To see what’s going on with me on any particular day, follow my blog, TheYoungMommyLife.com

My first thought was: Who wants a baby onesie with a Food Network logo on it? That’s stupid and has no point.

But I was proven wrong by looking at the comments.

“OMG! I love it!”

“I want one for  my kiddo!”

“WHERE WAS THIS WHEN MY SON WAS BORN?”

I didn’t get it. One comment echoed my thoughts when she said, “I wish it was a more interesting design.”

If I had been in the room, I would have (rightly) pressed for a more creative design. Looking at the Food Network gear available for sale, it’s all rather plain and boring. Looks like they just pressed a red Food Network sticker onto everything. But it’s selling. People want it. I’m perplexed, but people like simple. Simple works for them.

It was a good lesson for me. Don’t necessarily discard my first idea because it’s too simple. Put it out to the masses and let them decide if it needs “fancying up.”

I put her on the swing and started to push her. “No, Mommy!” she screamed, and hopped down.

“What?” I asked, startled. Was the seat too hot?

“No, not like that,” she said, hopping back on the seat.

I started to push her once more.

“Mom, no,” she said again. She turned to look at me. “I don’t want to go low. I want to go higher.”

“I’ll push you higher,” I said, not understanding what she was getting at.

She turned around, satisfied, but then again when I started to push her, she got upset. “Mommy, I want you to push me high like Daddy does.”

I finally understood her problem. She wanted to get on the swing and immediately start kissing the sky. She didn’t like the slow build-up of swinging gently at first, pumping her legs, gaining momentum. She just wanted to go high.

I explained to her that she needed to trust that I would push her high, but she had to start out slow. If I pushed her too hard too quickly, she’d get hurt. She nodded and seemed to understand.

Turns out, I need to follow my own advice.

This past Sunday, I collapsed onto my bed, after scrambling to turn in my last assignment of my summer statistics course.

I’m officially halfway done with my Masters program.

Halfway there.

It seems like such a milestone, but at the same time, graduation still seems so far away.

When I say statistics kicked my a$$, I mean it really put a beatdown on my soul. I was having nightmares about that class—nightmares, y’all. As in, I couldn’t escape from the class in my dreams. Ugh.

Couple that class with my new workload and the fact that I am still without a babysitter and I damn near fell apart. Because this? The wearing of the multiple hats at the same time? It was kicking my tail.

And I know you can relate. Going to school — or doing anything really when you have kids — is no joke.

The only thing I can do on days when I feel like giving up: Close my eyes. Breathe. Dive into my bed. Pull the covers over my head and go to sleep. The next day, approach life as a clean slate. Do what I can do and let the rest go.

Sometimes your goals look like mountains. Mountains that you weren’t really meant to climb. Mountains that are so steep, so dangerous that it makes more sense for you to just shrug and say, “Oh, well, at least I tried.”

But how do people climb mountains? They don’t leap their way up the mountain. They take one step at a time. That’s the way to get through anything.

It’s like I told my daughter. If I push myself too hard too fast, I could get hurt. I have to start out slow, get into a rhythm, build momentum. Then I can kiss the sky.

I wanted to put her first in my life, but I also had bills to pay. I landed a decent internship that morphed into a full-time job and I snatched it with both hands. The salary was nothing to sneeze at and – finally – we would be financial stable.

I made a pledge to myself that by the time she entered kindergarten, I would be self-employed. I would be able to create my own hours and set my own schedule. I would be my own boss, spending my time on projects that actually meant something to me.

So I began blogging when I came home from my full-time job. Because I couldn’t really get started until the kids went to sleep, this meant I was up working until well after midnight most days. I had no life outside of work, this blog, and my family. Most of my friendships withered, if not solely because of my new focus, then it was definitely a contributing factor.

I knew that I had to create some additional income, but the clock was tick-tick-ticking and kindergarten was going to be here before I knew it.

Then, I got laid off, luckily. I say luckily because instead of stepping out with no safety net, I had a bit of severance pay and unemployment benefits to tide me over ’til I could pay the mortgage on my own.

I hit it hard. Within two months of getting laid off, I had made almost $3,000 freelancing for different clients. It was a lot of work and I was bone-tired most of those days, but damn it, I was going to make it work for my lifestyle. And I have.

Whatever your goal is – whether it’s self-employment, or a satisfying career as a nurse, or a lawyer, or a corrections officer – it is up to you to take that first step. And then the second step. And then the third.

