Hi Gen Xers!

Welcome! Feel free to peruse and enjoy all the material here. Unfortunately, our crazy lives and schedules have changed and we are no longer posting as a team. Some of us, however, have continued on with blogs of our own. Please follow us along on these sites:

The Librarian (Ruth) – The Jedi Musician’s Mama – http://jedismama.com/

The Scrivener (Shelby) – My Year With the Mouse – http://myyearwiththemouse.com/

The PhotoAddict (Renee) – Sprouts Photography Blog – http://sproutsphotography.com/?page_id=154

Thanks for stopping by!

The Gen X Moms

Kipper!

We were at the cabin recently and got a ton of snow. And by a ton I mean check out the picture of the car. It was level with the ground when we pulled in.

This happened overnight. No joke.

Sadly, Mouse is not a huge fan of the snow. He doesn’t like to walk in it. As in, he screams and cries when we try to make him walk in it. But we were all getting a bit of cabin fever there in the cabin. There’s a television and we did have basic cable installed, but just turning on the tv is rather hit and miss. Plus we don’t allow Mouse to watch much tv at all. Prior to this trip, he really only watched Yo Gabba Gabba.

However, luckily for us, we did bring up a new Blue-Ray DVD player that can stream from Netflix, so we set out to find something other than Yo Gabba Gabba (which Mouse calls “Go Ga Ga”) to watch. We sort of stumbled up this British cartoon about a dog named Kipper.

It’s unbelievably wonderful. We are now huge Kipper fans. Kipper is originally a series of children’s books, but those are very hard to find nowadays, sadly. But Mouse is completely enthralled with Kipper, the messages are positive, the animation is gentle (that is, not a lot of fast and flashy movement), and the stories are all very straightforward.

If you’re looking for a new series that you can tolerate in the background, we highly recommend Kipper.

Keep Dreaming

In the Fall of 2010, the owner of Belly Sprout, Christy Funk, posed a question on her Facebook wall. She asked us mamas out there if our dreams were on hold now that we have children or were we living the dream, balancing work that we loved and our children. This got me thinking. I had put my dreams on hold for awhile and I stopped to think about how I could adapt it to include my children.

I let the ideas rattle around in my brain for the night on how to balance children and a music career and this is what I came up with. Why couldn’t I teach a mommy and me music class where my children were present and could enjoy it? No babysitter required. Now, I just had to pitch the idea to the store owner as I clearly had no venue to hold this class. I thought about doing a trial run with the GenX moms playgroup, but I was faced with the limitations of my small living room.

I was nervous about broaching the idea to Christy out of fear of rejection, but I decided to “man up” and just go for it. My mantra was nothing ventured, nothing gained. I wrote her an email and pitched the idea and do you know what? She went for it. Do-Re-Me & Mommy was born. Since the holidays were approaching, we decided to host some free classes to introduce it to the community.  I gathered up some baby-safe musical instruments and cracked open the songbooks. I poured over hundreds of songs to find age-appropriate and popular tunes that most people would know. I found holiday songs set to popular children’s tunes and created song sheets, so parents could follow along. My goal was to make this fun and interactive.

The day of the first class arrived and my nerves were through the roof; I don’t remember eating breakfast. I don’t even think I slept through the night. I woke up early and while all my boys were still snoozing, I headed around the corner to print the colored song sheets at the office supply store. Since it was close to Thanksgiving, I went with harvest gold. I had rehearsed the songs over and over and was getting worried Scooby wouldn’t be interested since he’d heard them a bunch of times, including on the car ride over to Belly Sprout.

It was an overcast misty day, and I was hoping for a good handful of mamas and babes, but I tried to keep my expectations low. All the instruments were displayed on the kids’ table and I set up my IPod and speakers for the end of class boogie. What a joy it was to see friends and new faces coming to class. Eighteen moms showed up with their children in tow. We sang, we laughed, we jingled, we jangled. At the end, we all hung out and had a great time swapping mamahood stories while the kids danced and played. I felt so blessed to have such lovely mamas there who were encouraging even when I got nervous (Thanks Scriv!).  It was an experience that still brings tears to my eyes. The warmth and camaraderie, the new friendships forged, all from a little spark that took courage to share and bring to fruition.

I look forward to the future and I’m optimistic about keeping my dream alive in uncertain times.

Fear and Loathing in the Swimsuit Aisle

It’s time.  I have to buy a new bathing suit.  This isn’t an endeavor I approach lightly nor with little planning.  How do I put it?  I HATE bathing suit shopping.  The main reason?  I hate bathing suits.  I don’t know whose idea they were, but they are really a modern day form of torture.  But, warmer weather is fast approaching, and the day when the girls ask to get back in the pool is just around the corner.  I’ve lost some weight, and my already slightly stretched out suits are not going to cut it for another season.

