tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338754252024-02-28T12:57:04.394-05:00just piddlin'Pour yourself a cup of coffee, let go of the to-do list for just a moment.
Read, comment, share. Enjoy your day.Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.comBlogger625125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-4549523785648601162016-08-13T10:03:00.002-04:002016-08-13T10:24:37.552-04:00Why do Women Have to Be Naked to Prove their Confidence?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I am pretty smart. And creative. And kinda funny, if only to
myself. And on a good day, I think I’m cute. So, yeah, I’m pretty confident and
my self-esteem is intact. But why do I
have to be half-naked to prove all of that?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you noticed that all those campaigns to encourage women
to be confident and love themselves and love their bodies involves women in
their underwear? As if you only truly love yourself if you are comfortable standing
around and being photographed in your lace panties and maybe a bra. <i>Woman – let me hear your roar </i>– in your
panties. Isn’t there a little something wrong with this confident, strong
message?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A quick survey of recent campaigns illustrates the trend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For grown women: <b>Underneath We Are Women </b>by an Australian photographer & Dove’s <b>Real Beauty </b>Campaign</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both of these feature women of various sizes, ages, and
races which is commendable for its “diversity.” The Dove campaign is supposed
to convince us that you can be beautiful at any size. Yeah, okay, that’s true.
But you can’t do that in a really cute dress?
The Australian project has taglines such as “Underneath I am confident”
– they do get credit for the play on words there. Again, they are women who
have gone through various trials in their life and as proof that women can overcome
– <i>tada!</i> Here they are in their cute lingerie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And for the young ladies: <b>Aerie – Real Girls</b> – featuring wanna-be models but “real
girls” who weren’t photoshopped as they pose laying all over the place in their
lace lingerie for teens. This one bothers me a bit further because its directed
to teens with the tagline “The Real You is Sexy.” Because that’s the message
we’re really trying to emphasize to our teen girls who are trying to figure
themselves out anyway. Not that the real you is smart or strong or has
potential, but sexy. If you look like these size 0 girls.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The campaigns to embrace <b>breastfeeding as a natural thing</b>
are no better. So after giving birth to this human being, struggling to even
take a daily shower and obtaining your own nourishment, if you are doing
breastfeeding right, you are stripped to your underwear or lounging in a
flowing white filmy gown and tenderly looking at your bundle of baby or staring
defiantly into space. This is what
breastfeeding looks like? Well, I was really doing that wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, lets be clear. I swim, so I do wear bathing suits, even
bikinis on a non-chocolate cake day, and I play tennis, mini-skirt and all. I wear these outfits and full length maxi dresses, with pretty
equal confidence and love of self. <o:p></o:p>I’m not skimpy-clothes-when-appropriate adverse. Photos with Serena and Venus in their tennis outfits, Simone Biles in her leotard, Simone Manuel in her bathing suit - great. Here's strong women doing their thing, in the clothing of their career. And Serena and Venus in evening gowns, as we've seen, do not exude a less than confident or beautiful message. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think these "confident women" campaigns are getting it wrong. Yes, women
should love their own natural selves. We should look at ourselves and say “that
lady’s pretty cute” even on a humid, bad hair day. We should see our strength
looking back at those tired eyes after going through whatever we’ve been
through in our lives. We should feel worthy even when we’ve got a few pounds
we’d like to lose. But the proof of that shouldn’t be standing half-naked for
the world. Because some of us are all that - and modest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-27809847663226371462016-08-05T07:52:00.001-04:002016-08-05T07:52:28.927-04:00Peach Mojito CocktailI've been on a little blogging break (more about that in another post) and I've returned to offer you sweet nectar for these hot summer days.<br />
<br />
I went to the Farmers Market last weekend - Saturday and Sunday - I was so excited to be done swim meets and basketball tournaments (I love my kids, I do, but summer gets jam-packed with sports) that I chose both mornings to wander through fresh fruit and veggies and flowers and crafts and stuff at DC's Eastern Market and Takoma Park's Sunday farmers' market. One of the things I got a lot of was peaches because they were everywhere and their sweet scent filled every aisle. My husband had brought me some peaches and I bought some more. Peaches are a funny thing to get a lot of because if you do not eat them soon, they'll get too soft and go bad. But I bought a lot anyway. Too busy to bake them in a pie. What else to do with these?<br />
<br />
As luck would have it, I came across a drink recipe for a Peach Basil Whiskey Cocktail. Interesting. But I didn't want to use basil (which I had also bought, along with some mint) and I don't drink whiskey and I don't like club soda. But I liked where this was going. So here's what I came up with.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRzZqaz_ANgQU4eds-DfydWHPYB4BlcNre7bpW6LCIVtyFu1bpSkj9PiTFINK_aV0VpGVhS1dqhGFyb1DEUCfpC6lCt76M3SdmSmapXyLAb3TkW9XygKRCSIFWYc4o2INPuoq/s1600/peachmojito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRzZqaz_ANgQU4eds-DfydWHPYB4BlcNre7bpW6LCIVtyFu1bpSkj9PiTFINK_aV0VpGVhS1dqhGFyb1DEUCfpC6lCt76M3SdmSmapXyLAb3TkW9XygKRCSIFWYc4o2INPuoq/s320/peachmojito.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Peach Mojito Cocktail</b></div>
Peach puree<br />
White Rum (Bacardi)<br />
Fresh Mint<br />
Agave<br />
Sprite<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Blanch peaches (I used 3 which was enough for several drinks), then puree skinned peaches in a blender.</li>
<li>Muddle mint and agave</li>
<li>Mix peach puree and rum (to your taste) with wire whisk</li>
<li>Pour peach puree & rum into glass with mint & agave and ice. Top off with Sprite (to your taste.)</li>
<li>Find your favorite spot out in the sun & enjoy.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Let me know what you think! Or if you change it up, too!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-45419830216951256732016-06-03T09:33:00.001-04:002016-06-03T09:33:44.340-04:00Keep Thinking all Summer #100DaystoLearn<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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They are stretching out ahead of us. Those long, sunny, hot
days of summer filled with sunscreen, sweet tea and kids whining “I’m bored”
when they bother to look up from their digital screens. What’s a parent to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing is to keep them learning all summer. We know it
intuitively and research proves that during those lazy days of doing nothing,
kids forget some of what they learned all year long. They come back not
remembering how to write a cursive J or solve a + 3 = 9 or who fought in the
Civil War. It’s called the “summer slide” but its not fun. Research shows that
kids can lose up to 2-3 months of learning while out of school, the effect is
stronger in lower-income children who may not experience some type of active
learning from June through September.
Keeping kids busy and thinking all summer long can help reduce, or even
eliminate, those effects. And, yes, there is some pushing and prodding and
reminding that may be required, but it doesn’t take a lot of work for parents
to keep their kids firing those brain cells around math and reading.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To help parents along, I’ve launched <b><span style="color: blue;">#100DaystoLearn.</span></b> Wearing my other hat, as a Family Ambassador
Fellow, with an eye to encouraging more family engagement in education, I’ll be
tweeting a tip or activity each day, June through September for parents to
support their children’s learning, pre-K through high school. Follow me on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/FFengagefamily">@FFEngageFamily</a> for
your daily tip (and of course, I’ll retweet as <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">@JustPiddlinBlog</a> too).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Day 1, June 1</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">, </span>kicked off with starting a summer journal.
Whether a $1 Store notebook or a leatherbound journal – or even that
composition book that you sent to school way back in September and your kid
only wrote on 10 pages #recycle #reuse!
Start a journal, decorate the cover or first page. Write in it through
the summer – what you all did, what you read, random lists, stories, poems,
math work. Some of the tips I post will
also return you to the journal. The kids practice their handwriting (slowly
becoming a lost skill) and writing skills.
Have fun with it. Post pictures of your journal - <span style="color: blue;">#100DaystoLearn.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;">Day 2</span>’s reminder – go to one of my favorite places – the
public library! Find your card, renew your card, get a new card and get a
schedule of summer activities and services at your library card. You’d be
surprised at what your local library offers for free.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Follow along. Let me know how it’s going! Happy summer!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-5138919992755553392016-04-22T11:50:00.002-04:002016-04-22T11:50:35.660-04:00Life is Like a Black & White Milkshake<div class="MsoNormal">
We’d like to think that life is like a sundae. Start with
that base layer of a couple scoops of vanilla and chocolate. Go ahead, add a
scoop of mocha almond fudge for some good flavor. Another scoop of Chunky
Monkey because why not. A couple dollops of whipped cream and do not leave out
the hot fudge. Crushed Oreos? Yeah, sure. I’ll go without the cherry, because I
do not like those kinds of cherries, but you go for it if that’s your
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll take some of those almond
slivers though. Pass the spoon and a napkin, give me a little time, and we’ll
get through this thing happily.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But really, it’s more like a milkshake. Start with that
basic vanilla – ice cream and milk. If you change your mind and want a little something more flavorful, a black
and white instead perhaps, you’ve got to pour out some of the vanilla and pour in chocolate,
then mix it together. You might be able to pour in a shot of Kahlua (you do do
that, right?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might even be able to
get a little whipped cream on top. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
that’s about it. No crushed cookies, no almonds. No additional milkshake poured
on top because it will overflow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
that will be a mess and will run all over the table and then you’ll have to
clean it up and that won’t be fun. And if its like anything in my house, someone
will drink your milkshake while you are cleaning off the table.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So that’s about how I’m feeling on life choices right now. I
know – I come back after not writing for a couple weeks with this crazy food
analogy. Because we all like food, especially ice cream. And because bad
analogies make the world go ‘round.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be back, let's say next Friday, maybe with more bad food analogies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-13553140525061859512016-02-25T13:36:00.003-05:002016-02-25T13:36:58.643-05:00One more stitch, One more page... Hooks & Books<div class="MsoNormal">
When you crochet in public, people ask you what you’re
doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you tell them, they ask you can you teach other people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you say that you can, they ask you when you’re free.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And next thing you know, you’re running an after-school
class, teaching middle schoolers how to crochet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PE_LnG_Ss9t3HbR5idrZvpW-Edlz23oOMcQ1U-Nl8sEJiXrjUmq8ZGp5LEeCiqi671UsCmDOE2eFiuMuFODgoatsP1IjHd-j5ZrG6yqwZqgIxLKBlnCjwg0ucBCwRKcGnLN6/s1600/hooksbooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PE_LnG_Ss9t3HbR5idrZvpW-Edlz23oOMcQ1U-Nl8sEJiXrjUmq8ZGp5LEeCiqi671UsCmDOE2eFiuMuFODgoatsP1IjHd-j5ZrG6yqwZqgIxLKBlnCjwg0ucBCwRKcGnLN6/s320/hooksbooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s how it all began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I didn’t want to only teach them how to crochet, I wanted there to
be some academic component to it. I consider a math tie-in – there’s a lot
there as far as gauge, stitches per inch, patterns, felting – but I decided to
go with literacy. Surprise! I presented the idea to the Principal and ta-da –
Hooks & Books became a thing. And I did have to explain to some folks that no, I was not starting a fishing lessons class. Thursdays, after school, yarn, crochet hooks,
and National Book Award winner, Coretta Scott King Award winner, and Newbery
Honor Book, <b>Brown Girl Dreaming</b> by Jacqueline Woodson.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Week 1 was an intro lesson, we read a few pages and worked
on chain stitches. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Belated Happy Birthday to author Jacqueline Woodson!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Week 2 - we talked about the importance of names and what
people call you after reading <i>a </i><i>girl named jack</i> and <i>our names</i>. We continued to
work on the chain stitch – there were a few kids still getting the first chains
going, others whose chain was as tall as they are. For those who were ready, we
moved on to double chain stitch. Talk
about differentiated learning and teaching.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m prepping for Week 3. We’ll be talking about the stories
of South Carolina and perfecting the double chain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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One more stitch, one more page….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-4670265983643549702016-02-15T16:55:00.001-05:002016-02-15T16:55:07.729-05:00I Still Haven't Fallen Into Formation<div class="MsoNormal">
Its been little over a week since the release of <i>Formation</i>.
