Best Cheese Billboard to be in Museum!!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by go Mama O

Exciting news – the BEST Cheese Billboard will be part of the Museum of Signs and Industry (under the Ingest category of course).

After reading Joan’s post on Sign Language, I submitted this billboard to the Museum (something ANYONE can do).

Best Sign EVER!

Just one day after submitting an image and description, I received this email from the Museum of Signs and Industry:

Hi Cathy,

Thanks for the pic! Great shot! Look for it updated on the site coming up under the category Ingest!

Signed,

Museum Curation Staff

Hooray!! I’m glad a little piece of Wisconsin cheese love will be recognized along with many other very quirky, fun, and vintage signs on the site. Check out the Sign Language post at The Thing about Joan to see some of the signs that she has discovered through the years.

What’s your favorite sign? (No, that’s not to be construed as a pick-up line.) Share it with me and submit it to the Museum.

Happy Mother’s Day – GROWL!!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by go Mama O

One thing that I know for sure: there will be growling this Mother’s Day.

It’s not a gift that I WANT, but it is a phase that my daughter is in – growling at family, friends, and strangers. Hey, I guess she doesn’t discriminate!

I had mentioned in 3 Milestones you won’t find in a baby book that my daughter has growled at strangers in public. In one situation, we were at the grocery store, and she growled at a sweet old lady. After dinner at a local burger and custard joint, she sort of made light sabre noises while swinging her umbrella (not ideal, but I’ll let it go). As we walked home, she growled at a man who was walking by and commenting on the cold weather. More growling at her aunt, brother, me, Daddy O. and even some people at church. “Peace be with you” is followed by “GRRRR!”

Lovely, right?!

Reaction to Growling

My first reaction is to ignore her and apologize for her behavior.

“So sorry. My daughter is not a conversationalist.”

Or, “She’s pretending to be an animal.” (This is usually the case since she LOVES animals.)

Or, “Well that’s one way to react to this cold weather.”

My husband’s reaction was a LOT less tolerant, saying to me “You let her get away with this?!”

Umm, yeah I guess I do.

We teach out kids to NOT talk to strangers. Frequently strangers can try to get too close or engage in conversation, and I can see from a small child’s perspective how this can be intimidating or uncomfortable. And frankly, I’m GLAD that she doesn’t get too friendly with strangers when you think about all of the worst case scenarios that COULD happen.

So will I be happy to hear her growls this weekend? No, but I’ll do my best to ignore it and just go for the hugs & kisses whenever I can.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions to cope with growling issues! Is ignoring this behavior the best strategy? We have talked about “appropriate behavior,” how growling is not very nice, why animals growl, etc. Life with a 3.5 year old is always entertaining!

Work mode to Mom mode

Posted on May 8, 2013 by go Mama O

The transition from mom-mode to work-mode and back to mom-mode is a bit challenging! For 8 hours I can act like an adult (well mostly ) with other adults in a professional environment.

Then in my 20-minute commute, I can de-compress a bit and prepare myself for re-entry to mom-mode.

Despite this buffer zone of commuting, I still find this transition difficult.

The kids’ screams and demands grate my ears so much more. My patience seems so much shorter and my stress level much higher.

In these few hours after work and before bedtime, I have to just power-through – run around and be super mom: get dinner, clean-up, play time, baths, stories, and bed. You all know the drill all too well, I’m sure. Sometimes during this routine, I don’t even feel like I have time to pee! AHH!!

Easing the Transition

How can I make the work-mode to mom-mode transition a bit easier? I think planning in advance really helps for meal time. I made PB sandwiches on Monday morning for the kids, so I could instantly serve them when we came home and they sat down. Plus, I try to prioritize and simplify my “must-do” list on work days (remembering how lucky I am to ONLY be working part-time). Finally, I think I have to do a better of mentally preparing myself for mom-mode.

Stop. Breathe. Relax.

Remember I am dealing with a pre-schooler and toddler – NOT work colleagues!

How do you transition from work-mode to mom-mode (or adult-time mode to kid-mode)?

Cute & Easy Birthday Card

Posted on May 3, 2013 by go Mama O

Within the past year I’ve found that it is easier to make my own cards than go out and buy them. As many other parents know, it’s hard to keep you children occupied while you peruse the MANY card options at any given store. So I’ve resorted to making my own, which has been a fun, creative outlet (and something to do while the kids do their own craft projects).

