Thursday, May 21, 2015

I've MOVED!!!

It happened! I mostly successfully moved this entire blog over to Word Press. There is still a lot of work to be done, but here are a few things you should know.

1. The site from August 2008- May 2015 will still be here for archiving and personal reasons. 

2. The new name of this site is  themessymom.blogspot.com  and the site as you knew it before  messymom.com  is still going strong under the same domain name. 

3. If you followed the blog before via RSS feed, google followers, or email updates you will need to resubscribe. 

4. All of my social media is the same, EXCEPT google + and youtube. I still have the previously existing accounts, but they are not directly linked with my blog. The new accounts are

www.youtube.com/messymomblog

and

www.google.com/+messymomblog

I hope to see you at the NEW MESSYMOM.COM . 
You don't want to miss it!!! 

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Post Where I am Way Too Emotional About My Blog



Today is the last of Messy Mom as I've known it since the beginning (on blogger). I am really nervous about transferring everything because there are so many technical challenges that come along with it and things rarely go seamlessly from what I understand.

 It's been almost 8 years since I found this amazing outlet and I've written over 1,400 posts since then. I've gone through several layouts. Some of you may remember the original header with the picture of my feet, a laundry basket full of clothes, and Z's stuffed animal (his name is Furnando).


Z was my only child at the time and now I am going to have FOUR! I can't believe just how much I've been through and how far our family has come. I've experienced the good, the bad, and the messy since beginning this journey of motherhood and it's been a pleasure to blog through all of it.

If you look closely at the Messy Mom welcome video there is a tribute to the original Messy Mom logo in there. As I am looking through the laundry basket of clothes I find Furnando and fling him off to the side.





This space on the internet has been a home within a home for me for 7 years and I know it's crazy, but I feel a little emotional about leaving it. I know that I'm off to bigger and better things (hopefully) and I am 100% ready, but I just want to pay tribute to this little space that I have spent so much time on. My heart is full of gratitude. So thank you to the thousands of people that have visited this space and decided that my words were worthy of reading. I also want to give a big thank you to Amy Ewing who has faithfully read and commented on almost every single post since she discovered my blog 5 years ago! I'll stop there because I am changing blog platforms, not accepting an award.

But, before I go I want to share with you my VERY FIRST BLOG POST because I think it's significant.

Welcome to the messy mom blog! 
The reason that I chose that name is not because I am proud to be messy or because I feel like that is the phrase that defines me. It is because I wanted to be as transparent as possible. This blog isn’t about having all the answers, but hopefully I do have a few. I have been a wife for almost 8 years and a mom for 11 months now. Like most of us, I am just trying to figure it all out day by day, and to be honest sometimes it gets pretty messy. I am so excited to start writing and I’ve compiled a list of some of things you can expect to get out of the messy mom blog.
1. ENCOURAGEMENT-Through the good and the bad it is encouraging to know that there are people out there going through the same thing.
2. HUMOR- I never take myself too seriously. I am a self proclaimed sit down comedian
3. IDEAS- Tips tricks and advice on things from everyday life.
4. PHOTOS-I am a photographer so I cannot help but have VISUALS!
5. A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE- We can all benefit from hearing from a point of view different than our own.
Whether you are a new mom, an experienced mom, or even if you just happen to have a mom, I hope that you enjoy reading these upcoming adventures and maybe in the end life can seem just a little less messy.

And that's how this all began. If I hadn't started Messy Mom yet and my first blog post was today I would say the same thing... Except that I have been married for almost 15 years and a mom for 8 years! What an adventure it has been.

Now that I am done being sappy I want to clarify that MessyMom.com will still be at the same address. I will still have all the same social media accounts, so I don't want to cause confusion when I say that I am "leaving" or "moving", but it is a transition and there may times over the next couple of days that you stop by and find the site completely down or under construction. I really have no idea what to expect, but hopefully we will have SOMETHING up and ready by the end of Saturday.

Check my Facebook and Twitter for updates.

For now I'm turning out the lights on this blogspot for the final time. Goodnight everyone.

The Big Announcement

Well, I have been keeping this secret way too long and it's been absolutely maddening not to be able to talk about it openly. It's not necessarily blog related, but it will certainly have an impact on my content from this point on.

If you are guessing that I am pregnant you would be correct! I will have lots of time to talk about all the details after this blog move is over. I have so much catching up to do you all are going to be sick of hearing about the pregnancy, but for now here is an a brief overview of where things are.

I am 12 weeks along.

The due date is November 24 (just days before Thanksgiving).

