13 Costumes...mostly cute

1. Many Mini Mouses
   
2. A rather impressive pirate (á la Pirates of the Carribean's Jack Sparrow).
   
3. A rather impressive female pirate...not á la Pirates of the Carribean's ;-)
   
4. A guy built like a football player in an evening gown.
   
5. A cute little ballerina.
   
6. A cute little pink bunny.
   
7. Several cute little monkeys.
   
8. Some cute little Elmos.
   
9. An e-mail and attachment
   
10. A little race car driver (looked like pajamas with several patches attached and she was riding a toy car).
    
11. A woman in psychedelic colors and a large, blonde afro. Note: she could have just been crazy as this is Los Angeles.
    
12. A pretty impressive renaissance era dress.
    
13. A chef :-)

Nozin for Noses

For the germophobes out there, Nozin

Mmmm....99.98% germ mortality rate. Excellent, Smithers.

Via Daily Candy

Sleeping Babes

My sister-in-law has two kids, both of whom are great sleepers. She joked that her first was sleeping through the night by the time she was two weeks old. Her second, a little boy, took a bit longer, but not by much relatively speaking. When we visited back in February, we noticed that he would nod off while having his bottle. She would have to wake him to get him to finish the bottle, which only served to annoy him. He and his sister would then sleep through the night, regardless of ambient noise or light. It was marvelous to watch!


© Photographer: Brebca | Agency: Dreamstime.com

MetaBaby is nothing like his cousins. For the first 6 weeks, we were lucky if we got him to sleep before 6AM. We would both stay up trying anything and everything to get him to go to sleep. If he fell asleep, it was usually on top of one of us. 

Out of desperation, we tried co-sleeping and found that it worked really well for us. If he woke up in the course of the night, I could nurse him back to sleep without getting up.  This was a definite benefit given that I was still tender from my c-section, and I was dealing with a pretty bad case of mastitis.

After a few months of peace, the co-sleeping stopped working.  I realized that I was nursing him every time he woke up, but I started to suspect he didn't need it.  Additionally, he started moving and kicking more in his sleep, which was becoming annoying.  We moved him to his crib, but kept him in our room.  Though he woke occasionally, I didn't nurse him every time, so he was able to put himself back to sleep.  It was a good balance at the time.

But everything wears thin at some point, right?  The occasional wake-ups started taking a toll on our sleep, so we moved him to his room.  We (or was it me) resisted moving him  because we (I) thought we'd (I'd) miss his little baby breaths...but it turns out that what we really missed was sleep.  He still wakes up once a night, but sometimes...he doesn't!  Oh, those nights are good.

A Good Day

7 Plus 4(s) Things About Meme

What Works for Mom dared me to do 2 memes.  Who am I to back down?  No one, that's who.  So off I go.  Theoretically, I would tag 7 people.  Well how about this.  If you wanna play, then "Tag!" 

Meme #1 - 7 Unique Things
Rules for Meme #1
1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog

1- I like finding new music before it hits the mainstream.
2- My favorite yogurt is plain (with crunchy granola, no cinnamon!).
3- I used to eat lemons until I weaned myself off when finding out it was bad for my teeth.
4- I would never, ever, ever get a tattoo.
5- I didn't eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I was in my 20's.
6- My favorite childhood sandwich: peanut butter and mayonnaise.
7- Before I was 20, I never used moisturizer, which some think is unique. I did a little in my 20's. And I admit that upon hitting 30, usage has gone way up.

Meme #2 - 4 Questions & Answers
4 jobs you've had:
1- Usher
2- Cashier at a car auction
3- Personal bookkeeper
4- Accountant at a business management company (specifically, accountants for celebs)

4 movies I could watch over and over
1- When Harry Met Sally
2- The Princess Bride
3- The Sound of Music (especially as a kid)
4- Birdcage

4 tv shoes I watch
1- The Office
2- 30 Rock
3- Dr. Who (my husband's fault)
4- Monk

4 places I've lived
1- Los Angeles-the city
2- Los Angeles-the east valley
3- Los Angeles-the west valley
4- Los Angeles-the beach

4 favorite foods
1- Tortilla de patata
2- Roasted chicken
3- Cucumber salad with a tangy lemon dressing
4- Almost anything with avocado and cilantro (my version of catnip)

4 favorite colors
1- Burgundy
2- Dark green
3- Dark blue
4- Currently, oddly enough, orange (everything *baby* seems to be orange these days...I blame the manufacturers)

4 places I'd love to be right now
1- Seville, Spain
2- Paris, France
3- Kauai, Hawaii
4- Barcelona, Spain

4 names I love but could/would not use for my children
1- Boogie (short for Boogenstein)
2- Tristan (vetoed...too British)
3- Trinity (vetoed...too geeky)
4- Jesus Ignacio (nickname: Chewy Nacho) (vetoed, obviously)

The Germiest Places in America

Funny enough, people must know me as some kind of germ-o-phobe. Well, I kind of am one, and I've only gotten worse since MetaBaby was born.

MetaDaddy and a friend, completely independent of each other, sent me a link to an article by Health titled The Germiest Places in America.

Ew. Like I didn't have enough problems, now I have to start worrying about my sink more, which I already obsess about. It really brought out my inner Monk, which honestly, is more an outtie than an innie these days.

© Photographer: Madartists | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Here's a snapshot of the list, but feel free to go there if you really need to know more:

1. Your kitchen sink - Our sink is usually empty, and I clean it often. And yet, ew.
   
2. Airplane bathrooms - It's a port-a-potty in the sky.
   
3. A load of wet laundry - Ya, that makes sense.
   
4. Public drinking fountains - Ya, now I understand why bottled water got so popular.
   
5. Shopping cart handles - Done.
   
6. ATM buttons - I'm going to need more hand wipes.
   
7. Your handbag - I don't care who, when or why...never put your bag on the floor in a public bathroom.
   
8. Playgrounds - I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be that weird mom who cleans the jungle gym and swings. *le sigh*
   
9. Mats and machines and health clubs - Obviously, this is why I don't go to the gym. I knew there was a good reason.
   
10. Your bathtub - This makes sense, but I didn't need to hear it. I'm gonna have to go do some cleaning, now.
    
11. Your office phone - I used to have a bottle of alcohol in my desk...for strategic wipe downs. Crazy or not, those who laughed at me also borrowed it ;-)
    
12. Hotel room remote - Never trust anything in a hotel. Cross your fingers for a duvet because the covers get changed. Otherwise, just sleep without a comforter...you know why.
    

Quote: Jessamyn West

A good time for laughing is when you can.
--Jessamyn West

Avoiding Unwanted Calls and Catalogs

Things that annoy me: junk calls and junk mail.

Two things to consider so as to avoid unnecessary excess in your life.

First, the national Do Not Call registry started about 5 years ago to help consumers get off of telemarketer's lists. However, it's not a permanent solution. If you signed up when the program started, your registration might expire soon. To find out, go to the Do Not Call registry to confirm if and when you registered, and consider re-registering to avoid those *pleasant* dinner-time calls starting "Can I speak to the head of your household?"

On a similar note, Green Girl in LA, who now writes for the L.A. Times blog Emerald City, brought catalog relief to my attention. I hate all of the unwanted catalogs I get in the mail. I always mean to call companies and ask them to take me off of their mailing lists, but it doesn't always happen. When I do, it's a chore. Name, zip code, address (exactly as it appears), source code, customer code, blah, blah, blah. They're usually pretty nice about it, as am I, and they tell me I might get a few more catalogs since...whatever. It's all automated. They should be able to update things sooner than a few months.

Given the chore it can be to call some of these catalog companies, some of which have silly hours (e.g., 5PM EST), the online alternative is tempting. You have to give Catalog Choice your information (e.g., name, address, etc.), but they claim they'll remove your name from the mailing list of the company in question. I suspect the information has to be exact since that's the feeling I get whenever I've called, but the website doesn't suggest precision. Though I hate to give out my personal information, I tried it. We'll see what happens.

Sia Music and Videos

I'm a big Sia fan. If you watched 6 Feet Under, you might remember the song Breathe Me from the final episode. She's also the lead singer in Zero 7, which I also love.

She was recently on KCRW, if you'd like to hear her live. She's a bit silly, too, so the interview is amusing. As for her videos, some are disturbing, some are cool. Check out You Tube to decide for yourself. I also currently have a few on my sidebar.

Los Angeles Air Quality

We went to Carson this morning to visit Ikea. It was a relatively quick trip as we had to pick up something to finialize MetaBaby's costume (ooo...exciting!!), but it always feels like a journey. Everything does when you take the 405. You never know if you'll get stuck in traffic and end up cursing your stupid decisions. Not that I'm one to regret things...I'm just saying.

What struck me was the air. It's not very pleasant in Santa Monica right now, but we can walk to and from the car without gagging. I can't say the same for Carson. When I got out of the car, I smelled smoke. It was bad. I practically sprinted to and from the store (with my wee lad, of course). I feel like I can still smell it, but that's probably my paranoia playing games with me. Not cool, paranoia. Not cool.


I was a little surprised at how bad the air quality seemed in Carson. Yet, it made sense when I thought about it. The erratic winds push all of the smoke westward. As you can see from these pictures, coastal cities are heavily affected, and much like with the fires, there's little predictability of impacted areas.




