With our daughters growing up fast, I found myself trying to keep up with their growth. Otherwise, it does seem like they become teens in a blink of an eye so my work as a lifestyle and mommy blogger has changed drastically. Since last year, while I still do food blogging, I have shared more homecooking recipes than restaurant features. Moreover, my lifestyle posts are about being a mommy blogger are about keeping the home and the family together during the pandemic. It has been hard but things have definitely changed in the new normal.

• Related: Stages of Dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic

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Rising Influence as a Lifestyle and Mommy Blogger

When I first started blogging in 1999, it was just for personal reasons. It was only I became a mom in 2009 that I ventured into paid blogging. Yes, I became a lifestyle and mommy blogger for hire.

Honestly, I didn’t really earn much. Most of what I wrote are things that I like to write about or our family. I didn’t really intend for my content to be for business.

And most importantly, I never considered myself as an influencer. That is because, I cannot quantify influence, as compared to my output as a writer.

While taking care of our eldest back then, it was my outlet–my way to speak my mind. Also, that was my own little corner of the world wide web. Whatever little I earned, it was added to the family budget, like to buy milk and diapers for our only daughter back then.

• Related: Spending More Time with Our Firstborn Before Puberty

Dealing with Haters

One of the challenges that I consider the noisiest is the haters. Since my work and online presence started rising, so did the haters.

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I have never really engaged haters because I never claimed influence. For me, I just shared my experiences. While there are people who kept sending me screenshots of hate posts, I have decided to just shrug them off. For me, attacking them head-on just dignified them and would sap me of energy. So I just kept on with what I do.

Eventually, I blocked those haters on social media so that I don’t get to see their hateful posts. That is because I realized that there is no place for their negativity in my life.

Instead, I wanted to focus on what’s real, what’s positive, and the kind of content that is helpful to humanity. One of my advocacies is women’s empowerment. Hence, the blog series Resilient Pinay Moms became the product of the pandemic.

Resilient Pinay Moms: The Modern Filipina

Moreover, I felt that avoiding and preventing arguments or fights is already a victory in itself.

It was awesome that even in the midst of the pandemic, I still reaped three awards in 2020. These are, namely:

• Write to Ignite 4th Place – Stages of Dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic
• GMEA 2020 Blogger of the Year
• VP Choice Awards Mommy Blogger of the Year

Aside from the positive messages I get, these awards are affirmations that I am on the right track. The path to peace and happiness is always the right way.

Evolving Into Vlogging

Since last year, I have dabbled in vlogging. It’s not really my style because I feel that I am more a writer than a talker, there are people who would like to see me online.

Now, I am becoming better at it and just might pursue this.

But I don’t think I can get into livestreaming. haha Too tedious for me.

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Being a lifestyle and mommy blogger is something that I like doing because I get to stay at home. As an introvert, this is my safe spot. And with the pandemic, this is the perfect combination for me.