A Note To Myself From the Future

The things I could tell
that new mom -
the me of nearly 7 years ago

When I was about 20 years old, my sister gave me a book called Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much.  I was 20, going to school full-time, working full-time and honestly, not much else. As I look back on what seemed like a very busy, stressful time in my life, I laugh at my former self. Oh, that girl did not know how easy her life was.

But everything is subjective. We can only see things from our own point of view, from exactly where we are, at any given moment. Knowing that, I'm attempting a different perspective. I'm actively trying to look back at myself. That is, imagine me 10 years from now thinking back to where I am right now. Are you confused? Imagine, if everything looks better in hindsight, why not try to achieve "hindsight" every day?

Try this exercise with me: write a short note to your 20-year-old self. Name just 3 things that are/were awesome about life at that time, or that came out of that time. Do it again for you at 25, 30, 35 and onward, depending how old you are!

If you went through a rough patch during any of those periods, point out the benefits that resulted. Then, especially if you're going through something today (and aren't we all?), write yourself a note from the you who will be in 10 years.

Here's mine -

Dear Tam, 
Remember in 2012 when the store was about to close? The bank account was a big, fat zero and you felt upset and worried about the future. But you didn't just sit there. You published your first book! You sold only one that first day and you were so scared, but once you got it up on Kindle you sold tens of thousands!!! Every challenge during that time led you right to where you are/I am today! Secure, free, successful! The bank account has a big, fat bunch of zeros now!! But with a much higher number in front of it! A spark of an idea with a friend led you to a hugely successful company that you run from anywhere in the world you happen to be and you're a prolific and well-published author. Your children know a life that few experience and your marriage thrives. So, here I am, ten years ahead of you, reminding you to embrace every moment. You are taken care of, so fear not. Step bravely into what you will be; what I am. 
Love, Yourself

What's yours?

I've Finally Done It!!!

Every day, I tell my daughters, "Choose your day. You can make it anything, any way you want it to be." Choose a happy day, or choose a crabby one. Either way, you choose.

When life seems difficult, look around you. What are you choosing? How have your brought your circumstance into your life?

Today, I chose to take life by the reigns! Nothing can stop me! No rejection, no business closing, nothing! Today, I have achieved a dream. I am a published author.

Go check it out! You and your little ones will be happy you did.

How Do You Sleep, Baby Dolphin?

I love you all!

The Unicorn's Secret - A Series that Turns Emerging Readers into Eager Readers

OK, this wasn't on the list, but after an exciting, impromptu Twitter exchange with the author of my daughters' favorite series of books, I couldn't resist. I headed straight to Amazon and blurted out (through my fingertips, of course) the following review... Enjoy.

It's impossible to review just one book in Kathleen Duey's The Unicorn's Secret, as each one builds on the previous installment. Each book is magical in its own right, but only together do they truly fly.

I have two daughters, ages 5 and 6. Both are emerging readers who alternate between loving and hating reading. They love being read to, but they resist the effort they have to put into reading themselves. Knowing how much they love unicorns, I searched specifically for a book with "Unicorn" in the title. When we happened upon this series, I knew I hit on something special.

From the first word, all three of us were enraptured by the little girl, Heart, who has led less than an ideal life. Found by a hard, sometimes cruel, man when she was a baby, Heart ached to know who she really was and why she was left behind by her family. Her journey begins when she finds a "horse" with a curious scar on her forehead. With her new friend, threads from her baby blanket and very little else, Heart begins an adventure that spans the 8 books of this series.

Every chapter end had my daughters begging for more (just one more chapter, Mommy!). Don't tell them, but I sometimes stole a peek at the next chapter after bedtime! Every finished book had them demanding the next and when we finally finished the series they cried out for another! The ending is beautifully satisfying (I admit, I teared up!), one that only my exceptionally imaginative 6-year-old guessed (with a "What if...") mid-series.

