Interview: Heir to Blair, the insanity of making & baking a baby & the motherhood that follows
This week I am so happy to bring you an interview with a very inspirational blogger and woman. She goes by Blair and writes the blog Heir to Blair. She is funny and best of all she is real. I love reading her blog because she is a damn good writer. She writes in a way that lets you feel her emotions and nod in agreement – like yes girl that happened to me too, I hear you. Plus she is on her way to winning a few battles that many of us face, including: postpartum depression, weight loss, working, and all while raising a young man. Thus she is a big source of of encouragement, hope, and support – whether or not she realizes it.
Links her to social goodies are below. Visit her and show her some love.
Here is the interview:
1. What do you want readers to take away from your blog? What do you hope to accomplish with it?
In the beginning, I started the blog as a personal outlet with no readers. It was a way to marinate on my life. & I hope in so many ways, it is the same. I’ve detoured a little, grown a lot, but at the end of the day, I just want to be good for a laugh & a “me too.” I want people to walk away knowing that they’re not alone & that someone out there (aka me) is more crazy than they could ever dream of being. There’s something beautiful in knowing that you have a friend in the battle, whether it’s motherhood, weight loss, mental illness, or just life in general.
2. How has blogging impacted your life? Good, the bad, and the ugly.
There is so much good – it’s an outlet for my insanity, a place to laugh & feel community & have other people reassure me that my life isn’t wasted space. It’s allowed me to start a college fund for my son, to connect to other women that are suffering postpartum depression, & to receive encouragement about every aspect of my life. It’s like ice cream & a warm cup of coffee all wrapped up into one.
But the flip side of it is that by putting it all out there, I’m vulnerable in a way that some like to attack. They attack how I lose weight, that I returned to work, that I simply blog. I’ve been called names, been put down, received hate mail, & even had a friend turn on me because of the blog. It’s not pretty, but when I receive an email from a reader saying that she called her doctor after reading a post about postpartum depression, it makes it worth it. When 50 people tell me to keep going on a Monday morning after I’ve pigged out all weekend & gained weight, it’s so worth it.
3. What is the best thing that has happened to you because of your blog?
Meeting some INCREDIBLE women. Working with wonderful companies & their employees, & also helping to promote small business owners. My blog reminds me daily that mothers & women are strong & powerful & smart & sensitive. I think society needs to remember that when there are so many forces trying to argue against it. & it’s taught me that I can be just as fantastic – it’s so easy to tear myself down, but the blog is an accomplishment of both emotions & business & friendship. & it’s a daily reminder that I can make a difference.
4. How do you balance blogging, motherhood, and all of the other demands life throws at you?
OH LORD. I don’t. Ha!! I wish I had a magic wand that would make it all fall into place beautifully, but for now I just hang on to a thread & pray that I make it through each day. But in all seriousness, I think the big thing is to simply fall in love with your own reality – I read that in a blog this week & loved that idea. Let’s say I want to work out (ha!!) – in reality, I don’t have the time & resources to join a gym, go to an hour-long kickboxing class, & then sit in a sauna. I WISH. But the reality is, I can pop in a 30-minute workout DVD & still get the rush of endorphins & burn calories. It may not be exactly what I want, but it’s my reality & it’s what I can afford both time-wise & monetarily. It’s my reality. & I have to accept it. Same with cooking (I don’t cook every night), cleaning (my house stays a little messy these days), & even doing my hair (hello, ponytail!).
5. What do you love most about motherhood right now?
I am falling in love with motherhood right now, & that feels SO GOOD to say. I love every single aspect of it – how he changes every day, how he shoves pancakes in his cheeks, how his smile lights up the room. But I think my favorite part is watching him with my husband – I love watching them play & interact. I love how they laugh together & wrestle & it just warms my heart to see both of my boys enjoying each other.
6. What aspect of motherhood is hardest for you?
A few months ago, I would have said EVERYTHING. Postpartum depression really stripped me of any joy & feeling of success in motherhood. Everything was too far away, way out of touch, & too difficult to comprehend. I’m doing much better with it these days. I would say that the most specific aspect that is difficult is how he changes every day – like, he’ll want pureed food for two days, but then for three days he’ll want nothing but table food & he’s spitting the puree out at me. Then he flips back. & then back again. It’s frustrating, but I try to just roll with the punches & listen to him.
7. What is your biggest triumph in motherhood so far?
Beating severe postpartum depression. I’M BEATING IT. I have been through hell & back this year, but with my incredible husband, strong son, amazing family, & gifted doctors, I am coming out on the good end. I thought that my life was over, that I had nothing left to give & I was destined to be a failure – but now, I feel like I’m finally getting a grasp on life again. & that I am worthy of this happiness. That’s a huge accomplishment that I’ve worked very hard for.
& also, I’ve kept Harrison alive for almost a year. I could never say that about any fish that I owned.
8. You are on your way to Blogher! What do you hope to get out of it this year?
This question just reminds me how crazy life is, that it’s past Blogher & I’m just answering this!! I went to Blogher hoping to be rejuvenated in blogging. I felt so burned out, so empty, & simply done with blogging & the business of blogging. I was so tired. & I flew up to NYC, met over 2,000 women that share the same passion, & I came out with a new spirit & sense of “I CAN DO THIS.” I want to write again – not for readers, but for me. It was a complete personal success.
9. You’ve been on a journey to lose some weight this year. What has been the most difficult struggle for you over the past few months?
Those weeks where NOTHING goes right. I can be on a good run of losing a ton of weight, & then BAM! life happens. Maybe work is overwhelmingly hard that week & all I can do is grab a cheeseburger because I forgot my lunch & I only have five minutes. Or maybe Harrison is teething & cranky & by the time he goes to bed at night, all I can do is pop a pizza in the oven for Nate & I to share. & there’s no time to exercise or go grocery shopping for fresh veggies, so I go an entire week without a healthy snack. Those weeks happen, but the important thing is to just stay focused in the long run – that those weeks happen, but they’re not the end of the world.
10. I love how you’ve interviewed others about their progress. What would you recommend to others who might be trying to lose weight while chasing crazy kids around the house?
Obviously, I’ve loved my success on Nutrisystem. For the most part, I don’t have to think about what I eat & if I don’t get a workout in, it doesn’t mean the end of the world. Sure, there are bad weeks like I said before, but this is the easiest & fastest weight-loss program I have ever used.
Aside from the actual program…I think my best advice is to try to incorporate your weight-loss into your life with the baby. If I need to exercise & Harrison is whiny & needing something to do, then I put him in the stroller & go for a run. He loves the change of scenery & I get in a workout. I offer him veggies that I made for myself – carrots, squash, green beans. It’s a good way of starting to teach him a healthy lifestyle by setting the example & making him a part of it.
11. You also have a section dedicated to the Ronald McDonald House charity. What inspired you to choose this cause? How can people get involved/support you in this?
I love Ronald McDonald House Charities. LOVE. I learned about them as a sister of Alpha Delta Pi in college, because RMHC is our official charity. I decided that I needed to give back – to do something, even if it was simply blogging to raise awareness. It’s a slow process to build, but one that I am very excited about. I hope that in the future, it will inspire readers to volunteer at their local house, or to join me in running a 5K this fall, or to simply donate to the charities. It does not take much to make a difference.
12. What direction is your blog taking in the near future? What can readers expect to see there?
I’m really, really focused on getting “back to the basics.” Of writing. Of telling stories & simply sharing our lives & my opinions (even when they’re wrong). I detoured quite a bit this year, but I am ready to return to simply being a blogger. It’s refreshing for me & I hope readers also find it refreshing. & funny.
Show her some love:
Thoughts? Post them in the comments. Would love to hear from you.
Related posts:
- Interview: A Bloggy Mom, motherhood from my laptop and other nonsense
- Interview: The Young Mommy Life, a real look at a 20 something Mom
- Interview: OMommaWrites, where writing is how sanity is found amongst diapers, laundry, and homework
I love to write, learn, and share what I know - all while taking lots of pictures. I live in Los Angeles and am married to a very handsome man named Stan. We have a 5 year old Vizsla, a 3 year old daughter, and one on the way (due Aug, 2011). Thanks for stopping by!
@theoutdoorwife Oh no, try http://bit.ly/9dGFMN
RT @babybumpdiaries: Interview: Heir to Blair, the insanity of making & baking a baby & the motherhood that follows http://bit.ly/9dGFMN
@heirtoblair Interview with Heir to Blair, the insanity of making & baking a baby & the motherhood that follows http://bit.ly/9dGFMN
RT @babybumpdiaries: @heirtoblair Interview with Heir to Blair, the insanity of making & baking a baby & the motherhood that follows http://bit.ly/9dGFMN
I love Blair! I can relate…she was my biggest inspiration for starting a blog myself.