By now you’ve probably figured out that we, like most mamas, LOVE great photos — particularly great shots of kids. There is a reason why most women say that, if the house was burning and the family was already out safely, they’d grab their photo album before sprinting out the door. Great photos are priceless and timeless.

Our first snapshot contest was a big hit and the entries have filled our online scrapbook located at the bottom of the website. Kathleen Villar won the first contest with a precious shot of her son hugging his great-grandpa. You can check it out by clicking here.

The contest was pretty popular, so we’re happy to announce that we’re doing another contest featuring a very cool grand prize from one of the area’s most talented child photographers — Melinda J. Worthington of MJW Photography. (You can check out Mindy’s work by clicking here or on the banner located above our snapshot gallery at the bottom of this page.)

We really love cruising by Mindy’s blog every week to see what she has been up to and to check out the great shots she has captured of Northwest Arkansas kids. The style of her work and her fun personality really shine through in her blog.

The shots you see scattered throughout this post are some of Mindy’s favorites. I first heard about Mindy and her work through my friend Jennifer who asked Mindy to shoot her baby’s newborn shots. Oh, I melted when I saw those pictures and almost came down with a bad case of the “baby bug.”

THE GRAND PRIZE: The winner of the snapshot contest will receive a free portrait session with Mindy Worthington Johnson and a HUGE 16 by 20 inch wall print of their favorite shot from that session. This is a prize that would ordinarily cost you hundreds of dollars if you paid out-of-pocket. And having a great shot of your kid or kids to treasure for years to come? Well, it’s hard to put a price on that.

HOW TO ENTER: We’ll accept photo submissions in August, September and October. We know how hard it is to narrow down your favorite snapshots, so you can send us up to 5 shots each month during the contest. If possible, please try to send jpeg images and e-mail them to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com.

The photos will be judged by a panel of judges (who won’t know the kids or parents’ names) and they will be evaluated on “biggest emotional impact.” So send us the ones that really make you laugh or make your heart melt. To see some examples of which photos have made it as finalists in our past contest, click on the “Picture Mama” category and scroll back through our old posts where we’ve announced previous finalists.

The judges will select a few finalists from the photos submitted each month, and we’ll display those in a special post so you’ll know if you’re one step closer to the big prize. At the end of October, the grand prize winner will be announced and that mom will schedule her free portrait session with Mindy. She’ll have a new wall photo to display in time for Christmas! Cool, huh?

NOTE: We’re interested in seeing photos of kids of all ages. After all, this motherhood gig doesn’t stop when they turn into teenagers. So send us shots of your tweens and teens, too!

We’ll update the photo gallery with the new snapshots at least once a month so all your fellow moms can “oooh” and “aaah” over your photos. I love flipping through the online gallery. Makes me smile every time. So get your cameras busy and start sending your photos today. Can’t wait to see them!

Dear Rhonda,

What are the latest trends in hair color? Is the “streaky” look back in?

Dear Streaky,

When you look at hair color magazines or any fashion magazine, it seems like “anything goes”. But remember, these are fashion magazines. Most of my clients want a more natural look for their hair, meaning less “chunks” and more soft, natural tones.

A stylist can achieve a more natural look by foiling in thinner slices of hair and using several colors, lighter and darker, but within the same color family. In my opinion, it’s best to look natural and leave “funky” for the fashion runway.

On an unrelated note, I was watching this show on television a few weeks ago about a “hair jury.” It was a makeover show, and they brought a woman into a room and 12 people sitting behind a one-way mirror commented on their first impression of the woman’s looks. The jury was brutal! They were very direct about her appearance. The poor thing thought her look was very youthful and hip, but, in reality, it was kind of sad. They made her over and she looked fabulous by the end of the show. It just got me thinking about how many of us don’t really take the time to look in the mirror and see what’s REALLY there from an objective standpoint. Just something to think about…

Rhonda Moulder is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist at Blue Door & Co. in downtown Bentonville. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at the salon at 479-273-9944. Have a happy hair day.

Sons’ names and ages? My son, Devan, is 15 and my stepson, John, is 21.

Where were you born/raised? I was born in Queens, New York, and raised in Deer Park, New York (Long Island - just 45 miles east of New York City).

What brought you to Northwest Arkansas? My son! My ex-husband and I divorced when my son was three and decided that we would split custody based on his age.  We were living in Iowa at the time and did not place any geographic restrictions on each other.  Devan’s father moved back to New York and I followed him four years later. Just before my son was scheduled to move in with his dad, my ex moved to Arkansas.  I decided to wait and see if my son would want to stay.  Last summer he told me that he likes it here and did not want to move again.  I made my decision to move close to my son. We arrived on June 1st, 2009.

What’s your occupation? I’m Membership Development Director of the National Association of Mothers’ Centers (NAMC). I’m thrilled I now have the opportunity to provide support to mothers, families and employers interested in supporting their employees’ work/life needs in Northwest Arkansas.

How can local moms benefit from the National Association of Mothers’ Centers? NAMC has been helping mothers connect with other mothers in a non-judgmental environment where they can support each other since 1975.  Mothers have the opportunity to be heard and validated as they share their experiences, concerns and insights with one another.  Because of the model and training we provide, members learn from each other and develop a whole new level of communication and advocacy skills that serve them in every area of their lives – relationships, community and career.

You can learn more about the Mothers’ Centers by visiting www.MothersCenter.org.

Mothers’ Centers partner with experts in parenting, maternal well being, early childhood care and education and overall child development to bring a wealth of resources to parents through articles, seminars, conferences and webinars. Our next webinar is Thursday, Aug. 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. (CST), “Creating a Parenting Roadmap to Success” for parents of children from birth to 18 who want to enhance their parent-child relationship while raising an empowered child. People can learn more or register by e-mailing me at catherinew@motherscenter.org.

What has surprised you most about living in NWA? After living in Iowa for 9 years, I was ready for a slower pace and a difference in culture.  Although I figured that people in the south would be cordial, what has surprised me the most is just how friendly and ready to help people have been!  My husband and I are very outgoing people.  We left a huge network of wonderful friends behind.  While forging new friendships always takes time, I am encouraged by how quickly people are opening up to us and even inviting us to socialize with them.

Favorite place in NWA so far? Our favorite place so far is Devil’s Den.  It is really beautiful. And I know there is still so much more to see!

Favorite way to de-stress? Turn the lights down, light every candle in the house and put some soft jazz on the stereo.  Then curl up on the couch with a cup of tea or a glass of wine (depending on my mood) and my journal or a good book.

Your pet peeve? People who drive under the speed limit.  Hey, I’m from New York!

Where did you first meet your husband? We met over the phone.  Ron was calling organizations to offer his speaking and coaching services for single parents.  He called the National Association of Mothers’ Centers and I happened to answer the phone. As a single mother who is also committed to helping other single parents, I offered to network with him. We finally met in person two months later. We sat down at a Borders coffee shop at 10 a.m. for what we both planned to be a one hour meeting. When I got up to leave, I looked at my watch and it was 2!

How long have you been married? Seven months. We were married December 28, 2008 and had both our boys in the wedding party.

What has been one of your favorite parts of motherhood? It’s hard to say what has been my favorite. I have enjoyed every part (although not every moment) from pregnancy to nursing, the toddler years to the teen years. If I have to boil it down, my favorite part is the love my son shares with me, watching his gifts and talents develop and learning from him.  My favorite part of motherhood can be summed up in this story:

When Devan was about 3 years old, he loved going up the slide. Not down – UP. No matter how much I tried to convince him that slides were more fun when you go down, he wanted to climb up. One afternoon, after our usual debate about the slide, my son said, “Come on Mommy, do it.� To which I replied that of course I could not. He just calmly repeated, “Come on Mommy. Do it.� After repeating this several times, wouldn’t you know, Mommy gave in – and I DID IT!  My 3-year-old’s response – “Good job, Mommy!�  Sometimes my son teaches me to go beyond my self-imposed limitations.

How are you handling your son’s teenage years? My focus is to be as supportive as possible while also teaching him what will work for him as he becomes an adult. I remember well what it was like to be a teenager. Thanks to a seminar put on by the National Association of Mothers’ Centers, I learned some very helpful information about how adolescents are wired (read the article by clicking HERE). I work hard to show him love, to listen to him and guide him while allowing him to learn his own lessons within the boundaries of keeping him safe. And I do my best to not take his rough moments personally.

What’s the last book you read? The Book of Genesis.

