Stylin' Saturday - Underwear Hats

Pin It Now!

Underwear hats. Not just for kids. Free eyebrow lift for the mom. All the rage.

But my kids wear them well.

This is one of my very favorite videos of Elijah. He was 2 1/2 years old singing "How Great is Our God" . . . with Elmo underwear on his head. With full passion and sincerity. God loves it and so do I. You gotta see the way he sings the last line.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

It's Finally Come to This - A Virtual Party

Pin It Now!

Are you ready to party like it's 2010? Umm, yeah because when else would there be a blog party? Well, apparently there was one last year, but I was still trying to participate in real-life, in-person parties. Sooo 2002.

What is a blog party? I really have no idea, but I read something that said there were lots of prizes (and not just rubber chickens and doilies) so I'm in.

I do know that I am supposed to (virtally) introduce myself to any new readers that may come to my party in search of prizes or blogging affirmation.
1. If you want a prize from me (rather than from the actual blog party where they only have junk like laptops and cash cards) please enter my second annual (DMV) Dirty Minivan Competition. Any dirty car will do. And the bragging rights are enough to make any husband proud. Shoot, if he knows you are driving around an award winning vehicle maybe he will actually brave the 9 Sunday School Projects, 4 jackets, goldfish crumbs, and straw wrappers that adorn the passenger front seat and go for a ride! And if you really don't care about me or my blog or my dirty car, then scroll down to the bottom and see how easy it is for you to win a $100 gift card to the fair trade company, Trade as One.

2. If you want affirmation from me then leave me a comment! Then I will go to your blog and find something cool about it and leave a comment-even if it's just "Hey, I really like your font." (That's blog-party small talk.)

So my name is Wendy. Some call me the Totally Desperate Mom. Well no one actually calls me that but that it's the title of my book.
I am the mom to Elijah (6), Lydia (almost 4 and almost potty trained), and Jordis (21 months). I am also mom to Faith, but she ditched us for heaven when she was four days old. She had Trisomy 13. I have been married to Shiloh, my UCLA college sweetheart, for 12 years and I like him a lot most days.

When I was nine years old I decided I wanted to be on television. So when my mom was gone I looked in the yellow pages and found a talent agency. I called and left them a message on their answering machine--back in the day when there were actually machines and real life get togethers. That's how I got started in the entertainment business. Did a bunch of print work and commercials in San Francisco and then started flying and driving down to Los Angeles for auditions. Landed a starring role in "The New Lassie" series when I was fourteen and lived down there with friends of the family off and on until my senior year of high school. On Wednesdays I blog about my experiences in Hollywood. Like when I stalked Kirk Cameron, or when I brought Mark-Paul Gosselaar home with me, or when I played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio on Growing Pains. Here's a clip.

The rest of my blog is usually about funny, strange, and interesting things my kids do. I know, I know. What this world needs is another mommy blog . . . hopefully you'll find my blog a little bit unique with my Hollywood junk and the way I keep it real in the motherhood. I tell it like it is--the awesome, the cute, the disasters, the frustration, the beauty, the mental breakdown days, and the dance parties. Motherhood is wonderful and hard. After perusing through my blog, if you don't feel better about yourself or if you don't at least feel a little more normal . . . then just check out these pics of me and my family.

And let me tell you that I love Jesus, I have a big heart for evangelism and missions, I am passionate about adoption (was in the process of adopting a little boy from the Philippines when our daughter Jordis showed up in my womb), and I love encouraging women in their faith. That being said, my blog is not particularly a "Christian" blog. I sometimes blog about my faith or spiritual issues or prayer or I throw virtual Bibles at people. I want my blog to be a place for stalkers, I mean, readers of all faiths. However, you'll will be hearing about Jesus from time to time but because of our common bond of motherhood, poop, Hollywood, UCLA, fashion savvy (stop laughing), crafting (now I'm laughing), forts, music, and fun vacations you should be able to stick with me even if you don't agree with my Jesus stuff.

Welcome to "Tales from the Motherhood . . . and Confessions of a Former Childhood Actress." Hope you stay and party here for a while. And then go check out some of the other blogs participating in this bloggy party and leave comments. And go get some prizes.

And now for my final trick, I am supposed to list in order which cool prizes I would like to win from hosting this shindig.

My top three picks:

** The $5000 cash donated by . . . my imaginary friend. Not really a prize there, but that would be awesome.

1. (#19) - Donated by Hasbro:

A pack of preschool toys because since Lydia stayed dry for 7 days she is back in preschool and is eligible for toys of the genre. I will not tell you that she has been back to her pants peeing at home because that would be discouraging and it would invalidate my 270-Day Potty Training Method.

