A MOMpreneur with Wishes for MYKIDS!

I'm headed to the PTA with a KaBOOM!

2009-08-21T14:54:00.006-11:00

It's been a while since I have taken an active role on MYKIDS. I took some time and took a step back.

My time has been spent focusing on my family, as my husband lost his job in November 08. I know we were not alone. So many people I know lost their jobs. So many are still out of work today. I hope they all find jobs soon so life can go back to normal. It's been about 3 months since since the hubster has been working.

During that time he was home, one would think "Well, what a great time for Yvette to get the ball rolling for herself...Blog...build mykids...etc". Well, that thought ran through my mind on many, many, many, occassions. Instead, I went on a trip to the land called "Fear of the Unknown". If you haven't been there....I hope you never go. It's not so great. The accommodations stink and the service is awful!!

If you have the mental strength you can get through the obstacle course while visiting the "land of the unknown". When you hit a wall you keep trying to get through it. We have all been through such a course at least once or twice in life. I know you know what I mean. We continue to move forward every day, just like so many other people do in todays economy.

I'm still a mom with wishes for MYKIDS! I will be a little more active on MYKIDS as I see more people have joined. To those new members THANK YOU and to the old members who have stuck with me..THANK YOU!!!

Leave it to BETH FELDMAN of www.rolemommy.com, to bring me out of hiding by inviting me to one of her events for Kool-Aid KaBOOM in NYC(See feature article for further info). The event highlighted the wonderful work KaBOOM does by building playgrounds in areas in need for some wonderful play!! I am always taken with organizations that want to make a difference in people...and when is comes to children...I love to join the cause as much as I can! For heavens sake I live at the playground come Fall and Spring. I believe every kid should have a playground to play. I plan on putting the key in and starting the engine once again! School for my lil ones start in two weeks. AAAHHHHHH! time will be on my side once again. So, I've signed myself up for the PTA!!! I am really looking forward to it and hope to send an email to the Principal, for a KaBOOM playdate as one of my first entries into the PTA! Timing is everything!

Make time for play and organize a wonderful playdate with www.KaBoom.org.

My little Character

2008-12-16T07:03:00.003-11:00

Yesterday morning my lil man woke up and said "Mom, can you help me get dressed?" I said "Sure B". He said "Mom, do I have a bow-tie?". I said "No, why do you want a bow-tie?" He said "Because I want to be a scientist and that is what they wear". He continues by saying "I also need a shirt with buttons and a vest too".

I said "B, you can be a scientist with out a vest or bow-tie but maybe a button down shirt would be nice to get it all started".

He watched Flubber the day before and was fascinated with Robin Williams. In the movie Robin Williams plays a scientist and he wears a vest & bow tie.

Since watching the movie, he has worn a button down shirt everyday and only wants to watch Sid the Science Kid on channel 13.

JUST LOVE IT!

Now off to find my lil man a bow tie and vest.

WHOOPI and an Arm Pit - Just fascinating!

2008-12-10T04:59:00.007-11:00

Lil B is FART OBSESSED. I mean it, OBSESSED!. It's absolutely hysterical! Enough for me to write about it. :)

Last week I took B grocery and of course..."Mom, will you buy me a toy at the food store?" Me: "No B, that is why it is called a food store not a toy store".

A week before Thanksgiving he started with the under arm pit fart sounds but barely made a noise from his skinny little arms. I told him he needed to fatten up his arms to get the best sound. Low and behold...he is eating like a champ.

He asked me to teach him the fart sound with his hand and arm pit. I said "B a lady does not fart in public n most girls do not know how to do that, go ask daddy." He ran upstairs.."Dad, can you teach me how to fart". I was listening from downstairs and I said to myself "You sure asked the perfect person, TRUST ME".

Sadly, Lil B's daddy did not know how to under arm fart either.

He came back downstairs and said "Mom, daddy can't fart either". I said "well, B you know how you practice the rubiks cube, practice your farting and you will learn how to make the sound and if by the time we get to your older cousins house on Thanksgiving and you still don't know how to do it...I am sure those two boys will!" :)

Sadly, Lil B's older cousins did not know how to under arm fart either.

Lil B came running to me at my sister's house and said "Mom, J and C do not know how to fart either". I said "Well, keep practicing and you can teach them".

He walked around the house, arm up in air, flapping.

Back to the grocery store or food store as B calls it.

There it was! In the clearance section in a bin! THE ALMIGHTY WHOOPI CUSHION. It was .75 cents. I grabbed and said "OMG(goodness) B you are going to flip out!". He said "What mom?" I bent down and explained what the whoopi cushion does. His eyes lit up and held on tight to his fart balloon all the way around the grocery store, while we shopped.

We walked in the house all excited! I said "B lets' set it up for dad" He said "o.k." I said "call daddy downstairs and say...Dad come hear I need you to sit down so I can talk to you". He said "O.K." He ran soooooooo fast up those stairs.

Daddy came downstairs, sat down and "BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL..." He jumped up and was literally scared. We were all on the floor hysterical.

This all lead to major under arm practicing.

Last night he farted his way to sleep. We finally heard a fart!!!!

YES! It was a very proud parenting moment.

I told him it can only be performed at home. He wanted to show his friends at school but understood it's not polite to fart when people are around.

Today at school, he didn't want to go into class. Tears were flowing.

Tight hugging etc..

I pulled him outside the class. We sat down. We hugged. I promised an afternoon of fun. I then thought of good ammunition to get him into class.

I said "I know B, what if I ask Mrs. Heather to come out of the class and you could show her how you fart?"

He stopped crying, smiled and said "But I am not allowed to do it in school".

I said "It's o.k. I am here and if we do it in private outside of the classroom, no one will know and it can be a secret between me, you and Mrs. Heather".

Mrs. Heather came out and smiled really big when he tried to under arm fart. Unfortunately the fart was a dud. BUT his teacher still made him feel good and said " WOW That's cool B...I use to love to do that".

I walked him into class and he was just fine!

Just Fascinating!!!

My Favorite time of Day: Story Time

2008-12-09T07:01:00.003-11:00

My favorite time of day is at 7:15 pm. It's usually story time in my house. My kids are clean and in their comfy cozy pj's. If we are in my daughters room...she picks out the story and gets to sit on my lap. If we are in my son's room...he gets to pick out the story and sit on my lap.

I can not tell you how much my kids LOVE story time. If they act up I say "Oh well, I guess we will have to go to be with out a story". They straighten up very quickly and say "NO MOMMY please...a story". Of course a story is read.

Some kids are not so fortunate. I recently found this charity that I think is abosolutely wonderful.

Please take a moment and read below. You can help make a child's bedtime just as fun as my kids and possibly yours.

This taken directly from the www.pajamaprogram.org website:
Ways to help and where to send it:

SO YOU’RE HAVING A PAJAMA DRIVE OR PLANNING AN EVENT!

That’s great! We thank you so much for helping us help the children.

The Pajama Program, a 501 (c) (3) charity, provides new pajamas and new books to needy children, many of whom are waiting and hoping to be adopted. Many of these youngsters have been abused or abandoned and in many cases, have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a loving mother or father tuck them in at bedtime. Through the Pajama Program, we hope to contribute to a warmer, more loving environment for children when they are at their most vulnerable.

The Program, to-date, has given away more than 213,000 pairs of pajamas and 110,000 books! This is where you come in!

It’s simple to have a Pajama Drive or Event.
Here’s all you need to keep in mind:

Pajamas need to be new and unused. Here’s what a prominent physician has to say about this:

"The clothing a child spends 8-10 hours sleeping in is
important to a child's well-being. New pajamas are a
necessary part of promoting good health and
preventing infections and disease,
as well as providing psychological benefits."
Sheldon H. Cherry, MD
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics
and Gynecology at
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NYC

2. Decide for which age range you want to collect Pajamas:
a) for all sizes, Infant – 17
b) for children from Infant – 5yrs old
c) for children 5yrs old – 12 yrs old
d) for teen-age children ages 13-17 (sizes 16 and adult sizes small and medium)

Decide where people can drop off/send the new pajamas. You can decorate a big box or multiple boxes with fun wrapping paper to make it festive looking. Or you can have people bring or send them to your home or place of business where you can hold them all until your drive is finished.

If you’re planning a Pajama Program Party or Event for adults where your friends will bring the PJs, that’s easy! There are lots of reasons to give parties and any one will do! Some creative ideas include a Spa Party where your friends come over IN their PJs and bring children’s size PJs or a donation, and you give each other manicures and pedicures. Some groups even bring in professionals to give the spa treatments! Bingo is a fun game and if you make it a betting game, the proceeds can go to purchasing pajamas! An evening of wine and cheese is fun too, and the entrance fee of a pair of PJs creates intrigue! Some local stores or restaurants and cafes may even donate space and time for your party if they know it’s for Pajama Program. We’d love to hear about your creative events!
If you’re planning a drive or event with a group of children, it may be fun to
have them each purchase PJs they would wear themselves and donate them.
This way they feel connected to the project and the recipients. They can even
include notes with the collection for the children who will receive their
PJs. ”Pajama Day” at their school or at a group meeting is a great way to get the
children into the spirit of the project!

You can also offer the option to your friends/adults to donate a check of any amount they wish, instead of pajamas. For some people, this is easier and they
welcome this way of participating instead. They can simply make their check
payable to Pajama Program and be sure to tell them it’s tax deductible.

Enclosed are Pajama Program materials for you to use if you want to promote your drive or event. You can also cut-and-paste our logo, pictures and more
information from our website, www.pajamaprogram.org, to make your own
display. You’ll also find a couple of brochures here that you can share, copy or
display for your drive or event. The stickers are for decorating!

Once you have finished your drive and have your collection, email terri@pajamaprogram.org or call us at 212-71 MY PJs (212-716-9757). Let us know what city you’re in and we can explore the places in your area that need your PJs ASAP. If you want to send your collection directly to us for distribution to the most needy children, below are our sites. Our resources are limited so we appreciate your covering mailing costs whenever possible.

Pajama Program Pajama Program Distribution Center
34 E. 39th St., Ste B OR Ardsley Community Center
New York, NY 10016 18 Center Street
212-71 MY PJs Ardsley, NY 10502
(212-716-9757) 914-965-PJPJ (7575)

When sending boxes to us, please always remember to include a note with your
name and address, and the number of pajamas in your collection (approximate
number is OK!) so we can send you a thank you letter! Your efforts mean a great
deal to us.

Thank you again,

Genevieve Piturro
Founder/Executive Director

Kindergarten and Me

2008-12-08T12:28:00.003-11:00

Today I picked up B's papers for Kindergarten. I can't believe all the questions they ask. It was like 5 pages of questions.

One question that make me crazy is the Ethnicity question. It said to choose one. HOW CAN I POSSIBLY CHOOSE ONE??? B is American Indian, Hispanic, and Lithuanian(this one is never on there but...) I decided to check off two; American Indian and Hispanic. Another thing that bothered me was "white".

My proposal is that the question should read like this :

Please check your child's ethnicity:

American Indian
Hispanic
Asian
African American
Other:

I think I am more scared of him stepping into Kindergarten than he is. I worry about him eating. I worry about mean kids. I worry about him being bullied. I hope he makes friends. I want the best for him, as all mothers want for their kids.

My daughter will be in Preschool 3 days a week just 1/2 days but it would give me enough time to get the ball rolling with www.mykidsregistry.com once again.

A few people seemed so sad from my last blog. I am not giving up 100%. I want to put it on NAP MODE, which means it does wake up once in a while.

Being realistic is my make up. This is my reality "right now" but not forever.

So kindergarten kids, here comes the "ALMIGHTY B" and his mom is right behind him:))) JEEZ, I love that kid.

THE MODE I AM IN...

2008-12-05T03:24:00.011-11:00

Straight to the point(anyone who knows me, knows that's how I like to work)http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ will be napping for a bit.

I made the decision to leave corporate. I wanted to stay home and be with my kids.

In order for my website to become what I envisioned it to be, it requires full time hours of development, networking, maintenance and financing. It requires more than just me. I am running short on all of it.

For some time I was devoting part time hours and getting frustrated because I wanted to give MYKIDSREGISTRY.com my all and for an all or nothing kind of person, it's tough. I would work during nap times and after they went to bed. My sleep time was 1 or 2 a.m..

I found myself reaching the level of frustration rather quickly. Frustrated falling short as a mom, frustrated falling short as a wife, frustrated falling short as a mompreneur.

My kids were in front of the Glass babysitter too much(t.v.). I started to think to myself "Is this why I decided to leave corporate?" "Really...?".

I hate the feeling of failing at my website and still struggle with that today. Writing this blog is not easy. As I am writing this blog, my two year old daughter is watching "Lazy Town" and before that it was "Curious George". As frustrating as it is for her, it is for me as well.

It's time to put my guilt to the side and simply focus on what's most important to me "RIGHT NOW" and that's my children..my family. I soooooooooooooooo admire the moms who do it all and do it successfully. I am just not one of those moms and it's time to be o.k. with that.

A few of the moms I admire and had the pleasure of networking with in Web land:

Natalie Kogan from http://www.workitmom.com/. Natalie's website for Working Mothers is one of the first websites I have ever decided to join. Mom sites were so foreign to me at the time. To my surprise, I quickly loved it. The moms on http://www.workitmom.com/ offered fast advice and helpful tips when ever needed. Natalie is a true mompreneur, talent and not to mention...KIND. On http://www.workitmom.com/, I met Tracey from http://www.wigglegigglelearn.com/. She quickly came on board http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ and would guest post. Tracey is a real Dynamo and early education advocate...also KIND.

Another DYNAMO is Beth Feldman from http://www.rolemommy.com/. She is the Co-Author of Peeing in Peace, and Co-Founder of http://www.rolemommy.com/. She is bright, knowledgeable and a networking power house. She has a ton of energy and wit. I always enjoy her blogs, parties and invitations.

Jessica Smith from http://www.jessicaknows.com/, http://www.momforce.com/ and Chief Mom Officer for http://www.wishpot.com/ is also another Dynamo . I came to know Jessica through http://www.twitter.com/ and sent her a DM one day. She quickly responded to my question and got me on http://www.skype.com/ where we IM'd each other. She was patient and kind. It was my first Skype experience...enough said on that...I was a little slow...LOL! My intial question went from one small thing to a potentially bigger thing all due to Jessica's open mind for, possibilities. Unfortunately, that "bigger thing" never came to fruition but at the time it was an absolutely thrilling idea.

Here's what I love about http://www.mykidsregistry.com/

Networking and meeting new people

Stepping outside of my comfort zone and liking it

LEARNING, LEARNING, LEARNING

Motherhood from a new perspective

Providing a fun site for parents to share their kids wishes

Supporting Charities

Making friends at http://www.birthdayinabox.com/

Over coming the fear of web and teaching myself how to add content, upload links, and becoming a little techie(keyword "little").

Working from home

Lisa Kothari from Peppers and Pollywogs
The dream....

I will put the website on nap mode, meaning I will NOT ACTIVELY manage and operate it everyday. I have drastically slowed down my web life to shift the balance over to my children.

My son will be going to kindergarten next year and my daughter will be headed off to preschool. There will be a day when I am pleading with them to spend time with me and their daddy. So now is the time for me to cherish time spent with them.

I am a full time stay at home mom. It's hard but I LOVE IT. I laugh at my DH when he says "Why are you frustrated, you are doing what you want...you are home with the kids" (He has no idea that it could be the numerous glasses of water left through out the house, the mess he left for me to clean up...etc..LOL!) I turn to him and say "You love what you do..don't you?" and he says "Yes". I then say "Well, do you ever get frustrated at work?" He looks at me and knows where it's going... I say "Well, this is my job and I am allowed to get frustrated too". It's tough.

I will continue to "occasionally blog" because I REALLY ENJOY writing. I will occasionally twitter from time to time because the moms on there do INDEED rock and twitter has taught me not to be so sensitive. People follow then unfollow, people reply, people don't reply etc.. It's a fascinating way to communicate and network.

I will continue to network and Have Fun with http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ when I can.

I will NOT CLOSE it entirely. I will just put it on NAP MODE.

Not Sure the Thickness of My Skin

2008-11-12T05:44:00.008-11:00

http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ made the www.Washingpost.com parenting section.

Was it an article with rave reviews? No not really. Was it scathing with negative comments? No not really.

Did the article result with positive comments from a few of the http://www.washingtonpost.com/ readers? Yeah! AAAH! I'll take 'em.

When I came up with the idea of http://www.mykidsregistry.com/, I knew it wasn't going to be received by everyone in a positive way. It is kind of alarming to think of a child sitting at a computer typing in their wishes...WHICH is why http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ is NOT set up that way. It is FOR PARENTS not children.

I started http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ because I am very practical person. I enjoy buying gifts, especially for kids but I also enjoy buying something a child needs or simply wants. I like guidelines, I like direction and I am not good with "I dunno know".

What I love about wedding registries: "options" given by the couple. I like knowing I am buying something they "need". However, I have also been known to veer off a registry or two. Why? Because you can. It's a guideline not a mandate. I also like buying the unexpected - which is always nice.

This is not my first post on how it all started but given the www.WashingtonPost.com article just came out...why not say it again?

You definitely need a tough skin when you put yourself out there as I have done in a few of my blogs and being the Founder of such an unconventional idea for kids.

Now the question of the day for me "How thick is my skin?" I would say it's medium. However, today it's really thin. Maybe it's just that kind of day. Heaven knows I needed a thick one in the Fashion Industry.

Truth is http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ is not so unconventional. We are a wishlist community "dedicated" to kids. There are wishlists on every major retailer's website. There are a ton of wish list websites out there and they all have a dedicated baby/toddler section. How we all approach our websites is what is different. There are ones that I think are many aspirational ones that I hope http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ can one day become with my own spin.

As I read some of the comments made by readers of the article, I'd cringe and say "wow, if they only knew me...they would know I am the last person to advocate entitlement". I do not tolerate my children to act unkindly, or unappreciative for what they have. My kids say "Thank you" all the time. Jeez, I can buy my son the silliest, smallest thing and he shouts "Thank you, Thank You, Thank you mommy". Then follows that with "You are the best Mommy". (FYI...Do I really think I am the best mommy?...no but I try & hope he screams that out loud when he's 20).

Most readers did not check my actual website. They understood from the writer that the "child" manages the account. I say that because of the comments.

In any event, I appreciate the mention especially from such a newsworthy and respectable paper. However, I do wish the writer elaborated a little more on our features.

Hopefully in the months to come my ideas will be implemented into http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ and my vision will come to fruition. Making it a warm, friendly, giving website.

As a mom all I can do is allow my children to wish BUT as a mom I also need to teach & explain the realities of wishing.

And so...I will continue to work on thickness of my skin(From this post - I NEED to).

Here's the article.

http://http://voices.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2008/11/birthday_gift_registrys.html

Homework: My confessional

2008-11-08T03:38:00.008-11:00

I recently reached out to a woman by the name of Jessica Smith of http://www.jessicasmith.com/ via http://www.twitter.com/ . Jessica is a tremendous wealth of marketing knowledge. Might I add she is also the "Chief MOM Officer"(don't you just love that title?) for http://www.wishpot.com/. In addition to all that she is launching a new website called http://www.momforce.com%20(/name in itself speaks volumes) in partnership with the Founder of http://www.care.com/, Sheila Lirio Marcelo. Two major mom forces!

Since meeting Jessica this is what I have learned...

How to Skype

http://walmart.com/ has eleven really cool moms who care

Brainstorming rocks and keep the door open for possibilities

Now I am learning how to market. In celebration of the launch for www.momforce.com she launched "15 days of Marketing" on http://www.jessicaknows.com/ FOR FREE!!!

Each day bloggers/vloggers from all over click on to http://www.jessicaknows.com/ for marketing tips and then Jessica gives you homework(I swear, I think she is the next Oprah for moms who want to work from home):).

On day 3 you have to write a confessional post for your readers to see the human side of you as part of your brand.

Here goes it...

My Confessional..

I am sarcastic with a dry sense of humor and love witty humor.

Inconsiderate people drive me bonkers, (like people who park over the line in a parking space and take up two spots).

I believe family first before anything.

Eating dinner with Michael Kors in Paris was one of the highlights of my career.

My kids are the biggest highlight of my life.

I continue to look up the definition of patience and my kids are the ones to explain it.

My son changed my life and the way I think about life. He taught me the importance of how precious life is...don't take anything for granted.

I am a sensitive down to earth person who talks too fast sometimes.

I let my husband teach me how to be a goofball - he really is award winning at that.

I cherish my life long friendships of 20+ years.

My website continues to challenge me and I hope it never ends.
__________________________________________
How did I do??

An interview with Bizziemommy.com

2008-11-07T13:04:00.005-11:00

I was recently interviewed by www.bizziemommy.com.

BizzieMommy.com chronicles the life of it's founder a mother trying to reach her goal to financial freedom. BOY O BOY can I relate to that BIG TIME. She is a mom of two and also the founder of a very adorable website www.lalababyboutique.com. Since I have been immersing myself in the world wide web of "moms" I have had the pleasure of connecting with so many inspirational women.

She write about the struggles and successes that come her way, products that help make mommy’s life simpler and review products and services.

Once I read her "about" section I knew we would probably be friends outside of the web if we weren't on opposite sides of the coast. I loved her "tidbits, the worst lie she ever told, and her strangest hang ups(now that's when I connected) b/c I too am VERY possessive over my bed. I love LUV love my bed, poor DH and my particulars.

She is also the founder of www.thinkorganicbaby.com , which is still in the worked but look out moms, I am sure it will be great.

Here the interview:

mompreneur interview: mykidsregistry.com

Mompreneur: Yvette SegalCompany: My Kids RegistryWebsite: http://www.mykidsregistry.com/

What inspired you start http://www.mykidsregistry.com/?
My son and my desire to be with him (plus 17 years in fashion).
How long has your business been in business?
About 1 1/2 years

What did you do in your past work life? I was a Fashion Merchandising Executive. Lastly, I was the Director of Design and Merchandising for GSeries Handbags for Cole Haan.

What is your ideal workday like?To have peace and quiet. No one is home. Make phone calls write one or two blogs, network and build website.

What have been some of your major successes and challenges? My “successes” are still a work in progress everyday in the sense that www.mykidsregistry.com is still a baby in itself. I have a vision in my mind and it will be a few more months before it can be executed. Outside of that my successes have been building membership to where it is today and not giving up. Self educating myself on the ins and out of the :”web world”(still have a ton to learn).
My challenges : Being a full time mom to a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and no child care assistance with the exception for 2 1/2 hrs of preschool a day for my 4 yr old. I am mom, the cook, the cleaner, play mate, story timer, wife, THE EVERYTHING and for me “mompreneur” in the making.
In addition, there are the financial challenges and now it seems like the majority of us can relate so need to dive into that one.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?When I receive an email from the unknown saying “I love your site and would love to be a part of it”.

Do you have a motivational quote? The future belongs to those who believe in the Beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?Start early, make sure you have the passion, don’t listen to negativity, believe in yourself, educate…educate…educate and if you want something done, make sure you know how to do it.Network, NETWORK, NETWORK. Make sure you are having fun.
What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family? I am still learning everyday. My family is my priority…always.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource? social networking sites like twitter, workitmom.com, facebook and linkedin.com, mommymillionaire.com, and now twittermoms.com.

What advice would you offer to aspiring mompreneurs? Talk to other mompreneurs. I have learned the most from them. There are so many inspirational women out there. From Bloggers to Web designers, to website owners, to inventors etc.. I have found that most moms want to help other moms succeed more than anyone else. They know what it is like to want to be home.
What is next for your business?Still improving www.mykidsregistry.com everyday. I actually have one in the works but it is under wraps and it has nothing to do with a website but still involves kids.

Your two cents sales pitch?http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ a place to share your kids wishes and pictures with family and friends.
You can also check out the blog, http://www.mykidsregistry.blogspot.com/.

Congratulations Mr. Barack Obama...

2008-11-05T11:18:00.007-11:00

I continue to be moved by the historical events that took place yesterday.

America’s 1st African American President. I was elated when he won and like so many Americans I cried for his victory.

I continue to think about the possibilities for America and for it’s youth.

As a child I can recall so many times when I experienced prejudice as a Spanish/Puerto Rican American.

I know what it is like to be prejudged based on nationality rather than my performance as a person.

Growing up I was the “Puerto Rican” girl hanging with the Irish and Italians. I was usually the “only Puerto Rican” in my circle of friends.

We moved from the Bronx when I was 5 to a suburb in Westchester County, NY.
We were the only Puerto Rican family in our entire neighborhood.

I remember as a child hearing “You are a spic” “What are you eating for dinner…rice and beans??” I would hear “You are my favorite spic” and I use to say “well, I am the only one you know (under my breath saying “what an idiot”). LOL!

I was teased often by the kids in my neighborhood. My mom use to say “If they have nothing nice to say, they really shouldn’t say anything at all…and that’s what you need to say them when they say mean things”. The ignorant comments made me sad but it also gave me power and willingness to succeed in life “This little so called spic can do anything.”

Years later when I was able to understand the ignorance, my mother shared our “Upon arrival story” when moved from the Bronx and into our new house in Westchester. She told me tomatoes were thrown at our house and how quickly she cleaned it up.

I commend my parents for sticking it out and allowing a few tomatoes make us a stronger family.

The name calling and list of comments goes beyond childhood and into adulthood.

After college I went on to become a Jr. Executive for Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC. I was the Assistant Manager for Men’s Fragrance. I remember my first week on the floor and a sales associate who was African American smiled as she reached for my arm and said “Garcia… (my maiden name) you go girl…finally a Latino”. I was so proud and I wanted to make her proud to have me as part of the management team.

As I climbed the corporate ladder working for many high end retailers and designers, I’d comb through the roster of employees just to see if I could scope out another Latino.

Unfortunately, there was only a few. As the years went on, I noticed more and more Latinos on rosters and I would get so excited like the lady who reached for my arm at Saks. The fashion industry is more of a melting pot today and I think it is wonderful.

I remember dating a guy in my 20's and meeting his mother. She was a Dr. and very all American lady with Pearls. When I met her she said “So your mother is Puerto Rican?” I said “yes, she is” She said “Well, I have a friend who is Puerto Rican.” I looked at her with a smile and said “Oh, that’s nice”. I could tell she was trying to relate to me in some way outside of her son. I knew at that moment my nationality would be a bone of contention for her. That I will never know for sure but honestly...WHO CARES if it was.

I married an American Indian/Jewish Lithuanian. Talk about melting pot!! LOL.

Our kids...American Indian/Jewish Lithuanian/Spanish/Puerto Rican.

I did not vote for Barack Obama because of his race or because he is a democrat. I voted for him because of his performance as a person and what he stands for, what he wants for America and the people. His presence is a strong one and I am confident he will be a great president.

I wish and it’s my hope as a parent that we as a country teach the generation of tomorrow that there is no color and stop using nationality & race as a roadblock for success.

I wish for Barack Obama to approach the challenges of presidency with the continued dignity and pride he showed through out his campaign.

I wish for Barack Obama and Joe Biden to help America be the great country it is meant to be and put an end to our war and the financial mess we are currently in.

Congratulations Barack Obama!!!. I look forward to the change.

He likes to give out candy instead

2008-11-02T14:34:00.011-11:00

Hope everyone had a fun, safe Halloween. We loved it here the weather was great and the kids were adorable.

The houses are close together in my neighborhood so it makes the trickin' and treatin' pretty painless on the parents and kids.

Our morning started out watching B's Halloween day parade at preschool. I think this is my son's first school performance that I didn't tear up with pride. Instead I a maintained my emotions and stood there with even greater pride for my son the "Wolverine".

As Halloween approached we visited costume stores a few times. We would look at the pictures on the wall of costumes thoroughly and I would say "Pick a costume...who do you want to be for Halloween?".

B would say "Mom, I think I want to be the Joker". I would say "Ya sure?. He would then say "No I am not sure, I want to be a really scary bad guy". I said "Really B...I am surprised". He would look at me like "why mom, why are you surprised?" We moved on...

After my surprised look, we continued to walk down the aisles. Time was passing and I needed to get home to my other lil character. I turned to B and said "Lets look over the costumes one more time and decide". He said "o.k. mom"

He looked and he looked and he looked. Still had a look of uncertainty. I said "B, now that you know what they have...why not think about it overnight and we can always come back before Halloween". Much to my surprise my 4yr old said "O.K. mom, I will think about it and come back".

We went back the Wednesday before Halloween. WHAT A MAD HOUSE! I said "B..did you decide?" He said "Yeah mom, I want to be a GOOD guy, I want to be Wolverine...I like his claws". I said "Ya know what B...I never saw you as a bad guy". We both laughed!

His lil sister didn't have much of choice. She was going to be Barney but it was too big. We threw something together "A Butterfly Princess" and it was perfect.

I am not a fan of turning down the lights and ignoring the kids who participate in Halloween. It's once a year...get up and answer the door or put a big bowl of candy by your front door...like we did. Yes, no guarantee kids only take what they should but just have the faith.

Our big bucket of candy was gone by the time we returned (1 1/2 hrs later) and we still had treaters knocking. B said "Mommy, I love giving out Candy and if we run out I will give them some of mine...it's o.k. I don't mind". Another proud mom moment for me. Every time the door bell rang, B went running and absolutely loved it. Luckily, I saved some candy just in case we came home to treaters because I knew the bucket would be totally gone.

Here they are inspecting the loot!

Daddy pulled the Wagon all night dressed as Sid Vicious from Spinal Tap. The kids loved it. He had a wig, back long haired cape, sparkle sunglasses and a guitar strapped around his body. WHAT A GREAT DAD!!!

Last leg of treating and headed home....

Don't forget to visit www.mykidsregistry.com and enter our Halloween Contest. Winner wins a $50.00 GC to Michaels arts and crafts!

Liking Hearth Song this year

2008-10-29T05:30:00.025-11:00

I have never been too much of a catalog shopper but this year I might be.

