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February 2007
What is your favorite kid travel gear?
Help our Travel section by telling us your favorite baby and kid gear for traveling.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Our Travel section is working on a story about what are the best new (and I guess old) baby and kid gear for traveling. What stuff makes it easier to travel with the kids? Have you seen the new foldable booster seat? Is there a lightweight stroller, new type of pack’n’play or travel high chair? What items make it easier to visit Grandma’s house or stay in a hotel? (It could be little items or even smarter ways to pack kids stuff.)
And what stuff helps keep your kids occupied while traveling? I don’t think they want video games or DVD players - too obvious. The woman who is writing the article just traveled to California with her almost 1-year-old and the flight was rough. She’s also having a tough time keeping him occupied and safe in the hotel. The balcony is scaring her. What are they best toys, games, drawing products, etc… to keep kids happy at the airport, on an airplane, in a car or at a hotel? Also, do you take along safety products for the hotel and condo? Any smart ideas to fix that balcony scare?
If you wouldn’t mind being interviewed for the story, pop me an email also to ajcmomania@gmail.com with your name, town and phone number and of course your favorite products. I will forward along to the writer.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Family Life
Kids, contractions and the Oscars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The plan for Oscar night was to put the kids to bed early, make ourselves some treats and start dissing celebrities by 7 p.m. But the 3-year-old has a fever, and he took a two-hour nap this afternoon. That means he’ll be up most of the night. While talking to the nurse from the Children’s Healthcare help line, we totally forgot about the beginning of the red carpet coverage.
6:15 - We turn to E! Could somebody get Debbie Mentanapolous (sic) a sandwich.
6:20 -I’m torn between watching the red carpet coverage and making sure the 3-year-old is safe in the bathtub. I find that I can keep an eye on him and still see the TV downstairs by standing by the open bathroom door and glancing over the wall into the two-story family room. Even from here, Debbie Mentanopolous looks too thin.
6:25 - I haven’t had much time for movies this year, but I still no more than Ryan Seacrest, who just asked Gael Garcia Benal how it was working with Brad Pitt on “Babel.” Benal mentions that he has never met Pitt, since Pitt filmed his scenes in Morocco while Benal was in California and Mexico. Seacrest out.
6:36 - Al Gore is wearing a new tuxedo. I know it’s new, because he was three sizes smaller a year ago. Tipper looks pretty good. Probably because Al is eating all her food.
6:37 - I have my first contraction of the broadcast.
6:38 - Moms that looks good, not too thin, but healthy:
Gwyneth Paltrow
Jada Pinkett Smith
Rachel Weiz
Kate Winslet
Reece Witherspoon
6:45 - My 5-year-old asks if we can watch “Teen Titans” instead of J. Lo. and Mark Anthony giving Ryan Seacrest “American Idol” ideas. That request was turned down.
7:03 - Just noticed cheese dip in the fridge - excited about that. Must wait until kids in bed so I don’t have to share.
7:04 - The 5-year-old decides Helen Mirren’s silver hair looks like her grandmother’s.
7:20 - Trying to herd 5-year-old upstairs for her bath during a commercial. Wondering how fast she can bathe. Dad takes one for the team and supervises bath.
7:42 - Seeing Jackie Earle Haley, Kelly from “The Bad News Bears,” is freaking me out. He was such a sexy bad boy in the late ’70s early ’80s. Now, he’s just creepy.
7:57 - They keep advertising the “Babel” DVD. If you enjoy being depressed, bored and forced to suspend belief at the same time, run right out and pick it up. Worst of all, the characters are unsympathetic because they do such stupid things.
Things I’d rather do than watch “Babel” again:
Eat a jar of that contaminated peanut butter.
Give birth without an epidural.
Get caught on top-end of the Perimeter at rush hour with hungry kids in the car and no snacks.
7:34 - Daniel Craig looks so hot!!! Even my husband admits it. Mark Wahlberg is also looking very good. You know you still call him Marky Mark.