I talked earlier about doing things that scare you as a way get to the next level. But it takes more than that, obviously.

I want each of you to be happy with your career. Not just have a job and go there every day to punch a clock and count down the hours until it’s time to go home. But to be truly fulfilled with your passion.

We have every right to earn money doing something that we love. We do not need to necessarily curb our dreams and desires because kids came along. Uh-uh. We still push forward.

You might get discouraged because people might not support your goals. You say you want to go back to school and people ask, “Where are you going to get the money? Who’s going to watch the baby? When are you going to study? How in the world do you think this is possible?”

I’m telling you – it IS possible.

It is true that your priorities change, your viewpoint shifts and your life is no longer only about you once you become a mom.

But it’s also important to remember that you are still you. You are still the person who would lay in bed and think about winning a Grammy, or being in med school, or anything else that crossed your mind.

The best advice I can give you? Don’t get held down by one dream.Dreams are flexible, they adapt to different circumstances. Dreams are something that you control, that you can build. If one dream looks impossible, twist it sideways and see what you come up with. There is a way around any roadblock – whether you have to go around it, over it or even under it.

Of all the young moms I’ve met over the years, they have been determined and motivated, driven to succeed by any means necessary. They’ve overcome great obstacles and are still standing, ready to share how they did it. I want to add you to that list.

I talk more about finding your passion and getting on the path to success in my latest book, Make It Happen. Get your copy today.

In the fall of 2009, the audience for TheYoungMommyLife.com (my baby, my brand, my everything!) had doubled from the previous year, and I was looking for some way to give back. It was part experiment/part altruism. I searched for an organization that I could host a fundraiser for, and after a couple of quick Google searches, I found The National Crittenton Foundation. And they found me.

The National Crittenton Foundation is actually a nationwide network of nonprofit organizations, with local agencies dedicated to young women and the challenges they face: transitioning out of the foster care system, teen pregnancy, juvenile justice, sexual abuse and exploitation.

It’s all very heavy stuff (and reminds me of how much work there still is to do) but the amazing thing about the foundation and all of its staff members is how upbeat and confident everyone is. Smiles on everyone’s faces and great big mama-bear hugs – it’s not hard to imagine how these women are able to have such an impact on young women all over the country.

The overwhelming emotions you feel when observing the Crittenton women: safe. Secure. Loved. Supported. I was excited to join the Crittenton women (and men) for their annual meeting this year at Disney World. They are kicking off a new initiative, Assets for Life, which is a new effort that builds off so much of the work they’ve already done. They are increasing their services to provide these young women with more assistance in the way of job readiness training, career exploration, mental health recognition, nutrition and much more…

Day 1 was a welcome reception to introduce us to each other and give us the chance to network. I enjoyed the food (the crab cakes were delish!) but I enjoyed the conversations even more. I sat a table with several different executive directors, discussing the impact of their teen pregnancy prevention programs in D.C. Teaching the girls to be able to distinguish a healthy relationship from a toxic one, surrounding the girls with people who genuinely wish to see them succeed – all of it creates an atmosphere where the teens know what they want and if pregnancy would postpone those dreams.

Day 2 began with “the Heart of Crittenton,” personal stories from young women impacted by Crittenton agencies. One by one, the women stood up. Some proud, some confident (and some a little nervous) to tell their stories. They spoke of the sexual abuse suffered by the hands of their fathers, stepfathers, aunts, uncles, brothers; the drug use they engaged in to medicate the pain; the abusive relationships they were in with their child’s father(s) and how they found the courage to leave.

I saw a group of beautiful (and I mean REALLY beautiful), intelligent, strong women who were survivors. Survived years of abuse at the hands of people they thought loved them and emerged triumphant, persistant in persuing their dreams. I walked away from these women in awe.

One young woman stood up and talked about her drug abuse and how she checked into rehab at age 14, prompted by a positive pregnancy test. “If it wasn’t for getting pregnant…I honestly don’t know if I’d be here, if I’d be alive. I knew I had a little person depending on me now…I couldn’t let him down.”

Yet another stood in front of us and described being physically assaulted by her parents, but having the courage to tell someone and get out. She ended up at a Crittenton agency and is now in college, a proud mommy of one.

One tearful story included a young woman from Sierra Leone, who was 3 years old when a civil war broke out. She still remembers the brutal murders she witnessed, seeing arms, limbs and heads, chopped off.

