All About Joanna

The Professional Version

As a mom, there is a world of pressure and guilt – mostly self-inflicted – that surrounds the idea of the Super Mom. She is a high-powered executive who breaks the glass ceiling at work, is a professional chef in the kitchen, feeds her family with the skill of a nutritionist, cares for the environment, bakes cupcakes for every class celebration, stays in shape like an Olympic athlete and is a pin-up seductress for her husband. Unfortunately, a mother who actually fits that description is few and far between.

Joanna Liberty is a mother of two boys who is happily married to her sweetheart. She has never attended culinary school, although she is known for her prowess in the kitchen. Her interests include health and fitness because, after many years of not being interested in the two, she now has her work cut out for her as she strives to be a good role model for her sons.

Although she does not fit the classical definition of a Super Mom, Joanna is a great mom who is interested in attachment parenting, natural childbirth, green and eco-friendly living, being environmentally responsible, easing ever closer to a self-sufficient lifestyle, baking, reading, writing and relationship building. She is also very interested in health and wellness as she travels along her weight loss journey in which she aims to lose more than 100 pounds. The economy has left her a little jaded and rough around the edges, but she enjoys writing and sharing with people. She is thrilled to be able to help others to overcome obstacles and pursue triumphs.

The family resides in a small town in northeastern Indiana with one Jack Russell Terrior who is named after a little known persona in Greek mythology. One day, the family is hoping to live on a small parcel of land in the country and thoroughly explore their interests in self-sufficiency. For now, a small town rural life does well for Joanna and her family.

To connect with Joanna, email her ator catch her on Twitter as @way2gomom.

The Fun Version

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Sometimes I ask myself why I blog. I started blogging back in 2001 (you know, aka before it was cool) with a little livejournal account. Since then I’ve grown – not only out of school, into a different size of clothes, into a mom and a wife, but also into a more “professional” blogger.

So why do I blog? Here are the top 10 reasons I blog:

10. Because I like to think other people want to read what I write.

9. Because I have an awful memory, and if I didn’t blog, I wouldn’t remember what happened from one year (ok, week) to the next.

8. Because interacting with other bloggers, PR reps and brands is totally neat and makes me feel super special.

7. Because I have a lot to say – but not always other adults to say it to…

6. Because I’m online anyway, might as well do something with it!

5. Because I have illustrious dreams of making money by writing.

4. Because I’m pretending that blogging is practice for writing novels, which I still swear I will do… some day.

3. Because I think I’m funny… and no one else does

2. Because I can type faster than I can talk

1. Because the Internet is a captive audience! When I talk to people in person, they can always walk away, but on the Internet….. BWAHAHAH. Oh wait, you mean people can still click away on the Internet? Dang, I thought I fixed that glitch!

And that’s why I blog. But maybe now you want to know who the heck I am?

I am…

- A wife

- A mother

- A dog owner

- A crocheter

- A gardener

- An at-home baker

- A home cook

- A reader

- A wannabe writer

- A birth nerd

- A nerd in general

Here are some neat things that I’ve done with my life:

- I attended a residential public high school (Indiana Academy)

- I apprenticed with a Forensic Pathologist in high school, which included observing in the morgue for a semester.

- I applied and was accepted to NEOUCOM – a 6-year combined college and medical school program (which I later dropped out of, but that’s not cool)

- I worked in a morgue, like for real pay

- I’ve made friends who are all over the United States and the world. I think this is neat.

- I met and married a super cool dude

- I gave birth to my son 3 years ago. Natural childbirth is neat.

- I gave birth to another son 3 months ago. Natural childbirth is still neat.

What else do you need to know about me? I’m really dorky, socially awkward in public and that’s kinda why the Internet is the way for me LOL! I like meeting new people, but I sometimes struggle with it because in my head I think I’m really dorky and socially awkward in public, which makes me even more dorky and socially awkward… isn’t it a fun ride? I’m really interested in nutrition and wellness, which is cool. I am on the road to becoming a certified post partum doula and after my boys are in school I’m going to be taking nursing classes so that I can go on to my goal of becoming a certified nurse midwife (although it will take some time).

I love writing and reading, and someday I want to write a book of my own. I’m not sure that anyone will read it, but I keep “studying” by reading every book I can get my hands on. Well, not every book because some I do pass up, but pretty much every book. Politics are kinda not my thing, so I don’t read those books often.

My husband and I moved our plans for a hobby farm back a ways, but we still plan do it. My son doesn’t want a horse (you know, like kids do), he wants a cow instead. I plan to raise goats for their milk so I can make my own soap and drink the milk, which is better for our family than cow’s milk. I nursed my first son until he was a little over 2 and plan to do the same with this little one too. We’re also using cloth diapers. I want to learn how to spin wool so I can raise sheep and make my own yarn. Because I like that.

We’re also planning to build a steel frame house, have geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, a generator and a windmill on our hobby farm. My husband wants to have a bunker a la the Cold War-era. I really like canning and otherwise preserving food. Knowing what goes into our food is an interest and a passion of mine.