For years, I have coveted over a platter that hangs in my friend’s kitchen.  Her young child’s precious handprint forms a turkey in the center with the words “Give Thanks” cascading over the top of the dish. 

I have always loved that memento and vowed someday I would take my children to a “paint your own pottery” place to create the same platter with them. 

Truth be told, I don’t have patience for paint your own pottery places.  Those places drain the life out of me.  There’s way too many color choices and way too many breakables lying about for my four year old to literally act like a bull in a china shop.  Therefore, my inability to make stupid decisions paired with my “You break it; you buy it” fear has kept me away.  I simply avoid the scene entirely and we find other ways to let our creative juices flow without shattering dishes along with our self-esteem. 

Then, last week Allana, Emmalynn and I attended a birthday party at You Do the Dishes in New Tampa.  My girls were thrilled to paint a small figurine and begged me to paint more.  Finally, I felt the inspiration to paint a handprint turkey platter.  The timing was perfect.  The staff was so helpful and hands-on that my anxiety over perfectionism and colors was greatly reduced. 

Ready to gobble up more fun, the girls were so excited to paint a dish for Mommy.  I couldn’t believe what angels sat before me.  Allana picked the colors without hesitation and Emmalynn avoided knocking over shelves of pottery.  Plus, the supportive staff helped make our handprint project a success. 

A few days later, our turkey handprint platter was ready.  I couldn’t wait to see how it came out!  I finally possessed my own precious timeless piece to hang in my kitchen! 

And then, my heart sank.  A large crack appeared down the center of the platter.  My precious turkey dish was now trash. 

I began to feel sorry myself and whined about not having a turkey platter for Thanksgiving.  I had waited years for this dish and now it seemed I was the real turkey. 

The owner explained that occasionally the heat in the kiln will causes pieces to crack and she reassured me I could make another at no additional cost. 

Even though I could easily make another, could I replicate the whole experience?  Would my children be as willing and well-behaved as before? 

Then, I realized how ridiculously shallow I sounded.  It’s just a dish. 

I should be thankful that my children have hands to make turkey handprints. 

I should be thankful that I can even afford to make this dish when other families lack food for their dishes. 

I should be thankful that I have a car to drive to pottery place and a home for us and all our belongings. 

I should be thankful that I have two healthy children and be grateful for every moment we spend together even when they drive my crazy. 

I should be thankful for my health and my husband’s health. 

From this experience, I was grateful for my cracked dish and the lesson in humility it gave me.  Like the dish, my life is not perfect but it’s full of many blessings.  So, for my husband, my two beautiful girls, the occasional cracked dish, the handprints and marker murals on walls and the many other messy blessings in my life… 

I give thanks.

As I push closer to forty, I worry if my arms tell my true age.  Do my saggy arms greet others before I actually wave hello?  

Well, it’s time to say GOOD RIDDENS to jelly arms!  

In our quest to be hip and fit moms, Running Betty and Run DMT have teamed up to present our readers with the ultimate challenge.  During the month of July, we’re pushing the limits with our push-up challenge.  Our goal: 100 push-ups before the end of July. 

With help of hundredpushups.com, this goal can be  painfully easily achieved. 

From hundredpushups.com

Push ups are one of the basic and most common exercises for the human body. Push ups are not only great for your chest, but do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso.  Your core strength will also go through the roof too!  

Hundredpushups.com offers a week-by-week plan to help make this an attainable goal.  Commit to 30 minutes three days a week and you will be on your way to one lean mean, hot momma machine. 

Are you up for the challenge?  If so, drop and give me twenty ten five two and sign your name in blood Mr. Linky to commit to the challenge.  Also, add a comment to this post with your link so other readers can visit your blog and support you through out the challenge. 

We would love for you to help spread the word about our “Pushing the Limits Challenge” by sharing it with your readers.   Add our “Pushing the Limits” bloggie button to your site and link back here. 

