dcmom

it's been awhile

2009-02-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

or so a reader pinged me the other day to let me know that it has been awhile since I posted something...

Truth is I am skipping along in Facebook and Twitter = Twitter is cshDCmom - so look me up!

It is crazy how addicting these two sites can be...I am forever checking to see if someone is posting about going for a coffee or making their oatmeal..sound mundane, but for the psych in me it's fascinating!

kids say the darndest things: No. 18

2008-12-01T18:26:00.001-08:00

Driving in the car the other day and my middle kid is telling us how they are doing a project in school where students pick a career and then write about what they want to be when they grow up. She then itemizes out some of her classmates choices including, dolphin trainer, NFL star, horse breeder and so on.

My son asks her, "Does anyone want to be like mommy? A work woman."

My daughter replies, "What's a work woman?"

My son responds, "You know, like mommy and go to work as a work woman."

To which my oldest blurts out, "Why would anyone want to be that? Tooo hard!"

To all us "Work woman" out there...yes, even your child may acknowledge that your job is too hard!

kids say the darndest things: No 17

2008-07-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

recently my dear son was bemoaning that the life of a dog is soo much better than his..

"It must be so great to be a dog, you can just sit around and sleep all day."

To which I responded, "Yea, but... sometimes people yell at you for no reason and you don't know what is going on."

To which my son replied, "How is that different from my life?"

kids say the darndest things: No. 16

2008-06-30T08:48:00.001-07:00

ok, so we're still on a fishing kick...at least it stretched through this weekend since we packed up the whole family and tried to use the leftover bait from daddy and son's foray the other day.

this time everyone (that means kids, not mom...please) took a shot at string in a big one. Bait was flying, hooks were getting caught in tree branches, poles were snapping...but we managed to hang on long enough to hear the youngest in our crew utter these words as he sent out his final cast for the morning

"Eat my bait fishes!"

kids say the darndest things: No. 15

2008-06-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

today is a daddy and son day...they have gone fishing and I stocked them up last night with bags of chips, donuts and the strongly needed bait.

well, my dear son asked me when I was tucking him last night if I and his sisters would not come with he and daddy today since he just wanted to alone with dad.

I responded, "No problem babe, have a great time!"

to which he replied, "Thanks mom, we'll bring you home any of the donuts that we don't eat."

kids say the darndest things: No. 14

2008-06-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

a recent surge in Nutella popularity in the house has the family eating it day and night...even when there isn't much bread to schmear it on. Out of desperation the other day, we swiped it on some old crackers and swallowed it down...but the crackers were a bit stale and we ended up in a quite sticky mess in our mouths.

To which I said, "Well, this is a change of pace!"

To which my son replied, "Yeah, I know...a change of paste!"

kids say the darndest things: No. 13

2008-05-19T18:51:00.001-07:00

My son was home today since it was kindergarten orientation for next year's class (what the???) and he was overjoyed at the prospect of a whole day home alone without his sisters.

As the morning progressed and we were busy running errands and talking, taking time to shoot hoops, etc. he turned to me and said, "How many hours until they (his sisters) get home?"

I replied, "About four hours."

He turned to me aghast, "But that's soooo short! They just left!"

your telling me kid....your telling me!

kids say the darndest things: No. 12

2008-03-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

Recently there was a minor mishap in the basement concerning a certain expensive home theater speaker - the same speaker that dear daddy referred to when he told all three kids to "Never, ever, ever go near the speakers!".

So, said speaker gets toppled as a superhero kid catapults himself from the back of the sofa. Dear daddy confronts children about the broken speaker and says "What is the one rule we have about the basement?" (Note: dear dad is looking for a response that has the word speaker in it somewhere....) In response my son says, "Turn out the lights????"

