Moms

• 
  Silicon Valley Moms Blog

• You Deserve to Have Your School Taken Away

  Angela O.

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Parents, I’m a Geography instructor at the College of San Mateo and my colleagues and I have been fighting tooth and nail to save the San Francisco Bay Area's schools as the State of California systematically dismantles our entire public education system. But as the semester progresses, I need to talk not to you, but to your children. I want them to know that I’m glad the elites of this country are trying to take away their education. Did you hear me, students? You NEED your schools taken away from you. You do. Why? you ask. And I ask in return, in all seriousness, How do you motivate…

• Confessions of a Scrapbook Drop-out

  Monica

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:21 am

  I’m finished!  I’m done with my children’s scrapbook. One of my scrap-loving friends might ask, “Done with the preschool scrapbook?  The family vacation book? The birthday party pages?”No, I’m done with the whole darn thing – the book is complete until I add their wedding pictures in a couple of decades.When I was first pregnant, I bought a lovely scrapbook, special colored paper, and fancy tape, planning to document every element of my little darling’s life.  Two years later, I only had seven poorly laid out pages.Page 1: Birth announcement. Page 2: Photos of the nursery…

• The Freaks Come Out at Night

  Jamie R Lentzner

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:53 am

  My children's school has a monthly fund raiser called Movie Night.  The gist is that you can drop your children off at school (if they are students.....keep this in mind it will come up later) at 6:30 and pick them up at 9:00 p.m.  For a minimal fee the kids bring sleeping bags, pillows, watch a movie, have a snack and then go home.  Recently I was in charge of Movie Night, since I am in charge of 5th Grade Graduation and it was sponsored by the 5th Grade Class.  I have never worked at Movie Night....and I never will do it again. The evening started out slow, except for the constant…

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  Good Mom / Bad Mom

• Talking to strangers

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:02 am

  By Mindy Sterba, Parenteeng Survivor I'm sure I come across as a very fun, outgoing and extremely approachable person (do I? Even a little?), but I'm not. I have trouble talking to people, which may be why I write instead....

• The squeakquel: Actually physically painful

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

  By Jenny (bloggess & mom of 5 year old) Today I took Hailey to see Alvin & the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel and I assumed it would be horrible but what I did not count on was that it would end...

• My daughter, the scientist

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:28 pm

  By Jenny (bloggess & mom of a 5 year old) Hailey: I've decided I'm going to be a scientist when I grow up. me: What kind of science? Hailey: The science of how you sew rainbows together. me: Huh. Hailey:...

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  whitetrashmom

• Winter Survival Tips: It’s You Against Them

  I am freezing, my hair needs a highlight and I could be losing my mind. The kids had three snow days this week and this is the first week  back to school after the holiday break! CBS News reports that below-normal temperatures are affecting 60 Percent of Americans. Let’s be honest—Children are wild savages, no matter [...]

• Technical Difficulty

  So I wiped out the entire blog when I upgraded to WP 2.9. Working on getting things back in gear again. Friends don’t let friends upgrade alone.

• Kirtsy Takes a Bow

  Lamar Digital Group’s founder, Michelle Lamar, is featured in a new book Kirtsy Takes a Bow. More than 100 social media tastemakers lend their voices and visions to Kirtsy Takes a Bow in order to highlight the creative renaissance taking place online. The book’s creator and editor, Laura Mayes, is an Emmy award-winning writer and Internet entrepreneur.  There are [...]

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  Kimchi Mamas

• Research study on Korean adoptees

  Kimchi

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am

  I recently received an email from my friend Saebom, who is a Korean adoptee doing a research study on the experiences of Korean adoptees. This is such an under-studied topic, and I think it's so important that Korea adoptees are...

• February Photo Share!

  Kimchi

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  As a photographer, I have to admit that words often fail me, and I've been wondering how to contribute to the Kimchi Mama community. So I've decided to do what I know and start a monthly Photo Share post where...

• Open Thread Thursday

  Kimchi

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pm

  The Olympics. The San Antonio Rodeo. My birthday . . . It's Open Thread Thursday. What's on YOUR mind? --Angie in Texas loves being in her 30's . . . no really!

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  Parentopia

• Combine and Remind: Disaster Relief For Haiti and Help For Hurrican Katrina Survivors

  Devra

  14 Jan 2010 | 6:45 am

  A few years ago we had a devestating hurricane in the Southern United States. Things are still bad there.  Families are still displaced and living in FEMA trailors due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Now we have an international disaster in Haiti.  Also displacing families, destroying lives, homes and businesses.  Why not consider matching your donation to Haitian relief with a

• The Blind Side: Football and parenting

  Devra

  7 Jan 2010 | 8:57 am

  Last weekend our family went to see The Blind Side. The film is about an African American teen from a rough part of Memphis. I'm not reviewing the movie, so no spoilers, I'll just sum it up quickly that the boy winds up living with another family, graduates from highschool, earns his college degree and eventually becomes the football player Raven's fans know as Michael Oher.  The film, not

• Happy New Year! Ring It In By Letting Yourself Go

  Devra

  4 Jan 2010 | 7:12 pm

  Last week my younger son was going through a bin of old photos. You probably have a similar box or bin, it's the one filled with the pictures you swear you will some day label and organize.  Every time I see the bin I feel like crap. I've even gone so far as to hide the bin way in the back of a closet so I can purposefully keep it out of sight and out of mind.  I hated being reminded of what I

• 
  The Daily Bitch

• *SLACKER*

  aka_Monty

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:38 am

  Head over to my podcast page for more "new" (oKAY, newly POSTED) episodes!Some are less crappy than others. You'll just have to listen for yourself. Friday Night Live presents: HAPPY FREAKIN' NEW YEAR! FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH MONTY!

• NEW YORK! NEW YORK!

  aka_Monty

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:22 am

  It seems like Blogher ’09 was just yesterday, but I can’t believe that we are all making plans for BlogHer 2010 already! Last year was the best – the sessions were informative, the networking was great, the parties were fun, but the best part was that my fiends (no, that is not a typo), @jamimiami, @fabgirl & @pprlisa, came along for the ride. Of course, they laid in bed, shopped, ate and drank while SOME of us were learning, but it was great to hang out with them at night at the parties. We met and re-met so many great people and had so much fun at the parties – but no reminiscing of…

• Why I Hate People #87458

  aka_Monty

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:28 am

  I will never understand why people get all smug, self-righteous, supercilious, smirky, and a bunch of other S words over online dating services."OH, I would NEVER use eHarmony/match.com/yahoo personals to find a date! It's just too ickytackygross for WORDS!""Really? Too bad. So, how did you meet your spouse?""We met on Facebook/Twitter/adult chat room/playing World of Warcraft."Here's a clue, Sherlock: Online dating is online dating, no matter whether you use an "introduction" service like eharmony/match.com or not. You can try to pretty it up and rationalize all you want, but the end result…

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  Oh, The Joys

• Oh, The Stimulating Work Place

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:54 pm

  I first met the new(ish) guy at the fancy, designer office coffee machine."Oh!" he said shaking his head, "I'm not so sure about that brand name."He looked skeptically at the coffee maker."I know what you mean," I agreed."Flavia?" he questioned.[Pronounced FLAY-VIA by our office mates.]"It doesn't sound good," I said."No," he agreed, "It actually sounds kind of naughty.""I've always thought so too," I admitted.((((FLAYVIA, for your warm drinking PLEASURE.))))((((Stimulating caffeination deep, deep, inside you.))))There was much chuckling -- and I'm sure I also snorted.It's bad enough that…

• Change and Other Things That Start With The Letter C

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:40 pm

  I stopped at Whole Paycheck Grocery on the way home from work tonight to look for Kashi Mighty Bites cereal for The Rooster.The Rooster, also known as, “SHE WHO IS IMPOSSIBLE ABOUT BREAKFAST,” likes Mighty Bites.She’ll actually eat them.With milk.In the MORNING.[Miracle of miracles.]I was denied victory as all evidence that Mighty Bites ever existed was erased from the shelves.[Mighty Elusive Bites.]I can hardly ever find them and am beginning to think there is an evil conspiracy…… a breakfast cereal conspiracy……all organized to drive me INSANE! INSANE!!![Yo, cereal conspiracy…

• Can I Have This When You're Dead?

  27 Jan 2010 | 5:23 pm

  When I was getting dressed for work, The Rooster walked in, pointed at my outfit and said,"Mom, when I'm grown up, as big as you and you are dead... can I have that shirt?"[This made my mother, who often heard things like this from me at Roo's age, laugh like crazy.]That night after the kids went to bed, I sat at the dining room table letting my shoulders finally sink into a relaxed position.Work day. Check.Family dinner. Check.Bedtime routine. Check.I looked up at the corner shelves and noticed my Grandmother's sugar bowl and creamer.I coveted the cream and sugar bowl when I was little.Both…

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  TechMamas

• Just Announced: Sony VAIO® E Series, Cool Colors and Affordable Price

  Beth B.

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:53 pm

  While I am still sorting through all the fun tech I saw at CES to create my CES coverage posts, I decided to keep a running tab of the new tech just out. On January 28 I posted with techie details about the Apple iPad. On Feb. 2nd Sony released news about the new VAIO E Series. This announcement is interesting to add to the ongoing debate about the iPad functionality in the tablet category versus netbooks and laptops. One of the choices being debated is purchasing an internet device such as a tablet, buying a netbook, or buying a full featured laptop that are all now becoming closer in price.

• Grammys Tech: Stephen Colbert and the Apple iPad, Imogen Heap and the "Twitdress"

  Beth B.

  31 Jan 2010 | 10:36 pm

  First I saw many other tech journalists that had access to hands on demo's of the Apple iPad during the press event. I was happy and content to crawl the web and do my own post about the features of the Apple iPad from that information. Even though I am a tech blogger, I was happy to wait until the Apple iPad came out to test drive it for myself at the Apple Store. Then I saw a headline on Mashable titled "Pee Wee's Big Apple iPad Adventure". What?? I was upset wondering when Pee Wee Herman became a tech journalist and why he got to use the Apple iPad before I did. But then I watched the…

• More on the Apple iPad Debate, Why Moms Should Demand Open Web Standards

  Beth B.

  30 Jan 2010 | 1:50 pm

  It is finally a beautiful sunny day so why I am online right now? It is that geeky side of me that has been glued to the online tech sites since the release of the Apple iPad. But not because of the iPad. I posted about the Apple iPad features which I think are a great fit for those using Apple gadgets and software already. My son has a Apple MACBook and iPod so the iPad would make a great addition, allowing him to enjoy the media he has on his iTunes, start finally reading eBooks, web browsing on the go and subscribing to online newspapers to read the news.But what I have not seen discussed…

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  entrepreMusings

• High Tech Entrepreneur’s Raise Money for Haiti

  Aruni

  18 Jan 2010 | 5:23 pm

  A short, but important, interruption to my blogging break for the benefit of the earthquake victims in Haiti.  The Entrepreneur’s Foundation of Central Texas is coordinating a fund raising effort among technology entrepreneur’s to raise money for the victims in Haiti. Even if you aren’t a technology entrepreneur or don’t work for a technology company, you can donate! The Austin Startup blog did a great post about this today is copied below. Austin Tech Leaders Create Matching HelpHaiti Fund “If you haven’t yet donated to help out the victims of the devastating earthquake…

• Once In A Blue Moon – It’s Complicated

  Aruni

  1 Jan 2010 | 8:09 pm

  Last night, December 31, 2009, we had a blue moon.  Most years have 12 full moons but every 2 to 3 years we have an extra full moon and it’s called a blue moon.  We saw it coming back from the airport after a really nice visit with my cousin and her family.  On the way out, after getting up at 3:30 a.m. to make a flight that was 3 hours delayed, we ended up being almost 7 hours late getting to our final destination because of an issue we had leaving Austin having to do with de-icing our plane.  Just before they had us get off the plane to wait it out, my son said loudly “I…

• Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

  Aruni

  22 Dec 2009 | 6:05 pm

  I couldn’t end the year without at least one more post!  It has been quite a year, and I needed to take a break so that my off blog/real life wouldn’t bleed too heavily into my online blog life as it seemed to start to do.   For those of you who are writers, you know how hard it is not to let your real life affect your writing even if it’s only subtly profound.  For those of you who are writers (or creative people), you know how hard it can be not to write.  It’s like holding back the tears or your laughter when you want to cry an ocean or laugh uncontrollably.

• 
  babyshrink.com

• A Toddler’s Strange New Fear, and What To Do About It

  Dr. Heather

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:37 pm

  I’ve gotten a lot of traffic lately on Strange and Sudden Toddler Fears. I’ve written on this before (and included a link at the end of this post), but this is such a common question that I’ve decided to answer it’s latest incarnation, hopefully with some additional insights. Here goes: Dear Dr. Heather, Just in the past week, my 2.5 year old has developed a fear of “going byebye”, getting in the car, sitting in the car while getting gas, going outside in the snow. She screams and does what sounds like hyperventilating, but she isn’t. Her dad just…

• When Parenting Your Toddler Gets Rough, Remember This…

  Dr. Heather

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:27 pm

  Parenting a toddler can be one of the toughest jobs you’ll ever have. Then one day, they become….KIDS. And then BIG KIDS. You get the idea. It makes those tough days with a toddler a lot more bearable when you can re-gain some perspective on the whole process. Check out today’s installment of one of my favorite comic strips, Zits. If you’re like me, you’ll print it out, put it on the fridge, and weep a little every time you look at it. Enjoy! (sniff!) Check out the link to the 1/31/10 Zits If the cartoon has rotated, click “previous” to go back to the…

• Is Your Young Baby Showing Signs of Autism?

  Dr. Heather

  24 Jan 2010 | 4:02 pm

  Hi Dr. Heather, I came across your website when doing a search for signs of autism in infants. Our 3-month-old doesn’t look at us very much, doesn’t track objects across the midline well, and doesn’t often respond to our voice. He stares at the wall or just beyond us pretty much anytime we hold him in our lap looking up at us. He is very calm and mellow, and only cries when he is tired or hungry. He would sit in his bouncer or swing all day if we let him. We also have a 3-year-old very active boy with sensory processing problems so I know our baby doesn’t get as much…

• 
  Dooce

• In order to leave a comment, you must take sides

  dooce

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:41 pm

  Internet, I need you to be my girlfriend right now, the one who invites me over on Friday night to have a glass of wine and talk about how, sometimes... not all the time... but occasionally... and at times frequently... husbands can be complete idiots. I really appreciate it. When I'm done I'll let you tell me about how awkward it is when your boss tries to say certain words that get muddled by the botox that has been freshly injected into her upper lip. Yesterday afternoon on the half-hour drive home from my mother's house Jon and I were talking about what our dream house would look like,…

• My ears are still ringing

  dooce

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am

  We had a few party favors left over from Leta's birthday party, and yes, that right there is a kazoo. I included that specifically in the goodie bag because I am INHERENTLY EVIIIIIIILL! And hoo! Have I paid for it already. I'm gonna take that thing and run it over with the car if Leta even looks at it again. click image above to see the photo on dooce.comby dooce in Daily Chuck© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com as My ears are still ringing. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

• Sunday tradition

  dooce

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:41 am

  Somewhere in the chaos of the last seven months Jon convinced Leta to try a cinnamon roll. We've tried in vain before, but this time I guess she was feeling more cooperative. Or, you know, LIKE A REGULAR SIX-YEAR-OLD. So we've made a family tradition of eating them on Sunday mornings, and she looks forward to it almost like it's Christmas. She brings it up all week long. I'm hoping this is one of the more positive things she brings up in therapy in twenty years. click image above to see the photo on dooce.comby dooce in Daily Photo© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally…

• 
  Slouching Past 40

• Ode to My Grandmother on her 103rd Birthday

  slouchy

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:06 am

  There's such a thing as too old, There really is, you confided, And I nodded, willingly enough. (I did not believe, and you knew it.) But I'm older, now, each day closer To understanding, to sight. I saw darkness fall, shuttering Your sickly eyes, your waiting books. You mourned them silently, As was your way. A sigh here, Another there, the breath Barely audible. (I heard.) All my friends are dead, You announced, one morning Over coffee, as sunlight striped Photos of all the smiling grands And greats. Then you made a choice: You shook with mirth, and irony. I adored you in that minute, Your…

• Dirty Little Secrets

  slouchy

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:39 am

  A long time ago, in another city that may as well have been another planet, I was a little girl who had to be a grown-up. At nine I wrote out the bills and pushed them across the table for my mother to sign. My brother and I woke ourselves up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and left for school. My mother was still sleeping. Sometimes I returned from school to find her asleep. On those occasions I wondered if she'd gotten up once during the eight or nine hours I'd been away. Often I couldn't tell. I did my own laundry, my own homework. I would never have even considered asking for help. Around…

• Plenty

  slouchy

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am

  The snow keeps falling. Upstairs the kids are giggling. Well fed, well loved, and so I check them off my list, like the milk and bread that sit, patiently awaiting their turn, doing their part to sustain the rising generation, it goes on and on, one loaf replacing the next, one gallon needing replenishment, more often than not. I've taken stock. We are warm, and safe, and lucky, to have the things that keep us busy -- we do not watch the hands of the clocks making endless circles of their own. The days fly by, and that truth is as much as anything else the measure of contentment edging into…

• 
  Single Mom Seeking

• Happy Birthday Depot Dad!

  singlemomseeking

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:06 am

  For starters, today’s post is a big secret surprise, okay? Shhhhh. Today is Jim’s birthday and I have a plan, but I need your help. First of all, if you don’t know Jim — aka Depot Dad (pictured above) — let me start with this: I first met Jim, the single dad of two kids, when he showed up at a local book reading for the poignant single mom author Mary Pols. He knew I’d be there because I’d blogged about it. (But if it hadn’t been Jim, I might have been creeped out.) Our friendship began, and then, boom: a year and a half ago, Jim was diagnosed…

• The best mattress to have sex on?

  singlemomseeking

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:29 pm

  So, I was chatting with the folks at Natura about the correlation between having both a great mattress and a great sex life. Is there any? Maybe what they really want to know is, “So, has your new mattress improved your lovemaking in the sack?” First, I had this wild idea that I’d make a video to respond to their query, but you know how private the boyfriend is. I would really love to gush about all the details of our sex life, but he won’t have it. So, I can tell you that my new mattress: Has great traction. (A joke!) Doesn’t make any bouncing sounds. And…

• How to write the perfect love letter

  singlemomseeking

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:47 am

  Here’s the truth: back in the day, I used to be a letter writer. You, too? I wrote letters to my girlfriends in the summer, telling them how much I missed them if one of us was away. If I had a crush on a boy, I wrote a sweet mushy note — in my handwriting! — and sealed it an envelope. Nowadays, when I send a sweet message, it’s by text. Do you relate? So, last night, the Love Letter Squad (Janet Gallin and Tresa Eyres) invited me to their workshop in San Francisco: “Write a letter…. change a life.” (Note: The number of men who attended this workshop…

• 
  Ms. Single Mama

• Fierce

  mssinglemama

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:09 pm

  Just look at this kid and try to tell me he isn’t going to be a fearless athlete. Here he is yesterday, on our second trip out trouncing and sledding around the neighborhood. Clearly ready to beat the snot out of any snow man that tries to ruin his day. Give Benjamin an accessory – like a sled – and he gets into position, as if he’s been doing it for years Breaking his concentration only to shout at his Mommy slave, “run faster Mommy! FASTER!” After a few hours of sled-walking-pulling (too scared to take him on a big hill because we are in a two-week health…

• Self-portrait

  mssinglemama

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:41 pm

  I took this picture of myself in my office the other day. It felt weird. To take my own picture, but I had to for our Sway website (currently in the works). So I set the camera on top of three books and an end table then hit the auto-timer. Somewhere in the span of 10 seconds it caught this picture. I like it. Not only because it’s a cute shot (it is pretty cute – it’s okay that I think that, right?) but because it captures exactly how I feel right now. When I am an old lady (hopefully I get there) lying in my bed, daydreaming about some of the best days and times in my life…

• Escape Plan

  mssinglemama

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:15 am

  Somewhere in the midst of this past week, filled with exciting client meetings, pitches, crash-course accounting, and just about no sleep I saw this picture and gasped out loud. “What?” Brad asked. “Oh, nothing – just a picture of Benjamin. I miss him.” It’s not like I haven’t seen him. Our routine is the same but there is an excitement he can sense and things have been a hair on the wild side over the past seven days. So then I took a moment and scrolled through the rest of the pictures of my defiantly, spirited son – who never fails to impress…

• 
  Lavagal

• Did I just get shot?

  lavagal

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am

  If I could explain what a burst Achilles tendon feels like, it would be this: A loud pop and a shot of pain on your heel. You fall to the ground and you look to see what stone or bullet just hit you. Nothing. No blood, no red mark, just an immediate swelling around the ankle. Oh, and you can’t walk. You’re down. It often happens at the first step, the first lunge off a start, and that’s what happened to me this past Saturday. It was after Sophie’s science fair and I was feeling jubilant. We were going to celebrate her win. Instead we spent a few hours at the emergency…

• Bye-bye, January, and good riddance!

  lavagal

  29 Jan 2010 | 9:51 am

  Despite the fresh new year, its first month knocked me around a lot and I’m glad to shelve it. This morning a friend on Facebook posted a link to a speech Steven Jobs gave in 2005. Now talk about getting kicked around. Steven Jobs tells three stories in his speech about how failures germinated future successes. How it’s very hard to see when we’re being dumped on that the event will set into motion actions, possibly years into the future, that result in realizing a dream that one never expected to come true. Yesterday I tripped. I now know why. I wore fat pants and they…

• Fallen

  lavagal

  28 Jan 2010 | 8:53 am

  Heaven bent to take my hand Nowhere left to turn I’m lost to those I thought were friends To everyone I know Oh they turned their heads embarassed Pretend that they don’t see But it’s one missed step You’ll slip before you know it And there doesn’t seem a way to be redeemed  –Fallen, Sarah McLachlan I was walking from TheBus stop on Beretania Street along Keeaumoku. Once I crossed Young Street, I smelled something foul. There he was scanning the side of that green building that has weird stuff in it: massage parlor, nail salon, bar, sushi place? I could…

• 
  Busy Mom Blog

• Blissdom 2010 and some introspection

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:53 am

  I'm descending into that weird space again where I don't write anything unless the circumstances are perfect, and the stars align with time, place and inspiration. The big snow last week and my blog being down for a bit, plus Blissdom and a volleyball tournament this weekend have thrown me off a little. And, by "thrown me off a little" I mean I haven't been to my house in ages, and when I am there, I can hardly hold my head up. In fact, I'm not sure when I last did laundry or washed dishes, even with my fancy new dishwasher. I'm vaguely sure the kids have been bathed and we've fed them…

• Like yesterday, only moresnow.

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Won't you be glad when the snow is over around these parts? Just how many bloggers can you find today with kids frolicking in the snow? Anyway, even with as much fun as we've had, I'm ready for #TheSituation2010 to be done since I drank my last Diet Coke and we can't quite get out of here yet. More obligatory snow pictures: (Note: While I don't believe in Photoshopping the snot outta pictures, yes, I'm lazy with color correction, and yes, those are Christmas wreaths on the house. The roof pitch is insane and we've had rain or snow every time we've had time to get up there):

• Snowpocalypse 2010

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:30 pm

  So, we got some snow here, and it's more than we've had in a while, big doin's around these parts. Why no, I don't care that this isn't "real snow" compared to where you live, grew up, fought in the war, went to school or did time, but thanks for asking! Anyway, what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't post pictures of my kids and my pets in the snow? Not a very good one, I'd say. In fact, I think union rules state that I have to do this. So, yeah. American Gothic plus one: You'd better duck: Callie dog remains unimpressed: Abercrombie ad: Lean into it! Edward laments the fact that his…

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  Rocks In My Dryer

• Good Linkage

  Shannon

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:56 pm

  New Life for an Old Door :: The Pleated Poppy I Couldn't Care Less :: Incompetech As I have word-related pet peeves on the brain, let's tackle another one. Freely EducateAn amazing resource for free educational resources for parents and kids. Don't Hurt Haiti. Stay Home. :: Shaun Groves DIY Valentine's Day Goody Bag :: Twig &  Thistle Something Special Card and Envelope Tutorial :: Sew, Mama, Sew!Brambles :: Antique Mommy

• These Are the Things That Keep Me Up At Night

  Shannon

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am

  I am bizarrely fascinated by pronunciation. (Let us pause to absorb the geekiness of that previous sentence. Carry on.) Sometimes the differences are endearing.  I love to hear my dear British friend Yvonne say "garage" to rhyme with "carriage". I think it's adorable that my dad puts another "L" in "alleluia" (he says "alleluLia"). It's great fun that Hubs and I have bickered for 15 years over the right way to say "thorough" (he says "THUR-oh", I say "THUR-uh") and "roof" (his rhymes with…

• Lost Recap: LAX

  Shannon

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:03 pm

  SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the episode airing February 2, 2010, don't read this! In case anyone had any doubts that we were headed toward a  good vs. evil, Armaggedon-type showdown, tonight's episode left no doubt. There was so much religious imagery I feel like I've been to church camp. The "resurrected" John Locke (or "Flocke", as he's called on the message boards, short for "Fake Locke") is the epitome of nastiness. We learn that he's trying to get "home" (Where's home? Does pure wickedness live in…

• 
  Poshmama.com

• 4 Fast Energizing Snacks

  Holly Rigsby

  Must Have Foods For Energy & Fat Loss I have 4 “Go To” snacks I turn to during my busiest of days that give me the lift and satisfaction I need to stay on track with my fitness goals. I have tracked what I eat, how my body feels, how my body looks and how my body performs for the past 5 years now. Based on the feedback my body gives my, I feel my best, have the most energy and am ale to maintain my strength and fat loss results with snacks based around high quality protein and produce sources. Protein provides a lasting source of energy so you stay satisfied and when you are satisfied…

• 10 Ways to Handle Change

  Christine Spencer

  Life's transitions are ultimately positive, even if they don't always feel it. Here's how to navigate them gracefully. By Ariane de Bonvoisin Everyone experiences change--it may be a job change, relationship change, health change, or a change you've initiated that suddenly seems daunting. If you find change difficult, you're not alone. Many people think change is hard. But it's possible for the change you're going through to be easier, smoother, and less stressful--you can find the positive in transitions and learn to love your life more... you can become a Change Optimist. Remember That…

• The Gospel According to Coco Chanel (GIVEAWAY)

  Posh Mama

  "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" ~Coco Chanel One lucky Posh Mama will win a copy of this fabulous book. Leave a comment now on why you love Chanel. A random number will be drawn on Random.org on February 14, 2010. Enter often! Chanel is credited not simply with giving us the little black dress and boxy jackets, but popularising pants for women and easy, practical clothes that allowed women a chic freedom they'd never known before. In her strong-headed, elegant, opinionated, passionate, entirely French way, Coco Chanel helped bring women into the modern era, and because of…

• 
  All & Sundry

• Tenacity

  sundry

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:04 pm

  JB has accused me of being the sort of person who holds grudges, but much like the many other things he has been wrong about which I have never forgotten ever, he’s way off base on this one. I’m sure eventually I will forgive him for interrupting the one single morning of sleeping in available to me out of, well, my ENTIRE LIFE, practically, by coming in on Sunday and announcing that his parents were packing up so I’d better get dressed and come out and say goodbye, and when I did get up—at 7:30 AM, mind you—his father blared “Well good MORNING, Princess!’…

• Two

  sundry

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pm

  At two years old Dylan talks and talks, he counts to ten, he sings, he climbs on top of things and chirps “Watch DIS, Mommy! Watch DIS, Mommy!” before hurling himself into the air. “Dumping!” he shouts, leaping up and down. “Dumping!” Unlike Riley when he was the same age, Dylan couldn’t care less about trucks. He likes spotting motorcycles when we’re out and about—”I see a MOTACYCLE! I see a MOOOOHHHTACYCLE!”—but wheeled things are far less interesting than things with fur and hooves and snouts. His favorite activities are…

• Thoughts during my first official night of homework

  sundry

  2 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pm

  Okay, time to study. Studying is reading, right? I love reading! This is going to be so awesome. The kids are in bed, the house is quiet, I’ve got myself all settled on the couch with a highlighter, now all I have to do is crack up chapter one, sit back, and enjoy the— Oh, ha ha ha. I seem to have scanned a paragraph without fully understanding it. Silly me! I’ll just reread it again and— Huh. Boy, there sure isn’t much light in here. Maybe I should change the lightbulb. I wonder if we shouldn’t have painted that wall such a dark color, since it seems to—…

• 
  Attack of the Redneck Mommy

• A Redneck’s PhotoEssay

  Redneck Mommy

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:22 pm

  Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words. I have decided to prove that theory with today’s post. You see, first there was my Shalebug: Look at how adorable that kid was. Even when he had to wear a drool bib and his feet were too crooked to fit in shoes and he had to wear slippers everywhere he went, he was still the epitome of cool. I mean, not everyone can rock the walker like he did and still be sporty chic. Then there is the Jumbster, my Jumby: So his feet are turning a wee purple from poor circulation, and he has to be strapped into his walker because he hasn’t…

• Pimping

  Redneck Mommy

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am

  Back when I was a wee young thing, navigating the halls of education, desperately hoping not to be shoved into a locker and all the while wishing for a magical genie to pop out of a discarded soda can to magically transform me into one of the cool kids, I would scratch my head and wonder what made boys tick. Not much has changed since then except for the fact I’m no longer walking the halls of education as I have sprayed painted my way through enough levels of higher education without actually getting educated that my husband has put a moratorium on all education that costs him money.

• Silver Bells

  Redneck Mommy

  29 Jan 2010 | 12:36 pm

  When one is forced to stare at the popcorn stucco of her ceiling as she lays supine recovering from spinal surgery, one tends to realize she a.)hates popcorn, b.)hates ceilings sprayed with that shit and c.) really needs to get a life. A life that doesn’t include medical toilet seats equipped with bars! Or the fancy cane complete with a padded handle and the non-slip rubber bottom! I went from being a healthy 34 year old woman who could put her ankles behind her ears on command to a geriatric arthritic nag yelling at the kids to keep the damn music down and get off her lawn over night…

• 
  Balancing Motherhood

• Easy Chocolate Wedding Cake (or Any Day of the Week Cake)

  Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:05 pm

  I recently finished reading “A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table” by Molly Wizenberg, with my book club. It’s a memoir of a woman’s life as she progresses through the passing of her father, a move to Paris and the eventual finding of the man she will marry. It’s a quaint story [...]

• Wear Red, Ana Duggar, Roses and Fantasia

  Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Wear Red Day Today is “National Wear Red Day,” a day inspired by The American Heart Association to bring awareness that the number one killer of women is heart disease. From their Web site: We’re working hard to change the perception that heart disease is a “man’s disease.” And it’s working! By teaching more and more women [...]

• Finding Your Element

  Alicia at BalancingMotherhood.com

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:20 am

  Sir Ken Robinson’s latest book (2009), “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything” tackles how to live your passion — how to be in your element. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Robinson speak in person when he was a guest at the University where I work, and enjoyed how he spoke so freely [...]

• 
  CityMama™

• Let's Meal Plan Together for 2/1/10

  CityMama™

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:15 pm

  Whatchoo cookin' this week?  Here's what I got:[* indicates locally sourced/grown wherever possible] Monday—Clean Out the Fridge night aka You Don't Want To Know Tuesday—Whole wheat penne pasta salad with apple*, chicken*, and arugula*. Ricotta gnocchi! See below! Wednesday—Multi-bean chili (with pastured beef*), baked tortilla chips, yogurt from our sheep*, salad* Thursday—Seared scallops, brown rice*, stir-fried veggies* Friday—Family Movie Night (usually take-out) Saturday—not sure yet Sunday—Spaghetti and turkey meatballs, farmer's market salad* Oh! …

• Win some chocolates! Share the Valentine's Day Love with See's Candy!

  CityMama™

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am

  My company, Clever Girls Collective, has partnered with See's Candy on a very sweet giveaway just in time for Valentine's Day. Enter for a chance to win your very own red Signature Heart Box of See's (two pounds-worth!) just by leaving a comment on our blog (linked below) or on any participating blogger's blog. Want more chances to win? We got those, too!Head on over to The Cleverist to see what all the fun is about!

• Creating a family mission statement

  CityMama™

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:13 pm

  Recently in my Parent Journey group at my Beloved Hippie Church™, we discussed creating a family mission statement (like companies do, although Guy Kawasaki prefers "mantra") to act as a framework not only to help shape and support expected behavior, but also to act as a reminder of our own "family values."The discussion came at a perfect time because J. and I have really been struggling lately with how to get Bunny and Wallie to be better listeners—better family members—without have to constantly goad, remind, and yes, yell at them. We were really good at laying…

• 
  Maneuvering Motherhood

• Dish of the Week: Orange Bourbon Chocolate Cake

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:42 am

    I initially came across this recipe in the February 2009 issue of In Style Magazine, and this Orange & Chocolate Bourbon Cake is a delectable masterpiece served at The Spotted Pig in Manhattan by chef April Bloomfield, who claims, “this cake is silky, decadent and heavenly.” I cannot think of anything more sensual than sharing a piece of this mouth-watering dessert with the one you love on

• Sleeping with the Enemy: The Joys of Marriage and Devastation of Divorce

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:41 am

    I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage lately – more specifically, what happens between the joyous beginning…and the devastating end, of marriage – you know, all the murk that people slosh around in before one decides to call it quits and all that remains is the debris -- of shattered dreams, broken promises, and damaged spirits. Yeah, that period… That period of time when eye-rolling

• World Cancer Day 2010

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am

    My dad died of pancreatic cancer when I was only 11-years-old, leaving me to grow up without the presence of a father. My Aunt, diagnosed with breast cancer in her early thirties, had both breasts removed. And, I was there when a close family friend suffered in agony and died a slow, painful death caused by lung cancer. My life has been profoundly affected by cancer, and, most likely, you

• 
  Cutie Booty Cakes

• Momspotting

  Renée aka Mekhismom

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  If you follow me on twitter you've probably seen me use the hashtag (#) #momspotting and wondered what in the world that was all about. Momspotters are community journalists - moms that are chronicling their experiences using technology and how it effects our everyday lives. At least three times a day I tweet about technology and parenting and I also participate in the Family Connections forum on BlogHer where I and 19 other moms are writing about our experiences with technology. We'd love to have you join the conversation. You can simply join in and use the hashtag on twitter or even join…

• Wear Red Day - Friday February 5, 2010

  Renée aka Mekhismom

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am

  Go Red for WomenOriginally uploaded by rj_ross.rmYesterday I went to the doctor. Nothing is wrong but I needed to take care of something that I've been putting off for awhile. As usual, the nurse took my blood pressure and I was a little anxious. All of the women in my family are hypertensive - my mother, my aunt, my grandmother and my great aunt. Although my great aunt and grandmother are no longer with us, they both suffered as a result of their heart disease.Every time I have my blood pressure checked I worry. I don't want to be in the same boat as the other women in my family and have to…

• Operation Weight Loss Week 10- The incredible shrinking woman

  Renée aka Mekhismom

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:59 am

  Week 1 Week 10 This is week 10 on my journey to live healthy and lose 50 pounds. At my weigh-in today I basically maintained my weight loss from last week - there was a .4 difference but I'll take it! I know that I have been eating properly and exercising so I have no doubt that the scale will move next week. I also monitor my progress by checking out the way my clothes fit. I am proud to report that my size 12 jeans from Ann Taylor are fitting with some wiggle room! I still wear a 14 in Gap jeans but I have no doubt that I will soon be in a 12. One thing to keep in mind is that all designers…

• 
  Cool Mom Picks

• Women helping women with supima cotton

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  Are you heart-ed out yet? No? Good. Because we just discovered the charity-minded Michael Stars Joyful Heart tees, created in part by Mariska Hargitay and pimped out by fab friends like Jennifer Aniston, Hilary Swank...

• Get into the Valentine's Day spirit from the top down

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Okay, so I couldn't resist featuring just one Valentine's Day themey, adorable heart barrette. Especially after I was kind of wishing I had one at my daughter's school Valentine's party this past weekend.

• Kindiefest 2010! Get out your child-safe Zippos.

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

• 
  Hormone-Colored Days

• Another Blissdom Post: You are not Invisible

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  I started a little conversation on Twitter that seems worth exploring a bit. First off, let me explain that I spent several years as a SAHM, I did a little "work thing" on the side, maybe three hours a week just to make a teensy bit of money and get me out of the house now and again. But mostly, I was invisible.If you've been there, you know what I mean. For the most part, I loved taking my kids places and doing things with them and just being with them, but I felt marginalized by society. It was as though walking around with a stroller indicated I had no brain, no voice in the larger…

• Blissdom Wrap-up: Should You Write for Free?

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:45 am

  Blissdom was fabulous! There is so much I could rave about. The crowd, 500 bloggers strong, was just the right size, the schedule was busy without feeling packed, the sessions were interesting and useful, the sponsors were appreciated and set up in such a way that attendees didn't feel like we were in a massive trade show. And the women- such an inspiring and talented group! For details and links, I'm going to send you over to Christine Koh's thoughtful and thought-provoking blog for the Biggest Blissdom Link Love Lovefest Ever.If you've never been to a blogging conference, one of the smaller…

• Marketing to Moms: Letting Someone Else do the Talking

  2 Feb 2010 | 3:54 am

  I'm busy working on a top secret project and preparing for the Blissdom conference. Why take time out to write when my digital girlfriends have already provided brilliant fodder on the topic of marketing with moms?Jennifer James, founder of Mom Bloggers Club, is kicking ass and taking names with her recent post How to Determine a Mom Blogger's Influence without Asking Her and pointed thoughts about brands that do not follow back on Twitter.In recent months, I've been talking to clients about micro-influence and taking PR offline into real life and I've been thinking about it even more.

• 
  Fussy

• Breakfast Cereal Hell!

  Eden Kennedy Onassis

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  Do you eat cereal for breakfast? I eat cereal for breakfast. Two years of oatmeal did wonderful things for my cholesterol, I'm sure, but OATMEAL BURNOUT. So: cereal. During college I discovered the joys of mixing two or three different cereals together, but I no longer live in my lovely old co-op dorm where we had 24-hour access to coffee, tofu, and fourteen different kinds of cereal. Ah, those heady days when I could roll out of bed, shuffle through a haze of cigarette smoke, and come to while shoveling a bowl of Life/Cap'n Crunch/Grape Nuts into my mouth.I have to buy my own cereal now.

• Reading Revival

  Eden Kennedy Onassis

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:40 am

  In a wonderful coincidence, I decided to try to revive Fussy's long-neglected Reading page and Sony offered to help out by letting me give away one of their Pocket Readers. Go see!

• Don't give it what it wants

  Eden Kennedy Onassis

  30 Jan 2010 | 2:19 pm

  Occasionally my yoga teacher, Steve, does this thing in class where he asks us to stand slightly bent over, with our hands on our knees, and breathe. Breathe all the way in until we feel like we're going to burst, then all the way out until our lungs feel flat. We do this in-and-out thing a couple of times and then we breathe in our fullest breath and hold it. He tells us it's not a contest, to let out our breath when we need to, but when we feel that instinctive, almost panicky feeling that we can't hold it another second, hold it one more second. Then breathe. But don't let the panic…

• 
  Queen of Spain Blog

• Toyota Recall: I Don’t Want You To Die

  Queen of Spain

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:38 pm

  crossposted at BlogHer.com My husband removed the floor mat from his 2005 Toyota Prius today, because he’d rather not die. Correction: I informed my husband to immediately remove the floor mat from him 2005 Toyota Prius so it wouldn’t KILL HIM. Toyota is recalling millions of vehicles, and despite being an owner of one of said recalled vehicles, I found out via the news. Yes I tend to panic a bit, but when you hear stories about accelerators getting stuck and families dying, I think I am allowed to panic. From MNN.com: Lastrella: Our accelerator is stuck. We’re on 125.

• #keepyourpantson

  Queen of Spain

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:25 pm

• Trying to discuss boys, take 1 (and a half)

  Queen of Spain

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

  This conversation started here.

• 
  Motherhood is the New MBA

• I Love Edmonds

  18 Jan 2010 | 4:56 pm

  Today my good friend, Danielle Salisbury, and I walked around Edmonds, asking businesses if they would post signs for my Edmonds Book Shop book signing on Thursday.I was so nervous. I knew from day one that publishing a book would mean cold calling on businesses like today, but it didn’t make it any easier. As a matter of fact, I’d been putting it off for weeks.I could not have been more

• Elliott Bay - Feb. 25

  15 Jan 2010 | 4:09 pm

  I am THRILLED to announce that Karen Burns and I will be doing a book event at 5:30 pm on Thursday, February 25 at Elliott Bay Book Company. This is one of the last events at their historical location.Karen and I want to turn this into a fun, networking, social media event. We are inviting all of our Twitter and Facebook friends to join us for a night of wine, conversation and a few prizes.It

• Book Event in Richland - February 2

  3 Jan 2010 | 8:37 am

  I'm excited and nervous to announce that I will be returning to my home town of Tri-Cities, Washington for a book event on Tuesday, February 2. I'll be reading and signing at Adventures Underground at 5:30 pm on Tuesday. Please join me!

• 
  acte gratuit: A look at life in between naps.

• Things I Love

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:46 pm

  Well, since it IS my BIRTH month, I should be positive, right? Even if it is still crappy weather and my husband IS going to miss my birthday. (I can't complain. I get to meet him in THAILAND two days after my birthday. Well, I can complain a little bit. Since it's my birth month. And I AM the Birthday Brat.)Anyway, before I run out of positive energy, I'd better do this post. I LOVE when Gabey climbs in my bed in the (early) morning to "cuh-yo" (cuddle) with me. (Every day since Doug's been gone.) Usually he falls asleep for a little while, then wakes up and wraps his skinny arms around my…

• MONTH OF THE BIRTHDAY BRAT!!

  31 Jan 2010 | 6:42 pm

  Em will be turning "28" on February 9th! Unfortunately I will not be able to be with her this year, so since she is such a prolific talented blogger I will dedicate a blog a day until her Birthday! So Em, check each day for your Birthday Blog and maybe I'll bring you back an elephant from Thailand!Some background on birthday traditions: The original Dubs hang birthday signs in the kitchen. Most of these were drawn with the help of Ed Emberly how to draw books. They were usually a little silly and a bit corny but fun and creative. HAPPY BIRTHMONTH SWEETIE!

• I May Have a Little Bit of a Problem...

  31 Jan 2010 | 3:16 am

  I made a small purchase a few weeks ago.The goods just came in the mail.I don't know if you can tell the scale of this Box o' Tupperware, but it's half the size of my kitchen table.Like I said, I may have a little bit of a problem.When I told Doug I was going to buy some (more) "Modular Mates" to organize the cupboards and pantry he said "with what money?" (Typical response!) I said, "I'll fire Mamasan and use my pottery money!!!"Yes, I really meant business. (But for the record, Mamasan was losing her luster a bit. She had stopped deep cleaning and started doing mostly laundry and putting it…

• 
  Moms Rising

• Tots Rock the Washington State Capitol!

