11
October 11th is National Coming Out Day
(logo courtesy of zazzle.com)
October 11th is National Coming Out Day, an internationally recognized day to celebrate and support the LBGT community. It’s a day to give support to those that need guidance on how to come out to family, friends, and co-workers. It’s also a day for awareness and discussion.
In the wake of the recent tragic suicides of several students who were bullied to death by their peers, the arrest of 8 men in New York charged with hate crimes against several gay men, and the disturbing remarks recently made by New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, making strides to stop the homophobic hate, fear, and intolerance against the LBGT community has never been more important.
Speaking as a mother, I also want today to be a call to action for all parents. It doesn’t matter if one of your own children is gay or not. It doesn’t matter if your children are far too young to even know their sexual orientation. What does matter is that you live your life as a positive example to your children. Parents who demonstrate fear and hate towards others tend to raise children who do the same and, as we know, hate and fear is the foundation for bullying. By speaking positively about the gay community, advocating for equal rights, and modeling tolerance and respect towards others no matter their sexual orientation, you are teaching your children an incredibly valuable and important lesson. Your child might be gay. My child might be gay. It really doesn’t matter. Let’s work together to make it easier for all children who may need the love and support to come out one day.
Coming out is not easy. For some, it can be a painful process with the possibility of losing family and friends while others may not come out at all because of the homophobic attitudes of the people around them. Whether you need support coming out or want to find more information about gay rights, the Human Rights Campaign has excellent resources and information. Please check out their website at www.hrc.com.
06
Donald Duck Has a Gun!
(photo from ferretpress.com)
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Disneyland, I sat down with the Monkey to watch some classic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons on YouTube. I haven’t watched any of these cartoons in at least 25 years, but I remember especially loving Donald Duck. Who didn’t love Donald?!? These cartoons are classics!
Now, before I let the Monkey watch anything, especially on YouTube, I watch it first to make sure it passes the mom-test. But this was Donald Duck, one of Disney’s most beloved characters. Of course it’s safe for a toddler to watch!
Uh, NO.
We watched a few cartoons that were absolutely enjoyable and fun. Donald playing with sea lions, Donald flirting with Daisy Duck…and then the Monkey pointed to a small clip titled “Toy Tinkers”.
*click*
Here is my thought process as my two year old and I watched the clip together:
Look at those cute little squirrels! And there’s Donald Duck in his house, getting ready for Christmas. Oh look, the squirrels see all the nuts Donald has laying around and are now breaking into his house. Those pesky squirrels! Now Donald sees them and decides to have fun with them. Ha! They’re playing a game with Donald as they each steal back the nuts from one another. Oh, how clever of Donald, he comes down the chimney dressed as Santa and hands one squirrel a small nut and the other squirrel a much bigger nut. Oh, now they’re fighting over it and…uh…they just smacked each other over the bigger nut. Hmmmm, I’m not so sure about this….wait, wha….WTF!!!!!….a squirrel just opened a nut to find a gun aimed in his face! Donald is holding the gun directly at the squirrels and marching them away!!!
Oh.My.God.
*click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
I’ve never turned my computer off faster.
After I settled my toddler back into the very safe world of Elmo and Abby, I started to click around for more old Disney cartoons. I was shocked by what I came across - WWII propaganda cartoons featuring Donald Duck and Nazis, Daisy Duck contemplating suicide, Donald and Mickey deliberately getting electrocuted by little mice, and Donald mistreating his three nephews very badly. Very, very badly.
Say what! (continues…)
03
It’s a special day at AYMB!
So, what’s so special about today?!? Well, my friends…
…it’s my SITS Day!!!*
If you’ve never been to Ain’t Yo Mama’s Blog before, welcome! I hope you’ll come back again soon. And, if you’re a returning reader, I hope you know how much I adore you already.
My two favorite guys - the Dude and the Monkey
A little about me and my blog for those stopping by for the first time:
My name is Aimee. I live in SoCal with my husband of 5 years, the Dude, and our little Monkey who turns 3 this month. I am a registered pre-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFTi) but have been a stay-at-home mom since the Monkey was born. The Dude is the one who suggested I become a blogger and he is, without a doubt, my biggest supporter. He is also a silent partner here at AYMB. You see, the Dude not only created this website but he also deals with all the techy stuff (the stuff I am either incapable of doing or unwilling to learn). Although the Dude prefers to work backstage, he sometimes comes out of hiding to write about various interesting stuff, like how to make an awesome frittata. I find more reasons to love him everyday and I’m also glad I didn’t let a small issue like height differences get in the way of true love. Yes, that pun was intended. (continues…)
01
Foodie Friday: The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora!
I headed to the Disney Studios yesterday in beautiful downtown Burbank to help celebrate the launch of The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora!
As a huge fan of Swedish Chefs and Iron Chefs, I was thrilled with the invite and opportunity. The Muppets Kitchen is a wonderful new online video series starring celebrity chef Cat Cora and Muppet Chef Angelo (who, with his thick Italian accent, is clearly not Swedish). However, Chef Angelo is a close friend and apprentice to the Swedish Chef and, as I quickly learned, is just as entertaining and lovable. His cooking skills, however, are questionable.
The online videos, which are featured on Disney’s Family.com and Disney.go.com websites, are not only entertaining to watch but are filled with helpful cooking tips and ideas for little eaters. As a mom herself, Cat Cora has a ton of ideas for healthy and delicious food that even the pickiest eater will enjoy. There are no surprises and sneaky methods with her recipes. Cat believes that educating your children about what’s in their food and where it’s from is the best way to go. As she explained to the audience, knowing the ingredients of her food and trying everything at least once has not only expanded her own palate but helped her become the incredible chef she is today.
Watching Cat Cora, Chef Angelo, and Pepe explain how to make trail mix popcorn
Cat and Angelo demonstrated how to make a delicious snack called Trail Mix Popcorn. You can make the popcorn with the nuts and dried fruit on their own or add the melted sugar, corn syrup, and butter for an extra treat. Either way, it’s going to taste great! It’s a Moms and Muppets approved snack. Check it out! (continues…)
01
Bringing Sexy Back (After Kids) – A TBwaP Guest Feature
I’m featured again over at the fabulous Tight Bod with a Pod (TBwaP) website today! You’re already subscribed to it, right?!? It’s a must-read website for moms and moms-to-be (dads, too!) for helpful information ranging from having a healthy pregnancy and getting your body back after baby to delicious and healthy recipes for kids and other helpful parenting tips.
In my 3rd article, I discuss tips on how to bring romance back to a relationship after kids come into the picture. As any parent can attest, it ain’t easy to find the time or energy for intimacy. But what is easy is losing a connection with your partner when children become the main focus and priority. This article is about making the time to prioritize your relationship, especially when it seems like there is no time to spare.
Read the article in full on the TBwaP website or scroll down to read more: (continues…)