Okay-no one is answering any of the questions.

So share a proposal story or just a story about why you should win this great DVD set of Definintely, Maybe; Love, Actually; and Notting Hill.  C'mon-this is too fun of a set to pass up!

If I don't volunteer to bring something for my daughter's class picnic, am I a LOSER mom or a SMART mom?

Best answer posted in Comments wins a Mothering Heights Tote Bag! 

Update: I am bringing a fruit plate to the Reader's Theater. And I even bought muffins and coffee cake out of guilt. I sitll want to know WHAT you think!!! 

The Mother's Day Essay Contest 2008 Winner
(selected from the book)

Comanche Child by Elaine Greensmith Jordan
A beautifully written essay about an adopted child finding her birth mother. The images of the ghost mother haunted me for days.

"This ghost mother of my imagination would have the wisdom of an Indian matriarch—the kind who gazes in solemn profile at the mountains—and would offer my daughter unconditional love."

Elaine will receive a Bagette make-up bag, a Gerber Daisy bouquet from Ininfleurs and books from Hachette. 

Honorable Mentions

Making People by Cyrstal Ross McKee
A moving and emotional essay about a mother's loss and then return of her son. 

Motherhood: It's A Man's Job by Frank Leggett
A hilarious essay by a stay-at-home dad that still has me laughing. 

The Downey's Chocolate Winner

Damaged but Not Destroyed by Laurel Meister
This mom deserves a bit of decadence in the form of chocolate shaped pianos.

Mother's Day Photo Contest Winner 2008

Snow Bunnies by Lori Stott
Lori's adorable photo of a mother and daughter skiiing won Mothering Heights first photo contest. 

Lori will receive a Bagette photo make-up bag with her winning photo on it, and the Manual for Motherhood Volume 1.

This honest essay not only made me laugh but also got me thinking hard about my own overgiving as a mother.

Donna will receive a collection of summer reading books from Hachette and the Manual for Motherhood Volume 1. 

Honorable Mentions

Because I'm the Mom by Lisa Romeo
This essay touched my heart. A mother's love is sometimes not enough to solve all our children's problems but we do the best that we can. 

Why I hate my husband by Whitney Cicero
I laughed so hard when I read this. My husband asked me why I couldn't stop laughing.  "Never mind."

A big heartfelt thank you to my panel of secret judges.

We all know how I like love live for chocolate. Well, my husband brought home the MOST delicious treat for Valentine's Day and redeemed himself for his snoring earned big points with me. A large box of chocolates shaped like pianos and painted with gorgeous golds and reds. And YUM YUM.

Forget Godiva and Teuscher, I am obsessed with Downey's Chocolates. Lucky for me (and you), they are near by and have offered to donate a box of chocolate to the winner of the Essay Contest. The problem is the shipping is $$$, so this fabu box of chocolates will be awarded to a Special Chocolate Winner.  

Check out their website, My Chocolate Fix.  They offer chocolate classes...my soon-to-be next obsession. 

Don't forget to VOTE for the Photo Contest. Stilll open and accepting votes. I am busy getting the site ready for the 2nd Annual Mother's Day Essay Anthology and the Book.

I am thrilled and excited the announce the Mother's Day Photo Contest. Coming soon, the debut of the Online Anthology of the Mother's Day Essay Contest.

Cast your VOTE now! 

This is one prize for the Mother's Day Essay Contest winner (to be announced May 5th. A GERBER DAISIES bouquet, a mix of sunset-colored layered flowers with raised round centers in a sleek glass vase, from Infinifleurs.  I love this company-it is perfect for families like mine that can not have real flowers in their house due to allergies.

Infinifleurs makes fun, pop-arty plastic flowers. Hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, these funky blooms sit pretty without any water or care, and won't tickle your nosebuds. Visit www.infinifleurs.com to see a wide range of designs - gerber daisies, irises, black-eyed Susans and more. We make custom designs too. Infinifleurs are great for parties - table centerpieces, placecard holders, and favors.

 


Check out this fabulous prize, a personalized make-up bag, for the photo contest and essay contest from Bagettes.com.

Bagettes is an innovative custom photo purse company. "We take our customers favorite photos-images of  kids, pets, girls night out, sports & cheer/dance teams, travel pictures and kids artwork -and put them on a variety of our own line of bags and purses."

