This week I am bringing you another great blogger – Leandrea from Coupons are Great. Every week I will be featuring a new blogger, make sure you take a moment to stop by Coupons are Great and let her know that I sent you.
How did you decide on what to name your blog? When I started using coupons I was so excited. I really liked the “I Heart” sites, but I knew that was someone else’s idea. Since my site was about saving with coupons and I thought coupons were great…the name was born. It seems like three word names are pretty popular. However, if I could redo my name I would. Because my site contains the word “Coupons” my emails get sent to spam on a regular basis. It is very frustrating!
Tell us a little bit about you: I am married to my high school sweetheart. My husband and I have known each other since the sixth grade. We have two little girls who are 15 months and 3 weeks apart in age. I am a former educator. My degree is in Special Education, but I taught a 1st/2nd combo at a charter school in Oregon. I now stay home with my daughters and attempt to have a clean house and prepare healthy meals. I love helping others – whether they are children or adults. I have a co-blogger on my site who I met on an online pregnancy forum. It was scary meeting in real life for the first time, but now we are the best of friends.
Tell us 5 of your favorite things, and 5 of your least favorite things.
Five Favorite Things: Tetris, Scrabble, Watermelon, Apple products, and running
Five Least Favorite Things: Bad grammar, drama, heat combined with humidity, soggy cereal, beef
When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging three years ago. I wanted to share my deals with my friends. I believe that everyone should be saving money. If there is a coupon for a product then it seems very silly to not use it! I hoped to motivate my friends when I started blogging.
What do you blog about? At Coupons Are Great you will find many ways to save money including coupons, mystery shopping, and online deals. We are a family friendly site and we share all sorts of family ideas. Each Tuesday we have a Crafty post. We try to incorporate a broad range of posts.
When do you find the time to blog? I find the time to blog at night when my girls are in bed or during the few hours that my youngest is in preschool.
What is your favorite blog post ever? This is a tough one! My favorite posts are generally the crafty posts. My favorite posts are tied: Crafty Tuesday: A Care Bear Party (http://couponsaregreat.net/2010/09/28/crafty-tuesday-a-care-bear-party/) and Crafty Tuesday: Sesame Street Birthday Party (http://couponsaregreat.net/2011/01/18/crafty-tuesday-sesame-street-birthday-party/).
What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? My favorite item that I have reviewed is the Blooming Babies Personalized Stamp (http://couponsaregreat.net/2011/06/14/blooming-babies-personalized-stamp-giveaway/). I love personalized things. My wish list includes a personalized necklace with my daughter’s initials. Being able to support small businesses makes me very happy!
What brand or product would you really like to work with/review? I would love to work with Garmin to review their running watches.
What has been your biggest blogging challenge, how did you overcome it? My biggest blogging challenge is finding the time to sit down and blog. I have too many tabs open on my computer and I am easily distracted. I am working on focusing more.
What advice would you give a new blogger? As hard as it may seem, try to make blogging friends! I am a very reserved person who has a hard time getting past the “Hello how are you’s” but the best thing you can do is introduce yourself and try to get in to some blogging social circles. I am not the most active person in my social circles and I tend to learn more from others, but it is totally worth it. Blogging is much more fun when you have friends. Plus, the friends you make are always a wealth of knowledge.
My next piece of advice is to stay true to yourself. When you blog about the things that make you happy you will be successful. As a frugal blogger I sometimes have to remind myself “Just because everyone else is posting about it….doesn’t mean I have to too.”
What widget or feature could you not live without? My favorite widgets are Askimet (spam control), and the winner is (for giveaways), and Mile 51 (list maker)
What are your favorite blogs to read? My favorite blogs include:
Run Faster Mommy – http://www.runfastermommy.com/
Skinny Runner – http://skinnyrunner.com/
Skinny Taste – http://www.skinnytaste.com/
Eighteen25 – http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/
Where can we find you?Facebook, Twitter, Email if you’d like to share it, etc.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CouponsAreGreat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CouponsAreGreat
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