I've got an excellent giveaway for everyone today. It comes not only from one of my readers, but from one of my friends -- as in, someone I know in real life! Not only do I know the artist behind Tudor Rose Designs, I know her well; we went to school together for more than a decade as children. When she opened her new Etsy shop, I BEGGED her to let me introduce her creations to all of you. So, here she is in her own words:

Tudor Rose Designs was a bit of a whim. I’ve always loved the look and feel of polymer clay objects and decided I wanted to start working with it on my own. Jewelry, specifically pendants, seemed like the best place to start as a novice. I chose the name of my shop based on my love of history and the Tudors and the women of that era (whom I consider early feminists), and while my initial plan was to create pendants inspired by the strong female figures of that time period, I was unprepared for the explosion of ideas that would come and now also create pieces inspired by some of my favorite movies and books (I am a librarian, after all!) I like my pendants like I like my art: more abstract, less exact. But the Yellow Brick Road and forthcoming Twilight-themed pendants are very literal in design and I have no doubt there will be more like them in the future. In the meantime, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, which is creating beautiful handcrafted polymer clay pendants, learning the ins and outs of running an Etsy business, and, most importantly, having fun!

Here's a sample of her work:


(Clockwise from top left: Large Scarlett O’Hara Twelve Oaks Dress Pendant ($14), Small Yellow Brick Road Pendant ($6), Small Silver Heart Jane Seymour Pendant ($6), Large Blue Anne Boleyn Pendant ($12), Slytherin Harry Potter Pendant ($10), Small Girl Who Played With Fire Pendant ($8))
WIN IT!

One pendant of your choice from the Tudor Rose Designs Etsy shop, along with a black cord -- up to a $16.50 value!
How to enter:
Leave a separate comment for each entry

MANDATORY ENTRY:

1) Visit Tudor Rose Designs on Etsy, come back here and leave a comment telling me which pendant is your favorite!

OTHER WAYS TO ENTER:

1) Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect

2) Like Tudor Rose Designs on Facebook

3) Grab my blog button and post it on your blog

This contest is open through next Sunday, August 7th at 9pm. The winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Sorry, U.S. residents only.
I was in no way compensated for this giveaway. The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and were in no way influenced by the sponsor.

When I was younger, I was obsessive about appearances -- not only my own, but my home as well. But since becoming a mother (and especially since becoming the mother of two), I've become pretty lax about certain things, like...

Panty Lines: This is mostly due to the fact that I have yet to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight, yet am wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes (simply because I REFUSE to buy clothes in a bigger size). Big butt + small jeans = panty lines.

Bra Straps Showing: This is another function of my post-partum status. As a breastfeeding mom, I spend most of my days wearing a nursing bra... and as a general rule, nursing bras have rather wide straps. Combine that with summer's tank tops, and you'll see my bra strap just about every day of the week.

Showers: ...and shaving, and blow drying my hair, and putting on makeup. I guess you could call it personal hygiene. My beauty routine is completely out of whack, and quite honestly, I don't care. I'd rather spend an extra five minutes in bed than tweezing my eyebrows. So kill me.

Making The Bed: When DH & I first got married, this was a major bone of contention between the two of us. My mom taught me to make my bed first thing every morning; DH didn't know the first thing about hospital corners. I made our bed every day for almost four years. Since C's birth, I think I may have made the bed twice -- and I never make G's big girl bed. I say it's because I'm just giving the sheets time to breathe, but really, it's because I'm lazy.

So You Think You Can Dance: Yes, I'm talking about the Fox reality competition show. I used to love watching this show; it reminded me of my younger days when dancing was my passion. Now, it just reminds me that I'm old and totally not flexible.

What sort of things do you no longer care about, now that you're a mother?

I hate disciplining my child.

If you'd asked me -- or my husband -- before we had children which one of us would be the "bad cop," we'd both have said me. I'm far more structured, less apt to go with the flow, and far crankier than DH. But as G has grown, it is I who is the softy.

A lot of the time, I let small infractions go with a simple apology instead of a more severe punishment like time out or taking away toys or privileges. But other times -- specifically when we're in social situations with friends or family -- I have to be stricter.

Not long ago, I was at a friend's house for a playdate. Now, I subscribe to the playdate mantra of "while the children play, the moms talk" -- and that's exactly what we were doing. But it seemed like every time I left the room, one of G's little playmates started to cry.

At first, I found myself growing frustrated with G. Why couldn't she play nicely with her friends (and give me some much-needed adult time)? Then, I started paying attention... and made a pretty shocking discovery.

I found that G was, indeed, the instigator of the situation. Her friend was playing with a toy that G wanted; but her friend was also ignoring G's repeated requests for a turn. Ultimately frustrated, G snatched the object out of her friend's hand. And her friend started to cry...

And when a child cries, adults come running...

And when the adults came running, the "injured" child got her toy back... and my child continued to wait, and wait, and wait for her turn.

This happened over and over and over again throughout the course of the afternoon. G kept looking like the bad kid, and maybe I looked like the bad mom for not interfering more directly. In my defense, a friend of mine who teaches preschool says it's important for kids to start learning how to sort things out on their own about this age, and that's what I was doing... I was trying to see how -- or really, if -- G could handle it herself.

G might have had grabby hands, but her friend wasn't sharing. G might have had grabby hands, but her friend was being a tattle tale. G might have had grabby hands, but her friend was manipulating the situation exactly the way he wanted to, so he would end up with the toy.

My kid can't always be wrong. I'm not defending her actions, but I think the parent of the little boy should have taken a different approach to the situation. I think she should have stepped back, and let the toddlers try to reach a solution on their own. I think if she hadn't leapt to her son's defense at every opportunity, then her son wouldn't have continued to manipulate the situation to her advantage. I think her son would have learned a more valuable lesson, like sharing, instead of learning that every time he cries he gets his way.

What do you think? What do you do when you find yourself in these parenting conundrums?

We have an entry in the uPrinting.com giveaway! It is...

Entry #2,
Carly from Carly's Photogrpahy!
I happen to know that Carly has a new baby to photograph, so I'm sure she'll be putting these flyers to good use.

Congrats, Carly! Email me ASAP to claim your prize (I'm not giving her a deadline, since five-week old babies make that tough!).

I was provided with the same product as the giveaway winner -- with retail value of $49.80 -- by uPrinting for the purpose of this giveaway; I was not compensated monetarily. The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and were in no way influenced by the sponsor company.

I had so much fun doing this a few weeks ago that I wanted to do it again! Who knows, maybe it'll become a meme one day... maybe. Once again, I hope you'll play along, and if you do, leave a link to your post in the comments section so I can come check it out. Oh, and if you have an idea for a future "The Last Time" post, leave a comment with that too!

The Last Time...

...went to a concert: I think it was the spring of 2005, when I was in grad school at Syracuse -- Snoop Dogg played at the Carrier Dome (student tickets were just $10!) and it was the BEST CONCERT EVER! Sad to think that's been more than six years!

...vacuumed your floors: Hmmm, well, you see... it's been a while. DH did all the vacuuming when I was pregnant, and I just haven't gotten into the habit of doing it again. Probably a week, at least? GROSS, I know!

...went somewhere by yourself: Yesterday, to the grocery store. Both kids (and DH) were at home napping, and in truth, I'd rather have been doing the same instead of napping.

...had a mani or pedi: end of February -- it was the week before one of my besties had her little boy, and all us girls went out for a night of pedicures and Mexican food!

...got eight hours of interrupted sleep: last August, I think, before I got pregnant. However, Baby C is getting better and better at sleeping through the night, so I've had seven hours straight a few times in the last month.

I've got a quick giveaway for my readers today! It comes from uPrinting.com. Here's what's up for grabs:

250 Flyers

4.25" x 5.5" or 4" x 6"

14pt Cardstock Gloss

Front Only Printing

Free Shipping Included!
uPrinting calls these Nightclub Flyers, and has a wide variety of Nightclub Flyer Templates for you to choose from. Of course, I don't think most of my readers are nightclub promoters, so I envision you using these to advertise your next yard sale, get the word out for a bake sale at your children's preschool, or even as birthday invitations! In addition to these, uPrinting is also a top resource for flyers of all types.

WIN IT!

250 "Nightclub" Flyers from uPrinting
A $49.80 Value!

Requirements: Winner must be 18 years of age or older. Contest limited to U.S. residents only. Individuals who have won this identical prize from another uPrinting giveaway in the last six months are not eligible.
How to enter - leave a separate comment for each entry:

(1) Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect

(2) Follow my best friend's blog, Sloppy Joes and Tater Tots

(3) Grab my new button (see sidepanel) and place it on your blog (include link to your blog's homepage!)

This giveaway will close at 9pm on Tuesday, July 26th. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Good luck!

I was provided with the same product as the giveaway winner -- with retail value of $49.80 -- by uPrinting for the purpose of this giveaway; I was not compensated monetarily. The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and were in no way influenced by the sponsor company.

I'm about to get existential with you. Seriously. I'm using my religion minor for all its worth right now -- go me.

If you're like me -- and almost all of my readers are women, and most are mothers -- then you probably spend a lot of time saying these two words: "I'm sorry."

I do it incessantly.

The other day, I almost got hit in the grocery store parking lot while putting away the cart. I'd looked both ways before crossing the aisle when a middle-aged woman turned the corner too fast (without looking both ways, I might add) and nearly hit me. She gave me a look -- as if to say, "What's wrong with you?" -- to which I gestured "I'm sorry" in reply.

But was I? Was I really sorry? What had I done wrong? How had I offended her? What was really going on here?

Let me present state's evidence A (sorry, too much time spent watching Law & Order: SVU).

In case you're unfamiliar with this gentleman, his name is Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. Scholar, author, philosopher. He lived during the second half of the 19th century, and even though he passed away a full 39 years before the start of World War Two, he is to blame for not only the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, but for your inability to stop apologizing.

I know, that's a pretty broad statement, right? I mean, really, what do you have in common with Adolf Hitler? I'll tell you.

Nietzsche believed firmly that there were two types of people -- and thus, two sets of morals -- in this world. The first type is "master morality." This type of person values morals that are based on things like pride, hard work, and physical, intellectual and emotional strength.

The second type, as outlined in Nietzsche's book "On the Genealogy of Morals," is "slave morality." This type of person values morals such as generousity, kind-heartedness, compassion and humility.

Adolf Hitler -- and later, his Nazi party -- used Nietzsche's text as justification for their persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust. (Of course, the Nazis interpretation of this and other Nietzsche texts were wildly off the mark.) The Nazis, in Nietzsche's view, falling into the category of "master."

And, I'm guessing, you probably fall under Nietzsche's "slave" heading.

Yeah, I'm calling you out. I'm calling myself out too, so hold your horses.

This takes us to an idea called "the inversion of morals." The Nazis misinterpreted Nietzsche's philosophy to say, "The Jews are incapable of taking care of themselves. They make our lives miserable. We're doing the rest of the world a favor by eliminating them." And so they did. They justified horrific crimes against humanity by claiming the Jews were harming them. The Nazis purported to be the victims of the Jews, and in doing so, were able to explain away what they did to an entire race.

Switch this "inversion of morals" concept around, and it explains why you apologize when you've done absolutely nothing wrong.

Your coworker messes up a critical assignment, and you take the blame for it.

Your husband has a tough day at work and comes home grumpy, and you apologize for his mood.

You almost get killed in the Harris Teeter parking lot, and you (ok, I) say "I'm sorry."

You're the victim in these scenarios. You're in the right -- or at least, not in the wrong -- and yet, you manage to find a way to claim culpability.

