My friend, Elaina (Fun Finds For Mom), and her husband were also feeling like there needed to be a better way to record the things kids say and do.  So, they created Kidlee.com. I’ve used this a bunch of times already since signing up. You can jot down something your child says or does, you can even upload photos or video. AND, you can have it all sent in an email to other people who give a rip about your kids. I know my parents and my in-laws will be so excited to get an email summary about their grandkids every week. What a great way to journal what your kids are doing and easily send it to others.

The site is still in beta, but I’ve been given a limited amount of invite codes. Go to Kidlee.com and type in HIPMOM as the code and you’re good to go. Try it and then come back here to let us know what you think. Elaina and Gary are open to suggestions from users!

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Imagine what you could do if you strap this to your over-active children? It could solve the childhood obesity problem AND lower our dependence on conventional electricity in one fell swoop, don’tcha think? Just load your kids into one of these  and let ‘em rip around the yard for a few hours, or better yet have them ride their bike…down a big hill. You can tell them that they can’t watch TV until they’ve generated enough electricity to power an episode of Spongebob.

I find this dandelion design oddly delightful. I think little girls may dig it if it were more colorful. For boys, though, we’d we have to redesign it to look like rocket boosters or something.

You think this gizmo could qualify for some of the federal government’s green energy funding? I could TOTALLY see Obama and Biden rockin’ one of these.

If you’re curious and want to learn more about “dandelion” click here.

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*All donations are tax-deductible.
Receipts will be issued on behalf of the “Save Andrea From the Ugly Stick” Foundation.

Savin’ up for Plastic Surgery Cash Stash.  $4.99 at PerpetualKid.com

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I took this with my iPhone on January 3rd, the last day before we all forgot about Holiday vacation and headed back to the daily grind of life. I love seeing my little family in such a serene scene (probably because we are rarely serene).

This is supposed to be wordless so I will stop typing now.

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There are some things that a vast majority of women do that really give us all a bad name. I’m gonna call us out on it right now. And, btw, I am guilty of all of these to some extent or another…

- Putting a little bowl candy your desk at the office. Ever see a guy do this? No. Why not? Because it’s stupid. You’re not there to feed your co-worker’s or give them a sugar buzz; you’re there to work.

- Decorating your cubicle like it’s a room in your house. I knew one women whose cube felt like a living room – ambient lighting, photo frames, artwork, a mirror. (And, if you have a poster of a kitty hanging from a tree with a “Hang in there” on it everyone will wonder how you passed the psychological screening administered by HR during the hiring process.) I get that it makes the cube more enjoyable, but this isn’t where you live, despite how many hours you spend here. Keep your cube sparse and put more effort into your work.

- Taking forever to pull out of  a parking space. If I’m at the store searching for a parking and space and a man and a woman are getting into separate cars at the same time I will 100% of the time wait to pull into the guy’s space. Women jack around. They fumble for their keys, sometimes even hoisting their handbag onto the hood of the car to conduct a thorough search; they take forever to put things into their car (usually in the trunk or backseat); they check themselves out in the mirror. Guys have their keys in their pockets, toss their bag on the passenger seat and are outta there. They’re crude, yet efficient.  (Same goes for checkout lines at stores. Guys move faster.)

- Talking incessantly about your children. A few anectdotes about the kids here and there is great, but constant droning about your kids is annoying. And when you’re around people who don’t have kids, unless they ask you specifically about your children, don’t bring ‘em up because people without kids could give a rip about yours. Harsh, but true. BTW, I am guilty of telling stories about my kids when no story was called for…and I always feel like a freak after I do it.

- Choosing clothes based upon what’s in style and not what looks good on your body type. Case in point: skinny jeans. Whoever brought the skinny jean back should be removed from society, but until that arrest takes place women need to know that this style is not for everyone. Just because it’s the “in” thing does not mean you look good in it. Skinny jeans only look good on people who are underweight, so unless you’re a size zero, you should really stick to another style of jean. Same goes for other fashions. Clothes that fit right and flatter never go out of style…almost.

- Similar to the point above, wearing age-inappropriate clothing. When trying something on ask yourself the following two questions: Would a 12-year-old wear this? Would my mother-in-law wear this? If the answer to either question is “yes”, place the item back on the rack and move along.

- Saying ‘yes’ all of the time. We hate letting people down. I get it. It’s part of our genetic make-up, but I’ve seen many a woman go batty because they over-commit, over-subscribe and then resent it. Being helpful is great but we need to learn to say ‘no’ sometimes (although not all of the time). People will keep asking you for things and soon you’ll feel like they’re taking advantage of you, which leads to resentment, which leads to bitterness, which can be construed as bitchiness.  Say ‘no’ occasionally. It’s empowering, it’s your right, and you will be better at what you’ve already said ‘yes’ to. Say it with me, “NO!” I can’t hear you, “NO!!!” Good job.

- Bad driving skills. You can’t have a list like this without mentioning driving. Stop putting your make-up on while driving. By all means do not text while driving. Use your earpiece if you need to talk on the phone. Do not keep turning around and looking at your kids while driving. Nose picking is fine (oh, come on, don’t pretend like you don’t do it) as long as you keep your eyes on the road.

I know I’m missing a bunch. Feel free to add your observations in the comments section below.

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Images taken from woohome.com

What would you have your underage labor…I mean, kid, build for you?

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Source: Online Colleges and Universities

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I spent many of the last 10 years depressed – not a widely known fact among people close to me. And now, on the eve of a new decade, I’ve decided to bury it with the last ten years and look ahead.

It started in early 2001
I suspect I had post-partum depression after my first son was born in ‘01.  Lots of crying. This feeling of a complete loss of freedom. I just thought it was normal behavior. I never felt ill-will toward my son. I was just kinda down, blue. After baby #2 in ‘02, I felt pretty good. I had things under control. When he was about 6 months old, my company told me my job in Orange County, CA was moving back to Detroit, MI. We signed the paperwork. We were headed back to the Midwest. Less than 24-hours after committing to move back I got a call from my husband saying he was promoted to COO of his company. We stayed here, and I decided to start my own work gig. I got a project right away, but it meant driving an 1.5 hours in each direction almost ever day. And, the company was nutty. It was tough. I spent a lot of time working and away from my family. I was completely stressed out. I lost about 15 pounds. That project ended and things got better. But now I was traveling to Austin, TX every other week. The stress and anxiety were still there.

Around 2005
We moved homes. I got pregnant again in very late 2005 and in ‘06 we had a baby girl – a truly blessed occasion. But, I was working for myself when this baby was born. No 4-month maternity leave for me. 7 days after having my third c-section (3 days after leaving the hospital) I was presenting to a client. Did I mention that my two boys had started school that very week – one started Kindergarten and one started pre-school? Did I also mention that we have no family whatsoever in CA and that we did not have a nanny? I was exhausted. It took me 4 months to heal from my c-section incision. I was doing too much. My boys went to separate schools. Some days I would need to take my daughter’s heavy infant carrier in and out the car 8 times…just to get my boys to school and back. That’s why the wound didn’t heal. And, I was still working. Full-tilt. 60 hour weeks. There was no time for anything but caring for kids and clients. I can honestly say it SUCKED. I sank. Deep. (OK, so this is where I interject to address those of you who look at my story thus far and say, “What the hell’s wrong with her? She should be happy she had three healthy children and had work.” You are right, and that’s the point. I should’ve been happy but I wasn’t.)

2008
When my daughter was about 18 months old, it all came to a head. I was miserable and irritable. I began to yell a lot at my kids. I didn’t want to be around my husband. I would avoid him. I could not have fun no matter how hard I tried. I lost all ability to enjoy anything. I would go days without even smiling. My hair was falling out by the handfuls. I couldn’t sleep. I was anxious. I’d wake up at 3am and my mind wouldn’t stop  moving – so much anxiety, so many thoughts and worries. The more tired I was, the more irritable I became. It was a vicious spiral downward.

At around this time I read the novel Eat, Pray, Love (a book I highly recommend).  It’s autobiographical and the main character in the book is really depressed. Reading her story made me recognize my own depression.

One day, as I was getting ready for bed, my husband was asking me, very concerned, why I was in such a bad mood all of the time. I just remember thinking to myself, “I just don’t want to feel like this anymore.” And, that feeling of not being able to enjoy anything was so strong and overwhelming, it scared me. I never contemplated suicide, but I did understand how depressed people get to a point when anything is better than feeling that bad. That’s when I went and saw a psychiatrist and got myself some help.

The Shrink put me on anti-depressants. Within a few weeks, I was starting to feel much more normal. I was smiling. I was interested in listening to music and interested in cooking again (two things I used to love before I got all mopey). Things that would have made me angry before just rolled off of me like water off a duck’s tail. I began blogging, which I think was really been better than therapy for me. It became an outlet, but more importantly, it was ALL MINE – no kids, no husband, no clients. Just me writing about whatever I pleased. I was on the happy pills for 9 months, went off them over a year ago and have been doing great ever since.

The reason for this post
I’m spilling this all to just get it out there and move on. But, I’m also doing it because I do not only believe, but I know, that a lot of women feel the way I did. IT IS NOT NORMAL. Life is too short to be sad and unable to live in the moment. Motherhood is hard, but it can be hard AND fun at the same time.

But, HERE’S THE BIG “A-HA!” I figured out how NOT to get into that situation again. And, I think whether you are depressed or not this is good advice for you. You need to make yourself a priority. You need to NOT lose yourself to your family, your work. You have to have interests and experiences that live outside of your mom world. Clearly, this isn’t rocket science and we’ve all heard it before. But, we really have to do it.

Take a class that interests you, join a book club, schedule a night or a day or several days away from your family, run off to see a concert, be spontaneous. And, you don’t always have to do things separate from your family (although I do believe some non-family time is essential), just do what you love and drag them along. Be interesting. Don’t sacrifice who you are. Don’t go through life not being your authentic self. If you need to take the pills to get you to a place that allows you to make yourself a priority, then do it. There is no shame in taking care of yourself. And know that you don’t have to be on them forever.

Being YOU will make you happier. It will make you a better parent and wife. (I honestly wonder how many marriages end because one spouse is depressed and doesn’t seek help).

So, 2000-2009, may you rest in peace. You taught me much, but I am looking ahead to the next decade…of happiness.

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I saw this today and knew I had to post it…

Presented by Online Education

Visuals are powerful things, huh?

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FOR HER
Peter Petrie Egg Separator
The yolk stays in the head, while the egg white drips from Peter’s nostrils. Great for making holiday meringue!

Yoga Toes
I would rather have a bunionectomy.

Silicone Pop-up Booty Enhancer
And, the tagline for the company, which produces this fine product is “Our Duty is Your Booty”. Genius.

White Trash Cooking I & II
Although Twinkie Pie sounds tempting, I’ll pass.

FOR HIM
Adult Footie Pajamas
No one over the age of 7 should ever wear footie pajamas. This guy looks like a complete tool, btw.

The Potty Putter
When they run out of things to read…

Razorba Back Shaver
I wonder if they make an extended handle so you can shave your butt? (Why did they have this guy pose with his shirt on? And, what’s with the table? Is it there to catch falling back hair?)

FOR THE KIDS
Cat-a-pult Cat Hurler
You gotta be on sick bastard to own one of these. I don’t even like cats and I think this is just wrong.

Pole Dancing Doll
After seeing this, one friend of mine asked if it came with  drunk Ken doll waving a wad of $20’s. I thought that comment was pretty freakin’ hilarious.

White Trash Barbie
This is so wrong that I almost didn’t post it. I wonder if she and pole dancing dolly are BFFs?

Decapitated Teddy Bear Lamp
Especially good for kids who suffer from frequent nightmares.

FOR THE DOG
Snuggie for Dogs
Um, okay. No.

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