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oh right! i have a blog!

Melissa 2 Comments

I feel like I never write on my blog anymore.

When I started this site I was a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers.  My family had no clue what a blog even was when I sent them the link to my new site. I didn’t even have a Facebook account when I started – Twitter didn’t exist yet.

Life got more complicated. Everyone knows about the site, so as a result, I needed to be wise about what I posted here. Not that I’m complaining. Its definitely good for me to have a filter on. (Just ask one of my sisters or a good friend!)

The blog morphed into a small business. And grew into separate mom fashion blog. Amazing opportunities starting coming my way. I started making money. Eventually, it lead to me being hired by a PR firm to work on blogger outreach.

Now – somehow – I’m a full-time working mom of three, with a daughter who is almost TEN and a son who is about to be signed up for kindergarten. (SOB) I’m not sure how life whizzed by so quickly, but it did and here I am. I’m looking at 2013 with baited breath, excited and nervous about what the future will bring.

I’m happy. I love it all.

But I miss that old life sometimes. I miss not having a job besides being Mom. I miss blogging just for fun, not because I had a deadline. I miss capturing what is going on. I feel like I’m too busy to even process things, never mind record them lately.  I miss recording what my kids were doing and my completely ridiculous attempts to figure out what this motherhood thing was. I miss just jotting down a quick post about what one of my kids said that made me laugh… before SEO and keywords and disclosures and affiliate links and all that jazz.

I hope that in 2013 I can get back to that a little. I’m so busy trying to work, take care of the house and family, being a wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend… occasionally sleep…  but I really want to keep recording our lives here. I hope I can.

we’re ok!

Melissa

We made it through Sandy with minimal damage. Our swing set was damaged and our yard is a total mess, but its really not too bad!

Luckily, we didn’t lose any trees this time around and our power even stayed on except for a few blinks.

We’ve been watching in horror as our favorite spots for vacation on the Jersey Shore have been ruined. Its heartbreaking. We have so many friends who have homes there and they are worried about if their house is even still there.

Hope everyone else is ok. Nothing like a storm like this to remind you what matters.

 

is there a “barely adequate mother of the year” award?

Melissa 14 Comments

The other day, someone said something I hate to hear. “You’re the perfect mom.”

Oh sweetie. Clearly you don’t know me very well.

Yes, my kids were dressed up for church, sitting quietly together. But that was a mere 5 minute window into our day.

You didn’t see me yelling at them to get in the car. Or telling my daughter to “stop whining” while I tried to brush her crazy hair into something presentable. Or having to reason with my son over why he couldn’t wear only his Star Wars underwear and a pajama top to church (“Why can’t I? God knows what my butt looks like! He made it, Mom!”). Or the piles of laundry I stepped over on the way out the door.

I am so so far from a perfect mother. Most days I feel like a “Barely Adequate Mother.” For so many reasons. Like:

  • I bribe my kids. Its amazing what they will do for a quarter.
  • My kids call for Daddy in the middle of the night because I’m mean when they wake me up.
  • I forget things. I show up late. We’re the ones who show up at guitar lessons and have forgotten to bring the guitar.
  • I let them watch tv so I can sleep. Or work. Or just enjoy 10 minutes to myself.
  • I hate playdates. Unless they are with my friends.
  • I hate messy crafts. I don’t do Playdoh. Or glitter. NEVER glitter.
  • I lose my temper. I make them cry. I cry.

For every time I walk out of Target with a smiling, behaving children, there is probably a time I walked out with someone crying because I didn’t buy them [insert toy/book/stickers/whatever here]. For every time you see us in public looking presentable, there was probably a battle beforehand about what they were going to wear, how we will do their hair and, most likely, both.

We’re all that mom with the screaming kid. That frazzled mom hissing “STOP IT RIGHTNOWORELSE” through her teeth. That mom who looks every bit as exhausted as she feels.

You might just catch us on a good day.

skyping the day away

Melissa 1 Comment

Every time I open my computer or turn on my phone, Skype automatically is open and the conversations are zooming. It is probably the only thing on my computer and phone that I use every single day, without fail.

I love the ability to have private conversations on Skype. I have so many rooms open chatting with people that I’ve lost count. I have rooms where I ask for advise from fellow bloggers or ask for a quick retweet or like on Facebook. I have a room with my bust buddies where we talk about everything under the sun. (“What happens in the Skype room, STAYS in the Skype room”) I have a room with my sisters, I have a room with my BFF, I even have a room with my daughter where I can remind her to do her homework.

And the video chat feature is AMAZING. We love to video chat with my husband when he is traveling for work.  We even had a “Skype Christmas” with my family this year when we couldn’t make it home. Last week, I was at Disney World without my kiddos, so one night when I was watching the Main Street Electrical Parade, I video called my daughters on Skype and they were able to watch teh parade with me at home! SO amazing!

So I am really excited to be a Skype Ambassador! Over the next few months I will be doing some fun Skype experiments and sharing them with you – I will win you over to how awesome Skype is!

A status update or tweet is great for keeping up with someone’s life. A phone call is even better for connecting! Nothing replaces face-to-face contact. And with Mother’s Day coming up, why not send your mom a video greeting! Wouldn’t your mom LOVE a rocking greeting from Skype’s “Mom’s You Rock” Facebook app. It is a fun way to let your mom know how much she means to you. And the best part is, with every video created Skype will donate $1, Save The Children. Go make your video to mom today!

 

disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Skype. I received Skype credits to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

the squirrel show

Melissa 1 Comment

My cats sit and stare out the back window for hours at a time.

Staring at the squirrels.

The squirrels have gotten braver. They now come right up to the slider and stare back at the cats. Its hysterical.

I think I’m going to set up a video of my backyard and sell it at PetSmart. I bet I’d make millions!