Thursday
Aug132009
Typology of the Mommy Blogger
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What is a Mommy Blogger?
Am I one?
Do I want to be one?
These thoughts have been racing through my head as I have read various media reports and blog posts leading up to and following BlogHer 09. When a lot of bloggers I know see the mainstream media talking about mommy bloggers, they want to scream or do scream: "BUT THAT IS NOT US!". Some react by rejecting the term and saying that they are not a mommy blogger and others see a need to correct misinformation, to remove the negative connotations, and to reclaim the label.
The chatter, the media sensationalism, the battles, the hurt feelings, the soap boxes, they all reminded me so much of the whole bad mother thing that I decided it was time to write a Typology of the Mommy Blogger as a sequel to my Typology of the Bad Mother.
Here goes...
When you hear the term mommy blogger, what do you think of?
Here are the different types or interpretations I have discovered so far:
Now, before you get all up in arms and think I'm criticizing every type of Mommy Blogger out there, I am not. I probably fit into most of these categories some of the time.
My reasons for blogging are as diverse as I am. I have many identities. I am a person, a woman, a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a socialist, a concerned citizen, a feminist, a lactivist, an activist, an environmentalist, and much much more.This blog happens to be about parenting issues, but I do not call myself a mommy blogger, both because of the assumptions and negative connotations that come with the term, and because I don't want or need a label to define me or a box to put myself in.
Not everyone feels the same way. There are lots of people who own the mommy blogger label and do it with pride. I commend them.
Want to read more? Check out:
Thank you to everyone on twitter who answered my question: "What is a mommy blogger? Are you one? Why or why not?" All of your replies were critical to the development of this post, even though I couldn't work all of them into my narrative.
Am I one?
Do I want to be one?
These thoughts have been racing through my head as I have read various media reports and blog posts leading up to and following BlogHer 09. When a lot of bloggers I know see the mainstream media talking about mommy bloggers, they want to scream or do scream: "BUT THAT IS NOT US!". Some react by rejecting the term and saying that they are not a mommy blogger and others see a need to correct misinformation, to remove the negative connotations, and to reclaim the label.
The chatter, the media sensationalism, the battles, the hurt feelings, the soap boxes, they all reminded me so much of the whole bad mother thing that I decided it was time to write a Typology of the Mommy Blogger as a sequel to my Typology of the Bad Mother.
Here goes...
When you hear the term mommy blogger, what do you think of?
Here are the different types or interpretations I have discovered so far:
- Diary of a mom bloggers: According to The Mommy Blogger, mommy blogging is just a mom blogging about motherhood. There are certainly a large number of blogs out there that are mostly a diary of the life of a mom, talking about her daily adventures and misadventures raising her kids, sharing pictures of the kids, letting friends know what funny things they did recently or which milestones they met. A few blogs that I think fit this category well most of the time are Loulou's Views or Capital Mom.
- Therapy bloggers: I have heard moms say that they blog for their sanity. Going from being in a corporate environment and having an active social life to being at home all day with a baby can make you go a little bit loopy. Some people go to playgroups. Some people blog. Women use their blogs as a way to express what they are feeling, get things off their chest, and seek support from and give support to other moms in the same situation. Some blog generally about mothering and others have built communities of support on specific issues like raising a child with autism.
- Humour bloggers: Some mommy bloggers are funny. They are great writers and are able to take insights from their life as a mom, from their kids, from society, in order to write posts that will make you laugh and cry. For some maybe this is the same as therapy, but for others it may be an important creative outlet. Tanis from Attack of the Redneck Mommy says: "I call myself a humourist not a mommyblogger because I don't always focus on my kids. And mommyblogger sounds stupid."
- Infomercial or review bloggers: Some mommy bloggers write primarily about products and services that might be of interest to others like them. Most of them receive pitches from public relations people who are interested in getting the word out about their product and agree to blog about the products in exchange for a free sample. Some get paid too, but it seems like the vast majority are doing it just for free stuff. Some do this on the side while blogging about other things and for some it is the primary purpose of their blog. The people that are in blogging just for the stuff or just for the cash have been criticized and made to look bad lately in the media, as well as in great posts like I'm Calling out the Carpetbagging Mommybloggers (with more than 250 comments!) and SwagHer09. Some do Blog with Integrity, but those that don't...well, they seem to get all the attention (yes, the attention they were seeking).
