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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

What I Would Say to Her

I was going through some photos recently and I stumbled upon this one. I can’t believe it was almost ten years ago that I earned a degree from graduate school. This photo was taken before I was married, owned a home or gave birth to my children.

Almost ten years ago.

That girl in the photo is quite different than the woman I am today. The core of who I am has remained the same but life experiences and various relationships have made me evolve as a person and ultimately, a mother. I guess I never realized how much marriage, a mortgage and motherhood would change my life.

If I could have a conversation and share ten things that I know now with the young woman staring back at me in this photograph, it would go something like this (in no particular order)…

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously or sweat the small stuff. There will be many moments on the road ahead that will require some serious thinking and decision making. Until then, now is the time to figure out what you really want out of life and just go for it.

2. Don’t get so caught up in looking so perfect. Appearances are only skin deep – and when you pop out that second kid anyway, you’ll be working overtime to fit back into those skinny jeans so don’t be so hard on yourself now. It only gets harder.

3. Learn to love your body. Laugh lines are evidence of a life well lived and stretch marks will be appreciated one day, for they will be reminders of the little blessings brought into this world.

4. Know who you are and what you value because these are the things that will get you through some real hard and trying times in your life. This will also help to keep you grounded as you venture out into the world.

5. Surround yourself with influential and positive people and don’t ever let anyone intimidate you. Forget the nonsense and the negativity and only invest your time in people who truly care about you and support you.

6. Love yourself. You can’t give love to anyone else if you don’t love yourself first.

7. Continue to do what makes YOU happy and don’t look back. Make good decisions and learn from your mistakes. Dust yourself off when you are down and get right back up to try again. Don’t ever give up on yourself or your ideals.

8. Make your own money. Follow your passion and pursue a career you truly enjoy to become financially independent.

9. Invest in a quality education – no matter what happens in your life (job loss, divorce, loss of home) your education is something that can never be taken away from you.

10. Don’t ever stop dreaming big dreams and love deeper than you ever thought possible. Embrace your loved ones and count your blessings – because life is too short not to.

I actually could go on and on with a list like this…if you saw a photo of your “younger” self, what is something you would say to that young person staring back at you?

A Party in My City

Last weekend I took my son and his friend to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s a Party in My City at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. My son was just as thrilled about this opportunity as I was and excited to see the “real” DJ Lance Rock {Lance Robertson} open the show! And joining DJ Lance were the full cast of characters including Brobee, Toodee, Foofa, Muno and Plex. From a Theta Mom’s perspective, it was very cool to see the characters my son has grown to love on stage live because the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba are seriously like celebrities in my house!

The show was non-stop energy from the moment the curtain opened. Just like the television show, the live aspect of this performance was infused with retro-style and music to different beats to teach life lessons through song and dance. When the cast sang and danced to one of his all-time favorite songs “Get the Sillies Out,” he jumped out of his seat and sang right along.

Even more exciting was when the real hip-hop legend Biz Markie took the stage! The audience went wild as he directly pulled some kids from the first few rows to teach them how to beat box with “Biz’s Beat of the Day.” There were also some special guests that joined the party on stage for the Super Music Friends Show and the Dancey Dance segments. It was during these times that audience participation was fully encouraged. The kids were out of their seats, clapping their hands and dancing to the music. Interactive, exciting and fun would be three easy words to describe this upbeat show and my son was smiling the entire time – which of course made me smile, too!

This was truly a state-of-the-art production featuring music, singing, dancing and even animation through a large backdrop. Most of the elements seen on the television show were integrated throughout this live performance. It truly was an experience that gave my son a chance to see some of his favorite characters “come to life” and I’m sure it’s one of those shows he’ll remember for a long time.

I highly recommend bringing your child to see this performance live if and when it comes to your city. I have to be honest though and share that I did not bring my two year-old daughter. My husband stayed home with her and I brought my son, his friend and her mom. (I was afraid that she would not have sat through the performance). But, having watched the show first hand and seeing how the characters truly engage the audience, I think she probably could have sat through it. My son is five and it was the perfect show for him as he loved every second of it!

Here is my son’s friend and her mom…

And my son and I getting ready to watch the big performance….

Overall, I could not say more great things about this show. If your child loves Yo Gabba Gabba it really is a must see! I give this show two huge thumbs up so if it arrives in your city, go party with the cast. Your children will think YOU are the superstar for taking them!

*I was provided four tickets to the performance of Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s a Party in My City at Radio City Music Hall. These are my own honest opinions about the performance reflective of my experience.

Featured TMC Blogger: Mommy Needs a Vacation

TMC welcomes Rachel, author of the blog Mommy Needs a Vacation. I think I first found Rachel on Twitter and she began blogging right around the time that TMC launched. I adore Rachel because she tells it like it is. She is so real and she knows exactly how difficult this motherhood gig can be and isn’t afraid to talk about it! She is a total Theta Mom and I know each and every one of you will love her. Moreover, she is sassy and hil-ar-ious! Reading her blog will bring a smile to your face and be sure to follow her on Twitter. She is one of my favorite tweeps! Here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hi, my name is Rachel and I am addicted to Twitter. Oh wait, that is for another meeting…I am a mom and YES I need a vacation. Why you ask? Because parenting is hard. Because parenting is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week JOB. Because with this job, I don’t build up vacation days to use at a later date. I have come to realize that the **put your feet up with a fruity cocktail vacation** is rare (and pricey) so I try my best to find small moments of time for just myself.

I started blogging back in March of this year to do something for myself and also to meet other amazing ladies out there who know what my day to day is like. I felt like I needed a little, “Oh I SO KNOW what you are talking about!” I also felt that after having two kids of mine own, I had opinions to share about motherhood. I wanted to share my experiences and let other moms know that it is okay to lose your temper, have a glass of wine at 5 o’clock (or sometimes earlier), feed your kids chicken nuggets every day and not shower. I wanted to let other moms know that it is okay to feel like you need a vacation from parenting.

