Where's Mummy?

Not home, that is for sure. I am sure if you swing into the Yorktown area of Virginia later today you will find me in a pool with my kids enjoying this first week of summer.

Earlier this week I was up in Dearborn, Michigan again with Ford. I know! I was beyond excited too! Drag racing F-150's, learning about new and current technology in Ford cars and meeting some amazing people. It was educational, inspiring and a total blast!



Ed Begley Jr spoke about the small things we can all do to help the environment. It was great to hear such passion from someone besides myself on this matter.

On a whole other note, head over to MPR. Scroll through and enter some great contests on beauty items, Cars 2 prize packs and a year's subscription to Discovery Girl magazine!

If you are a ginormous Sons of Anarchy fan like me, then read this. Seriously, does that baby ever wear anything besides that baby blue SOA hat?

I'm reading a delightful book by David Lebovitz called, The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City">The Sweet Life in Paris. It's mouth-wateringly good and terrifically funny. If you are a francophile in any way or someone who likes to cook, pick this book up maintenant!

Where's Mummy?

On her third cup of coffee and still finding herself standing in her kitchen holding a fork, dish towel and piece of pineapple in her hand. Am I eating the pineapple with the fork or am I wiping it with the dish towel? I don't know. I'm too tired today to remember. Thanks Cinco de Mayo!

In other news-

There's still time to enter a Fling Bin for your recyclables! ProPlants is giving one lucky MPR reader a $50 gift code too! There are Tostito's too!

Good Reads-

The Lies Parents Tell by Sarah and the Goon Squad

Cathy Herard's awesomeness. She has more than reviews. She has green living, recipes and all sorts of other things under the Maine sun.

All the books I think I will be getting for Mother's Day-

Bossypants by Tina Fey
The Social Climbers Handbook (think female American Psycho) by Molly Jong-Fast. Yes, she's Erica Jong's daughter.
If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster (I confess, I bought this myself.)


Have a great weekend!

Just Book It

"When are you going to write a book? Quite honestly, I think you should. You have such a beautiful gift."

I've been told I should write a book for a while. Even Role Mommy said so! I have to say that I am indeed working on it. It's just incredibly hard when you only have blips of time to do that work plus everything else. For me to write a book or even get enough of my act together to send something off to publishers would take s o much concentrated time and effort on my part.

I promised H I would do it by the end of the summer but then my weekly sitter up and quit on me. So the whole working on the book thing isn't going as well as I would have hoped.

Here's the thing though- would you even buy a book I would write or am I just wasting my time?

On The Nightstand

I've been inspired this week by the summer reading bug, Newsweek and the blog, Everyday I Write the Book. I'm an avid reader, typically reading about 3 books and 2 magazines at a time. I read standing up while cooking dinner, I read in the car while waiting even if it's for a mere moment. I scatter reading material all about the house so that there is always something handy if I have a free second to read.

When Newsweek devoted a whole issue this week to author interviews, a revised 'must' read lists and the pure joy that is reading I found myself in a state of bliss. I had just finished 'Testimony' by Anita Shreve and I'm working my way through these two books as well. Books are piling up on my nightstand and my local library just waiting for me to unleash their secret worlds. A new book is exhilarating. So is an old one. I have a lot of favorite books from various authors ranging from David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs to Edith Wharton and Margaret Mitchell. There are a few I could read and re-read for the simple reason that they never fail to reveal something new, provide me with comfort and characters that I love to reacquaint myself with over and over again. Here are just a few:

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell- My all time favorite book. I read it in three days at the age of thirteen and have been continuously re-reading it ever since. It has everything and the story never gets old to me.

The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton- The Gilded Age, a woman torn and trapped by the narrowness of her social standing. It is everything this History major and woman's studies minor focused on for four years in college. It's beautifully written and I fall in love with it every time.

On Leaving Charleston, Alexandria Ripley- Not very typical of me but it describes clothing, places and food in a wonderful way. It takes the reader through many decades that showcase the changes our country went through in the post-Civil War era up until the Great Depression. This history nut can't help but investing her time in it many times over.

Dry, Augusten Burroughs- At times dark, other times laugh out loud, tears running down my face funny. This tale of addiction and rehab is candid and identifiable. To me, it is Burroughs best.

I've got a whole slew of others but I would love for you to share some of your favorite books with me.

Jennifer Weiner's New BFF

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview best-selling novelist Jennifer Weiner about her new book, Best Friends Forever (debuting July 14, 2009). To say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. I have enjoyed reading Weiner's book since the very beginning. I can still remember a cross-country flight that was fun and relaxing because I was reading, In Her Shoes (now a major motion picture), the whole time.





1. The theme of female friendship is the common thread that all your previous books have in common. However, the opening to “Best Friends Forever” plays out like a suspense thriller. How is this book different from your others?


I wanted to weave elements of suspense and a highly compressed time frame in to a more traditional narrative about the way two girls came together and grew apart. There’s also a male main character, so that was new for me.


2. You write so often about long time friendship between women. Is there a friend you have that has been there for you through your lifetime?


Oddly, no. I was a weird, geeky kid who was more comfortable with books than people for many, many years, so I don’t have the kind of friendship described in the book (maybe that’s why I wrote it…wish fulfillment in reverse?)


3. The book “In Her Shoes” is now also a film. Did the movie version meet your expectations?


I tried very hard not to have any expectations about the movie. I told myself that the book was the book, and whether the movie was good, bad, or unwatchable, it wouldn’t change a page of what I’d written. I ended up being absolutely thrilled with the movie – with the screenplay, for starters, and the casting, and the fact that they shot the Philadelphia scenes in Philadelphia, instead of dashing up to Canada with a papier-mache Liberty Bell.


4. You were a novelist first and now you have a blog. Do you have any advice to bloggers who are aspiring novelists?


Don’t blog if it feels like work – you’ll be miserable and the readers will be able to tell. Find a voice that feels natural, whether it’s your own or the voice of one of your characters, and please, please, please, don’t make every single post promotional, or a paean to your own excellence. Even if you think you’re being self-deprecating (“Best-selling Author Spends Afternoon De-Pilling Twinsets!”) too much of it comes across as grating and smug. Particularly if your ever post includes the phrase “best-selling author.”


5. Do you have a ritual that you go through before you start each book?


Heh. I have kids. Who has time for rituals, other than opening a new Word file?


6. Who are your favorite authors?


Susan Isaacs, Stephen King, Peter Straub, Anne Tyler, Nicholas Christopher, Katherine Dunn, Tabitha King,


7. What book or books are you currently reading?


Kate Christensen’s TROUBLE, Julie Metz’s PERFECTION, and Christopher Buckley’s LOSING MUM AND PUP.

About the book, Best Friends Forever- "Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her schools scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of La Prairie, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the internet. She has just returned from Bad Date #6, when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, with terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, funny, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together forever. "

A big THANK YOU to Jennifer for allowing me to interview her and review her book (Coming Soon! over at Mummy's Product Reviews!)

The Comedian

So, what is up with you acting like a five day old Wolverine baby? All gnashing gums and razor fingers ripping at my decolletage. You find it all highly and sickly amusing. Are you illin' or just up to your usual tricks?

Internets, I would like to introduce you to The Comedian. Formerly known as Dash Two this little bundle of non-stop giggles has shown us she has quite a sadistic *cough* er interesting sense of humor.

Exhibit A:

Me: Gaah!! Must nurse! Let's go Dash Two - feed!

Dash Two nurses for 2 seconds, breaks off, looks up at me and smiles. Then laughs. She repeats this painful little move about nine more times. TD finds it all very hysterical. Me? Not so much.

Exhibit B:

Dash Two wakes up and I pick her up. She stinks. As I begin to change her my finger lands in something extremely unpleasant. Eating solid foods... is awesome. Blech. I let out an early morning, "Mother F*cker!" Dash Two laughs hysterically at the fact that I just stuck my hand in her own poop. Either that or she is on her way to becoming the newest George Carlin.


New & Notes:

Check out my latest book review on Amy Dickinson's new book, The Mighty Queens of Freeville at MPR.

I'm up over at 23andMe today discussing Pytalism and more. Come on! You know you want to know what Pytalism is! "Speaking of Spitting-
I first knew I was pregnant with my eldest daughter when I found I had the uncontrollable urge to spit all the time. Suddenly the taste of my own saliva was too much to bear."

Book Day! Entry 3

Once again, saved by the book. After a sleepless night convincing me that there is indeed no rest for the wicked (another post entirely) and the wicked not being me but our dog, I am grateful to be have the book. You'll notice this part goes back a few years in Casey's life and this part is really just setting the scene for later things. I'm toying with this idea of going back and forth in her life.


The 90s

Casey slid down the wall, hugging her notebook to her small frame and feeling the hard books in her backpack dig into her back. She slumps down beneath the front office window of her new school. Who knew that high School was the gateway to hell, she thought to herself. Certainly not her parents who had decided that public school would be a good change for her. She had her doubts, but never thought it would be this bad she mused as she thought back to through her day.

Earlier that morning her mother had sent her out the door saying cheerily, “Have a great day honey! You’ll be just fine. You know Peter and Sarah and I am sure Peter will show you around. You’ll be in the same homeroom.” OK, sure she thought. She knew Peter, her next-door neighbor, for as long as she could remember. That did not mean he was going to be all buddy-buddy with her at school. They were too different. She knew that already. Sarah was still on vacation with her family and would not even be at school this first week. “Lucky girl”, she thought. Casey got on the bus that morning, another foreign thing after years of private school. She felt as if she was floating above her body. Buses really smell she thought as she plunked herself down onto a green vinyl seat and tried not to breathe in the scent of gas fumes, rubber and other people’s lunches. Being so small she had to sit on the side of the bus that held the middle school kids. The bus driver glared at her from behind her purple tinted sunglasses and barked at Casey, “B-8!” “Assigned seats on a high school bus? Who does that?” Casey thought. The driver explained gruffly that until she had her school ID card she looked just another "middle school punk".

Casey’s first day passed by in a blur. Peter was in fact in her homeroom but he immediately deemed her ‘uncool’ in the frightful plaid skorts ensemble that her mom had picked out for her. He completely ignored her and in fact did not even look at her when she slunk into her seat. Her head was beginning to throb and she just wanted to sleep. To dream this day away and out of existence. She became hopelessly lost in the hallways not understanding the standard issue a.k.a. neon sign denoting her freshman status map and got jostled in the unfamiliar streams of hallway traffic. At one point, a purple haired kid growled at Casey from beneath his shaggy mane of hair. She had jumped back startled only to bump into lockers and more people who just tossed her back into the throng of quickly moving students. Lunch was even worse. Casey, knowing no one, had to sit alone and she decided was not even remotely hungry and threw out her sack lunch.

The day seemed as never ending as the maze of hallways in the school. By the time, the last bell rang at two o’clock Casey flung herself out the first exit door she could find only to realize too late that it was all together the wrong door and her bus was nowhere in sight. There were three lines of buses behind the school. Each one looking the same as the one behind it and the one in front of it. Casey could not remember the number of her bus. Was it 2, 3, 24 or 25? Maybe nine? She broke out in a cold sweat and dashed back inside for some help. By the time she found the front office, it was too late. Her bus had left. The school secretary wordlessly handed her the phone peering down at her from her red squared shaped glasses and told her to call her parents. As Casey dialed her parents she wondered what the deal was with secretary's and those red glasses. Was she in some 80s high school movie? Casey went back out into the schools front hallway to wait for her parents. Sitting there she could feel her brand new algebra book making a nice spinal bruise in her back.

Oh! You Didn't Know I Had a Maid, Did You?

Yes, it's true. I have a maid. How else would I get everything done?

She's quite efficient too. When I finish my shower, there she is at the ready, holding my towel for me. She would not have it any other way. She's my lady in waiting though I have no rank.

She hands me my make-up. She holds my hairbrush and patiently waits for me to put in my hair goop.

She even doles out my lotions and other assorted face products.

She puts away the laundry. Everything in its proper place! Draws must close completely and she scolds me when I half shut them.

She is obsessive about dusting and even screams at me when I try to do it myself.

In fact, whenever I try to do anything on my own there she is trailing after me yelling, "ME HELP! ME HELP!"

If you haven't already figured it out, my daughter is the maid. T.D. loves to help. She is a real people pleaser. I am amazed at the organizational skills and need for order that this two year old child possesses. She knows where every piece of clothing goes in our house. She actually knows the difference between sports bras, tanks and regular bras, the light socks and dark and puts them away in their separates places. No mixing aloud! She becomes upset when she isn't helping and making things neat and tidy. Her memory recall for where items in our home go is absolutely spot on!

