‘In the Blog Seat’ is a series of interviews with bloggers and vloggers who share their blogging journey, inspirations and learning lessons…

Claire Kirby lives with her husband and two sons (aged seven and three) in Southampton. She has been blogging at Life, Love and Dirty Dishes for three years and writes lighthearted musings about parenting, with a bit of lifestyle thrown in.

What three things can’t you live without to help manage your blog – and why? 

1. Post it notes. I love stationery and I use post it notes for everything! Ideas, reminders. I’d be lost without them.
2. Picmonkey. I know a lot of people use Canva, but I’ve never got on with it. I love PicMonkey.
3. Blogging friends. They are invaluable for advice, sharing posts, and understanding the world I live in!

Who is Life, Love and Dirty Dishes’ ideal reader?
Parents looking for real and honest posts with some added humour.

How did you first get into blogging?
I’ve always loved writing but never found an outlet for it. I wrote my first post when my second son was three months old and I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have a clue about blog names let alone SEO and social media. I learnt on the job!

How did you choose the niche that you have chosen to blog in?
I don’t really think I have a niche. I would love for someone to tell me differently!

How do you manage time to run your blog efficiently?
I use Social Oomph to schedule twitter, and I have a very supportive husband!

What strategies have worked well for you in getting more traffic to your blog?
It sounds cliché, but for me it’s all about the content. I’ve had a lot of posts feature on Mumsnet and Huffpost etc which always helps drive traffic.

What blog achievement are you most proud of?
I’m torn between two. A post I wrote for Huffpost was one of their most read posts of 2015, and this year I am in the finals for the BiB’s Readers Choice award.

What are your blogging goals for the next 12 months? 
To increase my income from blogging.

What’s the most challenging issue for you in your blogging journey so far?
Time. Especially in the summer holidays with the kids at home.

Do you have any favourite bloggers? 
Lots. I write a monthly Blog love post featuring one of my favourites. Brummy Mummy of 2 was the reason I started. I love her.

What motivates you to keep your blog up and running?
I love writing, and the power that writing has, making people laugh and cry, helping people, encouraging debate.

Is blogging your profession or just a hobby?
I am earning an income from it now.

Where do you hope your blog will take you?
That I can earn enough for it to be my main income.

Where do you get your inspiration for your blog posts?
Mainly my kids and their funny ways.

What’s the best thing a blogger can give to their readers?
Honesty.

If someone was interested in starting a blog, what one piece of advice would you offer him or her?
Stay true to yourself. There’s a lot of blogging advice out there, but it won’t always apply to your blog. Do things your way.

The nitty gritty 

What is your favourite blog post (or one of your favourite) you’ve written and why?
That’s like asking me to pick a favourite child! I am going to go with the Toddler-o as lots of people have enjoyed it.

What type of blog post do you most enjoy writing?
Humerous posts, or things from the heart.

Do you vlog – and if so, what about?
No. Hate myself on camera. I was always in it for the writing though.

Do you regularly collaborate with brands?
A brand that would send me on an amazing holiday!

What’s the hardest post you have written?
I wrote a post about my son’s speech delay and cried buckets in the process. It was very personal.