- Social commentary inspired by mothering: Becoming a mother can give a woman a new perspective on life and on society. The Australian author of the feminist mothering blog Blue Milk says "I am happy to wear the label 'mommy blogger', motherhood is what motivated me to start writing a blog, it is owed its dues." Another of my favourites, Arwyn from Raising my Boychick, provides fascinating social commentary on the kyriarchy. She doesn't embrace the term mommy blogger because of the stereotype (rich white SAHM writing about adorable kids), her dislike of the word "mommy" and the fact that she is more than a mother. A Mother in Israel doesn't really consider herself a mommy blogger either. She says: "sometimes I write about motherhood, not my children specifically. I like to say my blog is social commentary."
- Social change bloggers: Some mommy bloggers are writing to advocate for social change. Some of them are focused on one key issue, such as birth, breastfeeding, feminism, or the environment. Some focus on all social issues that face moms and one community blog that has brought those voices together is Moms Rising.
- Research and tips bloggers: Some mommy bloggers want to share what they have learned along the way. That can mean sharing what they have read in books or magazines or just things that worked for them. The Rookie Moms blog focuses on tips for new moms, Rocks in My Dryer started a popular weekly Works-for-Me Wednesday blog carnival where people can contribute their tips, which has now moved over to We Are THAT Family, and the Curious Parent seeks out answers to questions he has about parenting issues and shares them with his readers (oops...guess I've thrown a daddy blogger in my with my mommy bloggers). Some blog on a more specific topic, like 5 Dollar Dinners, who shares her frugal dinner recipes daily, or a specific geographic area, like Andrea from a peek inside the fishbowl, who blogs about the best of Ottawa for parents and kids.
- News and sensationalism bloggers: Some mommy bloggers like attention and love being in the middle of a juicy news story or scandal. They scour the Internet and the blogosphere for the stories most likely to cause an uproar and quickly throw up their opinion for the world to comment on. They enjoy a good back and forth with a troll or two now and again.
- A mom, who blogs: For a lot of people a mommy blogger is a mom, who blogs. Even if she happens to blog about technology, politics, food, travel or another topic altogether. There are many women who are mothers, but do not usually write about mothering. They write about other aspects of their lives. There seems to be an assumption that if you are a mom and especially if you use the word "mom" or "mommy" in your blog name or twitter name that you are writing about being a mom. To be honest, if you use the word "mommy" in your online brand, I don't blame people who make that assumption. I wouldn't put the word "mom" or "mommy" in my blog name or twitter name if I wasn't writing about being a mom. Just like I wouldn't call my store a bakery if I didn't sell baked goods.
- Hot chicks: It appears that for some, mommy blogging is the equivalent to being the cover model in the latest issue of Glamour or being selected as America's Next Top Model. In fact, there are awards for the Hottest mommy blogger. Is this helpful? Really? Not the best way to be taken seriously for your writing, IMO.
- Bit of this, bit of that bloggers: Some women blog about a lot of different things. One day, they may blog about a parenting issue. The next day they may blog about a recipe. The day after that, they may blog about birth issues, then about protecting the environment, and then about their own personal health. One of my favourite bloggers in this category is Amy from the Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Her personal brand, her personal self includes all of those things. She is not just a mommy. She is a mommy and much much more. The author of Womanst Musings describes herself that way too. She says: "I am mommy blogger because I have children however I refuse to allow that to be my whole identity."
- Keeping mommies in their place: "Oh, you're not a real blogger. You're just a mommy blogger." Yeah. That's how some people think it seems. Just like, you don't have a real job, you're just a stay at home mom. Or you're not a real person, you're just a woman. A lot of women reject the term mommy blogger because, as Bri from Unwellness says, "it feels so reductive and condescending" or as Tara from Feels Like Home says "it connotes insignificance and unintelligence, as if all moms who blog are flippant and write (poorly) about trivilaity." Amber from Strocel says that she is a mommy blogger, but says "I think the mommyblogger label can be deliberately diminutive & is often used to remove credibility."
- Women: It seems some people think that if you are a woman and you blog, you must be a mommy blogger. At least this is what some of my childless blog and twitter friends tell me. Sassymonkey, a book blogger who has no kids, has had enough of the "Dear Mommy Blogger" pitches asking her to weigh in on issues related to midwives or babies. Is there really still a societal assumption that all women are mothers? That all female bloggers must be mommy bloggers?
