SAHM Ramblings

Signs of Spring

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:57:00 +0000

Signs of Spring are in the air!
(or in our case... in the street)

And here's the view from above.
(Yes, I was too lazy to take the screen off the window.)

Ahhh... Spring. Being outdoors. Fresh air.

...And sidewalk chalk.

A New Slant on Technology

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:36:00 +0000

We know we're turning our kids into techno-geeks when we go to a fast food restaurant, get them a drink to share and hear this:

Let's do two-player!

But it gets even better...

Last week, I was playing with Miss K when she said pointed to the area she had designated as the play area and told me "Don't go off the screen."

The following day, while playing Littlest Pet Shop dolls with the girls, Miss M needed to run upstairs for something. She waived her hand over the play area and, without missing a beat, requested that we "Pause the game" until she got back.

Can't wait to hear what they come up with next.

Simple is as Simple Does

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:59:00 +0000

Considering that I'm a stay-at-home-mom, it's surprising to me that I don't have more time than I do. I mean, the kids are in school all day so how can I NOT manage to find time to keep an immaculate house, organize the finances, cook healthy and fabulous meals while maintaining a workout schedule?

I don't know why I can't. Each morning I wake up discouraged and go to bed wondering where the hours went. Am I spending a lot of time on Twitter or Facebook? Some, but not that much.

Do I sit on the couch eating bon bons and watching Oprah, Ellen or soaps all day? Heavens no. Days go by that I don't even turn on the TV while the kids are at school.

How is it that someone like Dara Torres can be an Olympic superstar, a mom and so much more without missing a beat? I guess it's because she incorporates tools into her life - like an HP Mini 311 laptop with Windows 7 on it.

Plus, she's just more organized. Can't get to be an Olympian with cluttered and disorganized methods of training and living. Right?

In the "Simplify My Life Sweepstakes", Mom Bloggers Club is working in conjunction with HP and Microsoft to offer three bloggers (and three lucky readers) the opportunity to walk away with their very own HP Mini 110-1100 by Studio Tord Boontje PCs.

Do I need my life simplified? While I would love to say that I staged this photo for dramatic effect, I didn't. My desk is seriously always this chaotic. (Psst... HP - notice the snazzy HP Photosmart D5160 in the corner. Hubby says we can hook it up to his computer instead but I like it too much to let him have it.) In addition to bills and blog stuff, my desk becomes the depository of school stuff that needs to be sifted through. Nobody to blame but myself though because I'm usually the one who puts it there.

How would winning this help me get organized? My desktop computer would be regifted to hubby who seriously needs a new computer... bought a new external hard drive for him for Christmas because his computer has crashed so many times in the past year that I was afraid we would eventually end up losing all our digital media (AKA photos and video of the kids since birth). The HP laptop would become my primary computer - taking up much less space in my small kitchen desk area. I would also be able to take it along to the kids' lessons and practices to be able to get some work (AKA blogging) done while not at home. But even more, I love the new Windows 7. Many people are skeptical about switching operating systems, but this one is phenomenal. From the way it helps organize media to the ability to easily put windows side-by-side for dual-tasking.

How else would it help? This HP is so portable, I could even lift it up and carry it into the kitchen to look up and use new recipes - running "How-To" videos as I cook.

Do I need it? If I have to be honest, I'll say no. Simplifying my life would probably include having NO computers at my disposal. Simple is as simple does. But since having NO computer isn't reasonable, a quality HP laptop with Windows 7 on it will be the next best thing. Mom Bloggers Club, HP and Windows 7 - please help Simplify My Life!

Want a chance to win also? Just leave a comment on my post or any of the other participants. Three winners will be randomly selected from all the entries at Mom Bloggers Club. Be sure to Tweet that you entered!

So We Teach the Kids to Cheat

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:31:00 +0000

First, I want to say thank you to anyone who voted for me to win the HP TouchSmart computer. In case you didn't see the comments attached to the prior post, the contest was deemed null and void and nobody won.

It was quite a messy thing, actually. The nature of the contest - the voting process - is designed to encourage viral marketing. Spread the word to help a friend out. Post everywhere you can think of in order to garner the most votes. The front runner when the contest was closed has a large fan base on YouTube as well as the backing of his gaming community. A few of us were working various Mom Blogging communities, Craigslist, various hobby forums and other networks. I even found out that my brother put in a plea to his business associates just so I would “owe him” if I happened to win. If you’re a sibling, you totally understand the notion of holding something over another siblings head.

Unfortunately, the problem with such voting programs is there isn't any real control over the actual votes. Hackers can do anything and blog widgets like these don’t exactly have Fort Knox security built in. So guess what happened... there was vote tampering. The guy who was in the lead had people openly bragging about having voted for him multiple times with one even offering to show others how easy it is. To make matters worse, it was discovered that someone (or multiple people) were running scripts to hike the votes. HighTechDad was able to easily locate and remove 2000 votes from the guy in the lead but he didn't run through it with a fine tooth comb. But before he even had a chance to do so, his site was hammered by an automated system that not only shut down his site but caused his service provider to suspend his account altogether. Basically, he declared the guy in front to be the winner and within minutes, the attack on his site halted. After reviewing additional information and the subsequent cease-fire once he announced the winner, he decided the contest was null and void. Although I would have preferred to win it, I'm glad that it ended the way it did rather than the front runner unduly being given the prize.

I hated that people were cheating, but what bothered me most is that it was being done by kids. When HighTechDad announced the winner (and the site attack stopped), it pretty much showed those kids that yes, cheaters could still win. Although the guy in the lead may or may not have been involved in the cheating didn't really matter. The fact that people... kids... cheated on his behalf just set a bad example. When he saw those kids bragging about it, he should have blasted them. Blocked them as friends. Publicly scolded them. Contacted their parents if he knew how. Taught them a lesson in values and ethics.

Although I would have preferred a charity receive this in lieu of nobody, I'm glad HighTechDad opted NOT to show kids that it's okay to cheat... or even to stand for someone cheating on your behalf. Regardless of whether you were aware of it or not.

Do you have a minute to spare?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Every once in a while, something comes along that has the potential to really make your day. Since I tend to spend a bit of time entering contests on various blogs, sometimes I win fun things like movie passes, gadgets or board games.

Well, tonight I found out that I'm a finalist to win a new HP TouchSmart computer from HighTechDad and HP. Just in time for Christmas, too. It's very exciting to be name one of 10 finalists. Yes, I have a 1 in 10 chance of winning. Sort of.

It's a popularity contest. The person with the most votes this Thursday at noon Pacific time will win. I hate popularity contests. But I feel like I have a great network of friends in the blogging community that can help me win. It only takes like a minute to click over and vote. There are no strings attached, you don't even have to leave your name. It's so easy that even a cave... (I hate those commercials but it just seems to fit here.)

So all that I'm asking is for you to Click here and vote. I'm #7 (SahmReviews)

...and hopefully, you'll spread the word to friends and have them vote too.

Thanks!

If I had to do it all again...

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:38:00 +0000

I don't consider myself one to get writer's block but I do get overwhelmed and find that I just do not make time for writing. Today, however, I'm writing a letter to my younger self. Why? Well, I could say that it's because I'm inspired by the holidays... but that wouldn't be entirely honest. I'm actually entering a contest at Chocolate Covered Daydreams where someone will win a Wii Fit Plus. It's not a random drawing, but is being judged. Of course, I'm hoping that all the winner will be me but this contest had an unexpected outcome. Once I started composing the letter in my head, I realized it was pretty therapeutic. I went back and changed my letter entirely. With that, here's my letter to my younger self:

===================================
Dear teenage Nicole,

What would you think if I said that 25 years from now, you'll be married to a fantastic man, have two beautiful daughters, have seen some wonderful places and be retired? As you look around, that doesn't seem very realistic, does it? You feel unpopular, ugly and sad. But I'm here to tell you that it's all true. It will happen if you stay on the right path.

You're going through a rough time, I know. I remember. But seriously, it's really not as bad as it seems. The braces will come off and you'll shed the glasses for contacts. You'll do great in school, too. Believe it or not, you WILL eventually have a boyfriend. You'll smile with confidence and make people feel at ease around you.

But I'm not going to say everything is rosy. The hard truth is that you'll find more difficulties in the future, too. Depression, an eating disorder, financial strains, infertility and depression (again) to name a few. But you'll get through it and you'll come out stronger on the other side. Alongside your husband, you'll become financially savvy. Your children will make you feel old and young at the same time. You'll see some family members leave way before their time and others live to see great-grandchildren.

Just keep a few things in mind:
- You're not perfect. Nobody is.
- You won't have the perfect life. Nobody does.
- Realize there's a difference between being hard on yourself and beating yourself up.
- You're a good person, even when you are at your lowest.
- You'll have some friends who stand with you and help you... you'll have others who use you and abandon you.
- Experience will show you that life is not fair. Some people lie and cheat to get ahead while others work hard just to make ends meet. You will get passed over for job promotions but something better will come along if you maintain a positive attitude.

