Tag Archives: blogging

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Blog love.

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When I’m not working on my blog, I’m most certainly p*ssing about on Twitter or Facebook. No wait, that’s not right. I mean, it’s mostly true, but it’s not what I am trying to say today…

I really really enjoy reading other people’s blogs. I find them inspiring and I just love the privilege of having a sneak peek into somebody else’s life. I love to see how another person writes, what their world looks like to them, and if I can get a laugh or a cry out of something then I’m hooked. Bonus points if I can relate and feel like I’m sharing someone’s experience.

I thought about writing a love note to one blogger that I really enjoy reading about, but to be honest I cannot narrow it down to one. If you’d love to sit down for a bit and check out some fantastic reads, then here is my list (I only ever mention bloggers that I believe are so awesome that their awesomeness deserves to be shared). Please note that I have some favourites that will not be shared in this post, due to previous honourable mentions in my post about ‘daddy bloggers’ last year (click the link to check them out because they’re totally worth it).

Don’t Quit Your Day Job – A Chronicle of Mommy Mishaps

I have only just discovered this blogger and I am in bloggy love. Vicki is a SAHM (a former marketing executive – which sounds very exciting and important to me) and because of her professional background, I just know that I cannot sell her to you as well as she does in her ‘about me’ blurb…

“I have searched the blogosphere for other people who share my same appreciation for all things wacky. If for no other reason than to make myself feel like I’m not alone. But most of the ladies out there are way too Martha Stewart for me. I can’t relate to them. They are either really creepy Pinterest-perfect, skinny Supermoms or maybe they are just completely fabricated and they secretly go in their closet at the end of the day and get in the fetal position. (No offense to perfect people). Either way, I’m hoping if you find yourself here you can read a story that you can relate to. No BS, no sugar-coating. Just real life stuff. And maybe my daily life stories can help you get through a situation or maybe just smile a little.”

Now I don’t know about you, but she is totally my kind of person. Her blog is really easy to read and has a massive likeability factor. She’s funny and clever. I’ve not read a single post of hers that I haven’t enjoyed. I’m not just saying that either.

Twinkle in the Eye

This blog by Bree is great. It’s an attractive site and one of the blogs where I never skip over her posts. I literally read every single one. Bree shares her life as a mum, wife and a great individual. I am inspired by how well she has set up her blog and turned it not just into a hobby, but a little business. She’s a smart cookie :)

Make-Up and Mirtazapine

This blog blows me away every time I read it. This is basically the ongoing story of someone striving to make their life better, despite having battled some pretty cruel mental illness. Each post documents her ups and downs, along with her amazingly insightful observations on life. No joke, every time I read a new post, I come away inspired by her strength and her journey. She is an honest blogger and she is brave. I don’t know if I could be that brave, but I am grateful she shares her life the way that she does.

Mommy Man: Adventures of a Gay Super Dad

As you know, I really do enjoy a great ‘daddy blog’. This one makes me laugh, moves me and makes me even more passionate that gay people all over the world deserve to have their own families (something I’ve always believed in but this guy should be the poster boy – along with NPH haha). This guy (Jerry) is fantastic. He blogs about his family life with his two gorgeous twin toddlers and he is honest, candid and funny!

I believe that it’s blogs like this that will slowly help to change society’s ignorant views on what a family looks like. Jerry is a parent. Not just a gay parent. All of his struggles, triumphs and funny anecdotes are those of any parent trying their best to wrangle a couple of kids and get out alive :) Truly a great read.

Jill of All Trades

When I first started reading this blog, I thought the blogger’s name was Jill. This was very confusing to me because she kept referring to herself as Samantha. Silly Kez. Once I figured that out, I realised just how funny this chick is. Her blog is made even funnier with her stick figure self portraits and funny illustrations. Samantha/Jill is not afraid of the TMI and I just love that. She’s just so charming about it!

I hope that you will enjoy these blogs as much as I do :)

This post is a part of the Blog Every Day in May challenge.



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Hump Day Hell Yeahs.

It’s Wednesday. Hump day. I’ve decided that while conquering Monday-itis with great inspirational posts (well they inspire me because I wrote them for me at least haha), it’s hump day that really requires a self inflicted kick up the backside. By then I know if I’m in the right mindset or not. By Wednesday, I know if I’m being a Negative Nancy or a Positive Peggy. So I dub today’s (and any subsequent) posts Hump Day Hell Yeahs. Because all the other corny inspirational days are taken. Trust me. I googled that sh*t. There’s Motivational Monday, Midweek Motivation, every variation of TGI Friday (TFIF included).

