Mom Most Traveled Blog

Recently, I got the opportunity to work with Candice Broom from Mom Most Traveled blog. It has been a great experience working with her and reading her travel blog. I wanted to give an opportunity to our readers to get to know Candice and learn more about her blog.

Interview with Candice Broom

1. What is the name of your blog? What do you blog about?
Mom Most Traveled. I blog about family travel, mom stuff, and I also do product reviews and promotional giveaways.

2. What do you most enjoy about blogging?
I love writing and I like knowing that people are reading what I have to say! The best thing about blogging is having online friendships with other bloggers with whom I have things in common.

3. How did you get into blogging?
I started blogging in 2000 when a friend showed me an online journal site called Diaryland.com Later when I moved to China in 2002 it became a way to stay in touch with family and friends. When I had my first child in 2004 I used it
to share pictures of my son with faraway family, and that was when I started connecting with other mom bloggers.

4. What are the challenges you face as a blogger?
Busyness! There are so many things I want to do with my blog, but since I actually have a “real job” teaching preschool, I am really short on time. I would love to be able to earn a living by blogging. I have made some money along the way but not enough to be called “a living”!

5. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
This is a tough question! I am a people-loving introvert and a life-long learner. How does that sound?

6. What do you do for FUN?
Blog and check emails! I also go on a dinner date with my husband about once a week. I think eating is fun. Sometimes we buy an entire season of a favorite show on DVD, then make our way through bit by bit each night after the kids are asleep.

7. Are you a full‐time mom? What else do you do other than blogging?
Until recently I was working as a substitute teacher, but I was just hired as a full time EY3 teacher in a PYP private school. The teaching part is fun but it turns out there are lots of time consuming housekeeping and administrative duties in this type of program.

8. How would you describe your children?
Jojo is boisterous and excitable. He loves to joke around and be the center of attention. He just turned 5 in October and loves Lego and Indiana Jones.
Deeds is good natured and driven. He has a quick and adorable smile which wins him friends of all ages. He just turned 2 in August and wants to be a part of everything. He pulls up a chair to stand on when he sees me busy in the kitchen, and tries to keep up with whatever Jojo does. He really likes cats; I feel a little guilty for not wanting to bring a pet into the home.

9. What are some activities that you enjoy with your children?
I like reading to them and “dancing” to CD’s.

10. What is your proudest moment as a mom?
Jojo is starting to read, that makes me feel proud! I was also pretty proud when he was potty trained by his second birthday.

11. What are the challenges you face as a mom?
I always wear out before the kids! And I have the universal problem of never seeming to have enough time to do everything I want to do.

12. Do you have any parenting advice for other moms?
One thing I feel I do right is giving my kids an early bed time. They are in bed by 8pm and I have noticed that they wake up at the same time every morning no matter if I try to keep them awake to tire them out or not. Putting them to bed early is not only good for their bodies, but it gives me some time with my husband before we collapse from tiredness.

13. How do you balance your busy life?
I have been working over the past year to try to simplify things in different areas of our life, and I think I have been successful but we still have a way to go. The best thing we did was to relocate to a smaller house that is within walking distance of our school. Jojo, Nick, and I can all walk to school and work. I love it. It saves the stress of a morning drive,
and we can leave the house at 7:10 am to get to school at 7:15!
I am trying to delegate more. I have a stay at home mom neighbor and I am working out an arrangement with her where she makes dinner for my family once a week and I pay for the food. I also sometimes have my babysitter do some food prep stuff if I think about it in advance, like chopping veggies or something so I can just walk in the door and start cooking right away.

14. Have you made any friends through your blog? Have you met any of them in person?
Yes, several! I was able to meet a few of them at BlogHer ‘09 in Chicago this past August. It was incredible!

15. What advice do you have for other busy mom bloggers like you?
Keep doing it as long as you love it! Don’t be afraid to make contact with “big” companies or bloggers. We don’t know where this new media will take us, so just enjoy the ride!

Thanks to Candice for sharing her thoughts and experiences which will help other moms and mom bloggers like her. Hope you enjoyed getting to know Candice as mich as I did. Do stop by her blog Mom Most Traveled for tips on traveling and great giveaways!