pinparty (1)

#iamcurious Pin It To WIN an #ipad Mini

Disclosure: I am consulting with Curious.com, aiding them in their efforts to publicize their launch and content, via social media. Curious is a new video learning site where you can learn all sorts of things from vetted instructors. Lean how to make a mentos/soda-pop volcano,  how to use your DSLR camera,...…[Read more...]

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The Birthday Game. You Snooze, You Lose.

It was a rookie mistake. With more than a month and a half of school weekends left, I should have known better. My son, you see,  has a summer birthday. Unfortunately, so do several other boys in his grade. Guess where I am going with this? The first invite showed up six weeks in advance. I...…[Read more...]

bandaged

Post Institutional Residue

I don’t write adoption posts very often these days. It’s been over 16 years. Nobody really expects me to talk about it. They are surprised to hear my oldest daughter was adopted internationally. Once they know, they quickly forget. Tales of incomplete dossiers, apostilles and fears of PI (post institutional) issues are not a part...…[Read more...]

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Melancholy on Mother’s Day

I’m not sure why Mother’s Day makes me so sad. But it does to some extent. Almost every year. I’m beset by sadness that I usually cannot name. An odd mix of guilt, and longing. Wishing I were a better mother, a better daughter. The kind of mom who makes everything better. But I am...…[Read more...]

PND

Pure Natural Diva – Naturally Beautiful Scents

Do you know what’s in your perfume? Sure it smells like flowers, or citrus, or vanilla. But you might be surprised to learn that the actual ingredients bear no resemblance to the inspiration. I’m of the opinion that unless you get off on chemicals, things not found in nature, should probably not be found in...…[Read more...]

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My Life as a Sports Mom

Here in Southern California, pretty much every mom I know is a sports mom. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse, basketball, vollyball, football, track, softball, gymnastics, swim, tennis. It’s not a matter of whether your kids are involved with team sports, but WHICH one. And then there is us. We’ve dabbled with teams over the years but nothing...…[Read more...]

#iamcurious Pin It To WIN an #ipad Mini

pinparty (1)

Disclosure: I am consulting with Curious.com, aiding them in their efforts to publicize their launch and content, via social media. Curious is a new video learning site where you can learn all sorts o…[Read more...]

The Birthday Game. You Snooze, You Lose.

DSC05420

It was a rookie mistake. With more than a month and a half of school weekends left, I should have known better. My son, you see,  has a summer birthday. Unfortunately, so do several other boys in his grade. Guess where I am going with this? The fir…[Read more...]

Post Institutional Residue

bandaged

I don’t write adoption posts very often these days. It’s been over 16 years. Nobody really expects me to talk about it. They are surprised to hear my oldest daughter was adopted internationally. Once they know, they quickly forget. Tales …[Read more...]

Melancholy on Mother’s Day

IMG_7107

I’m not sure why Mother’s Day makes me so sad. But it does to some extent. Almost every year. I’m beset by sadness that I usually cannot name. An odd mix of guilt, and longing. Wishing I were a better mother, a better daughter. The …[Read more...]

Lifeproof your Mom for Mother’s Day

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My poor phone. It’s abused. It owes its life to a Lifeproof case. My Lifeproof cases have allowed me to take my beloved iPhones (4 & 5) to places where most phones could never go. Underwater. To the beach. I have stuck my *whole hand with p…[Read more...]

Pure Natural Diva – Naturally Beautiful Scents

PND

Do you know what’s in your perfume? Sure it smells like flowers, or citrus, or vanilla. But you might be surprised to learn that the actual ingredients bear no resemblance to the inspiration. I’m of the opinion that unless you get off on …[Read more...]

My Life as a Sports Mom

IMG_7118

Here in Southern California, pretty much every mom I know is a sports mom. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse, basketball, vollyball, football, track, softball, gymnastics, swim, tennis. It’s not a matter of whether your kids are involved with team spo…[Read more...]

That Time at Mom 2.0 When My Head Exploded

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For me, this was the year that everyone and their nephew came to Mom 2.0. And by that, I mean everyone I know, including two of my nephews. I probably bit off more than I could chew this time. I was over confident. The conference was taking place onl…[Read more...]

Is Climbing Masada at Dawn With Kids A Good Idea?

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Thank you to Bing for sponsoring this article. Try the Bing It On challenge and experience why in blind tests, people preferred Bing over Google for the web’s top searches. * The last time I climbed up Masada at dawn, I was a teenager. Practically…[Read more...]

Box Play for Kids Sticks it to Boredom & Waste

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Do me (and the earth) a favor please. Buy a bunch of these Box Play stickers? Not only is this lovely little kickstarter project a fabulous way to keep your kids busy anywhere, anytime. It’s also good for the planet and good for your kid’…[Read more...]

Little Bits of Love from Lisa Leonard this Mother’s Day

I have a shortlist of designers whose jewelry I recommend and gift with regularity.  Lisa Leonard is one of them. Her designs are heartfelt, without being corny. They are cool. There are a lot of designers out there who make similar jewelry to Lisa&…[Read more...]

Mommy Bloggers are Tools

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In 2005/6 when I started blogging and writing on the web, I toyed with a lot of potential names for my brand. I was designing and manufacturing children’s clothing at the time, and in an effort to help the marketing of my own line and that of t…[Read more...]

Kids Love the Legoland Hotel, Even if They Don’t Love Lego

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Earlier this month, my family had the exciting privilege of attending a Media preview stay for the new Legoland hotel. While there, happily building swords in the Lego pit, my son and I were tagged for an interview. Watch what he had to say when aske…[Read more...]

I Wish I Could Paint Like Alison Hyman

I’m starting out a post about a gifted visual artist, by talking about The Voice. Bear with me. The Voice is an addictive show. One that makes you believe in magic. I didn’t want to like it, but I could not help myself. It’s that mo…[Read more...]

Picking up New Passports For My Family

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We are headed on an epic trip abroad this summer. Israel, France, Italy,  and a cruise that takes us to Greece and Turkey. That’s a lot of stamps in our passports!  Can you see the twinkle in my eyes? Two of our kids (the boys) don’t ye…[Read more...]

First Reads For Kids: Hop on the Pigeon

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I can’t remember not being able to read. I was an early reader and prolific. But I do remember the first book I ever remember reading, realizing I could read it myself. I OWNED it, that book. HOP on POP. I remember sitting on the carpeted stair…[Read more...]

But What About the Counselors? CampChat 4/11 6pm

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Sending your kid to overnight camp for the first time can be a terrifying prospect for a parent. Will they miss you? Will they be sad, lonely, uncomfortable. And… WHAT ABOUT THE COUNSELORS?!!! It’s hard enough to leave you kids with a bab…[Read more...]

Not So Shiny Pennies

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I’ve been working through a lot of hard things lately. Things I don’t really want to go into detail about. Of course just saying that invites speculation. But save it. It’s not even that juicy. It’s just layers of frustration …[Read more...]