The Mommy Blog | Adventures from the Wonderbelly of Motherhood

Saturday, May 10, 2008 Fun Finds, Familybits

By now you might know that I’m a fan of SafetyTat.com, and not just because I’ve lost my kids once or twice and would LOVE for someone to have called me before I lost my mind completely. (We always got them back, now we have adopted the ancient but effective Chain Gang tradition.)

Warmer weather and lots of family outings make it a perfect time to “arm” your kids with SafetyTats. Enter code: MAY02025 at checkout to receive 15% off your order. Offer good May 10 - May 31, 2008.

May Safety TatTip:

Historically we have told our children if they are lost to seek a police officer. Not so.

According to Gavin de Becker, Child Safety Expert, and author of Protecting the Gift (Excerpt) “Teaching this to a young child ignores several facts: All identifying credentials, insignias, badges and nameplates are above the waist, but a young child sees a world of legs. In fact, many children get lost in the first place because of following legs (the wrong set): Legs aren’t that distinctive when viewed from two and a half feet off the ground.”

De Becker also states as an inflexible rule: Teach children that if they are ever lost, Go to a Woman. Why? De Becker says, “First, if your child’s selects a woman, it’s highly unlikely that the woman will be a predator; A woman is likely to stop whatever she is doing, doing, commit to that child, and not rest until the child is safe.”

No kidding, I have latched on to several children and not let go until we found their parents.

Thursday, May 08, 2008 Me, Me, Me, Fun Finds

I love waking up to Google alerts, especially when I learn that I’m a felon.

Former Greer High School PTSA Treasurer Indicted

A former P-T-S-A treasurer was indicted on “breach of trust” charges Tuesday.

Melinda Roberts was arrested in October after Greer High School’s “Parent Teacher Student Association” president filed a complaint with the Greer Police Department. According to the incident report filed on August 13, 2007, President Jill Schneider believed Roberts had used up to $24,000 of the organization’s money for her own use. The incident report says $10,899.45 was unaccounted for and missing. It alleged the money misuse occured between August 2006 and May 2007.

Marcia Barker of the Greenville County Solicitor’s Office confirms Tuesday’s indictment alleges that Roberts was entrusted with more than $5,000 and that she did “feloniously convert and appropriate such property to her own use and purposes, with intent to permanently deprive the owner thereof.”

I think we’d all know if I had that $24,000, because then I’d be halfway SANE.

But only halfway.

Once I saw that it involved the PTA I knew it couldn't be me

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Web/Tech, Other places I write, Fun Finds, Divorce.360.com

This oughta show them! I’m so pleased to be part of such a powerful and insightful community as Divorce360.com. I’m syndicated there, and haven’t explored half the offerings. They’re ginormous.

all around, good!

Thursday, February 07, 2008 Fun Finds

No, not really. This is not about cooking artichokes. Though I could cough one up for you. *cymbals*

But it DOES involve cooking! Phil sent me this video of how real Italians cook and I hurt myself laughing. I swear that he and his father and brothers sound just like this in the kitchen.

Not safe for work, turn down the sound, there’s lots of swearing!

I really should do a video post next time we're all together

Thursday, January 31, 2008 Web/Tech, Other places I write, Me, Me, Me, Fun Finds

My boss is a clever guy. His (other) company just launched a new service called Sprout, which allows you to build “living content.” I think that means you can build and publish just about anything you can imagine: slideshows, a promo for all your projects (cough), podcasts, movies. There’s no limit, really.

What does it mean for the Web? It means that the bar for flash development has just been lowered to—yes—my level.

That’s pretty amazing. And get this: it’s so easy, I created this Sprout in about twenty minutes. Give or take thirty.

yes, that is a sneak peek. New sites are under construction!

Thursday, January 03, 2008 Fun Finds, Familybits

They just didn’t get with the program. I wonder if it’s too late to save my own offspring.

[via]

maybe I should have another baby to field-test it

Friday, December 21, 2007 Other places I write, Fun Finds

With Phil in NY and my ex going to CO, I’ll be totally on my lonesome (unless you count the kids, but according to Century Theaters one doesn’t count) until New Year’s Eve.

