I am thrilled to feature SA Mom blogger Shanêy Vijendranath from You, Baby and I. I’ve been an admirer for some time but the thing that really drew me to her was this post about breastfeeding a two year old. At last, someone who understands what I am going through! We met up for coffee without our kids (who are very similar in age) and I picked her brain.
1) What do you normally get up to on an average day? (Give us a brief description about yourself)
I’m a stay at home young mom, who works during nap time. My average day would be spending most of the day playing with Kitana and being a house wife. I normally work from around 2 till half 3, and then at night when she’s asleep. My husband and I own a company called Vimage Media, so I am lucky that I can work flexible hours.
2) How do you feel about motherhood – what are your struggles and joys?
Motherhood is a beautiful journey, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not every day is perfect; there’s days where I want to hide under my blanket but I pull myself together and wake up.
Motherhood is filled with challenges. I always thought ‘all children loved food’ until I met my daughter… I never realised how bad an allergy can be until Kitana had one. I never knew how difficult breastfeeding would be until I started. My biggest challenge right now is trying to wean her off the breast. Not many people understand how difficult it is.
I’m really enjoying the 2 year old ‘talking’ stage. She surprises me every day with new words. My heart melts when she says “Mummy”.
3) Tell us about your kid(s)
I have 1 daughter named Kitana. She is 2 years old. She is a little fashionista who loves makeup and clothing. She loves smiling (just like her mommy) and is very friendly.
4) How did you start blogging?
I just woke up one day and decided I need to do this. The reason behind it was to make new friends and find people who share the same challenges I face with motherhood. I have no degree in writing and I never realised that blogging is actually an industry. To me, it was an online journal where I could vent my frustrations and share my happy moments.
5) Share with us a valuable blogging tip you’ve learnt. (or more)
Not everyone is your ‘friend’ in the industry. People may try to bring you down but keep at it. Surround yourself with people who are going to motivate and help you succeed. I’m glad I finally found my ‘blogging’ family.
6) If you make money from your blog, give us a breakdown on how you do it. Give us some of your methods on how to get started on this, or any tips or advice.
Yes I do, but it isn’t exactly a big amount. Like many other South African bloggers, I use MyScoop. I am starting to earn from other avenues which is from networking with the right people.
My tip: First build your community of readers before you approach a brand for a sponsored post.
Some other tips I picked up from Shanêy: (pronouned Shanay, not Shanee by the way)
Facebook: I’ve always been impressed to see her page posts in my newsfeed and I did not even click on “get notifications”. Shanêy has over four thousand page likes. I asked her about this and she said she does use FB adverts and she also boosts her posts for some competitions. She also has a mom and brands chat on Thursdays. She asks questions and gets engagement going.
Networking: There is one she recommends and she says she always feels warm and positive afterwards, and that is Mommy Matters.
More about Shanêy:
Hi… I’m Shan, I’m 24 years with a 2-year-old baby girl from Johannesburg. I’m a South African mommy blogger who loves sharing my views and discussing my favorite brands. I got married when I was 21 to an awesome guy from Sri Lanka, who shares the same interests as me. We are best friends, business partners, parents, husband and wife. We were lucky enough to be blessed with a baby girl named Kitana on August 2nd 2012.
My blog is happy place where I share whatever is on my mind, it’s my journey as a young mom with a toddler.
Follow Shanêy:
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/youbabyandi
Facebook: www.facebook.com/youbabyandi
Twitter: www.twitter.com/youbabyandi
Thank you for the feature :)! I love that you mentioned the correct pronunciation of my name.