It all works out eventually.

When I started this letter, I had every intention of telling you YES, apply for West Point or Harvard like you (will) consider. But then I realized that the decisions you're about to make... that I DID make... got US to where we are now. And if I had to do it all over again, I would. The same way. With all the mistakes, hardships and all.

I'll close this letter by simply saying "Hang in there. Just keep your chin up and have hope because good things happen to good people."

Sincerely,
A much older, much wiser and much more confident you.

Do You Shop Zappos.com?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Every time I turn around, I swear I'm hearing about Zappos.com. They started off selling shoes but now they've extended into housewares, too. It's only a matter of time before they add electronics and whatever else. Why do I say that? Because earlier this month, Amazon completed the acquisition of them.

I've never purchased from Zappos.com. I've never done a review for their products on SahmReviews.com, my review blog. I don't even participate in their affiliate programs. But by way of my public relations contacts, I do receive information about various promotions and contests they are running. As part of a recent press release, I found out that for THIS WEEKEND ONLY, they have opened up their VIP Club registration. Free. The offer is only available until midnight on 11/30.

So what? You don't shop there? As I said, neither do I. But once upon a time, I didn't shop at Amazon, either. And now that Amazon owns Zappos, who knows what will come. Who knows what the VIP program will bring in the long term. What I DO KNOW is that their VIP program offers free overnight shipping for life. Seriously.

I'm not being paid to share this information and I'm certainly not getting any cool products (or I would be talking about this on SahmReviews.com!) I'm sharing it because I think it's a great opportunity. Go ahead and sign up for the VIP program. It doesn't cost anything.

Oh... and by the way, once upon a time Amazon only sold books.

To the Bettendorf Box Scrounge

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Dear Box Scrounge in Bettendorf,

I woke up this morning to find cardboard strewn across my driveway. Thank you very much for putting your need for boxes over the clean way I attempted to recycle my cardboard.

You see, that very nice huge box that you took was holding all my other recyclable cardboard. When you took that box, you left behind an unsightly, unorganized mess. Thankfully, there weren't strong winds last night carrying my cardboard all across the neighborhood.

If you were in need of boxes, you could have come during the daylight hours, knocked on my door and asked. I would have said "Sure, I know what it's like to need boxes during a move or cleanup project." I probably would have even logged onto the local Craigslist and done a search for moving boxes. Then I would have given you my boxes and found another way to keep my cardboard organized for the recycling man.

If you found it necessary to take boxes in the middle of the night, you could have at least had the courtesy to bring twine along and clean up the mess you left behind.

What ever happened to common sense?

Sincerely,
Nicole, Bettendorf resident

How to Repair a Trick-or-Treat Pumpkin

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:35:00 +0000

It's trick-or-treat time! We own two orange pumpkins and one purple pumpkin. After careful discussion, the girls mutually agreed that Miss M would use the purple pumpkin for last night's festivities and Miss K could use it tonight.

...Except that Miss M managed to break the handle last night. Both girls were disappointed.

So superdad, DH, promised to fix it so Miss K could use it tonight.

To the untrained eye, this is just a Halloween trick-or-treat pumpkin. No big deal, right? Well... all you geeks out there will appreciate how DH fixed it!

(Yes, he created a handle out of Cat5 cable then crimped network ends to it to hold it in place. If we need to hook up a computer while we're trick-or-treating, we're totally set. Gotta love having a geek husband.)

Tooth Fairy's First Visit

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Last Friday morning, Miss M lost her first tooth!

Free for Des Moines Moms of Young Children

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:00:00 +0000

If you're a Des Moines area mom to a child who doesn't attend school in the afternoons, please keep reading. If you're not but know someone in the Des Moines area who is, please forward this link to them.

I've made a lot of great contacts as a result of my review blog, SahmReviews.com and I'm fortunate enough to find out about a lot of great events. Since SAHM Ramblings has local readers, I wanted to make sure to share this wonderful event sponsored by "got milk?" representatives for the Milk Mustache Campaign.

It's a sad fact that 2 out of 3 kids don't get enough calcium. But get this, kids who drink chocolate milk or other flavored milks have higher intakes of calcium than kids who don't. Duh. Chocolate milk tastes really good... I can't believe that all kids don't consume it! hehe Chocolate milk is offered as an option at my daughters' elementary school and they both often (or always) select chocolate milk to accompany their lunch.

