Exciting news (any news at this point is probably exciting since I haven't posted in a while!)

I'm giving away a $10 gift certificate to Thirty-One courtesy of my friend Jenny!

RULES & DIRECTIONS
1) Open to U.S. residents only
2) Comment on this entry (once per person) for one entry (valid email addresses please)
3) Like Jenny's Facebook page for an extra entry
4) Up to 2 entries per person
5) Contest ends July 4th, 2011
6) The winner will be notified through this website and email and given instructions for redemption




Jenny sent me the All-in-One organizer (shown above) to try out and I love it! It has two pockets on the sides and an empty middle and it has been a great little bag to have around. I've used it for sunscreen, a towel, sunglasses, and my cellphone when I take Everly outside. I've used it for library books and my library card. I've used it for groceries if I'm just running out for some small items. And it is currently being used for smaller toys in Everly's room because the pattern is so adorable! Everly loves it, too. It's super sturdy so she plays with it a lot. Playing with = hurling her body on top of it and screaming & biting it excitedly.

The poor bag has taken a lot of abuse, and it still looks great!

The fabric is a thick, high quality and the colors are vibrant. And the All-in-One organizer is being discontinued in August so if you want it - GET IT NOW!


There are a ton of other things at Thirty-One that I want to get my hands on and I'm not even someone who normally carries bags or likes trendy bags (like Vera Bradley, for example). I think what appeals to me is the quality (and of course the price) but also all the different colors & customization you can put together.

Look at this robot pattern! I like Free Spirit Ditzy, too. And the patterns change with the seasons, so you can get newer looks but not break the bank (face it -none of us can afford to do much these days).

The bags are practical, great for yourself or as gifts, and there are a TON of different sizes/shapes. Some have more storage, some are just like regular purses, some are backpacks and they have other stuff too! They have bibs and burp cloths, and small cooler bags for bottles.

Practical, affordable, high quality, cute patterns... yup. Everything a mama needs.

SOME EXAMPLES OF ITEMS YOU CAN USE $10 TOWARD:
1) Organizing Utility Tote ($22) aka Diaper Bag
2) 30 Custom Address Labels ($5) for Baby Announcements
3) Mini Zipper Pouch ($10) for I.D., chapstick, etc. - throw in your diaper bag!
4) Scarves ($20) Throw in your hair on ponytail days (basically every day)
5) Picnic Thermal Tote ($28) for bottles or lunch on the go

Good luck in the contest! Thanks Jenny for sponsoring! I think you guys are gonna love these bags and accessories.

Back when I was about 14, and really into the blogging world, I would share information about myself that the 26 year old me thinks is absolutely insane. I was your typical egotistical teenager, and blogging (and webcamming) made that an even easier road to travel down. When I decided to try homeschooling because public school left me feeling unchallenged, disheartened, and confused about who I was - I became even more involved in the online world, expanding a social network that I'm humbled to say still befriends me today (Hi, guys & girls! :D) They became my confidants, and though I still had "real friends", I found I had less in common with them and their views of the world and more in common with these very real but distant friends I started making.

I don't need to tell you (other than to start this paragraph) that blogging and social networking have exploded in the past 12 years. With that explosion, privacy is no longer the norm:

"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time." -Mark Zuckerberg

As we share more information with each other, we form stronger bonds, now not only with "online friends", but with real life friends that we feel have finally caught up to this world that we've known about perhaps a little longer than they have. We tell people what we're eating, drinking, what time we're going to sleep, what store we're going to shop in that day, how much money we just spent on a new car, what we're planning on doing that week, where we're going on vacation - and not only do we tell people this, but we show them 100's of pictures and videos to help them visualize our life. Our life that they may no longer see in person because we're all inside, on our computers, updating each other about it.

I've even found that because I share so much online (especially about Everly on Facebook) that it doesn't make me feel the urge to go and physically see friends and family as much any more... because I feel like they already "know everything".

The past few weeks, however, I have taken a different approach. I have been much more quiet about our personal happenings. Sure, I'm still updating, but I haven't gone into detail about our current house hunt, I haven't gone into detail about my pregnancy, I haven't gone into detail about the new job I might be getting that's perfect for me, and I haven't gone into detail about the gender of the baby - which is aggravating quite a few of you. ;)

And it is really strange what has happened. Because I'm not putting it all out there, I've actually hurt some feelings. People feel abandoned... left out of the loop... not realizing everyone is out of the loop, not just them. I've had a handful of friends express that they feel ignored, mistreated, or confused because they don't know what I'm doing or the extent to which I'm doing it. Though I've watched them carry on with their online lives, I see that there is a gap... that they miss me... that information that I blindly put out there was really information that they relied on to feel connected to me, since we're apart from each other physically.

This self-centered realization doesn't just apply to me, however. It applies to all of us. After I got back from vacation, I excitedly checked social feeds to "catch up" with people... people I could easily call and talk to, or go to lunch with. I was interested in what had happened in their lives - what articles they were reading or what their babies were doing. I missed them... I missed that connection.

And so while I may not divulge every, little detail of my life (as none of us should feel obligated to), I do want to respect the unique situation I'm in which is that many of the people I care about aren't close enough to visit often. Many of the people who care about me are trying so hard to reach out and I'm shutting them down. That's not fair to make them feel like that, and I don't want to lose anyone in the process. While my life belongs to me, I also feel like it's only fair I share pieces of it with friends and family so they remember that I love them and that they're a part of me, too. And if I'm not going to make the effort to do that in person, I need to at least do it online.

So yeah...  Momfish isn't really geared toward being an all-encompassing, personal blog. But I wanted to put this out there... I wanted to put something open out there... because it has been a while since I've done that.

Ahhhhh, vacation. It was great... though I'll admit something.

Going to the beach without a baby = infinitely easier than going to the beach with a baby.

I know, I was shocked as well.

Somehow we carried our weight in supplies down to each beach visit, stayed about 2 hours, then went back to the hotel with a sweaty baby and sandy legs. Then we sat and ate and watched TV during nap time... or napped ourselves... or read books or sat out on the porch... and then maybe went somewhere that night if we were brave enough for the heat & the crowd.

Basically once you have a baby... there will be no more carefree days. Ever. In the history of the world. You will worry, moan, and groan every day of your life FOREVER AND EVER and you might as well get used to it. The level of worry is up to you, however. But make no mistake that the level will never be zero again. And if you think you have worries now - just no. You don't.

Okay you might but not really. Have a kid. You'll get it.

(Okay before I had a kid I would find that statement annoyingly condescending and want to punch the person who said it in the face. I give you full permission to find it annoyingly condescending but please don't punch me in the face because I'm pregnant and move slow.)

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Will she choke on that crusty bread?

Is the sand in her eyes?


Is that bird with the dangerously large beak too close?


Does she have a dirty diaper?


Is the wind coupled with the sound too much stimulation?


Does this activity fall during naptime?


I wonder how much salt and oil was used to make her grilled cheese?


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A thinking-about-it-but-not-yet lady might read this and think... "Oh man. Is it even worth it to have babies, then?"

I think yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I promise it is.