Network With Moms

Funny Tweets of the Week, September 16th

Tatiana — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:34:09 +0000

"gotcha" by foxtongue on flickr

Helping you get past Hump Day, it’s our Funny Tweets of the Week!

@alittlepregnant: Hey, how do you brown meatballs while keeping them spherical? Mine always turn into unappetizing carnohedrons.

@alittlepregnant: Everyone in the house is sleeping. Well, C.’s hooked up to an IV Disney drip. I wonder if I can switch it to Ambien without his noticing.

@BrentButt: Was just on something called “tredmill” or something. U walk in one place for no reason and stinky water comes out of your face and body.

@dashoff: Me: V, I don’t like playing with you when you’re mean to everyone. I just like to play with Nice V. V: Nice V is at work. WELL THEN.

@newfiehun: @dashoff Can I use that line? “Nice Mommy is out having a pedicure. You’re stuck with ogre Mommy.”

@BOREDmommy: I just told my 5yo that even adults make bad choices sometimes. His response? “Yeah, Daddy does. ALL THE TIME!”

@angi33: Alas, my son was “in bed” but not asleep. Him: Is Em awake? Me: No she’s a good little girl. Him: Sorry, I’m not a good little girl.

@kaboogie: 2 yr old: “mom, can I haf a mashmellow if I poo in toilet?”…yes, you can. “Can I haf mashmellow if I poo on stairs?” Um. ACK.

@shaunaglenn: WAS JUST ATTACKED!! by a grasshopper. But it was BIG and clearly had murder on his mind. And red beady eyes. (Squish) Safe now. Phew!

@WinterDaisy: 2yo woke up screaming from nightmare about sharing toy w/ our dog, who rudely bit it. “No Gracie! Gracie bite toy!” Sharing doesn’t pay.

Have you seen a funny tweet you’d like to have memorialized here? Please @NetworkWithMoms on Twitter with a LINK to the tweet and it’ll be included!

Wanted: Online Mom Communities

Tatiana — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:06:49 +0000

Are you part of an online mom community, such as BlogHer, EverythingMom, YummyMummyClub.ca, or one of the many Ning.com groups like TwitterMoms or Blogamama, or a participant in a forum like MotheringDotCommunity or WonderMoms.ca? Global or local, one hundred thousand members or ten, if you’re part of an English-speaking network of interest to mothers and would like to be included in a directory here at NetworkWithMoms.com, please let me know by filling out the form below.

Funny Tweets of the Week, September 2nd

Tatiana — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:01:49 +0000

"gotcha" by foxtongue on flickr

Helping you get past Hump Day, it’s our Funny Tweets of the Week!

@thepioneerwoman: I just braided my hair in pigtails and I look like an aging and bitter Pippi Longsticking.

@weirdralph: I’ve found that the best way to remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it just once.

@SharonDV: Am eating Smart Popcorn. Not as much fun as eating the dumb popcorn. The smart ones see it coming.

@SharonDV: Son No. 2 told me he loved my bum because it’s SO HUMONGOUS (spread arms as far as they can go). He’s now in a time out. Until he’s 30.

@shaunaglenn: Dear Bathroom Scale, I’m sorry I ran over you with my car. But you’re a damn liar, and liars will be dealt with accordingly.

@LiteMochaMom: Told my 3yo he’s driving me bananas, he replies that I am driving him to apples (without missing a beat)

@marybethrabon: Hello September. So far I would rather sleep than get acquainted with you.

@MaggieDammit: Me chastising my 9-yr-old: “Read with inflection!” Her: “I don’t even LIKE needles.”

@mamaspohr: I am going to start a club that is all about how much clubs suck! And it will be free of irony!

@nuckingfutsmom: My 6 YO son is so impressed w/himself that he can jump up & down naked & make his “peeper” dance.

Jen from The Psychobabble

Tatiana — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:00:21 +0000

Jen’s a great lady I met via the BlogHer@Home online parties for those of us who couldn’t make it to BlogHer 09. She’s recently moved her blog to its own domain, http://thepsychobabble.net, and I’ve enjoyed reading. She’s very blunt and open, which are traits I appreciate in a blogger. She’s a mother of two, married to a former military man, and studying to become an RN. I hope you enjoy reading her interview and say hello at her blog and on Twitter!

