Blogger Behind the Blog {Toby Goes Bananas)

Here’s this week’s instalment of Blogger Behind the Blog where I interview a blogger all about their reasons for blogging and what it means to them. This week I’m joined by Sarah from Toby Goes Bananas.

Here’s Sarah with more about her blogging life:

Where did your blog name come from?

I started my blog when my eldest son Toby was about 3 months old, I was trying to think of a name that didn’t have mummy in the title because there seemed to be a lot of those about and Toby Goes Bananas just popped into my head in the car one day. Although Toby is my son’s name I like that it doesn’t really mean anything so I can write about whatever I want.

When did you start your blog and why?

I started Toby Goes Bananas not long after Toby was born. I already had a blog from before he was born but I knew the people who read that wouldn’t really be interested in my baby related posts. I’d been reading a lot of parenting blogs during the many hours of night feeds so I decided to start my own.

What did you do before you blogged?

Before I blogged at Toby Goes Bananas was before I had kids so mostly I slept!

What was your first post?

This one: An Introduction

What inspires you to blog?

My kids mostly – my blog is an online diary of our lives. I know I wouldn’t take as many pictures of them if I didn’t blog, and I know I wouldn’t do anything with the pictures I did take. I love that my blog is a record of their early years and hopefully something they’ll enjoy looking back on when they’re older.

What post has had the best response, which post are you most proud of?

The best response was definitely for the post I wrote ‘To the man who told me I should be enjoying my baby‘ and that’s probably the post I’m proudest of too.

Have any of your posts not had the response that you expected?

My post about our holiday to Butlins seems to get a lot of comments from people who are very defensive about their love of the place! They mostly just make me giggle.

Where do you see your blog in a year’s time?

Hopefully still going! I don’t have a lot of time for blogging at the moment with a pre-schooler and baby who doesn’t really sleep so I’m hoping to just keep hanging in until I can find the time to get back to writing more regularly. Toby starts school next year so I reckon if I can make it that far I’ll be OK.

What is your favourite thing about blogging?

The response from other people – it still amazes me that anyone is interested in our lives to be honest. I’ve made some brilliant friends through blogging and in the last six months or so I’ve become much more involved in the blogging community, mostly through some fab Facebook groups, and I love it.

…and your least favourite?

When I’ve agreed to do too many reviews at the same time and I can’t find the enthusiasm to write them.

What’s the best blog post you have ever read?

I absolutely love this poem – this wasn’t on a blog I knew or had ever read before but it popped up on my Facebook and I’ve gone back and read it time and time again.

What blog do you love to read and why?

I love Make Do & Push – Hannah’s kids are similar ages to mine and we’ve gone through a lot of the same things with our babies who don’t sleep. And she takes fabulous photos! The other one (am I allowed two?) has got to be What the Redhead Said 🙂 Donna’s was one of the very first parenting blogs I read and that I still read today.

Do you do anything differently now to when you started blogging?

Well, looking back at my first few posts I take much better pictures now!

Is blogging what you expected it to be?

Pretty much, yes.

What’s been your favourite blog collaboration to date?

Probably being an ambassador for Munchkin. I got to go to London for the launch, got absolutely tons of products and the PR company were really lovely to work with.

Are there any brands you would love to work with, why?

Ooh, I would love to work with Mark Warner – their holidays look amazing!

Have you had any blogging fails so far?

Not really, just a few periods where I’ve struggled to find motivation to keep it up.

What is your biggest blogging hope, dream or ambition?

Just to keep writing, and maybe build my audience a bit more.

What do you do when you’re not blogging?

I spend most of my time running around after the two littles, and we’ve recently moved house so I’m planning all our renovations.

and lastly, tell us all a random fact about yourself.

I spent a night at the top of Blackpool Tower when I was about 15. (It was a Scout thing!)

Now that you know all about Sarah from Toby Goes Bananas, make sure you go and read her blog. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – thanks so much Sarah for being involved!