Real World Mom

Real World Mom’s new blog design has been chosen–and customized by the most talented Code Wizard/WordPress guy around!  Now I have to make the time to do my part–the tweaking/adding code, etc.  I’m hoping to have it ready to roll out sometime this week (just wish me luck in finding a few more hours in the day)!  Stay tuned loyal friends!

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For the first time since I started Real World Mom, I’ve gone a whole week without posting anything. That sucks!

I’ve been so tired from working, that when I’m home, it seems I’m always trying to play catch up: rest (hope that actually happens someday!), housework, laundry, emails, etc. I’m still having a hell of a time trying to get into a routine with all this.

Then there’s the writer’s block. (Not only have I neglected my sites (realworldmom.com and thesaltymooch.com), but I haven’t posted on New Jersey Moms Blog or The AntHill in a while either.) I don’t know if it’s because I’m just so tired all the time, or I’m just having trouble switching gears back into ‘blogger mode’ when I have the chance, but I feel like I’ve just got nothing to write about!

The job still sucks ass, a little more now because it’s killing my back. I think I’m just too freaking old for this shit!

Haven’t registered for school yet, and I’m hoping it’s not too late.

I always feel like I’m not getting a damn thing accomplished, and that I’m just doing what I can to get through the day. What a crappy way to live…

Some good news too:  I was selected to become a member of cre8Buzz!’s  Buzz Board!  This, my friends, is very cool to me!

Anyway, I’m still alive, and hopefully I’ll be back–for real–soon!

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Liz from This Full House (who is one of my favorite Jersey Girls, and the person who got me involved in the New Jersey Moms Blog) let me know that today is Blog Reader Appreciation Day!Blog Reader Appreciation Day was created by City Mama and The Other Mother. In honor of this important day, I would like to thank the following people for taking the time to stop by my little corner of the internet, to offer their words of encouragement, love, friendship and wisdom:

Bad Momma (Bad Momma)
Banana Blondie (Anna)
Classy Chaos (OH Mommy)
Cold Coffee…and Reruns (dkaye)
Huckdoll’s Hood (Jen)
If Mom Says Ok (Tara R.)
Immoral Matriarch: Catechizer (Maria)
Jogging in Circles (Kim)
Laski Gal (Laski Gal)
Melinda Zook (Melinda)
Misty’s Words and My Dogs Keep Me Sane (Misty)
Mom Knows Everything (Tammy)
Momo Fali (Momo Fali)
Singing with My Heart (Heather)
Such Simple Pleasures (Melissa)
The Inflatable Soapbox™ (Tim)

And anyone who I’ve inadvertently overlooked, as well as any lurkers I’m unaware of! Thank you all!

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“My Dog Madison”, originally posted on 12/9/07, is my re-post for this week’s Scrolling Saturday.

In case you weren’t aware of it yet, I started a new blog, The Salty Mooch, in honor of Madison. Although you will see photos and updates about her there, the main idea of the blog is to share animal related stories, news and information.

The latest post, Oprah Sheds Light on the Reality of Puppy Mills, focuses on the cruel circumstances that the dogs in those places exist (not live). The show was heart-wrenching, and I cried through most of it. I hope you will take the time to go and read it and pitch in where you can.

The Salty Mooch

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“My Dog Madison”

Madison, aka “Maddie”, is 6 years old, and the sweetest, most gentle creature I’ve ever known. I once saw a sign that read, “Dogs are people with fur.” That describes Maddie as though the phrase were inspired by her!Our love seat has become her “Princess Couch,” & she enjoys lounging & napping there quite frequently! (Although, as I write this, she is sound asleep & snoring on the bed right behind me!)

Madison is not into playing ball or chewing on squeaky toys. What Maddie enjoys most is being near her family– showing us how much she loves us with the “whomp, whomp, whomp” of her ‘tail of destruction’ (you’d appreciate this affectionate nickname if you ever witnessed it clear a table or felt it make contact with your leg!) , or gracing us with her sweet puppy smile.

Stay tuned for more tails of “Maddie the Mooch”!

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Scrolling Saturday was created by Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures and Coleen at Manners and Moxie.

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Caroline over at The Bingham Diaries (also author of Menu Planning 101) tagged me for the Seven Random Facts Meme. Due to the fact that I’m in love with Caroline, I am posting this immediately!
Post 7 random facts about yourself– The Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Remember, Caroline asked for it!
1~ I am addicted to text messaging.
2~ Yesterday, I was accepted as a contributor for the soon-to-be-live
New Jersey Moms Blog. (Woohoo!)
3~ I need a good divorce attorney (but can’t afford to pay one).
4~ The Salty Mooch is my newest blog. (If you love dogs, go check it out!)
5~ I’m a ‘Linux Chick’! Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 to be exact.
6~ I’d like to have a rabbit as a pet.
7~ I have three tattoos–and I want more.

My victims:

Becca (BeccA’s Buzz), Tara (If Mom Says Ok), Tammy (Mom Knows Everything), Heather (Singing With My Heart), Janice (Twist & Skewer) and Karen MEG (A Day in the Life…One Glass at a Time).

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The ‘Give Me Five’ Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple, short list! Here’s how it works: Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn’t have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.Sign up for weekly reminder emails at beccagirl@charter.net.

This week’s assignment from Becca at BeccA’s Buzz: Give Me Five favorite memories from your Easter day 2008.

