With summertime, comes summer gear. And that includes all the super- fun beach and pool paraphernalia.
Check out this adorable Mermaid Swim Fin—it holds both feet in one flipper, and of course it's pink (or purple, whichever you prefer). The fin has a velcro strap that fits shoe sizes 1-7, so moms, I'm sorry to say that it probably won't fit you.
Ariel, is that you?
Is it wise to work out intensely during and right after pregnancy? New mom's NYC Marathon victory has people wondering. Yahoo! News
A mother fights for diagnosis of her baby’s medical condition only to have her taken away. Boston Globe
Surgery to remove 2-year-old’s four extra limbs is a success (video). Yahoo! News
Coaching by camera: A marine in Iraq watches his wife give birth via video conference. Chicago Sun-Times
A mom’s guilt over playing the tooth fairy. Washington Post
Original photo via
Having just joined a bowling league myself (let's get that average up, Mr. Lafata!), I'm a little preoccupied with the game of late. I have such fun memories of the leagues I played in as a kid, partnering up with my mom on the AWESOMELY named team of The Clowns, while my brother and dad formed the dynamic duo of The Turtles. (The scary part is that 6-year-old me named my team; my dad came up with my brother's.)
And while it's no, say, soccer, bowling offers up a little bit of exercise, right? I mean, as long as your kids aren't chugging down beer like me and my current teammates do, they're bound to benefit from the physical aspect of the sport.
So why not sign up for a league with your own little 10 pin? You can research leagues and alleys near you by visiting the AMF Bowling League site. Besides getting some exercise, it's a great way to let the good (quality) times roll. I promise you that you'll start racking up the memories along with your total pin count. To get the kids psyched, treat them a really fun ball, like the ones pictured here, available at Bowling.com. (Perhaps the force might be with you, Mr. Lafata, if you got this cool Yoda ball. And then maybe you could find the pocket. Just a suggestion …)
Anyone already in a family league with their kids? Got a better team name than The Clowns? (Yeah, right. Like that's possible.) Share it with the rest of us. Or post your high score, tell us what your least favorite split is … anything! Help me feed my bowling addiction!
All the witty commentary in the world cannot hold a candle to the mere existence of this contest. Below are the rules, history, and prizes as stated on the official web page of the Wife Carrying Contest.
So readers, get in shape (or don’t since the more you weigh, the more you win) and head to Bethel, Maine this Saturday for this annual event. My reaction is a hybrid of confusion, humor, horror, and fascination. If you are so inclined, you can watch a video of it here.
(Thanks to David from Takegreatpictures.com for his list of the top 10 photo-op's this fall!)
This Week’s Giveaway Goody:
Did anyone watch Kid Nation on CBS? It’s gotten a lot of buzz (both good and bad) from a lot of different sources lately. But we’re way more interested in what you think: Moving TV or child exploitation?
Now onto happier topics…. The winner of last week’s Netflix contest is...Jenna G., who wrote: "Super prize! Thanks for the chance to win it."
You know what? We like you guys! So we’re going to give you one more shot to take home a free 6-month subscription to this super-cool online DVD rental service. Just post a comment below (one per person, please) between now and midnight on September 27th to enter yourself in this random drawing for Netflix’s 3-at-a-time plan. Then, check back next week to find out if you've won. Goody luck!
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. To see the winner, click here.
This Week’s DVD Goodies:
The Backyardigans: Super Secret Super Spy
The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Vol. 2
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy: The Complete Season 1
Holly Hobbie: Best Friends for Ever
Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series
Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive, Vol. 1
Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive, Vol. 2
Tweety's High-Flying Adventure
Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Toy Workshop
Winx Club: Battle for the Codex, Season 2, Vol. 2
Veggie Tales Sing Alongs: Very Silly Songs
This Week’s You-Go-Girl! Goodies (Soccer Edition):
Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team
The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week
Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof, Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. To see the winner, click here.
Healthy kids’ food at Burger King? Shocking but true. The company just announced plans to introduce a less artery-clogging children’s menu. New additions will reportedly include flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and apple chunks designed to look like thick-cut french fries (they’ll even be sold in the same paper sleeves as their regular fries). BK is also giving their Kids Meal advertising a makeover: You’ll only see ads for foods containing no more than 560 calories, less than 30 percent of calories from fat, and no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.
What do y’all think? Will your kids clamor for these new offerings?
I arrived back at work from vacation yesterday to find a box of Curves’ (yes, the ladies’-only gym) new granola bars and cereal on my desk. I’m normally a bit wary of packaged diet foods, but the Curves people caught me at a vulnerable moment: I’d spent the past four days eating giant cheese-laden meals and lying on the beach. It was time for a little self-imposed diet rehab. In need of a snack before last night's workout, I tried a strawberries & cream granola bar and a handful of the honey crunch cereal. I was pleasantly surprised! The granola bar is moist and not crazy-sugary; plus, it has just 100 calories and 2 grams of fat. (Many snack bars have way more—they’re practically meals.) The cereal is a bit less exciting flavor-wise, but I do love its 5 grams of fiber. And like the granola bars, it's not tooth-achingly sweet.
You can find the Curves line (which also includes whole grain crunch cereal and chocolate peanut granola bars) at drugstores and supermarkets; the bars are also sold at Curves clubs.
We're wondering what you think of this self-care kit for kids: Be the Boss of Your Stress. Too gimmicky? Or a helpful tool to reach your little ones early about taking care of their mental and physical health?
Each kit, for kids aged 8 and up, comes with an eye-catching, informative book about stress, its causes, and ways to relieve it; a pinwheel for breathing exercises; a star-shaped stress ball; an acupressure tool; quick-start cards that offer instant ways to feel more relaxed; and, my favorite, a biofeedback card that measures your stress and helps track your progress in relieving it. Taking this 10 second test right now, I've found that I'm green ... which means I'm feeling "some stress". Then again, it is only 9:45 a.m., so there's still plenty of time for me to go off the charts black ("most stressed"). Oh, to be at level blue, or "relaxed." Aaargh! This is so stressful!!
Deep breath. Deeeeeep breath ... Okay. Better now. So what do you think? Would you consider getting a kit such as this for your child if you thought he or she were feeling a bit overwhelmed? Let us know your thoughts. No pressure or anything ...
How cool is this wardrobe/climbing wall from German company Haba, one of my favorite toy designers? The funky cut-out shape opens to reveal shelving and a rod for storage, and the exterior is, as you can see, one large climbing wall/jungle gym. I would be kinda concerned about leaving small kids alone with the Kraxelmax Wardrobe, though, which is bound to happen if you put it in their bedroom. I know that if I was lucky enough to have something like this when I was a child, I would have repeatedly jumped off the thing. Maybe I just worry too much though. What do you think: super-fun or unsafe?
Here's a link to another Apartment Therapy: the Nursery post about another cool piece of Haba furniture: a Haba Housemaster Shelf Unit.
photo via
Three cheers for Lindsay Davenport! The former world number one tennis player—who has three Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal to her name—had semi officially retired from the game in late 2006, right around the time she became pregnant with her first child. After giving birth to her bouncing baby boy Jagger in June, however, Lindsay was surprised about just how much she missed playing and competing. And ...
... boom! Davenport is now scheduled to play doubles this month at Connecticut's Pilot Pen tournament, and she's even entered the singles draw at Bali's Wismilak International in September.
Lindsay has noted how much she adores her son and cherishes her role as mother, which is why she feels that ever present guilt when she takes time to practice ... or even to simply clean, rather than spending it with her son. But she's also noted that being a mother doesn't limit her. And why should it have to?
Granted, it's sure not going to be easy to compete on a world class level when there's parenting duties on her plate on top of everything else. Still, how cool would it be if Lindsay comes back and starts kicking some WTA butt in the name of hardworking moms everywhere?
Anyone else pumped to see Lindsay return to the tour and compete again? Any other mom athletes you'd like to see reenter their respective arenas? Or is there another actively competing jock mom you want to give a shout out to? Let us know!
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