Aussie Mummy Bloggers with the X-Factor Awards: Hear Mum Roar

Name: Hear Mum Roar

Blog: http://hearmumroar.com/

1. How long have you been blogging for?

Hear Mum Roar is just a little over one year old. I had dabbled with smaller, personal blogs over the years, and I look back on those now as practise runs!

2.What made you decide to start your own blog?

I had been stewing on the idea of starting this blog for quite some time. I wanted a resource for parents who are looking for activities for their children. I wanted to put my qualifications from my child care days to good use and help others. I wanted to be able to discuss parenting issues with others in a friendly environment with the view to making it a community for mums.

I wanted to have my own voice and make it something unique. I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to do it, though.

Then, I stumbled across Super Kawaii Mama’s blog (http://superkawaiimama.com/), and although her blog is entirely different to mine, it gave me an example of a blogger doing it their way, and making it work really well. That gave me the confidence to blog as me, funnily enough!

3.How do you enjoy to spend your time outside of blogging?

What time? LOL! I spend a lot of time with my family, this is very important to me. A lot of my time is spent as a carer to my partner as well. I love to listen to lots of music, play with the animals and read. Other things I like to do are knit, crochet and sew.

4.How many children do you have?

I have three children: a ten year old daughter, a four year old son, and a two year old daughter. I also have three stepchildren on the other side of the country, who are in their teens. Yes, that does mean my partner has six kids!

5.What posts are you most proud of?

I’m proud of my tantrum series (starting here: http://hearmumroar.com/children/stop-tantrums/) because I think it struck a chord among a lot of mums.

6.What do you enjoy blogging about most?

I’m kind of a chatterbox, so I’m in my element when my readers get into a discussion with each other and myself at the blog, on twitter or facebook. Also, nothing beats the feeling of a reader telling me personally how much they’ve been enjoying my blog and using the resources and ideas.

7.What projects/articles are you currently working on?

I’m currently writing at Kleenex Mums (http://www.kleenexmums.com.au/), which I thoroughly enjoy. I’m working on a top-secret project with a group of other mums, but of course, I can’t wait until I’m allowed to talk about it! I’m in the process of writing my first e-book for my readers.

I’ve got more activities to share on Hear Mum Roar soon, also I’ve just started creating email updates for readers to subscribe to. I have more giveaways coming soon, which are always popular. I will be upgrading my layout from thesis to something I hope will take the design to the next level, and make it look just that little more professional.

I can’t say much about some of my other projects because they’re top secret too! But I will say they are to do with online mums as a community.

8.Why should viewers vote for your blog in the X-Factor Awards?

Well, hopefully because they want to! LOL. But if I had to give a reason, it’d have to be because I love my readers dearly. I work hard to produce useful information, entertain my readers, and I always make time to talk to my readers. I answer every comment (except for spam, of course), and if a commenter has a blog, I make an effort to go comment at their blog too. It does take time, but I believe it’s the most important use of my blogging time. My readers are all wonderful people, and I cherish every one of them.

9.What can we expect from your blog in 2011?

More posts where I share honestly about the true experience of motherhood, not the glossy, pretend-we-live-in-a-magazine-spread stuff. My readers enjoy this about Hear Mum Roar, because the latter is really not someone any of us can relate to, is it?

It’s also going to be all about ideas for mums. Ideas that make life easier, more fun and more worthwhile for the children.