The Ultimate Blog Party #UBP10

Hello, everyone.  It’s time to party!  5 Minutes for Mom is hosting the 2010 Ultimate Blog Party.  It’s a not a party in the traditional sense.  There are no fattening appetizers or dirty martinis (unless you make them at home-and while you’re at it, make some for me!).  This is a blog party, and it’s a wonderful way to meet new friends out in the blogosphere, and you might even be lucky enough to win a wonderful prize!  Click on over to 5 Minutes for Mom for more information.

About me.  I’m a married mom in her 30’s.  I have a 15-month old daughter named Emma, who I blog about often, and I annoy my husband to no end with my blogging addiction.  Seriously, it’s like crack.  And I’ll never give it up – I’ll blog until my fingers fall off!

It all began when I created a blog to support my vintage Etsy shop.  I had just had my daughter and made the decision to stay at home with her, and selling on Etsy was quite empowering.  Going from a pretty successful career to bringing in zero income sure did give me a case of the doldrums.  Even though I wasn’t making millions on Etsy, it was nice to be earning something.

The idea for this here blog came to me after a few months of regularly visiting great coupon blogs and freebie sites.   The free products I received in the mail really rocked my world.  Especially since my husband was laid off just weeks after we found out we were expecting.  (While a free sample of toothpaste may only make a small difference, it’s still helpful.)  I’ve always been pretty good at finding deals and coupons on things, and friends and family always looked to me for help.  So I figured I’d share what I know with a wider audience, and “The Penny-Pinching Mama” was born. But I was no match for some of the wonderful coupon sites out there.

Then I started seeing cool giveaways everywhere.  I won a few small prizes here and there, and I became hooked.  But I wanted to be more involved in the process, and so I began featuring stories on great brands that had agreed to offer giveaways to my readers.  It gives me such a wonderful feeling to know that I’ve made someone’s day by awarding a great prize.

Blogging gives me a creative outlet.  I so enjoy the writing, and I think my blogging “voice” has a little bit of everything.  I love to blog about my personal life, LOST (the best television series of all time), in addition to offering great product reviews and giveaways almost daily.  Most of all I’m enjoying the people I meet, whether in-person at PR events, or getting to know people through the virtual process.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough.  Go on and check out the 2010 Ultimate Blog Party, mingle with some of the other bloggers, and look through the amazing prizes to be won.