Taking it up a notch!

I have been blogging since 2007... it had started off as something to do while pregnant since I wasn't returning to the world of editorial. I had a small fashion blog about Trend Hunting because before getting pregnant that was my ultimate job goal.

Then the girls came along and blogging about fashion from around the world that was a little too out there for the masses to appreciate seemed so irrelevant to me. I started Mommydoings! I have loved working on my blog and it finally has a voice. It isn't that pretty and pink kind of blog where I post pictures of my girls in adorable outfits but real tangible articles about real mom issues with the spice of food and fun.

The other day someone said to me you have created a real personality for yourself online... and my twitter following just keeps getting bigger. I always chalk it up to I am just a regular girl (yeah, I like the world girl far more than woman... not sure why at the end of the day I am just a girl) and people follow me. But the same person says to me... 'but I feel like people are looking at you for advice or commentary!'  I can't help but shy away from that; I have never seen myself as an authority about anything.

But lately with those who have a presence online, public relations experts around me and others who I meet at networking events I keep getting asked: What's your Brand?

I didn't know I had a "Brand"! Now I am starting to realise that not owning up to my brand is doing everyone around me a disservice. How do PR associates know which events to send me to, how do my readers know what to expect from my posts, and well why don't I take it all up a notch? But a great little opportunity has fruited itself as of lately about submitting yourself as a blogger for Today's Parent. They want to know what makes me unique from other mothers... I don't like to toot my own horn or say I am better than anyone. But I am a mom on a mission.

How does this make me unique? I am a mom in reconstruction from the inside out! After a big long overhaul of soul searching and running for city council; I want more for myself and my girls. I want to provide to the world around me, I don't want to know limitations in my capabilities and I want to spread the encouragement to other mothers who feel they need to be put into a category or non-moms who might feel like having kids would stifle their careers or ideas for themselves. How we are more than our titles!

So my brand? I am a self-help, self-appreciating Mompreneur, who runs a business from home, raising kids and birthing them still... I want to be the voice of encouragement that reaching for the stars is not for our kids but something we do to show our kids it's possible. So let my inner star shine, to help me help all the other moms who might be feeling they don't shine anymore; while I tout my love for social media and how I believe the art of networking in the social stream is a fantastic avenue for moms!

I am taking it up a notch, perhaps Today's Parent will appreciate my candor, perhaps they won't but what a great opportunity to identify my brand and how I can make more of my blog than a place to rant and rave.

They can see that I live in a loving chaos with kids and saw dust... how simple decisions can be life decisions because I struggle with perfect parenting, that simple things like being able to see my feet again is a sheer sense of joy and that even though life is so simple I am not afraid to touch on the taboo!

I love to write, I am NOT afraid to talk about anything... from my body, my feelings, my sexual pregnant dreams... the fact that I can appreciate my flaws while working on improving ME! So if they are looking for a writer who wants to grow and leap with their readers, I think I am the go to girl. Because I am not perfect, but I am certainly unique! Ohhh and I do enjoy a cocktail or two when I am not expecting!

Thanks! and Cheer!~

Do you delete?

The other day I had a private conversation with someone on twitter... in Lehman's terms, we had a DM convo. But the next day when I went to retrieve the email she had provided me I realised it was completely gone.

The whole message and stream of conversation, fully disappeared!

And then I realised while starring at my phone today that my Whatt'sapp messages were long gone as well...

And now I am frustrated. I like to keep all my convos on my phone, it's like a personal folder of things I might need to find and retrieve. Brilliantly I remember a few hours, days or even weeks later to get to something I was told I could do in my message. While talking to my cousin on the phone, she informed me she clears out her history because seeing there feels cluttered to her.

I was a gasped... because someone like her would be the reason my long messages that I need are simply now GONE from my personal database of stuff said and information passed on.

I am not talking sleazy convos, or naked pictures here people... simple, hi it was great to meet you conversation, let's talk soon here's my email. Like a personal Rolodex when I didn't get a business card, or we were introduced in cyber world.

So do you clean "phone" house? Because while it's your device to clear out... people might still need the information you sent them.

Vacationing sans kids!

weheartit.com

Once I let the guilt of being the worst mom on earth subside... I remember that I haven't been anywhere further than an hour away from my hometown of Toronto since I got married. *pleaseeee hold the gasps, I know that's a pretty dreadful reality

The year I was married I went away with my best friend Cindy to Vancouver for 5 days... one of my most memorable trips and really the only one I can say I did with a friend. My parents always sent me to Greece alone, been many times ALONE... and other than Mike and my trip to Mexico, we have never really traveled as a couple together.

So with baby number 3 due to arrive in the New Year, our birthdays and the fact that I want some alone time with my husband that doesn't consist of deciding what we are making dinner for the girls tonight, who is bathing the girls tonight (Mike has unfortunately took this task on big time since I keep getting bigger and bigger and my bathtub makes it too cumbersome to bath wet toddlers.) We are off...

Destination of choice took a little bit of a decision... hard to decided between everywhere for a certain amounts of dates, and distance issues. I wanted to max out being on a plane for 5 hours, I wanted a city with a ton to do and never been to before. This made New York City out of contention because I've been many times and Mike hasn't; I refused to go unable to party this time around.

So after deliberation of beach squatting, romantic gestures and how much alcohol needed to be consumed to enjoy what could actually be a boring city or town... Miami... warm, sunny but not going to drink or party so what's the point. Vancouver... Mike refuses to feel even remotely cold, so no go! Las Vegas... also no partying and the idea of gambling with a belly seemed well a little trailer trash to me.

So down to 2 choices, London and Los Angeles were up next... and LOS ANGELES won over it's opportunity to be so much warmer than here, I have seen the Pacific when in Vancouver but too cold to put my feet in it, so that is the plan... feet planting, sand crunching, Hollywood Blvd perusing vacation for my birthday!

A little Taboo... Pregnancy sex!

I have never been one to shy away from talking about things that most well won't touch with a ten foot poll...

I have found myself watching episodes of Pregnant in Heels this pregnancy. While I find Rosie Pope's voice intriguingly annoying... I can't shake the episode about the first time pregnancy that was causing a rift between a husband and wife because he didn't feel his needs were being met intimately.

If it was any other time in ones relationship I would say far too much is wrong if one partner is feeling missed out on... I can't begin to discuss how wonderful and natural being intimate can be for a long lasting lifetime. But I feel free to rage war on the expectancy of sex during pregnancy.

I think being pregnant naturally 3 separate times gives me a little light on the subject. My first pregnancy I had multiple conversations with people telling me how great pregnant sex was, how much hornier a pregnant woman was and so on. I won't lie... but I waited for that moment to peak my whole pregnancy and it never appeared. The last thing my physical self wanted was to be intimate. I dreamt about sex ( I am being honest here so you don't feel like you might have been wrong); and the dreams got more and more vivid... but once awake my body behaved like a dried up shriveled old prude.

Luckily I had a supportive husband who one was a little uncomfortable with the idea of being intimate with me past 5 months... but I was happy to stay away and just cuddle my nights away. But it's never wrong if a pregnant female doesn't feel intimate. One is no longer in control of the hormones that their body is releasing, hormonal shift and feelings of intimacy may or may not be something that the body craves or not. Not to mention... do men not realise that women have a uncomfortable state in dragging a belly that weighs, feel disproportionate to ones body to want to be sexual. Women also a far more conscious about their naked selves and how they read to their partners naked... but they might not be feeling sexy, beautiful or even cute.

So cut yourself some slack if you find it hard to be that partner during this time... don't allow yourself to be pressured into doing something you just aren't interested in doing, and remember to get back on the bandwagon once your OB/GYN gives you the OK. You'd be surprised you might have missed it so much while you chose to abstain for comfort.

But at the end of the day remember you are in charge of providing a comfortable happy home for a growing bump... so that means be comfortable with your body and your decisions. It's OK to say NO!

How I am going along on my Mom Challenge!

Mom challenge is in full affect here.

It was an interesting few set of days.

Day 1. I asked both girls what they wanted to do this month that was special and only one thing they could pick from. I asked my youngest first... the answer was a little bewildering to me and caught me off guard. She told me she wanted to go and excercise so she could be healthy and have babies like mama. While I wanted something more child related, she knows what she wants. I use to excercise a lot and told her it was to stay healthy and happy for the baby in my tummy. It appears she's been listening.

Second daughter wanted an even crazier task... she wants us to sweep all the leaves off the street. Yeah you read it, she wants to be the neighbours who clean the street up for us all. I was expecting, shopping, cupcake baking, go to the park but neither had a request of this sort. But I guess the task of this first challenge is allowing them to make a decision and obeying their request.

Day 2. task was sooo much easier yet harder than assume. Being pregnant has made me far more tense and aggravated. My threshold of patience has seemed to dwindle into the abyss of pregnancy unknown. Getting all the no I don't feel like eating dinner, no I don't feel like cleaning, I don't want... I don't want to! Has sent me into a bit of a tizzy. So yelling had become a bit of a way to cope. After my Friday night scare sitting in the Maternity ward... understanding the yelling needed to disappear and yesterday, it was easy to follow this rule. A lot more consequences were brought into the equation. No listening means Mama won't be doing bedtime story and laying with you til you fall asleep. No cleaning means no computer time. So the girls have far more strict rules in our house... but I guess it's best for all of us.

And well Day 3 was and will always be a piece of cake for me. I am a hugger. I like to hug my kids in private and you wont see me doing it, but when I catch either of my girls in my room while I am sitting there I will try and take in as many hugs as I can. Sometimes I have to bribe the girls to get one. But I get them, love them, breath my girls in, tell them how important to me amd their father. And that I couldn't love them more than I do.

How are you personal Mom challenges going?

The Mom Challenge!

I like to read blogs when I get a chance, and because Blogging is a mini community of people who feel like sharing, in longer format than twitter... because there really is a difference ( I like to do both); I always am envious when people are doing fun group blogging activities and either I missed out on, or really it isn't something I can do with my schedule and blog.

But when I saw Candace's blog (@seemummyjuggle) about the mom challenge, I couldn't wait to get on it.While a few days in... the challenge to be a bit more that just average is always appealing to me. While the list of a mere 30 items that don't take very long to do on some occasions it was a great idea.

Things have been extra hectic around here in our house, with a new kid in school, another in about to go into daycare and a new baby coming... I want to remind the girls that mommy loves them and hasn't forgotten how much I loved them. So with a task list in hand... I am off.

You can all join me on this fun activity, you don't have to blog about it... just perhaps doing it for the sake of being great moms!

~Cheers!