Since anyone who reads this website is probably stretched to the max…racing from meetings to feedings, softball and soccer games, conference calls and colic, we’ve lined up a fave five devoted to items that’ll make your life a little bit easier.
1. How Do I Do It Planner – Does it bug you every time someone who doesn’t have kids looks at you and says, “I just don’t know how you do it?” Well, we’ve just found the answer thanks to WhoMi . This New York City based company has come up with The How Do I Do It planner. And for $12 that’s a bargain in these tough economic times. And while some of you might rely on your BlackBerry or iPhone to keep your schedule straight, I say that nothing beats writing things down in a planner. So visit WhoMi and show everyone how you really do it.
2. Hands Free Role Mommy – A few months back, I had the opportunity to try out the Jawbone – a wireless headset that is one of the easiest hands free devices I’ve ever given a whirl – and trust me – I’ve been through them all. And while I was lucky enough to test one out for free…I managed to lose it about two months after receiving it and had to go out and buy a new one. Well, I just found out that Jawbone has come up with even more options for multitasking moms in a variety of cool colors. I guess I should’ve waited to buy the brand new Jawbone PRIME and its EARCANDY colors that are available today for pre-order at www.jawbone.com and will be sold in retail stores nationally starting May 2, 2009. Trust me, it’s a must-have item for any multitasking mama.
3. A Fresh Way to Shed Weight – A little birdie just told me that the meal plan that helped Ricki Lake shed tons of weight is now available nationwide! It’s called Freshology and the cool thing about it is if you order it, you will receive healthy foods that are good for you (rather than packed with sodium) and they even send you the required water you’re supposed to drink every day to keep you hydrated. We’re also getting a special discount for moms in time for Mother’s Day and will post that code soon…we promise! In the meantime, check out this new weight loss option and get ready to be a big loser (in a good way of course).
4. Easy birthday gifts that give back! – If you’re like me, you probably pick up birthday presents for the parties your kids have to attend the day of the event. At this point, I’m actually at T-minus 8 hours before my son’s upmpteenth bowling party of the season. We just heard from two fabulous women in NYC who are the founders of GiftHero.com which offers a great selection of children’s birthday gifts for ages 3-7 along with a quick search tool they call the Gift Finder to help you identify your gift with 3 questions – what is the gender of the child? What is her age? What is your price range? Plus, they designed an eco-friendly gift bag to eliminate the need to wrap your gift and find a suitable shopping bag to bring your gift to the party. And, best of all, they even offer the ability to donate to a children’s charity – and are working with the Urban Horizon Head Start Program in the South Bronx to help fun enrichment programs such as school trips. I better get in gear and start ordering presents from Gift Hero for the next three bowling parties on the docket. I swear, I think my son is going to be a pro-bowler by the time this year is over!
5. A Little Link Love – Last but not least, here’s a little blog love to the Silicon Valley Moms Examiner who pick their top 10 “make your life easier” items for moms.
Smelly Cat
So we broke down last week and finally brought home a kitten to shake things up a bit in the Feldman household. We were convinced that our elder cat, Rudy, who lost his brother a few years back, was lonely and needed a companion. Despite the fact that the last go-round with a skittish cat named Gracie ended in a return to sender situation, we were determined to give it a go and bring another animal into the house.
While my daughter initially told me she’d be content with a hamster or guinea pig, I nixed both suggestions since my friend informed me that a hamster could have a heart attack if my cat scared the beejeezus out of it and a guinea pig, while pretty easy to care for would still have a cage that would need cleaning while my daughter was away in sleepaway camp for four weeks. And so, I thought – let’s take the plunge and get another cat. How hard could it be?
So last Saturday, we raced over to Petco to find the last two kittens up for adoption and managed to nab a squirrely little bugger right before another woman attempted to claim her. After signing reams of documents, and buying out half the store, we picked up our kitten, plopped her in her carrier and off we went.
When we arrived home, we set up a spot in my daughter’s room and showed her the litter box and figured, everything would fall into place. She’d do her business in the right place, we’d introduce her to Rudy and the two would become fast friends. Think again. So far, every time Rudy sees Hazel (that’s what my daughter decided to name her), he hisses and runs the other way.
After five days, my daughter will not sleep in her room because the kitten climbs on her head while she tries to sleep. To make matters worse, the cat smells. I mean she smells really bad. Like stale pee. I’m not joking – she’s a smelly cat. And since she’s so smelly, the room stinks too. I bought an automatic air freshener that spritzes fumes every time there’s a bad smell in the room, and it’s been spritzing all day and night. So now, the room smells like stale pee mixed with air freshener. The lesson learned from these noxious fumes is that our brand new kitten obviously is using more than just the litter box to relieve herself.
