Confessions of a Mommy Playgroup Reject (by Jenny Heitz)

Image courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik via FlickrIt’s been almost ten years since my daughter was born, and a lot has happened. But, one of the things that still stands out for me from the early days of motherhood is my first experience with a playgroup.

Motherhood did not come easily to me. I was 33 when Anna was born (the first of my friends to have a baby), and I ended up with some bad post partum depression. I didn’t really emerge from my hopeless depressive fog until about six months had passed. At that point, Anna was a very cute, tiny, and crabby baby who seemed to need a lot of stimuli. So, I took her to one of those Mommy and Me type classes in West Hollywood.

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Why I'm Not at BlogHer 10, though it's in my backyard

Image Courtesy of Mrs. FireMom on FlickrI like being a part of things.  Big things.  I like to feel needed, useful, important, and sure of my position.  I grew up with these things as part of my daily life, thanks to the church I was raised in.  I knew without a doubt who I was and what I stood for.  Those feelings have faded as I’ve gradually, slowly, and painfully separated from the church, and while my faith is still strong, my identity is not. 
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The Mama Bee : On Being a Mommy Blogger

I’ve been reading The Mama Bee lately, and loving her insights and well-laid-out thoughts on being a working mom. She wrote a great post last week about the definition of mommy bloggers, blog-advertising, and the power of moms and media.

And yet, “mommy blogger” has become quite the buzz phrase lately. Mom blogs are now considered major viral marketing opportunities for dozens of products and services — from toys to financial services to food. And for sure, it’s a good thing that women and mothers — who it is estimated will control 60% of all wealth by 2010 — are being taken seriously by marketers.

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