Mommy Gossip

Enter to Win a Sleighful of Gifts This Holiday Season!

2009-11-26T09:40:00.003-07:00

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter, I’m sharing this meme with you. Did I mention this giveaway features $3,800 in prizes? For those of you that know me, you know I'm not exaggerating, because if I were, I'd exaggerate using an odd number. LOL!

Click here to check out the ginormous amount of goods.

To enter to win them, all you need to do is the following three things:

Answer the questions in this meme on your blog.

Make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (using this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ).

Tag your friends!

Create a Wishlist!

1. What 5 items are top on your holiday wish list?

A piano

A trip to India

Maid service (even one a month would be heavenly!)

A trip to New York City (I would love to get this gift early, so I can go this December!)

A new printer like my old one (where the sheets feed into the copier)

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

Do my grandma's banana cookies count? Honestly... there is no better handmade gift than that!

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

I'd love to knit a hat as long as someone else could do the knitting for me!

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

Holly Hobby Easy Bake Oven... hands down the best gift evah!

5. What items are top on your kids wish list this year?

My 6YO wants an electric guitar.

My 8YO wants us to get a piano. He's willing to forego toys for it!

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

Where to begin?

Reindeer cookies

My MIL's sugar cookies

Saurkraut

My mom's prime rib roast

Caramel Apple Spice from Starbuck's

Hot chocolate

Veggie trays (especially if I got to chop the veggies)

Olives (especially when eaten off my finger tips... tell me you did that as a kid too!)

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Thankfully, nada (unless making reindeer cookies as neighbor gifts counts)!

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
All of them! I love holiday movies!!! If I had to choose just one, I would probably say How The Grinch Stole Christmas, especially the part when his heart pops out of his chest!

9. Favorite holiday song?
I can't choose just one:

Oh Come All Ye Faithful

We Three Kings/Star of Wonder by BNL & Sarah McLaughlin

Bring the Torch, Jeanette Isabella

That one by the Osmond's that @troypattee dies for (can't remember the name... not Puppy Love though!)

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Giving!

Tag! You're It!

Now, it's tag time! I'd love to see answers to these questions from all of you, but since the task is to tag some of you and since tagging all of you would mean the rest of you would have no one to tag, here we go!

Leah from Mamavation
Stephanie from The Daily Blarg
Joanie from Keeping Up With Mom
Sari from Perpetual Chaos
Lauren from Super Mom Central
Tonya from This and That

Giveaway—Crayola Color Explosion Gift Pack (Retail Value $200)

2009-08-16T14:14:00.005-06:00

Giveaway and Coupon Details

One lucky winner will watch their child(ren)'s imagination ignite with Crayola's Color Wonder gift pack ($200 retail value). (See giveaway entry requirements below.)

Everyone’s a winner in this week's giveaway! Enjoy a discount toward Crayola products by downloading a Crayola coupon here (good through August 31).

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries).

Note: Entries that do not follow all of these requirements will not be considered.

Brighten someone's day during this back-to-school season by performing one of the random acts of kindness listed here and commenting here to tell us what you did.

Become a fan of the Crayola Facebook Page.

Follow @crayola on Twitter.

Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:

Join #gno Tues 9-11 ET 4 a back-to-school wrap up w/ @crayola. RSVP: http://bit.ly/oyOz9 PLS RT

GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win shoes $200 in @crayola products. RSVP: http://bit.ly/2OcSQi PLS RT

Extra Entries
You can earn up to two extra entries for this week's giveaway. Leave an additional comment for each.

Share one of your favorite back-to-school memories on the Mom It Forward Facebook Page.

Join the Mom It Forward Google Friend Connect (in the right-hand sidebar).

The Fine Print
No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Crayola and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Sunday, August 23 at midnight PDT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered.

Where Do Hair Elastics Go?

2009-08-16T14:06:00.006-06:00

This morning, I posed the following question both on Twitter and on Facebook:

When I came home from church a few hours later, here were all of the responses awaiting me. Who knew something as small and seemingly insignificant as a hair elastic could elicit such emotion and response. Enjoy!

If you'd like to add a response to the mix, either comment here, follow me on at @jylmomIF Twitter, or friend me on Facebook!!!

The A-Typical Road Trip

2009-06-10T15:16:00.014-06:00

Green is definitely not my favorite color, but this week I'm seeing a lot of it and unfortunately, it isn't green as in money, but rather green as in envy. I know, I know! A cardinal sin. Shhhh! I won't tell if you don't ;)!

Troy is road tripping it across America—you know, checking out the home of the free, land of the brave as he helps move his brother and his family back to Utah. And I'm green with envy (for the road tripping part, not the moving part!). If I felt up to it, I'd Photoshop a Wicked picture of myself just to prove how green I am, but instead, let me show you why! Tell me if you could relate.

Day 1: Troy arrives in Pennsylvania.

In his witty sense of humor, Troy e-mails me: "This is a photo of Festes the mule. He and I became acquainted shortly after my arrival in Amish Country, Pennsylvania. Festes lives a simple life. Some might feel bad for him pulling a buggy all day, but he's actually the lucky one...he spends his days out front, leading the charge, first in line with nothing before him but the open road. No, don't feel bad for Festes. The one to feel bad for is the buggy driver. Because the view he sees all day is a horse's ass."

Same Day: While Troy is feeling bad for the buggy driver, Jyl is ~~in hell~~ at her new home in Utah. Check out this beautiful chaos.

Day 2: Troy calls Jyl from Niagra Falls? Jyl's response: "You went where without me??????? I thought you were helping your brother move. I didn't realize you were on a vacay."

Troy's e-mail accompanying this picture: "It took a lot longer than we has planned, but we finally made it to Niagra Falls. Even at night the place was crowded and we has to park several blocks away. The kids were tired but I I convinced them that they had to hurry because the water got turned off at 10:00."

Day 3: Troy arrives in Ohio. Jyl is excited to make dinner for the kids. She bought all the ingredients and took one look at her kitchen (see below), realized she had no idea where the pots and pans were, and took the kids to, where else? Wendy's! Gotta love 'em for having square hamburgers and Biggie Fries (even if they changed the name, which was seriously a huge mistake IMHO)!

Day 3: Jyl discovers you can take X-ray pictures with your iPhone and actually have them turn out good. How does she know this? Because the kids were cooped up inside from the torrential desert rain, had a pillow fight, and Chase used his arm to break his fall, breaking his radias bone in the process.

As Chase put it, "It snapped in half, just like a chocolate candy bar that you are going to share with a friend." Way to see the sweeter side of life, buddy! Here he is, hair uncombed, but faking a smile right before the Tylenol with Codeine went down. That there's the real sweet side of life!

And so I don't leave out my cute little incredible hulk who started this whole breaking bit. Who says knock off Crocs suck? Oh! Wait! I do. George Smith, Jr.: Please, oh! please!, hook us up. Who makes these things??? I caught Connor picking IH's nose while in the doc's office. SERIOUSLY???

How are your road trips going this summer?

Photo Story Fri: My Fractured Skull

2009-06-04T20:50:00.007-06:00

Blogging is a great form of therapy. While I don't necessarily want to delve into why I need it today, let's suffice it to say I've moved. There. I'll leave it at that.

But, something great has happened in spite of the move... or rather because of it. I know this picture shouldn't really bring a smile to anyone's face... and definitely not a shout for joy... especially from the person who is in the picture. But, I thought I had lost this. And finding it was a welcome surprise! Why?

This picture was taken after I had 42 staples removed from my head in 1993. I suffered an epidural hematoma and a fractured skull. Somehow, looking at this picture reminds me that life really is one big roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs and that through it all, the lessons I've learned have all been worth it. This picture keeps it all in perspective for me. There's a lot to learn... even in the toughest of times. It's all about remembering that in the midst of the rough patches, right? Like today!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T12:46:00.004-06:00

My friend Carissa and I first posted this video as part of our entry in the HP Magic Giveaway contest. I wanted to post it again for Mother's Day as a reminder of how amazing you mothers are. You give life. You comfort and take pride in your children. You lead the way, teach, share, and love. And you do all this on the good and the not-so-good days—while balancing your many roles and figuring out the secrets of motherhood success all without a guidebook. You rise above life's challenges with resiliency and determination, committed to do it all over again day in and day out because of an absolute love for your family. And, as evidenced by the many kind acts of service you've performed, you also take on your role of motherhood while serving others. In short, you are changing the world one mom at a time, starting with yourself, while focusing on your family, as well as extending your reach to your community and beyond.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

All pictures in the video are used with permission from Flickr.

