LIVE from Chicago

I'm sitting in a room full, I mean - FULL - of bloggers - women who are writers and who either get paid (0r not) for what they, I mean WE do all day!

We're just SECONDS away from the major announcement this year. They're just making us wait a few minutes before letting us know where BlogHer 2010 will take place and everyone here is bracing themselves and praying that it'll be in their hometown.

At my table are a few women from the Denver - based carpool are hoping that it'll be there and I have to admit that it would be a beautiful place for a conference.

OMG! They're making us WAIT....I swear. This is crazy. I'm getting text messages from my Blog Her Carpoolers ' roommate from somewhere in this room, but where is she? Is she broadcasting LIVE as well?

THERE SHE IS!!

I can see her. She's at the next table and it looks like her coffee mug ...

NEW YORK CITY

Hilton New York
near Rockefeller Center
August 5 - 7, 2010

Woo-hoo!

Oh, and I'm going to head to the GM booth today so that they can set me up with another Test Drive with the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

San Diego Zoo's Unforgettable Elephant Odyssey

Last night, The San Diego Zoo held a VIP Event for the grand opening of the Elephant Odyssey exhibit. I had the pleasure of touring the new 7.5 acre display with fellow San Diego bloggers. It was a great event and a beautiful exhibit.

The event started at 5pm. We enjoyed some yummy cookies prior to taking the Sky Ride over to the exhibit, which is on the far end of the 100-acre zoo. We arrived at the entrance of the Elephant Odyssey and picked up a Pink Elephant (alcoholic for us, non-alcoholic for our kids, of course) which made it somewhat awkward for taking pictures, but somehow, we managed!

Somewhere along the way, I put our drinks down and I'm not quite sure which one my son ended up finishing, but he did end up having a crying fit moments later when he realized how hungry he was (Oh yeah, we sort of need to eat dinner!).

I got a few photos in prior to that, of the elephants enjoying their new play area, a baby crocodile which my son was frightened of, and the tapirs - adults and babies - enjoying the sunshine.

We cut through the Conrad Prebys Elephant Management Facility to sit down for some food outside the new Sabertooth Grill. Food was all my son needed to keep us going for the rest of the night. We all had dinner together and then my son ran around the Pleistocene Playground with Sugar's kids once the sun went down.

The event ended at 9 when the Zoo officially closed and we jumped aboard the top level of the double-decker bus to be dropped off right in front of the Exit. We walked to our car, said goodbye to our friends and then - major drama - my son discovered that he left his blanket and the stuffed elephant we were given at the beginning of the night, all the way back where we were seated for dinner! Seriously?!

From Left to Right: @BridgetASmith, @Hip_M0M, @tjstaab, @sugarjones
@sandiegomomma, @adramaticmommy, @VirtuelIMC

I hesitated between teaching him a lesson (leaving it behind) and knowing how upset he was because he doesn't go anywhere without his security blanket (picture Linus from Peanuts). After a few tears (his, not mine), we ran back to the entrance so I could explain to the staff why we so desperately needed to to back inside.

They were so understanding and in seconds, we were seated on a golf cart which the security guard drove - the back way - to the elephant display so we could retrieve my son's beloved blankie. He clung to me the entire time as we zipped through the zoo in the dark, no one around except the animals and the noises of the night. It was a beautiful drive and I enjoyed seeing the zoo in silence although my son was having a mini panic attack next to me.

The security guard who drove us there escorted us back to the "scene of the crime" and my son had to run to keep up with us since we were walking so quickly for his little legs. As soon as we got to the tables where we were previously sitting, my son crawled underneath the table and pulled out his blanket which he had stuffed up underneath the legs of the table (these photos proved the fact that he disappeared under there long enough to take several pics of the table legs and the napkin that fell on the ground).

Overall, the lasting memory of the event will be a traumatic one for my son since he nearly lost his blanket, but for me, I will remember how wonderful the staff was, how great we were treated and the laughs shared with some fabulous women.

She Said Yes!

Did you see it? Online readers had the opportunity to witness the live (somewhat) proposal between The Boy and Mommy Pie. She said yes, of course, and followed up on her own blog the following day. Now is the time for us to share exciting proposal stories, offer relationship advice or simply send love to the happy couple.

My ex-husband (aka Mr. X) and I have created some interesting memories together, from our honeymoon in Venice (when a piece of the glass chandelier fell onto our bed in the middle of the night) to our camping trip to Mexico when he proposed.

At the time, Mr. X drove a VW Jetta. It had over a zillion miles on it and was banged up a little bit with several rust spots. It was the perfect car for driving across the border. I had no idea where we were headed, but we had our sleeping bags and a tent with us, along with our warm clothes, his expensive camera and tripod and food to last for the weekend so I knew we were going to have an exciting adventure and romantic time together.

We drove for quite a long time once we reached Mexico and I began to worry that we might be lost when I asked Mr. X if he knew where we were going. He said that directions he got from one of his surfer friends was to take a Left when you see the hand-written sign for "La Playa."

I looked at him to see if he was joking, but when I realized he was completely serious, we drove in silence as the two of us paid close attention to the dirt roads to find the sign. We did find it, and after driving onto a road that was full of speed bumps made of dirt, testing the shocks of the Jetta, nearly banging our heads on the roof with every dip we hit, we finally approached a wooden building where an old man came out and asked us for money to continue down the road.

We gave the man a few dollars to enter "The Beach," although we were heading down a dirt road that didn't look much like a beach to me. We continued downhill, around corners, driving past cactuses and kicking up dirt behind us as we drove about 5 miles an hour for at least a mile and a half. The road curved around to the left and suddenly, the ocean opened up in front of us and a cliff with a large parking lot was in front of us where we parked, made room for our tent and had a private beach, entirely to ourselves.

We set up our tent, got into our bathing suits and followed the dirt path to the edge of the cliff where we found a thick rope which we were able to hold onto as we lowered ourselves down to the beach below.

The water was cold, but there was no one around and with the beautiful background and romantic mood we were in, we ended up having a sexy photo shoot where I ended up taking off my clothes and posing on the sand in front of the large rocks, something I thought I'd never find myself doing. I also never expected to be interrupted by a family with kids running down the beach towards us as I frantically tried to cover myself.

Later that afternoon, we went for a hike to the outer edges of the cliffs, through the cactus trails and heading up the hills and back down. At one point, Mr. X slipped and fell, landing right on top of a cactus, leaving spikes in his rear end that I had to pull out as he complained about the pain. I tried not to laugh but it was truly the funniest thing that has ever happened to me on a romantic getaway (this was before the Italian chandelier incident).

That evening, as the sun was starting to set, we started a bonfire on the cliff, set up our tent and prepared our meal which was pretty hard to do considering the fact that Mr. X neglected to pack anything to start a fire with. A group of surfers showed up that afternoon and parked a bit further down so luckily we were able to borrow a lighter from them!

We had a long and exciting day, walking, hiking, making love and enjoying the beautiful view and fresh air. When it got dark, it was pitch black. I was exhausted so I started to get myself ready for bed, realizing that I needed to wear every single item of clothing I packed since it was getting pretty cold.

I crawled into the tent, changed into some warm clothes, removed my contact lenses and laid down, waiting for Mr. X to join me. He knelt down leaning into the tent, looking for his sweatshirt which he couldn't find. He asked me to reach down by my feet to find it, so I sat up, handed him his sweatshirt and laid back down.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, Mr. X said he had something to show me. I sat up to see him holding open the ring case as he asked me to be his wife. I immediately started to cry and - because I didn't have my contacts in any longer - couldn't even see the ring! Between my tears and the sparkle of the diamonds, I took a deep breath and reached for my glasses so I could see him and the beautiful engagement ring that he was presenting me with.

I was in shock, speechless, and so overwhelmed. I, of course, said yes, and fell asleep that night with a huge smile on my face.

Of course, the story doesn't end there. Sometime while we were sleeping, the wind picked up pretty hard and started shaking the top of our tent pretty badly. We woke up cold, annoyed and unable to sleep through the howling wind and the fact that our tent was just about ready to collapse on top of us.

It was an eventful weekend, one that I will never forget and despite the fact that our marriage didn't work out, it still makes me smile to think about since he is a huge part of my life - and always will be.

Having a child together changes everything. Someday, when our son gets married and has kids, Mr. X and I will be there to watch it all unfold, adding more amazing memories to our history books and once again, falling asleep smiling.

Coach Cathy

A dear friend of mine is an amazing mother, a loving wife, an inspiring Life Coach and author of a journal for children. She also teaches a workshop she created, called Welcome to My World. We've sat down together a few times and each time I leave feeling relaxed, refreshed and inspired.

She's started her own blog - Coach Cathy - and I highly recommend you get to know her, either by visiting her website or by attending one of her coaching calls that are filled with inspiration.

Coach Cathy
Cathy Northcutt, Life Success Coach

Cruel and Unusual

Diane Hoffman tagged in a meme last month which I didn't come across until a few days ago. I felt bad that I didn't know about it when it was first posted, so I did what any good blogger would do - I followed the instructions immediately and took a photo of myself right then and there- regardless of the fact that I hadn't showered that day and was looking - and feeling - rather BLAH.

Warning: Photo is coming soon!

Diane is the blogger over at The Mommy Diaries who was tagged with this rather unusual game of GOTCHA! by Sassy Irish Lassie, who was tagged by Girl in the Glasses who was tagged by...I am determined to find out who started this madness!

OK - Before I share the startling photo with you, here are the rules:

1) Take a picture of yourself right NOW!

2) DON'T change your clothes, DON'T fix your hair... Just take a picture.

3) Post that picture with NO editing.

4) Post these instruction with your picture.

5)Tag 10 people to do this..

And, what you've all been waiting for (shield your little ones from the screen):


And yes, I'm tagging these 10 *lucky* bloggers whom I will harass daily until they participate:

1. The Bloggess
2. Motherlode
3. Mommas Tantrum
4. Busy Mom
5. Mom 101
   
6. Suburban Turmoil
7. My Tiny Kingdom
8. Mitch McDad
9. Sheena "Mommyblogger" Williams
10. Thursday Drive
    

Please don't hate me because I'm beautiful!

San Diego Parenting Examiner

My mom sends me links to some great websites that I might otherwise not have the chance to discover. Just last week, she asked me if I had ever been to The Examiner website. I hadn't.

She sent me the link to the San Diego network of sites there and right away, I was intrigued. How could I write for them? My blog's RSS feed is pulled into sites like Wellsphere and Intent, but I would love the opportunity to have my writing appear on sites that are local, and relevant to what I teach and practice as a Certified Parent Educator.

The same session where I first entered The San Diego Examiner site brought me to the page where I was able to apply to be a writer for them. I'm not shy about my abilities and experience, so I felt pretty confident about the possibility of writing for them, but I had no idea that they'd respond as quickly as they did.

I received a phone call from them the very next day. In the message that was left for me (and one that I listened to more than once), they mentioned that they had a chance to see my writing (here) and wanted to "bring me on board." Seriously. I was just as shocked as you are right now!

My first post went live today! I leave tomorrow for an out-of-town wedding but I'll be writing from this point forward for both sites - mine and theirs - and I hope you visit both sites and continue to leave wonderful comments that keep the discussion moving forward.

I wouldn't have made it this far in my writing career if it weren't for the readers who stop by here and who are also (in most cases) bloggers who inspire me, entertain me, make me smile and laugh out loud as well as put up with my own comments on their sites.

Thank you for continuing to read my lengthy posts, for commenting without judging and for asking me questions or making statements that encourage me to think outside the box and explore other perspectives and possibilities.

If you're just discovering my site or have ended up here by chance, welcome! Take a look around and let me know what you'd like to read more of, either on this site or over at my page on The Examiner.

Trading Up

I wrote about The Great Minivan Trade Up last month and I was excited to learn that Dad of Divas is moving along smoothly in his goals.

He was interviewed recently by his local paper, the Herald Times Reporter. Since the current trade up includes drinks with a fellow blogger, I figured I'd have to come up with something equally exciting to offer as a trade up.

Suddenly, I'm reminded of my first day on the Stanford University campus just a few months back. I was there for the Professional Publishing Course and found myself at the bookstore just hours before checking into my dorm.

Just as I was about to head to the opening class, two young teenage boys stopped me. Or perhaps there were three. They were very shy, looked extremely nervous and a little annoyed at the person who ignored them just seconds before turning to me. I stopped to hear what they had to say.

Apparently, as part of their assignment for their summer class, they were asked to hold a similar experiment in trading up. They offered me a band-aid and asked if I had something of more value in exchange. They even suggested a pen or pencil, which I of course had on hand.

After they thanked me and walked on to the next unsuspecting bystander, I realized that I had actually gotten the better deal here. After all, pens are easy to come by these days. Companies give them away, people leave them behind or you can easily find a woman with a purse who most likely has one.

But, ask your average Joe for a band-aid and you'd be hard-pressed to find one. As a mom, I typically have one in my purse but I was pretty surprised that these young students felt that a pen was of more value. The value of certain material things is subjective.

Back to my point. The blogger, Weaselmomma, who kindly offered her company during Happy Hour along with her recipes for some pretty amazing goodies, realizes the value of these two things. Oh, and she even threw in an autographed photo of herself so you can say you knew her when she becomes famous.

Even if this mini-van trade up does not make her famous, it most certainly will provide her with some new readers. So, to my readers, I now challenge you. What would you trade this little package (approximate value $250) for?

Head on over to The Great Mini-Van Trade Up to offer up your own collection of goodies.

Single Parents Connection on Facebook

I joined Facebook back in July, when I attended the Professional Publishing Course at Stanford University. My colleagues from different parts of the world insisted that I join and needless to say, it was a wise decision to finally participate in this networking site for adults.

Unlike MySpace (a circus in comparison), Facebook has clean pages and fun applications that let your contacts know a little more about you and allow you to customize your pages or upload photos, an RSS feed from your blog - or anyone else's - and chat with those who you are networking with by adding them as a friend.
David, over at Dad's House, invited me to join the Single Parents Connection group not that long ago. I was thrilled that he and Rachel - of Single Mom Seeking - put together this group of bloggers who all chat about life as a single parent.

If you're a single parent, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity to connect with others who know exactly what you're going through.

Bloggers Unite

I continue to discover more blogs written by Moms and Dads. There are so many great writers that I now read on a regular basis that I am finding less and less time to write. It's a good thing that reading helps inspire me, because I'm often compelled to respond to a post I come across with one of my own.

Here's this week's latest blogs written by some great parents:

• My Baby Our Baby
• Husbands and Dads
• Hope 4 Peyton
• Rockin' Mama

Check out more great site for parents along the blogroll in my sidebar. I have included each and every mom and dad authored blog that I've come across. Please let me know what I've been missing.

Blog Day 2008

Blog Day 2008 is two weeks away. Are you prepared?

Participate by adding a badge to your site and research at least 5 blogs to share with others. Instructions are simple:

1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2008
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st)
   
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link:
   http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2008 and a link to the BlogDay web site: http://www.blogday.org

You're Invited to a Blogger Dinner Party!

The wise woman who blogs over at Barking Mad has come up with an amazing idea that she's shared with the blogosphere. Actually, I learned about the event from following her on Twitter.

In order to participate, I must invite ten bloggers to a virtual dinner party that I will host. The rules are simple. I can invite only ten but any ten bloggers.

The ten bloggers I would like to invite are:

1. The Bloggess - Because she is truly the funniest fucking writer I know - or wish I knew - or "know" on line.
2. Guy Kawasaki - Because the first time I met him I didn't get to ask him all the questions I would've liked to and plus, he is the manliest "guy" I know that still looks good in a pink hat and feathered boa.
3. Lena Chen - Because she doesn't give a shit and we'd have a great deal to talk about...besides sex. Maybe.
4. Mignon Fogarty - Because she's helping change the face of publishing having just authored a book inspired by her blog, Grammar Girl.
5. Pete Cashmore - Because he's from Mashable and because I need to determine if he's as hot in person as he appears in his profile pic.
   
6. No Minivan - Because like her, I'm a thirtysomething mom who is also a redhead (although mine is natural) and I also have a son (she has two boys). Unlike her, I grew up in the midwest and moved to SoCal and I LOVE my minivan.
7. Rebecca Woolf - Like Mignon Fogarty, she went from blog to book with her Girl Gone Child memoir.
8. Dana (aka Mamalogues) - Because she's the *bravest* blogger that I know of.
9. Busy Dad - Because he has truly changed Friday & Saturday Nights with the creation of Weekend Blog Hoppers
10. David - Because his blog, Dad's House, has truly changed the focus of my own.

This was not an easy list to compile but I'm thinking that the above company would truly make for a fabulous gathering of talented, humorous and interesting people who would inspire much laughter, arguments and perhaps tears - all for which would make an amazing blog post (or two).

Coming to a Nursery Near You

It's Monday and it's Giveaway time! Snapfish is a great on line site that provides prints of your digital photos with a user-friendly website and the convenience of ordering the images day or night.

Coming to a Nursery Near You is hosting a giveaway and you can enter to win a pre-paid print card - good for 50 digital camera prints! Plus, if you’re a first time Snapfish user, you get an addition 20 prints!

Head on over and enter to win!

Mommy Daddy Blogs

New Parents (they're parents and they're new to me) added to my blogroll:

• Whiskey In My Sippy Cup
• Cheaper Than Therapy
• Playgroups Are No Place for Children
• My Minivan is Faster Than Yours

Daddy Bloggers

My mom has been keeping me up to date with the parenting sites, blogs and articles that she comes across in her daily reads. This morning she sent a link to an article from the St. Paul Pioneer Press about daddy bloggers and the rise of stay-at-home dads and those who choose to write about their experiences and point of views of parenthood.

I'm so excited to add these links to the list of Hip Parents:

Collide and Converge
Dad Gone Mad
Tapirs Poop
Matt Logelin
Maya Reads
This Little Piggy Had Tofu
Team Trixie
Schuyler's Monster Blog
Jonathan Rundman
Looky Daddy

And don't forget to check out these great daddy blogs as well:
Dad's House
The Busy Dad Blog
Dorky Dad
Daddy in a Strange Land
From Here to Paternity
D is for Dad
Dad Thing
meta DAD
Discovering Dad
DIY Father
Try to Keep Up
Hey, Look What I Can Do
Makes Me Wanna Holler
A Man Among Mommies
I Have to Wipe His What?


These dads are all unique in their writing style and of course what they focus on. You'll find blogs written by single dads, stepfathers, new dads, stay-at-home dads, expectant fathers, dads who blog about raising their kids vegan or raising multi-racial children, from fathers who are also widows, and dads who blog about single life and dating. There's something here for everyone.

I encourage readers to send me links to sites you discover in your journey.

Happy Father's Day to all dad-types out there. Enjoy your special day.

Video of the Week

Alright, so I realize that I don't highlight a video every week, but I should. This one comes courtesy of stay-at-home dad, David.

I was tickled that David discovered my blog but he called it a "mom" blog. I've been trying to reach parents of either gender, so I would love to know what dads want to read about, whether you're a working-outside-the-house type or otherwise...and I can't forget about grandparents either.

Readers are welcome to send me links to videos that are relevant to parenting, children or families, but, please, No home videos!

Two More Days to Win

You could win a FREE gift from Cascade Lemonade! They're giving away a free travel accessory (up to $10 in value) to one lucky winner! Their original designs in vintage patterns and prints are so much fun! To enter, visit Notes From My Nest for details. Deadline to enter is June 11 by noon (EST), so be sure to check out the site today!

WARNING

The Well-Read Child

I enjoy reading blogs devoted to books and literacy. After all, my career (the one that provides a paycheck) is in children's publishing.

The Well-Read Child is my new favorite (among many). Just today, a review was posted about The Rookie Mom's Handbook, written Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss.

With 250 activities you can do with or without your baby, this book would make the perfect gift for new or expectant moms.

In Response...

Over at Dad's House, there's an interesting discussion that's been catching the eye of many a blogger (single parents, especially). Here are my two cents:

1. Men are creepy. My male "friend" of over four years ended up confessing his feelings for me recently and I was TOTALLY creeped out since I had been sharing info about my life with him over the past several years (including details about my current relationship and how I feel towards the man in my life). ICK. I can never look at him the same way again.

2. A woman doesn't want to hear that she's attractive or sexy from just anyone (and if she does then she has issues). Most women only want to hear this from a guy she's totally into or finds attractive and sexy too. But, the problem is, how does a guy know if he falls into this category or not?

3. The fact that most men admit to looking at women in a sexual way (regardless of the circumstances) should serve to elicit a strong reaction from all involved. It should also go without saying that men do need women (and vice versa).

4. David wrote: "For a woman to admit she needs a man reveals vulnerability." David, it all depends on the circumstance or what she is really saying she needs. Perhaps she needs his attention. Perhaps she needs him to fulfill her fantasies in a physical way. Perhaps she needs him for a one night stand or a lifelong commitment. Perhaps she just needs to feel he wants her so she can turn around and reject him. Let's not generalize here. And to MsSingleMama - I'm not referring to you in any of the above scenarios.

Let's face it, women have been using the power of their sexuality for generations to get what they want or "need" and that isn't about to change anytime soon. (I'm not saying I agree with this or that I myself do this but then again, I'm not saying that I don't.) And for just as long, men have been trying to figure out ways to use that power against us.

I could go on but I'm afraid my blog isn't just about relationships or sexuality. But I will end with this: I need the men in my life for different things and I believe admitting that only makes me stronger.

Men, women, single or in a relationship - what do you think? Obviously the convo caused a strong emotional reaction from those who've read and commented so far...

This is How Rumors Get Started

I discovered BABBLE a while ago and still find myself laughing out loud while reading Rebecca Woolf's blog, Straight from the Bottle.

Just recently, I heard about her appearance for a signing of her book, Rockabye: From Wild to Child, here in San Diego, but was unable to attend. Then, after two seconds of Google research, I found her personal blog, Girl's Gone Child (love the name).

I got in touch with Rebecca through her website and (and her publisher through theirs) and asked if she might be interested in attending the upcoming Parenting Party ... or offer signed copies of her book to be given away.

Not only did she respond directly (OK so it was an automatic response), but her publishing company representatives also sent me an email, asking if I would like Rebecca to come to the upcoming Event. Rumor has it she may just be there. Either way, we're going to be giving away copies of her book that night. Will they be signed copies? Will Rebecca be making an appearance? Stay tuned...

There are more surprises up my sleeve for the Event...don't miss out!