Let’s get humping!

First of all it’s Blog Award season!  Yes.  Blog Awards.  Shallow but ever so fun!

I personally KNOW several of the people behind a few of the blogs nominated for the 2008 Weblog Awards, one being *ahem* myself (and Megan and many, many dedicated editors)…for Best New Blog, Blog Nosh Magazine.

A few other honorable mentions that I think deserve your vote include:

Amanda from Shamelessly Sassy for Best Individual Blogger, Megan from Velveteen Mind for Best Diarist, Blissfully Domestic AND Mrs. Flinger for Best Parenting Blog, Chatting at the Sky for Best Small Blog, and so many others.  These just happen to be people I know.

You can vote every 24 hours!

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Have you signed up for Blissdom ‘09 in Nashville yet?  February 6 and 7th at the Hotel Preston.  Be there!  Seriously, consider going!  It’s a great way to connect with your online friends and take away some great information about blogging.  Also, I’m speaking!  That actually means very little, but hey if the opportunity to see ME speak is what gets you to decide to come, then I’ll just say it again…I’m speaking!

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For those of you who didn’t see this link in the comments section of my potty training post a few days ago, I think it’s only fair to be sure everyone sees this brilliant, hilarious, and oh so wrong solution to keeping your kiddo contained in a public restroom.

Thanks to Amy from Pretty Babies for the link!

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If you have a mom who still inquires about your bowel habits, this post from Problem Girl is for you.  SO HILARIOUS!  I mean, not hilarious that she’s in pain, but well…you just have to read it.

I don’t have this exact problem, but I completely understand the despair of jeans shopping.

I usually lurk on Maggie’s site, but I had to comment on this fabulous post.

Another place I’ve been lurking and laughing is abdpbt.  Anna is so funny and such an engaging, talented writer.   I really should leave a comment there sometime.

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Please note that the Gravatars (pictures) in my comments section are finally fixed!  The pictures actually go with the correct comment!  This is all thanks to Jen, who has a great blog design site, Dress My Blog.

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Now go forth and vote, register, and read all the links above.  Throw some kibble on the floor for the kiddies while you’re busy reading, they’ll be fine until you’re done.

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

First off, please check out my Site o’ the Week, which is….Ali at Cheaper than Therapy.  I didn’t spend nearly enough time with her in San Francisco.  I’m hoping next year she’ll go shopping with me as my very own personal shopper!

Sam at Temporarily Me has a great idea for a regular feature on her blog, along with Rookie Moms.  It’s fun and there are PRIZES involved.  PRIZES!  I know you love PRIZES!   Go check it out.

Tate and I have a FAVORITE new recipe! Carnitas! Oh man, they are SO GOOD.  We’re following a low carb diet, so we eat them in lettuce wraps rather than corn tortillas.   I cook the pork in the crock pot all day on Low.  The part of the recipe where it says to take the meat and spread it out on a pan and roast until crispy?  That MAKES this dinner!

The Bloggess is always hilarious, but I think this post is her masterpiece.  I’m still laughing, which is good for my abs.  Thank you Bloggess for helping me lose my spare tire.

If you’re a WordPress user, Blogging with Cents had a great post recently about the must-have WP plugins.  Fabulous list!

Remember when I got THE CAMERA and I asked for your help to become a great photographer?  I’m continually reading and re-reading your suggestions.  Here’s a list of a few sites that have been helpful to me (so far).

*Angella at Dutch Blitz has a regular feature on her blog where she gives easy to understand photography tips.

*Digital Photography School.  It’s just like the name says.  School.  For Digital photography.

*So many of you recommended the book Understanding Exposure.  I bought the book and have found it very helpful in understanding how ISO, shutter speed, and aperture work together.

*I’m always in awe of the photography on the Shutter Sisters site and their Flickr group. So much inspiration!

If anyone would like to leave more photography tips in the comments, I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for more!

Have a fabulous Wednesday everyone!

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

Luckily I’m all healed so let’s get to it.  Hump away!

This week’s Site o’ the week is Heather, the almighty Queen of Shake-Shake.   I know her in real life. 

HOMEWORK REMINDER:  Questions!  I need your questions for this weekend’s Blog Tip Series.  Send your questions about the things I’ve already covered or any questions about things I haven’t covered.  Email your questions to playgroupie at gmail dot com, with the word “Questions” in the subject.  I’ve received several FANTASTIC questions so far.  No question is a stupid question!

Metalia, the lip gloss ho, wrote the funniest flipping post about liquid eyeliner and took pictures of herself looking like Amy Winehouse.  Ha!  Haaaaa!  By the way, I bought liquid eyeliner to wear to San Francisco, I’m now I’m totally paranoid that I looked like a cracked out, beehive wearing, chain smoking singer.  If anyone would like to tell me otherwise, it would be much appreciated.

Cathy and I may be married to the same man.  Evidence:  inability to clean the kitchen.  This mystery will be solved this weekend when I go up to meet Cathy and “her” husband.    Also, gooooo CARDINALS!

I wonder if I can get the bank to repossess MY never ending to-do list, a funny (and short) one from Nanny Goats in Panties.

Even if you didn’t go to BlogHer and are interested in photography, you can read Me Ra Koh’s photography tips, THE EXACT TIPS SHE GAVE US AT THE CONFERENCE AND WE PAID FOR!  You can get it for FREE!  She was a fantastic speaker, explaining things in easy to understand terms.  I plan on asking for her DVD’s for Christmas!  Santa?  Are you listening?

Wanna see some creepy dolls?  I dare you not to click over to Burgh Baby’s place.  It’s like a freaking train wreck.  Be warned, though, you WILL have nightmares.

Well.  That’s all.

Send me your questions, yo.

Peace out.

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

The most touching part of BlogHer was the community keynote where several courageous bloggers got on stage in front of hundreds of people and read a post from their blog. 

Every post was fantastic, but two posts that I had not read before, stood out in my mind.

If you’re not reading Mr. Lady, you a damn fool.  She read THIS POST, (OH MY GOD, THAT POST!) from her blog Whiskey in my Sippy Cup.  It’s a must read.  Imagine reading THAT in front of hundreds of people.  No doubt she got a standing ovation.

Somehow I’ve lived under a rock and hadn’t even heard of Lesbian Dad before.  Where the hell have I been??  Why didn’t any of you tell me about her??  Anyway, please go read her post that she read.  Unbelievably beautiful from an unbelievably beautiful person.  Wish I’d have had the chance to meet her.

For a complete list of the community keynote speakers and the posts they read, go HERE!

There were SO MANY people that I met, that I’d love to introduce you, too…in case you don’t already know them.  This is in NO WAY a complete list, because I do believe in brevity.

Amy In Ohio spent the majority of the weekend on “make Jennifer laugh” duty.  She was unaware she was even ON duty, but she did a fine job of keeping me in giggles.

In the category of Funny and Sweet with a Hottie Blogging Husband category, I’d like to introduce you to Heather from the Spohrs are Multiplying.  (Her hubby’s blog is HERE.)

In the category of Best Headless Barbie Swag, please say hello to Headless Mom.  We went to dinner one night where she ate two baby slices of pizza while I did my best impression of a ravenous vacuum cleaner and ate my entire pizza.

I really enjoyed meeting Andrea (it’s pronounced On-dray-uh) from Sweet Life, she had such cute hair and clothes.  Sigh.

Okay, ONE more.  This is seriously getting out of control…I loved Shannan from Mommy Bits.  She went to dinner with some us and disappeared.  Luckily she was just a party pooper tired and went back to her room.  (I was a party pooper tired on Saturday night and didn’t even go to one party, so I have no room to poke fun.)

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s begin with this week’s Site O’ the Week…Watch Me!  No, Watch Me!  I’ll be hanging with Christine in San Francisco asking her medical and photography questions.  She’ll probably want to hide from me.

I laughed so hard at HRH’s post about her over use of (…) and (!).  I laughed because I have the same afflictions, but also exhibit severe over use of (*), ALL CAPS!!!, words such as “ahem,”  and words indicating actions such as eye rolling!!!!!!  Like oh mah gawd.

While checking out Sarah’s new running blog, I noticed a comment written by someone moaning about the heat of South Alabama.  My curiosity piqued, I clicked over and discovered, Shanna…like Banana.  She’s a BRAND NEW BLOGGER!!  AND!  She lives in around my old stomping grounds, but used to live in Indiana.  Cool huh!  We’re practically opposite sisters.  Go welcome her to the blogosphere! 

Update from yesterday…(This is totally separate from Hump Day), I survived, barely.  Five pounds of blueberries, two screaming and baked children, half a juice box, and stained knees were my souvenirs.  Oh, I can’t forget the shit-tay pictures I took.  *insert heavy eye rolling and irritated head shaking*  *and sneering* /end over use of *

Okay, I exaggerate, the picking was kinda fun.  There was all sort of learning and enrichment and memory making involved.  

