The Difference In My Children Started At Birth - my guest blog appearance

Ingenue Mom, or Cameron, has so trustingly gifted me the chance to Guest Blog on her site!!!

One of my favorites, this mama has spent the last two weeks sharing others birth stories that will make you laugh, cry, and bring you to your knees with nostalgic memories of our babies who grow up so fast.

Check her out! And even more so, check out my birth story!

Cheers,
Simone

Nominated for TWO awards! Much gratitude flowing from me right now...

I'm still in complete awe just how gracious this blogging community of mamas is. I decided to start a blog as a personal experiment, then got caught up in the activity of responses, and realized that what I get in return is so much more rewarding.... it's amazing! All jokes and attitude aside, I am truly honored to be a part of the thousands of women out there sharing their lives with each other. It's an awesome creation.

From this amazing network, my adolescent blog has been nominated for, get this, TWO Versatile Blogger award, from two amazing women:

Mommy Only Has Two Hands - check her out. She has the sweetest of writing about her darling Jaydon and if you can spend a moment and peruse her blogs, I promise she will get you thinking... it's wonderful.


Cool Progeny - One of my favorites and a flippin' fantastic Twitter'er to follow as well, this gal is sure to keep you on your toes by offering information on odd ways to use Oatmeal to fresh food challenges to sharing the most useful and endearing experiences as a mama... You must check her out...

Now - on to accepting these awards. I have a few things I must do, and I will attempt to do them well.

There are a few things I must do in order to accept the award.

1) Thank the person who gave me the award.
2) Share seven things about me.
3) Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs, and let the nominees know about the award.

So here are seven things about me:

1. I work for an amazing Fair Trade, Organic tea company, EcoTeas, who are so kind as to give me the opportunity to run with my job to make it the best I can. They are some of the finest folks you'll meet. EcoTeas is here!
2. I have a serious issue with buying cute shoes that I don't wear out. I just don't go fancy often enough, yet the shoes remain cute!
3. I'd like to arrange for Alanis Morrisette to play me in that movie about me that isn't made yet.
4. I'm legally blind in my left eye and would probably give my right arm for Lasik surgery so I could swim with my kids.
5. Roses bug me. Not sure why.
6. I have a soft spot for Adam Sandler. He just seems vulnerable and cuddly.
7. I like listening to bad 90s music when I clean.

And my nominees are:

1. Ramblings of a Suburban Soccer Mom If you are looking for a genuine, no-holds-barred kind of writing that is funny, easy to relate to, and flat out ridiculously entertaining, this is your girl. Lara can make you feel like you aren't totally crazy after all. Love it!

2. One Cramazing Life Her motto, No Parenting Style is Perfect, is so right on. And yet, I challenge that, because she is parenting and educating from the heart, which is as close as you are gonna get to perfect. Check it out. You'll walk away a better person, honest!

3.Beloved Mama  - so fun, so real, so much love! You'll find it all here, full of pictures of inspiration and adoration. A true feel good.

4. Saving Mom's Sanity  This gal will make you feel sane. Seriously. She's quirky, frank, and so stinkin' entertaining! If there is one thing I know, it's that none of us go through something no one else has. She proves that and does it with a beautiful smile!

5. Obviously Marvelous Not sure how, exactly, but I always feel a little bit more hip after checking out her blog. It's awesome!

6. Ingenue Mom Inspirational, intelligent, and witty, this blog will surely leave you feeling good. One of my favorites!

7. Common Sense, Dancing So funny!!! And fun, and wise and real. My new favorite morning read!!!

8. Musings of a Modern Mom - Realistic and interesting, this mama will actually post reality and not just fascination with the small stuff. A true recommendation for those who want content and not busy work.

9. A Bloggy Mom This woman will blow your mind. Tiffany is a creator and a rockstar, running Bloggy Moms, participating in many nonprofit events and so much more! I strive to be more like her!

10. Crazy Town Oh My God(dess)... This gal cracks me the heck up. It's like, she reads my mind, puts it into eloquent yet ridiculously funny and casual writing, then posts it! Genius!

Oh my lord. my computer is freaking out so I'm only giving you ten! Thanks for understanding!!!

Many thanks for the awards! I'm truly honored! Keep blogging, keep reading, and keep on livin'!

~ Simone

www.sportymamasays.blogspot.com

Just had a baby? I'm here for you!

I can name seven (!) babies that have been born since the end of March. Crazy, huh?

One of our friends has just had (as in, like this morning!), GULP, twins! Her first kid(s) and she was blessed with a 24 hr labor before getting that damned proverbial C-section. Sweet girl, she's in great spirits and the twin baby girls were born both at nearly 8lbs/each after 39 weeks of cooking.

Got me thinking? What have you done for your new mama-friend lately? Here's some grand ideas that are easy to do and so appreciated by the new mama, papa, and their family:

• Meals delivery: MAKE sure this happens after they get home! Dinner is perfect, lunch is an incredible plus, and if you can and it's appropriate, encourage delivery friends to add a six pack of beer for dad. It won't go wasted, promise.
• Gift Card to Costco/Sams Club/Wal-Mart: For one friend, I asked each of our friends to donate $10-20 then took the total cash and bought one giant gift card at Costco. They can get diapers for at least 6 months now!
• Buy a newspaper the day of the birth: They are so busy and consumed with babies that they don't know it will be so cool to read their local paper years later on their sweet babe's birthday.
• Gift them Housecleaning or Massages: Both mama and papa will so appreciate knowing that for once their house will be clean. Or another option, the massage. Nothing is more appreciated than a fantastic rub down after 9-10 months of focused pregnancy and hopeful wishes of holding a baby!
• Scrapbook the Facebook pages of the parents: It's true and we all know it, most of us have Facebook accounts. And much of our communication lies on our profile page. Upon announcement of the birth(s), everyone who loves them will post the softest, sweetest things. Find a way to chronicle those sweet nothings and pass it on to the parents in a few months. They'll love the revisit.
• Call soon: Trust that they will choose if they can talk at the time you call and in the meantime they will appreciate that you are still treating them like a human.
• It truly takes a village: Never forget that. Remind your friends often.

I am so proud of each and every one of us parents. It's a beautiful and incredible journey that we are trusting. May we always feel loved, supported, and proud of what we have been blessed with.

4 Ways to Stay Sane When Life Gets Rough

Amen, sister!

Fellow Blogger, Laurie Wallin of the blog Living Power has shared a fantastic post with us lucky folks!

It's titled 4 Ways to Stay Sane When Life Gets Rough and I loved reading it today, Tuesday. It's the Tuesday that insists on still feeling like a manic Monday.

And to think... the gall of Tuesday. I had told Monday to pull it together, but nope. Instead, Tuesday is as equally screwed up as Monday.

Oh well! Thanks Laurie! Your post is a perfect reminder to keep breathing and remember you are not alone.

Cheers!

The Latino Wins again! Get 'em, Roberto!

Is he hot or is he hot?

He's hot.... seriously. Roberto, on the right, is the official dork who got a wife from a TV show winner.

What this means is I've been watching the Bachelorette tonight.

Hi guys. Sporty Mama Says here and I'm a closet Bachelorette watcher. It's official.
 
Aren't I clever, waiting until now, the night of the finale, to admit my  dirty secret?

And yet, it also means that I am one of those silly hopeless romantics. I love watching and feeling those OMG-I-really-like-this-person moments, fireworks, butterflies. I love rooting for the good guy, and I sure was okay with being irritated with Frank (the mean guy who broke Bachelorette's - and MY - heart).

Thus I say, to Frank: You Suck. To Roberto: don't let me down, you dark and handsome boy. To Chris (runner up): Spot #2 really does suck and you are a good, good man.

Phew. Glad I got that outta my system. I sure hope my cheesy, hopeless romantic DNA is in my kids too. There's a sweet hopefulness, a gentle innocence, in those qualities that is worth passing on.

The Bachelorette? OK, maybe not. Our future generation deserves more than a dorky TV show.