Stereotypical Women

Recently, I have irked some people by notating that

The responses varied. One claimed that she was simply looking forward to being able to wear non-maternity clothes for the first time in a year. One agreed but had been afraid of the ire of the mommy bloggers to broach the subject himself. Another seemed to think it is ingrained in us and that is what I tend to believe as well. For the record, yes I did ask Crocs to provide me with a free pair of shoes and I would espouse their wonderment. Some seem to think this is a two-faced act based upon my statement. But I clearly put myself in the same group as everyone else, as I too am wondering if what I wear to each party will help me to "fit in".

BlogHer was rough for me last year, and I have repeatedly vowed to myself that I won't let that happen again. That I won't let myself think other's are more deserving than me, that I don't fit in or belong in their company because my blog is small. But then I see tweets and blog posts about all the new clothes and shoes and hair do's and manis and pedis and waxing that so many are doing and I think, really? Why, can't we all just be the same person we are online?

What initially started the feeling of "amazement" for me was the fact that Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame will be at BlogHer this year (as will Carson Kresley from Queer Eye). It put women into a tizzy over what will Tim Gunn think of their outfits. On top of that there is a contest on the website to put up your pic of what you'll be wearing. Again, a conference that is supposed to be empowering women, is focusing on clothing and looks.

When will women be respected for everything but their looks? Will they then feel insulted that someone didn't notice their new harido even though they praised them on the vaccine they created?

Recently, Megan was putting on makeup in my car and asked me why I didn't wear any. I told her I didn't need it. She asked if I didn't want to "feel pretty". I told her that not only did I feel pretty but I knew I was pretty. She countered with but make up makes you feel even prettier. Having that conversation made me sad. Sad that girls are still feeling obligated to "feel pretty".

Erin had a quandry not too long ago regarding shopping with her daughter, she has always taught her to be independant and know that she can do anything her brother does, that their gender has nothing to do with who they are or what they can become. However, her daughter asked to "go shopping like girl's do", and it threw mom into a tizzy. Is she failing as a feminist if she enjoys a girlie shopping day with her daughter? Does it make her a proponent of female stereotypes? No, it makes her a mom.

I guess, we just all need to pick and choose who we are and who we want to be. And if that means, you wear make-up to make you feel pretty, or play dress up to feel girlie or go for tea lunch and shopping to bond with your daughter, then so be it.

Speaking of dress up, how freaking cute is Caity?

Twitter to the Rescue!

Last night on Twitter, a family that is on the return journey of a cross country car trip had brake problems Northeast of Las Vegas near Mesquite. At 11:30 pm the Mom put out a tweet for help "Anyone know where I can find a mechanic on Sunday just northeast of Vegas?" A few of us jumped at the call and started googling and finding them some help. If only auto body shop corona had a brake shop websitethat listed all the brake shops in a given area like they list auto body shops, it would have been even easier. Lucky for them they found a Pep Boys and all is well, they are back on the road and on their way home.

Summer is in Full Swing with PBS KIDS®!

Here are some cool tips from the experts at PBS KIDS on how to help ensure that your kids have a fun, safe and active hot-weather season…no matter what your budget is:

Driving to Grandma’s house? Or have an exciting getaway in store? Here are some great FREE ideas courtesy of PBSParents.org to keep kids of all ages engaged during family trips!

o Have a sing-a-long! Sing your favorite tunes from Sesame Street along with other songs…
o Take turns playing games with your child. Find something inside or outside the car and have your children guess what you see by giving hints. Explore the world like Sid the Science Kid!
o Invite your child to be an "alphabet detective" by finding all the letters around them. Players might find an "a" in a road sign and a "b" on a license plate and more – take a page from the Super WHY gang and have fun with the alphabet.
o Use "car time" to talk to your child about everyday activities and events, whether it's how leaves change color in the fall or what makes a great friend. Maya and Miguel know that happiness is the greatest when it’s shared!

Plan an awesome “stay-cation” and keep your kids happy with a few of these summer fun suggestions!


o For preschoolers, slip on your sneakers, pack water bottles and hit the trail! Make the adventure even more fun with a kid-friendly scavenger hunt in search of things you might find along the way.
o For school-age kids, set up a tent in your own backyard, roll out the sleeping bags and melt marshmallows in the microwave to make s’mores. No need to send kids to sleep away camp to get a taste of the great outdoors.
o For everyone, make some popcorn, snuggle up and tune in together to PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!

Green Binoculars

When I was growing up we were always a camping, hiking, outdoorsy kind of family. We didn’t do big summer vacations, we did camping trips. We have visited every waterfall (and trickle) in the state of Michigan and surrounding areas. We’ve climbed the sand dunes, sang campfire songs and even played checkers with the Black Bears at the dump (Hi Limpy!).

Since I got all of that out of my system before I had my own children, I never did it again. Thankfully, Marisa went camping with Girl Scouts (and Kathy) and Adam went with friends from Baseball.

So now when I think of binoculars I think of going to baseball games and using them to check out the celebrities in the crowd and getting a close up of Andre Eithier (GO DODGERS!). But even if you are not using binoculars for an “outdoorsy” reason doesn’t mean you don’t want to use the best. And when the best is eco friendly as well, then of course, it is a no brainer.

The Nikon Ecobins 10x25 binoculars are designed from top to bottom with the latest eco friendly features while still maintaining the highest level of optics that make Nikon world-famous.

The Ecobins binoculars feature Eco-Glass lead-free and arsenic-free lenses and prisms. Additionally, only non-chloride rubber and no harmful inks or dyes are used during production. The carrying case and the binocular strap that come with the Ecobins binoculars are made from a fully biodegradable Lenzing TENCEL fiber. The TENCEL fiber is derived from wood pulp of sustainable eucalyptus forests and utilizes an innovative manufacturing process with minimal waste. Even the packaging of Nikon Ecobins is environmentally friendly! The product box is constructed from recyclable Fiber Stone paper. This paper is completely Tree-Free and is made from limestone collected as waste material from existing quarries for the building and construction industry. Production of the Fiber Stone “paper” uses no water or bleaching chemicals and releases zero pollution into the air.

Following the Nikon standards, the Ecobins 10x25 binoculars’ compact, rugged, waterproof and fog proof construction provide total confidence in any situation. Other premium optics features include a spherical eyepiece lenses that provide distortion-free viewing, internal blackening to minimize light loss and multi-coated lenses that offer maximum brightness, contrast and true color.

So when you get down to it, why not use the Nikon Green Binoculars when you are trying to catch a glimpse of Manny Ramirez in the outfield, or Alyssa Milano in the stands.

Theater Night

Kathy invited me to join her at our local theatre in the round The Glendale Center Theater to see Oklahoma.

I had to admit to her that I had never see the entire movie all the way through, but was excited to do so.

I really enjoy our local theater. It has been a family run business for many many years. The Dietlin's have owned, run and performed in this theater Each year at Christmas time we go there and enjoy the Christmas Carol.

It is cozy and nice to see familiar faces in the crowd and on the stage. You recognize different performers from previous plays and yet, they blend in to whatever play they are doing at the time.

The perks of being in the Los Angeles, nee, Hollywood area is that sometimes you see faces that you recognize from TV and movies.

All in all a good fun evening.

If you have a local theater group, get out and support them.

Blu Frog Contest

BluFrog is holding a contest and I want you to win a cool prize. You can choose from one of the following prizes:

Happy Blu Year: You and a guest get to go to New York City on New Years Eve. You get three nights in a luxurious hotel, and a helicopter ride for two over the city. Any trip to NY would be grat for me, not too sure I would enjoy the helicopter ride though.

Blullapalooza: This trip centers around Lollapalooza, which is being held in Chicago August 7-9. You will get two tickets to the event and a two night stay in a luxurious hotel. I think I know a certain Boy who would love to win this trip.

BluStreak: It's a trip to Florida, where you get to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. You will get two nights in a luxurious hotel, and two tickets for the driving experience. Hmmmmm……Do I get to hug Richard Petty?

ExtremeBlu: It is a trip to Aspen and the extreme part is that you will get two tickets to the Winter X Games. This trip gives you three nights in a luxurious hotel. I see that Boy’s name written on this one as well

BluGamer: To clarify this is not a trip, this is a Gaming Package. You get an XBox360 Elite package, Rock Band 2 bundle, Call of Duty: World at War Complete Package, and a wireless adapter. I worked at the E3 (gaming) conference this year and all of these names were on the tips of tongues.

All you need to do to enter is go to the BluFrog contest page and leave a comment, letting them know which prize you want to win, and why.

Or if you are of the Tweeting variety you can Tweet about the contest. Include which prize you want to win, being sure to use #bluword and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.

Because I Love Her

This is Madilyn, doing what she does best, giggling.

Marisa took the babies to the doctor and the therapist this week.

Madilyn is 16lbs and Matthew is 18lbs. THey have both gained almost 10 inches!

Since they were born 8 weeks premature, their developmental stages are 2 months behind other babies their same chronological age. So in other words they look for 4month development at the therapist appointment.

They received rave reviews. The therapist was especially pleased with their verbal skills. Marisa and Chris and Caitlyn constantly talk to these babies. They are always being encouraged to laugh or coo and sometimes are allowed to cry (much to grandma's dismay).

Shopping Trip

My blog has been living in the land of make-believe over the last few days so why not take it one step further. Let’s make believe that money is no object and that I have lost about two hundred pounds. Ok, see now isn’t everything rosy with these glasses on?

We have a new “mall” here in Glendale called the Americana at Brand (they held a contest to name it and a friend of mine won). In this mall are shops that I can not either afford or fit, so now that I am “rich and skinny” LET”S GO SHOPPING!


The Armani Exchange has great denim, and by denim I mean jeans.

These are my 3 favorite pairs:






The Potassium Straight Leg








The AX Pocket Boot Cut







The Embroidered Skinny Flare Fit















Okay maybe I would need to lose more than two hundred pounds for that last one.

I love dark denim and I enjoy a good fitting jean. If it is too tight, you not only can’t breathe but wearing jeans is supposed to be about being comfortable. I think I could be comfortable in these (remember we are in fantasyland here).



The Armani Exchange has denim starting at $98. And every day until July 31st, they are giving away a pair of denim jeans in a contest called text AX - try to win by texting “DENIM2″ to ARMANI (276264). Also if you purchase a pair of jeans between July 7 - July 19 at full price, you’ll get a gift card worth $20 to use on your next purchase of $100 or more (between July 30 - August 15).

Because I Love You

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