Hip Mama's Place: HMP's April Mom Blog of the Month Winner!

Congratulations to Jenni Brighton from Musings of A Mommy Bee, for winning April's Mom Blog of the Month Contest on Hip Mama's Place.

Here's our interview with Jenni.

1. Why do you blog ? Since when did you start blogging?

In autumn 2006 I started an Etsy store, but I didn't sell anything. I was looking for tips on how to increase sales and heard that blogging was really good. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I went and started a blog. My first entry says something about "I have a store! Go look at it!"
I gave birth for the first time just a couple of months later...I posted my birth story, and then started putting photos and stories about my kids...eventually I started reading other people's blogs and started 'waxing eloquent' with my 'musings' which are basically essays about how I see the world, or my opinions and philosophies on things. I enjoy being able to share my view of the world and have people comment on it, I also like doing my 'promotional tuesdays' which aren't paid promo spots, but more like one neighbor chatting over the back fence to her friend about stuff she likes...I recently posted about my favorite place to get nursing bras, and soon I'm going to post about my favorite soft shoes for toddlers.

2. What is a typical day in your life?
First thing I try to get some breakfast into my husband and older son Wolf (age7) before they head out to school. Hubby is a secondary teacher, and we have such a small school here that it's just one building for all grades, so they walk over together.
Then I strap on the baby (Bear, 15m) and grab the dog and we meet up with one of my friends and her dog and we go for a walk usually for about an hour.
We get home around 10 and I get online for a while. I email, read blogs or post to mine, check in on some forums, and often update my etsy store. By 11:30 I get going on lunch because Hubby and Wolf both come home for an hour lunch break at noon (one of the perks of a small town is that everybody goes home for lunch!)
After lunch I try to get Bear down for a nap (which may or may not happen!), I often do some sewing or knitting (mostly for my store), and usually spend another hour or so online. Many afternoons I walk up to the post office to get the mail (we don't have home delivery here--the PO is about 1/4 mile away). Wolf gets home at 2:30, and on wednesdays we go over to the library where I read a couple of books to him and whoever else shows up (that's the official weekly library story time here!) I try to get going on dinner by 4ish because we like to eat around 5.
On mondays I go to my knitting circle. Right now I don't get much knitting done because Bear likes to get into everything so I may do a row or two but mostly I chase him around. The chatting time is good though, which is why I go.
A lot of nights once the kids are in bed Hubby and I like to watch a show. We started getting seasons of shows like x-files and smallville from netflix, so we just watch one show a night, and it's about 45 min which is long enough to be fun but short enough that we can do it on a weeknight. And of course, no commercials, which is the best!

3. What advice can you give to moms who are juggling this much or more?

I think adult interaction with people similar to yourself is really important. Historically people lived in close-knit communities or extended families and they had a lot of cooperative help and interaction. The women would chat about life as they did laundry together at the river or walked to get water from the local well. They gathered in menstrual huts and used that time for rejuvenation and creativity. Now we have a non-stop world where we are all separated and independent. As a culture we've lost the community and sisterhood that we used to have, and which I think we still need. I think it's hardwired into us. So I think one of the healthiest things a busy mom can do is add "me time" to her schedule. That can be playgroups, book clubs, La Leche League meetings, church groups, or online chat forums. It can be an hour a week or an hour a month or an hour a day...whatever fits her schedule. With a newborn I used nursing time to go online and chat in mothering forums. Now that he's older I limit online time more, but I have my weekly knitting circle and walk regularly with a friend.

4. What do you like to do when you get a break from your daily routines?
Break? What's that? Oh yeah, you mean when the baby takes an extra long nap?! Usually I use the chance to do something fun--like read, or knit or sew more... My mom always said "A change is as good as a rest" and I think that's really true. If I'm feeling burned out I often just call my sister or mom and talk for a while as I do things and it feels like a great break even though it wasn't.
On mondays when I have knitting circle, Hubby usually handles dinner. I've always said that my favorite meal is anything I didn't have to cook--not that I dislike cooking, I just get tired of the monotony of it. Anyway, he can be quite the chef, but most of the time he just does something simple like hot dogs and you know, that's ok, because he handled dinner and I didn't have to!

5. What is your most memorable moment of becoming a mom?

Wow that's a pretty big question!
Well, I think the biggest moments for a mom are cliche--giving birth is huge of course. I think if I had to pick just a couple of pivotal moments though, it would be the day we signed Wolf's adoption papers (he is Hubby's bio son but I adopted him), and the first time I breastfed Bear--when I swear he smiled at me.

6. What do you consider "mommy must-haves" and why?
I could not live without my moby-wrap (www.mobywrap.com). I used it a lot when Bear was tiny because he liked to be upright and see the world but he couldn't support his own head yet. Now that he's a strapping toddler I can still wear him around in it (on my front or back) and it distributes his weight evenly across my shoulders and back so I don't get tired carrying him. It is a lifesaver on our morning walks! And when I need to cook dinner and he just wants mom, I tie him on and we're both happy! I also love arnica gel. It's a homeopathic that helps prevent/heal bruising. With two boys, there is always somebody getting bumped or bonked, and arnica is seriously amazing stuff--it's my medicine cabinet must-have, even before band-aids. LOL!

7. Do you have a motto or mommy tip you would like to share with other moms?
I always come back to Maya Angelou's quote "I did then what I knew then. When I know better, I do better" meaning don't beat yourself up because you used to do things one way and now you know that it wasn't so good...everybody makes mistakes. The point is to do the best you can with what you know and what you have right now.

Jenni is also awarded this beautiful relaxation tee from Lucy, the name in beautifully designed lifestyle apparel that inspires women to live healthy, active, balanced lives—with style. This soft, relaxed, scooped neck, short sleeve top looks great while working out or hanging out. The lightweight, sustainable slub bamboo fabric is great for yoga and other lower impact moving and stretching.

Again, congrats to you, Jenni! :)