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Hey out there blogging world! Today we are chatting it up with Heidi Ramsey from Little People Wealth, a blog about being frugal, saving money, and being financially responsible while still having fun with your family.

A bit about Heidi:

I currently work in ecotoxicology. I have been married for 7 years and I have two boys (2 and newborn). I started my blog two years ago to help people learn how to spend money wisely. Little People Wealth is about how to create wealth on a middle or class income.

1. How did you come to have your “mommy blog”? Was it planned that way or did it just accidentally sort of happen?

I started my blog expecting to blog about finance and investing, but as I gained readers I learned that many of them were moms who wanted that information plus how they can make their income stretch farther. I started writing more and more posts geared towards that. Up to that point, I never heard of or thought of myself as a ‘mommy blog’ and I still do not completely fit into that category. That said, the backlash against “mommy blogs” is silly. I blog and I am a mom and that will sometimes show up in my posts as it would with anybody who is genuinely posting about things they care about.

2. Do you work outside the home or work from home? What are you currently working on?

Both. I work in ecotoxicology outside of the home right now (biologist). I work on my blogs from home. I just launched a new blog, www.BudgetAWedding.com that teaches people to save money on their wedding without sacrificing the things they want. On Little People Wealth, I have been working on a series teaching people how to make money blogging. I am also starting an ebook on using essential oils to clean your home.

3. Do you accept advertising and sponsorship on this blog? Why or why not?

Yes. I spend hours finding deals to post for my readers, writing posts to teach them how to save money, and contacting companies to offer things to giveaway to them. I even sponsor my own giveaways. Blogging takes time and money and I need to make some money as well!

4. Do you have a blog publishing schedule or do you just spontaneously blog as the mood strikes you?

Both, I have certain posts that go up at the same time each week, but I also add posts when I feel the need. I have 1-8 posts that go up a day and usually 1 or 2 of those are scheduled.

5. Do you consider your blog a business venture or just a mommy outlet for getting thoughts out of your head? Is it both?

My blog is more of a business venture. It is not a typical “mommy blog”. I do not generally have posts solely about my being a mom or about my kids.

6. How do you feel about paid blogging and it’s impact on the mommy blogger community?

Paid blogging is sometimes okay if it is done tastefully. If I am reading something that still has personality and truth in it then I do not care if it is paid. There are lots of blogs that simply post advertisements and I do not follow those blogs. I think the greater threat to the typical mommy blogs is exactly opposite. Many mommy blogs will post advertisements for nothing, or review any product that comes their way without offering a giveaway for their readers or additional compensation. They do not understand what their true value is.

7. Do you talk about your family in any depth of detail on your blog? Do they know about it and do they read your blog?

I give them updates and my internet-savvy family follows it. Unfortunately most of my family is not so internet savvy!

8. Do you use real names and include pictures of your children on your blog? What brought you to that decision?

You will sometimes see a picture of my kiddo in the background (or on my about page), but I do not post names. I feel safe online, but knowing a kids name opens a lot of doors for a “stranger”. I don’t think anything would ever happen, but it isn’t worth the risk.

9. What really inspires you to blog?

When I first started blogging it was just to keep track of my own deals, goals, and expenditures. I started getting emails from readers saying that I was helping them out and that is what inspires me to keep going.

10. Has a comment on your blog ever made you cry?

Nope!

11. Do you read and comment on other mommy blogs frequently? Do those bloggers visit your blog and comment as well?

I try to visit and comment, but I only visit and comment as many as I can really read and leave a heart felt comment for. I actually find it really frustrating to see the copy/pasted comment that many bloggers do saying “Hi, I am such and such and you have such a great blog. I am here from such and such please come and see me” or something to that effect. if you leave a comment then say something about the post! If you are just blog hopping and copy/pasting comments on the latest post to gain traffic to your own blog then I do not feel obligated to leave a comment on your blog.

12. Name one thing about your lifestyle that blogging has changed or impacted?

I have to schedule my time carefully. Blogging takes up a lot of it, but I do not want it to take away from my family at all.

13. Has blogging led to other things online for you? (such as business ventures, job offers, additional blogs etc….)

I started a new blog, Budget A Wedding at www.budgetawedding.com, because of my great experience with Little People Wealth.

14. What mommy blogger myth or misconception annoys you the most? What do you want to say to those people, even if you bite your tongue?

The myth that being a mommy changes your blog frustrates me. It is just a demographic. I find it frustrating that mommyhood can never be separated from women in business and yet being a father is hardly ever brought up when it is a man in business.

15. Have you been contacted by media or PR reps because of your blog? Is that something you’re interested in and enjoy, or not so much?

Yes and I enjoy it. I can offer something to my readers or grow my blog business when media and PR contacts me.

16. Were the technical aspects of getting started a hurdle for you?

Not really, I learn as I go.

17. What blogging platform do you use and why did you choose that platform?

Blogger. I choose it because the drag/drop interface is so easy to use.

18. What three things do you *need* to have for your blog? (Plugins, tools, etc…)

I think you need a custom design. You begin to see the same vector graphics over and over in the blogging business. You also need a button since that is the cornerstone for advertising for blogs. Finally, you need a newsletter to keep and recruit new readers.

19. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Emails from readers saying you helped them!

20. What advice do you have for someone that wants to break into blogging and has never done anything online before?

Start with blogger if you are new, it is easier!

I want to thank Heidi for being here with us today. Remember, you can check out her blog Little People Wealth at www.littlepeoplewealth.com where Heidi helps us save money in every corner of our lives. You can also follow Heidi on Twitter @lpwealth.

If you’re a tweet addict like myself, I’ve created a list at Twitter of all our 20 Questions with Mommy Bloggers interviewees so you can find them and follow them easily http://twitter.com/retta719/mommybloggers Of course, I’ll be adding to that as we go along and updating each week.

I hope you are enjoying the 20 Questions with Mommy Bloggers series as much as I am. If you’d like be interviewed or recommend your favorite mommy blogger for the series please send an email to retta.oliver@gmail.com and let me know.

Happy Blogging!

P.S.If you’re new to blogging and need a little help, I strongly recommend Beginner to Blogger in 4 Weeks from my good friend and fellow mastermind group member Traci Knoppe. She’ll take you step by step through the entire process from installation to creating your blog posts and she’ll even help you customize your blog theme.

What are you waiting for? Get started blogging today! Learn how to create a blog with the Beginner to Blogger in 4 Weeks eCourse