Mama Memo Monday #2

Give the gift of gift receipts!

Baby showers are a definite bonus to being pregnant (beyond the obvious fact that you will be a parent soon, of course). There's nothing better than loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc. getting together to shower you and your baby with love . . . and much needed gear! However, the post-shower organization period can be a stressful time once you realize you were gifted four of that cute polka-dot blanket (as opposed to the one you registered for) and you're swimming in a sea of other repeat presents -- some of which were on your registry and many others that came from who-knows-what-store.

Let's put ourselves in the sensible (translation: flat and comfy) shoes of the Showered One (who is by no means ungrateful for everything you've done for her/him but wants to share this knowledge with as many peeps as possible).

Picture this: You and your BD/BM (Baby Daddy or Baby Mama) have sacrificed at least one entire pre-baby Saturday (which are now becoming alarmingly scarce) to waddle (or schlep, depending on where you are in your preggoness) around a (usually big box) store (or two if you're registered at multiple places). In one hand you carry a scanner gun, like what you may have used when registering for your wedding (back when you actually knew what you needed/wanted and could breeze through a store in an hour or two, firing that thing like you were the John Wayne of registries). In the other hand, you clutch a checklist that you've downloaded from your favorite baby website featuring the oh-so daunting "Things You and Your Baby Cannot Possibly Survive Without" (no pressure!). And stapled to that are a few pages of emails from family and friends who have supplied helpful lists of their own recommendations because, while you may know a cute Pack 'N Play pattern when you see one, there are a zillion brands of bottles and nipples and diapers and ointments, etc.; all the "little" but extremely important things, and you can use all the help you can get!

Exhausted yet?! Don't get me wrong, it's very fun and exciting to make a wish list for your little one. But it's truly a lot of work, especially when you're first time parents and have no idea what you're doing.

That little glimpse into the Showered Ones registration experience is exactly why you should ALWAYS give the gift of gift receipts! Because even if they've requested something in particular, they may get ten of it or they may want to replace it with something else. You will be making new Mamas and Dadas everywhere so very happy by simply asking the cashier for a gift receipt and dropping that sweet little ticket into the card. Trust me, it will be like you're giving them two gifts if/when the time comes for them to return or exchange it.

The gift receipt knows no limits. Gifting diapers? Tape the gift receipt right onto the box because you never know if those size "newborn" ones you purchased will need to be exchanged for a box of size ones. And, if you're one of those adventurous types who likes to avoid gift registries, this will be especially helpful, so that BM/BD don't have to put guesswork into the return of your gift OR so they know where they can go to purchase more of it, OR to recommend it to others because it's so fabulous.

I am SO sold on the power of gift receipts that I now give them with EVERYthing I gift. Ideally, the Showered One will keep and cherish your gift forever but if that is not the case, let's make it as easy on them as possible!

Quintessential Quote

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

~Maya Angelou

This is one of my all-time favorites. What are yours?

The Young and the Soapless

I shudder to think about what a world without Soap Operas would be like. Sadly, it feels like we are all getting closer to finding out as two ABC programs will close up shop at the end of this year and the beginning of next. Fortunately, my all-time, A#1 fave, The Young and the Restless (Y&R) -- second runners-up are General Hospital (GH) and Days of Our Lives (DOOL) -- appears to be going strong (for the time being).

If you claim you've never watched a Soap, you're not telling the truth. They're impossible to escape and at some point in your life you KNOW you have stopped flipping the channel long enough for Victor Newman to ponder his next move against rival Jack Abbott or to see Marlena Evans (aka Doc) torn between her loyalty to Roman Brady and her passion for John Black. You didn't even have to be watching it on purpose; maybe you were an innocent bystander who grew up with a parent or guardian who had a favorite Soap that was always on and you had no choice but to watch Luke and Laura Spencer's globetrotting shenanigans day after day.