Not the right answer, but an eco-friendly answer - so one point for that.

kids say the darndest things: No. 11

2008-01-05T19:51:00.001-08:00

it's Girl Scout Cookie time again and as my middle one (a Brownie) started revving up her pen to take in some orders my littlest one said, "Why do they call it Brownies when they sell cookies?"

kids say the darndest things: No. 10

2007-12-17T09:13:00.001-08:00

Spent this weekend at various soccer games and in between games, heading out for a bite to eat, one of the parents on the team says, "Hey guys, look at this cute thing from my husband's Christmas party last night!" and she pulls out a child-size cardboard cutout of her husband. (One of those adorable props for parties where you blow up the photo and they make a life-size standing cutout (except this one was child size since the photo was of her husband as a child))

Everyone goes how cute, how adorable, look at him....however my daughter looks at it inquisitively and finally says, "Ah, wait, I don't get it - did you shrink him???"

kids say the darndest things: No 9

2007-12-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Scene: Driving in car, oldest in front with me, two youngest in back sucking down some candy found earlier that day

Conversation:
Oldest daughter to middle child: Hey, can I have some candy?
Middle Child: Nope.
Oldest Child: Please, I'll let you be a parent to one of my Webkinzs
Middle Child: Nah.
Oldest Child: Ok, I'll let you be a parent to one of my Webkinzs for a month!
Middle Child: No, because you don't share your candy with me.
Oldest Child: Mom.....
Mom: This is between the two of you - figure it out.
Middle Child: What can I say, I'm a tough negotiator
Oldest Child: Ok, so then what do you want
Middle Child: (silence for an extended period of time, like 20 seconds)
Oldest Child: Well, you can't be a good negotiator if you don't know what you want!

kids say the darndest things: No. 8

2007-12-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

we spent Thanksgiving weekend up in Accord, NY (just outside of New Paltz) hanging out. One the long drive up, the kids kept asking, "Where are we going?" and I would reply, "The boonies!". Several minutes passed, and as we go through the mountains of walla walla land (I have a very poor sense of direction) I got this reply, "Is this the boonies?????" To which I replied, "Yea, I think so....." after a long, dramatic veil of silence as my three children gazed out at the nothingness around us, my son pipes up, "Geez, I LOVE New York!"

Kid after my own heart.

kids say the darndest things: No 7

2007-11-07T18:42:00.001-08:00

deciding what to do this past Sunday and while batting around ideas of where to spend the day, I threw out the idea of going to Rose Hill Manor (historical house and park) that my middle one has been asking to go to since a field trip there last year.

"I'm not sure Rose Hill Manor is open. I'll have to check, what about that place?" I asked.

"Ok. Hey, whose house is it?" asked my oldest

"I think it was George Washington's house" said my middle one.

"I don't really know. Not sure about that." I retorted.

"So who's house it?" questions my big one to my middle one.

"Ahhh, I think it's where the souvenier people live - that's whose house it is." my middle states, ending the conversation.

We ended up going to the zoo.

kids say the darndest things: No. 6

2007-10-29T19:15:00.001-07:00

On the fantastic tour buses that my daughter took on her recent class field trip, there were (gasp!) TVs that were cranked up with movies to lull the wild ones into boob tube submission during the long trip to Baltimore..

Well, when I asked her what they watched, she replied, "We watched Aladdin and then, you know, those Peanut Butter and Jelly cartoons we used watch when we were little."

"Uh, I don't know what you are referring to...peanut butter and jelly cartoons??"

"The ones with the little dog and the guy, you know, the dog Snoopy."

"Got it! That cartoon is named Peanuts, not peanut butter and jelly cartoons..."

kids say the darndest things: No 5

2007-10-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

my oldest daughter has been pulling at her lips constantly lately and when I recently asked her to stop this annonying habit and how can we help get her stop, she said maybe having lip gloss would help.

OK, so I went out and bought some Lip Smacker Vanillacious lip gloss, which debuted on the day of the big second-grade field trip. When I asked her how her new lip gloss went (meaning, how did we do at not pulling at your lips today, sweetie...) she promptly replied, "Great, all the boys on the bus talked to me only!"

ahhh...that really wasn't what I was after....

loved this article - how to go organic in five easy ways

2007-10-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Struggle with this one in our house constantly. "Whole Paycheck" as Whole Foods is commonly referred to in our house eats up a great deal of the family food budget. We believe in organic foods and supporting organic growers, but sometimes it is hard to eat the right thing (get it??? instead of do the right thing..."

Check out this helpful article in the New York Times- loved it!

Five Easy Ways to go Organic

come one, come all

2007-10-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'm going because one of my favorite friends is Joyce and this one is going to be lots of fun!

kids say the darndest things: No. 4

2007-10-14T18:12:00.001-07:00

did the Halloween costume shopping thing this afternoon...and as we were in the car headed up to the mecca of costumes...Party City...we three were discussing what costumes they might pick out.

My seven-year old asks my five-year old, "What are you going to be this year?"

My five year old responds, "Well, I know I'm not going to be Batman like last year - because that costume didn't earn me enough candy!"

kids say the darndest things: No. 3: birthday time

2007-10-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

don't you love your kids birthdays??? The thrill of throwing parties, juggling birthday wishes against price point in the family budget....

then you have to love the quesiton that comes from the birthday boy, my son, "So Mom, is today they day that I was born?"

"Yup babe, today was the day you were born."

"How was my birthday when I was born?"

"Ah, what do you mean?"

"I mean, what kind of birthday party did I have?"

"Well, hon, on the day you were born, everyone celebrated and you got some baby gifts, but there wasn't a big party with friends."

"Why not? You mean no cake?????"

kids say the darndest things...no.2

2007-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am off to Chicago in the upcoming days for a business trip with DH - so Grandma is coming to babysit. When the news was announced to my three my youngest quickly responded with a big "Ugh! She'll make us go to bed in the daylight and eat cooked carrots!"

Geez, I didn't know that going to bed early and eating carrots was such a bad thing!

P.S. My mom is 70 and the fact that she can help out is great, so my son's whining went in one ear and out the other as they say...

check out this Q&A...

2007-09-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

DCmom was able to read about Maria Celeste Arraras's story of how she wrote her book "The Magic Cane"....if you think you've heard the name before...it's most likely because she is the reporter who covered the story of Latin singer Selena's death.

Wow, read through this and realized that if she can write her book on her Blackberry, then my juggling of full-time consulting work, DCmom.com and three kids is something I shouldn't complain about!

Check it out...

MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS

1. What sparked your imagination for The Magic Cane?

As a working mother, I would come home from the office to find my three kids desperate for my attention. I would try reading them a story, but they all had different interests and would end up fighting when they couldn’t agree on which particular story I should read! So I began to make up stories that incorporated all the elements that all of them wanted to listen to, and one of those stories evolved into The Magic Cane.

The story is about three kids, very similar to my own three children, each blessed with a special “gift.” At the time I wrote The Magic Cane, my daughter was into mermaids, so her equal in the story has the power of Water. My sons were fascinated with Pokemon, Naruto and Inuyasha, so I gave one of the boys the power of Fire and the other one the power of the Wind...soon, they all got into the story and started contributing to the plot. Then the fights became about who could have more input!

2. What challenges do you face in your writing process? How do you overcome them?

My main challenge with The Magic Cane was finding time to get in the right frame of mind to write this kind of book. At the time, I was going through a divorce, and it was difficult to shake off the stress and pain that comes with that process and jump into the fantasy world of a magical fable. So I put the book in hiatus and after a few months, my oldest son told me, “Mama, a family that stays united is invincible,” and I said “Yes!” That became the central idea for The Magic Cane. So I sat down with a clear head and a specific idea and wrote the entire story in five hours on my Blackberry.

3. What tips or advice can you share with young students who hope to start writing?

My advice is simple: write everything down! Many people with great imaginations spend their lives “writing” books in their heads...but they never put those great ideas in black and white. What a waste of great talent So my advice is, get it on paper and share all those wonderful stories with the rest of the world! Discipline is key in every profession, writing included.

4. What is your list of favorite children or teen books?

I love The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I read it for the first time in elementary school, and then I received a copy in college as a present. Years later, I bought another copy to read to my kids. I read it during three completely different stages of my life, and every time, I discovered new meanings in the same story. I hope The Magic Cane accomplishes the same.

I also like King Midas: A Golden Tale by John Warren Stewig. I wanted my book to be a magical fable in the style of King Midas with a similar lesson: that possessions and power do not equal happiness. I’m a firm believer that in this materialistic and consumer-oriented society, children need to be taught what is really important in life, such as family values and doing the right thing. So this was an important element that I wanted to include in my story.