1. Which social media sites are you a part of?
Twitter and Facebook.

2. How much have you seen your blog readership and interaction grow as a result of your membership on those sites?
Facebook – not so much. There is a lot of family on there, and I haven’t “come out”, so to speak, to them yet.
Twitter – I’ve definitely seen a jump. I took a blogging break for awhile, and when I came back, I was barely seeing a blip on the stat graph. Thanks to twitter, I was able to find some really awesome blogs and bloggers. And, thanks to networking and commenting, I saw *my* readership increase. Which is cool. It’s still not OMG hugeness! But I’m okay with that.

3. As a student, wife, and mother of two, you must be really busy. Has using social media been a help or a hindrance in your life?
Like it is for most people, I find it to be a mix between blessing and curse. Yes, it’s been helpful at times to be able to turn to this huge group of people and go, “I have canned salmon and black olives in the pantry, what’s dinner?” or even just to tell the world that I AM frustrated with being a student/wife/mom or whatever role is driving me nuts that day. Because sometimes, just being heard, and hearing “me too” is enough.

At the same time, I sometimes struggle to remember to make time for my not-online-life. Time is short as it is, and the internet community can be very consuming. Occasionally, I need the keyboard (or phone) pried out of my hands. One thing I had to do, for the sake of my life in general, was shut off the internet on my phone.

4. Are there any online RN or medical field related groups that you belong to?
No, but when my husband was in the service, I found the community at MAPs to be very supportive and helpful. They are a group of mainly spouses, but also some service members. Very knowledgeable ladies.

5. Turning to the more personal aspects, can you tell us about some friendships you’ve made through Twitter, your blog, or other social networking sites?
Well, I have social anxiety, so I don’t do well in “real” social settings. This makes places like twitter and facebook a veritable godsend for me. I can go on there, and I can take my time thinking through what I want to say. Very rarely do I “blurt” things out on twitter.

The computer is where (a lot of) my friends live. I think there is just a real sense of community among users of social networking sites. It’s like everyone is your neighbor.

6. Has there been a time when you’ve been feeling down, or experiencing some turmoil, and your online friends helped you out?
Yes. I will NEVER forget the time, early on in my marriage, that our bank account had gotten overdrawn. Again. And I had however many days to go until we had money again. I was literally in tears. My first child was just a baby at that time. And a very kind, generous woman was nice enough to say, “Here, take this, it’s not much, but if it will help.” That was just very touching, that she would even offer.

And there was more than one occasion, while dealing with some very negative issues in my personal life, that I received a lot of advice and support from the on-line world.

7. If someone out there is hesitating to jump into social media, what encouragement would you offer?
Go for it. Seriously, that is the best advice I can give you. Especially with blogging. Toying with the idea of starting a blog, but afraid no one wants to read it? Go for it. Just jump in, and see what happens.

Would you like to share your story and be Mom of the Week, or do you know someone who should be? Please tweet me or let me know through the Contact page!

Funny Tweets of the Week, August 26th

Tatiana — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:54:50 +0000

gotcha by foxtongue on Flickr

Helping you get past Hump Day, it’s our Funny Tweets of the Week!

@cindyambrose: @LaMamaNaturale yeah, bleach is bleach no matter what way you look at it. I don’t use bottles, so I don’t put some on my nipples. lol

@rae4sunshine: “Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. You know you’re going to get it, but it’s going to be rough.” – Adam Hills -

@HotChocCarMocha: My FIL called. He “mixed the twins up.” I told him it’s okay I’ll figure it out when they get home. The twins are boy/girl. My head hurts.

@brownesque: Tornado damage in York Region is truly unfortunate. On the plus side, wicked witch population has been decimated.

@AVeryGoodYear: wanted to review: laser hair removal. on my legs. you make my leg hair go away forever, i give you publicity. win/win.

@sara3isenough: @AVeryGoodYear can I do a review on a boob lift? It’s a win win too!
@carareed: @AVeryGoodYear You wouldn’t have to twist my arm to get me to do a review on a tummy tuck. Just sayin’.

