This is what stage fright looks like.

This is what it looks like when you have stage fright, but you do it anyway.

Even I can’t figure out why I have stage fright. It’s inexplicably bizarre. I am great in a crowd, I’m an engaging conversationalist in a group, I have something to say here every single day and I have no problem raising my hand or volunteering in a classroom setting.

What is my problem with preparing something and speaking in public?

I’m giving my first Toastmasters speech tonight. I’m blanking out and have nothing prepared, and I have butterflies in my stomach …read more

My blogging mentor and my Channel Editor at b5media, Gayla McCord, just struck it “rich” selling one of her blogs for $95,000.

Over at momgadget.com she writes a compelling story about learning how to do from reading Problogger, the book.

Problogger , Darren Rowse, featured her story on his website too – cause really is there better advertising than having the advice in it propel a blogger to fantastic success?

I’ve read Problogger, the book. And recommended it to several bloggy friends. It’s one of those books with so much valuable information in it that you take baby steps or get overwhelmed. Then …read more

Am I the only one who pretends I’m Bill Gates watching those Apple commercials? How does Bill Gates feel watching those commercials?
It makes me giggle because it’s true. It’s sooo true.
And it’s about freaking time they included some women.
OK – I just love that they called her genius instead of geek. Not that I don’t love the name, Geek Squad. I so do. I just love that they were presumptuous enough to use the word Genius.

Images Source: Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me

I’m allergic to cats and my husband says “NO” to a puppy.

So I was at this garage sale way out in the country and they were selling their hampsters.

For a mere $5 they sold me two hampsters and this cool orange and blue cage that looks like Apple designed it, plus a bag of shavings and a bag of food. I’m a bargain pet shopper. No maintenance pets. Heck yeah, you can have hampsters if it won’t cost me more than $5.

Ainsley named them Charlie and Lola.

Zack loves them and often pushes them around in the bed of his giant …read more

So my friend Mrs. Blogoway tells me, at our last bookclub – slash – wine tasting, that she’s been talking to this Seattle blogger on the phone. And that she’s got a layover in Seattle coming up and she called her blogger friend, Mona from kirida.com, and they’re going to hang out.
Cool.
But, then to my husband later I’m saying, Mrs. Blogoway is talking on the phone to one of her blogger friends.
What do they talk about?
I don’t know, but don’t you think it’s a little weird that she’s talking to her on the phone like she’s a …read more

Julie Pippert is featuring my essay: Empowering Girls: Hootchy Clothes and Mean Girls on Moms Speak Up, a blog collaborative. Take a trip over there and give it a Kirsty won’t you?

Thanks Julie.

I turned 35 on Saturday.

We had a California picnic at the lake.

My husband got me this fabulous Momsrising.org T-shirt.

Of course, what I want for my birthday is equal pay, family leave insurance, and gender equality. It’s not just a t-shirt. It’s political action.

He gets me.

When I was a teenager I thought I’d be stupid and boring and washed up and not care about my looks or health at 35.

Instead at 35, I find myself engaged in life, pro-active about my health, excited about my work and more willing to let go of all my hang-ups with every passing day.

Oprah …read more

So, Chevy allowed my family to drive a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid across the country, from Dallas to Salt Lake City, on our way to BlogHer08. You can’t imagine my gratitude (My 1995 van broke down right before we left and we just found out it will cost $900 to fix the air conditioner.)
I was very interested in the hybrid function of this shiny status symbol SUV. Would this type of car save us money in gas?
The answer is not really. It’s an SUV that gets regular milage. Which, is an improvement only in terms of SUV gas milage. …read more

I hear mothers talk about how sacrifice is “worth it” for their kids. I especially hear this if mother’s have given up something valuable – economic independence, dreams, ambitions, time, goals, careers, autonomy, hobbies, interests, etc.
When did I – as a human being – lose my inherent value? Was it when I stopped being the child so worthy of my mother’s sacrifice? Or was it when I became the mother, expected to sacrifice everything for my children, and then say, “it’s worth it?” Or was it when I turned 18 and stopped being a legal child?
I’m just …read more