This Full House

New Jersey Mom Blog Launch Party - The Recap!

As most of you may (or, may not) know, I am a Jersey Girl (born and raised, bay-bee) and I feel very honored to be able to contribute to the Silicon Valley Moms Group of blogs for the, you guessed, New Jersey Moms Blog.

New Jersey Moms Blog launched in March of 2008 (in fact, mine was the  inaugural post, "So, You From Joisey?) but, you can read more about us, here!

I had the extreme pleasure (along with my friend, Vanessa) of organizing the New Jersey Moms Blog Launch Party (that's a copy of the program and, YAH, I made it!) sponsored by Graco and very graciously hosted by Gold Medal Impressions Gallery (Hi, Mr. Druckman!) in lovely Princeton Junction, New Jersey!

No easy task (right, Vanessa?) because, there's like so many of us and New Jersey is, you know, really, really big.

Bet you didn't know that, huh?

Seriously, we're talking about a 200 mile radius (from north to south) and then there's all those lakes, hills and farmlands jammed in between.

Who knew, it would rain like a BITCH!?!?

Book Club Time: SV Moms Group Discussion - The White Trash Mom Handbook

I had the pleasure of working alongside authors Michelle Lamar and Molly Wendland with Disney's Family.com, so I was very excited to have finally had the chance to meet them both, in person, at the BlogHerCon '08.

Michelle made me snort Appletinis through my nose, 'nuf said!

Then, I got a copy of their book and was honored to be included in the White Trash Mom campaign for the Parent Bloggers Network.

Ain't nothing trashy about it.

Taken with a sense of humor, The White Trash Mom Handbook is a refreshing respite to anyone who's ever battled with baking from scratch, or felt guilty for not signing up for the class trip, or taken to screening your calls, even though you are a stay-at-home mom and probably could have arranged [cough, cough] to be available.

[raises hand]

Please, clean off a chair and stay a while, feel free read my review:  The White Trash Mom Handbook - She's less than perfect, but she's okay.

But, wait - there's more - we're also discussing the book over at the Silicon Valley Moms Group blogs and -- especially, if you haven't read it yet -- you're more than welcome to join me there, too!

© 2008 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

Shaking It Up On the Soccer Field of Good and Evil

Mini-me (on far left, wearing red) at her soccer team's first practice, last night.

Does your kid play soccer?  Baseball?  Football?  How about basketball, hockey or softball?  Yes?

[nods head]

Perhaps, you've even coached a team, or two.

Like, my kids' coaches (two of them are playing soccer, this year) who volunteer their time, year after year, one season into the next and sometimes more than one sports, at a time.

PHEW.

Don't get me wrong, my husband would love to coach, but Garth (not his real name) gets home really late and sometimes is scheduled to work three weekends out of the month.

Me?  Well, as I see it, teaching kids sports means a) one would need to know a little something about that particular sport and b) being able to physically, you know, do it.

I mean, giving birth to 4 babies, I can't do a jumping jack, or sneeze, without having certain parts of my body begin to leak (you're welcome) sometimes, all at once (I'm sure) besides, my uterus might fall out, or something.

Still.

Some of these guys are diehard dedicated to involving themselves in nearly every aspect of their children's lives and I can't help but think, you know, what kind of day job allows these people ALL that free time?

New Jersey Moms Blog Launched, Today!

Last month, I was asked by the lovely Jill Asher (co-founder of Silicon Valley Moms Group) if I'd be interested in writing for an upcoming new sister site, for New Jersey mom bloggers.

"Hey, you know, I'm from Jersey!"

Well, yah...and DUH!

Today, I am thrilled to tell you that the site has officially launched and...GUESS WHAT...I even got to write the introduction:

You know you're from Jersey, if....

Having been born, grown up and now raising a family of my own (and blogging about it) in New Jersey (what, you too...SHUT up!) I've pretty much heard it all.  Still.  You may be surprised to learn, however, just how difficult it can be, listening to jokes about why we're called "The Garden State" because, it's too hard to fit "Oil and Petro-Chemical Refinery State" on a license plate, etc...

[rolls eyes]

So, New Jersey has a lot of chemical companies; I get that.  Hell, I used to work with a couple of them - way before children - forgive me, but the assumption that moving here would be less than desirable, by anyone who refuses to take a look-see beyond the Turnpike tolls, you know, upsets me.

Or, in more Jersey-type terms...it friggin' frosts my ass, people!

So, You From Joisey?

[This is an original New Jersey Moms Blog post - newest sister site to Silicon Valley Moms Blog - cross-posted here to This Full House and yes, I am VERY HAPPY to be their first contributing blogger!]

Contrary to what other people may have told you - especially, if you've ever watched the opening credits of The Sopranos - there are some very pretty places to visit here in New Jersey, if you're willing to travel beyond the toll booths outside of New York City and away from the factories lining both sides of the New Jersey Turnpike.

It's not called the Garden State for nothin,' you know.