Hello Blogging World!

Thank you so very much for stopping by the Musing Mommies 2010 5MFM Ultimate Blog Party!

This is the home of the Musing Mommies Podcast; a show for moms, by moms.  Kim and Dawn are two 30-something moms in Austin, Texas and each week they record a funny, exciting and entertaining hour long podcast.  They discuss all things parenting and motherhood as well as just about anything else that comes up in their day to day lives.  They do exciting interviews with inventors, small business owners, mompreneurs, authors, and bloggers, and they have giveaways at least once a month!

Kim is a SAHM to 2 children and is the motivator, research guru and mixmaster for the podcast.  She does all the editing for the podcast and works like a rock star to bring our listeners great interviews and interesting topics. Kim has a deep devoted love for the Twilight Series (*cough* obsession! *cough*), and makes sure to work something Twilight into every show.   She loves photography, music, audio books, crafty things and podcasting. She also co hosts a book club podcast and she has a great sense of humor.

Dawn is also a SAHM to 2 children, and she also owns her own photography business.  When she’s not taking care of the kids or doing photography stuff, you can find her cooking, baking, or writing.  She loves feeding people, both with food and with words, and she loves helping others in any way she can. Dawn uses the podcast as her own form of therapy to work through her social anxiety and awkwardness.

So come on in, take a look around and have a listen! The Musing Mommies always have something going on and we’d love to know what you think about our show!

And make sure you check out the Musing Mommies prize, number 99 on the 5MFM Prize Page. The MuMos will give one lucky winner a signed copy of Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner. If you are a mom who loves paranormal fiction, this is the perfect book for you!

Prizes we would love to win:

GRAND PRIZE at the Ultimate Blog Party 2010 is a Toshiba Satellite L505D-ES5025*
Bracelet Provided by: Christine Leiser Schroeder
Earrings Provided by: Christine Leiser Schroeder
USC 60
USC 53
USC 44
USC 40
USC 39
USC 38
USC 37
USC 35
USC 15
US112
US72
US49
US20
US18

Thanks for stopping by, we can’t wait to meet you!
The Musing Mommies, Kim and Dawn

Welcome welcome! I know it’s a coffee thing but make mine iced! It’s about 73 out there right now with the wind blowing hard. If you haven’t taken your antihistamine I feel bad for you cause CEDAR FEVER has hit and it’s making it hitting hard right now. I have a headache just listening to the wind out there. I hope I’ve taken enough to keep it at bay.

This week actually went really fast for me.  DD’s school musical, Willy Wonka Jr, is tonight and tomorrow night. She had rehearsals Tues, Wed, and Thurs. It’s been a different kind of week. I started off with a meal plan on Sunday which worked very well. Monday night we talked with Laura from OrgJunkie.com and I was inspired to get more organized. I have ideas and even though I didn’t do as much as I’d like to I’m still on a roll.

Can I say that the 30 day shred from Jillian Michaels is HARD? Not so much the moves and exercises but the soreness of my quad after for oh about 4 days! Whew, gonna try again, but dang, I’d like to be able to walk , sit and stand without wincing!

I’m really getting excited about out show (podcast) I’ve lined up some really fun interviews and a few joint podcasts with some great podcasters. And our listener ship is going up. That is so very exciting to me.  Our listeners are sharing us!!! YAY. Thank you to all that have shared our little show with your friends.  So that’s what’s going on around here. I’m off to check and see what you all are up too.

Until next time
~Kim

Hi everyone!

Like Kim said, the weather here is crazy gorgeous this week! Oh man, I am dreaming of spring! Sadly, this is probably the closest we will get to spring as around here; we go from freezing winter to 100+ temps most years.  I did a bad thing and stopped in at Lowe’s this morning to look in the garden center.

They have all their spring garden stuff out.

So, would one of you lend me about $200?? Please?

I am so excited about my spring garden, and I desperately need to sit down and figure out what I am going to do this year.  The planting time is just around the corner!

Hope all you west-coasters are keeping above water, and our eastern friends are staying warm.  If any of you need a break, the Musing Mommies would love to visit with you here in sunny Texas!

I look forward to visiting with you all this weekend! Have a good one.

~Dawn

Yeah…so I am sick.

Ugh.

It is so HARD to be a mom and be sick.  Right?!? And it’s even worse when the kiddos are sick too. This past week, out of the 4 of us all but my hubby have been sick.

I suspect he will come down with it in the next couple of days.

And unfortunately, in my house, when I am sick, it is pretty rare that I am able to sleep in or rest on my own.  Since I stay home, I have to deal with the kids and then on the weekends my husband is exhausted from his work week and he wants to sleep in too.

So yeah, I am dealing with it.

Got any tips for feeling better?

I can tell you what I’ve found helpful.  First, in this week’s podcast, I mentioned using Burt’s Bees Miracle Salve on my dry, winter hands.  Well, I discovered today that it also works wonders on a sore nose. You know, when you are blowing your nose constantly and sneezing and it gets all red and irritated? I’ve been putting a little of the salve on my nose after every sneezing episode, and it is feeling a lot better.

Also, when I am sick and there is a sore throat involved (or if the drainage is bad and it is irritated) the LAST thing I want to drink is water.  For some reason, it seems to irritate my throat even more.  But, being the best thing for me, I force myself to drink it and I hate it.  I don’t want to drink sugary juice or sodas all day either.  I have found that iced tea is a little better (I don’t enjoy hot tea), but yesterday when making my iced tea, (I make a blend of decaf green and decaf black teas) that if I throw a little something extra in the brew, I drink it a lot faster and enjoy it more. Yesterday I was peeling a Clementine (trying to get my vitamin C!) while the tea was boiling on the stove, and on a whim I tossed the orange peels in the water.  The tea was soooo good!  Today, I added a little cinnamon and some ground cloves from my spice cabinet – YUM! Give it a try!

I would love to know if you have any other feel better tricks.  I need all the help I can get!

Stay healthy,
~MuMo Dawn

Welcome girls! I’m tired. I could and would sleep for a long time. This week has done me in.  Let’s go back to last week shall we? Friday night was our Musing Mommies Cookie Exchange and holiday party.  We had a wonderful group of gals join us for some snacking and chatting.  It was a great start to the weekend. We had more cookies than we could handle. We also had more snacks than we could eat because MuMo Dawn tends to go crazy when making food for parties! But I’m not going to complain cause it was all yum!

Sunday was Party with my girlfriends, we ate, drank, played Pokeno (which I ended up winning the last pot), and KARAOKE!!! It was a blast.  But DH went outta town for 3 days so I was single mom and let me tell you it wears me out. I’m not used to it and I hope it never becomes a permanent thing.

This week was the last week of school until Jan 4th.  We had parties, Christmas programs and piano recitals! I was busy this week. Tonight we’re going to go see the trail of lights which is a tradition. It should be fun.

I hope you all are having a great week/end. Be Safe and Merry!

~Kim

Hey there Company Girls!
Well, my week wasn’t near as busy as Kim’s, but I am still exhausted – does that count?   The cookie exchange party was a blast, as was the other party Kim mentioned. I spent this week finishing up client orders, delivering prints and creating my own personal holiday card.  I got it in from the printer yesterday and I think it turned out great.  Is no one sending holiday cards this year? So far we’ve only received 1.  Maybe everyone is getting them out late like me.

So what kind of holiday card do you like?  Pictures, no pictures, year-in-review letter written by the dog or just a typical holiday greeting? Signed or not signed or does it matter?  I am curious to your preference!

Hope you have a great week and a wonderful Christmas! May Santa bring you everything you desire!

~Dawn

Welcome girls, it’s a chilly day so let your mug of delish warm you up. It’s been a busy week, hasn’t it?  Thanksgiving travels, back to school, back to lessons and practice, and The Pioneer Woman!