As a woman, I tend to say I'm simply being sympathetic or compassionate, that it's my role as a wife and mother to smooth things over and avoid confrontation (see??? the "slave morality" at its best!). But really, I'm just being a doormat. I'm allowing another person's shortcomings, missteps, or out and out cruelty to turn me into an apologist.

And every time I do that, I let them become my master, while I become a slave.

The solution? Quit apologizing. Whether you do it intentionally or without realizing it, every time you take the blame in a situation, or utter "I'm sorry," stop and think: what did I do wrong? am I really sorry? should I be?

Answer those questions truthfully, and you'll find out whether or not you've been holding your true self captive.

By the way, lest you think
I'm a pretentious snob who thinks she
has all the right answers,
I'll be rereading this post
every time I go to apologize for
something I didn't do...
which is basically every day.

How do parents with big families -- I'm talking four, five, six kids -- do it?

Because, honestly, I'm struggling with just two children.

When I first learned I was pregnant with Baby C, I was terrified. The whole reason DH & I had originally wanted G to be an only child was because we'd be able to avoid the guilt of parenting more than one child.

If you have multiple children, then you know this feeling well. You know it when both children are crying simultaneously, but you only have one set of hands to help. You know it when both children are hungry, but require completely different food sources. You know it when one child wants to go to the park/pool/zoo/playdate while the other is finally, finally down for a nap.

I feel the guilt when G is still running around in her overnight diaper (she's still not 100% potty-trained at night) and pajamas at lunchtime, because I've spent the morning with a cluster-feeding Baby C. I feel the guilt when I have to let Baby C fuss in his crib a little longer than I'd like to after naptime because I promised G I'd read her favorite princess book... three days ago.

And let's not even talk about the guilt I feel when I do something for myself, like write a blog post. By the way, at this moment, Baby C is eying my boobs and licking his lips from the comfort of his bouncy seat while G is chasing the dog around our playroom without any pants on because, as she told me, it's "too hot for pants" today.

How do you deal with the pressures, demands and, yes, guilt of parenting two or more children? Anybody got any tips for helping me better balance their needs as well as my own?

In a way, I feel bad for second babies. While the first child is pampered long before its born with showers and presents, the second child is often left to wade through its older sibling's hand me downs.

So it was with Baby C. While just about everything G had was brand new, just about everything C had was gently (or in some cases, not-so-gently) used.

That's not to look a gift horse in the mouth -- I was thrilled when so many of my friends offered to give me the wardrobes their sons had already grown out of. It meant I could spend my money elsewhere, on cloth diapers, sports-themed bedding and some really cool wall decals for C's nursery. But it also meant that literally every piece of clothing C would wear would have already been worn by somebody else.

That's the major reason why I signed up to work with Organically Grown. This company -- which features clothes for infants, toddlers, children and adults, as well as for your home -- only sells apparel made from 100% organic cotton. What, exactly, does that mean? Well, it means that all the fabric comes from cotton plants that are grown without pesticides or genetic modification. In other words? They're entirely natural fibers.

Organically Grown sent me this adorable onesies (which they call bodysuits -- you say poh-tay-toe, I say pah-tah-toe) to try out on my little C. Before I even put it on him, I could feel the difference. While the hand-me-down clothes I had in C's closet were soft, this onesie -- with the little lion, monkey and elephant on it -- was like brushing up against an angel's wing. It was heavenly. And even though he was only a few weeks old the first time he wore it, I could sense by Baby C's gentle coos that he felt the organic difference too.

To be honest, this was the first time I'd ever dabbled in organic clothing. Sure, I'd used organic household cleaners before, and I'd made sure to purchase organic versions of the "Dirty Dozen" fruits and veggies. But clothing? Could it really be worth the extra price?

My verdict?

It depends. If you're going for quality, Organically Grown's clothing is unmatched; if you're shopping simply based on cost, expect to pay more. For example, if you went to your local department store, you could buy three onesies for roughly $15; go to your nearest big box store -- like Walmart or Target -- and you could pay even less. Organically Grown sells the onesie Baby C got to try for $24.95 in a pack of three -- so quite a bit more than your local retailer.

But there is a major difference between what you'll get at the big box store and what you'll get from Organically Grown. With your average onesie, you have no idea where the fabric comes from, who made it, how it got to your store. With Organically Grown, you're buying from a company that is committed to make the environment a healthier, more sustainable place... and what better gift is there to give your child?

Buy It!

Little Lion 3-Piece Organic Cotton Bodysuit Set from Organically Grown: $24.95
Disclaimer: I was provided a "Little Lion" bodysuit from Organically Grown -- valued at approximately $8.50 -- for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and were not influenced by the sponsor company.

Take a good, long look at this pink silly band I found in a package (no pun intended) of the rubber bracelets I bought from Walmart last week...


Is that what I think it is??? Because it sure looks like it. I didn't know the people over at Silly Bandz were now manufacturing phallic symbols!

Of course, it isn't a man's dingleberry, but still. Shouldn't someone have taken a good, long look at the baseball and bat in the "Sports Pack" and said, "Hmmm, that looks more than a little phallic" before sending it down the assembly line?

This is a post that will probably upset -- maybe even offend -- a few people. This is my blog and my opinon; feel free to share your thoughts too, especially if you disagree. I want to know why.

I've nursed both my kids from day one. With my daughter, it started off day by day. My first goal was to nurse her for two weeks, then a month, then two months, then til I went back to work, then til she was six months, then til she was a year, and finally, until it was time to wean (which happened when she was 14+ months old). With Baby C, I've taken nursing for granted; since I went for so long with G, I plan on going just as long -- if not longer -- with him.

For me, the benefits of breastfeeding are endless. First, let's talk convenience; no matter where we are, I can feed C if he gets hungry; I don't have to worry about bringing a bottle filled with formula with me. Second, let's talk about cost; while formula-fed babies consumer hundreds of dollars of formula in their first year of life, I have never spent a single penny on the stuff. For a frugal mom like me, that's a Godsend.

And of course, you can't talk about the benefits of breastfeeding without mentioning how it affects your health -- and your baby's. Nursing your baby helps you recover more quickly from labor and delivery, as in the days after birth, it helps contract your uterus back to its pre-pregnancy (well, almost pre-pregnancy) size. In the months after delivery, nursing helps many women drop the baby weight (this was the case with me after I had G; with Baby C, I'm not losing that weight quite as easily). And the benefits last for years after you stop nursing; research has found that nursing moms have a lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease as they age.

Baby benefits from nursing, too. Nursing babies have been found to have higher IQ's than their non-nursing peers. They tend to have fewer allergies and a reduced risk of asthma. New research has also found that babies who nurse are better equipped to deal with stress later in life.

So with all these benefits -- and I didn't even get into the amazing ability to bond with your baby while nursing -- I truly don't get why any woman wouldn't breastfeed.

Now, I'm not talking about you moms who didn't produce milk or babies who couldn't or wouldn't latch on (although there are ways to work around that, if you're willing to spend some quality time with a certified lactation consultant and a breast pump). I'm talking to the women who go into the hospital, have the baby, and instead of even trying to nurse head straight for the free samples of Similac or Enfamil in your recovery suite.

It's these moms that I truly don't understand -- and it's these moms I want to hear from today.

Why did you choose to give your baby formula instead of nursing? What was it about nursing that turned you off so much you didn't even attempt it?
And since I'm such an advocate of nursing, I wanted to provide some great resources for moms who are embarking on this journey. If you have the right information and the right support, it's an amazing opportunity to bond with your baby in a convenient, cost-efficient, healthy way!

Kellymom: Breastfeeding & Parenting

International Lactation Consultant Association: Find A Lactation Consultant

La Leche League

Breastfeeding Promotion & Support thru WIC

I received an invitation to a friend's baby shower in the mail last week, and I felt jealous.

