Welcome to the Blogger Spotlight Interview. This week we have Lisa from Mummy Gummie taking part in the Blogger Spotlight interview.
If you would like to take part, and your blog is under six months old, or has been re-launched in the last six months, please email me randommusings29@gmail.com
1 Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Lisa, I am a thirty one year old mummy to 16 month old Hayden and 6 week old Austin. I am married to my college boyfriend Mike and together with our boys we live in Bristol.
I work part time as an NHS doctor, training to be a GP at present, although I’m currently on maternity leave.
I love baking, gin and cocktails, stationary, going for coffee with friends and Netflix.
2 What is your blog’s name and what is it about?
My blog’s name is Mummy Gummie (based on my surname). My blog is about my experiences and thoughts on pregnancy, parenting and day to day life.
3 Why did you decide to start a blog?
It was my husband’s idea really, he kept mentioning it to me.
I had never even really read any blogs before I looked into starting my own, but anyone that knows me knows I love to talk, and I think my husband Mike was a bit fed up of listening to me going on about all things baby and what I thought of various baby products, hence his suggestion for me to blog.
After last Christmas and starting maternity leave, I was feeling a bit low and lost so decided to just go for it and start trying to write. The writing came easier than I thought and I found it really therapeutic to get all my thoughts out there.
4 Do you have any goals for your blog?
I have just started my first review for a product which I’ve really enjoyed doing, so I’m hoping to work more with brands in the future.
I would like to increase my blog readership/social media following. This has slowly been increasing since I started 3 months ago, but nothing dramatic.
As much as I want this to increase I’m trying hard not to get too wrapped up in the stats of blogging, and just focus on the writing and enjoying it. I know from reading lots of posts about blogging from fellow bloggers that building a true following often takes time.
I have recently taken the plunge and gone self hosted. I’m still in the process of sorting out the site design though and plug ins etc. So another goal is to finish this process and get the blog looking how I want it to.
5 Tell us one random fact about you
I really dislike sweet and savoury things together, by this I mean I dislike rice pudding and bread and butter pudding because to me bread and rice are purely savoury. A bit odd I know.
6 What is the best piece of blog related advice you have received so far?
I have read lots of advice about blogging since I started from seasoned bloggers, and all of it useful.
I suppose the best piece of advice has been to not forget why you started blogging, for me this was for myself, because I enjoy writing and it’s therapeutic. It’s really easy to get caught up in all the other parts of blogging and forget why you started.
7 What is your favourite thing about blogging?
Oh this is hard, there are so many great things about blogging.
As I have already mentioned I find writing therapeutic.
I also really enjoy the social side to blogging, though I never expected to, as prior to blogging I only had a Facebook account that I sometimes used.
I would say my favourite thing though is when I feel people have enjoyed reading a post or it’s helped someone, that’s a great feeling.
8 Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over knowing what you know now?
I think I would probably go self hosted from the start, a risk I know if you decide that blogging isn’t for you and initially it’s a bit more work.
However, the cost of going self hosted is very reasonable (as far as hobbies go) and then you don’t have to have the hassle of getting everything transferred if you do later decide to go self hosted.
9 Anything else you’d like to share with us?
Not blogging related at all, but I am going on holiday to Turkey in June. Really looking forward to a holiday but pretty nervous about the prospect of travelling with 2 young children.
10 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media)
My blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Thank you for sharing.