  Sarah Francis

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:50 pm

  Last Friday, February 5th we held an all-ages-sing-along-dance-party with in the Washington State Capitol Rotunda to make sure Washington legislators don’t forget about kids and families this legislative session. The fantastic parents, tots and friends that joined us proved that Political Activism + Dance Party = Silly, Affective Fun. Caspar Babypants and Tots Rock the House and the Senate Thanks so much to Caspar Babypants for leading the sing-along-dance-party, to Majority Leader Senator Brown for kicking off the party,  and to all the many, many dancing tots and parents who joined…

• What I told my state senate about BPA

  Lisa Frack

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:08 pm

  It wasn’t that long ago that my frustration over bad public policies was mostly heard by my husband (patient soul) and the 4 walls of my kitchen. Then I started blogging about it, any my audience expanded (and I felt better!). It never really crossed my mind back then that I’d wind up testifying in my state legislature. But testify I did. And while my main reason in writing today is to share my testimony, I’m also thrilled to report that a passionate mom with next to no political experience (that’s me) can get in there and make a difference. The more mothers who let…

• The Three Faces of Work-Family Conflict

  Joan C. Williams

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:14 am

  The PoorKim Braithwaite was making progress. She was working two jobs to support her two children, 9-year old Justina and 1-year-old Justin. But on October 12, 2003, she faced a dilemma: her babysitter was late. Kim would be tardy for her shift at McDonald’s if she delayed and she worried that she would be fired. The sitter would arrive in a few minutes, Kim reasoned, and she left for work. The next she heard was from the police. Her children were found dead in her front room; her apartment had caught fire before the babysitter arrived. Kim was arrested for child neglect. Said a…

• 
  Velveteen Mind

• Snapshot of Bliss

  velveteenmind@gmail.com (Megan Jordan)

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm

  We are utterly exhausted.  And satiated with bliss. Let us curl our toes and rub our round bellies for a moment, and then we want to indulge in everything that makes us love this space so.  With you.Thank you,  BlissDom.  Now...  where did we put our chocolate? Don't miss an update! Sign up for free delivery of new posts from Velveteen Mind via email (recommended) or feed reader. Follow me on Twitter! or Subscribe to Velveteen Mind on or

• Babywearing Culture and My Bjorn Identity

  velveteenmind@gmail.com (Megan Jordan)

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:22 am

  {Audioblog} Download 'Babywearing Culture and my Bjorn Identity' read by the author I’ll be wearing Olive in a Baby Bjorn at the BlissDom conference next week. There.  I said it. Did you hear that?  It was the sound of hundreds of chai teas being slammed down and organic-lotioned hands fluttering in alarm to keyboards, set to reprimand me. A Baby Bjorn is a type of baby sling that allows you to “wear” your baby on your chest while keeping your hands free.  You can see Jennifer Garner wearing her baby in one in the photo to the left.  It differs from more traditional…

• Compassion Fatigue: Playing the Victim Card for Good

  velveteenmind@gmail.com (Megan Jordan)

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:15 am

  {Audioblog} Download 'Compassion Fatigue: Playing the Victim Card for Good' read by the author Exhaustion finally caught up with me.  Little sleep thanks to round-the-clock nursing of a daughter that saves me from bitterness with her midnight smile alone, two handsy boys in pre-K and elementary school, and a tendency to play a stay-at-home martyr who takes care of herself last, all added up to what felt like the flu this week. Risking even a glance at a computer when I’m feeling like that is risking a visceral “oh, screw it all” response and going Social Media Cold Turkey for…

• 
  IzzyMom

• The One Where I Inadvertently Insult Monster Truck Fans

  IzzyMom

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:49 pm

  Lookie…it’s one of those blog thingies! I used to have a pretty successful one a long time ago…  Oh HAI!! This IS my blog. Hah. I forget sometimes that I actually still have one. I should try writing in it now and then. Tonight my daughter and I had a girls night out. We decided to go to the movies instead of going OUT out ’cause she’s really over the whole bar scene. So ANYWAY… When we first got into the crowded  theater, I looked around and thought I spied two seats together up high so we walked up there. Well, fuckity fuck…there were NO seats…

• I Want

  IzzyMom

  13 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm

  Resurrected by request, for Sarah D. Lately, I’ve been lost in my head. Daydreaming. Longing. Wishing I had a time machine or some such device that would let me be young again. It’s not that I want to relive my youth; my glory days, per se. I don’t want to repeat history — I got my ya ya’s out before settling down, had a good long stint of married life before having kids. Theoretically, I did everything right and yet, I find myself wishing for something I’ll never have again — a carefree life; a life where the future is but a vague concept; a life where now…

• Dear Craigslist People

  IzzyMom

  11 Dec 2009 | 8:07 am

  Dear Craigslist People, I know you turn to Craigslist to find a bargain (unless you’re one of those jackasses that posts nekkid pix of yourself from your Grandma’s bathroom…the crocheted poodle toilet paper cover is a dead giveaway, just in case you were wondering how I knew you were at your Grandma’s house perving it up in her bathroom. Also, FYI, pictures taken in your nasty ass bedroom with the Whitesnake poster on the wall OR a Spongebob blanky anywhere in sight? NOT HOT ) Anyway, I know you folks want to save a few bucks so you look around on Craigslist but…

• 
  Through The Looking Glass

• Perfect.

  Annika

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:08 am

  It’s chilly this morning. I turned on the heat and let Sam watch a Marx Bros. movie while I curled up on the couch and caught up on the internet. Grace dozed in her cradle (which was Sam’s before her and mine before Sam) (maybe one of my parents could chime in to let me know if K used it too). Time passed. Sam’s movie ended. I made myself a cup of tea. Grace woke up, nursed, looked around wide-eyed for a while, and then fell asleep again. Sam played with his toys while Grace slept on the sofa and I folded laundry. I thought to myself, This is why I had children. For this…

• I love it when

  Annika

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am

  babies are sleeping and working their jaws. Dreaming of nursing… © Annika Barranti & Through The Looking Glass, 2010 | Permalink | No comments Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

• Bizy Bakson

  Annika

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:35 am

  My father has been in town since Wednesday. We’re having a very nice visit. I have a deadline in one week for a project that is nowhere near complete. I am a little stressed out about it. And by “a little stressed out,” I mean, “panicking.” Also “knitting as fast as I can.” It’s a great pattern that I’m really excited about and so thrilled to have published, but I still have to finish the sample and grade the pattern for different sizes. ACK. Lou (that’s my dad) bought Sam a bike. A Skuut, to be precise. He loves it. He hasn’t…

• 
  Chicken And Cheese

• Crooked Road

  Mrs. Chicken

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am

  I’m sitting at the Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville. It’s Sunday, and everything is closed. All the bloggers have gone home. My new friend is in an airport in Ohio. The lovely ladies who ferried me here by car should be more than halfway back to Chambana now. I am sitting at a metal table, one eye on my anemic laptop battery and one on the clock. In a few hours a driver will call me and I will gather my luggage for a trip to the airport. From there I will get on a jet-plane and land at LAX around 8 p.m. California time. Tomorrow, at 8:45 a.m., I’ll get prepped for an…

• Imposter

  Mrs. Chicken

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:06 pm

  In about 11 hours I’ll be on the road to Nashville. I’d planned to come back home to Chambana the same way I left: In the car, with two of my pals. Instead, sometime on Sunday I’ll board a plane for Los Angeles. A little ditty I wrote up over here in about 30 minutes last week caught the attention of some TV talk-show producers and they looked me up. Today I spent a half-hour answering questions fired at me from an assistant producer for the Dr. Phil Show while I had my toes painted for Blissdom. Before we hung up, I took a deep breath and asked: “OK, so here’s…

• OMG! Like, Squeee!

  Mrs. Chicken

  29 Jan 2010 | 6:21 pm

  I’ve been at this whole blogging thing for a long time now. I hit “publish” for the first time in 2006, back when the blogosphere was still pretty small — at least as far as moms go. It felt like a little neighborhood designed just for me: interesting, funny women who were dealing with some of the same issues that I was back then. I remember the first year that I really felt like I wanted to go to BlogHer, and I couldn’t. It just wasn’t in the cards for me. I watched and read from afar as you all met and cemented the friendships you’d made in the…

• 
  Working Moms Against Guilt

• I'm Making Myself a Friday Find, Y'all!

  Sara

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Hey there, everybody!I'm interrupting our discussion about the joys of business travel to bring you a moment of Shameless Self Promotion. It's Friday, and for Friday Finds this week I decided to feature... myself!See, I've got a book coming out next year (RIVAL - HarperTeen). I'll be posting about it a lot more in the coming months because writing and publishing a novel is a big job, and I'm really proud that I was able to accomplish it in addition to being a working mom. And I'm extremely proud to be able to reveal my new author's website.You can check me out at www.sarabennettwealer.com.

• Guilty Pleasure: Business Travel (Guest Post)

  Susan

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:42 pm

  Note from Susan: It seems particularly appropriate today to run this guest post on business travel as guilty pleasure, because I'm traveling to Nashville for the BlissDom blogging conference. (Does anything say "pleasure" like "bliss"?) Fellow blogger and working mom Sarah Travaglio happily came across WMAG recently and asked if she could contribute a guest post. Um, yeah! Here's a little background on Sarah: I recently moved to America from Italy, and I document the trials and tribulations of being a new mom (not a natural transition for me), married to a "legal alien", working in corporate…

• Before Mom Leaves Town

  Susan

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:23 pm

  Why is it that every time I leave town, I stay up WAY late the night before? My husband doesn't do this. In fact, he usually goes to bed early on the eve of a business trip. But here I am, up past midnight, with the dishwasher running, laundry washing and drying, my mobile phone charging, taking out the trash, making 1,001 mental notes for the morning ... and blogging, of course. I'm doing all these things because I want to make sure everything's taken care of while I'm away for three days. I even bathed my kids "extra good" (if that's possible) tonight, because I am doubtful Hubs will…

• 
  Joy Unexpected

• We Have Not Yet Determined What The Prize For The Winner Will Be, But I'm Pretty Sure His Will Rhyme With "Slow Bob."

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm

  This morning me and my (still unemployed, hold me) husband were watching yesterday's Oprah show. It was about diabetes. Having been diagnosed with "insulin resistance" (pre-diabetes) I thought I had educated myself on the disease sufficiently. Turns out, I didn't know as much as I thought I did. There was so much valuable information on that show. And the information scared both me and my husband straight. Did you know that having 1 12 oz can of soda a day increases your risk of type2 diabetes by 83%? Crazy, right? One of the biggest risk factors for diabetes is belly fat. Before I had…

• I Guess What I'm Trying to Say is That I Am So Good.

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:57 pm

  Last week I had a follow up appointment with my new female endocrinologist. My first visit with her was not fun. I had not had a period in almost 6 months. I could not lose weight no matter how much I worked out or watched what I ate. I felt tired all of the time, even though my thyroid numbers were finally in the normal range. I was an emotional and physical wreck. I told her about my symptoms. I told her how my doctor told me to "just enjoy" not having a period. I told her about my frustration with my weight. I told her how I felt like no one was truly listening to me. I cried. And I cried.

• Gym Ra(n)t.

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:12 pm

  I'm starting to hate the gym. I should rephrase that. I'm starting to hate MY gym because my gym is kind of an asshole. It's small. There is no child care. They have awesome machines that we are not allowed to use unless we pay for (semi) private sessions with one of their "trainers.". They added a sauna, but you have to pay extra for it. The aerobics room is tiny and I almost always am tempted to "throw an elbow" because woman don't respect (aerobic dancing) personal space. The mats are all ripped to shreds and are in desperate need of being replaced. You know what else? The instructors at…

• 
  Mom In The City

• Let The Giving Begin: Little Listeners

  Kimberly

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pm

  This past weekend was a fun blur. On Saturday, the family went to see When Elmo Grows Up at Madison Square Garden. My husband’s aunt treated our family along with my brother-in-law’s family as a special early birthday gift for Sean. The little kids especially enjoyed the show. Sean kept saying, [...]

• Bravado “Bringing Sexy Back” Giveaway

  Kimberly

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

  True confession: I won a Bravado nursing tank back when I was nursing Sean…that I still wear. My “excuse”: Nursing or not, I have large breasts, so when I find something comfortable, I stick with it. That is why (for a moment) I coveted their Sublime Nursing Bra and panty that I am [...]

• Baby Bunch (Review, Giveaway & Discount)

  Kimberly

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:40 am

  I don’t have any more babies, but I still interact with a lot of new and expecting moms – on a professional and a personal basis. When I was sent a Baby Bunch Baby Bouquet to review, I ended up giving it to one of the newest “moms in the city” who has an [...]

• 
  Soapbox Mom

• Snow in DC

  Nicole SoapB

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

  When DC was hit with record snow in the Blizzard of 2010, some northerners on Twitter chuckled at us because they found it hard to understand why a snowstorm would effectively  shut down a region. Having lived in more than a few northern states, I can tell you that this area is simply ill equipped to handle this much snow.  It happens so infrequently that there’s no need for significant capital investment in equipment for snowstorms that hit us every ten or fifteen years. From my perspective, it’s beautiful (though somewhat challenging). Here are some of our captured moments.

• Basketball Players as Puppets

  Nicole SoapB

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:24 pm

  If you’re familiar with Kobe, LeBron and Nike, you might enjoy this: You know about LeBron’s chalk thing? Then you’ll like this one:

• Federer Makes It Sixteen!

  Nicole SoapB

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:21 pm

  Congratulations to Roger Federer on winning his sixteenth Grand Slam title at the 2010 Australian Open. It’s his first slam as a dad. Wonderful win. Images from Australian Open website. Certainly worth a visit!!

• 
  Mrs. Mogul

• Jim Carrey And Jenny McCarthy's Spectacular Night [Digg]

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pm

  Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are a great couple. They're both funny and really seem to have a fantastic relationship. While at the 4th Annual Saturday Night

• Tiger Woods Returns To Golf In March [Digg]

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Tiger Woods is returning to golf sooner than people think! After his wife Elin flew to Mississippi to get him out of rehab, he's now reunited with his two kids.

• Ashton Kutcher Is Not Into Valentine’s Day (POLL) [Digg]

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:49 am

  Ashton Kutcher's next flick is called Valentine's Day. The irony of it all is that he hates that day. I think every day should be a day of romance, he

• 
  Miscellaneous Mum - Trying to find the objective correlative, everyday

• Dear Bunnings, my son just wants to say…

  Karen

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:31 pm

  He LOVES your child-sized trolleys. Related posts:"Dear Me" Project – Anonymous (May 1997)Oh, DearOh dear

• What I’m Reading in February

  Karen

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pm

  This ‘what am I reading?’ post ought to have been easy enough. I’ve done many, many before. The difference on this occasion was that our ginger-haired cat wanted to be the star. So, I give you Whiskers… and some books. This looks interesting Oh, I think I like these There appears to be more in here… Now if I could just fit my head in… Dammit I can’t! So I will roll around frustratedly… Before I decide to EAT THE BAG IN REVENGE! The end. Related posts:Links! Reading, writing, blogging links!What I’m reading late July 2009What I’m…

• Cities and Lights at Night

  Karen

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:55 pm

  I was standing in the kitchen when Riley called my attention to this picture he’d made in Windows Paint . Mum! he said. I made a city all on my own. When I looked up, from a distance, I thought he’d somehow googled a satellite image from some cityscape from somewhere in the world. It made sense. Look, there were the blotches of light, in lines, like roads; they weaved in and out like roads often did. Or was it a satellite picture? No, as I walked over, with every step, it became obvious that he had made it, the white was just blotches; the black just…a black background. What…

• 
  Sarcastic Mom

• Yeah, that’s my horn you’re hearing.

  Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am

  Essss-cuse me while I toot it.  I’m going to have some of my content syndicated at Blogher in the next couple months (SQUEEE!) and today I have a post up over there – if you’re interested in showing me/my piece some love with a comment, you can see it by clicking: My Child Wouldn’t Nap: The Day I Learned Perspective.  (You know you want to “show my piece some love.”) Okay, I have to put my horn down for a little while now. It’s throwing me off while I do this here booty shakin’ dance. Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Tweet…

• Weekly Winners, Jan 31 – Feb 6

  Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:50 pm

  January 31st – February 6th These shots taken with my: Canon Powershot G9 And clearly I’ve been food obsessed this past week (PMS much?). No Blissdom photos in this post – too many to get through yet! I’ll show them off later. Hope you all had a fabulous week. I can’t wait to see your photos. 3D Triangles of Awesome Juiciness Spoons of the Measuring Variety I like to rub my meat. The existence of roasted garlic is proof that life is good. Bok Choy, Baby Okay, okay. ONE photo from Blissdom. In keeping with the “Edible Things” theme… OM NOM NOM To…

• our regularly scheduled program will return after this brief period of bliss

  Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:34 pm

  I got this tiny bell in the HerStory Workshop today, at Blissdom. Isn’t it cute? Thanks to Aliza and Maya. The exercises they offered were thought provoking. And I discovered that the story of my life is entitled, “I haven’t screwed up too bad, yet. But give me time.” You’d buy it, right? I also want to give giant props to the ladies who paneled the Writer’s Craft Workshop. I *thoroughly* enjoyed myself – what a great discussion. I had the beginnings of what I think is going to be a very good post in my hands when I walked out of that room Thursday…

• 
  Adventures in Babywearing

• Blissdom Robots

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:48 am

  Key thought that keeps poplocking into my head:Blissdom, and any blog conference for that matter, will- and can- be what you make of it. Be social, make the first move (even if you are shy! no one knows you! you've only been blogging a week! since the beginning of blogtime! whatever!), make it what you want.I did things differently this year- went to the main party events instead of private ones, made myself seen instead of holing up in my room all weekend, used CHILDCARE!! and actually went to sessions & keynotes and listened and learned, made myself available in the ordinary for the…

• This is it.

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am

  This weekend,this BLISSDOMwhat it was, where could I even begin?because it was so much, it was everything.The restoration, the renovation I have new in my writing fingers, the friends THE FRIENDS! their arms hooked in the crook of my soul, unreal,but so real.To say it exceeded my highest expectations, and then some.Would be an understatement. I want to move to Blissdom!And I have every intention to bring it home with me.photo by [my girl] Casey, Moosh In Indy.More Blissdom10 photos on flickr. Twitter me- I'm babystephSubscribe to my blog here

• There's a story.

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:42 am

  There's a story about how I left my camera on the plane.And a whole other story about how I got it back.There's a story about my Blissdom Wisdom Workshop.And how I was on Cloud 9 after my workshop.And there's my favorite story about how the sitter said she couldn't get over how much Ivy and I resemble each other. Blissdom is going great. I learned last night that Gray is back at home sick with the stomach flu. :( So my heart is pulled, but hubby is taking care of everything. Nothing to worry about, he says. So I am believing that. I speak again at 3pm CST today! I am so excited.Twitter me-…

• 
  TheBloggess.com

• This is how my whole life goes

  Jenny the bloggess

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:53 pm

  This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to be on twitter: PS.  My friend MariaMelee is truly amazing and her roach spray review was like the Iliad of roach spray reviews.   She’s awesome.  I’m going to go to bed now.

• It’s been a very long week.

  Jenny the bloggess

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  It’s Sunday which means it’s time for my weekly wrap-up: This week on Ask the Bloggess: Sexomnia:  No one’s falling for it, asshole. I was on a lot of drugs when I wrote this but it’s still vaguely valid. This week on my sex column (which is satirical and relatively safe for work if your boss isn’t a douche canoe): How Nina Hartley became my new best friend. This week on the internets: I was on twitter too much. This week on Good Mom/Bad Mom on the Houston Chronicle: My daughter, the scientist Buckle up, buttercup. This week…

• RIP, Aunt Ollene

  Jenny the bloggess

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

  My sister, Lisa, just called to tell me that our great aunt Ollene just died and we decided to go in together on a flower arrangement and so I ordered it online from the florist across the street from the funeral home and it was very nice because their website basically pre-populates all the funeral home info since that’s where they do most of their business but then the end of the form left me a little baffled: Huh.  Do I want you to remind me of my dead aunt’s death again next year?  Well, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I want you to bring up this painful event with an…

• 
  So Close

• The Fockers do payback time

  Tertia Albertyn

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:57 am

  If I think back to when I was a teenager, I want to cringe.  What we kids put our poor parents through. That awkward stage when you think you know everything, when you think you can do anything and yet you can't.  You want to travel the world on great adventures! You want to pack your bags, shake off all responsibilities and travel to foreign lands, far away from your family who are telling you to be sensible, to look after yourself and not take any chances.Well my parents have clearly decided it is payback time and are going through a second teenagehood.  Much to my GREAT dismay!!!

• Toy guns

  Tertia Albertyn

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:30 pm

  When Sister Mel had her first child 13 years ago, she was quite an ethno-bongo (tree-hugger / granola type).  She said that her son would not play with guns and there would be no toy guns in the house.  However, it wasn't long before he was fashioning make-believe guns out of old marijuana branches and shooting pow-pow at imaginary baddies.  I have much lower standards and looser morals than my sister and the toy gun thing was never an issue for me.  I have never specifically gone out to buy toy guns for my kids, but along with pirate masks and eye patches, they have also chosen toy…

• An incident occurred in 1998

  Tertia Albertyn

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:12 am

  I got a note in my postbox today that is just.... words fail me. If you live in South Africa you must be saying WTF!! This must surely be a typo?   An 'incident' occurred in 1998??????  WTF!  An incident like this occurs every 19.98 SECONDS in South Africa!  Our security estate had an 'incident' in 1998! Those who don't live in South Africa won't appreciate how funny (in a sad way) this note is.  Look, it's a terrible incident. A terrible story. But when you live in a country with one of the highest crime levels in the world and where things like this…

• 
  i obsess.

• so, uh, fuck you.

  lildb

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:52 am

  For the longest time I've been writing like there were people standing immediately behind me.  I couldn't shake the "who's reading?  Who's reading?" vibe.  Which puts an automatic kibosh on producing anything that isn't either kiss-ass or straight piss, given the ensuing attempts to pander and/or simply avoid offense.Then again, I'm not certain that being at least minimally aware of an audience isn't a good thing, either.  For all the moments when it drives me to drivel, the knowing, there are an equitable amount of pieces that shake in, in…

• Where I Obsess Over My Body's Inability to Conceive.

  lildb

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:47 pm

  I want a second baby.  No great secret.The part that is a secret?  That I'm obsessed.  It's been over two years that we've been at this, only for a long time, it wasn't too serious.  We weren't TRYING, we were just not NOT trying.  Now, we try.  And every month I watch my cycle with eyes and thoughts trained, intent.  Another period comes and I think maybe, maybe it's not my period.  Maybe I'm spotting.  Only, that night, I recognize that I've lost too much blood for it to be spotting.This last one was the hardest yet.  It's so hard to…

• got to let it show.

  lildb

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:11 pm

  I've been feeling pretty sorry for myself lately.  No second baby has made its way into our lives, and I'm 37 now, which means it's only getting tougher to conceive.  After last summer's miscarriage, I'm prepared to, even if we do get pregnant again, lose it.  (Lose the pregnancy.  Not my mind.  I'm tougher than that.  SHUT UP.  I AM TOO.)(no! seriously!)And besides that?  We have financial woes like the rest of the country/world.  And my face, to my near-narcissistic chagrin (WHY does that word include "grin?" -- Unless it's a mocking…

• 
  untanglingknots.com

• Tough Life

  karla

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:17 am

  When I grow up I want to be a dog named Samson so I can sit by a warm fire all day and be totally FINE with everyone blaming their farts on me.

• Is this mic on?

  karla

  27 Jan 2010 | 10:51 am

  *Tap* *Tap*Oh, hi! Remember me? It’s me! Karla!And I have writer's block.Like, really bad.I’ve been writing online for almost six years now and in all that time I can remember only once where something like this happened before. It was almost exactly three years ago to the day and my excuse back then was that I was dealing with an asshole of a puppy who would NOT STOP BITING ALREADY and had

• Juice Junkie

  karla

  12 Jan 2010 | 1:50 pm

  Someone in this family, not mentioning any names or anything, REALLY likes juice, particularly of the Acaí berry variety.

• 
  Pregnancy Stories By Age

• Grandmother had one at 48

  Catherine

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  I am almost 43 and TTC again, after a loss a few weeks ago. It's never easy but it's harder to give up.You are still young enough to have babies. My grandmother had one at the age of 48!Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & helpStories of Pregnancy over 44 years old - sharing stories I find online, for inspiration!You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's - Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestionsRecent Keyword Searches: pregnancy at 46 years of agepregnant at age 50?first baby at 46successful pregnacy over age fiftypregnancy at 46 years of age

• Will be 45 when baby is due

  Catherine

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Thought I'd drop a note to encourage us "older" want-a-bees! My friend just told me she's expecting! She's 44 and will be 45 when the baby is due!Gave me more hope!Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & helpStories of Pregnancy over 44 years old - sharing stories I find online, for inspiration!You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's - Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestionsRecent Keyword Searches: pregnancy at age 50pregnancy at 47 years oldpregnancy over 50 statistics43 and pregnantcan i get pregnant at 48

• Gave birth to her 13th child in her 40s

  Catherine

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  My great grandma was in her 40's when she gave birth to her 13th child... It was odd back then, but they didn’t have birth control so I guess they had them till they couldn’t.Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & helpStories of Pregnancy over 44 years old - sharing stories I find online, for inspiration!You Can Get Pregnant in Your 40's - Sharing articles, discussing options & suggestionsRecent Keyword Searches: pregnancy stories by agepregnancy at 47can you be naturally pregnant at 44oldest woman to have a baby without invitropregnancy at 45

• 
  Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44 years old

• Triplets at 43

  Catherine

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  For mom-blogger Maureen Daniels from New Jersey, having her triplets at nearly 43 certainly gave her a ‘unique spin on life.’ (In fact, I’m sure her head is still spinning.)Although Daniels (now 46), started her blog, The Online Shopping Boutique, driven by a business work ethic, “to share the wonderful stories of SAHMs like myself who want to stay home for their young children and earn a substantial living working from home as well.”Read more...Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope & helpPregnancy Stories by Age - Daily blog of hope & inspiration!You Can Get…

• Menopausal New Mom

  Catherine

  31 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

  Debbie, a 48 year old mom-blogger from Canada, felt blessed to have her daughter (now 3-and-a-half) at 45. “It was a bit of a surprise” says Debbie. “Although I was not on birth control, I didn’t think it would be possible at 44 to get pregnant without medical intervention.”Debbie feels there are significant benefits to being an older first time mom.“I think that not being focused on ‘finding myself’ is a big benefit to her (Debbie’s daughter). At 45, I pretty much know who I am and don’t feel I have anything to prove to anyone. I’ve had the career, I’ve had the…

• News Anchor Monica Malpass, 48, Pregnant with Twins

  Catherine

  21 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

  Television news anchor Monica Malpass is herself hitting headlines lately as the popular anchor announced on her show ‘Action News’ that is she pregnant and is expecting her second child.The much acclaimed news anchor declared her pregnancy recently on her news program as it was about to conclude. However, the 48 year old anchor did not divulge any details on air regarding who was the father of her yet to be born.Sources have revealed that the news anchor is expecting twins and the baby is set to arrive in the month of June.Read More... Life Begins... - Miscarriage stories of loss, hope…

• 
  Mom-101

• Grass: Greener.

  Mom101

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:51 am

  Most afternoons  these days, I race through the delightful Chelsea Market, grabbing a sandwich or a cup of overpriced Hale & Hearty to slurp down at my desk in the four minutes I've got before I'm snatched away to the next EMERGENCY OH MY GOD IT'S AN EMERGENCY at work. In that time, meandering the long corridor of the historic building and peeking my head into the various storefronts to learn

• Eggs that taste like something

  Mom101

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  "I'll have eggs this morning, mommy," Thalia said. To most moms, scrambled eggs would be a welcome break from, say, more a more work-intensive blueberry pancakes request, especially on a weekday. But, no. The thought of making eggs strikes terror in my heart knowing that one room over, snoring gently, is the culinary school-pedigreed fella who uses one of my past attempts at scrambled eggs as

• Things you can buy at Chuck E Cheese for 43 tickets as we learned this morning

  Mom101

  30 Jan 2010 | 10:19 am

  -4 mini Tootsie Pops -Pencils -Bunch o' wiggly plasticky lobster looking things -Bracelet with estimated lifespan of 6 days   -Licensed character stickers with characters I've never seen in my life and kind of scared my kids. -4 Plastic Choking Hazards of Unknown Function -Cadmium -1/5 fake plastic vomit

• 
  The Hot Mommas® Project Blog: Teachable Role Models for Girls/Women

• What Women Want – Crib Sheet for the Fem 2.0 Work-Life Policy Discussion

  hotmommas

  28 Jan 2010 | 9:37 am

  Today the Hot Mommas Project will be talking about work-life policy on the Fem 2.0 Blogtalkradio show. Link to that show here. (See IV) http://www.fem2pt0.com/2010-wake-up-campaign/ Below, is a crib sheet of facts and articles to which I will be referring. 1. What Women Want – A Hot Mommas Project presentation to Entrepreneurs Organization [ PDF] EO_What Women Want_6.11.08 2. Key Facts – Women in Business. 3. Will Business Celebrate or Tolerate Our Daughters? – Your Mission:  Intrapreneurship. 4. How Norway has got it right Books to serve as models corporations, and people.

• Prizes and Honors for the Hot Mommas Project 2010 Case Writers

  hotmommas

  27 Jan 2010 | 6:46 am

  Women sharing personal & professional stories at www.HotMommasProject.org before midnight, January 31 ET, 2010 will be automatically entered into drawings for the following FABULOUS PRIZES (if we do say do ourselves). By writing your story, you are helping educate an entire generation of girls and women.  So, why not reward these pay-it-forward women with some SWAG? Oh, and p.s., the winners will be published in a MAJOR Prentice Hall Textbook (Prentice Hall = world’s leading educational publisher). What is the Hot Mommas Project? How can I get involved? The Hot Mommas Project is an…

• “HOT MOMMAS” GIVE BACK ON MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE and BEYOND: Moms, students, stars of business and entertainment help women and girls

  hotmommas

  18 Jan 2010 | 9:08 am

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2010 CONTACT: Kathy Korman Frey (202) 237-8000, @ChiefHotMomma, email “HOT MOMMAS” GIVE BACK ON MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE  and BEYOND Moms, students, stars of business and entertainment help women and girls Summary: The award-winning women’s leadership venture, The Hot Mommas Project, announces its 2010 panel of judges and Martin Luther King Day of Service activity. The project helps women age 18 and older serve as role models and supporters for other women and girls. Submissions will be accepted through January 31, 2010.

• 
  June Cleaver Nirvana

• Color Value

  Texasholly

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pm

  The boys put great value on things that are rare. Ryan(8) has always used scarcity as an argument for a possession’s treasurability. He has boxes and boxes of rare rocks, sticks, pieces of paper, paper clips, rubber bands, rubber balls, plastic coins, pennies, coupons, voided credit cards, string, pencils and countless other items that absolutely-under-no-circumstances to be discarded.  They are all one of a kind. I threw away a paper towel roll the other day and he actually made the argument for keeping it because it was the ONLY one in the house that didn’t have any paper…

• 
  Toddler Planet

• Relay for Life

  whymommy

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:45 pm

  It’s that time of year again.  Friends are coming out of the woodwork asking for support to walk, to run, to relay.  Teams are being organized.  Kickoffs are happening all over the country, and activists are stratgizing about how to fundraise in this terrible economy, and (I suspect) with fundamental needs hitting so close to home after the terrible earthquakes in Haiti.  I’m no expert on fundraising.  All I can tell you is that we must have more research if we are to save our friends from dying of cancer.  We must have directed research, supported by cancer awareness…

• Disappointed…?

  whymommy

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:09 am

  Thank you for your wonderfully supportive comments on Facebook and Twitter this week, but I wasn’t selected to testify before that Congressional Committee. My piece for the Washington Post was turned down too, and I didn’t hear from a couple of other places I sent it. Perhaps it was too internet-oriented, as I wrote (and submitted) it just after the FB bra flap.  Oh well. I suppose I can’t be too disappointed … I spent Monday afternoon at the oncologist’s for a routine exam, and although there were a couple rough spots, including when I was offered a brain scan…

• ACS CAN: Your words matter

  whymommy

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

  The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is a great source of information about legislative action in your community and nationwide that affects screening guidelines, insurance coverage, and standard of care for cancer treatment and detection.  In a world where the problems loom ever larger and our ability to reach out and help each other feels so limited, ACS CAN is focused on providing you the information you need to email your Senator, participate in events on the Hill or at your statehouse, or just be informed about how the latest news may affect cancer patients in treatment or…

• 
  Fluid Pudding

• Sondre Lerche Concert Giveaway!

  fluidpudding

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am

  Here’s the scoop. A few weeks back, I was made aware of the fact that Sondre Lerche is coming to town. And I love him. So I bought tickets. Now, it has become clear that I will not be able to attend the show. And I’m bummed. Really bummed. I tried to sell the tickets on Facebook. No takers. An hour ago, I tried to give the tickets away on Facebook. No takers. So, now I’m opening it up to everyone. (Everyone in St. Louis, that is.) If you’re in St. Louis and are interested in tickets to a really great show on Monday night (2/15), please let me know and the tickets are…

• So, it looks like the Puddings are headed to prison.

  fluidpudding

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

  A little over a year ago, Jeff noticed that he was paying our trash people more than once each month. (And when I say Our Trash People, I mean the environmental service that comes to our house on Thursday mornings to haul away the things that we DIDN’T recycle. I’m still wearing my Birkenstocks.) Anyway, when he pulled up the information online, he realized that he had been double paying for the past six months! He quickly called Our Trash People (OTP) to figure out what was going on. OTP: It looks like we accidentally created two accounts for your home. I’ll go ahead and…

• I’m knitting hats for tiny bald tarantulas.

  fluidpudding

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:18 pm

  In the past 48 hours, I’ve seen some pretty wicked photographs of birds with diarrhea. I have taken on a freelance project, and that is a very good thing. This particular freelance project is all about animals and their diseases. Tarantulas go bald. Birds have anorexia. Amphibians vomit. Meanwhile, I have about 4,392 things running through my head—projects that need my attention, opportunities I want to explore, hair that needs to be cut. While I’m here, I need to remind you: In just a few days I’ll be giving away a $100 Visa gift card partnered with Six Months Worth of…

• 
  champuru.net

• Terrific Twitter Tweeps

  Donna

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:50 pm

  With over 18 million users on Twitter, there is bound to be a few gems out there, right?  A fellow blogger on StrawberryMayo.com and Twitter friend, @catskittyns sent me some very useful and thought-provoking links and I asked her if she had any cool tweeps (Twitter peeps) to recommend.  She suggested that we do a trade of five cool tweeps and why we like them — and post them to our blogs. Great idea!  Maybe I’ll even do this as a regular feature on the blog. This week’s list is photography inspired, as I have been obsessing over the Canon 5D that I recently added to my…

• 16 months

  Donna

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:15 am

  At sixteen months old, Baby Champuru I have observed a few things about her personality: She is nurturing. She cares for her baby doll (given to her for Christmas by my Uncle Toshi and Aunt JoAnn).  She feeds her, tucks her in for naps, and gives her hugs and kisses. She is independent. She insists on doing things herself as much as possible and is offended when I try to help her do something she feels she is capable of doing on her own (such as washing her hands). She is loving. Lately, she has started giving more hugs and kisses on the lips to her Daddy and I.  She is a little more…

• No bottle, no milk

  Donna

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:24 pm

  Baby Champuru is proficient at drinking out of a straw cup now (hooray!), but still refuses to drink milk from anything that isn’t outfitted with a nipple.  Quite frankly, that concerns me.  It has been 12 days since she drank from a bottle, which means it’s been 12 days since she drank a good amount of milk.  (At the time of her transition, she would drink anywhere from 24-32 oz. of milk a day.  I know that’s actually too much for her age, though.)   As I mentioned in my previous entry, she is still nursing 3 times a day, but I have no idea how much milk she gets from…

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  Momo Fali's

• The Dance

  Momo Fali

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:08 am

  Almost every night, at roughly 9:30 PM, I fall asleep on the couch. My husband and I are usually in the middle of watching TV and let me just go ahead and say thank goodness for our DVR, or I would never know what the heck Jack Bauer is up to.The lights are on in the living room, the television is loud, the dogs are playing and yelping at each other, the coffee table is leaving deep indentations in my calves and my laptop is burning a hole in my thighs. But, boy can I sleep! All I have to do is set my head at an extremely awkward angle so that when I wake I'll barely be able to move my neck,…

• And, I am the White Witch

  Momo Fali

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:26 pm

  My 11 year old daughter just looked outside and saw this.Then she sighed and said, "I feel like I'm in Narnia." I sure hope Mr. Tumnus has a shovel.

• Question of the Day

  Momo Fali

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:16 am

  Do you ever wake up with a zit in your ear, a pulled muscle in your back from lifting a case of water anda nose that will not stop running no matter how many times you blow it, then notice that one of your favorite shirts has a hole in it and that your super-expensive work shoes are all scuffed up, and then you laugh as you think, "Who cares...I'm a lunch lady" and remember how, because of your line of work, you went to the grocery store yesterday with baked rotini on your forehead?Yeah. Me too.

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  A Mom in Red High Heels - Beauty & Style Tips for Moms

• Looking for a Modern, Low Maintenance Hairstyle? Try This Meg Ryan-Meets-Keri Russell Style!

  Tammy

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:45 pm

  Moms complain of “boring hair” all too often, don’t they? It’s time to make a cut and go for something sexy with movement! Check out this style recommendation that’s a cross between the famous Meg Ryan do and a modern Keri Russell style! New mom Sharron is ready for a new fabulous look: “I just found your blog and thought I’d send in my pic to see what you might have to say about possible new hairstyles. . . I’m a 39-year old mama to a lovely little 6.5 month old boy and am ready for a new do. Had super-short hair much of my life. Have loved…

• Diabetes: It’s Our Thing Now

  Tammy

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:30 pm

  As a regular reader of A Mom in Red High Heels you may have noticed the posts stopped updating on Wednesday. On Wednesday, February 3, 2010, our lives changed forever. My five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Her sweet little body no longer produces insulin on it’s own and she will be insulin dependent for the rest of her life, or until they find a cure. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you have seen my updates as my family has begun a new journey in learning exactly what Type 1 Diabetes is, how to treat her, what to feed her and when. For this generally…

• Exclusive: Meet Deidrea Haysel of Hot Mama Gowns

  Tammy

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:45 pm

  Your Name: Deidrea Haysel How many children do you have? 2 right now. Naomi is almost 4 and Austin is almost 2. We plan on having 4 children, but we’ll see how much we like that plan after 3! Your Business Name: Hot Mama Gowns Brief Description of Your Business: We offer personal hospital maternity gowns made of 100% Organic Cotton, manufactured solely in the USA, and designed to fit just about every size mommy and bump, with sizes from XS(2) – XXL (24)! Our gowns offer the expectant Mom the style, function, and comfort not offered by generic hospital gowns. Our gowns are also designed to…

• 
  ModernMom.com Recent Articles

• Sugar Mommas’ SWEETHEART Pretzels

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  These pretzel treats are a perfect activity to get the kids involved. Pretzels and chocolate - I think those are two staples in a kids’ life, aren’t they? I could not keep my son away if I tried. Once these treats are assembled and cooled, we put them in cello bags and tied them with a decorative ribbon. My kids can’t wait to give their gourmet gifts to teachers, grandparents, and friends.

• Sugar Mommas’ LOVE Pops

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  The Sugar Mommas are obsessed with marshmallows. We like marshmallow anything, anytime, anywhere. Spongy, chewy, stretchy deliciousness. Chocolate covered marshmallows are just one step further towards glutton heaven. This treat is simple, quick, and a crowd pleaser. Warning: the LOVE Pops may get eaten before Valentine’s Day.

• How to Choose the Perfect Perfume

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Choosing the perfect perfume can be a daunting task. These days, department store perfume counters look more akin to candy stores. With countless choices and plenty of eye-catching bottles, shopping for your favorite scent is difficult. Here are a few tips to help you make the right decision.

• 
  A Mommy Story

• Make Sure You Walk Away With The Right Kid

  Christina

  30 Jan 2010 | 9:40 pm

  On Friday afternoon I found myself running late after a doctor appointment, rushing home to make sure I didn't miss Cordy's bus. She is dropped off at our door, and if we're not there to get her off the bus, they will only wait so long before driving on to the next stop. In our school district, that means you then have to pick up your child from Children's Services, which no one wants to do. I got home right at the time she's scheduled to get off the bus, which is actually never the time the bus arrives. It has never arrived at that time - it's usually coming around the curve about five or…

• I'm Not A Rookie Mom, But Fevers Still Worry Me

  Christina

  19 Jan 2010 | 8:29 pm

  Give me a daughter facing the challenges of autism, and I rise to the challenge. Or give me a daughter with a speech delay, and I fearlessly jump in to start early intervention with complete confidence she'll triumph. But give me a kid with a hacking cough and a fever of 103.5 who looks this miserable: ...and I'm a puddle of worry. I'm often impressed with how Cordy and Mira remain so healthy. Sure, they get colds about as often as any other kid, but they are most often minor colds and rarely slow them down. Fevers are always minor - just a little warm, no need for medication. And we've had…

• Delurk and Help Haiti, Too

  Christina

  14 Jan 2010 | 8:38 am

  It seems to sneak up on me every year, but today is yet again the Official Delurker Day, the once-a-year plea for those of you who quietly read to write one little comment of support. (Or even if you do comment, please say hi also!) It's hard to believe I've been blogging now since 2005, and it's even harder to know that I don't get to do it as often as I used to. There was a time when I really cared about my stats and would religiously follow them each day, looking to see which posts got the most attention and trying to guide my writing towards more like those. Since starting my crazy…

• 
  DeliciousBaby.com

• Avia Napa Hotel Review

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  We were guests of the Avia Napa on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view. Families with kids have many hotel choices when they visit the Napa Valley. There are chain hotels, resorts where you can lounge all day by a pool, and bed and breakfasts where you might worry about your child's every noise. What appealed to me about the Avia Napa when I started my search for a hotel on this trip, was the central location in Napa's "downtown." We're out-and-about a lot when we travel, and generally don't use…

• Northern California Road Trip: Golden Gate Bridge and Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  I paid my own way at Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory. Whenever I accept a free product or service for review, I will always let you know. While I'm disclosing things, I should also let you know that if you purchase a product through an Amazon link on my site, I will receive a small commission. I owe a huge thank you to Meg of Backpack To Buggy who sent me a very detailed list of suggestions about things to do and see while we were in Sonoma County. The drive from San Francisco to Napa is about one and a half hours. That's not long at all, unless you happen to have a 7 month old who hates being…

• Tallinn Estonia With Kids

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:45 pm

  This is a guest post from Kaare Revill who has traveled extensively with her three kids: ages 6, 4, and 2. She was kind enough to share her best recommendations for a family visit to Estonia - a family-friendly European destination that most Americans don't know much about. She blogs at Abrilliantplace By Wikipedia Location of Estonia Estonia is a small and beautifully forested country in Europe. Some people have never heard of it, and even if they have, most are pretty fuzzy on its geographical location. Its shores are washed by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea; it is bordered on the…

• 
  Type-A Mom News Feed

• Learning to Deal with my Tween

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:08 pm

  Lately my”tweener” - otherwise known as my 10 year old daughter - has been a tad bit emotional. One minute we are talking and the next I am calling for an exorscism. She is up and down and extremely nasty to me. The venom starts pouring out and doesn't seem to stop. There's screaming and crying as well. I feel as though we have entered the second round of “Terrible Twos”, except she is big now with a lot more words. Read more...

• Book Review: Red Light. Green Light, Eat Right by Joanna Dolgoff, MD

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:41 pm

  For the "most" part we eat well in the Musings from Me home. Fruits. Veggies. Milk. Small amounts of juice. Lean meat. But, it's the word "most" that is the key to the days when we eat on the run...or grab a nonhealthy snack as we are running out to sports practice...or any number of other times when our eating habits could use some improvement. We try to eat healthy, but it is hard. Read more...

• Is Democratic Party Tough Enough to Get it Done?

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm

  Last week, I got settled on the couch and, with a sigh, turned on the State of the Union Address. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve been feeling a little frustrated recently and wasn’t sure if this Address would just bring more of the same: lots of well-intentioned discussion but no indication of any, well, backbone from my party. But that State of the Union Address made me sit up straight in my chair. And many other Americans did too. It left me wondering about the stern tone of our President's address and why its message seemed so successful. Do the Democratic Party and the current…

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  Suburban Kamikaze

• A Valentine for Jenny Sanford

  Suburban Kamikaze

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:48 pm

  For her game-changing performance as the politician's woman scorned, South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford has us fawning in admiration. Not only does she manage to castrate her creepy, lying Appalachian Trail hiking, soon-to-be-ex husband Governor Mark Sanford in a...

• Andromeda strain

  Suburban Kamikaze

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:49 am

  Here we are just barely having escaped from last weekend's Emergency Parenting Quest, (the so-called "hoodie shortage") and another round of deadlines and adventure is upon us. This one, as in so many EPQs, arises out of one of those...

• Live, love, laugh, but it is better if you do it in low lighting

  Suburban Kamikaze

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:24 am

  CoverGirl and Olay want to know: Tell us what you do to live agelessly! People are always asking me how I manage to stay so youngish and vibrant well into what should rightfully be my declining years, if I were...

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  Greeblemonkey

• How To Not Teach Perfectionism?

  Aimee Greeblemonkey

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:16 am

  I often joke that I have OCD. When in reality I am probably offending people who really have OCD when I say that - because in truth, what I have is the inability to let go of an idea when it takes hold. Seriously. I am like a dog with a bone. Coupled with a Type-A personality, I can get pretty damn obsessed with getting things right, even when they don't matter.OK, maybe I do have OCD.Anyway.What happens when you see perfectionism sprouting in your son? In all things except the need to keep his desk clean, of course. I *really* wouldn't mind some more perfectionism in that area.But here is…

• Attending Mom 2.0 In Spirit

  Aimee Greeblemonkey

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:25 pm

  No, I won't be in Houston in a few weeks, I will be home, crying on my husband's shoulder and wondering why I made family time a priority this year. (JUST KIDDING, HONEY.) But I know the rest of you attending the Mom 2.0 Summit will have a wonderful, collaborative and stimulating time. I certainly did last year.Bonus this time around? The fabulous Tracey Clark and other Shutter Sisters put together an exhibition of other mom photographers - some of them being my most favorite shooters in the whole world, if you want to get technical about it. A preview + silent auction to raise money for…

• February Greeblemix Winners

  Aimee Greeblemonkey

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pm

  Can you believe the nerve of that groundhog? Six more weeks of winter???I think I will bury my head under the covers, put the headphones on and just listen to music till the sun comes out.Here are the friends who can join me:#3 - WiredMonkey#17- Buttercupyaya#11- Dozenroses13*winners email your address to aimee at greeblemonkey dot com!FEBRUARY 2010 GREEBLEMIXI Just Want You Around by AnuheaEyes Wide Open by TravisAlex Chilton by The ReplacementsFall Hard by Shout Out LoudsTell Yer Mama by Norah Jones (new album out!)Sewn by The FeelingLeft & Right In the Dark by Julian Casablancas (lead…

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  Where's My Cape?

