I first learned the term off price shopping when I went to Boston last year for the TJ Maxx/Marshalls event. A few weeks ago, I got an opportunity to learn a little more about it in the form of a shopping challenge. AJ Wright, another store under the TJX Group of stores, emailed and asked if I'd be willing to take a $100 shopping challenge at their new store in Norwalk. Me? Take a shopping challenge? Does the Pope wear Prada?! 

I decided to make a day of it and pulled Tyler out of school early. I dropped him off to spend the afternoon with my dad because we hadn't seen him since the holidays. The store didn't open to the public for another few days so we had it all to ourselves. We learned a bit about how AJ Wright is different from TJ Maxx and Marshalls, their commitment to the communities where they open stores and their model search contests, and then they let us loose.

Armed with $100 and 2 hours to spend it wisely, I went all over the store. AJ Wright has the same departments as TJ Maxx and Marshalls so I was able to look at bedding, bath items and kitchen stuff. I decided to be selfish and stick with clothes and shoes for me.

I did really well. I bought 4 tops, one skirt, one pair of shoes, 2 Star Wars guys for Tyler and a shirt for Phil (Happy Father's Day!) and only went slightly over budget.

I asked if the stores will have better seasonal selections. One thing many of us said at the TJ Maxx/Marshalls event was that those of us in warm climates get frustrated when the sweaters and jackets start showing up in August. AJ Wright has fewer stores to buy for and can tailor the selections a little better for the market the store is in. I should have asked if there will be A and B stores the same as TJ Maxx and Marshalls.

AJ Wright is compared to Old Navy in terms of where it fits in to the TJX group of stores. I can definitely see that as true. The prices at AJ Wright were lower than TJ Maxx/Marshalls (which is hard to do!) but I could tell the quality on some items isn't the same and there weren't as many designer labels as I can find at TJ Maxx or Marshalls (though there were designer names in many of the departments).

At the event with me:

Mary of The Recessionista

Amanda of Mommy Mandy

Ashley of  Me and My 3 Kids

Caryn of Rockin' Mama

Elizabeth of Traded My BMW for a Minivan

Kari of A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

Thank you to AJ Wright and SBC Advertising for such a fun afternoon!

You can see the rest of my photos on Flickr.

*AJ Wright gave me $100 to spend in the store as well as transportation to and from my father's house.

Book Review: Delivering Happiness by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh

Delivering Happiness

Of the many pairs of shoes I own, I know exactly which ones came from Zappos. Before I was laid off, the site was my p0rn. I would sit on my lunch break and page through the sections looking for my next purchase. I don't go to the site nearly as often nowadays. It's too torturous. But, I appreciate their service and I'm sure I'll take advantage of my VIP status at some point.

I signed up to receive an advance copy of CEO Tony Hsieh's book Delivering Happiness mostly because of my obsession interest in shoes but also because of a piece I read in Inc. Magazine* about Zappos and it's company culture and curiosity about one of the greatest ecommerce success stories of all time.

Even though I'm not a business person or entrepreneur I still really enjoyed the book. Hsieh has a really casual writing style, more like story telling. The beginning section had me laughing with his early attempts at building his fortune. At age nine I was still playing with Barbies and he was setting up his first business.

What I like about the book:
*That he wrote it himself, no ghostwriters.
*The emphasis on money and profits being happy byproducts, not the main goals
*The theme of finding one's passion is all throughout the book, not just in the title. It's not marketing, it's what he really believes. 

What I didn't like about the book:
*The section about the development of the Core Values lost me a little. I like that Hsieh uses emails and stories from other employees to illustrate the values but with 10 of them, it got to be a little much (though the transcript on page 166 of a live chat between a customer and  Zappos employee Jonathan is hilarious!).
*I really would have liked a few pictures. With all the emphasis on the importance of the culture, photographic examples would have been fun. 

Inc. Magazine** hosted a live chat with Hsieh this morning. I submitted two questions and both were answered! (I screwed up my screen shot, boo!) I'm paraphrasing Tony's answers:

Q: You found your passion early in life, what advice would you give to late bloomers?
A: "Try a little bit of everything."

I'm enjoying blogging a lot more than I was at the end of last year. It's giving me new perspective. While I can't say I've found my passion, but I definitely feel being part of this community and social media scene has opened so many doors, given an outlet to my creativity and inspired so many ideas that it's just a matter of time.

Q: Do you thin Zappos will be using brand ambassadors as so many companies seem to be doing lately?
A: "I'm not sure what other companies are doing, but at Zappos we'd like to think our loyal customers are our brand ambassadors."

I asked this because it seems that all of the Zappos social media comes from inside the company. The employees are the ones to blog, Tweet, and Facebook. It would be interesting to hear how an "outsider" would report about the company.

As part of my review, I got a second copy to give away. To keep it easy for myself I'm holding the giveaway on Twitter (family in town this week).

1. If you'd like a copy Tweet out something with #ZapposDHBook in it. I need the hashtag to track the responses. If you're not on Twitter but think you'd like to read it, leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do (no promises though). Follow @dhbook to read the other reviews and enter other giveaways.
2. The contest will close this Friday June 11th at midnight CA time. Any Tweets after that won't count.
3. I'll send the winner a Tweet letting them know they've won. If I get no response by Sunday night I'll choose another winner. Good luck!

