Binkytown

For the picture challenged

If you are like me, you probably have more pictures of your kids (at least the first one) than you know what to do with. If you are also like me, you may possibly have 100 photos on your digital camera that you should download-somewhere-but you haven't-and it's not looking like it's going to happen anytime soon.

What you might need is Kinzin, a totally private photo and information sharing website that helps families connect, currently featured by The Parent Bloggers Network. You can privately share photos and updates about the kids with your family, whether they are online or not. For free. Come to The Full Mommy to read more...

Rock On!

Is your mama like my mama? My mama takes no prisoners, tells it like it is, gives it to you straight and regularly tells people that she thinks that instilling a little does of fear in your kids is a good thing.

No? Are you curious to see what that is like?

Click over to The Full Mommy to read my review of Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten lessons for raising a houseful of successful children for the Parent Bloggers Network.

Are you a Wimp?

In the early days when I would pick up my son, still an infant, from his day care I would often see loads of children milling around the play area. The teachers would be spread out among the playground equiptment but rarely would I see them fully engaged in play with the kids. I chalked it up to end of the day exhaustion; I know I would be wiped after spending the day with fifteen toddlers. Little did I know that this was not kid-burn-out as I had assumed...

Read my review of A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting at the Full Mommy.

Ill tell you what I want, what I really really want

Except I don't know.

I saw my sister yesterday and she asked what our Mother's Day plans were. We don't have any.

My husband's family celebrates it quietly with a card and a phone call to Mom. My family always has had a get-together, although not necessarily on that day, and provided gifts for Mother's day, which really, feels more and more strange to me the older I get.

We could go out to breakfast, with scores of other families in a loud crowded place, but that really doesn't sound like much fun. Besides, who will be in charge of making sure we have toys, spare clothes, a potty seat, wipes, the light blue sunglasses (not the dark blue ones) and miscellany packed to go? Oh right, that would be me. Hmmm. 

I am much more likely to feel emotional or mom-ish on my son's birthday. To me, a child's birthday is something a mother always shares, even though the focus is entirely directed elsewhere. That's a day when you can reflect and recognize more than the day to day tasks and feel a real sense of accomplishment, of progress. A random Sunday in the middle of the month of May? Not so much. Maybe this changes as your children get older and Mother's day becomes something you can build a tradition on or where family memories are created. We are not there yet. So what I wish for this Mothers Day, I wish for mothers everywhere:

A day that is warm enough to play outside. Sunshine would be a bonus.

An afternoon nap- for both of us.

Random acts of affection: Perhaps an unexpected and unsolicited leg hug from a little man whirling through the kitchen.

A few minutes to talk to my husband uninterrupted before nine p.m.

A tasty meal. I don't care if I have to make it, I just want it to taste good.

No runny noses, coughs, band aids or crying jags that last more than five (OK seven) minutes.

Clean sheets to fall into at night, feeling content.

How do you want to be recognized this year? Check out the Parent Bloggers Network special extended Blog Blast to promote their new charitable giving site, Johnson’s Baby Cause, powered by Global Giving. As part of their responsibility to the global community, Johnson’s has hand-selected dozens of charities around the world that mirror their deep commitment to caring for the health and well-being of mothers and children - not just on Mother’s Day, but every day of the year.

If you are feeling more like damn it, you deserve a gift, I hear you - Both Johnson’s and PBN are chipping in for the prizes. Ten winners will receive a Johnson’s Mom and Baby product gift basket (thanks to Johnson’s) and $25 credit to donate to the charities of their choice at Johnson’s Baby Cause (thanks to PBN).

If you’ve got more than a few bucks to spare (or even if you don’t!), check out the celebrity-sponsored eBay auction benefiting Johnson’s Baby Cause. Bid on baby gear that’s been gently used by celebrities. (Think of how much fun it would be to brag about that at your next play date!)

         

You deserve a gift right about now don't you?

Head over to the Full Mommy to see what I think about Procter and Gamble's Pure Essentials and comment to WIN a great-big-yummy-smelling-soft-laundry-prize.

(Just in time to welcome you back from over the river and through the woods or wherever you are spending the holidays). 

Pssst. Pass it on....

I really wonder how many hours of my life I have wasted standing staring blankly at the rows and rows of mascara offerings at the drug store, or worse, at the cosmetic counter, where I was blindly led into purchasing a tube of something or other that cost my $50.00 with the promise of longer, darker, thicker, all-around-better-lashes.

To think, I didn't have to do that. Damn.

To read the rest of my review of Nadine Haobsh's Beauty Confidential, visit the Full Mommy here..

Deceptively Delicious Disappointment

So you know, there's this guy and his name is Jerry Seinfeld and he's like a bazillionaire and drives lots of Porsches. You may have seen one of his six thousand commercials on NBC during the Thursday night shows? (Gah. Thats a rant for another day.) He has a wife named Jessica. She created a cookbook. Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food.

When Parent Bloggers Network offered up the chance to review this cookbook I was all over it like frosting on a cupcake because I have a son who only eats the same six things every day. One of those dishes is split pea soup so I'm satisfied that his diet is somewhat balanced, but clearly we need to expand. I thought this book might be just what I needed. Secrets! I need to know these secrets!

Read more here at the Full Mommy..   

Erasure

This is not an ode to this Erasure, the techno pop group of the eighties, although while we are mentioning them, I recall fondly all five foot two of the lead singer with his platinum blond hair and a shiny red plastic jumpsuit at a concert in the 80s. It was the first time I had ever seen an openly gay man in person and I remember being shocked and absolutely fascinated at the same time. A man! in a red plastic jumpsuit! Who knew such things existed! Fond memories.

Anyway, this is about sibling rivalry. And personalized books.

Read more...

This is not about that

I watched Britney Spears at the VMAs. After the fact, when I read about what a train wreck it was. I'll admit I was surprised that she attempted to get on stage as stoned as she was and I couldn't quite figure out what the point of 'performing' by lip synching was all about when she wasn't even actually moving her body very much. I'm kind of ashamed that I was also fairly critical of her wardrobe choices. My God girl, I thought while she did the robot, you must know that does not look good.

Looking good. It's so exhausting.

I try to shy away from writing about weight loss, post-pregnancy body changes, general sagging and the like because I think as women we talk about it far too often. I hate it when someone brings up the latest diet fad while I am eating lunch and then I spend the afternoon wondering if my pants feel a little tighter than they did the last time I had them on.

Don't misunderstand, I think all people, especially people with health issues should absolutely eat right and exercise and celebrate successes, but I don't want to hear about it from the mom at the table who weighs 120 pounds and who's primary motivation during her pregnancy was not to gain more than 15 pounds, because you know, that's all Victoria Beckham gained.

I don't like to talk about weight loss strictly for the purpose of looking good. 

So I'm having a hard time writing this because I have lost weight. Almost 15 pounds. I didn't do it because of high blood pressure or diabetes, I did it because I wanted to fit into my pre-pregnancy pants.

Which I think makes me a little bit of a hypocrite.

But wait- that's not all. I did it because while I did cut back on the mashed potatoes (with butter and Parmesan cheese), I didn't starve myself or obsess about calories or switch to artificial everything.  I exercised.

That's what I wanted this to be about. Not trying to keep up with an unrealistic exception, but about feeling fit. Because feeling fit feels really good.

I used to be in great shape. I used to love exercise, at least how good I felt after I had done it. But I simply felt there was not another minute in the day to devote to it. Then I read this. It sounded manageable. It was summer and I started going out after my son went to bed at around eight in the evening three times a week. I huffed and I puffed and I got blisters but I did it. Not only did I firm up but I realized there is a whole WORLD that exists outside of your home after your child goes to bed. There are sounds and snapshots of sun light and people. The best kind of people - people who don't want anything from you. You get to run right past them and they won't ask you where the cable bill is.

I have a treadmill now and exercise almost every day. Because I sleep better. I have more energy. It's twenty (on a busy day, hike the incline up to 15 and have at it) to forty (running outside on the weekends) minutes of un-interrupted me time. You don't think you have twenty minutes? You do. I don't feel like exercising after I've put in a full day and put my little man to bed, but I tell myself it's only 20 minutes and I watch the time quickly wind down on the machine. It's over before I know it.    

You want some of this? Parent Bloggers Network is teaming up with Ryka, (what an awesome giveaway) a by women-for women athletic gear and shoe company to hear your fit (or not-so-fit) stories. You can win some fab new workout gear from Ryka. Write about how you fit exercise into your life or how you wish you could, link to Ryka (http://www.ryka.com/goodforyoursole) and the Parent Bloggers Network (http://blog.parentbloggers.com), and email parentbloggers@gmail.com with the link to your post.

I'm about to stick a boot up someone's...

Never Mind.

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