Posts Tagged ‘BHAH10’

My husband will tell you that I’m a bit of a penny-pincher at times. My wallet and I prefer to think of it as maintaining a mutually healthy relationship. I won’t take all of Wally’s  cash, and he won’t tell when I splurge on underwear that costs $10+ a pair.  It’s a win-win, to be honest.

So when I thought about BlogHer10 versus BlogHer@Home’10, naturally, I considered Wally’s point of view. He make’s a very persuasive case. Just look at his side by side comparison!

Ticket to BlogHer 2010: $298

Ticket to BlogHer@Home: $0

Hmmm….that’s a might strong start Wally! What else ya got?

Travel from my front door to New York: $540 (and that’s economy class, for chrissake. Wally wouldn’t even let me see first class)

Travel from my front door to my couch: $0 (also? no TSA agents or risk of being seated near someone obnoxious)

Staying at the Hilton New York for 3 nights: $1,143.08 (with roommate? $571.14)

Staying at my house for 3 nights: $0 (but the roommate is mandatory (but I’m allowed to get my freak on with him, so…) )

Cute Little Black Dress For Parties and Such: $100

Cute set of Pajamas for Partying via webcam: $20

Okay, Wally, I’m nearly convinced, but can you seal the deal for me?

Number of margaritas you can buy in a New York bar for $8: 1

Number of pre-mixed margaritas you can buy at your local store for $8: 4

Woohoo! I know where I’ll be this August. Right here at BlogHer@Home, partying on my couch. See you there!

A few days ago, a friend was complaining about one of her relatives commenting on her Facebook statuses. This relative had said some embarrassing things that were not appreciated. But unfriending her would have caused drama that my friend would rather avoid.

Thankfully, the powers-that-be over at Facebook anticipated delicate situations like this, and there is a solution. Which I’m now going to pass on to you. So that you too can hide your status updates, your posts, links and etc. from your mother-in-law, younger siblings, boss or Creepy Uncle Bob.

If you are having problems seeing the example pictures, clicking on them will make them bigger!

But first, how about a quick freebie? We all have that friend who just makes us cringe when their name pops up on our Facebook dashboard. But we don’t want to unfriend them, because of nostalgia, or it will cause drama, or whatever. What to do??

The Hide Button

Next to the name of your “friend” you will see the little Hide Button (red circle). Click that, then choose “Hide Friend’sName” from the options that pop up. Then you will see a little notice that says “Friend is Hidden.”

If you get the urge to un-hide someone, simply go to the bottom of your Facebook news feed, and hit the “Edit Options” button.

Okay, great. Now YOU don’t have to see THEM….but how do we keep THEM from seeing YOU??

How To Hide on Facebook From Your Mother-In-Law

In the upper right-hand corner of yourFacebook dashboard, find the Accounts drop-down menu, and select Privacy Settings.

Then choose “Personal Information and Posts”, and click.

Clicking on that link will take you to a page where you can edit who can see what on your Facebook profile. You’ll want to find the drop-down menu across from “Posts by Me.” Choose the Customize option.

That will pop-up the dialog box in the picture.

The green circle is around the drop-down menu that lets you decide if only your friends can see what you post, or friends of your friends, or everyone. Underneath that, you’re networks will be listed. If you check the box next to a network, everyone in that network will be able to see your posts.

Underneath THAT, you’ll see it says “Hide this from” followed by a box labeled “These People.” In that box, you’ll type the name(s) of whomever you are hiding from. (I’m not really hiding from PrincessJenn, but for our purposes, we’ll pretend I am) Then you just hit “Save Changes”

Congratulations! You can now virtually disappear, without causing a ton of drama. Use your new powers wisely, young grasshoppers.

Who will you be hiding from? Feel free to share in the comments!

Nearly every blogger out there has experienced writer’s block. Sometimes you have so  many ideas that you can’t get them down on paper(so to speak) fast enough.

Other times, it feels like you’re struggling just to come up with your first sentence.

What I want to know is what you do when you have a bad case of writer’s block. Do you have any tips or tricks to shake loose an idea? Do you simply give yourself permission not to write? How do you handle it?

I want you to go forth and think on it, then share your thoughts in a post, and on Friday, come back and add a direct link to your post.

See you then!

So it’s Friday! Our assignment this week was a brief introduction of you and/or your blog. Bonus points for linking to your favorite posts. And there is still plenty of time to play along! Just write, publish and come back here to link up!

Be sure to check out the other links along the way; this is a great chance to get to know the people you’ll be partying with at BHAH10:)

Dearest friends,

As much as I love to run my mouth (and trust me, I do!), I’m running out of things to tell you about myself. So I’m going to cheat and take the easy way out give you the opportunity to get to know each other! Yay!

This is how it will work, I’m going to give you a question, and a few days to write up a post. You’ll write said post, answer the question, come back here on Friday, and add your link to the Mr. Linky we’ll have set up.

This first question is both an easy one, and a hard one. Easy because you won’t have to write a ton. Hard because it involves self-promotion, and I know that for some of us, that’s anything but easy!

So for our very first question, your job is to Introduce Yourself!

Yes, I really am taking the easy way out! But what I’d like for you to do, is just give a short introduction to yourself and your blog. Tell us what you are about. For bonus points, link us to a few of your favorite posts that you’ve written, either on your site or elsewhere. Remember to come back Friday to add your link, and to check out what other attendees have written!

I’m really looking forward to getting to know you guys before this August. I think it will make BHAH10 just that much more fun!

Lots of love,

Hello, and welcome to Twitter 101, with your resident unqualified social! media! guru! Be sure to pay attention, as I am assigning homework at the end. ;)

So a few posts back, we looked briefly at joining twitter, and of course, you all rushed out and signed up immediately, right? Let me have my delusions, people!

And then your resident social! media! guru! left you hanging. *ahem* Moving on….

Now that you have a twitter account, you’re kind of wondering what the bloody heck you should be doing with it, no?

What should you be writing, or “tweeting”? Should you be promoting your own blog, and how often is it okay to link to it? Who do you follow? How do you GET followed? Who is @BJBritney and why does she keep offering to send you naked pictures?

All of these are very compelling questions. Let’s start with what you should be tweeting:

Anything you want.

TaDa! You may leave tips in the jar there.

What? Not helpful enough? *sigh* Alright. FINE….

Yes, you can say anything you want, and you should ABSOLUTELY be yourself! That being said, you might want to keep a few thoughts and uses in mind.

1)Think Before You Type Everything you say is at least semi-public

You can lock your twitter stream, so that only approved people can read your tweets. But you can’t control who those approved people might e-mail or tell your tweet to, make sense?

2) Be Original ReTweeting is awesome and annoying

Awesome in that it’s a good tool to spread a link or message that you really enjoyed. But if the vast majority of tweets coming from you are just things that other people already said? You’re going to see followers start to jump ship. Why follow you when they could just follow the people who said it in the first place?

3)Promote Your Writing/Store/Project, but you don’t need to do it 20 times in one hour.

Twitter is a great way to alert your readers (or buyers) that you have posted new stuff. But if you flood their twit-stream with your links, you risk annoying the heck out of them. Which is the opposite of what you wanted to do, right? Personally, I try to limit my linking to 2-3x per item. I aim for AM, PM, and then either one late night, or one the next day.

4)Seeking/Giving Support Twitter has been a virtual support network for many going through a hard time. To be honest, for me, this is one of the biggest draws.

It may seem silly now, but after using twitter for awhile, and connecting with people over it, you’ll find yourself tweeting about your craptastic day, and getting teary-eyed from the virtual hugs and supportive-ness being sent your way. And you, in turn, will see a frustrated tweet from someone, and have this urge to reach through your computer and make them feel better. It’s mind-blowing.

5)Don’t Take It To Personally If someone doesn’t reply to you, it’s likely not because they hate you ever-so-much, it’s more likely they’re busy, or missed your tweet.

As strange as it may seems, I have actually seen people complain that some big name blogger and/or celeb didn’t respond to their tweet. Never mind that the person is question has approximately 200,000 people following them, and @-ing them at any given time…

Okay, I think that’s enough to think about for today. If you have any questions about twitter that you’d like to see answered eventually, or any tips/hints you’d like to add, please leave them in the comments.

In the meantime, you see that Mr. Linky below? That’s for your homework assignment. I want to hear what/why/how you use twitter. Do you use it for keeping track of friends? Promoting your own projects? Is it your support network? Go write it down, post it and then come back and link up so we can see what you’re using twitter for!

I’ve blogged, off and on and at various sites, for over 7 years. (I had to stop and add that up. Now I feel a wee bit old) Most of those were just the outpouring of messy, angsty teen/young adult emotions and thoughts into the world. Of course, being a angsty teen/young adult, I didn’t tell my mom about my blog. Gawd. As. If.

Nowadays, my blog is still the outpouring of my thoughts/feelings and a chronicling of the ups and downs of life. But now that chronicling my life doesn’t involve detailing parties, sexual encounters and skipped classes, I felt a little safer giving my mom the address.

Naturally, that means that nearly every relative knows of my blog now. Eep. It’s a lot of pressure. Pressure to write WELL. Pressure to present myself and my family in a half-way decent light. Sometimes I’m not sure that it was the best idea to share the existence  and location of my blog.

On the other hand, it is a great way to for the family to keep updated on the wee ones, and the craziness of our lives, without my actually having to phone everyone every time something happens.

Obviously, I’m undecided as to whether or not sharing your blog with your family and real-life friends is a good idea or not. Blog “experts” will tell you to keep it separate. Or to share it. Depending on who you ask.

But I’m not interested in what the self-proclaimed experts have to say. I want to know what you do/would do?

To tell or not to tell, that is the question! Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

So I went to the Dr. last week because I had been having sinus headaches from hell. Long story short, I might have allergies now.  Not the point, but you know what’s coming….

I got weighed.

Now, I know simply because of the clothes that don’t fit that I had let myself go during my surgeries.  I was not however ready for the scale to tell me that I was the heaviest I have ever been.  Ever. Even after birthing a 8lb 6oz baby.

Now granted I have always been bigger.  My structure is that of a linebacker.  You should see my Italian aunts. Door frames.  I  have never been smaller than a 12, since 5th grade.  I am a D cup, have very womanly hips, and shoulders like Brian Urlacher’s (GO BEARS!).  So I am used to not being a size 2 and never will be.  I can tell you what though, all the boys in high school loved those ittybitty girls, but when I got to college, my body was uh, appreciated in a whole new way.  Heh. I also partied hard, and guess what?  A rock-star lifestyle will actually make you lose weight.  Well the way I was partying anyway.   I halways been uber confident to a fault about myself.  My mom brought me up that way.  I am more interested in being happy than anything else. I fortunately and unfortunately married a man that wants a piece of this 7 days a week, no matter what size jeans I wear.  So he is no help

I told my SIL when I went down (on the couch for 3 months with a cast AGAIN) that I was going to blow up. I knew I would because I am an emotional eater. Plain and simple.  When I feel down I eat.  I have been through some redonkulous pain and tragedy in my life, but I was really down after the second surgery.  I would ask Mike to bring me a “surprise” A.K.A. Some form of cake from the grocery store.  I was and still am taking narcotics that make me very snacky.  Especially in the beginning when the doses were so high, I felt like if I didn’t eat something I was going to lose it.  My friends and family would bring and make me treats and indulgent dinners because it was the only thing, aside from Mason coming home from school, that would make me smile.

It’s not their fault.  I put the food in my mouth.  And since I am more mobile now and driving around…I have been driving through places way too often.  Always getting some kind of sweet with my latte, getting a frosty to treat myself after a hard PT session, ordering out a lot because Mike is tired and I can’t walk anymore for the day.  Two weeks ago I broke down and cried in PT, then went next door to CVS and bought a bag of powdered donuts, AND ATE THEM ALL. Yeah. Not good.

I am the heaviest I have ever been and kept telling myself I have a good excuse and people should understand. But I am done with it. Just because I am not cleared to exercise yet does not mean I can just continue eating bags of donuts.  I am embarrassed to take pictures with my son.  I am done.

So, now it is time to get back on track.  After Mason was born Mike and I were both around the weight we are now, a few pounds lighter, when we decided we were going to have a lifestyle change, for us and for Mason.  That we would teach him to eat fruit over crap. (BTW, he is 2 and in fact eats lots of crap.)   Everyone kept asking us what diet we were on, but we decided not to call it a diet, we called it a lifestyle change. A diet can only last for so long.  The Adkins diet nearly killed me once.  That is another post though.   We are the type of people that we are either all he way on the horse, or all the way off.  I was definitely knocked off by my sugeries and immobility, but losing some weight will help my ankle too.  I need all the help I can get in that department.

Here’s what we do… Lean meats only, chicken, fish, or pork.  We mostly try to grill it. That is always the lowest calorie way.  Our minds think mostly calories and fat grams.  That is what works for us. We make sure the largest portion on our plate is vegetables, with a side salad, and a small portion of meat.  Sometimes we have this really yummy infused dark grain rice, I don’t know what it is because Mike does the grocery shopping and most of the cooking. No, you can’t have him. We just really make healthy choices and keep the calories down.  We eat a lot of yo-plait light yogurt, fiber bars, and fruit.  But those things have sugar in them Lu?  Well I know.  But this works for us. Everyone is different and has to find what works for them.  We eat sweet potatoes, lots of zucchini and squash cooked different ways, garlic and red peppers with broccoli, corn (but not a lot), and a lot of side salads that we zest up with carrots, dates, peppers, onions, and this other salad zesty stuff in the bottle.  I call it salad crunchies, again I don’t know what it is exactly.

My breakfast everyday is TONS of coffee with an english muffin with peanut butter and honey.  I eat a little trail mix or a small fruit smoothie for a snack.  I eat grown up lunchables, tuna, turkey or soup for lunch.  I have TONS of good snacks too.  Because guess what?  When I get hungry, I get angry. The first 2 weeks are a little tough but them my stomach adjusts to the appropriate portion sizes. You may not think it sounds like that much fun, but I just simply don’t have the body to sit around and eat cake.  Maybe when I can exercise better I can let up a little too.  Plus I am Italian, you know I have pasta occasionally or I might die.  For real.  I could obviously go on for one hundred years about what we eat, so if you are interested in more just email me. lu (at) blogherathome (dot) com.

The hardest thing is I have not been cleared to exercise…but the pool will be open soon.  Then I can start with some very light water aerobics.  Last time I turned the switch from full on awful to just healthy choices I lost 70 pounds with no exercise.  I was back to the size I was when I married Mike.  I am ok with that size.  However this time I would like to push myself a size or 2 past that and be what I was when I met him.  But that might not be totally realistic, because at that point in my life(19), I was frequently on a liquid diet. LOL Those days are gone and I would just like to fit back in my after I lost the weight before jeans.  That is the size I was for a solid good 5 years post HS so I think that is a fair place to set my goal. I feel good there. Not in a bathing suit good, but still good.  My main concern is my legs.  They have gotten A LOT bigger since the two surgeries.  Some of my pants would actually fit it they didn’t look like the legs had been spray painted on. So yeah, I can get in a smaller size but it’s uncomfortable and I look like a really desperate freshman at a senior party. No thanks.  I am way more into comfort.  (Like the fact that I LIVE in Birkenstocks. Heh.)

I don’t know if I will ever be able to be skinny and toned enough to pose in a bathing suit and high heels.  I am ok with that.  I just don’t want to be embarrassed of all the pics in my SIL’s wedding in September and hate all the pics. Mike, Mas, and I are all in it, so we will be in a lot of pics.  My other SIL got married when Mason was 4 months old. I want to BURN all of those pictures.  Mike and I are determined that we will be much happier with this wedding’s pics and everyone’s reaction when they see our totally hawt healthy family.

So I really don’t say diet, I say my other life. LOL A lifestyle change.  Because you know what? If it’s someone’s birthday I am going to have a piece of cake.  I am just not going to take home the left overs.

I am down 8lbs. already.  I don’t weigh often, I am more of a “how do my jeans fit” kind of girl.  I noticed they were looser yesterday so I weighed myself.  I won’t weigh again for another 2 weeks or so. I refuse to be obsessed with the numbers.  I am obsessed with feeling good. And I am feeling better already.  I have SOOOOOOOOOOO many cute jeans just a few sizes away.  And Mike says if i get underneath that size, I get a shopping spree. (Right after we win the lottery.)

Um, yeah  not cool.   I am so huge again.

Dude, I just totally told all of you guys what I am struggling with and that I am a fat arse.  You guys better love me.

Lu had a wonderful intro on Monday that let us peek into her clean and organized brain.
Unfortunately for you guys, that means it’s MY turn to introduce myself, and let you peek inside my head. I’m sorry.

Summer is coming up. The season of swimsuits, shorts and bare feet. I dread this season.

Not because I realize I will probably have to shave above the knees to wear shorts. And not because I’ve had two kids and feel compelled to buy the swimsuit for insecure women like me, with built-in tummy control panel for Extra! Slimming! effect.
Not because it’s hot and humid, and pants will quickly become optional around our house.

No, it’s because no one thinks twice about my sock issues during the winter.

During the winter, it’s COMPLETELY normal to walk around with socks on constantly. I mean, I live in Wisconsin, for chrissakes. It’s cold up here. Even wearing them to bed doesn’t get me that much attention.

But when it’s ninety degrees (Fahrenheit) and humid out, people look at you funny. It’s not like I’m wearing them with sandals (even I won’t cross some lines), but I constantly have socks on.

I won’t go outside barefoot, not even to hang the laundry.
I hate going to the beach, because then there’s sand in my socks.
I have really nice carpeting in my living room. Thick and soft and squishy. Truly luxurious in every way.

And the feel of it against my bare feet drives me bonkers.

A good night of sleep can be ruined by a lack of clean socks (I change them before bed, because who wants all the ick from running around all day in their bed?? I also change them in the AM after a shower. And I’m not sure why I feel the need to be all, “See? I’m crazy, but not icky!” for you guys…). The feel of the sheets and blankets against my naked feet is too disruptive.

But it’s all good, because I recently found out that socks can help both men and women reach for the stars in bed, and who doesn’t enjoy a good orgasm?

To summarize what we’ve learned today: The key to a good sex life is to take your pants off, and put your socks on. And that sort of behavior is encouraged at my house.

You’re. Welcome.

Since I shared such a weird quirk, AND an important sex life improving tip, I’d really like to hear from you. What’s your strange habit? Leave it in the comments!:)

So to keep things rolling between now and the actual BlogHer@Home party/conference Jen and I are going to post a “Getting to know you” series.  I know for a lot of you this will be all “yada yada yada” because you are already lucky enough to follow me on twitter, my blog, or stalk me in real life.   However it will give you guys a chance to know Jen and I better as well as maybe meet new people through the comments to see who you will be conferencing partying with that weekend.  Later on in the game we plan on opening up Mr. Linky and letting that not only stand as a giant roll call for everyone planning on participating, but will also further help you guys get a feel for everyone involved in BlogHer@Home.  Maybe break the ice a little before August.  We have plenty of time this year to hone in on our group and get to know our community. So Jen and I will go first and then we will go from there.  Plus, for those of you lucky enough to know Jen or I already, you may learn something new, who knows.

I’m gonna to take you back to the old school, because I’m an old fool, who is so cool…

Like way back to the old school.  Picture this:  My mom & dad have five kids.  I am oldest of said five kids.  Mom decides to go back to school.  She actually started that with 4 kids and the fifth one was a HUGE surprise.  So our home was BURSTING with hustle and bustle. With dad working full time, mom in law school, and me 15, G 13, M 9, C 5, and J 1 we were a spectacle in public places to say the least.  With mom and dad getting home later and needing the help, I was the built in babysitter/laundress/housekeeper and all around drill sergeant.  Keeping the house clean was not actually too hard because it was not big.  Only three bedrooms.  Three bedrooms packed to the brim.  My sister and I in one room, all 3 boys in another, and of course mom and dad had their own room.  So the problem was not so much the cleanliness, but the CLUTTER.

There was something on every surface in that house.  All the dressers covered in miscellaneous personal items, every desktop stacked high with papers, books, tapes, any and everything.  Toys were EVERYWHERE.  Our house was definitely “lived in.”  There were no sacred do not sit in here rooms, or lets keep the toys out of this room, rooms.   So even when the house was clean, it looked messy.