Photo Story Fri.: Father & Son Outdoors Gardening Adventure!

2009-05-07T18:29:00.007-06:00

Today, father and son put aside the news. They forgot about the Swine Flu! They put aside their thoughts on the bad economy and its impact on our family! And they went outdoors and started turning over a little dirt and planting a few seeds. Goodbye depressing news. Hello happiness! Let spring and the gardening season begin!

Here's Troy gardening in his Crocs. Thanks George G. Smith, Jr. for the gift certificate! Did you know people gardened in Crocs?

And here's Leo getting down and dirty!

What are you doing to enjoy the warmer weather?

"Tina, You Fat Lard! Come Get Your Dinner!"

2009-05-05T08:37:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, I rounded the corner leading up the hill into my neighborhood—my neighborhood in one of the biggest cities in Utah, not in some small rural area. And... straight ahead of me was a llama walking intently up the hill right in the middle of the road. I slowed down. Stopped. Did about three double takes. And, started laughing hysterically.

I can't confirm whether I was laughing about the llama in the road or my great memories of watching Napoleon Dynamite... especially when I watched it with my entire family at our last Johnson family vacation to Mt. Rushmore. Oh! Did I mention we watched it in Spanish with English subtitles? Great memories!

Anyway... this llama laughter moment made me realize that life is far too serious and how important it is to take advantage of every good moment, however small or short lasting they may be. Too much crap tries to work its way in and fill the nooks and crannies of our lives. And seriously, life is too short to not stop and laugh at the llamas!

I hope you all have a great day filled with small, yet funny, moments!

Do You Love Your Wedding Ring?

2009-05-02T14:21:00.022-06:00

How do you feel about your wedding ring? Every time you look at it do you fall in love all over again? Is it something you'd be proud to pass on to a special daughter or daughter-in-law? Or, are you waiting for that perfect 10th or 20th anniversary when you'll finally be able to get the ring of your dreams?

For 12 years, I have been wearing a gold wedding ring. I love the style. But... for 39 years, I have hated gold jewelery. I have never purchased any gold jewelery in my life. So why I would choose a gold wedding ring. I will never know. And no, this isn't a picture of my ring. All of those who know me realized that the second you saw the tanned skin ;).

Then last week, I met Trevor of Goldsmith Co. Jewelers in Provo, UT (my temporary home town) and as I was explaining my predicament, he offered to clean and plate my ring in white gold for free.

I quickly called Troy to ensure he wouldn't have heart failure over my decision to change the ring that bound us forever (LOL!). He didn't seem to mind. I am now wearing the ring I was always supposed to have. (Note: Taking close-up images with your iPhone is not recommended as a great way to showcase your new, beautiful ring!)

The funny, yet not surprising part... when I came home and asked the hubster what he thought... all you women know exactly what his opinion was... he couldn't tell the difference between the before and after. Are you kidding me??? Men will be men!

But the jewelery fest doesn't end there... A couple of nights ago, I attended a Red Carpet event for about 30 UT bloggers with my new BFFs at Goldsmith Co. Jewelers. Some were friends I had hung with before... Others were new friends... Some were friends of friends...

And all were amazing... even my new friend, the Pandora bracelet... the hottest trend in charm bracelets. I'm dying to get one of these babies.

Eleven of the bloggers that attended the event are running giveaways on their blogs right now for the chance to win a $50 gift card to Goldsmith Co. Jewelers. You can enter all of their giveaways, but you may only win once. Also, you must either be able to claim your prize by Saturday, May 9 by visiting the Goldsmith Co. Jewelers store in Provo, UT or you must have a friend or family member that can claim it for you. The good news? You could use the money to put toward one of these amazing bracelets!

http://nobiggie.net

http://www.inevergrewup.net

http://sweetlifeinthevalley.com

http://therhouse.blogspot.com

http://www.becausebabiesgrowup.com/

http://www.whataboutmomblog.com/

http://sherbetblossom.blogspot.com/

http://vanillajoy.com

http://kimsueellen.blogspot.com/

http://www.prayingforparker.com/

http://www.crazibeautiful.com/

And... if you are like me and never win any giveaways, here is a simple way to be a winner... Just download and print off this coupon...

...take it into Goldsmith Co. Jewelers in Provo, UT by Saturday, May 9, and enjoy a FREE strand of fresh water pearls for you or your daughter!

While this coupon specifies one per person, as many people as are interested may print it out and take it in. So, pass it along to all your best guys friends and brothers so they have the perfect Mother's Day gifts for their wives! Your friends will love you!

And, since you know I probably won't write again until after Mother's Day... please make sure and enjoy a wonderful day, pamper yourselves, marvel at your children, and hug your hubbies :).

Photo Story Fri.: When I Grow Up...

2009-04-30T08:38:00.024-06:00

As many of you know, I am a faculty member of Fishful Thinking—a Pepperidge Farm-sponsored program, focusing on positive parenting. My favorite part of my role is the downloadable activities on the fishfulthinking.com website.

Recently, the site launched Story Book—an activity where you write a story with your child as the main character. These stories can then be designed in books and printed for your child. I chose to have my children write their own stories. Here is my youngest son's masterpiece. If you are interested in doing this activity with your child(ren), click here to create a story book and enter to win a $10,000 college scholarship for your child.

When I Grow Up

Hi! My name is Connor. When I grow up, I want to be a dad.

I am going to be a good dad, because I am going to go to work and make money.

I want to be just like my dad and have my very own family just like my dad.

I will be funny just like my dad.

When I come from work, I will go get the mail with my kids every day just like my dad does.

I will play trains with my kids. I’m very good at building train tracks (not real ones, just toy ones).

I used to think I was a train. My name was Thomas. (Can you believe my dad made these Halloween costumes just for us? When I grow up, I will make Thomas Halloween costumes for my kids too! I'm very good at art. My mom says I'm creative.)

I can also play Ninja Turtles with my kids. I’ll be Leo. My name used to be Leo too. My brother and all my friends still call me that. I’m great at being Leo.

After we play, I will give my kids a bubble bath. And, if they want to be Ninja Turtles in the bubble bath, I will let them just like my dad did.

When it’s dark, I will read my kids a story to put them to bed. In fact, I will read Calvin & Hobbes and make up different endings just like my dad did with me every night.

If my kids want to have goldfish, I will let them name them after Calvin & Hobbes just like my dad did.

I will be best buddies with my brother just like my dad is with his brothers.

And, I'll love my mom just like my dad loves his mom!

When I grow up, I want to be a dad just like my dad.

Photo Story Friday: The Best Part of On Is Off—The Friend Frenzy That Is Social Media!

2009-03-20T09:31:00.024-06:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Even though I published my first blog post in February 2008, I didn't technically jump into the social media world until the end of last July when I actively started writing on this blog. (Click here to read about what turned me into a blogging fanatic for 3 weeks in Pennsylvania.) And, I must admit I had no idea what I was in store for. What began as a digital journal has turned my life upside down in every good way possible. The best part? Friends! Glorious friends!

I started out, surprisingly enough to those of you who really know me, as a passive blogger—writing for myself. I didn't really start interacting with people in the social realm until mid August or so when I started reading other blogs and leaving comments thanks to my good and crazy friend, Carissa Rogers at GoodandCrazyPeople. OK, so it only took me 2 weeks for my extrovert tendencies to kick in. And, I'm so glad they did.

I discovered so many fun blogs, but wanted more. Shortly after I started blogging in earnest, I discovered twitter and the rest is a blur... First, Carissa and I started the #gno weekly Twitter parties, after that we formed Mom It Forward, then I started using Facebook like a maniac, formed a YouTube group, a Flickr group, started a Wiki, and officially got into all things online... and as you know, I'm hooked! Or, as my husband says, addicted!!!

I made so many friends in such a quick time and I won't lie to you, my IRL friends and family were a bit nervous thinking all of you were predators trying to pick up on me or get my data to use in damaging ways. So, when I started making the transition from on to offline, I discovered the best part of on is really off! What do I mean by that?

In early December, I joined a few other Mom It Forward (#gno) gals I had met online to join me in a service project at an assisted living facility in Utah. I knew these women from blogging or from twitter, but had never met them in real life. We met up with our kids and shared the Christmas spirit with men and women in our local community. But first, we had a planning meeting! Check out the three of us: Kristina from Pulsipher Predilections and Kristin from Domestically Sassy.

In December, I also joined the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City board and in January, I attended my first meeting and met up with one of my newst BFFs, Krista Parry. We had been tweeting for approximately 2 weeks, but when we met up IRL, we hit it off. It didn't even take until the end of the evening before people were asking us if we were sisters. I felt like I had been friends with her since Jr. High. Fast forward three months... we probably talk more on the phone or live now than we do on Twitter!

Since that time, I have met tons of amazing folks in the local Social Media scene as well as have been able to meet up with some of my favorite mommy bloggers there like Quinn from Created by Mom and Cecily from My Chaos, My Bliss (the co-founder of Photo Story Friday and a co-faculty member in the Fishful Thinking program).

In February, I went to my first social media/blogging conference—Blissdom—in Nashville, Tennessee. There, I met hundreds of gals, may of which I had been tweeting with during #gno—some since early last fall. Going to this conference was like coming home. Nothing can really explain the emotion of meeting someone and realizing it is @sugarjones or @rachel_ferrucci or @jessicaknows—women you feel so close to but have never met IRL. Even better is becoming real life friends with these gal and having a bond tighter than you did before.

Also awesome was meeting new folks at the conference and discovering that offline relationships translate equally as well to online. In other words, I met people at the conference I hadn't really interacted with online and we instantly became friends. Josh and Rebecca Unfried of the amazing Mom Faves site joined us for a service project at the Nashville Rescue Mission. Nothing like chatting over chopping vegetables to bond you for life.

The first weekend in March, I was very fortunate to fly out to New York and attend a parenting workshop as part of the Fishful Thinking program. Mr Youth, the interactive agency for Pepperidge Farm, selected 10 women across the US to help promote this amazing program on positive parenting. They must have known I really needed some help. I'm sure if I share the 5 ingredients of positive parenting with enough people some of it will rub off on me, right? LOL!

My point for bringing all of this up? While there, I met even more fantastic women in the program that were all in social media—amazing moms who blog, network, and manage all of their many roles while trying to be a positive parent! And to add to the fun, I even met up with tweeting friend and now IRL friend Katja Presnal from Skimbaco Lifestyle and her three children for lunch in New York City. Why we didn't have someone else take the pictures so Katja could be in it with us is beyond me. Next time, right?

And just last week, I attended a workshop with about 50 women—some I had met online, others I hadn't. We learned about how to have realistic expectations and how to be terrific moms. We hooked up with "old" friends, got to meet new ones, and even won terrific prizes all over chocolate!

But the treat of all treats, literally, was hooking up with a group of 14 other online women—mostly bloggers—in my local community to go out to eat at a fabulous new restaurant in Highland, Utah called The Blue Lemon.

Not only was there instant friendship, but terrific food! Let me share!

Oh! Yah! Nothing like discovering a new restaurant, going in with low expectations, seeing the sophisticated style, and trying nearly 8 dishes (that doesn't even include dessert) and loving every one of them. And, you know it is bad when you start getting protective of your tomato bisque even when it is really supposed to be a share and share alike type of an experience.

The highlights? The surpringly delicious... ok, delicious doesn't even begin to describe it... SCRUMPTIOUS! DELECTIBLE! AMAZING! (all rolled into one) butternut squash soup. I was so busy eating it that I forgot to take a picture (and it is worth seeing a picture of it even though it doesn't do it justice), but I did snap one of the chef preparing it (a little behind the scenes shot for you!).

And what would dinner be without dessert?

And here's the best part of this long history of my meet ups with these online women (7 months is like 20 years in online time)... these women—every single one of them—are AMAZING. They have talents and skills and beauty (inside and out) and more talents and are funny and sensitive and are full of great ideas for the moms and online women and entrepreneurs so many of us are. Plus, they are energizing to be around, and overall... a huge addition to my life. In other words, they are exactly the opposite of the gals you meet on MySpace that are really weird men! LOL! They would have been my friends IRL had I met them IRL. :)

So now what... does it ever end. Oh! No! This is just the beginning. On Saturday, March 28, Mom It Forward and Make and Takes are hostessing a family-friendly service project for the Christmas Box House. I'm excited to meet more moms as we serve side by side with our families.

And, on Saturday, April 18, we will be having a huge benefit concert for these charities to help provide sustainable incomes and business opportunities for women in Kenya: http://yehu.org, http://basabody.com, and http://coastcoconutfarms.com all under The Pope Foundation umbrella out of Provo.

Want in to see how "off" can be better than "on"? Want to experience the friend frenzy that is social media. Or, just want to connect with other moms? Take advantage of one of the upcoming activities that involve the Salt Lake City social media scene, moms, and more:

Meet some friends at The Blue Lemon Bistro (and invite me... unless you want to share the tomato bisque).
Attend Ignite and Pod Camp Thursday and Friday, March 26-27.
Join us for our March 28 service project.
Attend next the Social Media Club of Salt Lake City for its April 16 meeting at The Melting Pot.
Join the planning committee or attend the Moms Helping Moms charity event on Saturday, April 18 to help support women in Kenya!
Come party with the mommy scene at BlogHer in Chicago the weekend of July 24. I know, it's that or Pioneer Day in Utah, but seriously... think of all the fun, friends, and fabulous information!

Photo Story Friday: Our First Pinewood Derby!

2009-03-13T15:55:00.011-06:00

Last night was our first Pinewood Derby. I learned about the event not even 24 hours before it took place. My son has never really been to cub scouts before, but I, in my this-will-be-such-a-great-opportunity-for-my-son-and-it-only-comes-but-once-a-year mindset, mandated that my husband help him get ready to participate despite his strong and very vocal opinions not to. Did I nearly admit that I was wrong? Lest I give into temptation... onto the races...

Despite my best efforts to apply my new Fishful Thinking knowledge on the power of positive parenting, Red Rover had a complete meltdown during the welcome section of the event. Apparently, shaking hands came too close to "ruining" his car! Oh! My! This was going to be a long night.

But then, his name was called. Lane 1 was his. And, he was able to put aside his fears of losing, people watching him and him getting embarrassed, and not having the right uniform to focus on the task at hand—racing!

Vroom! Vroom! Isn't this fun? That was our goal after all: to have fun!

Ah! Oh! Red flag. Last place! Remember, Red Rover, this was one of the problems we discussed... one of the things that may get in the way of you accomplishing your goal. What's the work around, buddy? Come on... Fishful Thinking, work your magic for this parent! Help me help my son achieve his goal to have fun even though all he really wants to achieve is to become a rock star and grow his hair out LOL!

Score! One of the work arounds to the problem of losing was to focus on the treat. After all, everyone loves a little sugar. And surely enough, the motto "Alls well that ends well" is true!

One derby down and, what?, 10 more years in Scouts to go? Oh! My!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

What Do Spam, Goldfish, & Tomato Juice Have in Common?

2009-03-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

Most people would not classify me as a spam freak. By spam freak, I mean someone that gets freaked out easily by or is overly concerned about spam. I often include my e-mail intact without spaces, brackets, or parentheses in posts, on facebook, or other online places. I should be more careful, but so far, I haven't experienced the negative effects of my non-caring attitude (knock on wood!).

That said... when I received a Facebook message in my inbox a couple of weeks ago from Kelly at Mr. Youth, I even surprised myself when my spam alert went off (who knew?) and I deleted it. The reason? The e-mail link was incorrect and went to a wrong site, causing me to feel as if the e-mail was a farce.

But, the non-spammy part of me couldn't just delete the message without jotting down Kelly's e-mail address and sending her a message, mentioning that if the message was not spam, that I'd love to be considered for the golden opportunity she wrote about! By golden, I mean Goldfish. And by Goldfish and I mean no other than Pepperidge Farm's Goldfish Crackers.... yumminess!

Immediately, I got an e-mail back from Kelly, confirming that spam—or our perception of it—isn't all it is shaped up to be and guarenteed that the opportunity she mentioned was not as fishy as it sounded... or fishier, but in a good way!

What in the world am I talking about? Pepperidge Farm's Fishful Thinking Program—a program that enlisted the help of mom bloggers and moms in social media to promote positive parenting. What? Promote positive parenting? Not promote the crackers? Yep! You heard me right. Mr. Youth and Pepperidge Farm are following Groundswell's advice to identify what their customer's "problem" is—or, as I prefer to call it, their "needs"—and are creating a strategy and building a community to provide information regarding that need. By providing customers with solutions to problems that they are concerned about, brands show how much they care about their customers and don't just care about the sell.