Now, before you get all up in arms and think I'm criticizing every type of Mommy Blogger out there, I am not. I probably fit into most of these categories some of the time.
My reasons for blogging are as diverse as I am. I have many identities. I am a person, a woman, a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a socialist, a concerned citizen, a feminist, a lactivist, an activist, an environmentalist, and much much more.This blog happens to be about parenting issues, but I do not call myself a mommy blogger, both because of the assumptions and negative connotations that come with the term, and because I don't want or need a label to define me or a box to put myself in.
Not everyone feels the same way. There are lots of people who own the mommy blogger label and do it with pride. I commend them.
Want to read more? Check out:
- Top 10 misconceptions about mommy bloggers
- Mommybloggers: Integrity, Community and Taking Back the Respect We Earned
- Not all bloggers are like that
- Don't call me a mommy blogger
- Mommy Blogging: Its not just unicorns and roses
Thank you to everyone on twitter who answered my question: "What is a mommy blogger? Are you one? Why or why not?" All of your replies were critical to the development of this post, even though I couldn't work all of them into my narrative.
Reader Comments (75)
Well, I'm definitely more of a product review blogger, that is the primary reason for my blog. However I don't get into the drama and I mostly concentrate on my writing. I would like to hope that people see me in a positive light and don't hold anything against me just because of what I do.
Lee :)
www.mysentimentexactlee.com
Great Post !
I think we all probably fit into each of the areas at one time or another, to varying degrees. I know I've blogged about everything from how to make crafts to breastfeeding to politics. And everything in between. Mommy blogger is one of those self-identifying labels. Some people hate the term and don't want to be called that, some embrace the term. We should ask "what would you like to be called?" because just putting someone in the mommy blogger box.
Very interesting! I am definitely a therapy blogger; I only wish I'd had a blog when my little boy was born, when I really needed the support. Max had a stroke at birth (yes, babies can have strokes) and was at risk for all sorts of scary things. He's got his challenges now, but he's doing pretty well, and it's been wonderful connecting with other moms on the blog and trading experiences, advice and laughs.
I am also a Midnight Blogger, the only time of day when I can get it done. And a Full Exposure blogger—as in, I choose to use my family's real names in the blog (although not location). And a Hope-My-Mother- In-Law-Doesn't-Read-This Blogger, because the blog is where I sometimes poke, shall we say, gentle fun at her.
That is all.
Thank you for this excellent post, pointing to many interesting blogs.
The "mommy blogger" syndrome is similar to what is experienced by women novelists who happen to be mothers, particularly if there is a child or a mother even tangentially in the novel. They are labeled as "mommy writers," with their own genre of "mommy writing." In contrast, we don't often hear about "business fiction" as a genre limit, if an author happens to invoke the workplace. It's an unfortunate way to marginalize the experiences of motherhood as somehow less real (less important) than other experiences. But I agree with those who think the term should be taken back, to indicate the many provocative, interesting, and heartfelt writings that come from mothers. And for those who happen to be mothers who blog about other topics, they should be equally free to be characterized by whichever genre best suits their writing. Thank you for writing on such an interesting topic!
-Austen
That is a list of incredible women and I hope with every fiber of my being that they will call themselves Mommy Bloggers. It's a good thing to be, when you're in good company.
Brilliant post.
@Ellen: Thank you for your comment. I was actually looking at your blog while writing this and thought about putting you in the therapy category, but wasn't sure. I didn't want to drop labels on people that they wouldn't appreciate, so I hesitated. But thanks for letting me know where you think you fit in! Loved meeting you at BlogHer BTW.
@Summer: I agree that we should ask people what they want to be called. I hope that I didn't mislabel anyone unfairly when writing this and I hope they will call me out if I did!
Here I was thinking when you asked on Twitter are you a Mommy Blogger that it was some special high status and if you weren't a Mommy Blogger you were looked down upon as something less.
I'm a Mom and I blog, but I'm not a Mommy Blogger and I rather not attach a label to myself. I'm simply a blogger.
Thank you for sharing with me your awesome post!
I'm a 'bit of this, bit of that' blogger but definitely wish I was more of a storyteller. My blog is intended as a love letter to my daughter and subsequent children.
[...] this link: Typology of the Mommy Blogger Share and [...]
