MC VIP: Lara @ Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom

Our Mom Central VIP: Lara DiPaola
Kids: Four kids ranging in age from toddlers to teens
Twitter: @dipaolamomma
Your Blog URL: http://chickennuggetsofwisdom.com/
What year did you start blogging? 2008



In addition to blogging and being a mother, what other jobs do you have?


You’d think having four kids -ranging from teens to toddlers- would keep me busy enough, huh? Not me, I’m always pushing the envelope of the “to-do” list and by extension, my personal sanity.



I am currently the Director of Marketing and Creative Development for Certifkid. What’s a Certifikid? Glad you asked. It was actually the first of any of the daily deal sites that catered entirely to families. Created by DC area mom, Jamie Ratner, it set the bar for all the rest. Working with Jamie and the team is a dream come true. It’s so refreshing to be a part of a team populated by savvy, creative, driven and fun parents with a true passion for what they do.



Keeping with the theme of “Crazy Busy Mommy”, I also own my own consulting company, Reel Ideas, where I create original content for large and small companies. I’m most proud of my consulting work with Seed Power Body Care. Not only are they an amazing, organic, eco-responsible brand with quality products they also believe in the value of real, honest interaction. A great example would be their Author’s Garden project, where they invited “Passionistas” -people passionate about life- to write for their brand blog. I also manage the Baltimore “Socialites” for the Chevy Girls On The Go campaign. Sleep is overrated. 



Why did you start your blog?


My life as a blogger began when I heard a talk radio personality mention blogging. I had no idea what he was talking about. Never one to admit I don’t know something, I made it my mission to find out what all the talk was about. The answer to the question was one of those “Ah ha!” moments in my life. Blogging is writing. Writing about whatever you want to write about. I love to write and I love doing anything on my own terms (not something that happens often in a family of six). I was sure the blogosphere was created just for me. So what if it wasn’t, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 



What advice do you have for those starting out?


I’ll defer -as I often do- to the the genius of Oscar Wilde on this one... “Be yourself; everyone else is taken” . I know that sounds trite but “trite” does not mean not-right. One of the biggest pitfalls of blogging comes when we look at others and say “Why?”. Why didn’t I write that piece? Why are they going to this event or that? Why is their page rank what it is? Be you. Write to your passions, experiences, joys and expertise. Authenticity is far more rewarding than ambition. For those rare occasions you might loose the battle of Why I prescribe Whyne (aka wine).

Name a few challenges you see or have experienced in the blogosphere


Narrowing down the field. There are so many great conferences, events and meet-ups out there that I have a really hard time choosing from them. My advice, go for those close to home to start with. Then find those that fit your blog content and goals. You’ll be far happier with the time, money and effort spent if you do your homework and find the right fit. 



Consistency. Try your best to be consistent in your blogging. That said I struggle with consistency all the time. Heck, I’d wager my luck wrangling a gator would be better than my odds of besting my issues with consistency. Perhaps this is why we call it a “challenge”, eh? When faced with a butt kicking from the Consistency Fairy I again defer to Mr. Wilde. I have a framed print of the following quote on my office wall: “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative”. I fall back on this one when I’ve really slacked off in my effort to be consistent  with setting working hours, sticking to editorial calenders and not getting sucked in by Twitter. If I could master consistency I think I’d be truly dangerous. 



Know when to take a break. Sometimes we get so passionate about something we get tunnel vision. I often lose sight of both knowing when to take a break and then following through on doing so. When I do make it happen though, I find that my blogging is better for having taken that break.

What are your favorite and least favorite part(s) about blogging?


My absolute favorite part about blogging is connecting with other bloggers. In fact I loved it so much that I teamed up with two amazing bloggers, Jennfier Gerlock of Hip As I Wanna Be and Sunday Stillwell of Adventure in Extreme Parenthood to create Momz Share, a place for bloggy gals (Moms and nons) in the DC/Baltimore area to get together in the real world and network, share and cocktail.



Least favorite thing, hands down is Drama Mamas! It amazes me, that decades removed from Junior High, the mean girls are alive and well and lurking in the blogosphere. No matter how old we are, mean girls suck. I’ve been lucky to run in blogging circles that put the kibosh on cattiness. Yet, I’ve seen it hurt friends and reflect badly on our community as a whole. Seriously sisters we have got enough to deal with growing kids, bringing home bacon and frying it up in a pan, can’t we just all get along?  (Feel free to hold hands and sing Kumbaya at this juncture.)

What is the wackiest opportunity you have gotten since you started your blog?


Let the giggling commence. My wackiest bloggy gig was for SleepNumber, the bed company. Jennifer Gerlock and I battled it out in two DC area SleepNumber stores to raise money for charity. We went head-to-head getting people into bed. Yes, we encouraged strangers to get in bed. This battle royal featured a pajama fashion show, scavenger hunt, professional photo booth and more. The giggly highlight of my day; I actually climbed into bed with an older couple and posed for pictures holding a pillow that said “Too Hot!” on it. I’m not proud of that moment. However, I do sleep like a baby every night on my SleepNumber i10 bed and the Wounded Warriors Project ended up with thousands of dollars in product donations. SO WORTH IT! (For the record Jennifer’s charity won, and she’s never let me forget that.)

What are your top three blogging tips?

1. 
Own your URL. I can’t stress that enough. One of my first bloggy buddies was contacted with a cease and desist order telling her she could no longer use her blog name (she’d had for two years) because some “squatter” bought the URL. 

2. Watermark your original images. If you haven’t already heard the store of Danielle aka Extraordinary Mommy, whose family photo turned up on adds in another country, you need to. 

3. Have a great “About” page. It’s always more fun to read content written by someone you feel you know something about. 

What are you hoping will happen for you and your blog within the next year?


Surprisingly this is a hard one to answer. I’m so lucky that my blog has lead to a real career. That career keeps me insanely busy. I think I’d like more time to just blog. Maybe a partnership with a cause or brand I’m passionate about. Oh and that book deal with an optioned screenplay that Spielberg is attached to in which Ryan Reynolds plays my hubby, wouldn’t hurt either. Ha ha! 


We love link back love! Please tell us 2 or 3 blogs you love, their URLs, and twitter names.



Three things I can’t live without in life (besides my family and friends) are music, food and laughter. The following blogs represent all three. 



Music: Music Savvy Mom She covers it all, new, old, indy, pop, rock, rap and beyond PLUS free downloads! On twitter @MusicSavvyMom

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Food: We bonded over owning the same cutting board. From there it grew into an almost daily affair involving things like artisan cheese and infused vodkas. It’s scandalous I tell ya. Nosh aside, Adryon of Adryon’s Kitchen, cooks up well written, humor infused and edgy posts sprinkled with wit and sass. On twitter as @AdryonsKitchen

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Laughter: WARNING totally inappropriate for work or in a group setting or anywhere near kids who can read. STFU Parents is a mockery blog, an equal opportunity offender and a great place to laugh at ourselves or those among us who take themselves far to seriously.  I don’t recommend it for those with tender sensibilities, but it is my guilty pleasure. On Twitter @STFUParents.

Thank you, Lara! We love working with you!