10
Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes
Do these shoes go with my diaper bag?
Mama can always use a new pair of shoes, but I doubt I’ll be shopping for anything that looks like these fancy footwear.
I had to laugh when I clicked on the New York Times Opinion Section and saw this image. These shoes look like the equivalent of modern-day foot-binding.
There is no doubt that these shoes are absurdly fantastical but would any “everyday” woman actually wear them out and about? I’m hoping that these shoes were just for good show, but I’m sure there is always a daring Carrie Bradshaw of the world who will actually try and work them out. I can’t imagine any sane (read: practical) woman would try and do so, let alone a Mama toting kids, toys, and a diaper bag around.
I love fashion just as much as the next Mama and, based on my DVR recordings, I’m clearly addicted to Project Runway. But, ever since I had a kid, it’s all about comfort. I can appreciate outrageous clothes and shoes as “art”, and that’s about it. You’ll never find this Mama struttin’ down the street like mother-of-three Victoria Beckham (mostly because I enjoy eating), but there’s a good chance you’ll find me in Banana Republic wearing flats.
08
The Highchair From Hell
I’m a picky shopper. I do my research before I buy products, especially if it’s something for the Monkey. I am willing to spend more money on a quality item that I use multiple times on a daily basis, like a high chair. So when I spend a lot, I expect a lot in return. Simply put, I expect to get my money’s worth. Before I bought my Peg Perego high chair, I read the safety reports and reviews. Reviewers raved about it. Other moms and friends raved about it. It seemed like this was the perfect highchair.
Wrong.
If you’re a clean-freak like I am, the Peg Perego Prima Pappa Best (try saying that 5x fast) is the highchair from hell.
There is no proper way to clean the damn thing. The straps easily soil and stain and nothing works well enough to clean them. There are crevices on the side of the seat where food will find it’s way. You will find food in there that you know you haven’t served in weeks. You have to use a Q-Tip to clean that stuff out. The worst part is, the pleather seat starts cracking over time and then the material peels away. How is that possible? I usually only use a mild detergent to clean it, like Seventh Generation. On occasion, I use heavily diluted vinegar to clean the straps, so I don’t believe that’s the culprit. It just doesn’t make any sense to me and I know I’m not the only one. Over the past few months, I’ve read quite a few other reviews that say that exact same thing.
The Monkey is currently transitioning to a booster seat at the table and rarely sits down in the highchair. When he does, I have to actually put a cloth down for him to sit on because I don’t want him sitting on cracked and peeling pleather. How ridiculous is that? I would just go and buy another highchair, but it seems like such a waste when it’s not even going to be used much longer.
Needless to say, I don’t recommend the Peg Perego Prima Pappa Best Worst high chair. Spend your hard-earned money elsewhere. I wish I had another high chair to recommend, but I don’t. If you have found a great high chair, please leave a comment below.
08
Sippy Cups are for Seltzer Water
My latest shipment of the goods.
Some mamas need a glass of wine or a vodka drink to unwind. Not me.
I want water…but not just any water.
I need seltzer water.
You see, I have an addiction to seltzer water. It’s what I call my crack in a can.
The problem started like any other addiction. A seltzer here. A seltzer there. A seltzer in the morning. A seltzer at night. Now I’m up to a 6-pack a day and I can’t quit. The Dude is also addicted. In fact, he’s the one that got me hooked. He even has this stuff delivered to his office. The worst part of all is that we’re now passing on the problem to the Monkey.
Just like his parents, the Monkey really wasn’t into the filtered water from the fridge. He would never drink water, even if I added some apple juice. He only wanted his milk, which he only takes in a bottle. A few weeks ago, the Dude and I cracked open our usual seltzer cans with dinner and the Monkey started eyeing them. He wanted to try it. At first sip, he was startled by the bubbles and took a step back. But just like any future addict, he came back for more. The next sip startled him again, but this time he giggled. Then he took another sip. And another. Now, seltzer water is all he wants. Mind you, he can’t actually say “seltzer water” but he does yell “WA-WA!!!” while gesturing frantically whenever we crack open a seltzer can.
We’ve created a seltzer-soaked monster. The good news though is that he’s actually drinking water and he drinks it in a sippy cup. He wasn’t doing either of those things a few weeks ago.
So now we all live in a seltzer-crack house and our dealer is the local Safeway/Vons store. I don’t know what it is about their seltzer water, but it’s the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had ‘em all by now. As you can see by the picture, this isn’t a joke. That’s my most recent shipment, which lasts maybe two months. My seltzer shipments are so big that I actually have to phone the orders in rather than order them online. Now I’m known as the seltzer lady every time I call. You know you have a true seltzer addiction when you call your dealer for a delivery (in this case a major grocery store chain) and they know who you are by the sound of your voice.
P.S. Yes, we recycle.
06
Gay Rights: Why Mamas Need To Take A Stand Against Inequality
As a woman, I often think about the time before my birth and what my female ancestors had to endure.
For centuries, women have had to fight to establish equality in a very paternalistic society. Women had to band together to form the Suffrage Movement. Women fought for equality during the Civil Rights Movement and created the Feminist Movement when society still treated them like second-class citizens. In the last 100 years, women have been incredibly successful in overturning anti-discriminatory laws and creating new laws to protect our rights. There is no doubt that the time we live in now is markedly different than the era of our mothers and grandmothers.
As women:
- We lived without voting rights until 1920.
- We lived without FDA-approved birth-control until 1960.
- We lived without discrimination laws and equal opportunity in the workplace until 1964.
- We lived with sex-segregated employment ads until 1968.
- We lived without the Equal Pay Act until 1970.
- We lived without Title IX until 1972.
- We lived without reproductive rights until 1973.
- We lived without the Pregnancy Discrimination Ban until 1978.
- We lived without the Lily Ledbetter Act until 2009.
From our mothers to our great-great-great grandmothers, women have worked hard to ensure a better future for their daughters, and the women of today continue to take a stand against injustice and inequality. As women, we have lived with discrimination and intolerance. We have lived as second-class citizens. We have lived without laws to protect ourselves and our rights. So, I ask my mama-sisters, why aren’t we working harder to ensure a better future for our children and grandchildren? Why aren’t we doing more to stand up to injustice and inequality? (continues…)
05
Going Pink for October
Working together to end Breast Cancer
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so my blog is going Pink for the next few weeks.
Did you know that aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the leading cancer among women? It is also the 2nd leading cause of death by cancer, followed by lung cancer. By the end of this year, an estimated 192,370 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and an estimated 40,170 women will die from the disease.
What do you know about breast cancer? Test your knowledge here.
Learn more information:
Donate to breast cancer research, education, and screening:
Pink in Oct. 09