A Lot of Heart (sponsored)

May 1, 2012 By 2 Comments


This Mother’s Day, I’m working with Clever Girls Collective in support of Macy’s Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the “Trade, Not Aid” program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake. The program was launched by artist and social entrepreneur, Willa Shalit, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Macy’s. Already, Heart of Haiti has led to employment of 750 artists in Haiti, providing financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 people in the country.

“You’re a cool mom.”

“Well, we’d been talking about it for a while and it’s better than taking him where there are a ton of people all crowded in and…”

“YOU’RE A COOL MOM, admit it!”

“Um. Okay, thank you. I try!”

This is the conversation I had with the nurse at the cancer clinic yesterday. I had recently taken Jack to Build-A-Bear and we came out with a cat dubbed Obi-Meow. I hadn’t intended to get clothing for the cat Jack wanted to make, but I couldn’t walk out of there without the Star Wars gear!

We went because the cat (Fluffy) Jack normally carries around seems to have had a tail incident. I could sew it back up, but it was a cheapy toy that I bought on clearance at the grocery store after Easter last year so a split tail is likely the beginning of the end…and anyway, we were looking for something fun to do together that wouldn’t wear Jack out completely.

So off we went. He absolutely wanted a cat no matter what and we quickly identified one. Jack made a wish on the heart (he wished they could be best friends always), we both kissed it, and then it was put it inside the cat before stuffing it. He then took it to the grooming station and brushed its fur. He can tell the story in detail and never forgets to mention the paw-shaped brush he used.

We tried Darth Vader clothes on the cat but they didn’t quite fit so we moved on to Jedi clothing. That was when we decided the cat should be named Obi-Meow. One of the employees found a light sabre for us, as well.

Jack takes Obi-Meow everywhere now. While heading out the door to the clinic yesterday, he said, “We can’t forget Obi-Meow! Remember when you said she’d want to go everywhere with me?”

Putting together and grooming his very own stuffed animal was special to Jack. He now has something he can take care of when everyone is busy taking care of him, and this has seemed to help his outlook. He’s been more cheerful lately and, while he won’t talk about his treatments or much else, he’ll tell all kinds of stories about Obi-Meow. Somehow that cat is reassuring to him.

Taking Jack to Build-a-Bear was an early Mother’s Day celebration for me. I didn’t get breakfast in bed or chocolate but I got to create a wonderful memory with my son. I saw him in a new light as he cared for his new friend, a friend that will sit with him through the upcoming challenges with his cancer treatment, a friend whose heart will remind him that his mom loves him.

That’s probably more cheesy than cool, but I’ll take it!

 

Heart of Haiti products are available online at Macy’s.com. Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and paintings, and is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood.

Thank you to Macy’s Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart” promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Filed Under: Cancer Mom, Gear, Holidays, Issues, Parenting 101, Shopping

Invitation to Tea

June 10, 2011 By 3 Comments

Have you heard of Tea Collection?  (No, this is not something you drink.)  I hadn’t before this month when I received an invitation to an Open Studio for their upcoming Fall collection of clothing.  I took a look at their website and fell in love with the unique art on their clothing – I particularly love this beetle shirt and I knew Jack would want this lizard shirt (he’s obsessed with chameleons lately).  He is pretty particular about what he wears these days and he tends to request things that are “kinda scary.”  (He is still wearing his skeleton shirt from Halloween…)

So last night I attended the Tea Collection Open Studio.  This company that I didn’t know existed is located less than a mile from my office!  They provided tacos (YUM) and margaritas and introduced a group of local social media folks to their staff, designers, and upcoming Mexico-inspired line of clothing.  I knew immediately upon seeing this Day of the Dead shirt that Jack would be ALL OVER IT:

I showed him the picture when I got home, and he wanted to see it bigger and BIGGER and then he wanted to know why it was a decorative skull, and then he wanted it for himself.  It’s a good thing his birthday is coming up.

There was also some sort of contest.  I honestly don’t even know what the winner gets – I just had fun dressing up a mannequin (they stay still, unlike real children).  We were asked to take pieces from the Fall line and throw together an outfit.  My ensemble is below:

I really think the sombrero makes the outfit, don’t you?  You can’t quite see it in this picture (yeah, I suck with camera phones – my hands shake way too much) but there is orange in the polo underneath the Team Nahual shirt that matches the shoelaces on those sneakers.  I can totally see Jack in this outfit.  Also?  I really like orange.