Anyway, in an effort to raise awareness, the "got milk?" crews are on a 25 city Halloween tour around the nation. Des Moines is one of the select 25 cities celebrating this Halloween-themed event! Here's what they sent me:

Event Activities:

• Receive quick tips on how to make this Halloween a safe and healthy one

• Snap celebrity-inspired chocolate Milk Mustache photos to take home as a souvenir

• Participate in Halloween activities and answer the latest “Twivia” question posted by @MilkMustache on Twitter for a chance to win fun prizes

• Taste and learn how to make fun Halloween-themed recipes

• Sample delicious and nutritious lowfat and fat free chocolate milk from local milk processors

• Interact with fun educational museum exhibits

Sound interesting? Here are the specific details:

Date: Wednesday, October 7

Time: 12 - 2 p.m.

Location: Science Center of Iowa

401 West Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway

Des Moines, IA 50309

And it's free... Did I say that already?

If you think you'll be able to make it, please leave a comment or email me with your name and the number of people who will be attending with you. My representative said if I'm interested (or my readers) in attending, that she could bring along some goody bags especially for us! She has also offered some prizes for me to give away on my blog, SahmReviews.com and I'll be sure to post a link when I get the contest details and prize photo posted.

This should be a fun event! Be sure to follow the Milk Mustache team on Twitter for information and a chance to win prizes or keep up on their tour by becoming their Fan on Facebook. You can also check out the Why milk? website

Don't forget to leave a comment or email me if you'll be attending the event! Not in Des Moines or can't make the event? Join the Halloween Twitter party on 10/13/09!

And that's why they closed...

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:14:00 +0000

DH and I decided to have lunch at Bishop's at Southpark Mall yesterday. The last time we ate there was before we moved to California. But I had a B1G1F coupon and Bishop's French Silk pie sounded awesome.

After we ate, we walked around the mall and were amazed at how many stores were no longer in business. I guess traffic at the mall just isn't what it used to be.

I pointed at one such store by the name of "G Spot" that was obviously empty. Quick-witted DH responded "It probably closed because nobody could find it."

Front of the Line Fashion Sense

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0000

I couldn't put my finger on my 1st grader's funky sense of fashion lately. I've been trying to give her some independence when it comes to selecting her outfits but I've also tried to give her a little direction. For instance, she'll pick out a piece for the day and I'll give her suggestions about what might match it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fashionista - quite the opposite. But I try to make sure that the different pieces work together... more or less.

Well this morning, Miss M just wanted to argue with me. She wanted THIS shirt and THAT pair of shorts. The shirt was mostly dark pastels with purples, greens and blues with a small pattern. The shorts a few shades of pink, yellow, and red with large daisies and butterflies. No matter how many times I tried to tell her that they didn't work together, she just didn't want to listen.

Then it finally came out. The reason for her misguided fashion decisions lately...

"But Mom, I want to wear lots of colors so when the teacher calls a color I can get in the front of the line."

Sigh. That explains so much.

How Did My Photo Get There?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:19:00 +0000

During the course of the BlogHer Conference in Chicago, I took pictures with various people that I was excited to have the opportunity to meet. Celebrities, fellow bloggers, people I admire. Mel, my roomie at the event, brought a fancy film camera to BlogHer. I took several candid shots for her so she wasn't always using her film. Following the conference, I shared all my digital photos with her and was surprised to see all of them end up on her Flickr account. No big deal though since there wasn't anything personal, private or embarrassing. Mostly just photographs of the event, the people and the chaos. I didn't think twice about it.

Well, imagine my surprise today when I noticed that Mel posted a message on Twitter a few days ago.

I don't know how many of you surf the BlogHer website but the masthead is a photo bar that BlogHer regularly updates with fresh photographs. I've never considered submitting a photograph to it so I had no clue what Mel was talking about in her Tweet. I popped over to BlogHer to find this:

The picture on the far left is me with Donna Byrd, Publisher of The Root, following a keynote presentation at BlogHer09.

Cool.

When Free Just Isn't Good Enough

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:31:00 +0000

In an attempt to gain some control over the effects of the recession, restaurants like IHOP have been offering special promotions. IHOP, specifically, is offering "Kids Eat Free" where you get one free kids meal from the "Just for kids" menu with the purchase of each adult entree.

Yum, IHOP. I decided it sounded like a good plan for dinner because, well, I didn't have anything thawed and didn't want to cook anyhow. And IHOP was offering free dinner for the kids. I love free.

So we headed off to IHOP, with Miss M exclaiming she wanted pancakes AND some of what Dad usually orders. Miss K proclaiming that she only wanted what Dad usually orders. What does DH usually order? Country fried steak with pancakes, hashbrowns and eggs. Think they have it on the kids menu? We hoped so. Did they? Unfortunately not.

So we asked the kids what they wanted instead. Miss M agreed to just have the chocolate smiley face pancake but Miss K stood her ground. She can be a difficult eater and if she doesn't eat well then DH and I don't enjoy our meal. It's frustrating, a waste of money and a pain because then she wants to eat something else when she gets home.

So we had a plan. I would order what I wanted and get Miss M her pancakes as part of the "Kids Eat Free" program. DH would order what he wanted and get a second entree free using a coupon from either the paper or our restaurant book. Everyone would get what they wanted. Sure we would end up with leftovers but that's okay because both kids would eat well and we would all enjoy the meal.

You know what they say about the best laid plans... When the server came to take our order, he said that we couldn't combine the offers. It says so on the coupon and on the sign. He explained that it's their policy that even if we split the check, the fact that we were at the same table prevented combining of coupons. He was polite, but we were frustrated.

We asked for a few minutes so Miss K could decide what she wanted and she decided she wanted Chick-Fil-A which was just two building over. Miss M agreed. DH knew I was in the mood for IHOP but I said to him "Yeah, but I won't enjoy my meal if she's going to be difficult." So we agreed to leave. We hadn't ordered anything except water at that point so IHOP wasn't out anything except our business.

But as we walked out, a gentleman (who had been seated at the booth right next to us shortly after we sat down) stopped DH to say he overheard the entire conversation. "Good for you. It's hard enough to afford to take kids out to eat; I thought it was ridiculous that they wouldn't honor the coupon. I left too. I just wanted to let you know that you have my support." So I guess IHOP was our business and his.

Yeah, I realize that IHOP has their policy, but we weren't asking for two free kids meals at the price of one entree. We were simply trying to get the foods that the kids would eat utilizing the resources we had on hand. If their goal is to bring in business then they need to think outside the box because if it isn't something you want, then free just isn't good enough.

...and as a bonus, Chick-Fil-A let us use two B1G1F coupons from our restaurant book. Nice.

Mistakes You Only Make ONCE

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Are We Wasting Taxpayer Dollars?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:18:00 +0000

In just a few weeks, Miss K will begin Kindergarten. My baby. In school. Full time. It's just shocking.

But I'm not concerned because I know she's ready. We've spent a lot of time reading to her, educating her, practicing her alphabet, numbers, word recognition and (gasp) even multiplication. But we also enrolled her in preschool for the past two years and that helped prepare her socially for school.

Her first preschool encounter was a 2-days-per-week program through one of the local churches. She enjoyed it and I felt she was making incredible strides. Last year, she participated in Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. Many parents in Iowa aren't familiar with it so if you're not from Iowa, I would be surprised if you were. Whenever I strike up a conversation with a stranger in say, the doctor's office waiting room, I ask if their child is enrolled. Heck, I even asked someone at a yard sale last week to make sure they knew. To sum it up, the state has a program where preschools can apply for grant funding to help facilitate a Kindergarten readiness program for four year old children. The primarily purpose of the grant is help increase opportunities and access to quality preschools. Last year, we actually transferred preschools to be able to participate in the grant. It's not that we thought our preschool was sub-par because it was great. It's because the grant is typically used to offset tuition. In other words, it was free. Yes, free. Thank you, Iowa taxpayers for paying for my daughter's preschool education.

Some schools put signs out advertising that their preschool program is free. They're proud of it because it's a community service and it's win/win for the community and the school. Preschools get increased enrollment and money to replenish supplies, update toys/equipment and improve teacher wages while on the flip side, families can welcome monetary relief especially in this economic downturn. It's a great program - mostly. It has a few flaws that I would like to explain...

I thought it was the norm - that preschools participating in the grant utilize the grant funds to subsidize the tuition. But I recently found out that's not always the case. In a few very rare cases, the preschools have opted to continue to charge tuition which seriously restricts how the grant funds can be utilized. Since you only need so many consumable items such as supplies and educational materials, that leaves salaries as one of the few remaining allowable spending slots. In these few instances, rather than pass the savings along to the community, the teachers are lining their own pockets because (to quote one) "I did a lot of hard work to get this grant and I think I deserve it." Having worked with grant accountants during my days as an accountant for the city I lived in, I would have been shocked to hear "I applied for this (road construction) grant so I should get a raise."

So I'm stewing and feeling like my tax dollars are being wasted on a few greedy individuals rather than spread out to provide a quality education for families who might otherwise not be able to send their child to preschool. I don't have any control over the situation other than to inform and educate so that (hopefully) the masses will let it be known that it's NOT okay to reap wages that are 50-100% higher than their peers are getting just because they took the initiative to apply for a grant.

If you live in Iowa and have a child who will be entering Kindergarten next year (2010-2011) then it's worth checking to see if your local preschool is participating in the grant. If your child isn't enrolled, then what are you waiting for? Preschool is a great jump-start in preparing for Kindergarten. However, if your school is participating in the grant AND they are STILL charging tuition, ask them how much of a pay increase they received pre-grant versus post-grant. If it's exorbitant, go elsewhere. Those teachers are being self-serving, utilizing the very stringent grant restrictions for their own personal benefit. I'm certain that I wouldn't want my child being taught by someone whose primary interest in applying for a grant is so selfish. It's a total waste of my tax dollars. What are your thoughts?

Back from BlogHer. Wow.

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:19:00 +0000

I returned home yesterday from BlogHer and I'm still in shock at how amazing it was. Although I don't have any photos downloaded yet or any wonderful blog posts ready to publish, I have so many things to share that I just don't know where to start.

The event itself is like any trade show - seminars, vendors, food and swag. But at BlogHer, it's the traditional trade show on steroids. Seminars are intense and informative with fantastic peers as the moderators. The vendors had tons of information as well as product samples. There was never a lack of food around although I seldom took the time to actually stop and eat. (I lost like five pounds at BlogHer!)

Then there's the issue of the people. Lots and lots of people. Mostly non-judgmental., mostly warm and welcoming. Once I got my feet firmly planted, nobody ever made me feel like the small blogger than I really am. People often said they recognized my business card and "I've been to YOUR blog" and seemed sincere about it. Established bloggers offered advice about how to get to the next level in the blogging community. The celebrities, Carson Kressley, Rick Bayless, Tim Gunn, Brooke White and Paula Deen were all unbelievably human. As I swoon about "Oh my, You're (insert name here)" and ask them to sign an autograph, they were all so kind.

BlogHer was fantastic. Unbelievable. Informative. Wonder how long before I talk myself into registering for BlogHer 2010! I bet not very long!

More to come on this site and SAHM Reviews as I organize my photos, my swag and my thoughts.

Thank You, Kind Strangers

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:07:00 +0000

The storms around here have been quite ridiculous. Nasty gusts strong enough to knock trees down, fling patio furniture and move the BBQ grill several feet - even with the wheels locked.

Oh... and fling open the gate for the fence.

That wouldn't be so bad if I had actually noticed it. But I was up around 5 AM fighting lower back problems and simply wanted to find the Ibuprofen. For the most part, I adhered to my normal morning schedule - I let the dogs out, took my medicine, got something to drink, made sure the dogs had food then let them back in.

Well, at least I think that's how the morning went. Nestle wanted in and out a few times which was driving me crazy since I just wanted to stay in one spot and let my back stretch. I'm sure I let Glacier in once then she wanted back out later. I don't know what time that was though. The girls woke up earlier than normal, I read the paper while they played and somewhere in there I stretched out on the ground hoping the back pains would go away. It's all kind of fuzzy since I didn't get much sleep last night.

Then shortly before 9 AM, I went into the laundry room to get something and through the window could see the gate to the back yard wide open. I ran into the kitchen and told DH that the gate was open. He called for the dogs while I waited to visually see them come to attention. Nestle did. Glacier didn't.

I ran through the house looking in all her usual hiding spots and had just walked out into the front yard when the phone rang. The nice gentleman on the other end of the phone said "We have your dog." He proceeded to give me directions and I was amazed at the distance she had managed to get in what I didn't think was a very long period of time. Several blocks. And when I say several, I mean a good few minutes drive worth.

I headed off to pick her up as the guy, Shawn, an employee of the City of Bettendorf and Debbie, the driver of a red minivan waited patiently on 53rd Street. Yes, my Glacier had escaped and was running down the middle of one of the busiest streets in town. Thankfully traffic was stopping for her.

It's a good thing the cars saw her because she had difficulty seeing. She had a tumor in 2004 and had one of her eyes removed. Her depth perception is totally off and she can only see things on the right side of her body. What a sight it must have been for drivers on 53rd - a fluffy white one-eyed American Eskimo dog running down the road. Thank you for not running her over!

But most important, my heartfelt thanks go out to Debbie who pulled over and coaxed Glacier into her arms and to Shawn who pulled over behind her and telephoned us with the good news that she was safe. If you know Debbie or Shawn, please pass along how very thankful I am for what they did this morning.