Sharing a room with my sister was a complete nightmare.  She was just young enough to be interested in my stuff and want to be like me and too young to actually share.  Like, my makeup, or my Bath and Body Works stuff that I worked for, not her.  I have eyes like a hawk.  If she so much set down my lotion bottle in a slightly different angle, I knew about it.   Anyway, all of our rooms were small for the amount of people in them, so they never looked Pottery Barn catalog like to say the least.

So fast forward to my adult life…and I might be considered a clutter freak.  I CAN. NOT. STAND. CLUTTER.  I like my house to be “guest ready.”  So, unlike back in the day when someone would be coming to town we would have to really clean and prepare, I keep up with it on a regular basis.  My living room might be Pottery Barn-ish, but there are toys, lots of them.  We actually live in a house pretty similar to the one I grew up in (old Florida style) but there is a lot less clutter.  There are also a lot less people.  Which is also part of my master do-not-let-the-clutter-take-over plan.   I seriously can not leave the house with toys strewn about or old dishes left on the table. That just drives me nuts.  Especially since our house is like the hub for friends and family.  We live 2 minutes form the family business and in the middle of town.  So people are always stopping by to hang out, grab a smooch, from Mason, or go for a dip in the pool.  The last one is a regular occurrence in the summer for sure.

There was definitely a time there where I did let it get a little out of control.  I was becoming a complete neat freak.  Never stopping, almost compulsively cleaning and organizing.  Mike would have tell me I could make a cup of coffee nervous and I needed to sit down and chill out, especially during Mason’s nap.

I have to say since my two surgeries I have learned to appreciate my time with Mason in a whole new way. Since he had to start pre-school I give him 100% of me when we are home together. I really just can’t get enough of him right now.  And yes, there have been times when I could. Heh.  I took for granted the fact that I had him with me 24/7 before, taking him to work with me.  Now thing are different, and won’t ever be the same in that respect.  I have learned to let some things go sometimes.  That clutter does not in fact actually kill you like I once felt like.  Now, there really isn’t any way my house will be as clutter as the one I grew up in, but I can understand better now why it was.

It wasn’t just because there were so many of us in such a small space. Ok that was part of it.  It was also because my mom and dad would rather have spent their time doing stuff with us than re-organizing the garage so we could get some things in there rather than have them laying around.

I am still a little bit of clean-neat freak, a ‘cleneat’ perhaps. Look now I make up words! I have a certain level at which I like things, once the house falls below that level, I am compelled by an alternate universe to get up and clean.  However, since my surgeries, not only has my time with Mason been shorter but my stamina and over all ability.  I have found the strength within me to say, “Lu, it will be ok.  You are sore.  You need to sit.  You are still recovering from a major surgery.  Besides, when you look back will you be glad you cuddled in Mas’ bed a few minutes before bedtime, or that you got al the laundry done in one day rather than two?”  I have opted for the cuddles lately and it’s totally worth a little laundry or mail clutter.  I also learned the hard way last time that pushing myself is not the way to recover from any kind of ankle/foot surgery.  I have come to accept the fact that I have limitations.  Sometimes limitations lead to clutter and perhaps some dust bunnies. But so be it!  All I know is that I am very lucky not to be single after the year I have put my husband through.  For all those months are barked asked him to clean because it was below the level that I could manage and I was going crazy in the head.

So even though I am totally warped by my parents and the parameters they set up for my youth, I am totally awesome because of them too.  I realize balance is possible.  It’s different for everyone.  If a ‘cleneat’ can do it, so can you!  Although in respect of full disclosure I will say I have a list two pages long of things to be organized or deep cleaned that got backed up since I have been hurt. Some days I can tackle something on there, some days I can’t.  I do push myself too hard sometimes too. And I pay for it.  No one is perfect, right?  Don’t answer that Princess Jenn!  *SNORT*

Just to show you I am growing…I have to deal with these messy looking magnets on the back of the FRONT DOOR because I could not deal with them on the fridge.  At least I am allowing them to stay there when I really want him to put them away every time when he is done.  Mike says that is crazy. SO FINE!

There you have it. Something totally random and quirky about me.  I wish I could say I was going to run out of things for you, but sadly no.

Any other ‘cleneats’ out there?  I know I am not alone…show yourselves!