How Big is Your Baby

Our nephew (my sister-in-law's son) is about 3 weeks younger than our son, yet he's bigger. Much bigger. Our little guy started out at 7.11 lbs, and shot up to 18 lbs within 3 months. He then tapered off and now weighs a respectable 22 lbs.

Our nephew was born at 10.11 lbs (not a typo, and yes, via c-section), gained weight slowly, and recently weighed in at about 27 lbs. There is no question that he's bigger than our little guy...when they sit next to each other, the difference is intensely obvious. And pictures just don't do it justice. Our little guy looks so much smaller, and as such younger!

Just a reminder that despite shared genes, every baby is different. My sister-in-law was the first of my husband's siblings to have a baby, which happened to weigh 9.11 lbs at birth. My husband was about 10 lbs when he was born. I figured I was in serious trouble; I was petrified every time I got an ultrasound. I was expecting a big, big baby with a big, big head (common family trait, per frequent family discussions). And when I was 1 week late and went in for a final ultrasound, the technician figured our little bundle was no less than 8 1/2 lbs. It turns out we were all wrong since, as I mentioned, he was only (only!) 7.11 lbs. That said, his head circumference was in the 80th percentile, which is why they speculated labor didn't progress as hoped.

Anyway, weight and size are more interesting than important in my opinion. As long as your baby's healthy, it can be wee, ginormous, or anywhere in between, and everything's still fine and dandy. And sizes level off going forward too (our 9.11 lbs niece is now in the 20th percentile for height and weight).

And since stuff like that is interesting and fun to chart, here's a great website with a growth chart that gives you the tools to do just that.

Clever Pastry Packaging

I'm a big fan of cute packaging.

I bought a pastry the other day and it came in the most clever packaging. I saw a url on the back, so I decided to check it out. Panibois came up with a natural poplar peeled wood and assebles it using an adhesive instead of the usual staples. The result is not only attractive packaging, it's also microwave safe.

They've got some nice recipes too, though look them over carefully since they have been translated from French.

I can see this working for homemade Christmas gifts. Hmmm....

Earthquakes in LA

I'm sure my husband's pretty happy we weren't in Los Angeles right about now.

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake at 12:58 AM on August 9 magnitude occurred 3 miles NNW of Chatsworth, CA

Food for the Poor - Los Angeles and Beyond

Per Which Way, L.A., “LA County has an average of one supermarket for every 18,000 people, but in South LA it’s just one for every 28,000.” Pompea Smith, Executive Director of Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles, breaks it down by telling us that in a 1.5 square mile part of Los Angeles, there are:

8 Restaurants
39 Liquor Stores
50 Fast Food Restaurants
4 Grocery Stores, all clumped together

An environment like this offers little access to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and a surplus of the unhealthiest foods which are loaded with highly refined sugar, trans fats, and empty calories.

On that unpleasant note, a glimmer of hope. The grand opening of the Watts Healthy Farmers Market was on Saturday, July 21, 2007. Going forward, the farmers market will be held weekly on Saturdays from 10:00am until 2:00pm and is located at Ted Watkins Memorial Park, 103rd and Central Avenue, Los Angeles. Personally, I think this is a great achievement for the community, and for the farmers who have another outlet for their fresh goodies.

Lower socioeconomic areas have populations who struggle to survive, and food is a crucial part of that struggle. The Tao of Making Money’s post on the poor in America tells us that per 2002 US Census data, there were about 35 million “poor” Americans as defined by the following thresholds:

Single person: $9,183
Two person household: $11,756
Three person household: $14,348
Four person household: $18,392

Living frugal is great; a responsible way to save both money and the environment. Living frugal to survive is hard. There are no days off. How could any person or family pay serious medical expenses on this kind of income? Even just a small emergency could result in serious repercussions. Heck, preventative care is unattainable without medical insurance provided by an outside source (e.g., employer, government)!

But I digress. Food is my current point of concern. The inclusion of a farmers' market in a part of town experiencing a lack of grocery stores in conjunction with an increase in medical problems, partially caused by poor nutrition, is exciting. And if you think that impoverished consumers will be unable to take advantage of this new resource, consider these current options:

• Electronic Balance Transfer (EBT), aka Food Stamps, can be used throughout Caliornia at farmers’ markets, produce stands, and similar open air markets, as well as individual produce stands, fish vendors, and flea markets.
  Other participating states:
  Connecticut, Maine, Massachusettes, New Hampshire, New York, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington


• WIC is the popular name for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children that provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education at no cost to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to 5 years of age, who are found to be at nutritional risk. The Farmers Market Nutritional Program (FNMP) was established to provide fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants, and to expand the awareness, use of and sales at farmers’ markets. Eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP coupons in addition to their regular WIC food instruments. Each state agency develops a list of fresh, unprepared locally grown, fruits, vegetables and herbs that can be purchased with these coupons from farmers, farmers markets’ and roadside stands that have been approved by the State agency to accept FMNP coupons.
  
  The FMNP is currently authorized in certain areas of 45 States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, the Chickasaw Nation, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi Choctaw, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Osage Tribal Council, Pennsylvania, Pueblo of San Felipe, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.


• The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a program in which grants are awarded to States, U.S. Territories, and Indian tribal governments to provide coupons to low-income seniors that can be used to buy eligible foods at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs. In an effort to eliminate barriers to access, several programs are providing seniors with transportation to and from the markets through a partnership with senior centers or have arranged for local growers to take their produce directly to senior housing facilities. Eligible are low-income seniors, generally defined as individuals who are at least 60 years old and who have household incomes of not more than 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines (published each year by the Department of Health and Human Services), are the targeted recipients of SFMNP benefits. A list of participating states along with agency contact information is here.
  
  Per the USDA’s Food & Nutrition Service website, the purpose of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is to:
  
  
  
  1. Provide resources in the form of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs from farmers' markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs to low-income seniors,
  
  
  2. Increase the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding or aiding in the expansion of domestic farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community support agriculture programs, and
  
  
  3. Develop or aid in the development of new and additional farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community support agriculture programs.
  
  

I had no idea that there were so many federal and state programs working to increase the viability of farmers markets, and making them more accessible to those most in danger of malnutrition. The Watts Healthy Farmers Market sounds like it's doing well, and I can't express how good that makes me feel. For the farmers, the community, and the kids who will learn straight from the farmer what good food is.

Saving Energy With Google...err...Blackle

So, Google's most recent attempt to help save the world is a new search engine called Blackle. By using a black screen with white text, per blogger Ecoiron, Google hopes to contribute to saving mega-loads of megawatts. EcoIron proposed that 200 million daily Googly queries could result in some serious energy savings if a black background was used instead of the current.

I'm sure the energy conserved has to add up, so it can't hurt to try. And personally, I like the black screen. A little less draining on my eyes. That said, the name does ab-so-lute-ly nothing for me.

Hat Tip: EnviroMom

Promotional Prix Fixe Meals in 7 Cities

A fundraiser by Share Our Strength to raise money to end childhood hunger in America will be taking place in a few cities throughout the U.S. this month. Nice restaurants, to be sure, at a much more reasonable price than usual. It's a nice evening out, perhaps for an August birthday or anniversary...not that you'd forget such things. Just remember, drinks is where they get you, so keep an eye on consumption if you're thinking with your $$.

Dine Out
Sunday-Thursday
August 19-23rd, and August 26-30th
$25 Lunch, $35 Dinner

"For a limited time, some of the finest restaurants in your area are offering a special three-course prix fixe gourmet menu for just $25 at lunch and $35 at dinner. You'll also receive a complimentary bottle of S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water or Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water to enjoy with your meal. And for each S.Pellegrino™ Dine OutSM meal served during that time, S.Pellegrino™ will donate $1 to Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit organization that is committed to building the first hunger-free generation of children in America."

Participating Cities:
Chicago
Fairfield County, CT
Los Angeles
New Orleans
Orange County, CA
San Francisco
Westchester County, NY

I Simpsonized Us

Stuff I reeeeeally don't have time to be doing, but can't help...
Simpsonize Me

A begrudging hat tip to Christina

Now, off to pack!!

Who is This "Rockin' Girl Blogger" You Speak Of?

Who? Wha? Me?!?

Oh, stop! How exciting :-D

What Works For Us has awarded me with the...dare I say it...Rockin' Girl Blogger!



Well, I just can't thank you enough for thinking of my little ol' blog. I'd toss it back your way, but that'd make for a busy day on your end, I suspect. Ping, pong, ping, pong.

I digress.

In keeping with the rules, my 5 picks:

Heather & Renee at EnviroMom - 2 Portland moms learning and sharing on their journey to "green" pastures with their families.

Christina at Christina Shaver - Cuz she's a mom, and she's sassy despite, if not because of it. That and she wrote a review on environmentally friendly feminine hygene products. Priceless.

Adrienne at Baby Toolkit - Geek parents' tips, reviews, suggestions, theories, and reminders on all things baby, though not all in that order. Nothing quite like a geek write-up to put it all in perspective.

Tea at Tea and Cookies - Beautiful, wonderful, delicious, thoughtful, graceful...food and words at their finest.

Why Mommy at Toddler Planet - Working hard to spread the word on IBC (inflammatory breast cancer) while undergoing treatment and loving her family. She's a true paragon.

Why I Like KCRW

KCRW is a great local radio station. It's public radio, and the varied schedule of shows keeps my curious mind entertained all day. Personally, I've always been one to have the radio on (I'm not a fan of silence), and commercial pop stations tend to bore me with the same music on rotation. News stations tend to spew the same news in cycles, too. KCRW, however, airs a fun and diverse music selection in the morning, followed by news and other talk shows until the evening when music starts again. I'm sure I sound like an ad, but when I like something, I like it lots :-)

As a public radio station, they depend on donors to contribute to their operating costs. My husband and I each pledge, and have been doing so for years. It's not entirely altruistic, though. They offer "premiums" on the air, donors call in and pledge the amount for that item, and everyone wins. The station, the donor, and the business that offered the premium (e.g., advertising). For example, a gift certificate of perhaps $35 or $50 to a particular restaurant might go for a pledge of $50. With that pledge, the station gives you a discount card that we actually take advantage of. There are some cute kids stores offering discounts, though most are a bit pricey for my taste. There are a few cooking classes which I'd really like to try, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. That and a sewing class...I REALLY need to learn to sew. Museum discounts are also enticing, though moreso when our little guy's a little older. We mostly take advantage of restaurant discounts (~10-15%) on places that we would have gone to regardless of the discount.
The other perk is that if you listen, which I do, they have giveaways throughout the day. They usually have 5 of something (e.g., CDs, pair of tickets) available to the first 5 members who call in. In the past, I've won pairs of tickets to concerts (some were sold out), CDs, and admission to a wine tasting with snacks.

Between the money we save with our discount card, the loot we've carted off, and the daily value the station provides us with on a daily basis, I figure we've more than recouped our contributions.

Each of their programs is online, too. Which means that if I miss an interesting news segment, I can catch it later. It also means that if you're interesting in tuning in, you can :-)

To listen online, click on one of the boxes at the top of their website. Fair warning: They're in the middle of a pledge drive, which is what motivated me to write this post. So if you listen between now and Monday 8/13 (I think), you won't be getting a good sampling of the station's offerings.

ICE - In Case of Emergency

While cell phones are a great tools to keep us and our families safe, there are a few precautions to take into consideration. Parent Hack's suggestions about safety measures to be considered when it comes to cell phones:

• Make sure your child's cell phone has the parents' numbers programmed in it, and label them Mom and Dad.


• Make sure your cell phone message lets people know who to contact in an emergency if you don't pick up. For example, my message says: "If this is a call about Alex or Zoe, please call Jake at XXX-YYY-ZZZZ."

Personally, I'm conflicted by the latter suggestion. I like vague answering machine messages because I don't like giving away too much information about myself or my family. That said, what about an emergency? Perhaps something to revisit.

As for the first issue, a few commenters suggested entering special code names that paramedics and other emergency professionals recognize. For Example, ICE, ICE Mom, or ICE Mary Mom, where ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. I've been doing this for a while, but if you lock (i.e., password protect) your phone for safety purposes, will an emergency professional be able to access any of your numbers? We gave up and went low-tech with a label maker...ICE (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

We hope we never, ever need it.

Labels In Kid's Clothes

My husband had a flashback to one of his mother's frugal tips for keeping clothes in the right place in their busy home of 6: 1 mom, 1 day, 1 boy, and 3 girls. She took some ribbon, wrote the kid's name on it, and stitched it on to the item in question. It kept items from getting lost or finding their way into the wrong dressers :-o

To All the Jeremys of the World

Don't be sad.

Dictionary's Word of the Day for Saturday, August 4, 2007

jeremiad \jair-uh-MY-uhd\, noun:

A tale of sorrow, disappointment, or complaint; a doleful story; also, a dolorous or angry tirade.

Helicopters Overhead

Lindsay Lohan must be in the neighborhood again.

I Love How Safe People Drive...

...when there's a police car right behind them :-)

Keeping Your Home Safe While On Vacation

We leave Monday on our trip to Ireland for my sister-in-law's wedding. Should be fun, though I'm still not looking forward to the flight. Each time we fly with our son, he's a completely different person, so we arm ourselves as well as possible and hope for the best.

Lots to do this weekend, including packing and cleaning. There's nothing worse that arriving home after a long flight to a messy kitchen, unmade bed, and general mayhem and chaos.

On that note, here's a list of things Real Simple suggests to burglarproof your home. Always a thought when leaving for any amount of time. Heck, I think about it when we're just hanging around at home. You can never be too safe.

Inside your home

• Put lights and a radio on or a television on timers - we use X10, which requires a PC and some know-how to set up, but is really smart. You can also consider some cheap timers from Home Depot or the like.


• Don't rely on your dog - if you've trained your dog to be nice to strangers, odds are s/he will be :-P


• Close most shades - avoid showing off what's worth stealing. Keep a few open, though, so it looks like someone's home.


• Lock up valuables - a bank safe-deposit box or a heavy-duty comination safe that can be bolted to the floor are good options. If you go for the home safe, consider keeping it on the first floor to avoid having it fall through the floor in the event of a fire. Real Simple suggest the Gardall brand.


• Keep two jewelry boxes - I'm not a jewelry person, so this is lost on me. Have a nice box with inexpensive pieces, and keep the "good stuff" in a safe.


• Lock away guns - treat like you would treat any valuable.


• Get an alarm system - installation can vary, and monitoring fees run about $35 a month


• Make your stuff harder to sell - engrave big ticket items like electronics and computers with initials and driver's license number (not your Social Security number).

Outside your home

• Evaluate the landscaping - don't allow for good hiding places behind shrubs or trees too close to second floor windows that allow for easy climbing.


• Check the lighting - install motion-detecting light sensors and have lights on random timers. Burglars prefer anonymity and tend to avoid well lit areas.


• Secure windows and sliding glass doors - laminated glass and tempered glass are best. However, in the very least, put a metal bar or solid-wood dowel in the tracking to secure the door when closed. Unless our door is open, we always have a dowel in place.


• Install-and use-reliable locks - locks aren't very effective if you don't use them


• Fortify your doors - "Exterior doors, including the garage door, should be solid wood, fiberglass, or steel, and the hinges should be on the inside, not the outside." If yours has hinges on the outside, secure them with a locking pin.


• Pur your street number, not your name, on the mailbox - this one's so old, I wouldn't even think of it. Thieves take your name and address, call information to get your number, and call you to see if your home. That said, if you're not listed, no worries.


• Advertise an alarm system, even if you don't have one - try to get a spare sticker or the like from a friend since theives can spot fakes.


• Declutter the yard - potential theives can use tools left in the yard to break into your home. How ironic.


• Forget the fake rock and other hide-a-key tricks - "Theives know all the hiding spots you've though of." They suggest (1) give your neighbor a key or (2) buy a steel combination lockbox like the GE AccessPoint KeySafe. You can bolt it to something easily accessible for the whole family...the article references installing it right next to a door. Bold.


• Don't leave the garage-door opener in your car exposed - it can be stolen and used later to enter your home.


• Censor your trash - empty boxes of pricey items are red flags. You can "cut the carton up and tie the pieces together before you put them out on the curb." We have a dump within a couple of miles, so we just drop it off.

When you go on vacation

• Enlist a trusted neighbor or a family member to park a car in your driveway, mow the lawn, shovel the snow. As for the car, consider a cab, bus, or having a friend drive you to the airport (if applicable).


• Don't leave e-mail or phone message saying you're away - generic messages on your answering machine and email are best.


• Suspend delivery of newspapers and mail - both can be done quickly and easily online. Check your newspaper's website for details. You can put your mail on hold here.

Counter Ant-ivity

I…can’t…stand…bugs

I’m an equal opportunity bug detester. Here, I most commonly find silverfish, spiders, and ants. The last one is currently bugging me. Yes, I said bugging.

We live in a 3-story condo with the primary living area, kitchen, and a bathroom on the second floor. One day, we found an ant casually exiting the bathroom. We haven’t seen an ant in ages, but it's been warm lately, and that’s usually when the trouble starts. I spent a good while following what turned out to be a sparse trail of ants into the bathroom in hopes of finding their source of entry. Eventually, I found it. A teeny little opening between the wall and the … I don’t know what you’d call it … built-in vanity? OK. That was the hard part. I then went off to mix some ground cinnamon and cayenne (a tip from Green Clean), and sprinkled it at the entry point. It stopped them…until they realized they can walk on walls. Dangit! So, they went up and started investigating the sink and various other spots. I got creative. I added a bit of water to the remaining cinnamon and cayenne and pasted it 360 degrees around their access point. Done. No more ants in the bathroom.

Then, an ant appeared in the kitchen, which happens to share a wall with the bathroom in question. Ugh. I could not find their entry point this time. I was diligent in cleaning and when I found one, I’d smoosh it in hopes of being more stubborn than the ants. Well, I’m stubborn, but I’m no match. Eventually, I got sloppy. I ate a nectarine, the tiniest fleck of nectarine fell into the sink, and I forgot to clean it up. When I came back a couple of hours later, a steady stream of ants had now invaded.

Can you hear the Patton music in the background?

Well, it was a blessing and a curse. The "ewww" factor was high, but at least I could finally find out where they were coming from. We have dark granite countertops, so I couldn’t see the ants very well. I grabbed a flashlight, and I was able to follow the ants all the way across the sink, across the one wall, across the other wall, down the cabinets to the floor…BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR. So, I can’t reach them. The fridge is nicely nestled in and there’s no way we’ll be able to move it without causing severe damage to the kitchen or one of us. So I just sprinkled cinnamon and cayenne all over the counter instead. My husband probably thinks I’ve gone all Bill Murray in Caddyshack, but if it works, who’s gonna be laughing? Who, I tell ya?

That said, I did some research and found various non-toxic methods of dealing with ants. If my current path doesn’t work, I’ll just try something else. Cuz stubborn is as stubborn does.

• The consensus from The Frugal Life's comments is that ants hate cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaves, and pepper, so if you sprinkle any of these around or at their access point, they will be deterred. If you don’t want the mess, consider JS Online's suggestion of adding peppermint oil, cintronella oil, lavendar oil, cinnamon oil, or citrus oil to some water and spraying as needed.


• They also won’t cross a line drawn in chalk.


• We had an ant problem a while back because my cat’s wet food was left out for random grazing purposes. We solved it by creating a mote around her dish. In a larger bowl (though not so big that she couldn’t reach), we added water, then placed half a brick in the center. We placed the dish on the brick. Problem solved.


• Since they don’t like mint, consider keeping fresh mint in certain places around the house. It’s pretty, smells good, makes for yummy treats, and keeps you ant free.


• Boric acid is another interesting solution. It is toxic, but like many things, only in large quantities. In fact, you might find it’s an ingredient in your contact lens solution. Getting the solution right is tough, and it varies by the type of ant (some like sweet, like like grease). This website suggests a solution of one cup water, 2 cups sugar, and 2 tablespoons boric acid. Whatever the solution, they say that goal is to make it strong enough to kill, but not so strong that it kills the foragers before they deliver the food to the queen.

Note: I have only tried the cayenne & cinnamon mix and the pet food mote. I make no claims on any of these methods, but let me know if you try any and they work. Or if you have any other good bug solutions.

Whats In Your Baby's Shampoo?

The Environmental Working Group previously released their findings on sunscreen, and it was eye opening. We've tossed our ancient sunscreens and bought one of the few effective ones that has the side benefit of being odorless (I can't stand the smell of sunscreen...reminds me of the 80s, and I didn't like the 80s).

Now, they're surveying care providers to babies and kids to get a better understanding of which products they're using:

"Wonder what's in your children's shampoo, diaper cream, lotion, and bubble bath? We're digging in to the safety of children's personal care products this summer to give you our researchers' recommendations on the best children's products on the market, to help fill gaps in a system that doesn't require companies to test products before they're sold. Please help us by filling out a brief survey on the products you use for your children. This data will let us take a detailed look at children's day-to-day exposures, from the chemicals in their baths to the products on their hair and skin and even their bottoms. Thanks for your help!"

They request the following general information on all of the kid/baby products you use:

• frequency of use


• brand


• product name


• product packaging (i.e., metal, glass, or plastic #1-9)

It didn't take me long to fill out, and I'll be curious to see the results once available.

Via Enviromom

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

There are so many unknowns in our lives. We do what we can to stay informed and be cautious with those things we care about. Health is one. For years, for example, it was assumed that women's health issues were to be equally compared to men's, which is why women's strokes often went misdiagnosed. It turns out that women experience different symptoms to men during a stroke, leading doctors and nurses to miss the window of opportinuty for effective treatments.

But then there are other diseases that we might feel we understand. If you have a lump in your breast, get it checked out. But what if you don't have a lump? Below, Why Mommy's post at Toddler Planet on her experience. That rash...that inflammation...that nuisance...it was cancer.

*************************************************************
Inflammatory breast cancer

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?

I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.

Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.

Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.

You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.


P.S. Feel free to steal this post too. I’d be happy for anyone in the blogosphere to take it and put it on their site, no questions asked. Dress it up, dress it down, let it run around the place barefoot. I don’t care. But I want the word to get out. I don’t want another young mom — or old man — or anyone in between — to have to stare at this thing on their chest and wonder, is it mastitis? Is it a rash? Am I overreacting? This cancer moves FAST, and early detection and treatment is critical for survival.

Thank you.

Fisher Price Toy Recall - Dora and Sesame Street

Ugh...another toy recall.

Fisher-Price has voluntarily recalled a slew of popular toys due to possible lead poisoning. Licensed characters such as Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob Squarepants, and Oscar the Grouch are impacted, so if you think you have any of these toys, check out the complete list at U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Thanks to What Works For Us for the info!

Sesame Street's Typewriter Guy

I love, love, loved the typewriter guy on Sesame Street. I miss him. But that's OK...he's still on You Tube :-)

Ben Bernanke's College Debt

The new Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, disclosed his financial information yesterday, which was decidedly conservative. Keeping in mind that only broad ranges of holdings values are disclosed, Forbes reported that "the value of his assets last year totaled between $1.12 million and $2.41 million," with holdings in no-frills investments, including U.S. Treasury securities, mutual funds and annuities. And no, he held no individual stocks in 2006. In fact, his largest holdings were in two annuities - TIAA Traditional and CREF Stock Large Cap Blend.

Bernanke draws an annual salary of $186,600 for his role in the Fed, as well as textbook-royalty income of $100,002 to $200,000 for two textbooks written in his many years in academia. Investment income came to between $136,500 and $318,000.

Now if that wasn't interesting enough, here's what got me:

"The only liability listed on the form was a 10-year student loan, taken out last year at an interest rate of 7.9 percent. Bernanke has two children - one son and one daughter."

Wha? Why? Who?!?

I don't understand. Bernanke, obviously conservative with his personal finances, didn't take advange of any instruments to aid in saving for his kids' college education? Or was he not conservative enough in his savings? Did he have a 529 plan, which Money magazine espouses so unabashedly? I'd love to know more details behind his reasoning for taking out these loans. Having taught at Princeton, he had to have known the costs for college, whether community or Ivy League.

Allergen-Free Peanut

Food allergies are a strange thing. Kid’s Health says that when a person’s immune system thinks the body has consumed something dangerous, it reacts by producing antibodies, which in turn release histamines into the bloodstream. The histamines then act on a person's eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract and causes the symptoms of the allergic reaction.

“The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology estimates that up to 2 million, or 8%, of children in the United States are affected by food allergies, and that six foods account for 90% of those food allergy reactions in kids: milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, and tree nuts. Unlike allergies to other foods like milk and eggs, children generally don't outgrow allergies to peanuts or nuts.”

ABC News reported that the number of children suffering from peanut allergies in the U.S. has doubled to more than 600,000 in just five years. As a result, researchers are on the hunt for an allergen-free peanut, and AT&T State University in North Carolina’s Mohammed Ahmedna says he found it. Though still in testing, he says they’ve found a process to deactivate the allergens within the peanut in the lab, as opposed to rebuilding the peanut. Taking another approach, researchers at the University of Florida are trying to grow a safe peanut (i.e., without the three proteins that trigger most allergic reactions).

On a similar note, I came across a warning from the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network regarding an erroneous press release from a U.S. food company with claims of a new product containing allergen-free peanuts.

“The product is Organic Amazonian Wild Jungle Peanuts, by California-based Sunfood Nutrition. The company’s press release said, among other things, that ‘Testing has revealed that these amazing nuts are free of aflatoxin – the mold in conventional peanuts that is linked to food allergies and illness.’”

“Just because a peanut is aflatoxin-free doesn’t mean that it’s allergen-free. Even a peanut that’s free of aflatoxin can still cause allergic reactions in those who are allergic to peanuts."

We don’t have any food allergies in our home, but I’m always curious about food related concerns. This, in particular, is such a challenging medical issue that requires so much care and attention. You can see why researchers are looking for a way to eliminate the dangers by finding a safe alternative for allergy sufferers. However, I think that even if a peanut solution is found, I would still be very suspicious of “safe” peanuts. How could one be sure it’s safe? And that it hasn’t been contaminated? It just seems it's effectiveness is realized only in ideal situations, which aren't common in my experience. I can hope for the best, though, for the sake of those living in constant anxiety over themselves or their kids.

Glen Hansard on Morning Becomes Eclectic

We love the Irish band The Frames, so when we heard the lead singer Glen Hansard was in a movie, we were curious. Once is a musical of sorts in which the stars, Glen and Marketa Irglova, wander the streets of Dublin in what sounds like a believable, if quirky, love story. It's won a few awards, including an Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Praise and description about the soundtrack on the Washington Post: GLEN HANSARD/ MARKETA IRGLOVA "Once"



We haven't seen it yet, but it's definitely on our list.

In the meantime, I heard a live performance of a few songs written by Glen and performed by him and Markets on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. We've seen The Frames live, and in addition to Glen's amusing Dublin accent, he's just a funny guy. I only remember one thing from the concert that was oh so long ago (or maybe it just feels like a lifetime ago?). In explaining a song, he was telling the audience that a kid had named the dog in question Deefer. That's "D" fer Dog.

So if you're hankering for some good music or a really Irish accent, have a listen to (or watch) the live recording from 7/31/07.

Giving Peas A Chance

Oh, peas. I loved peas as a kid. I loved eating them one by one, which is perhaps why I didn't break 50 lbs until I was 12. I was a slooooooow eater. But I only ever had them as peas. As an adult, and especially as a fan of Nigella Lawson, I've found there are many, many other ways to prepare peas. This is only exaggerated because my husband loves peas, mint, and any combination thereof.

Mushy Peas
Pea, Mint, and Avocado Salad
Chicken & Pea Soup
Petits Pois a la Francaise
Peas Portuguesa

And once, I had a salad with pea tendrils sprinkled on top. I wasn't too sure about it at the time, but its delicious simplicity has haunted me over the years.

The funny thing to me is that when we first started feeding our son solids, he was very resistant. After a while, he slowly became more accepting of food, but pureed pears and peas were the only foods he actually liked. Currently, peas are still the *sugar* in the foods that might otherwise be *medicine*. Maybe that'll change over time, though I'm hoping not. We're all working pretty hard to make sure that doesn't happen.


In homage to the challenges we all face in feeding our little ones, Apples 'n' Oranges' giveaway.

The Lovey Boat

When our son was about 2 weeks old, he managed to get his thumb in his mouth, though it didn't look very comfortable since all of his fingers were plastered on the rest of his face (picture an octopus attacking). Impressive as it was, he lost it as quickly as he found it. Several weeks later (over a month, IIRC), he slowly began to realize he had control over the hands that seemed to keep attacking him. He found the thumb, and it's been a constant source of comfort ever since. When he's tired, the thumb goes into the mouth, and he'll gaze around until he falls asleep.

A Baby Center e-mail today said the following:

"Chances are good that your baby's grown attached to a certain blanket or toy. Transitional objects may help your baby weather potentially stressful experiences — such as a doctor's visit or a trip — more easily. You may want to buy a duplicate of her lovey (or cut the original in half, if it's something like a blanket), in case you need to replace a lost one or take it away to clean it."

So here's my question:
If his thumb is the only external source of comfort besides dada and mama, is his thumb his lovey or is he lovey-less?

More On Reusable Bags

Speaking of reusable bags, I just heard about the Baggu bag. It looks pretty convenient because you can stick one in your purse/diaperbag/manbag and use it for those unexpected purchases. They also give some interesting basic information in the FAQ section like:

• BUT I USE OLD PLASTIC BAGS FOR OTHER THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE, LIKE TRASH BAGS, OR PICKING UP AFTER MY DOG. WHAT WILL I DO WITHOUT THOSE BAGS?
  
  Try using biodegradable and compostable kitchen & pet waste bags. When these bags break down in the landfill they won't leak toxins into the earth. We like the biobag, made from corn and printed with soy based inks. They are much more pleasant for both duties than grocery store bags, and they don't have any surprise holes.


• IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO PLASTIC PRODUCE BAGS?
  
  We discovered these excellent cotton sacks called ecobags. They are made from light weight organic cotton gauze, perfect for all your fruits & veggies.


• DO GUYS USE BAGGU?
  Definitely. Real men save the planet. Baggu fits discretely in your back pocket.

I've been looking for a good alternative to the large garbage bags we currently use, so I'm going to give the Biobag a shot. We'll see what happens.

Chore Wars

I might not need this yet, but with little Mr. Bundle O' Energy, I can see this coming in handy in the near future. Cuz I'm not going to be cleaning after him forever. He's lucky I do it now ;-)

Chore Wars

How To Peel A Peach (or Tomato)

The interesting thing about peaches is that once they don't get any sweeter once they've been picked. As Russ Parsons puts it, it's the difference between maturity, which happens on the tree, and ripeness (i.e., softening), which can be completed at home. "You'll know it's ready when you start to feel a little give at the shoulders — the rim around the stem. The absolute worst thing to do with unripe fruit is stick it in the refrigerator. Chilling is what causes peaches and nectarines to develop that awful dry, mealy, cottony interior texture and the insipid flavor that goes along with it. Once the fruit is ripe, it can be refrigerated without worry."

That said, on to peeling.

Peel a Peach (or Tomato)
Cut a shallow X on the base of the fruit.
Immerse into boiling water for about 20-30 seconds.
Immediately move to ice water to stop the cooking process.
Peel back the skin at the corners of the X.

Save the Environment One Bag at a Time

Back in 2002, Ireland did something clever to reduce the the consumption of plastic polythene bags; they started taxing them. Consumers not inclined to pay this tax just bring their own bags. As a convenience, stores provide durable, reusable grocery bags with a flat base (essential) at a cost of 1 Euro each. And it worked!

"A tax on plastic shopping bags in the Republic of Ireland has cut their use by more than 90% and raised millions of euros in revenue, the government says."

Ireland's biggest concern at the time was litter. You could see any of the "estimated 1.2 billion free plastic bags" stuck in leafless trees throughout the city. Such a beautiful countryside plagued with opaque, white plastic.

We try to do what we can to help the environment. Reducing our consumption of plastic bags was one such endeavor. We never really liked the canvas or mesh reusable grocery bags we found here because their size and shape were impractical for real shopping trips. So on a trip to Ireland a few years back, my husband and I picked up a few reusable bags and brought them home for use in grocery stores.

Albertsons, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's have since designed similar bags, which is great because I hope consumers here start taking plastic bags more seriously. There's no reason to walk into a grocery store, Target, etc. without a couple of bags under your arm. And while you could argue that banning bags is too harsh, taxing them is perfectly reasonable. It's amazing how people remember to use their reusable bags when the alternative is a higher checkout receipt.

On a related note, while having a reusable bag is great, when you're paying $250 for one, you might be a bit confused about the whole point of avoiding plastic bags.

Cardboard Wishes and Fairy Tale Dreams

I keep reading about cardboard activities for kids these days. Thingamababy's contest to find a party name/theme using 21 large boxes for a thundering crowd of toddlers (so brave...so very brave). Lifehacker also has a list of ways to entertain young children, including the use of free boxes (e.g., from appliance stores) to be used as houses and castles.

I always loved boxes as a kid. There was a sense of quiet and privacy...a sanctuary away from adults that allowed my imagination to flourish. Though I never did anything spectacular (tunnels and "house" were my things), here are a few other box ideas I've heard about recently and noted for future use:

• I'm amused by the use of boxes as castles and forts because I recently saw an episode of the Simpsons in which Bart and Lisa ordered a huge amount of free boxes from a shipping company, built a fort, and then defended the boxes from the shipping company when they tried to get them back. It was a lot like the attack on the castle in Lord of the Rings, which I found quite entertaining. When the kids finally got bored, they just used the hose to dissolve it all. Silly adults.


• You can go out and buy a really cute toy stove or refrigerator, or you can just use a large box. Half of the entertainment comes in decorating the "appliance." Make a whole kitchen by cutting out doors, attaching handles, drawing on embellishments and knobs, etc. Kids are creative and imaginative, so they don't need a fancy new toy to get full use out of it; those toys are primarily for parents. Taking the time to share this activity with your child is a great way to play with him, save a few dollars, and suck in some of that wonderful imaginative energy that he gives off. Besides, when he gets bored of it and moves on, you can either fold it up and store it...or get the hose out :-)

Now, go forth and conquer.

Becoming a Better Blogger

Here's Lifehack.org's list of 101 ways to becoming a better blogger.

Cheers!

Via WillifordBlog

A Cheap Birthday Gift for Your S.O.

Something nice for your spouse's birthday...not that my mind is on my upcoming birthday or anything ;-)

How To Give A Back Massage

Via Lifehacker

Things We Do to Save Water

I've been working on small challenges to be a bit kinder to the environment like green cleaning and recylcling. Water conservation is another good one, and it's amazing what little changes can have a big impact. Here are a few of the things that we do to reduce water consumption that require little effort.

• If you're reading this, I might be preaching to the converted. Make sure that when you turn the faucet on, the water pressure isn't unnecessarily high. It seems small, but just like with drips, I'm sure it makes a difference over time.


• Short showers were never a thing for me, but now that I have an impatient boy, they're the only kind I have. If you lean towards hot showers, which unfortunately I do, it's better for your skin to spend less time in there, anyway. That said, warm water is really better than hot, though sometimes we don't like what's good for us.


• No Limits Ladies mentions using cooled pasta water to water her plants. Along the same lines, use the water that you boiled eggs in, which is full of nutrients.


• I've also heard that putting bricks in your toilet tank will reduce the amount of water required to refill it, but over time, the bricks deteriorate and can cause problems. A filled water bottle will work equally well without the brick's issues. I've never tried this one, but maybe it's high time we do.


• Here's an incentive to avoid dish rinsing before putting them in the dishwasher. I've actually heard that the machine needs a bit of grime in order to clean it, so if there's nothing there, the dishes won't be as clean as if there had been something to cling.


• Since the dishwasher is more efficient than we could ever pretend to be, we wash most of our stuff in it, though not everything. The few exceptions like delicate dishes/glasses, large pots, and items that tend to rust (e.g., kitchen shears) get washed by hand. I also prefer to wash anything of my son's that is plastic because I don't want it to be exposed to the high temperatures in the dishwasher. Instead of washing under running water, I fill the sink (or a large pot instead if it also needs washing) with warm soapy water, scrub and rinse, all of which don't take long at all.


• Just before our son was born, our washing machine gave out. We bought a new front loader, and it was a wonderful investment. Though they run a bit pricier than top loaders, we bought a discontinued model at Sears at a significant savings. Even better, the City of Santa Monica sent us a $100 rebate. Despite having doubled the amount of laundry we do on a weekly basis, our water bill has not increased. Even better, it's much gentler on our clothes and runs much quieter than our former machine.

How to Cut a Mango

I took a tip from Alton Brown on how to cut a mango, who would never tolerate a uni-tasker like a mango splitter. It's worked great for me.

• Peel the mango.


• Cut the bottom so it's flat on the chopping board.


• Put a corn-on-the-cob handle on the top.


• Hold the mango with the handle and slice down from top to bottom. You should get nice whole pieces with a few Scooby snacks to spare (aka cook's treats).

And if you're looking for tips on finding a ripe mango, here's what About.com has to say:

"When choosing a mango, pick one that is plump and heavy for its size. Most importantly, the mango should be fragrant when held near your nose. If you'll be using the mango right away, you will want to find a ripe one. Mangos are ripe when easily indented with your thumb. (Avoid mangos that are so ripe they feel mushy.)"

Happy mango-ing

How To Cut A Watermelon

Wikihow shows us how to cut a watermelon.

1) Wash the rind of a watermelon with regular soap or with a vegetable wash. Everything which the knife touches on the outside of the melon will end up in contact with the watermelon flesh as it slices through.


2) Use a sharp knife to carefully slice off the top. A serrated knife works best for items that have a softer interior and tougher exterior like melons, tomatoes, and breads.


3) Stand the melon on end, and carefully slice down through the center. Note: if you cut along the dark stripes on the outside of the watermelon, then the watermelon seeds will end up on the outside of the pieces of watermelon, making them easier to remove.


4) Cut each half into sections.


5) Hold the section in one hand while you slowly remove the melon from its rind.


6) Slice down from the top to the rind in even slices. Continue in this way until each section has the fruit removed.


7) Place each section into a bowl and arrange.

That's all fine and dandy, but personally, I just use a melon baller. It makes for nice, small bites that are less messy to eat. And prevention is the name of the game when you've got little fingers in the bowl.

Via Lifehacker

How She Got Her Harry Potter Book

A clever little story of the lunacy HP caused (the book, not the brown sauce). Personally, I like my UPS guy, though I've never seen him while possessed by a wig & long black robe.

How I Got My Harry Potter Book

Recipe: Homemade Play-Doh

Instructables shows how to make your own non-toxic playdough (aka Play-Doh). While I've seen the recipe a few times, I'm still a bit hesitant. Not for any good reason, either. I just associate Play-Doh with that smell...and I don't know if it'll be the same if I make it. That said, we'll try it when we're ready :-)

Ingredient
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)

food coloring
scented oils

Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes.

When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove the pan from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.

Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or silicone mat and knead vigorously until it becomes silky smooth. Divide the dough into balls for coloring.

Make a divot in the center of the ball and drop some food coloring in. Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the playdough, but try to keep the raw dye away from your hands and the counter. Use gloves or plastic wrap to keep your hands clean.

Work the dye through, adding more as needed to achieve your chosen color.

When you're done, store it in an air tight container. If it begins to dry out, knead a bit of water in to soften the dough back up.

The Simpsons Trailer

I've been hearing rumors about a Simpsons movie for over 10 years now. It's probably as exciting for fans as it is for people working on it. And finally...finally...finally...the moment is here. This reviewer seems to be pleased with the end product, but if you like The Simpsons, I'm thinking it'll be hard to dislike. I don't know how it's remained such a success over the years, but it has and I find it a comfort to know it's still around. It's like a pet: you just can't imagine a day when it won't be there to make you laugh. My can was always making me laugh...sigh

For those of you looking for a good 60 seconds: The Simpsons Trailer

What's for Pud?

Cute thing about people from the UK. If they refer to pudding for dessert, all that means is there's something for dessert. Pudding can mean pie, cake, or...well, pudding. Even cuter is shortening it to "pud."

I saw the reference in the last Harry Potter on page 92, and thought "aw, that's right...British book."

I was reminded again in the author's interview (spoilers!!!) where she says that reading the end of the book first is like "someone coming to dinner, just opening the fridge and eating pudding, while you're standing there still working on the starter. It's not on," she said.

Tee hee

Language Development in Babies

It's fun watching for the subtleties of learning. I was reading this article and got to thinking about the recent verbal advances we've seen in our son.

James McClelland, a psychology professor at Stanford University, developed "a computer program that learns to decode sounds from different languages in the same way that a baby does [which] helps to shed new light on how people learn to talk."

He goes on to say that "the debate in language acquisition is around the question of how much specific information about language is hard-wired into the brain of the infant and how much of the knowledge that infants acquire about language is something that can be explained by relatively general purpose learning systems."

As a psych student, I must admit I've been watching my son's language development with curiosity. Were the theories about innate lingquistic instincts in babies legitimate? My son was stringing sounds together like "dadadadadadada" or "mamamamamamama" for a while, though he hadn't obviously associated meaning with them until this moment. Lately, his vowel sounds have obviously changed and we can sense a new stage in language. He was saying "wow" for about a week, which was fun because we'd say "wow," then he'd say "wow," and so on. He's over "wow," but he's making other fun sounds, including what we think is an attempt to say "daisy duck," the name we've given his rubber duckie, though it sounds like "day duh" to the untrained ear ;-)

In the end, it's interesting that researchers are beginning to learn about language development from babies, though it doesn't take away from the amazing feat that this little learning marvels accomplish on a daily basis. If I did anywhere near as much as him every day, I'd need a lot of naps, too.

Infant Sign Language

In an attempt to reduce frustration in our son's language learning, we decided to try to teach him sign language. Since babies develop sufficient motor skills to sign before they develop the verbal skills to speak, signing can serve to help them communicate and reduce frustrations. He was a bit hesitant at first, but now he has a few signs down...and he's sooooo excited when he uses them. For example, when he wants more food, we ask "do you want more?" If he does, he'll start wildly signing more and giggling with delight at the thought of "more" food. It's wonderful to watch, and it's another sign of progress for us.

The hardest part for us was actually learning the signs, but even that wasn't too hard. I bought a small book, Baby Sign Language Basics which was helpful, but it's hard to get the nuance of the signs from a still image. A friend suggested Baby Einstein - My First Signs, but we haven't felt we needed it yet. Once his vocabulary starts expanding we might consider it. The most valuable tool for me has been Signing Time on PBS. The host speaks and sings while signing...it's fun to watch and easy to learn. I picked up a few common signs, and we just keep using them again and again when referencing items/actions. Even better, it's free :-)

Carpet Cleaners Crazy Auto Dialer

We've been getting calls from carpet cleaners, but they never leave a company name or contact information. Initially, there was an 800 phone number, which we reported to the FTC, but more often than not it's an unknown number (i.e., no number shows up on the caller ID). When we checked the 800 number online, we found that the number is much hated by many, many people for the same reason we hate it. They shouldn't be calling, they haven't taken our number off their list despite having asked the one time we got through, and they often hide their number and contact information.

Their most recent number is (818) 555-1000, which happens to be the phone number for directory assistance. Not much we can do there.

I don't know how they do business.

Starbucks Just Got a Little Less Budget Friendly

So, it's going to cost a smidge more to get your morning fix. Starbucks is raising their prices...again. I used to walk my son to our local Starbucks for a soy decaf latte...it gave us something to do, and as long as I could keep from spilling, it was great.

I finally accepted that the sweetened soy milk was just too sweet for me, so I stopped. I found another place I like better, so I get the rare treat. That said, I'd be pretty annoyed if I was still a Starbucks-ite since they raised their prices 5 cents in October 2006, and now another 9 cents. If your cup of coffee costed you $1.50 at this time last year, that's a 10% hike. Eep!!

