Author Archives: Mindy Long / @mindywrites

Another Kiddie Favorite

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When I decided to start featuring my kids’ favorite books on Mondays, I scanned the bookshelves and looked for the books that are the most worn. Ratty corners and finger-smudged pages are sure signs that a book is well loved. All of our Eric Carle books have been read time and time again, but I think one of our favorites is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? It is the perfect book at the end of a long day. I can read it without thinking, my kiddos both love the colorful pictures and Evan likes that he knows what is coming up next. Is it a favorite in your house, too? 

Some Current Faves

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Re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird: I read this book at least once a year and each time I wish I could be reading it for the first time.

Diapers.com: Diapers, wipes and baby wash delivered right to my door—you can’t beat it!

AP Stylebook Online: The AP Stylebook is a journalist’s bible. With the online version, I can find answers to my questions with the click of a mouse and it is with me no matter where I take my laptop.

Cook-in-the-bag veggies: Steamfresh vegetables let me get something green (or orange or yellow) on the table each night and I don’t even have to wash the pan afterward. Now if only my microwave wasn’t on the fritz. 

Bath time: My kiddos have just started bathing together. I save time, they play and Evan usually makes me laugh with his witty comments. The therapy they may need one day will be worth it. 

Caffeine: I always love caffeine, but it has been especially important this week since Baby Girl has been waking up four times a night. 

Web sleuthing for party ideas: My little guy turns four soon and he is head over heels about his superhero themed birthday party. I hope not to disappoint.

This SNL clip about snow in New York: You’ll laugh. I promise.  

The Pout Pout Fish

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Here is another favorite from my kiddos’ bookshelf: The Pout-Pout Fish. My sister-in-law gave it to Evan quite some time ago and it became our go-to, must-read bedtime story for about five months straight. The main little line, "I’m a pout pout fish with a pout pout face so I spread the dreary wearies all over the place," is so catchy and Evan loved that he could "read" it with us. The line definitely will get stuck in your head, but not in a way that will make you crazy. The story line is really sweet and in the end the fish realizes that he isn’t a pout pout fish, he is a kiss kiss fish and starts spreading cheery cheeries all over the place. After I read the last line, I kiss Evan all over his face and head and he breaks into giggles…or wipes of my kisses, depending on his mood! 

The LLC

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One of my accomplishments in 2010 was forming an LLC. I need to give my husband a big pat on the back because this was his accomplishment, too. He did all the paperwork and helped me draft the articles of organization. Thank you, Bryan! We formed the LLC as a partnership and now in business, as in life, we are a team. 

I spent quite a bit of time coming up with the LLC’s name and settled on something unique. Are you ready? Wait for it…wait for it… Mindy Long Freelance LLC. Creative, isn’t it? Okay, maybe not, but it was intentional. Here is why.

Brand Recognition: I am my brand. I have name recognition among the editors I write for, and when they refer me to their colleagues, it is by name. My byline appears on my articles, which further supports my name recognition among my readers, sources and employers. I bring years of experience and institutional knowledge to the table, so I want to be sure my clients know I am the person they are entrusting with their project.

Ease of Transition: For years my clients have been writing checks to Mindy Long. I’ve contacted my clients’ accounting departments and provided my LLC name, EIN and updated W-9s, but there is a chance payments could be made out to Mindy Long and not Mindy Long Freelance LLC. If this happens, it should be fairly easy to deposit it into my business account despite the name variations.

Web Presence: I already own my domain and I don’t want to redirect clients to a new site, so I knew I wanted my name somewhere in the business name.

Minimal Cheesy-ness: Every time I came up with a company name that was creative, it bordered on cheesy. I needed to stick with something that was professional and self-explanatory.

In the end, I am happy with my choice. As I was drafting letters to clients and filling out a stack of W-9s, I was glad I wasn’t writing something that could be seen as silly or that meant something only to me. It felt good to be filling out those W-9s with a business name that includes my name and reflecting on the business I’ve built. I’m excited to have the paperwork done and have an official reminder that freelancing was the right path for me.  

Routine

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Over the weekend my hubby and I watched a few installments of the HBO series Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic (and by watching I mean I had my laptop and was catching up on Facebook, drafting e-mails and getting a jump start on my work week).

At one point the Capitals coach (I think it was the Caps coach) said, “Routine is essential for maintaining focus.” The phrase made me perk up and I immediately jotted it down in the Word document I had open at the time.

I am a firm believer in routine. If I don’t have one, I feel lost. Yesterday, for example, my hubby was enjoying one last day of vacation, which made me totally forget my son had gymnastics at 9:45. I remembered as I was fixing dinner.

