I see so many articles online written about how to drive traffic to your blog and the number one suggestion for growing your audience is to comment on other blogs within your niche. I absolutely think this is a great way to make some connections with other bloggers, but I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised at the friendships I’ve formed with other bloggers who are NOT “mom bloggers”.

For instance…this guy? An amazing individual on an amazing mission. His blog is Coast Rat. I found him while doing a search for Mississippi bloggers. He’s been an honorary Mississippian since Hurricane Katrina. He came here to volunteer and not only is that admirable, but he’s such a great story teller.

And this guy? He’s a hunter and he writes the Deer Camp Blog. Also a Mississippian, but again, not a mom blogger. He has some great information about hunting, of course, but he’s also a great teller of Mississippi history.

As a final example, this girl is also loyal commenter on my blog. She is also a Mississippian and a mom, but Keetha is also a published author whose writing exudes everything that is wonderful about where I live. Her blog Write Kudzu is a treasure trove of good books, great food, and all things Southern.

This is just a small sample of the blogs I read that are not “mom blogs”, yet I value them just as much because of the online friendships formed and because of the great content, whatever niche it happens to fall under.

I’m a believer that the most enjoyable part of blogging is the community aspect. Getting to know others by reading their own accounts of daily living is better than constantly focusing on driving traffic just for the sake of numbers. Bonus if they’re blogging about their passion in life, which makes for the most authentic reading experience.

Do you strictly read blogs whithin your own niche, or do you also branch out and find other interesting people who write great blogs?

I have a couple of giveaways going on that might help make your summer a little more enjoyable, like a Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender or a Flip Ultra 230 Video Cam. Click here and enter for your chance to win.

FYI:

If you happen to call a Christian bookstore to ask if they have this particular book in stock

It’s a Vine’s EXPOSITORY.

NOT a Vine’s SUPPOSITORY.

M’kay? Thanks.

It started out innocent enough. My younger cousin and I were on a mission to find a nice pair of clear shoes to wear with our bridesmaid dresses for her wedding. Simple enough, right? I mean, after all, we were only looking for something like this:

We looked at several places online, but nothing was CLEAR…everything had a silver or gold embellishment on it, or the heel was too high, or either they were just too expensive to only wear once. So I decided I’d venture on to Ebay. I figured we’d luck up and find something perfect and reasonably priced since we may not ever wear these shoes again.

Know what you get when you type in “clear shoes” on Ebay?

Something like this…

Or if you’ll be wearing them in Vegas and you feel lucky, might I suggest these?

You can even get them in light-up or with fantastic fishies swimming with every step you take:

I finally tracked down a reasonably priced pair that had a two inch heel, were not platform or stiletto, and didn’t give the appearance that you later would find me performing two for one lap dances at the gentlemen’s club.

But God bless these women who wear these for a living. I hope they’re lucky enough to marry a podiatrist.

My last post about our terrible, horrible no good very bad week was pretty pathetic, right?

I’m happy to report some good did come out of this week at home with E.B. We finally ventured outside Wednesday and washed down all of the outside toys and I said yes to swimming, so E.B. completely wore himself out playing in the water and eating popsicles.

On Thursday my grandmother and I took E.B. on a visit to a nearby town to see my cousin and get ourselves fitted for wedding attire. Angie is getting married next month and I will be a bridesmaid and E.B. will be a ring bearer. E.B. behaved pretty good on this trip and was quite smitten with himself when he tried on the tux coat. I was pretty smitten, too. He looked cute enough to pinch.

I went back into work Friday because my bosses needed me to fill in. It’s not entirely uncommon for someone to stop in the bookstore to sell tickets for benefits or ask for a donation for someone who is sick. Today a mother came in asking for donations for her daughter who had cancer. This child was probably about 6 or 7. The mother looked haggard and completely tired…you could literally see in her eyes the toll this had taken on her. And there I was with a completely healthy, living, breathing child who tries my ever-loving patience, pushes me to the brinks I never knew existed, and defies all predictability.

And deep down, I love it. Despite the fact that some days I feel ill-equipped to raise this little ball of energy and constantly wonder if I’m doing it wrong, I deeply and fiercely love my son and that’s enough to bring me back to some semblance of sanity on a particularly tough day of parenting.

What a blessing to ride on this ebb and flow of motherhood.

I had big plans. A whole week off. E.B. and I were going to paint and color, swim, work in the yard, go to the park. Our whole entire week was going to rival those commercials I’ve been seeing that depict the happy mother and child making Rice Krispies together, all smiles and quality time just oozing from the TV screen.

Instead? It looks as if the entire Island of Sodor has exploded all over the coffee table in the den. Thomas and his friends are everyfreakinwhere. Ditto for the toybox in E.B.’s bedroom. It’s so hot and humid that it’s entirely unenjoyable outside, which is just as well because No Swimming For Us! E.B. has a sinus infection. The only work I’ve done in the yard is taking out the trash (if that even counts).

And? I had to change puke sheets Sunday night from one of E.B.’s coughing fits.

Quite frankly? I’m not seeing a whole lot of hope for salvaging this week, and that makes me sad.

When you’re having lunch at the local university where your grandmother works and there is a junior high cheerleading camp taking place, walk up and charm the socks off of the cheerleading coach and watch all of the little cheerleaders flock to you.

I’ve had a great time getting to know some of the bloggers who frequent Momdot and they have put together a great big blogroll of blogs. If you are looking for some new blogs to read, consider checking some of these out.