Motherly Law

The List: The Social Media Addict’s Christmas List

You might be a Social Media Junkie if you have any of these items in your or on your Wish List. If you don't understand what these gifts are or why anyone would want them, you aren't a key Social Media Player {sorry to break it to you}. Either way, if you or someone on your Christmas List is Social Media Consumed then you're going to want to check out this List. If for nothing else, it's worth a chuckle. I, for one, think these items are Fabulously Social Media Geeky Chic, which is the look I'm going for these days!

Check out these ultra cool finds: 

1. "Follow Me" Tights by tattoo socks. These cool tights come in several shades and lengths and each with the familiar tweeting bird and "Follow Me" request are good for a laugh and probably a few follows on Twitter too. The other tights on this site are really cute too {in case you haven't been bitten by the Social Media Bug}, but my heart belongs to Twitter.
2. Twitter Handle & Hashtag Jewelry by Survival of the Hippest and Blend Creations *See Discount Code Below. Find necklaces in several styles at these links. I like the SATC "Carrie" style the best, but it all depends on your style. Use @ plus handle or # plus handle, word or phrase at both sites. Hmmmm....let's see simply @MotherlyLaw or @Motherlylaw <3 @Will_OpenDoorSM, perhaps or maybe #PhoneDownEyesUp...
3. QR Code or Emoticon Cufflinks by Blend Creations. So debonair; so dashing; something every #SM gent should have. To me, the QR Code links offer a more sophisticated look. These tiny barcodes are actually encoded with a secret message of your choosing too. *See Discount Code Below
4. Social Media Icon Throw Pillows by Craftsquatch. I love these colorful decorative pillows. Whether outfitting your office, game room, bedroom or play room I would think that every Social Media Addict would have a room for these soft icons.
5. MiFi from Novatel Wireless. This handy gadget allows you to have a wireless internet connection anywhere you happen to be. In fact, you can connect up to 5 wireless enabled devices at one time, including cameras, computers, music players, game players, etc. It's small; it's safe; it's great for travel; working remotely, etc.
6. Tec Touch Gloves found at Dick's Sporting Goods and other locations. For those of us in the colder regions of the planet, these warm gloves allow for tweeting, phoning, texting, game playing and any other touch screen application necessary for smartphones and/or tablets. The special "pods" on the thumb and index finger of these gloves allow for easy operation of touch screen technology without taking glove off. Nice!
7. EatTweet, a Twitter Cookbook (in photo above) available locally at Kitchen in the Market or at eat-tweet.com. All recipes are in the form of tweets; that is, 140 characters or less and were originally tweeted out by the cookbook author, Maureen Evans who goes by @cookbook on Twitter. Very cool and a bit challenging; one must be careful not to get lost in the translation.

What's on your list?

*UPDATE: This just in...Blend Creations is offering Motherly Law readers 15% off orders of $50+ until 12/31. Use the promo code: MotherlyLaw (not case-sensitive); Crazy Cool!

I just had to get this posted even though I ran out of time on Sunday, cuz I like this stuff, but I will be posting a Recipe from my #VirtualCookieRecipeExchange later today. Over and out...

Anna

 

Chocolate Cherry Sugar Cookies: Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange Part I

Virtual Cookie Exchange

ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm hosting a Virtual Cookie Exchange through the month of December. Want to participate? Simply email me at motherlylaw@yahoo.com with your favorite holiday recipe and any story or history that goes along with it or even a photo or two, and I'll share it with my readers. Or just show up and reap the benefits of this Cookie Exchange, if you'd rather not contribute a recipe.

Here is the first installment of the Holiday Cookie Recipe Exchange. I'm starting things off with one of my top secret {because it tastes so rich and scrumptious, but is so easy to make} favorite Christmas cookies.

The Tradition of Baking

For me, baking cookies for family and friends means that Christmas is here. My mother always loved to bake special cookies in the week or so prior to Christmas; and I enjoyed helping. Then, I began making cookies too. And I have made sure to continue that tradition with my Boys. Even when they were very small, I would bake cookies and let them decorate the cookies.

This process could easily get out of hand and become a complete disaster. And if you have boys, as I do, there is no idyllic mom and child happily, icing cookies with great care, each wearing an apron, Hallmark kind of moment; just take my word for it. It's more like a scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with icing smeared on couches, rugs and walls, colored sugar covering the entire table and floor like a light dusting of snow, flour in small snow drifts all around the kitchen, etc.