Another young woman ran away from home after being repeatedly molested by a friend of the family and became pregnant shortly thereafter, homeless and sleeping under a broken street light. She then went to a Florence Crittenton home to get assistance. “At the hospital, when I was in labor, they asked me where I lived,” she recalls. “It felt so good to say that I lived at Inwood House versus a staircase on the street.”

Wow. How wonderfully powerful that is. The Crittenton family of agencies has stories like this by the thousands. So many young women have been impacted in ways that we can only begin to imagine.

Jeannette Pai-Espinosa, executive director of the national organization, is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and it is apparent to me, after meeting her a few times and being in her presence, that she is the perfect person to be the head of this organization.

She spoke of the staff’s dedication to their girls: “The past of the young women that come through our doors does not determine their future,” Jeannette said. “It’s not just a job….it’s more like a social movement that supports the empowerment of girls. Our movement is stronger than its ever been.”

I, for one, am proud to be part of that movement and will be dedicating more space to the issues that young women, like the women I met at the annual meeting, have to face every day. This is more than a blog post – this is call to arms. Who’s with me?

Never mind the fact that I am hungry. (No breakfast.) Or the fact that I have two little ones running in circles around the couch and through the living room and in the kitchen (where I haven’t had breakfast). Or that the TV is little too loud and I could stop and take a second to turn it down but then I’d lose my train of thought and that is just not acceptable.

I need to write like smokers need to smoke. It doesn’t matter to them if it’s cold outside or if they just had a cigarette or if their friends roll their eyes at their habit.

I write in the mornings. At naptime. In the time it takes my daughter to go to the bathroom and wash her hands. At night. At home. At Starbucks. In class. On the laptop. On my iPad. On a napkin.

If I didn’t write I would lose the very essence of me. I’m in love with words and if they deserted me, well, I’d be lost.

Sure, I’m a married woman but words were my first love. If I was lonely or frustrated, I could get my emotions out and put them in a safe place. Words could comfort me, draw that fear out and replace it with satisfaction.

When I got laid off last year, I was scared but I knew this was my opportunity. To become a full-time writer. To pay the bills and provide for my kids doing the one thing I loved most in the world.

This is my dream and it’s here and I’m grabbing it with both hands.

It still feels like yesterday.

On Sunday nights, I still get that “Gotta go to work in the morning” feeling. Every morning I wake up and turn to grab my work clothes.

Then I remember. I have nowhere to go. I stay here.

Right now, I am the work-at-home mama of two. Both kids are home with me all day every day. In between breakfast, snack time, and potty training, I manage the needs of my growing list of social media and freelance writing clients. Luckily, most of my work can be handled by e-mail with the occasional naptime phone call.

Right now, I’m making mortgage money, something I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to do once the hammer came down back in November.

Somehow I’m making it work. Is it hard? Hell yes. I work all the time now. Evenings, weekends, middle of the day, 1 a.m. – I’m usually up, typing away, doing research, editing, scheduling social media updates.

But I’m my own boss. I get to spend all day with my kids. I’m pocketing the $1,100 per month we were spending on daycare. I save the two hours a day I was spending in the car driving to and from work.

Life is good.

I’ve concluded, definitively, that this was the best thing to happen to me. The best. Even though I didn’t think so at the time.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection over the past couple days and of course, I’ve come up with some lessons. Feel free to think I’m talking directly to you. Because I am:

1. Self-care needs to be higher on your list. Spending all day at home has allowed me to slow down and take stock of my life. My nails (hands and feet) are always in a “Ugh, I need to get a mani/pedi” mode. I don’t get a chance to do my hair nearly often enough, and my wardrobe is blahsy, blah, blah. I eat too much of the wrong foods and I don’t hardly drink enough water. But now? I’m working out 4x per week, and I keep my water bottle with me. Still working on the hands and feet, but I’m on my way.

2. Kids need attention more than your money. My babies love nothing more than to just sit in my lap and let me rub their bellies. All this time, I’ve been focused on making money. Trying to make sure they never ever have to go without. New clothes, new toys, organic food, enough extra money to keep the heat on 75 in the winter. Yeah, I wanted them to have all that. But now I realize that I should’ve spent more time on the floor with them doing puzzles or making silly faces.

