“Mom,” my 10-year-old said to me the other day, “for the first time I know what summer is all about.”I knew exactly what he meant. And I felt both glad—he should know what summer is all about—and guilty. Did it really have to wait until he was ten—almost eleven?Well, yeah, actually, it did. Because what he’s talking about is freedom, and hanging out with friends, and playing outside and sometimes losing track of the time and being late for dinner. And until this summer, that option just wasn’t available.Until this summer, as a mom who works full-time for a salary (there is…
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Silicon Valley Moms Blog
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What summer is all about
2 Jul 2009 | 12:02 pm -
Drawing the Line on Swag
2 Jul 2009 | 11:25 amI have a rule. Whatever freebies I bring home from a conference must be used up, given away, or recycled by the time the next year’s conference rolls around. All the good stuff gets enjoyed quickly, so there's no pretending that I’ll get around to trying the the remainders. That means I’ve got about three weeks left to clear out the BlogHer ’08 swag.Looking through the swag bag, I’m realizing that I went nuts last summer and picked up too many things, lured by the siren call of FREE.Why did I ever take the cheapo manicure kit? Did I ever think I was going to have time to try… -
Celebrating Jedi Training
2 Jul 2009 | 6:05 amMy-5 year-old is really into Star Wars. No. Really. He says he is growing up to be a Jedi. And who can blame him? Jedis are pretty cool. Defenders of peace and justice in the galaxy, they use the force for defense, never for attack (that is straight from the Jedi training oath, by the way). We knew about Jedi training at Disneyland when we took a trip last year, but he was a bit young then at 4 years old. He did pick out a Jedi Training t-shirt and has been talking about it....since then. This year, when we went for a family trip and for me to attend the Celebrate Mom's event put on by Macy's…
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Good Mom / Bad Mom
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Wordless Wednesday: Taking the heat off
1 Jul 2009 | 4:44 amBy Mindy Sterba, Parenteeng Survivor Summer aid.... -
Internalizing the blog
30 Jun 2009 | 4:45 amBy Mindy Sterba, Parenteeng Survivor Don't you just love it when one of your friends does something really annoying? Although you don't like the action at the time, you think to yourself, "Oh well, it's funny enough that at least... -
It's true
29 Jun 2009 | 9:09 amBy Jenny (bloggess and mom of 4 year old) So yesterday we were driving to the store and Victor and I were arguing over whether Steely Dan sucks or not and suddenly Hailey says " DID YOU KNOW THAT SNAKES...
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White Trash Mom
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BowlHer at Blogher: Come and Get Your Badge!
The fabulous Susan Getgood asked if I had a badge for the BOWLHER party that is only weeks away! I created this little 125x125 badge for my blog AND because Susan asked for one. If you want to grab a badge for your blog, please help spread the word! The official ... -
BowlHer: Because Nothing Says Classy Like a Bowling Alley
WhiteTrashMom is an Official Hostess of BowlHer, one of the smokin' hot parties at Blogher09! Because nothing says classy like a bowling alley. BowlHer was created by a group of wild&crazy highly professional people: One2One Network (Barbara Jones, Paula Bruno, Amber Maduell and Arianne Segerman), Collective Bias (formerly MARS USA--John Andrews, ... -
Wichita is the Center of the Universe: CarolinaPad Case Study
I may have mentioned that Wichita, Kansas is one of the coolest places on the planet. Guy Kawasaki has realized that Wichita is one of the coolest places on earth! Wichita Kansas was selected as one of the cities to follow on Alltop.com, the best of the web! I’ve blogged about the ...
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Kimchi Mamas
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Hot dog nuggets
2 Jul 2009 | 2:09 pmOne of my most memorable fights with my mom featured Nathan's hot dog nuggets. Sixteen of them. You know, those that look like miniature corndogs, but without the sticks. They came in a green and yellow paper box with a... -
Open Thread Thursday
2 Jul 2009 | 11:51 amSummer reading I WON'T being doing . . . More kimchi babies! Congrats Mary! It's Open Thread Thursday . . . What's on YOUR mind?! --The Kimchi Mamas -
Open Thread Thursday
25 Jun 2009 | 9:14 amIt's HOT here in Texas! We're going through the DRYEST 22 months. Ever. But that doesn't stop THIS "Kimchi Mama-in-the-making" from playing a little golf . . . How kragee is that?! If you want your own Kimchi Mamas stuff...
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Parentopia
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The Jon & Kate Effect
24 Jun 2009 | 10:33 amYears ago when I had my first job as a clinical social worker, my supervisor asked me to facilitate a "Divorce Recovery Group" for elementary school students. I flat out told him, "I am happy to faciliate a "Dealing With Divorce" group, but a "Divorce Recovery" group is out of the question. Children do not recover from divorce, they aren't able to go on to another relationship in quite the same -
Doing my part for global warming
15 Jun 2009 | 9:08 pmDISCLAIMER: For those of you who think this is going to be a post about reduce/reuse/recycle, please stop reading now. Any further reading will be at your own risk! I do not want to receive hate mail from you if you insist on reading the rest of this.Just in case you do not believe my disclaimer, let me start by saying this. I LOVE my disposable mop, my single use cleanup wipes, and my disposable -
Motherhood Is A Gas
11 Jun 2009 | 1:43 pmI'm very happy to be recognized as a "Go To expert on arm farts." After all, I'm the same "expert" who uses Saturday Night Live as a parenting tool. And I also laugh at my own mistakes when it comes to my parenting on a fairly regular basis.But even I, laid back about many many things, am a stickler when it comes to decorum and manners. While I am okay with arm farts, I am not okay with them at
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The Daily Bitch
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WTF is wrong with you people?
25 Jun 2009 | 9:01 amApparently someone thinks I'm funny.*I* think you just enjoy laughing AT me.What the hell, as long as you're here, you might as well go VOTE FOR ME.Not that I'll win. Also, is there a prize? I don't want to win if there's no prize.Sort of like the BoB (NO, I'm talking about Best of Blogs awards, not Battery Operated Boyfriend awards, which, by the way, would totally be won by me and my BOB which I recently received from Eden Fantasy, is all I'm saying)... ANYWAY I won a BoB award a couple years ago AND NEVER EVER EVER EVER GOT THE ADVERTISED PRIZE.NEVER.STILL.TO THIS DAY.EVEN AFTER I BROUGHT… -
Dear Dad: THANKS for, you know, everything.
16 Jun 2009 | 12:57 pmDear Ol' Dad's Day is JUST AROUND THE CORNER -- I don't know about you but I struggle EVERY year to find a Father's Day gift for My Two Dads (YES, I have TWO so I am DOUBLE LUCKY!)...both of whom already have everything.Okay, maybe not EVERYTHING, but everything they WANT, you know? I have one dad who has practically non-existent needs because if he wants something, he just gets it. Come to think of it, a lot of guys I know are JUST LIKE THAT *coughJECKLEScough*. My other dad just says "NOTHING. I NEED NOTHING" whenever one of us tries to probe for information.SO FRUSTRATING.So in retaliation… -
You can't say you weren't warned.
11 Jun 2009 | 12:09 pmDear Any Family Member Who Reads This:WARNING!There is a product review of an adult-type nature coming soon.Shield yourself. STAY AWAY. THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.Seriously. I mean it. Otherwise I won't be able to look you in the face.Okay? We good?Great.Thanks.Love and kisses,Me.
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Oh, The Joys
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Home
1 Jul 2009 | 6:28 pm"I want to go home!!!" she wails.It doesn't matter.We can be at THE MOST FUN PLACE IN THE WORLDVIEW OF ALL THREE YEAR OLDS and if things don't go her way, we hear it..."I want to go home!"[Accompanied by a great and tragic wailing.]Lately she's started saying it when we're at home.[Um. Hello? Roo? Look around, Sweetness. We ARE home.]But our actual location doesn't seem to matter.Tonight, K felt a little sorry for her sad, little, worn-out self and he picked her up.She smiled and snuggled her face into his neck."Home," she said. -
The Devil's Punchbowl
28 Jun 2009 | 7:07 pmMy heart raced.I regularly suffered from anxiety that something bad would happen to Joseph, that I’d be widowed young.It scared me that I thought those things, but as I went to the phone, the pounding in my chest got stronger.Of the few people who knew where I was this weekend, who would be calling so early?“Hello?” I asked the cordless banana.“Jessica. It’s Therese.”[Onset of full blown panic.]“Oh my God. Oh, my God. What’s wrong?”There was no way Therese would have been out of bed so early on a Saturday morning if it wasn’t serious.“Campbell’s gone,” she… -
King of the Forest
16 Jun 2009 | 8:34 amIt was a glorious summer day in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Late August, I believe. I had my son slung on my back in a papoose contraption and I had my daughter slung from a sling like contraption around my chest. Together, my children weighed about forty-five pounds. We hiked along some forest trails, up ravines, and over river gorge log bridges. The air was fresh and clean and smelled of pine needles.The children were curious and asked many questions about the woods and the plants therein.My wife constructed a crown made of wild flowers and crowned me King of the Forest. I could…
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The OPMOM Blog
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Fourth of July Menu, Sans the Grill
28 Jun 2009 | 9:28 amThe Fourth of July usually involves meat and a hot grill but we decided to do something different this year. With the summer heating up to over 100 degrees by noon the grill is not exactly the place we want to hang out. So we decided to cool our 4th of July down with some amazingly easy dishes that will spark an East Coast Vibe for your Red, White and Blue Holiday! We couldn’t think of anything more American & East Coast than the famous Lobster Roll Sandwich! I tend to be more of a purist… -
Pan Dulce, Sweet Bread Heaven
27 Jun 2009 | 7:44 amPanaderia’s are the closets things to bakery heaven in my opinion, but then again I was brought up visiting these establishments since birth.When my parents would take me to visit relatives we would go by the Panaderia. When people were coming over we would go to the Panaderia, on the weekends, guess what, Panaderia. I don’t visit these bakeries as much anymore, so when I walked into one locally here in Houston, TX, it pretty much took over my senses. My eyes, my nose,everything. I could not focus on what my friend was saying at the time. I was completely overwhelmed by all the display… -
Pico de Gallo Craving Satisfied!
26 Jun 2009 | 7:56 amI made fresh Pico de Gallo today and it was so good. Seriously, the aromas alone when making this is almost enough to satisfy. I actually went to the grocery store today and got all the ingredients to make pico de gallo. It is one of the easiest things to make on earth, but I don’t really spend much time in the kitchen, so this deserves a blog post. Every holiday I visit my family, and most of them include homemade pico. My family is really good at cooking and getting everything together, so when I help it is with…
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TechMamas
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Day in the Cloud Challenge - With Virgin America and Google
24 Jun 2009 | 10:27 amI made the sacrifice this morning to get up at 3:30am (after blogging until 12:30am) to attend a 6am Virgin America/Google event called " Day in the Cloud" challenge. There are very few things that will get me out of bed at 3:30am. Before this it was only for night breastfeedings when my boys were infants. This time I had to chance to be on a Virgin America flight from SFO to LAX with other media - that were playing an online challenge game against the Virgin America flight from LAX to SFO. The Virgin America flights have GoGo Inflight Wi-Fi so we could all go online after the flight was… -
Disney And ASUS Launch Netbook With Disney User Interface (Netpal)
23 Jun 2009 | 11:34 pmThe last few days has been full of press briefings. Today I had the chance to meet with the Disney Consumer Products representatives to discuss their new collaboration with ASUS (makers of the Eee PC). The result is a 8.9 inch netbook with a 92% keyboard and Wi-Fi capabilities. ASUS manufactured the PC, but Disney created the user interface/experience. Everything from the designs ( Princess Pink, Magic Blue) to the kid friendly user interface, 40 parental controls and a spill proof keyboard. What I found unique (other then the designs) was the user interface made it easy for parents to set… -
Toshiba Satellite L Series Laptops
23 Jun 2009 | 10:40 pmI am getting lots of press releases regarding laptops because it is getting close to back to school. The press release on the new L Series from Toshiba looked interesting. I had a Toshiba when I was at one of my prior companies and found it to be very rugged. I took at look at their current offerings and found the a nice selection of low cost laptops listed on their website including a $349 10-inch netbook (Mini Notebook NB200) and a 15.6-inch Satellite L500 (pictured below) for $504. PRESS RELEASE: Toshiba Introduces New Satellite L Series Laptops: Everyday Value with Well-Balanced…
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entrepreMusings
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How Do You Know When You’ve Made The Right Decision?
29 Jun 2009 | 7:23 pmI don’t usually know if I’ve made the right decision (business, personal, kids, etc.) until after I’ve made it. And then even after making it, I sometimes wonder if it was the right one. But usually I feel a huge sense of relief for some time until, of course, the details have to be worked out. But life is a series of decisions. Some are small ones like when to do the laundry, what clothes to wear, what to eat for dinner, etc. Some are big ones like what house to buy, whether to sell your company, who to marry, whether to have kids or not, how many kids to have,… -
In A Music State of Mind
28 Jun 2009 | 7:03 pmThe entrepreneurial journey is full of interesting twists and turns. Even the most successful entrepreneurs I know struggle with what success means. I was recently meeting with a two time successful (multi-million dollar exits) entrepreneur, and he said after a few months we’re all back to our miserable selves and looking for the next thing to do. It’s funny how many people I interviewed for the Success Profiles sort of said the same thing. They would achieve or fail in one thing and then it was on to the next with something to prove. Are we ever content? I’m not… -
The Impact of Michael Jackson
25 Jun 2009 | 8:41 pmI debated whether to write this post tonight since it’s late and I’m kind of tired after a long day of telling people about finding a new home for Babble Soft. I still have many more people and twitter friends to tell. It was a weird, weird day for me today. I was extra sensitive with many things happening at once. I came home after hanging out with a girlfriend of mine to find out Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett had both died today - June 25, 2009. I’m not sure yet if I’m ashamed to admit this or not, but I was a BIG Michael Jackson fan. I even had his Off…
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babyshrink.com
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Tips for a Toddler Tinkling (and Screaming) in the Bath
25 Jun 2009 | 6:13 pmHi Dr. Heather, My husband and I are hoping you can shed some light on a concern we have for our son who is 27 months old. Over the last month during bath time, my son has peed in the bath 3 separate times, and without fail he would then ‘hold himself’ while crying/screaming hysterically! This has continued during every bath time where he is screaming like we have never seen. He doesn’t necessarily pee every time, but since the first occasion… then a second, and a third… his screaming has continued. Even when he doesn’t pee in the tub, he still holds… -
Tips for a Mom Desperate to Potty Train her Toddler
16 Jun 2009 | 8:58 pmOne of my most frequently-asked questions is along the lines of one I recently received: Dear Dr. Heather, My daughter will be 3 in Sept. She absolutely refuses to use the potty. When I take her in the morning it seems she will hold it - even though her diaper is dry- until I give up. That can be up to 20 minutes. I’ve tried everything. Books, videos, Pull-Ups. She doesn’t even care if she wets herself. I am so very weary of putting big girl panties on her for fear that she will wet herself again! Signed, A Desperate Mom I can certainly relate. I’ve experienced all sorts of… -
Moving to a New Home with Young Kids
7 Jun 2009 | 5:32 pmOne of the things I love about BabyShrink is the ability get to know some of my readers over time. Tim had questions last year about his son’s distaste for haircuts. But I recently heard from him again, with questions about an impending move. Tim is clearly very tuned-in to his kids’ developmental needs and seems like a great Dad! I was thrilled to get a couple of updates from him on how things went: Hi Dr. Heather, I sent you a question last year: http://babyshrink.com/2008/04/haircutting-fea.html Thanks to some of your suggestions (and, perhaps, the passage of time), he no…
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Dooce
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Dudes, seriously
2 Jul 2009 | 11:46 amI know I am going to get a slew of hand-slapping email over this because here I am condoning something so incredibly bad for the environment, but trust me when I say that this could very well CHANGE YOUR LIFE. My mother gave this to me as gift for the nursery, a Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer that heats up baby wipes and makes it so that the baby doesn't go yelping off the changing table because suddenly you're shoving an ice cold cloth between her butt cheeks. I want one of these for both of our bathrooms so that when I go to wipe my butt I have the luxury of a warm wipe. But since you have… -
Jon and Heather plus two and getting our asses kicked
2 Jul 2009 | 11:30 amHow does something so small and helpless bring the entire world around her to a screeching halt? I know I was guilty of once thinking that a newborn couldn't be that much work, right? You just go about your business when they're taking a nap, duh. EXCEPT WHEN THEY NAP ONLY WHEN PHYSICALLY ATTACHED TO YOUR BODY. And that's when you have to retrain your body to do basic tasks with either one arm or one hand, and then balance this or that on one hip, and then it's OH MY HELL WOULD YOU HOLD THIS KID SO I CAN BRUSH MY HAIR FOR GOD'S SAKE. If this were some sort of athletic event the score would be… -
Familiar territory
30 Jun 2009 | 8:49 amYesterday morning after a bit of a blurry night, one that resembled the many blurry nights before it where the newest member of the family periodically yelled orders and shot butterscotch poo four feet up and out the back of her diaper — wait, have I mentioned yet that Marlo doesn't cry? I'm serious. She doesn't string together a chorus of wailing like many other babies her age, but, and this is a HUGE but, a Kardashian-sized but that makes everyone in the room stop and stare and wonder HOW IN THE WORLD that thing fits through a door, the kid can yell. And I mean, YELL. Like, the referee…
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Slouching Past 40
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Triangulating
23 Jun 2009 | 3:54 pmTwice in the past month I have cried in front of the children. I have scared them. I know this, because I have watched their eyes, unblinking, wide with fear, fear that is potent enough to forge a reluctant alliance between brothers far more accustomed to being rivals. They do not know what to make of my tears. Their father comes home from work and takes them outside. I am grateful. He will talk to them. He can explain it however he likes; right now I can't afford to sweat the details. After an hour or so, they return, with treats for me: an iced coffee, a magazine. As if I am ill. Because I… -
Boys and War
16 Jun 2009 | 8:12 amI did not know what reservoirs of atavistic stoicism lay within Eleven until he donned a soldier's uniform on a class trip to Gettysburg.I cannot look away from this portrait. For me it contains the beauty, hope, and, yes, sorrow of thousands upon thousands of boys barely older than Eleven called to do something they will not understand for years, if ever, but who rise to the strange occasion with a fragile and poignant dignity. In their knowing gazes lies their glory, whether they've stepped onto a battlefield or only just enlisted. I study these anachronistic sepia tones with a mother's… -
After All
14 Jun 2009 | 11:17 amAll weekend long I have stolen glances out the kitchen window at this group of kids who just days ago graduated from high school. They are having a party that started Friday night and is still going strong on Sunday afternoon. The weather has done their bidding, as they no doubt assumed it would. They are lithe and strong, and though they may have known small heartaches here and there, they still believe that the world is a fundamentally benign place that exists largely to support all of that promise and possibility they've long been told is theirs.They play volleyball easily, confidently,…
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Single Mom Seeking...
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Gulping sugar in the morning?
2 Jul 2009 | 3:07 amI‘m thrilled to announce the winner of $50 in my first post about water: Eight glasses a day. Chosen by Random.org, the winner is… Martini Mom! Today, please welcome blogger Dr. Leah, aka The Sanity Fairy with another chance for one of you to win $50! ~~~ Mornings used to find me starting the day with a glass of OJ — until I discovered how much sugar it has! Have you also noticed that gulping sugar in the morning only makes you crave higher calorie food? This is why it’s so tempting to devour that sugary donut or a sweet roll to go with your coffee. These food… -
Loyalty
30 Jun 2009 | 4:18 pmTrusting men doesn’t come easy for me. I’ve had my share of infidelity in relationships. Men have lied to me, and I was naive enough to believe them. So, this Lucky Guy travels about once a month for work. During his first four-day trip out of state, I started to freak out. We’re talking obsessive thoughts here, the kind that go: “Why didn’t he text me right back?” “Is he flirting with anyone at the after-hours conference party right now?” Yeah, I got all jealous and remembering these thoughts right now mortifies me. One time, when he called me… -
Eight glasses a day
29 Jun 2009 | 11:14 amYou might remember that I discovered a new love exactly one summer ago. No, it wasn’t a man. It was kickboxing. One of my single mom friends had been pleading with me to try a class at the gym. I wasn’t so sure. I’m not exactly what you’d call coordinated. But after getting lost in a handful of aerobic kickboxing classes (I’d turn left when everyone turned right), I’m hooked. I even spin on Thursdays now, too. I never thought I’d say this, but I love working out! There’s just one little challenge, especially with our hot California summer in…
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Ms. Single Mama
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My dark side
30 Jun 2009 | 9:08 pmThere’s another thing about being a single mom, or is it just about being me… Love actually hurts me. The feeling of feeling (again) raises some kind of pain up inside of me that I can’t shake. And then I start lashing out, sabotaging my relationships, wishing away these butterflies for fear that they will turn into gray, evil moths. Then I say things I don’t mean. I hear them coming out of my mouth and I suddenly want to take them back. Rather than learning how to control this it seems to get worse as I age, as I become more cynical, as I become more accustomed to… -
Single Moms & Married Moms
30 Jun 2009 | 4:39 amAs single moms can we really, truly be friends with married moms? Absolutely we can. Friendships are about a connection or a common bond - at least that’s how mine have all begun. With that said as a single mom I’ve found it harder to make new married mom friends. Maybe it’s just because we don’t swim in the same circles or maybe it’s because it’s hard to meet moms period. Read this answer posted by Kelli on my single moms forum when I asked, “can single moms really be friends with married moms?”: I think it’s hard to meet and form… -
Smooth Operator
28 Jun 2009 | 6:50 pmWhile the rest of the world continues to spin, with all of its good news and bad, there is one little universe that remains unchanged. The universe of Benjamin, where he must - by now - have realized that he’s kind of cute. He’s also learning how to play the adults in his life like a fiddle. With just one pout of those puffy little lips, or one convincing, “newdea” - translation, “new idea” - he can enrapture you with his seemingly true tales of life as a three-year-old. Somewhere along the road he used this little face to convince his mommy that…
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The Lactivist
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Are There Online Breastfeeding Courses?
24 Jun 2009 | 1:14 pmIt's always struck me as funny that breastfeeding is one of those things that requires a "course." After all, breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world. Moms and babies have been doing it for thousands of years. But now...moms who want to breastfeed their babies almost have to sign up for a course or class of some kind. After all, it's been generations since breastfeeding was -
California Milk Processor Board Goes After Breastfeeding Advocate
31 Jul 2008 | 8:00 amSeriously...did the world learn nothing from my run in with the National Pork Board?A few minutes ago, my brother in law pings me with a link to a story that brought back memories.'Got milk' lawyers huff at Talkeetna artist's parodyA snippet: Talkeetna batik artist Barbara Holmes heard from the group behind the "got milk?" brand this month.Holmes made the mistake of advertising T-shirts and " -
Beta Moms
16 Jun 2008 | 1:17 pmHey ladies! There's a word for us now...It's Beta Moms.What's a beta mom?Beta Moms still want their kids to be successful, but they don't believe that helping their kids reach their goals necessarily involves overachievement or keeping up with what other people define as "norms." In their efforts to adjust to the myriad challenges and stressors in their lives, many moms are beginning to believe
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Busy Mom Blog
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Busy D. exploring
1 Jul 2009 | 11:03 am -
Checking out the video on my new phone
29 Jun 2009 | 2:27 pmChecking out the video on my new phone Originally uploaded by Busy Mom -
New skim board
28 Jun 2009 | 3:47 pm
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Rocks In My Dryer
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Why You Shouldn't Ask Your Big Brothers To Babysit Your Doll*
1 Jul 2009 | 10:17 pm*No dolls were harmed in the taking of this picture, nor was any little sister even remotely insulted. My daughter, who has never once in her life missed the opportunity to enjoy a good crisis, has recognized this an excellent opportunity for anguished visits with the Imaginary Doctor and dramatic vigils at the Imaginary Bedside. -
Works For Me: Strawberry Pie
30 Jun 2009 | 9:02 pmKristen is hosting a themed edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday today, and she's asking if we'd like to share a summer recipe. Mine is for strawberry pie, and I will happily share the recipe, but I WILL NOT SHARE THE PIE. If you don't believe me, ask the eight-year-old boy I tackled this afternoon when he approached my fridge. I made this for a church picnic over the weekend; it makes two, which means I could take one to share and I could keep one at home for my family me. So here it is, the pie which all other pies want to be when they grow up: STRAWBERRY PIE 2 containers… -
Have I Mentioned That It's Hot?
29 Jun 2009 | 9:25 amWhile I’m normally pretty tolerant of hot weather, this summer is especially toasty. We’ve even made the national news in recent weeks as part of a “Heat Advisory”. That’s fancy meteorologist talk for “GET YOURSELF BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE...” {read more at Parenting.com}
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Poshmama.com
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Lifestyle Changes Begin with Personal Motivation
A recent study highlighted some VERY scary news on the obesity front. Over half of the roughly 200 million people in this country that are overweight are considered obese. Over half. Can you believe it? I don't know about you, but to me those are very sobering numbers. Americans spend tens of billions of dollars on weight loss products a year but many of these solutions are clearly not working. Every day we see ads promising weight loss in a pill or ways to make exercise almost effortless but with great results. The truth is that if there was such an effortless solution to the problem we… -
Bored of the Burger?