3. Do you think The Magic Cane will be interpreted differently by English versus Spanish readers?

Absolutely not. The Magic Cane has a universal message that transcends not only language and culture but also age and gender. I wanted it to be a magical fable like the classic stories that my grandparents used to read to me in bed. I missed those “Once upon a time” tales that you can pass on from generation to generation, so I wanted to write one for my children and for other kids as well.

kudos to a nite of bargains

2007-09-13T04:29:00.000-07:00

Many claps go out to the team who made DSS happen - especially babsied - who go it all together! great bites to eat, great music, and great bargains..

There was a bloggers corner for all of us who write about life around DC and in order to pick up your goodie bag you had to have a polariod snapshot taken...much fun harking back to the days of high school parties (do I date myself??) but even better seeing the shots of fellow bloggers. Shouts out to Project Beltway and Accidental Chic - you looked great!

going shoppping....going shopping

2007-09-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, tonite is District Sample Sale (DSS for those in the know..) and if the babysitter gets to my house in time I hope to be able to score some great finds. I'm also looking forward to hooking up with friends and meeting some of the other DC bloggers in the DSS Bloggers Corner!

Keep you posted tomorrow with the results!

Coming soon....I also hope to have some Q&As with authors that are going to be at the upcoming NAtional Book Festival on the Mall. I love books, my kids love books, so I want to spread the word on this great event.

it's official

2007-08-26T05:35:00.001-07:00

tomorrow if the first day of school and everyone - yes, all of my kids, will be in a full day of school, utilizing the same bus schedule and in the same school! Whoppee!

I know I won't be one of those moms armed with tissues as I see my youngest one off to Kindergarten, but I promise not to embarrass him by toting a bottle of champagne down to the bus stop, but gosh darn it will be good to stop "treading water" as I have been for the whole summer. Full-time work being juggled with three kids at home has made for a long, hot summer filled with much screaming. It will be good for all of us to get the heck out of the house and concentrate on something other than getting on each other's nerves!

buy, buy, buy....

2007-08-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Tickets will go fast, so don't get caught waiting in the long line to get in and then find out the place is sold out...order your tickets online today.

DCmom scored great stuff last year at this event - awesome brown boots that totally rocked - as did the price - a couple of pashmina scarfs that I intended to give as gifts but kept for myself instead - and last but not least several James Perse tees that I LOVE and LIVE in for cheap!

new awesome blog

2007-08-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

Ok ladies of DC, new blog is out there in the blogsphere which is handy to all of us in the greater metro DC area. Joyce of That Mom, Inc. has started a blog where she lets us know about locally recommended services!

You can send in your own recommendations too and maybe you'll see it in print - whee...everyone loves to see themselves in print!

best chairs ever...

2007-08-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't get out to get a manicure as frequently as I used to...but I recently got a mani/ped in at Nails by Timothy in Rockville. Just walked in and happened to be luck out being one of the first customers to try out their brand-new pedicure massage chairs. Ladies, these are the ones!

First, these recline, second they massage you everywhere, not just that annoying lower back machine grunt the other places have, plus the headrest cradles your head, so away into la la land you go.

Awesome, awesome, awesome and no, they did not up the price for a pedicure - even better.

Nails by Timothy in the Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike, Rockville. Call at 301.309.0329

kids say the sweetest things

2007-08-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

returned from a big day out at the pool, minature golf and the mecca - Costco. Everyone collapsed when we arrived home except for my oldest daughter. always the Energizer bunny she nicely asked her younger sister "Do you want to play upstairs with me?" her sister didn't respond so my daughter walked out of the room. my son (the youngest) promptly popped up his head from the couch and yelled after her, "You can ask me!"

