Lately I’ve been a bit tired of the marketing and PR work I’m doing at Egg. When you stop feeling passionate about what you do, there’s a problem. And while certainly not everyone has the luxury to switch gears and try something else mid-stream in their career, I’m fortunate in that I can right now.

I’ve rediscovered writing as my passion. It’s always been there, but sometimes writing press release stifles my creativity. So I’m focusing on writing about other things. And no, I’m not writing the Great American Novel. But I am writing on Lead411 about startups, Small Business Trends about entrepreneurs, still on Marketing Eggspert (though not as much because it doesn’t pay me!) and a soon-to-be-launched site about all manner o’ things.

And it feels good.

I love writing about things that interest me or things I know nothing about. Marketing’s old hat. I could recite how to use Twitter and Facebook for marketing in my sleep. Now, disaster kits: that’s something I don’t know anything about. I learn, then I write.

When I was in college, I wanted to work for a magazine. I couldn’t have dreamed of a world where I could make a living writing on the internet (the what?). Writing how-to articles to help people do things. Writing about business. Getting published. It’s amazing, and I’m lucky I’ve got the talent to use.

So Egg’s not going anywhere just yet, though it might change its “shell” a bit. If you’re out there in cyberspace and find one of my articles, leave me a comment!

The family is going to Paris!

Just the three of us. At an indeterminate time, because my mom doesn’t want me to say in case I get robbed while I’m gone. But I have big guard dogs and round the clock surveillance, so you don’t want to rob me.

It’s been 10 years since we went to Europe, just the two of us. A million things have been more important than going again, and that’s a shame. Now that Max speaks French, we thought it was time to introduce him to the country we love so much.

We’re going an entire month. I cannot wait. We’re also making side trips to see old friends in Barcelona and Amsterdam. Facebook has really helped connect us to old buddies we met the first trips.

Things I Most Want to Do in Paris

• Eat copious amounts of fresh bread and cheese and pastries
• Visit lots of farmer’s markets. See first bullet
• Visit flea markets
• Shop. Last time we were broke college students, so it’ll be nice to actually have some money.
• Show Max the Eiffel Tower. We’ve never been up to the top.
• Get into the groove of speaking French 24/7 again.
• Reminisce with my lover about how we fell in love in Europe 10 years ago.
• Buy clothes. Chic Parisian ones everyone will envy.

Despite not eating red meat from the age of 16 to 28 or so, I am now a steak monster. My husband says he doesn’t even know who I am anymore. Last year at Type A Mom Con, I met Gary Whetstone from Chef’s Requested. I liked Gary right away, not just because he worked for a company that produces steaks but also because he was there, paying attention to what bloggers were saying.

Fast forward a year. My family has eaten a ton of Chef’s Requested 100 calorie steaks and bacon wrapped filets. So it was a natural fit for the company to sponsor me to attend Type A Mom again this year. Talk about steak? Yes, please!

So thank you to Gary and Chef’s Requested for helping me get to Asheville for this amazing conference. And if you’ll be at the conference, leave a comment, and find me so I can give you some steak freebies (not actual steak. I don’t carry them in my pocket. Often).

I’m really excited about an event I’m co-hosting through GiveDaddy with my client, Inspired Gifts. It’s called Girls’ Night In, and it’s June 10, from 5 pm to 8 pm Pacific time.

Where is it? At your house. And mine. We’ll be joining up from our homes across the country to hang out, have a few laughs, and make Inspired Gifts for Father’s Day. Oh, and we’ll be giving away some really cool prizes from companies like Montagne Jeunesse, Village Naturals, e.l.f, Prana, and, of course, Inspired Gifts.

Inspired Gifts provides unique photo gifts you can customize to help commemorate special occasions. Join us and you can save 20% on custom photo books, banners, canvas prints, playing cards and dry erase boards that make fantastic gifts for Dad.

Ten bloggers across the country will be hosting their own Girls’ Night In parties. We’ll be broadcasting from Justin.tv so you can meet them and some of the ladies behind Inspired Gifts.

I hope you will be there! All you need to do is RSVP (it’s free) and show up with a glass of wine!

I often talk about how important it is to do things for yourself, be it get a massage, get a pedicure, take yoga or just get out of the house. Dove Ice Cream Miniatures agrees with me. The company conducted a survey of over 400 mothers and 70 percent  are taking time for themselves each day.

That’s good news. I meet so many moms that fear leaving their kids with their husbands (c’mon! They’re parents too!) to go out for a drink. I am 100% in favor of taking mini moments. Even if you can’t get the hub to watch the kid, take 15 minutes to read a book or something!

DOVE®’s “My Mini Moment” contest is pretty cool, so I wanted to share it with you.  DOVE® Ice Cream is asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes:

• a mini-getaway to Napa Valley
• Spa services for a year
• A mini-home makeover

All you have to do is submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010. I entered and have my eye on the Napa trip. Love me some wine.

The contest is sponsored by the new DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures. They’re only 70 calories! I haven’t tried them yet, but the  Café Collection, which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors, sounds really yummy. The older I get, the more I realize I just need a little sweet or chocolate to fulfill my taste. For years I’d eat an entire candy bar when all I really needed was a tiny taste. These seem perfect for getting your sweet tooth satisfied without packing on the pounds. And with summer coming, the fact that they’re ice cream is perfect!

I have long loved yoga. For ten years, to be exact. And my practice has changed over the years.

When I started, I was more concerned competing with the people on the mats around me. I’d bend into any pose just to prove I could.

Now I compete only with myself. I want to push myself, but know that sometimes the most challenging poses aren’t the ones where I pretzel myself, but rather the ones I do correctly.

I’m able to let go easier. Once I get on my mat, I’m 100% 94% fully in the moment. I shed work duties, parenting worries and to do lists. For the most part.

I’m proud, because whereas I’ve always practiced at the Y or a gym, or wherever I could get the best deal, I now practice at a studio. That doesn’t have a pool. Or sweaty men pumping iron. It’s 100% yoga, and there’s better focus, I think. If you’re in San Diego, check out A Gentle Way in La Mesa.

That’s all. This post doesn’t have much point. Except to say that I am a better person because of yoga.

Namaste.

I realize how sad I was in losing my camera after having it such a short time, and after finally admitting how much I needed creativity in my life. Now I’m back to snapping photos of plants and kids. Will post soon.

Happy Mother’s Day to me and to you!!

Um, Susan, what is a Blog Party?

It’s a way for people to get to know each other in the blogosphere. If you visit this page you will be inundated with great blogs to check out and explore. Swing by just like you would a new neighbor’s house (although not in the way those two lovely thieves swung by my house). Stop by, have a virtual bite and cocktail and make friends.

When you spend a lot of time online, it can feel disconnected, not seeing the people you know so much about. There are a lot of you who have been loyally reading my blog for a while and know more about me than some of my friends. That’s how it works. This Ultimate Blog Party is about engaging and having some conversation.

If you haven’t already, go make some friends at the Ultimate Blog Party!

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I was painting my nails on the bed, watching a show about Soul Train with the hub. The bed shakes, annoying me, since I’m about to get Hot Fuschia all over my fingers.

“Honey, are you shaking the bed?”

Nothing. If you have a five year old who loves [insert favorite ugly monster/robot show here]  show and can completely be engrossed, this is my husband watching anything about Soul Train.

“Quit shaking the bed!”

“I’m not shaking the bed.”

I look on the other side to see if Max is trying to sneak up on me. Nothing. Puzzled, as bed is still shaking.

“It’s an earthquake,” says husband, calmly as if telling me the laundry is done.

EARTHQUAKE! OH GOD! WHAT DO WE DO? STOP, DROP AND ROLL? WAIT, NO. UM. OH GOD THIS IS CRAZY.

That, needless to say is me.

It was weird. We were upstairs and you could feel the house sway back and forth. The pictures didn’t even move on the wall. Nothing broke. It was kinda like a theme park ride.

And after a minute, it was over.

I, doing what any red blooded Tweeter would do, jumped on Twitter to see what the hell that was. It was indeed an earthquake, originating in Baja California. Or was it Mexico? Anyway, it was a 7.3 on the Richter scale. Out of 9. So pretty damn big.

It was kinda cool to talk to people I didn’t know in San Diego on Twitter about it. Everyone told their story of what they were doing at the time (a la 9/11 only on a smaller scale). I even found a few bloggers I didn’t know lived here, like Sugar Jones. So now I look forward to meeting my new Twitter pals.

I realized I really didn’t know what you’re supposed to do in case of an earthquake. I did my homework for next time:

• If you’re inside get on the ground and under something if you can
• Or go outside away from things that can fall
• Don’t panic (oops)

After I was sure we weren’t going to have an aftershock, I went to the grocery store, where more people were talking about it. They said this was the biggest earthquake since the 1970s, so that makes me feel good. If I can withstand a 7.3, I can withstand anything!

Driving across country on (or near) Route 66 was interesting. There’s sadly not much left of this historic road and its attractions. But what pleasure I had coming across a giant indian or fun motel sign! And I’ve got the photos to prove it. I’ll have to break my trip down in a few posts to share with you in the next few weeks, so be patient.

California is wonderful. It’s so beautiful here. San Diego is covered with mountains, and just walking through my neighborhood, suddenly I’ll be at a vista of valleys and peaks, and it just seems so dang wonderful. It’s chillier than I expected (mornings about 45 or 50 degrees) but from what the locals say, they don’t expect it to be this cold either.

Our house is beautiful, and has a magical garden full of hummingbirds. And a mama hummingbird on a nest.

Max is adjusting nicely to his French language school, and is really taking to the language. He’s also taken to piano, of which we have one in our rent house. Bonus!

The boys and I are adjusting to being a family together. No more cramming in quality time over three days. We’re in it together forever.

And I’m sick. Have a cold. Lovely. Stay tuned for more snippets from Life in California.