Friday Frivolity - Goodnight Nanny Cam

This latest spoof on that old favorite Goodnight Moon found in The New Yorker is rife with social commentary.

Image from The New Yorker

We seem to be reaching MAXIMUM CHRISTMAS EXCITEMENT around here - can only imagine how EXCITING next week will be!!!!!

 If you are searching for any last minute gifts we are loving the gift guide Joanna is running over at Cup of Jo.

Have a wonderful wintery weekend! 

Tis the Season to be Fabulous

We have written about holiday cards before.  And while most of us are scrambling to simply find a picture in which all parties are a) in the frame and b) bonus - looking at the camera; we have heard that some modern mothers view Holiday Greetings as a competitive event.   Lucky for this type of modern mother there is a new invention that may soon make the Holiday Letter obsolete.  Now she can brattle away without superfluous words or pleasantries.  Now she can say it with metrics.  This particular option from beloved site Minted may be placed on the back or front of the card.

 Image from Minted.com

 The not so organized/competitive modern mother may wonder, does the world really need to know about your new kitchen or how many brownies you baked?  Perhaps it is more subtle than saying "I am an exceptional mother and will do anything for my very talented children.  Speaking of my children,  James hit 7 home runs and Natalie starred in the school musical. Oh and btw Ted has a fancy new job."

So where do we go from here?  Will next year's model say: $450 base plus $1.6 Bonus? 14 deals closed in 2013 propelling Sally to Senior Managing Director?  45MM in Amex points earned on our 4 exotic global vacations? 

How about:  2 Turkeys bought for the Greater Boston Food Bank;  1 day spent at the Women's Lunch Place;  6 old toys given to Cradles to Crayons?  Not quite as catchy is it?

Sometimes in these days of constant sharing, less is still more.

An Audible Diversion

Why does the typical stay-at-home mother spend so much of her day in the car? An age old question, to be sure, but one which we will not attempt to address, though we have an inkling it might be related to the “busy contest.”

Instead, we present a diversion, a salve, a treat for the mother who finds herself constantly driving to and fro, on her way to pick up, to drop off, to bring someone forgotten shoes.  We present the audio book, in it’s 21st century form: audible.com. It’s like net flix for books: you pay a monthly fee to download an audio book (or 2) a month. Download it to your phone and then you are never without your book (assuming you, like I, are never without your phone.) Listen when you walk, run, or clean out the attic, but most of all listen during all those boring hours in the car.

Having plowed through all 500+ “pages” of Cloud Atlas last month, I am clearly an enthusiast, though I did not receive any freebies or compensation from Audible for this post.  I’m just thrilled to find my driving time has become literary, and I'm feeling ever so slightly more erudite.

Holiday hosting, family style

As a blog focusing on the intersection between parenting, manners, and modern mores, we have posted on many topics related to mealtime manners. We’ve taken on table manners, table talk, and the hazards of restaurant dining. We've also explored the perils and pleasures of dinner parties and being a hostess onself. However, we have not yet considered teaching one’s children to becomes well mannered hosts and hostesses of a family dinner gathering.

K.J. Dell’Antonia does just that in her recent post “The Youngest Thanksgiving Hosts” on the Motherlode blog. She shows how delegating small tasks can lead to a greater sense of ownership for a family social event, helping children evolve into competent hosts and hostesses. Hosts in the truest sense of the word, attuned more to the comfort of their guests, than making sure everyone uses the correct fork for their dessert.

Though Ms.Dell’Antonia's post reflects on the already past Thanksgiving meal, its worth reading and thought, especially for all those modern mothers who will host a holiday meal, dinner with family friends, or any number of December family social events. Whatever’s on your family dance card in the coming month, here's to helping our children learn to be gracious hosts and hostesses.

Run like a Turkey

This year I am spending the week leading up to Thanksgiving neither overseeing the assemblage of paper mache turkeys (what was I thinking?!) nor worrying about the menu. 

 Image from Ask the Birds

Instead, I am busy training for Wellesley's very first 5k Turkey Trot.  Those in the know, know that I generally choose pursuits other than exercise.  Which makes my participation a testament to the great causes the race is benefitting and to my friend Carol's persuasive personality.  She is also the hostess/organizer  of said trot.

Image from the foodie bugle

So, if you are looking for a fun run on a beautiful course (around scenic Wellesley College) in the Boston Area on Thanksgiving morning, I encourage you to sign up.  Relations and house guests welcome.  Hope to see you out there!

Sign Up Here for Wellesley's First Turkey5

                                                                           

Image courtesy of our friends at TheSwellesleyReport

Bad Romance

Recently, a friend finally managed to extricate herself from a bad relationship.  This relationship made her feel unattractive and inadequate.  It made her feel like a bad parent.  She felt she was not accomplishing enough in her life.  She felt like everyone else in the world had more friends and more fun.

Image from The Nutrition Post

The good news is: since leaving Facebook she again feels like the capable, confident, attractive, social, happy person and good parent she is. 

Facebook - it's not for everyone... Do you ever think about going dark on Facebook? 

  Image from The Anti-Facebook League of Intelligentsia

Foodie Friday

Perhaps it is the cooling weather or all the togetherness from hurricane Sandy (sending good wishes to our family and friends in NY and NJ), but whatever the reason, this modern mother has been on a cooking spree of late.  It may also be thanks to these new books enthusiastically recommended by friends.

The first,  Dinner a Love Story is a memoir, a primer,  a how-to and choc-a-bloc full of great time/life saving ideas.

Just when the modern mother had decided to avoid the below book, mostly because she did not think she could possibly stomach another book about how le French are better at food/child related anything, her friend called to tell her how  French Kids Eat Everything, has changed their dinner life.  How can one not recommend a life changing book?

Finally Deb Perelman, over at our beloved  Smitten Kitchen, has just come out with her book, titled, appropriately, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  I haven't read it but, Christmas is coming...

Enjoy the weekend and if you can find the time, happy cooking.