Apparently I Have An Issue With Letting Go

I was the first one to arrive…scoping out the joint and trying to figure out if I would be able to summon the courage to climb up the ladder and swing from the trapeze along with my friends. But my son and I showed up way too early. When we got there, the sports center was filled with young volleyball players and their parents. There was no sign of trapeze, circus-type activities going on so we sat on the sidelines, waiting patiently for the game to end.

Once the young girls and their families departed, the people behind Circus Fund wasted no time. In less than 25 minutes, the nets were in place, the ladder installed and the trapeze swung high above the ground. I was freaking out and the others had not arrived yet.

We took a closer look, walked to the other side of the gym and sat down, studying the height of the ladder, the faces of those who would be in charge of our safety, and the distance to the nearest exit.

Most of the girls showed up around the same time and there was a buzz of excitement when Liz pulled out the box of spandex pants from Bskinz for us to change into. (I picked the Jazzy Orange pattern.)

Once the class started, the instructors told us to pay attention, keep our voices down (and to put our phones away). I think it’s pretty safe to say that while most of us were excited about getting up there, we were pretty nervous as well.

Apparently, I have issues with letting go. I climbed up the ladder with such confidence that it never occurred to me that the hardest part of the entire night would be letting go of the trapeze bar itself.

Swinging was the fun part, I flew forward and back, squealing in delight and looking down at my son who watched in amazement. But then, I was told to let go and I couldn’t. I just couldn’t let go so I was brought down, instead, safely. I came down slowly onto the net and laughed at myself for being too afraid of the fall even though I watched some of the others before me let go gracefully, and with a smile on their face.

Dealing with letting go seems to be a common theme for me lately. I have recently moved into a (much) smaller apartment, forcing myself to get rid of and purge things from my life, focusing on the more important things (and people).

I’m still working on this process, eliminating the excess things from my life and minimizing what I hold onto. The memories from this Girls’ Night Out are something I will hold onto for the rest of my life. It was a great experience with a wonderful group of women who first met online.

Special thank yous go out to Spencer (@NBCphotog) from our local San Diego NBC station for filming the event,  to @CaliforniaKara for taking pictures and to @muffintinmom for coming out to show her support!

The lovely, brave and talented ladies who participated in the Trapeze Girls’ Night Out:

@SugarJones @IizLiz @EverydayMama @CathyNguyen @MrsNatalie @CandiceStone @RockOnMommies @GingerAnderson @JenBoydSD @ReeseDixon @EyeMusing @Karinayhmy @SheWanders

Other posts about the event:
Adventures on the trapeze
The daring young moms on the flying trapeze
It’s a bird, it’s a plane..
Lessons learned from flying through the air
The daring young lady on the flying trapeze

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Mother Beauty

Last week, much of my energy and excitement went into a professional photo shoot that I put together rather quickly. I gathered up the courage to put myself on center stage, posing for nearly 75 photos during the two-hour session, changing into over 7 outfits and using several different props and backgrounds. From a business suit to my birthday suit, I took a wide range of photos to show how diverse even just one woman can be in the many roles she plays.

Although this was a rather impulsive idea, the plan was to create a photo shoot around “The Many Faces of Mom” theme. My focus was going to be on breaking the stereotype of what a mom is “supposed” to look like and I was going to share many of the photos online.

There are a few photos that will not be disseminated for the entire world to see, but I’ve put a few on my Facebook page, added a new avatar on my Twitter account and will present a few of the more provocative pictures to Mr. Right, assuming that he still wants to be associated with me after all of this.

Back to the photo shoot:

e.l.f.’s philosophy is that beauty comes from within and it’s their goal to enable every woman to look and feel her personal best through the perfect blend of both the inner and outer person.

I’m not sure what the average mom “should” look like, but I’m amazed by the beautiful women I have met since becoming a mother who inspire me with what they do professionally, how much they do for their families, and the many ways in which they make this world a better place. All of these things make women – and moms – beautiful and I hope to inspire many more moms to do what I did and spend a day (or at least a few hours) being the center of attention. We deserve it.

Let’s face it, usually, it’s all about the kids, the job, our significant other, or anyone other than ourselves. As women, we’ve been taught (or is it a natural trait?) to nurture, take care of those around us and put others first. Many of us feel guilty when we take time to get a pedicure, enjoy a massage, or simply spend a night out with friends.

This photo shoot was a liberating experience for me. I may not be model material (well, perhaps a plus size model) but I walked away that night feeling confident, beautiful and yes, sexy.

I’m a passionate parent and I take my work and my family very seriously, but I’m equally passionate about having fun and feeling good about myself. My hope is that this, above all else, shines through in this post, the photograph and the image of motherhood I’m leaving you with.

I would not have been able to share this story if it weren’t for the many people who helped me put together this amazing photo shoot (and helped put me together for it).

First, there was Jeff Davidson, the professional photographer who took the photos in his studio.  I was thoroughly impressed with the great many options he provided for poses, backgrounds, and the finishing touches on the printed images. His company, Cosmic Frogs Photography, has an interesting name and while I don’t have the story behind it, I’m sure there is one.

Second and thirdly, I have to thank my two hair stylists for putting up with my last-minute ideas. There was Niloo, my colorist, who darkened my hair the day before the shoot and Cynthia who shaped my brows, curled my hair and sprayed it with enough hairspray to last the entire day.

And last, but certainly not least, was my dear friend, Sugar Jones. She was my make-up artist and accomplice, joining me at the studio to help with my hair, poses, wardrobe, etc. She also reminded me to smile and helped me be able to laugh at myself without actually laughing at me.

Most of the make up was supplied by e.l.f cosmetics. They’re also known as Eyes Lips Face and they offer an assortment of products that are also very inexpensive (you can find them at your local Target store). The wonderful staff at this forward thinking company helped make it possible for me to even consider this photo shoot since they provided inspiration with their recent contest (which ended on December 31, 2009). The contest both intimidated and intrigued me, giving me the freedom and permission to even consider the idea of having these photos taken and creating my own lasting images to look back on.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Heaping Spoonful (Where I rave about Shauna Glenn)

I met Shauna Glenn at BlogHer a few months back and we ended up spending the majority of the weekend together.

I had been following her on Twitter and Facebook for some time, but just recently started reading her blog on a regular basis. She’s hilarious in real life and in her writing. She’s sweet, honest, and vulgar, the perfect combination required for me to want to return each and every day to discover her latest adventure.

While we were in Chicago, I took a picture of Shauna in the BlogHer bookstore, holding her book, Heaping Spoonful, but for some reason I didn’t buy a copy. I think I figured I’d convince her to sleep with me somehow and she’d end up sending me a signed copy (or dedicating her next book to me). We did sleep together while we were in Chicago, but I never got up the nerve to ask her to send me a copy of her book. So, I finally purchased one online and it showed up yesterday.

Actually, before I get into the details of her book, I have to share this story – which Shauna will appreciate (it’s really all about her right now, anyway!). So, yesterday, I dropped off my son at school and came home to work on some blog posts for next week. I finally decided to take a shower around two o’clock in the afternoon. I really didn’t think too much about it and got dressed rather quickly before heading out to meet another friend for drinks (a story for another day).

I did notice as I was leaving the house that both doors were slightly ajar. The main door wasn’t closed all the way and the outside screen door was wide open. Not unusual for me to leave that one open but I did sort of hesitate as I thought about being in the shower and having someone walk into my house. Embarrassing and kinda scary, right?

Well, it wasn’t until I got home later that night, about 10pm, that I noticed two boxes inside my house that I did not put there! One was clearly a book and immediately I knew it was Heaping Spoonful but before I could get comfortable and start reading it, I was trying to play back in my mind the afternoon and how my Mailman could have convinced himself that it was OK to leave my packages INSIDE my condo. I mean, really? He’s left things on my patio hundreds of times before or outside the front door. Why, oh why would he think it was alright to step inside my place to set down the packages?

So, now I’m afraid for my life and if anything should happen to me, you’ll know to contact the Post Office right away, right?

Moving on to the whole point of this rambling post, I did manage to (lock the doors and) get comfy enough to start reading Shauna’s book. I knew that it was about a woman who lost her husband (it says so on the back of the book) but I also knew, from reading Shauna’s blog and following her Twitter stream that she is a riot.  So her book was going to be funny! A funny book about a widow dealing with the loss of her husband, right?

I had NO IDEA her book was going to bring me to tears over and over again.

Heaping Spoonful (recipes included)

I fell in love with Claire immediately. And then I couldn’t put the book down. Actually, I did, in between chapters, to wipe away my tears – and to send a Direct Message (DM) to Shauna – every few minutes – on Twitter, expressing my pure delight in the fact that her book was affecting me in such a way. I haven’t read a book from start to finish like that in a long time!

Usually, when I’m reading late at night, my eyes get tired and at some point the words start running into each other and I finally decide to close the book for the night. Other times, I get to a point in the story where I’m just not as invested as I would hope to be and I close the book, for good. I don’t like reading books that I can’t finish, but let’s face it, not every story appeals to every reader.

Shauna Glenn’s book appealed to me on so many levels that at some point I had to stop and think  about how she had gotten inside my brain to steal my stories. Not like I lived Claire’s life, or vice versa, but the way she experienced grief and loss reminded me of the emotions I felt (and continue to feel) over the end of my marriage. Being a single mom, I get that too.

Dating and making a fool of yourself – Yep, been there!

For those of you who don’t want to know what happens in Heaping Spoonful, don’t read this next section…

I felt the pain and shock all over again of miscarriage along with Claire and the slap-in-the-face of being abandoned by the person she needed the most – at that time.

The part of the story that made me literally sit up and cry out was when Claire heard the story of how Henry met his fiance, Rebecca. Those who follow me will know my story and how I recently connected with my college crush, how we dated other people and set our feelings for each other aside until just last month (much like the story of Henry and Rebecca).

All of these little coincidences between the characters in Shauna’s book and my own life left me feeling even more convinced that people, books and relationships come into our lives for a reason – and at the perfect time.

I’m so pleased that Shauna Glenn – and her writing – came into my life. She has reached me in such a way that I know I have become a better writer, a more honest, forgiving, and a loving partner and friend and she has inspired me to put my own bittersweet experiences down on paper, finally.

If her writing could be summed up in one word it would be this – perfection.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Moms Rock the Economy

I listened to the Sugar Buzz this morning and heard guest Leah Segedie from Moms Rock the Economy talking about the new site and what it’s all about. She and Kelly Loubet created this online directory to help promote mom-owned businesses. There are plenty of them out there but now we can find them all in one place, not only supporting other moms and families, but promoting local businesses and encourage others to do the same.

The ladies are hosting a Twitter party on September 17th, featuring plenty of giveaways and a chance to meet some awesome moms who rock the economy! Bookmark the page, add your own boutique or business to the directory and take the pledge!

Stop back often because I have a feeling that many more sites will be added once the word gets out…

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

GM Product & Technology Event

We arrived in Detroit on Sunday evening, approaching the young man with the GM binder with a wave and a smile. We kept waving, obnoxiously, trying to get his attention and then he stepped to the side and looked behind him, assuming we were trying to flag down someone else.

Finally, Sugar pointed at him and said, “GM. We’re waving at you!” He still didn’t quite get it until we both stopped in front of him saying we were there for the Product & Technology event.

“Oh he said. I can usually see them coming.” We laughed, wondering what was really going through his head as he watched two thirty-something women heading his way, one with a tattoo (and obnoxious sunburn), the other wish a nose-piercing.

He escorted us to the baggage claim area where he explained that another young man, Jordan, would be driving us back to our hotel. Once we found our luggage, we stepped out into the 90 degree heat and waited on the curb for the Chevy Malibu to pull up.

Jordan was a spunky guy with long hair and right away, he won us over when he handed us water bottles and offered us candy or gum. Of course, we were hoping for a real dinner, like the one we had missed at the Heritage Center, but he assured us that we could take advantage of the room service at our hotel once we finally got there.

Sugar sat in the back as we started telling our driver about how startled the other GM rep was (I think his name was Kurt) when we introduced ourselves. Jordan laughed and proceeded to listen to us as we started to ask where Greektown was and how far away the Joe Louis Arena was from our hotel.

Before he knew what was going on, Sugar pulled out her video camera to show him the footage we taped at the Del Mar Racetrack the previous day and as he drove, he watched the three minute video as I tried to disappear in my seat.

Jordan liked us (he told us as much later into the drive) because he made a detour and took us past Greektown and then back towards Comerica Park, Hockeytown, the Fox Theatre, Ford Field, and made an extra special trip so we could stop and take a picture (which turned out really blurry) of the Joe Louis Arena.

We drove past Joe Louis’ arm and saw the skyline of Canada across the lake as somehow our conversation turned to his Mexican girlfriend (very passionate), drinking (he totally would’ve bought us drinks if he weren’t on the clock) and cougars (he made a point of letting us know that he thinks older women are hot).

By the time we got to the hotel (over an hour later), it was late and we were both very hungry. Sugar was anxious to see her daughter so we both headed up to our rooms and enjoyed a quiet meal before bed.

The next day, the true adventure began as we hopped onto the bus after breakfast which too us over to the GM Technical Center. There, we were provided with stickers to cover up the cameras on our phones and were given specific instructions not to touch the vehicles unless we were told otherwise (some were clay models although they looked real).

Bob Lutz, Vice Chair of New Product Development, spoke first and he was very funny as he talked about his reverse retirement, wanting to continue to work for The New GM, thinking that with all of the excitement over the “rebuilding of our image and changing perceptions,” the real fun could begin.

Lutz went on to speak about the changes that we can expect from The New GM and how his goal is to “be a privately owned company as quickly as possible.” It was clear from his speech that his vision for the company, moving forward, is one that he’s excited to be a part of and as a consumer, I’m anxious to watch it all unfold.

After he spoke, we split up into three groups (green, red & blue) dispersing to the many different design galleries within the building, one for each of the four brands that GM is working on reinventing (Buick, Cadillac, GMC, and Chevy). It was in the Buick gallery that we met and spoke with North American VP of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, Susan Docherty, about the Ebay partnership that has just begun in the state of California.

Lunch brought us all together in the Chevy room where we were surrounded by future models, such as the Corvette, Chevy Camaro, Chevy Spark (my personal favorite), Chevy Equinox, Chevy Traverse and where the beautiful Cadillacs were unveiled that are going to be released in the next few years.

The bus ride to the Milford Proving Grounds took about an hour, so we were very eager to finally arrived at the 4,000 acre facility. GM CEO and President Fritz Henderson spoke to us very briefly before letting us all loose to test drive the vehicles that had been introduced to us throughout the day.

I was able to speak to him on a more personal level later that afternoon on the blacktop so I used that as my opportunity to share the story of our roadtrip in the Chevy Equinox just a few weeks back and to thank him for the chance to learn more about The New GM and to be a part of the growth and future of this company.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Mother & Daughter Reunion

I spent the day in Detroit on Monday at the GM Product & Technology event with several friends and met some new people who I look forward to connecting with again.

Sugar Jones invited her daughter to be there as her guest and it was so much fun to see the two of them together since it was my first time meeting the eldest of her children. I watched them interact throughout the day, laughing with each other (sometimes at each other) and I was amazed and touched by the two of them and how they just kept smiling the entire time.

My mom is far away, although I see her and the rest of my family as often as I can, but it just occurred to me – while watching Sugar and her daughter – that I would love to have a mother/daughter relationship like that someday too (a daughter of my own, I mean).

This morning, I found out that one of my pregnant friends is having a girl. She is so excited about the idea of going shopping with her someday, or getting a manicure and seeing “girly” movies together when she’s older.

I think about having a second child often. Of course, it’s not something that will happen anytime soon, but seeing the mother & daughters together that I know, and spending time with my own mom really encourages that craving, once again.

And then suddenly I recall how very awful I was as a daughter – hormonal, emotional and so, so bitchy. I don’t know how my mother ever put up with me. Which only means that if I have another boy, I’ll be just as happy.

All parent/child relationships are unique. Some better than others, but I’ve learned so much from my son, so far, that I can’t help but want at least one more.

I can’t imagine falling in love with another human being as much as I love my son, but I think it’s fair to say that there’s enough to go around.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Tainted Love

Today is Friendship Day, which takes place on the first Sunday of August each year, so I’d like to take a moment to share a story about what I’ve learned this last week about friendship and why – at thirtysomething – I’m just now figuring it all out.

If you’re a regular to my blog, or follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll know that I spent last weekend in Chicago for the annual BlogHer conference. I drove out to Denver to pick up Sugar Jones and from there we hauled serious ass getting to Chicago early on the 23rd.

The hotel room at the Sheraton was under my roommate’s name, but since I got to Chicago before her, I was able to check in but only by providing them with a credit card. Which. I. Do. Not. Have.

I had mentioned to my rommate, before leaving for Chicago, that I had cash to give her since the room was going to be charged to her credit card, but when I checked in, I gave them my debit card, from the checking account which had just enough money for gas and food for our trip home.

My roommate arrived once the parties were already in full swing. I had already stopped downstairs at the Social Lux party, made a new friend, tried to crash the Obama event, and was in the lobby for the Room 704 party when my roommate found me and asked for the room key. This is when I told her that I had checked in and asked her to stop by the front desk to give them her credit card.

We had different schedules throughout the weekend and, because she was pregnant and woke up with a migraine one morning, I was trying to be especially kind and stayed out of her way. I gave her the cash for my half of the room on Saturday – assuming – of course, that she had gone down to the front desk at some point over the weekend to provide them with her credit card for the room charges.

Saturday night (BowlHer) she called me and asked me if it was OK if a friend of hers spent the night in our room since they were on the same flight the following day. They had to be at the airport early and since her friend was staying at another hotel, she wanted to save money by having her stay with us so that they could avoid the extra taxi fare in the morning.

I’m too kind (or stupid), because instead of asking for money for the extra body in our room, I simply gave up my room that night. I ended up staying with my new friend and yes, perhaps was a little selfish since I spent the night away so I wouldn’t be woken up by the two of them packing and getting ready to leave in the morning.

Because I didn’t stay in my room, I wasn’t able to charge my phone and the battery died some time in the middle of the night. When I woke up, I charged it, only to learn that my roommate had tried calling me.

This is when she informed me that the room had been charged to my card. My debit card. From the checking account that only had enough funds for gas and food for our trip home. I panicked. I called her back immediately but was only able to talk to her long enough for her to cut me off and tell me that she couldn’t talk because she was going to miss her flight.

I was furious. Not only was she aware of the fact that the room was charged to my card, but she walked out of the hotel with the cash I gave her. Let’s do the math here: I gave her cash for my half of the room. The entire hotel bill was charged to my card and I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS to cover it.

And this is when the Blind Anger kicks in because I cannot recall the details clearly after that but I do know that I tried calling her back to see if she could call the hotel and give them her credit card. She then informed me let that they couldn’t charge her card without having her present to sign for it.

I asked her to send me the money via paypal and explained to her that I did not have any money to get us back home. I didn’t hear back from her though because she was on her way to the airport and boarding her plane back home.

Chicago would not be the same without visiting Navy Pier but even that was difficult for me to enjoy since I wore out the battery on my phone checking my email every 10 minutes looking for the confirmation from Paypal regarding the payment that my roommate claimed was on its way.

Mamikaze was walking around Navy Pier as well so we walked and talked together, and later that night, I was able to enjoy a *very inexpensive dinner* with Sugar Jones and Shash at the World Famous Billy Goat Tavern and the two of them helped me keep my mind off of my lame-ass roommate and reminded me of how priceless it is to have great friends to laugh and chat with.

We ended up leaving late that evening, after my roommate let me know that her husband had sent payment (for the hotel room PLUS the cash I gave her) to my Paypal account. I was relieved even though I knew that it would take a few days to get the funds.

Wrong. On the road, after using my debit card to fill up the Equiox with gas, I discovered that she had sent the payment as an eCheck, which of course takes 3-5 days to clear. I already have an anxiety disorder, so this just kicked it into high gear as I literally had to put it out of my mind and concentrated on the ride home.

Sugar Jones was a little annoyed that I was in such a foul mood, so we drove and drove, sleeping in the car that night just outside St. Louis since we no longer had funds to spend on a motel room.

We straight through the following day, stopping only for gas and enjoying coffee and Rockstar energy drinks which, as scary as it sounds, prevented us from eating as often (and therefore saving us money).

We picked up Sugar’s kids outside of Albuquerque the following night and I cried myself to sleep, missing my son who I was away from for a total of 9 days and for the mistakes, misunderstandings and missteps I took in regards to the money and hotel room.

The eCheck from Paypal cleared on Friday, July 30th. I got the email saying that the funds were now available in my Paypal account, but it still takes another 2 – 4 days to transfer the funds into my checking account. As of this post, the funds are still not in my account. (Trust me, I’ve been monitoring my account several times a day since last Sunday.)

My son and I have been trying to enjoy the last five days together, but I admit the situation has caused me to be a bit more impatient and irritable, bringing me to tears on several occasions and unfortunately, my son even heard me yelling – and swearing – when my roommate called to try and “work things out.”

What I’ve learned through everything that has happened since arriving in Chicago, and may be something that only those who attended BlogHer can truly understand, is that friends are not simply those that show up for your birthday party or who send you pictures of their families during the holidays.

Friends that I have made online have truly been the most genuine, giving and sincere people that I could hope to know. I had the pleasure of meeting many of them in person last week and there were several people I met last week that I look forward to connecting with online and hopefully again in person at future conferences.

Today is Friendship Day and if you’ve read this far, you’ll understand why I need to say thank you. Thank you for supporting me, listening to my side of the story, backing me up and for offering to send me money during this rough time. I truly could not ask for anything more.

Oh, and one more thing: My anxiety disorder does cause me to deal with things in unusual ways, so my roommate was right. It does totally suck that I got charged overdraft fees each and every time we stopped for gas or ate on the 2,000 mile trip home. And I too am truly sorry that this has occurred.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Growth Spurt

No doubt about it – my son grew since I saw him last. I dropped him off at summer camp last Monday (the 20th) and yesterday morning, when I saw him again, I could not believe how much taller he was! His first tooth is loose and it seems even his vocabulary and maturity level have increased.

I, too, grew in many ways during this past week, having time to reflect, both before and after BlogHer, along the road as Sugar Jones and I drove across country, tweeting and laughing our way from San Diego to Chicago - and back again.

This was my first BlogHer experience, and it did not disappoint. There was as much drama, laughter, drinking and learning involved as I had anticipated. Although it was a bit more intense than I imagined.

It was overwhelming. I felt slightly intimidated, but overall, it was quite humbling to be surrounded by so many great writers that I have been reading and following and even more that I am just now discovering.

As a writer, I appreciate the advice provided during the humor panel, from the talented women on stage (The Bloggess, Bern This) and the many people I met throughout the weekend (Shash, Mr. Lady, Anissa, Shauna, Redneck Mommy, Her Bad Mother and more).

Being away from my son for nine days put things into perspective for me. It reminded me of why I started writing in the first place, why I formed this company two years ago and what it is I so enjoy most of all (being a mother).

I’ve been laying low this week, trying to put my thoughts into words and wanting so badly to sit down and just write, but instead, I’ve been spending quality time with my son, stopping only for a few minutes here and there to jot some ideas down, and publishing my best material on Twitter.

My son is sitting next to me right now, on his own computer, creating online adventures that belong only to him, and this weekend, we’ll be celebrating summer. Laughing, playing, and growing. Together.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

2010 Chevy Equinox

So, the 2010 Chevy Equinox has been awesome to drive. It was dropped off at my place in San Diego around noon on Monday. I grabbed the keys, signed the Loan Agreement and it was mine. I headed out that afternoon, driving through traffic in Riverside, past the lights of Vegas and finally stopped long enough to close my eyes for a few hours in Cedar City, UT.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, I got in the car and headed straight to Denver, stopping along the way for gas and potty breaks. I somehow scheduled it just right and was able to pick up Sugar Jones at Union Station in downtown Denver just before the traffic rolled in for the Rockies’ game.

