Chinese Goods in an American Market

Despite being cautious after so many recalls of Chinese goods recently, I realize there's no way we would be able to eliminate Chinese products without a great deal of hassle or expense. Buying locally raised foods helps keep that concern to a minimum. But besides that, you don't always know what ingredients are in the foods you purchase, as I was reminded by a segment on ABC World News.

They interviewed Sara Bongiorni, author of A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy. She convinced her family to go cold turkey on Chinese goods for a whole year, which meant giving up a lot of conviences and stocking up on Lego for the kids.

I'm not sure that we could do it. We'd probably go a little scatty before long. Though in a strange twist, despite things being more expensive on an individual basis, I'm guessing we might save money because of the limitations on the products we could actually buy. Hmmm...I think I'll start taking a closer look at the "made in ..." sticker to see the viability of this project.

On that note, I wonder where the book was made.

Tips on Picking & Remembering Passwords

Lifehacker's advice on choosing and remembering passwords is a great system. The company I worked for required employees to have several different passwords and change them frequently (i.e., every 3 months or so), so I had to come up with a system that worked for me. I came up with something very similar. It was a combination of letter and numbers, where the numbers were based on when the password was last changed (e.g., Feb 2007 = 0207) and the letters were based on what the password was for (e.g., human resources = HR). I've also used a foreing language as the letter-based digits, which also came in handy.

This works pretty well for personal passwords, too, since they should be changed frequently to maximize security. For those rarely used passwords, I use Mac's Keychain instead of saving them in a Word or Excel document, which is simply unsafe. I don't know of any other such alternatives, but a commenter on Lifehacker recommended KeePass, which seems to serve the same purpose.

iPhone: Will It Blend

There was a Border Grill stand at the farmers' market today, and I couldn't pass it up. I got a chile tamale, which was delicious!! Washed it all down with a minty lime cooler, which is a lot like a virgin mojito.

Beautiful summer day if I ever saw one.

Then a friend told me about this site, and I thought "surely that's not what I think it is." Oh, but it was. And guess what happened. It worked...kind of.

It just kinda made me sad. Well, not that sad. I've moved on, after all.

Sip, sip...ahhhhh

When I'm Bored, I Purge to Organize

I don't know what it is about when my husband's out of town, but I'd swear this place feels messier because I'm overcome by this overwhelming urge to organize something. Today, it was the closet in our spare room. The focus of my tirade: a box of notes from college. OMG...I can't belive I kept some of that stuff. What was Life Sciences 15, anyway?!? Funny thing is we're really not pack rats. In fact, we're quite merciless when it comes to keeping stuff. If we won't use it, it's gone. But there's an emotional connection to notes that required so much effort, concentration, and time. It took a while to finally realize that I will never...ever, ever, ever need them again. Once you can admit that to yourself, it really makes detaching so much easier. And the extra room, which we happen to need, is fabulous. Besides, when it comes to donations, I'm happier knowing someone else can use something if we know we won't.

As for today's purge, the recylcling bin is gonna be pretty full tomorrow.

Stuff That Makes Our Bathtime Successful

Life would be so much harder without this stuff:

- Little waterproof books for bath time. My son puts everything in his mouth and chew, chew, chews.


- When he started pulling himself up (~8 months), bathtime became a bit more dangerous. We knew we had to get rid of the tiny bath, but he wasn't ready for the full bath. So we got a Munchkin mini bath that was somewhere in the middle. It inflates to fit nicely in the bathtub and has high, cushy sides. It also has a cushy bottom which makes him less likely to stand, and if he does, there's slightly more protection than with the tiny tub. Added bonus: it's in the shape of a rubber ducky, and it quacks!!

- We have a soft rubber ducky (just like Ernie's), but he prefers the hard one that doesn't squeek because it provides more resistance when he chews.

So when bathtime rolls around, as long as we have this stuff, bathtime is great!

First Word, Certainly Not The Last

Although our son has been saying "mamamamamamamama" and "dadadadadadadada" for a while without rhyme or reason, we think he audibly spoke his first word today. Meta Daddy walked into the bedroom and Meta Son said "da da."