Folks lost their minds, SuperBowl fans were confused, and fans are launching
GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for Beyonce tour tickets. Its been suggested
that <i>Formation</i> is the new Black folks anthem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Okay. I’m going to go out on a limb, be really really
daring, at risk of losing the one or two cool points I may have and say “yeah,
I don’t really get it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I watched the video last Saturday when it was released. I
waited to be wow-ed and blown away like everyone on Twitter promised I would
be. It never happened. Now – it was a very Beyonce-esque song, all about how
great she is and some clever lines about hot sauce and Red Lobster and her
baby’s au naturel hair. And by the way, I actually do sometimes have a little
teeny bottle of Tabasco in my purse. I get it. There are hot sauce
emergencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the lyrics did not
elevate to “anthem” level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As for the video - it was a visually strong video, I’ll give
it that. From the police car floating in flooded New Orleans, the old school
Creole/southern women costumes. Cute Ivy Blue with her full Afro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little boy dancing in front of the line
of police. All of that. There was some definite Black pride and social messages
embedded. But other than Ivy Blue’s appearance and Beyonce doing what she does
– dancing in a leotard while repeating “I slay” – the video didn’t really match
the lyrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in my logical mind, I
was confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps this was her way
of being socially conscious in a low-key, you got to be paying attention, kind
of way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Then we went to the SuperBowl. She dressed in throwback Michael
Jackson military outfit (the leotard version), with her blond locks
whipping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her backup dancers were
dressed in black, complete with berets and Afros as a nod to the Black
Panthers. I was more concentrating on Bruno Mars, but still noticed that the visual
message did not match lyrics about her wonderfulness. It still, however,
inspired politicians and police departments to get all bothered about an
“anti-police” message. I don’t know how they read that into it, just because
folks don’t want to get shot by the police.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then the tour was announced and there was the flurry and
excitement about ticket sales and there were reports of tickets on sale for
thousands of dollars. I thought it was all exaggerated and went on TicketMaster
myself. Yup. Starting at about $100, all the way up to $8000. Per seat. To see
a person. One who has not performed any miracle nor will grant me any special
powers. One who is not touring with
Michael Jackson or Jesus as her opening act or the 12 Disciples as back-up
singers. I’m hoping someone will explain
to me that the $8000 ticket is some kind of resellers’ trick to hold tickets,
Beyonce’s economic folks’ method to drive up demand or something. Some
explanation that confirms that no one is actually spending $8000 for a concert
ticket. Because I’m ticking off all the things I could do with $8000 other than
watch a lady dance in a leotard. And I
want folks to really think about what they could do with $8000. Especially
those who are salivating for their tax refund check or needing a GoFundMe
campaign or selling their plasma. And
oh, she even launched a charitable donation to Flint Michigan, as a portion of
her tour tickets. Well yeah, if you’re charging $1000s for folks to see you for
2 hours, you can surely spare a couple bucks to buy water for some children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’m still stunned. Sure <i>Single Ladies</i> was a great song
and who can not dance when <i>Love on Top </i>or <i>Crazy in Love</i> comes on. And my heart
tugs a bit everytime I hear <i>If I Were a Boy</i>, though I don’t think it gets
played as often as it should. And nah, I
wasn’t really crazy about the 2013 self-named “secret” album, sorry Beehive
residents. So, although I get the pieces
of <i>Formation</i>, if not as a whole work, I don’t really get what all the buzz-buzz
is about, other than it is Beyonce. Or maybe that’s all folks need. For me, I
need a bit more to fall into formation, so I'll still be singing <i>Life Every Voice</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-61196514240880414162016-02-05T15:01:00.003-05:002016-02-05T15:01:25.099-05:00Can we stop with the “make this post go viral” posts?<div class="MsoNormal">
While we're at it, stop the other
version, too: the “bet the news won’t tell you this” posts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The subject of these posts is generally some good thing, a
feel good announcement. A dad playing with his kids or putting his cute little
girl’s hair up in a puffy-ponytail. A group of friends who all graduated high
school together. A set of twins that graduated college. A group of boys who are
smartly dressed in khakis and button-down shirts and ties. The people are always Black. Or at least the ones that come
across my timeline. Maybe there’s a White version of these, too, they just don’t fill my social media feed (aside from the one of the girls who rearranged
themselves from their class photo to spell the N-word – my how proud their
parents must be.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, the premise is: <i>look, here’s some folks who are
doing good and the news won’t tell you about them.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here’s some things to think about for those people who
want these things to “go viral.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>The news trades on bad news. Shootings, bank robberies, bad
traffic, celebrity death. Every now and then a “feel good” personal interest
story. But for the most part – house on fire, drug bust, kid stealing a
bicycle, 2 feet of snow. They don’t really do “good news” a whole lot.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>These are people doing stuff they are <i>supposed</i> to do. That’s
not news. These people aren’t doing anything extraordinary – they’re doing
<i>exactly</i> what they are expected to do. Take care of their kids, wear proper
clothing, graduate from school. Its not supposed to be on the news anymore than
you going to the grocery store and buying a gallon of milk. Sure, you could go
to the corner and buy crack (if that’s where you buy crack, I’m not even sure) and
that would make the news – because that’s interesting and not the norm. Mom
going to buy milk? Yawn. Dad combing his daughter’s hair – okay, maybe not the
“norm,” and probably cute, but interesting enough to go viral? Unless the dad
is really <i>really </i>fine…. Yawn.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get it – the idea of these should-be-viral photos is to
disprove the negative stereotypes of (Black) people by showing proof of (Black) people being good. But that’s an odd argument to me. Look- we can do good
stuff, put it on the news – makes it seem like some kind of anomaly, rather
than the norm. Its almost like an argument of proof that’s disproving itself.
(There may be some mathematical definition to this but I took Logic long time
ago.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Its like when you get on your kid about sneaking cookies and
they’re like “why do you always fuss about me being bad. Why don’t you ever say
‘good job’ for me sitting down quietly or doing my homework?” Because they’re
supposed to do that stuff!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally - <i>Who the heck knows the magic formula for things
going viral?</i> Like that gold or blue dress and that silly guy eating Patti
LaBelle’s sweet potato pies. What? Why? Generally, it at least takes something being
very sexy or very stupid. I imagine both would really create a viral-storm to
break the internet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But generally it is
not stuff that someone says “make this go viral.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
So post the pics of your husband doing your daughter's hair and the kids reading books on the subway. Allow folks to "like" or RT or share. Let people enjoy. But stop telling us to make it go viral.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
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<i>Next rant</i>….folks who post stuff and tell you that if you
type “Amen” in the comments God’s going to bless you. I need a
Biblical citation. Where did Jesus say that?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-70741018364415073402016-01-27T14:28:00.000-05:002016-01-27T14:28:16.750-05:00Why Snowdays Are Not As Productive As You Hope<div class="MsoNormal">
We have been snowbound for 6 days. And not, oh school is
closed so we’re just going to go to the mall, snowbound. But our street was
just plowed at midnight of Day 5 kind of snowbound. And we can’t even go out
for a walk because there’s 2’ of snow outside kind of snowbound. So you would
think that all to-do lists would be cleared by the time the snow melts. You’d
think. Unless you are snowbound with your hubby and four children and a dog.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the snow falls and its pretty clear everything is
cancelled, the initial response is “ahh, no running around from here to there,
imagine all the things I can get done in the house.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You revisit the list – reading the library book
that’s already overdue, staining that Pinterest-inspired cute table you found
at a yard sale, finally clearing the 483 emails in your in-box, cleaning out
your closets and putting away the summer clothes, starting (or finishing) the
next great American novel… the list goes on. And by day 6 you would think –
that list is cleared. You had 144 hours of not going nowhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But alas. As the snow melts, you are only on page 10 of
reading the overdue book, on page 2 of writing the great novel, increased your
inbox by 25 emails and pinned 72 more ideas to your Pinterest boards. How did
this happen? I’ll tell you.</div>
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<ul>
<li>You let the kids sleep in – great decision. But you so
enjoyed the quiet, you actually sat down, looked at the snow and finished your
coffee while it was hot. – 1 hour</li>
<li>Since you usually give the kids a pop-tart and juicebox for
breakfast, you decided to make french toast, sausage, potatoes, and eggs with
all this un-rushed time. And eat it with them. – 2 hours</li>
<li>While the kids went out in the snow, you got a few things
done, but when they came back, you mopped the floor of melting snow, dried off
the dog, and triaged hanging up wet coats, gloves, scarves, pants, and socks
all over the house. – 1 hour</li>
<li>The kids were hungry and cold when they came in so you
cooked home-made chicken soup and hot chocolate. Again the mom guilt of
actually fixing them hot food instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. –
1 hour</li>
<li>With all this found time, surely, there’s time to catch up
on How to Get Away with Murder. – 8 hours</li>
<li>And you missed The Martian in the theatres. - 2.5 hours</li>
<li>Hmmm… was Gone Girls the movie as good as the book? – 2.5
