They say we should all teach what we need to know, rather than just what we already know.

And, like everything “they say”, it can be empowering or detrimental, to yourself and others, depending on how literally you take it.

For instance… the concept of “acting as if”, or “fake it till you make it” can be very powerful. If you “be” what you want, and “do” what it takes to get there, you can “have” whatever it is that much quicker.

This be-do-have principle says that if you want to be a singer, you tell the world you’re a singer, and then you sing your little butt off as you practice every day, and then you become a talented singer who can carry a tune across the country and back, smiling every step of the way as you entertain everyone you meet.

And from a journalistic perspective, it also makes perfect sense. If you enjoy investigating and learning what you need to know, and then passing those gems of knowledge on to others by publishing or producing something they can benefit from, you’re empowering yourself and your audience.

For instance, I’ve been writing a lot of parenting articles lately, as you can see from my portfolio. But I’m not claiming to be a parenting expert… I’ve only been a parent for 10 months! What I am claiming to be is a writer who is passionate about researching and discovering new things that can help me on this parenting journey, and sharing that treasure with others in the same boat.

Yes, it’s “teaching”… but I’m not really the “teacher”.

>>> CONTINUE READING Are You a Visionary or a Fraud?…

Ya know, when the little one’s growing like a weed, it’s hard for me to think about dressing him fashionably. After all, if he’s just going to outgrow a new outfit in a couple of months… why spend very much money on it?

Just for the photo op?

I used to bartend with a girl about 15 years ago or so, who was the first person my age I knew who got pregnant. She was a real fashion snob, and when she had her child, of course she said, “My daughter only wears Baby Gap!”

I remember smirking at the time. Hey, I’m the girl who doesn’t even get a thrill from shopping for shoes (no, really, it’s true!)

But Konan got some Baby Gap stuff at his baby shower that he’s just now growing into, and it’s pretty darned cute! Little sweat pants and collegiate-looking long-sleeve shirts… they make him look like a mini man, unlike the onesies I’ve been putting him in for the past 10 months (which his daddy calls his “fruity little dance outfits”).

I just bought Konan some similar styles to the Baby Gap collection at Wal-Mart. Hey, value always wins out over label. I also noticed they’ve got some really adorable and affordable stuff at Gap’s sister store, Old Navy, that I’ve got my eye on.

But then TwitterMoms comes along with a Gap Outlet partnership that can save you an additional 10% from Sept. 11 to 24.

Not only that, but if you write a blog post about affordable fashions for the under-5 set, you can win a $20 gift card.

So I think Konan might be getting some more Baby Gap clothes soon!

Happy shopping… and happy writing!

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

… and Aerosmith calls for a recount.

But more on that story in a moment...

So another season of America’s Got Talent just came to an end, and with it came a lot of, “Holy $@*&!” and “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” in our house.

It got so passionate around here that Barry thought about writing a blog post himself, but he knew it would just get him too angry, and the smoke was pouring out of his ears like a Detroit smokestack as it was. He decided it would be best just to walk away.

See, he hates injustice even more than I do (or at least, he’s more demonstrative about it)… and injustice was definitely served on AGT.

If “America” truly did vote for the winners, then “America” certainly is playing it safe these days, and going with the status quo, as well as predictably flocking to underdogs as usual. It’s pretty sad, really, but to be expected.

The winner is 35-year-old unemployed chicken catcher Kevin Skinner, a folksy backwoods kinda guy who tries real darned hard to sing.

He’s been compared to Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent. And I can see why… after all, I wrote an article about Susan, and how people tried to keep her down even after she FINALLY started getting out of her comfort zone…

And when I used her as a perfect example of how people love underdogs, and don’t like people who go out and achieve things on their own, people from around the world called me cold and harsh.

It’s almost like they didn’t read the article, but let their emotions take over and cause an over-reaction, thinking I was putting Susan down when in fact I was commenting on people who wanted to keep her down. Completely different!

And I’m sure if Skinner starts slicking himself up, making himself over into a Garth Brooks or Dwight Yoakam, people will be up in arms again. “Stay like one of us, Kevin!” they’ll all cry, just like they did to Susan.

The thing is, Susan can actually sing… and sing well, regardless of what you think of her style of music.

Kevin Skinner can’t.

>>> CONTINUE READING Boomhauer Goes To Vegas…