Everyday Baby Steps

Whew! The family and I got back from the Type-A Mom Conference Sunday night, and I'm just now feeling back to normal. What a fun and exciting whirlwind of events those four days were. The conference was held in Asheville, NC, and my family and I left Wednesday morning for the nine hour drive. The drive was totally uneventful. All three kids were quiet and well-behaved. Honest, they were.

Get There and Go!

Right after we arrived, Noah, Norah, and I jumped on a very fun purple tour bus to join a group of other early arrivers for a trip to the local Health Adventure museum where they were holding a Grossology exhibit. We had a blast! The kids were able to take part in hands-on activities big and small to learn about the human body and some of the less than nice things it can do. They made snot, they slid through a plastic stomach and crawled through a replica of the anus. Oh yes, they did. I even got in on the action, identifying animal scat. Yep. After the Grossology tour, we joined the group on a much more pleasurable sensory experience as we dined on everything chocolate at a place called The Chocolate Lounge. The kids and I were in heaven!

Day One

Left to right: Shannan of From Cribs to Car Keys, Sugar of Sugar in the Raw, Beth Rosen,Marcia of AllState me, Amy of Resourceful Mommy

The next day, we were supposed to join some bloggers and their famlies for a day long bus tour of the Biltmore and some other fun stuff. Except we missed the bus, due to my ADD. I thought it left at 8:30 when the actual departure time was 8:00. But it ended up being okay, as we went to the Biltmore on our own to explore. The kids were less than angelic, so it was best that we could head back to the hotel at our own discretion.

After helping to run registration for an hour or so, I jumped in on the first actual conference activity, which was a PR/Blogger speed dating session. We all sat at round tables and chatted amongst our group until it was time to switch seats and meet a new group of people. It was a great kickoff to the conference and a wonderful way to meet other bloggers as well as PR reps. Here's a picture of me at one of the speed dating sessions. I think I'm talking to Jessica Smith of Jessica Knows.

Next came a welcome reception sponsored by Walt Disney world. The food was lovely, and the wine from the Biltmore was even better. But the best was being able to slow down and visit with folks in a more leisurely manner after getting to know a few very quickly at the speed dating session. The conference is really such a blur, but I can tell you I got a chance to meet so many wonderful people. The evening ended at the hotel bar, with complimentary blue drinks from Maria Bailey of MomTV and NewBaby.

Day Two

Friday was the first day of full-blown sessions, and I was excited. The day started with a breakfast fashion show from Dress Barn.  A handful of bloggers went to the local Dress Barn store the night before and were treated to one complete outfit. Then we were treated to a fun fashion show where they modeled their pieces. Have you seen Dress Barn lately? They have some really fashionable and affordable stuff.

I attended some amazing sessions on PR/Blogger relations, leveraging your pre-kid career, selling ads on your blog, and earning money from blogging. They were all very informative. While I was in sessions, the older kids were at the KidsCon. This was a fabulous addition to the conference that made it possible for me and so many other others to attend the conference.  All conferences geared toward women should follow this model. I applaud and thank Kelby Carr for including it.

Day Three

The last day of the conference started out with a mom market, where conference sponsors and mom owned businesses could set up and showcase their products. It was very nice to check everything out and to have the chance to talk to people about the products they were so passionate about. I then headed to a breakout session on blog karma and social capital that encouraged us all to think of others rather than just how we can get ahead, and by doing so, we'll create deeper relationships. Next was a very laid back lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A. It was yummy, and it was nice to kick back and relax.

After lunch, there was a blogger town hall meeting where everyone was invited to give their opinion on where blogging is heading. There was discussion on being paid what we're worth and on running our blogs in the manner that we choose.The discussion was passionate, but not heated, and it was a very effective means of discussing what was on our minds. Here's me with the microphone.

The keynote address focused on breaking the mommy mold. A wide variety of bloggers talked about their views on everything from stats to reviews. It was great to get such a wide perspective. Finally, the conference ended with a local beer, BBQ, wine and cheese bash. I was able to brin my husband to this event and enjoy this adult time to reflect upon the conference and discuss ideas, also to engage with my new friends.

For more in-depth review of the conference sessions, visit Cutest Kid Ever, where you'll find several detailed posts. Check out the Type-A Mom Flickr stream for tons of photographs from the event. You can also visit Pensieve and Real Life for links to others' Type-A Mom Conference posts.

