By Guest Blogger Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff

When I was young, no one told me what to expect out of life. They’d just say life is filled with ups and downs, so you gotta learn to roll with the punches. Good advice? Maybe. But what if all you needed to do was invest in what you have, trust your gut, go after what you want, and have fun doing it?

I graduated with a degree in Communications. I then climbed the professional ladder and landed a high pressure, demanding job in Public Relations for the International Air Transport Association. In the midst of it, I met an amazing man and got married.

From the very moment my husband Jay and I decided to share our lives together, we were faced with serious decisions. Jay suffers from cystic fibrosis, so a regular 9-5 job would be difficult since he would likely spend lots of time in the hospital. It then became our priority to shape our life in a certain way, so that we could deal with unexpected hospitalizations.

Building a family was also something we both wanted for ourselves. And being a carrier of the gene myself, this meant that we needed to turn to adoption to prevent our child from living with the disease. We did, twice, and I am so grateful for it.

I’d always been very passionate about traveling, a perk of my PR job. I remember going on business trips, and scurrying around cities looking for those little shops that would sell fun, funky and unique products I could bring back as souvenirs.

One morning it hit me. What if I opened up that little shop I was always looking for when traveling?! I knew there’d be major upsides in terms of making my own schedule – a real concern given my husband’s illness. Having our own business also meant that either Jay or I could be home with the children at all times, a choice that proved to be very important as our young daughters adapted to a new world.

The result was Mortimer Snodgrass, then a 500 sq ft gift store.

As with any new business, the process of starting up was a challenge. People would tell me we were crazy, especially with little to no knowledge of how to run a retail store. The business grew and we had to learn to rely on our staff more and more when Jay’s life challenges threw us curveballs.

Through it all, optimism, our passion and our complementary skillsets fueled us. And by surrounding ourselves with an excellent manager and good staff, we have been able to keep our family as the priority.

Now, ten years later, I can certainly say this was amongst the best decisions of my life!

Mortimer Snodgrass

In the process as a mompreneur, I have learned a few lessons about life and business. Here is what I know:

1) Bring YOU into your biz

Our store is really an extension of us. We always say that everything we sell is something we would either buy for ourselves, or for our friends. Your identity influences the business you create. Embrace this!

2) Trust your instincts

Ten years in, we have never done research, and have rarely sought and paid for professional opinions. Every business decision we have made, from renting space to choosing products has been pure instinct. We trust our gut and it has worked almost every time.

3) Love it or leave it

You’ve heard this before, but the fact is, whatever you take on won’t be successful unless you absolutely love what you do. We play to our strengths and split the work accordingly. This allows us to go to work and LOVE what we do. It’s essential!

4) The people make the environment

Dealing with rude suppliers, impolite staff and angry types negatively affects you and your business. The beauty is you get to choose whom you conduct business with. If you work well with someone, it’s worth nurturing those relationships. In the long run, everyone will be better off.

5) Treating staff right pays dividends

We’ve all had horrible bosses. Don’t be one. We’ve found that the more we open up to our staff, the more likely they are to go above and beyond for us. They embrace the spirit of our store, stick around longer and put more energy in their work.

So say thanks. When you catch staff doing something right, praise them!

6) Failing is fine (and inevitable)

Mistakes are one of the best forms of education out there. Don’t beat yourself up when they occur. We’ve ordered the wrong products, rented the wrong spaces, but I cannot imagine where we’d be if we had not committed these errors, and learned from them.

7) You cannot please everyone

Regardless of what you do, how good your service is, the effort you put into something, sometimes the result is still a disgruntled customer. Don’t waste time worrying about this. You cannot please everyone. Trying to means you’ll end up pleasing no one.

Entrepreneurship’s schedule is a blessing and a curse

Starting a new business? All the power to you! Just understand the schedule is both amazing (i.e. – you make it) and awful (i.e. – the buck stops with you and only you can handle certain situations that can arise). It does not come with an “off” switch. So, while we’ve been able to eat dinner together as a family frequently, there have been times where we have had to drop everything and deal with the business.

9) Hard decisions are hard, but need to be made quickly

We’ve all had to fire someone, or drop a long-term supplier whose products aren’t selling anymore. Letting these types of matter percolate too long does nothing to solve the problem. Get on with the tough stuff.

10) There are no rules.

Ten years later we still have no business plan. We get up everyday, we work hard, we have fun, and we laugh with our staff, and with our customers. Sometimes, we cry a little too. But we love it, that is all that matters!

Because after all, what is life without loving what you do, and who you’re doing it with?

~Virginia

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 About Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff…

Virginia and Jay Sokoloff

Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff is the co-owner (with her husband Jay Sokoloff) of Mortimer Snodgrass, a funky and unique gift store in Montreal, Canada that celebrated it’s 10th anniversary in October 2011. Now located in a central mega-store in Old Montreal and online, Mortimer Snodgrass continues to provide fun, funky and unique gifts to tourists, lifelong Montrealers, visiting celebrities (Halle Berry is a fan of the store) and customers as far away as Chile. Though Mortimer, the now 11-year-old dog that inspired the shop’s name, has retired from the daily grind of greeting customers, Virginia’s two young daughters love helping out around the shop.

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Tell us, if you’re a mompreneur, what have you learned along the way about life and business? Share your tips here…

xoxEDxox

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• Being A MOMpreneur Is Big Business
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• Making Your Passion Your Paycheck

I almost feel like this would be the name of a great blog. Yes, a blog about the musings of a beer drinking, ass-kicking hockey team– you know, HangoversAndHockey.com. But sadly, no. You’re still at WomenOnTheFence.com. It’s still the same me– the same go-getting, inspirational diva, just wrecked after a weekend of over-drinking and over-arena attending. But hey, what would life be like if you ONLY walked a straight line, right?

Friday night marked the beginning of a big intercity hockey tournament weekend for my 8 year old son. It was again, another weekend that our family would NOT be skiing, and would not see the light of day. We’re talking 2-3 games per day if the team advances through the rankings. See right there, I’m already starting the weekend a little p-‘d off. The ongoing argument every weekend goes something like this:

Me- WE MUST SKI.

My husband – BOYS MUST PLAY HOCKEY.

It’s a battle I see that will be following us for many years to come.

But the team won Friday night. They won Saturday morning. And that meant, they were advancing through the ranks to play Saturday night. Saturday night we had our good friends’ 90^th birthday party. Yes, he turned 50, she turned 40, and they celebrated together. Love that. I understood that my husband had to take my son to the game (which was 40 minutes away), and that he would come late to the party.

But what happened while I was there with my girlfriends alone? We were simply congregating around the oyster bar in the back, and before we knew it, someone was pouring oyster shots. Yes, how disgustingly gross does that sound? If you read this blog, you know, I love my one glass of Cabernet. If I’m feeling wild, I’ll go for another half a glass. But somehow, some waiter or husband saw seven yummy mummies standing around chatting , and decided we needed straight vodka shots with a little slimy oyster at the bottom of the glass. I cringed, but figured I’d try. At this point, I’d already had a glass of wine in me.

Three shots later, I was feeling goooood. Like, really good. Understand, I NEVER drink vodka. I never drink anything beyond wine. So, on an empty stomach, this 5’8”,  117 pounds body was doing…. well…. you know… not very well.

My husband arrived, and we had a great time. I didn’t drink anything else the rest of the night. I started to come back into my body around 10pm, and was like, “Gee, I’m fine.”

I woke up Sunday morning, and was like, “Gee, I’m still fine. Fantastic!” My hubby left early with my son for his hockey game. The team had won their Saturday night game too, and were advancing to the semi-finals on Sunday. But then, driving to the game with my little one, I started to sweat. Sweat like you’ve never seen. And I started to get nauseous. REALLY nauseous. Desperate, I ate the banana bread in my purse that was there for MY SON. I admit, not my finest moment.

