For The Long Weekend

When all else fails, go shopping. But for the love of turkey, pleeeeease back away from the mall!
Who needs big crowds, long lines and headaches when you 've got the coolest moms in the world doing the leg work for you?



These savvy elves know where it's at so pour yourselves a cup of cheer and check out their Holiday Gift Guide.

Red Carpet Recoup

So, last night was the "Red Carpet" Wii launch party at the new Boulevard3 in Hollywood. Yes, me and the hub were invited. I am a Nintendo Ambassador after all. Like how I throw that phrase around? I'm just trying to milk my gaming stardom for the next day or two because once the clock strikes twelve on Saturday night (and the Wii is available to the public) nobody and I mean nobody is going to give a doggone about my Ambassador status. Hell, nobody cares now, who am I kidding?

But, about last night...
I wish I had photos to share but I don't. I couldn't even find anything online. I wish I could drop names but I can't. Well, except Justin Timberlake (sans Cameron-damn!) and Mischa Barton (hubby swears he saw her) who count for two names. But hardly enough to mention. I wish I could tell you I fit right in, but I didn't. I wish I could tell you being surrounded by all that beautiful youth (in that bizarre twisted Hollywood way) didn't make me feel old, but it did. But I will tell you that it made me realize how perfectly content I am being who I am, young, old or otherwise. The "scene" is fun for about 10 minutes (OK, we stayed for 3 hours) but it's much more satisfying living my own scene; the chaos, creativity, challenges, and children that make my life rich and worthwhile. What am I telling you for? You already know because I'm certain that's how you all feel as well. We are in this Motherhood thing together and amidst all of it's absurdities, it's the best thing since Ms. Pac Man.

We did enjoy ourselves last night. Being invited to participate in Nintendo's master plan of the Wii System Launch has been nothing but a pleasure, as I have said a millions times before. And I think last night might have been the end of this zany, surreal, gaming story. But, um, I'll keep you posted.

Fashion SOS

So, I've got the invite but not the outfit. Blogger Fashionistas, I need your help. Where to go? What to buy? What the hell am I going to wear??

Please.

Help.

Another Agenda

Giving is important.

House Party Time!

We voted.
And we were heard.
Hot Damn!

We were heard.

VOTE!

OK, I'm not usually political on my blogs. But tomorrow is election day and I feel compelled to urge you to vote. There's no excuse not to take a small fraction of your day tomorrow to vote and be heard.

It's important. It's really important. And if you're in California the stakes for women are even higher. Even if you haven't studied up on "the issues", you've still got some time (like tonight after the kids are in bed).

And if you have any question about Prop 85, please visit citymama's highly informative blog sometime today and you will get an idea about how close we are to loosing our freedom as women.

PLEASE, GET OUT AND VOTE!

Yikes!

OK, now I'm really scared for myself.

October Perfect Post Awards

It's not over yet. November 1st I mean. See, I was supposed to write my glowing post about the lovely and talented Misha of The Wallpaper of My Mind (a favorite blog of mine) because I nominated one of her recent posts for the ever popular "Perfect Post Awards" that are hosted monthly over at Suburban Turmoil and Petroville. The whole award process is totally cool, not only because you get to acknowledge a fabulous blogger but you also get to enjoy a link fest like no other. It's a great way to read the best of the best and discover new bests you never knew were out there. It's grand all the way around.

But today (and yesterday and the day before) I have found my motherwork taking priority over my blogwork which has meant all things virtual have taken a backseat. And sometimes that sucks and it can be terribly frustrating when there are things online that I want to be doing, saying, sharing, etc. AND especially when the paying gigs await. But somehow, as with most moms, everything has had to be put into perspective and the motherwork has had to come first.

So today, while sitting at the doctor's office AGAIN I was thinking of Misha's Perfect Post and it hit me. Here I was doing something I had to do yes, but something I wouldn't trade for anything; holding my daughter in the waiting room as she cried because she was afraid of getting another shot. And here I was lamenting that I didn't get this post written and it just seemed somehow fitting that I was burning to write about the conflict so many of us feel as we are both mothers and creative women as I was doing something as important as comforting my baby.

In her life, Misha has been tackling the same issue. She's shares it so eloquently and poignantly in her post "On Raising a Mother" that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Her decision to cut back on her blogging (which is probably like cutting off a limb) as to give more to her children and less to herself and her own creative needs left me just a tab bit numb because it's something I wrestle with daily. And it feels even more palpable right now because speaking of wrestling, my husband and my girls are having a time of it in the living room, rolling around in hysterics on the living room floor as I'm in my office pecking on my keyboard doing what I have had no time to do in a while. And I wonder if with all this "work" I love to do, I long to do, I live to do is at all synonymous with doing right by my children. Maybe not so much? The motherwork always comes first yes, but this other work is what I daydream about doing. I defend my creative wants/needs/whims to the death and I shout from the rooftops, "I need ME time to be a complete person" but lately I've been thinking a lot about what it all means and if I will be glad for feeding my Creative Soul during these fleeting years or if I will one day pine away for the moments I missed with my daughters. It scares me to death.

I will be writing about another fantastic post soon too to follow up where Misha left off as I try to process all of my thoughts (which is never easy when you're exhausted).

For tonight, I hope you enjoy Misha's words as much as I have.