hours</li>
<li>If you were lucky enough that your kids still like you
enough (or need a big person to pull the sled) to ask you to come sledding with
them, you went. – 3 hours</li>
<li>Sledding is a lot more effort than your Zuumba class, so it
warranted a nap. – 2 hours</li>
<li>Folks who are home eat A LOT! You are doing dishes 3 or 4 times a day. – 2
hours</li>
<li>If your kids still want to hang out with you, you got
wrangled into a game of charades or Monopoly or Scrabble or JustDance! – 2
hours</li>
<li>You had to check on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram to
see how everyone else was doing in the snow. And post your own pictures of your
snow covered street, the pretty snow on the branches, and all the cookies you
were baking. – 3 hours</li>
<li>You were baking cookies. – 1 hour</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Now add that all up. In most cases, multiply by 6. Add to it
the loads of wet, cold laundry you have. And the re-inventorying grocery
shopping you now have to do. And refinishing your floors. And rescheduling the
doctor’s appointment, teacher conference, basketball game, and PTA meeting that
you missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renew your library book,
continue to carry notes for your great novel (really do try to write at least 30
minutes a day), commit an hour to that closet, and keep the satin handy. You’ll
eventually get those to-do items checked off. Just now during the snowstorm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with FrancesMommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-6105551153788901842016-01-25T09:38:00.002-05:002016-01-26T11:44:40.939-05:00Baby-Raising Products You Absolutely Don't Need<div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="a34rk-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="a34rk-0-0">Why are they making raising a baby so hard?! Mothers have been raising babies since Genesis with not much more than a breast and a cloth to wrap around the babies' butts. Zoom up to my baby-raising years and I did have the luxury of a stroller, a carseat, and a handful of bottles. It's really not as hard as people make it seem.</span><br />
Wait - let me take that back - it is hard. It's a lot of work to raise a baby (right.) A lot of sleepless nights, frustrated tears, juggling everything. But somehow, day after day, you find your own crazy routine and systems and you make it into the toddler years. Ta-da! And then you start over in a new crazy routine and system. And they are "hard" because there's a lot of pressure (from everywhere) to get this baby-raising thing right because we're talking about a person here. Its not like making the perfect soufflé. Its a BABY!<br />
So yes, those are 2-3 hectic, stressful years. But adding more products doesn't really reduce all the craziness because then there will be all these gadgets to monitor. And isn't it one of the most frustrating things when a machine that is supposed to make things easier doesn't do what its supposed to do and makes your life even harder (urgh!!!!)<br />
What's got me thinking of baby stuff now, when my youngest is on the brink of middle school? I saw this article <a href="http://www.babble.com/parenting/parenting-products-that-seem-too-good-to-be-true/">"12 Parenting Products That Seem to Good to Be True."</a> I read it out of curiosity - what's out there now that could've made raising my four babies so much easier? Let me be jealous. As it turned out, there is NOthing on this parenting products list that I would get. Not one. Why not?</div>
<div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="a34rk-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<ul>
<li><i>Cost </i>- $410 for a Keurig to make a bottle of formula? Please! Here's my baby tip - I never gave my baby's warm formula, always room temperature. Why? Because then I could make formula anytime, anywhere, quickly, without worrying about whether it was the perfect hot-ness.</li>
<li><i>Ridiculousness </i>- baby sleep monitor built into the one-sie? I can't sleep with an electric blanket, but they suggest you put your infant into an electronic bodysuit to monitor her sleep? Only $199 by the way. Baby tip - walk into the baby's room and check on them. If you are that nervous, get one of those regular old sit-on-the-dresser monitors. You don't have to have baby wired up.</li>
<li><i>More-trouble-than-its-worth </i>- full sleeve bib? Trust me, its easier to strip your child shirtless before a spaghetti dinner than try to get her out of a tomato sauce splashed full sleeve bib without getting sauce all over the place.</li>
</ul>
It's all too much. Yes, juggling baby and a bottle and a diaper and perhaps even another child - it can be hard. But, all these fancy, expensive gadgets aren't going to make it that much easier. You don't need a machine to give you baby's continuous temperature. Touch him. You don't need a remote controlled baby swing, that you turn off and on with your phone. Hold her. You don't need an alarm clock so that you can talk to your child from your room. Be with her. Baby's need love and attention. Give it.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-76433834569555387882016-01-19T17:05:00.001-05:002016-01-19T17:05:03.414-05:00The Real-est Thing About the Housewives of Potomac<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #747474; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">noun: <b>housewife</b>; plural noun: <b>housewives</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<ol>
<li><span style="color: #2d2f32; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 1pt;">a married woman who
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outside the home</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #2d2f32; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 1pt;">a pocket-size
container for small articles (as thread) </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Yes, I did it. I had to, how
could I not? I mean – it’s right in my backyard. Well, not right in my
backyard, its down the street, around the Beltway a few exits. Sunday was the
premiere of <i>Real Housewives of Potomac </i>and after checking to make sure the
couple Black ladies I know who do live in Potomac were not on it, even as a
special guest, I had to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like
when you pass an accident on the highway – it’s terrible, but we’re nosy, we
gotta look and see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a mess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Here’s the cast. For the most
part, they are not housewives. (See definition above.) And this is true not
just of Potomac, but of this whole franchise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll agree that none of them is
a pocket-size container (raise your hand if you knew that was what those little
Altoid mints-sized boxes were called, for the record – I did not, but will try
to work that into conversation.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
Potomac (I have not committed their names to memory, but it doesn’t really
matter. If you watched, you know who I’m talking about; if you didn’t, you can
still follow along): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 is a married mother, but I
don’t think they showed her kids this first episode</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 is a mother married, her
husband lives in another state</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 is a divorced mother of 3
babies who wants to marry any White guy (we don’t know yet who her ex is)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 is a mother, divorced but
lives with and shares a bed with her husband (I think this adds a new
definition to dysfunctional relationship)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 is a mother, divorced from
her cheating ex-husband preacher</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In episode one, none did any
cleaning and the only cooking that happened was messing up a pot of crabs.
Which by the way, when did a “crab boil” become a thing in Maryland?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This didn’t occur to me at first, because I
have been known to do a shrimp boil or two, but I definitely always steam my
crabs. Or usually, go buy steamed crabs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">So we’re down to 2/5 who at
least meet some minimum criteria to be labeled as a “housewife.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t think back through all the messiness,
but I’m pretty sure the statistics were pretty much the same for Atlanta, New
York, and the short-term DC. Those are the only ones I’ve watched. I think they
all killed each other off in the New Jersey one or went to jail or something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Now, some random thoughts on
Episode 1.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>The episode opened with the
ladies taking tennis and golf lessons. </i>It looked like they were in lesson
number 1. Now, maybe this is my own stereotype, but I don’t know one person who
lives in or near Potomac who does not know how to play one of those two sports,
if not both. I don’t know when they learned it, but it seems like a
prerequisite to moving to the neighborhood. I’m not understanding how they have
lived there and don’t belong to one of the country clubs and own a tennis
racquet or golf clubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">All the drama on the
Housewives is fake, manufactured drama – I acknowledge that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>But can they at least make it believable,
age-appropriate, fake, manufactured drama? </i>I mean – “you sat in my seat at my
birthday dinner?” A real, self-assured 50-year old woman, who really cared
about where she sat, would’ve said, “it’s my birthday, get up let me sit there,”
not sat there in a quiet huff. Now maybe that would’ve caused a little
kerfuffle, but hey, at least it would’ve been more believable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Who did she think was going
to boil those crabs?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girlfriend had a
bushel of crabs in her garage and plans to get her make-up done (because the
make-up artist was waiting upstairs), but then had an attitude when her friend
came, with a friend/hairdresser/crab boiler in tow, and was messing around in
her kitchen cooking the crabs for her crab boil party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More fake, manufactured drama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Preacher’s ex-wife being in a
pretty nice house in Potomac raises some questions </i>about the finances of the
Reverend. He’s pulling in enough tithes and offering to pay for wherever he
lives and for her house, too?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, this
is not actually show-related. I’ll have to wait for the preacher to move to LA
and get on that show for those answers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I guess <i>the condescending
attitude</i> is just par for the course, but that’s probably what bothered me most
about the show. If you are trying to act like you have money and need to make
sure everyone does not treat you like you don’t have money, you have to keep
reminding folks of where you live and that you are a different kind of Black
person and go out of your way to be condescending to those other Black people.
