Why I Love My Message Board

2009 January 3

Or, my empire of forums has expanded!

A Writers Forum on IHMMB! Who would have thought such a thing was possible?

A Writers Forum on IHMMB! Who would have thought such a thing was possible?

Every year I make the same vague resolution to be a more positive person and refrain from being so snarky, critical and impossible to please. Every year something happens on or around 7.37 am January 1 to make me break that promise. This year though, it’s different! Here is is January 3 and I’m still walking on sunshine and full of all the love and the power that the universe has to offer. I am so dang giddy that I would mock myself if only I could get off this ray of sunshine. And what, might you ask, has me so happy? read more…

Bringing Your Best

2008 December 31
by Madame Fabulous

© istock/johanna goodyear

I remember going to the grocery store one afternoon to pick up the usual supply of frozen blueberries, diet protein powder, green tea and potato chips, and noticing a woman who was wearing a grubby track suit with her hair in curlers. I very discreetly stared at her, with my basket of diet and junk food, and thought to myself, “Lady, who are you saving the good stuff for, if not us?”

I’ve thought about that question a lot lately. Lady, who are you saving the good stuff for? read more…

Seven Things About Me You Might Not Know

2008 December 29
by Tracy

Or, my first attempt at a meme!

Me, trying on the Slanket I bought as a board gift for a senior citizen.

Me, trying on the Slanket I bought as a board gift for a senior citizen.

I was tagged by Kim Woodbridge of (Anti) Social Development to participate in this meme. I’ve never done one before but since it wasn’t something doofy like “Your Five Favorite Movies” and I really like Kim and want her to like me and tell everyone else to like me and was super flattered to be asked, I decided why the heck not? The problem is, since I’m not really likely to reveal where all the bodies are buried in a blog post (I’m holding out for Vanity Fair to make me an offer) it was difficult for me to think of things that most people reading this blog wouldn’t know. So my apologies in advance if this is old news. read more…

Merry Christmas From IHMMB World Headquarters

2008 December 24

From Team Ireland:

From Team Korea:

Happy holidays and best wishes for the coming year!
Tracy and the IHMMB Gang

From Water to Wine

2008 December 22
by Madame Fabulous

Photo credit ©hlkljgk

I am a wine lover. My husband has never understood the appeal. But then again, he said the same thing about sushi and now he throws down slabs of raw fish like he’s part pelican. So maybe he just needed a chance to try some different varieties to find something that tickled his palatte. Besides, it was clear that my technique of teaching him about wines wasn’t working. That technique, quite simply, involved forcing him to sample my favourite cabernet merlot and then stand above him, hands on hips, and say, “Well? WELL?”

“It’s fine,” he would say. “It tastes like wine.” read more…

Read Twice, Post Once

2008 December 14

Or, the life lesson I have failed to learn

This is what happens 15 seconds after I hit "post"

This is what happens 15 seconds after I hit post.

By now, any regular reader of my blogs, posts, status updates, tweets, emails and IMs knows that I’m not so much a writer as I am a blurter. As soon as a thought hits my head, it’s on the screen and without so much as a quick once over I’m hitting that send key as if it were a little mole at a funfair. On those occassions when I do remember to make an effort it seems that until it’s out there in the world, I still read it exactly as I heard it in my head and not the words and punctuation that appear on the screen. This can lead to not a small amount of embarrassment. read more…

Kinder Eggs and Pero Instant Natural Beverage

2008 December 7
A Kinder Egg on top of a canister of Pero

A Kinder Egg on top of a canister of Pero

If you’ve been keeping up with my museum of snack foods, you’ll know that my friend Myself from the IHMMB forums sent me a loaf of S’More Bread and a jar of homemade prickly pear jelly as part of a regional foods exchange we had on the boards. This canister of Pero was also part of that package. My mother sent the Kinder Egg.

As a huge lover of caffeine in all its forms and packaging, I was hesitant to try the Pero, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a try. The Kinder Egg was to get the taste out of my mouth in case I didn’t like it. One Step Ahead Tracy, that’s what they call me, because I always think one step…ahead. read more…

Playing by the Rules

2008 December 3
Photo credit ©Stunt of the Litter

Photo credit ©Stunt of the Litter

My sons have invented a game between them that, because they are boys, involves one hitting the other in the arm as hard as possible. Often. Repeatedly. However, because it is a game, they have also created rules that clearly define when one may hit the other, where, and how hard, and what the consequences are if these rules are not followed. Also, because they are both cognizant of these rules, no matter how limp the affected arm might be after repeated assaults, neither boy complains. They just nod after the strike and muster up a strained “Good hit!” read more…

Oh Mah Nah, Y’all - I’m in a Blog Carnival

2008 December 2

Best of the Mommy Bloggers Blog Carnival!

Photo credit ©Doeth

For those of you who aren’t familiar with my Koreanish, that means Holy Guacamole or Oh my Gawd, but doesn’t take the Lord’s name in vain.

I am so excited and thrilled to be chosen to be a part of this. I don’t blog very much about my children, but Mommies are my people. Thank you so much to Toni from The Daily Dose of Toni for hosting the carnival. You can see all the posts in the carnival here. I will also be adding the blogs in the carnival to “Worth Checking Out“.

Please take a minute to check out all of these great blogs! I am really looking forward to lots of good reading today.

I am Learning the Social Web Media Networking 2.0

2008 November 30
Twitter is one of the many social media apps. I think they are called apps. How embarrasing if I am wrong!

Twitter is one of the many social media apps. I think they are called apps. How embarrasing if I am wrong!

In case it’s not obvious, I’ve only the most hazy idea of what Web 2.0 and Social Networking really are. I looked Web 2.0 up on Wikipedia and have decided that’s something I will hire people to do for me, if there is anything to be done about it besides just throw it into conversation every now and again. Perhaps on a resume if I ever decide to get a job “2008 - Implemented a Social Network using a dynamic, keyword rich Web 2.0 platform rubric automation application.” Doesn’t that instill much confidence? I thought so.

I put Web 2.0 aside for the Tree People to deal with (I’m a Forest person, I need the Trees, but I can’t say that I understand the Trees) and pulled on my boots to go wading into the exciting new waters of Social Networking, in order to grow my vast corporate empire. read more…