An Ode to My iPhone

Waiting for the Light to Turn Green

Check time.
Check temperature.

Take picture.
Upload to Facebook.
Harvest crops.

Send text.
Respond to email.
Add event to calendar.
Check Twitter.
LOL.

Look up directions.
Add note.

Check balance.
Transfer money.
Pay bills.

Ignore honking.
Turn up volume.
Shazam this song.

Approve comment.
Bookmark post.

Double check movie time.
Add to queue.
Check Fantasy Football score.

Accept Friend request.
Check-in on Foursquare.

Ignore incoming call.
I’m driving.

Check time.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins at Home

Banned Books Week

I grew up in the library. I don’t remember how often we went, but I can still picture the white shelves, the children’s area and the YA section that I eventually “grew into.” All of the adventures I was able to experience by simply picking up a book helped create who I am today: curious, open-minded and genuinely excited to learn more about people, places and things.

Discovering that classic novels, such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird or modern fiction like  Harry Potter and Twilight, have been challenged in certain areas leaves me a little confused. I simply don’t understand the need, urgency or requests that these people make in trying to keep some books of the shelves or out of their child’s classrooms.

Kids are exposed to so much these days between TV, the web and simply walking down the street or through the mall (ads are everywhere, many containing what most would consider “adult content”). Books seem so tame in comparison. Those that were written in a different time or place lend opportunities to teach and educate readers, not exploit them or corrupt them.

Without preaching about my philosophy on Intellectual Freedom, I will just show this awesome poster created by the American Library Association.

In my opinion, one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is a library card and instilling within them a love of language and literature that can take them places they might not otherwise go without their Freedom to Read.

Check out the list of the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009. Some titles will surprise you, others may be the next ones you reserve from your local library.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Fantasy Football Fever

My husband has seven Fantasy Football teams to manage this year. Seven. Last year, I was amused by the time and energy he put into the entire football season and this year, I somehow found myself in charge of two teams myself. Together, we play in two leagues, one family league with my in-laws and my sister and her husband. The other team is a group of friends that my husband and I are still in touch with from our college days so both are great ways to keep us all in touch long-distance.

Every Sunday now, I find myself glued to the TV as well as updating the live stats on the Yahoo site (or the Yahoo app on my iPhone) to check in and see how my players are doing. I’ve become obsessed and it’s only two weeks into the season.

Throughout the week, I’m monitoring the injury list and updates on the players so that I can be sure to get my team line up ready come Sunday morning or Monday afternoon. It’s time consuming, that’s for sure, but it also gives my husband and I something else to chat about and he’s loving my involvement.

Driving to pick up my son from school on Monday afternoons, I find myself listening to the Fantasy Freakin’ Football report on my local station, which is very entertaining, as well as informative. My husband can listen in (2,000 miles away) on iHeart radio so together we can listen in and enjoy the same commentary. It’s great!

And then we get to the menu items for the weekend games. Here on the West Coast, the first games start at 10:00 am which means breakfast takes place just before we get ready to watch the first game of the day. Normally, I’ll have some fresh fruit (strawberries, granola,  & yogurt or apple slices with caramel dip) to munch on early in the day. Later on, during the afternoon game, we have a typical lunch followed by an afternoon snack that oftentimes consists of nachos with guacamole or something else that’s quick to make while the game’s going on.

Yes, I’ve become a completely different person on the weekends and while I don’t think that getting married is necessarily a cause to try and change someone, I do think it’s a healthy thing – for my husband and I – that we can bond over football and put our energy into a competitive ‘game’ that also unites us with our family and friends.

To get ready for my weekend and upcoming week of putting together school lunches for my son, a trip to Smart & Final was in order. They have great deals all the time which help me save money on the things I already purchase and this last time, I had fun adding up the savings while I shopped and after looking at my receipt when I got home.

Can you tell my mouth is watering already, thinking about the guacamole dip for tomorrow? Here’s an awesome recipe, which I recommend:

Holy Guacamole

• 2 ripe organic avocados
• 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
• Tabasco sauce (to your liking)

Ripe avocados are the key to any guacamole recipe. Mash anyway that works best for you and simply add the rest of the ingredients. If you want to keep the guacamole green longer, put the avocado pit in the dip to help it last a little longer.

