Name and Name of Blog: Maggie McGary, Mizz Information

Twitter name: @Maggielmcg

Tell us a little bit about your blog: I used to just blog about random stuff, then I kept reading how it was better if you picked one topic to blog about, so I started blogging about social media and realized I had a lot to say about it so it stuck. I blog about social media–trends, what’s new, what’s coming, and what bugs me about it. I work for an association so I also blog about social media as it relates to associations.

Most surprising or coolest thing that has happened as a result of your blogging? When I started blogging in 2006, it a) never occurred to me that anyone would actually read it and b) that I’d end up getting a job because of it. Both have happened; I don’t have a ton of readers but more than I used to, and my posts are frequently featured in other places, which is nice. And I am the online community & social media manager for an association.

What do you love the most about blogging? That I can write about whatever I want, when I want–and only if I want to. When I’m not feeling it, I don’t do it.

Name one thing that might surprise people about you. I have webbed toes (some–not all of them!)

Aside from blogging, what would you name as some of your passions? My family, reading, movies, anything cute and Japanese, social media, home decorating.

We all love to discover new blogs.  Name two of your favorite blogs on the internet!

Stuff White People Like because it’s hilarious

Cute And Devil – my sister’s blog

Name and Name of Blog: Jill Berry /  Musings from Me on Kids, Preteens, and Teens

Tell us a little about yourself and your other blogs:

I live about halfway between DC and Baltimore. I’m not a native Washingtonian or a Baltimorean. I grew up in England…Manchester to be precise. I came to Maryland after college in Pennsylvania. Actually, it is even more complicated than that. Here’s my life in a 140 character tweet:

Born UK. Lived US frm aged 4-9. Lived UK aged 9-10. Lived US aged 11. Lived UK aged 12-18. Moved 2 PA 4 college. After graduation moved MD

I write about raising kids near DC for DC Metro Moms. I am the Parenting and Families Editor for DC Ladies. I am also at the Baltimore Parenting Tweens Examiner.  In addition, I write for TypeAMom about Preteens

In my spare time (ha ha), I am the new City Leader for DC City Mommy which is a place for moms to share parenting tips, find an activity or school for their child, and meet other moms. Join us!

I participate on the Family Circle site: Momster.com, the site for moms of tweens and teens. Come join my group on Chores for Tweens and Teens.  I write a blog for Momster, too.

Twitter name: @MusingsfromMe and @KidPreteenTeen

Tell us a little bit about your blog:

I am raising a kid, a preteen, and a teen and living to blog about it at http://www.musingsfromme.com. I did not start blogging until my youngest was 5. I have no recent pee, poop, or throw up stories to share. Instead, I must tread through the minefield of what I can and cannot blog about with my tween and teen girls. Both have been known to check out my blog from time to time, which keeps me on my toes!

Most surprising or coolest thing that has happened as a result of your blogging?

I was interviewed twice by local TV. I was interviewed by Fox 45 Baltimore about my children’s experiences with Yoursphere.com: an online social network that puts safety first and is an alternative to Facebook and MySpace.

WUSA gave me the chance to test out a new cleaning tool. Click to see if it worked or not.

What do you love the most about blogging?

The community. I have met more people in the last year of blogging than during my entire life. I am a quiet person, but blogging, tweeting, and connecting with people online has given me a voice.

We all love to discover new blogs.  Name two of your favorite blogs:

I check a couple of blogs regularly. I like to find out what is happening in the lives of the bloggers:

Notes From The Trenches -  Chris is a mom of 7 who used to homeschool when she lived in New England. her kids range in age from 5 to 15. Chris tells it like it is. She shares funny stories, like the time her son exclaimed “That is the saddest thing in the world!” when he watched a box of donuts roll off the shopping cart and get crushed by a car.

Woulda Shoulda – Mir is a divorced and re-married mom of 2. She blogs about life in the South from the perspective of a former northerner. She blogs about her struggle to come up with a diagnosis for her square peg round hole son.

Name and Name of Blog: Cara Blevins (aka Carabee) Land of Bean

Other blogs you write ? BlogTrotting

Twitter name: Carabee

Tell us a little bit about your blog:

Totally true tales about the insanity that abounds in a home with the most crazy active, picky-eating, loud talking, mess-making, teleporting, destruction-wreaking toddler on the planet. She’s just lucky she’s so darn cute.

What do you love the most about blogging?

It’s cliche, but I really do love the sense of community within the blogging world. When I first became a stay at home mom, I had no idea how isolating it can be. Just me and my daughter day in and day out. Sounds like heaven until you actually have to live it. Blogging helped me get through those early crazy days. When I didn’t know anything about anything, (not that I have a clue now) and felt SO lost and alone. I didn’t want to complain to my husband or friends because I feared they would judge me and think I wasn’t cut out for it. As a type A career woman before, I know they were all watching closely. Which isn’t to say that they weren’t supportive, they were, I’m just crazy like that.

Because of blogging, I have made some amazing friends. Relationships that have spilled over into the real world and become very much a part of my everyday life. I have come to realize that there is no “normal” when it comes to kids. And perhaps most importantly, that no matter how insane I might be feeling, I am NOT alone.

Name one thing that might surprise people about you?

This won’t surprise anyone that knows me in real life, but I am a huge Sci-Fi junkie. Give me a space adventure over a romantic comedy any day of the week. It all began with Star Wars and Luke Skywalker when I was a wee lass of only 3 years old. Since then, it has only gotten worse. I don’t go so far as dressing up as a Princess Leia at ComiCon, but I do know how to say “success” in Klingon. Yep, I’m a geek.

We all love to discover new blogs.  Name two of your favorite blogs on the internet!

Not to Brag - NTB was one of the first blogs I read and she has kept me engaged and entertained ever since.

Momisodes – Funny and touching, Momisodes posts wonderful stories about her life with Dadisodes and Babisodes and is expecting Babisodes 2.0 in a couple of months.

Let’s give a big welcome to another  Momz Share participant for the first quarter!  (Love her Twitter avatar BTW! Always makes me chuckle!)

Name and Name of Blog: Sunday Stilwell @ WYSIWYG

Twitter name: @Domestksuprhero

Tell us a little bit about your blog: I am a stay at home mom with 2 rambunctious boys, Sam, age 7 and Noah, age 4.  My boys are both severely autistic and are the inspiration for my blog.  When attempting to describe autism I found that the best way to do so was to call them WYSIWYG.  What You See Is What You Get.  Their actions, behaviors, and motivations are uniquely their own and each has their own set of strengths and weaknesses in the midst of their diagnosis.  My blog is my attempt to bring some light and some laughs to raising children with autism.

Most surprising or coolest thing that has happened as a result of your blogging? Blogging has helped me find an outlet for the stress and loneliness that often accompanies both being a stay at home mom and a mom raising children with special needs.   My blog has allowed me to be social even if I can’t leave the house and that leaves me feeling as if  I have built up a community of friends whom I have never met and yet feel very close to and thankful for.

Aside from blogging, what would you name as some of your passions? My passions have always been my relationship and faith in Jesus Christ and advocating for my children and others affected by autism.  I have chosen to embrace and accept my children’s diagnoses and instead of allowing someone tell me my children are a ‘shell’ of the real persons they could be I see them as God created them…unique and mysterious.  My hope is to spread awareness that autism is not a road block to life but rather a scenic route.

Blogs I love:

Shelley @ The Sprouffskes: Life on the Farm
Shelley’s blog was the first I ever read and followed.  I christened my google reader with her 2 blogs and have read them daily for the past 3+ years.  She is an amazing photographer located in picturesque Washington state where she shot the engagement and wedding photos for one of my childhood friends.  I visit her blog daily to see her photos, read humorous stories, salivate over the delicious recipes, and join her in prayer.  I always leave feeling like I have spent time with a good friend.

Shell @ Things I Can’t Say

Shell was one of the first bloggers I made a connection with through my blog and we have since developed a great online bloggy friendship.  She and I share a wry sense of humor and are both moms of boys.  Her blog is written anonymously because she had a previous blog that was found out by her family and friends and that apparently did not go over so well.  Hence the title of her new blog:  Things I Can’t Say.  Except now she does so by steering clear of using real names and not sharing her blog with those she knows in real life.

Check out the latest Momz Share profile: Scraps Of My Geek Life!

Don’t forget to follow Momz Share on:

• Twitter: @MomzShare
• Facebook :  Momz Share

Let’s give a big welcome to another  Momz Share participant for the first quarter!   Go visit her blog and laugh hysterically!

Name and Name of Blog: Amanda of parenting BY dummies

Other ventures? http://thenagainphotography.com

Twitter name: @thenagainphoto

Tell us a little bit about your blog: parenting BY dummies is a guide to parenting by someone who has tried everything you don’t want to do.  Well, actually it’s less of a guide and more of a warning.  Written by a photo loving, talkaholic, SAHM of 3 boys known affectionately to her readers as Dumb Mom, parenting BY dummies is a mostly happy, always chaotic, semi disorganized, but 100% honest blog about motherhood, boyhood, and awesomeness.  Emphasis on the awesomeness.  Dumb Mom’s partner in crime, Dumb Dad, rarely shows up on the blog as the consensus is that he’s cute but has next to nothing constructive to contribute.  P.S. Enjoying some laughs at my expense is both expected and encouraged.

Most surprising or coolest thing that has happened as a result of your blogging? That people read it.  I’m still surprised/flabbergasted/confused that people come to my blog and read it and act like they like it.  Now that my followers list is growing to a more respectable number, I’m starting to think people do a lot of pressure following of my blog.  Like, they get there and see that I have like 500 followers and think, “Oooh, she must be good, all these people like her, I better like her too!”.  And, I’m totally fine with that.  I mean that’s what I do so I totally get it.  I guess that’s just my I-wanna-be-a-cool-kid-high-school-dork talking, but whatever.  As long as you come visit parenting BY dummies from time to time and praise me shamelessly, I mean leave a comment, I don’t care what got you over there.  Even if you’re like the jerkwad that keeps searching for “teen boys tight jeans” and landing on my I-hate-teen-clothing-trends-because-I’m-too-old-to-pull-them-off post, I’m okay with that, but I do hope you find something else you enjoy as well and possibly think about getting some help.

Aside from blogging, what would you name as some of your passions? Photography.  It’s pretty much the only other thing I like to do because it makes me feel all special (it’s not “just the camera” I swear it’s not) and creative and it gets me outta the house.  Plus, it makes people super happy to see nice photos of themselves and their kids and I kinda like that.  Making people happy is sorta my thing.

We all love to discover new blogs.  Name two of your favs!

Knitter Mama:  She’s all relaxed and zen and the total opposite of me and my parenting style that she makes me feel calm and centered when I read it.  Plus, she’s #1′s godmother so I love her IRL too!

Blog Baby:  Hilarious!  Plus Blog Baby and her brother are shamefully cute.  It’s an honest and open blog written by a Canadian photog mom.  Even though she’s going through some tough things right now she’s still keeping it real and I love that about her.

Now that my blog is redesigned, all of my Momz Share profiles and information can be found under the Momz Share tab.  No worries though, I still plan on letting you know when a new blogger is being featured!

Check out the latest profile – Parenting BY Dummies!

Let’s give a big welcome to another  Momz Share participant for the first quarter!   Go visit her blog and say hi!

Name and Name of Blog: Bailey Vincent Clark of  Makeover Momma

I also write for My Classy Girl.net with fellow mom blogger “A Mom In Red High Heels” For mothers of daughters…

Twitter name: @makeovermomma

Tell us a little bit about your blog: I wrote the Makeover Momma book (not yet published) and created the website right after the birth of my first daughter. I had been working as a certified personal trainer and health professional for newly post-partum moms, and really want to combine small, practical bits of information (for fashion, fitness, nutrition and beauty) that could let moms feel their best, when they’re short on time, money and energy.

Name one thing that might surprise people about you: If you follow me on Twitter you might already know this, but I am actually legally deaf (almost completely profound), but had enough hearing as a child that my speech was unaffected. Recently, my second daughter (7 months old) was diagnosed as hard of hearing, so our family is embarking on learning sign language (and hoping to be fluent soon!)

Aside from blogging, what would you name as some of your passions? I have been writing for an editor since I was 13 years old, but I of course have always loved teaching dancing part-time as well (ballet, jazz, tap), homeschooling both of my girls, and have always loved fictional writing (that was my first love, far before journalism!)

Name two of your favorite blogs on the internet!

• I am newly interested in The Beauty Buff Blog.com. It is a brand new beauty-centered website (started by a former makeup artist), who really breaks down the “ins and outs” of makeup and products.
• Is it a complete “sell out” to say that I honestly love the blogs of my fellow mommy-friends Jennifer (duh, from Hip As I Wanna Be) and Lara? I don’t care… I love their honest, open opinions!
  

Let’s give a big welcome to the third Momz Share participant for the first quarter!   Be sure to stop by her blog to meet her…

Name: Lolli

Blog: Better in Bulk

Twitter name: 1momof5

Tell us a little bit about your blog:

I am first and foremost the mother of 5 beautiful children. I’m a mother by choice, a teacher by degree, a photographer by profession, and a blogger by chance. When I started blogging, I had no idea how much I’d enjoy telling the stories of my family’s life….and that I’d be telling my stories to strangers who would become some of my best friends. When I’m not blogging or taking pictures, I’m probably reading a good book while preparing dinner, planning cub scouts, and helping kids with homework. In my spare time, I support my husband in developing foreign language software. I also try to sleep every once in a while.

I use my blog to document life with a big family, plus I offer weekly photography tutorials (called Bloggography) with photo challenges. Plus, I love to do giveaways!

Most surprising or coolest thing that has happened as a result of your blogging?

The absolute coolest thing that has happened as a result of blogging was being asked to speak at a conference. I’m still in shock! I will be teaching a class on photography at the upcoming Casual Bloggers Conference in Salt Lake City  as well as collaborating on a class on social media.

Or maybe the coolest thing was meeting Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, and Anthony Edwards in New York City to interview them for my blog. Hmm. It’s all about getting that 5 minutes of fame, isn’t it?

What do you love the most about blogging?

I love the relationships and connections I have made through blogging, and I love the way that blogging has challenged me and kept me very busy and active. Some days, it’s a lot of work for very little pay (hmm…sounds like being a mom!) but it has been rewarding for me none the less.

Favorite Blogs:

Mama’s Losin’ It : Mama Kat’s humor makes me laugh out loud daily. And I love the fact that my whole family can (and does!) read her and love her humor, too. And after being her roomie at a recent conference, I can testify that she is the real deal.

Manic Mother: Manic Mother is not only a mom with bipolar disorder, but she is the mom of a little boy with cancer. But despite her trials, she looks at life with optimism and spunk. I love her perspective on life. She is also my co-host of our weekly photography tutorials and challenges (Bloggography).