Dallas Mom Blogger – Jenn Satterwhite

It’s time for me to go old school again

2015-11-01 Jenn Comments 16 comments

Ohh Emm Geee! Look who is blogging again. Yes, I realize it is NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) but no, I am not blogging because of that. And I also know it is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and rather than sign up for that, I may dust off something I was working on. And, yes, it is also NaNaTaMo (Natioanal Nap Taking Month) and I most definitely will be taking advantage of that particular tradition.

Anyhooooo, I realized most of the things I would’ve normally blogged here, I have been microblogging on Facebook. However, I haven’t been on Facebook for almost a week and you know what? No one has even noticed. Facebok tends to give you a false sence of intimacy. Not with everyone but with many. Especially when it comes to my chronic illnesses and bad days. My high school friends don’t want to hear about that. Neither do the people I worked with on campaigns a year or two ago (or more). However, I will add that a couple of weeks ago when I hit a wall of pain and a very dark place and gave a shout out for help, many, many people came forward to be there to help pick me up. That meant everything to me. So, there are awesome exceptions. I may pop my head in now and then but it hasn’t missed me so why should I miss it? Am I right?

So if I am going to be here more often, I need to clean house. Basically, I have some big changes coming up for my little home here. Can you believe I missed my Blogiversary? 12 years! 12 YEARS!! Now it’s closer to 12 and a half. Nevertheless, can you believe I have been writing here for 12 years. Granted, I have been terrible about being consistent. But I need my space here to be share my thoughts freely. If you come here, it’s your choice. Unlike Facebook when I just pop up in your newsfeed, you choose to come to my home here. I am dusting her off, washing the windows, fluffing the pillows, and lighting some candles to make it smell cozy and homey. And of course, there is always coffee ready for anyone who wants some. I hope you come here and keep coming back. I have set some tough goals for myself here.

For instance, this post was supposed to be about something totally different and more personal but I backed away. I’ll get used to being open here soon enough. (Or as they call it “blogging naked.”) The things I post may not be what my old readers want to read. And, yes, that scares me. But? I have to get back to being myself. I can’t be the person some people want me to be. At least not all the time. I have changed. Chronic pain and chronic illness have changed me. I’m sorry to those friends who couldn’t handle the changed in me and had to walk out. I understand and I hold no grudges. It’s rough to have someone with chronic pain and illness in your life. I get that.

But as I write this, I can’t help but wonder if personal blogging is still a “thing” or have bloggers turned to microblogging on sites where they blog in sound bites? I guess we’ll find out. Are you ready to figure this out with me? Grab my hand. Let’s close our eyes. Now… Leap!

I’m turning down the noise in 2013 so I can hear myself blog. Let me hear you blog, too! (Even if that should read “Let me read your blog” it doesn’t fit so go with it.)

2013-01-01 Jenn Comments 18 comments

Here is where you would normally find an inspirational New Year’s post all about resolutions and new beginnings. Really? When do I do normal? Instead I am going to embrace the old. To quote my friend Liz of This Full House, I am going to blog like it’s 2003. Back in the olden days where stories were told and if you wanted to know how someone is doing, you had to go read it on their blog not check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, etc. (Or, you know, call or email them but that is not the point of this story.) Or as Carol of Girl Gone Travel says, It’s time to take back the blog!

When I started blogging way back in the stone ages when we had to use stone tablets and chisel out our posts (or as some people call it 2003), it was an entirely different world. I don’t mean world in the sense of the entire world but in the blogging world. We told stories. We had a community that grew to know each other because we shared stories about life: the funny, the silly, the serious, the real. And things changed. First there was the “OMG ADS!” phase that should have been a peek into what was to come. But oh no! Then the evil “REVIEWS” came along. (SELLOUTS!) But still we wrote. We shared. We ignored the noise. But wait! Then came THE TRIPS! People were sending bloggers on PAID trips to cool places. OMG! That is so awesome/awful/great/evil/coveted/hated. And let’s not forget the BEST LISTS! On blogs it could be somewhat easy to ignore if you wanted to for a while. But then Twitter and Facebook and Instagram (Oh my!) added to the noise. And some of the blogs that had stories I loved to read began to read like one giant paid advertisement. OR the stories were replaced with a short paragraph of “must update so here you go” without thought to content or writing. THE NOISE online became really, really loud.

And none of those things are bad. I am not against any of them or anti-anything (bloggish).

But oh the NOISE.

And really? Let’s be honest. I got lost in the noise. My stories got lost, too. Sometimes because they had to so I could fulfill a commitment. Sometimes because I would update on Facebook and ignore the blog. Sometimes because “Why bother? I’m not getting the fun stuff so pffffft on you!”

But mainly, the NOISE drowned out my voice.

It sounds cheesy, but I really had to step back out of it all and re-evaluate why I blog. Why am I on Facebook? Why am I on Twitter? Instagram? Pinterest?

Because I enjoy them. I really do.

But when I felt like I had to do it all, I got lost in the NOISE.

Looking back at the amazing opportunities I received, they all came from real writing on my BLOG!

I was signed with an agent…because of my writing.

I was invited to Washington DC with Dr. Drew Pinsky to talk to members of Congress…because of my writing.

I was asked to be a long term product ambassador with brands I respect and enjoy…because of my writing.

I was a contributor in two anthologies…because of my writing.

I received a person phone call from Gloria Steinem (complete with her personal home phone number for future use)… because of my writing.

