Making Life Easier

I am far from a domestic diva. As a matter of fact on any given day in my home you will see piles of clean clothes that need to be folded and put away, clean dishes in my dishwasher and a bit of general disarray. I have also always been somewhat of a pack rat and have a tendency to keep tons of paper lying around. In a perfect world, I'd have someone come in and help me get organized but unfortunately that is not going to happen. I also suspect that even if I were gifted with a home organizer that organization would be short-lived, you know what they say - old habits die hard!

As a result of my general disorganization, I tend to leave heavy cleaning duties until they are absolutely necessary. Case in point? My oven. My old oven was not self cleaning so I would have to pull out the foaming cleaners and subject myself to the noxious fumes and use elbow grease to get that job done. Fortunately for me, those days are over! Thankfully, I am a Frigidaire Testdrive mom and I have been given a standing range that is self-cleaning and will do the work for me. All I am required to do is remove the oven racks, press two buttons and let the cleaning begin! Here is a quick vlog that I did to show you just how simple cleaning my oven has become (Please excuse my crazy appearance, in my attempt to get some things accomplished today make-up was not a priority!)




My self-cleaning oven is saving me time, no longer do I have to get on my knees and spend hours cleaning. I can use that time to try and do other things like grocery shop and perhaps tackle those loads of laundry!

Boo at the Zoo!

On Sunday Mekhi took his first carousel ride at Zoo Atlanta. We were attending the annual Boo at the Zoo! celebration and he had a wonderful time. During the event there are six "trick or treat" stations set up in the park. I really like this idea because it keeps the amount of candy collected to a minimum and because there are animals to distract my son I was able to get away with taking most of his candy without much protest from him.

We saw this beautiful tiger come down to take a drink and I had to catch a quick snapshot. It seemed like our timing was perfect for everything, most of the animals made an appearance shortly after we arrived at each exhibit. And as any zoo going person knows it is sometimes difficult to see the animals on your time schedule!

This is the baby panda and she is so adorable. I cannot remember her name and she is not that small but she recently celebrated her first birthday. It is amazing how quickly these animals grow.

One of my personal favorite animals is the gorilla and this silverback male hung around with a crew of three other bachelors. It looks like he posed for his close-up doesn't it?

Our day at the zoo was packed with animal sightings, candy stations, friends and lunch. The weather cooperated and it was almost warm enough to be considered Indian summer. Although Mekhi was unwilling to wear his dinosaur costume, he was on the lookout for dinosaurs in the zoo. I guess it will take awhile before he understands that they are now extinct! In the meantime we will be checking out the dinosaur show at the theater for puppetry arts to satiate his desire to see dinosaurs!

For more Wordful Wednesday check out Angie's 7 Clown Circus.

Baby Blues

Originally uploaded by rj_ross.rm

It is hard to believe that the little baby in this picture is now almost 2.5 years old. He is talking up a storm, running amuck and leaving causing chaos and mayhem in his wake. All in all he is having a wonderful time and despite my occasional parenting headaches, I admit he is tons of fun.

But I look at this photo from when he was four days old and feel pangs in my uterus. I want to once again feel the flutters of butterfly wings and later the breathtaking kicks that come with pregnancy. I am not sure if the source of my desire stems from the multitude of my bloggy friends having babies, my age, or just not wanting to have an only child.

All I can say is that despite all of the pregnancy aches and pains, the sleepless nights and the sore nipples, I really am pining for a baby. I guess now I need to convince hubby.

Where is that tequila and margarita mix? That did the job last time!

And this year I gave birth....

to a baby dinosaur. Mekhi loves, loves, loves dinosaurs. Every year my mother sends Mekhi a Halloween outfit but this year is the first time he truly understands the concept. So, when his costume arrived in the mail this morning he was thrilled and we put it on immediately. My baby dinosaur is born! Thanks Grandma!

Adventures in Potty Training Pt. 2

This is the face of my big boy. My big boy who asked to go to the potty and actually did poopy in the potty. I cannot even express my joy at this event. As soon as I finish typing this post we are headed to the grocery store for ice pops to celebrate this momentous occasion. I never thought I'd feel this happy about poop, but seriously? Pull-ups and cleaning up explosive poops is becoming tired.

I am so proud of my big boy!!

What happens in Vegas........

After a whirlwind of travel I am home for an extended period of time. I think. Okay, we'll see. Anyhow, at the very least I know I will be home this week and I have an opportunity to reflect. I am in the midst of recovering from living it up in Las Vegas. My version entailed speaking at two blog conferences - Blog World Expo and SITScation, meeting new and wonderful people, one night of dancing, meeting Guy Kawasaki, and seeing Cirque du Soleil. All this and not one dollar was lost gambling because being a tightwad has it's perks!

While traveling can be exhausting and time away from my family can be difficult, it reminds me of the most important aspect of blogging for me. Community. This weekend I met friends old and new and spent true quality time with individuals that I believe will be my lifelong friends. Two of these new friends are Rachel of Single Mom Seeking and Lindsey of Rock and Roll Mama. I've long admired Lindsey from afar and we met in July at BlogHer and spoke briefly at Type-A Mom but in Vegas we were able to break bread together and enjoy quality time together. Lindsey is an advocate for women advocating for themselves and I am truly glad to have her friendship and to knowing her is a constant reminder to value my worth as a woman and a mother. Rachel is a brand new friend. She is the author of the book Single Mom Seeking and I don't think that I have ever met a kinder or gentler spirit. The three of us dished and dined together after all speaking on the Niche Blogging Panel for the Mind of Moms track at Blog World Expo. These two women are intelligent, funny and witty. I look forward to spending more time with them in the future.

The third friend I met was Dale. She was an attendee at SITScation (The Secret is in The Sauce blog conference) and like Rachael has a wonderful spirit. As a matter of fact, Rachel introduced us and we walked Dale to her room after the SITS opening night party, I knew I wanted to spend more time with this lovely lady. Her blog, A Stroke of Living chronicles her life and story of overcoming a stroke at an early age. I admire her positive attitude in the midst of adversity and for anyone that says "I can't" you should be ashamed because Dale has proven we can accomplish anything we put our mind to. Dale and I attended Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere together and had a wonderful time.

Despite a long day at the conference, neither of us could contain our joy at the physical feats that seemed to defy possibility that we witnessed on stage. Although this is my third Cirque du Soleil show, as usual I was enthralled by the performance. Mystere is full of tumbling, high flying trapeze work and comedy. Things that I have come to love about their shows. One of the things that really impressed me was the original music and the ability to see the musicians sing and play instruments above the stage. This is something that is unique to Cirque shows and truly adds to the experience. I have to give a big thank you to Cirque to Soleil for providing the tickets to the show. I am a long time fan and Dale and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Vegas is a beautiful memory - although there were some sights there that had my eyeballs burning (especially some of the women "working" the casino) it was a great experience. I am still recovering and most of yesterday I spent napping and hanging out with my sweet boy. When he and Daddy picked me up at the airport, Mekhi said "I am so glad you are home Mommy!" My heart just about melted. All day yesterday we lounged around the house watching movies and enjoying each others company. It was priceless. I am looking forward to getting back in a groove here on the blog and look forward to giving you updates on all of the wonderful things that I have been up to!

Beat Cancer!!!!

I am still in Las Vegas and you know how much I am into causes so I had to take a quick moment to alert you to this amazing social media campaign. Over the next 24 hours for every tweet, facebook update and blog post using #beatcancer 1 cent will be donated by ebay/Paypal, MillerCoors to cancer research. In addition, we are trying to beat the Guiness Book World Record for largest mass message through social media. Please join me, it is really easy and costs you nothing. It is the least we can do to help #beatcancer!!!

I'm helping to raise funds to

#beatcancer, by blogging, tweeting

and posting Facebook status

updates.

Click here to join me!

Vegas, Baby!

So, we are all familiar with the saying, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Supposedly this will protect both the innocent and not so innocent during their jaunts and adventures in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the moment, I find myself sitting in my hotel room at 5:30 contemplating going to a tweet-up. However, there are a few things that are making me think that just staying put is the best choice to make this evening.

I know, I know, I am in Vegas and it is time to play, right? Well, the thing is, I have never been big on gambling and casinos. The first time I went to a casino I think I was 21 (although I may have only been 20, shh, don't tell anyone) and I put my $20.00 in the slots and that was the end of my gambling. Yup, I spent the 2o bucks that came with the purchase of my ticket to Atlantic City and that was it. I believe I broke even and didn't spend the $20.00 that I won back.

Just call me tightwad because I have never been into the whole "lose my money at machines designed to make you lose your money" thing. Perhaps if there was a casino in my hotel I would be go exploring but I am staying at a hotel off "the Strip" and if I want to go to the tweet-up I have to walk five minutes or take one of these crazy priced cabs there.

Hmm, my other option is to stay put, read another book and wait for America's Next Top Model and Glee. Yes, I am boring but I do have to be up early for my presentations tomorrow at Blog World Expo and we are 3 hours behind my usual time zone and....can you tell I am making excuses? LOL

In any event today has not been a complete bust. I had some great Korean food and I had my toes done (overpriced, did you know that Vegas is EXPENSIVE????). And if you have never been to Vegas you may be surprised that once you step off of the plane you are greeted with slot machines. Check out my Whrrl story for some shots.

In any event, I think tonight I will be staying in but who knows what tomorrow holds...stay tuned for more from "Sin City" or in my case, tales from the boring mommyhood.

More stories at Vegas, Baby!

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If I had one wish granted....

It would be to return to Durban, a city on the Indian Ocean on the Eastern Coast of South Africa. I can recall waking to the sound of the Ocean hitting the sandy beach and the smell of the salty air still lingers in my olfactory memory. On my last visit I only had one day in Durban and I spent it wandering alone enjoying the pleasant vista. It was one of those perfect days.....

At this point in my life I do not have the resources to vacation in South Africa, the place that I truly consider my second home. However, my memories keep me smiling. Since I am unable to have a transatlantic getaway, I have been vacationing in my home, a staycation if you will. Traveling by plane, train and automobile, losing loved ones, and a job have kept my mind running and I've needed to take a break.

For the past few days I've spent limited time plugged in to the internet have read six books in as many days. Reading has been my favorite pass time for as long as I can remember and I have loved being lost in the world of mystery, murder and vampires. If you are a fan of vampires, I highly recommend the Sookie Stakehouse series - the HBO series True Blood is based on these books by Charlaine Harris and I've read three of the books so far and am off to purchase a few more.

If you like shows like Bones, you might enjoy the Kay Scarpetta mysteries by Patricia Cornwell. I have been a fan for a very long time and just read the latest - Scarpetta. I've also read the latest book by Tananarive Due, The Living Blood. If you love science fiction you might enjoy her books too. This book is the last in a series about Immortals that have healing blood....

Finally, I was introduced to a new author, Diana Orgain. Her book Bundle of Trouble is a "maternal instincts mystery" and follows the antics of Kate Connolly, the mother of a newborn that decides to become a P.I. during her six weeks of maternity leave because she can fathom returning to work. I loved the book and cannot wait for the next one. This book was a gift in my speakers bag from Type A mom and it was the first book I read on my "staycation."

My staycation is coming to an end soon - this weekend I am speaking at Blogolicious and next week I head to Vegas for Blog World Expo and SITScation. I will post again soon, but for now I am enjoying being enthralled by the fantasy world of my books.

We all need to unplug sometime.....

Support Education! Donors Choose Challege

It is that time of year again! The annual DonorsChoose.org Social Media Challenge is kicking off today and runs through October. This is a friendly competition where bloggers rally friends and family to donate money to classroom teachers proposals on DonorsChoose.org. Last year during the Challenge we collectively raised $275,000 and reached over 67,000 students in low-income neighborhoods across the country. I have to thank my readers again for contributing $300 last year!

This time around I am teaming up with BlogHer.com to lead the Atlanta area team. I'd love for you to support the "Ravenous Readers." Ms.B's is trying to build a classroom library for her 7th grade gifted learners. As an avid reader myself this is a wonderful project that I had to lend support to. Ms. B would like to provide her 110 students with 3 sets of fiction and non-fiction books. This project is in need of $600 to be fully funded. Any donation helps!

can click here to go directly to the donor page.



I know that times are difficult financially for many of us but even if you are unable to contribute with money you can use social media to help the cause. If you use twitter, please help out by tweeting the following:

Support the # DonorsChooseChallenge in the Atlanta area. Educational assistance for students that need it most! inhttp://bit.ly/3Ieyn9

I'd for us to come together to fully fund this project. It is double my goal last year but I know together we can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these students! Thank you in advance for your support!