Well we have reached the final episode in my ‘I am more than just a mommy blogger series. I have to say I have really enjoyed finding out more about the ladies I have featured up till now, but it’s not over yet! If you want to catch up on last week’s feature of the series where I featured Spirited Mama  please do.

The final episode features a lady who I have definitely grown to consider as one of my blogging besties! She is an awesome human being so I really hope you enjoy learning more about her!

Welcome Ms Chanaynay, please tell us a bit more about you?

Tonic-and-tiaras-family-photoMy name is Chanene and I am married with 2.5 kids. The .5 can either be a nod to my husband or our two ridgebacks who think they are small poodles.

I have two little girls who I am sure have been put on this earth to a) make me understand feelings of pride, love and adoration and b) massive payback I think from my teenage years. This is where the ‘Tiara’ part of my blog name comes in. Don’t judge me. I come from a family of lots and lots of women. Well, apart from a few boy cousins and my brother but they have no chance with all the drama.

Miss K is 6 years old and Miss T turned 4 at the end of March. With this came great enjoyment and great patience.

What Else?

I am a qualified Debt Counsellor. My passion has started leaning towards social media marketing and helping businesses grow. This comes from having previously owned businesses and having the knowledge of where I went wrong.

I am working for a company called IAO. It is a start-up offering students a platform to compare and apply to Private Tertiary Institutions online. I work from home, so the days are never the same. Trying to keep the kids quiet when a business call comes in can be really stressful. I find that when I need to sit down and work suddenly the kids magically appear and it is not to give me hugs.

What’s it like working from home?

I find that when you work from home, it is often presumed that errands that should be run on weekends and things that need to be done get priority. And so the juggle begins. It is so easy to get distracted by the need to rearrange kids toys, running out of milk and just popping to the shop or the doorbell ringing. The kids, husband, and society assume that it is fun and easy, but some days I do find it overwhelming. I long for a few consistent hours in an air-conditioned, adult fuelled environment, I dream of productivity.

I have learnt that if you do not take yourself seriously nobody will and it is a lesson I continue to work and juggle with on a daily basis.

Would I have it any other way? Definitely not.

 

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Why did you start a blog?

I have always loved the idea of blogging and needing a creative outlet, especially whilst I was debt counselling. Trying to deal with the stresses of people coming to me for guidance, having my own health issues and at the same time experiencing life changing moments. The blogging initially became my private outlet, my tonic.

I went on a sabbatical (I don’t think anyone noticed) *FYI – we did!*. Putting oneself out there to the world has its drawbacks and more so if you struggle with anxiety. It was due to some pushy friends that I restarted again this year.

What’s your blog about?

My blog is called Tonic & Tiaras and it is here that I am trying to find out who I am, so whilst I am a mommy blogger I am also trying to find me and what I want to be when I grow up. How and where do I fit being a mom into also being a wife, a worker bee, a friend and all those other things that define us?

As if all that isn’t enough, I also signed up with UNISA hoping to fulfil a dream of completing a BA in Community Development. I want to be a role model and example to my girls.

During this time I have been diagnosed with ADHD (more of a shock to me than those around me it seems). I am ready to tackle the stigma associated with mental health and with this in the public domain as it is something that is a reality in my life. As I write this I am also concerned that it is not the ADHD I have, but something far worse due to an addiction to PUNS – apparently this too is a mental disorder.

Advice To Other Work From Home Moms

My advice to moms working from home, you need to get up, get dressed, and put on makeup. It is on these days that I find I am my most productive. I try to do phone calls in the morning and in the car fetching kids, this way I eliminate potential awkward non-business tantrums whilst on the phone. I have even gone back to doing meal plans and shopping on the weekends or online shopping in an attempt to be more streamlined.

Why do I love Tonic & Tiaras?

Chanene is an extremely honest and kind person with a wicked sense of humour. This all comes across in her writing. I wouldn’t class Tonic & Tiaras as strictly a mommy blog, it is more of a ‘living my life and being a mom blog’. I am very much looking forward to reading more as she starts on her journey about dealing with life when you have ADHD as an adult. Thanks for joining in lovely!

Please go and follow Chanene on all her social media channels – you won’t regret it, she is an awesome person, and very funny.

If you missed the other episodes in my series, please check them out here:

A Shout Out To All The Awesome Mommy Bloggers

All these amazing South African mommy bloggers are far more than just a mommy blogger. They are mothers and wives; some work in the traditional sense and some don’t; some home-school and some send their kids to mainstream schools.

The whole point of this series is to remind everyone that whilst being a ‘mommy blogger’ we are also doing everything else that is expected of us and more. We are living our best life, and we are awesome.

Thanks again to all the ladies who joined in this series. I already have a list of other awesome mommies who wanted to be part of this series as we all have a tale to tell. I have decided to do another feature, focusing on South African mommy bloggers which I will run in the new year so if you have enjoyed this series, please lookout for the next one which will be out in 2018.