Mushy Mom Post: Birthday Girl

When most of my girlfriends find out they’re having a girl, they get all excited, thinking about dresses and shoes and fun, pretty, girlie girl things.

When I found out, I had a silent, slow, drawn-out private panic attack. My mind immediately went to the pre-teen and teenage years. I was, after all, a girl. I knew what was ahead. I had a son, who, after a very difficult first two years of life, had grown into a child whose moods were easy for me to decipher and whose needs and wants were pretty clear cut. Girls, I knew from experience, were very, very different.

My daughter’s birth is very telling of her personality. We agreed to schedule an induction a few days before she was due, because I was so petite and she was getting to be a pretty big baby for my little body to handle. It’s odd, waking up knowing you will have a baby that day. The experience had been so very different with my son three years prior. When we got to the hospital, there was some waiting, I felt some pressure but not pain, and then the nurses came in to start the pitocin. She watched the monitor, and I remember her turning to me with a puzzled look on her face, asking something like “Are you feeling those?” “Contractions?” I asked. She said “Yes, looks like you’ve been having a few regular ones.” Meh. I felt them, but I think my mind was so set on being induced that I just dismissed them. And so, under threat of induction, my daughter decided to arrive on her own, as if to say “FINE. I’ll bust out of here today, but on my OWN terms!”

That’s my daughter’s personality still today: a nonstop ball of unfiltered happiness and energy who most definitely lives life on her own terms.

Today that little ball of energy turns four years old. FOUR! What the heck?! Four. In many ways, she has always seemed to be this age. The self-assured, brazen, back-talking, emotionally aware, fiercely independent girly-girl-who-kicks-ass four-year-old.

I love that she is fearless. I love that when she smiles, it’s with her whole body, heart and soul. I love that she lives to be happy and to make others happy. I love that she loves so deeply – not just people, but every animal, item of clothing, pair of shoes, book, puzzle in her life. I love that she challenges me, pushes my parenting beyond my self-perceived limits, hugs me, kisses me, and loves me — every bit of it with the overwhelming force of ten people in that tiny little determined body & mind of hers.

She’s a princess-loving girly girl who wants to be both a ballerina and a football player — and she has never once even imagined she could not be either, much less both at the same time. She is fiercely independent and does not take no for an answer. She is strong, and can actually pull me in a basket across an entire room.

She is hilarious, and makes any place she goes her stage. Whether it’s doing a perfect Battle Droid impression from Star Wars, roboting to the Beastie Boys, or talking in an impeccable British accent (thanks to Charlie & Lola), she is vibrant, full of pure joy, and makes everyone around her feel the same passion for that moment.

I love that she is her own person. I love that she inspires me to be stronger. I love this little girl with every smile, tear, laugh that she brings to my everyday.

Happy birthday, silly girl. I am so lucky to have you as a daughter. Thank you for lighting up our lives each and every second of the day.

the birthday girl turned in her arcade tickets for what else? a crown. of course.

motherhood

Comments:{0}

Mommy (Blogger) Card: Revoked?

It’s Wednesday. I do NOT have a Wonder Woman Wednesday feature today. Sorry, folks. I have several Wonder Women responding to interview questions, but I think we’re all too busy right now trying to be Not-Crazy Woman that we’ve set our Wonder Woman capes aside this week.

Since my entrepreneurial brain is getting tapped out on an insane amount of work right now, I thought I’d tap into my mommy brain for a blog post topic. However, it is also one of those weeks where I’ve had quite a few Bad Mama moments — and it’s only Wednesday! Yikes. Revoke my mommy card.

Actually, there are probably a lot of reasons the Mamasphere would want to revoke my Mommy Card, and more specifically, my Mom Blogger Card. Here are just a few:

1. I hate cake pops. Most moms I know LOOOOOVE them — they ooh and aah and “aren’t those so DARLING” over them – but not me. I find them to be disgusting little balls of refined sugar on a stick, and, sort of ridiculous. I love cupcakes, and I like cake. Cake pops can go away now, please.

2. I do not find the video of twin babies conversing to be cute, funny, or even amusing. I watched the whole 2 minutes 8 seconds of it, waiting for the punchline. It never delivered. I want my two minutes back (I will forfeit 8 seconds just because they are babies and some fellow mom out there had to deliver those two). I also refuse to link to the video; go to your Facebook feed and I am sure at least six moms you know posted it.

3. I am not a fan of The Oprah Winfrey Show. I know, I know. It’s OPRAH. Now, let me clarify: I do admire Oprah herself. I think she’s a remarkable women – PHENOMENAL – who has done a lot of amazing good for the world. I just have a problem with her show. Too many female victims, too much drama for this mama, and a cast of characters (her “friends”) that I could never in a million years relate to nor take seriously as experts in their fields.

