Archive for Business Diary
Upcoming Events in the Diary: Mix Fashion Event
Posted by: | CommentsI’m terribly excited … and slightly mortified.
Mix Apparel (whom you may recall I blog for on occasion) are hosting a series of fashion events, all featuring celebrity stylist, Kai Aiyub.
They’re being held at three different location (I’ll put them below) over three different days and will feature the new April fashion pieces, and goody bags and giveaways. Some lucky attendees will be styled by Kai himself.
As one who, quite literally, mixes and matches her clothes from whatever has been piled up on the chair in my bedroom, including the pieces that have fallen off the chair, and, sometimes, even having to trawl through the washing basket to find something relatively clean and wearable because I haven’t got around to doing my washing yet, I’m really keen to see what the Mix Apparel options are.
(Occasionally, some items make it back to the wardrobe, and I get to look in there as well.)
I’m also really looking forward to there being some form of hope for me in the fashion stakes! Hurrah!
Having had my colours and style ‘done’ on a previous occasion by a gorgeous and talented friend of mine, Imogen of Bespoke Image, I do have a vague idea of ‘what to wear’.
Actually purchasing them is another issue altogether, and I have a tendency to grab a top I like here, and nice pants there and nothing ever matches up.
Fashion is also so far from my forte it isn’t funny … so, yeah, I am quite keen to see how the mixing and matching … oh, to be matched! … works. By someone who knows what they’re talking about.
Anyhoo, the Mix Fashion Events will be held on Thursday the 12th of April through to Saturday the 14th of April at the following place.
I’ll be at this first one on April 12th – might even see if I can find a nice outfit to wear for Mums Night Out! on the 13th – yay!
I’ll also be being personally styled by Kai on the day. It’s ok, I have given them plenty of warning that they’re dealing with someone 5 foot 2 and considerably booby, quite possibly half the height and twice the width of the models used … so it’s cool. I think.
(Oh, jeebuz, what am I doing?!)
Details as promised:
Thursday April 12th – shows at 12.30pm and 2.30 pm
Coles Taylors Hill
Cnr Gourlay Rd & Hume Drive, Taylors Hill
Friday April 13th – shows at 12.30pm and 2.30pm
Coles Berwick
Eden Rise Shopping Centre
95 O’Shea Road, Berwick
Saturday April 14th – shows at 12.30pm and 2.30pm
Coles Burwood East
Burwood One Shopping Centre
Cnr Burwood Hwy & Blackburn Road, Burwood East
Hopefully you can make it along to one of these events. If you do, I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Ooh, maybe you’ll be the person chosen to be styled, too!
If you make the Taylors Hill one on the 12th, make sure you come and say ‘hi’ 
MIXed blogging – very exciting!
Posted by: | CommentsI’m very excited!
At a Blogging Brunch I attended back on November, where we were treated to a fashion parade of the MIX Apparel clothing range and I chat to a variety of very nice people representing Coles and, specifically, the MIX Apparel arm of Coles. We had some chats about food and lifestyle and fashion and how all of that affects and is affected by being a mother and we did laugh a lot.
MIX Apparel have just launched a new site and blog, as recently as yesterday, and what do you know, there are an awesome bunch of bloggers who will be reguarly contributors to this blog.
They wil be blogging about all things Food, Lifestyle and Fashion, and, oh, hilarious irony, one of those bloggers is ME!
I know – FUNNY!
I am, however, extremely excited and humbled to be part of the blog and to be seen amongst such illustrious company, and love, love, LOVING that I have yet another opportunity to write.
My first blog post is even up there already … it is, of course, food related and is my Coffee Panna Cotta … which is a recipe that called for a titchy amount to be made and separated into 6 espresso cups and I thought “Pffft! That’s not a dessert” and I made it bigger and more like a proper dessert.
And … AND … it really is ridiculously easy.
Anyhoo, that is my latest exciting news.
Thank you – THANK YOU – to all you amazing people who read my daily, incoherent ramblings for your continued support, cos it certainly helped me.
xoxo
You can visit the MIX Apparel blog at www.mixapparel.com.au
Please do and show me some love so they keep me there 
Bloggers, Brunches and Boobies
Posted by: | CommentsAs if the week wasn’t crazy enough, today was another outing to a(nother) Kids Business Bloggers Brunch.
I my typical “I am very busy and important and this is why I get invited to such events” fashion, it commenced with me attempting to have a shower in peace whilst constantly reminding myself to ensure I made the kids’ school lunches before I got dressed in my nice top, making the kids lunches then recalling it is a School Special Lunch Day and I don’t actually have to make them lunch today, and finding myself standing outside the front of my house, wrapped in a towel, and consoling my three year old, whom had managed to smash his teeth into his tricycle, despite not actually riding it – or even being on it – at the time.
Am seriously hoping this series of semi-nakedness out the front is ensuring some interest from buyers in the house, and that someone will actually buy it soon.
Am not holding my breath.
Find jeans sticking out form under bed and locate a top that was still packed in the suitcase from the last few days’ travel. Must unpack at some point.
Thankfully, news of my oh so fabulous morning preceded me … or perhaps it was just my reputation that did? Either way, I arrived at the brunch venue and was asked “Would you like a drink?” and this vision that could only be have delivered by the gods awaited me …
Yep, a drink, Just For ME!
Once I was suitably bubbled up, off I went to mingle and explore.
My good friends, Coles, were there (I have lost a bit of contact with them, which has made me very sad, but was so happy to see them again ) with a vast sample of their upcoming Christmas Fare.
Including … I think this is SO COOL … a turkey that looks just like a turkey turkey, but has had the bones removed and is stuffed back into shape with scrumbly stuffing and all you need do, once your husband has you have cooked it, is just slice and serve. Love it!
Samples were sent home and the rum balls were opened and consumed immediately after our evening meal was vacuumed into various little boy mouths.
Speaking of vacuums, Sauber where there with their new cleaner to “assist Aussie families who suffer from asthma and allergies”. Despite not actually having any clue what they were talking about (I don’t “do” vacuuming) they still let me have a bit of a go at their snazzy new, maximum power, minimum noise, easy handling machine with new intelligent floor nozzle.
It was pretty cool, as far as vacuums go, and Grumpy Pants, should he ever have the opportunity to utilise one, would have no reason to have his Meatloaf: Bat Out Of Hell CD turned up so high that when I pass the neighbours three blocks away they ask “Grumpy vacuuming again?”
“Yes, yes he is. How can you tell?”
“Meatloaf,” they reply and we share a look between us.
Of course, I asked the all important question about the cleaner, because, quite frankly, allergies and asthma aren’t concerns in this house, and I have now worked out what to do with the rice that has not only fallen to the floor, but worked its way up the side of the wall unit and reached the ceiling fan.
No, there are more important things.
“So, how easy is it to retrieve Lego sucked up by the cleaner?”
“Well, technically, it wasn’t designed to retrieve Lego pieces. Its main purpose is to clean floors.”
She almost lost me there, because Lego Loss is a traumatic experience in itself in our household. She gave me a Lego Retrieval Demonstration anyway.
Phew.
It was, however, Vita-Weat that caught my attention, because they are a staple in this house. They not only feature prominently in the school lunch box most days, but are some days the lunch for the day. Mostly when we’ve run out of bread and I have a case of Can’t Be Arsed and/or Grumpy has gone off to work, it’s before I’ve finished MUG and I can’t get my head around three kids in a breadless house and acquiring more. Too Hard Basket or Mummy Is A Basket Case are my two options.
They are also readily used as “quick, we need to leave, eat something” snacks between school and whatever it is we have on that afternoon, late night snacks, when we’ve run out of all other food in the house snacks and meals, and when we have picnics. And I’m sure there’s more.
(I’m not just saying this either. It’s all true. Vita-Weat have saved the kids from going to school with peanut butter on a playing card for their lunch on more than one occasion!)
Vita-Weat, some time ago, came out with sandwich sized Vita-Weaty thingies. Basically, it was their “standard” biscuits in bread-slice-size. They were attending the Bloggers Brunch to show off their new range of “Lunch Slices”.
They come in “four yummy flavours” and have had their design re-jigged so they don’t fall apart when you bite into them (a design flaw of the aforementioned/first run sandwich sized Vita-Weat), yet still retain the wormy thing when you put butter and Vegemite on them and squish two together.
I sampled a few at the Brunch, and am suitably impressed, and will feel substantially less guilt when I send the kids to school with these instead of “real proper sandwiches” as they resemble sandwiches much more.
And the seeds and stuff in them will make the teacher think I am a good mother as I am sending them to school with healthy shit.
