A Blogher Giveaway! It Will Burn A Hole.

Something so fun for and so important to women bloggers is right around the corner now — Blogher ‘08.  The conference where we attend sessions where bloggers are teaching bloggers about all things blogging. Where the parties are legendary (and important for business) and the caliber of cute shoes will be off the charts.

So if you are going, and, like me, are wishing you had some extra money to help get you there or to spend irresponsibly while in San Fran seeing the sights — I am your new best friend.

HP has not only generously sponsored part of my trip, but they want to help one of you fabulous Blogher go-ers out too.  HP is giving away $250 to one lucky Blogher ‘08 attendee!!  You spend it how you wish.  $250 in sushi, $250 in the gift shop of The Westin, or just $250 to bribe Dooce to autograph your boobs notebook.  Whatever floats your boat.  The only catch is that you have to actually be going to the Blogher Con.

A couple other people have had this giveaway, and if you didn’t (or don’t) win there, you still have ONE more chance to win here.

How to enter:  Twitter about this contest, with the link to this post, and leave me a comment tor email me telling me you tweeted so I can be sure to see it.  If you don’t do Twitter (really??) then you can post about it on your blog, leaving me a comment so I know you did it.  That’s it.  Contest runs until next Monday, July 7th, winner will be picked at random.  Good luck!

Simma Down, Mamas

Just so all you fine people are in the loop…we mommybloggers won’t let the crabs drag us back down into the pot (aka “crab mentality“).

Go read here.  Spread love, not war.

There’s Hope

Yesterday I mentioned that today I was posting a big giveaway…well, it’s delayed a bit more until I can get some technical details worked out.  Sorry to get you all worked up about it, but maybe I should just start seeing how long I can drag this out?  Hmmm…

In the mean time, and while I’m at the Babywearing Conference today, please go read about what happened to me yesterday with my son, and the immense hope it gave me.  There is hope for the hopeless.

Inspiration

One thing that I find utterly fascinating, which I’m sure most of you all *don’t*, is writing about writing.  Blogging about blogging.  Talking about what to talk about.  It’s all so very Seinfeld, and often quite hilarious (again, probably just to me).

I’m guest posting over at Jo-Lynne’s home, Musings of a Housewife today, talking about what I want to talk about.  Or something.

It got me thinking about what specifically inspires me to write, to blog.  What inspires you?

Some days it’s a funny thing my child said, like yesterday when my son was attempting to insult his brother and said “Charlie only likes pretties, and I like awesomes”.  That kid cuts deep, I tell ya.  Or when I was perplexed by repeated phone calls from Direct TV telling me they were coming to my house for an upgrade, and when they never arrived I found out they went to my mom’s house (figure that one out for me, because I can’t).

Other times it’s a look in my baby’s eye, that little sparkle that tells me he loves me.  Or the intriguing way his tiny teeth push through the gums, one by one, ever so slowly (goodness are they slow).  Onlly a tiny white speck peeking out on some, others quietly bulging waiting their inevitable turn.

Those things remind me of life.  Of beauty.  Miracles.

Most of the time I don’t plan out my posts unless there’s a burning topic I can’t wait to share.  Or a giveaway (finally tomorrow I will be posting a biggy!).  Typically I go with what moves me in the moment, perhaps a stunning photo I accidentally took of someone or something, and it sends me off on a thought process of just how important my family is to me.  Or how funny life can be.  Or how awesome blogging about blogging really is.

I like to think if Seinfeld had a blog he’d be talking about blogging.  And it’d be genius.  But he wouldn’t have the baby sparkle.  That’s one thing I have that he doesn’t.  That and the never ending laundry pile, but still.

Nom Nom Nom, Blog Nosh Is Here

We’ve been working behind the scenes to get Blog Nosh Magazine, the brain child of Megan at Velveteen Mind, up and running and today’s our big launch!  We bring you yummy information and untapped talent.  I’m proud to be a Blog Nosh Editor, and hope to help make Blog Nosh Magazine one of your first stops in the day for a fun and exciting read.  We find it, you devour it.  Come check it out and see what you think!