You win this round, Meta Daddy.

iPhone's Battery Woes

We love Apple stuff. The computers are great. Easy to use, intuitive, seamless...you're more likely to overthink a problem than with another computer. So we generally love their products and as a result, we're faithful customers.

The iPhone is a cool toy, but we're not fooled. It's a toy...an expensive toy. Besides, it's the first generation, which means there will be serious quirks and shortcomings that should be fixed in future models (e.g., no IM chatting). As faithful Apple customers, we know better. Apparently, the guy interviewed in this article doesn't. Harvey Rosenfield, founder of Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, a consumer advocacy group "has expressed outrage over Apple Inc.'s battery replacement program for the iPhone." In a letter to Apple and AT&T, he wrote that customers were "left in the dark about the procedure and cost of replacing the gadget's battery."

Seriously? Apple's notoriety with iPods and their battery replacement system didn't cross this guy's path? The battery doesn't last forever, and because it's a sealed box, you can't change the battery yourself. You have to take it in, they'll change the battery at a cost of $79.95, plus 6.95 for shipping, and you get it back in 3 business days. If you *need* a phone in the meantime, you can get a loaner for $29. This might seem expensive if you just got a free phone for signing up with your carrier, but that's not what happened. If you're in this pickle, you just dropped $500-600 on a new phone, which means you're hardly the frugal type. And just to put it in perspective, all phones will eventually have to have their batteries changed, and a new battery will likely cost in excess of $50 regardless of the manufacturer. That said, few people bother to keep their phones that long. Carrier's promotions often make it more cost-efficient to get a new phone rather than replace a current phone's battery.

But the kicker for me was when Rosenfeld said "the cell phone industry is notorious for not being consumer-friendly while Apple has a fairly good reputation, so for Apple to stand on a technicality of a hidden disclosure that's going to cost the user as much as 20 percent of the purchase price I think will prove to be a colossal mistake."

LOL.

Like I said, we love Apple products, which is why we keep coming back. They provide a stellar out of the box experience that makes you feel like a kid at Christmas every time you open one of their boxes. But their customer service is lousy. I've called and emailed and come to similar conclusions on either occasion. They're short, if not rude, unresponsive, and seemingly indifferent. In fact, it all makes sense now, Apple's venturing into the cell phone market.

Anyway, research your purchases well so you don't turn into bitter people like poor Mr. Rosenfield.

Oh, How I Hate to Nag, but...

Gretchen Ruben's article on the Huffington Post is a good reminder of how to communicate successfully.

Her 8 tips on how to stop the nagging:

1. Answer, to show that you've registered what was said. "Okay, I need to stop at the store on the way home."
2. Commit to a deadline. "I don't have time today or tomorrow to deal with the car insurance, but it's on my calendar for Friday, and I'll take care of it then."

One unpleasant thing about being nagged is hearing the nag, nag, nag voice in your ear.

3. Find a WORDLESS way to be reminded to do a chore. Ask the nagger to put light-bulbs on the counter if the light-bulbs need to be replaced.
4. Ask to be reminded in writing, with notes or emails. This method is also more efficient and helpful.

Instead of just ignoring the nagging, explain why you're not responding:

5. If you're being nagged to take an umbrella, eat breakfast, or put on a coat, remind the nagger that you are a grown-up, and you choose not to do so.
6. If, in truth, you simply aren't going to do something, tell the nagger that you're not going to do it. A nagger would prefer to KNOW that you won't do it rather than to be kept in frustrated suspense -- especially because often, your stalling makes the task ultimately more difficult to accomplish.

Remove the prompt for the nagging:

7. Sometimes we have an aversion to a particular chore. If you're always being nagged to do the dishes because you HATE doing dishes, try saying, "For some reason, I hate doing dishes. Is there something else I could do, as a substitute?"
8. Throw money at the problem. Marital happiness is a high life priority. Instead of buying a new kitchen table, spend the money to hire a teenager to mow the lawn.

************************************************

Clever list. In our relationship, I'm usually the nagging offender. But as you can see from this list, it's not a one-sided equation. Both parties are responsible for maintaining the lines of communication. I might think I'm reminding him to do something that he keeps forgetting about, but he's actually avoiding the task for some particular reason, so he just thinks I'm nagging. I do it because I'm concerned (e.g., did you take your vitamin), and as far as I can tell, he prefers avoiding the confrontation caused by "no, I haven't booked the tickets, yet." And it goes both ways. I've gotten my fair share of "have you eaten lunch?"

One *quiet* thing that's helped us is Backpack. We share a "to-do" list, and either of us can add things as needed, or check them off as completed. A nice, quick way to communicate without the confrontation. And all I have to say is "have you checked our list?"

Post Secret: The Little Things That Make People Different

Post Secret is a website where people mail in their "secrets" on a post card, and they're posted on the site. It's intriguing. Voyeuristic. Salient. Exciting. Heartbreaking. Hopeful. So many things.

I'm not sure why I read it, but I do. I like seeing what other people have to say, and I'm not alone. Post Secret says Technorati rates it the 9th most popular blog in the world, though I just checked and it looks like it's now the 7th largest.

You find statements that people would never verbalize. You find comments that parallel your own thoughts. You find questions that you've never been able to answer, either. And sometimes, you get insight into the little things that make people different. I'm more than happy to open my own door if that means my husband's going to help me make dinner or give our son a bath. Everyone's idea of perfect is different, I suppose.

Trader Joe's Amazing Chocolate Cupcakes

It doesn't matter how much you like baking if you want dessert, and there just isn't time. It's just not going to happen.

I'm addicted to Trader Joe's chocolate cupcakes. Don't look at the nutritional content...just split it with someone and pretend it's good for you. Good luck with that ;-)

Financial Calender per Money Magazine

As Q2 has just ended, how's your desk looking? Between work and family, it's hard to stay organized. And when it's warm and lovely outside, who cares! Well, before you completely forget, here's a list of things from Money magazine's December 2006 issue to keep you on your toes. An annual planner to help you keep your financial affairs and such in order.

Here are a few that you might still be able to take advantage of.
2nd Quarter

Empty your desk drawers - Prune your papers by ditching 2006's pay stubs, undisputed medical insurance claims, monthly credit-card and brokerage statements, and credit-card and ATM receipts. Hang on to year-end investment records indefinitely and tax records for at least seven years.

Weather the storm - Rates for homeowners insurance are expected to climb 4% nationally in 2007, far more in coastal areas. You may get a discount if you install storm shutters and take other steps to hurricane-proof your home. Plus, update your home inventory by videotaping your belongings.

Do It Now:
-Get a big tax refund? Adjust your W4 withholding by adding another allowance.
-Free up time in 2007. Sign up for online bill pay at your bank.
-Lower your risk of ID theft by stopping credit-card solicitations. Call 888-567-8688. (Note: you have to supply your Social Security Number)
-Cut down on unwanted catalogues (and save a few trees). Pay $1 to have your name removed from mailing lists at DMA consumers.

Stuff that you should start looking at over the next few months.
3rd Quarter

Save your energy - Unless Congress acts, this is the last year certain energy-friendly home upgrades, such as installing new windows and insulation, will entitle you to a federal tax credit worth up to $500 (find details at ASE). Even if you can't claim the credit, plugging drafs, adding insulation and switching to compact fluorescent bulbs can save you hundreds on utility bills this winter.

Hit the seas - For the best berth and price, you generally have to book cruises nine to 12 months in advance. But you can find a cheap spot on a repositioning cruise on much shorter notice. These trips often go from Europe to the Caribbean between late September and mid-December, as cruise companies move their ships to warmer spots for the winter. Repositioning cruises offer discounts of 75% or more on high-season prices, and with fewer families crowding the ships, you might nab an upgrade, too.

Fund a 529 - Money in these college savings plans grows tax-free, and you won't pay taxes on the withdrawals now that Congress has made that perk permanent.

Insure your life for less - Rates on term life insurance are expected to drop 4% in 2007. If you have a policy and you're in good health, you may be able to save by shopping around. Compare prices at insure.com and quickquote.com.

Tally your medical bills - If you've already spent most of your health insurance deductible, try to advance some of next year's doctor visits and procedures into the second half of 2007 so that your insurer will foot the entire bill.