It was only recently though that I noticed this to be an actual talent or strength for her. What else can it be? Her need for order and the "everything in its place" mentality is what drives her. She is happy and excited when she does these tasks and I have no reason to stop her. I must admit, I like the help and I like seeing her so happy. The kid is positively energized when I give her washcloths to put away. Socks? She goes bonkers when she can grab a whole lot of them to shove in her very own sock basket.

While other kids like to build with blocks or play with fingerpaints. My child would rather be putting the blocks away and cannot stand the idea of messy fingers covered in wet paint. She likes to sort and categorize items and make sense of things. While sometimes her sorting and more sorting and taking things out and putting them away might seem odd it makes her happy and content and I would not have it any other way. It is what makes T.D., T.D.

Besides, who wouldn't want someone handing them their towel each day? What do you think I'm crazy?

To participate in this PBN Blog Blast, simply write a post on Friday, 2/29 (by Midnight PST) and tell us all about your own child(ren)'s strengths. There are prizes to be had! See PBN for more details and read a bit about the new Jenifer Fox book, 'Your Child's Strengths'.

I'm sorry, I cheated.

Dear Hairdresser,

Would you prefer to be called stylist? I'm just not sure anymore. My confidence in you has gone. We had such a beautiful relationship. It was good while it lasted and then things just went horribly wrong. I'm not sure what happened still but your inability to listen forced me into the arms of another.

I hated to do it. I'm not one for betrayal. I really did think you had mad skillz in everything hair. The subtle way you wound highlights into my hair each autumn with the lowlights was completely stunning. Your service impeccable. You spoiled me. Your clean, vibrant, non-chemical smelling salon turned me rotten for everyone else. So did the cookies and chocolates on trays and all the other small touches I became used to when in your presence. I even, sigh, let you hug me when I arrived and left. I don't even have family that I hug that much. I feel so used.

Why did I betray you? Quite simply your lack of listening and communication was what did it. I yearned to be heard and not to be so blond even in the summer time. I looked washed out in photos and wanted something more natural even if I had to get my hair processed to achieve it. You did it once. Then you re-blonded me again despite my wishes. My whole head and not just the roots. You never just do a touch up or trim. You snip here, then snip there until my screams and cries fall on deaf ears and it is too late. The right side is done. Now you have to do the left. Don't get me wrong. No one can layer and blend like you. No one. BUT WHEN I SAY NO LAYERS I MEAN NO LAYERS! Remember that one time? You know you made me mad when I whirled out of there so fast breathing like a beast waiting to fight. I couldn't even look at you I was so angry. You sent me a gift card for $50 and letter of apology. It made me come back. I gave you another chance. And another and another. Then after that last cut with the BAZILLION nicely blended but KATRILLION layers in my baby fine hair I decided we must part ways. It was simply too much.

I've started seeing someone else. I just thought you should know. She's not you. She gave me the exact cut I wanted and I'm thrilled it's just not as fine a cut as you would have done had you listened. She makes me wait which you never did. I think of you while I'm waiting. This has not been easy on me. There was no lemon water and other stylists sullenly sat around this new salon. You would have never tolerated that. This new place. This new girl. They let hair sit on the floor. You truly did spoil me and I loved it. Every second. But, she listens. My hair? It's the color I asked for. The cut? It's exactly like the photo. Remember when you used to do that? When you used to listen?

I can feel myself caving though. That next time I will go back to you. I will surrender and go back into your softly lit salon. I will repent. I will make up a pack of lies about having my hair done while I was on vacation. I just can't bare for you to know I cheated on purpose. I'm a sucker for a very fine cut. I can't help it. It just grows up better. That's one thing beauty mags don't lie about. A good cut grows out for months looking well, good. Promise me when I come back you will try to listen? I want this to work so badly. Really I do. I miss my expertly cut perfectly thick side bangs bad.

Yours,

The Client


A new review is up on Mummy's Product Reviews. Beauty Confidential, the new book by Nadine Haobsh formerly Jolie NYC. Nadine, a former beauty editor at some famous beauty mags herself, spills all the secrets in this funny, tell-all book. It's loads of fun and it teaches you how to do the perfect blow out.

The Slowest Death

Folks, allow me to direct your attention to Exhibit A. Now don't be alarmed! They are indeed ugly I know. Hideous, just hideous. They are however only a pair of shorts. Men's shorts. Men's shorts, circa 1991, that at one time were impossibly big on the owner. Notice the heinously inappropriate and blatantly out of style double pleats. The dull and unflattering color of gray. Wake up people! These shorts were worn by the victim in high school! That was 13 years ago! Oh yes, she's a victim alright. A victim in a crime of fashion.



Don't avert your eyes. There is probably something very close to this lurking in your closet. You could be a victim too. You probably made the same excuses that she did. Eventually they will fit right. Oh they did. They fit, but they were already hopelessly outdated by then. I'll just wear them to clean or paint. You know, when I'm doing projects and yard work around the house. Ha! You foolish girl! You never wore them! And not because you didn't paint, it was because of THIS!



Exhibit B. That stain is actually a hardened candy. A candy that went through the wash and a drying cycle in 1991. The very year the victim first bought the shorts. Since then the pocket has been sealed shut. Completely unusable. Sad, but true. Please! Try not to avert your eyes. The truth must be told. Trust in the fact that since reading this book, the victim has eradicated all sorts of items (overly tight shirts, badly fitting pants, too small belts and one embarrassingly awful pair of Hush Puppies)from her closet.



They go quite nicely don't they? Please don't pity the poor girl. She's learned her lesson. They didn't even go to Good Will. They went directly into the trash.

We're having a Blog Blast today to celebrate the arrival of one awesome and inspiring book, The Little Black Book of Style. Head on over to PBN for some other horrific, sad and downright hilarious posts from other victims of bad taste.

Bilingual Baby

An email from my mother last week-

Dear Vicky,

I have just found a very nice miniature picnic table in an Adirondack style in the L.L Bean catalogue. I have spoken with your father and we would like to purchase one for our house for T.D. to use when she visits and one for your house as well. Take a look at it and let me know what you think. It comes in some lovely colors.

Love,

Mom


Hmmmm.... a tiny picnic table for our tiny townhouse. Eeehh.... I emailed H to discuss the matter. "Be firm but tell them no in a nice way.", he instructed. Well yeah! Aren't I always nice? Especially to my mother? Really. I just kept thinking of the fact that it was one more giant toy/thing in our house but now outside and how it would rarely get used at this point except as a climbing device.

Email from me to my mother regarding aforementioned tiny munchkin only picnic table.

Mom,

Thank you for thinking of us and T.D., but we just don't need or have the room for a little picnic table. If you however want to spend that type of money, which is seems you do (ballsy huh?), on something for T.D. why not purchase some books, DVDs and CD's for her in French. I'm reading this fascinating book called the Bilingual Edge and we have decided to try and teach her French. Amazon has a great selection!

Love,
Vicky

This week we are getting three separate shipments from Amazon containing various children's books, CD's and DVD's in French (from my mother). C'est Bon! I'll be using them to help me brush up on the language as well!



A review of the Bilingual Edge and more is up on my review site. Find it here.

The Good Ol' Days

Back in the days when I was "with child", "preggo", had a "bun in the oven" or was just plain pregnant I had a lot of people say some pretty bizarre or just plain rude things to me. They feel it's perfectly ok to not even say 'hello!' or even smile at you, but just okey dokey to touch your belly or poke your button. It gets pretty damn annoying.

Here are a few of my faves- AND- things I wish I would have said and sometimes did.

-"Are you allowed to eat that?" as I chomped on a Brownie. "Uh.. yeah..Why not? Are they special Brownies? If they are special Brownies I'm eating the whole pan."

-"Will you be breast-feeding?" Blurted out in the middle of a meeting. Asked by a man who I barely knew. Talk about creepy. I had no reply for that one and still don't. Just YICK!!!

-Me in my office: "Son of a Bitch!" Guy in office: "Sssh.. the baby can hear you!" Me: At the time I just grumbled to myself about how annoying it was to be pregnant and have everyone offer "helpful" advice. Now I wish I had just said, "I KNOW that, I was TALKING to the baby. Duh!"

You think it ends after you actually have the baby. Oh no it does NOT. That's where the judging comes in, more advice, and the sketchy questions about your labor, after-birth, breasts, and chotch. As if you really want to talk to the grocery store cashier or guy at Lowe's about all that, much less the creepy lurker dude in your office's hallway.

It's BLOG BLAST FRIDAY asking "What's the most annoying preggo or new mom question you've ever been asked -- AND -- what's your best, snarky "wish-you-could-have-said-it" answer" (in post and comment form -- we can all say "F-off" -- let's hear a mouthful and then some). PBN is putting it all together for their new campaign for Dr. Tracy Gaudet's new book, 'Body, Soul, Baby' which can be found by typing in the title here. Don't you wish you could have just handed those people with all their advice this type of book?