Fabu! I want one...
 

Only 4 more days until my mouth opens and some nonsense words comes out...

April 11 & 12
Irvine Hilton (convention rate of $119)
Registration is Available online.
Convention registration is $90 per person.

I am speaking on Saturday morning, 4/11. Here is my blurb:

From Hollywood to Homemaker: My Insane Journey Through Motherhood
 
Brief description of talk:
 
Christine Fugate started at the bottom of the Hollywood ladder and worked her way up to producing and directing award-winning films. None of this was as difficult or chaotic as giving birth to two girls fourteen months apart. Amidst the insanity of breastfeeding babies and burning batches of cookies, Christine became obsessed with plastic storage containers.  When her budget no longer allowed for more containers, she sat down and wrote about it.  This essay landed her a column in the local Laguna Beach paper. Mothering Heights now appears in publications across the country and online at MotheringHeights.net.  

Christine will talk about her transition into motherhood and how she realized her tools for staying sane were writing about her life, spending time at home and consuming large amounts of chocolate.

[It's gonna be fun!]

The Publisher decided to not use photos in the book, so I am going to host a Photo Contest from the entries.

Finalists to be announced soon!  The winner of some fabulous prizes will be chosed by popular vote.

Stay tuned.  

WOW! What a week. The book and essay contest came to a head. A big fat pimple that was about to burst.

I had the good fortune of telling people they were accepted into the book and the misfortune of telling people they were not. Ouch. That was so hard for me. I HATE to disappoint people.

But the decisions are out and it is all good. We will have a wonderful book and a fabulous online anthology-all in celebration of Mother's Day.

For those fabulous women writers who were not invited for print, please know that it was a tough competition. And then there is the format, the themes and the publisher. So many factors that are way beyond your control. Best to be happy that people who make books for a living read your essay!

Enough rambling. I ate a lot of chocolate today and a batch of nachos (when I am super stressed, I eat nachos because, heh, isn't my stress burning the calories?)

Love yourself and don't stop putting that pen to paper.

Can you believe it? On an important day when my email is supposed to go out about the book and online anthology-my email is down!  I am so SICK of Verizon, I could scream. I think I will scream. AARRRRGHH.

Hubby says change to Cox but I can't do that in the middle of this project.

So, if you don't hear from me today it is because I can't send, only recieve. (Is there some kind of coded message in that?) 

Tina won the Twitches Too DVD.  She wrote

"what makes me twitch...

a whiff of a smelly diaper...
old food in the fridge...
my vehicle-is there a diaper in there somewhere?...
my husband's "clean" shirts or so he says...
my daughter's "clean" heaping clothes pile...
another science project...
bake sales...
that's about it! =)"

LOVED the bake sale comment...I hear ya sista! (send me your address so you can claim your vinyl)

Uberchik is giving away one of her fabu bracelets designed by Uberchik herself, an MH writer.

Having won one myself, I HIGHLY recommend throwing your name in the hat. 

I am heading off line to read the contest entries and attempt to have off-line family time. I have been living IN front of my computer for the past two weeks.

So while I am gone, why not amuse yourself with the latest Hannah Montana contest and win her lDVD for your kids, your nieces or your local library!

The question to answer in the comment section:

What will Miley Cyrus be doing in twenty years? 

Make us laugh-we all need it on this looooong weekend. Winner will be chosen on leap year day!

I'm sorry I haven't been clear about the photo competition. When I look at the photos entered already, we don't have many pictures of women being moms. Either with or without their kids. I know it's because we are always taking the pics-or if you are like me-you don't want to be in the picture while you are in your pjs, no make-up with gray roots sticking out!

Moms hanging with moms

Mom with a gaggle of kids climbing on her

Mom asleep with the child wide awake

Do these ideas jog any thoughts of pics in the photobook? 

Don't forget to COMMENT and enter to win a copy of TWITCHES. I have watched it several times and it remains entertaining and a nice break from other TV icons, if you know what I mean.  I think boys would like it, too. It has a lot of action and fire!

I want to know what makes you TWITCH?

Please please submit your funny family photos. I don't care if they are in color.

Comb those family albums for that photo that makes you giggle...and snort, if you wish.