There are a few that have come in the mailbox lately that have caught my attention and most of them also have websites. One catalog that I always look through but never really got my interest was "Hearth Song".

Do you know it? http://www.hearthsong.com/.

Sorry Hearth Song...no real harm meant just honest and the good thing is that it looks great with so many things to choose from.

Here's what I am wishing for my kids this Holiday from Hearth Song

. I will be adding a few of these items to their http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ wishlist.

For my lil guy...he's 4

The Marble Runaround I can see him getting into this big time! :http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=1321&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1

The Bag Ball toss: I think this is great fun for insidoors and outdoors http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=619&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1

The Wonder Golf My lil guy has great eye hand coordination and this is perfect to get the lilttle tiger woods out : http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=9070&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1

The ILLUMA BOT Lil guy is obsessed with building transformers and robots: http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=1910&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1The Domino Race and this is fun for the kids to play together: http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=2142&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP

Deluxe Pitching Machine...hmmm are we gearing up for a college scholarship(OH YES PLEASE): http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1005&pgc=2384&cmvalue=HS0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1

Carnival Playset...for the two kiddies and for fun playdates! We always have backyard parties for the kids so this would be fantastic!!! For my lil Princess...

A dollhouse and some accessories...every lil girl should have one.

I like things that encourage playing together using creativity and this would do the trick!

My lil girl loves playing house and it's great for indoors...

Dinner games... no T.V. at dinner...just talk...and make each other laugh! These are called busy boxes...LOVE ! These are great for traveling. Stay tuned...I will be reviewing many more catologs and toys this holiday season.

The Fall is here!!

2008-10-18T02:59:00.008-11:00

I love seeing the leaves change colors and know my kidlets will be knocking on my neighbors door in a few weeks...doning their best impression of a character and saying "trick or treat".

This is my little Barney from 2006.

Halloween 2007 my son was Batman and my daughter was the cutest little butteryfly. It was my DD's first Halloween. JOIN www.mykidsregistry.com today and enter the Halloween Contest. WIN a $50.00 Gift Certificate for Michaels arts and crafts.

This our little DD is a huge Barney fan so it's time to "HAPPILY" reuse the Barney costume and this year my little superhero wants to be Wolverine.

Last week there was one day (along with many in the past) that I was thrilled to have a backyard. I have spoken about my desire to be a Manhattanite once again, and I feel that way everytime I enter the city BUT....not last week.

It was the Festival of leaves in my backyard. It's the best perk of having a house. My kids can just walk out in the backyard any time they want to play.

Something so simple made them laugh hysterically. They made a huge pile in front of the slide and went flying into it. My son thought it was the best and wants to do it everyday. He picks up the rake and says "Hey mom do you want to help me rake a pile for the slide?". The rake is too big for him but he manages just fine. HMMMM....maybe kids gardening tools will be on his wishlist for Santa.

So....no big plans for a NYC move in the near future. I couln't imagine taking the leaves aways from my kids.

These are Rockin' nuuddles!

2008-10-14T02:12:00.011-11:00

Our day off from school was all about "Home" arts and crafts. I went to the educational warehouse a few weeks ago and stocked up on cool crafty things to do when nothing else was doin'...no school, kind of yucky out, no playdates etc.. That's what yesterday was all about. My rule of the day "NO TV".

I had the bag of Magic Nuudles hidden away for a few weeks. We exhausted playdoh(whew...I can't stand the clean up). These magic Nuudles make a wonderful birthday gift. I actually just added them to my kids wish list, http://www.mykidsregistry.com/. I plan on buying them as a gift for friends.
My 4 yr. old did not even want to leave the house and go to the park. He made robots, giraffe, a star wars action gun, a spikey ball, a dino and more.

(Mr. Serious...constructing his star wars shooter)
My 2 yr. old was getting into it too. She grew tired of it a faster but still got involved. I had it out when I was cooking, cleaning and feeding!! It was awesome. I am on my way back to educational warehouse for another bag, $10.00!!!

It was a great day until we walked across the street to the park. My lil' guy is a tough eater. He insisted he wasn't hungry. He wanted to see his friend at the park. It was 4:45 pm. I fed lil sis before walking over to the park. She was a very happy camper. B however was miserable. I knew he was hungry.

He kept falling off the monkey bars. He get very angry when he does not complete his mission. All he wanted to do was show his buddy that he could do the entire length of the monkey bars.

He finally turned to me and said "Mom, let's go home...I am not having a good time and it's just not working out for me!". I said "I know B, but we always have tomorrow".

I came home(still no tv) and he continued to build more nuudles while he ate his ENTIRE...I say ENTIRE plate of chicken, cous cous and string beans.

O.K... then I caved! I put the T.V. on.:))

Then Bed!

P.S. Stay tuned for exciting news for www.mykidsregistry.com

TOP TOY LIST for 2008

2008-10-10T02:13:00.003-11:00

Came across a Top Toy list for 2008 and wanted to share my findings. I know this holiday season will be a stretch for most of America(including myself) but I think it's important to continue and have some fun, so I share the list below.

I have been thinking about ways to give outside of a store bought gift and hope to share that list soon(challenging). Times like this we need to be resourceful and use our creativity...sometimes it makes for a more memorable/heartfelt year.

Any ideas for a creative gift made with lots of love?? Share it Please!

THE LIST:

By Aarthi Sivaraman Wed Oct 1, 11:46 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The new "Guitar Hero World Tour" video game and a life-like Elmo doll that cracks jokes and sits with his legs crossed will be among childrens' "most wanted" this holiday season, according to toy industry executives.

In a sign that parents will be looking for value, this year's hot-toy list -- predicting what will fly off the shelves during the holidays -- by industry veterans Jim Silver and Christopher Byrne, is mostly made up of toys and games that cost less than $80. "Parents don't look for bargains in terms of cheap," said Silver, who is the editor-in-chief of toy-trade publisher aNb Media. "They look for price value. They don't mind spending $200 for an iPod. They don't want to spend even $10 if they don't find value."

Silver and Byrne released the list as they launched a toy Web site on Wednesday called http://www.timetoplaymag.com , after almost 10 years of creating a similar hot list for Toy Wishes magazine.

Fisher-Price's Elmo Live, which made it onto their list, is an interactive plush toy that can sing, tell jokes and stories, and play games. It will sell for about $59.99 and be in stores from October 14.

Not all popular toys this season will be expensive.
For example, Spin Master's Bakugan, a small toy that can fit in a child's hand and transform into action-figure warriors, is a hit among kids ages 5 and up, and costs as little as $4.99. "That's a phenomenon we started looking at with Pokemon when it first came out," Byrne said. "The hot toy is not prohibitive. Whatever the individual family's economic situation is, (the kids) have the cool thing." And some toys like Hasbro's U-Dance, a motion-based dance game for $74.99 that can be connected to the TV, reflects the popularity of reality shows, Silver said. "Look at the success of dancing shows on television," Silver said. "Look at 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'Dancing with the Stars.' Dancing is hot." Since the game does not require a mat to dance on or a console, it will appeal to value-hungry shoppers, Byrne added.

The Wii Fit by Nintendo Co Ltd will remain a top choice, but is not on the list since it has been on the market for a few months, Silver and Byrne said.
Toy recalls and concerns about lead levels will not be an issue this year, they added. This year's 16 toys expected to top holiday lists, arranged according to age:

* Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce and Spin Pony by Mattel's Fisher-Price
* Elmo Live by Fisher-Price
* V-Motion Active Learning System by VTECH
* TAG Reading System by LeapFrog Enterprises
* Hot Wheels Turbo Driver by Mattel
* Star Wars The Clone Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet by Hasbro
* Bakugan by Spin Master
* Furreal Friends Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup by Hasbro
* MagNext by Mega Brands
* Clickables by Techno Source
* Eye-Clops Night Vision Goggles by Jakks Pacific
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars by Lego
* U-Dance by Hasbro
* Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker by Jakks Pacific
* Guitar Hero World Tour by Activision
* Rock Band 2 by Harmonix
(Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

I can attest to the Bakugan toys. My son is obsessed with them. They are fun and on the disposable side.

Make your wish list today on www.mykidsregistry.com with www.amazon.com or with one of our affiliates which can be found on our home page or shopping page.

Letters from Santa!!! Sign up today!

2008-10-09T09:26:00.004-11:00

I just received news from http://www.birthdayinabox.com/ that letters from Santa will be available starting November 5th, so start signing up.

For the 4th consecutive year, Birthday in a Box will offer letters from Santa on November 5th!

What is a Santa Letter you ask?

It's a pre-written letter from Santa that http://www.birthdayinabox.com/ will personalize with the child's name and city throughout.

Birthday in a Box ties each deluxe letter with a ribbon and a keepsake sterling silver charm, and mails them in festive red tubes!

Parents love giving these letters to their children!

In addition, http://www.birthdayinabox.com/ will be adding another price point to the collection. They will have three deluxe letters that will be offered at the original $9.99 and one standard letter that will be offered at $4.99 that is mailed in a festive red envelope!

HOW CAN YOU RESIST????

Sounds like an adorable holiday surprise and wonderful tradition to start.

I can't wait to order mine.

Click on the Link below to join the mailing list. They will alert you when ready!

http://www.birthdayinabox.com/holiday/letters-from-santa.asp-lk-12248-id-6343

Have Fun!

What can I say?

2008-10-03T14:08:00.003-11:00

It's been a while since my last post. I think I needed that much time to recover from the 40th birthday party I went to and my dd 2nd party(am I still cleaning up from it?). Not that I was that out of whack...I am little older now...so the bouncing back has a little bit longer of a bounce.

What has happened since my last post??

Hmmm??? Ms. O' Hara is potty trained....oh...not that exciting?? Well, for me it is amazing. She rocked it out in one week. What can I say she is a genius...oh, yours too? You have a genius too?? LOL!

Latley, I am chock full of activities with the kids. From art classes, gym classes, preschool, gym&swim, 1,2,3 grow etc..I am super busy these days.

Oh and did I forget about www.mykidsregistry.com... Of course not!!! That's one of my kids.

We are getting more and more members each day and walmart has accepted us as an affiliate : very exciting stuff is happening. I wish I had the time to blog more but the reality is I don't.

www.birthdayinabox.com announced High School Musical party supplies and my feature article this week is on www.peppersandpollywogs.com. Lisa from peppers and pollywogs gives some wonderful party tips for High School Musical on her website. We are also giving away two copies of her book "Dear Pepper and Pollywogs" make a comment and enter a chance to win.

It's so funny because when I am walking around or surfing the web, I always say "Oh wow what a great idea for a post" then later in the day, I get caught up with emails, my http://www.mykidsregistry.com/ and other intriguing blogs.

Oh, did I mention that my Ms. O'Hara took ALL they keys off my keyboard??? ALL of the people...ALL! I had to go into word and figure out what key goes where and I am still not finished. Then she hit a key and made my screen 1000% bigger. So you guessed it, I am little behind on everything.

Need to run to mommy & me arts and crafts...WHOO HOO!!! fun never stops.

Birthday with with lasting friendships

2008-09-28T07:31:00.002-11:00

Another 40th birthday celebration last night and OH BOY...I am soooooo tired.

It was a friend from highschool. Yes, I said highschool. I am still friends with my girlfriends from highschool. It was like a big reunion.

My friends husband made a movie of their roller coaster ride of a relationship. I say roller coaster because they dated in HS, broke up, got back, broke up, got back and finally married.

It was so nice to see a husband take so much time out to show his wife in a very creative and thoughtful way...how much he loved her in HS and how much he still loves her now.

The movie was abosolutely hysterical and heartfelt.

I love things like that!!!

My writing is not up to par today as I have this thing called a headache...LOL!

Until next time...

She's 2

2008-09-22T06:04:00.030-11:00

I woke up Sunday morning at 6:00 am. Made my coffee and started setting up. The party was at 3:00 p.m.. My husband and I were running around like crazy. He was picking people up from the train, dropping them off, running for more ice, picked up the AMAZING food from the http://www.themarinadelrey.com/ etc.. Before I knew it was 3:00 pm.

My Darling little Girl !
Ms. O' Hara is officially 2!!

Ms. O Hara's Posse'!
(Big Bro, Big Cousin, and very close friends)

Me and Ms. O Hara sharing a Mommy & Me moment!

JUST LOVE HER TO BITS! What a successful party we had this past Sunday 9.21.08! It was my DD 2nd birthday party and what a perfect day we had. It was 80 degrees and the sun was shining. I received text messages from friends congratulating me on a gorgeous day. I have a feeling I know who helped us out with such a perfect day. It was my husband's mom, we call her "Grandma in Heaven":))).

This party was a called "Candyland of Fun" for our DD.

She loves her lollipops and candy.

I told everyone at the party that I was their Dentists' best friend.

Here's a picture of our CANDYLAND dessert table and ice cream pinata provided by http://www.birthdayinabox.com/.

First, I invited everyone by einvitations through my website, http://www.mykidsregistry.com/. I downloaded an image of a pink swirl lollipop for the email invitation which created a nice backdrop. For the actual party I made big pink lollipops out of Styrofoam and wooden sticks. After I sprayed painted my pink swirls on the Styrofoam, I then covered them with clear wrapping. I loved them and they looked great in the backyard.

The multi colored dotted balloons from http://www.birthdayinabox.com/ looked fantastic as well.

(see the cute lollipops...)

We had the Little Tikes Jump n' Slide Bouncer which we purchased through mykidsregistry.com and as far as spending money on entertainment....this is all any parent needs for a kids party. It was hard to keep the kids out. We use it for both kids and for playdates. When we use it for playdates, I can actually talk to the moms.
The birthday girl eating her delicious http://www.f4realfoods.com/ Pizza(once again, the best frozen pizza around).

She loves when we have a picnic, so that is what we did for the party. We spread out some handmade quilts made by my aunt, along with their personalized dinner trays and the kids ate away. The trays were also part of their party favors, along with giggle sticks, ice cream straws, sleep over soap, and a fun candy necklace which was also provided by http://www.birthdayinabox.com/

She loves PIZZA.

For the adults the http://www.themarinadelrey.com/ provided a delicious feast.

Eggplant Parmigiana(Husbands favorite meal)

Eggplant Rollatini

Chicken Francaise

Meatballs (that ROCK!!!)

Crab Meat Salad (MY FAVORITE)

Tomato Salad (Waters in your mouth)

Artichoke salad (I could eat for days)

Not only is The Marina del Rey known by many for it's mouth watering, delicious food but it also a beautiful catering hall and a wonderful place to have a wedding or fabulous party. It's on the water in the Throgsneck, NY and it offers a magnificent view.

The party was called for 3:00 o'clock with an end time of 5:00 pm. When your guests start leaving at 8:00 pm...it's always a good sign of a good time.

The kids had a ball!!! I had a ball!!! My husband had a ball!!! Most importantly...the birthday girl had a ball and so did her big brother. My son said "Gee mom, I sure would like to have a party like this one day!" I said "Of course my love...no problem!"

I have no idea why I get so emotional on my kids birthdays but I do. When I sing them happy birthday, I choke up and can't finish the song. They are the light of my life and I cherish each day with them...even when I want to pull my hair out. LOL!

