Mama Saga

I'm NOT the Weirdo

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Today I went shopping for maternity clothing...a painful experience, at best, and one I thankfully mostly avoid by reusing from the previous pregnancies and buying online. This time, though, I needed a new pair of jeans. Of course, the affordable clothes are ugly and made of cheap material, that goes without saying. And, for some reason, you either have to be an XS or an XL to buy maternity clothing. And the medium size jeans are so long...I guess if you are a size 8 you are supposed to be 5'8". Now, a warning, this is a breastfeeding-related rant. That's pretty much what I use this spot for at this point--talking about breastfeeding and blogging--since I have other sites for talking about volunteering, parenting products, education,...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Pitch Speak for Newbie Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:56:00 +0000

I get a lot of pitches at Mamanista, the parenting lifestyle blog I co-edit. I've also written a few pitches, freelancing for some friends who own PR agencies. And I've noticed some trends in the use of language that might mystify newbie bloggers. So, to help you read those pitches, here is some key vocabulary translated: Exclusive: Only every blogger on my list of 10,000 mom bloggers has received this. Please be flattered and post this offer so I score points with my client / bosses. We're not going to pay you. Opportunity: We have some samples for you and we hope you are going to work for free because we are certainly not going to pay you.Opportunity to Run a Giveaway: We want inbound links and traffic for the wholesale cost of our...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

The Children Are Less Patient

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:54:00 +0000

We were at a busy restaurant over the holiday weekend and my daughter began to get frustrated that the waitress did not bring her water right away. Then the waitress committed the horrible sin of bringing out the adult beverages before the water. "Mommy," my daughter wailed, "She should have brought out the water before the wine because the children are less patient than the adults!" I've always wondered about waiters that put hot plates and steak knives in front of toddlers (activating the lightning reflexes of the parents), bring out the kids' food last, and think a two inch paper cocktail napkin is going to be sufficient for a young child. Yet, I have to question the wisdom of my daughter's words. I think we adults are far less...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

The Annual Knife Through My Heart Got Twistier

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:18:00 +0000

We are now on a yearly schedule for my daughter's cardiologist. Yesterday was a good, if long (3 hours) appointment. The cardiologist and his staff were amused that my daughter brought her own pillow to the examination--they said that was the first time they had seen that in 20 years of practice. We found out that valve replacement via catheter is now approved in the U.S. and I can only imagine how far the technology will go in the next 6-10 years. I know I am so very lucky. Still, the yearly recitation of the heart conditions on both sides of the family just became tragically longer this summer when my father-in-law, a good man and a loving grandfather, passed suddenly and unexpectedly. And now that my daughter is four, her...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

You Never Know Just How You Look Through Someone Else's Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:59:00 +0000

A friend's husband urged her to stop following me on facebook because my daily activities with my kids made her feel bad. Another mom messaged me asking how I do so much. I'm not interested in telling you what a bad mother I am. I'm not. But neither are you. And I'm torn up inside thinking that my decisions and choices might make any mom I know feel bad about hers. I once told my friend that I thought about renaming my personal blog Mama Good Enough and she laughed at the idea. But really, there are many, many areas I just let go. I don't keep a good house and I can't stand laundry or ironing. I don't grow an organic vegetable patch or make my own baby food (back when my kids ate baby food). I don't always make optimal green...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

My Young Pianist

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:30:00 +0000

My daughter, just before her 4th birthday, playing the theme from the New World Symphony by Dvorak:

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

BlogHer 10 - A Newbie Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Having never attended BlogHer before ('06 - due in August, '07 - moving, '08 - due in August, '09 - husband had National Guard duty and other relatives unavailable to watch young kids), I was impressed by both the amazing logistical coordination a conference of this size requires and by the beautiful sense of community. Major No Swag Improvements From the safe perspective of my couch last year, it seemed as if the swag and the avarice it inspired had gotten out of hand. I'm sure it was slanted coverage over-emphasizing a few misguided individuals but the fact that there was a crush of people pushing each other aside and elbowing little babies was alarming. This year, the BlogHer organizers and founders took several steps to ensure that...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

What Simple Things Make You a Better Parent?

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:06:00 +0000

I'm sipping tea right now and thinking about how better I parent when I take just five minutes for myself in the morning. I haven't always done even that--"me time" falls by the wayside if you have newborns or you do not have family support (either temporarily or long-term). Still, it really does make a difference in how patient and present I am throughout the rest of the day. Currently I am drinking a mix called "Spring Thunder" from a local tea cottage: Assam and China Green Teas, coconut, and lime and sunflower petals. In a few minutes I will start slicing fruit to take the kids to a play date. But for just a moment, I am recharging my own batteries. What's your cup of tea?