I was asked to write for two national magazine publications… because of my writing.

I interviewed some amazing celebrities… because of my writing.

I was asked to speak several times at a few conferences to share my experience… because of my writing.

I was given the opportunity to meet some amazing authors I admire… because of my writing.

I made some lifelong friends when I shared my life on my blog… because of my writing.

I can go on and on about the wonderful opportunities and jobs I was offered because of my blog writing. Not because of snarky Facebook posts. Not because of 144 characters of charm. Not because of an artsy picture. (Though using those to share my writing help!)

I used to write here for the love of the blog. Then I did it because I felt I needed to write. Then I just didn’t.

But I am turning back the clock. I’m taking back my blog and using social media in the best way I know how to dim the noise and amplify my passion for writing.

I want to write. I really do. Who is with me?

FOR LOVE OF THE BLOG!

(Have a favorite post of yours? Share the url in the comments if you want a visit. I want to read blogs, too!)

Rivet & Sway Review – Buying prescription glasses has never been so cool & easy! (And inexpensive with this 20% off code!)

2012-08-19 Jenn Comments 14 comments

I’ve worn glasses since I was in junior high. And if you do the math, that was a few years ago. *ahem* I wasn’t a fan because there really weren’t any cute frames at the time. I also played sports and hated wearing my glasses. Let’s face it, add to that, I didn’t appreciate how expensive they were. I remember one basketball game in particular when I took to the court with my glasses still on my face. As soon as I realized that, I took them off and slid them across the court to my Dad. You could hear the collective gasp of every parent in that gym for miles. Seriously, it was as if all the air was sucked out of the gym in that moment. Because scratching or breaking glasses back in the day, was expensive and quite the ordeal. But not anymore, ladies. Now we have Rivet & Sway.

I’ll be honest. I usually wear contacts. Not because I dislike glasses but because my glasses were 11 years old. And dated. And gave me headaches. So when I was offered an opportunity to be a Rivet & Sway Original Blogger and receive a new pair of prescription glasses for free in time for ~~BlogHer~~ a conference that can’t be named, I jumped on that. I knew I needed a new pair. But truthfully, I hate getting new glasses. I stand there staring the eleventy billion choices with no guide as to what would look good on me and usually just walk out without even purchasing any. Rivet & Sway not only takes all the mystery out of shopping for new frames, they make it fun! AND they customize it so well, they can offer suggestions based on your face shape and width. From there, you choose the color you like best. Once you have narrowed it down to your favorite 3 pairs, you order the Try On At Home Kit. Yes, you read that right. They send trial pairs right to your house. You can go shopping for frames in your pj’s, y’all!

This is the what you see when you open the box (after FedEx 2 day shipping!):

rivet & sway try on kit — Photo courtesy of Teresa of makingitallwork.com (Thank you!)

The packaging itself grabbed me from the beginning. Now that I had my 3 pairs I could try on to find the perfect match, I did what all good bloggers and those who use social media do, I took to Facebook and Twitter to get the opinions of the masses. Here I am in my 3 different try-on pairs:

They are Derring-Do/style – Licorice/color (top left), Little Voice/style – Rip Curl/color (top right), and Sweet Spot/style – Copper Penny/color (bottom left)

As chance would have it, Facebook and I chose the same pair. Are you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering which pair I chose?

I chose the second pair. The Little Voice in Rip Curl color which basically means with a blue & white swirlish design. I love them! I wore these all over NYC and ~~BlogHer~~ a conference that can’t be named. That is saying something for a gal who used to only wear her glasses in emergencies or when I knew no one would see me. With my new Rivet & Sway glasses, I wanted to show off my swagger. (Because trust me, I have swagger in my new glasses!) I even wore them to one of the largest parties at ~~BlogHer~~ a conference that can’t be named.

Rivet & Sway Little Voices Rip Curl — Showing off my glasses swagger at a party with my peeps!

But how easy is it really? VERY!

Getting new frames in these easy steps:

Go to Rivet & Sway and create your account.
Use their online tools to choose what you feel are the best for your face shape/width.
You will need to provide a credit card but it is just for a 99 cent deposit. I mean, they are sending you hundreds of dollars worth frames, y’all.
FedEx sends you your try on kit with 3 pairs of frames within 2 business days.
On the Rivet & Sway website, enter your prescription (You’ll need your PD, too. You can find that here if your doctor is weird about giving it to you.) and the super styling frame you chose. (*Note: If you love one frame and a different color, you can change that up, too.)
Once you choose your favorite frames, you simply ship back your kit of trial frames.
For just $199 you get the perfect frames for you brought right to your door in 2 business days.
Get your swagger on and enjoy seeing life in a brand new way!

But wait! This gets so much better. See #7 up there? Let’s change that! Use the following code and get 20% off! YES! This gets even better. (I love this company, y’all!) This is the code: CWHOUB1237B13B but it expires on August 26, 2012. That’s soon so get moving over to Rivet & Sway. I know you’ll love it as much as I do. The entire experience from start to finish was so easy! It’s what all the cool kids are wearing. (Truth be told, when I shared this story with a friend of mine, she actually told me she wished she wore glasses so she could go this. For real, y’all. We’re some serious trend setters here!)

rivet and sway original bloggers — These are the group of Rivet & Sway Originals.
We have swagger!

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In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free pair of Rivet & Sway glasses in order to review the product. As always, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are honest and my own. I received no monetary compensation for this review.