Imagine being in the line of a smoke of that Malibu fire. Or any fire for that matter.

That said, my obvious concern is for MetaBaby. LA Public Health suggests that sensitive groups (e.g., elderly, very young) avoid prolonged exposure at this time. As a result, we've been avoiding being outdoors, and will continue to do so until the dust settles, so to speak.

Juicy Crittoure

Check it out, pooch! (I could use another word here, but then I wouldn't be very child friendly.)

Feeling left in the dog house while you're people glam up and head out on the town? Well, no more. Juicy Crittoure was made for you. Nail polish, shampooch, softening paw palm, pawfum, or pick the Jet Set for the doggy on the go. And if you need some new threads, Juicy's got you covered. Like the reversible vest with the faux-fur trim. Pricey? Yes. But you're worth it, baby.

Thirteen Silly Quotes

Ah, the silly things people have said over the years. Some true, all silly. Thanks for the inspiration What Works for Mom :-)
(Can you tell I find Sam Goldwyn hilarious?)

1. I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job.
   ~Samual Goldwyn
   
   
2. If I look confused it's because I'm thinking.
   ~Samual Goldwyn
   
   
3. I can give you a definite perhaps.
   ~Samual Goldwyn
   
   
4. This music won't do. There's not enough sarcasm in it.
   ~Samual Goldwyn
   
   
5. He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious.
   ~Yogi Berra
   
   
6. It ain't the heat, it's the humility.
   ~Yogi Berra
   
   
7. It's like deja-vu, all over again.
   ~Yogi Berra
   
   
8. Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.
   ~Yogi Berra
   
   
9. Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half of us are stupider than that.
   ~George Carlin
   
   
10. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
    ~Mark Twain
    
    
11. All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.
    ~Mark Twain
    
    
12. Windows: Just another pane in the glass.
    ~Unknown
    
    
13. People who think they know everything are annoying to those of us who do.
    ~Unknown

WW: Female Panda Bear

Halloween Costumes: Toddlers

On my mind right now? Halloween costumes for MetaBaby. This site has some great ideas for homemade costumes, and instructions on how to sew them, if applicable.

Dressing your kid in a certain color, and then painting his/her face is a safe and easy option. For example, dressing a kid in black and drawing on whiskers. Or this website's suggestion for a black-eyed pea sounds hilarious:

"dress in brown from head to toe, adding eyeliner or shadow to totally blacken one eye, and finally cut a large 'P' out of construction paper then pin it to your chest."

And my all-time favorite worn by a friend way back when: Get some packaged Smarties and stitch (or otherwise adhere) them to a pair of pants. End result? Smarty Pants. The costume might not make it through the day if the smarty pants in questions gets peckish, but nothing lasts forever ;-)

Fires & Preparedness

The air is thick out.

Here in Santa Monica, we've had an orange day. Every time there's a big fire caused by the Santa Ana winds, it seems to get blown out over the sea, directly over us. The effect is a surreal orange shadow over the day. The ocean, usually a crystal blue, is a dense, ashy-orange. It's hotter than usual, and there's something haunting about the whole effect. It would be almost enchanting if it wasn't all so depressing. I would take a picture, but honestly, this is when I'm reminded that I'm no photographer. I might take a picture that comes out well every now and then, but for the most part, I can never convey the mystical effect of a moment like this.

We're not in the direct line of any fires, thank goodness, but we're not far from them, relatively speaking. We're being told to avoid spending time outside because the air quality is pretty bad. No arguments here; it's very unpleasant outside right now. Malibu is just a few miles away. And we have several friends impacted by fires in the Valley. One friend went out on errands with his family and they packed all of their valuables in the car "just in case." The fire near them has since been extinguished, but there are constant reminders that they're not in the clear yet.

On that note, this is usually a great reminder to inventory the contents of your home for insurance purposes. At the very least, take a video or photographs of each of your rooms (in and out of your home) and note the date of purchase and cost of items above $50. Keep these records, along with receipts, warranty information, etc. in a safe place. We like to have it all on our computer, which we backup often on an external hard drive and keep at a safe deposit box. If possible, try to keep a copy out of town, too. We're not there yet, but we're working on it. I'm still working on completing our inventory list, so this is as much a reminder to me as to anyone else.

If you're overwhelmed at the thought of an inventory, here's a handy list on how to start. Some interesting tips they suggest that could be very useful, but easily overlooked:

WHN TIP:Paul Winans, the president of NARI (Natl Assoc. of Remodeling Industry), recommends documenting the finishes and fittings in your home. "There is a big money difference between sheet rock and plaster, a formica counter versus granite, linoleum versus tile." Also note special features such as decorative plaster work, intricate hardwood floor patterns, craftsman work from 100+ years ago. Document the age, make and models of your utility systems (e.g. 50 year old furnace vs. 3 years old).

