Leigh Anne Wilkes Is No Turkey When It Comes To Food Or Blogging
Leigh Anne Wilkes is the mom, aunt, friend or neighbor everybody wants to have. She’s the one who balances strong shoulders with a plate-full of home baked sugar cookies -- perfectly iced. The advice giver who is spot on every time she opens her mouth; the one who reminds you that not everything “old-fashioned” is passe. Certainly, “wisdom, experience, and care-filled mothering” never go out of style.
A combination of lace, love, and the latest recipe for life and, literally, some of the best treats around, Leigh Anne demonstrates the joy and comfort found in being “authentic.” She’s also proof pudding that “blogging” can be a wonderfully creative and lucrative home-based business, given you are willing to dedicate oodles of hours to it and overcome the initial fear that arrives with laying your heart and hearth out-on-the-line.
Far-be-it for Leigh Anne to be intimidated by anything, mind you. She may seem dainty and demure upon initial glance but don’t judge this book by its cover. Leigh Anne is a seasoned writer and marketing pro, who proves that there isn’t just one recipe for success when it comes to blogging or living.
Pour yourself a cup of cinnamon tea, grab yourself a warm eggnog donut, and enjoy getting to know the woman who makes everyone wish that they lived next door to her.
What is your full name?
Leigh Anne Wilkes
Where do you live?
Portland, OR
How many children do you have?
4
If you were asked to describe yourself in one word, what would that word be?
I asked my children to answer this one for me and my son's first response was "short." I'm 5'2". My descritive word would be "spunky."
What is your personal mantra?
I have a piece of artwork that hangs in my home that says, "We tend to seek happiness when happiness is actually a choice." I am a firm believer that almost everything is a choice. I get to choose each day whether to be happy or not. We may not get to always choose what happens to us but we can choose how we react to it and deal with it. My blog tagline is "Finding the pretty and delicious in life." I believe there is always something good in everyday, in every experience. Sometimes we just have to look harder for it than others.
Tell us about you and your life.
My husband and I have been married for 35 years. I was a child-bride. We are the parents of four amazing young adults. Watching our children grow up to be who they were meant to be has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am a doer. I usually have about a dozen projects going on at one time and my husband never knows what new craziness he is going to find when he comes home from work. I get bored easily so I am always up to something! Now that our children are spread from coast-to-coast, we enjoy a lot of traveling to visit them -- although my favorite place to visit is Paris. I'm still hoping one of my children decides to move there!
Share with us what you wanted to be when you grew up.
I always wanted to be a lawyer and a race car driver.
How long have you been blogging for?
I have been blogging for eight years -- a long time in the blogging world!
What is the name of your blog?
When was it launched?
October 2007
What is the primary focus of your blog?
My main focus is food but I also love sharing my life and everything I love with my readers such as
entertaining and party ideas, crafts, fashion and home decor ideas too. Basically, if I love it, I share it!
What makes your blog unique?
I think one of the things that makes me a little unique and different in the blogging world is that I am a little older. (I'm not telling my age!) My children are grown and my husband and I are empty nesters. I have a little different perspective on things than a lot of the younger mommy bloggers and I think my readers appreciate my life experience that comes from raising four children.
Tell us about your blog in depth, including what you hope to accomplish through it.
When I started blogging, I really had no idea what a blog was or how to even start one. A friend had shared a recipe with me that she had gotten from a blog. When I went home and looked at it, I decided a blog looked like fun and that I could probably do that too. I have a tendency to jump in with both feet and not think things through too much!! I actually went out and purchased the book “Blogging for Dummies” and then got on Craigslist to find someone that knew Wordpress.
I met this total stranger at a coffee shop in town with my computer and he set up my blog for me. I took off from there and just figured things out as I went. I named my blog “Your Homebased Mom” because that is what I was, a mom who worked from home.
My blog, initially, was a tool I used to support a team of women I led in a direct sales business but then it began to evolve and grow into what it is today so I was able to retire from that business and blog full-time! I never imagined when I wrote that first blog post that I would be blogging full-time and making a full-time income from it.
Are you a Brand Ambassador and if so, for which companies?
I have worked with a lot of brands including Pillsbury, Smuckers, Pork Board, Dairgold and lots of others.
Beyond your blog, do you engage in other social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc.?
My favorite social media is Instagram but I am also active on Facebook and Pinterest. I am just exploring Snapchat and Periscope.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to moms who may be interested in beginning a blog?
Be consistent and be yourself. Decide what level you want to blog at and then be consistent in that. Consistent effort will get you where you want to go and it creates momentum and a dedicated readership. Be authentic, that is what your readers will love about you. Be who you are. Don't try to be somebody else or compare yourself to others. In order to maintain a blog long-term, you must be authentic.
Do you support – either formally or informally – a particular social cause?
I am actively involved in my church community and serve there on a weekly basis.
When “all” is said and done, what is the one thing you hope your loved ones and those who knew you remember about you?
That I loved them and that Leigh Anne always did the best she could. She gave life her all.
The idea that they could say anything “but” that about Leigh Anne Wilkes is preposterous. You can see the “all” Leigh Anne puts into “Your HomeBased Mom” blog. Just imagine that amount of care transferring to how she lives each day.
She’s a better looking Aunt Bee in my book with recipes to spare. Find your way over to her blog to try a few new dishes for Thanksgiving. Your guests will thank you….and you get to keep all the leftovers.