In the first “Beyond the Blog” post, I told you about the 75+ infertility, childless, childfree, dog mom, & more… resources linked here at Not So Mommy… One of those resources is World Childless Week. Today is actually the start of the 4th annual World Childless Week, which was founded by Stephanie Joy Phillips in 2017 (the same year that I started Not So Mommy…). The first day of WCW is always “Our Stories” – a day dedicated to allowing we childless to raise our voices and share our unique journeys. In honor of this, I decided today is the perfect day to share the second “Beyond the Blog” post, giving details regarding the “About Not So Mommy . . .” pages…
About Not So Mommy . . .
The Person
When you click the “About” tab in the main menu, you are taken to a page which encourages you to explore Not So Mommy… After two short paragraphs, there’s a photo of me and Maddie. Clicking that photo takes you to the first “story” I ever wrote about my journey…
As I re-read my story, I smiled. That may sound strange… But this first attempt at sharing the details of my journey… Well, it talks a bit about the struggle; however, it focuses heavily on the now—the redefining, the joy despite…
Since that first “story,” I have continued to share various parts of my journey here at Not So Mommy… I’ve also shared my story within the wider infertility and childless communities over 15 different times—from World Childless Week to the Pregnantish Verified Network and more… (I link to all of these features on the “Our Journey” page, which you find by clicking the second photo on the “About Not So Mommy . . .” page.)
As I’ve said numerous times, however, Not So Mommy… is much more than just me. Yes, I am the person behind this site. (Someone asked me recently if I create everything here, keeping up with the blog, the site, the social media all on my own. The answer is, “Yup!”) But if I was the only person here… Well, Not So Mommy… wouldn’t make much of an impact would it?
The Site
Not So Mommy… makes an impact because its purpose is greater than me simply telling my story. And the third image on the “About Not So Mommy . . .” page is dedicated to just that—“Our Purpose.” When I really thought about the purpose behind Not So Mommy…, I realized that it is three-fold. Not only do I want to support the infertility and childless not by choice communities, but I want to educate and advocate for us, as well.
Part of advocating for, educating about, and supporting within the childless not by choice community has included my creation of the olive green Childless Not By Choice Awareness Ribbon. I cannot take all the credit, though. In reality, I created the CNBC ribbon because fabulous Not So Mommy… community members said we childless needed a ribbon of our own! And the fourth image on the “About Not So Mommy . . .” page is all about our Childless Not By Choice Awareness Ribbon. (I’m super excited to announce that you’ll be able to shop the ribbon very soon right here at Not So Mommy…!)
The fifth image takes you to a page with beautiful words of encouragement and praise shared by fabulous ones who made monetary donations to help keep Not So Mommy… up and running. As I stated previously, I maintain and run Not So Mommy… all on my own. Monetary donations are used to help maintain this site and fulfill the purpose of Not So Mommy… And I am so humbly honored that there are fabulous ones willing to give in order to help me be a voice for the infertility and childless not by choice communities…
The Social Media
If we are really going to go beyond the blog, then I need to tell you about the vibrant Not So Mommy… communities on social media. (Links to all of them are on the “Join the Community” page, linked to the sixth image on “About Not So Mommy . . .”) Whether you prefer Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter, Not So Mommy… is there. Daily, I post a link to a blog, an inspirational quote, or an interactive question to encourage discussion. Because Not So Mommy…’s purpose is to not only support, but also to educate and advocate, all Not So Mommy… social media is public. I greatly enjoy getting to know you better as we connect via social media. Truly, I am grateful that technology helps our global community feel a bit more connected…
The Community
Social media is just one way to connect with the Not So Mommy… community, however. Commenting on blogs is a wonderful way to share your perspective and get insight from others. (Though there is a space for your name, you can choose to simply put an initial to help maintain anonymity.) And you can always contact me if you need a listening ear. I never, ever want anyone to feel alone on this journey…
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to sign-up for the monthly newsletter. It is sent straight to your email the last Saturday of every month. The newsletter includes a note from me (at the beginning and end), links to blogs (current and from the archives), news, featured products, upcoming childless celebrations, plus inspirational/motivational quotes. Even if you follow Not So Mommy… on social media, the monthly newsletter is a great way to make sure you never miss a thing!
So, if you haven’t already, check out the About Not So Mommy… page! (We haven’t even talked about the Photo Gallery or Reasons Behind the Name, yet…) And make sure to join the community and share the olive green Childless Not By Choice Awareness Ribbon!
And don’t forget to check the site every Monday for a new blog post.
Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for being a beautiful, integral, fabulous part of Not So Mommy…!!! 😊
If anything I wrote resonates with you, fabulous one, please tell us about it in the comments.
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Featured Photo: Created by me, using Canva