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

First off, you all were too kind about my red shoes.  There sure were a lotta comments about my shoes.  I’m tempted to post about each outfit I’m wearing next week seeking approval.  I guess LOTS of us will be wearing red shoes, THOSE shoes even.  Check out this post by Loralee, she posted about those EXACT shoes awhile back. 

This week’s Site o’ the week is Stimeyland!  I love this blog and her sense of humor.  Please go check her out, then come back and tell me how much you love my shoes again.  Kidding.  No I’m not.  Yes I am.

I owe Cathy an ass-ton of money for some Cards/Cubs tickets.  I wonder if she’ll forgive my debt for the this link love??  Just kidding, Cathy.  I’m coming to Chicago with my dollar bills to hand you under the table!

Casey wrote a post about moms as superheroes.  The whole mothering gig DOES become more second nature with time.   I would never have believed that two and half years ago and crying with my colicky son and feeling more helpless and alone than I’d ever felt in my life.  But here it is, two kids later, and I’ve survived so far.  On the same token, we may be superheroes, but damn if it isn’t sometimes SO FREAKING HARD that we feel like we’re drowning.

Feeling jealous you’re not going to BlogHer?  You’re not alone.    I was insanely jealous last year that I wasn’t able to go and had my own Fantasy BlogHer.

Ever heard of a three-year-old that knows about cannibals?  Me either.

I keep seeing pomegranates everywhere and I’m intrigued, but had NO IDEA how one would go about eating one of these fruits.  The seeds, the rind, ALL OF IT confused me!  Not anymore, thanks to this handy dandy pomegranate eating tutorial that I stumbled upon!

If you’re a WordPress user, you MUST get this plugin!  It allows you to reply to comments in the comments section and the person is emailed your reply!  SO COOL.  I LOVE that I can reply to comments and other’s can see what I said.  Great way to keep a conversation going in the comments section.

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.

Yeah, so this isn’t an original idea.  Blah, blah, blah.  In fact, I’m stealing this idea from Mrs. Fussypants and her Linkapalooza, but I’m confident that she’s classy enough not to try and publically humiliate me and call me a parasite for also using her idea.

To be fair, I’m stealing this idea of linking interesting posts and Internet content from a LOT of people.  The “victims?”  Slackermama’s You Must Read, Plain Jane Mom’s Go Read it Today, Good Mom/Bad Mom BS Sunday, The Bean Blog’s Sunday Linky Love, and many, many others.  That’s right, you heard me.  This isn’t an original idea.  *shrugs shoulders*

So call me a parasite or a spade.  Whatever.  I just want to spread some kumbaya love here in the mommy (and daddy! and singles and hippies and A-list, C-list, W-list…) blogosphere.  I think there’s plenty of room here for more than one take on an idea.  And isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery?  *raises one eyebrow*

MOVING ON.

I’ve discovered two new blogs via StumbleUpon that I’m now in love with.  Go visit Nanny Goats in Panties and Yankee Drawl.   Oh how I love thee, let me count the ways.  Oh wait?  Has that already been said by someone else?

I LOVED this post from Schmutzie.  I loved the morals to her story, especially “a good round of sluttiness can cure a bruised ego.”  *Wipes away a tear*

Going to auctions is one of our favorite things to do, but never thought about what it was like to be on the other side and watch a loved one’s treasures being sold. 

Did you know that I’m writing a “fitness” diary over at Blissfully Domestic?  I mean, ME and FITNESS practically go together like cake and ice cream (or maybe it’s more like oil and water?)  (Did I just hump my own Internet leg?)

You probably already know about this, but Blog Nosh Magazine has launched.  This online magazine is devoted to republishing the best of the best on the Internet.  Do you have a fantastic post, sitting dusty and lonely in your archives?  Well submit it to Blog Nosh Magazine so that it can be revived!

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I’m not sure if this will be a weekly series or a monthly series or even a just-this-one-time series.  It also may not be the ONLY thing I publish on Wednesdays.  What do you think?  Be honest. 

Also…Class is cancelled this Saturday for my Blog Tip Sharing Project series.  It IS a holiday weekend after all.  I think our blogs will survive.

Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
O Lord, kumbaya

©2010 Playgroups are No Place For Children. All Rights Reserved.