Method Mavens Unite (A Giveaway!)
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A couple nights ago I had the privilege of being one of three hostesses for a fabulous Method Maven party downtown in Chicago (go here to learn all about Method products and go here to read their blog). We’ve been planning on the party for weeks, however our lovely sponsors required nothing of us except for a guest list.
I’m already a big fan of Method, having raved about them at Mama Speaks, but to be called a Method Maven? Well, I was beyond giddy.
After Steph and I drove downtown with our respective mothers (and of course Princess Ivy), we arrived a bit early and partook in the tom foolery of a free photo booth. We took pictures with Method products, made crazy faces, and generally made goofs of ourselves. That was when my addiction set it, and throughout the night I’d re-visit the booth a total of NINE times (I’ll have all the photo booth pics up on Flickr very soon). I could not get enough, people. What can I say? It had great lighting and only cost me my reputation as a serious professional. A bargain, I say.
Throughout the night, almost all of my favorite local Chicago-land area ladies showed up and we enjoyed gourmet food, plenty of wine and best of all–crafting with one of my favorite people around, Danny Seo. He’s a famous eco chic designer (you may have seen him as the guest judge on this week’s Top Design on Bravo) and an environmental lifestyle expert, and gave us a tutorial on how to create fun designs and re-glaze old recycled plates. He was also very sassy, which I loved:
(Jen, Danny, Steph & Ivy)
We crafted, we drank, we explored all the gorgeous Method products, and we laughed over and over again. The Method store is a pop up shop, only open for a month in Chicago while they held these parties. It was stocked with all the products we know and love, while the entire back of the store was a mid-century modern dwelling that I was wishing I didn’t have to ever leave. The staff were friendly and stayed out of our way (which is a must) and not once did anyone try to sell us anything. No presentations on products, no suggestions of purchases, and in fact the only time they talked to us about the products was when they were telling everyone about the huge goody bag full of products we were each getting to take home.
It was a fabulous evening, one I really needed, and I want to thank Method and Brand About Town for putting this shindig on!
But that’s not all…
Method gave the Mavens something so that all of you can take part in the fun too. I have a big bag of goodies to giveaway! One winner will receive the the entire bath line (all 5 items) and a stylish Method reusable bag to carry with you everywhere. The Lil Bowl Blu alone is enough to make this giveaway rock my socks. It’s bananas.
There are a few ways to enter, and you can increase your chances by doing all three! 
1. Comment on this post telling me your favorite Method product and favorite scent. Mine’s the baby bubble bath and cucumber.
2. Get two additional entries by tweeting about this contest (make sure to comment with your tweet!)
3. Get three additional entries by grabbing my blog button on the right and putting it on your site/blog (again, let me know you did it).
So yeah, you can get a total of SIX entries by doing all three things. Cool, right?
The Method store is open until Sunday, but you can always get the products from their website. Contest ends on Wednesday October 15th at 11:59pm. Winner chosen at random. Good luck!
Begging For Mercy
I recently had to create a video about myself for a job interview (which I will share more about very soon!) and I thought it would be fun to share it here. It was fun to make, and the only hard part was containing my spaz-goofball-carni-self from coming out. Turn your sound up and enjoy!
Begging For Mercy from To Think Is To Create on Vimeo.
Oh Baby, That Hair
My youngest is 16 months old, and could very well be my last baby. I find myself feeling more bittersweet than ever as I watch him grow like a weed and stand up to his two big brothers all on his own (smacking their faces is his weapon of choice).
So, not surprisingly, one of the things I’m holding on to right now is his hair. Not literally holding on (although I do play with it a lot…so silky!), but holding on to his baby look. He’s never had his hair cut, and I know how that first meeting with scissors can make baby boys turn into big boys, and all at once my baby will officially disappear. Leaving me in a puddle on the floor.
My family has launched a full fledged campaign to try and convince me, pressure me and cajole me into cutting his hair, but it’s not…um…cutting it. I won’t do it. You can’t make me. You’re not the boss of me.
I mean, just look at this:
How could I possibly? He’s been accused of having a mullet, but I propose mullets are back in style. It’s a baby mullet, or, a “bullet”. Bullets are the new black.
How about this: as soon as he can say the words “I want my hair cut off so I look way older”, then I’ll let scissors get near him. Until then? Accept the bullet, beyotches.
Linky Link
By now you’ve probably noticed it looking a bit shiny and new around here, and I’m so thrilled to have this new design! The green, the life, the happy, the wood, it’s all so me. The girls at Ruby & Roja made me pretty, and if you are wanting a fresh look definitely check them out! They are talented and lovely and easy to work with. They even put up with my picky self. Also, Heather at Desperately Seeking Wordpress is the master installer, and her fabulousness knows no bounds!
I finally have a button for you to put up and link to me from your blog, check it out and let me know of your linky link!
Blockage: 5 Steps To Overcoming Writer’s Block
Being flooded in and losing internet for almost a week means that I got out of my writing groove. I’m reluctant to report that it’s very easy for me to get out of this groove, and it happens when I’m not writing regularly and doing things like taking a shower or raising my children instead. I do all kinds of things to get past writer’s block, but this time around it’s harder than in the past. So, to get past my writer’s block, I decided to write a post about overcoming writer’s block. Sneaky, eh?
5 Steps to Overcoming Writer’s Block
1. Stop Trying. Stop trying to write, stop staring at the blank screen and start reading, instead. Reading your favorite blogs, find new undiscovered blogs, or better yet, finding anything fiction, can all help kick start that creative place in your brain that seems to have fallen asleep. If reading the news works for you, great, but the latest gloom and doom always seems to squelch creativity for me even more.
2. Get Out. Getting away from the computer altogether and heading outside can make you feel alive, when the lack of words on the screen can make you feel like sludge. Take time to really slow down, notice tiny details. The web on the porch out front, the many shades of green in your lawn, the work the ants are doing on that rogue crumb left behind by someone. All these things are miracles, works of art, and pure inspiration.
3. Give Yourself Some Space. What is your writing space like? Is it messy and cluttered, with unpaid bills lying next to you moaning about their neglect? Are children or other family members allowed unfettered access and therefore constantly interrupting your brain momentum? Clean out your space–of things and people–and watch your energy return.
4. Jump In. Don’t get caught up trying to figure out the first sentence or paragraph of your next article/post. If you have a funny story or a great quote to include, start writing it and see where it takes you. Even going into free writing or stream of consciousness-type journaling can help unclog the drain in your head. Go back later and fill in the gaps during the editing process, and you’ll find your momentum again.
5. Pencil It In. Establishing a routine each day, and getting into a habit or writing at the same time and place can do wonders for your soul. Even if you are a non-schedule person, you’re still a creature-of-habit-non-schedule-person, so setting up a routine that involves sitting down and jotting down some thoughts is a great way to release those angsty village gates.
Hopefully these ideas can kick start your mind…now I’m off to try some of these myself!
Inspiration
While we recover from the flooding and work to get internet service back, allow me to show you some oldies but goodies…
Originally published October 1, 2007…
Last night at 1am after I finally got all my boys in bed, I managed to crawl into the shower and just breathe. The shower is my own special sanctuary, and I try to get the water as hot as I can stand. I let it run over my aching neck and back and pray the baby doesn’t wake.
I stayed in the shower for a good 30 minutes (probably my longest shower ever) and thought about the things that have been inspiring me lately. Small things like looking at the big tree in our backyard, noticing 3 bright red leaves right at the top, and looking forward to when the entire tree is fiery and glowing. Beautiful things like how perfect the weather is lately, or watching my sister’s pregnant belly grow day, by day, by day. Fun things like the quirky music on my ipod, how my baby holds on to my chest for dear life when he sleeps, and the way my puppy snores loudly when she goes to sleep after her nightly walk. I even reflected on things not so great…like the extra baby weight that isn’t coming off this time around, the incessant way my older boys bicker, or the ridiculous amount of hair that is falling out of my head every day (darn you postpartum hormones!). So many little moments in life, such peace and profound beauty.
All these things can inspire creative writing in someone, and I love taking time to ponder each and every moment. As I gave in and finally accepted it was time to turn off the water and return to the real world, I thanked God for my little respite, for the warmth and the quiet. I thanked Him for the good times and the bad, and for keeping baby asleep just a little bit longer.
Makes Perfect Sense
While we recover from the flooding and work to get internet service back, allow me to show you some oldies but goodies…
Originally published September 28, 2007
Overheard just now…
Jamie (to Charlie): “You’re a poopyhead.”
My Sister: “Don’t say that, say you’re sorry.”
Jamie: “I’m sorry poopyhead.”
Sis: “No, say he’s not a poopyhead.”
Charlie: “He’s not a poopyhead.”
Sis: “No! Jamie, say, “you’re not a poopyhead”.”
Jamie: “I’m not a poopyhead.”
Sis: “Never mind.”
Adventures In Babywearing: Part 4
In case you hadn’t already heard (and weren’t following along with her labor via Twitter), my dear friend Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing had her sweet baby girl yesterday morning. Her name is Ivy LaRue, and you can see from her photo that she is absolute perfection.
I’m too sick to visit Ivy at the moment, but I can’t wait to finally meet face to face the little person in the belly that I’ve known for months. Steph had a home birth, so be sure to check back with her to read the story as soon as she posts it. Having two home births myself, I can tell you it’s an experience that is beyond words. Who uses “fun” and “relaxing” as a way to describe childbirth? Well, I did, and Steph did too this time around.
Go over and give her some love, along with the rest of the internets!
Flood? What Flood?
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that we’ve had a rough weekend. With Ike having descend upon the Country, many have it far worse than us right now. But we are not without our special brand of drama. This is a picture from yesterday looking out from my driveway:
Yeah, we’re experiencing a *tiny* bit of flooding. I took this picture standing in my garage, so you can see where the water was. Some really not smart person thought they were cool and tried to drive our street. Since it finally stopped raining, the waters have receded somewhat, but it seems like this is going to take a long time to drain away.
With the Country focused on Texas, I’m pretty sure most people don’t realize the serious flooding going on in this area (Chicago/Northwest Indiana). Our town received about 15 inches of rain in two days. Seriously.
Thankfully we’ve not had any damage, but we have had close calls (like the pump getting overwhelmed and the water being a few small inches from flooding our basemnt), which means that our nerves are shot.
The kids alternate between being really excited and wanting to swim in it and asking if we can go buy a boat, and totally freaking out because they are so massively off routine and don’t understand “what is wrong with this world” (as my 4yo put it).
If you look in that picture you’ll see the two small transformer boxes on the right hand side. The one on the left? That’s our internet. Yeah. Mama is blogging from her sister’s house down the street right now.
It’s almost time to close the laptop and hike up my sweats and step into the frigid cold water and wade back down to my house. I’m hoping I don’t encounter any wild life swimming around along the way, because slipping and dropping my computer and my phone in the river-that-used-to-be-my-street would really not be cool. At all.
But we are very grateful, because yes, it could be SO. much. worse.
Video Interview: 5 Minutes for Mom
I finally had the courage to post this, despite the fact that I’m all shy and puffy on camera (note to self: professional video shoots are best when not straight off a 4 hour flight).
Come see my video interview where I talk about what it’s like in my world.
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