Ahhhhh.....

back from vacation

2007-08-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

took a quick trip to the beach with hubby and kids...we survived little sunburn, a maniac round of minature golf, a carousel ride, a whirlwind trip on "The Tornado", four days of fever between two kids and enough chicken fingers to croak a horse (as my mother likes to say)...

ah, but I must not forget Pokey, our new pet hermit crab who joined the family for less than 24 hours and then lost most of his legs during the arduous air-conditioned trip home in the car. We googled why this was happening and it is due to stress. Needless to say, Pokey has his own memorial in the backyard now and I scratch my head as to what is so stressful about life as a hermit crab....I must be missing something...

kids say the darndest things

2007-07-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

driving along in the car the other day somehow the topic of childbirth, yes, childbirth came up amongst my three in the backseat. Listening slightly to the three of them discuss how gross it is to get your stomach cut open ( I had three c-sections to spawn my favorite little rugrats), one of my three piped up and said, "Mom, did it really hurt?" to which I responded, "At the time, but you forget about it especially when I get to have you guys (I was having a loving moment). " The reply that I got was the following, "Whehh, now I know why you don't like us sitting on your stomach!"

my love affair with Trader Joes continues

2007-07-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, if you read this blog religiously (I do haha) you will quickly realize that I am a Trader Joe's fiend. Well, stopped in there today with my daughters in tow because it had been awhile and we needed some staples. Got to the check out counter and what did my little eye spy but the coolest reusable bags.... they have these fantastic island graphic designs and heavy-duty black handles.

but the best part is when you open up the back, they form this slightly rounded shape, great for groceries, yes, but perfect for a beach tote because it will fit that rolled towel shape perfectly.

I swooned and my daughters grabbed one for each of them. get to your nearest Trader Joe's and check them out..

mommy hair

2007-07-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Met the lovely Jill Hudson Neal the other night at an event for The School of Post Modern Dating - great time. Well, Jill and I chatted over the phone the over day on the long debated topic of "Mommy Hair" and some little thoughts of mine made it to her latest article - check it out at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/05/AR2007070500816.html

mommy gets out

2007-06-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

my friend Amy who started The School of Post-Modern Dating had a Makeover Seminar at Urban Chic the other night and what fun it was! With a stylist and fashion consultant providing real examples of what to wear and how to look to "dress for desire" - not hoochy-koochy here, but examples of how to just bring it all up a notch - sex it up without looking ridiculous.

did you know that the most important things a lady should carry in her purse is a bit of pressed powder and lip gloss? That if you are trying to date, the worst thing in the world to wear is diamond studs - why you ask? Because it signals that someone else has already been there, because men buy diamonds for their women...intersting - huh?

sure she'll have another, so I'll be sure to shout it out - YOU HAVE TO GO!!

new mag on the scene

2007-06-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

got an offer for a new magazine that is on the scene, buckled down to try the free issue and quickly realized that it is a (gasping sound!) Martha Stewart-empire magazine.... Blueprint is it's name and it is great. I have already used three of the great tips from the magazine...so much more doable then previous Martha "You must be perfect" magazines dictated.

give this one a try...you may be surprised.

kids say the darndest things...

2007-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

headed downtown this AM to make a quick pass through the National Potrait Gallery as I heard they have opened up their outdoor terrace and to go through the Presidential potraits area with the kids.

while waiting for the Metro train to come in, my oldest watches a small sparrow hop across the train platform and then off the side of the platform down to the tracks. "Mom" she yells, "that bird just killed himself!!!"

I had to explain that he hadn't jumped, only flew down to the tracke level.

crisis adverted.

in the homestretch

2007-06-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

School is almost out - Thursday to be exact and then the wee ones are home all the time! Swimming has kicked in and it is kicking our family's schedule butt! These weeks of overlapping activities and end of year parties and parties for kid's whose birthdays are in August,but they have a party in June to have their friends over really are a bewilderment to me....aren't you supposed to celebrate your birthday on your birthday????

Sometimes it saddens me to see that in our overscheduled world that important milestones like birthdays - really important to a kid - are scheduled to make ours and others lives much easier.

What do you think??

summer friday

2007-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it is summer officially, but school is still in session and just my son is home full-time but sooooon everyone will be home - lucky mom! Well, at least we're stocked with all of the leftover toys from the American Shopper taping and they are pretty good. The kids especially love the Carpet Slides and the Find It toy is pretty cool - probably a nice thing for the pool when they have to sit out for adult swim/kids rest period (greatest invention ever!)

Keeping the Spa and Science kits in reserve for a rainy summer day or when it is just to hot to move! The Boing Balls are great too - perfect for little hands.

we're going to be on TV!