On second thought, I think I may covet them for myself, as I foresee these being much more interesting for my own lunch, as I sit at my computer, blogging, writing, and creating useful resources and have the option of Vegemite sandwich on wholemeal bread that has been left open on the kitchen bench all morning as I appear to be the only one in this house capable of folding the bag over the bread, effectively sealing it, and putting it away in the purpose built bread box I acquired some years ago.
Yep, I think I will … lunch for me and a fallback when my parenting skills are somewhat inadequate …
All in all, it was a fabulous morning and I got to go home and collect my kids from school and childcare and make pizzas for them, before drinking wine and collapsing on couch.
T’is all in a day’s work.
Another day at the office, with Disney and food
Posted by: | CommentsToday required considerably more stuffing about than usual.
It was bucketing rain, for a start, and all our clothes were on the line. Godzilla had a dentist appointment far, far away and I was left in limbo as to whether he’d be attending school or not. Teachers love it when you say that … “Um … so, yeah, he might be coming, and if he does, he’ll be late. Or he won’t be coming at all. Or maybe he won’t come and then get bored with home and decide school is better … or, um, something …”
He came out, tears welling up in his eyes and feeling blah. Poor sausage. We commenced the 8 day drive home and I asked if he was up to going to school. He shook his head. Last time, he slept most of the day and was out of sorts. I anticipated much of the same. Miraculously, as soon as I mentioned there’d be no TV, Wii, DS or electronic anything – “what if I need to microwave something?” – GAH! – he was ok enough to go to school. Good thing I’d asked Grumpy to drop his bag off at school when he dropped Monkey Boy there.
Drop Godzilla off, mention I’d be collecting him an hour early as we had an “appointment” and discovered no bag.
Grumpy would deliver it on way to gymnastics.
Collect kids at 2.30 for a very special Disney 3D Bluray event, which I was invited to as part of what I do. The family was also invited.
Godzilla was apparently whingy at school. But that’s because his bag wasn’t dropped off until after gymnastics with Chippie. Which was well past little lunch/recess time.
*sigh*
Head into the City to the Medina, up a bazillion (ok, 20) floors to the penthouse where I was pretty much immediately provided with the tools I would require to perform an afternoon of work with my family present.
- Blood orange, apple & gin … it was the blood orange that won me over, I swear
We had been invited to have a bit of a looksie at Cars 2, soon to be released on DVD & Bluray – including in 3D!
We got a bit of a talking to about 3D technology from someone who knows his shit, but whose name I cannot remember as children are bloody noisy! Was totally blown away by how it – by which I mean “3D” – works, even though some of the tech-speak went over my head (I blame the empty glass I was holding).
Am totally fascinated by the brain and it’s workings in general, so hearing how the tech side of it works, signals to the brain etc etc was enthralling. Loved it!
Am unable to comprehend that in as little as 5 years, we are likely to have the capacity to view 3D movies (Bluray? Or will there be something else) in our homes without the need for 3D glasses or other aids.
As for the current 3D Bluray … in order to watch them in 3D you require the appropriate Bluray thingy and a 3D TV. Luckily for we poor, outdated souls, the 3D Bluray player thingywhosit also plays the 2D Bluray disks and DVDs (it’s retro fitted for them).
The children were adequately supplied with an array of Cars 2 themed foody goodness and we Mums (and the odd Dad – yes, my hubby was there, too) were plied with scrumptious delicacies courtesy of Bright Young Things Catering … who do rock ever so much.
As you know, food is a hugely important facet of any given event for me. Any given situation really. Or, in all honestly, any given moment of they day, let’s face it.
Once stuffed with food …
- I hope those bean bags are wipe downable – eep
… we settled down to watch the movie in peace.
Can he watch a movie AND lick a lolly pop at the same time?
) )Whaddaya wanna know about parenting… for my other other job
Posted by: | CommentsYou may or may not know / remember / care but one of the things I do in my very busy and chaotic life, other than sit around sipping sauvignon blanc and eating chocolate teddy bear biscuits, is present on a parenting show on TV – Channel 31 (digital channel 44) to be precise, on Room To Grow
Anyhoo, the program has recently concluded for the season and our gorgeous producer, Elisa, is working on next season’s happenings.
We’d all love it if you could give us your thoughts and tell us what you’d love to see on the show by …
Thanking you in advance. And you may catch me in my bathrobe, presenting your suggestions Or not … whatever …
Blogging and brunching – all in a day’s work
Posted by: | CommentsAs part of my job involves blogging, which, really, is more of a side dish to the bigger picture of stuff I do and is really more to prevent me from going insane (er), I occasionally get invited to blog related things.
