Happy Friday!  I've hinted at the fact that I've been busy with some writing projects, and now it's time to finally fill you in on the details.  I'm very excited to be writing regularly for FOUR blogs!  I've found these opportunities through social networking on sites like Mom Bloggers Club, MomDot, and Twitter.  (By the way, you can follow me on Twitter @marybabysteps.)

You may remember that I've written a few things already for Mommy Matter, an online networking and information site for moms.  I'm a contributing editor there - doesn't that sound impressive?  It's great experience, wonderful for my resume, and tons of fun.  I write mostly about makeup, beauty, and health topics.  You can see my articles here.

I'm writing for another mom blog, Mom Spark, a new site providing helpful tips and fun projects for moms and their families.  I'll be contributing articles there on beauty and makeup as well.  You all know I love talking about girly, pretty stuff!

For something a little different, I'm a regular contributor for a work-at-home site called doWAHdiddy - isn't that a fun name?  If I want to write professionally, I have to be able to write on a variety of topics.  Writing about productivity, organization, and other topics related to being a successful work-at-home parent is helping me to become a diverse writer, and I'm loving it!

Finally, I'm very excited to be contributing to Blissfully Domestic!  Blissfully Domestic is an online magazine geared toward making the lives of moms easier; we can certainly all use a little more easy in our lives.  Blissfully Domestic will be launching its new site on Monday! The new site will be broken down into several channels, and I'll be writing for the Home and Garden channel on the topics like homekeeping and decorating.

I am beyond thrilled with my new endeavors and think I've made great strides in getting my writing career off the ground.  Thank you to everyone who's provided me with such wonderful opportunties, advice, encouragement, and support!  I'm feeling very good about the new direction my life is taking.

I've been tagged by Janina at Bear Bugga for a fun meme.  I'm supposed to name 7 weird facts about myself.  Sounds like fun, except I'm SURE there's absolutely NOTHING weird about me.  So I guess I can't play.

Okay, you know I'm lying.  I'm about as weird as they come.  So I guess I can probably come up with 7 weird facts about myself to share.  And how appropriate that this would come today, as it's Friday Fun.  It's also my 50th post, and I was hoping to do something special!  So here goes.  Let's see...

1.  I hate vegetables.   I don't think that's weird, but my husband tells me it is.  I will eat corn and peas, canned, but that's about it.

2.  I don't think I can drive without singing.  I know people must look at me like I'm nuts.  It's a habit.  But I usually do manage to restrain myself when someone, besides the kids, is in the car with me.

3.  Speaking of driving.  I don't really like to drive all that much.  I had a couple accidents when I was seventeen and didn't drive again until I was twenty-one.  Then I wouldn't drive on the interstate.  I've gotten past that, but I still really hate driving in cities.

4.  I fidget.  Really bad.  One of my legs is always going.  It drives my poor husband nuts, but I just can't help it.

5.  I don't think this is weird, but you may not have known that I have Attention Deficit Disorder.  Lots of people think that only kids have ADD, but it's not something you outgrow.  And I've learned that it affects women differently than men.  Lots of times women don't really notice it until they have kids, which adds to their responsibilities and stress.

6.  I'm allergic to wheat and milk.  Yep, both of them.  I get cold symptoms, like a stuffy, runny nose and cough.  Sometimes if I eat a lot of chocolate or cheese, I'll get a terrible migraine.  Now that I'm getting older, I've noticed that I also feel very fatigued if I eat a lot of bad things.  I've been terrible about sticking to my diet recently, but I hope to get back to it when the kids are back in school.  I feel much better when I cut out the wheat and milk, and I lose weight. 

7.  I don't watch much TV.  Which is weird, because I used to watch a lot.  I've never seen Big Brother, Lost, or Survivor.  I do watch HGTV, Home and Garden Television.  And I guess I watch a lot of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.  Darn it, I just realized I don't watch TV because the kids are always hogging it!

So there you have it, seven weird things about me.  Probably more than you ever wanted to know.  But I'd like to know more about some of my blogging friends, and the rules here say I have to tag more folks. 

* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm tagging:

Angela  at Unexpected Art

Nadia at Walking Through

Courtney at The Only Thing I Know

Jennifer at Happily Ever After Land

Amy at MomSpark

Ann at Ann Again...and Again

Jenni at Jiggety Jigg

Thanks for checking out all the weird things about me.  I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

I've decided to enter another fun contest at MomDot - this time the prize is jewerly!  By the way, I did not win the blog header contest, though I was one of five chosen to be put into a random drawing.  Oh well, I'll keep my pretty flowers.

From flowers back to jewelry.  The prize in this newest contest is a $50 gift card from Little Windows.  This company makes beautiful photo jewelry.  The frames are clear resin, allowing all the color from you photo to be seen - no frame obscuring your picture.  They're very classy looking, and I just love personalized things (as you may know!).  So I'm in it to win it!

But I forgot to tell you the fun part of how I'm going to win it.  All I have to do is get a picture of myself with the UGLIEST piece of jewelry I own.  MomDot will pick the ugliest piece from all entries received by today's deadline.  So here it is.  These earrings came from my mom.  They're clip-ons.  I gave them to my daughter to wear for playing dress-up, and even she won't touch them!

              

So what do you think?  Are these earrings ugly enough to win?  Go check out the competition and let me know!  I just got my hair cut yesterday.  Do you like it?  I do.  It's so easy to take care of.  I need all the help I can get at making my life easier.  Have a Fun Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Here goes.  I'm going to try to post a couple videos my mom recently sent me.  They're really cute.  I thought it would be something nice for Friday Fun.  Hope you enjoy!  (And hope I can make this work, I've never added a video before!)

