Hershey Lockdown

One of the great things about blogging isn't just the free stuff that sometimes arrives on my front door step but it is the opportunities it offers me to connect with other bloggers and get to know some of them on a more personal level (and you know, quit stalking them and such.) Most of all though it is the times that I get to bond with my family in some truly memorable ways. Hershey's, while having always been a fan of their candy, stole my heart this weekend when they invited TD and I to 'A Night at the Museum'.As part of this special event they treated nine bloggers (Classy Mommy, MomDot, MomGenerations, Mom101, Sundry Mourning, Cutie Booty Cakes, Blissfully Domestic, Suburban Bliss, And Twins Makes 5) to a taste of their grand prize "Win a Night at the Museum" promotion. Hershey in … [Read more...]

Month Four a.k.a. I should be quarantined

Here we are in the thick of month four. Just when I thought we were getting the hang of this whole, "Holy Schnikes! We've got two kids! Batten down the hatches! The house is going to explode with diapers and tiny plastic toys!!" thing I go and get strep throat. Uh, yeah.There's that pesky thing they tell you about when you are post partum. Get sleep. Lack of sleep can put you over the edge and land you in the arid world (complete with sandworms!) of post partum depression. Ha! Thanks for that insight doc! By the way you got a kid in preschool, the whole climate change thing (frost! no frost! shorts today. wool beanies tomorrow.), plus you are breast-feeding? Well then, pack it in lady because you are as good as having the Black Death for the next few months. Did we mention that being … [Read more...]

Shred, Shred, Shred!

Just when I think I can take no more I imagine myself standing in the middle of a circle of faceless people shouting, "Shred! Shred! Shred!" as if I'm about to do a keg stand instead of air punches and squats. It keeps me motivated I swear. When my arms feel like they are going to break off at the shoulder and fall on the floor writhing in agony because Man! circuit three strength training hurts so good and yes, hurts so freakin' bad I need all the encouragement I can get. I'm on day seven of Shredding and hallelujah it is working! As I type I'm wearing a pair of jeans I bought back in my pre-Dash Two days. It's exhilarating. I have more energy, sleep more soundly (minus those times when TD wakes up at 4 a.m. crying for Chapstick) and really do feel like that twenty minutes of … [Read more...]

Where’s Mummy?

Everyone knows I'm a bit of a review junkie and typically I keep it over at MPR but every once in a while I come across something that needs to be shared all over. I'm talking about Texas-based KidCore Toys. Educational. Creative and highly interactive that is KidCore Toys. They love me. I love them. Since 1996 they have consistently provided families with hours upon hours of fun and not just for the wee kiddies. Many of their toys create ways for parents to be fully involved with their children during their hours of play. From puzzles to arts and crafts and children's furniture KidCore Toys has a wide variety of items for children of all ages. They have a great blog which regularly features some pretty amazing bloggers so do me a favor and check out KidCore Toys for your next toy … [Read more...]

It’s Nothing Like Last Time

I feel I should check in despite it being a Sunday (read: a day I don't normally post on) because-A. My blog is making my Dad nervous.2. I've had a lot of concerned emails, new twitter follows and some comments that are longer than the norm expressing heartfelt concern and love. I can't even begin to thank you all for all of it. It never ceases to amaze me that the Internet is my friend.andD. I made cupcakes and didn't frost them so clearly there is a problem.If you got that screwed up sequencing then you get a gold star. It's from Home Alone if you didn't.And now for the update:I did some talking with H this weekend. However, all that came after this amazing woman came to my rescue. Really, if someone had told me that a blogger would show up on my front step less than two hours after I … [Read more...]

You Know You Are a Blogger If…

1. You have your "real life" friends and your online friends who you might not have ever met. You can have close relationships with both.2. You are dying to attend CES each year. In your previous life you didn't know what CES even is or that you "needed" all its lovely gadgets.3. You have been paid half in real cash money and half in product.4. Your family thinks you speak a foreign language because you speak of such things as Twitter, tweeting, vlogs, wordpress and can conduct business on Facebook.5. You start sentences with, "I'm so blogging this..."6. Your friends and family start stories with, "Please don't blog this..."7. You get to know PR people really well.8. Your kids make computer keyboard replicas out of their Lego's.9. If you know how many people read your blog on Monday, what … [Read more...]

Fashion Forward? No, Thanks.

Bwwwaaahahaahaa! And you thought that the days of floral leggings that make your legs look like they may have some new form of VD were long gone. Surprise!Look at these beauties! Yup. They're baaaack!All for the bargain price of $80 too. I think I owned a pair of these in the 80s or early 90s. I've blocked it out. They flatter no one and Contempo Casuals went out of business long ago. Oh, but wait! There's more... you can own some spiffy white ones with cooking utensils plastered on them as well. Because who doesn't want to own printed leggings with whisks on their ass. In other news, Graco has launched a podcast featuring me. It's all a bit embarrassing listening to me ramble about preparing for a second baby but if you are clamoring to hear my voice- go for it.If you are in the mood … [Read more...]

Lucy Burns, Alice Paul and Russell Brand

MoodyMommy posted this the other day and as always I got all fired up. There I was snapping photos of the back of TD's head for a snarky post, because quite frankly her hair is mirroring Russell Brand's these days, and reading my email when I read her post.I myself have written about women's voting history before and how important it is to not give up, lay down and say we are too busy to vote. Yes, we have busy lives, but this right was not easily won for us women. Almost a century ago our sisters fought long and hard and did not back down when beaten and persecuted just to earn the right to have their say on election day. While I never normally do this, I'm re-posting this today. It just needs to be reiterated again this election season. Get fired up ladies! Choose your candidate! … [Read more...]

Things that Burn My Britches

I read this post by my friend, Kim today and now not only are her panties in a bunch but mine are too. I mean seriously, Wal-mart? Get on the wagon and realize you have to pay your bloggers for their work. I'm getting real tired of the whole,"your blog will be promoted through us..." as payback line. We're doing the work, we are finding your audience or hawking your products, it takes time and research, so pay us. Enough said. Then I got to thinking about other things that have gotten my undapeeants not just in a bunch but burned.- When someone writes a check. Be it Target, Smarmy-mart (aka Wal-Mart) or the 7th ring of hell also known as Safeway, I ask you this- Who does that anymore? I'm not saying you need to be swiping your little Visa go card all over the place but check writing … [Read more...]

The BBC Disappoints

I was so excited. A chance to have my blog, my syndicated article and our family put out there. We were all excited.I was leery too. I know how these things work for the most part. Hours of tape equals minutes of actual screen time and things can get skewed.Still. I wanted others to hear our middle class story of unemployment, possibly gain some new readers and get myself out there, so I agreed. More paid work might come of it. Everything went just fine too. The BBC people could not have been nicer. When the disc arrived with our segment we could not wait to watch it.And there it was. Or wasn't. No mention of my blog, that I am a writer, no screen capture of the blog or even the article that drew them to us. To make matters worse my sound bite was reduced to one line, "I never … [Read more...]