If you’re a mom or dad blogger or any kind of work at home parent, you must read the comic strip The Pajama Diaries by Terri Libenson. It centers on Jill Kaplan, a young, independent and introspective suburban mother, as she balances her career as a freelance graphic artist and family life with her husband, Rob, and their two young daughters, Amy and Jess. Jill narrates her day-to-day adventures in her journal and on a blog and touches on everything from juggling work with family obligations to marital sex and sibling rivalry.

This month, Terri takes the strip on a stroll down memory lane in a five-week series that tells via flashback the story of Jill’s first pregnancy and the Kaplans’ journey towards impending parenthood. This special series runs through August 8.

The Interview

I’m a huge Pajama Diaries fan and read the strip read the strip in the Denver Post first thing every morning, so I was thrilled to be able to interview Terri via email. You can learn more about Terri and the strip at The Pajama Diaries website. And now our interview:

A Mama’s Rant (AMR): As moms we all have our “war stories” about pregnancy and delivery. But I find that most of us are passionate about sharing it while our kids are still babies or toddlers. (Maybe it’s a way to get over the shell shock of parenthood, who knows?) So why do you think it’s taken you so long to tackle this topic on your strip?

Terri Libenson (TL): The reason I decided to go back in time now is twofold: I recently did a Mother’s Day Sunday strip that flash-backed to the delivery room. Also, I noted my 10-year anniversary of getting pregnant with my older daughter. These both inspired the idea of going back in time to when Jill first became pregnant. I also thought it would be a fun way to shake things up a little and give readers a peek into an unknown area of the family’s lives.

AMR: Part of sharing mom stories is to give up-and-coming moms some advice on raising kids. How do you try to do that in The Pajama Diaries?

TL: Actually, I try to avoid giving advice because I’m afraid I’d come across as preachy. Jill is a “learn as you go” mom who makes a lot of missteps. I try and make her an empathetic and relatable character rather than someone who knows all the answers.

That being said, I do try and try to point out some social awareness. I try to get across how stressed a lot of moms are and how we, as a society, need to address this (i.e., better daycare, flex time, getting more help in general).

AMR: You work on both your cartoon and as a part-time contract writer for American Greetings. How do you manage working at home with the kids screaming in the background? What do you do during school vacations?

TL: I have a few tricks up my sleeve. My best tool of the trade is an after-school babysitter. I hire one for a couple hours each day. Indispensable. She basically makes sure my kids don’t kill each other.

During school vacations, I usually rely on my husband or my mother-in-law. My husband coordinates a lot of his vacation days accordingly. I also try to take time off. In the summer, my kids attend a day camp – that keeps them pretty occupied. Oh…and I highly recommend ear plugs.

AMR: What’s a typical work day like for you? How much do you work on the strip and your contract greeting cards writing? Do you take breaks to exercise, meet with friends, run errands, etc. to keep balanced?

TL: I work on the strip Mondays-Fridays and I write greeting cards Saturdays. A typical day depends on whether I’m writing or doing art. While writing, I usually work at my desk, outside on the porch (in warm months), or even off-site, like a coffee shop. When doing art, I’ll ink at my kitchen table so I can spread out, or I scan/color strips at my desk in Photoshop. I usually have the TV or radio on in the background.

I do take breaks to exercise or run errands, but it depends how the day is going. Often I play it by ear. I’ll schedule short lunches with friends if I know I’ll be writing and can take my notepad along with me. 

AMR: Any other advice for other WAH parents?

TL: I think it’s good to take short breaks every so often to clear your head. Usually I do some menial task like throw in a load of laundry or empty the dishwasher. I feel like I’m being productive while getting a mental break.

Probably the biggest downside to working at home is lack of socialization. I joke that I’m sorely out of practice, and it’s true! I’d advise people to get out once in a while and interact with friends. My sanity break comes in the form of meeting my friends out every few weeks or having a date night with hubby. I also keep a well-stocked vodka bar under my desk (kidding!).