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<img src=”images/pushups” height=”102″width=”207″ border=”1″ alt=”Pushing the Limits July 2009″></a>

 

Feel free to tweet about it, too!  Pushing the Limits- 100 Push-ups by 7/31 http://tiny.cc/Fnls0 @denisermt @raffi #100pushups

Once we settled into our new home in a new town, I started a moms group.  With the aid of an amazing moms group, I slowly began to build new friendships, but still kept ties to all my old friends in Spring Hill.  However, as my family and I began spending more and more time with our new friends, they quickly became our extended family and their smiling faces felt like home.  

Home is more than a shelter or a place to hang your hat or a step with a welcome to wipe your feet.  A true home transforms into a warm place when you are surrounded by people who love you and with those precious people, you create many cherished memories.

With my friend, Lori, moving away, I know that where ever she settles will be another home for me because a loving, warm home awaits me there.  The same will be true if and when our other friends decide to choose uproot and move away.

If my husband lost his job tomorrow and we became homeless overnight, I know I would still have a home in my heart because of the foundation my friends and family laid there.

What does home mean to you?  Tell your story to TwitterMoms. 

 Focus Features and TwitterMoms have teamed up to create a fun contest around their new movie premiering this month called “Away We Go.” A heartfelt comedy directed by Sam Mendes and written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, Away We Go follows one couple’s quest to find a place they can call home 

To participate, simply write a post on your own blog sharing what “home” means to you!  For more information, click here.

“Do you need anything?” I asked Lori when I called to check on her. 

“Nah, I’m all right.  Wait a minute.  I need paper towels.  I don’t have any left.” 

The movers had packed away the entire contents of her house and now brimful boxes awaited the moving truck in the morning. 

When I delivered the roll of towels, I noticed Lori’s children, Shelby and Jake, chasing their friends down the block.  That would be the last time I saw their little smiling faces. 

Tiffany, our running partner, and her children were part of the herd of children playing in the street.   Tiffany and I chatted about our Saturday morning run and coordinated the details of where to meet.  Lori listened in as we spoke.  A small lump in my throat formed as I held back the tears and the thought of Lori not running with us anymore. 

Being a military family, Lori has become accustomed to the quickly formed friendships and short residencies where her husband, Larry, is stationed.  With each three-year placement, she learned to adapt over the years and each new city becomes her Home Sweet Home For Now.  But for the friends she leaves behind, we can’t adjust to thought of her leaving nor can we bear to lose the sweetness she and her family have added to our lives. 

Lori is the sole reason I started running.  For years, my DH tried to encourage me to run, but I only laughed at the idea.  But when Lori coaxed me into running, she taught me how to start small with short runs and distances.  Thanks to her constant support, I eventually ran many miles. 

For our first race (Turkey Trot in 2007), I only intended to run 1 mile.  Lori pushed me and convinced me that I could take on 3 miles.  Lori believed I could do it and with her assistance, I soon believed I could do it too.  Thanks to Coach Lori, I eventually ran faster and further.  Then almost a year later, the tables turned and I convinced her into running a half marathon. 

Turkey Trot 2007

Disney Half Marathon 2009

Last night, several friends and I said our final good-byes to Lori at our local beer garden.  I heard this has been the hardest move for her so far.

As I train and register for upcoming races, it’s hard to fathom Lori not being at my side.  I am really going to miss my coach, my running partner and my friend.

After reading my Publix post from the other day, a friend reminded me about another incident at Wally World when I was asked to refrain from taking photos, which I had completely forgotten!  So, here’s a repost of a blast from the past off myspace blog from about two years ago.  Now, you know the real reason as to why I am a mom on the run.

Almost Got Arrested in Wal-Mart

Not really, but it’s a funny story! 

Some moms and I from my mommy group are planning an Easter party. This week, each mom was asked to shop around and get ideas for cheap chachkas for the goodie bags for the kiddies. Wal-Mart had a great selection of stuff, items in lots of 6 or 8 for $1. I had my digital camera with me, so I started snapping photos of some of the merchandise. What a great idea, right?  

WRONG!  With in seconds, my daughters and I were swarmed by Wal-Mart security and one of the gentlemen asks me, “Why are you taking photos in the store, Ma’am?” 

In a panicked voice, I reply, “I’m on an Easter Party Committee and I’m just getting ideas for some goodie bags to share with the other moms.” 

