Momathon Blog

Royal Wedding Jitters: Which one is the salad fork?

Elaborate place settings at formal events like a wedding can be daunting. Imagine the elegant dinner at William and Kate's Royal Wedding. If you can't decide if the bread plate you should eat from is on your left or right, then check out the handy cheat sheet illustration above. 

Photo illustration above with my hints features Villeroy & Boch New Wave Premium Platinum.

 

 

It's So Etsy: In a Royal Wedding Mood

 

Sweet Heart felt crown by TaffieWishes on Etsy

 

Purple Amethyst druzy 24k gold pendant by friedasophie

 

 

Accordion Top / Tunik by flowersun

 

Knit Princess Tutu Dress by bearhuntmama

 

Wedding Ring Pillow by PillowsandMittens

 

 

Simply Sweet Tutus Yellow by SimplySweetShoppe

Royal Wedding celebration printable garland PDF by happythought

 Etsy is the place to find wonderful handmade items. For more of my handmade favorites, check out Momathon loves Etsy.

Daily doodle: Easter bunny slippers

I love this drawing by my daughter. She makes gel pen drawings look amazing!

Doodle by K.C.

Is your iPhone tracking you? The facts, risks, and solutions

    
A "stalker" file on iPhones and 3G iPads running on iOS 4 tracks where you are along with a time stamp and saves it in a file on your device for a year. The news of this tracking issue was released yesterday. I am surprised that Apple, one of my favorite companies, is tracking my every move and hiding the information on my devices. Even if Apple is only using the information to sell ads at a better rate, I don't like it. According to UK researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, interviewed by GeekWire:

iPhones and 3G-enabled iPads have been recording the position of user devices into a hidden file since the introduction of iOS 4 last year. The researchers have created a Mac OS X application called iPhone Tracker to allow users to see the data their devices are collecting about their location.

  

What does the file in iPhones and 3G iPads collect? More than just your location. The Apple privacy policy on page 37 says your iPhone collects the following information (via GeekWire):

We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising.

And since most of clicked on the "Accept" button when we set up our iOS devices we unknowingly gave Apple the right track and store our coordinates.

Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden on YouTube

Researchers have the evidence to show how Apple collects the data without you ever knowing it according to Engadget: 

A duo of UK researchers have uncovered a potentially worrying (and oddly enough, undocumented) feature in iOS 4: it asks your iPhone to record your location constantly, then timestamps that data and records it for posterity. The trouble with this unsolicited location tracking is that the hidden file that holds the data -- consolidated.db -- is relatively easy to uncover and read, making any desktops you've backed your phone up to and the phone itself even bigger privacy dangers than they would usually be. 

The Risks

This tracking data recorded in a file on your iPhone or 3G iPad can be retrieved by anyone with physical access to your iPhone/iPad or any computer that syncs up with these devices.

The good news, according to Pete Warden's iPhone website, is the tracking data is NOT being sent beyond your personal devices, however if someone can access your laptop or any computer you use to sync with your iPhone then the data can be accessed.

Government officials are asking for answers. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., sent Apple's CEO Steve Jobs a letter with nine pointed questions according to Technolog on Msnbc.com. Franken says what we are all wondering:

What is even more worrisome is that this file is stored in an unencrypted format on customers' iPads, iPhones and every computer a customer has used to back up his or her information.

 

Today show reporter Rosa Golijan on Digital Life admits she initially thought the tracking data collected was no more risky than the files collected on Facebook, that is until she made this discovery:

That map hardly revealed anything that a person who follows me on Twitter or Facebook wouldn't know! But then I picked one of those blue blobs on the map and zoomed in. Suddenly I wasn't laughing anymore — I was too busy watching an eerily accurate replay of my travels around my home.

Some solutions

An iPhone Tracker app developed by security researchers Allan and Warden will help you know when you are being tracked. According to Digital Life on Today.com:

Allan and Warden have built and made available a Mac OS app called iPhone Tracker. If this app is opened on a Mac OS computer which has been used to sync an iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad, you will be able to view all the location data which has been recorded by your devices.

If you want updates on this this tracking issue and the security breach, you can follow the researchrs who discovered this problem on Twitter:

• Alasdair Allan (alasdair@babilim.co.uk) @aallan on Twitter 
• Pete Warden (pete@petewarden.com) @petewarden on Twitter  

More information on the tracking issue here:

• Gov't officials want answers to secret iPhone tracking (Technolog on msnnc.com)
• Pete Warden's iPhoneTracker app
• iPhone Tracker: Apple Has Your Permission to Track You
• Maria Schiavocampo on NBC TODAY Show: Your IPhone Is Tracking Your Every Move (Hulu)
• iPhone Tracking Your Every Move–And Here’s A Map To Prove It « iPhone Tracking Your Every Move–And Here’s A Map To Prove It « CBS Chicago
• Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan talking about how they discovered the existence of the tracking database on the iPhone (YouTube)

Photo of NYC Apple store by Becky Snyder.

Bystander can be a lifesaver: Watch this CPR video

Most people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by a bystander. It's normal to feel nervous to help out in an actual emergency, but this Hands-Only CPR instructional video with two simple steps makes it easier to become a lifesaver.  

    Step 1: Call 911

    Step 2: Push hard and fast in the center of the chest

(Image from HandsOnlyCPR.org.)

Also, now the American Heart Association has an app for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad with CPR videos and other first aid information.

 

HANDS-ONLY CPR INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Use this technique only if you see an adult who has suddenly collapsed and is unresponsive. Remember, always attempt to call 911 before you begin CPR.

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Learn how you can help save a life in this one-minute video showing Hands-Only CPR in action. This is the official instructional video from the American Heart Association and HandsOnlyCPR.org. YouTube link: American Heart Assoc's Hands-Only CPR Instructional Video

 

 

 

 

 

For more information about CPR and other safety videos, check out 

• American Heart Assoc's Hands-Only CPR Instructional Video
• American Red Cross's Hands-Only Instructional Video

 

More helpful videos and information available here: 

• American Heart Associantion's Channel on YouTube
• American Red Cross's Channel on YouTube
• American Heart Association
• 911 - Warnings Signs of a Heart Attack
• Find a CPR Class (American Heart Association)

 

 

 

 

Spread the word about heart health and CPR. The number one killer of women is heart disease. Learning CPR is important. Start the dialogue and save lives!

8 Days and counting: Royal wedding countdown widget from the BBC

On April 29 at 11 am London time (6 am EST), history will be made--the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.

Catch the latest news leading up to the royal wedding with the BBC widget that features updates every weekday including:

• photos
• videos
• Q&As
• breaking stories
• and all things William and Kate

 

You can get the handy, embeddable Royal Wedding Countdown Widget here. Embed it into your website or blog and/or share on Facebook, Twitter, or any profile page.

(I posted this Royal Wedding post back in March. I thought due to the upcoming big day I should post it again.)

 

 

 

 

 

Catch the latest news leading up to the royal wedding with the BBC widget that features updates every weekday including:

• photos
• videos
• Q&As
• breaking stories
• and all things William and Kate

 

You can get the handy, embeddable Royal Wedding Countdown Widget here. Embed it into your website or blog and/or share on Facebook, Twitter, or any profile page.

(I posted this Royal Wedding post back in March. I thought due to the upcoming big day I should post it again.)

 

 

Daily doodle: baby bird

A bird does not sing because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song.  

~Chinese Proverb

You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles. Illustration by me, Chris Olson.

MyDeco.com DIY decorating tools help you design your home

You can shop furniture and homewares at MyDeco.com. But my favorite DIY decor feature are the interactive MyDeco interior design options using these handy tools:

• design a room with realistic 3D
• create a moodboard
• decorate a photo
• clip an image
• create a folder

MyDeco.com uses top retailers including: Zappos, Cath Kidston, Five Stripes, Design Public, Overstock, Ferm Living, Domestications, and many more.

For DIY help on the fly, try the MyDeco iPhone app. You can follow the latest style trends on the MyDeco Blog, or connect with MyDeco on Facebook and Twitter.

The modern and earthy Hemingway Designs kitchen featured in photo above.

Photos: MyDeco.com website images.

(Note: This is a product review. I do not receive compensation from the company for reviewing their product.)

Why I'm still mad about Paul Reiser

 

 

What do you do? This question seems benign, but we all know at times it hits a nerve. The question even bugs Paul Reiser, who I've missed ever since his popular show “Mad About You” went off the air in 1999.