Everyone Will Do it if it is Easy

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:10:00 +0000

When we lived in Los Angeles, I remember how easy it was to recycle. Maybe because California is such a liberal, tree-hugging state. Or maybe the rolling blackouts and water conservation issues forever remind you that resources are limited. But one thing is for sure, recycling came easy there.

How is it so different there than here? Well, for one thing, pretty much everything could be recycled... and in the same bin. Cans, bottles, boxes, newspapers and any plastic that had that recycling triangle, no matter what the number. They were all placed together in a recycling bin that was a tad bit larger than our garbage can and picked up weekly along with our garbage. We didn't have to prep anything or sort it. Ooh, so easy. I literally had a garbage can for regular stuff and a paper bag for recyclables. As it got full, I just dumped it in the recycle bin.

Here? Glass, cans and plastics with a "1" or "2" only. And newspapers, cardboard, magazines are separated. Granted, the recycle bin is the same size as the garbage can, but it's divided in two. We can't throw the newspapers into that half until the night before pickup because the weight is just too heavy for the divider. What makes it worse is that it is only picked up once a month.

It's all petty, I know, but having been exposed to the easy way of doing it just makes me want to throw up my arms and say "Why bother." However, by not participating, it's only hurting future generations and I'm not willing to let my frustrations keep me from doing the right thing.

But it was over the top this morning when our regular garbage bin was not emptied. You see, we're doing some yard cleanup and removed a bush that was unruly. The city has a yard waste recycling program but not only does it require that you purchase special bags to put everything in, but you also need to purchase a sticker for each bag that you put on the curb. Well, the bag says to only include certain things and the sticker says only certain things. Nowhere did it say an entire bush was okay so we threw it in the garbage. It isn't like we were trying to avoid paying the ticket fees because right next to the garbage can was a yard waste bag, with proper fees adhered, that wasn't even full.

So why does it get me all in an uproar? Because in Los Angeles it was so much easier. We actually had a third full-sized bin strictly for yard waste. All yard waste. In the same giant bin. You know how easy that made it when we had to prune the trees? To top it off, there weren't additional yard waste fees - it was all included in our monthly garbage pickup. I guess they realized that making it easy and economical translated to more people doing it. I recall that the last city we lived in had one of the highest participating percentages in the country. No wonder. You could recycle almost everything and it was just a matter of putting it in the right color-coded bin.

So to wrap up this long, grumbly story... As soon as I noticed that our garbage wasn't picked up, I went out and removed the bush from the can. I chopped it up enough to put into one of those bags then put my paid fee tag on it. I called the city and the man from public works that I talked to was kind enough to have the drivers swing back by to empty the garbage. But honestly, the whole thing really ruined my morning. Here I thought I was doing the right thing and it just bit me.

Recycling can be so easy if the cities would just do things a little differently. That is definitely one thing I miss about California.

37, 38, 39... 20!

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:21:00 +0000

The girls and I were sitting around and chatting after we finished eating dinner. Somehow we got on the topic of my age (39). Miss K said "You were 37 before your last birthday." I said "No, what comes before 39?" She said "38 but you were 37 before that." I confirmed what she said and told her good job. Then I asked "So what will I be next year?"

Miss K knows her numbers but for some reason, she's told me this before and I've decided I like it. She enthusiastically responded "20!" Miss M graciously intervened and said "No, 40 comes after 39."

I'll stick with Miss K's birthday counting practices... I'll turn 20 on my next birthday. Hope she still remembers it next April.

Generosity and How it Applies to BlogHer

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:43:00 +0000

The other day I received an email from Prizey, one of the best sites for blog giveaways. They've changed their format which will allow more listings to post. When the email came in, I didn't have time to sign up right away so I flagged it to do later.

I finally signed up SahmReviews.com yesterday then realized I hadn't surfed the ZRecs Network lately. (Nothing against them because I haven't surfed any of my favorite sites lately as I mentioned in yesterday's whiny post.) So this afternoon, I took a few minutes and stopped by ZRecommends to see what they've been up to.

Aside from some great reviews, I found out that they offered a giveaway for a BlogHer ticket and only had a handful of entries. I would have entered that if I realized it but it's been hit or miss lately for me. But in the midst of my reading, I found out they are giving away a three night stay at the Chicago Sheraton, the host hotel for the BlogHer conference! I thought I missed out on two great giveaways until I read the fine print that said they're accepting entries until 11:59 p.m. (CT) on May 1. My heart dropped a little as I looked at the calendar and said to myself "That's today!"

So here I am, typing away my entry in hopes that I can score not just a room, but an awesome room. An executive perk stay. Here's the quote from their site:

We've just confirmed arrangements with the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, host of the 2009 BlogHer conference, to give away a three-night, executive-perk stay at the Chicago Sheraton for the nights of July 23-25. Those nights include the night before the BlogHer conference begins, plus the two nights of the conference, and the room they've reserved for our winner is on the hotel's Executive Club Level, with no strings attached - no rack rate, no taxes, no access fees, just a free three-night stay at one of Chicago's top hotels.

What's the big deal about executive? Well, the Executive Club Level not only has a nice lounge with incredible views, but they offer daily complimentary breakfast, hors d'oeurves each evening and snacks and beverages throughout the day. The BlogHer room block has high-speed internet access, but that's a perk that BlogHer put together for their room block. The executive, however, offers free high-speed internet, office supplies and PC/Mac workstations as their standard fare.

Although there isn't much time left to enter, if you're quick then you can do still make the deadline. Head to ZRecommends for all the details! And if you aren't entering, at least wish me luck because I would love to win!

Where Does the Time Go?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I'm not sure what has happened to all of my free time. Each day starts and each day ends and in the middle I feel like I'm getting nothing accomplished. My mornings start with getting Miss M ready for school then I try to hit the gym for an hour. Lunchtime means getting Miss K ready for school then I have an hour or so while she's gone before I need to run to pick her up. Once the kids are home... well, we all know what THAT is like.

It's really not a bad thing, I guess. I'm not getting anything accomplished because I've changed my priorities a bit. Miss K is constantly craving attention and asking for someone to play with while Miss M is at school. For quite some time, I was spending so much time on my blogs that I didn't make time to play with her. She's four and has plenty of toys that she can play independently with. But she wasn't very happy every time I said "Maybe later" or "Not right now". I could see her little heart break when her "Plitty Please" requests went unanswered.

Lately, I've tried to be a better mom and dedicate more time to her each day. Sometimes she'll help me with cleaning, but more often than not it's what she wants to do. It's either a game, coloring or something like Polly Pocket or Barbie... but we do it together and I try to make sure she knows that I'm not ignoring her. Next year she'll be in Kindergarten all day and I'll have plenty of time on my hands.

Instead, for now, I'm ignoring my blogs a little. I pop online and check my email several times a day and work on draft posts for my review blog. But I'm actually behind on that also. I enter a contest here or there (and actually won a big one that I can't discuss on this blog because I think it violates the BlogHerAd agreement). I've worked hard to establish some great contacts for my review blog so I need to keep it up but family needs to come first.

I try to keep my blog positive and upbeat but I haven't been able to put it together. There's so much I have running through my head that I want to talk about, but sitting at the computer for only a few minutes at a time just isn't enough to get the thoughts on virtual paper without sounding all muffled. But honestly, muffled is how my thoughts feel these days.

So for now, I'll play with Miss K and blog when I can. I just hope my friends will all still be here reading when I finally get my groove back. Please bear with me while I find my footings... I'll post when I can and hopefully that will be a little more regularly one of these days.

Want to Come to My Party?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Before Miss K was born, DH and I followed the South Beach diet. I've tried a few of their products but it's been a while so I can't really comment on them. Since I believe in the diet and the products, I applied to host a South Beach House Party but didn't make the cut.

In the meantime, House Party launched a new aspect of their site - the "AfterParty". I was invited to participate in it. For a House Party, I would have received a goodie bag of products to share with any of my friends that attended the party at my house. But the "AfterParty" doesn't include any kind of kit, samples or swag.

I asked myself, "How on earth can I promote an online party for a product I know so little about?" Why would I want to even 'host' an un-party like this? I didn't sign up for it but was selected to host it simply because I applied for the original HouseParty. Sigh. If I don't do something, I'll likely get blackballed from other HouseParty events. That wouldn't be any good since I've had a lot of fun with the Hershey's Bliss, Aveeno and XBox 360/Netflix ones that I have participated in.

So I'm going to do something different. I'm going to ask if anyone is interested in being invited to an online party for South Beach products. What's in it for you? Special offers and promotions, coupons, recipes and who knows what else. House Party has promised it will be worth the effort.

Either leave me a comment with your email so that I can invite you or send me an email requesting to be invited.

Keep Believing

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Angie -

Heartfelt "Happy Anniversary" to you.

Keep Believing...
Nicole

Dear Readers -

Angie is the author of Keep Believing. Today is her anniversary - somewhat bittersweet since her husband, Brian, lost his battle with cancer this past March 17th.

If you are interesting in helping, Keep Believing Fund has been set up to assist the family.