The years go by so fast and that is why I believe in celebrating each birthday to the fullest, in my own special way. I love sharing it with family and friends and simply having a good time.

5 days and Counting!

2008-09-16T05:47:00.002-11:00

Well, my little Cha Cha will turn two in just 5 days. I can't believe it. It went by so fast.

We are throwing her a "Candyland" themed party and my DD is a lucky little girl to be a www.mykidsregistry.com kid. We have three generous supporters. Our party Favors are from www.birthdayinbox.com. Pizza is courtesy of www.4realfoods.com (THE BEST FROZEN PIZZA AROUND) and dinner for the adults will be catered by www.TheMarinaDelRey.com.

HOW LUCKY IS THE www.MYKIDSREGISTRY.com Family? DH and I are adding in our own little surprises for the kids.

I HONESTLY mean it when I say www.birthdayinabox.com "ROCKS". Not just because they are wonderful partners but I am here to tell you that they "genuinely" care about their customers. They are attentive, concerned and care about their customers happiness. In addition to that, they have such a large selection of fun party themes, favors, balloons, suggestions, decorations and party invites. We will share pics of our little Princess' party next week.

I am also personalizing plastic dinner trays(part of their favors to keep) for all the kids because my daughter loves a good picnic and Sunday is suppose to be gorgeous.

I am looking forward to seeing all of our friends and their children. We throw 2 parties a year. One for our son and one for our daughter. Obviously, I love birthday celebrations and I can't wait to see all of their smiling faces.

Until Next week...

Remembering Sept. 11th 2001

2008-09-11T13:24:00.002-11:00

I got married on Friday night Sept. 7th. It was at the beach in L.I. NY, so we made a weekend out of it. We left for our Honeymoon the evening of Sept. 10th and arrived in Marbella, Spain Sept. 11th.

We napped in the morning. We then went to rent bikes to ride along the beach. As we walked in the bike shop we started talking to the owner, he was watching a small t.v.. He turned to us and said "Look...Look...NY blow up....(his english was not very good). We were like what is he talking about?? He kept saying "NY NY blow up...BOOM!...see TV?" Our hearts sank. We ran back to the hotel to call family and friends. We couldn't get through. All lines were busy. We were frantic because we had friends down on wall street.

Finally, we got through to one friend. All she said "Be happy to be where you are and so far so good but it's insanse".

So the start of our marriage was somewhat depressing but all we did was worry.
We tried to smile but a few days went by before we were able to get the whole story from friends.

The following week we went to Portugal and that is when I finally pulled it out of a friend that someone at my wedding was lost in 9/11. My friend from HS lost her Fiance.

One of the guys in my wedding party worked for Cantor but thankfully he was not in the office that morning. He ended up going to 30 funerals in one week,
I spoke to my friend who lost her fiance when she called to thank me. She called to say thank you for playing "At last" at my wedding because at least she got to dance to her wedding song with her fiance.
One of my assistants lost her soon to be fiance and went through a major depression.

Getting on the plane to come home was so scary. We arrived in NYC and the city changed. It was very dim. The energy changed. New Yorkers are a little guarded but warm and always willing to help(at least in my ten years living in NYC) as it is and then this happened...it was a very sad time to be in Manhattan.

I remember the New Years Eve to follow, my husband wanted to bring gas masks out with us "just in case". Yes, he got a little freaked out.

We will always remember 9/11.

Great Mompreneur Day! A wonderful article

2008-09-09T13:32:00.007-11:00

Here's an article written for http://www.hostesswiththemostess.com/! We loved being mentioned. Lisa Kothari is also the Founder of http://www.peppersandpollywogs.com/ She is someone you want to turn to, if you want your party to be a true success.

by Lisa Kothari
Kids Party Planning Expert

Kids’ parties are no longer easy-to-navigate events that entail little more than cake, ice cream, running around, and a round of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. When parents get ready to plan a kids’ party today, situations like requesting gifts on a gift registry or asking for No Gifts at all become options, trying to get that all-important RSVP become a nightmare, and parents showing up with their kids and behaving rudely. It’s a new day and if you are looking for ways to navigate these situations in this current age of kids’ parties, check out the new etiquette guidelines:

How Many Kids to Invite?
The Golden Rule is always in vogue: invite the number of kids your child is turning plus one more. If your child is turning five, invite six kids.When to Send an InvitationGiven how busy the birthday party circuit is these days; send your party invitations one month in advance of your party so people can mark the date down early.RSVP To Do’sIn your invitation, provide an RSVP date that is ten days before your party. If you are a guest parent, as soon as you receive the invitation and know your reply, pick up the phone or e-mail the host parent your response. They will appreciate it beyond words. As the host parent, anticipate that people will not RSVP. As a back-up plan, make sure to have contact phone numbers for each of your guests and as soon as the RSVP deadline passes, get on the phone to gather your responses. Some people you will not be able to connect with; make sure you have enough of everything at your party to accommodate a few extra guests.

Gift Registries
At first this idea seems silly for kids’ parties and some may even label it greedy, but simple registries for kids’ parties, reduce the chances of several issues coming up, including:• Duplicate gifts being given• The gift isn’t age-appropriate• The child is not interested in your present• The child already has your giftIf you are going to consider a gift registry, keep the following tip in mind: make sure you pick gifts that are reasonably priced for your kid’s friends to choose from.

If you are also sending the registry to family, who may want to spend more, divvy up the registry to reflect this.Two companies on-line that make it easy to register for kids’ party gifts include: Wishpot and MyKidsRegistry.com.

No Gift Trend
One of the hottest trends in kids’ parties today is the request for No Gifts on the party invitation. There may be several reasons for this, including: limiting extravagance, teaching philanthropic values, and including all guests in the giving. However, it is so ingrained in people to bring a party gift, that it is very difficult for guests to take it seriously. A few ways to handle the request for No Gifts include:•

If you are worried about people spending too much money, state directly on your invitation Gifts Under $10 are appreciated and reiterate this during the RSVP phone call.• If you want to teach a philanthropic lesson, ask people to bring items that support a favorite family charity or non-profit in your community. As an example, if you are having a puppy party, ask guests to bring items for the local humane society. If you are worried that a particular parent will be rude during your party, then give the person a job to do at your party. If this parent is busy, she will probably be less likely to cause trouble. Also, don’t expect that parents hanging out at your kid’s party will pitch in, most won’t. So, make sure to line up your help well in advance so you can relax during the party and enjoy it yourself!

***Lisa Kothari is the founder and president of Peppers and Pollywogs, a kids' party planning company that provides parents with ideas, entertainers, and interesting web-based tools (customized rhymes and cards for your invitations!) to make kids' party planning easy. She has recently written and published Dear Peppers and Pollywogs, What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties which is available at Amazon.com and Peppers and Pollywogs.

CHECK IT OUT!

2008-09-09T07:48:00.002-11:00

I was recently interviewed by a wonderful mom who writes http://www.athomemomblog.com. It was part of "Motivational Monday".

Today we are joined by Yvette Segal, a mom that I originally met on Work It! Mom, where we messaged back and forth. She runs My Kids Registry, which I will let her explain in the interview. Yvette is a great mom and entrepreneur with a wonderful idea.

1. What is your business?I have a Birthday/Holiday Wishlist and Party Supply website for Parents and their Kids.

2. How did you get started?I was part of a re-organization in the corporate fashion industry and after 17 years it was time to re-evaluate my priorities. Shortly after my son’s 3rd birthday, my A-HA moment took place. Birthday invitations were sent to friends and family and the phone calls were pouring in “What should we buy Bennett for his birthday?” I always felt uncomfortable telling people what he would REALLY love besides their company…so I thought there’s got to be a fun, nice way to share my kids wishes and so www.mykidsregistry.com was born.

