Monday, July 24, 2006
I didn't forget, I was just lazy
That sociolgy breastfeeding book was At the Breast by Linda Blum. I actually remembered the title the next day. It's not one to rush out and read, but the introduction and conclusion were interesting. The cover and title got me a lot of looks on the train.
monday night's alright for blogging
finished objects: knitting needle cases
My Aunt Ginnie was up this weekend, so I made knitting needle cases for her and my aunt MaryAnn (they're my dad's sisters). Being a title 1 procrastinator, I cut the fabric last weekend, but didn't start the sewing part until 9pm Saturday night. Somehow, they got done around 2:30AM, and I spent about an hour finishing them Sunday AM. They came out pretty good. Ginnie's has half a cherry dishcloth from Crate and Barrel (now discontinued, of course!), half a black Target napkin, leopard upholstry fabric and part of a pillowcase from Ikea. MaryAnn's has the rest of the pillowcase, half of an Issac Mizrahi napkin, more of the leopard upholstry fabric (a NYC find), and plum funky remnant from Michael's.
my new favorite things:
XL Hefty Ziploc heavy duty bags: For storage, these bags are up there with Space Bags. Perfect for storing comforters, a season's worth of toddler clothes, or a couple of pillows. If you sit on them, you can squeeze most of the air out to fit them into funky places. Priced at about $7 at Target for 4, they're a steal. There's also an XXL size, too.
Half portions of single serve Annie's Microwavable Mac & Cheese: Perfect for a toddler-sized side dish, use 1/4 cup macaroni with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 3 minutes, add about 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese mix. Leave the rest in the packaging for another time. Makes a box of 6 servings last longer. Also, buy the white cheddar at Trader Joe's for $2.19, not $4.19 like at Shaw's or Stop and Shop.
Shocking, isn't it? Some of my key food items--like the Annie's Mac and Cheese, also Envirokids and Barbara's cereal products--are significantly less expensive at Trader Joe's. Even Whole Foods, surprisingly, is less expensive for the organic staples, like...
Consorzio Marinades: California Teriyaki 10-minute Marinade is hands-down a staple in our house, on steak and salmon especially. Mix it with a little of the Baja Lime or Tropical Mango on a thin pork chop (chicken works just as well), and you've got a little slice o' heaven. The Consorzio Organic BBQ sauce is also the right balance of sweet and tangy. Again, it's cheaper at Whole Foods for $2.99 a bottle or $4.99 at Shaw's.
Benedryl Cream for inflamed mosquito bites. Histamine takes the red out. After-Bite does a number on the immediate itchiness, but it stings like crazy at first.
The new Blade series on Spike: not too bad. It's less painful to watch than the Witchblade series a few years ago.
My Aunt Ginnie was up this weekend, so I made knitting needle cases for her and my aunt MaryAnn (they're my dad's sisters). Being a title 1 procrastinator, I cut the fabric last weekend, but didn't start the sewing part until 9pm Saturday night. Somehow, they got done around 2:30AM, and I spent about an hour finishing them Sunday AM. They came out pretty good. Ginnie's has half a cherry dishcloth from Crate and Barrel (now discontinued, of course!), half a black Target napkin, leopard upholstry fabric and part of a pillowcase from Ikea. MaryAnn's has the rest of the pillowcase, half of an Issac Mizrahi napkin, more of the leopard upholstry fabric (a NYC find), and plum funky remnant from Michael's.
my new favorite things:
XL Hefty Ziploc heavy duty bags: For storage, these bags are up there with Space Bags. Perfect for storing comforters, a season's worth of toddler clothes, or a couple of pillows. If you sit on them, you can squeeze most of the air out to fit them into funky places. Priced at about $7 at Target for 4, they're a steal. There's also an XXL size, too.
Half portions of single serve Annie's Microwavable Mac & Cheese: Perfect for a toddler-sized side dish, use 1/4 cup macaroni with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 3 minutes, add about 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese mix. Leave the rest in the packaging for another time. Makes a box of 6 servings last longer. Also, buy the white cheddar at Trader Joe's for $2.19, not $4.19 like at Shaw's or Stop and Shop.
Shocking, isn't it? Some of my key food items--like the Annie's Mac and Cheese, also Envirokids and Barbara's cereal products--are significantly less expensive at Trader Joe's. Even Whole Foods, surprisingly, is less expensive for the organic staples, like...
Consorzio Marinades: California Teriyaki 10-minute Marinade is hands-down a staple in our house, on steak and salmon especially. Mix it with a little of the Baja Lime or Tropical Mango on a thin pork chop (chicken works just as well), and you've got a little slice o' heaven. The Consorzio Organic BBQ sauce is also the right balance of sweet and tangy. Again, it's cheaper at Whole Foods for $2.99 a bottle or $4.99 at Shaw's.
Benedryl Cream for inflamed mosquito bites. Histamine takes the red out. After-Bite does a number on the immediate itchiness, but it stings like crazy at first.
The new Blade series on Spike: not too bad. It's less painful to watch than the Witchblade series a few years ago.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
zipper pouch
Found it! I thought this might have been taken when we were robbed a couple months ago, but I found it in a bag I hadn't used. It's slightly bigger than an iPod, made from printed canvas swatches from Repo Depot. Yay!
8/20/06: The new Sephora catalog has a line of makeup bags with the exact same print (different material). It's the Mod bag collection.
8/20/06: The new Sephora catalog has a line of makeup bags with the exact same print (different material). It's the Mod bag collection.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
mama is my friend
I just happened to look at the TV, and the film Bent is on, starring Clive Owen. He looks like Michael Stipe in one scene, Vinny Jones in another. Huh. Jude Law & Paul Bettany are also in it. Clive Owen must have a new movie coming out. They've been showing King Arthur like crazy (thanks Kiera Knightly), the Bourne Identity, and now this. Not that I mind, at all. Makes me want to watch Sin City again. At least it's a break from an evening of UFC. And now we have cable in the bedroom. How sweet it is!
I can't stop reading Yarn Harlot's blog. She posted ("the power scares me") about one knitter's support to help WIC in California promote breastfeeding by knitting hats made of veggies, fruits, and judging by some readers' comments, boobies. Since the YH is also a lacation specialist--so, so cool--yet she's still respectful of the choices women make. Yay, on so many levels.
Most of the comments were women's bf stories, offering support & experiences. The US just sucks how little maternity leave we get, and lack of a pumping room in many workplaces. At least at my job, there is a room and another one if needed. Support and education for bf moms is spotty, and can we please, please not gang up on each other about the choices we make for our kids? Like moms don't have enough guilt? OK?
Breastfeeding is a loaded parenting topic, not as much as co-sleeping or Ferberizing (whoa, is that one a party pooper!) but it can get pretty heated. I read a great book when I was breastfeeding--I'll go look for it in the library tomorrow, I promise (it was one of those books that I was trolling the aisles and just picked up)--about the sociology of contemporary breastfeeding. I'm not going to go into *my* feelings now, but it's something near & dear to my heart.
For the record? My son was 6 weeks early, I went back to work part-time after my leave (6 weeks plus my vacation time then a month unpaid=12 weeks, the most allowed by my workplace without having to jump through tons of paperwork hoops) and we breastfed until he was 20 months old. Ups and downs, it was great. We had to stop (which was a relief, in a way) when he had a nasty rotavirus and couldn't keep anything down except Pedialyte. That week was awful, but he's really well adjusted now.
Owen's quotes of the day: "That huge elevator is for big people." (He came to my work and was enthralled with the freight elevator.)
"Mama is my friend." (He went to backup day care. I'm sure they called everyone "friends," so this makes sense.)
I can't stop reading Yarn Harlot's blog. She posted ("the power scares me") about one knitter's support to help WIC in California promote breastfeeding by knitting hats made of veggies, fruits, and judging by some readers' comments, boobies. Since the YH is also a lacation specialist--so, so cool--yet she's still respectful of the choices women make. Yay, on so many levels.
Most of the comments were women's bf stories, offering support & experiences. The US just sucks how little maternity leave we get, and lack of a pumping room in many workplaces. At least at my job, there is a room and another one if needed. Support and education for bf moms is spotty, and can we please, please not gang up on each other about the choices we make for our kids? Like moms don't have enough guilt? OK?
Breastfeeding is a loaded parenting topic, not as much as co-sleeping or Ferberizing (whoa, is that one a party pooper!) but it can get pretty heated. I read a great book when I was breastfeeding--I'll go look for it in the library tomorrow, I promise (it was one of those books that I was trolling the aisles and just picked up)--about the sociology of contemporary breastfeeding. I'm not going to go into *my* feelings now, but it's something near & dear to my heart.
For the record? My son was 6 weeks early, I went back to work part-time after my leave (6 weeks plus my vacation time then a month unpaid=12 weeks, the most allowed by my workplace without having to jump through tons of paperwork hoops) and we breastfed until he was 20 months old. Ups and downs, it was great. We had to stop (which was a relief, in a way) when he had a nasty rotavirus and couldn't keep anything down except Pedialyte. That week was awful, but he's really well adjusted now.
Owen's quotes of the day: "That huge elevator is for big people." (He came to my work and was enthralled with the freight elevator.)
"Mama is my friend." (He went to backup day care. I'm sure they called everyone "friends," so this makes sense.)
Thursday, July 06, 2006
weekend(s) of love
Two weeks ago I took O-man out in the drizzle to the Red Wagon on Charles St. to get him some rain boots. He had such a great time at the store, and the staff was really nice about him opening and closing the door to the upstairs area (where the books, toys, boots, and sale items are). They were even nicer about me having to change a poopy diaper in their supertiny bathroom. I also ended up buying a pair of Curious George boots, which ended up to be just big enough that they fell off when I carried the little dude, and they got stuck in a mucky puddle as O-man tried to jump out of it. That was no fun to clean up, and I was worried about the various kinds of bacteria that might have been swallowed when O. fell on his face. (I think he emerged relatively unscathed.) Top that off with going down the wet slides, slipping down the wobbly bridge, and having to ride the T home with wet pants and 1 sock: priceless.
Easy Mojito: Mint leaves (enough to equal 2 or so sprigs), 2 teaspoons sugar, juice of 1 lime (more if desired, maybe equal to 2 tbls) with at least 1/4-1/2 rind; muddle or bruise leaves with the handle of a wooden meat tenderizer or rice paddle so the sugar is mostly dissolved; add shot (plus/minus) rum, ice, top off with club soda. Enjoy!
4th of July weekend notes:
Zuzu is not the most kid-friendly place, but that's kind of OK. It's a bar. The mojitos are good, and the ice cream/chocolate baklava with fruit makes a yummy dessert. Wish I could have stayed and talked to Aisha more, but I had O-man with me. He had fun being out late.
Upper Crust was a kid-friendly, and we polished off 2 pieces of pizza between the two of us.
Public Service Announcement: The bathrooms at the Frog Pond close at 6PM. Bathrooms at the Visitor Center close at 5PM. Macy's, however is open until 9pm most nights.
Congrats to Lorie & Pete. Yay! Of course, happy birthday to Dan. Rob is the best grill master ever. Dr. Phil should never, ever again be allowed to co-host a fireworks celebration.
Easy Mojito: Mint leaves (enough to equal 2 or so sprigs), 2 teaspoons sugar, juice of 1 lime (more if desired, maybe equal to 2 tbls) with at least 1/4-1/2 rind; muddle or bruise leaves with the handle of a wooden meat tenderizer or rice paddle so the sugar is mostly dissolved; add shot (plus/minus) rum, ice, top off with club soda. Enjoy!
4th of July weekend notes:
Zuzu is not the most kid-friendly place, but that's kind of OK. It's a bar. The mojitos are good, and the ice cream/chocolate baklava with fruit makes a yummy dessert. Wish I could have stayed and talked to Aisha more, but I had O-man with me. He had fun being out late.
Upper Crust was a kid-friendly, and we polished off 2 pieces of pizza between the two of us.
Public Service Announcement: The bathrooms at the Frog Pond close at 6PM. Bathrooms at the Visitor Center close at 5PM. Macy's, however is open until 9pm most nights.
Congrats to Lorie & Pete. Yay! Of course, happy birthday to Dan. Rob is the best grill master ever. Dr. Phil should never, ever again be allowed to co-host a fireworks celebration.
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