Now that I am officially in my 2nd trimester I am feeling so much better, but I had been super nauseous for the first 10 weeks.

It's still too soon to know the gender, but we do plan on finding out!

This wasn't a planned pregnancy, and it's a little scary. I am still really happy to be pregnant though. We knew we wanted to have more children and it will be nice to have another sibling for my kiddos that is still pretty close in age.

I had my first midwife appointment and they did not do a sonogram, but we did get to hear the heartbeat. All the blood tests came back great too.

Not a lot of people know yet and this is our first online announcement (a Messy Mom exclusive, wink wink), but now that the cat is out of the bag we'll be releasing our auto tune song on Facebook. I know I am such a nerd, but I've always wanted to do this and HEY, there's an app for that!


 I couldn't think of a better time to share the big news than in the middle of The [New] Messy Mom Launch Party Now the party is really getting started baby! Yeah!



Remember you can still watch and share my new Welcome Video.
Enter to win the Starbucks Card Giveaway
And get your post ready for Tuesday's  Look Back and Laugh Link-Up

Tomorrow is the last day of the OLD Messy Mom. It looks like it's a year of newness. 
Who's with me? 


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Mother Son Time

Today I am joining in for "Mama's Tell All" with That Southern Mama. The topic is

Dating My Daughter/Son. 

I always thought the idea of going on dates with your kids was weird, but then several years ago I was talking with a teen girl that babysat for us, and she explained how special the dates with her dad were. She said he likes to demonstrate how she should be treated by a man (i.e. respect, dignity, kindness, manners, etc.). I really liked that idea. So call it whatever you want, but I believe special one on one time with our children is critical.

Keep in mind this does not have to be anything extravagant. We are in a difficult place right now with J being in school full time and tight budget doesn't even begin to cover it. Even then I have managed to go out with Z a couple times a year and I can't say enough about what it has meant to both of us!


We didn't start this tradition until 2 years ago when he was in Kindergarten. Our first date was the Chic-Fil-A mother son date knight and I highly recommend registering for one of these events if you can find one in your area.



I have more information about that HERE.

Then last year we went to the Mother Son Game Night at Z's school, and it was an evening I will never ever forget.



We both dressed up in Western wear



and we played and competed as a team all night long.



It was so special!

This year we participated in another Mother Son Date Knight at a different Chic-Fil-A and there were so many fun activities and freebies including the opportunity to take an oath of honor and be knighted by the royal cow.




 Z voluntarily wanted to wear his bow tie and blazer that night. He was the best dressed kid there and several people dining or serving were sure to let him know about it.

Then back to the school for our next mother son time which was the Mother's Day Tea that I attended last Friday.



Can you tell we have a thing for matching? I do realize he will grow out of this, but for now I'll take it! Z served me my refreshments and as we chatted he gave me some crafts that he made and a book he wrote for me which was especially sweet!




Here is what I have learned so far with the few dates that I have gone on with my son.

1. Of course you can come up with something personal for your night out, but in our case it has worked out to do events that are already planned and prepared. All we had to do was show up.

2. We are big Dave Ramsey Jr. people and so these outings are a great opportunity for kids to learn how to be generous and responsible with their money.



The Chic-Fil-A meals were all paid for with money that Z earned himself. Although, (just to keep it real) last time we went out I owed him some cash for the past 2 weeks. So I let him buy our meal with my debit card, but we had a big conversation about why a debit card is different than a credit card and that money would come straight out of his chore money. It worried me just how much he loved handling the Visa.





3. Of course you can start date nights at any age! For me it has just happened to work out to start scheduling dates very intentionally at school age. As a stay at home mom, this worked out perfect because until Z was in school I was with him all the time and got to do special activities on a more regular basis anyway.

4. Lastly, I have learned that these times of connection where you have the opportunity to really focus your undivided attention on your child as an individual is priceless! I can't wait for the next mother son date with Z.


The [New] Messy Mom Launch Party is still in full swing. Check out the links below to catch up on all that is happening!


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Look Back and Laugh

One of the fun things about doing some “house keeping” around here in preparation for this blog relaunch was that I got to see all of my old posts in a new light. In some ways I could not believe how much has changed, but I was also very much encouraged to see that the purpose and the inspiration behind Messy Mom has remained consistent since the original launch in 2008.

Back then I wrote a weekly post on Tuesdays called “Look Back and Laugh” and I shared a funny or embarrassing memory. I stopped doing these posts shortly after SJ was born and life got hectic. I’ve still always liked the idea of taking those humiliating or awkward stories and turning them into something that later can be conversation starters.

