For the last year and a half or more I spent a good majority of my life online. Sharing my trials, joys, triumphs, pitfalls and rantings on my blog. I even got into the “marketing” aspect where I could review some great products, some not so great products, and hold some fabulous giveaways.
That all ended. Will end. Is coming to an end.
You may be saying, “NO!” or “Why?” or maybe you truly could give a rat’s ass. The fact remains that I always said my life is not my blog. In fact my life made a wonderful detour on a path I was traveling without regard for direction.
I was offered a phenomenal job. One that I was leery of taking. I erred on the side of caution because of how change would drastically affect my family, my children, our dynamics. Being wrong never felt so good about how change is fabulous and ever amazing.
Being away from my blog, the people associated with my blog allowed me to rekindle a love of myself, of how precious my family is, and I have met some AMAZING friends with change. These friends are people I have a hard time not having in my day because they are vibrant, intelligent, fun, and best of all they are REAL. REAL human beings.
In no way am I knocking or belittling the relations I have built with some phenomenal women online, however, the beauty and truth of real life connections and the disconnect of the internet is amazing. I can see when my friends need to talk, their expressions when they laugh, when we have the exact same thought and how we felt as if we have been friends for ages.
Recently I am happy to say I have disconnected online. I feel the internet lately has been rather toxic, I log in to reconnect with the people I feel are truly genuine and with whom I have the utmost respect. Otherwise I have no reason to be online except to connect with them. Â The internet can be a powerful tool for just about anything and in fact your standard tool, *cough, village idiot, can use it to destroy, lie, cheat, and more. No longer is my blog a place of solace to share my unyielding love for my family, for life, I lack any desire to write because I need no vindication.
I don’t need an ego stroked, stats, products, reviews, giveaways, conferences, while all those are great, I found what I needed the most and what others may need to is to disconnect.
Step away from the PC and reconnect with real people, in a truly authentic way without blogging about it, or staging a “blackout” to disconnect about it. Reclaim you when you feel burned out by just walking away and not giving a shit. I did…and I won’t look back.
I may write again. I may talk about how my children have evolved into even more magnificent creatures in only 45 days, but for now. I am content to keeping them all to myself. Content with the ability to disconnect and reconnect with people who are not sitting behind a keyboard all day. One day I hope to reconnect with those I have disconnected with, and if not, I thank you for your kinship, your genuine and authentic selves, and for being my muse.
Crazy as the notion may sound, you can add motherhood to your resume. Two words that may not consider to go together, motherhood, resume; yet mothers have some wonderful skills to be marketed. No, I am not going to pitch you and say how you can really add the title. However, I think mothers often taken for granted their abilities to truly manage some truly exceptional professional positions for free while being a stay at home parent. Continue reading “Add Motherhood to Your Resume”
Glowing, raving, is how my demeanor has been described in relation to my job. I truly love and enjoy my job. As I have bragged, I am SUPER excited to be on the brink of a phenomenal program to hopefully rebuild America’s economy and move forward in our recovery and to help save American’s dream of homeownership as they are at risk.
But with everything in life a price must be paid. Nothing in life is free. Not even the happiness and the opportunity to return to work to yield additional incomes for our family that will be used to ease the pain of the loss of income from The Chad due to the economy. I wish that were an excuse but his industry is DIRECTLY related to the economy; as is mine but in a different fashion.
Today I had the opportunity to pick up the twins from daycare. Excited and scared and uncertainty is what I felt as I jumped in my Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, my former daily driver loaded with all my favorite creature features like leather and satellite, to go pick up my babies. The last week The Chad has been a champ and been the responsible party to take all the kids to pre-school and kindergarten each day. He is wonderful, I love him for doing this as I have a schedule that is not conducive to the kids school schedules which allow me to take them.
*sigh. But the first day we dropped them off was absolutely painful.
I fought back tears. A text message from my mom to wish me a good day as my first day distracted me from the pain, the heartache, the feeling of loss as I left my children with virtual strangers. Every cell in my body was fighting and screaming and kicking just like my twins to return to pick them up from the strange environment. To save them from the styrofoam cup using, not organic, melting pot of germs, and rush them home to be in my arms, playing endlessly and making loads of messes that I would complain about cleaning multiple times.
My complaints seemed petty.
I miss my babes. Today I realized how bittersweet the event is that they wave goodbye each and every morning, my hopes that they have a good day. I hope for a pleasant assimilation for them as they adapt to their new surroundings; I pray they are okay, that they are getting plenty of hugs and kisses, I over compensate and smother them as much as I can when I get home. Looking at my phone every hour to see if I have any new text or call about their status, that a chance may arise that they become ill requiring I leave early or spend a day out of work to be with them again.
Nay sayers may call me a bad mother for returning to work. A choice I made for financial reasons. While we could live without the additional income, I feel that in order to help provide for my family our decision was wise. I also feel that I am OVERLY passionate about the work I am doing and if only for a short time just to help improve our financial situation I think the benefits will outweigh my current fears, my heartache, the missing of my children.
But I know that this time is short, that the experience will be beneficial as they socialize with other children, other people, they will be exposed to an environment that provides benefit to them in their growth. No one says I have to like it, and I cherish every laugh, smile, hug, kiss, whine, and moment I have with them and had with them when I was blessed to experience the joy of pregnancy with multiples. As well as the joy and struggles of learning to be a mom of multiples at home with them.
Yet another chapter, as I am now a working mother of multiples, cherishing the beautiful moments of family each and every night and day.
My blog is too much fun these days, talking about life with my kids, now my evolving career, and of course, the controversy that is a “mommy blogger” community. I have been extremely curious as to the feedback on my Sweepin’ For Traffic post, which the feedback appears positive…I think.
I saw tweets which made me giggle, that I am “jealous,” that I am a “hater,” or maybe worse, I turned my blind eye and dug my heels in like I always do and thought as I always have “Fuck ’em.” These people have no bearing on my life, they have never taken the opportunity to interact with me, know my blog, know me, and really they could get bus tossed, like I did to them and I could care less what happens to them. Why? Because I am not considered an influencer.
In fact, they could retaliate and notify ALL the people I work with and really, I could care less. I speak my mind, in an intelligent manner, and if I caught the eye of someone about their less than honorable behavior, GOOD! Because my post was never to call anyone specifically out, it was informational. If a blogger WAS called out, maybe he or she might have considered their actions before and the consequences would not be the juncture for which we have arrived at today.
Furthermore, my post was about acknowledging that these bloggers are suppose to be “brand ambassadors,” “brand influencers,” and if they are considered as such, would they not be held to a higher standard of operation and ethical consideration? Yes, I think so. As for the petty, and truly petty statement of me being a jealous hater who would receive her karma:
BRING IT!
I carry no jealousy. If someone has something that I like or I consider to be favorable, I work hard for it. No way do I back bite, lie, CHEAT, steal, or walk over ANYONE to get what I want or so desire in life. Why? Because I was raised with integrity; I was taught that anything of any value in life requires work, hard, back-breaking, elbow greasing work. I also could care less about the stats on my blog. I stated before my blog is like my old friend, someone I can turn to for voicing opinions, supported facts, and sharing common life experiences that may help someone not feel alone.
Also, if you want to read a great post about the power of influence among moms and how moms are the newest sell outs, who in my opinion wreak of Enron, Arthur Andersen, Halliburton, and my personal favorites Goldman Sachs and Washington Mutual; check out the post by Jessica Gottlieb and how moms are willing to pimp out a product that could aid and abet the premature death of their children. Moms are promoting products for the sake of being acknowledged for the brand, being an attachment per se, a pilot fish, a parasite for lack of a better word of what they do by supporting and promoting products they know nothing about, that they themselves would sell out to as I said for the sake of being attached to the name.
By no means am I riding any high horse, but I think that moms should really consider their power of influence, consider how your word on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, can really influence someone who may be on the fence, who may not know and trust ANOTHER MOM in their opinion and word on a product. I mean would you suggest a product to another mom that you did not COMPLETELY and fully trust? I know I have reviewed products that I am not a fan of…I clearly have stated so to allow other moms to make educated decisions. So moms, dads, folks, why would  you support, promote, and get involved with a brand you DO NOT fully trust, believe in? Is social media the new sell out program? Are influencer’s abusing their power for the sake of processed foods, a buck, for advantages? What are the gains?
Call me dumb…but I am not seeing a whole lot of positives among these influencer’s. Are bloggers turning more to being underpaid marketers just for the sake of being attached to the brand? What is the draw?
I sat here writing endlessly on how to broach this topic tactfully, tastefully, and with bold tenacity. Only to come out empty handed and having the audience of readers say, “huh?†So while no tact may exist I will pour out the information. Some of you may have read a wonderful article on ShePosts.com. I was rather skeptical of ShePosts thinking the site was to stir the pot, cause drama, get mommy bloggers riled, and I am happy to report I was wrong. I feel the authors provide fabulous unbiased, or with as little bias as possible, on important topics that affect the business of mommy blogging or blogging.
The article on ShePosts quickly touched on ethics and what bloggers can do about their ethics of giveaways on their blog.
My take… I loved it. I ENJOYED with my WHOLE HEART being the “anonymous†to out these “ethical†blog badge toting liars. I have proof of bloggers, LOTS of bloggers, agreeing to forge giveaways. Unfortunately too, I was the recipient of a forged giveaway and found out months after the fact. This DID NOT sit well with me. The idea did not sit well with me, the knowledge I had, that bloggers think this sort of behavior is perfectly acceptable stirred a FIRE in me. But more and more “mommy bloggers†are positioning themselves and acting like untouchable prima donnas, “It’s my blog…SO THERE! I can say and do whatever I want.â€
Go right on ahead then honey because when the feds intervene, when state law governing sweepstakes intervene, I will be sure to grab some popcorn. Because I spoke about this issue once, about whether the sweep was a sham, and I was right then, I am right now. Bloggers are rigging their giveaways for winners based on whom THEY want to win, not by chance. Which technically if you as a blogger are conducting yourself in such a manner you are violating federal and state sweepstakes laws by crossing into lottery territory.
“A promotion may be characterized as a lottery if it has all three of the following elements:
I can tell you that those elements would qualify certain bloggers sweeps as lotteries, which are federally regulated and ONLY allowed by states on a discretionary level, so in a morons terms, you just shit all over yourself by violating BIG laws. Forget the FTC, you now have the FCC on your hands for communications violations, the Department of Justice for conspiracy, maybe racketeering if they feel frisky . I will also tell you that giveaways that are held in a CLOSED forum only where you have to be a member and members are only allowed by consideration of the administrator (on whether she likes you or not), well those “giveaways†are now a lottery and up for federal game to investigate if anyone (like me) wanted to blow the whistle on a community providing such an event.
Copyright of MomDot.com
Oh and holding live giveaways on a Blog Talk Radio channel for which again, the above elements are met, are considered a violation of federal law under the 1995 Crime Bill passed by President Clinton, as EVERYONE has to have an opportunity to enter the giveaway. Just sayin’.
Blogging and holding giveaways in this fashion is UNETHICAL. Period. Really, why bother with all the time and effort required in posting a giveaway, listing the giveaway, and promoting if you plan to rig the event for someone you like. Additionally, you are falsifying your stats as a blogger by generating inflation for the sake of premium opportunities with PR and for a “friend†to receive the item because of your comfort level, “rather than some misc. stranger.†Sure, we would not want to run the sweep by chance, just consideration right? Moreover, an “equal dignity†requirement applies.
Discrimination can not be present in treatment of sweepstakes entrants. Those who give some consideration to enter, either by making a payment or by exerting significant effort, may not be treated differently, or more favorably, than those who do not provide consideration. The odds of winning must be substantially similar for both. If the two groups are treated differently, the differential could create pressure for entrants to give consideration, and thus might transform the sweepstakes into an illegal lottery (Bennett, 2007)
So while ethics are pulled into question about giveaways, how about the entrants? I personally am curious as to how they feel about the situation. Spending time entering into giveaways for what they believe is an equal chance to win a prize only to be duped into providing page hits and unique visitor counts daily all in the name of fraud. Or would it be in the name of traffic.
Furthermore, why not notify bloggers sponsors of their behavior, their conduct? What makes these bloggers, no matter how “big†they think they are in the echelon of sorority hens, above the law? Above any code of ethical conduct? Who will hold these bloggers accountable? Or will other bloggers react indignantly, as envious high school snots, who believe they have some intangible form of entitlement to do whatever the f&*k they please? Will they say “Oh they’re just jealousâ€? Jealous? Of two years minimum prison time for conspiracy to defraud? Thanks, but no thanks to Leavenworth. I love the rolling hills of Kansas, but not that much.
My question to you, who will be the checks and balances? Should the government increase their involvement more with mommy bloggers? Should a guild, a quorum no less, of bloggers be built to uphold ethical standards among giveaway blogs and promotions? Or should we go on as business as usual, despite the rampant occurrences of rigged giveaways and winners.
These badges too that are colorfully displayed widgets, mean DIDDLY SHIT! Nothing. Nada. Why? No one and I do mean no one…including the creators of these cute little backlink widgets are doing NOTHING to enforce. Period. Unless the individual displaying the badge is holding him or herself to a higher moral standard, which clearly…we see they are not. I hope to post some good signs of what might be considered a legit giveaway blog, what might not be considered legit, signs to look for when entering giveaways on a blog. Also look to see if your blogger is consistently posting winners, do they post re-draws? A lot of infrequent due to lack of response?
And then you wonder why no one takes a “mommy blogger†seriously at her job.
How can they when she or he is running amok rigging giveaways. Forget all the catty minutiae with back-biting over what broad got to go to what event or who is whatever brand ambassador, this is serious business and the time has come to actually treat the issue as such. Time to own up and grow up.
**Here is my time to own up and grow up.
I got involved with a girl, yes a girl, and she became a friend. You know her, I know her. She WAS my friend. I defended her many times, I became a human friend shield when others attacked her. Until one day she said I was lazy and talked shit behind my back and I had enough of her petty, juvenile, sociopath behavior. Dumb. Why? Because no matter how much I felt she was self-absorbed, immature, and selfish I never said a bad thing about her. I always told her to her face. But the kicker is that now I am being attacked by her pathetic other half for this post and one other because I have an intelligent opinion. My opinion.
Furthermore, the information about the “cheaters” includes her. Did you know that the email transference that outs a blogger listed above in photos also includes this individual? Yes. She was rather eager to provide me the info and took the item being given away to boot. I can also say that the headers were eliminated from the emails that this person sent me, maybe to protect her own ass or maybe because she doesn’t know how. Regardless, Â she too is just as guilty. I will also say that this post was never in any attempt to damage anyone, but to bring light to a situation that is/was rampant in the little immature community known as “mommy blogging.” Â Clearly the situation is one to keep under the carpet, like addiction. The big pink elephant that everyone knows is there but won’t say or do anything about it. Â Regardless, I wrote this, I stick by it. I never back down. I just clarify.
So for clarity’s sake, if you want to know the blogger let me know and I would be happy to do a WHOLE post, because that’s how I roll.
Here comes my random babble after a few days. My observation. My out of blog experience.
Funny how I started my new job I was rather concerned on how my life would be changed and yet I was overwhelmingly welcome to the change. While I was and still am concerned for my kids and how my lack of presence in the home would affect them and my family as a whole, everything else went by the way side, and my concern for “everything else” (aka my blog, blah blah) went by the way side as well.
I found myself wanting to tweet for the simple fact that I enjoy connecting with some very lovely people, women, men, business savvy individuals, jokers, and highlighters; then I found that my Twitter stream was rather lame. My blogs that I read, had some family news that I had to comment on, but the other blogs are still the same old shit.
Then I began to wonder why I got so damn hyped about my blog. Why I was so worried. What was I so worried about. What was all the hullabaloo.
Watching as an outsider now is rather entertaining. No, actually HIGHLY entertaining to watch a large group of grown women act like fucking narcissistic assholes, parading around as if their excrement doesn’t emit any odor. For those of you…”you think your shit doesn’t stink” is the lay man definition. Women, biting each other in the back, acting like petty, egoistic webmasters, and acting like they are making some difference in the world or are “tops.” Top what really? Â Top bitch? Tops at stepping on others to get to some glass ceiling? Really? What is this delusion?
Sure they may make a difference somewhere, but they aren’t THAT big of news if you ask me. When you reach Mother Teresa level….then you have made big news, otherwise, what did you ladies coin your phrase, oh yes, “suck it!”
Seriously, I am watching as these women openly Tweet, blog, and maintain their Facebook accounts while their children are being nannied by the television, or by some personal assistant, or purely neglected. I watch as they are so worried about how their blog performs, posting the right hashtags to get noticed, yadda yadda yadda. Who fucking cares. Really? Thinking that is a JOB is no fun, and really, are you making enough to be happy? No. No you are not. In fact, I think many think they can never make enough, or they need to make more. The perpetual cycle of greed.
I love to come back to my blog now. Write about whatever I want, like oh say the talkative broad that I finally asked to be moved away from because I could really care less about anything that came out of her mouth because she was too busy acting like a “top dog” and she knew DIDDLY SHIT! In all actuality she is no different than a lot of bloggers.
