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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

The 48 Things You Never Knew About Me

I’ve seen this floating around the blogosphere and thought I would also bring a little old school blogging back as if it were 2009. Thanks to my bloggy friends Loukia, Elaine and Maria for reminding me about the good old days!!

So here goes:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? 

No. I think my parents thought they were being trendy by naming me Heather but as it turns out, Heather is a super popular name from the 70’s. Well alongside Jennifer, Lisa, Amy, Nicole, Jessica, Kimberly and Michelle of course. Guess my parents weren’t all that trendy. Go figure.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Not long ago, I shed tears of joy as I watched my son receive an award at school. Yeah, I was totally THAT mom. Not only was I a proud mom, but also grateful he attends such a wonderful school district.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

When I take my time, yes. On a day-to-day basis, not so much.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Holy random question! I’ll go with smoked turkey.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Yes. Two. And I’m done.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

Of course!!!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Actually, not really. At least I don’t try to.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Nope.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

If you asked me this when I was young, naive and 20, I would have said hell yeah! But now that I’m a mom and I panic over everything and well, I’m in my thirties *ahem* I have to go with a HELL NO.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Considering I lived on Fruity Pebbles in college (it was the perfect snack at 3 am in my dorm after a bar crawl) I would have to say I should have bought stock in it. For reals. Fruity Pebbles was my breakfast, lunch and dinner some days.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

No. Not because I’m lazy, I just don’t see the point when they can be slipped on and off easily without the drama of having to untie – and then tie them again.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Considering I birthed two children, I would say a resounding YES. And every mother just nodded in agreement with me.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Mint Chocolate Chip

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their teeth.

15. RED OR PINK?

Pink.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

I’m a worrier and ever since I had kids, my worry barometer has increased by a million. I worry about everything. I’m also a total germaphobe. I clean. A lot. It’s kind of a problem.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

My Nana. It will be five years since her passing this November and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?

Showing interest when my husband talks about politics, electronics or football.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Pink and black slippers.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

One of my kid’s leftover french toast stick. Aren’t you jealous?

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

The TV is on in the background.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Hot pink.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Salt water coming off the ocean.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?

I am not a political girl by nature. Never have been, probably never will be. It’s just not my thang.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?

BEACH HOUSE!!!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

I like to watch my kids play.

27. HAIR COLOR?

Blonde. It’s all natural of course 😉

28. EYE COLOR?

Blue

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Yes. Since 7th grade.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Raviolli.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Anything but scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Friends with Benefits

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Black

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Summer of course!

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Anything with chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?

Cardio because it helps you lose weight faster.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?

Ooooh, this is a tough one! I would say BOTH computer & TV. I just can’t choose one.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

I’m still trying to get though 50 Shades.

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Mouse pad? Is that thing still around???

40. FAVORITE SOUND?

Waves crashing onto shore.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?

Anything by Van Morrison.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Italy and Sicily.

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I have REALLY good intuition. I have great instincts and always follow them.

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

The REAL Jersey Shore.

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?

I’m still a Jersey girl.

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?

Cream.

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?

White.

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?

It has been fabulous.

Now – it’s your turn!!! Tweet me a link to your post if you decide to hop on the old school blogging train. I would love to read it!

The 21 Day Challenge is On

Morning and night, I stand next to my kids at the bathroom sink as they brush their teeth and it feels like the never-ending saga. Each time I stand there I sound like a broken record, reviewing the importance of good oral hygiene habits as they roll their eyes and complain.

Because really, is there ever a day I ask them to go brush, do they do so without dragging their feet?

Unfortunately, that’s always the scene in my house. In fact, I find it tiresome to be going over the same mantra with them every single day, stressing the importance of brushing, flossing and even mouth washing. I continuously feel as though my kids are simply going through the motions. If I wasn’t standing there morning and night like a watchdog, who knows how often or how long they would actually brush. And I’m pretty certain they would skip the flossing and everything else.

The bottom line is that I’m not sure my kids understand the severe consequences of not keeping up with good oral hygiene, nor do they appreciate my efforts in teaching them the steps toward maintaining a healthy mouth.

Sound familiar Theta Moms?

Well, then read on because I’m about to begin a 21 Day Challenge by the makers of LISTERINE® and I’m getting my children involved, too! I’m proud to help kick off the 21 Day Challenge with my pledge to improve my oral health (as well as my whole family’s oral health) within 21 days by brushing, flossing and using LISTERINE® ULTRACLEAN twice a day.

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Not only will I pledge to take part in this challenge, my kids will be involved the entire way as well. After I started reading some shocking facts, I’m pretty confident you’ll want to jump on board the 21 Day Challenge as well…

Did you know that oral disease is now the most chronic childhood illness in the USA? It saddens me to know that millions of children are suffering from pain so deep that it affects their ability to eat, sleep and learn. It’s been documented that as many as 130 million Americans lack dental insurance, including more than 15.4 million children. My kids don’t know how lucky they really are.

I was also shocked to learn that brushing alone misses 75% of our mouth. And even if you brush twice a day (which is the standard around here) you’re most likely missing a majority of your mouth which leaves room for germs to grow. By using a LISTERINE® Antiseptic mouthwash twice a day for 30 seconds, you can clean virtually 100% of your mouth with up to 5 times healthier gums in 2 weeks and up to 9 times healthier gums in 4 weeks. So basically, brushing alone won’t do the trick!

I pitched this to my kids that it’s only going to take literally ONE more minute during our normal routine. I am crazed in the mornings getting the kids ready for school so there are often times we skip the mouthwash. So, this 21 Day Challenge will force both myself as well as the kids to be sure this becomes part of our daily routine. Hey, we can find one minute in our day to do this, right? I’m excited to see how this 21 Day Challenge turns out and now I’m challenging YOU to join me!

For every person who signs up for the challenge on Facebook, the LISTERINE® Brand will make a contribution to help Oral Health America’s Smiles Across America® program toward their goal of connecting 210,000 children with needed oral health services in 2013.

How awesome is that?

You can learn more about the partnership with Oral Health America, as well as sign up for a fun reminder app by visiting the 21 Day Challenge on Facebook. We look forward to seeing you there!

Disclosure: I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® 21 Day Challenge. I was also compensated for my participation in this program. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Blogging Opportunity with momAgenda® COMM

I am writing with some VERY exciting news today.  I have been an avid spokesperson for the brand momAgenda®, serving as the Brand Ambassador since 2010. Part of my job at momAgenda® is to lead and manage an amazing, talented team of women called the Council of Media Moms. And since it’s the beginning of a New Year, Nina and I are at it again – we are looking to expand the Team! 

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That’s right – momAgenda and I are looking for YOU! Not a mom? No problem! We are also seeking influential women to help market the myAgenda product line. Nina is especially interested in bloggers that fulfill any of the following blog niches:

Mom Bloggers

Wedding/Bridal Bloggers

Fashion Bloggers

Foodie Bloggers

Design Bloggers

Fitness Bloggers

Craft bloggers

Business Owner Bloggers

Frugal Bloggers

Finance Bloggers

momAgenda® is seeking to collaborate with professional and passionate women to lead this mission in marketing momAgenda through the business blog and social media platforms, including the Facebook page which has an audience of over 23,000 dedicated fans!

Council of Media Moms at momAgenda (better known as COMM) is an online initiative that was established to garner important insight into the needs and wants of the momAgenda community, fostering a true brand/blogger relationship. The connections formed are paramount; momAgenda strives to cultivate a supportive community of bloggers that embraces this mission and is dedicated to high standards of integrity and excellence in the digital world.

So, do you want to be a member of the COMM Team at momAgenda? Of course you do, because it’s an absolute wonderful opportunity!

We are currently accepting applications now through Feb. 27th. For further information and full details about this program and the benefits of being a member of COMM, be sure to check out the momAgenda website. If you have any questions about COMM, please feel free to email me anytime: HeatherR {at} momagenda {dot} com.

***Please help us spread the word about COMM on Twitter: Copy/paste the following and tweet as often as you like!

Blogging Opportunity with Council of Media Moms @momAgenda Details & Application: http://bit.ly/WUfHHS #momAgendaCOMM

We are looking forward to collaborating with you!

The Consequence of Sandy on My Shore {in Pictures}

This is the beach that my kids love every single summer.

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This is the bedroom where my children sleep in the summer.

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This is where my kids watch tv.

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This is where they play in the yard.

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This is where they ride their bikes.

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This is the clubhouse where my kids play ping pong and listen to music. {The entire back wall on the right has been ripped away}.

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This is the same place where I had my engagement party.

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And had my first dance.

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This is where I grew up and spent every single summer.

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Sandy. She’s so easy to forget unless you are the one who is experiencing it. My beloved Jersey Shore has been changed forever.

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And I’m not quite sure we’ll ever be the same.

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Four Going on Fourteen

My daughter is four and I’m already dreading the tween years. I can’t even imagine what the r-e-a-l teenage years will bring. Wait, I said she was four so why am I already saying this?

Well, my adorable toddler-turned-little-girl-virtually-overnight loves to dress up. She likes clothing, accessories and all things nice…just like her mama.

Ahem.

She’s at that age where she loves to wear headbands, cute boots and she loves to pick out her own outfits in the morning, with a little help from her mama of course.

She’s at that adorable age where princesses are still her heroes and chasing butterflies are worth catching. And that Daddy is and always will be the only man in her life.

She’s at that age that we are still total BFF’s.

I’ll take it while the getting is still good because the other day I had a vision of what life will be like in about seven years, maybe even six.

You see, one of our friends gave her an adorable gift set for Christmas – it was a cute container with some fun nail polish colors, lip gloss and even some body lotion – the perfect little pint sizes for my little girl. Of course she went nuts over it.

She loves getting her nails painted and tries to act like she’s 15 wearing a little lip gloss around the house. But I’m not ready for her to start sporting that stuff in public just yet. I don’t need her looking like Toddlers and Tiaras anytime soon. She’s four and I like to keep her that way as long as humanly possible. So lip gloss in the house is where it stays.

Anyhoo, we were getting ready for preschool the other morning when I had my holy-cow-what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-do-when-this-kid-actually-becomes-a-teenager-if-this-is-what-I-already-see-right-now moment. She finished putting on her coat and boots when I grabbed her backpack and heard jingling coming from inside. The backpack also felt much heavier than normal.

She stood there with a mischievous smirk on her face as I opened her backpack.

And inside, what did I find?

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The gift set from our friends. Yeah, apparently my daughter had plans to take it to school because she and her little four year-old friends were all going to play beauty parlor.

And her last words before I took the set from out of the bag?

“For real mommy.”

My final thoughts on this little incident?

Well, it’s kind of hard to say since all I could think about is the vision of her leaving the house in one outfit and sneaking another in her backpack. The outfit she would change into which includes that little black mini skirt, you know, the one that I would detest and her father would want to burn – I have a feeling were in for quite a ride.

Four going on fourteen. Please send wine.