Meet San Diego’s Multi-faceted Kludgy Mom

San Diego Bargain Mama | 09/27/2012 | 2 Comments

: Gigi, aka, Kludgy Mom!

Blogger Spotlight

Will you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Gigi and I blog at KludgyMom. I also do freelance editorial and social media work for a variety of businesses. I have two kids, a 9 year-old son and a 7 year-old daughter. We’ve lived in a bunch of different places, and have hopefully settled in San Diego for a long time to come!

How you first got involved in with blogging?

I started blogging when my husband lost his job in 2009 and I began cooking more at home. I used my first blog as a way to keep track of different recipes I was trying and to share them with my family members. I discovered the mom blogging community in 2010 and decided to write about more than just food.

What do you find most challenging about blogging and do you have any tips for others who might be interested in doing the same?

The biggest challenge I have with blogging is not comparing myself to all of the other fantastic bloggers out there! For women who haven’t started blogging yet, but want to, I recommend getting started with one of the fabulous women’s blogging networks out there. They provide a lot of great resources, information, opportunities for networking and ways to build your blog.

What contributions do want to be known for in the blogging community?

My blogging mantra is “pay it forward.” I definitely make myself available to other bloggers for advice – whether it’s questions about freelancing, or monetizing, or just trying to resolve bloggy drama that inevitably hits all of us at one time or another! I’ve gotten so much out of blogging, and it’s important to me to be able to give back and mentor newer bloggers.

Have you found anything interesting or unexpected about blogging?

I never expected to make so many close friends from blogging, but that’s what’s happened. It’s been a wonderful bonus to a hobby and craft that I already love.

What do you hope to achieve from blogging?

I hope to continue to connect with wonderful people and to have an ongoing successful freelance career that allows me to still spend lots of time with my kids.

What is your favorite location in San Diego that you consider a real bargain?

This will sound lame, but the beaches are a bargain. There’s no better way to spend a day with family for so little cost.

What is an interesting thing about you that people might not know?

I can’t swim.

What is your favorite time and/or money-saving tip?

Meal planning each week is the biggest money-saving and time-saving activity I do. I always know what I’m cooking for dinner, and I’ve eliminated last-minute trips to the store for one ingredient – which always ends up turning into 7 items I don’t really need due to impulse buys.

Everyone has a favorite favorite post. Name yours and why?

One of my favorite posts is called The Signal…and it tells about how we knew it was time to move back to California a year ago. I love it because we wanted to move back for a very long time, and the way we got the signal that it was time to go came about in a very special way.