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Our dog, Bentley, was booked for a commercial…but didn’t get the part! We still think he’s the cutest!
(but do you think he looks dejected?)

“But I nailed that audition! They loved me!”


This week, Mashable published an infographic called The Rise of the Mommy Blogger. And it was offensive on OH so many levels. And wrong. Just plain wrong.

Commissioned by H&R Block for reasons I can’t really fathom (maybe they think we’re all making the big bucks blogging and they wanted to let us know they care/want our business?), the Infographic – bright pink (strike one), featured a white, blond woman in a frilly apron, (strike 2), and defined anyone who has even READ a blog as a Mommy Blogger (you’re out!). One of the very first comments, by Dresden Plaid, points out one of these problems right away:

Could you have used a more offensive/obnoxious graphic to “illustrate” a Mommy Blogger? Blonde, white, in pink and an apron? …. these women are writers. The term “Mommy Blogger” is jaw droppingly backwards. These are women, who are mothers, who write, and sometimes they write about being a Mother. Packaging it in pink fluff is just a bummer.

The comment immediately following pretty much exemplifies the problem.  And of course, it was written by RJ Silva, a man, at least judging by his avatar: Continue Reading »


A Long Ago Mothers Day

As I write this, Mothers’  Day (Mothers? Mother’s? I never know) is, thankfully, almost over. I hate Mothers’ Day.

It’s not that I don’t think mothers matter or  that I don’t like being given breakfast in bed, or beautiful gifts (Missoni from Loehmann’s!), or handmade cards that really mean something.  I like all of that. It’s not that I don’t appreciate my own mother. Hey, my mother went back to grad school in her early 50′s, got a Masters in Fine Arts, and has since written four books, two libretti, and won two major literary prizes…one of them a Guggenheim. And she still rocks a creative, hip look. I appreciate her plenty.

My daughter pointed out that I shouldn’t mind Mothers Day – after all, she said, it doesn’t mean you’re getting older.  True. And yet I still hate Mothers’ Day. Let me count the ways:

1. When your child whines on a normal day, it’s annoying.  When she whines on Mothers’ Day, it’s a personal affront. Continue Reading »

Jealousy


Before I had kids, I used to see other parents and think: “When I’m a parent I’ll never (fill in the blank.)”

And then I became a parent.

It was humbling  just how many of those “fill in the blanks” I did.  Lollipops in the morning (airplane rides.)  TV as babysitter. (I had Swine Flu).  Screaming at the top of my lungs. (More often than I’d like to admit.)

Suddenly, I wasn’t so judgmental.  As a parent, you do what you have to do to stay sane, keep your children from bodily harm, and keep those around you from wanting to strangle your perfectly lovely (most of the time) but (at the moment) incredibly, inappropriately loud children.

And then I started blogging. Continue Reading »


Just another day on the Upper West Side.


Style Network logo

Style Network logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My name is Nancy, and I’m a fan of Giuliana and Bill on the Style Network.

I’m not a big reality TV fan.  I’ve never seen an episode of Survivor or Big Brother.  I never watched the Bachelorette (though I did watch the first season of The Bachelor.). I do not know the names of any of the Real Housewives of anywhere. I’ve even missed the show my old camp friend, Evan Weinstein, has won seven Emmy Awards producing – The Amazing Race.

This is not to say I don’t ever watch reality TV.  I just like either makeover shows, or reality shows that are truly, irrefutably awful.  That means I watch What Not to Wear, Tabatha Takes Over, and Jerseylicious, the Style network series about a bunch of inane – but lovable -  New Jersey hairdressers.  Mind numbingly bad. I love it.

But when I was on a plane to LA recently, there was a Giuliana and Bill marathon on.  I had seen a few moments of a few episodes here and there, and thought they should have re-named the show Giuliana and that Guy She Married. And I couldn’t understand why anyone cared.  To me Giuliana was a pretty, preternaturally thin b-lister (at best) with an even more preternaturally big head, and Bill was a pretty bland, perfectly nice seeming guy who – aside from the fact that he lives his entire life in front of camera, and won the first Apprentice, seemed generically handsome and kinda boring.

But when you’re trapped on a plane and you’ve finished your book, well, you watch what’s there.  And I watched Giuliana and Bill.  And here’s the thing: I kinda liked them. Continue Reading »


R Baby PSA Ad 300x250I know it’s hard to believe, but sometimes being a blogger brings things that are even better than swag:  like the ability to participate in this year’s R Baby Foundation Gala.  Before I say anything more, look at this:
Yes, that’s me, looking all earnest.  But it’s kind of hard not to be earnest about this charity, because what they do, is work to make every emergency department in every hospital equipped to treat babies.  You probably thought they already were.  I did.  But they aren’t.  And how’s this fact? Babies born in the US are twice as likely to die than many other developed countries, including Sweden, Japan and Spain; the United States is ranked 36th among 196 nations.  That is sad. And wrong.

But this is the statistic that really gets me: Children make up 27% of all emergency department (ED) visits, but only 6% of EDs in the U.S. have the necessary supplies for pediatric emergencies.

Six Percent.  That means 94 percent of the time someone takes their baby to the hospital, that hospital is not fully equipped to take care of them. Not equipped to take care of a baby.  Think about that.  Scary.

So that’s why I’m involved with the organization, and with the Gala this coming week honoring my friendand tireless advocate Julia Beck.  I’m joining other bloggers like Esti Berkowitz, Amy Oztan, Jessica Shyba, Melissa Chapman, Linda Grant, Nicole Feliciano, Rebecca Martin, Jennifer Perillo, Rebecca Levey and many more to help raise awareness about the charity…and the babies.

You can help, too.  First,  Sign the petition to improve pediatric care.  Then,

Follow us on Twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/rbabyfoundation
Follow us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/RBabyFoundation
Grab our blogger badge: (it’s at the bottom of the home page)
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/
Read and share our tips
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/resources-3.php
Join us for our 5 star gala:
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/fivestargala.php
Donate
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/about-donate.php

We’re talking babies here, people.  And as someone who comes from a family where once, long ago, a baby did die, I know the lasting effect it has on a family.  No family should have to deal with the loss of a child because a hospital isn’t prepared.  Don’t just read this and shake your head.  Click the links.  Donate.  Don’t let the babies down. -

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