My friend Marcy and I apparently took some insanity pills in mid-June and just one day decided that we’d launch a network of regional websites dedicated to bringing writing back to blogging. The goal is to give readers everywhere one great post a day. Just an essay-style post about whatever that writer wanted to write about that day.

And we did it. And it’s good. Damn good.

Within three weeks from said insanity-pill-ingesting moment, we had launched TheSmartly.com and TheSmartlyOC.com. Yesterday, we launched TheSmartlyChicago.com and TheSmartlyLA.com. Next up? Well, New York and Silicon Valley, natch. And any other market where we can gain a critical mass of writers willing to write a couple of posts per month.  We are building an entire Empire of Awesome.

So, that’s why HMWW has been neglected, but won’t be forever. The random posts here will return. I actually have a lot of pent up randomness from not posting here in a long time so brace yourselves…

But, for now, you would be doing me a HUGE favor if you check out our Smartly sites. And become a Smartly fan on Facebook (or, are we supposed to call fb people “Likers” now?). And follow Smartly on Twitter. And tell your friends about Smartly. Oh, and if you have your own website and want to add a Smartly button to it, you can find that here.



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You are one of the people who get it.

You understand stuff, feel stuff, know stuff and more importantly you write stuff.

So that is why we are inviting you to join a  new national collective website for writers.

SMARTLY

Okay let’s back up a little. Earlier this month a very popular regional blog site (SV Group) announced it was going to close its virtual doors. Leaving hundreds of talented and fabulous writers looking for another active community to share their skills. This was the catalyst for Marcy Massura (The Glamorous Life Association) and Andrea Memenas (that would be me) to create a new site (actually multiple sites) and we are inviting  you to join us.

Smartly is not about pimping products or brands.

It is not about vlogging or whrrls or even photography.

Smartly is not a mommy thing. (Yes, Men, you are invited too!)

Smartly is not just a front to generate manipulated page views for generating advertising income either.

Smartly is genuine, clever and…SMART.

Essay style posts, written by a select group of writers who can commit to contributing one or two posts per month.

Tech, politics, humor, style, opinion, commentary, parenting and just about anything that strikes your fancy.

Talk about what interests you. Because what interests you will interest our readers.

In addition to the main site, TheSmartly.com (under-construction), we will be launching with the following cities:

Not located in one of these cities? Don’t worry- we would love to have you post on the main site.

Ready to get on the ground level of something that is fresh, new and SMART?

Please enter your info on this form- with links to your writing samples and/or blogs (blog NOT NECESSARY) and we will be in touch shortly.

APPLY HERE

Sincerely and Smartly,

Andrea & Marcy

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Not sure if anyone sells this heavenly-sounding libation, but someone should. If you want the shirt, you can buy it here.

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I turned 40 today. And, for as depressed as I always thought I’d be when this day came, I couldn’t be happier. Truly. I’m 40 and I feel great. Here are my reasons why:

1. I have more self-confidence than ever before. (But, does this blog make my butt look big?)
2. I’ve become an emotionally and mentally stronger person as I’ve gotten older. I’m not easily intimidated by others. In my younger years, I avoided confrontation. I don’t go seeking it out now, but I’m not afraid of it either.
3. I finished P90X this past week and I’m physically in the best shape I’ve been in since before having kids. It’s an empowering feeling, and I have a really big sense of accomplishment about the entire thing. So, watch out or I’ll kick your ass [a little bit].
4. I see nothing but tremendous opportunity with my business and my professional life. I love working for myself and I won’t have it any other way.
5. I know myself and have accepted who I am. I know I need 8 hours of sleep or I turn into a witch. I know that I NEED time to myself or I become a crazy person. I know my boobs and butt will never as firm as I would like them to be. I know that as much as I wish I did, I don’t like to eat zucchini. These things may seem insignificant, but they’re not. Knowing these things helps you shortcut a lot of life’s crap.
6. I know that my childbearing years are over, so now my super-frickin’-awesome husband and I can focus on our kids and all of the fun things that we can do as they get older.
7. I have kinda, sorta, maybe have learned to say ‘no’.
8. I have shed the minivan. Yes, the day has come. Last week I replaced my Honda Odyssey (which was my 4th minivan) with a Ford Flex. Call it mid-life crisis; call it moving on.  Whatever you call it, that car rocks and I love it
9. I can still go out and have a great time, as evidenced by all of my birthday celebrations over the last 2.5 weeks (and the several vodka-sodas with a splash of grapefruit that helped lube the way)
10. I can still breakdance. I’m not kidding.