1. I got to sleep in!
2. Ate [too much] yummy food!
3. Lots of chocolate (can someone please come hide it from me now??)!
4. Spent time with family
5. Best of all:  It was my daughter’s 13th birthday!  (Happy Birthday, B!!)

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dkaye from Cold Coffee…and reruns honored me with this award. Coming from her, and because I’m still so new to blogging, this really means a lot! Thank you, dkaye!

The instructions are to share three writing tips and pass the award on to three bloggers that you deem “worthy of recognition and esteem.”
My three tips:

1- Be yourself. It’s much easier to just be who you are and when you’re genuine, readers will know.
2- Write about things you know a lot about, feel passionately for or that interest you. The words flow more easily and make reading your work enjoyable/informative.
3- Something I’ve learned recently is that I don’t need to post every day. Give each entry a chance to be seen. I now try to only write every other day. Besides, Huckdoll mentioned this pearl of wisdom on her blog too, so I know it’s gotta be right!
I’m not going to tag anyone for this, because it seems most people I know have already done it. If you haven’t, please feel free to do so!

I received this award from Colin at Life some time ago (sorry Colin!). Unfortunately, I don’t remember the rules. I’m passing it onto Misty at My Dogs Keep Me Sane, because she is a wonderful friend!

This beautiful award came from Petula at It’s a Woman’s World. Thank you, Petula! Purple and diamonds=two of my favorite things!

This really cool award came from Mama Wise, a new friend I’ve made in the bloggy world!

I’m passing this award to: dkaye at Cold Coffee…and reruns, Jill at Caffeine Court, Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures, and Mimi at Mimi Writes. These women are among the many that bring a smile to my face on a daily basis.

Last, but certainly not least, Melinda at Musings by Melinda has a brand new blog award, and I am honored to be one of the very first recipients! She said that I am “THE Real World Mom”! Thank you, Melinda!
If any of these fine bloggers aren’t already on your daily reading list, please take a minute to go see why they should be!

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It’s Madison’s sixth birthday! To celebrate, we are introducing:
“The Salty Mooch”!

Please go and visit the new blog and wish Maddie a happy birthday!

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From the front page of A Whole Lot of Nothing, the story of a fellow blogging mama who could use our help! Read on and pitch in if you can!

“In case you live under a rock or are new to blogging, let me introduce you to Lotus, better known as Sarcastic Mom. She’s is well-loved around the “secret society” of mama bloggers and non-mama bloggers. Among her three blogs (that we know of) is her main blog, Sarcastic Mom, where she ever-so-sarcastically tells all of us about her son, her Mexican (dog), her back fat, and her life in general. For MANY bloggers, she is a daily must-read.

In recent months, Lotus has opened up her house to all of her readers and told us all about her trials and tribulations with her kind and generous evil landlord. Basically, she and her family are now living in a mold-infested house and need to get out. But, their LAN-LOR (do you hear Eddie Murphy as Buckwheat, or am I hearing voices again?) won’t let them out or take action to rectify the situation that is making her family sick.

As Lotus’s loyal stalkers readers, I have teamed up with Dawn at KaiserAlex and Victoria at VDog and Little Man to raise some cash-ola for Ms. Lotus.

We’re not asking for tons o’cash, we’re just asking for a bit of help for Lotus and her family on finding a new house. There are two ways you can contribute to the House of Lotus:

1: Hope From Shopping - Every Mama Blogger likes to get some, I mean, something in return for giving something. I am donating 25% of the price of each plush animal or toy and each pacifier purchased on my website, Good for the Kids, to the HoF’oSho Fund from purchases made between Wednesday, March 12, & Sunday, March 30.

What to do:
*Go to Good for the Kids and purchase ANY plush stuffed animal or toy and/or pacifier product. If it’s stuffed or if you can suck on it, it counts (bottles and cups not valid).
*To have your donation counted, please enter this code ~ lotusrocks ~ into the Discount Coupon Code box upon checkout.
*Leave your blog or web address in the comments section of the order, and I will post your info on our update post and {cyber} pat you on your back.
***25% of the product cost for any plush animal or toy and/or pacifier will be given straight to the House of Lotus.

2: Change for Change - Collect the change from around your house and your toddlers mouth and change it into a gift card. At Coinstar machines around the country, you can turn in your change (for free) into a gift card good for tons of places Lotus can purchase some new household items to replace the moldy ones. Please leave a comment if you are going to be sending a gift card (no cash or checks please), and I will email you the address to send the gift cards. Be sure to include your blog or web address with the card, and I will post your info on our update post and {cyber} kiss you on your cheek.

3: Post a Banner and Blog - Spread the love, and post a banner on your site or write a post encouraging others to support a rockin’ mama.”

Link URL:
http://awholelotofnothing.net/?p=241
Image URL:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x141/goodforthekids/Lotus-HoFoSho-Rack-Banner-1-1.jpg

Link URL:
http://awholelotofnothing.net/?p=241
Image URL:
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x141/goodforthekids/Lotus-HoFoSho-Rack-Banner-1-1.jpg

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Mimi from Mimi Writes has created one of the coolest memes ever: Message in a Bottle.  For all the participants and how you can throw your own bottle into the blog ocean, just go HERE.

My second contribution to the Message in a Bottle Meme:

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