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

The BlogHer & Nestle / Stouffers / Butterfinger Sponsorship Controversy

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:43:00 +0000

#NestleFamily In September 2009, Nestle, one of the most widely boycotted and protested brands in the world, sponsored a trip to its headquarters for mom and dad bloggers. They created a hastag #NestleFamily and posted images and names of the bloggers on a microsite, calling them "Nestle Family Bloggers". Their hashtagged tweets also appeared on the microsite. Before these bloggers went, Annie of PhDinParenting asked them to reconsider. She believed that no engagement with Nestle was likely to prove productive at a fully sponsored brand event at corporate head quarters. In my opinion, this is especially true given the nature of the event and the fact that most of the bloggers there have stated that they were unaware of the concerns...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Bad Attitudes About Breastfeeding Hurt Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Even when breastfeeding is not tough, it is difficult in the United States. That's why I have a great deal of respect and gratitude for my lactivist friends. Today, I had the opportunity to chat with two other nursing mothers. One was also on her second child and the other was on her third. I was saddened to hear both say that they planned on stopping much earlier with their current baby than they did with their previous child. Both said that it was not due to mastitis or supply problems. Both mothers believed the choice they were making to breastfeed was the right one for their families. However both felt that breastfeeding in public makes other people uncomfortable. For this reason, they felt they had to breastfeed before...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

May-December Teenybopper Crush

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Sat, 08 May 2010 02:20:00 +0000

What's up with the mom crushes on teen-aged "heart throbs"? Maybe it is because I was a high school teacher but I just can't look at a guy under 30 and think, "what a dreamboat!" They just look like little boys to me. Frankly, I didn't even like 16 year-old boys when I was 16 years' old. I can't even make an exception for teen immortals, who, I suppose, are technically "older men". What do you think?

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

How hard is it to plan an Easter egg hunt?

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

I appreciate all the hard work volunteers and paid staff put in to make Holidays special for local kids. I truly do. And I also understand that there are a thousand and one little details that go into making large events a success because I have planned them before myself. So please believe me when I say that I know I am lucky to have so many fun events in my area. But how hard is it to plan an Easter egg hunt? One where every kid under five gets at least one egg. One where the parents don't have to wait on line for an hour. We went to two Easter egg hunts Easter weekend. At the first, there were enough eggs for every kid (smart) and staggered times (even smarter) but because you did not sign up for or get assigned a time, you had...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

The Laundry Song

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:47:00 +0000

My three and a half year old daughter came up with this song while matching socks and rolling them up: (sung to the tune of Frere Jacques) Folding Laundry, folding laundry Does this match? does this match? Yes, I think it does match. Well, then roll it up please! Fold, fold, fold. Fold, fold, fold.

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Shamrocker

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:12:00 +0000

Wordless Wednesday - Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Sweet Tooth

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:42:00 +0000

I've been trying to turn back the clock. When my daughter was a toddler, fruit was dessert, yogurt was her snack, milk and water were her only drinks. Then we moved closer to the grandparents and started going on playdates and the junkfood crept in. I allowed one treat at such times because I certainly do not think that having a single piece of candy or chocolate on occasion is terrible. Chocolates on Valentine's Day? Ice cream cones at the beach? Chips at a barbecue? Smores at a campfire? Gummy Worms at Halloween? Peeps on Easter? OK, that last one is still pretty gross but in general I am more than okay with the rare indulgence. Still, I had been mostly able to keep it out of our house. Until preschool. Every holiday seems to be...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

I Heart My Tet Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:03:00 +0000

This is a tough post for me to write but I just can't let this week go by without a post about congenital heart conditions. I've been awed by the brave example Kristine has set for our community in honor of her beautiful heart baby Cora. In the face of her love I am speechless. If you know me, you understand how rare an occurrence that is. But I will force the words and face the fears. Because the stakes are the lives of precious little babies. My daughter was born with Tetralogy of Fallot but CHD does not define my vibrant little three year old. And as she grows, I am more reluctant to write about her. I want her to have the opportunity to create her own identity and decide for herself how much CHDs are a part of that. Others...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Inappropriate Recital Costume or Prudish Mama?

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Hot pink, or fuchsia (as Fancy Nancy would say), is my daughter's favorite color. But she likes all the shades of pink. And at age three, she already has developed a signature style I still have yet to figure out mine. Each morning, she selects a shade of pink pettiskirt, a pair of funky leggings, and one of her dozens of pink tops. Add pink socks and her shiny pink sneakers, and she's good to go. My mother-in-law bought her a very cute book: I Wear My Tutu Everywhere. Much like my daughter, the pint-sized protagonist likes to wear her tutu...well...everywhere. One day it rips at the playground. Her mom repairs the tutu and then reveals the perfect place for her daughter to exercise her sartorial preferences--Ballet Class. So, I'm...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Beautiful Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