Today is the first day we’ll be on a normal routine since Dec. 16. After two weeks of a free for all, I’m ready to get back into a groove. I’ve already knocked out two amazing interviews for a story due later this week, caught up on e-mails (mostly) and read my must-read blogs for the day. Yes, routine is good.

As we get into 2011 I’m eager to review my routine, see where I can streamline processes and try to bring more order to our days and weeks. The start of a new year always brings new ideas and my head is spinning with all of the things I want to tackle this year. I figure I can get a lot more in if I can squeeze a little more time out of each day. Since it isn’t possible to create more hours in the day, I think finding the right routines is one of the only ways to get more from the precious time I have. Wish me luck.

Happy New Year

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Hello 2011. Welcome. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me and mine over the next 365 days. Life is always an adventure, isn’t it?

I’ve been mulling over New Year’s resolutions in my mind. I had a long list going, but then I read one of my friend’s Facebook posts that said, “Instead of trying to change myself in 2011, I am going to be myself.” I took it to heart and abandoned my burgeoning list with a renewed promise to accentuate the positive and do the best I can in all things—personal and professional.

One area, however, that I do plan to work on this year with renewed interest is this blog of mine. I’m in the midst of sprucing up my home office, and my little corner of the Internet could use some structure, too.  To help me stay on task, I’ve come up with some weekly posts I plan to do. In life find that sticking to a regular schedule keeps me on track, and I think that will hold true to the blog. So here is my plan:

Monday: Share a favorite children’s book pulled straight from my little ones’ bookshelves. This means they will be the books we read over and over (per Evan’s request) at bedtime and during the day. The tried and true books friends and relatives have turned us onto tend to be our favorites, so maybe you’ll like them, too.

Wednesday: Share a favorite book pulled from my bookshelves. Whether it is a cookbook from my kitchen cupboard, a writing book from my office bookcase or the latest novel I managed to read, I’ll let you know a little more about some of the books I love. 

Friday: Friday will also be known as Freelance Friday, and I will share some freelancing tips, info on the business side of being a sole proprietor and offer updates on my latest projects. I may also sneak in a few suggestions on how to keep little ones occupied at home when you have a deadline looming (or a sudden urge to hop on Facebook) and need to spend some time at the laptop.

That leaves Tuesdays and Thursdays up for grabs. I’d love your input. What kinds of things would you like to read about on the blog? Favorite quotes, life stories and kitchen creations are all things I’ve written about in the past. What should I continue and what should I cut? Writers always need editors and I’d love your direction as I create an editorial calendar for my blog. 

Goodbye Christmas

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As the year winds down, I am still slowly saying goodbye to Christmas. This year’s holiday was filled will family, food and fun memories. My parents flew home this morning and my brother left earlier this week. It is always so hard to hug goodbye curbside at the airport, but it is a necessary evil when miles separate you. The plus side is that the distance between us makes us value our time together and we strive to eek out every minute.

Santa was good to us and the living room still looks like Jolly Old St. Nick’s sleigh tipped over during his visit. 


As expected, my kiddos were enamored with the gift wrap and boxes their treasures came in. 


On Christmas Eve we tracked Santa via NORAD’s official Santa Tracker and our world globe (if you haven’t started this tradition with your family, you should!).


 

On Christmas Eve we made homemade root beer (an all-time favorite family tradition of mine) and feasted on cookies. 

 

Madelyn learned how to play horsey and bounce on her Grandpa Jerry’s knee. Evan showed the grandparents how well he can ice skate and melted their hearts when he asked them if they could come back and visit again soon.

 

Amidst all of the holiday festivities I was able to wrap up a couple of looming work projects and get a jump start on a story I plan to tackle next week. I was even able to sneak in some pleasure reading—a rare luxury these days.

Once again I was reminded that life is good. I have a family I adore and work I love. I hope your holiday was as memorable as mine and full of life’s little joys. 

It’s Thursday

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It’s Thursday, but you probably knew that. Nearly every Tuesday a friend of mine from college has a Facebook post somewhere along the lines of , “It’s Tuesday. Don’t think much of it being Tuesday? Just wait until next week when you’ll be saying, ‘It is Tuesday already.’” The first few times I saw it I thought it was funny, but then something started happening. Every week on Tuesday I caught myself thinking, “It is Tuesday already.” Those little posts really have made me stop and think about how quickly the week passes. Especially this week when I somehow missed Tuesday and woke up today realizing it is already Thursday. The rush of the holiday season and several large work deadlines are making time fly.