An interesting post.
I do not like the label and see no reason for it. Most of the blogs I read that are written by mothers cover a diverse range of topics on any given day. Why do we need a category anyway?
I am a mother and I blog, sometimes I blog about being a mother but I also blog about my experiences as a teacher, as a woman, as a member of society, as a consumer, I could go on.
I no longer use the term 'mommy blogger' in any capacity as I think it is completely unnecessary.
Christie
http://childhood101.blogspot.com/
In the discussions on Twitter your question inspired (thank you, by the way), several of us tried to work out what we might prefer to be called. My favorite was "parenting blogger" -- as which, because I do, at least sometimes, blog about parenting, I might actually identify. But, even more (and as usual) I prefer descriptions to labels: I am a parent who blogs. I am even a social commentator who blogs about mothering/parenting issues (thank you!).
"Mommy blogger" just doesn't speak to me, although I freely admit that might have to do with internalized misogyny on my part. I am torn between wanting to reclaim a label the http://www.raisingmyboychick.com/2009/08/kyriarchy/" rel="nofollow">kyriarchy has deemed unworthy by account of it being "women's work" (and mothering, at that! nothing smart or important or worthy can come out of writing about mothering! <--sarcasm), and wanting to distance myself from the frippery and fatuousness associated with the term. But is that latter only because I've accepted the stereotypes about it? Or because I'm rejecting a derogatory term used to diminish and punish us, as Amber so brilliantly pointed out?
I don't know. But I do know I'm proud to be included in such a (mostly) esteemed list of women-with-child(ren)-who-blog.
I'm simply a mother who blogs about her passions, be it gardening, technology, writing.
Good one.
There are mothers who blog to release their anxiety and to commiserate or celebrate with others. And then there are mothers who only sell product or giveaways.
I am a new and aspiring writer trying to make a living as I raise my three boys. I am looking to build a platform and to connect with book and magazine publishers and agents. Perhaps, as mommy bloggers we should start a system that categorizes our intentions thus helping us to reach our goals faster.
[...] answer is to “BRAND YOURSELF.” What this means is you have to discover WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE. Typology of the Mommy Blogger - phdinparenting.com 08/14/2009 What is a Mommy Blogger? Am I one? Do I want to be one? These [...]
Great read - thanks, Lisa.
"It’s an unfortunate way to marginalize the experiences of motherhood as somehow less real (less important) than other experiences."
YES!
Er...except me right? ;-)
Interesting article. I had never really given any though to the kind of blogger I am. (Is there a "hit and miss" blogger? I don't seem to post consistently.)
I guess I am "a mom who blogs" since most of what I write about is based upon professional versus personal current life experiences. It is just a coincidence that I happen to blog about parenting or preparing for parenting.
Thank you for opening my eyes to a conversation that I didn't even know existed.
I'm an "all of our family lives more than 5 hours away from us" blogger. Every now and then I put something informative or political on it but our families are very diverse in many opinions so I try to just keep to pictures and our daily life type things so our families feel involved. I kind of resent that idea of stay at home moms just bragging about their kids because many of the moms I know that would fall into that perceived category are like me - their blogs are intended primarily for their family and friends who want to know all those mundane daily childhood accomplishments.
I've been blogging/maintaining a website since 1999, so I've been writing online about my life and issues that are important to me for many years before my daughter was born. I have always been a "hit-or-miss" blogger with sporadic posts of varying quality. While a lot of my content is very kid/family/parenting-centric right now (what else was I supposed to write about when I was on mat leave?), I hope to start branching out into some other types of content again. That said, my daughter and my new life as matriarch of my own little family (!!!) are huge parts of my life, and to not write about them at all so I won't be perceived as a less-worthy writer in some people's eyes is ridiculous to me. My tagline is "it's my life. you just read it." - if I didn't write about my daughter or my experiences as a parent, I wouldn't be true to what my site's purpose is, which is writing about my life. That includes my experiences as a mother.
I hope so!
I liked this. I look forward to checking out all the sites you linked to.
I don't have a problem with being called a mommy blogger. I am a mom, I blog and I blog about my kids/ being a mom. Part of that is because my family lives in a different province and my blog is a way of sharing those kid moments that they miss not being here daily. Part of that is because I am at home with a baby and a toddler and I have spent most of the past year submerged in the kids. Writing about my life with them helps me work out some of the challenges I face, struggles I feel and encourages me to see some humour in it all.
