I was tagged by my online friend Lynnette - to complete this meme. She asked me to answer these 5 questions below and although it’s late - here are my replies … (sorry Lynette for the delay in posting this)

1. How long have you been blogging?
I first started blogging in 2003 but got blogging more actively in the last 3 years.

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
I wanted to speak my mind - and since I am not around adults 24/7 … I thought this would be an awesome way to just vent and tell and share stories about life in general. My blogging mentors are the fabulous ladies in Mom Masterminds. I have been following Lynnette around and just soaking up everything she has been teaching about blogging.

3. Are You trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
I would be lying if I say that blogging for me is purely fun - yes, I am trying to make money online but I love the fact that I am having fun doing it.

4. Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.
- I get to meet awesome and interesting people whom I would never have the chance to meet off-line.
- I get to share ideas, creativity, goofiness, and my thoughts
- I get to be a radio host (through my podcast), a movie star (through my videos), and an expert (through my online projects) - lol

5. Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE with in the online world.
- I struggle with trying to keep my focus often - there is just so many new things to learn online and sometimes it really sucks when I do not have the time to learn new things.
- I struggle with toying with too many ideas - I have “Shiny Thing Syndrome” - lol
- The biggest struggle for me is knowing when to stop working. Once I get started - especially if I am so much into completing a project, it is hard to pry my fingers off my laptop - this is something that I constantly have to work on - I try my best not to work too much especially when the kids and hubby are home.

I guess I get to tag a few other bloggers to get in this meme so I am tagging:
Kim Lashombe
Aurelia Williams
Cara Mirabella
Chele Neisler

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This week, since its only a few days before Christmas - I thought it would be appropriate for our topic to be Favorite Holiday Tradition. My favorite Holiday Tradition is our version of “White Elephant” when we have our big Christmas party with friends and family. What we do is bring a gift (we usually set a limit on how much the gift should be) to the party. After we are done eating dinner … we gather all the gifts in the middle of the room - then we put numbers in a hat and draw numbers so we know who goes first. The first person or person #1 - gets a chance to pick a gift from the pile of gifts while everyone watches him open it. Then, person #2 has an opportunity to either steal person #1’s gift or choose a gift from the pile of gifts in the middle - again everyone is watching and this goes on and on until everyone gets a gift. The fun part is watching others steal gifts (if they like the gift that someone already opened). If someone steals your gift, you have a chance to steal a gift from someone else or pick a gift from the pile. There are certain rules though - you can only steal 2x from anyone and an item can only be stolen 3x - after it is stolen 3x - the person who stole it the 3rd time gets to keep the gift and it is hands-off from others. We have a big group of friends and family so sometimes the game alone takes 2 hours but we have lots of fun.

When we first started this tradition about 11 years ago, our budget for the gift was $20 but it has gone up to $50 through the years - yup, it may sound costly but it is hard to find gifts that are truly worth it for $20. Through the years we have accumulated tons of holiday gifts that our family really enjoy like an electric griddle (which I still use), a capuccino maker, electric knife, foldable table and chairs (great for parties), and CD player. And of course we had our share of “ok” gifts - like towels, pillows, serving platters and a pizza oven that I have never even used yet and still have in the box (something from 2 years ago). The fun thing about it is that you can be creative with your wrapping - make it look grand even if your gift is not all that or try to trick people by packing it differently.

If you want to join us in our Friday Meme - go ahead and post your Favorite Holiday Tradition in your blog and link back to MommyCommunity.com. You can use our graphic below by copying the html code and pasting it in your blog post. Then, add your name and URL to the link and a comment would be super awesome too!

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My friend Kelly has been twittering and utter-ing about Shepherd’s Pie. She got an easy recipe from Sandra of FamilyFoodies.com so I thought I’d give it a try. Here is a video of me making it - it is soooo very easy and great for left overs. If you have never tried it - try making it and let me know what you think. Sandra has ton’s of easy to follow recipes in her blog and she also hosts an awesome podcast - make sure to visit her site and learn how to make yummy foods easily.

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The Moms’ Talk Network is hosting a fun chocolate contest. You can easily win chocolate by interviewing any podcast host who is a member of the Moms Radio Network. Post your interview in your blog … for rules and restrictions - click here!

I was interviewed by Annette Yen - you can listen to my interview here.

I was also interviewed by Angie Newton - you can see my answers to her questions here.

I am open to interviews if you are wanting to join the contest - there are only a few days left in November so don’t dilly-dally … let me know if you want to interview me.

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If an item in your home has accumulated a thick layer of dust, it’s a sign that it is something you no longer use - it’s time to give it up, give it to another person who will have better use of it or find a new home for that item.

Have you posted your Monday Mommy Tip yet? Join us in this Monday Meme. Leave your name and URL in the linky below - post a Monday Mommy Tip in your blog and link to us, you can use our graphic by copying the html code below. Oh , and don’t forget to leave me some comments!

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In this week’s episode, I share a chat I did with Tsoniki Crazy Bull on Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas. This is one of the audios we had at the Holiday Season Kickoff. If you missed the event last week, you can still access the many audios we had by visiting the site. All that awesome info will be there until Christmas - even after to help you out with the next few holidays. You may also want to check out the many sponsors we have and the special offers they have in the sponsor booths.

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This is a special edition just in time for Thanksgiving. I interviewed Melissa Good from DinnerPlanner.com for the Holiday Season Kickoff and we talked about Turkey Basics like:

- Some traditional ways and easy ways to prepare turkey for the holidays
- How to defrost Turkey
- Tips to remember when preparing turkey
- How long to roast turkey and what temperature do we set the oven to
- How to choose the right size of turkey for our family feast
- How to keep the turkey moist
- Some stuffing and side dish ideas
- Tips on gravy
- What to do with left over turkey

If you are a newbie at preparing turkey or even if you are a seasoned cook, I am sure you will pick up a tip from this interview. There are tons more “Holiday Related” recorded audios on Holiday Season Kickoff - make sure to visit and download your free audios.

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If you are thinking of shopping for NEW items, do so only to REPLACE items that are already worn out or those that really need to be replaced. This saves you money and also minimizes the clutter in your home.

If you are itching to shop, go shopping ONLY if you need something in particular. It helps to make a list and make sure you stick to it - it helps minimize clutter too and saves you from spending some dough.

Have you posted your Monday Mommy Tip yet? Join us in this Monday Meme. Leave your name and URL in the linky below - post a Monday Mommy Tip in your blog and link to us, you can use our graphic by copying the html code below. Oh , and don’t forget to leave me some comments!

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This week’s guest is Angie Newton of LosingItandLovingIt.com. We chat about “How to Overcome Temptation of Overeating During the Holiday Season”. She shares some great doable tips and also share a site where you can find healthy recipes. I also talk about Holiday Season Kickoff which starts on Nov. 19-20, 2007. The event site offers resources that can help moms have a less-stressful holiday season - with audios, downloadable goodies and gift ideas for the holiday season.

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