What I’m Up To

The business of trying to prop up two fledgling new careers (mine and hub’s), on top of working really hard at not losing our minds each day as we battle back and forth with autism and it’s havoc on our home, does not leave much time for writing most days.

Especially today.

So I figured I’d tell you about what I’m up to, what I’m reading, who I’ve got my eye on today.

I’m reading about Growing Your Traffic over at Rocks in my Dryer, great info for veteran or newbie bloggers.

Fussy is reminding us all to Stop Poisoning Ourselves, at her Fussypants blog.  Don’t even think about walking into your house with your shoes on after reading her post.

Steph at Adventures in Babywearing has posted belly pic of the painting that Ashlee and I created this weekend.  The Tree of Life, like you’ve never seen it before.

I’m still enjoying the sugar high off our Cookies By Design treats that they so generously donated to Steph’s baby shower this weekend.  They were a hit, so look for more about them in an upcoming Baby Shower guide from Mama Speaks.

Also, have you checked out NewBaby.com yet?  They are like a YouTube for moms, where you can post videos, create playlists and connect with other moms of kids of all ages.  You can archive your videos (to keep your hard drive purring) and share them with family and friends.  A safe place to go when those nasty YouTubers are getting you down.

That should all keep you busy for a while…check back tomorrow when I’ll have a huge giveaway to tell you about!

Friends Of A Feather

Have you ever had so much fun that you had to literally physically recover from the brain?  Today I’m moving like an 80 year old woman.  Prying my eyes open and propelling my aching body out of bed was such a feat that I’m kind of offended that I didn’t get a medal for achieving it.  What a weekend.

Saturday started our Mama Speaks getaway, where BossLady Ashlee treated Steph and I (the only writers who could attend) to treatments at the spa including a one hour Swedish massage and citrus hand and foot treatments.  Oh.  Magosh.  Incredible.  My first ever massage, and let’s just say it was the first of many (do you hear me, dear husband?).  We laughed, we bonded even more, we wore warm lavender mitts:

We noticed all the funny chotckes, like a cat with a suit on holding a cello, a frog candelabra, and a Victorian poodle with a wig on who honestly looked a little melancholy:

Afterwards there we painted a tree of life on Steph’s pregnant belly, ate yummy Popeye pizza and watch a sweet movie before heading off to dreamland.  Sunday brought nothing but lies and laughter and the biggest surprise I’ve ever been a part of. Eliciting faces like these:

But you can read all about that over here.  Amazing, exhausting, uplifting and some of the most fun I’ve ever had.  Ever.

I hope all of you are blessed to be surrounded by people who you love and love you back.  And at the very least, I hope you run off and get a chotchke or two.  The conservation of Victorian poodles depends on it.

Summer Top Ten: The Beach

It’s officially the summer, and my body is aching to be out in it and not just observing from the reflection in my computer screen.  Lazy days, late daylight, all of it screams relaxation.

Ashlee has us all writing our top ten things we love about summer, and so I’m joining in.  Today my mind is at the beach, and I wish my body was there too.  Living on the west coast for the last several years before moving to the Midwest, our summers were planned around beach outings and long beach vacations.  My family rents a house on the beach and tons of us and our significant others and our kids and our friends all squeeze into the house, trying to find a bed somewhere (usually on the floor), just so we can hear the ocean while we sleep.  Every single summer, our vacation is at the beach.  Even now that my “beach” is on Lake Michigan, I still can’t get enough.

My top ten things I love about the beach:

1.  The Water–nothing like sitting and looking out over the massiveness of the water.  Ocean or Lake, it’s a sight to behold.  The water seems to know that I love it.  The salty ocean is my favorite, spraying me and hitting me with it’s waves.  The strength is overwhelming.