I walked into the dressing room with my sunglasses on my husband took one look at me and said “What the hell is up with you? There are kids here.” Well, I was officially hungover.  For first time since college. And it wasn’t pretty. One of the dad’s looked at me and so nicely offered some great advice, “Go get a hot dog and fries. The grease will absorb the alcohol.” Oy, I was officially busted.

I then walked into the arena to watch the game. My parents, father in law and hubby followed, and we watched the team lose 2-0. They were crushed. They were out of the tournament. My son had also been given a penalty in the first period, and the other team had scored while he was in the penalty box. He was in the dressing room trying to hold it together, but the tears they were a’ comin’. I sat next to him, but he didn’t speak. He just covered his eyes with his jersey. I sat quietly next to him, not saying a word. I just rubbed his back.

So, why a blog about hockey and hangovers you might ask?

Because, there were lessons to be learned after a weekend spent nauseated at an arena. In the process I realized a few things:

• This hockey thing that has taken over our family, will serve my boys well later on in life. Activity will keep them healthy, fit, and God willing, off the streets and off drugs. And that goes for gymnastics, basketball, or whatever sport your kid is doing all the time.
• I learned that trying new things is good. Trying bad new things in moderation is good too, because it will be a while before I put a slimy oyster vodka drink near my mouth again. I realized– what is life if you don’t experiment and walk on the edge every now and then? Being bad can be fun. But being bad doesn’t MAKE you bad.
• I learned that losing is character building. It’s all fun and games when you’re winning. But the true test is how to carry on when you’re defeated. While defeat is disappointing, it builds character and sets you up to succeed the next time. That’s if you learn the lesson. I let my son cry – he was allowed to own that. He was allowed to mourn the loss. I let him. And then, carry on. Move forward.
• I learned that motherhood is the ultimate act of selflessness. What a mother won’t do for her child. She’ll go without to make sure her children don’t have to. She’ll hide her pain in the face of her cublings to show strength. She’ll walk to the ends of the earth for her babies. She’ll run here, there and everywhere, as Dr Seuss said it best. And demand nothing in return. Motherhood is a tribe. A group. If you’re in it, you get it. And while there’s no rulebook, making it tough to navigate at times, to be a part of it, is to be blessed.

So, you see. This weekend wasn’t such a bust after all. Alcohol and losing proved to be quite insightful.

I’d love to know what insights you’ve learned lately. Do you think the day you become a mother is the day you have to stop having fun? Aren’t moms allowed to have fun too? Does it make us unfit? I’d love your take.

Happy Monday lovely ladies!

xoxEDxox

Other articles you might enjoy:

• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Off The Fence
• Taking A Little “ME” Time
• “What’s for dinner, honey?” Solving the Dinner Dilemma
• Wisdom Wednesday: When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

By Guest Blogger Jeffrey Zaslow

There’s a very old saying: “Every time a marriage takes place, a new world is created.”

In 2012, does this sound impossibly quaint? Does it sound naïvely romantic?

We all know about the odds for divorce today. We’ve seen how little the marriage vows can mean in the Kardashian Age. Indeed, a recent Pew Research poll shows that 39 percent of Americans now believe marriage is becoming “obsolete.” That’s up from 28 percent who felt that way in 1979.

And yet, at a small-town bridal shop in the American Midwest, I found reasons for hope.

As a journalist and the father of three girls, I set out last year to write a nonfiction book reflecting on the love we all wish for our daughters. I recognized that I needed a place to set the book, a place with great emotion. I considered many possibilities. Maybe I’d visit maternity wards, dance studios, daddy-daughter date nights, or spas where mothers and daughters go to bond. But then my wife suggested I find a bridal shop. Maybe that would be a place to set my story.

“There’s something about a wedding dress…” she said.

I was willing to go anywhere in the country to find the right store and the right stories. My search ended in the tiny, one-stoplight town of Fowler, Mich., a place with just 1,100 residents — and 2,500 wedding dresses. It has more bridal gowns per capita than anywhere in the United States.

Fowler is home to Becker’s Bridal, a 77-year-old institution on Main Street. It’s been run for all those years by the same family – a great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and daughter.

The store is housed in a stone structure that was once a bank, and since 1934, more than 100,000 brides have made a pilgrimage here. After they select the dress they think might be “the one,” they’re invited to step inside what used to be the old bank vault. A ten-foot-by-eight-foot space with mirrors designed to carry a bride’s image into infinity, it’s called “The Magic Room,” and with good reason. Brides and their parents routinely melt into tears there, as they reflect on all the moments that led them to that dress, that room, that moment.

And so I set out to write a book about the brides who’ve stepped into that special space. I came to Fowler not just to write about wedding gowns and what they represent. I came to understand the women wearing them, their fears and yearnings, and through them, tell a larger story about the love between parents and daughters today.

We live in an age when TV reality shows – Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas – have drawn attention by showcasing the frenzied pursuit of the wedding dress. These programs are often framed like sporting events, with brides bickering and dickering toward a finished line marked by their selection of a dress.

Some of this goes on at Becker’s, too, of course.  But I resolved to pay less attention to brides I met whose motives seemed somewhat frivolous, the ones more focused on their dresses than their upcoming marriages. Instead I wanted to find brides whose paths here were not necessarily easy, but who have given great thought to the love that guides and connects them.

I wanted to illuminate the most poignant aspects of a woman’s journey to the altar. The stories I share in my book are more than mere tales of brides-to-be – they’re illustrations of the ways in which all parents wish their daughters will go through life safe, happy and surrounded by love. I was reminded of the challenges young women face, of the ways in which sadness is so often intertwined with joy, and of the sweet possibilities that await them – or that may be beyond their grasp.

I guess I wanted to stand in the Magic Room with these families whose stories touched me the most, and while there, contemplate my feelings for my own daughters.

I learned a lot about bridal-gown shopping, but more about human nature.

Standing in their gowns in the Magic Room, a lot of brides find themselves thinking back to the wisdom shared by their mothers. One bride I met, Danielle, had lost her mother when she was a teenager. She wished her mother could be with her as she shopped for a dress, but she was buoyed by memories of her mother’s best advice.

Danielle’s parents were divorced; her father had been abusive to her mother. “I learned that you have to love yourself first,” her mother had told her. “You have to take care of yourself. You can’t love someone else until you love yourself.”

Danielle with her grandmother Cynda

“I love myself,” Danielle said, and that had strengthened her love for her fiancé.

In the Magic Room, I also met Erika, a fresh-faced young bride who is a throwback to another time. As a child, she had vowed to save her first kiss for the man she’d marry. She kept this promise, as did her three sisters.

The Hansen girls all vowed to save their kisses for the men they’d marry.

About 7 percent of the brides searching for gowns at Becker’s are pregnant. Another 25 percent of first-time brides already have children. And so, given the state of the unions today, I was very taken with the romantic Hansen sisters, each of whom had embraced the beauty in an uncommon patience. The choice is not for everyone, of course, but all of them found loving men who were willing to wait for something special.

The Hansen Sisters and their mother, Lynn

My time at Becker’s actually left me feeling optimistic. Yes, many of the brides I met will end up in marriages that won’t last. But I also saw a great deal of hope and love in that store. Indeed, I saw the genesis of many new worlds being created.

~Jeff

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About Jeffrey Zaslow

Through his Wall Street Journal column and bestselling books, Jeffrey Zaslow has told the stories of some of the most inspirational people of our time.

The Last Lecture, written by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, has been translated into 48 languages, and was #1 on best-seller lists worldwide. Five million copies have been sold in English alone, and the book has remained on The New York Times best-seller list for more than 112 weeks.

Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

In 2011, Jeff collaborated with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, veteran astronaut Mark Kelly, on their memoir, GABBY: A Story of Courage and Hope. The book was launched with a cover story in People magazine, and an hour-long ABC TV special hosted by Diane Sawyer. GABBY debuted near the top of the New York Times bestseller lists for both hardcovers and e-books.

Jeff’s 2009 book about female friendship, The Girls From Ames, spent 26 weeks on The New York Times list, rising to #3. People magazine named it one of the “Ten Best Books of the Year.” Lifetime Television is adapting the book for a movie.

Also in 2009, Jeff coauthored Highest Duty, the memoir of Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, who famously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River. Highest Duty debuted at # 3 on The New York Times list.

Jeff’s latest book, The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for our Daughters, discussed above, was just published in January 2012. The nonfiction narrative is set at a small-town Michigan bridal shop, and looks at the lives of a handful of brides (and their parents) who’ve journeyed to the store’s “Magic Room.”

Jeff’s Wall Street Journal column focuses on life transitions and often attracts wide media interest.

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists twice named him the best columnist in a newspaper with more than 100,000 circulation. In 2008, he received the Distinguished Column Writing Award from the New York Newspaper Publishers Association.

Jeff’s TV appearances have included The Tonight Show, Oprah, Larry King Live, 60 Minutes, The Today Show and Good Morning America.

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I’d love your thoughts. I was touched by Jeffrey’s story telling, and felt you didn’t only have to have daughters to appreciate the life lessons. What are YOUR memories of your wedding and the months leading up? Have a happy weekend!

xoxEDxox

Other articles you might enjoy:

• Remembering Randy Pausch
• A Marriage for the Ages
• Confession Time
• Four Things You Should Know About Men
• The State of Marriage and Divorce

As I’m preparing to wind down for a couple of weeks, I can’t help but reflect upon the past year. 2011 has been, well… one of the most interesting years of my life.

There were highs:

We took the kids to Disney World for the first time (it was my first time too).

The plane ride home

In January, I was named to the coveted list of The Top 20 Women in Canada.

My hubby and I celebrated over 10 happy years of marriage and over 15 years of being together.

I watched my children thrive in life and school. It took my breath away, many times over.

I got to hear one of my favorite women, Oprah Winfrey speak in person.

I traveled far and wide, for both business and pleasure, meeting the most incredible people along the way.

I became a radio correspondent.

I made Forbes Magazine, twice in one year – Women On The Fence was named Forbes Magazine’s Top 100 Sites for Women , and I was named Forbes Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Women Tweeting About Entrepreneurship.

I got to hang with one of my favorite entrepreneurs – Richard Branson.

Me and entrepreneur and philanthropist Richard Branson

I got to interview some incredibly dynamic women and share their life lessons with you– Mariel Hemingway, Christy Turlington, Holly Robinson Peete, Mackenzie Phillips, Jill Zarin, Ramona Singer and many more.

Mariel Hemingway

I watched my children grow taller before my eyes, entering 3rd grade, and pre-kindergarten.

I launched The Erica Diamond Jewelry Collection for Ice.com.

I shot my first TV pilot (still in the works).

A fitting

I co-chaired an evening for 650 women that went without a hitch.

I became a Spokesperson for some incredible Brands.

I was given an award for “Outstanding Achievement in Leadership”

I became the Spokesperson for National Entrepreneurship Day (a big deal for a die-hard, ass-working, entrepreneur gal like me).

I saw Women On The Fence become a registered trademark.

There were lows:

A breast cancer scare that sent me in a tailspin, but in the end, made me truly appreciate life so much more. And made me so grateful to have this community by my side.

I watched my son not make the A-team in hockey for the first time ever – and saw the disappointment is his eyes. It hurt something awful.

But then watched him make the A-team again this fall.

My husband got into a near-fatal car crash but lived to tell.

I had writer’s block.

I shared my hate mail – it was bad.

I confessed my frustrations.

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But that was the past – and the past is gone.

Now we look forward.  We look to a new year. I love a new year as much as I love a quarter-pounder-trio at Mc Donalds– A HELLUVA LOT. A new year represents new possibilities, new beginnings, a chance to start over, and get things right. But here is the truth: I haven’t yet tweaked my Bucket List (which I do every year), nor made one single resolution (which I usually do too). This year, I’ve turned a whole new leaf. I have decided to go through 2012 with no concrete plan at all. Yes.

WHAT you might ask?! This is so very irresponsible.

But as I reflect back upon my life, I know one thing – man plans, and God laughs. I planned to go to MBA School 13 years ago, but failed my GMATS and never got in. We plan in great detail, and life still throws us unexpected curveballs. Or better yet, the flipside- we expect the worst, and things just magically work out.

So this year, I became **GASP**  a believer and truster in the Universe. I’m no longer afraid.  I’ve seen life fall into place in ways I never could have planned. And I know that things happen the way they must – this goes for both the good and the bad in our life. Today, December 19th, 2011, we only know where we’ve been.  We can’t possibly know what the future holds for any of us. And that unknown is both scary and exhilarating. I do know that with hard work, passion and persistence, comes opportunity. And I also know, that without our health and family, nothing matters.

Yes, I have my vision board. I know the dream. But this year, I will not be so rigid. And I urge you, perhaps, to not be so rigid either.  In looking to the future, I challenge you to make your resolutions, make your Bucket Lists, your life plans. Make them. But pencil in a little room for failure.  When you leave room to slip, I truly believe that’s when your best self shows itself. Plan to succeed, but plan to fail. I have found failure to be game-changing.

And one more thing– in working my ass off in 2011, I also realized something else. We get do-overs in our careers, and actually in many things in life. But we don’t get do-overs as mothers and wives. Our children are small for a very short time, and we truly only get one chance to raise them right. No do-overs there. Same goes for our relationships. So a quick tongue, or a fast word can hurt. Remember: be kind, be generous, be loving, be playful, be forgiving, be honest.

You get out of life what you put in. Every time. No shortcuts.

I’d love to know what YOU realized in 2011, and what you hope for in 2012?

xoxEDxox

Other articles you might enjoy:

• Playing In Poop
• My One Goal for 2012
• Interview: Erica Diamond Goes One-On-One with Shira Lazar
• Women On The Fence named FORBES TOP 100 WEBSITES FOR WOMEN 2011
• Erica Diamond named ‘The Top 20 Women Of 2010′

Our school principal sent this in this week’s newsletter. I think it’s magic.

“I want to take this opportunity to remind us all, that to our own children, we are their role models and heroes. They look to us for guidance, support, encouragement and love. Children are always learning from the adults around them as the following poem so eloquently states:”

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.

You are your children’s most precious gift!

Wishing you and your children a beautiful day.

Today is my baby’s 5th birthday party– how the time is flying. **Sniff sniff**

xoxEDxox

Other articles you might enjoy:

• Raising a Child With a Backbone
• What Every Woman Should Have…
• Hangovers N’ Hockey
• Confession Time
• Tough Love: Yay or Nay?

I am thrilled and excited to announce that I will be the Brand Ambassador for Our Generation Dolls.

When I heard about this line for girls, I knew I was the right person to represent this brand and showcase it to my large audience of women and moms who have daughters, nieces, granddaughters and great granddaughters of their own.

A spokesperson for collectible dolls, you might ask? Well, these aren’t just any dolls. They have a unique and inspirational message to share.

Instead of putting it into my own words, I think the Our Generation Dolls (OG Dolls) story speaks best for itself.

“We are an extraordinary generation of girls. And have we got a story to tell.

Our Generation isn’t just about a doll or a book or even a fantastic miniature tea set. It’s about girls growing up together and creating the narrative of an extraordinary generation. And their parents who understand the pressures of being a girl more than any generation of parents before them.

Our Generation is about girls helping girls who are less fortunate because they want to and because they know they can. It’s about giving girls a voice to create and shape a community they love. About growing up with good self esteem and believing we can change the world.

We girls are a powerful force. We’re helping our families learn to recycle, holding bake sales to support charities, even holding penny drives to build homes for orphaned children in Haiti. We’re helping our little sisters learn to read and even making sure the new kid at school has a place to sit in the cafeteria. We’re writing books to help animal shelters, collecting dresses for girls who would have otherwise gone without and organizing golf tournaments to buy stuffed animals that make chemotherapy a little easier on the kids who have to go through it.