Now that the baby is almost one I can feel myself coming out of the "baby cocoon". I am curious to see what impact that and my return to work next year will have on my blog. I will always be a mom but I wonder if I will begin to blog more about other things and less about my kids. I am many things, not just a mom, but that is the part of me that I have so far chosen to share on my blog.
Can you please fit me into the category..."Wears my mommy blogger badge with pride?"
Why?
Because first and foremost, I AM MOMMY. Then way down there on the list of things that are truly important in my life, there is blogging. Does that I put forth any less effort into my blogging? Or keep trying to get new readers and expand blogging relationships? No. I really enjoy blogging and the all the rewards it entails. I try to update my blog daily. I try to make it interesting. I try lots of things. AFTER bed time or during nap time or when the kids ae playing with Daddy.
Your article is interesting... and you have managed to fit lots of women who would rather not be categorized into nice little categories.
~shrug~
At the end of the day we are all who we are.
Blessings~
Amanda
Thank you for the link!
I liked Ellen's "Midnight Blogger" category. :)
@Jill: I liked it too! I am one of those for sure...
Great post!
It is interesting to see everyone's view on this. I personally don't mind being called a mommyblogger even with its good and bad connotations. I am a mom who blogs so it's fitting even though I blog about everything. Though I did cringe at the Dorothy Tucker article because she made us who write reviews sound like we were unethical.
I have no issues with the mommy blogger title. That's what I am I think and I think this whole uproar is frustrating. I probably fit best into the diary of a mommy category since that's why I started my blog, but I certainly would blog about anything that came to mind and still think being a mommy blogger is fine.
And if I were offered something free to do a review, I'd probably do it. I wouldn't want that to be my whole blog and I don't read blogs of moms who only do reviews (borrring). Maybe I just don't have an issue with feeling like being called a mommy undermines the rest of who I am that isn't a mommy.
Good breakdown though - I look forward to checking a bunch of them out.
I enjoyed your post!
Thanks for including me here. You pretty much nailed it on the head as far as my blog goes, although I do want to branch out a little like Crunchy Goddess. However, the problem lies in not wanting to lose the integrity of the blog I started for the reasons I started it.
I like Amber's take on the term MommyBlogger - “I think the mommyblogger label can be deliberately diminutive & is often used to remove credibility.“ I like to think of myself as a "cause blogger" more than a mommy blogger, but I get the fact that I am a mommy who blogs kind of makes me a mommy blogger. I just don't like the sound of it. I feel like it diminishes what I am trying to do - not to knock those women who embrace it.
Anyway, this is a great post. I never thought much about the term encompassing so many different genres before. It gave me a new respect for the term.
I love the way you analyze these terms. You always give me something extra to think about, or bring up another viewpoint I hadn't considered.
Oh, and sometimes you include me. That's cool, too. ;)
@Amber: When you answer my questions and provide such wonderful insight, how could I not include you? :)
Great post! Today I was decorating a collection box with other Moms at my office. We are in our company's "Moms" group and we're hosting a school supply drive next week. We were using scrapbook stickers to decorate the box. One of the Moms asked "Do you scrapbook?" and I said "No... but I have a blog". And she said "Really? What kind of blog?" and I immediately responded "I'm not a Mommy Blogger... I'm a Family Blogger". I went on to say my blog posts contain pictures of the kids, pictures of all of us together... plus notes or descriptions on what we've been doing lately. We write our posts in 3rd person and view it as a journal of our family adventures! The closest category on your list would be "Diary of Mom Bloggers" but diary implies first person and feelings and opinions and thoughts. I actually make a conscious effort not to put my feelings and opions on the blog because I know it's being read by friends and family and coworkers. Isn't that funny?
Anyway I was expecting my coworkers who were helping me to decorate the boxes to ask "What's a Mommy Blogger?" But they didn't. The term has been used a lot in Marketing and PR worlds recently as in "We need to target the Mommy Bloggers".... this post makes me wonder what category my coworkers were thinking when they heard the term "Mommy Blogger"!!!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and including us among such juicy links. This perfectly answers the question of why we don't all like to be treated the same way. Because, ummmm, we're all pretty different!
Before babies, we were different kinds of women with interests.
Now, with kids, we're still different kinds of women with interests.