@SharonDV: Finally figured out why I was yelling at kids while simultaneously eating chocolate and crying at Hallmark commercial #IAmPMSing

@adamisacson: No childcare today. So it’s Take Your Daughter All the Way Back To the Cafeteria To Search For Her Lost Stuffed Animal Day. I hate that day.

@undomesticdiva: Before leaving for his first day of 1st grade, my son asked me if he looked “sexy.” FUCKING SHOOT ME.

@halushki: I have a really maddening work story to tell, but I can’t tell it. Just reply “OH MY GOSH! I AGREE! THAT’S MADDENING!” Thanks.

@missbritt: it took everything I had not to end that last email to a client with “and obviously, you’re a fucking moron.”

Grace from Miss Grace’s Disgrace

Tatiana — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:51:11 +0000

Miss Grace is one of those women whom, upon meeting, I realized could easily be my best friend. She’s intelligent, open, friendly, sexy, funny, warm-hearted… I could go on and on. It seems like she always has some new picture to share, whether of her awesome tattoo, her son, or a gorgeous dress. She blogs at Miss Grace’s Disgrace and shares the beauty of the female form at Boob Emancipation. Grace is right up there in my list of favourite tweeps, and I’m delighted to feature her in this space.

1. Which social media sites are you a part of?
I’m a part of Facebook and Twitter. Both profiles are private, but that’s a very targeted and specific choice. I’m fairly willing to add anyone who’s not OBVIOUSLY spam, a robot, or my ex. I have some other profiles here and there (myspace, friend feed), but I don’t really check them at all, or use them in a particularly meaningful way.

2. How much have you seen your blog readership and interaction grow as a result of your membership on those sites?
I think the growth of my site, from Twitter in particular, has been pretty significant. My blog is linked through Facebook, but I think that my friends on Facebook who might click through to my blog would likely visit anyhow; this just adds an element of convenience. I’ve found Twitter to be a wonderful tool to get to know and read new bloggers, and to build new relationships, and in my opinion linking my blog there has really boosted my readership. From my own Twitter experience, I know that if one of my friends posts a link to their blog, I will almost always click through to read it. In a lot of ways, Twitter has replaced my reader.

3. So, we all know you’re one third of BoobEmancipation.com. Why’d you start this site?
Truthfully, Boob Emancipation initially started as a joke on twitter between myself, Holly and Danielle. When we first started the site were just up late drinking on the internet and fooling around. However, based on the huge response we got, we very quickly decided that we wanted it to be a safe place for women to celebrate their bodies and feel beautiful. We want real women to recognize that they are gorgeous, and as such we welcome all submitters. I think that the expectations of women in this society (and of moms in particular) are absolutely ludicrous. I don’t know any real women who don’t have some kind of body issue, and I think it’s important that we take the time to say, “Hey, I think you’re pretty.” Everyone loves boobs, right?

4. You have a degree in Library & Information Sciences, and say you’re great at researching. Related to this, is it worth it for a woman to try controlling what appears about her online, or is a lot of it going to be out of her control anyway?
I’m really not very anonymous online. The only thing lending me a shade of unidentifiability is the fact that my given name is ridiculously common, and you’d really have to sift through a LOT of us to get to me. That said, I have one single objective in the anonymity of my blog: I don’t want a potential employer to be able to get from my resume to my website. I don’t really mind if you get from my website to my resume. I think that women can control what about them is out on the internet to a certain extent, and that’s what you yourself are putting out there. Be aware of what information your volunteering about your real name, residence, children’s names, pictures, etc., decide what you’re personally comfortable with, and proceed from there. I have an “ex” situation, so in that sense, I can’t anymore control what he says about me than he can control what I write about him. In a typical family situation, I think that the whole unit should be on the same page about what information is shared.

Coming from a library background, I can tell you that based on your name and location, I can pull court records, real estate filings, and so forth, and very quickly find out where you live. Most people aren’t psychos, but it’s definitely something to be aware of.