2007-05-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

So, after weeks of anticipation, the camera man and producer of American Shopper which shows on the Fine Living cable channel showed up to film myself, my three kids and a couple of neighborhood kids in a segment on great birthday gifts.

A little photo/video shoot in the house can cause quite a stir amongst a bunch of kids and they were incredibly good considering they were hyped to the ninth degree. But once they got their hands on the toys (a little real-time testing) they quickly became great product respondents.

They just kept begging and begging to keep the Carpet Slides - greatest invention ever in the eyes of a kid of any age.

no cameras????

2007-05-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

I returned to my car the other evening which was parked at the Grosvernor Metro stop to find that it had been severaly vandalized and then hit in the rear. Someone out there in this great world had decided to scratch some hieroglyphics into my passenger door and then back out and smash into my bumper.

Well, I waited for Metro police officer to make sure I got an accident report and when I asked him if there were any cameras to give us an idea of how may have done this, I was told that there aren't any cameras in the parking garage, only at the exit booths!

How insane is that!!!! What if I had been mugged or even worse raped while walking to my car??? There wouldn't be any photo of this incident or any way to even start trying to determine a suspect.

Needless to say, I was appalled and outraged - there should be cameras on all levels of Metro station garages or will it take a serious crime to make this come about????

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, especially all the moms out there - Happy Mother's Day!! I truly hope it was great for everyone and in the course of the day you got spend a little bit of time just for you. I was able to fit in an 18 minute run. Yes, 18 mins of peace with my iPod, hey it's longer than 15 mins of fame - right?

Momzillas Rocks

2007-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

About a month or two ago I was gifted with a pre-launch copy of Jill Kargman's Momzillas book for review. I confess, it has been a bit since I finished a book from front to back, especially if it was any longer in length than this month's Bazaar. Needless to say, I loved it - and finished it!

As a former New Yorker, I have some insider knowledge on how crazy and competitive East Side moms can be, but there are Momzillas everywhere (trust me ladies) and Jill Kargman's witty expose on the inner workings of momzillas is revealed through Hannah who represents the honorable, down-to-earth mom in all of us. You'll giggle and your heart will also break as we follow Hannah's adventures because we all know the pain of wanting to fit in but trying to keep a little bit of "me" there to be proud of.

I'll only give you the clue that Hannah does make it through, but you must pick this one up. Think of it as the top book for your "required summer mommy reading list" as you prepare for next fall and the the next wave of Momzillas!

P.S. I was doubly-lucky to get to meet Jill Kargman at her recent book signing event here in DC and Abby Greenawalt took this cute photo. (I'm the redhead, and Jill's the better-dressed half of the photo!)

working mom

2007-04-23T19:52:00.001-07:00

This blog reveals a little bit about me and who is the mom and lady behind DCmom. But, there is a rare (but oh so wonderful!) claim to fame for DCmom as I was quoted in this weekend's Washington Post. I was interviewed by a reporter doing a special article providing insight and guidance to today's college grads as they enter the workplace. And being that I am no longer a free-living single, as you may have guessed, the article focuses on motherhood and careers.

Take a look: Comeback Time: What Will a Family Do to Your Career?

Yup, having kids may halt some areas of your life and career, but in my case, it opened up a whole other world and for that I am eternally grateful to fate.

staying afloat

2007-03-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

have you venture yet into Forever 21??? If you haven't, you must.

Recent foray found lots of stuff for both me and my girls, yes, my elementary aged girls. The XXS sizes in the tank tops, if you pick through the styles are long enough to cover your little one's middle but high enough to cover them up a bit. Plus, the various design images are so non-descript you'll win brownie points for being a cool mom and not even have to try very hard.

When checking out, be sure to go through the jewelry, found a little red apple on a long chain that is a small clock. Great as an incentive for learning to tell time or to keep track of time and it was only $4.00!

sweet salvation

2007-03-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, like most moms, especially ones like me that like to push it to the max and stay up late, work a full-time job and then start a small business on the side, life requires instant consumption of coffee upon waking up - precisely what is done every morning in our house.

Well, this AM, I took my first slug and let out a contented sigh and the quiet murmur of "thank you coffee...". A prompt reply was sent out by middle daughter who responded, "Mom, you know, you really freak me out with this whole coffee thing...."

shopped till I dropped

2007-03-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ladies, we have got to get everyone to the next installment of The District Sample Sale! What a blast of fun and bargains. It's a sellout crowd of the top area merchants (top in style, my love) offering end of season bargains and great deals on accessories, etc.

For those of you haven't experienced a real sample sale, be sure to dress lightly as there aren't any dressing rooms (you slip on clothing right there) and all those ladies shoppping in one warehouse can't get the adrenaline going!

District Sample Sale does it right by offering scrumptious finger foods and drinks to keep you fueled. As a former New Yorker, this is a really nice step up from the Soho sales I have been to.

Well, I know I had a great time and got lots of bargains, so be sure to keep an eye out for a listing for the next one - coming up soon!

the land of blogs

2007-02-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

I must confess that many a times, instead of "working" I'm "surfing" the net just getting lost in the sea of news, pictures and gossip.

However, there are a couple of standouts that my clicks wander to over and over:

Beauty Addict
Ahhh.. to be young again and the writer of a successful blog, attending NY Fashion Week - all that aside, her blog offers sound, honest advice on the many beauty products that are out there..

Frugal Fashionista
Slightly addicting, this tells you where to get the fashionable items that celebrities, supermodels and more wear on a daily basis at a fraction of the price.

99 Products
Partial to DC bloggers, 99 Products offers a slice of 30-something life in DC that revolves around boyfriends, work and beauty.

i love Trader Joe's

2007-01-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

My love affair with Trader Joe's continues to deepen - I could tell you that it's the low dairy prices, the free food and drink samples, or the Two-Buck Chuck that keeps me coming back.

But one of the things that I really love about Trader Joe's is this little-known fact about the neatly written, colored chalkboard signs around the store.

Well, each Trader Joe's store hires a local artist to create the signs: "Proudly supporting the arts, one chalkboard at a time," is how the corporate site puts it.

Plus, to boot, have you ever noticed how efficient AND good-natured the crew members are????

mom, I had a boring day

2007-01-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

don't you love how when the day is drawing to an end, there isn't much wine left in the box and you're anxious to just get the kids to bed...they have the knack for saying the funniest things.

my five year old son, when told it is time for bed, responds with, "Mom, but I had a really boring day, first carpool line, then school, then to Giant for milk, only a little bit of time on Disney.com, then to the bus stop for my sisters, then home, then karate, then dinner and now bed!"

"Well, yes, I responded, sometimes you have a boring day, but tomorrow will be lots of fun."

"Arrgh, I don't want to have a boring day, every day, like you!"

holiday recovery

2007-01-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

Took me a couple of days, but I'm back in the swing of things, determined to make 2007 a good year.

Enjoyed a couple of days at Massanutten resort in VA over the holidays. Snowboarded and my tailbone still won't forget all the wipeouts but good friends, good laughs and relaxing over the course of a couple of days.

But kids remember the dardenst things. They were so happy playing at the rented house, at the new http://www.massresort.com/v.php?pg=4 that I didn't force a ski lesson, thought I would stop their overdirected lives for a day. Then, when getting in the car to come home, my littlest one says to me, "Mom, you didn't teach me how to ski, just like you said you were going to do!" I responded, "I know babe, but you were so happy at the water park and playing that I thought we would just skip it." The eyes start welling it up and the response that came out was, "But mom, I wanted to do it with you and now I didn't get a chance."

Ahhh, once more the the guilt.

presents, presents, presents

2006-12-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

funny how as parents we focus so much on making sure we get the "right" presents. Picking and choosing the ones that are at the top of our children's lists, but meet the mommy criteria. Then the holiday comes, the children unwrap all their goodies and turn to you and say, "But what I really wanted isn't here..." and mommy guilt sets in.

Would it have been so hard to just purchase that number one gift, the one you think is revolting and inappropriate just to see a thrilled child on a holiday morning?

Ugh, ugh, ugh....know what the "right" answer is, but what's the "better" answer?

Tis the season to be jolly

2006-12-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Christmas has once again snuck up on me....I have one down with strep throat but at least the shopping is done (thank you online merchants!).

I've made the requisite cookies, so pour me a big glass vino and settle back, Santa has lots of wrapping to do...

does as mommy says, not as mommy does

2006-11-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

This really happened...

"Mom, I'm really upset."
"Upset, upset about what?"
"Because I am angry with you."
"Angry with me?? What did I do?"
"You weren't nice to my kitty cat, Butterfinger."
"Oh, really? Well, I didn't mean to. The cat started it, but I'm sorry."
"That wasn't very nice."
"Yes, I know that now. I'm sorry."
"You need a time out!"
"What?"
"I said, Hit the front steps for a time out, missy!"

it begins

2006-11-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

My typical thought when I am standing in front of the 90% off sale is "I just can't think about this right now. I am all Christmased out."

Then it seems like about 2 minutes later it is Christmas again and I am standing there going, "$7.99 for a big bow? Weren't they on sale for 99 cents last January?"

I hear jingling of sleigh bells

2006-11-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

As I flipped through the radio stations today to appease the musical tastes of the three rugrats in the backseat, I heard my first Christmas Carol blaring over the car speakers.

A loud gasp escaped my mouth and the rugrat radar in the backseat picked up the blip and scouted it out with a "What's the matter Mom?". To which I responded, "Holiday songs all ready? What is this world coming to?". An intrepid voice responded, "It's OK, Mom. Just change the channel if you don't like it because it's YOUR car not the radio station's."

Out of the mouths of babes.

swapping sugar for self-love

2006-11-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'll admit, I pulled a dirty trick on my kid today. Here's how it went:

The plastic pumpkins filled with candy have been sitting there in front of me for a day or two now and I have been so good, only about 5 sneak-ins a day. However, I discovered a load of Almond Joys at the bottom of my daughter's bucket today. Almond Joys are my complete downfall, I will do almost anything for an Almond Joy. Well, not wanting to waste the large number of Almond Joys in front of me I said to my daughter,"You don't like those candies in the blue and white wrapper - right?" She quickly responded, "Yup, I do." I quickly retorted, "I'm not really sure about that. I think you had one last Halloween and didn't like it. You better give them all to me."

So easily she handed them over and so easily they were eaten by me.

surviving a sick day at work

2006-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Suffering a cold at the office is just about the worst. There you are hacking up a lung and everyone in the office is cringing behind their monitors. About the only thing worse is when you are so sick you need call in sick (for real) so you are sick and the kids are not. I have had a cold for the last couple days and in and out of the office. I do not feel like eating, breathing, or moving in general. And, I definitely do not feel like thinking. The Halloween deadline looms, though, so I have to crack down and get working.

Halloween candy

2006-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

I was recently at the store buying a gigantic size bag of the good Halloween candy - you know Snickers, M&Ms, Almond Joys, because I do try to be the "cool house on the block who gives best candy." Then I thought about when folks used to give out the full-size Hershey bars and you would grab and go, squealing with delight. Remember how you used to try and go back to the house and hope the owners didn't recognize you on your second round?

Now we filter our kids candy, walk with them the entire night and trick or treat inside malls....every day I struggle with how times have changed and what does that mean to us, our kids and the world we are all going to grow old in.

hi from DCmom

2006-10-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I started the DCmom.com site to give moms, and even their kids, a place to learn about all things chic whether it was a great happening or a fantastic find. Long known to my friends and family as a serial shopper, I figured I had a talent for picking out cool things.

After having dragged my kids to thousands of events, passed them candy just to keep them quiet while I shopped, I decided there must be a niche for the way I live. Actually, I'll confess, the turning point came when I was standing in line at a Loehmann's, trying to keep three kids quiet and standing still and the millionth person came up to me and asked, "Excuse me, where did you get those great shoes and bag?" "Ahhh", I replied, "Shoes a la Target and bag from Bendel's. A little splurge and steal in one outfit." My new friend replies, "Wow, I wish I could pull that look together."

Well my friends, we all have moments of greatness. I like to think that 15 mins of fame happens at least every hour - Right?

Welcome to my blog.