And then … I lost my mojo.  On travel, at home, even faced with our adorable and ever-changing baby … nothing brings back the old joy.

(Baby-with-a-pickle. Just because.) 

Two weekends ago, I spent 4 days in the most visually vibrant city in America.  During that time, I took the Times Square photo from my last post, two photos of some mini-cupcakes, and four photos of the baby with a pickle.  That is my complete visual record of my first time at BlogHer and baby’s first trip to NYC. 

I looooooove our current camera (an Olympus EP-1), so that’s not the problem.  I’ve wondered whether it could be the age of digital (too immediate? too easy to snap-and-delete?), the pressure from constant exposure to pro-level photographers on the Web, maybe just the constant fatigue of being chronically ill….  But whatever it is, I want my mojo back!

Have you ever lost your photo mojo?  What did you do to get it back?  Any advice??!?

I went to BlogHer last weekend.  This was a Very Big Deal — between baby and illness I barely make it through a regular day, so it was daunting to pack up three generations (me, baby, and the ever-patient babysitting Nana), drive us from DC to NYC, schlep around the country’s most exhausting city for four days, and then pack up again and get home.  Overwhelmed by the logistics — not to mention the thought of networking while my self-esteem is at an all-time low — I nearly sold my BlogHer ticket and stayed home.

No question, it was exhausting.  But also: totally rewarding!  Even aside from anything learned at the conference, there were handfuls of memorable moments on Baby’s First Trip to the Big Apple.  She was so proud to be part of a big-girl adventure with Mama and Nana.  And just being out and about in the stomping grounds of my single-gal corporate-ladder days left me feeling more confident than I have in ages.

I battle fatigue and pain every hour of every day.  There are times when I really, really can’t find the resources to do something.  But how often do we miss out on life’s adventures just because of the chains that keep us to our daily grind?  Sometimes, it’s nice to have a little reminder that the scary experiences are usually the ones we end up valuing most.

When have you overcome logistical difficulties — or flat-out fear! — to end up with an amazing experience? 

As most of you know, I got my blogging start at Weddingbee, where the bloggers are known as Bees.  Since then I have been quick to notice any design involving bees, and I couldn’t resist when I stumbled across a baby bee outfit on eBay:

Here’s Elsa at the White House Egg Roll last April.

E. was too young to take advantage of most of the Egg Roll activities, but given her get-up, we particularly enjoyed meeting the White House beekeeper.  (Did you know that the Obamas’ new White House garden includes a hive of almost 70,000 bees?  In their first year, they produced over 100 pounds of honey!)  

And at a party at the home of the lovely Mrs. D’Orsay.

(I believe those are Mrs. Penguin’s knees in the background …. hi Pengy!)

Other Bees, have you also fallen prey to noticing bees everywhere? Has it ever driven a purchase? 

(This was Elsa’s first taste of honey mustard.  Mr T, who hates mustard, was shaking his head emphatically “no” at Elsa.  She and I, who love it, were saying “mmmmm.”  Cue merriment all around.) 

Young baldy enjoying her very first solid-food snack

Some baby products are “open secrets” among our local parent community.*  Among them: a certain adorably-named, surfboard-shaped cracker.  Pull one out and another parent is sure to enthuse “Mum Mums! We love them too!”  Usually followed by a wrinkled brow and a concerned “Where do you find yours?”

Ah, Mum Mums — our first introduction to the world of toddler snacks.  (A world where even notorious cheapskates like us vastly overpay for foods that usually wind up as dog treats anyway.  Because … organic!)  Mum Mums are melty enough for toothless infants but crunchy enough for toddlers, the surfboard shape is easy for little hands to grasp, and the crinkly individual wrappers have entertained many a bored infant.  They may not be nutritious, but at least they aren’t laden with chemicals.  And the vegetable version is oddly tasty! 

