• Countdown to 40

    In Which Objects Are Closer Than They Appear

    Not a fabulous week for me in terms of making new habits. Ate food I shouldn’t have, didn’t exercise when I should have and haven’t been terribly focused on the work front. Then again, it was my birthday, so I’m going to cut myself some slack this week and try to rally from here on out. Today I went to renew my license. It has been ages since I’ve been to an RMV and now we have one just a few minutes from my house. I was honestly a bit stressed about going for my license renewal. I have glasses that I never wear unless I’m driving in really bad…

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  • Countdown to 40

    In Which I Turn 39, a.k.a. Countdown to 40

    Today is my birthday. I know a lot of people prefer to ignore birthdays, especially once they pass infamous number 29, but I believe that as adults we only have one day a year that’s special just for us. Now that I’m a mom, the kids come first. Well, usually. Anyway, I think birthdays should be magical for kids and adults alike. To be completely honest, I believe in birthday week. And why not? Life is short. Let’s celebrate! This year is a bit different. I’m turning 39, which feels a bit traumatic to me. It’s silly, really, but I went through the same thing when I turned 29. I…

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  • Me

    Avatar: Archetypal, Cliche’ or Both?

    Those of use who spend a lot of time online think of an “avatar” as a digital representation of yourself, such as you might use in a virtual world or social networking site. That definition certainly makes sense for the movie of the same name, where the characters take on an “alien” persona in order to interact with the indigenous people on a foreign planet. The Free Online Dictionary also defines the word avatar as “an embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype.” And it is that definition of the word that struck me so hard during the movie that I found myself in tears halfway through. The basic…

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  • Me

    New Year, Same Vision

    I’m not a big fan of resolutions. When I have made them, I have typically broken them right away. It’s just not the way I enact change in my life. That said, I do like to reflect on the past and think about areas of my life that I’d like to change or keep moving forward. This year I think I’m in a much better place than I was last year (I thought I was in a good place last year, but it turns out that it wasn’t so positive after all). I’m happy with what I’m doing and the seeds that were planted over the past 12 or so…

  • Me

    Voyeurism, Holidays and the Guilt Factor

    I haven’t written here much lately because I’ve been busy with this and that and far too many product reviews and kids and hives and Christmas and… bunches of other stuff. The kids are playing nicely together and I have a moment so let’s see what I can do. I was just reading a blog of someone who has gone through an experience more challenging than I can begin to imagine. I ended up there by accident, but simply couldn’t leave. I think, when I’m in a difficult situation, it’s good for me to keep things in perspective. I’ll admit it. I’ve been dealing with some depression over the past…

  • Me

    Food Allergies Revisited

    So, I’ve been coping with a mysterious case of hives for more than 6 months. They started small and I didn’t realize what they were. Over the past two months, the hives have gotten increasingly worse until the point where I wasn’t sleeping, barely working and stumbling through my job as a parent. Not good. Hives lasting more than 6 months are called chronic hives and, apparently, usually go undiagnosed. What? Yeah. Roughly 85% of people with chronic lives just have to suck it up. My allergist ran a bunch of tests to rule out other underlying conditions. Contrary to popular belief, hives do not equal allergic reaction. At least,…

  • Me

    Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

    TodaysMama and are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you. I don’t usually do things like this, but they’re giving away goodies from Provo Craft and I might just walk on broken glass to get freebies from Provo Craft. 1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 5 items? I don’t have many things on my wish list this year, honestly. I guess luggage, a gift card to buy some clothes, books, anything crafty, anything crafty (part 2) 2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? My mom made me a stuffed house…

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  • Me

    Saying No and Setting Boundaries

    I recently canceled my trip to the Type-A Mom conference in Asheville, NC. I was really looking forward to it as a way to re-connect with some of the fabulous ladies I met a BlogHer. I booked it while still on a BlogHer high, but over the next few weeks I was asked to speak at another conference and to do some workshops out of town and my fall schedule started to look a bit overwhelming. I started trying to justify my trip to Type-A as a networking opportunity, but in the back of my mind a little guilty voice was telling me that I really didn’t NEED to go.…

  • Me

    Things Are Looking Up

    Yeah, yeah. I’m overdue for a post here. Then again, this is my spot to do whatever I want, right? I’m here in good spirits. First of all, an overdue link to an article I recently wrote for the 360PR Trendletter on Dad Bloggers: http://www.360publicrelations.com/trendletter_0709_web.htm#daddy. It was fun writing about something a little different and the dad bloggers I interviewed were fantastic. Make sure you take a moment to visit their sites (after reading my article, of course). Then, I was asked to speak on a panel at Blogalicious this fall. I am thankful for the opportunity to attend the conference, since I didn’t think I’d be able to. Overall,…