That's right, jealous. Quite honestly, I was surprised by my reaction. I mean, I could understand it if I was a 29-year-old woman who desperately wanted children but didn't have any. I could understand it if I was going through infertility. But the fact of the matter is, I just had a baby two months ago. Why should I be jealous -- not only of my friend, but of basically every pregnant woman I see, whether she be in the pew next to me at church or in front of me at the grocery store checkout?

It took me a couple of days before it dawned on me -- thanks to an old episode of "Sex & The City." In one episode, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda attend a baby shower for an old friend. On the way to the shower, Carrie laments over having to buy a gift for a friend every time one of them gets engaged, married, or pregnant, while nobody is buying a gift for single, childless Carrie.

In a way, I kind of feel like that's where I'm at in my life right now. I've been married for six years; I've had two kids and don't plan on having any more; I've purchased my first house, graduated from college and graduate school and even "retired" from my first career path. I sort of feel like -- and wow, this sounds overly-dramatic even as I type it -- my life is over. I've passed all those major life milestones, all before the age of 30. I feel like every time I go to a wedding or a baby shower or a baptism, from now on I'll be the old hag saying, "I remember when I celebrated my insert milestone event here."

There will be nothing more to look forward to, only looking back. Sure, I'll celebrate my kids' milestones, but they won't be my own. I'll simply be a role player in my children's proms, graduations, engagements, weddings, pregnancies. And when I think of all they have to look forward to -- these still-tiny beings I brought into the world -- I somehow manage to even feel jealous of them.

Do you know what I'm talking about? Does anybody else ever feel this way? How do you get past yourself when you've passed all of life's biggest moments?

Back in February, I first told you about my love for Aden+Anais, the company that makes the most amazing swaddle blankets. I had used one of their heavier blankets (from their Cozy collection) when G was a baby, since she loved to be swaddled. In fact, she was so dependent on being swaddled while sleeping that I used to joke with a friend -- who also had a swaddle-dependent baby -- that we'd be sending our girls off to their first sleepover wrapped in muslin.

I wasn't sure if Baby C would be a swaddle-lover like his big sister for a couple of reasons. First, some babies just don't like being all wrapped up; I have many friends who, when I shout the benefits of swaddling a child, tell me their child screamed every time they were swaddled. But my biggest concern over whether or not to swaddle C was the weather -- G was born in the fall, when the temperature was getting cooler and having a tightly-wrapped swaddle provided an extra layer of warmth. C is a spring baby; I wasn't sure even Aden+Anais's super-light weight muslin would be breathable enough for sleeping in a house where, admittedly, I often keep the AC off until the temperatures outside reach 85 or higher.

By C's second week home from the hospital, I was already wrapping him up on a nightly basis, using the "Little Man" design pictured above. At first, he struggled, and it even took me several nights to get my swaddling technique back up to par. But soon enough, he started smiling every time I got down on my hands and knees to turn him into a baby burrito.

Now, we've got our nightly routine down pat: bathtime, nursing, swaddle. Most nights, I don't have to rock him to sleep -- I can put him down in his crib awake, and the gentle hug of the Aden+Anais blanket will do the rest for me. He even naps swaddled.

And my fears over him overheating in a too-hot blanket? Completely unnecessary. The blankets from Aden+Anais's classic muslin collection are incredibly thin (yet incredibly durable, a rare combination), and literally seem to wick any perspiration he might have right off his skin.

These days, it's usually a silent night in my house (unless, of course, G is having a night terror -- anybody else having a problem with these at this age?)... and I have Aden+Anais to thank.

BUY IT!

Muslin swaddle blanket four-pack: $45.00
Two-pack: $29.95 (there's a camouflage option with this size!)
Single: $19.95

Disclaimer: I was provided a four-pack of muslin swaddle blankets by Aden + Anais valued at $45.00 for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was provided. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and were not influenced by the sponsor company.

When I relaunched my blog this Monday, I pointed out its new title -- "Confessions from a Stay Work-at-Home Mom." I promised I would explain the name change, and now I plan to deliver on that promise.

