A weekly vlogging series addressing topics about mom life.

Talk about stepping outside of my comfort zone!

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Looking for fun things to do with your kids in DC?

Play Today DC is a local family friendly website that is all about connecting families with kids’ classes, events, and activities happening in and around DC. Along with a calendar of events, Play Today DC allows a parent to register for the activities right on the site. No more playing phone tag with the kiddie gym! Play Today DC is free for families to sign up and enjoy. (Now in Beta version in Northern Virginia, currently serving Falls Church, Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, Reston and Vienna.  Expanding to serve other cities in the DC-area soon.)

JOIN THEM AT THEIR LAUNCH EVENT:

On Saturday, February 4th, 2012 Play Today DC will host a free  “Find the Fun Fair” event at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna, VA from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  There will be tons of great activities for families including a moon bounce, face painting, snacks, music, plus raffles and giveaways. (Plus and iPad giveaway! See below for details)

SWEEPSTAKES OPPORTUNITIES: 

Visit the Play Today DC Facebook fan page, become a fan and you are eligible to win an iPod Touch in their online sweepstakes! (Value $199). Print out the Play Today DC Facebook fan page, include your name, email address and phone number and bring it to the Find the Fun Fair on Feb. 4th  and be entered to win an iPad at the fair. Wow, right?  (Value $499). For more details, click here.

Disclosure: I received compensation in return for writing this post. That being said, I’m all about making lives easier. Who isn’t?

A new lifestyle retreat for working mothers is debuting in the DC Metro area this April. {re}Treat Yourself – a lifestyle redesign getaway for working mothers – is the brain child of a woman I admire greatly, Stacey Ferguson. (See her Working Mom Spotlight here)

The event was born out of Stacey’s own frustrations, “ I have always been frustrated at the lack of practical lifestyle resources available to parents, specifically moms juggling family and career. So many mothers I know, myself included, are struggling with keeping all of the balls they have to juggle in the air; it’s a major source of stress that is rarely addressed.  After searching high and low for an outlet like without success, I decided to create one.”

Gotta love a woman who gets out there and just makes it happen!

The {re}Treat Yourself  event in April is the first in a series of lifestyle redesign experiences she has planned.  This 2-day event is all-inclusive and will offer busy mothers workshops on topics like: fitness and relaxation; meal planning; developing support systems and nurturing relationships; defining personal style; home and office organization; creating an ideal family life; and much more.

Not to be forgotten, of course, {re}Treat Yourself will also offer attendees opportunities for pampering, downtime and a chance to tackle items off of their to-do lists, in addition to coming away with concrete takeaways to simplify and enrich their lives.

The event is slated for April 13^th and 14^th, 2012 at the AAA Four Diamond Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA. Registration is now open. For more information or to sign up, visit: http://Events.JusticeFergie.com

If you are a working woman who desperately needs time to relax and recharge, I urge you to give this weekend some consideration. I know the quality of Stacey’s events and I am certain she will once again knock this out of the park. It looks spectacular!

I’m feeling the need to address the elephant in the room. I want to talk a little bit about that thing we all wanted to get into but DIDN’T. That thing we are all mopey and stressed out about.

That thing we didn’t get an invitation to attend. (And by we I mean me, and maybe even you.)

Ouch. It stings.

Getting an invitation means that you are special. It means you are important. It means that you are SOMEBODY. And not getting an invitation… doesn’t. Or so we let ourselves think.

Here’s the thing to keep in mind… you ARE somebody. Just because you weren’t included this time, that doesn’t mean you don’t matter.

Deep inside you know exactly what I am talking about. You know that you are being overly sensitive and possibly irrational. You‘re feeling vulnerable and uncertain.

Trust me, I know.

Image via Glenda Otero

I felt the exact same way when the news rolled out across Twitter. I frantically checked my email and spam boxes. I stalked the hashtag. I started mental comparisons between myself and the bloggers who made it in. (It was slightly pathetic, I admit.)

Once it became clear to me that I did not warrant an invite, I went through a dramatic, albeit short-lived,  period of self-doubt and depression. “Why do I bother to blog, anyway? I’ll never be as talented or influental as them. I can’t believe I even thought I might have a chance. They probably don’t even know I exist. I should just call it a day and give up.”

Yes, friends. I actually considered giving it all up. As in shutting down my blog and never returning. 

