Discounts, announcements and a devotional

What is this? Two blog posts in one day?

I know. It comes courtesy of some bad Chinese food and a sick day. But it also comes because I had a few announcements to make that kept getting pushed aside for, you know, regular posts.

The devotional
If you missed it, my monthly article was posted at (in)courage yesterday. It’s called “Used to Be,” and if I do say so myself, it’s good stuff. That may be because I collaborated with Holley for this month’s message, but regardless, I hope you read it.

The discounts
Let’s see a show of hands. Who’s going to BlogHer next week? What about Relevant in October?

I was kidding, you know. I can’t see your hands. I would love to know if you’re going, though. Another expensive (though, I’m sure, amazing) trip wasn’t in my budget this year, but I can’t wait to read about my friends’ adventures at these events!

Oh yeah – the discount. As you might recall, I was unaware of the importance of business cards at my first blog conference. No longer a newbie, I am still a procrastinator. And if you’re like me, that might mean you still haven’t crossed “Order business cards” off your to-do list.

That’s where VistaPrint comes in. You can get 250 FREE business cards at VistaPrint. All you pay for is shipping. [And, of course, if you need them by next week, that will cost you more than if you need them in two months.]

Here’s how it works: Visit VistaPrint, choose a design (they have several super cute ones), select the free options of matte paper and a black/white back side, fill out your contact info, select your shipping option – and bam! You can cross that one off your list.

But wait! There’s more!

I know. That’s so annoying, isn’t it? But I really do have another great deal for you that’s relevant to anyone wanting to improve their blogs.

I attended the Savvy Blogging Summit earlier this month, and It. Was. Awesome. The recordings of each Savvy Blogging Summit session are now for sale, and until noon (EST) tomorrow, you can get 50% off the entire package by using the coupon code CHEYENNE.

If you wanted to, but weren’t able to, attend Savvy Blogging – or if you are interested in improving your blog at all, I highly recommend checking out these session recordings. From media kits, photography and SEO to law/accounting, proposal writing and strategic planning, these sessions are packed with great information.

Each session costs $10, or you can get all 12 sessions for $97 (before the 50% discount).

Visit Savvy Blogging to purchase one or all of the session recordings. And just an FYI: if you purchase all, the download time is about 15-30 minutes.

And some announcements
This summer, I’ve been looking at a few of the ways I define or describe myself with my More Than Defined series. Next Friday, August 6, will be the last installment of this series, and I’m inviting you to play along.

For anyone who would like to join me in More Than Defined, I’ll have a link-up next week.

And last, but most exciting to me, you may notice that my site gets a little wonky in the next several days. That’s because I’m movin’ on up to a Wordpress site, and Deanna from Design Chicky is in the process of making the magic happen.

I’d like to think it will be a seamless move, but given the hour I spent trying to just access my domain host account, it may be more difficult than I assume.

So, while we’re at it, do YOU have any announcements to make? Tell us what’s going on in your life?

Affiliate links are used in this post, and the image is by altemark.

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Blog Conferences are Weird (a Savvy Blogging Summit recap)

“After we get back from dinner, a bunch of us are going
to get our laptops and hang out by the hot tubs.”

I mean, that’s not normal, right? To travel to the beautiful mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado, and spend the entire weekend inside with our heads in our computers?

Yet, that’s what we did, all 70 or so of the bloggers who attended last weekend’s Savvy Blogging Summit. And it was great.

I’ve gone to blogging conferences before, but this one was different. Though I met some great women and had a lot of fun, the Savvy Blogging Summit’s focus was clearly on education.

The schedule was jam packed, the speakers were outstanding, the content was relevant and challenging, and the food was delicious.

Oh, conference food doesn’t have anything to do with learning? Right. Well, if you’d enjoyed the red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting like I did, you might think differently!

I’ve planned many events throughout my career, so I know how hard it is to think of – and take care of – all the details. Because I am picky and critical have discerning taste, I often find myself disappointed by events, especially – if I’m being honest – when I’ve paid a good amount of money to attend them.

But in this case? I was truly impressed.

The speakers were experts in their fields and made complicated subjects understandable and interesting. Even after a miserable night’s sleep of three hours, I could focus on and enjoy the presentations on topics I expected to be boring: business law, accounting and SEO.

Not surprisingly, I loved the session on photography and wanted more. Since my career has given me the opportunity to work with the media, I wish I could have traded the media sessions for two more hours of photography!

In addition to the 12 – count ‘em, TWELVE – sessions, we also had seven meals. Which, as it turns out, were about much more than the cake. No minute was wasted during the weekend, and that included the meals.

Over warm rolls with real butter, fajitas and cheesy pizza, I had the opportunity to meet great folks from several of the sponsoring companies, including BlogFrog, Escalate Media, VigLink, FeedBlitz, Lijit, Mission Foods and Shop at Home. (Okay, so yeah, I’m still thinking about the food. Just a little bit. It was good!)

Before I went to Savvy Blogging Summit, I had some pretty strong doubts. After seeing the list of attendees, I realized I was in the small minority – one of the few lifestyle bloggers among dozens of frugal and deals bloggers.

But that didn’t really matter. We were all there to learn. Plus, I met some great bloggers: Janna from Mommy’s Piggy Tales, Stephanie from Keeper of the Home, Kimberly from Making Our Own Adventure, Connie from Smockity Frocks, Lauren from Mama’s Laundry Talk, Angie from Many Little Blessings, Amy from The Finer Things in Life, Amy from Raising Arrows, Tiffany from Eat at Home, Tara at Feels Like Home, Nony from A Slob Comes Clean, Karen at Saving the Family Money, Shannon at Living Life at Home – and probably more that I’m forgetting!

And I learned SO much, and I’m thankful and thrilled that I had – and took – the opportunity to go.

Thanks to Erin Chase, Andrea Deckard, Crystal Collins, Toni Anderson and Crystal Paine for planning an excellent conference!

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Keep smiling. Keep shining.

When I was in second grade, we sang “That’s What Friends Are For” in our music program. To this day, I still know all the words – and remember to pronounce “for sure” the way our teacher drilled into us: “for shoe-er.”

Anyway. I’ve been a little out of sorts this week.

On Friday, Smitty and I had a, well, I don’t know what to call it. It wasn’t a fight or even a disagreement. But we had a thing. And while we're not mad or anything, it left me feeling weird.

Then, on Saturday, I had dinner with friends of ours. Mark stayed home, because he had some flu or cold or something he didn’t want to pass on, so it was just the three of us and our kids. And for some reason, we didn’t have much to say to each other.

Normally, we talk each other’s ears off, trying to cram in all the latest from the weeks between visits. This time, though, it was awkward. And quiet.

And then there’s the fact that my friend Kevin really did go and move to stinking California. (Not that I actually think the Golden State smells bad. I’m just annoyed that it’s half a country away from here.)

Maybe all that is why I was so deeply touched when I read about 4tunate $4 Friends. [Okay, or maybe it's because I'm a big ol' sap. Whatev. I think it's great.] A group of my favorite bloggy girls have circled around Jen, also known as Quatro Mama, whose family has been going through some seriously hard times.

Jen is an amazing woman who is always giving to others. She recently raised more than $2,500 and gave away a laptop out of her own pocket to help support a March of Dimes campaign. I don’t know her personally, but it’s clear even to me that she is a sweet, funny, giving lady!

Recently, Jen’s family has had to deal with a lot of illness. Honestly, I can’t imagine taking care of quadruplets on a good day, much less on a less-good one.

Until midnight (tonight), Jen’s friends are collecting donations ($4 each. Get it? $4 Friends?) to fill her freezer, refrigerator and cupboards with food. ALL proceeds raised will go to that goal.

If you’d like to help out, you can donate through PayPal. Whether you can donate $4 or not, I hope you’ll join me in praying for Jen and her family.

And now I want to hear from you. When’s the last time a friend did something nice, something unexpected for you? OR, if you can’t think of something (yikes!), what’s your favorite way to help out or show your friends you care during a hard time?

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Under attack!

My college roommate had some weird habits. Among those strange behaviors was one I never understood, mainly because I've never seen the movie Mars Attacks.

Apparently, it's funny [to some people] and her impression of one of the movie's characters was spot-on. To me, not having seen the movie, it was just weird.

And, yeah, funny. But still, weird.

I don't know why I'm telling you that, except that naming this post "Under attack" made me think "Mars attacks."

Mars did not, in fact, attack me. Or my laptop. But a stupid virus attacked my laptop. It attacked it good.

Thankfully, my friend Jeremy is a computer whiz and super generous with his time and skills, and he saved my computer, my photos, my iTunes and my brain. (Because I keep my brain in My Documents. Don't you?)

I'm not sure how much help he'd be in case of an actual Martian attack. But when ironically attacked by a fake antivirus virus, because I failed to renew our antivirus software, he was awesome.

And that's why I don't have an actual blog post this morning.

How was your weekend?

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When blog friends become real friends

Last February, I almost got to meet one of my very first bloggy friends. We were both scheduled to be in Nashville – for two different conferences – the same weekend in February.

It didn’t work out.

Then, this February, the same thing happened. We were both in town (neither one of us lives in Nashville, by the way), but again, we weren’t able to connect.

And just last month, I visited Nashville with my parents. I e-mailed another blog friend who lives there as soon as I found out about the trip and asked if we could hang out while I was there. She said, “Sure!”

Can you guess what happened?

Or, more accurately, what didn’t happen?

[Seriously, what is up with Nashville and me?]

I was so disappointed each time I was unable to see my friends. That’s the thing about becoming friends with people you meet online: they probably don’t live in your town.

And while online friendships can be meaningful and genuine, there’s just something special about seeing someone in person and hugging her neck.

So last week, when I heard that my friend Alece – who normally lives in Africa – would be visiting my friend Sara – who can’t leave her house for health reasons – just five hours from my house, I didn’t hesitate.

I e-mailed them and invited myself up!

Read the rest of my post at (in)courage.

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I've lost that loving feeling.

No, not that loving feeling.

I mean my love of reading. And I wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily lost it yet. But it’s definitely not as fun as it used to be. Unfortunately, I know why.

The culprit? Too many book reviews. Too many books on my must-read list that are also on my must-review list. Too many books stacked next to my bed that don’t look quite as fun or interesting or moving now that they arrived in my mailbox. Too many books that do look fun or interesting or moving, but because they’re a “to-do” instead of a “wanna,” I just don’t feel like reading them.

Book reviews are sapping the enjoyment straight out of my reading these days.

It’s not that I don’t like the books I’ve read and reviewed. Once I've managed to start them, I've loved almost every one. I wouldn’t suggest them to you if I didn’t like them.

But they aren’t necessarily the books I would pick out for myself. And, as Chelley has heard me say more than she likes, I’ve got a towering stack of books that I have picked out for myself already waiting for me.

And because I’ve committed to review them, they come with a price. Sure, the books are free. Unless you count the expectation that I will, you know, read them, take notes and then post an honest, well-written review.

That’s a lot of pressure, you all.

I know that sounds crazy. But the way I normally read – super fast, sometimes [don’t judge me] even skipping the boring parts and for pure escapist pleasure – is not conducive to deep thoughts or insights.

Much as I enjoy free books – especially books that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up myself or would have waited years to borrow from the library – I don’t think the “free” part of this deal is working out for me.

And that is why I’m going to stop doing book reviews.

[Insert dramatic music here, if you like that sort of thing.]

Okay, okay. I realize it’s not really an earth-shattering announcement. Unless you’re my mailman, and then you might be glad for fewer boxes to deliver.

I’m not saying I will never review another book. [Let's be honest: sharing my opinions is kind of what I do.] I’m just saying I’m not going to do any right now.

[Unless you count the book I’m reviewing tomorrow. But that’s the last one. For realz.]

So, what do you think?

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Survey says...

I love surveys and quizzes. Almost as much as I love lists – and you know that’s a lot! And I have to say that seeing your answers to my blog survey was just about as fun as taking a survey myself. Thank you so much to everyone who answered my questions. I appreciate your input and will absolutely take it all into consideration as I move forward.

Because I’ve found that at least some of you (you know who you are) were very proud of your responses, I thought I’d share the ones that caught my attention most. (Note to the person who said, “I wish you’d write about me more”: I will. Oh, I will!)

Does it bother you that I . . .

• The ads have become overwhelming. It's all about the ads now, not all about Mary.
• Sorry, nothing personal, I really just don't like Disqus.

[I hear you. And as soon as I can afford to move to Wordpress, where they have fancy plug-ins and rainbows and unicorns, I will amend the situation. Until then, I think I’m going to stick with it. I am truly sorry about the inconvenience, though!]

• No actually to all, but survey monkey says I must include an answer.

[Bad Survey Monkey! Bad! Okay . . . I must confess . . . that was my fault. And I’m sorry. Perhaps you can say that is what bothers you on my next questionnaire!]

Why do you read Giving Up on Perfect?

• Because you're my friend and that's what friends do! :) It's also usually pretty entertaining. :)

[Usually? Awww, you really are a true friend! Ha!]

• Because you are Mary, and there is no other. End of discussion.
• Because you have some good posts :)

[Some? Um, thanks? Are you related to my friend up above? :) ]

• b/c I met you once and really liked you!

What would you like to change about Giving Up on Perfect?

• GUOP is now much too formatted. It's too gimicky. The realness is gone. Instead of a post about what's on your mind today, it's about someone else's blog, or book, or whatever.

[I’m not going to lie. This comment – including the part I left out of this post – hurt my feelings. I’m sensitive that way. BUT it also made me think, and that is not a bad thing at all. Honesty – even when it’s not what I wanted or expected to hear – is a good thing. So thank you.]

• P.S. Please tell me how many 18- 24 year old males you get to respond. :)

[Yes, sure. That would be none. I had one male respond, and I’m guessing it was my brother.]

• I would trick you into moving next door to me.

[I like that. I don’t find it stalkerish at all. Seriously. Because there are absolutely bloggers I’d move next door to in a heartbeat! (Say it with me now, in our Jim Gaffigan whisper: “Bloggers are weird.”)]

If you haven’t taken my blog survey and want to weigh in, it’s not too late. No, there’s not a prize and I can’t hug you through my screen (plus, it’s anonymous, you know), but it will help me as I make some changes around here.

A few other insights to share with you:

One person mentioned that my sidebars “can be distracting with the buttons and ads,” while another person pointed out that the site sometimes takes a long time to load. I know. And it is annoying, isn’t it! I’m saving up for a redesign and can’t WAIT to get those things fixed.

The majority (69% and 75%) of respondents thought the new feature ideas sounded interesting, although two people will hate a series about non-profits or charities. I’m not sure what to think about that, so I’m still processing. If you have any additional feedback about my ideas – Mission Monday or Wednesdays at Work (The names are still in progress, so don’t laugh. Short copy is not my thing.), leave it in the comments!

[Unless you’re one of those who hate Disqus, and then you can always shoot me an e-mail.]

Last but not least, I found it interesting that 44% of respondents started reading my blog because someone else linked to me. With that in mind, I’d like to encourage each and every one of you to link to me today.

KIDDING.

Mostly.

Seriously.

The end.

[Except this: Who is standing in line at the Post Office today to file taxes??]

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Heart and Story / Necklace and Book

One of the richest blessings I’ve received as a result of being a part of this crazy blog world is the amazing women of faith I’ve met. Some I’ve met and hugged in real life, while others I’ve only read their stories, crying and laughing along with the details of their lives.

Lisa is one I’ve met and hugged. Angie is one I’ve only read her story. Both have touched my heart.

Lisa Leonard is a beautiful jewelry designer – and by that, I mean that she’s beautiful and that she designs beautiful jewelry!

After spending a couple days with her at Blissdom, I tried to explain something I saw when I looked at her. See, her blog is full of photos in soft, muted colors. It’s gentle on the eyes. And there’s something about Lisa that is gentle on the soul.

I don’t really know how to describe what I thought. I guess that all sounds a bit crazy. But even though I told her how pastel-ly she was, Lisa was still kind enough to let me give away one of her necklaces.

As I looked at my list of books to read this spring, I knew exactly which necklace I wanted to give away.

What? How does that even make sense? [And, side note, it’s possible that none of this makes sense anyway. It’s real late, Annalyn got up real early, and I’m darned tired. But I digress. I do that when I’m tired. And never when I’m rested. Of course.]

Angie Smith lost her daughter, Audrey, shortly after she was born. Her story is devastating, but the way the Smith family has lived through it – and lived to tell it – is amazing and inspiring and encouraging.

Angie has written a book about her experience, and Lisa has designed a necklace in honor of Angie and Audrey. It’s called Audrey’s Necklace: Marked by Love. It’s lovely, and it’s designed to remind us that, as Lisa wrote on her website, “Some lives, though short, profoundly change the world and leave a mark on our hearts.”

Today I’m giving away Lisa’s necklace and a copy of Angie’s book, I Will Carry You. To enter, leave a comment telling about a book you’re looking forward to reading this spring OR about a piece of jewelry that means something special to you.

For an additional chance to win, follow Lisa on Twitter or follow me on Twitter.

And don’t forget to enter the other giveaways if you haven’t already! (Stuff Christians Like book and Point of Grace cookbook and CD)

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A Holy Day and a blog anniversary (they're not the same thing)

Did you have a good Easter weekend? Mine was tiring, but in a good way. Our church had six services between Friday and Sunday – and that means six services of singing. And not quiet, easy kind of singing, but sing-my-head-off, blow-the-roof-off singing! At one point, our music called for the Triple F – as in, fortississimo, or really, REALLY loud!

I also broke in a new pair of shoes, and I’m happy to report that my feet have not, in fact, fallen off. And Annalyn got to hunt for Easter eggs not once, but twice, while wearing not one, but two, Easter dresses. (On separate days, not at the same time.)

On Good Friday, one of the congregational songs we sang was Keith Getty’s Beneath the Cross. These lyrics really spoke to me, and I hope they might mean something to you, too:

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I find a place to stand,
And wonder at such mercy
That calls me as I am;
For hands that should discard me
Hold wounds which tell me, "Come."
Beneath the cross of Jesus
My unworthy soul is won.

Good word, right?

I’d love to leave it right there, but I have some blog business to attend to today. Namely – it’s my second blog anniversary!

That’s right. Two short – or long, depending on who and when you’re asking – years ago, I ventured to Blogger.com, created a page and wrote about my deepest, darkest feelings.

And cheese dip. Because some things never change.

As I’ve gotten more familiar and involved with the blog world, I’ve found that most people start writing a blog, never sure if anyone will ever read their words.

I didn’t have that same experience. I was lucky enough to start blogging with a built-in audience – and no, I’m not talking about my mother or my husband! My friend, Chelley, and several of her friends had been blogging for quite a while. And they were kind enough to support me and comment on my posts – from deep thoughts to Mexican food and back.

So, today I’d like to send a BIG thank you to Chelley, Mel, Hobsis, BusyMommy, Kimberly and HonorMommy. You are some of the sweetest, funniest, smartest and godliest women I know. And without you, I would have no blog. Thank you.

To celebrate this momentous occasion – and to appreciate ALL of my wonderful blog readers – I’ll be giving away some fun stuff this week. So don’t forget to come back tomorrow (and the next day and the next . . . )!

Until then, though, will you leave a comment and tell me either when you started YOUR blog or when you started reading blogs (if you don’t have one of your own)? Don’t be shy. Even if you don’t normally comment, will you do it today? Puh-retty please?

Happy anniversary, friends. We’re in for a fun week!

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It just happened.

I started a blog because I was bored. And a little lonely. I thought it would be a good place to get my thoughts out and maybe keep in better touch with my friend, Chelley.

I never intended to make friends all over the country.

I had no plans to make a dime, much less make a plan for monetizing.

I certainly had no intention to grow a heart for missions.

And yet . . .

*****

When I was in college, I had a few friends who went on mission trips. And then at the first church we attended after moving back to Kansas City, we became close friends with a couple training to translate the Bible for the people of Indonesia. Later, when we moved to the church we still attend, we met lots more people determined to answer that Great Commission . . . overseas . . . far away . . . in the mission field.

And every time I’d meet another missionary or learn that one of my new friends was, in fact, a missionary (gasp!), I’d say the same thing:

“I’m so glad God didn’t call me to missions.”

*****

At first I only read a handful of blogs. Chelley’s, of course, and the blogs her grad school friends wrote. But one day – maybe nothing good was on TV or I was up late, letting my newborn cry it out – I branched out. I read other blogs.

Those other blogs led to more blogs, which led to even more blogs.

And somewhere between just reading a handful of blogs and the hundreds of blogs that clog up my Google Reader today, I stumbled onto a group of women who have changed my life.

Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.
Sophie at BooMama.
Melanie at Big Mama.

Are these ladies funny? Sure. But while I do enjoy their rambling, clever posts, it was their hearts for Compassion International that moved me.

Moved me to tears.
Moved me to sponsor a child in Ghana.
Moved me to reconsider how I spend my money.

I used to thank God for not calling me to missions. But now I know differently. He’s called me, all right.

To what, I don’t know.

Maybe just to sponsor a little girl named Elizabeth.
Maybe to use the money from a job change to pay off debt faster – instead of getting a new cell phone.
Maybe to tell you about what I’ve learned from Compassion.

Or maybe something more.

I don’t know. But this sure isn’t why I started a blog. THIS is what I would call an unintended consequence. Since stumbling on the first Compassion blogger posts . . .

I've been glued to my screen every time a group goes on a trip.
I've applied to go on a trip myself.
I've cried tears of joy - and maybe a couple of envy - when each new blogger mission trip group is announced.

Shaun Groves has asked how God has changed and surprised us. Well, this is it.

Because of the Compassion bloggers, I am changed.
Because of the Compassion bloggers, my heart is broken.
Because of the Compassion bloggers, I can no longer say, “I’m so glad God didn’t call me to missions.”

Has God changed or surprised you lately?

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An Interview with Hillary @ The Other Mama

From consignment sales to Girl Scout cookies to the many attributes of the state of Alabama, Hillary at The Other Mama can make just about anything laugh-your-head-off funny. She’s also sweet as can be and has the two cutest boys I’ve ever seen.

And now, she’s here to share her deepest secrets with us. Read on for a taste of her humor and heart and my interviewing skills (yes, this may explain why I only spent one semester as a journalism major).

Dogs or cats?
Dogs, but I’d love to get rid of them. Is that wrong to type out loud? I don’t care – any takers?

White bread or wheat bread?
Wheat.

Over or under (toilet paper roll)?
Um, over – the way God and gravity intended it.

Books or movies?
Both!

Pop or soda?
Coke – we call everything Coke in Alabama. (Like, “What kind of Coke would you like?”)

Seriously, though . . .

What’s your blog about?
My blog is about my imperfect quest as a mom, wife and child of God. I never quite hit my goals in any of those areas, but at least I can laugh at the situation.

Why did you start blogging?
We live five hours away from my parents, and I wanted them to see pictures of my boys. (I think that’s pretty much the reason that most people start blogging, right?) Then it morphed into me telling their stories and enjoying writing all over again. I’m a trained writer (but please don’t show any college professors my blog!), but I don’t get to do it professionally. So, this is a creative outlet for me and has turned into a wonderful part of my life.

What’s your favorite part of the day?
That glorious hour(s) in between putting the kids to bed and accidentally falling asleep on the sofa.

If you were stuck in an elevator for an hour, who would you want to be with? (And no, you can’t pick your husband, your kids or Harry. Because I’m mean, that’s why.)
Good question! Can they be alive or dead? What about my grandmother (Other Mama), Kirk Cameron and The Duggars. (If all the Duggars couldn’t fit in there, I would choose Michelle.)

Favorite quote?
“Name your child something that you really like because you are going to be yelling it a LOT.” – My mom

Oh, you want a serious one? I think Psalm 121 is my favorite quote/verses today. It just plain made my morning.

Psalm 121
A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Favorite blog (other than your own and mine, of course)?
There are so many! I love (In)Courage, Stuff Christians Like, Cakewrecks, The Nester, MckMama and Pioneer Woman (of course). I love following all the Compassion bloggers on their trips, and I have dozens of personal friends who blog and I love keeping up with them that way. There are too many to name!

Salty or sweet?
Yes – I’m pregnant. So, yes. Both.

Mac or PC?
Both – we have a mixed marriage.

Zack or Slater?
Is this question even real?
Did Slater sing lead in the Zack Attack? No.
Was Zack cheesy enough to call Kelly “Mama”? NO.
Who else could call a time out? That would be Zack.
This is a no-brainer. Oh – and I prefer blondes.

See, I told you. One funny girl, right? Now head over to her blog and read her interview with me!

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Random Readings, 1.23.10

You all, I am FRIED. My bad mood just got worse and worse today. My morning started with Annalyn waking up an hour early, then moved quickly into news that a client had blasted me for a small mistake that I’d already apologized for and offered to fix by emailing my bosses about it. And then I ended the evening by backing into a truck when leaving my friends’ house after what had been an otherwise lovely visit.

So. These links are about as random as can be, and I don’t even think I can offer you much explanation. Please just know I’ve been collecting them all week, and for various reasons, I think you need to know about each and every item. Enjoy.

• Shelly began a series about intentional parenting, and I can’t wait to read her insights. She’s a wise lady who is raising teenaged girls, and since I know I’ll be there sooner than I think, I am trying to soak up as much of her knowledge as I can!
• Have I mentioned I love Chuck, the TV show? Yeah, just a few million times. Well, it turns out that the actor who plays Chuck is a Christian. I love that.
• Matthew Paul Turner, an author, blogger and husband of a fellow (in)courage writer, spent the last week in Uganda with World Vision. Read about his journey in Uganda Week.
• Shaun Groves is amazing. The work he does – and the passion with which he does it – for Compassion blows me away. And he’s doing it again, bigger than ever. Stay tuned for more info about the benefit he’s planning for Haiti.
• What do you do when you see homeless people? I always feel weird and end up doing . . . nothing. Jenn has a great solution and detailed instructions: Keep care packages for homeless people in your car, including items like toothbrushes, hand warmers, water bottle and more.
• Did you read the Babysitters Club books back in the day? Apparently, they’ve been out of print for a while, but they’re coming back and there’s a prequel. I might have to read that!
• If you’re a blogger and you’re not reading Savvy Blogging, check it out now. These ladies are offering up honest, realistic and so very relevant advice, and everyone who wants to improve their blog should be reading every word. I know I am. 
• And I'm over at (in)courage today, talking about a time (not the only time, believe you me) I got in trouble for rolling my eyes. You don't want to miss this one.
  

That’s all folks. Have a good weekend!

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How to get ready for Blissdom (part two)

Yesterday we talked about several ways to prepare for Blissdom. This annual women’s blogging conference shouldn’t be intimidating, but as I know from last year, it can be just that if you’re not prepared.

Don’t worry! I’m here to save you from your unprepared self. After all, I don’t want any of you to arrive in Nashville all nervous and excited, only to end up so overwhelmed and scared that you retreat to your hotel room, spending prime networking time on IM with your real-life blogging friend at home.

Not that I know anyone who did such a thing.

The first five tips for preparing for Blissdom were register (duh!), print business cards, get connected through social networks, find out who’s going and make a friend. Because I’m sure you followed my instructions immediately after reading them and are now signed up, printed, connected and hooked up with at least one new conference buddy, it’s time for five more tips.

1. Do your homework. This little idea of mine to offer tips for attending Blissdom? Turns out it’s not the most original thing on the planet. Not that I’m copying anyone, but the fact is, we’ve all fretted a little bit (or a lot bit) before a big event like this. And that means most of know that any and all advice, insight, suggestions and tips are more than welcome. So, Google it up, girls. (Or, if you like to earn money for your research, Swagbucks it up.) I’m including the posts I know about, but believe me, there are more. If you’ve already found them, please leave a link in the comments!
   
   
   • What Should You Wear to Blissdom – This is the post that introduced me to Jenny last year, and I found it immensely helpful when shopping/packing.  
   • Blisstastic – To get ready for Blissdom, OhAmanda is featuring several top bloggers in a weekly feature. So far, we’ve gotten tips from the amazing ladies at Musings of a Housewife and Boston Mamas.
   •  Advice for Making the Most of Blissdom – And speaking of Jo-Lynne, she wrote a great piece on her own blog about getting the most out of Blissdom.
   • Conferences Put the “Social” in Social Media – It’s true. Going to a conference can transform these squishy, can’t-quite-see-your-face online relationships into solid, hug-your-neck-and-miss-you-when-I-go-home friendships. Sarah at Real Life Blog writes about the social benefit to social media meetings.
   • 8 Things You Should Know Before Blissdom: Great tips from Darcy at Life with My Three Boybarians, including how to win friends and influence people with a power strip. Seriously.
   • Dos and Don’ts for Surviving Blissdom – Edie keeps it simple and includes advice that includes not letting your inner seventh-grader take over.
     
     
2. Map out your strategy. So you registered, booked your ticket and reserved your hotel room. All set, right? Not quite. When I arrived at Blissdom last year, I was surprised to learn I had to choose between two tracks. This year I’ll have even more choices, but I’m going in prepared. You should, too. Choose the classes you want to attend with the agenda, and keep your eyes and ears open for events going on during the weekend.
   
   
3. Shop (and pack) early. I’m not here to tell you what to buy or pack. I’m just here to tell you to start early. Do your research and find out what the seasoned bloggers suggest you bring. You may not be as list-y as me, but I highly suggest making a packing list. And remember, if you must buy something, keep the receipt. One luxury of planning and shopping early is the ability to change your mind. More than once.
   
   
4. Prettify yourself. Don’t get me wrong; Blissdom is not the prom. (Also known, at my house, as the day my mom gave me hooker eyes decided I should experiment with eyeliner. Yes, it was traumatic, thank you for asking.) But while your fellow bloggers won’t be impressed by your painful pointy shoes and expensive trendy haircut, you will feel better if you put your best (comfortable) foot forward. I don’t know exactly what that means for you, but for me, it means Crest Whitestrips, Jergens Natural Glow and a Great Clips trim (with a coupon, even!).
   
   
5. Sleep. Last but not least: get yourself some shut-eye. Do not under any circumstance stay up late the night before you head to Nashville. After all, you don’t want to be spaced out and droopy at the cocktail party, do you? No. Go to bed and get your eight hours so you can be your most clever and charming self. (At least on the first day. I won’t even pretend like you’re not going to bed early during the conference. Not when my roommates and I are already giggling about our weekend-long slumber party!)

What are your tips for getting the most out of a conference?

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How to get ready for Blissdom (part one)

I must have been out of my mind. Last year, without knowing a single soul who was going or really why I had a blog in the first place, I registered for Blissdom.

Blissdom is “the premiere conference for women who find and express their bliss by publishing online.” It’s put on by online magazine Blissfully Domestic and One2One Network, a women’s word-of-mouth marketing network. And it’s held each February in Nashville.

And that little paragraph up there? That’s about all I knew as I got on a plane and headed south almost one year ago.

Since that weekend in February – and because of it, really – I have made several amazing friends and had a couple incredible opportunities. All thanks to blogging and the insane, what-was-I-thinking decision to attend Blissdom.

This year, I’m excited to return to the conference that helped me see blogging as more than a random way to pass the time after putting my daughter to bed. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better with a larger attendance and a fancy-schmancy hotel. And ohmygoodness, have you heard? Harry Connick, Jr., will be there!

[Insert pounding heart and, let’s be honest, crazy eyes here.]

But more importantly than even Harry and the chance to stay at the Grand Ole Opry hotel? (Well, slightly more important than Harry…) The one-two knockout punch of information-packed seminars and the chance to hang out with my blogging friends and meet more amazing women who don’t look at me strangely when I say things like, “Wait! Can you do that again? I want to take a picture for my blog.”

As someone who went to last year’s conference completely unprepared and proceeded to get completely overwhelmed, I’m here to offer you some advice. Here are the first five ways to get ready for Blissdom:

1. Register. Now, this might seem obvious, but I’d be willing to be my sturdy yet cute Lands End tote bag from last year’s conference that somebody reading this post has been thinking about going for a while but has not had the nerve to register yet. Stop thinking about it and do it! Only 500 tickets will be sold, and I suspect most of those are already spoken for. So, first order of business: Go straight to the registration page and get yourself a ticket!
   
   
2. Order business cards. Perhaps this, too, is obvious to some of you. Last year, it was not so clear to me. So learn from my mistake. Though most of Blissdom will feel like a girls’ weekend retreat, it’s really a business meeting. And you’d never go to a business meeting without some way of helping people remember you! This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A basic design or even a template will do, and plenty of printers offer economical options. I printed mine at FedEx Kinko’s, but I’ve also heard lots of people talk about Vistaprint and MOO.
   
   
3. Get connected. Join the Blissdom Facebook group and follow @Blissdom and the Blissdom hashtag (#blissdom) on Twitter. This will give you access to all the fun chatter about the upcoming conference, including tips and insights from people who have attended before. (For example, if I’d done this last year, I would have known to bring business cards.) Following the conversation on Facebook and Twitter will also tell you who’s going this year. And that leads me to #4 . . .
   
   
4. Find out who’s going to Blissdom. I’m not saying you should stalk your fellow conference attendees. But I am saying you should find out who’s going, read their blogs and follow them on Twitter. You could even, if you’re as crazy organized as me some people, make a list of people you want to meet throughout the weekend. The place to start for a list of attendees would be the Facebook group, but another place would be The Nester’s link-up and Lisa Boyd's link-up at Simply His.
   
   
5. Make a friend. If you’ve been blogging for any time at all – or even just lurking around the blogosphere – I would bet you’ve got a bloggy friend or two. However, if they’re not attending, you still have time to make new friends who are. When you find someone you like, whether through the Twitter stream, the Facebook group or a link-up of people attending, start commenting on their posts. Or send a quick e-mail. Who doesn’t like hearing, “I love your blog and look forward to meeting you.”?? Follow that up with a quick, “I see you’re going to Blissdom. So am I! Maybe we can see each other there!” and you might just have yourself a new friend.

I’m serious on that last point, you all. When I was frantically trying to figure out WHAT ON EARTH I WAS DOING shortly before last year’s conference, I stumbled onto Jenny Rapson’s blog, Mommin’ It Up. I left her a comment, she replied with an e-mail, and instantly I felt like I wasn’t quite so alone on this conference adventure. She, of course, was super nice when I met her in person last year, and while we didn’t hang out, it was just nice to see a familiar face and to be greeted with a smile.

All right, that’s the first five tips I have for you. As my ninth grade history teacher would say each day as we fled his classroom, “Read, study and comprehend.” And then come back tomorrow for the last five ways to prepare for Blissdom.

Are you going to Blissdom? If not, have you gone to other conferences in the past year?

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

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Giving up on perfect in every way. Kind of like Mary Poppins - but not.

Proof that my brain is fried as I finish up this year: when I read Jo-Lynne’s original post about hosting a carnival of blog recaps, I would have sworn she was doing it on January 31. Next month. I even put it in my fancy schmancy editorial calendar. Because that makes sense.

As you may have guessed, the carnival is today.

Since I’m doing this at the last minute, I am breaking all the rules. I mean, why not? To participate, we’re supposed to post the first sentence of the first post of each month in 2009. I may or may not have included more than one sentence on a few of these . . . and some of my posts included may or may not technically be the first post of the month.

But it’s still fun. And it's still a recap. So I’m still posting. Enjoy, and let me know if you do any sort of 2009 recap on your blog!

January
Lose weight. Read my Bible more. Floss daily. Resolutions made…resolutions broken. I do it every year.
When I look back at my early 2009 posts, I realize that I made a whole lot of excuses for never meeting any of my yearly goals, also called, ahem, resolutions. I'm happy to say I actually did follow through on a few things this year - look for that recap sometime next week.

February
Yes, I am aware that the Superbowl is actually a football game, and the main attraction is - or at least, is supposed to be - the competition between two teams.
I could not care less (And yes, that's the right way to say it. Think about it. What does it mean if you say you could care less? Anyway.) about football. But the commercials during the Superbowl? Love.

March (not my first post, because that was a recap of Carnival Week)
I don't mean to be sacrilegious or even disrespectful.
In this post, I questioned Lent. Yup, the whole thing. No, not really. But I did wonder - out loud and in writing - about the point of giving something up for 40 days. This spring, I imagine some of my feelings and thoughts will be different, and it will be interesting to look back on our conversation in March.

April
Annalyn has been doing things on her own timetable since, well, forever. From the day our tiny premature baby doll ripped out her feeding tube and decided to eat on her own, to the weeks I waited for her to smile, then to roll and finally to crawl, this child of mine has reached each new milestone whenever she darn well felt like it.
For a backwards Works for Me Wednesday, I asked for tips to help Annalyn start walking. Little did I know in April that it would be another four months before she walked at all and several months more of physical therapy before we could put the whole situation behind us.

May (not the first post, because this one is more important)
On Thursday night, I watched a soft rock star cry.
If you asked me how blogging has influenced me most, I would have to say it's opened my eyes to the world of Compassion and world missions. This post was one of a handful I wrote this year about the amazing work Compassion and, specifically, Compassion bloggers are doing around the world. Amazing and life-changing.

June
We’re all about equity of workload at our house. So when we reached Sunday evening of this busy weekend and Mark said he’d mow the yard, of course my contribution was taking five minutes to empty the dishwasher.
While I started this post joking about the inequity of work at our house, the rest of it was actually a recap of the great weekend we had celebrating our anniversary. We took a day trip to Columbia, ate at a semi-fancy restaurant, watched a semi-terrible movie, and generally remembered what it was like to just be together.

July
“Of course!” “I’d love to!” “Sure, no problem.” “Absolutely, yeah, I’ll do it.” I don’t know how many times I’ve said or written these words, only to realize days, weeks or months later that either I have completely dropped the ball on whatever project I agreed to do or I am overwhelmed with the stress involved in completing said task by its deadline.
I left you for a week in July. But I didn't leave you alone. Though I was enjoying the crazy humidity of a Florida summer, I shared a few guest posts I'd written for other blogs. This one included the ways I keep myself from getting overwhelmed in the world of social media. Hmmm . . . maybe I should re-read this!

August
Whew. What a weekend! And it's not really even over, although it will be by the time you read this. As I'm typing, I'm sitting on the floor in the Detroit airport, plugged into the wall, full from my sandwich and Mrs. Field's cookie, and wearing my shades to cut down on the glare from the big airport windows.
In August, I flew to North Carolina for the SheSpeaks conference. It was soooo much fun! First of all, I love traveling by myself (even though, thanks to Delta and my aversion to early morning rising, I missed my original flight). Second of all - and way more importantly - I met my fellow writers for (in)courage and made some wonderful friends (that I'm now looking forward to seeing at Blissdom!).

September
I really don’t see a whole lot of movies. Now Smitty – she’s the movie buff. And I never fail to shock her by my lack of movie experience. Like when she makes a reference to a classic – say, Goonies or Pulp Fiction or Casablanca – and I hang my head and say, “Ummm . . . yeah . . . I haven’t seen that one either.”
Sometimes I get behind. And in those cases, you get a whole lot of something in one giant post. This was one of those occasions, and I reviewed almost a dozen movies at once.

October
Last year was the first year I had to got to dress up my daughter for Halloween. And in my typical fashion, I spent hours researching and brainstorming and planning and budgeting and dreaming. And in the end, she went as a cat. With no tail. And crooked eyeliner-drawn whiskers.
In October, I began a series of carnivals and giveaways to encourage all of us to give up on perfect holidays. It was a blast, and you can just mark your calendars for next year, because we will do it again!

November
Thank you to everyone who participated in Giving Up on a Perfect Halloween! Random.org has spoken, and the winners are . . .
More of the giveaway/carnival stuff. It kind of consumed me and this blog for three months. I think I'll have to plan better for next year!

December
How does that song go again? It's the most stressful time of the year?
You know, I have to say: this December was not actually as stressful as others have been. And I like that.

Although . . . it doesn't explain why my brain was fried enough to think a blog recap would take place a month from now.

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But wait! There's more!

