We’re just going to say that we don’t know what happened to the dining room chair. And this video is entirely un-related to the dining room chair anyway. Weight Watchers anyone?

Dear Honey-

You asked me why I became an all-organic earth mama. I will admit that my “Raisin and Granola Period” may have been a little more acute than most Mother’s go through {So Mom, you admit the 18-bean soup was a mistake?} But all Mothers go through it – and you will too. You’ll see when you start popping out little bees of your own.

I think it’s part of the birthing process – although some of us get it through the positive pregnancy test. Wham, all of a sudden you have an overactive Maternal gland! You think to yourself (because you would never say this out loud, except maybe to the perfect baby’s father …) “I have made the perfect baby – now, I will feed it the perfect food – so that he/she will grow up to be the perfect child – who will go out and turn this into a perfect world……”

“Ahh … I am Super Mother!”

Overnight you will become an obnoxious Health-food know it all – the chemical police – a sugar buster! “Nothing but 100% pure, all-natural, green, organic goo, is good enough for this little bee.” The ironic thing is this is exactly what you get out the other end of the child once it has been fed this concoction – 100% pure, all-natural, green organic goo – I mean poo!

But I digress…

The answer to your questions -”Why did you become an organic earth-mama?” Because of you Honey! The moment I felt you move inside me I knew that you deserved only the very best the world had to offer – even if it meant dealing with 100% pure all-natural green organic poo.

Love from your Mom,
Queen B.

Queen B. sent this to me, telling me that this is how she remembers my growing-up years…and that I should start practicing! lol

She Posts talked about bloggers wanting to be paid for the services they provide…and that bloggers, specifically mommy-bloggers, do themselves a disservice when they don’t ask for monetary compensation.

I started blogging without really making the connection between what I was doing and how women like PW earn an income. We tend to think of being paid in a strictly monetary sense, but that’s been a bust because I’ve never gotten a check from the blogosphere…lol

It made me sit back and wonder…how does blogging pay me?

What about the giveaways? I’ve won some really cool ones, and been able to offer others…but is that being paid?

And is blogging really about the money? Many bloggers eschew the concept that the motivation for blogging is the cash value. The Bloggess refers people to this video when asked about motivation for doing what she does.

So many reasons why people blog…

We have community with the writers behind the blogs that we read, and the people who read ours…

The ability to say what you really think, with the (relative) anonymity of the blogosphere? Like therapy, but without the shrink bills…

An escape of sorts, from the everyday…

It seems that everyone blogs for a reason- and those reasons, the way we are paid, are as varied as the people who have them…

So how does blogging pay you…?

I have a strange relationship with my Mom…I know this. And if I wasn’t aware of it, all it takes is getting off the phone with my Mom and Marmot telling me, I could hear you all the way upstairs, you told your Mom she was full of shit and almond paste?? He just doesn’t get it. Neither do I honestly, but its Mom and I.

We have silly and weird and close relationship now (we can make each other giggle to the point of snorting), but Mom and I had the typical teenager vs. parent ugliness, and then a couple of years where we didn’t really talk at all. It wasn’t until I married someone a lot like my Dad that my Mom and I started to bond again. Right now I can truthfully say that my Mom is my best friend.

I know not everyone is so lucky to have that kind of relationship with their mother. But if you have that kind of relationship, or want to, here are some things that I’ve learned about being best friends with your Mom.

1) Honesty really is the best policy. I always wanted my Mom to be impressed with me, even to the point of covering up anything that I knew would disappoint her. But FYI, lying is not a good thing for a relationship and it wasn’t until I was straight with my Mom that things improved. Believe me, Mom already knows your faults, weaknesses, all the parts of your personality that are unattractive– and loves you anyway. What more could you ask for in a friend?? Honesty is what keeps the relationship authentic.

2) Be what you want to get in the relationship. Friendships can be a transient thing (I’ve realized that I’ve had many ‘best friends’ over my lifetime) but the biggest reason why friendships don’t last is because one or both parties are not getting what they want out of the friendship. How often does that happen because we’re not giving what we want to get? I want a supportive friend who can help me keep my life in perspective, give me advice when things come up (fights with Marmot, purse dilemmas), sometimes a shoulder to cry on, and someone to do fun things with. That’s what I want, so that’s what I try to be in my relationship with my Mom.

3) Mom is a person too. When it comes to our mothers, we tend to get egocentric…but Mom has dreams and goals and hobbies, outside of her kids?! I don’t know why I think its so hysterical that my Mom has non-kid hobbies and interests…her youngest is 18! But those things are what really makes my Mom a fun person to be friends with- she likes to read, scrapbook, write, and make snarky comments about skinny women…all MY interests too!! Get to know the other sides of Mom. Because you know, you’re her child…there is a decent likelihood that her interests may be yours as well!

Not every relationship is like what my Mom and I have…but these are things that don’t just apply to your relationship with Mom, but any close relationship in your life.

What is the best relationship advice you’ve ever been given…?

Since last week was Mother’s Day, I postponed what has become the Sunday video…

This ad cracks me up every time…

Let me introduce: Thirty One, the home of bags that are personalized- and other things- but I’m mostly in love with the bags that are personalized.

They have cute bags, purses, lunch totes, and any number of other fun items!

So I was sent a lunch tote to try out…I got to pick the fabric (pink, gorgeous, yes?) and have it personalized with my initials on the side… how cute is that?? I’ve been really really trying to get better at bringing my lunch to work, rather than eating out- for reasons related to cost and my ever-expanding behind. The lunch tote helps.

Its really good sized too- I was able to carry a large Pyrex container, an orange, a 20oz. bottle of soda, and three 100-calorie packs of Cheezits (yes I know its only good for you if you have ONE of the 100-calorie packs!!) Not to mention, it is SO cute that I got compliments on it from no less than three people on my way into work the first day!

Queen B. always taught me to share…so below are ways for you to enter to get an adorable lunch tote of your very own!

Mandatory Entry:
*Head over to Thirty One and browse through the catalog, then leave a comment telling me what item is your favorite!

Extra Entries, leave a comment for each!

Now this is an ongoing debate in our house…

I am the oldest child, and also the oldest daughter…its a family tradition actually. On my Mom’s side, going back eight generations, the firstborn child has always been a girl. On my Dad’s side it goes back a few generations, at least four that I’m aware of (once you get into the depths of Italy, the family history is harder to track). But either way, I’ve got a hella lot of generations backing the expectation that my firstborn child will be a girl.

But before you think I’m destined to have a girl….let me tell you the competition. Marmot is the oldest son. The firstborn child has been a son going back ten generations. TEN! All boys. Naturally, Marmot wants our firstborn to be a boy.

But I am Italian. And you know how those Italian momma’s love their sons. Especially the firstborn son. My grandmother never openly played favorites, but the older I got the more I realized that my grandmother adored my Dad. Not that she didn’t adore my aunts, but she was SO proud of my Dad. I still tease him about it.

My Mom told me about the book, How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby which I laughed about at first…but Mom had known about the book for years, so it couldn’t be total crap right? I read it, along with TCOYF (the reason we started using natural family planning as birth control) and decided I can totally do this temping thing, I can swing the odds towards a boy. 

But lately I’ve been thinking about my family history….and girly nurseries like this one…and cute pink tutus…and awwww….

So the debate rages on in our household….will our firstborn be a boy or girl?