Mother’s Day TV Favorites From TiVo
May 12, 2013 What's Going On
I had a pretty awesome Mother’s Day. I got up and made everybody breakfast, which they protested, but I like making breakfast on the weekends! It’s the only time we all eat breakfast together! I relaxed for a while, and then took a nap. Not sure what was wrong with me but by 10am I was exhausted!
When I woke up from my nap and went downstairs, I found this:
Then my husband and son went and picked up an awesome bagel lunch, which we ate in the backyard. Then I took another nap. (Seriously, I don’t know what was wrong!) Once I was ready to get off of the couch we walked to Ample Hills, which makes the best ice cream I’ve ever had in my life. It’s the only place where we will look at a line out the door and down the block and still wait. It is so worth it.
My husband and I made dinner together. He acted as my sous chef, which was the very best thing ever! How much easier would cooking be if I always had an assistant?
Alas, tomorrow things will go back to normal – completely pleasant, but without anyone catering to my every whim. It was a day of “Yes dear!” and “Let me get that for you dear!” It was all a bit tongue-in-cheek and hilarious, and completely awesome. That’s how we handle Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day, and birthdays) around here: it’s a day where you get deferred to.
When I wasn’t eating or cooking or sleeping today, I was exploring my new TiVo, compliments of the good people who were responsible for me ditching video tapes fourteen years ago. In honor of Mother’s Day TiVo took a survey about family TV-watching habits and favorite TV moms, and I compared some of their answers to mine:
“What show does your whole family like to watch together?”
TiVo Survey Answer: Big Bang Theory (35%)
My Answer: Dancing With The Stars. This is a new one for us. Before this season I was watching it alone. But this year, Fiona’s absolute favorite star – Zendaya Coleman from Shake It Up – is competing, so she’s riveted. And we’ve managed to get my husband and son into it too. In fact, my husband’s new favorite hobby on Monday nights is to root for Kellie Pickler, just to piss Fiona off. :-)
"What syndicated show can you not turn off?”
TiVo Survey Answer: Seinfeld (37%)
My Answer: Frasier and Friends (tie). I don’t know what it is, but they run in an almost continuous loop while I’m working or doing anything else that involves my brain. I think it’s because I’ve seen them so many times. I can be entertained without really having to pay attention.
“Who is your favorite classic TV family?”
TiVo Survey Answer: The Cosby Show (35%)
My Answer: Family Ties. There was something so endearingly nutty about that family. The parents were pragmatic and caring, and yet appropriately hands-off. Come to think of it, Steven and Elise Keaton may be my parenting inspiration.
“What TV child would you most not want your kids to hang out with?”
TiVo Survey Answer: Eddie Haskell (47%)
My Answer: Alex P. Keaton. They’d wind up as young republicans.
“Who is the best TV Mom of all time?”
TiVo Survey Answer: Marion Cunningham (19%)
My Answer: Claire Huxtable (who came in at 17% in the survey). She was just awesome. She loved her family dearly, but also loved her career. She was smart, and expected a lot out of her kids. She didn’t take any crap. And she lived in Brooklyn. Case closed.
So there you go. I hope you had a great Mother’s Day, and got to watch whatever you wanted on TV. :-)
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Join Me And Kidde For An Important Chat About Child Safety
May 11, 2013 What's Going On
[The following post was commissioned by Kidde]
When I brought my daughter home from the hospital I was exhausted. Her birth had been a bit of a fiasco, and we’d spend five days in the hospital – her in the NICU, me mostly alone since my husband was taking care of our toddler. I was too sick to see anyone else.
All I wanted was to sleep in my own bed and spend some time with my daughter, whom I’d barely seen since she’d been born.
A few hours after we got home, our Kidde carbon monoxide detector started beeping. It was reading 110ppm (parts per million). This was not normal. We opened all of the windows and called the gas company. When we told them what the reading was, they told us to call the fire department ASAP.
What happened next was a blur of fireman banging on doors and me trying to locate neighbors – if nobody answered and couldn’t be reached by phone, their doors were broken down to make sure they weren’t unconscious. I was on the condo board, and I spent the next few days with a newborn and no hot water, trying to coordinate a massive repair to our building’s HVAC system.
It wasn’t until things calmed down that my husband and I really let ourselves think about what had almost happened. That CO detector had almost definitely saved my daughter’s life, and my son’s life, and probably our lives too.
Kidde’s new Worry Free Carbon Monoxide alarms (one with a digital read-out, one without) – available at Home Depot – will give you ten years of protection against colorless, odorless carbon monoxide. They have sealed lithium batteries that never have to be changed for the ten year life of the alarm. No mysterious beeps, no changing batteries every six months. Completely worry free.
I’ll be hosting a twitter party on Wednesday, May 15th at 8pm EST to talk about the CO alarms and ways to keep your children safe at home, from baby proofing to water safety to hidden dangers. This is one party you don’t want to miss!
And of course, there will be prizes! We’ll be giving away gift cards and alarms from the Worry-Free line, including a grand prize worth approximately $200!
All you have to do to be eligible to win is RSVP in the comments section of this post (leave your twitter handle in the comment), and participate in the party on May 15th. See you there!
#WorryFreeHome Twitter Party
RSVP in the comments section of this post by leaving your twitter handle.
And make sure you participate on Wednesday!
Want an easy way to follow along during the party?
Make sure you’re following me (@SelfishMom) and @KiddeSafety. See you Wednesday!
Want to help spread the word? You can tweet this:
Join @SelfishMom at 8pm EST Wed May 15th to talk about child safety. There will be prizes!!! #WorryFreeHome RSVP: http://slf.sh/10yCyre
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 18. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
My First Week With Invisalign
May 6, 2013 What's Going On
Last Tuesday I got the call that my Invisalign aligners were in! I’m a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board, and am receiving complimentary treatment. I’d had my scans just a week before, and was thrilled that my aligners were ready so fast (one of the advantages of finding an office with a scanner instead of physical moulds – everything gets emailed to the manufacturing facility, which is much quicker). My orthodontist, Dr. Hung, was able to fit me in that afternoon.
The first step when I got there was to get my attachments. The way Invisalign works is that the aligners – the clear plastic trays – put gentle pressure on my teeth to move and straighten them. But sometimes teeth need to be moved or turned in a way that the plastic can’t grab, so they get some help from attachments: little tooth-colored bumps attached to certain teeth to help grab the aligners.
I needed nine attachments. None of them are on my front twelve teeth so they’re hardly noticeable. Getting them glued on was completely painless, but my mouth was held open in a way that looked quite hilarious. It’s like the mouth version of that scene in Clockwork Orange:
Next I was given my first set of trays, and taught how to get them in and out (getting them out is harder than putting them in). This made me feel really stupid at first, but the assistant helping me was great. He didn’t rush me at all, and I was finally able to figure it out. I put them in and took them out several times, and when I was completely comfortable with the process, that was it! I was given my first five sets of aligners (ten weeks) and I was on my own.
I’d been warned that the first week was the hardest with Invisalign. Not as bad as braces – where you get about six weeks-worth of pressure each time you go in to get them tightened – but still really hard to get used to. In fact, Dr. Hung told me that if I could survive the first four days, I’d be fine. Lots of people get headaches in the beginning because of the pressure. I was prepared for the worst.
My tongue couldn’t stop playing with the aligners the whole way home on the subway! I felt like my lips were pushed way out, like a monkey. But of course, I looked completely normal (I checked with my cell phone camera, several times). The closest thing I can compare it to is when you have one of those whitening strips on your teeth and you’re very aware that there’s something between your lips and your teeth.
When I got home and wanted to eat, I was really nervous about taking the aligners out. Taking them out too fast or the wrong way can pop off an attachment or break the aligner. I was really glad I’d stayed in the office so long and practiced, though – I got them out no problem.
I’m very happy to report that I had no pain at all – no headaches, nothing! There was a lot of tightness for the first few days on my front top teeth, but not enough to make me uncomfortable. And now, on day six, there’s no tightness. Each set of aligners starts out not fitting your teeth quite right, but then as the teeth slowly move into place to fit the aligners, the tightness goes away.
The funny thing is, I didn’t tell anybody in my household that the aligners were in, and it took until Sunday for someone to notice. Fiona and I were out running an errand, waiting in line, and all of a sudden she said “There’s something on your teeth!” I told her there wasn’t but she wouldn’t let it go, and made me smile so that she could see. She asked me what it was, so I told her. She is so super excited to be in on this with me, but she really sucks at keeping secrets, so I’m guessing the cat’s going to be out of the bag pretty soon (either that, or my husband is going to read this post!).
Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate Fiona’s birthday, and Fiona kept winking at me and pointing to her teeth. Subtle. :-) Also, me having to get up and go to the bathroom twice might have aroused a little suspicion.
Frankly, I’m hoping my husband does figure it out soon. I’m tired of hiding in the bathroom to take them out before eating. He must think I have some weird stomach ailment that causes me to go to the bathroom every time I get hungry.
On the other hand, though, I’m curious how long I can keep this up!
Me with my aligners in the first day – can’t see them!
I am a member of the Invisalign Moms Advisory Board. I am receiving complimentary Invisalign treatment as part of this program. All opinions are my own and based on my own treatment experience. Full disclosure can be found here: http://shout.lt/ggGP
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Invisalign
When A Grocery List Gets Melancholy
Apr 30, 2013 What's Going On
I use an online grocery delivery service for about 75% of the food and supplies that come into my house. I’ve been using the same one for ten years now. When I shop, I shop from a list of everything I’ve ever bought. After ten years, the list has gotten quite big, and the other day I decided to pare it down to make reordering quicker.
I had no idea this simple to-do would be an emotional experience. I should have had tissues handy.
My eyes had gotten used to skipping over certain sections over the years. I knew instinctively that I didn’t need those things, but hadn’t really looked at them in a long time. Looking closer was like going back in time to other phases of my life, phases that are over.
Some, I’m glad are done. Diapers? Haven’t needed those for six years! Why are they still on the list? Gone. Same with wipies, although I admit, having those around was handy – I used them to clean up way more than babies’ butts. Baby snacks? Gone! The kids just go to the pantry and get the same food I eat now. No more special foods, thank goodness. So much easier.
But Johnson’s Head-To-Toe Wash? That one made me tear up (ironic, I know, since it’s no-more-tears). It’s been years since I’ve bathed my kids – they shower themselves. No more baths, no more toys. That’s basically my choice – when we visit my mom, she still indulges my daughter in long baths with toys and bubbles, and Fiona loves it. But giving my kids baths are something that I like much more as a memory – in reality I was always impatient to get out of the bathroom and get them to bed. Off of the list.
And then I got to the pet food. Sigh. The cats are both dead, and yet their food and treats are still on my list. I’d kept them on there at first because the moment we saw signs of mice, we were getting another cat. But It’s been more than a year, and we’re still a cat-free (and mouse-free!) household. I don’t want another cat, but I do miss Patty and Selma. They were part of our lives before our kids.
The cat litter though? No sadness about getting rid of that! Off of the list. (Although I’m pretty sure the litter box is still in the basement. I will ask my husband AGAIN to get rid of it! Gross.)
Then the list got scary: Fat-free cheese? That was from the very brief period when I thought that fat-free was the way to go. When did that period end? When I discovered that fat-free mozzarella doesn’t actually melt. Ick. Bring on the good stuff.
But vegan cheese? That one was a puzzler. I don’t do vegan, at least not on purpose (the vegan sandwich at Fresh & Co. happens to be my favorite, with avocado, tomato, sprouts, red onion, pine nuts, and hummus). But vegan cheese? I feel about that the way bacon lovers feel when I call Morningstar strips “veggie bacon.” The word cheese just doesn’t belong when there’s no dairy involved.
Ah yes, a vegan friend-of-a-friend came over for lunch years ago and I made him food. I’m good like that. But that stuff isn’t coming into my house again unless he does. Off the list.
Yams? I hate yams. But know who loves them? My little niece Chloe, who’ll be here soon for another visit, and I will supply her with all the yams she can eat. Stays on the list!
I’m feeling more up-to-date and a little lighter. And while I’m a little melancholy for some things I’ll never have again (babies!), I’m at a really great place in my life, and now my shopping list reflects that.
My closet should really be next in line for this treatment, but I’m still waiting for peasant skirts to come back, so I think I’ll put that task off for now.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Some Fantastic Finds At Getting Gorgeous
Apr 27, 2013 What's Going On
Today I had the pleasure of attending Getting Gorgeous, a fantastic event put on by my friends Audrey and Vera. It’s a place where bloggers can meet with brands large and small and discover new products. I found some new favorites that I’m thrilled to share with you.
I had a long conversation with the owner of Love Jac Cards, and was very impressed by the fact that this Brooklyn mom takes all of the photographs and makes the cards herself! I walked away with a gorgeous Brooklyn card, but they’re not all about Brooklyn. She has a huge selection of beautiful, handmade cards for every occasion. She has a card-of-the-month club, and even does custom design cards.
Foster Grant is a well-known sunglasses company that I knew very little about. The main thing I learned today? That their gorgeous glasses are really affordable! They have a huge selection of sunglasses on their site for under $30. I went home with this cute plum-colored pair, which are my new spring sunglasses! You can also find them on Amazon.
I stopped by the New Balance booth and fell in love with their new Ballet Flats. Not only are they adorable, they also have a reversible innersole with a massaging texture on one side, and cushiony foam on the other!
I brought home a couple bottles of Dial Kids Body & Hair Wash for Fiona, in Watermelon scent. It’s a no-more-tears formula, and I love that she only needs one bottle for body and hair. There’s also a Peachy Clean formula for younger kids, 2-5.