Wow, burgers are hot right now. Every restaurant I go to has a specialty version and mini burgers or sliders seems to be the in vogue appetizer. Quite frankly, I am getting a little bored of the burger. It happens at some point each summer to all of us, it just came sooner for me this year. So, when the feeling hits you, get your chicken kickin’ with a brewski! Beer Can Chicken is a delicious dinner and a simple alternative for summer grilling, plus it's great for guests. I found this recipe on McCormick’s Website. You can feed the 8 with this recipe and grill corn on the cob as a side… -
SUNSHINE CLEANING LAUNCHES JUNE 26TH
I am often asked what does a Personal Stylist do? This month I have been working for Disney and See Film First on various movie projects looking at the styling in the films such as Confessions of a Shopaholic and also what Fashionistas should be buying this season and next season. What to wear on a date? What to wear for a new job? Mens Fashion I provide advice and styling on many things. One of the fantastic perks is I get to see some great films before they are released!! Take a peak at Sunshine Cleaning. You will love this movie. This stars Emily Blunt and Amy Adams as two sisters one who…
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All & Sundry
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One-trick pony
1 Jul 2009 | 11:01 amThe most difficult thing for me about writing fiction (other than the time constraints, the interruptions, the laptop-induced carpal tunnel, the unfamiliar and horrifyingly pervasive sense of writer’s block, and the gaping black hole in my brain where things like “grammar” and “punctuation” are supposed to live, that is) is the realization that my memory isn’t just bad, it’s terrible. It seems to me that one of the key elements in being a really good writer is the ability to draw upon past experiences with clarity and intensity, that even if… -
Short cuts
29 Jun 2009 | 9:36 am• If you’re reading this in a feed reader and you’ve noticed that all of a sudden the feed is doing that asshole thing where you only get the first few sentences and then you have to click through, I’m sorry! I don’t know why this is happening, because the settings are configured for “full text” instead of “summary”, which is all I really know to check, so . . . yeah. Suck. I now embody one of my own pet peeves! Next up: possessive apostrophes on plural nouns, slurp-mmmmming my coffee, and blogging about blogging! Wait. • Speaking of… -
TGI(almost)M
28 Jun 2009 | 9:18 pmThere’s one thing I can definitively say about weekends as a parent as opposed to pretty much every weekend I can remember before I had kids: they used to be too short, and now they’re always just a smidge too long. There’s usually a point during every Sunday afternoon where I look at the clock and think, you have GOT to be fucking kidding me. Which isn’t to say we didn’t have a wonderful weekend, because we did—the weather was spectacular, and everything felt very summery. We’ve had a tent in the backyard all weekend and the boys (all three of them) are…
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Attack of the Redneck Mommy
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Patriotism at it’s Finest
1 Jul 2009 | 8:26 amIt’s a national holiday up here in the land of the north. It’s Canada Day. Which means I’m eating Canadian bacon for breakfast, going to have poutine for lunch and beer for supper. I’ll also be wearing a toque while I go and ogle some fine Canadian Mounties later today. I may even celebrate our Country’s national day by heading out to spend some fine friendly Canadian Tire money. Who says Canadians aren’t patriotic? So from my beaver to yours the land of the Beaver, I wish you all a happy Canada day. Enjoy. That’s right baby. I. AM. CANADIAN. -
Panic Attack in the Middle of My Kitchen
30 Jun 2009 | 10:54 amI’m not a people person. (Shocking I know. I mean, really, a gal who spends her time hiding online behind a computer screen doesn’t possess the social skills to gracefully flitter about with abounding social skills. Whodathunkit?) I like to hide in my house and surround myself with all things familiar. When someone comes to my house unexpectedly I have a full fledged panic attack. My head actually pops off and rolls down the driveway when someone calls in advance to invite themselves into my space and my dogs have fun chewing on my cranium and depositing it at my feet minutes… -
Ring Tone Annoyance
26 Jun 2009 | 11:02 amI am not a trend setter. Not in how I dress, not in what I write, and certainly not in the music I listen to. I am, what one could accurately describe as, a square. Perhaps this is because I grew up listening to scratchy 8 track cassette tapes of Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton. Or maybe it’s because my parents always had a radio (perched on top of our refrigerator) playing; the dial never once moved from the local farm station on the AM channel, even when FM barged it’s way into it’s place in modern day culture. I always knew when the schools were closed, which country act…
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Crabmommy
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Grace in Small Things
27 Jun 2009 | 11:37 amSome of you may recall one of the highly anomalous Crabmom post in which I, a crab-hearted being, attempted to write about gratitude. Sure, I'm grateful for many things. But I usually prefer to write about being ungrateful. Yes, when not chortling at bloody marvelous Christian music videos, or at Bret Michaels' reusable totes, or at reduxes of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," I like me some big ole' heaps of conflict and kvetching in my blog, in case you haven't noticed. Grumpaciousness inspires me.But indeedy, there is stuff that warms my crustaceous heart. Here is a random sampling of things… -
A Total Eclipse
20 Jun 2009 | 9:56 pmYou are thinking that's what's happening here at Crabmommy. The moon has been shrouded in darkness. The writing is obscured. Nothing to be seen at all.But you are wrong. Out of the darkness and into the light, with this:Some of you have seen this, no doubt. but some of us haven't. How genius is it? It renders me speechless. At least for a little while longer. -
Bret Michaels Makes Reusable Bags!
13 Jun 2009 | 10:52 pmOK. So my long-term fans are wondering WHAT GIVES with Crabmommy's blog. It has lately been very slim on the child-rearing stories and meaty on the random video weirdness, with Christians moondancing and personal trainers power-exercising on stainless steel kitchen appliances.Don't you know the first thing about successful blogging by now, Crabmom? Don't you know it's important to stick to a consistent topic and audience and not confuse them with all this crapola?Apparently not. because now I want to tell you that Bret Michaels, of Poison, of Rock of Love is selling reusable shopping bags on…
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Balancing Motherhood
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Tough Times When Mom Gets Sick
2 Jul 2009 | 7:05 amTwo weeks ago my husband was out of town for a few days and I had both kids by myself. Not a big deal, but it turned into a hardship because I became sick with strep throat. Trying to get a 3-year-old to bed while I was feeding the baby was hard enough — add [...] -
Question of Soul Mates
1 Jul 2009 | 6:27 amSo, the Governor of South Carolina has now said that his Argentinian lover is his “soul mate,” but he wants to try to save his marriage to his wife. Doesn’t take a large number of brain cells to know that all of the WORLD now knows he doesn’t think his wife is his soul mate. He [...] -
Jon and Kate’s Big, Fat, Fake Wedding
23 Jun 2009 | 7:18 pm“The Orlando Sentinel’s” TV Critic, Hal Bodeker posted on his blog tonight that Jon and Kate Gosselin have been living apart for two years. TWO YEARS! Not the 4-6 months they have both mentioned on their show. This makes me mad. That makes their Hawaiian wedding renewal ceremony a big, fat fake. The photos of them [...]
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CityMama™
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CityMama's BlogHer 09 Survival Guide [and Shoe Recommendations]
30 Jun 2009 | 11:03 amWhether you are going for the first time or just need a refresher course, here are my two cents (adding to Kristen's excellent tips) to make sure you have a... -
Meal planning (and blogging) on hiatus until after we move
23 Jun 2009 | 6:05 pmYes, it's true, we are moving again. But you've come to expect that from us, right? This time the move is just a few short blocks away and all for... -
It's kind of scary how much she really gets it
22 Jun 2009 | 10:25 amConversation with Bunny. Bunny: Mamma, are you the boss of all the bloggers? Me: No, but I am the boss of my own blogs. Bunny: So you can make whatever...
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Cutie Booty Cakes
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Morning Rant
2 Jul 2009 | 4:08 amOn a daily basis I receive a written update from Mekhi's caregivers. It is a summary of his daily activities and also provides guidance for reinforcing the lessons learned during the week. Although I love the information, I think it is a waste of paper. A weekly sheet for daily updates would be a better choice. But that is another issue.Yesterday I picked up the paper in the morning because my husband forgot to the day before. I quickly read it and then placed it in the recycling bin. The same assistant teacher that I vented about in Marchsays "you don't do the activities with Mekhi." My… -
Spending Time With (Thomas and) Friends
30 Jun 2009 | 5:58 pmI count myself lucky because my best friend Calinda lives in Atlanta now. We both waited until we were older than average to have children and our boys are only 10 months apart. The boys have hit it off like gangbusters and they are "best" friends too. On Saturday we all went to the historic Fox Theater to see Thomas(the Train) and Friends Live: A Circus Comes to Town* courtesy of Mom Select. I choose to attend the 10:30 am show to avoid conflicts with nap time (this always helps to avoid meltdowns). When we met at the theater the boys both seemed slightly moody, I could not get them to smile… -
Photography 101
29 Jun 2009 | 10:59 amMekhi in bathtubOriginally uploaded by rj_ross.rmWhat parent do you know without a camera? I think we all want to capture "special moments" of our children (and for many of us just seeing our kid run around the living room is special). For several months I have been "making due" in the camera department. My point and shoot was on its last leg for a long time and it finally reached camera heaven 2.5 months ago. Around that time I received an iPhone that I've used in lieu of an actual camera. I sometimes get good results but I have to be in the right lighting and since my phone doesn't have a…
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Cool Mom Picks
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Y water? Because we like it.
2 Jul 2009 | 11:00 amSince bringing home a few bottles of Y Water to try out, my kids have been asking for it pretty much hourly. -
The one page baby record book
2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amWe've all experimented with the best way to keep track of a newborn's schedule of eating, sleeping, and pooping. If the pen-and-paper way isn't for you, then Sarah Masci's stylish and eco-friendly Lullaboard may do the trick. -
Easy peace-y
2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 amI think somewhere in my heart I'm a damn dirty hippie with all this suppressed nostalgia for the Woodstock era.
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News From Hawkhill Acres
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How Old Is That Salmon?
20 Jun 2009 | 5:36 pmImage by nettsu via Flickr I should know better. Every time I go to a restaurant, I sit down near someone who makes me think that there may be a hidden camera and a reality show host hiding under the tablecloth. “What is the aging salmon aged with?” Someone at the next table asked the server. Momentarily [...] -
Reading and Writhing
11 Jun 2009 | 8:46 amSometimes, it almost would be possible to sling a slew of links into a post and hit "publish" without commenting at all. This is one of those times. -
Lill’s Little Liver Ills
7 Jun 2009 | 1:41 pmWell, I hardly know where to begin. I guess it all started last winter when I developed some weird symptoms. I called it the “Marvin the Paranoid Android” syndrome, because it was a vague ache that seemed to come and go for no reason, at the bottom of my rib cage on the right side. [...]
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Hormone-colored Days
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The Rights of the Reader
2 Jul 2009 | 5:32 amI know a lot a parents of gifted early readers or precocious young readers stop by this blog. When you've got an advanced young reader, it can be tough to find the age-appropriate reading material.Many books designed for older elementary school students deal with themes that are beyond the life experience of many youngsters. I was not keen to be passing my innocent six-year-old books about parents divorcing or dying or those dealing with real-life trauma.Eventually though, we caved. Before he finished first grade he'd read all the Harry Potter books (there were three or four of them at the… -
How to Tie Dye with Sharpies: Family Fun on a Budget
30 Jun 2009 | 3:35 amContinuing our series of low-cost summer activities, I present the Moldy Boys and Sharpie Tie-Dye.As my son points out, all you need to do this craft is a shirt or "article of clothing," Sharpie permanent markets, and rubbing alcohol.Chances are you have a few Sharpies around the house. Or maybe you don't label your child's items as obsessively as I do. If you don't have any, you should be able to pick up an entire rainbow of them for under $20 and they will last for years. They are great for all sorts of craft projects and you'll be glad you have them. Just don't let you little ones use them… -
My First Cluttercast: A Canadian Puzzle
28 Jun 2009 | 5:03 amI'm taking a cue from Darryle over at Cluttercast and hosting my own giveaway. A Cluttercast is something midway on the continuum between Freecycle and Craig's List. Each week, Darryle offers up a few no longer needed or loved items from her home and people write in to express their interest in those pieces. Though there is no charge for the item itself, there is often a small shipping fee so she doesn't go broke as she shares her former household items.On June 29, two moms from the Canada Moms Blog, sister site of the Chicago Moms Blog are taking a two week road trip across Canada. They'll…
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Fussy
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What a Life
26 Jun 2009 | 8:07 amMy favorite Michael Jackson video is actually a Janet Jackson video. It's also my son Jackson's* favorite Jackson video.* Despite some minor speculation on almost no one's part, Jackson wasn't named for the Jackson 5, or Reggie Jackson, or even Phil Jackson, despite their dearness to our hearts. No, here in California, as in ancient times, one names one's son for his father and just tacks "son" on the end, and prays he won't end up being named Larry Bird. -
The cat was fine. They only really need three legs, anyhow.
24 Jun 2009 | 9:19 amYou know what's almost as fun as launching a new site? Having your web host take a big dump while you're doing it. Asking thousands of people to click on the site and then sitting by helplessly while it crashes over and over again. Dreamhost can suck it. Service may be intermittent while we hold hands and pray transfer everything over to Liquid Web today.In the meantime, I gave in and canceled Jackson's dentist appointment this morning because I got a lot of astonished looks when I said he had to have two teeth pulled a couple hours before his birthday party. In my day, we would have toughed… -
Announcement!
22 Jun 2009 | 9:42 amSo, a few summers ago, after Alice came out for BlogHer '06, in San Jose, she asked me if I could drive her to the airport on my way out of town, and I said sure! I know exactly where the airport is! And I promptly took off in the wrong direction.Alice -- she is so cute when she's trying not to panic about missing a cross-country flight -- politely let me know that she was a little worried about our trajectory. NONSENSE! I shouted, and then I began bellowing sea chanteys at the top of my lungs to drown out her shrieking.I don't know if it was the combination of decibels and a cruelly…
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Queen of Spain Blog
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This 4th of July, We’re All Patriots
30 Jun 2009 | 6:10 pmIn anticipation of the holiday, this is crossposted at BlogHer.com Patriot: A patriot is someone who thinks, feels or voices expressions of patriotism, support for their country. – Wikipedia Depending on how you slice it, this definition of patriot either makes me the worst American ever, or one of it’s greatest patriots. It’s a toss up. Which is probably why this 4th of July, we political types will spend too much time on our soapboxes trying to out-patriot the other. My dissent is the height of patriotism for our country! You don’t support our troops, you can’t… -
I Will Turn This Car Around
29 Jun 2009 | 9:16 pmI just drove 5 hours with the kids and nothing went wrong. Everyone was great. No one complained. No one had to pee 59 times. In fact only once did I hear “Are We There Yet?” I’m not really sure what to make of all this, and am rather confounded. So just look at this cute photo of my daughter while I shake my head. Oh, she’s saying “Daddy, Oh…hi Daddy. Yes, we’re here. Yes, Mommy drove fast. Yes, it was silly. Ok, bye.” -
Divorce
26 Jun 2009 | 9:04 amI think my husband and I should divorce. He’s against the idea.* As a heterosexual couple we have been given the right to marry and divorce at will. As a heterosexual couple we have been given rights and privileges that have come along with our marriages that are not given to my LGBT friends. I find this unacceptable. And feel dirty being married. Why should I be allowed to do something an entire population can not do? Why should we have all these rights- like being able to take care of the other’s estate and make medical decisions? But even more than that, why do I get to call my…
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Motherhood is the New MBA
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Hollywood Calling
16 Jun 2009 | 9:52 pmThe big news with me is that my agent has been contacted about making my book into a sitcom! I have no idea how a TV production company finds out about a book or how one company gets interested and suddenly there is interest from other production companies. All I know is people are talking to people and I’m thrilled. The funny thing is, when I first told my book idea to Dave, he said I should -
Advance Praise for Motherhood Is the New MBA
13 Jun 2009 | 10:40 am“Shari Storm reveals the dynamic relationship between motherhood and management with great humor, truth and wisdom. By weaving together her own collection of experiences with those of other executives-turned-mother, she provides valuable insights into how patience, respect and compassion are critical tools for raising our children as well as for achieving successful results in management.”-- -
Cover
16 May 2009 | 8:23 amHere is what the cover will look likeYou can pre-order on Amazon. Some folks have asked how to get a signed copy. Not sure yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.
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acte gratuit: A look at life inbetween naps.
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Early Morning Pondering
30 Jun 2009 | 5:12 pmI know I should turn around. I know I should stand up right this minute and walk into the kitchen. I know when I do, I'll find a big mess...which is only getting worse by the second. And yet here I sit.Both Sam and Gabe are there. Just behind me. Watching one of the stupider morning cartoon offerings on AFN kids. (Rags? Wags? It's some hideously ugly singing dog. The boys really like it. shudder.) Sam is actually in plain view. (If I bother to swivel in my chair.) He's closer to the TV playing with a large hammer and some colorful Japanese masking tape*. He… -
For My Dad...
25 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pmWho wants me to post more regularly!Krissy: This is a video of us visiting Statue of Liberty park. It is excellently made by moi. -
Happy Dad's Day
24 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pmHappy (very belated) Father's Day to all you dads and dads-to-be out there. I hope your wife loved you enough to get up (sorta) early and make you this Heavenly Delight:Things I learned from my dad, known as Dale-Bud*Support young entrepreneurs/generosity: Always stop and purchase something--for more than the cost--at the neighborhood lemonade stand.*Love of books:"Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."D&C 88:118 This scripture was inscribed on the book plates my dad put in all his books. My mom was the one who…
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Velveteen Mind
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The 3rd Annual People's Party 2009
2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 pmIt’s time to party like it’s 1999! Back before anyone was concerned about things like stats and comments and review disclaimers. Back when People were People, not metrics to be valued or ranked. We love People! And you are all invited! Shake off all of the peripheral distractions of the blogosphere and throw down with what makes blogging so worth it: The People! You are invited to the 3rd annual pre-BlogHer People’s Party! The People's Party 2009 open-invite pre-BlogHer party Thursday, July 23, 2009 8:30-11pm Sheraton Chicago X… -
There is No Winky
23 Jun 2009 | 7:57 am“The scientist said it is a girl. The doctor said it is a boy. But I’m telling you, there is no winky.” So said Q, our 4 year old. And so shall it be… The scientist was right! It’s a girl! Note how it says “still a girl” in the ultrasound. That’s because we hammered the owner of the ultrasound location in New Orleans until we were absolutely positive that it is, indeed, a girl. I have quite a few pictures like the one above. And no, ya’ll were no help in keeping me patient until my scheduled ultrasound in July. But the speculation was… -
Hulk Hogan of Fishing
21 Jun 2009 | 11:47 amThe greatest of Dads make even catching a Croaker seem like big game fishing.Maguire, thanks for being the greatest of dads.Happy Father's Day!Love, Q, Goose, and Megan 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!Subscribe to the free audioblog podcast of Velveteen Mind on
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IzzyMom
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Mean Girls Suck
29 Jun 2009 | 7:00 amMean girls suck, too... Every summer my daughter goes to day camp. She absolutely loves it and looks forward to it all year long. This year, the camp has started having theme days which are kind of like spirit days at school. Recently, the theme was superheroes and princesses and N was pretty psyched about it. As princess and superhero day approached, however, I began to have doubts about the merits of this particular theme. For one thing, my daughter is going in to third grade—most of her old princess dress-up clothes don’t even fit anymore. I pointed out to her that most princess… -
Twisted Toys: Sixfinger!
27 Jun 2009 | 9:27 amIn other appendage news… Awkward Boners—they’re EVERYWHERE! (hat tip to Danny) -
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
22 Jun 2009 | 11:45 pmMy daughter put this little mirror in front of my face so I jokingly say “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” And my son, completely serious, says “What mall? Who’s the fairest OF THE MALL? Get it? Come on…you know that shit is funny. SMILE!
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Through The Looking Glass
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Stories in my head
1 Jul 2009 | 2:33 pmSo the other day I was thinking about what a rotten jerk I was when I was about eleven, and some of the contributing factors to my jerkiness, and how it wasn’t really my fault but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be accountable. There was more but that basically sums it up. I’ve always thought of twelve as the year that I kind of fell apart, and there was a nice tidy explanation for it all ready-made because that’s the year I got my period so I can blame EVERYTHING on hormones, but in looking back eleven was just as bad but way more subtle about it. GOD, pre-teens… -
WHAT.
30 Jun 2009 | 10:10 amCan someone please clear something up for me? Because it doesn’t make ANY sense at all and it CAN’T be true and yet…apparently it is true. So if you could either explain how this happened or assure me that it is, in fact, just a vicious rumor, I would so appreciate it. How the HELL is it July tomorrow? © Annika Barranti & Through The Looking Glass, 2009 | Permalink | 8 comments Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh -
knitting rant
29 Jun 2009 | 11:20 amIt really drives me nuts when a knitting pattern has you split your work in two and work one side with complicated shaping, then simply instructs you to “repeat for other side.” Well, no. You can’t do that. You have to reverse all of the shaping. Which I am perfectly capable of doing. However, the pattern-writer has already done it and it is just lazy to not include the instructions. I don’t want my hand held. I can follow Elizabeth Zimmermann patterns, for heaven’s sake. I know how to knit, I am very good at it, and I understand what I am doing. But skimping on…
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The Writing Mamas Daily Blog
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Oh, Shit. An Eco-Friendly Bag that Can Not Be Reused
2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 amWhen I used to think about shit in a bag, I would envision some evil teen schoolmate running away from a hated neighbor’s door, with the bag engulfed in flames on the door mat.Obvious signs of boredom in the sleepy desert town that I grew up in. Now I have a different vision. My husband and I were driving home from a day of trying to get our five- and six-year old boys proficient in skiing and most of the trip had been shockingly uneventful. Then as we neared Sacramento, the traffic slowed, expectedly during rush hour and we were sandwiched among the many people trying to get home. Then,… -
Holding Tight
1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am“When Mommy’s old and shrively will you carry me too?” I ask my four-year old son hoisting him onto my side while walking into Whole Foods Market. “Oh don’t ask me that anymore!” he snaps back annoyed, before instructing firmly: “When you’re OLD and shrively I will, but not while I’m a kid.” I chuckle to myself at the response. I remember the first time his solid frame led me to ask that question. His face took a contemplative look before he eagerly offered “Yes!” with a jubilant smile. I think he too envisioned the “big and strong man” he hopes to become. He and I… -
The Man in the Mirror
30 Jun 2009 | 12:01 amFirst there was shock, then came the thought, "Who will take care of his children?"That was what went through my head when I heard that Michael Jackson had died. I immediately thought of the woman who bore his first two children and hoped it would not be her. She was paid to be a surrogate, gave up her rights and from what I've read about her would rather raise horses than those kids.According to several news reports she said something that she certainly did not have to share. Not now during such a painful time for his children. She said that Michael was not their biological parent. He was…
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Chicken And Cheese
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We’ll Play This At Her Rehearsal Dinner
30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm -
Payback
29 Jun 2009 | 10:24 amThe Poo went to a soccer camp two weeks ago—every morning from 9 to 10:30 for a week. The clinic was part of a program that brings coaches over from the UK and travels the nation, putting on these five-day events all over the country. We started talking in the spring about signing her up for something sports-related this summer. The Poo is an active kid, and she seems to have some athletic inclinations, despite her inherited clumsiness and some distinctly un-athletic DNA from her mother. The Poo doesn’t dive into new things. It takes time for her to warm up, and despite her excitement… -
My Cheating Heart
26 Jun 2009 | 6:52 pmHe reaches out to me, cheeks wet with tears. His chest rises in a tremendous sob, snot running from his little nose. Mumum, Mumum! I lean over the high rail of his crib to rescue him from a hot tangle of blankets and lovies. His brown monkey looks up at us as I lift the baby to safety. I press my face to his face, and his body shakes with sadness. Mumum, Mumum! In the next room, I hear the low rumble of my husband’s voice, and my daughter’s high, wavering counterpoint. They argue; she yells and begins to wail in anger. I hear him count to three, then the gurgle of water draining…
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Working Moms Against Guilt
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Less Than Three Weeks Til Baby
30 Jun 2009 | 7:34 amI can't even tell you how nice the last three weeks of my Mom Sabbatical have been. While I haven't exactly been lounging poolside and eating bonbons the whole time, I have enjoyed more "me time" than I've had since my single years. Hours at home, by myself, to get things done, take a nap when I need to, go out shopping, catch up on my soap, etc.And still, lots more leisure time with my girl, just the two of us. We are rarely rushed, so we can feel free to hang out in one of her beloved indoor tents, sing verse after verse of "This Old Man" and play at the park. No deadline or timeclock to… -
Mommy Amnesia
26 Jun 2009 | 7:00 amThe other night I went to Babies "R" Us to pick out a baby shower gift for my friend who is having her first child. I was looking forward to the trip since it's always fun to find a gift that you hope will get the biggest "ahhh!" at party. What I found is... I've sure forgotten about a lot!As soon as you walk into BRU you're bombarded with baby gizmos and gadgets galore. I found myself looking at items and thinking they seemed familiar, possibly something that I had coveted once before, but no longer have in my possession. What that's for? Did I ever use one of these? Then there were the… -
Friday Finds - June 26, 2009
26 Jun 2009 | 3:39 amCara's Finds-- Win a big reimbursement on BlogHer '09. The brands of Johnson & Johnson wants to pay for the expenses for 20 BlogHer attendees. If you're already registered to attend the conference, sign up for a chance to win $1,200 cash. The sweepstakes ends July 7. Good luck!--Red, Pink, and Blue event in Cincy. CincyChic is painting the town red, pink, and blue with a health awareness event with a fashionable twist. Through Sunday there will be lunch 'n learns, health screenings, pampering, and--of course--a lot of fashion and fun. All-day passes can be purchased online for just…
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Joy Unexpected
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Top 10 List: BlogHer Edition
1 Jul 2009 | 7:51 pmBlogHer 09 is less than one month away. Everywhere I go, I see posts and tweets about how nervous people. Will they feel left out? Will they get snubbed by The Populars? What will they wear? Oh, the anxiety! I remember how nervous I was the first year that I went. I worried about the same things I'm seeing pop up on twitter. But decided I wasn't going to let those fears keep me from having a good time. I was going to MAKE MY OWN FUN! And do you know what? That's exactly what I did. I made the experience my own. When a friend had to ditch me to go to the Super Exclusive Hotel Room Part-ay, I… -
Just a Reminder...
30 Jun 2009 | 6:05 pmThat you can enter to win a Bedtime Kit (worth over $250) and the grand prize-- one of two $2,500 room makeovers. Go here now to enter. -
You know things aren't good when you're crying over french toast.
30 Jun 2009 | 12:06 amYesterday was one of the most beautiful mornings I can remember. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, the clouds were white as cotton. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was shining brightly. It was breathtaking, really. I pushed back the curtains to let the rising sun light up the house. I opened every window in the house at 6:30 in the morning to let the cool, fresh air in. I sat in front of the window, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting to catch my breath. It felt good to sit there, to relax and enjoy the moment. I'm having a…
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Mom In The City
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1,000th Blog Post: Pottery Barn Passion
1 Jul 2009 | 9:29 pmWow, how time flies! This is my 1,000th blog post. It just so happens that I’m sharing pictures from Pottery Barn, one of my favorite places to visit, in it. (After the Dapple event last Friday, I went to Pottery Barn with my two sons. It turns out that they love [...] -
PG Key: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmBack in April, I attended a parenting workshop. One of the things that we discussed was how important it is for parents to protect their kids from various things. One of the things that were mentioned in particular was the Internet. I think the presenter has a more negative opinion of the [...] -
The Great Russian Water Circus Giveaway
30 Jun 2009 | 10:21 pmI have read great things about “THE GREAT RUSSIAN WATER CIRCUS” (www.russianwatercircus.com) a new show that will be coming to the NYC area in September. So, I’m happy that they are offering one lucky Mom in the City reader a Family Four-Pack of tickets ($180+ value) which are good for the show dates between [...]
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Soapbox Mom
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Who Should Buy the iPhone 3G S?
23 Jun 2009 | 6:36 amThis video is the best review I’ve found (so far) to determine whether you should invest in the latest version of the iPhone. Also provides a quick overview of some of the new features: For more information about the iPhone 3G s, read this or this. -
Finding Enjoyment Where You Can
13 Jun 2009 | 7:33 pmI’m a bit late to this party, but I recently stumbled on these two brothers, Hank and Tom, who communicate via video and found myself wanting more (as well as wanting to share some of their dry humor with my readers): If you haven’t discovered Brotherhood 2.0 and the Vlogbrothers, I recommend your checking them out. More on them after I figure out what they’re all about… -
EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge
4 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amI’m halfway through the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge. So what’s the verdict (in under four minutes)?
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Mrs. Mogul
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Pop Links: Anna Sui and Target, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sarah Jessica Parker's twins
30 Jun 2009 | 10:41 amHi! I've haven't been online because there is something going nutty with the MAC! I have no idea why but luckily, it's working for me today. The in-laws are also visiting me from England so I've been busy! For now here are some pop links:Anna Sui designs clothes for Target - NY MagElisabeth Hasselbeck launches NFL maternity shirts - FAMEbabySaving the Cat Skip Hop Zoo Pack for my daughter - Mogul BabyHere's Marion and Tabitha, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's twins! -
Spaces for kids
24 Jun 2009 | 7:14 amA family had architects design their kids rooms. The older child sleeps on the top level and the baby sleeps on the bottom. Errr...arent' there a lot of sharp edges?Wouldn't the books fall on the baby?Maybe I am looking too much into this? I guess if you have a small space this is what you have to do but with all that money in paying architects, shouldn't they have moved into a bigger home?(Source) -
Vogue Italia depicts rich moms as selfish bitches
22 Jun 2009 | 2:36 pmVogue Italia's spread of a model drinking, smoking and basically ignoring her children struck a chord with me. Who hasn't had these taboo thoughts go in their head during times of tantrums and general stress?I like the chair she's laying on!Source
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Miscellaneous Mum - Trying to find the objective correlative, everyday
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Stephen Colbert and Jeff Goldblum serve it up to The Today Show
2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pmThe Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Jeff Goldblum Will Be Missed www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum All in good fun, of course -
I shouldn’t be here
1 Jul 2009 | 3:48 pmI shouldn’t be here. I’m supposed to be somewhere else shortly. I’m supposed to be cleaning up the kitchen. I’m supposed to be vacuuming up all the hundreds & thousands sprinkles that got spilled over our bedroom* (*NO, not a ‘ sex-thing’. It was the kids. Promise) There’s the washing, over there. I suppose I should be sorting them into colours and whites. My son has a runny nose {Insert candlestick metaphor}. I don’t even need to ask if their teeth has been brushed. Of course they haven’t. I haven’t packed snacks for the … -
What I’m reading 1st week July 2009
30 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pmI’m still ploughing through Bel Canto, so my library borrowing was pretty light this week. The last three issues of Australian Book Review, the Ian Fleming because I want to see what he’s like, and Tender Morsels because the title seems vaguely familar.
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Sarcastic Mom
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BEWB Fest 09 Winners!
30 Jun 2009 | 10:41 pmIt has been a crazy week of staring at bewbies/mewbies and smiling/laughing/drooling. People had a lot to say about Bewb Fest 09! “Waking up at 5 to write. Taking bets. Will I write, go back to sleep, or vote on bewbs?” –@Neilochka “Voting is like Sophie’s Choice, but the tears are tears of wonder.” –@debontherocks “The entire male class of Indy Law 2009 is now voting on bewbs.” –@mooshinindy “Hubs called @ lunch: “Whatcha doin’?” Me: Looking at Boobs.” –@some1s_sista “#bewbfest09 FTW!”… -
Weekly Winners, June 21-27
27 Jun 2009 | 10:21 pmJune 21st - 27th Canon Powershot G9 At Rest, Not A Care Watcha Doin’, Momma? Pinwheels On Parade Bumble On, Bumbler “…He Loves Me.” I Ignore The Other Petals Chomp, Chomp, Ba-Chewy Chomp Chomp His Eyes Transfix My Being Pa And The Boy Thinking About Le Tigre. Or Maybe Magnum. Is the world ready? Apple Butt Keep ‘Em Separated (Now Rock Out. Really. Do It.) Soft, Purple Majesty To view all my photos, visit my Flickr Photostream Weekly Winners Information Weekly Winners Prizes All My Past WW Posts If you do not follow the RULES your link will be removed. Know and… -
BEWB FEST 09
23 Jun 2009 | 10:18 pmIt’s the moment you’ve been awaiting all year, I just know it. It’s TIME to vote for the BEST BEWBS/MEWBS of 2009! Remember to see the scoop on prizes and check out BF09 Sponsors, button up, and then make your vote count here for the best BEWBs/MEWBs of your fellow internet denizens. Thanks so much to the following BEWB Contestants: Alison of RN-Mom Amy@TasteLikeCrazy of Taste Like Crazy Anissa of Hope4Peyton Barefoot Foodie of The Barefoot Foodie Betsey Booms of Betsey Booms Carie of Our Crooked Tree Catherine of Her Bad Mother Dawn of Kaiser Mommy Deb of…
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Adventures in Babywearing
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Little Foodie
2 Jul 2009 | 6:07 amIvy likes to eat food. A lot. I don't usually have babies eat so much (apart from breastmilk) this young, but some days she's absolutely ravenous and crawls like a crazychild for the fridge when she sees it open, and she already knows how to get into the snack cabinet. (She's nine and a half months old, people!)Her favorites so far are blueberries, pasta salad, spaghetti, and cupcakes. [of course.]You better give me a cupcake or I oughtta...She can make some faces, I tell you. I don't even know what to call this one...From a blueberry! (Similar to the blackberry incident.) I can't wait to… -
For Lynda
29 Jun 2009 | 10:11 pmDid I ever tell you that she was the first person to show me how to use a sling?I stopped her at a natural parenting meeting the night I went into labor with Gray. I took my very first sling with me and asked her how to use it. I had already planned another hospital birth, but I knew if I had another baby, it would be a homebirth and Lynda would be my midwife.The moment I found out I was pregnant with Ivy, I called her immediately. She was the first person I told. Later on I'd change my mind and decide to go with my OB and have the baby in the hospital. But then (as she secretly predicted) I… -
Quite The Caboose, And My Puppet Voice
29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pmIvy is coasting with one hand these days. I see it in her eyes- that determination to take those first steps but she just isn't ready to let go. I know the feeling.Here's a taste if you can avoid being distracted by her giant bottom and my awful puppet voice. (Earlier she was cracking up when I made the turtle sneeze and then I tried again on camera and it was just not happening.)Ivy Coasting from Stephanie Precourt on Vimeo.Subscribe to my blog hereTwitter me- I'm babysteph
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TheBloggess.com
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Hi, I suck
2 Jul 2009 | 10:31 amI was going to post more this week but I’m in West Texas with my family and my sister is here too with all her kids and we’re in one small house with 8 people, one shower and too many goats and it’s very distracting. I was going to write yesterday but then my cousin showed up and she wanted us to relive our childhood memories so we ended up going to the whorehouse. True story. There’s an awesome picture of us at the whorehouse in full whore regalia that would fit here perfectly but it’s on my sister’s camera and she can’t find the cord to download… -
If I had a time machine I’d go find Jenny Craig and Jenny McCarthy and convince them both to be vetrinarians.
28 Jun 2009 | 2:30 pmSometimes I wish I had a weird first name so that when I googled it I would be on the first page of links but I never am. I’m probably on page three but I always get too bored after the first two pages to look further. Probably if I killed Jenny Craig and Jenny McCarthy I’d be on page one. Except that their murders wouldn’t make all their links just disappear and it would probably make them even more popular. But then maybe I’d be on the articles on page one if I got arrested? I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not sure it’s worth it to… -
Letters from Nancy
25 Jun 2009 | 8:34 amAs regular readers know, Nancy W. Kappes (Paralegal) is my favorite fan in the entire history of the world and she sends me these bizarre, rambling emails that I print out and tape to my refrigerator and she won’t start a blog in spite of my prodding but she’s too awesome to keep to myself so I occasionally share a little wisdom from Nancy. Today is one of those days. You’re welcome: JENNIFER ARIEL LOUISE LAWSON! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW! Okay, I got some shit to run by you. There is this douche bag at work who is a complete tool and she follows this mommy website…
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So Close
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Too scared to Google
2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 pmI am a big Googler. I Googled my way all through my infertility. In fact, I obtained my Doctorate in Infertility through the University of Google. There isn't an ailment or affliction I haven't Googled. My whole family knows that if they need to know the answer to any medical question, just ask me - because I will have Googled the answer before they have even asked the question.Until now.My brother asked me what the risks are for my father's bypass surgery and I told him I am too scared to look it up. I don't want to know. That's how scared I am.And now I am… -
May you live in interesting times
1 Jul 2009 | 12:04 pmWell, it has been interesting times indeed. First my mom's cancer diagnosis in December*, and then on Sunday my father suffered a heart attack. Luckily for all of us, he is as tough as old leather (or tungsten as he likes to say), and he survived it but he now has to go for a bypass operation on Friday. His second. He had a triple bypass 20 years ago. For a more detailed account of what a stubborn old fartbag my teenage** dad is, go have a look at my sister's blog. Needless to say, my already over stretched and absent mind has been somewhat occupied of late. Hence the… -
To Infinity, and Beyond!
28 Jun 2009 | 5:46 amAdam doing his Buzz Lightyear move:(on his couch, in his TV room. Just in case you think I let them jump on the furniture reserved for guests and In Laws) I just realized I owe you some new house pics. I will see if I can persuade Marko to take some pics, he is a better photographer than I am.
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mod*mom
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hp smarthouse + dwell design + summer camps...
18 Jun 2009 | 3:07 pmmy family has been so busy! i'm so excited! we got to spend a day "living" at the futuristic hp "SmartHouse" on the hp campus in cupertino (a 3-bedroom prefab automated dreamhouse showcasing hp's electronic "connected home" technology for work + entertainment, like the first connected hd lcd tv + gadgets for the kitchen, bedroom, office, fire safety + security surveillance that are available now. here's a video tour.then after kindergarten graduation, we spent the weekend at an eco camp near petaluma that was a miwok indian village + saw foxes + stopped in mill valley on the way home +… -
my geek mom secrets
6 May 2009 | 11:56 ami have a secret....i live in silicon valley + have a blog, but i don't have a working laptop.i've been stuck on the question: apple or windows...i LOVE apple design. i love apple stores. i love apple employees. macworld was amazing! i voted for woz on dancing with the stars. i love iphones + apps. i want a white macbook right now!!!! (i heard a rumor new macbooks will have at&t wifi soon like iphones). but, also i LOVE hp, hp employees + especially hp touchsmart technology, hp laptops, + their adorable 2.25 pound 10" hp netbooks that have wifi via at&t or verizon already.macbooks are… -
flex :: house of kolor custom by funkmaster fresh
16 Apr 2009 | 12:26 pmford is loaning me a flex for shuttling my friends to earth events all over california this month! it seats 7 in 1st class comfort with sun/moon roofs over all 3 rows + gets 24 mpg, which is amazingly only a few mpg less than my vw bug. i think it's cute as a huge mini with this Funkmaster Flex House of Kolor Kandy custom paint job :) the 2nd + 3rd rows recline flat + have dvd players. it has so many awesome features you should take a tour here
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i obsess.
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hurted.
2 Jul 2009 | 11:25 amIf you've been doing nothing but reading my posts from the inception of this blog, which would mean you've probably, by now, hung yourself often enough due to the rather long-ish breaks taken between entries to have become a porn star for how well-hung you are, oh, that was weak, anyway, ANYWAY, you might recall that I had a brother, and he is gone. Well, not gone, just far. Beachy. Beachy in a lives-in-a-homeless-institution full-time. In Florida. But as I've poorly joked before, if you've gotta go homeless, why not go beach? Why do you read this? You need to… -
why i started blogging.
11 Jun 2009 | 4:14 pmThanks for the (much-needed) reminder, Mrs. C. -
what it's like living with constant, nagging anxiety.
11 Jun 2009 | 6:44 amIt's funny, because, until recently, I didn't even realize how scandalous anxious I am, on a regular basis, ABOUT EVERYTHING. But, no, really. Everything. (Normally, for instance, I would attach a "-ly" to the end of scandalous, but I've chosen not to, here, because it reminds me of how people spoke in the early part of the 1900s. Which I dig, and sort of don't mind evoking on a miniature scale right now. Even though there's zero context, it makes no sense to do so because I'm not telling a story remotely related to something from that era. …
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untanglingknots.com
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2.5 years
23 Jun 2009 | 10:00 amThis kid, personality wise, is a carbon copy of his father. But appearance wise he could not look more like me. We both scowl when someone tries to take our picture, have unruly curls and ridiculously pale skin. The only difference is that I wear self tanners and mascara and (unfortunately) do not have friends perpetually outgrowing and handing me down stylish clothing. -
Drive by Shooting
21 Jun 2009 | 5:02 pm -
Neighbourly sentiments
19 Jun 2009 | 5:17 pmAlmost every morning I run into my neighbour. He’s usually outside, deep in thought and tinkering with this or that and I have to admit that of all the people we’ve met on this street, I’m going to miss him the most. He’s just one of those people who is truly genuine, you know? No strings attached, no expectations, just a really decent man that never fails to capture your attention with a
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Pregnancy Stories By Age
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Mom was 45 when she had my little sister
2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 amYou’re not too old. My mother was 45 when she had my little sister. I was 17, my brother was 20. Built in babysitters. We were all shocked, but super excited also. You will have lots of help with the little one.I hope everything turns out for you. I just wanted to let you know about my mom. My sister is now almost 12, and as healthy as a horse.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… -
Surprise pregnancy at 47
1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 amI have a friend who had a surprise pregnancy when she was 47. She had a great 2 hour labour. No problems.I know so many women in their forties who have had babies. The list can go on and on. As long as you are ovulating regularly, you will be fine.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 fiftyold and pregnant blogbirth at 45pregnancy risks over 40getting… -
She delivered at 45y old
30 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amMy sister got pregnant and had a child in her 40's. A friend got pregnant twice in her 40's/ one miscarriage, the other she delivered at 45 years old, and he is OK.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: ivf at 47'pregnancy after age 45'how to get pregnant in old ageoldest woman to give birth in england in vitro marypregnancy in over 40's
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Stories of Pregnancy & Birth over 44 years old
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Sylviane Kahane,44, gave birth naturally to healthy baby
2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 amStock Photo by woodsy I checked out your site for the first time today, looking for information on symptoms of pregnancy over 50 as I have missed a period by at least 7 days. I am not in menopause, nor have I been suffering from menopausal symptoms. I have always wanted to have lots of children ever since I was a teenager. I finally became a mother naturally at age 44 and my perfectly healthy boy is now 11 years old. I should have contributed to your stories on this site a lot earlier, but I've only had access to the internet at home since April/09. I also didn't realize how uncommon it is to… -
Oldest mum goes back to work
29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amJust four weeks ago, Elizabeth Adeney provoked a storm of controversy by becoming Britain’s oldest mother at the age of 66. And now she has risked further criticism – by rushing back to work.The wealthy businesswoman returned to her job as managing director of a plastics company last week, leaving little Jolyon in the care of a live-in nanny.But a source close to Ms Adeney, who is single and divorced, said: ‘When she makes up her mind about something, that’s it – and nothing will persuade her otherwise.’Read more:… -
Woman has twins at 56
27 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amA 56-year-old woman has become the oldest mother of twins in the UK, after receiving fertility treatment.Lynn Bezant, from Croughton in Northamptonshire, gave birth to the boy and girl by Caesarean section on Thursday.The fertility expert who treated her has defended his decision, saying he was "delighted" by news of the birth to a "kind and loving" couple .The non-identical twins, called David and Susan, were born by Caesarean section at 36 weeks into the pregnancy at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury, Oxon.Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1352903.stmLife Begins... -…
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Wet Coast Women
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Women’s Empowerment
23 Jun 2009 | 11:34 amCopyright © 2009 Jennifer. Visit the original article at http://www.wetcoastwomen.com/2009/womens-empowerment/.Recently, I wrote for my column a piece on Women’s Empowerment - What does it mean? I asked women to respond to these questions: What is women’s empowerment? Do you agree that women are more empowered and in what way(s)? Is there anything in today’s society that would make you think women are less empowered and if so what is it? The response was overwhelming on so many levels. With age, professional and geographical diversity in the women who responded, it made… -
How to laugh more…
22 Jun 2009 | 3:35 pmCopyright © 2009 LizardTravel. Visit the original article at http://www.wetcoastwomen.com/2009/how-to-laugh-more/.Children laugh out-loud four hundred times a day, while adults laugh only fifteen…why the gap? I’m not really sure if this is even a true statistic, but after watching this ridiculous cute baby clip on youtube, it got me thinking. All too often, we maintain expectations towards adults, suggesting that they are to be serious and responsible. But why not venture out of that comfort zone and laugh a little? Not only do many studies suggest that laughter is a… -
Green Tax Credits
22 Jun 2009 | 10:41 amCopyright © 2009 Nicole. Visit the original article at http://www.wetcoastwomen.com/2009/green-tax-credits/.So remember when I wrote this? Specifically, this sentence: Where’s my tax credit for doing what I can? Where are my chits for locally grown meats and vegetables? Why not start there where its something more tangible? Well, there’s an opportunity now. My diaper service has a petition in the Canadian House of Commons to ask for a tax credit for those that use cloth diapers and/or use a diaper service, and to increase taxes on disposable diapers. I have a copy of the…
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Mom-101
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Where is the Etiquette Bitch when you need her?
2 Jul 2009 | 7:52 amIt's one of those mornings where I'm struggling to be a weekday mother simultaneously strugling with being an urban dog owner.You suburban people, with your ground level homes and fancy yards and ability to leave your kids in front of the TV for a minute while you pop out for a pee run, you don't know how lucky you are. Me, I have to hustle both kids along with the dog (who'd be just as happy -
Return of the Type B Mom
29 Jun 2009 | 5:49 amA few nights ago, a great friend came over to ply me with Riesling and keep me company in my current state of chef's widowdom.I cleared a patch of cat hair on the couch for her, and grabbed some wine glasses I prayed weren't covered in Yo Baby. Then she watched with amused bewilderment as my two year-old dunked her fist in my wine glass and licked it (possibly several times before I caught her), -
God, I'm freaking old
25 Jun 2009 | 9:11 pmI graduated high school on this date in 1986. I wrote a rendition of Forever Young called Forever Friends, changing the lyrics can you imagine when this race is won to something like can you imagine when high school's done. I also changed the chorus of Addicted to Love, to Might as well face it I hate Mr. Whartenbee.That's when I knew I was destined to be a professional writer.Also, I looked
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The Hot Mommas® Project
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Hot Mommas Teachable Role Model: LaSara Firefox of The Ecstatic Presence Project and Gratitude Games
25 Jun 2009 | 3:41 amLaSara Firefox According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 5.7 million adults in the US suffer bipolar disorder. I’m one of them. While I try not to over-identify with my diagnosis, the truth is that my diagnosis is one of the largest reasons I am driven to make the entrepreneurial life work for me. At first glance this may seem paradoxical, especially if you don’t know much about bipolar disorder. With a deeper look at the disorder – and how it manifested in me – it actually makes sense. Consider me an entrepreneur by necessity. I was… -
Someone Won Some Swag … Congrats!
18 Jun 2009 | 11:00 amWe were offering a Swag Bag to one lucky person who followed @chiefhotmomma & @shelleyseale prior to June 16th as part of our virtual book tour for Shelley Seale’s book The Weight of Silence. If you missed our question and answer session you can find it here, please leave a comment because we just love hearing from our readers! After compiling a long list of followers the final results are in! Using a totally random.org generation the winner was chosen …. Congrats to Andrea who is @AustinAndrea on Twitter!!! You have won a Swag Bag full of goodies! We will be in touch with you… -
Cool Daddies Teachable Role Model: Ted Leonsis of SNAG films, AOL, the Caps, and Revolution Money
18 Jun 2009 | 8:37 amThis teachable role model post will be launched on July 10. Look for these tweets in July! www.Twitter.com/chiefhotmomma 7/9 and 7/10 “WEEKEND INSPIRATION:” Ted Leonsis For more on Ted in the meantime, please click here. Thanks for your interest, stay tuned, and follow us on Twitter or our Facebook Group to be alerted when this post is live (6:00 am on Fridays). Also – RSS our blog! (See orange button on the top right by “subscribe”). Kathy and The Hot Mommas Project team Email us to nominate a role model to tell their story. Here’s why. Here’s…
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June Cleaver Nirvana
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25 photos
1 Jul 2009 | 3:11 amEven though I carry my camera everywhere and capture every waking moment of my three boys’ lives, I continually lament that I don’t have photos with all three of them. I usually don’t have the strength to undertake such a feat… Three boys in one picture. Looking at the camera. Smiling. The impossible dream. A few weeks ago the boys were all sitting at the park on the same bench. And no violence had ensued. So I reached for my camera… …and took 25 pictures. And yes, the one in the middle was the best one. And yes, I need to learn photoshop.
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Toddler Planet
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You are beautiful
29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 amI know that everyone around these parts of the blogosphere is all shredding, and EA-activing, and Wii-fitting, and getting HASAY in time for BlogHer, but I just have one thing to say, and I’d like you to hear me out. You are beautiful, just the way you are. You are. You may not see it when you look in the mirror, but think how amazing and wonderful your body is, to work in just the right ways, at just the right times. It may not be the size or shape that you’d want it to be, but I’m willing to bet that it works, and that is worth more a lot more than fitting into some… -
Thinking about school
28 Jun 2009 | 5:25 amWe’ve been doing a lot of thinking about school lately. Widget goes to kindergarten next year, and, as much as I would love to homeschool (and I would love it), we think it’s best for him to get used to the structure and routine of a school with other children. We’re thinking hard about how to ease the transition, supplement the academics, and help keep the love of learning alive in this little boy who reads himself to sleep at night (at four!) and his baby brother, who takes small appliances apart and puts them back together (at two!). Both are incredible problem-solvers and… -
Lucky
25 Jun 2009 | 11:13 amIn the wake of the Metro crash, it seems that everyone’s got an opinion. Everyone around here, you see, rides Metro sooner or later, and I live deep in the heart of Red Line country. We may not hang out at Fort Totten, but we’ve all transferred trains there, waiting on the platform for what seems like an eternity, balancing a stroller or clutching a little one’s hand, or maybe standing there with briefcase and blackberry, making use of the wait time, wondering when the next train will come. It’s just what we do around here. We take the Metro to work. We take…
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Fluid Pudding
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The Sparkling Scrotal Steed
30 Jun 2009 | 8:26 amThe girls have been playing with the most annoying unicorn purchased by my mother at a garage sale a few years back. (And that sentence is funny, because it now sounds like my mom often purchases unicorns at garage sales. The one in question was voted Most Annoying by the army of unicorns that are currently filling our home with sparkling rainbows and magical happiness and blue eyeshadow and whatnot.) When you press the eyes (or perhaps the ears or the horn or something) the unicorn begins to belt out a song that goes something like this: “I’m a something-cal unicorn something… -
I like to think I was born to run, but I’ll take what I can get.
22 Jun 2009 | 7:24 pmLast week I took the girls to my folks’ house to spend the day with my twelve-year-old nephew who was in town for the week. Justin, my nephew, is one of those kids who can pick up a video game he has never played before and pwn it. (Suddenly, instead of actually gaining worldly-wise points by using “pwn” I believe I’ve just morphed into your dead Aunt Gladys who used to smile through gloppy smeared lipstick and ask, “So, are you sweet on anyone? Hhmmm???”) Anyway, the game of the day was Mario Kart for the Wii, and before I could throw my keys onto the… -
Who says?!
16 Jun 2009 | 12:43 pmIt’s no secret that I went to the gynecologist a few weeks ago. It’s also no secret that I’ve been taking estrogen-free birth control pills for the past four years. (Seriously. Anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows that I’m on estrogen-free birth control. It’s my “How’s the weather?” ice breaker!) Wait. You know what else isn’t a secret? My gynecologist believes that I’m ready for some estrogen! (Did you know that estrogen promotes wound healing in both humans and mice? This comes as good news, for I am Wounded.)…
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champuru.net
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Patriotic Sweethearts
1 Jul 2009 | 5:27 pmFlag Cookie Pop (made with Sweethearts Candy) Photo from the Sweethearts Patriotic Crafts for Kids booklet Until you have a loved one who has deployed, it’s hard to grasp the true sacrifice that the men and women of our armed forces make for us as individuals and as a country. In 2004-2005, Hubby was deployed to Iraq. It gave me a new appreciation for our military personnel, especially those serving overseas, risking their lives every day in war zones. As Independence Day approaches, I remind myself that the old idiom, “freedom isn’t free” is certainly true. We… -
Sandwich Generation
23 Jun 2009 | 3:01 amMom, me, and Baby Champuru The Sandwich Generation is a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children. – Wikipedia, “Sandwich Generation” My mom is in the hospital right now. At 2:30 pm yesterday, she went to the doctor for cold symptoms that persisted longer than a week. They discovered that her oxygen level was low, so the doctor advised her to go to the emergency room for further tests. It may be related to her heart. After hours of waiting, just before 9:00 pm, my dad called me to let me know that they were admitting her… -
First Sign – or just a coincidence?
22 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pmPerhaps it’s just me being optimistic, but I think Baby Champuru signed back the word “diaper” to me today. We started our Baby Signing efforts on June 18, 2009 with a few simple words, “diaper” being one of them, in hopes that someday she would be able to let me know when she needs a change. Every time we did a diaper change, I would do the sign for diaper (patting the front my hips – where the diaper pins or velcro would be) as I repeated the word very deliberately. Today, when I lay her down to do the diaper change, I said, “diaper” and…
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Momo Fali's
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Pride
1 Jul 2009 | 4:20 amLast Saturday, my 10 year old daughter and I woke at 4:00am to volunteer at breakfast for the Special Olympics. My daughter worked, literally, like it was her job. Running from table to table, wiping them down, pushing in chairs, throwing away trash.She worked so intensely that she was sweating, and at one point a man pulled me over to his table where a group of people told me they "had never seen a kid work as hard as the girl in the blue shirt". When my kid walked over, they gave her a round of applause. I got to puff up my chest and tell them she was mine.My seven year old son's defective… -
Random Realizations II
28 Jun 2009 | 5:23 pm1. The public library is pretty much the biggest scam on the planet. Free books, free music, free movies for everyone! Take five books if you want...we trust you.2. If my son can do something he knows is wrong, he will.3. I love watching my kids play ball in the summer, but by the time July rolls around with her 90 degree heat and 90% humidity, and her peri-menopausal, PMS attitude (oh wait...that's me) I'm kind of over it. And, at least half of me secretly hopes they don't make it to the tournaments.4. If you happen to be sitting under a tree at your daughter's softball game and a big purple… -
Now Hiring: Bathroom Monitor
25 Jun 2009 | 5:33 amThe other day my seven year old son came in the room where I was reading and proudly announced, "I just peed in the bathtub!"I put down the newspaper. "What? Why?""Because my sister was using the toilet and I needed to pee really bad."This conversation would make perfect sense...if we didn't have two other toilets.The next afternoon, he was eating some grapes when he dropped his entire bowl on the floor. Because we have two dogs, there is no such thing as a five-second rule in this house. My husband told him to go wash off the grapes before eating any more of them.After a few minutes my son…
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A Mom in Red High Heels - Beauty & Style Tips for Moms
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How To Fake Fresh Hair
2 Jul 2009 | 9:08 amWhen you are busy, you simply may not have time to wash your hair, style it and get out the door on time. I generally wash my hair at night so that the morning is less hectic. I generally try to wash every 2-3 days as it is healthier for my hair and saves my pricey color from fading. If my hair goes a bit too long between washes, I generally use hair accessories or hats to disguise dirty hair. I might also use an aromatherapy spritz to keep it smelling fresh. However, there are many products available, such as dry shampoos, that work to help absorb oil and give your style a little… -
Ketchup As A Beauty Tool?
1 Jul 2009 | 11:12 pmWe all know that summer can be hard on your hair, especially if you swim in a chlorinated pool throughout the season! The solution? Take good care of it by wearing a swim cap or clipping your hair up to prevent it from getting wet. (If you plan to go underwater then rinse your hair in the shower before swimming to fill your porous hair with water. It will absorb less chlorinated water in the shaft if already wet.) I understand a cap is not all that glamorous and keeping your hair dry when you are in the pool with kids is next to impossible so try this home remedy to remove any green tinge… -
L’Oreal Paris Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Limited Edition Shampoos
1 Jul 2009 | 10:41 amWe are so excited at our house! Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is hitting the theaters today! We love that little Ice Age squirrel! L’Oreal Paris loves the movie and characters too! They have come out with a set of “dino-mite” shampoos: Limited Edition Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Limited Edition Shampoos inspired by the characters of the movie! You’ll find 4 fruity scents like Ellie’s Orangesaurus, Diego’s Man-Eating Melon, Sid’s Dinapple, and Buck’s Berrydactyl! These are the reactions to the 2-in-1 Shampoo in my house: Daughter:…
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Modern Mom
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Healthy Chocolate. Really!
2 Jul 2009 | 3:49 amWhat if I told you there was such a thing called “healthy chocolate?” You'd probably say that I am pulling your leg. Well, I'm not. There is healthy chocolate. -
Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser: Feel The Clean
2 Jul 2009 | 3:18 amNeutrogena's Wave Power Cleanser gives you soft, glowing skin after just one use. -
A Jonas Brother Gets Engaged!
2 Jul 2009 | 1:32 amA Jonas Brother Gets Engaged!
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A Mommy Story
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
2 Jul 2009 | 8:01 amFor my first attempt at a garden, I think it's going pretty well. My mom wouldn't even let me plant-sit for her when I was younger, knowing I'd kill everything on accident on the first day, but now I'm keeping plants alive! And hey, it isn't even quite as hard as keeping children alive!My garden today: (click any photo to see it larger)BroccoliThankful for the cool weather & rain - finally!Future cucumbersA garden friendFuture green peppersWe've already had several harvests of the broccoli, and it's delicious. My lettuce has also been harvested and we have plenty of basil and cilantro to… -
Sick Babies, or Tiny Possibilities?
30 Jun 2009 | 5:35 pmIn the midst of all this tooth drama, I forgot to mention that yesterday morning I got to observe in a NICU for five hours. I was supposed to do this observation while I was in school, but it didn't get set up until now, and despite Cordy's tooth, I couldn't turn down the offer to observe. (Besides, the emergency clinic was open in the afternoon, so there was no conflict of my time, other than no time for me to eat lunch.)Some people don't like the NICU. (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, for those not initiated to hospital-speak.) I can understand that - the area is filled with crib after crib… -
A Lot of Nothing, With a Side of Frustration
29 Jun 2009 | 5:10 pmI spent all of last night trying to psych myself up for today, prepared for Cordy to endure dental torture and probably some kind of sedating agent to allow tooth professionals to perform said dental torture.No one told me the torture would be all mine today.We arrived at the dental clinic at Children's Hospital at 12:15pm. The emergency clinic opened at 1:00, so we took a number (#3 at 45 min. early!) and waited. Cordy was a little unsure of the waiting room, made worse minute by minute as more and more people filled the tiny room, eventually taking up every seat. It became loud and chaotic…
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DeliciousBaby.com
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Jet Lag Haikus
30 Jun 2009 | 8:26 amDan R from New York City sent in these Haikus, and I thought they were too fun to keep to myself! Baby jet lag bad West East harder than East West More crying at 3? Google "jet lag" Others afraid or... Too late! Screwed just like you. I will sleep or not I may cry or I may not make room in your bed Related Links JetLag Survival Guide for Babies, Toddlers and Kids -
Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris
29 Jun 2009 | 6:59 am"Camera Lens" Window at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris The images in my Photo Friday post were from the Institut du Monde Arabe on the Left Bank in Paris. The windows don't just look like camera lenses, they open and close depending upon the amount of sun streaming through, which makes this a very interesting building to sit and watch. On the top floor there there is a nice (if expensive) Middle Eastern restaurant, with a gorgeous view of the city, but the real find is the hidden cafeteria serving middle eastern stews and kabobs in a college like atmosphere. In summer, after… -
Photo Friday: "Camera Lens" Windows
25 Jun 2009 | 9:45 pmI thought I'd try something entirely different for Photo Friday this week. Who can guess where these pictures were shot and explain what's special about this building? For bonus points, if you have a post about this building link to it in comments! Update: To Learn the answer, Click Here Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos: Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday
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Type-A Mom News Feed
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BlogLuxe Awards
1 Jul 2009 | 3:41 pmSocial Luxe is hosting a contest to honor blogs. In addition to amazing attendees and pampering galore, the BlogLuxe Awards will be presented at the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge. Voting is open until July 6th and you can vote once per day. Below is a list of Type-A Mom Editors who have been Read more... -
Cinzia Sunglasses and Zia Eyewear Holder review
1 Jul 2009 | 2:33 pmWhen Cinzia founder and head designer Cynthia Shapiro first started reaching for readers, she immediately saw the need for a fashionable, fun and functional approach to reading glasses. Cinzia Designs creates sophisticated eyewear accessories for the art of reading. At Cinzia, readers do more than magnify your vision; they magnify your style. Handmade, Read more... -
Type-A Mom Conference
30 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pmIn case you haven't heard, I am planning a major blogging conference right here in Asheville. The speaker line-up is unreal, with some of the biggest power bloggers and influencers in the world.It's also in my home town, which is worth a visit all on its own. Read more...
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Suburban Kamikaze
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How to Explain Sex Toys to Your Children on the Spot Without Panicking, Obfuscating or Careening Wildly into the Shoals of Too Much Information
2 Jul 2009 | 11:25 amWell? Oh. You thought I was going to explain ... ? This is a little awkward. You see, I was hoping you would know and -- you're new here, aren't you? Or perhaps you have not been paying attention? I... -
Does this irony make my ass look big?
30 Jun 2009 | 4:58 pmI have been pondering New York Times writer Cathy Horyn's fashion advice for days and I still can't decide what it all means. "First go the knees, then goes irony," Horyn writes in the Styles section. She's not talking about... -
It's really not such a mystery, Betty
26 Jun 2009 | 3:17 pm"Mean Betty truly wants to know: Why can't they be more CLEVER and DISCREET about their infidelities? Is that really too much to ask? Whether it's that pathetic anti-prostitution crusader Eliot Spitzer being caught with a hooker, or this latest...
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Greeblemonkey
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Lunch Chat 6: New Patriotism
1 Jul 2009 | 4:09 pmA new lunch chat video, with my iPhone, in the car, with music, and driving, and my face, while I'm driving. Not sure I will do that again, but I am having fun playing around with these video things. And driving.How are you feeling about the country as we head into 4th of July? [AND BE NICE.] -
Top 10 Time Management Tips
30 Jun 2009 | 10:55 amHow do you do it all? People ask me that a lot.Because I am an over-extender. Not an over-achiever mind you, an over-extender. I do too much, put too much in my calendar. I juggle too many balls and drop some occasionally. OK, more than occasionally. And it's proceeded to get worse every year.I have a full-time job (Klein Buendel), full-time husband (Bugfrog), and full-time kid (Declan). Not to mention friends, family, PTA, blog, twitter, photography, pottery, and the million other things I cram into our days. Because make no mistake, it's ME doing the cramming. Bryan just tries to keep up,… -
Declan's New "Brother"
29 Jun 2009 | 11:36 amWe met Jeff almost exactly one month after our wedding. I remember it, because it was a concert put on by local indie station 93.3 and there was band after band playing at Fiddler's Green as we sat and baked in the hot sun all day. We were married 13 years ago, so Jeff has been integral in our lives for over a dozen years, while Fiddler's Green has gone through several name changes till it finally came back around to, you guessed it, Fiddler's Green.Enter Danielle. We all met her through the same set of mutual friends although not at the same time. Jeff and Danielle were friends first, and…
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Where's My Cape?
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I do tend to use the word "butt" a lot....
1 Jul 2009 | 5:26 amTaking a break from work insanity to share my Momicillin column today which is my FAVORITE EVER. Why? Because my sense of humor stopped evolving when I reached age 12. What of it? -
It's all fun and games until someone loses a hard drive
23 Jun 2009 | 6:42 pmIt started out so innocently. A frozen screen. Then, the dreaded blue screen describing things involving dumps and crashes. Then an automatic restart...which failed to start...then a defiant blank screen of inertness. After holding for eons and then finding out I had to be transferred to ANOTHER department reserved for fools buying my line of craptuter....and then holding more....then talking to "Neil" not of this continent for 2 hours (no joke. Marathon troubleshooting.)...then discovering hard drive busted and that we were unable to recover my data through these basic methods but FOR… -
Scenes from the beach
18 Jun 2009 | 5:56 pm
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Cool Mom - Fun Videos and a Blog for Moms - Motherhood, Kids, Babies and Parenting on Coolmom.com
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Michael Jackson's Kids
2 Jul 2009 | 7:06 amIn an attempt to parody the coverings of MJ's kids I ended up looking like Twitter avatar sticking up for Iranians. I have to weigh in on some of the Michael Jackson stuff. I loved his old music, thought he was kind of sad and probably after about "smooth criminal" didn't pay a lot attention because he started to have the cooties. It's prurient sure, but it's also because of being a mom I am curious about what happens to the kids. Or what has already happened to them. Raised with no mother, they have strange identical names, a ferris wheel in the back yard… -
The Anti-Gravitational Force
1 Jul 2009 | 8:45 amAs Rex is further from my womb this particular affliction is getting a tad better, but it still exists. It's interesting how when one becomes a mother one sees danger everywhere. The cracks in the sidewalk, a busy intersection, Hannah Montana. I don't know if men get the same affliction. My husband would throw our kids up to catch them if I didn't threaten to have a stroke when he did so. Share -
Madoff Sentencing
29 Jun 2009 | 9:33 pmI knew Madoff would be sentenced on Monday. I didn't expect to pay much attention since whether he got 25 or 150 years it would make NO difference to my family. We were all trying to wake up after a typical night of sleep with a 4 month old when we clicked on the news as they were announcing that he would be in prison for the rest of his life. I actually cried just a little. It was a cry of the weariness I feel because of our theft. Of trying to muddle through and be okay. Of mourning what we lost. And for all the people who have lost more than we have.. or rather have less of a…
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The Committed Parent
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Growing Our Gandhi Neurons
28 Jun 2009 | 5:37 amOne of my favorite working neuroscientists is V.S. Ramachandran at the University of San Diego. He reminds me a lot of Nobel Prizewinner, Eric Kandel, someone who loves to investigate anomalies and who is acutely aware of the role that intuition and play play in scientific discovery. He can’t remember where he parks his car, but Ramachandran dreams up all kinds of simple, creative experiments aimed at alleviating people’s pain. For example, he used a five dollar drugstore mirror to rid amputees of phantom limb pain, a procedure that has been tested and adopted by The Walter Reed Army… -
The Two Perilous Questions
21 Jun 2009 | 5:17 amWay back in the day (the early 1990s), two respected psychologists in Northern California let their curiosity and perhaps their own woundedness drive their research interests. They wondered what factors contributed to the unfolding of the sacred in women’s lives – how they weathered the disruptive processes of being transformed from a child of God into “an adult of God.” So they went around to all their friends and asked them to nominate candidates they considered to be “spiritually mature.” In the end they came up with people like the poet, Maya Angelou, Jungian… -
Why (many) Men (fathers) are Such Lousy Listeners
14 Jun 2009 | 4:43 amIn most of the educational and training venues where I’ve studied and trained, I have almost always been part of very large male minority. From grief counseling, to marriage and family systems classes, to transpersonal psychology study, I have invariably ended up in rooms where women outnumbered men ten or fifteen to one. Many of these settings required a set of relational skills that included some ease and facility with … listening. Listening skillfully with some degree of emotional awareness, what I call Deep Listening, is much more than simply hearing. It seems to require some neural…
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tallnlucky: blog
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Commencement
30 Jun 2009 | 12:22 amI don't profess to know what the statistical probability of a stunning male model-turned-brilliant software engineer falling for a slightly socially awkward, jaded single Mom is, but I imagine it's not that high. I know that in good times, I possess a small, fleeting shrapnel of intelligence and I know, despite my tendencies to look kind of alarmingly gigantic and manly in photos, that I don't break mirrors. I am aware that once in a while I can be funny and I am responsible with money and I probably won't spend time in prison for violent crime in the near future, but… -
Drowning
22 Jun 2009 | 12:03 amHe's asleep, but my body is vibrating with a melange of awe, hope, terror and gratitude, and I try to force feed this image of him into my mind. The waves are crashing on to the black rock outside our small cabin, and I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, focus on that.His eyelids are twitching a bit with sleep, his leg is propped over the small of my back where a heat is emanating and rising up through the light quilt. My heart lurches and tugs and images from the last 24 hours pervade my brain like a firecracker movie reel: a plunge into cold water, naked, a spectacularly… -
I've just seen a face
14 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pmThe soft waves of the inlet sluice quietly over the dock below the cliff and the late afternoon sun pulses on our already tawny limbs: the result of a surprisingly warm spring for the Pacific Northwest. My Mom is still beautiful; cornflower blue eyes bright against the thick blonde locks of hair that curl around her face. She is 62. This strikes me more and more every day.My son stomps in a blue plastic pool as a heron lands gracefully on a barnacle-crusted post on the water, and my Mom takes a deep breath."So, are you serious about this guy?" She looks at me and I look at…
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What Works For Us
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Delivered.
26 Jun 2009 | 1:05 amInternets, for a change, I was right. One boy, one girl.Not that I'm ecstatic or anything but, alas, I GET TO BUY PINK!We're home. They're healthy. And it's hectic.I ended up having an emergency c-section last week when one of the twins started losing amniotic fluid. They both weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces. Since then we've been in a fog. On a good night we get 3 hours of sleep. I spend at least 5 hours a day just nursing them while Sam dominates diaper duty.I'm in awe how quickly my heart grew 2 sizes. They are just so incredibly perfect (especially between 7AM and 10PM - OY). I'm TRYING to… -
Deliver Me.
12 Jun 2009 | 2:49 pmMe, 36 weeks pregnant with twins.In case you can't tell (or are blind), I'm ready. I'm BEYOND ready.Yesterday's ultrasound measured each twin at 6 pounds 3 ounces. Sleeping, sitting, standing, even breathing are officially becoming a physical impossibility. One thing is for certain. Come hell or high water, they will make a debut soon. If they don't arrive in the next few days, my c-section is scheduled for late next week.I'm anxious. I'm anxious for the delivery. I'm anxious for their health. I'm anxious to meet them. I'm anxious for Toddler to meet them. And I'm anxious to find out their… -
Garden of Weedin'.
5 Jun 2009 | 2:29 pmAfter talking with other twin parents, the advice we most often get (besides increasing our sense of humor and investing in good pair of ear plugs) is to simply learn to let go. Let cleaning slide, let dishes pile up and opt out of hobbies for a year.So, Sam dropped out of all his golf leagues this summer. MONUMENTAL internets. I can't believe I actually even typed that. I openly admit to not being a very good slider. I'd rather stay up late catching up then wake up early behind. But I'll try, partially because I know not what sleep deprivation torture awaits me. But. I just can not quit YOU…
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whoorl
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Lame
2 Jul 2009 | 6:42 amI’m pretty sure including a 9-year-old movie in a Mamapop guest post covering my CURRENT pop culture obsessions makes me incredibly lame, but here you go. Cooper, you’re an amazing dancer and you’re a great choreographer, but as a boyfriend… you kinda suck. -
Do You Need a New ‘Do?
29 Jun 2009 | 11:59 amAre you going to Chicago for Blogher next month? Don’t you think a new hairstyle would make it the best trip EVER? If so, check out this contest hosted by Susan, Heather and Danielle. It’s pretty damn awesome, so don’t dilly-dally! Leave your submission in the comments section of one of the above ladies’ posts before midnight on July 3rd. And what do I have to do with this contest? I’m a Very Important Judge, chicas. From Susan’s post: All entries will be judged by the lovely ladies of Sparrow and by the super-talented Whoorl of Hair Thursday. Don’t even… -
I Think I’m in Love: Dauphine T-strap Sandals
26 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am$68 (on sale!), J. Crew This is my sandal of the summer. I bought both silver and gold, and will probably have either pair on my feet the majority of this season. Maxi dresses, Bermuda shorts, flirty skirts, summer-weight chinos…these babies will go with anything!
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The Wink
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Four-titude
1 Jul 2009 | 7:06 pmBriar. My first and, as it turns out, a veritable emotional echo. I'm not saying she is not her own person, but withering look and dramatic gasp alive, this child has my most annoying quirks. We are in what I can only believe is a preparatory stage, flexing muscles and building scar tissue to prepare us for what will surely be a lively number of years of push and pull and scream and gasp.I am at once amazed and exasperated by her growing attitudes, whether it's the militant adherence to rules, the know-it-all snobbery or the desperate depth of emotion. I try to honor, acknowledge and accept… -
So you know:
19 Jun 2009 | 6:23 pmIf you listen, there's wisdom in them thar kids:Avery's take:"But super heroes don't wear underwear!""You gotta pee first so the poop can go in different water."Briar wisdom:"He's not died, he just can't hear very well.""I want to get married twice: once to dad and once to another somebody."Finley smarts:"No.""Ai sayuh I doe-wanna!"Seanisms:"I am wary of being too perfect."So you see, surrounded by this kind of brilliance, I am the best kind of super hero*.*An underwear wearing superhero. -
It does not go without saying
14 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pmThree kids. Girls. As different as they are the same.Investigating.Commanding.Wooing.Together. Every which way.Feisty.Flirtatious.Daring. Darling.Wondering.Wondrous.I snap—And snap— And snap some more—I never quite get it, never truly capture this perfect chaos that I am living, but I do get it. I've been growing a life. It is bittersweet bliss and I am grateful every day for it..
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Secret Agent Josephine
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No camp for us
1 Jul 2009 | 12:16 pmSigh. My mom is taking my niece Rapunzel up north to a Bible camp in the mountains that I used to attend when I was a teenager. It’s the last year that this camp is going to be held there (the amazing hosts are retiring) and it hurts me that I can’t join them. I [...] -
Meal Planning Day Five!
28 Jun 2009 | 4:49 pmI’m back. I’m sorry to leave you in the middle of the meal planning but life got in the way—that pesky life. So where was I? Meal Planning Day Four was leftovers. Technically, I was in Pasadena having fancy pizza with Bethany and friends but Toby was at home having leftovers for me. Meal [...] -
Meal Planning Day Three!
25 Jun 2009 | 2:07 pmLa enchilada! La enchilada! La la la la la la lah! Oh hi! I’m just singing our enchilada song which has nothing to do with anything except that I like to sing it when I’m making enchiladas. I’ll have Bug sing it for you in a movie one of these days. Anyway, this is [...]
