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It’s my pleasure to introduce Joy to you. Joy is the former teacher, stay-at-home-mom, bibliophile and author of The Practical Mom Guide.
Tell me about the mission of your blog:
My mission when I first started my blog was to connect with other women, especially other moms. I wanted my blog to have a positive tone. I came up with “The Practical Mom Guide” because I think all moms do what they think is “practical” for their own families and that we should be proud of the choices we make. We all want the same things for our children. It’s just the road to how we raise them that differs between all of us and that’s okay because all families have different needs.
When I was pregnant I was “that mom” who read all the baby books because I was determined to do everything right. After experiencing motherhood first hand I learned quickly that there were a million different ways to do everything. It was all about trusting my own instincts and doing what was right for our family even if others didn’t agree with the choices we made. As moms we can be our own worst enemies. I know I was mine and sometimes still am even though I try not to be.
How was your blog “born” and how has it evolved?
My blog was “born” after my second daughter was born. My first post was written shortly after she turned one month old. While I was up late at night while I was pregnant I would visit blogs and read. I have always loved to write but like many things after I graduated from college and started teaching full-time writing creatively fell by the wayside.
In all honesty, starting a blog was a way to exercise my brain. I loved my daughters and I loved motherhood but I was feeling stifled. I needed to do something that was mine (even if it was focused on motherhood). Since becoming a SAHM I had tons of magazine articles and notes I wrote to myself about getting organized and everything else under the sun. My blog was a way to get organized and to help get myself back on track so to speak since after having a baby everything seemed to descend into chaos. I also promised my husband to get the bookmarked sites on our computer under control. I thought that if someone else could use the tips and shortcuts that I was really writing for myself, great!
At first I didn’t write any “personal” posts and then one day I had been at my wits end and out came Is My Nose Growing. I wrote it after I realized that for someone who values honesty that I lied to my daughter a lot (even though it was for her own good). Now it seems that I write more personal posts than article or tip style posts and my posts are sometimes just about life in general and not just “motherhood” posts. Of course, several of my latest posts deal with pregnancy since we are expecting baby number three.
I never realized how much I would enjoy blogging and how much I would love corresponding with other women online. Above all else, I still blog because I find it fun and I still write for myself. In many ways it has become a diary since I am horrible at actually writing in an actual journal (even though that was my New Year’s Resolution).
It looks like you have a section in your blog devoted to “savings”. What is one piece of practical advice you can give us about smart money management?
I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned since becoming a mom is to sit down with your spouse a few times a year (we try to do it once a quarter) and look at where your money is going. It doesn’t have to be painful or take a lot of time. We just look to see if there are any services or expenses that we can eliminate to save money or if there is anything we want to add and where the money is going to come from. We actually saved over a thousand dollars last year just switching our home and auto insurances when they came up for renewal even though our previous carrier had been the cheapest when we originally signed with them. It pays to shop around when dealing with service providers you deal with. Also, this is when we decide whether to put more into savings for future expenses that may crop up. For us, we’ve found that communicating this way helps us to avoid money arguments later on.
Favorite Posts:
Your Sister Is Not For Sale: Joy’s daughter thought the new baby was an exchange. For her sister.
Advice to a New Mom: Excellent advice from one mom to another.
Growing Up Without Noticing: A poignant and thought provoking post about the passage of time.
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Love it. Enjoy your day! 🙂
I’m all about relating to other moms. Can’t wait to check out her site!
Checking in! Looks like a super-cute blog!
Happy SITS day… I love mommy blogs…
Happy Friday!
I can always use a dose of practicality!
Happy Friday everyone.
Sounds like a great blog!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
So happy that Friday is finally here! Off to “meet” the FB!
I adore Joy! I’m glad it’s her special day! Happy Friday all!
Ah, unfortunalely I was also one of those moms that read all the books! So nice to meet you, headed to your blog now to check it out! TGIF!
Love the photo of the chubby little feet!
Good Morning, SITStahs! It’s TGIF!
Stop by my blog and get a look ath Wrestling With Retirement Bloggers Swimsuit Edition, Mr. March!
Nice to meet you Joy! Headed to your blog now! ; – )
I am convinced that the only people who have time to read books about parenting are people who don’t yet have children!
