- Kids say and do crazy funny things. That includes my crew of three!
- You love New England. Whether you grew up here (like me), are raising your family here (also like me), or like to vacation here (yep, you guessed it!) -- you will certainly find plenty of experiences of our rural lifestyles in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Throw in some Boston sports team references, the occasional trips to Massachusetts or Connecticut that I discuss, and maybe even some photos of the fall foliage or maple syrup and you'll have a vivid glimpse into local livin'. Shout out to the Northeast Kingdom, the Upper Valley, and the beaches of the Southern Maine coast.
- Parenting is not an easy job, but it is for sure the most rewarding. This blog is a way for me to share some of our experiences so that I can get your advice or pass along tips I've picked up along the way. My kids are now squarely in the elementary and middle school years, so not a lot about babies and toddlers. Expect to read more about homework and scouts, sports and juggling schedules.
- You like to save money. Now, I seem to go through spurts of being more productive than others in following my own frugal living advice. This includes finding deals at the drugstores and online, which I try to share specific examples of how your family can save. I'm not your first stop for coupon match ups or sale lists - other blogs do this much better and I have no desire to duplicate their work. I know that I find it helpful to see photos and lists from shopping excursions, so that's my goal of what to bring to my readers.
- Your blood runs green. Big Green. As a Dartmouth alum, and now an administrator on campus, I spend lots of time in Hanover. So you can expect photos from the Green, stories about Homecoming bonfires, family-friendly activities, and athletic events spanning several seasons.
- You appreciate peeking into our refrigerator and slow cooker to see what's for dinner this week. I find that completing a weekly menu plan not only makes our evenings as a family of five much smoother, but also means that I am using our groceries more intentionally and spending less money (especially on food that is take out). I love clicking through the Menu Plan Monday lists for great ideas and recipes.
- You don't mind that some of the posts I write may be inspired by a challenge I'm participating in. Anytime this is the case, I will fully disclose and link back (whenever available) to the group that I am participating in or the organization that is sponsoring the opportunity. Content is always my own, but if you don't like that I may work with a blog network or business as part of a contest or event...consider this your heads up. 95% of the time, the questions or topics that are part of the challenge are something that I find a really useful prompt for writing, and that's why I decide to participate.
- I can't resist current events. This sometimes results in blog posts, other times you'll find my snips and quips in my Twitterfeed.
- Reading reviews of experiences that my family or I have at events and activities, during travel or in our community is interesting to you. I don't tend to do a lot of product reviews - mostly because I think there are lots of other great bloggers that are doing that - but I do really enjoy the opportunity to review an experience, event or opportunity. Being at a conference like BlogHer, trying out hotels on a family vacation, or attending a professional sporting event are good examples that I have written about so that I could share my thoughts. Occasionally, I am fortunate enough to receive a discount at these things and that is always something that I disclose. Again, content always represents my own thoughts.
- Your kids also bug you to know about the current kids meal toys. I am less regular in these posts, but will commit to doing at least one post a month about this, starting in March 2011 - the third anniversary of this blog!
Thanks for spending some time with me at the Kids Meal Crowd blog, and I hope you'll leave a comment to tell me why I should read yours!
You can always contact me directly at danielle (dot) b (dot) thompson (at) gmail (dot) com.