How many times did the women make snide comments about going back to the
ghetto, unhappy poor people, and going back to Baltimore? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just hurts my heart when folks act like
that. If you’ve got class, you don’t have to tell people you’ve got class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">While the rest of the show is
all made-up rich people problems, the snide comments, the condescending
attitude, the looking down on other people who didn’t climb up the social
ladder, the belief that you really are better because of your zip code - that’s
about the real-est thing about the Housewives.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Did you watch it? What'd you think? Will you continue to watch?</i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-41829828228194654642016-01-08T14:47:00.003-05:002016-01-25T10:07:58.121-05:00Books I'm Carrying Around: Citizens Creek, The Abundant Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8iZpISranq-oJRoHPrjV4O_d6QoYVAaY1UNQyKu50zzIpP482wj_qwuZv6nc0yQ98sezz0dLTpo4CpJv0_v5BhI2cf-C_wa_2971uFUqbjjsDYjFFTWYVBPHQpxRnQG-Qooa/s1600/20160108_142516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8iZpISranq-oJRoHPrjV4O_d6QoYVAaY1UNQyKu50zzIpP482wj_qwuZv6nc0yQ98sezz0dLTpo4CpJv0_v5BhI2cf-C_wa_2971uFUqbjjsDYjFFTWYVBPHQpxRnQG-Qooa/s400/20160108_142516.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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<i><span style="color: #38761d;">It's Friday!</span></i> * Can you hear my off-pitch singing of the happiness of the end of a long week? * If the book fairies love me, at the end of the day I will settle down on my comfy couch with a nice, chilly glass of eggnog with these books for my #weekendread.</div>
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<b><i>Citizens Creek</i></b> by Lalita Tademy - Author of <i>Red River</i> and <i>Cane River</i>. Yes, her books have a southern river theme and they are all about family. <i>Citizens Creek</i> centers around the story of a slave family that is owned by Creek Indians. I know - who knew that was a thing, Indians owning slaves. Cow Tom, the father of the family, speaks English and several Indian tribe languages and serves as a translator for the Indian Chief. It is the early 1800s and Cow Tom is sent to serve as a representative of the Creek tribe as a translator for the American government, during Removal of the Indian tribes from Florida and the southern states to the western Indian territories.</div>
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<i> - Update: </i>my review of the book, posted on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1524317775">Goodreads</a></div>
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<b><i>The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families & Neighborhoods </i></b>by John McKnight & Peter Block. From the inside jacket: <i>Each neighborhood has people with the gifts and talents needed to provide for our prosperity and peace of mind - this book offers practical ways to discover them.</i> I feel like I'm in school again and this is assigned reading. One of my PTA-friends suggested we read this in preparation for a neighborhood book talk coming up. Because I admire her commitment to the community and trust her selection of books, it made it to my list.</div>
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The theme for this #PiddlinReads selections: community and the talents of the people in them.</div>
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<i><span style="color: #38761d;">What are you reading? Let me know in the comments, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Facebook</a> or on <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a> #PiddlinReads</span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-81671997409328238492016-01-02T00:18:00.000-05:002016-01-02T00:19:21.845-05:007 Tips to Keep the "New You" Motivated<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06uwnu8hTn56omzrdY26v2eZRpzvgO3AAhBbOJWbKHx_MZNO-VKQ8vTHbmbjV8J-K6lI1o-K149EhWyoUTkdtwESHo_H_YqMAcxidqx5w4-8UvStqvcNaNif9yl6dPNoz9m_Q/s1600/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1BRzA1NzUuanBn%253F%253D-743735" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696771797691518370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06uwnu8hTn56omzrdY26v2eZRpzvgO3AAhBbOJWbKHx_MZNO-VKQ8vTHbmbjV8J-K6lI1o-K149EhWyoUTkdtwESHo_H_YqMAcxidqx5w4-8UvStqvcNaNif9yl6dPNoz9m_Q/s320/%253D%253Futf-8%253FB%253FSU1BRzA1NzUuanBn%253F%253D-743735" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep climbing!</td></tr>
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People will be all over the gym the first week of January - spinning, climbing stairs, lifting weights, checking their body fat percentage. Those new year's resolutions are freshly polished, dusted off from last January - promises to eat better, exercise more, drink more water, eat less sugar, and lose that muffin top before swimsuit season. But come the end of the month, there will be a few more parking spaces and treadmills will be standing empty again.</div>
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If I ran the gym, I'd post some notes to help the "new you" fend off the "hungry and comfortable you" and stick with those resolutions until December.</div>
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<b>- Don't feel intimidated.</b> When I first started swimming laps, I was swimming one length in about 2 minutes, flailing across the pool, ready to drown, and taking a 5 minute break at the end. I watched the other people swimming about 5 laps in the same time and felt like maybe I was getting in their way. It took some time and work, but now I have a good lap swim workout (and there are still people faster and doing more laps than me) and I love it. Don't worry that you aren't fast enough, strong enough, or have the right clothes. Keep trying the things you really want to do.</div>
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<b>- But at the same time - Know your limitations.</b> Know when to quit, go slower or lighter, or not even attempt something. No matter what my Latin-blooded friend says, she's not getting me into zumba, despite her promise that I won't be the only rhythmically-challenged, uncoordinated person in the room (that's her sales pitch). The first time I went to my now almost-regular strength-training class, the instructor told me to put 10 lbs. on my barbell. I was almost offended - <i>what, I can lift more than 10 lbs!</i> I thought. But, could I do it 50 times in a row, I realized was the test. Whew! I should have dropped it down to 5 lbs.</div>
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<b>- And don't get in the way. </b>In any type of group exercise or when there's multiple people (like on a running track), figure out where the people at your pace or level are - running the same speed, going to pass out from strength-training at the same time, whatever. Its safer, you'll be more comfortable, and it helps with the "don't be intimidated" thing.</div>
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<b>- Give yourself 30 days. </b>The experts on developing habits and such things like that say that it takes 21 to 30 days for your new habit to stick. Seeing as you probably won't be going to the gym every day, allow 30 for this one. Make your plan for January, and no matter what else comes along, stick with it. Go to the gym, meet with a personal trainer, go to zumba, walk to the Metro station - do it without fail.</div>
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<b>- Plan and prepare for your exercise </b>to reduce your excuses and possible distractions. Exercise rarely just happens, especially with the busy lives we lead these days. Figure out how exercise will work into your day - early in the morning, lunch-time, at the end of the day, whatever works for you - and write it into your schedule. Yes, that means you may have to skip happy hour this week. Sure, coordinate your workout schedule with your hair appointments and your pedicures. Nope, you can't pass out cupcakes at school this morning. Put yourself first.</div>
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<b>- Pack your bags. </b>Whether you will be heading to work or volunteer at your kids' school or get drinks with friends after your workout, make sure you have everything you need to shower and change clothes. Shower gel/soap, shampoo, hair styling stuff, deodorant, lotion - keep a set in your gym bag so you don't have to remember to grab it off the bathroom counter every time. And undergarments! Raise your hand if you've ever been standing in the locker room and realized you forgot to pack your bra. Keep a spare set of undergarments in your bag.</div>
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<b>- Set a goal and commit to it. </b>Register for a race or competition or game or league or whatever - something that requires a commitment at a specific point in time. I registered for a triathlon before I was ready because it forced me to stick to a workout plan, because I knew I had exactly so many months, weeks, days before I would have to be ready. If I didn't stick with my plan, I could drown and die. (Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but that's what it takes to keep me on task).</div>
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Lastly, something that has nothing to do with fitness, just my own preference for modesty </div>
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<i>- Don't talk to me naked, don't talk on the phone, lotion, put on your make-up or brush your hair while butt-naked. </i>Doesn't matter if you are a size 2 or 22, don't care to have a conversation with you in your birthday suit. But if that's your thing and you just have to stay naked, at least, while you are moisturizing or whatever else, keep both feet on the ground.</div>
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<i>See you at the gym!</i></div>
<br />
<br />Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-22056776544884401682015-12-29T10:17:00.002-05:002015-12-29T10:17:06.824-05:00New Year, New Datebook - Getting OrganizedIt's a wonderful time of the year! Time to browse for a planner for the new year!<br />
<br />
Yep, I am one of those people who still carry a paper & pen day planner. One reason? Because I can't carry miscellaneous items and <a href="http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com/2012/01/because-i-cant-carry-emergency-10-in-my.html">an emergency $10 in my phone</a>. Other reason - I like writing stuff down. I rarely take notes on my phone, only when there's nothing else around. For notes to myself, to-do lists, jotting down phone numbers or things I want to check out later, quotes, notes from an event - I like to keep it all on paper, in one convenient, portable, always accessible place.<br />
<br />
There are some folks who would settle on one planner and get the same one every year, rather than launch an annual search for a new and different book. One day, perhaps, I will be that person. For now, I'm switching planners again.<br />
<br />
This year, I'm ordering my planner from <a href="http://www.fallindesign.com/2016-diary-planner/?sort=newest">FallinDesign</a>. It's a South Korean company that I came across when looking for the datebook I had a couple years ago, the LiveWork Agenda, but that company seems to have gone out of business or maybe changed their name, not sure. With the numerous array of journals and datebooks, you might assume that despite all the electronic and digital gadgetry that comes from South Korea, paper & pen is still very popular. The options are great and the prices are reasonable, though admittedly, you may take a hit on shipping and timing for delivery.<br />
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In the past, I've had these planners:<br />
<b><a href="http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com/2014/12/planning-for-2015-w-arc-disc-planner-by.html">ARC Disc-planner</a>, from Staples</b>. I like this planner for its flexibility, but I realized that at year's end, I like all my pages to be bound and easy to flip back through, if necessary. I noticed a lot of people have this in a larger, notebook size and I may consider this system for full-page notes.<br />
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<b><a href="http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com/2012/01/back-on-schedule.html">LiveWork Agenda </a>- </b>This is the agenda I had previously, and found again at FallinDesign. It's book bound, approximately 5"x7", i.e. fits in my purse, and is pink (important feature.) I like the open page design, which lets me customize to my use - there's space to write appointments, but also to-do lists and dinner plans.<br />
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<a href="http://www.passionplanner.com/"><b>PassionPlanner</b></a> - If you need a planner that helps you set goals and all the steps to get there, or you like products with a story, go with the PassionPlanner. The pages are laid out to encourage you to think about where you want to go and how you are going to get there. You can order the journal in whole or download the pages for free (yeah, I don't know how they make money on that!) I don't have the whole planner, but I like the monthly pages for my posted-on-the-wall, always visual planner - partly because it prints on two pages so its big and easy to see.<br />
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<b>GoogleCalendar</b> - is my electronic back-up, primarily because of the automated alerts via email and/or texts. This has saved me many of times. If only my paper & pen day planner could do this! It's also useful for my family to be able to look up dates and input their activities. Another nice feature is being able to print out the calendar, with custom-selected dates, so I can leave it with my husband, children and/or babysitter to keep them on track without me.<br />
<br />
I've collected a few other day planners and journals that I like on a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/just4piddlin/dayplanners-journals/">Pinterest page</a>, as well, in case I need some more options.<br />
<br />
For me, the new year is like the first day of school. I'll sit down with my new planner, pen, pencil, couple cute stickers, and put in all my appointments and reminders. And of course, a cup of coffee. <i>Happy planning!</i><br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-12429302692086686822015-12-17T12:41:00.004-05:002015-12-17T12:43:25.220-05:00How We’re Doing Christmas Wrong & Stressing Ourselves Out<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before we begin, let’s first
revisit the true meaning of Christmas. Its not “giving”, its not “sharing,” its
not “doing charity,” although all of those are good things and we can make a
logical argument why they are related to Christmas. But really, the holiday is
the observance/recognition/celebration/remembrance of the birth of Jesus
Christ, Lord and Savior. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Linus explains
that pretty clearly to all the Peanuts kids.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And yes – I know about winter Solstice and harvest festivals, Santa
Claus, Christmas trees, etc. etc. But, still, Christmas is about Jesus Christ’s
birth even if it is on December 25 for some random reason that has nothing to
do with the Bible that some folks long time ago thought would be a good day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now that we’ve
got that straightened out, here’s how we’re doing this thing all wrong, causing
ourselves a bunch of stress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Note, that I am
writing this blogpost surrounded by open boxes of gold ribbon, sparkly
ornaments, statues of angels and snowmen, and green garland, while taking a
break from draping everything in my house in boughs of holly. So, yes, I am
including myself in that “we.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>We treat
Christmas as the “Give Everyone You Have Ever Seen in the Past Year a Gift”
Day.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am I giving the dude who drops
off my newspaper or cuts my grass a Christmas gift?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is my dentist sending me a Christmas
card? My kids’ teachers and coaches are nice people, but why do I need to give
each and every one of them a Christmas gift? I don’t even know if all these
people are Christians. Why don’t we give some of these people gifts on a day
that makes more sense? Give the grass cutter his tip at the end of summer. Give
the coach a gift at the end of the season. Give the teacher a gift during Teacher
Appreciation week or on the last day of school as an apology for all the
headaches your child has caused. Why Christmas?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>We try to
include everyone in Christmas. </i></b>I had to catch myself the other day as I was
looking for Christmas cards (which I haven’t sent out yet.) I picked up cards
with a Nativity scene and Bible verses on them, then started looking for a box
that I could send to people who may not be Christian. Why? I said to myself.
