Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Things You Should Know About Me and This Blog.

Since finding out that Parenting.com chose First Time Mom & Dad as a, Top 10 Mom Blog of 2013, I have been in complete shock. Mostly because I am a completely clueless mommy, blogging about epic fails, bad gas, diaper blowouts at the most inconvenient time, holding it together as a new SAHM, and at times, being completely walked all over and out smarted by a toddler. Of course there is also the occasional product review-with giveaway- to pay people off for reading my nonsense.  Still, Top Mommy Blogger?

Seriously, how in the hell did this happen?  Wait. Don't answer that. In this case, ignorance is bliss.  But just in case you are stopping by to see what all of the excitement is all about, I feel the need to explain myself and my blog. I am worried that this new label may be misleading people into believing this blog is somehow going to be filled with first-time parent ground breaking tips and tricks. Ha! Ok, maybe it happens, but only after an epic fail on my part, that blindly leads me into finding the super tip or trick to fix my fail... and that is mostly what this blog is about, FTD and I stumbling through parenting blindly, while our kid laughs at us.



Sorry, on with it...

10 Facts you should know about the Crazy Train- aka FirstTimeMomandDad.com

1. This blog is primarily written by me, April.  FTD writes when he feels like it, which since going back to work his posts have been few and FAR between, however, he can be found regularly posting comments on both this blog and our Facebook Fan Page.  We both have a wicked sense of humor. I think it is crucial to have a great sense of humor towards parenting. if I do not laugh at myself, my parenting skills, and my child, I will lose my shit.  I am sarcastic, and use humor to vent.  My blog is most definitely 99.9% about finding humor in parenting. If you take me word-for-word seriously you are going to be super annoyed.  I know I will be.



2.  Our son is less than 30-days from turning Two. I'm proud to say he is so super bad-ass, except when he wakes up at the ass crack of dawn, throws food at me and/or toys at the cat, screams for the hell of it, pulls out the drawers in the dresser to climb to the top and throw things off so he can sit on top of it, runs away form me in the grocery store, tries to break out of his car seat while I am driving, spits his water out all over himself for fun, craps his pants minutes after leaving the house... Oh hell, he is a toddler... you know where I am going with this.  He is bad-ass except when he is testing me and his boundaries.

3. I'm not afraid to use my colorful vocabulary when necessary. I try my best to keep this blog clean, but that shit is difficult when talking about the adventures and lessons learned while parenting a bat-shit crazy toddler.

4.  My parenting style is Keep Calm & Choose My Battles Wisely. My son's entire day is an experiment in learning, testing boundaries, climbing to new heights (literally) and navigating this big world. I have two choices-- say NO! one million times an hour, or stand at a safe distance and decide if I need to say 'NO!', or if just letting him have at it will serve him better.  I normally choose the latter so he can learn things for himself.

6. I try not to hand out any medical, legal or advice on shit I know nothing about. If it is necessary, I will provide a link to where I get my information from. There is enough nonsense on the Internet, no way am I going to add to the lies, misinformation and bullshit.

7. Every month I change the Blog's theme or background.  I like to keep the look of this blog as fresh and fun as my content.  Usually the theme is geared toward whatever holiday is going on, or special events. That being said, I keep the layout the same- simple, clean and void of Advertising overkill.  I want you to read my blog, not get confused by the flashing lights and gypsies peddling their shit.

8. This blog would not be awesome without it's community!  I have the greatest readers who chime in with their own stories, tips, tricks, triumphs and fails.  I LOVE THAT SHIT!  They are also super involved on the First Time Mom and Dad Facebook Fan Page. I would say almost daily you can find awesome tips and stories from readers on that page.  (CLICK HERE TO JOIN IN THE MADNESS)

9. I go through phases with product reviews and sponsored/brand ambassador posts. Sometimes I go weeks without any reviews, sometimes I do them regularly.  I normally do not do more than one product review a week, and with apps and eBooks being all the rage, sometimes I will do one a week too. I never review stuff I would not use. It is such a waste of time for all involved.  It is just so important to me that this blog is a great balance between product reviews and content.

10. Over the last year I have turned into a Domestic Diva. I used to never cook, decorate or do DIY anything. Somehow this has changed. I think motherhood has something to do with it... A big change to the blog this coming year is that I plan to share some of the easy recipes, DIY and home decorating tips I am super proud of myself for mastering.  Trust me, if you are new at this domestic diva thing too, then you are gonna love this shit.





I'm sure there is more to tell, but I think this is a good list of who I am, what this blog is about and what to expect.  Just like parenting, this blog is unpredictable, but certainly full of adventure and learning lessons.  I also love when readers send me ideas, so from day to day the content can be vastly different.  I just hope I can continue to bring help, release and unconventional ideas to all new parents who are, like me, doing their best to be the best at this parent thing.





Two confused parents=One amused baby Hopelessly we are trying raise a baby who is clearly smarter than both of us. April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com