One of my favorite cards is this cute & easy birthday card. I’ve made several variations by just using my scrapbook paper scraps. This particular one used packaging from a favorite toy: B. Zany Zoo Activity Cube. It came with such unique packaging that we’ve actually up-cycled the box as a ball toss game / toy bin / duct tape project! The tag itself had such vibrant colors and really fun sayings from kids. Check out the picture below -

Finished Birthday card

paper recycled from a toy’s packaging

Beyond cutting a few scraps into “candles”, using scrap wrapping paper for the polka dot “Happy Birthday” on the brown paper cake, all I used was a black and yellow pen to draw on the flames and candle wicks. It doesn’t get much easier than this!

Happy card making!

Best Cheese Billboard EVER!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by go Mama O

I have felt like a bad blogger / commenter lately! Last week I had the super bug of all daycare germs – no fun. And I’ve been so tired at night after the kids go to bed. Whine…whine…I know! Meanwhile I have lists of ideas for blog posts stacking up. Quick, while the motivation is still with me, I’m going to attempt to complete this post!

We recently found greatness in our cheese-ventures! The best cheese billboard EVER at the Colonial Cheese House in Omro, Wisconsin.

Get UR Awesomeness HERE!

Best Sign EVER!

Cows and ice cream next to the sign = perfection

Cute little storefront

As a cheese lover, I don’t think it can be said ANY better than this.

As a proud Wisconsin native (or Sconnie), I love the placement of the cows and ice cream next to the best sign ever. We should all simply embrace the Dairyland and Cheesehead labels and have fun with it!

As a shopper, I was NOT disappointed. Though this was a cheese distributor and not a cheesemaker, where we typically try to buy cheese for our own Cheddar Off, they offered a wide variety of cheeses among other Wisconsin specialties: fish fry, sausage, etc. We walked away with a smoked cheddar and a vegetable flavored Muenster that was out of this world. Yet another satisfying ending to another cheese venture!

Happy cheese eating everyone!

Have you come across billboards or signs that really speak to you – like this one did to me? I’d love to see pictures or hear about it.

Transition Back to Work

Posted on April 22, 2013 by go Mama O

After being at my new job for a whopping three weeks, or six days, I feel like I can accurately share details about my transition back to work. In a word:

GOOD!

I am very happy to have more structure, as I have to be more organized and productive in order to make my work days go more smoothly. This means a few things -

Getting as much ready as I can the night before. Kids stuff packed, my lunch packed in containers ready to go into my lunch box, items staged close to the door, dinner planned and prepped (if I can).
Wake up BEFORE everyone else! This is key in getting ready quickly, so I can get out the door when I need to. Plus, I love the quiet house in the morning.
Don’t get distracted. I have a tendency to linger and putter around in the morning when eating breakfast. On my word days I have to stop myself and stay focused on what I MUST DO instead of the “NICE to-do’s.”
Prep snacks for the kids because they are hungry immediately upon arriving home. Instead of just throwing more crackers their way, I try to have cut up fruits and veggies ready for them.
Keep dinner simple. We typically eat leftovers, crock-pot meals, or quick & easy to make meals. Tonight it was pasta with red onions and black olives. Yum!

Do I still have crazy moments in the two hours from daycare pick-up until my kid’s bedtime on my work days? Without a doubt! But together, my awesome teammate / husband and I figure it out and make it work. It is only two days out of the week, so it has not been too difficult of a transition thus far.

Work wise, I’ve had to adjust from my larger, corporate marketing mindset to that of a small business. I have to scale down some efforts to an appropriate level that matches our current resources with my time often being the limiting factor. I work with extremely nice people; it’s too small of a business for office politics; and I feel like I’m already making a difference. Of course there are some new ideas and changes that I’d like to propose, and I hope to do so in due time. Until then, I’ll clock in for my two days a week and accomplish whatever I can to keep plans moving in the right direction!

How do you make your workdays easier? If you transitioned from staying home to working, I’d love to hear how you make it work!

Q&A: Marriage, Babies & Bliss

Posted on April 15, 2013 by go Mama O

To put the “social” in social media a bit more, I couldn’t help but participate in the latest Old School Blogging Q&A that I was tagged in by Kerry from Breadwinning Mama. Blogging certainly has given me a glimpse into the minds and lives of so many interesting people – many of whom I consider “virtual friends,” as I eagerly read about your latest musings.

So if you want to know more about my marriage, babies, and sources of bliss, read on! And feel free to participate too by grabbing the Old School Blogging button & copying and pasting the questions below.

