Mark Segal
At least 10,000 unique readers have navigated to the new Rochester MN Moms Blog.
One of them, Angie Jordan, a mother of two, said, "I'm always looking for advice, tips, tricks and comic relief! It's nice to know that others share the highs and lows of motherhood."
The blog is a "virtual living room … where dialogue can happen and friendships can begin," said one of the blog's 16 regular contributors, Heather Jurrens.
Launched on Oct. 7, the blog is the 43rd member in a network of local Moms Blogs ranging from Texas to Minnesota.
Billing itself as "Passionate about the community and the moms who live here," the blog was founded by Becky Montpetit. Born and raised in Rochester, Montpetit now raises her own toddler, Evangeline, here, and she and her husband, AJ, are expecting another child soon.
Montpetit, a passionate woman who balances her work and family life, is the facilities and events coordinator at Autumn Ridge Church. She thinks of herself as an unofficial ambassador for Rochester. She kept asking who would start a local parenting blog and eventually decided she should tackle it herself.
The blog focuses on topics appealing to a broad spectrum of parents, from those considering having a first child to those with children heading to college. Every weekday, the blog includes posts touching on subjects like international adoption and teaching children about family heritage through cooking.
One regular blogger, Jessica Schmitt, explained: "We have a community where transplants from all over the world come here, and they're sometimes parents or parents-to-be. It can be difficult to identify resources or have your questions answered without a local support system. I think the blog is serving that need for many people."
As she gathered the blog's contributors, Montpetit described how she was able to "meet an amazing group of women." She hopes that the larger parenting community in Rochester can be similarly connected through the blog.