Quick! How do you get scrawled ink out of a microfiber couch without ruining it?
An organized mom would know this. Someone like Simple Mom. Someone like Type-A Mom. Someone who, say, knows where all of the cleaning supplies she obsessively purchases and never uses are.
Some would say that an organized mom wouldn’t have this problem to begin with because what, may I ask, were you doing out of sight of your 3 year old, anyway?
Which reminds me… Quick! How do you stay calm when your 3 year old scrawls all over your couch with an ink pen?
The answers:
- How do you get pen ink out of a microfiber couch? Hand sanitizer. Some would say hairspray or rubbing alcohol, but I prefer the control that hand sanitizer provides. All contain alcohol.
Simply apply hand sanitizer to a clean cloth and rub it into the ink stain. Liberal use of elbow grease helps, along with liberal use of the hand sanitizer. Rub until the stain is gone and then blot with a damp cloth to remove excess. - How do you stay calm when your 3 year old goes all deviant artist? Prevent throttling of 3 year old by immediate removal of child from the room. Try not to touch him while you are escorting him out, as temptation is the root of all evil. Now apply all of that frustration and disbelief into aforementioned elbow grease. You may safely return to the presence of said child once you see how easy it was to remove those ink stains that that little… deep breath… just get those stains out first.
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(you probably came here via a search for "How to get pen ink out of microfiber" so you can stop reading as the rest of the post is an old speaking engagement announcement -- but, hey! thanks for finding me!)
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This is what happens when a disorganized, procrastinating mom like me becomes distracted by her pre-conference prep in a room near, but not near enough, her two young sons.
A Type A Mom I am not. But I’ll be playing one on stage and in the audience at the Type A Mom conference in Asheville, North Carolina this weekend.
What is a Type A Mom? I think it has something to do with ambition, competitiveness, perfectionism, organization, and CRAP DID I JUST HEAR A GLASS BREAK DOWN THE HALL?!
I would fall under Type B Mom. Easy-going, relaxed, patient, slightly lax, no true sense of urgency. I’m fairly certain that things are going to work out most of the time.
Particularly if I can control them. Wait. What?
Okay, so I’m Type AB. I have a mean control streak, but once I do what I can do, I kick back and let the chips fall as they may… usually between the couch cushions.
Which is probably how I landed an invitation to speak at the Type A Mom conference this weekend. I am flattered to be speaking on both the opening general session and the closing keynote. In other words, I have utter control over your choices (I’m on the only two general sessions attended by the entire conference) but once I get up there, I’m nothing if not relaxed and accessible regarding what I have to share, alongside my stellar fellow panel members.
- Social and Collaborative Blogging (opening general session)
- Breaking the Mommy Blogging Mold (closing keynote address)
I recognize the irony in writing a post about attending a conference directly on the heels of my post Don’t Let the Fairy Dust Gag You: Phenomenon of Blog Closures After Conferences. However, as most of you noticed, that post was nuanced far beyond the title. I am very much a pro-conference writer. However, I believe you should be aware of your expectations before you plop down in that event hall chair.
For these reasons, the two panels on which I am speaking are perfect for me. I promise you frank, thorough discussion.
No, I don’t fit the mom blogger mold and I revel in that. Does it mean that I miss out on a lot of the fun perks or (possibly) consistent income that the label can deliver? Absolutely. And that’s fine.
I also revel in this platform that is blogging. That is why I founded Blog Nosh Magazine, a social and collaborative blog that strives to highlight the literary worth of personal blogging. It is a fascinating, liberating, and challenging platform sure to create intriguing discussion.
My Type A Mom attendance is made possible in part by PBS KIDS Sprout. You see them around these parts a lot, as both a long-term sponsor of The People’s Party and as the target of my control-freaky Band of Bloggers suggestions regarding how to improve their programming, among other things. Um, that might not have been in the job description.
Hit me up for Sprout goodies at the conference. I’ll be pimping The Wiggles. And yes, I did just say that. Getting to say “pimp” and “Wiggles” in the same sentence was part of my negotiation. Um, probably. In case you hadn’t noticed, Sprout is fortunately rather Type B in their working relationship with me, though truly Type A in their delivery.
Most importantly, hit me up and say hello this weekend. Type A Mom is a smaller conference but one of the best-organized and thought-out that I’ve seen. Discerning, intuitive, and ambitious, it is everything you should expect from a strong conference.
And for you worry warts, I received the all-clear from my OB on Monday for safe travel. 50% effaced and no dilation, for you detail-oriented worriers. Given my ferociously rapid labors, I’m opting to drive rather than fly, though. Actually, I’m not even driving. I’m riding and stopping every two hours to stretch, thanks to the ever-generous Deb on the Rocks.
Deb is the author of 5 Ways to {blank} Your Blog, which is my favorite blogging book for both beginners and high falutin old guard. Her book will be available at the conference’s Boiron Mom Market this weekend (it’s the perfect car or plane read, I promise) or you can buy it on Amazon. I’ve read a lot of blog books and this is the only one I would give as a gift. Largely because it makes me laugh a lot and I’m in it. What more, I ask?
Now then, off to pack and… where exactly are those kids, anyway?
PS- Don’t come crying to me if that hand sanitizer trick ruins your couch. Test on an inconspicuous place first, blah blah blah. Yeah. Type B much?
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Writer. Mother.
