Sunday, February 24, 2013

I've MOVED!


Did you know that Stephanie's Mommy Brain has moved to EverydayFamilyLiving.com?!

Why the move?

For several years I've wanted to move off Blogger and use self-hosted WordPress. This is more of a "backend" issue (as my computer programming husband would say).

The move will give me greater flexibility in what I provide to you, my readers, such as downloads for you to use. Won't that be fun?!

Why the new name?

I've blogged at Stephanie's Mommy Brain since July 2007. Back then I had 3 children under 4 years of age. The name seemed to fit.

My oldest turns 10 this year and the name just doesn't seem to fit any more. I guess you could say I've outgrown it with my family. Everyday Family Living just seems to describe what I write about a little better.

It's the same type of content you enjoy reading here, just in a different location and fancied up a bit. 

What should you do?

Follow me over to EverydayFamilyLiving.com!! Either subscribe in a reader or have the newest posts delivered to your email each day.


I already have a couple of weeks of posts published over there for you to enjoy reading:

I hope you like the new format and look as much as I do! I can't wait to see where EverydayFamilyLiving.com goes this year!!



Monday, February 4, 2013

Blog at Home Mom: Balancing Blogging and Motherhood

Blog at Home Mom by Christin Slade

A quick look through my archives reveals that I am a sporadic blogger. My lack of consistency is due to an ongoing struggle between my role as Mom, Wife, Housekeeper and my passion to write.

After wrestling with this lack of balance for over five years I jumped at the chance to review Christin's new ebook, Blog at Home Mom: Balancing Blogging and Motherhood.

I devoured the book in 3 evenings! Since reading the final page I have slowly read through it again, this time taking notes.

"Living out my passion to write helps me live out my purpose to mother with greater passion to thrive."  - Introduction, Blog at Home Mom


Christin inspired me in the introduction that blogging and motherhood (housekeeping, parenting, homeschooling, etc.) doesn't have to be either-or. I can do both simultaneously, and I can do both well.

The first page of chapter 1 really pinpointed my problem for all these years. Namely, I am a part-time blogger and a full-time stay at home mom.


"Part-time bloggers don't have some of the time luxuries that full time bloggers have. Especially if you are a homeschooling mom like me, or a working mom. My time is divided, therefore my goals will be different from those who have the ability to blog full time."  - Chapter 1, Blog at Home Mom


After reading the above quote something finally clicked for me. As a home school mom with four children (and another child due in May), I don't have the same about of time to dedicate to blogging as a mom with children in traditional school.


So, what am I to do? Christin answers that question.


"The key is to choose what will be most impactful for your time, your family, and your season."   - Introduction, Blog at Home Mom

 The rest of the book gives practical tips and ideas for how to decide what's most important for your family and blog and then follow through on those decisions. Some of the tips I put into place last week: tighten up our daily routine, set aside 2 hours each day (4 days a week) to write, and staying off the computer until my morning routine is completed. So far, so good.

I have other ideas that I hope to implement in the coming weeks, but for now I'm taking my return to blogging slow and easy. I don't want to burn out again!


If you struggle with balancing motherhood and blogging, then I strongly recommend you purchase Blog at Home Mom today. 

As a side note, Christin is using all of the income from her book sales to fund their Ghana adoption travel expenses. For less than $5 Christin's ebook will help you balance motherhood and blogging; and you help Christin bring her two new daughters home!


I'm thrilled to tell you that Christin has offered to give a copy of her ebook, Blog at Home Mom, to one of my readers. Just leave your email address in the comments on this post to be entered. This giveaway will end in 48 hours on Wednesday, February 6. Congratulations Del Kroemer, you won the copy of Blog at Home Mom!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Unexpected Blessing

Greetings!!! Waaaaay back in August I had no intention of letting 5 whole months pass without me blogging or writing anything more than a Facebook status and shopping list.

Life has a way of bringing surprises and September 2012 brought us a HUGE surprise. Or, more accurately, an itty bitty surprise that will result in major changes.

Remember the post I wrote in January 2012 about there not being babies/toddlers in my house and how that season of my life was over?

Baby #5 at 22 weeks

Level 2 ultrasound showing his right foot.

Our Jedi baby

Apparently, I was w.r.o.n.g. Matthew Stephen will be joining our family the first week of May. We are thrilled! We are exhausted at the thought of caring for a newborn at 38! But we can't wait to meet him.

Stay tuned for more baby talk as I ease back into the habit of blogging!

So, what have you been up to in the last 5 months?
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