What Do We Do All Day?, www.momandkiddo.blogspot.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Ethereal is how I would describe The Light Garden. Even the site design is soothing, which features Verity’s own beautiful ink drawings that bring to mind vintage prints you might find in a curios shop.
Originally from Australia but currently residing in Istanbul with her husband and little boy, she blogs about her adventures with little Yashar, her own creative endeavours, and other sites she loves.
While my own creative pursuits lend themselves to bold, bright colours and goofy content (I used to design and sew small felt monsters), this mommy’s tastes are pastel, delicate, and soft. Her Making Mondays look as they could be featured in a magazine. The content is clear and the photos gorgeously document the step by step process. I love her summery cushion; if you had the time you could make the pillowcase complete with detailed stitching or you could simply jazz up an existing pillowcase with her embroidery ideas. Check back to The Light Garden often because Verity often posts craft projects to complete with a young child and knitting projects for those of you who love your needles!
Check out Verity’s blog: thelightgarden.blogspot.com
This entry was written by , posted on June 25, 2009 at 1:02 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged crafts, creative, thelightgarden.blogspot.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Married and raising their young daughter in Comox Valley, British Columbia, Robin Rivers and Ken Henderson oversee the Our Big Earth website/blog, whose philosophy is “Get out. Give back. Grow the community.”
I know it seems a little odd to feature a site that focuses on a specific community but a wonderful friend is a contributing writer and she loves mommy blogs. In fact, she has recommended several I have featured on this site. Our Big Earth is not only a blog but also an online resource for Comox Valley; the site offers more than just a geographical resource. Yes, there are certain features that unfortunately a non-Comox Valley resident will not be able to appreciate; however, there are many little gems any parent will cherish. Delicious, healthy recipes. Creative, engaging crafts. Inspiring, green-e-ology initiatives.
The site takes a while to learn how to navigate and it can be a bit frustrating when you have to click on a link twice to get where you want to go; however, there are lots of wonderful little details and the content is abundant. Many local contributors with a variety of backgrounds write articles and blog on issues that are relevant to any parent wherever your homebase is, such as the green-e-ology blog on equitable eating and lowering your grocery bill.
I am always looking for ways to inspire my toddler during our outdoor adventures (rock collecting) and our art sessions (paint flinging) as well as yummy, healthy foods that a picky toddler and a vegetable-phobic husband will devour. Tomorrow is a new adventure for our family. Lots of great stuff to try.
Check out Our Big Earth’s site: ourbigearth.com
This entry was written by , posted on June 7, 2009 at 8:25 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged children, community, crafts, gardening, mommys, online community, outdoor activities, recipes, sustainability, www.ourbigearth.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Kal Barteski loves her life and I love her blog. She is witty, creative, and busy. A mom to young girls, toddler Pilot and infant Penn, she works as a graphic designer and visual artist from home so she can enjoy as much time as she can with her girl tribe, as she calls them.
If I’m feeling a little sluggish, in need of a kick in the butt, I read Kal’s blog. I think she drinks a lot of coffee because she’s is always on the GO! Every time I check out her blog, she has a new piece of custom artwork available for order or she has finished up a painting or a pencil drawing, all slotted in amongst the parenting of young children.
I think what draws me to Kal’s posts, is she loves life yet she doesn’t sugarcoat it. Life gives us moms cuddles and laughs but also sleepless nights, runny noses, and whining. I remind myself on a daily basis to just roll with it and to try and do so with a sense of humour. Some days I’m better at this then others.
Kal knows that just because you write about life’s shortcomings doesn’t mean you don’t love it. One of my favorite recent posts, is her description of her art studio.
Part blog, part art gallery, [i] LoveLife is a place for this mama to blog about all the things she loves; her family and art. Luckily for us, she shares the joys and tribulations of balancing career and parenthood, the pull of creating art with raising children. So, Kal has looked for ways to combine her loves together, such as custom baby books, a children’s book, and vibrant animal posters.
I love Kal’s custom posters and so far, I’ve shown a bit of restraint, mostly because I’m trying to decide which one calls to me the most but my resolve is weakening and soon my husband might just come home to a wall of Kal’s “YOU ARE AWESOME” posters. A parade of colourful animals would make anyone smile.
Check out Kal’s blog: lovelife.typepad.com
This entry was written by , posted on May 30, 2009 at 10:27 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged artistic, career, children, creative, girls, humourous, Kal Barteski, mommy, www.lovelife.typepad.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
A few months ago, a girlfriend taught me to knit. I am a creative, crafty gal with a background in the Arts and raised by artistic parents. Suffice to say, this was not my first attempt at a craft project; however, I struggled with learning the stitches. I felt cumbersome, inept and numerous times I found myself thinking that knitting just wasn’t in my nature even though I loved the idea of knitting.
For some time, there are certain things I’ve wished I knew how to do such as bake bread, sew my own clothes or blankets, make jam, grow a container garden, and of course, knit. While many of these projects appeal to me, I have to be honest about my capabilities and circumstances.