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This is where I stayed while in New Orleans last week…for 5 days…without kids or spouse…with only my BFF of 28 years. It’s the Hotel Monteleone and it’s fabulous, and it’s also completely haunted. There are all sorts of ghostly experiences people are having there all of the time. The International Society of Paranormal Research even investigated it, and made contact with more than a dozen “earthbound entities”.

Last Wednesday at around midnight, while at the hotel, we thought we were having our own ghostly experience when we heard a thump on the door and then watched as the door handle jiggled. Someone was trying to get in. You can imagine our relief when we saw it was just a drunk, middle-aged, white guy in Dockers and a golf shirt, too drunk to find his own room, so he proceeded to hurl jambalaya all over our door. We could hear the heaving and the *splat* when the cajun-flavored vomit hit the floor. I have a picture and some video (rice, chicken, sausage and all) of it, but I thought I would show you the hotel photo instead.

Seriously, Hotel Monteleone was fantastic – great location, great service, beautiful hotel. It’s not their fault the French Quarter is full of conference attendees who can’t handle their Hurricanes.

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The babes in the video:

Becky of Hippo Brigade

Marcy of The Glamorous Life Association and Publications

Roxanne of Me and My Monster

Kara Noel of Eli’s Lids

Suz Broughton of Alive in Wonderland and OCFamily (she masterminded this video and edited it together. She has mad skillz!)

And little old, baby-throwing me (who clearly needs a few shots of Botox to rid herself of the nasty wrinkles that are so effectively highlighted in the video).

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These pictures are from the world-renowned Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. I was fortunate enough to spend the better part of a day there last week being treated like a Queen at the Spa. This is the view of the pool, which you have access to if you get a treatment there. Best, most luxurious spa I’ve ever been to (and the major bonus was that my masseuse was a hottie! Yes, it was a ‘he’.)

Hip Tip #348: Having a man who’s not your husband rub oil all over your body in a dark room is not considered cheating…if the man is a masseuse.

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Here are some tips to follow:

1. Economize your words. There’s nothing worse than opening an email that’s 2,000 words long. If you have that much to say, just make a phone call. Keep your emails short and succinct. Cut the fluff. Get to the point. Less is more in the land of e-communications. If you have trouble with this, write your email and then go back and trim 50% of it. You’ll be surprised how efficiently you can get your message across.

2. Think before you write. If you can’t say anything nice about someone, definitely don’t put it in writing. Seriously, if you want to complain about someone or something, make a phone call. Emails are easily forwarded and sometimes the forwarder doesn’t realize what they’re sending is incriminating or does so inadvertently. Emails have the power to get people into loads of trouble. Keep that in mind when writing one.

3. “Reply to All” is almost NEVER an option. This one really gets me. If a mom from school emails all 70 parents in the 1st grade with some sort of update, I do NOT need to get the 30 emails from people on the distribution list writing back (and replying to all) with, “Thanks!”. If the baseball coach wants to schedule a extra practice and sends a note asking if your child can make it, I do not need to know that Johnny has diarrhea and won’t be there. It has no bearing on whether or not my child will be able to attend. If your “reply to all’ does not somehow offer value to those other than the email’s originator, just hit “reply” instead. Please. No, really, PLEASE!

4. Using the BCC field. If you’re emailing a large distribution list, do not put everyone in the TO: field. Put their emails in the BCC: field instead.  This hides the email addresses from everyone receiving the email.  Another option is to create a distribution list or group within your email client. This is ideal if you email the same group of people over and over. (School Room Moms, I’m talking to you…)

5. Be careful what and how you forward. Sometimes you’re emailed a good joke or funny video and you want to forward it. OK. That’s fine, as long as you do so sparingly. Also, if the content is NSFW (not safe for work) do your friends a favor and do NOT email it to their work email address. Send it to a personal account only. (Side note: my husband once received an email and when he opened it, a voice began shouting “Hey, Everybody! I’m looking at porn! I’m looking at porn on my computer!” I actually think that’s freakin’ hilarious, but it’s really not a very nice prank to play on someone…)

6. Never, ever forward a chain email. I DESPISE chain emails. I hate receiving them and feeling obligated to forward it to 7 wonderful women so that something miraculous will happen to me within 10 minutes. When’s the last time you experienced a miracle after sending an email? Exactly. Just say no to chain emails. Observation: Chain emails are sent by women 99% of the time.

Got any to add?

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Via: Online Schools

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