The beer I'll enjoy after the baby comes!

In my three years of blogging, I think this is the first time I’ve shared a recipe – and it’s a good one! Enjoy, and please share your favorite Tailgate Party recipe or your Fantasy Football experience! I’d love to hear from readers who “get” my new obsession!

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Over One Thousand Ninety-Five Days Ago

My son loves numbers, big numbers especially. When he was asked in school to share a story about a time he got hurt, he referenced a time (obviously he couldn’t think of anything in particular) when he got hurt 365 days ago. He’s always asking how many days old he is (which is when I get out the handy calculator), hours, minutes, and even seconds. It’s fun to figure out these big numbers and even more exciting to count down the months, weeks, hours and minutes until he becomes a big brother.

Looking back at my archives, I realized that I missed my 3-year anniversary here. I’ve been blogging for just a little over three years and it’s hilarious – and overwhelming – to look back and see how much things have changed for us in these thousand and some days.

In the Fall of 2007 I became a Certified Parent Educator and was eager to help other single parents through the transition of a separation or divorce. My focus hasn’t changed and I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be holding regular classes, once again, in the coming months.

When I first started typing – and sharing here – I was newly single and scared as hell. I had a three year old boy who has now become a very wise, funny and sensitive young man. He’s growing up so quickly and it’s been a great journey so far, just the two of us.

Shortly though, there will be some major changes since he will no longer be an only child. He’s excited to be a new brother even though he has no idea what’s in store for us once we bring the baby home. Speaking of home, we don’t know where we’ll be living yet when that time comes and whether or not my husband will be able to finally be with us, permanently.

Our back-up plan is for him to take some unpaid time off to be with me while I recover and while we all bond with the new baby and try to get into a routine of some sort. It’s all very exciting, really. Overwhelming on most days but overall a very happy, positive change that we are looking forward to.

Who knows where we’ll be three years from now. I can’t even fathom what our life will be like in three months – with a new baby, a new home and a fresh start.

One day at a time…

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Child Passenger Safety Week

Although I have about 100 days left of this pregnancy, I’m still not quite prepared as far as getting everything ready, installed and assembled. We have registered for baby gear and luckily, have great friends who either gave us or sold us (really inexpensive) gently used items. We have an infant car seat already but I am not eager to install it. That wrestling match will be postponed as long as possible.

This week, however, I’m rethinking the idea of waiting to install it since it is Child Passenger Safety Week. Even though the thought of driving around with an empty car seat for three more months seems strange to me, I definitely want to take advantage of the FREE car seat inspections that are taking place on September 25th for National Seat Check Saturday.

Did you know that 3 out of every 4 car seats are not installed or used correctly? I certainly don’t want my kids to be a part of this statistic. To find the closest location to you for this car seat inspection, enter your zip code in the national site locator to find a station with certified technicians eager to help you install it correctly.

The Child Passenger Safety Twitter account (@childseatsafety) will be hosting a Twitter party on Wednesday, September 22 at 11 am (PST). NHTSA experts will be available to offer information and insight on car seats and how to travel safely with children. Just use the hashtag #CPSweek to follow along and ask any questions you may have.

Is there anything more important than your family’s safety?

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Good Vibrations

I’m always thrilled when local companies find me – through my site – and want to partner me with me in a way that benefits both of us.

When the husband and wife team from Good Vibrations Family Chiropractic contacted me a few months back, I was thrilled. Here’s a company that is in the health & well-being field and whose primary focus is the family. They work with children and even young infants and toddlers as well as adults here in San Diego. Drs. Stacey and Joe Merlo have one child with a second on the way.

It wasn’t until my son started to visibly show signs of discomfort in his neck that I thought to contact them about being seen as a client. The timing couldn’t have been more appropriate for me either, as my back started to become sore with the extra pregnancy weight around that same time.