When I first left my job at the TV station last October, it was my plan to take on the role of domestic engineer -- raising children, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I was looking forward to it. But just a few weeks in, a couple things happened to change all that.

First, as the holidays approached, I realized just how tight our budget really was. DH & I had plotted and planned out how we'd spend every single penny of his paycheck, but we'd neglected to intentionally set aside anything for a rainy day fund, let alone any long-term savings. One unexpected large bill proved that although DH's income was enough to sustain us, it was not enough to allow us to thrive.

My second epiphany came on the heels of the first. Between all the playdates, chauffeuring G to and from swim lessons, and spending afternoons at the library or Children's Museum, I found I was losing myself. I had become so engrossed in the minutiae of motherhood that I had completely forgotten what made me tick, what made me fulfilled, what made me happy.

That's when a simple Facebook message from one of my oldest friend's opened the door to a new opportunity. I've known "L" since elementary school; we roomed together on our middle school's class trip to Washington, DC, in the 8th grade; I was sitting in our 11th grade Honors English class when she met the man who is now her husband and father of her beautiful daughter.

During a conversation about the pros and cons of Montessori vs. Waldorf preschool education, L mentioned the possibility of working for her on a freelance basis on a couple of media research projects. I'm sure L thought I'd blow her off, seeing as I'd just left the media industry without looking back, but little did she know how desperate I was to reclaim a little bit of myself: I took her up on her offer.

It took a couple of months to get the nuts and bolts of my freelance position squared away, but soon enough, I was back on the job. But this time, it's so different. I pick my projects, my hours, and my work environment -- which happens to be a seriously ugly computer desk in the corner of our family room (one day when we have enough money to buy a bigger house, I will definitely be demanding a dedicated office!). Some weeks, I don't work at all; other weeks (like this one!) I work until my brain starts to spin. I love it.

In taking on this new task, I've found that by taking care of myself, I'm also able to better take care of my family. Sure, during particularly busy weeks, there are times when G and C are still in their pajamas at 2pm as I type away on an important project; but by and large, by making sure I am happy, my family is infinitely happier as well... and of course, having extra money for all of life's incidentals -- and all of life's joys -- isn't bad either.

Why didn't I mention all this earlier? Pride. No joke. When I left my career to become a domestic engineer, some people were jealous; others told me I was too Type-A to enjoy it. I didn't want the first group -- the jealous ones -- to think I was taking that freedom for granted, and I didn't want to give the second group -- who called me too Type-A -- to know they had been right.

I'm still not sure how long my work-at-home status will last. I have no plans of going back to work in an office setting EVER; the melodrama of office politics alone will guarantee that. Maybe once both the kids are in school, I'll consider upping my freelance status to full-time, so long as I can "electronically commute."

Then again, maybe I won't.

So you might notice something a little different around here...

I'm celebrating our nation's birthday with a rebirth of my blog. In addition to the new layout, you'll also notice it has a new title -- "Confessions from a Stay Work-at-Home Mom." I'll explain exactly what I mean by that in a later post.

But I hope the biggest change you'll see around here will be in what you read. I'm taking the gloves off, I'm talking about what really matters to me, and I'm not afraid to be a complete and total bitch about it. I'm embracing Lady Gaga -- because, let's be honest, who isn't these days? -- and saying loudly and proudly that I was born this way: sometimes abrasive, usually loud, always opinionated. I've kept my true voice quiet for too long around here, even though I own this website, I designed this website, and I write all the content for this website. This is my place to speak my mind, whether you like it or not.

If this offends you, I'm sorry -- wait, check that, I'm not sorry. I don't have to apologize to anyone for saying what I think. I'm free to write what I want, just like you're free not to read it if you don't want; although, I do hope you'll stick around, if only to add a dissenting voice to the debate. I want this blog to be not only a place where I can express my opinions, but where you can express yours as well.

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

So who are YOU?