Saturday Shout Out: I'm staying home with my mom!

I wanted to use my Saturday posts to highlight some great bloggers out there. This week's feature blogger is wonderful and I hope you love her as much as I do. If you'd like me to highlight you, just send me an email:

Saturday Shout-Out

"I'm staying home with my mom!"

~Your name:  Nicole Searfoss


~Your blog's name w/ link:

"I'm staying home with my mom!"  (link is http://www.indulgentaromas.com)

~Type of blog it is

I'd say that I'm a mommy blogger.....sort of....lol

~Tell us a little something about yourself:  

I am a Christian, 'challenged' homemaker, wife, and mom to 4 beautiful girls. I am working on not being a 'challenged' homemaker....I have recently started menu planning, baking, etc....and actually sort of enjoy it. Sort of.... I enjoy spending time with family, reading, and hunting. I also own a business, which I run from the comforts of my home. I work around my family's schedule and am available to them when I need to be. I love to laugh, act silly, have fun, and enjoy the simple things in life! Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.....You can either 'Survive the storm or dance in the rain'. I hope you dance!!!

~If you had only 1 wish, what would it be and why?

  If I had one wish, I'm not sure what I'd wish for.  I'd love to say money, because money takes away so much stress and gives you so many opportunities.  On the other hand, I'd wish that all my family would be safe, happy, and healthy.  There are so many things that I could wish for that would make my life, or life in general, better....but none seem deserving of my one and only wish.  So, I guess I really don't have an answer for that.  

~What's your favorite thing about where you live and why?

I live in a fairly small town.  It has 3 stoplights (they just put the 3rd one in a few years ago).  I love that we can let our children play outside without fear of them being taken.  I love that we all pretty much know each other and can 'catch up' at the grocery store.  I love that we can sit and watch the sunset or watch the snow fall over a quiet field.  I love October 1st and November 15 are holidays here.  I love all the 'country' things that happen here.......mud trucks, hunting, bonfires, lifelong friends, family togetherness, etc.  Come to think of it, there's not much that I don't love about my town.  It's where I was born and raised and now it's where I am raising my children.  Alongside nature and far away from skyscrapers that rob our view of God's amazing creation!

~What's #1 on your 'Bucket List'?   

We have hound dogs and I would absolutely LOVE to hunt a mountain lion with them.  I'm not much of a thrill seeker, but that is a dream of mine.  

~3 words to describe yourself would be...?   

best friend, mommy, problem solver.....guess that's 5, huh?  How about 3 phrases?  LOL

~1 little known fact about you is...? 

I am very self conscious....I come across as a confident leader, but it's all show.  I am getting better at believing in myself, but people wouldn't believe how much I really would rather be a wallflower.

~1 vice of yours is...?  

diet pop, currently Diet Mt. Dew....terrible habit but not something I am wanting to give up yet.....

~Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging for my newly launched home business.  I was given advice that I should have a blog for people to get to know me.  My goal was to 'network' through my blog and mentor others into my business.  I am still in that business (which is awesome, by the way), but blogging has become more to me than a 'business network'.  I began to change and grow in God.  I began to realize that I was relating to other mommy bloggers and they were relating to me.  We were forming a bond.  I have started to write about things that are important to me or things that I feel may help someone else out.  Maybe they are in my situation and feel alone.  Maybe they are looking to make money from home and see that I am doing it with 4 kids and running a home, so they figure they can do it too.  Maybe I had an experience that they can relate to, or find humor in.  I am 'meeting' and connecting with like minded, amazing women.  I am helping them and they are helping me.  It's amazing that a blog can be that inspiring to me and to my readers.  I write when I have issues and it makes me be accountable to others.  I can't  write about something then slide into old habits.  It has become very soothing to me to know that there are others out there experiencing the same things in life I am and we can take encouragement from each other.

~What's your favorite thing about blogging?

I love hearing from readers.  I love knowing that I am helping in some way or that others agree with me, and we can support each other.  Being a Christian isn't always easy, being a wife isn't always easy, being a mommy isn't always easy.   It's nice to be able to offer advice when you have it and take it from others when you need it.

~What do you think makes for a successful blog?

I think readers need to relate to you.  You have to be real without being a 'downer'.  Turn the challenges in your life into teaching experiences or a learning experience.  Don't be negative.  If my readers can learn from me or encourage me or laugh with me as we travel this road of life, then it has been successful.

~3 words to describe your blog would be...?   

opinionated, motivating, real

~What's 1 blog (besides yours) that you think everyone should check out?  

Oh, there are sooooo many great blogs out there!  I LOVE womenlivingwell.org, but that is only one of many that I love.  You can see my other favorites on the sidebar of my blog.  They are all AWESOME!!!!