Reiser's obviously not your average stay-at-home dad (SAHD). He is married with two kids, and living in suburbia. However, he still is Hollywood–just disconnected enough from the studios for him to wonder what to check under the box labeled "occupation." 

So, what do you do? I was asked this question more often when I was still working my 9-5 office gig. Now I'm working an "invisible" job at home writing and designing materials for nonprofits. Believe me, I'm not complaining. I get to pick my clients. Plus, best of all, I'm home with my kids. Yet, I still wonder what to put in that box labeled "occupation."

The ongoing occupational identity crisis facing many SAHM and SAHD is not always pretty or funny, but The Paul Reiser Show premiering last night on NBC made me laugh because those crazy-slash-normal neuroses are exactly what binds many of us together and ironically keeps us afloat. I admit that at the end of an exhausting day, spending time talking with my friends keeps me sane. If they can survive the chaos in parenthood and/or marriage, then I can too.

Paul appears relatable playing himself in the show, if you forgive the fact he is very rich. In a scene with Paul and his friend Jonathan (Ben Shenkman), his life seems so normal the conversation could be me with any one of my friends:

PAUL: You know that form from the kids' school we got. The little box "father's occupation," I don't know what to put in there.

JONATHAN: Well, put in what you used to do.

PAUL: Well, I don't do it anymore. I make pancakes and tell the kids to take a jacket.

JONATHAN: Well, put that down

PAUL: It's not that big a box.

 

The show's cast including Paul's posse of quirky friends might be too large, but I'm going to give them an episode or two so I can get to know them. In the first episode, Larry David guest stars playing himself. And since the show reminds me of David's show Curb Your Enthusiasm minus the edginess, he fits right in. In the first episode, Reiser and David are both positioned to get the same game show gig, but they don't know this. Impatient and overly suspicious of each other, they won't tell each other the name of the projects they are considering unless they both agree to tell each other at the exact after-the-count-of-three moment. They seem like a couple of teenagers in that exchange, yet I know I've felt like doing the very same thing a number of times with my own friends. Ridiculous. Yes. And funny.

I was surprised to see that Reiser's group of friends even though they are guys seem like my own friends--women I met in many cases only because our kids or spouses know each other. As Brian Lowry in Variety says:

"Basically, Reiser spends most of his time as part of a mismatched quintet of fathers, thrown together -- despite having little in common otherwise -- by their wives and kids."

The scene with Amy Landecker playing Reiser's wife Claire rings true. We don't see much of Claire in episode one, but I like her. She plays up the fact her character loves her husband despite his flaws--the fact he doesn't always listen to her, the fact he worries about odd things, the fact he is adorable even as he gets older and grayer. Claire is funny and smart, cynical and warm. 

Despite some of the obvious similarities, The Paul Reiser show is not as strong a comedy as Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm. Yet. Some have called it "Curb Lite." Reiser's new show has the same self-depracting humor, the exaggerated hand motions, and the "What did I do?" questions. However the awkward moments that make us chuckle on Reiser's show are not the painful-but-funny moments that make that make the other shows classics. So far, the Reiser show does not include the comedic elements of David's outrageous protests or his "colorful" language.   

The Paul Reiser Show is not Mad About You fifteen years later either. However I'm looking forward to Helen Hunt's guest appearance on an upcoming episode.

You can watch the first episode on NBC.com. Join the 2300–and counting–fans who like The Paul Reiser Show on Facebook or follow the The Paul Reiser Show on Twitter

Have you figured out what to put in that little box marked occupation? Maybe a better question to ask is, "What are you going to do next?"

Daily doodle: The original JUST DO IT!

Now is a good time to be your own Yoda according to Elizabeth Pongo's posting in the Own Your Own Beauty series on BlogHer. Because, I guess, when you take charge of your own well being, life becomes so much sweeter.

The doodle above is by me, Chris Olson. You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.

 

How many girls are in the TV shows your kids watch?

Thinking we are closing the gender gap in the workplace, I assumed the same goes for TV and movies. Unfortunately, male characters still dominate movies and TV for kids. And the impact of a bias that goes undetected is shocking.

