How Social Is Your Blog?

High five to the other undercover bloggers out there like me! Yes, you read that right I am an undercover mommy blogger. Meaning- only a handful of people know that I blog about being a mommy to Ale. I choose to go undercover as I wanted to build an audience of people who don’t know me at all and are truly attracted to what I write here at WordPress.

I began blogging in March and my blog is slowing increasing its audience. I’m so happy and having a lot of fun. Often, however, I think I should be doing more to promote my blog.

Follow me!!
Twitter- @runningafterale

Recently I have been thinking of adding a Facebook page or a Google+ page. Then I think of the additional work that it may require. But… this may be a lot of fun and it could increase blog traffic. Just yesterday the WordPress Daily Post published a post on how and why a blogger should create a Facebook fan page- Should Your Blog Be on Facebook?: The Nuts and Bolts of Fan Pages  Many great tips and info was offers but I would like to hear from you- my fellow readers.

Have you linked your blog to other social media platforms? What has been your experience?

Are you also an undercover mommy/daddy blogger?

Do you have any tips to share regarding promoting your blog?

Thanks everyone!

Tuesdays With Ale : Shopping!

This Tuesday we did the usual morning routine. We went to the park to play. On the way home, however, mama made a stop… at a shoe store… that was having a summer sale. Needless to say mama went crazy and bought two pairs of sandals and spent a pretty penny on them. Thank goodness this store has a small space for kids to play. Mama was busy!

Justification. Do I need one? Not really. I have not bought a new pair of shoes in over a year. The last time I was in that store it was spring time and I bought shoes for Ale. Mama needs some fun and to update her look every once in a while. Being a RN who wears scrubs all day and being a mom makes it all too easy to slide into the not caring too much about your self mode. Has Ale been fed, bathed, combed, and does he have a fresh diaper on? YES! Did mama run out of the house this morning and forget to brush her teeth? Even while rock’n her new sandals?YES! YES! — I can’t win all of the time!

Here are my new beauties. One pair of gold clogs- because everyday should be a party! The other is a pair of fuchsia wedges because they are berry delicious, light and comfy.

Tuesday’s With Ale: Wow! & Bye! Bye! Mama!

On my Tuesday with Ale we walked a lot through the neighborhood. I had to do a few errands and took Ale to the park. Five min after leaving our apartment Ale started to say “Walk Walk” and climb out of the stroller. This is the city mom’s nightmare- how do I now balance a walking/ running baby, his stroller, and cross the street safely?
At the same time how can I refuse? Out came Ale and his adventure began. He said hello to every dog and pigeon he saw. Alerted me to every truck, school bus, plane and helicopter he saw. He waved at drivers when crossing the street, said hello to the people passing by him. He was exhausted by the time he reached the park.

On the way home we saw the most amazing sight ever to be seen!! We saw an EXCAVATOR!!!!! That’s right folks! Amazing isn’t it?. Ale saw the huge yellow machine and could not stop shouting “WOW! WOW! WOW'”. Luckily for us, this construction marvel is parked on our street while repairs are done. Ale can stand in front of it as many times as he likes and as long as he wants.

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This morning Ale woke up early and accompanied me in the kitchen while I was preparing for work. Later I said goodbye to my husband and discreetly kissed Ale’s little mop of curls. I ran for the door, and grabbed my bag. Just as I was opening the door to leave, Ale said with a smile “Bye bye Mama!” waved and gave me a kiss. This was a first! I’m so happy that he knew that I was going and it was ok.

Only Child

Last Friday I did a guest post on my thoughts about being an only child and my decision not to have a sibling for Ale on Chasing After a Daredevil and Twins. I wanted to repost this as this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I have also included links to two articles published in July of this year. One from the New Yorker the other from The Week.
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Ale is quickly approaching two. As for me, lets just say I’m closer to 40 than 30. The big question on everybody’s mind (friends, family, strangers, mom’s at the playground) is “So, When are you going to give Ale a sibling?’ Or the comment is, “You should now try for a girl”. My response is always a smile and a nod yes while I try to change the subject.

Who knows what will happen in the next few years but I’m happy right now where my family is at the moment. Is that so bad? Am I selfish for not jumping to get pregnant again? Does this make me a bad mom? Will I harm Ale emotionally if I don’t provide him with a sibling?

“Only child” is such a heavy title and it carries so much negativity. Do mother’s of more than one child love one more than the other? If they were to loose one child is there a sigh of relief that there is another child there? Should I have another child just so that Ale has someone else to play with? It seems that the idea of having more children is to round out the numbers in the household. Its just something that should be done- no questions asked.

Let me confess- I am an only child. I am happy and well adjusted. I am not lonely. I would not go back and change a thing. And no- I was not a spoiled brat. I was quite the opposite. So why would this not happen to Ale?

To be honest when I was around 10 years old I did pine for a brother or sister. I pined for one like a child pines for a new toy. Growing up I learned that everyone’s family is different and family can be made up of many different kinds of people. Some people had more while others had less people around their dinner tables. That did not make one family better than another. My family consisted of myself, my mom and my dad. My dad said we were the trinity. I thought we were the perfect family.

My goal now is to replicate that feeling for Ale. I am trying to teach him the importance of friendship and how to to tighten the bonds with our extended family. All the while I hope that I am constructing a safe and nurturing home with my husband. This is what is important to me regardless of how small or big our family may become.

Onliness- Alexandra Schwartz New Yorker July 18, 2013

The Case For Having An Only Child- Jenine Holmes, LearnVest | July 31, 2013

Weekly Photo Challenge: Carefree

This week’s photo challenge is to show something that represents “carefree”. What does not represent this more than a toddler splashing in a puddle.