So anyway, enough of my struggle with originality…

Lately I have been feeling a little bit bogged down in my blogging and I think it’s because my mind has been all over the place. I feel a bit tired of mentioning the loss of my grandfather, my trip interstate and my damn coccyx (although Twitter copped most of that issue). I feel like I’ve even come across as defensive of my parenting skills. And while I know that everything I’ve blogged has been a reflection on my real life and what has been happening for me, I feel like I’m stuck in that space. I keep willing funny, witty, light hearted things to flow out of my fingers and onto my shiny new laptop (Happy Birthday to me!), but it’s not really happening the way I’d hope.

I need to stop repeating myself and get out of a rut. Pay respect to what has been happening in my life, but keep stepping forwards. It’s kind of a theme for me these days. So let’s go:

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Sometimes I give myself a hard time for the past day, week, month, year, decade. I get mad at myself for making certain choices or not believing in myself. Perhaps I can even compensate with extra bravado these days (making me seem a little brash and hard). However, I need to realise that it was not the same me who made those past decisions. I’m an improved version these days. More confident, wiser, more mature. In no way have I reached my optimum confidence, wisdom or maturity levels – LONG way to go with a whole life ahead of me – but I know I’ve come further in my journey. I need to look forwards and keep trying to be the best person I can be.

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I lost a couple of Facebook followers this week (literally 2). Perhaps I’ve been boring, perhaps they didn’t like my views. Did they sense the rut I’ve been in? Or did it have nothing to do with me – they could have deleted their whole accounts or slimmed down completely on the Facebook pages they liked. Who knows? But I have to think, who cares? I don’t want followers who don’t like what I’m about and they are probably feeling good that I’m not in their newsfeeds anymore. How is that a problem? Not everyone is for everyone! I can be cool with that! I’ve had my two minutes (one for each lost follower) of insecure neurosis! I’m moving forwards :)

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Haha. If you know me really well, you’ll laugh at this one. I am the queen of overthinking. Overexplaining. Over…everything. I think my blogging has suffered because I haven’t been believing in what I’ve been writing? I mean, I believe every word I’ve written to be true to me, but I’ve doubted my ability to be appealing to anyone else. I’ve overthought it. This blog started for me to express myself and share my stories. If I stay true to that, I should just bloody get on with it. I’ll have good weeks and not so good weeks. I hope someone out there is interested in my life as it unfolds.

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Look, I’m not proud of it, but I’ve been feeling a little snarky and smart arsey lately. I know I’m not quite back to my positive self (my usual nature). I also know I’m not really even trying to be. Yeah. I know. I need to work harder. Put out more positive energy. What we put out is what we get back.

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This has been the desktop picture on my (old) laptop for months. Every time I look at it, it boosts me. Reminds me to keep perspective. A lot of tough stuff has been going on around the world lately and my problems are really not much more than the first world variety (well, Boston is in the first world but you know what I mean). Might be real and tough for me, but I need to remember how much worse it could be and give thanks for what I have. I don’t want one ‘unfollow’ or a throwaway comment in real life, or a silly thing to not go smoothly, to wreck my whole outlook on life. My happiness. I deserve my happiness and there’s no need for me to be the a**hole who keeps taking it away from myself!!!

Happy Hump Day, everyone. Can I get a HELL YEAH???

What blessings in your life do you have today? 

Find Awesomely Unprepared on Facebook 

I feel better already xoxo

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Who’s your daddy…blogger?

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Look, I still have trouble admitting this to myself, but if you were to label me as a blogger, I would definitely be a “mummy” blogger these days. I am a mummy who blogs. About being a mummy. I try to think of other things to blog about, but being the biggest job I’ve ever undertaken, all the “mummy” stuff seems to dominate! I guess I’m reluctant to label myself (or be labelled) because I worry that I’ll just be one of the million bajillion parents out there who is trying to make something of themselves in the blogosphere (is “blogosphere” a naff thing to say?) and it’s not exactly an original or unique idea. I want to show that I have more than one dimension, I suppose. I feel like I’m a happy new parent, but I am also more than that. In saying that, there will always be mummies (not the toilet paper wearing zombie ones – no wait…) in the world. Billions of them. Reaching out for support, advice, sharing of funny stories and enjoying new perspectives on parenting. Each parent is a different person who offers something slightly new, with their own back story to tell and build on. And gawd, it’s therapeutic to blog about the experience. Who am I to stand in the way of myself and millions of others who stay sane this way?