Plan Ahead:
-Order your second credit report of 2007 in July here.
-Have your furnace inspected; once cold weather hits, repair pros will be busier.
-Buy a bike. Most manufacturers ship next year's models in September. To clear out 2007 inventory, stores may knock 15-25% off the price.
-Look for computer deals. With the early 2007 wide release of Microsoft's Vista and faster chips from Intel, older models should be discounted

Stuff to think about in a few months.
4th Quarter

Look in on your investments - Once a year you should make sure your stock and bond allocations match your plan. If not, sell winners and buy losers to restore your optimal mix. You can rebalance any time of year, but fall is an especially good time if you invest outside tax-sheltered retirement accounts. That's because you can sell dud investments before year-end and cut your 2007 tax bill. If your losses outstrip your gains, you can deduct up to $3,000 worth of losses against ordinary income.

Spread holiday cheer - Donate to your favorite charity by 12/31. Starting in 2007, you'll need a receipt for all cash gifts, no matter how small. That could be a letter from the charity, a canceled check or a credit-card statement. Plus you'll need an appraisal for any donated item worth more than $500.

Read all e-mails from HR - Typically, November is open-enrollment season, and once again you may see new choices like a health savings account, which lets you put away pretax money for medical costs. To fund an HSA, you must pick a high-deductible insurance plan (at least $2,200 for families).

Grab tax breaks at work - Depending on your company's policies, you may be able to stash several thousand dollars pretax in a flexible spending account that you can tap to pay for medical expenses; you can put aside another $3,000 for day-care costs;$105 a month for mass transit and $205 for parking.

Hit your boss up for cash - Pay raises are expected to average 3.7% in 2007 (about the same as last year). Raise your chances for more dough by asking in fall, when the head honchos are tinkering with the 2008 budget.

Beat the clock:
-If you filed for an extention on your taxes in April, your new deadline is October 15.
-If you are 65 or older, re-enroll for the Medicare drug plan for 2008 between November 15 and December 31.
-You can give up to $12,000 tax-free to any number of people by December 31. A couple can together give $24,000.
-Order your last free credit report of 2007 in December here.
-Shop online for gifts before December 14 to get free shipping from major e-tailers.

Did Robin Hood Steal Your Credit Card?

Keeping tabs on your credit rating is hard. You pay your bills on time and take tedious steps to keep your profile looking good. But what about the stuff you have no control over? After some research, I signed up to Triple Alert because for $5 per month, it monitors activity that might impact my credit reports on a daily basis and emails me in the event of any key changes (e.g., someone checked my credit report). I was already checking my credit reports annually, but I felt that with the speed of techonology these days, and the ease in which identities can be stolen, the sooner I knew about a problem the better. If I noticed a problem on my credit report one year after the fact, what kind of impact would that cause? I don't want to find out.

My husband is equally concerned about such safety issues. He frequently checks our credit card activity online and has even caught theft activity before our credit card company. We don't know how someone got our credit card information, but at least we were able to stop it from being used extravagantly. And for that, we certainly don't thank Citibank.

A Newsday article reported on another technique thieves have been using which is just as effective, but less likely to be detected. Your credit card is used to make a small charitable donation, serving to verify the card. They can charge more for a stolen card if it's been verified, so they're inclined to test them. "The verification method has become popular because the monitoring software at credit-card companies may not question donations to charities." Apparently, the Red Cross refunded 700 fraudulent credit-card transactions last month. "That figure doesn't include the transactions the charity blocked because they appeared fraudulent."

So check your credit card activity often, and scrutinize every charge, especially the ones you don't recognize. There's no such thing as being too cautious.

Via Slashdot

"Could This Be Me?"

Every time we have a decision to make, the hardest part is narrowing down our options. In fact, we're more likely to add options to our list.

What do you want for dinner?
How about Italian?
Ooo...or Thai. I could go for Thai.
Sushi sounds kinda good, too.
O.K. Italian, Thai, or sushi. Or we could BBQ? Won't take any time to grill up something nice.

*sigh*

So any tips to help us streamline our decision-making process are welcome. Steve Pavlina suggests a simple question: "is this me?"