I went through the ads on Sunday, and saw that Target has every swimsuit on sale this week.  If I have to buy one, at least it can be cheap, right? Armed with the knowledge of a potential bargain, I headed to Target yesterday.

Enter Exhibit A.

 

OMG, this is what I have to work with?  Is that a bouquet of flowers pinned to a bra?  Seriously?  OK, so, yes, suits like this one left me feeling very, very old.  I mean, do people actually wear suits like this?  There were a myriad of similar little tops, covered with animal print and sequins and ruffles.  After scouring all the choices, I found four somewhat age appropriate tankinis.  They all covered my midsection (an absolute requirement!), so I figured I had a fighting chance of finding a winner.  I was confident enough that I was willing to overlook the fact that my back would have been almost completely exposed in all of them.  Then, I put the first one on.  It was made for a boob-less toothpick!  There was no way I would parade around in that at home, let alone in public.

My dear friend Apple hit the nail on the head when she said that no single item of clothing can make you hate yourself the way the female swimsuit does.  There is no room for hiding any flaws, and they cause you to flaunt parts of your body that normally are not exposed to daylight.  And, post-childbirth, they are even scarier than before, because there are a lot more spots to hide!

Unfortunately, my quest isn’t over.  I left without a suit.  I still need one, so there is more fear and loathing in my future.

Interview With Lauren Potter–"Becky Jackson" on Glee **GenXMoms Exclusive**

The moms love Glee. The 80’s tunes are a throwback to our own high school days, the actors are fabulous, the storyline is addicting, and who doesn’t think it’s awesome to just burst out in song every once in a while? I know I do.

But one thing we’re particularly excited about is Glee’s portrayal of a number of different kinds of students. And I’ll admit it–my favorite character on the series is Becky Jackson, Cheerio and Sue Sylvester’s personal assistant. It’s so refreshing to me to see a character with Down syndrome portrayed not just positively, but as though the disability didn’t exist at all. Which is exactly how it should be.

I was thrilled to get an opportunity to interview Lauren Potter, the young woman who plays Becky, and here’s our chance to let you get to know Lauren a little better.

So Lauren, tell us a little bit about yourself–favorite movies, books, music?

I love everything Disney! Right now I’m reading the “Pretty Little Liars” series and they are so good! I like the show too. My favorite music of course is all the music from Glee, but I also like Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, and I love the guys from Big Time Rush…I met them at Paramount while I was filming and they are sooo nice!

So tell the truth–is working on Glee as much fun as it looks?

Oh my gosh, it is so much fun. It is a lot of work too, but I love the cast and crew and all the producers. It gets pretty crazy sometimes, but it is a blast!

Sue Sylvester is one tough cookie but through the character of Becky Jackson, we get to see her softer side. Is actress Jane Lynch really like Sue Sylvester?

No way! She is so nice in person. She is really nice to talk to and she helps me a lot on set!

One of my favorite episodes was the Christmas episode with the Glee version of the Grinch. I was so thrilled to see Becky Jackson featured. Tell us about that episode.

I loved that episode. I had a huge crush on the director, he is really cute! It took a long time to film that episode but it was really fun, and I loved watching it when it was finished

Can you give us a hint of what’s in store for Becky and Glee?

I really never know, but I hope a lot more episodes!

What other projects are you working on?

I just got home from New York City. I was on CNN and ABC News. My Mom and I did a PSA to stop Bullying of kids with special needs and we went there to talk about it. It is through www.abilitypath.org I also did an interview with People Magazine with my Mom so we can stop bullying.

You’ve been a real inspiration and role model for many young people with disabilities. What advice do you have to give to others who have dreams as big as yours?

To never stop dreaming, no matter what the dream is. I feel so lucky and honored to be acting, but kids with disabilities need to know that they can do anything that they put their mind to! Just “don’t stop believin”!

And here’s the moving Public Service Announcement of Lauren and her mom, Robin, as they work to “disable” bullying.

Silent Sunday

Veggies Part 2

From our contributor, the Cooking Mama!

Spring is upon us and that means that decent produce is slowly finding its way back to the grocery store and farmers’ markets, hurrah! My days of picking through mangled, sad looking, and yet still incredibly overpriced specimens and relying heavily on frozen and packaged fruits and veggies are numbered and I couldn’t be happier. Mom confession ahead: I haven’t tried too terribly hard these last few months to get Goose to eat her vegetables. She seems to have wised up to my tricks and not even cheese, butter, or seasonings have enticed her taste buds. I always offer a bit of what we’re having and she generally turns it down, but she eats plenty of fruit and that still counts toward her five-a-day, right?

Goose shops for bananas

I’m hoping that the coming spring bounty will renew the appreciation for vegetables Goose had as a baby. She’ll still happily eat tomatoes and avocados (both technically fruits, I know), and she’ll pick at a few kernels of corn, but maybe all she needs is a spear of grilled asparagus or some sweet, steamed snap peas to rekindle her love for the green and orange stuff. Or maybe that’s a lot of wishful thinking and I’ll be hiding her vegetables in her food until she moves out of the house. I guess we’ll see soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll share a really easy, healthy, and Goose-approved recipe that sneaks in a lot of protein, vitamins, and fiber.

