MC VIP: TerriAnn @ Cookies and Clogs

Our Mom Central VIP: TerriAnn
Kids: Munchkin - almost 11
Your Blog URL: http://www.cookiesandclogs.com
Twitter: @cookiesANDclogs
What year did you start blogging? 2010

In addition to blogging and being a mother, what other jobs do you have?
I have been homeschooling my daughter for the past five years, that’s a
full-time job in itself!

Why did you start your blog?
My friends kept asking where I got all these great deals so I started to compile them in one easy-to-find place, my blog.

What advice do you have for those starting out?
Be patient and keep focused on adding quality content.

Name a few challenges you see or have experienced in the blogosphere.
The blogosphere is huge and it has been hard to find and maintain my ‘voice’. It can also be hard to resist the tendency to compare yourself to other blogs in a negative way.

What are your favorite and least favorite part(s) about blogging?
I love the opportunity blogging gives me in the sense of personal accomplishment – something that is often lost when sacrificing to be a stay-at-home mother. In the past year I have proven to myself that I am still a talented and skilled woman that is capable of anything I apply myself to. That has made a huge difference to me as I tend to underestimate myself. Balancing my time and finding the inspiration to update regularly are most challenging.

What is the wackiest opportunity you have gotten since you started your blog?
I think the oddest opportunity I received was to review a lice shampoo. To do so we would have to search out some kid with lice, try to contract it, then try the shampoo and HOPE it works. Uhm, yeah, I turned that one down…

What are your top three blogging tips?

1. Make sure you like what you are writing about.
2. Avoid joining countless communities but, instead, find one or two support groups you can trust and grow together with.
3. Don’t neglect your family and friends to blog.

What are you hoping will happen for you and your blog within the next year?
I am hoping to increase my readership, gain exposure, and really establish my place in the blogosphere while connecting with readers and other bloggers. Long live Cookies & Clogs!

We love link back love! Please tell us 2 or 3 blogs you love, their URLs, and Twitter names.
The Little Kitchen, http://www.thelittlekitchen.net / @thelittlekitchn
A Nut in a Nutshell, http://www.anutinanutshell.com / @blueviolet
STL Mommy, http://stlmommy.com / @stlmommy1

Thanks, TerriAnn! We love working with you!