2. (#32) – Donated by The Frugal Novice:

$25 Target Gift Card

3. (#33) Donted by Nellie Bug's
A custom tutu of your choosing.
And then dear Santa, if can't have those items I'll have. . . 8, 39, 21

Here is your reward for suffering through that long blog post or for quickly scrolling through it to get to the goods:

Win a $100 gift card to the fair trade company Trade as One. Fair trade allows you to give unique, high-quality gifts to family and friends— while giving hope and income to the poor. There are several ways you can win this gift certificate to this awesome company.

1. Leave a comment. Any ol' comment will do.

2. Follow this blog. Then leave a comment letting me know you did.

3. Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a comment letting me know you did.

4. Don't follow me on facebook because I like to keep that to people I really know. Then leave a comment letting me know you didn't.

5. GOOD FOR 3 ENTRIES - Go to my book website and check out the table of contents of Totally Desperate Mom: Keepin' it Real in the Motherhood. Then come back here and leave 3 comments letting me know which chapter intrigues you the most. Well, only one comment needs to tell me which chapter you pick. The other comments can be like this kalhecoiawehfewaihfaegfdlgahjdg aregjr4∑£¢ºt9gjdx.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Hollywood Days - Tabloids

Pin It Now!

Things were different back when I was working Hollywood. Yes, there was paparazzi but it was not as crazy as it is now. Probably because there was no internet.

There were still lame tabloids that twisted the truth. I think I was in the tabloids twice. I was not tabloid material and I wasn't very well-known so no one would have cared. Here is one of my tabloid appearances (not sure which one) and as you can see, not very tabloidy.

Next week look for Christina Nigra's guest post. She and I were actually in a tabloid together. I'll have to find it and put it up with her guest post.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words . . .

Pin It Now! Look at these pictures and tell me what you see.

A hard boiled Easter egg hunt in our backyard? Elijah in his "fancy" clothes and Jordis in oversized clothes that don't belong to her?

Happy kids with St. Patrick's Day tattoos all over their bodies?

The results of an Easter Bunny who hides cash in eggs?
Now I'll tell you what you didn't see.

1. Lydia pooped her pants once and peed her pants twice (thus she's wearing Jordis' leopard print pants in the later photos). I have not written my curriculum for my 270 Day Potty Training Method because it seems we are aiming for a method closer to 365 days. Or maybe ten years. Only time will tell.

2. Shiloh and I got annoyed with each other.

3. When leaving my parents house my faithful dirty minivan would not start. Dead battery. Jump started it in the pouring rain.

4. When we got home I was on the verge of an MBD. "I need you to take the kids. I need to go take bath." After my bath Shiloh asked me, "Why did you need a bath? Did you get pooped on or something?"

"No, just on the verge of a MBD."

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I think that line is imcomplete:

"A picture is worth a thousand words, but often leaves out the important and contradictory back story."

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Public Displays of Social Media Affection (PDSMA)

Pin It Now!

You know how some people use Facebook and Twitter for public displays of affection? Don't you wonder why those people don't get a chat room or something? Don't you wonder why they don't just call each other or email each other privately to express their undying love and affection for one another?

Yeah, me too.

But blogs are totally different right?

Dear Shiloh,

Happy 35th birthday! I love growing old with you. Well, getting all wrinkly and memory impaired is not so lovable, but the growing part is fun. You are an awesome husband and a one-of-a-kind, adventuresome dad.

You are smart, loyal, committed, protective, sensitive, kind, and funny. I love you. I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I was going to get you an ipad, but then I thought you would rather have some PDSMA instead. Was I right?

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Happy Easter 2010

Pin It Now!

Happy Easter from the Hagens!

On Friday the kids and I waited in bumper to bumper traffic to get off the freeway to get to our church for the Good Friday service. Praise the Lord because the church was packed! People were coming to hear the good news on Good Friday.

We went to "Easter" service last night and it was awesome. Music was off the hook, Pastor Steve delivered the "love story" of the Easter message. Always great childcare. We are so, so, so, so blessed to go to such an awesome church. If you live in the East Bay (of California) and don't have a church home or are wondering if Easter has more meaning than Peeps, Cadbury Eggs and bunnies . . .

Check out www.cornerstoneweb.org and go there for Easter service!

9am and 11am in Livermore. And if you go, introduce yourself to Derek Walker (incredible worship leader) and tell him that I sent you. Then tell him he owes you $500. Just because.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Second Annual Dirty Minivan Contest

Pin It Now! Picture Me Imperfectly.
Link up at Capturing Motherhood!

Thought it was a good fit for the DMV competition.

I can smell it in the air. Some call it spring, but we all know what season it really is. It's DMV time. Time for my second annual Dirty Minivan Contest. You can check out last's years competition to get an idea of how we roll. Any dirty car will do. It doesn't actually have to be a minivan.

I will start the competition off by showing you my lovely ride. It's a Toyota Sienna and it rules. I actually don't think it's all that bad in its current state. I can do much worse. But my girlfriend reminded me it was time for a DMV rematch and so I had to just document this baby "as is." It's DMV integrity. So here you go . . . be inspired.

Front seat, driver's side:

No big deal. Some CDs (that will never make the rotation), DVDs and sunglasses.

Front seat, passenger side:

A diaper bag topped with a naked Ariel doll, a couple of coupons (that I will never remember to take out of the car and use), some half-full water bottles, and Lydia's "night-night."

Front seat, driver's side floor:

Wipes, a princess cape, an empty bag (or is it?), a Jordis toy, and a lint brush (it's like one of those Roombas - it automatically rolls around and cleans the lint off the floor of my immaculate minivan).

Behind the drivers seat:

If you have read about my adventures in potty training, you would not blame me or judge me for keeping 3 bags of spare clothes for Lydia.

Next to Jordis' seat:

Two pairs of shoes, wipes, and a snack (apple fruit crushers).

Back of the car:

That faithful highchair/grocery cart cover to protect Jordis from all the uncleanliness that lives outside of my DMV. That red and white bag is yet another round of "emergency clothes" for all the kids. Then stroller and fabulous "B" bean craft from church that has been in my car for at least 3 weeks.

Thanks for looking at my crib. Now let me see yours.

Here are the rules:
1. HOW TO ENTER:

Please display the pics of your sweet vehicle on your own blog and link it here (via Mr. Linky - check in on Monday April 12th for that). If you do not have a blog please email me your photos and I will showcase your pride and joy for you.

Your entries are due by April 15th. There is no "I just cleaned out my car excuse" because certainly by April 15th you will have restocked it again.

2. VOTING:

I will do a post with Mr. Linky the week of April 12th. You all can link up to your posts about your hot wheels. People can start voting on April 16th.

3. PRIZES:

If reigning champ Mel (she tied with Christina) finds the rubber chicken it will passed along to this year's winner.

Additionally, my friend Michelle has offered up a $40 credit to her Scentsy store! You may remember Michelle's Roach Mobile from last years competition. It was so clean you could eat off the floors - as long as you like deadly spiders, roaches, and disco carpet flooring.

4. NON-U.S. RESIDENTS:

If you live outside of the United States I welcome your participation, but your are ineligible for the prizes because well . . . I don't want to pay the shipping costs.

5. SPREAD THE WORD:

Please link this post to your blog so we can get some serious competition going. This is no joke.

P.S. If anyone is all technical and graphic/designerish and they want to create a button for this competition . . . that would be cool. I would give you 40,000 points.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Hollywood Days - Out of this World

Pin It Now! Remember how I told you I was going to have some upcoming guest posts? I never said it would be in a timely fashion. You met Carol-Ann. And in two weeks Christina Nigra is going to bust on scene and tell us about her days as a childhood actress. You may have seen her in the movie "Cloak in Dagger." You probably saw her on "Out of this World" and thought it would be cool to have a friend with an alien dad. Or you may have seen her on the streets rescuing stray dogs.

In two weeks you will see her here via a live satellite telecast feed. Just kidding, but she will be doing her guest post.

Here we are at the Youth In Film Awards. Christina, me, and Holly Fields.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Design 4 Living Conference! Think BREAKDANCING!

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Lydia Looks Like . . .

Pin It Now!

Her Grammy. Just a tad, don't you think?

They like to go on dates to the Farmer's Market. Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Stylin' Saturday - Leg Tatts & Christmas Skirts

Pin It Now!

Christmas skirts never go out of style and always complement a leg tattoo. Throw in some ballerina socks, white dressy shoes, a baseball t-shirt and you have yourself one awesome outfit. Just ask Lydia.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Design 4 Living Conference

Pin It Now!

The Design 4 Living Conference is coming up! Friday night May 21st and Saturday May 22nd at my church, Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore. Please come join me! I will be doing a breakout session on "Taking Care of Mom."


