Just wondering if you all have visited the Australian NetGuide Online and voted for Minti for best parenting site. Go over and vote today!

 

 

 

 

This post is from from my other blog here

When all else fails, go shopping. But for the love of turkey, pleeeeease back away from the mall!
Who needs big crowds, long lines and headaches when you 've got the coolest moms in the world doing the leg work for you?



These savvy elves know where it's at so pour yourselves a cup of cheer and check out their Holiday Gift Guide.

It really is a thankful Thursday today...literally. As those of us in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, we bring our attention to family, friends and food (lots and lots of food) but most of all, we are encouraged to ponder those things that we are most thankful for. And on on the top of the list? Family, friends and food. Oh, I said that already.

I am thankful for my life -every single aspect of it. I am blessed with my health and the health of my children and hubsand, love, happiness, a house, a warm bed, and all the necessities that make our lives rich. I have incredible friends whom I cherish, lots of wonderful family close by (we are so lucky!), an online community that always inspires me (that means you guys here at Minti!) and everything a girl could want and more.

I AM SO VERY THANKFUL TODAY AND EVERYDAY.

Enjoy your holiday everyone.

Here's a peaceful shot from our weekend getaway to the mountains. My husband taught the girls how to fish. The weather was clear but brisk. It was a perfect morning. You know I'm going to make a Tabblo of this trip as soon as I can!

This post is from from my other blog here

So, last night was the "Red Carpet" Wii launch party at the new Boulevard3 in Hollywood. Yes, me and the hub were invited. I am a Nintendo Ambassador after all. Like how I throw that phrase around? I'm just trying to milk my gaming stardom for the next day or two because once the clock strikes twelve on Saturday night (and the Wii is available to the public) nobody and I mean nobody is going to give a doggone about my Ambassador status. Hell, nobody cares now, who am I kidding?

But, about last night...
I wish I had photos to share but I don't. I couldn't even find anything online. I wish I could drop names but I can't. Well, except Justin Timberlake (sans Cameron-damn!) and Mischa Barton (hubby swears he saw her) who count for two names. But hardly enough to mention. I wish I could tell you I fit right in, but I didn't. I wish I could tell you being surrounded by all that beautiful youth (in that bizarre twisted Hollywood way) didn't make me feel old, but it did. But I will tell you that it made me realize how perfectly content I am being who I am, young, old or otherwise. The "scene" is fun for about 10 minutes (OK, we stayed for 3 hours) but it's much more satisfying living my own scene; the chaos, creativity, challenges, and children that make my life rich and worthwhile. What am I telling you for? You already know because I'm certain that's how you all feel as well. We are in this Motherhood thing together and amidst all of it's absurdities, it's the best thing since Ms. Pac Man.

We did enjoy ourselves last night. Being invited to participate in Nintendo's master plan of the Wii System Launch has been nothing but a pleasure, as I have said a millions times before. And I think last night might have been the end of this zany, surreal, gaming story. But, um, I'll keep you posted.

Today I want to give a special Thanks to all of my wonderful family and friends. There are far too many to list but since a few of them blog, I will pass along their links just for fun!

My "baby" sister Jessica whom I love love love beyond words.

One of my oldest and dearest friends Nancy whom I've known since High School and have cherished ever since. She always was and will forever be a kindred spirit.

One of my very first Mom friends Kirsten who helped me raise my oldest daughter as she raised her son. The bond we share through living those years accross the street from one another, in the thick of motherhood is one that is so special to me.

My newest (as of about 4 years ago) Mommy friend Kerri-Lynne who has shared motherhood with me as I've raised my younger daughter. Being pregnant together and have babies at the same time has kept up in contact and I have nothing but love and respect for her.

These are just a few of the women I am thankful for. The list goes on and on and I am constantly reminded how blessed I am!

This post is from from my other blog here


So, I've got the invite but not the outfit. Blogger Fashionistas, I need your help. Where to go? What to buy? What the hell am I going to wear??

Please.

Help.

I'll be hitting the highway bright and early tomorrow on a little family get away so I wanted to submit my foto tonight (it's still Thursday here).

My little sister used this photo over at Tabblo. It's of all the women in our family.

My mom, myself, my sisters, my oldest daugher (before her sister was born) and my grandmother. It's a very special photo and a very special family. Thanks for sharing Jessica!

This post is from from my other blog here

Today I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. It's something I know I take for granted every single day.

Which leads me to introducing you all to the blogger I am giving thanks for today on this Thankful Thursday; someone who's story alwasy brings everything I take for gratned into perspective.  Her name is Moreena and she is another ClubMom blogger which is how I have had the honor of meeting her (virtually) and getting to know her and her family (via her wonderful blog The Wait and The Wonder).

She is an incredible woman dealing with circumstances that no parent should have to bear. Unfortunately many parents do it every day. I encourage you to read her story and her daughter Annika's lifetime struggle with liver disease (she's awaiting her 3rd liver transplant yet she's just a child). Just dig around her blog's archives. I know, like me, you will find inspiration in reading her words of strength, beauty, and honesty.

This month in particular she is making Organ Donation Awareness and Education a top priority through her blog. Personally, I am committed to helping in her push and will be doing the same because...

and I hope you will consider being one too. It's something we don't think about really. Because we're too busy being alive and healthy. But what about after we die, whenever that may be? It's no fun to think about but imagine bringing LIFE to someone by giving something of ourselves that has brought us so much happiness in our own lives. It seems to me the best way to GIVE back.

I know I've expressed this before but, thank you Moreena for openly sharing your story and your daily life with us through your blog. You and your two daughters are amazing.

This post is from from my other blog here

We voted.
And we were heard.
Hot Damn!

We were heard.

This post is from from my other blog here

OK, I'm not usually political on my blogs. But tomorrow is election day and I feel compelled to urge you to vote. There's no excuse not to take a small fraction of your day tomorrow to vote and be heard.

It's important. It's really important. And if you're in California the stakes for women are even higher. Even if you haven't studied up on "the issues", you've still got some time (like tonight after the kids are in bed).

And if you have any question about Prop 85, please visit citymama's highly informative blog sometime today and you will get an idea about how close we are to loosing our freedom as women.

PLEASE, GET OUT AND VOTE!

Tabblo is now offering GROUP capabilities on their photo sharing site. I have been raving about how fun it is to create photo collages over there and now we MINTI MEMBERS have an official group! Come check it out and join the fun.


Come catch the Tabblo Bug! ... See my Tabblo>

 JessGore has started her Tabblos, haven't you Jess?? What do you think??

The best part is that you can create some great photo collages over there and bring them over here and post them to your blog OR even to your advice!! How's that for AWESOME??

Be sure to announce yourself over there so I can look for you!

This post is from from my other blog here

OK, now I'm really scared for myself.

Like last week when I sang the praises of Misha, today I want to bring to my Thankful Thursday another momblogger who writes from the heart. She's also a member here at Minti which makes it that much more fun.

When I discovered C. Delia's blog "Left-Handed Trees" I was instantly smitten by her wisdom, honesty and gorgeous writing style. Her blog pages are collaged with poems, prose, and photography that always seem to break my heart in the best way possible, through beauty and truth. Each of her offerings is a gift to behold and I am thankful that there are women, mothers like her out there that stir something within me, that challenge me, and open my eyes to things I have never seen before.

Delia, thank you for being you. I am beyond thrilled to have your words to read here at Minti and out there at Left-Handed Trees.

This post is from from my other blog here

It's not over yet. November 1st I mean. See, I was supposed to write my glowing post about the lovely and talented Misha of The Wallpaper of My Mind (a favorite blog of mine) because I nominated one of her recent posts for the ever popular "Perfect Post Awards" that are hosted monthly over at Suburban Turmoil and Petroville. The whole award process is totally cool, not only because you get to acknowledge a fabulous blogger but you also get to enjoy a link fest like no other. It's a great way to read the best of the best and discover new bests you never knew were out there. It's grand all the way around.

But today (and yesterday and the day before) I have found my motherwork taking priority over my blogwork which has meant all things virtual have taken a backseat. And sometimes that sucks and it can be terribly frustrating when there are things online that I want to be doing, saying, sharing, etc. AND especially when the paying gigs await. But somehow, as with most moms, everything has had to be put into perspective and the motherwork has had to come first.

So today, while sitting at the doctor's office AGAIN I was thinking of Misha's Perfect Post and it hit me. Here I was doing something I had to do yes, but something I wouldn't trade for anything; holding my daughter in the waiting room as she cried because she was afraid of getting another shot. And here I was lamenting that I didn't get this post written and it just seemed somehow fitting that I was burning to write about the conflict so many of us feel as we are both mothers and creative women as I was doing something as important as comforting my baby.

In her life, Misha has been tackling the same issue. She's shares it so eloquently and poignantly in her post "On Raising a Mother" that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Her decision to cut back on her blogging (which is probably like cutting off a limb) as to give more to her children and less to herself and her own creative needs left me just a tab bit numb because it's something I wrestle with daily. And it feels even more palpable right now because speaking of wrestling, my husband and my girls are having a time of it in the living room, rolling around in hysterics on the living room floor as I'm in my office pecking on my keyboard doing what I have had no time to do in a while. And I wonder if with all this "work" I love to do, I long to do, I live to do is at all synonymous with doing right by my children. Maybe not so much? The motherwork always comes first yes, but this other work is what I daydream about doing. I defend my creative wants/needs/whims to the death and I shout from the rooftops, "I need ME time to be a complete person" but lately I've been thinking a lot about what it all means and if I will be glad for feeding my Creative Soul during these fleeting years or if I will one day pine away for the moments I missed with my daughters. It scares me to death.

I will be writing about another fantastic post soon too to follow up where Misha left off as I try to process all of my thoughts (which is never easy when you're exhausted).

For tonight, I hope you enjoy Misha's words as much as I have.