AMR: What keeps you motivated (besides a paycheck)? What keeps you from getting burnt out?

TL: Like any job, I stay motivated simply by enjoying what I do. Of course, I do get burnt out occasionally (who doesn’t, right?), and unfortunately I have daily deadlines and can’t take real vacation days. I often have to work ahead for time off.

Fortunately, having kids kind of forces me to take days off here and there…whether for a school function or a weekend trip. Also, I try and work ahead whenever I can so that I don’t have to do it the week before a vacation when things get chaotic. I’m also much farther ahead of my deadlines than in years past – that’s been a big weight off my shoulders.

Another trick to stay motivated is to try and challenge myself every so often. I usually do this with new story lines (like the pregnancy one) that keeps readers -- and myself – on their toes. I also try and think of new strip formats or approaches.

AMR: The Pajama Diaries is often based on events in your real life, like the kindergarten vs. first grade series. Do you worry about your family’s privacy, especially as your children get older? Do you think your kids will get teased because Amy and Jess did something embarrassing in the strip – and people assume your kids did the same thing?

TL: I try to be very careful. My older daughter is 9 and I’m aware she’s going to reach “that age” soon…the prepubescent, sensitive age. The good thing is the strip is told from the mother’s standpoint --not really the kids’--so that makes them a bit more removed from a given situation. And my ideas are usually “inspired,” very rarely written verbatim.

My older daughter reads all my strips before they get published. If she ever has an issue with one, I’ll drop it or modify it, no questions asked. So far that hasn’t happened. Now, on the other hand, my husband has taken a lot of flack at work. Luckily it’s good-natured and he doesn’t mind. In my opinion, he asks for it :)

One nice thing is that I use my married name privately and my maiden name (Libenson) only in the professional arena. This helps keep the lines drawn. Most kids and parents at my daughters’ school don’t realize I write the strip because they know me only by my married name.

AMR: The only good thing about the Rocky Mountain News closing is that both The Pajama Diaries and Adam@Home by Brian Bassett are now in the Denver Post. (Makes my life easier.) Both of you have a work at home parent theme – his told by a dad, yours by a mom. Do you know Brian? Do you think work at home moms and dads have a lot in common or do they approach their work lifestyles differently?

TL: I don’t know Brian, although I’d love to meet him. He’s a talented guy. I think WAH moms and dads have much more in common than not. I do hear from a lot of female and male work-at-home parents who relate to PD. It’s very gratifying. I assume most parents differ more in work styles than by gender.

AMR: Do you have a book deal yet? If so, when is a collection of your strips coming out?

TL: I’m working on a collection now, in fact. Preliminary stages only -- I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’m very fired up. I had so many good intentions up until now, but my work schedule was out of hand. Now it’s eased up and I can finally devote some time to getting a book together.

AMR: You’re syndicated by King Features which is part of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group. Huge, right? But newspapers are shutting down and traditional print media isn’t doing well in this economy. How has this affected comic strip authors?

These are definitely challenging times. Luckily the comics are still in many print outlets and King Feature’s Comics Kingdom, for instance, is taking advantage of technology to work with traditional newspaper clients in new ways.

I can’t imagine comics going away. But I do think it’s a transitional time and comics need various media outlets. I’m cautiously optimistic.

See more of Terri’s work at the Pajama Diaries Comics Kingdom page on the Denver Post website.

Check out other interviews with Terri at The Mile High Mamas (by The Casual Perfectionist) and by the Sacramento Bee’s Mom Me blog.

I was hoping to use the OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern that SC Johnson sent me to try during our recent camping trip to Vega State Park. A campground near a lake sounded like mosquito heaven to me and I wasn’t looking forward to hosing myself down with stinky, yucky tasting bug spray.

Well, we never ended up using it since the mosquitoes were hiding in the aspen forest. The one time we ventured into the forest for a hike we were covered in OFF! Deep Woods® Sportsmen. Glad we weren’t camping in it!

However, I noticed walking around the campgrounds than at least 60% of the RV campers had a OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern in their campsite, either hanging from a pole or placed on a table. I talked to a few of the RVers who told me they really liked OFF’s new product. They said it was easy to use and effective. They also liked how attractive lamp looked. When you’re spending up to $250K on an RV, you want your campsite to look nice.

Needless to say, my sample OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern is packed away in our pop-up camping trailer to use on Labor Day at Carter Lake. I’m sure it’ll come in handy.

And if you’re wondering why I don’t use it at home, it’s because we have an electric Amcor IntelliTrap Mosquito Trap that does a wonderful job 24/7. It should considering how much I paid for it!

About the OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern

The OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern provides powerful mosquito protection with a pleasant, warm glow for outdoor parties. Heat-activated pads deter mosquitoes from an area up to 225 square feet, about the size of an average deck or patio, while the average citronella candle covers one square feet.

The Lantern is similar to the Lamp, but includes a convenient four foot pole so that you can place it anywhere in your yard. Each candle and pad combo provides up to four hours of protection. Each refill pack contains three pads and three candles, providing up to 12 total hours of repellency per pack.

Did I mention the product has the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, too?

For more information check out the OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp or Lantern FAQ page.

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program by SC Johnson, who also supplied the product for review.

It’s just not good enough for toy makers to make a cool action figure or cute plush animal anymore. Each toy has to have their own gaming website, videos, clothing line, television show and possibly a movie, too. (Hello, Transformers!)

It’s enough to make a parent worry that the TV show is brainwashing their kid to bug their parents for toys. Or the toys are making the kids turn into Wii remote zombies.

Not to worry with Webkinz, which are adorable plush animals with their very own website. My daughter Lucie, who’s six, knows all about them and how each comes with an Internet code so you can play games with and take care of your new plush pet online. Since my daughter thinks stuffed animals are real – what six year old doesn’t – this makes perfect sense to her.

Well, Ganz, the makers of the Webkinz World™ website, recently launched Webkinz Jr.™, huggable oversized ultra-soft plush pets with a friendly world of imaginative interactive play for younger kids ages 3 to 6.

While playing, your child can visit all the places in the Webkinz Jr. neighborhood including your own home, school, the park, the caring center, playhouse and the W Shop. You can set the level at which your child plays and review his/her progress along the way. Also, unlike the Webkinz site, there is no social networking features so your child is totally safe. Take the tour to learn more.

Lucie’s Review

Ganz sent us the Orange Kitty Webkinz Jr. to review. Lucie who loves kitties, was immediately enamored. She remarked how soft the plush animal was and how nice it was to hug.

I got her set up on the Webkinz Jr. site. Sign up was easy and she immediately started playing without any assistance from me. Since she’s on the upper end of the age group range, most things were easy to do. Still the program took her age into consideration, and she wasn’t bored either. She played for a couple of hours until our Internet connection started acting up, which frustrated her to no end – she wanted to play more.

Lucie said she had a lot of fun playing on the Webkinz Jr. site. However, since that day, she hasn’t returned to play again. I’m guessing it’s because she’s been very busy with summer camp and her Nana visiting. She likes playing on the computer, but drawing or cooking with her grandma is just much more fun to her.

Still, she’s been sleeping with that Webkinz Orange Kitty most nights. And now Orange Kitty is a permanent member of her Lucie’s Plush Buddy Posse. Thanks Ganz!

Ann Whitford Paul is the author of numerous children’s books, and also writes poetry. Her latest book is Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication from Reader’s Digest Books.

In it, Ann covers researching the picture books market, creating characters, point of view, plotting, tips on writing rhyme, and more-all the lessons writers need to write great picture books that will appeal to both editors/agents and young readers/parents.

Welcome to the circus: juggling family and writing

Ann is the mother of two girls and two boys. When asked about juggling family and writing, she says it’s not an easy task. To help, she gives writer mamas these seven suggestions on getting your writing work done:

1. Remind yourself that living is collecting material for writing.  Consider this your gathering phase.  Instead of working on longer projects, you might find it easier to write poems and journal entries, or collect a story file, to use later when you have more time.

2. Never do housework while the children are napping or in school.  Reserve that as your writing time.  Then when the kids are with you let them help dust or mix up the meat loaf for supper or play alongside you while vacuuming  Children need to know what is required to keep a house going.

3. You don’t have to play with your children every minute of every day. Frankly it would have driven me crazy to build block towers and sip pretend tea day in and day out. Feel free to tell your kids that you did that when you were their age and now it’s their turn. The benefits won’t only be yours.  Your kids will learn independence and how to create and play their own imaginative activities. 

4. It’s way too easy to use the television as a babysitter while you write. Don’t! The immediate positive benefit will be replaced by a long lasting negative for when it’s turned off, your children will cling to you because they haven’t had practice in entertaining themselves.

5. Drop everything when your children ask you to read a book. Not only will you have a wonderful close experience, consider it an opportunity to improve your craft. Think about what made the book work and see if you can carry over any of those lessons to your own writing. (The picture above is of me reading to my two youngest children, Alan and Sarah.)

6. Make your two priorities your family and your writing. Remind yourself that being a parent will end, but your writing can be done forever. Be wary of too much volunteering.  Planning homecoming events or school fairs may be a great way to get to know other parents, but it isn’t quality time with your kids.  Practice saying no without feeling guilty.

7. Give yourself the gift of attending at least one writing conference a year. Having this to look forward to will make the demands of parenting less burdensome.

Learn more about Ann Whitford Paul at annwhitfordpaul.net or sign up for her email newsletter.

Have you ever wanted to start your own handmade jewelry store on Etsy or Silkfair, but didn't know where to start?  Maybe you already enjoy scrapbooking and knitting and thought beading might be worth a try, but weren't sure about the investment.

Now you can win a bracelet making kit plus $75 in product - a $100 value - by entering the "Bejeweled Giveaway" contest.  Ten readers across the Momfluence network blogs will be chosen to win!

But there's more!  Those ten winners will be able to submit a picture of their completed bracelet to the House of Gems, and one will be chosen to receive a $250 gift certificate, enough product to really jump start your business.

Readers must choose one or more ways to enter

Option 1 - Subscribe to one or more of the House of Gems feeds found at http://www.houseofgems.com/feeds.aspx - each feed subscription counts as a new entry!  Once you've subscribed fill out this entry form: http://cli.gs/ND4NMe

Option 2 - Blog about the "Bejeweled Giveaway" contest on your own site then fill out this entry from: http://cli.gs/ND4NMe

Join us on Twitter Saturday, June 27th at 9:00 p.m. eastern for a #houseofgems SiteWarming party where the 10 winners will be announced!

One person on Twitter will also win an iPhone 3GS!  

Anyone on Twitter who tweets with the hashtag #HouseofGems between Noon eastern Monday, June 22nd and noon eastern Saturday, June 27th will be entered to win an iPhone 3GS!  U.S. residents 18 years and older are eligible.  The winner will be announced during the #houseofgems SiteWarming party Saturday, June 27th at 9 p.m. eastern.

About the House of Gems

House of Gems, Inc. (www.houseofgems.com) was established to provide quality beads, pearls, findings, pendants, chains and other jewelry making accessories at wholesale prices, directly to the consumer.The people behind Houseofgems.com have been in this business since 1992 and have an extensive network of designers, manufacturers and other direct suppliers to draw upon.

Since they have their own factories,craft shops and import directly, they have the best prices on quality products. Now, with the power of e-commerce they have eliminated the 'middle men', bringing their quality products at low wholesale jewelry prices, directly to your doorstep.