In between all that, we still find time to play hopscotch and hockey. To catch frogs, climb trees, do cartwheels all the way down the block and laugh with our friends until our juice comes out of our noses! You know, to be kids.

Yep. This is our time. This is our story.” – Our Generation

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So, now that you know what Our Generation stands for, I wanted to show you just a few of the super affordable, 18″ dolls for the beloved girls in your life. They horseback ride, they cheerlead, they ballet dance, they figure skate, they study hard at school, they have tea with a friend like mommy does, yes they even do laundry like mom does too, but most importantly, they have fun!

Lily Ann - an ordinary girl AND a horseback rider

Lily Ann packaged - all deluxe dolls come with an educational book too!

Evelyn - We learn how to be "in the limelight" for school plays. Evelyn comes with a book that even includes "12 Tips for Auditioning for a Play"

Gourmet Kitchen Set

We love to bake

We are cheerleaders

We figure skate

We like to dress up sometimes

We are sporty AND smart at school

We are active with different likes and talents

We dance ballet

We love tea parties

We pretend to own a salon

We can run a house and do laundry too

We love to go camping

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Plus they’re spotlighting some INCREDIBLE stories of girls doing AMAZING things in their communities. Check it out… http://ogdolls.com/og-girls

Do YOU know a girl doing great things in her community? -You can nominate an OG girl! Our Generation will feature their story on the website, on the back of the packaging and OG will also help fund their cause!

Click here

What a great holiday gift for the girls in your life, to teach them about being role models, and the next generation of powerful women.

To read more about the initiative that Our Generation is involved with, and how they’re giving back proceeds of their sales to Free The Children’s Power of a Girl Initiative, go to www.OGDolls.com

When I left Our Generation headquarters, I was blown away by the facilities and the team. These people love what they are doing and instead of just manufacturing dolls, they are really packaging dreams. I loved that.

To purchase any Our Generation Dolls, clothing, accessories and more, it’s easy – simply head to a Target near you, or as I like to call it, Tar-Jee. You can also visit Target online.

One of their other line of toys was also on The Ellen Show, watch the Meowsic! Lol!.

Happy Monday! We’re getting close to the holidays! I’m getting in the spirit.

Disclosure: I’m proud to be a paid OG Dolls Brand Ambassador.

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Alright. Today we’re getting down and dirty. Today, you are my priests, and I am sitting in your confession booth. (Alright, I’m not Catholic, but you get the picture).

Today is about thoughts, notions and ideas that I often wrestle with. I know that I am a devoted, good mother and wife, but sometimes, just sometimes, I take the shortcut. I feel like crap afterward, but in the moment, it sometimes feels like the only thing to do.

The purpose of my confession, is to get the conversation flowing. Am I alone? I am the only one in this world who feels this way? I’d like to know.

Soooo, here are Erica Diamond’s mom confessions, on the fence issues and dilemmas.

Confession #1: A video game can bring a mother much peace. My hubby and I laid down the law last year. The kids’ screen time was getting out of hand. Every spare moment, they wanted to play Wii or with the Ipad, or whatever. So, we changed the house rules: NO screen time during the week. At all. And we have stuck to it.

Well, what has happened here? I compare the situation to a man who hasn’t had sex with a woman for a year, and then you put a beautiful woman in the room with him. What happens? He devours her! Same thing here. When Saturday morning comes, my kids are like those horny men for their electronics. The minute they wake up, the PSP turns on, the Wii is going, the IPad is downloading new games. We enter screen hell!

Not my kids!

So here’s the confession: I sometimes let it go waaay too long. I am their mother and I need to nip it in the bud sooner than I sometimes do. By 10am, (if we haven’t left for hockey), it’s time for me to say, “Close those things, and let’s get outside and play.” And I often do, but sometimes I don’t. Sometimes the excellent behavior they demonstrate while they’re quietly playing games as I am lying in bed, is just too good to disrupt. So I compromise being a proper parent for an hour’s respite. Am I alone?

