Mommy Monday:: Mandy Pike and Shawna Gale, Out and About Mom

Summer in CT is such a great time to get out and do things with our kids. Our state and surrounding areas have so much to offer when it comes to things to do, but as parents there are so many extra things we have to think about when taking our kids out. Mandy Pike and Shawna Gale are parents that understand these concerns, they started their blog Out and About Mom in August 2011. Out And About Mom serves as a great online resource for everything need-to-know about taking our little ones places.

Their tagline says it all “scouting your CT outing.” Both Pike and Gale go to places and events with their children and then blog about it. Sharing information that as mom’s we want to know; where to park, where are the restrooms, are there changing tables, stroller use, on site food and much  more. You will also find information on places parents like to go, Ikea, the mall, Stew Leonard’s, etc. Included on their site are resources such as links to museum discounts and a list of Connecticut mom clubs. I love the cleverly titled, “Tiny Diner series”, featuring local restaurants and giving you a review from a moms perspective. Out and About Mom will give you tips to keep your little ones happy and in turn make your time out a lot less stressful.
Mandy Pike and Shawna Gale with their children.
There is always something new to read about on Out and About Mom.  Tuesday and Thursday is all about the ladies new adventures with their kids. Monday and Friday find the up coming events , for example, information about the summer concert series, giveaways, as well as other things such as recipes or craft projects. Wednesdays are a part of the national blogging event called “wordless Wednesdays.” This is when bloggers all over the internet post only photos. Pike and Gale use this day to post photos of past outings or experiences or give a little preview of what’s to come.

Being bloggers allows the flexibility of being at home with their children and working around their kids’ schedules Pike says, “Even though there are days when the blog feels like a full-time job, both Shawna and I are stay-at-home moms whose number one job right now is caring for our little ones.” The out and about moms try to do most of the work while the kids are napping or at night after they have gone to sleep. Supportive husbands also plays a huge role in making sure their business runs smoothly. Pike says that having a portable laptop lets her work from different places and when she is “out and about” her iphone keeps her on top of things. She adds, “Technology helps us stay on top of the blogging world without missing a moment with our kids.”

Mandy Pike with her son. (photo by Alison Hickey Photography)Pike has this advice to offer other moms, “You should find something you love to do and then turn it into what you do for a living. Both Shawna and I love spending time with our kids and exploring new places, and we also enjoy doing a little investigative journalism, so it made sense to try to take our interests and turn them into a business.” Being new to the blogging world Pike and Gale havShawna Gale and her son.e found that networking is important, sharing and learning from other bloggers has helped them grow.

To market their website they use social media, find Out and About Mom on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to social media the ladies rely mostly on word of mouth, local media articles, handing out promotional material, and also cross-promoting with other bloggers and websites.

I think this is a great site for any parent, I personally am so glad I came across it. These mom bloggers do their job well, giving all the important information but with a unique, down to earth and often humorous spin. Lastly Pike adds, “Being a parent, especially a first-time parent, is a completely new experience when it comes to getting out and staying active. If you want to ensure an enjoyable outing, you can’t just run out of the house on a moment’s notice; you have to prepare. It can also be challenging to find new and interesting experiences for your family. We hope our blog can help address these two areas by giving parents new ideas on things to do and also the information they need to have fun.”