This means time on my new laptop (pleeaase, gods of laptops, stop breaking my shit), on my new couch (pleeaase, kids, stop wrecking my furnitu—oh, forget it), reading blogs and posts on Mom Blog Network and other places. I don’t think I’ve read blogs in ages. I write one, sure, but who can keep up? There’s only so much time I can sit in that chair, staring at that screen.

Come on over. Find amusing tidbits, post ‘em. That easy. This is getting to be an addiction.

crap, the kids are up

Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Fun Finds

And I mean ANY kind of book. I don’t care what it is; give me variety and give me peace in which to enjoy it. Brad Isaac hits it right on the head...

The 26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books and Why 3 in 4 People Are Being Shut Out of Success

I read a Associated Press-Ipsos poll revealing that 1 in 4 adults read no books last year. Yes, that’s 25% of the adults out there are reading zero books. This is sad.

I knew intuitively the number of books read each year had gone down but to zero? Ridiculous!

And what about the adults who are reading more than zero books a year. How many are they reading in all? One? Five? Actually, the same poll reveals the average adult reads only four books per year. Half of those people read less than four.

If you are one of the non-book readers who feels you “don’t need no stinking books”, here are 26 great reasons to start the habit…before you are left behind!
Reading is an active mental process - Unlike TV, books make you to use your brain. By reading, you think more and become smarter.

It is a fundamental skill builder - Every good course on the planet has a matching book to go with it. Why? Because books help clarify difficult subjects. Books provide information that goes deeper than just classroom discussion.

Improves your vocabulary - Remember in elementary school when you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? You get the same benefit from book reading. While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words you wouldn’t be otherwise.

Gives you a glimpse into other cultures and places - What is your favorite vacation spot? I would bet you read a lot about that destination. The more information the better. Books can expand your horizons by letting you see what other cities and countries have to offer before you visit them.

Improves concentration and focus - Like I pointed out before, reading books takes brain power. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or e-Mails that might contain small chunks of information. Books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, like a muscle, you will get better at concentration.

Builds self-esteem - By reading more books, you become better informed and more of an expert on the topics you read about. This expertise translates into higher self esteem. Since you are so well read, people look to you for answers. Your feelings about yourself can only get better.

Improves memory - Many studies show if you don’t use your memory, you lose it. Crossword puzzles are an example of a word game that staves off Alzheimer’s. Reading, although not a game, helps you stretch your memory muscles in a similar way. Reading requires remembering details, facts and figures and in literature, plot lines, themes and characters.

Improves your discipline - Obviously, if 1 in 4 people don’t read one book per year, then there is a discipline issue. There may be many causes for people not reading books such as the “quips” of information you can get on the Internet. TV is also a major distracter. Making time to read is something we all know we should do, but who schedules book reading time every day? Very few… That’s why adding book reading to your daily schedule and sticking to it, improves discipline.

Learn anywhere - Books are portable. You can take them almost anywhere. As such, you can learn almost anywhere too.

Improves creativity - by reading more books and exposing yourself to new and more complete information, you will also be able to come up with more creative ideas. As a personal example, I read many, many books on IT Networking. So often, when IT Admins are stumped with a problem, I can come up with a creative (smack your head simple) solution that isn’t written anywhere. But the reason I can do that is because I have read so many books on the subject, I can combine lessons from all of them into new solutions.

Gives you something to talk about - Have you ever run out of stuff to talk about with your best friend, wife or husband? This can be uncomfortable. It might even make married couples wonder if their marriage is in trouble. However, if you read a lot of books, you’ll always have something to talk about. You can discuss various plots in the novels you read, you can discuss the stuff you are learning in the business books you are reading as well. The possibilities of sharing are endless.

Books are inexpensive entertainment - What’s the average price of a movie ticket these days? $8 - $10? You can buy a paperback for that price and be entertained for many hours more. If you have a used bookstore nearby, you can get them even cheaper.

