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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Holiday bliss


The Holiday this year was very blissful. We decided not to travel and what a blessing that was. Not to say we didn't miss family. We did. But, there's something about just staying home and enjoying the season in your own surroundings. Maddox truly got in the spirit this year and helped back cookies for Santa. He read Christmas stories and sang Jingle Bells.

We got to do exactly what we wanted from the moment we left work to this moment on Sunday night. Now, Baked Ziti is in the oven, Sacha and Maddox are engrossed in his new cutting veg set. Two more days of work until another 5 days off.

As I have time off I realize how much I wish I had more time at home. To cook amazing dinners, sew amazing creations and spend loads of quality time with Mad. One day maybe that will be a reality. For now, there's bills to pay and clothes to buy.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Ding Dong, Ho Ho Ho

I finished the latest semester of school and feel a tremendous amount of relief. I'm also pleasantly surprised that I actually passed my algebra class. Yes, algebra. No, I'm not 14.

See, as some may know, I never finished college. I managed to squeak out a bunch of classes back in the day, but once I figured out I was going to work in television, got a job doing just that and steadily moved my way up in that field, I never looked back. Problem came when I got laid off for the 4th time and my resume was not in possession of those lovely two letters; B. A. I started to see clearly that some more education would raise my potential. So off to school I went. And, those pesky math classes reared their quadratic formula'd heads.

Let me tell you. It was hard. Algebra is NOT fun. Yeah, they try hard to tell you that math is used everyday and in every way. But factoring? No. Radical expressions? No. Now, some math whiz will surely come up with a formula that amounts to me picking up my child from school or shopping online, but I do that just fine without Algebra thank you.

In the back of my head the lingering notion of needing to take two more math classes to graduate hangs out. But for now, December 22nd, 2009. I am free!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sunday, November 1, 2009

It bites!

Check me out on my friend's podcast all about vampires. More specifically, Twilight and True Blood.

www.biteclubshow.com

Episode 17.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Getting Wild


I'm attempting to make Maddox's Halloween costume this year. I feel I owe it to him to be crafty and clever. My goal is Max from Where the Wild Things Are. The movie is coming out next month so I have a feeling there may be a lot of little Max's running around, but to my searching knowledge, there are no Max costumes on the market.
You have to make it. Which gives me hope that there won't be too many out there and Mad will stand out a bit.

People are selling their custom made ones on Etsy and Ebay, but they're going for $$$. Wish me luck. I got the fabric, the tail, the buttons and a pattern. See you in a month!

Monday, September 7, 2009

You're a very stylish girl

It's been a long time since I posted. I guess I've just been busy, uninspired and trying to figure out what this blog really is. It started out as a venture to connect with other moms and possible make some money from blogging. When I realized that unless you're Dooce or one of the other pioneers in "mommy blogs" that just isn't' going to happen. So then it turned into just updates on my life as a mom, but very sporadic and mainly just for me.

As I try to figure it out, I was recently inspired by some very stylish girls and thought I'd share. I've always been intrigued by the fashion world and intrigued by those marvelous ladies who have an amazing personal sense of style. While reading one of my inch thick September issues of the numerous fashion magazines I get, I came across two blogs you should check out:




style bubble.
This girl is out of the UK, cute as hell and has wicked style that is both quirky and stylish. Love it.





And Karla Deras of karlascloset.com. A 19 year old out of LA. Yes, she's 19 and she has amazing fashion sense.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Breastfeeding baby doll


This is just wrong. A Spanish company has come out with a doll that simulates breastfeeding.

From Fox:

(The doll) comes with a special halter top its young "mothers" wear as they pretend to breast-feed their "babies." The halter top has daisies that cover the little girls’ nipples and come undone just as easily as the flaps of a nursing bra would.

Wow.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Post of Post

Monday, July 27, 2009

And we all fall down

Have you ever been so excited about something that you fell over? Bumped into something? Peed your pants? Maddox has been.

After dinner, Sacha likes dessert, which is usually two pieces of Orowheat Buttermilk bread held together like a sandwich with or with out something inside...like peanut butter or coconut jam. I always wonder why he does this, since it's not really dessert and we usually just had a big dinner. I also curse the weight Gods, since there is no way in h-e-l-l I could get away with eating a peanut butter sandwich AFTER dinner and not instantly gain 5 pounds.

The other night, Sacha was preparing his "dessert". He had bought a loaf of fancy bread from Whole Foods and was cutting up a few pieces. Maddox sees this take place and immediately asked "bread?". As Sacha handed him a torn off piece of this golden yummy delight, Maddox was overcome with joy. He began hopping in a state of happiness right into the dining room chair, which proceeded to knock him face first to the ground. Where he just got up and kept eating and jumping.

Now if this would have been a different kind of fall, I know tears would have resulted, but since the holy grail of bread was the main purpose of this act, he was not upset.

I must saw, I still laugh when I think about it.

Friday, July 24, 2009

P is the Word

Potty-training is almost done in this house. Maddox is
accident free during the day and his pull-ups are pretty
much dry when he wakes in the morning. But there has been
a few nightime accidents here and there. Maddox has got
it in his head that you must take off your underwear and
pants to pee, which is correct. Except when you are in bed
and wearing pull-ups. At this point I would hope that he
would just pee in the pull-ups and we'd change him in the
morning. But no, Maddox likes to disrobe to pee.

Numerous times we have found him naked from the waist down
in bed. Pull-up and pajama bottoms tossed across the room
in various states of disarray. A few times there had
been crying included in this scenario and wet sheets.

The topper of this current situation came the other night.
Sacha was ensconced in "Call of Duty 4" and I in my "watch
instantly" on Netflix episodes of "The L Word". There's
something about that show. A world that I know pretty
much nothing about, but find fascinating. Are Lesbians
in LA this hot? Do they all have powerful jobs, beautiful
homes and incredible bodies? I'm fascinated. And in
love with Shane.

Back to the pee story. So, I had my headphones on
watching lesbians make-out and Sacha was killing some
soldiers. Sacha drops what he's doing and runs to Maddox's
room. I realize there is crying coming from his room. I
stay seated since usually this is just a case of putting him
back down and closing the door. But then I hear "Kerry,
I'm going to need your help!"

I walk in to find Maddox holding poop in his hands and
crying hysterically. Pull-ups on the floor, pajama
bottoms across the room. Big wet spot and smeared doodoo on
the mattress. Sacha takes Maddox to the bathroom to clean
him up and I collect the mess for a spin in the washer.

My son was holding his poop. And upset by it, which he
should have been. A few moments later he was laughing and
all was right again. But the image of Maddox holding his
poop in his hands will be with me for a while. At least he didn't
smear it all over the place, which I've heard happens.

Now the decision comes, do we move him to a real bed from
his crib, so he can walk to the bathroom? Do we want him
roaming around in the middle of the night, drinking milk from the carton,
secretly watching Thomas the Train for the 100th time?
I don't think I'm ready for that. I think I'd rather wash the sheets
occasionally.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mobile love


Just saw this on ittybits.com. So pretty.



Take a peek at the beautiful mobiles, hangings and garlands made by Heather Frazier out of her Portland, Oregon, studio. Her handmade mobiles are crafted from card stock paper in a range of gorgeous colors, cut into a variety of shapes such as circles, hexagons, flowers and more. The shapes are carefully strung on a strong, clear thread and hang from a thin acrylic disc. They make a beautiful gift, and add a sparkle to any room.

Check them out: http://frazierandwing.com/

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Baby on the bus goes waa

Today, on my bus commute home, a couple with a newborn boarded the bus and the newborn was crying. You know, that little cry that only newborns can make? It's not too loud, not too soft, enough to make you look up, but not quite enough to make you cringe? I looked at the parents and had that "I know" feeling come across me. To be new parents is definitely an experience. You are so whipshawed into a state of utter confusion, anxiety, sleeplessness, fogginess. You're also so concerned with how you are parenting and if you're doing the right thing or if you should do it differently. The first week we brought Maddox home was a haze. I couldn't get the breastfeeding thing down and was tired beyond belief. I turned to the Internet and a stack of parenting books to answer my questions in the middle of the night. I cried a few times. I wandered around like I was on drugs. Not having any family around in the clutch times, anonymous mothers online were my therapists.

I also will admit, it wasn't love at first site. It was definitely like. But not love yet. I had this little being crying, spitting, chomping on my nipples...how could this be love?

I really wish I knew then, what I know now. And I guess this is why I'm writing this post. I almost can't wait for the second child. Now that I've been through it once, I can conquer anything.

I wanted to look over at that couple on the bus and tell them it will be ok. It will pass. It's really not as hard as it seems. I'm sure they will figure that out soon.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Craft fair finds

This weekend was the Renegade Craft fair in San Francisco. Along with my friends, Anne selling Archibald Clothing, Shannon selling her Fangs Apparel line and Roman Ruby Soaps, I also bought some jewelry and these fun things:




I've been looking for a tissue box cover since we always seem to have tissue boxes all over the house. This was brilliant.



And the slickest tote! Couldn't resist.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wednesday Blog Round-up

Do You Let Your Children Eat Off the Floor? :: LilSugar:: For me , 5 Second rule is always in effect!

Spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time :: Craft Hope :: Crafty? Get involved and help some kids!


Learn To Stop Procrastinating. Just Do It! :: Momversation :: You can try, really.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Shameless promotion : My sister's art!

I love what my sister is creating and if you're looking for some whimsical art for your children's room or even just around the house, check out her stuff. She has a site on etsy. Here are some of my favorites:


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Travel and Kids DO mix!


Traveling with children is always something to talk about. Whether you have them or not, you have an opinion. And if you have them, you want to be armed with as much information as possible to make the travels as painless as possible. This is why I decided to start a blog about traveling with kids. Kids on a Plane will have recent news, gear ideas, tips and anything else regarding traipsing around the world with your family. Check it out:

Kids on a Plane!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly


My new sewing obsession has got me finding all sorts of amazing blogs and sites from creative women. I'm like a kid in a candy shop. I can't get enough of sewing tutorials and design blogs. I'm also a little overwhelmed. Since I'm just getting the hang of my Singer and learning to read directions from patterns I'm trying to stay clear of any projects that are too detailed. I'm slowly building my supplies and some cheap fabric to practice on. In the meantime check out some of the cool sites I've come across the past couple weeks:


annamariahorner.com/
: This woman is brilliant. A mother of 6 gorgeous children, a pattern maker, fabric designer and all creative gal. I love this pattern and fabric. I plan to purchase some of her fabric once I'm confident I won't destroy it.

mymamamadeit.blogspot.com/: Another creative mom. I'm planning on coming up with a version of her smocked dress. I have the elastic thread and the fabric. I'm going to work on this ASAP.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Slick Coveting

As my husband and I contemplate a second child, we also contemplate our 2 bedroom apartment and how the expanding family will all fit. Ideally, we'd like to move to something a bit bigger, but until that happens we have to make it work.



I just saw this posting on ittybits.com for some great convertible furniture. The toddler bed from P'kolino is brilliant. Perfect to fold up to a chair during the day and out to a bed for nighttime since we'll be cramming the little ones into the same room. I get little flashbacks to the hospital room where we had the most uncomfortable fold out chair situation to sleep on next to Maddox, but I'm hoping this set up is much more pleasing to the body.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Wall art inspiration

My next inspiration comes from a couple I read about today on sfgate.com. They live and own a shop in my neighborhood. They were featured in an article and their rotating art wall got me all excited to do something similar.




We have a big empty spot above our couch and it's in dire need of some slickness. I went today to the thrift store and bought a few frames. Once I get a few more, I'm planning to paint them a similar color and find some great postcards, clippings and such to fill them with.

The cool couple also run the blog Design*Sponge. Great ideas on this site.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

First Sewing Project...ever!

I did it! I did it! As my son would say. Yes, I finished my first sewing project. I found this great shoulder bag tutorial online and just completed it. Although it took me an hour here and an hour there as well as two trips to the fabric store (since I have no idea what to buy when I'm there), I think it looks pretty damn good. I am grinning from ear to ear in the knowledge that I can actually create something. Tell me what you think:

Monday, June 29, 2009

Wheezing. Wine. Wedding.



Wheezing. Wine. Wedding. Those three words sum up my last week.

We had a glorious weekend up in wine country after a few days in the hospital with Maddox. He ended up in the ped ward after a bout of wheezing. Since getting pneumonia a few months ago, the doctors wanted to be extra cautious and monitor him. We now have to treat Maddox as if he has asthma. We give him flovent twice a day through a spacer and inhaler. I won't go in to much detail about the hospital stay, mainly because it's not very entertaining. But as I figure out this asthma deal, I'll be posting more info.

We then traveled to Sonoma for a wedding on Saturday. Besides the 100 degree heat and the sweat dripping from every pore, the wedding was spectacular. Beautiful setting, great eats and lots of wine. Lots. We also were able to catch up with some friends and just chill at our hotel by the pool. I love it up there. It's so calming and relaxing.

Well after that week, I haven't been able to work on any new sewing projects. I got some time in today to get some more fabric and to do some work on my shoulder bag, but I'm a bit stuck, so I have to do some research on certain stitches and tricks.

Stay tuned...

Monday, June 22, 2009

Slick Sustaining :: The Uniform Project


You must check this out. A girl vowed to wear the same dress for a year to raise money for Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. Amazing. What she does is spruce up a LBD with accessories and hand made items, but the core of the outfit is the same dress. Good Luck Sheena!

Slick Spring Scarf


Now that I'm scouting out slick things to make, I came across this scarf via luvinthemommyhood. This will be my next project after a master the bag!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

So, I sew

My birthday gift this year was a sewing machine. The last time I was on a sewing machine was about 5 years ago when I took a beginner's sewing class. It was a 2 hr deal and we made little pillows. I basically didn't do anything about the new found skill. Until now. I'm very excited about my new Singer! I found a cool shoulder bag tutorial online and am working on it now. So far not too many mishaps. I will post a picture of the finished project as soon as I'm done.

It's also so cool to find a lot of resources online. I knew "crafting" was big, but there's so many cool ladies out there making real slick stuff. Can't wait to see more.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Slow parenting and hard bargins

Slow is the new way to go: The slow parenting movement is here. (The Mommy Files)


Woman admits to faking sick baby on her blog : She apologizes for the hoax (Google News)


Potty Training Tip: Drive a hard bargin (Cafemom)

Monday, June 15, 2009

Monday Mom Links

Frugal Father's Day finds: Ways to save a little and still give a lot (Momlogic)

Best toys for infants : Rattles, Books and plushies, oh my!(Modern Mom)

Summer Project: School Notebooks : Keep the creativity flowing this summer. (Alpha Mom)

Breastfed babies have higher grades : Yet more reason to breastfeed. (Yahoo! News)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Summer means one thing. Ice Cream. Here’s a list of the best around the city from your basic chocolate to your Guinness flavored adventure.


Just the Basics
For those of you that like the basics like chocolate chip, coconut or just a real good vanilla, stick with the following favorites:

Mitchell’s Ice Cream
688 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, California
http://www.mitchellsicecream.com/

Joe’s Ice Cream
5351 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 751-1950
http://www.joesicecream.com/

Swensen’s Ice Cream
1999 Hyde St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-6818‎
www.swensensicecream.com


Gourmet
Now some may want to spice it up with a salted caramel, fois gras or rum raisin, try one of these for the adventurous:

BiRite Creamery
3692 18th Street
San Francisco CA 94110
http://biritecreamery.com/

Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison St,
San Francisco, CA 94110
www.humphryslocombe.com

Polly Ann Ice Cream Inc
3138 Noriega St,
San Francisco, CA 94122

Gelato
The Italians idea of ice cream is pure bliss, try one of these for a different take on the ice cream scoop:

Tango Gelato
2015 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-3692
http://www.tangogelato.com/

Ciao Bella
1 Ferry Bldg
Suite 8
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 834-9778
http://www.ciaobellagelato.com/


La Copa Loca
3150 22nd St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 401-7424
www.lacopalocagelato.com


Frozen Yogurt
This isn’t TCBY. The froyo craze is upon us and if you want to see what all the buzz is about, check out one of these:

Tuttimelon
2150 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122
www.tuttimelon.com

Icebee
829 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 882-7800
www.icebeeyogurt.com

YoCup
101 Spear St
Ste A10
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-1545
www.yocupyogurt.com

Monday, June 1, 2009

Cherry Picking!

On Sunday as the fog blanketed San Francisco, a friend and I decided it was time to get to the sunnier skies of the East Bay. Who knew that an hour away we'd have 80 degree weather and orchards and orchards of cherry and peach trees. Well, I guess a lot of people, since it was pretty busy.

Traveling to the outer reaches of the East Bay is definitely something to experience. Being a city girl, I always try to imagine what I would do if I lived out there. It's so cookie cutter, not sure I'd be able to handle it. I admit, there are some beautiful views and the weather is nicer - at least when it's not 100 degrees, but the McMansions are a bit too much. All lined up side by side. We ended up stopping at a Chilies for lunch. It was also quite the experience. Well, I digress. Back to the picking. We had a decent time, although Maddox wasn't that into it. He liked the tractors better. A true boy I guess. Here are some highlights:












Two Tuesday tips- Beaching it

Summer is here and for a lot of us, that means hanging out at the beach. Here are a couple of tips to stay healthy while soaking in the sun with our kids:



1. Full sunshine is at least 10-15 degrees hotter than the air temperature that is always taken in the shade. The sun is hottest between 10 AM and 3 PM…and the more you can keep the kids out of the sun during those hours, the better. Stock up early on waterproof sunscreens, and make sure you have sunscreen for lips in your beach bag. Sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher (I’d go 50+ for the little ones) should be applied ½ hr before going to the beach, and at least twice more during your time in the sun. (don’t forget the feet!) Beach shoes are a must on that scorching sand.

2. Time goes by when you are having fun. What this means is that time could go by and you might not even realize that you have not drank anything during most of the day. Since you are in such a warm environment to begin with, it is important to make sure that you drink a good amount in order to keep your body hydrated. It is a good idea to bring a cooler with water bottles and juices for your children. Encouraging everyone to drink something every few hours is a main key to preventing dehydration while you are at the beach.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Eating for two? You may want to slow down.

New guidelines were released on Thursday for how much weight women should gain during pregnancy.

The facts:

-A normal-weight woman, as measured by BMI or body mass index, should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. A normal BMI, a measure of weight for height, is between 18.5 and 24.9.

-An overweight woman — BMI 25 to 29.9 — should gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.

-For the first time, the guidelines set a standard for obese women — BMI of 30 or higher: 11 to 20 pounds.

-An underweight woman — BMI less than 18.5 — should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

The reality? I gained about 50 lbs. I was normal weight going in and lost about 35 lbs the first month after birth. The rest of the weight throughout the next year. My OB never raised any concerns. I was healthy and happy. Baby was happy, although he was pushing 10lbs when born, but that has more to do with genetics then if I ate ice cream or not.

The most important message from the Institute of Medicine: Get to a healthy weight before you conceive. It's healthiest for the mother — less chance of pregnancy-related high blood pressure or diabetes, or the need for a C-section — and it's best for the baby, too. Babies born to overweight mothers have a greater risk of premature birth or of later becoming overweight themselves, among other concerns.

The guidelines call for increased nutrition and exercise counseling during pregnancy, saying doctors or midwives may need to consult a dietitian to tailor a woman's care no matter her starting weight. Also, providers should discuss whether a woman plans to breastfeed, which not only is optimal for the baby but helps the new mother shed pounds, too.

What did you gain? If it was over the recommendations was your doctor concerned?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Ode to my favorite kitchen utensils

As I was cooking dinner tonight I realized that I have two go to utensils in my kitchen. These are the two I use pretty much every time I cook. I really believe I could throw away all the others in my kitchen drawer and do fine with these two.




First is the black plastic skimmer. I use this for everything from straining vegetables to a makeshift colander to draining canned beans or vegetables. I love this spoon and couldn’t live without it.




Second is the wooden spatula. I love this for sautéing, stir-frying, scraping; you name it. It’s great for scramble eggs, browning meat and stirring stews.


What’s your favorite utensil?

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Slick site spotting - Ittybits

Slick site spotting of the week : Ittybits.com

Ittybits is a Daily Candy for the stroller set. You sign-up and getting daily emails with information about quick dinner ideas, the hottest storage devices and latest parenting news.

From the site:
We aim to help parents simplify, enrich and improve the lives of their children, families and communities. Many moms and dads strive to be well informed, stay up to date, and be conscientious about what they do and buy. However, we all know that juggling careers and family (or sometimes just life itself) can leave little time to sift through the countless parenting resources available to find the type of recommendations and ideas that Ittybits delivers to inboxes Monday through Friday. And that’s why we’re here – to make life a little better, a little easier, and definitely more fun!

Click it: ittybits.com

Monday, May 18, 2009

Two Tuesday tips- Potty time!

Who knew that potty training would be the hardest part of raising a child? So far it's at the top of my list of difficult phases. This past weekend we went “diaper-free” to kick the potty game into high gear. We were about 70% successful. There were some wet shorts and puddles in stores we had to contend with, but being it was the first time my son ever went without a diaper, we’re on the right track. Here are a couple tips for those of you who are potty crazed like me:

1. My niece was always scared by the auto-flushing toilets in public restrooms when she was little. So much so that she would hold it in all day for fear of using the crazy toilet. My sister had to hold her hand in front of the sensor or position herself in front of it while my niece went. I read a nice little tip recently that if you drape a length of toilet paper over the sensor (folded over a few times), you can fool the HAL-like eye. Then when your child is all done, pull it off and let the flush happen. No more worrying about getting sucked down the pipes!



2. Now that we are trying to go diaper-free but don’t want to stay chained to our apartment, we love our portable potty. It’s from Potette Plus. It has little flip out stands that you can put on the ground where ever you go or flip out to fit on an adult toilet. It also comes with plastic bags complete with absorbent pads inside to wrap around and catch the goal. One more bonus, it fits nicely in your bag.

I actually can't wait until I don't have to say "potty" anymore.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Two Tuesday tips - Pancake time!

Who doesn't love pancakes? The syrup dripping over the sides, the butter melting on top...mmmm. Here's two great tips to enjoy them even more:



1. I just read this tip online and think it’s brilliant since I always seem to throw away leftover food. When you have too many pancakes leftover after a big weekend breakfast, wrap them up and refrigerate. On a week day, just throw them in the toaster and viola! Hot, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. A great time saver for the crazy mornings.


2. And cutting up those pancakes in to perfect bite sized shapes? The pizza cutter does wonders. Use it for pancakes, waffles, bagels, soft fruit. Maybe I’ll try it on steak next!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

5 things NOT to do for Mother's Day

With so many lists telling you what to do and how to do it, I figured a few pointers on what not to do would come in handy.

1. Don’t buy an appliance, cooking utensils, new vacuum cleaner or anything that reminds her that, yes, cooking and cleaning is all she does, as a gift.

2. Do not take her to a fast food restaurant or anything that resembles it.

3. Do not expect her to do any household chores or cook.

4. Do not be generic or cliché. No balloons that scream “I just ran by the store on my way home to get this because I forgot until just now”.

5. Do not forget Mother’s Day! You don’t have to spend $$$ or make extravagant plans. Just make sure you honor her in some way to show that you appreciate her.

Happy Mother’s Day for all the women out there that go through this crazy thing called motherhood.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

It's Prom time!

In honor of Prom season, I present a small gallery of the worst prom dresses I've ever seen.









Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Mother's Day gift idea!


My good friend makes wonderful soaps and is having a sale for Mom's Day!

Details:

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 10th and what a better gift then Roman Ruby Botanicals Gift Box!


We are having a special Mother's Day sale this week, free shipping anywhere in the US or hand delivery in the SF area on any purchase of $30 or over (Please have all orders in to us by noon Wed May 6th for mail delivery)
Don't forget all the Mom's in your life: Mom, stepmom, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, grandma, friends, cousins, teachers...

Prices are $8 for 1, $15 for 2, $20 for 3, or a beautiful gift box of 4 for $30.

~Grapefruit Mint (clean and refreshing)
~Hyde Park (flowering herb essential oil, rose petals, chamomile flowers, and hibiscus flowers)
~Lady (Shampure essential oil in goat's milk. If you love Aveda's Shampure scent, you'll love this soap)
~Orange Peel, Honey & Chamomile
~Gentleman (our new masculine soap. Sandlewood, Mint & Patchouli) comes in all glycerin or all goat's milk base
~Lemon Peel & Rosemary
~Lavendar & Wine
~Tahiti (mango & papaya essential oil and hibiscus flowers)
~Hawaiian Tropics (yummy coconut soap)


So get clean yourself or clean up your mothers!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Dining out is for everyone!

It’s sad, but true that parents around the country, and probably world, avoid dining out with their children in tow. On a email group I subscribe to, a newcomer to the city asked where would be the best places to bring their 2 year old for Happy Hour. I sent some suggestions of places I've either been or have heard about. Then one reply came in from a commenter and I was compelled to blog about it. She basically tells the original poster that it’s not worth the effort to go out with children and that once her child turned 5, they stopped all together. I was dismayed to hear this. First, why deny yourself the socialization? Second, why deny your child the experience? I believe very strongly if you follow a few simple tips and start taking your child out to restaurants at an early age you can have a perfectly wonderful time. They will learn to behave and be respectful and you will not kill your social life.

We’ve all had issues at restaurants. I know it can be more of a pain then a glass of Pinot can cure, but if you don’t do it at all, what happens when you’re forced to? Your child will be even crazier since he/she won’t be prepared or knowledgeable on how to behave.

So here are my tips and please, please, please don’t stop going out to dine. Oh, and if you know of kid-friendly spots or know some neighborhood establishments that would like to institute a family friendly night, pass them along. After the tips I list some places around the city that do just that.

1. Going to a restaurant with a child much like flying with one. Bring plenty of things to keep your child occupied. Crayons, stickers, books. Keep them busy!

2. Bring additional snacks and drinks. I know you’re going to “eat”, but sometimes the wait for the food is just too long for little ones and a lot of places don’t have bread baskets.

3. Explain before going to the restaurant what you are doing and how you should act. Quiet, cordial, etc.

4. If your child does start acting up, remove him from the situation. Get up and take him outside for some fresh air. Sometimes they just need to let it out.

5. Lastly, clean up your mess as much as possible. I know you’re not going to pick up every crumb from the floor, but at least tidy up as much as possible. Wait staff will appreciate it as well as other diners.

I think those are the main things to consider. And if you just go in with a clear mind and a good attitude, so will your children.

Now here’s a list of some family nights where you don't have to worry as much and can still get out. Check the restaurant website for details.

Axis Café - Monday
1201 8th Street
(between 16th St & Irwin St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 437-2947
www.axis-cafe.com

Goat Hill Pizza - Monday
300 Connecticut Street
(between 18th St & 19th St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 641-1440
www.goathill.com

Chenery Park - Tuesday
683 Chenery St
(between Carrie St & Diamond St)
San Francisco, CA 94131
www.chenerypark.com

Squat and Gobble - Tuesday
3600 16th Street
(between Castro St & Market St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 552-2125
www.squatandgobble.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Mothers at Museums

17 Museums will be free on Mother's Day, May 10th, around the city.

KORET MUSEUM DAYS 2009:
BAY AREA MUSEUMS OFFER FREE MOTHER'S DAY ADMISSION
IN HONOR OF KORET FOUNDATION'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY

San Francisco, CA - Celebrate Koret's 30th anniversary with a Mother's Day trip to the museum on Sunday, May 10, 2009. Seventeen Koret-supported Bay Area museums are offering free admission, encouraging visitors to enjoy the Bay Area's world-class amenities.
The Mother's Day event marks the second time that Koret has hosted Koret Museum Days, offering free admission on Mother's Day to Bay Area museum-goers. In 2004, a similar event in celebration of the foundation's 25th anniversary drew 55,000 visitors to 13 participating museums, inspiring a trend in corporate philanthropy-supported free weekend admission.
Museums participating in Koret Museum Days 2009 include:

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito

Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco

M.H. de Young Museum

Exploratorium, San Francisco

Legion of Honor, San Francisco

Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley

Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley

Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco

Oakland Museum of California

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

San Francisco Zoo

San Jose Museum of Art

IMAX movie at the Tech Innovation Museum in San Jose
Zeum, San Francisco

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Two Tuesday Tips

Each Tuesday I will list two of my favorite tips or tricks that I either already do, read online or have heard from another parent. Here's this weeks:

1. With the departure of plastic bags from the world and the arrival of reusable shopping bags, I find myself scrambling for somewhere to throw dirty diapers and kitty litter. I came across this tip online for additional sources of bags : bread or hamburger buns (just shake out the crumbs), grocery store fresh produce bags, newspaper bags, toilet paper and paper towel plastic packaging and wipes plastic wrapping.

2. If your child is a budding artist and loves to paint, you know what a mess it can be. A good way to keep paint colors separate and reusable after the little creators run off to the next thing is to use a 7 day pill container for the paint. That way the colors stay separated and you can just close and reuse.

If you have any tips you'd like me to feature, send them my way! kerrylien@gmail.com

Also check out my tips at Examiner.com

Monday, April 27, 2009

Slick site spotting- Lunchbox

After posting about my need to organize, a commenter introduced me to her site about everything "lunch". Since I'm entering this stage of making lunches for Maddox, the site is a great resource. Check it out and let me know if you know of any other good resources.

Click it!Lunchbox

Friday, April 24, 2009

Organize, Schedule, Balance

After vacation I'm sure most of you do what most of us do. We analyze our lives and make decisions on how to make them better. A lot like New Year resolutions if you will. After returning this week, Sacha and I claimed a few of the following:

1. We need to work out more
2. We want to move closer to family
3. We want another baby - one day
4. We need to organize our lives with schedules.
5. We want to travel more - next stop, Italy.


As you can see some are doable, some aren't, for the moment. This week I'm going to conquer #4 on the list. Inspired but Sacha's sister, Natascha, we decided to create schedules and charts for our little threesome. Now Natascha has a complex system for each of her three children. Lists of duties, chores, school functions, after-school activities. It was probably the first thing I noticed when I walked into her Sydney home. I was frozen into bewilderment at the site of the lists cascading down the cupboard doors, but as I read through them, it all made sense. It brought me back to a few Supernanny episodes where Jo posts charts and rules for the families she is visiting and the children seem to follow them seamlessly. (Believe me, it's all TV magic)

Sacha and I also decided we waste a lot of time sitting around watching TV when we could be going to the gym, picking up the house, etc. Not to say I won't be watching Lost and AI, but we could be a lot more efficient with our time. Another cog in the wheel is the looming start date to make lunches for Maddox starting this June. If I want to actually throw more then a slice of bread and a banana in a lunchbox, I'll need to step up my routine.

So, now I'm looking to you for help. If you have any foolproof schedules, charts, planners, minute by minute details of your life, that you'd like to share, I'd love to see them. Until then I'll be making up little lists and working on the bigger plan.

To be continued...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I'm back!

I'm currently fighting jet-lag threefold. A jet-lagged husband, child and myself. Getting back to the swing of things after a wonderful trip abroad is really tough.

The first night was relatively easy. I fell asleep at 8 and slept through pretty much until 7:30am. There was a momentary yowl from Maddox's room, but after a quick sooth he went right back down. Last night was a little tougher. He woke at 10 exclaiming "breakfast?!". Little did he know that some people were still working on dinner in the world. I'm curious to how tonight will go. I'm sitting with a glass of Pinot, ready to catch up on Lost. Wish me luck.

A full trip recap to come!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Whining Mothers on Oprah

Not sure if anyone seen today's Oprah, but it was all about Mothers and Motherhood. I don't usually watch Oprah, but I knew this was the topic since Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com fame was a guest and my husband's company runs her advertising, so I tuned in. And it also just so happened that I was home on a Monday at 4pm with my husband since we're waiting to leave for our flight.

From the first segment I was completely turned off. The mothers they profiled started whining about how hard it is and how motherhood is so tough and overwhelming. I immediately knew this was going to be an hour of boo-hooing. And it was.

I know motherhood can be hard. Of course it can. But is it really that tough? I know I have a pretty mellow child. So maybe I'm not experiencing the hardships other mothers face. But suck it up. And these women who say they don't shower or that they give pizza to their children for breakfast? I don't get it. Put your child in an exersaucer and take a shower. Even toast and jam is better than pizza.

Another thing both Sacha and I noticed...they never once mentioned the fathers during the show. Where are the dads? These women kept mentioning how alone they are, but I believe most of them are married. I know I wouldn't be able to do it without Sacha's help. We take turns, we each give each other some down time away from the child. Is it that most of these women don't have contributing husbands?

I'm just venting, but if it's hard for you, just try to find ways to make it easier and have a glass of Zinfandel. And don't whine about it on Oprah.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

A Down Under we will go!


In just over 24 hours we will be heading to Sydney. Finally. We booked these tickets back in the Fall and I think I've been counting the days since. Then with Maddox's Pneumonia last week I thought the trip may be off. But he's back to 100% toddler mode and we are packing, checking off the lists, doing laundry, cleaning house...

My posts my be a bit scarce over the next couple weeks and I plan to relax, enjoy and be with family.

G'day!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

I'm an Examiner!

You can now read my posts on the San Francisco Examiner's website. I'll be writing articles about parenting in San Francisco and raising a child in the big city.

Check it out: http://www.examiner.com/x-6538-SF-Parenting-Examiner

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Hospital blues



Last Wednesday as I picked Maddox up from daycare I noticed he was running a fever. At that point we can't take him back to daycare for 24 hours. Of course, this threw schedules into disarray. I was scheduled on two live events at work on Thursday and Sacha had meetings back to back all day. I scrambled to get my work covered and planned to stay home on Thursday. The fever got increasingly worse through out Wednesday evening and in the morning it had hit 102 and Maddox was miserable. After giving him Tylenol and calling the doctor's we just thought it was a bad cold and kept trying to bring the fever down with baths, cold wash clothes and more Tylenol. After his nap his eyes were completely crusted over and he was screaming. We had already had an appointment for the doctors on Friday since a couple weeks early he was treated for and ear infection. I called the advice nurse again and she thought it was OK to wait for that appointment and just keep an eye on him.

By Friday morning he seemed better, but when 11am hit the fever came back with a vengeance. He was back to being miserable. We took him to the doctors on Friday afternoon and everything went down hill from there. After a chest x-ray the doc determined it was Pneumonia. Poor little guy. Off to the hospital we go. The next 24 hours was filled with IVs, oxygen, breathing treatments, vitals checks and plenty of doctors and nurses poking and prodding. He was just a wreck. It's so weird to see your baby go through something like this. They have no idea what's happening.

I do have to say that Maddox was awesome. Even when his fever hit 104 at one point, he made it through. We thought (hoped) we'd be sent home on Monday, but they kept us until Tuesday. One part of me was exasperated that we needed to spend yet another night in the hospital, but then knowing that as long as they want to check on Maddox the better he will be. Especially since we leave for Sydney in 4 days, which by the way was another scramble since we had to cancel our original flight and postpone a few days.

To add to the mix, we flew my mother out from Detroit to spend the week with us and help us care for Maddox as we went back to work and school. I'm exhausted. It's amazing what 4 days in a hospital with a sick child can do to your state of mind.

The good news is he is almost 100% back to being our happy, giggly, little boy.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

In the Motherhood premiers tonight

I'm quite intrigued about the new sitcom airing tonight called "In the Motherhood" starring Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines on ABC. I never watched the web series that the show is based on, but I've read a couple articles and the fact that they are taking stories from real moms and incorporating them into the show is a fantastic idea. It's getting some mixed reviews from critics, but I have my DVR set and ready. Will give you my thoughts after I watch.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Oh the smell

Our daycare has started enlisting parents to help with laundry duty. Each week a parent needs to take home about a load of laundry to do over the weekend. This past weekend was our turn. I dutifully picked up the white garbage bag full of assorted sheets, bibs and shirts, stuck it in the trunk of the car and promptly forgot about it. That's where the trouble began.