• What I did on my blizzard staycation, Part 1

  KC

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:05 pm

  Saturday highlights: Looked outside window. Understood gravity of situation. Cried a little for the muscle fibers that would give up their lives today. Got kiddies up and dressed. Convinced them we should all do some Wii Yoga. Turned on Wii and got berated by robot voice for not coming back in 6 days. Expected beating. Got through 2 yoga poses before Boy declared "I Eat." End of that story. Wii Fit highly disappointed in me (nothing new). Got crew snowsuited to do some Blizzard Play (aka Mama shovels until muscle fibers die time). Boy lasted approximately 30 seconds before whining noises…

• Name that lump

  KC

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:04 am

  And it is still snowing. *sob* 

• Feeling stoopid

  KC

  26 Jan 2010 | 5:05 pm

  I don't know, but lately, I've had multiple occasions to feel slow. For one, I just learned that Pluto is no longer a planet. I learned this since Girl was reciting the EIGHT planets in her Dr. Seuss planets book and The Husband goes, "Do you remember when Pluto was a planet?" Um, dude. When did that happen? I was immediately transported to 5th grade where I made a science project with paper mache planets and THERE WERE 9. The Husband informed me that Pluto was no longer considered a planet and this happened years ago. "Don't you listen to the news?" Clearly, that would be a no. Okay, maybe I…

• 
  Cool Mom - Fun Videos and a Blog for Moms - Motherhood, Kids, Babies and Parenting on Coolmom.com

• Momversation Autism Debate

  Daphne

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:43 pm

  Well, this report hit the mommy world. At Momversation.com I was asked to load up my response along with Mindy and Heather Spohr. When the report first appeared in The Lancet linking the MMR vaccine to Autism, it was a big deal. Now, The Lancet has taken it back siting lapses in the research and a relationship that the researcher had with a lawyer working with Autism groups that was not previously disclosed. I just heard the head of The Lancet on the radio, and he said that because of this they would not longer publish speculative studies, even if they did help further science one day because…

• Quaker Oats Create Your Day Update

  Daphne

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:31 pm

  For every oatmeal creation that is made on their Web site (up to 25,000), Quaker Oats will donate $1 to Share Our Strength, which goes to feeding hungry children.  We are more than halfway to our goal of 25,000 oatmeal creations and can get to 25K with your continued help! We’re almost there!  So, go to Quaker Create Your Day, and make an oatmeal creation.  Thanks! Share

• BFF

  Daphne

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:06 am

  A friend said to me, "You know it's always a bad idea when a parent tries to be friend to their kid, instead of being a parent." Sure, right, don't go buy them beer and talk about what a slob their dad is. But let's face it, when your kids are who you are with 90% of the time how can they not become your best friend? Your BFF. There is nothing wrong with that, right? Share

• 
  The Committed Parent

• ZZZZ’s are for Wusses … Not!

  Mark Brady

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:01 am

  I haven’t used an alarm clock in more than 30 years. I go to bed when I’m tired and get up when I awaken. I trust my body to tell me when it’s had enough rest, and I pride myself on “only” needing five or six hours most nights. Manly men don’t sleep their lives away. Brain Drain Trusting my body seems wise and reasonable enough. Except for one thing: my body has a lot of miles on it, and I’m overweight and out of shape – not the best body to trust! Especially with something as critical to good mental and physical health as sleep. How critical is sleep? More essential than…

• Why Our Children Can’t Be Trusted

  Mark Brady

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:51 am

  Basically, it’s not them, it’s their brains. And for pretty much the same reasons, parents’ brains can’t be trusted, either. Or teacher’s brains. Or clergy’s brains. It’s why seasoned police veterans take eye-witness testimony with a grain of salt – the limitations of our senses make us and our children very unreliable reporters. How unreliable? Here’s a website that lists 50 different biases that come pre-packaged or get home-grown in most of our brains. They work to seriously compromise our multiple intelligences: 50 Brain Biases. I’m going to discuss the four I find…

• Neuro-Riffing on “The Science of Success”

  Mark Brady

  23 Jan 2010 | 4:26 am

  Below I’ve excerpted portions from David Dobbs’ Atlantic magazine article, “The Science of Success” and reproduced them in green. Under each short excerpt I’ve added commentary of my own in blue, mostly looking through the lens of social neuroscience. Feel free to excerpt and add commentary of your own as you feel so inspired. Most of us have genes that make us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care. So holds a…

• 
  tallnlucky: blog

• Corey's Story

  Kristin

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:16 pm

  I've been writing detailed personal snippets of my life on the Internet for 6 years now.  Never has a post made me so nervous.  He believes steadfastly in honesty and believes that his story needs to be told, that it might help others, that it might help them believe that they can find light, even when they are thousands of feet under dark, without any hope.  He would never judge anyone, and I feel bile in the back of my throat, hoping that the Internet might understand his intentions here, and do him the same courtesy back.Here it is.I know there is some stuff you gleaned, but some…

• cold

  Kristin

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:26 pm

  After we broke up, Dale told our mutual friends that he couldn't believe my inhuman, steely cold."She switched,"he whispered, shattered."Turned off any warmth, compassion, love, that she ever had.  It died, overnight, like it was never there at all and I imagined it. I imagined these last three years."I took in the words with a chisel-sharp breath because they were true.  I'd heard them before, and I've heard them since.  I can flip on a dime, my heart changes course.  It's a protective mechanism, my one awful trait.  You're out, you hurt me,…

• Ass kicking of the Twenties

  Kristin

  29 Jan 2010 | 11:58 am

  I don't know why anyone ever said that high school is the "best time of your life!".  I remember my ill-fitting McDonald's visor, $ 4.10 an hour for drive thru duties, for smelling like salt and high potency grease. High school is synonymous with unrequited crushes, my awkward Mr. Bean body, baseball-capped boys who didn't like me back.I was of the firm belief, in my twenties, that this was the decade that life was all about.  Here were the days of stilettos and mini skirts, sweet purple martinis and executive meetings where I could nod earnestly along to high-tech…

• 
  whoorl

• Packing and a Hot Makeover

  whoorl

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:59 pm

  1. You all. I feel as though I will never stop unpacking. Whenever I tell myself that YES INDEED THAT DAY WILL COME, the angsty lyric “never ever ever ever, don’t you even think it” plays in a loop throughout my brain. (At the end of “Joe Lies.” In Say Anything! Duh.) Here is a snapshot of the one room I FEEL as though I’ve spent days on. This is probably the most organized room in the house as of 2:46pm PST. (Long ass sigh.) 2. Since I will undoubtedly be huffing cardboard for the remainder of the week, please enjoy a new video series entitled Gone…

• On the Next Episode of Hoarders

  whoorl

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:31 pm

  While helping to empty out her husband’s storage unit, a wife makes the startling realization of just HOW MUCH mid-century furniture, accessories, objects and art he has been “collecting” over the past several years. The perpetrator unloading the third of eleventy million cartloads.

• Moving Right Along

  whoorl

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am

  We’re moving in 5 days. This is the extent of my packing. Good progress, right? (HOLY SHIT. HELP ME.)

• 
  Secret Agent Josephine

• tea soap

  josephine

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  Tea in my bathtub? Bring it on! Tea soap that is! I think Earl Gray soap would be delightfully refreshing but what really sold me on this tutorial was how-to-fold-tea-bag-paper part and the super cute little tea tags! I can’t wait to make some! Spied via Re-Nest.

• Adios Amigos!

  josephine

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:40 am

  Is three days enough time to plan a proper farewell party for your very best friends? I mean a really good party that they’ll remember forever because they are moving so far away that it feels like they are moving to the other side of the earth and you want them to know just how [...]

• Funny Fashion Friday

  josephine

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:12 am

  Funny fashion has taken a turn for the pink lately. Green and rainbows still play a minor role but forget about wearing jeans. She’s got a whole drawer full of fashionable pants: kaki’s, jeans, overalls, the works (thanks to some fashionable friends who hand them down) but what does she wear over and over? [...]

• 
  Tumble Dry

• Taking the plunge

  Amanda

  14 Jan 2010 | 7:17 pm

  Not the Polar Plunge or whatever the January-jumping-in-a-frozen-lake nonsense is, but the blog plunge. I have moved everything including the archives over to a new version of: The WinkI'd love it if you came with me. It's as easy as my name: http://www.amandamagee.comBear with em as I work out the formatting kinks.:)-Amanda

• When Dad is away...

  Amanda

  8 Jan 2010 | 7:46 am

  We watch Say Yes to the Dress and do each other's hair. It's an indescribable kind of bliss.Thanking my lucky stars for these girls and the daddy that gave them to me..

• Fearing the Jinx

  Amanda

  7 Jan 2010 | 7:32 am

  I've not written in far too long, but there was a thought process involved in the absence. Our house went on the market in July. It has been an ordeal to keep it show-ready and free of thick disillusionment as we've been battered by a dead market and insulting offers. Toys, clothes and dishes have all been kept in their places. We've made our beds, wiped down the shower and hidden any semblance of a personality. The girls have been stoic as box after box of things have been shuttled to dark corners of the attic. Trips to a storage unit, walk-thrus of other houses, not to mention the…

• 
  Mommy Needs Coffee

• Things I Learned This Weekend

  Jenn

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:05 pm

  This weekend I needed a mental health weekend.  Time to regroup, rethink and reboot.  So to speak.  Here are some of the brilliant insights my brain stumbled upon. Exercise can only get you so far before you have to resort to Ben & Jerry’s.  Which of course will lead to more exercise but at least you will feel the satisfaction of devouring the frozen goodness that is the very definition of awesome therapy in a pint size container. If you lay really still and don’t give in to the urge to move when someone peeks into your room to see if you are sleeping late, you can…

• First you slip, then you fall. But sometimes, love and family catch you before you do either.

  Jenn

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:47 pm

  Here it is Sunday night and all I can think is “Oh, please, do not let this weekend end!  I am not ready for Monday!“  I had a great weekend with my family and got a much needed mental break.  Last week was hellacious.  Horrible. One of the worst I have had in years.  I do not want to get into details because suffice it to say that 1) I do not want to relive it and 2) I really don’t want to relive it. Wednesday was just bad. For reasons I cannot get into (I am just not comfortable sharing since things here have been used against me in my real life), I was thrown into a…

• Diving off the high dive– One day at a time

  Jenn

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pm

  “Always do what you are afraid to do.” Ralph Waldo Emerson There was a time in my life when I was fearless.  I felt almost invincible.  I never feared new situations, new people and loved new experiences.  The only fear I would readily admit to was my fear of heights.  But for the most part, I lived life to the fullest. Fearlessly. I used to say I don’t know when I became afraid of life but the truth is I can look back and see when it happened.  April 6, 1992.  I was living my fairytale life. I was young, healthy, married to my best friend and pregnant with our first…

• 
  Mamalogues®

• Live from Nashvegas

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:16 pm

  I'll be here for the duration of the weekend; I speak on Saturday morning in a panel entitled "Blogging with the Stars" during which time I discuss the secrets of success which is basically this: sleep with the overlord of the webernetz. I'm kidding. There is no secret other than just to write well. I'll be on Twitter and on the other site I just announced some nooz.

• What I did in Texas

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:01 am

  Bullet form. - Gave a presentation on some past political projects which I helped roll out. - Ate the worst Greek salad ever. - Sounded like Kathleen Turner whenever I spoke and tried not to cough on people.- Got dramatically excited about this place:- Where I did this:- ... and got a boo boo on my knuckle because holy Moses I was not letting go. - Looked up Southfork Ranch five times on Google Maps.- Hummed this theme A LOT:Both my mom and my grandma watched this, I never knew what was going on but I remember playing a jump rope game in elementary school called "J.R. Got Shot."- Flew…

• Germs on a Plane

  28 Jan 2010 | 11:03 am

  I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling over the next three weeks, coupled with work on a big project about which I'll divulge later, so things are going to be sporadic here during that period. I may not post for four days straight and then BOOM! TORRENT OF INSANITY. Tomorrow I'll be in Dallas to discuss politics. I've never been to Texas, I've always wanted to go, and if I have to pay money for someone to take me to see J.R. Ewing's television ranch then so be it. In the meantime, my latest for Momversation: Are you a Germaphobe? Note that when this was recorded I was (am still!) sick and…

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  Mamma Loves...

• It's Definitely Not Cancer, so I'm Sure it's Something Much Worse

  Mamma

  20 Jan 2010 | 4:16 pm

  The other day I was went to enter my home phone number into a form and I couldn't remember it. The information just wasn't there.It was so frightening. I had to ask my 7 year-old our phone number.A couple of weeks ago, I was driving home with my whole family in the car after a night out with friends. We were talking about another neighborhood and all of the sudden I focused on the road and didn't know where I was. For a minute, I thought I was in the other neighborhood and couldn't figure out exactly where in it I was. I shook my head and knew where I was again. It all happened so fast, but…

• Would It Kill You?

  Mamma

  14 Jan 2010 | 4:42 am

  There are a disturbingly great number of you who are visiting this site for the sole purpose of learning more about Howie Long's hair.*Really?!Of all the things you can Google, THAT is what you want to know? I mean had you already exhausted all of your porn phrases?You need a life.I can recommend one way to begin redeeming yourself. Leave a comment below. Tell me a little about yourself. Share a joke. Make me smile. Hell, just say hi and let me know you were here (actually I know you were here--I can see it in my stat counter--but it feels so cheap the way you just sneak in and out without…

• In a Better Mood

  Mamma

  31 Dec 2009 | 3:31 pm

  Leave it to PFunky to set me straight--and some uplifting words from Laurie to put me on a better track.*I've been pissed off all day. On Twitter I was reading about all the "GREAT" and "FANTASTIC" plans people have for the new year. Everyone was so freaking chipper. Apparently I only follow the uber-achievers whose sole purpose in life is to make me feel like a big gigantic loser by comparison.Where am I going? What am I going to do next? What have I accomplished so far? What do I have to show for my time on this planet? Why was it again I went away to college? And moved away from home? How…

• 
  Sleepless Nights

• Unicorns and faerie dust and all that shit.

  Veronica

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:35 pm

  Phew! after the fallout from my post admonishing Domino’s for false advertising, I think I need something shiny and pretty to talk about. Or maybe a unicorn. Actually, if I could be bothered, I could try and stick a horn on one of the horses, but I doubt they’d be impressed and I’m not really sure I’m prepared to chase horses around the paddock all day with a camera. Anyway It’s been a hard week, this last week. I’m due for my period, my joints keep forgetting that they’re meant to attach to each other and sleep has been restless and broken.

• Minor Technical Details –

  Veronica

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:52 pm

  To everyone clicking through your feed reader to my latest post and getting a 404 error, I’m sorry, I’m having some small technical issues with a post that wasn’t meant to go live for a while. I got a WP error in the middle of scheduling it to post later and then everything went wrong. Argh! So uh, don’t mind me. Just pretend you didn’t see it, okay? I’ve just rescheduled it and resync’d feedburner, so it might not even be an issue yet. xx love me

• Gluten Free Pizza from Dominos – but it may contain traces of gluten.

  Veronica

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:26 pm

  So, Domino’s Pizza Australia is doing a range of gluten free pizzas now. Which is great, it truly is. I was over the moon when I heard, knowing that some days, I would just really like to be able to buy a pizza, without all the hassle of making my own bases. I did a quick search, to see if it really was true, or if it was a rumour and no, definitely truth. Inevitably I wondered at the price of gluten free bases and so clicked over to the Domino’s website to check out the pricing on gluten free bases. Only to find this when I moused over the gluten free base selection. Gluten Free…

• 
  babyfruit: the (mis)adventures of mommyhood

• Patient Money - When Hair Loss Strikes, a Doctor Is a Girl’s Best Friend - NYTimes.com

  Aliza Sherman

  17 Jan 2010 | 12:54 pm

  both stress and certain antidepressants can cause hair loss. via www.nytimes.comDavid Ahntholz for The New York Times Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, examining a woman’s scalp. Americans spent an estimated $176 million on hair loss products...

• An Ode to FutureMe

  Aliza Sherman

  2 Jan 2010 | 1:32 pm

  I have been using a site called FutureMe since 2007. It is a place where you can write letters to your future self and have them delivered to you by email on a specific future date. I use this for...

• Holiday Photo Project

  Aliza Sherman

  26 Dec 2009 | 1:37 pm

  For those of you celebrating the holidays over the next few days, let’s do this: take a snap that represents what REALLY is going on. You know what I mean. Don’t take the posed, pretty, everyone-wearing-the-same-sweater photo. Take the photo...

• 
  Absolutely Bananas: Seattle mom blog

• Our dog has hypnotic powers

  bananas

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:39 pm

  A lot of people don’t know this, but our dog Bella has hypnotic powers. You’ll be sitting at the dinner table, eating a piece of pizza, when you feel these strange… impulses. Admit it, if you HAD a piece of pizza, you totally would have dropped it. Related Posts The dark side of Bella Dog parks are the new slasher movies She likes to move it move it ©2008 Absolutely Bananas. All Rights Reserved.

• Doppleganger schmoppleganger

  bananas

  30 Jan 2010 | 7:58 pm

  It’s DOPPLEGANGER week on facebook. And if you don’t know what I mean by that, clearly you need to get a life. Doppleganger week is where people on Facebook replace their profile picture with a picture of the celebrity they look like. Like this, or this, or even, this, Right away I notice a disturbing trend. All my attractive friends are posting profile pictures of these super-duper hot models and celebrities. And I find myself thinking, “you know, she kind of DOES look like Christie Brinkley.” And then I read the comments where everyone says, “You TOTALLY look…

• 40 things worse than turning 40

  bananas

  22 Jan 2010 | 12:35 am

  Next week Jay turns the big four-oh. He’s dreading it, but I keep telling him THERE ARE WORSE THINGS! Like, for example… 1. Being eaten by wolves 2. Getting your leg caught in a meat grinder 3. Poking your eye out 4. Running over a baby bunny or duckling 5. Finding a finger in your soup 6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome 7. Losing the winning lottery ticket 8. Mullets 9. Being chewed up by hamsters, rats or cats 10. Bed bugs 11. Falling down the stairs 12. Stepping on a rusty nail 13. Kevin Costner with webbed feet 14. Lice and scurvy. And all that other stuff they used to get on boats.

• 
  Let the dog in!

• our “dog door” — the evidence

  wendy

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:18 pm

  You know you wanted it. Here’s a (poorly made) video of our walnut brain dog, Becca, letting herself out the sliding glass door, our “new dog door.” This time it wasn’t locked, but I WILL get footage of that. She opens it, locked or unlocked. You’ll note she fails to close it. Anyone want a dog? Now, when we leave the house, the sliding door is battened down like the rig of a ship heading to the Southern Ocean. Again, I ask, anyone want a Houdini reincarnate dog? Copyright © 2010 Let the dog in!. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are…

• I feel love…for Benji

  wendy

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:16 pm

  We had a big introduction today at Let the Dog in! I introduced the Kid to Benji, the original movie (1974). Naturally, she didn’t love it as much as her mom. Next time I want her to love a movie I love, I’m gonna have to forbid her from watching it at all. And her dad, well, geez, all I can say is, he grew up in Alaska. He’d never even seen Benji that’s how deprived he was. Although he was happy to see Uncle Joe from Petticoat Junction in this. (Did you know Benji was the dog in Petticoat Junction?) But, you, dear readers reader mother, you loved Benji. And not just…

• reflection on reflection

  wendy

  27 Jan 2010 | 10:34 am

  It’s foggy here today, ferry horns are blowing, and damp chill surrounds us. Here’s a bit of light, a sunrise, to beat back the gloom. Ahhhh. Copyright © 2010 Let the dog in!. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement and in BIG, BIG TROUBLE. Please contact legal@www.letthedogin.com so we can take legal action immediately.Plugin by Taragana

• 
  Social Media Mom

• Confessions of a Twitter Newbie

  MrsCohen

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  I am still observing Twitter from the outside; too timid to take any big steps.  Although, considering where I started from, I should join the Olympics for long jump.  Hello, I put up a profile picture! Or, as I have been told, an avatar.  It took me a year to do that on Facebook.  And I love Facebook. I must admit I had a strong aversion to Twitter from the moment I heard of it.  To me it meant entering a barn yard of nonstop ‘quacks,’ ‘moos,’ ‘baas,’ ‘oinks,’ and what not.  Being an avid fan of Facebook, I often felt like redirecting friends with too many status…

• Are Working Mothers Superheroes?

  MrsCohen

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:22 am

  I was sitting in class with a mother of four whom works full time, is a full time student, and tutors in whatever spare time she has. While most people find this admirable I was, to put it mildly, a little scared. I myself am a mother of one, a full time student, and working part time. Motherhood alone is a full time job. I am not able to fully concentrate on my studies, and am exhausted all the time, not to mention the constant pressure I feel in needing to contribute financially. Unfortunately, it cost money to live, and life demands a double income, so mothers are compelled to join the…

• Laugh it Up!

  socialmediamom

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:18 am

  How Diet and Mental Health Connect Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Mixx Share this on Facebook Tweet This! Subscribe to the comments for this post? Sphinn this on Sphinn

• 
  Seattle Mom Blogs

• Back in town and back to the workout routine.

  chrisp

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:20 pm

  I’m back from the week out of town.  I packed my running gear and workout clothes and started off with a bang.  The first morning I got up and my mother in law took me to a fantastic trail in the mountains.  I ran 8 miles on a snow covered trail, along a river and loved it.  I had forgotten to bring my Zune so I ran to the sound of the river and my shoes on the snow.  The 2nd day, I went with my mother in law to her “gym”.  Interesting.  I’ll leave it at that for now.  But I managed to decent strength workout and was feeling like I had a handle on the workout…

• The Doctor is Online

  Mona

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:21 am

  Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, Mama Doc Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson is a mother of two young boys, pediatrician, a wife of pediatric radiologist and now a blogger. In an interview with Seattle Mom blogs, she shares that part of her blog’s mission is to illustrate her story and life where parents already are—online. She says that the internet provides a cadence of conversations for people who would otherwise be isolated and gives readers a sense of camaraderie. On her blog, Seattle Mama Doc, Dr. Swanson marries personal anecdotes with professional knowledge, offering up her own recommendations on topics…

• Getting our Game On! – Seattle G2U Event

  Mona

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:56 am

  Cross-posted from Because I Must Blog Dammit! Friday evening several SMBs and one SDB (that would be Seattle Dad Blogger) had the pleasure of attending a demo for Games2U, a mobile gaming theater new to the Seattle market. One word: Supermegaawesome! Ok, that was several “words” (and poor grammar), but it’s challenging to articulate how ridiculously fun a temperature controlled 25 ft trailer with seating inside for up to 16-18 kids (or 12 adults comfortably), 6 – 52 inch flat screens (two mounted outside allowing for more room, more players and tournament play), an…

• 
  Crunchy Domestic Goddess

• Follow-up to TODAY show guest post: childbirth resources

  Crunchy Domestic Goddess

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:37 am

  If you are visiting from the TODAY show blog, welcome and thank you for visiting. :) If you haven’t yet read my guest post on the TODAY show, you can read it here: Viewer: Learn more about cesarean births. I’d love it if you would like to contribute to the discussion and leave a comment over there. Because there was only so much information I could include in my guest post, I’ve put together some additional resources here for those of you who are interested in learning more about c-sections, VBAC, giving birth vaginally to larger babies, and more. I believe in informed…

• Please vote for Crunchy Domestic Goddess

  Crunchy Domestic Goddess

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:53 pm

  I was recently notified that my blog was selected as a finalist for About.com’s favorite parenting blog award. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the running for an award like this and am truly honored! :) If you have a second, I’d love it if you’d give me your vote. All you have to do is click over to About.com, click on my blog name (Crunchy Domestic Goddess, in case you forgot) ;) and it registers a vote for me. Easy, peasy! It only takes 2 seconds. :) I’m really behind right now and would love your help to catch up a bit. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

• Live c-section on the Today Show

  Crunchy Domestic Goddess

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:24 pm

  Thanks to ICANtweets I learned that the Today Show aired a live Cesarean section from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as part of the “Today Goes Inside the OR” series. A healthy 10 pound baby boy was born via scheduled c-section to Carrie and Josh Johnson. According the The Today Show’s Dr. Nancy Snyderman, they elected a c-section because babies “run big” in the parents’ families and Carrie was “past her due date.” Dr. Snyderman adds, “And those are two indications that a Cesarean section is a lot safer than having a…

• 
  In the Trenches of Mommyhood....

• Cha Cha Cha

  Trenches of Mommyhood

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:44 am

  So yes, yesterday was my 37th birthday.  Monday birthdays kinda blow, for it was back to the grind and back to the routine (especially after the high of Blissdom).  I honestly woke up and had no recollection that it even was my birthday until I checked my e-mail and saw all the Facebook wishes.  But my boyz made it special.  I got a new Willow Tree figurine.  We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.  We had yummy chocolate mousse cake.And the homemade cards!  What mother doesn't love hand-crafted artwork from her children?Here is 8 year old…

• Blissdom '10 and How I Can't Explain What It Meant/Means to Me (Yet)

  Trenches of Mommyhood

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:16 pm

  I'm back!And holy crap, my brain is FULL.Full of new knowledge, new ideas, new inspiration.And my heart?EVEN MORE FULL!Full of new friends, new connections, new inspiration.(Are you gagging right now?  Please don't.  It's totally true.  I'm gushing.)So I definitely need a few days to process before I start pontificating on the meaning of life blogging.  But I won't leave you hanging until then.  I took a few pics and there are TONS more (better ones) on the Blissdom '10 Flickr site.  First of all, my roomie, Ms. Playgroupie herself!  (Babble Top 50, yo!) How…

• PPD and Me (Part 5 - The Last Part)

  Trenches of Mommyhood

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:33 am

  Part OnePart TwoPart ThreePart Four(Yes, I've put off writing this conclusion because there really isn't a perfect little ending.)Hi.  My name is Sarah and I take 20mg of Celexa a day.  For postpartum depression.  So how old is my baby, you ask?Oh, he's almost 5...You see, looking back, and knowing what I know now, I certainly could have used the benefits of an SSRI after colicky Middle was born.  Instead, I just "toughed it out" and figured it was "normal" to feel the way I was feeling.  Anxious.  Frustrated.  On edge.  Unable to soothe my…

• 
  Parenting Squad

• Got Milk Allergies? Drinking More of It May Be the Answer

  Fred Lee

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:09 pm

  By Fred LeeFor children with allergies to dairy, new research has revealed that over time, continued consumption might actually diminish or even remove the problem. In fact, regular daily consumption may be exactly what is needed to make the allergies go away. The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, were the result of a follow-up to a previous study that looked at the effects of giving increasing amounts of milk to children with milk allergies. What the researchers found was that constantly exposing them to milk, the patients gradually developed a tolerance…

• Helicopter Parents: Is Bubble-Wrapping Your Children About to Blow Up in Your Face?

  Sonja Stewart

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  By Sonja StewartI'll never forget the conversation I had with my friend, Scott, before I had kids. His brother and sister had a young daughter and were moving from their one bedroom apartment in Southern California to somewhere cold and mid-western, to get the yard, the square footage, every other ideal American dream to fulfill their little girl's life. Scott was saying, “You know, my mom moved here from Argentina and raised four kids in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. She says that people are revolving their lives around their kids and it just isn't healthy. Kids survive.”…

• Poor Women Opting Out of Epidurals

  Lela Davidson

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pm

  By Lela DavidsonI read the headline with my usual cynicism: Poor Women Less Likely to Get Epidurals. Well, duh. Those syringes don’t grow on trees. However, a new Canadian study shows that the choice to refuse epidural pain relief is not all about the money. The study, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, compared epidural use among more than 200,000 Ontario women who gave birth between 2004 and 2006. They found a definite correlation between socio-economic class and epidural use. In terms of neighborhood wealth, the bottom 20% of women were 41% less likely…

• 
  Traveling with Baby

• Extreme Parenting

  Elisa Bricker

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm

  We went a few weeks ago for our 6 week check up with our midwives, Brynne and Deren of Mountain View Midwives. I have posted before on my birth story about how much we loved and appreciated our home birth experience. Our midwives have always taken the time to talk with us, let us make our own decisions, and are so supportive of the mothering process in general. This visit was a simple check up and there wasn’t anything pressing to talk about – Lucien has been growing, eating, and sleeping well (he is in the 75th percentile for length and the 90th for weight, and is sleeping about 6.5…

• For Kids: Imaginative Rain Gear

  Dr. Dolly Garnecki

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:52 pm

  Welcome to the Valentine’s Day Gift Guide on Traveling with Baby.  From now until February 14th, you’ll find great Valentine’s gift ideas for the whole family.  You’ll even have the opportunity to win some of the products featured on the Gift Guide–isn’t that lovely? —————————————————————————————————– A couple weeks ago, we had too much rain, and my son could have worn his new…

• Ice & Fire

  Dr. Dolly Garnecki

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:31 pm

  This weekend, we saw some pretty snow and ice.  This is the view from our backyard. Here’s a close-up of one of the Dogwoods covered in snow. Don’t you just love the contrast of the fluffy snow with the stunning blue sky?  The sky wasn’t quite so blue all weekend.  We did have another blizzard, after all.  In fact, most of the weekend the sky was impermeable gray with big chunks of white fluffy stuff falling everywhere and fast. Our street looked like this: Gray and white and black…the only color is the red brake light on that gray car. The other side of our street…

• 
  All American Mommy

• Fat-Free Cheesecake

  31 Jan 2010 | 11:04 am

  The top will crack when cooking, so plan on serving with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping to hide the cracks. This recipe is for a 9" pie pan.24 ounces fat-free cream cheese (bar type) at room temperature3/4 cup canned pumpkin1/2 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract3/4 cup egg substitute (equal to 3 eggs)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cloves2 tablespoons packaged cornflake crumbs (optional)fat-free whipped topping, optionalPreheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until…

• Frugal Fun

  12 Dec 2009 | 7:40 am

  When you can't find a sled......improvise! You gotta love the innovation! And all in the name of fun! I hope that you are all enjoying the winter thus far. Winters get hard here in Michigan because they can be so long, cold, and with little sunshine. We try to play outside as often as possible. I've found that having kids is a great excuse to be a big kid myself. I LOVE sledding!

• Our Trip to Great Wolf Lodge

  8 Dec 2009 | 4:15 pm

  We had such an awesome weekend at Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City last weekend! I'm excited for our next visit! I thought I'd share some pictures.Even Santa was there this weekend! That guy is so cool!This, my friends, is the Wolf Den. The girls absolutely flipped when we opened the door to our suite and they discovered the Wolf Den. It's a separate room in the suite that's just perfect for little cubs! It has a bunk bed and it's very own TV. It was so awesome! I really wanted to sleep in the Wolf Den but Haley wasn't too keen on the idea.It may have been snowing in the Grand Lobby but it…

• 
  Playgroups are No Place For Children

• We might need a do-over

  Jennifer

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:29 pm

  Oh hi there!  I know, I know, it’s been days since I last wrote anything.  I attended Blissdom in Nashville and didn’t have a chance to write before leaving.  Normally this wouldn’t matter even one, tiny bit, but this time I left up such an angsty post!  I had every intention of writing something funny or a posting a cute picture of a kid or ANYTHING ELSE BUT THAT before the conference, but I just didn’t get a chance. As always, from the very bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your kind words and for your own personal stories regarding my State of our Marriage and…

• When what I really want to do is just cry

  Jennifer

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  I lay awake for hours last night, my stomach in knots, my head spinning, as I contemplated the State of our Marriage.  Tate and I seem to drift further and further apart, both of us in the wrong.  Or at least that’s what I should say on my blog since he’s not here to defend himself. As the minutes of the still night turned into hours of a panicked night, I grew angrier and angrier as Tate seemed to rest easily, completely unaware that there is even a crack in the State of our Marriage.  Maybe it didn’t even matter that he was sleeping.  Even when he’s awake I…

• Proclaiming my innocence and annoyance

  Jennifer

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:31 am

  I am a rule follower. One time, in 5th grade, I got kicked out of Spencer’s in the mall for shoplifting.  It’s been a few years, so I feel safe in admitting that I DID NOT SHOPLIFT FROM SPENCER’S!  I was wrongly accused. In college, on my 22nd birthday, I got accused of smoking pot in the bathroom of the Burgundy Room (anyone remember that place in Springfield?  Art Bentley?  *dreamily reminiscing*).  Again, since it’s been awhile, I could confess.  BUT I WAS NOT SMOKING POT IN THE BATHROOM OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. Since I’m all about honesty…

• 
  Mom to the Screaming Masses

• Bliss

  Carmen Staicer

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:45 pm

  Blissdom was everything I thought it would be and so, so much more than I ever dreamed. Seriously - this was INSIDE the hotel. It was, without a doubt, the best conference that I have ever attended. And that's saying a lot, as I adore each and every Blogher conference I attended. I think I rocked my talk. At one point, I blurted out, on the microphone, that I was so nervous I was about to pee my pants. That was recorded for everyone to listen to for all eternity. That's me, always classy and so, so authentic. Over and over again, women came to me to tell me how much they enjoyed what…

• My Inner High School Girl

  Carmen Staicer

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:16 pm

  Mad, MAD props to Mrs.Chicken for that one. It was the MOST appropriate label I could use for myself today.In a very short while, I'll be up on stage, spilling my guts. I'm starting to get a wee bit nervous. I'm at the Blissdom conference, and I've been invited to speak on the panel titled Balance. The description is as follows:The infinite possibilities available to creative women online gives us grand disappointments and crazy conflicts along with wild success. Just when you think you’ve figured out a balance that works for you day-to-day and long term, it seems like more…

• The Funniest Thing Happened at The Gym One Day

  Carmen Staicer

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:12 am

  On Tuesday, day four of the Great Snowpocalypse of 2010, I had had enough. Everyone was fighting, wet clothes were tossed everywhere, dishes piled to the ceiling. I had to get out of the house. Had to do it. I called my friend Kristin and we concocted a plan. See, we work out together Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings, and we'd missed more than we were comfortable with - what with being in the house with the kids and husbands and the wet clothes and the piles of unmatched socks and gloves - and we bolted.We walked to the gym. It was 1/2 of a mile for me to get to her house and then it was…

• 
  Stefanie Wilder Taylor

• Due to Inflation, A Picture is Now Worth 1500 Words

  Stefanie Wilder Taylor

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pm

  Some of you, and I won’t mention any names -mainly because I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast fifteen minutes ago, let alone who’s commented on my blog -have asked for a Sadie update. If a Sadie update is what you want then a Sadie update is what you shall have. My little peanut, my Sadie is still teeny tiny. It’s been a long road and the end is not yet in sight but there have been improvements. Right now, there is still no good, solid, reasonable explanation as to why she won’t put on weight. Her nutritionist is concerned because with the amount she eats,…

• Don’t Get Drunk Fridays: Kym’s Story

  Stefanie Wilder Taylor

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am

  Note from Stef: Something I have heard over and over in sobriety is that you can’t get stop drinking for someone else. Sobriety has to be something you do for yourself or it will never work. Well, I have to call bullshit on that. There were quite a few times in the first few months I wasn’t drinking that I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t that bad. I wasn’t hurting anyone but myself so why was I being so hard on myself and quitting drinking all together? I mean, that’s so drastic right? But then I would look at my babies -in fact, I took photographs of them…

• The Oscars Can Suck It

  Stefanie Wilder Taylor

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:54 pm

  Some of you may consider me a deeply flawed individual and some of you may think I’m just impossible to please but I will remain hopeful that someone out there is on my side on this one. So the Oscars are quickly approaching and I could not be any less enthused considering I have either hated or not seen most of the offerings this year. Look, I know I’m not the Duggars and I don’t actually nineteen children but having twins and an older child puts me in a special catagory of people who CAN’T GO SEE A GODDAMN MOVIE. Can my husband and I go out to the occasional dinner?

• 
  doobleh-vay

• on Guard

  amy turn sharp of doobleh-vay

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

  I called home from Nashville Sunday and Blaise had been up all night puking.Last night it was Joe.Early early in the morning it was Finnian.I am just sitting here on guard.It would be a great week to make that homemade ginger ale I have bookmarked.And Valentines too.And the snow falls like candy from the sky in Ohio today

• Love, Friday

  amy turn sharp of doobleh-vay

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:32 am

  My gal Piper is doing a great Love Letters Series on her blog.She is sharing the love letters of her and her fiance. (swoon)I love that she is letting me share a bit here.From: pescygal (pescygal@talkmatch.com)To: Pysek (Pysek@talkmatch.com)Date received: April 6, 2009Subject:What am I going to do with you?I had someone at work check my email for me today, because I was curious if I would hear back from you. She printed your marvelous note for me, and I think I smiled all day (again).. That's pretty impressive for a Monday.Say, if you and I ever met, would that mean I would stop getting notes…

• Blissdom Conference 2010

  amy turn sharp of doobleh-vay

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm

  I am at speaking at Blissdom in Nashville this weekend!I got here early this morning and am surroundedby smart and gorgeous women.It is lovely.I attended some stellar pre conference workshops todayand am looking forward to the start of Blissdom in the morning.I am currently thinking about deep and important issuesfrom my comfy bed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel:What am I wearing to the cocktail party?via pirouettes

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  Don Mills Diva

• Crazy

  Don Mills Diva

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:09 pm

  Did I mention Graham loves his preschool here in Los Angeles?Well he does.He loves it. LOVES it.I think the fact that it indulges in "Crazy Hair Day" may be part of the reason.Also? Apparently most preschool moms consider a colorful barrette or a silly ponytail to be a suitable celebration of said Crazy Hair Day.Graham and I, we do not.

• Well hello there

  Don Mills Diva

  25 Jan 2010 | 7:37 pm

  We are fine.We are more than fine; we are happy.That's not to say all of the changes we have gone through the last few months haven't been difficult and scary and enormously stressful.They have been all of those things. But, for the most part, it's all good.I had forgotten how beautiful it is in Los Angeles. I had forgotten that on previous visits I had felt such love and affinity for her wild canyons and roaring surf and towering palms.I had forgotten, also, how very alive a career challenge can make me feel and how exploring a new city has always sent a thrill through my bones.I still…

• Following my sun: the one where I say goodbye

  Don Mills Diva

  21 Oct 2009 | 6:33 pm

  I know my recent absence from this space has been abrupt in light of the considerable effort I have spent the last two years convincing readers to invest in my life.I know that radio silence for a month is perhaps even disrespectful, given the fact that I have often drank deeply, nay greedily, from your virtually never-ending well of support and goodwill.But I hope you will forgive me when I explain that since I have last written, everything I used to assume about the way my life would play out has changed.At the beginning of the summer I applied for what I can only describe as my dream job:…

• 
  Susiej

• How a one hour yoga session takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.

  SusieJ

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:04 am

  Doing yoga…. “Mom… I’m scared in my bed. Will you sleep with me?” “Just settle here beside my yoga mat (it’s dark) and fall asleep. Doing yoga…. “17, 18, 19” “What are you doing now?” “I’m doing my exercises… I’m doing 100 pushups.” Doing yoga… “Mom, I’m thirsty. Can I come downstairs for water?” One water cup filled, sent them off to bed again. Doing yoga… “Mom, I have to write an essay about this editorial cartoon – and I just don’t get it –why is Obama afraid of Cheney?” Doing yoga… “Mom, I just remembered…” “It can wait…

• Wimps

  SusieJ

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:07 pm

  The weekend was all set. Dad was taking a few teenage boys, and their Dads, up to the lake for some winter-wonderland playtime. Ice Skates were purchased by all parties. Then, the snowstorm arrived. Not in time, however, to give them a snow day. The departure time was moved from Friday afternoon to early Saturday morning at 7. The next morning, they were off. I fell back on my pillow and collapsed. Until 9:30. Unheard of.  When I woke, I rented Pillow Talk, and A Touch of Mink — for later. I whipped up some pancakes for the little boys, and the neighborhood came over and they were busy…

• Snowflake Cut-Out Cookies

  SusieJ

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:01 pm

  I found these cookie crafts around Christmas time, and I tucked the idea away in my head, saving it for a humdrum wintery day, when the excitement and hullabaloo of Christmas had faded. This was the perfect day. The kids came home from school early, and thankfully, we had this little project. They were very easy, a lot less messier than making paper snowflakes, and the kids were delighted, and happily entertained; for all of about 20 minutes. You cut these into snowflake shapes before baking them. The dough is won-ton wrappers, which are nice and soft, and can easily be cut with kid scissors.

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  Chicky Chicky Baby

• I don't know how I do it

  Chicky Chicky Baby

  25 Jan 2010 | 10:16 am

  Hey there, blog. How have you been? Me? Oh, I've been a little bit busy. I'm working on a new/old endeavor. I have two kids who won't give me a moment's peace. I have a husband who travels extensively for work, leaving me with even less peace than I would normally get. (If you're playing along at home, we would be up to 0% peace. Scratch that, .5% peace. Sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom and wait for the savages to stop beating on the door and begging for snacks/television/books/someone to wipe their butt. It's called "Self Preservation".)My family and I, we make it through the day the…

• I totally should have put a Furnunculus curse on that bee-yotch.

  Chicky Chicky Baby

  31 Dec 2009 | 11:56 am

  I know, I know, it's another link post. But I would be selfish if I didn't tell you about how I almost got into a fight at the Harry Potter exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science - and how to avoid almost getting into a fight at the Harry Potter exhibition. Because fist fights in front of the kids is just wrong. Deserved, but wrong. Wand fights are way better. Regardless, if you were planning on going while it's in Boston or when it comes to your area (Canadians, I'm looking at you. I guess it's headed your way next.) I did all the hard stuff so you wouldn't have to. You're welcome.And if…

• All I want for Christmas is...

  Chicky Chicky Baby

  24 Dec 2009 | 8:51 am

  Some very small physical modifications. That's all. Really.Oh and world peace.And maybe universal healthcare everyone can live with. But we probably missed the boat on that one, though.Anyway. Maybe acceptance is the way to go. Be grateful for what we get, yada yada yada. As Chicky's preschool teachers always say, "You get what you get and you don't get upset." Which, you know, is fine for 4 year olds but always kind of bugged me.*sigh*(But Merry Christmas anyway! I hope Santa fills your stockings up good... and I mean that in a totally non-dirty way. Maybe. Ho ho ho!You dirty ho, you.)

• 
  crazedparent

• Valentine's Day: Tiny hands, big hearts

  Charlene Prince Birkeland

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:47 pm

  I noticed yesterday that someone had added this photo of Nol's hands holding crayon hearts to a Valentines gallery. I remember the making of those DIY crayon hearts for his kindergarten class. He put such care into this project. I haven't seen that photo in a very long time. Two years to be exact. And when I clicked on the enlarged version, time stopped as I stared at those those tiny, gentle hands that belong to the little boy whose heart is always filled with such love, such joy. Even in moments of anger or frustration. I went into Nol's bedroom as he was reading his…

• Staying true...

  Charlene Prince Birkeland

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:08 pm

  You know when you've been working on something for a long time and it seems to be taking forever, and at some point you want to scrap the whole thing but you don't because your heart and mind know it's good and real and necessary, and you stick with it and then one day you see a result that makes you thisclose to that "something" being real? And you just smile and your steps are lighter and you feel good about your decision, even though you know there is still so, so much more to be done?This was my day. I keep repeating my mantra. And rubbing those two washers that hang…

• The kid who cried "wolf," er, "I'm sick"...

  Charlene Prince Birkeland

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:22 pm

  Preschool is fun. But some days, it's not as fun as watching The Backyardigans "Into the Deep." And on this particular day, a little guy named Q. decided that he would say his body ached and his head hurt and his tummy was sore, sleep in a little bit longer, and then wake up asking for graham crackers. (You know, "like Sister Bear in The Berenstain Bears 'Sick Days,' Mama.")There were no graham crackers, but a small breakfast followed by some snuggles on the couch. Sick days at casa crazedparent are pretty darn boring. But the request for "a cartoon"…

• 
  BabyCenter: MOMformation

• The government has a piece of your baby

  Beth Hering

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:34 am

  Did you know that right now a sample of your baby’s DNA might be sitting in a government lab?   I didn’t either until I read this CNN article. The government mandates that DNA be taken from all newborns and screened for a variety of potentially harmful conditions. Some parents never realize the collection was made until their pediatrician [...]

• Photo caption contest: And the winner is…

  Grace Blasco

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am

  This little gal means business. We asked you, why is she putting on her serious face?   From Pramilla, this week’s winning caption is:   “Terminator — The Beginning”   Stay tuned tomorrow for a new photo caption contest featuring one of your most caption-worthy photos. And don’t forget to check out these other great captions and last week’s winner.

• Should fatherhood have an age limit?

  Betsy Shaw

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:59 am

  We’ve gotten used to discussing the age of mothers, and the pros and cons that go along with having children early, late, or right on time, whatever that is.   But what about dads? Are men completely free to reproduce whenever they damn well please without fear or judgment, or both? It certainly seems that way.   But, being [...]

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  Rookie Moms

• We’re going overseas. Destination, Denmark!

