The Nintendo Glow (Holiday Gift Ideas, Round 2)

It’s no secret than in just over a year my family has gone from non-gamers to total gamers. Nintendo gamers that is. I wouldn’t have believed it if you’d have told me that last September before we hosted our Wii party. No way. I did not expect to be won over--but I have been, by not only the folks behind Nintendo but by the products! The Wii has been a welcome addition to our family since we got it last Christmas. We still have regular family bowling or golf tourneys in our living room. No kidding. Unfortunately, the Wii is hard to come by again this year so I won’t be talking it up anymore. At least for now. I did however want to preface this post with a little bit of our Nintendo story.

One Nintendo product that is readily available this season (YAY!) is the DS Lite. Love, love, love it. I had never even heard of a DS before we were gifted a few last year (one for each of our girls) and now, I cannot imagine life with out these little wonders. I know, it’s so dramatic, like when people were like “you don’t have a cell phone? How could you live without a cell phone?” Yes, I was a cell phone hold out and was probably the last person in the free world to get one. Well, although the DS might not be as crucial to everyday life as a cell phone, when it comes to having the perfect babysitter at your disposal anytime of the day or night, it’s a close second. Not to mention it’s a lot more fun than a phone and no matter how long the kids are on it, there’s no cost for additional minutes. That’s saying something. Yes, I believe in electronic babysitters for my children. At least I know that when I’m on an important business call the only sound I’ll hear are the adorable little sound effects from the DS Lites.

Though I knew my oldest daughter would be able to play the handheld game with no problem, I was a bit concerned that my youngest might struggle. But, there was no point trying to keep it from her as anyone who has 2 kids knows, what the older one has, the younger one wants, no matter what it is. So for those first few months she just had fun scratching notes and sending them to her sister. Happy faces, hearts and the like. I know, how cool is it that you can play back and forth between 2 DSs?

And then we found Cooking Mama (thanks to a helpful gal at the EB Games)! I shop at game stores now—huh? It ended up being a perfect game for her even at the ripe age of 3 ½ and she’s still loving it a year later. And her sister does too.

What was not available back then was a fab game for the younger set but alas! Now there is Smart Girl's Playhouse which is a delightful game for the DS that really is meant for young ones. We just got it and she really enjoys it. They also offer Smart Boy's Gameroom for the boys in your life. The graphics are adorable and the variety of games is ample and perfectly age appropriate for little gamers-- challenging enough to keep busy minds occupied and simple enough to keep busy hands well, busy. Since many of you have little choice but to get the younger sibling a DS, now you know there is a game that is suitable for the age.

As far as the older kids go, well, I only have girls so I’m not sure what a favorite pick for the boys would be but for my 10-year old daughter it’s got to be Nintendogs, hands, er, paws down. Even I think it’s totally cool. There is a lot of reading involved, just so you know and although there are features that can be used (and figured out) without reading, a non reading gamer will need some help with it. It even takes the feature of playing between tow sets to a whole new level. Once we were at the post office waiting for over and hour for our Passports and my kids and 2 little boys who were also waiting played Nintendogs between each other (they had it too). They had a doggie playdate, traded dogs, and had a regular dog party while passing the time. That’s what I mean when I say babysitter.

So, what’s on the Christmas List this year? Mario Party DS and Cooking Mama 2 (dinner with friends) and I know those are 2 gifts that are going give back all year long!

Thank you, you cute little DS Lites. I love you.

Holiday Gift Idea, Round One

Since it's that time of year when we are all scurrying around trying to figure out what to get for out kids, I thought it was a great time to post some ideas for your little photographers. Actually, I only have one camera I am reviewing today for The Parent Blogger Network but hey, one is better than none, right?

Discovery Kids is offering what they are calling the Slide and Shoot Digital Camera. It looks more like a little cell phone than a camera which is probably why my daughter is wild for it. She has yet to get her own phone so anything that even looks like a phone is cool with her. The other plus is the slide feature that gives the camera a spy gadget sensibility. Yet another design perk. My daughter has been taking it everywhere with her, hidden in her purse and pulling it out kamikaze style-- shooting pix of everyone and everything in her path--the hockey rink, her sister brushing her teeth, the shrimp scampi. I think it makes her feel sneaky. And the LCD screen is cool! Small but efficient enough so that you know what you are shooting (no holding up to eye necessary) which is ideal for a stealthy photo spy. Needless to say, it's been a hit.

Now, as far as the nuts and bolts go, it produces the kind of low rez images you would expect from a tiny toy camera. Even the highest resolution setting will only give you an image that will print to 4X6 (barely). I'm not complaining really, I mean, I can't imagine we would want to print anything larger than that anyway. Plus, the upside to the small size is that they are easily shared via email or, um, in a blog post. Ahem.

So, what about the quality of the images? They look great when taken in ideal light situations. By ideal I mean bright light. It's when you're shooting indoors (low light) that you're going to get lots of grain. But like I said over at Picture This this morning, I don't really mind grain much. Especially for play pix. Still, I know some people aren't that forgiving but keep in mind, when you shoot in low light settings you're going to get more grain (or noise) with almost any digital camera. The cheaper the camera, usually the worse it can be so I'm not sure I would use that in a case against this particular camera.



Exhibit A- Outdoor shots look great. This was even taken in the shade and it's pretty impressive for a "toy" camera.



Exhibit B- Indoor (low light) and grainy, or er, artsy.

The camera comes with the easy to use photo uploading software (YAY!) and simple editing software to use with your pix once they are on your computer BUT...when I say simple, I mean simple as in basic. As in maybe a little too basic. I dunno, maybe it's because my kids a photographer's daughter but neither one of us felt compelled to use the editing tools or even the artwork (borders, etc) to adorn her pix. Yawn. And there are no options for true editing anyway except for cropping or red eye removal. Let me put it to you this way, there is no flash on this camera hence you'll never even get a chance to use the red-eye feature. Just a little something I noticed. Still, with that said, my daughter interrupted my complaining with her high drama, tween urgency voice, "Mom, I don't care about the editing tools, that stuff doesn't matter to me. You had better give this a good review and say that I love this camera because I do!" And I think she even referred to it as her baby. More than once. Huh?

I'm thinkin' that's all that needs to be said.

Oh, and that even though I only am reviewing one camera today, I saw a pretty cool little kid camera review round up over at AlphaMom for even your littlest of shutterbugs.

Spreading the Good Word

Everyone seems to be Babbling about JOY!

And with kid's jerseys that declare messages like Joy, Compassion, Humility and Courage, why wouldn't they be?

What's Your Focus?

Have you heard about the Mama Focus photo contest?






It's not too late to enter your best shot of...you. Come on, let's see it. It's about time something is about us Moms for a change, don't you think?

****************

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Wii Made it to Oprah

Have you read the latest Oprah from cover to cover yet? Did you see Wii, er, me?




OK, so it might not be quite as glamorous as it seems but being in Oprah Mag is being in Oprah Mag any which way you look at it. At least that's the way I choose to look at it. And this is actually the second time. Yep. I had a letter to the editor published once. Boy, I've sure got some claims to fame now, don't I? Look out world. Not just anyone can say they've played the Nintendo Wii in Oprah. Ahem.

Mom Blogs- A Virtual Lifeline

If you have found yourself depending on the Moms of the Blogosphere for the sake of your own sanity, like I have, please go visit my guest author blog post at the Chronicle Book blog. It's just me gushing about how amazing us moms are. I know, it's preaching to the choir but driving a little mom traffic over there can only be a good thing, right?

Go sneak a peek at my post Finding My Village.

If you make it over, please comment. They are giving away a Chronicle Book too so don't miss out.

Hopes and Dreams

In case you didn't know, the lovely and talented Jen Lemen has opened the door to her new downloadable art site SoulSisters Design. Glory Hallelujah! This on top of the wares she offers at her Etsy shop. That means more ways to get yourself a little bit of the beauty that makes the world a better place. How sweet is that?

Pretty sweet.

The Elephant in the Yard

Thanks for Sharing

Not only is Sheri the mama mastermind behind the latest (and coolest) photo contest out there but she is also responsible for a number of other virtual gems like Mamazine and Today is Pretty. She's just one of those all around creative ladies who shares her talents with the world and we are better for it.

In her recent post at The Little Zygote that Could, (my Perfect Post Award nominee) I felt her ache, her longing for more. More expression, more time, more of her old life. She recognizes that both she and her artist hubby "are stuck. Seeking. Wanting. Desiring. Feeling trapped without time or money for our own creative outlets." Sigh.

Sheri expresses a very universal dilemma among creative people that happen to be parents. I know, I've been there. And it's not pretty. But, as she says in her post, she's got no answers. And I'm not sure I have any either. Taking turns? Scheduling time? Putting it off until the kids have grown? None are ideal. But through the years I have found that subscribing to a little magic (much like her caterpillar dreams and butterflies) helps. Like, if you want it bad enough, and are willing to work together to get there, keep those stars in your eyes and breathe deep that anything is possible.

For other Perfect Post Nominees pop over to the hostesses with the mostesses (huh?) Suburban Turmoil and Petroville.

My Magic Kingdom

When my girls dress up, it feels like the house is transformed into a place of magic, dirty dishes and all. There's just something about the wings!

Be sure to fly over to Picture This and leave a comment over there if you'd like a chance to win a copy of The Disney Princess Enchanted Tales DVD.

Friday's Feature

...is me. And my books!

And if you all don't know Gabrielle (Design Mom) yet, pop over and get to know her. She is divine in a million different ways. I am beyond honored to be featured on her fabulous blog and am all aglow.

A Whisper, Not a Scream

I've been meaning to read The Teen Whisperer since I got it to review for The Parent Bloggers Network. I loved the name and thought I might as well get a good book shelf resource for my future with a teen. Admittedly when I agree to review these kinds of books, I use it as way to hold myself accountable to actually read the book instead of putting it off until I feel like I need the book. I mean my daughter is only 9 which doesn't even mean she's officially a tween, let alone a teen but hey, I'm thinkin' you can't start too soon. Especially when she and I have had noticeable communication breakdowns that feel like the little flames that could quickly rage into infernos in the teen years. And that scares me senseless. If we're locking shoehorns at Payless already (not just once but every single time we try to buy her shoes) I can't imagine what might fuel the fire at 14, 15 or 16.

As I picked up Mike Linderman's book I noticed first thing that the forward was written by the lovely and talented Claire and Mia Fontaine of the highly acclaimed and best selling Come Back. Talk about your credibility. I immediately thought, "Hmm, maybe this guy really is The Teen Whisperer." But as I began to read I still wasn't sure the book would be right for me or for my daughter. I was anticipating the book to take a trip down the path of the teens that had already been long gone and the families that were going through hell but as I really got into it, I was surprised at how much of what Linderman shares does in fact pertain to me and to my daughter. Right now. Coming from a gal who rarely is riveted by a book, I. Cannot. Put. This. Book. Down.

What I love about The Teen Whisperer is how straight forward the content is presented. Simply put, teen needs (which are nothing more that Universal human needs) are broken down into the basics and everything relates back to these needs and whether they are being met or not. It all seems to make sense to me. And here I thought that life with a teen wouldn't make any sense at all. Now, I would imagine if I were coming to this book because I was in full teen crisis mode, I might not use the word simple because I know (and the author repeats again and again) it's not simple to navigate life with a teen but I marvel at Linderman's ability to strip down this complex relationship stuff and clear the muddied waters. I quite honestly feel like a light has been shed on the road ahead for my family (I can't wait to share this book with my husband) and I know without a doubt that this will be a parenting reference book that I will keep close at hand for a long time. I am thrilled that I have had the chance to read this now, before crisis mode and I most definitely encourage everyone with children to get this book before they think they need it to help pave the way for a healthy parent/teen journey.

Deception Done Right

I won't pretend that I'm into cookbooks. I'm not. But I was curious about all the buzz that was going on about Jessica Seinfeld's latest Deceptively Delicious especially when I heard the twist--getting your kids to eat healthy foods without complaining. OK, I'm listening.

When I got the book in the mail I let my daughter open it. She's totally into cookbooks so I figured it'd be perfect for her. Not so much. As soon as she got the gist of what this cookbook was all about she was stunned that "deceiving" her and her sister was something that I was scheming to do. She kept repeating questions like, "You wouldn't do that to us would you?". As a matter of fact she asked me what I was trying to sneak into her food for days. And truthfully I told her nothing because I have yet to try one of the recipes. I'm kind of lazy like that. But that's not to say I don't want to because DANG, the pictures in the book look deeeeelish. And being the highly visual person that I am, I can also tell you that the entire book looks good enough to eat. It feels good in your hands, the illustrations are adorable, the binding easy to lay open on a counter (or for me, my nightstand), and colors are enticing.

So, yes, I've read the cookbook (hence the nightstand comment) but I have yet to cook with it. But that does not mean I wouldn't recommend it. Because I would. Partly because I absolutely know that if I met Jessica Seinfeld, I would love her. I know it because peppered throughout the pages of recipes are random commentaries about table rules, tips to get your kids to help with meals, common mealtime pitfalls and how to avoid them which convinced me that Jessica is the kind of mom I strive to be. I was already sold but when I came to the page "It's About the Celebration, Not the Sugar" I wanted to give Jessica a bit grateful hug. A woman after my own heart! Her short paragraph about the misuse (or as I call it the abuse) of sugar in the name of celebration I finally felt like there was someone who was in my corner. I actually called a friend of mine who also feels strongly about the issue and read her the paragraph! Kudos Jessica for sharing your convictions with the world. And I appreciate it even more because there are actually recipes for desserts (Jessica doesn't deprive her family or her readers of sweets) with the addition of ingredients like chickpeas in the mix. Imagine, chocolate chip cookies that pack a punch of protein? Brilliant!

Thank you Jessica for sharing with us not only recipes to help us keep our children on the right path but for openly sharing with the masses the way you keep order and joy (at the same time) in your own family life. I am impressed on many levels. Now, if I could only get excited about cooking, I'd try a recipe. I really would. Hey, maybe I could get my daughter to be an accomplice in the delicious deceit. She might actually be into that. Check me out, I'm coming up with my own clever twists! I guess Jessica is rubbing off on me already.

For more reviews on Deceptively Delicious, check out The Parent Bloggers Network and if you'd like to win a copy visit Harper Collins.

Sweet

My California (Adventure) Girls enjoying our Halloweentime experience. These are the kinda days where they are actually happy I blog.

Good times.

speading the word

Oh Joy!

...........................

mama says om

Tree Hugger

As I begin to write I am sickened by the sound of a chainsaw echoing through my neighborhood. Although the situation might not be a dire as it seems, my core rattles from the violent noise and I am further jarred by rhythmic crashes of dismembered tree parts being dropped into the back of a ratty old pick up.

Where there once towered a beautiful, thriving 35 year old Palm, there remains only sky.

You'll often hear people react with flippant remarks like, "it's just a tree" but for me the act of cutting down a vibrant healthy living thing seems like a senseless act; a disregard for nature, for beauty, for life.

The reasoning behind the brutal removal was that my neighbor didn't like the tree. Didn't like the tree? How can something so strong and statuesque be a nuisance to anyone? Did she never notice the way that tree danced in the ocean breezes, moving with it's partner (the now lone palm that still stands on our side of the fence), leaves intertwining, a slightly and slowly bowing with the weather? The bright green fans against the clear blue sky? It's deepening silhouette of the evening against the oranges and reds of the late afternoon sky? Did she not hear the sound yesterday of the wind coming in the trees, announcing to all that fall is making it's annual visit?

I am deeply saddened by the loss of a part of the landscape I have loved for the 5 years we've lived here. It is the last to go from the yard next to ours. There were 4 more a year ago but they had to go by order of the city. Seeing those 4 be butchered to stumps was hard enough but the neighbors that lived there then were given no option, just a notice on the door; an ultimatum that the trees would have to come down one way or another. In the massacre, they left one to remain as it was not "in the way" of the power lines. And now, for no reason at all, it too has been chopped to the ground.

There is a history with me and trees I guess. This is not the first time I have felt sadness for this kind of loss. As we moved into this house, we moved away from a home surrounded by trees; the 80 year old Jacaranda that wore it's lacy lavender gown every year and graciously cooled our unconditioned house in the summer and provided a playful, almost human form of outstretched stick arms in winter, the old craggy plum tree that only offered a few plums each year but whose bark delighted and intrigued me with it's texture and rich color, and the sister peach trees that would dazzle us with their spring display of tiny pink paper blossoms and then offer up their succulent fruit to our family providing enough to share with the entire neighborhood. Such generosity. Our ritual of the season's first peach is one of my fondest memories in that house, as we would take our pick of the warm, sun ripened fruit and sit on the shaded porch, as we allowed ourselves to become intoxicated by sweetness as we savored all we we hold in out mouths while the excess dripped down our chins. Nectar from the Gods.

Before we moved from that house, I took an afternoon in the yard, shooting photographs of our trees. They had been there long before us but we lived there long enough to feel they were a part of our family or perhaps more that we had become a part of theirs. It felt good to take the time to honor them this way knowing with each photograph I would be holding a memory. It was a way I could say thank you for all they provided us.

The house was sold to people who claimed they loved the trees and that made leaving a little less difficult. But one day I got a desperate call from a dear friend (our old neighbor) that they were cutting the trees down. Her voice was shaking and in the background I could hear the chainsaws. It was as if the wind were knocked out of me and I could hardly breath, let alone speak. And it was evident she felt the same way. They were killing the extended family we left behind. The trees all went, one by one. The lovely sisters, the craggy plum, and the glorious and nurturing Jacaranda until the house was left standing bare and alone.

I look around my house now and see the photographs that I took that delicious afternoon 5 years ago of our trees and am thankful for the memories they hold, grateful for the pictures that remind me of the energy and beauty that infused us and how very much I loved them.

As the chainsaw continues to rage outside I feel a small void in my heart as I am reminded that I miss our old trees and that now, one more is added to the list. Or perhaps it's more than just the trees. Could it be that I regard them as the living landmarks I encounter along my journey? Maybe these giants remain rooted in my life's landscape as symbols of my past or the memories of things I don't want to let go of. Being a bright eyed 20 something, falling in love, exchanging vows, birthing a baby, sharing the simplest of nature's delights with my daughter, finding my way as an artist, a wife, a mother, and woman? Maybe that's why when the trees come down my heart aches with the sadness of the ages. Maybe a tree by any other name is really just a part of me.

It's Just Me

I've always wanted to participate in the Self Portrait Challenge but never have. And it's not at all because I lack in self portraits. I am one of those people who like to take pictures of themselves. Yep. And apparently so do a great many other people so at least I'm in good company. Although I didn't officially sign up as a player this week, I took the challenge anyway and shot this sitting up my bathroom counter.

And then I was thinking, have you noticed how many bathrooms have fantastic natural light? I know mine do. And so did the one in my old house. I'm not sure if there's anything to that but I find it a little curious.

I Told You She Was Sassy

This evening I was giving my oldest daughter a little extra attention as she was having 'one of those days'. Our fish died, she hated the rice pudding she toiled over (new recipe) and she spilled water all over one of her favorite drawings. Things weren't pretty.

Once the tears were dried, we snuggled together on the couch watching the Angel game when my youngest bellowed from the other room.

"Mom, it's over!"

"OK honey."

"MOM! My movie's OVER!"

"OK, I hear you. I'm with your sister."

Long pause.

"MOM, COME TURN THIS DAMN THING OFF!"


A little comic relief never hurts to turn the evening around.

The Back to School Story

My preschooler.

From sad to sassy in 1 second flat.

Yes, that's the traditional comfort necklace I make for my children each year. Last year's model can be seen in the first day photo from last year. It's one easy way to send a little tangible love with them to school. Plus, I'm a crafty girl that actually really enjoys making stuff like that.

80

A special wish for my sweet grandma.

Does This Mean...

I'm an AlphaMom?

This interview was done for AlphaMom at BlogHer leat year.

It was such a pleasure working with Isabel and Leah on the project, I can't tell you. And I even passed Arianna Huffinton in the make-up room! If that's not Alpha, I don't know what is.

Wii Love

It's not big news to most of you that my family has and looooooves the Nintendo Wii. After my first Ambassador post it seemed the entire world wanted to know if in fact the photos of our party were even real. Like anyone would make this up. Because of my Ambassadorship we get lots of great games to check out and with each one we've tried, there is someone in the house that takes a liking to it.

For our latest go round, we got to test drive the new Wii Boogie for The Parent Blogger Network and let me tell you, my daughter has been dancing and singing ever since. And she does not sing so, it's a pretty big deal. Her karaoke schedule has changed slightly since school has started but the last days of summer began with early morning Wii Boogie sessions. I'm not kidding. I have photos to prove it,



That's my 9-year-old in her PJs, bedhead and all, doing her thang at 8am.

I might not have been able to say that I'm all that hip to hearing pop music streaming through my house in the ungodly hours of the morning but when you're talking classics from The Jackson 5, it's not as bad as it seems.

Because I'm not too big a karaoke fan/choreographed dancer myself and my youngest would rather be knocking people out playing the Wii boxing game, my oldest plays solo unless my husband is in a mood and then he'll dig up some crazy 80's song and go nuts. It's happened.

Her friend did come over yesterday and they had quite a time of it. As his mother and I sat in another room catching up, we heard a pretty hilarious round of "a little bit of Carla in my life, a little bit of Monica by my side..." Not bad for a 10-year-old. Heck, not bad for a 40-year-old either.

From what the other moms are saying, Wii Boogie is a hit in other homes too. Read all about the dance antics at The Parent Blogger's Wii Boogie post.

An Evening Exchange

Tonight as we walked from the pizza place to the shoe store (you can't go shoe shopping on an empty stomach) I said to my daughters something about really needing them to behave while we were shopping to make the trip as quick and painless as possible. Then I felt the need to drag it out with how unnerving it is for me when they constantly fight, bicker, moan and complain and how they were really out of control earlier and that it's just not OK. I think my ending line was "You guys are just really making me crazy."

As per the usual, my youngest didn't skip a beat when she answered back, "Having kids is really hard Mom."

What can I say but she's a master of deductive reasoning?

Random Radiance

The fabulous Gabrielle at DesignMom is in the midst of a Random Givaway and she is offering up the most gorgeous jewelry. Remember this?

Yep, Blue Poppy Jewelry is up for grabs and all you have to do is go visit the post at DesignMom and comment to be in the drawing. Yay! You only ave until Sept 10th at midnight, so get to it.

Free Stuff

And the winners of the Word World drawing are...

Maile and Laura.

Congrats ladies! I'm sure your kids will dig the DVD.

And thanks everyone for your comments. The words your kids love melted my heart (except for the poop ones...those just made me laugh).

Word Up

It might be the season for getting back to school for the older set but if you've got younger kids you might instead be looking forward to a season of new tv shows. As in PBS perhaps? If you're looking forward to that kind of thing (I am, I am) then you'll be glad to hear that come September 3rd PBS is offering a new show for the younger set called Word World.

I got a DVD for my daughter to check out via The Parent Blogger Network and it's proved to be a big hit. My daughter has always been quite a little linguist so a show like Word World speaks volumes to her. She is barely four but seems mad at the world that she is not able to read yet, let alone write. To my delight, this show has been something that has actually helped her to get a few spelling words under her belt. Empowerment like that for a frustrated preschooler is worth it's weight in gold.

It's a clever show with smart animation and characters my daughter seems to really enjoy. And, I know it goes beyond mere entertainment which for me (and I'm sure most parents) makes it that much better.

If you'd like to win yourself a Word World DVD (with 2 episodes on it) for your child, just leave a message here and you'll be entered in a random drawing. There's just one thing...you need to post your child's favorite word in the post. Why? Why not? And if you want to up your chances of winning, go visit Picture This where I am offering the same give-away. You know you want to.

Word.

40 Things

Inspired by Janine's list at Destinations and in honor of my 4oth Birthday I have decided to attempt the 100 Things list. Remember that one?

I'm starting off with 40 (of course) and I'll eventually build on that.

Here goes-

I drink milk with dinner.

I read Oprah Magazine cover to cover.

I like doing crafts.

I have never lived anywhere outside of So Cal.

I’ve watched baby sea turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean.

I will always love the Grateful Dead.

I’ve broken 3 bones.

I was a cheerleader in High School.

I wish I could play the piano.

I don’t like lattes.

I still miss Sex and the City.

My first concert was to see Journey.

I put notes in my daughter’s lunch everyday.

I believe in magic.

I live for my 50mm compact micro lens.

I gave birth twice without an epidural.

I’ve been to Key West.

I actually like Chuck E. Cheeses.

I’ve shot too many weddings to count.

I’m a published author.

I don’t brush my hair.

I’ve been called a beer snob.

I’m a Nintendo Ambassador but I’m not a gamer.

I cry every time I read On The Day You Were Born to my kids.

I keep a stash of MnMs in my office closet.

I love my minivan.

I hate to mop.

I order oatmeal at restaurants.

Nature is my sanctuary.

My first car was a VW Bug.

I touched Justin Timberlake.*

I couldn’t live without my girlfriends.

I lost the diamond from my wedding ring and then found it.

I had a blood clot after the birth of my second child that went undetected for a week.

I wear slippers but not a robe.

I used to sing at open mic nights with a friend.

I like to watch golf on tv.

I traveled across country in a VW once when I was 5 and again when I was 25.

I eat ice cream almost every night.

I am 40.



*Just on his shoulder as I was trying to get by. And no, he didn’t touch me back.

The Count Down

Four Days Until Forty.

The necklace was an early birthday present from my sweet friend Jill (of the lovely blue poppy)

Scrumptious Spatulatta

A key ingredient to our summer this year has been my daughters love for cooking. Let’s just say she has definitely taken it up a notch. She scours the cabinets looking for what she needs to make whatever culinary concoction that strikes her fancy. Her approach is reminiscent of a scientist; experimenting, mixing, pouring, measuring, tasting (OK, you don’t taste your science projects but you get the idea).

On many a morning the first thing out of her mouth is something like “mom, do we have any cream of tartar?” For the record I do not share this love affair with cooking. It’s taken me most of my adult life to even find any satisfaction out of feeding my family a home cooked meal, even though (to my credit) I do it almost every night. I chalk it up to being creative in other ways and for this reason perhaps I don’t have enough juice left for the kitchen. All that said, I would never let my culinary malaise damper my daughters enthusiasm. Heck, if she can make the meals around here (and love it) then I can check it off my own list. See, I’ve got motives—can you blame me?

Needless to say that when the new Spatulatta Cookbook came in the mail, my daughter and I were equally thrilled and I am pleased to report that we are giving this kid’s cookbook two yummy thumbs up! The chefs that are featured in the book are the young, lovely and talented Liv and Belle (who are also the hostesses with the mostest at the website of the same Spatulatta name). My daughter appreciates that they are girls, just like her; playful, energetic, funny and real. I love that they are obviously and genuinely really into food and are passionate about getting other kids into it as well.

I will admit that my daughter has complained that, “eeew, Shepard’s Pie sounds disgusting” among a few other recipes she’s cringed at, but that make me give this cookbook even more credit. Unlike some other cookbooks for kids, the Spatulatta recipes go beyond the typical kid’s food (like peanut butter, plain noodles, or sweets). I am happy having my daughter look to these young foodies as role models that offer excellent resources (the book and the site) to encourage her love for cooking in a way that I really can’t. The fact that these girls provide real meals for their family proves that my daughter can do it too and that fuels her passion even more. And to my delight, her enthusiasm about working in the kitchen with is rubbing off (except maybe when she is begging me to try the new quick fudge recipe at 7:30 in the morning). Because of books and websites like Spatulatta, creating fun, festive and yummy meals together is becoming a family activity for us that nourishes body and soul. It doesn’t get more delicious than that.

The Good Morning Fairy

Is it just me or is there something magical about waking up to Tinkerbell flying through your kitchen?

Soul Sisters

Here's me with my heroes (blog and otherwise) in the photo booth at BlogHer 07. Jen Lemen and Myriam Joseph are just plain kick-ass women. It's as simple as that.

This shot has been posted especially for the Cool Mom Picks BlogHer 07 Scavenger Hunt.

Can You Feel the Love?

Melody over at Slurping Life (who for the record is one of my favorite virtual friends) is sharing lots of love with Parker (of Praying for Parker) and because of her example, so are a lot of other people in Blogville.

I urge you to go visit Love for Parker and be prepared to be inspired by a courageous little boy and his family! And take your checkbook.

Snappy Kids

Do you have a little shutterbug living under your roof? If the answer is a resounding yes, like it is at my house, come get the scoop on A Little Perspective, the Kid's Photo Contest I'm hosting over at Picture This with the help of my partners in contest crime Sheri of The Little Zygote that Could and Susan of The Snapshot Chronicles.

It's going to be lots of fun. I hope you join us as we learn a little something from our kids.

Noah and His Animals Pals

Considering there isn't a day that passes that at least a few members of our family are not engaged in playing a very important game of "animals"of one type or the next, when the chance arose to check out the latest Caboodle! Collectible Toy (of the animal kind),I knew my youngest would be all over it. I had a hunch too when I heard about Noah's Pals that my oldest might want in on the action. When the delivery came and we caught a glimpse of these wonderfully packaged hand painted animals (that come in pairs...hence the hint Noah) each couple in their own boxes, it was my oldest who indeed seemed most interested. Second to me that is.

The animals themselves are delightfully detailed and each one has it's own name. My favorite is the tiny and totally adorable Derek and Delilah Dove, Universal symbols of love and peace (you can't take the hippie out of the girl). The dove pair came with an ID card (like very nifty membership card) as does each of the Noah's Pals pair. The cards are full of educational info like the animals habitat, stats, scientific name, etc. My kids love that kind of thing. And what adds to the fun is that each card has an ID code that you can plug in online at the Noah's Pet's website so you can keep track of what you have collected and what's left to collect. That's one more feature I really like about them. And that they are toys that I feel good about giving. Collecting things is cool. It gives the toys more perceived value somehow and I think helps kids take batter care of them. Or is that just me?

And speaking of...if you think Noah's Pals are something your child would like to start collecting (like mine have) they are offering a discount when you buy the whole set now (think gifts worth giving for the next year--or two). Visit amazon.com for those details. And when you do collect them all, you get a prize. Not too shabby.

Read more about Noah's Pals and what other Parent Bloggers have to say about them at the Parent Bloggers Network.

Kaboom! Kaboom!

I am not a mom who takes pride in how clean her home is, just so you know. Yes, I try to have it look nice and tidy, but really clean? Um, not really. Unless we're having company over and then, I'll clean it. So, as soon as I heard that some cleaning product called Kaboom Neverscrub was up for review at The Parent Blogger Network, you had better believe I was trying it. Although, I was skeptical.

To my delight, I have literally only had to scrub my toilet twice since installing the little miracle cleaner over 2 months ago. I know it's called Neverscrub but when you live with 2 young children and a husband...well...things happen. I won't pretend I was 100% comfortable "installing" the little doohickey in the toilet at first. I was going to save the job for my hubby BUT I decided to be a real woman about it and empower myself (yes, conquering something as silly as this makes me feel empowered--say what you will) and it really was easy to do. My favorite part about Kaboom Neverscrub is the fresh scent it gives the bathroom after every flush. No, I'm not kidding. My office is right off the main bathroom of the house so I will tell you , I appreciate the fresh smell. I really do! And I only have to replace this baby every few months which is only makes me love Neverscrub more. I kinda thought the refills might be expensive but no way. Like 6 bucks a refill (they last 3 months). Hello clean toilets!!

I got a bottle of the Kaboom Shower, Tub & Tile cleaner too and find that equally as effective. Since I'm not hip on deep cleaning, we shower with water stains at our feet. I know. Eeew. SO, I thought "what better a test for this purple bottle of Kaboom than my shower floor." I tried it once, waited a few minutes and wiped it off. It lifted the stains a bit. But since they have been there since we moved in practically (which was over years ago--double eeew) I gave it one more spray and a little elbow grease (only a little) and KABOOM! It worked. My shower floor looks as good as new! And I wasn't all dizzy and sick from the toxic stench like those other miracle cleaners because there isn't one. Another big plus. In other words, I'm pretty much sold on Kaboom now and from what I've heard around The Parent Blogger Network reviews, you might be too.

Dream Weaving

My oldest daughter has always been an avid reader. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly she can devour the latest “chapter book” (that what kids call the books the graduate into after the early readers). And she’s big on books in a series. She goes from start to finish of each one and then begins a whole new group. It's awesome to watch her fly through the pages. I am impressed with her enthusiasm as I was never one of those loved to read kids. It was excruciating for me to sit still long enough to get through a chapter, let alone and entire chapter book. I’m not proud of that, and I do like to read more now but I will admit I still have some issues with sitting down for any extended period of time. But, this isn’t about me. Not today’s post anyway.

When The Parent Blogger Network put the call out to parents with kids in the tween category (9-12), I was thrilled to give my 5th grader a chance to crack Nick Ruth’s mysterious tale, The Dark Dreamweaver. This one in particular seemed right up her alley. With a name like that, any tween would be intrigued. And it’s the first offering of The Remin Chronicles which makes it that much more appealing. Anything with the word Chronicles sounds good to me. So, I was snagged on the title alone.

As I expected my daughter jumped in as soon as she got a hold of the paperback, which proudly dons the “Mom’s Choice Award” seal on the front cover. I probed her as she read asking her about the story line, the characters, the main gist of this magical adventure chock full of wizardry, suspense, a little spook factor, and endearing players like David the main character who is a child living in the present day and the caterpillar wizard Houdin who although is little is in some “big trouble”. “It’s great mom, I love it, it’s cool,” She offers as she peeks her eyes up over the cover briefly, in more like a “leave me alone and let me read” tone than the book review I was hoping for. But, I think it speaks volumes (is that a pun or what?) when your kid doesn’t want to put the book down to chit-chat.

From what I can tell, The Dark Dreamweaver is a classic tale between good and evil, reality and fantasy, truth and imagination. What’s not to love? My daughter really enjoyed the book and is certainly looking forward to the next Chronicle (Book 2- The Breezes of Inspire—sweet title!). As a mom, what I appreciate most about The Dark Dreamweaver is that this “normal” kid David is challenged to dig deep, rely on his inner powers (courage, strength, determination, wisdom, imagination, and compassion) to help not only his caterpillar friend but the whole state of the world. And he travels into the unknown to do it. Totally awesome! And after doing what he set out to do, he gets plopped back into his regular life where he recognizes that he his indeed extraordinary. Isn’t that what every parent wants their child to know?


The Parent Blogger Network is giving away copies of both The Dark Dreamweaver and The Breezes of Inspire via a random drawing. All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered in the drawing. Free books for summer reading is good thing!

edited to add....
WHOOPS!!!
To enter the drawing you must comment at the post that is on the Parent Blogger Network. I realize my last paragraph explanation was misleading. So sorry!!

All Pharmacist, All the Time

I eagerly awaited my copy of The 24-Hour Pharmacist in anticipation for a reference book for all those crazy kid ailments that go bump in the night. See, when you have children, you just assume that everything ever written has a kid slant. I’m thinking, cool, I need another book for those sleepless nights of fevers and rashes. Was I surprised when I browsed the table of contents and saw chapters like, Overcoming Fatigue, Monthly Madness, and the most intriguing, …Really Icky, Weird Stuff. Forget the kids, this book was for ME! And in many cases felt like it was written directly to me which made me embrace it even more.

I dove headlong into the PMS (a la Monthly Madness) chapter first because well, it’s not surprise to anyone who knows me, I suffer from it (as does everyone that crosses my path) and to my delight, I took vigilant notes and have committed myself to the idea (not the asylum) of giving the advice of Suzy Cohen, Pharmacist Extraordinaire a go. I’ve got nothing to lose and something tells me, this gal knows what she is talking about. I was a little skeptical when she broke the explanations of our hormones down into American Idol terms but since I think I might be the only one on the planet who loathes the show, I’ll ignore it and admit that her pop culture comparisons did make me understand the relationships between all those crazy hormones a little bit better.

The 24-Hour Pharmacist is one of those books that you can’t help but want to read, even when the topics don’t really apply. It’s like you’re just dying to know what the real story is with this western medicine shtick we subscribe to and how someone who works in the industry is in her own way bucking the system. Or at least trying to tell the truth for goodness sakes. Suzy is my kind of girl.

If you are anything like me and you have been vowing for months to kick yourself in the ass and get a little healthier, you should pick up a copy of the book. If nothing else it sheds a whole lot of light and gives a boat load of practical info about some of the medical issues we grapple with everyday and offers ways to get a big healthy grip on them.

This review was written for The Parent Bloggers Network—who is always giving me something to talk about.

Fashion Statement

Sometimes it just has to be made.

Seeing Things

I've seen some fantastic photography lately. The fam and I got a chance to check out Illume before it left Huntington Beach. Wow. The incredible images themselves were only highlighted by the presentation of them glowing from these huge boxes on the beach. Really a sight to see.

And last night we went to an artist's reception for Andy Summers new book "I'll Be Watching You" at the Frank Picture Gallery in Santa Monica. I stood this close to Sting himself and he looked...um...hot. As I figured he would. I will comment however that I towered over him in my heels. No judgement, just observation. I took my camera in hopes to have something to post here but just felt wrong about shooting pix of him. That's just my "I hate to be gawking like everyone else" side. Anyway, If you get a chance to head to the gallery to see Andy's images (life with The Police circa 1980-1983) you should. He captured some incredible stuff.

Sweet Stuff

In honor of the birthday girl (this is me playing on your emotions), it would be much appreciated if you all poped over to Modern Mom and voted for her photo --Just scroll down to the photo on the contest page and click on it--in the Family Fun w/Fruity Cheerios Photo Contest. There's $500 at stake which sounds pretty delicious to me.

I mean, come on, how can anyone resist this sweet face?

Four Yesterday

My Cup Runneth Over

Guess where I was this fine evening?
Oh, nowhere too special. Just Anaheim...

photo of Teemu Selanne and The Cup by Jeff Golden/Getty Images

...witnessing NHL history!
The Ducks won the friggin' Stanley Cup BABY!!!

Needless to say, it rocked. Hard.

Yummy

Food Fight!

Twist and Shout

Remember this story? Well, it's that time again.

And I am really ready to party (no wisdom tooth issues). I will have my child in one arm and my camera in the other as I boogie down at Baby Loves Disco in Los Angeles. They are having the family extravaganza at a whole new venue this summer and it ought be to loads of fun.

I'm the official photog of the event this time around (scroll down and check me out on the blog--I'm an action hero!) so if you're able to make it look for the mom dancing circles around The Derby and shooting pix of all the fun. And just to refresh your memory, they serve grown up drinks. Yuuummm. Grown up drinks.

My Latest Favorite

Tapping Into the Source

Whenever I talk with a new mom I always offer the same advice; find support. Immediately. Although Motherhood is Universal, it can be unbearably isolating which is nothing you can fathom until you're in it and you convince yourself that you are the only one on this planet who has ever been up at 3 am with a inconsolable baby. I remember thoughts racing through my delirious mind about falling asleep standing up, being sure my friends with children never had it as hard as I did and wondering how it was I felt so alone. Sigh.

The only thing that got me through the first few months (OK, years) of Motherhood was my connection to my mommy friends. And even more specifically, the mommy friends that had children the same age as mine. Those kind of friends are essential to surviving. Sounds simple but it's not. At all. Unless you're one of the lucky few who's BFF had a baby at the same time as you did--green with envy--finding another mother who is in the trenches with you can sometimes seem impossible. Especially when you can barely button your blouse long enough to meet to mailman at the door. Since you're not getting out much in those first few months the Internet comes in mighty handy. No matter what time of day or night, no matter what subject you are struggling with, no matter if you've showered in the past week, there are community websites for parents at your fingertips. Bless you Internet.



One new site that caters to moms and is open 24/7 is called Mamasource. Because MotherTalk is on the blog tour train again, I hopped aboard as I so often do, this time because my little sister is due with her first baby in August and I thought it's be cool to test out the mom-community website waters for her. I know what to look for, what is helpful, what you need and what you don't and because I know how badly she's going to need support and connectedness, I want to get her all set up. Don't mean to scare you sissy but, um...it can be scary.

Back to Mamasource. From the get go you can pop over and look for answers to questions on a variety of topics that you'll really need as a new mom (from baby's health, to your health, etc). But, what I think is really nice about this site is that you won't outgrow it because as your parenting needs/questions/concerns change and grow, so do the resources found at Mamasource. Once you're out of newborn hell (sorry, does that offend anyone?) you've got solid foods to talk about, and then potty training, oh goodness, then preschools, activities, sports, orthodontists, college...OK, maybe not college, but you get the picture. Mamasource not only offers the request and response approach (where you ask a question and you get some answers) but they offer a whole other dimension of stuff that's local to you (stores, restaurants, parks, doctors, etc). As in, what gems can be found in your own neighborhood. That's sweet. And it means that you find other moms in your community (not half way across the country) that will tell you where to take your baby to get their first hair cut, or what swim school worked for them, or where to get the best cup of coffee. Coffee? I'm giddy just thinking about it.

For moms that really want to tap into a fantastic resource and actually get the chance to communicate with other moms in their area (yes, you can even plan to meet for that awesome cup of coffee) Mamasource is a perfect place to frequent and as the site's community grows, it's only going to get better.

Hear that little sister? You might not get any sleep come August, but at least you'll be connected.

Please Join Me

I will be sharing tips and tricks on how to take better pictures of your children at an evening event at the fab So Cal bookstore The First Page in Newport Beach. I will also be offering ideas (easy and inexpensive--time wise and money wise) on documenting life with children. I said easy and I mean it. And let me assure you that there will be NO GUILT involved. You can hold me to that!

I hope you can come for some information and inspiration on this 'adult only' night out. Yay! And please feel free to invite your mommy friends!

Wednesday, May 23rd

6:30-8pm

The First Page

2818 San Miguel
Newport Hills, CA
949) 644-5437

Space is limited so please call to reserve a seat. $10 per person. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. If you need more info please email maypapers at yahoo dot com.

A Mother's Question

What Makes You a Mother?

I answered that here but I think this says it all.

No matter how you answer that question (and by all means feel free to do so and join the Blog Blast) I wish you the Happiest of Mother's Days.

Fearless Friday

Fear is one of those topics that stirs up all sorts of emotions in people. I personally, have a love-hate relationship with Fear but have learned to revere its power to stop even the bravest of us dead in our tracks. We’ve all been paralyzed by Fear sometime in our lives and although it’s a universal experience, there is really no way to compare our Fear to that of another. Not unlike grief, we all have to process our fears in our own way; choose to face them or not, choose to run away or walk on. And although here is no such thing as the absence of it, there are some instances where we act boldly in it’s presence.

In a perfect world, I would just ignore Fear and forge through the fires of life, coming out the other side better for it. It’s a valiant effort and yet, I have found myself afraid of things as predicatable as beginning something new, leaving something behind, following my heart, saying no, saying yes, and of taking even the tiniest of risks. I have found myself debilitated by Fear; unable to make a decision, call the shots, or take the leap. I have given myself too much time to think and have let the voices of doubt drown out the whisperings of my heart. I have even surrendered to my fret and worry and have let Fear keep me from the things I desire. So, how can I expect to ignore something that has become commonplace in my life? I can’t. But I can carry on despite the Fear and do my darnedest to walk, step by step. Some steps bold and others not so bold but they are steps, none the less.