WHN TIP: Be honest when you quote the cost of items. A question about one could to lead to questioning the value of all your things.

WHN TIP:Stephen Hadhazi, public insurance adjuster and publisher of DocuDamage.com recommends taking close ups of your windows, doors and their frames. Also, videotape or take a picture of someone holding a level to your foundation to show that the foundation is indeed level at the moment.

That Lovely Baby Smell

I'm borderline obsessive about washing my hands. I need to have them clean, and if I think I might have touched something suspicious (e.g., shopping cart), I really want to wash my hands...quickly.

I obviously wash them after certain things baby things like changing diapers. We use Mustela products (e.g., barrier cream), which smell wonderful. Not sweet or of baby powder...just baby fresh and clean. But I wash and scrub my hands afterwards because...well, you know why.

So when I've finished and forgotten about the diaper and I'm off eating lunch, I'm conflicted. My hands smell of Mustela. I know I washed very, very well, so I know my hands are clean. However, I can't help but be reminded of where my hands where not-so-long ago.

Italian Home Cooking

Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie covered Italy it all of it's fresh, delicious glory. The highlight of the episode was the Home Food organization, a network of home cooks in Italy started in 2004 by people who felt real home cooking was dying out in Italy. For a fee, these cooks open up their homes to guests (i.e., strangers) and make traditional Italian meals for 6-10 guests. Imagine visiting Rome, Naples, or Bologna and getting authentic, regional, seasonal home cooking made by women who learned about food and traditional cooking from their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. The beauty and history in the food must be intoxicating.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Home Food website isn't always functional. Italy Logue has some information, and Solo Dining provides a sample menu and a phone number. If you're thinking about a trip to Italy, it might be worth checking out.

Salute!

A Green Reform School

Being green is more about avoiding consumption and consumerism, but we can't give up everything all at once. As our babies and toddlers have taught us, it's all about the little accomplishments that make for huge changes in our day to day lives. So sometimes, splurging isn't all that bad. And what better way than with crafy, organic, and sustainable goods. Reform School isn't exactly built around thrift store prices, mind you, but cute is cute.

Which is why I'll allow myself to say:
Oh, how cute! An English summer pendant for $35. I'm not into jewelry, and yet...precious!

There are a few interesting kid's toys, too. The recycled wood block set, for example, also priced at $35. Rustic, yet fun. Makes me feel like roasting some marshmallows.

Via Daily Candy

MetaNana Pays a Visit

Had a pretty good week. MetaNana was here, which was great. The visit would have been better if we had an extra room, and unfortunately noise pollution is an issue in our home. That said, we think she enjoyed herself, and we know MetaBaby had a great time. Between the extra walks, play time, and affectionate feeding, he couldn't have asked for more.

We even got a MetaMommy & MetaDaddy night out. We opted for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. They do amazing sushi, and we haven't been in at least two years (or at least since I found out I was pregnant oh so long ago). We chatted and gazed at our surroundings...theorized about other couples and the goings on at other tables. Better than any movie plot if you ask me ;-)

We thought about getting the sushi chef to select a few menu items for us, but MetaDaddy felt this might be a bit too adventurous for my taste. In particular, there is one dish that freaks me out. The sweet shrimp is a spectacle. If you're at the bar, the chef takes a live shrimp from the tank, cracks it in half, and puts the tail on a roll of rice. The head is then placed on the plate next to the shrimp roll, and it's served to you. But wait, there's more. The antennae intermittently twitch. Personally, I feel that if my dinner brushes up against me, meals over. Though I was glad it wasn't on my plate, across the room I witnessed a similar meal with a lobster. It's entirely possible yelped when I saw it move. I twitched every time I saw it twitch out of the corner of my eye. We didn't want the chef to suggest something this adventurous, so we went for some other options which excluded the sweet shrimp and lobster, and the meal was excellent. We got a bit more adventurous for dessert; we ordered a black truffle mascarpone cheese ice cream.

And the meal was that much better because we knew that MetaBaby was in the best of care.

*Le Sigh*

We'll just look forward to MetaNana's next visit :-)

MetaNana: Hope you had a good flight home!!

Unbalanced Kitchen

Note to self:

The next time you drop something small, but heavy in the kitchen while MetaBaby's sleeping, don't overreact. That is, don't hurl yourself towards the floor to catch said object before it hits; it will hit anyway. More important, don't do this while wearing tight jeans just out of the dryer. The combination of the two will result in an unsightly bump in the middle of your forehead.

Heed this warning, self, or invest in more hats.