But, what "problem" or "need" are they speaking to? Goldfish Cracker purchasers typically have children between the ages of 6 and 12 and if I am anything like the rest of the demographic, I know that one of my greatest needs right now is developing, refining, and learning great parenting skills. So, Mr. Youth and Pepperidge Farm developed the Fishful Thinking program in collaboration with child psychologist Dr. Karen Reivich, the co-director of the Penn Resiliency Project and a research associate in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and also the mother of four. The program centers around five ingredients of positive parenting and kicks off this weekend with a conference in White Plains, New York.

Ten faculty members... or moms... were selected to help build the Fishful Thinking and Positive Parenting program. 1,000 other moms will be chosen to participate in the program as well. I feel fortunate to have been selected as one of the faculty members. So, as soon as I return from my current vacay in St. George (southern Utah), I will be on my way with tomato juice in hand as I fly to the Big Apple. Why tomato juice? Honestly, I don't know. I only drink it while flying. Weird, huh? And, it just occurred to me that Goldfish Crackers would probably taste really good with tomato juice. Spam? Not so much!

I'll keep you posted on what I learn, more about the program, and how much fun I have in my favorite city in the world—New York City!

In the meantime, I'm interested in knowing how many of you prefer plain yellow/orange goldfish to the colored crackers?

Blissdom Bliss Part II: The Definition of Mom It Forward

2009-02-11T12:07:00.010-07:00

Changing the World One Mom at a Time

As you, my lovely readers and friends, are finding out, I have been a bit busy lately with a new endeavor called Mom It Forward. Some of you may be wondering what the heck this Mom It Forward thing is and why it would have so wholeheartedly caputred my heart and subsequently, my focus!

Mom It Forward is the newest trend in mom groups and makes giving back fun, sociable, accessible, and stylish—the new “in crowd” of moms where "mom" is a verb. IT RAWKS!!! Not only is it fun, has the benefit of forming new friendships, but it is all for a good cause.

With its unique niche, the Mom It Forward community is the perfect mommy gathering place or group—both online and in real life—to talk about something moms have in common—our passion for making a difference. Members of the Mom It Forward community join for strength and friendship—you know, the adult interaction all of us moms are craving—but leave with so much more... feeling strengthened, uplifted, excited, and with ideas for and a call to action to give back in fun, creative, meaningful ways all while balancing their role as a mom.

One of the many benefits of being a part of this group has been the benefit of meeting such great people and serving alongside them and on some occasions, serving together with our families. Attending the Blissdom Conference and subsequent Mom It Forward service project was one of those opportunities.

The most amazing part of Blissdom was seeing the old addage "all's well that ends well" taken to new heights with "all's extraordinary that ends extraordinarily."

I am referring to the Mom It Forward service project at the Nashville Rescue Mission sponsored by Scanpan (who donated 5 sets of high-end cookware to the Mission, nearly making me wish that was my kitchen—the pots and pans were AMAZING).

Five Fabulous Things About Momming It Forward Nashville Style

What was so extraordinary about this experience you may be asking yourself? Let me touch on five highlights:

Influence and reach is more important than numbers! We learned at the conference that blogging traffic is not as important as reach and influence. We experienced the same concept in a different way at the Nashville Rescue Mission. Our team was small in numbers—7 to be exact (Carissa, Kim, Josh and Rebecca, Ghennipher, Marie, and moi). But we helped prepare lunch for upwards of 1500 people. Now that is reach!

Shared meaninful experiences builds community. As we Mommed It Forward, our team experienced one of the most vital parts of building community: shared meaningful experiences. We may have been chopping vegetables or mixing in dressing on salads—ordinary tasks done daily for a mommy. But these ordinary tasks became extraordinary when we performed them while working together for a common goal and great cause—to help those who truly were not able to help themselves. It was an amazingly humble experience!

Stepping forward and out of your comfort zone is key to Momming It Forward. We got out of our comfort zones. Not only did we Mom It Forward in terms of serving, but we took a step forward from an area in which we may not have been entirely comfortable—from our comfort zones, helping us all to embrace a very important step to Mom It Forward—taking action!

Partnering makes Mom It Forward possible. This entire experience would not have been possible without a lot of creative connections. Specifically... the wonderful people behind the Blissdom Conference, who brought all of us together; the amazing Nashville Rescue Mission organization; our small, but influential team of Mom It Forward moms and dad who sacrificed sleep or fought headaches/sickness to participate; Nancy Martira, the lovely and brilliant PR professional and now friend, who introduced us to Scanpan; Scanpan for their generous donation and sponsorship (you've got to check out their cookware... as Alli Worthington of Blissfully Domestic says, "It's Lickable!"; Jessica Smith for introducing us to Nancy Martira; Abdul (I wish he had a blog I could link you to) for being our amazing taxi cab driver (no! he's no relation to Paula. I asked! LOL!); and most importantly, the people at the Nashville Rescue Mission—for their strength and goodness, however limited or ill understood.

The Mom It Forward mission is alive and kickin'. We have heard a few times that the Mom It Forward mission to "change the world one mom at a time" is lofty. What the Nashville Rescue Mission experience taught me is that it is possible. Mom It Forward can accomplish this mission one day at a time, one person at a time, one location at a time. We already are, including the partner that sponsored the opportunity, the organization that made it possible, the team members that provided the service, and the amazing people who received it.

If you'd like to learn more about Mom It Forward or get involved, please visit our Mom It Forward blog. If you have questions or partnering ideas, please e-mail us at momitforward [at] gmail [dot] com.

Did You Make a Difference at #Blissdom09?

2009-02-10T08:46:00.011-07:00

Where in the World Have I Been?

To my amazing followers who think I've dropped off the face of the earth, I have been over at Mom It Forward for the past 4 months, creating—in tandem with Carissa Rogers and a wonderful group of women (too many to mention)—an amazing community called Mom It Forward.

Instead of catching you up on 4 months of Jyl history, let me get you current, starting with now!

Last Thursday, I dusted off my cowboy boots, practiced my best southern drawl, and headed out the door to the Blissdom Conference in Nashville, Tennessee hosted by Alli Worthington from Mrs. Fussypants and Blissfully Domestic and Barbara Jones, founder and president of One 2 One Network. (To learn more about everything shared at the conference, click here.)

Now it's Tuesday! I'm home where my southern drawl has been replaced by withdrawal—withdrawal from a weekend rollercoaster ride of nothing but happy, meaningful emotions!

What Did I Learn at Blissdom?

I learned that happiness abounds. It abounds in spite of having to leave the comfort zones we are all so accustomed to. It abounds regardless of age, social media endeavor, or how closely you resemble your avatar. It abounds in spite of a struggling economy. It abounds for apprentices and mavens. And, it abounds plentifully at that!

(Sugar Jones, me, Dwan Perrin, and Carissa Rogers. Photo courtesy of Flickr and Dwan.)

What caused all those endorphins to release and keep me chitting and chatting on only a few hours of sleep (combined!)? Why you, of course, dear readers. Yah! You! Right there... behind this screen. You're the one. How, you might ask, did you achieve such a task? Well, by making a difference in my life, plain and simple. If you wondering how...

(Photo courtesy of Flickr. Amy, Kim, Friend, me, and Linda (back) & Dwan and Janine (front).)

You Know You Made a Difference in My Life at Blissdom09 If You...

Showed genuine interest in meeting me or getting to know me even when you may have never heard of me prior to this weekend (don't have enough room here to shout out to the entire conference, but know I appreciate you!). Your smiles and hugs and squeals and genuine love are now a part of me!
Roomed with me (Carissa Rogers, Sugar Jones, Rachel Ferruci, Jessica Smith).
Made me blush when you said you were "crushing on me" ;) (Pensieve Robin).
Told me you loved my wild eye shadow (Arianne and Alli).
Received a Mom It Forward mom award and made me nearly break down in front of a room of 50+ women as I handed it to you (Dwan).
Served with me at the Nashville Rescue Mission (Josh and Rebecca Unfried, Ghennipher Weeks, Marie LeBaron, Kim, Carissa Rogers).
Caused me to miss a guess of your age by 10+ years. WOW! You hot thing! (Beth)
Helped get us sponsorship and/or donations for the Mom It Forward girl's night out after party and Nashville Rescue Mission service project (Nancy Martira and Krista Parry).
Sponsored or donated to the above-mentioned events (Scanpan and Park City Mountain Resort).
Attended the Mom It Forward girl's night out after party for 3 hours after putting on an amazing conference and being extremely exhausted (Barbara Jones).
Twittered with me during panel discussions (Renee, Amy, Jessica, Nancy, and any others I missed due to internet issues!)
Sat next to me on the plane during the flight out (Marie LeBaron).
Chatted with me in the Food Court while we waited to board our flights back (Roni).
Shared with me your career and life goals (Chris Mann).
Gave me a Venezuelan kiss on the cheek and shared experiences about our Alma Mater, BYU, after singing and talking to us regarding your Yanni experiences. (Ender and Nathan)
Shared your beautiful red shoes and chocolate coated jeans with me in the lobby late Saturday night. (Jo-Lynn e)
Took amazing pictures of the entire event (Secret Agent Momma).
Played board games with me during Mama Mia (all 10 of you... yes! you, Lucretia).
Danced with me after Mama Mia (all of you know who you are, especially you Danielle, AKA Miss Bunny/Kitty Slippers!).
Socialized and shared/brainstormed social media strategies with me one on one—sometimes over chopping vegetables (John Andrews, Barbara Jones, Josh Unfried).
Brought out the real tears by allowing me to participate in a humbling, awesome, rewarding service project (Nashville Rescue Mission).
Made me feel included and loved (Colleen).
Were out on the dance floor with me at the closing cocktail party and put up with my forgetfulness when it came to the Electric Slide moves! (You know who you are.)
Made me realize I am far too conservative in my shoe selection and caused me to seriously break the "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's shoes" commandment—not to mention being incredibly nice (Rachel).
Being one of the most abundant people I know—and not just because you shared a room with me, but in all the ways that really matter! You got character, girlie! (Jessica Smith)
Got me to ALMOST love country music after watching you karaoke it up in the Pink Slip Lounge (Casey).
Made me LAUGH OUT LOUD during your skit at the Mom It Forward girl's night out #blissdom09 after party! (You all know who you are... even our booed ta ta gals led by Sugar Jones.)
Were an instrumental part in getting said party planned, especially in lining up all the wonderful prizes (Jerri Ann).
Hung out with us during our extended stay post Blissdom (Michelle, Roni, Colleen).
Helped me get a better grasp of PR (I want to link to the entire panel??? what an amazing, influential group you were).
Talked to me about college days, living over the Tennessee state line, etc. (Christi)
Made me want to lick your baby's face (Alli).
Became my #gno friend IRL (Renee, Sugar, Rachel, Jessica, Kim, Josh, Rebecca, Ghennipher, Linda, Dwan, Julie, Amy, ahhhhhhh! so many.... you all know who you are and how much I love and appreciate you.... sorry I can't shout you all out from the rooftops!)
Always had a smile for me (Amy).
Offered your Mississippi home to me (after I invited myself for a visit ;))! (Megan)
Were amazingly accommodating: Brought me room service at 2:30 a.m. when it had closed hours before, shuttled us to the dollar store and waited patiently for us for 25 minutes, prepared the party room to our precise requests and expectations, and simply went above and beyond in every way (The Hotel Preston).
Gave me free swag!!!! (Blissdom Sponsors)

Wow! I seriously could go on and on! Wait! I just did. LOL!

Thanks to all of you, mentioned or not, for making this a wonderful weekend for me. You made a meaningful difference in my life!

Mom It Forward's Mother of All Giveaways!

2009-01-26T19:15:00.003-07:00

Enter for a Chance to Serve & Score!

Three Different Giveaways. Amazing Prizes.
Eleven Winners.
Four Ways to Enter: Vlog, Blog, Photo.
One Great Purpose: To Mom It Forward!

Introducing Mom It Forward's #GNO Gab & Give Event. In celebration, we are having 3 different giveaways. You may enter all of them, but you may only win once.

Hint! This giveaway is all about promoting service—the mission behind Mom It Forward. We are partial to those that truly embrace the spirit of Mom It Forward and help others catch sight of the vision as well.

Click on the links and images below to learn the entry requirements, see the specs for each prize, and find where to enter each giveaway. Please do not enter in this post.

Vlogging Giveaway 1
HP Mini 1535NR Laptop Specs
Click Here to Enter
Deadline: Saturday, February 21

Blogging Giveaway 2
HP Photosmart 6380 All-in-One Printer Specs
Click Here to Enter
Deadline: Saturday, February 21

Photogging Giveaway 3
Muvee Reveal Movie Editing Software Package Specs
Click Here to Enter
Deadline: Saturday, February 21

Random Acts of Kindness

2008-12-25T23:58:00.004-07:00

I accepted Mom It Forward's "Happiness Headlines" challenge this season to perform random acts of kindness. I chose these two activities that involved my kids in hopes that they would catch the spirit of the season and learn to think more about giving than receiving.

Bake reindeer cookies for neighbor gifts.
Make candy cane notes to thank people for spreading holiday cheer.

This video shows the fun you can have when you involve your kids in creating your neighbor gifts. Nope! I didn't create a nearly 9-minute montage to see how long I could keep your attention :). I purposefully didn't cut it for those of you who 1) Are interested in baking instructions, 2) Want to get to know me and my kids a little better, and/or 3) Want to snack on a virtual cookie or two or three!

Below is a picture of the candy cane thank yous we made. Nope! Your eyes don't deceive you. We kept this project simple, taking hand-written stickers and slapping them on candy canes. We kept these in a bag and took them with us on all of our errands this holiday season. If you don't know Red Rover and Chatterbox, they are both pretty shy. So, at first it was difficult for them to approach and give gifts to strangers. But, one experience seeing the joy it brought to others and they were hooked. They caught the Christmas spirit and started looking for ways to spread the holiday cheer!

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Picture courtesy of Kristin from The Sassy Mom Shoppe blog.

Mom It Forward is an online community of women who are changing the world one mom at a time and having a lot of fun doing it. This amazing group focuses on strengthening women with the goal to improve families, better communities, and ultimately and positively impact the world. For more information on becoming part of this community, please visit momitforward.com.

Moms Make a Difference

2008-12-06T03:45:00.012-07:00

What Is Magic?

When we think of magic, we think of something appearing out of "nothing." A rabbit from a hat. A bunch of flowers from a shirt sleeve. Or a quarter from an empty hand. We also think of women that give their all—even when their all feels like nothing or they have limited resources—to raise their children—our future leaders, teachers, and our children's future spouses.

This December, HP is redefining magic by making a very big something appear not out of nothing, but out of the goodness of its heart. It has bestowed its magic wand on these amazing bloggers—Firemom from Stop, Drop, and Blog (left), Sugar Jones from Living in Theory (below right) Merlot Mom (below left), and SlashGear (bottom)—for help in spreading a little HP fairy dust, if you will. More specifically, these folks are holding contests and will be awarding one lucky lass or lad each with $6000 worth of amazing HP product. Because this holiday season is all about sharing, Mommy Gossip—GNO would love to take a turn with the Magic wand to sprinkle a little HP fairy dust.

At Mommy Gossip—GNO, our goal is to change the world one mom at a time. Our mission is simple: to help moms improve their lives and achieve personal and professional success so they can, in turn, better their families, better the community around them, and ultimately, better the world. This change can start with just one mom. But why help just one mom when we could help four? Four women in our community—moms with generous hearts, giving spirits, but limited resources and/or significant challenges. Just imagine the ripple effect these women could produce if they had a little magic.

We are dazzled by the magical women in our online community. We see SAHMs, WAHMs, WMs, and every other mom-related acronym balance on the personal/professional tight rope. Many of these women have disabilities, are supporting children with disabilities, have little family and/or financial support, and are facing many other types of challenges. We hear of their struggles to gain an education; give their businesses a go; and do it all while battling infertility, raising their children, and keeping their chins up. We are humbled to watch them line up to volunteer for our fundraisers. We are overcome with their contagious positive attitudes. We are amazed to hear the random acts of kindness they are performing this season to spread holiday cheer. And, we are motivated as we watch them network to find solutions to their situations.

If Mommy Gossip—GNO got to take a turn with the Magic wand, we'd sprinkle a little HP fairy dust on four GNO Gals—women like those you see in the video or like those described above—women in our midst that need a little HP Magic to better themselves so they can, in turn, better their families, and ultimately better their communities and the world. We feel that generations of children impacted by a mother's success would be the most magical miracle of all.

Note: We have chosen not to divulge the names and situations of these women here, because if we win the contest, we'd love the gifts to be a surprise!

I Am Thankful for... Food, Glorious Food!

2008-11-25T08:49:00.003-07:00

My "I Am Thankful for..." series wouldn't be complete without a post related to food. And, since Thanksgiving is only 2 days away, I figured now was the perfect time to share two of my favorite recipes. I don't have pictures to add, so you'll have to imagine the yumminess!