So I’m bringing it back! Along with all the new things coming to Messy Mom this week I am going back to my roots and implementing some old stuff too!

It is with great enthusiasm that I can officially announce that the Messy Mom will be hosting a weekly link-up party.



Every Tuesday morning I will be sharing a funny story from my life and I would LOVE it if all of you other bloggers would join me. 

Your post can be old or new and your memory could be from yesterday or when you were 6 years old as long as it's family friendly that's all I ask. Please don’t stress out about whether your story fits in or that it has to leave us all rolling on the floor laughing. Look Back and Laugh Link-up is really just a chance to break away from all the troubling news, political disagreements, guilt trips, or mommy wars and just take a lighthearted look at life.

I know for me I have plenty of blunders to choose from so even if no one joins in the link up I will be posting something (probably embarrassing) EVERY Tuesday. I do hope that you will join in the fun though, because I will be reading every link and I promise I will be laughing with you, NOT at you.

See you this Tuesday May 19 for the first...


LOOK BACK AND LAUGH LINK-UP




This post is a part of [The New] Messy Mom Launch Party which will be going on all week long leading up to my new site launch this weekend. Check out the welcome video HERE and be sure to enter the giveaway for a Starbucks card HERE


Sunday, May 10, 2015

Messy Mom Welcome Video (#messymommovie)

I've been anticipating this day for months and dreaming it up for years! I wanted to make a welcome video for my blog. I saw it as a way to really connect with my readers and get to talk to each person that visits my site on a personal level, the way I would if you were to come to my home, or catch me after church, or chat with me on the phone. The thing about any of these real life scenarios is that we would inevitably be interrupted.

Thus the inspiration for this little clip. So without further ado I am stoked to finally reveal the #messymommovie.



A huge thank you to my brother Brandon Weaver for producing this film. He is so generous to have put all of this together. A shout out to the crew behind the scenes; Kayleigh Hornsby, Lindsey Weaver, and Stephany Mendia. I also have to give credit to my husband and kids for participating. I am just blessed beyond words for all of them. This was a dream come true for me.

On top of the video premiere I am also excited to announce that this is just the beginning! I am not a vlogger by any means, but I do want to put out a few videos here and there each year. Which is why I have started (drum roll please...)

The Messy Mom Youtube channel!

You'll want to subscribe so that you know when new stuff gets uploaded. My channel is Youtube.com/Messymomblog . Go. Subscribe. Give my video a thumbs up and then come back here tomorrow for Day two of the launch party when I kick off my first giveaway.


Party on! 

Saturday, May 9, 2015

[The New] Messy Mom LAUNCH PARTY!!!

It's here. It's here. It's finally here! Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mamacitas out there and WELCOME to the [NEW] Messy Mom Launch party!



I wanted to give you a little bit of a schedule for what's happening this week so that hopefully it will make sense when it all rolls out.


SUNDAY- The Messy Mom Movie Premiere
Okay, this should still be on track to happen today, but it might be at let's say 11:59 pm. Everything I say is subject to change (wink wink).

MONDAY- My First Messy Mom Giveaway

TUESDAY- The Messy Mom Link Up Reveal

WEDNESDAY- Traditional Post
Tuesday I will be hosting a link up, but Wednesday I will be participating in one. This was already on my calendar, so it doesn't necessarily go with the party, but it still sets the stage for what kind of content will continued to be featured on Messy Mom.

THURSDAY- A Special Announcement

FRIDAY- More Announcements

SATURDAY- The New Website


So I am still keeping a lot of secrets, but that gives you a bit of a preview. Basically this is the week I am just going for it! I pushed the deadline for the conversion to WordPress to the end of the week in hopes that it gives my husband enough time to get everything done for the grand finale. I know this Word Press/Self hosting stuff doesn't mean a lot to the non-blogging readers, but trust me, it's a big deal.

I've been blogging for a long time now and over the past few months I have been working hard along with my family  an official team of experts to take Messy Mom to the next level. This is my chance to get this blog off the ground. That's what launching is all about right? The idea that Messy Mom will be a little bit more of a brand, a business, a part time job. Don't worry, the integrity and purpose of this blog is safe with me. Messy Mom means way too much to me to just gamble it away. Over all I am just going to be doing the same thing I've been doing, but with a little more purpose, and if it also brings in some revenue for my family then that's awesome, because we could use it.

So that is the gist of what the [The New] Messy Mom is all about. The name and the identity behind my blog will stay the exact same as it has been over the past 7 years. I will just be implementing some new ideas, some of which are really old ideas that I have been dreaming of for a very long time.