The next morning, bright eyed and ready for a Saturday morning brunch at our favorite breakfast spot, Sacha gets Maddox and goes to the car. He opens the door and the smell that burst out was over-powering. Imagine: a week's worth of dirty laundry from 20 toddlers. Everything from poop, spit, food, throw up and snot was cooking overnight in the trunk of our car. I hear a growl come from Sacha as he almost passes out. All along Maddox is just happily strapped in his car seat like nothing is happening. Sacha quickly grabs the bag from the trunk and runs back up to the house to throw it in the wash. At this point I go to the car armed with Glade air freshener and spray the inside of the car and trunk. The Tropical Essence is not conquering the smell. Sacha returns to the car and tells me he dry heaved into the sink as he was emptying the bag of wretched laundry into the washer. Luckily he hadn't eaten yet or if would have been his breakfast. As we drove to the restaurant we had the windows open, I continued to spray air freshener, but the smell would not go away. After breakfast we went to Walgreens to buy some of those little hanging car fresheners which only made the car smell like vomit with a hint of ocean breeze. I think it took about two full days for the smell to actually go away.

So the lesson learned? Don't leave dirty laundry in the trunk of your car. EVER!

Speaking of hump day...

We've been at the potty training thing for about 4 weeks now. Maddox is at the point where he will go on the potty when we put him on the potty, but will still go in his pull-ups if he has them on. We have him bare bottomed most of the time while we're home and his day care has him sitting on the potty 5 times a day. He still has the occasional accident on the floor. Not sure how to get over the hump. I don't want to force him, yet we need to have him 100% potty trained by May 4th. (day care rules) It's not going to help that we will be on vacation for 2 weeks.

Any suggestions on how to get to the next step? Should I eliminate diapers/pull-ups all together? Carry the potty with me everywhere?

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Vacation countdown has begun

We leave for Australia in two weeks. We are bubbling over with excitement. It's been quite a while since we took a big vacation. We typically go somewhere international once a year and then take many mini trips through out, but with me getting laid off last year and my husband taking on a new job, we just sort of bunkered down for the past 12 months. We did take a trip to Tahoe twice and a few overnights but that's it. This trip is much needed. And we are visiting family which makes it even more special.

Now the packing and planning begins. I tend to start thinking things through, as far as packing for a long trip, a couple weeks ahead. Just in case I need to make any purchases beforehand. I check weather reports, dig out my toiletries containers, think about the plane ride. Maddox has been on one long-haul flight and numerous smaller flights, but since we haven't traveled much lately it's been about a year since his last flight. Now that he's a full blown toddler, there's definitely some pre-planning involved. I bought a sticker book (700 stickers!!), have some snacks planned and am borrowing a DVD player. Our flight out is a red-eye, so I'm crossing my fingers that he will drop out at some point during the 13 hours in the air.

Other than the dvd player, the activities, snacks...any prep suggestions you have, please send them along.

As far as the actual vacation, we will be staying with my sister-in-law and her family at their beach house in Sydney. My mother-in-law is also joining us from South Africa. So it will be a great family reunion. There's a Hot Air Balloon ride planned, the Sydney Opera House, an excursion to wine country and to another place called Kangaroo Valley. Can't frickin' wait!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Baby Boom!





Babies, babies, babies. Everyone is having a baby! And it's confirmed.

More babies were born in the US in 2007 than any year in the nation's history, topping the peak during the baby boom 50 years earlier.

Of course, the report also goes on to say that it's just a little tremor and that the economic landscape of late is going to bring the numbers back down. But I still find it worth mentioning that babies are abundant in the USA.

Click for the full story.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Overheard in San Francisco

Everyday someone says something either stupid, weird or just down right offensive. I decided to start keeping a list. Being that I take public transportation and I'm also in school I hear a lot of crazy stuff. Here's a couple to chew on:

In Class:
Girl sitting behind me: *hack* *hack* *cough* *cough*
(goes on for about 10 minutes)
Me: Would you like a cough drop?
Girl: I don't believe in suppressing coughs.


On Bus:
Girl on cell phone: Man, he was all over my shit. He started rubbing on me and wanted more, but we just cuddled. I told him (her boyfriend) that nothing happened and we just cuddled and he got all mad...
(This goes on the whole length of my bus ride= 20 minutes)

More to come I'm sure!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I can't take all these scare tactics!

Ok. Just this week I learned the baby bottles AND the baby shampoo I've been using can cause cancer. I mean, really? What's going on? Every other day I'm reading that something I'm doing is wrong for the health and safety of my child. I don't know where to turn. So, yes... I can stop using the plastic bottles and stop using Johnson's Baby Soap. I get that. But I've already been using these things for 2 years. Has the damage already been done?

If you haven't heard, a recent study is saying that many children's bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies.

From momlogic.com:

According to the study, which was released earlier this week by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 23 of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde. For those of you only familiar with formaldehyde as an embalming agent, it's considered a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency and is released as preservatives break down over time in a container.

32 of 48 products contained 1,4-dioxane, also considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, which is a byproduct of a chemical processing techniques used to make petroleum-based ingredients gentler to the skin. Nearly two-thirds of products tested, including Johnson's Baby Shampoo, contained both chemicals, according to a coalition of environmental and health groups that includes the Breast Cancer Fund and the Environmental Working Group.

A spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson says the company's products are safe, meeting or exceeding all regulations. And a spokesman for the Personal Care Products Council says the study's results are old news.

Apparently, manufacturers have known for years that bubble bath, shampoo and other products contain small amounts of formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, and have already reduced theses levels significantly, says John Bailey, the council's chief scientist.

A new study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that many baby bath products contain formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, which are both linked to cancer and skin allergies. The campaign notes that products with formaldehyde levels over 500 parts per million require warning labels in Europe, although not in the USA.


I just bought a new bottle of Johnson's soap... Can I get a refund?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Slick in San Francisco!

theslickmom.com was mentioned in an article by Laure Latham Guyot in regards to Blogs for Families in the Bay Area. Hoorah!

Check out the full article here:

SFKids.org

Thanks Laure!

And welcome to anyone new to my blog.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Muppets are the New Fur



PETA! Where are you with your red paint?

The fashion at Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's fashion show in Paris this week consisted of heads and hides of our beloved Muppet friends. Is this a fashion trend about to spark?


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Finally...Baby Bottle Makers Ban BPA

from Momlogic:

Top bottle makers say they'll ban the harmful chemical BPA in their baby bottles.

Hallelujah! The top six baby bottle makers have said that they will stop using the potentially harmful chemical BPA in their baby products. For the record, those companies are Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex, and Evenflo.

In the first large scale study of BPA in humans back in September, a team of researchers found exposure to bisphenol A or BPA was associated with cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities in adults.

However, right after that study came out, the FDA defended its assessment that BPA is safe. ''Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits,'' said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety.

Momlogic pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson says, "We don't know the long-term health consequences or the significance of a given amount of BPA. But studies have shown that exposure to high levels of BPA does cause increased risk of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and breast cancer; it lowers sperm count; and it increases the risk of prostate cancer. Bottom line: BPA is the focus of much attention these days and, based upon the data, should be avoided when possible."

This article scares me a bit since I used Avent bottles with Maddox. I knew about BPA but since it was still in research phase, I still went with Avent.

Did you switch to a BPA-free bottle?

Monday, March 9, 2009

National Napping Day and I missed it

It's 9:34pm on Monday night and I just now found out that today was/is National Napping Day. What?! Um, where's my card?

I'm not sure what adult actually has time to nap on Monday. Why don't they make it a Sunday or Saturday. As for me, Monday's are packed with work, school, and baby duty.

Nap...ha!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Strollers may make your baby dumb!

OK, that title may be a little harsh, but a new study has emerged regarding Front-facing strollers. Take a read:

From The Mommy Files:

Here's yet another thing for you to worry about. Researchers from Dundee University in Scotland found that time spent in a 21st-century stroller can be emotionally isolating for a baby.


A new study suggests that forward-facing strollers might not be better for the mental health of babies.
The study suggests that old-fashioned buggies, which allow babies to lie down and look up at their parent, give babies the best start in life, while front-facing strollers discourage parents from talking to their little ones. What's more, children in front-facing strollers are significantly less likely to talk and laugh because they're deprived of parent interaction. A recent wave of hi-tech, adaptable, parent-facing buggies--such as the Bugaboo Cameleon--can help, but they are pricey, the researchers say.

"Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful," said the study's author, Suzanne Zeedyk of Dundee University's school of psychology.

The New York Times ran an Op-Ed piece by Zeedyk last Sunday:

Of course, infants do not spend all their time in strollers, but anecdotal evidence suggests that babies can easily spend a couple of hours a day in them. And research tells us that children's vocabulary development is governed almost entirely by the daily conversations parents have with them. When a stroller pusher can't easily see the things that attract a baby's attention, valuable opportunities for interaction can be missed.

Ours was a preliminary study, intended to raise questions rather than to provide answers. It is now clear that future research on the effects of stroller design would be worthwhile.


More worry for parents and a money-making idea for backwards facing stroller manufacturers.

What do you think? Do we really need to worry about this latest stab?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Birth Videos up for sale


Man, Octomom gets a lot of press. I think every other day there's a new story about Nayda Suleman and her baseball team. Today a rumor has it that she may sell the birth tape for 7 figures. Who wants to see that?

It brings me back to the prenatal class I took while I was pregnant. Sacha and I attended this class to learn a little about what was going to happen to me during the labor process. Even though I had already signed up for heavy drugs, you never know if you'll be able to get the meds in time. The most shocking part of the class was the labor videos they showed. Now, I know birth is a natural process, (ugh) and of course I've seen people give birth in the movies and on TV lots of times, but for some reason these videos were different. First, the women they filmed were each majorly overweight, and not from baby weight. One woman was definitely obese. Second, the birthing process is not pretty. No matter what you look like, you're not looking like Katherine Heigl during labor. When stars like Heigl give birth in the movies you almost don't mind the crotch shot. But when a woman that's nearing 300 lbs is moaning and sweating and grunting her way through actual labor, I just don't want to watch. We were pretty scarred that day. Not sure Sacha will ever recover.

Point... keep the birth tape to yourself, Nadya. You've exploited yourself and your children too much already. The therapy bills these kids will rack-up will keep America paying for a long time to come.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Target Demo: Blonde Mothers!



If you didn't know, Jimmy Fallon debuted last night in his Late Night seat. One of the opening skits was focused on his target demographic... Blonde Mothers!!! I thought the skit was chuckle inducing. Well, at least the part about being two chardonnay's away from ruining your wedding.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

IKEA, the wonder store

Where else can you shop for a foot stool, a bed spread and a whole new kitchen, plus eat the best Swedish Meatballs this side of Stockholm in one afternoon?

I love IKEA. We have plenty of items from IKEA at our place and I can always have more. The price it right and in this economy, the place was busy. Now they even sell Kenmoore appliances.

Today we made it out pretty low on the buying side. Just a foot stool, some trivets, plastic cups, and few other tidbits. But the whole reason we hopped over the bridge was for the meatballs. And they were darn tasty.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

President Obama Speaks to Us

Obama's Speech was hopeful last night. The part that stood out to me what the part on parent's responsibility.

From Momlogic:

The 52-minute speech was interrupted 50 times by applause. Here was one of the quotations that brought Congress to their feet:

"In the end there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent ... for a mother or father who can attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child. I speak to you not just as a president but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue -- that's an American issue."

I always believed this. I'm glad President Obama said it. Now let's get to work!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Spoke too soon

Last week I mentioned that Maddox has finally hit the terrible two stage. Well I spoke too soon. It only lasted about a week. Now he's back to his sweet, mellow self. Maybe he was just having one of the weeks. We've all had them. Toddlers can have them too. Of course maybe I'm jinxing myself again. I better shut up now.

Potty Training and weekends away

We took our first weekend away without Maddox this past weekend. It went as smooth as a baies butt. It was actually only about 24 hours away. We dropped Maddox off at friend's on Saturday around 11am and picked him up by 2pm on Sunday. Those of you without family close know how hard it is to get away when you have children.

The weekend was a success. My husband and I has a great relaxing time. Maddox had a blast. Probably more fun then us!

We also started potty training last week. We are doing it a little early because Day Care wants him 100% trained by May. So far, he loves his potty. He is about 50/50 on actually going on the potty and not going, but we're getting there. Stickers, claps, pats on the back. He loves it.

Although, not loving cleaning up the 1 and 2s on the floor!

Stay tuned for a new slick tip this week.

If you have any tips you'd like to share, email me at kerry@slickmachines.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What's in your bag?



What's in your diaper bag? Here's a video of what I carry with me for my toddler. Those of you with smaller children may have different things, like formula, spit rags, etc. But... this is what gets me through. Enjoy!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hold on, it's gonna get bumpy.

It has happened. The dreaded stage in a child's life that no parent wants to encounter. Maddox has officially entered his terrible twos. The crying, the falling on the floor kicking, the whining, the screaming at the top of his lungs. It has come.

I'm in a bit of shock since I thought we'd get through the toddler years like a breeze. Maddox has always been the mellow child. Friends have often commented on how good he is and how mellow he is. Our Day Care teacher even stated a few times that she wishes all her charges were like Maddox. I thought we were in the clear. I thought we had the angel everyone hoped and dreamed for. But in the back of my head I was always waiting for this day. The day when everything gets turned around on us. I mean, how come we'd be the lucky ones, right?

Well, as soon as the big number 2 hit, the little devil that has been growing inside my sweet little boy decided to rear it's ugly head. At first I ignored it. I didn't think that my boy, that has been a model child, would ever have a tantrum. Well, I was wrong. It's been building inside of him for two years and now I've come to accept that we are in the thick of this stage of toddler-dom. There's no turning back.

I was starting to get upset about it and starting to dread the anticipation of "will he or won't he" scream like a banshee if I try to dress him, change him, take him to day care, feed him, take him to the store. But I now realize there is nothing I can do but sit back and watch it unfold. He's in this stage where he still is not in control and doesn't know enough to do everything himself and it's damn frustrating to him. I get that.

My solution: I will be here to comfort him. I will be here to wipe his tears and snot. I will be here to move any breakable items out of the way. I will rock him and sing him songs. But otherwise, there's not much else I can do. It's going to happen. It will last as long as it will last and me getting worked up about it wont' change a thing.

So now I'm going to go buckle my seat belt, keep my hands and feet inside and hold on. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Slick Tip: Cookbook for Baby Food


This week I wanted to share my favorite cookbook for babyfood. I use this still to cook meals for all of us at dinner. Let me know your favorite recipe book!

You can get Annabel Karmel's book here: Amazon

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Making Babies on a Downturn?

I came across an interesting post on The Daily Beast about the recession and making babies. A survey the Beast did shows that baby-making plans are down:

Nearly half of all Americans surveyed (42 percent) are now less likely to have children, and many are postponing other major life events. Americans are now less likely to get married (31 percent), move in with a partner (26 percent), or go through with a divorce (35 percent). Add maternity wards, wedding registries, chapels, and divorce courts to the list of institutions likely to suffer in the coming years.

Another interesting result from the poll:

Americans who make less than $75,000 plan to have less sex—and even look at less sexual material—in 2009.

So, how does this translate for you? Are you planning to add to your family anytime soon? Are you holding off? Are you still having sex?

What will this mean to the baby related industries? I think it was really booming in the past five years. Maybe it's time to slow down.

Full Daily Beast post here.

Monday, February 9, 2009

My sister, the artist



A little plug for my sis. She's doing cool artwork for kids rooms and more. Below is one of her latest paintings. She also does alphabets and themed paintings.



Check out all her work at http://www.bitowhimsey.com/index.html

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Tribute to my boy

When Maddox turned two last month, I wanted to put together a video journal of him over the past year. I don't keep a baby-book or scrapbook, so I decided a video scrapbook would be great. Something we can look back at over the years.


Maddox in his 2nd year from theslickmom on Vimeo.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Slick Tips!

I'm going to start vlogging parenting tips each week. I'm not an expert, of course, but these tips will just be little things I think make life with a baby or babies easier. This week... a little Valentine's Day tip for you. If you want, please send me your tips and I'll mention it on my vlog!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Momtroversy of the week

A popular mom social network, Momlogic.com posted a blog that has momlogic regulars up in arms.

The blog is about abortion vs miscarriage and the poster states that someone being a pro-choicer and then being sad about miscarrying is a hypocrite. I think the blog post is ridiculous and ignorant. Most commentors think the same. Here's the text, tell me what you think:

Pro Choice? Quit Crying About Your Miscarriage

Guest blogger Gina: I respect women's right to choose, but I have little tolerance for pro-choicers who expect sympathy when they have a miscarriage.

These are women who put pro-choice buttons on their backpacks in college and ridiculed pro-lifers for being backward, repressive religious freaks who want to control the world's uteruses.

Ten years have passed and lo and behold, these women have grown up, gotten married, and now have the itch to have a baby of their own. Suddenly the monthly visitor that they were relieved to get when they were 20, now, at 32, plunges them into the depths of depression.

Like vegetarians who eat chicken but not beef, many pro-choice advocates want it both ways. It's a baby when they want it to be, it's a bundle of cells when they don't.

If you believe that pregnancy doesn't produce a baby until some magic number (13 weeks? 20 weeks? 40?), then you must also agree that it's ridiculous to break down in hysterics, set up a memorial website for your "angel," and seek out a grief counselor when you start bleeding in your first trimester. After all, you're simply talking about the loss of a conglomeration of microscopic cells, right?! That's hardly something to cry about.

Advocate all you want, but don't come crying to me when your hypocrisy hits you like a ton of bricks. If you are going to defend the right to abort babies, you don't have the right to be upset when yours dies.

Click to see full article and comments

The crazy lady with the stroller= trendsetter

Yesterday I walked to get Maddox from daycare. It's a nice 15 minute walk and the sun was shining. I didn't leave the stroller at the daycare, so I had to bring it on the walk with me. I got several stares, curious glances and the like from others on the street. One couple passed me, looked at the empty stroller, looked at me and the back at the empty stroller with a quizzical glance. Another guy actually asked if I left my baby somewhere. Why was it so weird to be pushing an empty stroller? Did these people think I was crazy? Did they wonder why in the world I'd be pushing an empty stroller? It was very comical to me. I just smiled and kept walking. I think I smiled more because I wanted passersby to think I was crazy! I guess the funnier thing about the situation is that I live in a neighborhood will everyone tries so hard to be different that they all look the same. So maybe I started a trend. Maybe today I'll see a few more people walking around with empty strollers.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Momtroversy of the week

Octuplets. 8 kids. Rumor is that the mother is single and has 6 other kids. Yes. You heard me...14 kids total for this single mom. Crazy. Pure craziness.

From MSNBC:

A Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets on Monday has six other children.

The woman, who has asked to not be identified, is still recovering at a Los Angeles hospital along with the eight newborns. Her other six kids live at home with her and her parents.

That revelation has fertility experts questioning the mother's choice to get fertility treatments and carry a multiple pregnancy.

"Our patient was counseled regarding her options for the pregnancy. The options were to continue the pregnancy or selectively abort. The patient chose to continue the pregnancy," said Dr. Harold Henry with Kaiser Permanente.

The father of the octuplets remains unknown. The babies' grandmother says the mother used in vitro fertilization.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

Sibling Rivalry steps up a notch

From SFGATE.COM

Sister beats up bride at wedding reception

A woman who wasn't invited to her sister's wedding reception showed up anyway and attacked the bride, pulling out clumps of her hair, police said. Annmarie Bricker, 23, of Valparaiso, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of battery.
More News

Jeremy Glotzbach told police he was hosting a reception for newlyweds Nicholas Landry and Lori Kappes at his home on Jan. 23 when Bricker, Kappes' sister, attacked Kappes on the front porch.
Bricker pulled out clumps of Kappes' hair, struck her head and took the bride to the ground during a struggle, according to the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
Bricker told police she went to the house because she "just wanted to talk" to her sister and parents about family problems. She said she never touched her sister, but five witnesses contradicted her, authorities said. Kappes did not need medical treatment.
Bricker later resigned from her job as a Porter County 911 dispatcher, officials said.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

10 musts for a two year old birthday party




1. Many friends both adult and child.
2. Alcohol
3. Cake
4. Balloons
5. Food
6. Alcohol
7. Toys
8. Couch for jumping
9. Laid back attitude
10. Did I mention alcohol?

If you don't have all of the above... might as well cancel the affair.

Friday, January 23, 2009

"Whatchu talkin about Willis?".

Maddox is in this stage that can only be described as "Whatchu talkin about Willis?".

First example:
Maddox is terrified, yet fascinated with dogs. While we don’t have a dog, when he sees them on the street, in a magazine or on TV, he gleefully utters “Doggie” several times. This is when the dog is at a safe distance. The other week a neighbor’s dog was going out for it's walk at the same moment Maddox was climbing the stairs to our apartment. The dog, which is some breed of bull dog, came bounding down the stairs like a tornado towards Maddox which then resulted in him almost falling down the stairs and he broke out in hysterical crying. My neighbor and I tried to calm the situation by saying to Maddox that it was a “nice doggy” and showed him that I was petting the dog. Maddox wasn’t having it and continued to cry. Once the dog went on his way and we were back in the apartment, just about settled down, Maddox started crying for the doggy. Yes, reaching out his hand and calling “doggy, doggy” amongst tears. He wanted the dog back. I was confused.

Second example:

Last night during a run to Trader Joes, an employee handed Maddox a balloon. He was fascinated and wanted to hold on to it. He typically loves balloons. What kid doesn't? Several times during our shopping trip he either asked for the balloon or swatted it away and
said "No!". We got into the car…same thing. He cried for the balloon when it was out of his reach and then cried and said "no" when I handed it to him. Dude. And on the stairs to the apartment… same scenario. Of course this is all while I’m trying to lug three bags full of wine, food and other sundries into the apartment while coaxing him up the stairs. Amidst Maddox’s cries of misery of the stairway feat, the balloon finally popped when it hit the stairwell light. This resulted in more crying and calling for “balloon balloon balloon". But wait... You didn't want the balloon 30 seconds ago. Now you do?

Man... I need a new book. Nothing in those damn "What to expect..." tomes told me to how to figure out this little "phase".