I just hope that this smelly situation will resolve itself soon because if my daughter gets boxed out of her room by a feline with a bladder problem, I’m going to go postal. I mean, I already have two kids who are way past pull-ups and I’m not about to put a diaper on a kitten. Although I have considered getting baby wipes. Plus, my daughter’s teacher said if the cat smells, there must be something wrong with it and we should take her to the vet.
So for anyone out there who’s a cat expert, let me know if it’s normal for a kitten to stink to high heaven. And if you have any potty training advice for a five week old kitten, feel free to share. I’m a little bit rusty and it shows.
Guess Who Just Got Lots of Mommy Blogger Love?
Plus, check out one of our favorite mom bloggers, Collen Padilla on Fox & Friends this morning as she discussed the potential FTC regulations on mom bloggers. Nicely done!
Good News for Moms
Today at Role Mommy we’re kicking off a new category in our news section called “Good News for Moms.” This page will cover everything from deals and discounts to new businesses or products you should be aware of to make your lives easier. Or it’ll share a story of a mom who is a bona-fide do-gooder. If you fit the bill, then we want to hear from you. Email your story to us at beth@rolemommy.com.
Without further ado, here’s our first Good News entry for moms…
Care.com is offering a Free Weekend that will begin at midnight (PST) on the morning of Friday, April 24 and extends through Sunday, April 26. During these three days, Care.com is prepared to give away memberships valued at more than $1 million to families nationwide.
Every visitor to Care.com during the Free Weekend will have the opportunity to experience the benefits of paid, premium membership for free. You can post jobs, review the full profiles of caregivers in your area, contact care providers to schedule interviews, check references and run a free background check.
I have to say, considering we’re always in a bind looking for babysitters, the Care.com site actually offered a large database of sitters right in our area! Who knew that we didn’t have to rely on our network of teens whose social calendars seem to be busy than ours these days. Visit Care.com today to find out more about this fabulous resource for parents.
That’s it for now…more good news to come!
I Wish I Were 17 Again!
Just came back from seeing 17 Again with my kids – okay – I know it’s PG-13 and I did find myself in a pickle when my 10 year old asked me what they were handing out in the sex education class, but other than that scene, the movie was a lot of fun. Definitely not as good as “Back to the Future” or “Big” or “It’s A Wonderful Life,” but I’ll take Matthew Perry and Zac Ephron in a movie together any day. And check out the clip above featuring actress Leslie Mann who shares how her 10 year old daughter reacted to her on screen kiss with her idol, Zac Ephron.
Watching the film did take me back to high school and all those shoulda, woulda, coulda moments. If I had been accepted to the High School of Performing Arts or the Tisch School would my path have been different? Would I have pursued my dream of performing on Broadway or did the fact that I had a serious boyfriend in high school curtail all those dreams I had so long ago?
Yesterday, when I caught the YouTube video of Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle I began to realize that there are so many of us in this world who are not doing what we were supposed to do with our careers. I have a friend who is an accountant with one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard. Last night, another friend told me a story of a girl who is an incredible artist but works as a volunteer at MOMA instead of showcasing her work at a gallery. She recently went to get her artwork framed and the store owner hung one of her pieces on the wall and someone actually offered him $3000 for the piece. And the woman never owned up to the fact that she actually was the artist!
What are we all afraid of anyway? Plenty of people have made fools of themselves on television and have even become famous doing it (anyone still remember William Hung?) But sometimes, there are those Cinderella stories or “Pretty Woman” moments when a frumpy woman from Glasgow completely blows everyone away and makes us believe again that it truly is possible to make our dreams come true. It’s time we all start celebrating those diamonds in the rough who have flown under the radar. It’s never too late to do what you love. So what are you waiting for?
Related Link:
Is this the time to chase a career dream?
Side Dish of the Week…Baked Polenta Fries
Last night we went out to dinner at Zoe Restaurant in SoHo with our close friends and after catching up over mojitos and crispy calamari, I was salivating over one of our side dishes and decided that this morning, I’d search the web for the best recipe for polenta fries.
This one wins my vote for best side of the week. They taste like fries – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and beyond delicious. And if you bake them, they’re pretty healthy too! Don’t believe me? Then try out this Polenta Fries recipe and let us know how it turned out!
I’m Joining the Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge!
Since the weather has been absolutely gorgeous this weekend, the only thing I’ve realized is that despite the fact that I’ve been hitting the gym I need to kick up my fitness routine several notches if I’m going to be ready to wear shorts this summer. You see, every year when I hit shorts and swimsuit season I start getting a nervous tic because the thought of me showing off my legs is enough for me to wish for an entire year of winter.
Before I swear off shorts completely, the folks at Weight Watchers have just the answer for me to get motivated to shed that knee fat. Start walking! And I’ve agreed to participate in their Momentum Walk-It Challenge and will be sharing my progress on the weight loss and fitness front. So check back soon and I’ll let you know if I can see a noticeable difference in my lower half.
The Earth Day Fave Five
We’ve been combing the Internet searching for fabulous finds this coming Earth Day so as everyone continues to go green, we’ve got a list of great deals, movies, websites for kids, green mom blogs and more!
1. If you’re in the mood to see a great movie about our planet, then Disney and Discovery have just the answer with the new film Earth. Check out the trailer to see for yourself and if you purchase a ticket for Disney’s Earth they will plant a tree in your honor! To find out more, visit the Disney Earth website for games, beautiful wallpaper downloads, videos, gallery and more.
2. While paying an early morning visit to Twitter, we discovered a great deal from Toys R Us – if you order select eco-friendly toys this week, they’ll provide free shipping!
3. Want to teach your kids more about the environment and endangered animals? Then hop on over to Habitat Heroes where you’ll find games and experts who share everything there is to know about protecting the amazing animals on our planet.
4. Check out these fashion finds from Lola & James, an innovative, eco-conscious children’s clothing line created by Paula Scolaro-Sikking, a Montreal-born graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. The line features bold and creative looks such as vintage concert t-shirts, colorful designs made from recycled fabrics and materials, and customized recycled cashmere blankets. The line caters to both boys and girls, sizes 0/6 months to 10 years old. Lola carries the same one-of-a-kind, independent streak as the clothes she inspires. Celebrity clients include the offspring of Kelly Ripa, Angelina Jolie, Courtney Cox, Eddie Vedder and Gwen Stefani. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, Tough Cookies Children’s Boutique will donate 10% of all Lola & James purchases to Tree People, whose staff and volunteers work to plant trees and restore the pollution-damaged mountains of Southern California.
5. Here’s a shout out to some fabulous green blogs and websites Green Options, Green Baby, Eco Child’s Play, Mom Go Green and Green Your Decor.
We’ll be sharing more great Green Blogs this week and if you’re a green blogger, then comment now and share your link too!
Who is Susan Boyle???
While I’ve been busy watching Adam Lambert sweep “American Idol” my father-in-law asked me today if I had heard about Susan Boyle and looked at him and replied, “Who’s Susan Boyle?”
“Well take a look at YouTube and you’ll find out,” he replied.
So I hopped on the computer and let my fingers do the surfing and I was surprised to find the most amazing singer who was just discovered on Britain’s Got Talent. It was a complete surprise but this frumpy woman who walked out on stage is probably one of the most talented singers I’ve ever heard. If you don’t believe me, then visit YouTube and check it out for yourself
Mother’s Day Book Pick Alert!
We’ve got another great book pick for any new mom who is feeling down in the doldrums because they haven’t had a chance to take a shower, get a manicure or hit the gym in months. It’s time to get back in the saddle! And this latest book by Olympic athlete and mom Dara Torres is the perfect remedy to inspire you to pursue your passion at any stage of your life.
Recently, Dara, a multi-tasking mom with a young daughter met with a group of mom bloggers as spokesperson for HP’s newest laptop computers. Unfortunately, while I was all excited to see Dara in action – she actually swam for the group first before they went to lunch with her, it was the second day of Passover so I was home cooking up a turkey for 16 attendees. And so, sadly, I missed meeting her in the flesh. But lucky for me, one of Dara’s other spokesperson duties is for the Drink Well Live Well milk campaign and coincidentally, they sent me a copy of her latest book, Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life
The book, which is written by Dara and Elizabeth Weil shares the incredible story of how this dynamic woman managed to compete in four Olympic games spanning two decades (1984-2008)! If you ever thought you were too old to do what you love, read this book and get inspired. If there were more Dara Torres’ in this world, there’s no telling what all of us can accomplish. So today, we’re adding Dara’s book to our must-have Mother’s Day book list. Visit our Amazon Store for more great book picks.