Need help figuring out adoption relationships? Schedule a complimentary consultation with Lori Holden, M.A.

A funny thing happened on the way to this blog

A year and a half before I started blogging here, I began blogging in a remote corner of the blogosphere that only about 6 people knew about. I didn’t know squat about blogging. I just wanted to document the stories of my struggles with infertility and how my children became my children.

I didn’t land on Blogger or WordPress or Typepad or LiveJournal, but I did, in that remote corner, begin writing my thoughts for others to read. That original, outlying blog didn’t get its name until a couple of years later, after I discovered the ALI community. Here’s its naming story.

~~~

I didn’t know squat about blog names. I wanted a moniker that symbolized resilience, of victory over hardship. And if it could have “blog” in the title, well that would be swell.

Hey! I sat upright in bed one night. Weebles wobble and they don’t fall down.  That’s me! My whole life I’d had things tipping me over but each time I had righted myself and been victorious over the tipping mechanism. Bonus that “wobble” and “blog” share a sound.

I settled on Weebles Wobblog at the start of 2006. I eventually moved to Blogger in 2007 and to WordPress in 2010.

And I blogged merrily in relative obscurity for nearly 700 posts. And then…

~~~ Dah dah DAHHHHHHH (cue ominous music) ~~~

…then I got a cease and desist order. From a lawyer representing a toy company. Seems that my little blog here might interfere with its ability to sell egg-shaped thingies with faces. Or it just has to protect what it has staked out as its territory.

I didn’t know squat about territoriality. You can see now that when I say that a funny thing happened on the way to (naming) this blog, I don’t mean funny haha.

After looking at many options, which included pointing out that many companies pay GOOD MONEY to mommybloggers to drop their names all over the Internet, and after consulting some very wise people, I’ll be renaming this blog. The new name? I don’t know yet.

This is where you come in. I’m having a contest. Help me Name My Blog! I have ideas, but I want to tap into yours, as well. Here are some naming criteria.

  • Not too long. I can’t tell you what that is in words or characters, but I’ll know too long when I see too long, and I’ll know just right when I see just right.
  • Must be spellable. Each time I tried to spell w-e-e-b-l-e-s-w-o-b-b-l-o-g for someone (hi, Mom!), it was exhausting with the the double letters and the made-up word.
  • Not too narrow. I don’t write just about perfect moments. I don’t write just about open adoption or parenting. I need an umbrella wide enough to cover everything that I write about and — here’s the kicker — what I might write about in the future.
  • Ideally, it would be a catchy title. My sister, Tami, has a blog called MommyMeansWell. I love that because it’s a double entendre : parenting intentions AND the idea that moms can be well and fit.

Because I’m paranoid about a nefarious person taking my name idea out from under me (receiving a cease and desist order will do that to you) I am asking you to submit your idea(s) via this form which I’ll see but the worldwide web won’t.

The winner will get either a $25 credit to use with Plaid House Designs (which is going to prevent my changeover from becoming a kamikaze mission) or a $25 gift certificate to Amazon. Winner’s choice. You can make your suggestion anonymously if you’d prefer to retain your lurking status and if you don’t care about the prize.

I’ve got to move on this, so I’ll be collecting ideas through October 15. Put on your thinking cap this week and click on this form.

See how resilient I am?

68 Responses

  1. Wow, a cease and desist order? Mean ole Weebles!

    I’ll have to put some thought into my idea for your new name. I love that you’ve turned to your readers for some ideas!

  2. That’s it! I’m not buying any more Weebles! (Of course, we don’t own any, so I’m not buying any fewer Weebles either)

  3. “Mommy Means Well” double entendre? Brilliant, I say.

    I’ll think about the new name however it’s not my area of expertise. My blog’s name just kinda came to me. I had always been the Crazy Canuck so why not stick bloggin’ in there, too?!

  4. What buttfaces. I don’t suppose ihateweebles.com would be accepted EITHER?

    Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you. StopDropandBlog came to me in the middle of the night while pregnant with LB. I had been trying to think of a new blog name for MONTHS. So, I’m really no help.