In a WSJ.com article today, Geena Davis, founder of the Geena Davis Instute on Gender in Media, talks with journalist Rebecca Blumenstein about how the number of female characters featured on TV and in movies impacts kids.

According to the WSJ.com article, Geena Davis reports: 

The more hours of television a girl watches, the fewer options she believes she has in life. And the more hours a boy watches, the more sexist his views become.

There is hope. If girls see more positive images in the media, they are empowered. As Davis says in WSJ.com: 

If girls can see characters doing unstereotyped kinds of occupations and activities, they're much more likely as an adult to pursue unusual and outside-the-box occupations.

Next time your kids watch TV, sit down with them and together do some counting. Do the male characters outnumber females? You might be surprised with what you find out. And, if you want, send me an email or just add your findings to my comment section.

Photo: Joris de Vrede

Kids' Choice Citrus Cranberry Chicken

Cooking is quickly becoming a favorite hobby of kids of all ages. Your kids can cook up some fun with this easy make-ahead chicken recipe.

Kids' Choice Citrus Cranberry Chicken

Prep: 20-30 minutes.

Chill chicken dinner: 8 hours or overnight in fridge.

Bake: 45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Ingredients 

• non stick cooking spray
• approximately 10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 1 14oz - 16 oz can of whole cranberry sauce
• 1 cup French (or Catalina) salad dressing
• 1/2 cup orange jouice
• 1 envelope (1 oz. package) onion soup mix
• side dish: approximate 5 cups cooked brown or white rice

 

1) Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish (approx. 3 quart dish) with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Have an adult cut the chicken breast halves into smaller pieces to make the dish easier to serve.

3) Arrange chicken pieces in the baking dish.

4) Combine in a bowl:

• cranberry sauce
• salad dressing
• orange juice
• onion soup mix (dry)

5) Evenly pour sauce above over the chicken in baking dish.

6) Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

7) Remove plastic wrap and bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 45 - 50 minutes.

Have an adult slice into a piece of cooked chicken to make sure the chicken is no longer pink inside or you can use a meat thermometer. Cooked chicken should reach 170 degrees F.

8) Serve with brown rice.

Approximately 8 - 10 servings

(Photo: Chris Olson)

 

Daily doodle: Pugs do not like windy days

Doodle by me, Chris Olson. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

If you could live on a movie set, which movie would it be?

Just visiting a set in a film by Nancy Meyers–It’s Complicated, The Holiday, Something's Gotta Give, The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride, and Baby Boom–would make me giddy. The interior shots look warm and inviting. Even the food on the set is drool-worthy. I can almost feel an ocean breeze in the sunny exterior shots with lush landscaping.

My personal faves are on opposite coasts: the Hamptons beach house in Something's Gotta Give and the Santa Barbara home in It's Complicated. Nancy Meyers has a great eye for details and flattering lighting. Her movies are filled with rooms or landscapes that convey perfection without being overly fussy. Even the workspaces are delicious--consider the lovely bakery in It's Complicated.

Jane's (Meryl Streep) bakery in It's Complicated

 

Jane's house in Santa Barabara

Jane's kitchen

Jane's garden

 

Erica Barry's (Diane Keaton) Hamptons beach house in Something's Gotta Give

Erica's living room

 

Erica's living room at night

 

Do you have a favorite movie set you would love to live in? I'd like to hear your faves!

Why I'm reading (and loving) Tina Fey's Bossypants

Now is a perfect time to ignore our multi-tasking mommy anxieties, finally enjoy one of those lovely cupcakes with a swirl of icing, and laugh out loud while reading Tina Fey's new book Bossypants.

In Bossypants, Tina Fey makes us smile while she tells it like it is. And her honesty is a good thing because chances are many of us need to be reminded that, after all, we are just people, not super heroes. Fey says it best:  

"Some people say 'Never let them see you cry.' I say, if you're so mad you could just cry, then cry. It terrifies everyone."

"Don't ever feel inadequate looking at magazines. Just remember every person you see on a cover has a bra and underwear hanging out a gaping hole in the back"

"I need to take my pants off as soon as I get home. I didn't used to have to do that. But now I do." 

“But if you have an opinion, please feel free to offer it to me through the gap in the door of a public restroom. Everyone else does.”

