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Even at work I am still Mom

A few weeks ago I was approached about traveling for work. The news for me was elation, how could I not pass up the option to travel. Time away from home, flaunting my skills as an exceptional employee and my brains for business.

While floating in the clouds I had not yet grappled with the feelings that would soon flood over me while I was out of town.

Chosen as a SME, Subject Mattter Expert, to visit a sister site for training and implementation purposes I was on cloud nine. An ego lifter by all means in that management felt my work ethic and knowledge of the processes and procedures would be invaluable to others in the implementation process.

The Chad and I talked about the trip and we had initially anticipated travel for two weeks and home only on the weekends. However, the schedule was set so I would only be traveling one week. Great news for our family considering the twins have never been away from me for more than the work day.

Living almost purely on adrenaline during the first 24 hours of my travel I was halted on Monday evening and Tuesday morning with the overwhelming urge to return home.

The walls seemed to close in on me in the chokingly dull hotel room. Whilespacious, inviting and cozy, even equipped with a Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed at the Radisson, I still felt uneasy. Missing my family, hearing the sadness in my children’s voices when I spoke with them on the phone, and catching the appreciation in my husband’s voice when we exchanged our days events. The day in and day out of eating out while traveling for business, retiring to a lonely room, if you are not feeling uneasy my thought is that having a family is not for you, because I missed them all terribly. I missed the nightly chaos of the witching hour with dinner time and the laughs and giggles of three beautiful little faces. The morning rush and with Seth asking me and telling me all at the same time, “Sleep Good mama.” Grant hugging me and telling me he loves me and my baby girl rushing into me for a morning hug. Irreplaceable moments in life, no matter how small.

Even a trip to the Mall of America made me realize how much I missed my kids when I laid eyes on the Nickelodeon Universe as my first thoughts were “my kids would lose their silly minds at this!” Each store brought on thoughts of how I should get this or that for the kids.

Work time would blow by, the work day itself seemed to have never happened and at times while working as a SME I felt I did not have enough time in the day to spread the wealth of knowledge. But I know I would anticipate the end of the work day to rush at the free opportunity to talk to the loves of my life. I realized more and more how much I missed them, how much I appreciated them, how we all needed the break.

More so I realized that even when I was at work I thought about my kids, my husband, how I never stopped being a mom. I realized how over the last 10 years I have learned to juggle the fine art of woman, wife, employee, mother, and all the other jobs I have taken on. I also made one of the strongest comments to one of my co-workers while we were on site which is that no matter what job I may be working, my first and foremost job is always mom.

The job may not pay six figures and provide paid time off, no bonus or perks except in the form of watching the little people created. Their smiles, giggles, artful creations that resemble a form of abstract art at times; but the largest payoff is the hugs, kisses, love you’s that no employer can provide except in the job and working position as mom.

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InSTEP Jogging Stroller

About a year ago I began my weight loss journey. I can tell you that as a woman and mother one of the hardest things to do was find time with two newborn children to exercise.

Add to the fact that the twins were not always on the same schedule. They were but weren’t since each of them went to sleep differently, one was definitely more needy than the other. Which often posed a problem when I would try to schedule time to exercise and my favorite way to exercise was to walk and jog.

I read lots of jogging stroller reviews before finally settling on the right stroller for my needs as a mom and as a jogger. I came across the InSTEP Safari Swivel Jogging Stroller Review which was bold and honest and even addressed issues with the stroller that any parent, mother, and jogger would want to be addressed and brought to light.

What are some items you look for in reviews? What type of details are pertinent in your purchase? Do you look for the negatives that may arise in a product review and find it refreshing when the author addresses them? Or would you rather they hide issues with a product? I know I was pleased to see honesty positive and negative.

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Kroger and National Pet Health Insurance

Did you know that September is National Pet Health Insurance month? I didn’t. But what a great month to spread awareness about Pet Health Insurance.

