Any questions? I'd love to meet you - contact me at nomonstersinmybed@gmail.com
And check out my Pinterest files here.
Other Stuff About Me:
*Circle of Moms Top 10 Creative Mom (Thanks to everyone who voted!!)
*Babble Top 100 Reader Nominated Mom Blogs (Thanks to everyone who voted!!)
*Featured on the Crafty Crow - click here and here for the posts.
*Featured on Mommypage, click here for the interview.
*Regular contributor on Honest to Nod, Land of Nod's blog, click here to check out their space.
Want more info? Here's an FAQ:
How Do You Have Time to Blog?
When I started this blog, in the late summer of 2010, T (still a baby) slept most of the afternoon while the girls played together in their room, thus ensuring I had plenty of mid-day "me" time. Our schedules have changed since then, as has when I blog. I try to find pockets of time throughout the days and on Tuesday all three kids attend school until 2:30, so I write a lot of my posts for the week then. Dan frequently works at night, which also gives me time to write. And when I don't technically have time, I make time. I don't watch a lot of TV, maybe that helps. Some weeks are easier than others, but I feel that writing this blog grounds me somewhat, gives a pace to my life and days, so I figure out how to make it work, just like you probably figure out ways to fit in what is important to you.
Why Do You Blog?
I've always (even pre-kids) kept detailed photo albums of my life, blogging serves as a cheaper and easier evolution of this process. This blog operates as our family's scrapbook and I hope that years from now the kids will enjoy flipping through it at times. Blogging also helps me remember things - recipes, favorite movies, places to go, moments in my children's lives. Of course, I could do all this and keep the blog private, but I like the idea of sharing with others, of learning from people and (hopefully) having people learn from me. A community. Similar sentiments have been better described by another blogger here.
How "Real" Is Your Blog?
I'd like to think it is pretty real. I try to be honest in how I portray our life. Not too perfect. That being said, I don't want to look back years from now and read pages of complaints and struggles. I also try not to photograph how messy our house truly is, primarily because I don't want to think about how messy our house truly is. Remember that what you see on this blog is just a small portion of our daily life. For a more accurate picture of how we fill our days, please check out my other blog, Because It Is A Holiday.
How Do You Have Time To Read?
I'm asked this question frequently, often with a somewhat rude undertone, as if people want to say "if I ignored my kids I would read too, but I love them too much." This annoys me. I often read my own books while in the presence of my children, maybe this makes me lazy, maybe it makes me a role model, either way my kids have grown accustomed to watching me park myself on the couch with a book. This is how I decompress and I encourage them to do the same. Often my "couch time" leads to me putting down my book so the kids and I can all read their books together, which I enjoy. Further, I ALWAYS carry a New Yorker with me, which I'll read - at the park, during doctor's visits, while waiting for the preschool doors to open, etc. I always read before falling asleep, sometimes for an hour or so. I like books, they make me happy.
What Kind of Camera Do You Have?
A Canon EOS 7D
, which is an "in-between model" - better than the starter cameras, but not a professional camera. They cost approximately $1600 (no, I'm not rich, I scrimped and saved for this). I had a Canon Rebel for many years and if you're new to photography I highly suggest buying a starter SLR like the Rebel, learning all about shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, and upgrading when you're ready (you'll know when you're ready). There's no point in buying an expensive camera if you don't know how to use it. Really. I shoot almost all my photos with Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens
, which is an expensive and beautiful piece of glass. For more info on photography, this post contains some background information and discusses books I've found helpful.
What Was Your Career Before You Became a SAHM?
I graduated from undergrad (Grinnell College in Iowa) with a Chemistry degree. I worked in a lab as biochemist for three years before attending law school in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan (where I met my husband). I worked at a big firm for three years as an associate, mostly on securities cases. During this time I had two wonderful babies and two maternity leaves. I quit my job when F was 2.5 and P was 1.5 - for more on this decision please read this post.
Do You Miss It?
Not really. Maybe one day I'll regret my decision to not work, but for now I'm having fun and enjoying my life (most days). Plus, the kids really keep me busy, it's not like my days are empty.
Are you Religious?
Um, no. I believe in a higher being and a general sense of goodwill in the world, karma I guess. But I don't subscribe to any doctrinal religion. I try to teach my children to be kind, honest, generous, empathetic people. I don't think you need organized religion to do this, but I know some people disagree. For readers interested in this approach, I highly recommend the book Raising Freethinkers, reviewed in this post.
What Is Your Relationship With Land of Nod?
Land of Nod contacted me and asked if they could reblog some of my posts on their own blog, Honest to Nod, to which I said "SURE!!" Sometimes they send me products to review, I try to give my honest opinion (and the kids' opinions). I really love their stuff and I'm proud to be part of their marketing team (albeit a small, small part).
Why Don't You Write Your Kids' Full Names?
Every blogger needs to make some sort of line regarding personal privacy, this is my line. It's not that my children's names are super-secret or incredibly unusual, I just want to give them some privacy, especially since I am in some way exploiting them, which is the one part of blogging that makes me uncomfortable. I took a picture of F wearing goggles in the tub once (only her face, of course, no "private parts") but she asked me not to blog it (it was an adorable picture), so I respected her wishes. As the kids become older, these struggles will probably become harder. I'll have to figure out where their privacy begins and mine ends, I like blogging and I don't want to stop but I also know that they need room to grow and change without an audience watching.
Do You Carry Your Camera Everywhere?
Of course not. But I do carry it a lot. I'm sure several people in the neighborhood refer to me as the "odd woman with the camera that always wears sweatpants" and I'm okay with that (well, maybe not the sweatpants part).
How Do You Find All of Your Random Links?
I have something of an internet addiction, I admit it. For most of the links, I'm usually reading one of the blogs on my blogroll and they take me down the rabbit's hole until I find something interesting (click to this which leads to this which leads to that, etc.). I also am lucky to have a great set of facebook friends who share interesting links.
Do you Make Money off Your Blog?
Not really. Maybe I will one day, but now isn't the time. Ideally I'd love to have creative, etsy-type advertisers but I don't know where to find them. I do make some money through the Amazon Affiliates program (five dollars a month at the most).
I Just (Started a Blog, Opened A Store, etc) Will You Help Me Market Myself?
Maybe. Email me at nomonstersinmybed@gmail.com and we can talk. Though lately I receive a lot of these requests and I don't have time to respond to all of them. Often the answer is no, just because this is a primarily a personal blog and I want to keep it that way.