4. I do not want to hold your baby. I’m sorry. If you are a relative or a friend, I’ll happily hold your adorable, sweet baby. If you and I just met, then, no — really: I do NOT want to hold your strange baby. And yes, the words in that last sentence are in the proper order. I also do not care that your baby pooped purple today. I really, really don’t, and I find posting pictures of poo or puke just downright wrong. Wrong I tell you!

5. Grey’s Anatomy stinks. So does GLEE. I want to love GLEE, but I just.can’t.watch.it. I’ve tried. Great concept, poorly executed. Grey’s Anatomy is just…wrong.

So there you go. Revoke my Mom Blogger Card (but not my Mommy Card — I’ve decided I definitely want to keep that. And, I’ll fight ya for it!). I’ll be back to posting about design, style, food, strategy and entrepreneurial goodies soon. Tomorrow you get a real treat: a wonderful strategy post from Urban Bliss’s marketing maven, Laurel! It’ll knock your social media socks off!

Now tell me: what do you think would cause YOU to lose your Mommy/Daddy/Blogger Card?

BTW: If you do love any or all of the above items I am not fond of, I won’t hold it against you. Just like my many vegan friends do not hold my immense love of the magic that is bacon against me

motherhood

Comments:{18}

{daily bliss} It's Monday and This is My Blog

It’s 10:26 am and I should be pounding out some formal documents right now for work. Starting the Monday off with forcing my brain to write & edit legal documents. What was I thinking?

Instead I eased into Monday {after driving hubby to work, dropping off a sobbing son at school because for some reason he decided this morning that he HATES Art Lit and today is Art Lit day, dropping off a happy daughter at school, driving back home to pick up daughter’s forgotten lunch (my bad), driving back, and cleaning up the house} by cooking a power breakfast: bacon, eggs, hashbrowns. Coffee. Coffee is KING in my house and I am the Queen… of procrastination. Those documents. They mock me even before they are born. I have to get them done in the next hour.

So for inspiration, I thought I would ease into Monday some more… by blogging.

If you’ve been following Urban Bliss Life since its inception last summer, you may have noticed some changes recently. Instead of wonderful posts written by a myriad of contributors, all of the posts recently have been written by little ol’ me. If this disappoints you, suck it I apologize, but within months of launching the site and my grandiose plans, life had other plans, threw a few wrenches into my personal and professional situations, and I decided to cut back. People think having lots of contributors makes blogging easier; it does not. It’s one more thing that requires constant management, and the universe made it clear to me last fall that I have enough to manage on my plate already.

So Urban Bliss Life is now still a lifestyle blog, but it’s pretty much just my lifestyle blog and that of my design & strategy studio’s. I’ll still have Specials Contributors who will write about fashion, food, decor and entertaining during specific times of the year, but the rest of the time, it’s all me, writing about those topics & sharing inspiration boards, recipes, social media tips and so on. Just another mom entrepreneur blogging about the crazy life of running a couple of businesses while trying to raise a family.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s 10:40 and I have one hour to write a few legal documents before spending 20 minutes trying to answer the 437 emails in my inbox screaming for my attention, and then helping in my son’s Art Lit class. Yes, the one he said he HATED this morning. I told him if it was because I was going to be in his class, I didn’t have to go. I have a TON of work to do and could really use those 2 hours (I didn’t say that part to him, of course). But through his tears he said he wanted me there but he still HATED Art Lit. Same kid who loved it last month. Gotta love parenthood…

What? Those documents aren’t written up yet? Well, fantastic. Let’s go, Monday. I’m ready now.

{Thanks so much for reading. I really, really appreciate you stopping by & sticking with the journey }

motherhood

Comments:{0}

A Little Thrifting Expedition = Birthday Bliss

Do you love your birthday? Some women I know loathe birthdays, especially with each passing year. Some love them.

I like to spend my birthdays (mostly) off of work, with friends & family, but then also time alone, exploring, enjoying, just appreciating one more year of being alive.

On my birthday eve, I decided close to midnight to make myself a little felt flower necklace. It only took about 15 minutes, using felt & ribbon I had on hand. The construction sucks and it won’t last forever, but I got to wear it on my birthday and it made me smile.

A fun morning with the family was followed by breakfast with a dear lovely friend at one of my favorite places. Bacon was most definitely part of the birthday treat.

Then we went thrifting, and OH! What a THRILL thrifting can be! I hadn’t gone in a long time and it’s truly one of my favorite pasttimes. To say that I scored big time during this thrifting expedition would be an understatement. I spent just $50 and here’s a sample of my sweet thrift finds (the best find EVER is at the end! wait for it…):

spring green mules. cost: $2.50. they just need a cleaning & slight shoe glue touch up & my spring wardrobe will be brightened with these babies in no time. L-O-V-E these! $2.50!!

This fabric will likely be repurposed into a summer dress for my daughter, and I’ll probably turn the scraps from the dress into various appliques for her shirts/skirts. It’s a mod circle pattern cotton tablecloth. cost: $4.

I actually have this bag in black & white and this green & white version is in PERFECT condition. Obviously never used. It’s so very perfect for spring. cost: $3

My favorite shirt find: a mod fitted white tee with angular black stripes and little sailor-like button detail at one shoulder. cost: $5

My pal Amy went gaga over this suit find. NEW black pinstriped Ann Taylor petite suit. Amazing condition. Fits wonderfully, which, as a 4′11″ petite chickadee, is so very rare. I was just realizing the other day that I don’t really have any suits and there are occasions when I need one. What luck! cost: $9. I repeat: NINE DOLLARS.

Then I found some fun tops at insane prices. They all fit so well! It’s seriously a birthday miracle. That so rarely happens!
From L – R: striped long sleeved woven tee: $4; floral summer top: $2.50; short sleeve light blue sweater: $2.50

I also got but didn’t photograph a pair of new heather gray Petite Sophisticate slacks for just $2.50! They go perfectly with the light blue sweater above.

And now, for my favorite thrift find ever…. (drum roll please)… A vintage Royal typewriter with Underwood cover (has a tear in it) and working ribbon: $15. Fifteen buckaroos! For this beautiful baby! It’s soooo pretty! With perfect glass-covered buttons and a bell that works when it reaches the end of a line. I love it.

Thrift shopping on my birthday was a true gift. I love the idea that things at thrift stores have a previous life. I like that I’m not just buying something newly manufactured because sometimes I think about all of the new products and the immense waste being manufactured as a result of them and it makes my heart hurt.

I think a little magic thrifting fairy was sprinkling birthday luck on this expedition, don’t you? It just helped add to my feelings of being so lucky to have this life for one more year.

motherhood

Comments:{10}

The Love List

Valentine’s Day is everyday at my house. Truly. As frustrated, angry, tired, annoyed as we may get with one another from time to time, I begin each day and end each day feeling truly grateful, knowing how much love is in this house.

Dr. Karen Reivich has posted a great article about creating a Love List with your kids. Basically, you write down all of the different ways you express your love for one another, and ways each of your children prefer you express your love.

My kids and I brainstormed our Love List verbally yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, in the car on the way to pick up my husband from work. Our lives are pretty crazy right now, so I try to take the quality time wherever and whenever I can get it — including our commute times.

Here’s what we came up with:

Saying “I Love You”
My kids hear me say those three little words all day long, every day. I must tell them at least 30 times a day. I just can’t help it. They, too, know the power of those words, and they are really adorable in using it often, and not just in response to when my husband and I tell them we love them. Three little words, immeasurable impact.

Hugs & Snuggles
We’re also a family of huggers and snugglers. We always do at the very least, morning hugs and nighttime hugs, but we also usually do after school hugs. Then there are a million hugs in-between. When we’re not hugging, we’re snuggled up on the couch under a huge blanket watching a movie together.

Cook Up Some Love
For me, food is love. My mother cooked for me and my brother, and now I cook and bake for my own family. My kids started helping me in the kitchen when they were each 2 years old. They know that I make them their favorite banana bread because I love them. They know that helping me bake said banana bread gives us quality time and is a sign of their love for me and our family. As my son gets older, he’s not always so quick to help out every time we make something, but he still does every once in a while, and those moments make a difference.

Create Something Just Because
My kids love making things. My son loves to write lists and draw pictures or make cards; my daughter loves to draw pictures and cut & glue creations. They love “surprising” us with their artwork. My daughter loves to say “Look, Mom! I made this for you!”

Being Thankful
In our house, we say “thank you” as much as we say “I Love You.” As a mother, it’s important that I teach my kids the value in appreciating when someone has done something for you, however large or small. Whenever I hear one of my kids randomly give something to the other, and then the receiving child automatically, warmly, with full emotion says a hearty “THANK YOU!” in return, there’s no question about the love there.

Those are just some of the things we realized we do to show each other how much we love each other. Reading our list, I realize this makes us sound like such a corny family. Maybe we are, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We love each other, and it’s important that each person feels, KNOWS, that love is there, in so many different ways.

What would you add to your Love List with your loved ones?

motherhood

Comments:{0}