I have been blogging a year. And what a year it has been.  I started this blog with a vision, with a dream, for all women who were sitting on the fence in their lives, to have a hub, a place to connect, and learn, and laugh, and get inspired to jump off the fence. I can say the success has been beyond my wildest expectations.

And yet after jumping off the fence a year ago, I now find myself back on it. Stuck. Almost immobile about where to go next. It’s funny how life works. Here I’ve been, jumping off the fence, living my passion, chasing the dream, inspiring women in all areas of their lives about a different “on the fence topic” every day. And now, I’m BACK ON THE FENCE about what to do next.

I left for Los Angeles a week ago to film an episode of a new mom show called Mommy To Mommy TV with Kimberley Blaine,  Mama Kat and Michelle Rivera, to attend a few meetings, to hang with my best friend, and to meet a long distance friend of mine Brooke Burke and go to the Dancing With The Stars finale. But what started out as a business trip, turned into a soul searching trip. And that’s not to say it’s a bad thing, it’s just a realization that whatever happens, my destiny is in God’s hands.

So what do you do when life changes? Do you change with it? Do you shift? Do you twist it a little?  Do you pretzel yourself? Do you compromise? I only know that my vision for this Blog going forward is to take it to as many mediums as possible, and inspire MORE women around the world. Whether in addition to the Blog, that’s through radio, magazine or TV, it’s secondary and all up in the air. The dream is to get women sitting on the fence everywhere in this world, to take action, make a plan, and decide that they count. To be happy.

So I decided, instead of Blogging about the intricate details of my trip, I opted instead to post some highlights and things I’ve learned after almost a week of being alone. Some silly, some serious.

• I realized I LOVE doing TV. I loved filming my episode at Sony Studios and on the set of CBS’s Rules of Engagement. Besides a lot of waiting around, when the camera turns on, it’s a magical moment. I would LOVE to have a Women On The Fence TV Show. Hello Bucket List!!
• But, I realized I also LOVE radio! I envision a radio show with a team of experts helping all women callers get off the fence in their lives. Oh, I want that.
• I realized there’s nothing wrong with wanting one or both, and that’s why I’m in talks for both.
• I realized I can now call myself A WRITER. And I say that with great pride and joy.
• Rodeo Drive is full of plastic people. I’d rather be old and and wrinkled and have lived a life of laughter (with all the laugh lines), than be sucked and tucked and look miserably unhappy. ANY DAY. ANY DAY.
• Agents are exactly like Ari Gold on Entourage. No difference. And in meeting with them, it’s interesting to see what they come up with. They talk fast, they think fast, and even though I’m pretty fast myself (talk, walk, and eat at records speeds), I don’t hold a candle to them. And that’s cool.
• I realized that best friends will always remain best friends if commonality holds you together. So that means, no matter how many thousands of miles separate you from someone, when you reunite, you pick right back off where you left off. And that is both comforting and magical.
• I realized that nothing feels more at ease for me than having dinner with other writers and bloggers.
• I realized that celebs are just people. They piss, shit, fart and experience all the worries we as parents and working women do. And at the end of the day, they’re just trying to make a living as we all are, doing what they’re good at.
• I realized that NO is never the answer to take when you believe deeply in something. And persistence pays off. Work your butt off and persevere.
• I realized that it’s ok sometimes to not know where you’re heading and to be stuck on the fence, so long as you have a long term goal or vision, and are working each day towards that vision. Getting lost along the way is both human, and necessary. It breeds creativity.
• I realized that we have the right to ASK for what we want and should never be afraid to speak up for what’s right.
• I realized that most everyone is out for themselves and I find it sort of disheartening. But hey, that’s life.
• I realized it’s kinda cool to sit next to a man who walked on the moon. Go Buzz Aldrin!
• I realized I wanna take up ballroom dancing with my husband. I have fallen in love with it. Dancing and music are my greatest joys of life, and something I’d like to share with him. I think it would be good for us.
• I realized I’d be nothing without the love of my family.
• I realized it’s okay not to have the answers and that asking questions is a good thing. Even if you’re smart.
• I now believe in meant to be. What’s meant to be will be.

Enjoy some of my trip highlights.

Getting ready to film Mommy To Mommy TV

Me and Kimberley Blaine on CBS's set of Rules of Engagement

Our episode: My sexy quirky marriage!

On set at Sony Studios

Me, Kimberly Blaine, and Mama Kat... Charlie's Angels.

ACTION!

Backstage before the show. Oy my big arm pressing against my purse!

The lovely and sweet supermodel and mom Rebecca Romjin

Kyle and Lacey in action at Dancing With The Stars

Me and Brooke Burke after the show

Please share with our community, what are YOU sitting on the fence about in YOUR life? Do you agree or disagree with anything I’ve learned this week? I’d love to know.

xoxEDxox

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This Blog post was sponsored by The Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills.

