This week we get to know Susan Heim! Let's read more about her and her blog:
Your name: Susan Heim
How did you decide on what to name your blog? Since my name was already linked to parenting through a book I’d written, I wanted to do the same thing with my blog. “Susan Heim on Parenting” is not very creative, but it tells you exactly who I am and what my blog is all about!
Tell us a little bit about you... I’m married and have four sons. Two are in college, and my twins are in second grade. I’m originally from Michigan, but I’ve lived in sunny South Florida for more than twenty years. I work at home as an editor and writer. I love to write parenting books, and I’ve worked with Chicken Soup for the Soul for eleven years.
Tell us 5 of your favorite things, and 5 of your least favorite things...
Favorite things:
Travel
Colin Firth
Jane Austen books (I named one of my sons Austen)
Coconut-flavored and -scented things
Warm weather
Least favorite things:
Big egos
Public speaking
Reality TV
Vegetables
Frogs
When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging in 2006 when my first parenting book,Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year, was published. I wanted another outlet for providing parents with great information and product reviews.
What do you blog about? I blog about all kinds of issues related to parenting. I try to cover all the bases, from pregnancy through college. I also feature family-friendly product reviews and giveaways.
What does your family think of your blog? Do they read it? I live with five guys -- my husband and four sons -- and they’re not the least bit interested in what I write. But that’s okay because it gives me the freedom to write about them!
When do you find the time to blog? I write when my seven-year-old twins are at school and after they go to bed. But I’m always checking email and squeezing in work whenever I can.
What brand or product would you really like to work with/review? Well, my minivan is seven years old… So, if you’re reading this and you’re looking for bloggers to review cars or vans, I’d LOVE to work with you!
What has been your biggest blogging challenge, and how did you overcome it? I wish I knew more about computer programming and creating graphics. I’ve learned a lot just by trial-and-error and Internet research, but I wish I knew more. Fortunately, my husband is a genius when it comes to computers, so he can usually get me running pretty quickly if my computer crashes.
What advice would you give a new blogger? Learn as much as you can and then do what is right for you. When I first started blogging, I didn’t know much about it! But I subscribed to a lot of other blogs and studied what they did. I became proficient at using Twitter and Facebook to bring readers to my blog. But, at the same time, I don’t always follow the crowd. Just because something is new or popular doesn’t mean it’s always best. Many times, I go with my instincts.
What widget or feature could you not live without? I’m a Twitter-aholic. I love Twitter, and it’s been so beneficial in growing my blog.
Where can we find you?
Email: smhparent at hotmail dot com
