• (I totally suck at this LOLcat speak. Tell me. What is the secret?)

• This week has been a whirl wind of work combined with stepping outside my proverbial box which has left me completely exhausted: both mentally and physically.

• There’s another weekly Rookie Mom challenge going on with a PRIZE - AND! You don’t have to be a rookie or a mom to play along! (Please play along! I’ve got loads of free shit to giveaway, plus I don’t want the Rookie Moms to think I’m a looser.

• I’ve been designing my fanny off for Maggie, Dammit (FINALLY complete! You should check it out!) and I’m so busy with the new BlogNosh Magazine design, it’s been completely frying my brain.

Oh hai! Can U Haz Code?

Better?

• Stepping outside my proverbial box? I took the boys out Tuesday AND Thursday. The significance of Tuesday and Thursday? Carter is home from daycare all day. So we went a better part of both days out.

• Tuesday we went to pick up our brand new double stroller - since Joovy didn’t step up after The Incident, I went out and got one.

• We drove around a strange town, forgot to bring money which required many stops and trying to find a bank. We got in and out of our car without incident and no one got hurt - or even cried!

• Thursday we spent the day with my brother and might-as-well-be-my-sister-in-law, taking Carter swimming at their complex. Great day with only minor break downs.

• Finally feel like I’m getting my shit together. It’s funny how a shitty week can really make one second guess their abilities as a parent. Or is that just me?
  

• Kevin sent along my questions for The Great Interview Experiment, now I just have to get my ass in gear, answer them AND also get iMommy’s ready for her.

• I’m thinking about joining them and getting a gym membership or joining The Running Room (or both?). I need to get rid of this damn baby weight (yes, that’s what I call it. F-off.)

• Mah girl Alli has a brand new design at one of her elevenity sites, (which I am apparently supposed to be contributing design tips to (for?) *waves* Don’t forget about me!!) and it’s GORJ!

• And! The winner of the Summer Lovin’ giveaway where you get an HP photo printer? CONGRATULATIONS C.F.!! Send me your info and I’ll get your printer off to you!

And now, for the grande (I have been transformed to a Starbucks lover - I’ll tell you about that another day) finale - gratuitous kiddie photos (SOOC: straight out of camera)

** CHALLENGE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE END OF THIS WEEK (SEPTEMBER 14th AT 12:00 PM EST!) **

I know things are little haywire this weekend with school starting, getting back into that routine as well as Gustav pummelling the Gulf Coast. We’ve been a little distracted with life.

My heart goes out to those affected. It really does. I’ve been glued to the television for the past two days watching CNN coverage of the hurricane, just as it was with Hurricane Katrina. I have been wringing my hands, praying. Praying that those levees hold. Praying that people do not lose everything again. Praying for friends and their families.

On a lighter note:

I want to thank those that participated in the first ever Being a Rookie Mom Ain’t So Bad! challenge. You guys did FABULOUS! I loved checking out your activities!

The winner of last week’s challenge is:

Congratulations Claire!! Email me your information and I’ll be sending off a copy of The Rookie Mom’s Handbook!

Now this week? Three new activities as well as a new prize!

Activity #26: Paint your baby’s feet

As precious as baby feet are, they just don’t stay small forever! This is a great way to immortalize those itty bitty baby toes! Grab some craft paint in your favourite colour and while baby’s alseep (or awake if you have some help) make some baby prints!

(I recommend taping the paper to something flat that you can press against a lying baby - best way to get a clean print!)

If you’re ambitious enough, take it to a paint-your-own pottery place and get that print embossed on a coffee cup / plate / tile!

Activity #187 Leave the House No Matter What!

Raining? Snowing? Go to the mall!

Activity #235 Share a Milkshake

You can make it at home or head out to a local shop!

(If you’re gonna make it at home, please share your recipe with us in your post!)

There you have it, now for the winner?

The winner will receive a brand new copy of The Toddler Owner’s Manual. Hooray!

Make sure to grab your buttons (they’re working now!) and get taking your pictures!

Challenge ends Sunday September 7th at 12:00pm EST SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14th at 12pm EST so tell everyone you know! They really want to get in on this action!

I am an overpreparer (if that’s not a word, it is now). I have to prepare in advance or I am frazzled and out of sorts. I am not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type gal, not at all. Sure, I can do it, but I get overly self-conscious, worried I’ve forgotten something and anxious. So anxious.

So when Catherine emailed me about joining a roundtable discussion I was over the moon. Great opportunity for lil’ ol’ me, right? I mean, there’s these bigger named bloggers and me. Granted, I sat in on Catherine’s spot, but it turned out to be an awesome introduction post for my spot at Better Than a Playdate (BlogHers Act Canada: Family Health).

But, who did we talk to?

None other then Debbie Phelps - yes, Michael Phelps’ mom.

She’s an amazing lady, very grounded straightforward and candid. It was a great talk and such learning experience being that I’ve never done anythink like that before.

Any-way. So Catherine asked me.

I was all, Hell! Ya!

And she was all, Great! I need your three questions by the morning!

*gulp*

That meant I had to prepare them.

I thought about it all day, all evening, all night. I even did a little research about both Michael and Debbie (cuz Iz all professional now) I froze, my hamster fell off its wheel; all I kept thinking was: OMG! I NEED QUESTIONS?! WHAT DO I ASK AN OLYMPIC ATHLETES MOM!?

(Because apparently they’re different then other moms.)

But I managed to come up with three that I was somewhat proud of, but still had to ask HBM for her opinion - you know, to be sure, and I was prepared with back ups incase there was one that she didn’t think was that fabulous!.

See? OVERPREPARE.

Then the morning of I was all worried that I’d forget or that I’d get the number wrong.

(Because what? It’s different DIALING THE PHONE when it’s for a conference call?)

See people. I don’t do so well when it comes to something outside my box, and though this wasn’t FAR outside that box, it was outside. Outside causes sweats, nervousness and chattiness.

As soon as I picked up the phone, I barely hear the dial tone through the sound of my heartbeat raditating throughout my skull, but once I was on hold for about 15minutes due to complications (their’s not mine, thankfully!) my nervousness had dissipated and it was kinda just like talking with a bunch of girlfriends.

I could hear the patter of fingers typing away through the line as I feverishly wrote everything on my trusty notepad. Those dang professionals! I thought. I can barely hear while I type - you know, constructing my writing gold *snort* - let alone engage in a conversation.

[Note to self: Must learn to type, talk, listen and engage if I ever hope to continue this gig.]

Everything turned out fabulous and my article has been unleashed onto the internet at BlogHers Act Canada, so if you’d be so kind to venture over and let Catherine and Katie know that they made the right decision by listening to me beg for a chance to write for them letting me come back to Playdate letting me write this article for BlogHers Act Canada. I’d be really grateful for any comments you leave there. You know, make me feel like I belong or something.

/whoring.

:::

Click the button and find out how to win an HP Photo Printer! Only 5 DAYS LEFT!