Don't know if this is a catch-all question. Sometimes, you have to push the envelope to grow and develop, which means asking "could this be me?"

Via Lifehacker

Our Reasons for Homemade Baby Food

While I was pregnant, we decided to try to feed our infant homemade baby food. We believed that the nutritional aspects are great enough to warrant the additional effort involved. So when we went in for his 6 month appointment, I was really excited at the prospect of starting him on solids. Our pediatrician said that we should start feeding him pureed fruits and vegetables, and to make sure to get him to try various different ones like broccoli and brussels sprouts. I asked why starting babies on cereal was traditional, and he said it's primarily based on the notion that babies need more iron, but he's seen studies that refute that point. In his many years, he's found that starting babies on a diet of fruits and vegetables is much more successful, and we should introduce cereal later. As for allergies, he asked that we not feed him the usual suspects (e.g., honey, eggs, milk) as well as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and strawberries. Other than that, don't be too concerned about introducing foods slowly to watch for allergies. Often, pediatricians suggest introducing a new food every 4 days so that only one new food is in the babies system at any given time. Watch for allergic reactions and if none develop, continue on to try another food. Since our doctor redlined allergens to be concerned with, we were granted a carte blanche.

Done.

That week I started steaming and mashing food. He didn't like it. I tried a blender, a hand blender, and a food mill. We suspect he thought we were trying to poison him.

I don't know where he gets this paranoia from. *sigh*

I figured the texture was a bit chunky for him, so on a whim I tried a couple of store brands like organic Gerber, Homemade Baby, and Earth's Best. I also called the pediatrician's office to see if they could suggest anything, and they said that since he's already getting all of the nutrition he needs from breastmilk, just keep trying until he gets used to the texture. Finally, between some of my food and some of the store bought food, he started to eat. His favorite by far was Piwi, a combination of pears and kiwi. I continued with a bit of store bought food for a while longer until one day we compared the color of homemade peas to store bought peas. Then we remembered why we wanted to feed him homemade food.

We want him to eat fresh, organic food - If I make his food, I can regulate the ingredients and be sure of the state of the food before it's pureed. I want fresh, organic food for health and nutritional reasons, so I buy produce from our local farmers' market. If we know what he's eating and how it's prepared (e.g., steamed), we can be sure that he's getting more nutrition out of the food he eats. Besides, I'm convinced that the reason I couldn't get my food to the same texture as the food I bought is because they add other ingredients. That's enough of a reason for me to question the ingredients label. Again, I'm paranoid, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.

His food should taste good - We like good food. if we don't eat processed foods, why should he? We watch cooking shows for fun. We've traveled to countries because we like the local food. In essence, we've been willing to spend more to get better quality ingredients, and nothing's changed. So now that we're feeding him, we want to give him food that we would eat. Sorry Gerber...you just don't do it for us.

We want him to broaden his palate by exposing him to many foods - Even if we didn't have a problem with store bought foods, the flavors available are few in number, and we really wanted to feed him a wide variety of foods. I was a picky eater until...well, until I met my husband. I liked food, but I was only comfortable in a safe zone. He helped me try more foods and flavors, and over time I've become a much more adventurous eater. However, I wish I'd been less apprehensive before because I missed out on a lot of culinary experiences and growth as a result. We don't want that to slow our little slugger down.

We want him to eat what he's given - We don't want a picky eater, and we'd like to nip it in the bud if we can. If we're willing to eat it, son, you're gonna have to eat it, too.

That's the gist of it, though I'm sure I missed a few other good reasons. In the end, we just want him to be happy, healthy, cooperative and well-rounded. If we can start teaching him these fundamentals in the form of food, we figure we're off to a good start.

Annoying Food Terms

From the Delicious Life, Sarah's list of 20 food words that annoy her. I'm amused and/or offended by several of these, which I find oddly entertaining. She reminds me of a friend of mine...actually, several friends. Hmmm.

If I were to eliminate all of these from my vocabulary, food would just be a series of ingredients. Unctuous is such a useful word precisely because it has no meaning. In fact, even if I could define it for you, I wouldn't.

#8 is right on, though. Right on.

Top 20 or So Food Words and Phrases That Are Annoying for One Reason or Another

to die for – No food is worth dying for. Not even Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dipped in Blue Cheese dressing and hand-fed to me by a half-naked Tyler Florence.

food of the Gods – No such thing. God doesn’t eat. That skinny bitch.

incredible – People use the word incredible when they really mean to say “really really good,” but incredible means unbelievable. This is just a nit because it doesn't really say much about what's being eaten other than maybe you didn't eat it, maybe you did. We don't know what to believe.

like crack – What you mean to say is “highly addictive.” Is there something wrong with saying “highly addictive?” It has the same number of words. And what's wrong with heroin? I think heroin is a lot more addictive (for the record, I have never used heroin, crack, or otherwise).

toothy – This makes me think that whatever I’m eating has teeth. That’s gross. And scary. Like it might bite me back. According to the dictiosaurus, “toothy” means appetizing. There is nothing appetizing about a a slice of bread that might rip my tongue out. And by the way, toothy does mean it has teeth.

earthy – The only thing that tastes earthy is earth. Earth is another word for dirt. If it tastes like dirt, it probably is dirt, or still has dirt on it. That’s nasty. Truffles are often described as earthy. Guess what? They taste like dirt.

gourmet – Ever since French’s bloody slaughtered the word “gourmet,” and re-assembled it into GourMayo, something like the completely and utterly horrifying way a cute little farm animal’s unmentionable machine-separated parts are “re-assembled” into a hot dog, I hate this word. Besides, it has the word “gore” in it.

foodie – I don’t think I need to explain myself on this one. "Foodie" is snob for "someone who eats."

flavor profile – That’s foodie for “taste.”

melts in your mouth - Ice melts. Butter melts. This cliche is so overused it makes me nauseous.

bursting with flavor - Another one that's hackneyed.

smooth and velvety - Banal.

food coma – Trite. Oh god, I can't go on.

sublime – Sublime is a pchem thing. Something about solid turning directly into gas.

unctous – Does anyone know what this really means? Yeah, thought so.

___-alicious – Really? Do you really want to be like Fergie? Okay, well, yes. I do. The Dutchess is the only one who can use this. If I see another form of -alicious like yumalicious, smackalicious, fuckalicious...

to perfection – Whose perfection? Yours? Mine? This is stupid.

steaming hot – Redundant. If it’s steaming, it’s hot. If it’s hot, it’s probably giving off steam. Unless you’re in the Amazon, in which case, never mind and buy my something off my wishlist. Oh god, redundancy is so confusing.

tastes like crap – Unless you have eaten feces, you can’t say this.

EVOO – I will hit you. I will. I will domolecularlize myself and travel through the interwifi to come and slap that Yum-o Joker smile off your face. And if you ever say this out loud as “ee-voo,” as in rhymes with "review," and not as the acronym, I will puke.

Tips for Traveling with Infants

Urban Baby got Christina Chan, author of "101 Baby Travel Tips," to share a few tips on flying with an infant.

Smart Booking: Bulkhead seats are a favorite of parents traveling with kids because of the extra legroom and the ability to hook up airline bassinets. The drawback? No storage under the seats.

--Bulheads are great, but if you're traveling at a busy time of year, odds are you won't get it. Your options are to (1) buy a seat for the baby (usually at a slight discount) or (2) hold the squirming monster (the name develops over the course of the flight, trust me). If it's a short flight, you might be willing to save on the extra seat. If it's a long haul flight, or if you have a particularly energetic child, consider how you'll cope for 10 hours. Are you flying alone? Will the baby be able to sleep in your lap? Will the baby wake up easily if you have to move or get up? Will you be able to sleep if you're holding the baby. If you do decide to hold your baby, consider getting one of these. It's much safer than the strap the airline provides you with, and only $30.

International Expeditions: Check out the website for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs for info on finding American doctors in a foreign country, travel safety, and legal issues concerning traveling out of the country with children.

Supplies: Heading to a major city? No need to schlep dozens of diapers when there is a drugstore on every corner. Large Ziploc bags to toss in messy diapers, dirty spoons and the like are a must, as is an extra change of clothing for the baby.

