MC VIP: Toni @ A Daily Dose of Toni

Our Mom Central VIP: Toni Patton
kids: son G-man 11, son Little Dude 7, daughter Princess 6
twitter: @ToniPatton
Your Blog URL:  http://www.juststopscreaming.com (A Daily Dose of Toni)
What year did you start blogging? 2007

In addition to blogging and being a mother, what other jobs do you have? Along with everything a stay at home mom and wife entails, I am youth leader along with my husband for our church's youth group as well as the dance team leader. Non-paying in the finance department, being a mom, wife, youth leader and dance leader, pay in so many other ways much more important than money.

Why did you start your blog? I started it as a simple way to keep my family all over the U.S. up to date with what was going on in our home and with the kids. After about 6 months it took more of a turn and started getting more into the social media, brand work I love to do. I still post about my family, my life, my kids but it turned into more than I ever thought it would. I do still blog solely about my kids on a private blog and have just started a new venture that I hope to take off in the coming months.

What advice do you have for those starting out? Be who YOU are. Don't try to be someone else, it will come through in your writing.  Don't get discouraged.  This is advice I have had to swallow many times myself.  I would compare myself to others and be so disappointed in the opportunities I felt I was missing and didn't understand why.  I had to remember I am me and not them.  The opportunities I have had were meant for me and the ones I didn't get were not, simple as that.  Above all, remember it's WORK, hard work, you will get from it what you put into it.  Have integrity and class and remain true to yourself and everything else will fall into place.

Name a few challenges you see or have experienced in the blogosphere. Competitiveness.  It's not a competition and the only way it becomes one is when people make it that way. A personal challenge for me it motivation, because my office is my home I have to push myself to do my job.  It's much to easy to sit back in a recliner and forget about the deadlines and emails piling up.  If I don't do it, no one else will so I have to make sure to set guidelines so I don't lose the motivation.

What are your favorite and least favorite part(s) about blogging? My favorite Favorite are definitely getting to work with brands I love. The friendships I have made. I met a friend through a struggle in the blog world and am so thankful for her.  She and I are so alike it's a bit freaky but my life is much more complete with her in it. I love sharing my faith on my blog, it's a big part of my life and while my blog isn't a faith focused blog I can entwine it whenever I want. The beauty of blogging is you can niche yourself or not, but even if you do, it's still about you so you can put whatever you want into it. My least favorite Least favorite is definitely the feel of competitiveness and jealousy you see sometimes. It's a big web world, no one is my competition and I am not theirs it's that simple. And that's all I shall say about that, I prefer to focus on the positives :)

What is the wackiest opportunity you have gotten since you started your blog? Well I can't say I have had a weird opportunity that stands out but I have had amazing opportunities that I probably wouldn't have if I had not started blogging. Such as getting to attend the red carpet premiere of Due Date in Hollywood and the star studded after party. I have gotten to become a fashion stylist (albeit bad one, I can find fashions but not make them) with Tim Gunn. I have shared a flight with Kim Kardashian when going to an event in California in which I got to help make a Nestle Crunch bar. These things among all the other amazing events would never have happened had it not been for my blog...I am pretty sure of that.

What are your top three blogging tips?
REMEMBER YOUR WORTH! If you don't, you can't expect others to. That being said there are no set rules on getting paid or not getting paid.  This is a personal decision and one you have to make for yourself.  You aren't ruining for either side if you decide one way or the other.
Build relationships, they are what will get you through good and bad times and trust me we have both in blogging.
Set goals, if you set goals (weekly, monthly, yearly) you have something to work toward.  
What are you hoping will happen for you and your blog within the next year? Income, I would love to make as much as I did when I was working outside of the home through my blog, it would be a blessing beyond words to make that amount.  Definitely hoping to make it to some conferences in 2012.  I haven't been since 2009 so it's time.  Building more relationships with bloggers and brands.

We love link back love! Please tell us 2 or 3 blogs you love, their URLs, and twitter names.
Sara from Momma Findings @Sarann (this is the blog friend I mentioned above, she is amazing inside and out so I have to share her with the world)
Molly from Just A Little Creativity @MollyWag (Always something creative and fun you will find on her blog and she is all around awesome)
Mama Kat from Mama Kat's Losin' It @MamaKatsLosinIt (HILARIOUS, I know I will laugh when I go to Kat's place, and she's great in person too)

Thank you, Toni! We love working with you!