Toni Tiu

Nuffnang Featured Blogger for the Month of June 2011

Who are you and what is your blog about?

My name is Toni Tiu. I’m a strategic planning consultant, a freelance writer and a stay-at-home Mom to one very active toddler. I blog at Wifely Steps.  It’s my home online, and just like my real home it’s got a little bit of everything that aims to help friends feel comfortable. Are you looking for a good read? Let me tell you about this book I just read. Are you looking for parenting ideas? Let’s have a cup of tea and talk about it. Are you looking for a snack? C’mon, let’s go through my chocolate stash. Wifely Steps is a blog about home and living, relationships and parenting, and everyday good things that I enjoy sharing with others.

What can we expect from your blog?
I like my home cozy and warm, and that’s how I hope Wifely Steps is to my readers. There’s a range of things to be read – from stories about motherhood to ideas on where to pig out for the weekend. I share my thoughts on products I buy or games I play with my toddler. It’s a culmination of stories, ideas and insights that make for light reading which I hope are inspiring.

When and how did you start blogging?

I was introduced to blogging in 2001. The concept of an online diary intrigued me. At first I wrote just to vent or share random thoughts about my day. I read my friends’ blogs, they read mine. Somehow the community grew and I began to discover how powerful blogging can be. I stumbled upon strangers’ blogs whose voices connected with me. People I never met suddenly started leaving comments in my blog. I love to write and connect with others, and blogging offered that. When I got married in 2003, I knew I wanted to channel my love for writing and helping others into a blog. That’s how Wifely Steps was born. I created it as a way to help newlyweds adjust to married life, and now it’s evolved to more than just that.

What separates your blog from other blogs?

My blog is a collection of my stories. While you can classify Wifely Steps as a parenting blog, a food blog or a home and living blog, I think in essence it’s a personal blog. There are a lot of personal blogs and I believe that each blog has its own unique voice. Wifely Steps’ voice is intimate but not intrusive, helpful but not bossy, laid-back but not sluggish. That’s how I am as a person, and that’s how my voice comes through in my blog.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

One of the best things about blogging is the creation of communities. Perhaps a common passion throws people together, or a similar life stage pulls individuals in one direction. Through fellow bloggers I’ve nurtured my love for food via going on food trips together or trusting their restaurant recommendations. I feel more empowered as a mother because there is a circle of Mommy bloggers I know I can run to should I need advice on anything. When I was pregnant I naturally gravitated to that circle and cherished not only the tips they shared with me but the relationships that were built throughout and beyond those nine months. I love the feeling of community.

Since blogging is very personal for me, the best thing about it is when I get notes from readers who share how my stories and tips inspired them or helped them. Those notes just make my heart soar. I feel I’m fulfilling part of my personal legend. To lend a hand through words, to inspire others through my writing – that’s what I consider the best thing about blogging. Wifely  Steps allows me to do that and I envision myself carrying on for a long, long time.