Whatever your history, there's a good chance that Soaps fit into it somewhere. It makes me sad to ponder the extinction of scripted daytime dramas. What will kids watch on sick days home from school whilst sipping their ginger ale? What will lounging teens be sucked into when they wake up in the late morning/early afternoon of a Summer day (right after The Price Is Right, of course)? What will full-time parents and working women and men (I know more than one, thank you very much), set their DVRs to capture 5 days a week and then enjoy catching up on with weekend marathons? (Sidebar: I may or may not have personal experience with each of these scenarios, but that's beside the point.) Even worse, what will future generations really know about over-the-top, unbelievable drama without them? There is NOTHING REAL about Reality TV (translation: prefab drama) but the great thing about Soaps is that they never claim to be real. They're total escapes from the real world and all its trials and tribulations; good old fashioned entertainment. For posterity's sake, here's a few things that I've learned from the Soaps:

• The odds are good that you have an evil twin that you may or may not know about.
• When you die it's pretty rare that you are actually dead.
• When you hit your head, you will get amnesia. Every. Time. Wait . . . what was I saying?
• If you're a child under 11, you will be sent away to boarding school at some point and come home for the Summer having aged 7-10 years.
• Whenever you say something super important, you should hold your pose, gesture, etc. for a good 30 seconds after your declaration (if not for a commercial-break than at least for dramatic effect).
• There is at least 1 villain in every family.
• Even though someone talks about their job often you may never actually see them do any work or ever see the outside of the building they work in.*
• You will never wear the same outfit twice but you may wear the same thing for many days in a row.
• Time moves slowly. One day in Soap time typically = 2-3 days in real time.
• Changing your identity can be as simple as changing your name and dying your hair or as complex as having a complete face transplant to look like your arch nemesis, someone you are obsessed with, or someone you want to get revenge on. (Sidebar: I don't know why it's taken real-life surgeons years to perfect this procedure; Soap docs have been doing it for decades.)
• Whether you are "dead" or in the Soap version of the Witness Protection Program your phone number will remain the same and your cell phone will be in working order at all times.
• The average person will get married no less than 3 times.
• Tampering with or changing the results of a paternity test is simple and at times necessary.
• When you're pregnant, your baby will have no less than 2 possible daddies.
• Just when things in your life seem happy and quiet, something will go awry.*
• There are only so many places in town you will EVER go. Typically there are no more than 10 locations you will ever be (more if you include residences).
• You will never go to the grocery store. Food and wine and liquor just miraculously appear in your home. (For this reason alone I could thrive in Soap World.)
• If you are a man, the odds are pretty good that you have at least one child "out there" (living next door) that you don't know about.
• If you are a woman, the odds are pretty good that the baby you are raising and think is yours was switched at birth and your actual child is somewhere "out there" (being raised by your arch enemy).
• Unless you are at a bar or restaurant, you will dispense booze from crystal decanters that you keep on display in your main living area, in your place of business, on your jet, etc.
• Everyone is connected*. No matter how far fetched.
• If you are staring longingly at a picture of your lost or unrequited love, the odds are pretty good they're doing the same with your photo at the exact same moment.
• Behind every closed door is a man or woman or child leaning against it posing with a look of great concern or distress on their face. There may even be a single tear running down their cheek.
• Something major will always happen on a Friday but nothing will ever be resolved on that particular day of the week. Every Friday is a "cliffhanger day".
• Saxophone music will always play during "intimate" times.
• Any memories/flashbacks you have will be slightly out of focus and surrounded by a fuzzy, cloud-like border.
• If you are a female in prison you will be wearing jail bird duds but still have full access to hair and make-up teams.
• Private jets are more commonplace than cars for day to day transportation. Someone is always calling to have the jet fueled up.
• There is always more to every story.*
• There will always be drama.*

* = This may be the case in reality as well.

What have the soaps taught you? C'mon, you know you want to share . . . start dishing!

Mama Memo Monday

I am a planner (translation: control freak) in all aspects of my life. However, when it came to finding out the gender of our first baby, David and I agreed that it would add to the excitement of the pregnancy (and it did) to wait until he/she entered the world to know. I cross my heart and swear to you that I did not have a preference in the matter; I only wanted a happy, healthy baby and that's exactly what we got! There is nothing like that moment of the "big reveal" and when Cade made his long-anticipated entrance in that delivery room, all three of us were in tears (for different reasons, of course, but in tears just the same). All that having been said, when we registered for our baby showers we picked all gender-neutral items; everything was made for boy AND girl.

Most preggos and their mates cannot (and do not) want to wait to find out what they're having (besides a baby ;), but to those people I ask this simple question: are you planning on having more than one child? If the answer is yes (or maybe), then when you register, I highly recommend going gender-neutral in the bedding and bath departments. Adding accent colors and decorations that are more gender-specific can be done with those basic pieces. Also, think about all the big ticket items a baby requires (swings, pack 'n plays, high chairs, car seats (infant and toddler), strollers, etc. . . .) and how much money you (and loved ones) will save if you go neutral with them. This doesn't mean that EVERY item you register for has to be green and/or yellow. The days of pink OR blue are long gone so there is much more flexibility (the infant car seat and stroller we chose are baby blue and the jogging stroller I purchased is red and black). This is just one easy way to have fun planning for the future and be frugal at the same time!  

Friday Night Lights Out

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

Why do all of the good television shows leave us too soon? After 5 solid seasons, Friday Night Lights (adapted from the book and movie of the same name) came to an end a couple of weeks ago. David and I are way behind the TV times (I have yet to watch the Season Finales of Glee or 30 Rock) so we fired up the ol' DVR last night and finally bid farewell to one of our favorite shows. I think that a part of me wanted to hold out for as long as possible before watching that final episode because I just didn't want it to be over. As I watched the lights on the football field go out for the last time, I felt a tinge of disappointment but was definitely satisfied with how the writers wrapped things up, and I'm glad the show went out on a high note (a la My So-Called Life, Sex and the City, Friends, pretty much any show that I have loved and lost).

I think the best part of FNL is the characters. Even though I was a fan of Kyle Chandler before this show (remember Early Edition?), he became Coach Taylor to me. EVERY one, from the lead characters to the smallest supporting roles, is so real and that's because the cast is A-mazing (well done, casting agents!). If you've never watched an episode, I urge you to add Season 1 to your Netflix queue, hop on Hulu and get to watchin', or head to your local DVD rental store (if one still exists in your neighborhood) when the next rainy day comes around (which could be any minute the way this Summer has been going). Trust me. You don't need to be a football fan to enjoy it and I guarantee that you will fall in love with Coach, Tami, Julie, Gracie Belle, Street, Saracen, Smash, the Riggins brothers, Tyra, Landry, Lyla, Jess, Vince, Mindy, Luke, Buddy (the list goes on and on), and gladly get sucked into their stories.

Tell me . . . what dearly departed television shows do you miss?

Dear San Francisco Giants,

Cade = Not thrilled with the way the team has been performing of late.

Oh, the torture!

I just want to make clear that, for the record, I cannot have a good luck charm baby for you EVERY season. It's just not gonna happen. Cade's arrival in the world gave you the power you needed last Summer but now you're on your own. At some point (in the very near future) you're going to have to get your business together and start getting some strikes AND hits. Find strength in your talented and well compensated roster and those A-mazing fans in that beautiful City by the Bay (and beyond) and bring on those orange and black attacks we love so much!

Let's Go Giants!

Fondly,
Good Luck Charm 2010's Mama

Happiness is . . .

Being an Auntie again! My dear, one-tough-cookie of a sister-in-law gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy this morning and we could not be more thrilled. The new addition joins his two older sisters who I can only imagine are over the moon excited about the anticipated arrival of their little brother. I love the fact that there is a new member of our family to love and can't wait for our son to meet his new little buddy; it will be awesome watching them grow up together <3.

What made you happy today?

Honey, I Shrunk the Kid's Hair

After a few weeks of debating whether we should or we shouldn't cut his hair, I finally decided that Cade needed a new "do". The curly wisps were super cute (and made it through his first birthday) but they were driving our lil' man nuts. His "sideburns" were so long that they tickled his ears and he was constantly tugging at them (the tendrils and his ears) and trying to move them away (naturally they bounced right back into place). So I made an appointment at our local kid salon and 24 hours later our little baby officially looked like a little boy. Here is C in the super fun car chair, ready for a new look:

And here are a couple of shots of the sweet new style:

I must admit that when the stylist started snipping I got a little choked up . . . Cade just looked so grown up in the chair and it seemed too soon for us to be taking him to an appointment that wasn't with his pediatrician. While I was sad to see the longer locks go, and check yet ANOTHER "first" off of Cade's rapidly growing list, I love that we can see more of that sweet face and he seems so much more comfortable now.