    Best of luck.

  5. The first thing I thought of was Open House..or something of the like. It’s got the double meaning…maybe adding your name or Momma’s Open House? I dunno.

    This comes from someone who is writing about a stuffed elephant too. 😉

  6. wow, you’re really on the map now, with a cease & desist order from a company that doesn’t even make the little egg shaped things anymore. or do they?

  7. It is HARD to find a name you like that sticks with you! Domain names I have owned and let expire: bombassmommy.com, hawtmama.com, autismisbeautiful.com, biyatch.com – I’m just bummed I had to buy the .org for lalagirl!

  8. I just got the dirtiest image in my head from Heather’s suggestion of “Mama’s Open House.” The header could be legs spread? 🙂

  9. It was funny, right after you told me about this, I saw a commercial for that toy on ABC in prime-time. So totally random. Also, Mr. Badger awards you twenty internets for the awesomeness of getting a cease and desist by a mean corporation, your stock has risen immensely in his eyes.

    We got your back, lady!

  10. Well, phooey on that man. But it sounds like you are embracing the opportunity for change, in true Lori style!

    I’m not sure what I can come up with on such little sleep (*sigh*) but I am all about a $25 Amazon gift card, so I’ll be thinking on it!!!

  11. Do they even MAKE those crazy egg-people things anymore? Grrr…I’m so OVER our litigious society. They should be honored by such an amazing blog using their pretty much defunct name. ;op

    I’ll start picking my brain. There’s not much to pick at anymore, but I’ll see what I can find! My blog name isn’t too creative – most Mamas who have adopted from Guatemala (such as myself) call themselves Guatemamas. :o)

    Best of luck on your new blog name!!!! (But, even if you called it something like justanothermamablogsharingthejoysandchallengesofparentingandabunchmorefunandcoolstuff, I’d still be following! (I’d definitely BOOKMARK that one so I don’t have to type it out, but I’d follow nonetheless!)

    <3, light and laughter

  12. Sigh, it’s so easy: BestBloggerMostInspirationalHumanBeingGreatestAndMostReliableCheerleaderEverZiggyWantsToBeAWonderfulMomLikeMeWhenSheGrowsUpBlog.com

    See? Easy-peasy 🙂

  13. Well, first I was mad (and still cant believe them) but honestly, they are just JEALOUS of your awesomeness. Silly them for not taking you into their marketing scheme. THEIR loss.
    I have spent an hour thinking of a name…still pondering… 🙂

  14. Wow. Seems a bit dramatic of them to do that. Hope you find a great new name. I’m horrible at names for the most part (hence why my blog was “I want to be a mommy” for the first 2ish years.

  15. Unbelievable. Sorry this is happening to you, Lori. If anything, you raise their stock just by giving their namesake life again. I think of those little guys every time I visit your blog! Oh, well.

    Tough assignment. You check so many boxes, how to fit them all in just one name!

  16. Really? They took the fact that some people can’t spell weebles wobbles so they end up on your blog and think you need to give up the name? Interesting. And kind of asshattish. I’ll think on it. As someone who is now on her 4th blog name, I’m a pro. Not a GOOD pro, but a pro nonetheless.

  17. Oh my LORDY. Loz, about a month ago – I saw an ad on TV down here in Australia, for the Weebles egg shaped thingies, “and they don’t fall down.” And in that moment, I thought ahhhhh, THAT’S why Loz named her blog that! Because you have wobbled but not fallen down. (Wobbled as in life, not as in fat wobbling, coz you are too skinny for that.)

    And cease and desist? Pfffffft. Mate I have had three blog names, so I welcome a new change in for you.

    And now to put on my thinking cap – coz I want to win WIIIIIIIIIN. But I also want a name so cool and snappy you’ll marry it. Soz Rog.

    XOXOXOXOXOOXOX

  18. I am really bad at thinking up catchy names, particularly blog names. I’ve always thought Weebles Wobblog was brilliant, and boo on them for not seeing this for the free advertising it could be.