Baking with the Boys

I learned this quite early on and enlisted the help of our nanny. She was infinitely more patient than I and helped Darling 1 with the frosting and sprinkling while I mixed, rolled, cut-out and baked and Darling 2 happily babbled and slept intermittently in his infant seat. Well, that was 3 years ago. Of course, with each year, some things get easier and other things get harder.

I involve the Boys in some aspect of the baking/decorating/delivery process every year; and each year which part they help with changes with their ages. Darling 2 happens to be a very good baker; following each instruction given and waiting for more directions. Darling 1 is an experimenter and does not care to follow directions; instead his aim is to concoct a new mixture of some sort. So, Darling 1 is better suited to decorating than mixing.

Christmas Cookies

I like to make a variety of flavors and textures for my cookie tray; sugar, chocolate, ginger, soft, buttery and crisp. When it comes to cookie baking the fewer ingredients involved, the quicker the recipe and easier to divide the dough for making different varieties the better. This cookie recipe fits the bill.

I found this recipe about 10 years ago while searching for a new sugar cookie recipe. I now bake it every year, making at least three kinds of cookies from it; all are delicious! My favorite variety is a cherry chocolate version.

The first year I made these I had doubled or tripled the recipe and was tired of rolling out, cutting out and decorating the sugar cookies. I had mini chocolate chips and dried cranberries on hand and decided to mix them into the dough and bake in balls. As it turns out, I had accidentally bought dried cranberries flavored with cherry juice, which made the cookies taste like cherry chocolates, especially with the distinct taste of vanilla in these cookies. I have intentionally baked this version every year since.

Chocolate Cherry Sugar Cookies

1 cup white sugar

2 sticks of butter, softened (Real butter, please! No substitutes)

3 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon of PURE vanilla

1 egg yolk

2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup of mini chocolate chips, give or take, depending on taste

1 cup cherry flavored cranberries

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla and egg yolk. Beat until smooth.

Stir in flour.

If rolling out for cut-outs, chill the dough or a portion of the dough until firm and not sticky about 8 hours or so. Then, roll out to 1/8 of an inch thick, cut out and bake for 8 minutes or so, being careful not to burn the edges.

If making Chocolate Cherry version, proceed....

Mix in chocolate chips and cranberries, with desired amount of chocolate and cherry goodness.

Scoop dough into balls with 1 tablespoon and place on foil or parchment covered baking sheet. . I have found these cookies are best small, as they are rich and buttery.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Note: Cookies will be quite white and soft when they are ready to come out of the oven. Do not overcook.

Another variation: These are excellent with M&Ms in them too. Also, if working with kids, this recipe works well to roll out, cut out and decorate with M&Ms, then bake. No need for further decorating; and they really are quite delicious. Feel free to try any variety of mix-ins to suit your taste.

Send me your recipes, please! Over and out...

Anna

Let the Words Out: Writing From the Heart & Finding Your Voice

Acknowledge Your Voice

A half written novel hidden away in a drawer or stored on a forgotten disc; song lyrics on paper napkins; beautiful prose or poetry composed in your head.

Long before I clicked the "Publish" button, I was scribbling out works in my head and on occasion in a small lined notebook.

Almost two years ago, I started typing the words, letting them out of my head, and I've been letting them flow ever since. As I write, everything becomes clearer and clearer to me, and yet there is even more that remains shrouded in shadows, which has yet to be explored. Writing has been such a blessing to me; so cathartic; so liberating.

Tonight I'm giving a program on "Writing From Your Heart and Finding Your Voice" and I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with you as I prepare for tonight.

Start writing

Writing is a way to express yourself, share your thoughts and ideas, tell a story and release your emotions, come clean about something that's too hard to say out loud, etc. It can be a letter, an email, a journal, a blog post, an article or a book, etc. The only way to write is to... well, write. I have found that writing begets writing. That is to say that the more you write, the more easily the words will come.

I write something almost every day and have been doing so for about a year now and the year before that I was writing about 4 to 5 times a week. It has become a habit. Sometimes I write for pay; sometimes I write for me; and sometimes I write for my audience.

Find Your Muse

Every artist needs a muse; and writing is connecting and molding words into works of art. For me, it's music, natural beauty, my family, my passions and my feelings that often inspire me to ponder questions from the depths of my soul and explore the perplexities of the world we live in.

Inspiration can come from anywhere: a bulletin board, a chance meeting, an overheard conversation, a friend, a book, a movie, an experience, the lyrics of a song, a particular mood, a news story, an idea, a walk around the lake; you name it. Once you start writing, you might be surprised where you find inspiration.

Use Your Senses

After I had been writing for a while, I began to notice that I am always ticking off mental notes about how something looks or what had been said or what something sounds like or how something made me feel, etc. for me to draw upon later if it fits with something I am writing. You must allow yourself to truly experience how and what you and others feel, see, hear, smell and taste.  

Writers are in touch with their emotions and all of their senses. This brings authenticity to your writing; this helps others relate their experiences to yours.

It will also allow you to explore your own thoughts and perceptions. You might be surprised to find how you feel about something or find that your reaction to something is not what you would have imagined, which leads to my last point.

Be Honest with yourself {& your audience}

Some days I sit down to write something on a particular topic and end up writing something totally unrelated. But if the words or emotions are there, I allow them to come out. I have been surprised by the thoughts and feelings that have bubbled up during my writing sessions. There are times my writing reduces me to tears and other times I am reminded of a poignant time in my life or a funny story from years ago.

Whatever it is that works its way to the surface, you must be willing to allow it to come to light and you must be honest with yourself. If others will read what you have written, forging a story or veiling your true feelings will be apparent to your audience. If you are writing for you, then there is no sense in being dishonest with yourself.

When you are honest, your story will mean more to you and your readers. It will give them a sense of who you are and will allow the reader to stand in your shoes for a bit. When you are honest with your feelings, your critics will find it hard to pick at you. It's hard to disparage a respectful, sincere account even if you're in disagreement with the subject. 

The Scoop

When you start writing allow yourself to be awash in your feelings and observations and let down your guard, your voice will emerge from your words. You can expect that your voice will change as your perspectives change. Don't fight it; just keep writing.

It's alright if that voice is angry or afraid or sassy or funny, all of these things or none of these things. All you can be is you. Writing shouldn't be forced; have patience with yourself as you begin gathering words and searching for your voice; it will come.

And don't get too caught up in the grammar. Use Spell Check and do your best. You might miss your timidly emerging voice for the worrying about the rule on semi-colons v. colons or whether it's OK to end a sentence with a preposition; don't. The words hold all the power; unleash them.

To borrow a line from Ratatouille and slightly modify it: Anyone can write. Over and out...

Anna

A Story About Poop: Life’s Messiest Moments

Pre-Parenting

Before you have your own kids, there are those who have kids already who love to tell stories involving poop, puke and pee in hopes of freaking out the non-parents. It's like a badge of honor earned by the new parent after the first tour of duty cleaning up human excrement: you've had to wash poop off the wall and clean puke off junior's favorite book, your shirt, all the stuffed animals, sheets, blankets, pillows and the rug, and you get to talk about it in public. Well, before I had done my tour in Babyland I laughed it off and made a mental note to never discuss my child's poop with anyone.

My Messiest Moment

Well, here I am writing about one of my messiest moments of my life and it involves none other than my son's poop. Now wait a minute, before you click away, hear me out. I've never written about poop before {and probably never will again}, but when I heard about the Clorox Bleach It Away campaign I knew which messy moment I'd write about. Listen, I could win $25,000 or a $750 Canon Rebel camera, either of which I could really use. So, here it goes.

Poop All Around

When my son was around 6 months old, he was over the moon about bouncing in his Jumperoo. He cared nothing for swings or saucers, but he loved to jump and he's got the calf muscles to prove it too, even 4.5 years later. Well, during one such bouncing session, we realized he had indeed filled his diaper because we could smell it. Yet, as only a parent can appreciate, my husband and I decided to wait to change him because we were in the basement away from the diapers and wipes supply, he was enjoying his exercise routine and we were watching a movie that was almost over.

After a few minutes, our dog, a very expressive, motherly canine, approached our little bouncing bundle of joy, gave him a few sniffs and gave us a look. Her look said, "For the love of Pete, change this baby's diaper and give us all a break! What kind of parents are you?" The admonishment from the dog was enough to make us further check the situation.

Upon inspection, we realized the stench was pretty bad; and yep, the poop had gone up his back. Seriously, that's really enough, but hang on, there's more. As we pulled our sweet muffin out of the Jumperoo, we noticed that the poop had also run down his legs all the way into his adorable little soft leather shoes and had soaked through the seat of his pants and was all over the fabric of the Jumperoo seat.

So the disapproving look from our dog regarding our parenting skills was well deserved. This was a royal, stinking mess. Thankfully, I was not alone in this situation. My husband set about the task of cleaning up our soiled child and I began cleaning the filthy clothes and fabric seat.

The Scoop

These days, if something has poop on it, I toss it in the trash. But back then, I dutifully rinsed, treated, washed, bleached, etc. I was able to salvage the clothes and the Jumperoo seat, but those cute little leather shoes were goners, despite all of my efforts to save them. Our child cleaned up quite nicely, and we all survived that messy moment of life and many more that followed.

One day, I'll tell my son that story while he cuddles his sweet-smelling {for the time-being} infant and he'll think, "Mom, why must you talk about {my} poop!" And then, when he least expects it, his time for cleaning up an explosion of poop will come and he'll have a poop story of his own.

It's not just the pristine, sunshiny moments of life that make us who we are; it's all the moments, even the messy ones. And I'm a mom, with two boys, ages 5 and 3. I've become better acquainted with bodily fluids than I ever intended to; such is life. Over and out...

I received information about Clorox's Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com.  Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

Anna

A Guided Motherly Law Tour

Over-used Words

I often take for granted that my kids know what I'm talking about since they hear me saying certain words over and over. For instance, I tell my kids to "Focus!" quite a bit as they are prone to distractions of any kind, especially when out in public. However, it has occurred to me that I have never really explained what I mean when I tell them to "focus." What I mean is that I want them to pay attention to their surroundings, where they are in their space and where I am and what I am saying to them. So, clearly...Focus!

Another word I catch myself saying to my spirited Darlings is "Relax!" Again, I have never taken the time to show them what it means to relax or explained the meaning of it. And even if they understand that I'm telling them to take it down a notch, I don't think they know how to truly "chill out."

The Website

It's easy to forget that we may not all be on the same page or come on board at the same time. And I was thinking about this when I was on Motherly Law scrolling through taking a look at everything, which I do periodically to ensure there are no blips or glitches. I realized that I have added this and that, taken away a few items, changed other features, etc. over the last 20 months.

Fifty Percent of my daily traffic comes from search engines. That means there are many new people landing here every day for the first time in search of something I've written in the past. The other half may be relatively new readers or die hard Motherly Law supporters. Either way, I thought I would give you a little tour of all the features on Motherly Law.

Everyone assembled and ready for the guided tour? This is a hands-on, interactive tour. So, get ready to start clicking. OK, here we go...

Proceed to the Left Column...

• Please look to the top left corner. There you will find the "About" tab. Click on it and you will find a bit about me and this website. You'll also find my email address in case you want to drop me a line.
• Below "About" are the "Categories" of posts I have written. Click on any of these and you will find a list of the relevant posts.
• If you are searching for something specific, then you can use the "Search Box" just below the category cloud. There are now 447 articles here. You may need the search box to find something.
• There are also recent posts by title, in case you need to get caught up on the last week or so; and posts archived by the month.
• On the bottom of the left column are badges from events and conferences I have participated in and programs or causes I support and/or have written about in a post. If you click on any of these buttons, you will be transported to those respective sites.

Moving to the Right Column...

• At the top right side, you'll find the "I Follow the Motherly Law" button. If you have a website of your own, you can grab the code there and paste it in on your site. It's a way of letting your readers know that you read Motherly Law.
• In fact, on the top, right side, you'll find several ways of staying in touch and sharing Motherly Law with your friends.
• Just below my button, you'll see the Facebook, Twitter and RSS buttons: click on Facebook to become a fan and "Like" Motherly Law if you have a Facebook account; click on Twitter to follow Motherly Law if you engage in conversations there; and click the RSS button to get a feed to Motherly Law.
• An RSS feed will allow you to get notifications when there is a new post, making sure you don't miss a single one.
• Moving down the column, there are a handful of ads here. Click on any of them to be transported to those respective websites.
• You will also a notice a "Your Ad Here" button. That will take you to a page on my site with information about buying ad space on Motherly Law, should you be interested in promoting your goods and services here.
• The last item on the right column is the FDA/USDA Food Safety box. This box continually updates with new recalled food items with the details you need to know. You can scroll down through the list or click on a particular item for more information. I, myself, use this box quite frequently.

