Resolutions, anyone?
I know. I'm totally late to the party but I'm pregnant and can't be expected to get to things in a timely fashion.
Naturally, when I am 28 weeks pregnant, dying in this heat and just generally feeling exhausted, I start to think What am I doing with my life? Am I happy with the direction it's taking? And what about my blog and my writing? Am I maximising the opportunities there?
Well, in terms of my life's direction, the trajectory is fairly clear at this point and leads straight to a delivery suite. After that, endless nappy changes, sleepless nights and tears of joy/frustration/gratitude/exhaustion.
I think 2012 is kind of sewn up in terms of 'Wonder what this year has in store for me?'
And the blog? Well, I neverstop thinking about that. If you've ever started a blog, you'll know. You think in 'blog' all the time. I find myself writing blogs in my sleep and in the morning, wrack my brains trying to remember what genius I came up with at 3am. It's kind of like when you first join Facebook and you start thinking in clever status updates. It can't be healthy.
But I do seriously wonder about The Little Mumma and the ways I can keep my current (beloved!) readers and attract new ones.
I read other blogs and I notice many of them aim to be helpful, to offer advice, parenting tips, that kind of thing. Readers go there to learn. I thought about that for a second and then I almost died laughing. Because I? Can not help you. Seriously, I am as lost in this wilderness as you are! I have no business telling you anything about anything. That much I know.
But I thought maybe from time to time I could ask someone more knowledgeable than me (a long, looooong list of people) to weigh in on something that I am having trouble with and maybe, it might help you if you're going through something similar.
Also, something I meant to do last year, something I even told you I was going to do last year, is share the stories ofwomen/mums I have found to be an inspiration. I proposed to call it Mummaviews and among those I sought to interview was a mum with a 'heart baby,' another whose child is on the autism spectrum, a woman who picked up her entire life (including a newborn baby) and moved overseas and one powerhouse of a lady who took a body ravaged by three caesaerean sections and worked it into the best shape of her life.
Their stories are amazing and I thought you might be interested to hear them, too.
You might notice many 'mummy' blogs run lots of giveaways. Bloggers are often courted by PR companies to help promote their products. In general, I avoid these because it doesn't feel authentic to what I'm doing here on The Little Mumma. I can't imagine you want to win dishwashing liquid and I certainly don't want to review it for you. The giveaways I have run have been products that I have loved from businesses I have approached personally. This blog is about my writing. That you come here for that makes my heart sing and so when I can offer you something in return, like a little giveaway, then I love doing that. But I don't want this blog to be a vehicle for companies to flog their goods.
In saying that, I have two little giveaways coming up that are out of the ordinary for me. It's unlikely I'll do anything like them again but in any case, you could win stuff so keep an eye out in the next few days.
What else? I'm just going to keep writing. I'm going to tell you stuff that would make a sailor blush, I'm going to show you photos of my kids because they are so damn cute it's idiotic and I'm going to go absolutely insane when my baby daughter arrives and take you along on that amazing ride with me.
Oh, and I fully expect to vlog soon. Yes, live action Angie. Can you handle it?
Thank you for sticking with me and if there happens to be something I don't do here that you think would be cool, let me know.
And a thousand blessings to you and yours in 2012.
Rock on baby … I’ll be waiting ..
Thank you, blossom. xx
I’m excited!!!
I love just reading about you doing the dishes or dropping the kids off at the pool (if you catch my drift…) – don’t change anything – don’t try to introduce radical gimmicks – I love reading you just the way you are – and a vlog – well tell me when so I can diarise!
Happy Chinese New Year!
Weeeeeee!
Have I written about dropping the kids off at the pool? Have I seriously done that? A-loo-ded to it, maybe, See what I did there? With alluded? See?
No gimmicks. Promise.
But wait, there’s more!
A free set of steak knives? Oh please…. say it’s so!!
