Meet Ultimate Mom Blogger, Jen!

The Ultimate Mom Blogger Series: Jen at Practical by Default
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Tell us about yourself.

Hello! My name is Jen. I am a mom to two teenagers, one boy, and one girl and have been homeschooling for 10+ years.

Tell us about your blog mission at Practical, By Default.

I help working homeschooling moms to find balance in juggling work and homeschooling so they can fight the overwhelm and enjoy their children.

Let’s talk about setting priorities and finding balance as a mom blogger:


As a busy mom blogger, how do you make sure your marriage, kids, ministry, work and home are in the right order of priority? Balancing home, homeschool and home business can be tricky. What has worked well for you and what has not?

I set priorities, make a plan, plan for emergencies, and reassess what is working and what doesn’t at the end of each month. This is when my work schedule generally changes.

Remembering why I am homeschooling and my homeschool motto/guidelines are essential for staying on track and being focused. Realizing that, curriculum choices that were amazing before I returned to work may not fit into our new working homeschool balance was a life lesson learned.

I discovered I needed to be flexible, and allow myself the grace of adjustment. Pretending I could still do everything I could before I headed back to work while working was one major adjustment for me. Learning to understand my personal limits and saying “no”.

Organization and planning are a must in the life of a mom blogger, share with us your productivity secret!

My “secret” is block scheduling.

I divide my life into fixed, flexible and me. Fixed are things I don’t have control over when they happen such as work, appointments, etc. Those go in the plan first.

Then I add in events that I do have control over as flexible, school happens at all times and realizing I don’t need to stick to the traditional “school hours” was an eye opener. Your children can learn on the weekends, evenings etc.

Lastly be sure to put yourself on the list, otherwise, you may find yourself burnt out and unable to cope with your demanding life. Even 5 minutes a day is a huge help. We need to recharge.

The Ultimate Mom Blogger Series: Jen at Practical by Default

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Let’s talk about blogging!


When you started blogging what did not expect to happen… what surprised you in the blogging sphere?

When I started blogging I did not expect there to be so much help and support for those that know nothing about blogging. That was a wonderful surprise!

How often do you post on your blog? And what do your readers love to get from you?

I post at least once a week but usually twice, my readers love to hear encouraging tips and curriculum reviews.

What has been your most successful way to monetize?

I haven’t found a successful way to do this as of yet.

Do you have a blog accountability partner or mastermind group you belong to? If so, tell us a bit about it. How is it helpful to you?

I do. Having someone who truly gets all the behind work of running a blog is so wonderful. People who understand why you blog, what you hope to accomplish, and how you want to reach your goals is essential.

I wouldn’t be able to blog without…

Tool related I would go with Canva. I love Canva for creating images and checklists.

Tell us about your first big blogging A-HA moment. What was it?

I had a reader email me back with questions, we had a wonderful chat and this was my moment to realize I really can help others. It was great!

What would you do differently if you were starting again?

Nothing, I learned so much from my mistakes that if those were gone, I wouldn’t have learned them. If I had to say one, I would say I would focus on refining what I want to do, who I really want to talk with.

Give us your best 3 blogging tips for beginner bloggers.

  1. Images matter, they may take time to create but they are worth it.
  2. Your readers are important, take care of them. Reply to comments make them important to you.
  3. Don’t over stress it. You will make mistakes. Learn from them. Keep going!

A gift from Jen…

I have a free E-book I want to offer you. This book is designed to help working moms find balance in working and homeschooling. Get the e-book now!
The Ultimate Mom Blogger Series: Jen at Practical by Default

Here is how you can connect with Jen:

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My Takeaway From Jen: Set goals and reassess it monthly. Blocking time to do what you need is a must! And have accountability partners to keep you on track!!

Your Turn: What are your takeaways from Jen’s interview?