Shannon of Charming Bitch writes how she feels. She’s a brave writer. She does not waste her words on the frivolous such as what’s the night’s dinner menu but rather her blog is more a journal of the heart. Shannon is frank with her words and very generous about what’s going on in her life and what she is feeling. She rages, she loves, she hurts, she fights. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to blog but clearly how honest you are can determine the level of following your blog will have and the level of support.
Shannon is battling cancer in her ovaries, uterus, and cervix. After many months in the hospital, Shannon has finally returned home and it is great to have her back! She and her husband Deels, are raising her 4 nieces and nephews as their own children, while balancing Deels’ time on the road as a trucker. When she was in hospital, Deels continued posting about Shannon’s health status, how the family coped, and the out pouring of support from fellow bloggers and readers. This mom blogger is loved and adored and her readership vast. The fact that her husband maintained the blog while she was unable to is a testament to how important the blog is to Shannon but also how important Shannon is to her readers.
She is a charming bitch and I’m glad to have her back on the internet! Check out Shannon’s blog: www.charmingbitch.typepad.com and then come back and tell us what you think.
This entry was written by , posted on August 11, 2009 at 9:13 am.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged blog, brave, cancer, children, mommy, trucker, www.charmingbitch.typepad.com.
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Vodkamom is a teacher, a writer and a mother to three children. The first post of hers I read made me howl. I don’t have teenagers but I have a tween-age sister who would DIE if you took away her ipod. As a parent in this techno-gadget world, you clearly have to think creatively when it comes to discipline! Over and over again, this woman made me laugh. She pokes fun at her own goofs, reminisces over family memories, relives parent/child battles, and offers insights into her world as a teacher. Lighthearted and funny, Vodkamom is worth a visit.
Check out Vodkamom’s blog: www.vodkamom.com and then come back to tell us what you think!
This entry was written by , posted on July 28, 2009 at 8:15 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged blog, mommy, teacher, Vodkamom, writer, www.vodkamom.com.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Annette from Catnip and Coffee has been blogging steadily for a year. I read three posts and I thought to myself “I like this gal already”. Very natural writing style; detailed and funny while casually offering up tidbits of her personality.
Annette loves her family, her job, gardening and cooking. She cooks alot! And it all reads delicious. Did I mention I’m pregnant? I’ve probably gained 5 pounds from my constant snacking while I made my way through her archives. Archives, yipee! I love blogs that have archives, easy to access archives, listed on the side column. Makes it so much easier to travel backwards and get to know a mom blogger from the beginning.
Mom bloggers are personal, bloggers of the heart. Many are looking for an outlet to share their motherhood adventures, the battles of home management and in many cases, ways to drum up some additional income. Annette? For Annette, it may well be all of those things for her, but mostly, she loves to blog and is willing to share the good, the ugly, and the hilarious.
I can’t stop thinking about her stuffed mushrooms. Seriously, go check out her stuffed mushrooms recipe. Now if only, I could convince my husband to cook them while I relax on the couch, now that would be a meal made in heaven!
Visit Annette’s blog: catnipandcoffee.com
This entry was written by , posted on May 1, 2009 at 12:44 pm.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged boy, children, cleaning, cooking, gardening, humourous, mommy, www.catnipandcoffee.com.
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Tracey is a single mom of a young daughter. Blogging since 2006, Tracey shares the joys and struggles of single parenthood, the challenges of online business ventures, and the value of home-schooling her daughter. All mothers will agree that motherhood is an adventure, and while many are fortunate to have a teammate, there are a few courageous souls who go at it alone. While Tracey’s posts may at times be sporadic, her enthusiasm and dedication to raising her daughter as a free-spirited dreamer mirrors her own intentions to pursue her dreams as an entrepreneur.
Tracey’s posts are kind and light-hearted; she’s determined to make money from an online venture so she is able to be home for her daughter. Amongst the business challenges, is real life. She balances a busy child, manages a home, deals with an ex-husband, pursues opportunities and tries to find time to be herself.
Visit Tracey’s blog: singlemomliving.blogspot.com
Tracey lays it all out on the page; “the highs and the lows” as she calls it. Part journal, part networking, Singlemomliving offers up her trials and tribulations, her good intentions and sometimes just some sweet words.
This entry was written by , posted on April 21, 2009 at 10:25 am.
Filed under blog, mommys and tagged children, entrepreneur, girl, http://singlemomliving.blogspot.com, mommy, networking, online business, self-employed, single mom.
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