Freelancing Momma

Friday Smile

I don't really read that much anymore. For some reason, it's much more appealing to watch seven consecutive episodes of Storage Wars lately than it is to crack open a book.

This is something I'm hoping to change.

So, this past weekend, Hubby announced he would be heading to Indigo in preparation for a family cottage weekend. There was rain in the forecast, so we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to curl up with a good book!

I started to scan Amazon for potential titles I might like, but then got distracted with some baby-related thing, and forgot to send him my list of favourites. It didn't matter. He's a great book picker-outer, and managed to find something I loved anyway: Let's Pretend this Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson (aka The Blogess).

It seemed appropriate, with my newfound love of blogging. I've literally laughed out loud at more than a few parts. If you're looking for a good (totally quirky/weird) book, I'd check it out.

Happy Friday!

Crying over car seats

One of Adelaide's first trips in her ugly brown car seat.

There are a lot of things about motherhood that have caught me off guard. Like how Mommy Brain can affect your ability to spell. And how hard it is to cry in front of a little person who has no idea what "sad" means.

But the most surprising aspect of motherhood, to me, is how every milestone your child passes is over-the-top emotional. Like switching car seats.

Adelaide recently approached the weight capacity of her infant car seat, so we bought her a new, fancy toddler one, which resembles a miniature La-Z-Boy.

That part wasn't emotional. I was actually eager to get her a new one, because her old one was covered in vomit stains from when we first started her on solid foods, and thought it was smart to give her a full breakfast before a long car ride.

Anyway, I pulled out the instructions for the La-Z-Boy 5000 in the living room and diligently studied them as Adelaide gleefully became acquainted with her new seat. She seemed to love it and nestled right in, kicking back in front of the TV. Perfect!

When I felt I had a good grasp of the installation procedure, and all the belts in the right slots, I headed out to remove the old vomitty one. That's when things got a little teary.

I took the old seat out of its base, and remembered how Adelaide used to be light enough that we could carry her in the seat with one arm. In fact, this was the very seat we carried her home from the hospital in...with her little head cushion to prevent her tiny noggin from flopping around.

I remembered the day I picked out that car seat -- pregnant and grumpy -- trying to use the leftover wedding money on our Bay gift card. The problem was that I couldn't find a car seat that came by itself -- they were all part of monster stroller combos -- except this ugly brown plaid one that didn't seem to have enough cushioning. I was terrified that my future baby would have a sore bum travelling in this thing, but I bought it anyway. And then contemplated returning it for the next two weeks.

And then, of course, I remembered installing it. In a Milestones parking lot. In the summer heat. Brad dripping sweat as he kneeled into the base with all his body weight so that it was in there. Snug.

As I removed the carseat base, a small patch of dried-up vomit revealed itself, and I just lost it. I don't really know why. It just seemed really sad, for some reason.

When I was able to collect myself, I grabbed a cloth and thoroughly scrubbed down the seat. I threw out the little star puffs that had accumulated, and cleaned out all the crumbs in the seat crevices. And then I installed the new car seat.

It was a lot easier this time around.

I have to admit, it looked good -- way better than the old one. And it had more than enough cushioning. I congratulated myself on a job well done, threw the old seat into the trunk and closed the door. 

And just like that, I was over it.

 

The best chocolate chip cookies. Ever.

So, the other day, this cookie image found its way onto my Facebook timeline:

In case you were wondering, those are Nutella-stuffed Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yeah. Crazy.

You can thank the genius Monique at Ambitious Kitchen for that...and for the extra 10 lbs that are bound to collect around your butt and thighs after you eat them.

Obviously I had to make these and, since my best friend's birthday had just passed, I thought what better occasion than a belated birthday gift?

I'm not quite sure I was successful at browning the butter (I was really worried about it burning, so it was still pretty yellow when I took it off the heat), but it didn't seem to matter.

They were as delicious as they sound. The Nutella definitely added an amazingness to the cookie, but I might even say the coarse salt made it.

I gave my BFF half the batch and I threw the rest in the freezer...you know, so I don't eat them all at once. Right now, I think I have about four left. I made them on Tuesday.

(Photo by Ambitious Kitchen)

Friday Smile

Have you heard the Parent Rap yet? If not, you have to check it out. We're still a solo-child family, but a lot of the lines ring true for us none the less!

 

Happy Friday!

My $10 voice recorder

For a long time, I was anti-voice recorder.

Handwritten notes, I believed, were good enough when it came to writing journalistic articles. They forced me to focus on the interview (rather than drift off, confident in the fact that the voice recorder would catch all the boring stuff) and the batteries never died on a notepad.

The thing is, a while ago I ran into an issue where a source told me something which turned out to be completely false. I had my notes to prove it, but a voice recording would have been a lot better. In addition, my most recent writing assignment is a Q&A, and you kind of need exact wording for one of those.

So, since I pawned my old voice recorder a long time ago and wasn't ready to buy a new one, I instead opted to buy a $10 app on iTunes. Record Phone Calls by the Blue Square Group, in fact. 

Can I just say, it's really awesome? And I didn't have to spend a boatload on a new recorder, and all the attachments necessary to hook it up to my phone.

Sweet!

(photo by Rayparnova)

Flank Steak Fajitas

I've been seriously slacking on the recipe front. Sorry. I just haven't made anything fun and exciting lately.

The flank steak fajita is one of my go-to beef dishes -- for days when I'm particularly unimaginative and lazy. I like it because it's relatively quick, and I usually have most of the ingredients in my fridge...except for sour cream. We're always out of sour cream.

But I digress. Anyway, I'm not really selling it very well. It's delicious. And a big hit at our house.

Ingredients

1 Flank steak

Soft tortilla shells

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c soy sauce

garlic

salt

pepper

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow onion

cheddar cheese

salsa 

sour cream

Fajita Seasoning:

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Preparation

Mix together olive oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cut slits in the flank steak (against the grain, one inch apart) and pour the mixture over it. Let it marinate for a couple of hours.

Combine all the fajita seasoning spices together.

Directions

Cut the flank steak in half. Heat a cast iron skillet (or whatever frying pan you have) on medium high heat. When it's hot, throw the flank steak on -- 5 minutes per side. Repeat with the second half of the flank steak. Put the meat aside.

Cut the red and green peppers lengthwise into strips. Cut up the onion and throw all the veggies into the skillet with some olive oil over medium heat. Stir often until everything is soft...just shy of the perfect fajita consistency.

When the veggies are just about done, cut the meat into strips and throw them in there too. Add the fajita seasoning and a cup of water and let everything simmer until all the liquid is just about absorbed.

While that's going on, take the opportunity to grate some cheese...and set out the salsa and sour cream.

And there you have it. Fajita Night!

Raising a Family: City vs Suburbs

When Adelaide was four weeks old, I took her down the street to introduce her to the wonders of Tim Horton's.

While she was still a little too young to enjoy a Double Double, that didn't stop me from grabbing a seat on the patio, with a coffee and bagel in hand, and enjoying the last few remnants of summer.

Keep in mind, here, that I was a brand new mom. Like, BRAND new. My paranoia radar was not yet fully established, and my momma instincts were a little muted by sleep deprivation. As a result, I had Adelaide's stroller facing out -- for all the world to see -- rather than tucked in a corner facing me. 

Halfway through my bagel, a gentleman (I'd say early-to-mid 30s?) peeked his head around and looked into the stroller. I offered him a closed-mouth smile (yes, I did produce a super cute baby, didn't I?) and, before I even knew what was happening, watched the unthinkable happen.

He squeezed. Her. Head. 

Until she cried.

Then, without saying a word or even looking at me, he walked away. Just like that.

Now, obviously I ran after him, grabbed him, asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. It's kind of a blur to me now, but I must have caused quite the fuss because a crowd soon formed around us, with quite a few people jumping to my rescue. Say what you want about society, but when a baby is in some sort of jeopardy, people step up. 

