The 10 Minute Post, with links ...

I have the timer set, because if the boys don’t finish cleaning up their room and I don’t finish blogging, the world will collapse.  Well, not quite, but if we don’t get outside again, now that it’s finally sunny like they promised it would be, we’ll kick ourselves for not enjoying a spring day stuck in the middle of February!  You know?  Make hay while the sun shines, or something like that.

A few links to share that have been back-burnered but are no less wonderful. 

When You’re a Planner and Your Friend Isn’t: You know how it goes, you’re either the planner or the loosey-goosey one, and the two just don’t mesh too well …

Flawed and Fleeting: DaMomma hits another one out of the park.  “It is flawed and fleeting, and sometimes it is work to love it. And maybe in the work of loving it is the greatness.”  True words, dammoma, true words.

Close Encounter with a Stranger : Minnesota Matron made me cry, it’s touching and heartwrenching. 

Had any close encounters with a stranger yourself?  Mine yesterday wasn’t tragic, and only qualifies as close if you count being squished together in the subway … I wore my toe shoes thanks to the warmer weather, and had a man tell me with a chuckle that the sight of my shoes had made his entire day.  Glad to help :).

Time’s up, so I have to go.  Sorry posting’s been light, but I’ve had a rough few days and am just surfacing.  Breakdowns in the middle of the night are tiring, ya know?  Makes it hard to keep up with real life, let alone my online one.

Off to the park, have a great weekend!

Cheers,

SaneMom

Friday Roundup

I’ve come across some great stuff in the last couple of weeks, and as I didn’t do a roundup last week, here’s a bigger list than normal.

• 47 Things to do Before My Kids Hate Me … from Julie Power via Moms to Work, and inspired by running up against the teenage sneer.  47 things she wants to make sure she gets in before they’re too old, a great list to remind me to slow down and enjoy!
• The How To Series from Marta Writes … simple, clear, and suck-you-in-because-it-looks-so-easy kind of stuff.  Most of them are uber practical, like How to Thrift Shop, and How to Host a Children’s Birthday Party. 
• Soda Pop from Not Dabbling in Normal … home-made soda anyone?  I love soda but rarely buy the Cokes of the world thanks to the sugar/caffeine issues.  We love kombucha, and this looks like a great addition/companion to that.  Summer’s not over yet! 
• Briar Haven, Part I - The Demon Lives at 7 … DaMomma hits it out of the park, again, with a gut-wrenching look at her life-changing experiences at age 7.  This hit so close to home with me, as my demons show up promptly at the same age, and are still haunting me.  Be sure to read the follow-ups, it’s a beautiful story.
• A Little BPA Along with Your Change? … Yet another source of BPA is now coming to light, and it’s definitely worth becoming aware of, no need to get any more exposure to it than necessary. 
• Parenting on Empty from Picklebums … We have ALL been there, many times, and she gives some helpful ideas at the bottom.  Read it BEFORE you’re on empty the next time!  I should have read it just about every day this week …
• What? We Can’t Say Vagina? … Lissa Rankin via Owning Pink, and some grat thoughts on the banning of the word vagina in tampon commercials. Make sure to watch the UbyKotex commercial at the bottom, I found it hilarious!
• Where I’m From, a poem by George Ella Lyon … This will likely reappear as a blog post/question soon, but it’s too good not to share here.  Sweet ending to a crazy week.  

Have a great weekend!  I’ll send out a newsletter on Monday before I hit the road.  Packing tips anyone?!

Friday Roundup

My favorite finds of the week, including a great new freebie for moms! 

Check ‘em out …

• Massive Relief Effort : Ways to help Haiti … as of this morning 8 million has been donated to the Red Cross via text messaging alone ($10 at a time)!  A friend on FB commented how disasters bring out the best and worst in us, and it seem so true.  More links here. 

• Pat Robertson and Me : The Knee Jerk Edition by Aaryn B at the WC.  Her take on Pat’s judgemental and extreme comments regarding the crisis in Haiti, and the link she offers for more perspective, both give some great insights into the situation.  I find myself embarrassed to call myself a Christian when I read proclamations like Pat’s, as I can’t imagine Christ acting that way, ever.

• Perfect Moms Finish Last : A new series of dead-on interviews by Carley Knobloch, which she started because “I wanted to start a conversation. I wanted to hear from exemplary, visible moms who are showing up in the world in an impactful way, leading the way for moms who need to rescued from “PMD” (Perfect Mom Disorder).  I have hand-picked women who I feel have created a lifestyle that allows them to be EXACTLY who they are as individuals while raising their children, and I want to have candid conversations with them about how they make things work, where they feel stuck or pressured, and what they do to stay true to themselves.”  Great stuff, free, and easy to listen to/download!  No strings attached.    

• Shopping With Mother : Whoopie hits a home run, again.  SO true! And her illustrations are so perfectly delightful.

• Visionary Mom, aka Lisa Delzer : found via twitter, many great, short, to-the-point ways for moms to brighten their outlook and day.  Worth checking out.

• And lastly, these tranquil images of simple homes that helped me settle in the midst of a difficult week. 

Peace to you my friends, may you hold someone you love a little tighter tonight.

SaneMom.

Visions of Etsy dancing in your head?

one of my husband’s contributions to the holiday-card making process for fynn’s teachers. it, as usual, ended up being ridiculously labor intensive!If you have’t seen Etsy yet for some strange reason, go look before you read the rest.  It’s the best place to shop for cool, handmade, custom stuff, ever.  Period.  I love wandering thru things by color or material, and drooling.  I’ve gotten great ideas, bought a few gifts, and referred friends to them.

If you’ve got a craft/creative bent at all you’ve probably thought of having an Etsy store.  Dreams of selling your creations to a ready-made global audience?  Been there.  It seems so very tempting, and like most of my ideas, likely a wee bit more complicated than I initially imagine. (example to your right)

The NYT has an article about it today, which I think is worth reading, that is pretty realistic about what it means to actually earn a living via selling handmade stuff online.  It’s a full-time job.  It’s not a few idyllic knitting sessions that turn into real money.   Sure, you can sell a few things and make some pocket money, but it takes commitment to turn it into a business that makes a feasable income. 

Wishing you a great weekend, and hope the visions dancing in your head are pleasant ones!

Weekend Plans?

can you tell someone is still potty-training? at least he’s enjoying it!How’s your weekend shaping up?  I’m having a MUCH better day than yesterday, which started with a bottle of home-brewed Kombucha (LOVE it, anyone want a starter and instructions? happy to share, it’s so easy) exploding all over me, the clean dishes, and the kitchen … 3 minutes before I had to bolt out the door.  Of course I had 15 minutes of stuff to pack into those 3 minutes :).  The day went downhill from there, and I spent most of it either falling to pieces or struggling not to. 

Today, though, I finished a site and it went live (for Douglas’ school) and I’m about to go out in the bitterly cold sun to pick up both kids.  Yay!  That’s for the fact that both are actually in school today, Fynn’s been home sick for most of the week with yet another cold.  Sigh.

I did say something about weekend plans, didn’t I?  I plan to relax tonight with my family, run a quick 4M race tomorrow morning, and then chill and make a few gifts until my SIL/BIL/nephew hopefully come to visit on Sunday afternoon.  Looking fwd to seeing family!

How’s your weekend looking?

Happy Friday!

So very glad it’s friday, I’m looking forward to a relaxing dinner with friends, and some real conversation.  I did a rush design job last night (started to do web designs on the side to augment the slim checking acct) that went until 4am because I bit off more than I could chew.  I learned a lot though, through frantic Googling, awesome tech support, and much trial and error!  I’d forgotten how good it felt to learn something new and put it immediately to use.  Perhaps it’s just me and technology, but there was something satisfying about it, and now I’m ready to chill.   I hope I don’t fall asleep over dinner though :).  Thankfully I made a lasagne last weekend, in a fit of cooking, and have it ready to heat up. 

Hope your weekend is enjoyable, and don’t forget to toss your regrets in the bonfire before tomorrow night!  Nothing to lose but the wistful feeling :).

In the quiet of the night

It’s technically still Friday night here, my husband is ‘napping’ at 11pm (yes he’s a night owl) and I just finished my second Coptic Bound book and am loving it.  The house is quiet, I’m SO glad it’s Friday, and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Don’t forget to answer the question of the week before tomorrow night, I know you all have feelings about food :).   Speaking of food, if you’re looking for a late-night comfort food recipe file with lots of drool-worthy photos, check this page out.  Not a good idea if your relationship to food is tooooo complicated, but mmmmmmm!  She has great giveaways too, and I JUST missed the one for 3 kitchenaid mixers … I’ll try to give you a warning next time :).

This site is more about eating healthy, and I find it pretty drool inducing too, call me crazy.  I do happen to have kombucha brewing on my counter at the moment (her current post) … the best drink ever, super easy to make (truly) and sooooo good for you.  

Happy weekend!

T.G.I.F. ... and other things!

I’ve been having a week of fighting the doldrums, and word has it that I have some company … at least based on the e-mails and calls this week!  It’s been blah, maybe because of weather, lack of sun, hormones, too much self-analysis … who knows, but I’m so glad it’s Friday!  I’m also glad for many other things, and in an effort to stop thinking about my own issues, here are a few …

• That I’m not a parent of a kid at Northern Illinois university
• That I have two happy and relatively healthy kids (permanently drippy noses don’t count, do they?)
• That I got to go running this morning, despite not getting up early!
• Fried polenta for breakfast with homemade salsa
• Friends to talk to when I need an ear or a shoulder.

Have anything you’re thankful for today?  Add your comments below, I’d love to hear what’s on your mind today.  The best mood-shifter for me is to be distracted by someone or something else :)

Have a great Friday, and don’t forget to answer the question of the week if you haven’t already!