2.  The Sand–I am continually amazed at the endless amount of things you can do and make with sand.  Laying on it to warm up, digging your feet it, making a pillow, a castle, all of it.  I love how it’s totally acceptable to have sand everywhere when you’re living or staying at the beach.  I love showers with a pile of sand on the bottom, showing the remnants of another fun day.

3.  The Sun–There’s really no escaping the sun when you are at the beach.  It’s warmth seems to pierce you all the way to your brain, relaxing you to the core.  We all wear sunscreen, but getting that golden look and seeing my kids brown up every so slightly is yet another sign that summer is upon us.

4.  Cool nights–As the summer day will go on, eventually you reach into your beach bag and pull out a sweatshirt, a jacket, something to stave off the chill.  But that chill is perfect.  I can’t get enough. Which brings us to…

5.  Bonfires–At least one night of our beach vacation we make sure to snag one of the big fire pits along the beach and we have to sit next to it all day to make sure no one else gets it.  By the time the sun goes down we have the wood and the chairs and the marshmallows and the wine and the beach party continues.

6.  The Boardwalk–Our favorite vaca spot is in San Diego, and the boardwalk is a source of major entertainment.  The people watching is legendary, and certain characters are so well known that we are disappointed if we don’t have at least one sighting during our visit.  On such a person is “Flash”.  A man who is tall and tan and lean and rollerblades in only a thong.  But that’s not all…he paints his tush and sort of dresses up in some theme.  His 4th of July “outfit” is the American flag painted across his cheeks with another flag (with the stick) stuck between them.  The cheeks, that is.  It’s horrifying and hilarious and we always hope to see Flash every year.

7.  The Sunset–Oh man.  The sunsets draw visitors in their own right, and as the sun is making it’s adieu, on-lookers all stop in their tracks.  You look left and right and every single person is stopped and staring.  If you’re lucky, you’ll even see a Green Flash.

8.  The Smells–The salty, sweaty amazing scents of the beach immediately bring back the best of memories.  One whiff of a coconut tanning lotion and I’m 16 again.

9.  The Food–The snow cones that are the best in the world, the grilled food including baked potatoes and corn, the fresh pinneaple, and of course the ice cream.  You are never on a diet at the beach.

10.  The Family–The beach wouldn’t be the same without all of my family coming together.  We play card games, and talk until the wee hours and laugh endlessly.  We also usually have at least one theme party (last year was a Tiki Party theme) and we all dress up and my mom plans at least one craft that we are all forced to do but love it anyway.  All sleeping in the same house reminds us of growing up together, and hanging out all the beach all day long, playing frisbee in the surf, horseshoes in the sand, and napping side by side on our beach towels.  By the end of our vacation we are sad to leave, it hurts our heart even, but we know we will all be back there together again.  And we count the days.

Boy-A-Tude

My 3yo is destined to be an artist in some way, and one of his many gifts is his way with words.   A writer in training?  I would love it. Because, if you combine his attitude with his intuitive and creative nature–well, be prepared for an adventure into the English language.

Just today, we’ve witnessed the following:

After a discussion about chipmunks eating nuts he said, “What is it I said again?  Oh yeah, I want to give chickenmonks coconuts.”.

Then a little while ago, after talking about looking up wasps on the internet, and he said, “What?!  We could look up anything?  Even monkey butts??!!!!!”.

After meeting a new friend at the park called Armando, he insisted on calling him “Golden”, instead.  Maybe he knew something about “Armando” that we didn’t know?

No matter what crazy thing is coming out of his mouth, it’s sure to entertain and sure to be dunked in a good bath of attitude and self importance.  Let’s not forget the legendary applesauce conversation or the fact that when he’s older he will grow a beard and not listen to me.  I can hardly wait.

What funny thing did your children say today?

Pure Bliss

I’m adding another gig to my expanding list of places to write (I know, but I have a lot to say!), and this time I am now one of the Domestic Divas at Blissfully Domestic, and will be writing about all things Special Needs.

My first post is up today, so please head over there and give me some comment love, and check out all the other fabulously helpful and informative posts that make up the Blissful neighborhood.