Mary Alice's Banana Cookies (family recipe)

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
11/2 tsp cinnamon
11/2 cups shortening
2 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
31/2 cups oats
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Add eggs and bananas. Mix well. Add oats and chocolate chips to taste (one or two cups). Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

These are great frozen! Try it and see.
________________________________________________

Confetti Spread (awesome, colorful appetizer)

2 pkg. croissant rolls (the kind you buy in the a package in the refrigerated section at the grocery store... Pillsbury, etc.)
2 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2-3 carrots (shredded)
3 celery stalks (diced)
1/2 yellow pepper (diced)
1 bunch radishes (shredded)
5-6 green onions (chopped)

Pat croissant dough onto a cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) and bake according to directions. Let cool completely. Beat softened cream cheese and mayonnaise and spread mixture evenly on baked croissant (will be flat). Sprinkle veggies evenly on top of the mixture. Cut into small pieces before cooling. Place in refrigerator and chill 3-4 hours before serving.

I Am Thankful for... My Head!

2008-11-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

I know... weird title! But, right after GNO on Tuesday, I was sitting in front of my computer and the ceiling light came crashing down. As in... the entire fixture came right out of the ceiling. Glass shattered everywhere. The fixture was heavy. It could have caused some serious damage if it had landed on anyone. And, to think I was 1 INCH from where it fell. Nope, not even exaggerating. Felt the wind and everything :). Here are the pics to prove it!

Anyway, this near-death experience (OK, that WAS an exaggeration) got me thinking... My head has been through a lot! It has:

Nearly been hit by a light fixture that escaped from its home in the ceiling.
Had 42 staples and a huge horseshoe-shaped scar (fortunately hidden under my hair).
Three screws in its jaw and a plate in its chin (fortunately hidden inside my mouth).
Had a fractured skull.
Experienced memory loss. What was I just saying? LOL!
Had the typical stitches in its chin that every child gets.
Had braces and retainers and the dreadful headgear. One reason to hate the 80s!
Had its jaw wired shut.
Had an epidural hematoma on its brain.
Lots of fillings and crowns and now, six wonderful veneers after a scary fall and broken teeth.
Epilepsy! (Not that it explains all of the above-listed points, but I knew you were going to ask for explanations!)

So, today's post is a simple bit of gratitude for having a head that has made it through the tough times—that has memory, function, and in spite of two pills a day for life and bad hair days, running make up, or anything else I may consider ugly, still is my head with my eyes, my freckles, my thin, but beautifully colored hair (thanks Meli).

In a very sincere, overwhelming, and humble way, I am thankful that the light is still on, if you know what I mean. Or, in other words, I am thankful for... my head!

I Am Thankful for... Traditions!

2008-11-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Change is inevitable. And, while I am pretty spontaneous and can roll with it most of the time—even thrive on it—I appreciate a degree of consistency throughout the changes. There is something about having certain anchors in the sea when waves come rolling in to keep you stable, right?

Anchors come in various forms, represented by a constant... like family members, religious beliefs or spirituality, passion and conviction for anything really—like politics, a cause, or a specific type of food. I'm telling you that life is better for me when cheese is around.

One of my favorite type of anchors isn't something that happens every day. Rather, it happens maybe once a year or on a less frequent than a daily basis anyway. It is a tradition. Something that has happened over time—perhaps even generations of time—that is so constant that life would seem unfamiliar and even sad without it.

A jar of sauerkraut grown in my mom's garden and canned by her. Mmmmmmm!

Here is my list of favorite traditions I have grown up with or recently started:

Going on a daddy-daughter date before Christmas every year.
Choosing a box from the "Money Tree" at Christmas time.
Eating sauerkraut at all major holiday meals.
Going to San Diego on summer vacations as a child.
Getting a father's blessing on the first day of school every year.
Going for a Sunday drive every Sunday between the ages of 10 and 16 so my dad could teach me how to drive.
Getting together with my Aunt Judy and her family to make Christmas candy every December.
Doing the "12 Days of Christmas" for a family less fortunate than us.
Visiting Strand Bookstore every time I go to New York City.
Playing the Silly Song on the piano and enjoying my kids dancing.
Going to see the witches at Gardner Historic Village during Halloween time (new tradition with my kids).
Celebrating my birthday for the month leading up to it! (And, making my family and friends celebrate it with me LOL!)
Having Christmas Eve with my in laws and their families and acting out the Christmas Story while my FIL reads it from the book of Luke.
Eating my grandma's grape sherbet ice cream.
Going on sister's vacations.
And...

This last tradition isn't one that happens at regular times. It doesn't need a special holiday to make it special. And what you need to know is that I don't like most desserts, including cookies. But, there is something about Banana Cookies that makes everything right in the universe. So my last and favorite tradition is just a batch of banana cookies.

At my grandma's funeral, the church made a delicious meal. We were expecting traditional funeral food, but there was not a dry eye in the room when they brought out my grandma's favorite food—the things she had made for all of us her entire life. And, what made it so memorable were the platters of banana cookies! We didn't know other people that ate them. We brought them to every family event. Aunts and uncles argued over who could make them better. Should they be crisp, doughy? How many chocolate chips was the perfect amount? I loved them soft and then frozen.

My favorite part about traditions? MEMORIES! Whenever I want to feel close to my grandma, all I have to do is make a batch of banana cookies and she may as well be standing right next to me.

What are your traditions?

WW: I Am Thankful for... Make Believe!

2008-11-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

Wet. Shivering. Seven. Running full speed ahead, I crashed into a wave in the Pacific ocean that buckled my knees, knocking me flat on my sandy bum. Exhilaration set in as not only salt water poured out of my mouth, but blood as well, because that meant I had lost my top front tooth.

The two—the fall of my body and my tooth—as it turns out, were completely unrelated. I had wiggled all the wiggle room right out of that tooth. But... as most kids do, I wouldn't make that final tug—the twist or turn that would set it free from its secure space in my mouth. And yet, when it came out of its own free will, I was elated, thinking of fairies and pixie dust and pots of gold at the ends of rainbows, and all things magical. Fairies can do that to a young girl, you know! And, the Tooth Fairy was no different.

In my out-of-this-world state of mind, I began my note to said fairy. But, what started out as magical quickly turned matter of fact when I ended my short note with this statement: "Just in case you are wondering, I accept credit cards!"

My parents (I mean, the Tooth Fairy—hope I didn't ruin it for any of you) rewarded my "creativity" with a crisp $5 bill.

More than 20 years later—tonight, in fact—I watched as my son went through the same rollercoaster ride of emotion with his top front tooth. Should it stay or should it go? Until finally the tooth made its voice heard by going toward greener pastures. And I am glad it did, because in an instant make believe was alive and kicking in our home as Red Rover ran around half laughing, half crying and totally elated. Then, he posed for, perhaps, one of the worst pictures we have of him, which was difficult to take since he was singing "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth!" No problem with bedtime for this one!

BTW: No credit cards for this Tooth Fairy!

I am participating at Wordful Wednesday and at Wordless Wednesday.

I Am Thankful for... Not Being on Motrin's Marketing Team Right Now!

2008-11-16T15:19:00.006-07:00

Every once and a while, I’ll be talking to a friend. She’ll be telling me about a situation in her life. I know nothing about what she is going through. I’ve never experienced it. I can’t relate to it. I can only imagine the joy, pain, terror, fear, or whatever emotion she is sharing. But, as a woman—or maybe just as me—I find myself wanting to connect, to bond, to relate. And, I’ll admit, at times—hopefully not more often than not, but who knows—I find myself telling said friend that I understand what she is going through. I even have found myself sharing similar stories—things I have been through that I think are similar anyway.

Because most people are kind, especially friends, they typically don’t tell you that you don’t get it. That your experience in no way relates. They just bide your bonding attempts with a smile and when the timing is right, they go on with their story, hoping for a listening ear and empathetic understanding.

My question is: Is that right? Is it OK for us to smile and nod, knowing that our friend can’t relate with us. Today, in a groundswell of overwhelmingly negative proportions, Motrin and Johnson & Johnson friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike have answered this question. NO! They have shouted that IT IS NOT OK TO ACT LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU DON’T. Don't believe me? Visit KatjaPresnal's Skimbaco blog and read her recent post entitled, "Motrin Giving Moms a Headache." Watch the video to see how moms unite to say: YOU DON'T GET MY PAIN!

But first, if you haven't heard, let me tell you what the hubbub is all about...

