I’m delighted to announce that I was nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by Fiona, from Like as the Waves: A Mental Health Blog. The Blogger Recognition Award is given to bloggers by bloggers. This award is peer recognition for bloggers, and their amazing work.

Rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

Write a post to showcase your award.
Thank those that nominated you, and link their blog.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice for new bloggers.
Select other blogs to give the award to.

Thank you, Fiona

I want to start by properly thanking Fiona for this nomination. I admire Fiona, and I am very honored to be one of her nominees for this award. Fiona’s blog, Like as the Waves, is absolutely remarkable. She admirably blogs about mental illness, and is extremely effective at spreading awareness. Fiona blogs with an honest vulnerability that really helps people. She blogs about tough mental health topics, like depression and anxiety. Everyone should absolutely check out her blog, and follow her on Twitter. She is a supportive and valuable part of the mental health blogging community.

How The Uncustomary Housewife Started

The Uncustomary Housewife has changed a lot since its launch in 2013, but the objective has always been the same: kindness and social connectivity. In 2013 my life was pretty awesome; I had recently married a doctor, bought a new house, and I was working my way through Graduate School. However, I was living in a new town and I didn’t know anyone. I’m not very sociable, and I don’t make friends easily, yet I was desperate for social connectivity… My desperation led me to impulsively launch a blog and write my first post; Step One: Get Your Life Together. It was a blog post about social connectivity, and how life can sometimes make us feel like we are drowning. Ironic, right?

My blog is eclectic. Over the years I’ve written about many different things; being a housewife, cooking, travel, geeky stuff, religion, mental health, and much more (you can still find all of it on my blog)… but the central theme is the same as it was in 2013: kindness and social connectivity.

Advice for New Bloggers

Piece of Advice 1: Know Your Reason
I’m eclectic… I blog about sensitive personal topics (mental health), and fun lifestyle topics (cooking, comic books); so I want to give two versions of my first piece of advice so I can reach both sides of the blogisphere.

Sensitive and Personal Topics – Know Your Reason
For people who want to blog about a sensitive, stigmatized, or more personal topic, like; mental health, chronic illness, parenthood, religion, etc… Please, always consider the following question: “Why do I want to share my story?”. Some people share to raise awareness and educate others. Some people share their stories to let others know that they are not alone. Some share hoping to find a sense of belonging or community on the internet. Some people simply have a story to tell, and they want a safe place to tell it. Please make sure your reason is constructive and positive. When you post about a sensitive topic, you automatically become a spokesperson for that topic. When you write about a sensitive topic, people turn to your words for comfort and advice. It is a big responsibility. So, please, represent your topic well. Additionally, blogging shouldn’t be a competition. Blogging is a community of people who work together to become better — please remember that. If you like someone’s post: tell them. If you like someone’s photography: tell them. We’re all in this together, and it isn’t a competition.

Lifestyle Topics – Know You Reason
For people who to blog about lifestyle topics, like; cooking, fashion, make-up, home improvement, crafting, movies, video games, photography, etc… Please, consider the following question: “Why do I want to blog?”. Some people blog because they love something, and they want to write about it. Some people are really good at something, and they want to give advice and post DIYs. Some people want to connect with people who have common interests, and blogging is the best way to do that. Some people want to promote their small business, or passion project. Please make sure your reason is constructive and positive. The blogging world can get competitive, especially with some of these topics. Once you start blogging it’s very easy to get caught up in trivial things; followers, likes, sponsorships, and competitions… those things can make you forget why you started. Blogging shouldn’t be a competition for who can woodwork the best, who can wear the most expensive jeans, or who can get the most followers. Blogging is a community of people who work together to become better — please remember that. If you like someone’s make-up tutorial: tell them. If you like someone’s photography: tell them. We’re all in this together, and it isn’t a competition.

Piece of Advice 2: Remember, It’s YOUR BLOG
Seriously, it’s your blog. Post what you want. Post what makes you happy. Post what brings you joy. Post things that help you work through your problems. If you want to help others, post things that will help others. Post what YOU want. After all, it’s YOUR BLOG. Please, don’t let the opinions of other people weigh heavily on you… A lot of people have approached me and said things like; “I would read your blog if you wrote more posts about blah blah [insert random topic here] blah.” Sometimes it bothers me… And sometimes I write posts because other people want to read about a certain topic… but at the end of the day I have to remember: it’s MY BLOG. I have to put out content that I’m happy with. So, post what matters to you. Ben Platt (Tony Winner) said it best; “Don’t waste any time trying to be like anybody but yourself, because the things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”

My Nominees for the Blogger Recognition Award

Lately, I’ve been struggling with depression… and, as a result, I haven’t shown very much support to the amazing bloggers in the blogging community. I’m very glad that I have the opportunity to highlight some of them now. I’ve selected seven bloggers to nominate for the Blogger Recognition Award. Here they are…

Ruth – Ruth in Revolt 
Ruth’s blog is appropriately titled Ruth in Revolt, and it is one my absolute favorite blogs. After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety, then receiving treatment, Ruth wanted to turn her situation into something constructive… So, she started Ruth in Revolt. Ruth has truly created a positive space online where people can communicate, learn, and grow. Plus, Ruth is a Fairy Godmother to the blogging community, and it is a better place because of her.

Lynne – Awesomism Mom 
Lynne’s blog, Awesomism Mom, is absolutely spectacular. She shares her common sense approach to the everyday issues that mothers raising autistic sons might face. Lynne shares stories, tips, and hits to help other autism parenthood community. She uses her blog to connect with other parents, and create a community, so parents can put together ideas and discussions of how to solve issues.

Jen – The Frozen Mind 
Jen is a blogger and chronic migraine warrior. Her blog, The Frozen Mind, is a place where she shares her story, while also promoting advocacy, education, and support for fellow migraineurs and people with other chronic illnesses. Jen also recently launched a second blog, Redemptions Touch, where she breaks down Bible Verses.

Anneli – Pigletish 
Annali started Pigletish in March 2017 as a way to document her way to recovery from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She campaigns for mental health awareness and she is working towards a brighter, more accepting future for people who live with mental illness. I particularly love the name of her site, “Pigletish”; she named it after Piglet from Winnie the Pooh. On her site, she wrote;“Piglet is an absolute hero, and a great example of how courage isn’t an absence of fear, but the ability and determination to overcome it.”

Tiffany – Love Always, Tiffany 
Love Always, Tiffany is a wonderful blog, and Tiffany is an awesome person and I’m proud to call her my friend. Her blog is a place where she shares her life as a thirty-something-year-old homemaker, and I absolutely love it. Tiffany’s posts are personal, honest, and extremely helpful.

Anja – The Calculating Mind 
Anja was also one of Fiona’s nominees for this award (the same blogger who nominated me), but I just couldn’t leave her off my list. Anja is a blogger with a passion for mental health advocacy. On her blog, The Calculating Mind, she often writes about mania, depression, and anxiety, from a first-person perspective. Anja hopes that sharing her story will create more open, honest conversations about mental health, fighting the stigma one conversation at a time.

Briana – Home Sweet Bri
Briana is a home decor and mom blogger. Oh her blog, Home Sweet Bri, she shares her experiences on everything related to the home. From decorating to DIY; she tells people what works, and what definitely doesn’t work. She is also a super awesome and kind person. Her blog is an amazing place, and everyone should check it out.

Curtain Call

I would be remiss if I didn’t plug my own blog and social networks. You can connect with me on my social networks; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also follow and subscribe to my Blog. I would really appreciate it.

Sincerely, Uncustomary Housewife