  RookieMom Heather

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

  It is with much joy (and a tiny bit of terror) that I announce to you that we are taking both the kids on a huge trans-Atlantic airplane in less than a month! What are we thinking? Hooray! We are heading to Copenhagen to stay with a a dear college friend along with her tall husband and little son. Oh dear! We are traveling day and night with two preschooler boys. In the process of preparing, we’re buying guidebooks, downloading apps, making lists, and considering purchases (kid-size neck pillow worth it or just more crap?). See, I love packing almost as much as traveling. I also love…

• Parenting trends: muslin swaddling blankets

  Whitney

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pm

  When I first heard of muslin swaddling blankets, my children were already 2 and 5.  And this was just last week. It hurt me to say, “Back when I had babies… ” But I did. Well, anyhow, apparently muslin is they way to go these days.  When Heather asked our readers via Twitter if they used muslin swaddlers, there was a significant show of hands for Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Wraps. Funny, though, that when I had Scarlett, and had never heard of muslin, Heather made me a fake Moby Wrap, or as we called it, a Faux-by Wrap out of a colorful muslin piece of fabric.

• You’ve read the site, now buy the t-shirt

  Whitney

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:31 am

  A million years ago when we started this blog, I put together some t-shirts for me and Heather to wear to BlogHer ‘06. Something inspired me to dig up the links to the shirts today and share them with you. No Idea What I’m Doing by Rookie Moms Rookie Moms T-Shirt – Untrained by Rookie Moms Baby shirt – No tagline by Rookie Moms These shirts are available on Zazzle.com. If you want to add anything to them, I think you can click the “customize” button when you get to Zazzle.  It might be cute to add your frequent destination underneath the stroller…

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  A Little Space for Me

• It’s been a long time… long time… since I met you…

  Marylin

  14 Jan 2010 | 1:37 pm

  Yes, that is from a song… I can’t remember which one, but I’m sure it is from a song! It feels like it’s been a long time since I started this bloggity thing. I guess it has. November 07 saw me write my first post. I’ve met some awesome people along the way. So many I couldn’t list them all here. The first ever blog I read was, a blog about gaming. Then I found TJ’s blog and when she joined NaBloPoMaHo in Nov 07 I wanted to jump on the bandwagon, although I didn’t really have a clue what I was letting myself in for! Thanks to the NaBlo’in…

• Just ONE photo??

  Marylin

  11 Jan 2010 | 4:51 pm

  Seriously, Mrs W, just ONE photo? How on earth can I choose just ONE favourite photo? Gahh, I don’t know… the things you make me do! OK well I’ve made my choice. It’s a photo I took very recently. Just a couple of weeks ago to be honest. I was playing about with my settings when I took it, and it didn’t come out at all how I’d planned, but I love the movement in it. It’s just so Zack. He’s really into his music at the moment (thank you Dean!), and he’s always on the move. My perfect imperfect photo of my boy. I love it! Sooo… now I get to try to tag some people who…

• Random Photies fae Today

  Marylin

  5 Jan 2010 | 3:24 pm

  My boy desperately wanted to stay awake to watch the end of the Tweenies… he did make it, just! Dean was playing with Max here, he’s awesome with the boys You guys know I’ve always had a thing for hands!

• 
  Missives From Suburbia

• Am I Alone?

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:18 am

  Am I the only person who finds the belly buttons of Teddy Grahams so charming that I hate to eat them? Well, that, and they taste sort of like chocolate chalk.

• And the Winner is...

  31 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pm

  Nancy!! Congratulations, Nancy! You won a gorgeous flower headband from Doodlebugs and Butterflies. Nancy, drop me your email address (either as a comment on this post or in an email to me at missivesfromsuburbia at gmail dot com), so I can make an email introduction to Sarah and she can get your headband out to you. Thanks to everyone for commenting, Facebooking, and Tweeting the giveaway. More to come soon!

• A Loss of Anonymity

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:03 am

  Dear Anonymous, I appreciate the random and vague investment advice. Really, I do. I'm grateful for your tips on how to find naked pictures of Miley Cyrus. Okay, not really. But your words of encouragement are lovely, even if they sound like they were written by a third grade foreign exchange student. It truly has been fun. But I think our time together is over. No, no... don't cry. I'm sure there are countless blogs out there on which you can pimp your smut, prime your pump, and leave unnecessary and unintelligible flattery. It's not you, it's... well, okay it's you. But don't let that deter…

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  Cheaper Than Theraphy - Musings of A Mom of 3

• Duh Nuh Nuh Na Nuh Nuh, They Say it's My Birthday...

  The Mom Jen

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:09 pm

  It's been a whirlwind week.We celebrated K's birthday for four days including the party, her fun day at preschool, her special day at dance, and the evening of her actual day.She chose McDonald's for her birthday meal and was okay we didn't let her play in germplayland, phew.Then over the weekend, yours truly said hello to my 37th year.Remember that wine tasting/limo plan. Well I put it into action.I invited a few friends that are in the +4 hours away in distance by car category and the pessimist I am thought, they probably can't make it, but to my utter delight they were able to!9 of us…

• My Baby Girl is Four. (A Thousand Words Thursday)

  The Mom Jen

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:04 am

  I swear I was having contractions last night. A memory of 4 years ago. My sweet little K was born. She's growing into a fine young girl. Her K-lish, becoming more and more articulate. Her demeanor more her own. She is playful as a kitten. And can hold her own against anyone. She has a heart of gold. Over the weekend, we prayed for sunshine, and we were blessed with it. A birthday party wild and fun. With family and friends. Memories and wishes were made. Pinatas broken. And, Today, K turns four. Happy Birthday sweetheart. You're not a baby anymore. Want to join me in A Thousand Words…

• The Bachelor: The Awkward Edition

  The Mom Jen

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am

  So the Bachelor is really not as fun to watch without wine. (But I tune in for the gun show...wow).Tons of eye-rolling this week, and I even had to cover my eyes a few times at the plane wreck I saw coming.What an awkward episode right?So the RV makes it's final vacation destination in sunny San Francisco. Sunny...really? Wow they timed that right on the one day a year it looks like that.I like to think SF is Portland's dreary southern cousin.Anyway, 5 girls, 4 dates this week and Tenley is chosen for solo-date number one.Now, I seem to recall that a few episodes back there was a…

• 
  Table for Five

• Here Comes The Snow, Little Darlin

  Elizabeth

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:36 am

  “Heavy snow is possible near the Great Lakes today, tapering off tonight with snow showers possible tomorrow. Gusty winds can also be expected through tomorrow, tapering off Thursday.” Yippee. Of course, it’s not just a normal boring week with nothing going on. Ryan has an Orchestra Performance tonight, then an after-school club meeting tomorrow. Nathan has a Band Performance tomorrow night. Nothing says fun like chauffering kids around in heavy snow, especially since our Township side streets get plowed last after the city finishes the major streets. On a positive note, the…

• Hershey’s Special Dark and Extra Dark Chocolate Giveaway!

  Elizabeth

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

  With Heart Health Month as well as National Chocolate Month both occurring in February, now is the time to treat your body right. According to world-renowned health and fitness expert Bob Greene, you can stay on track to live your Best Life while enjoying Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate and Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate. Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate is the only chocolate to receive the Best Life Treat Seal of Approval, which was created by Greene and appears on select foods. The treat seal is intended to help consumers make healthier food and lifestyle decisions. Chocolate lovers…

• Scientists looking for black holes should check my house

  Elizabeth

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:02 am

  It’s no secret that I’m unorganized, a piler, a clutterer. But it’s not like the crew of Hoarders will be parking 1-800-Got-Junk trucks out front or anything. The surfaces might be piled with stuff, but you can tell there are surfaces underneath. Nevertheless, every once in a while, something disappears and no matter how hard we look, we just can’t find it. The first thing to go missing was one of Kaitlyn’s shoes. A shoe is not a tiny thing, and yet although we’ve torn the house apart, we just can’t find it anywhere. Then, the case for my Nintendo DS…

• 
  mommy bytes

• Misdirected Piano Love Spells

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:09 pm

  Me at age 12. A few years after I started learning the piano, I became interested in boys.  My first huge crush was on a boy at summer camp for the arts when I was 11.  He was cute, had amazing hazel eyes which I imagined myself swimming in, and boy could he play the piano.  He could improvise and play the Maple Leaf Rag.  Even at that age, I was entrenched in purely classical piano, so it was completely enchanting for me.  He made a copy of the Maple Leaf Rag sheet music so I could learn it. The copy had an image of his fingers pressed against the glass, so I…

• My Sweet Prickly Fireball Dova, Age 6

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 pm

  Every year as Dova gets older, we think that she will be nicer and less difficult.  But as she turned six, she has simply been getting more intelligent and particular than ever.  Strong-willed is an understatement. On one hand, she is extremely loving, sweet and affectionate with those closest to her.  But this doesn't extend much beyond her immediate family and a few select friends.  She showers Doug, Adam and me with kisses and wonderful hugs (as opposed to her squirmy brother) and loves snuggle with each of us.  But she is not always nice even with her…

• Teach Your Parents Well

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:39 pm

  I have long since given up on figuring why my technical devices are so psychic and tuned into my universe. Whenever we say something like, "Hey, we haven't spoken with so-and-so in a while", invariably their picture will pop up on my Google Photo Screensaver.  It never fails, and at this point, we almost expect it to happen.  Same is true of my iPod.  If I put my iPod on shuffle, it will serve up exactly the right song for whatever feeling or situation I'm in. The other day, I had to leave for work early before the kids usually got up.  I heard Adam moving around upstairs,…

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  Mommy Blog - From Dates to Diapers, by Christine Young

• God Answers Prayers

  Christine

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:05 pm

  On Friday, while I was over 2,000 miles away for Blissdom*, I received a call that would make any mom that far away from her babies wish she wasn’t – Ray was at Urgent Care with Noah. My... Would you like to read the rest of this post? Be sure to visit fromdatestodiapers.com for the full post.

• The Five Languages of Love

  Christine

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:48 am

  When Ray and I were newlyweds, we studied a book called The Five Love Languages. In this book, Gary Chapman explains the different ways in which people react to others, based on actions and words,... Would you like to read the rest of this post? Be sure to visit fromdatestodiapers.com for the full post.

• He-just-can’t-keep-his-eyes-open!

  Christine

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:54 pm

  Noah, apparently, can sleep standing up! And, we thought Josh could fall asleep anywhere… Isn’t he precious? Would you like to read the rest of this post? Be sure to visit fromdatestodiapers.com for the full post.

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  Mommy Poppins - Get more out of NYC with kids

• Little Naturalists Find Year-Round Fun at New York City Nature Centers

  Stephanie

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  3541.jpg If you can get past the skyscrapers and sidewalks of New York City you may start to see the diverse natural environment we live in. Our city is made up of beaches, forests, marshlands and glacier formations. There are animals everywhere, too, seals in the harbor, red-tailed hawks on Fifth Avenue, raccoons in Central Park and coyotes have recently been spotted lurking around in northern Manhattan and The Bronx. And since we are located on the eastern flyway, our skies are filled with hundreds of different species of birds.  My family is passionate about the natural…

• 13 Great Hot Chocolate Spots in Brooklyn

  Deanna

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:50 pm

  Best Hot Cocoas in Brooklyn, NYC brooklynbesthotcocoa.gif Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. Luckly, we've lined up 13 of the best places to grab hot chocolate in Brooklyn, just in time for the cold, dark February weather. And if Phil is to be believed, you'll be enjoying a hot cup well into March. See our posts on where to get a great cup of hot cocoa in Manhattan and Queens also.   read more

• Baby Carrier Cover-Ups: What to Get and Where to Buy Winter Babywearing Solutions

  Marcy

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am

  After the Maternity Coat: Babywearing Coats and Ponchos Picture_30.png Not too long ago we covered How to Choose and Use a Baby Carrier in New York City in our Baby Guide, but now that it’s cold outside, with more frosty weather to come, you'll want to learn how to keep warm and toasty while wearing a baby carrier (since that old maternity coat isn’t going to stretch around a sling for too much longer!). read more

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  Undomestic Diva

• The Mario Bros Cake Smackdown - Vote for the best

  Megan Hook

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:15 am

  I only mention it about a dozen times in my video, but remember, THIS IS A CAKE *DECORATING* CONTEST, not a cake tasting contest. That being said, I've had a sneak peek at Matthew's creation and I do have to give him credit. For trying. I kid. Honestly, I think his cake turned out amazing. Albeit just a smidge less amazing than mine, of course. But it doesn't really matter what I think - it's about what you think. Vote in the comments section AFTER seeing both my masterpiece AND Matthew's. The rules were simple: Create a Mario Bros themed cake. There is no shiny golden…

• Special Appearance

  Megan Hook

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  Today I'm traveling all the way across these United States to D.C. (OK fine, only in the blog world... not actually getting on a plane or anything) where I'm being interrogated (OK fine, asked a few questions) by DC Urban Dad. Come see me there!

• Hey you, mom with the 30+ hours of leisure time each week, we need to talk

  Megan Hook

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:04 pm

  You know that horrific feeling when something sharp jams under your fingernail unexpectedly and pain shoots through your finger, straight up the top of your hand traveling up around your shoulder because OH MY GOD that was so not necessary? It hurts. If you think that's a bit of an unwelcome feeling, how about this: What if I told you that there's a study/article out right now that insists that moms - stay-at-home and working moms alike - have 30 to 40 hours of leisure time each week? Read it. I dare you. Then tell me what you think about John Robinson's…

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  Workout Mommy

• Need a laugh?

  workoutmommy

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm

  A couple of months ago I was contacted to see if I’d like to make a music video for the new I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter campaign called “Turn the Tub Around.”    I agree to do it but then panicked at the last minute.  (I was 9+months pregnant and I don’t like singing!) Image via Wikipedia I was able to convince my husband to do it and now he needs your votes.  Please click over to Workout Mommy Reviews to see his embarrassing hilarious video and how you can win some cool prizes for yourself! Related PostsA laugh a day…Treadmill madnessFaking itWorking out at the…

• The snowpocalypse is ruining my training!

  workoutmommy

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:39 pm

  Dear Mother Nature, don’t you know I have a half marathon in just a mere FOUR weeks?  Please cut me a break and stop with this ridiculous snow! Thank you, Workout Mommy Thanks to the Snowapocalypse/Snowmageddon/SnOMG my training took a big hit this week. This is a picture of my 2 year old trying to get out of our garage during the blizzard. It was a crazy amount of snow! Therefore I only managed 2 running workouts on the dreadmill and they were slow, painful and BORING.   So far, my longest run has only been five miles.   Yikes. I’m not going to panic though because I know…

• Look, I actually baked something!

  workoutmommy

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:43 am

  It is hard to believe but I actually cooked something and it was edible!  Here are the banana muffins I made over the weekend.   They were very tasty and my boys gobbled them up. I found a simple recipe online and then modified a few things. Here is my recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins. 3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4) 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 1/3 cup melted margarine or butter 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup wheat germ 1/4 cup chocolate chips Mix the mashed banana, sugar,…

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  The Dalai Mama

• Role Reversal Of Sorts

  The Dalai Mama

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am

  I don’t give my hubby enough credit for all the things he does.  I should–as he does a lot of the family work these days.  Two-three days a week I leave for work usually before the kids get up.  Hubs gets them up, fed, dressed and out the door to school and daycare on time–all the while getting himself ready for work.  Two nights a week he has to be home early for me to leave and he then prepares dinner for himself and the kiddos.  On the weekend, I leave on Saturday before everyone is up–or as they are getting up and I am out to work out and home after he has fed…

• And Out Of Nowhere It Hits

  The Dalai Mama

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:08 am

  Adoption is part of our life.  A huge part and talking about it is also part of our life.  I have been too busy to pay much attention to what is going on in Haiti.  I am not oblivious but without radio/npr in my car, I don’t get much news in my life–as well life it just busy.  Yesterday, I was driving to teach in the am and was listening to NPR–I have a loaner car while mines getting body work done–oh how I miss NPR each day.  So, I was listening to NPR and they were talking about the devastation in Haiti and about mothers giving up or trying to give up their…

• When Words Fail To Come

  The Dalai Mama

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am

  I have had this window open for over an hour and I just don’t know exactly what to write.  Things are crazy at Che Finley, as the new semester has started and is underway.  School is good and things are progressing.  I am so ready to be done, but can’t think about that now as I work on a research project that will hopefully get me published.  Already the mantra “publish or perish” is now a common part of my lexicon and I’m not even finished with my PhD yet.  What a live I have chosen.  Sorry hubby, school will always be apart of my life. So, in lieu of…

• 
  superdumb supervillain

• Iconic Ring Giveaway

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:29 pm

  The following review/giveaway is for adult eyes only because it involves sex. Mommy and daddy sex. (Everyone under 18 just clicked away, right?) No super explicit stuff here but the links might... visit superdumbsupervillain.com for more…

• Cover Girl Smoky Eye Look Giveaway

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:12 pm

  More check-ins at walmartPowered by Whrrl I just posted the Whrrl story above about my experiences with the Cover Girl Smoky Eye Look Kit. Check it out and let me know what you think! I am... visit superdumbsupervillain.com for more…

• Moregasm!

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:23 pm

  The following review/giveaway is for adult eyes only because it involves sex. Mommy and daddy sex. (Everyone under 18 just clicked away, right?) No super explicit stuff here but the links might... visit superdumbsupervillain.com for more…

• 
  Motherhood Uncensored

• Lemming

  Motherhooduncensored

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am

  I've come to realize that 3rd kids are lemmings. I suppose you could say the same thing about 2nd kids too. Lucky for me, Quinlan's only major offense was doing a Jackson Pollack on my in-laws' guest room wall and...

• Spelling well is the best revenge

  Motherhooduncensored

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  After the whole "69 on a Kindergarten spelling test after a week of vacation" debacle last week, you can imagine my surprise when Quinlan came home on Friday to tell me that she had won her class spelling bee. That...

• To Boston, to Boston for chocolate, wine, & sex

  Motherhooduncensored

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  If you happen to live in the Boston area, I hope you'll come join me for a fun night of chocolate, wine, and a little pre-Valentine's day sex talk (nothing that will make you blush more than the glass of...

• 
  Happy Healthy Hip Parenting

• Thinking Healthier Thoughts

  hipm0m

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pm

  I ran this afternoon for the first time in over two weeks. It felt great. I feel great and my head is more clear. I track my run using Run Keeper so I can compete – with myself. I’ve never really been a competitive person and I only started running three and a half years ago (when my ex-husband and I first separated) so it still feels like a relatively new experience for me. Each and every time I run, I remind myself why I need to do it more often, how great I feel afterward and how much more healthier I will be when I add it into my routine more regularly.  I tell my clients…

• Apparently I Have An Issue With Letting Go

  hipm0m

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:56 am

  I was the first one to arrive…scoping out the joint and trying to figure out if I would be able to summon the courage to climb up the ladder and swing from the trapeze along with my friends. But my son and I showed up way too early. When we got there, the sports center was filled with young volleyball players and their parents. There was no sign of trapeze, circus-type activities going on so we sat on the sidelines, waiting patiently for the game to end. Once the young girls and their families departed, the people behind Circus Fund wasted no time. In less than 25 minutes, the nets were…

• Do You Care for Valentine’s Day?

  hipm0m

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:20 pm

  I  cringe when thinking about the time my ex-husband gave me a Vermont Teddy Bear for Valentine’s Day – over six months after he moved out and filed for divorce. Even though the card said that it was from my son, I couldn’t help but gag at the idea. I mean, it’s not like our son (who was only 3 at the time) actually picked it out or even suggested that he get me a gift at all. In fact, when I opened the box, my son grabbed the bear, assuming it was for him. I didn’t argue. Sad to say this is the memory that first came to mind when reading about this contest from…

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  DivineCaroline Parenting

• Ten Days Gone

  Whit Honea

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am

  From my office I can watch the leaves fall upon the deck and melt in.....

• Awakened Birth - You Are Already There

  Judith Halek

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:53 pm

  This is it!This is the time to be alive.To REALLY be alive...

• Positive Pregnancy Test ... Times Four!

  London

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:16 pm

  So on Friday, I felt a bit worse for wares. My period hadn't com...

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  A Smeddling Kiss

• Labeled With Love

  Velma

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:45 pm

  When you become a parent you join a club. You bring home your first child and you spend your first moments marveling at the wonder of OMG!!! this is MY child, and then the panic sets in. It's not like you didn't know you were having (or adopting) a child, it's just that it was all so birth and/or arrival focused that you lost sight of the whole "after the big day" scenario. You settle in at home, thrilled and excited and sometimes in lots of pain, and then you are watching your baby breath in and out and suddenly 3 hours have passed. You get a flash of comprehension and a glimpse of the utter…

• Throw It at the Wall and See if It Sticks.

  Velma

  20 Jan 2010 | 9:56 am

  I'm tired of writing about my kids. They take up most of my time and energy, leaving very little left over in my days for ME, and that means when I sit down to write something, my brain is stuck on KIDS KIDS KIDS. How did I become this boring mommy person?!But hey - let's not talk about boring old ME. Let's talk about... my KIDS. Blerg.When last we heard about our mini-heroine, she was spending her time stressing out *about* but excelling *in* school while tilting from one emotional extreme to the next at home, all the while complaining of headaches and blurred vision and foot cramps and…

• Tales From the Backseat: Forty-Foreplay

  Velma

  11 Jan 2010 | 9:52 am

  Driving the kids to school after an early-morning doctor's appointment, Peanut is chattering away. I am, as usual, having trouble catching everything he is saying. That child can go on and on about his various obsession (the Titanic, the Beatles, the various intricacies of cultural life on Stomposia, the imaginary planet he says he was born before he came to Earth and became a baby in my tummy.) In the face of non-stop 7 year old nattering, I admit it - I revert to the parenting "Uh huh... sure... okay..." response mode with him a little too often. It's usually when I can hear enough bits and…

• 
  Coming to a Nursery Near You

• un-be-lievable

  dawn

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 am

  Last Wednesday, I came down with a stomach bug. Fever, vomiting, everything that a stomach bug entails. Anthony was able to hold the fort down until Jimmy came home, when he went into quarantine... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• SNOWPOCOLYPSE! RUN RUN RUN!

  dawn

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  I thought we moved out of New Hampshire. My THOUSANDS of dollars of cre-dit ca-rd d-e-b-t (trying to discourage the spammers) tell me that we did move out of New Hampshire.  LAST YEAR, as a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• 32

  dawn

  3 Feb 2010 | 10:05 pm

  My mom & dad were married on February 4th, 1978.  32 years later, they’re still crazy for each other, but in very much different ways LOL I love you mom & dad    HAPPY... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• 
  one plus two

• sweet and sour

  jen

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:20 pm

  I show up for my Karate Internship right on time but he's already gotten started, I walk in and see a bunch of boys, a few girls, and M. Karate Guy looks at me and says I brought her this time, just like that, no warmth and sort of defensive maybe. I look at the clock and inwardly groan. I wonder why Karate Guy is hating already and then I figure I can't really blame him.I'll help I say and he says okay and points over at a group of boys. Keep them in line he says. So I walk over to the little dudes, boys I think are maybe in the range of 9-12 years old. They are off the hook, karate chopping…

• kung fu this

  jen

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:04 am

  I signed M up for karate weeks ago and she's been over the top excited ever since. The class is offered at her school right after her class is over so as far as I knew it was settled, she was going from class to karate and I was going to the gym. With my mix tape. So feeling spry and earphones in place take me down to paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty I arrive at her school and head to the room. I was excited all day knowing she was finally getting to do this. So as I'm walking in a guy comes walking out and for some reason I had a feeling this was the instructor…

• i'm a mix tape in a sea of mp3s

  jen

  25 Jan 2010 | 6:42 pm

  I brought my ipod to the States but forgot my cord. I figured it didn't matter because I don't know how to download music anyways but then I started working out and holy mother I've been doing some long overdue rocking out and all the indigo girls in the world can't meet me there.I was sharing my lament at my friends' this weekend, two of my most favorite people in this world. I've been hanging out with them a bit lately, my kid loves their kid and I love them and they are the only two people I know in real life who read my blog. So they let me borrow a cord and three hours of computer time…

• 
  One Chic Mama

• Look Gorgeous in Turquoise for Spring 2010

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:31 am

  Video produced by OneStopWebVideo.com.

• Off the Cuff

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:14 am

  As spring season nears and we prepare to bare arms, bracelets come out into full focus. A wonderful addition to even the most simple tank, 3/4 sleeved jacket or short sleeved top, the bracelet is like the punctuation at the end of a sentence. But move over, bangles. Cuff bracelets are what I'm talking about.Crafted in everything from leather to lace, from rhinestones to hammered metal, cuff bracelets are all the rage this season and the options are endless. This chic Hammered Metal Cuff with Agate packs a lot of punch for not a lot of price at just $27.When wearing cuff bracelets, keep in…

• The Book of Love

  6 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am

  Valentine’s Day isn’t just about couples and romance. Make it a family affair by creating your own Book of Love. Buy an inexpensive blank book with a heart on it (or glue one on). Call it “The Book of (your last name) Love,” and each year have every member of the family write one loving thing about every other member (take dictation for younger kids). This will help make everyone feel special and create a family keepsake in the process. Adapted from The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox.

• 
  Swistle

• Misc.

  Swistle

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:33 am

  The winner of the box of misc. Valentine's stuff is The Princess of Quite a Lot! Email me, sweet girl, and I will get this stuff on its way to you. Swistle! at! gmaildotcom!Elizabeth's hair is driving me batty. It is SO flyaway, and then she leaps around and rubs her head on the couch so she gets this NEST OF IMPOSSIBLE on her head. I try putting it in barrettes or ponytails, but her hair is so fine even the extra-grippy-for-fine-hair barrettes come right out---or worse, half out, so her hair is flyaway AND has things caught in it. I've tried detangling sprays and anti-frizz conditioners, but…

• Embedded Comment Form Not Working

  Swistle

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:36 am

  Ack, the comment form. Several of you have emailed me about the embedded comment form not working for you, and don't worry, you're definitely not the only one. I'm not very computery, but I have two suggestions that have solved the problem for some people:1. Make sure you're waiting for the word verification. The word verification isn't visible as you're commenting, but after you click to leave the comment the page reloads and then the word verification is there. So if your computer is slow or if the internet is being wonky, you could click out of the page without realizing you hadn't filled…

• Review: Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)

  Swistle

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:12 am

  Tess of True(ish) Story recommended a book to me: Mistakes Were Made (But Not By ME): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, by Carol Travis and Elliot Aronson. If you like books about why people act the way they do, you will eat this up.I found it both stress-relieving and stress-inducing. On one hand, it explains in a way that makes perfect sense why someone will defend an illogical position and will continue to do so as if they can't even hear the good arguments against it, and this may relieve some of your frustration and bewilderment. On the other hand, it…

• 
  All Adither

• Pure

  All Adither

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:39 pm

• Hand in hand with a longitude/latitude

  All Adither

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:36 pm

  The other night J. and I had a talk that left me sad and a little stunned. We were lying in bed, facing the ceiling, blankets up to our chins. Earlier in the day he'd told me about a co-worker who was offered a job in the Bay Area. "What would you do?" I asked him. "If that were you?"He said he didn't know. But that he'd like my support, my willingness to relocate if a great opportunity arose for him.I was borrowing trouble. No such 'lucky' break has come along. Yet. I say 'yet' because, though we moved to Seattle as separate, single people and both planned to make this city our home, his…

• Goodness

  All Adither

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:23 pm

   Me, Southfield, Michigan, 1977I've always had this odd, inexplicable compulsion to prove to myself that I'm a good person. I don't know where it came from, but if I fail to act nicely, fairly, honestly, (ever) I disappoint myself.I haven't always lived up to such virtues, of course. I've done and said some not-so-nice things. Especially in my younger days. I've criticized and stolen and jilted and snubbed. And often, the small meannesses come back to me and make me cringe. At times, in the past, have almost suffocated me.My manuscript, the one I keep yammering on about, was originally…

• 
  Jendi's Journal - Wit & Wisdom from my Journey through Womanhood

• Video From MckMama

  Jendi

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:13 pm

  This “vacation” I’ve been lousy with many normal vacation things.  I had good intentions to have the kids send postcards…totally forgot. I brought along school reading books and math facts…totally forgot. I do have awesome stories about the Blissdom Conference.  I do have a big list of improvements for this site and Simple Vlogging Tips. I did get a video for my friend. She doesn’t have a blog -- she’d rather take pictures than write -- but she reads MckMama and other great blogs [like this one ]. She rallied our church to pray for Stellan. She kept…

• I’m Beguiled By Beguiled

  Jendi

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:46 pm

  First I have to say that I’m not finished with this book. I know that for a good review I’m supposed to have it finished and let it sit for a bit before I review it.  I’m 3/4 of the way through and typing fast so that I can go back to reading.  Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand was a great diversion in the truck as we traveled the highways through Ohio; from the first page I was captivated. I have read all of Deanne Gist’s books because the story lines are so interesting. Most of the stories just rated a “it was okay” when I passed them on. [A…

• My Number One Tip For Taking Kids On Vacation

  Jendi

  1 Feb 2010 | 6:53 am

  There’s lots of tips I can think of for vacationing with small children, but this is the one that has helped us the most. Try to stay on their normal schedule. If you try to get them to bed, get them up, and feed them at their normal times it helps things go better.  It gives them a point of reference and normalcy when everything around them is different. We go so far as to try to be resting during their nap time.  I know that it’s not always possible, but we try. We’ve found that it makes the rest of the day more enjoyable if we are busy during the same times we would be…

• 
  Manic Mommies® Media, Inc.

• What I learned as a camp counselor

  Kristin - Manic Mommies

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:42 pm

  Yes, that's Kristin (in purple) at YMCA Camp Fuller, circa 1994 Yesterday a friend  – we’ll call her Mary – came to visit, and the fighting began almost immediately. Sophie wanted to play with Mary. Anders wanted to play with Mary. Of course none of them could agree about what they should be playing, who should be playing – and within 15 minutes at least 5 arguments had broken out between Anders and Mary, Mary and Sophie, Sophie and Anders . . . you get the idea. Then, in a moment of parental brilliance, I created an impromptu scavenger hunt. The rules were simple, gather the…

• Podcast: Parenting Beyond Belief

  Kristin - Manic Mommies

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:57 am

  According to a recent University of Chicago survey, a growing percentage of Americans consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” By all accounts, this includes parents. This week we’re joined by author Dale McGowan, editor of Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion to talk more about this trend. Then we chat openly about our own roles as the “spiritual directors” of our families. Links Mentioned: Parenting Beyond Belief | Tuck Everlasting | The Faith Club | The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life | Spirituality &…

• Favorite things – cruise edition

  Kristin - Manic Mommies

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:05 am

  As readers know, at this time last week we were coming to the end of our 8 day escape on the Independence of the Seas, cruising to the Caribbean, making stops in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan and Labadee (Haiti). Since our return, I find myself returning again and again to look at pictures from the trip. I told my husband that I thought it was because I (think) I look relaxed, happy and totally unconcerned. And warm, very, very warm. I can say, without reservation, that this vacation was almost as perfect as they come. And while we liked everything about the trip, there were a few things…

• 
  Crazy Bloggin' Canuck: A Denver Mommy Blog

• Olympic Party All the Time!

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  The past week has been really overwhelming. I've had complete strangers congratulating me about the contest and media interviews with Channel 2, FOX 31, The Denver Post, Arvada Press, KOA radio the Mormon Times and more. Even though 5-year-old Hadley usually basks in the limelight, when I told her she was going to be in the newspaper, she exasperatingly said,"What? AGAIN?!"The kid leads a tough life.During an interview with the Denver Westword when I was still pandering for votes, I told them I would throw a big Olympic party if I won.I also said I'd go to Disneyland.One out of two ain't bad…

• Bonnie Blair: Exclusive Interview with an Olympic Legend and Mom

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pm

  Have you ever wondered how it would feel to stand on the medal podium at the Olympics as your national anthem is played?What kind of life you’d have as a mother after being in the international limelight?I recently interviewed five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair. This speed skating legend was one of the judges who made the ultimate decision to send me to the Olympics for the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest.Which means we can ultimately thank or blame her when all is said and done.This down-to-earth mother of two shared her humorous take on her triumphant past and present, as…

• Olympic questions answered and YOUR Olympic questions needed!

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:40 am

  I've had so many emails asking about my trip to the Olympics next week that I haven't been able to keep up with all the requests.Don't worry, Mom. I will eventually call you back.So without further ado....Q: How long will you be at the Olympics?A: I will be there for 10 days. I leave on February 11 and return on the 20 (my birthday!) It could be my best birthday ever.Of course, I got lice on my birthday last year. It doesn't get much worse than that.Q: Where will you be blogging?A: I will be blogging from right here! Be sure to subscribe to my feed or enter your email in the right-hand…

• 
  There's No Place Like Mommy!

• Birthday boy! He’s now 3, can you believe it?!

  A Jill of All Trades

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am

  Last Wednesday was Aidan’s 3rd birthday. He is just growing so fast and time is zipping by us. We went to Chuck E Cheese and had a great time. My mother joined us as well as my friend Rhiannon and her children Hannah and Brayden. Both of my step-kids were there as well. Aidan got lots of nice presents and we are thankful for all of them. He received matchbox cars (his favorite), some clothes and some gardening tools. He was hesitant to play and ride the rides in the beginning. It only took him about 2 hours to warm up, then we had to pry him from the hamster tubes! I was surprised that…

• After the messy holidays…

  A Jill of All Trades

  31 Dec 2009 | 11:23 am

  We survuved another year of the dreaded winter holidays. 2010 is upon us and honestly can not wait to see what happens over the next year. I hope for prosperity and success in all our endeavors, no matter how challenging they may be. Surely it won’t be any worse than the past 2 years. Aidan will be 3 in less than a month. He has grown so much in the past few months. And I don’t mean in height, I mean developmentally. He can communicate so much better now so any frustration over those barriers is now gone. He seems more relaxed and OK with being on his own (which will be good for…

• December of 2009

  A Jill of All Trades

  16 Dec 2009 | 12:21 pm

  Well, a lot of changes have come our way….for the better. Life does not seem like a roller coaster ride anymore. I feel pretty leveled out and hope that it sticks. I don’t need anymore of what we’ve had for the past two years. Aidan is getting big. I’m not sure how big he is, but I plan to find out tonight. He’s somewhere around 39″ (3′ 3″)and 32lbs. He uses sentences, but not very often. He still likes to use the two word forms of communication: “Play dat.” I am worried that he might be falling behind as far as his language skills…

• 
  Denver Mile High Mamas

• Clicking with Chicks at ChicksWhoClick

  Guest Blogger

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  I recently entered a contest from MileHighMamas to attend the ChicksWhoClicks 2010 (#cwc10) conference. I never thought I’d win, even though I really wanted to go. A place where women learn about the Power of You? Heck yeah! So, I entered. And believe it or not, I won. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would this [...]

• Daily Deal-Freebie at Victoria’s Secret

  Danielle

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Freebies are a great way to try a new product without spending a dime.  They also are great to collect and make a nice gift basket. Starting today when you bring the March 2010 cover of Seventeen magazine into Victoria’s Secret, you’ll receive a free Life is PINK Deluxe Fragrance Sampler.  A print out of the homepage is [...]

• Daily Deals-Quiznos, Taco Bell, & More Printable Coupons

  Danielle

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  One way to cut the expense of dining out is using coupons.  Many times they are available in a mail flier, but occasionally you can find printable coupons online. Quiznos has a Choose 2 for $5 menu.  Right now they are offering $1 off using this printable coupon.  This offer ends February 12th and you can [...]

• 
  Three Boys and Me

• Luke's Special Night

  Heather

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:47 am

  Jack had his first sleepover at a friend's house. They got to go to Monkey Joe's and stayed until it closed. Then they went to Incredible Pizza and stayed there until it closed. Then they went to the friend's house and watched a movie and played games. They were up until 2:00 am. They got up at 6:00 am the next morning. I don't know if that mom is my hero or my worst enemy.When Luke heard about all of the fun things Jack was going to get to do, John and I told him he could have his own special night. He could pick where he wanted to go, where he wanted to eat, what he wanted to do after, and…

• My Fifteen Minutes of Fame

  Heather

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Up until now, we have avoided Kidz Bop. Jack and Luke are both music lovers and have preferred to listen to the real deal, which just happens to be much of the same music that John and I like. When they heard Fireflies by Owl City on an ad for Kidz Bop 17, they asked John to buy it. And when John found out it came with a bonus CD, Kidz Bop sings the Beatles, he couldn't resist. I guess that is his sneaky way of getting the kids to listen to the Beatles since they won't do it through Rock Band.I find Kidz Bop to be a slightly more annoying version of the songs that get overplayed on the radio.

• Vegas, Baby!

  Heather

  26 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

  On occasion, my work travels take me to a fun city perfect for piggy-backing a family or parents-only vacation. Such an opportunity has come up for a work trip to Vegas to turn into a weekend vacation for John and me (with a couple of our good friends coming along as well).With the details still very sketchy and the trip itself up in the air, the boys heard John and me talking about it. They were VERY upset. They reported that they have ALWAYS wanted to go to Vegas.How do you explain that a place with moving and talking statues, erupting volcanoes, pirate ship battles, roller coasters,…

• 
  (More than) Fourinarow.net

• Baby Project

  Susan

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:11 am

  All of my kids are blankie lovers and thumb suckers.  So, I expect #5 will be the same. My sister, Caroline (she of tremendous talent), crocheted blankets for my babies when they were born.  The kids each latched on to them immediately.  Although I lack the talent she has, I was somewhat inspired. So, a few years ago, I found someone who knew how to crochet and I bought a book for South Paws and figured it out.  For the most part, anyway.  I think I made three or four blankets, none of which were exactly square, or pretty, but still, they’ve come in handy. This time around, I got…

• Brownies

  Susan

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm

  I’m not talking about the edible ones.  Although, now that I think about it, maybe I’ll make some tomorrow.  Yum! Today was Maria’s first official day as a Brownie.  She has been looking forward to it ALL YEAR.  The boys start at the beginning of first grade, but the girls have to wait until the new year, which makes it all the more torturous. She looked adorable in her new uniform! She earned her first patch today (heaven help me), played games and made a Valentine craft. This isn’t the best picture of her, unfortunately.  It’s hard to snap one of her…

• Questions

  Susan

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am

  Luke wins the Question of the Day yesterday. He came up to me and asked, “Mom?  One day can we take a blimp to South America?” Me:  “Ummmmmm…. No.” I hate to be a party pooper, but I don’t want him planning on it, ya know?  Where, or where does a 5-year-old come up with an idea like this?

• 
  Mommy Pie

• Insults and Comebacks for All Occasions

  mommypie

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:59 pm

  So, I’m doing a giveaway. I promised the good folks at Knock Knock (cutest products evah, btw) I’d have this up a loooong time ago, and silly me, I’ve completely neglected the old blog. Which sucks because this would make a perfectly twisted Valentine’s Day gift … Here’s the deal. Leave a comment below (if there’s anyone still out there … echo … echo …) and you’ll be entered to win the fabulous little book … Insults and Comebacks for All Occasions. Here’s how Knock Knock describes it: “There’s a time and a…

• Vampy me oh my.

  mommypie

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:20 am

  I’ve turned into a total vampire, and almost completely stopped sleeping at night. Mommypie! Surely you jest! Au contraire mon frere. It appears that six years of late nights working from home has caught up with me and totally farked my sleep schedule. Now, I stay up all night, lie down around 4 a.m. to catch a few hours sleep before having to get up and get MP to kindergarten. After dropping her off, I swiftly return home and fall back into bed until sometime after lunch, at which point I have to literally force myself to get up. I SO have to get off this insane schedule and back to…

• Earl, clean up in aisle nine …

  mommypie

  21 Jan 2010 | 10:14 pm

  Holy crap. Costco even has a POOL now. You can drop the kids off and everything.

• 
  motherbumper

• The Evolution of Her Happy Face

  motherbumper

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:09 am

  The potato people of my daughter's artistic days of yore are experiencing an evolution baby. The eyelashes on her heart people are making me swoon.  Posted via email from katie doesn't have time to post anymore

• Automatic to Manual: Baby Steps

  motherbumper

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:31 pm

  The camera was purchased over a year ago but it was only recently that I sat down and actually tried the things I've learned. Ali and Mishelle inspired me to sit down and start using something other than the big ol' automatic setting crutch on the dial. Truth: I just want an excuse to get a lens as big and fancy as Mishelle's, I definitely have lens envy. And if learning how to use this thing to

• In The Middle Of The Night

  motherbumper

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:04 pm

  I arrived home late on Sunday night to the welcoming arms of my very tired husband. He did an almost three day stint alone taking care of our little whippersnapper and all without one piece of broken furniture or trips to the ER. Huzzah! It's always difficult for me to go to bed right away when returning home -- no matter how tired I am -- and Sunday night was no exception. Kicking around on the

• 
  The McMommy Chronicles

• These are my people.

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  In my town’s recent newsletter: Ummmm…yeah, nice lobby.  Which way is the free booze?

• Recent comments I enjoyed.

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:36 pm

  Julie on "A Tale of Two Friends and their Grocery Lists.": I have a friend that does sh!t like that! She has 3 children too. I bought GS cookies from her last year and they showed up in my mailbox tied up with raffia and a homemade thank you card with a picture of the girls in their GS uniforms. She mails Christmas cards the day after Thanksgiving and TIMES them so they all arrive on the same day NO MATTER where you live. WTF?? One of us whose hubs is military has lived in Guam and Australia and she got her card the day I got mine!! I think she also craps roses!     James…

• I think she’s a dog in a cat’s body.

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pm

  Is it normal for a cat to sit by your feet while you are making dinner?  Just waiting for something…a crumb…a noodle…a fat steak…ANYTHING!!..to fall on the floor so she can wolf it down?   Paprika.  Do not even TRY to give me that pathetic look.  Like you didn’t just eat a fat bowl of Meow Mix.  WHAT?!  NO, I CANNOT ENTER YOU TO WIN A FREE PIZZA!!!  That’s just for five of my readers. UM. YES, HUMANS ONLY!!!!   (Have you entered?  Only one day left and your chances are extremely good! Five readers will each win a free pizza.  Good…

• 
  imaginary binky

• When gremlins strike

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  Fifteen weeks of development.  Fifteen weeks.  Something to celebrate?  Not this time. For the past week, I've been having the dreaded pregnant headaches.  I had a few when Amos was snugged into my belly, but these are more frequent and achy.  It truly feels like Marmot is stabbing me in the skull.  I imagine a little softball-sized baby standing over me with an icepick, not unlike the gremlin

• Epic journeys and breeding

  26 Jan 2010 | 8:44 am

  That pretty much sums up what life has been like the past few months. Oh, hi.  Is that you?  Yeah, I know.  It's been awhile.  You look smashing in that frock.  Oh, stop!  No, YOU stop! So, um, yeah.  I moved.  About 1,700 miles, give or take.  There's a lot I can say about traveling this great expanse of country we have, but I'll save those sweet ditties for another post. So, um, yeah.  I

• Shake it like a Polaroid picture

  29 Oct 2009 | 10:08 pm

  I don't know about you, but I think I already know how to do this exercise. *insert other witty dick jokes here*

• 
  NINJA POODLES!

• Doppel

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pm

  Yeah, so...the "find your double" Facebook meme went on for several days before I really paid any attention to it, because there's only one celebrity that people have ever told me that I (and Bella) resemble, and I couldn't really find a photo of Bette Davis looking as dorky as I do in my Facebook profile picture.BUT! Just LOOK at Alex and Van Johnson! It's eerie, no?

• I Never Thought I'd Be Defending Barbie

  30 Jan 2010 | 2:14 pm

  But she at least has her freakishly tiny waist in the right place. I was following some Twitter chatter earlier about the shapewear at YummieTummie, and went to check it out, because you know, I likes a smooth midriff as well as the next person. I just couldn't get past this picture. Yeah, you wanna look at that.See? Skinny Tank removes your ribs! To easily compare that freaky photo to a more realistic image, just click the link and look at the photos directly below the Skinny Tank picture.I don't know about anyone else, but in my torso, there are ribs in that spot. And they don't bend. And…

• And Then, Every Once In A While, We Dance

  22 Jan 2010 | 12:59 pm

  So after the angst-fest last night, I logged into World of Warcraft. Because there, depending on my persona-du-jour, I can fight evil with a crossbow and pet wolf, explode badness with magic spells, protect my friends with frozen armor, or best of all, heal the world. And my kidneys don't hurt, and I can turn flips when I jump...and, um, I can jump. After Alex went to bed, I started doing mage stuff...you know, turning bad dudes into pigs or sheep, and freezing monsters in blocks of ice to immobilize them while I explode them with the power of my mind. It's a darn fine form of escapism,…

• 
  Musings of a Housewife

• What I Learned This Week

  Jo-Lynne

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:31 am

  So much for my post being up at 9am, huh?  Well, at any rate, here I am! This week I learned so much that I can’t begin to put it all in one post, but here are the highlights. 1. I learned the difference between earned media and paid media. Are your eyes glossing over already?  Well stick with me here. Earned media is when you promote products without compensation, for example, when you mention a product that you love on your blog. Paid media is when you receive compensation for promoting a product or brand.  An example of paid media is a blogger becoming a spokesperson for a brand,…

• The Low Down on Blissdom

  Jo-Lynne

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:47 am

  Last year I talked Blissdom right into the ground.  I probably drove away half of my dear readers by the time I was done yammering about it.  This year I’m going to try a new approach — a one post recap, and it won’t even make you scroll forever.  I’m not quite sure HOW I’m going to do it, but this is my pledge to you.  One post, 500 words or less.  Starting now. Highlights: For one thing, I ate like a queen and didn’t have to wash a single dish for five days.  That right there was worth the price of admission. Then there was my roommate, Rachel (on…

• What I’m Missing While I’m Away

  Jo-Lynne

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:49 pm

• 
  Mid-CenturyModernMoms

• And then there were two

  the planet of janet

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Another little birdie has flown the coop. It has been a little more than four years since we had a kid move out permanently. (Z-man's two-year college career doesn't really count since he always intended to come back -- and so he has.) Yes, J-bear has moved out. It came as kind of a surprise to me (and to her father as well). She apparently announced to him (and a day later, he announced to...

