Sweet Talks with Sili Recio from My Mamihood
When not pretending she's a freelance writer to her family and friends (who have no idea what she does all day long on this blog she acts like she owns, Facebook, and Twitter), Sili is busy rearing and shaping her 2-year-old frog princess into a natural born leader (read: she's bossy and she gets it from her mami). She is also preoccupied with trying to figure out how to get more shoes, books, and tech gadgets. Sili wants world peace and a good glass of wine. And whatever those two things might lead to. Read more of Sili’s writing on her blog My Mamihood.
{q} What do you list as your job title on your tax return? If the form offered more space, what would you really say?
{a} For the first time EVER, my tax return reflects what I've always felt I've been: writer. But if I had my druthers, I think I'd tell them I was a Chief Executive Mami because, hello?! It's true and it encompasses everything I love to do.
{q} Coffee or coconut water?
{a} Uh, is this a trick question? Okay, here's my answer: coffee all day every day. But when I find myself on a beach with clear blue water down in the Dominican Republic then coconut water (possibly spiked with some coconut rum).
{q} In one sentence, what’s a day in your life look like?
{a} Wow. Okay, wait! That wasn't my response. A day in the life? Joyful, hectic, grounded in an incredible sense of blessings and grace and filled with just as much laughter.
{q} What are you favorite children’s books?
{a} I don't want to play this game anymore! Do you know how difficult this is? I've started cataloging the frog princess's library and I stopped at 75. The ones that fill me up with warmth and love? 1. On the Night You Were Born 2. Let Me Hold You Longer 3. The Lord's Prayer 4. Girls Hold Up the World 5. Wild About Books 6. Huevos verdes con jamon (Green Eggs and Ham) 7. My Mommy Hung the Moon 8. Whose Toes Are Those? 9. Please, Baby, Please! 10. Buenas noches luna (Goodnight Moon)
{q} Who is your favorite fictional mother?
{a} My mami brain just kicked in and I'm all blank on this one! Yikes! Can I get back to you?
{q} What do appreciate most in a mommy blogger?
{a} Honesty, I think we are all trying to achieve an impossible task of doing it all very well all of the time. And that's not possible (all. the. time). I appreciate it when mamis are honest and don't make each other feel as if they are failing at their work. I have also learned to appreciate how supportive this community is and it has meant the world to me.
{q} What are your fave blogs to read and why?
{a} I've been reading The Mommyologist since the first week I started blogging. Mary is hilarious and truthful. I also read Kludgy Mom and Mommy of a Monster because they bring a much needed sense of humor. But then I also love to peek in on Keeping Up with the Joneses, The Third Boob and Art Slam (Lucrecer is always inspiring and motivating me). I only picked the ones that have hit my email today. There are so many others that I get to discover through the beauty of Twitter! Including (and not limited to) Salt & Nectar ;-).
{q} What’s the one thing you’ve learned that you wish you knew before running My Mamihood?
{a} I wish I'd learned the business side before jumping in. I feel that I've lost so much time in monetizing my blog (and making this into a legitimate business for myself). But I have no regrets. If I knew that way back when, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting up with so many awesome people that have opened up their schedules and their brains to give me some of the knowledge that they've picked up along the way.
{q} What’s the best and the most challenging aspects of your job as an entrepreneur, blogger, and mom?
{a} Doing it all is the most challenging aspect. I've been so blessed to have had women look at me and laugh in my face when I ask how do you find balance with everything that you have to do? You don't. You just try your best to prioritize and make sure you spend time on what's important. Jon Acuff said it best "You have to learn to disappoint the right people." Most times, that's going to be my readers/followers because being blessed to be home with my baby girl is the most important thing to me at the moment though creating a business of my own to allow me to be home during the times that I think are important comes in a very close second. But, there are certainly moments when you juggle. And I'm afraid I haven't learned to do that very well. Waking up to a smiling face and not having to rush to take her to her caregiver, lying down with her for a nap and taking off on a whim to a theme park or for a walk down the block certainly make the top 10 bestest aspects of my job.
{q} If you had more hours in a day what would you do with them?
{a} I would read! I miss reading. I used to polish off a book or two a week. Now I'm lucky if I get one in during any given month. I'd also take long baths. And I'd go to the movies. The one thing that I trade off regularly is "me" time even though I'm always preaching about how we mamis have to take care of ourselves in order for us to continue to take care of others.
{q} What advice to you give moms struggling with sudden unemployment?
{a} Hold on to your faith. It's what's gotten me through. A lot of prayer and asking God to guide me and order my steps. I've wanted to start my own business for a while and so for me, being unemployed has been a blessing in disguise. Everything happens for a reason and as long as you know that and can get yourself out of the "ohmigawd, I don't have no stinkin' job" shock, things will turn out just as they were meant to.
{q} What blog post have you written that you're most proud of?
{a} That's hard. I think I try to have some humor in my blog but I have an affinity for some of my work geared towards grief because I don't think we talk about it often and people like to sweep it under the rug because they don't know how to deal with it. Certainly the blog I wrote 5 days before mami passed away "Denial or Deliverance" is one of them. I still go back to read it and remember the calm I felt.
{q} What’s you secret online resource for finding great deals?
{a} I'm an Amazon junkie! No lie. Although I will say I'm none too happy with them about how they changed the Amazon Mom set up and now I'll have to pay for prime membership but, I digress. I did recently find http://CouponMamacita.com and she is local. I'm going to be taking her coupon class and I've already started taking advantage of the coupons on her site. She does all the work and it's not so overwhelming to me.
{q} You HAVE to join the cast of Real Housewives. Which cast are you joining?
{a} Um, will you not post this if I told you I don't watch any of those? Reality TV centered around drama is very much not appealing to me. But I guess if I HAD to join, it might be Atlanta although I'm sure I'd end up slapping the h*** out of somebody (based on the comments my friends put up on FB & Twitter about the show).
Rapid fire fill-in-the-blank:
Never have I ever gone skydiving (and I don't think I ever will. And I'm okay with that).
My kids taught me that a hug and a kiss from little hands and small lips make the world a better place.
I regret worrying so much about every little thing. God's got me and He has shown that over and over again.
My favorite coffee is Bustelo.
My underwear is in need of a wardrobe change (seriously, I found maternity bikinis in there which don't look so bad but it's time for some new ones).
Three words that best describe me are fabulous, funny, and faithful.
Blogging has taught me that we aren't that different after all.
3 Comments
Reader Comments (3)
Great and informative article! Sili is such an inspiration and amazing mother!
I like your post and I liked to know you a little more. Your Daughter is so cute and the pics are beautiful.
Happy Week!
http://www.mamiholisticaygenial.com/
Awh--we aren't as different as we think. Even with the differences, it makes life that more intriguing. It's refreshing to hear in your words how much you love your daughter. xx