Saturday, August 23, 2008

Let's Get Political

I grew up in the Washington, DC area so politics were a constant source of discussion in my household. I'll spare you my actual political views as they have nothing to do with what I aim to do on here ... but what does relate is political clothing for tots!

Shirts with all sorts of political jargon on them exist all over the net, but I compiled a list of some of the ones I thought were the cutest. You'll notice my 50/50 split between parties ... who says we can't all get along?

First up is Kidoodle Tee's "Democrat in training" and "Republican in training tees." For $13.99 you can get a cute toddler tee that tells the whole world which party your child will grow up supporting.

The "Don't Blame Me..." tee from SavvyTot is one my personal faves. It makes a nice political point without affiliating itself with any one side. Let's be honest our children may grow up to *GASP* support a different political party and there's not a whole lot we can do about that.

This "You down with GOP..." tee from Pollytod, actually made me giggle, Naughty by Nature's 'OPP' was an anthem of the early 90s and to affiliate itself with the conservative side is just a piece of irony all in itself. Nonetheless, this tee is sure to get some attention.

I, personally, don't like shirts that offer up such a bold message, as the "My diaper is like a ..." tee from GabbyTees on a young child. Everyone knows what the missing word is and for most of us it's the more rude way of saying "poop." That being said, there are those among us who feel strongly about our beliefs and actually might a kick out of seeing their toddler in this tee.

I love a cute slogan and "My Mama's for Obama" by Sandbox Threads one delivers the perfect punch. I also appreciate that it shows that the tot's mama is the one supporting Obama. We all know toddlers could care less who the president is -- as long at that person doesn't take away ice cream or playgrounds. So I think it's a wise idea (in political situations) to let the opinion stick with the parents.

The "Weepublican" tee from Kidoodle Tees is just all around cute. From the adorable elephant graphic to the tiny tot messaging at the bottom this tee is perfect for all the wee-publicans.

I was surprised at the shortage of cute slogan tees for McCain supporters. While there's plenty of conservative pride clothing , there isn't a lot of McCain-specific creativity. Obama, on the other hand, has cutesy tee after tee aimed at supporting him. This "Obama Baby" shirt is another one that shows a fun, creative flair.

Rock the Vote,
Bronwyn

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Do Fortune Cookies Really Predict Anything?

OK don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot, I know that the fortunes you find inside a cookie don't mean JACK! BUT I'm all about signs and omens and tonight I think I got one ...

I opened two cookies, one for LLB and one for myself. And while the fortunes themselves were completely unimportant, it was what was on the back that caught my eye. On the back of mine was "JUNE" with the Chinese character spelling and then the phonetic Chinese pronunciation. On the back of LLB's was "GIRL" with the Chinese character spelling and then the phonetic Chinese pronunciation.
I'm pretty confident that we'll have another child. Not right now, new job has held up that progress. But I'm thinking we'll want to get pregnant early next year.

I'd LOVE a May baby or even a June baby and that's where the fortune comes in. I felt like it was telling me I'd have a June baby ... or get pregnant in June ... and then LLB's fortune made me think it would be a girl. I'm THAT mom who wants girls. Don't flame me, I think many moms know a specific sex of a child that they want, some are just afraid to say it, and some are happy with whatever. While a little boy would be something different and I'd be quite excited ... I really want another girl.

FIrst of all we have ALL girly stuff. I'm not a gender neutral kind of gal, LLB's room is VERY girly. Incorporating a boy into that would be a nightmare. And I would feel the need to add a boy splash if we had a boy. We also only have 2 bedrooms, so two girls sharing a room would be nice. I'm an only child, so the thought of a sibling is something foreign to me, but as warm as the thought is, I like the thought of sisters even more.

I think LLB would make a fabulous big sister and I just really think my whole life will be balanced with 2 little girls. So the question is what do those signs mean? I guess we'll have to tempt fate and see what happens. I'm a litte "freaked out" that all my friends who had girls first had boys second ... hmmm

Thinking Pink,
Bronwyn

Monday, August 18, 2008

Site Rave: MomsLikeMe.com

I'm always on the lookout for cool new sites, ones that help enrich our lives, or just offer cool features. As a mom I'm always looking for new mom sites that provide us with info and connect us to one another. New moms need support from other moms who are going through the same things as them and of course from ones who've "been there, done that." But I'm quite proud to present you with MomsLikeMe.com.


I actually work on this site and take great pride in what we're bringing to the masses. Currently we have sites in 27 cities and before the fall is over we'll have triple that. The concept is simple connect moms in ways they never could before on a local level.

Give moms resources like boards/forums to post questions for help and advice or just to share random stories. Help them find other like-minded moms with groups and let them organize calendars easily, as well. Let them carve a personal space on this social networking site with a personal profile and content aggregator for their posts and photos. Finding a pediatrician referral, sharing photos, getting advice and arranging playdates has never been easier.

Check out MomsLikeMe.com for a list of cities where there are sites and check out what cities will be rolling out over the next couple months.

Moms Unite,
Bronwyn

Saturday, August 16, 2008

What Every Working Mother Dreads

I had the week from hell last week and I was working around the clock -- my life was barely my own but I did the best I could to be there for my family and tend to my daughter. Thursday was an important launch day for me (more on that in a moment) and I knew the day would be a long one. At about 2:30PM my daughter's teacher IMed (yes they IM and email us and I LOVE it) me and said that LLB was sad and crying (not really sobbing or tearful crying, but a sad whine) and saying "I want my mommy." My heart leapt into my throat. There as NO way I could leave work but it broke me heart to think it.