Which is all a very good reason to get out of the house, eat sandwiches made by others, not have to share them with my toddler and meet people whom I really only know as teensy little images on the side of a blog comment or Twitter feed. They are always so much bigger than what they look like in those teensy images.
Some aren’t even cartoons or logos either! They’re real, live poeple! How cool is that?
Anyhoo, today was another Bloggers Brunch put on by Christie of Kids Business, and which involved me trying to coordinate feeding and dressing toddler, with showering, doing hair and getting dressed, whilst keeping eveyrone calm, make school lunches and get out of house without Vegemite smeared on any part of my person. There is a fine line between all of this, as if you feed the toddler too early, he has time to embark on raving, screaming tanty or steal my breakky.
Ended up tossing him in shower with me, which is not ideal, on the one hand as its rather annoying and my danger money is not increased as I stand one one leg, attempting to exfolliate the other with an exfoliating glove and mango and pomegranite re-hydrating gel whilst he crawls around my legs, stands up and headbutts me in the vagina. On the other hand, at least I know where he is and that he’s not getting up to too much trouble.
We do well and manage to make it out the door in time, kids dropped off at childcare and school, notice Vegemite on top … *sigh* and don’t even bother contemplating how it got there. There is, and never will be, any logical explanation so don’t bother…
Arrive with plenty of time to spare, collect an overloaded goody bag full of fabulous stuff (including the aforementioned Christie’s new book, The Mum Who Roared), listened to some fabulous speakers, including ex-Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and my gorgeous friend, Heather, of Inspiring Mums.
Then it was off to check out some of the exhibitors, who included:
- Homedics (they sent me home with a neck massager)
- Million Dollar Woman
- Garnier (awesome stuff from these guys, too … will be writing more and probably giving away something. Just sayin’
) - Protect-a-bed (who I’ve reviewed previously and will be reviewing again – there stuff is awesome!)
- Blackmores (did’t get to check these guys out)
- Aunty Rozzy (who sent me off with some books about vegetables … have more to say here, too )
I did not win a massage chair and went home in disgust. Well, no I didn’t, but I really could have used the massage chair. As it stands, I have much to do, play with and look at and there will be more written about this event.
Now I have to go and make some pizzas to satisfy the children. They were most unimpressed with my haul after this event, as most of it revolved around ME and not much around them.
I LIKE it!
Yesterday’s undies and a bunch of bloggers
Posted by: | CommentsI had the absolute pleasure, today, of attending a Bloggers Brunch, organised and hosted by Room To Grow TV and Kids Business
Better still I was one of the speakers during the morning, where it was my duty to provide a five minute talk designed to inspire and motivate.
All of which I had to do on myself, given Chippie’s propensity to work his way into our bed at some stupid hour. What happens from then is anybody’s guess, as the kid has no consistency about him. Some days he can repeatedly come in, wearing us down till we let him stay in, other’s he’ll happily be placed back in his own bed. Sometimes he’ll want to go back to his own bed himself. Once – and only once – did he not come in at all.
Given the importance of the day for me, he chose to keep me as awake as possible during those stupid hours. Also, Grumpy, just yesterday, knowing I had to be elsewhere at 8am, had agreed to an extra shift, requiring his elsewhereness to be 7am.
Much swearing was had, particulary after he phoned to aske me what I planned to do about organising the reallocation of the kids before the childcare centre opened and school started. I tried very hard to allude to the fact that he could bloody well sort it given I’d given him a month’s notice, but he only gave me 4 hours, to no avail.
Raced around, barking orders at children and trying to decide what to wear. Not having a full length mirror at my disposal, nor my wits about me, I resorted to the views of the children; “this top, or this one?” and I had to endure screwed up noses, giggling at being able to see my belly button, having “I can see your BOOBS!” yelled at me, asked when I’m having another baby cos “you’re pregNET!”, the likelihood that the enire neighbourhood heard my yelling “I”m not PREGNANT, I’m JUST FAT, ok!”, all whilst trying to get lunches made, children dressed and childcare bag packed.
Finally, I was dressed and received several more inspiring and motiviating comments from my gorgeous children, like “I can see your fat in that top” before kicking them out of the car as it sped by another school mums house.
On top of that, I hadn’t had much coffee. Or food. Chippie had eaten all but two bites of my toast.
Kid free and amoungst a bunch of understanding an empathetic women was enough; without even discussing my morning. I did catch a glimpse of the guest list whilst checking in (really, just to get the free and much needed coffee voucher before someone was seriously injured and/or I fell to the floor, convulsing due to lack of caffiene) and was a little bit in awe at the calibre of attendees at the Brunch. Thankfully, my level of fatigue prevented me from appreciating the calibre and I was able to go about my business.
I was also speaking alongside some exceptionally incredible and inspring women, including my two good friends Renee Mayne (the Bra Queen) and Alli Price of Motivating Mum - which was a bit scary. But also laods of fun. LOADS!
I did get to do my talk, which I managed to get through, hopefully successfully convincing the audience I wasn’t actually a super mum, because I’m not even though some people like to think I am cos I do lots.
I do think they were convinced when, yes, my undies did fall out of the leg of my jeans.
*sigh*
Really. They did.
Food was provided, enabling me to quash my emotions by eating – hurrah! – and even better, becuase lately my diet seems to be consisting more and more of food that has been held in the hand of a toddler for up to half an hour, before being shoved into my face and force fed to me.
It was a nice change.
Then we got to play with some toys and take some home. I chose a Little Tikes train thing with a handle and a replica DHL truck, from Bruder, which was really awesome and has a great replacement gaurantee, although they were a bit unsure about whether it being hurled from the back door in a fit of temper voided the warranty or not.
Of course, they were promptly whisked out of the back of the car and released from their boxes and bindings by my children and I never got the chance to play with them. Humph.
All I got was the opportunity to eventually get around to washing some undies.
Big thanks to Kids Business and Room To Grow for a remarkable event and for not only having me speak at it, but appreciating it and giving me great feedback.
And to all the sponsors of the event!
Not without my undies
Posted by: | CommentsI had the bestest day today.
Well, ok, the bestest day of my life so far
(Because I know there’s another bestest day – or night- coming up real soon!)
I had the truly pleasurable honour of being invited to speak at the Inspring Mums Meet and Greet networking event this morning.
Which is lovely, because when I grow up one of the things I want to do is to speak. Mostly about the realities of parenting and how stressful it can be and how it can be dealt with. But in a non-judgemental and sanctimonious “you should do this” way. Because that is who I am.
Also, I wholeheartedly believe in being honest about stuff and that everyone has their own realities to face each and every day and there is a way to actually empower and support people and help them to be less stressed and deal with the shit – literally and figeratively- without judgement and sanctimoniousness.
Anyhoo, my requirements for the ten minute talk – ten minutes! She’s insane! – were to discuss Postnatal Depression, keep it real and with humour.
Yuh huh. You read right. Postnatal depression and humour.
The “keep it real bit” was a given. It’s me she was talking to.
There you have it. I frantically grabbed for my talk I did last May in the gorgeous little country town of Birchip, which also had PND and humour combined and attempted to drastically cull it from 45 minutes to 10 minutes.
Then I get there – well, not then, I actually had a few weeks to work on it – and I find I’m second on. Just after the amazing Heather of Inspiring Mums. Cue gurgly tummy butterflies.
I did my talk, in 10 minutes and 31 seconds (yep, a little over) and people laughed and cried. They weren’t laughing at me, nor where they crying because it was really awful. Nope, they laughed and cried in all the right places. Which is always nice to hear.
Then I sat down and stuffed my face with some cupcakes by Cupcakes of Kensington, whom I happened to be sharing a table with and whom had left her cupcake stand, loaded with cupcakes, right in front of me. What was I supposed to d? Ignorning them would have just been rude!
And listened to some other speakers who were incredibly fabulous and amazing.
It’s a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling when people approach you at the end and thank you for not just speaking on the day, but for making them cry. Oh, wait, they didn’t thank me for that, but for sharing my personal journey and letting them know they weren’t alone and that they could relate to what I’d been through and for inspiring them. Although I didn’t really do anything amazing.
I even had to check, halfway through, that I didn’t have yesterday’s undies still stuck in the leg of my jeans. It’s true!
It did just remind me, however, of all the amazing women out there and that each and every one of them – whether they experienced pnd or not, or whether they’ve experienced anyting traumatic or not – has been through something, somethign personal, and have got through it and are amazing just being themselves. I’m talking about the speakers and those who I spoke with after the event, and during lunch.
