Hey friends! Writing to you from my “blogging spot” on my living room couch curled up with a blanket, and I’m breathing a big sigh of relief that the weekend is here. It’s thankfully shaping up to be nice and quiet. We have dinner plans with friends tonight, and will then head home to end the night with neighbors around their new fire pit making s’mores. The girls will love it (so will I)! I’m trying to figure out how I’ll interview neighbors before we buy our next home because good neighbors are worth their weight in gold. These types of interviews are a thing, right? 🙂
Anyway, so thrilled to share sweet Laura with you today for this week’s “Saturday Sit-Down” feature. She’s one of those bloggers who deserves to be discovered because she’s a great writer who shares a load of light-hearted, encouraging content. As a blogger, she’s someone you want in your corner. From the handful of emails we’ve sent back and forth lately, I couldn’t be more impressed with her. She is kind, organized, intelligent, and encouraging! If you’re a mom especially, don’t miss checking out her site! I’ve so enjoyed following her the last six-ish months or so, and I truly hope you enjoy her too!
Q: Hey Laura! Please tell us a little bit about who you are in three sentences or less. 🙂
A: I’m a married SAHM of two from Iowa. My husband and I have lived in a few different spots around the country before settling in my home state once again. I love Jesus, coffee, reading, and having fun with my sweet family.
Q: How often do you publish new blog posts, and what are your favorite topics to share?
A: I publish a new post about three times a week. Everything I write about intersects with being a mom, so parenting is at the heart of my blog, but I write about faith, our daily lives as a family, and my favorite things too.
I absolutely love helping out other women and moms, in simple ways (like the cinnamon rolls that changed our lives) and deeper ways too (like having gratitude). I’m learning that we all have something to offer each other, including me, even if I don’t feel like I’m a shining example of motherhood all the time.
Q: When I think of your blog, I often think about how encouraging you are. I know you have a huge heart for other moms. What do you hope they take away after reading your site?
A: I hope they know they aren’t alone. Parenting is tough, and it can feel pretty isolating. I recently saw a post on a Facebook moms group about our biggest struggle, and a large number of moms said loneliness. I think a lot of us have surface relationships, and we can’t help but feel like everyone else must have it all together. It’s a really bad combination. So I just love letting others into my life as a mom, mistakes and all, and spreading as much grace around as I can. I know it’s something I really need!
Q: Tell us about your precious kiddos! How old are they, what do they enjoy doing, etc.?
A: I have two preschoolers—Kai, who’s four, and Sylvie, who will turn two just after Christmas. In a lot of ways they are polar opposites. Kai is thoughtful, introverted, and obsessed with farming and vehicles of all kinds. He absolutely loves it when we can take a little trip over to my parents’ farm for a day. I’m not exaggerating when I say he knows more about farming than I do.
Sylvie is really outgoing, loves to dance, to say “hi” and “bye” to everyone, and to laugh. Her laughter is so contagious. She’s in love with baby dolls and taking care of them—I know she’ll make a great mom one day!
My kids have started to get each other in trouble with their crazy antics, and when it’s not annoying it’s sort of cute. Just don’t tell them that.
Q: When do you find time to blog as a SAHM?
A: My flexible blogging schedule is key. When I first started blogging, I put zero pressure on myself—after all, no one was reading! But eventually I started to get into a rhythm by writing and doing all the behind-the-scenes work during kids’ quiet times, plus two evenings a week. My husband is super supportive, because he knows blogging is a passion of mine and it keeps me sane. That’s always a plus!
Q: What are your favorite things about being a blogger? What are the most challenging?
A: I love writing. But there are so many other elements to blogging—like developing friendships—that have made it a passion of mine. The most challenging part for me is keeping up with social media. It’s definitely an important piece of the puzzle, so I’m working on that.
Q: There may be a SAHM reading this now who’s considering starting her own blog. What advice would you have for her as she got started?
A: Write about what you love. Don’t worry about how many people read your blog, and don’t try to emulate anyone else. Just be yourself and have fun with it. If it’s not fun, you won’t want to keep it up! Reach out to other bloggers and develop relationships, and be willing to give more than you receive. Linkup your posts whenever you can if you’re just starting out, too. There is always room for one more.
Q: Where should new readers start on your site?
Why You Don’t Have to Be Supermom
Q: Where can we connect with you on social media?
And just for fun…
- Zoos or aquariums? Zoos! I grew up going to a little zoo with my family on Christmas day whenever we’d visit our relatives that lives near Brownsville, Texas. We were always the only ones there, and it was a lot of fun!
- Summer or winter? I love bundling up, wearing sweaters and drinking hot chai in front of a fireplace. Of course, I’m a mom, so that doesn’t happen very often, but I still love the magic of a snowfall and staying cozy inside with my family.
- Shopping in person or online? I’m an online shopper. As a mom, it’s SO much easier, and living in a small town has made me an even bigger fan of shopping online out of necessity!
- Frequent weekend trips or one weeklong trip?
One weeklong trip. I think my kids are getting to a good age to try out a longer vacation. Time will tell!
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Thank you so much, Laura!
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Is this your first time to Whimsical September? Welcome!
Hello! I’m Erica, the blogger behind Whimsical September. I created the “The Saturday Sit-Down” series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured on “The Saturday Sit-Down”. I promise you – there’s some GREAT ones!
Want to be featured in this series?
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Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo