What Do You Do All Day?

Has anyone every asked you that? Or insinuated that maybe you didn't do much because you're a SAHM? Then you need to read this book.

A few weeks ago (when I was away on a week-long business trip) I was able to start Amy Scheibe's novel "What Do You Do All Day?" about a stay-at-home mom who was struggling with her decision about leaving the "working" world and choosing to stay at home with her two children instead.

Her adaptation of mommy hood hit the nail on the head. She didn't sugarcoat it, or pretend by any means that mothering was the easy road taken. In fact, some days it was incredibly draining. (I sense she had hands-on experience with this topic.)

I mean, on a tiny side note, as a mom, who has time to read a book anyway? If you work outside the home, you are exhausted when you get home because you face all that your family and home demands.

But if you stay at home, you're either up to your neck in diapers or the messes your children have created and ready to secretly run screaming out the door when your husband arrives. (Don't judge me, I have three kids.)

And let's not delude ourselves that working from home is a treat either, because somehow laundry and dust bunnies are always calling your name as is your computer/phone/clients etc all at the same time.

I'm almost done and have enjoyed reading this book, but if it takes me another few weeks to finish it, don't think it's because I'm a slow reader, it's probably because the oven/dog/softball, baseball, play, swim team practices are beckoning.

The Secret Society Of Bloggers

I just finished reading the book Blog Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy! I picked it up because I'm always trying to learn something new and I've been fascinated with the business of blogging since my friend Kate (back in 2008) introduced me to the blog formerly known as "my charming kids" (then became "MckMama") and the Pioneer Woman who can now be seen on Food Network.

It seemed to me that a blog was pretty much an online journal slash scrapbook. The notion of being able to journal the goings-on of my family was an appealing idea especially since writing was something I'd been doing both as a hobby and professionally for years. And I could add photos? Awesome, I took photography in college and knew the ins and outs of a darkroom.

But HTML and digital photography? I was a novice. All I had was a PC and a simple digital camera that I had gotten as a Christmas present so I could upload photos to eBay.

Fast forward --> nothing like a few hundred hours of Googling and looking at code to give you a lesson on coding, templates and the inner workings of a blog!

I've gone through some growing pains with blogging. Blogging with friends (City Mom, Country Mom and Gracenotes 95) to the pains of moving (Mommy Moves Again) to staying incognito (Sharing The Wonder) because of nosy employers!

So although it may seem like this blog is a baby (2 years old) I've got plenty of blogging experience behind me. I've gone from a point-and-shoot camera to a Nikon SLR (half paid for by blogging) to leaving my crummy PC to a Macbook Pro and an iPhone. (I was blogging when it was popular to have a music playlist on your blog and Pinterest was just a glimmer in Ben Silbermann's eye.)

But back to Joy's book, I loved that she interviewed other bloggers (very famous ones) and that she gave lots of pointers, because when you start out blogging, it's like a secret society.

I remember wracking my brain wanting to learn how to center links and create blog buttons. I joined every link party, got on all the blogging networks, commented my head off and at times burned myself out. Blogging was work! And it was work I wasn't getting paid for!

Although I am not a "big" blogger, I think I am like many other bloggers out there. I do fine, I've learned a lot. I do think one of the secrets to success in blogging is longevity. Sticky with it is the best lesson you can teach yourself.

Blog because you love to write, blog because you love digital photography, blog because this is your creative outlet or blog because you want to contribute. If your heart is in it, the rest will come.

Here are a few sites and links (that I trust and have been using for years) that might prevent sleepless nights and help newbie bloggers:

1. Need to find the perfect color with automatically generated code? Try Colorpicker
2. Could use some help with HTML specifically for blogging? Go to Blogger Sentral
3. Want a new FREE template for your blog? Here's where I go: BTemplates
4. Do you want meta tags in your blog? Blogger Tricks makes it easy

Anyway, like I said, I've learned a lot about blogging, so if you have any blog related questions I can answer, leave me a comment and I will reply to it, or at least lead you in the right direction!

Happy blogging and welcome to the club! :)

What I'm Reading

I love to read. Some books I read for work, others just for fun. Here's what I'm reading now:

Michele Stuart's 'Perfect Pies,' the DIYers Sherry and John's 'Young House Love,' and 'Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.'

Perfect Pies is really just eye candy for me because I just love looking at cookbooks with pretty food photos. I once told my sister-in-law that I photographed food better than people!

I've been following the projects of Young House Love for a few years now, their home projects can be very inspiring.

And the Barefoot Contessa? Well, her recipes never fail. So I have to read her books. :)

Those Raspberry Crumb Bars look amazing, I might have to make those for Easter!

What are you reading?

Constructing Your Creative Space

I once wanted to work at Google (see their Bangkok office below?) only because I thought their work space was cool and catered to the creative types. Now it seems, that everyone and their mother has jumped onto that bandwagon.

I've been thinking about my own work space and how it can be a conduit to creativity.

Then I began to think about our kids, and how Husband is a big proponent of thinking "outside the box" (although he would never use that cliched term) and prompting an environment of learning or as he calls it, "wondering." (Ask me one day about our parent meeting with our eldest daughter's science teacher, it's quite the story.)

If my children were still under the age of six and finger painting, I think a space like this would be so amazing:

(Of course I found this on Pinterest, of course Martha Stewart featured it. *sigh*)

In my perfect house, my perfect office would look like this, natural light, open but private, a clean space I could go on and on...

