I have not forgotten my promise, darlings!
I am, however, waiting on a couple of artists to decide what they're going to offer up to you. And, because I'm a benevolent mail-order goddess, I am going to make the give-away seven items instead of five. It is (and has been) open internationally, so all of you may enter.
Right now, there are three definites: AM's must-haves for baby kit, AM's must-haves for munchkins kit, and AM's must-haves for mommy kit. We have three artists - one that does beautiful hand-painted scrabble tile pendants, one that works with clay, and another mixed-media. All are stay/work-at-home mamas.
Stay tuned, it's coming! I promise!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Cat 'o 9, please! (FlogYoBlog Friday!!!)
If you're new, there's an awesome linky party started by Brenda over at Mummy Time called FlogYoBlog Friday!
The idea is to link up, blog hop, network, make friends, make faces, make pie... wait, some of those things are not like the other. Or are they? *imaginary strokes imaginary beard and ponders friend-face pies*
Anyway.
Here are Brenda's rules! We must all play by the rules, lest we get punished. (The flogging will continue until morale or obedience improves!)
The idea is to link up, blog hop, network, make friends, make faces, make pie... wait, some of those things are not like the other. Or are they? *imaginary strokes imaginary beard and ponders friend-face pies*
Anyway.
Here are Brenda's rules! We must all play by the rules, lest we get punished. (The flogging will continue until morale or obedience improves!)
- Follow my (and/or Brenda's) blog. (if you haven't already done so).
- Grab Brenda's bubbly button and post it on your sidebar.
- Link your First Name/Blog Name and URL below.
- Add a short description (max of 125 chars). It could be a description of yourself, your blog or a teaser to your latest post.
- Follow at least 1 linkyer/blogger (Pay it forward is the name of the game).
- The list will be open for linkyers on Fridays (I've extended the closing time by the way, to accommodate my non-aussie peeps).
- A new and fresh link list will open every Friday. And you will have to link up AGAIN. The previous link list does not carry over to the following week.
- And lastly, have lotsa fun.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Things-that-are-awesome Thursday!
This Things-that-are-awesome Thursday brings you a place!
My long-time friends Bev Webb and Fredo Gonzalez have decided to be REALLY grown-up, (like, to an extent that I can't wrap my brain around, because I totally don't feel like a grown-up, even though we're all the same age,) and have opened Gainesville's newest beer bar!
The Midnight boasts more than 60 bottled beers from around the world, Seven beers on tap (with more to come!) and a full, diverse list of wines. There are also non-alcoholic beverages available for the designated drivers.
The atmosphere is intimate but fun, and I can easily foresee The Midnight becoming the "Cheers" of the Gainesville area. Popcorn is served instead of peanuts, and a food menu is going to be implemented in the near future.
While it is a very friendly place run by wonderful people, the atmosphere is definitely not "family friendly." It is, however, the perfect spot for a mom's night out, or a mommy and daddy date night, since it is definitely targeted towards the mature younger crowd. (Read as: You probably won't find the ridiculous hipsters, nor will you be surrounded by the frat boys and sorostitutes you would otherwise be subject to at the rest of Gainesville's drinking establishments.)
For those of you in the area, please - check it out. You won't be disappointed! For those of you not in the area... come visit. ;)
My long-time friends Bev Webb and Fredo Gonzalez have decided to be REALLY grown-up, (like, to an extent that I can't wrap my brain around, because I totally don't feel like a grown-up, even though we're all the same age,) and have opened Gainesville's newest beer bar!
The Midnight boasts more than 60 bottled beers from around the world, Seven beers on tap (with more to come!) and a full, diverse list of wines. There are also non-alcoholic beverages available for the designated drivers.
Swamp Head Brewery's Midnight Oil - a delicious coffee oatmeal stout from Gainesville's only brewery!
The atmosphere is intimate but fun, and I can easily foresee The Midnight becoming the "Cheers" of the Gainesville area. Popcorn is served instead of peanuts, and a food menu is going to be implemented in the near future.
Left to Right: Pages one through four of the "short" menu. The "long" menu also includes the history of the different types of beer, as well as tidbits on the different breweries and special brews.
While it is a very friendly place run by wonderful people, the atmosphere is definitely not "family friendly." It is, however, the perfect spot for a mom's night out, or a mommy and daddy date night, since it is definitely targeted towards the mature younger crowd. (Read as: You probably won't find the ridiculous hipsters, nor will you be surrounded by the frat boys and sorostitutes you would otherwise be subject to at the rest of Gainesville's drinking establishments.)
The specials board!
Even if The Midnight weren't owned and operated by friends of mine, I would still give it this glowing review. The prices are right, the ambiance is awesome, and one other VERY cool thing that I have yet to find: They take suggestions!!! Can't find a beer or wine on the menu that you'd desperately like to see? There is a suggestion box, where the suggestions are seriously entertained on a regular basis.
Bev Webb, proud co-owner, GM, Bartender and all-around awesome lady!
For those of you in the area, please - check it out. You won't be disappointed! For those of you not in the area... come visit. ;)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
My thank you speech...
Got eaten by the homework monster.
KB over at Wander Lust bestowed upon me my first (and very, very special, for a number of reasons,) award. Like I said, my thank you speech got eaten, but KB... Well, there aren't any words. Thank you for your support.
Behold, the "Don't Even Fuck With Me" award!
And now, I would like to pay it forward. There are a couple of amazing women that stand out in my mind who've been dealing with their share, and I think they need to know (in shiny graphic format) that I've got their backs.
KB, this one's for you too, honey. Wander Lust
Bonnie, you're stronger than you know. Your courage to say what you did proves it without a doubt. Violator
KB over at Wander Lust bestowed upon me my first (and very, very special, for a number of reasons,) award. Like I said, my thank you speech got eaten, but KB... Well, there aren't any words. Thank you for your support.
Behold, the "Don't Even Fuck With Me" award!
KB, this one's for you too, honey. Wander Lust
Bonnie, you're stronger than you know. Your courage to say what you did proves it without a doubt. Violator
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Introspection.
I've neglected Things-that-are-awesome Thursday, and FlogYoBlog Friday. I also have an award that I am deeply honoured to receive, but I am choosing to wait before publicly receiving it and sharing it.
I have had a week full of introspection about where my life is as an individual, because as a parent I'm really kind of right on track. That prevented me from blogging on Thursday.
Friday morning brought news of the tragic passing of a schoolmate that while I wasn't particularly close to, I had at least one class with every semester, for four years. The short of it is that she ended her own life.
This news had an unexpected effect on me. I've lost other classmates before, and as with this one, we were friendly but not close. I certainly mourned their passing, and felt a deep sympathy for their families and friends. They're ALL tragic in their own right - we're young in the grand scheme of things. Some left behind children, all left behind an aching void in the lives of those they were close to.
Heather's passing, however, left me a bit lost. Here's why: I've been there before.
I've toed the edge of the depthless chasm she ultimately stepped off of. I know what it's like to be enveloped in that darkness and that hopelessness. I even know what it's like to slip, though I'm incredibly blessed that there was miraculously someone there to throw me a rope when I had slipped over the ledge, before I hit the bottom from which I couldn't return.
I was angry when I learned of her death. I was angry that I hadn't reached out to her long before now, and I felt immensely guilty, knowing that I may have been able to, through my complete understanding of where she was, help her.
Of course, none of these feelings were valid logically, because I also know that when you set your mind to make that movement off the ledge, you mean it. I also know well that she had many friends and family who had tried to help her before.
What can I say? I'm semi-Catholic. Guilt is what I do.
I've decided that in addition to my other philanthropic pursuits, I want to give a little piece of myself to one more thing, on a more personal level.
I want every one of you, readers, to know that *someone* understands. If you ever find yourself so overwhelmed and exhausted that you're considering just giving up, know that there is someone who knows exactly where you are, and that they care. That I want you to make a bet with me and put up a fight, even if it's just to prove me wrong. Get angry, take solace, do whatever you must do. Just don't give up.
I can always be reached at accidentallymommy@gmail.com, and I often check here for comments multiple times a day.
Ultimately, there is no situation so bleak and hopeless that there is nothing left to live for. Someone will always care for you and be left feeling bereft at your absence, even if it is just an anonymous Accidental Mommy on the internet.
If you're so close that you don't think you can wait for me to check my email or my comments, there are other ways to find help and hope.
http://www.hopeline.com is the address for the Kristen Brooks Hope Center and the home of HopeLine, a 24 hour anonymous suicide prevention hotline. The telephone number is 1-800-suicide. (1-800-784-2433).
I mean it when I say that I love you. Every single one of you. It may not be on the same level as your most intimate friends and family, but it IS love, and love should always count for something.
Be well, my friends, and be kind to yourselves. You're always worth it.
I have had a week full of introspection about where my life is as an individual, because as a parent I'm really kind of right on track. That prevented me from blogging on Thursday.
Friday morning brought news of the tragic passing of a schoolmate that while I wasn't particularly close to, I had at least one class with every semester, for four years. The short of it is that she ended her own life.
This news had an unexpected effect on me. I've lost other classmates before, and as with this one, we were friendly but not close. I certainly mourned their passing, and felt a deep sympathy for their families and friends. They're ALL tragic in their own right - we're young in the grand scheme of things. Some left behind children, all left behind an aching void in the lives of those they were close to.
Heather's passing, however, left me a bit lost. Here's why: I've been there before.
I've toed the edge of the depthless chasm she ultimately stepped off of. I know what it's like to be enveloped in that darkness and that hopelessness. I even know what it's like to slip, though I'm incredibly blessed that there was miraculously someone there to throw me a rope when I had slipped over the ledge, before I hit the bottom from which I couldn't return.
I was angry when I learned of her death. I was angry that I hadn't reached out to her long before now, and I felt immensely guilty, knowing that I may have been able to, through my complete understanding of where she was, help her.
Of course, none of these feelings were valid logically, because I also know that when you set your mind to make that movement off the ledge, you mean it. I also know well that she had many friends and family who had tried to help her before.
What can I say? I'm semi-Catholic. Guilt is what I do.
I've decided that in addition to my other philanthropic pursuits, I want to give a little piece of myself to one more thing, on a more personal level.
I want every one of you, readers, to know that *someone* understands. If you ever find yourself so overwhelmed and exhausted that you're considering just giving up, know that there is someone who knows exactly where you are, and that they care. That I want you to make a bet with me and put up a fight, even if it's just to prove me wrong. Get angry, take solace, do whatever you must do. Just don't give up.
I can always be reached at accidentallymommy@gmail.com, and I often check here for comments multiple times a day.
Ultimately, there is no situation so bleak and hopeless that there is nothing left to live for. Someone will always care for you and be left feeling bereft at your absence, even if it is just an anonymous Accidental Mommy on the internet.
If you're so close that you don't think you can wait for me to check my email or my comments, there are other ways to find help and hope.
http://www.hopeline.com is the address for the Kristen Brooks Hope Center and the home of HopeLine, a 24 hour anonymous suicide prevention hotline. The telephone number is 1-800-suicide. (1-800-784-2433).
I mean it when I say that I love you. Every single one of you. It may not be on the same level as your most intimate friends and family, but it IS love, and love should always count for something.
Be well, my friends, and be kind to yourselves. You're always worth it.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It's Okay Tuesday
Borrowed from the ever-lovely Claire Marie, it's "Hey, it's okay!" Tuesday.
It's okay... to let your five year old run around the house half-naked. She's comfortable in her skin, and knows she has to wear clothes in public. Why not?
It's okay... to use abottle glass of wine as a self-bribe to get things done.
It's okay... to look the other way when the kids let the dog finish their dinner, once in a while.
It's okay... to mourn the loss of your favorite vibrator, due to old age, as though you would mourn the loss of a friend.
It's okay... to pick your kid up from school in pajamma pants once in a while.
It's okay... to let your five year old run around the house half-naked. She's comfortable in her skin, and knows she has to wear clothes in public. Why not?
It's okay... to use a
It's okay... to look the other way when the kids let the dog finish their dinner, once in a while.
It's okay... to mourn the loss of your favorite vibrator, due to old age, as though you would mourn the loss of a friend.
It's okay... to pick your kid up from school in pajamma pants once in a while.
OH. MY. GODS.
Are ya'll sitting down? Hang on, I need to.
Okay. Now I'm sitting.
I have 51 followers!!!!! I'm absolutely, completely, totally blown away.
Thank you, every single one of you, for listening to my ramblings. I can't believe that even one of you would, but 51 is unbelievable to me.
I will be getting the give-aways posted this week, and if there's anyone that would like free promotion by offering an item for the give-away, I'm happy to do more than five items to promote you as a "thank you" for following me. Email me at accidentallymommy@gmail.com if you're interested. :)
Okay. Now I'm sitting.
I have 51 followers!!!!! I'm absolutely, completely, totally blown away.
Thank you, every single one of you, for listening to my ramblings. I can't believe that even one of you would, but 51 is unbelievable to me.
I will be getting the give-aways posted this week, and if there's anyone that would like free promotion by offering an item for the give-away, I'm happy to do more than five items to promote you as a "thank you" for following me. Email me at accidentallymommy@gmail.com if you're interested. :)
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