--My sister-in-law's expert tip: consider a change of clothes for yourself on the flight if you don't want to smell like throw-up for 10 hours. Another thing to consider is changing diapers on the plane. It's not easy, and it's worse if the bathroom doesn't have a changing table. A friend's tip: bring your changing pad and lie it on the closed toilet lid. It's the closest you'll get to a reasonable surface. If you're truly exceptional or looking for a challenge, try changing your little one while in your arms :-P

That's Entertainment: Bring two toys – one that's an old favorite, plus a new one that's just begging to be explored.

--You don't want to carry too much stuff because...well...you have to carry it. Be conservative with space in your carry-on so you'll be able to manage it once you get on the flight. Even moreso if you're traveling alone with a child. Have what you *need,* but don't bring too many "just in case" items. Besides, engaging your child can be much more effective than just shaking a toy at him.

Car Seats: Taxis usually don't have car seats, but many car rental companies and car services will supply one for a small fee. Reserve the car seat when booking, and give the company your child's age and weight. Ask the year and make of the car seat, as well as the criteria for replacing it.

--If you decide to get a seat for your child, which isn't necessary until s/he is two years old, you can use your car seat in the airline seat for an added level of safety. Make sure that it's FAA certified, though. Transporting it can be a challenge between luggage, carry-ons...oh ya, and the baby. I've found two products that simplify the challenge. First, the gogo Kidz Travelmate, which allows you to wheel your own car seat throughout the airport and beyond while your child is strapped in. We've already traveled a few times with our little guy, so we decided to invest in a sit 'n' stroll. It's a car seat that transforms into a stroller, it's FAA approved, and it fits in the airline seats with the arms raised (always a question with other car seats). The stroller's handles pull out from the back of the seat and are a bit wonky, so I wouldn't use it as a primary stroller, but it works in a pinch. With either option, you have a car seat once you arrive at your destination, resulting in one less concern when you land achy and bleary-eyed.
If you're unsure about policies, I'd suggest calling the airline prior to your trip.

Metaboy finally fell asleep after a long, long flight to Ireland.

Baby Proofing: Call the hotel before the trip to ask about baby proofing (some offer this service). Pack extra outlet covers (masking tape works in a pinch), or pipe cleaners to secure drape cords. Inspect the room for dangerous objects that could be within a baby's reach.

--I like the masking tape idea for quick and cheap baby proofing. It sounds all-purpose, too. You can tape cabinets shut, wind up drape cords, and safeguard various other traps without leaving a damaging film or sticky residue.

My favorite travel tip: Don't overpack. Unless you're going to a third world country, you should be able to find most of what you need if you either run out or forgot something at home. Make a list beforehand and stick to it. As for toilettries, bring small bottles filled with your needed products (e.g., cleanser, lotion, hair product, etc.) and put them in a zip-top bag. If they leak, they won't detroy your wardrobe. And they'll be easy to find once you need them. And remember that you're only allowed 3 ounces on flights these days, so don't bother bringing anything larger.

Tips On Keeping Cool

I don't like hot weather. It makes me uncomfortable and cranky. At this time last year, I was very pregnant and the heat was my enemy. Though I'm usually the type to wear a sweater, I found myself warm all of the time. On my drive to work, I was so hot I had to open all of my car windows. I'm talking 65 degrees.
I'm glad I'm not pregnant now.

Real Simple has some quick tricks to cool down. Drinking enough fluids and eating light meals are a couple of tricks that keep me happy. Making sure your home is well insulated is also a great investment (e.g., thermal pane windows)

1) Try a desert trick
2) Block the sun
3) Make a makeshift air conditioner
4) Give your A/C some TLC
5) Close the fireplace damper
6) Close windows and doors whenever the outside air is hotter than the inside air
7) Fan strategically
8) Spritz yourself with cool water
9) Simultaneously run a fan and an air conditioner on low
10) Turn on the vent in the bathroom
11) Let your computer take a nap
12) Use a personal fan
13) Skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher
14) Dress right
15) Go barefoot
16) Eat spicy foods
17) Drink enough fluids
18) Eat light
19) Don't use your oven
20) Keep the lights off or change the bulbs
21) Don't use your clothes dryer
22) Make a cold compress
23) Take a mental getaway (e.g., read a book about cool weather)

What On Earth is a Soy Decaf Latte and Why Are You Drinking It???

