Marketmommies:  Tell us about yourself...
Cheryl:  I’ve been writing for women’s magazines and ad agencies for over 15 years. My love and knowledge of beauty, fashion and fitness has fueled my freelance career, with my bylines appearing in magazines including Glamour, InStyle, Cooking Light, and Women’s Health & Fitness. I delved into book publishing for while as well, co-authoring titles with Buns of Steel icon Tamilee Webb, celebrity makeup artist Shalini Vadhera, and relationship coach Andrea Candell. I’ve also been a marketing voice for Pur~lisse skin care, Global Goddess Beauty, Stride Rite and New Balance. In 2007, I added mommyhood to my list of experiences. Now I’m combining Cheryl the Writer with Cheryl the Mom, so I’m thankful for my laptop and nap times.

Marketmommies:  How did you become a Mommy Blogger?
Cheryl:  I went to a playgroup when my daughter was a baby. The group leader asked the women to tell one thing about their family and one about just themselves as women. Most of the women had nothing to say. I spoke to a few of them afterwards, and they all said the same thing: they didn’t have time to do anything for themselves anymore. One woman joked, “All my beauty is used up on making [my child] beautiful.” That didn’t sit well with me, since I believe that taking care of yourself and feeling beautiful is part of being a great mom. After all, we were women before we became moms! I wanted to put my professional writing for the beauty and fashion industries into action and help women discover they can still be beautiful and fashionable…even while potty training, going to the park and packing lunchboxes.

Marketmommies:  What is your blog about?
Cheryl:  Easy Peasy Blog celebrates the fact that you can be a beautiful woman and a great mom at the same time. The two can go hand-in-hand. So many moms seem to give up themselves when they have children. I try to help them navigate their busy schedules with quick tips and easy suggestions that allow them to focus a bit on themselves. That’s why the motto at Easy Peasy is “beauty, fashion, life & style – all in record time.”

Marketmommies:  Hindsight being 20/20 is there anything you would have done differently in starting your blog?
Cheryl:  I would have chosen a blogging template that was more optimized for ads. I don’t think I thought of this as something that might make money someday. I should have thought of this as a potential extension of my career. I’m happy that it’s headed in that direction.

Marketmommies:  Any advice for moms trying to get a blog up and running?
Cheryl:  Be patient. This was my biggest struggle. I thought since I was already a writer and had worked with national women’s magazines, I could have a successful blog from the get-go. But building an audience yourself is completely different than writing for a magazine that already has one in place. This takes time. Just keep writing, marketing your blog and enjoying it. Also be careful of blog burnout. When it comes to doing something you love, you throw yourself into it 100%. I was so excited about this project that I blogged every day at first. A few weeks later, I didn’t want to even look at Easy Peasy. I was so tired of it. Now I have a good four posts per week schedule. Pace yourself. 

Marketmommies: Tell us about your family:
Cheryl:  My husband and I live in Boston with our an amazing three-year-old daughter, Cadence. What I love about my career as a freelance writer is my ability to stay home with her on the days she isn’t in preschool. Nap schedules are a stay-at-home working mom’s best friend. We also just got a new puppy after our beloved dog passed away, so she is keeping us very busy. We love to hike, go to the beach, and spend time in Boston’s gorgeous parks and museums. And I never say “no” to a trip to the spa or shopping on Newbury Street.

Marketmommies:  What did you do before you were a mommy blogger? 
Cheryl:  I graduated from Syracuse University with a magazine degree, and have been writing for both local and national magazines, ad agencies and PR firms ever since. 

Marketmommies:  Where do you see your blog in a year from now...
Cheryl:  I hope that in a year I’ll have a great audience of women who are enjoying Easy Peasy and all of my tips, tricks and stories. I also just started a Facebook fan page for Easy Peasy Blog. It seems to be taking on a life of its own and I think that’s great!

Visit Cheryl and Easy Peasy Blog Here!