In its Mom-Alogue campain—an online video advertisement for Motrin Pain Reliever—Motrin claims “We Feel Your Pain”—by your, it means all you mommies out there. At the same time it:

Questions baby-wearing mom's motives (moms that wear baby carriers) by first stating that moms wear them as a fashion statement and next, claiming they are “Supposedly” bonding with their babies. Supposedly???
Mentions that babies cry less in baby carriers, but questions if moms cry more, using the phrase “What about me?” What if it were a sacrifice? Don’t think it is, but just asking… would it be so bad?
Claims that baby-wearing moms strain their back, their neck, and shoulders, but endure the pain all to make them look like an “official mom.” Because we need a reason to look official. Having and loving our babies isn’t enough.
States, after providing all of this info on baby-wearing moms that they obviously SO DON’T UNDERSTAND, “When I look TIRED and CRAZY, people will understand.” WHAT?????

But wait, there’s more…

A second Mom-Alogue video in the same campaign is based on the story line of “What if you could say what you thought?” Cute, huh? Has the makings of a great campaign, except for the part where they say that moms would “Kill” to get some sleep, the sleep we need so we won’t be “Committed,” and then that mentally unhealthy word again, but this time to describe our kiddos, “Crazy.” Not once, but twice!

As The REAL Problem points out:

Let’s be honest - when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia rocks the house, yet search.twitter.com pulls up #Motrinmoms as the lead story, somewhere, there’s a disconnect. But it’s a disconnect that, when you think about it, makes perfect sense.

I’m not siding with Motrin. They screwed up, granted. I’m ok with that. Companies screw up all the time. They fix the problem, and it usually doesn’t make the radar screen. The problem is, Motrin happened to screwed up at the expense, and in the face of, one of the most vocal, quickest-to-blog, “strongest-to-band-together-and-form-one-opinion-like-the-Borg” collectives out there - The Mommy-Blogging community.

So… Motrin screwed up and the mommy-blogging world joined forces in outrage and voiced that the campaign not only shows that Motrin DOESN’T UNDERSTAND, that the words are INAPPROPRIATE and OFFENSIVE. Now what? Motrin clearly knows how moms feel about the matter? What’s the old adage? It isn’t what happens to you. It’s how you handle it that shows your true character. OK… I was totally paraphrasing that and could have majorly gotten it wrong, but the thought remains and makes me question: How will Motrin respond? The ads remain on their website. They clearly haven’t felt the need to remove them. I doubt their marketing team is enjoying a weekend right now. But, what is going on in the strategy meetings? What are the solutions? Ideas on the table (by table, I mean in blogaritaville) are:

Pull the ad. I mean, J & J is familiar with recalls, right?
Hire a Chief Mom Officer. After all, we are the target audience, right?
Fire the Ad Agency. Get a new one. Hmmmm... need more info to comment here.
Do more targeted focus groups, using moms this time—IRL or using social media. Right on! After working in Corporate America for more than 10 years, I am familiar with budget constraints and the all-too-popular phrase "Do more with less." So, traditional focus groups may be out. But, you can't tell me anyone is underestimating the power of social media at this point, especially when it comes to the virtual mommy force!
Before you hold that focus group, determine who the target market really is. One of my favorite pics of all time is one where my baby-wearing hubby is mowing the lawn with my now 7YO on his back. Call it fashionable. Call it "official." Call it crazy. Call him a mom. Call him a dad. Call it whatever you want, but know who you are talking about and who you are talking to when you write it. BTW: He bought the baby carrier, not me!

What else??? I am all for forgiveness and giving someone a second chance and Johnson is my maiden name, so I'll commit to being understanding, but Motrin has got to pony up. Pull the ad. Show us your good cards that admit that you didn't understand our pain until NOW! Give us all a free cruise to the Mediterranean and listen to us. It'll cost you less than the campaign you made millions 'o moms mad over!

I Am Thankful for... My Sisters!

2008-11-09T15:58:00.004-07:00

I am the oldest of six children. My favorite part of that? Having three sisters. The four of us span three decades and are very different in terms of our styles, our religious and political persuasions, our fields of studies and careers, and our basic makeup—our personality types, our characteristics, our talents, etc. Still, we are bound by blood, tradition, and fun. I say fun, because we love to laugh together. And, it is in those moments that we are identical. I should take this moment to apologize to all of the passengers on the plane we rode with on the way to our sister's vacation. We really didn't mean to laugh that loud and talk incessantly. What's a sister to do?

I Am Thankful for... Good Books!

2008-11-06T08:04:00.010-07:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

When I became a mother for the first time, one of the most important things on the long list of things to teach my child was to read. In this picture, I am sitting with the then 3-month-old Red Rover as we intently read his very first book. This is one of my favorite pics in spite of the fact that I am wearing overalls LOL.

Both my parents are avid readers. I remember one summer vacation where my mom had her nose in a James Michener book the entire time. I kept wondering why she was reading about Hawaii when we were in San Diego. Then, I think back on when my dad accepted a job in Europe. He would be working with more than 20 different countries. So, what was the first thing he did? Bought a stack of historical books on those places, so he would be prepared. I don't think I saw him without a book in his hand for the year leading up to the assignment and the two years he was there. Ask him any question on European history and politics and culture, etc. and he can answer it for you!

I fell in love with reading in my early teens when I discovered The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The readers in my family don't stop with my parents. My in laws are avid readers. And, my grandma was in the middle of not one, not two, but three different books the day she died. On average. she read a book a day and was one of the most well-read women I know.

I wonder if Miss Havisham was well read!

I am grateful for having reading in my heritage. I appreciate good literature and consider it a blessing to be surrounded by good books. I am thankful to live in a country that encourages reading and holds the freedom of speech in all forms, especially the written form, near and dear to its heart.

I love East of Eden. Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors and this book features my favorite chapter in all of literature.

Today I belong to two book clubs that meet monthly. I am constantly discovering new authors, genres, and favorite friends in the characters I read. My recent love? All things Kingsolver. Haven't read anything by her. Run. Skip. Hop. Fast. But, get yourself to a bookstore and start with The Poisonwood Bible. Then, buy everything else you can get your hands on. She's worth it!

Wanna know a bit more before you put aside your blogging for this baby? Read my summary of this book here: The Poinsonwood Bible.

I Am Thankful for... The World!

2008-11-05T07:59:00.009-07:00

I was 12 when I went overseas for the first time. Our family friends lived in Costa Rica and my parents gave me the adventure of a lifetime, sending me all by myself tostay with them for 6 1/2 weeks during my summer vacation. That trip opened my eyes to the wonders of the world and the amazing people that live in it.

(A woman walking with her son in Guatemala.)

Since then, I have traveled to many different places—32 countries and 42 US States to be precise. I have celebrated other cultures and learned about many unique and amazing traditions. I am grateful for the various threads that weave the great, beautiful, rich, and diverse tapestry of our world.

(Dia de Los Muertos [Day of the Dead] in Guatemala.)

I am grateful for all of the colorful customs and countrysides. I am especially appreciative to have explored far past my little corner of the world—from Asia to Argentina to England.

(On the Black Sea in Ukraine.)

But, even more than that, I am grateful for parents that taught me to look for the similarities in people, to love our differences, and to appreciate everything I have discovered in my journeys.

(People at the fish market in Ukraine.)

Right now, my parents are living in Guatemala, where my dad has taken a job. My parents in law are living in Ukraine, where they are serving a church service mission. We appreciate them sharing their cultural experiences with us each week. You are keeping our eyes opened!

(Kite flying festival in Guatemala.)

I Am Thankful for... My Children!

2008-11-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Red Rover and Chatter Box are two of my heroes that I am super grateful for!

Let me tell you a little bit about each of them.

Red Rover

red adj. The color of his hair. This 7-year-old tender-hearted child has red hair the color of his maternal grandmother's.

rover noun A boy who roams and wanders. Without permission or fear, the young rover takes his sidekick the bike and roams the neighborhood, freaking out his parents on a weekly basis.

This is my favorite story of our very literal Red Rover:

Red Rover was dying for a treat from the vending machine. Must have sugar now! T-Daddy acquiesces, hands him a crisp $1 bill, and sends him off down the hall. When our oldest boy wonder doesn't return, T-Daddy begins his search and rescue operation. He quickly locates his firstborn son, standing smack dab in front of the vending machine, holding the dollar bill out, with his head back, chin lifted, and eyes fixed on the ceiling tiles.

"What's wrong, buddy? Asbestos?" T-Daddy questions, teasing.

"Nothing, dad. Just following the rules. It said 'face up'."

Chatter Box

chatter adj. The movement his mouth makes nearly 100% of the time. This 5-year-old creative, funny child loves to chatter on about anything and everything.

box noun A square container. This clever kid thinks outside the box, coming up with clever ways to make paper airplanes, rocket ships, and other gadgets.

This is my favorite story of our enthusiastic Chatter Box:

Sometime in the summer of 2007, Chatter Box determined he was no longer a boy. Green power flowed through his veins—or shell, or whatever turtles have—and he was transformed into a Ninja Turtle. Not only that, but his entire family—dog included, according to him—are now all powerful and committed in the fight against Shredder.

T-Daddy is worried that Leo—our son formerly known as Chatter Box—has taken his new identity one step too far. One day when I was putting on makeup, Leo asked me if he could put some on too. I told him boys don't normally wear makeup to which he replied: "Well, you are Donny (Donatello the Ninja Turtle) and you are a boy and you wear makeup, so why can't I?" How do you refuse that? But now, he has taken it to a new extreme. When we ask him to put on his pajamas and get ready for bed, his immediate reply is: "Ninja Turtles don't wear pajamas." Apparently, they don't have hair that needs cutting or rooms that need cleaning or a lot of other things that normal boys wouldn't really find fun.

Red Rover—who now goes by Raph (Raphael)—is totally on board and has even started correcting us when we slip up and call Leo by his given name. And, now that we have moved, people look at me weird if I say anything about Chatter Box. I actually had a neighbor who replied by asking, "Do you mean Leo?" I cracked up:).

Soooo... if you have any adversary in your life, please feel free to come to the source that will be your true protection—the Utah Ninja Turtles!

What Is Gratitude?

2008-11-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

November is my favorite month. Why? The superficial reasons include: it is an odd-numbered month, it has a long name, and it starts with an "N," which, if you know me, is how I typically choose the sports teams I follow and the books I buy. Yep! I do judge a book by its cover! But, I also have more meaningful reasons for loving November. I love this month because it is:

The month when fall turns to winter—my two favorite seasons.
My grandma's birth month.
In the middle of three of my favorite holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
About giving to loved ones and those less fortunate.
A reminder to me to appreciate how much I have to be grateful for.
A nudge to seek for ways in which to be grateful and to appreciate the small and simple things.
About great food!
A time for family and loved ones to enjoy traditions.

So, in a spirit of Thanksgiving, I am dedicating one post a day for each of the 30 days in November to things for which I am grateful. These things, whether as small as a drop of rain or as established as an eternal relationship, make me want to shout from the rooftops in appreciation!

My Haunted First Date!

2008-10-31T00:20:00.006-06:00

For the final installment in my Halloween series, I thought it fitting to share about my first date with T-Daddy.

First things first... Yep! I was an intern. And yep! I dated my boss. When both of our Halloween plans fell through, we—happily—decided to spend the evening together. Lawsuit in the making, I know! So sue me LOL!

The smart thinking man that he is, Roger (as I called him to my co-workers), planned a memorable trip to the Haunted Forest—perfect for holding hands, grabbing onto each other, and getting close.

Skipping over lots of tricks and treats and 12 years later, here we are. One big, happy and fortunately NOT haunted, family.

Dem Bones!

2008-10-30T16:28:00.007-06:00

On with the Halloween-themed posts. I've already covered bats, witches, vampires, and pumpkins. Can't leave out our bony friends of the skeletal variety.

Which do you prefer? This?

Or this???

Tough choice, I know!

Remember: Visit my sister site at Mommy Gossip—GNO where we are posting about all things Twilight this week. Sign up to have one of your Twilight-related blog posts featured.

Wordful Wednesday—The Great Pumpkin!

2008-10-28T12:51:00.006-06:00

On with the Halloween-themed posts. I've already covered bats and vampires, both topics being a bit on the scary side (unless you are an Edward lover). So... I thought today's post could be about something more friendly—like pumpkins. So, enjoy a little orangey goodness from these pics!

Our garden produced 36 pumpkins this year. Remember, this is the garden we didn't plant, water, weed, or attend to whatsoever. So... the garden gets all the credit for these babies while we simply get to enjoy them in their many varieties of size, shape, and color!

Gardner Historic Village not only had a plethora of witches milling about. It also provided plenty o' pumpkins to snap pics in front of. Of course, my favorite variety were the pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies. But, didn't get a picture of those. I couldn't wait to eat 'em! Yummmmmmy!

And, here is Red Rover and Chatter Box, done with their sugar cookies and beyond tired of all the picture taking—beautiful pumpkins or not.

Happy Halloween!

Remember: Visit my sister site at Mommy Gossip—GNO where we are posting about all things Twilight this week. Sign up to have one of your Twilight-related blog posts featured.

Photo-Story Friday—I Want to Suck Your Blood!

2008-10-23T23:54:00.005-06:00

As you can see from my last two posts, I have been going with a Halloween theme. And, as you may not be aware, I plan to do so until the big day arrives. Day 1 was about bats, which had a lot of peeps pretty grossed out. Yesterday was a little easier on the eyes with its bewitching theme. And today's theme, in celebration of the upcoming Twilight movie, is vampires.

Now, I know Twilight is all the rage, especially with the upcoming movie and all, but why have this vampire (imagine yourself in Bella's place)...

... when you could have this one?

But, in case Edward already had your heart, go here to learn about Tuesday's virtual girl's night out with guest hostess Lulaville talking all things Twilight.

Witches Brew!

2008-10-23T02:29:00.006-06:00

Last weekend, we went on a little family excursion to a place near Salt Lake City, UT called Gardner Historic Village. This is one place that does Halloween right. I kicked off my Halloween posts with yesterday's batty tale (see next post). So, today, I decided to share pictures of my weekend family outing with you, a bewitching one at that. Hope this gets you in the mood for Halloween. Enjoy!

WW—You're Driving Me Batty!

2008-10-21T23:52:00.006-06:00

One of my favorite trips ever was to Thailand. T-Daddy and I went out on the China Sea about 3 hours from the shore of Phuket on a sea canoeing excursion. Two people and a guide went in each inflatable canoe. Timed just right for low tide, we left the boat, got into our canoes, and headed into a cave.

The entrance was barely visible the water was so near the cave's top. To make it through such a tight squeeze, the guide had to let some air out of the canoe and we had to lay flat to avoid scraping the skin off of our noses on the rocks. It was amazingly frightening. Once inside, the cave opened up into a great expanse, but we stayed flat on our backs so we could look up on the ceiling to see the cave's inhabitants—bats! We also had to keep our mouths shut in case they should poop and it should hit the... well, not the fan, if you know what I mean! And, the only way we could see the sleepy little guys was by shining a large flashlight in their direction.

While the Thailand's landscape, food, massages, sites, and elephant ride are all worth mentioning, nothing was more unique or unforgettable than this experience—seeing snoozing little bats.

Want to teach your kids about bats without the gory details. Visit Kids Off the Couch for a terrific idea that incorporates books, movies, and activities for hands-on and exciting learning.

Check out more travel-related posts at Mommy Gossip—GNO and picture posts at Wordful Wednesday.

Girl’s Night Out Gets a Makeover!

2008-10-20T18:29:00.006-06:00

What Is Girl's Night Out (GNO)?

Things are hot Tuesdays at Twitter. At last week's Mommy Gossip—GNO (formerly known as Twitter GNO), nearly 80 gabbing girls joined the soiree from New Zealand to New Jersey and beyond, sending 140-character messages at 230+ tweets per minute. This included Twitter newbies and veterans alike.

Didn't get in on the action? Want to shoot the breeze with other mommies about anything other than Elmo? Want to get to know some of your favorite bloggers and chat with them real time? Whether you are a mom, mom-to-be, a grandma, or just love all things mom, Mommy Gossip—GNO is the place for you.

What Is New to GNO?

Be one of the first to see Mommy Gossip—GNO's makeover by visiting the official Mommy Gossip—GNO blog. This blog is co-hosted by Carissa at GoodandCrazy and little old moi. (Did I just say I was little AND old?)

Until we are completely moved into our new digs, you will still need to sign up on one of our blogs using Mr. Linky. Please remember to use your twitter name and your twitter URL (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_mommygossip) and not your blog URL.

What Is Tuesday's Twitter Topic?

Each week, we choose a topic or two to discuss during Girl's Night Out in case we run up against one of those 7-minute lulls in the conversation. (Yah! Right!) This week's topic is Travel, hosted by travel guru Michelle Duffy of Wandermom and Lipstick. Learn more about her, the chosen topic, and her giveaways (Yep! There will be giveaways), by visiting Mommy Gossip—GNO.