See her winking at you! Carmel is ready for the rain!
(Still need to change the time stamp on this camera!)
For more wordless wednesdays, see 5 Minutes for Mom and WW HQ!
Wordless Wednesday: Dog Rain Gear
November 12, 2008 By 6 Comments
Social Networking: A Woman's Perogative
November 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment
I sat at a table today with several other bloggers talking about life as a Stay-at-Home-Mom versus working full-time. I shared that after events like that, I go home and feel like Cinderella who got her old job back after the ball. Dishes, laundry, dust. All there before and after — which makes getaways like today so much more sweeter.
Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife tells the story so much better so I will send you there for pictures and a run-down of our brunch in New York City. Sponsored by Child's Play Communications/Team Mom, we enjoyed a delightful time learning about new products and services to moms and families. When our box of awesome goodies arrive (apparently it was too big for us to carry home!), I will give you the official review at another site, (either my own GenMom reviews or somewhere ELSE that will be announced soon but I don't want to do it here.)
Though my husband and I respect each other's independence and thirst for adventure, I asked him over the weekend what he thought about me going today. I don't know why I asked — I really would love for him to think day trips to New York are the norm for us suburban moms.
He said, "How does this trip help our family?"
He knew that a day away would mean dishes unwashed, dinner unprepared, laundry still in the baskets. Normally, he wouldn't say anything, but I did ask after all, trying to be the communicative wife — not something easy for me.
My response was that I was keeping a friend company, that it would be fun and that I wouldn't have been home anyway since I normally volunteer on Tuesdays and got the days changed at the last minute. Moms need a little break, ya know.
To be totally honest, I am tired but I loved every minute. Maybe tomorrow I can tell him about the Macy's windows dressed with Christmas scenes already, the funny styles on Fashion Avenue, the Veteran's Day parade filled with motorcycle riders AND the wonderful women I met while talking about issues we all face. I loved, loved, loved the whole process of networking, exchanging information, social networking and coming away with plans to meet again. It met such a need I have to learn about other people and grow from that experience and add new knowledge to my inner databanks that will help our whole family in the future.
Why did today help our family? Because I am happier for going. Because I will be more productive simply from the joy of meeting and discussing the solutions to life's problems as only women understand. Today helped our family by me seeing new educational products and fun ways for children to learn and be entertained in engaging ways. There are so many reasons today was a good thing and I can go to bed now, perhaps with less done in my home, but a heart that is full and a head that is exploding with new ideas for the future. There's got to be something said for that!
Shovel Out Day
November 10, 2008 By 2 Comments
Today is officially SHOVEL OUT day! My daughter dumped my three baskets of unfolded laundry on my floor to find one thing. Bills have piled up and promised posts are waiting to be written. Items for review sit in my office corner and I am feeling a little overwhelmed.
My husband said to me, "Okay you had your fun yesterday, can you get a few things done today?"
This last week has been so crazy. Last week, the Phillies won the World Series so our city was totally hyped; then the last push for literature drops before the election came; then I was called to a commercial film shoot for Carnival Cruise Lines and then my friend Jo-Lynne and I went to New York to a blogging event. THEN, I had an important training meeting for Pampered Chef followed by spending all day at the polls on Tuesday( — with much sorrow ending the day). THEN came student-teacher conferences, girls out of school, a vendor fair at a local church Fri-Sat, daughters to various sleep-overs and another call back to the BIG pinata commercial on Sunday. In the middle of that, I am putting the finishing touch on two Story of My Life stories today and getting ready to submit those.
Why am I telling you all of this? I don't know. Perhaps to explain the departure from blogging for the last week. I did actually post over at Chic-Critique about coffee-chocolate body butter and scrub!
I am hoping sometime today to send a post over to Blissfully Domestic about maintaining your kitchen tools under Frugal Living and to Philly Mom Blogs about the giant pinata but here's to hoping. The laundry still needs my attention, as does the entire house.
And, I MIGHT be going back to New York with Jo-Lynne tomorrow for another blogging event if I can get my volunteering at the pregnancy center covered and my crafts planned for the last session of Y craft classes this week on Wed. and Thurs. Oh, Yikes. When does the insanity end? Maybe when I learn to say NO!
What are you doing these days to get organized? Any suggestions?
One exciting note that happened this week was the offer by our presbytery to send myself and three other women to the annual women's leadership conference at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA in March. I was really praying that the cost would be covered. Now, I just need to figure out babysitting for a conference in the middle of the week! And even more patience from my husband! I think I am already stretching him to the max.
Praise the Lord for His strength and comfort in these crazy times!
Oh, and go check out my new review site called GenMom Reviews!
Leapfrogging to New York
November 2, 2008 By 3 Comments
Come over to GenMom Reviews HERE to see all about the awesome trip to New York.
Sorry to redirect you, but due to my contract with BlogHer ads, I have moved the review to a new site where I have started to do all my reviews that equal $40 or more in value. Though the trip to New York was not paid for, we did get some awesome goodies which you can read in my first entry on the new review page! Yeah for progress!
Quiet Places and Spaces
November 2, 2008 By 1 Comment
When life gets so incredibly busy, I find myself craving those quiet places to step aside out of life and breath. Sometimes those moments come unexpected when someone else needs you and you are able to pray and encourage each other.
Last night, a friend called me on my way home and wanted to come over to talk. Knowing how rare such a call comes, I told her to come over as soon as I got home. Up since 4 AM, I was just getting home at 7:30 PM after spending the day shooting a commercial for Carnival Cruise Lines. They were breaking a Guinness World Record by breaking the biggest pinata here in Philly and wanted extras to walk, run, stand around the pinata for promotion purposes. It was fun until about the last hour when the legs start to give and the shoes start to ache. The director even picked me out to focus the camera on as we walked in "Awe and Wonder" towards this huge Mexican Donkey. Kinda crazy but totally fun.
A beautiful moment of the day was a conversation with a young girl who just became a Christian last year and wants to get into modeling and acting. She was so precious and I knew that if for no other reason, I was meant to be there to talk to her. There is a lot of time to talk with other background extras while things are being set and reset. I was able to share with her several great authors and websites and bible studies.
I was supposed to go again today but asked to be excused at the end of the day since there was a huge crowd there and I really wanted today with my family at church doing normal things. Of course, my secondary reason is that my friend Jo-Lynne and I wanted to go to New York for a Leapfrog party organized by Silicon Valley Mom Bloggers. So, we are headed there this afternoon which is why I am thoroughly enjoying the peaceful quiet of my extra hour this morning. Life is NUTS this week especially with the election looming. Much more time in prayer and action is needed in that direction.
But back to my friend. Last night, we talked about marriage, religion, husbands, children. She needed to talk and pray through some issues and we did. I felt so incredibly privileged to be called on in need and I knew God was working through our conversation both in her and me. This is how true friendships are made. When we make ourselves available, despite exhaustion and busy minds, those quiet moments of sharing and fellowship come and are a cause for rejoicing!
Find a time today to pull away from the insanity and enjoy deep fellowship with the Lord, with someone else, with your family. You will be blessed in those moments.
Psalm 48:9-10
"Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like you name, O God, your praise reaches to the end of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness."