1. How did your husband pop the big question?

He had just moved to Pittsburgh the night before, and I remember him calling me several times during the day while I was at work. I thought it was a little out of the ordinary for him, but I figured he was bored with unpacking. After another phone call, I came home and was greeted at the door by a very dressed up boyfriend. He brought me inside, where he had arranged all of the postcards, letters, and little things we had exchanged while living in separate states and even countries (I worked in Tokyo, Japan, and studied in Vienna, Austria after dating my now husband for only six months). He brought up memories of our relationship and said something to the effect of, “You’ve given me all of these things, and now I have something I’d like to give you.” He got down on one knee, broke out the ring, and popped the big question! I said YES!

2. What are the three most surprising things about married life?

Time passes so quickly – we’ve been married for seven years now, and I can still remember our wedding like it was yesterday.

It really can take a lot of work to make time for each other – especially after having children! We try to do date nights at least once a month and are trying to carve out time daily to connect with one another.

We have discovered new hobbies together – we first met playing basketball, but have also played volleyball together. We also enjoy cooking, searching for the best Wisconsin cheddar, drinking wine, snowshoeing, hiking, and traveling. My husband is also an amazing driver’s ed teacher, patiently teaching me how to drive stick-shift!

3. How did you find out you were pregnant for the first time?

I thought it was bad Mexican food that I had while going out to eat with two of my closest girlfriends. After calling them, and realizing that they were not sick, I took a pregnancy test the next morning. When the “pregnant” line became clear, I woke up my husband to share the exciting news! He asked if I followed the directions (not sure how you can mess up peeing on a stick besides “missing” all together) and was sort of in a morning haze of disbelief / excitement.

4. How did you choose your first baby’s name?

My husband actually found my daughter’s name, and I found our son’s name. I think they both came from baby books, though I do know that we liked the meaning of their names. My daughter’s name means wisdom, and my son’s means diligent. We hope they are BOTH smart and hardworking…someday!

5. Describe where you see yourself in 10 years from now…

Hmm, this sounds too much like a job interview question! Well, I will be working in a marketing / management role. Okay – on to family life -

Our children will be in late elementary school and middle school! We would eagerly share in their activities and continue creating our own memorable family outings and vacations. I’d like to travel internationally with my husband to Japan and with my entire family to the UK and Austria. We will most likely still live in Wisconsin to be close to our families, while traveling across a few states to visit aunts, uncles and cousins from time to time. I know for SURE that we will escape Wisconsin winters for a little reprieve!

6. Describe how you find bliss, either with words or images.

I find true happiness in some of the most unexpected moments. It can be something funny that my children say – for example, my daughter refused to run ahead with me during our walk, saying she wanted to stay with our whole family. I always love a good hug and cuddling up to read stories together. The images below are wonderful reminders of how blessed and happy we all are!

My little man grinning and wrinkling his nose

Big sister’s BIG Smile

Celebrating special moments as a family

Now tag 5 of your bloggy friends!

I’d love to read about engagement, marriage, babies and bliss from my friends at these fabulous blogs – Motherhood is an Art, Keeping it Real, Pursuit of Plenty, The Sadder but Wiser Girl, I Will Have My Cake.

Anyone else who’d like to play, please do, let me know and link up with Elaine!

Potty Training Essentials

Posted on April 15, 2013 by go Mama O

I’ve recently read about blogging friends who are in the throes of potty training. I feel for you: Breadingwinning Mama and Worldly Girl Turned Mom.

Though my daughter is almost 3.5, and we made it past the WORST accident ever, we still have issues from time to time! Like this morning for instance, when she didn’t want to go right away in the morning JUST BECAUSE! It didn’t end well, so she was reminded to try to listen to her body to avoid accidents. AHH – a control-freak three-year old is a formidable opponent at times!

Here are five quick things that I consider Potty Training Essentials:

1. Multiple bath mats – the bath mat gets peed on constantly during potty training. I was tired of our ONE bath mat getting soiled and having to wash it again and again. One day there was a buy one, get one for $1 deal on bath mats, and my problem was solved – or at least I had a spare bath mat to rotate in while the other one was being cleaned.

2. Clean-up supplies – paper towels, old rags – just have them on hand everywhere! We have to worry about the 2nd floor, main floor, and basement, so having rags handy is a big help!

3. Carpet cleaner – We have a cat, who doesn’t get a lot of blog-love, and like any cat, she is prone to hacking up hairballs. Our defense – Nature’s Miracle spray. Little did we know that this product would ALSO work wonders for our children’s accidents. I also would NOT recommend having white carpeting in a child’s room, though Nature’s Miracle and table salt (for bloody noses) have done wonders in removing stains on that white carpeting.