Each has their own “thing” they’ve dealt with.
And all were inspiring.
I have to finish with this little comment someone sent me on my writer/speaker/realist page over at Facebook:
Hi Amanda, loved your talk at Inspiring Mums meet and great. You are a very funny and inspiring speaker, as well as knowing your stuff … ~Suzanne Johnson
That made me smile.
And then I came home, picked the kids up, decided what we were having for dinner, discovered someone (ie probably me) really needs to go do some grocery shopping and planned something else for dinner.
Stripped off clothes whilst dinner cooking and was highly relieved to discover that, nope, yesterday’s undies hadn’t been in my jeans all day.
Phew!
Dazed and Disillusioned
Posted by: | CommentsThe thing I’ve always been about – the “real” me – has been about being open and honest about “stuff”.
Sometimes I’m not. Well, not really “not”, but I have to hide it for fear of being seen as a failure, for others thinking less of me, for leaving others feeling disillusioned. Then, I’m not really being all I say I am and that’s not ok either. Sometimes, I just need to sit on that stuff – the feelings of failure and having others know that I’m something they think I am. And then I can speak of it.
Also, I’m just human.
Like all of us.
Which brings me to this “dazed and disillusioned” – because that’s what I’ve been feeling the last week or so. Along side “sad”, and “like a complete failure” and also “like a stupid fuckwit” and have lost a significant portion of my self esteem.
Because, like I said earlier – I’m just human.
This post is a culmination of two. I was going to post about my swearing a lot, and offending people. But I sat on stuff and other stuff came up; so dazed and disillusioned it is.
This is also about the Business Me, but can apply to the Mum Me and the Me Me and all the different Mes that I am and can be.
First up, I had a really crappy week. Stuff has happened in relation to my hubby (it’s his stuff so I don’t feel obliged to share it) that has affected me also. It affected us greatly. By us, I mean our circumstances. It created a HEAP of stress.
In amongst that, I had a business agreement that completely fell apart, leaving me feeling misused, led astray, lied to, let down and very very sad.
Of course, you can’t help but also feel a bit like a fuckhead – I mean, you enter into these agreements, everything on the table, clear, honest and … most important, trusting. Well, I did. It appears the other party didn’t. So, yeah, feeling a bit of a dill for being so trusting.
I think what is worse is that this is the second time its happened in a year. Is it me being too trusting and seeing the good in people? Or are others really lacking in integrity that much that it happens more than people talk about? Especially given the other party in this latest incident knew full well it had happened to me before; well that just made it twice as hurtful.
And left me dazed and disillusioned. Not quite so much, however, as when a few things came to my attention. See, over the last two years or so, I’ve been moving out of business circles where the whole point of those businesses being started was so their owners could do the stay at home thing and “be there for the kids” whilst also doing something with their minds/earn a bit of cash on the side. I wasn’t (and still aren’t) one of them – no disrespect to them, at ALL, just its not me and what I’m about. It came, sadly, with the desire to stay small. To remain within comfort zones. To be all about the kids. I moved into circles where it was more about finding yourself, getting out there, making a difference and getting out of that comfort zone. Not a tentative step – a huge leap out! These were women I aspired to be like.
Except – they’re just human, too. And I’ve been sadly disillusioned by their behaviour. Not their up front, in your face awesomeness, and fantastic ideas and strategies and ways of doing things. Which were – and still are – mindblowingly amazing. I, too, wanted to be like them when Igrew up.
Until I saw the bitchy narkiness. The seriously high school “I’m not going to talk to you if you play with them” attitude. Some of it, quite literally, those words. The assumptions that people are copying them or referring to them when nasty comments were made, the conclusion jumping, the petty, name calling stupidness of it all.
And I don’t want to be like them at all when I grow up.
Which is sad; because, right now, I feel I have no mentor, no one to aspire to be like, no one to look up to.
And sometimes I really feel like there is something wrong with me. Because, I don’t care how much you like or dislike someone, I’m still capable of making up my own mind and being friends/business conctacts with both of you. I fail to understand, firstly, that some incredible women with the most amazing entreprenuerial minds can behave in such petty, silly, childish ways. I’ve seen some amazing alliances formed, only to be shattered with a silly, minor misinterpretation or misunderstanding. And only a misinterpretation or misunderstanding because one party took a comment personally, when it wasn’t about them at all.
And what the point of it all is?