Why am I looking for not-too-Christmas-y Christmas cards to send to non-Christians?
This doesn’t even make sense! I’ve never received a Hannakuh card, am not
offended by that and doubt that my Jewish friends even think twice about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Giving folks random stuff as gifts.</i></b> With all the gifting, we give pretty bad gifts. Why, oh why, do we think that giving someone an icescraper is a good gift? Or underwear? Or any other thing that you grabbed up from the CVS aisle on December 24<sup>th</sup>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other day, we were in the store and saw a gift package – it had a razor, shaving cream, and deodorant all wrapped up in a pretty box. My kids and I laughed so hard - this is a terrible gift. It says “here, I was thinking about how hairy and smelly you are – Merry Christmas.” What? Why is that giftboxed? Because we panic when we look at the 5011 people on our gift list and start just grabbing random nonsense off the shelves and sticking a bow on it. Cut your list to people you really care about, buy them something with thought. I’d rather get a candy cane than a bottle of shaving cream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>We threaten to
“take away Christmas.” </i></b>What’s the go-to response when our kids act up or don’t
do so great on their report card, especially post-Thanksgiving when Santa
starts making his list?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we can’t
“take away Christmas” anymore than we can take away Saturday or the sun coming
up. December 25 is coming regardless of what your kid does, unless he can stop
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we really mean is we are not
going to give them gifts if they don’t what we want them to do. But this
conditionality isn’t what Christmas is about; in fact, it’s the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God sent Jesus because He loved His people.
Unconditionally. And after the folks still acted up – in the Bible and since
then - God didn’t say “too bad – no more Jesus for you.” Jesus is the full
earthly embodiment of unconditional love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is what we should model in our Christmas celebration, not
threatening to take away a box of Legos or a doll because our kids didn’t make
up their bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>We think
everybody should celebrate Christmas… or nobody should.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><i> </i></b> </span>I didn’t even pay attention to that Starbucks
red cup thing since I don’t need a coffee house to tell me how and when to
celebrate a religious holiday. How much energy and debate goes on each year
over whether there should be a Nativity scene in the town square, whether the
kids should sing Rudolph in the Winter Concert, why we can’t hang a Santa on
the school door, _______ (fill in the blank with your neighborhood
example.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Observe your own holiday, be
respectful of others who may or may not wish to join you, don’t be offended if
a symbol of Christmas dares to cross your sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Even Non-Christians
let themselves get stressed out about Christmas.</i></b> I kinda feel bad for people
who aren’t Christian, because I assume its some kind of social pressure that makes
them come up with an associated celebration of a holiday that they don’t
celebrate. They have to mail out some kind of cards, explain to their kids who
Santa is and why he’s not coming to their house, or pack up and head to Hawaii
to get away from all the boughs of holly. (Okay, I don’t feel bad for those
people on the beach.) If I was non-Christian, I think I would like to ignore
all the Christmas hoopla and focus on my normal life or the trauma its going to
cause my kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>The Elf on the
Shelf. </i></b>I’m just so glad that this phenomenon caught on after my kids were too
old to be amused by it. That’s all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Letting all the ways we're "supposed" to enjoy Christmas stress us out.</i></b> Yes, Christmas has morphed into this religious, but also secular, holiday and the
meaning gets lost in the shuffle sometime. That’s something we each have to
work out for our own households.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
while we’re doing it – let’s get rid of the extras that add to our stress and stop doing the stuff that doesn't bring us joy so that we can truly enjoy the spirit of the holiday instead of approaching it dreading all the work it "requires."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the meantime, I’ll be
dancing with the <a href="https://youtu.be/s1LUXQWzCno">Peanuts gang</a> and the <a href="https://youtu.be/HpA5Qs5io_o?list=PL16KSOz0930G2E9ug_BGApcY5KHiGz9eb">Jackson 5 </a>and
watering my poinsettias.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-76495302410254887662015-12-16T10:56:00.002-05:002015-12-16T11:15:14.578-05:00Lists of All Those Books You Haven't Read Yet<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">December is the month of lists. The <i style="font-family: Times;">top 10 things you didn’t get around to all year long</i> or the <i style="font-family: Times;">top 10 things you need to plan to do for next year.</i> And of course - all those books you didn't read this year, but luckily books don't expire. To save you a little effort, I’ve gathered a few lists of books you may have missed this year. My only criteria – it had to be a diverse list, presenting books by and about people of color. (Note that I didn’t say “for” because books can be for anybody, regardless of what the characters look like.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stock up for the hours you might steal away during the holidays or getting snowed in one day (if we here on the East Coast ever get out of this 50 degree weather.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Adult Books</i></b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.largeup.com/2015/12/10/toppa-top-10-books-caribbean-authors-2015/">Toppa Top 10: Ten Great Books By Caribbean Authors In 2015</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I already have <i>Land of Love & Drowning</i> on my to-read pile and will be adding a few more from this list. And I didn’t know Edwidge Danticat had a new book (<i>Untwining</i>), so that will go on my list, as it should for you if you haven’t read anything by her yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some promising looking new authors on this list – that’s always fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><b><a href="http://theculture.forharriet.com/2015/11/25-new-books-by-black-women-that-would.html#axzz3uPi8GCPG">25 New Books By Black Women That Would Make Perfect Holiday Gifts (The Culture)</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I like the variety of books on this list. There’s fiction, nonfiction, memoir, motivational – a little something for everyone. And a genre you don’t find on too many general lists? Cookbooks! I love a good cookbook, I own maybe 25-30, as a conservative estimate, and am always looking for something new and interested. I’m adding My Life on a Plate to my list because international cookbooks are one of my favorites (desserts – cakes especially, is the other if you’re wondering.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Children’s Books</span></i></b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Mother in the Mix: </b></span><b><a href="http://www.motherinthemix.com/#!Need-a-Gift-Idea-23-Childrens-Books-with-Interracial-Families/c1a1n/5665963c0cf256f068fd2895">23 Children’s Books with Interracial Families</a></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Multiracial as an official race category is a relatively new thing, so its interesting to see books with mixed race families. I might even be a little bit surprised that she rounded up 23!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading over the titles and descriptions of these books, one thing that I like is that they aren’t all about race. There are the cultural stories which are great for kids to see their own food and traditions and stuff in books. Then I also like that some of them are just stories about a family doing family stuff – visiting grandma, figuring out what to do with a new baby – and kids doing regular kid stuff – taking over the world, becoming a cowboy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the kinds of “diverse” books we need – a little bit of everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Tutu's Storybooks: <a href="http://www.shop.tutusstorybooks.com/Holiday-Books_c82.htm">Children’s Holiday Books</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For children’s books, Tutu’s Storybooks is a great go-to source. Her books are available online and if you are in Maryland, you may be lucky enough to find her at local street fairs, book fairs and other community events. Be sure to stop by, browse and buy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the Holiday Books list – they are specifically about celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa and winter – so order these soon so you can read them while the tree is still up. </span>In addition to the posted list, check out her tweets (<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/TutusStorybooks">@TutusStorybooks</a>) for more holiday books, too, like these:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>All I Want for Christmas is You</i> – Mariah Carey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Little Red Gliding Hood </i>– Tara Lazar, Troy Cummings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>The Snowman Shuffle</i> – Christianne Jones, Emma Randall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Roc & Roe’s 12 Days of Christmas</i> – Nick Cannon, AG Ford<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know there are about 1000 other favorite books lists that I could’ve included and another 10,000 books. <b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Leave your favorite recommendations in the Comments.</i></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "times";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-81919608357369807842015-12-15T14:00:00.002-05:002015-12-15T14:00:46.660-05:00What to Get Your Wife / Mother of Your Children for ChristmasIt’s a week before Christmas. If your husband is like mine,
he has not yet begun to even think about your Christmas gift, let alone panic
about it. But you want him to start thinking about it because, as much as you
do need a new vacuum cleaner, you do not want to find one under your Christmas
tree. Or a shower gel and lotion set which is not in any scent that you want to
smell like all day.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hard part about shopping for your spouse, is that as
grown-ups you each have access to money and usually, you are sharing, in some
way, the same pot of money. Buying the other person is just a shift of who is
doing the spending. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the gift really
has to be about some thoughtfulness, its more than the actual dollars
spent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I asked a bunch of friends for ideas and have rounded up
some ideas here. Make it easy for the folks who love you – print this list and
hand it to them or forward the blog post, and sit back and prepare to be
delighted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFxm33-kysnTQWw9cf46B8cwbOCgSjsbVJtiGVqwAQuIx4PifZ_98gcgDirP_EIqLjQa5bhjLHaphUckcIGmLh6PIcjYO_5Ux9aAhi6XdiZexJ12V1yoNovT9xE6lVopxu6HZ/s1600/giftbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFxm33-kysnTQWw9cf46B8cwbOCgSjsbVJtiGVqwAQuIx4PifZ_98gcgDirP_EIqLjQa5bhjLHaphUckcIGmLh6PIcjYO_5Ux9aAhi6XdiZexJ12V1yoNovT9xE6lVopxu6HZ/s320/giftbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gift Lists for Husbands: What to Get Your Wife / the Mother of your children<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><i>Something a little extravagant.</i></b> As responsible folks, you
may be on a household budget or at least have limits to what you think is
reasonable spending. Splurge a little for your wife, get her something that she
wouldn’t get for herself because of whatever money rules there are in your
house. Maybe it’s that cashmere sweater, or a special thing for her hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say “you deserve a little extra” by being a
little extravagant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Time for herself.</i></b> By herself or with friends. Although this
may be the same for women without children, how they arrange their schedule and
commitments is different than a mom who has little people depending on her, so
this one is especially for the moms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
thing every mom I know talks about is not having time for herself, whether
that’s to read, get a pedicure, wander through the farmer’s market –
whatever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set a time and make a
commitment, to take care of the kids –without you calling/texting asking a
bunch of questions (including “what should we eat for lunch?”) so that she can
go out and do whatever it is she enjoys doing by herself. And this is important
– do not cancel!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Indulgent, self care (spa, hair, massage) appointments.</i></b> Don’t just get the spa giftcard, see my
comment above of shifting the spending. Because once she has the giftcard,
there’s still the issue of actually getting around to using it. Unfortunately,
I’ve had several spa giftcards that have expired or after a year of being
shifted around my desk, has gotten lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead, make her an appointment, or if she has a crazy schedule let her
make it, then be absolutely, no questions asked be available to take care of
the kids. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Housecleaning service.</i></b> There is a feeling of accomplishment
in cleaning the house. Standing back and looking at a gleaming floor and
sparkly windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can also be tiring,
boring, redundant and a bit frustrating when you know that all is going to
kaput! when everyone else gets back home. Let her enjoy a clean house without
the effort by hiring a housecleaning service. One before or after the holidays
is great, on a regular basis if you can swing it is even better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Car detailing.</i></b> Most (all?) moms that I know spend what seems
like half their life in their cars. Driving, chauffeuring kids with their
backpacks, snacks, spilled lunchboxes, dinner in between activities, pencils
and crayons, changing clothes, library books and random kid miscellaneous. And
remnants of all that are in the floor and between the seats of the car. And with
all that driving and chaffeuring – who has time to clean the car?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the car for a couple hours, get it
detailed, put in one of those delightful smell good things from Bath & Body
Works and let her drive around in a clean car. At least until the kids climb in
with some french fries.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>A night away from home. </i></b>Does she want you to go with her or
does she want to go alone? Good question. Make two different reservations to be
safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its important as busy parents to
have your away time, your “us” time to remember what it is that you love about
each other, other than the ability to juggle homework, dinner, and a hairbrush
all at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And its also
important for her to have time to do the things she enjoys by herself. Or doing
nothing. When was the last time she slept in, ordered breakfast in bed, and sat
in bed in her pj’s all day reading a book or bingewatching movies? Priceless.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>A day of rest.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><i> </i></b> </span>Maybe the
household budget doesn’t allow for a hotel stay or she’s a homebody, you can
still gift her a day to herself to hang out in her pjs and enjoy breakfast
while its still hot. But you and the kids must leave the house. Read that
again. Suggesting that mom sleep in or lay in bed and read, while she hears the
microwave beeping, the kids running through the house, and you catching up on
the game is not restful. You and the kids must leave the house. Go to a movie,
go to a park, go sit on the neighbor’s front steps. But you must leave.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>That thing that she has dropped 100 hints about</i></b> – pay
attention. You keep seeing that ad for a Pandora bracelet on your kitchen
counter? Is she trying to keep track of all her walking steps in her head?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s read every review for a new Broadway
show?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hint hint. This one’s easy dude.
