Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web
December 30, 2009 By 5 Comments
Welcome to “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web” where I serve as your tour guide and showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.
Contests
Daddy Forever is giving away a super fun prize pack that includes a $50 gift card to Best Buy, a $50 gift card to Chile’s, a $50 gift card to Starbucks, and a six-month Netflix subscription. Deadline: Dec. 31. P.S. Be sure to read his disclosures.
Life In Chicago Reviews is giving away the BEST baby carrier ever – the ERGObaby HandsFree System. If you have a baby, you want one. I promise. Enter before Jan. 11.
Good Reads
An oldie, but a goodie from Annie @ PhD in Parenting – Read: Gentle Baby and Toddler Sleep Tips.
While we’re on the subject of sleep, Stephanie Precourt (don’t you just love her?) tells it like it is in a recent post: co-SLEEP! Glorious co-SLEEP! Uh, not really.
Sarah {Emerging Mummy} reflects: In which I am learning to parent like God parents me.
Lauren {SuperMom Central} shares her Top Tips for Taking Baby Out On The Town. P.S. I totally want some of that Rainbow Scratch Paper now!
Genny {MyCup2Yours} reminisces: I’m gonna miss this...
You already know that breastfeeding is good for your baby, but did you also know that it’s good for your heart (and I’m not talkin’ warm and fuzzies here…that too, though…). – via ByMomsForMoms
Miscellany
Great idea from Liz {Hoosier Homemade} – New Years Eve Countdown Goodie Bags!
Jo-Lynne’s description of “chemical-laden hot chocolate packets” makes me want to drink Homemade Hot Cocoa from this day forward.
Michelle {So Wonderful, So Marvelous} shares a great gift idea for the MOVIE LOVER.
Want to attend a blog conference in 2010? Jyl {Mom it Forward} shares a round-up of Women and Mom Blogger Conferences to Attend.
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*** If you have a contest or an announcement that you think might be a good fit for Tuesday Tours, e-mail me at stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.
A Mom 2.0 Story {why I’m opting out this year}
December 28, 2009 By 33 Comments
Once upon a time, some fun + well-connected women planned a cool kicky conference called the Mom 2.0 Summit. They scheduled the 3-day conference for February 2010 and labeled it as a place to “talk shop with social media influencers, industry leaders, and leading brands.”
A curly-haired Arizona mama with green eyes and a dimple in her left cheek thought, “Now, wouldn’t that be fun? I’d meet blog friends (old + new), learn excellent new skills, and have a truly terrific time!” So she bought a ticket…
But then the date started nearing…and every time she looked at her baby’s sweet, gummy smile, her heart went pitter-patter. And she thought, “No way! Not at all! I would rather eat limp broccoli (yuck) and wear harem pants (ugh) than leave this little one behind!“
So she looked at plane tickets for her whole family and her eyes popped out of her head. “EEK! GADS!” she said with a startled whisper, “Those prices just won’t do!“
So…she’s opting out. She feels sad that she won’t be able to mingle with Susan & Janice (@5minutesformom), Nell (@casualeveryday), Nicole (@momtrends), Marie (@makeandtakes), Gabrielle (@designmom), and so many others. She won’t be able to have brilliant and useful conversations with marketers and moms. She won’t be able to dust off her cowboy boots and do the boot scoot boogie deep in the heart of texas.
But she WILL be able to cuddle with her baby and make cookies with her 3-year-old and lounge around in her pajamas if she wants to. And she WILL be able to do silly, spontaneous dances in her living room to her favorite country tunes.
And, truth be told, that feels…right. For her. In this season of life.
THE END.
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P.S. I have a Mom 2.0 Summit ticket for sale for $375 OR BEST OFFER (that’s $74 cheaper than the current rate!!!). E-mail me at stephanie@metropolitanmama.net or DM me on Twitter @stephsday if you are interested.
do you ever…?
December 27, 2009 By 20 Comments
Do you ever look over at your husband…really look at him…and see all the good that is in his heart and think to yourself, “I totally married the right person! He’s even more amazing today than way back when…and man, he could make my heart go wild even then.”
I do. All of the time.
Do you ever look at your preschooler and just stand there stunned by her beauty, her smarts, her sweetness, and her ability to make you laugh from deep down within your soul?
I do. All of the time.
Do you ever look at your baby and just feel overwhelmed by the cuteness? You just want to squeeze her tight and gobble up those sweet cheeks. You wonder what you did to deserve such an incredibly precious, pretty, and perfect little one…
I do. All of the time.
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These photos were taken at Cienega Creek by Bob Hitchcock of Design Photography – Tucson. Bob has been in the photography business for over 20 years. He can shoot in-studio, at your home, or outdoors (the Foothills, Agua Caliente Park, Tanque Verde Ranch, Mt. Lemmon, etc.).
Sitting fees range from $59 – $149. Packages for prints start at $169 for a studio sitting and $349 for an outdoor sitting. There is also a special going on right now through the end of January for 1/2 off the sitting fee.
P.S. Design Photography has a Facebook page where you can check out some of his recent work and stay up-to-date on discounts, contests, and news.
WIN IT! One winner will receive a $100 gift certificate toward a family portrait session by Bob Hitchcock of Design Photography – Tucson. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, January 4th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).
*UPDATE* The winner is #6 Jessicah. Congratulations!
Out with the old, In with the new
December 27, 2009 By 15 Comments
The blogosphere is pretty quiet tonight (do you hear it?…that’s the sweet sound of silence online as people spend their days sipping cocoa, taking walks, cooking, laughing, lingering, working around the house, and doing family things).
I certainly have been offline a lot the past few days.
Today, for example, we had a leisurely family morning. We went through presents (so many presents!). I played Memory with my 3-year-old as her baby sister crawled around trying to grab the cards and be a part of the game. Tim is making a pretty stinkin’ awesome sandbox in the backyard so he worked on that a lot. We ate Enchiladas for lunch. I went on a 2-mile run and started organizing our craft supplies. More playing and laundry and picking up and getting out again. Then, dinner and bathtime and books and sleep for the girls. And we were so busy just “being” that I didn’t even take one picture!
And, now the house is quiet – so I just spent a long time cleaning up my RSS box. It needed to be done. It was a colossal task. I deleted blogs and added blogs and…I also updated my FAVORITES page.
Remember – my favorites are exactly that. My current inspirations. The blogs that make my heart pitter-patter just a bit when I see a new post pop up. Go check ‘em about. Stop by and say hi. I bet you’ll find one or ten that you like.
YOUR TURN: What are your favorite reads these days?
Why, this is Christmas Day!
December 25, 2009 By 14 Comments
I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some find morning and suddenly saying to myself: “Why, this is Christmas Day!” ~David Grayson
Yes, that is precisely how I see Christmas.
It is Another Day…
- to extend kindness
- to pursue peace
- to open our hearts and our pocketbooks to those in need
- to be thankful for the good things and good people in our lives, and
- to celebrate who HE is.
Merry Christmas to you and your family today…and every day.
Wordless Wednesday: Expressions
December 23, 2009 By 16 Comments
*** photos taken by Bob Hitchcock of Design Photography.
***See other photos from this session - Wordless Wednesday: Family Photo Shoot and this is the life.
