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Reading these blogs has inspired me and transformed my life.
Sometimes you need inspiration to make a change or get out of a rut. One of the fabulous things about blogging is that I have met many inspiring people. In honor of changing my blog from Parenting 2-Home Kids to Empowered Single Moms, I’m going to introduce you to some of the people in my new tribe. I also want to thank them for all I have learned from them and for their encouragement and help. I have had the honor of meeting some of these people in person, others I have talked to on the phone or through messaging, and some I have taken classes from. Some I only know through reading their blogs and hope to meet someday.
People Who Inspired Me to Start Blogging
Tom and Kris at Travel Past 50
It was a very cold winter week and I was dreaming of going somewhere warm–anywhere–when I stumbled across Tom and Kris’ blog. They have made a life of traveling and writing. I was amazed by two things: Tom’s stunning pictures of their travels and that people can make an income while traveling. How wonderfully intriguing. After reading travel blogs like this, I resolved to travel more. I share some of the ways I make that possible in How to Afford Travel on a Single Mom Budget.
Sarah Titus at Sarah Titus
I was inspired by Sarah’s story of getting divorced and deciding to create a work-at-home business. You can read her story here and find out how she went from living in a homeless shelter to making $10,000 in one month. When I started reading Sarah’s blog, she had more of a lifestyle/frugal living blog. She has changed her focus and writes more about blogging now. I am grateful for Sarah’s inspiring messages.
Ruth Soukup at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth writes about living well while spending less. Her articles are indeed inspiring. When I see her newsletter in my inbox, I am excited to open it and find out what new information she has to share. Her goal for blogging was to afford for her engineer husband to be able to quit his job. Wow! I thought that if she could do that, making a living with an online business must be possible. She has written several encouraging books, the last of which I read was Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind, & Soul
Ruth also has a course, Elite Blog Academy. This comprehensive course was the first blogging class I took. I enrolled in the class a few weeks after I started blogging and then took a break while I focused on the first half of the class. When it opened this spring, I started it again and flew through the first third amazed at how much I had learned in a year. I return to her information every week.
When I Need Inspiration in Life
When you need to change, check these blogs out.
Jon Morrow at Unstoppable & Smart Blogger
I return to Jon’s post, 7 Life Lessons from a Guy Who Can’t Move Anything but His Face, on Unstoppable over and over again. I have shared it with some of my clients who are struggling with depression and hopelessness. My favorite lesson in this list is, “If you can’t win the game, change the rules.” I have never read a more inspiring author.
Tiny Buddha’s Facebook page
Tiny Buddha provides encouraging articles, but a quick read through their Facebook page can be a quick and easy attitude adjustment. If I am feeling a little down or discouraged, this is one of the first places I go for a pick-me-up article or quotation.
Bolaji Oyejide at Brave Young Heroes
Emma Johnson at Wealthy Single Mommy
Emma has a blog, a podcast, and a Facebook group to help single moms thrive. She inspires us to not look at ourselves as victims or “less than.” She has a new book coming out, The Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest You, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children
Inspiring Blogs with Practical Tips
It was hard to choose which blogs to include, but these are a few of my favorites.
Michelle Schroeder Gardner at Making Sense of Cents
Michelle’s story is inspiring. When she was over her head in debt, she decided to start doing some side hustles, including a blog, to pay it off. When I started following her, she had paid off the debt and was writing about frugal living, budgeting, and finances. She transformed her lifestyle and now she and her husband are making six figures a month and traveling the country in an RV. I just started a class she teaches. She is also kind and generous.
Kara Carrero at Extremely Good Parents
Kara is helpful, wise, and compassionate. One of my favorite articles on her site is an open letter to the mother of the child who fell into the gorilla pit. Her compassion shines through.
I love to read Kara’s stories. She has shared experiences like turning a shower into a spa experience and making her grandmother’s coffee cake with her daughter. I was nowhere near as wise at her age as she is. Not only are her parenting articles great, but she also helps businesses create better online presences.
If it weren’t for Kara, I do not know how I would have ever transformed Parenting 2-Home Kids to Empowered Single Moms. She has been amazing. Kara has so many great ideas it is hard to choose, but this shirt is inspired. She designed it to keep her littles busy on outings. Her husband wears the shirt and that makes it much easier to keep one or two of them busy in a store or while waiting for a bus. The littles can name the animals or tell you what sounds they make.
Dayna at Lemon Lime Adventures
Dayna is a new and encouraging friend. She is responsible for giving me the nudge I needed to start the transformation from Parenting 2-Home Kids to Empowered Single Moms. I had been mulling it over for months, but she got me to start taking action. We all need friends who can give us that nudge.
Meet some of the people who have mentored me when I needed inspiration.
Her videos are beautiful and the ideas are what I strive for when I am sharing ideas. They are inspired and yet so simple, I end up thinking wow, why didn’t I think of that? This is one example that shows a fun way to calm kids down with breathing.
Rosemarie at the Busy Budgeter
Rosemarie has a ton of information on setting up a budget and living on a budget. She also shares inspirational stories of people who have paid down debt. I was not surprised when I learned she had a law enforcement background. She has a no-nonsense, no excuses approach, which is what we all need when we are trying to make a hard change.
Rosemarie is generous in sharing her blogging knowledge and I have read a couple of her books about blogging. In true Rosemarie style, her books are helpful and to-the-point with great action steps.
When I Need Inspiration to Continue Blogging
Blogging is hard work. It is not hard like digging ditches or roofing houses 60 hours a week, but it is hard. From the outside it looks so easy. Before I started I thought, “Just write something that will be helpful and that is it.” Well, I guessed there was a little more to it, but there is a lot more to it. Sometimes I pinch myself when I realize how much I have learned in less than one and a half years. My IT consultant son’s comment will give you some perspective: “Mom have you have come a long way from when you called me at college to be able to use the DVD player.” (Pathetic, but true.)
Darren Rowse at Problogger
Darren is a rock star of the blogging world. I decided to go to my first blogging conference because he was speaking there. Since he lives in Australia, I knew it was a rare opportunity. I was thrilled when we ended up having breakfast at the same table. His book, ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
Allison Marshall at Wonderlass
Allison makes business simple and fun. And she rocks her personal brand. Her photographs are super fun. It is not surprising that she once made a living photographing unusual weddings. If I need a smile, I know I can get one by stopping by her blog or popping in to her Facebook group.
Jennifer Snyder at Women Winning Online
I have been transformed by reading these blogs.
Jennifer was my first blogging mentor. I have not met her in person yet, but I feel like I know her. Jennifer in generous and kind and she does a great job of building community. I interact with her and the women in our blogging group several times a week. If I have a question about blogging, Jennifer is one of my go-to people.
Becky Mansfield and Paula Rollo at Becky and Paula
Becky and Paula both have great parenting blogs, Your Modern Family and Beauty Through Imperfection, that I visit a few times a month. They host excellent Facebook groups where you can get support from other bloggers. Paula has started giving five-minute tips for bloggers and these quick tips make my blog better without giving me an overwhelming amount of information.
These are only a few of the kind, inspiring, wonderful people I have met through starting a blog. Being around bloggers is like being in a different world. Do they get discouraged and have dark days? Of course! We all do. But we focus on what is possible–not if something can be done, but how to get it done. I have learned many life lessons from blogging, but that is an article for another day.
What are your favorite blogs? Mention them in the comments below, because I would like to check them out! If you found inspiration in the folks that inspired me, please share this and inspire a friend.
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If you are looking for some support, Find Your Tribe After Divorce.
I like to read blogs about budgeting, and you might like to read more about that too: