Mom to the Screaming Masses

Life Well Lived - Looking Your Best

It's time, once again, to contemplate the Blogher Life Well Lived question. These are light and fun and I'm really interested to hear your answers.

Question: What are your favorite beauty tools?

For me, I live by the following - blowdryer, straightener, velcro rollers, a couple of makeup brushes and cotton rounds. I feel like I *should* use an eyelash curler but they don't seem to make much of a difference in my eyes. I use cotton rounds - AND Q tips, forgot those - for everything.

Apparently, though, I'm REALLY big into styling my hair. (!)

You can read everyone else in the Roundup's answers here.

If you comment on this Blogher roundup post - NOT HERE - you can be entered to win a Kindle Fire.Commenting here won't win you a Kindle Fire, but it will win you my undying love and affection.

Exceot that you are so pretty you really don't need beauty tools.

This One Time, At a Conference, I Had an Epiphany

Screen shot from a session at the Blissdom Conference

 So, this is going to be rambling and angsty and at it's core - all about me. Because that's what this blog is, at the very basic - the entire blog is about me. Sure, I talk about my kids, my husband, my enteractions with people and places -

but it's colored by my outlook. My perceptions, my energy.

This one time, at Blissdom - I had an epiphany. An epiphany, defined as a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience - it means exactly what it sounds like.

Much Ado About Nothing

Some random thoughts and notes from the Blissdom Conference:

• I have met some of the best people I've ever known at blogging conferences. They are joy filled, exciting, inspiring and flat out funny people around. I am much better for knowing them.
• I've also met some of the most self centered, flat out mean people that have ever existed.
• Standing in the shower and saying to yourself, "I am a NICE person. There are MEAN people all over and it's not about you, it's about them" does wonders to help ease the mind, because it's true -
• Mean Girls do exist.
• The Fear of Failure is sometimes worse than the failure itself. Quote from one of the sessions - but I've forgotten who.
• In a quote from Me Ra Koh's amazing photography session - Shadows illiminate the Light - and it relates not only to photography but life as well. Really good for me to remember in all things.
• Wisdom from Jon Acuff - You are going to disappoint people. Make a list of who you don't want to disappoint, ignore the rest - Yes, and yes again.
• And, maybe I should curl my hair more often - courtesy of the blow out suite sponsored by V05 - excuse the fact that it's a) blurry and b) I'm sitting in a bed...

Question for 22 February

Karen wonders: What advice would you give a couple on the best time (is there such a thing??) to start a family?

Oh, hahaha - one thing I've learned about family planning is that I don't know jack. What works for me in these areas will almost certainly not work for you - and vice versa.

Before I got further, I want to set the record straight on something that I've experienced an awful lot of this past couple of months. When people hear how many kids I have, comparisons are inevitably drawn and people make me out to be some kind of saint. Some holier than thou Michelle Duggar, who never loses patience and does everything perfectly. The speakers then end up cutting themselves down - I don't know how you do it - I can barely handle the one I have.

Question From a Loyal and Devoted Reader

A lovely reader, who has beautiful hair and always smells so good, sent me the following query.

But first. All about me. As it should be. HA!

I'm on my way to the splendiferious Blissdom conference, after having prepared 5 nights worth of dinner/made two loaves of bread/36 muffins/2 dozen cookies/2 lemon cakes/washed every single piece of dirty wash/scrubbed the floors/taken clothes to the dry cleaners/grocery shopped and did just about every other thing possible over the course of the past two days that will make the lives of my family SO MUCH BETTER while I'm away.

I be tired is what I'm trying to say. But Blissdom is THE PERFECT way to relax. I've just gotta get there now.

So, I'm resorting to that time honored Blog Tradition - I'm instituting....

ASK ME ANYTHING (within reason, natch) YOU WANT TO KNOW.

I pinky promise to answer it - but if you'd rather I open it up and allow you to ask Teh Internetz - just say the word.

Today's lovely reader - did I mention how lovely she is - really gorgeous - would like to have you answer this:

Tortilla Soup, For The Win!

I made this tonight, and not only was it easy - but five out of six children scarfed it down - the other one didn't like it because she just knows that she would never like avocados and don't you know, Mama, that I can't stand tomatoes and are there ONIONS in that soup????

Seriously. Super good and yummy delicious. Quick too.

I took this recipe from a magazine - I have no idea which one it was because I snapped a photo of the recipe before I left the magazine in the airport while I was traveling - I HATE carrying magazines and so I leave them wherever am - kind of like a prize for some unsuspecting person.

In a large stock pot, heat 1 T olive oil. Saute a chopped onion and add minced garlic (I use the jarred stuff and just tossed a bunch in, but maybe 4-5 cloves). Add 1 t ground cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups chicken broth , one can of black bean (drained and rinsed), 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 cup of frozen corn. Bring to a boil, reduce to low and cook for ten minutes. Stir in 1-2 cups cooked chicken and heat through. Just before serving, stir in a chopped avocado (I used two) 1 T fresh cilantro and 1 T lime juice (I just squirted the bottle three times - I'm nothing if not a precise cook.)

Serve with crushed tortilla chips.

Pssst - I'm taking part in the Oral Care Challenge - will you join me??

Stream of Consciousness - February 19, 2012

Wheeeee! The next 72 hours should prove very interesting. I leave for the Blissdom conference on Wednesday morning and will be home Sunday night. I'm a Community Leader in the Special Needs/Parenting group, and I've been assigned to facilitate some great sessions. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends, room sharing with one of the best friends a girl could ask for, and missing the hell out of my other best friend. Conferences are very important to me - not just for the networking and the knowledge, but mainly for the time with some of the nicest people I've ever met.

So, today, Sunday, and the next two days are chock a block full of prep work. Are you going to the conference? Let me know and we can be sure to connect.

I'm feeling pretty blah right now. I spend a great chunk of each day cooking, cleaning, folding clothes - and although there's value in that (or so I keep telling myself) - there's not a lot of excitement. Today, for example - I baked a chicken and smashed new potatoes for dinner, made cookies, 3 loaves of English Muffin bread, mini muffins and planned meals for while I will be away. Not a lot o'excitement there.

There is, however, the Christmas episode of Downton Abbey to enjoy tonight. Which I will. While I'm ironing. GAH.

PLEASE tell me you have something exciting on the horizon. Otherwise, I'm afraid all of us will soon doze off.

OH! Wait. I've got something. I want to get a tattoo - this saying. dodi li va'ani lo - Which is from Song of Songs, 2:16 - My beloved is mine and I am his. (Loosely) I am going to do it in the Hebrew, in script. BUT. I'm unsure where I want to get it. I've toyed with it in a heart shape on my shoulder, in script on my inner wrist, or on my side. I also plan to get a different tattoo of script on my shoulder that says M'aimer pour qui je suis - Love me for who I am. SO. Input?

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in Fadra's sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up over there.

I'm Officially a Fan - No, Wait - A Fanatic

Many, many thanks for your helpful comments for my reader who had a query yesterday. Do you have your own question? You can always shoot me an email - there is a link over on the sidebar - and I can post it for you.

Today, I'm going to be discussing my new found obsession, and undying love, of Downton Abbey.

If you aren't a fan, you might enjoy looking at the photo for today - the prompt on the #febphoto site was "Something New" - and this is the sign I bought for my kitchen today. I am, officially, a mutt - according to my mom - but I do have Irish blood AND I'm married to a man of Irish descent - and so this fit just about perfectly.

And, now, to my obsession with a completely fabricated family.

The Baby is Coming! (No, Not Mine!)

 And now, what?

This is a query from a long time beloved reader. A few details have been changed to protect the privacy of the truly innocent.

I'm pregnant... 5 months, yay!... with my first child and I'm trying to get some insight into my husband, but I don't want to ask our friends and embarrass him. I know they say a man doesn't become a father until the baby is born, but I'm just worried that he isn't as "into it" as I am. I love him and he is a wonderful husband and I know he will be a phenomenal father, but he really doesn't do well with change - AT. ALL. This baby was talked about, planned for, and he was "ready" BUT... he had no interest in registering for anything, or even looking at what I've registered for, he is annoyed that he has to move his stuff around to free up a room for the nursery, and last night, when I tried to get him feel the baby kick, he didn't want to because it was "creepy".

I wasn't planning on doing a birth class... this may be our first baby, but I've done a lot of nannying for brand new babes, researching, reading, etc. and feel like I am prepared and I felt like the grody videos might freak him out... but now I'm wondering if we should take a class to help HIM prepare for this life change. He doesn't want to cut the cord and he's said he is staying up by my head so he doesn't have to see anything gross (which I am ok with, because it IS kinda yucky down there!)...

SO... My questions:

1) Is this "normal" behavior for a husband? Did your husband freak a little with your first child?
2) Do you think a birth class would help prepare him, or just make matters worse?
I know you don't know me from a stranger in Target, but you seemed like the right person to ask!
Thanks!
:)

Happy Valentine's Day to Each of You

Happy Valentine's day!! I hope that each of you felt as loved as possible today!

(I took my husband for a slightly healthy/ slightly decadent fondue date.)