Yea for Friday! Ever wonder how farmers take care of baby lambs after they are born??? I did a post with all the facts and lots of cute pictures of baby lambs. Stop by and check it out!
Sounds like a great variety of posts! Looking forward to checking her blog out.
Gotta read the one about selling a sister. My kids tried that. Happy weekend, everyone!
Off to read the feature!
I also didn’t intend to be personal on my blog, originally I wanted it to be an outlet for my creative projects. Then, one day, I couldn’t help sharing my daughter’s story. Now those types of posts are the most popular. The Practical Mom Guide looks like a wonderful blog and I can’t wait to check it out!
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the tsunami and earthquake.
I want thank the SITS Ladies for featuring me today! I hope everyone has a good weekend.
Wook at those wittle toesiewosies! Awwwee!
Ok, clear throat, Love the “exercise my brain” reason for blogging. So true, just wished it actually burned calories. This coffe and pastry I have while blogging is doing wonders for my waistline!
She sounds very nice. I am glad she can exercise her creativity : )
This looks like a really great blog. I’m on my way!
Hi all! Best of mornings to everyone!
Today has started with the scheduling of a doctor’s appointment and my losing my only hand-sewing needle. Fun times. And it’s my last weekday as a SAHM for a while. 🙁
Love the idea of honesty… and looking at life in different prospectives… planning to visit more…
Congrats on your SITS day! I hope you are blessed! I too need help staying motivated and keeping things under control
she sounds practical indeed…need to go over to take a gander at her savings section first! if y’all are interested, come join my linky party fridays unfolded…hope to see you there.
blessings,
alison
stuff and nonsense
Can’t wait to check out the FB!
Great advice on finances! My husband and I do that and it’s been great for us!
Her blog sounds great! I will check her out for sure!
Everyone please stay safe in this wacky weather! It seems so silly to have complained about snow in MA when I look at what’s going on in the rest of the world…
Sounds like another great blog! Headed over to check her out now. Happy Friday! 🙂
Happy Friday everyone. BIG changes happening at our house and of course I’m blogging about it.
SaucyB recently posted… The Party’s Over – I’m Going Back to Work
http://bit.ly/hSScMo
good morning sista’s!
what a sweet photo! love the diversity of all of the blogs here. well, we are at day 25 for our 31 day challenge on the forum, you can still pop by and start at day 1! hope everyone has a great friday, at least the sun is shining this morning.
shelley
I am praying for everyone in Japan and on the West Coast. What a horrific event.
Happy Friday. Just 6 more nights until I step on a plane to visit my family in Holland for the first time since I moved to the US. I am starting to get REALLY excited. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
love the idea that she sits down with her husband every quarter to talk about finances. that’s great!
happy SITS friday ladies!
xo,
alely
I love what she says about trusting her instincts. I am also a bibliophile, and I read WAY too many parenting and pregnancy books while pregnant. It took me a while to figure out that I needed to do what I thought was best, not what a book said!
Happy Friday, everyone.
Oh, yay for her day! 🙂 Already a fave!
Practical parenting…that’s what we need more of. I can’t wait to see. And maybe there’s room for me to work the teen angle on that one.
Happy Friday, everyone!
I love her tip about sitting down to looks at finances.
Latest Post- Read.Explore.Learn. Alphabet Books
I agree, darling banner! Off to check it out, and Happy Friday sistahs!! Ready for the weekend… and a BIG party for my little one year old. Enjoy yourselves ladies 🙂
~Tabitha
I really agree with Joy’s take on things. I think we all really do what we think is best/practical for our families and it’s awesome to be able to feel good about that.
On a totally separate note, I’d like to use this little spot to ask you ladies to keep the folks in Hawaii, especially our service men and women in your prayers as they deal with the tsunami and even some earthquakes of their own. My son is normally stationed there but is currently deployed to Iraq. However, many of his fellow soldiers and their families are still in Hawaii and are in the middle of this tragedy.
Sounds like a great blog! Happy Friday!
Looking forward to reading more about the money advise:)
Have a great day!
Cindy
http://www.chalkaboutit.blogspot.com
I love practical advise!
Joy sounds like someone I can really connect with. I’m looking forward to visiting her blog!
She seems like a fun-loving, trust yourself kind of mom. And her banner is darling.