Mommy Blogger Interview #1 – Jessica Burgess

We have heard many things about Mother. Her sacrifices, dedication, endless love and support for her kids. Every mom would have a unique, inspiring and enjoyable story. We are really lucky to interview some of such mommies who are sharing their thoughts through their blogs. This interview series is to motivate you to do what you really like, love and passionate about. So get ready on every Monday to learn some amazing blogging lessons from incredible mommy bloggers.

Here comes the very first Mommy Blogger interview with – Jessica Burgess.

Jessica Burgess is a mother of 5 amazing kids and running a blog “What’s happening with Jessica”. She is a down to earth woman who has a great interest into art and crafts. She just loves to be a mom and that’s what she likes to write on her blog.

She doesn’t want to set any trend but she is on a hard long ride of homeschooling for her kids. She is just taking homeschooling an extension of parenting and by stretching all her limits now they are unschoolers. Such a great accomplishment!!!

You can find Tips of Parenting, Homeschooling, Craft ideas and different product reviews on her blog.

At first, she wanted to share her craft ideas and reviews through her blog. But she just added her personal experiences on how she handles her kids and homeschooling them. So her blog is all about her motherhood. You surely get some great parenting tips from her articles and if you want to do homeschooling she is the right person you want to meet.

Let’s meet Jessica who is a loving mom and an aspiring blogger who shares her secrets.

Name: Jessica Burgess

Lives in: Calhoun, GA

About Her Little Stars: Kami 12, Cheyanne 9, Bella 7, Casey Jr. 5, Alexander 1.

Where could we find you?
http://whatshappeningwithjessica.wordpress.com
www.Facebook.com/whatshappeningwithjessica
www.Twitter.com/whw_jessica
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-burgess-72b187115/

Tell us something about your life. How do you feel about it?
I am a Homeschool Mother of 5. I stay home, of course, trying to balance my passion for writing with my children’s education. Added on to that I try my best to overcome some social anxiety I seemed to have developed over time. I am not sure if I would consider myself a full-time blogger but I do try to dedicate as much as I can to it. I also have a couple groups on Facebook that encourage support in homeschool as well as entrepreneurs. I love to read but don’t get to often enough. Another hidden passion of mine is art, specifically drawing and color pencil work. I would consider myself an artistic person in many ways. Homeschool is very important to me also. I really struggle with balancing it right now but it doesn’t seem to have affected my kids. They are still learning, growing and flourishing daily. Life has had many obstacles but I am very happy and I know have a blessed life.

What major changes have come into your life after being a mom?
Wow, that is tough to answer. I’m not sure I’d call them major changes but I know there sure have been very many. You change the way you think, you consider so many things you would never have thought twice about before. Emotionally and intuitively changed for the better. Physically and completely changed forever. But it all has been worth it.

How crucial do you think is a Mother’s role in parenting?
Extremely crucial. God made us specifically for nurturing. We are the support that holds the family together. It’s really more than words could ever describe.

What made you think to start blogging?
First, and I’m going to be totally honest here, I saw a friend blogging about reviews. She was writing about some really neat things. I loved the way her website looked and I could tell by the pictures that she was enjoying it too. So with that in mind, I also thought, “cool I can write about our fun crafts and maybe some homeschool things we were doing, mixed in with possible free stuff to review”. It sure has grown way past that now. I still feel like I have a lot more to learn.

How do you get inspired to write? Your sources of inspiration.
My first source is wanting to share what I have learned and how that can help others. As far as homeschool goes, I felt almost alone in the beginning. When people ask me questions about how I manage to homeschool all of my kids, it really sparks my inner writer.

How blogging changed your world?
It has helped me grow, become even better at writing, learns a few technical things, meets new people and much more. It has greatly changed my world by opening my eyes to so many different perspectives and personalities as well.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a mommy blogger?
I’m going to give you two. One is juggling baby and homeschool with blogging. Never enough time in a day! The second would be learning more about technology. I had to Google a lot about meta tags, analytics and more. I am still figuring it all out. Google to the rescue!

Share your funniest yet cranky moment with your child.
The only one I can think of right now is….when my 1-year-old gets tired and wants attention if you don’t give him what he wants he will get so upset in such a dramatic way and bite you wherever he can reach you. It’s way funnier to see it than to read it. He is full on type A personality.

As such being a Mom you are working for 24*7, how do you really find a #metime? What do you like to do in your leisure time?
At the moment, my only options have been a trip to the grocery store alone or a shower without a little baby tot. I am working on adding some reading and crocheting soon. My birthday is in the summer so I’ll take advantage then ?

What aspects make your identity unique as a mommy blogger? (How you are different from other mommy bloggers?)
I think with me having topics about homeschool, parenting reviews and Entrepreneurs, gives my blog a unique feel.

How do you evaluate blogging as a career option?
I see it as a career, absolutely. As much as I love blogging, my goal is to turn it into a full-time job.

What type of planning strategy do you follow for your blog?
Currently, I am writing when I can. I try to get something published at least once a week. I also have my contributors writing at least monthly as well.

Share your promotion strategy to get success. Which social media platform do you use the most?
I started out using just Facebook. I was pretty impatient though in the beginning. So I started using Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Bloglovin. To answer your question, I use Facebook the most. However, it is the most challenging platform in my opinion.

Where do you get support on technical and non-technical issues with blogging?
I have a few groups I can turn to on Facebook. I also have some blogging friends who have been doing this longer than myself.

Any piece of advice for a new mommy blogger.
Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time. Start with one platform for promotion. Also, don’t stress the name of your blog right away. Starting writing some before you choose a permanent name. With blogging, there is always changes happening. Oh, and connect with other bloggers. Ask them questions and support them. They will show the love in return. They really love helping!

What’re the next milestones you want to achieve?
I am proud of how far I’ve come and what I’ve learned since starting my blogging journey. This year my goals are to self-host and officially monetize my blog. After that, I may write a book. Who knows? ?

Jessica, you are a wonder woman for me, don’t know how you get time for all this. I think you have 48 hours in a day, is it? Mommies who are eager to start a blog, and think they don’t get time for it should just go through this post. I am sure now you will not give “Time” as an excuse anymore.