Archive for the ‘other people are awesome’ Category

I can FINALLY spill the beans.

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Posted 31 Jan 2012 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category other people are awesome, RAD, The Hubs, toddler business

No. I’m not pregnant. But thanks for assuming!

I WON A TRIP TO TURKS & CAICOS AT BLOGHER! I know, that was so 2011. Here’s the story:

While at BlogHer, Playskool had a booth set up with the steps to Sesame Street and a contest. Tweet a picture of yourself sitting on the steps of Sesame Street along with some prefab tweet, and you’ll be entered to win!

On August 18th, I got an email saying I’d won. Then I pooped my pants. Then I read the email again. Then I had a seizure, then read the email again…and so on and so on. It was real. We (all three of us!) were scheduled to go on September 30th, the hubs’ birthday. We didn’t have much time, so we immediately went and got Abby her first passport.

cutest passport photo ever.

Then Hurricane Irene hit and damaged the Beaches resort. We had our fingers crossed it would reopen for our trip, but alas they wouldn’t. Our trip was postponed with no idea when we would be going. (In all honesty, the hubs and I were both in the midst of dealing with our awesome dual anxiety issues, so it was probably for the better.) Finally we got the word, we’d be getting a trip voucher to cash in at any time in the next year (with blackout dates, of course). We still didn’t know when we were going. And being the supersticioius jerk I am, I didn’t want to get excited (read: post anything about this awesomeness) until we had solid dates set.

Well, we have our dates, though not our first choice (which was early March) – but we’ll be going mid-April. WE’RE GOING TO THE TURKS & CAICOS IN APRIL. I’m so excited.

So, there you have it. We’re going on a trip! (In April.) BUT WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING!

In other news, I’m going to attempt the Feb photo a day thing, again. Maybe I’ll actually stick to it this time. :)

 

Day late and a dollar short.

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Posted 31 Dec 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category I am a moron, other people are awesome, paparazzi

Merry totally belated Christmas.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live: Check.

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Posted 16 Sep 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category Abigail, other people are awesome, paparazzi, RAD

Last night, the hubs, Abbers and I went to see Yo Gabba Gabba live. It was pretty freaking awesome if I do say so myself.

When it started, Abby didn’t really know what the hell was going on. She started crying and saying, “Go home, Mama! Go outside!” I just kept saying, “Hold on! I swear it’s going to be awesome in like, 10 seconds! Just hang in there!” And then it DID get awesome and then it was total awe and zoned-out staring and OMGTHISISTHECOOLESTTHINGEVER. I finally set her down in the aisle to dance and that’s when she was totally sold.

They took what seemed like the longest intermission EVAR (which in reality was like, 20 minutes) and the whole time, Abby kept asking, “More Gabba Gabba? More?!”  And when it finally came back on she was a dancing, smiling lady. I don’t think she’s ever had more fun. In the bath later in the evening, she played with her Yo Gabba Gabba tub toys and yelled “YO GABBA GABBA LIVE!!!”  for the duration of her bath.

Highlights of the evening (for me, of course) included seeing LESLIE HALL (love her), Biz Markie & Biz’s beat of the day, realizing I knew the words to EVERY SINGLE SONG, and last but definitely not least, finally meeting my internet friend Melissa. We’ve been web-pals since The Bump and had our chit’lins within days of each other. We live like, 15 miles away from each other? Never ONCE have we met. We got to meet each other’s families and I finally got to meet her adorable daughter Olive (that name was on my list. The hubs said no. LOVE. THAT. NAME). I’m so SO glad we finally met. It’s time for playdates and little girl friendships. STAT. And maybe our kids can hang out together too.

Here’s a few pictures from last night and your pal and mine, Instagram.

Abby & her "DJ Lance" glasses.

Olive & Abby

 

"MOM. BROBEE IS ON THE STAGE. PAY ATTENTION."

Leslie Hall. In all her glitter glory.

Yay Interwebs!!

Oh hey. I went to BlogHer. A MONTH AGO.

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Posted 10 Sep 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category blog bidnass, I am awesome, other people are awesome, paparazzi, RAD

(Yeah. I don’t need to tell you that I’m really sucking at this blogging thing right now. But I’m not going to apologize. Sometimes life happens and I just need to go away for a bit and then come back and be like WHAT’S UP BITCHES and it’s like nothing happened. Right? RIGHT.)

Anyway. My post about my BlogHer experience became a casualty of my unannounced blogging break. And now it’s a month later and I don’t really remember all the awesome things I wanted to write about.

