I have been trying to formulate in my head how to begin this post and nothing comes to me. I wrote about it here at DC Metro Moms first and it felt like a great release. It's scary times people and who knows what will come next.Then, today as I was looking for blog fodder. Anything to post beyond what is actually going on in our little world, I took a trip to Christina's blog and read this post. Well, if that doesn't just beat all. My roomie for BlogHer is going through the same thing! Only their news hit their little world one day sooner than ours. This country is a mess right now is it not? Is this our generations version of the Depression? I'm beginning to think so. Everyone I know is affected from a waiter and actress in L.A. to friends and family in New England.Bear with me in the … [Read more...]
The U.S. Economy is Kicking My Ass
The hours between 1:30 and 4 a.m. are when I can typically be found lying awake wondering about all the 'What if's'. The 'Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda's' too. When I think back to when H & I made the decision for me to quit my corporate job and jump off that career path (um... wait, was that a career path? It felt sort of empty and meaningless to me. Drone-like actually) and into full-time Mommyhood and a fledgling writing career I was full of optimism. That optimism can still be found most days when I get an award, such as this one, or I am asked to do something fun like fly to Atlanta or head to some other city for work and I am actually paid to do that work that I love so much.I remember how at the time, it was my job or our marriage. I stay home and try to write and make a bit of … [Read more...]
In Which I Beg for Work
OK, maybe beg is to harsh a word. However, I have a sudden burst of energy and need to work again so I'm out there. Looking. A lot. Sometimes I get all in a zone and happy about it. Other times I am amazed at the crap that is put out there for writers. Loking for talented freelance writers (to write what? ads? because this issurely not your strong suit) to assit in my marketing plan/website/write my bookfor/term paper for me. Will pay you nothing or next to nothing. Pleezespek good Eunglish.yeah. It's like that. You want to write 10,000 words for $30? Seriously, folks it can be brutal.For now though, don't think of me looking for work, think about fun finds and the awesome books I've reviewed recently. … [Read more...]
Business 101
I couldn't sleep last night. Blame it on tax day and the nasty bill we had to pay this year or the fact that recently the news reported that the price of a box of cereal is going to go up 56% this coming year. It's cringeworthy indeed. As I lay there thinking about my lack of work lately and how I was going to get motivated beyond the sickness to pay some bills I began thinking about Arbonne.I sell it. What started out as a product review almost two years ago became one of the best items I have ever reviewed. I don't actually use that lightly either. I really truly love and believe in the products. I have seen the results and become a believer over all other products I've used. What I am having trouble with is the business side of it. The company just released a slew of new products but … [Read more...]
Overheards & Observations – Johnson & Johnson’s Camp Baby
"If your lemon got on your cheese, you're hosed!" - Ted Allen, during wine tasting"The first thing I did when I got in my room was shave my legs and then leave the razor on the tub. I just left it there. No complicated box needed to keep it away from my kids...."The absolute quiet and pristine whiteness of my bed when I first walked into my hotel room. The absolute quiet and pristine whiteness one hour later and then again five hours later. It's still pristine white and quiet unless you count the hum of the Today show in the background and not Clifford.Ted Allen actually being quite amusing causing me to guffaw out loud on several occasions. He clearly knew his audience when he told us to just guzzle our wine at one point. I'm off to learn about braiding hair, what's happening down there … [Read more...]
Angsty Pregnant Blogger Goes to a Conference
Today I'm off to the beautiful land of New Jersey to seek out the answers to infant and toddler sleep patterns, all that is new in J&J products and if I wasn't pregnant to drink a little.Now don't get me wrong, I'm excited to go. Happy to be invited. Thrilled to be carpooling with this crew. But when H asked me this morning if I was packed and ready to go, all pumped up to talk to other bloggers I said, "eehhh..I'm more concerned about food. When will we eat? Will there be snacks? I forgot to buy crackers. I know were talking about sleep issues with kids, will there be nap time for me?" Seriously. This is what it comes down to. A tiny being smaller than a grain of rice is making me nauseous as hell right now and I'm playing it moment by moment most days. It sucks. I've already uttered, … [Read more...]
He Works for the Government. He can’t be Fired.
A funny thing happened to me on the way home the other day. Cue drum. Ba dum bum.I was in the Charlotte airport waiting to board my plane when a man caught my eye. Not like that! He looked familiar. Had I sat across from him in some banal meeting at Company A many months ago? Hmm... I just couldn't shake this feeling. I boarded the plane and there he was sitting right next to me. Fate? Now I never strike up conversations with strange men but I was just couldn't let go of the idea of how familiar this guy looked to me so I spoke up. Turns out the guy lives in my neighborhood and we have probably seen each other around town. Nothing big. Then he threw out there that he used to work for the Department of Defense. "Me too." I replied."Oh well I worked in the Hoffman Building." He answered, as … [Read more...]
So is that like uh, a real job?
It is always when I'm about to go to an event with a lot of our friends that I begin to feel the 'I' word. Insecure. I didn't always feel that way. Nope. It only started when I quit my 9-5 job and decided to make a go of this whole writing thing that I felt these pangs of insecurity.We go to an event and the topic of work comes up. No one asks me about my job anymore. I'm left out of the conversation unless I shoehorn my way in. When I would begin to talk about a particular project I could see the judgment. The "HA! Yeah right! You don't really work anymore, you just stay home." It has been said to me more than once. It has gotten to the point that now I don't even talk about work. Even if I'm really excited about something or something big is coming up I just find something else to talk … [Read more...]
Reduce the Crazy- Project Life Change
So there I was reading all about Project Life Change from some great bloggers and I thought, well what a swell idea but I've already done that. Remember? I quit my job back in January to stay home with T.D. and pursue my writing. A life long dream. What could be better than that?Except for one thing. It's called balance. Coupled with my inability to say no to a writing gig or almost anything else and I am swamped! Swamped with writing for free half the time too. Sure I get loads of free products and that's great! My friends think I'm the luckiest person for all that stuff that arrives daily at my front door. Except that they don't have to review it. I get bogged down in the boxes and using things and keeping such a tight schedule. I have stopped enjoying it. I want to do different things … [Read more...]
Desk Jockey
Recently there have been talks brewing in these here parts of me going back to work. It's all a bit fuzzy and I think I was drinking something called a Tropical Typhoon when the subject came up. I can't be sure as it was a Typhoon.I know. Going back to work you say? What about all those awful hours you put in under sometimes heinous circumstances? What about the commute? What about the asshat?! Don't you remember the asshat?! I hear you people. I hear you loud and clear. I'm not so far removed from it all yet. Truthfully the desire to go back to being a desk jockey is not at all strong. In fact, I am content to never see another set of gray cubicle walls or smell the stench of burned Maxwell House ever again if possible. It was just last week I told a friend, the only way I'm ever going … [Read more...]