Tip: Once you make reading a habit, you’ll enjoy reading the books in your chosen career as well.

You can learn at your own pace - Where formal education requires time commitments, books have no late-bells or hourly commitments. So you can learn at your own pace when you read books.

New mental associations - I touched on this above. As you read more books the depth and breadth of your knowledge expands and your ability to form new associations increases. In reading a book to discover the solution to one problem, you find the solution to others you may not have considered.

Improves your reasoning skills - Books for professionals contain arguments for or against the actions within. A book on cooking argues that Chili powder goes well with beef and goes poorly with ice-cream. A book on building a business argues that testing an idea for profitability before setting up is a smart strategy and argues against just barreling forward with the idea without testing.

You too will be able to reason better with the knowledge you gain. Some of the arguments will rub off on you. Others you will argue against. Regardless, you’ll be reasoning better.

Builds your expertise - Brian Tracy has said one way to become an expert in your chosen field is to read 100 books on the subject. He also said by continuing the same for 5 years you’ll become an international expert. With the Internet and blogs, you could hone that time down to 2-3 years if you follow through.

Saves money - Apart from saving money on entertainment expenses. Reading books that help you develop your skills saves money. Reading books on how someone went bankrupt will be a warning to you against repeating their mistakes. Reading a book on how to build your own backyard deck saves the expense of hiring a contractor.

Decreases mistakes - Although I would never suggest putting off an important goal because you fear making mistakes, it is still important to sharpen the saw (link to A.L. post). When you gather the deep and wide wisdom that books can provide, you are less apt to make mistakes.

You’ll discover surprises - As you read more books as a source of information, you’ll learn stuff you weren’t looking for. I’ve read many great quotes on life and love by reading books on marketing. I’ve learned facts about biology from reading about chemistry. Heck, I’ve picked up some facts about history while reading about programming. Since so many subjects intertwine it’s almost impossible not to learn something other than the book’s subject.

Decreased boredom - One of the rules I have is if I am feeling bored, I will pick up a book and start reading. What I’ve found by sticking to this is that I become interested in the book’s subject and stop being bored. I mean, if you’re bored anyway, you might as well be reading a good book, right?

Can change your life - How many times have you heard of a book changing someone’s life? For me, it was Your Erroneous Zones (link) by Wayne Dyer - which is the first self-development book I read. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking that was not depressing and dull. It was the first step in my path of choosing my own life and being free of old habitual thought patterns.

There are many, many other books out there that have a reputation for changing lives including Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, Handbook to Higher Consciousness, Atlas Shrugged , A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Lord of the Rings and Black Boy to name a few. But you can start in your chosen field and work your way outward.

Can help break a slump - Being in a slump is uncomfortable. If you are a writer, you call it writer’s block. If you are a salesperson, it’s called - not making a sale in 23 days. But a slump can be a crossroads. It might be you are wavering on your commitment to a particular project or (with marriage) person. Or a slump can be simply a lack of new ideas. Books are a great source of ideas, big and small. So if you find yourself in a slump, pick a book on the portion of your life you are slump-ing and get to reading!

Reduces stress - Many avid readers (including me) unwind by reading. Compared with the person who gets home from work and immediately turns on the TV news, you are going from work stress to crime stress. But it’s not just news. TV as a source of relaxation is too full of loud commercials and fast moving (often violent) images. If relaxation is something you want, turn off the TV or computer and pick up a book.

Gets you away from digital distractions - If you, like many others, feel overwhelmed with the flashing lights, beeps, boops and ring-a-dings that burn up our computing lives, then give books a chance. When you find some good books, you’ll find yourself drawn into the subject matter. You’ll want to spend more time reading. By spending more time reading books, you’ll have less time for the plethora of the digital gadgets begging for our attention.

You’ll make more money - If you make a serious effort to read in your chosen career, your expertise in that specialty will increase. As you become more specialized and learned, you join a smaller group of more qualified people. By being part of the small few with the highest level knowledge your pay will increase. It’s simple supply and demand.

The book is always better than the movie - except for perhaps No Country for Old Men.