Mostly though, it boils down to this. BlogHer is what you make it. I had SO MUCH FUN with my ladies. I love them all. There is no doubt in that. And I miss them terribly. I’m secretly hoping that Florida and Washington state have weird earthquake like-thingys that mysteriously drag them to the midwest. And then I will be complete.

If next year happens for me, I might just be buying an expo & party pass. Because let’s be honest. That’s what I’m good at. (I rocked the expo particularly well this year. Yes, this is foreshadowing for a future post.) Not to mention Mandy and I made the Sparklecorn video for a second year in a row. (Check 1:53 & 2:22 specifically for yours truly.) We defaced the cake this year like the first time. But even better.

Anyway. BlogHer in photos. It was the highlight of my August.

 

Perspective.

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Posted 25 Aug 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category other people are awesome, please and thank you

So, I have my BlogHer wrap-up post half done and sitting in my drafts folder. I wasn’t going to post anything here until I could get that up.

Then Abby got the Norovirus (that’s a stomach bug to you non-medical show watching folk) on Friday night. And then I got it on Monday night. And then the hubs got it last night.

I was going to come here and bitch and moan about HOW SICK I AM OF BEING SICK.  And how much I hate watching my little girl be sick all the time. I’ve been cursing Abby’s daycare since Friday. Thinking about how unfair it’s been that we’ve ALL been sick all summer. And how my parents are visiting us this weekend and all I can do is worry about not getting THEM sick.

Then I read Ryan’s post today on his blog, Pacing the Panic Room, titled To Be So Brave. About a man who recently passed away due to complications of ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. A web series chronicling his life starting with his diagnosis was made. Ryan featured the trailer for the series on his site. I watched.

I excepted a man my father’s age. Instead, I saw someone MY AGE who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His wife…someone my age with a husband slowly becoming a prisoner in his own body.

I watched, and I cried.

My God. Things could be so much worse. And I get all anxious and panicky and pissed off about a stomach bug and a few summer colds? Fuck that.

If you have time today, visit the Often Awesome website – where the web series is hosted and where you can read about the army of people that mobilized for Tim and his wife Kaylan’s sake. It is a beautiful story. I admit I haven’t watched the full series yet, mostly because I’m pretty sure it’s frowned upon at my workplace to ugly cry at your desk for 2 hours. I’ll do that in the privacy of my own home tonight.

Hug your loved ones, and remember to count your blessings every day. And pray to whichever God you so desire to find a cure for horrible diseases like ALS.

I swear to God I’m going to post about BlogHer.

1 Comment
Posted 16 Aug 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category blog bidnass, other people are awesome, paparazzi, posting on-the-go

But before I do, I’m offering up this:

OMGIMSOTIREDOFBEINGBUSYBLARGWTFBBQ

Seriously. I have been away from my home for the past three weekends in a row. Two of them without Abby. AND I AM OVER IT. Upon getting home on Sunday I started nesting and it carried through yesterday and will continue this evening, because I just want SO BADLY to be at home, and to have my home be perfect for me to be in for a very long time. Or until we go away for Labor Day weekend. (uuuggghhhhhh.) (But it’s to see Pearl Jam. Yay!)

Anyway, I have a lot of fun stories and pictures to share. I promise. And I’ll try my damnedest to get something up this week.

Until then, enjoy these photos taken professionally (read: not blurry like most of mine) during the Hostess with the Mostess party.


I’m really good at not being sexy.


(clockwise from top left: Amanda, Beth Anne, me, Mae, Mandy and Andrea)

We now return to regularly scheduled crappy posts.

4 Comments
Posted 09 Aug 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category motherhood, other people are awesome, posting on-the-go

Okay, I’m going to write a post about my BlogHer adventures soon (like, when I have more than five minutes where I’m not doing laundry or cleaning or inhaling carrot cake) (stop judging), but in the meantime, enjoy this effing HILARIOUS video that Martini made for me. She knows me too well.

Yeah, this post is about BlogHer.

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Posted 27 Jul 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category blog bidnass, I am awesome, other people are awesome, paparazzi

Out of curiosity, I just looked back on my OMGBLOGHER post I made last year, and weirdly enough, I could just copy and paste that post here and it would convey the same thing I feel right now. Except the thing about worrying about being mugged in New York. Or seeing a jumbo sewer rat. Now I’m worrying about drowning in the pool at the hotel in San Diego.