Kidding!! I agree – keep doing what you’re doing, because that’s what I relate to. It’s the ‘Everyday Little Mumma’ with the highlights, the low-lights and everything in between, all wrapped up in a neat little bundle of honesty that makes me come here….because I can nod my head in agreement… it might sound like a simple thing, but in this crazy parenting gig, such a thing can be very very meaningful.
After having said all that and buttered you up nicely… where’s my shopping voucher? 😛
I have never scored a free set of steak knives. I feel like I need to put that on my bucket list…
For the other stuff, thank you. Your comments are equally meaningful to me. xx
I have started thinking in ‘blog’ too! Weird! I know what you mean though. You read lots of blogs and you describe it as a ‘mummy blog’, a ‘religious mummy blog’, a ‘humorous mummy blog’, a ‘why I choose to child free’ blog and a ‘craft blog’. I try to be none of those, though too late to be child free and kids just sneak in an take up every bit of your life, so for me it is hard not to be a ‘mummy blog’. So I am my blog is a ‘bit of a dogs breakfast blog’! I’m sure I will work it our one day…
Love it – I really admire your ability to recognise what it is you want from this space and to stick to it.
Don’t change a thing! I have to admit, the way so many blogs go about writing their product reviews does make me cringe. It rarely feels anything but contrived, but good for them being able to make a bit of extra money, I guess.
I love this space just as it is – it’s perfect. x
Mine is certainly a ‘mummy blog’ – but I don’t think I necessarily started it with that in mind. Actually, The Little Mumma was about ME, and I just happen to be neck-deep in mummy-land at the moment. So naturally, that subject makes up the majority of my posts. But I feel like I write more as a woman who is also a mother. There is far more scope there. And it means I can write about whatever I want!
Yeah, a niche is good but a distinct voice that’s yours and yours alone? Is what makes me read other blogs. So don’t worry about trying to BE anything, Susan. You’re enough!
Thank you, lovely.
I think I thought at some point it might be great to get lots of freebies but I didn’t like the trade-off.
It’s all been a happy accident really…
Babe, the reality is, most of those reviews don’t make the blogger ANY money. They get free products and can attract readers with a giveaway but that’s the extent of it. The winner is always the business being promoted – because the PR companies are smart enough to see it for what it is – free advertising.
Still, there are many popular blogs that use that as their schtick. Good on them.
I’d rather occasionally curate some really amazing finds in a post – that I have discovered on my own and am paid ZERO for. There are people making art and children’s clothes and myriad other crazy creative ventures. Sharing those with my readers seems like a natural extension of my relationship with them. Appreciating beautiful things and sharing them with others. That’s totally fun.
Thank YOU for your amazing support. xxx
No money? Well, that’s even less reason for doing contrived posts then 😉
I love when you share your finds – and it’s always clear that you’re genuine about it.
xxx
Do you know what I think would actually be interesting? Someone else’s view of The Little Mumma. “Say what?!” I hear you say. Well… I think it would be kind of cool to hear how the man behind The Little Mumma sees The Little Mumma… perhaps Bren can put himself in the writing gig for a moment and interview YOU and tell us about “the time Angie did this…” Alternatively, maybe the Mumma of The Little Mumma. That said, either could be very personal!
Why? Because I showed my husband one of your blog entries – I forget what it was called, but I call it “the one about the bread rolls”. I’m sure you know the one, where Bren wound up apologising for buying bread rolls. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he was nodding and grinning whilst he read it – kind of like I do whilst I’m often reading here. It made me think, that what goes on here, can reach beyond just the female population 🙂
Ha! Bren will never stop to buy rolls again. I mean, he will NEVER do that shit again.
So that’s cool – I like to think I am not just for chicks. 😉
And the perspective of others? I actually think that’s a bit brilliant. Thank you! xx
I’m going to totally put that to my peeps.
But only if they plan to say nice shit about me….
I cannot wait for your vlogs, because I seriously want to hear your accent. Related: in your new giveaway, I didn’t even know what half of the stuff you were talking about was. Cheesymites? Wholemeal? 🙂