She’s left the breadcrumbs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Your continued prayers,
undying love, unflinching commitment and a hug.</i></b> Trust me. She’ll be eternally
grateful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Happy gifting!</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(And do you need a “don’t
buy this” list, too? Perhaps I shall prepare that too, just to be safe.)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-7808639297260650862015-12-07T15:58:00.001-05:002015-12-07T15:58:09.561-05:00On This Day of December<div class="MsoNormal">
It started out simply. A friend handed me a large “card”
filled with chocolate behind numbered tabs. An Advent calendar. She and her family had decided that they were
giving out Advent calendars to their friends and she forgot to give me mine
when she saw me the day before, and her kids reminded her to give one to our
family. So we got ours on December 1.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For someone who loves the month of December and forgets to
get an Advent calendar until sometime close to mid-December, this was a
wonderfully, thoughtful, timely gift.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I posted on Facebook (because that’s what you must do when
someone gives you something) “On the first day of December…” while humming <i>12 Days
of Christmas</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When another friend offered to deliver the Christmas wreath
that I had ordered from his daughter’s sports team on the next day, saving me
the drive… well, there seemed to be a pattern brewing. What other gifts and
blessings lay before me for the next 29 days?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Its made me think, each day, about the blessing received in
every day life. I know at this season, its all about the giving – its better to
give than to receive – and all that. But I wanted to focus on being
appreciative for the things I received, the things that may be overlooked as a
blessing as we go along our busy, harried day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And its not just about the things. I could get my own chocolate filled
Advent calendar or wreath anywhere. But the blessing is in the relationships
with the people who I received them from, their thoughtfulness and the smile
they bring to my life. I know – doesn’t that sound so “all about me”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sometimes it has to be to realize what
you have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, each day, instead of just seeing the day, or complaining
about the day, I think about what this day in December has brought to me… and I
feel blessed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>What has been your blessing today?</b></span></i></div>
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Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-45399846273421256802015-12-02T01:50:00.000-05:002015-12-03T01:50:45.425-05:00Let's Get Back to Piddlin'<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you still piddlin’?</div>
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<br /></div>
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The question came in my mailbox recently when a blog-reader
noticed I hadn’t posted in a while – since September it turns out as I looked
at my last blogpost. Yes, I’m still piddlin’. I just haven’t been blogging.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Around about the time of my last blogpost, I started to get
really busy with volunteer work (I’m a PTA officer and fall is school budget
advocacy season. As is winter, and spring), I was feeling the pressure to get
more novel writing done (from myself) and… and I really started wondering what
I wanted to continue to blog about. So I put down my modern-day equivalent
pencil and took an unannounced, unplanned, undetermined break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Ahhh. Breathe.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now it’s December and I’m back. I don’t think I’ve taken
such a long break in a very very long time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have I figured out exactly where we are going here? No. But
I realized that’s part of the fun here, at least for me, and I hope for my blog
readers. We’re just piddlin’! And since when has piddlin’ had direction?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And it’s December, my favorite month of the year so how
could I not get back to piddlin’ because of all the wonderful things that
happen in December that I would want to share with you all. I mean, there’s
that crazy Elf on the Shelf, Advent chocolates, Christmas preparations, cookie
parties, winter games, Rudolph and all that. And I’ve got to pick out next year’s
planner. How could I not pick my pencil back up?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I’m back. Thanks for hanging around. Or coming back. Or
coming for the very first time. Let’s get back to piddlin’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Chat with me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances/">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a>!</i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-37982183665827050132015-09-22T08:52:00.003-04:002015-09-22T08:52:50.316-04:00Packing a Healthier Lunchbox720. That's the approximate number of lunches I pack per school year, give or take a few for pizza at school and forgotten lunch boxes. And I think I've got a pretty efficient routine, provide the kids a good variety and a healthy balance - it's all right here in my post, <a href="http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com/2013/08/whats-in-lunchbox.html">What's In the Lunchbox</a>. I mean - preparing 720 meals that have to fit into a small box, staying hot/cold, without melting, growing salmonella, spilling, or smelling crazy in the school cafeteria takes a little effort.<br />
<br />
Recently, my oldest daughter has decided that she wants to eat healthier. Good thing. (She's not terribly unhealthy and is relatively athletic, but we can all do better.) In her new eating habits, she's been evaluating what she packs for breakfast, lunch, and after school snack (she has a long school day.) And told me I needed to get healthier options for their lunches.<br />
<br />
<i>What?</i> I paid little attention to her because - well, because what did she know? I've been packing these 720 lunches for years.<br />
<br />
Then one day, I looked at one of the lunches. There was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a mandarin orange fruit cup, a juice box, and cookies for a snack. This follows my lunchbox formula... kinda.<br />
<br />
But the problem wasn't really with the lunchbox formula, but each component and all of that combined. Maybe jelly, a packaged fruit cup, juice, and cookies were fine on their own, but all together that was a lot of sugar - even without reading the label. Maybe I could do something fresher, too.<br />
<br />
I went to the grocery store to do my lunch shopping and I'll be replacing some of my lunchbox ingredients to make them a little more healthier.<br />
<ul>
<li>Instead of <b>packaged fruit cups: fresh fruit</b> - grapes, oranges, pears, berries. Also carrot sticks.</li>
<li>Instead of <b>juice boxes: milk (individual boxes) and water </b>(in reusable water bottles)</li>
<li>Instead of <b>cookies all the time: I will do cookies sometimes</b> (balance, moderation, all that good stuff) but also popcorn.</li>
</ul>
So my "formula" will stay the same, but with the fresher, less sugary options, lunch should be more balanced and healthier.<br />
<br />
<i>Share any ideas on making your kid's (or your own) lunchbox healthy.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-36395957508337879292015-09-16T10:07:00.002-04:002015-09-16T10:07:15.197-04:00This Self-ie Thing is Going Too Far<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I’ll
admit that back in the day, I used to take
pictures of myself with my SLR camera. Arms stretched out front, big
smile….then wait until the film got developed to see how much of my big head
got cut off and how much background was or was not included. Or, if I wanted to
be fancy, I could set the timer and run in front of the camera and try to get
settled before the shutter released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
wait until the film got developed to see whether I made it into the frame or was
even in focus. It was called a “self-portrait” then, but I guess that was too
long a word, and a process, to really catch on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Fast
forward to digital cameras and camera phones and the self-ie thing has become
an artform of its own. Some people are pretty good at it and share interesting
photos that their idoling public, or at least friends, want to see. But some?
Some have taken the self-ie thing too far. And they need to stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><i><b>“Getting
my praise on” Self-ie.</b></i> Are you going to praise God or walk the runway? I know,
we all like to look good going to our houses of worship, I'm the first to plan
my outfit around the hat I want to wear. But be content with the “you sure do
look nice today” compliment from your fellow parishioners. Or at least just tag
your picture as your “Sunday outfit,” don’t try to make it some religious
calling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Sweaty Self-ie. </i></b>We know, you workout. We get it because we see your FitBit step
count, runwithme mileage post, your recipe for fat-reducing water and all of
the pictures of you before, during and after every sweat inducing movement. And
really, you don't look cute. None of us really do in the midst of a good
workout. Crossing the finish line at the Iron Man? Yup, we’ll “like” that. You
running a mile and doing a set of push-ups at the gym? Not so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Traveling
but No Scenery Self-ie. </i></b>This is the picture of you standing there at some
glorious wonderful place but we can't even see the glorious wonderful place
because your big head is in the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
claim you are in Paris or Fiji or Egypt, but really you could be standing in
your own backyard for all we can tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Stopped
at a Red Light Self-ie. </i></b>Why? Do you happen to catch a glimpse of yourself in
the rearview mirror and think “dang! I look good! Let me capture this moment
for my adoring fans.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this is not as
bad as the not stopped at a red light, driving down the street self-ie. Please
stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>The
Making Out Self-ie. </i></b>You and your beau, or beau-for-the-minute, all over each
other? Yeah, don’t need to nor want to see that. Get a room. Turn off the
camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Yeah, I know some folks
actually get famous by not turning off the camera, but, is that what you're going for?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Bathroom
Mirror Self-ie. </i></b>Why are folks still doing this? I didn't understand why long
time ago, but now with cameras on either side of your phone, selfie-sticks
(ugh!) and a friend or two - why are folks still taking pics with the toilet
and their dirty laundry in the background?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Woke
up Like This Self-ie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b>You do know that
Beyonce doesn’t actually wake up looking like that, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t need the pic of you and your beau
cuddled up under the sheets. Or you waking up, sleepily gazing into your phone.
