If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have seen my features of other bloggers that I love. I enjoy encouraging others by sharing their beautiful skills and successes with you all. The person whose work I most witness, though, is that of my husband. Most of the recipes here on The Quirky Mom Next Door have been created by my awesome husband. He enjoys cooking and he’s always experimenting with new recipes, which are often pretty spectacular. He’s a caring husband and an adoring father but he’s also one inspiring co-worker!
You see, while he won’t let me officially add his name to the blog, he has so much to do with it behind-the-scenes. A couple of years ago, it started with him cheering me on and offering ideas. He would write some recipes or content posts here and there. His ideas for products I could review turned into hunts for companies to pitch. He loved challenging himself with this so much that he mostly took over pitching altogether. Pitching is when you contact a company and discuss why they should work with you, why you’re a good fit for their brand.
He loves to seek out these companies with great products, no matter how big the fish. That’s one thing I love about it, he’s so bold. I would reach out to familiar faces because it felt like better time management to be able to bank on working with previous clients. He won’t hesitate to reach out to the biggest fish in the sea, sharks even, and tell them with gusto just how awesome we are. His determination breeds my determination, he makes me think bigger and deeper!
So, who is this mysterious co-worker of mine? What’s he like and what is he interested in? James is a fantastic writer. When I need to figure out a clever title or name for anything, I turn to him. He’s full of awesome ideas and creativity, especially when he’s fresh out of the shower. The shower is like his think-tank. Afterward, he comes bolting out, rambling about a new idea he’s hatched. It’s kind of adorable to see his enthusiasm. I’ve always said that we should have waterproof notepads in there. (I’m disappointed to see that this is already a thing, I thought I just invented something new!)
He’s a private guy in general but I have to dote on him because I’m just so proud to have him as a husband and teammate in this world. His hobbies are all geeky and I love it. Our Renaissance Faire addiction started as his own first. He plays online RPGs and battle arenas. (I don’t really know what that is but I know I am not coordinated enough to succeed in playing it!)
His personal philosophies are “Happy wife, happy life” and “We’ll figure it out, it’s what we do.” I asked him about his favorite place to go and he told me, “Anywhere with my beautiful wife and family”. One of the proudest moments in his life was when he joined the military.
The most important thing to know about this guy, my co-worker, is that he’s hard-working and determined. Stubborn can be a good trait when it causes you to be very driven! He’s a fun daddy, he’s the dishes-doing kind of husband, and I’ve literally watched him give the shirt off of his back to someone in need.
So there you have it! Now, when you see “James” written next to the date on a post, you know a little more about who’s talking to you! Be sure to say “hello”! 🙂