Isn't it funny how long it takes to wrap presents - fold the paper just so and tie the ribbon just right - compared to how long it takes our friends and family to rip them open?

Christmas is over, but our family isn't quite finished celebrating. Even though Mark and I both have to work four days this week, we have a week full of holidays left. Tomorrow is Mark's birthday, my immediate (parents, brother and sister-in-law) family's Christmas is on Friday, and my mom's side of the family (aunt, uncle, cousins and lots of kids) will get together on Saturday.

In other words, the party isn't over yet.

And so, I can't promise regular posting this week. But I do promise to be back in full force next Monday, ready to kick of 2010 with lots of resolutions, movie reviews, celebrity lookalikes, parenting stories and easy-to-master recipes.

Until then, I hope you'll share with us in the comments how your Christmas was and what your year-end plans are!

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C is for Cookie

These are not my cookies.

(Image by summerlovin)

The first Christmas after Mark and I got married, we decided to make cookies. I don't remember if we mixed up a sugar cookie recipe or if we went store-bought, but I distinctly remember lots of frosting, cookie cutters and sprinkles.

Yes, we definitely had sprinkles.

Actually, now that I think about it, if we took the time to mix up frosting and cut out candy cane and tree-shaped cookies, I'm pretty sure we used an actual recipe for that cookie dough.

And there was A. Lot. of cookie dough. Which made A. Lot. of cookies. I remember starting the process so excited and all newlywed-y, but by the time we got finished, we were so sick of cookies! We had cookies on every surface of that tiny one-room apartment. Lucky for all of our friends - because they all got a plate of those puppies. Or, trees and candy canes, as the case may be.

Since then, I haven't done much Christmas baking. Sure, I make all sorts of side dishes. And my Brownies From a Box never fail. But cookies? No, not so much.

So when I started reading about the fun cookie [recipe] exchanges going on this week, I was kind of bummed out. And then I was delusional thought I'd just whip something up, so I could join in.

And then I forgot.

But today I saw Jessica's First Cookie Recipe Exchange at The Mom Creative, and I remembered again. And I decided to stop by the store after work, get some cookie dough and frosting in a can, and write about how you don't have to be fancy to have Christmas fun in the kitchen.

And then I got to the store.

They were out of the frosting I wanted, and they didn't have any red and green sprinkles. So I bought almond bark and pretzels instead. And M&Ms.

You never know when you're going to need M&Ms.

Long story not short but finally to the point? I made almond bark-covered snack mix. Does it have a name? I don't know. My cousin makes it, and I call it . . . YUM. Here's a picture:

And here's the recipe, if you can call it that:

3 cubes of almond bark
Half cup of cheerios
Half cup of little marshmallows
Half cup of broken pretzels
2 packages of M&Ms

I might be wrong on the "half cup" part. Basically, I melted those three cubes and started dropping the other ingredients into the bowl. Possibly at random. And when it looked good? I put it in the fridge.

(You don't have to put it in the fridge unless you're in a hurry. To eat the YUM.) Makes 4 servings. Or two really big ones.

So, that's what I've got for you. If you have your own (real) cookie recipe or want to look at a couple or hundred, check out The Mom Creative's First Cookie Recipe Exchange and Blissfully Domestic's 12 Days of Christmas Cookies.

This post will also be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

What's your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? Have you made any yet this year?

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I got a feeling (woo-hoo!) . . .

And you’re welcome for putting that little ditty in your head. I couldn’t help it. I do have a feeling that next week’s going to be a fun week. Just look at all the bloggy excitement taking place:

The Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash – Jerri at Simply Sweet Home has invited us to participate in the weeklong carnival she’s holding with four other bloggers. From homemade gifts and crafts to trees, recipes and traditions, they’ve got it all covered.

The Christmas Tour of Homes – Formerly hosted by BooMama, this virtual homes tour has moved to The Nester’s place! On Monday, link up a post with photos of your house, all decked out for the season. And remember, as The Nester says, “It’s not a contest! No perfect decorations allowed.”

My Favorite Things: Six Weeks of Free Stuff – Every Monday until the end of the year (including next Monday), Sarah Markley is giving away some of her favorite things.

Around the Table with Tami – Every Tuesday in December, Tami is hosting a virtual cookie exchange, and every Thursday of the month she’s hosting a gift idea exchange. She’s giving away Homemade Gourmet products during each carnival.

And don’t forget that Simple Mom is helping us create a more peaceful Christmas with her 12-week checklist of ideas, from budgeting and shopping to traditions and decorations.

Last, but most certainly not least, is my very own carnival. On my very own birthday!

Okay, so the birthday doesn’t really have anything to do with the carnival, other than sharing a date. Or maybe it does. Because though my parents worked hard to prevent the usual disappointments associated with a December birthday, it can still be a bummer to be born just one week before, you know, Jesus.

But just like we decided that we don’t really need handmade costumes and intricately carved jack o’lanterns for Halloween or fourteen elaborate side dishes and a Martha Stewart-approved centerpiece for Thanksgiving (not that there’s anything wrong with that), let’s give up on a perfect Christmas this year.

Did you forget to buy a present for someone? Break all the Christmas cookies? Break the news to your nephew that Santa Claus might not be real? Get frostbite while Christmas caroling or perform an embarrassing solo at the office party? Or accidentally electrocute the cat with Christmas lights?

Or what about the year that you just plum forgot the real meaning of Christmas and got too caught up in the busy-ness and the business of shopping and cooking and decorating and partying and hosting and mailing?

Spill the beans. Let the electrocuted cat out of the bag. Tell us all about it.

Let’s Give Up on a Perfect Christmas. Join me next Friday, December 18. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, and we’ll give away this Lisa Leonard necklace!

In the meantime, tell me how your Christmas season is going so far. Are your Christmas cards in the mail? How much shopping do you have left to do? How many Christmas cookies have you already eaten? And most importantly (and a question I need to answer, too): Have you made time to hold on to the holy?

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