Lastly, scroll down the Bottom of the Post

• Here you will find ways to share a particular post by clicking the "Share It" button, which will give you a number of social media platforms to choose from, depending on which you have accounts for.
• There is also a permalink tab that you could use to link to or share.
• And a tiny button with the word "Comment" on it. You can click on that button to leave a comment. If you click through a permalink to a particular post, you need only scroll down below the post to the comment box, but if you are on the main page, you must click "Comment" in order to leave a note for me.

And remember sharing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, through email, through links in posts or even by word of mouth is the ultimate compliment. I do so very much appreciate any spreading of the word regarding Motherly Law. Thanks for your support.

The Scoop

Clearly this is another potluck week. You never know what you're going to be served from day to day. I've had several busy weeks and lots of tidbits I've wanted to cover lately. I'll get back in my groove soon.

Please go take my survey posted yesterday. It's all about you, the Readers. The answers to these questions help me to know you, my readers, better and provide you articles you want to read. I'm off to go demonstrate to my Darling Boys what it means to focus and relax, respectively. Over and out...

Anna

The Million Dollar Question: Pop Culture Clues

What makes an idea or an article novel or appealing? What makes a reader choose to click a link? What makes a message amazing, eye-opening or viral? What makes an online writer stand out from the hundreds and thousands of others just alike floating around, bumping into each other out in cyberspace? That is the million dollar question, isn't it?

I'm working on figuring this out. And when I do have the answer, I'll let you know. I know this much; the answer has just as much to do with what will not put you in reach of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as it does with what you should be doing to earn the gold star.

Here's what I know thus far:

1. There is no instant formula for fame and fortune in writing;
2. The more you write, the more you hear your own, true voice; and
3. The more you understand your readers, the more you know how to temper what readers want to read with what you want to write.

So, with these truisms in mind, I have a few fun questions for you, Dear Reader:

This survey is anonymous, and I would be so incredibly grateful to you if you would take just a few minutes of your time to answer the questions. The questions are completely random and whatever jumped into my head as I typed. While this is true, I do think these questions will give me great insight into how to choose topics and how my readers will perceive certain issues, etc. And I promise you know all the answers to this survey!

Thanks so much in advance for helping me get closer to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. Over and out...

Anna

Coffee with Anna Vlog #2: Banning Kids from Restaurants and Targeting the Happy Meal

 

This vlog business is much harder than you would imagine. Sorry for the delay. I had loud kids and a barking dog to contend with this morning. Perhaps, I should ban them from my "recording studio."

These first few weeks are certainly based on trial and error. So, please stick with me as I work out the kinks and format. My biggest problem is brevity. I want it to be conversational and not strictly here are the points: bam, bam, bam, done. This is long, but I stay on point and cover only the two news items. I think I will have to choose just one news item to discuss in the future.

I will continue to work on the length of the video and other fine details, but today it was this or nothing. I've got work I've got to get to now. I hope you enjoy it, and if you don't that's fine too. Please let me know your thoughts, but again, please be nice either way. Over and out...

Anna

Motherly Law Reader Meeting Agenda {1st Ever and Maybe the Last}

First Point: This is not a real post. As Darling 2 is fond of saying {or singing}, "What's gonna work? Teamwork!" {Thank you, Wonder Pets}. Well, today it's all about teamwork. Today you'll find my post over at Open Door Consulting {DH's social media consulting biz}. I wrote a snappy little list of top Twitter tips for those who need an introduction to Twitter. Please go check out that list by clicking right here {after you finish with this Agenda}. Please feel free to peruse the fabulously insightful posts there. You'll find others written by me too.

Second point: Be sure to tune into to Motherly Law tomorrow {that's Friday, in case you get confused about which day is which, as I often do} for the 2^nd installation of Coffee with Anna Vlog {remember that's a video blog}. I think it's going to be even better than last week; at least let's hope it is.

I had a few people send some great feedback, if you have any, please send it quickly before I pop into my recording studio, a.k.a. my living room. If you missed it or are dying to see my face and hear my voice again before tomorrow, then you can click right here for that. Also, I've had a haircut and that's definitely going to make the vlog better tomorrow. Trust me on that one.

Third point: There is a great need for donated school supplies. School supplies aren't cheap, and our list specifically says no substitutes and no generic brands. There is always a need, but this year there is a particularly high need in our communities. If you can afford it, please find an organization collecting school supplies for your school district and/or area and give today.

If you are in the Twin Cities, VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People) are still in need of school supplies that will be given to students who can't afford to buy their own. You can find their list of needed items here. Their donation drive officially ended Monday, but I tweeted with VEAP on Wednesday and they told me they are still collecting supplies. We haven't bought our supplies yet, but will be buying some of the items on VEAP's most needed list to donate, as well.

Fourth and Final Point: I'm beginning to freak out just a bit about Darling 1 going to Kindergarten in less than 3 weeks. We have now officially shopped for school clothes for the very first time ever. And now we have to buy school supplies. Yikes. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. How many of you are sending your kiddos off to Kindergarten this year? How are you feeling about it? Over and out...even though this was not really a post.

Oh, and about the photo; I think all meetings should have some kind of tasty treat. So, the rolls are from Yo Yos Donuts in Minnetonka.

Anna

 

Coffee with Anna: Week in Review Vlog

Welcome to Motherly Law's first Week in Review vlog. A vlog is a video blog; for those of you not familiar with that term. I'm going to give this a shot for a few weeks and see how it goes.

So, get a cuppa java and sit back and watch.

 

I would love your feedback, but do be kind, please. {Yes, Mom, I know I need a haircut, and I'm getting one today.} Please drop me a line! Thanks for watching. Over and out...

Anna

Raw Emotion Sells Like Hot Cakes; Law Simmers Like a Pot of Stew

Some of my more important, more informative, more potentially useful posts are not my highest read posts. Nope. It's my more sensational, more emotional, more totally raw, open hearted posts that break the bar, smash the records and hit the mark.

I'm struggling with this a bit. On the one hand, I'm always thrilled with astronomical pageviews. That means you like me, and more importantly, you like my writing. And hey, does it matter? I wrote it. It's from the heart. That's all that should matter.

On the other hand, I began writing Motherly Law in order to bring together legal information and resources about issues that do or could affect families; things that we, as parents, should know or teach to our kiddos or stick in our brains for some later date. I wanted to convey the law in a way that was less intimidating; more easily digestible; more appealing and interesting.

As I have written post after post, totaling almost 400 posts in 18 months, I've found my voice. I no longer tip-toe around potentially explosive topics {well, there are still a few I tactfully step around}. I express my opinions more freely. I write what I feel. I write what I think. I write what I love. I write what I loathe. I write what I fear. I write what I dream.

I think that's OK. After all, Motherly Law is all mine. It can be who I am as a whole. It's motherly, lawyerly and womanly all at the same time. And yet, when well-meaning and thoughtful people tell me that Motherly Advice is their favorite part of each week, I can't help but feel a little let down.

The Motherly Advice posts are full of heart and soul {my own}. I love them too. But, it's the law and resource related posts that take most of my time and draw on my legal expertise and research skills. It's what sets my site apart from others.

So, this is me, being honest and raw. And truthfully, I'm so very thankful for my very loyal readers and the huge number of people who stumble upon Motherly Law each day by way of search engine queries {and hopefully like what they find and come back again for more}. And I guess what that means is that as long as you know Motherly Law is here full of information, resources and reassurance, then you know you can find the information you need when you need it. And that's enough.

Sometimes I can gauge the response a post will have, but sometimes I'm thoroughly surprised by the attention or the lack thereof. There are some posts I know will be well liked the minute I post them; and others aren't loved to begin with, but will become search engine darlings in the long run. Some posts I love every word of from the first line; stories that come spilling out of my brain totally spun, no need for improvement. Some posts are fruits of great labor; the words don't come easily; my thoughts jumbled together mumbling and bumbling around in my head trying to blend and combine into a sweet melody.

And that, folks, is what this is writing thing is all about; trial and error. Very soon I'll be launching a new website, in addition to Motherly Law. This new endeavor will have nothing to do with the law, but it is something that's dear to my heart and a combination of passions. Stay tuned for that.

Oh, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow morning for my first "Coffee with Anna" Week in Review vlog. And one more thing, the photo is me, in the raw. {Just look at the gray hair! Oh well, it happens} Over and out...

Anna