A Little Q & A - Part 1

1. What kind of advice can you offer someone wanting to do reviews? How do you get offers for items? How much time do you spend on a review? Etc. The best advice that I can give on this is to first update your blog often, promote your blog to your target audience, then email some companies that have products that fit in with your blog and readers. Since my blog focuses on natural parenting I promote it on natural parenting websites like Mothering.com, and I am listed on some mommy blog sites. I only take items that we will use, find useful, or that fit in with our lifestyle which in turn means that the products will be of use to my readers too! Initially you will have to do the contacting, but then once you get established offers will start coming to you!
As for how much time I spend on a review, well that varies. Sometimes it takes me hours to write, usually if Elijah is fussy. I spend as much time on it as I need to to get all my thoughts out. I want to be informative and easy to read, so I don't really have a time limit.


2. Where have you found support for your parenting style? What groups are you a part of? Luckily my husband is on board with my parenting style, so I get support there! When I was pregnant I spent a lot of time on the Mothering.com forums, there are different forums for everything there! From anti-circumcision, to non vaccinating, homebirth, and everything in between. Austin is a fairly crunchy town too, so I am not too out of the norm here. I am a member of this great group called the Austin Mamas, they have been a big support for me.


3. How do you think motherhood has changed you? I think you should ask in what ways has motherhood not changed me! It's changed me in so many ways, as soon as Elijah was born I never put myself first anymore, always him. I used to like going out sometimes but now I prefer staying in. Motherhood has really grounded me. I feel like I have grown up so much in just a short time.


4. What items do you find most useful for a new parent? Great question! New parents and parents to be are told they need so much stuff, which is not true at all. For any new mom I would tell her she needs to get some Lanisoh (or any brand of pure lanolin really), a carrier (the Moby wrap is great for newborns), cabinets and a fridge stocked full of easy to grab and eat foods, a nice long shower - daily (this is absolutely essential!), and a crockpot. As for baby gear, the only thing that I found useful when Elijah was first born was the car seat. We got a co-sleeper and hardly used it. Luckily we didn't buy a crib because we were planning on co-sleeping, if we had gotten one it would just end up being a big laundry basket! A nice wool baby blanket, some muslin swaddling blankets, and tons of socks because you will always be losing them.