I realized then how much I love my job outside of the home, in the real world, with REAL people to interact with daily. How much I really hated to have to update my blog. How much I really DO NOT like interacting in a false fashion with people on the net. Â How I missed genuine interaction. How many of these people ACT like they give a shit, but they have no HUMAN connection to you so they could give a shit. I loved to see that REAL people are being held accountable in REALITY for their actions. No one is above the law.
I have a small niche of people I interact with (you know who you are) whom totally get me, I get them, and I love them because they expect nothing out of me. When I post they dig it, I dig it, because I mean every.word.I.post. I don’t post just to post, as filler or as marketing.
Really…I could give two rat’s asses about marketing too. HA! I love to try stuff, products, whatever, but honestly, my blog is not here for you. It’s here for me. For others to read. My blog is an old friend you can go to and as if time had never passed. For connection, for solace, for a laugh.
I find that my detachment from social media and the interwebs is so fucking refreshing! Truly. Because I can go on Twitter now and connect with my lovies in a fun manner. I can watch all these self-absorbed “Look at me” mommies who have at best an eighth grade style education, but paid for much more. Seriously ladies, you might want to ask for a refund or better stop paying those student loans because your demeanor is a direct reflection.
I can watch my real moms lay out their heart and souls in their posts and still keep a smile saying how they are doing the best darn job they can, with no formal training or manual on how this thing called parenthood works. How they are reinventing themselves as women, as individuals, you can feel their authenticity in their words, in their posts.
Maybe now is the time for people to evaluate what truly matters. The brass tax of life.
I am happy to come home each and every day from my commute, which totally rocks, and to see my garage door climb open and I watch as three beautiful little people come running to my car door to say hello. So I can hear all about their days, what they did, what they ate, who they played with, what they learned. NOTHING, is better than that moment in my entire day. NOTHING is better in my entire life than those kids, my husband.
Hanging up. Disconnecting. Saying I could give a hoot, totally rocks. Because the net could blow up tomorrow and I would still have my family and that is what matters. My blog could die and who cares. Nothing else matters than those who are closest to you in your life. Love and cherish them. Nurture those relations, because all others could fail and if you didn’t have your family….what would you have?
For those of you narcissistic bloggers, I guess at least you would still have your blog right?
Over a year has passed now that our family has had a lack in full time health care coverage. No biggie right? For some yes, for us, we are getting by. I am blessed each and every day that my children are happy “little fuckers” as my son would say and that we are not cursed by tragedy. Knocking on wood.
Last year in February was the last time the twins saw a doctor for their well child check ups. They would have seen a doc last summer had I not called the insurance company to find out whether we needed pre-authorization for Chad’s vasectomy only to find that our policy termed (cancelled by his employer) just two weeks prior.
Spank you. Spank you very much.
So I freaked out. Like any undiagnosed OCD control freak would do, I stewed. I Google’d. I stewed some more. Then I went to the Arizona DES site to look to see if by some far and I do mean FAR FUCKING fetched idea that we would qualify for discounted healthcare coverage. Because as you may or may not know we were railroaded right up the arse, with no lube, on a private care option to which they told us “No Spank you” because I have fake tata’s and The Chad had high blood pressure ONE day that he went to the doctor. BUT, that is a whole rant that I have posted about.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, to see if I qualify like all the other free loaders of the nation (right Left Wing whackadoodles!?). Sad, I do not. So what is a family to do with children who need immunizations since we so choose not to have our children infected with nasty illnesses which can cause irreparable damage or death. Stepping down from the box. What are we to do? Other than go a full year with no recent immunizations and all of the sudden remember that in order for the kids to attend preschool, they need UPDATED immunization records.
I conferred with my friend Google again and he sent me to a community site driven for people like me. And people like you. And all people.
I was so happy to see that a day (several actually) existed for a FREE clinic to take my children to so they may receive updated immunizations and vaccinations. WAHOO. Because really I am not going to pay some pompous ass physician who will charge me $80 per child just to walk in the fucking door and then charge me for the vaccinations on top of that which they charge $68 each. GET THE HELL OUT OF TOWN. Free is for me.
So I took my perky blond self and toted the twins to my old stomping ground in Chandler where I drove around my old neighborhood, reminisced, and thought…man…I am so glad we moved out of what is now the ghetto. Anyway, I arrived at the clinic and went in, to what appeared to be a ghost town and was greeted by a lovely woman who was ever so kind. She informed me of the pertinent information and that the vaccinations were available at two that afternoon.
