All the single ladies, raise your drink up: Single mama mixer in Chicago

Layyyydayyys, I want to meet you. And so do my bloggy friends Ms. Single Mama and Modern Single Momma. That is why these two lovely women are hosting a meet-up in the Windy City tomorrow night. TOMORROW NIGHT! Quick! Call your sitters.

The event is open for women only (wah-wah-wah, gentlemen) and is a chance for us to talk about Tampax, Mac lipstick and boobs. Lots and lots about boobs (more crying, gentlemen). No, no no. I am sure it will all be about professional endeavors, parenting dreams and personal goal-setting. Really. I swear.

Won't you join us? Please do. I'm paying my sitter $15 bucks an hour and it needs to be really worth it.

See you downtown, kittens!

When: Friday, April 24th - 9:00pm until we all fall down.

Where: W Hotel, 172 West Adams Street, Downtown Chicago

Why: Because we can, that’s why. 

Who: Only women. Can be single, married, moms or not. But no men. (Sorry guys).

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In which I ignore the pile of the review products taking over my dining room table and just talk about reviewing products

I never, never in a bezillion years thought that I would be quoted in a financial blog. Since I've been single, I have, for the very first legitimate time, been on the road to financial freedom. I have worked and continue to work very hard at spending wisely, saving more, and being an adult about the money I earn.

I used to want to be this way, but now I have to be. Years ago, when Suze Orman was hot on the scene, I asked for her book the 9 Steps to Financial Freedom for Christmas. My mother quipped, "You've got the first step down -- asking for the hardback from someone else rather than spending a gajillion of your own dollars on it. Well done!" I never got past the real first step.

Needless to say, my wallet is packed full of receipts and I have not a clue about investing and Suze probably has a lot of schooling left to give me. But today, I put that all aside because my words are on WalletPop.

I was interviewed for this post on the FTC's proposed regulations of blog product reviews. It's a good article and I always love hearing what my savvy grrrl CityMama has to say about the business of blogging. I'm looking forward to hearing about how other bloggers are responding -- or choosing not to respond -- to the possibility of these guidelines.

What wasn't included in this post is my intention to write up a clever little disclaimer that somehow incorporates whore shoes and my love of expensive tea, cheap cosmetics and Ayurvedic skincare products.

Linsey Krolik of Silicon Valley Moms Blog wrote an excellent and oft-quoted post with her legal opinion on the whole shebang. Read it here.

What about you? Will the way you write or read product reviews change if the FTC's proposed regulations?

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Dating is hard, y'all

It's not something I discuss here often because I'm still turning over in my head and heart how to merge dating and motherhood. It's difficult to figure out how to write about both of those parts of my life here, and it's even harder negotiating the two in real life.

Plus, I've come to be very good at compartmentalizing. When my son is with his father, that time is mine alone. When my son is in my care, that time goes first to him. I defined these parts of my life with pretty strict boundaries. For a long time, I didn't let any man into my home at all. And in the last few months, I've realized, I didn't really let them fully into my heart either.

But I did what I could. I gave what I could. I was who I could be to the men I've chosen to go out with in the time I've been dating. I offered up as much as I had in the moment to the many men I've been out with -- sometimes that has been too much information and sometimes that has been too little emotional investment.

Yes, I said many men.

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