3. What mistakes did you make when you were starting out? What did you learn from them?Did not network enough. Networking is so important and it’s something I really enjy doing. I love meeting new people and learning from them. I did not ask enough questions. I didn’t really realize the time needed to get mykids up and running to where it is today. It is a constant work in progress.

4. How long have you been working from home? (was this your first business or have you had others where you worked from home?)3 years but www.mykidsregistry.com took a 1 1/2 to come to fruition.

5. What are your tricks for balancing work, kids and household chores? SCHEDULES!!! Organization to the best of my ability(not so great, but I try). I treasure nap times. Husband works from home so I grocery shop during nap times or on the weekends first thing. I try to keep a tidy house and pick up as I go so it’s not too much but it still never ends. The playroom is where the laundry room is so I bring the kids with me while I fold. I also bought my kids mini brooms and vaccums so they feel like they are pitching in. My daughter loves to windex the glass and wipe and my son loves to fold clothes.

6. How many children do you have? How old are they?I have two children. A boy, 4 yrs old who’s a transformer nut and a little girl, 2 yrs old who loves her babies.

7. When do you usually work?Early morning and after the kids turn in for the night. Sometimes during the day depending on the day.

8. What is the best part of being a mompreneur?FREEDOM and time spent with my kids.And the worst? There are few breaks or time to myself. I am always here but wouldn’t have it any other way. I love watching my kids daily.

9. What are your plans for the future of your business? www.mykidsregistry.com continues to grow daily and the response is great. It’s amazing and fun to see the number of people joining everyday. I plan on introducing new programs and features within the next year.

10. What advice would you give new work at home moms? Know when to say “I need a break” and take advantage of the fact that you can. Make time to enjoy the benefits of working from home and take the kids to the park for hour. Sounds silly, but getting out of the PJ’s makes a difference in how you feel.

7 Years

2008-09-07T23:55:00.004-11:00

Yesterday was my 7 year wedding anniversary. It's amazing because for 7 straight years the weather has been the same as my wedding day....absolutely gorgeous. So if you want to plan a party, plan it for Sept. 7th. LOL!

It's also amazing how time goes by and quickly. The past 7 years have not always been marital bliss. Truthfully, there have been "ups and downs" as there have been for the many marriages I know. I have had some really fun times and those times were wonderful. I also have had some really tumultuous times as well.

My husband is a wonderful person and father. He is kind, he is gentle and loving to me and to his kids. He is a kid at heart who hates yardwork or housework nad loves to chill. He's a dedicated employee and works hard at what he does.

It's just a man vs. woman. The differences between the two are so incredible, and difficult for two to understand.

Yesterday morning at 7:00 am my husband walked into the bedroom with son and cake in tow...singing. The cake had a 7 candle on top. My 4 yr old son insisted on singing "happy birthday". My son singing was adorable. Then my husband went and got the NY times and our local Newspaper. Yes, this usually only happens on mothers day, birthday or anniversary.

After my son sang his song, he said "Dad, is there also a gift for mommy". I said "No B, this is gift enough". We are on budget constraints right now but also knew my husband did not buy me anything. He is not one to go out and buy a little something just to have something to unwrap. He only goes out the day before or the day of a special day to buy a gift.

My son asked the question again while watching his morning cartoons with me. B said "Mommy, I love you so much and I am going to buy you a present". "I am going to pick out something really beautiful for you". I said "Oh B, you are the best and I love ya but don't worry...you are my gift".

We spent the day driving around, had a very nice lunch with the kids, took them to the park and I went grocery shopping as my husband played soccer with the kids.

We had a pretty nice day.

DD is in the beginning stages of potty training so we did a little Pee Pee dance for her when she went pee pee in the potty and then we all did a group hug. She loved the pee pee dance and got into it herself. Then my son yelled "GROUP HUG". That's what we do as a family, and we all hug together.

As I was putting my son to sleep he said it again...

"Mom, I love you so much, you are the best mom in the whole world".

I said "Oh B, you are MY best boy in the whole world".

He said "Mom, I am going to buy the prettiest meck-a-lace"(that's the way he said it) and earrings and ring for your finger". "Mom, where would I find something like that?"

I said "You can find that in one of the stores at the mall but Target also has some really great jewelry but really B, I love that you thought about it and that is the BEST present I could ever receive". I said "B, you are my best gift everyday".

He said "Mom, It will be the prettiest present EVER because you are so beautiful". "I am going to ask my dad to take me to target for your special day today".

I said "B, it's o.k....I love ya and thank you".

We are snuggling and he has his back to me and I have tears in my eyes because I am so blessed with such a beauty of a boy. How yummy is he???

That was truly the best gift I have ever received. I know his thoughts were from his heart and he meant every word.

It was a lovely day with lots of laughing and good times.

It was an "UP" day!!:))

Still in "Are you kidding me?" thoughts

2008-09-03T00:12:00.004-11:00

I am back from vacation. I got back last Wednesday at 1:30 am. It took me a day and a half to recuperate from the bad flight and help my kids get back to their ordinary schedule.

We also then went to my sisters house in NJ for two days. She had a labor BBQ/Pool Party. Fun but exhausting for parents with lil ones. We needed to vigilant in our efforts in keeping a very close eye on the little ones for pool safety. She has a huge house with lots of ground to cover. Made me appreciate my small house more. :)

Last Friday my "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" moment happened and continued all through the weekend.

My darling, gorgeous, sweetie of a son played a game of dare with himself.

The Scene...

Me: B get the ball out of your mouth and give it mommy

DS: AAAAHHHH ....see mommy I am not going to do anything with it

Me: B I want the ball now

DS: Let me just hold it

Me: That's dangerous and please listen and give me the ball

DS: Mom, I won't do anything

Me: on the phone, smiling at him

2 SECONDS LATER

DS: ugghh aaahhh (CHOKING)

Me: OH MY GOD B, throwing down the phone shaking

I give him the Heimlich and he throws up, BUT NO BALL. I got him to pass it through and breath.

Luckily, husband works from home and I was able to speed to the emergency room. It was the longest 5 minutes of my life.

Xrays were taken... DOCS couldn't see the ball...rubber is hard to see....Docs say it should pass on it's own within 5 -7 days.

I asked are you sure you swallowed the ball? My son said "Yes mommy, Abraham Lincoln!" That's what we say when we are telling the absolute truth.

My son said he liked the Hospital. I said "What did you like best about the hospital?" He said "When they took a picture of my tummy but why didn't they show it to me?"

So everyday, I sift through poop and catch as many as I can catch and beg for him not the flush. He has flushed two or three on his own.

I will never forget the moment it happened and how frightened I was. I slept with him for two nights and cried for an entire night. I was sick to my stomach.

I cleaned out the toy room for my 2 yr old daughter. My son is 4 and should know better but I think he was testing me and himself...like a dare.

The next "Are you kidding me?" moment came in a comment from a relative but prefer to not share it here.

The next "Are you kidding me?" moment came last night watching the new 90210 show. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. I was so disgusted how the show promotes the over indulgent, spoiled teens, and their over the top, jet setting ways. Kids pulling up to school in Ferrari's, Bentley's, and jetting off to San Fran on a HS date. What happened to kids in VW's, or their parents used car or even an BMW?" Very different show from when I watched it. Just ridiculous.

Then after that, I caught "Million Dollar listing" on Bravo. A father from Texas flew in to buy his son a 2.6 million house because his son wanted to move out of the dorms. His son was a Pepperdine student. The kid seemed normal and grounded, which was nice to see. Crazy though!

Whew...good to be back from vacation.