Camera Bag Contest!

A friend of mine posted on a local forum about a contest to win a camera bag. The site is PhatStraps (http://www.phatstraps.com/phatstraps-giveaway) and they have some of the most adorable products I've seen! Here is their main site: http://www.phatstraps.com

You may also be interested in checking out another site they recommend, http://www.fidosfashioncollars.com They also have some very cute stuff!

Drama Queens Need Not Apply!!!

Below is a note I posted on my Facebook wall tonight. Rather than dissect it for you, I will let the note speak for itself. Enjoy!

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I am so over it all!

Posted 4/15/10 @ 1945 hrs.

Written by Lisa K. Wells

© 2010 by Lisa K. Wells // All Rights Reserved.

Please ask permission before cross-posting!!

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Let me start this note out by saying that I am not going to name any names or point a finger at anybody. Those who are guilty of what I will be discussing KNOW WHO THEY ARE. So please do not jump on me for what I am about to say, because it will only serve to make you look like one of the ones who is guilty of what I will be discussing.

I have been an active member of SWPM since January 29,2008. I have seen several different managers and mods during that time, and was even a mod myself at one point. This past January, I interpreted a situation to be a threat to the safety of our members and their families, and I chose to speak out about it - in reward for my efforts, I was removed as a moderator and was suspended from SWPM for a time, because the higher-ups at TMN felt it was more important to cover their own butts than protect their sites' members. I believe in my heart that they still feel that way, that absolutely nothing has or ever will change; and that is a shame, because sites such as SWPM are such a good resource. In fact, during this incident in particular, ALL management was removed from their positions and a few people - GOOD women - were even banned over it and the ensuing drama that followed. After the fallout settled, SWPM seemed to be almost dead - comatose, if you will - and even now is struggling to regain the level of activity it had enjoyed prior to the safety incident. If we were to be fully honest with ourselves, it may never fully recover, because many members were turned off; first by the incident itself (as well as TMN's refusal to do what needed to be done), and also because ever since that incident, there has seemed to be nothing but ridiculous, schoolyard-level drama at every turn.

After the incident came to a head in January, one of the former managers took it upon herself to create a new site, one that she had hoped would remain drama-free and be a valuable resource to its members, much as SWPM used to be. She put a lot of time and effort into it, and for a while it seemed to be going well; however, recently it too has become just another platform for the drama queens to spew their nonsense. For almost a week now I have noticed that there is less activity by the regular members there, and many of the topics now seem to center on the residual drama that has been going on. I have been told that some of the drama that has come up is not just from the SWPM incident, but drama that has been going on for around two years now. Seriously - two YEARS?! Isn't that a little excessive? Well let's just be brutally honest here - that is COMPLETELY and BLATANTLY excessive.

I am in no way denigrating either mommy forum, because as I said they are valuable resources, especially for a mommy that is new to the area, as I was when I first joined SWPM. What I am frustrated with is the inability of some of these moms to get over themselves and move on with life. Why is it so important to go out of your way to create drama? Why do you feel the need to put other mommies down when they have done nothing to warrant it? Are you really that dissatisfied and insecure with your lives that you must tear the lives of others down to make yourselves feel better? And finally, look deep inside yourselves and answer this question - does it REALLY and TRULY make you feel better?

I have met some incredible and caring women through the forums - and I value each and every friendship I have made. However, those of you who have yet to graduate (mentally) from middle school are ruining it for everybody else with your petty and childish behavior. Why is it so vital that certain moms not attend events? Why can't you put your petty differences aside and just have a good time? Let's get really brutal now - because honestly, nothing else has worked to fix this problem, so maybe some brutal honesty will sink into those thick skulls of yours. We have a mom who has been worried about her unborn child's health. Another mom has a newborn who has spent more time IN the hospital than OUT of it, and may yet be facing another health crisis with him. We have moms who don't know if they'll be able to pay all of their bills. We have moms who have LOs in the end stages of terminal illnesses. We have moms whose children are developmentally delayed. We have moms who are facing single parenthood. We have moms who are trying to better themselves in school and are worried about their next exam. We have moms who are desperately trying to find a job with no luck.

And yet, amidst all of these serious concerns, we have moms who are selfish enough to go out of their way to belittle other moms for no good reason. We have moms who create drama just because they like to see other moms bicker. We have moms who cannot see beyond their own beliefs to accept that others are different and learn something. We have moms who cannot put those differences aside and let everybody enjoy a night out (or in). We have moms who are doing their level best to destroy not one but TWO forums out of their own selfishness and childishness. These moms know who they are, and I address this question to them: DO YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELVES? Well, do you? Answer honestly, because if you can't be honest with yourself then what's the point? Talk to the moms who have serious health issues, or whose children do - would you feel better about yourselves if you created drama designed to hurt them? What about the moms who are in a financial crisis - would stirring the pot make you feel better about your own situation? And think about this one really hard - what kind of example are you setting for your own children, with your childish, spiteful behavior?

I thought we were all grown-ups on these forums. I thought we all knew how to behave as mature adults. I thought we all knew to treat each other as we would want to be treated ourselves. I thought we knew what respect and manners were. I thought we all had the ability to discuss a problem with the source, not talk smack behind the person's back at every turn. I thought we had all graduated from middle school some time ago - and had left that mentality behind. Thank you for proving me wrong on ALL counts.

Having said all that, let it be known right now that from this point forward, anybody who chooses to create drama where there is no need will be REMOVED from my Facebook list of friends IMMEDIATELY, whether they drag me into it or not. Anybody who chooses to denigrate any of my friends for no good reason will be REMOVED from my Facebook list of friends IMMEDIATELY. Anybody who chooses to slam me for this or any other post I make will be REMOVED from my Facebook list of friends IMMEDIATELY. I am DONE with the drama - I am a reasonable, mature adult and I refuse to participate in or condone such childish, irresponsible behavior. I will no longer have anything to do with any of these toxic personalities; not online, not at a MNO or MNI, not at a morning coffee or playdate, not in any kind of transaction, not outside of either forum or Facebook - NEVER. I am happy with my life, and have no need to create drama or participate in it at any level - anybody who does feel that drama is necessary in their lives seriously needs to re-evaluate their lives and their priorities. There are two forums now for moms (well, three if you count the one I made, but it's not very active); if you don't like the people on one, YOU ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE. Nobody is forcing you to stay where you aren't happy. If you prefer one forum over the other, that is perfectly fine and completely understandable - but it is NOT okay to use the other forum as your personal bashing-ground. You're not "all that," so get over yourselves already and move on!