Thank you to Rick from Tiny Prints and Amanda from High Impact Mom for the pictures I stole. And thank you so very much to Kelby Carr, Astacia McGee, and Angela England for all the hard work they put into organizing the best conference ever.

Wow! It's been a long time since I've blogged. I took a bit of time off because my whole family was sick with some kind of yucky flu for a couple weeks. I have to confess that I actually started it and then shared it with everyone else. Usually, it's the kids who bring it home from school. But this time, it was mom. So I took some time to lay aruond, drink ginger ale, and administer cold medicine.

Taking Time Out

The last week or so, I've been taking some time to once again reevaluate some things. The past year that I've been blogging has been wonderful. I've learned so much and made so many online friends. But I've realized that I'm not where I had hoped to be professionally by this time. I started blogging as a springboard to freelance writing. I wanted to get myself in the habit of putting words down on a regular basis and learning to handle the fear of putting myself out there. I've done that, but I haven't accomplished what I'd set out to do.

I've gotten some paid writing jobs, mostly blogging gigs. And I've enjoyed them greatly. They've taught me about choosing content, dedicating myself to posting daily, how to work with a virtual boss, how to write concisely, and how to invoice. What I haven't done is score good paying gigs on a regular basis, as I had hoped I would by this point.

My New Outlook

After taking this down time to think things through, I'm feeling better about where I'm going. I've started researching writing markets and planning out queries. I'm also taking time to get some business cards printed and make some connections in my local community. I've arranged to put the baby in part time daycare when school starts back up for the older kids. My amazing husband is supporting me in this decision, even though we really don't have the extra funds in our monthly budget for childcare. We're doing the daycare thing on a trial basis. If I'm not able to bring in some worthwhile income with my writing within a few months, I'll discontinue daycare.

I'm also working on developing a new blog project with an online friend. I'll tell you more about it when it's off the ground, but it has to do with advising college students. That's what I did in my professional life before leaving the traditional workforce to become a work-at-home mom. I've blogged about higher education for others; I think it's time to take the leap into starting my own blog using what I know to help others.

Feeling Optimistic

I"m feeling very excited about my new professional outlook. Taking some time off these past few weeks has really helped me to put things into perspective. I know that I have the ability to use my writing skills to earn a living, and I plan to move forward in a more productive fashion than I have been. Not that I regret anything I've done over the past year. I'm glad I took the time to test out the waters, do my research, and meet amazing people who've inspired and motivated me to succeed.

And I'm thankful that my family has stood by me in this exploration and that I've been fortunate enough to be able to take this time to explore. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.

So remember when I told you I was featured at The BlogRollers? Do you remember the awesome contest I told you about that they're sponsoring for a ticket to BlogHer '09? Did you enter? Well, I did, and I want to show you my video entry. I want to go to BlogHer so bad that I even sang for my shot at a ticket and a chance to be the BlogRollers' fourth wheel! Here's my entry and my explanation of why I really want to win this contest. I hope you enjoy my video, but mostly, I hope you learn from me not to sell yourself short and to not let fear stop you from taking a chance on going for something that's important to you.

Thanks so much, BlogRollers, for sponsoring this contest and for allowing me to have a second chance at reaching for my dreams!

I just received word yesterday that both of my personal blogs, Everyday Baby Steps and Adventures in Freelancing, have been accepted to Alltop! For those of you who aren't familiar with Alltop, it's a site that lists the best online resources in nearly every topic area imagineable. I'm so honored to be a part of it.

All of my blogs are now listed at Alltop. I found out this weekend that my new blog for college students, And You Will Graduate, was accepted. I was so happy. I've known about Alltop since I started blogging, and I knew what it meant to be added to its pages. I'm so unbelievably thrilled for my "babies", my own personal blogs, to get in.

Everyday Baby Steps is listed in the Women category, and Adventures in Freelancing can be found in the Freelance section. And You Will Graduate is in Alltop's Education category. I'm so proud of this accomplishment. Thank you to everyone who visits my blogs and interacts with me. I love blogging, and all the opportunities it brings to reach beyond my small community.

If you've never visited Alltop or it's been a while since you have, why don't you go and take a look around? There are so many amazing websites and blogs to discover there.

I ran away from home last night.  For three glorious hours.  Christmas Break had gotten to me, and I was at my breaking point.  Thank goodness I have a wonderful husband who encouraged me to just go.  Forget the meatloaf I was going to make for dinner.  Forget the dishes in the sink.  Go.

And that's what I did.  Wish I could say I did something exciting and fun.  I didn't.  I went to Target and to TJMaxx.  Not thrilling, but oh so necessary.  I had Pizza Hut for dinner and leisurely strolled around the stores.  I bought socks for the kids and took the Christmas money my father-in-law gave me and bought a beautiful red leather laptop bag for myself.  I guess that's pretty exciting.

Also exciting is that fact that I won a new Toshiba laptop!  I can't believe I forgot to blog about it.  I won it in a fabulous contest from Family Eden, the social networking site for families I blog for.  It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm waiting with baited breath.

Not a bad start to the new year, I'd say.  I've got some more good news, that I will share in an upcoming post.  It has to do with a couple of blogging jobs I've recently received.  Things are really moving along for me.

Despite the good things that are happening in my life, and despite the fact that I love my little angels, I still needed to get away for a bit.  I'm usually the evangelist for mommy "me time" and for pampering ourselves.  I'm not sure why I've neglected taking my own advice, but I intend to work on that in the upcoming year.  Have you ever "run away from home"?

This week's Feature Friday Profile is Kelly Curtis from Pass the Torch.  She's also the author of the book Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things.  If you aren't familiar with her, you'll want to visit her blog and consider buying a copy of her book.  Kelly is a phenomenal woman, who inspires me to be a better mom every time I read her blog.  Here's a bit of the conversation I had with Kelly.  I also recently submitted an article about Kelly and her work encouraging youth leaders to The Savvy Gal, an online women's magazine.  I"ll let you know when it's published.

Tell me why you started blogging?

What I had actually been looking for was a place online to put clips.  When I started getting assignments (Kelly began her writing career as a freelancer.), I thought, "I need a place to put these so I can direct editors to an online spot that they can look at my clips."  But I didn't know how to go about that.  My brother-in-law said, "Maybe you should look into a blog."  And I seriously had no idea what he was talking about, had never heard of a blog, didn't ever spend time on the internet that way.  I did a little research and just started one.  I didn't even know what to do with it.  Then I started to kind of switch gears since I started to get a feel for what blogging actually was supposed to be.  I just kind of played with it for awhile and then, very spontaneously switched it to Pass the Torch (from its former name).  Then it became a personal blog.  Before that point, I didn't really get what people did with blogs.

What is your book about?

It's called Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things, and it's based on the research done by Search Institute, which is the forty Developmental Assets.  The assets are basically a list of forty characteristics.  If young people have these assets, they're more likely to grow up healthy, caring, and resilient.  You don't have to have all of these assets in order to grow up successfully, but the more of them you have the better.  So the Developmental Asset approach is just encouraging young people to build on what's right about young people rather than worrying about what's wrong with them.  And so the four chapters that I included in the book are "When a Community Values Youth", "Treating Youth as Valued Resources", "Serving the Needs of Others", and "Ensuring a Safe World for Young People."  Those are the four empowerment assets.  The philosophy behind this book is, basically, that young people have more to offer society than we often give them credit for.  So if we can open our minds to the idea that young people might have really fantastic ideas sometimes if we're willing to listen to them, letting go of the reigns sometimes can make a huge differencein our communities.

What do you enjoy most about blogging?

A key mantra in journalism is "show, don't tell."  Blogging allows me to show important things about my life - the proud moments, as well as the struggles.  In a society where women often choose not to tell either of these things for fear of appearing like that bragging mom or that whiney woman, blogging gives me the opportunity to show the events in my life, share my feelings about them, without worrying as much about the receiver of the information.  Although, I do consider my readers, I also know it's simple for them to choose to bow out of the conversation.  On the Web, it's just a click of the mouse.  After all, it is my personal journal, and a large part of my blog's existence is to say what I need to say.

See, didn't I tell you she was awesome?  So head on over to her blog to learn more about how Kelly lives the principals behind her book in her own life.  You can read the chronicles of her daughter's neighborhood book project each week on BookWorm Wednesday and see other examples of how youth are doing great things.  Enjoy.

I have a guest post over at the fabulous Velveteen Mind!  You should definitely go check it out.  You'll learn abuot a deep, dark secret I've been keeping for months.

Megan is having a month of guest posts at her blog in lieu of participating in NaBloPoMo.  You know, National Blog Posting Month.  She's a bit like me, I guess.  She knew she wouldn't post each and every day for a month.  Where the difference lies is that Megan got creative and asked for the assistance of her friends to get the job done.  She's tricky like that.

Oh, yeah.  And she calls hers GoBloMeMoFo.  I think it's funny!  Go visit her blog and read all the great guest posts.  There are some gems.  Don't forget to leave comments because  I think Megan's having a contest, too!

This week's Friday Feature Profile mom blogger is Caroline from Morningside Mom.  Caroline is an awesome blogger and one of the first I met.  I couldn't have been more excited to talk to her on the phone, as we have lots in common.  She wants to be a freelance writer, too!  I hope you enjoy reading what she has to say as much as I enjoyed talking to her.

How long have you been blogging?

Not that long.  Since March, actually.  I always loved writing.  But, ironically, I was a science major in college and ended up working in college admissions.  I did that for ten years.  Then I had my first-born son.  I was just trying t o be a mom, and everybody kept saying, "You should write; you should really think abou twriting."  Being nervous about it, I wasn't really sure how to do it.  Then I clued into the whole blogging thing an ddecided to give it a shot.  Never thinking it would be anything more than a personal diary/using it for practice.  right away I got such good feedback that I thought, "Wait a minute.  Maybe this is something I should kind of stick with.  So I just kept going with it.  I really felt like the blogging thing started to take on a life of its own for me.  I really didn't go in with the intentions to get as involved with it as I did.  It just seemed to literally take me down the path and lead me by the hand.

Tell me why you started blogging.

I was tired of just talking about what the kids did that day.  I really cared about things going on in the world or just random thoughs that I had, and there's no outlet for it.  I feel like blogging has allowed me to get out there, try things, completely express myself and be a part of that interactive world.

It's been a great way to get out of the house without getting out of the house, being able to have some interaction and have a feeling like my mind is valuable.  You get very little of that as a stay-at-home mom.  I always call it Groundhog Day - you're just in that routine of the same dishes, the same diapers, the same everything.  It's like Chinese water torture sometimes, sometimes it's wonderful.  My blog has just opened my world and allowed me to really be a part of something more than just where I'm at in my little routine.

Didn't you win a trip to BlogHer?

Yes, BlogHer had a contest sponsored by Ragu.  It was a random contest, but I won.  The winner got to go to the BlogHer conference in San Francisco.  I got the feeling that the universe just kind of opened up and just landed in my lap.  My family was so supportive, and they figured out what they had to do to take care of those kids so that I could go for that weekend.

Probably a few weeks before I was a leaving, a PR company happened to get in touch with me and really liked what they had read and they decided they wanted me to review some products for them, which happened to be a laptop and video camera.  I didn't have a laptop.  I ahve very little; I have an old computer which is on its last leg.  And for this to happen was just one more thing telling me, "You have to blog.  You have to do this."  One thing I've learned from the whole thing is that all signs are pointing me to blog.

Is blogging what's led you to try your hand at freelancing?

It's a confidence thing for me.  I wasn't trained in writing, specifically.  I went to a iberal arts college, and I had to write well to go there and to graduate from there.  The other portion of it is,"How do I sell myself?", and I think that blogs make a great resume.  People can refer to your writing ability there.  I'm just gonna keep going and see where it takes me!

Today’s tip is actually a recipe.  I’ve been talking about getting healthy, and I’ve shared with you my allergies to wheat and milk.  I believe I promised that I’d share my favorite - a wheat and dairy-free banana muffin recipe.  I try never to break a promise, so here it is:

Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Frosting (from The Gluten, Wheat, and Dairy-Free Cookbook)

Ingredients

generous 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

pinch of salt

generous 1/4 cup superfine sugar

6 tbsp dairy -free milk

2 eggs lightly beaten

5 1/2 ounces dairy-free margarine, melted

2 small bananas, mashed

Frosting

scant 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese

2 tbsp dairy-free margarine

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

scant 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Place 12 paper cases in deep muffin pan.  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl.  Stir in sugar.

2. Whisk milk, eggs, and margarine together in separate bowl.  Slowly stir into the flour mixture.  Fold in the mashed bananas.

3. Spoon mixture into the paper cases and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden.  Turn onto wire rack and let cool.

4. To make frosting, beat cream cheese and margarine together in a bowl.  Then beat in cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy.  Chill frosting in refrigerator for 15 min. to firm. Then top each muffin with a spoonful.

I actually don’t even make the frosting, and they’re really good.  You should be able to find the dairy and wheat-free ingredients at a health food store or possibly in the organic section of your grocery store.

For gluten-free flour, mix:

6 Cups white rice flour, 2 cups potato starch flour, and 1 cup tapioca flour

I found these ingredients at a bulk food store.  You may be able to purchase gluten-free flour in a box, but this is what I use.

Now, my new job announcement.  To help me along my path to getting healthy, I’ve accepted the position of Health and Wellness Writer for Moms in a Blog!  This is a great site featuring many topics of interest to parents, from book reviews to home decorating.  And, of course, health!  I’m excited about this opportunity because I love reading about health and wellness news, and now I can apply what I learn to my own life while gaining fabulous writing experience.  Please come visit me at Moms in a Blog!

Helene's 2 Sets of Twins!

Helene, of I’m Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor, is the mother of two sets of twins.  That’s right, I said two.  Sets of twins.  The first set, a boy and a girl, are 4 years old.  The second set, both boys, are 18 months.  I’d say Helene has her hands full!  Others have said it, too.  Her reply?  “Yes, better to have hands full than empty arms and a broken heart.  Well said.  Helene’s story is fascinating.  She and her husband worked very hard to conceive their first set of twins; their second came about naturally, after a failed attempt at in vitro fertilization.  Helene volunteered to talk with me in my pursuit of mom bloggers’ stories.  Here’s what she had to say.

The name of your blog is fantastic! Tell me about it.

I guess I just thought “What would be funny?  What would be creative?”  I’ve been saying all along that God has a sense of humor - I’m living proof of that!

How did you get started blogging?

I didn’t even know about blogging, but I was part of a message board for women who were trying to conceive, they started an online diary forum.  I thought, what a good way to get my emotions out.  I could talk to my husband, but there were some things I didn’t want to tell him.  But I didn’t mind telling other women who were going through it, because it’s nice to get that feedback.  Yeah, that’s kind of how it all started.

I kept that for 2 or 3 years. In my second pregnancy.  I was on bed rest, family and friends were always calling to ask how I was, and I was too tired to get on the phone and repeat the same thing.  One of my friends said, “why don’t you start a blog?” It really just started as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, then little by little I started getting comments from women with two sets of twins or problems with infertility.  I realized other people are reading this.  It’s more like a family journal, but it’s also good to share with others and have others read it, knowing other people are going through the same thing.  That’s kind of how it got to where it is.

Why do you blog?

Some of it is just my thoughts on a daily basis, it may not even have to do with motherhood or parenting.  A lot of it is, because that’s my life.  I can go back to any certain place or time and see things like when did they get their first tooth.  Anytime I’m having a really bad day and I’m feeling less than grateful, I can go back and say look what I went though to have these babies.

Someday when your kids grow up, they may read that.  My mother never complained to me about stuff, so I didn’t realize how hard it would be.  I’d like someday for my daughter to read it.  Maybe when she’s feeling inadequate or inferior and be able to know that I felt that way too.    It’s kind of like a book of memories, really.

What has your experience been regarding other bloggers and readers?

It starts out as your own personal thing, you want a memory of something.  It’s interesting how you meet so many other people in the world.  You don’t feel so alone trying to be a mom, juggling it all. You just know you can connect with other people who have gone through it or who are going through it.  It becomes like an extended family.  You’ve never met them and you probably never will.  It’s like a sense of sisterhood.  It’s like you’ve known them all your life but you don’t even KNOW them.  I guess you wouldn’t understand unless you’re actually doing it.

** This is just a sampling of my conversation with Helene.  We had a great time talking.  I’m really having fun speaking with mom bloggers and learning about their unique experiences.  It’s said that everyone has a story, and I’m definitely finding that to be true of the women I’ve spoken with.  Check back every Friday for a new Friday Feature Profile to hear the stories of more mom bloggers!