They also had a little something for the ladies.  I am completely enraptured with this sweater:

I must buy it.  MUST!!  (It’s not available yet.  Dang it!)  I thought it was a scarf at first and still I wanted it but no!  It’s a sweater!  Even better!  (I live in San Francisco, remember?  I would wear a sweater every day if I could.)

I was really impressed by the friendliness of the company’s founders and the other employees I met.  I loved learning about the details of how the designers go on trips (i.e. Mexico) and visit the markets and research the culture in order to bring the designs into their clothing line.  There is a new culture/country every season.  The designs are vibrant and a little off-beat, which is right up our alley.

We got a neat little gift bag on our way out – Jack is wearing a pair of Tea pants today and they fit perfectly according to the size chart!  How often does THAT happen??  I’m also enjoying this lovely scarf that was inspired by Barcelona.  Um, I need to go to Barcelona (how come you never take me there?).

By the way, I wasn’t asked to write about this in exchange for the gifts or anything.  I just wanted to give this boutique company a shout out because I’m super impressed by how they run their company.  Not only that, but they have having an awesome sale inspired by Facebook likes and I think my deal-loving readers out there will find it to be relevant!  So, go check it out.

And here’s a picture of me in an sombrero.  I *may* have written this whole thing just to show you guys how awesome I look in it.  Only you can prevent forest fires!  Or something.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Gear, Photos, Shopping Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Holiday Spirit

December 7, 2010 By 4 Comments

I can hardly believe it’s December but here we are.  Our mantel is filling up with gifts, holiday cards went out today, and our Countdown to Christmas Calendar (if you want to buy this, check out my website) is in full swing.

Jack tells me every day before he opens the next box, “I know what’s in there!”  But on the 5th day he was surprised to find not chocolate but a small gift of Gogos.  “Why are they goo goos [sic], mom?” he asked.  “I don’t know, son.  They are just funny little toys that you can play with.”

We are trying to take it easy on the spending for Christmas this year.  I think between the advent calendar and his stocking (not to mention the million gifts he gets from family), Jack will have plenty to open.  He told me what to put on his wish list (with my advice about what was an okay price) and has been asking every day if Santa will bring him this green alien:

Not to worry – Santa totally has this one in the bag (despite Amazon running out of stock!  Santa actually found a better price at Fisher-Price.com anyway!).

Other gifts include (yes, these are affiliate links):

If your kid is into flashlights but keeps killing the batteries, you seriously need to check out that Lego torch – they need to wind it up to re-energize it! Woot!

I’m looking forward to the holiday. I especially like the fact that we won’t be putting ourselves into debt to celebrate it.

Filed Under: Gear, Holidays, Photos, Shopping Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Big Sale on Stampin’ Up! Craft Supplies

November 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As many of you know, I became a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator a few months ago after a 4 year hiatus.  I am really excited about my return to working with this company – I love the art, the colors, and working with a company that loves their demonstrators and their customers.  They have done some amazing stuff during the time I was away and it just keeps getting better – including their latest deal:

Stampin’ Up!’s Online Spectacular sale starts today!  Receive 20-50% off select stamp sets, fabric, digital scrapbooking software, Big Shot/Sizzix accessories, home decor decals, and more when you buy online  November 22-30.  In addition, all orders over $150 will receive free shipping.  This is the perfect opportunity to purchase gifts for the holidays!  And let’s not forget about the best part of all – 50% off the Demonstrator Starter Kit (that’s $310 worth of products for only $87.50).

Shop now at Ewokmama’s online store to access this promotion (customers who select a demonstrator will qualify for stampin’ rewards/hostess benefits).

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Holidays, Shopping Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Truthiness Day 17: Book Learning

October 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Before I read The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth, I had no idea why in the world anyone would ever want to have a home birth. I only slightly understood the natural birth movement.  I was interested in the idea of avoiding an epidural for two simple reasons – the first being that there was no way in hell I was going to sit still while someone stuck a needle in my spine, and the second reason was that at least half of the time, my body just doesn’t react to medications as it should.  I suspected that I would go through the trouble of getting an epidural only to wind up with the wrong part of my body numb (this happened to a friend of mine…).

Still, I wasn’t sure what the deal was with avoiding an episiotomy or giving my baby Vitamin K orally rather than by needle.  The book provides a ton of research laid out in a way that you can understand.  It lets you know what the risks are so that you can decide if the risks outweigh the benefits of a given procedure.  This was important because NOT ONCE did any of my medical providers offer me the risk information unless I asked for it.  Often I would ask, listen to the explanation, and then go home and do research to determine whether I was given the full scope (not surprisingly, a lot was left out).  Interestingly enough, that was at a hippie dippy birthing practice with midwives and homeopathic remedies and such.  I don’t think the providers were necessarily trying to keep information from me; I think the reason for withholding information had more to do with trying to keep me relaxed.  Still, I am not the type of person to blindly put my trust in anyone, even someone with a medical degree.  No matter what they know about the birthing process, they don’t know my body like I do.  I think it’s important for providers to work together with their patients for just that reason.

If you are pregnant and haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.  You don’t have to read it from start to finish (I surely didn’t) – instead pick the chapters that are pertinent to you.  I turned the book often when writing my birth plan, for instance, because that was when many of my questions came up.

*Yes, the link above is an affiliate link.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: 30 Days of Truth, Birth, Parenting 101, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Budget Breakdown

September 29, 2010 By 1 Comment

The grand total price of my wedding was about $3700.  I was shocked at the end of it all that we pulled it off spending less than $5K, especially because we definitely splurged in certain areas.  For those interested, here is a breakdown of where the money went:

Beauty & Health – I could have saved a LOT in this area if I knew anything about hair and make up.  As it was, I sought out a cosmetologist from outside of the Bay Area (Yolanda from PrimaDonna Makeover) because she charges less than those here in the city.  I ended up paying for her travel time, though, so I didn’t save as much as I had hoped.  Of that $539 number, $425 went to the stylist.  It looked pretty good, though, and it was all done in my home so I didn’t have to stress about running all over the place the morning of my wedding.  It was overall worth the splurge.

Cake – I got a damned good deal here.  Doing research on Yelp for budget-friendly bakers, I stumbled on From Scratch SF, a brand new business launched by Jennifer Bratko.  I discussed my budget with Jennifer, sent her a copy of my invitation and a picture of my topper and she suggested the perfect design for my cake.  It turned out absolutely beautiful and amazingly delicious, and SO worth every penny:

Photo & cake by Jennifer Bratko

Catering – Lucky for us, David is a great cook and he had a fabulous friend to help him, so food costs were low.  The menu consisted of finger foods – salmon burgers, turkey burgers, and gourmet roast beef sandwiches.  Delish!  The total above actually includes a new grill that we got on sale at OSH.  We bought all of our wine at Bevmo with reward coupons (could have saved more if I had purchased it all during their 5 cent sale but we didn’t get organized in time) and the food was purchased in bulk at Safeway and Costco.  All of our tableware and cups were compostable and went right into the bin when we were done.

Dress & Attire – I bought my dress on mega sale at the Jessica McClintock outlet here in San Francisco.  It was $93.  It was a little long but I fixed that with a pin in the side rather than dishing out money for alterations.  David’s tux rental cost more than my ensemble!  I got comfy ballet flats on sale from shoes.com for $28 (using a coupon from savings.com*) and my jewelry and accessories were purchased on etsy.  Jack’s suit was borrowed.

Flowers & Decor – We saved money on flowers by ordering hydrangeas in bulk from Costco.  This ended up being a pain in the ass due to the incompetence of our local Fed Ex (the flowers sat in their warehouse mere blocks from my work for TWO DAYS) but we were lucky and it all worked out with only a few bunches that were compromised.  We put together simple arrangements using mason jars bought at the grocery store and tied with ribbon.

Our backyard was kind of a wasteland, so David ordered and laid sod down the day before the wedding.  At about $250, this was actually cheaper than renting any sort of astroturf and certainly less than renting a reception hall.  He also planted some flowers the same day and added in some mulch, and it looked very fresh!

Tables, chairs, and linens were another $265 (including delivery fee) and made things look more “official,” and I bought a tent (again – purchasing the tent was actually cheaper than renting one) for about $150.  Our paper lanterns were purchased in a variety of colors and sizes (less than $2 each) through JustArtifacts.com.

Invitations – Being that I am a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I definitely could have saved more money in this area by making my own invitations.  Instead I chose to go the lazy convenient route and get custom invitations from Ruff House Art on etsy.  I paid an extra fee of $40 for a custom design, which I’m sure others can choose to skip to save a few bucks.  I also decided not to include RSVP cards since we had a small number of guests and are close enough to everyone to take RSVPs by word of mouth/email/etc.  The cost also included matching thank you cards.

Jewelry – David’s titanium ring cost a whopping $55 at JustTitanium.com.  He wanted something super lightweight and slim fitting (1.3mm thin to be exact) and I tracked down the slimmest ring I could find and then we requested that the 2mm standard size be slimmed to 1.3mm.  David is a very particular guy.  My ring was definitely pricier, but rather than spend extra on something custom, I searched high and low for something that just happened to be made for this somewhat unique setting.  Thanks Dacarli Jewelers for providing exact measurements of the ring and a nice return policy (just in case)!

Music – You won’t see this up there because we spent $0.  We used iTunes and put together our own playlist.  Between the fact that the reception was in our backyard and it was the middle of the day, we figured there wouldn’t be much dancing anyway.  Plus, the drunk people will dance anywhere and to anything!

Photography – Photography is a tricky thing to save money on – those disposable cameras usually just generate crap and professional photographers charge a whole lotta money for their services.  I think it’s worth it to pay big bucks for a photographer, but that doesn’t mean it’s practical for the budget.  I got lucky in two ways – my friend’s brother is a photography hobbiest with some sweet gear AND my friend Sarah is fantastic behind the camera.  Photography cost us next to nothing and we got beautiful, memorable shots of the day.

Site Fee – We spent $0 on this, as well.  It was a flash mob sort of ceremony on the beach that lasted all of about 30 minutes.

Obviously, all of the help from our family and friends is not included in the cost of our wedding.  That part was priceless and really the best wedding gift of all!

Related articles by Zemanta
Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Marriage, Photos, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eucerin Giveaway Winners

August 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Random.org has chosen our two giveaway winners of product bags from Eucerin…

and our lucky commenters are Sara M D and gonzopants!  Congratulations ladies!  I’ll send you an email to get your mailing address shortly.

If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still go to Eucerin’s Facebook page and take the Skin First Pledge to receive a free product sample.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: , , , ,

Eucerin Skin First Pledge and Giveaway

August 23, 2010 By 14 Comments

When I attended BlogHer I took Eucerin’s skin first pledge.  Most of my life I’ve been very concerned about my skin and treating it well.  Not only am I very pale, prone to sunburns and break-outs, and have highly sensitive skin, but my mother hand skin cancer before she was even 35.  Putting my skin first is kind of a no brainer for me.

My son’s skin is even more sensitive than mine,  and after a breakout of red, scaly, dry skin patches when he was an infant, our Pediatrician advised us to limit baths, avoid all manner of bath products, and slather him in lotion.  We were given a sample of fragrance free Eucerin lotion and it totally healed the irritated patches of skin.  We’ve been using it ever since.

Upon taking the skin first pledge, I received the bag of Eucerin lotion products pictured here (contents: Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion, Daily Skin Balance Hand Crème, Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30, Health & Wellness Journal).  Eucerin reached out to me after the conference to offer these full size product sample bags to two of my readers, as well.

So, dear readers, in order to win this giveaway please leave a comment telling me how you take care of your skin.  If you tweet this offer, you will get an additional entry (please leave an additional comment with the URL of your tweet – it will not count otherwise).  I will choose two winners with the help of Random.org on Friday, August 27th.

For more information about Eucerin products:

Disclosure – Receiving the bag of Eucerin products at BlogHer has in no way, shape, or form, affected my personal review nor mandated that I host a giveaway.  I will not receive compensation for this post and giveaway.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Gear, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Paper is beautiful

July 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Not too long ago I entered a giveaway over at Single Mom Seeking’s site when she asked for ideas for wedding invitations.  The prize was a $50 gift certificate to cardstore.com.  I won the prize and have been saving it until I knew what I wanted to get.  Well, two days ago I figured it out and I ordered the Light Blue Scroll business cards (designed by Amy Suther) for my new Stampin’ Up! business.  They arrived today (how’s that for fast?!) and they are GORGEOUS!

In addition to the awesome design on the cards, I love the fact that the *recycled* cardstock is thick and heavy.  These aren’t flimsy at all!  The packaging is just as beautiful as the cards themselves, and included were a few business card holders.  I couldn’t be happier with these and can’t wait to pass them out!

Related articles by Zemanta
Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Photos, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cell Phone Drama

July 13, 2010 By 4 Comments

I’ll never buy from Best Buy again.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t, but before you do – read my cautionary tale.

David and I went to an “authorized Verizon retailer” on May 29th.  David wanted the HTC Droid Incredible but it wasn’t in stock – they told us to try Best Buy.  We made our way over to Best Buy where David test drove the Incredible and fell madly in love with it while I took a liking to the Motorola Devour and it’s cheaper price tag.  It wasn’t until after David had played with the phone for a good 20 minutes that the salesperson informed us that it wasn’t in stock – not to worry, though, because I could purchase the Devour and David could put a deposit down on the Incredible, which would be in within a week.  I could activate my service with an individual plan and then once the Incredible came in we could combine them onto one account and get a family plan.  Also, being uber-nervous about these expensive Smart Phones I am sold on the Best Buy’s “black tie” insurance plan because the saleswoman assured me it’s an easier and more comprehensive option to get the phone fixed in the event of a problem.

Fast forward a week later – David called Best Buy to find out where his phone was.  He was told they got a shipment in but his name wasn’t on the list for that shipment…and oh, they had a few extra but no, they wouldn’t hold one for him until he got into the store in a few hours.  Also, they didn’t know when more phones would be in and since they process their deposits through gift cards (which are not refundable), he couldn’t get a refund.  SHADY!  He talked to a manager and was treated rudely and then I contacted some Twitter PR person and we were able to get the refund arranged.  So, yay!  We were slightly mollified.

David proceeded to order his phone from Amazon where it was $50 cheaper than BB anyway.  BUT! Amazon informed me we’d have to break one of our contracts early in order to combine the two into a family plan, which pretty much negates the savings (although David is still happy that he got his phone in a reasonable amount of time – he checked a month later and Best Buy still hadn’t gotten Incredibles in).

One week later my phone started randomly rebooting.  It happened in the middle of me looking up directions while in Napa, an area I don’t know well at all…I was pissed.  I try all the normal stuff with taking out the battery and reinserting it, etc.  The problem worsened over the next week so I trudged over to Best Buy, where an employee informed me the phone would need to be sent out for repair and it would take three weeks. Oh yeah – the deductible would also apply.  WTF – I bought the phone less than 30 days ago!!!  I was then advised to go to Verizon to get it swapped out…

The Verizon near my house is an authorized retailer, not an actual Verizon.  They could not help me and told me to go to the actual store.  It took me a while to get there due to work and having Jack and a million other things going on, but by the time I did, it had been 32 days since I bought the phone.  I checked in at the kiosk where my name was put on the waiting list to talk with customer support, and the check-in guy asked me why I didn’t return the phone to Best Buy.  I explained about the whole awful mess and frustration and run-arounds (while my phone does a new stupid thing where it just completely shuts off and won’t turn back on!) and then sat down to wait.  I waited 30 minutes and then my name disappeared off the list. I pointed this out to the check-in guy and he said he’d just let them know verbally that I am next.  He totally did that, but still I wasn’t called next and had to sit and wait.  While waiting I was finally able to turn my phone on again and a text message arrived from David – he locked himself out of the house and our upstairs neighbors (who have a key) weren’t home.  Also, he was cold.  GRR.  I told him to wait anyway and 10 minutes later I finally got to talk to a customer support person who then talks to his manager and comes back to tell me – WE CAN’T HELP YOU, GO BACK TO BEST BUY.  I remind him that I already went there and was instructed to go to Verizon and then I storm out of the store, furiously crying, because I don’t even have time to argue.  (Probably a good thing because at that point I was so infuriated I wanted to throw the phone at the employee.)

I got home and exploded all over David.  He called Verizon to demanded they fix it NOW.  I received my phone via FedEx yesterday.

So, lessons learned.  I will never buy from Best Buy again.  I’m canceling their crappy insurance plan.  Verizon kinda sucks, too, but I have no choice because they are the only carrier to provide coverage in my house consistently.  Also?  I don’t even really like my phone anymore due to all the drama (I’m sparing you from the part where Verizon provided erroneous instructions on transferring my information to the new phone).  David’s phone is awesome, though.  And so is he for getting my phone replaced when I was about to have a heart attack.

The End.  I hope!

Related articles by Zemanta
Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Gear, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts