I was recently reading a post from Kelly at The Pursuit of Mommyness about what makes you subscribe to a blog. She posed some really good questions and it made me reflect on why I follow a blog and I would love to take this conversation a step further…

As bloggers, we follow blogs for various reasons; if you are a part of a Blog Hop such as Friday Follow, this may be a good reason to find some new reads and return a follow; there are many platforms that bring bloggers together, such as The Mom Bloggers Club where you can find blogs of interest and follow; there are other communities like SITS that encourage comment love, so this is a great place to find and follow blogs within this group…and the list goes on.

But as many blogs that you choose to follow and vice-versa, what makes you not only follow, but return to that blog again and again?

For example, you could subscribe to over 300 blogs but really only read and comment on 30 of those weekly. This brings me to the question…out of the many blogs you end up choosing to follow, which are the kind of blogs that you return to again and again no matter what? The kind of blog that if you are pressed for time will be one to visit on your list?

I strive to be one of those blogs that you follow and return to, not ever wanting to miss a post. So when I think of the blogs that I follow, I wanted to share my top three reasons of what brings me back to those blogs again and again: 

1. A blog with well written content that I can relate to: A blogger that posts about topics I can easily connect with is a major draw for me. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about motherhood; any well written post about a topic I can sincerely relate to will get me hooked.
2. A clean blog design with easy navigation: I enjoy blogs that are easy to navigate with just a few clicks. If I want to peek into the archives or get to know more about the blogger, I don’t want to have to go searching for it. And easy navigation does not have to mean a fancy blog design, just a clean design that doesn’t take away from the content.
3. A blog that encourages support of its readers: I like a supportive blogger who encourages comments and wants to continue the conversation. How boring would blogging be if you never got a response? A blogger that shows support of its readers is what brings me back again and again. And I certainly don’t mean a comment for every comment. In a perfect bloggy world this would be fabulous, but we all know how unrealistic that goal would be. I’ve tried to keep up and it’s impossible. So, how do you show support? It can be displayed in various ways to fellow bloggers: via a reply to a comment, a visit to the blog, a link back to a blogger within a post, an email, a tweet or retweet of a post, the sharing of a post on Facebook, a Stumble of a particular post, a chat on a community message board, a recommendation of a blogger to another, etc… There are so many ways to help promote and show other bloggers support, so I like to return to blogs that encourage this as well.

So now I would love to hear from you! After you choose to follow a blog, what makes you return again and again? And if you are a new follower, welcome! I am so glad you are here at Theta Mom and can’t wait to check out your blog!!!

Last week the weather was cold and rainy. Simply the perfect conditions for me as my kids were driving me crazy. It never ceases to amaze me; the times when my children seem to annoy me the most are the times in which I am unable to get outside with them. It’s like forced torture with additional cabin fever.

You know the moment when you have completely reached your threshold and there is no escape? Well, that was me on this particular day.

I was done.

Truly, it was one of those days where I had enough.

So, that’s when I ran upstairs and went straight for my chotchkie drawer. Every Theta Mom needs a chotchkie drawer. You know, the one filled with useless crap that you purchase at the dollar store? It’s the drawer containing all of that cheap, junkie toy-garbage that your kids drool over because it’s wrapped and it’s new.

{If you don’t yet have a chotchkie drawer, I strongly suggest you make one. Immediately. It could save a life.}

So, as I reached into my bag of tricks, I found this beauty I picked up in one of the dollar bins at Target called Grow Capsules:

You fill a cup up with warm water and throw one of those suckers in.

Then, you watch your children scream and shout with delight as the capsules begin to “come alive.” Seriously, my kids were mesmerized. And there were so many beautiful moments of silence when they excitedly waited for the creatures to “come to life.”

This process takes about 4-5 minutes for each capsule…and it comes with 12 of those capsules…catch my drift? We are talking almost an hour of solid entertainment.

Yes kids, truly magical.

So there you have it. It only takes a buck at Target to entertain my kids on a cold and rainy afternoon with a little help from my chotchkie drawer…

Which saved a piece of my sanity.

I wrote a post in September that explains why I emailed Handi-Craft, the company that manufactures Dr. Brown’s products. I was horrified to find out that the sippy cups my daughter was using at the time nearly had the rubber coming off at the top of the spout. As a parent, I feared it was a serious choking hazard.

At Theta Mom, I always write honest posts and product reviews. Even though I wasn’t reviewing this particular product, I used my blog as a platform to share my concerns about a product that I thought (in my opinion and experience) to be defective. After that post was published and my email was responded to from a company representative, I ended up speaking with another representative directly over the phone and I was sent replacement cups. These cups were an improved design from the “original” sippy cups my daughter was using. You can read that full follow-up post here.

However, after reading through all of your comments again on that follow-up post, I was still really upset. I knew that if the rubber was easily coming off of the “original” sippy cups for my daughter, it had to be happening to other babies. There was no way I could have been the only one to experience this. My gut was telling me that this product needed to be taken off the market and I needed to do something more…

Amidst my chaotic thinking of what to do next in pursuit of this issue, the new cups arrived and my daughter actually did beautifully with them. Was it because the spout was indeed stronger in this different design? Maybe. Was it because my daughter was (at the time) now 3 months older so she wasn’t chewing on them quite as hard? Probably. Were these cups safer compared to the original design? I do believe so. You can get a good look at the new design of these training cups here.

But, I still had that unsettling feeling that my serious concern was not totally being heard (since those “original” cups were still available on shelves). As a mother, I needed this issue needed to be escalated…

While I was still testing out these new replacement cups and had numerous telephone conversations with various reps over at Handi-Craft, I soon received an email from the Vice-President of Handi-Craft. Apparently, he wanted to talk with me over the phone.

Can you believe that? The Vice-President of a major corporation actually wanted to take time out of his busy day to converse with me! This would be the perfect opportunity to reiterate my concerns with the company, knowing I would be speaking directly with someone who may be able to make a change.

So there I was, bent over in my kitchen cleaning up spilled applesauce off the floor, then picking up my daughter to change her diaper while Yo Gabba Gabba was playing in the background. Among this routine of “just another day in the life” of a Theta Mom, I was about to speak with the VP of Handi-Craft himself.

I pictured him on the other line dressed in a perfect suit, sitting behind a large uncluttered desk in a spacious office in a major city. And he was talking to Theta Mom, who happened to answer the phone wearing yoga pants and an applesauce splattered t-shirt, holding her daughter in one hand and wipes in the other.

After some introductions, we briefly made some small talk and then we got down to the issue. He was following up with me to see how my daughter was doing with the new replacement cups. We spoke about my concern at length and then he finally shared the news that the “other” sippy cups had been taken off the market.

They were taken off the market.

Can I honestly say that Theta Mom was the reason these cups were removed? No. In my mind, do I think I had a little something to do with it? I would like to believe, maybe.

With all of my emails, phone conversations, and ultimately a chat with the VP himself, I would like to think I had a little something to do with the “original” cups being removed so that they could not potentially harm a baby…and that in itself is pretty amazing stuff.

To think that in this instance, my blog became a platform for my voice to be heard. In the end, with some effective blogging and persistence, it made a difference.

Actually, it made a big difference.

If my daughter could talk right now, I know she would be thanking Handi-Craft for listening to her mommy…

And the best part?

I know she is so damn proud of me.

And so am I.

Since November, I’ve had some new readers stumble upon Theta Mom and some of you have asked what the deal is with Theta Mom Thursdays. Between the holidays, my move to WP and life itself, the upkeep of a weekly meme has become a bit too much for me…but I do love my Theta Mom Thursdays, so I didn’t want to ditch it completely. I was talking with my bloggy friend Flory recently who suggested sharing it once a month. I immediately knew this would be the perfect solution! So here’s the deal…

We need to find at least one hour in one month to do something that we find enjoyable. The hitch? It must be time spent without the kids.

Do something for yourself ladies! Treat yourself to a manicure, begin reading that book you’ve been meaning to start, shop for something totally new, get back on that treadmill again, have lunch with a good friend, pour yourself a glass of wine, have a date-night with your significant other, blog to your heart’s content, sip a White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks while you tweet… whatever floats your boat as long as you are taking time for yourself without the kids. Carve out some time for you because you deserve it!

By joining me in Theta Mom Thursday, what do you get out of this besides some quality time to yourself without having to worry about x, y, and z? You get the chance to link up and meet some new bloggy friends, that’s what!

How It Works:

On the last Thursday of every month, I will post my own Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday, describing how I spent my time out. At the end of my post, I will have a linky set up where you can link up your own Theta Mom Thursday post (describing how you spent your time out) so we can come visit you! Be sure to grab my cute button and add it to your post (or link back to me) and feel free to add the button to your sidebar for some bloggity bling! The more Theta Moms that join us, the more potential there is to meet some new bloggers, so spread the word!!!

Grab My Button:

It’s on the right sidebar “Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday!”

Use Twitter:

Copy and paste this tweet as often as you like: Looking for a time out & the chance to meet new bloggers? Post & link up Feb 25th @ThetaMom Details: http://ow.ly/1ncWJN Please RT

Retweet This Post:

Click to retweet this post. Remember, the idea is to spread the word so that we get some new bloggy friends to join us! The more the merrier! Remember this post about building community and blogging with a purpose? Same idea applies here! So retweet and let’s get the opportunity to meet and greet some new bloggers!

To Sum It Up:

Take your time out, post about it on your blog with my cute Thursday button, and on the last Thursday of each month swing by Theta Mom and link up your post. Then be sure to check out other bloggers who have done the same. Isn’t that the best when you get some new readers?

I would love to see at least 50 bloggers join me in this brigade…

February 25th

Are you in?

I was standing in front of my closet the other day and found myself staring at all of my beautiful clothes carefully draped on hangers. I was looking at the sweaters folded so perfectly, even my shoes aligned by season. Everything has its proper place.

Because it has gone untouched for two years.

Because I can’t wear them since my body doesn’t fit into them.

Because being pregnant for nine months for the second time and then giving birth has put my body in the worst place it has ever been. Ever.

[image: containerstore.com]

Trying to get back into those pre-preggers clothes is still a challenge for me, fifteen months later. And I have no excuse. I can no longer say, “My daughter is four weeks old which is why I am wearing these pants.”

There’s nothing I can say other than, this really sucks.

After I had my son, I was back in my pre-preggers clothes within five months. Did I work at it? Yes. Did it come off pretty easily? Yes. Can I say the same as the result of giving birth to my daughter? Ummm, no. This girl seriously screwed me up.

But this longing to wear the clothes in my closet is more than just a “baby weight” issue. It’s the fact that I work from home and there is no longer a need to get all dressed up…can I get an Amen from all of you stay-at-home moms, too?

When I was an elementary school teacher, I had to and wanted to look professional. I actually enjoyed putting my outfits together, pairing each one with perfect jewelry and accessories. My students always thought I was the “young, cool teacher” which was total incentive for me to sport the latest trends and keep up with my fabulous fashionista reputation.

Now, as I arrive at work after walking down the stairs to open my laptop, there is no real need to wear an adorable skirt with tights, boots and accessories because my daily outing is basically dropping my son off at pre-school (and if I’m lucky, a quick stop at the supermarket or Target with my daughter). That is just not a solid reason for me to put on my smashing dangle earrings and designer boots. Furthermore, not being able to fit into anything that resembles total cuteness makes this even harder to become a fashion plate like I once was…

Don’t get me wrong, I feel so blessed to be able to work from home while raising my kids. I wouldn’t trade that decision for anything and I know many women would love to be in my shoes. However, I am having some serious issues with my closet and what I find myself wearing these days. It’s typically the same black shirt and pants ensemble, yoga pants or anything super comfortable. I lack the sheer motivation to really get “dressed.”

So aside from some hard-core dieting to get back into those clothes hanging in my closet, I’m thinking a call into Stacey and Clinton may be in order. You think they’ll take on a mommy blogger?

I have been a fan of Sex and the City since the very beginning and what immediately drew me into this series was the show’s narration. Carrie Bradshaw’s musings about relationships, dating, and New York City were always so emotional and sensitive. At times, she was a bit dramatic and somewhat over-analytic, but to me, this narration was always authentic.

She shared moments explicitly and expressed exactly what she was thinking and feeling, even when the truth hurt. Although she may have appeared jealous, clingy, or insecure at various points throughout the show, she truly communicated real and raw emotions as she was experiencing life and relationships.

Isn’t this exactly what we experience as Theta Moms? We admit the fact that this motherhood gig isn’t always glamorous and easy. We narrate our own stories with raw emotion and sensitivity. Don’t we sometimes over-analyze the situation, especially when it comes to our children? Don’t we feel sometimes insecure that the job we are doing may not be enough? Don’t we sometimes second-guess ourselves in the process? Isn’t this true authenticity?

Although her bank account doesn’t reflect the majority of Theta Moms, if Carrie Bradshaw was really pregnant, she would probably wear the most adorable, chic, and trendy maternity clothes similar to this look.

Photos: http://www.hbo.com/city/look/carrie_6.shtml

Regardless of her style, the moment she becomes a mother, I picture Carrie changing diapers for the first time and recognizing the not so glamorous aspect of motherhood.

I imagine her agonizing over the reality of sleepless nights and freaking out about her postpartum figure.

As a result of having a baby, I envision the description of her post-partum sex life, or lack thereof.

I can see her shopping at Barneys, unable to purchase the latest Jimmy Choo heels because her newborn could really use the money more.

I imagine her disappointment when she must decline attending a premier event because her baby suddenly became ill.

I predict that she will be torn between work and home, desperately trying to find a balance to make it all work…

But I also envision Carrie trying to find the right words to share the most amazing experience she’s ever encountered, attempting to describe the kind of love she’s never felt before for another human being.

I imagine Carrie dreaming of her newborn and finding herself more centered as a mother, allowing her life to be more about her baby than her own.

I see her making sacrifices, learning from her mistakes and demonstrating the way her life has been forever changed…for the better.

Carrie Bradshaw would be a Theta Mom.

So if she ever becomes pregnant, maybe I should congratulate her…and then welcome her to the club.

It was a long and difficult day, the kind of day when you can’t wait until you have some peace and quiet at the end of it all…you know, like when you put the kids to bed.

Well, it was definitely one of those days for this Theta Mom. I was feeling extra cranky, the hubs wasn’t home to help, and isn’t that always the case? When I could really use a hand around here, those are the times when I find myself alone! I was dragging my tired body up the stairs, helping my 4 year old get ready for bedtime.

Together, we usually read one book before we turn out the lights. So on this particular night, he picked out one of my favorites, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. After reading the book aloud, I closed it shut and as I was about to kiss his forehead, he stopped me.

“Wait Mommy, can we play a game?”

Every ounce of patience I had was gone after the really FUN day I had, so my only reply to him was, “A game? Are you kidding me? No! It’s time for bed!”

He continued, “No mommy, like all you have to do is lay next to me for a few minutes so we can say goodnight to everything, just like in the Goodnight Moon book. Please?”

After a deep breath, I reluctantly decided this would be alright. I mean, it was only a few more minutes anyway, right? So my son shut off the lights and we began the goodnight game.

My Son: Goodnight room…

Theta Mom: Goodnight lamp…

My Son: Goodnight sky…

Theta Mom: Goodnight pillow…

My Son: Goodnight rocket…

Theta Mom: Goodnight mirror…

My Son: Goodnight toothbrush…

Theta Mom: Goodnight closet…

My Son: Goodnight….ummmm….toenails…

Theta Mom: Toenails?

[Pure laughter]

Theta Mom: You are so silly!

Then, there was a bit of silence. He grabbed my hand and whispered, “Goodnight Mommy. I love you.” I kissed his forehead and replied, “I love you, too sweetie.”

And with that, I kept a hold of my son’s hand and stayed with him for far longer than those measly five minutes.

Earlier that day, I was in such a rush to get him to bed so I would have some time to myself, and then I experienced a moment like this and realized the beautiful gift I have in front of me…every-single-day.

A rough day sure turned into a really goodnight.

It started out to be just another ordinary day. I was doing laundry, my daughter was napping in her crib and my husband was mowing the lawn while my son was playing in the backyard. However, this turned out to be much more than an ordinary day…

I was inside the house cleaning up (as usual) when I heard the lawn mower shut off. My husband yelled to me inside. “Is he with you?”

I ran out onto the deck. “What?”