The major downside is that Mum Mums can be difficult to find.  I’ve heard rumors of sightings at Wal-Mart and Whole Foods but have never witnessed their presence in person.  We usually purchase off Drugstore.com, but that ordering situation is not ideal.** 

Enter Amazon’s June grocery sales.  Coupon code MUMMBB33 earns you a 25% discount on 6-box packs of Mum Mums, and the discount bumps to 40%, with free shipping, if you order recurring shipments via Subscribe and Save (which you can cancel anytime).  I ordered a 6-pack of Strawberry Toddler Mum Mums, with a retail price of around $20, for $10.47.  Score!

Do you have any favorite products that are “open secrets” in your social group?

* I can think of one favorite toy that appears in every single house in our playgroup.

** Lately, Drugstore.com has been selling Mum Mums at the full retail price of $3.49/box.  Sales of $2.50/box pop up frequently, BUT the price requires a multiple-box purchase, and that multiple-box purchase invalidates the site’s free shipping.  Not worth it.

And I won something, from beautiful blog lovely bud!

(image borrowed from lovely bud, on account of I’m too tired to take my own pics…)

My winnings arrived today, and they’re even prettier than in the picture.  But here’s my problem — the bag, notebook, and treasure box are so lovely that I feel pressure to fill them with something “worthy.”  Something meaningful, creative, or at least equally pretty….  And I need ideas!  What would you put inside a special notebook, bag, and/or treasure box???

P.S.  If you have a really good use for the treasure box, I just discovered you can purchase your own through her brand-new Etsy shop.

Why blog, when it takes precious time and even money?  There are so many stories in my head!  Without some outlet, I fear my brain would eventually explode.  I picture the famous Monty Python gluttony sketch — cramming in blogs and books and TV and articles by hour after endless hour, until all it takes is one more celebrity factoid or YouTube kitten video and — KABOOM.  

(image here)

Baby and illness make me slow.  There’s no getting around that.  So, to let off some mental pressure until I can get a few posts written, may I present some links?

Amusing blurb on a 9-year-old overachiever.  I described this girl to Elsa, with a request that she start supporting Mommy and Daddy in the style to which they hope to become accustomed.  (Unfortunately, she countered with the story of the baby with a black AmEx.)

Amazing, affordable home office makeover.  (Via Belle Maison)

Kotex has clever new ads poking fun at traditional “feminine care” commercials.  Media censors objected.  Which is why we have those goofy, euphemistic commercials in the first place.  (Via NY Times)

All I understand about astigmatism is that it’s harder to buy contacts.  Thank heavens for I Am Bossy’s convenient tutorial.  (Ah, who am I kidding, I still don’t understand.  But I got a good laugh.)

One of my major regrets from pregnancy = not strengthening my abdominal muscles.  This video tutorial describes a low-stress way to work that giant belly.  (Via Trainer Momma)  

Colorful rooms from Project Nursery.

We all suspected it, and here’s some proof — how advertisers control content in fashion magazines.   Also interesting: how magazines cover trends.  (Via Searching for Style)  

Chicken coops and high-end gardens: bringing new meaning to traditional homemaking, or just a new form of whitewash? (Via BigThink)

Edit, Add, Appreciate: 3 steps to a more authentic life.  (Via MakeUnder My Life)

What’s inhabiting your brain at the moment? 

In the meantime, here are some random baby photos.   

And a special one for Shannon … we were so excited to see your notebooks in the Georgetown Urban Outfitters!  (Elsa was a big fan.)

(cherry blossoms’ arrival to DC = pure joy in my heart)

While “New Year’s Resolutions” aren’t a tradition for Naw-Ruz the way they are for the American holiday, it seems these days I’m always looking for any excuse to figure out how to organize our post-baby life.  So I’m taking this opportunity to try out a few changes.  

First and foremost, my goal is to simplify, simplify, simplify.  (Oops, make that “simplify.”  One time.  Because … you know … simplify!)  

As part of that effort, I plan to step away from the Internet for a couple of months. Not completely, I’m not insane!  I’ll still read your blogs, make the occasional swing through Facebook and Formspring, and of course think often of my Internet friends.  Hopefully I’ll even drop by the blog once in a while with photos and updates.  But for a while, the bulk of my efforts will lie elsewhere.

See you all later….  And in the meantime — Happy Spring!

(personal photo)