• On death and Brahms and being too young for a DNR

  Daisy OK

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:02 am

  "My friend Ty has been bumped up to hospice care in his home, is on twice the pain killers and is sleeping 20 hours a day, and he signed a DNR. I never ever want to hear about a friend that's younger than me signing a DNR again." That was La Petite's email. Her friend is 22, a 6'4" star swimmer, friendly and all-around fun guy. He is dying of gastric cancer. Our school counselor...

• leavetakings

  songbird

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  The house has become quiet...too quiet. Jen is back at school. she left on January 24, after having spent more than a month at home for winter break. I must admit, there were times during the break that I wished she'd pack up and go back to school already. but when the day came.... You start saying goodbye to your children almost from the minute they're born. You're in the delivery room and a nurse...

• 
  Cheaty Monkey

• The Real Housewife of Toronto…and Her Cat

  Haley-O

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:55 pm

  There are three potential first lines to this post: 1. Then again the apple never tasted so sweet. 2. “Mama, are you going to put it on your website?” 3. Dogs are such extensions of their owners, I mean, look at Bethenny Frankel…. I mean, while all the other Real Housewives are sporting chihuahuas, she comes up with this hunk of a bruiser. OY, LOVE. And her name is Cookie. I mean, does it get more compatible than that. They’re perfect for each other. And, me? I have him…. …WHOM I, proudly, rescued from a vet who didn’t seem to care much about him.

• “This Is Just to Say”: The Minden Edition [UPDATED: Kids Deserve Art for HAITI]

  Haley-O

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm

  This Is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold This Is Just to Say by Minden I have eaten the lettuce that was in the reusable grocery bag and which you were probably saving for dinner Forgive me (meowwww) it was delicious so sweet and so cold Minden is the only member of Cheaty’s house who hasn’t vomited in the last few days — not even a hairball. It’s probably thanks to the lettuce. CHEATY ANNOUNCEMENT! The artists of…

• “I Yuf Bones”: A Snapshot

  Haley-O

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:26 pm

  Rascal’s sitting glued to me. I normally don’t open my computer much when he’s around. Especially since Florida. I’d made a pact with myself to limit work time to when the nanny’s here (4 mornings a week) and after the kids go to bed. But, he’s happy here sucking on his organic cherry lollipop. And we’re both sick. And the Monkey’s sick. And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the large man who sat on top of beside me on the plane to Florida coughing into his FIST the whole way there. I knew I was done for when I noticed the fist. I…

• 
  Vintage Thirty

• It Depends on Your Definition of Leisure Time

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  The oh-so-fabulous Undomestic Diva posted on her blog yesterday about a study that concludes that stay at home and working mothers alike have thirty or more hours of leisure time per week. She also included a link to the study and I urge you to visit her blog and follow the link (I could do it here but she did all the leg work and I don't want to steal her thunder, as it were). Now that all of my children are in school full time, with the earliest of the dismissals at 2:15pm, I do have a great deal more time that is JUST MINE than when they were preschool aged and younger. But THIRTY HOURS?

• The Title of this Post is.................Coming Up After These Messages!

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:22 pm

  There's a trend in television game shows... And reality television shows, which, in my opinion, are just game shows themselves with LOTS OF DRAMA and the same characters every week, eliminated one by one. I mean, come on...Survivor? Contestants. Boom! Game show. Like Who Wants to be a Millionaire only with swim suits, hairy armpits, man-boobs, exercise, bugs, poor hygiene, malnutrition, and brightly colored bandanas. The Bachelor? Contestants. BAM! Game show. Biggest Loser, Big Brother, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, The Amazing Race, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice =…

• She Didn't Inherit Her Mother's Adrenaline Junkie Gene, That is for Certain

  1 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pm

  Over the winter break we took a family trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain. What with it being a stones throw from our house and about a third of the total cost as that of Disneyland, it is fun and affordable way to spend an adrenaline filled day with the family. [Editor's note and cost saving tip: If you don't already have a season pass which is only $54.99 dollars or don't plan to go often enough for that to pay for itself, buy your admission tickets online for only $29.99 instead of the $54.99 that they would charge at the park. Also? Disneyland doesn't offer an online deal for single…

• 
  Everyday Lunasea

• Why I Test Drove a Prius Only Four Blocks

  Lunasea

  26 Jan 2010 | 10:20 pm

  We've been considering a hybrid for years, but they were always a little too expensive. G. found one at the dealership where we bought our last two cars (ahem...10 years ago). It was a 2008, priced around $16G, had 38,000 miles, and looked pretty. So we packed up the boys and went over for a test drive.Our regular guy, the one who sold us our cars 10 years ago and amazingly still works there, was off today, so we spoke with the nice young man fresh out of the car rental biz. He tried to start the car, and found that the battery was dead. Apparently, these batteries will die if you leave them…

• The. Longest. Day. EVER.

  Lunasea

  1 Jan 2010 | 11:06 pm

  We got up at 7am, as usual. We were in Portland, taking over the two bedrooms on the top floor of Grandma and Grandpa's house. We were scheduled for an 8pm flight back to California. I questioned how on earth "we" decided on an 8pm flight, and was informed that we saved several hundred dollars by flying out on the last available flight. (In retrospect, so not worth it). Packed our suitcases and two duffel bags and three backpacks, made breakfast, did 2 loads of laundry, packed an extra box to take to UPS because we couldn't fit everything in our suitcases, played a couple rounds of Trouble…

• New Year's Resolutions, Lite

  Lunasea

  31 Dec 2009 | 9:46 am

  I make pretty much the same resolutions every year, which is fine because I keep getting a little better at them, and clearly, they're my biggest challenges. It's all a work in progress. Experts at resolution making say you're supposed to include a few easy-to-reach goals to make yourself feel successful. So I've made up a list of what I'm (probably) going to do anyway:1. Give the boys baths at least twice a week.2. Take down the holiday decorations before February.3. Go to work more days than not.4. Get the kids to school more days than not.5. Keep the number of alive houseplants greater…

• 
  Blonde Mom Blog

• Blog Conference Etiquette: I’ll Poken You If You Poken Me

  Blonde Mom

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:46 am

  Photo courtesy of Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife I’m still on my post-Blissdom high so I thought I’d share a few tips for post-blog conference etiquette. There are tons of great conference prep tips, but what happens when you get home? I didn’t order blog business cards this year since Con Agra provided us with Pokens in our registration pack, but I have to admit that I still love to collect business cards. Some of them are like little works of art. Next year I’ll be sure to have both my Poken and a stack of shiny new cards since many people still prefer to…

• Blissdom: So Many I Love You Man Moments, So Little Time

  Blonde Mom

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:20 pm

  This was my third year to attend the Blissdom Conference in Nashville. I just have to say that I feel truly blessed (digging around in my Southern Baptist upbringing bag of words) to have such an awesome conference practically in MAH BACK YARD. I’m also so proud of my friend Alli Worthington for putting on such a great event. It is no small task to organize and execute a conference for 500 women with style and grace while wearing killer red boots. I remember attending Blissdom “Lite” in 2008. There were only about 50 of us in attendance. Who knew that two years later it…

• Six Degrees Of Separation From Sponge Bob

  Blonde Mom

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:21 pm

  Friday morning after breakfast Miss A announced that she wanted to write a letter. She ran downstairs to our home office area and came back with a pristine sheet of paper just waiting to be transformed into a letter. She quickly rummaged around in our loosely categorized arts and crafts drawer (where there are sticker books, Moon Sand, and other goodies) for a red crayon. I thought this was so sweet. Obviously she’d been inspired to sit down and compose a letter to me since I had told her that I wouldn’t be home until bedtime tonight since I was going to a big meeting. I knew she…

• 
  dkmommyspot.com

• Unvaccinated, Home Schooled, and TV-Free – Book Review and Giveaway

  Diane

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here! List Your Giveaways Here! If you want to make informed and from-the-heart parenting decisions without simply following the crowd, you're going to need this book. Perhaps one of my biggest motivations with this blog, along with chemical-free living and healing through herbalism, is to promote the idea that it’s always best to open our minds and really look at something before forming an opinion.  Sometimes that sort of internal wisdom is applied when deciding on whether or not to treat your kids with herbs or with an over-the-counter…

• “So You Want to be President?” Scholastic DVD Giveaway

  Diane

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here! List Your Giveaways Here! February 15th is President’s Day, so it’s the perfect time to introduce our kids to a little American history and perhaps a lesson or two in government.  But how to do that without them falling asleep?  No need to recite the Gettysburg Address as their bedtime story, although we’d all love to see you dress as Lincoln.  Instead, why not check out Scholastic Storybook Treasures’ latest DVD, “So You Want to Be President… and More Stories to Celebrate American History“? The title story,…

• Tempflow No-VOC Memory Foam Mattress Review and Pillow Giveaway

  Diane

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here! List Your Giveaways Here! Want to win a No-VOC BioGreen Memory Foam Pillow?  Read about the Tempflow Memory Foam Mattress and get entered! Wikipedia tells us VOC’s are “organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the earth’s atmosphere.”  Not exactly what you want to have floating above your mattress as you sleep!  Most memory foam mattresses are made of polyurethane, or visco-elastic polyurethane foam, which contains various levels of…

• 
  Girl's Gone Child

• Gone Style Presents: The Five Minute Makeover

  GIRL'S GONE CHILD

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:07 am

  I'm very excited to present, along with Josie Maran and Sarah James, the first episode of Gone Style's Five Minute Makeover! We had a lot of fun making this and hope you guys dig! (Especially you, Missy*!)We'll have "After pictures" of Missy's new look in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!In the meantime, let me know if you're in the market for some hot, makeover action. Email me at gonestylemakeover@gmail.com with your (head to toe) budget, event, and 2-3 of your favorite tastemakers. We'll pull together a look specific to your taste and flattering to your budget!Go team!(Keep in mind all…

• Girl's Gone Hero: Drew Barrymore

  GIRL'S GONE CHILD

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:52 pm

  Ed: Since my teens, Drew Barrymore has been one of my greatest heroes. First as an actress, then as a producer, always as a woman, fearless and uniquely herself. So when offered the opportunity to do a brief interview with her on GGC, I was beside myself excited. And when she called me on Monday? I was so overcome with awe, I forgot my own name. People talk about that kind of thing happening but it's never happened to me. I've spent years honing my craft of cool as not to come off as Crazy Superfangirl when meeting admirable people. But interviewing Drew put a wrench in all that. Thankfully,…

• 33/100

  GIRL'S GONE CHILD

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:38 pm

  I had never heard of Adam Arcuragi until today when Hal introduced me to his daytrotter session. I fell instantly in love and think you will too. (Thank you, Hal.)Also? Guess who took her first twenty-seven steps today?She did. All by herself. Across the room. No hands.!!!Life is a joyous dance in a haunted warehouse full of awesome shit.33. Bottom of the River by: Adam ArcuragiGGCSpeaking of joy and sun and mix tapes, our baby music class teacher and friend, Heidi Swedberg has a new album you ought to purchase for your babes. Her music is full of joy and goodness, her songs recorded with…

• 
  Notes from the Trenches

• There is a Reason a Tie is Like a Noose

  Chris

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:49 am

  Last night my 9yr old son has his third grade recital. An event which required dressing up in “fancy” clothes. My 9 yr old, like most of his kind, hates dressing up. We have been having ongoing negotiations over what constitutes “fancy” clothes. Even though he told his music teacher that [...]

• Coed Sleepovers Part Two

  Chris

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:40 am

  Wow, you people have opinions about the coed sleepover party! I am not a huge fan of the sleepover party to begin with. I find it interesting that the people who say they would allow it have a very narrow set of circumstances under which they would allow it. If they knew the family [...]

• Just When I Think I Have Seen It All…

  Chris

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:38 am

  Yesterday my 10yr old son got a birthday party invitation in the mail. From a girl. That is somewhat odd for this age group, all things they do seem to be gender specific for a few years– you know those years when you can’t have a girl as a friend because then everyone [...]

• 
  Sarah and the Goon Squad

• I Love it When She Sets Me Up

  Goon Squad Sarah

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:14 pm

  On the day after Snowmageddon 2010 I was supposed to be helping Claudia clean her room. Instead I was taking pictures out of her bedroom window. I was taking pictures of icicles when Ian walked in and said “Is that a bear?” The kids thought I was taking pictures of the large mammal in our back yard that I hadn’t even noticed. I yelled “Hey Gabe! There is a huge doe in our back yard!” And that is when Claudia fed me the line. She said “What is a doe?” I got to say – completely in context and with absolute accuracy – “A deer, a female…

• Lindsey Vonn, Sports Illustrated and Objectification

  Goon Squad Sarah

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pm

  I don’t do this much over here, but I wrote this for Draft Day Suit and I thought I’d like to talk to you guys about this too. Don’t forget to click more or you will miss Danica Patrick in a bikini. Last week skier Lindsey Vonn was in the news because some jerk in the media suggested that Vonn would have an advantage in the downhill events because she was carrying extra weight, so I was pleased when I saw this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated because I thought Vonn looked terrific. See? Adorable. The assholes who said she was fat should feel stupid and mean. She…

• Nobody Remain Calm

  Goon Squad Sarah

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:25 pm

  It isn’t even 5:00 PM yet and my county has already canceled school tomorrow due to Snopocalypse II:  Electric Boogaloo. The kids are going ape shit. They already tried to wash the mirror with bright purple foaming kids soap. My local twitter prognosticators are saying that school probably won’t be back in until Tuesday at the soonest. I know that one to two feet is a lot of snow but wow. When I was at the grocery store yesterday there was a huge run on hot dog and hamburger buns. I’m still fairly new to snow, is one supposed to barbecue during a blizzard? Is it like the…

• 
  Suburban Turmoil

• And Just Like That, the Dreaded Blended Family Questions Have Begun

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:13 am

  “Mommy?” Punky asked as I tucked her in. “Are you going to stop being my mommy some day?”“Of course not,” I said. “I’ll always be your mommy. What made you ask that?” “Well, you know, like with the big girls,” Punky said. “You used to be their mommy, but you’re not anymore.” And just like that, there it was. The moment I’d been dreading since the day Punky was born. I can’t say I was expecting it to happen at that particular moment, but if I’ve learned anything from parenting teenagers and little ones, it’s to remain calm. They take their cues from…

• Scenes from a (Blissdom) Party

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Tanis, otherwise known as The Redneck Mommy, bravely showed up to speak at Blissdom with a bottle of painkillers and a cane, just ten days after undergoing back surgery. I met her and Catherine outside Fuse Nightclub for Blissdom's Friday night cocktail party and we immediately hit up the food table, which consisted mainly of fruit and a whole lot of cheese."Oh, I love cheese!" I said happily. "It's my thing now- I just finished doing Atkins and then South Beach and it was the one extravagance that didn't destroy my diet.""I don't eat cheese," Tanis replied. "I like to poop.""Well, that was a…

• In-Laws and Outlaws

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am

  You waited for it and now it's here...The Mother-in-law of all Nashville Scene columns! Head on over to the Scene and check out the best of the worst mother-in-law stories that were sent to my inbox last week. Thanks to everyone who sent me their stories- I wish I could have used all of them, but there were just so many! Hopefully, it was cathartic for everyone who participated to simply write them down! You seriously won't believe the ones I used in my column.If you comment at the Scene, be sure and leave your URL so I can stop by your blog! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!On my style…

• 
  Suburban Oblivion

• I Need Some Ideas!

  Sara

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:20 pm

  I probably should have posted about this days ago, but it’s one of those times where I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and if I told anyone all the good stuff would go away, so I’ve just kept mum. Our humor site, Daily Shite, has started to take off. I don’t want to get into exact numbers, but let’s just say our crazy dream for getting over 100k hits in a month has already been far passed. For the month of February. Yes, today is only the 5th. See why I’ve been afraid of jinxing things? Anyhow, we are starting to look into trying to promote the site a…

• I Swore I’d Never Do It Again, But Last Night I Did

  Sara

  24 Jan 2010 | 3:09 pm

  The last Mardi Gras ball I went to was in 2008, and I swore I would never do it again. If you’ve never been to one, it’s like a huge party with lots of music and drinking and dancing and food and drinking. (Did I mention there tends to be a lot of drinking?) It’s extremely formal, as in white tie and tails formal for men, and floor length ball gowns for the women. Ball gowns which we spend weeks searching for, and even longer starving ourselves to get into. The one I went to in 2007 and 2008 was by way of invitation from one of my ex’s co-workers. The society itself is…

• Suburban Oblivion Comes Out of the Darkness

  Sara

  18 Jan 2010 | 2:56 pm

  Paul and I had a discussion recently about my blogging, or to be more truthful, my lack of blogging. For the longest time I hated my blog. The thought of opening the text editor made me both angry and somewhat panicky, because I had to be so incredibly careful about every word I said, knowing it would all be fodder for court. Emotionally I was incredibly angry and resentful of the things going on around me, and it was out of that darkness that my last theme was developed. Paul did a great job of turning out a beautiful theme, but we recently realized that where my blog was and where I am were…

• 
  Surrender, Dorothy

• Learning What to Hide

  Rita Arens

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:09 am

  The little angel and Neighbor Girl bounced off the school bus, waving and giggling as one went left and the other went right. I could hear them yelling back and forth to each other about playing. I needed to go to the pharmacy. Desperately. As in I'd already gone one day without the medication that needs to be kept at a pretty consistent level. My girl walked in the house, busily pulling things out of her backpack, chattering away about how she was going to play with the neighbor. I've hated this half-bath ever since we moved to Chateau Travolta. It is the crown jewel of ugly. But I couldn't…

• 
  Sweetney

• Snowpocalypse. Snowmageddon. Snotorious B.I.G.. SnOMG. You get the Snodrift.

  Sweetney

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:52 pm

  Hey everybody! How was your weekend? Restful? Relaxing? A blur of delicious Super Bowl-mandatory high fructose and MSG-laden processed snack foods and delightfully refreshing beers? Aces! Good for you! Me? Well, since you ask...

• links for 2010-02-07

  Sweetney

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  Snowpocalypse 2010 - a set on Flickr SnOMG!

• links for 2010-02-06

  Sweetney

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  For the snowpocalypse that has everything...

• 
  Scribbit | A Blog About Motherhood in Alaska

• Upside Down Apple Pie

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  I should have posted this on Sunday but I was a little busy (I promise you that this recipe is worth the wait--it will change the way you do apple pie forever. FOREVER.) Pie is my most favorite dessert in the world, I've never met one that I didn't adore and apple pie is at the top of the list right after blackberry pie.There is a place called Summit Lake Lodge about an hour, hour an a half, south of Anchorage on the Kenai peninsula where you can rent snowmachines and go out on the lake then come back to the lodge for the most amazing home food you can imagine.They have these hamburgers…

• Harry Connick Jr. and the Best Blissdom Yet

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  Friday night I was one of five hundred women crazy with excitement to see Harry Connick Jr. for a personal concert at the Blissdom conference in Nashville. Go ahead and read that sentence again if you need to, and make sure you're sitting down.In the Fuse nightclub at the Opryland Hotel we crowded around the eye-level stage with only a velvet rope between me and the man my college roommate used to swoon over nineteen years ago (she's the one who first introduced me to the tunes of Mr. Harry-Met-Sally). We stood in front of the stage area, waiting for about forty minutes with colored spot…

• Whimsy Rings Giveaway

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  Have you ever seen these rings before? My first intro to Whimsy rings was when they contacted me about a review.I hope you'll believe me when I say that these are really, really fun rings. Not only are they fun, they're cool--cool enough that my teen daughter promptly confiscated the ring they'd sent me to look at and claimed it for her own.The whole trick is that the rings have beads that are held in place by a pretty little screw so that you can switch them in and out according to your mood and wardrobe. They come in top quality materials like sterling silver and the beads are completely…

• 
  The Silent "I"

• Farallon Light

  Glennia

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  The light from the Lighthouse at Farallon Island is on display at the Maritime Museum in SF. It's quite beautiful. Posted via email from glennia's posterous

• Carnival of Cities: January 27 Edition

  Glennia

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

  Welcome to the January 27 Edition of the Carnival of Cities!  Join us for a virtual tour of some of the world's great cities and towns with our intrepid travel writers from around the globe. North America Starting out in Vancouver, Canada, just in time for the Winter Olympics, Julie Ovenell-Carter shows us the Hottest tickets in town: My Top 5 picks for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad posted at theseboots.travel for anyone who's just not that into sports, or wants to take a break from the action to enjoy some culture. Jump in your virtual convertible and drive on down the coast to my…

• Limahuli Hibiscus

  Glennia

  24 Jan 2010 | 7:31 pm

  via flickr.com From our recent trip to Hawaii. Posted via web from glennia's posterous

• 
  The Mac Mommy

• Jump!

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am

  Jump, jump, jump around!! Jump up and git doooooown! Jump around!I want and adult version of this thing.It's the small-fry Air Jordan!TheMacMommy Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from TheMacMommy

• Mission Accomplished!

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:22 pm

  (edit: previous post had omitted photos for some reason. oops!) Yay! He likes it! He made me fish (playdoh blue shark cutouts, to be exact) and electric spaghetti. We love to use the playdoh kits he got for Christmas. See and download the full gallery on posterousWe managed to capture Keagan's 3-month hand and footprints. It was not easy. I'm excited to see how they turn out when dried. If it works well, we may try this Crayola air dry clay again.Didn't manage to get photos taken yet. I'm hoping to try tomorrow. I have a really cute outfit picked out. Keagan is only 3 months old, but he's…

• Silly Things We Do For Our Kids

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:26 pm

  Turns out I get a bit of cabin fever when I'm sick and forced to stay in, take it easy and rest. Um. Yeah. about that... During Keagan's nap I had fun with masking tape, sharpie markers, a box cutter, and some cardboard diaper boxes and made this little stove and microwave for Lucian. He loves to "cook like Daddy." Lucian is feeling a bit under the weather now and he's taking a nap. I'm hoping this will make him feel better. I can't wait for him to see it!In the meantime, I've got Daddy doin my dirty work! ;) Next project is to try to make handprints with Keagan. We'll see how that turns out!

• 
  This Full House

• It's Called Word-of-Mouth AND Drive-by Mothering

  Liz@thisfullhouse

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:28 am

  Can you judge a mother by her shopping cart...in MY case, ABSOLUTELY...go right ahead...I triple-dog dare you! If you were to ask me, years ago -- before blocking the MTV channel and searching for un-holey jeans at Hot Topic ruled my world -- what I disliked most about being a mom, I would have answered, without hesitation:"Answering to other moms!"Although, having to explain myself...to anyone...is STILL really hard -- especially, without relying on cocktails, or the use of visual aids -- living a fishbowl existence and swimming along with the same old school of thought, day after day, is…

• Yes I am Wearing Red for Women AND Men!!!

  Liz@thisfullhouse

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:49 am

  It is National Wear Red Day 2010 in support for the Go Red For Women movement. Yes, I am wearing red.  I happen to like the color (A LOT) but, it's a simple and powerful way to help raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.But, what about men?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States: "About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event." Aaaaand, I asked my kids to wear red (if they had something clean, I mean) NOT just because I happen to like the color (A LOT) either."Doesn't Uncle Bradi…

• Wordless Wednesday: 365 Days - Just Another Sick Day

  Liz@thisfullhouse

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:10 am

  Another snapshot courtesy of my 365 Days microblog project -- where I'm taking a self-imposed timeout, every day, to post wordless (you're welcome!)Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQTag, you're it: Wordless Wednesday  Also, I'm letting it ALL hang out on Flickr © 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.

• 
  and baby makes 6!

• 53 degrees

  Jody

  18 Jan 2010 | 8:54 am

  Saturday kicked up some great surf for us here at the coast. Too bad for me that I have been hacking and coughing my brains out for a week now, and was not up to immersing my body in 53 degrees of salt water on a cloudy day with temps in the 50’s as [...]

• On with Christmas, tally-ho and Ho, Ho, Ho

  Jody

  14 Dec 2009 | 8:37 am

  We kicked off the Christmas season here on Friday night. Normally, I save all the activities for the week the kids get out of school, and never seem to have enough time to fit in all that we want to do. So, this year, I started a bit earlier. The goal was to have [...]

• Random, dude, stoke, running, and kid post.

  Jody

  12 Nov 2009 | 8:37 am

  The surf has been up here, and when that happens, our lives revolve around it. That and football. And marching band. And swim team. But mostly surfing. Surfing, surfing, surfing. My upper body has really benefited from this, and I have shed so much weight that none of my clothes [...]

• 
  Three Kid Circus

• Tiny wings

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:11 pm

  Anxiety is no friend of mine. In fact, I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've felt truly, out-of-control anxious. Okay, maybe both hands. I'm not talking about those blockbuster stress events, like when a kid dashes out in front of an SUV or needs a trip to the ER. I'm talking instead about feeling like you've got a brick sitting in your chest, or an angry kitten in your stomach. I simply don't DO anxiety. I don't know how to. No matter how stressed or frustrated or truly powerless I may be, I usually find peace with my lot by spreading my arms and letting…

• If you're gonna do it, DO IT

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:47 am

  Seriously, go leave me a comment to win a $500 Visa gift card. Whoo boy. Every year at this time, there's a certain amount of mania. (Likewise in September.) You can set your clock by it, take it to the bank, whatever cliche pleases you. Last year, my husband went on three back-to-back business trips, and I ended up with chest pains. Coincidence? Probably. Ask me in a couple of weeks, because it is business trip season once again. Plus we have soccer, plus we have baseball, plus we have the lego robot league and a Scrabble club. And other stuff. I'm just whining, of course. You know what…

• Kim one-ups me again

  29 Jan 2010 | 1:52 pm

  I'm giving away a $500 gift card over here Last night, I took my youngest to her first grade evening reading program spectacular called "Partners In Print." She was brimming with excitement about it, and despite being really tired and cranky this week, I decided that I needed to suck it up. So, when we got there, I spotted my friends Kim and Mary with their own first graders, and we were put into the same group, which meant we hobbled our way from library to classroom to other classroom to another classroom and back to the library in a pack. After it was all said and done, I asked what Kim…

• 
  slackermama . com

• Relaxin’, Tahoe Style

  Marilyn

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pm

  We got back from our Tahoe vacation this afternoon.  And man, I tell you what, time-shares are the only way to travel when you have kids.  They may be the only way to travel period.  It was beyond awesome having full access to a kitchen, living room, laundry, parking, etc.  We ate out a lot, yes.  But we also were able to fix breakfast at the condo, make lunches, reheat pizza and whatever else we needed.  That was a godsend.  The kids loved having room to play and be themselves too.  The boys shared the second bedroom (with a TV in there!  Harry brought his Wii and promptly hooked it…

• Ready or not

  Marilyn

  28 Jan 2010 | 4:33 pm

  Here comes the weekend!  This weekend promises to be more exciting than the last one.  Which isn’t hard to do because last weekend was pretty tame and mellow.  Shoot, it’s only noon on Friday and this weekend is ALREADY more exciting.  So I figure by Sunday night, I might just lapse into a coma.  Of course, by then we’ll be in Tahoe for our mini-vacation so it’s sort of like a WEEK rather than a WEEKEND. Large sums of money went into our bank account last night, thanks in part to the United States government.  And we have already done our part to a degree to try…

• The Blessed Hours

  Marilyn

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:12 pm

  My favorite time of any day is after the kids are in bed at night and it’s just Kile and I hanging out together.  Usually we’re watching tv or a movie.  I’m knitting, he’s playing around on his iPhone or laptop.  But we’re together and it’s peaceful and we can relax and unwind together. But my second favorite would have to be naptime. I know how this looks: as though I’m all about getting away from the kids.  Which isn’t to say that I don’t love and enjoy them when they’re awake.  The weekends were in close contention for second…

• 
  TheBloggess.com

• This is how my whole life goes

  Jenny the bloggess

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:53 pm

  This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to be on twitter: PS.  My friend MariaMelee is truly amazing and her roach spray review was like the Iliad of roach spray reviews.   She’s awesome.  I’m going to go to bed now.

• It’s been a very long week.

  Jenny the bloggess

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  It’s Sunday which means it’s time for my weekly wrap-up: This week on Ask the Bloggess: Sexomnia:  No one’s falling for it, asshole. I was on a lot of drugs when I wrote this but it’s still vaguely valid. This week on my sex column (which is satirical and relatively safe for work if your boss isn’t a douche canoe): How Nina Hartley became my new best friend. This week on the internets: I was on twitter too much. This week on Good Mom/Bad Mom on the Houston Chronicle: My daughter, the scientist Buckle up, buttercup. This week…

• RIP, Aunt Ollene

  Jenny the bloggess

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

  My sister, Lisa, just called to tell me that our great aunt Ollene just died and we decided to go in together on a flower arrangement and so I ordered it online from the florist across the street from the funeral home and it was very nice because their website basically pre-populates all the funeral home info since that’s where they do most of their business but then the end of the form left me a little baffled: Huh.  Do I want you to remind me of my dead aunt’s death again next year?  Well, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I want you to bring up this painful event with an…

• 
  Woulda Coulda Shoulda

• Dance, puppet, dance!

  Mir

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:18 am

  Chickadee is taking Licorice through the same training class I did with her when we first brought her home. This is good for Licorice (more training) and good for Chickadee (more responsibility) but slightly inconvenient for me and Otto (have to take her to a two-hour class every week) and downright annoying for Monkey (with [...]

• Better, stronger, dressing weirder

  Mir

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am

  You are all lovely, everyone who commented on yesterday’s post. You are my favorite. [Quick addendum to yesterday: I defensively feel like I need to point out that the ruined pants in question are track pants (nylon blend), and thus impossible to patch. Yes, of course, I patch holey jeans. Holey wind pants? They're toast. Alas.] I [...]

• Love’s losses and gains

  Mir

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:09 am

  I realized at some point this week that I haven’t written very much about Monkey, lately. I’m not sure why that is. I think that since his official Asperger’s diagnosis I’ve felt conflicted. I felt relief to know what we already knew, but sadness for him to be saddled with a label. I felt hopeful [...]

• 
  Scenes from the Crooked Maple...

• Only it's not a "panty"

  Birdie

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

  There are some really weird people in this world and sometimes they do really weird things...in public. Sometimes the sane people watch them without acknowledging the weirdness of it all, which is also "weird". Such is the case with this video clip from Sean Hannity's TV show, which I found at Breitbart TV. Check it out (watch for the "panel" of folks behind the man at the microphone) and see if it doesn't kind of remind you of this clip from Raising Arizona...Son, you got a panty on your head. sound bite Raising Arizona sound bitesIt appears that he, or someone who loves him, has cut a…

• Krauthammer's my Vocabulator

  Birdie

  2 Feb 2010 | 4:23 am

  Vocabulator...that's a kids v-tech type toy that helps kids ( and possibly adults) learn new vocabulary words & their meanings. My daughter loved it. Charles Krauthammer (Washington Post op-ed columnist & Fox News contributor) is now my vocabulator, only I have to pull up Websters because he doesn't offer me any handy definitions. He also doesn't entertain, making fun sounds like the vocabulator (at least not on TV) but reading his articles isn't so bad. I actually found it refreshing brain food that didn't make my blood pressure shoot up. So here are some interesting words he used,…

• So You Think You Can Dance...Like a Digger?

  Birdie

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:54 pm

  *s*

• 
  amalah . com

• When It Snows It Blizzards

  amalah

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  I woke up in the wee small hours of the morning today, just barely awake enough to wonder WHY AM I SO COLD, a thought that semi-occurred to me as I padded off in the general direction of the bathroom, right before I collided with the hard, unyielding edge of my closet door. Oh. We're back home. The bathroom's a bit more to the right. We're back home, where it is snowing, where it will apparently be snowing FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, or at least the rest of the weekend. The villa staff did all of our laundry for us in Jamaica, so our suitcases are full of fresh clean..shorts.

• The Basics

  amalah

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:12 am

  I get the sense the staff here is worried that we are bored. We are not bored. We are, most likely, the boringest guests they've ever had. They keep reminding about about the hiking and snorkeling and fishing and kayaking and tubing over waterfalls, and we smile blissfully from our chair/chaise/hammock/other-place-where-we-have-planted-our-sedentary-butts and assure them that WE ARE FINE. WE ARE HAVING THE TIME OF OUR LIVES. RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE. WITH THE SITTING. (We did massages. In our room. Practically rolled off the bed onto the table and back again. It was delicious.) Every morning…

• 
  Petroville

• Snowscape

  Kimberly

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:25 pm

  Before The Blizzard of 2010 Friday Afternoon Saturday Morning Sunday Morning…and 25 inches later Round Two begins tomorrow. Stay tuned. Post from: Petroville No scraping. Snowscape Share it: © Kimberly for Petroville, 2010. | Permalink | No comment Add to del.icio.us Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Life in the Ding Dang Woods.

• The Snow Wouldn’t Stop…and She Couldn’t Be Less Productive

  Kimberly

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:52 pm

  Post from: Petroville No scraping. The Snow Wouldn’t Stop…and She Couldn’t Be Less Productive Share it: © Kimberly for Petroville, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments Add to del.icio.us Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Life in the Ding Dang Woods.

• Breakfast of Champions

  Kimberly

  30 Jan 2010 | 9:01 am

  This may or may not have been the breakfast buffet after our a ladies night out sleepover a few weeks ago. The who’s and the why’s are not important but the what’s make for a great game. Can you name the seven food & beverage items in this picture? Post from: Petroville No scraping. Breakfast of Champions Share it: © Kimberly for Petroville, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments Add to del.icio.us Search blogs linking this post with Technorati Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Petroville Playtime.

• 
  Antique Mommy

• 50 Things In 50 Years

  Antique Mommy

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:42 am

  I turned 50 a while back. Or maybe I’m going to be 50 soon. I forget which. I like to be coy. Nonetheless, I jotted down a random list of 50 things I’ve learned or observed in 50 years. These things may not be universally true, but they are true for me. * * * * [...]

• Leap

  Antique Mommy

  1 Feb 2010 | 5:53 pm

• Chin In Hand

  Antique Mommy

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:36 am

  Created in about 30 seconds with a free Photoshop action from PanosFX.

• 
  Babylune

• Update on Missing Missouri Baby

  Eliza Ferree

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:11 am

  The missing Missouri Baby, Eddie Salazar Jr. may have been found dead this past Saturday in the Spring River. The tiny body was found washed up and wedged under a tree limb. Currently the father is being held in the jail for filing a false missing person report. The unknown baby’s body is going into IMG: Sxc.hu autopsy this morning (10:30 am Central) to determine whether or not this is in fact the same baby that is missing. I’m sure they will announce around noon about the discoveries. Police are holding the father, Eddie Salazar on $100,000 bail so they’ll have time to…

• Baby Deals for February 7-14

  Eliza Ferree

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pm

  It doesn’t surprise me that there aren’t a ton of deals out there for baby deals this week. At least not when you can be buying chips, deals, salsa and all your other SuperBowl Party needs. IMG: Sxc.hu So we have a few baby deals that I found that’ll last until Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget if you wait until the day after Valentine’s day you can stock up on all those adorable Valentine’s Day items that would be perfect for next year. Target: $5.49 Enfamil/Similac formula 32oz Kmart: $7.99 Little Ones Jumbos $9.99 Huggies jumbo $19.99 Huggies big box…

• Amber Alert for Missouri Baby

  Eliza Ferree

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:48 am

  An Amber Alert has been released for an 8-month-old baby boy was stolen from his family home in Carthage, Missouri, when two masked men broke in at 11pm Thursday night and beat up his father. I know many are going to suspect this to be a parental abduction, however the mom was actually working that night and the other child was never harmed. IMG: Sxc.hu Eddie Salazar is an 8-month-old baby boy with dark hair, dark brown eyes. It is being stated that he has a lung-shaped birthmark on his right arm. Carthage Press reports: “What we know is unknown subjects came into this home and took this…

• 
  Tiny Mantras

• Tyger, tyger, burning bright

  TZT

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

  My blogging has been lighter than usual because a couple of weeks ago, I saw my doctor and she told me that my right shoulder is so much lower than my left, she would have thought that I had a severe curvature of the spine. My typing has been slow, my sleep has been poor and and my breaks have been many. Unless today's snow dump somehow derails it, I'm going in for an evaluation with a physical therapist early this afternoon.The last couple of months have been a revolving door of reminders about mortality and health. We've been second-hand witnesses to the passings of three people, one far…

• I hate art scavenger hunts

  TZT

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:08 am

  We had an hour or two to visit an art museum in another city the other day. No sooner had we hung up our coats than one of the volunteers asked my son, "would you like to do a scavenger hunt in the museum today? If you finish it, you get a prize!"Being four and generally highly motivated by reward systems, he looked at me eagerly for permission to say yes. I gave it to him. If I deprived him of that kind of offer, I might as well have kissed my chances at a fun museum visit goodbye. (This scavenger hunt basically asked you to find particular pieces of art in the different galleries, then…

• Creative maladjustment

  TZT

  18 Jan 2010 | 6:34 am

  I hope to remain creatively maladjusted until it's no longer necessary.Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Subscribe in a reader Copyright Tracy Zollinger Turner, Tinymantras.com, 2009.

• 
  gwendomama

• How Do You Make Sense Out Of......?

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:17 pm

  One time, I took Supergirl and her sleepover friend over to his office (the cabin next door) so he could sleep in while they played loudly.Couple hours later, he woke up. As always, whenever the white noise was turned off, there was an automatic tensing and clenching in the house. Because then it would begin.Why are there crumbs on the floor? (breakfast and lunch, which I fed them)Why is there so much noise? (kids)Why didn't you start a fire? (hard to chop kindling with a toddler attached to me)What is this on the table and why? (playdoh and because we were playing with it)What mess are you…

• How Scary Was It??

  27 Jan 2010 | 6:32 pm

  I need to say something here, and pardon me in advance for being redundant or painfully obvious.I am so sick and tired of this bullshit. Seriously wearing thin.But what's breaking me down isn't just the hostility and continued manipulation. It's not the bitter insults and accusations about to be hurled at me. It's not even the angry allegations that I am unfit or poisoning the children against him. Things which are so ridiculously untrue don't bother me.What bothers me is his absolute devotion to proving his actions were justified. Putting so much energy for nine months into proving he had to…

• Makes Me Pukey...When being a parent involves fending off the wolves...wait...are wolves narcissistic?

  25 Jan 2010 | 9:41 am

  I am ill. Not legitimately, bonafide pukey ill, or migraine ill, or aching ill - all of these things tied up with a bow.I've written about the confused SIL; the one was involved in the attack on me by her brother. Truthfully, I had underestimated her crazy. I thought we'd be able to speak like adults to one another by now. I refused the offer to put her on a restraining order because, at the time, although I felt betrayed and shocked beyond belief, it seemed to reason that she would come around and accept her part in the debacle. And that she would understand that violence was wrong. I had…

• 
  The Domestic Diva

• Interview with Jeff Corwin

  The Domestic Diva

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:14 am

  Finally. After nearly a week of unsuccessfully fiddling around with this video in various editors, failed upload attempts, and many frustrating moments of giving up… I got the following video of my interview with Jeff Corwin (given to me by the PR folks) converted and uploaded in its entirety (albeit in two parts though due to its size). Who knew that trying to convert a file from .mov to .avi/.wmv would be so incredibly difficult? I am so glad all of these video editing issues are behind ... Thank you for subscribing! You are reading the content summary of this post, please visit…

• 36/365: Heart Attack

  The Domestic Diva

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:11 pm

  Today’s photo is February inspired. It’s the month of love, filled with chocolate covered goodies. Nom, nom, nom. What is your favorite Valentine’s Day treat? Thank you for subscribing! You are reading the content summary of this post, please visit http://thedomesticdiva.org to finish reading this article.

• Sports Party idea: Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip recipe

  The Domestic Diva

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  Remember sometime last year when I mentioned that I had partnered with Velveeta on an online campaign called the Velveeta it! Kitchenistas? Well guess what we (5 fabulous ladies) are back and this time we were asked to create several video blogs (vlogs) to share fun and interesting recipe ideas using Velveeta. My first vlog is centered around sports. Sports brings people together and it’s also a really great time to throw a party. But if you are like me, you want to spend less time ... Thank you for subscribing! You are reading the content summary of this post, please visit…

• 
  Home Ec 101

• T-Shirt Giveaway Winners

  Heather

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:15 am

  Heather says: I would like to thank all of you for contributing your favorite tightwad tips. I’ll soon compile them into a post for easy consumption -with credit where credit is due, of course. The winners of the randomly drawn and randomly sized t-shirts are comments # 5, 7, 15, 22, 35. Becki Jenn Ashley Alice Dick MmamaLlama Send your shipping information to helpme@home-ec101.com and I will get these into the mail.

• Sunday Confessional and Site Admin, Now All in One

  Heather

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:14 am

  Heather says: Remember how I harp weekly on the premise that despite our attempts to fool others, we’re not perfect? I am currently in Nashville for the Blissdom Conference and while attending sessions, pretending like I have it all-together, wearing real-live-grown-up  clothes and everything. I left my power supply in one of the rooms.* There have been sheepish calls to my husband, plenty of inquiry with hotel staff, and as of this moment, the mooching of a laptop from my roommate. We all have our moments of spaz, we can either laugh it off or make ourselves miserable. What do you…

• Tuesday Talk: Tightwad Tips & T-Shirts

  Heather

  2 Feb 2010 | 3:49 am

  Heather says: I think it’s time for a little fun. I have a few t-shirts of various sizes left in my giveaway stash; it’s almost time for me to order a new batch. Leave your favorite tightwad tip as a comment and you’re entered to win one of the Martha Who? Home-Ec101.com t-shirts. The giveaway closes at 11pm on Saturday February 6, 2010. To get the ball rolling here are a few of my favorites: To store onions, use an old (CLEAN!) pair of  panty-hose. Drop an onion down into the toe, tie a knot, and drop in the next, hang when full.  The knots keep the onions from laying on…

• 
  Chicago Moms Blog

• Is Being a Coupon Mom Worthwhile?

  Carrie Kirby

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  We "coupon moms" have gotten a lot of attention in the past 18 months as the financial crisis put saving money to the fore of nearly every American's minds. The Coupon Mom, Stephanie Nelson, recently published a book, and her media tour has resulted in more attention to the whole trend of aggressive bargain hunting at the grocery store.  Seeing the crazy coupon ladies go through a store on TV and pay only a few bucks for a full cart of groceries, the average shopper can't help but wonder if maybe they should get into this bargain-hunting thing too. But is it worth the time invested? A…

• The Sandwich Generation vs. Semantics

  Susan @ 2KoP

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Last week, I officially joined the Sandwich Generation, a growing group of adults who find themselves caring both for their dependent children and their aging parents. For my husband and me, it happened rather suddenly when my mother-in-law's planned two-day hospital stay for sciatica surgery turned into five days in the hospital, an indeterminate time at a rehabilitation center and the need to go home with at least a part-time caregiver. Can you say "unprepared"? Because that's what we were  totally unprepared.We shouldn't have been, because the woman is 80 years old. Granted, she is in…

• Help! I Have to Potty Train a Boy!

  melanie myatt

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:43 am

  I am the mother of three kids.  This means that, at least by a couple people, I am considered something of an expert in the realm of parenting.  I don't know if having a lot of kids makes me any more qualified to give advice than a parent of one child, but I am happy to admit that I have learned a few things in my seven years of parenting, that I am happy to pass on to others.This is certainly the way I have felt about potty training.  Since my two oldest, who happen to be girls, were mostly potty trained in about a day, I have (as humbly as possible) offered my best tips and advice to…

• 
  DC Metro Moms

• Kindergarten Ready?

  Stimey

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  My youngest son, Quinn, is scheduled to go to kindergarten next fall. I am literally counting down the days, tapping my toes impatiently, and drumming my fingernails on the table waiting for the day that all three of my kids will depart the house every morning at 8:30 and not return until after 3. I'm really excited. So imagine my dismay when Quinn's preschool teacher called me in for a conference and told me, "He seems young. Maybe you should think about keeping him back from kindergarten for a year." I may have passed out after I heard that. I reawakened to her continuing with, "Think about…

• Multiple Snogasms

  Thien-Kim

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:57 pm

  I'm sure you've heard by now, that after our blizzard this weekend with 28"+ of snow, another giant bucket of the heavy white stuff will be dumped onto the DC Metro area. The National Weather Service is calling for anywhere between 10-20" of snow starting noon on Tuesday.Sure, we've been poking fun of the snow on Twitter and Facebook. The blizzard has accumulated quite a collection of hashtags: #snowpocalypse, #snotoriousBIG, #snOMG, #snowmaggedon and my personal favorite, #snogasm.But aren't "gasms" supposed to be, um, pleasurable? We're in our fifth day of being snowed in, and the…

• You've Got to Be Crazy to Homeschool in a Top School District, Right?

  Julie

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:13 pm

  With DC snowpocalypse II slated to begin tomorrow (10-20 inches!), I'm relieved. Why?  Because school is already canceled well into mid-week and I know the more snow we get, the greater the chance school might be canceled again.    Like so many parents who can't wait to ship their kids back to school, I do seriously miss the semblance of household normalcy and routine that come with school hours--not to mention the opportunity to use the bathroom, sip a warm beverage or respond to an email without a steady stream of interruption.  However, I don't miss my…

• 
  NYC Moms

• Not in My Backyard

  Marinka

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  Now that it has been determined that the terror trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will not be held in NYC, I've been asking myself if I'm relieved or disturbed.Let me explain.  I live in New York City, one express subway stop away from where the trial had been scheduled to take place.  I took the news that the trial would be scheduled there in stride.  Other terrorists have been tried and convicted in that Courthouse. There has always been tremendous police presence in the area, escalated, of course, after September 11th. "How could you not be upset?" My mother-in-law, safely ensconced in…

• Gifted? Or just lucky?

  Deborah Quinn

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  The playgrounds buzzed last week with chatter about New York magazine’s article “The Myth of the Gifted Child,” which hit news stands just as families all over the city are gearing up to have their four-year-olds tested for admission into the so-called “gifted and talented programs” – the public schools with special "smart kid" programs of study. The article claims that testing such young children doesn’t make sense for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that “the minds of nursery-school age children are far too raw to be judged.” But in New York, if you want…

• Ill-Prepared, Again

  Helen P

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:18 am

  Many Manhattan families have one nanny per a child.  “It helps with the scheduling,” they reason.  I do not.  I have one nanny for two children and I still cringe at the word nanny.  It sounds so privileged and as a harried mother of two working sporadically at home, I don’t feel privileged.  Logistically, I’d much rather have a massage at the gym instead of paying my nanny to watch the kids.  While I don’t divert the funds to the masseuse, I still ensure that I have at least one day a week without help. Usually a day with lots of activities scheduled.   I tried to enroll the…

• 
  BabyCenter: MOMformation

• The government has a piece of your baby

  Beth Hering

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:34 am

  Did you know that right now a sample of your baby’s DNA might be sitting in a government lab?   I didn’t either until I read this CNN article. The government mandates that DNA be taken from all newborns and screened for a variety of potentially harmful conditions. Some parents never realize the collection was made until their pediatrician [...]

• Photo caption contest: And the winner is…

  Grace Blasco

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am

  This little gal means business. We asked you, why is she putting on her serious face?   From Pramilla, this week’s winning caption is:   “Terminator — The Beginning”   Stay tuned tomorrow for a new photo caption contest featuring one of your most caption-worthy photos. And don’t forget to check out these other great captions and last week’s winner.

• Should fatherhood have an age limit?

  Betsy Shaw

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:59 am

  We’ve gotten used to discussing the age of mothers, and the pros and cons that go along with having children early, late, or right on time, whatever that is.   But what about dads? Are men completely free to reproduce whenever they damn well please without fear or judgment, or both? It certainly seems that way.   But, being [...]

• 
  Stimeyland

• The Eye of the Storm

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:37 am

  I gotta tell ya', I'm ready to leave my house. There are only so many hours out of the day that we can play in the snow. We're running out of dry clothes. We're running out of hot chocolate. My kitchen floor has had dirty water tracked in on it so many times that I've just given up entirely.School has been canceled for today and tomorrow. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is supposed to snow again on Tuesday and Wednesday, which doesn't leave me a lot of hope for school at all this week. At first I heard that we were supposed to get a couple of inches. But it seems like every…

• Tenacity

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am

• Snowmageddon II: Snowmageddon*

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:56 pm

  I am so entertained by the state of panic into which the DC area has been thrown by the threat of a blizzard. Team Stimey responded by building a Snow Bunny.It is possibly the greatest bit of snow architecture that Team Stimey (meaning Alex, Jack, and Quinn, in this case) has ever produced.I do question the fact that they created a snout, a carrot nose, and a raisin smiley face. (The snow bunny looks a little like a giant Pooh Bear.)The snow bunny was Jack's idea. He loved it. He hugged it. That kid makes me soft and gooshy inside.So now we have a snow bunny sentry. Complete with bushy little…

• 
  a little pregnant

• Carrier smidgen

  Julie

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  OkaybutsoIwas downtown a couple of days ago with Ben, leaving the library after story time. I stopped outside to get him into the Ergo carrier, a maneuver which, when performed solo, can, I admit, look alarming — like, drop-your-baby-on-his-head-on-the-cold-unforgiving-cobblestones alarming....

• Chopsticks, also known as nimble lads

  Julie

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:32 am

  There's something I don't get about the Tim Tebow story, and maybe you can help me out. In case you're not familiar with it — in case you know even less about major professional sporting events than I do, which...

• Somewhere in this post there is cake, but also angry bees

  Julie

  20 Jan 2010 | 8:35 am

  We are so thrilled to be able to share with you that Ali McMutrie and the children from the Brebis de Saint-Michel de L’Attalaye (BRESMA) orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, arrived safely at Pittsburgh International Airport a short while ago. This...

• 
  Smiley Cat

• Web Button Design Showcase

  31 Jan 2010 | 7:40 pm

  Buttons are a small but critical part of a web site design. In the best designs they create a strong call-to-action — add to cart, sign up, or learn more — as well being one of the details that reinforces the overall quality of the design.Zendesk button Here are over 60 examples of great web button design to provide some ideas and inspiration for attractive buttons to enhance your next web page design. Elements of Design Looking for examples of good design of the various elements that make up a web site? Check out my Elements of Design showcase. It covers a range of areas, from…

• Nexus One vs. iPhone: How do the Websites Compare?

  10 Jan 2010 | 7:40 pm

  Now that the iPhone has a true competitor in the Nexus One, I thought it would be interesting to see how their home pages compared. What is Google doing from an online standpoint to take on the smart phone market leader?When I first viewed the Nexus One home page I was struck by how utilitarian it looked. The logo, the hero image of the phone, even the 'buy now' button — there is nothing compelling about what's being presented. This really surprised me for such a major product launch. Nexus One home page Compare this to the iPhone home page, which oozes quality. The logo is bold and…

• SmileyCat Website 2009 Uptime Report

  1 Jan 2010 | 1:22 pm

  I just got my 2009 yearly uptime report for this website. It was offline for a total of 6 minutes and 3 seconds, which is better than 99.99% uptime! Thanks Verve Hosting — this is why I've been with you since 2001 without a thought of swapping to another provider. If you're not monitoring your site's uptime, I use Host Tracker, which monitors up to two URLs for free.

• 
  Mama Drama

• If I Had A Nickel...

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:28 am

  by Margaret, Mommy to a Curious, Mobile 13 month Old If I had a nickel for every time we said one of these phrases, we'd be R-I-C-H... - No-No - Don't Touch - Get Down - Thank you - Please...

• Indoor wrestling

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:02 am

  by min, who can tangle up a whole skein of yarn just by looking at it. On Mondays a small handful of us bloggers still enjoy playing a game called FunMonday. I n this game, one blogger will come up...

• Shopping solo

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:02 am

  by min, single mother who can't even manage to get the grocery carts apart Back when I had kids...that is...when I had kids living at home, going to the grocery store was a pretty big deal. Unless the kids had...

• 
  Llama Momma

• asking for help

  Llama Momma

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:31 am

  I read somewhere that women would rather choke to death (literally) than call attention to themselves. I believe it. Recently, a friend (who will remain nameless*) was up all night in pain. She didn't call a friend to drive her to the ER because she didn't want to bother anyone. She waited until morning to send an email asking for help. She didn't want anyone to be alarmed by a late-night or early morning phone call even though it was, um, an emergency.I gave her a terrible time the next day, and I'm hopeful that next time, she will call when she has an emergency. I like to think I would, but…

• praying for Haiti

  Llama Momma

  24 Jan 2010 | 11:45 am

  As I read the stories of the Haitian people, I'm amazed at their strength. Not just through this earthquake, but through life. I've been following this blog and continue to pray for the people on the front lines of this tragedy. May God's hope shine brighter than the darkness.

• when things go wrong

  Llama Momma

  21 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am

  Here’s a paradox: some of our happiest memories as a family are created when things go wrong. Is this true for you too? Thankfully, we didn’t have any big problems on our recent trip to Disney…just the typical “stuff” that happens when you’re traveling. Here are a few of the highlights that we’re still laughing about:Chicken. All I have to do is ask Twin A. if he wants some chicken and he busts up laughing. We were eating at Paradise Pier one night, and he ordered a “toddler” serving of macaroni and cheese—the only size they sold—and when he opened the box, there was a…

• 
  The Mommy Blog

• TAX FAIL

  mindy@themommyblog.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am

  In my packing zeal, I boxed up my 2009 tax paperwork. FAIL.

• Parents Ask: The Food Battle: What Works? What Doesn’t?

  mindy@themommyblog.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:48 pm

• Does anyone remember this?

  mindy@themommyblog.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:49 am

  The goddamn fucking gate has been off the fence all this time and someone just stole my gas BBQ. It was here before I left for mom’s birthday dinner last night. All I needed was to get the stupid thing back on the post. People offered to help but I didn’t stand there with a whip and it didn’t happen. I literally cannot lift it myself. And now the 16-foot storage POD will be here within the hour, along with Dylan and Daphne, who are sick. My ex is bringing them here so he can have phone calls. And one of my children just received one of the worst behavior reports ever and I…

• 
  My Name is Mommy

• Union Street Photography Blog

  Kerri

  23 Jan 2010 | 10:03 pm

  Hey all, This is me announcing the launch of my photo blog.  I hope you’ll join me for more fun and possibly games there (might have to restart the game that Rantz broke over here ). Have a great week.

• I’m so funny…

  Kerri

  19 Jan 2010 | 5:45 pm

  I am.  Really.  Because remember how I said I wasn’t gonna count calories and was just making small changes to get healthy?  Yeah,  right here’s where I said that.  You giggled, too, didn’t you?  Because you know what happens when I try to get healthy (okay, really, I mean lose weight) and don’t count calories?  I eat brownies.  And ice cream.  And pizza.  And bananas with Nutella.  That’s what happens. So, as of tomorrow, I’m counting calories yet again.  Calorie King is what I’m back to.  It’s really the only thing that’s…

• Poultry Anatomy

  Kerri

  13 Jan 2010 | 6:13 pm

  So, I’m eating a chicken leg and my four year old starts looking at me curiously. Me: “What?” Luke: “Is that a chicken finger?” Me: “No.” Luke: “Is that a, um…………….one of those things that you get at the pizza place?” Me: “A chicken wing?” Luke: “Yes. “ Me: “No.” (Now I’m the one with the confused look on my face.) Luke: “Is it kinda like a chicken wing?” Me: “ummmmm….kinda…..” It’s a sad day when you realize the only parts of…

• 
  Parent Hacks

• Layer cotton pants and skirts to keep them from falling down

  Asha Dornfest {Parent Hacks}

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:21 am

  You know something good's afoot when kids start coming up with their own hacks. From Bethany: My oldest daughter actually came up with this one! She is really petite and we were given lots hand-me-down cotton pants, leggings, and other pants that lack belt loops. Since I’m not great at sewing I’ve struggled to find a way to keep her pants from falling down. She recently began to layer her clothes – multiple pants/shorts/skirts on all at the same time – and she realized that when she put bloomers on under her pants, the cotton “stuck” to the cotton and her pants no longer fell…

• Skyrest Travel Pillow works well as a kids' travel footrest (no more kicking the seat in front)

  Asha Dornfest {Parent Hacks}

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am

  Dave's got a great idea for solving the "restless feet" problem on road and plane trips: We know of the problems that are caused by children's feet dangling off their car seats. But there are few alternatives on the market and they are expensive and fit few vehicles. The Skyrest Travel Pillow works great in any vehicle. Just turn it upside-down and inflate it to fill the space and reach your child's feet. The bottom is easy care vinyl. No more dangling feet kicking and resting on the back of the front seat. We have noticed our kids are less restless on the long trips.

• links for 2010-02-08

  Asha Dornfest {Parent Hacks}

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

  kidyos - the best of the web for kids Pre-screened videos, games and educational content for 1-6 YO kids. Thanks, Oren! Baby Toolkit: Dock those tails: Streamlining adjustable elastic pants YES! My no-waist daughter always has these thingies sticking out. Thank you, Adrienne (by way of Tracy)! Smart-Bottom Enterprises: Personal ABC Books I always admire when parents put time into projects like these. Thanks for sharing, Darcy! glue sky » Fixing Crazy Action Figure Eyes Hilarious. Sharpies to the rescue! Cook Play Explore: Avoiding Mealtime Battles Interesting...may help some, although in my…

• 
  SharpMom.com

• Assisted Living in Arizona

  Katie

  22 Jan 2010 | 9:25 am

  Are you looking for assisted living in Arizona for a family member. Then look no further then Colten Day Care Facility.  I came across this very website www.coltenadultcare.com when I was searching for assisted living in Phoenix and doing some extensive research on some of the top rated assisted living facilities in the state and  [...]

• Homeschooling Curriculum: There are Many Different Options

  admin

  31 Dec 2009 | 7:02 am

  Over the past 15 years as a homeschooling parent, I’ve looked at a lot of different homeschooling curriculum programs. We tried a lot of different ones and finally settled on our own unique hybrid that’s a little different for each one of our 4 kids. I have one child who’s an avid reader, one who’s interested [...]

• Stretch Marks Double Action by Mustela

  Katie

  15 Jan 2009 | 1:33 pm

  Pregnancy is great, but the stretch marks? Not so much. Mustela’s Stretch Marks Double Action cream is designed to help you worry less about the havoc your burgeoning belly is wreaking on your bikini body and spend more time eagerly anticipating the arrival of your little one and thinking about the day you will pop [...]

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  Thrifty Mommy

• Menu Plan Monday ~ February 8, 2010

  Karen Weideman

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am

  Happy Monday everyone. In case you’re just joining in, this is week six of consistent menu planning.  At first this process was difficult, but it’s becoming easier now. It takes a lot of stress away from my evenings since I already know what we’re having to eat and I’m not searching through cabinets trying put together a meal. Some of this week’s menu is from last week. I went grocery shopping at Harris Teeter last week. They had some great buy 1 get 1 free bargains so our menu got changed around a bit. This week we’re having: Monday:  breakfast –…

• Child Support Resources

  Jennifer Chait

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:09 pm

  If you’re a single parent you may be entitled to child support which can help out a lot. Sadly, it’s not always easy to get the support you need or deserve for your kids. With this in mind following are some resources that can help. Establish paternity: If you’re a mama then establishing paternity is the first best step toward getting child support. Know what you can get: Before making a deal of any sort with the father or mother of your kids make sure you know what’s reasonable. Many people make shoddy deals for child support such as, “Oh Bill agreed to give me…

• Unemployment rate falls to a five-month low

  Jennifer Chait

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am

  In semi-shocking news that broke yesterday, the unemployment rate fell to a five-month low of 9.7%. This may suggest that some labor market improvement starting to take root. However before everyone gets too excited consider that President Obama noted yesterday that, “These numbers, while positive, are a cause for hope, but not celebration… far too many of our neighbors and friends and family are still out of work.” Obama also warned that the jobs statistics “Will fluctuate for months to come.” Of course others aren’t so thrilled with the numbers either or…

• 
  Mombian

• Even the Mulleted Deserve Equality

  Dana

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:03 am

  Sometimes, in our efforts to correct one instance of intolerance, we forget others. Two weeks ago, a Miami-Dade judge declared Florida’s anti-gay adoption law unconstitutional and allowed Vanessa Alenier to adopt the one-year-old she and her partner Melanie Leon have been fostering. The ultra-conservative Orlando’s Florida Family Policy Council (FPC) sent out an alert to its members last week, describing the ruling. It included a photo of a lesbian couple sporting mullets the likes of which I haven’t seen for many years. Neither woman is smiling, and I doubt most people would…

• Teen Sexuality: Hard Truths and Warm Love

  Dana

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:09 am

  I’m very pleased today to bring you a guest post by Lori Hahn, who has blogged at Hahn at Home for several years, and is now also a co-editor of the new GLBT blog Our Big Gayborhood. Lori writes below of teen sexuality—an area in which I have no expertise as a parent. I’m grateful for hers. I’ve marveled over the past few years as I grew my three beautiful, loving, delightful multi-racial adopted kids through their junior high years and then high school years, where one is gone and two are closing in on that mortarboard and tassel. Always knowing in my logical mind that sex…

• In Memoriam: Brendan Burke

  Dana

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pm

  Last November, I posted about Brian Burke, the gruff president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who very publicly supported his gay son Brendan, a hockey player for Miami University. Today I just learned of the sad news that Brendan was killed in a weather-related two-car accident in Indiana Friday afternoon. My deepest condolences to Brendan’s family, who loved him unconditionally.

• 
  Pajama Mommy

• How to Speak to Children about Tragedy, in the Wake of the Haiti Disaster.

  Sandy

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Talking to children about tragedy is a job most parents would love to avoid. If only our children did not need to hear about things like this week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. But of course, they do hear. And they are full of questions: Could this happen to me? What’s going to happen to the children? Can I do anything to help the children I see on TV? World Vision US, a Christian humanitarian relief organization with Hundreds of staff on the ground in Haiti, suggests eight ways to make a tough Job a little bit easier. 1.Start by listening. Find out what your kids already…

• Myths of Disaster Relief :Aid Groups Address Public Stereotypes about Overseas Disasters.

  Sandy

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  SEATTLE– As they rush to save lives in the wake of the Haiti earthquake, aid workers also must address myths about disaster relief among the American public. Edward Brown, relief director for Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision, debunks five myths around disaster relief. 1. Collecting blankets, shoes and clothing is a cost-effective way to help The costs of shipping these items from around the country – let alone the time it takes to sort, pack and ship them – is prohibitive and entails much higher cost than the value of the goods themselves. World Vision has relief…

• The Sims 3 and Sims 3 Expansion Pack by Electronic Arts

  Sandy

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Some people were very excited when The Sims 3 came out, and then were uber excited when the expansion pack became available.  My daughter Reana is a Sims freak, and I say that in the kindest way.  When she found out I was to review this game and expansion pack she just about screamed.  I love video games and I play my Nintendo DSI and also play games with my grandson on his Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii.  But, I was kind and let my daughter play this one first, and she really enjoyed it.  She did say there were some issues with the expansion pack, but they were no big deal.  She had…

• 
  Ask NeenMachine

• High School Orientation

  Neena

  21 Jan 2010 | 9:16 pm

  Copyright © 2010 Neena. Visit the original article at http://neenmachine.com/2010/01/22/high-school-orientation/.High school! Yikes! I just went to the welcome meeting at the high school. Yup – my son will be in ninth grade next year. I sat next to a family that I met when our boys were starting preschool. It really doesn’t seem like it was that long ago. And the next chapter begins. If you liked this post, please share it with others: No Related Post

• Justice For Girls Coupon

  Neena

  21 Jan 2010 | 8:59 pm

  Copyright © 2010 Neena. Visit the original article at http://neenmachine.com/2010/01/21/justice-for-girls-coupon-2/. Here is a Justice for Girls coupon for 40% off your entire purchase. I have no details as to how long this promo is running but I wanted to give a little shout. I have added the button to my sidebar as well for easy access. Enjoy! If you liked this post, please share it with others: Justice for Girls CouponsJustice For Girls Coupon

• Digital Planner

  Neena

  7 Jan 2010 | 7:43 am

  Copyright © 2010 Neena. Visit the original article at http://neenmachine.com/2010/01/07/digital-planner/.By now most people are using a digital planner for organizing their busy schedules. What was once reserved for business professionals only is now mainstream thanks to devices like the iPhone. The increased competition has caused prices to drop considerably the Blackberry and Palm devices as well – thus making them affordable to the masses. Other phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, and Samsung are also offering some slick new devices that have planning tools built right in as…

• 
  finslippy

• I often have my head through the arm hole.

  Alice Bradley

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  if you want to know what a typical afternoon with Scott and me is like, here: please watch the first two minutes of this scene from A New Leaf. In case you're wondering: yes, Scott's the Walter Matthau character. And when he's not fixing my clothes, he's cutting the tags hanging off me or pulling food out of my hair. Unlike the Walter Matthau character, he doesn't want me dead. I am quite lucky. If you haven't seen A New Leaf, all I can say is: What? Oh, no. You must get right on that.

• Meal planning and more

  Alice Bradley

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:38 am

  If you're interested, here are some Momversation videos. You know, if you want to. I'm not going to push them. You are free to do as you like. The first one is on meal planning. In this one, Karen refers to an article about a woman who plans her family's meals a year in advance, and wonders if any of us do anything similar, albeit less insane. I had some opinions. If I seem judgmental, you should have seen the raw video, where I insisted that the woman in question was either a "liar" or a "dangerous criminal." Then I amended that to "dangerous lunatic." I STAND BY MY PREVIOUS ASSERTIONS.

• Your honor, spare my son!

  Alice Bradley

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  While walking home from school, Henry and I start talking about tightrope walking. Naturally. Me: you know, a guy walked between the twin towers on a tightrope. Henry: I know. And he died. Me: No, he didn't. He made it over. Henry: I thought he died. Me: No, just got arrested. Henry: Wouldn't he rather have been dead than be in jail for LIFE?! Me: Wait, what? No one was in jail for life. I don't think he was in jail at all, actually. Henry: I think he should have stared at the cops at the other end of the tightrope, and he should have said, "Well, here goes nothing," then spread his arms out…

• 
  The Pioneer Woman

• My Hometown Signing

  Ree

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am

    First, is it my hometown if I live there now but didn’t grow up there? Because I also call the town where I grew up “my hometown.” But this town—this town nearest our ranch—this is my hometown, too. What does it all mean? Who am I, anyway? Where do I belong? Okay, second. During the course of my six-week book tour in November and December, I chronicled road trips and hotel rooms and the people I met and the food I ate like no one’s business. My camera was attached to my hip the entire time, because…uh…why would I blog for 3 1/2 years,…

• Ever See a Deer Jump Over a Fence?

  Ree

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:38 am

  If so, these photos will be nothing new.     But if not…     You might enjoy this glimpse into what it’s like to be truly free.     Oh, sure—deer have plenty to worry about. They’re skittish, programmed to live on high alert in anticipation of looming predators. That’s why they took off as soon as they saw me. Either that, or they didn’t like my hair color. It’s been known to happen.   By “truly free”, I mean they aren’t shackled by the chains that inevitably wind their way around the human…

• From the Standpoint of a Sausage

  Ree

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am

  The Beast. It sees.     And plots its wicked course.     With one chomp, I’m gone forever.     Contrition dies with me.     My aunt. Dear Bea.   I watch. Watch from the Great Beyond.     The Beast, he plots again.     Flee, Aunt Bea. Flee!     His evil knows no bounds!     With no regret, he chomps.   And gobbles down my kin.     Cousin Jill!     Grandpa Hank!     Uncle Bill!     Brother Frank!     The Beast grows ever fatter.   No guilt bars…

• 
  GoodyBlog

• Mango Mania

  Cheryl Lock

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:04 am

  Okay, so it’s been winter now for about, what, FIVE YEARS? At least it feels that way here on this freezing cold morning. And what with good ole’ Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow and everything, who knows what else we’re in store for? I’ve decided to break out of my winter rut by eating something that reminds me of warmer weather—mangos! Delicious, nutritious mangos are available year-round at the grocery store, not just when the sun is shining and the temps are above freezing. With a newly revised site, the National Mango Board is doing all they can to help kids…

• Goody Green: Box of Chocolate Wishes

  Taryn Mohrman

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Before you buy a traditional box of chocolates for your kids this Valentine’s Day, check out this super sweet, sugar-free version! Uncommon Good’s Box of Chocolate Wishes (made from recycled cardboard and paper fiber) encourages you play cupid and write loving notes to your little one (or spouse) on chocolate-scented paper, then tuck them into the honeycomb-like compartments for safe-keeping. Use the heart as a wishing wall all year round or stowe it away until next Valentine’s Day!

• Good Deed Monday: My Fair-Trade Valentine

  Wendy Toth

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:12 pm

  I am a lover of holidays, especially the holiday of love. So it’s no surprise that in the years I was single I started my own Valentine’s Day tradition, sending messages to say “I love you,” to all the honeys in my life: both my grandmas, my sister, my best friend (living two cities away), you get the idea. This year I’m happy to say I found the perfect Fair Trade Cards, made in Haiti by members of the sewing cooperative, Cooperative d’Artisanat. Not only are they gorgeous and hand-beaded but when you buy these or any Haitian product through eBay World of…

• 
  Momfinds.com

• Latest from SheFinds

  farah@momfinds.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm

  Top Five Chain Strap Purses For Every Style Personality Chain-strap purses are the way to go if you’re in the market for a new bag. You can choose from every style imaginable, from the perfect little clutch to a spacious tote for everyday use. Here are a few of our favorites, each of which is practically made to suit a particular personality. What To Buy Your Guy For Valentine’s Day Even if he fumbles in the gift department, this list helps make sure that you don’t. The key here is to keep it simple–many guys never go shopping for themselves, so help them out by getting them some fun…

• Find of the Day: A Handmade Birth Plaque

  farah@momfinds.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm

  What: Handmade Birth Plaque Why: For a minimal, yet very special and elegnat way to announce your baby’s arrival to the world, try these handmade birth plaques. Choose a motif like a bee, a footprint, or a lady bug, among others, and then fill in your baby’s name and stats. They look great hanging in baby’s nursery and make a great keepsake after your little one is older. If you have a new mommy friend, they’re also a unique gift she’s sure to treasure. Price: $75 Get Yours: etsy.com Get More MomFinds: Find of the Day: Spanx Slim Cognito Body Suit Find of the Day: Step into…

• Deal of the Day: Save Up to 40% On Maternity Clothes at OldNavy.com

  farah@momfinds.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  Yesterday we showed you some of the awesome baby and kids finds on sale at OldNavy.com, but if you’re expecting, there are great deals for you, too! Check out these stylish clothes that will keep you looking great (and under budget) during your pregnancy. This peasant top (was $27, now $15) is the perfect transitional piece. Wear it now with a cardigan, then in spring without. Looking for a great, affordable pair of jeans (was $33, now $25)? These are great quality, great fitting and the price can’t be beat. If you’re due this summer and need a dress to get you through those…

• 
  Friday Playdate

• “This is a pen!”

  Susan

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:08 am

  We’re all excited about The Lightning Thief, but not just because the movie looks great. These are easily the best books my kids have ever read, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to your kids. We also recommend that you read them with your kids, because they’re that good.

• pretty things

  Susan

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:38 pm

  Victoria’s Secret Cotton Mayfair Pajamas, $39 LOFT Sweater Cardigan, $69 Cotton Cashmere Pants, Ann Taylor, $58 J. Crew Silk Pajama Pants, $88

• I have no idea who Gandalf is

  Susan

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:32 pm

  Last night, Wade and I watched “Digital Nation” on Frontline — if you missed this, it’s worth 90 minutes of your life; you can watch the entire documentary at PBS.org. (Online, even! How ironic is that?) Wade and I had to pause the DVR a couple of times to talk about what we were seeing (omg GEEKS). I wasn’t buying the idea that Second Life is the solution to the virtual office — frankly, I don’t think adding avatars to conference calls will make them any less annoying, or will make me feel any closer to the people I work with but never see in person.

• 
  Design Mom

• Book of the Week — All The World

  Design Mom

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:18 am

  I've fallen in love with this sweet new book by Liz Garton Scanlon, called All the World. (I've fallen in love with Marla Frazen's illustrations as well.) Reading it is very calming. The perfect book to read right before naptime. It's a book you'll be glad is on your bookshelves.

• XOXO

  Design Mom

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm

  Two more ideas for kids to give to classmates: these perfect XOXO pencils from Simple Song Designs.And these barely pink Lovemallows by Kelly.

• Ask Design Mom — Calendars

  Design Mom

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:08 am

  Ask-Design-Mom-Question:I'm looking for the perfect wall calendar that has beautiful pictures and squares for writing in each day. Have you found anything unique out there? Thanks! — CarolineDesign Mom Answer:Great question, Caroline. Embarrassingly, I am super late to the calendar shopping game this year. I mean, goodness gracious, it's February! Please excuse me. And now to your question. Since you're looking for squares to write in, here are four beautiful options:-This pretty patterned one by Letter C Design.-A colorful, illustrated calendar by Jess Gonacha.-Monthly illustrations…

• 
  Dutch Blitz

• Two Worlds Colliding

  angella

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:10 pm

  I have been back at the office (I should call it The Office because oh, the hilarity I would share if I could) “full-time” for a month now. “Full-time” is in quotes because during the first four weeks I was back I went to Portland and then to California and have only worked one five-day week. That week was awesome. Or, exhausting. Same difference. My work life is chugging along pretty smoothly. I’m back in an environment that I’ve floated in and out of for the past nine years and am working with people who have known me for that amount of time. That in…

• The Bachelor

  angella

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:02 pm

  Over at Work It! Mom: Would you be a “contestant” on the Bachelor?

• La Coquette Discount

  angella

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

  Tamara was so encouraged and flattered by the comments made about La Coquette Boutique that she wants to spoil you all (Like she spoiled me). If you enter the code DUTCHBLITZ at checkout between Sunday the 7th and Wednesday the 10th of February, you will get 15% off of your order. Don’t forget that all orders over $25 in the month of February are entered to win a $50 gift card at La Coquette Boutique. She’s just starting out, so your odds are good. (Side note: I made an error on my original post – shipping is free for orders over $50 in both Canada and the U.S. (I had…

• 
  temporarily me dot com

• Love, Elsewhere

  samantha

  27 Jan 2010 | 6:52 pm

  Mike and I officially started dating on my 18th birthday, we were still in college and still very much in lust. Our relationship grew fast and within months we were engaged. Not even a couple weeks after our engagement, Mike was finished his final year of college and off to work. On the other side of the country. But, we were dedicated to each other and we made it work. We made the best of late evening phone calls lasting well into the wee morning hours. We made the best of accepting that this was short term and trusting that, no matter the distance, we were faithful to each other. One night,…

• Stepping up my game

  samantha

  26 Jan 2010 | 6:29 pm

  Since leaving high school and attending post-secondary school at the age of 18, I have, more often than not, been the youngest person in my close knit group of friends. Sometimes by gaps of four years or more. It’s really not been something I spend too much time on until it’s brought up; for example, in conversation or I’m outright asked and the resulting reaction is something along the lines of: Holy shit, you’re only (insert age here)?! But in all honesty, I really don’t care if you’re 2, 5, 8, or 50 years older than me (or younger for that matter. But 50…

• Clouded

  samantha

  24 Jan 2010 | 10:12 am

  I crave to write. I think about it constantly. I dream of a finished office space, white furniture with wall-to-wall white shelving filled with my books and my magazines. I dream of pristine walls with a slight hint of turquoise. I dream of a wide open window with lightweight sheers and a white orchid sitting on the sill. I see myself sitting at a glass top desk, lightly tapping out my mediocrity for all of the Internet. In my head, that space will make it all better. That space will bring me back to the spot where I want to write again. In that space I will work, providing others with their…

• 
  MommyCosm

• 100 Words: Darkness

  THE Mommy

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

  It's been AGES since I've participated in the 100 Word Challenge over at Velvet Verbosity.  Actually, it's been a while since I've taken the time to write much fiction at all - including a novel I started last year.  Oy. Anyhow.  This week's challenge: Darkness.  I've dusted off my writing brain to give it a shot. Here it goes: I awoke gasping for air.  My eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness of my bedroom.   Clarity set in.  It was the middle of the night.  I had been dreaming.  Of him.  Again.  He was right there.  It was as if…

• The Four Way Test of the things we Think, Say or Do

  THE Mommy

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:10 am

  I found something that resonated with me while doing author research for work.  It was within a 2004 Phoenix Rotary newsletter that happened to contain information about one of the authors.  Random.  But it jumped out at me. Words to live by.  I love it.

• Follow up to Lost Mojo post

  THE Mommy

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  Disclaimer: If you know Ashlie and Jake in real life, you might want to skip this post.  It's a bit personal.  It talks about sex.  And marriage.  And might be WAY more than you want to know about the two of us. So, last January I was really struggling and wrote a post titled Lost Mojo or How often do married couples with kids have sex?  It was probably the most personal post I had written here at Mommycosm.  Surprisingly, it has been the post that generates the most long-term traffic as well. You wouldn't believe how many hits the post gets in the wee hours of the morning - mostly men…

• 
  Boss Sanders

• Where Are You, God?

  bosssanders

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:56 am

  Last night, as Lorelei was finishing up supper, I told her there was a surprise waiting for her outside…. L:  Prize outside?  For ME?  *excitement growing* From mommy?! A:  Well, there’s a surprise outside, but it’s not really from me.  It’s from God, I just want to show you. L:  Prize! Prize! *dancing around the room* A: (as I open the door) Look, Lorelei! L:  Where’s God?  I don’t see him! A:  No, sis…the SNOW!!  God sent SNOW!  Isn’t that fun? L:  Yeh, but where’s God, mama? A:  Sweetie…you can’t SEE God. …

• 30 Days To A Better Marriage (Day 22)

  bosssanders

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:24 am

  Greet your spouse with love. Today, when you see or talk to your spouse, focus on greeting them with love and respect.  Pay attention to your body language and your voice.

• 30 Days To A Better Marriage (Day 21)

  bosssanders

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:22 am

  Say “I’m sorry.” Think back over the past 30-60 days - is there anything you need to apologize for? Were you harsh?  Have you been selfish with your time?  Thoughtless?  Did you do something you shouldn’t have? Regardless of how “little” it may seem to you, apologize.

• 
  Whiskey in My Sippy Cup : Surviving Parenting. Kinda.

• Bedazzle Your Posts

  Mr Lady

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:23 am

  This weekend is the Blissdom conference in Nashville, where hoards of women and the unsuspecting dude will meet Tanis and her sparklecorn walking cane, so in honor of that I thought we’d talk about how to bedazzle blog posts and comments. Why? Because sometimes you need flair, and sometimes you’ll want to use this for COMMENTS. You can do almost anything is a blog comment, if you know how. Now, making text change in a post isn’t all that complicated. Most blogging platforms will give you the tools to do it with a click. If you already know all of this stuff, please enjoy…

• The Audacity Of Hope

  Mr Lady

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Sunday is allowance day at our house. Every week, we sit down for dinner and half-way through the kids ‘gently remind’ us that they haven’t received their allowance yet by saying, “Hey, you owe us $5.” They do this because they realize that we’re A) old B) not elephants and C) off our fish oil supplements, and therefore have the memory of your common household door-stop. Luckily for us, our eyeglass prescriptions are up-to-date, so we can see the mountains of boxers and socks piled up on the couch, the pencil shavings cleverly swept behind the trash can and…

• Six Million Dollar Blog

  Mr Lady

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:06 am

  Stronger. Faster. Less copyright-infringinger. For way less than six million. {As always, this blog is designed by Judith Shakespeare. Well, at least until I ruin it.} ©2010 Whiskey in My Sippy Cup : Surviving Parenting. Kinda.. All Rights Reserved. I will seriously hunt you down and spank your ass if you scrape my site. Not the good spanking, either. .

• 
  SECRET AGENT MAMA

• Blissdom 365 Shots

  Mishi

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:48 am

  Blissdom 2010 was an amazing experience.  There are words, there are images, there are moments.  All will be shared.  But, for now, just know that there is verity in the name of this conference.  It was BLISS. Arianne of To Think is to Create Amber of The Run-a-Muck Lotus of I Am Lotus Amy of Doobleh-vay More to come….

• Bullet Points

  Mishi

  4 Feb 2010 | 11:46 pm

  B L I S S is . . . Eating room service with a dear friend and making her laugh Letting a friend know she is loved by encouraging her and lifting her up Helping those that need help Smiling at those that need to see a friendly face Hugging an old friend (and new ones just the same) Doing a job right Making sure you let your people know that you are always there Surrounding yourself with like minded, caring, and generous souls Being strong Being beautiful Being kind Being yourself and absolutely loving who you are!

• “Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?”

  Mishi

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

• 
  Momisodes

• Dumplings for your dumplins

  Momisodes

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:01 pm

  This week is an incredibly special week in our house.  Not only because Valentine’s Day awaits us this weekend, but because Chinese New Year falls on Sunday this year too! So despite my incredibly slow gait these days (I am seriously waddling like a penguin), I am doing my best to prepare special meals and activities filled with love. And nothing says love and celebration like handmade food and… dipping sauce! So in honor of the Chinese tradition of having dumplings on Chinese New Year, I spent most of Sunday preparing a house favorite- Potstickers. **My usual disclaimer:  In case you…

• Eyes wide shut

  Momisodes

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:09 pm

  Focus Sandy. I reluctantly open my eyes and gaze at the clock. And then I allow my heavy lids to fall again. For with eyes closed, the world is much simpler. More like a still photograph of my life. I scan the picture, corner to corner, as if I’m searching for a familiar face in a crowd or just someone who can offer me reassurance. Someone. Anyone.  I would listen to a supernatural voice if it could spell out the right decision to make. In recent weeks, behind this homepage, this post has gone unpublished with only an uploaded image of my 4-year old daughter. I tip toe here while she’s…

• I’ll come up with a title later

  Momisodes

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:11 pm

  There is something to be said about procrastination. At least for me there is, because I can take it to a whole different level. Forget putting something off until the last minute.  I’m talking about putting something off until it’s too late, all the while tackling everything else instead of doing what should be done. In college, it was blatantly clear when I had an important paper due.  I would to spend hours cleaning and organizing my dorm before actually writing the first line of a 20-page paper…usually due the next day. Or tonight, rather than writing this post, I spent the…

• 
  Single Supermama

• bedtime stories

  sydney

  20 Jan 2010 | 10:33 am

  For several months now, Clara has sat on the couch every night for her bedtime story – smushed directly between Kelley and mommy. But even though she’s made sure that Kelley is sitting in his correct spot next to her and that he’s positioned properly for cuddling, she has strictly asked for me to read the story every night. Last night, I got fired as the story reader. Looks like things are official around here. Kelley is even allowed to read the bedtime story.

• happy holidays

  sydney

  15 Dec 2009 | 8:12 am

  Well, we’ve survived half of the holidays so far with four kids between us who have different parentage on either side (his 2 grown-up kids have different moms, mine have different dads) – plus our 3 different sets of parents. Plus mine celebrate 2 religions. Thanksgivings. Check. Hanukkah. Check. Christmases still to come…

• thankful

  sydney

  24 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am

  I am so thankful I can hardly bear it. I’m thankful for my beautiful girls who I love more than I ever knew I was capable of. I’m thankful for a family unique and different – full of steps and halfs and ex’es and inlaws and outlaws that just feels like plain old regular family… where everyone knows they are loved. And I am so thankful to have found a mate who I laugh with until all hours of the night… so thankful that it positively makes me speechless. Yep. Feeling a little gooey-smushey these days. Love to you all, happy thanksgiving!

• 
  Mom Blog

• On EE: A Post For Oprah!

  PetiteMommy

  28 Jan 2010 | 9:40 am

  I've wrote before about my son's Eosinophilic Disorder. Specific posts are Living With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and severe food allergies , Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Foods To Eat, and The Ice Cream Truck Crisis.I don't talk about my son's illness every day. I try not to sound ungrateful and wallow in self-pity when others have it so much worse than us. But as our son's health has declined

• Impasse

  PetiteMommy

  15 Jan 2010 | 12:49 pm

  Our life has been nothing short of crazy and archaic in the past month. In December right before Christmas we lost power for 6 days due to a snowstorm. More recently, we were without water for 8 1/2 days. I've come to the conclusion that this is what happens when you live in an impoverished rural mountain town. Along with the beautiful terrain, the delightful solitude, lack of traffic, and

• Let It Snow!

  PetiteMommy

  7 Dec 2009 | 7:56 am

  We woke up to the first snow of this season on Saturday morning. It was beautiful. I'm hoping we get something like this again on Christmas.The View from our deck.The Snow plow making it's way into our neck of the woods..and I mean that literally. Barney, our mentally-challenged dog, is barking at the snow truck!Grey enjoying the snow. ( FYI: I added a Seventies Photoshop action to this photo.

• 
  Mommy's Martini -- think. write. laugh. love.

• When A Six-Year-Old Asks

  MommyTime

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:52 am

  Son asks, "Mama, how does the baby get out?"Mama gives standard answer that has worked just find since child was three, "the doctor helps it, honey."*pause*"But, how does the baby get in?"And now you know the power of a preposition.* * * * *Driving along a street flanked with modest, ranch-style homes, we pass one with this in the driveway. (Obviously, this picture is not taken in our Michigan town in February.) Son looks at it, turns to me, and says, "And why would they buy that anyway when they aren't even fancy?"* * * * *Nearly every morning, Son wakes up and wants to play video games.

• Holiday Decor: The Good, The Bad, and the Tardy

  MommyTime

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am

  I know plenty of people who remove the obvious Halloween decorations on November 1 (you know, the skeletons, fake tombstones, cotton-batting spider webs, jack-o-lanterns). And then they artfully re-arrange the bales of hay, corn stalks, stacks of gourds, potted mums and other Harvest-type paraphernalia to create a new display that lasts through Thanksgiving. Whereupon they trot out the red bows for the front lamp post, the wreath for the door, and twinkle lights for the long line of shrubs that edges the path to their front door. These decorations stay up through the New Year and until some…

• How to Drive Your Mama Crazy in One Easy Step

  MommyTime

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am

  1. wake her up by lifting her shirt and blowing loud raspberries on her back; bonus speed to crazy if your sister does the same to her belly at the same time1. take the matching Christmas ornaments that play a tinny, high-pitched version of "Jingle Bells" when their bellies are pressed, and repeatedly press the bellies of both ornaments at almost the same time, so that there is a cacophony of Jingle Belling throughout the house1. throw yourself onto the pile of people snuggled in the bed first thing in the morning, and then whiiiiinnnnne, "stop touching meeeeee; I don't want anyone touching…

• 
  The Only Thing I Know: A Mom Blog of Slacker Proportions

• Tuesdays Still Suck. . . Here are Some Business Cards to Make You Feel Better

  Judith Shakespeare

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:28 pm

  I've got carpal tunnel… So this particular Tuesday is particularly suck-y for me. For you, however, I've got 500 free business cards up for grabs, courtesy of UPrinting.com. And to make it even better, if I get at least 50 comments/entries for this post, you'll get a spiffy custom design for your spiffy new business cards courtesy of JudithShakes Designs. ('Cause she and I are totally tight like that.) UPrinting, by the way, is the place for printing business cards online. I recommend them to my clients looking to print online, as well as use them myself- without a…

• It's the Superbowl— and Louisiana smells like bbq and beer.

  Judith Shakespeare

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:12 pm

  In case you've been under a rock somewhere in Canada, you know that the Saints are in the Superbowl for the first time EVER. Everything in the state closed down at 3 this afternoon… And the world smells so good that you wanna stick your head out of the window and hang your tongue out like a dog. Here in Shakespeare-ville, we're bbq'ing the regular goodies as well as duck breast wrapped in jalapeno and bacon. YUM.

• When Wordless is Overrated: Thank ye, ye aulde Spam Gods.

  Judith Shakespeare

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:21 pm

  Click to enlarge "It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: When in somebody else's house you only realize that they have ran out of toilet paper after you have used the toilet." Check your spam folders, people. There may be more in there than just porn.

• 
  Virtual Coach Marketing Steele Academy

• Twitter To Facebook Fan Autoupdating Secrets

  admin

  27 Jan 2010 | 12:28 pm

  Smart niche marketers know it. Huge popular brands know it. Having a Facebook Fan page gives brands an additional fantastic edge in extending their reach to their audience. However, keeping your Facebook Fan page updated with current news and exciting ideas can be tedious at worst.  After all, chances are that you’re already promoting your heart out via your Twitter account, correct? Well then, why not take advantage of that power and have those updates automatically refresh your Facebook Fan page as well? The benefits to this are extraordinary – you can entice more and more…

• Associate O Matic – Supremely EASY Amazon Affiliate Tool

  admin

  8 Dec 2009 | 7:01 am

  Quick!  Check out my nifty neato Coffee Store over at Who Hired Bob!  Ain’t that Amazon Affiliate Store the purtiest thing you ever did see? I’ll certainly say so!  And guess what – there’s a free version of the software PLUS a cost-conscious one that lets you keep 100% of ALL commissions! As you might be aware, Amazon.com has a super affiliate program in that you can monetize just about ANYTHING whatsoever.  And I should know – back in 2004 when I broke the Google code, I was making money hand over fist with such diverse areas as PDAs iPods…

• Why Start A Blog?

  admin

  6 Dec 2009 | 6:19 am

  TITLE: Why Start A Blog? Have you heard about blogging? Are you wondering just WHY the heck you might want to start your own blog? If so, you’ll love this FREE eclass on the benefits you’ll receive from starting your own blog….I promise you, if you’ve never tried blogging before, you’re going to LOVE what you discover! Sign up below to receive your first free blogging lesson TODAY. Remember, blogging can be used for not just personal information sharing, but also to connect with your family, friends, start a business, run a group, publicize your resume and much…

• 
  Mrs. FussyPants

• Telling the BlissDom Story!

  Allison Worthington

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  Join me! More check-ins at Opryland Hotel Powered by Whrrl

• Her.

  Allison Worthington

  17 Jan 2010 | 9:43 pm

  I keep thinking of her. I will never know her name. Days ago we shared the same life. Wife to one. Mother to five. She made breakfast, wiped tears away, disciplined when needed. She laughed with her family, she rocked babies and sang songs of love in little ears. She was me. Today she mourns for her five children. Her husband unable to console her grief. Loss so debilitating and incomprehensible. She mourns a loss that I pray I am never able to fathom. I am wrecked for her from the warm, safe cocoon of my home. I have no answers. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was…

• Personal Blogging, Privacy & Keeping It Real.

  Allison Worthington

  12 Jan 2010 | 10:52 am

  As many of you know, my step-daughter moved to far-far-far-awayland and we wait impatiently to see her over Christmas and Summer break. She’s 14 and teetering on the edge of young adulthood. She is wonderful. Want to see us all? Good. Sometimes it takes three pictures to tell a story. Through the years, you have seen little glimpses of her, but I wanted to limit her mentions until I had her permission, as a young adult, to blog about her. Which leads to me the topic of privacy. Personal blogging is a delicate balance of sharing your life without sharing too much. How do we tell our…

• 
  Cheaper Than Therapy

• Princess of Egypt

  ali

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:27 am

  At least three of four times a night, I hear the pitter-patter of Bella footsteps. She is very sneaky and climbs up at the end of the bed and shimmies her way up to snuggle beside me and whispers sweet nothings in my ear. “When I wake up can we go to Chuck E. Cheese?” It’s always the same. It’s always about The Chuck. The lovely cesspool of child germs and family norwalk virus. Also, her favorite place on earth. So, I do what any awesome half-asleep  parent would do, I lie. “Yes, baby. As soon as you wake up, we can go.” And she skips back to bed,…

• I Guess I’m…A Bad Nut?

  ali

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:47 am

  Squirrels in Canada Ontario Toronto are black. I realize this is not earth shattering news. But let me just tell you that when you are American and you are used to the garden variety gray ones (you know, the ones who are actually afraid of people), when you are fairly new to the great white north and you are casually taking a stroll down Bathurst street with your newborn and your giant stroller and one of those black suckers comes up and jumps right the heck into the basket of your Pliko, you can’t help but begin to wonder what on earth that Veruca Salt was thinking when she was all…

• Big Fat Chicken.

  ali

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:20 am

  In exactly one day, I will be putting my firstborn on an airplane and I will not see her for 16 days. Not only that, I am sending her halfway across the world so she can be in Israel for her oldest cousin’s Bar Mitzvah. The problem is that I agreed to this when Emily was about 4-years-old and she convinced my inlaws to take her. She has been waiting for this for 5 years. And I have been in denial for about that long. I mean, it’s not like I’m a – GASP – helicopter mom. I’ve left her before. I believe in babysitters. I had a nanny for six years. Sure,…

• 
  Who's The Boss?

• We survived 100 days of school

  Who's the Boss?

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am

  Monday was the 100th Day of School Celebration.  A holiday that I have no memory of from when we were kids, leading me to believe that we really have been brainwashed by Hallmark. The teachers sent home a form telling us parents that the kids would have to bring in a display of 100 things to show on Monday.  More than once the teachers reminded us not to wait until the last minute to start the project.  So last Tuesday, I asked Darius what he wanted to do for his 100 Things project.  In my head I was going to steer him to 100 stickers because I know that we…

• In my next life, I want to be a performer in Cirque du Soleil

  Who's the Boss?

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:28 pm

  My family was first introduced to the magic of Cirque when I was in highschool.  The Color Guard I was involved in (yes, I was in Color Guard, don't judge. we were actually kick-ass and 10th in the world), used music from two different Cirque du Soleil shows for our performance music.  The music was different, irreverent, and oh so melodic.  The next time Cirque traveled to San Jose, my dad bought tickets.  We've gone to every show that has toured these parts since.  I love Cirque.  Partly because their aren't any animals in the show; you'll…

• What's for Dinner? Steak and Potatoes

  Who's the Boss?

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm

  If a way to man's heart is through his stomach, then I know the reason why Neville fell in love with me. It works out well that I love to cook and he loves to eat.  Anyone who knows Neville knows that he is a typical "steak and potatoes" man.  Last year, we challenged ourselves to eat less red meat.  I found that by giving up ground beef and switching to ground turkey, we could indulge in a steak ever now and again without feeling guilty about it.  Then for Christmas, my mother gave Neville over a hundred dollars worth of steaks from Omaha…

• 
  Self-Made Mom

• Wax On

  selfmademom

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:48 am

  Just when I thought I was hip (just the action of going out on a Friday night with the girls and wearing heels will do that to you), I was reminded by the conversation at the dinner table that I’m actually not. As the topic of conversation shifted from applying to private school (kill me now), to home buying (thankfully not buying any) we then started down the slippery (or scraggly) slope of the best techniques for hair removal. Nothing says appetizing like hot wax, right? How did it come to this? Discussing hot lasers over beet salad? Things I learned: they now sell micro razors for…

• What do cool aunts and brain color have in common?

  selfmademom

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:57 pm

  They’re both topics I wrote about in the February issue of Chicago Parent. Thanks to Melanie and Sheila for making my job easy!

• Cliche the day away

  selfmademom

  25 Jan 2010 | 6:01 pm

  I whittled the day away today going to the gym, lunching with a friend, and putting the baby down for a nap. This left me just enough time to catch up on my emails and the latest episode of Nip/Tuck. (While I’m sad the show’s ending, the fact that I’m still watching it during nap times two years later is quite pathetic, no?) Seriously, I’m a walking SAHM cliche. I didn’t even shower after I went to the gym today. And if it wasn’t bad enough, I turned on Ellen (cliche!) and she brought out these hairless wonders called “Thunder Down Under” who…

• 
  Beyond Mom

• Popinjay: Bold (a concept photography challenge)

  Jennifer Gniadecki

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:35 am

  This week’s challenge was Bold That’s chocolate pudding on a waffle. I can’t think of a breakfast choice more bold. It’s also the last time I’m letting the kids pick what they want for breakfast. Trust me, if I get a chance to leave the house this week I can promise you that FREE will be way more….outdoorsy…

• A Woman Walks Into A Funeral…

  Jennifer Gniadecki

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am

  Ok, I originally thought that sounded like the beginning to a bad joke. You know, like, “A man walks into a bar” or something similar. But it’s not. I think the strangest thing about last night’s funeral is that I felt like I somehow stumbled into the wrong one. Seriously. They were describing this person. The “open mic” portion of the eulogy saw person after person after person (about 10 in all) go up and espouse on the virtues and kindness and loving nature of this person. The word that kept coming up was “sweet” or “sweetheart.”…

• Popinjay: Guilty (a concept photography post)

  Jennifer Gniadecki

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:13 pm

  Thanks to Sheena at Sophistishe.com I found out about the fun Popinjay photography challenge. It’s a concept photo that embodies a word. This weeks word? Guilty. The reason I love this photo is because your first instinct for why this embodies the word guilty is probably wrong. Sure it’s a mixed drink and the middle of the day. Drinking could be the way to go with the guilty vibe. But it’s not. I feel like a horrible person for using plastic cups. Because the amount of pollution caused by recycling plastic is disgusting. I know this, but I still love drinking out of plastic…

• 
  Bill and Jill

• So this is why Jill was dressed up like Dexter before a kill

  bill

  6 Feb 2010 | 7:57 pm

  We’re getting our third floor ready for human habitation. When we moved in eight years ago, this level had no heat, no AC, and no electricity. It was also home to a well-established bat colony - the largest they’d seen in 5 years, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources - that had had the run of the place since roughly the Hoover Administration. They used to poke their wings out under the door at night. The bats, not the Hoover Administration. So we evicted them, had all evidence of their 50+ year-occupancy removed via HEPA vac and bleach, installed AC and…

• And I shall wash my binky in their tears

  bill

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:58 pm

  Saturday. In the car. Liam pointing. “That tire-swing gives me an idea. We should cut other stranger’s kid’s swings down, and stop them from having fun.”

• I’ll explain this picture later

  bill

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:56 am

• 
  Blessings in Life

• Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Double Up The Big Reveal | PBB Big 5 Votes Standing Revealed

  Tere

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am

  Last night during the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Double Up The Big Reveal, the PBB Big 5 Melai and the C4 boys Jason, Johan, Paul Jake and Tibo finally found out that all of them are part of the PBB Big 5 and will be part of the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Double Up Big Date at the Big Night @ Ninoy Aquino Stadium on February 13. Last night also the current standing of the PBB Big 5 based on text votes were shown before the Big Night for the first time in PBB history. And here are their standing so far. Personally, the standing of the bottom two housemates were kind of expected. But it was a…

• Call Center

  Tere

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  I know a lot of people who work as a call center agent and they work for various call centers in different parts around the country. I still consider being a call center agent an interesting job and if given the chance I’d like to try it. I am also still amazed with how these various call centers we have not only here in our country but worldwide, especially those with big client companies, manage to handle all the large volume of incoming and outgoing call transactions every single day and as for most coming from all parts of the world. I can imagine how many calls that would be. These…

• Davao Light Announces 30-Minute Rotational Brownouts in February

  Tere

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:56 am

  This is to inform residents of Davao that Davao Light announces 30-minute rotational brownouts which started yesterday until the end of February. Power consumers in all of Davao Light and Power Company’s franchise will be experiencing 30-minute rotational brownouts up to end of February. Corporate Communications officer Ross Luga said the rotational outages started yesterday. This, after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) imposed on Monday, February 8, a 60 megawatt load curtailment on Davao Light. Today, NGCP requested that Davao Light will curtail a maximum of 68…

• 
  MumMums

• Baby Nutrition – Mother’s Milk: What Determines Breastfeeding Rates in the UK?

  colleenh

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pm

  By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist Breast is milk is best when it comes to feeding baby, yet many mothers opt to bottle feed instead. The amount of research supporting the positive health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby is astounding and the studies don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Deciding whether or not breastfeed is a big decision, so what exactly determines that choice? UK researchers decided to find out. The breastfeeding rates in the UK have been one of the lowest in the world and the country has put forth a great deal of…

• Baby Nutrition – Industry Views Sought on Baby Milk Ingredients

  colleenh

  28 Jan 2010 | 11:06 am

  By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist It is not just parents that feel baffled by infant formula ingredients these days.  From keeping harmful chemicals out to attempting the addition of nutrients shown in recent research to boost baby’s development, infant formula makers are finally seeking outside advice.  A recent report explains industry views are being sought on infant formula ingredients. The feedback being solicited pertains to the new standards being proposed for inclusion in the Food Chemical Codex (FCC), aiming to ensure quality as well as enhance safety…

• Child Nutrition – 8 Building Blocks to a Healthy Diet

  colleenh

  23 Jan 2010 | 9:34 am

  By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist Mum Mum’s recently reported on understanding a whole food based diet. Developing healthy eating habits is not as difficult as one might think, and starting children are born with a clean slate and pick up their eating habits by mirror others.  Even if you understand the lingo, but are still having a difficult time grasping how to implement a healthy diet into your family’s meals here are 8 building blocks to a healthy diet: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are the foundation of a healthy diet.  Low in fat, rich…

• 
  misszoot.com

• Dear Dad,

  zoot

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:09 am

  I think I need to find a therapist. I’ve said that off and on for years as I suffer through anxiety attacks and insomnia. I’ll go through bad phases where I’ll seriously consider finding a therapist, and then I’ll start to feel better and the urgency fades. I’ve realized lately, however, that I owe the previous years of coping to you. Somehow, having you to call always helped. Even if I didn’t discuss with you the actual issues stressing me out, just talking to you about anything always helped. Just knowing you were there when I needed to talk, whether or…

• When All Else Fails, Write About TV

  zoot

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Let’s just pretend there hasn’t been a cessation in posting around here, okay? Let’s pretend that the post below this one was written yesterday! And the one before that? DAY BEFORE! Let’s just all keep in mind that I’ve now been officially blogging for six years. SIX YEARS. As you can see by a glimpse of my dashboard above, I’ve written a lot of entries in those six years. (And I’ve captured a lot of spam, evidently.) So…enough entries that we can forget about the past few days…right? Good. Let’s move on to what’s important.

• Are There Any Real Secrets?

  zoot

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:16 am

  I’ve been thinking a lot about secrets lately with scandal after scandal on the news. Thinking about how secrets really stay hidden. I mean, we hear about these stupid scandals all the time: Affairs. Drugs. Illegitimate children. Debt. Theft. Stories where we are all shocked because we are not directly involved, but I always wonder: Are the people involved shocked? Are there really secrets kept successfully? Can money and power really buy silence? Because I am going to admit something: I can NOT keep a secret. I mean, I can imagine situations where I could, I guess. And maybe there have…

• 
  Blue Badger

• MTV Teen Moms Unseen Moments

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am

  Teen Mom - MTV ShowsTonight MTV will be showing MTV Teen Moms Unseen Moments. It is kind of a goodbye to Maci, Farrah, Amber, and Catelynn. And it looks like the unseen moments are even better than what was shown of the show. I wonder how the girls are going to adjust to parenthood without the cameras. Those cameras have been there since the very beginning. I don't think Farrah will be going away. She seems like the type to milk her fifteen minutes of reality tv "fame." She is rumored to be dating Pauly D from Jersey Shore. Even though they have never met according to him. And I really hope…

• Jamie Lynn Spears Finally Dumps Casey Aldridge

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  Jamie Lynn Spears and boyfriend Casey Aldridge have split, according to sources close to the couple, and the former Nickelodeon star is now moving on in a new relationship with Hammond, La., businessman James Watson. "She's going through a lot of changes," says a Spears family friend. "It has been painful. She's a young mother and struggling in a lot of areas." Spears moved out of the Liberty, Miss., house she shared Aldridge and their 19-month-old daughter, Maddie, about six weeks ago and is now living with her mother, Lynne, according to sources. The teenagers had planned to marry after…

• Dorel Recalls Maxi-Cosi Mico Infact Car Seats

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:19 am

  Just a little more than a month after recalling over 200,000 play yards, Dorel is recalling 22,850 Maxi-Cosi car seats. There is a problem with the connection between the infant seat and the base. In an accident the base can fail causing injury. The seats were manufactured between 18 February 2008 and 28 June 2008. Seats produced after the June date are safe because they have a newly designed spring. The company will be contacting registered owners.(Of course infant seats are designed to be used for a baby's first year of life. So contacting registered owners may not be of much help.) Since…

• 
  Cool Moms Rule! (Perfect Moms Need Not Apply)

• Kohl's Cares for Kids--and you--With Dr. Seuss and a Giveaway!

  Colby and Cheddar

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:23 pm

  What does $5 get you these days? At Kohl’s, it gets a classic children’s book, a huggable Dr. Suess friend, a New York Times best-seller on how to live a greener life, and that great feeling you get when giving back!The Kohl’s Care for Kids® program, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is a charitable program that features $5 merchandise with 100 percent of net profit benefiting children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. This spring, the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program is featuring four Dr. Suess books and coordinating plush toys for just $5 each:· The Lorax -…

• Friday Giveaway Blog Hop!

  Colby and Cheddar

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:01 am

• Giveaways Galore Over at Mom Central!

  Colby and Cheddar

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

  Mom Central offers reviews from bloggers like me, timely tips and advice and a social network where Moms can connect with each other.They also often have great giveaways, like right now with their Valentine's Day Gift Guide!Not only will you find gift ideas for your honey (or for you honey to get you) over in their guide, but giveaways of romantic and sexy Valentine gifts that you can enter to win.For example, when you register at Mom Central today, you can win Chocri chocolate bars, sexy lingerie from Frederick's of Hollywood, even a cute bumble bee Pillow Pet! And that's just a few of the…

• 
  Mrs. Flinger- Based on a True Story

• Desk is to Chair as Ass is to Spreading Wildly Without Concern Of Emotional Recoil

  Mrs. Flinger

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

  Here’s something. You remember those horrific questions on the SAT and GRE? Those “This is to That as That is to _____” and then you have to pick from a list that matches NOTHING and OMG my fourteenth #2 pencil just broke and I need a smoke and I don’t even smoke. I’m a living proof those standardize tests do two things: 1. Prove nothing. I was told, after each test, to just go live barefoot in the kitchen because you stupid whore, you can’t even do a multiple choice test well and mygod what will society do with a creative thinker? and b) traumatize me…

• Avatar + Rush Limbaugh = Me

  Mrs. Flinger

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:10 pm

  Small fact: This is your brain. This is your brain completely consumed on the dream house you are still waiting to hear about while playing cat - n - mouse with the Dept. of Ed. (Your brain is the fleshy delicious goodness of pig fat in this scenario.) Update: If this goes much longer my pig fat will be grilled and buttered before I have the chance to pick out colors for the new living room. The professional translation of that statement as told to me by my broker? “We’re getting closer.” I hear: Your brain tastes great around green beans OMNOMNOM *************** Now back to…

• Reality Check

  Mrs. Flinger

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:47 pm

  I know in the large scheme of things, this will all seem like an over-dramatic reenactment of some time in our life we’ll totally forget. I know there are bigger worries. I’m reminded daily watching one of my dearest friends stay positive in a high risk pregnancy waiting for a blood clot three times the size of her baby to dissolve. I see my sister face a year without her husband as he gets deployed to Korea. I know my mom is going in for surgery on her shoulder and ultimately her neck where they take a piece of bone from her leg and use it to provide space between her vertebrate.

• 
  Blissfully Domestic

• My BlissDom Fashions – and a Giveaway!

  Jenny Rapson

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:46 am

  I had the privilege of wearing one of my faaaaavorite clothing companies, Shade Clothing, at BlissDom.  They provided me with a couple of outfits and I also wore some Shade things that I already owned (because I am their BEST customer!) I wanted to show you how my outfits turned out!  I was really pleased with them!  I wore this Shade cardigan on the way to BlissDom and when I first arrived:It was extremely comfortable and extremely SLIMMING!  I adore it!I wore this pink interlock dress on Thursday night for the opening cocktail party.  I forgot to be vain enough to have someone take a…

• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly : Word of Mouth Marketing

  Tammy Munson

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:15 am

  Have you ever recommended a good movie to a friend?  Have you ever stayed away from a restaurant because someone told you they had a bad experience there?  This is word-of-mouth advertising and it can have a huge impact on your business.In most cases of advertising,  the business owner has control of how the ad looks, feels, and the message it conveys to the potential customer.  The exception to this is word-of- mouth advertising.  With word of mouth (including social networking), your prior customers have all the control over potential customers.  If they rave about you, you'll…

• Saltine Candy Treat Recipe

  angiearthur

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am

  Photo by Angie Arthur PhotographyIt doesn't matter where I take this yummy treat, it is devoured instantly!1 box saltine crackers1 cup butter1 cup light brown sugar1 small bag chocolate chips1 bag chopped almondsDirections:1) Set oven temperature to 400 degrees.2) Line a large bar pan with aluminum foil.  Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.3) Line up your crackers in the pan (8 rows of 5 crackers in each) with the salt side up.4) On your stove top, melt 1 cup of butter then add 1 cup of light brown sugar.5) Let the mixture come to a full roiling boil and then set your timer for…

• 
  Nodin's Nest

• Peddling Away From Home

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:47 am

  My son received his first two wheel bicycle before he was one year old. My very generous neighbor gave me his son's old bike. It was in perfect condition and would only need training wheels when he was old enough. He was never that interested in his tricycle and outgrew it before he got much use out of it. We donated the tricycle last year to the thrift store.One of the reasons for the lack of use is we do not have sidewalks here and our house is on a corner. Our driveway is very short and goes downhill straight toward the road. Not to mention the crazy teenager three houses down who never…

• Metamorphosis

  27 Jan 2010 | 5:26 am

  We finally released our last frog!I can't believe we started this project on August 8th 2009.Who knew it would take six months for nine tadpoles to change into frogs?Considering they were hatched into a drainage ditch that dried up ages ago, I don't know how any of them ever survive in the wild.The one in the first picture is about the size of a small pea. That's a Bromeliad he's sitting on. I thought that since they hold some water and we have a lot of them, the bromeliad garden was the best place to let them grow up.When researched, we discovered that they were all Southern Chorus Frogs at…

• Musical Instruments Felt Board Set

  21 Jan 2010 | 5:36 pm

  I finished another set of felt board images this week.Musical Instruments, inspired by my son.This is a set of fifteen laminated paper images mounted on card stock and backed with hook and loop dots. They are approximately 2'- 5' tall and will stick to any felt or flannel board. For other sets, please visit my Etsy shop.

• 
  Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology

• Teens Learn CPR with Be the Beat Website

  Jennifer Wagner

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:42 am

  Be the Beat, the American Heart Association's new online cardiac arrest awareness campaign, teaches teens fun ways to learn the basics of CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator or AED. Through the use of video games,interactive quizzes and songs, teens and tweens learn what to do if someone collapses in sudden cardiac arrest. “Be the Beat is helping to create the next generation of lifesavers by empowering teens and tweens to act when they see someone suddenly collapse,” said Michael Sayre, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care…

• E-Book Readers - More Choices than Needed?

  Jennifer Wagner

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am

  As consumers are becoming aware of the many advantages of e-book readers, their sales are steadily growing. While the Amazon Kindle is the most purchased and most widely known e-reader, the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Sony e-readers are also very competitive in this market. When the Apple iPad goes on sale, who knows what will happen. Will it take sales away from the other e-readers or will it create a whole new market? Did you know that there are many other e-book readers on the market? Do they have a chance of being found in this relatively new market? Will e-readers become like mp-3…

• Charge your Mobile Devices Anywhere with these Gadgets

  Jennifer Wagner

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:04 am

  Do your electronic devices ever need to be charged while you are on the run? You no longer have to wait until you get home to plug them into a wall socket. With the help of iGo Charge Anywhere or the Dexim P-Flip Foldable Power Dock, you can charge your electronic devices while they sit in your handbag or briefcase. iGo Charge Anywhere The more versatile of the two chargers, the iGo Charge Anywhere is compatible with almost every mobile and gaming electronic device on the market. This wall charger has an internal battery that allows it to charge other devices without an outlet. Even better,…

• 
  Busy Mom's Journal

• Snowbound with my girls!!

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:59 am

  Once upon a time, twenty-eight years ago, I was a Junior at the University of Tennessee, and my boyfriend at the time introduced me to two girls, CH and CR. They're going to kill me for posting this lovely 80's photo of them, but unfortunately, this is how we ALL looked back then!He thought we would get along, and that it would be fun to double date with their boyfriends, who were HIS friends.

• Basketball Thoughts

  26 Jan 2010 | 7:45 pm

  As I walked into the gym tonight for H's basketball game, I just had to smile. The echo of bouncing balls, the smell of popcorn from the concession stand, the music blaring for the pre-game warm-up...I love it! Of all the sports and activities my daughter has participated in through the years, soccer, softball, track, cross-country, tennis, basketball, dance, theatre-basketball is my favorite.

• Easy Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti!

  24 Jan 2010 | 6:00 pm

  I love cookbooks. I read them like novels. Even the recipes that I would never make...too complicated, or with ingredients that no one in my family eats. It's like a treasure hunt....every once in awhile I find a great recipe. But I must admit, having my laptop in the kitchen has reduced the time I used to spend perusing the books. I can do a search and find an infinite number of interesting

• 
  My Mommy's Place

• Gah! I’m Read To Give Up! Quit Quitting On Me, Quitter!

  Leslie

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:48 pm

  unreliable my internet connection fails at the worst times

• The Big Snow Storm

  Leslie

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:57 pm

  the only pictures I managed to get before I had to go play

• Project 365 FAIL

  Leslie

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pm

  a picture a day harder than it seems because I already missed

• 
  Problem Girl

• Brain Damage

  Jen

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:24 am

  My poor children.They are battered and bruised.Don't feel too bad for them though. It's their own fault. At some point you would think they would learn not to stand so close to me."Mommy?" Joseph asked.I turn to give him my attention and my stomach hits him, sending him flying into the wall.Elle runs up to me just as I'm bending over and she collides with my rear end and then then ricochets around the kitchen.Joseph tries to walk next to me in the hallway and my hip knocks him into a door frame.Elle asks me to lean down and give her a kiss and I just about end up smothering her with my…

• Blog apathy

  Jen

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:42 am

  My poor blog. It's really suffering through this pregnancy. I don't mean to neglect it. I have a lot of stuff I want to say, a lot of stuff I mean to say. But then I get myself all situated and comfy in bed, with my laptop poised and ready to publish my latest words of brilliance and I think to myself "Eh. I'll just watch this episode of Golden Girls and then doze off instead."I am huge and I am uncomfortable and I know that if I start posting here all I'm going to do is complain and who wants to hear that and after all I signed up for this is and I knew what I was getting myself into and…

• Spinning babies for fun and profit

  Jen

  29 Jan 2010 | 6:46 am

  As you may or may not not know, I have Constant Hair On Fire Syndrome. One of the ways my CHOFS manifests itself during pregnancy is that I fail the one hour blood glucose test and then go on to pass the three hour test and never have blood sugar problems again for the rest of my pregnancy.As I was taking the one hour test last week I knew it was just a formality. I knew I would fail it and have to come back in again to take the three hour test. I even warned my IFs that I would fail the test. I even told the lab tech taking my blood that I would fail and have to come back.And hey, what do…

• 
  Writing My Way Through Motherhood and Beyond

• Teaching Cultural Diversity to Our Children

  kimmelin

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:19 pm

  It’s not our kids’ fault that they are culturally anemic.  Of all the nurturing, growth-enhancing, robustness-encouraging assets Montana boasts, wide reaching cultural diversity isn’t one of them.  I am not discounting the important presence of native tribes like the Crow, Sioux, Kootenai and Blackfeet and others, by the way…I’m part Seminal Indian, after all.  But when it comes to widespread, international culture, Montana falls flat. That is one of the main reasons Andrew and I took advantage of the opportunity to come to the San Francisco Bay area:  so our…

• Lonely is a Four Letter Word

  kimmelin

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:28 am

  Tomorrow, it will be five weeks since we landed here on the San Francisco Bay peninsula.  We’ve gotten comfortable in our rental house with pictures on the walls and the catch-all, junk mail depository spot on the kitchen counter already established.  All three kids are now enrolled in school, we’ve determined where to do our grocery shopping and get the oil changed in our cars.  We’ve found a church we like, a favorite park to go to and Andrew is discovering favorite cycling routes.  We’ve been to the beach twice, visited the zoo, science museums and various…

• Star Struck: San Francisco Ballet Company’s Swan Lake

  kimmelin

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:15 am

  Nearly seven years later (we celebrate our oldest child’s seventh birthday this Wednesday), I continue to be surprised at how differently the world looks to me through mother eyes.  Remember the first time you experienced Christmas (or insert equally important holiday) with a child, rather than being a child?  It totally changed the holiday for you, right? Being a complete Christmas fanatic, perhaps it’s no surprise then that I keep having Christmas with Children experiences all over the place.  (Right now, I’m leaving out the derogatory ones…Grocery Shopping with…

• 
  Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy

• Everyone needs a Parisian adventure, n’est-ce pas?

  BigLittleWolf

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:38 pm

  I wandered into this, compliments of Google. Perhaps you’ve seen it elsewhere, but I loved it. (But then, what’s not to love? It’s delicious and romantic in an endearing, geeky sort of way.)  A Parisian love story. Even though it’s an ad for Google, it’s quite charming, meandering from a few key phrases to translate (French), to cultural exploration, to progression through the delights of infatuation… and who doesn’t love love? Especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner? Not Paris? Try the Riviera or the countryside Isn’t this a…

• Super Bowl Sunday: just another day?

  BigLittleWolf

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:49 am

  Super Bowl Sunday – an American institution? So how did Super Bowl Sunday get to be such an institution?  Are you planning your day around TV football pre-game shows, prepping in the kitchen with traditional family finger foods and a passel of neighbors stopping by for the evening? Are you out at your favorite sports bar with friends for the night? Will you be watching the most expensive prime time television commercials with interest or indifference, including the controversial Tim Tebow anti-abortion spot? Sports writer Mike Celizic contends that the Super Bowl is the greatest…

• Six dollars for sensory therapy

  BigLittleWolf

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:44 am

  Wake up and smell the coffee When your day starts at three in the morning, it’s amazing what you can accomplish. There’s gazing at the 14 stacks of books, folders, and magazines you need to organize (without actually organizing them), or staring down heaps of unfolded laundry with a little smile, knowing they make fine art installations, so why not leave them until another day? Of course, the mere process of imagining eliminating the stacks or folding the jeans, sweaters, and towels lends itself to an overwhelming desire to run away from home, or to dig in, and see what hardwood…

• 
  New England Mamas

• Puppy Love

  Alex Elliot

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  Who doesn't love playing with puppies?  Who doesn't love finding fun things for the kids to do?  What if you could combine both of those things and tie in the fact that it's for a good cause?  Last week a moms' group I'm in arranged an outing to a place called NEADS in Princeton, MA.  NEADS trains puppies to eventually become service dogs.  I say "eventually" because the puppies leave NEADS at 16 weeks to go live with families and have further training.   They do not actually become official service dogs until they're about 2.  Part of the…

• They can call it Snowmageddon. We call it a good time.

  Liz

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  The Mamas want to welcome Liz to our ranks.  Please help us make her feel at home.  Hi. My name is Liz: long time reader, first time contributor. I am a fan of reading blogs and sites like this one, but have never written for one before. I am a SAHM of two young boys. I grew up in a mostly female household but now find myself the minority in my house full of males. It's been a bit of a learning curve, but I think I'm getting the hang of this testosterone-driven lifestyle. In fact, I might even be starting to like it. As a life-long New Englander, I tend to love winter. I like…

• Chocolate, Wine and a little Libido Boost

  Fairly Odd Mother

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:54 am

  I know that whatever I get my husband for Valentine's Day, he really just wants one thing, and it's not found in a box of chocolates. So, this Tuesday, I'll be joining my friend, Motherhood Uncensored's/Cool Mom Picks' Kristen Chase, aka The Mominatrix, at Finale in Brookline to hang out with other local mamas for wine, chocolate and sex (talk). Hey, maybe I'll get some ideas for Valentine's Day. And guess what? You're invited too!Along with the awesome local owner of Magic Beans, Sheri Gurock, and Dara Kelly of Peadpod Fitness, The Mominatrix will…

• 
  Breed 'Em And Weep

• Sex me up, Pa Ingalls

  jenn

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:38 am

  I remember having it pretty bad for Almanzo, but Charles Is Currently in Charge. Ooh, Pa, put down that rabid raccoon and git your fine suspendered self over here. Sex me up, Pa Ingalls: my new post at Work It, Mom! Single Mom at Work. File under “ULO”: Unexplainable Lust Objects.

• today kai thx byed

  jenn

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pm

  today she did not get engaged, get pregnant, or get dyed today she did not get high, get dead, or get kai thx byed but she did fall into Fool’s Well: minor slip-up, a backslide beg, beg, the corner prophet cried once a beggar, always a beggar! she tried to hold fast but the tide hauled strong no lassie barked no dark savior by her side just a little blood (a smear) she clawed her own way up and out chide, chide but the quiet voice arrived deride the pied piper, his slit-eyed harlequin promises he lied she clicked yes, but clucked no. pride? hail, or hide? click, cluck away from this she…

• you

  jenn

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:46 pm

  Disappointed, today. You. Saddened by what goes unsaid, today. You. Frustrated by words that don’t get to the heart of the matter. You. All the more reason to keep taking step after step, eyes forward. I can’t take you with me. You #1: You didn’t once ask how I was. Do you realize that? You went on and on and on, and I let you. I encouraged it. I let you try to find the words, to explain yourself. I know you must hurt. It can’t be comfortable, where you are. And I didn’t want anything from you but a few words. Yes. I see where you are. I feel like an idiot, sure,…

• 
  Plain Jane Mom

• I am middle aged, apparently.

  Erika Jurney

  30 Jan 2010 | 9:38 pm

  Interesting.

• See, this is why I needed a brother…

  Erika Jurney

  7 Dec 2009 | 5:04 pm

  The other day I heard Henry in the other room giving Charlie a lesson in how to fart silently so his classmates wouldn’t hear. I almost ruptured my spleen trying not to laugh, but frankly it is good, practical advice which will serve him well next year in Kindergarten. Possibly I should warn his teacher in advance…

• Awww.

  Erika Jurney

  28 Aug 2009 | 9:09 pm

  Charlie (4.5) and I were alone tonight way past bedtime waiting for Craig to bring big brothers Ed and Henry home from a movie party. I asked Charlie if he missed his brothers, and he said “Yeah.” Me: “I don’t have any brothers. What’s it like?” Charlie: [Pause.] “It’s like… being really happy.” Me: “What else is it like?” Charlie: “That’s it. Just happy.”

• 
  Born Just Right

• Party animal

  NerdyMom

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:38 pm

  Sure Jordan is a little young to party all the time… but she did get a chance to go to two different birthday parties over the weekend. She had a blast… But in one of the parties I watched a little girl staring at Jordan and clearly wanted to reach out and touch her arm without permission. I guess I just happened to look over at her and she had this look like she was in trouble… Her mom must have caught the interaction because she went over to her daughter and started whispering to her. I felt the need to interrupt and introduce her to Jordan (they had never met before). We…

• Girl’s first musical!

  NerdyMom

  26 Jan 2010 | 11:52 am

  Jordan had a super cool opportunity tonight… She, her brother and I had a chance to see The Wizard of Oz tonight. This was Jordan’s first chance to see a musical. It was Cameron’s second (I took him to the traveling broadway show of the Lion King back in 2006). They both enjoyed it a bunch. But they both got pretty darn scared by the Wicked Witch of the West. Then I had a bit of a realization… I used to watch Wizard of Oz every year because it was on TV once a year. Why isn’t that on anymore? This was the first time my kids had ever been introduced to the story…

• The Great Outdoors

  NerdyMom

  20 Jan 2010 | 11:20 am

  It’s refreshing to have a child who is happy to just go outside. Last night she spent 45 minutes or so playing out in the slightly muddy backyard. She spent time on the backyard treehouse and swings. She returned covered in extra dirt in her pretty pink dress… But I won’t complain. I appreciate a girl who is willing to dress pretty and get messy. By the way – that hat is a dinosaur she decorated at school. Very cute.

• 
  Simple Mom

• A Celebration of Simple Living Media: Giveaways!

  Tsh

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:32 pm

  In honor of Simple Living Media’s launch yesterday, we want to celebrate this week with a celebration of you, our readers.  And what better way to celebrate you than with a slew of giveaways! Head over to Simple Bites, Simple Homeschool, Simple Kids, and Simple Organic to enter the rest of the fabulous giveaways.  Each site will have one winner for each of its prizes, so you definitely don’t want to miss this! Without further adieu, here are the fabulous prizes waiting for ONE Simple Mom reader to win: 1. One Pearl The idea behind One Pearl came to founder Theresa Wing Hines one…

• Introducing… Simple Living Media

  Tsh

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:22 am

  I am beyond thrilled to (finally) announce a little project I’ve been working on behind the scenes for the past six months. I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal to you — Simple Living Media. This is a company I formed earlier this year, but with my book writing, I’ve waited to finalize all its tweaks until my manuscript was turned into the publisher. So today, I’ll spare you most of the details, but I do want to welcome you to the most exciting part. We’ve given birth to three new blogs! Simple Living Media (SLM) is now a family of five blogs, all with…

• Your Parental Permission Slip

  Sherri

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  The following is a guest post from Sherri who writes at Zen Family Habits As parents, we are our own worst critics. Every one of us feels as though we should be doing more, doing things better, spending more quality time with our kids, teaching them more life lessons.  With all this, we feel we should also spend time on ourselves, maintain our own identity, and cultivate our passions. Being a parent is hard. The one thing I’ve learned through parenting my own two kids is that it’s okay to be a little less than stellar on occasion. You must accept that you are human; you will make…

• 
  Motherscribe

• Sometimes, it is exhausting to have a child who has more than the usual challenges...

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:43 pm

  This last week has been challenging for me emotionally. I feel drained and spent, and have avoided writing. So, I've been immersing myself in books, with a little chocolate thrown in, content to live in someone else's story for a while.We had BOY's annual IEP last Tuesday, and although we see much growth in him, he continues to struggle in school. Socially he is, and always has, done well. It is the impulse control, (keeping his body to himself), and staying on task without being distracted that are the biggest hurdles.He has so many strengths. He has been reading for a while, and he gets to…

• BOY's big heart...

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:31 pm

  One of BOY's teachers stopped me this afternoon as I was picking up BOY from school. I have to share a story about BOY with you. Today, during class, we had a discussion about cars and what we should do with the cars that are not environmentally friendly. The kids talked about what they would do about these nonconforming cars, when THEY become President of the United States. One of BOY's friends said that all of those cars must be crushed. BOY burst into tears. He was SOOO....sad for the poor cars. His heart. Oh, the heart that your BOY has.*sigh*Copyright 2009 by JCK

• How to get the WAND in 30 minutes or less... a tutorial

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:10 pm

  What is the WAND?A hint...there is nothing twinkly about this wand. It doesn't light up or glow with happiest place on earth cheer. Although it might be made in China... Still unsure? Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo? No. How about ... I'll get you my pretty, and your Big Girl Va Jay Jay, too!If you are still clueless about the WAND, JCK would like to educate you. Having left WAND virginity long ago, in a land far, far away, JCK has been WANDED more times than the average gal.The WAND is a tool. A long, unbending object that aims to go where you would rather it didn't. Lest one be wary of contracting an…

• 
  Mommy Cracked

• All Eyes On Me

  Mommy Cracked

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:38 pm

  I was already "having a Monday". The kind of Monday where it's cold and raining, having to muster up as much get up and go as I could to make it through the day, topped off with the mother of all tantrums from E.B. while taking him to school this morning (and all over a Pop Tart, might I add).And that? Was just my morning. I was relieved when it was time to leave work and go pick up E.B. from school so we could go home and relax before I had to tackle the nightly chores. I had made it through another day! The rest of the afternoon/night was smooth sailing!And then? My car went dead in carpool…

• Hormel Game Day Party Package Review

  Mommy Cracked

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:45 pm

  Our Super Bowl party was made even yummier thanks to the great folks at Hormel. We were sent a Hormel Game Day Package to try out on Superbowl Sunday and I was so impressed with the quality and generosity!We received the following Hormel products to try:Hormel® chiliHormel® party trayHormel® pepperoniHormel® microwave-ready bacon/bacon toppingsHormel® chunk chickenHormel® party ringI made this great Cheesy Chili Dip using the Hormel chili and everyone raved over the party tray, which consisted of salami and pepperoni, crackers, and Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese.Hormel has also…

• Clorox "I Don't Want To Miss..." Blog Tour

  Mommy Cracked

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:07 pm

  E.B. was out sick all last week with croup and missed many, many fun things at school. Try as we might with washing our hands and my neurotic cleaning and wiping down of surfaces, eventually the "sickies" find our home and we just have to endure it.What would YOUR kids hate to miss out on if they were home with the flu?Clorox is sponsoring a great video contest for school musical groups nationwide to enter.All they have to do is follow the guidelines at http://www2.schooltube.com/Contests/IDontWanttoMiss2010.aspx and submit a music video performed to a pre-chosen song describing what teens…

• 
  I Should Be Folding Laundry

• His giant heart

  Beth

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am

  My favorite part of this birthday cake is not the fact that it’s from Coldstone and was to die for (and of which I am eagerly anticipating another slice tonight after the kids go to bed.)  No, my favorite part is the candle because my birthday?  Was perfect.  Thanks to Brian, my unbelievably thoughtful and [...]

• 32 weeks on my 33rd birthday

  Beth

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am

  I’ve been awake for an hour.  Already I’ve had coffee, two belgian waffles, a bowl of fresh strawberries, three delicious, warm hugs, one homemade card and fifty or so kicks and tumbles in my belly. It’s already the best birthday ever.

• Friday Morning Coffee

  Beth

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am

  Hi friends!  I’m sitting on my couch, drinking coffee and I just finished a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.  (have you tried Chocolate Cheerios?  They are so good!)  I have a call in a few minutes, then I’m heading out for my appointment with my chiropractor.  Tonight, Erin, Lovelyn and I are going to dinner.  I [...]

• 
  We Are THAT Family

• *Shey*[B] Custom Camera Straps {Giveaway}

  Kristen

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  I gave my hubby a Nikon D50 three years ago for Christmas.It's really his camera. Really.But I'm sort of the camera manager.*Shey*[B] sent me a beautiful custom camera strap to review. "It matches my office!" I exclaimed as I slipped the strap on.And that's how you become the secondhand owner of a Nikon D50.It's so girly and feminine and I take much better pictures (!) with it. My hubby taking a picture of me, taking a picture:She sent me The Valentine:I also love the.....For $5, you can add a pocket for your lens cap or buy one one these so your man can use his camera:*Shey*[B] is offering…

• Every Winter Needs a Craft Center

  Kristen

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:59 am

  For my last Campbell's post, I've been thinking about God and art.(This ain't Theology 101, just me and my thoughts).I think God gives each child a creative spirit.My kids love to create. They don't need fancy art sets or drawing tables. Give them a papersack, an egg carton and pipe cleaner and they will create a dinosaur robot, a silly caterpillar or both.During this winter activity series, one word continued to show up in the comments: crafts.Imaginations soar with an encouraged creative outlet and what better way to pass those long endless winter days, then with a project?We've always had…

• My Upside Down World

  Kristen

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Before bed the other night, we were reading a chapter of Do Hard Things to our 10 and 7 year old. (I'll be sharing more about this book in the months to come). I was encouraging my kids to do hard things and shared this story with them:I was a nerd in high school.Not the classic geek with taped glasses and a pocket protector, but a misfit, nonetheless.I was a Christian, carried my Bible most days and even wore a rhinestone pin on my clothes that spelled the name Jesus.And that combination pretty much clinched me a spot at a lunch table on the other side of the room from the popular kids. I…

• 
  Nerdy Mom

• Blast from the past

  NerdyMom

  27 Jan 2010 | 8:48 pm

  Cameron has an assignment this week to create a life timeline of some of the biggest and interesting moments of his life. So we started digging into this blog and all of the old pictures we have collected through the years. The trickiest part is I have stored all of my digital pictures of him on Zip disks… Yeah. Old school storage. And that got me thinking that I need to migrate all of those photos into some other location before they all go away. They’ll either get lost, get old or something terrible. I have so many of Jordan’s baby pictures collected into our Flickr…

• Happy New Year!

  NerdyMom

  1 Jan 2010 | 9:10 am

  Cameron’s teacher was so sweet to send Cam these AWESOME 2010 pair of glasses to help us celebrate the new year. Cam wrapped up the year with a four-day soccer/swimming camp that kept him active, busy and exhausted. I guess that was my goal for him – have as much fun and activity possible while he’s out of school. His plans for his first day of 2010? Build a new Lego Star Wars project, play on his DS or Wii and stay in his PJ’s all day. It sounds fantastic. Happy New Year to everyone!!

• What a holiday

  NerdyMom

  28 Dec 2009 | 8:37 pm

  Cameron had an awesome Christmas with his family. We all went to Western Kentucky… And to make things even more fun, the kids got to go a few days earlier than their parents. So they got to really soak in the Poppy and Grandma love. By the time Randy and I got there, Cam was DYING for Christmas to happen. He had scoped out all of the gifts under the tree. He was CERTAIN that he knew at least one of the gifts – a large red bag that felt and sounded like a box of Legos. So Randy and Uncle Barry decided to pull a trick on Cam. While the kids were asleep, Randy and Barry took the Lego…

• 
  so the fish said

• 800 pound gorilla

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:03 am

  I don't want to talk about the snow, or the shoveling, or how many trees we have lost, or how many of those trees were lost into my next-door neighbor's driveway or in how many places the collapsing trees took...

• 22 inches, give or take

  6 Feb 2010 | 11:56 am

  The view of my deck from my kitchen window....

• Old Miss

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:55 pm

  I was nineteen the first time someone called me ma'am without irony. I was horrified. I was nineteen, nineteen! I was not a ma'am! My chagrin lasted for several years, as the ma'am-ings became more and more frequent. At some...

• 
  Random Thoughts

• A Stepford Life

  BethGo

  28 Jan 2010 | 6:37 pm

  I'm not living it. My kids aren't living it. My husband's not living it.Don't get me wrong, we have bedtimes and schedules and lists of things to do but sometimes we play more than we work.We sit together and read.We bake cookies.Sometimes, we don't clean up the mess for a whole day!Right now, there is a pile of clean clothes in the living room waiting to be folded.It's been waiting for awhile actually. Sometimes it gets done in a timely manner and sometimes it doesn't.And nobody's head has exploded. Nobody has come down with cholera.Everybody for the most part is pretty happy.The kids get to…

• Rain

  BethGo

  21 Jan 2010 | 11:26 am

  It's been raining for days now. I don't mind it so much. Our only real problem is the dog who is going stir-crazy. I took her for a walk this morning in the rain and we got soaked. She didn't seem to mind so much but I did.Cold and rain.Funny, I always thought life in California would mean endless sunshine. It's not true. At least not for where we live.Lots of rain in the winter and it's ok because we need rain but it gets old after awhile.And that's about all I've got for the moment.

• Cleaning

  BethGo

  16 Jan 2010 | 3:00 pm

  We went through a bunch of stuff today. Sorting through old toys an legos and musical instruments and puppets and stuffed animals... It took a long time."Remember when the eldest was one and all of his toys fit into a laundry basket?" I asked The Husband."Yes. And it wasn't even a big laundry basket."Kids and stuff go hand in hand I guess. But the stuff is just tremendous sometimes. It can get out of control. I mean do we really need the Happy Meal toy from 2003?The answer is no, we don't.So now we are off to buy more bins to store more stuff.It's ironic to buy stuff to hold our stuff but…

• 
  loraleeslooneytunes.com

• RED LETTER DAY!

  loralee

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:09 am

  I wasn’t planning on blogging today but something happened this morning that I have GOT to jot down so that I always remember when, where and how it happened. Aaron is 8.5 months and has been babbling and making sounds for a long time. His favorite, like most babies because of the ease of it, has been the “D” sound. And like most parents, when he started babbling we started talking back to him while making silly and ridiculous faces to encourage him to speak and form words. The main goal has been to get him to add the “D” at the end of “Da” and today…

• I know that some might say that I am going to hell for this opinion, but…

  loralee

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:57 am

  I could not care less that it is Super Bowl Sunday. Just sayin’…

• Having a “favorite” child.

  loralee

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am

  I think that the worst kept secret in parenting is that many parents can and actually DO have favorite children. Gasp! Some truly do not, but it is way, way more common than it appears and it can range from kids having no idea their parents prefer one child to another (YAY!)  to the extreme asshole/possibly abusive end of the scale where  it is painfully, horribly obvious to everyone that there is a Golden Child. (BOO!) (If you couldn’t tell it’s, um, way better to strive for the former than the latter.) I have loved people that have born the brunt of being less favored (in the…

• 
  Scary Mommy

• Being A Good Neighbor

  Scary Mommy

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:26 am

  Things are trudging forward and it looks like we may actually be heading towards an April move. {Fingers crossed. And toes.} There are many factors that led us to want a change, but probably most of all is the fact that we just don’t belong in our neighborhood. After much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that it boils down to one thing: We simply aren’t nice enough. As you probably know, we just received a mind boggling 35 inches of snow and are expecting another foot tonight. Now, Jeff and I are not fans of snow. While I do find it beautiful, the annoying aspects of it…

• What 35 inches of snow look like…

  Scary Mommy

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:54 am

  {Just in case you were wondering.} And, yes, we are surviving. Pretty much. Tweet This! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Facebook Thank you for subscribing! © Scary Mommy, 2008-2010 All rights reserved.

• Deep Questions, Snowpocalypse Inspired.

  Scary Mommy

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:53 am

  1. Is it possible to come out of a blizzard happily married? 2. Will any of my children still be smiling in 3 days? 4. Can we survive until Tuesday or Wednesday with the contents of our fridge? 4. Is there any reason to limit TV when you’re stuck in the house for foreseeable future? 5. Will the snow ever stop? I’m thinking no, to all of the above. Tweet This! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Facebook Thank you for subscribing! © Scary Mommy, 2008-2010 All rights reserved.

• 
  San Diego Momma

• The Hormone Highway* (UPDATED)

  San Diego Momma

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:57 am

  Seriously, what are us forty-somethings doing about hormones run amok? Is it just me? I’m a leaky little boat bucked about on the hormone tide and I have had quite enough.   The latest is:   Continual night sweats   Boobs that hurt   Joints that hurt   Head that hurts   Uterus that hurts   Heat waves of hotness   Intense irritability of epicness   General feelings of suck   I’ve been to so many doctor appointments and had so many tests and I have no idea what to do next. I suppose I haven’t found the right doctor (WHERE ARE…

• How Not to be a Mother

  San Diego Momma

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:34 am

  Today before Toots’ kindergarten day began, I found out that she’d ripped the head off a toy that belonged to her friend’s sister. As the mom told it, Toots snapped the head off and laughed evilly when the little girl who owned it turned red. The story was corroborated by Alexa’s friend. Now, the mom wasn’t there and I wasn’t there, but the fact remains that the toy is broken and I had to address the incident with Toots.   I failed completely.   I confronted her in front of her friends, five minutes before class started and asked her to tell me…

• PROMPTuesday #93

  San Diego Momma

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:46 am

  It’s been about a year since I last posted Elizabeth (”Eat, Pray, Love” author) Gilbert’s TED talk on creativity. Her take on the creative process is fascinating and liberating, and begs the question posed for today’s PROMPT:   What is creativity to you?   This is a boundary-less and limit-less prompt. You can write what you believe creativity is, or where it comes from, or post a nonsense poem. It’s all creative in my book.   Please post your thoughts in the comments OR post in your blog and leave a link to your blog in the comments.  …

• 
  Babies Online - The Blog

• Sarah Chalke: A Celebrity’s View on Pregnancy

  Every woman will probably have her own take on pregnancy. That’s why we never tire of hearing pregnancy stories as there is always something new. Actress Sarah Chalke has offered her own view on this life changing event. Let’s just say that for her it was something of an educational experience. Chalke and her fiancé Jamie [...]

• Claims That Vaccines Cause Autism Revisited

  Unless engaged in the medical profession and the health care industry, we parents normally do not pay too much attention to the squabbles of scientists and medical experts. The Claim That a Vaccine Can Cause Autism But in 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield and colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in London published a [...]

• Take the Fear Out of Baby Injections

  Injections hurt. Needles can be scary. Even for adults. How much more for a little child? I remember stories about the bigger the man, the faster he crashes down when he sees a needle. My mom who was a health worker loved to tell stories about how she reduced the toughest of guys to unconsciousness [...]

• 
  The Mom Entrepreneur Blog

• An Affair of the Heart - Guest Author Post About Heart Disease

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  By Margaret Lewin, MD, FACP – Medical Director, Cinergy HealthFebruary is National Heart Month and not just because of Valentine’s Day. According to the American Heart Association, one in 2.4 American women will lose their lives to heart disease and stroke – the first and third biggest killers of women. In comparison, breast cancer kills one in 29.So let’s look at V.A.L.E.N.T.I.N.E.S. Day from

• Listen and learn...the truth always comes back around!

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:17 am

  This video has circled around the blogosphere quite a bit. But in case you have not seen it, I highly recommend. It is very creative.It is a palindrome, which reads the same backwards as forward. This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by

• Image Building Tip #10 for Mom Entrepreneurs - Place well-written articles online

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Articles rich with keywords and placed with online article directories are a great way to spread your expertise virally. Article directories are a great source of information for bloggers and others looking for content for their posts. Your bio information, included with every article, is now showing up in several different locations online increasing your chances of being found. There are

• 
  Karen Cheng's Snippets of Life

• Roast Chicken in a Hurry!

  admin

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Sometimes I am shocked, and slightly embarrassed, by how little time I have to prepare dinner. In between dropping off one child here, running errands, picking up one child from there, zipping to the shops to pick up something, meet up with someone else for a chat, then coming home for a grand total of 30 minutes of web work, only to have to leave again to pick up the first child from school. There is hardly any time for me to prepare a meal. And the ironic thing is, that I really like to cook! So I have become the master of the Throw-In-The-Oven Recipe! This week was roast chicken and roast…

• Online Fashion Shop: Hype Boutique

  admin

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  As I’ve said many times before, I’m always on the look out for great and unique online fashion shops with an excellent range of women’s clothes! I received a message from Hype, an online boutique based in Singapore, wanting me to check out their site and clothes. Their collection looked great on the first browse, and their model was this HOT Taiwanese babe with really nice hair! The site and range had a great vibe too. Their clothes are all exclusively designed garments at REALLY affordable prices. After checking out the clothes, I can say that the quality and fit was pretty good for…

• Toothpaste Poo

  admin

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  One of the great things about being a parent is that you have all kinds of experiences you could never, ever have imagined. And here is my most recent one. My son Liam very often does a poo while he is eating. About half way through me shoveling food into his mouth, he will suddenly stop chewing, get a “far-away” look on his face, and then be overcome with intense concentration for a few seconds. Then, when the “poo moment” has passed, he will look at me as if he is saying…”Well, I’ve done my bit… aren’t you going to clean it up, so I can…

• 
  wiggle rooms

• How to Get Your Kid To Stay on the Potty Until Something Happens

  Sus

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:09 pm

  Introducing one mama's favorite potty training time passer - when little knees are bent and still and approximately at your eye level, and you just need the kid to sit there until the juice filters through their little kidneys: http://www.klutz.com/face-paint/Body-Crayon-Book.Recommended by (of course) Kate the Great of Northern Michigan and the Blankie Chronicles, whom if you aren't reading already, shame on you.PS. I'm not even getting paid for this. Seriously. If people paid me to pitch products here, I'd be writing WAY more often. This is just a great idea, passed on from one mother to…

• Escapism

  Sus

  8 Dec 2009 | 9:19 am

  "Mom. Mom! Calvin's standing on the playhouse!""On the what?" I glance out the window. It seems unlikely Cal is actually standing on the playhouse; it's cold, the doors are all closed and locked, and besides, I don't know how one would get on top of the playhouse. (Frannie's pretty accurate with her use of prepositions.)"On the playhouse!"... "Mom! Calvin's standing on the playhouse!""What playhouse, Frannie?""The little one!""Cal! Oh, Cal, you can't stand on the second floor of the dollhouse. It's not strong enough to hold a real boy. It will break, and you will fall and hurt yourself. Okay,…

• Things I Do On Whims (or Totally Not)

  Sus

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:14 am

  My dear old friend Abby, who is keen and observant and knows about things like the Enneagram personality test, informs me that it's a particular kind of person who just abruptly gives up things that she suddenly, impulsively, just doesn't feel like doing anymore.Like, I don't know, blogging.But it turns out I missed this silly old blog, which I abruptly gave up a couple months ago because I, er, didn't feel like writing anymore (being, apparently, a seven on the Enneagram scale - I think; I've never taken the test). Somehow this space gave my otherwise insular and mundane existence meaning,…

• 
  The Chronicles of a SAHM

• Drank the Kool Aid

  Nap Warden

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:27 pm

  Y'all...(after a weekend in Nashville, I am allowed to drop a "ya'll" arent' I?) I had the most wonderful. weekend. EVAH!First off, I finally got to meet Amy (Milkbreath and Margaritas/my first blog design) and Jamie (Blonde Mom Blog/first blog I ever read) I will tell you right here and now...I wanted to pack these girls up and bring them back to Chicago with me. They were just. that. AWESOME!Second, I can't even begin to sum up the whole experience. I feel like I'm a lot more clued in than I was before. I learned about blogging, I had amazing opportunities to network, and I really connected…

• Not MIA

  Nap Warden

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:44 am

  "Hi, I'm Nap Warden. I do blog design and illustrations."......"Here's my card, it has both my design site, and personal blog...."That's my weekend. I'm at a conference...and so far, I gotta say, I'm learning. so. MUCH. I'm also meeting TONS of folks. Yay...I really do enjoy meeting fellow bloggers:)Am I the only one noticing all these blogging conferences cropping up? They are everywhere! So far, I'm doing the one I'm currently at, and this one.More later...just didn't want anyone to think I'd fallen off the blogosphere. I'm here. I'm learning. Drinking (just a pinch) and taking it all in.

• Bring It On

  Nap Warden

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:02 pm

  Dang LOST!Why you gotta play me that way? What'd I wait...like six months for you to come back?I waited. I blocked you out. I moved on. I forgot.All of the sudden, you come crashing back into my life like a meteor into my house. Only I welcome you in with open arms...'cause let's face it...I love you LOST. It's unconditional, no matter how many times you kick me in the head with the end of your steel toed boots, I'll always come back to you, kinda love.So now here you are, like a bad pet, in my house pissing all over the carpet....but I still pet you and tell you what a good boy you…

• 
  Bird On A Wire

• WHO DAT Nation Rejoices

  Deb

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:59 am

  Oh Lord I want to be in that number…. Need I say more?   Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Share and Enjoy:

• On Lady Bugs & Blue Birds

  Deb

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:58 am

  If happy little bluebirds fly; Beyond the rainbow…Why, oh why can’t I? ( E.Y. Harburg) Last year, was a particularly difficult year for a lot of us. We discovered flaws in the banking industry that led some of us to bankruptcy or worse, many of us lost jobs, some lost lots of money in the market.  Some of us lost life long mentors and friends, some lost parents, uncles aunts , grand-parents and some lost children.  We cried. We set about tightening our belts.  We took a hard look at ourselves, re-assessed, revalued. We changed. (Not in outward ways necessarily, unless you count…

• The Little Blue Book

  Deb

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:33 am

  The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. (Charles Schultz) A  Little  History When I was in school, studying philosophy, I spent my hours reading, and trying to understand the reasonings of great thinkers. Women and men who reasoned to explain life itself, how we should live it and why. Most of the names would be foreign to you, I know they were to me at first.  And I struggled. Not surprisingly, my life was somewhat of a mess,  I’d chosen to begin my bucket list with a…

• 
  Your Fun Family

• Giveaway - Fiber One 90 Calorie Gift Pack

  Melissa Erickson

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:05 am

  It is giveaway time again! One lucky winner will receive a Fiber One 90 Calorie Gift Pack. The new Fiber One 90 Calorie Bars are a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth. The gift pack includes a box of Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars, a water bottle, a pedometer, a reflective wrap bracelet for walking or running after dark, and a diet and exercise journal.This giveaway ends February 19th. You must have a US Shipping address to enter.Make sure to also check out our other Current Giveaways!HOW CAN YOU ENTER?Your main entry will be to comment on this post.EXTRA ENTRIES* Blog about the…

• Sick of Looking For a Vehicle

  Melissa Erickson

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:15 am

  I was really looking forward to getting a third vehicle but now that the time has come I am sick and tired of searching through websites. If it was not for the fact that James wants to start driving the Land Rover again I would just say forget it and put it off for awhile.It was easier before I had three kids that are getting bigger everyday. I could look at a chevrolet corvette pics and drool. There is no way that can be an option now. I used to be interested in sporty cars and concept cars like the chevy Volt but being a mom for all these years has made me no longer even look.I have also…

• Giveaway - 250 Custom Printed Stickers

  Melissa Erickson

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:49 am

  I have another great giveaway to announce. Our sponsor UPrinting will be giving away 250 Stickers/Labels to One (1) of our lucky readers. These stickers are custom made to whatever you want.We have been given stickers by them before and we made "Donated By" stickers out of them and they look awesome! We receive a lot of free books so once we have read the books we donate them. I figured that a donated by sticker with our website on them would be a nice.We are doing a lot of giveaways right now so be sure to check out the Current Giveaway list and enter them all.Uprinting is providing me and…

• 
  Pump Room Confessions

• What goes on in their little heads?

  Anne

  14 Jan 2010 | 8:12 am

  Example One When I went into Cole's room this morning he was naked from the waist down. He'd stripped off his pj pants and his overnight pull-up. "C'mon, let's go pee," I said. "I pee in my bed." Sure enough, I peeled back the covers to reveal a spot about 14" across, warm and wet. About an inch from that lay his dry pull-up. WHY?! Example Two Cole all of a sudden has an aversion to buttons and zippers and throws a fit if he doesn't get to wear sweat pants. Example Three "I need my privacy." The boy who will streak through the living room wearing nothing but a towel over his head no longer…

• Storkcraft Crib Recall - speedy response

  Anne

  15 Dec 2009 | 12:12 pm

  I, like millions of others, have a crib that has just been recalled. No wonder we could never work that drop-down side correctly! I know there was no way I would be able to drop down that side while holding a sleeping infant and then raise it up again. Since we assembled our crib ourselves (by "ourselves" I mean my husband) there was no way we were going to take it apart to get a new one. We decided we didn't care that the side would only go down with brute force. It never occurred to us that this could be a danger. In hind-sight I should have at least reported it to the company. On November…

• Making up stories and other stupid parenting mistakes

  Anne

  1 Dec 2009 | 1:50 pm

  Cole loves reading. He won't play with a toy for more than a half second, but he'll read Curious George over and over. He loves Biscuit, quotes Loonette, and will point out if I miss a word in Little Bear Won't Take a Nap. He will insist on leafing through one book while I read another. This drives me crazy. I test him. I will replace "witch" with, say, "ghost" to see if he is listening. Sure enough his little head will pop up and he'll correct me. Honestly, I love that he reads. I have so many fond memories of getting lost in a book--even as a youngster. I would read The Berenstain Bears…

• 
  What's That Smell?

• Why my laughter woke my daughter up at 11pm…

  Kim

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  She was neked. Completely. Asleep. In her bed. So I laughed. Out loud. And she woke up. The end. Seriously though, Abby had some sort of virus or allergic reaction on Sunday evening. She had hives all over, her eyes were all puffy and itchy and she was miserable. We could not reach our doctor (shouldn’t his answering service have known he was on vacation?) to see if we could give her something, so she had to suffer through the itchies.  She fell asleep normally, or so we thought. Around 11pm on Sunday we heard her making noises in her sleep, and they weren’t her usual noises, so…

• Pigtails are torture…

  Kim

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

  “Take out, mommy.  Take out.”

• Win a 7-day stay in an Orlando Vacation Home worth $1,500

  Kim

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm

  Tonight (Wednesday February 3, 2010) at 8:30 pm CST, I am helping to host a Twitter party (along with Trisha) for Global Resort Homes. And there are great prizes! Here are the details: Twitter handles to make sure you follow: Me: @whatsthatsmell Trisha: @momdot Global Resort Homes MAIN: @grhbill Global Resort Homes: @tasalinas Hashtag: #grh Prizes: Four (4): $25 VISA Gift Cards One (1) Grand Prize: One week (7 days) in a 3 bedroom townhome with splash pool in Windsor Palms aprox. value $1500 (does not include pool heat). (Restrictions apply based upon availability, and blackout dates are…

• 
  MommyCoddle

• give scones a chance

  mommycoddle

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:04 am

  Since my "season" of being oven-less, I've had a hankering to bake a number of things. One of those being a batch of scones. Don't ask me why, but I've had scones on the brain. I neeed to make scones. But lately, most of my attempts at any sort of dessert baking in the toaster oven have been pretty disappointing. I seem to be hitting the over-baked and under-baked marks, and have yet to find the perfect balance. Maybe it's...

• Show & Tell : moleskine

  mommycoddle

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:15 am

  I have a problem. Maybe even an addiction. And I'm pretty sure this is a safe place to admit it. To come clean. Because something tells me there are other addicts among us. I am addicted to journals and planners. All things organizational. All that blank space for ideas and lists. It used to be that almost any journal could suck me in --lined, unlined, spiral, hardbound, wide ruled, college ruled... But with time and experience and as I've honed...

• worth sharing

  mommycoddle

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Yesterday morning, cleaning up breakfast dishes in the kitchen, I found myself thinking, "I can't remember what kinds of things I blog about." I think we all go through these blog-phases where it doesn't seem like there is much to be said. Although this seems to contradict my thoughts just a few posts ago...hmn. But if I really stop to think, there are plenty of things each day worth noting... *I'm beginning week 4 of no oven. It's a challenge,...

• 
  Classy Chaos

• "So. What do you blog about?"

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  My husband and I got into a heated argument yesterday, in front of our children. "Stop making excuses!  Excuses are for the weak!"  I shouted. "But. You help everyone else and never me!" "Whatever.  Don't go there needy-only-child!" "Seriously."  He rolled his eyes. "I help you every time you ask.  Who stayed up late designing postcards for the office?"  I turned to him in the minivan. "If you need help, just ask!" The three kids sat together in the second row of the car and laughed out loud.  We very rarely argue, rare enough that in the last eight years I can count on one hand the…

• To be filed under; something adorable I never want to forget.

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pm

  from: Pauline to: Mary date: Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 4:32 PM subject: TO LUCY from Lola can you bring your amarican grl dol on owr ske tripplez emal me back love Lola "Can you bring your American Girl doll on our ski trip?  Please email me back.  Love Lola. (Her veryfirst email.) from:  Mary to: Pauline date:  Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 4:52 PM subject:  TO LOLA from Lucy Shr. I love you. See you tomoro! I hop you scee good Lucy "Sure.  I love you.  See you tomorrow.  I hope you ski good." The world would be a much happier place if we used the word LOVE in emails more often.  No?

• The longest 20 minutes of my life...

  3 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Nearly a year ago today, my sister helped me put Lola to bed by singing songs and blowing kisses that my daughter pretended to catch from the comfort of her own bed.  My sister was in Africa. This November, my entire extended family gathered in the kitchen of my aunt's home in suburban Chicago on Thanksgiving to watch my three children energetically burn off some pumpkin pie.  We were in Cleveland. Today Lola called my mom, "Are you home yet?  Are you? Are you?  How many more minutes?  I'm getting so excited!"  My mother gave her clearance to open up the package that had arrived on our…

• 
  Chicago Moms Blog

• Is Being a Coupon Mom Worthwhile?

  Carrie Kirby

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am

  We "coupon moms" have gotten a lot of attention in the past 18 months as the financial crisis put saving money to the fore of nearly every American's minds. The Coupon Mom, Stephanie Nelson, recently published a book, and her media tour has resulted in more attention to the whole trend of aggressive bargain hunting at the grocery store.  Seeing the crazy coupon ladies go through a store on TV and pay only a few bucks for a full cart of groceries, the average shopper can't help but wonder if maybe they should get into this bargain-hunting thing too. But is it worth the time invested? A…

• The Sandwich Generation vs. Semantics

  Susan @ 2KoP

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Last week, I officially joined the Sandwich Generation, a growing group of adults who find themselves caring both for their dependent children and their aging parents. For my husband and me, it happened rather suddenly when my mother-in-law's planned two-day hospital stay for sciatica surgery turned into five days in the hospital, an indeterminate time at a rehabilitation center and the need to go home with at least a part-time caregiver. Can you say "unprepared"? Because that's what we were  totally unprepared.We shouldn't have been, because the woman is 80 years old. Granted, she is in…

• Help! I Have to Potty Train a Boy!

  melanie myatt

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:43 am

  I am the mother of three kids.  This means that, at least by a couple people, I am considered something of an expert in the realm of parenting.  I don't know if having a lot of kids makes me any more qualified to give advice than a parent of one child, but I am happy to admit that I have learned a few things in my seven years of parenting, that I am happy to pass on to others.This is certainly the way I have felt about potty training.  Since my two oldest, who happen to be girls, were mostly potty trained in about a day, I have (as humbly as possible) offered my best tips and advice to…

• 
  Sprite's Keeper

• RTT: Keeping it clean, if there's time.

  Sprite's Keeper

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  "Good job, Sprite! Wash your hands now." "No way!" "Sprite, you just used the potty. You need to wash your hands." "I can't, Daddy. I'm too busy." We checked her schedule. She WAS running late for Play-Doh. Did you catch the "No way"? That's Sprite's newest and favorite go-to retort. I cringe every time I hear it because she uses it for everything from the standard "Go to time out" orders in which it works to the automatic reply when I ask "Do you want some milk?". I've been asking her to simplify…

• Did I ever tell you about the time I saved John's life?

  Sprite's Keeper

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:47 am

  Poor John. Almost killed by a won-ton. "Welcome to Benihana." We smiled at the hostess before she turned to lead us to the table where our friends were waiting. John took my hand as we glanced around the full restaurant, the popular choice for Valentine's Day, 2003. John had scored the four of us reservations on their busiest night, his gift to me for the holiday. I hadn't gotten him anything. I would owe him for this. Kristy and Matt were already seated, perusing the night's menu, ready for the show to begin. We exchanged hellos and settled in for the event, evident…

• Spin Cycle: So many ways to say "I love you"..

  Sprite's Keeper

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:58 pm

  And it starts now! Kendra over at Life in the Slow Lane Maureen over at IslandRoar -Updated Monday! Jen over at Sprite's Keeper -Updated Monday! Ruby over at Ruby's Looking Glass -Updated Monday! Meowmie over at Meowmie's Weblog -Updated Monday! Don't forget, you have until Friday to get those Spins in for Valentine's Day! If you have anything to say, say it with love..

• 
  Mama-Om

• January Goodies

  Stacy (Mama-Om)

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am

  The Goodies... :: A new year's resolution that is all about starting over, each moment. :: Doulas for the everyday. A brilliant idea! :: The fifth thing: a mother's intuition. :: Ten things MommyMystic has learned about 2012. An excellent read, especially because all her ideas apply to any other year, too. :: From Momma Zen, who we know has a way with words: what attachment and non-attachment feels like. :: Need help translating ye olde crummy feelings into NVC? Use the Jackal Dictionary! :: A great illustration of one mama's inner dialog during her son's meltdown. Top commenters... Lisa at…

• Practicing Peace: How to Meditate

  Stacy (Mama-Om)

  27 Jan 2010 | 9:37 am

  This is the seventh — and last! — post in my series Practicing Peace, in which I am sharing some of the practices I do throughout my days, including mindfulness, self-connection, and meditation. See the end of this post for links to all the posts in the series. In the previous post, I talked about some of the general reasons I meditate, and in this one, I will share with you some instructions in case you want to sit down and sit still and see what comes up. Here's how I do it. Sitting Meditation for Beginners adapted from senior insight meditation teachers Choose the amount of time…

• Practicing Peace: Meditation

  Stacy (Mama-Om)

  26 Jan 2010 | 10:15 am

  This is the sixth post in my series Practicing Peace, in which I am sharing some of the practices I do throughout my days, including mindfulness, self-connection, and meditation. See the end of this post for links to all the posts in the series. Meditation is the last topic in this series, but it is where my journey toward peace began, and it remains my foundation. All I knew, as I held a few-weeks-old Orlando, is that I felt a deep calling to explore and understand the connections between parenting, peace and community. It was like a yearning inside me, and I didn't really know where to…

• 
  MotherhoodMetamorphosis

• A Rose By Any Other Name... Is Still Late

  Pop Tart

  31 Jan 2010 | 10:51 pm

  Doodle Week was posted a bit late this week, so I'm posting my doodle late too. But come on, it's doodling, so no worries. In fact, feel free to doodle your own flower and post it as late as you'd like *wink*

• Tales From Seventh Grade

  Pop Tart

  18 Jan 2010 | 1:47 pm

  For those of you who wish to be drawn back into the memories of junior high...First, daughter number two tells me a story from study hall:She: I'm so pleased with myself today.Me: What did you do?She: In study hall, a couple of boys were being rude and mean. They were making fun of black people, handicapped people, fat people, and Nazis.Me: Well, I might have allowed the making fun of Nazis, but

• Pause To Reflect, Paws To Count

  Pop Tart

  10 Jan 2010 | 2:27 pm

  We keep telling this story, and every time it makes me laugh.When hubby was writing about mustaches, and dogs wearing them, he wrote:one of our dogs is horribly stupid, and would probably injure herself trying to use the toy improperly.What he intended to do was offer a photo of our stupid dog, but he selected the post in which she, Toodles "Squirrel Face" Davidson III, is next to a giant

• 
  Motherhood Later...Than Sooner Blog - for those who became a mom at age 35+

• Worried Sick -- by Jamie

  Robin Gorman Newman

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Lately, all of Jayda’s dolls have been throwing up. The other night, as Jayda was munching on a snack bag of animal crackers, she asked me if Big Baby (her favorite doll) could have one of her cookies. “Sure,” I said, and proudly praised her for sharing her snack. Just moments later, Jayda shrieked, “Big Baby is throwing up!” I then had to stop everything I was doing to help Jayda climb up on a step stool so she could hold Big Baby over the kitchen sink, just as I had held my daughter several weeks before, when Jayda had suffered from the stomach flu and couldn’t make it into the…

• GUEST BLOG POST: Sex and the Tired New Parents -- by Sherry Amatenstein, author, The Complete Marriage Counselor

  Robin Gorman Newman

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Parenthood is a game changer for couples on the intimacy front, especially when they've spent years along together. Distancing patterns can set in soon after the birth. The husband feels left out, a third wheel, while the wife's primary emotion concerning her spouse is irritation at his lack of understanding for what she's experiencing. The dissonance is an underground burr, with both parties becoming more and more estranged. It's essential for couples to summon the energy to bring fresh eyes to the deadlocked situation. Putting aside an evening to reminise about the past and recall amorous…

• Playdate Peer Pressue -- by Robin

  Robin Gorman Newman

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  When does peer pressure start to influence your child?We had a playdate this past weekend, and I was somewhat stunned at the behavior of my son. His friend came over, and he's a bit younger than Seth, and a very active boy. Seth is too, but at times, it felt like this boy topped him.The plan was to play in our newly refurbished basement. And, his parents came too. We're all good friends, so it was a good opportunity for everyone to socialize. And, we were excited to showcase our basement and to be able to share it, since the whole construction process was quite the ordeal (if you read my…

• 
  Walking With Scissors

• Stunted

  WWS (Lynn)

  31 Jan 2010 | 11:15 pm

  Occasionally, I will catch myself doing or saying something very grown-up (“it’s time to study your spelling words”, “that music is so loud; I can’t hear myself think”) and I’ll wonder how it is that I look and act exactly like a 33 year old woman when I still feel like a very un grown-up kid a lot of the time. I am an adult and have been for quite some time.  The birthdate on my driver’s license says so. The fact that the checkout girl at the liquor store asks for my ID not because she believes I’m under 18 but to verify that I…

• I totally don’t even deserve this AT ALL but can you do me this favour anyway? As a show of good faith?

  WWS (Lynn)

  14 Jan 2010 | 9:04 am

  Guess what? It’s delurker day. And yes, I realize that I have been sorely neglecting this blog as of late. I blame FarmVille my hectic schedule combined with a healthy dose of lethargy. Forgive me? Say so in the comments. In return, I’ll make an attempt to get my head back on straight and start posting again. Because I miss it. Truly. Share and Enjoy:

• In honour of New Year’s Day

  WWS (Lynn)

  1 Jan 2010 | 11:17 am

  A special New Year’s joke, courtesy of my delicate little flower, Lily: Knock knock! Who’s there? Butt. Butt who? Butt poo pee fart! Hope 2010 is the best year ever! Share and Enjoy:

• 
  Total Mom Haircut

• Stacks and Piles

  Beth

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am

  “When I finished writing this, the thermometer outside my door read 18 below zero. I now know that spring will never come. I shall spend the rest of my life reading seed and plant catalogues, and books about gardens and the people involved with them.” This is a quote from Jamaica Kincaid’s “My Garden (Book):” It is printed on a page along with the following sketch by Jill Fox: If you are in my area, I don’t need to tell you that the view outside the window today is quite similar; we are literally buried in at least 12 inches of snow, and it is still coming…

• Keep On Truckin’

  Beth

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:20 am

  Thank you all for responding to that last post - I really appreciate your input. It was nice to finally think through some of what has been on my mind lately, and I continued to do so as each comment came in and through the rest of the day. The result is a rekindled excitement over blogging again. I think I just needed a rest and to rethink my reasons for doing it. At this time last year I was writing for four different websites. I spent just about every evening after the kids went to bed writing/blogging for those sites, and even quite a bit of stolen time during the day. Really, it’s…

• Blogging Conundrum - Total Mom Garden?

  Beth

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  Before I begin this post, I have a question for my five remaining readers: what are your feelings about my posts about gardening? I ask because I’m not sure what to do here. I haven’t been blogging much for months now, but certainly when I do there is a high frequency of posts about plants, gardening, vegetables, etc. And I’m just not sure that anyone who reads this blog is really into that. And of course I know it’s “my blog” and I can do what I want, but those posts really don’t fit under my blog title or its previous theme either. I suppose I have…

• 
  Sassy Irish Lassie

• top 10 things i learned at blissdom

  Kat

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:37 pm

  1. You can never have too much fun and it is possible to laugh your self to tears till you collapse. 2. You can pack a bunch of pretty shoes but live in your tennis because you just can’t fathom hiking three miles a day in them. Photo by Rachel 3. You can walk through the Republican Tea Party convention in your pajamas.4. You can sit in a room surrounded but great women and NOT feel inferior or out of place. Photo by Dawn 5. You can be SO excited to go and hang with ‘da girls’ but be just as excited to be going home to your family. 6. You can be the only one able (or just plain silly…

• every thing's blissful

  Kat

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

  The time is finally here. Time for divas from across the country , and some from overseas, to gather in Nashville and get their Bliss on! This year's event is being elegantly hosted at the gorgeous Opryland Hotel. Since getting in last night I have only gotten lost a handful of times. Hopefully by Sunday I will have this place mastered!So what exactly goes into prepping for a blogging conference. Come on, I know you are dying to know. Well, first and foremost - PLAN. The spread sheet I saw, well, it darn right scared me. And that was just for volunteers. I don't even want to think of THE…

• fabulous organization - let the games begin!

  Kat

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:26 pm

• 
  Motherofbun

• Out loud

  motherofbun

  13 Jan 2010 | 11:04 am

  I’ve been writing all my life – be it poetry, songs, news articles, brochures, press releases, newletters, corporate magazine features or web content. You name it. Writing has always been a passion, a compulsion even. So blogging was a very natural step. There were essays, naval grazings, rants, product reviews and stories shared. It has been a thrilling and incredible experience being a part of the mom blogging community.  In fact, this month marks my fifth anniversary even. But alas, I’ve outgrown this domain, my tiny piece of the the blogosphere. I suspected as…

• Hope for Anissa

  motherofbun

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pm

  There’s an incredible blogger and mom in Atlanta named Anissa. If you haven’t read her before, you should puruse her archives. She’s sassy, funny, smart, and strong. She began blogging about her daughter’s fight against cancer awhile back. But now she’s in the hospital. She’s suffered a massive stroke. Please send prayers, positive vibes her way. If you’ve got a little extra jingle in your pockets to help the family offset medical expenses? That’s great too. They would greatly appreciate. For more info, click here. We love you Anissa.

• In praise of a boy

  motherofbun

  29 Oct 2009 | 7:37 am

  At the age of two he couldn’t say anything more than “ma-ee” and “no.” Now if Seth is in a room? There’s a rarely a silent moment. He used to have a difficult time coordinating his upper and lower body while running. His arms and shoulders would droop while his little legs moved. Now he’s one of the fastest kids on his soccer team and in his second grade class. He used to be terrified of the water. Now he swims like a fish. He used to be scared of riding his bike, even with training wheels. Now he can easily maneuver on the tricky, wooded bike paths…

• 
  Soggy Granola Mom

• Glad That's Over With

  Soggy Granola Mom

  20 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

  Wow. It's good to be writing. I was just trying to get back into a routine, when misery struck. Last Wednesday I woke up not feeling too great. Which quickly turned into feeling as if I were dying. (Or wished I would.)The Regime was very busy at work that day. But he had to come home early. I could not care for the kids. I was totally unable to do my job. Big Sister Doodle helped out a lot. But she can't do everything, she's only five. And to add to my problems, Bug was in a bad mood. Crying at me for not getting up to help her. She totally didn't get it. I guess Mom is not allowed to get…

• Starting Over from the Beginning

  Soggy Granola Mom

  12 Jan 2010 | 7:53 pm

  If you know anything about me, you should know that I love the show LOST. Don't ask me why. I just do. So when the Regime suggested watching all of the episodes on Hulu, I was all for it. Unfortunately, we are running out of time. We'd like to be all caught up in time for the season premiere, but the final season (insert loud crying sound here) begins on February 2nd. So I'm watching an episode while I write this. And I'll likely be getting way too little sleep for the next few weeks. In my opinion it's totally worth it.

• Searching for Self-Discipline

  Soggy Granola Mom

  6 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pm

  Since it's the appropriate time for resoluteness, I've decided to work on a few things.Namely this list:1. Write more. This includes working on ideas for a novel, blogging, and filling up my journal.2. Eat less. Exercise more. (Repeat, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Try to believe it.)3. Work on time management issues. (i.e. try to be on time for once)4. Practice and learn more about photography.5. Stay in the moment. Relax and enjoy.Of course I'm sure there are many more issues that need resolving (maybe you can think of a few for me), but this is all I feel like tackling for now.

• 
  The Lo.Co.

• In Pictures: K.Lo’s 4th Date of Hire Anniversary (II)

  6 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pm

  K.Lo’s long-awaited celebration with colleagues took place today at the park. Overall, I would call it a great success! The key factor remained the weather, which magically cooperated. It was chilly, but after one rescheduling, one park switch due to excessive mud and one hell of a wind-and-rain storm yesterday evening, gray skies were a blessing. The cake, too, turned out just as the Kitchen Staff desired, with the help of certain tools from the craft-store baking aisle, namely buttercream frosting, purple coloring and edible glitter. It was a basic sheet cake with a Cinderella toy set…

• In Pictures: K.Lo’s 4th Date of Hire Anniversary (I)

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:10 pm

                

• When the Manager Moonlights

  31 Jan 2010 | 6:25 am

  When the Manager moonlights, there are no notes for the Lo.Co. file. No pictures. No end in sight. The Manager is tired. It will get better. This week contains a deadline and a learning curve and a dash of frustration. Maybe you can match up each moonlight job with its description. (It’s not difficult.) At any rate, here are some of things happening in our office: K.Lo’s party was moved from one Saturday to the next due to inclement weather. Although I don’t put much stock in the extended forecast, so far, it doesn’t look great. Contingency plan will involve a small, indoor party.

• 
  GoodNCrazy

• Ode To The Random

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:10 pm

  A Tweet:Sheesh. Why did I stay up so late last night? (Watching Jack's ambivalence about saving the world again. That' s why.) Now heading to the gym doesn't sound as good as it did last night...Sunday naps are the BEST. Until you realize you can't go to sleep at any sort of normal time and the kids STILL need lunches made Monday morning. (And then Sunday naps SUCK.) I'm stinkin' excited! I have begun a small project for MemoryMixer.com. You can now find me on Twitter as @MemoryMixer for a few weeks.. how fun is that!?My pal Julie of LeeLouBlogs is having a Birthday.IT's TODAY!! And what does…

• Black Diamond WOW Review

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:58 pm

  "Black Diamond WOW"Mop and CleanersMama Appah Reviews:My IRL friend agreed to test out the Black Diamond Wow products. She has the cutest house, with a ton of wood flooring and plenty of tile to clean... Alas... I only have linoleum in the house we are renting (sigh). A big thanks to Mama Appah (and her daughter).In her words....I used the "Black Diamond Wow" package this weekend. The package came with an easy put together aluminum pivot head flat mop that also boasts a machine washable pad. A total cinch to get going. After putting the included sprayer head in the wood and laminate floor…

• Should I Be Concerned?

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:29 pm

  Today in my regular mail: 3 ENVELOPES First: The National Bone Marrow Donor Program found me again. I have no idea how. Not that I've been hiding. But they are amazing. I registered to become a bone marrow back when I was 19. And I never think to tell them but every time I move... they find me. Second: A mailer from my local hospital with this on the back: DO YOU CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE RISKS OF OBESITY? Well gee I thought I did, but when it's in all caps like that; I feel like checking my scales just to be sure I REALLY understand. Third: A medical bill from a recent Dr. Visit. That's it.

• 
  LaLaGirl - Twinfinite Chaos! Parenting Multiples and Dealing with Autism

• My washer is lame.

  LaLaLaura

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:51 am

  I hate to talk bad about my washer – especially in case I’m tempting fate by doing so – but man is it pissing me off! With four little kids, I find that I’m FREQUENTLY washing bedding, and almost every time I do, I have to run an extra rinse cycle to get rid of all the soap, and an extra spin cycle, too. If I don’t do that extra spin, my kids’ comforters come out weighing thirty pounds because they’re still full of water. Besides all of THAT, I find that my washer smells like ass a good portion of the time. I regularly clean out the filter assembly,…

• National Wear Red Day

  LaLaLaura

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:13 am

  How many of you ladies on Facebook posted the color of your bra a few weeks ago to promote Breast Cancer Awareness? (I did!) I was frightened to learn that most people have no idea that heart disease is actually the number one killer of women. According to the American Heart Association, ONE IN THREE women has some sort of heart disease, and most of those women have no idea. Women face six major risk factors for heart disease that can be prevented, controlled or treated with diet, exercise and sometimes medications prescribed. These are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, tobacco…

• Costco’s lame, and so am I.

  LaLaLaura

  29 Jan 2010 | 12:56 pm

  So. I went to Costco about a month ago – actually a little more than that, because it was right before Christmas – and I bought one of those big bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You know the ones I’m talking about? They’re individually wrapped, which I love. Costco’s Kirkland brand individually wrapped chicken breasts are probably the SOLE reason I drive twice as far to shop at Costco rather than just go to Sam’s Club. A few weeks later, as I’m making my way through the bag o’ chicken breasts one meal at a time, I realized that there…

• 
  What's Happening?

• Keep Your Child Healthy

  heidia

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:41 pm

  Outdoor Industry News for the week of February 7th, 2010

• This weeks Outdoor Family News:

  heidia

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:19 pm

  Week of February 1st, 2010

• Have you read the Paper Bag princess by Robert Munch? You should

  heidia

  30 Jan 2010 | 2:40 pm

  Do you remember when you fell in love with the outdoors? Or at least the first dirty, hairy, stinky boy you fell for? Or the twigs in hair, hemp necklaced, unshaved arm pits girl that took your breath away? How did we get so far away from this and emerged in a crazy world called the Winter Outdoor Retailer market?

• 
  moosh in indy.

• blissful role models.

  Casey

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pm

  (photos and links in no particular order.) I want to be… As gracious as Chrissy, Edie, Lisa and Sibi. As unconditionally loving as Frelle and Lee. As courageous as Ari. As passionate as Alli and Ally. As talented as Mishi, Dawn, Lotus, Deana, Angie and Amy. As fantastic as Carmen, Esther and Mrs. Chicken and Poppy. As loyal as Rachel and Tanis. As powerful as Barbara, Catherine, Paula and Liz. As hysterical as Allison, Marie, Heather, Bridget, Cassie, Michelle, Monica and Christina. As coordinated as Jessica As honest as Steph. As immensely beautiful as Amber, Sarah, Robin, Amy, and…

• blissdom observance.

  Casey

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:38 am

  Based on my very loosely conducted research over the last two days it is physically and mentally impossible to watch The Biggest Loser without snacks. And not just snacks. I’m talking snacks. Also? I am so happy here. Have I met you yet? Copyright © 2010 moosh in indy.. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mooshinindy (at) gmail (dot) com so we can take legal action immediately.Plugin by Taragana

• read now, sniff later.

  Casey

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pm

  Tomorrow I travel to Nashville, Thursday I will sit in front of a sold out crowd with her and them as part of a workshop to help those in attendance learn more about the fine art of inspirational writing. Or here at moosh in indy “inspirational writing” is better known as TMI or OVERSHARE. Eh, it’s what I do. Now I know someone in the audience is going to be all “What? This girl has no idea what she’s talking about.” So to prove I know *something* I present you with the indispensable guide to small warm people that smell of milk and/or cookies on a regular…

• 
  Crash Test Mommy

• LIST: Nice Celebrities I’ve Met (And Ricky Schroder)

  jenny

  3 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm

  I am, by nature, a list maker. I love lists for both their form and their function. I love their orderliness. I love their conciseness. I love how they organize my thoughts and memories; I love how they motivate me to action. I have several list-making books in my little library, including two of my favorites All About Me and The Wish List, and I just recently added a new one, Listography: Your Life in Lists. While I would love to say that I will definitely someday pen my memoir (it’s number 88 on my Life To-Do), just in case I never actually get around to writing it, I feel like…

• Pretend this one is about Lady Gaga and try to stay awake while reading it.

  jenny

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:08 am

  I’m going to write about runningagain and I know what you’re thinking, you’re all “She’s writing about running? Again? What is this turning in to? A running blog?” And the answer is yes, I guess, I don’t know, and maybe. So. After surviving one blistertastic week of Couch to 5K (C25K), then deciding I needed to take a week off to let my wound fully heal, last Monday I made the executive decision to start the program over from the beginning. Begin the begin, as R.E.M. said. (Love me some R.E.M.) And I’m happy to report that as of last Friday I…

• This insomnia brought to you by Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. Also the letter O.

  jenny

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am

  … wow, for doing close to nothing all day, I am REALLY tired … … I didn’t even take a Melatonin, but I’m already drowsy enough to fall asleep … … as soon as Rob GETS SITUATED OVER THERE, I should doze right off … … I wonder if he checked the front door … Me: “Did you check the front door?” Him: “No.” Me: “GREAT.” … I should go check the front door … … I’m sure it’s locked, the only times we left today we went out through the garage … … if I don’t go…