For instance, I love to cook and bake but I live in a 2 bedroom, walk-up apartment; therefore, a very, very small galley kitchen with virtually no counter space. Or laying out a quilting project on my kitchen table only becomes an inconvenience once dinnertime rolls around.
Despite my apartment’s limitations, I love my life, home, and family. So, I try and work small. I make many of my own gifts, which is why I thought knitting would be a new creative, challenge for me. I was nearly ready to call it quits and then a great friend recommended Amanda Soule’s site.
Amanda is a mama to four young children and she lives with her husband near Portland, Maine. Blogging since 2005, Amanda is the author of the wonderful book The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections and her second book is to be released August 2009.
SouleMama’s blog is filled with inspiring crafts, knits, sewing projects, and family adventures. Her words are eloquent and thoughtful. Her photos are gorgeous and her children adorable and willing models. While it is all very inspiring, it is also a little overwhelming, I mean I can barely find the time to mend a pair of pants while SouleMama whips up a little dress for her daughter in an afternoon and then I read snapshots and it made more sense.
While I may not be able to find the time to fit everything in, I am thankful for the inspiration and SouleMama’s musings. I check her site her daily. Amongst my hectic to-do list or a crazy-toddler-moment, her posts are calming and comforting. The other night I picked up my wool and started a baby blanket. It is a simple project but that’s how it all starts; savour the basics. Besides I have four months until baby’s due, plenty of time to unravel and try again.
Visit Amanda’s blog: soulemama.typepad.com
This entry was written by , posted on May 20, 2009 at 9:09 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged Amanda Soule, author, children, crafts, creative, knitting, Maine, mommy, Portland, www.soulemama.typepad.com.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
A single mom to two girls based in East Texas, Kimberly is an avid blogger. She posts every few days and on a wide variety of topics. She’s linked into many online communities, wether it be business based or fellow mom bloggers.
Kimberly doesn’t seem to take herself too seriously but that doesn’t mean she isn’t committed to creating a full functioning blog. She’s honest and thoughtful and she is intent on enhancing the quality of her blog. Not only has she utilized techniques to increase the traffic to her site but she engages her readers by asking pertinent questions on parenthood or blog inquiries/etiquette. Kimberly isn’t just interested in blogging about her thoughts but more so in building a community and getting to know fellow moms and/or bloggers.
As a new visitor, I didn’t find it easy to navigate around Kimberly’s blog. I attempted to go back to archives and read a bit from the beginning in order to get to know Kimberly a bit better but I wasn’t able to access a full month and after some frustrating attempts I just checked out recent posts instead.
Many of Kimberly’s posts are lighthearted in nature; she often posts a series of questions or memes for her readers, which she also answers herself so you will be able to get to know this mommy blogger a bit better. Kimberly’s blog is about community participation.
Check out Kimberly’s blog: allaboutkimberly.com
This entry was written by , posted on May 17, 2009 at 1:53 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged allaboutkimberly.com, children, East Texas, girls, mommy, networking, online community, single mom.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
When I first began reading, Mommy’s Martini, I thought “Wow, amazing entry. Very well written.” I kept reading and I realized she’s an excellent writer, every entry is like a mini essay, but not the dry, boring type. She’s thoughtful with her words. She’s a storyteller. She’s also a professor, a self-described researcher, and a mother of two young children.
I read through her list of “posts that might make you laugh, or think, or say “Oh, yes, I’ve been there too…” ” found in the left hand column. I found The Monday After Laundry Day particularly funny and yes, I found myself nodding and chuckling, thinking to myself “ahhh, so true”.
If there ever a post that touched me deep inside, made me tear up, not just because so many mommy’s have been there but also because it was a brave post and an important post it’s It Can’t Have Been Five Years Ago Can It. As Mommy’s Martini’s son celebrates his fifth birthday, her post starts off as a sweet remembrance of the first delightfully chaotic weeks of motherhood. The hilarity of watching daddy valiantly try to change his newborn son’s diaper as pee whizzes everywhere! And it is true, while it’s not fair to laugh, it’s hard to stop because you’re sooooo tired and it’s a relief to find humour in the craziness of a new parents life.
My own son was a slow nurser and a terrible sleeper and I’m able to deeply identify with the delirium of sleep deprivation. I’m not sure if I’m quite as brave to reveal the true panic and misery sleep deprivation made me feel but when I read Mommy’s Martini confession I was touched and relieved to have someone be able to put it into words. She bravely puts it all out there and is a better person, a better mother for knowing her limits and respecting her needs.
Visit the blog: mommysmartini.blogspot.com
This entry was written by , posted on May 16, 2009 at 2:25 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged boy, brave, career, challenges, children, girl, humourous, mommy, sleep deprivation.
Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Don’t miss a review, interview, tip, trick, treat, or anything extra. Subscribe to Mommys Who Blog via email. Or grab the posts feed or comments feed.
