Every family with kids has to make decisions on how to provide appropriately for their needs and circumstances. There are so many different combinations on how this works- stay at home parents, work from home parents, parents who work outside the home/ kids in daycare or school, and other options (I know of one mom who homeschools her kids while she is at work outside the home). And every family may want one scenario to work, but find they have to make changes to really make it work.

I love my stay at home life. It makes it tough financially for us to have “extras” but I can get by with my blogging money to help with the fun stuff- movies, my iPod, trips to Orlando, and clothes. I’ve held off doing any sponsored blogging on this blog (since we moved to our own domain) but now that SocialSpark is kicking off its Alpha testing (with me being one of many testers), I am testing the waters.

I know there is debate (especially in the parent/ mommy blogging arena) about paid blogging, but I’m firmly in the “it is ok” side of the fence. I have control over what I blog about, I give my honest opinions (positive and negative), and I’m sometimes paid for my time. I’m ok with that. And I think it is fun. I’d still blog even if there wasn’t money involved.

Some bloggers have asked me about paid blogging and I have always said it does me well for “mad money” and at this time, I would never depend on it for paying any household bills. I might give some paypal funds to help, but we can’t depend on paid blogging right now. I am hoping this mommy blogger might earn more money for a new camera and a trip to Orlando in September, and I would encourage other bloggers who want test the waters to go ahead. Just don’t quit your day job just yet. Or, if you are a stay at home mom like me, don’t think paid blogging by itself is going to be your work from home solution.

Izea (Social Spark’s parent company) has really encouraged bloggers in building their brands, audience, and quality of their blogging. Eventually I hope, through Social Spark, I will be able to contribute again to the household bills and have paid blogging be a stream of income we can count on. But for now, I’m happy to encourage folks to start making some mad money. It helps you not go mad, and get away from the kids every once in a while.

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