When I started nursing my son, the whole process went pretty well, considering. I was recovering from a c-section, but I was fortunate enough to heal pretty well. I got a ridiculous case of mastitis, which healed after a few different approaches. However, the most challenging part was his spitting up.

The night we brought him home, he didn't sleep and he threw up so much milk that at 6 or 7 that morning, we called our pediatrician's office and left a message asking what to do. Someone called back in about 30 minutes and asked what he was doing now. What was he doing? He'd fallen asleep. "He's sleeping." What kind of response does a trained medical person give you? "Sounds like he's doing fine, then." The doctor went on to explain that babies will spit up and as long as they continue to gain weight, there isn't much to worry about. Our son was born at 7.11 lbs, and when we left the hospital 4 days later, he was already back to his birth weight (usually takes 2 weeks). At 2 weeks, he was approaching 10 lbs. He was NOT losing weight, so we just tried to deal with the spitting up. After doing some research and asking the doctor again, it seemed like changing MY diet could have a positive impact. So I tried eliminating chocolate. Nothing...except a little sadness from me. I tried a few more things. Nothing. Eventually, hoping that it wouldn't work but knowing it probably would, I gave up dairy. And wouldn't you know it, he stopped spitting up. It was great, and yet, so very depressing. I've never craved dairy more in my life than those first few months after he was born. So, I replaced milk with soy milk, and stopped eating any foods that had milk or cream as a big and/or uncooked ingredient (e.g., quiche, custard, ice cream). Cheese, butter, yogurt, and other foods low in lactose were not a problem. His feedings used to be followed by a messy amount of spit up, but they virtually stopped once my new diet kicked in.

Today, since I'm still nursing him, I usually abstain from dairy. Every now and then I might have a little bit, but he doesn't react unless I consume a certain amount. And if I do ever have any non-dairy desserts, they're usually accompanied by a soy decaf latte.

The joys of motherhood :-D

Save the Cookies!!

Megnut has an excellent tip on keeping cookies fresh. Once your fresh, chewy cookies have started to get stale, add a slice of bread to freshen them up again. Does this really work? Where have I been? I haven't made cookies in a while since I haven't had a big enough group to feed and my husband and I can only eat so many desserts. And cookies aren't as much desserts as they are scrumptious little morsels to be accompanied by tea, coffee, milk, or a soy decaf latte.

via Lifehacker

Venice's New Hidden Kitchen

While we've never been ones to dine out every night, and we're definitely less likely to do so these days, I still like to hear news on local restaurants. LA Eater was tipped off about Hidden, a new restaurant opening in the old Schatzi space by the owners of Via Veneto (great Italian) this month. It sounds like they're going to be taking a bit from many, many different cultures. I like to call it eclectic, though it might just be visually noisy...can't tell yet.

LA Eater says:

"The indoor/outdoor space will have cabanas, firepits, Asian wall coverings, and Italian rugs, and at least four distinct cuisines will be served. We actually count five, with just as many chefs:

Bianconi has lined up a roster of top chefs and a kitchen helmed by Ruben Vasquez, the Executive Chef at Via Veneto who is versed in Italian cuisine as well as regional delicacies from his native Mexico. Michael Bao Huyhn, James Beard Tastemaker and acclaimed chef and owner of New York’s Mai House, brings serious pedigree and great flavors to the kitchen’s Vietnamese creations; superfresh sushi is artfully presented by Master Sushi Chef Minori Fujita, formerly of LA’s cult-favorite The Hump; Gianfranco Rega, a Master Pizzaiolo from Naples, prepares authentic Italian pizza in custom built wood-burning ovens; Tapas are prepared by Danele Lai, an international chef who comes from The Eden Rock Hotel in St. Barths."

Those are some impressive chefs collaborating in the kitchen, though they're only consulting on the menus. Read: other people will actually be making your food. But isn't that always the way.