I guess I can live with that. I shouldn’t try to be a total wanker about it.

Moving right along…

I love reading mummy blogs (or posts about being new parents). Let’s face it, I belong to the right demographic. However, I also really, thoroughly enjoy a good daddy blog. It’s fun to find out about the “other” sex’s perspective on parenting. Also? I kind of secretly think it’s cute that these days dads can write all about their parental exploits and it shows how far we’ve all come in sharing parenting roles and experiences. It sure ain’t the 1950s anymore and aren’t we glad?! Also, I like to email all the good daddy posts to my husband. Not sure if he enjoys my forceful sharing of dad experiences with him (he doesn’t have the same non-sports related blog reading addiction I do), but I haven’t yet received any criticism for it…unlike the backlash I get for sending celebrity baby gossip to him…he’s not really that fussed about Blue Ivy, I must say. I also get a lacklustre reaction when I send him NBA news. Not NBA sports news. Just gossip about Kardashians and stuff, which he really says doesn’t count as NBA news. Then I reply that I was being thoughtful keeping him up…with the Kardashians mostly. I really am so amazingly thoughtful. Oh and any cute pictures of labradors being cute (as labradors tend to be) are also important email correspondence between us. For me. Well, I have fun.

Also, I must add that he’d rather chew off his leg after a freakish bobsledding accident than write his own blog (a real tragedy I say). He doesn’t actually bobsled, but I thought that was a fun visual. Also, he’ll read this and I think we can agree that it will get a good reaction. Also, I watched a bit of Cool Runnings on TV the other night…

Unfortunately, daddy blogs are in the minority these days. For every gazillion mummy bloggers, you will find one daddy blogger. That figure may or may not have resulted in me doing guesswork and not any actual research.

I just finished reading a guest post that Aliya from Double the Fun commissioned from her husband (the ‘Hubs’) and thoroughly enjoyed his dabbling in a bit of daddy blogging. It made me think of the other dad blogs I enjoy. I shall share them, shall I?

How To Be A Dad
Follow Charlie and Andy in their day to day experiences as dads “in the field”. They claim vehemently to not be parenting experts but rather to provide a humourous “how not to” guide to being fathers. They aim to entertain, and I’m certainly entertained :)

They share lots of funny parenting anecdotes (but only the ones their wives will allow). It’s all in good fun!
As another parent who also claims adamantly to not be an expert, hence my blog title, this is a blog I relate to (as much as a non-dad can)!

Also, every time I’ve ever commented, I’ve received a comment reply which makes me feel warm and fuzzy like my visit means something to them. I think I should probably start doing that more on this ol’ blog.

BIG FAMILY, little income
Ah, Bruce. That’s this dad’s name. Which is also the name of my late goldfish. Don’t ask. Moving right along…

This guy cracks me up. Also, just quietly, he’s nuts. He has SEVEN CHILDREN. Which as you can imagine makes for a LOT of great blogging material. I usually find funny stories about his kids (or his parenting skills) and he shares tips on saving the moolah so he can feed his MASSIVE brood!

Busy Busy Busy
I’ve been reading Jacob’s blog since before he was a dad and now that he is, he is just as funny and lovely to read about! He draws really hilarious little pictures to go with his posts and his experiences as a first time parent to a little boy make me do that whole, “I totally get this.” thing while I’m reading. He’s a few months ahead of me in this whole parenthood thing, so I like to see what I’m in for.

He’s one of those bloggers who make me get excited when I see a post pop up in my googlereader and I always make time to read everything he writes.

Well, those are my favourites. Know of any more I can read or share? x

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20SB Blog Swap: Lisa’s Summer Bucket List.

I just love when I get to “meet” new bloggers and I must say I’ve hit it off with Lisa of My Journey to Becoming Helen Mirren’s Biggest Fan. Not only did she take the effort to swap blogs with me for a day (see my post here), but she’s pretty funny and while you would think that anyone who dedicates a whole blog to open letters to Dame Helen Mirren might be a little…off…she seems quite normal – or at least weird in a good way :)

Anyway, Lisa is funny and honest and I think I’m going to become a regular reader. That’s the cool thing about the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap (say that ten times fast – actually that would be a big waste of time but you get what I mean). 20SB is an awesome community to be a part of and I’ve enjoyed discovering bloggers from all around the world. It sounds a little nerdy but it’s so much fun (and totally cool).