3. Exercise will help you get through the day. Do it as soon as you wake up. If I don’t work out within an hour of waking up, there’s a 90% chance it won’t happen. But once it’s out of the way? It’s smooth sailing from there. I have more energy, more patience, I start the day already feeling like I’ve accomplished something.

4. You need less money than you think. This goes along with #2. I became so preoccupied with my job and making more money that it was really taking a toll on my mental health. And now that we’re down to one steady income, I’m finally seeing that most of my hard work was going straight to daycare bills. How lovely.

5. Quiet time is great. I mean really, really great. That is all I have to say about that.

6. Smoothies are a multitasking mama’s best friend. I can get about 250 calories in one smoothie, complete with protein, fiber, vitamins, you name it. Takes 3 minutes to make once you have the ingredients and it’s a healthy boost.

7. Plan your life and make it count. I feel so fortunate that I had other avenues to turn to once I got the notice that my position was eliminated. (By the way, they have GOT to come up with a better way to say you’ve been laid off. Like, “We can’t afford to pay you anymore, because you’re too awesome for us!”) But that’s because I made it a point to always have multiple options just in case ish went down. And it did. So make that back-up plan, even if you’re confident. You’ll be glad it’s there.

8. Food is awesome. Man, if I could marry a plate of brownies or a pulled pork sandwich, I sure would. They are DELICIOUS and something about great food just makes you…well, you know:

But I’ve been using food for everything lately. For a hobby – I’m learning how to bake and giving the results to my husband’s co-workers and the neighbors. For my kids – teaching them basic lessons using cooking and measuring as starting points. Love.it.

9. Get out the house. For your sanity’s sake. This applies to stay-at-home moms AND those who work outside the home. Get out the house. Go to Panera. Or the bookstore. Just sit and read a magazine. Then go home.

10. All you need is within you. Even if you’re scared, you think you don’t have what it takes, you think the economy is too rough, you think your friends won’t support you – it doesn’t matter. You CAN do it. Don’t be scared. Don’t let that fear paralyze you. You can do it – now go!

Yes, you. Can I talk to you for a minute?

It’s Monday. You’re coming back to the office after a long holiday break and part of you wishes the break could last forever because you hate your job. You hate the office politics, the mind-numbing work, the lack of excitement and responsibility. You hate going to the same place every day, you hate the commute, you hate the office coffee, you hate the empty “How was your weekend?” chatter by your co-workers.

Am I right?

Yes, I know. I hear you grumble about your job every single day. On Facebook (better recheck those privacy settings!), to your husband, to the person in line behind you at Starbucks.

But last time I checked, you needed that job. Because if you didn’t, you’d quit, right?

So you need to make it work, as best you can, for the remainder of the time you have that job.

…Does your attitude need adjusting?

Ask yourself, does your attitude make it that much worse? If you approach every new project with the same “How much longer am I going to be doing this crap?” attitude, will anything really appeal to you? Will your eyes be open for new ideas? Get excited about the stupid stuff.

…Are your true passions going unfulfilled?

What would you rather be doing? Would you rather have someone else’s job? Be in an entirely different company all together? Is there a way to turn that true passion of yours into a side hustle? I know you’re thinking – you’re wiped out by your regular job. There’s no way you can add another gig on top of it. When would you find the time? You’d find the time because you’d make the time. It’s as simple as that.

…Are you bored at work?

Would you like to get more experience? Can you assist a co-worker on a major project? I’m sure she’d appreciate the help and you can branch out beyond your same ol’, same ol’.

…Is your working environment toxic?

Meaning, do you frequently think your co-workers are mean and spiteful? You can’t change people, but you can change your reactions to them. Do not get sucked in any mind games. You’re there to work – everything else is secondary.

My main point: You have more control than you think. You can either drag your feet into work every day OR you can get the most you can out of your current job, to be prepared for the better fit that’s around the corner. Job search in the evenings and on weekends. Promote yourself as best you can in the meantime. Start a blog. Join the professional organization of the field you really want to be in. Get e-newsletters. Go to lunch with people in the field. Do what you have to do to get where you want to be, but don’t let your current job suffer.

So I’m offering reduced rates for blog consultations during the month of December. Started a new blog in 2010 and want to take it to the next level next year? Thinking about creating a blog in 2011 but need help figuring out the how, what, why and where? I’m your gal.

Contact me at Tara dot Pringle at gmail dot com to grab your spot. Spaces are going quickly!