Someone asked me if the baby was okay...but I had no idea. How would I know if his hand crushed her brain? How would I know if she was permanently disabled? She was four weeks old!

In any case, it turned out she was fine. And the gentleman in question was autistic. His mother had walked a few steps too far ahead of him, and didn't notice his interest in my baby. While I obviously don't blame him, or her, it opened my eyes to the hazards of living with a baby in the city. 

Since then, I've come very close to having a homeless/drunk/mentally ill man throw us into oncoming traffic. And we've had garbage thrown at us by a mentally ill woman at the CNE this year. My friend was beaten with a suitcase by a mentally ill lady who didn't like how my friend's baby was looking at her. 

It's funny, but I really don't remember anything like that happening before I got pregnant. Maybe I just didn't notice it?

Which leads us to the whole city versus suburbs debate. We would be fooling ourselves if we thought I could run an at-home business and raise a family in a one-plus-den condo. At some point, even though we don't want to, we'll have ot move. Whether it's somewhere else in the city, or off in the boring suburbs, is what's up for debate.

Both of us love the city, for different reasons. I love the walkability, the excitement, the endless array of things to do -- not to mention the fact that it's a lot easier to meet clients and potential clients when I'm on a TTC line. Brad loves the proximity to sports venues, and the fact that we're close to all our friends. Either way, it's always been a dream of ours to live downtown, and we're still not ready to give it up. 

That being said, unless Toronto housing prices take a significant dip in the near future -- with our place miraculously increasing in value -- I'm not sure I'm a fan of the places we may end up living. The neighbourhoods in our budget are typically "in transition", and the homes we can afford are usually older places with water/mould issues and severe renovation needs. We are not handy people, so this will probably end up costing us more money than most. 

My husband argues that the suburbs aren't any safer. That the situation mentioned above could happen there too. I disagree. As a former Richmond Hill resident, I know that it's way too difficult to get around in the suburbs. Not only would I likely not be enjoying a coffee on a Tim Horton's patio out there (instead, I'd be sipping it in my car after going through the drive through), but there would be significantly less foot traffic -- which means less pedestrians  just waiting to squeeze my baby's head. 

I'm sure we're not the only city-loving folk out there who have these same concerns. Has anyone else gone through this? What was your final decision?

Friday Smile

I didn't realize how many amazing blogs were out there until I started my own. I'm constantly in awe of the amazing, funny people on the Internets...my favourite, lately, being Amber Dusick of CrappyPictures.com.

There have been plenty of days in the last few weeks when I've turned to her for a laugh. I encourage you to do the same. My favourite post right now is Toddler Diaper Changes. I HATE changing Adelaide's diaper ever since she discovered the art of rolling over while covered in poo. It's so frustrating. Thankfully, Amber is able to see the humour in it...and allows me to see it, too.

Happy Friday!

Pet Peeve #372: Street Marketing

I'm navigating my stroller through a crowded Toronto sidewalk, anticipating the best route to avoid the slow-walkers while simultaneously avoiding being run down by the late-for-work crowd, when all of a sudden:

"WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO EAT A MARSHMALLOW?"

A girl jumps in front of me, seemingly out of nowhere, overly cheerful and -- more annoyingly -- messing with the flow of pedestrian traffic. I just missed my opportunity to pass the slow-walking couple holding hands in front of me.

Grrr!!

Nevermind. I move to veer around her -- half contemplating how to answer her question (there's more than one way to eat a marshmallow?) -- when, once again, I'm cut off by a similarly-uniformed person, this time a dude.

"WHAT'S YOUR KID'S NAME???"

Um...what?

Without slowing down, I politely tell him that I'm not really comfortable sharing that information with a complete stranger. He shouts after me: "Oh, come on!!! Really???" -- as if I'M the one asking HIM ridiculous questions.

The people in question are "street canvassers" -- they're helping raise money for Plan Canada's "Because I am a Girl" campaign. They're students who are trying to earn some money while making a difference in the world. I find them super annoying.

I'm not a marketing expert in the sense that I went to school for it or anything, but I am a consumer, which I believe gives me enough street cred to determine when a marketing technique is effective and when it isn't. And this type of street marketing is not. 

Plan Canada isn't the only charity that resorts to this type of marketing -- I've been bombarded by people representing Sick Kids, World Wildlife Fund...even TV Ontario. I've never given them money, or bothered to go online and look up their website after a street encounter. Mainly because they leave a bad taste in my mouth.

When I have helped companies with their marketing materials, I've found the most effective strategies tend to be the ones that actually put themselves in their target audience's shoes and give their audience what they want. Grant Thornton, for whom I've done some work, does a lot of thought leadership pieces that do just that -- offering pertinent material to help their clients. From a charity standpoint, I think the Kony 2012 did an amazing job of getting the word out about its cause. But an even simpler strategy could revolve around first-hand experiences. For example, I think the best marketing Sick Kids has is through its patients -- like this blog, written by an acquaintance of mine. 

I think the Because I am a Girl campaign is pretty amazing -- and it deserves to be marketed way better. Why not organize some low-cost events for little girls around the GTA -- like an intro to soccer clinic or a story time/literacy meet-up?

BasicallyI think the most effective marketing strategies abide by the old mantra, "Show, don't tell". Show people why your company is great, or what your charity is doing, or why you're the best in a certain field. 

Don't tell me to listen to you. And don't ask me super annoying questions.

My Quest to Social Media Ninja-dom: September

The world of freelance writing is changing, and I've realized that if I'm going to keep my job (which, in my opinion, is the best job in the world), I'm going to have to improve my social media skills.

Don't get me wrong, I have a pretty good understanding of what social media is (come on, I'm old but I'm not THAT old), I'm just not as great as I'd like to be from a social media marketing standpoint. 

For example, I'm a Facebook addict in my personal life, but I haven't really mastered it on a professional front (to be honest, I'm not sure I totally believe Facebook is the best platform to promote a business...but I'm starting to change my mind on this slowly). I also tweet from time-to-time on a personal level (mostly about the Blue Jays), but I haven't become quite as addicted to this tool as, say, my husband who is a borderline Twitter fanatic.

This is all changing, however. Since writing this post on becoming a more consistent blogger, I have to admit I'm actually starting to enjoy my daily social media breaks. It's become a sort of ritual...something I do while easing into my morning routine. Setting a time limit isn't a problem since I can only virtually socialize while the baby is napping, and Hootesuite is honestly the best tool ever invented (and they're not paying me to say that). It's changed the way I interact online because I can access all my different social media accounts from one platform, and schedule Tweets and updates ahead of time. It's honestly amazing.

So with a few of my social media goals realized, I'm going to add a few more to my list. I plan on doing this every month, and update my loyal followers accordingly. My goal is to actually get followers to this blog, as well as some traction on my Twitter account (and, eventually, other outlets).

Despite the fact that September is almost halfway done, these are my goals for the month:

1) Try to schedule my Tweets so that I'm Tweeting at least something every day. I try to get something in most days, but the days that I'm not feeling well or the baby isn't napping or my life is just in upheaval haven't been as successful.

2) Abide by the 4:1 ratio. This is an idea that came to me from the SmallBizLady (if you're not following her blog, or her Twitter account, you have to). She suggests retweeting other people's material in a 4:1 ratio of your own as a way to increase your following. I'm eager to see if this works.

3) Tweet original content three times a day. Again, this is from teh SmallBizLady. She argues that all your followers can't possibly see your blog posts if you only tweet them once a day.

Alright, I'll keep you posted and let you know how this goes! Next month I'm going to be attending the ShesConnected Social Media Conference so hopefully I'll get some good tidbits from that.

Social Media Ninja-dom, here I come!