‹ close

okay, maybe that's one book I don't want to read now

Thursday, December 06, 2007 Fun Finds, Familybits

I have been hemorrhaging money this last week, what with losing my second and last pair of glasses in Chicago, tax bills, EDD claims (they finally sent me a check but now that I’m working I have to send it back!), Christmas, Christmas, and, oh, Christmas.

Also, my inbox is filling rapidly (see, sometimes it would be good to have a storage limit) with wonderful emails from people I know and some I don’t, all with fabulous holiday shopping scoop or asking if my kids are the right age to play with something. See, they span four years and two genders, so we’re a perfect test lab.

For instance, Nintendo sent me a boys’ and a girls’ game intended for ages 3-6, and all three of them, five, seven, and nine, were totally obsessed with both games. Do the math: two games, three children, one Nintendo DS. Good times. But! I’m able to give them a glowing report, but no specifics because I am not allowed within the Circle of Nintendo Trust. I suppose that alone recommends it well enough. So, my review of the Smart Girl’s Playhouse (I only know the name because someone left the case on my desk) and the Smart Boy’s… game… goes thusly:

Hi Robert,

The kids are LOVING the games! In fact, I couldn’t get near them for the longest time because there are three kids, two games, and one Nintendo DS. Absolute mayhem. So:
I guess nine and a half isn’t too old, even for the boy to play the girl’s game! I couldn’t believe it.
Both boys liked both games and of course poor Daphne, the five year old, can hardly get a turn in to save her life.
She has a Game Boy but lost her charger.
I just got chargers for the two Game Boys so that there won’t be so much fighting over your games, and now the seven year old has lost the DS charger.
I so appreciate your sending them, and I keep telling them I have to sit down and interview them about the games to get specifics but they’d rather PLAY than TALK about them.
In conclusion, if I can’t get anything out of them this week I’ll post something along the lines of: none of them would give the others turns regardless of age or gender, they were that addictive. : )

Mindy

Oh! here’s Logan now. He says, “They are pretty fun, especially for younger kids. The coloring was fun for Daphne on the Girl’s game, and I liked being able to draw whatever came into my head. On the Boy’s game, we liked exterminating monsters and on the Girl’s we liked feeding hamsters.”

so there you have it

Thursday, December 06, 2007 Fun Finds

ErinB wins hands down for the nature of her response, which illustrates the Circle of Life:

“Whine? no. Wine? Yes.” Is my all time favorite. For “some” of us it’s a cyclical thing. The Wine helped to bring about the petite ones, who now bring about the Whining that brings the mommy BACK to the Wine. See? I can justify ANYTHING.

So congratulations, Erin, for winning the American Apparel shirt with “Got Mistletoe?” spelled out in Swarovski crystals from PlanetMomTshirts.com! Also, for making me spit Cheerios on my keyboard.

Everyone else, please go over to PlanetMomTshirts.com, where they sell apparel embroidered with irreverent expressions geared toward moms, and give them a little holiday lovin’. And send me pics of you in your shirts! I’ll post them the week after Christmas.

Friday, November 30, 2007 Fun Finds

This is a sticky entry for a contest ending ~~Dec. 15!~~ Dec. 5! Scroll down for fresh content.

Isn’t mistletoe great? It gives you an excuse to plant a wet one on the object of your affection, all under the guise of spreading the joy of the season! And, now you have a chance to win this American Apparel shirt with “Got Mistletoe?” spelled out in Swarovski crystals!

It comes from PlanetMomTshirts.com, where they sell apparel embroidered with irreverent expressions geared toward moms.

To enter, just post your favorite Planet Mom phrase and why it’s so. A winner will be picked by ~~December 15~~ December 15.

Update: I don’t know what I was thinking—December 15?? Who wants to wait that long and have so little time to wear the shirt? We’re moving it up!

or kiss me. whichever.

Saturday, November 24, 2007 Fun Finds

I first saw the Become Santa site in a list of great web site designs, but the functionality is what grabbed me. This is an awesome way to write a letter to your kids from Santa!