All in all I really enjoyed Delivering Happiness. I don't often read business books like this but I can see myself looking into some of the titles Hsieh makes available to the staff in the Zappos library. Lessons about doing what you love, looking beyond profit (or a paycheck) and being passionate translate into all areas of life, not just business.

*Not the piece in the current issue, this was some time ago.
**This sounds like I'm pimping Inc. but I'm not. I just really enjoy the magazine.

I received both copies of the book from Zappos as part of their blogger review program. I didn't get anything for it other than a good read. Book cover image from Amazon.

Vons Deals: My Awesome Shopping Trip

I had a fabulous trip to Vons today! I so appreciate all the hard work the frugal bloggers do. I've saved so much money since I started really focusing on cutting our grocery bills. If you'd like to start but feel intimidated, finding a site that gives offers for what's available locally to you is a great way to start. Kerri from Save at Home Mommy has been my go-to for So Cal stores.

We have friends coming into town next week and school is out soon, so I've been stocking up on snacks and kid drinks. I wasn't planning on heading to Vons but the in store promotions coupled with the available coupons were just too good to pass up, especially the Buy 8 Save $4.

This is my shopping trip:

10 SoBe's*

2 Cheerios*

1 Lucky Charms*

3 Coffee Mate creamers (major score)

4 Mac N Cheese (braces friendly)*

3 Crescent Rolls*

6 Yoplait

2 Chex Mix* (might have been free)

1 pretzels

1 Ritz Crackerfuls*

2 milk

4 Odwalla smoothies* (also a major score)

3 Lunchables (do not overlook the manager's specials sections of the store, these were .88 each)

1 half dozen eggs

43 items

Total: $90.13

Paid: $37.20

Savings: $52.93
(*Buy 8, Get $4)

The way Tyler is eating lately, this will all be gone before school is out!

What have you scored on lately?

My Latest Toy: Wordless Wednesday

A 75-300.  Can't wait to figure this baby out.

Children's Etiquette: How Should Kids Address Adults

I have Tyler call our adult friends Mr. Joe or Mr. Jane. We talked about this when I was pregnant and decided it was respectful and appropriate. In my mind, children shouldn't always be treated as little adults with the same rights and privileges, e.g. being able to call an adult by their first name.

I've had friends tell Tyler, "oh, you can call me Jane," and I have to step in and say this is what we've asked him to do and it's either he calls them Miss Jane or Mrs. Smith (or Ma'am). I would think this would convey to my friends that this important to us and to respond in kind. But that doesn't happen.

I don't want to correct other people's children. That's touchy and walking the line of discipline. It also makes it seem as though I'm telling them how to parent and/or their children have no manners. Also touchy.

So, my question for you is: should I let it go? 

How do you have other people's children address you? 

How do your children address adults?

Tony Hawk at A Sporting Life: Wordless Wednesday

Tony Hawk, Pierre Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Simon Tabron, Jesse Fritch, Neal Hendrix and Kevin Staab

I have more pictures from the A Sporting Life event on Flickr.

Aw, Shucks It Was Nothing

Remember my expiring coupons? I got this note yesterday. It made me smile and I had to share:

Melanie-

Thank you so very much for the coupons! I invited two friends over last night and the three of us sorted, clipped and organized coupons for several hours! We all filled our binders full and there are still TONS left. Today I dropped off the rest of the box to the library on post [base] so that other families can share them. You have no idea how many families you have helped - we really appreciate it! My husband couldn't believe it when he realized the box wasn't from a relative but a "stranger." :D Thanks again!

-ML

I sent the box right before Mother's Day. I was in a hurry and didn't remember to take a picture of the stack of coupon inserts before I took it to mail, but the woman at the post office said the box weighed a little over 14 pounds! I wanted it to be a surprise and didn't tell ML it was coming. She sent me two books of stamps which is so darn cute. It's very true that every little bit helps. One small gesture on your end can make a big impact on someone else. Pay it forward when you can.

Thank you to the men and women in our armed services and 
their families!

Fun with Email: The Naughty Edition

From: PSheridan

To: MSheridan

Subject: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

So I heard on the radio this morning that Jada Pickett Smith likes to send some nice photos to her husband Will every now and then. How come you never do that for me?

From: MSheridan

To: PSheridan

Subject: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

You're at an office, not your personal trailer on a movie set. And why don't you do the same for ME?

From: PSheridan

To: MSheridan

Subject: Re: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

Please. You don't want me to send you pics. And my cubicle is super private thank you very much. How else do you think I can do jigsaw puzzles at work :)

From: MSheridan

To: PSheridan

Subject: Re: Re: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

I wouldn't ask if I didn't want one.

I left the house to run errands right after I sent that. I did not think he'd take me up on it! Needless to say when I got home and opened my email again I was floored. And then I laughed my ass off. I'll have to repay the favor soon I'm sure. Hopefully Casey is open to working her Photoshop magic again.

This is probably one of the sweetest things Phil has ever done. Not because I wanted a photo of my husband's junk. Man parts aren't remotely sexy. It's sweet because I know it had to be a little weird and awkward for him to do but he did it anyway to make me smile. I appreciate that. 

We try hard to have fun and keep each other on our toes. That's important in a relationship; to never stop trying. While a somewhat blurry cell phone shot of my husband's goods doesn't get my juices flowing, a man who can still make me giggle after almost 12 years of marriage? That's sexy. 

