MC VIP: Emily @ FamilyNLifeLV

Our Mom Central VIP: Emily (faliLV)
Kids: Boy (2)
Twitter: @FamilyNLifeLV  
Your Blog URL: http://www.familylifeinlv.com
What year did you start blogging? I started blogging in July of 2009.  My first post was about my sweet squishy son turning 1 month old.

In addition to blogging and being a mother, what other jobs do you have?
In the past I have held many jobs. I went to school for Marketing with an emphasis in Management. I wanted to be a buyer for some great department store.

I worked for several years in Loss Prevention, and also loved my job as a daycare teacher. I loved it so much that my goal is to one day go back to school and get my teaching certificate so when our child(ren) has grown I can work the same hours they are in school.
Right now however I am basking in the awesomesauce that is a stay-at-home Mom. I know not everyone is able to do this, so I am trying to enjoy every minute of it.

Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog as a way to keep in touch with our family after Squishy was born. Our family is mainly located in the Midwest, and we didn’t have any family in Las Vegas until Squishy was 1 year. So it was important to me to let my family read about what what going on in our daily lives. I also started my blog so that when the hubs deployed for the first time post-baby he could check it out too!

What advice do you have for those starting out?
Dive in, enjoy the moment, and write from your heart. Audience, opportunities, and SEO traffic all come in due time, but you have to create a platform for all of that to grow from. Chances are if you are writing from the heart, your readers will pick up on that right away and come back again and again.

What are your favorite and least favorite part(s) about blogging? My favorite: I still (honest to goodness) am blown away every time someone reads my blog and takes the time to comment on what I am sharing. It is so humbling and awesome. My least favorite: Honestly, there isn’t much I don’t like about blogging. I wish there were more hours in my days so I could balance family, life, and blogging a bit better thought...

What is the wackiest opportunity you have gotten since you started your blog?
I don’t get many wacky opportunities. I have had some seriously awesome opportunities however, like going to Disneyland, trying products, or attending events I would never had to the opportunity to do if I wasn’t

What are your top three blogging tips?

• Write what you love.  This is my blogging motto.  I don’t write about anything I don’t love or enjoy.  Even if they opportunity is an awesome one, if I don’t love it it will come of as disingenuous and that is not cool in my book.
• Remember, the internet is available all across the world. If you don’t want people to know about it, don’t write it. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to be personal on your blog.  You just may be surprised by the amazing support you will get in response!
• Get involved.  There are many communities out there to support bloggers.  Join in the conversation. I have made some amazing friends doing this.  I know if I ever need help with sharing a post, making connections, or finding guest posts so I can take a break from the world wide net I can turn to them and they will help me out.

What are you hoping will happen for you and your blog within the next year?
I have 2 main goals for my blog this year:

1. Find better balance between blogging and family
2. Grow the social media giving section on my blog. I love to use social media to help bring awareness for charities that are near and dear to me. I have some big plans coming up for one of these charities in particular!

We love link back love! Please tell us 2 or 3 blogs you love, their URLs, and Twitter names.
Do I really have to choose just 3??  Seriously, that is pretty hard!

Thanks, Mail Carrier - @thxmailcarrier
Xenia was one of the bloggers who took time from her busy schedule to answer questions I had about blogging when I first started.  She never made me feel silly for asking and really helped to make my transition into public blogging a positive one. And then I met her in person and liked her even more. She always finds time for a nice comment!

Crazy About My Baybah - @MyBaybah
Lolo is an amazing blogger I met online, only to find out we lived close together and our boys are 2 weeks apart.  She is sweet, and her photography is something not to be missed!

The Mama Mary Show - @MamaMaryShow
This is a blog I have been following for about 6 months+ now. I love her honesty and her relaxed nature behind the camera. I find her blog refreshing and smart.

Thank you, Emily! We love working with you!