This week I’ve been editing a magazine for a client and tracking down sources for a story on a highway safety program. This particular story involves a lot of cold calling to cultivate new sources, which always takes more work than calling up a tried-and-true sources I have a relationship with. I always like expanding my network, but those cold calls frequently result in dead ends and near misses, which is frustrating when you’re on deadline. I think I have three interviews lined up for next week (assuming no one backs out on me), so keep your fingers crossed.

On the holiday front, Evan and I made egg carton bell ornaments for our Christmas tree yesterday. 



I felt five years old again stringing the ribbon through the top of the bell. I’m on a quest to make sure each of our days has at least a little holiday magic in it, and I am suddenly realizing how much work it is to make magic. Thank you, mom, for all of the happy childhood Christmas memories I have and for somehow making it all look effortless. I hope your holiday preparations are going well and that you’re able to stop and savor the moment—especially if your days are passing as quickly as mine! 

 

Hitting the Books

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"I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." — Abraham Lincoln

I am heading back to the virtual classroom for the next three months via an online writing workshop through Writer’s Digest. The first class meets this week and the readings have already reminded me why I love workshops and seminars—-no matter where you are in your field, there is always more to learn.

I know it can be hard to find the time (or money) to invest in educational opportunities, but it is worth it. Believe me, with a freelance writing business and two small kids, I have to make learning a priority in order to make it happen. I make time for it because I always walk away energized and excited about my career. I also end up with page after page of ideas on how I can better serve my clients, streamline my business or improve my writing. I love that.

While online learning often works best for me right now (there is a lot to be said for cutting down on commutes), I’ve also enjoyed in-person workshops through American Independent Writers here in the D.C. area. Their speakers are always a wealth of information and I love meeting fellow writers and freelancers in person. Conversation over lunch is so much more fun than via the Internet. I can’t wait for their annual conference in June. 

All of that being said, registration fees can add up. I have volunteered at some events in order to get in free or at least at a reduced cost. If you really want to attend an event but can’t afford it, shoot an e-mail to one of the organizers and see if there is anything you can do in exchange for entrance. 

No matter what field you’re in, do a quick Google search and find the associations and workshops best suited for you. Take a chance and attend an event or take a class. Tell yourself that you’ll walk away with just one tip that can help you either professionally or personally. I am certain you’ll find far more. 

Giving Thanks

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Happy Monday! I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as relaxing as ours. Mine was filled with everything Thanksgiving should be—time with loved ones (albeit only a few), traditional family recipes and traditions (some old, some new).

My favorite part of the weekend was waking up early with my little larks on Thanksgiving morning. Madelyn was up at 5:30 and Evan slept in clear until 6:00. We all made our way into the kitchen and put the finishing touches on some recipes while the rest of the house slept. Evan had the special job of mixing together the final layer for our Pretzel Raspberry Jell-o Salad. Watching him stir reminded me of my own childhood Thanksgivings and the way my mom always made me feel like an important piece of the puzzle.

I was always in charge of setting the table, which is probably why I still love doing it now. Our turkey handprint cards looked cute at each place setting. My aunt sent us the cutest turkey brownie pops that looked adorable on the table and tasted even better than they looked. I loved polishing up my great grandmother’s silver and dusting off her china. It really is a shame I don’t do it more often.

Our centerpiece was a lovely candleholder Evan made at preschool and some leaves he found outside. I couldn’t have loved it more.

We watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. My brother carved the turkey.

Thanksgiving gave Madelyn her first taste of sweet potatoes. Last year at this time I was trying to hide my nausea because I hadn’t yet spread the word I was expecting. It is amazing how much can change in a year. 

We spent the rest of the weekend watching movies, hitting the mall and enjoying family. On Sunday morning we reluctantly hugged goodbye to my brother who came in from Rhode Island and my cousin who was heading back to Georgetown. Then, I settled in trying to get this house back in order. We’re still in a bit of a shambles as I put off cleaning and organizing over the holiday. We have an eclectic mix of holiday decorations up—-a few Christmas things have made their way down from the attic, but all of the fall decorations haven’t made their way back up. I even saw a few rogue Halloween decorations that are still hanging out.

This afternoon will be dedicated to straightening up and putting away. Then, we’ll start spreading Christmas cheer from room to room. I’ve looked at our December calendar and the month is going to pass quickly. I want to start savoring the holiday spirit as soon as possible. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite Christmas gifts and holiday traditions over the next few weeks, and I hope to learn more about yours, too. So, tell me, what is your favorite tradition you carry on with your family?