New York City Transplant, Lisa Britt

What up Tampa Bay?

The wonderful ladies at the Tampa Bay Moms Blog asked me to write a little som-som to introduce myself to the blog-o-sphere. I am really excited for the chance to have this experience.

Thank you, ladies.

Well, lets get the formalities out of the way shall we? My name is Lisa. I am a transplant to the Tampa area from the north east; I’m a Jersey girl, but called New York City home for almost two decades. This should explain a lot of my personality, so I apologize NOW for anything and everything that may offend you from this point on.

Just kidding, I’m harmless… and adorable; a sarcastic, crunchy granola, yoga-lovin’, chemical-free health nut, who is engaged to this cutie from India.

I am the mother of Cairo (yes, Cairo like the city in Egypt; it means the victorious), the coolest nine year old, blonde, curly haired, dyslexic, surfer-boy in the western hemisphere. Together we travel the world, but I will get to that in the future, I’m sure.

In my spare time I write articles on my website BuddhafulBritt.com, and attend the University of South Florida as a forty-something journalism student.

I needed an outlet to write about everything screaming to get out of my head so I created my blog and returned to school, yet I don’t consider myself a blogger.

So many bloggers seem to focus on trying to make a living by writing about “sponsored products” or trying to get paid by bringing a certain number of readers to their page with something called “pay per click.”

I don’t concern myself with any of that, I just write when I feel inspired to do so for the love of writing.

With me, you will get a genuine passion in whatever it is I write about, which is the entire reason I returned to school in the first place.

PASSION.

My professor called me an “entrepreneurial digital journalist,” which is a fancy name for blogger, I suppose.

What I hope to accomplish with joining the Tampa Bay Moms Blog team is to write about things mothers like us can relate to.

For instance, my son has dyslexia.

You know, that disorder where things end up backwards, upside down and completely re-arranged to what you and I would see?

I find that people are becoming more and more aware of dyslexia, yet in the mainstream classroom it is pure torture trying to diagnose and get your child the help they need. As in my sons case, his spirit and confidence had been completely destroyed before anyone would listen to me.

I KNOW I am NOT alone in this struggle because some dyslexia web-sites claim that one in five children may be affected with some form of dyslexia. So, twenty percent of the population has a learning disability, yet accommodations and diagnosis remain out of reach for thousands of children who do not need to struggle so badly.

The journalist in me wants to open the discussion about these things with all of you so we can step out of the dark and get these kids headed in the right direction, and the mother in me is furious at our system. Which I can’t wait to write about and discuss.

I am also obsessed with finding amazing things to do locally.

I have been known to load up my calendar with activities for Cairo and I to attend months in advance. People are always asking me about festivals or cultural events because they know I am constantly researching. I try to have something fun planned each weekend, and I like to write about the cool things we get into.

I am hoping my lunacy will benefit all of you.

You will learn that I am not your typical kind of mom. I am sort of old school, in that I am not a germ-a-phobe, and I take my child everywhere with me, including India much to the dismay of paranoid mothers everywhere.

This kid had a passport by six weeks old because I chose to spend my maternity-leave living on the beach in Costa Rica.

It was my motto “I can learn to be a new mom anywhere.”

Cairo is growing up learning about the world, as I do not shelter him from much. I try to immerse him in different cultures to teach him love and tolerance of all people. I am fluent in Spanish and Cairo is learning Spanish and Chinese.

For his fifth birthday he figured out that a party at Chuck-e-Cheese would cost about $450. He came to me with a very well thought out plan.

He said “Mommy? I saw a commercial on TV for a cruise that would only cost $150.each. If we go to Mexico for my birthday it would cost less than a Chuck-e-Cheese party, can we go?”

How could I refuse?

He made a choice to travel AND saved me money; I have never been so proud.

His funny way of thinking and hysterical comments have led me to create a section on my website called “Cairoisms” which have become very popular. Check it out.

I am really excited to interact with lots of parents in the Tampa Bay area. This is a fantastic adventure to work with these ladies and I am hoping to make some new friends as well.

Thank you, Lisa Britt

Namaste’