Anyway, without further ado…Here’s LIIIIIISAAAAAAAAAAA (that was my best Oprah impression)…

 

It’s summer here on the west coast of the United States.  I know this because I see girls wearing more inappropriate clothing than usual and sometimes on the weather report there are sunglasses on that picture of an ignorantly blissful sun.  It’s about 15 degrees warmer here in Los Angeles than it was 6 months ago.  It gets light earlier and dark later.   I got through elementary school, so I’m pretty sure all this quacking means that it’s summertime duckling!

But other than my very keen observations while watching TV, I wouldn’t know what time of year it is.  I’m here – at work.  And I’m here at work every day, every month, from around  9 to 7 (or 8… or… 11).  My work schedule knows no season.  My weekends are spent doing what I always do on weekends –  running before the sun comes out, eating brunch al fresco, seeing poor re-makes of old movies I never saw the first time around, drinking rose on someone’s patio.  And while it’s all fun, my social life knows no seasons.  And because it seems like every day could be some random day April, time goes by so freaking quickly.   There is no 3-month break after a 9-month marathon of homework and school dances that tells you that one phase of your life is over and it’s time to start the next.  There’s no mandate to stop on June 2nd – breathe – look around – and jump in a pool.  I blame graduating school.  I blame living in a city that is 75 degrees and sunny even when there are 2 feet of snow blocking my parents front door.  I blame people who get spray tans in October and indoor pools and year-round reality shows that spit in the face of a September through May TV schedule.  But mainly I blame myself.  I didn’t take advantage of this summer (or last summer, or the summer before).  I didn’t plan any big vacations and I only went to the beach twice in the last couple months.  I think I ate 2 hamburgers while standing outside that were made on a grill by some guy who looks more familiar in an apron than without.  It’s a damn shame.
This isn’t a sad post, though.  It’s just a reminder – SUMMER COMES ONCE A YEAR!!!  Even if I’m in my late 20s and I have to drive to a nondescript building and type in a nondescript cubicle every day – IT’S STILL SUMMER!!!  And I refuse to be unprepared (although I may do it awesomely) for celebrating summer.  So here we go.  It’s August 17th.  I’ve got a little over a month left to grab the rising mercury by the horns and make this happen before the calendar says it’s too late.
So here’s my summer bucket list.  God help me if I don’t get this all in before someone somewhere on the other side of the country puts a cardigan on.
1. Go to a theme park (I’ll even accept one that people can die at).
2. Swim in the ocean for 15 minutes because it is refreshing (not because I had to pee and was too lazy to walk across the street).
3. Put together the firepit my roommate got us for Christmas and burn a fucking marshmallow – ON PURPOSE.
4. Drink dirty martinis outside while wearing a giant hat.
5. Fall in love… with a book that I will read in bed when it’s too hot to fall asleep (instead of using the time to watch Chelsea Lately and hate myself).
6. Ask someone to make me a hot dog and to burn it to a crisp but don’t toast the bun – and hold them too it.
7. Take a photo of my really tan feet.
8. Get a really great tan on my feet.
9. Buy aloe vera with a fierce certainty that I am going to have to use it.
Alright.  I’m ready.  I have 37 days to make it happen.  Who’s with me?
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Things that are not practical for a night out.

So, I was suffering from blogger’s block – despite having just got back from a wonderful, delicious, exhausting little getaway in Melbourne, Victoria (that place where no-one is allowed to swear in public anymore). So I put out a little (slightly desperate sounding) plea on twitter for post ideas/inspiration. What I got back was fantastic – well I got 1 response anyhow. The lovely Maria from Ever Events suggested this:

Title your blog “Things that are not practical for a night out”1)Electronic eyeshadow 2)Pet Komodo..I’ll leave the rest to you ;-)

What is this (funny, creative and slightly unhinged) woman on about?

This:

Digitized Eyeshadow from Lulin Ding on Vimeo.

Yes, electronic eye shadow. Besides the fact that it probably causes temporary blindness (and is connected to an unsightly bunch of wires that sit behind your ear), it seems that you can’t actually show it off while your eye (singular as shown in the video) is open. I wonder if it will catch on. I wonder what the boys think when there’s this weird lady standing in the corner of a crowded bar winking and flashing – but not in a good way…

Let me also tell you why a pet Komodo would not be practical for a night out…
You cannot fit one in your handbag. It won’t hold your hair back when you need a bit of a post drink spew. It will eat a whole lot of small animals (totes anti social). I also heard that a pet Komodo doesn’t like to dance much and will only drink top shelf liquour. Party pooper.

Pic found via Google image search

Other things that aren’t practical for a night out?
Lady Gaga, sunscreen, a bag full of vegetables and an ironing board.

As you can see, I am a total expert on what a lady/gentleman needs for a night out because I am such a party animal these days. I think the last time I was in a club was January and I would like to say that I don’t go anymore because the club can’t handle me right now, but I would be lying. It is I who cannot handle the club. Also, they won’t let me drink tequila shots or shake my pelvis around like I’m having a seizure on the dancefloor anymore. Something to do with unborn baby, safety, health blah blah.

However, let me push on with some things that are practical for a night out:
Uncomfortably high heels, a midget friend (I am available every second weekend), a glitter cannon and nun chucks. Also, a helmet, knee pads, a bowl of jelly (green jelly – not red jelly – get it right) and an old school boom box. Perhaps also bring a label maker, an angle grinder, Will Smith and an assortment of condiments (but not mustard – that would be impractical – come on – use your brain).

Or perhaps I should leave event planning to the experts…

Pfft, and you thought pregnant women were crazy.

What else would you like me to blog about?

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Schmanonymous! Or…No-one likes a drama llama.

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This post has been inspired by the twitter conversation I just had with the lovely Leah, Bronnie and Scribbles :)

I have a confession to make. It’s probably the world’s worst kept secret but I used to have an anonymous blog (So I Was Thinking…). It wasn’t exactly salacious, scandalous or controversial in the slightest – in fact it was more like a weekly (on average) posting of my most silly thoughts, life learnings and embarrassing moments! It was amusing to write and hopefully the 90+ subscribers thought it was not so bad to read :)

How did I maintain anonymity? I never put my real first name (it’s Keri by the way – cool huh) or last name in writing on the blog site. I never named my hometown specifically (it’s truly a small world) and I kept my husband’s name out of it, using a very generic handle for him (The Hubby). I also made sure that (in true narcissistic form) the blog was mostly about ME. In other words, I did not tell other people’s stories for them (as it would be unfair – they didn’t know I had a blog) and I did not discuss sensitive matters (ie airing dirty laundry). I was respectful and I wrote as if anyone I knew was reading it – especially any drama llamas (we all know some) who might have popped up for me in the past (when I was younger and less smarterer).

I also had a disclaimer on my blog – kind of a friendly warning that my blog was designed to entertain and not to stir up trouble or discuss private matters. That should be done in person at the right time in the right place.

I never posted identifying photos of myself, my husband, my friends or my family – just my pets :)

I just wanted to practice writing, enjoy sharing my silly stories and being the dork that I am. If you are from my real life world reading this, please don’t think you missed out on much – I’ll be making up for it well and truly on this blog!

Now…I am in a different place. My life is changing and I have been growing as a person. My confidence in myself is fairly sturdy (with a few only human wobbly moments) and I realise that I am a very vanilla kind of person, really. I have always been honest, but loving and genuine about it. I have always maintained a great sense of appropriateness with workplaces, social networking and blogging. I realise that if I can successfully run a Facebook page without a drama llama in sight – why can’t I just be free to be me? I do admit I enjoyed my anonymity (and the safety it brought) but I want to be an open (but appropriate and well thought out) book. I’m ready – bring it on!

I know that I am not perfect and things happen in life that can leave me speechless, shaking and completely dumbfounded (awesomely unprepared is a great title, right?) but I do know that I learn from my mistakes and I am a pretty good person :)

I’m funny (well in a Dad Humour kind of way), compassionate, intelligent and realistic. Why not let people in my life see that if they feel like it? Anyone who truly knows me would see “me” in my writings and totally get it. Anyone who doesn’t might get a better understanding of me (uh-oh)!

My only embarrassment will probably be convincing those of a non blogging persuasion that it is not just a hobby that people with no lives have (grr that annoys me). I am a writer at heart – always have been. I have the time (for now) and I spend time blogging when other people are playing Playstation games or reading a book or googling all their medical symptoms. I’m creative at heart and this is one outlet where I can express myself – I love getting thoughts like, “Ooh – what can I blog about this week?”

I have many bloggy friends from all over the world and it’s an amazing community of diverse people with lives I get to step into whenever I like. Amazing :)

How do you feel about blogging? Do you have an opinion on anonymity?

Please make sure you update your readers/subscriptions/RSS feeds etc for my new URL :)