Oprah and Me

As this is a relatively new blog, I'm anxious to build readership. So I'd thought I'd sprinkle some Oprah pixie-dust into my blogging and see if that helps. Thoughts from today's show-- loved the couple who met during the Holocaust, were separated and then met on a blind date 15 years later. Now 60+ years later, they are still married. The fellow got down on his knee to rekindle his love for his wife and fell over (not hurt!)-- what a real moment. And its those type of real folks and real moments that seem to be missing from Oprah the past few years. Like that interview with Heidi Klum and Seal-- how perfect their life allegedly is. Can any of us really relate to them? Celebrities who are in the front row of life can often be more boring than those of us in the bleachers.

4 Reasons Why I Love Crate and Barrel

1. One word- glasses. Sippy cups are banned here.
2. The phrase "seasonal dinnerware" takes on new meaning here. Mid-winter breakfast dishes anyone?
3. You can change your living room "look" by buying a few throw pillows-- although I don't know that my living room, with post-college couch and 1944 inherited piano has a well-defined look.
4. You can buy a chic $64 dark wood basket that will hold (and hide) all your kids toys.

How Parenting Changes With Each Kid

On your first child, you buy the latest diaper bag, keep it topped off with diapers, wipes, toys.. enough to last for a week-long trip.

On your second child, you "recycle" the grocery store plastic bags by throwing a few diapers and wipes into it.

On your third child, they wait until you get home.

On your first child, you follow doctors orders and carefully introduce each new food. Your baby is exposed to all the "organic" peas, meats, and fruits pureed into fancy label jars.

On your second child, you figure Beechnut isn't so bad and Cheerios is a first solid.

On your third child, a peeled chicken mcnugget makes a nice soft dinnertime "protein".

On your first child, each birthday gift for your child's friend is carefully selected and beautifully wrapped.

On your second child, you've been guilty of re-gifting.

On your third child, gift cards rule!

To be continued....

Halloween for Teens

You would think it's the prom the way my 13 year old is already planning whose she's trick-or-treating with. Apparently its a big deal in junior high that you have a "group" set to go with and that this "group" has a coordinated costume ready to wear to school on Oct. 31. There's already been some changes in the "group" because so-and-so is mad at someone else. The friendships change like the fall wind. I always tell her "this too shall pass".

Does Spirit Airlines Really Suck?

I've been reading all over the web about the allegedly nasty comment the chairman of Spirit Airlines inadvertantly sent to a disgruntled passenger. See alexrudloff.com for the complete details. And I guess I'm one of the fortunate few because although I had a bag lost on Spirit once, they did reimburse me (although it took about four months). I am a frequent flier of Spirit on the ORD-RSW (that's Fort Myers) route and while the folks manning the front counters seem to be okay-- I am noticing a definite lapse in customer service. News flash to Spirit-- when your good customer's pre-assigned seat mysteriously disappears (as mine did last week), having to wait on hold for 45 minutes until the Manila-based customer service agent answers and does nothing is not a way to get me to start using my new Spirit Airlines credit card.

We all know that customer service sucks these days-- and like happened above-- bad news spreads like a virus. So let's hear some GOOD NEWS customer service. Maybe if we start spreading some GOOD NEWS about some company, who knows what can happen? Thank you vouchers perhaps???

Tales of Toilet Paper Tshirts

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Oh the search for quality teenage clothes-- my thirteen year old needs a nice outfit for temple and all I can find is trashy slutwear! No matter what your religious affilitation, I'm sure it's not proper to attend in sleeveless attire and that's all I can seem to find. That, plus the too-short skirts like the ones that got that lady almost kicked off Southwest Airlines this week.

The t-shirts they all seem to be wearing (hello Abercrombie) are so thin I call them expensive toilet paper shirts. And this "layering" trend is probably a marketing scheme cooked up by the apparel industry, because you can't just wear ONE toilet paper t-shirt, you have to wear TWO. So now your $20 piece of toilet paper attire is now $40.

And This is Supposed to Promote Reading?

So my 8 year old comes home with his very first book order from Scholastic Books-- and 85% of the catalogue is no longer books.. it's dvds and toys. And exactly how are we parents supposed to promote reading when "games" are being sold to the kids?

Speaking of books, my older girls (10 and 13) were really into the "Dear America" historical fiction books and the "American Girl" series, but where are the good series for boys? I looked into Magic Treehouse-- too redundant and others are too sci-fi. Maybe they could do an "American Boy" series.