See I, like most working moms, promised myself and, in turn, her that I would always be there for her. That my every act would still be for her and if she needed me I would be there. Thursday I wasn't able to do that. Now mind you, my 2.5 year old was fine 5 minutes later. I watched her on the webcam and saw that she was happily playing again. But for a fleeting moment I felt completely lost.

While this feeling sucked, it did open my eyes. First of all, every mom will likely have a moment where they feel like they let their child down, whether they work or not. And I stand by my decision to work and know that I am doing the best thing for her, my husband and my FAMILY! She didn't even realized that I didn't go get her and our lives went on. But I know that held her extra close this weekend and made sure the blackberry and laptop weren't out on her watch so she could have my undivided attention.

She Works Hard for the Money,
Bronwyn

Friday, June 20, 2008

Site Rave: Shop It To Me

I'm not often WOWed by a website these days. I feel like I've seen it all, and while some sites have cool design, etc. most are just reinventions of things that already existed. All that ended when I was referred to ShopItToMe.com!

Obviously I like to shop, and like any GOOD shopper I appreciate a good sale. But who has the time to track down and even keep up with who's having a sale when? I think the only sale I know to count on every year is Nordstrom's Half Yearly Sale!!!! You simply tell ShopItToMe.com your favorite brands and items you shop for. You can select women, men and children's clothing. Then you select your favorite brands, they have an exhaustive list of 537 brands, your favorite ones should be listed -- Gap, 7 for All Mankind, Nine West, Marc Jacobs, the list goes on ... I was really impressed with their selection.

Then you tell it your size and what items you shop for, ie dresses, pants, shoes, accessories, there's almost nothing this site hasn't thought of. Lastly of course you create a log in and store your personal data. After you complete registration you will receive a daily email chock full of items you would be interested in. Every day I look forward to this email, and it's probably the only one I can say that about, and every day it doesn't disappoint. Now if only it could help me hide the purchases from my husband we would be cooking.

You are seriously missing out if you haven't signed up for ShopItToMe.com, see for yourself, if you don't like it you can just deactivate your account later. I promise you will like it though!

Shop, 2, 3, Shop, 2, 3,
Bronwyn

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock Review

I'm your typical Irish, fair-skinned girl, and I tend to burn before I tan. So today before hitting the pool I hooked the LLB up with her sunblock and then tested out Neutrogena's new Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock in SPF 70. And I can sum up my opinion of this product with one statement, where has it been all my life?

First of all it applies so easily. Spray it on and let it dry, it feels super-cool on the skin (which came in handy during follow-up applications in the hot sun) and sprays evenly. I just let the spray cover me generously and didn't think twice about it. And after 3-4 hours in the hot, hot sun I didn't have a piece of burn on my body, I'm a believer.

Best of all I didn't get any nasty, thick, goopy lotion on my hands and I didn't need to have anyone apply sunblock on me. I was able to spray myself all over all by myself. My ONLY complaint would be the slightly chemical-ly smell it has, but what do you expect from a spray-on sunblock?

From the House of the Rising Sun(block),
Bronwyn

Friday, June 6, 2008

RAMBLING: A Fresh Start

I had to take a break from writing here for a number of reasons that I won't bore you with. But I'm happy to say that I'm back -- I hope you haven't all run off in boredom.

I'd like to get this back to what it was meant to be, a spot for people to see what's going on in this mom's world. I love seeing what's new for styles and trends and posting my finds and I love chatting with people about their children and offering advice where I can. Sometimes just saying it out loud is all the support a person needs! So please come back and say hi if you can. And I promise to try my best to entertain you along the way.

The Man Can't Hold Me Down,
Bronwyn

Friday, January 25, 2008

RAMBLING: Remember When ...

car seats looked like this?


I don't, but my mom sure does. I'm up in Long Island, New York cleaning out my grandfather's house (he's in assisted living now), and she found that car seat in a closet. I used to ride in that thing. SERIOUSLY. I don't know what good it did, the buckle was USELESS.

Seriously who couldn't get out of that buckle? My mom even chuckles because at the time that seat was bought it was the top of the line model, fairly expensive and by today's standards not worth a penny.

That's the funny thing about cleaning out a grandparents' house. You find stuff. My favorite part is the old pictures. I love seeing my mom growing up, though there seem to only be pictures of her when she was like 1 and then in college haha. Not sure what happened inbetween there. Then there's my grandmother who HATED having her picture taken, so much so that she was NOTORIOUS for cutting herself out of pictures. You'll find what look like delightful pictures with someone's head missing! That headless person is ALWAYS my grandmother. And it makes me sad because she meant the world to me and if I could I would have a million photographs of her.

Speaking of, I think the saddest part about someone dying is forgetting what they look like. I know what my grandmother looked like, BUT from photographs. I was only 9 when she passed away and can't remember what she PHYSICALLY looked like in my memories. I remember things about her, her silver hair and impeccable clothing. Her shoe collection and handbags. Eating lunch and watching soap operas. Her telling my grandfather to "Slow Down Pete" when he was driving too fast or the way she would rub my arm to sooth me before bed. I remember her calling me punkin and just showering me with the most love I think I could ever try to describe. But I can't remember HER! And it's heartbreaking. When I dream about her, it's her presence, not her. When I think of her, it's her presence. I suppose this means that she's living on, but it saddens me that I can't remember her!

I Want to be in the Arms of the Angel,
Bronwyn