Review: Sonicare for Kids Rechargeable Toothbrush

*Update 9/3/10 I've added a few more places to buy the brush and replacement heads along with coupon and deals info at the bottom of the post.

Sonicare has come out with a line of toothbrushes specifically for kids. We got it for Tyler to help with the morning and nighttime battles over getting him to brush his teeth at all, let alone thoroughly and for the required two minutes. Tyler was using our old Sonicare but he likes this better. He said the Sonicare for Kids is not as rough on his gums as the adult brush and the bristles are "less prickly."

Here are the things I like:

*The escalating tone the brush makes. When it's time to switch to another area of the mouth, the toothbrush beeps. The beeps get louder as the 2-minute countdown gets closer to the end. I can hear the beeps from upstairs so I know that Tyler is brushing and I know he's brushing the full two minutes because of the tones.

*The smaller brush head. I didn't think having an adult sized head would be a problem, but it makes sense since he doesn't have an adult sized mouth.

*The base is easy to clean. There are three pegs on the base, one for the toohbrush handle and two for the heads. The shape of the base is easy to wipe off, much easier than the adult Sonicare we have.

What I don't like:

*The cost of the replacement brush heads. They're not cheap at $22 for four. If you have a larger family the yearly costs will add up. But, I've used coupons from the Sunday paper for our adult brush, I've seen Sonicare coupons on Coupon Carryout ($5 off replacement heads is a great savings) and if you have any $10 off $30 from Bed, Bath and Beyond that would be a good place to check too. Still, the cost is better than dental treatments.

The Sonicare for Kids and the replacement brush heads are available online at:
Amazon.com 
Drugstore.com/Beauty.com (Shop through EBates.com and earn 6% cash back at either site! Go to Ebates and search for Sonicare)
Target.com

You can purchase in store at Bed, Bath and Beyond, WalMart and Target. There's a $10 coupon on page 142 of the June issue of All You magazine. Check with your dentist's office for a possible $5 rebate. Our office had the rebate forms at post time.

This is a a sponsored post. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sonicare and received a free Sonicare For Kids toothbrush to facilitate my review. The opinions are all me. Some links are affiliate links. Photo credit.

Mom Guilt Stinks

I've been feeling Mom Guilt since the moment I found out I was pregnant. Gasp! I had a few cocktails! What if something happens?! It's gotten progressively worse over the years. Even though I know it's a useless and wasted emotion, I carry it around with me like a favorite accessory.

I pushed for three hours and Tyler came out looking like a tiny prize fighter. Guilt. 

I had to go back to work when Tyler was only 3 months old. Guilt.

We started Tyler in Kindergarten at age 4. Guilt.

I try not to let parenting issues get me down, but I'm a worrier and I beat myself up over just about everything. It doesn't matter that Tyler is his own person, that he understand the basics of right and wrong and is mostly capable of making his own decisions. If he acts like a brat in public, people aren't wondering what his problem is, they're looking at right at me. 

The latest monkey on my back is Tyler's teeth. It seems he's inherited mine which resemble mini mountain ranges with steep peaks and valleys. The result? Four cavities and the makings of a new one. Guilt. 

I'm not sure what Tyler has against taking care of his teeth (and basic hygiene in general). We started fighting about it, meaning I'd yell at him for not doing it correctly and he'd whine that the toothpaste was too spicy and why can't he go back to the bubble gum flavored kind?! 

I found out that first, Tyler wasn't brushing at all, then he'd brush, but with no toothpaste! I resorted to doing random plaque checks, sneaking up on him when he's in the bathroom, putting the toothpaste in a specific position after he'd gone to bed and checking to make sure the toothbrush bristles were wet before we left for school. I had the dentist talk to him, showed him scary pictures of tooth decay and threatened to make him pay for any future cavities. The kid just wasn't getting it and I was ready to lay the ultimate smackdown.

As a last, last resort we got him a new toothbrush, the Sonicare for Kids. It seems to be working. We gave Tyler our old Sonicare when we got new ones, but I think the adult size head was part of the problem. He's brushing without fuss, with toothpaste, and seems to be more thorough. I'm happy that I can stop pulling my hair out and turning our mornings and nights into screaming matches. 

Photo from here

Now, if only I can find a way to get him to brush his hair and not leave the house looking like Crabman from My Name is Earl. Guilt. 

*We received a Sonicare for Kids from Mom Central. The opinions are mine, as is the guilt over not having this post up in time (despite the reminders) because I spent the last two days shopping, visiting with family and spa-ing with friends. Read my full Sonicare for Kids review.

How I Spent My Mother's Day Eve: Wordless Wednesday

Not pictured: The daiquiri machine to my left. Yum.

If You Give A Mom A Mojito

If I win the lottery I'm going to go into business with my mom. We both love to entertain, bake, cook and play hostess. Party planning and events are up our collective alley's. Spending someone else's money on good food and drinks? Yes, please!

Even though it was touch and go in the beginning, I had a lot more fun putting together this year's Mom's Nite Out than last year, mostly because I knew what to expect. I also decided not to stress (as much) and if things came together, awesome, if not, I tried. It's gratifying when hard work pays off. To hear people say they had a good time, that feels good. When people are still talking days later, that feels really good.

 Me, Jenn, Jen, Ali's laptop, Cathy, Natalie and Sondra

More pics on Flickr

I met new people, which I love to do, connected other people, which I also love to do and got to hang out with friends. Love to do that too. I'm sensing a pattern...

The view from the Porto Vista rooftop deck was awesome, the food was great, the staff and service were impeccable. Everyone enjoyed the raffle items and the prizes, the gift bags were a huge hit and I got wear killer shoes. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thank you again to all the sponsors!

A Very Bossy Night (No) Book Tour San Diego

 Friends are relatives you make for yourself - Eustache Deschamps

A few weeks ago I met up with old friends and made a few new ones. San Diego was a stop on Bossy's No Book Tour and Jenn was gracious enough to host us. We used her Magic Vibrator for margaritas and checked the Couch of Doom for corpses from her last party.

As usual when bloggers get together the laptops and iPhones are always close by. Matthew had a great idea that we could celebrate my 10,000th Tweet at the party. If you were on Twitter that night, I apologize for all the inane, useless things I said just to make it to that milestone, only to give you more inane uselessness.

We ate, drank, laughed, Tweeted and played a game of Happy/Crappy all while Cameraman Scott was filming. I hope he got my good side.

I don't know how it happens, but I usually find myself in a conversation about shoes at some point in evenings like this. Curious. My new Michael Kors beauties from Ross got their 5 minutes of fame, which means they've totally paid for themselves.

And there was cake. It deserves a sentence of it's own because it was so good. This was not a 'oh, I'll only have a little sliver' type of cake, this was 'two honking slices please', type of cake. Or maybe that was just me. I'm pretty sure it was just me.

After everyone else left, Deb and I tried to help clean up. Jenn said, no, we said OK, and plopped back onto the Couch of Doom and talked poor Bossy's ear off until she was practically asleep in her chair.

Photo from I Am Bossy's Facebook page

From left: Kelly, Cameraman Scott, Jenn (who doesn't blog but we like her anyway), Christina, Katy, Jenn, Deb, Jacquie, Matthew and Bossy who only had 4 hours of sleep the night before. Her gene pool is brimming with awesome.

It was a good night. I think. Just kidding I remember almost all of it. Thank you again, Jenn, for opening up your home and sharing your drink making sex toy (read the details of the inside joke here.)

*I posted a few more pictures on my Flickr page.

Day at the Beach: My Two Boys Wordless Wednesday

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: Book Review

I'm not sure why I'm fascinated by books set in the post Depression south. I think it's the novelty of the way modern day authors portray the south and southern hospitality. I read The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder as part of TLC Book Tours. 

I've read all of Rebecca Wells' other books and was excited to see a new title. I wish I could say I loved it; and I'm glad I can say I didn't hate it.  I think the Ya Ya's books were so enjoyable, it was inevitable that I'd compare them despite Calla Lily being a stand alone novel and not part of a series (unless that's coming).

In a nutshell, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is about a young girl, the book's namesake, and her path from childhood to adulthood dealing with different tragedies and triumphs with love and loss thrown in. The book starts out well, lags in the middle and falters a bit at the end. I like many of the themes in the book, like the strength of relationships with family and friends. But, there was a lot of syrup-y overkill too.

What I didn't like:

*The book felt unfinished. Or perhaps as though this version should have been a draft. Parts of it just weren't smooth.

*It felt too long. Parts could have been left out entirely or shortened.

*I'm glad Wells didn't gloss over the state of race relations for the time (I believe it begins in the late 50's or early 60's), but the one section she included, the beating of a young boy, seemed thrown in just so she could say she didn't ignore it.

*The ending, though predictable, happened very abruptly. I could have done with less of some things in the middle of the book and a slightly longer resolution.

*Calla Lily and her family are from La Luna, Louisiana. The Moon Lady and a reverence for the moon is a constant theme throughout the book. It got really tiresome at times.

What I did like:

*The story itself is really sweet. 

*Wells has a way with words. When she's not overwhelming us with the Moon Lady with lines like this:

"The moon, La Luna, is always there. Her pull is strong, strong enough to move the mighty Mississippi, Calla. The Moon Lady, La Luna, is your bridge from darkness to light. Trust in her strength," 

her writing is really lyrical and pretty.

"This was all before I started school and was graced to spend days on end with my mother, so rich and private that even now I can close my eyes and relive them."

I also like the way Wells wrote Calla's mother. Some of the things she says are priceless, " If cleanliness is next to Godliness, then pampering is next to Goddessness." (so true!)

*I'm a sucker for love stories, especially childhood love and reunions. 

*As I said above, I really like stories about the strength of family and lasting friendship bonds, particularly stories about girlfriends who grow up together.

While I wouldn't put this with my top reads or as a book I'd read again, overall I enjoyed it. You can listen to Book Club Girl interview Wells about the book on Blog Talk Radio. 

Have you read The Crowning Glory? What did you think? 

(This is my first book review, did I give too much information? Not enough? Did I ruin the book for you?)

*TLC Tours gave me a copy of the book to review. I'm sure I'll pass it on to my mom. Unless she reads this review. She has less patience for books that don't 'wow' in the first few chapters than I do.The link to the book is my Amazon affiliate.

