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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

A Father’s Day Gift Aimed to Please

Every year I am faced with the same dilemma – what will I get my husband as a gift to show my appreciation and gratitude for everything he does for us as a family? Just as I search aimlessly on the internet at holiday time, I never know what he could really use and enjoy. But one thing I do know for sure is that if I go with anything tech or tv related, I probably can’t lose.

Recently, my son has been complaining that he loses our WiFi signal in our home when he’s in his bedroom. He ends up having to play his iTouch and other devices in his sister’s bedroom or our room if he’s upstairs. My husband also discovered other “dead zones” in our home not too long ago…so I thought I’d do some research on a WiFi Range Extender because this would be the perfect contender for a Father’s Day gift – the gift of uninterrupted WiFi!

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So I partnered with Staples to test out the NETGEAR Universal WiFi Range Extender WN3000RP. I needed a product that I could set up within minutes without messing with my modem and other important wires and connections. I didn’t want any extra wires hanging around and I needed a product that came with super easy installation – like plug in and go in under five minutes. So I wanted to see if this device really lived up to what all of the 250+reviews said about it online.

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Using the installation guide, you have two options for setup – Option 1 connects with WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) or Option 2 – connects without WPS by using a web browser setup guide. I had to choose option 2 because our wireless router is really vintage (our router lacks the WPS button).  I am not kidding when I say it was easy peasy to setup. If I could do it, you could do it! It took a total of five minutes to perform Option 2:

I plugged in the Extender and connected to it via my Laptop. Once the connection was established, I connected it to my WiFi network and it directed me to an on-screen setup guide on my Laptop. It walked me though the following easy steps: I chose the Wi-Fi network I wanted to extend, entered the security passcode for my network, chose a name for the Extender network and connected my wireless devices to my new Extender network.

That’s it!

The big test was finding out if there were any more dead spots around our house once the Extender network was alive and well. Sure enough, once the Extender was connected to our WiFi Network, we no longer have any more dead spots around the house! I really have no other words for you other than, “That was easy!” I think my husband will be very happy this Father’s Day with the gift of uninterrupted WiFi.

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You can purchase the NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender WN3000RP for $69.99 here and be sure to follow Staples on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest product information.

Disclosure: Theta Mom® abides by word of mouth marketing standards and believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. I received the NETGEAR Universal Wifi Range Extender WN3000RP product from Staples, Inc. to facilitate this review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

On Sons and Daughters

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I took this photo of my children on the beach one week before Sandy hit. I had them dressed up because I wanted to get some good shots for our annual Christmas card. Once I started snapping the camera it was amazing what I began to see on the other side of the lens – in this particular photo, I reflected on the kind of individuals I hope my son and daughter grow up to be and nothing summed it up better than that memory captured here…

Two of my favorite bloggy friends Galit and Alison are hosting a wonderful blog meme called #MemoriesCaptured where the idea is to take a photo and add in some text to highlight the memory captured from that particular moment. They have an open linkup on their blogs so you can join in.

It’s such an awesome idea and I am so glad to see it back in the blogosphere right now – because it was the absolute perfect opportunity to share my own captured memory with you.

I Wanted Her to Wait for Me

They called her name.

She walked toward the podium and stepped up onto the stairs. She grabbed the preschool principal’s hand and walked alongside her. Once she reached the end of the pathway, her new principal – the Kindergarten principal was there waiting for her.

Without delay, the preschool principal placed my daughter’s hand into the hands of the Kindergarten principal. At that symbolic moment, my heart ached. I knew this would be the last time I would ever be visiting this school. It would be the last time I would ever have a child in preschool.

All of those days are over.

I started to cry as I emphatically watched this man gently walk with my daughter along a new path – the path toward Kindergarten. She turned toward the audience and everyone applauded.

It was official. She “graduated” from preschool. My daughter was beaming.  And I? Well, I was motionless trying desperately to keep this fleeting moment from passing me by…and just like that, it did.

I wanted time to stand still.

I wanted to freeze this very moment.

I wanted the last five years back.

I wanted her to wait for me.

But the reality is, I don’t think I would ever be ready to let her go…because she is my last baby.

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I will miss the days I heard her feet pitter pattering through the house all day long, her laughter echoing through the halls and those moments of sharing smiles during snack time. I’ll miss her silly little games, her endless need to say my name over and over, and the many adventures we shared together.

And I know I have so many new adventures to look forward to – many new milestones and graduations await us. But this one is different somehow. It’s all just so, final.

I don’t want another baby – this feeling is NOT about yearning to have another child; it’s the reality that my baby has left the nest and that there are no more children in my future.

It’s the reality that this chapter in my life will forever be closed.

In November of 2010, I wrote On Knowing When You’re Done and I stand by my words, I believe a woman just knows when she’s done.

But just because you’re done doesn’t mean that “being done” is easy. And at times like these, especially since she’s my last child, I can attest to that.

I am struggling with my new reality of having an empty nest in September and I’m having a hard time letting go – because I just wanted to her to wait for me.

Lunchbox Love® is Building a Mom Panel

I announced on Tuesday that I am the Brand Ambassador for Say Please, Inc., an amazing woman-owned brand that founded Lunchbox Love® the original lunchbox notes. I couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity since I will be working with the kind of company who is sending a wonderful and powerful message – something we certainly could use more of these days.

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Lunchbox Love® is much more than a product created to make children smile; it is part of a bigger mission to spread the word about the importance of positive parenting as well as to form the foundation of positive messaging with our children.

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And the best part? The Say Please, Inc. team wants to connect with YOU!

That’s right Theta Moms! We are currently looking to form an influential panel of moms to help begin building the important dialogue of the Lunchbox Love® mission and spread the word about this amazing product.

Are you a blogger in search of a paid opportunity? Are you a blogger who wants to connect with a fabulous woman-owned brand? Are you a mom who supports this product? We want to hear from you!!

In case you missed it, you can read more about Lunchbox Love® on my announcement post and be sure to check out the full details about the Mom Panel requirements directly on the Say Please site.

Are you a great fit? Then apply to become a member of the Lunchbox Love® Mom Panel by filling out this super easy Google doc here. Apply now! Application deadline is June 21st.

We will be utilizing the hashtag #LBLmoms on Twitter so be sure to tweet and connect with us! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Excited about this paid opportunity? We are, too! Help us spread the word via Twitter with this simple copy and paste: Have you heard? @Lunchbox_Love is seeking bloggers for a Mom Panel! I just applied & you can, too! Details: http://bit.ly/17hS5UN #LBLmoms

As always, thanks again for your support!

Exciting New Brand Partnership with Theta Mom®

I’ve always been very selective of the brands I partner with. I am careful to only endorse companies that I truly believe in. As a blogger in this space for several years, I (like many bloggers) get tons of pitches daily. Often times, I politely decline because it’s just not the right fit or not the right time to work together. But then, there are those magical emails that come along with an opportunity I am so proud to accept.

I am a big believer that by being so selective over the years, it shows I place high value on my own brand – which helps to keep Theta Mom® moving forward, stronger. I am honored to be the Brand Ambassador of this amazing woman-owned brand:

Meet Lunchbox Love®

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Lunchbox Love® is a product developed by the founder of Say Please, Inc., Judi Willard. As a mom of two and licensed psychotherapist, she decided to create a company that generated a product full of positive messaging to help boost children’s self-esteem and make them smile.

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As seen on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The Wall Street Journal to name a few, the mission behind Lunchbox Love® serves a huge purpose that goes far beyond the lunchbox. It’s the idea of communicating to our kids that we love, respect, and honor them. This is the kind of daily reminder that is the perfect way to bring positive messaging into our children’s lives, especially when cannot be there. What a wonderful concept!

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In addition, a portion of the profits from Say Please, Inc.’s products go to a specially selected charity so this proves that this company is out to change the lives of others, including yours. You can purchase Lunchbox® Love directly from the company site or you can purchase them at fine stores such as Pottery Barn Kids.

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When I share a brand partnership such as this, of course I am thrilled, but it’s even sweeter for me when I can share the news that YOU can also partner with Lunchbox® Love!

That’s right!! The team at Say Please, Inc. will be seeking bloggers to develop a panel of moms! I will be giving full details of this amazing paid blogging campaign very soon! If you are a blogger and you are a mom, we will definitely want to hear from you!!

Please get to know Lunchbox Love® on Twitter and Facebook and tell them I sent you!

The team at Say Please is looking to collaborate with influential moms of the Theta Mom® community and I would love for you to connect with a brand that supports other women in business – they certainly have my seal of approval.