Blogger Interview – Georgia

Hi! My name is Georgia and I blog at Oatmeal Smiles. I have a farmer for a husband who always has muddy boots, a wicked tan and a loving heart. We have two little girls who keep us on our toes. I blog from the flat and dusty plains of west Texas.

I used to be an English teacher and am now a stay at home mom trying to figure this whole “homemaker” thing out. I blog about seeking grace in motherhood and shortcuts in the kitchen, particularly in the form of my trusty slow cooker and freezer meals.

What are your top 3 blogging goals and how are you striving to reach them?

My top 3 blogging goals are:

1.) increase my audience

2.) make enough money to pay for preschool

3.) write an e-book.

More generally speaking, I want to be a source of hope and encouragement (and help in the kitchen!).
I have some blogs that I have followed for YEARS and I am fully convinced that if I were to ever get locked with those bloggers in an elevator we could chat for hours! I want my readers to feel the same way.

I’m striving to reach all of those goals by actively participating in a blogging tribe (if you don’t have one- get one!), and blog groups on Facebook.
I “try” to stick to a blogging schedule, and I’m reading about e-books and brainstorming.

Any and all advice welcome! ;)… Seriously!

-How do I balance blogging and family time?

Is “poorly” a response? Ha! I try to have the girls see me on my laptop as little as possible. And that’s hard! I try to blog while they nap and ignore the crumbs and laundry a few days a week. Otherwise, I blog late into the wee hours. And every other month we hire a babysitter for a few mornings and I try to hammer out some posts. Great bloggers make it look easy.. Note to self: work on that!I would like to blog 5 times a week but I blog at most 3 times a week and that’s because my family comes first. Always. If it’s a toss up between being present with family and blogging I choose my family. My husband always reminds me that only “the Word of God and people” are eternal.

We love our blogs- but y’all- there are more important things!-Who is my blogging inspiration. My blogging inspiration is of course Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman. How hilarious is she? She makes something so time consuming seem like a snap!

Also, I have followed Roni’s Weigh, NHerShoes, and Carrots-n-Cake for… YEARS. I love them. They have stood the test of time and have all the qualities I consider an awesome blogger.

 

And obviously, Blogging On The Side (that’s why I’m here!). I love their consistency and how accessible they are. They don’t talk down to you or get over-complicated. And they just keep at it. You can always count on them to “be there”!