Awoken By the Rudeness of Lindsay Lohan

Today, we woke up before our alarm. No, not our wee one. Not a fire truck flying by. We woke up to the pleasant sounds of ghetto birds circling nearby. It's not the first time helicopters have oh-so-rudely interrupted our morning, but when we finally found out what happened, we were just offended.

Lindsey Lohan Arrested for DUI, Cocaine

Apparently, Lindsay was following someone in her car at 1:30AM. The driver of the other car drove to a parking lot near the Santa Monica police station and called the police.

"When police arrived at the scene, they found Lohan and the woman engaged in a "heated argument" and believed Lohan was under the influence. Lohan resisted a field sobriety test, cops searched her and found cocaine."

Why the helicopters? Well, they didn't start hovering until it started getting light out, so we can only assume the reporters and paparzzi were out in droves.

Ugh...

Rite Aid's Awful Customer Service

We used to have our prescriptions filled at Rite Aid because it's close, open late, and parking isn't a problem. However, it wasn't cheap, the customer service was terrible, and prescriptions were never ready in a timely manner.

When I was pregnant, I needed a prescription filled, and a friend was going to pick it up for me. My doctor called it in, and I called Rite Aid to confirm. They seemed busy, but gave me a time frame. I did a follow up call, and it wasn't ready. I called again, and it wasn't ready. I kept getting the brush-off and they stopped answering my calls at one point. Finally, someone answered and I really started to lay into her. It was hours later and my doctor's office would be closing soon. The person I was on the phone with said she'd get it done and call me back within 30 minutes. She didn't. I called my doctor's office and asked her to call the prescription in to another pharmacy. This new place, Horton & Converse, was so much better. Despite having never been there, they were able to accept my insurance information over the phone, fill my prescription, and allow my friend to pick it up without any trouble. They're only open 9-6:30 during the week and until 1 on Saturday, but unless we have an off-hours emergency, I don't foresee ever using Rite-Aid, Walgreens, or any other large corporate store again. I later called Rite Aid to leave a complaint, but I never heard back. I have no doubt that they just don't care about one lowly customer.

So at Rite Aid, I experienced years of:

Bad customer service
Long waits
Understaffed pharmacy
Large, carless corporations

Why did I tolerate this for so long? I hate knowing that I just put up with it because the hours seemed convenient, but in all honesty, I seldom needed a prescription filled late. In my attempt to patronize smaller stores, I've found such better attention and customer service. Prices can be higher, though not necessarily. And at the end of the day, patronizing small stores assures they'll be around when you realize you just don't want to be ignored by the Rite Aids of the world.

Unspoiled Reading

Finally...finished...Harry...Potter...

And, had to go online to settle a few things that didn't make sense. I'm feeling much more clear-headed now. And I got to read it before someone ruined it for me. Yay!

Summer Rain

It might be the driest year on record in Los Angeles, but it just rained here on the west side. In the middle of July. July.

Just wanted to get that straight.

Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America

We saw Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America. He's hostile and foul-mouthed, but it's only to get his point across. Sometimes it seems extreme, but eh...it's TV.

The premise is simple: put Gordon Ramsey, a Michelin starred chef, in a failing restaurant, and have him turn it around before it's completely extinguished.

In this episode, the owner's of the Fenwich Arms, a small British pub in Lancashire, England, are struggling to stay afloat. Elaine runs the front of the house while her husband, Brian, runs the kitchen. Brian has had 5 heart attacks, 1 quadruple bipass, and is working 120 hours per week at the age of 63. Ramsay comes in, and you might think he would have been nicer to the couple, but like I said...it's TV. He works to turn the fussy menu into proper pub food, despite the hesitant (or was it cantankerous) owners. It kinda worked...and it kinda didn't. The turnover increased like 30%, but the owner/chef Brian was back in the kitchen messing with the menu again on the follow-up visit at the end of the episode. Hmmm....stubborn is as stubborn does.

Cute website though: Campaign for Real Gravy

That was all fine and dandy, but what I found even more entertaining was the bit of information that preceded the episode. On a screen that you might see a warning of elements on the following program, was this text...read by Eric Idle:

"The following program contains English accents. To find out what on Earth anyone is talking about, please use the closed captioning."

Tee hee...cute.

Ageless Animations

On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart bought up another interesting point about the Simpsons. If Marge and Homer had Bart just out of high school, they were about 18 years old. Homer, as Jon Stewart commented, is 38 years old. Why is Bart not 18? I've seen a few different websites that suggest Homer is 36 or 39, but it stands true that Bart should be older than 10. Matt Groening figures Bart should actually be 30 at this point, but they prefer him at 10 because he's unlikely to be tried as an adult ;-)

On a similar note, how old was the Beast from Beauty and the Beast when he was cursed. In the song Be Our Guest, the line "Ten years we've been rusting" leads me to believe that the curse has been in effect for about 10 years. And as the story goes per IMDB:

"Prince Adam was cursed to a beast form by Enchantress who saw no love in his arrogant heart for others. The one way he could break the spell was to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal from his enchanted rose fell, which would bloom until his twenty-first birthday."

So let me get this straight. Some enchantress cursed a 10 year old boy for being arrogant? Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of rude kids. But shouldn't there be some law against this?

I know, I know...just a cartoon. But I'm just saying!!

What To Do After a Bee Sting

Parents Magazine's issue for July 2007 has some great tips on caring for bee or yellow jacket stings.

See whether the stinger is still in his skin by looking for a black dot in the middle of the wound. Remove it ASAP with a flat-edged object like a credit card, wash the area with soap and water, and then follow these steps to ease the pain and swelling.

- You can neutralize venom by applying a solution of meat tenderizer and water with a cotton ball. If you don't have this at home (few people do), try rubbing on some solid antiperspirant instead.

- Put ice or cold water on the sting, and give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

- If the sting is itchy, give him an OTC antihistamine.

- Sever allergice reactions occur in only 3% of kids. Call your doctor immediately if your child develops hives or if he was stung more than 10 times.

- Take your child to the E.R. or call 911 if the sting is inside his mouth; he has trouble breathing or swallowing; vomits; becomes dizzy or faints; or he develops severe headaches, stomach cramps, fever, or diarrhea.

No one every wants their child to suffer a bee sting, so I'm pretty paranoid. We have an orange stroller, and I would swear bees come out of nowhere and start following us. So if you ever see me running down the street, odds are, there was a bee somewhere nearby.

Easy to Peel Eggs

One of our quick breakfast tricks is a hard boiled egg. We'll make a bunch at the start of the week, and they serve as a quick, nutritious* food in the morning for either of us. If I'm in a rush to get out of the house, I can take short cuts on personal things I do, but not things for my son. I have to feed, change, and dress him, and I don't like to rush it because it'll just challenge me more. Besides, if I don't have a decent amount of protein for breakfast, I find myself hungry within the hour. Cereal and apples...something weird about my system where either of these actually make me hungrier than if I hadn't eaten at all.

Back to eggs, Elise at Simply Recipes has some tips on making the perfect hard boiled egg. What caught my attention was how to make the eggs easy to peel. Don't get fresh eggs. Huh? In On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee outs fresher eggs as being harder to peel when hard boiled.

"Difficult peeling is characteristic of fresh eggs with a relatively low albumen pH, which somehow causes the albumen to adhere to the inner shell membrane more strongly than it coheres to itself. At the pH typical after several days of refrigeration, around 9.2, the shell peels easily."

In a nutshell...err...eggshell, here's what to do.

- Use eggs that are a few days old.

- To cook a batch of fresh eggs right away, add a half teaspoon of baking soda to a quart of water to make the cooking after alkaline (though this intensifies the sulfury flavor).

- If you have boiled a batch that are difficult to peel, try putting them in the refrigerator for a few days; they should be easier to peel then.

- When I peel an egg, I tap the middle of the egg (e.g., the waist, if it had one) on a paper towel on the counter, then roll along the waistline to crack the shell at the midsection. The cracked shell usually just peels right off in one or two pieces.

Bon Appetit!

*Recent Health Data on Eggs
Long vilified by well-meaning doctors and scientists for their high cholesterol content, eggs are now making a bit of a comeback. Recent research by Harvard investigators has shown that moderate egg consumption--up to one a day--does not increase heart disease risk in healthy individuals.(5) While it's true that egg yolks have a lot of cholesterol--and, therefore may slightly affect blood cholesterol levels--eggs also contain nutrients that may help lower the risk for heart disease, including protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, and folate.

Harry Potter Widower

My poor husband. My poor son.

The book arrives today. I have my suspicions, which include Snape being a good guy and Neville having a much bigger role than in prior books. That said, I'm quite excited to see it all play out. Maybe my son will get around to reading these "classics" some day ;-)

Lily Allen at the House of Blues, Aneheim

Ooo...I love Lily Allen. Her most recent album is such fun. Great songs with clever lyrics, if you're into that sort of thing. She'll be at the House of Blues in Anaheim this September. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, though :-D

Beethoven's Wig in the Los Angeles Area

My husband and I love music, and we're trying to instill the same love in our son. We have a collection of fun music, most were random purchases from iTunes, as well as a decent collection from Putumayo. But we love our Beethoven's Wig. I recently heard about a couple of Beethoven's Wig concerts in the area:

Thursday, July 26, 6:30 pm
KidSpace Children’s Museum
480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, CA
Information/tickets: (626) 449-9144
Tickets are $15 per ticket

Saturday, July 28, 10 am
Ford Amphiteatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E, Hollywood, CA
Information/tickets: 323-461-3673
Children FREE (reservations required), Adults $5

Sounds like fun!!

Matt Groening's Fake News

Matt Groening, The Simpsons creator and writer, was interviewed on Wednesday 7/18 on The Daily Show. He said that in an episode where they took a dig at Fox, "we had a little news crawl, and that was one of our favorite moments."

Here's a list of the "news" from Anecdotage:

"Pointless news crawls up 37 per cent," the cartoon ticker read. "Do Democrats cause cancer? Find out at foxnews.com... Rupert Murdoch: Terrific dancer... Dow down 5000 points... Study: 92 per cent of Democrats are gay... JFK posthumously joins Republican Party... Oil slicks found to keep seals young, supple..."

Unfortunately, as he goes on to explain, "we have been forbidden to do that again. Because the Fox viewer might confuse our cartoon with actual news." At least that's what he was told by Fox.

Silly Fox.

Teaching My Son Spanish

I speak Spanish fluently, and I've been trying to speak to my son so he can learn. It's hard to remember to speak throughout the day because I'm just not used to it. I prefer English because it's my stronger language, but I haven't given up on teaching Spanish, yet. That said, I haven't given up on my husband either. I'm hoping the conversations my son and I have will motivate my husband to join the game.

What's helped a bit is buying books, which means I can read fluid rhymes to him that keep his attention a bit longer. The selection of books out there these days is great. Some I have or would like to buy include:

Froggy Gets Dressed
I Had a Hippopotamus
Big Dog/Little Dog
Green Eggs and Ham
Good Night Moon
The Hungry Caterpillar

He has a lot of energy so sitting down with me for a whole story is unlikely, but it's a good start. Besides, it reminds me to keep on him.

On that note, I found a cute website that has old tales translated into Spanish like Little Red Riding Hood and The Ugly Duckling.

Unknown Area Codes...Not Any More

Sometimes, when we're finishing dinner or getting ready for bath & bed time, we get random calls that show up as blocked numbers or from unknown area codes. It's usually a telemarketer that we have a prior relationship with or a non-profit organization, meaning they're not subject to the Do Not Call registry. We pretty much don't answer any more, especially if the call looks suspicious. However, if the area code does show up, the curiosity can be maddening.

Lifehacker's tip on finding the location of an area code will surely come in handy.

Type the 3-digit area code into google's search engine. The first item should be the name of the area with a link to a map.

Excellent!

You might think "old news, Meta Mommy. What rock have you been hiding under?" Well, to you I say "whatever, I know now." Yes, I've been searching the hard way, and I'll leave it at that. No, I don't call the operator...any more.

How about this? Did you know about this search tool which helps pinpoint phone locations where area codes cover large areas?

Anyway, if you didn't know, enjoy. And if you did, why didn't you tell me sooner?

Recipe: Moroccan Style Lamb

I'm not a fan of cookbooks that imply "diet" in the title, but after taking a look at this Weight Watchers book at my sister-in-law's house, I had to get it. Over the past few months, it's become a weekly staple in our menu planning.

One of our favorite recipes is a lamb dish. I'm not the biggest fan of lamb, but if I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was beef. It's a simple recipe which allows for plenty of leftovers (how much you make is up to you) that can be eaten as is (our preference), or as the book suggests, frozen for future stir frys. Instead of a leg of lamb, we use a lamb tenderloin. And instead of oven roasting, my husband BBQs it. Less clean up for me ;-)

Moroccan-Style Roast Leg of Lamb
Leftover lamb freezes well. After defrosting, slice it thin and stir-fry with onion and red and yellow bell peppers for a quick supper.

Makes 6 servings

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons paprika (not smoked)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 (2-2.25 pound) half bone-in leg of lamb (preferably sirloin half), trimmed of all visible fat OR lamb tenderloin

Roasting Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375F. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the oil, mint, paprika, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub all over the lamb.

2) Place the lamb on a rack in the shallow roasting pan. Roast until tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the lamb (not touching the bone) registers 155F for medium, about 1-1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into about 12 slices.

BBQ instructions:
1) In a gallon zip-top bag, thoroughly combine the oil, mint, paprika, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. I place the bag in a bowl, thereby allowing me to toss things in without the challenge of propping open the bag. Put the lamb in and marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2) When we BBQ it, we aim for medium/pink (an internal temperature of 145), so cook time depends on the size of the meat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Serve with some left over ratatouille.

Downgrading Your Cleaning Supplies – Save Money & the Environment

Check out a guest post I wrote on Free Money Finance titled "Downgrading Your Cleaning Supplies – Save Money & the Environment."

Tips on How to Close a Chip Bag

Here's a clever way to close a large bag without clips, tape, etc. No more lost clips or stale chips. Definitely an organizational feat.

I don't have any large bags that I can close like this, so I haven't been able to try it. But if you do, let me know how it goes.

The End of the Chip Clip

Who Couldn't Use A Free Vacation?

Joy! I found a fun contest on Nerd's Eye View.

American Airlines and the new movie the Bourne Ultimatum have joined forces for a promotion where AA will be giving away a boat load of frequent flier miles. Just guess how many miles "Jason Bourne" has in his account, and you could win them all. Even better, you're guess doesn't have to be right, which is good cuz I'm terrible with this kind of stuff.

So maybe you don't care about American Airlines, or the Bourne movies, or Matt Damon (but how could you not, really), but you can't tell me you don't care about free miles!!

The catch: you have to have an AA frequent flier number. And if you don't sign up, that's cool. I'll be sure to say "hi" from Bangkok, Mumbai, and Budapest ;-)