Check out the other sites doing the blog blast here for there are FABULOUS prizes!

PBN-'Get a Hobby!'

“Discover your hobby personality!” This is what ‘Get a Hobby!’ by Tina Barseghian proposes. My husband and I could not wait to tear into this book and figure out our most ideal hobbies. We’re always looking for something else to cram into our already overblown schedules. We carefully read the Foreword by Miguel Figuerra, M.D.; learning that hobbies can create a more relaxed you. Excellent! Let’s get crackin’ shall we?

We sat down and diligently took the quiz that would help match us up with our hobbies. Right away, I found myself getting frustrated. The questions were so absolute. I love history yet somehow it didn’t factor in because I didn’t know the answer to the question. Maybe that was me reading it wrong, but a ripple of annoyance spread through me. After taking the quiz, I was all set to find out that I indeed like historical type hobbies, blogging, journal keeping, and such. Nope. I don’t according to the book. I like Falconry. Did you know that with Falconry, the top piece of equipment you need is a falcon? My husband about peed his pants when I read that off the list. I’m also prone to enjoying caving, scuba diving, and a host of other hobbies that scare the living daylights out of me. I threw the book at my husband in disgust. It was time to let him give it a try.

His answers matched his personality better, which is indeed adventurous, outdoorsy, nature loving and sporty. That is totally him in a nutshell. A giant nutshell, but all the same the book nailed him. He liked the hobbies matched to him, even the idea of a soapbox derby and fly tying. Treasure hunting especially intrigued him. A smug justification came over him when fantasy sports leagues joined the list.

Over the next few days, I perused the book again. While I am not about to strike up an interest in bee keeping, and I am not sporty or outdoorsy in the least bit, I did try my hand at African violet cultivation and herb gardening. I had no idea how to cultivate a violet from a leaf. Once I started reading that section I realized just how much information the book contains. Beyond the directions, lists, and helpful hints about each hobby, there are great websites listed on each page directing you to further information. Being the history nut that I am, I started leafing through the book just to read the historical sections listed with each hobby. Did you know a toy manufacturer created the ant farm in the 1940’s? I didn’t.

‘Get a Hobby!’ retails for $19.95. It contains lots of interesting tidbits of information, but I won’t be starting any new hobbies from this book, and I probably won’t be recommending it to anyone either. The quiz really turned me off initially and I found the overall look and feel of the book to be drab and not conducive to continuous reading.

Parent Bloggers is giving away a copy of the book (which MANY people really loved) and a $100 Michael's Arts & Crafts gift card. Just go to their site and leave a comment!

Picture Contest!

If you can correctly guess what this picture is you will win a truly unusual prize package. Contents of prize package listed below. Contest goes until Monday, June 4, 2007. Please put your guesses in the comment section and leave a way for me to contact you in case you have the winning guess.



Prize Package Contents

One Large 'This is What a Feminist Looks Like' t-shirt
One tube of Arbonne Intelligence Hand Cream
One tube of Arbonne Herbal Foot Cream
One Arbonne lip pencil in Innocent
One travel size set of H20's MILK shampoo and conditioner
Copy of 'Bitter is the New Black' by Jen Lancaster
And more!


Hey! I do a lot of product reviews and some of this stuff is over flow I get to pass on to friends. Well, not the shirt or the book. I just think that is a cool shirt. I have one with pink writing! Bitter is one of my fave books too.

PBN-Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box

I have to admit I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book with almost too much excitement. ‘Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box’, by Ann Dunnewold, Ph.D. offers “workable solutions to the Mommy Madness”. I could not wait to crack it open and prove that I am right in my parenting ways. The idea of extreme parenting has always been a hot issue with me. Before I had T.D., it got me riled up and now that my daughter is here, it’s even worse. I have to bite my tongue so hard sometimes from flipping out on some of the judgy Mom’s out there. I get so sick of defending my belief about having "me" time or date nights. After I defend myself though, I sometimes wonder and guilt myself into a cyclical series of worries about T.D.’s future. If I let her keep the pacifier now will she talk like Jamie Gumb and wear a skin suit later? Will the fact that I let her listen to non-kid friendly books on CD in the car create a scary mastermind? If she’s not in playgroups everyday will she be socially awkward later? I needed this book and bad if only to stop those voices in my head. I was not prepared however, to find a bit of that extreme parenting in me as I read through Dunnewold’s masterpiece. And yes, it is a masterpiece.

The simple to follow mantras, practical advice, and tips sprinkled throughout the book reinforce Dunnewold’s theories and ideas. The quiz to figure out what type of extreme parent you are (Hi, my name is Vicky and I can be an overproducer at times.) made it easy for me to see where I tend to spin out of control. I have whole strings of days where automatic thoughts run rampant through my mind making me binge out on educational toy sprees and wanting to sign T.D. up for every class in the state. These are followed by more days where I feel wracked with guilt if we haven’t done flashcards and the only reading material she’s had is me reading Newsweek aloud to her. ‘Even June Cleaver’ helped me to realize the ways I do this and that it’s ok to cut myself some slack and talk myself down from my overproducing ledge. Dunnewold discusses how important it is to really find time for you in order to be a better parent. Nothing runs on empty for very long. Having this laid out right in front of me on a page clarified and reinforced it in just the way I need.

I particularly appreciated the helpful websites (hello! www.parenting247.uiuc.edu) peppered throughout the book. Not only are they good resources, but I felt encouraged to know that there were places for me to go and learn more. I sometimes feel lost at sea with my lack of parenting skills and knowledge. More than all this Dunnewold’s premise of how to become a perfectly good parent just really rang true with me. The reassurance I garnered from this book about how it is perfectly alright to lose my temper, have a bad day, be sad, and essentially a human being helped immensely. I often feel I’m on the right path by going against the grain (I live in a hot bed of extreme parenting) so it does wonders to know others back me up and I am heading in the right direction. I could never mold myself into June and am always miserable when I try. The women I see extreme parenting have misery written all over their faces. I oftentimes don’t understand how we got ourselves into this vicious cycle of extreme parenting, judging other parents and scorekeeping with our spouses. Dunnewold’s book laid it all out historically and factually with ways to combat it in ourselves and how to deal with the extreme parenters in our own lives.


‘Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box’ made me sigh with relief that I’m working towards that goal of being a perfectly good parent already while nailing some of my own extreme parenting hang ups. That in itself is worth buying the book for. It is a great reality check. It’s also a steal at $14.95! I cannot wait to share it with other parents and I hope they don’t think I’m judging them by doing so!


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My Inner Dork Revealed and Other Weekend Musings

Friday was H's birthday, the big 30, and to celebrate we went to one of those Japanese steak houses. It was all fine and good. T.D. was entertained by the flashing knives and onion smoke stacks which was nice. Afterwards we were headed back to the car when H decided he wanted to check out the local used book store.

Normally I am not a fan of the used book store. It's musty, disorganized to the point that you wonder if sugar high crazed toddlers put the books on the shelves and there is always that CD section. It entices me first thing only to find myself staring at multiple copies of Green Day, Johnny Mathis, and Andy Williams Cd's. Suffice to say I am not a fan of the used book store realm. We wandered in and began to peruse the stacks. As T.D. squeaked about in her Pippytoes, H and I noticed that this store was unlike others. It was indeed fantastically organized. Each section that declared 'Cooking' actually had cookbooks. Those were then divided into different types of cooking. Emboldened I ventured into the U.S. History section.

Here is when I really went a little nuts. I might have even left some drool on the shelves which I can easily blame on T.D. First stop was espionage. A closet fan of all things spy I ran my hands over the spines of these fine books. I began to notice that U.S. History section might indeed be the finest of them all. It was painstakingly labeled and separated out by state, there were the wars, the Old West, Native Americans, and then to my surprise and glee a whole section of Immigration. Here is where my inner dork is truly revealed. I majored in U.S. History with a concentration in the socio-economics of cities from Reconstruction to the first World War, with an even deeper concentration in Immigration and the Gilded Age. Two vastly different worlds, but one I can immerse myself in for weeks and not know time has passed. I can wax and wane about kitchen cleaning agents from this bygone time and types of food to sewer systems. Finding this gem of section almost had me peeing my Capri's. Before I knew it I had found old textbooks in mint condition that I lovingly stroked and cooed over. Good times. Then I happened upon the exciting title of 'The New England Mind-From Colony to Province'. I shivered with anticipation as I looked at the index and table of contents. Ooh happy times indeed! This little piece of gold had to be mine! I snatched it off the shelf before anyone else could.

Incredible purchase in hand we left the store, but not before I could head over to the Classics and find oodles of good fun with Edith Wharton and Fitzgerald. I will be back to the used book store in the future. Yes I will.

The rest of the weekend followed with nice sunny weather, a party for H, too much food and drink and about three separate cakes. Eesh. Way too much cake in our house. We woke up Sunday bloated, dehydrated, and whispering one word to each other-Detox. We need to detox our systems of the sugar, salt, fat and whatever else we ingested. Starting today we are on! Lemon juice and water all around! For the next few days we'll see how lucid my thoughts are as I subsist on a variety of veggies, legumes, lemon water, and air.

Product of the Week!

This week's product is a book. A book I can safely say kept us sane in the last few weeks. I don't normally do this type of thing either. I don't like reading childcare books. I find that I'm usually already doing what they say and I have a few "Duh!" moments and throw the book to the wayside or I just don't agree with their methods. The book, 'Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep and Wake Up Happy' (Sheesh!) actually did do all those things.

I bought the book out of desperation and had a friend suggested it. Her child wasn't sleeping through the night. She read the book. The kid sleeps like magic. We were on month three of that after an almost entirely blissful year of angel baby sleep through the night nights. We removed the pacifier. It helped. Then T.D. cried for a bottle each morning at 4 a.m. I couldn't seem to elminate the binky or break her will no matter what H and I tried. I cried and screamed. H cried and screamed. The dog howled. I broke down and bought 'The Sleep Lady's Guide'. Amazon quickly delivered this little gem of a book to our door. The bottle was dropped. I won't tell how. Read the book! We figured out naptimes on a better schedule for all of us this week and last week we slept like logs. T.D. did too despite being in a new locale. Heaven on earth right there people!

What I find so great about this book is that it's not just for problem issues. Sleep Ladies, Kim West and Joanne Kenen, go through the stages of children, possible problems and age groups. I had not even thought of that. New Mom syndrome I suppose. I eagerly devoured the one year old chapter and learned a lot in a short time. It needs to be a short time T.D. is a climber and walker now.

If you are having sleep problems with your child, be it one month to four years old I highly recommend picking this book up. You may not agree with all of it, but you will take away some valuable information. I did.

Unhooked

I finally finished reading, Unhooked by Laura Sessions Stepp. Ms. S.S. is not always the most popular girl out there, especially in these parts, but I wanted to take a look at what she had to say for myself.

Unhooked is about "how younge women pursue sex, delay love, and lose at both". Stepp took a year or so to interview in-depth and observe high school and college girls from relatively the same backgrounds (middle to upper middle class). What she found was that these women are highly motivated, ambitious and hardworking individuals. They've been trained their whole lives to excel in whatever they do. They also don't have a ton of time on their hands. That leads to hook ups. They are quick and don't require much effort. Stepp writes that today's young woman wants to be seen as independent. Thus having a boyfriend or relationship is seen as weakening her. She is now almost a 50's housewife if she wants a relationship. Guys of this age bracket feel the same way Stepp says. It's all about instant gratification. Sex is not intimate or even all-together satisfing. Dating is not done. It's hooking up or marriage. No holding hands or going out. There is no room for the in between. In fact, as Stepp writes, it's considered taboo. Who has time for it or needs a relationship?

This generation has been raised to perform at thier peak level at all times. They must be the best. They don't have time for a serious or even a fun relationship. They need the hook up. What Stepp found is that neither gender is happy with this overall situation and lack of intimacy. They want more but don't know how to obtain it or ask for it. They've been told by adults their whole lives to focus on education and not how to build successful relationships. They see their parents marriage primarily as a business partnership or even less. After all the divorce rate is about 50/50 these days.

This book saddened me. It did make me take a look at the examples H and I are for our daughter as far as relationships go. We are her first look at a relationship and one that shows affection. H's influence in her life must be strong throughout. I look back at my past boyfriends, losers or not, and am thankful I had them. Yes, my parents did say, "you are too young to be so serious", but we never lasted as couples and I'm glad I got the experience instead of waiting until I was 30 to start dating. Yikes! Who wants to do that? Dating was fun even for all it's craptastic moments.

I have to ask has anyone else read this book? Has anyone else noticed this attitude in the younger generation? I can't take this as total truth. I know it's not. It never is, but I'm just wondering how others feel about all this.