I’m doing more face to face interaction where this website is concerned and I love it. I love meeting other local bloggers and having conversations. However, one of the biggest conversation starters is always “What do you blog about?” and it’s what has me thinking today.

There are mostly buckets other folks would like you to fit in to when explaining your blog/brand/website. Whatever the case may be. For Real Food Bloggers, this is an easy answer. Sure their family life is part of it – but the main focus of their website is Real Food. Their passionate about it, it’s what draws them a crowd.

Advertisers, networks and sponsorships LOVE a crowd.

Other buckets to fill are the Frugal bloggers, Travel bloggers, Fashion, Coupon, DIY, Home Improvement, etc etc etc. It goes on. On the bottom of that list is the Mommy Blogger.

I. Am. Not. A. Mommy. Blogger.

The whole reason I still write here is because I need something OUTSIDE of the life I live as a mother to keep me sane. I write about my life, period. Where’s the bucket for that? Where’s the crowd so an advertiser or sponsor sees value in ME. Because, folks, that’s what this is. Me.

Pitching a website like this is like selling yourself, not unlike a salesperson in a profession. Real Estate, Home based businesses, Consulting of any kind. Your “customer” (in this case a “reader”) has to buy into Me. Like Me, eventually care about Me.

Let’s just take it to the basics.

Mega bloggers have catapulted, mostly by accident, into an audience that already cares about them. The “un-bucket” blogger has to navigate the thick and tricky waters in order to find a footing. And maybe we’ll grab our audience as we stumble through the wires.

There’s probably no room for validation for this kind of blogger, the un-bucket writer who wants to feel value in the form of acceptance from their audience, an advertiser … a sponsor. So how do we define our websites? Do we have to come up with a niche? Even if it’s broad? Do we have to create a community – even if it’s small – that will support the pull of a network?

Where’s the conversation going for a blogger like me? Do I have to decide that I’m doing this just because?

I live out loud. I take photos of it, spend my time writing about it and often times directing friends/readers/traffic to other sites because I can. Because I want to. Because it’s fun. I never did this to make money, but 10 years later … there’s money to be made.

Why the hell do I have to fight so damn hard for it?

If you want a niche – here it is:

I’m a Diabetic, gluten free foodie who makes food for my family according to their blood types. Then I write about it. I’m a How-To junkie. A hobby-photographer. A woman. I’m learning to love fashion and I’ve always loved to decorate. I’m a mother. I’m a wife to a Serial Entrepreneur and we’re business owners. Plural. I’m a gardener and wanna-be bee-keeper. I have a life list and I live out loud. Take it, or leave it. But please … take it.

**I have nothing against a self-proclaimed Mommy Blogger. I read their sites and love them, I just am not one and am super tired of being thrown into that mix. I am a mom, I do blog, but about WAY more than parenting and kids. That’s my disclaimer. I love you all.

So Oliver is adorable and I’m completely smitten with Jessica. However, long periods of time without outside play and/or other human contact makes the days a little long. Or … well, a little crazy.

You guys, I forgot today had anything to do with football. We’re a terrible household in this manner, we are not sport watchers nor do we own any kind of gaming consoles. We just aren’t interested. Would we be? Sure, I guess if we had a Wii we’d play it twice a year, but I don’t have the patience to store and dust that kind of thing for the rest of the year while it sits there staring at me.

We have laptops. They take enough of our time.

And later today I’ll be posting the giveaway on facebook for those of you who might be doing something other than eating wings and watching grown men in tight pants hit each other. Maybe? Are there any other people in my boat?

Until then, here’s a gem of a video of Oliver from our vacation in Florida. I’d rather watch this sport any day.

(if you’re reading this site via an RSS feed or Google Reader or something else, you won’t see the video I’m told … just click through to the site and you’ll be happy … or not, either way, happy reading!)

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my Cowlick.

I call her Debby.

Happy Thanksgiving! from Jodi Schaap on Vimeo .

Had no idea he was missing out so much by not having this A. Sooner and B. More often.

Adding things to my list from Jodi Schaap on Vimeo .

Ah yes. Well I have quite a bit of catching up to do around here. I’ve been taking photos and making videos like crazy to get them up here and then I have laundry to fold and children to play with and well, some times I just don’t get to it. Kinda like buying underwear. Lets talk about that.

Hey hey hey!

Welcome to the new site!  We’re still working out kinks and spacing issues and what not, but bear with us.  We’ll try to make this as seamless as possible.

In the mean time have a looksee here…

Slight rant: I’m not entirely easy to work with when change is happening.  So, lets all give my husband some much needed love.  He finally just said – listen woman, let me get it live and then you can change whatever you want. Anyway, here it is.

Kid spacing, myth or science? from Jodi Schaap on Vimeo .

All better!