We literally ran into iGrandmaTV (actually, her friend backed into us when we were parked outside the Union Station). We ended up crashing the Denver Podcasters Meetup and learned about some great sports blogs and podcast sites. We also enjoyed some great beer from the Wynkoop Brewery and visited with some friends.

Sugar took the wheel this morning and now we’re making a much-needed pit stop for some shut-eye so we can be ready to land in Chicago mid-morning tomorrow. We had a blast along the way, tweeting and laughing our way through a lightening storm and pulling over so the State Trooper could pull over a car ahead of us. Phew!

There are so many awesome features on the Chevy Equinox that we’re enjoying, like the leather seats with the red stitching (so cute!) not to mention the rear-view video camera that allows you to see what’s behind you as you’re backing up. Oh and your side mirrors rotate down towards the curb as well when you’re in reverse so you can see how close (or how far) you are from the curb when parallel parking.

No need to worry about blind spots with this vehicle either, since there’s small windows behind the second row seats that let you see that space that is typically out of view. The driver’s seat has memory adjustments for two drivers so Sugar and I have both been able to save our settings for where we’re most comfortable.

The best thing about the car, in my opinion, is the handling. It’s very smooth and with the V6 engine, we were able to pass some pretty slow travelers which allowed us to stay on track after getting slowed down by road construction. The cruise control has awesome settings that allow you to slow down or speed up with a roller button. The fact that it also gets 32 MPG (highway miles) also helped us cut down on our gas expenses!

Since we have no passengers (yet), enjoying the back seat, we’ll have to wait until our route home to test out the DVD players but I have a feeling we’ll all be pleased with how that works! The back seats are very flat so child or infant car seats will be snug and secure.

The automatic hatchback door also comes in handy as we’re usually heading towards the car with our hands full. We’re still getting used to “Dolly,” the GPS voice we’ve named for her sweet hospitable charm but she’s growing on us as is the XM Radio that we’re enjoying as we sing along to the 80s hits that keep us awake.

And, speaking of sing-alongs, Sugar will have some travel games for our trip back West, including a karaoke something or other that is sure to be entertaining. We’ll be taking song requests all weekend…

Keep on following us as we journey through BlogHer:

Twitpic:
SugarJones
Hip_M0M

Twitter:
Sugar Jones
Hip_M0M

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Thelma & Louise – Part 2

Our Chevy vehicle will be delivered next Monday. They promised me it would be dropped off to me between 11 am – 1 pm. I hope it’s not like when the Cable Guy promises to be there within a certain time frame. They’re notoriously late and even though I’m driving on my own, I do like to have a schedule to follow. (Those of you who know me are laughing right now because I am notoriously late.)

Sugar Jones is relying on me to pick her up in Denver on Tuesday so I’ll have to haul butt to get there before the day is over. We’re going to spend the night downtown (Is there anything going on in downtown Denver on a Tuesday night?) and our plan is to be in Chicago by the night of the 22nd or early morning on the 23rd. That is if we don’t get arrested for disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace along the way. Have you read those weird state laws in Iowa?

Feel free to follow along via the BlogHer website, our own personal blogs (Happy Healthy Hip Parenting and Sugar in the Raw). We’ll also be updating the Twitter feed along with our own (@sugarjones, @hip_m0m) and Whrrl along the way!

According to Google maps, it’s a 2,062 mile drive, which should take us approximately 30 hours total. We plan on driving 15 hours per day so here’s our estimated route:

Monday, July 20th
Depart San Diego, CA
(overnight in Las, Vegas)

Tuesday, July 21st
Stop in Denver, CO

Wednesday, July 22nd
Arrive in Chicago, IL

For those of you who live along the route, help us out! Let us know where we should stop for food, restroom breaks or if we can come over for a home-cooked meal!

To check out the other carpools heading to Chicago, follow the Interactive Map to see where the Seattle group is or The Blogrollers from Atlanta!

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home