2010 October | Theta Mom®

10.29.10

Featured TMC Blogger: Work, Wife, Mom…Life

TMC welcomes Julia, author of the blog Work, Wife, Mom…Life Julia may actually be one of the few bloggers that remembers my blog on Blogger before I even had a specific blog design {yes, she’s been with me that long}! We’ve had some fantastic bloggy discussions on Twitter together and she is, like all other TMC members, extremely supportive! Her blogging passion tends to focus on the balancing act of motherhood and here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“I’m so proud to be featured here on Theta Mom. I’ve been reading Heather’s blog since she had about 200 followers so this is quite the honor!

My name is Julia. I work full-time, I’m a wife to an amazing man, a mom to 2 gorgeous kids…. and everything in between. Like most women, I started blogging in 2007 as a simple way to keep family and friends updated on our life with a new baby. I didn’t realize that there were so many other women out their sharing their stories as well.

About a year ago, I began sharing more about my life as a working mom. I was met with so many women who were in the same boat but rarely knew about any working mom blogs. So while I continued to write about raising my children, I made my blog a sounding board for working moms to come together and share their struggles and successes. (And this was largely in part due to Heather’s advice and encouragement!) Not a working mom? That’s ok! We love to hear perspectives from former workers, stay-at-home moms and non-moms alike!

What else about me? I’m a lover of coffee and sarcasm. I have a twinge of craftiness in me, although it’s totally on an amateur level. I am a lover of weight lifting and Jesus and things that make my life easier and more frugal.

Remember, whether you work or stay at home, have kids or don’t have kids, breastfeed or formula feed, public school or homeschool, watch TV or don’t watch TV, buy organic or not… we are all in this journey of life together. Blogging has allowed me to make connections with so many people that would have otherwise never met! I’m looking forward to meeting you!”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*In order to be considered as a future Featured TMC Blogger, you must be a member and leave a comment on the blog of the current Feature Blogger so be sure to retweet and show some love! Have a fantastic weekend ladies!

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10.27.10

Just Jen Review and Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Jennifer! An email has been sent.***

Just Jen has been in business since 2005 and is currently the #1 online store for rhinestone shirts and clothing carrying more than 200 designs. Within the last year alone, this company has significantly made its mark in the online world creating custom designs for organizations such as hair salons, bridal shops and hotels. Customer service is an integral part of this company’s success and they take great pride in their turn around time. For the holiday season, they even offer a full array of Christmas t-shirts! I reviewed the long sleeve fitted black custom t-shirt with pink rhinestones: {Just look past the messy hair since I had to hurry and snap this photo myself before my little girl tried to climb out of her crib}

How cute is this shirt? I wish the photo came out a little better so you can see how clear and shiny the pink rhinestones are in real life. Of course I had to get Theta Mom but the possibilities are endless. I was very impressed with the quality of this t-shirt. In fact, Just Jen uses genuine Swarovski rhinestone crystals and the shirts are made with 100% cotton by American Apparel. They are manufactured here in the USA and truly are of superior quality because they are designed in body-hugging cuts that accentuate and flatter the female shape.

I have so many t-shirts that I don’t wear because they are big and “boxy” but this is the kind of t-shirt that hugs my body in all the right places and actually flatters my figure! I could wear with this adorable shirt with jeans and some cute boots or pair it with some comfy pants and I would look completely put together. However, be sure to order one size up then what you normally wear since these shirts tend to run small. I was very glad that this was suggested to me so be sure to use the appropriate size chart posted on the site.

I was also very pleased with the processing of my order. It was very easy to create my custom shirt through the online order form in just two easy steps: First, you select the product design of choice noting preferred style, color, size and quantity. Then you just create the actual design using text and symbols by also choosing the font style and crystal colors. The site is very easy to navigate and the ordering process from start to finish was seamless.

Be sure to check out the full line of products to meet any of your special custom design needs including designs for girls, too!

The Giveaway:

Just Jen is offering one lucky Theta Mom reader her very own custom shirt {$50 value} and I made this so easy for you to enter!

To Enter: Simply follow my blog publicly and “like” Theta Mom on Facebook and tell me you are. So easy!!

Want an extra entry? Follow me on Twitter and copy/paste this tweet as often as you like: Leave a comment @ThetaMom to win a custom shirt by @JustJenShop a premier online rhinestone clothing company! http://bit.ly/b8wCqW Pls RT

*This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on November 8th. One winner will be selected at random and will be contacted via email. I was provided a custom made Just Jen long sleeve shirt. These are my own, honest opinions about the product which are reflective of my experience.

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10.25.10

Saks Fifth Avenue: The Ultimate Imaginative Play

In a world full of handheld tech gadgets, an endless selection of DVD’s and of course Play Station and the Wii, it’s actually refreshing when my kids put down these games and use their own imagination. I really try hard to limit the use of those “tech” devices to encourage pretend play. They’ll have the rest of their lives to use all of those components but pretend play is so short lived.

My daughter is at that super fun age where she loves to play dress up. She exhibits creative play every waking moment and recently her new love is for shoes – all kinds of shoes.

She wears any kind of shoe she can find around the house so my mom recently bought her the most adorable “dress up” set, including some fabulous decorative high heel shoes for her birthday. And…she is a total character!

My daughter begins the process by lining up the shoes along side the couch. She then tries a pair on and prances around while showing them off. She eventually returns to the array of shoes and grabs her “notebook.” She flips through the pages while holding her glasses as if she’s really taking notes on her beloved shoes.

Seriously, it is classic. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. That’s my girl wearing hot pink feathered high heels, a matching crown with bracelets, funky glasses while holding her notebook and the shoes are on the right hand side along the couch…

Saks, give this girl twenty years – she may just be your next big shoe buyer.

For reals.

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10.22.10

Featured TMC Blogger: Accustomed Chaos

TMC welcomes Devan, author of the blog Accustomed Chaos. Like many, Devan blogs about all things motherhood but along with the chaos of raising three children, she writes passionately about her gluten free lifestyle and attachment parenting approach. She also shares her personal account of surviving multiple miscarriages. She absolutely adores this community and is such a supportive blogger. Here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hello fellow Theta Moms! My name is Devan and I am a stay at home mom to three beautiful kids (ages 4, 3 & 1) and a wife to an amazing and supportive man. I started Accustomed Chaos in January 2010 to create a space that was just for me – where I could write my thoughts and share my passions; a little of everything.

We live in a gluten free household because both myself and 3 year old daughter have Celiac Disease – an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten and in order to keep us safe my other two children and my husband eat gluten free as well. Over the years I have really come to realize that I am not missing out at all and love sharing my recipes, favorite gluten free products and help increase awareness on celiac disease and providing safe foods.

I write about a lot of different topics and focus on my “gentle, attachment parenting” philosophy. Breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and gentle discipline are topics I am passionate about and I love sharing tips and practical ideas on how they are integrated into our life. I am also a miscarriage survivor and use my blog as a sounding board for working through my grief. The support I have found by this amazing blogging community has been too incredible begin to put it into words.

Life with 3 kids 3 years apart is chaos. No doubt about it. The support, connections and friendships I have made in the past 10 months of blogging has been phenomenal and it is always nice to know I am not alone in my crazy mommy moments.”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

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10.20.10

The Best Day

I rarely share videos or music and I really don’t enjoy the auto-music that can be found on some blogs. I don’t ever write about songs or lyrics but today is a different story because the images and the lyrics to this one video moved me – and of course I wanted to share my experience with you.

My husband pulled me aside the other night and played this music video for me by Taylor Swift. It was the first time I ever saw the video or heard the song and by the end, I was crying. It was one of the best music videos I’ve ever watched and some of the most beautiful lyrics written. It’s a video completely comprised of raw footage from home videos of her life.

I saw myself in that little girl.

I saw myself in that daughter growing up.

I saw my own mother and our beautiful relationship.

And because I saw myself in that mother who was watching it all take place.

Memories of my own childhood immediately came to me and the memories I am making right now with my own children suddenly came to light. Yes, by the end of this video I was crying – crying because it’s the realization that my kids are growing up so fast and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it…

Other than to hold my husband’s hand and recognize that we’re having the best days with them.

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