The unalleviated suffering of one diminishes the humanity of us all. At least, that's what I've believed most of my life. We've seen some tragic images in recent days, many of us, including myself and my co-editor at Mamanista have felt compelled to donate to help. I came across this lovely post detailing how you can save to give, even if your budget is tight. As a history educator, my acquaintance with Haiti to this point has been primarily its difficult and challenging history. Some have used that to argue that Haiti is a lost cause and others to argue for greater compassion. Others, including our President, have pointed to recent improvements and signs of hope that must not be extinguished. But Haiti is not all violent history...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Goodbye, Granny

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:06:00 +0000

My grandmother passed away today and I will miss her dearly. My sadness is less for her passing--she was very ill and very uncomfortable towards the end--and more for the isolation she felt in her last years of life. I have many lovely memories of my grandmother. I remember the chocolate chip cookies. She would do all the mixing by hand and pack each batch in foil-lined shoebox, securing the top with a rubber band. I think I spent a good part of my childhood anticipating the next batch of those delicious cookies. I remember the card games. We would pass the time playing gin rummy and casino. I remember the buttons. She had this magical box of buttons--small opalescent buttons, massive brass buttons, soft, cloth-covered buttons,...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Best. List. Evah.

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:07:00 +0000

I've only met Liz from Mom-101 & Cool Mom Picks once, very briefly, but I liked her immediately and she deserves all the kudos she gets. Not only does she write insightful, funny, and touching prose, but she gives back to the blogging community, too. Now, she's written a list. A list of mommy bloggers. WAIT! No really. Hold on a second. And it is the best mommy blogger list ever. And not just because I'm on it. No I'm serious. Don't run away yet. She manages to skewer the whole list-making, blogger-ranking silliness, while simultaneously giving an irreverent shout out to a bunch of genuine people in all their wacky humanity. And the best part of all? All you had to do was ask. OK...and happen to be following Liz on...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Feeding the Homeless on Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:06:00 +0000

This morning I spent a little time helping Volunteer 4 Long Island to assemble packages of food, personal items (toiletries), and clothing for those who are homeless or living in emergency and temporary housing. Even the littlest volunteers helped make cards to go in the packages. Those who did not have small children then went out and distributed the packages to the people living in the surrounding woods, abandoned and condemned buildings, and shelters and temporary and emergency housing. Watch this amazing video of their efforts Feeding the Homeless in 2008--I guarantee you will be moved! As part of my work with Bloganthropy.org, I launched @Volunteer4LI on Twitter, got a basic website up and running, and directed people to their...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

End of the Innocence

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Today my three year old daughter got a pink hobby horse from our trip to the dollar store because she had been trying so hard to be good lately. Then she decided to beat-up on her baby brother. Walked up right behind the kid and shoved him down. Hard. Completely unprovoked. So, I put the horse away. (Really, I've just run out of ideas here, people.) She asked me where he had gone and I told her I put it away, she'd get it back when she plays nicely, etc. But she persisted with the continuous stream of questions: Where is the horse? How long does she have to be good to get it back? Will I donate it? If the other little girl pushes her little brother, will she donate it back? Finally, I told her the horse went away because he only...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Port-of-Delight

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:35:00 +0000

In a lot of ways, it still feels like a dream. A few weeks ago, I saw tweets flying back and forth about winning a vacation from Voyage.TV. Normally, I would have just assumed it was either "too good to be true" or that my chances of winning were infinitesimally small. But then I saw that Liz @Mom101 (and Cool Mom Picks editor) had actually won (and gone on) a trip to Barcelona. Wow. My husband and I used to travel all the time (Rome, Florence, Venice, Sicily, Angkor Wat, Bangkok, the Greek Islands, Prague, Budapest, Romania, Belize, Mexico, Peru, Edinburgh, the Orkneys) but since we've had kids we haven't had the opportunity--the time, energy, or money. On a lark, I sent out a few tweets and then the one that won: I found out I...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

Halloween - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Get your Wordless Wednesday HERE and over at 5M4M.

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.

They Are Very Considerate

noreply@blogger.com (Candace April) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:58:00 +0000

My son has decided that I need more sleep. And he is enforcing this by waking up regularly and demanding that I join him. As soon as I cuddle him, he falls fast asleep. The moment I attempt to put him down, he cries. If I finally get him to bed, he is back up within the hour. I try to imagine it from his perspective--he spends an hour trying to get mommy to sleep: reading books with me, cuddling, nursing, singing. And then finally, just when he thinks he has me down for the night, he wakes to discover I am not there. Sneaky mommy. Just what does it take to get mommy to get her much needed sleep? And then there is my darling daughter. Lately she has taken to asking me how much I love her. Being a bit of a sap, I told her: I love...

This is just the first 750 characters...read the rest on my blog (http://mamasaga.blogspot.com). Please visit and comment there to give the illusion I have cyber friends.