One might think that if we let the little things scare us, the big things would be that much more devastating. But, the truth is, when things have gotten really, truly and terrible scary, I have acted with more fearlessness than I ever could have imagined possible. In fact, I have become the most fierce when I have felt the most intense Fear. It has happens when my children’s well being is at risk or when something I deeply care about is threatened or attacked. I believe it’s a superhuman ability that can overtake us when we are triggered. We’ve seen it when an otherwise normal person lifts a car off of a loved one, when someone puts themselves in terrible danger because someone else needs their help, or when a mother sacrifices her own life for that of her children. It happens everyday. People do extraordinary things in the face of real Fear and it must seem to an observer that these people must be fearless. But, that’s impossible. It isn’t human nature to put ourselves in harms way. However, it is our nature to protect what matters and take care of what we love, at any cost.

I have seen an extraordinary, seemingly fearless woman in myself. I certainly don’t see her every day and I have no idea when she might reveal herself again but I know she’s there, lying idle within me. I know that in times of great Fear, she will appear as she has before, never failing me when I need her most. I don’t use her wisdom and as much as I could and have thought that perhaps I should invite her out more often; welcome her into my daily life, allow her to come play and help with the more minor decisions. It would probably help matters. But for now, I just nod and say “Namaste” to my Fearless Self. She’s impenetrable, focused, determined, clear headed, and impossibly strong.

It was a warm summer morning and my husband, 18 month old daughter and I were on our way to the beach. Radio on, windows down and the scent of sunscreen spoke of our perfectly planned day at the beach. But within minutes of being on the road, my daughter almost lost consciousness. My husband spotted her in the rear view mirror and raised his voice to me, “Something’s wrong! What’s wrong with the baby?” In one moment everything had changed. My husband raced off the freeway and the whole way to the emergency room I was beckoning my daughter to stay awake and as her head bobbed, barely able to speak, she kept whimpering, “Mama? Mama?” in her tender baby voice. As I sat in the backseat with her, the extraordinary woman came for me. She remained calm and steady, when I was at my breaking point. I felt for a few moments that I might lose my daughter.

It was a “freak accident” that a small piece of rust lodged itself into my daughter’s eye and it had sent her body into shock. She became lucid once we got to the hospital and the urgency and gravity of the situation let up a little. If wasn’t a matter of life or death but there was still reason for worry. After hours and hours of waiting, and talking to specialists and finally going through the removal process of the foreign object while my baby was strapped down to a board and a dental drill was used to extract the rust, I continued to be a vision of fearlessness. I stayed strong, focused and vigilant in my efforts to be sure my daughter was taken care of. It was my intention to keep my baby as calm as possible so the doctor could remove the fleck without surgery or doing harm to her eye. He had commented to me that my ability to keep her settled and relaxed was what we had going for us. When the nurse attempted to escort me out of the hospital room for the procedure, I made eye contact with the doctor and he commanded “Let her stay. This one is a good one.” Indeed, she was the best one. She was my Fearless Self. And she stayed with me for the remainder of that long day and into the night when I finally put my precious girl to sleep (thankfully in her own bed and not at the hospital). It was only then did my stoic Fearless Self let go as I fell into my husbands arms and wept.

Although my daughter came out of that situation unscarred, those hours left an indelible mark on me. Reflecting on the events of that day and other instances equally as intense in my life, I know now that it wasn’t my fearlessness that overtook me, it was my Fear. It proves that when Fear is that palpable, existing in every fiber of our being, we can become superhuman to overcome it. I think that is amazing and if I dare say it, fearless.

****

It's Fearless Friday at MotherTalk. If you haven't already, I urge you to go read what other women had to say on the subject. It's awe inspiring.

Cute Alert

When you see beautiful hand made gifts like these, you just have to order something!

And when you see a baby photo like this one, you just have to giggle and then pass it on.

I mean, I just couldn't resist. Can you blame me?

Contests, Photos & Prizes, Oh My!

I'm hosting a photo contest over at Picture This for the next 2 weeks. Come on by and have some good clean fun with us.

Peace Offering

A tiny and simple bouquet offered to me by my oldest daughter. Just as an "I love you".

If the whole world were made up of people like her, we would be a world of peace indeed.

-mamasayom

When Mothers Talk

The Mother Talk Salon I hosted the other night was beyond fabulous, just as I had known it would be. I'm not sure you can go wrong when you bring a group of vibrant women together (namely mothers) and throw in some good eats (appetizers and such a la myself and my daughter the sous chef) and drinks (as in alcoholic) and a cozy living room (aaah, I love when my living room is full of friends). I mean, seriously, it was like a little bit of heaven.

I remember the first email I sent Miriam and Andi (the amazing women behind Mother Talk) as a desperate plea to get a Salon planned in LA. Little did I know that I would be lucky enough to have not only host one in my own home, but to have not one, but two incredible authors to lead the evening of compelling conversation. Everyone that was here truly enjoyed themselves. I know it to be true because since the event on Saturday night, I have been fielding phone calls and emails from grateful moms who keep reiterating heartfelt sentiments about how stimulating it was to get together and talk about the Universal State of Motherhood...good, bad, and otherwise.

The evening began with snacking (thank you Isabel at Alpha Mom for being kind enough to sponsor the event for us) and casual introductions that led to us gathering around as Brett Paesel began to read a piece called from the delightfully witty Mommies Who Drink during which on more than one occasion, had the whole room laughing out loud. When Brett was through, and before she could even answer the questions we were all dying to know like, what led her to write the book, how did she get the deal, and what was her life like before children (you know the important stuff), the whole room was engaging in conversation which I think could have gone on for days.

But, alas, it was time for Erika Schickel to share something from her refreshingly poignant and clever book You're Not the Boss of Me. Although apparently she had planned on reading a different piece, the dynamic of the group led her to recite the last story of the book called Sisters. A tapestry of words, rich in color and texture that brilliantly stitched together her daily observations of her own daughters with reflections of her own upbringing and memories of life with her sisters. For those of you who know me, my daughters and my whole family of women, you can imagine how much a story like hers hit home. Waaah. This then began round two of mom talk and as our thoughts swirled and we spoke our minds the time passed far too quickly. It was a perfect evening.

Would I host another Mother Talk Salon? You bet I would. And something tells me it's just a matter of time.

Consider Yourself...

informed, invited and tagged.

Carry on.