Ale is enjoying the cool water, the sound the splashes make, and the sensation of wet feet squishing in his shoes.

I’m thinking – oh no! He is getting wet and dirty. I don’t have a change of clothing! Did he drink the water? Are there Mosquitos?

Life of a toddler is much, much better. Innocence is truly bliss.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/photo-challenge-carefree/

For Me, For You, For Me Fridays: Only Child

This is the guest post I wrote for Kayla from Chasing A Daredevil and Twins. It’s about my thoughts on Ale being an only child. When Kayla asked me to guest post I was super excited and extreamly flattered. She has such a wonderful blog please stop by her way and say hello. Happy Friday everyone!

Chasing a Daredevil and Twins

This is our second to last For Me, For You, For Me Friday. And it is written by Edith of Running After Ale. Her blog quickly got my attention by her son’s awesome name and her stories about their lives in New York City (a place that I will one day travel to).

Ale is quickly approaching two. As for me, lets just say I’m closer to 40 than 30. The big question on everybody’s mind (friends, family, strangers, mom’s at the playground) is “So, When are you going to give Ale a sibling?’ Or the comment is, “You should now try for a girl”. My response is always a smile and a nod yes while I try to change the subject.

Who knows what will happen in the next few years but I’m happy right now where my family is at the moment. Is that so bad?…

View original post 429 more words

Drink Your Coffee

Almost every morning I have an abandoned half empty coffee cup in the kitchen or on the dining table. Hours later my husband reminds me about it and wonders why I do this. He asks, ” Is the coffee bad? Do you not like coffee any more? Why are you so wasteful?”. My answer to my bewildered husband is that I get distracted.

Distracted? Yes. While I truly want to have that blissful morning moment where I sit down and drink my coffee my brain won’t let me. I’m constantly thinking of the next thing I should be doing- get ready for work, tasks around the house, errands I have to run, phone calls I have to make. Then there is Ale who calls out “Mama!” from the bedroom or calls “Mama!” while hanging from my leg. Then I go into mama mode and get Ale ready for the day. So I get distracted from my coffee.

My advice is the following- don’t have kids. They turn your brain to mush. While pregnant you have pregnancy brain and you start to forget little things and you can laugh about it- Oh! Dear where did I leave my keys? Then if you breastfeed forget it – here comes the worse memory loss similar to dementia- milk brain. You can’t remember a dam thing. If you are engorged you are just useless. Who is the President of the United States? No idea and who cares! All you know is that you must feed the baby or pump NOW! Then comes mama brain where you only remember things related to your child. Your brain is a huge sieve and filters out almost everything.

The crazy part is that if I did have my compleat cup of coffee I would be a bit sharper.

Now where is that cup? I could reheat it….

Mama!!!!

Oh Well…

Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways /// Tuesdays With Ale

We have escaped the city and are enjoying a few days at the beach. Ale loves the water. Today it was raining. Nonetheless, when the rain stopped for a moment we enjoyed running around happy to have the beach all to ourselves.

Today’s Tuesdays With Ale coincides with this week’s WordPress photo challenge- One Shot, Two Ways.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/one-shot-two-ways/

Tuesdays With Ale: Toddlerwearing

This Tuesday was a typical summer Tuesday. Ale and I met up with two other mamas and their little boys at a pool. So much fun was had laughing and splashing in the cold water. What made this Tuesday special was that I decided to get the Ergo carrier out of the closet and catch the bus over to the pool. Our car was getting serviced, the subway called for too many transfers, and the stroller is too cumbersome on a NYC bus. The ergo was the best option for travel with Ale.

Right before we left our apartment I showed Ale the Ergo and explained to him that he would not ride in his stroller. He was so happy to see it again that he began jumping up and down saying “Yeah! yeah, yeah!”. He climbed right in. I was worried he would not remember the carrier or would not want to be carried in it. Recently I have only used it as a restraint on airplanes.

It was so wonderful to be out and about with Ale close to me in the Ergo. We could talk to each other easily and I could feel his happiness. On the bus he sat with me and looked out the window. He commented on the passing vehicles.

On the way back home Ale took a 20 minute nap. There is nothing as sweet as having a sleeping baby( toddler) close to you. I was in mama heaven.

For Ale’s first year we almost never used the stroller. It was just easier to go out with Ale in the Ergo. It made me feel independent and its was reassuring to have him so close. Ale now weighs around 25 pounds. I was surprised as to how comfortable it was to still wear him in the front. When he can follow commands a bit better he can be carried on my back.

I’m looking forward to more toddlerwearing days!

NO CUPCAKES!

Sunday was a beautiful day in New York City. The temp was in the low 80s and no humidity. We spent the afternoon in our patio playing and splashing in the kiddy pool. My husband ended the evening with opening a container of chocolate ice cream. Alejandro’s eyes lit up. The baby who does not eat anything said “Yea! Yum yum cupcake!”. We gave him the ice cream and he just ate three spoonfuls. He never, never, ever over eats. In my mind he can have whatever he likes.

Later that day I made a comment to someone about how I knew that Ale’s equating the ice cream to cupcakes came directly from his daycare. I know that once Ale goes to daycare this is out of my hands. This person said that I must demand the daycare to not allow Ale to eat any sweets there at all. I think this approach is extreme.

If there is a birthday party at daycare should I exclude my little boy from the festivities which usually involves cupcakes? Really? What harm does this have? As long as he knows this is a special occasion and his diet does not revolve around cupcakes.

I guess I believe in moderation. I feel that if I don’t expose him to some sweets he will later go off and binge on these unhealthy foods. A spoonful of ice cream here and there and an occasional cupcake won’t put him over the edge.

Am I too liberal???

Mama’s, what do you do with sweets?