Dear Mommy Blogger

I happened across a post today. As I read it, I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream at the author that she was wrong because she attacked my passion. I felt like she personally attacked me. Oh-em-gee. I was offended.

I was offended by something someone said on the Internet.

Holy cow, I finally understood that feeling behind the comment warriors' social media arguments and the millennials' cries for social justice. I had a fleeting fantasy about shoving this lady's hands into a garbage disposal just so she couldn't type anymore. 

And then I got it. 

She was right.

The more I read, the more what she said made sense. The post I'm referring to is Dear Mommy Blogger by Josi Denise. You know, with over 299k shares, the lady really knows how to spark emotion and start a conversation. 

The more I read, the more I wanted to give up on blogging. Not because the things she said were true, but because I realized that my passion - this writing - had somehow gotten lost. 

I am a Mommy Blogger.

That was never my intention, to be one of those sellout bloggers who write about their happy little lives and the products that make it all better. Honestly, Momma Without a Clue was supposed to be about parenting with panic disorder and fibromyalgia - how no matter how much you think you know, you'll always feel clueless about the parenting stuff. 

Then I got offered a product in exchange for an "honest review." At first, I was so excited to be getting "free" stuff that I did the glowing reviews about how awesome stuff was. Seriously, I probably sounded like the Lego dude. Go ahead, click through to some of my earlier posts, I'll wait.

See what I mean? I didn't have any idea what I was doing, or how I was helping to pave the way for other mommy bloggers to jump on the bandwagon. If you look at my last few posts, they're reviews. I like to think that my sponsored posts weave a story and highlight a product at the same time - but really, I'm advertising space.

The only thing that really keeps me going is the fact that I do not endorse products that I don't like. Just last week, I received a pretty cool item that when I tried putting it together it was broken. When I write the review, that will be mentioned, but so will the outstanding customer service when I informed them that there was a problem. I try to keep my product reviews and sponsored posts real, letting you guys know about any issues I have with a product that I'm writing about.

But, like Josi said - I wouldn't have bought most of these items that I write about. To tell the truth, a lot of the products I receive? I hadn't even heard of them until a PR rep shot me an email asking if I'd be interested.

I have days where I feel like a sellout. I've been blogging for five years now, but there's only a handful of posts that are actually me. Maybe there's a fear of rejection behind wanting to share personal stories and my life lessons, because I wonder constantly, "Will anyone really want to read this?"

Maybe not. But do you guys really want to read another sponsored post about how cool this thing that my kid loves is? Doubtful. Right now, the majority of my traffic (you guys) only visit when you're looking for something specific because you're planning on buying it. It's the keywords that you type into the search engines that bring you to my most popular posts - because I read all of the SEO guides and attended all of the "how to make your blog attractive to brands" webinars.

It isn't what I want, though. Don't get me wrong, I love working with brands and public relations companies. I follow you guys back on Twitter and Instagram, so I can make recommendations that I know you guys will love too. I've gotten comments on some of my sponsored posts from readers thanking me for introducing them to something they'd never heard of before. It's almost a high, being respected for things that you can teach someone.

I don't blog to make money or for the free stuff (I use the term free loosely because the amount of time I put into researching a product, taking pictures that hide my cluttered house while still making said product look good and thoroughly testing it before writing 500 words about how it could benefit you guys really is comparable to a full-time job.) 

I write because I need to feel like someone wants to read what I have to say. I am a housewife. A housewife with three little kids that don't listen to a word I say, a significant other who works constantly and probably doesn't want to listen to me rant after a hard day, and not many friends beyond the computer. I am pathetic in real life. I can admit that because I know it to be true.

But when I get behind the keyboard, when I write a blogging tutorial or when I share advice to other people battling depression - I'm not a voiceless mom, I am a Mommy Blogger.