Blog Hop: Women Writing

I love to talk. And teach. And share. And talk more. I was homeschooled when I was growing up. When I was a kid it wasn’t common to meet other homeschoolers and my mom was a brave woman to go against the social norms. I didn’t lack for friends or social activities, but one of my favorite memories is the collection of pen pals I amassed. When I was 11, I had 25 regular pen pals. I got about 5 letters a day in the mail and always answered them promptly. This was before email or Facebook and I wrote every letter by hand and licked the stamps for the envelopes. I became very good at noticing the details in everyday life and mentally filing them to mention in a letter, later. It should come as no surprise that my long distance relationship with my Canadian boyfriend (now husband of 14 years), thrived in the year we corresponded, because we both loved writing. You should see the notebook of love letters. Can you say cheesy?

In college, I loved any classes that involved essays, essay questions or anything involving writing (although I studied music, which I also love). I have never been good at writing fiction. I don’t think it is lack of imagination, but my desire to get to the point of the story, which inevitably made me give away the ending too soon. I was also never good at journaling, because one of my priorities when I write is to connect with other people. I am a very relationship oriented person and even though I tried to keep journals several times, the knowledge that nobody would read it until I was dead was pretty uninspiring. So, about a year ago I decided to start a blog. Since I got married younger than most of my friends I was a couple of years ahead of them when it came to marriage and kids, so by the time they did start a family, they looked to me for advice and experience (such that it was). It was common for me to get a call or email about once a week asking questions about baby care or relationships. When I started my blog originally my goal was for it to be a healthy living/real food blog. But it has grown more into what I do naturally in life, which is share the things I love with other mommas. I want to give young women the tools to successfully navigate the waters of living, wholesome , happy lives. This involves food, yes. But also health, sustainability, relationships, parenting and mindful living.

My friend Lisa at Thrive Style asked me to participate in this “Blog Hop: Women Writing” which has new writers or bloggers each week and passes the torch from one woman to the next. I thought it sounded like such a neat idea and I am excite to follow it after this.

What am I working on/writing?

In general I write about what I am thinking about or what questions my readers have come to me with. I touch on a lot of health topics, not from the view of a medical professional, but as a mom who has found some amazing natural remedies to keep her family healthy.  I post the recipes I have recently come up with and other “green living” topics that seem relevant to me on any given day.

However, this summer my blog will take a temporary vacation from those topics. I will still be blogging, but the posts will look much different for about a month. I am going to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of taking a cross country road trip with my kids and I plan to use my blog to record the journey. I have done a lot of traveling in my lifetime, but my children have done very little, so I am beyond excited about doing this with them.

How does my work differ from other writers in my genre?

The topics I write about are certainly not original. There are lots of crunchy momma bloggers out their who share my passion for real food and green living. But what I bring to my writing is myself. My unique perspective and point of view. I live and play “outside of the box” and since I was homeschooled, I think I always have. It has never been a priority of mine to do things the way other people do them. I am confident in my own choices and I try to communicate to my readers that they should be confident in theirs.

Why do I write what I do?

I write about what is important to me. Sometimes that is finding snacks for my bottomless pits of children. Sometimes that is finding motivation to declutter and simplify my house. I usually think that if it is something I struggle with, then there are probably other moms struggling with the same thing and I want them to feel solidarity. To know that we can tackle these things together and find ways to support and lift each other up, even if we have never met.

How does my writing process work?

I keep a mental checklist of topics I would like to blog about. If an opportunity to take a good photo to go with the topic comes up I do the photography and edit the photo. Once I sit down to write, that is really the easiest part for me. Like I said, I enjoy talking. So that is how I write. I write the same way I speak. It pours out, complete with typos and half thoughts. Then I got back and makes sure it makes sense on the page the way it did in my head.

Next week’s blog hoppers:

 

Judith (aka juicy green mom) is a mother to a little girl, wife to a visual artist, sister to a breast cancer survivor, designer/musician/writer, and self-proclaimed ecoholic. She blogs about living green on a budget, environment and health issues, and rants and raves about the world of parenting.

 

 

 

Danielle from It’s a Love/Love Thing.

The simpler life. A love-filled one! That’s what I’m going after. I dream daily of owning a few acres, gardening, and raising (a few) animals for food and milk. Modern life is complicated enough; I long for simplicity. But I don’t have to wait for dreams realized – the great thing is I can start today! I love to spend time learning about God and have come to realize something: as complicated as I have tried to make it, it really is all about love. It’s simple, and yet so powerful. And the journey is so worth it.

 

Sara from Creating Contentment

Creating Contentment is where I come to muse, learn, create and vent. I want to be happier and to share happiness. I am on a mission to improve my wellbeing, for me but also for my family. This is my journey. I am sharing my experiments on the road to contentment here, hoping to spread the happiness around.

To read more about me, click on my beautiful, big face up there!

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

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DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!

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