2010 October | Theta Mom®

10.18.10

Reaching Your Readers’ Expectations

Quite some time ago I had a conversation with another reader on Twitter about my blog. She alluded to the idea that she always knows what to expect when she comes to Theta Mom. At first, I took that as constructive criticism and asked her why. However, she was actually giving me a compliment noting that my posts are always content driven which end up making her think…and she saw this as a “good” thing.

Somehow though, this conversation made me think about blogging in a way I haven’t before; many would agree (including some of the pros) that you have found your niche and also your voice when readers do know what to expect. It means you’ve developed a clear mission and purpose for your blog. It means that your “elevator pitch” has been well received and that even individual posts are written with clear intent and clarity. And I agree, I think I have done those things pretty well but I couldn’t stop but wonder how other readers viewed this same concept – whether “knowing what to expect” from a blog is seen as demonstrated, or perhaps viewed as routine or mundane.

I don’t ever want to be considered the kind of blog that is static as I truly believe blogging is an ongoing and evolving process. So while I am happy to have reached some sort of “reader expectation,” the real question is, have I? Moreover, thinking about your own blog, have you?

My content is always driven by my own inspiration. I can’t write about something that I don’t have the sheer desire to write about. In essence, I will continue to write about the things that come naturally to me or topics that are relevant. Having said that, I do think that if you have a public blog (as many of us do) part of maintaining a steady readership is to ensure that we are tapping into what our readers do enjoy reading from us and this certainly means different things for different bloggers.

I would love to further explore this idea and no matter where you are in reaching your bloggy goals, this kind of activity would be beneficial in understanding how your audience relates to your blog. So I’m asking for your help in answering two important questions:

QUESTION 1: Do you think that knowing what to expect from a particular blog is reaching readers’ expectations and do you view this as a positive thing? Why or why not?

QUESTION 2: Which kind of posts (or specific topics) do you enjoy reading the most?

I appreciate your input and thoughts here, so please share!

{ 52 Comments }

10.15.10

Featured TMC Blogger: Mandi Miller Blog

TMC welcomes Mandi, mom of one and author of the blog Mandi Miller Blog. I can’t even tell you when Mandi started reading Theta Mom because she’s been here from very early on. She is such a supportive blogger and like many other Theta Moms, Mandi knows how much motherhood has been life changing and so she started to blog about imperfection; yes, another *real* mom wanting to connect with others. Here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hello to all of you wonderful Theta Mom readers! My name is Mandi and I’m a wife to an amazing guy and mom to a beautiful little girl. In two years I moved from my home to attend school in Missouri, met my future husband, eloped (oh yes we ELOPED), moved to another state, got pregnant three months into our marriage and had a baby just a few weeks shy of our one year anniversary.

Whew… just thinking about it makes me tired!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved every second and wouldn’t change anything but it all happened so fast. Being a new mom, in a new state, with a new husband, with no family and few friends made me feel disconnected from the world. To top things off I somehow got it in my head that everything needed to be perfect. I should be a perfect mom, be a perfect wife, cook perfect meals and keep my house in perfect condition. It was a recipe for disaster.

I started blogging when I finally realized perfect doesn’t exist. In the last year I have been challenged as a writer, “met” many talented women and learned so much about parenting. My blog is a place for people to laugh about the mistakes we make when trying to be perfect. You will not find me posting pictures of my beautiful and clean house. You will not find articles about how my daughter eats everything I eat. You will not find tips on how I lost all of my baby weight and look like a supermodel. Those things don’t exist in my life. What you will find is someone who is trying to do my best as a mom but can also laugh at my epic failures. (Believe me, there are many.) I want moms out there to know (perfect or not) you make a difference in the life of your children just by being you. I love the Theta Mom Community and I am beyond excited to have you visit!”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*Remember the new changes to TMC: In order to be considered as a future Featured TMC Blogger, you must be a member and leave a comment on the blog of the current Feature Blogger, so be sure to retweet and show some love! Have a wonderful weekend ladies!

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10.13.10

What I Would Say to Her

I was going through some photos recently and I stumbled upon this one. I can’t believe it was almost ten years ago that I earned a degree from graduate school. This photo was taken before I was married, owned a home or gave birth to my children.

Almost ten years ago.

That girl in the photo is quite different than the woman I am today. The core of who I am has remained the same but life experiences and various relationships have made me evolve as a person and ultimately, a mother. I guess I never realized how much marriage, a mortgage and motherhood would change my life.

If I could have a conversation and share ten things that I know now with the young woman staring back at me in this photograph, it would go something like this (in no particular order)…

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously or sweat the small stuff. There will be many moments on the road ahead that will require some serious thinking and decision making. Until then, now is the time to figure out what you really want out of life and just go for it.

2. Don’t get so caught up in looking so perfect. Appearances are only skin deep – and when you pop out that second kid anyway, you’ll be working overtime to fit back into those skinny jeans so don’t be so hard on yourself now. It only gets harder.

3. Learn to love your body. Laugh lines are evidence of a life well lived and stretch marks will be appreciated one day, for they will be reminders of the little blessings brought into this world.

4. Know who you are and what you value because these are the things that will get you through some real hard and trying times in your life. This will also help to keep you grounded as you venture out into the world.