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Mom,

You are the best. You take care of me. You feed me, and most importantly you love me. You even give me toilet paper when I need it. I love you a lot. You've always been there for me. Thank you mom!

Love, Tyler

Happy Mother's Day!

Discounted Registration for 2010 3 Day Walks Ends Monday 5-10

Monday is the last day to use code MAY2010 for a $20 discount off registration fees for the 3 Day. The first walk of the year, in Boston, is coming up in July. You can register as an individual, part of a team or find a team to join. Walking really is a life changing experience!

Boston: July 23 - 25

Cleveland: July 30 - Aug 1

Chicago: August 6 - 8

Michigan: August 13 - 15

Twin Cities: August 20 - 22

Denver: August 27 - 29

Seattle: September 24 - 26

San Francisco Bay Area: October 1 - 3

Washington, DC: October 8 - 10

Philadelphia: October 15 - 17

Atlanta: October 22 - 24

Tampa Bay: October 29 - 31

Dallas/Fort Worth: November 5 - 7

Arizona: November 12 - 14

San Diego November 19 - 21 

(If you want to join me and my mom, leave and comment and I'll be in touch!)

Day at the Beach: Surfer Boy - Wordless Wednesday

May 2010

National Mom's Nite Out San San Diego: Update

Hi! Long time no see. Where the heck have I been?! I've been putting together this little party for my San Diego mom friends. It's taken a lot of my time, but it's worth it. I think we've managed to put together another really great party. I still have a few things coming down the pipe, but here's the latest info:

Thursday, May 6th 6:00 - 9:00pm 
Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy, Ripassi Rooftop Lounge
1835 Columbia Street
San Diego, CA 92101
619-544-0164
www.portovistasd.com (for directions, do not use Mapquest! I got lost)

*Please RSVP if you haven't already. If you can't get to the Facebook page let me know in comments and I'll make a note. 

*Valet parking is available. It's free with a drink purchase. Keep both your valet ticket AND the bar receipt for it to be valid.

Keep me in a safe place!

*We will have hosted appetizers from 6-7:30 including chicken and veggie skewers and sliders. Our drink special is the Strawberry Bahama Mojito for $6. I wanted to call it the Assless Chap but I was outvoted. Happy Hour menu pricing will apply too.

Speaking of assless chaps, meet our server for the evening.  He posed for this photo that's on one of the hotel room walls. Any of you waving single dollar bills or engaging in inappropriate touching may be asked to leave. In other words, he's all mine! (kidding honey, love you)

The view from the roof is amazing! It's breezy too. Despite the heaters, I'd still bring a jacket or wrap. Hell, bring a Snuggie if you want to.

If you need a room for the evening, Porto Vista has offered a $99 rate with code VIRTUEIMC.

We have free 5-minute chair massages from Edwin at Pacific Relxation Massage. You can purchase additional minutes as well.

All you need to bring is money for the raffles, any food/drink you want to buy and tips for the valet and staff. Raffle tickets are the same price as last year: 1 for $5, 3 for $10 and 10 for $20.

A few things on the raffle table: A Dooney and Bourke bag, A Vado pocket cam (similar to a flip), $100 gift card to Seaport Village good for any store with carousel rides and Ben and Jerry's cones too, a one year supply of Dropps laundry detergent, E.L.F makeup and brush set, $50 gift cards to Hanes.com and lots more.

I need to thank Charity and Deb for their help again this year. Also, I enjoyed getting to know and working with Nora from the Porto Vista. Her professionalism is greatly appreciated. Thank you, ladies!

I love my sponsors, they've been great! I'm so happy to be working with many again and grateful for the ones new to this year. Your contributions and donations are what is making this such a fantastic event! (in no particular order)

Porto Vista Hotel

Seaport Village

Wilton

Dropps Laundry

Carolina Pad

The Tote Buddy

Froots

See Here.com

Hanes.com

Bumbleride

Sweet Funky Vintage

Big Honcho Media

Ketchum

Eyes, Lips, Face

The Vintage Pearl

Give Daddy.com

Skoy Cloths

Handstand Kids

Dove Chocolates

Studio 19

Boogie Wipes

Me and Goji

VPG Printing

Evolve Salon and Day Spa

Pacific Relaxation Massage

Theresa Rose jewelry

Build A Bear

Hasbro

Family Adventure Guidebooks

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

*Charity, Deb and I contacted sponsors directly or were referred by the National Mom's Nite Out creator, BSM Media. We have not been paid to promote any business. All sponsors donated their products/materials for use as a door prize, gift bag or raffle item.

Ready, Set, Walk!

I can't believe how fast the year is going! Last year when I was getting ready for the 3 day, I felt like I had all the time in the world to prepare. I was so wrong. November will be here before I know it. I'm heading out for my first walk of the year. I've set my goal today for four miles. My ankle isn't 100% but I went to see my foot guy again and now I have supports in my shoes. I can't train in the pair I have for too much longer since they (literally) have a lot of miles on them. New ones are definitely in order. 

I don't want to make the same mistakes I did last year; namely not training enough and not training on the same streets as the walk route (ie lots of hills and curbs, I may have to do a whole post on curbs!). I also didn't train with my fanny pack last year (BTW I hate the term fanny pack. Is there something better? Butt bag? I think I'll use that).

I used a small backpack last year and hardly carried anything in it. As a result, I wasn't prepared for the weight of all the stuff I lugged around during the walk. Having all of that weight on my lower back definitely changed my stride so this year I'm wearing my butt bag from the start. Mine is from Eddie Bauer and I love it because it holds A LOT. It has adjustable rubber bands on the sides to hold the water bottles in place. That doesn't seem important until the third time you bend over to tie your shoes and they fall out, rolling in everyone's way. Not that I'd know about that from experience. Ahem. This is what I'll be taking with me on training walks:

Two water bottles

Snacks (as the walk gets closer I carry a lot more food)

Sunscreen

Lip balm with sunscreen

Wet wipes

Hand sanitizer
Camera (I'll start carrying the video camera too)

Hair ties

Cell phone

iPod

Nike Plus pedometer (for the iPod)

Business card case with debit card, ID and a little cash

Not pictured: toilet seat covers (for emergency porta potty stops)

Hat (either my wide brimmed straw or a ball cap)

I carry a lot more during the actual walk. My suggestion to first time walkers is to decide early on whether you want to use a backpack or butt bag and carry it from the get go.

I'm excited to be an online ambassador again this year. I'm happy to help newbie walkers any way I can. If you're in San Diego and want to train with me, let me know! There are other ambassadors all across the country.* We'll all be posting our progress and tips. We're here to help, support and encourage. If you have questions, please ask!

*Links to @the3day's profile on Twitter with all the other ambassadors.

Earth Day 2010: International Housewares Show Finds

"The Earth is what we all have in common" - Wendell Berry

I've got a long way to go towards living a truly green lifestyle. I may not ever get there since there are things I can't see myself giving up (public transportation in my area stinks), and some things I can't see doing (composting) but I'm being more aware. I read labels more than I have before. I combine errands. I've added a few organics to our diet. I'm sure my next car will be even more fuel efficient than my current one. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless. 

I saw several things at the International Housewares Show that have stuck with me because I know they would be easy for me to work into my family and our lifestyle.

The Green Garmento

I like this because I dryclean a lot of my dresses, shirts and my nice jeans. We also take Phil's uniforms in once a month for reserves. I try to remember to take the hangers and plastic bags back but more often than not they end up in the trash. I think it's great that their site offers carbon offsetting from the shipping of their products.

Nellie's All Natural

They had the cutest booth. I think that's what really caught my attention. That and the woman doing the demos in a bathrobe and slippers. Sign me up for that job, please! I've seen Nellie's products at my Crate and Barrel outlet. The dryer ball interested me the most. I've heard they do a good job in speeding up drying time.

Sometimes I have to run the dryer twice and I don't know if it's better to divide one washed load into two smaller ones and dry them; or run the dryer once, take out the items that dry the fastest and then finish the cycle. I'm not sure I'd switch to their laundry powder because of the eczema in our house and the limited availability, but I'd be curious to know if it's more cost effective than liquid laundry soap. Have you used Nellie's?

Simple Green Naturals

I already use Simple Green, especially after we make bacon or use the George Foreman. It's awesome for breaking down all that fat. I think the Naturals are a good addition to the product line. They smelled good, which is key for me (I tried Simple Green Green Apple. Bad. Really bad.). One change I hope they make is to offer those little concentrated refill canisters across all their product lines so we don't have to buy the big plastic bottle each time.

Spaghetti Scrubs

Pic from the site, I forgot to take one at the show

I'd also glanced at these in Crate and Barrel before the trip to Chicago. I'm a bit skeptical about their effectiveness. Most of their line is made with peach pits, walnut shells, pumice stone and corn cobs. They're designed to replace cleaning agents but can be used with a small amount of product. I see myself using one for my cast iron pan since they're not supposed to be washed, only rinsed with hot water, but sometimes stuff gets stuck and I end up scrubbing. If the Spaghetti Scrub won't ruin my cookware I'd give them a try. Sponges are definitely on my 'things I feel guilty while using them' list.

Copco To Go Cups

I'd seen the hot drink cups at Bed, Bath and Beyond before the show. I was going to buy one of hot cups but the people at the booth were giving them out. Yay! I've used it almost every day since I got back. It holds a Grande at Starbucks or the 20 ounce from 7-11 (my new recessionista obsession). It's dishwasher safe but ours is broken so I can't vouch for how it holds up in there. I have re-heated coffee in the microwave though. Once I get the cold cup (above) for smoothies I'll be all set. Copco is a division of Wilton, the bakeware company. I didn't know that before the show.

These last two aren't from Housewares, the companies are local to me.

Skoy Cloths

Samples for Mom's Nite Out swag bags

Also on my guilt list are paper towels. I make a conscious decision to buy recycled but if I don't have a coupon I buy whatever is priced best. I really like these because they come from a local, mom owned company. Michelle and Karen live just a few minutes from me! These cloths are biodegradable and can be sanitized in the dishwasher or microwave. I didn't see these at the Housewares Show. I got a cloth in the swag bag at women's expo I went to last weekend. I wrote to them, asked if they'd be willing to donate to my Mom's Nite Out party and they said yes!

The Tote Buddy

Pic from the site

Another local business and Mom's Nite Out supporter. I met Julie at another women's networking event. I was looking for her business card to ask about Mom's Nite Out and then I got an email from her. It was meant to be! If the back of your car looks like mine, this is will definitely help. The Tote Buddy holds up to 10 reusable bags. It helps with 'forgetting them in the car' and fits well under the shopping cart. Julie has offered code 'earthday' until 4/30 for a $2 discount.

