When people ask me about the parent blogging community, I say it is a diverse and supportive community. Most can’t understand how online relationships can translate to friendships, but it does. I had the honor of meeting Susan Niebur (WhyMommy) through BlogHer. Beyond being a parent blogger, she was also also a scientist, mother and amazing friend to many. The first time I had an extended email conversation with her was on the night she posted about her courageous fight with cancer and that she was going in for a Double Mastectomy. When I read that post, I emailed her to see if there…
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Most Topular Stories
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In Honor of Susan Niebur – Her Inspiration Will Always Be With Us
Techmamas - Curating the Best of Tech and Social Media for Families7 Feb 2012 | 2:32 pm -
Everything I know about real estate I learned from House Hunters (Sponsored)
Girl's Gone Child8 Feb 2012 | 12:59 pmThe following post is sponsored by HGTV's House Hunters, which is convenient because House Hunters is the only show on television that I religiously watch. Also, I just spent the last five months house hunting. Also, I'm watching House Hunters right now as I write this post in my HH pajamas. (I don't have HH pajamas. Also, House Hunters and I are on an "initials only" basis because we're super tight. xoxoxo, RW)As many of you know, I spent my entire pregnancy eating inordinate amounts of watermelon and watching House Hunters and House Hunters International. As "lifelong renters" Hal and I… -
There is No Winning When You Play Against Me
Attack of the Redneck Mommy6 Feb 2012 | 1:26 pmSo remember how once upon a time, we had a ridiculously ugly couch that my children slashed with knives and the dogs puked on and how I was so very tired of furniture which looked better out on my lawn than in my house that I stupidly allowed my husband to purchase a leather couch with no wifely supervision? And now, in my small living room there sits an oversized, overstuffed, hideously coloured sectional couch. A new couch that may actually look worse than the original piece of crap we were trying to replace. So ya. I still have that couch. And 18 months later it is still ugly. And slightly… -
A Strange Note I left Myself
Jessica Gottlieb A Los Angeles Mom8 Feb 2012 | 10:57 amI don’t know who said it or I’d happy attribute it to them, but I opened up my notes folder in my email and found the following: The more success you have the more difficult it is to be uninhibited because you come to like the success and are afraid of losing it. I don’t remember where I was but I do recall a speaker saying so and I thought, “Oh yes, that’s why I’ve become so timid with my blogging.” It’s true, it’s very true, because blogging makes me feel like I’ve connected with so many of you. However with so many others it makes me feel like I’m standing here, tits… -
Detroit Won the Super Bowl…Unless You’re a Jerk
Queen of Spain Blog5 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmWho knew pulling together to get our country back to work could cause so much arguing? Things I heard tonight after Chrysler ran it’s ‘Imported From Detroit’ commercial during the Super Bowl: It was an Obama ad. They are owned by Italians who hate Americans. They are owned by foreigners who called paying back the ‘bailout’ rude. It’s halftime for Obama, not America. Clint Eastwood isn’t a real Republican, he’s RINO who likes the gays. It was an Obama ad. Personally, I don’t really care which side of the aisle you are on, if you are…
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Techmamas - Curating the Best of Tech and Social Media for Families
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In Honor of Susan Niebur – Her Inspiration Will Always Be With Us
7 Feb 2012 | 2:32 pmWhen people ask me about the parent blogging community, I say it is a diverse and supportive community. Most can’t understand how online relationships can translate to friendships, but it does. I had the honor of meeting Susan Niebur (WhyMommy) through BlogHer. Beyond being a parent blogger, she was also also a scientist, mother and amazing friend to many. The first time I had an extended email conversation with her was on the night she posted about her courageous fight with cancer and that she was going in for a Double Mastectomy. When I read that post, I emailed her to see if there… -
Disneyland Explorer – a Disney Parks App for iPad
6 Feb 2012 | 12:06 pmPart of the excitement of our family adventures to Disneyland is going online to plan our trip. Our kids love helping to collaborate so we can fit in all of their favorite Disney experiences in the trip. The Disneyland mobile apps are also helpful for us to get information on the go. When I received this press release about a new Disney Parks app for the iPad, I was excited for a new mobile opportunity to experience and get information about Disneyland. Disney Explorer is a free app for the iPad that offers a mobile experience of the sights and sounds of Disneyland. The app offers the… -