                   ~Bossypants, Tina Fey

This weekend put Tina Fey's book on your massive To Do list, next like Bossypants on Facebook, and then sit down and read it. Or, if you must, at least listen to the audio version because you are the type who feels guilty whenever you lounge on the couch to read a book on a Saturday since you can't stop rewriting the tenth revision of a very important marketing plan in your head even though somehow a vacuum is super glued to your right hand while you manage to make a hearty homemade pasta with your left. If you still are not convinced the book is for you, check out these reviews:

“Bossypants” isn’t a memoir. It’s a spiky blend of humor, introspection, critical thinking and Nora Ephron-isms for a new generation." –Janet Maslin, NYTimes.com

"Inside lies a collection of autobiographical essays that should (but of course won't) prove once and for all that pretty is nowhere near as important as funny, and funny doesn't work without that rare balance of truth and heart. –Mary McNamara, latimes.com

"Bossypants is not so much a memoir as it is a sort of here's-what-happened-and-why-I think-this kind of book. It's honest and intimate, without any maudlin tales of childhood sorrow, no extraneous snark or hit-and-run tell-all gossip. It's just a great read from a mature thinker." –Janeane Garofalo, NPR

"But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off. –Kevin Nguyen Amazon.com Review

My favorite comment about the book comes from my hometown paper: "When I got to the last page, I actually turned one more and read the acknowledgements. That's how much I didn't want this book to be over." says Kristin Tillotson at the Minneapolis StarTribune.com.

 

Daily doodle: for Kira

 

 

 

Doodle by me, Chris Olson. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

Does my dog really need a doggy high chair?

I know the dog is a part of the family, but does Fido really need a high chair? My three dogs eat on the floor! Now I am feeling kinda guilty. Dogs eat together with their pack in the wild, so it is only logical that a dog would love a high chair... Or, would he?

Watch the clever YouTube clip below and you decide.

 

Before you rush over to IKEA, consider the timing of this new doggy product.

The The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia caught more than a few dog lovers off guard when they reported that IKEA had come out with a high chair for dogs, called the Hundstol.

Bone Appetite & Happy April Fools' Day!

 

Parents of college students are asking why Rutgers paid Snooki 32K

 

Snooki had a busy weekend: first performing at a jam-packed Rutgers event and then pinning Michelle McCool on Sunday's WWE WrestleMania 27.

Only the pint-sized reality star famous for her hard partying lifestyle and hair pouf could make appearing at the Garden State University more controversial than her wild WrestleMania appearance. I would like to say it's only entertainment, but inviting Snooki to perform at Rutgers University and paying her 32K does make me squirm a bit. 

Snooki got the big bucks for giving students advice on getting the perfect hair pouf among other things. Ironically, she was paid more than Rutgers is paying Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison to give the commencement address. Morrison cut her usual appearance fee in half because she used to teach at Rutgers.

Snooki's Rutger's performance included such philosophical gems as:

Study hard, but party harder...

When you’re tan, you feel better about yourself...

Obviously Snooki is an expert on making her Jersey Shore reality show a big hit, but was her university appearance worth 32K? I'm not convinced she had anything insightful to offer the Rutger students. But I guess that is the NOT the point. Snooki is Snooki. And the students wanted entertainment, not a lecture on philosophy.

What would I say to the Rutgers parents upset that the self-proclaimed "guidette" appeared at Rutgers? I don't think telling the angry parents that "it's only entertainment" would change their opinion. I don't blame them for being upset. Snooki's appearance did come at a big price during a recession when parents are losing sleep over how they can pay for their kids tuition. According to the blog AceShowBiz:

Although the school has defended their decision of spending $32,000 to hire the "Jersey Shore" star as guest speaker, many parents were fuming that she got paid nearly $10,000 more than they pay annually to send one kid to the Garden State university. 

Snooki is entertaining. She attracted big crowds at two events at Rutgers. I don't blame the student-run university organization for inviting her. Just wondering if Snooki could have cut her hefty appearance fee–or shared some of her appearance fee with a worthwhile charity of her choice.

 

Girl power rules--a photo essay by beeperbebe

(via beeperbebe)

One more reason why we should encourage young girls to dream big.

I always dreamed of becoming a super hero.

Love this wonderful photo, "the tortoise and the hare" by Beeperbebe.