In some ways I think we, as a society, will never completely be able to undo the damage we've done to the planet. Cell phones, computers and cars are here to stay. I do think there's a lot more we could and should be doing to protect the ocean and other precious habitats. I don't think global warming is a made-up phenomenon.

Watching shows like Discovery's Planet Earth and Life have started great discussions in our house. I may not be able to make big changes but I can make the effort and pass those habits on to Tyler. I guess that's the best way we can all start healing the planet, by educating our kids and having them learn from our mistakes.

What changes have you made since last Earth Day? Do you think the 'green movement' is overblown?

*This is not a sponsored post. None of these companies asked me to post about them and I didn't tell them I was going to. Other than the product donations for Mom's Nite Out, I'm not benefiting from posting. These are things I'm genuinely interested in and feel comfortable supporting, especially the mom owned businesses.

Wordless Wednesday: It's NOT What It Looks Like

Admit It, You've Done It Too

It's Monday. You have a party to go over the weekend at your new blog friend's house. You need a pedicure but think, I've really got to get caught up on laundry, I'll go tomorrow. The next day it's grocery shopping and so on and so forth until finally it's Saturday afternoon. 

Of course your outfit, down to the peep toe shoes, is already planned. So, what to do? You have two choices. Either change your outfit at the last minute possibly resulting in a clothing crisis, or, you can get creative:

I had the flower painted on at the Head to Toe Women's Expo

I went with the latter.

Kid Fest San Diego Seeking A Mom Owned Business

One of the things I like most about blogging and our community is the opportunity to give back once in awhile. If you know a mom who is just starting or has recently launched a business and could use a little promotion, go to the Kid Fest San Diego page on Facebook and nominate her (or yourself!) for booth space at the event! 

I Gave My Kid an Eyeful Yesterday

I was early enough at afternoon pick up to get a good parking spot and to stand by the gates and catch Tyler on his way out. We walked back to the car and he was his usual chatty self. We always talk the whole ride home about how his day was, what he did at recess, whether his larva died. The usual kid stuff.

We hopped in the car and he got really quiet. Actually, he didn't say a word. I pulled up to a red light and looked over my shoulder to ask if everything was okay. Tyler was leaning forward in his booster seat, staring at the floor behind the driver's seat.

What on earth is he staring a...

*mental head slap*

Crappity, crap, crap. 

They don't take those magazines at Goodwill. I forgot I'd tossed them on the floor. At least it was this issue was on top of the pile and not one of the other two.

I told Phil the story as we were getting ready for bed. His reaction? 

"Heh heh. That's my boy. Heh heh. Bewbs." [in a Beevis and Butthead voice, naturally]

 Mom. Fail.

Wordless Wednesday: Blue Italian Ice

Oceanside Farmer's Market April 2010

What Do You Know About It?!

We've been watching Life on Discovery*. It's been great family time. It has, however, opened a door we weren't prepared to go through. The show talks a lot about mating. A lot. Two weeks ago, we were all cozied up on the couch watching the episode about birds when Oprah (she narrates) said the word seks and Tyler screwed up his face.

"Ewww!"

Me: "What's ewww?"

"She said, 'ES-E-X'." [how does he know how to spell it?!]

"What do you know about seks?" 

"It's gross."

"Why is it gross?"

Phil is looking at me over Tyler's head and his eyes kept getting bigger and more deer in headlights-y.

Kinda like this female Dawson's Burrowing Bee.

"Because there's all that kissing. That's gross."

"Actually, kissing is kissing. Seks is how babies are made."

Phil had a heart attack. 

Tyler didn't say anything to that. After the show, we sent him to get ready for bed.

Phil: "Why did you tell him that?!"

"I didn't want him on the playground yelling at some girl, 'stop trying to have seks with me!' He needs to know the difference."

"I'm not ready for this, he's only 7!" 

"Me neither, but kids are doing some scary stuff, we're going to have to talk about it eventually."

"Yes, but he's only 7!!"

We told my mom the story when she was here last week. She, of course, thought it was hysterical. My parents didn't have The Talk with me. I'm sure with my brother it was, "do not, under any circumstances, bring home a pregnant girlfriend." 

I've been wondering when the topics of seks would come up. I figured we'd wait until Tyler brought it up and answer age appropriately. When he was a toddler, we told him the proper names for body parts and that he used to drink milk from my breasts. I think we've done a good job giving him the information he needs and answering his questions honestly. 

Now that he's brought it up, I guess it's time to think more in depth about how we'll answer the actual how-to questions. I'm sure it will be up to me, given Phil's reaction to this little incident. 

How old were your kids when you had The Talk? What did you say?

*Life is such a good show. Very similar to the Planet Earth series. I wasn't asked to write about it, we just really enjoy it and have had fun watching together. Photo from the Life/Discovery website.

Losing My Mom of the Year Award

I made Tyler cry yesterday. Granted, I've done it before, but this time it was accidental. Yesterday's weather was below southern California standards. It wasn't nice enough for the pool, beach or park (don't hate) so we decided to go see How To Train Your Dragon.
Tyler was outside playing. I called him in and told him to change into jeans and get his shoes on.

Before I get to the part where I made him cry, let me explain a little bit about Tyler. He makes it virtually impossible to surprise him or treat him to something. Whenever I ask him to get ready so we can leave, he starts in with 20 Questions.

Are we going somewhere?
Where are we going?
Is it the park?
Which park are we going to?
Is it the squishy one* or the one with the sand?
It's not the park?
Is it Chuck e Cheese?
Will there be food there?
Will my cousin be there?
Is it the skate park?
Can I bring my scooter?
Why is the sky blue in the daytime but not at night?

If I don't answer, he just keeps going. I've told him before that sometimes, part of the excitement of going somewhere is the anticipation and element of surprise. He needs to just sit back and enjoy the ride every once in awhile. We're still working on it.

Back to the story.

I can see that he's about to launch into 20 Questions. We need to get moving since we decided to go at the last minute and wanted to catch the next showing (leaving us about 25 minutes to get there) so we could go to dinner afterwards. We didn't have time to play his game.

"We're going to the movies and we need to get a move on."

"What movie are we seeing?"

I get easily frustrated that, when asked to do something, Tyler doesn't always just do it because we're his parents and we asked him to. He has to question everything. I'm sure this is a trait I'll admire later. Now? Not so much. Which is probably what led to me saying:

"You're not seeing a movie, Daddy and I are seeing a grown up one and you're waiting in the car."

Phil laughed a little and said, "we're going to see How To Train Your Dragon and we need to hurry."

Fast forward to after the movie.** We're walking back to the car asking each other what we thought when Tyler says to me, "you know, Mom, you made me cry earlier."

"What do you mean?"

"Before, when I asked where we were going."

"You mean, when I said you were going to be waiting in the car?'

"Yes. I was crying in the back seat on the way here. I used Dad's sweatshirt to wipe my tears."

Yes, he actually said 'wipe my tears.' I felt about thisbig. He didn't hear Phil when he said the name of the movie. My poor kid thought he'd be sitting in the car alone! Obviously, my sarcasm didn't quite come through. I've apologized profusely, but think I'm going to have to pull something really special out of my ass to make up for this one.

Please tell me I'm not the only one to inadvertently reduce their kid to tears?

*We have a park nearby with that bouncy, rubber tire-like stuff under the play structure. We started calling it the squishy park, to differentiate it from the sand park, and the where-we-used-to-live park.
**We all loved the movie. It's really cute. We saw it in IMAX 3D. The dragons aren't super scary, except for the giant bad-guy one. I wouldn't take kids under 5.

Support Afterschool Programs in Your Area {sponsored}

When I was four, my mom worked and I went to daycare.  From the stories my parents tell, I hated it. I would cry every day at drop off. It got so bad that, anytime we got into the car and headed in that direction, I would "scream bloody murder," (direct quite from my mom) and my parents would have to spend a long time calming me down. After awhile, my parents decided it wasn't worth it, putting us all through that, and they decided my mom would stay home.

 

For us, we've been very fortunate in having access to good care for Tyler. We put him in kindergarten literally at the last minute and were lucky our school had spots open so close to the start of the school year. One of the reasons we like our district is the on-site, affordable child care. When I was working, having before and after care right on the school grounds gave us so much peace of mind. Tyler loved Miss Rosie and Miss Molly! They helped the kids with their homework, gave them a snack and offered a good balance between play time and crafts.

But, I had working mom guilt that we weren't able to enroll Tyler into any type of sports or have after school playdates because of our schedules. Now that I'm home, I'm trying to make up for lost time. The few hours we have together after school before the homework and dinner chaos have become really special. We're taking full advantage of So Cal living and we go to the beach, the park, the farmer's market, on bike rides, play tennis, hang out at the pool, to the local skate park or occasionally for Fro Yo or ice cream. Tyler loves his martial arts class and now he wants to start competing in tournaments (hold me!)

Just like my mom, I know I'm blessed to have the option to stay at home. I also know that my situation could change, I'll have to go back to work and we'll need to utilize the on-site care at school again. Finding affordable, quality childcare shouldn't be a luxury or dependent on the neighborhood you live in, but that's the case for lots of working families. 15 million children take care of themselves after school. I see kids Tyler's age walking home after school and it makes me sad thinking they might be alone for hours until their families get home.

Afterschool programs can help keep kids off the streets. My brother didn't go to a formal program. He wasn't a trouble maker, per se, but occasionally things seemed to "just happen" to he and his friends. The hours right after school are when kids are most likely to experiment or get in trouble. My brother got involved in soccer and I firmly believe it kept him on the right path.

The Afterschool Alliance  and its partners are working to keep affordable programs available for all families. Quaker Chewy, a new partner, created a contest to help spread the word about Afterschool Alliance. If you have an iCarly fan at home, enter the Afterschool Rocks Sweeptsakes and Miranda Cosgrove could play a concert for your kids' school and a meet and greet with Miranda.

If you want to get involved in afterschool programs as a volunteer or find a program in your area the Afterschool Alliance has links on their site. They're also on Twitter and Facebook. You have until April 16th to get your daily entries into the sweepstakes.

What are your favorite after school memories?

*This is a sponsored post from Quaker Chewy Afterschool Rocks. I was compensated to write this post but the thoughts and memories I'm making with my son are completely my own.