And for what? For an invitation.

Sigh.

It is so hard in this blogosphere to keep everything in perspective.  My (and/or your) lack of an invitation wasn’t a rejection… there were simply not enough to go around. There are a ton of bloggers out there and only a finite amount of openings.

Someone is going to have to sit this round out.

And that someone is … us. Plain and simple, really.

Social comparison is a dangerous trap that many fall into online because it is so easy to do. The truth is, we all need to be extra guarded and vigilant when it comes to our self esteem or we will end up unfulfilled and unhappy.

Compairing yourself to others is nothing short of toxic.

I personally plan to give a mental high-five to all of the folks proclaiming their excitement over being included in this year’s festivities. I encourage others to do the same. They deserve to have a fantastic time! Who knows? Maybe next year we’ll be the ones who get a surprise in our own in-boxes… or not.

I am incredibly humbled and excited to announce that I have been selected as a 2012 Stiletto Woman in Business Award Finalist for Mom Entrepreneur of the Year, Social Media Influencer of the Year  and Blogger of the Year.

*Blink*

I know. Even typing that sentence is surreal.

Seeing my name listed among so many other incredible women, takes my breath away, to be sure. (You can view all of the finalists online here.)

In case you are unfamiliar, the SWIBA Awards (Stiletto Woman in Business Awards) are an initiative of Stiletto Woman Media which focuses on empowering women in business.

CEO Karlena Wallace had this to say, “The Stiletto Woman in Business Awards honors the monumental efforts of everyday women business owners, particularly those operating smaller entities that often go under the radar. These leaders redefine conventionalism and create their own success, all while changing lives.”

Wow.

Although I personally do not feel I deserve to be included in such a prestigious group, I do heartily applaud what this organization is all about.

Empowering, coaching and mentoring women is a passion of mine. (No matter what side of the fence I happen to be on at the time.)

My heartfelt appreciation (and shock) at becoming a finalist in the 2012 SWIBA Awards.

Around May of last year I came up with the idea of doing a 40×40 list. It was designed to be nothing more than a fun exercise before I hit that big birthday milestone.

What I noticed about the list recently were the remarkable similarities shared by the items that I wasn’t able to accomplish prior to my birthday. Those items were mostly personal and health related. In other words, I had consistently put myself LAST on the priority list. And by consistently I mean ALWAYS.

Now, the fact that I tend to run a marathon a year makes most people immediately dismiss my health or weight complaints. I kind of hate that, to be honest.

Let me tell you something, I may crank out a marathon once in awhile but that DOES NOT MEAN that I am the picture of perfect health. In fact, I would argue that marathoning has been my excuse for some time now for lack of healthy habits. Couple that with entrepreneurial stress, and a family to manage and you have the perfect storm.

So finally, after feeling chronically tired for weeks and viewing a series of unflattering holiday photos I was forced to quit denying a couple of obvious facts:

• My clothes no longer fit. At. All.I either have to upgrade to a larger size or wear a full body shaper 24/7. I do not want to do either.
• “Tired and cranky” has become my moniker. I haven’t been “happy and energetic” for two full years. It is starting to take its toll.
• I’m not getting any younger. I need to tackle this problem now before it is too late and gets out of control.

So why am I putting this out there? (Other than the fact that I clearly have the need to overshare and thus embarrass myself?) Because I see so many of my friends in the same situation. So many women with career and household demands who let their own care fall by the wayside.

How can we possibly take care of others if we neglect ourselves? For me it is the fear of being selfish woman that leads me away from important choices. Time for myself = time away from the family. A moment alone is a moment I could be spending on a work project or educating myself on the latest business trends. Money spent = money taken away from another priority.

Seeing a pattern here? It is almost like in my own mind I am not worth spending time, money or resources on.

ISN’T THAT RIDICULOUS? I am my own last priority. How can I possibly be there for my family if I am not even there for myself?

Things are going to change around here.

One of my most favorite bloggers is Jenny of Jenny on the Spot. She is funny, irreverent and frankly, makes me smile.  I was thumbing through her blog the other day and her post  on Elliptical Sabotage, Sausage Links and Beachy Hair with Twists completely inspired a new series on this blog.

I don’t really have a snazzy title for it but it will run on Fridays and basically cover a day of mine in pictures.

Because… why not?

I personally love stuff like this. (Bit of an Instagram fanatic, actually)

So here is my super-exciting-can’t-believe-I-have-this-fabulous-life-aren’t-you-jealous-day in pictures:

5:00am – Treadmill

Since receiving the Fitbit for Christmas, I have been obsessed. OBSESSED, I tell you. I am competing with my husband as to who can hit the most steps by the end of the day. What I have discovered through this competition is that my husband is SNEAKY. Really sneaky. As in running-up-and-down-our stairs-like-a-maniac-while-I-am-in-the-other-room kind of sneaky.

10:00am – Baby!

I call her the “golden child.” She is a scant couple of days old and tiny, tiny, tiny. Makes me miss babies in a huge way. Not enough to open the factory back up, but still….

4:00pm – ADDY Drop off (VOLT)

I am co-chairing the AAF-GF ADDY Awards and the drop off for entries was held at this swanktastic restaurant in Frederick. (Just look at the the above floral arrangement for crying out loud.) I admit, I’ve never eaten at VOLT because, the pricing is a little… well, pricey. But one day I’ll take the hubby there for a celebration. (Unless he keeps pulling that Fitbit nonsense.)

5:00pm – Pleading for help…

My kids are so dramatic. We’ve instituted a couple of ‘no tv’ days in our house and our kids are acting like we are torturing them. I received the following text from my son while at the ADDY drop off event: “Help me please because dad is making me study and after that then he is going to test me and I am mad because I don’t want to study since I are ready did it and I don’t want to do the testing. Can you text him saying that I do not want to study anymore?” The son without the phone texting capability called me to beg to be let out of book reading jail. You know what this tells me? WE NEED MORE TV TURN OFF NIGHTS.

So what was YOUR day like?

I firmly believe that each of us was created for a purpose. What that purpose is, only God knows.

I’ve struggled with discovering my own purpose for years. Well, maybe the word “struggled” isn’t exactly correct. Perhaps searched is a better term. It is such a difficult thing to determine and frankly, I’m not sure if one is ever truly enlightened as to the impact they make on the world. At least, not while they are IN this world, anyway.

One of my goals for last year was to adopt a “mantra.” And by mantra I simply meant, a clear, guiding principal for life.

I didn’t find the perfect phrase until late November. I stumbled across it quite by accident while in line at the grocery store. It struck me as so profound and so simple that I had to immediately write it down lest I forget it. (Because I forget pretty much everything if I don’t record it.)

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”~~Stephen Grellet

Quite simple and to the point.

Be good to everyone, all the time. Pretty powerful, wouldn’t you say?

I apologize for my absence during this holiday season, but things have been very busy and very festive as of late. I’m sure that you understand.

It is amazing what a little time with your loved ones can do for your spirit, isn’t it?

If that doesn’t fill you with holiday magic, may I suggest a little competitive Pictionary? Seems to work for our family… ahem.

Hope your holiday was just as wonderful as ours was! (All photos courtesy of Edward Winter Photography)

When you are a woman, turning 40 is supposed to be this huge thing.

Some look forward to it as a sign of life experience, some dread it as a sign of passing youth.

I’m not going to lie to you, it has taken me the better part of a year (and a couple of blog posts) to wrap my head around hitting this intimidating milestone in my life. I never quite envisioned the words “I’m forty” coming out of my own mouth. But, I’m happy to report that honestly… it is all much ado about nothing.

It came and went.

It is now my new reality.

Perhaps it was because of the “impending birthday” (insert dramatic music here) that I have spent the last few months doing some true soul searching.

And I’ve come to the conclusion that I like myself. I like my circumstances.

And, I am most definitely okay with my age. (I’ve never acted my age anyway, why in the world would I start now?)

I am enjoying every moment of my life. I’m letting things go. I’m savoring moments more. I’m appreciating important friends and colleagues in my life. I’m filling my spirit with prayer and searching for deeper meaning in the every day.

And I am laughing. Really, truly laughing, smiling and happy.

Why did it take me until 40? No idea. But I encourage you to do the same. Start now. Savor your circumstances. Revel in your experiences. It is so worth it.

Spending my 40th in NYC with my family!

Some resources:

• How to get out of that funk
• 6 steps to regret proof your life
• Why you need more fun in your life