5. Surround yourself with influential and positive people and don’t ever let anyone intimidate you. Forget the nonsense and the negativity and only invest your time in people who truly care about you and support you.

6. Love yourself. You can’t give love to anyone else if you don’t love yourself first.

7. Continue to do what makes YOU happy and don’t look back. Make good decisions and learn from your mistakes. Dust yourself off when you are down and get right back up to try again. Don’t ever give up on yourself or your ideals.

8. Make your own money. Follow your passion and pursue a career you truly enjoy to become financially independent.

9. Invest in a quality education – no matter what happens in your life (job loss, divorce, loss of home) your education is something that can never be taken away from you.

10. Don’t ever stop dreaming big dreams and love deeper than you ever thought possible. Embrace your loved ones and count your blessings – because life is too short not to.

I actually could go on and on with a list like this…if you saw a photo of your “younger” self, what is something you would say to that young person staring back at you?

{ 44 Comments }

10.11.10

A Party in My City

Last weekend I took my son and his friend to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s a Party in My City at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. My son was just as thrilled about this opportunity as I was and excited to see the “real” DJ Lance Rock {Lance Robertson} open the show! And joining DJ Lance were the full cast of characters including Brobee, Toodee, Foofa, Muno and Plex. From a Theta Mom’s perspective, it was very cool to see the characters my son has grown to love on stage live because the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba are seriously like celebrities in my house!

The show was non-stop energy from the moment the curtain opened. Just like the television show, the live aspect of this performance was infused with retro-style and music to different beats to teach life lessons through song and dance. When the cast sang and danced to one of his all-time favorite songs “Get the Sillies Out,” he jumped out of his seat and sang right along.

Even more exciting was when the real hip-hop legend Biz Markie took the stage! The audience went wild as he directly pulled some kids from the first few rows to teach them how to beat box with “Biz’s Beat of the Day.” There were also some special guests that joined the party on stage for the Super Music Friends Show and the Dancey Dance segments. It was during these times that audience participation was fully encouraged. The kids were out of their seats, clapping their hands and dancing to the music. Interactive, exciting and fun would be three easy words to describe this upbeat show and my son was smiling the entire time – which of course made me smile, too!

This was truly a state-of-the-art production featuring music, singing, dancing and even animation through a large backdrop. Most of the elements seen on the television show were integrated throughout this live performance. It truly was an experience that gave my son a chance to see some of his favorite characters “come to life” and I’m sure it’s one of those shows he’ll remember for a long time.

I highly recommend bringing your child to see this performance live if and when it comes to your city. I have to be honest though and share that I did not bring my two year-old daughter. My husband stayed home with her and I brought my son, his friend and her mom. (I was afraid that she would not have sat through the performance). But, having watched the show first hand and seeing how the characters truly engage the audience, I think she probably could have sat through it. My son is five and it was the perfect show for him as he loved every second of it!

Here is my son’s friend and her mom…

And my son and I getting ready to watch the big performance….

Overall, I could not say more great things about this show. If your child loves Yo Gabba Gabba it really is a must see! I give this show two huge thumbs up so if it arrives in your city, go party with the cast. Your children will think YOU are the superstar for taking them!

*I was provided four tickets to the performance of Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s a Party in My City at Radio City Music Hall. These are my own honest opinions about the performance reflective of my experience.

{ 47 Comments }

10.8.10

Featured TMC Blogger: Mommy Needs a Vacation

TMC welcomes Rachel, author of the blog Mommy Needs a Vacation. I think I first found Rachel on Twitter and she began blogging right around the time that TMC launched. I adore Rachel because she tells it like it is. She is so real and she knows exactly how difficult this motherhood gig can be and isn’t afraid to talk about it! She is a total Theta Mom and I know each and every one of you will love her. Moreover, she is sassy and hil-ar-ious! Reading her blog will bring a smile to your face and be sure to follow her on Twitter. She is one of my favorite tweeps! Here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hi, my name is Rachel and I am addicted to Twitter. Oh wait, that is for another meeting…I am a mom and YES I need a vacation. Why you ask? Because parenting is hard. Because parenting is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week JOB. Because with this job, I don’t build up vacation days to use at a later date. I have come to realize that the **put your feet up with a fruity cocktail vacation** is rare (and pricey) so I try my best to find small moments of time for just myself.

I started blogging back in March of this year to do something for myself and also to meet other amazing ladies out there who know what my day to day is like. I felt like I needed a little, “Oh I SO KNOW what you are talking about!” I also felt that after having two kids of mine own, I had opinions to share about motherhood. I wanted to share my experiences and let other moms know that it is okay to lose your temper, have a glass of wine at 5 o’clock (or sometimes earlier), feed your kids chicken nuggets every day and not shower. I wanted to let other moms know that it is okay to feel like you need a vacation from parenting.

I love writing, I love taking pictures and I love being funny. Thinking you are funny and making yourself laugh is always a good thing. I also like talking…like a lot, which is why I started vlogging too! I am so excited for other Theta Mom’s to come visit me, check out what I have to say, share a laugh with me and complain about needing a vacation along with me.

And until we all get our much deserved vacations, we are all just TAKING. IT. ONE. DAY. AT. A. TIME….preferably with a glass of wine (or two) or course.”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

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