CFHGCleburne’s Fashion and High-class garments shopping!

Havins Originals is an awesome online clothing botique for kids. When I received some promotional items from them, the quality and style of the articles were amazing (look for pictures of my kids sporting their items in the next day or two!)

Now they want to extend an amazing offer to YOU!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

We know that all of you blogging mamas are good with words. So, why don’t you help them design a new tee?

Their line will be expanding into smaller sizes for babies next year. Please help them come up with a cute, hip, and catchy saying for a baby’s onesie! No artwork necessary, just a cute catch phrase!

Post the sayings on your blog with a link to their site Havins Originals and a link to this contest page at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas. Then email us at smily.blogger@gmail.com with the subject line “Havins Contest” and they will decide the winner!

WHAT YOU WILL WIN:
You Decide…

Option 1: Boys Tees!
5 Havins Originals boys t-shirts
(3 short sleeve, 2 long sleeve)

Option 2: Girls Tees!
5 Havins Originals girls t-shirts
(3 screen printed, 2 embroidered)

Option 3: Mix & Match!
2 boys short-sleeve t-shirts,
2 girls screenprinted t-shirts,
& 1 boys long-sleeve thirt OR
1 girls embroidered t-shirt

And again, this is QUALITY clothing! Help them out and they’ll make it worth your time!

Get thinkin’ ladies!!

We have added a mailing list to the Crazy Hip Blog Mamas site. This is an important tool that will enable us to notify members of current events, give-aways and promotions, as well as general site information. You will NOT be inundated with emails. You will infrequently receive an email from us relating specifically to this site.

If you receive an invitation by email, please accept it. If you have not received an email (don’t forget to check your spam folder) or need another one, please email us and we will get you ready to go.

You can also sign yourself up by visiting our Mailing List Web Page.

We have a lot of neat oppurtunities in the works and we would really like to be able to offer these oppurtunities to all of our members. Please take the time to subscribe to the list. You can always unsubscribe if you are unhappy with the list. However, again, you will rarely receive an email from us. We simply want a way to contact our members regarding important events and topics related only to THIS site.

I have updated the list of nominations for MOTW, so go take a look and vote, vote, vote! I have also fixed the link at the top of the page. That way you can get to the main MOTW page no matter where you click.

The new Writing Collaboration is up and I think it’s a very fun one, and I hope you do too. I also updated the Collaboration page so now you can access ALL past prompts!

Have at it you crazy hip mamas you!

Go check her out and leave her a message of congratulations! We will have lots more information up about her soon! Please leave any question you’d like her to answer in the comments. OR, post your favorite quote from her blog!

Here are the first few questions (which we are awaiting answers for!):

1. How long have you been blogging?

Just over a year. I was going through a tough time with raising Thomas and I really needed to find the humour in my daily life. It was a sad and scary time. They say a mother and baby should bond right away, but I was depressed and it didn’t happen right away for me. I nursed him, but that didn’t seem to help. I don’t know how else to explain how I was so disconnected then. My attempts at blogging were sparse then, but the writing came when I had the time. Now I blog daily, sometimes more than once.

2. What made you start a blog?

Trying to cope, as I said. I come from a long line of family who laugh off pain. Some of them drink off the pain, but I’m not a fan of the daily self-medication. I’m Irish – I laugh and drink….but drink in moderation.

3. What is your greatest challenge as a mom?

I have got to stop second-guessing myself and trying to prove I’m NOT my mother. For a little background, my mother is a mentally-ill drunk. That really is the long and short of it. When I was pregnant with Thomas, she bragged to me about abusing her boyfriend’s 8 year old daughter. I turned her in. I don’t regret it for one second. I couldn’t let what happened to me, happen to any other child.

4. How do you keep your identity as a PERSON, outside of being a mom?

I have a life outside my kids. Besides my business, and my blog, my girlfriends and I have girl’s night (full blown sleepovers complete with drinks, loud music and the pure joy of adult conversation without any kids around) once every 6 months of more; Daren and I call our sitter and zip out to run errands without the kids, and occassionally we date! At first I felt guilty about leaving the kids with a sitter, but they love it and I love being away for short periods of time.

5. What one piece of advice would you like to pass on to moms everywhere?

Well I need to take my own advice: lose the guilt and take time for yourself. Regularly. Oh and laugh alot! When I was going through the PPD, I woke up angry, every day. Depression and sleep deprivation will do that to a person. Now, the small trials of the day are laughed at, and the whole family is happier for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some crazy laughing hyena all day, but finding the balance, the humour and yourself are what’s important. I try to look at each day as a blessing. Our family’s life is really amazing and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate them and the life we lead.

Leave YOUR questions or comments below!

I just received a great suggestion for the webring from Carrcakes!

On the first and third Monday of each month, I will post a writing prompt for all blogging members to write about.

Once a topic is posted, members may add their contribution to their own blog and then sign the comments saying they have participated. Each bi-monthly topic will be kept in the archives as well as a link to all the participating member’s posts.

Please email me with any suggested prompt to be considered. Remember to use the subject line “Blogging Prompt”.

The first prompt will be posted on the third Monday of February! Each prompt will have it’s OWN page with the prompt and a link to each participant’s post. A prompt may be a question, the beginning of a sentence, a few lone words, or anything else!

Feel free to email me with any questions, or leave them in the comments!