Traditional Home Office design by San Francisco Architect Polsky Perlstein Architects

Then again before I allow my interior designing thoughts to be boxed in, with the advent of
the laptop and wifi, should there only be one "space" in our home where we can work? Hmmm.

And what really helps with creativity? Is it environment? The merging of minds? Serenity? Or how about just plain old hard work?

I was intrigued by this Mashable article on the science of genius and their Q&A with author Jonah Lehrer.

It seems that everything factors into attaining creative ideas, but being creative is a plausible pursuit for everyone.

environment + fresh minds + debate + brutal honesty + perseverance

+ child-like "wondering" = creativity

Let me "wonder" about all of this and I'll get back to you about my decorating decisions. ;)

Back Issue Inspiration

During this time of year, you'll most likely find me out and about since it's garage sale season. It's exciting to hunt for treasures that other people deem as trash. This includes back issues of my favorite magazine, Better Homes And Gardens.

Any DIY/decorating girl will tell you there's much inspiration to be found in these magazines, even if they're a few years old.

The best part, (aside from the cost - 25 cents each) is that you can rip 'em apart to pin on bulletin boards or store in a binder without feeling guilty of not loving every single page in it.

Just another thrifty place to find inspiration! For more (free) inspiration, visit their site www.bhg.com

Domesticity As An Art

Moving gets me in the mood to decorate. I'm watching HGTV again, scouring all the DIY books and magazines. I love it!

Then I found this gem of a book at our local library. Ironically the author started out as as a blogger. Her photos are wonderful and it's one of those books that's nice to look at and read. (I finished it while sitting in the dentist office waiting for my kiddos.)

"Domesticity as an art..." The domestic life, the domestic housekeeper, domestic pleasures.

do-mes-tic/ adjective: Of or relating to the running of a home or to family relations.

And isn't that what we mothers do? Aren't we the "domestic engineers" of our homes? Is it not us that keeps the cogs of this well-oiled "machine" (called our household) running?

These days haven't we taken what used to be the mundane and turned it into something we love? There's nothing wrong with loving the walls that we look at or trying to beautify our spaces. How about getting creative with our baking, so it becomes a kid-friendly activity instead of another task on our to-do lists.

I understand that times have changed and many mothers work outside the home now, but we can still turn the menial things we do (that relate to housework) into something we actually like.

In the end whether it's a new recipe or organizing your child's bedroom, if you put your heart into it, it can be meaningful, it can be pleasurable and maybe even artful.

A Cook And A Baker

I was flipping through one of the Barefoot Contessa's cookbooks when I read that people are usually either a 'baker' or a 'cook,' but not both. After last year's plethora of desserts (read this post) I realized that I am a baker.

My husband is most definitely the 'cook' in our house (even though I cook the majority of the meals.) His ability to throw ingredients together and make a dish astounds me. I cannot cook on the fly. It only comes out bad.

When I bake, I'm so careful with my measuring. I even remember someone telling me, when I was really little (either my mother or my neighbor who occasionally babysat me) that when you stir the ingredients, you need to stir 'only in one direction.' Still not sure why.

This past week I baked a chocolate snack cake from scratch and cookies for our son's class. My husband has had burgers and pork chops on the grill since the weather has finally warmed up a little.

So that's my question, are you the cook or the baker? Or is it possible that you are both?

Pondering Prayer

I'm finishing a book about God. It's taking me a long time because I've finally learned that it's okay to "chew" on words. And that it's okay to turn back and re-read passages. So, it's taking me awhile. Something that leapt off a page for me was when the author wrote about prayer coming from her written word. Wow.

I read one of my favorite blogs this morning and she posted about prayer being manifested in many ways, including in the written word. Hmm.

I've been journaling about my prayer life since January. I've learned that half the time, I don't even recognize answered prayer. I've learned that praying on another's behalf is uplifting. It's been a humbling experience.

'A Field Guide To God' by Patty Kirk

Making Chocolate Your Life's Work

If you're a lover of books AND chocolate, then I recommend this book:  Discover Chocolate - The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting, and Enjoying Fine Chocolate by Clay Gordon. It was an indulgent read (he he.) But I learned a great deal, which in turn could only enhance my monthly cravings for all things chocolate.

This book delves into a great amount of detail, including the making of chocolate and the difference between chocolates. (Like, I don't eat the generic Easter stuff, it tastes like sweet plastic. But I have yet to endure the strong stuff, like the chocolate with 85% cocoa, pictured above.)

Reading this book will teach you the finer points of chocolate enjoyment. And since I'm a nut about what's on the net, I had to go to the author's site.

The Chocolate Life is a network of "chocophiles" in love with all aspects of chocolate. Wow. Now that's paying some serious homage to chocolate!

Guilty Pleasures

I'm an avid reader. Everyone in our family reads. I prefer books to anything online, probably because most of my reading is done at night after everyone is in bed (hence the reading glasses for my tired eyes.)

That's why I never went online to read The Pioneer Woman's (Ree Drummond) blog posts about her real life love story (swoon.) I sit at the computer enough (oh how I wish for a Macbook!) so when I heard that the book was coming out, I was very excited! I don't know what chapter I'm on, but I'm hooked already.

Reading anything is a guilty pleasure for me so I get all my books at our local library for free. At least the guilt has nothing to do with the cost. Anyone else reading Ree's newest book?