Social Shield: S.O.S. for Parents Trying To Understand Social Networking Terms
3 Feb 2012 | 11:10 amSocialShield Releases the Top Social Networking Terms Kids Don’t Want Their Parents to Know Sheds light on the latest lingo kids are using to hold illicit, risky or secretive conversations As a parent of a tween, I am well aware of the language and terms tween/tweens use to communicate with each other. But add on to that technology – and the dangers of their terms increases exponentially. From watching what goes on – I can see that it does not matter if your child has their own phone or not – these terms are used across devices – including computers. They can be… -
New Release: “Double Fine Happy Action Theater” – A New Kinect for Xbox 360 experience for families
2 Feb 2012 | 2:10 pmOur family loves our Kinect for XBox 360 as family entertainment with a gesture tech slant. We always enjoy trying out the new activities and games that come out for the Kinect, especially ones for all ages. I just received a press release today of a new activity for the Kinect called Double Fine Happy Action Theater. The 18 new family friendly “arcade” like experiences include jumping in a ball house, hot lava, build an ice cave out of your furniture and wait out a blizzard, become a giant monster and stomp buildings and more. Up to six players at once can play with the… -
Connecting With The RickiLakeShow
31 Jan 2012 | 6:17 pmI have been a fan of Ricki Lake for some time and was excited to see her on Dancing With The Stars. Putting my own fantasies aside of dancing on the show with those fantastic costumes, I was rooting for her to win as a fan and as a fellow working mom. When she made the finals – I was so proud! But I am most excited to announce that I am one of the members of social media community called Friends of Ricki that supports her forthcoming television show: The Ricki Lake Show. Our first fun event is a #FriendsofRicki Ustream (http://ustream.tv/rickilake) at 5pm PST this Wednesday,…
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Girl's Gone Child
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Everything I know about real estate I learned from House Hunters (Sponsored)
8 Feb 2012 | 12:59 pmThe following post is sponsored by HGTV's House Hunters, which is convenient because House Hunters is the only show on television that I religiously watch. Also, I just spent the last five months house hunting. Also, I'm watching House Hunters right now as I write this post in my HH pajamas. (I don't have HH pajamas. Also, House Hunters and I are on an "initials only" basis because we're super tight. xoxoxo, RW)As many of you know, I spent my entire pregnancy eating inordinate amounts of watermelon and watching House Hunters and House Hunters International. As "lifelong renters" Hal and I… -
Thing of the Week: Babycakes Mixes
8 Feb 2012 | 7:36 amgluten-free cookie/brownie mixes $24A couple months ago, Babycakes NYC opened a (gluten-free! kosher!) bakery in my neck of the woods and OH MY GOD, THE DONUTS. The EVERYTHING, really, but there's something about a great donut. There just is. So, anyway, Babycakes opened a bakery and sent us a care package of goodies including two tins for us to build our own adventure. Which is perfect for me because I do not bake. At all. Ever. As in, I've never baked a cake or cookie in my life. It's true. I am NOT my mother's daughter in the baked goods department. ALTHOUGH. I am damn good at salads. And… -
In Escrow
7 Feb 2012 | 9:01 amI took this picture two months ago when I first saw the house. Before I took Hal to see it and the kids and then my parents. Before we discussed purchasing as an option. Before any of it. A man in a suit knocked on the door with a photocopy of local listings and this house was on it. I read the address and thought, "holy shit. Is this our house?"The house has three bedrooms and an office, 2100 square feet and is very similar to the house we're currently renting. It's completely original (circa 1928) down to the built-in vanities in the bedrooms and hallway with high ceilings, stained glass… -
Liner Notes 2/6
6 Feb 2012 | 11:48 amI'm waiting for a phone call. I was thinking I'd write this post after said phone call happened. But I can't wait around for news because it's far too nerve-wracking and I only have a couple more hours until my work day is over and the door in my office flies open and I'm back to being mom and mama and mommy and why isn't the phone ringing? The phone was supposed to ring this morning and it's now late morning and WHAT IS HAPPENING. Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee. Pictures, pictures, pictures, pictures. (I dropped my camera and the lens exploded hence the instagram explosion. Apologies!) (No… -
Let Sleeping Babies Lie... On their Bellies?
3 Feb 2012 | 9:15 amThis week on Momversation I talked about letting my babies sleep on their bellies, something I was afraid to admit until this post wrestled it out of me. Something I'm glad I admitted because apparently, many of you are ALSO doing it, as in quietly breaking "the rules" and "Shhh... don't tell anybody BUT..."I hate that we have to lie to each other to keep from being judged assuming that once we admit that "yes, our cribs have bumpers and no, we're not breastfeeding, and yes, our babies sleep on their bellies, andandandand and..." everyone will hate us and we will shrivel up and die. So here's…
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Attack of the Redneck Mommy
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There is No Winning When You Play Against Me
6 Feb 2012 | 1:26 pmSo remember how once upon a time, we had a ridiculously ugly couch that my children slashed with knives and the dogs puked on and how I was so very tired of furniture which looked better out on my lawn than in my house that I stupidly allowed my husband to purchase a leather couch with no wifely supervision? And now, in my small living room there sits an oversized, overstuffed, hideously coloured sectional couch. A new couch that may actually look worse than the original piece of crap we were trying to replace. So ya. I still have that couch. And 18 months later it is still ugly. And slightly… -
Waiting to Inhale
30 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pmIt was one of those hot summer afternoons where the heat bounced off the sidewalk in blurry waves. I was fourteen years old and unsupervised and my best friend Jojo and I had this wild idea to hang out in her back yard pretending we were grownups. After walking to the nearest gas station to each buy a pack of cigarettes and slurpees, we shuffled to her house, the heat licking at our backs and I remember wiping beads of sweat off my brow and onto the cotton dress I was wearing. We set ourselves up in the shade of her back yard, with our slushies and smokes and we each ordered our own pizza. -
Tsarina T
25 Jan 2012 | 1:17 pmThere is one person in this world who is allowed to call me “Mommy.” Hint: It’s not my husband. Because…ew. Nor is it the PR flackies who keeps sending me bizarre email pitches addressed to Mommy. My name is Tanis. And if you don’t want to use that one, I’ll accept Tsarina T. The only person who could get away with calling me Mommy is, ironically, the only person who can’t. And he gets a free pass because dammit, he’s cute. I wrote a post about how my kid called me Mommy and how I had to resist the urge to laugh and/or shank him afterwards. -
For the Record: There is No Point to This Post
23 Jan 2012 | 10:51 amWhen I was 13, I was convinced that when I grew up I was not going to look at all like anything I currently resembled. Time would work it’s magic and erase the curse of genetics and biology and I’d suddenly sprout to be my dream height of 5’11, have a pert C-cup, thick wavy blonde hair and a face made for magazine covers. Because, like duh, someone had to look like that so why couldn’t it be me? I may not have been the brightest child, but I like to think I get points for being one of the most optimistic. Of course, I have somehow managed to grow up and not look a… -
Whacky Tobacky
6 Jan 2012 | 12:19 pmThere are few things I dread more than having to venture into the city to go to a medical appointment. Perhaps because I’ve now spent the bulk of my adult life sitting in a waiting room because of my desire to have children who are either born broken or born with a tendency to try and slice off their digits at every given opportunity. I’ve done my time with the medical establishment. Which is why it seems a cruel hard fate to know that today I have to make the long drive into the city, pay for parking, wear one of those ugly hospital gowns that never seem to snap shut properly and…
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Jessica Gottlieb A Los Angeles Mom
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A Strange Note I left Myself
8 Feb 2012 | 10:57 amI don’t know who said it or I’d happy attribute it to them, but I opened up my notes folder in my email and found the following: The more success you have the more difficult it is to be uninhibited because you come to like the success and are afraid of losing it. I don’t remember where I was but I do recall a speaker saying so and I thought, “Oh yes, that’s why I’ve become so timid with my blogging.” It’s true, it’s very true, because blogging makes me feel like I’ve connected with so many of you. However with so many others it makes me feel like I’m standing here, tits… -
Startup Series: EventUp
7 Feb 2012 | 2:41 pmSince incubators like Science are now calling Los Angeles home I figure it’s time to start a series of posts to show off some of our finest startups. Eventup caught my eye because it starts in the geek space but ends up in the mom space (even if they don’t realize it yet). Eventup is a site that allows you to search for a location for your event big or small in and around Los Angeles with other cities soon to launch. If I search New York I find one garden apartment, I’m assuming there will be more fabulous locations soon. Everyone who watches the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills knows… -
Kenmore Blogger Summit 2012
7 Feb 2012 | 2:23 pmIn the end of January I was invited to Chicago along with 40 other bloggers to attend the Kenmore Blogger Summit. Since I am a fan of all things Kenmore I decided to brave Chicago’s winter and have 24 hours in the city. It’s not easy to get to Chicago in the middle of a snowstorm. The flight was delayed and leaving the airport was more complicated than it would have been in Los Angeles or Bali. I think maybe next year’s summit should take place in Bali. The good news is that I got there in time to hear a presentation about Google Plus. I kept waiting to hear about features I didn’t… -
Sports: We do it for The Kids!
6 Feb 2012 | 9:37 amThe Little League in our neighborhood is for parents too. There are moms and dads who spend a lot of time on the fields or hanging out with other parents. So much time that they’ve brought in televisions so that they can enjoy full days at the snack bar with their friends. Baseball is everything for a lot of parents. Baseball was everything for my son. He’s a decent player, not the best, and certainly not the worst. There are divisions by age set up but players can “play up” or “play down”. There’s a live draft and a group of fathers who are building up their summer travel… -
Chevy, Twinkies and Cockroaches?
5 Feb 2012 | 9:14 pmI hate the Chevy and Ford rivalry. I mean everyone knows that I’m polyamorous when it comes to automobiles. I love them all. This Super Bowl Commercial makes me giggle. It’s a fantastic concept but it takes a hard swipe at Ford and features Hostess Twinkies. GM and Hostess have something in common, right? Bankruptcy anyone?
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Queen of Spain Blog
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Detroit Won the Super Bowl…Unless You’re a Jerk
5 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmWho knew pulling together to get our country back to work could cause so much arguing? Things I heard tonight after Chrysler ran it’s ‘Imported From Detroit’ commercial during the Super Bowl: It was an Obama ad. They are owned by Italians who hate Americans. They are owned by foreigners who called paying back the ‘bailout’ rude. It’s halftime for Obama, not America. Clint Eastwood isn’t a real Republican, he’s RINO who likes the gays. It was an Obama ad. Personally, I don’t really care which side of the aisle you are on, if you are… -
Royal Pains
30 Jan 2012 | 10:18 amI’m going to die like Elvis. No really. That’s how this is all going to go down. So to speak. I’m finally peeking my head up here on my blog after a week of being ‘sick’ – which is different from my usual ‘sick’ where in I just take all my medications and trudge through life hoping things get better with every lab test. This week we decided to add ‘gastro’ issues where phrases we haven’t used since the kids were in diapers like ‘Aww, she made it through the night without pooping her pants!’ were busted out. Oh… -
Taking Inspiration From Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
23 Jan 2012 | 9:46 amI can’t imagine what a violent act, such as suffered by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, feels like. To have your life nearly taken, to battle back from against the odds, and then to work hard to try and ‘do’ your job. I can imagine what it feels like to want to do your job, and be unable- because you have to focus on your health. To want to make a difference, change lives, and show people how politics can, in fact, work and give every citizen a voice. Of all the work and hats I would wear at BlogHer, there was nothing I loved more than connecting women and elected… -
Sugar 2.0
19 Jan 2012 | 11:28 pmAs I’ve done the speaking circuit for several years now on this whole social media thing I’ve always had my schpeil about it being my ‘virtual cup of sugar.’ You know, gone are the days where we borrow that cup of sugar from our neighbor and we talk kids and schools and life and we’ve moved that conversation and companionship online. I’ve found my ‘virtual’ cup of sugar in my blogging and social media communities. We still share the same friendship and advice and community-we just do it through our computers and smartphones and tablets and… -
Magic Hats Can Explain SOPA, PIPA, & Internet “Strikes”
18 Jan 2012 | 5:12 pmIt seems only appropriate that on this day, a day of protest here in the wild World Wide Web, I showcase the hat sent to me by BlogHer CEO Lisa Stone: Just the hat though, that’s all you get to see…as I’m reading and educating myself on a very important Internet issue- freedom. I’m starting by reading up on the two bills headed through (or stalled, or being changed, or fill-in-the-blank-status as of now) Congress and then I will contact my representative. As a pioneer in making sure women’s voices are heard online and throughout the world, Lisa Stone (or as we…
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Playgroups are No Place For Children
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96 Mind Blowing Ways
1 Feb 2012 | 6:10 amWe cleaned out the attic a few weeks ago and I found a Collector’s Tin of Crayola crayons that I’d kept from when I was a kid. It was something I’d forgotten all about, having received the tin as a gift when I was just a little too old to care about crayons anymore and so it was put away in a box and moved from apartment to apartment and house to house. When I found it, I was sure that they’d all be melted since they’d been in a box in the attic for over a decade. Surprisingly when I opened the tin, the crayons were fine. As a kid, one of my favorite things in… -
A weekend of misplaced children, overpriced dinners, and snot.
30 Jan 2012 | 1:40 pmI’ve been fighting off a cold since the beginning of January. It started to set in the first week of January and again the 2nd week of January, but my body-the TEMPLE that it is-fought back valiantly. That is until it couldn’t fight it off anymore, so I’ve been hacking, coughing, blowing my nose, and generally feeling like my head is a sloshy mess for two weeks. Tate and I had a date set up for last Friday night, so despite feeling like crud-o-la, we packed the kids off to the trusty Parent’s Night Out program at one of the local churches. This was the first time… -
The Good Guys
24 Jan 2012 | 4:52 amIt all began with Blue’s Clues, Carson became a devoted clue finder as a toddler. His love for Blue extended into books and songs, and into his imaginative play. Then it was Thomas the Train and All About John Deere movies that led he and his sister to play for hours on end, chuffing, plowing, and absorbed in their elaborate play pretending to be engineers and farmers. I know that watching too much TV is bad, but I also know that movies and shows have inspired their love for not only reenacting the stories, but extending the stories with their own imaginations into epic adventures. Our… -
It’s because I desperately miss the share function on Google Reader
20 Jan 2012 | 1:34 pmHow has it already been a week since I last posted?! Grand plans I had! There were so many times this week that I thought, I need to sit down and write about this. And yet. I’ve just recently signed on with Hallmark as part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign. I’m really excited because I will now have no excuse to not write here in this space and talk about the little, big, and everything in between events happening ’round these, here parts. I’m also excited because, well, it’s Hallmark! Continuing with the theme of: Talking About Myself,… -
Snow Day Traditions
13 Jan 2012 | 10:27 amI tried to tell them. “There’s not really enough snow for playing. It’s just a dusting. You can see most of the grass, for goodness sakes!” “No, Mommy, see?” Carson pointed out the window. “There’s snow all over the driveway!” Well, they did cancel school. I guess it wouldn’t have been a real snow day if we hadn’t: 1. Taken 45 minutes to find all the hats, mittens, and boots. 2. Taken another 45 minutes to get dressed in double layers. 3. Made a snow angel in what little snow there was 4. Played for two minutes outside…
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Holy Kaw!
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Every nerd’s worst nightmare: World’s largest dodgeball game [video]
8 Feb 2012 | 6:57 pmIf dodgeball day in gym class left you nursing wounds both physical and psychological during the eternity that is a bad grade school experience, you might not appreciate the efforts of 4,979 people at the University of Alberta trying to set a new world record. On the other hand, if dodgeball marked the high point of your glory days, revel in the chaos… Full story at Vimeo via Official Hype. Games from the good old days. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Text while you walk (safely this time)
8 Feb 2012 | 6:18 pmIf you’re ever twisted your ankle off a curb, bumped a stranger, or walked into a street post while texting—you need this app. ‘Transparent Screen’ for Android allows you to look through your device so you can anticipate any dangerous obstacles in your way while you’re texting on-the-go by harnessing the power of your camera to create the illusion of transparency. Just watch out for your battery life while using the app, as it’ll drain quickly. Full story at GeekOSystem. All the top tech. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Nintendo and Converse collaborate on an amazing sneaker
8 Feb 2012 | 5:25 pmClear out room in your closets, gamers. Converse is releasing their ‘One Star Super Mario Bros.’ shoe this March! Via Like Cool. Get your Nintendo fix. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Why Congress is way richer than you [infographic]
8 Feb 2012 | 4:28 pmVia Online Schools. Depressing infographics. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
The bookcase that’s always ready for more
8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pmThe thing about bibliophiles is that, before you know it, the bookcase is full and it’s time to drag in a few more boards and cinder blocks to accommodate the newcomers. With the REK, such worries are a thing of the past, as the system accordions out when more space is needed and collapses into a handy rectangle when it’s time to pack up shop and move on to greener pastures. Unfortunately, the price is listed as “on request” meaning the 99% is out of luck, but perhaps it’ll inspire you to hit the workshop for a little DIY action if you can drag your nose out of…
