Look Great and Give Back!

By Deanna

MommyAtHeart.com, is a fabulous company that has just launched a unique concept of connecting moms to some of the best charities around the world, because let’s face it, once we become a mom to one, we become a mom to all.

MommyAtHeart.com designed and created comfortable shirts that focus on the many jobs that moms manage on a daily basis, you can wear your title proudly, in a smart and sassy fashion! Check out them out.  Are you a Head Laundress? Bartender? Social Coordinator? What hat are you wearing today? Probably all! 

The best part about MommyAtHeart.com is that when an order is placed, $5.00 is donated directly to a worthy cause.  Helping us moms, mother all those around the world. How great is that? Give back and look great!

Each cycle a new charity is supported, which is genius, and for the launch of this great company, the July and August 2012 cycle, help support:

Brittany’s Hope Foundation

Brittany's Hope Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation dedicated to aiding and facilitating adoptions of special needs children from around the world. Unicef's latest figures estimate that more than 153 million children languish in institutions and orphanages around the world; typically in countries which are under-developed and plagued by poverty, social restrictions, and war. If you are an abandoned child with special needs of any kind, chances are slim you will receive the medical care you need to reach your potential. Brittany’s Hope foundation was created with the hope of building a bridge to unite special waiting children and families who wish to adopt a child but are burdened by the substantial cost associated with adopting a child internationally. Although they assist with advocating for special children, Brittany's Hope Foundation is not an adoption agency. They raise funds and work with adoption agencies to lower the cost of adopting special needs children.

On any given day, multiple times a day as a mom you act as a Bartender, Social Coordinator, Corrections Officer, Marketing Director to support your family, keep them safe, and loved, so pick your title, pick your shirt, and support a great company and charity!

MommyAtHeart.com is giving YOU a 15% discount

 just use this code: Deannas01READERS732 when ordering! 

The code is vaild until August 6th, 2012.

Learn more about MommyAtHeart.com and place your order today!

In 12 Years I'll Want A Dutch Oven

By Deanna

The noise level in my home is so loud that it can rival any Motley Crue concert.  The radio and TV are constantly blaring even when my kids are not in the room (hello, shut it off when you leave the room I've said it a million times!), with the air conditioning humming, between the two shadows I have vying for my attention – the my four year old spewing out questions in rapid fire, literally anything that pops into his head:  “is birds poop always white?”,  “tonight I’m gunna give you a dutch oven, wanna smell my fart?”, “do you think I can be the next John Cena, oh yea, I’m the next John Cena, you can’t see me” to the eight year old attached like a tail moving in perfect sync with me from room-to-room as he doles out random animal facts while I take a shower:  “Mom, did you know that the winged back duck-tailed turtle only eats shell fish”,  while I’m blowing drying my hair:  “Mom, Mom MOM ya know that was a Gorilla in Ice Age not an Ape, I can tell from it's butt, ha, it’s butt”, making breakfast: “Once in captivity a Panda ate cereal, for real! He liked Lucky Charms just like me”, folding the laundry: “I bet Matthew would make a good lion, they are carnivores, they sneak up on their prey, Matty loves sausage and he sneaks up on me all the time, I hate when he does that”, mopping the floor (okay, that’s a stretch, I don’t mop) but you get the point.

The noise. It’s so loud. I can’t take it. I want my mommy.

There are days that I just can’t think or form a complete sentence, and if I'm on the verge of actually completing a sentence I’m interrupted with an animal fact or a four year old question on why the sky is blue.  

I get up at 5:00-5:30 a.m.  almost every day for “me time” to exercise, to unwind, to stay fit, to begin my day so I don’t go bat shit crazy. But some days, even if it’s an hour of hard core sweat it still doesn’t quell the desire to put a muzzle on my children. 

There I said it.  Muzzle my children.

“Please honey, give me a minute I need to think.”  “Let’s play the quiet game now, no talking till we get home.”  “Stop, stop, STOP talking I can’t think.” “Don’t come to me unless there is blood, I need my privacy in the bathroom.”

I’ve said it all.

I even yelled “SHUT UP!”  Oh the horror.  Not my proudest moment.

Oy. To. The. Vey.

I long for some quiet. You would think that at work I’d get some relief but it’s actually worse. 60 women over 40 it's WAY worse.

I bet, no I know when the house is empty, when my boys are teenagers, in College, hanging with their friends, wanting no part of me, I’ll long for the noise. I’ll long for the farts, for the random animal facts and questions, hell I’ll probably long for just a shrugged “hey”.

In my quest for silence, in my quest for a moment of peace, I guess I’ll have to find that in the car, on my runs, or maybe I’ll lock the shower door because now I do, I do have to stop and listen, so I’ll get more than a shrug when their 18, and hopefully a dutch oven or two.

Yes I just said that too.  

AHALife and Instagram's #UpGradeYourLife Contest

By Deanna

LOVE Instagram?

LOVE AhaLife.com?

Want To Meet A World Renowned Fashion Photographer?

AHAlife.com is innovatively combining the prestige of avant garde fashion photography with the widespread social currency of Instagram in a first-of-its-kind photography competition. 

AHAlife, the leading editorialized e-commerce platform for luxury goods and curated gifts, is hosting a three week photography competition (through July 31st) on Instagram, encouraging users to take photos illustrating how they #UpgradeYourLife, a core value at AHAlife. The winner will be chosen by world-renowned French fashion photographer and former creative director of Elle magazine, Gilles Bensimon.

 The contest is left open for interpretation - any photos that you feel #UPGRADEYOURLIFE work!

The grand prize winner will receive a rare opportunity to intimately meet one of the world’s most distinguished fashion photographers Gilles Bensimon over cocktails in New York City, receive a signed copy of his book "Photography: No Particular Order," along with a two-night stay at Gild Hall, a Thompson Hotel, in downtown Manhattan. Additionally, the winner and six runner-ups will have their photographs featured on AHAlife.com, curated by Gilles with a portion of proceeds being donated to a charity of each winner's choice.

Each product on AHAlife.com has a quality that upgrades your life, and we look forward to working with Gilles to engage our Instagram users to share their AHA moments with us, and featuring their original works on our site,” says CEO Shauna Mei.

About AHAlife.com:
AHAlife.com launched in September 2010 by MIT engineer-turned commerce and media industry expert, Shauna Mei and has been at the forefront of the major industry trend merging content, curation and commerce. The dynamic site has been embraced by the industry with its distinctive positioning and core value to redefine the consumer experience in the digital space as the only true luxury marketplace. The unparalleled offering of hand-selected products ranges from beauty to fashion, technology, food and home décor and are all united by their superior quality, unique provenance and innovation. AHAlife has their finger on the pulse of with an eclectic community of industry insiders such as Rachel Roy, Deepak Chopra, Daniel Boulud, Donna Karan and more who continuously curate their unique finds. The diverse product selection offers consumers a discovery shopping experience each time they visit the site.

I Know This Much Is True

By Deanna

 
* Having fun, is well fun! We attended a family  (well close friends, but might as well call them family) and as we were at our table (gorgeous center pieces I might add) watching everyone on the dance floor having a blast, I just had to be part of it, I couldn't sit at the table any longer, I had to get up, dance, have fun and it was awesome! Go out there and have some fun, you won't regret it.

* Done ONE thing every day that makes YOU happy.

 * I took a risk, and might reap the reward; if I do wonderful, if I don't I feel like I ALREADY learned a valuable lesson. So get on it people, take those risks!

* It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes.  - Sally Field.  I read this quote this week and fell in love with it; how true is it? I mean really?  

Get It Done

By Deanna

In my quest to accomplish some of my goals for 2012 I realized something, I realized that we are all the same.  Families of 4,6,8; couples just getting married, or having their first baby, newly divorced, widows, singles; we're doctors, writers, lawyers, real estate agents, teachers, stay at home moms, working moms, firemen, police officers, cameramen,  hair dressers, sales people, vice presidents, CEO’ we are rich, and we are poor. 

We’re no different, we’re all the same, we’re just trying to get it done.

And whatever “get it done” means to you -  inspire your children, live a healthy life, write a novel, get off welfare, finish law school, start a business, build a house, put in a pool, climb Mt. Rainier, we’re all just trying to get it done.

And yet, sometimes it doesn’t get done. We lose our focus, our steam, we get tired, someone gets sick, we missed the boat, or we think we missed the boat. Sometimes getting it done, reaching your goal seems so far way that you don’t feel like getting it done, it seems too hard, too much work, too much time spent trying, too many failures.

But don’t stop. Because really, we’re all striving to reach our goals, we’re all the same, we’re  all trying to get it done.  We're in the same boat.

Whatever it may be, whatever you are striving for, go for it, take the risk so you can reap the reward that YOU want, not your partner, your children, your mom, dad, not what your brother thinks you should do.

Let go of the anger, the fear, get rid of the negative nancys in your life, don’t listen to the people that say getting that new job won’t change a thing, or that only one out of 1,000 writers get published, or that dying your hair is not a good idea, or that running is bad for you, take a risk and find out, because if you succeed, better yet if you fail you’ll be stronger for it, your skin will be thicker, and you’ll learn something, something valuable, something you can use for the rest of your life. 

Then, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get it done.   

Big Fat Liar

By Deanna

Everyone lies. For some people everything that comes out of their mouths is a lie, others just lie to themselves, me - I lie to my children.  I'd say about 70% of the crap that flies out of my mouth is a lie. I guess it could be worse, but no one ever told me that I'd be a big fat liar when I had kids.

Me: "We might go to the Children's Museum today"

Two hours later, we're at the pool, the thought of the museum escaped me three hours ago.

8 year old: "Can our cousins come to the Children's Museum today with us?"

Me: "Oh, we're not going, I meant to tell you it's closed today".

8 year old: "Ohhh, ahhhh, okay"  and goes swimming off.

Total lie.

I know it's not right, but sometimes I don't manage my children's expectations as well as I should.  When I worked in sales the two most important rules were 1) manage your client's expectations and 2) under promise, over deliver.  

I really should apply these to child rearing as well. Most times I don't even tell my children what we are doing for the day, even though the constant nags of "What are we doing today" is on a loop from the minute they wake up till the minute we walk out the door  (annoying to no end); I don't give them a clue because if I think we'll go to a movie but end up at Grammy's their expectations are managed and no one is disappointed.

When I don't manage my childrens expectations, at a total loss, or have not prepared myself the lies just fly out of my mouth, like a world class boxer, I knock 'em out like Muhammad Ali.

4 and 8 year old: "Can our cousins come over today?"

Me: "No, so sorry guys but we have a lot to do today, doctors appointment, I have to run some errands"

4 and 8 year old:  "noooo, not going, NOT going,  NOT RUNNING ERRANDS, umm, can they come over after the doctor?"

Me: "No sorry, they have a doctor and dentist appointments, they have to get to the tailor, and I think they have to go food shopping too"

4 and 8 year old:  "Oh, okay, maybe next time"

Totat lie. I never even spoke to my sister, but I couldn't fit it in the day, I made up a fable.

So, why not the truth?

Because with the truth - the whines, moans and cries are worse than the lie, plus, Sister Joan always said "a little white lie won't hurt anyone" if a nun said that it must be the truth!

Do You Trust Your Instincts?

By Deanna

I knew it, I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me that it was wrong, that I shouldn't get involved, shouldn't get my hands dirty with this one, and I am so glad I trusted my instincts. I am so glad I actually thought about my actions and didn't react to this situation - this "situation" does not directly impact my life but it will make small waves, just something that is swimming around me. But I took a moment, thought about the situation and my instincts, my gut told me, "Don't do a damn thing Deanna", and that's what I did. 

It's a hard thing to do, trusting your instincts, it's something I haven't mastered at all - I'm easily distracted by not only shiny sparkly things but lots lots and lots of other things too, that I often miss the "cues" that my gut is telling me, the other things can be outside influences that steer you away from trusting yourself, from listening to your gut these other things can be your emotions, other people, your wants or desires, or things you think you want or desire. These are distractions that steer you away from allowing you to listen to your gut. 

And I'm not saying that when you have a tough decision, a choice, need to make a move about something that you don't seek advice from the love ones in your life, but I urge you to take a moment in silence to listen to yourself, and see what you are truly feeling, listen to what your guts says, and trust it.

"Trust your instincts" is something I've heard over two dozen times in my life, it's about time I actually did it.  And I'm glad I did. I guess I learned my lesson from seven months ago, I guess I'm becoming a grown up. And I kinda like it, I like acting like a grown up, but only as long as I can act like I'm 21 again every now and again!