Oh Momma Monday: WRAL’s Kathy Hanrahan

Thanks to Kathy Hanrahan, editor of WRAL’s Out and About, Raleigh residents can stay on top of  what’s happening in the Triangle. Check out today’s Oh Momma Monday post where Kathy shares how she developed a passion for blogging and how she manages to always make time for family.

What is your occupation?

Editor of WRAL’s Out and About, which covers local entertainment, restaurants, shopping, music and more in the Triangle and beyond.

What inspired you to start blogging?

I started blogging because I wanted to find a way to highlight local entertainment and events and have fun. And that is still why I do it. I want learn more about the people and community around me, and the best way to open that dialogue with readers is to blog.

When I started working at WRAL, I was inspired to develop something fresh and new to the market. There wasn’t any type of entertainment blog on WRAL.com, so I started “Raleighwood,” a blog about the big headlines of the week. “Raleighwood” evolved and included a weekly video featuring WRAL folks – Tom Suiter chatting about “Survivor” and Mike Maze and I talking about Michael Jackson’s death just hours after it happened. We covered the State Fair, rodeos, the circus – if it was in the Triangle we did something on it. It was really the early stages of what has become Out and About.

How has your career life changed since becoming a mom?

I worked 12-hour days up until I went into labor. I had to cancel an appointment at The Cupcake Bar because I went into labor that morning. I was only three days early, but I intended to complete as much as work as I could before I went out on leave. Since having my son (who is now three years old), I have stopped working 12-hour days – although the 10-hour one does pop up from time to time. I pick and choose which and how many assignments I personally accept. I’ve learned to rely on my crew of bloggers to cover some events for our site.

Any tips for juggling work and motherhood?

1. Make a list of what you need to get done at work. Get done what you can and then save the rest for the next day, if you can.
2. Carve out special time for you and your child. Whether it is having breakfast together each day or doing a puzzle together at night, just some quality time each day that you and your child look forward to having.
3. There are going to be days where you feel like you fail at work or fail as a mom. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s the quality and not quantity of time you spend with your child. That is what he/she will remember.

Most important thing motherhood has taught you…

Patience. I’ve gotten much more patient because I’ve had to be on someone else’s schedule and not my own. And when all else fails, just laugh.

If your son could write a blog, what would he say?

Peppa Pig is awesome. My Lego football players are the best. Paw Patrol is cool.

Where do you find inspiration?

I am inspired by great stories and interesting people. I can walk into a store – like Moon and Lola – and just be completely captivated by the jewelry and the local designer. I knew when I bought a necklace there that I was going to do a huge feature about the store. I loved it that much. I figure if I think it is interesting, other people will want to know more about it.

I also got inspired to write about Jimmy V’s Osteria’s limoncello because I heard the bar manager talking it up during Hopscotch. I happened to be editing pics at his bar. The story and passion he had about it just got me hooked.

What are your favorite Raleigh hotspots?

I’m obsessed right now with Edge of Urge in Person Street Plaza. Love their unique gifts. Retail wise, I love Ivy and Leo, Moon and Lola and Furbish. Standard Foods, also in the Person Street Plaza, is one of my favorite lunch spots right now. I’ve loving that Gonza Tacos Y Tequila is on Hillsborough Street. Can’t wait for Jubala to open there. Lucette Grace also has some great treats and grilled cheese. It’s not in Raleigh, but I’m a huge fan of Over the Falls deli. I could eat the club sandwich every day.

What are three of your “faves” right now?

1. MB’s Tasty Pastries in Wake Forest makes an absolutely amazing chess pie. That and the lemon whip topped pie are my obsessions. I literally run so I can eat her pies.
2. I’ve become a big fan of escape rooms. I really enjoyed the Trapped in a Room with a Zombie at Raleigh Room Escapes. So much fun. I’m a big wimp when it comes to scary things, but this was a blast. Tic Toc Escapes in Five Points takes the zombie out of the equation, but the challenges are really hard! Makes your brain work.
3. My indulgence is a trip to the Umstead Spa. If I can get a hot stone massage at least once a year – usually on my birthday – I’m a happy girl.

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