5. Can you tell us about some friendships you’ve made through Twitter, your blog, or other social networking sites?
Well I just got back from BlogHer, so I’m still swimming in the friendships I made via social networking that I was lucky enough to cement in hugs while I was in Chicago. I’ve made so many lovely and strong relationships, I’m honestly hesitant to start listing them for fear I leave someone out. I will say that I spend almost all day at work chatting on MSN with four gorgeous ladies that I met on twitter (@leftoflost, @whymomdrinksrum, @chibijeebs, and @biddymcbidson). I have such a noisy, busy, ruckusy house, and that’s part of the reason I love social media. I can check in on twitter and make sure all of my peoples are doing okay in between getting dinner on the table and loading the dishwasher (or instead of, pfft.)

6. Will you share a story about a time when your online friends have helped you out or cheered you up?
This is an example of your internet friends coming through for you ‘in real life’. In July I was having massive amounts of car trouble. I bitched and moaned and generally freaked out on the internet, because that’s what the internet is for, right? Well @gwendomama picked Gabriel and I up from the mechanic, took us to Gabe’s swim lesson, waited for us, and then took us back to @GraceD’s house. Grace was on vacation and Gwen was house-sitting. We stayed the night there, and Gwen arranged for one of her friends to drive me to work, and she took Gabe to school. The next day Grace offered to lend me her car since she was out of town. It absolutely blew my mind. Here I am with my car in the shop and I have bloggers helping me get to work on time!

7. If someone out there is hesitating to jump into social media, what encouragement would you offer?
We’re all real people, and a lot of us are really nice too! Think of it as expanding your social pool. The possibility of finding your new best friend in the house or at the desk next door is pretty unrealistic, but there are so many open and friendly people on the internet waiting to build relationships with you, if you hold back you’re just missing out on meeting some really fabulous people.

Funny Tweets of the Week, August 19th

Tatiana — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:51:54 +0000

gotcha by foxtongue on Flickr

Helping you get past Hump Day, it’s our Funny Tweets of the Week!

@JennSicu: Have dubbed the inevitable mustache a child puts on their face when getting into a dirty diaper – The Shitler.

@AMomTwoBoys: It’s Zach’s birthday. I just coughed and peed a little. Thanks, vagina, for reminding me what happened to you 2 years ago today.

@MadJustMad: “As small as a rabbit’s voice.” Is this a known simile or do I have a 4-yr-old poet on my hands?

@PamelaDayton: @chickybaby dang. i haven’t made it to second base in so long i forgot how to get there.

@PamelaDayton: Japanese beetles. All they do is eat and have sex. Oh, the life!

@themuskrat: This donut doesn’t taste like it’s had someone’s dick rubbing on it, which means it wasn’t left by me 10 years ago.

@fentonslee: says “store in cool dry place” hmmm, and yet i want to store it in my mouth.

@TheBloggess: Me: “Who was it that said ‘Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke’? Was it Gandhi?” Victor: “Nope. Pretty sure Gandhi never said that.”

Have you seen a funny tweet you’d like to have memorialized here? Please @NetworkWithMoms on Twitter with a LINK to the tweet and it’ll be included!

Dagmar from Dagmar’s Momsense

Tatiana — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:03:25 +0000

Dagmar Bleasdale is one of the bloggers that I really identify with. Her passion for green and frugal living, breastfeeding, and attachment parenting makes for some great posts at her blog, Dagmar’s Momsense. She also works from home running her own freelance proofreading and editing business, imPROOF. Her tweets are friendly, funny, and uplifting, and I always enjoy seeing her smiling icon pop up on my TweetDeck. I’m really thrilled to be able to feature her in this space and hope you drop by her blog!

1. Which social media sites are you a part of?
After writing a blog post months ago about how I don’t “get” Facebook, I had to eat my words. I still don’t use it much but have become completely addicted to Twitter. I read Joel Comm’s Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time (aff. link) and learned a lot about the potential of social media to promote your business or blog. I now have 1600+ followers and have tweeted almost as many times. I have a LinkedIn account, but I haven’t really filled out all the information or taken advantage of it. I am also a member of the Mom Bloggers Club, Twitter Moms, Eco Moms, Mom Logic, and I’m on Role Mommy’s “The List.”

