Subscribe & receive all blog updates straight to your email!

Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

I Met Him in a Hoboken Bar

I want to preface this post by saying thank you. Thank you to those of you who left such amazing comments on my recent personal post. This was a big risk for me but your overwhelming response and support made me realize it was a chance worth taking. Having said that, I’m sharing another part of me. Another risk? Maybe. But I’m willing to take that chance again…

St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

1999.

I was seeing a guy who was considerably older than me. At the time I was 23 and he was 40. He was very attractive, seasoned, intriguing and I liked it. Dating him was exciting and in some ways mysterious, especially for a young woman my age. One of my girlfriends was visiting me from college that weekend so I was going to meet up with this guy and some of his friends in Hoboken, NJ {which is a great town located right over the river from NYC}.

About an hour before we were supposed to leave my phone rang. It was the very attractive, seasoned 40 year-old…

He told me he was really sorry but he wouldn’t be able to get together that night. One of his buddies got some last minute tickets to go see the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden. And he decided to go.

Yes, I was totally getting ditched for a Knicks game.

“But maybe we could possibly meet for drinks in the city afterwards?” Ummmm, thanks but no thanks.

After I hung up I must admit I was upset and disappointed, considering I was really starting to like this guy. It changed my whole mood and I almost didn’t even want to go out at all that night. But after a pep-talk and a few phone calls to rally some more troops, my girlfriend convinced me to have fun and make a night out of it in Hoboken without him.

So there I was in the middle of this bar – rockin’ some tall black boots, a black mini-skirt and a green St. Patrick’s Day hat. I was doing my thing on the dance floor when all of a sudden I saw him. No, not the 40 year-old but someone I instantly connected with.

He was magnetic.

I know what you’re thinking – how could you possibly “connect” with someone in the middle of a smoke-filled bar with music blasting and wall-to-wall people everywhere? Honestly, to this very day it’s hard for me to put into words.

When our eyes met it’s like the music faded, the smoke cleared and he was the only one I saw in that bar just like slow motion right out of a movie scene. This is the kind of stuff you only read about and it was happening to me. As cliche as this sounds, it really was love at first sight.

But there was no way in hell I was going up to him so I did the only thing I knew a girl could do. I continued to do my thing on the dance floor hoping and waiting for him to come over and talk to me. So after about ten minutes of these flirty looks going back and forth, Mr. McDreamy pulled some courage together and finally approached me. He stood in the middle of the dance floor and grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eyes, leaned over and asked “What’s your name?”

What’s Your Name? – The line that would ultimately lead him to the altar, a home and two beautiful children.

What’s Your Name? – Three words that would begin a romance and a magical journey of a life we would build together.

What’s Your Name? – The phrase that has since changed my life. His life. Our lives.

What’s Your Name? – The question I answered and the rest really? Is history.

Yes, I met my husband in a bar and I thank my lucky stars that the Knicks played some basketball that night. Because of a mere NBA game, my journey ended with one man and truly began with another.

And it all started with three words in a Hoboken bar.

This is Me: A Personal Post

I’m beginning to think that after last week it can only go up from here. It started with my epic parent fail and the drama of being THAT mom. I was just trying to keep it real as any Theta Mom would but when I blogged about the truth of performing reviews and giveaways, I sensed that I was in some serious need for some positive vibes on the blog.

I was thinking about a previous post about what makes bloggers REALLY follow a blog. What I found interesting is that the bloggers who commented actually admitted to following a blog because the person behind the blog is someone they could actually picture themselves being friends with in real life; a blogger who they connect with which may even override amazing content alone.

I was inspired by this discussion so I’ve decided to publish a post just. about. me. Something I rarely do but hoping you take this as an opportunity to get to know me a little better all in an effort to establish a further connection with you – the BEST readers on the planet.

So here we go ladies, in no particular order:

I am dreamer and a realist depending on the situation.

I love to write.

I am an over-analyzer especially if I can’t make an immediate decision.

I adore make-up and my must haves are some foundation, black mascara and a slammin’ good lipstick.

I am petrified of bees.

I love vanilla ice-cream.

I have one (in particular) wonderfully written children’s manuscript just waiting to be published. I am still holding out for that big break and I won’t stop until I am officially a published children’s book author.

I grew up at The Jersey Shore but my Jersey Shore is nothing like that portrayed on MTV.

The ocean is one of my favorite “places” in the world.

I met my husband in a bar. (I think that deserves its own post so, to be continued…)

I attended graduate school in NYC, an unforgettable experience and impressionable time in my life.

I have two beautiful children.

I love to dance.

I took a pottery class and used to belong to a book club before I had kids. I was an avid reader and now? I read blogs…

I used to work out like a fanatic and now I am just trying to lose some of this “baby” weight. The operative word here is *trying*

My home used to be spotless…and then I had kids.

I never knew how much the Earth would shift when I became a mother.

I am currently a WAHM making this all work, every day.

I know who I am.

I know what I stand for.

I know what I want out of life.

I have high expectations and I am inspired by driven people.

I don’t tolerate negativity.

I admire women at the forefront of chasing after a dream.

I continue to dream big dreams and I encourage my children to dream big dreams…

I am strong-willed and full of conviction.

I am passionate, determined and hard working. I have an amazing work ethic and I have my parents to thank for that.

I had an unbelievable childhood – we didn’t have much money, but I was loved more than you could ever imagine. I am trying to replicate my childhood experience with my own children – and I’ll consider myself lucky if I can be even half of a parent that my own parents were to me.

I am learning from my mistakes and becoming a better mother in the process.

This blog has taught me more about myself and the sisterhood of motherhood.

This blog has become a platform to share my ideas and aspirations that I never even knew existed. I never knew how much I would love this blog and the ability to share my voice…

I am a Theta Mom – and I couldn’t be happier that you are here with me.

LeapFrog Digital Camera Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Cindy! An email has been sent.***

Sakar is an electronics manufacturer that has been in business for over 30 years. They offer everything in electronics from kids to adult products. This company has showrooms and distribution centers worldwide and is a leader in technology trends since they are the #1 supplier to mass retailers. Sakar is clearly at the forefront of offering great products to consumers at affordable prices. Sakar contacted me to the review LeapFrog’s Digital Camera. As a Theta Mom who fully endorses LeapFrog products and having a four-year old son who fell in love with the Leapster2 {you can read that review here} I knew the Click n’ Create LeapFrog Digital Camera would be a great fit!

The LeapFrog Digital Camera comes with interactive software created by award-winning developers. It’s a 2.1 megapixel camera with a 1.5” preview screen that takes up to 100 photos with Built-In Memory. It also has a Built-In Flash and is specially designed for the hands of children. Once uploaded, kids can edit their photos like a real professional by adding text and using drawing tools! You can easily print and share these photos, too but what’s more is that there are interactive games included right in the software. This encourages children to create stories and use memory books to feature their photos. The camera is designed for children ages 4-8 and is certainly one of my son’s new favorite things.

LeapFrog does an amazing job of providing fun, educational toys that truly integrate learning. When my son plays on a LeapFrog product, he is learning while having fun and the digital camera is no exception. Although my son loves clicking the camera to take his “perfect” photos, he really enjoys being a master of editing them and playing around with the features. The games are an added bonus and like the Leapster2, the camera is another handheld device that certainly keeps his attention. In fact, iParentingMediaAwards gave the LeapFrog Digital Camera an award for its outstanding capabilities which you can check out here.

You can purchase The LeapFrog Digital Camera for $49.99 here or you can enter to win because Sakar is giving one lucky Theta Mom reader the chance to win a Leafrog Digital Camera!