I highly recommend The Unicorn's Secret to any parent and every child anywhere from age 5 (for a child with a long attention span) to at least 12. There were a few vocabulary words here and there that my 5-year-old didn't quite grasp, but overall it was easy to read and understand. When they couldn't wait for me to read it to them, they would try to read it themselves! At last - they wanted to read! At a 1st grade reading level it got frustrating for them... like Heart as she learned to read... but I was more than happy to cuddle up with them and share this beautiful series together. It was truly magical.

What's Going On and Coming Up!

I've been busy with sick children and snow days for the past week. Do you get completely behind on everything when you have a nose or two (or three or four) to blow? Then, of course, after several days of having children cough directly up my nose, I got sick too! Yuck! But, there's no rest for Mommy, so on I go!

I've had an influx of review opportunities with a few giveaways thrown in, so to keep you on the edge of your seat (and visiting frequently) here's a preview of what's coming up on (aspiring) Domestic Goddess Mommy over the next few weeks!

* Crindelstar - Review & Giveaway! An inspiring, eco-friendly story about a young girl whose belief in unicorns is challenged! Digital book, music and wildflower seeds in unique packaging!

* The Missing Secret to Parenting by Denny Hagel - review (a two-part installment). This is the book her website and mission are based upon. If you follow me on Twitter, you've likely seen me retweet some of her memorable, inspiring quotes. This is more than a review. I'll be sharing my own personal experience through the course of reading this book. Look for part 1 this week.

* Get Famous - review. I just can't stop reading this bonanza of blogging brilliance by up and coming blogging expert, Lisa Cash Hanson. If you haven't read her yet, go visit her blog. There's always something funny and inspiring going on there!

* My Memories - Digital Scrapbook Software review & Giveaway! This one is huge and exciting! It's an $80 value that you won't want to miss the opportunity to win! I'm happily working on my digital scrapbook with my girls. Finally, they might have something resembling a baby book and I can't wait to share my results with you!

* The Magic Warble - book review & Giveaway (hard copy or ebook)! Another exciting (I hope! I haven't read it yet!) adventure story that my girls and I will relish reading and reviewing together!

* How Do You Sleep, Baby Dolphin? - Review Opportunity for YOU!

I'm looking for 10 bloggers to review this book. After nearly two years, I've decided to jump ship and self-publish my picture book!!! I'm nervous and excited and I'm looking for moms with kids between 6-months and 6 years to provide an honest review in exchange for the ebook version, which will be available for sale this week! Please contact me at adgmommy (at) gmail (dot) com if you are interested.

That sums it up! What do you think?

The Upside of TV Time

The other day, I blogged about Halloween 365-days a year. Some of the comments got me thinking that perhaps not every child plays as much as mine. It's all over the news and web how children spend too much time sitting on the couch, watching or playing on-screen.

When I only had one or two kids, I seriously restricted their Screen-time. TV, Computer, even their own kid-size computers. One to two hours was the absolute max, no more than 5 days a week and they rarely, if ever, watched commercials. I was a Kindermusik teacher! Life was about activity, movement and learning!

Now, I have three kids and my schedule is overflowing. Only one child is in school full-time and I'm trying to earn an income by writing and editing from home when I'm not at my wine store. Sadly, screen time has increased. It's still limited to right around 2-hours, but sometimes it goes over, and it's more often 6 to 7 days a week. They still don't see commercials (thank you, Netflix) and they have to have mommy approval (no Sponge Bob, thank-you-very-much).

Spy Girls

But here's the thing... Whatever they do watch inspires their creativity. Once the TV is off, they turn into Dora or Diego, or lately, the Pink Panther! They run off and spend hours playing with their My Little Ponies or their Barbie dolls. The boy now grabs his Diego rescue pack (his big sister's toy), jumps up and sings, "Al riscote, amigos, rescue my friends!" He's 2!

They become mermaids or wizards, horses or dogs, secret spies or even mommies! They make up new stories, new songs and even write books! The TV, then, is not a brain-drain, it is inspiration for hours and hours of play!

Everything has a flip-side. Use TV wisely and it can truly have a positive impact on your life and your children's. No, you certainly don't need television to spur imagination, but when you need 23-minutes of time for you (the exact length of any Nick Jr show without commercials), it doesn't hurt!