4. Stain remover – You probably are well acquainted with your favorite stain remover if your child is now potty training. We like Shout and Oxi-Clean. I also consult my cleaning tips book or Pinterest for unique stain removal needs.

5. PATIENCE – This is the go-to parenting virtue. I found potty training to be very frustrating until one day I finally told my daughter that SHE WAS IN CHARGE of going to the bathroom. There are times that I still have to remind myself of this, when I see her doing a potty dance to hold it in. Ultimately, she doesn’t want to stop having fun to use the potty. Sigh! Most days we are completely accident-free, though I need to rely on my patience for those remaining outliers like today.

Please share any additional potty training essentials or commiserate with parents in the potty training phase here!

HIRED! 5 Keys to Getting my Job

Posted on April 11, 2013 by go Mama O

I am thrilled to share that I have been HIRED!!

As I mentioned in my interview questions post, I have been looking for a job for about six months. I’ve interviewed three to four times with a few companies, while others ended after one phone interview. AT LAST I found a job that is a great fit for me both professionally and personally! It is a part-time marketing management role for a small business that is located only about 25 minutes from my house. I am very excited to get out of the house two days a week (and send the kids to “school” a.k.a daycare), and still have three days at home with the kids. It really is the best of both worlds! Without further ado, here are the details on how I was hired.

5 Keys to Getting my Job

1. Be honest & open – I was extremely nervous about explaining the year gap in my resume, when I was staying at home with my children. A friend once said, “Well, just tell employers what you were doing, and if they don’t like it, then you wouldn’t want to work there anyway.” She was spot-on with this comment! And chances are you are NOT the only parent that is employed at the company, though sometimes it may feel like you are blazing your own trail!

I was careful in explaining that I returned to work after having my second child, but left due to the long commute and wanting to stay home with both children while they were so young. After my son reached one year, and I had the opportunity to do some consulting work, I realized that I missed the professional interaction and development. This led me to take eMarketing classes online and some additional consulting work that again re-affirmed that I wanted to work outside of the home.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask – There were very FEW official part-time marketing roles that were being posted, so I did participate in the recruitment process for several full-time roles. Knowing that flex hours would be important to me, I asked about the “flexible work environment” mentioned on the job description during a phone screening call with HR. I was pleased to learn that this particular company offered flex time, meaning you had to be at work during core hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but could schedule your 40 hours as needed (and according to your job’s requirements). I was impressed and certainly wasn’t penalized for asking that question early on in the process.

In my new job, my boss has provided the flexibility for me to set my own hours as long as I’m there for the Monday morning meeting. With a little schedule juggling at day care, I will eventually work Monday – Tuesday from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m., giving me enough time to pick up the kids and get dinner going at a reasonable time. YAY!

3. Be prepared - I tailored my resume and cover letter to highlight experience and skills mentioned in the job description, showcasing accomplishments in three areas of direct marketing, event planning, and online projects. This helped me past the first hurdle and led to an hour long phone interview and subsequent face-to-face meetings. To prepare for these conversations, I researched the company, industry, and came armed with numerous interview questions and several marketing ideas. Being prepared with ideas was key in showing that I was truly interested and motivated to help their business grow.

4. Timing is everything! I tapped into my network to hopefully get some inside info on new opportunities, but ultimately I reacted to job posting in my search. After applying to a job, I could not control how quickly a company would respond to my application – if they chose to respond at all. I played the waiting game and was rejected too. Some companies had to wait several weeks or months due to budget issues or simply the time of year in responding. When I finally received an email or call, I had to dig back through my job search folder and emails to remember the job opening! I did have time on my side, waiting for the right opportunity, while still working as a stay-at-home-mom.

I actually was interviewing for my part-time job and a full-time job with a flexible working environment at the same time. The day I received my offer for the part-time job, I was contacted for a second round of face-to-face interviews for the full-time job. After some soul searching and talking it over with my husband, I needed to choose the opportunity that was best for me and my family.

5. Do what makes you happy – When I reflected on both potential jobs (though I only had one offer at this time), I considered which job would make me more happy. The part-time arrangement AND the industry were more fun and interesting than the full-time position. Ultimately, I chose what would make me happiest!

In your own experience, what are the keys to getting hired?

Just be a Happy Mama

Quote

Posted on April 3, 2013 by go Mama O

go mama o

balancing kids, life and work on the go