Blogger Spotlight Interview: All Things Jargom

Welcome to the Blogger Spotlight Interview. This week we have Jemma from All Things Jargom taking part.

If you would like to take part, and your blog is under six months old, or has been re-launched in the last six months, please email me randommusings29@gmail.com

1 Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Jemma, I’m 31, and I am a wife and a mum to 2 children; a nearly 4-year-old and a nearly 1-year-old. I always believed I was destined to be a mum, it’s the only thing I have ever really wanted out of my life. Its now happened and I couldn’t be happier.

2 What is your blog’s name and what is it about?

My blog name is All things Jargom, and it’s a UK family and lifestyle blog.

I went with this name initially as I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to take while blogging, I didn’t want to get stuck with a name that didn’t allow me to explore other areas as well as family stuff. As for ‘Jargom’ it’s a nickname given to me by my sister when she was unable to pronounce my name. It’s kind of stuck.

But now it’s mostly about family but I’m hoping I will be able to add more lifestyle content as and when we decide to move to a new house.

3 Why did you decide to start a blog?

I had been debating for a long time with myself about writing a blog, the timing just never seemed right, and I talked myself out of it a lot.

The main reason I guess was as a family keepsake, when I started this my 2^nd child was 6 months old and it was flying by, and I suddenly realised how much I wanted to capture.

My eldest starts school this year and I’m in utter disbelief that 4 years have gone by, and I suppose I’m desperately trying to cling onto their childhood. I do wish I had started earlier, so I could have captured more of those moments and memories.

I also felt like I needed a bit of a creative outlet.

4 Do you have any goals for your blog?

Yes, I would like to have more people read it and enjoy it. I guess I wanted my experiences as a parent to help people to feel more confident and capable of their own abilities, sometimes it’s nice to see another angle on parenting. If they can take some advice away or they’ve read something that they think would help their family life, then that’s fantastic. Parenting can be daunting and overwhelming, and sometimes looking in on someone else’s life, can help you to appreciate your own.

Also, to go self-hosted so I can really get it to look the way I want too, and I would also like to monetise from it in the future. There is no real pressure to earn loads from it, but maybe a little bit of pocket money wouldn’t hurt.

I think mainly though I would just like to capture as many of those family memories as I can, so we can look back on it in years to come, personally from someone who has the worst memory in history, if I read something or see a photo it can often trigger a memory that has been lost in my ‘brain soup’. So, if nothing else I can use it to get my ‘brain soup’ working.

5 Tell us one random fact about you

I studied art and design at college and I have an HND diploma in fashion with textiles. Which now sounds so silly as since I’ve become a mum its like I’ve forgotten how to dress myself, my go to is jeans and a tee, not because I like it, I’ve forgotten how to style myself. This is something I am going to work on this year, I need to find my style again.

As for the textiles part, that was the bit I really loved, I specialised in print design, and I love print, in textiles, in homewares, anything. It’s a shame, I just lacked so much self confidence and belief in my abilities that I never pursued it as a career.

I considered going freelance, but the amount of money to start up and get equipment meant it was never financially an option. I was planning to move out of home at the time as well, so something had to give, but never say never, there’s still time.

6 What is the best piece of blog related advice you have received so far?

Honestly, there has been so much, but one that has stuck out is just keep doing what you’re doing, we all get the blip, you suddenly question everything about what your doing, why are you doing it etc. It can hit hard sometimes but just keep going at it and it’ll pass. If it’s a large blip, it’s OK to walk away for a few days, your blog is not going to disappear if you’re not there for a few days.

Another big one I often think of was something I took away from The Wrap Party that was run by Aby Moore at Mamapreneur Revolution. ‘But what if you fly’ I often think about that now, if I am hesitant about something.

7 What is your favourite thing about blogging?

It has given me something outside of family life to think about, although it’s essentially still about family life, it’s a totally different thought process behind it. I love the way it’s making me absorb things better in case I want to write about them.

I’m still not so hot on taking the pictures, (I still forget I have a camera on my phone) but I’m working on that.

I’ve also spoken to some inspiring women in the blogging community that really seem to have their eye on the ball, they really know what they are doing and it’s fascinating and so inspiring. I want that.

8 Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over knowing what you know now?

I guess for me starting earlier, I’ve missed a lot of opportunities I could have recorded and a lot of things that are now lost in my ‘brain soup’. Other than that, there is so much I have to learn about this whole world, its fascinating and so far, has been a real eye opener.

9 Anything else you’d like to share with us?

If you have made it this far then well done, I realise I have probably waffled quite a bit. I know I have so much to learn in all this and if I have just a few people that read and take something out of it, I would be very happy.

I do have a bit of advice though if you are considering doing it, then just do it, what have you got to lose?

10 Where can we find you? (blog link and links to any social media

My blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.