Dawn and I talked all about our Thanksgiving travels in our last podcast but let me tell you just a bit.  We traveled many miles, ate lots of food, conversed with many a family member and got home in time to go see NEW MOON together.  I was so happy to be able to see the movie, again, with my co-host.  I was dying to talk with her about it and now I can, finally!

So last night Dawn and I went to The Pioneer Woman’s book signing at the BookPeople store in Austin.  It was cold, there were may people but it was really a treat to get to meet her and her family.  She really seems to be as sweet as she can be.

All ages from tiny babies to "elderly"

I've never seen her so excited!

Dawn has the full account of our “night out with PW” on her blog: Fry Moments. Go read about it, it’s a great read and there are some fun pics there too.

I wish you all a safe, happy, healthy and WARM week!

~Kim

Welcome Company Girls and Other Beloved Readers!
It’s 10AM on Black Friday – Have you finished your holiday shopping yet?

Girl, I’m not even thinking about that stuff today!! I am still swimming in tryptophan! lol

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Ours was a whirlwind; after a completely sleepless night at my parents house (compliments of our 1 yr old’s all night scream-a-thon), we left early and drove almost 4 hours to my husband’s family in southern Louisiana.  Thankfully both boys slept most of the way; the baby catching up on the night’s lost sleep and the older boy in a benadryl induced snooze courtesy of some troublesome allergies.

It was a lovely drive.

Lunch was a big, beautiful, tasty blur, and afterward we headed over to my hubby’s grandmother’s house to visit with her for a bit.  At which time, I sat down in her chair and promptly passed out, sound asleep.

ahem.

So, I guess I didn’t get to visit much, but it was nice that my family just let me snore and drool for a brief, refreshing cat nap.  It was probably the one thing that allowed me to remain awake for the drive back to Houston that night.(with the help of a gigantic coffee…)

Oh yeah, almost 4 more hours in the car. Awesome!

The trip to Houston was a little more interesting.  The baby made sure to keep us all awake by screaming loud enough to shatter the windows every few miles.

Thankfully though, we didn’t hit any traffic, so it was an uneventful drive.  Though, we did have to stop at three different places to get gas before we left.  But that is a long story for another post.  I will most likely talk about it over on my personal blog, which will be up later today (after I catch up on a week’s worth of posting. ugh).

Kim will not be contributing today as she is on the road herself visiting family up in Dallas and Oklahoma.  But she sends her love.  …and some left over gravy.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I can’t wait to read about your holiday week.

Until,
Dawn

Tonight MuMo Kim and I had a wonderful opportunity to meet up with a fellow podcaster Melody from 2Godchicks.  It was a great and all to brief meeting; we enjoyed the time with her tremendously!   I am sure we will discuss our meet up more in depth on the next show, so be sure to tune in and hear all about it.

Our discussion with Melody prompted a discussion between Kim and I about passions.  If you’ve listened to the show, we’ve touched on this some before; in our “Finding Your Voice” episode we talked about finding something that makes you uniquely you, and finding something that makes you truly happy and incorporating that thing into you life in a way that allows you to be successful and fulfilled.

We are both at a point in our lives that we are still looking for that “thing”.  We are decidedly not the type of people that know what they want to be when they grow up.  We are still trying to figure all that out.

Kim asked me, if I could do absolutely anything I wanted, without restrictions or distractions or other obligations getting in the way, what would it be.

I had to think for a minute, and shoo away the thoughts of  sleeping, lounging by the ocean and sitting in a cafe’ somewhere in a foreign country sipping coffee all day!

But after those delicious thoughts were moved aside, it occurred to me that I might actually know what my passion is.

The problem is – my life simply would not allow me the time, the concentration or the opportunity.

I think…

It’s something I need to ponder a bit; something I need to figure out and see if I can find a way to work it into my life.

So, I am asking you, dear readers and listeners, if you could do anything; if you could follow your passion and make it your life, what would you do?

I think we all need to answer this question. Please, leave me a comment and tell me what you think.  Perhaps you are already living the dream.  Perhaps you have found and incorporated your passion – how did you do it?