Elisa Morgan (founder of MOPS) will be the main speaker and comedian Kerri Pomarolli will be tearing it up. FFH will be doing a concert on Friday night. Go to the website to register ($49 before May 1st, $59 after that) and check out the other breakout speakers.

And I have a special offer:

If 15 of you come as a result of this post . . . that is 15 people who I know only through the blogosphere or I don't know at all. (You must be a woman and you must not be creepy. Current, real life, in-person friends do not count.)

Then I will breakdance at my breakout session. Seriously. Because that is what is what I think of when I hear "Breakout Session." Be there.

Let me know if I should count you among one of the brave 15.

P.S. If you met me at Bayside Church's MOPS, but I don't really know you, know you - I'll count it.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

I Don't Need an Interior Decorator

Pin It Now! I've been doing some blog surfing and what I have discovered is that there are a lot crafty and artistically gifted women out there. Who blog about it. And then take and post professional pictures of their remodel, repaint, fancy-pants artwork, bedroom overhaul, professional-looking children's craft, etc. Moreover, they throw out designer words (that I have never even heard of) as if they were every day, common people vernacular. I'm not gonna say names, but you know who you are. And you probably wouldn't be caught dead reading this blog as it might corrupt your design savvy and make your eyes bleed so I am really not sure why I directed that last statement at you. But if by chance you are reading . . . I want you to know that this is a genetic condition. And I actually like looking at your pretty stuff.

Meanwhile, I am busting out kids' bedrooms that look like this. Jealous? It's not that our IKEA stuff didn't work out, it's just those high quality shades are actually behind those blankets doing a great back-up job of keeping the light out. It's not that Shiloh's Grandma's colorful quilt and the Care Bear blanket don't make completely stylish window coverings. Nor am I saying that Shiloh's use of beach towels to block the night light from Jordis is not an obvious decorator's touch. And I am confident that an expresso finished sleigh bed totally coordinates with cinnamon stained baby furniture. And the pseudo matching nightstand from the 1940s does tie it all together . . .

I guess what I am saying is that I would like a better camera.

And if I wanted to have a blog that featured beautiful rooms with coordinated junk and stuff I totally could. I would just have to sell my house over and over again and pay professional stagers and have a professional photographer to take photos. And we would have to move in with my parents to maintain aforementioned designafication (BAM - just used my own designer word!).

P.S. Stop what you are doing and go take photos of your Dirty Minivan. Do not manipulate it's condition. Let it live freely as it does in its everyday life. It's about time for the second annual DMV competition here. If you don't know what I am talking about and have always wanted a rubber chicken . . . check out last year's competition.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Hollywood Days - The Big Bucks

Pin It Now!

The checks keep just keep rollin' in. These are residuals I recently received from Growing Pains. The best part is that the check for $11.86 came within a week of the check for TWENTY SIX CENTS! Seriously people, can we not consolidate at all? How about if I sign a waiver that says if the check is worth less than a cost of a stamp just keep it--consider it a tip!

In other news, this was the commercial headshot I used when Barbara Cameron was my agent. That's Barbara Cameron, Kirk's mom. This was a few years after I showed up at her front door. I never did tell her about that. But she never did tell me that my hair was crazy so let's call it even.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Taylor Swift

Pin It Now!

The kids are digging Taylor Swift these days. Especially Lydia. Lydia really wants Taylor to come for a sleepover at our house. I can't convince her that I don't know Taylor. Tonight in the car she said, "Mom, if Taylor Swift wasn't working and we knew what state she lived in and you knew her really well, then maybe we could get on an airplane and go to her house and have dinner."

She talks about her ideas and dreams all the time. I love her.

P.S. She goes back to preschool starting today!

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan

Courtside Again

Pin It Now!

Once again we got hooked up. Thank you Kim and Tammy for the amazing gift of courtside seats to the Warriors game! And this time the Totally Desperate Mom got to go!

We were that close.

Before the game we needed to get some dinner. We headed for the pizza stand. Elijah said, "Mom we don't need to buy pizza. You can get it for free. We just need to scream really loud."

Bless his heart.

Not too stoked to stop for a picture before the game.

He gave me this shot though.

I think he had a good time.

The only bummer was that mom only got him one treat. Dad usually gives him enough to puke.

We were on TV twice. Check the videos below if you are our true friends and blog bridesmaids. Make sure your sound is turned up for the first video.

Pin It Now!

Be a Fan