 More to come my friends. Stay tuned. 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Things to Come

It's been another silent week here at MessyMom.com. Lots of end of the school year happenings and some other stuff that I'll be sharing more about next week. In fact I'll be making up for lost time by blogging every single day starting this Sunday!

I am wanting the week of Mother's Day to be the launch party for The NEW Messy Mom. The thing is, I am so nervous about having everything unfold smoothly. I don't know if the new website will be finished by the end of next week or not. It's been a ton of work. There is so much that could go wrong at this point, but I am stretching my muscles and will be getting a running start as I jump into the deep end of blogging. All I can say is expect the unexpected (such as delays, technical difficulties, emergencies, mass confusion etc.).

I'll have more blog reveal details next week, but for now I did want to mention one minor personal update.

An outtake from the photos that were taken for the new profile pic.


Some of you know I have dealt with a lot of issues with my left ear. I have a constant ringing in that ear along with difficulty hearing. I also sometimes experience episodes of vertigo. It's something I have dealt with for 12 years and has gotten progressively worse. Keep in mind what I deal with is completely unrelated to SJ's hearing loss. I diagnosed myself 2 years ago after extensive google research. I wrote all about Meniere's Disease and why I think I have it here.

Although the vertigo hasn't been much of an issue, the hearing loss has started to dramatically interfere with my life. I mishear words all the time. If I am in a noisy environment where someone is trying to talk to me you can pretty much forget it. I won't be able to hear anything unless it is spoken close to my right side. J has especially noticed it and was the one to insist on me going to the Doctor. I mention in that other post about how I did go to the Doctor about this issue, but that was 10 years ago and the Doctor I saw wasn't at all helpful. I didn't keep records or seek a second opinion. I didn't know what questions to ask. Now that I am in my 30's and have a daughter with hearing loss I feel a lot more equipped to get to the bottom of this.

I saw my general practitioner on Tuesday. He's not an ear Doctor so there isn't much new information there, but on Monday I will see an Audiologist so hopefully I will know more by then.

That's my little update. Next time I get on here it will be to kick off the launch party. Definitely come back then!

Friday, May 1, 2015

Mothers Are Like Clocks



Long ago, before we even had children we bought this large clock for our kitchen. It actually set itself automatically and changed when the time changes twice a year. It was just a simple analog clock, so I never did figure out how it could adjust the time like magic, but it was faithful to do so.

The clock moved from Texas, to Kentucky, and finally Ohio where it adorned our kitchen once more. It wasn't the cutest or trendiest home decor item but it had an important purpose. Our son even learned how to tell time the old fashioned way thanks to that clock. I'll admit that it had gradually sped up over the years to the point that I knew it wasn't perfectly accurate, but it still helped me stay on schedule. It just kept faithfully ticking away.

That was until recently when the clock stopped.

I thought it was 12:55 pm for two hours before I realized what happened. I panicked and rushed out the door to pick up my kids from school. When I returned home I immediately went to change the batteries. The problem is that it still didn't work. We tried different batteries. We tried reseting it. Even the fixer of our family couldn't revive it. So we had to face the fact that after ten years of service to our family the clock had come to the end of it's life.

Time of death? Unknown.
Bad joke. Sorry.

Anyway, into the trash it went and about a week passed by without the clock hanging on the wall. Even despite our phones, computers, and other various digital clocks I had relied on that one for so long that I thought I would loose my mind if it wasn't replaced soon. I looked up at that blank spot on the wall probably 20 times a day. I expected to see the time only to be repeatedly disappointed. I feel lost when I don't know what time it is.

Today we finally replaced the clock and life can proceed as normal.

With mother's day around the corner this got me thinking. Moms are a lot like clocks. As a child you rely on your mother to keep time, to get you where you need to go, to maintain a steady rhythm, to be there to keep the machine running non stop... like clock work! Then one day you grow up and enter adulthood and you realize just how much you looked up to your mom. It's in hindsight that you can fully appreciate the depth of what she did for you.

When I think about my old clock I see so many parallels to my mother.


I don't know how she did it all- all the time, but it happened. Like magic. And if sometimes her timing wasn't perfect it didn't matter because she got the job done. She served our family faithfully. She was committed every second, minute, and hour of every day. Her purpose was and is invaluable.

She taught me how to cherish the time.

So this is for all the mother's out there that are constantly running. To the moms that are a source of reliability and consistency for their families, and those who are trying to embrace every moment as time marches on. Your role in your family is obviously deeper and more intimate than any old clock, but maybe next time you look at the time you can think about the bigger picture because whether you feel it or not, I can assure you that you are appreciated.

 Happy Mother's Day.