I love writing, I love taking pictures and I love being funny. Thinking you are funny and making yourself laugh is always a good thing. I also like talking…like a lot, which is why I started vlogging too! I am so excited for other Theta Mom’s to come visit me, check out what I have to say, share a laugh with me and complain about needing a vacation along with me.

And until we all get our much deserved vacations, we are all just TAKING. IT. ONE. DAY. AT. A. TIME….preferably with a glass of wine (or two) or course.”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!  

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*Remember the new changes to TMC: In order to be considered as a future Featured TMC Blogger, you must be a member and leave a comment on the blog of the current Feature Blogger, so be sure to retweet and show some love! Have a wonderful weekend ladies!

Words of Wisdom for Newbie Bloggers

I am at a point in blogging where I consider myself among the ranks of veteran bloggers. I’ve been at this long enough to say with confidence that I have built a strong following, I know who I am and I know what this blog stands for. I have met tons of other bloggers and social media mavens along the way and have learned and networked at conferences. I’ve shaken the hands of others in the blogosphere at various events and this all equates to the fact that I know how this big bloggity blog world operates.

But, this revelation did not happen overnight and I’d like to add that I’ve paid my dues – and I am still paying them. Maintaining a blog takes endless hours of time and hard work including lots of blood, sweat and tears. This is easily a full-time job and those of you who have been blogging for at least a solid year know exactly what I’m talking about.

Blog success does NOT happen overnight and does not happen without oodles and oodles of endless hard work. There is no free hall pass when it comes to blogging and just when you think you’ve reached some success, you realize there is still a long way to go – but that’s the real beauty of this journey.

This post is not about how to build a following or how to maintain a true readership. I’ve written about those bloggy things before but I wanted to share some thoughts within the kind of post I wish I had read when I was just starting out…

Think of a time when you were the new kid on the block; maybe arriving at a new school or starting your very first day on the job of that brand new position – you had to learn the ropes. You had to understand the internal workings of that environment in order to function well within that organization. Well, the same principles are applied to blogging that can be noted:

1. Earn your rite of passage. We have all been there before and we all started the same way, with one lonely follower {and for the record, I adore Brittany and she is still with me today}. Think of an uber blogger that seems untouchable and think about their following. You have to remember that those uber bloggers were at one time newbie bloggers themselves! They didn’t get book deals and reach unimaginable bloggy status overnight. No. These women wrote their butts off and their amazing talent truly resonated with readers. These women found a niche that needed to be filled and have done so with style and grace. These women deserve every blog reader because they have worked for it. They’ve earned their rite of passage and you have to earn yours as well. You can’t enter the blogosphere expecting a handout. You have to work for it.

2. Don’t get too big for your britches. Once your blog does start to pick up some traction and your following begins to build, don’t forget what it was like to be a newbie. Treat every reader the way you want to be treated. We can all sense bloggy ego from afar. Remember who you are and where you came from. Staying grounded will be appreciated by many and it will set an example for future bloggers in the process. I’ve seen big egos turn some bloggers into different people and others have since lost interest. Stay authentic and true to who you are from the very beginning and your readers will stay the course, too.

And probably the most important five words that newbies need to hear if they want to maintain a long and lasting blog?

3. Don’t be a sell out. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is when I see new bloggers publish anything and everything that comes their way. They are willing to sell their souls for a few followers or a mere gift certificate. They don’t research the company they work with and the product they post about has absolutely nothing to do with their audience or even their blog. Why do they do it? For a few extra followers or to make it appear as though they are striking some uncharted, new bloggy ground? The fact of the matter is that many of us receive the same mass emails but the difference is that we recognize that it’s not the right fit for ourselves and our blogs so we decline. Be sure that with every product you endorse and every company you choose to work with, it’s the right fit for both you and your blog. Blogging about every promotion and press release certainly will not get you where you want to go. It may actually deter readers from returning.

At the end of the day there are no guarantees in this bloggy world, but what must stay at the forefront of every post is maintaining your readers’ trust and respect. If you lose that, you could have tons of followers and it wouldn’t mean a damn thing.

Don’t be a sell out – because we all know the kind of bloggers that do and we can smell them from a mile away.

And it aint pretty.

My Name in Print

Over the weekend I had a “light bulb” moment; a moment so strong and bright I was tempted to write or tweet Oprah and tell her about it. It’s the kind of thing that we search most of our lives trying to find – the right place to fit in and feel wanted, a chance to be ourselves in a space that allows us to follow our passion and chase a dream.

You may remember from my Project Mom Casting video that one of my childhood dreams was to become a Radio City Rockette. I was a dancer since the age of 3 and as a little girl it was all I ever really wanted to be.

Well, that and a writer.

I dreamt about publishing a book of my very own (one fine day) and seeing my name featured in a popular magazine. I guess I somehow always imagined my name in print.

{Insert light bulb moment}

I guess I always imagined my name in print.

Now I may not be the most gifted or technical writer out there but what I am sure of is that I have found my voice – and this voice has resonated with so many women and mothers.

THIS is what I was destined to do.

THIS is my call to action.

THIS has been a dream of mine and I am right now fulfilling it through this blog.

I *do* have my name in print and it can be seen at the very top of this post, “by Theta Mom.” And although I may not have 100,000 subscribers what I do have is an amazing, dedicated readership who actually care about what I have to say, who continue to come back again and again; women who continue to inspire me and make me want to do this every single day.

THAT is empowering.

THAT is why I blog.

And THAT is why I will continue to support this Mission.

My name *is* in print – and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next.