Blogger Q&A with Dara Granoff of Not in Jersey

Dealspotr’s network of influencers includes notable bloggers and social media personalities across a wide range of topics and interests, but all with a focus on frugal living and saving money. In our weekly Influencer Spotlight, we invite one influencer to share their experiences and success stories with the rest of our community. If you’d like to be featured, send me a message via Dealspotr. 

When Dara moved from her home state of New Jersey to Kansas City, she needed a way to keep her family back East updated on her life. So, she started a blog. From there, it evolved to include not only updates on her family's life, but product reviews, giveaways, and a series of book reviews and recommendations. Now, Dara shares what makes her happy and how she uses her daily life with her family to keep up her blog, Not in Jersey, in this week's Influencer Spotlight Q&A.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF! FIRST NAME, WHERE YOU'RE FROM, YOUR "DAY JOB," AND ANY OTHER FUN FACTS YOU'D LIKE US TO KNOW.

My name is Dara. I was born and raised in NJ, but we now live in Kansas City and love it. I'm a stay-at-home-mom to 3 kids - a girl and two boys. I've always wanted to be a writer, so it seems fitting that I spend my time writing for my blog, Not in Jersey!

DESCRIBE YOUR BLOG. WHAT IS ITS MAIN FOCUS?

My blog's main focus is on my family and my kids and all the adventures we have together. I like to write about places we go, products we have tried, and things we are up to. 

HOW DID YOU GET INTO BLOGGING? WHEN DID YOU START?

I started my blog after moving from NJ to Kansas as a way to keep our families up to date with our lives. My blog has evolved since then and I'm not sure very many of my family members even read it, but I still love writing on it!

What was your best-performing blog post in the past year? What do you think made it successful?

My post about getting organized with YouCopia. It was a giveaway promoted by an outside company, and it got a lot of visits!

WHAT'S THE ONE WAY YOUR BLOG IS UNIQUE OR DISTINCT FROM OTHER BLOGS IN YOUR NICHE?

One thing that makes me unique is that we are a Jewish family and I write about our culture and traditions.

What's one thing you love about Dealspotr? Has Dealspotr helped your blog out in any way?

I love sharing the deals I find with others and watching my points add up each time I share. The post I wrote about Dealspotr for my blog seemed pretty well-liked too!

If you could identify the one thing (okay, or multiple things) responsible for your blog's success, what would that be?

I don't necessarily think my blog is a huge success, but it makes me happy, which counts for something. Lately I've been working on promoting my posts better, both on Pinterest and in Facebook groups for bloggers similar to myself.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO START A BLOG?

Be yourself! Also, you won't have a hugely successful blog overnight. You have to stick with it and work on it.

Is there a useful tool or resource you've used that you'd recommend to other bloggers? Maybe something other bloggers might not know about? 

I have trouble with the blogger publishing tool and I use a program called Open Live Writer to compose and publish my blog posts.

Tell us about the most exhilarating moment you've experienced as a blogger.

Honestly, the best part of blogging for me is forming relationships with other bloggers.

Which major blogger or influencer do you most admire and why?

Chrystie from LivingforNaptime.com. She has a lot of great information for mom bloggers on her site and she runs a Facebook group that has helped me promote my blog posts. She also seems really cool and fun!

Have you ever experienced a moment when you wanted to quit blogging? How did you overcome it?

I did take a break for awhile but somehow got back into it, and since then I haven't considered quitting!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?

I like a variety of TV shows but right now my favorites are "This Is Us," "Chicago Fire," and "The Fosters."

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SNACK?

If I'm not trying to stick to a diet, which I really need to do, I love eating tortilla chips with salsa and ranch dressing. Try it, you'll love it!

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? 

Tony Goldwyn. He plays the president on "Scandal." He is very socially active and stands up for what he believes. He seems like a really interesting person who I would love to talk to. (Plus I find him attractive!)

Anything else you'd like to add?

Come visit my blog, I'd love to hear from you!

You can read Dara's blog at NotinJersey.com. You can also follow her on Dealspotr, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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