One of the security guys speaks into a walkie-talkie, “It’s o.k. She’s on an Easter party committee.” And then speaks to me, “I’m going to ask you to stop taking photos in the store.” 

“Please don’t confiscate my camera.” 

“I’m not going to take your camera. Just stop taking photos, Ma’am.” 

Speaking back into the walkie-talkie, “I asked her to stop.”

“O.k. I will”, I replied.  ”Boy! You guys work fast. I only got a couple photos anyway!” 

“Thank you, Ma’am. Just don’t take anymore photos and have a nice day!” He speaks into the walk-talkie, “We’re leaving now.” And then, they left. 

Emmalynn was screaming the entire time. Allana shouting, “MOMMY, I HAVE TO USE THE POTTY!” 

So, I guess I’m on some Wal-Mart watch list now. They probably zoomed in with their security cameras and took my photo. They probably thought I was planning some moms’ group heist. SAHM by day; Wal-Mart thief by night.

Being a single mom and still providing for yourself or your children can be a very stressful and frustrating experience. There are many problems in finances for single moms and loans for single moms but getting help isn’t always easy so there are some services you should be aware of.

Education loans can be very tough to pay back, should you have debts remaining on your student loans. This may force many moms to consolidate their payments, which will put them into debt for 10-30 years, but allow them to keep out of bankruptcy longer. If you have children who wish to obtain student loans, and you are a single mother, it is harder to get such loans for a few reasons. First, women usually make less money than men. If you are a single mom, you don’t have a partner’s help with income, and also learn less than a man would. You are also less likely to have enough collateral to prove that you can pay the loans back, and you are more likely to have previous debts to pay. Education loans and single moms obviously do not mix well together, as you can see.

Like education loans, automobile and home loans operate in the same manner. You are more likely to be rejected for a house rather than an apartment, since houses on average cost much more. Automobiles also put single moms at a disadvantage- since automobiles often break down, requiring more money be spent. This makes the odds that a single mother can pay back a loan less likely, as maintenance can eat up much of a single mother’s income.

Business loans are another subject that may cause single mothers to have trouble obtaining loans. This is increasingly harder than other loans, since businesses are extremely risky operations. The odds of maintaining a successful business is usually quite low for small business owners. Having sufficient collateral is again a problem with single mothers, forcing many to not get the needed business loans to start their own business. Single mothers usually have a lower credit score, since they incur more debts than other couples or single men on average. This will also lead to a lesser chance of getting approved by credit card companies, making the buying power of single mothers even more burdensome.

However, there are ways to influence or take advantage of situations in favor of single mothers. You may speak with the Department of Social Services for things such as welfare, food stamps, child support, medical programs, and child care assistance. These programs can be found in phone books, government agencies or on this website. There is a lot of paperwork to apply, and the waiting time can be very long. The wait is often worth it, since single moms need all the help they can get.

School lunch and breakfast programs should be taken advantage of. This is a federal program that gives reduced prices or even free lunches and breakfast to kids who attend school, and eat at the school. Other grants can help you in funding for food or even gas and heating bills. Churches often have programs to help as well, and you should explore all of these options for a better life for children a single mom may have. Reduced prescriptions and free counseling are also available to those who apply- so make sure you take advantage of such offers to the fullest.

When looking to improve your credit score, you should have family members or roommates split bills, and put some bills in your name. This will improve your dependability and credit rating. Also make sure that you stay away from penalties such as bounced checks, which can effectively ruin your credit. Doing this will eventually raise your credit score enough to gain some respect among loan specialists, which can bring you to a new step above where you previously were.

When you have better access to loans, you can get lower rates. You can better obtain a business loan, for example, with your improved credit rating. You may also co-sign loans with family members to add credit to your score- and regular payments will again boost it. In case you can not make a payment, the money is then billed to your family member- so either way the bank will most likely get its money. This is the best way to obtain a loan if you are not qualified enough, and doing so is one of the best ways to improve your credit.

Over all, single moms are at a disadvantage. Statistically, they will make less money and not qualify for loans. They will also have more poor living experiences, and will have less buying power. Following the previous steps will allow single moms to achieve a better way of life for them or their children, regardless of their standing in society’s hierarchy.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.