Featured Reader: Let me introduce you to....

Happy Monday friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a cold, rainy weekend, sure didn't feel like summer. But sometimes a rainy weekend allows you to curl up with a good book (Eclipse for me) or maybe watch a good movie with the family.

I love Monday's since I have the great pleasure of introducing you to one of my fabulous readers. This weeks feature is long overdue and I know you will love her blog as much as I do. Genny of My Cup 2 Yours, is one of the first bloggers I started following and I instantly fell in love with her blog. It started with her blog title and her love for coffee but what I enjoy the most is her heartfelt posts, honesty about being a Mother and the encouragement she offers to others. I love that her blog provokes thought and makes you take a second and think about whether or not you too are enjoying the joys of life, living, and motherhood. Grab a cup of joe and get to know my friend Genny, I know I always feel uplifted after visiting My Cup 2 Yours.

Name:

Genny Heikka of MyCup2Yours

Family:

My husband Mike, our daughter (10 years old), and our son (8

years old)

How did you start blogging?

I was reading a local parenting magazine a little over a year ago when I got so inspired by the stories I read that I felt compelled to start writing in that genre too. I wanted to somehow encourage other moms. (Up to that point, my writing had been focused in the children’s genre.) I’d been thinking about doing writing on-line for a while and had a few writer friends who had blogs, so I decided to start my own. I’m really glad I did; I’ve learned a lot from the insights and experiences of others and have met so man

y wonderful people along the way.

If you are a parent do you have a parenting philosophy?

My approach to parenting has evolved over time, and continues to evolve as my kids grow (and as I grow as a parent). My overall philosophy? I’d have to say that the most important thing to me is that my kids know I’ll always love them, unconditionally. My husband and I definitely have rules and expectations for the kids, but if we’re ever in doubt, we’d rather err on the side of grace, rather than rigidity.

You will never find me without......

Coffee! (at least in the mornings)

Day job:

When my daughter (our first child) was born, I quit my job in the corporate world to stay home with her, and I’ve been home with the kids ever since. While they’re in school, I write for various parenting magazines and Web sites and work on my book manuscripts, a couple of which I’m currently seeking representation for. I also write regularly at 5MinutesforFaith.com, Hearts-at-Home.org, and at my blog (www.mycup2yours.com). In addition, I’m the Assistant Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and I work per diem for a publishing company a day or two a week. All of that keeps me busy, but I love the variety and how everything is related to writing, which is my passion.

Favorite Stuff:

Music: I like all kinds. Some of my favorites right now (and this is always changing) are Tenth Avenue North, The Fray, Taylor Swift, Switchfoot, Lifehouse, and Mat Kearney.

Food: I love to eat big, creative salads, organic food when possible, and any and all Mexican and Italian food. And I absolutely love chocolate.

TV/ Movies: I don’t usually watch a lot of TV (no time!), but I do love the show The Biggest Loser. I also like to watch American Idol with my kids, and Americas Funniest Home Videos. Other than that, I’ll usually catch an occasional show on HGTV or the Food Network. As far as movies go, we have a tradition in our house called “Friday movie night” and we love it. Each Friday, Mike and I and the kids watch a movie together, which means I watch more kids movies than anything else, but we have a lot of fun doing it.

Reading: I love, love, love to read--all different kinds of books, from middle grade to young adult novels, non-fiction, adult fiction, devotionals, etc. I still read a ton of picture books to my kids too (you can never outgrow those) and we are always making trips to the library. As long as a book tugs at my heart in some way, I’m hooked.

If you had to wear a T-shirt with your favorite saying on it what would it be?

My daughter has a t-shirt that I absolutely love. It says “Keep the F8th Alive” and I think it’s a great reminder that, no matter what happens in life, having faith can make all the difference in the world.

Favorite stores to shop at

I’m really not much of a shopper, but when I do shop I can usually find what I like at Macy’s. I also love finding a good bargain at places like Marshalls or Home Goods. But somehow, I seem to find myself at Target with the kids the most.

If you could trade with a blogger for the day who would it be?

This is tough. I’m sure I won’t be able to list just one. There are so many wonderful bloggers out there. I’d have to say Kristen from We are THAT Family (www.wearethatfamily.com) and Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer (www.rocksinmydryer.typepad.com). I’ve been reading their blogs for a while, love their writing, and have come across so many great people through their sites. There are others too, though, like Stephanie (metropolitanmama.net), Angie (angiescircus.blogspot.com), Kellie (womenslifelink.com), and Susan and Janice (5minutesformom.com). See? I said this was too tough to list one….

If you would like to be a featured reader please send a link of your blog to klacustomcreations@comcast.net

Please be sure to leave some comment love in this post for Genny!