Being a self-taught blogger (Day 22 of 30)

I see all these "courses" available to learn to blog, tweet, etc. I kinda feel like that defeats the purpose. I mean, I get that some people want to make truly profitable careers out of social media, but I do it for fun. I have learned how to win lots of cool prizes on twitter, obviously, and that does help offset the cost of groceries and entertainment. I also just enjoy engaging in social media - Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to learning how to navigate Twitter/Facebook well, recently I've figured out some HTML stuff. I decided to add a slideshow to my blog, so today I deleted some of the pictures I had in my right column, uploaded pictures to Photobucket, and inserted the HTML into a gadget. Well, when I previewed it, the slideshow was too large and completely off-center. So I messed around with the HTML to make it smaller and centered. It was a simple fix, but probably something I couldn't have figured out a few months ago. I also figured out how to link a button to something other than the original designated site so I could add someone's button to my blog, but a particular page within that person's blog. I think all that made sense...

At any rate, I'm still learning. I'm still finding new opportunities to host reviews and giveaways. I really enjoy writing reviews for toys, educational products, and eco-friendly products. When I am passionate about something, then I am passionate about the writing portion as well!

Biting My Tongue, Clenching My Fists (Day 4 of 30)

So yesterday I spoke about motherhood and social media. Today, I will describe something that happened a few months back. A new mom who I work with invited me to join a mom group on Facebook. I was hesitant, but decided to join in. I noticed there were a lot of moms who were very unlike me: hiring nannies, allowing their children to cry-it-out at a very young age, formula-feeding, giving solid foods at or before 4 months, etc. At first I ignored their posts, but then I began to get confused...hiring a sleep trainer? a night nurse? So I started to ask questions and make comments. Then it happened...I couldn't bear to bite my tongue (clench my fists) any longer. A mom was talking about how her child "needed" pre-digested formula. Apparently it has a very off-putting odor/flavor, so this mother was asking how to make it more tolerable for her child. The suggestions included adding either SPLENDA or VANILLA EXTRACT! So basically, a chemical artificial sweetener or 70-proof alcohol. Great ideas! I expressed my opinions (including facts about infants from reliable resources) and my responses were NOT well-received. I guess it was probably mostly mommy guilt (or just plain ignorance), but I was kicked out of the group. I think I said some other things that weren't well-received either, but I can't even remember now. However, getting kicked out helped me because I formed my own group called Responsive Parenting, and I invited people who I wanted to be there. People whose knowledge, experiences, and opinions are actually valuable to me.

Last week, a woman I know wrote a FB status update about her daughter and formula. It was a logical update/question. Some of her friends responded by weaning off formula at a very young age (7 months) and replacing it with cow's milk. Then, to make it taste better, they added Strawberry Quik. Some people also suggested that it's okay to wean off formula if a child is eating a lot of finger foods. I voiced my opinion/knowledge a few times, but then I just stopped.

At the end of the day, I can't control (or even suggest) how people should raise their children. All I can do is be the best mother I can be to my children... and hope when it's time for them to make friends, they choose wisely!

Social Media and Mommyhood (Day 3 of 30)

This topic will probably need a part 2...or 3. In fact, just thinking of all that I can write in this one entry is overwhelming! I'll start with something funny. Check out The Mompetition if you haven't already. It's freaking hilarious! The videos are so accurate.

So from an outsider's perspective, my sister often comments about how mothers' Facebook posts are always about their children. Who pooped in the potty today? Who cried all night long? Who said their first words? Took their first steps? Breastfed the longest? Yes, us proud mommies use social media to talk about (boast about, perhaps?) our children's accomplishments sometimes. Sometimes we also look for support from other moms (although the advice we get is often mixed, and I generally go with my gut anyway regardless of advice). Sometimes we just want to vent because, well, who doesn't want to vent sometimes? Facebook and Twitter have basically been taken over by working moms, work-at-home moms, and stay-at-home moms who want to connect with each other. In fact, many mothers are able to use social media tools to earn a living. There are mom boutiques on Facebook, mompreneurs on Twitter, and mommy bloggers reviewing every family-friendly product/service on the market! I'm fortunate enough to help support my family by teaching online graduate classes through the University of Phoenix and work online on directorial duties for Abi's Place. This blog has also helped to establish my "Huppie Mama" identity, allowing me to become a Guidecraft Educator, which I think is just awesome! This opportunity allows me to review educational products that I can either keep or donate to Abi's Place.

This brings me to Twitter. I started using Twitter about a year and a half ago. I kinda understood what it was all about, but it seemed like something I didn't have the patience for. About 2 months ago, I saw one of my "liked" organizations/businesses on Facebook would be hosting a Twitter party. I participated and won a prize - summer supply of ONE Coconut Water. This seemed pretty easy. A few weeks later, I tried again, and won a year's worth of products from Organic Valley. From that point forward, I have been mapping out each week's Twitter Parties, recording what prizes I've won, who I contacted, when the prize arrives, etc. I've won everything from food to toys to magazines. I now have all of Lydia's gifts for her upcoming 2nd birthday (dolls, Disney castle, toys, arts & craft supplies, etc.) and probably almost all of her Christmas gifts (whatever is leftover from her birthday gifts).  Pretty amazing what a few Twitter parties...well, perhaps more than a few...can save you monetarily!

So, that's the intro to my take on Social Media and Mommyhood. Next entry may have to be about getting kicked out of a Facebook group called Mamarama...ha ha ha!