Common factors: children, blogs.
Uncommon factors: too many to list
So true, Heather. Very well said!
Nicely done.
I have said for ages now that there's a problem with this term "mommy blogger" because it describes the writer and not the content. Or as Backpacking Dad noted, it describes the audience.
I don't mind being called a parenting blogger because that's a lot of what I write about. But Mommy feels like a diminutive and for those of us who work hard at our writing, I'd hate people to dismiss it simply because of some dumb label ending in -y.
Well done. Love it. I think perhaps my dislike of the term mommyblogger stems from not wanting to be marginalized or defined by another; stuffed into a mold that doesn't fit me.
I don't need others to do that, I do it often enough myself.
And I still think the term mommyblogger sounds stupid. Not that I have a better alternative. Because that would be helpful. Which I try very hard not to be.
Wink.
Great post!
I loathe the term "mommy" and "mommyblogger". Those labels have been forever ruined for me as they are all too often used in a sneering or condescending tone with a "just" usually placed right before them. I prefer to be called "mama" by my children and in relation to blogging, I prefer to be called "just a blogger" :-) If I do need to narrow down the label, I refer to myself as an identity blogger. Some of which includes parenting - the quantity of that content depends on the day and even the year (when my children were babies, yes - definitely MORE.)
Oh, I am so flattered that you thought of mentioning me. Thank you, and thank you for this great post. I also so enjoyed chatting with you for a bit at BlogHer, whirlwind that it was.
Clearly you hit a nerve with this Mommy Blogging euphemism.
I am going to be so bold as to say that I would like to be called a "Life Blogger". Who would like to join me on this path?
@Jillian: As long as there is the option to check off multiple boxes on that list of intentions!
I guess I fall into the mommyblogger category, although both my kids call me Mom. LOL
I was just on the radio this week, my local NPR, discussing mom/dad blogs. And every time the host said "mommyblog" I cringed inwardly just a little, and I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe because it's like Tanis said and it sounds sort of stupid. I dunno, though, because I AM a mom and I DO write about my kids and motherhood and our family and all that comes with it. But I'm also a "little bit of everything" blogger, because I do ocassional giveaways (because they are fun and not because I'll ever get rich off them), and I talk about politics or breastfeeding or even the strange and weird penis-shaped fungus that grew in my yard overnight. (Seriously. Pics coming next week. I am highly amused.)
Great post, Annie! Lots to think about here!
I blog because I love food. I blog because I love making my little guy fresh home made baby food. I blog because I want other mothers to know how easy it is too. I blog because I have information and knowledge to share with others. I blog because I want others to share their information and knowledge with me. I blog because I like writing. I blog because I enjoy blogging.
Very thought-provoking.. and thanks for the mention.
Funny, I don't really worry about labels, and yet, I do, because everyone I met at BlogHer wanted to know which category I fit into. And really, kind of none of them and kind of all of them! Anyway, good post.
@Aurelia: I would never try to put a label on you. You are way too cool and unique for a label.
Am I a mommy blogger? I don't know. I like to say I'm a doctor who blogs but I have delusions that I'm a blogger who doctors. Great post!
Nice typology.
I edit the Mom Blog section of a directory and I recently made an attempt to divide it up into subcategories because it had become large and unwieldy. I came up with much the same categorization as you did but of course ran into problems as in your typology a blog can be in more than one spot whereas in the directory it must be placed in one.
I also grouped all "journal" blogs together--whether they are more consciously essayists (including the humorists) or just private journals made public. These are the ones I think of primarily when I think of "Mom Blogs".
Some things I would change (and I hope I don't sound defensive). Infomercials and advertorials are different from reviews. And there is another possible motivation for reviews: running a business (revenue from ads and/or affiliates, not posts) that involves a passion of yours. Zrecs, Cool Mom Picks, and my review blog (Mamanista) all focus on different types of products that the editors care about. And Zrecs is even adopting a "keep no stuff" policy and we and others donate or give away much of the stuff. Just a thought I wanted to add.
@Candace: I agree that there are different types of review blogs. I could probably do a whole separate typology just of different types of review blogs! I do some reviews on this blog and the products and books I do review are either ones I purchased myself or ones that I agree to review because I think it would be a service to my readers. When I say that it would be a service to my readers, I mean it would be a service to inform them of both the positive and negative aspects of the product.