(No seriously. Someone keep an eye on me. Or bring me some water wings.)

Anyway – here I am again, a week away from being in sunny San Diego for BlogHer ’11 and I haven’t done ANYTHING to be prepared for it. Except probably piss off a bunch of my Twitter followers by blabbing about it. What’s worse this year is that I’m heading out of town tomorrow for the weekend (AIR SHOW IN WISCONSIN! FAMILY REUNION! EXCITEMENT! CAPS LOCK!) which essentially leaves me Monday to, you know…shop, pack, figure out which sessions I want to attend, and throw myself into a complete panic attack. With Abbers as my sidekick.

Can I pause for a moment to note that it is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to pack a suitcase with a toddler in the room? At least with mine it is. I’ll put like, 10 things in the suitcase, turn around to grab a pair of shoes and suddenly I’ll see Abby run by wearing my just packed underwear as a hat and all contents of my suitcase emptied out on the floor. It’s completely non-productive. Just pack when she’s sleeping, you say? Fat chance. I have one hour of “me time” after she goes down for the night before I personally pass out for the evening. So, I don’t want to start thinking about that shiz before I go to sleep. That’s when I start having panic dreams about forgetting all my party invites and not having a matching pair of shoes for the whole weekend away. (Yes, that can happen. Just ask my mom. Hi Mom!)

In reality, I don’t need to go shopping or panic. I know I’ll be meeting some new people this year, but last year I was so worried about fitting in and whether or not anyone was really even going to like me that new clothes seemed like the solution to all my problems. This year, I am most excited about seeing the friends I made last year. Friends who I KNOW don’t give a shit about what I wear to Sparklecorn or whether or not I re-wear the same pair of jeans the entire weekend. Or if I smell funny. Because I’m pretty sure it was hotter than a two-dollar whore on the 4th of July while we were in NYC and it’s safe to say I was sweaty. And probably a little gamy.

see? sweating. and I haven't worn that dress since then.

Regardless, my plan this year is to relax more, go to more sessions, spend as much time with my bloggy friends as possible and just HAVE FUN. Did I mention the hubs & Abbers are staying behind this year? I’m basically going to summer camp for the weekend, but instead of making friendship bracelets and dreamcatchers, I’ll be drinking wine and gabbing with the ladies of the interwebs that I love. (Seriously, my gal pals from last year? I love you.)

there's some ladies missing from this photo - but look! the bloggess!

All in all, I’m in an excited-panicky state. Which will probably grow more panicky as each day ticks by.

If you’ll be there this year, look for me! I’m really pretty friendly. A sarcastic asshole, but friendly. Unless you’ve got something against people who wear glasses. Then we’ll box.

If you’ll just look up my sleeve…

2 Comments
Posted 21 Jul 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category blog bidnass, I am awesome, motherhood, other people are awesome, RAD

…you’ll see one of the things I’ve been “keeping a secret” around here…

I’m a contributor at a new site called “Liberating Working Moms!” Loverly Tracy (formerly of Mommyhood at Thirty fame) approached me a while ago about the idea for the site and I was excited from the beginning.

Liberating Working Moms: One Voice at a Time was founded by Tracy who wanted a place to commiserate with other working mommas. Ultimately, we are a group of moms, trying to get the word out about all the trepidations and rewards that come with being a working momma. It’s liberating to share our journeys of figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and what’s simply best for right now. Though the guise of this blog is under the working momma category, we hope that all moms will find something to read. Because really, all moms are moms. We all struggle. We all have rewards. We all need some advice. And we all have antics to tell about.

So come join our community: Liberating Working Moms: One Voice at a Time. Read about who we are. Subscribe to our feed to get up to date postings. Follow us on Twitter. And join in our antics on Facebook.

**Today my post (originally published on Blogged Bliss) titled “Where Separation Anxiety Meets Mommy Anxiety” is the featured post. Boo-ya.

Mama had a night out.

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Posted 16 Jun 2011 — by Mrs. Jenna
Category I am awesome, other people are awesome, paparazzi

Last Saturday night, my mother-in-law was kind enough to have Abby stay overnight so I could go out one night for adult beverages and some much needed time with my lady friends. We had so much fun, and I had my first hangover in a REALLY long time the next day. (McDonalds helped.)

We had sushi and then headed to a bar called Cafeteria in Uptown. It was much douchier than I had imagined, but we made the best of it. And then I posed on a diaper station.

This is what 2 glasses of champange and 3 beers will do to me.

 

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