8:00 - We switch broadcasts to ABC’s pre-show. My husband says he can’t hear announcer Chris Connelly over my belching. (It’s pregnancy and the Cherry Coke I’m drinking to keep me awake.)
8:07 - The 5-year-old is in bed, but the sick 3-year-old comes downstairs in his Superman pajamas to hang out with Dad. He says “Buddies sit together.” He starts playing with his toys. Loud fire truck removed from the family room.
8:25 - The high-def plasma is showing some flaws we haven’t seen before. Kate Winslet looks great, but those are some serious crow’s feet for a 30-year-old.
8:34 - My husband yells upstairs for the third time, telling my daughter to stay in bed.
8:42 - High-def is also unkind to Peter O’Toole.
8:45 - High-def doesn’t hurt Daniel Craig or Nicole Kidman. For, Craig I’m renouncing my former British crushes — all of whom seem kind of wimpy now. Sorry Clive Owen, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
8:59 - We pause the show. Hubby puts the 3-year-old to bed, I talk to my Dad on the phone. Thank you DVR.
9:01 - I want something sweet, but there’s nothing in the kitchen. Wait, some left-over Betty Crocker chocolate frosting. That’ll work.
9:03 - My husband breaks out the Maker’s Mark. He pours enough for two, even though I can’t drink.
9:11 - My husband says Will Smith’s son is really cute, but he needs to work on his reading skills if he’s going to read a list of Academy Award nominees.
9:12 - Another long contraction.
9:17 - My fourth potty break of the show.
9:20 - Another contraction, eight minutes apart. I’m not calling the hospital until the show is over.
9:26 - Supporting actor winner Alan Arkin looks a lot like my father-in-law, just a little older, slightly more bald and in a better suit.
9:27 - Two hours after she should be asleep, our 5-year-old announces she has to potty, again.
9:28 - By fast-forwading through commercials and the speeches for sound mixing and sound editing, we’ve caught up with the live show. Unfortunately, that means we need to sit through Randy Newman and James Taylor singing a song from “Cars.” I use the music segment to give cough medicine to my 3-year-old and take my fifth potty break of the show.
9:35 - Music is over, but I’m still delivering medicine. We pause again. My husband switches over to an NBA game. He then yells at my daughter to go to sleep for the seventh time.
9:39 - Al Gore and Leonardo Dicaprio are weirding me out.
9:41 - Another contraction. I finish the Breyer’s chocolate chip ice cream.
9:42 - I just realized I could need a ride to the hospital TONIGHT, and my husband is still working on that Maker’s Mark. I tell him to stop drinking now!
10:00 - My husband is lusting after Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway. But I’m obsessed with Meryl Streep’s fashion choice. What’s up with that jewelry? Did she rob an artist’s colony in New Mexico?
10:15 - “Pan’s Labyrinth” wins another award. It sounds like a beautiful film, with an incomprehensible plot. My husband will watch it when it’s on HBO. I’ll be sleeping through it.
10:21 - I lay down to see if that stops the contractions. The only problem is now I’m about to fall asleep.
10:48 - Jerry Seinfeld gets the first laughs of the night. That wakes me up. Then, the producers of “An Inconvenient Truth” bring me down again.
10:52 - A special award goes to scorer Ennio Morricone. My husband tells me to stop snoring. Why would they schedule a music montage this late in the show and then bring out Celine Dionne? Although, adult contemporary music is relaxing … zzzzzzzz. Hmmmm REM sleep. Theresa out.
10:59 - My husband later tells me that the entire house, including the dog, was asleep for the rest of the show. Michael left me some notes on what else happened - essentially all the major awards. Here is a summary and my thoughts:
“Little Miss Sunshine” wins for Best Adapted Screenplay. More importantly, “Babel” doesn’t win.
Melissa Etheridge beats all the selections from “Dreamgirls” for a song from “An Inconvenient Truth.” I hate to accuse Hollywood voters for being politically motivated, but I don’t think anyone left “An Inconvenient Truth” raving about the music.
Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker win the acting awards. I’ll tell you what I think in November when the movies make it to cable.
Finally a moment to remember, Martin Scorsese wins Best Director. More importantly, it’s for a movie I saw and liked. Even more importantly, the “Babel” director doesn’t win.
“The Departed” wins Best Picture. I would have voted for “Little Miss Sunshine,” mostly because I thought the original version of “The Departed,” was actually better than the remake. Still, at least “Babel” didn’t win. And, my contractions have stopped.
Child-imposed movie diet acutely felt Oscar night
Would you pay more for simultaneous release of movies in theater, on DVD or ON Demand? Come back for Mom's review of Oscars night.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Long, long ago (before we had kids) in a galaxy far, far away (New York City), Oscar night was magical. We would dress up, meet with our movie-aficionado friends, order trendy cocktails and celebrate how smart we were for predicting the winners.
We weren’t just guessing when the best actor or even the best sound mixing team. It was through tireless research all year long — seeing not only the most popular movies but catching flicks with even the smallest possibility of being honored.
With baby No. 3 due in less than a week, there will be no parties, no martinis, and no hors d’oeuvres. I’ll be balancing a bowl of microwave popcorn on my table of a belly and hoping the Cherry Coke will keep me awake past 10 p.m. Sunday.
And when Jennifer Hudson picks up her best supporting actress award, I’ll have to trust that the Academy is doing the right thing because I haven’t seen “Dreamgirls.” I haven’t seen “The Queen” or “Letters from Iwo Jima” either for that matter. I’ll have no idea if Leo DiCaprio was truly better in “Blood Diamond” than Forest Whitaker in the “The Last King of Scotland,” or if Helen Mirren is deserving of so much glory.
While we love our children, we are saddened by our new movie diet. It’s a tough adjustment from screening almost any movie worth seeing (even the lowest-budget indies) to seeing less than six movies a year (unless you count cartoons). My 60-year-old mother has seen more Oscar-nominated movies this year than we have. It’s just so wrong.
I would love to see “The Queen,” and “Letters from Iwo Jima” at the theater, but I would have to find time when my husband and I can break away, hunt for a babysitter, and spend close to $50 on sitter, ttickets, gas and food.
And, if I’m going to work that hard to get the time off, a well-crafted two-hour drama might lose out to a laugh-out-loud comedy or action movie that allows me to escape from my worries for a little while. We chose “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Casino Royale” before the Oscar season heated up so here’s hoping they pick up some surprise statuettes tonight.
The only nominated films we’ve seen in the theater were “Borat” (best adapted screenplay) and “Cars” (best animated feature - the kids were with us.)
In the last few weeks, we have made tremendous effort to see some of the best picture nominees, but we were limited to those out on DVD or On Demand on TV. We have managed to see three of the five — “The Departed,” “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Babel.” (It took me three nights to get to the end of “The Departed” because I kept falling asleep - not a problem with the movie, just pregnancy.)
Hollywood has the chance to make life easier for movie-loving parents. When I first heard of the concept of simultaneous release dates (movies that appear at the theater, on DVD and on On Demand at the same time), I thought it was crazy. Who would want to see movies on the small screen when they could see them on the big screen? Why would movie theaters allow the studios to release their exclusive product in other forms?
But as a parent, I’m now thinking it would be fantastic. Teens and singles are still going to go the movies (it’s social). And I’m more than happy to pay $15 to see new movies when they actually come out instead of a year later. Even a premium price on a brand-new release is cheaper and easier than paying for a babysitter.
At some point we’d come back to the theater for the big-screen experience, but for now I would just take any new-movie experience. Hollywood, are you listening?
How do you talk teens out of sex?
What in the world do you say to convince them they are not ready? Do you think you know if they are about to do it or doing it? What age do you relinquish that control?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So we were watching “Friday Night Lights” last night, and one of the moms on the show sees her daughter’s boyfriend buying condoms at the local drug store. She confronts her 15-year-old daughter as soon as she gets home. She asks her daughter if she knew that her boyfriend was buying condoms and says they need to talk.
The mom doesn’t yell. She tells her that she is not allowed to have sex and then tells her that she is too young. She talks about pregnancy and diseases. She tells her she can get hurt, degraded and cynical, and she doesn’t want that for her. And tells her she should wait until she’s in love.
The girl says OK, and then proceeds to go to a hunting cabin with the boy intending to do it. They don’t do it, but I’m not sure the mom’s talk was really a factor in stopping the act.
My husband and I are just sitting there going “Oh my goodness. What on Earth would you say? How would you convince them this isn’t right?”
What approaches have our more experienced parents taken? What words do you use? Is the conversation different for a boy versus a girl? Do you think you would know if they are doing it or if it’s about to happen? What age do you not interfere? Is there ever a time when it’s not your business (obviously not your business if they are married)?
Permalink | Comments (123) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
Jumping to a minivan: Painful or pleasant?
Were you embarrassed the first time you had to drive one? How about your husband?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the new baby coming any day, we have joined the ranks of minivan drivers.
I managed to fit all three car seats across my Aztek’s backseat, but it was really difficult to lock my daughter’s seatbelt on her booster and equally as difficult to drag the infant seat across the booster seat into the middle position.
So we decided we would need a minivan.
I am personally excited about it because I know it’s going to make my life easier. It will be easy to get them in and out. I won’t have to worry about them “sharing” their small toys with the baby because they won’t be able to reach the baby. Also they kept putting their trash in the empty infant seat between them. (I kept telling them: “You can’t dump you trash on the new baby!”)
How did you feel when you made the jump to a minivan? Were you excited or embarrassed? Was your husband onboard or more ashamed than you? Is it a necessary part of parenting? How else can you accommodate three car seats comfortably?
Permalink | Comments (116) | Categories: Family Life
A mother’s gut instinct in life & politics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently, my husband sent me an opinions piece from The Washington Post about how women, more specifically mothers, often decide their vote.
The story, by retired women’s studies professor Linda Hirshman, examined what it would take for women to sweep Hillary Clinton into the White House in 2008.
What interested (and angered) me in this article were the author’s criticisms about how women make up their minds at election time.
Her criticisms were two-fold: The first that women are not “rational political actors.” She says they do not make decisions based on political agenda, policy or program - instead they vote on personality and character. (Her conclusions were based partially on past research, and partially on some lame and admittedly unscientific interviews with mostly stay-at-home moms in the Washington D.C. area.)
Hirshman’s second criticism is that women make decisions not through research, but rather with their gut instincts. She says that women don’t read or study about the candidates.
She actually had some statistics to support this argument. For example, studies show that “women consistently score 10 to 20 percentage points lower than men on studies of political knowledge…” Some studies show that women more often than men can’t name their senator or a First Amendment right. A 2006 Pew Research Center study showed that “Two million more men than women read either Time or Newsweek; more men listen to radio news and talk news, read the newspaper and get news online.” Apparently, the ladies like their news from the TV. (I’m hurting my own argument by admitting that it was my husband who sent me the story from The Washington Post, but we’ll get to that later.)
I actually don’t disagree with the author’s premise that women, especially mothers, do use their gut instincts to make decisions about people (including candidates). However, I think she’s wrong to conclude that this is a bad thing.
Women are instinctual about people. They have to be. From the time they are young girls, they are constantly deciding if other people are safe to be around. They go off to college and they ponder the intentions of all the new people they meet. Is it safe to go that boy’s dorm or get in that car? What are the intentions of the professor who wants me to stay after class and, later in life, the boss who wants me to stay after work?
As a mother, you’re constantly evaluating, often in mere minutes, your surroundings for the safety and well-being of your children. Is that pediatrician right for us? What about the childcare worker, preschool teacher, school teacher, and even other mom friends? Do they have your child’s best interest at heart? A mother is constantly reading people - even her own children.
It is only natural that a mother applies these fine-honed skills to the people who want to run her government. She’s evaluating: Does this candidate seem trustworthy? Does he seem smart? Does he seem understanding and sincere?
Unlike the writer in The Washington Post, I would propose that this gut instinct is a valuable tool for women voters, not something to be belittled because the political machine can’t figure out how to control or measure it.
As to the point of being uninformed, it is disappointing to me that women do statistically and anecdotally read less and are less politically informed than men. I am guilty of this as well.
However, I would like to offer a defense to this criticism. It’s not that we are stupid or don’t care. It’s that we are holding in our heads every detail of running our family’s lives that often our husbands have no clue about. My husband can name our senators (I could too if you gave me a minute - two old white guys right?), but he can’t tell you which child reacts badly to which medicine, has no idea which pair of Mary Janes are the current shoes, has no idea when our child is seeing the dentist or when the dog needs his rabies shot.
This doesn’t excuse our lack of knowledge as a group, but it does explain why it’s developed that way.
While I would encourage women to continue to use their gut instincts to evaluate candidates, I would also challenge all the moms out there to make an effort to read more and be more informed this election season. Now, where did my husband leave the Time magazine?
Permalink | Comments (61) | Categories: Family Life
Is your school challenging your child?
Is it the school system’s curriculum or the teacher that does the challenging? What do you do if they’re not being challenged?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett County schools have been holding conferences the last two days so I’ve been talking a lot with friends about how their kids are doing in school.
It’s interesting in the same school system to hear how different the approach can be from the teachers.
We were told by our daughter’s teacher that much of the work we are seeing that is challenging our daughter is being provided by her and is not part of the regular kindergarten curriculum. She is going over and above what is required by the county to make sure our daughter stays interested and is given hard enough work. (We appreciate that.)
One of my friends feels that her very smart son is completely unchallenged and was told by the teacher that she is simply teaching what the curriculum calls for. My friend is very frustrated by this answer, and other than working with him at home isn’t sure how to remedy the situation.
Do you think your school is challenging your child academically? Do you think it is your school’s curriculum or the teacher that is making sure your child is challenged? What do you do if the teacher isn’t willing to do the extra work to keep the kids moving forward?
Permalink | Comments (51) | Categories: Education
Are you saving for your child’s college?
How much are you putting away each month or year? What type of investments are you making for college?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you already saving money for your child’s college education? How much are you saving? How are you putting it away - monthly or yearly? What type of savings or investment plan did you choose and why? How are you estimating if you’re putting enough away to cover expenses? (Are you planning for public or private college?)
A few years back we started the Georgia 529 Higher Education Savings Plan for our two kids. (It was recommended by Clark Howard as being a very good plan - my second Clark Howard reference in two days.) There is still time to set up a 529 account for this tax year and get deductions on your Georgia taxable income, which is why I’m mentioning it now.
Here is the Web site on the Georgia 529 accounts and the college savings calculator.
I have managed to screw this very simple thing up in two ways: Number 1, we never finished setting up the direct withdrawal from my husband’s pay checks into the 529 account so we’re losing out on monthly interest. Number 2, since I’m putting it in one large chunk at the end of the year, I don’t think we’re putting away as much as we would if it were taken out monthly. So we need to remedy this.
The other thing I’ve always heard (I believe another Clarkism) is that you should fully fund your retirement before working on college savings. The reason being that there are other ways to fund college (such as scholarship or loans), but no one’s going to help you out on retirement. My husband says retirement is further away than college so he doesn’t buy into this theory. Where do you guys fall on this?
Permalink | Comments (47) | Categories: Education
Are American Girl dolls teaching wrong values?
While wholesome and sweet, they are quite pricey. What lessons are our girls learning from that?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In an unusual rant, Clark Howard went off last week on American Girl dolls. His complaint: The dolls and all their accoutrement are just way too expensive. He questions what we are teaching our children by buying them such ridiculously expensive things. (Check out the dolls and their prices here.)
His solution would be to teach a lesson about name brand versus generic and show our daughters how they can have a similar doll with similar clothes and accessories for way less than half the price of a real American Girl doll. (But would they accept that or be really embarrassed to take it to a friend’s house to play dolls?)
Hmm. Couple thoughts on this.
In the age of the scary Bratz dolls, the American Girl dolls are kind of a nice message. They’re wholesome and fully clothed. They like dogs, reading books and kayaking. And I do like that some of the dolls try to teach history. That seems all good.
Now I have never personally bought any for my daughter. However, my mother has. She went a little bit crazy at Christmas and bought dolls for both of her granddaughters and one for herself. (She loves dolls!) She also bought multiple outfits for each doll.
Although she wanted the wardrobe to hold their clothes she couldn’t quite bring herself to pay the price. She also loves the beds and kitchen furniture but so far has held out on that as well. She says there are no other dolls and clothes that compare to the loveliness of the American Girl doll (She hunted around.), but she does feel like she can get adequately cute furniture at a lower price from a different line.
Since getting the doll, we have gone to play at friends’ houses with the doll and I do question whether an older child (my daughter’s pretty clueless) would be embarrassed to bring on off-brand doll to play?
What do you think? Are American Girl dolls good in moderation? How many do your children have? Are they worth the money (could be passed down to younger sibs)? Do you buy the clothes and the furniture or try to get that other places? Do you think your children are aware of the price of the dolls? Do they care that they are expensive?
Permalink | Comments (88) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
What do you put first? Your children or marriage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last year for Valentine’s Day, I tested out chocolate martini recipes and hunted down long-stemmed strawberries for a romantic evening with my husband.
This year, I have bought my husband a card that talks about how great it is to share the mundaneness of everyday life with him.
So what’s changed? Have we fallen out of love?
No, but our focus is in a different place. We’re concentrating on the impending birth of our baby and not on our marriage right now.
According to many magazines, TV shows and pop-psychologists this is a no-no!
It’s hard to miss the message pushed by psychologists on TV, as well as ones in private practice, that marriage should be the most important relationship in a couple’s life. Couples are told their union should come before all else — including their children. (I have even heard that you should not let your kids sit between the two of you. I guess we’re in real trouble because our kids often end up sleeping between us.)
The concept of marriage over all else offends me. I think it is selfish and immature to believe that a relationship with an adult should always take pre-eminence over the needs of the rest of the family.
I am lucky that this has never been a problem for us. My husband has always been very understanding when my energy is focused on the children. He understands that when I’m standing there stinking of breast milk after eleven hours of caring for two children under the age of two that it’s not the time to focus on him. He knows that I’m going straight to bed and won’t be hanging out with him until we get things in the house under control and in a routine.
My husband knows that I love him and I think the fact that he’s comfortable not always being the top priority reflects a strong, secure relationship - not a weak one.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that marriages don’t deserve TLC. I think parents definitely need alone time and special date nights and get-aways. And at some point parents may find that their relationship can come first, the way it did before they had kids. But I believe this occurs in cycles. I believe that couples have to switch gears as the needs of their children change.
For example, our first two children were born close together - 25 months. There was very little time between babies to concentrate on our relationship.
But after our second child stopped nursing (18 months), we were able to get away and focus on the marriage again. My parents kept our two kids while we took a quickie cruise to Mexico two winters ago. It was fantastic and actually better than our honeymoon. We were so appreciative to be together and to be alone.
Last year, we took an overnight trip to Athens. We had dinner and drinks with friends. We spent the night all alone at a hotel and woke up when we wanted to, not when our little alarm clocks came wandering in.
We also were finally comfortable leaving our then 4- and 2-year-old with baby sitters to go out for dinner and a movie. This gave us time to be alone and enjoy each other.
In a few weeks, we’ll be back to square one and starting the cycle over. There will be time in our marriage for us again, but it just might take a while. But I think we both understand that.
I do think we can nurture our relationship in small ways that don’t take energy away from the children. There’s fun to be had catching up while folding a mountain of clothes together, and we can always count on Saturday night boxing on HBO for a good time.
So for now I guess we’ll just enjoy the mundaneness of everyday life together.
How would you rate your tolerance level?
How patient are you with your kids? What sets you off? What amazingly annoying things have you learned to put up with like a pro?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few weeks back my husband was in the car with us and the kids said they wanted to listen to the Chipmunk’s Christmas CD yet again. My husband nearly lost it. He told them we had listened to it all through Christmas and he wasn’t listening to it anymore.
Flash forward: Yesterday driving to the midwife’s office my little guy wanted to hear a different Christmas CD. I’m like, “Sure, whatever is fine.” And I’m telling you we listened to the dogs barking “Jingle Bells” like 10 times in a row and I’m just bobbing my head along the whole time. (He’s yelling from the backseat “Again! Again!”)
I’m pretty good on listening to or watching repetitive things, but I lose my cool when I have to ask the kids to do things over and over again. Put on your jacket. Put on your shoes. Get in the bathtub. Having to repeat these types of requests bring me to a boil and result in yelling.
What things are you very patient about with your kids? What things just put you over the top and fast?
Permalink | Comments (54) | Categories: Family Life
Ready to dump your kid’s old stuff?
What’s the best way to get rid of your baby gear and kids clothes - consignment, eBay or charity?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I got a great question from MOMania reader Melissa. Here’s what she had to say:
“I have a 2 year old son, and I just had a daughter. I am wondering now what to do with my son’s clothing as he outgrows it. Specifically, I am wondering what to do with his nicer clothing that would get me some of my money back. Take it to a consignment store? Sell it on eBay? Which makes parents more money? Is eBay worth the hassle? What are the best consignment stores in the Atlanta area for sellers of children’s clothing?”
This is a great topic that I truly know very little about. I’ve got two strollers and a high chair I want to dump also but I’m not sure how to go about it either. It seems like my friends in the Buckhead area are constantly talking about sales at churches and schools.
I know the big Gwinnett sale is coming up Feb. 20 through the 24 at the Gwinnett Fair Grounds. Here’s the Web site. But you have to have 25 items to sell and mainly I just want to get rid of my strollers.
What and where are your favorite places to get rid of children’s items you’re not using any more? How long do you wait to do it? Do you keep anything for sentimental value? (I know the sex of my new baby but I’m still not ready to part with the clothes the baby won’t be using.)
Tell us how to accomplish this in an easy manner!
Permalink | Comments (39) | Categories: Family Life
Did your husband find pregnancy sexy?
Was your husband into the belly or did he say, “I’ll see you in nine months?”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK ladies I’ve been holding onto this one, and I think a week before Valentine’s Day is a great time to ask this question.
Think back: Did your husband think you were sexy when you were pregnant? Was he still pursuing you or did he say, “Check back with me in nine months?”
On the flip side: Did you feel sexy? Were you in or were you encouraging him to stop by a little later?
When we were visiting Hawaii this summer, there was a couple at a nature center on the North Shore. She was pregnant (maybe seven months) but I would guess it was her first (no stretch marks or other little people hanging around). She wore a bikini top and had a sarong wrapped underneath her belly. She looked beautiful, and you could tell her husband was totally into it. We saw them by the waterfall and then later on a large blanket under some trees. There were kissing and caressing. It was very sweet, and he definitely thought she was sexy.
Between about four and five months pregnant (with a third you’re pretty big by that point), I went into Victoria’s Secret and said, “I’m looking for something to emphasize this (and pointed to my large chest) and de-emphasize this (and pointed to my large stomach).”
The salesgirl was baffled. Clearly she had never been pregnant. An older clerk came over and said let’s look for something with an empire waist, which was exactly what I was thinking. However, I didn’t have much luck finding anything fit my proportions.
I recently ran across an ad on a maternity site pushing sexy pregnancy lingerie for Valentine’s Day. They went the complete opposite direction - with a top that opened to reveal the tummy. Check out the ad. (I’m all about acting like the tummy isn’t there - “Oh that thing. Just ignore it.”)
Was your husband in or out? Did you play down the stomach or play it up? Were you interested?
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Sports-watching tips for people who aren’t into sports
Tattoo sightings, critiquing coaches' clothes and gossipy back stories told by my sports-fanatic husband help
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Like many American wives I will be watching the Super Bowl Sunday night, but I won’t really be paying attention. At least not until they flash to a particularly suggestive cheerleader or they show a player up close with some interesting tattoos.
I know there are a lot of women out there who truly like sports, but I think there are even more women who have just learned to put up with it being on the TV all the time. During the last 15 years, I have developed my own coping mechanisms to survive watching sports with my husband.
It was quite a shock when we first starting dating to adapt to a true sports fanatic’s viewing life. I rarely watched sports as a child. My dad went to Georgia Tech, and he’s just not that into it. On top of which, my parents didn’t have cable until I went off to college so I had never even seen ESPN.
But I learned quickly.
Michael and his roommates watched about six SportsCenter broadcasts a day. I was baffled - how much could change in a 12-hour period. With each subsequent child, my husband’s sports viewing has lessened, but to this day whenever I turn the TV on after him I know I will hear “Na Na Na, Na Na Na.”
We had only been dating about three months when Michael invited me to a Final Four party. I was clueless. I didn’t know what March Madness was. I thought a bracket held up a window treatment, and I didn’t know that people really had a “party” to watch a basketball game. I showed up with my school books. I figured I could study during the game.
He claims he seriously thought about breaking up with me that night.
But now I’m a seasoned veteran. I have my favorite sports to watch, my favorite ESPN anchors and my own little points of interest to keep an eye out for during games.
My husband also has made some adjustments in his viewing. He’s learned that I love back stories. If he can tell me interesting factoids about a player’s childhood, his marriage, his recruitment or his training then I am far more likely to follow along. All these details make the games more human and help me feel a vested interest in the athletes.
One of my favorite sports — because it always has compelling back stories — is boxing. I know this goes against all my peacenik ways, but I love watching these scrappy little guys duke it out for the American dream.
I’m not sure my husband can tell you where we went for our first Valentine’s Day together, but he does remember the first boxing match I ever got into. Arturo “Thunder” Gatti was getting beaten to a pulp. He could barely see through his swollen face and he came back to win.
My husband tells me how and where the fighters grew up. He tells me about the different trainers and their methods, and he gives me inside scoop on dirty management deals.
My interest will wane when other professional sports are on. When that happens, I have a list of things to look for, which may help others like me.
— Tattoos are always fun to look at. Who’s got the most? What do they say? What do they mean?
— Check out the appearance of the coaches. Are they in shape? How badly do their clothes fit? That Notre Dame football coach is killing me. A better tailor could really help his appearance on the field. And what is with the Patriot’s head coach who always wears sweatshirts (often with torn sleeves)? It’s like he’s reliving “Flashdance.”
— Which players are affected by the weather? I love to see who pretends it’s not cold and doesn’t wear long sleeves under their uniform despite snow and ice. This can apply to baseball too.
— Salacious questions are always fun and help keep you involved and informed. Ask your husband: Who’s been accused of steroid use or drug use? Who’s cheated on their wives? Who’s left their wives? Who didn’t show up to training camp on time? Who’s blown all their money?
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