Couldn't add this one, so here's the link. It's really cute - a moose family playing in a backyard sprinkler. Check it out here. 

Have fun.  Have a great weekend!

Check this out!  MomDot, an awesome online forum for moms that features bloggers and boutiques, noticed me in their Around the Town Blog Shoutout.  That's where they feature posts from around the blogosphere on their site.  And they picked one of mine!  It's the one about being a redhead.  They featured a bunch of other fun and interesting posts from other bloggers, too.  I feel great about being featured because starting my blog has brought so much into my life,  and this is another sign that I'm on the right track.  Thanks, MomDot!  And, thank you, to everyone who's stopped by regularly and left comments.  Connecting with others has truly helped me to begin working through my life transitions and to continue pursuing my goals.

I'm having a giveaway! Okay, so it's not one of those fabulous sponsored giveaways; it's actually something from my own closet. Don't worry - it's brand new. I am giving away a Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering Set! Isn't it pretty? And it feels incredible!

This giveaway is in conjunction with an amazing movement I recently read about called The 29-Day Giving Challenge.  This concept was thought up by a woman named Cami Walker, who was dealing with severe health and money issues and was in a very dark place in her life.  Her friend and spiritual teacher told her to stop thinking of herself and advised her to give away something each day for 29 days.  Cami took her advice, and the results were astounding.  She decided to share the experience with the world by starting a website and online community where people can commit to the challenge and share their experience.  Go to www.29gifts.org to read more about her story and to sign up for your own Giving Challenge.

On Wednesday of next week, I will not only be giving away this awesome Pampering Set as part of my own Giving Challenge, but I'll share my interview with Cami!  I'll be speaking to her today to find out more about the challenge and about her inspiration for making the movement global.  Come back Wednesday for your chance to win the Satin Hands set and to read what Cami has to share with us!

It's the middle of summer and with the rising price of everything, money’s tight for most of us right now. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, a work-at-home mom, or any parent at home with your school-aged kids this summer, you may be yanking your hair out by the fistful by now. If you are, stop, take a deep breath, and read on to find no-cost ways to keep your kids happy while you keep your sanity. Here’s a list of some things to do without even leaving the house. Okay, you might actually have to go out in the yard or walk around the block. Deep breath, you can do it!

 

 

 

1. Bubbles. The old stand-by. Kids love ‘em, and if you don’t have a bottle of bubbles around the house (but who doesn’t?), you can make your own by diluting dish soap.


2. Crafts. You can find great crafts on the internet or pick up a book or two at your local library.


3. Go for a walk. Put on the sneakers and head out for a stroll around the neighborhood. It’s good exercise, and your elderly neighbors will be thrilled to see the children.


4. Eat dinner outside for a change. Make it something simple like deli sandwiches or hot dogs. Easy and fun. Use paper plates to make it even easier.


5. Squirt gun battle! Who needs to pay $20 to go to the pool when you can run around in the yard, shooting each other with water for free? And catch some rays while you’re at it.


6. Movie night. Pick a night when no one has to get up early the next morning, find a movie on TV or a video you already own, and camp out in the living room. Stay up late. The kids will think they’re getting away with something, and you’ll get some laid back bonding time with them.


7. Play school. You can take notes, pay bills, or work on your laptop while they color or do worksheets. Find free printables at www.schoolexpress.com , www.abcteach.com, or www.freeprintablecoloringpages.net.


8. Exercise. Pull out your favorite exercise video and ask the kids to join in. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone. Get your workout in and ensure that your rugrats sleep well that night.


9. Art time. Let them go nuts with construction paper, scissors, and glue. Throw in paper plates, brown bags, and coffee filters, and you’ve really got a party!


10. TV. Come on, we all do it. Sometimes we just have to. Tell them to sit and watch a program or two while you do some work, and then you’ll go do one of the other fun things on this list with them!

 

Going out is fun, but let’s not forget that filling up the gas tank is the equivalent of a trip to the salon for a mani and pedi or some really great highlights. Let’s get our priorities straight here, folks! Use this list as a jumpstart to shaking up your routine a bit and helping you make it through the rest of summer without losing your mind.

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, this post will soon appear on a forum for moms, called Mommy Matter.  Check out this fun site at www.mommymatter.com!

 

The theme for the last day of the work week will be Friday Fun.  The day that kicks off your weekend should be fun, right?  So for Friday Fun, I will post my ideas of what's fun.  It could be makeup tips, some funny video my mom is famous for forwarding, or anything else that tickles my fancy or is on my mind.  Everyone needs a little fun in their life.

Today's Friday Fun may not be everyone's idea of fun, but if it isn't, I don't know why!  Along with my love of magazines and non-fiction books is my undying affection for all things girly.  Makeup, hair products, lotions, and potions are my weakness, which is why I decided to become a Mary Kay consultant.  I told my husband it was to motivate me to get out of the house, be among women, and make a little money, but, truthfully, it's all about the product for me!  Right now I'm pretty much just breaking even with my business, but that's okay because I look pretty!

Mary Kay just launched a new virtual makeover feature on their website.  It's fun, fabulous, and free!  You can upload your own photo or choose a model.  Then go crazy with a variety of choices for eye, cheek, and lip color.  Next, choose your hair color and style, even add highlights and lowlights.  So much fun! 

My model had awesome red hair (like my own!) with strawberry blonde highlights and auburn low lights, and her makeup was done in bronze tones, perfect for a summer day.  Go have fun and make your own! 

P.S. - Please know that this, or any other post, is in no way a promotion for Mary Kay or for my own business.  I just love makeup and love to talk about and share my experience.  I'll tell you a secret. . . I used to sell the four-letter A word, too!