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Allergic Reactions... |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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Three years ago, at a specialty crepe restaurant in Philadelphia we found out our oldest child is quite allergic to Buckwheat. One bite of his first Buckwheat crepe caused us much concern as his tongue and throat became so itchy he could barely sit still. Then came the chest pains, the rash around his mouth, severe nausea and hives you would not believe. We now have a tanker of epinephrine and a truck load of Benadryl that follow us everywhere like that "network” you see on the cell phone commercials.
Needless to say, allergic reactions have been in the forefront of my brain since then. So much so that I felt the need to identify a few of my own afflictions, their symptoms and my self-prescribed cures. I urge you to search out yours as well.
Allergy #1:
BAD ATTITUDES
Symptoms:
When coming in contact with said attitude a mild rash-like aversion may occur and will spread almost immediately. The "rash” begins to spread and before too long, it is an all-consuming power that overtakes one’s day. Soon even the most trivial of events or happenings brings one to a new height of frustration. If not treated, one’s attitude could be shot for the rest of the week. This allergy is quite dangerous to one’s well-being and those well-beings around them.
Prescription:
A long chat with a positive influence in one’s life. A good, uplifting book/article – preferably a spiritual one. A bare-it-all prayer with the Man upstairs.
Allergy #2:
CATTINESS
Symptoms:
Feelings of superiority and judgmental behaviors come on quickly. These feelings can escalate quite rapidly to the point of nose-held-high-in-the-air-itis. Like any addiction, this sense of entitlement can become quite habit-forming. For the most part these feelings erupt when one’s self-esteem is at its lowest. Dangerous levels of self-praise actions and impulses can spike at any time.
Prescription:
A long look I the mirror and a quiet afternoon with a pen and a journal. Self-searching to the point of brokenness and a huge box of tissues. And, of course, a bare-it-all prayer to the Man upstairs.
Allergy #3:
FEAR
Symptoms:
Severe sensations of lack of control (LOC). The need to hold onto a person or a habit that only appears to be solid as one’s world forms a downward spiral. A tragic craving for something unidentifiable to hold it all together and the search to find it. Feelings of doubt, disconnect and paranoia may subside but the initial LOC sensations will remain.
Prescription:
The admission that something bigger is ultimately in control and the surrender of that control. A change of focus to all that is good, healthy and clean. The acceptance of one’s short-comings and the resolve to make a change for the better. And, once again, a bare-it-all prayer to the Man upstairs.
The diagnosis:
Your allergies may react to different triggers. Your symptoms may be more or less severe. But one thing remains the same…a prescription can only be determined by the person suffering the affliction. You can only hide under the covers for so long. It’s a brand new morning and the perfect time to stand at the mirror, look yourself right in the face and resolve to live your life to the fullest. Align your life with God’s Truth we find in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Swallow a bottle of self-esteem. Take a few teaspoons of healthy pride. Rub some new focus into your sores and watch your life start anew. Of course, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t also prescribe a boatload of love…take two and call me in the morning.
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My Laundry List! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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The fact that I have to re-type an entire post from memory because my computer decided to DELETE it for no apparent reason, is a testimony to how FRUSTRATING a mom's LAUNDRY LIST of things to get done truly is!
GRRRRRRR!
So, as I was saying (pouring a glass of wine), sometimes I think if I had a job outside of the home I very well may be LESS BUSY. Now, please don't take that to mean that I feel working moms have it easy...I SO DON'T THINK THAT! I know plenty of you and I don't envy you one bit. I have a hard enough time getting the house stuff done, let alone throwing a full time job on top of that! NO THANKS!
However, because I am the scheduler of my day, I think I tend to believe that I have more than 24 hours to work with. Either that or I think at home moms need no sleep! If you watch Desperate Housewives you know that if you take your kids' Ritalin you CAN stay up all night and get EVERYTHING done. I don't condone this...just a funny visual in my head of ME on Ritalin! LOL!
So, yesterday I was looking at my LAUNDRY LIST thinking...why in the world do I say YES to all these things? I thought long and hard about it and came up with what I THINK is the answer...
I AM TOO FRIGGIN PASSIONATE ABOUT TOO MANY THINGS!
See for yourself:
Write article on mortgage fraud for MomLogic (this story is based on my friend who is a single om losing her home b/c of fraud)
Do a post of MomSpace
Contact 'MeanMom' and plan our dewelling blog posts
get sidetracked on Twitter
re-do Birds and the Bees post for MomLogic to fit word count
research publishers who ARE BEGGING for picture books like the ones I have written
check email
throw in a stack of laundry big enough for a kid to hide in
make sure no kids went into the washer
fact check article on mortgage fraud
plan CONSCIENCE lesson for Sunday- 5th and 6th graders
plan last middle school Art Club meeting
volunteer in middle school Language Arts class
mount artwork for May 5th middle school art show
research Visual Arts director job description - decide whether I will accept this job offer
check facebook
shop for something to make for dinner
drop a note to Kate (yes, Gosselin) welcoming her home from DWTS
make more coffee
re-write 2 of the 7 picture books waiting on my desk to make the rounds
post my handmade seashell and shrinky dink jewelry and art prints on etsy.com
list the box of stuff a friend asked me to sell on ebay 3 months ago
work on illustration samples to send with manuscripts
type/tweak query for each picture book going out
get printer ink
dentist appointment
orthodontist appointment
research new RAW recipes for my new RAW FOOD lifestyle
do pro bono illustration for Childhood Cancer advocate/foundation
call my mom
design murals/decor for friend who is opening a clinic
exercise (LMAO!)
tell Joey Fortman how much I wish I was going to Avalon this weekend
plan art/craft lesson/project for 4 sessions on middle school field day
Ok, so, notice that pack lunches, talk to kids, acknowledge husband's existence and have some ME time is NO WHERE ON THIS LIST! How many things would I have been able to say "no" to if I had a full time job? Would I feel less stressed out? Nah. I doubt it. Six of one, half dozen of the other....moms are busy no matter WHAT hat they wear!
...and let me just say, if THIS post deletes you can add THROW LAPTOP OUT THE 2nd FLOOR WINDOW then RUN TO THE FRONT YARD AND STOMP ON IT to my list!
(I'm cc and pasting it somewhere else, just in case...I NEED this computer!)
Let's talk lists...what's on yours??!
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SPIT! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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I just spent 20 minutes on an AMAZING post about how long our lists are...you know, the Mom lists! And when I hit SUBMIT I got an ERROR message and it was deleted!
I COULD SPIT!
Now I have to un-cross off WRITE A POST FOR MOMSPACE from my list.
I MIGHT CRY.......
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Rookie Moms - THE BOOK! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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There is no doubt that after your baby is born, you forget how to do the ordinary. The things that came so naturally before, like running to the store, grabbing coffee at the local cafe, etc. become more of an event than it once was.
Now, you have to plan for spit up and poop along the way as well as gather all the appropriate paraphernalia to stave off what could be catastrophic. So, what do we do? We end up staying home to avoid the extra stress which in turn causes us to become resentful and jealous of the life we once lived.
Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss decided early in their tandem pregnancies that they were not going to be stuck-in-the-house statistics. They were going to go against the grain and stay busy, do all those things they did before without a struggle and remain content in their new job as "Mom.” But, how? The two friends started by making activity lists and creating The Rookie Moms Blog.
After much feedback, they decided to write a diaper bag sized book to help all moms with their keeping their sanity after having a baby. The Rookie Mom’s Handbook is jam packed with 250 creative ideas to get you through the first year.
The month-by-month layout makes those drop-of-a-hat outings easier than shake and pour formula. It would be ridiculous to expect to have a great conversation with a friend at a quiet café with a noisy 12 month old, but Activity #234 – Stay out ‘til dark highlights the fun that can be had in heading out to the mall or park with a double stroller, a friend and her baby and staying active until bedtime.
Creative ideas to create lasting memories are a big part of Flett and Moss’s book as well.
Activity #15/Month 1 – 'Find a cozy spot for a monthly picture' gets Mom started taking a picture each month to scrapbook or frame baby’s first year. An activity most of us wish we would have thought of before it was too late.
Activity #106/Month 5 – 'Be in love' comes along just about the time you begin to remember you DO have a husband. In all the stress and chaos of being mommy for the first (or second, or third time) sometimes we forget to celebrate the love that got us there. This activity has moms searching for pre-baby couplehood photos, framing and displaying them as a reminder of just how much love there is in your home.
Since viewing The Rookie Mom’s Handbook, I am now certain I will never be without a gift for a friend when she brings home that bundle of time-sucking joy! The Rookie Mom’s Handbook can be purchased by going to The Rookie Moms website or on Amazon.com.
Peace. Enjoy!
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"Toes in the water, kid in the sand..." |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
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Sandbox - $30.00
Sand - $12.00
Reading an entire magazine in one sitting (well, almost) - PRICELESS!
So, yesterday I got a sandbox. We have three children ages 10,9 and 2 and this is our first sandbox. I have always been anti-let-your-kids-play-in-a-box-that-all-the-cats-in-the-neighborhood-pooped-in but I needed something. Something to help me enjoy the recent summer-like weather without training for a marathon...which is basically what it is like to be outside with my little-man.
"Good kick, buddy! No! NO! Not in the r.....oad!"
"Hey, come back here. You are getting a little too far away from Mommy! IF YOU GO ANY FURTHER I AM GOING TO....(neighbors are peeking out their windows)...eh hem... give you a time out!"
"No! No! Nooooooo! Honey, that is bird poop, not icing. Don't ever eat that again!"
The sandbox is a God send! At least until the bus comes. Add to the serene habitat of a two-year old and his sand 3 more kids and a couple buckets.
I was finally enjoying an actual conversation on the phone with my sister (which never happens because those under waist-height REFUSE to be quiet if there is a phone at my ear) when I glance at the new sandbox.
The older kids had left the scene and there he was...covered in the white and wet dusty film of new sand. The hose had been wrangled and many, many, many buckets had been filled with water and dumped into the almost-sun dried-sand. My mini-man was jumping in the mess like a pre-schooler on crack. The bigger the jump, the bigger the smile. The bigger the splash, the harder the giggle. White tidal waves of sandy water ebbed and flowed and reminded me that "My work here is never done." sigh.
Before he asked to go outside today, my little man and I headed for WalMart to grab one more bag of play sand to soak up the flood we have going on in our green turtle sand box.
The rest of the day is a sunshiny blur. We spent ALL day outside; riding, rolling, running, giggling.
It's noon and I am beat...all that sun makes me sle-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-epy!!
Peace.
Tags:
motherhood
play
sand
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Artsy Mom + Beach Vacation = One-of-a-Kind Jewelry |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
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This is where I drive my husband CRAZY! I am uber creative! My eyes find things to make creative that most people wouldn't think twice about. I walk on the beach and then stay up all night piecing together one-of-a-kind sea shell necklaces!
So, we travelled home from the Outer Banks, NC with 47 pounds (I also exaggerate!) of sea shells and how do I spend this gawdgeous Wednesday morning???
MAKING THESE:
...and....the OTHER thing that make hubby nuts??
I think I may dive into a new creative business...nothing big...just an etsy.com shop!
But of course, I have spent hours daydreaming a business NAME and LOGO!
 So...now my studio is a mess and I still have a ton of vacation laundry to do and piles of sand to sweep up... But today was a good day! My hands were creative and my right brain engaged!
Love it!
Peace.
Tags:
beach
crafts
creative projects
jewelry
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12 kids in a house + a bunch of FUN parents + the beach = TOO much fun for just a week! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Friday, April 02, 2010
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Well, our Annual Outer Banks vacation with 19 of our closest friends/kids comes to an end tomorrow and I have mixed feelings for a couple reasons.
1. 2 of my 3 kids are sick!
2. The end of THIS vacation means I am 6 days closer to my SCBWI writer's conference!
But, because I promised an Artsy Mom run-down of HOW to Survive a 12 Child-8 Adult Vacation, here I am, hiding in the giant master bedroom listening to a DINER-style "breakfast" going on outside my door.
We had a lot of fun this year - we ALWAYS do! Yes, there are some minor kid issues, numerous runs to the grocery store, minor injuries and some rental house issues. But what makes all of those things OK is 3 floors of bedrooms to spread everyone out, many walks to the beach, seashell hunts that harvest MANY one-of-a-kind treasures, crafts and drawing lessons with the kids, husbands that do ALL the cooking, sleeping in, adult board games after the kids are in bed, movie nights, Girls' Day shopping, lots of walks in the fresh beach air....should I continue? You get my drift!
So, what have we done so far? All of the above...
Last night we (he adults) did a Blackbeard Pirate skit/drama for the kids. Our hisory buff friend, Todd, organized a ton of facts and trivia about the Outer Banks and together we developed a skit. Todd transformed into a PIRATE, we had chairs in rows in the kitchen for all the kids and the rest of the adults morphed into living versions of lighthouses, the Wright brothers, a devil, a nag and her owner....and the list goes on.
After a 30 minute presentation of facts these kids will NEVER forget - some of them laughed so hard I thought they would pee - the pirate told them there is STILL a treasure map that leads to a treasure!
12 kids took numerous paces in the dark to find a REAL honest-to-goodness buried treasure filled with goodies for all of them! We captured the whole thing on video so, if I can get it downloaded onto my computer without crashing it, I will give you a peek.
Today we are making bleach-dyed black t-shirts for the kids - an annual tradition. Each year I come up with a t-shirt making craft that commemorates our trip.
We will also take recycled jars that the parents collected - one for each kid - and head to the beach to collect just a little piece to remember our trip. My kids have one from each trip lined up on a shelves in their rooms.
Then I plan on leading a DRAW-ON event with sidewalk chalk on the concrete driveway. Today is DRAW-ON DAY! Find something...anything...and draw on it! This is a grea excuse to get your kids creative today!
I also brought a giant pack of SHRINKY DINK plastic with me and thought as a before-dinner cool down time, I would do some 'dinks with the kids who want to. I purchased some key chain loops so they can hang their creations on their backpacks.
Some of the kids also, with help from my friendship bracelet guru daughter, made hemp/sea shell chokers and bracelets.
I will have pictures of all of these up soon.
My camera bit it this week! I dropped it in the sand and ..... donesville!
So, I will have to wait until my BFFs give me CDs of their pics so I can show you all our fun!
HAPPY APRIL!
Tags:
beach
crafts
vacation destinations
vacations
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CUSTOM CHEER T-SHIRTS by JUST JEN! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Friday, March 26, 2010
Updated: Friday, March 26, 2010
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JUST JENHAS EVERYTHING RHINESTONE YOU COULD EVER WISH FOR!
  
Well, when I was contacted by JustJen.comto do a product review for them, I thought... hmmmm what in the world could I get on a T-shirt for ME? I never get myself fun, blingy stuff so it's about time!
My daughter had a different idea when she read my email over my shoulder...the words CUSTOM CHEERLEADING SHIRTSjumped right off the page and within moments she was babbling off what she wanted on HER shirt and how HER shirt would be designed!
If you head over to JustJen.comyou will see a vast array of choices for women and girls; from baseball caps to lingerie! NO KIDDING! Rhinestone personalized lingerie!
JustJen took our school's logo and my daughter's name and sent us THIS:  Our team logo was PERFECT! Exactly like the one on the team jerseys!
When she went to school the next day donning her new bling and her competition hair scrunchy she was MOWED DOWN by her cheermates, "Where did you get that shirt?" "OMG! I love your shirt!" "You are so lucky! That is the coolest SHIRT!"
JustJen.comoffers a 15% group discount so if you know of some cheerleaders (you know, the ones looking over your should right now. LOL!) send the link to JustJento your coach and let ALL the girls look THIS cute!
Thanks JustJen! She loves it! And I have a brand new baby niece, so I will be shopping with you again soon!
Peace.
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Outer Banks for BUST! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Thursday, March 25, 2010
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Every year during Spring Break we head to the Outer Banks, NC with our best friends and a whole butt load of kids!
20 of us....in one house!
8 adults...12 kids!
Yes, we are outnumbered but it is SO MUCH FUN!
This year we are doing a Blackbeard Pirate Theme...we have some AMAZING things planned... a scavenger hunt complete with buried treasure on the beach, an annual commemorative Tshirt craft, a HUGE sidewalk chalk collaborative in the giant driveway of this 9 bedroom house for April 2nd's DRAW ON! with Peter Reynolds, shrinky dinks, friendship bracelets and necklaces, drawing classes.
Yes, this is ARTSY MOM at my BEST!
I am looking forward to keeping you all up to date on all the BEACHY CREATIVITY going on in the MAXXIMUM VIEWS PALACE! Maybe I will SEE you Tuesday night on MomSpaceTV!
Here are some pics from last year's trip.
 This was last year's beach house!
 This was the view off the top deck - there were 3 levels of decks.
 Games every night!
 The loves of my life!
 Sunrise off the deck!
 A little basketball on the courts in the back of the house.
 This is the house from the movie NIGHTS IN RODANTHE with Richard Gere and Diane Lane. It was a 2 hour drive to get there but well worth the trip! We watched the movie that night! SWATCOP was taken aback by its beauty.
Walking to the beach on the bridge over the dunes.
 Kite Flying 101
Well, I am off to the beach...
WISH YOU WERE HERE!
Tags:
beach
family vacations
friends
outer banks
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Gotta love CHALK! |
Posted By Michelle Kemper Brownlow,
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
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 Each spring, our driveway turns into a giant coloring book! And apparently, I am the guest artist! We live in a large development so it is rare that MY children are the only children IN my driveway... Miss Michelle, could you draw a ..., Mommy, could you make a big....
Tags:
creativiy
sidewalk chalk
spring activities
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