How to Enter The LeapFrog Digital Camera Giveaway:

****Required Entry: Follow my blog publicly and tell me you are. ****

**Extra Entries: (You must leave a separate entry for each extra entry to count and extra entries won’t count unless the required entry is done)


1. Follow Theta Mom on Twitter here and leave me your twitter name. (1 entry)

2. Become a “Like” of Theta Mom on Facebook here and leave me your FB name. (1 entry)

3. Subscribe to Theta Mom via email. You must activate the subscription for this entry to count. (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Theta Mom any other way. (1 entry)

5. Grab one of my cute buttons and add it to your website. (2 entries per button)

6. Click to vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs. Just click the banner on the right side bar and tell me you clicked. (1 entry per click-can click up to 3x)

7. Join my BlogFrog Community here and leave me your BlogFrog profile name. (1 entry)

8. Tweet this giveaway! Just copy/paste the following: LeapFrog Giveaway! Enter to win a #LeapFrog Digital Camera #giveaway @ThetaMom http://bit.ly/ajsBMK Please RT (1 entry per daily tweet)

9. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to me. Leave me your link to show the post. (2 entries)

10. Add Theta Mom to your blogroll. (2 entries)

Giveaway Rules:

This giveaway is open to US residents only. It begins on May 23, 2010 and will end on June 3, 2010 at 8 pm. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. The winner will be announced and must respond with a current email address within 48 hours to claim. Otherwise, another eligible entry will be chosen. Enter as many extra entries as you would like Theta Moms and good luck!

I was provided a LeapFrog Digital Camera from Sakar, Inc. I was not compensated for this review. These are my own honest opinions and my son’s experience with the product.

Featured TMC Blogger: Laugh Until You Cry

TMC welcomes Beth from Laugh Until You Cry. Beth was one of the very first bloggers on board the TMC train and has been a fan of Theta Mom for quite some time now. She blogs about the adventures of raising her little boy and also shares everyday thoughts in her posts. She just started a photography blog, too! She is an open and honest blogger, something I immediately connected to when I began reading. This is how Beth describes her blog in her own words:

Laugh Until You Cry Button

“Hi everyone, my name is Beth and I am a mother to an amazing little boy who is making his way to two and wife of three years to my very best friend. I used to teach music to grades K-4 but did not get rehired at the end of last school year, so now I am substitute teaching for a couple of local school districts. I have changed direction a time or two, starting with getting certified to teach in an elementary classroom instead of doing the music thing, then taking up photography as more than a hobby. I am very much an amateur at the photography thing, but I am working hard and getting better every day.

Laugh Until You Cry actually started out as “Baby P Makes 3” back in May of 2008 as a place to keep the details of my pregnancy and the transition into motherhood in one spot, as well as to keep family and friends updated on both. I kept up with blogging for about a year, just posting here and there, until April 2009, which is when I found out I would not be working at the school district I was in anymore. At that point I turned to blogging as therapy, as a way to connect with others, as a way to feel like I was not the only person suffering through some troubling times. It turned into much more than a blog about *just* my son. It is where I put my every day thoughts, where I come for sanctuary from the whirlwind days I experience, and yes, it is where I still keep track of my family’s adventures.

The name change to “Laugh Until You Cry” came about once I realized how much bigger (to me) the blog had become. It needed a new name and a new look and I successfully changed it to something that I could continue to grow with. Laugh Until You Cry means to experience every day, whether its full of laughs or tears, or both, because no matter what is coming your way it could be different, and what it all comes down to is that everything happens for a reason. I’m as real as honest as it gets and I do my best to tell it like it is. If you visit you’ll see some serious mixed with some funny and plenty of pictures. I hope you’ll come by!”

Be sure to show her some love on the blog and follow her on Twitter!

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

The Blogging Truth about Reviews and Giveaways

I was sifting through my emails recently when a large company contacted me requesting that I review one of their products and they would also sponsor a giveaway for a lucky reader to win. This came from a reputable company and the communication was much like that of any other review and giveaway I performed in the past so I really didn’t give it much thought. I was just about to commit until I received a deal breaker email from this company soon following…

In addition to the review that I would typically perform, this company wanted me to write a personal post prior to the actual live review and somehow incorporate their links to very specific places on their site within a personal post within the first few paragraphs. As a blogger who blogs with integrity this is where I draw the line. This company clearly wasn’t interested in a true “product review.” They were interested in generating traffic from a target audience hitting a very specific area of their site over period of time. The irony here is that the product they wanted me to initially review had nothing to do with the links they wanted me to place in a personal post.

So this got me thinking, when we perform product reviews do we supply links to specific areas of a business or company’s website to generate traffic? Of course we do – that’s part of a full review post that we as bloggers agree to, write and publish in exchange for free, fully disclosed product(s) but certainly not to be added within a non-related personal post that has direct links “embedded” in the text. Hence, I declined their offer.

The reality of all of this PR business is that many of whom that reach out are legitimate marketers looking for and establishing a connection and relationship with bloggers BUT there are tons of other PR reps that I would be leery of so you really need to research those you choose to work with. This also raises the question about how many reviews and giveaways you as a blogger should want to commit yourself to… 

I wrote a pledge to my readers that the content of this blog will always speak for itself. I never want to be labeled as just a “review” blogger and although reviews and giveaways are a wonderful addition to the content of Theta Mom, it is certainly not the sole source that keeps this blog running. Therefore, it is essential that YOU create some standards and requirements for yourself and have them set forth on your blog – and this will vary from blogger to blogger. Ultimately, you have to make decisions that make sense to YOUR blog.

Now I am not the first blogger to address this topic nor will I be the last. Scary Mommy recently wrote a post including some links and posing a question from a monetizing standpoint which is very relevant in the blogosphere right now. I don’t have all the answers nor do I claim to but what I can share are some of the things I’ve learned along the way (by performing reviews and giveaways on my own site) that may help out other bloggers grappling with this process.

My Top Four Review and Giveaway Rules:

1. Research the company or business extremely well before you commit to any review/giveaway and know exactly WHO you are dealing with. A few clicks within a simple Google search is a great start. Make sure this is a legitimate business worth your time and your readers’ time. What may be a good fit for one blogger may not be for another. You have to decide if it is right for YOU. Know who you are in constant contact with whether it’s a PR rep or the actual business owner and establish that relationship from the very beginning.

2. Understand the full requirements “agreed” upon by yourself and the company/business. If they are sponsoring a giveaway, what are the terms and conditions? Who is responsible for paying the shipping and coordinating the winner’s prize? Are they requiring specific links? What is the anticipated time frame and what are their expectations of you as a blogger? What are your standards as a blogger and did you communicate this clearly to the prospective business?

3. Do not accept every pitch that comes your way. When PR reps do not address my name in an email it shows me two things: They didn’t take two seconds to read my name in my About page (which is the very first sentence) and they didn’t take two minutes to read my Mission so how would they really know if Theta Mom is a perfect fit for their product when they didn’t even read my blog? The bottom line is if marketers can’t take the time to initially read our blogs then why should we take the time to respond to them? In my opinion, respond to those who actually read your blog and address you by your name in an email. Everything else you receive in your inbox is borderline spammy.

4. Above all, set some standards for yourself and your blog and live by those rules. As I previously mentioned, it is YOUR blog. YOU call the shots. YOU make the decisions. YOU set the precedent so be selective with who you work with – it will actually make you more marketable because readers will know you are not publishing every pitch that comes your way. In this sense, you are being selective in who you choose to work with (companies and products you fully endorse) and that will come across in your writing.

If you are hesitant with working with a company or a specific product for any reason, it’s ok to say no! It’s not worth attaching your name to something that may not be a good fit. I’m not saying you can’t perform honest reviews, sharing perhaps the negative aspect of a particular product or company. What I am saying is don’t associate yourself with companies like those I addressed at the beginning of this post as THAT would not be deemed as honest practice.

So what’s the valuable lesson here? Set some standards for yourself that work for you as well as your blog – and live by those rules. And those emails sent to you addressed as “Good Morning,” “Hello,” or my absolute favorite, “Dear Blogger…” Move it right to trash.

Because you have better things to write about.