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It’s that time of year again. Springtime in the city. Time where as moms, we try to figure out how we’re going to fit in all our kids’ activities into one week. It’s also time where my mommy friends take the phones and give me a ring to discuss, “What are the boys doing this spring? Hockey? Ice hockey? Street Hockey? 3-on-3 hockey? Swimming… private or in groups? Tennis… outdoors  or indoors? Soccer? Softball? When? Weekdays, weekends? With what friends? How old do they have to be to do hockey? Oh 3… too young… Oh that program… it’s closed. ” Holy shit, my head is spinning this morning! After all, if worrying were an Olympic sport, I’d take the gold for sure. ‘Member??

Now, I’m all for programming our kids. After all, the school days are long, and especially at a school such as my son’s (where he learns three languages), it’s the gym time that suffers. Plus I truly think diving into a sport or hobby gives kids good self esteem, and something they can call their own and be proud of. The problem sometimes is US MOMS. I think we’ve taken it waaaay too  far. I have friends with kids in programs 5 DAYS A WEEK!! One mom I know has her daughter in piano, ballet, gymnastics twice a week and swimming all in 7 days, plus school till 4. Isn’t that a little MUCH? Now I’m definitely cutting us all some slack, because it’s easy to go overboard. And after all, we only want the very best for our kiddies, right? We want them to thrive. We want to expose them.

But over-programming our kids can sometimes lead to too much pressure and not enough down time (and a dent in your bank account)! Shouldn’t kids just be kids sometimes? I don’t know. But I decided this weekend that the boys will do 2 activities each per week in the spring. Come the days where it’s bright till almost 8 o’clock, they love playing hockey in the driveway with all the neighbors, and I don’t want to take that away from them. So, which activities to choose.  As it is, my husband already has my son registered in some very intensive hockey program with a scary Russian coach. My life is sometimes a skit right out of SNL! Decisions, decisions. I’m on the fence. For the second activity, do I go with softball again and the screaming insane parents, or swimming?

Aah swimming. Don’t ask, we practically “bought” our son his last swim badge. Well not really… but pretty close. By the end of the summer, he still hadn’t completed his badge, so we kinda did the EXPRESS TEST to graduate. **Wink wink.** Don’t judge– the pool was closing and the end of summer was drawing near. I like to call it the “Coles notes” of swim tests. And while we’re all pretty athletic in this family, swimming definitely ain’t one of  our strong sports.

So, tell me ladies, do you think we’re over-programming our kids? Are you guilty of it? Do you have any funny stories to share? If you’re a mom with young kids, certainly you have a crazy karate or wacky soccer story to share. Do tell!!

PS – It must really be Spring. My orchid by my kitchen window has started to bud again. I almost cried.

PPS – Let’s give the hot sexy multi-tasking mama of 4 (who has been incredibly supportive of me), Brooke Burke our full attention tonight as she co-hosts Dancing With The Stars on ABC, at 8PM, EST. Brooke, good luck and break a leg, girlfriend! I’ll be watching, as will my hubby, only he’ll be watching AND DREAMING! Oye.

xoxEDxox

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Welcome ladies to WomenOnTheFence.com’s NEW LOOK!

Today is about feedback… the good, the bad and the ugly! We’re still perfecting the site, working out kinks and glitches.  So feel free to comment below and give me your thoughts on the new look. Navigating your way around here will be much easier, and I love the easy-to-read font.

OH YA, AND MY OWN GODESS AND AMERICAN IDOL ELLEN DEGENERES IS NOW FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER AS OF LAST NIGHT! I AM CHECKING FOR A PULSE.

You can also click HERE and read some great words of praise / endorsements from some incredible people,  for my upcoming book, The 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before… Starting Their Own Business. I’m very proud and super excited.

Not the final book cover

Have a great day ladies! It’s 5:30AM and I am running into the shower now to get to a Sales and Marketing Conference I am giving this morning for The Women’s Entrepreneurial Exchange. Wish me luck.

xoxEDxox

PS – It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I announce that baby Layla Grace, who I wrote about last week, passed away yesterday morning. You are finally at peace, Layla. May god give your family the strength to endure.

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Happy International Women’s Day! Today we celebrate ALL women, ALL over the globe. Here’s to you, ladies!

I have been busy all morning trying to go live with the new site. When it’s live at some point today or tomorrow, I welcome your feedback. Please check back. I would also like to give a shout out to Brooke Burke, Co-CEO of ModernMom.com who today was named the new Co-Host of Dancing With The Stars. Let’s give this multi-tasking celebrity Mompreneur of 4 our support as she begins her new job in two weeks. Brooke will also be one of the few incredibly dynamic people giving me Words Of Praise for my upcoming book, 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Starting Their Own Business.

So ladies, wherever you are around the globe reading, cheers to your womanhood!!! Today is our day!!

xoxEDxox

PS – Feel free to add your feedback for the new site right here in the comments section!

Other articles you might enjoy:

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