A bit peeved that I drove ALL THE WAY down to the ghetto, but thankful nonetheless for community services. I was then greeted by another woman who then reiterated what the other woman just told me…again…ever so kind.
Until I saw that bitch later that afternoon.
I show up at two that afternoon with two cranky, over shopped, sleep lacking twins into a clinic that was now standing room only. Woman #2 who was kind earlier…now can suck a donkey ear. She looked at me, might as well have been smacking gum in her pie hole as we exchange words:
Her: “Can I help you?” (Tone clearly reeks of what the fuck do you want free loader)
Me: “I was here this morning about the vaccinations?” (are you really THAT busy that you cannot recall me from just FOUR hours ago)
Her: Huff “Fill these out. Bring them to ME. Fill in these bands, put them on the kids, make sure it has their date of birth….have a seat.”
Me: grabs load of papers and looks aimlessly for a pen as I try to recall whether I have stuffed any in my bag. I look over at  a table that has a couple for another health thingy and ask if I can borrow to which I receive this reply.
Her: “HERE….here is a pen.”
Me: “Thank you.”
I survey the what looks to be a small community room that they have converted into a make shift clinic for an ample area to rest my arse and my dynamically grouchy duo. I look around to see only a single chair open and think, um no…cannot corral nor wrangle gnomes with a single chair in the middle of cattle. So I opt for the cozy square on the linoleum floor where I squat Indian style with a gnome on each knee. Then SHE starts in again.
Her: “There is an EMPTY CHAIR up there. You can sit in it.”
Me: looking at her like she is a complete idjut…oh wait…she is…”Apparently the chair is taken and the floor will suffice for now. Thank you.”
Her: “Well…don’t trip anyone or let them trip on you.”
AS FUCKING IF!
Seriously? Okay lady, yes my goal here as the ONLY BLOND in a red shirt in a room full of people will make every effort to trip people as I sit off in a CORNER! The nerve. Really? “don’t trip anyone?” You know me…master tripper. Shit I never tripped on anything but my own feet, let alone trip anyone else. Bitch.
I stew, filling out paperwork, entertaining gnomes and then return the clipboard, paperwork, and pen to HER. She snags the pen as if I were to steal it…which I should have to prove a fucking point, thank her kindly for using it and then she never makes eye contact. Only speaks to me as if I were a third rate human being, to sit and wait until my name is called shortly.
So I sat. FOR. TWO. HOURS.
Until  finally the sharp looking men in casual attire, shorts, t-shirts, and winning smiles called me into the locked room. Sounds frisky right? Nah, just your local firemen doing their community service, serving the public, like me, to insure adequate and up to date vaccinations. I could really get raunchy and say they tag teamed me…but they did in a fashion with needles into my children’s little arms. I even started to cry. I hate seeing them in pain.
But I left thinking I should have captured the moment in the waiting room on my phone. A Hodge-podge of people, some clearly needy, others in my predicament of tight budgets and no health insurance, and others who I wondered what they were doing with their Coach handbags, kids wearing $110 Nike Dunks, texting from the apparently NEWEST of new smart-phones. Granted I could be considered the same…you know with my Goodwill bought cords, a t-shirt that says VIVA Elvis on it that The Chad bought for me while he was in Memphis, my favorite Jambu shoes, and my Palm Pre Plus. All of which cost me $30 plus whatever the feds charge me on this years coming taxes.
But still. I am always curious about people’s stories of life, how we all end up in the same room with the same needs at the same time. Especially since we are all there for our children. Are our paths the same? Was I viewed as a free-loader? What is really sad, is that we look at people who are in rough times and reach out for these services during these rough times because that is what they were created for, and we call them free loaders. Well what the hell else other than the federal deficit do my taxes go for?
I am ever so grateful today for the Chandler CARE Center, the staff (even if they were less than desirable in their customer service skills), the nursing staff from Chandler Regional Hospitals, the firefighters, and the volunteers. Without your dedication, my children would not be vaccinated nor would the eight children before and the many after mine. Thank you.
As the weather begins to warm up and the family gets out and about to play, our insect friends are doing the same. They too are enjoying the warmth and unfortunately at our expense. Invading our homes, yards, and causing annoyances and grief to keep them at bay.
I am a firm believer in not using chemicals in and around my home because my kids can get into them, the residuals can get on their skin, and even my dog can get sick from the chemicals used in home pest control.
So I sought out non-toxic, alternative, safe methods, for the most part, an organic ant killer. I tried cinnamon, I still use diatomaceous earth (for my pool mostly) but also to ward off scorpions, fleas, and other exoskeleton buggers. I even found that corn meal can get rid of ants, but did not repel them.
EcoSMART is my savior. When I received the package I immediately surveyed the ingredients. How in the world could an insecticide, ant killer, and repellent be organic? Non-toxic? The answer? The ingredients are all natural oils, like peppermint oil, thyme oil, water, the ingredients are easy to understand and read.
I noticed as well after I received the package that our back patio is acquiring ants again. I went to work on eradicating the buggers so I did not and do not have to worry about my any of my kids being bit by the ants and my bulldog being besieged. I sprayed the ant killer around my back door, and where the ants were congregating and watched as they died on contact and as others came within any distance of the spray they immediately hauled off.
The scent was also completely tolerable. No smell of chemicals, just a fresh minty smell and as my kids were walking in and out of the back door, I did not have to worry about them coming into contact with the spray. While I did wash their hands and feet, I felt safe knowing that them coming in contact would not require me to take IMMEDIATE action or fear calling poison control.
Fact is that children are more often hurt in their own homes by products that we use everyday and assume to be “safe.” Additionally, bugs and pests are becoming more and more resilient to synthetic pesticides and as the formula’s change and the insects evolve combating the problem is only a band-aid and causes further harm to our children, pets, home, and family as we spray over and over and over again.
With EcoSMART you can spray over and over without the worry of residual effects of a synthetic pesticide to harm  your family. If you would like a safe, alternative to ward off pests be sure to check out EcoSMART which is available at Home Depot and other home improvement stores. Or you can enter my giveaway which ends April 15th, 2010. *I received product in exchange for a review and giveaway promotion.
Last weekend The Chad and I went to see “How to Train Your Dragon” in 3D, which by the way TOTALLY ROCKED! Well while we were amped for the movie we enjoyed the trailers for the newest releases, and if you ask me, that is generally the BEST part of any movie.
As the trailers were moving along, the best film that is sure to touch many hearts, as well as the hearts of mothers across the globe popped onto the screen. BABIES. This documentary captures the moments of four children from San Francisco, Tokyo, Mongolia, and Namibia during all their firsts during their first year of life. Here watch the trailer:
The Chad and I were ooh’ing and ahh’ing at this super feel good movie of the year. Heartfelt, unique, and positively breathtaking capturing all the sweet moments of humanity during a child’s first year of life. Be sure to check it out, maybe take your mom or any mother in your life to the movies for Mother’s Day to enjoy a feel good film.
Now that Spring has officially sprung and the warmer weather is well on her way, the dormant and pesky pests of summer begin to creep out. Where I live in Arizona, insects, bugs, ants, and the all despised mosquito run rampant in the spring and summer. I despise bugs. With a wrath of passion I cannot stand bugs. Especially ants.
I searched the net high and low for a natural ant killer and the best I could find was cornmeal. Even then, the little buggers were back. I tried cinnamon, water, whatever I could find that was non toxic.
Why non-toxic you ask? Well with my kids running around everywhere, since this is their home too, and an English Bulldog, I needed pest control that I felt comfortable using around them, but effective enough to eliminate my exoskeleton enemy.
EcoSMART is a fabulous company that prides itself in making organic insecticides, among other products, that are safe to use  in and around your home, children, and pets. Not only do they pride themselves in their non-toxic product, it really works!
You too can have this wonderful product in your home to use around your children, animals, everything, without fear of calling poison control! Visit EcoSMART and tell me what products you could use in your home?
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Recently I am happy to say I have disconnected online. I feel the internet lately has been rather toxic, I log in to reconnect with the people I feel are truly genuine and with whom I have the utmost respect. Otherwise I have no reason to be online except to connect with them. Â The internet can be a powerful tool for just about anything and in fact your standard tool, *cough, village idiot, can use it to destroy, lie, cheat, and more. No longer is my blog a place of solace to share my unyielding love for my family, for life, I lack any desire to write because I need no vindication.
Crazy as the notion may sound, you can add motherhood to your resume. Two words that may not consider to go together, motherhood, resume; yet mothers have some wonderful skills to be marketed. No, I am not going to pitch you and say how you can really add the title. However, I think mothers often taken for granted their abilities to truly manage some truly exceptional professional positions for free while being a stay at home parent. 