The ladies at the Downey booth gave me a sniff of the new Spring Scent of their Downy Unstopables. If you know me, you know that I have a bit of an Unstopables addiction. If I don’t have at least two extra bottles at all times I start to panic, thinking about the loads of laundry that might get done without Unstopables! Ahhhhh! No, seriously, I love Unstopables. And the new pink one smells really good. I’m told it goes well with the Downy Infusions Honey Flower fabric softener that I brought home from the event. Can’t wait to use it!
And my last great find of the day, Haute Tags! They’re cute metal tags surrounded by Swarovski Crystals and engraved with whatever you want (@SelfishMom, maybe?). They come with two bag tag-style ball chains that can be cut to size, so you can wear your tag as a bracelet or a necklace, or put it on a bag strap.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1 (Love Jac, Foster Grant, Dial, and Downey). Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Another 3 Pounds Gone: Doing The FastDiet While Sick
Apr 26, 2013 What's Going On
Last Tuesday (ten days ago) I woke up starving. It was a FastDiet fasting day, so I expected the hunger to subside by about 10am. I’d gotten into the habit of not eating at all on fasting days until about 5pm, which made it feel like I was only fasting for breakfast and lunch – I could have a somewhat normal dinner and go to bed full and satisfied.
But last Tuesday, I didn’t stop being hungry. Finally around noon I had a snack, then another around 3pm, then the rest of my calories around 6pm. By then I had a fever of 101.5.
The next day I still had the fever, and was still ravenous. I ate almost constantly all day, more than usual. The next day – Thursday – I was still starving and still had the fever, but went ahead with fasting. I basically only left the couch that day to get food or water and to use the bathroom. My fever got up to 103.1 before some Tylenol and Advil brought it down. On Friday I woke up with a fever of 103.4 and finally admitted I needed to see my doctor. My husband stayed home from work to take me.
The verdict? Pneumonia. I was given two weeks of antibiotics. My doctor also mentioned that the fever was probably suppressing my appetite, but that I should try to eat a little to keep my strength up. I couldn’t help it – I laughed in her face! I told her how starving I’d been the entire time.
I was so hungry after my doctor’s appointment that I went across the street to get Subway before calling my husband for a ride home.
I didn’t feel any better or worse on the fasting days while I was sick than on the other days, when I ate a ton. I’m glad that I carried on with the plan. I could have easily used the sickness as an excuse, but didn’t. This is huge for me, because by this time in an eating plan – almost two months – I’m usually ready to quit, looking for any excuse. But because this plan is so easy to maintain, I have no desire to quit at all!
By Monday I was feeling pretty good. I went ahead and did my fasting day, and everything was back to normal – I wasn’t really hungry all day and ate a good dinner (an Amy’s pizza – a great way to break a fast). Same on Wednesday.
I finally had a chance to weigh myself this morning for the first time in ten days – the first time since getting sick. I’ve dropped another three pounds! This was a big relief. I was worried that between the massive amounts of food I ate while sick and barely leaving my couch for almost a week, I would have held steady or even gained. But that didn’t happen.
I’ve also been curious about how much exercise was contributing. I’ve been exercising three-to-six times per week, but they’re small workouts. Twenty to thirty minutes. I don’t know when I can start exercising again – some people have said it took them months to get over pneumonia, which would really suck. But I’m happy at least that apparently I’ll still be able to lose weight while I’m resting.
Another contributing factor could be the Fucothin I’ve been taking three times a day. It takes from five to sixteen weeks to see any effect, and I’ve been taking it for more than seven weeks now. Everything else is still going as planned: the water, the sleep, the apples, the salads, the dessert with breakfast (today is was an Entenmann’s donut - yum!).
I’ve lost a total of 11.6 pounds in 7.5 weeks. If I take away the large loss from the first week, I’ve lost 6.6 pounds in 6.5 weeks – right on track for one pound a week! I’m thrilled with these results, and am going to continue on for as long as it all keeps working.
Previous FastDiet posts:
A Great First Week on the FastDiet
FastDiet Update: A More Reasonable Loss
Another Pound Gone; Why Is The FastDiet So Easy?
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
FINALLY Fixing My Teeth With Invisalign
Apr 24, 2013 What's Going On
I’m excited to announce that I’m starting treatment with Invisalign very soon. I’m a member of the Invisalign Moms Advisory Board, and will be receiving complimentary treatment. Invisalign are those clear plastic trays that fit over your teeth and straighten them just like braces do, but with one major difference: I can take them out when I want to eat or brush my teeth!
I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. When I tell people I hate my teeth they think I’m crazy. And if you just see me smiling, they don’t look that bad:
Pretty straight, right? Well, the things that are wrong with my teeth are hard to see when I’m smiling like that. For one thing, one of my front teeth overlaps the other one. This used to be a lot more obvious, but in my twenties – with no money for braces – I had my dentist file them down so that the overlapping isn’t as obvious, especially from the front.
When I start to talk, though, it’s hard not to notice just what a train wreck my bottom teeth are (please excuse the hideously dry lips – I’m recovering from pneumonia!):
Yeah. Not so pretty. The big semi-OK top teeth that hide all the bad stuff go away when I talk, and pretty much all you see is that, up there.
Enter Invisalign.
My first step was checking out the Invisalign Smile Assessment tool, and using the doctor locator. My initial consultation with Dr. Hung was exciting, but also a little disconcerting. He spent a lot of time discussing with me just how little time those aligner trays can spend out of my mouth. He told me that they need to be worn at least twenty-two hours a day in order for treatment to be affective.
After that all I could think about was how much time I spend eating. Sure, on a normal day I don’t think it would be a problem. But if I go out to eat with my husband we’re easily in that restaurant with food in front of us – from bread at the beginning to dessert at the end – for two hours. What about a movie? I munch popcorn during the whole thing! And that would be it, for the entire day!
But I really want my teeth fixed, and I know that I can follow the rules. It will be tricky at times, I’m sure, but I want this to work. And hey, at least I can have things like popcorn – a huge benefit over regular braces.
The next step was getting my mouth scanned. I’ve compared notes with some other people whose orthodontists didn’t have a scanner, and I’m very glad my office did. (The alternative is using some kind of goop to make impressions of your teeth.) The scan took about twenty minutes, and was only uncomfortable a couple of times when I had to fight my gag reflex. Other than that it was a piece of cake.
The iTero scanner
Having my scan done took about 20 minutes
Yesterday I met with my doctor and he showed me my treatment plan, which is so cool! Remember that scan they made of my mouth? Well, here are the before and after shots of my bottom teeth – twenty-six aligner trays, roughly a year. I’m giddy.
Now I’m just waiting for my aligner trays, which should be here in about two weeks. I’m trying to get myself ready for this mentally, not only for what the trays will feel like in my mouth, but the logistics of keeping them in there as much as possible. As I was making my son’s lunch this morning I almost licked the knife, and then I thought about what that would entail two weeks from now: taking my aligners out, licking the knife, brushing my teeth, and putting the aligners back in. I don’t think so! Many knives are going to go unlicked, many free samples will go untaken.
I think I’m going to tape that last picture up in my kitchen, to remind me of why I’m doing this. :-)
I am a member of the Invisalign Moms Advisory Board. I am receiving complimentary Invisalign treatment as part of this program. All opinions are my own and based on my own treatment experience. Full disclosure can be found here: http://shout.lt/ggGP
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Invisalign
There’s No Sense To Be Made, So Here Are Actions You Can Take
Apr 16, 2013 What's Going On
It didn’t seem right to put up the post I’d written for today. Do you know how often I write a post in advance? Pretty much never. But it’s not going up today, while I’m still glued to the TV and reading about the people who died and lost limbs yesterday in Boston.
When things like this happen, I mostly just feel helpless. I’m not even going to try to make sense out of what happened, because there simply is no sense to be made. But there are always things that you can do.
Hug your kids.
Hand over your Boston Marathon pictures and videos to the FBI. From their website:
The FBI has set-up 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), prompt #3, for anyone who has information, visual images, and/or details regarding the explosions along the Boston Marathon route and elsewhere. No piece of information or detail is too small.
They really want to stress that something you think is inconsequential could end up being very important. Don’t judge, just send your pics and vids in, no matter when they were taken. They could show someone actually placing the bombs.
Give blood. Doesn’t matter where you live, it’s almost always needed and appreciated.
Volunteer. It will make you feel better.
Hug your kids again.
Make yourself some good, homemade comfort food. Never underestimate the power of mac & cheese or a really hearty soup. I’m serious.
Clean your bathroom. It will distract you. And you know it needs it. (Just mine?)
Go for a run. Or a swim. Or a bike ride. Whatever exercise that makes you feel less stressed. Plus, it will counteract the mac & cheese.
Hug your kids again. Even the big one who rolls his eyes and whines “MOM!” when you do.
Forgive your husband for the stupid thing he did this weekend that you’re STILL mad about because really, life is too short.
Say a prayer, send a good thought, light a candle, whatever it is you do to send waves of goodness towards badness. I have no idea if it helps, but it sure makes me feel better when I’m in trouble to know that other people are thinking of me.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Boston Marathon