http://facebook.com/Dagmar.Bleasdale
http://Twitter.com/DagmarBleasdale
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dagmar-bleasdale/11/345/47a
http://www.rolemommy.com/the-ultimate-blogroll.php
http://www.mombloggersclub.com/profile/DagmarBleasdale
http://www.twittermoms.com/profile/DagmarBleasdale
http://ecomom.com/profile/DagmarBleasdale
http://community.momlogic.com/profile/DagmarBleasdale

2. How much have you seen your blog readership and interaction grow as a result of your membership on those sites?
Twitter is a great tool to promote your blog or product for free. It is invaluable when you are trying to let people know that you are out there. After linking my blog, DagmarBleasdale.com, with Facebook and Twitter, I can write a post and within seconds all my followers will be notified about my new article. That makes a big difference in readership. I would say half of the people who visit my blog were intrigued by one of my tweets and clicked on the link to one of my articles.

3. Can you tell us a bit about your freelance editing business, imPROOF Proofreading and Editing? Have you found any professional opportunities through social media?
I advertise my proofreading and editing business, imPROOF, on Craiglist sometimes and via EFA and my blog, and that has resulted in some jobs opportunities. So far I have made one potential contact via Twitter — another blogger would like me to help her with her book. We’ll see if that happens.

(Concerning my blog, because I am a member of Twitter Moms they just contacted me about wanting to advertise on my blog and now I have one of their ads running.)

4. Are there any freelance editing/proofreading online groups that you are a part of?
I belong to the Editorial Freelance Association (EFA). Here is the link to my EFA page:
http://www.the-efa.org/dir/memberinfo.php?mid=8091

5. Turning to the more personal aspects, can you tell us about some friendships you’ve made through Twitter, your blog, or other social networking sites?
I have made some amazing connections through Twitter. There are some wonderful (blogging) women on Twitter who are just as passionate about natural birth, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and green and frugal living as I am. I stay in contact with about twenty of them regularly. I have connected with other people who left me comments on my blog and made some nice friends that way. I am looking forward to meet some of these blogging moms at next year’s BlogHer 2010 conference in New York City.

6. Has there been a time when you’ve been feeling down, or experiencing some turmoil, and your online friends helped you out?
I have to say I don’t feel down much, so no, that hasn’t happened yet. But when I have a question that needs answering right away, I now sometimes tweet about it instead of looking up the answer on Google. Besides promoting my blog and editing business, I share personal tweets on Twitter, but they are mostly humorous in nature. I like to have some fun with that and also enjoy reading and sharing funny tweets from other like-minded women. I have had some great back-and-forth banter on Twitter — often in the middle of the night because that is when we have time to be on the computer, after the kids and the husbands are in bed!

7. If someone out there is hesitating to jump into social media, what encouragement would you offer?
You have nothing to lose! Except some sleep – well, I have lost a lot of sleep while on Twitter. My suggestion: use social media, especially Twitter, for its potential to increase your business and to meet some neat people who have the same interests as you. Use it as much or as little as you like — most importantly, have fun with it.

Would you like to share your story and be Mom of the Week, or do you know someone who should be? Please tweet me or let me know through the Contact page!

Funny Tweets of the Week, August 12th

Tatiana — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:01:46 +0000

Helping you get past Hump Day, it’s our Funny Tweets of the Week! (Next week, I’ll be doing text versions of the tweet w/a link to the status update on Twitter, instead of images. Sorry if this week takes awhile to load – it won’t happen again!)

Have you seen a funny tweet you’d like to have memorialized here? Please @NetworkWithMoms on Twitter with a LINK to the tweet and it’ll be included!

Attention, Ottawa Moms!

Tatiana — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:30:55 +0000

One of the NetworkWithMoms.com sponsors, m photography, is offering a free family portrait session to a reader. The only caveat is that you must be in, near, or able to get to Ottawa to win. Melanie does really lovely work and this is a fantastic opportunity to have some professional family portraits done (soon enough, you’ll be sending out Christmas cards, too!)

To enter, send out a tweet saying why you want to win this, using the hashtag #nwmpics. You may enter once per day. You must also be a subscriber to our monthly newsletter.

The winner of this giveaway will be chosen at random on August 19th at 7:30pm EST and will have 48 hours to answer a skill-testing mathematics question correctly in order to claim their prize.

Good luck!