I'm so pleased to introduce you to the lovely Courtney from the blog The Chirping Moms, which she started with her friend Julie last May. She has been such a supporter and friend of StyleSmaller from the moment we started, and I love getting to read her story and get a little peek into her life and get to know her and her adorable little girls a bit better! Enjoy! xx.
1. What are your favorite personality traits of your kids?
My little Maggie will be three next month. She is hilarious and makes me laugh every day. She has a big heart and recently, her favorite thing is taking care of her little sister. Most of her days are spent singing and dancing. Alex is 17 months old, and never stops running and climbing. She always has a twinkle in her eye and smile on her face. She's also my cuddly one, so when she finally wears herself out from a day of fun, I know she'll stop and snuggle in my arms.
2. What motivated you to start blogging?
I’ve always loved writing. When I became a Mom, I found I was always emailing back & forth with friends & neighbors about parenting, recipes & things to do with the kids. I would always take pictures of fun activities I did with the girls & one day, while emailing a friend a picture of a craft to try with her daughter, I thought “I should blog about this!” I didn’t think I had the time or courage to start one on my own. Then, one rainy day we were hanging out at Julie’s house & she was sharing her love of blog reading and our idea for the Chirping Moms was born! I’m enjoying blogging a lot. I get a place to write. I have a background in sales and marketing, and I love that blogging gives me the chance to market and work with brands- both big & small- on posts too!3. What have you learned about balance for life and regular blogging?
I’m still working on this one. Right now, both girls nap at the same time, but those naps are getting shorter & shorter & that’s when I work on the blog. Everything I don't finish is done at night. I’ve had a few phone calls lately where both girls are running wild, yelling & feeding the dog goldfish – I’m thinking I might need a better work plan in 2013!
4. What is your favorite time of the day?
My favorite time of day is when the girls wake up from nap. They are both well rested & happy (& I feel rested too after a little break!). We never have things to do in the afternoon, so we usually just make a snack & play. During the weekends, our whole family snuggles in bed before we start the day. Having time when we're all together is so wonderful.
5. What are your favorite activities to do with your little ones?
A crib ball pit, cloud dough (both will be on my blog this week!), and our water table during the summer. My trick is to add bubble bath to the water, and it gets their toys clean as they play!
6. Style uniform & brands you love?
Bright pants, black or navy shirt & statement necklace. If I’m just hanging around with the kids, I’m a lover of leggings & long cardigans or open sweaters. J.Crew and Joe Fresh. I'm lucky that a few of their U.S. stores are close to where I live. For fun statement jewelry, Bridier Baubles is my go-to.
7. Favorite Etsy shops?
Thank you Courtney! Be sure to visit her Etsy favorites and The Chirping Moms site (they do really fun giveaways too, so go win yourself something)! You can also follow them on Twitter @thechirpingmoms and like them on Facebook. Enjoy!!
Kate