Unless your makeup girl and hairdresser tiptoe into your room before you open your
eyes, just wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can always take
your self-ie in the car on the way to the gym.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<style>
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table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><i>I know there are plenty more annoying self-ies. Feel free to add to the list! </i></o:p></div>
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<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
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<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
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<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/JustPiddlinBlog">Twitter</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-67466184474053312182015-09-14T10:57:00.004-04:002015-09-14T11:00:50.808-04:00Tips to Have Fun on Your Next Business Trip<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve just come back from a business meeting at a beautiful resort in Florida.
Whenever we think of conferences at great resorts, we often think “boondoggle.”
I even tease my husband when he’s headed out of town for business meetings with
this term. But the reality is – there’s often little time to enjoy the property,
no matter how beautiful and what great amenities, other than walking from one
meeting space to another. Unless you are intentional and plan ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a mom who rarely gets the kid-free trip away from
home, I definitely try to squeeze in a little bit of me-time, around my
conference agendas. Conferences aren’t cheap to attend (for the attendees or the host organization), so it doesn’t make good financial sense to pay the fees and not go to the prescribed business sessions. Instead, make the most of the time outside of the agenda.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grab a few of these tips for the next time you find yourself
heading out for a conference away from home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Arrive early, stay late. </b>When attending conferences, I
always plan to arrive before the conference starts, even a day before, if
possible, and take the last flight/train home after the conference ends to
build in a little free time to enjoy the host city. When I went to my sorority
conference in Chicago, this plan gave me lots of hours to <a href="http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com/2015/07/see-chicago-on-7day-on-divvy-bikes.html">bike and wanderthrough the city</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Wake up early. </b>As tempting as it is to sleep in, or as much
as possible, instead, wake up early and go out for a run or walk before your
business agenda starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had
breakfast, followed by a full day of meetings on my recent conference agenda,
so I got up early and went for a run around the hotel property. This was my
time to myself and the opportunity to get in some exercise to counterbalance
the sitting in meetings all day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Make the most of “lunch on your own.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Just because the agenda allows a 2-hour lunch
break doesn’t mean you have to sit in the hotel and eat for the entire time.
Wander outside, grab lunch at a food truck, and explore the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or find that much-raved about restaurant in
the city and get over there. Or skip lunch all together (you know you ate a big breakfast) and do something relaxing instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Be ready for spontaneous moments.</b><b> </b> I know, sounds like an oxymoron, right? But
there’s always that session that ends early, an unexpected break for a
technical glitch. Keep a book in your bag or loaded on your e-reader and find a
corner to catch up on your reading, wander outside for a breath of fresh air,
keep cash in your pocket for a scoop from the ice cream shop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And lastly - <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Always pack a swimsuit.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t know of a hotel worth its stars that doesn’t have a swimming
pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find the time for a refreshing dip
in the pool or even a few laps – wake up early, jump in during a lunch break,
or slide in after the day is done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>With a little bit of planning ahead, you can actually enjoy your next business trip. Have fun!</o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-13375830055488273922015-09-09T11:24:00.001-04:002015-09-09T11:24:57.566-04:00My Favorite Back-To-School SuppliesI was that kid who loved a new box of 64 crayons and would
organize the box by color. All the greens together, all the reds, those random
silver and gold and pewter over in the corner.
I’d gather enough paperbags to cut and fold into crisp book covers for
all my textbooks. Be sure to label
everything clearly with my name.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And not much has changed since then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While my kids are checking off their school
supply list of pencils and 3-ring binders and protractors and multi-button graphing
calculators, I gather the items I need for back-to-school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the things that need to be replaced or
added to, this time of year is a great time to pick up my favorite office supplies while they’re on sale for the kids.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4-tab sectioned folder. </b>There
always seems to be some new folders and organized in the aisles at Staples. I
found a 4-section folder, perfect for our family, for all my <i>“stuff I need to
know about my kids’ activities”</i> folder. Their class schedules (for when I need
to make during-school doctor’s appointments), their sports schedules,
identification cards for sports associations, class syllabus, list of teachers.
Its easy and convenient enough to carry with me to back-to-school night and the
rest of the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sharpies. </b>These are fast becoming my favorite writing
instrument because they can write on anything (including your children), they
come in every color you could ever want (even neon) and you don’t have to
scribble on a corner of paper to get the ink flowing. I use them to write
notes, label kids’ stuff, label my stuff, sign books.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Coffee mugs.</b> I tend to drink from the same coffee mugs every
morning, part of the morning routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The monkey mug is a constant, my sorority mug has been added to the
cycle. The cheetah mug is being retired, I’m scared the handle is going to
break off mid-sip. And then of course, there’s the to-go coffee mug for those
busy mornings. One from Starbucks Madrid is the throw in the purse one - it
doesn’t leak – really it doesn’t. I don’t know why they don’t have this model
state-side. (Starbucks – are you listening!?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I have a pretty Lily Pulitzer one someone gave me as a gift for
mornings I want to be fancy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Google calendar.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
still carry a paper planner – because. But to coordinate all the goings on in
our family, and to be able to shoot my husband a calendar item, I rely on
Google calendar. I color code our activities and can print out the calendar by
day, week, month, or some other unique day-count. The best feature – it sends
me reminders by text and/or email of where I’m supposed to be. That’s the one
thing my paper calendar can’t do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Note cards. </b>Who doesn’t love getting a real, hand-written
note in the real mailbox? One of my goals is to get better at writing more
notes to people, especially since I like buying pretty cards.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bound journals.</b> I like journals for all my notetaking. From
the little 3x5 Moleskine style to the cloth-covered, ledger. I am not hardly
ever without at least one in my purse. Because I take notes wherever I go –
church, meetings, programs, seminars, book talks – and make lists all the time.
As a writer, this allows and encourages me to write wherever I am, whenever I have
a few free moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">And since adult coloring books seem to be the new thing, and I don't have to share my daughter's Princess books any longer, I think I'll pick up a pick of colored pencils for myself, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances</span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-10740607997990496482015-08-27T21:28:00.001-04:002015-08-27T21:28:59.896-04:00Getting The Perfect 1st Day of School Picture<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’ve got kids, you’ve got to post the perfect first day of school picture on Facebook / Twitter/ Instagram/ Periscope. You’re little sweety waving & smiling as
they board the bus. Or blowing you a kiss thru the car window. Hanging up their
backpack in the perfectly neat row of cubbies in their new classroom. And then
a mom and kid pic – you smiling with your trying to look like you woke up like
that make-up on, hair combed and a clean blouse and cute still-summer shorts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprUb5Qf5cZgvRu171C79s0dkpRNIE2Xkgiun8Jsa_efsVUDoJ9Vr8gzig27qEPNC32CnbiD8SB-jrAkIN4uHELzFbtMSGFxOu2YT4qixZunhJzh1Xfkv2ALqKpcm-gkV3Vrzf/s1600/1stdaypictures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprUb5Qf5cZgvRu171C79s0dkpRNIE2Xkgiun8Jsa_efsVUDoJ9Vr8gzig27qEPNC32CnbiD8SB-jrAkIN4uHELzFbtMSGFxOu2YT4qixZunhJzh1Xfkv2ALqKpcm-gkV3Vrzf/s320/1stdaypictures.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>As if the first day of school isn’t stressful enough!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because this is probably the first day in almost two months
that you’ve had to wake up your whole family before 8 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you are lucky enough to have high
schoolers, you’ve had to get up at the break of dawn. Then you had to pack lunches,
and realized that since you went to the grocery store last week, the kids ate
all the snack bags of chips over the weekend and handed out the juice boxes to
their friends at the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And where are
all those dang forms, especially the one that proves your kid got his measles
shot this summer so they will let him in the school door?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You spent a mortgage payment on back-to-school clothes, but
the little one refuses to wear the new outfit you picked out – the identical
pink dress or red and blue striped shirt that they wear every year so that it
looks so cute in the scrapbook on the “how they are growing” page. Instead,
they want to wear their favorite summer movie t-shirts, so your daughter is
wearing a Minion t-shirt and overalls with fake black glasses and your son is
wearing a <i>Straight Outta Compton</i> t-shirt and jeans and won’t smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And they changed what time everyone goes to school this
year, pushing it back 15 minutes – just enough to screw up your schedule, but
not really enough time to get any sleep that makes a difference – and changed
the bus routes, so you actually have to check the bus route schedule this year
for the bus your kids have been riding for 6 years to figure out what time its
coming. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what mom worth her coffee
puts her kids on the bus on the first day of school, so you’ve got to drive
them to the door to prove to everyone that you aren't one of those free-range willy-nilly parents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But before you load up the kids in
the car, you’ve got to fix your hair and swipe on some lipstick and put on a
real clothes. You can<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> do the in-pajamas
drop-off today because you know that other mom in your kid’s class is going to be
there in an outfit that matches her kid’s, with a full face of make-up,
unchipped manicure and hair fresh from the salon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll be there with that cute-sy sign she
made stealing an idea from Pinterest, a chalkboard with cute-sy lettering announcing
the first day of school and the new grade. (She also wrote a funny haiku for
her kid’s lunchbox, you’ll hear about that from your little on after school.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There's just enough time to pour coffee in your car mug, search for
the top, get the kids to stand on the front steps and not poke each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to get a couple good shots of them
smiling without making those goofy faces they usually do when you pull out a
camera, but they never do when they are taking selfies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hurry to school and try to get towards the
front of that nightmare of a drop-off circle. And before the teacher on
drop-off duty blows her whistle at you, you snap a couple more pictures
of the kids in front of the school before they see their friends and you get one last picture of the back of their heads as they run into the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waving from the curb is the PTA President and
if you make eye contact for too long, she’s going to ask you to chair the fall
festival bake sale or to join the healthy food committee, so you wave, jump
back in the car, and knock over your coffee onto your nice clean outfit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now to get home, flip through the morning pics, and find
that one good picture of your lovely darlings and try to think of something new
and catchy to say, but its been too hectic a morning for all that so you’ll
just go with “first day of school – when did they get so big – tears” like
everyone else.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whew. Relax. Finish your coffee and clean up breakfast. In six hours, it’ll
be time for the “home from the first day of school” picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b><i>Happy Back-to-School Day!</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="color: #38761d;">Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></span></i></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-13713208442157153382015-08-20T11:13:00.000-04:002015-08-24T11:36:21.071-04:00How to Get Thru the Parent Homework (i.e. back-to-school paperwork)My desk (i.e. kitchen counter) is full of papers and calendars and reminders and notices. All stuff that has to be read and filled out and returned for school and extra-curricular activities. With four kids in three different schools (elementary, middle and high school) there’s quite the assortment and very few duplicates. I’ve piled it all up and will sit with a cup of coffee, my calendars, checkbook (you know that's got to be in there), envelopes, and folders and sort it all out. It’s all part of the back-to-school parent routine.<br />
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For all the forms required for school, a copy machine and/or scanner is one of my favorite tools for trying to keep some order. I copy everything!</div>
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<li><b>Health forms</b> - At your kids' pediatrician appointments, ask for the school required paperwork then, especially the sports clearances, even if you think your child will never play a sport. Make a copy and send this to school when requested; save the original at home. This saves the trouble of going back to the pediatrician (and paying for another copy plus a rush fee) when needed. Its also helpful to have one on hand when I need to know when was their last tetanus shot.</li>
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<li><b>Emergency forms</b> - How many times can you write your name, address, and phone number?! If you have kids in the same school with the same forms, fill in the basics – home address, parent phone number, etc. – make copies of the form, then fill in each child’s name, teacher, other personal info on his/her copy. Make a copy of all of them and file them away, just in case it gets "lost" (middle-schoolers especially are known to lose important papers in their backpacks). </li>
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<li><b>Absent/tardy notes.</b> I have a pre-printed, fill-in absent/tardy note that I created myself, a version for each child. Pre-printed is the child’s name, teacher’s name (for the elementary students; blank for the middle-schoolers), my name and contact information. Then I have a check-off list of why they were absent or late, why they need to be excused early, and a blank for anything else I need to mention. They are especially handy when we’re running late – who has time to write a note?</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6-LEwfa4r6dmsNCVHk0O6IPlDwZgl8q1MHbjnMVnOQhJljAWU2Pk4Q8MavZAZuWThDO2kf52B9ihmJLP4OQEC6fwdDmfDQn9s3UQ5FNW694p9JSoIOWgMRhUISBSRT3NkZQg/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6-LEwfa4r6dmsNCVHk0O6IPlDwZgl8q1MHbjnMVnOQhJljAWU2Pk4Q8MavZAZuWThDO2kf52B9ihmJLP4OQEC6fwdDmfDQn9s3UQ5FNW694p9JSoIOWgMRhUISBSRT3NkZQg/s320/Slide2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear Teacher....</td></tr>
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<b>And all those checks? </b> I probably go through a whole checkbook in the month of September - PTA dues, lunch money, early quarter field trips, payments for year-end field trips, sports uniforms, spiritwear. I know my kids and there's no way that I can hand them a pile of checks and expect that they will get to the correct person in the correct office. Each check and accompanying paper goes into its own clearly marked envelope. </div>
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Considering the mountain of paper involved in back-to-school, I do try to <b>recycle and reduce paper </b>uses as much as I can. A few ways, other than putting all the stuff I don't need in the recycling bin:</div>
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<li>Make 2-sided copies</li>
<li>Print the absent/tardy notes on the backs of unneeded documents (old flyers, notices from school, rough drafts of school assignments)</li>
<li>Use those payment envelopes that come with the bills to send checks back to school</li>
<li>Write any necessary responses to a note on that same paper, rather than on a separate paper</li>
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Sometime during that first week of school, I make a pile for each kid, then paperclip it, put it in an envelope or put it in their homework folder, then wish them a safe journey and assume that they will make it to the appropriate school office.<br />
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<i>This post has been updated from a previous post I wrote a few years ago.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D33875425%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1371320844215715338%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Kqf5nmzGuKY%2FUCs5_RdE95I%2FAAAAAAAABEw%2FEl2NE5JLWSQ%2Fs320%2FSlide2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=tPbdrgXynreT&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 192px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 574px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D33875425%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1371320844215715338%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Kqf5nmzGuKY%2FUCs5_RdE95I%2FAAAAAAAABEw%2FEl2NE5JLWSQ%2Fs320%2FSlide2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=tPbdrgXynreT&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 192px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 574px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33875425.post-31314850435163899462015-08-18T13:04:00.001-04:002015-08-19T15:16:02.221-04:0011 Tips For the College Freshmen<div class="MsoNormal">
This spring, my mailbox was full of high school graduation
notices and now the Facebook farewell and off to college posts have begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And mine are not too far off (I’m still
trying to wrap my brain around my oldest starting her junior year in high
school in a few days.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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While the kids are unpacking and the parents writing checks
and shedding tears, here’s my advice as they head off on into those hallowed
halls of education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m posting 11 points, in no particular order, but I’m sure I’ll think of 25 more afterwards,
but it’s a start.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY524PNs3my_6L_j-8rTIqTGDhi7LhVvcsSv4YyMbfIqnYsJTdmXDkFaLKJu3Gu7D8z_GpT8T2cdVyWqjbwv-jZ-5P1RNGlIeiCt-Y2t1O_WoPI15NRzuDjf1_oMGAZD_VciuZ/s1600/collegefreshman+title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY524PNs3my_6L_j-8rTIqTGDhi7LhVvcsSv4YyMbfIqnYsJTdmXDkFaLKJu3Gu7D8z_GpT8T2cdVyWqjbwv-jZ-5P1RNGlIeiCt-Y2t1O_WoPI15NRzuDjf1_oMGAZD_VciuZ/s320/collegefreshman+title.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Watch out for the “freshman 15”.</b> It’s real. It’s not even
that campus food is so great that you eat mega-proportions. It’s that there is
food available all the time. Either in unlimited amounts because you are on
some kind of 24-7 meal plan or you pay in these invisible points that seem to
magically replenish themselves on your dining card (thank your parents.) So you
end up eating a sundae every night. And by winter break, none of your clothes
fit. And when you look in the mirror, those baby fat cheeks are back. Eat with
some sense, walk to class, go to the gym.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Be aware of your surroundings and who surrounds you. </b>This is
particularly for the girls, but an equally good message for the boys. I
remember so many “she was drunk” and “she left without her friends” stories
ending badly. No, this isn’t about blaming the victim – but you really
need to do your best to not put yourself in questionable situations. So, I’m going
to go out on a limb and say, yes, in college you might have a few alcoholic
beverages. That doesn’t mean you have to be the girl who guzzles the whole
keg or does a dozen shots of vodka faster than any of the guys (same applies to the boys.) It won’t be pretty,
at best. Be careful and mindful, always.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Use your electives to explore that thing you really want to
learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>You’re going to have to take a
gazillion required credits, make your elective something fun, something that
stretches you a little bit in a different direction. I took Ice Skating as one
of mine, as well as literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
where you learn to love learning. It will also give you a break from your
regular thinking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Be open to a “stranger” as a roommate. </b>Back in the olden
days, you found out who your roommate was sometime mid-summer and then you
could write them a letter or call them to introduce yourself and figure out who
was bringing the fridge. But you were pretty much stuck with that person. My
niece is heading off to college and has already talked to her roommate,
friended her on Facebook, knows all about the girl and even has the option to
switch to a different stranger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
sophomore roommate was a girl I didn't know, was a different religion and I was a bit nervous how that
would work out. Though it took her all of fall semester to convince me that
pepperoni was pork, we grew to be great friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a chance, embrace a new potential
friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Join something. </b>A sports team, the choir, glee club, student
government, cultural club, something tied to your major, sorority or fraternity
– there’s so many choices on any college campus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embrace one of your passions or try out
something absolutely new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll meet
more people, have a wider range of experiences, and continue to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them will turn into life time
commitments (I just celebrated twenty-six year membership in my sorority) or at
least a great cache of memories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Study abroad. </b>Travel and exploring new lands and places is
such a wonderful experience. If you can’t afford it, because it can be more
than your regular tuition, check with the financial aid office or someone in
your college and ask about scholarships or financial aid. Some colleges also
offer study elsewhere in the U.S., so if you’re in school in New York, you can
spend a semester in California instead – that counts, too! I never did this,
it’s one of my biggest college regrets, and one I hope to be able to afford for
my kids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Get a job. </b>No, really, get a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then open a bank account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>College is expensive, even if you are on
financial aid or scholarship, there are still more expenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show your parents that you’re making some
efforts to cover that bottom line. Learn to be employable and to manage your
money and to file taxes while you can still do the 1-page EZ form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask around on campus or somewhere
nearby. A few hours a week, something manageable. And won’t you feel so good to
have that check you earned yourself?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Don’t make excuses.</b><b> </b> I
have several professor friends and one of the most common themes of professor
stories is along the “student came to me at the semester’s end, questioning why
he was failing” line. What should they
have done? Read the syllabus, marked those key due dates on their calendar,
gone to office hours, asked for help before they walked into the final exam
room, not depended on their cute dimples to get them through the class. Do the work, remember why you are in college,
seek help when you need it, not after the grades are due.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Call your mother. </b>She misses you, she worries about you.
Don’t just send a text before you run to the party. She wants to hear your
voice, make sure that you sound okay. Trust me. Even now, my mom doesn’t text, so I have
to call her. And when I’m away, I can text my kids, but its still much better
when I talk to them. Hearing that special voice is different than characters on a screen. So call your mom. And your dad, too. They are paying the
phone bill, afterall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Make a good impression, the first time. </b>You only get one
chance to make that first impression, you’ve heard that a bunch of times by
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep it in mind. Don’t make people
remember you because you were the boy who wears his five-sizes too big pants
backwards or the girl who curses everyone out, the boy who is always the
drunkest at the parties or the girl that all the guys know. Be the kid who
always has a joke, the one who is the great dancer, the student who always sits
up front, even the kid who wears the best hats. Be the smartest in the class,
that doesn’t hurt, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But make it
good. I know, that sounds corny, but it will serve you better in the long-term.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Enjoy these four (or more) years.</b><b> </b> There will be a lot of emphasis on preparing
for the career and life to come, being the super serious adult prepared for the
world. Admittedly, there’s some of that in this very list. But while in college,
you will have to be in class maybe 3 hours a day (if you plan your classes
right), be surrounded by hundreds or thousands of folks your own age, young
enough to learn anything and with a world of possibilities still open to you. Enjoy
it all while you can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Finished college and have some advice? Feel free to add anything I’ve forgotten in the comments.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Join the conversation on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustPiddlinWithFrances">Just Piddlin' with Frances</a></i></span></div>
Mommyx4http://www.blogger.com/profile/03831157620691780369noreply@blogger.com0