We made an appointment and met with Dr. Joe Merlo who is wonderful to work with. What I love most about him and Good Vibrations (after years of experience with different chiropractors in different offices) is that their office feels more like home. It’s very welcoming, the furniture and decor is bright and fun and doesn’t seem sterile or much like a doctor’s office at all. He also approaches his clients with a personal touch, hugging me after each session and leaving me with a question or thought to ponder over after I walk out the door.

Before my initial visit, I was asked to fill out some paperwork. Pretty standard for any first-time health visits. Although the questions asked were a bit different. I was asked to list 5 things or ways in which I would personally start working towards a healthier lifestyle and it was a great reminder about all those New Year’s resolutions we make to ourselves that get forgotten before summer even hits.

Here’s my list, which Dr. Joe now has as well so he can continue to support me and keep me on track for a healthier pregnancy:

1. Walking – As a runner, it’s been hard for me to literally slow down now that I’m pregnant. Each time I get my shoes tied and head out for a 2 mile walk, I get frustrated that I can’t pick up my feet and take off like I used to do. I need to remind myself that this time (during pregnancy) is all about slowing down in many ways and I would love to get out and walk more often, but perhaps at smaller distances (1 mile every other day would be ideal).
2. Meditation - Speaking of slowing down, my mind has been racing with everything that’s going on in my world. I used to meditate often and find myself better able to sleep and function throughout the day when I do. My intention is to meditate for just a few minutes before bed each night and slow down my mind which can get the best of me at times.
3. Yoga - I love yoga. I remember doing yoga poses with my mom in the early 80s and got back into it during my pregnancy with my son nearly seven years ago. It was a great way to keep in shape during my pregnancy but after being away from it for so long, I nearly forgot how beneficial it truly is. Just yesterday, I took my first pre-natal yoga class during this pregnancy and cannot wait to go back again next week.
4. Writing – This is huge for me – and for most of you reading this. There was a time when I was posting something here every single day and lately I haven’t been inspired or motivated or even very enthusiastic about keeping up to date with what’s going on. That has to change. It keeps me sane (somewhat) so expect to hear from me more often. Those of you who know how to reach me should pester me if you don’t.
5. Sleep – We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is great for so many reasons but having a consistent schedule is just as important. With this pregnancy, I have such a varied sleep schedule that I’ll nap during the day and then have a difficult time getting to sleep that night. So then I stay up late and sleep in the next morning only to find that the pattern begins all over again and there’s no routine or hours that I keep that are consistent. This also has changed now that my son has started school. I go to bed when he does, wake up early to get his lunch ready and start my day – pushing away the urge to nap so that I can get to bed at a reasonable time. Coffee helps. Trust me. But implementing the other four things I listed above help just as much.

All five of these are things I should be implementing in my life on a regular basis. I’m just so grateful that Dr. Joe is holding me accountable for them. And now that they’re here, in writing, I encourage you to share 5 things that you can do or plan on doing to optimize your overall health. Please leave a comment here, or link to a blog post that you’ve created with your list.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Children’s Book Review: Chicken Big

Chicken Big, the latest picture book by Keith Graves, arrived at our house yesterday and it was a huge hit. My son was super excited to take a bath since I promised him we’d read the book as soon as he was done. It was the quickest bath in our history of bath-taking…

He grabbed the book as soon as his pajamas were on (another record for him) and immediately informed me that it wasn’t so much a book as it was a comic strip. The layout of the back cover and many of the interior pages were set up in boxes with big, fun fonts that made it easy for him to follow along and even read on his own.

He laughed out loud and repeated the phrase, “This is getting ridiculous,” as the characters tried to figure out what Chicken Big actually was (spoiler alert: he really is a chicken).

We love reading time in our house and last night was especially fun since he asked if we could read Chicken Big again. He laughed in all the same places the second time around, although he couldn’t quite figure out how the characters knew they were in a book (you’ll have to see the title pages to understand his inquiry).

As a picture book aficionado, I adored the illustrations, the twist to the Chicken Little tale as well as the layout of the  entire book. Not a single page was wasted!

Keith Graves is the author of many hilarious books for kids, including Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance. Chicken Big was sent to me through the Chronicle Books’ Gold Review Panel program.