  19. You really got a cease and desist order? When was this? You’ve had this blog in forever!

    I wish I could help with renaming your blog. But I’m horrible at it. Look at my own blogs’ names. The New Life of Nancy and The Other Life of Nancy. The New Life of Nancy was named as such because I was originally “The Life of Nancy” but I had to delete it due to anonymous hate comments. So I renamed it to The NEW Life of Nancy. Quite creative, no?

  20. I appreciate learning about the meaning behind your name. When i first read your blog title, I did think of the toy. I think it’s pretty crazy you need to change your name, though.

    Is your intention for symbolism with the name still the same as when you came up with weebles wobblog?

    1. No, I don’t think so. Infertiliyy is so far behind me that it feels like it happened to someone else. My focus now is on parenting and living mindfully. And the amusing things that happen in each.

      I would love to see if you come up with something!

  21. Oh my goodness Lori!

    You must have a strong presence out there in cyber-land for a company to bother with this. But truley – it sucks. Weebles wobblog is really quite a perfect name. Damn it. And why do companies get so thingy about people using their names as a metaphor? Dudes.

    And should I change my blog name because it highjacks a concept from a book? (I do feel sorry for all the high school students made to study that book who somehow inadvertently end up in a fertility blog).

    I’ll be thinking on this one. It’s so mean to pull the rug like that.

    Can you strike a deal where they make a set of weebles with your families faces and you advertise them on your blog?

    B

  22. I’m sorry you have to give up your name…BOO…but I will be thinking of some names for you…either way I know I’ll love the new name of your blog, because it will be YOURS…and I loves……you. 😉

  23. This is so unfair, Lori, and this is quite a responsibility and a privilege.
    If I think of anything worthwhile I will email. This has me blue, no Shades of Lavender, sigh…
    My blog name came from the six word meme to summarize my life, it was the best I could do.
    ((HUGS))
    Thanks for the Birthday greetings, Yo Hot Momma2!

  24. No brilliant ideas. Sorry you’re losing your moniker, but kinda cool too that you’ve become famous enough to have corporate lawyers take note! ; )

  25. Hmmm . . . I suck at naming blogs, but if you steal mine, I will sue you, LOL!

    Seriously though, you know you have arrived if you are being noticed by people with enough clout to issue a cease and desist order.

    So, I am just here to say congratulations and . . . Way to go!!

  26. Really! Now I’m DEFINITELY not buying those little thingies. But now I get your blog title..so thanks for explaining it. I love it even more. Dang that big mean company! If I had any blog title names rolling in my head, I would probably use it myself (LOL) b/c I have been trying to think of one for my blog for months now. Nothing catchy coming up…wait Now that there is a gift card on the line…I may just think of something!

  27. Oh no! That’s got to be a little heart-breaking. I’m not very creative when it comes to these things but I’ll be hoping that you find a name that you love!

  28. Awwww!! That is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Just another example of the man trying to keep us down!

    Sorry I’m NO help in the creativity department . . .

  29. Too funny … I hadn’t heard this story before, but had wondered if this had presented a problem! For the record, I *loved* the weebles. And the new ones they make just don’t compare to the cool older version. 😉

  30. Here from the future via Time Warp Tuesday and really appreciated the chance to flashback with you to this post. You have been on such an interesting blogging journey, especially when it comes to blog naming.

    I will tell you that the name you ended up choosing to move forward with I just loved, especially because it was the name of your blog when we first met. We actually had connected a few times in the past, but didn’t for some reason we didn’t stick until later. But I understand that you didn’t love that name and the reasons why in January 2012, you once again are changing your blog name and hopefully for the last time.

    I wonder what the woman who wrote this post in October 2010 would say if she knew that the January 2012 version of you was preparing to launch your first published book in just two months?! As someone who is working on a “project” myself, I love being able to see how far you have come and what you have accomplished in the just over two years since you wrote this.

    So happy for and proud of you, no matter what you call your blog!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *