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Friday
Aug072009

The Dad Factor

steveandkidsSteve does most of the cooking; I do most of the cleanup. Steve takes care of the grocery shopping; I make sure the kids' clothes fit them and are reasonably fashionable (and washed). Steve tackles most of the the PTA and school volunteering; I keep a running tab on the family schedule.

The Graham Division of Labor runs pretty clean and efficient, most of the time. Sure, we have those, "Well, I spend my life doing laundry" and "But I clean up vomit" arguments, but for the most part, we have it figured out. (Although I still do more than he does.)

So I should not have been so surprised when I got a call today from a dad in Glendale who found the "Put Your House In Order" story in the August issue "offensive."

"It's 'mom' this and 'mom' that," the reader said, furthering his point that dads these days often play an equal if not lead role in all tasks of parenthood.

It's a good reminder to the moms here at L.A. Parent to make sure we don't forget to keep dads in the editorial equation. We tend to speak directly to moms more often in the magazine because, well, they tend to make up most of our readers. But we know – just like at my house – that Dad is just as often taking kids back-to-school shopping, making lunches and sitting front and center to watch the school play.

So thanks, Glendale reader, for reminding me that dads are L.A. parents, too.
Friday
Jun052009

Mag-Neato

mia-pink_tree

I'm always looking for a cool way to display the kids' artwork – or just something special to hang on the wall.

One artistic mom took that concept to heart when she created Magnetic Interactive Art (or MIA) Canvas. The 11”x14” canvases add flair to a nursery or kids' room with their cute but simple designs; the sheet-metal backing makes them magnetic, adding another level of functionality.

Choose from collections including the Barnyard (Boris the Cow and Felix the Sheep are just a few), Family Tree (provides space for family pictures), Starry Skies (complete with horoscope artwork) and School Skills (with interactive Tic-Tack-Toe art and ample space for a child’s own creations).

Each canvas is created by hand using nontoxic acrylic paints and can be cleaned with a soft cloth. The art comes with its own little magnets, from bugs and clouds to fruit and stars. Prices range from $39.95-$59.95 and can be customized for an additional $8.
Friday
Jun052009

Ziggy Winner!

Congratulations to Jill Kola-Ines, who won the tickets to see Ziggy Marley on Sunday! And ziggywallpaper5_1280x960thanks to everyone who entered and for sharing your favorite Reggae songs.

Follow me on Twitter, too. I'm hoping to soon start offering some mini-contests to followers. I'll be giving away cool stuff like the latest Boom Blox for Wii from Entertainment Arts and a variety of DVDS. Stay tuned!
Friday
May152009

Get Some Character

Just the other day, I was thinking that I really needed someone or something to remind me that I must remain a free spirit. And I really image004wanted someone to help me do the things I can't do myself. And lastly, how great would it be to turn annoying people into stone?

Thankfully, my little character from the (Original) String Doll Gang arrived, and all my troubles were over.

image008These darned guys are cute, and your tweens and teens will be clamoring for them, if they're not already. Fresh from a company called Kamibashi, the critters are $10 each and are all handmade and fair trade by Thai artists – and come in more than 90 different "personalities." Isabelly "shimmies your shyness away," while the adorable Farmer Jones "helps you make greener choices." Napoleon "reminds you that you don't have to be tall to think big." All are cute and ready to clip to a backpack (or purse!) to give you that extra boost you might be needing.image012

Be sure also to check out Kamibashi's DEBO Super Heroes, created by the Thailand DEBO (Do Everything By Ourselves) Collective. The little vinyl fabric fellows, $10 each, can help you land a great parking spot or make sure you never have a image010bad hair day (who doesn't need that?). There's also the Koonin Family Pets ($10), made in Thailand from leftover scrap fabrics by members of the Koonin family. Each one has a birthday, name tag and a personal motto that you can select (I liked the "Touch me, and you die" as well as "Fish are cool, they stay in school"). Lastly, there are the Blabbos Buddies ($6 each), also cute little fabric friends. They come in four different shapes but are made with various fabrics, so no two are the same.
Monday
May112009

Pancakes and Foot Rubs

I spent this Mother's Day on the road delivering a new kitten to my sister, who's had to deal with the terrible sadness of losing two pets within two weeks of each other. We met in the middle between where we both live, which meant a six-hour drive for both. For me, it was six hours with two kids and a kitten (and a husband, but he's usually pretty easy to travel with).

The good news? She brought my mom, so I actually got to spend this Mother's Day with her. Sure, I didn't get to lounge about in my bathrobe, ordering both children and the spouse to bring me things, make me pancakes and rub my feet. But it was great to get to let my mom order me to bring her pancakes and foot rubs (which, of course, she doesn't do).

momdayThe Thursday before Mother's Day, Jack's preschool offered the obligatory "Mother's Day Tea," which doesn't come with tea, and the moms had to supply the cookies and snacks (it's what we do, right?). But as my little bright-eyed boy mouthed the words to "Te Amo, Mommy," I felt hot tears stream down my cheeks. Embarrassed, I looked to the mom next to me, who also had hot tears streaming down her cheeks. It was comforting to know that I wasn't the only sap in the pre-K room.

The final coup in my Mother's Day offerings was Jack's handmade gift, beautifully wrapped in tissue paper and delivered to me from his excited little hands. It was an apron, covered in his 4-year-old interpretation of flowers (complete with smiley faces), inspired by Monet, his teacher told me.

OK, it didn't come with foot rubs, and I don't cook, but I do like flowers with smiley faces. And the husband, bless his heart, bought me a gift certificate for, you guessed it, foot rubs.
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