He repeated, “Is he with you?”

I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach. I knew the answer to this and it was no. He was supposed to be playing in the backyard while my husband was in the backyard mowing, just likes he’s done a million other times. Clearly, he was missing. Without any other exchange, my husband ran through the yard and I ran through the house to the front as we were both screaming his name.

I opened the front door and saw a school bus dropping off the neighborhood kids. I looked in every direction and I had the horrific feeling like I could see everyone else’s kid, but couldn’t find my own.

Where was he? Was he hurt? Was he taken? Was he safe? I had a vision of myself on Dateline explaining to Ann Curry that we never thought this could happen to us…

And then my husband saw him walking from our neighbor’s house. We immediately hugged him and asked him if he was alright.

But, things were not alright…

You see, my son was holding an ice-cream cone that he got from our neighbor’s house and it was full of NUTS. For those of you who do not know, our son has a severe peanut allergy and he will go into anaphylactic shock if he ingests a nut. We immediately began to ask him if he ate any of the nuts. From the onset, it looked like he hadn’t, but we didn’t know for sure.

9. You are unable to use the bathroom alone for any extended period of time. For some reason, even going #1 by yourself is considered a luxury.

8. Time never went faster in your life. You find yourself always looking for more of it, but that is the impossible, especially when it comes to getting yourself ready and getting those kids ready, too.

7. You suddenly don’t have any use for your alarm clock. You have children. Remember?

6. You no longer can eat a full meal at dinner time without a single interruption. If you can, please let me know the fairy dust you sprinkle in your house because I would like to purchase.

5. You have become accustom to solving little mysteries, finding small lost toys hidden under the couch, and creating exciting ways to make vegetables more appealing. These are usually daily occurrences.

4. You love when the grandparents visit, or anyone that will pay attention to your child for that matter, because this means that you’ll have a break for more than five minutes.

3. Wiping has a whole new meaning in your life. You have become a pro at wiping table tops, counters, toilets, noses, faces, hands, and behinds. There is not a single thing in this world that you have not wiped.

2. When your child hurts, it breaks your heart more than any kind of “pain” you have endured.

1. You have never loved anything more in your life before. Ever.

When I was in elementary school, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to get the rocks out of my pink jelly shoes. Remember those jelly shoes? How annoying was that when little rocks would get stuck in holes of the heel? I also worried that I might lose my sparkly matching jelly bracelets, too. I think I had one of those in every color.

By the time I got to high school, I worried that my hair wasn’t perfectly sculpted everyday (yes, about five inches from my forehead using about one gallon of hairspray with each application). I worried about wearing the right clothes, applying the appropriate make-up, and hanging out with the right “clique.”

How silly do those worries seem to me now?

Back then, that was my whole world. But now that I am a mother, my worries are far more real than rocks in my jellies.

As a mother, I worry that my son might choke. We are talking about a life-threatening situation. To this day, I don’t let him eat small hard candies. He will be like 18 before he does and even then, he better not do it in front of me. Hotdogs? Forget it. I get heart palpitations. Those things need to be cut length-wise and I still panic every time he eats one.

As a mother, I worry that my kids could potentially drown in our pool. Do I have issues? Am I over-reacting? Maybe, but even though my son wears his vest and my daughter uses her little float, they still cannot swim on their own. I worry that one false move and we’re in deep water…literally.

As a mother, I worry that my son may go into anaphylactic shock. He has a severe nut allergy, so I must read every label on every package of every piece of food he consumes. And Theta Moms, if you remember from a previous post, I am the queen of cutting and dumping, so you better believe that I need to read the fine print on every single package without fail or else it’s Epi-Pen city and I am dialing 9-1-1.

As a mother, I worry as my children grow older that I did a good enough job, raising honest and caring human beings, making the world a better place than the way they entered it. I hope that one day they may get into the college of their choice, that they find the love of their life, and are able to create a family of their own.

As a mother, I worry and hope that they fulfill all of their wildest dreams….every single one. I worry and hope that when they leave this earth, they lived a full and blessed life.

As a mother, I worry about so many things…more than I could ever possibly express here in this little blog of mine.

Rocks in my jellies, well, they don’t quite make the list anymore.