I sat in his office clutching tightly onto my school notebooks with a head full of dreams. I waited patiently for my professor to share the news about my final grade. After taking time to review all of my materials, I thought he would simply hand me my final grade and I would be on my way.

Instead, he would speak words to me that afternoon that I will remember for the rest of my life…

You are about to graduate and complete your degree from one of the finest institutions in this nation Heather. But, if there’s anything you learned here or if there’s one thing you’ll remember most, let it be this:

No matter what happens in your life – whether you get married, divorced, buy a home, lose a home, obtain a job, switch careers, gain new relationships or even suffer through the loss a loved one – whatever happens in your life from this point forward, no one can ever, EVER, take away your education.

As I sat there frozen with the words ringing so true, I slowly got up to thank him and shake his hand. I was about to walk away with more than you’ll ever know from that brief encounter. He stood up, shook my hand as well and then congratulated me. As we departed, his last words before I exited that office door for the very last time was, “You just made one of the best investments you’ll ever make in your life Heather. Best of luck in all you do.”

And with that, I headed out to pick up some final paperwork to plan for my graduation ceremony with clear eyes and a full heart.

May 2013

I sat in the audience clutching onto my two kids with a head full of dreams. I waited patiently for my husband to walk through those double doors.

Within moments, I saw him. And my children were there to witness it, too.

It may have taken my husband 20 years to finish his degree, but he finally did it.

And when all of the pomp and circumstance was over, the first words I spoke to him?

Whatever happens in your life from this point forward, no one can ever, EVER, take away your education. You just made one of the best investments you’ll ever make in your life.

And with that, my kids and I kissed and hugged him and shared a million congratulations – all of us, with clear eyes and full hearts.

I never knew I could possibly love another human being as much as I do. One look into the eyes of my own children and my life changed forever; I would never look at the world the same way again. Becoming a mom has changed my life in ways I never thought were possible and has shown me how much courage, resilience and compassion I have for moms everywhere.

When my kids reach small victories, my heart sings. When they go through tough times, my heart breaks alongside them. Having children of my own, I have so much respect and admiration for my own mom. It’s amazing how cyclical life is, isn’t it?

Being a mom is one of the greatest gifts that I have ever been given…an opportunity to love, nurture and guide another human being. As a mom, I have put the needs of my children before my own – because that’s just what moms do.

Johnson & Johnson® is an amazing brand that is striving to continue to do so much good. So when the company developed the #ForAllYouLove initiative, I was thrilled to help support and promote it. The following one minute video is a wonderful example of the campaign:

In celebration of Mother’s Day, JOHNSON’S® Baby has established JOHNSON’S® Baby CARES Care Cards, a digital e-card platform that encourages moms to share positive messages of encouragement with other moms across the country, while simultaneously supporting Save the Children®. 

Want to get involved? You can help, too!

Simply pick and share a card filled with messages of reassurance for a mom in your life on Facebook here. For every card sent, shared, or liked, JOHNSON’S® Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children® (up to $150,000) to benefit early childhood education programs that foster education and reassurance for new moms. These cards will not only spread encouragement to moms throughout the country but will also provide moms in need with the skills and knowledge to successfully support their child’s growth.

For every Theta Mom® out there – this one’s for you:

Now go send a card to a Theta Mom® in your life to brighten her day and  JOHNSON’S® Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children®. Wishing you all a very Happy Mother’s Day!!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. For further details, visit the full disclosure at Theta Mom®.

Quite frankly, this has been happening more and more lately.

When I started this blog, my little boy was three and I also had an infant girl on my hands. I had so much blog fodder daily I couldn’t write fast enough to spill it all. I was virtually tied to the house with my two little ones – and blogging? Well, that was my sanity in those early years.

But now that my kids are nearly eight and five, blogging has changed for me in many ways. I’ve written about the evolution of blogging before, but this goes far beyond the “finding the blog time” issue – now, for me, it becomes a real privacy issue.

I’m not talking about the kind of privacy that includes sharing full names on the blog or tweeting a gazillion Instagram photos of my kids because that’s not how I roll. A long time ago, I decided how and what I was going to share on this blog when it came to my kids but I never thought that one day, I would be face to face with the fact that the stories I share could have a direct impact on their lives – including my own.

Let me explain.

When my kids were really little, the blogging was all about me. This blog described MY experiences in motherhood, MY thoughts, MY feelings, MY reaction to many of the things that I was going through as a mom. I blogged about the crazy days of motherhood through infancy, the body changes, the emotions I experienced, and the ins and outs of motherhood. But now that my kids are older, the storytelling has become less about me and more about them.

And for me, that’s a bit of an issue.

I’m not the first to write about this topic, nor will I be the last. I think this is just another part of the real learning curve on the big bloggy spectrum.

When we moved to a new town last year, I was meeting many new faces and of course I immediately got the question, “What do you do for a living?” Earlier in my blogging career I held onto talking about my former career as an educator and Adjunct Professor – but now that my business (my third baby) is already three years old, I proudly tell the world that I am a blogger – a professional blogger. Yes, this is what I do to put food on the table and I am really proud of what I’ve accomplished.

But, telling the world I have a blog DOES come with a price – the price of privacy.

If I share a story about my kids that may hurt their feelings (even if not today but potentially down the line), then I am putting them in a situation that I am not comfortable with because the storytelling should be more about ME, not them. Now that they are of school age, the tables have turned and blogging feels different. Much different.

Does this mean I am going to stop blogging? To leave the blogosphere? To run from the very thing I’ve poured my blood, sweat, and tears into everyday over the last four years?

Absolutely not.

Perhaps it’s just a hurdle I need to work through along my own blog journey. I must find a balance that will ultimately work for me. Some bloggers share tons of family information, full names, a gazillion personal photos, etc. and that’s great if it works for them – that certainly doesn’t work for me. Neither does the kind of blogging that shares stories of my kids that one day, they may find upsetting.

The internet, as you know, is very real. And it’s forever. I’ve been blogging for nearly four years so I chose to make this blog public. I totally get it. But, once something is out there it’s very hard to take it back, so you may want to think twice before publishing THAT post when your fifteen year-old may one day find it.

I never want to be a blogger with regret.

And I’ve seen it done by other bloggers time and time again…to blog about something just for the sake of a popular post at the expense of my children? No thank you.

Until then, I’ll continue moving forward and work through this blogging learning curve to create content that I can live with – the kind of content that even years from now, my children can live with, too.

When it comes to cooking, baking, or crafts I honestly just like quick and easy. So if you’re a Theta Mom® like me who just doesn’t have that DIY gene either, fear not – I’ve got the most amazing and easy idea on the cheap that you’ll want to bookmark for the next time you make a handful of cupcakes.

Ready?

I took a sticker {you can choose any kind of sticker you like} put it on a toothpick and put another sticker on the other side to stick to it.

You.are.done.

It took me a total of 5 seconds – can you say easiest and cheapest cupcake topper EVER? It cost me $1 for the sheet of stickers and less than $1 for the toothpicks – and my daughter thought I was the coolest mom ever.

The little sticker topper made the cupcakes more festive and super presentable. Obviously. So the next time you need to spice up the top of that boring cupcake, you too can be the cool Theta Mom® of your child’s class for less than two bucks.

No tutorial necessary – you know, for moms like me.

You’re welcome.

I sat down to write exactly what’s in my heart and the lyrics from one of my favorite songs kept resurfacing. Here is my wish for my baby girl, best written by Rascal Flatts:

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go. And if you’re faced with a choice that you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin’ til you find a window

If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile

But more than anything,

More than anything…

My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small

You never need to carry more than you can hold – and while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to

I hope you know somebody loves you – and wants the same things, too

Yeah this – is my wish.

xoxoxoxo

momAgenda was founded by Colgate University graduate and former ad executive Nina Restieri. As a busy mom of four children she was always in need of organizing her very hectic schedule, so after years of research and recognizing her business idea would fulfill a market need, momAgenda was born. Since 2005, the brand offers a wide range of products to help women and moms organize their daily lives. Not a mom? No problem because momAgenda also carries a full myAgenda line of products – which I am thrilled to introduce to you!

Meet myAgenda:

There are so many features I love about this planner including the fact that it’s the perfect size. I can slip it into my bag and keep it with me wherever I go. There is also plenty of room for me to record everything I need to remember. Each week has enough space to record specific tasks for a “week-at-a-glance” look. The myAgenda is really versatile and allows you to fully customize it.  

The other thing I really like about this organizer is the fact that there is so much flexibility as to how you could implement this planner to meet your own specific needs. As a busy Theta Mom® I need to keep track of so many things relating to myself and my family – but I wanted to choose a planner to solely focus on me this time around which will help me to organize my social calendar, specific appointments and dates important to my blog and business. I can effectively fit all of this information in one place which makes my life so much easier with myAgenda. 

momAgenda also launched some exciting NEW products for 2013-2014 which are available now such as the File Tote and Storage Bucket, both on my wish list!

Be sure to follow momAgenda on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on new product launches and deals. You can also follow the COMM Team for the latest momAgenda community news.

And since we are quickly approaching Mother’s Day, we know you are always in need of some fabulous organization so the COMM Team is launching a series of giveaways that will run through the end of this month! At Theta Mom®, momAgenda is giving away a myAgenda Desktop to one very lucky reader!

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

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Simply follow my blog and leave a comment telling me why YOU need a momAgenda this Mother’s Day! Be sure to tweet the following as an extra entry:

I want a @momAgenda for Mother’s Day! I just entered the #giveaway @ThetaMom http://bit.ly/150bMyy #momAgendaCOMM

This contest is open to US and Canada residents, ages 18+ and will close on Wednesday, April 17th. A winner will be selected via random.org. {The winner must have a valid email address and claim the prize within 48 hours. Otherwise, another winner will be chosen}.

Theta Mom® abides by word of mouth marketing standards and believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. As the Brand Ambassador for momAgenda® and the Leader of COMM: Council of Media Moms, I am compensated for the work I perform including posts such as this. In addition, I received a myAgenda Desktop to facilitate this review. However, all opinions expressed are purely my own and the content of this post was not influenced in any way.

Are you ready to kick it old school with us, too?

We would LOVE to have you join us! Simply copy/paste the following questions and post your own responses on your blog and link up! Be sure to tag a few of your bloggy besties to join us, too. We’re also using the hashtag #OSBlog on Twitter so be sure to tweet us your links! You can find us @ThetaMom and @Elainea

We’re so 2009 – and we LOVE it. Ok, here we go:

1. How did your husband pop the big question? My man took me ice skating at Christmas time in Rockefeller Center in New York City. He brought me out onto the center of the ice and popped the big question. We had a full audience surrounding us so we felt like total rockstars! A random couple skating had a video camera on the ice and actually captured the proposal on film – which they kindly mailed to us days later. Now that’s what I call awesome peeps. And since then, there have been tons of proposals on that rink in the month of December – I guess my husband is quite the trendsetter.

2. What are the three most surprising things about married life? Marriage takes tons of hard work and patience. You may find our Prince Charming, but the reality of “real life” with kids, a mortgage and the mundane daily tasks can quickly cloud that fairly tale image. I also never knew how much I would despise football every Sunday. And I always knew I wasn’t a great cook but marriage has shown me I am even more lame in the kitchen than once thought, even my kid thinks so: The Proof is on the Paper.

3. How did you find out you were preggers for the first time? This one has a HILARIOUS story attached to it, an explanation I actually blogged about before – What Every Housewife Needs to Know about Pull and Push.

4. How did you choose your first baby’s name? Easy peasy. I knew I was having a boy so we named him after a family member.

5. Describe where you see yourself 10 years from now… Yikes, I’ll be well over the hill by then. Oy. I would imagine I will be experiencing a bit of empty nest syndrome since my son will be heading off to college. My daughter will be in high school and causing me all kinds of drama I’m sure. I hope to have several books published by then, that’s the big dream of all dreams gang. And of course, continue to grow my business and live a fulfilling life with the true spirit of always following my passion.

6. Describe how you find bliss either by using words or images.

 Blogs & Coffee in the morning

Beach by day

Wine  in the evening

 Fabulous Bloggers I am tagging for some serious #OSBlog is YOU! Join us and link up Old School Blogging style like it’s 2009!

The Council of Media Moms (better known as COMM) at momAgenda® was formed to build important relationships consisting of women and mothers who will assist the brand in establishing a visible online presence. This partnership with members of the COMM team will garner important insight into the needs and wants of the momAgenda community.

We are pleased to officially announce the 2013 Council of Media Moms! You’ll be able to view the full profiles of each team member as well as ways to connect through social media. Once again, I am honored to lead this fantastic team of super talented ladies.

Thanks again for your support as we embark on another exciting year with the COMM initiative. To stay updated on the latest momAgenda COMM news you can follow the hashtag #momAgendaCOMM on Twitter.

Running on tons of caffeine and adrenaline, my body was bursting with nervous energy.  I arrived in NYC early in the morning waiting for my chance to be seen. I was chasing a childhood dream – the dream of one day dancing as a Radio City Rockette.

I stood outside the Music Hall and sized up the long line filled with hundreds upon hundreds of women who were also waiting to get in – beautiful, talented women who were chasing the same dream. We were all there vying for the coveted title of dancing with the famous New York City dance troupe.

Hours later when it was my turn to shine, I gave it my all on the dance floor. The grueling years of technical training all lead up to that one moment in time. It was an honor to stand up there with so many of those women who actually do this for a living; women who attend multiple auditions a day; women who have the word “audition” embedded all over their monthly calendar; women who work three to four different jobs just to pay the rent while they continue to chase after their dream.