I can’t wait to hear from you.

~MuMo Dawn

So last night I discovered a way cool work out.  Well, one “move” anyway.  If you want strong thighs, this is great for building those muscles, and your kid(s) will love it too.

I was in the kitchen cleaning up and my Kiddo (5yrs) was bugging me.  He is always an attention monger around bedtime – he tries his hardest to soak up as much of us as he can get before the day is through.  So he was in the kitchen too, underfoot and play fighting with me by punching me in the “keister”. (lol! His word, not mine.)  I was trying to be playful instead of annoyed – all part of my current challenge to be softer towards my son in stead of always being “mean mommy”, and so I was backing into him and bumping him around the kitchen.  He thought it was great fun, and so he escalated the play fighting and tried to grab me around the waist (when did he get so tall??).

When he did, I grabbed his hands and hoisted him up on my back just above my hips.  Holding him there, I bounced him up and down by doing some semi squats.  Talk about burning those thigh muscles! OUCH!  I ended up doing about 5 sets of 10 squats while we played, and today my thighs are killing me.

So, if you need a good workout that keeps the kids entertained, try that move out for a good upper leg workout.

I’m here for you mommas!
MuMo Dawn

Welcome Company Girls! Come on in, kick off your shoes, and grab a toasty mug.  I’m so glad you stopped by.  Today I am home!  No gym, no piano practice, no swim practice, no grocery shopping just home.  Me and my untidy dirty but soon to be clean house.  Today I work on my house. I must clean this place or we’ll just have to move.  I feel like I’ve been going going going all week.  But for good reasons. I’ve been going to the gym, DD had a pilgrim play, book fair and Thanksgiving lunch at school.  I was involved in all three.  I’m being a good mom this week  DS had a family cooking night with his school that we attended on Tuesday evening.  The kids have so much fun making things and “cooking”.  So this week has been full for me so my house has been overlooked and today is the day it gets some of my attention.

This Sunday will be mine and my hubby’s 12 anniversary.  We’ve lined up a sitter and we’re going out tomorrow night.  Not sure exactly but it will involve food, and  possibly a movie, live music, bookstore, coffee shop or some combination of the four.  I’m excited to have a date night with hubby, it’s been awhile.

I’ve also been WAY excited counting down the days to the “New Moon” midnight showing happening in just 6 days!!!  My Twihard gal pals and I have been planning our tailgating party.  :)  Yes we are total Twinerds and we’re proud!

Musing Mommies have been participating in NaBloPoMo and I’m proud to say we’re doing a great job blogging everyday.  It is challenging and I like it!  I’ve also been participating over at my personal “photography” blog, with a few actual text post thrown in here and there.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and healthy week.

~Kim

Hey there Company Girls!

Hope you all had a great week. Mine has been pretty uneventful.  The kids are driving me nuts as usual.  The baby learned how to climb up on our playscape to the slide platform, and in doing that he has given me mini heart attacks almost every day.

On Wednesday he had an unexplained fever most of the day.  I have no idea why, but hopefully it is not the start of anything.  I can’t handle an illness in the family right now.

Happy Anniversary to my cohost Kim! I wish you many more happy years!

Have a good weekend! Thanks for stopping by!
~Dawn

I have a love/hate relationship with Grocery shopping!  I like to go by myself. I do not like going with the kids.  It’s just not fun or even very productive when they are with me.  So I schedule shopping when they are at school.  Now I like to browse, when I have time, up and down the isles reading ingredients and doing some comparison shopping. I also like to listen to my ipod. I get in some good podcast, audiobook, or music time in and it makes the trip more enjoyable.  I also like to go prepared. I try my best not to forget my reusable bags and my Cozi shopping list.

Now what really irks me is when I can’t find something I really need/want.  Like the special holiday creamer!  Why is it that out of the four grocers that I have closest to me only one of them has it in stock?  Grrr now I love my HEB and there are three very close to me. My fav being the furthest away. The HEB Plus and the older less attractive and smallest HEB being the closest. I really do not enjoy shopping at the old HEB. But for some reason they are the ONLY one carrying the special creamer right now.  Yet at the checkout I am printed a nice little coupon for this special creamer.  Doesn’t make sense to me. Here is a coupon but we won’t have it in stock for a couple of weeks.

