Big News! Small Changes.

I’ve got some exciting news to share!  Tomorrow I’m starting a new part-time job doing PR for a large ad agency. And the best part — it’s only 1/4 mile from my house and I can almost see my boy’s school from the parking lot!

But don’t worry, this website isn’t going anywhere. {Whew!}

I’ll still be on the hunt for the best deals, posting store match-ups, teaching couponing classes, and making silly videos (that’s whenever I can wrangle willing participants). But since I’ll be working Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8am-3pm, the Daily Deals Newsletter, is now becoming the “Crazy Deals Newsletter” and will be delivered Mondays and Fridays.  

On a personal note, it’s been over TEN years since I had a real job in an office. When I chose to stay home with my boys, I really struggled with a sense of loss of identity. I had left behind a fun and exciting career in radio, only to be “stuck at home” with two young boys who were 13 months apart (then Brody came along and I had three boys under 4 years old!). Those former glory days of rubbing elbows with celebrities had turned to endless hours of rubbing Desitin on chapped bottoms!

But it was when I got involved in MOPS (Mothers or Preschoolers) that I began to find myself again and discovered joy even in the most mundane tasks of motherhood. MOPS is also where I found a platform for sharing my passion of saving money. You see, I’ve always been one of those people who loves to share bargains and make people guess how much I paid for whatever outfit I’m wearing. But in 2005, when I was asked to teach our group of 150 women how to shop smart, meal plan, stock up, etc., I realized there was a need for this information on a larger scale. And so, I began reaching out to other MOPS/moms/parenting groups in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and eventually launched this website with the desire to help more families save money and reach their financial goals.

I tell you all this because, it was easy for my to glide back into the workforce because I continued to pursue my passions during those 10 years I “took off” to raise my boys.  Granted, I couldn’t commit to 40 hours per week and bring home a big fat paycheck, but I maintained a sense of purpose and had an outlet that was all ME and had nothing to do with being a mother (although stocking up and going to the grocery store three times a week is all the result of being a mother!)

If you’ve chosen to take a break from your career, in order to cherish some precious time with your children, I encourage you to stay plugged in to whatever industry you’re passionate about and continue to pursue your interests.  You never know when an opportunity with arise. Plus, you probably want to look like you’ve been doing something beside shopping at Target and redeeming Groupon offers at the local spa!

Oh, and if you don’t want to wait for the deals to land in your inbox, be sure to follow me on Google+, Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the minute deal postings. Also, go here to ensure you see Facebook posts. Because as we know, when Mark Zuckerburg isn’t busy ruling the world, he’s messing around with your Facebook timeline!