And it’s not just for the kids, either! I’ve been entertaining myself writing letters for friends and family. Not to be sent, of course. But still very funny.

go play!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 Fun Finds

I nearly wet myself in excitement when I found CatalogChoice.org. I get anywhere from five to ten catalogs a day in the mail, and I want to weep for the wasted time, money, paper and effort that winds up in my recycling bin without ever been opened.

Go there now. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Sign up.
Fill out our online registration form using your name and primary mailing address. Your contact information will only be used for the purpose of declining (opting-out of) catalogs. See our privacy policy for more details.

Step 2: Find your catalogs.
Find and decline your catalogs, using the Catalog Choice search facilities. We’ll then contact the catalog providers on your behalf, requesting that your name be removed from their mailing lists.

Step 3: See the results.
It can take up to ten weeks to process your request, after which time you should no longer receive your declined catalogs. If you do continue to receive them, you can return here to report the infraction, and we’ll follow up with the merchant.

Catalog Choice is designed for your continued use. Upon receipt of additional unwanted catalogs, return here to decline them. As a registered user, you’ll also discover additional features related to declining catalogs at multiple addresses, adding new catalogs to our database, recording personal notes, and “going paperless”.

this may take a while

Friday, October 05, 2007 Me, Me, Me, Fun Finds

I was totally stuck for ideas for today’s JC Penny post… until about 7:45 this morning, that is.

Note: About the Fall Shopping Guide
The Federated Media Fall Shopping Guide, brought to you by JCPenney and the new Chris Madden Collection, is debuting for the 2007 season, bringing together the most influential voices in the parenting, women’s lifestyle, travel & leisure communities.The Fall Shopping Guide features authors of the best and most influential independent parenting, cooking & home accessories web sites that exist today, including: Dooce, Celebrity Baby Blog, Amalah Craftzine, Paper Napkin, Sweetney, The Mommy Blog, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and Parent Hacks.

trust the Fates to give me fodder

Thursday, October 04, 2007 Workbits, Web/Tech, Fun Finds

I was sitting here trying to think of a clever introduction to this topic and kept giggling about the exchange that went on to arrange this mention. Well, as usual, I gotta go with what brings the funny.

So. Shannon Davis wrote to say she enjoyed the blog and appreciated finding someone with a similar life to hers. She asked about sponsorships, etc., because she recently launched a new business that she think our readers might be interested in.

Beyondmotherhood.com is an online job board that connects employers with the “untapped"workforce, stay at home mothers. There are thousands of educated and experienced moms nationwide looking for flexible opportunities.... and Beyondmotherhood.com wants to connect them with employers.”

Hey, sounds excellent to me! I need some of that!

She continued, “My funds are a little low (or should I say nonexistent) at this point …but once the site gets going I can purchase some ads from you. Sorry for the scattered response…my son is busy spraying the kitchen down with water as I type…got to love it!”

I responded, “Okay, that’s twice I nearly spit cranberry juice on the keyboard. Once when I read “nonexistent” because we are the poor leading the poor… and then again about your son. Last night, I went out to water the trees in pots, and noticed that the curly hose with the sprayer wasn’t attached to the main hose, so I screwed it on. As soon as I turned on the water, the curly hose exploded into a fountain, swinging and thrashing from the pressure of the water shooting out of two very clean cuts in the hose. Hmm. No one had any idea how the hose was cut, but they all agreed that I sure did get wet.”

And the capper: “Hilarious! Sounds like my life…as I sit here covered in tomato sauce! The glamour of being a mom!”

So, considering the immediate and obvious intersection of shared business objectives and the connectedness of our visions, I encourage you to visit Beyondmotherhood.com, and hope to benefit myself from their services. See? Told you I only promote things I would use myself!

Come on, girls, we need each other, and if anyone is going to understand that you’ve got a lot to contribute even though you’re chasing after little ones, it’s other moms with a lot to contribute who are chasing after little ones. Please check it out and help flesh out both the employment offers and candidate pool!

Also? I'm a sucker for a well-designed and organized site!

TheMommyBlog