Confession #2: The sibling tag-along playdate. This is less of a confession and more of an ‘on the fence’ issue. This is when, for example, I have arranged a playdate for my older son, and not my younger son (who is almost 5, but very mature, and can do anything my 8 year old can do). I sometimes find myself reprimanding my older son, “Include your brother. He wants to play with you guys, and you’re not being nice. You’re ignoring him, it’s rude, and he’s upset.”

So, my question for you: Should my older son HAVE to include his younger brother in the playdate? Am I asking too much of him? Should everyone have to play together so no one gets excluded, or is my 5 year old really cramping their style and should the older kids be entitled to play alone? I NEVER know what the right answer is. Help!

Confession #3: My kids start EVERY MORNING in our bed, and end EVERY NIGHT in our bed. EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Since the day the boys were born, it has been our family ritual, to let the boys start and finish their day in our bed. They come in before school starts in the morning. They come in again before the day ends at night. Weekdays AND weekends. Our choice. (Slightly more my choice).

They don’t watch their 30 minutes of TV at night in the den, or in the basement. When homework is done, dinner and showers are finished, where do they go? Yup, right into mommy and daddy’s bed. The four of us snuggle, and talk, and it is a full-out bonding fest. After a long day, we reconnect as a family in our bed. The kids smell delicious and clean. They’re calm. We love it.

Confession: sometimes, I get snappy. And the very thing I have recreated, I rebel against. I blurted out last week, “You guys are in our bed every morning and night, and mommy needs her space today. Can you please just go into the den tonight and watch TV?!” They looked at me like I was nuts. I just totally wanted to be alone, and they were crampin’ my style! But, these are my kids. Is that wrong? Should they even STILL be in our bed? We love these special quiet moments together. But sometimes, **GASP** I need my space. I’m not sure…

Confession #4: I gotta confess, sometimes UNDERSTANDING ain’t my strong point. I often don’t know when to give or take in marriage. If my hubby comes home tired at the end of the day, or in a bad mood, my mother (my best friend and therapist for 25 years) tells me I should be understanding. After all, he the breadwinner of the family, has been out all day hunting for his family, and I should, in her words, “cut him a little slack.”

But sometimes, I can’t help not being a little cranky. Why should I always nurture him? Maybe HE should make a little effort too, right? Maybe he needs to be a little understanding of me, and FAKE IT or something if he’s in a bad mood. I never quite know where my needs come into the equation. I actually hear this from my girlfriends a lot. We want to be supportive of our husbands, but what about our own needs? Shouldn’t they make the effort right back? I never know when I’m justified to be resentful, or when I’m acting selfish (one of the unfortunate character traits of my only child syndrome). I sit on the fence with this.

Most men love to come home to a yummy aroma in the house, a nice home cooked meal, happy and well behaved children, and Miss Happy Wifey. I definitely try… just a little appreciation and thank you once in a while would be nice. C’mon honey, throw me a bone.

Confession #5: Sometimes I wonder why I bother cooking a fresh home-cooked meal altogether. For the same $25 is costs me to buy healthy salmon, veggies and rice for dinner, (how I was raised), I can order 2 cheese pizzas for the family. And guess what? My family prefers the pizza over my chicken, steak, or salmon. When I make my healthy dinners (which is obviously most of the time), the food gets left on the plate, and my 8 year old has even gagged on my salmon. Buuuuut, when I order plain pizza, my kids are smiling. Happy. They clean their plates, and are THRILLED with the dinner.

Confession: I’ve convinced myself pizza is not really junk food, and I order them pizza at least once a week. I just can’t fight, and I rationalize that there’s a carb and protein in the pizza, I throw a few veggies on the plate, and call it a day.

Am I alone? Do I suck?

Alright, I am over 1000 words and I try to top things at 750.

These are my confessions and truths as I know them today.

Can you relate to anything I’ve said? Am I a horrible person? What are YOUR confessions? Feel feel to write them anonymously. As I always say, misery loves company.

xoxEDxox

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