National Pet Health Insurance Month

September is nationally recognized as Pet Health Insurance month, and Kroger is inviting pet owners to learn more about policy options for their furry friends. This year marks the second annual celebration of the pet insurance month in the United States with pet insurance becoming more and more popular.

Vet care has increased significantly within the past few years. Pet owners can now seek treatment for their pets from dialysis to cancer treatments to surgeries, and pets are living longer than ever. But with the increased level of care comes an understandable increase in cost. According to the American Pet Products Association vet bills topped $11 billion across the nation in 2008.

Pet insurance is an option pet owners may want to consider. Pet insurance can allow owners to have coverage for the unexpected, and it can allow them to better budget for planned expenses. Some plans, such as the accident-only pet insurance plan covers treatment that results from an injury or accident, such as a car collision or unintentional ingestion. But with a more inclusive policy, pet owners can seek reimbursement for preventative care, such as teeth cleaning, flea control, annual exams and behavioral training. Pet insurance can provide peace of mind for pet owners, knowing they will not be stuck making a decision between proper care for their pet and possible “economic” euthanasia.

As a fur baby mama I will tell you that if we are willing to insure our children why not our furry children as well? Just last summer at this time our family was celebrating Big G’s birthday, a joyous of all occasions. But the occasion turned for the worse when we found our English Bulldog Ginger unconscious and unresponsive in our back yard due to heat stroke. The extreme summer heat of Arizona and all of her activity with the excitement took an unhealthy toll and she suffered heat stroke. The Chad and I rushed to her aide to cool her down as fast as we could without dropping her temperature too drastically resulting in permanent damage. We loaded her up and rushed her to the ER where she was treated and in a few days we had our beloved family pet back home with.

However, with that ER trip came a costly bill. The bill though was mitigated by the fact that we invested in pet health insurance for Ginger. While the entire bill was not completely covered a large portion of the bill was and all because we took the time, the small investment, and love of our fur child to adequately protect her in the event of this sort of catastrophic event. More so her general checkups are covered 100%.

While plans may differ in price and characteristic here are some helpful tips:

  • Get the coverage you want. Take the time to review what policies are available. Some carriers, like Kroger and PetFirst Healthcare, offer accident-only coverage, which pet owners may find more attractive than a premium coverage plan which costs more per month. Pet owners should examine how much they’re willing to spend on the monthly premium and match that with the benefits of each plan.
  • Buy early. Most, if not all pet insurance providers will refuse a pet with a pre-existing condition. Just like in humans, a pre-existing condition means the pet was diagnosed with an illness or disease prior to seeking pet insurance. It’s best to seek coverage from Day 1 to avoid the possibility of a pre-existing condition.
  • Know your coverage. Not all treatments will be covered, and what’s covered varies from policy to policy. Because pet owners pay out-of-pocket and then file a claim for reimbursement, some pet owners may not know a treatment isn’t covered until their claim is denied. Avoid that scenario by knowing the coverage benefits before walking into a vet’s clinic.

In addition to supporting pet health insurance awareness, Kroger provided me with a $20 gift card from its One-Stop Gift Card Shop so that I could select my pet-related products at Kroger, as well as a gift card for one of my readers so they could do the same.

Leave me a comment telling me about your fur baby and what you would get your fur baby with your Kroger gift card.

CONTEST ENDS SEPTEMBER 30TH

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Back to School with Seventh Generation

Now that the fall school schedule has resumed and our kids are socializing amongst their friends and teachers that they missed over the summer a lurking menace is socializing with our children as well.

GERMS!

Disgusting, sickening germs that our children spread around as they touch things, sneeze, cough, you name it, they touch and spread this menace in the classroom and bring home to the family.

To prevent the spread of germs our teachers request that the students bring in hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. But as a parent, I am rather particular about the disinfecting wipes, cleaners, and products my children use at home. Our family is especially conscious about the environment and the harmful chemicals in some disinfecting and cleaning products. Seventh Generation has an amazing line of cleaning, disinfecting, and paper products for your home that are environmentally friendly and the ingredients are botanically based, on chemically.