I’m dazed and disillusioned because I really believed I was stepping into a realm of growed-uppedness, where petty disputes and name calling where left behind and where the jumping to the “they’re talking about me” conclusion was just not an option, and where open communication was a given.
Ha! Funny – I rarely consider status updates and shrouded, criptic tweets to be about me. Even when they are directed at me. I miss the point entirely, sometimes Because, sadly, not everything is about me. Nor is everything about YOU! I’m just astounded that these allegedly confident, brilliant women think like this. Still – after everything they’ve been through and acheived. And … AND … after what they tell others to do, and how to be.
Which kinda brings me around to what I was originally going to post when I was feeling really crappy. And sad and dazed and disillusioned. The timing of this button doing the rounds on Facebook was perfect:
Because, you see, I’m a Stress Swearer. The more stressed I am, the more I swear. When I’m cool, calm and collected, I rarely swear, and when I do, I self sensor. I may write “crap” instead of “shit”. Or just leave the word out entirely.
As my stress increases the word “fuck” appears, and the more stressed/sad/disillusioned I get – the more it appears. I have been known to utter complete thirteen word sentences using only this word. It’s true.
What I’ve noticed when I do this is four things:
- people will assume I’m talking about them and stop talking to me, or be really offended
- people will “unfriend” or “unfollow” me – because clearly I’m so offensive
- people will be offended, but will comment or reply – it’s usually something that makes me smile and I’m incredibly grateful for it
- few people – and its always the same few – will always ask if I’m ok – and for that, I’m so incredily grateful
Funnily, what also makes me smile is the people in category two are almost always openly Christian. By which I mean, alongside their transparent stuff about providing support and understanding, they also loudly and proudly promote the fact they are of Christian persuiasion. Now, I don’t want to get into any debate about anything, about who is right or wrong, or start any kind of judgement war or anything like that. I have no problem with Christians.
I do have major problems with people who claim to be accepting and understanding and about supporting people, then ditching them when they are most in need because they’ve said “fuck”.
This is just an observation I’ve made, because I do say “fuck” quite a lot at times, and the “friends” I have lost almost always, and definitely always in some cases, state these very things.
For what its worth, I also have some openly Christian contacts who fit into point 3, and fewer still who fit neatly into point 4.
And I think what I’m getting at in all of this is that, ultimately, right now I’m dazed and disillusioned with people. I feel alone and like I can’t trust anyone.
Mostly, I don’t know who to look to for guidance. And I could really use some of that right now.
Really, I just need to remind myself that people are just people – they are all human – just human.
And that’s ok.
Business Diary: This is who I am
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So, I’m adding yet another category, another part of my life – or, technically, another part of who I am. Or is it just who I am.
Anyhoo, its the Business Diaries, because whilst I”m a mum (therefore a cook, cleaner, physchologist etc etc blah blah – is anyone else getting sick of hearing how hilariously funny, or not, that is, or is it just me who is a bit over it? Have I just heard it so often I now only here “blah blah blah”? More about that rant later on ) I am also a business owner.
Some call me a “business mum” others a “wahm” (or “work at home mum” and, sadly, not “what a hot mummy” as I first thought when I dived into this world of self-employment and having an “office” in my sun/dining room/public thoroughfare).
I like to think of my self as self-employed (thank you to the awesome Tea for that distinction – its made a world of difference to me) and I also happen to have children. I also happen to own three pairs of jeans, but I’m not sure that’s relevant.
Anyhoo, for many a year this here Diary of a Mad Cow has been somewhat devoid of businessy related stuff because I wanted to “relate” to as many mums out there as possible, and felt the business side of it would cause confusion and put some off or whatever. So it now has its own little category – because I do want to relate directly to mums, but I also can’t shove this part of me in a box and pretend it doesn’t exist. Becasue it is just who I am.
And that, really, is what I am about. Being who I am and hopefully encouraging you to be who you are, too
So, ner!
Anyhoo, the plan is to put the more specifically businessy related stuff into this category, so as not to totally bore those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about or don’t care, and for those of you who do care, to find it a bit easier and hopefully relate (read: laugh at my expense) and add your two cents or whatever. Etc.
It is who I am.
Mad Cow writes a very funny blog that all parents can relate to. I know that whenever I drop in to catch up I will end up in stitches (of laughter!) and head off to my day with a smile on my face. Thankfully, here is someone who tells it like it is. 