I started this blog a couple of years ago with eyes closed. I had been living in a little bubble and really had no clue what was out there. I wanted to have some sort of “me” thing and I thought this would be the easiest and cheapest route to go. I’d been a long time follower of blogs and they always fascinated me to no end. Never did I realize that I would soon be learning to build relationships with companies. I did not fathom just how amazing my blog would make me feel.
After the dust was swept and house was kept, kids to bed and stories read then it was my time. My time to write about a good recipe I had made or nail polish I’d tried. My time to review a small appliance or baby item I’d tried out. My time to read up on SEO or figure out how to join a giveaway hop. My time to learn what social networking was all about.
I’ve had fun doing this and I can’t imagine life without it now. It’s brought me out of my shell a bit and I feel more confident. For so long I felt invisible. I was a stay at home mom who pretty much just raised kids, cleaned house, cooked and shopped. Once I really started putting myself into my blog then I realized that I was short-selling my own self! There is so much more out there and my bubble popped, I felt like a new person. I now hold my head a bit higher. I feel like worlds have been opened for me, I can breathe deeper.
I had always aspired to join SoFab since the birth of my blog but I knew it would take hard work and determination to get there. So I did my best, improving as I went along and eventually felt like I could try and apply. I filled out the app and waited. Not much longer after the app was submitted did I get asked to create an example Google album shop. I knew I could knock that out of the park if I just did my normal shopping. I gathered up my coupons, list and camera to shop. I submitted my album once it was finished and I was immediately approved! I jumped for joy and called my husband at work to tell him the news. I was elated, it felt like I’d figured out how to cross a broken bridge…then the fun began.
The whole team at SoFab has been so helpful and down to earth. All of the bloggers feel like one big family and I enjoy participating in the forums. When I started getting approved for shops I was so nervous and excited at the same time. The campaign leaders were always there to answer my questions. I’m so thankful for each and every shop that I got to complete, I learned so much. I’ve also earned some much-needed money for my family. I never thought my blog would actually help our bottom line but it has. I have learned to use social media in ways that I never even knew of because of #Cbias. I’ve come to really enjoy using Twitter when before it was just confusing. I have just learned so much!
We’ve never had much money, we have always struggled. We had our first two children in a small 500 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. The apartment seemed fine at first but after a couple of years we started noticing gang and drug related things going on in the apartments behind ours. Our cars were robbed, the neighbor had bricks thrown through their windows, and a few women almost beat me up one night in my parking lot. Then the final straw came, somebody got stabbed…that was IT. We moved out as soon as we could, into the pole barn of my in-laws. Right away we found a realtor and a home loan company, we would buy our own home. It took a few months but we finally found the perfect home for our family. We lived here for a few years and decided to try for our third child. Now we have three beautiful children and we have had to pinch every penny to make it. I’ve grown to be the best at finding a deal on things that we need. I’ve worked hard to coupon, worked hard to budget and worked hard to save.
A whole new world of getting paid for the work that us bloggers do was opened when I joined SoFab. I felt like companies really valued what I had to say and so much so they were willing to pay for it. My time was valuable and SoFab helped me recognize that. I love being able to buy groceries every month and know that my hard work was paying for them. We have really enjoyed the extra income because it has also allowed us to buy a few things that we have wanted. I’ve enjoyed sharing all of the campaigns on my blog. SoFab has helped me add interesting content to my blog that benefits my readers.
Bottom line is that I need to win this #SoFabCon trip because I can’t afford to go otherwise. I feel like I have worked so hard to get to where I am. I would really benefit by attending the Con in so many ways. It would help me meet other bloggers. This would help me meet some of the people behind SoFab. The experience would empower me to take even more control and make my blog even better. I want to be able to get Mama Nibbles out there even more and build rewarding relationships with more companies.. I want to learn to be a powerful and more influential woman. It would mean the world to me because of I #LuvSoFab. Mama Nibbles has truly been a joy and a blessing.