Blogger of the Month: Michelle Pannell

Parenting can sometimes be the toughest and loneliest of journeys. Many of us feel barely prepared for the responsibility of raising children, and the changes to our lifestyle, careers and bodies can make even the most confident new Mum experience the odd wobble.

One blogger who has embraced and shared her wobbles with bravery and honesty over the past two years is Michelle Pannell from Mummy from the Heart. Michelle describes her blog as “a very honest place where I discuss my life: the good, the bad and the ugly.”

Michelle’s blog regularly discusses her life as a Christian mother learning about her own imperfections and trying to make the best choices she can. She also writes about her experiences of living with an eating disorder that “regularly steals my joy” and trying to make healthier choices.  Mummy from the Heart is also home to reviews, competitions and the odd heated debate about blogging issues!

Mummy from the Heart came to life in 2008 while Michelle was on maternity leave. “My friend had a blog, the first I had ever heard of, and I thought it was lovely. I thought it would be something to do on maternity leave – I forgot that two seven-month-old babies and a four year old took quite a lot of looking after, and my went unused for a year!” she says.

Once Michelle found her blogging Mojo, she was hooked on the instant response. “The thing I love most about blogging is the instant response, be it via comments or Twitter,” she says. “If I have something to say – and I do, a lot of the time – there are always people with an opinion, or those who are happy to offer support, or a virtual hug.”

Blogging gives Michelle an opportunity to talk about some of the issues she struggles with in daily life. “When I have new staff at work I explain that I’m an armadillo, hard on the outside and soft inside. I regularly put my foot in my mouth and then regret it, so it’s important for me that I lay myself bare, for people to see the real me.”

One of the ways Michelle has stood out from the crowd has been her willingness to promote other new bloggers, offering them a platform to write guest posts. Michelle says she loves to read blogs, and dips in and out of many blogs each month, particularly parenting blogs. “My favourites are those where the author is unique and honest,” she says. “I love the insight into someone’s home life and opinions.”

It’s these opinions and personal views that make a blog successful, Michelle thinks. That’s why she advises new bloggers to be themselves, above everything else. “Don’t try and imitate anyone else. It’s your unique voice that makes you special. Hone that voice, and your blog will shine.”

Michelle has experienced the highs of blogging – including reaching the finals of the MAD Blog Awards in 2011 – but she admits that sometimes she can find blogging tough. “For me, the hardest thing is the popularity battle that goes on in my head. I have to be careful not to pay too much attention to rankings, statistics or what other bloggers are doing,” she says.

Mummy from the Heart also hosts a regular “meme” where Michelle invites other bloggers to write a post about their “reasons to be cheerful”. It’s a great opportunity for people to share some positive experiences and moments of joy – and for Michelle, it’s an important part of her own spiritual journey. “When I started blogging, I wrote about ‘Grace in Small Things’ where I talked about where I saw God working or shining though. Reasons to be Cheerful is an accessible version of that, for people who maybe don’t think about things in terms of Grace.”

The post Michelle is most proud of isn’t one of her R2BC posts, however. It’s this post that she wrote after the Save the Children blogging conference, which inspired 164 bloggers to write short posts about the charity and its work.

If you’re in need of a bit of inspiration this week, why not check out Michelle’s blog, or follow Michelle on Twitter?