So how do you feel about grocery shopping?  Do you love it?  Hate it? Won’t do it?  Or are you indifferent?

~Kim

That creamer is hard to find anywhere.  Every year it is a scramble to find the bottles in the stores.  And the stores don’t put it in the most obvious of places either.  They still can’t keep it on the shelves.

But shopping in general, yes, I love me some alone shopping time.  Shopping with the kids is a hassle.  Just to keep them happy you have to get the massive cart that is impossible to steer.  You have to bring snacks and beverages and 99% of the time I can’t just get what I came for because at some point I will get talked into buying something for the kids.  It is so nice to go alone and skip the toy grabber games at the end; to push the small cart or even, *gasp* carry a hand basket!  It is fun to peruse the specialty item section without having to worry about the baby pulling a pricey bottle of truffle oil off the shelves.

But, like Kim, I do hate it the most when the one item I go in for isn’t there. Grrr!

~Dawn

The other night I invited some of “the girls” over, including MuMo Dawn, to watch the newly released “The Haunted Airman”. Since Robert Pattinson won most of our hearts with his Edward portrayal in Twilight the movie, it’s the least we can do to watch his other movies. Right?

This movie is not what I would consider a good movie.  I’m sorry RPattz.  But I will say that I think he is really a good actor.  Just because the story line wasn’t the best doesn’t mean that RP didn’t shine.

This is a movie about a wounded war vet that is haunted by his dreams. He often sees things that aren’t actually there.  His girlfriend isn’t what we think she is.  His Doc is a bit creepy to say the least and the other patients, we’ll they seem fairly CRAZY.

In short, this movie isn’t very good, but if you need an younger RP fix, rent it, turn the sound down and gaze the screen when RP is on.

~Kim

Ok, I am going to chime in here. I agree with MuMo Kim about the movie – blech.  The only way it was remotely enjoyable was because the gals were there too laughing and making funny comments.   And as for RP, well I am so very sorry but from what I have seen of him so far I am not entirely sure he’s that great of an actor.  Maybe he will get better with experience, but in this performance, well, honestly, he was Edward.  It was the same character! And maybe that had a lot to do with the story line, but take out the constant cigarette smoking and the accent in this film and I half expected Bella to walk in the door at any moment.

JMO. Sorry Kim.

~Dawn

Welcome girls!  I’ve just purchased some vanilla spiced rum creamer so grab a mug and test it out.

This week at DD’s school has been the “say no to drugs” week.  Every day it’s was a new theme.  Today was Literacy Day. Dress up as your favorite book character (they don’t allow the Halloween costume thing so this is the “best” option). Here is DD dressed as Junie B. Jones the boss of Lunch:

Happy and Safe Halloween to all!

Happy Friday Company Girls!
It’s been a pretty decent week here. The weather hasn’t been cooperative, but I can’t exactly complain.  At least it hasn’t been 100 degrees and my garden has been getting plenty of water.  I am now beginning to harvest green beans, the peas are blooming and the zucchini are making their debut.  I am looking forward to harvesting lima beans in a few weeks and the start of some peppers.

I made an amazing dinner the other night using lots of fresh basil from my garden for some homemade pesto – it was absolutely divine!

This weekend should be a blast; Hubby, the kids and I will be attending a big Halloween party. I hope the kids hold out through the night. It will be our first Halloween in a different location, but for some reason I still bought a bunch of candy!! Old habits die hard I guess.

Hope you all have a spooktacular Halloween!  Feel free to scroll down and check out our 2 giveaways! If you are in Texas, you could enter to win a $20 HEB gift card! We are also giving away some pink Breast Cancer Awareness goodies for our October MuMo giveaway.

Looking forward to checking out all of your posts as well. Thanks for stopping by!
~Dawn