Featured Newbie – Husband, 4 boys, et. al. @Husbandand4Boys

The Newbie Blog Hop Bloggers are having a Giveaway Hop in April so if you want to participate in the Giveaway Hop (or want to learn more) head on over to the Newbie Blog Hop Giveaway Hop Sign-ups!!

Now, let's chat with Imelda!!

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.

I am Imelda.  I am a transplant from the Philippines.  I uprooted my life and moved into this great country after I married my husband who I met online.   These days, I am busy being an at-home wife and mother of four precious little boys aged 6.5, 5, 2.5 years and 4 mos., old respectively.  I homeschool my older two boys.  I do housechores in between homeschooling, changing diapers and nursing, if I manage to attend to them at all.  If I am lucky, I get to do other fun stuff like crocheting, or making ribbons, or cooking, or gardening, or taking pictures with my starter camera.  Life is busy for us.  And God is good.

Do you have more than one blog? If so, tell me about them.

I have another blog apart from this one, but I have not updated it since before Christmas. I made it to try to get used to Google's Blogger and planned to use it for more personal and religious writing. But as it is, I do not have much time to devote on that one.

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging since the latter part of October 2011. That makes this blog about 2 months old and some.

Why did you start blogging? Is this why you continue blogging?

I started to blog because I wanted to write, to tell stories. I kept making long descriptions of the photos I put up in Facebook and suddenly, that was not enough for me. And Facebook was not the place for the kind of writing that I wanted. I also wanted to develop some writing skills. And lastly, for the longest time, I have wanted to put in writing my memories of my growing up years for the benefit of my children. Blogging gives me the chance to do all of that.

Who does your blog appeal to? Is this who you thought would be your target audience?

Honestly, I do not know. Initially, I wrote for my own fulfillment without thinking of any particular market except for my friends and family. But now, like a performer, I realized that it makes me happy to be read so I am trying to reach more audience. I am trying to reach out mostly to women for the simple reason that my stories come from a woman's thoughts and perspective. So, I hope that somehow, when they read a post, they find a connection somewhere with their life experience or hopes, or what have you.

What direction do you see your blog going in the future?

As I grow as a writer, I plan to put more creative writing, e.g., stories, in the blog. In addition, it will remain to be a repository of my recollections about the culture I grew up in, of the lessons I learn as I go along as a wife and mother. It will be a mixbag of things that interest me and might be of interest to others. And I was just thinking, since I am not entirely focused on writing about my husband and children – though they figure a lot – I might have a change of blog name.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far with your blog?

There are two: (1) thinking of topics to write about and writing them well; and (2) finding the time to write.

What do you love about blogging?

Here are some things that I like about blogging, not necessarily in this order:

1.      I get to organize my thoughts and put it in writing. I have always been writing challenged. It was one of the most difficult subjects I had in school. Yet on the other hand, I always admired good writing and wished that I could write well. So, blogging gives me a chance to overcome my 'fear' of writing and to improve in it.

2.      It challenges me to read. I have to know something to be able to write more effectively about a topic.

3.      It gives me a chance to communicate my thoughts – in an adult kind of way.

4.      It is a creative outlet.

What do you NOT love about blogging?

Thus far, I still have no serious issues about it. Although, it requires a lot of time which I do not often have. It is like having a job.

Besides your blog, how else can people find you? Which method is your favorite/least favorite?

I have a Facebook page. I like Facebook because the announcements go directly in a friend's wall. But I am quite shy using FB because I am afraid to clutter up somebody's wall. ) Hence, I try to use the FB page sparingly.

I also just created a Twitter account – @Husbandand4Boys. I do not know how to use the tags yet though.

Share your top 3 favorite posts from your blog.

These are not necessarily my favorites or the best either, but they represent what I want to put in my blog –

1. A Coffee Table Tale

This is one of my recollection posts about life when I was growing up and what I want my children to know. I also did some of the drawings. Now, I do not think I have the time to draw for my blog. Though I will try because I want to practice drawing as well, among other things.

2. The Lights are a-Calling

I want to write and tell stories. I wish I can offer more stories to those who read my blog.

3. O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree

I like this because it uses our ordinary family experience as a springboard to something that may be of interest to more people, e.g., Christmas tree in Catholic culture. There is only one picture here but I love including pictures in my posts whenever suitable and possible. I also posted some appropriate music for enjoyment. In that way, I hope to engage a reader's senses

Share your top 3 favorite blogs to read and why.

Here are some of my favorite blogs –

1. The Pioneer Woman

It was the first blog that I truly followed. It has good content, beautiful photography, doable recipes. It covered all of my interests, it has an engaging story, and more. It inspired me to pick up photography as a hobby, and to really want to have my own blog. In a way, I wanted to pattern my blog after hers, but that is just not possible.

2. The Conversion Diary

I think that her posts are well thought of and written. And she hosts a weekly event, 7 Quick Takes, that is fun to do and is a nice place to meet interesting blogs as well – from men and women alike.

3. Momto8blog

I like her blog because it tells of motherhood and family and Catholic values. It is zen-like in its simplicity. It is well focused and her stories resonate with me.

Do you have any bloggers that you consider to be mentors?

None, unless I consider the Pioneer Woman because that was what I wanted my blog to be like.

Do you have a weekly, daily, or monthly Blog Hop or Meme that people should join in?  Tell me about it and share an info link.

None as of this time. I do not think that I have the resources for that yet. Maybe, in the future when I have a more established circle of friends, I will consider having such events.

 
How do you find time to blog?

I write when the children nap, i.e., when my infant allows me to. I do most of my writing at night, after the children have been put to bed, but I do most of the thinking and planning during the day, when I do work that lets me think, such as cleaning the bathroom.

What else would you like us to know?

I cannot think of any at the moment.

What is your best advice for a Newbie Blogger?

I have not much to say considering that I am such a newbie. But these I have learned so far:

1.      Be true to yourself. Writing comes easier when one is being real.

2.      Try as best as you could. This shows respect not only for yourself but for the readers as well.

3.      Be courteous which includes showing kindness in posts and returning favors that have been extended to you, e.g., following the person who followed you.

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 Thank you, Imelda, for linking up with us and allowing us to feature you and your blog this week!!

Okay, you all, don't forget to sign up for the Newbie Blog Hop Giveaway Hop!!

Have a great weekend!!