Why we blog: Lara Wellman & Karen Wilson
Hi. We’re Karen and Lara, a couple of Ottawa moms who want to help create a resource for Ottawa parents to find things to do in and around the Ottawa area.
Lara is mom to three monkeys: a six-year-old boy, Kiernan, and four-year-old twins, Quinn and Juliette.
Karen is the proud mama of five-year-old Brandon.
Being moms of young kids, we recognized how isolating it can be. Some days, it feels like the only people you get to interact with are knee-high.
We also know that despite having amazing resources in the National Capital Region, some days you just can’t think of a single thing to do! So we turned to social media.
Both of us have been online and blogging for a long time, Lara over at Gliding Through Motherhood and Karen at Karen’s Chronicles.
Both blogs focus on the adventures of motherhood, our passion for social media and pretty much anything else that kicks around in our heads.
We knew that collectively, the Ottawa parenting community has such an incredible wealth of knowledge – advice, tips, craft and cooking ideas and experiences with activities and attractions – so we had the idea of setting up a one-stop place for this kind of information that could become an incredible resource for parents. And Kids in the Capital was born.
Over the last three years, the community has grown to everything we hoped it would be. The vast amount of content on the blog covers so many areas of parenthood, from dealing with newborns that never sleep, to sending kids to school for the first time, to what to do on a rainy day.
From our blog, we morphed to Facebook and Twitter, where we are lucky enough to have a vibrant and interactive group of parents who act as a digital resource for all families in the National Capital area.
So if you’re looking for something fun
and interesting to do your with kids in Ottawa or just looking for something, anything to do to kill time between lunch and dinner, please visit us at Kids in the Capital. We are here to help.
Karen Wilson is wife to Matt and mom to five-year-old Brandon and blogs about her life at Karen’s Chronicles. Lara Wellman is wife to Eric and mom to six-year-old Kiernan and fouryear- old twins, Quinn and Juliette. They can both be found at Wellman Wilson Consulting, helping small businesses learn to use social media to promote their businesses.
www.kidsinthecapital.ca
www.facebook.com/kidsinthecapital
www.twitter.com/kidsincapital
Why I blog: Sara-Lynne Levine
After more than a decade of living in the United States, my family and I moved back to Canada in the summer of 2010. Knowing I would be exploring and discovering our new city with my two boys, I looked for ways to share what I was doing.
My background includes journalism and public relations, and I was looking for a creative way to spend time with the kids and find quality things for our family to do.
My friend in the U.S. told me about Macaroni Kid – local websites and newsletters that help families discover kidfriendly things to do in their communities. Popular in the U.S., Macaroni Kid wasn’t yet in Canada, so I approached them and became the first Canadian publisher mom.
Ottawa Capital Region Macaroni Kid has been a part of my life over three years and I love it. Not only does it help other parents find ways to entertain their families, but it’s become a way for me to support the city I’ve learned to call home; a way for me to meet and work with some amazing local businesses and entrepreneurs, and spend quality time with my own family.
I’m able to share my thoughts about things that are important to me that also resonate with other parents. Whether I’m writing about our local library (a personal passion of mine), asking for feedback about kids and technology, or sharing my struggle with carving out “me time,” the people reading Macaroni Kid are supportive, interesting, honest and forthcoming about their own experiences. Feedback and exchanges with readers are among the things I love most about writing for Macaroni Kid.
I also try and provide information to other parents, with an event calendar, and I offer ticket giveaways for local shows and upcoming events.
My kids are able to “come to work” with me, and whether we are checking out the latest museum exhibit or enjoying the latest performance at the NAC, blogging has provided me and my family amazing opportunities and experiences.
I also post and share on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, and enjoy the interaction and feedback in the social media universe. The common experiences of child-rearing are a funny, funny business and I love to share stories and anecdotes and hear back from others going through the same thing.
Sara-Lynne Levine is the editor and publisher of Ottawa Capital Region Macaroni Kid, a wife, and mom to two boys. She’s also an avid reader, cook, and pop culture junkie. If she’s not working, “playing” or reading, she’s in the kitchen trying out a new recipe.
www.ottawacapitalregion.macaronikid.com
www.facebook.com/OttawaCapitalRegionMacaroniKid
www.twitter.com/MacKidOttawaCap
www.pinterest.com/source/ottawacapitalregion.macaronikid.com