What is your favorite thing about summer? I love being warm, enjoying the outdoors whether it is a hike in the park, an outdoor concert, playing miniature golf or sitting on the deck drinking my coffee.

A precious childhood memory? I am the oldest of five children. One very precious memory I have is when my Aunt Vivian, my mother’s sister, would come to visit and the five of us with my mom and dad would gather in the living room for one of her performances.  She would put on little skits that would have us all in stitches!

A project you can’t wait to tackle? I am working on a book about healing relationships and making marriage work called “I do?â€� and I can’t wait to finish it and get it published! In the meantime, I am writing a blog to get my thoughts flowing. You can read my musings at catherinewright.wordpress.com.

One word to sum me up … Passionate

By Shannon Magsam, neurotic new car owner

I remember it like it was yesterday: we awkwardly – and delicately — clicked the car seat into the base and I gingerly climbed into the backseat with my screaming newborn. After a ride down from room 616 in a wheelchair – and realizing that I’d have to wear house shoes and my pregnancy clothes home – it was time to leave with our precious cargo.

My husband pulled out of the hospital parking lot like a 96-year-old man with acute arthritis. His hands were claw-like on the wheel, he gripped it so tightly.

When we finally hit the main road, he picked up the pace — only slightly. Every passing vehicle was a potential threat – every pothole leading to a possible case of shaken baby syndrome. We didn’t breathe until we got her home and into the house. Then we slumped down together in the shared gratitude that we had made the trip home with our new baby unscathed.

That was seven years ago. Now that our presh-us has stopped spilling apple juice quite as regularly on the car upholstery and only occasionally jumps into the backseat with her feet caked in mud, we decided to get a new vehicle. Well, that and we wanted to take advantage of the government’s “Cash for Clunkersâ€� incentive. My husband’s old Jeep met the requirements so we decided to trade it in (and it’s a good thing we made the decision last week, since the $1 billion is apparently pretty much done for). We got the entire $4,500 as a trade-in allowance since the gas mileage on the new RAV4 is so much better than what we had with the Jeep.

 

The way I’m acting with the new vehicle is what reminded me (somewhat) of that first ride home with Ladybug. Every time I drive out into traffic I feel like cars are intentionally swerving into me or pulling out in front of me. I’m sweating by the time I make it home and the silver paint is still pristine.

Ladybug and I went to the Springdale Aquatic Center the day after I signed all the paperwork making me the (first-time) owner of a new SUV. Each time we reached the top of the tall water slide, I looked over into the distance for the silver glint of my new baby. I had parked it out in the back 40, but everyone in NWA was at the water park, apparently, because they even started taking up parking spaces way over by me. Once, I panicked because I thought it had been stolen (my keys were in the beach bag, after all!), but realized it had been obscured by a banged-up black pickup truck. “Oh, lordy,â€� I thought, “that pickup was probably hauling seven kids and they’ll all throw open the door and let it slam into my car.â€� Then I thought, “You are a freak. Certifiable. Chill out.” But I didn’t.

I chose silver over white because I thought it might hide scrapes better. Well, that and I swore I wouldn’t have another white vehicle again. I had just spent about 13 years driving two white cars. Unfortunately, when I test drove the only two RAV4s they had on the Fayetteville Autopark’s lot, they were silver and white. The silver would have been a no-brainer except the white one had advanced security options and blue-tooth capability. And there was only a few hundred dollars’ difference.

So for five days I test drove the white, then the silver, then the white. I was relieved when someone else showed an interest in the white one because I felt satisfied that I had the silver one home with me. I realized I would be “settlingâ€� if I went with the white one. So silver it is. (Special thanks to salesman George Torres at the Autopark for his endless patience with my indecisiveness.) And, nope, I wasn’t given any incentives to write about the Autopark on my blog. Not unless you count that fifty cents I borrowed to buy a Dr. Pepper.

Everyone says I’ll get over my protective tendencies after the vehicle is a few months old. For now, I’m just staying off the road unless it’s absolutely necessary. Maybe then I’ll be able to drive with abandon like my husband apparently can.

Yesterday, when he returned from errands and drove wayyyyy too fast into the driveway, I felt a little murderous.

I greeted him with: “Dude, you just evil-knieveled up the driveway!�

It’s a good thing he brought home grocery store flowers.

Update on the kitten: She has a name! Ladybug finally settled on “Asia”. She’s adorable. See for yourself: