Blog Archives - Page 3 of 9 - PracticingNormal

Words that make your heart sing

March 19, 2015/721 Comments/in Blog /by Mariet

I love words and I love poetry. There is something about reading or listening to beautiful words that makes my heart sing and fills me with joy.

If you think poetry is still the stuffy words that you had to listen to as background music while gazing out the window in class while daydreaming, you are wrong.

There is so much more to poetry than the stuffy poem where the teacher explains that the poet was sad and that was why he used the colour blue while you were thinking ‘oh please, maybe he just liked the colour blue’.

Listen to this Spoken Word Poem If I should have a daughter from Sarah Kay and tell me you didn’t have to swallow twice to get past the lump in your throat.

Outdated Ideas about Stepmoms and Blended Families

March 12, 2015/1,246 Comments/in Blog /by Mariet

I am a mom that sends kids to a house with a Stepmom.

I am also a Stepmom.

This gives me a unique perspective of the role of a Stepmom from both sides.

According to the TIME magazine’s article Amazing Moms of the Animal Kingdom, Meerkats live in packs of about 20, dominated by one mating pair that produces two to five pups in a litter, with up to four litters a year. In a group of meerkats with so many new pups, it is often the aunts and sisters of the group who care for the young. After 21 days underground, the pups emerge to join the foraging party, where they learn the skills needed to live in the Kalahari Desert.

If we lived in a society of meerkats every mother that is able to help raise your pups would be celebrated, but we do not live in a society of meerkats and raising kids is no longer the responsibility of the community as it was ages ago.

Being a stepmom is one of the hardest roles on earth. You are always walking a tightrope with huge precipices on either side. With practice to you turn into an acrobat, but there is some preconceived ideas about your role as Bonus/Extra/Stepmom that do not help and really must die.

Blog Hops and Link Parties: Advice from a Beginner Blogger

March 3, 2015/7,297 Comments/in Blog /by Mariet

When I started blogging five short months ago I had no idea what a Blog Hop or a Link Party was. I thought if I just started writing people would just magically appear on my ‘doorstep’. I now blame my arrogance on ignorance. I was going with the “If you build it, they will come!” metaphor, but like everything in life the more work you put in the better the outcome.

One of the best ways to get your name out there and connect with people with similar interests that might be interested in reading what you have to say is to join a blog hop or link party.

The first question I had was: What is a blog hop or LinkUp?

The definition according to the Inlinkz website is:

The linkup is an efficient way to connect with your readers and their followers, reach bigger social network audiences, make your blog come alive and increase your traffic.

In other words, a blog hop is a time frame in which a group of bloggers share links to other blogs so that readers can ‘hop’ to them. Each blog hop is usually hosted by a blogger on the same day every week and can be shared by more than one blog. The purpose of a blog hop is to visit other blogs and follow the ones that you like and in return gain a few readers yourself.

How to add your blog post to a link party: Read more

Unforgettable Dr. Seuss Quotes

February 22, 2015/13,433 Comments/in Blog /by Mariet

It is almost time to celebrate the birthday of the famous children’s author, Dr Seuss. He was a writer, poet and cartoonist, among other things, in America that wrote funny, zany children’s books. His real name was Theodor Seuss Griesel and was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

What makes this year remarkable is that twenty years after his death, there will be a new Dr Seuss book released in July 2015 called “What Pet Should I Get?” Read more

Celebrating love with books

February 10, 2015/7,766 Comments/in Blog /by Mariet

“Every great love starts with a great story…” – Nicolas Sparks

What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than with books. Even better, International Book Giving Day is on Valentine’s Day. So instead of just celebrating love, celebrate love with books. Give the love of your life a book that tucked your heart strings or made you cry.

I love reading books with people I love, not only can you discuss the story and linger over the beauty of language, but you can highlight passages that you love. I read on an Ipad an one of the wonderful features is that you can leave sticky notes in the book. This is a wonderful way of sharing how a book makes you feel.

Interesting links