Mom to the Screaming Masses

What Happened at Harley Camp

This contest is now closed and the winner was #9.

Gets shared all over the place, lol.

This is a really picture heavy post. Grab a drink and settle in. It's gonna be long but it's gonna be worth it.

The first night that we were at Harley Camp, many of us were nervous. I've been on a motorcycle before, but a few bad experiences made me a little gun shy. The fine folks at Harley-Davidson know not everyone is a fan, so they've created the Garage Party.

Which kind of sounds like it's a heavy metal band, but it's not. A Garage Party is geared towards those who have never ridden -- primarily women. It is a class designed to familiarize you with the motorcycle from headlight to tail pipe, teach you want to do if a motorcycle falls over (a great big fear that I have!) and even allows you to sit on the JumpStart. What's that? An honest-to-God Harley, securely mounted, that will allow you to sit on it, rev the engine and feel the power of a Harley.

I think everyone should do it at least once.

Look at the veritable sea of motorcycles; I've never seen so many in one place.

JumpStart, combined with the Garage Party, is a great concept in helping women to overcome their fears. The instructors, all women riders, didn't think any fear or question was too silly, too minor; they calmly and patiently addressed every single question. We learned how to pack for a road trip - I never really thought about the fact that, hello, you can't take a suitcase - what to do if it rains, how to deal with the bike when it falls, and much more.

The next day, we went to Harley-Davidson University.

Which was just as cool as it sounds.

We learned about the four guys who began Harley-Davidson in a 10'x15' foot shed - 3 Davidsons, 1 Harley - who had a dream to create a bicycle that took less effort to work. They were all in their early 20s, and although they look like businessmen in this photo - apparently the boys liked to work hard, play hard, and ride hard.

Not much has changed for Harley-Davidson.

Historically, the Harley-Davidson brand is thought of as a particular type of customer - what I call "My Brother-in-law". Bob is a great guy. He's also a biker in every sense of the word. A big guy, balding, tattooed, bearded, wearing a leather vest and big rings - the exact image if you say to yourself, "Self: What does a biker look like??"

Harley-Davidson is trying to grow its market by reaching out to four smaller, less active groups - the Core enthusiast group (men like my brother-in-law) is going great gangbusters - but Hispanics, Latinas, Women and the older age groups have a smaller market share.

Those are all customers.

They have a solid "No Cages" philosophy - which refers to the cage that a car has around you - but it also means so much more. It means reaching out, grabbing life as it hurries past, and enjoying every minute of it. It means feeling the wind in your face with the open road stretched out in front of you - nothing in your way.

I was honestly surprised at how much I found myself wanting that. Empowering women to live life on their own terms. I like that.

We were introduced to the My Time to Ride Series and watched video of women, just like us, who had decided to become Harley owners. They were nervous and afraid and everything didn't always go smoothly, but at the end of their Rider's Edge course, all were successful Harley Riders. Rider's Edge is the training class designed to get you on the road and feeling safe.

It doesn't get any better than that.

Then we had lunch with Bill Davidson, seen here with our wonderful guides Dana and Amanda -- two of the BADDEST women I've ever met.

The next day, we were in charge of our own destiny; we were the masters of our domain, and we were the solo riders on bikes just like these.

I know. I KNOW!

The group I was in - Sugar, Heather, me, Dana and our two instructors.

The entire experience was amazing. Empowering, exciting - and I'm totally going to find a Rider's Edge in my area. I drive a Jeep now, and I love it. It's fun and zippy and free, especially when the top is off and the windows are down. But there's nothing like a Harley, and I can't wait to experience it for myself at any time I want!

Tell me what life with "no cages" means to you for a chance to win a Harley-Davidson Women's Pink Label Embellished Nylon Jacket.

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from July 31, 2012 to August 27, 2012

Be sure to visit the Harley-Davidson No Cages brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!

Get to Know Me, Reader Style

I'm going to Blogher - I leave on Wed - and I need to have a "Get to Know Carmen" post - and I thought it'd be interesting if you guys wrote it.

So - this might turn out very badly and I might cry and delete it - but, if you were going to tell someone something about me and this here 10.5 year old blog - what might you say?

Sponsored post below - you could win a $500 SPA gift card - I'm sick that I can't enter this one.

Also, a Visa gift card giveaway below that.

Help a girl out?

The Alternative to Getting Old is Worse Than Getting Old

The Alternative to Getting Old is Worse Than Getting Old

No truer words have ever been written. Getting old is not for the faint of heart, it's true, but it sure beats the alternative. Celebrating birthday after birthday is not a bad thing, though - with age comes wisdom and freedom and being comfortable in one's skin.

I embrace getting old - but that doesn't mean I'm going to toddle off into the sunset with nary a glance back or an acknowledgement of the difficulties I face. I can be a focused and aware woman who is secure in herself and takes the steps necessary to educate herself on the challenges that she faces.

Get Old is a platform developed by Pfizer to encourage and support those discussions of getting older and living better that we are all having. The site encourages us to reconsider what it means to get old. It focuses on helping readers improve the quality of their lives and investigates ways to add years to their lives. It's also a tremendous resource in terms of discussing the important health challenges facing society as a whole as our population ages.

Get Old is not just about dealing with the years at the end of your lifetime; it ís about the ongoing process of getting older. Aging is an important issue facing society, health care and government, in record numbers that we've never before experienced.. But getting old is not just about accumulating years ñ itís also about gaining experiences and wisdom as you go on. That old analogy of "Age Equals Wisdom" - you know, I now think there's something to it!

Pfizer, in partnership with Gallup and Robinson Research, took a poll as part of the Get Old platform, asking 1,000 people who are 18 to 65+ how they feel about getting old. One very interesting fact that surfaced? Not quite half of those surveyed - 42% - define themselves as a ìfree spiritî when it comes to aging,and the sentiment increases with age (ìfree spiritî defined as ìI don't think about it ñ I just take life as it comesî) That is DEFINITELY how I classify myself when it comes to aging. There's not much I can do about it, so I just go with it.

Getting old isn't without it's challenges, though. More of us will be caring for elderly parents then ever before, and most of us (source: study above) report feeling that it is our responsibility to care for those elderly family members financially.

I'd love to know your thoughts and feelings on aging. What do you do to combat those feelings of depression that can creep up when you feel that your life is passing you by?

All comments you leave on this post will be pooled from participating blogs for a chance to win one of three $500 SpaFinder gift cards.

For your convenience, here are highlights from the Official Rules for the Sweepstakes. Please note by submitting an entry you are agreeing to the full Official Rules, available here.

No duplicate comments.

Please do not mention or imply any pharmaceutical products in your posts. Posts that mention or imply a pharmaceutical product will be subject to removal.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt at the bottom of this post.*
b) Read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
*Note: if you want to comment but either (i) are not eligible or (ii) do not want to enter the giveaway, please include something similar to the following statement in your comment: ìI do not wish to enter the sweepstakes.î

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Medical professionals who are licensed (or are otherwise authorized) to prescribe medications are not eligible to enter. While BlogHer encourages you to share your thoughts and experiences about getting older, comments discussing medical conditions and/or medical products are not permitted, may be deleted, and are invalid entries. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/30 to 8/31.

Be sure to check out the BlogHer.com Get Old page to find out more about the Get Old platform and read how other bloggers feel about aging!

A Book Worth Promoting

I've read some really great books lately, and some that were free on Kindle and I totally can see why they were free. Ye Gads - I can't believe some of the stuff that gets published.

But here are some of my favorites.

LOVE Tana French. Her first three books were amazing. I devoured them in a day each. I just downloaded the fourth, Broken Harbor, and it was really, really, really good - not quite on the same level, because it kind of went south for me towards the end, it was a bit unbelieveable and far fetched - but it was still a good read. 

Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by The Internet Goddess, The Bloggess. Totally hysterical and extremely funny. I may have snorted a few times when I read this. I don't know that I'd recommend reading it on a plane - your fellow passengers may look at you funny when you shriek with laughter. Just know that there's a fair amount in there about animals and taxidermy and one part that made me want to puke. Fair warning.

Alli Worthington is a phenomenal woman. I'm constantly amazed and awed by all she does. She has been a HUGE proponent of iPhone photography - and I can't believe that a lot of the images that she posts are taken using the iPhone - but they are. She put together a book with tips and hints, and I've gotta say, it's spectacular. And, it's $5. I know. FIVE DOLLARS. (The price goes up to $10 Monday morning!) Since reading this, I've become much more proficient and handy with the iPhone - not to say I don't use my DSLR, but the iPhone is always, always with me. It's probably the best $5 you'll spend all day. Maybe even all week. There's a button on the sidebar over there --->>> that links to the purchase location - full disclosure - if you use that button I make a couple of pennies.

Out of Time by Deborah Truscott was one of those free books that I actually really liked.I love time travel stories and this was a good one - of course, it had a romance angle, but whatever. Good read when you are by the pool or at the beach - not too much to think about.

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf - this was a little difficult to read, thanks to the school shooting aspect of it, and I figured out who the mystery character was about half way through - but it was a good read.

What have you read lately that you loved?

Breaking News

I do not have a Bucket List.

I never had a "40 by 40", and won't be creating a "50 by 50".

None of those appeal to me at all.

Mostly because I'm lazy and I can't come up with non lame items to add to the list.

I tried, once, to create a 40 by 40 list. I think I was about 38, and all of a sudden, I kept hearing about other people's "bucket" lists - things to do before they kick the bucket.

Nothing against those who have created them - I just can't think of enough stuff to put on a list, and the pressure to get it all done before a certain age makes me twitchy.

If I *had* created a list, I don't know that I would have ever put on said list - Kick a Field Goal on Ford Field in Detroit - but when the opportunity came, I took it. The same with going to Harley Camp. People kept asking me if those activites were on my "bucket" list when I was participating in them.

If I *did* have a list, it'd probably be written in pencil, with lots of strike throughs and addendums.

The only things I could really put on a list are travel related - I'd love to go to Scotland, to Ireland, and to Greece.

Other than that, I'm not interested in creating a list and trying to cram it all in by a certain birthday. Maybe my list will be called "3 things by 100".

Do you have an age list? What kind of stuff is on it? What have you done that was on the list?

Takes a Beat Down and Keeps On Going

Yes. There is a sponsored post down below this one. You can win a $50 Visa Gift card - good for back to school shopping, or drinks out with your girlfriends, or new shoes, or a pedicure.

Or, you know, paying your water bill. If you wanna be grown up about this stuff.

There's a couple more of those sponsored type posts coming over the next month. These are the types of posts that allow me to stay home with my children and update this blog as often as I do - and I work hard to make them interesting and enjoyable - as well as rewarding.

The post was super fun to do because my 14 year old daughter interviewed me - she was allowed to ask me any questions that pertained to summer beauty - and we did it while her brother was at trumpet lessons, so it was a silent interview. She typed a sentence, turned the computer to me, and I typed my answers. It was funny to remember using Sun In when I was in middle school.

Not that any of you EVER did that, I'm certain.

Anyway, go to the post below this one and enter to win yourself a $50 gift card. Someone's gotta win, why not you?

What I want to know is, why is it the people who love you the most know exactly how to hurt - and do it with unerring and unsparing accuracy? And when that hurt comes, it really does smart. An awful lot. And then you spend a couple of days feeling exactly like the mold that grows in the bottom of your refillable water bottle.

So, Internets, help a girl out - tell me what's good and right in your world today.

An Interview by My Daughter on the Topic of Summer Beauty Do's and Don'ts

My daughter Interviewed me on the topic of Summer Beauty Do's and Don'ts. It's always great to be able to get a kid's perspective on the truly important things in life.

She wanted to know answers to the following questions:

1) Have you ever used lemon juice or other products to lighten your hair?

When I was a teenager, it was a big deal to use Sun In in your hair. You could always tell the people who had red undertones and used Sun In -- their hair turned a brilliant shade of orange.

2) What's your favorite summer hairstyle?

This summer, I've become a big fan of the braids. I wear braids most often when I work out and when I am cleaning and, really, quite often. I love long hair, and I really enjoy it -- but I can't wear ponytails as they give me headaches, and big clips are often uncomfortable. So, for the most part, it's lots of smaller clips -- which can be overwhelming -- or the braids, regular or French. I LOVE the Sock Buns that many women can pull off, but I'm not talented enough with my hands to get all of my many layers of hair inserted. I end up getting frustrated -- apparently, I have the patience level of a two-year-old.

3) Do you use any products to help you tan? Why is it bad to lay out in the sun?

Again, going back to when I was a teen, it was the "thing" to lay out with baby oil on your skin and get a tan that way. Years of solid sun exposure are probably the most impressive factor to being diagnosed with melanoma. I have, in the past, tried different tanning lotions, with varying levels of non-success and even, twice, had spray tans that were very, um, memorable. It's always impressive to see the areas that the spray didn't take -- often when you are hanging out in a bathing suit in a resort with friends.

4) Will you put on make-up every day or just on the days that you go out?

I love to wear make-up. Love it. I would wear it every day, but in the heat of the summer it feels like I'm plastering spackle on a wet, slimy surface. Then my face feels like a mask. So, on those super very hot days, I usually default to a bit of under eye concealer -- for the dark circles I have look like death on a plate -- and some mascara. Always with the mascara but, interestingly enough, I don't use waterproof. Even if I use the greatest makeup remover I can find, I can't get the dumb stuff off my lashes and I end up breaking them.

5) How often do you shave during the summer months?

Every night. If I shave in the morning and we go to the beach -- which is quite often in the summer -- the sand stings. So I shave at night. And then I use some super miracle gel that promises to reduce hair growth- - although I think maybe that's a myth and I've bought into a fallacy. One of the most important things to do is to use quality products. I really like the Satin Care Passionista Fruit Shave Gel, which has a rich formula infused with the sparkling scent of juicy, fresh fruit and leaves skin soft and satiny smooth every time I shave.†A great razor is also key and for a young girl like you, the Venus Embrace is a great razor to start with.

By the way, Venus has some great tips for moms of first-time shavers over here.

Do you have a beauty tip that you've shared with your daughter to prepare her for summer? Do you have a funny summer beauty mishap that you can share? Share them here with us and one lucky commenter will win a $50 Visa gift card!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/26 - 8/23

Be sure to visit the Venus brand feature page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!

Have you checked out the Life Well Lived section of BlogHer.com? There are some great tips and expert posts on everything from Looking Your Best to Getting Happy and Getting Organized!†

At the Risk of Repeating Myself

Summer is kicking my butt.

I've had summers with my kids before, yes.

I often vow that we will do very little in the way of "forced" activities - I know that most of their school year is spent with homework, class work, sports and activities, and I really want my kids to have some time off. Not to mention, I need some time that isn't shuttling people here, there and everywhere.

I just always forget that, if they aren't somewhere else - then they are somewhere here.

I've been on two big trips this summer. I've seen a large uptick in my review work - and I'm super delighted about that, because they are good paying opportunities that help so, so much.

I'm speaking at Blogher in about 10 days. (Are you going? I have a ticket for HealthMinder day for one lucky reader - please let me know if I will see you there!) I'm being sponsored by Invisalign, a fact about which I am super delighted as it means that I get to go! AND - it means I'm going to have a great game for everyone to play - and five people will win BIG - as in gift cards.

If you are going to Blogher, you are going to want to find me.

I've picked up a new client - seriously, keep your eye on the review site if you are wise - because there is going to be some really great stuff going on over there pretty soon.

But each of those activites and responsibilities means work and effort and time. Concepts that ALL of you are familiar with, concepts that ALL of you struggle with - and it's just kicking my butt more than most.

I just wrote something long and angsty and ranty - and I deleted it.

You're welcome.

My kids are fighting, fighting, fighting, my house is in huge disarray, one of my kids who is old enough to know better is specializing in stupidity and aggravation -

And I just sent my kids over to swim so that I could work. Which, hello, means that now the guilt has come to visit - but that yelling, shrieking side of me needs to depart and it won't as long as there are people in my office crying, arguing, watching MTV on the stupid TV, playing music on an iPod without headphones (so Sister can hear!), asking me to explain simple predicates and how to find the square root and always, always with the name calling and the arguing.

I complained on my Facebook, and a teacher friend told me that she deals with kids for 9 months out of the year - we should be able to deal with them for three. After all, we gave birth to them.

I'm deep breathing like a locomotive. I'm about to hyperventilate, I'm so full of deep breathing. I've told people who are old enough to understand what I need from them, been completely crystal clear with the facts and those facts apparently have been classified as useless. You know, Mom has about three hours of work. If you let me do it without interruption, I'll take you swimming/to the beach/to the water park/buy you a pony - And each and every day those 3 hours of work magically morph into 6 or 8.

I've taken them to concerts. We've done the library. We have visited thrift stores, the water park, the beach - we've gotten new toys for birthdays, done creative crafts and painting, gone for ice cream and I've tried, almost every day, to find something that is fun.

I also want them to figure out how to amuse themselves without tv or electronics, so we've had down time as well.

Wherever the balance line is, I'm far from it.

I'm thinking that something has gotta give. I just hope it's not me.

______________

Positive Parenting Seminar info here - you wanna do this one, I promise

U by Kotex Tween update here

Several new Hallmark posts on CafeMom here

Several new Reynolds posts on CafeMom here and here and here

Review of Hershey's Simple Pleasures Chocolates

 

Questions, Questions, Questions

Lovely Sylvia asked me a series of questions a while ago and I thought I'd take today to answer them. I'd love it if you'd chime in with your own answers as well!

Which of your kids do you think look like you, which look like your husband, and/or which are even?

I am the WORST person to answer this question. I cannot see my kids in me or in my husband. It's like that part of me is dead. That said - I often hear that my oldest boy is the spitting image of my husband - they sound identical on the phone - but he behaves more like me. Emma, I've heard repeatedly, is the image and action of me all over again, and Riley looks like my husband, as does Mackenzie. We hear all the time that Gabe looks like my dad, and Allegra looks like me.

I'd love it if you'd chime in with your thoughts.

Also, which children act more like you versus the husband?

This is even more difficult. Mackenzie, I think, acts like me. We often belt out songs together and dance inapporpriately in public. She's also perpetually upbeat - like my husband. A couple of my kids are WAY moody - and that would be me. I dunno - this was a hard one!

How do you handle fighting between siblings?

With lots of yelling. I wish I was kidding - but it takes a while for me to get to that stage. Mostly I lose my patience with the endless bickering and the ugly treatment of the siblings - that I can't STAND. My kids will do chores if they annoy me, and we've had to do some heavy duty work on those who feel it's a great idea to call their sisters inappropriate and ugly names. My older kids have had their cars taken away, a couple of times I've taken Facebook and changed their password, and we've been known to do some work at Grandpa's for those that just can't seem to be nice.

Early bedtime works REALLY well too.

How do you discuss sex with the kids?

A funny - today, one of my kids asked me what an OBGIN was - all of the letters together, pronounced like it's spelled - OB (the word job with no J and then the beverage GIN at the end). When I finally figured out that the question referred to an OB-GYN - after I laughed, I explained. And we all laughed, and there were five of us in the car at the time. The point is, there's no real specific time. We talk about it when it comes up and as it's asked. I try to be as open and honest as I can.

And then I go in my room and freak out.

WHY, WHY, WHY ARE KIDS SO MEAN? Because the sky is blue and elephants are big and the sun is shiny. Seriously - I have NO idea. I think it gives them a feeling of power over another person - it's the small, petty part of all of us that likes to feel superior.

What can you add?

Truth in Advertising

I love my satellite radio. I really do. It's the first feature I look for in any car I drive.

One of the reasons that I began to listen to it, other than the fact that I can listen to lots of punk and rock and 80's whenever I want - was the lack of commercials. But that has changed in recent times. Oh, sure - SIRIUS still advertises itself as commercial free - but I can count a dozen in an hour.

I pay for it, so it bugs me. I feel like if I pay for something that is advertised to be ad free, it should be ad free. And satellite radio isn't cheap - if I wanted to have cheap, I'd listen to regular radio.

You might know where I'm going with this.

I received a couple of unhappy emails about my last post and I wanted to address them here. 

Yes. I put up a sponsored post. A post which recommended a product, a post that was clearly labeled as a sponsored post - in other words, a post for which I was paid.

I happen to like the bodywash. We will almost certainly buy it again.