See, Heather recently started a totally rad ThetaMom Community as a place for bloggers & those who enjoy reading blogs to make new friends. And yep, I described TMC as rad & yes it’s 1985 in my mind. I’m writing this while wearing neon, stone washed jeans & a giant set of bangles. Stop judging me you know you love stone wash.

Anyway, I love the idea & when she announced it was opening I was right on that. Like white on rice or something maybe soy sauce on rice since I also like brown rice but I digress. I swear I think I have a point. Point is (see I had one) the community is open & when she contacted me to be the first featured blogger I fell outta my chair squealing with excitement like a schoolgirl, which technically I just stopped being, so what if I’m old I can still squeal because I’m really thankful for the opportunity to meet new folks. If have never been over to Heathers, take the time to visit Heather’s blog, you’ll enjoy the visit.

And now I’m rolling out the welcome mat to those who are making their way over here. I figure I while doing that I should also introduce myself.

I’m Beth.

I blog about my life, family, parenting, food, and homemaking design.

I have four kids. My children are the rabble-rousing sort. On occasion they do things like chase each other around with poop made of playdoh, laugh as I leak breast-milk on myself even as innocent infants they know pure comic gold when they see it & all around they are the best human beings I’ve ever come into contact with. I am in awe of the fact I get to be their mother.

I’m also married. He is my best friend, I know how sick. Next thing you know I’m going to tell you he’s great or something. Which he is because he is a cute nerd with a wicked sense of humor who is also great in the kitchen. It’s an ongoing story here that is continuing to be updated regularly because I had someone ask how we got together, why didn’t we ever move & who has kids during grad school (meaning ARE YOU CRAZY?!). So I figured I’d explain some of these things with the story of our lives, because hey WHO NEEDS PRIVACY? The How I Met Your Father series attempts to explain the back story of how two college kids fell in love, never moved, and managed to build a life together.

I also finished graduate school last year, I teach part-time saving students from stabbing pencils in their eyes and work on various projects. During my last year I thought why not write a blog? Because you know I didn’t have enough going on!!

Well, turns out the blog has been a HUGE lifesaver. See, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression over the summer. We’ve since broken up, but sometimes PPD tries to get me to take him back but I’m not falling for it. Without the support that comes from the people I’ve meet here & those who I’ve been so greatly blessed with in my everyday life I might have continued to fall down the rabbit hole.

So, um, yeah, if you made it through that you deserve a big drink because I got distracted by line 4 & I wrote it. Feel free to make one even if it’s 6 in the morning because according to many people Bailey’s Irish Creamer isn’t really alcohol it’s just creamer; in fact, many things aren’t.  Pretty much anything that is alcohol apparently might not really be alcohol under the right conditions. Although if you get arrested don’t try to use this as a legal justification because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t count.

And again welcome to casa de confusion & thank you for everyone who comes here on a regular basis to read. I love that I have gotten the opportunity to meet you all & get met new people everyday.  You have no idea how awesome I think you all are & how totally thankful I am to you all.  I mean really, truly, you are all AWESOME SAUCE, which is like the best kind of awesome EVER & I KNOW these things even if I still think it’s 1985.

Technorati Tags: blog, blogger, blogging, featured blogger, features, thetamom

Mamacita’s joining the ranks of Mr. J & Mr. G. I can’t wait to see what she comes up. But I am a little worried. You see the reason why is that I’m taking this picture of her. That means she had the camera pointed toward me. I may have to start wearing make-up around the house & actually combing my hair in the morning.

Technorati Tags: creative juice, family, kids, photo, photography

Something about having some bright colors and pretty flowers makes everything better.

Look at this little guy. All dainty & hiding out in the bunch. I love these kinds of flower bunches there are always surprises to find.

The kids keep talking about how they have a sunflower now. I’ll let them have this one, even if it’s not really a sunflower.

And now I’m even more excited for Spring. I can’t wait to get outside and start planting my own garden. The kids also love to help, which is always interesting. Because their version of help may include dirt in the air & running wild with Spring glee.

Technorati Tags: design, flowers, homemaking, spring

I’m already thinking Spring & the Farmer’s Market.  Who cares that there is still snow on the ground?  It’s starting to melt & I can tell Spring in the air.   We get many of the items we don’t grow in our own little veggie garden at our local Farmer’s Market once the weather warms.  And with Spring on my mind I saw these Reusable Veggie Bags while checking out Fey Handmade.  Apparently they were even featured in Better Homes & Gardens.  I just think they are a great idea for shopping, look more stylish than most of the bags out there that are eco-friendly & they are washable.  Momma loves herself something that is washable.

I love this time of year.

Anyone else getting Spring Fever?

Or is it just me?

Technorati Tags: design, garden, green, home, shopping

After the awkwardness of realizing I had been asked out many times but couldn’t figure it out, a date was set for seeing re-release of The Empire Strikes Back (yes, he likes Star Wars–as in knows EVERY.SINGLE.LINE).   He arrived at my house for this date, after having been over before with an his dyed hair, tattoo showing & I believe my Dad might have had a small heart attack upon seeing that.

Which would have been funny except my Dad really does have a heart condition & so that kind of takes the funny out of heart attacks.  But really why are heart attacks funny?  I think that’s kind of bizarre…

Anyway back to the date

After he arrived we hung out for a bit at my house.  My cat threw up all over the floor & near his feet.  I think it was her way saying “Hi, I like you enough to throw up near your feet.”  You know how cats are vomit is like roses & candy to them.

We left for our date in his blue Pontiac Sunbird.  It had a crack in the windshield that I kept staring at because I was trying not to be the weird date who stared at him too much.   I had butterflies, rainbows & I think horses running around in my stomach from the nervousness & excitement of a first date.  Even though we had been eating lunch together for months, talking, walking around campus together & hanging out off campus this was a date.

A totally different ball game, I made sure to wear clean clothes for this.  Not just the clothes I found in a ball on the floor or chair in my room.  But clean clothes.  Clothes that I had to try on in multiple different combinations just to wear the same thing I’d wear any other day but only cleaner. That’s how you know it’s a date, when you are nervous over clothes.

Our dinner was at a Coney Island.  Senate Coney Island in fact.  We sat across from one another with those googly eyes that once you are in a relationship long enough you can recognize across a room.  The googly eyes of young, new love.  The kind that says “No, you hang up first.  No you.”  The kind that after you are together long enough makes you laugh, smile & remember the horses running wild in your stomach with excitement.

We went to the movie & held hands.  He was funny, sweet & offered to pay for the date.  He kissed me at the end of the movie.  To which a little boy (who was in the theater having his own sweet date with his Mom & who had earlier shouted out “EWW!!  Luke just kissed his sista! Groooooossss!!!”) said “EWW!! Now he kissed her.  Groooooossss!!!”  And then totally deadpan looked at his mother and asked “Are they brother & sister too? EWW!!”

With that we had our first date.  Made a child grossed out & may have been mistaken for brother & sister.  It was wonderful.  Then the relationship really picked up steam…

Technorati Tags: how i met your father, husband, love at first sight, marriage

Wouldn’t these make a lovely addition to a dinning table? It’s the Birch Tree Collection from Jessica Rust Designs. I can picture dessert being served on the plates after being dished from one of the platters with a warm drink in the mug. There is just something so cozy & sweet about them.

Technorati Tags: design, dessert, fashion, home