Leaving the audition room, I immediately knew that I did not make it to the next round. I was cut at the first call, as were hundreds of other dancers.

Entering the bathroom stall to change my clothes, I heard the conversation and whispers coming from a handful of other dancers who were also changing in the bathroom. These women were planning out the rest of their day together. They discussed the two other auditions they wanted to go to on the other side of town as well as potential spots where they would grab lunch in between. One girl spoke about how her rent was already late and she really needed a steady gig. One of the other dancers picked up another shift at a local restaurant just to make ends meet – all for the love of the art. These women sacrifice so much of their lives just for the chance to dance.

As I put away my dancing shoes and folded my leotard into the bag, I felt grateful of where I was in my life. I was working full-time as an elementary school teacher and making a good salary. I had an excellent job with stability and medical benefits. I didn’t have the stress of wondering where my next meal was going to come from, how the subsequent audition would go, or if I would be able to pay the rent on time.

I opened the door to the bathroom stall feeling grateful that I had a good job AND the opportunity to chase a dream. I am a big believer that things in life happen for a reason and I just wasn’t meant to be a Radio City Rockette because the man upstairs had other plans for me.

And to this day, I believe he made me hear that bathroom conversation to realize that.

March 2013

Based on a recommendation from a friend, I recently caught up on the HBO show called GIRLS and I am totally hooked. The show circles around the lives of young women in their twenties living in NYC. They share their struggles on relationships, dating, and of course, chasing after those lofty NYC dreams.

Every single time I finish watching an episode I feel blessed because I know for me, right here right now, this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

I know this may sound super cheesy, but I am living out one of my other dreams – the dream of being a wife and mother. 

If I landed that job as a Rockette nearly ten years ago, my life would have been completely changed.  I might not have met my husband or if I did, maybe I wouldn’t have wanted children as young as I did. There are so many “what-ifs” and no matter how you slice it, things would have been altogether different.

And dating in NYC in my mid-twenties? No thank you.  It’s certainly not as glam as some think it is and the show GIRLS does an excellent job portraying the real “Sex and the City.”

Not everyone can say they chased a childhood dream…but I can.

And now? I’m just living out another dream.

One I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Are you ready to kick it old school with us, too?

We would LOVE to have you join us! Simply copy/paste the following questions and post your own responses on your blog and link up! Be sure to tag a few of your bloggy besties to join us, too. Elaine and I plan to make this a monthly meme if you guys are old school enough to do it.

We’re also using the hashtag #OSBlog on Twitter so be sure to tweet us your links, too! You can find us @ThetaMom and @Elainea

And we’re so super stoked about this linkup that Elaine even created a button so be sure to visit her blog to grab the code – and of course, link up!

I know, we’re so 2009 – and we LOVE it. Alright, here we go with the 8 Question Meme…

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

2003. Wow, LBK {Life Before Kids}. I was recently married, bought my first place and finished graduate school. I was also a full-time elementary school teacher and assistant building administrator. 

2. What 5 things are on your to-do list?

• Clean out my email inbox
• Unpack boxes that still remain since our latest move
• Do some serious spring cleaning
• Get my nails done {I do them myself}
• Sign my kids up for spring sports

3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

If I’m not trying to diet, Cheese Doodle’s are my absolute favorite. Basically, anything with cheese – and popcorn, pretzels or potato chips. Can you say hello carbs?

4. Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire:

Pay off any debt including my very expensive $$$ college and graduate school loans – which at this point I’ll be paying until I’m like 52 because I’ve been on the 30 year plan. Oy.

I would put money away to pay for my kids’ college education & wedding plans. I would have enough put away in savings so they were set for life.

I would take care of my parents, in-laws, siblings and close friends.

I would give $ to charity and causes that are close to my heart. I would donate $ to education and other organizations that I believe in.

Whatever is left over, I would buy a beach house, not in California or along the Florida coast, but at my beloved Jersey Shore.

5. Name some places you have lived:

I moved five times since I graduated college, but it’s all been in Jersey baby. Once a Jersey Girl, always a Jersey Girl.

6. Name some bad habits you have:

Over analyzing things, worrying about stupid stuff and obsessive cleaning.

7. Name some jobs you have had:

As a teenager, I worked every summer at the Jersey Shore. I started out working in a clothing store and then scooped ice-cream at Friendly’s. I also waited tables at a bar/restaurant which helped me get through college. Those were the good ol’ days man, those were THE days.

8. Name those you are tagging for #OSBlog:

Loukia , Jackie , Greta , Alison and Kate