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Tumble Dry
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You Meaning
1 Jul 2009 | 12:50 pmI find myself chronicling time from when Fin joined our family, really from the positive home pregnancy test. I suppose it has to do with that being the most recent milestone, but I imagine it being more because it was when the ribbon of our family met at each end. Our magnificent bow, complete with frills and knots and new whispers of color.Lately our soundtrack, already pealing with laughter, exclaims and stampeding feet, has been peppered with a raspy new element. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said each hour brought new sounds, words. I've been listening, amazed by the explosiveness of… -
I admit it, I watched
22 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pmI have never watched a full episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8, but tonight, the girls asleep and Sean at work, I watched. I kind of wish I hadn't. This parenting and marriage thing is not easy. I write about the beauty of my children and my life, and while I mean every word there is, of course a dark side. I have my eye-rolling moments or my wishing they would just for the love of all that is good go to bed moments. None of us wants our foibles to be on display or to have someone weigh in on something based on their limited perspective. I've read the rants about the riches and perks, but at the… -
You'll Forget
12 Jun 2009 | 6:42 pmOnce upon a time I hated the input. I would tense each time I felt their eyes on me, anticipating the, "Oh, don't waste a minute," and "One day you won't be so excited," and on and on. My experience was sacred. my emotions my own, the first of their kind.Five years later I understand my place a bit more. I know that while my feelings are sacred, there is a thread that runs through us all, an unstoppable, unavoidable, unforgiving truth. I know that the grizzled checker and the overly-perfumed, touchy-feely woman at the store both know my path. It does go fast. Mercilessly so.I am as aware of…
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Mommy Needs Coffee
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If it’s not one thing, it’s the summer
8 Jun 2009 | 1:30 pmThings have been kicking my rear end around here lately. I have had a lot going on but not really anything I can blog about. You see, it involves people who did not sign up to have their lives talked about here. So, I won’t. I guess what you get is the bullet point kind of catch up post today. School is officially finished. Over. We MADE IT! With all of the illnesses and absences and arguments with “those in authority” (which really means those who have a title but I can make them cry) and racing to get assignments finished, we actually made it through this long and… -
Mother’s Day Apology
9 May 2009 | 1:24 pmI hear tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Do you know how I know that? Because I have received more emails in the past week telling me what I want and what my readers must want that it must be true. Do you know what I want? I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want… (Ooops…sidetracked moment there.) This was hilarious. I am sure this won’t come until my own daughter has a child of her own. Yet, it still made me laugh. It did not, however, make my ass, thighs and tummy laugh. I am sorry but when I spewed my coffee when I saw this one, I knew a… -
And on the 8th day, massages were created
8 May 2009 | 11:29 pmToday as one of my Mommy Missions for Mommy Madness, I had to go get a free massage at Massage Envy. I know! The Torture! Our first mission was taking the Traverse shopping to Kroger. Mission? Try daily activity! But this is a mission I think they need to force us to go on every week to ensure we are calm when we are driving our Traverse. I’m just saying! A free massage where I did not have to start it with begging, reciprocate to get the hour long treatment, and I didn’t even need to put out afterwards as a thank you. Though a good nap would have made it…
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Mamalogues®
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Dad's home
2 Jul 2009 | 8:40 amAs soon as they hear the key turn the lock The frenzy begins Twelve hours of day condensed into a five minute story Chaotic but lovely. -
The opposite of sun worship
1 Jul 2009 | 9:17 amWhen I first saw how bad the boys' sunburns were upon returning from their grandparents' I was shocked; when I saw that Ewan had developed blisters the size of quarters on his upper arms I almost cried and would have were not two boys depending on me to hold my stuff together. Chris and I washed their arms with vinegar and coated them with aloe. Ewan screamed and cried in pain. I had to hold him while Chris doctored his arms. He screamed "why is this happening to me?" and other things which caused Chris and I to give each other sorrowful looks. In an effort to distract Ewan I thought of the… -
Loading up the trebuchet for June
29 Jun 2009 | 7:52 amTo toss this month:- People who do nothing, contribute nothing, offer nothing, yet have the audacity to complain about progress and/or results. - People who tell me what I can and cannot write about on my own personal website.- Having to work as much as I do just to keep my head above water because of what is happening to this economy.- People who only act like family on holidays or whenever presents are involved.- The obsession with Michael Jackson. Sure, he was a great songwriter and performer but he also molested young boys so as the mother of sons forgive me if I'm not blaring "Thriller"…
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Mamma Loves...
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When You Have an Addict in Your Life
1 Jul 2009 | 7:38 pmThere's been an addict in my life for over twenty years.I've locked my doors. I've hidden my purse. And I've been stolen from regardless.I've been mad. I've cried. I've been hurt. I've been embarrassed and ridiculously angry. I've pretended not to care.I've done to Al-Anon, and yet the worry remains.My sister has been "clean" for the past four years to the best of my knowledge. She might actually be finding the way to live with her addiction, but just one overheard conversation and my temptation to go into "she's high again" mode jumps on my shoulders like one of Jack Hanna's animals going… -
But I Don't Feel Like It
29 Jun 2009 | 2:22 pmTell me I can't doing something and that's all I want to do.Tell me to do something and I'll find every other possible thing that needs to be done.Why oh why do I have such authority issues? They aren't convenient either professionally or personally. Do I get to blame a parent? A rogue police officer from my past?Guess I have to suck it up, put on my big girl panties and perform any number of other cliches and get busy doing?Yeah. That's what I thought.Crap. -
Dear Small People in My Bed
11 Jun 2009 | 5:55 pmDear Small People* Who Climb into Bed with me at Night,It sends warm fuzzy feelings directly to my heart just thinking about the fact that the most comforting thing to you is to sleep nestled up against me. BUT, we must have some rules. Trust me, following these will come in handy later in life. I can’t get into the WHY now, but I promise. I’m your mom. Would I lie to you?Humans lie PARALLEL to each other in bed.Limbs are to remain still--even during dream state. Flinging and flailing of extremities is strictly prohibited.Wetting the bed is not appreciated—especially when you leave your…
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Sleepless Nights
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Don’t piss the universe off
2 Jul 2009 | 3:49 amThe morning of Nan’s funeral dawned grey and bitter. Awoken by Isaac looking at me and smiling, I was hoping like hell I could feed him and go back to sleep. Unfortunately, Amy woke up part way through the feed, so I was listening to her yelling ‘Mummy! I AM awake NOW!’ while Isaac kept breaking off to smile. I dragged myself out of bed and looked at my outfit hanging on the door ready to be put on. It wasn’t going to be a good day. Mum forwarded a copy of the Eulogy to me. It was a first draft put together by my uncle. It was good, but it needed editing and polishing. -
Happy Birthdays and Goodbyes
29 Jun 2009 | 7:57 pmHappy Birthday David. I’m truly sorry that we’re burying our Nan on your birthday. This last week has sucked. Sucked LOTS. So, even though we’re spending today in a funeral home, surrounded by lots of family we may or may not get along with, I’m wishing you a happy birthday. I do love you. Even when you pulled all the clothes out of my dresser when you were a toddler. Even when I dressed you in girls clothes and makeup when you were five and you wouldn’t let me photograph you. Even when you kept interrupting me and my boyfriend on Mum’s say so. Even then. -
You know how…
29 Jun 2009 | 4:32 am… In finding Nemo, Dory sings ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming…’ You know that bit? (Yeah, other mothers of small children out there, I’ve got you singing it now, haven’t I?) Yes. Mine is ‘Just keep smiling. Just keep giggling. Just keep smiling, giggling, smiling.’ Not always appropriate, but it works. So I’m smiling. [My broken hot water? Is now fixed. So is the leaking. The destroyed bathroom floor, not so much. However, an Insurance Assessor will be up and fingers crossed, insurance should cover the cost of…
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Of The Princess and The Pea
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'Why There Are Guns in My House' Redux for the Fourth
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 amYou haven't heard? I'm someplace rustic, vacationing and calculating my prime amount of availability on an abacus. No, really. In the meantime, I've revived an old OPP favorite for your enjoyment - it's July Fourth-ish in that it has to do with our rights as Americans. Or something like that. Why There Are Guns in My House, Originally Published August 15, 2008Recently Izzy of IzzyMom fame and glory posed the question:I’m curious to know where I stand in comparison to other Americans as well as other world citizens, parents and non-parents, I’d like to know your views on gun control and… -
I Don't Care About Your Kids and I'm Not Really All About Mine Either
1 Jul 2009 | 12:04 pmHere's the funny thing about mommyblogs, the good ones are about mommies. Sure they include a few posts now and again about the kids that make that woman the mommy she is, but for the most part, they're not about the kids. They're about the struggles those kids put her through, but not about the kids themselves. Because? As George Carlin once said, "I don't give a fuck about your kids. That's why they're yours!"And really, truly we don't. Do we? Care about other bloggers' kids? I don't.I don't want them to run out in front of a car, or jump from a third story balcony, or drown in the… -
How and Why I Compensate My Kids
25 Jun 2009 | 6:31 pmKaren Walrond of Chookooloonks recently wrote at BlogHer her thoughts On Allowances for children. Her own daughter is only five and not yet a Kindergartner, but Karen is planning ahead for when Alex is old enough to receive an allowance and asks at the end of her post there how other parents compensate their kids. I had originally begun this post there, in the comments section, but soon realized I had much more than a comment to say and moved here.I don't pretend to think any given allowance structure will be right for every household. Having been there and done that however, I do think our…
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babyfruit: the miscarriage blog and motherhood diaries
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Imaginary Friends
20 Jun 2009 | 4:46 pmImage via Wikipedia NG has been more and more active with her imaginary friends over the last six months. At first, I thought it was because she was lonely and didn't have many playmates or play dates. She has named... -
The “Motherhood Penalty:” The Pay Gap Between Working Moms and Childless Women - The Juggle - WSJ
18 Jun 2009 | 8:06 amThe “Motherhood Penalty:” The Pay Gap Between Working Moms and Childless Women - The Juggle - WSJ. All I can say about this article is that I'm glad I own my own business instead of work in Corporate America. Excerpt:... -
Federal Employees Closer To Paid Parental Leave : NPR
5 Jun 2009 | 11:30 amFederal Employees Closer To Paid Parental Leave : NPR. Was listening to the Republicans ranting about paying federal employees for 4 weeks of parental leave - while some touted the benefits of early bonding between mother and child, others whinged...
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Absolutely Bananas: Seattle mom blog
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The messiness of real life as seen from our living room window
2 Jul 2009 | 9:55 amIn front of my house on the sidewalk stands a pile 45 feet wide and overflowing with furniture, pictures, bedding, pots and pans, clothes and more. So much more. It’s the entire contents of our neighbors’ house. I stand back from the window as I look out because I don’t want the neighbor man to see me watching as he rifles through his stuff. I try to keep from spying but I find myself repeatedly drawn to the mini-drama taking place on our front lawn. Yesterday morning a truck with a trailer pulls up in front of the house and out climb eight high school kids wearing medical… -
A memo to the sick devil who designs toy packaging
16 Jun 2009 | 8:35 pmOn Friday CJ turned six. This means that, A) Our baby is a year older and, B) Jay and I had to fight the bitter and bloody battle against TOY PACKAGING. 724 twist ties, 15 lbs of cardboard, 72 bits of sharp and jagged plastic, 861 staples, 13 paper cuts, and 52 curse words later… and we ALMOST had the toys opened. It makes me wonder… IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK THAT A CHILD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY PLAY WITH A TOY ONCE IT’S BEEN PURCHASED? Seriously who are these monsters that design toy packaging? Why do you need 16 metal twist-ties binding a tiny plastic car to three sheets of… -
Yesterday
11 Jun 2009 | 5:53 pmToday was CJ’s last day of kindergarten. Tomorrow he turns six. Wasn’t it yesterday that I walked my little boy to school the first time, his hand clenched tightly in mine? Wasn’t it yesterday that he turned five? What happened in between yesterday and TODAY? For the thousandth time I renew my committment to being present in this moment. Because this moment is zooming by. Related Posts This moment On the first day And then my heart ran down the sidewalk wearing new shoes and a Darth Vader backpack ©2008 Absolutely Bananas. All Rights Reserved.
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Let the dog in!
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another thing that prob’ly seemed like a good idea: being Michael Jackon’s doc
28 Jun 2009 | 9:08 pmYou may recall the raccoon who got stuck way up in a tree in front of our house? For hours and hours? Trapped, cornered, alone, he looked like this: Now, look at this guy: Notice any similarity? This is Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s personal physician, who sent a letter to his patients a few weeks ago that he would no longer be their physician because he had “a chance of a lifetime” he would pursue. Turns out, he’s probably the last person to see Michael Jackson alive and he’s the person who unsuccessfully administered CPR on a worldwide icon. Awkward. Well,… -
the trouble with pigeons
23 Jun 2009 | 8:34 pmPigeons get slammed all the time, don’t they? Rats with wings, right? We all hate them, don’t we? They surround you by the hundreds when you happen to sit in a piazza accidentally dropping crumbs from that freshly baked, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside baguette. Like you’re in a Hitchcock movie, only without the special effects. They poop all over your car windows, usually in the center of whatever spot you need to look out of. Who knows what nasty diseases they might be carrying. Then I noticed that even though we don’t have large piazzas or fabulous… -
modern advancement in relationships?
15 Jun 2009 | 9:18 pmOur island police blotter always has some weirdness, and this hot weather has probably added to the weirdness factor, doncha think? This week, modern domestic violence: Assault: A 47-year-old Bainbridge man was arrested for punching his fiance at their Moji Lane home shortly after midnight. According to the victim, the suspect became enraged after she expressed displeasure in his lack of tidiness. The suspect went to a bedroom and she began watching TV downstairs. He sent her a text message ordering her to come to bed. When she refused, the suspect became angry and insulting. First off,…
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Social Media Mom
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Avoiding Twitter Spammers
1 Jul 2009 | 6:06 amIt is a well-known and much lamented fact that twitter attracts spammers. When I first joined twitter, it felt like a small town. Perhaps everyone didn’t know everyone else, but at most people were one or two degrees removed. As long as someone didn’t come in and try to add the whole community at once, people were patient with newcomers. And even most of the better known twitter users would respond back if you asked a question. Utopias never seem to last long though, and unfortunately spammers soon discovered twitter. The first spammers were easy to spot, they’d be following… -
Dear Twitter, Please Fix Your @s
25 Jun 2009 | 6:13 amOnce upon a time, twitter had no @s. If you wanted someone in particular to see your tweet, you used their name and hoped they’d catch it. Then people started using @ in front of the name so others would know who the tweet was directed to. Twitter saw it, and thought it was good. Then Twitter decided to multiply the goodness and allow @ to link to a tweeter’s page and added a link for people to see their own @s if they wanted to check. And it was still good. Then Twitter decided to allow people a choice of whether they wanted to see others @s or not. And some chose to see and… -
Thoughts on Attending the First Social Media Breakfast - Tech Valley
22 Jun 2009 | 6:32 amAs a stay-at-home Mom (SAHM) who homeschools and does social media consulting as well, one thing I’ve discovered is that online social media is only part of the story. The rest is meeting people in real life. There’s something about matching a name to the actual person, shaking a hand, or giving a hug to a friend you’ve never met before that makes relationships Velveteen Rabbit real. Which is why I was so disappointed over the past year as social media conferences came and went and I couldn’t get to any of them. It’s also why I was so excited when Patrick Muldoon…
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Seattle Mom Blogs
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Seattle was Rocking and Rolling yesterday
28 Jun 2009 | 8:32 amRemember way back when I actually posted? I think I may have mentioned that I signed up to run the Rock N Roll Marathon and the big day was yesterday. It was my best race to date. Unfortunately, given the 4-6 am shuttle run to the start line, I had to get up at 3:45 am to head downtown by 4:20 am. I think I may have even Twittered that stupid start to the morning. Met co-worker (”L”) at our office and gathered our stuff, stripped down to running clothes and took off for the shuttle buses about 1.5 miles away. COLD. WINDY. I don’t recommend walking in downtown Seattle at 5 am… -
Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner Giveaway!
26 Jun 2009 | 2:37 amEver since I was introduced to Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner at the 5 Minutes for Mom meetup a couple of weeks ago, my cleaning routine has completely changed. Now instead of yelling at my three-year-old for leaving his Otter Pop to leak on my bamboo floor and falling to my knees, crying, “WHY ME?!?!,” I simply pick up a can of Pledge, spray the area and wipe and it’s clean. Not only does it work on floors, but I can also spray the keyboard where my son has smudged his grubby paws or the table where my toddler has yet again decided to mash spaghetti sauce into the wood. This… -
Feeling Lucky??
25 Jun 2009 | 8:47 amWe sure are! We are headed out of town on an adventure! It’s top secret (for now), but trust me, oh trust me on this one…you’ll want to stay tuned! It will be worth your while to check back here next week. We are stepping things up a notch! That’s all I can say…..
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Crunchy Domestic Goddess
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Pushing your way to greener grass : environmentally-friendly reel mowers
29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 amI’m not an big fan of large, lush (water-guzzling) lawns, especially in areas that often experience drought, like here in Colorado. However, if you have a lawn or patch of grass (or even weeds), chances are you need a way to mow it occasionally lest your yard become the eye-sore of the neighborhood. We don’t have a very big yard here and just got done converting about two-thirds of the backyard into a playground mulchy play area for the kids (as well as some raised garden beds for me), so the amount of grass we have back there is minimal. We still have a lawn in our front yard,… -
Stepping outside of my comfort zone
24 Jun 2009 | 11:48 amThis past Saturday I did something that, due to my anxiety, I could have never done just 3 or 4 months ago. I attended a local pre-BlogHer meet-up at The Cup in Boulder. I was hoping a friend or two would be able to go with me (for the company, as well as to calm my nerves and make sure I went!), but no one was available. Still, I was feeling good about it and excited at the opportunity to meet some more local bloggers. But then I almost didn’t go - not because I had a good excuse or something came up, but because apparently I was more nervous about going than I thought and nearly used… -
The event that changed my life forever
22 Jun 2009 | 4:45 amFive years ago today my life experienced a dramatic change - for the better. It was five years ago today, with the birth of my daughter Ava, that I became a mother. It’s amazing to me how something like becoming a mother can be such a profound experience, but I really feel that I wasn’t able to fully discover who I was until that life-changing event. That’s not to say that the moment my daughter was born a lightbulb went off over my head and I knew my purpose in life, but being a mother has caused me to experience life and think about things in ways I don’t think I…
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In the Trenches of Mommyhood....
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Weather Woes
2 Jul 2009 | 5:55 amRain, rainGo awayCome again no other day,The boyz in the Trenches NEED to playRain, Rain Go the &*%$(@ AWAY!*****(Apparently, I'm not the only one here who's a titch cranky about this 2009 Summer That Wasn't, while others are a bit more creative.) (Personally? I just prefer to bitch and moan in melodramatic fashion, thankyouverymuch.) -
Granny 911 - 2009 Edition
29 Jun 2009 | 8:53 amI can now declare that Summer has officially begun in the Trenches!The Sheriff is here.Her name?GRANNY 911!That's right, she's back!(For the FIFTH summer in a row, actually.)(Although I have a hunch that if the rainy weather continues here in New England, she may decide to take a leave of absence, since, so far, it's turning out to be The Summer That Wasn't.)This year, though, she came armed.Armed with Behavior Modification charts and steely determination.Methinks the boyz aren't gonna know what hit them. Heh. -
Ode to Baby on His 4th Birthday
29 Jun 2009 | 2:03 amYou were born to be my BabyAnd Baby I was made to be your Mom.You are lucky that you're so cuteBecause you're certainly not calm.Only God would know the reasonsBut I bet He must have had a plan,'Cause you were born to be my BabyAnd Baby I was made to be your Mom.(With sincere apologies to Jon Bon Jovi) Happy Fourth Birthday to my monkey-man, my fearless one, my helper, my troublemaker. You ARE Momma's Boy.
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Parenting Squad
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4 Really Cool Green (and Blue and Red) Art Projects for Kids
27 Jun 2009 | 4:24 pmBy Linsey KnerlI love preassembled art crafting kits for kids. Recent budget-tightening and an increased interest in recycling, however, have led to some new opportunities to get especially creative with our homeschool craft routine. Check out the four top picks from our dining room table, and see how they can be adapted to fit your creative time! Robots I don’t remember my daughter having an interest in robots, but for my three sons (ages 5, 4, and 2), they rule over dinosaurs every time. (My youngest son’s first phrase was “I am a robot”… -
Let's Go Clubbing: What's the best organization for your child?
26 Jun 2009 | 8:07 amBy Marla WaltersI can still recite the 4-H pledge and, with a little coaxing, the Girls Scouts’ pledge as well. Yes, I was in both of those organizations, as well as others. My daughter liked Daisies (beginning Girl Scouts) but the Brownies lost her interest. She loved Junior Greenpeace, but the Key Club wasn’t her thing. Should your child join a club? You might think club membership is something you don’t need to worry about. However, if you are the parent of an eight or nine-year-old, the flyers and school announcements are… -
The Importance of Play
25 Jun 2009 | 1:56 pmBy Fred LeeI don’t know about you, but I seem to see a lot of this lately: despite the fact that they complain incessantly about their kids having no free time to just hang out, parents continue to schedule organized events and activities, thereby ensuring that their children will have no free time to just hang out. The question is, is it such a big deal? Do kids really benefit from having more and more organized (and supposedly enriching) activities, or is it important for them to have some free “down time” inside their own heads, engaging in unstructured play? Well,…
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Traveling with Baby
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Wordless Wednesday: Water Fun
30 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmSplish Splash Sprinkler Fun Sprinklers at Belmont Park in Charlottesville For more WW, please visit 5M4M. –By Dr. Dolly Twitter me: drdolly -
Tuesday Travels: Snack Sensation
29 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pmWelcome to Tuesday Travels, a summertime series at Traveling with Baby. This season, my son and I are excited about sharing some local day trips and field trip ideas for families with little ones. This weekly series will also feature travel tips for families with kids-in-tow and related product reviews and giveaways. I enjoy hearing about your traveling adventures, too. If you have an idea for Tuesday Travels, please e-mail me: drgarnecki[at]gmail[dot]com. _______________________________________________________________ My son and I just tried the best fruit snack to hit the stands:… -
Weekend Update
28 Jun 2009 | 9:02 pmWe got a last-minute visit from my mom who traveled down from New York. Calvin was so excited to have someone play tag and hide-and-go-seek with him…or, at least the toddler version of that game. We kept him up way past his bedtime on Friday to enjoy the Downtown Mall sights, tastes, and sounds. We haven’t been there on a Friday night since July of last year when we first moved to Charlottesville. Calvin dancing to the band at Charlottesville Pavilion and garnering some of his own fans Calvin started dancing to the live music at the Pavilion, and he was totally in LOVE with…
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Her Bad Mother
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Movin' On Up
17 Jun 2009 | 9:08 amOh, hey, you hear that? That is THE SOUND OF SILENCE.It's pretty quiet around here, and might be for another day or so. Because? I am - wait for it - moving shop! Finally making the move away from Blogger and onto to more sophisticated blogging platform pastures. Which, I know! SO AWESOME. Also, terrifying.Anyhoo. If you're starved for the pathos and pedantry and total lack of humor that only I can provide, you can amuse yourselves by reading my other blog. Or by checking out what we're up to over at MamaPop. Or by puttin' on the beaver over at Canada Moms Blog. Or by reading whatever it is… -
Peace In A Dyson
15 Jun 2009 | 8:41 amI vacuumed.I didn't know what else to do, so I vacuumed.We knew last night that something wasn't quite right about the bug bite on the side of Emilia's face. It was a little swollen, a little bruised. We debated what to do. It was late, the clinics and pharmacies were closed, and it didn't look that bad. A bad allergic reaction would be pretty immediate, right? It wouldn't be a slow swell, right? I wrung my hands and worried; my husband soothed: we'll check on her in the night. We don't know that it's an allergic reaction. We'll check; she'll be fine.We didn't check.When my husband went to… -
Wonder Girl Rides Again
12 Jun 2009 | 8:35 amI've been trying all week to craft a post about my sister and Tanner, about how they're struggling right now, about how they keep taking blows, about how they keep taking blows but never stop moving forward, never stop pursuing happiness, never stop pursuing life. I wanted to craft a post about how my sister recently made the most difficult decision that a parent could ever possibly make, the decision to allow Tanner's life to be shortened, probably significantly, so that it might be a better life. But the words just don't come, because I just don't know how she did it, how she found that…
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Playgroups are No Place For Children
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Photography Year One
1 Jul 2009 | 2:52 pmIt was last summer when I bought my Canon XSi camera. At this time a year ago, I was pretty convinced that simply by having this SLR camera, I’d suddenly become a much sought after, talented photographer, simply because I had a fancy pants camera. That hasn’t been the case exactly, though I do think that THE CAMERA itself has helped my photography. Here’s what I’ve learned in the past year. 1.It’s very difficult to devote much time to photography when you have two very small children. I have heard over and over again that I should carry my camera with me at ALL… -
Wikipedia is on my side. Are you?
26 Jun 2009 | 7:36 amSince moving to Tennessee back in October, it seems that we need to build an ark for all the rain we’ve had. With all the rain, we’ve been singing songs related to rain like “Rain, Rain Go Away” and “I’m So Sick of all this @#@$%# Rain” (what? you haven’t heard that one?). We’ve also been singing “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” and Tate and I are having a HUGE disagreement about the lyrics of the song. Here’s my version, verified by Wikipedia. It’s raining; it’s pouring. The old man is… -
Learning compassion in the church of Chick-Fil-A
24 Jun 2009 | 12:52 pmAll the children were scrambling down the tower of steps that led to the curvy slide at Chick-Fil-A, complaining and yelling about a boy sitting at the top being “mean.” Parents quizzed their children, “who is doing what?” “Where?” “A boy?” “He won’t let anyone go by?” It was hard to decipher exactly the problem was with about 10 kids all talking at once, but it was clear that there was a boy who wasn’t letting the other children climb up the steps to the slide. The mood amongst the parents became…
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Mom to the Screaming Masses
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Opening Up A Can of Worms
30 Jun 2009 | 9:22 pmJennifer asks a question that I've avoided before: I recently got into an internet blogument with a blogger who stated that sending your children to public school was akin to making them targets for Satan. I know that you are a practicing Catholic (like myself) and I know that you have sent your children to Catholic school. What are your thoughts on homeschooling, and do you think that there is this underlying pressure to amongst certain circles to homeschool your children if parochial/private school is not an option?Oh, hai. I REALLY don't want to get into a whole public… -
Questions about The Kids
28 Jun 2009 | 9:28 pmAgain with another exciting episode of Ask The Reader! Emily asks: If you knew you'd never see your kids again, what advice would you give them for when they become parents? Teach their boys to pee sitting down AND aiming down. ;) To not sweat the small stuff - and most of it - including said peeing mystery - is indeed SMALL stuff. To talk to their own kids, to laugh with their kids and to always, ALWAYS make time for themselves. Jodie wants to know: Which addition to your family was hardest to adjust to? Going from 1 to 2 kids was hard for me but… -
The Economy and The Price of Foods
27 Jun 2009 | 7:37 pmSylvia wanted to know: I was wondering if you had changed your grocery shopping habits in light of the...ummm...economy. (If you can even call it that anymore.) I'm pretty sure it's not my imagination and that the price of food has gone through the roof. My husband has been umemployed for a month now and I'm finding it impossible to properly feed my boys. Do you have any special meals that you make that cost almost nothing? I say almost because I have 6 dollars.Oh, Sylvia, ouch. I do know of what you mean. Economy = suck and no money. If you ask my hubby,…
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Baby on Bored
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Isn't This Rich?
30 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pmSadie got weighed today and although still a feather weight, she came in at 19 lbs. 2 oz. Okay, fine, maybe she was 19 lbs 1 and 1/2 oz but let's not split hairs okay? Let's just call it 2 oz and not try to ruin the rest of my day. Jesus! Anyway, as I was saying the kid is closing in on 20 lbs. which will be a wonderful milestone provided she's not seven years old when it happens. Unfortunately her movement up the growth chart is more slow than a glacier so according to Patricia, it's inevitable that we will be seeing an endocrinolgist in the not so distant future. "We have to remember that… -
Reality Roadkill
26 Jun 2009 | 6:11 pmI really like talking about reality tv, have I mentioned that in the last five minutes? Cause I really really do. The Housewives of NJ finale was pretty great and you all KNOW how much I love me some Bachelorette -which is why I recap it here. I'm just sayin'. All this not drinking has been leaving me with more time for writing which I haven't been doing. I should. I'm going to. Really. But weekends are soooo long with three kids. Have I mentioned I have three kids in the last five minutes? I know! I can't believe it either! Right now they are all three watching Jack's Big Music Show in the… -
Where Are My NYC Bloggers At?
25 Jun 2009 | 10:47 amAre you in NYC? Can you come to this? There will be champagne and white wine for those of you who are lushes and can't not drink for one goddamn Wednesday night. For the rest of you who, like me, choose to take the moral high ground, there will be Perrier.Please come and say hi to me! That didn't seem like a meaty enough blog so I decided to do some soul searching and really give you something meatier than just my appearance schedule. I'm now going to share with you a whole list of shit I just don't get: RadioheadSweet picklesShoe shoppingPeople who don't drink because they "just don't like…
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doobleh-vay
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You’ve done a hundred things before half past nine
1 Jul 2009 | 12:50 pmlike omg- thanks to my pal Jen for sending me this song.Love it.lyrics:Oh Gillian, you’re up with the sunYou’ve done a hundred things before half past nineBy the time most folk are up and goneYou’ll be starting on one hundred and oneThere’s not enough hours in a dayTo do all the things she’s just got to doWhen the daylight fades and the night invadesShe’s only just begunWeary as you lay at night waiting for the sunPlanning out tomorrow now before this day is done‘Gillian you work too hard’But don’t you try to slow her down – she’ll tell you‘Idleness is good for none… -
"It's like how hot dogs come in packs of 10, and buns come in packs of eight or 12 - you have to buy nine packs to make it come out even."
30 Jun 2009 | 10:33 amI want to fall down and sleep like Rip Van Winkle.I also never want to eat Trader Joe' sushi again.the taste was so differentlike an assault on my mouthI am trying to find the right song to be Little Alouette's new website song.Yeah- expanding beyond the etsy and LA blog soon! woot!I know it should be a kiddo song-but I really want this.or this.I can't shake David Byrne.I would kiss his forehead. I would wash his feet.And then you should see the state of my home.I walk around squinting.Everything looks better squinting.And thank you God I am headed to the salon tomorrow night.I had to wear a… -
29 Jun 2009 | 12:50 pm
29 Jun 2009 | 12:50 pm
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Don Mills Diva
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Michael and me
2 Jul 2009 | 4:58 amI cried like a baby when I learned Michael Jackson was dead.I was already teary-eyed when I heard the news. I had just posted this about my father-in-law's illness. I was missing my mother-in-law like crazy, lamenting a blow-up with Graham during which I lost my temper and terrified about how Rob was going to cope with the seemingly never-ending stress.I had, in fact, taken to wondering when exactly being a grown-up started being so hard - so goddamned hard - when I heard that Peter Pan was dead."Have you seen my Childhood?I'm searching for that wonder in my youthLike pirates in adventurous… -
Enough
30 Jun 2009 | 5:54 pmI apologize for the silence, but I don't know what to say other than thank you, thank you, thank you for all your heartfelt comments and e-mails expressing your concern for my family.My father-in-law remains in hospital with a bleeding ulcer and perhaps more. He is undergoing a battery of tests and right now we have more questions than answers.We did stay in Quebec for a few days and attempted to enjoy our time with Graham. Despite the fact that he decided he didn't like poutine (!) he had the time of his life.And that?That was enough. That is enough right now.How could it not be? -
Uncle
25 Jun 2009 | 3:34 pmRob's dad is in the hospital.We aren't certain exactly what is wrong, but he isn't doing so well. Rob's brother and sister-in-law are with him. He is undergoing a series of tests and we are vacillating between whether to stay in Quebec and try to maintain some sense of normalcy for Graham or to make the almost eight-hour drive home the day after our arrival.Needless to say Rob and I are finding it difficult to eat or sleep, let alone relax.Universe, God, Karma, whoever or whatever you are?Uncle.Just uncle.
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Susiej
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I’m Happy With Dover White
2 Jul 2009 | 8:04 amThe creamy white reminds me of vanilla ice cream. I’m so glad we chose this creamy white, the Sherwin Williams classic, Dover white, rather than the stark shabby chic white, (although I do love that look). I’m more pleased that we choose to splash the enitre space with this color, and avoided the whole “one baby blue wall” thing. The bookcase was left and abandonned here with the lattice in the garage. It was too shabby to send to GoodWill. But before we ditched it, a few nails, some scrubbing, primer and a top coat of Dover White brought this into an extermely… -
Confession: I’m Raising Mosquitos
1 Jul 2009 | 8:36 amSome are beekeepers, and some, like me, are mosquito keepers. I was not going to reveal this about myself… because, the truth it, it’s a bit humiliating. However, honesty is good for relationships. Remember the tadpoles that were growing in our backyard? Well, we made it back to the lake, and released the frogs – although reluctantly, my son called out, “How would you like to be separated from YOUR children?” Nevertheless, we felt it best to keep the tadpoles in their safe aquarium habitat until they were big enough to avoid the Bass living in our lake. So, I boiled lettuce, cut it… -
Lavender and Cedar Are Enough For the Moths
29 Jun 2009 | 8:43 amA flurry of little moths was fluttering around my closet as I tried to pack up and stall before finally leaving for the lake. Were cedar chips enough? I did a quick, actually an extensive, search on the Internet to find out for sure. In addition to cedar, lavender was also recommended. One recipe described how to make your own mothballs, by simply putting a few drops of lavender oil on cotton balls. My lavender was ready for cutting, so I scooped out the harvest from the garden. Then, I bought a bunch of those little cedar chip muslin bags from the grocery store, and tied the stems around the…
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Chicky Chicky Baby
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And no, Christopher Cross is not invited
2 Jul 2009 | 6:42 amIt's the Thursday before a holiday weekend - except for you Canadians, happy belated Canada Day! - and we here in the North East are experiencing a pattern of weather that I like to affectionately call A Hundred Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag.Too harsh? You should have seen what I deleted.No one has any desire to do anything but stare slack-jawed out the window at the rain and thunder and wish for Mother Nature to throw us a freaking bone already and give us just a little peak of sun. Except for you in those states that actually have sun, but I don't feel like thinking about you right… -
Don't "Hon" me, Hon.
30 Jun 2009 | 6:27 amIf you're significantly younger than me you have no business calling me "Hon". Yeah sure, you're saying it over an intercom in the drive-thru of a Dunkin' Donuts and I am quite youthful (sounding. Some might describe me as "Juvenile", but not to my face), but after I've visited your establishment for my morning joe for the gazillionth time and we've exchanged pleasantries face to face, you can probably deduce by now that I was in high school when your mom and dad were doing the forbidden dance between the sheets (or in the back of a Ford Escort. Hey I don't judge). Come talk to me when the… -
It's a really good thing my oven is electric...
26 Jun 2009 | 11:33 am... Because my head would be stuck in it right now.It's been raining for weeks. WEEKS. The kids are going crazy, I'm going crazy. Everything is wet and don't even get me started on my frizzy hair. It's a really good thing I look decent in baseball caps, that's all I'm saying.I wouldn't actually hurt someone, but if the sun doesn't come out soon I may know of someone, a certain stir crazy housewife for instance, who would willingly make a hit on someone if you need it. I wouldn't even need to get paid.I mean, this person wouldn't need to get paid. Ahem.
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crazedparent
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Unplugged...
26 Jun 2009 | 7:23 amI learned of Michael Jackson's early demise yesterday evening, hours after the news broke. "How sad! Did you know Michael Jackson died?" I asked my husband as our laptops were back to back at the dining room table."Where ya' been?" he said, his voice aghast at my lack of news knowledge. "It's been all over the news. How could you not know?"If it had happened three weeks ago, his comment would have seemed more appropriate. But since the boys started their summer vacations, I've unplugged all day. I'm not monitoring news sites all day, waiting… -
Losing space...
10 Jun 2009 | 10:06 pmI gave up my home office this week. (Even writing those words is painful.)It was a parenting decision that resulted in the boys getting their own bedrooms. And mom's desk, artwork, photos, and peaceful slice of bliss was related to, well, we're not sure yet. The desk has been taken apart, the photos and pieces of my work and writing life are all packed away temporarily in a closet that is already overflowing with mementos of the past few school years. In the process of moving the rooms around, I've created about 20 more home projects that need to be complete to get our… -
Welcoming summer vacation...
4 Jun 2009 | 10:36 amThere is nothing more heartbreaking than picking your preschooler up from class and having him crumble in your arms while hard, hot tears stream from his face, his voice begging you to "just go home, mama." The subtle reminder that being four, being a younger sibling, and learning how to play with friends is so, so hard. The start of summer vacation marks the end of the the school year. I've always felt some trepidation at managing the juggle of various schedules and activities that the three months bring. But this year, I am breathing a sigh relief for the break from…
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BabyCenter: MOMformation
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Dear fellow airline passengers…
2 Jul 2009 | 12:55 pmNote: I wrote this after returning home from our first trip to Disney World last week. The note was meant to be a cathartic vent (and not public)…but I thought many of you could relate! -LW For those of you lucky enough to be with us on Southwest flight 487 to Orlando last week (en route to Disney World, huzzah!), or any of you who have scoffed at the parents of unruly kids on other flights, please read this heartfelt note. We did see your menacing looks and eye-rolls, and definitely heard the comments whispered under your breath. And we felt so terrible. As I reflect on those miserable… -
Balancing Acts: Now I know why I’m fat, broke and depressed
2 Jul 2009 | 12:22 pmLast week, I wrote about my sleep woes with my 13-month-old son, Ryan, a nighttime howler, and my 4-year-old daughter, Zoe, who used to be the best sleeper but now wakes with Cryin’ Ryan and, subsequently, thinks it’s fun to party during the middle of the night. I guess in the whole mom-karmic scheme of things, I had it coming. I’m not exaggerating when I say Zoe was the best sleeper. She slept throught the night for the first time at about 4 weeks and, until recently, continued taking long afternoon naps while still falling asleep between 7:45-8:15 p.m. and rising between… -
The toddler without a gender
2 Jul 2009 | 8:23 amAccording to an article in the New York Times, a couple in Sweden is refusing to reveal the gender of their 2-year-old. While the baby’s sex is known to “a handful of close relatives who have changed the child’s diaper,” the parents want to keep everyone else guessing “in the hope of freeing their child from the artificial construct of gender.” The parents change the child’s hairstyle frequently and dress “Pop” (as s/he is known to the press) equally often in dresses and male-style pants. They also might want to consider saving for…
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Rookie Moms
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Useful links for July 1, 2009
1 Jul 2009 | 5:54 amFor likely-to-bonk-their-head-on-a-daily-basis toddlers: Newborn baby hats make good ice pack covers from Parent Hacks For parents of preschoolers who need to kill 15 minutes at the dinner table before the food comes out: Q-tip counting trays from Mama Jenn. For design junkie parents who need to store toys in a stylish way: Rustic Rolling Bins [...] -
Activity #231: Say something other than “No”
30 Jun 2009 | 5:57 amOne of my fondest memories of childhood is kneeling on my dad’s kitchen floor alongside my closest cousin, face down into a bowl of cereal that I was eating directly with my mouth, doggy-style. My cousin, one year older than I (and my roommate for many weeks every summer as we grew up), was a dog [...] -
Make a mini water table
28 Jun 2009 | 5:10 amMisty’s found a way for her baby to enjoy some summertime water fun: Fill baby’s high chair tray with water for warm weather splashing! I love this activity for hot, housebound babies everywhere (especially those of us jailed by an older napping child). Baby Madeline’s high chair has a very deep lip, enough to hold about half [...]
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A Little Space for Me
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To my boys…
2 Jul 2009 | 7:20 am -
Life in general… an update. :)
29 Jun 2009 | 1:47 pmI keep coming here, thinking I should write something. I have started a few posts, they’re even in my drafts – I’m not normally one to have posts on the back-burner, but I seem to at the moment! So, I went back on anti-depressants on Thursday. As I said before, I’ve been feeling like I was sliding back down that slippery slope, and that’s just not something I’m willing to let myself do. Five days in now, my anxiety levels have totally plummeted and I’ve had more energy/felt more motivated to get things done around the house instead of that, “oh,… -
The time I got some bloggy love.
22 Jun 2009 | 2:17 pmSo, a couple of weeks ago I noticed I actually had an incoming link from someone – woot! I did my usual of checking it out, expecting it to be some scraper or other, but no it was a real! live! link! Not just a link – a mention. Not just a mention – an award! The Charming Award has been presented to me by Krissa from Halfasstic. Such a sweet woman who isn’t afraid to talk about whatever happens to be on her mind at the time – and watch out for when she posts photos, they can run you down there are so many! Here’s the deal: This award is given to the writers…
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Missives From Suburbia
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Kasparov Versus Deep Blue
25 Jun 2009 | 5:22 pmHUBBY: Okay, I'll go grab dinner now. ME: You're taking the big kid with you, right? (POINTING TO BABY MONITOR, OVER WHICH BABY'S BEDTIME NOISES ARE BEING TRANSMITTED FOR PARANOID PARENTAL LISTENING PLEASURE)HUBBY: I'd like to, but he's outside right now, enjoying the bounce house. He'd probably have more fun if he stayed. (PUTTING ON PERSUASIVE "YOU TAKE HIM" TONE)ME: Right. But if she cries, I'll need to tend to her. (MIRRORING HUBBY'S TONE)HUBBY: (SIGHS) Okay, I'll take him. I swear it's like a game of chess.ME: Checkmate. -
Coercing Good Wishes
21 Jun 2009 | 8:48 amHubby records the evening news every night*, and he often spends weekend mornings catching up on his programs. This morning, he was hanging out with The Ambassador and the dogs, watching yesterday's (or Tuesday's -- who knows) news, and the following conversation unfolded:THE AMBASSADOR: Want to watch Penguins**? HUBBY: (Hits pause.) Say, "Happy Father's Day".THE AMBASSADOR: No.HUBBY: Then no Penguins. (Presses play.)THE AMBASSADOR: Want to watch Penguins!HUBBY: (Hits pause.) Say, "Happy".THE AMBASSADOR: Happy.HUBBY: Father's.THE AMBASSADOR: No.HUBBY: Fine. (Presses play.)THE AMBASSADOR:… -
No Words Needed
19 Jun 2009 | 11:49 am
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Cheaper Than Theraphy - Musings of A Mom of 3
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A Thousand Words Thursday
2 Jul 2009 | 12:51 pmClear Lake, 2008 The winner of a recent photo contest! Made our vacation!........................Want to join me in A Thousand Words Thursday, read and grab my button from HERE. Then write in your name and the URL(permalink) in Mr. Linky below.Please link only to "A Thousand Words Thursday" posts, and check out all the other participants and leave them some love!MR LINKY IS WORKING...CLICK BELOW AND OPEN A 2nd WINDOW TO LEAVE YOUR LINK! -
Pregnancy Craving
1 Jul 2009 | 12:48 amPregnancy Craving? Or Just A Little Nuts?The Mom Jen has flown the coop and left all of you, her dear readers, in MY very incapable hands.(Obviously I’m totally incapable. I’ve already caused all of you to completely flip out by putting the word “pregnancy” in the title!)Apparently, she thought replacing one Jen with another Jen would go completely unnoticed by all of you.You can pelt her with stones later.Right now, I need your opinion. Because I’m not completely sure this is normal.I am pregnant. (Yes, I know, THAT part is normal, you could give me another thirty seconds to… -
I Know You
29 Jun 2009 | 12:11 amI know you.I might not know what your voice sounds like, and I might not know the most intricate details of your eye color, but I know you.I know your heart and your soul.I know your children and I know your spouses.I know your hopes, your fears, and your dreams.I know the things that you struggle with, and I know the things you do with ease.I know your inner thoughts and I know the hopes you have for the future.I might not know your address or phone number, but I know you.I've come to learn that through this blogging community, I've come to know the real people here.I know their most…
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Table for Five
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Wordless Wednesday- My New Fridge!
1 Jul 2009 | 9:34 amBookmark This Post: -
Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season on DVD
30 Jun 2009 | 7:43 pmYep, it’s two DVD reviews today, not because nothing else is going on but because I have once again been playing catch-up with everything I have going on online, and all of a sudden the very nice lady who sent me Raising the Bar: The Complete First Season is reminding me that it came out THREE WEEKS AGO. So, here’s the thing- I LOVE THIS SHOW. I watched a few episodes during the season, but when I got the box set, I watched 2 or 3 episodes every night until I went through the whole thing. And now I am totally hooked. I have Season Two on a series recording on the DVR and it just… -
Confessions of a Shopaholic Blu-Ray review
30 Jun 2009 | 1:38 pmThe movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” is based on the book by the same name, by author Sophie Kinsella, but the movie changes the book’s plot considerably, while still maintaining the basic idea. Isla Fisher (”Wedding Crashers”) plays Becky Bloomwood, a young, single gal who loves to shop. Walking into a store is like walking into a holy place for Becky, and if the clothes are on sale, even better. Unfortunately, what she doesn’t like doing is opening her credit card bills and paying them. Her roommate Suze (Krysten Ritter of TV’s “Breaking…
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mommy bytes
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Tell Me Thursday - Dova's Hot Leotard
24 Jun 2009 | 8:41 pmThis is the leotard that I bought for Dova during her gymnastics show this month. All year, she kept looking at the leotard rack at the gym and asking to buy one. Doug and I kept saying no because we knew she would be getting a uniform leotard for her show. The uniforms were pricey but quite snazzy looking and not very uniform-looking so I thought I was off the hook. But after the show, I was so enthralled by her performance, that I took her over to the rack myself and helped her pick out this leotard. She loves the pink shiny sparkles and the black velvet. When she was getting dressed for… -
WW - Dova's New Leotard and Gap Tooth
24 Jun 2009 | 5:05 amVisit by Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom for more participants. Come back tomorrow for the story behind this photo for Tell Me Thursday.--- Thanks for reading this feed. Please stop by to comment! -
Tuesday Toot - Dova's Gymnastics Show
22 Jun 2009 | 8:33 pmIt's been a while for Tuesday Toot! Ever since the incident with Adam's soccer penalty shot, I've been gunshy about gushing over the kids. Over the weekend, Dova had her gymnastics show and I was quite surprised at how brilliantly she performed. Doug, the super chauffeur, had been taking her to classes all year while I was at work, so I never got to see how she has developed. When Adam was five, he took the same class and the show was more of a chore than anything. At that point, Dova was two and tried to claim all our attention. It was held in at the school gym as opposed to the gymnnastics…
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From Dates to Diapers and Beyond!
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Ageless
2 Jul 2009 | 12:11 amI am a daughter of the King and will live in eternity with Him! I not only know that I am beautiful in my Father’s eyes, but my husband tells me every day that I am beautiful and desirable. My... Would you like to read the rest of this post? Be sure to visit fromdatestodiapers.com for the full post. -
An Old Navy giveaway you do not want to miss!
1 Jul 2009 | 7:12 pmMy family could be the poster family for Old Navy! From their jammies to their swim wear, all of us literally live in their clothes! I shop both online at OldNavy.com and in their stores, but I can... Would you like to read the rest of this post? Be sure to visit fromdatestodiapers.com for the full post. -
Great Memories Made
1 Jul 2009 | 7:24 amWe spent Father’s Day in San Francisco and had a great time! We stopped on Treasure Island, the kids loved walking around on Pier 39, we enjoyed a fun dinner at Bubba Gump’s, and then... 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 -
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4th of July Fireworks and Weekend Events for Kids in New Jersey
2 Jul 2009 | 1:34 pmThe July 4th fireworks are on the Hudson River this year, making New Jersey the place to be when the celebration begins at 9:20pm! After all, fireworks don't have a front side and it will be far less crowded on the NJ side of the river. We've also included some fun activities and events for kids happening in New Jersey for the rest of the 4th of July Weekend Best places to see the 4th of July fireworks from New Jersey: read more -
4th of July Weekend Events for New York City Kids: Fireworks, Parades, Camping, and More
2 Jul 2009 | 11:38 amIf you're staying in town for the holiday, you're not missing anything. There's tons of free and really cheap events happening this 4th of July to keep your weekend explosive-ly amazing and your wallet (and family!), amazingly happy. Whether you're looking to roof-top party for a great view of the fireworks, watch elephants face humans in a hotdog bun-eating contest, or camp out (for free) under the stars, there's something for the whole family that's beyond the standard BBQ fare. Happy 4th of July! read more -
Win a Catered Dinner for 10 (plus kids) from Susie's Supper Club
1 Jul 2009 | 9:40 pmThis week we've been posting about fun stuff to do with your kids all summer long and giving away great prizes. But let's not forget, it's summer for grown-ups too. If you've been digging through our Summer Activity Guide, running all over the city trying to keep one step ahead of the heat and bored kid syndrome, then we have a treat for you (are you sitting down?). We're giving away 10, count 'em, 10 dinner parties catered by Susie's Supper Club for you and nine of your friends plus the kids! What could be better for a summer evening than chilling out with friends over a meal you didn't cook…
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Undomestic Diva
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Letting go
30 Jun 2009 | 7:43 pmOf the many things I'm not good at, letting go is one the foremost difficult for me. Whether it's something as trivial as getting rid of baby clothes I no longer have a use for or experiencing the passing of a child I was lucky to have barely known, I cannot let go. These things haunt me and follow me and torment me to the point of teetering between sadness, sympathy and grief and obsession, total mind consumption and devastation. As I see my first born suddenly mature and become not a little boy but a little man, it's an unwelcome reminder that slowly, there are pieces of his… -
My bucket list
29 Jun 2009 | 9:48 pmSince I'm all cheerful and rainbows and sunshine lately, I thought I'd continue with this whole chipper death topic by posting my bucket list. It's pretty damn short. Not because I have little motivation to do more than sip cappuccino and write and well, sip more cappuccino... but because I think I there's a lot of stuff I want to do and accomplish that I just don't even know about yet. So here are some of the things I'd like to do before I die... that I know of now: 1. Write a book 2. Become fluent in Russian 3. Police ride along (done) 4. Re-create The Hangover… -
When I die...
28 Jun 2009 | 7:11 pmLet's face it. No one wants to discuss their imminent death. Me included. But with all these undeniably big-named people dying lately, death has been a much talked about topic in the media and amongst social gatherings. Like him or loathe him, the death of Michael Jackson was a bit shocking and I, like many, watched a bit of the news coverage in disbelief. I was not necessarily mourning the loss of what some may think of as an icon and others a pedophile, but more so mesmerized by the affect one person's death could have on so many people. And this got me thinking. And…
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Workout Mommy: fitness and exercise tips for busy moms and dads
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Plank like a mother with Fit 4 Moms!
2 Jul 2009 | 2:08 amIt’s “One Fit Mommy” Week! Get inspired by fit mommies all week long Today’s fit mommy is Sheila, a busy mom with two small children. She is also the owner of Fit 4 Moms, a “unique exercise program dedicated to hard-working moms who are serious about a healthy lifestyle and proper exercise techniques”. Sheila started the program after having her second child and believes that all moms should take the opportunity to get fit and healthy. Children are welcome in the class sessions at Fit 4 Moms, so there really are NO excuses! In her spare time, Sheila enjoys… -
A diabetes diagnosis started her on the path to ‘One Fit Mommy”!
1 Jul 2009 | 12:08 amIt’s “One Fit Mommy” Week! Get inspired by fit mommies all week long Today’s fit mommy is Foodie McBody, who can be found blogging over at FoodFoodBodyBody. Foodie decided to change her life after being diagnosed with diabetes in 1/09 and has made quite the transformation! She has lost 28lbs and has become a runner. Check out the picture below of Foodie and her medal! I’d say she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”, wouldn’t you? Please read on for more and be sure to visit her blog too! Q: Have you always been fit? What inspired you to live a fit… -
Weight Watchers helped her become a fit mommy
30 Jun 2009 | 2:47 amIt’s “One Fit Mommy” Week! Get inspired by fit mommies all week long Today’s fit mommy is Michelle, who blogs over at Weight Watcher is a Runner Now. She is a busy mom with 3 boys, works full time as a teacher, and has successfully lost over 70lbs thanks to the Weight Watchers program. In her road to fitness, she discovered she is a runner and is currently training for her first marathon. Please read on for more about Michelle and I think you will agree she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”! Q: Have you always been fit? A: As a young child I was fit. I was in…
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The Dalai Mama
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40-Months-Old
2 Jul 2009 | 9:08 amDear Noah, You are now 40-months-old. I know that means nothing to you–because you’re 3 and that’s a cool age. I think back to when you came home (not quite 3 years ago) and I am amazed at how you have flourished and grown. You and your sister have made me so happy to be a [...] -
367 Days Home/20-Months-Old
1 Jul 2009 | 6:19 pmMy little Bo-Bo has been home a year now and I can hardly believe it. There is so much I want to say about her, but I am so busy that I don’t have the time right now to do it. I have 5 minutes while my student are on break, but I just wanted [...] -
One Year Ago
23 Jun 2009 | 10:18 amI held you for the first time. It was a magical moment and our life has never been the same. One year ago One year later I can’t remember what our life was like without you Zoë. You have completed this portion of our family. You fit in seamlessly. I love you.
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superdumb supervillain
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Bye-Bye, Pain in the Neck
1 Jul 2009 | 12:16 pmI've had a pain in the neck since Roo was born five years ago. No, I'm not talking about my beloved daughter, although she certainly has her trying moments. I'm talking about the residual loss of... Please visit superdumbsupervillain.com online for the full story… -
Wordless Wednesday- Last Week
1 Jul 2009 | 9:09 amNo, we didn't plan to match their outfits. Yes, that is a bloody knife. But look at what he has to put up with. Share your own pictures this week at Wordless Wednesday HQ! Please visit superdumbsupervillain.com online for the full story… -
Punk Rock a la Saks
27 Jun 2009 | 2:49 pmIf I had pots and pots of money to spend, it is very likely that I would NEED* this Alexander McQueen Knuckle Duster Patent Leather Clutch. Forget diamonds and furs, nothing says "Let's Stick It... Please visit superdumbsupervillain.com online for the full story…
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Motherhood Uncensored
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On call
2 Jul 2009 | 4:35 amTrying to explain my husband's work schedule is pretty complicated. Neighbors see him taking the kids to the pool and heading off to play golf and think we live the cushy life. And yes, being on call all month long... -
I'm not obsessed
1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 amThis past week, my kids ingested frozen custard, boardwalk pizza, and about five hot dogs, or "lips and butts" as my husband likes to call them. And as far as I can tell, they're perfectly fine. Granted, those goodies aren't... -
Trifecta
29 Jun 2009 | 2:00 amThis week was like a tragedy of errors. And I'm not even talking about Margot waking up every two hours or my dog dying while I was gone or the mean bike rental shop asshats. I'm talking about my in-laws....
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Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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As seen in Baby Couture
29 Jun 2009 | 7:32 amThe summer issue of Baby Couture arrived the other day. Tori & Dean along with their adorable tots appear on the cover. An article - and photos - of Scott Baio's family can be found inside, along with many hip and haute fashions for infants and toddlers. Here's just a small sample of the clothing lines found in this Special Anniversary Issue (for kids and adults):Agatha Ruiz de la PradaBambino MioKeltyMicro MeL'ovedbabyCutie and PatootieGo Green LunchboxScout BabyHeidi MerrickKate Quinn OrganicsBaby EggiBonafide CraftworksCreative RecreationSand Cassel Kids by GoorinRight Bank… -
Book Review: Handle with Care
27 Jun 2009 | 9:33 amI bought Handle with Care several months ago, but for some reason, I got distracted (with other books) and didn't pick it up again until I got on the airplane last week. I brought it with me to my sister's house, thinking I might actually have time to read between hanging out with her and my parents and the three boys (my son and 2 nephews).I finally was able to start reading it again in the jacuzzi bathtub that my parents finally invited me to use for the first time. They've lived in their place now for over four years and it took my son having a jacuzzi bath for them to offer me the same… -
You know it's bad when you start dipping into your kid's piggy bank
25 Jun 2009 | 6:25 pmSo, I've been on "funemployed" since the beginning of the year and guess what? The fun is starting to run out. That's right. My last unemployment check arrives next month and I'm starting to bite my nails and desperately search the couch for loose change.Luckily, my ex-husband is digging into his pockets to help us out, starting next month, after all, he's partly responsible for putting us into this financial sinkhole since our divorce nearly bankrupted me. Needless to say, I did make some not-so-smart choices when it came to money so I can't really put the blame on anyone else.My son and I…
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DivineCaroline Parenting
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What have you learned about pre-schools?
3 Jul 2009 | 12:17 pmChime in and be entered to win a one-month scholarship from KinderCare... -
Modeling Success to Your Children
2 Jul 2009 | 11:59 amWhen we have to be both mother and father for our children in their pr... -
Ten Signs You've Been Living with Children Too Long
2 Jul 2009 | 12:15 am1. When you flip on the TV when you're home alone, it takes you ...
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A Smeddling Kiss
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No Such Thing As Global Warming MY ASS!
29 Jun 2009 | 3:34 pmLast year we spent this same week in Ireland on vacation, and we needed our fleece pullovers almost every single day. We had a turf fire going in the house almost every night, so much so that I needed my asthma inhaler to deal with the smoke. It felt strange because at home on Cape Cod we had been having a streak of years where the weather went from a rainy 50 to a muggy 80 within days and stayed that way for the rest of the summer. It was so odd to be somewhere more temperate, somewhere we wore fleece in July. This year we are spending the last week of June in London and it is 85 degrees out… -
I See London, I See France...
28 Jun 2009 | 2:03 am... and now I'm trying to think of something funny to write about underwear. Maybe it will come to me.We are in London. Actually, I am typing this from the sunny back room of my sister's house a bit out from the city. We arrived on Thursday night after a loooooong flight. The plane had a "maintenance issue" that had to be resolved, so that added an hour of "when are we taking off?" to the 6+ hour flight. Fun! (Plus? I scored 100 bonus super sparkly fabulous anxiety points by starting a vacation with that old favorite, "Potential Death by Plane Crash Due to a Maintenance Problem.")The flight… -
My Sweet Little Goth
16 Jun 2009 | 7:10 am"Mom, I want to be goth.""Goth? What do you mean?""You know, like black clothes and scary makeup.""Dude. You're six. You can't be goth.""When can I be goth?""When you are older.""Like a teenager?""Yes. When you are a teenager, you can be goth.".........................An hour later, he comes out of my room with brick red lipstick smeared around his mouth, complete with fake blood drips down his chin, asking if he can use my eyeliner to make fake stitches on his arm. We discuss everything that is wrong with this scenario, from rooting around in my makeup without permission to why he wants to…
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one plus two
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I am here
2 Jul 2009 | 7:07 amOne of the things I thought I knew but did not realize the weight of it was how disconnected I would feel from all of you. I realized nearly a month gone that I have been blogging for three years now and it's more than blogging, it's chronicling, it's sharing, it's give and take. It's Just Posts and new babies and BlogHer and travel and heartache and tears and joy and laughter and love. You see, I consider you real friends of mine. And here I am sweaty with jumbled Internet that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, that crashes for no reason and that takes terribly terrifically long to… -
getting by with a little help from my friends
1 Jul 2009 | 6:25 amI have a new friend, one who has lived here all her life and has a son M's age. She's married to an expat, so in the many lines that are drawn and dotted here she straddles a number of fences, she's risen out of poverty but she hasn't forgotten it, she's familiar and comfortable with some things western and she's also deeply ingrained here. She's honest and she's unassuming and I like her very much. We've agreed to get out of town once a week in pursuit of other scenic vistas, determined to show our kids more of the country and allow them to experience new things. Our first outing was today,… -
first baby firsts
29 Jun 2009 | 6:28 amOur village friends are having a baby in three weeks or so. Since we've been here I've spent time getting to know the young woman and her boyfriend is a good friend of J's. They live with his family in a small concrete house with many other family members and assorted animals. The woman is very shy, she speaks spanish much better than english but her english is also pretty good. Occasionally she has babysat M and she taught me how to make the best tortillas in the world and I've brought her baby clothes and special chocolates from the States. She's never gone to school beyond age 13 but she's…
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One Chic Mama
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Stars & Stripes
2 Jul 2009 | 5:37 amToday is going to be like Friday for many of us, with tomorrow being an unofficial holiday in preparation for July 4th on Saturday. What do you have planned? Something fun, I hope. I'll be heading to the beach later today to spend a long weekend with my family at our getaway in Pawley's Island, SC. We've been going there for years and really do love it. It's close enough to everything to feel civilized, yet far enough from the strip to feel like a getaway. We love to get crab cakes from the Crab Lady Co. (she catches the crabs herself!) and fry them up at home, take in the scenery of… -
Dim Your Headlights
1 Jul 2009 | 9:22 amAlong with warmer weather comes lighter and more revealing clothing, but you don’t have to sacrifice modesty for the sake of cooling off. Keep your headlights under cover with Boob-eez reusable headlight concealers that'll set you back just $12 - $15. Made from a durable silicon material backed by a washable adhesive, Boob-eez allow for multiple uses and easy care without straps, adhesive or elastic. Wear Boob-eez with or without a bra. Their super thin edge makes them virtually undetectable under workout wear, clothing or swimwear. -
Space Treat: Manila Magic
1 Jul 2009 | 4:06 amHave you ever tried to jam an inch or two of paper into a manila folder, only to find that the papers peak up so high they block the title that you just wrote on the tab?If so, this Space Treat is for you!Maybe you've noticed, or maybe you haven't, but the manila folder has ridged horizontal lines (usually about 2-5 of them) across the bottom inch of the folder.Fold at these nifty ridged lines and create a "box bottom" which better accommodates these wider chunks of paper without blocking the view of the tab.Space-taculary,EricaThe Spacialist212.924.4383
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Swistle
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N.P.B.W.W.F. Muffins
2 Jul 2009 | 4:48 amI'm attempting to modify my muffin recipe to increase the nutritiousosity (including the fiber, Jane!), since we eat those things pretty much every day. Amy suggested using peanut butter instead of butter, which not only improves the Fat Quantity/Quality situation, but also increases the protein and fiber. My Peanut Allergy Consultant Kelsey says she thinks this could also be done with SunButter, a peanut butter alternative made from sunflower seeds.I'm also experimenting with replacing some of the white flour with whole wheat flour and flax seed meal. This morning I made a double batch,… -
Bad News: These are the Best Years
30 Jun 2009 | 12:56 pmI know we've been over this and over this and over this, but it comes up fresh for me every time it happens and I feel the need to go over it yet again: I was in the store the other day with the kids, and a woman in line ahead of me told me that these were the best years of parenting and I should enjoy them.When elderly ladies say that to me, I find it easier to let it roll off---though I did once get into a total fret when I was postpartum and TWO old ladies said it to me on one single outing, and I went home almost FRANTIC to Paul, grabbing his shirt and saying, "DO you think these are the… -
Hats, Cups
28 Jun 2009 | 6:20 amYeah. Just hanging out. Chilling on the windowsill. Diaper hat and my brother's Leapster 2. You know. Your typical Sunday.Do you remember the measuring spoons from this shopping post? I love them so. I've been looking and Looking and LOOKING for the matching measuring cups, and finally found them at Home Goods (not a grocery store). So obv I cleared them out.One set for me, one for my sister-in-law, and the rest for future Swistle Care Packages.I don't think I can choose just one set to keep. Which set is your favorite? (Rob points out that if I want to, I can now make five single-color…
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All Adither
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A desirous Green
29 Jun 2009 | 6:12 amThe first part of this story, Greener Grass, can be found in my right sidebar, under I Like To Write. The hallway light clicked off and Dave glanced up from his computer. Megan appeared in the doorway of the den. "I think they're all asleep," she said. "Eli took some extra time. He was worried about a Harvester?" The movie Cars. He had to remember to hide that damn DVD. "Thanks, Megan," he said. "I really appreciate your staying extra hours today. This pump station..." he let his voice trail. A girl Megan's age didn't want to hear about his boring work. Hell, he couldn't even get his own wife… -
DirtGrassSizzle
26 Jun 2009 | 8:45 pmWe flew out to Michigan on Tuesday--Fruit Bat, Kitty Cat and I. We cruised uneventfully over cumulus formations that rose up into the sky like small, cloud cities. It was the easiest trip I've taken with them yet, letting me believe we can be a real traveling family someday, that I won't have to suffer the clench in my gut each time a jaunt approaches.I like being here, in the place where I grew up. Especially in summer when the breezes are warm and the bay sparkles and the grass is aggressively green.Our awayness, too, allows J. to work around the clock rather than knocking off after 12 to… -
MS seeks AGT
22 Jun 2009 | 7:34 amSexy, quiet, genuine, quirky, occasionally funny and sometimes meandering manuscript seeks agent with strong convictions who is not afraid to take risks.Or... supportive publisher that appreciates creative turns of phrase and satisfying story line for long term relationship.Deal breakers are over-interest in appealing to mass market and no sense of adventure.Inquire within.
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Jendi's Journal
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Ten Minute Clean Up
2 Jul 2009 | 7:52 amI’m now part of the Real Moms Group on Johnson & Johnson’s Health Channel on YouTube! Here’s the link directly to my video if you want to watch it - 10 Minute Clean Up For Kids. Hopefully I will be publishing there on a regular basis. Any subjects you’d be interested in seeing a video about? I’ve published a lot of videos this week, haven’t I?! I love vlogging! ©2009 Jendi's Journal. All Rights Reserved.. Related posts:Why Do I Video Blog? Why I Enjoy Making Videos of Myself I like to...Me Popping In I would say that I’m sorry for not… -
What To Do With Leftovers
2 Jul 2009 | 5:37 amAs you know I was a counselor at our church camp a couple weeks ago. As I know I haven’t told you anything about what happened. It was a good week and I’m sure I’ll get to that - sooner or later. Our camp actually serves meals that taste good. Really. I just happen to be one of the people that gets to eat some of the leftovers. I think we went about a week on leftovers this year. There was turkey and a turkey noodle mix that reheated well by itself. There’s lots of things you can do with turkey! A casserole with turkey, cheese, and stuffing on top. [The… -
Purex Review and Giveaway
1 Jul 2009 | 8:37 amI have one box of Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets to give away. If nobody enters that is just fine with me. I’ll use it! Do you know what it is? Here’s my video review. To enter my giveaway leave a comment on this post by July 8, 2009. Subscribers can have 2 entries because I love subscribers! Just leave another comment saying that you subscribe. That way it’s easy to use Random.org to pick the winner. This giveaway is for residents of the US only. If you visit the Purex website before 7/31/09 you can enter to win a year’s supply or $1,000 by filling…
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Manic Mommies® Media, Inc.
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What price for cheese?
1 Jul 2009 | 5:43 pmI do not do the grocery shopping for one reason – I do not know how much things should cost. Seriously, I would totally suck at that segement on the Price is Right when they ask for the retail value of a can of soup or a bottle of milk. This price-memory deficiency is the reason that my husband has taken over the grocery shopping responsibilities. He remembers how much things cost and he is always on the look out for a bargain. (Which means he would also suck at the Price is Right segment because he only knows how much he’s willing to pay, not how much the store wants). We have three… -
Recipe of the Week: Cheesy Black Bean Burgers
1 Jul 2009 | 6:32 amCheesy Black Bean Burgers Makes 8 Servings When you’re strapped for time and it’s too hot to cook, burgers on the backyard grill are the perfect dinnertime solution. This is one of Janice’s go-to dinners in the summer. To give it a healthy makeover, she uses lean ground beef and tosses in a can of smooshed black beans – they add fiber and moisture and they extend the meat making this a budget-friendly meal too. One 15 ½-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher) 1 large egg, beaten 1 cup preshredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese 1/3 cup… -
Killing Me Softly
1 Jul 2009 | 4:56 amI woke up today to the same skies I’ve woken up to for over a month now. Gray and drizzly. As I type this, rumbles of thunder are interrupted by the sounds of hand-held video games and Mickey Mouse Club House on the TV. Monday was the start of Camp Mommy. It was Brendan’s 5th birthday, too. So while the weather offered more of the same: clouds, showers and isolated thunderstorms, we still went to the amusement park. Fortunately, I recruited a friend who likes to go to amusement parks in the rain. “Fewer people and no lines,” she said, when she called my house at 7:30…
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Greenie Weenie
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My little bedheaded girl
28 Jun 2009 | 1:19 pm0625091611.jpg, originally uploaded by JoannaBG. 0625091611b.jpg, originally uploaded by JoannaBG. Sleepy head wakes up from a nap. This is my attempt at testing to see if I can upload photos from my phone onto the blog through flickr. Hmmm…not going too well so far. -
Let the nanny stealing begin!
28 Jun 2009 | 11:22 amWe’ve sold our house (well, we have a buyer under contract), we have a target moving date and we’ve decided which city we’re moving to. Plus, I survived end-of-the-semester finals and getting the house ready to go on the market. That pretty much sums up the last 6 weeks of my life. Now that the world knows we’re uprooting ourselves and trekking across the country, there’s a grab-her-while-you-can contest over our wonderful child care provider. Now, I knew we got lucky finding a good person to look after the kiddos while we worked. I’m not sure how well I… -
The real experience of being a mother
10 May 2009 | 11:22 amThere’s a thought that’s been going through my head lately. Since it has to do with kids, Mother’s Day is as good a time as any to spit it out. Basically, the thought is this: If all the people who had told me how hard it would be having kids could have somehow caused me to experience it and truly feel it for myself before I had them, there’s a really good chance I wouldn’t have had them. I heard all the warnings. I heard how my life would forever be changed, that I could never go back to life pre-child. That my freedom was gone — physical freedom to do…
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Crazy Bloggin' Canuck: A Denver Mommy Blog
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Happy Canada Day!
1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 amIn honor of Canada Day today, allow me to divulge a disturbing glimpse into the life of my Canuckian parents who met each other curling.And no, I'm not making that up. It is the Canadian version of meeting at a bar.===========Mom: I guess we need to go and buy another I.D. dog tag for Mia. I can't seem to find the tag we bought yesterday, and I'm not going to get a good night of sleep until she has her tag. So they roar off to Petland. On their way to Petland, Mom conducts yet another search of the car, and lo and behold, the missing I.D. tag is found safely tucked into the glove box. Since… -
When This Mommy Blogger Does Family Travel
29 Jun 2009 | 1:06 pmYeesh, I just went around to visit my favorite blogs and it appears y'all are posting and commenting even less than I. It's all fun and games until someone gets a life. Just don't forget to post about all your fun travels and activities afterward!I thought June was busy with travels to Chautauqua, Colorado Springs, Georgetown and Steamboat Springs. I lied. July is even busier and I am cursing whoever planned all these back-to-back trips.Oh wait, that was me.Which explains why my life does appear to be cursed with all the bad things that always happen en route.We have completed three trips so… -
Twilight Tourin' and Other Olympic Peninsula Highlights
22 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pmIt's only taken me a week and a half but I'm finally updating you on my Twilight/Olympic Peninsula trip. I wrote about it for Travel Savvy Mom so be sure to check out my great pictures and fascinating commentary (BWHA!) of one of the most hauntingly beautiful places on earth. Even though it was the perfect trip I wished my kids were with me the entire time.Shocking, I know.First, the journalists:Diane Bair (L)--The woman has written for more magazines and guidebooks than my children have had tantrums (meaning: A LOT). Whimsical voice, beautiful and almost inspired me to wear lipstick the…
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There's No Place Like Mommy!
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Fun in the Sun.
23 Jun 2009 | 12:39 pmor…Sun your buns. I used to have a couple of t-shirts that read that. *giggle* Ahhhh, the 80s. Yesterday we bought Aidan a nice size pool at Target for only $15. It is going to be about 4 feet by 8 feet long and perfectly deep for a kid his age. He can stand in it and be above the water, yet be able to splash around and swim when he learns. Mike took him and Alex to the lake house for Father’s Day and Aidan did not want to leave!! He especially did not want to get out of the pool. I had seen the ad in Target’s paper this week and decided I couldn’t pass that up. He… -
Buwd is a word.
10 Jun 2009 | 1:53 pmSince my last post, Aidan has been saying sooo many words. Or, I’ve been recognizing them at least. There are some phrases he often says over and over that I can’t understand and I don’t know what he’s talking about even though he points. At least he doesn’t get frustrated about it because that is not a good thing according to baby.com. He is also stopping when he pees and grabs at his crotch. He also hsa been going and hiding in certain areas when he’s taking a dump. Now if I could just get him to go on his potty. -
He was hungry and wanted his dinner!
20 May 2009 | 7:08 pmAs I was finishing up spaghetti tonight, it happened. Aidan said spaghetti!! I am so tickled because of two reasons: It is my favorite meal and, I realized what he was saying! Sometimes it takes some thinking over for me to get what he is saying, but not tonight. He said it clear as day: “puh geh-geh” I love it!!!!!
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Denver Mile High Mamas
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Mamas’ Event Round-up for July Fourth and Beyond
2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 amWe’ve got you covered for the 4th of July, but there’s a whole week after that wherein you may need to find ways to entertain yourself, your family, and perhaps your visiting relatives and/or friends. ... -
Wave your flags, it’s the fourth of July
1 Jul 2009 | 12:00 amThe 4th of July reminds us adults that we’re in free country! Kids, not so much . . . Look at the flag - get small ones if you can. Colors? Stars? ... -
Start Poken! A Social Media Gadget and Giveaway!
30 Jun 2009 | 5:20 amRecently I participated in a MomActive Twitter Party sponsored by Start Poken, where I noticed they were giving away Pokens. Now you may wonder, as I did, what in the world is a Poken. Well ...
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Three Boys and Me
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That Would be a Great Trick
29 Jun 2009 | 12:16 pmOur dog, Indy, has learned to come and alert us to the fact that he is going to be sick (vomit) so we can let him outside quickly.Our last dog, Shasta, didn't need to learn this trick because she had an early warning sign that sounded like a camel coughing up an elephant and lasted for about 15 seconds before her present actually arrived.But Indy is a silent gift giver, so his attempts to alert us to the onslaught are much appreciated. And I think he really, really does not want to be sick in the house. I think he feels guilty and sad when he does that, like he is creating more work for us… -
My Vacation Lessons
26 Jun 2009 | 5:09 amVacation advice for those getting ready for summer trips to beach areas:Stay hydrated and eat lots of fruit. This helps in the 90 degree heat and non-stop playing in the ocean and on the beach. I recommend Baileys Banana Coladas - fruit, liquid, and ice!Bailey's Banana Colada RecipeBanana LiqueurDark RumBailey's Irish Cream1 oz BananaPina Colada MixPut the banana and banana liqueur into a blender until it becomes a thick paste. Add Bailey's to taste; pina colada mix and rum to taste as well. Blend well, add ice, and blend again until smooth.If you go on vacation with lots of kids, make sure a… -
To Dive In or Not to Dive In
18 Jun 2009 | 4:00 amThe great thing about night swimming in Florida is that the pool water is so warm and it washes all the beach sand and ocean salt water off so you don't even have to take a bath when you come in.The bad thing about night swimming in Florida is it's so dark that you can't tell if your kids are doing underwater tricks or going into convulsions.
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Fourinarow.net
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Bud
1 Jul 2009 | 4:54 pmDinnertime Sam: I’m thirsty! Me: Drink your milk. It’s right here. Sam: No. I don’t want my milk. I want a Budweiser! Me (and Dan): Laughter Sam: Go get me a Budweiser!!! -
The Princess
1 Jul 2009 | 11:05 amShe turned 6 on Tuesday, but we celebrated Monday so my parents could be here. She was princess for a day (but, really, she is everyday). We made ice cream cone cupcakes that the kids decorated, but also had a small cake, as there was so much batter left over. Jack took on the task of decorating that one — and did a great job! Cupcakes Decorated by Jack As is fitting of a princess, Maria’s room is now properly outfitted – with new curtains, a bedside table, a fancy lamp and a beautiful Michelle Allen clock. Look for pictures soon! -
Birthday Fun
28 Jun 2009 | 11:22 amIt’s hard to believe, but tomorrow Sam will turn 3. Since my parents are here but leave on Tuesday (Maria’s birthday), we’ve moved things up a bit so we can celebrate properly. Sam (as you know from the capes) is having a superhero party. Coincidentally, one of the museums here is opening their comic book exhibit today. Perfect timing for us! We’re going to be meeting Spiderman there this afternoon and then we’ll follow up with a Superman cake and The Opening of the Presents. The museum encourages visitors today to wear their favorite superhero costumes. …
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Mommy Pie
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You can dress us up …
18 Jun 2009 | 1:34 amLast week, I’m in the coffee shop, working away in my little corner, when Bobo stops by to hang out. He sits on the stool opposite me. A few minutes into our conversation, the gentleman at the table directly behind Bobo packs up his laptop, comes over, says, “I have to unplug,” and in reaching for the outlet, quickly disappears under our table. At which point Bobo drops a huge fart. Silent, but huge all the same. The guy nearly cracks his skull on the table, beats a hasty exit, and Bobo begins laughing uncontrollably. I begin laughing uncontrollably. Soon we are coughing in… -
On the bright side, there’s no litter box.
12 Jun 2009 | 1:52 amRight now The Boy and I are trying to figure things out. Who goes where. And when. Big changes. For all of you who want to know details! details! details! here’s the plan to date. Uh … I dunno. The good news is we’re both on the same page. So, MP and I are heading to Connecticut next week to stay for a month. There, I’m confident we’ll magically find the answer to all our questions, and come July there WILL be a plan. Rosie will be staying behind with Grammy and Poppy, because a round-trip DOG ticket costs as much now as a round-trip HUMAN ticket. As for the… -
Because clearly, I’m a giant perv and have far too much available space in my head.
8 Jun 2009 | 1:08 amA few nights ago, after excruciating efforts to find the absolute BEST deal out there, the Boy and I bought two plane tickets (Over $1,000 for two people?? Okay … what? Mmm hmm … bend over?). MP and I will be heading to Connecticut in a few weeks and staying for about a month. The goal, of course, being slow acclimation, and to see how MP reacts to it all. I’m gonna be honest. I LOATHE humidity. And the ginormous bugs that go along with it. And helluuu Lyme Disease. But I do love the beach. So, I’m optimistic that between the three, it’ll be a wash. I HAVE to see…
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Czarnowskowitz
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here i am. in all my lameness.
6 Jun 2009 | 10:09 pmI've basically neglected this blog. Completely. No time to even go to the bathroom by myself anymore, so forget the personal blog right? I'm on this super crazy, bucket list trip with the fam, for three whole weeks. Here's the link to some photos if you wanna see what I'm doing instead of blogging. http://www.flickr.com/photos/38655425@N07/That's all folks! -
How is it that I have spent 32 years on this God's great earth and I have never heard of the Greater Egyptian Jerboa?
24 May 2009 | 9:15 pmEnjoy the musak! -
happy 11th anniversary Viktor, I couldn't have done it without you. literally.
21 May 2009 | 7:40 pmHappy Anniversary honey! Here's to another 11 years, more or less.Top 11 perks about being married to Victor:I never have to wonder what he's thinking. Ever. I know the second he thinks it, because it comes straight out of his mouth immediately thereafter. He has no filter, and it can be very entertaining.He takes care of me. Puts me to bed when I'm tired, feeds me when I'm hungry, leaves me alone when I need quiet. He understands my needs better than I do sometimes.He looks like a lion, but really he's a lamb. Very tender. Cries more than I do when we watch *those* kind of movies. No, not…
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motherbumper
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finally I can say something!
27 Jun 2009 | 11:53 amHoly crow, finally I can say something about this because OH MY WORD, what started as a pipe dream (ed. note: not actually achieved by pipe) is now a reality: This lady and I are driving across Canada (well, skipping parts but not because we didn't want to go there, we wanted to go EVERYWHERE but because that pesky thing called reality got in the way and dictated that we must break it up.) And -
free just makes it even better
25 Jun 2009 | 5:07 amPssssssst my American friends... wanna know how to get something lovely (hint: Estée Lauder) for free? Check out my review blog today for details. -
contagious illusions of grandeur
24 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amWhen I worked at the Infectious Disease clinic (which was less infectious than it sounds), the head honcho doctor dude told me the two most filthy places we come in contact with on a regular basis are pop cans and envelopes. He told me this while leaning up against the front of my desk watching me lick a stack of 100 envelopes while drinking an icy cold pop in front of large oscillating fan. Dude
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The McMommy Chronicles
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Friends Don't Let Friends Believe In Fairy Tale Labor & Deliveries
1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 pmFrom: "Beth" (who is pregnant with first baby)To: "Jane" (who is pregnant with second baby)cc: McMommyThank you, we are so relieved that everything is going well and we’ve made it half way! So how are you feeling, Jane? I can’t wait to come see you at the hospital next month and see a pro in action…so glad you're having your baby before me so I can watch and learn from one of the best! *************From: JaneTo: Bethcc: McMommyI don’t want to let you down but I am not a good example for you to try to emulate. I literally felt like I had been hit and then run over by an 18 wheeler… -
Sarah Jessica Parker and McMommy: A Comparison
30 Jun 2009 | 4:00 pmSo Sarah Jessica Parker just released the first family photo since her twin girls were born.Wow.Look how perfect that is.Everyone is all enchanted with the babies.Sarah Jessica looks so tan and vibrant. As does her hair.The babies look so angelic in their little pink blankets, all peaceful and content.No one is crying...not even big brother James Wilke.Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick looks a little older with the salt and pepper hair, but still....everyone looks picture perfect.And then there's my first family picture, taken the evening I got home from the hospital:1.) First of all, my… -
Things I'm Loving Lately...
29 Jun 2009 | 6:29 pmMy new cushions for the chairs on my porch. Purchased at HomeGoods, my most favorite home store in the world. (yep, Pottery Barn. I mean it.)My new copper planter. Also purchased at HomeGoods. I don't think it was really meant to be a planter...maybe some sort of decorative, tall, vase-type thing. No matter....I just had McDaddy drill a hole in the bottom of it for drainage and voila....my new favorite planter was born.My new flowers....which I've been told will be impossible to kill as they need barely any water at all. Wish me luck.My newly re-decorated buffet area....the distressed Pottery…
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Musings of a Housewife
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Planting an Herb Garden
2 Jul 2009 | 6:07 amWhile I’m busy sunning myself on the beach, I’m grabbing this post from my draft folder. I’ve been meaning to do this for weeks, and I finally got my act together last week and put my herb garden together. I mentioned that I’ve been using a lot more fresh ingredients lately in my attempts to eat healthier and with fewer carbs. Slowly I’ve been collecting potted herbs as I’ve seen them at the grocery store and plopping them in a cereal bowl in my kitchen window sill. Let’s just say that my window sill was getting P-R-E-T-T-Y crowded. That, and… -
There’s No Place Like Home
1 Jul 2009 | 5:55 amEspecially when you forget to bring sheets to your vacation rental home. Thanks, Cathy, for decorating my blog. That was a fun surprise when I woke up this morning! We arrived at the shore yesterday afternoon, had a lovely hour on the beach before the clouds rolled in, and then came back to house for dinner. When we went to prepare our beds for the night, we realized that we (and by we, I mean my husband, of course; it’s always easier to blame someone else for your misfortune) forgot to bring most of our sheets. Fortunately we had sleeping bags for the kids. We made do until 5AM… -
What I Learned This Week Vol. 21
30 Jun 2009 | 4:10 amBesides learning that my DVR is allergic to So You Think You Can Dance results shows (for the second week in a row, it failed to record. ARGH!) and discovering The Next Food Network Star (I’m totally hooked on this show!!), I also learned for the umpteenth time that this blogging thing never ceases to blow my mind. Yesterday I got a little package in the mail from IRELAND. I haven’t even been to Ireland. In fact, I haven’t been outside of the continental United States except for a cruise to the Bahamas when I was 18. But because of this medium called blogging, I have…
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Mid-CenturyModernMoms
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authentic learning & summer fun
2 Jul 2009 | 3:00 amIt's all part of being the sandwich generation: we helped my in-laws move from their home of 40-some years to a condo. Packrats that they are (bless their hearts), they couldn't manage to downsize quite as much as they needed. Result? A condo basement full of Random Indescribable Stuff. Good son and daughter-in-law that we are (patting selves on back), we offered to host a rummage sale to sell off as much of their crap,... -
Trudging through words, finding beauty.
1 Jul 2009 | 5:20 amWay back when Em was 11, she was given a book called 'Rain May and Captain Daniel' by Catherine Bateson, to read at school, which I also read and enjoyed. 5 years later I only remember snippets of the story. It was very real book which told the story of a 12 year old girl coping with her parents' divorce. Living with her mother, one of the ways she shared her deepest thoughts, was through... -
Slave Labor
30 Jun 2009 | 5:52 pmAbe is going to be a slave this summer. Slaves cannot leave an employer or a territory without explicit permission. This is a true statement that applies to this summer. Forced labor is defined as "all work or service which is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily". But this one ISN'T totally true because there was no menace of penalty,...
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Kristen McLane
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San Francisco
1 Jul 2009 | 7:47 amBefore the clock strikes midnight I figure I owe you (okay, mostly my mom) an update from my San Francisco trip. Is it really almost July and was that trip really over a month ago? Hard to believe! To refresh your memory (and mine) Adam and I whisked away to San Francisco in late May thanks to a too-good-to-pass-up fare sale with Southwest Airlines. While we left on a Friday morning and returned Saturday evening, it was a highly anticipated and equally rewarding time away as a couple. It also was our first time away without the kids since moving to California. Adam’s co-worker kindly agreed… -
May Gray & June Gloom
20 Jun 2009 | 12:44 pmYou may be under the impression that San Diego has perfect weather year-round. Chances are then you have not heard of May gray & June gloom. It’s a dirty little secret if you ask me. During these two months the weather might be a perfect 68, minus sunshine. June gloom has mentally thrown me for a loop. In my mind June, the month of my birthday and wedding anniversary, is supposed to be warm (one might say muggy), with the occasional thunderstorm, and bursting with sunshine. Not so much here in SoCal. The redeeming factor for me is that there is always something in bloom on… -
What is wrong with this picture?
16 Jun 2009 | 10:27 pmI was in the kitchen making dinner when Paul walked in and sat down on the stool opposite from where I stood. I noticed right away that something was “off”. Seeing that his hair was combed downward I said, “You brushed your hair.” It was less a statement and more a question. Paul flashed a mischievous look. That’s when it hit me. As if I he thought I wasn’t going to notice the large chunk of hair gone from his forehead. Thankfully the damage was easy to repair.
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Cheaty Monkey
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Cheaty Learns a Lesson; and NAME THAT ANIMAL!
29 Jun 2009 | 10:34 pmTomorrow (July 1st) is a holiday here in Canada. It’s Canada Day. I’m thinking I should probably TAKE the holiday. I should shut down the computer and take a DAY OFF. But what a foreign concept! What is this thing you call “Day Off”? Even if I DO take a day off work, there’s no getting a day off from the other obligations that have left me exhausted and depleted lately. My heart literally leaps out of my throat when I realize that there IS no taking breaks — as a mom, let alone a work-at-home mom. Regardless, I’m determined to take the break from work… -
Mother of All….F*cking Fours
28 Jun 2009 | 9:38 pmI look like hell. My hair is limp. My skin is pale. My eyes never have bags and HAVE BAGS, are LUSTRELESS. My skin is dry. My tailbone hurts. My eyelids struggle to stay ajar. My head spins. I see auras. Just yesterday, I took the kids to the giant bookstore. Three separate people, at different times, said I was “brave” — which, as Kerry of Crunchy Carpets fame reminded me, is “better than stupid” (bless her preggers soul). But it’s not really “better than stupid” when you recall how your (also VERY preggers) sister (due yesterday!) agreed with… -
“They’re Real…, and They’re Fabulous”: The Story of Cheaty’s Bewbs
24 Jun 2009 | 7:04 pmAs you can see over there in my sidebar, I’ve entered a big bloggy BEWB contest: BEWB FEST ‘09. Go on, check all the gorj bewbs — ’specially MINE (#44), keeping in mind that that is one heck of a MAGICAL camera angle and a DAMN good bra. Heh. Or not…. Yeah, go on and vote for me, please, and then come back and let me explain. MWAH! Thank you…. Okay, so. Why would I — CHEATY!? — enter a contest like this. I, who enjoys feminist philosophy WHENEVER I GETS THE CHANCE (most recently at my latest Canada Moms Blog post on the WAHM/WOHM debate.
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Vintage Thirty
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Because Everyone Loves Hearing About Other People's Dreams
11 Jun 2009 | 5:13 pmSo the other night I have this dream. Scratch that. I have this nightmare. One in which I am pregnant and about a month shy of delivery. To a son. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to agree on a name for our last son? Honest to God, in an entire book dedicated to baby names we could agree on ONE. There weren't even any remote possibilities. Thank Haysus our last pregnancy was a girl because had it not been, that child would go around nameless for the rest of his life. Then, of course, we had to come up with a middle name and that didn't happen until 24 hours AFTER I'd given birth and… -
Badassery
1 Jun 2009 | 12:08 am*what you can't see is that Boy-Child#2 is directly on the other side of the child in this picture. And the object of the tiger's voracious appetite affection.Do you ever have one of those moments where you're like, ohmygod this is like the coolest thing I've ever seen! And, hey! Look at the size of that animals paws, they're like, bigger than my son's head! Conflicted with......wait...Perhaps I ought to get my children the hell out of here! And - just how strong IS that safety glass? And - who could I save first? And - how fast can a tiger eat my head? And - sandals aren't the best running… -
The Rest of Her Ear Lay Somwhere in the Dog's Lower Intestine
22 May 2009 | 9:46 amThe puppy is a chewer. Let the record show that Vintage Thirty states the obvious.Fortunately, so long as we're diligent in keeping an eye on her, we can thwart any potential chewing casualties and, also fortunately, she is easily distracted by her own plush, squeaky toys. And my kitchen rug - which is now hers. Whatever, I don't care - she can have it. The few incidences where we let our guard down, weren't on our toes, had our backs turned; the AC adapter cord for the Nintendo DS was severed, one Nerf gun bullet became smithereens, one adult male dress sock lost a heel, and one flip-flop…
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Everyday Lunasea
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Mozy Update
26 Jun 2009 | 10:40 amWell....when I signed up, Mozy analyzed my computer (laptop), and my two external hard drives and told me it would take 4 days to upload all that crap. It was about 300 GB of stuff. I decided I didn't really need to backup all the digital scrapbooking products I had, so I customized the backup to include just my photos, my videos, my text documents, my quicken data and my photoshop projects. That was pretty easy, but it still added up to almost 200 GB of data.I started the backup on Tuesday afternoon. It's been running continuously since then and I've tried to avoid using the laptop for other… -
Mozy On Along
21 Jun 2009 | 1:27 pmI've been checking out the options for online backup. You know the question, "If there were a fire at your house, what's the first thing you'd grab?" Assuming the kids were out, I'd have to grab my external hard drives. I have an older 150 GB drive that's full, and a newer 250 GB drive that's half full of all of my digital pictures and photoshop projects. Losing all of that.....would be a huge, coma-inducing bummer.Right now I'm trying to win a free year at Mozy. The reviews I've read have been pretty positive, and if I win I'll let you know how it goes. I read on Ali Edward's blog that it… -
A Mother's Prayer: Please, God, Don't Let Me Screw This Up
18 Jun 2009 | 8:31 pmI've been feeling pretty burnt out lately. Everywhere I turn, at work, at home, someone needs me. My job is, by definition, being needed for 50 minutes at a time. Then 10 minutes to heat up some more tea and go to the bathroom (a natural result of all that tea)...then another 50 minutes of being needed.And you all know what it's like with a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. A. has always been able to entertain himself, but to Ben, nothing's worth doing if he's doing it alone. He reminds of those gulls on Finding Nemo, where they're all yelling "Mine! Mine! Mine!" except he makes it sound like…
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Blonde Mom Blog
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If The Hat Fits
1 Jul 2009 | 5:33 amWearing Papa’s hat on Father’s Day on the porch at the Loveless Cafe. (Yes I am still going through Father’s Day photos! I think I’m about a year and a half behind putting pictures in albums. Sigh…) -
Inspired To Buy Some Orange Glow, Feather My Hair, And Moonwalk
29 Jun 2009 | 8:20 amOn the way to Costco yesterday for the first time (hello amazing food samples, neatly folded stacks of Lilly Pulitzer little girl sundresses, and tubs of feta cheese, where have you been all my life?) I was checking out Twitter on my iPhone when I read that infomercial pitch man Billy Mays dying unexpectedly at his Tampa home. I Googled the news and read the story on TMZ, which proved to be a legitimate news source, something I never thought I’d say in all seriousness. It’s hard not to shake one’s head in disbelief and feel some sadness over all the… -
THIS Close To Meeting The Wiggles
27 Jun 2009 | 5:47 amI’m very excited to have been selected as one of 15 bloggers named to Sprout TV’s Band of Bloggers. I’ve volunteered for boards in the past but I guarantee this is the only one for which I’ve received cool Born to Blog temporary tattoos. Oh yeah. Check out this fabulous logo the Sprout design team came up with: The big news from Sprout TV is snagging The Wiggles. That’s right. After years of being on the Disney Channel, the Australian foursome are moving to Sprout in late August, so if you have Wiggles fan at your house, stay tuned. This is big news in…
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dkmommyspot.com
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Follow Me Through Herb School Update - What’s the Home Study Program Like, Anyway?
2 Jul 2009 | 8:58 amClick Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes Add your giveaways Physiology has me Dancing in a Field of Clover So glad you asked! Like I mentioned in my first Herb School Update, I’ve looked at several distance learning programs for herbalism. The Southwest School of Botanical Medicine is almost entirely on DVD which appealed greatly to me. I wanted the classroom experience, I wanted to have someone hold up herbs and say, “Here’s the taproot on this one. And that’s what it looks like in full bloom. This is how we process it.” I also wanted something… -
Vivesana Solar to Polar Organic Sunscreen Giveaway
1 Jul 2009 | 6:38 amClick Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes Add your giveaways Vivesana Solar to Polar Baby - Natural Skin Protection that Works! A good natural sunscreen is important for the youngest to the oldest member of your family. But it’s hard to find healthy, chemical-free sunscreens that don’t turn your skin a freakish white tint, don’t smell funny, don’t act oily, and aren’t hard to apply. Believe me, I’ve tried numerous brands and spent plenty of hard earned dough on tubes of natural sunscreen that I didn’t like. Precious few do it for me, so I… -
St. John’s Wort - A Wildcrafter’s Journey
30 Jun 2009 | 8:36 amClick Here for Giveaways & Coupon Codes Add your giveaways St. John's Wort is Blooming! Don't You Feel Better Already? Perhaps “journey” is an exaggeration for my little excursion. Sunday afternoon my husband, son and I traveled a whopping two miles away so I could search for and harvest some St. John’s Wort blossoms from a nearby area. About 5 years ago, a large amount of forest near our home was mowed down in anticipation for home developments etc. Alas, the once heavily wooded acreage still sits undeveloped. Where trees once stood are now acres of…
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Not Calm (dot com)
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Ugly doll is testing phone to twitter/flickr app.
1 Jul 2009 | 12:51 pmUgly doll is testing phone to twitter/flickr app., originally uploaded by Not Calm (dot com). -
This is beautiful, hold my hand
1 Jul 2009 | 1:58 amI'm standing waist-deep in the water in Monterey Bay, hopping around on one foot and trying to get a fin on the other. I've got a mask on, am remembering to breathe so I won't panic, and remembering that remembering to breathe means remembering to breathe through my mouth, not my nose. Sometimes I try to inhale through my nose, but there's no air, and the impulse to pull off the mask and gulp in air as fast as I can is almost too much to resist. Just like I put up with airplane rides (terrifying) to get to where I want to be, I will squash this… -
Define "hands-free"
26 Jun 2009 | 11:34 amSo the other morning I was getting ready to drive to the office and I was talking to Jenny about work stuff, and we weren't done talking and I needed to go BUT I didn't have my phone headphones because I left them on my desk at work, so I put my phone on speaker and sort of shouted at it and then held it near my ear so I could hear. I brought the phone close to my mouth, and yelled, I don't think this counts as hands-free; it's way more distracting than just holding the phone to my ear. I'd better call you when I get to the office.Just do what I do, Jenny said. Stick it in…
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Girl's Gone Child
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The Long Lost Labor Footage
1 Jul 2009 | 12:33 amNine months ago, today, I was breathing hard into my hands as Hal ran around my hospital room with the camera, making faces, talking about his teeth, laughing at the fact that I was writhing in agony. The usual "husband as labor coach" type stuff. Editing this video I couldn't help but think of Britney and Kevin's Chaotic (remember that trainwreck?) and how WTF I was watching it, how refined I felt my relationship with Hal was in comparison. HA! PSYCHE!I also couldn't help but think, "Yes. Thank you. Yes." Today also happens to be Hal's 35th birthday, which means he is now of "advanced… -
Sunday Snaps
28 Jun 2009 | 11:09 pm1. There's no place like homewhen you carry it all around with you:One child on each hip.2. What a wonderful world it would beif we all rode around in skyboxeswith grins the size of the Pacific. 3. I rested my head on his back,His hair smelled like sunscreen.We closed our eyes.4. They looked like the cover of an Adventure Guidefor Boys who Like to Roll Down Hills.Doesn't matter they're fifty-one years apart.5. We dried our swimsuits side by side by side.Three generations of womenwho love the water.GGCFor more on our ten-days of summer vacay, go here. I'm posting, in real time, our to-dos. -
Changing Rooms
25 Jun 2009 | 12:04 am"Beautiful things come in small packages," they say and so do I, writing this post from the tiny box that recently became our bedroom. A room we needed our architectural thinking caps to make work.I'm always hunting for treasure. Coveting the home down the block with three-bedrooms and its office space in the back (with a skylight! How modern!) Daydreaming over bigger and better cars and homes, new clothing, shoes, furniture et al.Because shiny new things sparkle and glow. No scratches from being repeatedly dropped on their faces. No stains. We live in a world blessed with riches and a…
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Notes from the Trenches
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Don’t Be Jealous of My Exciting Life
1 Jul 2009 | 9:47 pmIs it really only Wednesday? It feels like it should be Friday already. Friday of next week to be exact. Early Monday morning on my way to bring my oldest son to football conditioning camp, my van broke down. And by broke down I mean that it suddenly lost power while [...] -
OMG, the Jonas Brothers
1 Jul 2009 | 5:09 amThis months Good Housekeeping magazine. No, I didn’t buy it because I wanted to read about the Jonas brothers. Though I do wonder now what is the one parenting rule their mother will never break. And more importantly, have I broken it? I am not sure I have any hardfast parenting [...] -
Reason #231
29 Jun 2009 | 5:22 amWhy I love my neighborhood. My kids and their friends do things like this. They are living the stereotypical childhood I really thought only existed in tv. It certainly does not resemble the childhood I had. At all. They built the stand themselves. They took turns sitting outside in the 104 degree heat. [...]
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Sarah and the Goon Squad
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Time for Me to Abdicate the Drama Queen Crown
1 Jul 2009 | 6:46 amMy daughter is asserting that if I make her clean her room she is going to die. I maintain that nobody has ever died from cleaning their bedroom. Can you guys back me up on this? It appears my time has come to abdicate the Drama Queen crown. -
Randomness Part 129
30 Jun 2009 | 7:51 amWhen I was in high school there was this one guy that went to school with us that said he was a vampire, but I always saw him in the day time and I lived in Tampa. Sunny Florida is no Forks and this guy neither melted nor sparkled. Im also pretty sure he ate food. I think he was lying about the vampire thing. If you want to see some crazy mixed with bad grammar you should c