For back to school My Blog Spark and Seventh Generation is promoting their line of disinfecting cleaner, wipes, and products for a healthier home, classroom, and to help keep our children healthier while promoting a healthier world to live in by reducing our carbon footprint.

You too can enjoy the fruits of a healthier home on lots of levels by entering to win the prize pack offered by My Blog Spark and Seventh Generation! Here is what your goodies will look like:

To be considered for entry tell me what you do to help prevent the spread of germs with your child and would you like to use a product like Seventh Generation that is both healthier for your home and the environment.

(Comments like “pick me” and “enter me” and “I want to win” will disqualify your comment for entry into the giveaway.)

For complete entry options be sure to check out the rules page for details. Be sure when Tweeting you @SeventhGeneration to show your support!

CONTEST ENDS SEPTEMBER 25TH

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Crayola Green – Back to School

We all recognize the trademark yellow and green Crayola boxes but Crayola is taking “green” to new measures. Crayola is reducing, reusing, and recycling like a good majority of us are or should be doing.

“As part of Crayola´s ever-evolving green initiative, this back-to-school season, Crayola is making crayons with solar power, markers from recycled bottle caps and colored pencils from reforested wood.

Crayola crayons, markers and colored pencils getting greener is extra good news for parents. You can feel even better about Crayola products because you are supporting a brand that cares very much about kids and the environment and you´ll still get the same great quality and colors at the same price! So while sometimes environmentally-friendly products cost families more green, not so with Crayola” (MyBlogSpark.com, 2010)!

How cool is Crayola when your children reads the specially marked packaging to see that these Crayola products were once bottle caps or that the colored pencils are from reforested wood and not old growth. As parents you can be proud to know you supplied a product for your child that is eco-friendly as well.

  • Crayola Markers – Thanks to new, innovative ways to manufacture Crayola markers from recycled bottle caps, “black” is the new “green!” Crayola markers will now have black barrels instead of white, which allows for more recycled plastic to be used and gives a second life to more than 1 million pounds of plastic bottle caps. Plus, switching to black barrels keeps hundreds of tons of plastic out of landfills each year. Available in 10-ct. Broadline Classic Colors, 10-ct. Broadline Assorted Colors, 10-ct. Fineline Classic Colors, 8-ct. Washable Broadline and 8-ct. Washable Fineline.
  • Crayola Green 24-ct. Crayons – The quintessential school supply found in virtually every elementary classroom will be made with the power of the sun. More than 26,200 solar panels will convert sunlight into electricity, generating the energy required to make 1 billion of the 3 billion crayons Crayola makes each year, which equals 60 million 24-ct. boxes. Mother Earth will be smiling down on every forest green, pine green and jungle green crayon that rolls off the assembly line!
  • Crayola Green Colored Pencils – Committed to protecting the rain forests since 1987, all Crayola colored pencils have been made from reforested wood instead of wood sourced from tropical rainforest or endangered species. For every tree used, a new tree of the same species is planted. The 12-, 24-, 36-, and 50-ct. boxes of Crayola Colored Pencils will be among the first to carry the “Eco-Evolution” callout on their packaging. (MyBlogSpark & Crayola, 2010)

As parents we want to set an example and what better example, than by purchasing products that inspire and promote a healthier world and environment and future for our children.

But if you haven’t bought your kids supplies yet, or you want an extra stash at home for weekend crafts and coloring, leave a comment telling me how you may be recycling, reducing,or reusing like Crayola. The folks at Crayola and My Blog Spark are kind enough to provide our family and yours with this prize pack to enjoy.

(Remember leaving a comment of “I want to win”, “Enter me”, “Gimme” or anything other than the above, your comment will be deleted)

You can find additional entry options here, and be sure to follow Crayola on Twitter and Like or Fan them on Facebook.

CONTEST ENDS SEPTEMBER 11

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A Perfect Night Sleep with Select Comfort

Admittedly sleep is THE most important factor to health. New studies are out that sleep not only affects your weight but sleep, or lack there of, can impact mental health, judgment, mood, your overall well being.

I am a firm believer in a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed with complimentary bedding makes all the difference when you slide in to recharge your batteries for the following day. Who wants to crawl into bed with hot, uncomfortable, itchy, or flat out irritating bedding that results in tossing, turning, night sweats or freezes. Hot summer days and nights call for the use of the air conditioning which may result in night freezes or sweats depending on your body temperature.

Personally, I am a hot body and get rather warm at night. Kicking off my heavy down comforter, then I get cold and reach for the comforter again. The vicious cycle goes on all night long and while I am rested, I do not feel at full capacity.

thefivefish.com, Sleep NumberThe folks at Select Comfort have a fabulous line of bed linens that help to promote an optimum sleeping environment as well as reduce temperature swings. Imagine that, bedding that has a number, or balance, just for your body temperature.

I received my Perfect Comforter on behalf of Select Comfort and my nights have been wake free from hot flashes, sweats, and even freezes requiring me to reach for the comforter again. Because I share my bed with my husband, and let’s face it, he’s a hot body too and likes to cuddle, our bed gets toasty.

We opted for the king size, light weight, down alternative. The down alternative was chosen to reduce indoor pollens in our house and because down can be messy and requires specialty cleaning and handling. Plus I have always had down and thought our bed would be ready for some change.

For the last 30 nights both my husband and I have been adequately covered  by the Select Comfort Perfect Comforter. What we have noticed about other king comforters, down or otherwise is the lack of full bed coverage. One side would have more coverage than the other. The stuffing would get all wonky depending on how it washed, even if you had it professionally washed and handled, and with down comforters the down moves around creating “flat” spots. So we both had enough comforter for the both of us, no tugging and pulling to get coverage.

Neither one of us got hot or too cold. What The Chad has to say about the Select Comfort Perfect Comforter, “It’s light without being too light.” I couldn’t agree more, the comforter keeps your warm without getting too warm and it’s not too light where you might get cold. Like Baby Bear would say, “It’s just right!”

Furthermore, the comforter and cover were easy to piece together. Each insert ties into the cover to prevent slipping, sliding and uneven coverage. No more wonky comforter! In fact, when the winter months come into play, if the weather in Arizona was more cold, we might change out the inserts for a warmer weight, or if your bedmate runs hotter or colder you could each have a chamber perfectly balanced based on your sleep pattern.

What’s fantastic about the Select Comfort Perfect Comforter? You have the opportunity to win one for you bed. For your perfect nights sleep! Want to know how?

Tell me what would be your perfect night sleep. No sweats? No chills? No wonky comforter? More coverage? Always wanted a down or down alternative? Leave a comment telling me about your perfect night sleep with your valid email address.

If you leave a comment saying “Enter me” “I want it” or anything other than telling me about your perfect night sleep your comment will be deleted.

Want more entries? Be sure to check out Select Comfort on the web by fanning them on Facebook and getting all their updates or follow them on Twitter with all their various handles to get all the latest on Select Comfort and your perfect night sleep. (US Only)

*Disclaimer – As part of the giveaway your email address and name will be provided to Select Comfort on behalf of The Five Fish so that you will be added to the mailing list for sleep tips, deals, and special offers. In compliance with privacy disclosure, your information is NOT being sold to Select Comfort or any other party. You may opt out at any time.

CONTEST ENDS SEPTEMBER 25TH

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Middle Management

My kids crack me up. I used to get bent out of shape with the idea of having twins and all the work, especially with having an older child. I would worry about the influence of Grant on the midgets. Little did I realize that the gnomes would actually have an effect on G.

The Five Fish Since they have been in pre-school I have watched them evolve into such phenomenal little people. Bear with me while I brag that at the ripe age of TWO they can count to ten, sing their ABC’s and have total recall of select nursery rhymes. Not to mention they love to read, not as if they can recognize the words just yet, but they LOVE books and stories. In addition to all these wondrous learning milestones, they are peaking on social skills and their fluent ability to communicate.

What was once grunts, a few intelligible words here and there are now full on sentences. Now they can communicate what they want, when they want, how they want it. So much so that the two of them plot and scheme and even go as far as to involve their older brother and have him do some heavy lifting.

But when the situation is just the two of them. WATCH. OUT.

A typical conversation between the two of them, possibly myself, possibly big brother, and sometimes daddy:

“Ses, Ses, come puh hee…open Ses” as Sara is instructing her brother Seth to come help her pull open the fridge….of course the little muscle is such a sweetheart and helps her open the fridge. They then begin to loot the fridge like a pirate scoring booty.

“Mama…GO! Go mama, go fas, we go ho. GO NOW mama!” as my middle management, back seat driving son YELLS at me to pull into traffic, because clearly he knows when is a good time to pull into traffic to maneuver our way home.

“Saaawaaaa….Sawa, eat Sawa. Come sit down Sawa.” or my favorite “TimeOUT!” And each one will yell that to the other. What is even better is when the two of them feed the other. They remind me of a little old couple who is constantly managing the other.

“Grraaannnnttt….Gant, you sit hee.””Gant, no chaiwr Gant, you bensh.” The two middle managers instruct their older brother to sit on the bench for dinner while one of them chooses to sit next to him and the other occupies the chair in the area.

I have to admit these little people amaze me each and every day with how much they retain, how much they process, how they grow and evolve. While I miss the everyday being with them and playing with them and spending endless hours listening to them beat each other up, fight over toys, listen to whining about how midgets invaded a certain older brothers room….I would not want them to miss out on all the learning that takes place for my future management team when they go to school each day. How they manage each other, mom, dad, big brother, and of course the dog.

Sounds like it is time to look up how to apply for student loans and research the good business schools online, so I can enroll these up-and-comers.

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Bailouts and Entitlements

Writing for me lately has been like a lump of coal waiting to evolve into a highly compressed, precious gem ready to burst into life.

Work and the nightly battle with the kids have but drained my creative juices. People I know devoid me of inspiration because like I have always said, my life is not my blog.

The waged war of gnomes is the fact they are adjusting to their new found selves and of course the adjustment of mommy working. Although their self exploration has been highly entertaining and tear jerking all at once. To watch two little people at the exact same time grow up, figure themselves out, learn their language and begin to communicate is astounding.

But at the end of the day with work, reading how SO many people want a bailout and then logging online to see others there wanting the same thing and having a feeling of entitlement, I would rather hit delete and of course delve into a steamy, teen romance for a diversion. Because I am proud and adult enough to say that I love me some Twilight.

I have to wonder where people, businesses, and individuals feel this sense of entitlement? Where do they get off thinking the world owes THEM? How do they convince themselves and others of their delusional outlook, to convince that they are entitled to something they never worked towards? How does one go about thinking they are completely untouchable? How they are entitled more than others?

Maybe I am ranting but I was raised to work HARD. By work hard, I mean busting your ass; truthfully, nobly, and painstakingly working hard to get where you are at in life. I am raising my children that if you stumble and fall, you learn to pick yourself up. No one else helps you, you learn to help yourself above all else. A tough lesson as a parent to teach, because we want nothing more than to give our children what we did not have. We do not want to see them in pain, struggling, or watch them give up.

I beg the question of why those of Gen Y and even some Baby Boomers who feel their are entitled? What happened that they feel like just because they show up that they are given a free ride. The same can be said for those who fall into certain criterion who are awarded “assistance” because of financial situation, ethnic background, so on and so forth.

I guess I am lost and as a parent what do we do to help raise our children to be proud to work hard and not feel like they are entitled just because. I cannot recall anyone that may be entitled to anything, not even “certain inalienable” rights. As a parent, adult, person, do you know or are you familiar with the bailout and entitlement types? What values are you teaching your children?

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The Battle of “The Mom’s”

I am a former stay-at-home-mom.

When I was a stay-at-home-mom I used to declare my former life as a career mother.

I support mothers in all their decisions with raising their children. My philosophy has always been different strokes for different folks. I could understand and respect mothers who worked out of the home, at home, or have chosen to be the CEO of Domicile Operations.

However, I am eternally perplexed at the women and mothers who judge fellow women and mothers for the choices they do or do not make. The battle between working and stay at home moms. I never understood nor have no care to understand their staunch, and sometimes ignorant, views regarding their choices in motherhood.

My personal experience as a working and stay-at-home mother has been both rewarding and painful. While working the first go around I had to subject my oldest child to “daycare” at the ripe age of 7 weeks old. I was mangled with uncertainty, hurt, fear, doubt. Was I doing the right thing? Did I have another option? No. No I did not. Our life demanded a two income household and as soon as my baby was beginning to smile, I saw cries from his eyes, I heard his pain as each day I left him. The days got easier and easier  and then harder and harder again. Eventually I was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with my baby. Life was a struggle.

I maintained his schedule, but maintaining my sanity was another story. Entertaining a two and a half year old was also tough when he was more interested in fairy tales, cartoons, possessed an unyielding imagination and an unswerving desire to keep busy in his imaginary world. But I managed to keep the boy busy, taught him manners that would make any grandmother swoon in giddy delight, and taught him to swim like a fish. Pardon the pun.

Time was fast approaching that I would no longer stay home with my boy. That I would say goodbye to being a stay-at-home mom to my precious boy a he entered the new world we like to call “the education system.” That was until the hubs talked me into having another baby….and needless to say we got another baby AND another baby. For which I then became a TRUE stay-at-home mom as I birthed my twins and cared for Big G.

I found life as a stay-at-home mom so wonderful. I embraced my new “job” and was and am ever so grateful that I was blessed with the first two years of life with the twins. I found so much pain as well, pain in what I had missed with Grant when he was a baby. Pain that I felt I was a terrible mother, cursing myself in every unforgivable way for not finding a way to stay at home with my baby boy. But I found peace in the path of life I chose. I found peace in seeing how well adjusted my boy is and was by attending daycare at such a young age. I found peace in giving Seth and Sara what they needed, Grant what he needed. I found peace in knowing I had been in both situations in the battle of “the mom’s” and who’s job was, is, and deemed more important or more worthy. Each mother and situation is based on the needs of the family.

Moreover, the needs of our family have evolved yet again and I made the heartbreaking and excited decision to return to work. Certain days if allowed I will take a moment and mourn the loss of my life at home with my babies. To kiss all their adventure wounds, sing songs they so animatedly sing back to me, steal kisses while they napped, taught them how to cook and eat right, as well as how to reduce their carbon footprint on our world. I miss my days at home, but when at home I missed my days away from the home as a woman. I missed working and making a difference in the world and in my family’s life by enriching our opportunities.

Now that I have lived, learned, and walked the miles in each of these pairs of shoes I can tell you that within each mother is another who wants what the other has. The working mother may want that opportunity to stay-at-home and take pride in her work, to showcase her domestic abilities, to spend hours with her children that she has previously missed. They at-home mom may want the opportunity to disconnect from life babbling like a lunatic to people who could barely speak in intelligible sentences. That at-home mom wants to find herself again.

Finally, my children. My blessed, beautiful children are a testament of each lifestyle. The benefit of staying at home and the benefit of childcare where my children are growing by leaps and bounds each day. Counting, reciting their alphabet, recalling nursery rhymes, speaking in sentences that bring a smile and a tear to my eye and begs the question, “when did they turn into little people?” And I am ever so proud to be their mom, their once working mom, stay at home mom, and working mom. They amaze me each day.