These pancakes started out as a recipe using shredded zucchini. I had a bag of baby carrots hanging out in the crisper so I used those instead, and tweaked the amount of oil (the original recipe called for more, but the pancakes don’t need it). This pancake batter doesn’t come together in the typical way – mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately and then combining the two – but despite my skepticism, it somehow works perfectly and best of all, requires only one bowl. The cute little pancakes are lightly sweet from the carrots but mostly savory (I served them at lunch), a bit eggy in a good way, and really yummy on their own, no toppings required.

Carrot Pancakes

4 eggs

2 cups shredded carrots

¾ cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat would work too)

½ tsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 tsp baking powder

Preheat and lightly grease your skillet or griddle. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Add in the carrots and mix well. Dump in the flour and sugar and incorporate with the fork. Stir in the olive oil, then lastly the baking powder until fully combined. Drop by the heaping tablespoon for silver dollar pancakes and cook until lightly golden brown on both sides.

Toys to Engage Your Little Learner

Last month Rocky was recruited to be a toy reviewer for a California-based company called Educational Insights. This company has been around for 50 years, creating and selling wonderful toys that are both fun and educational. He was elated when we received a big box containing several age appropriate products for him to try. This is the first post of a two part review of the toys we received.

GeoSafari Talking Microscope

GeoSafari Talking Microscope

The first item we tried was a talking microscope built just for young children. It brought back memories of when I was a kid and I sold magazines to earn the “prize” of my choosing, a cheaply built and disappointing child’s microscope. What a difference between the one I had and this new version. I’m jealous. This toy includes 12 slides of such interesting animals as the black widow and the scorpion.  Attach the slides to the scope to view a bug and hit a button to hear some facts about it. There is another button you press to take a quiz about what you just heard. I was impressed at how it tested Rocky’s listening skills and how eager he was to answer. Before long, my boy was absorbing all the facts and telling them back to me. “Mom,” he said. “Did you know the jumping spider can jump as far as half an inch?” That is great as long as it isn’t jumping in my house!

Here’s the lowdown.

The good:

If you have a young science buff like mine who loves the idea of a microscope but might not be ready the real thing (very expensive and fragile!), this is a perfect introduction. It is made of plastic and pretty durable. It operates using buttons (what kid doesn’t love pushing buttons?). It has a nice sturdy eye hole and magnifies 5x. Considering the number of loud, annoying toys in his arsenal, I also appreciated the fact that this toy has a volume button.

The bad:

The cost is about $40 which seems a little high, especially since it needs three batteries which aren’t included. Watch for coupons and discounts, it is a real gem on sale. Eductational Insights has many vendors, including Amazon.com and Target which might sell it for less.

We hope the company will consider adding more slides to the collection, Rocky would’ve loved to keep going. I would also suggest a compartment within the microscope to store the slides so they won’t get separated and lost. Perhaps a place to plug in headphones.

Conclusion:

This toy has won numerous awards and there is a reason why. It is a wonderful learning tool for kids in the 4-7 range. The slides are great but you can also use as a regular microscope and view anything you find around the house or garden. A nice starting place for discussion about observation.

Design & Drill Take-Along Toolkit

Design and Drill Take-Along Toolkit

Next out of the box came this adorable, portable toolkit. Unlike other toy toolkits we’ve used, this one came with a functioning power drill that could be used to screw the bolts onto the board provided. The drill also reverses to unscrew the bolts and has interchangeable drill bits (they all work with the bolts). Use the patterns provided or create your own. Rocky got right to work. It kept him busy for quite some time, always a plus in my book.

The good:

Rocky is 5 but I could see preschool-aged kids really digging this toolkit as well. It is very entertaining. It folds up into a carrying case and is great for taking to Grandma’s house or keeping kids busy at a hotel.  Add to a kid tool table or break it out to keep your child busy while you are making dinner.

The bad:

Retails at $29.99. As with toy above, look for sales.

Not enough bolts of a particular color were given to complete some of the patterns. Rocky had to substitute colors which was a little frustrating. He wanted it to look just like the picture!

When all the bolts were screwed in, there was not enough space to store the drill. We had to undo the pattern in order to put away. Not a big deal but perhaps a little more depth would take care of this issue.

Batteries not included.

Conclusion:

Any kid who loves tool and/or loves to build will enjoy this toy. It is great for eye/hand coordination and it is just plain fun to do. Easy to store.  For $10 more you can upgrade to the full on Activity Kit that comes with a fun looking combination wrench, a bigger board and more accessories.

These are just a small sampling of the many great products offered by Educational Insights. They make toys for all age levels. Perhaps you’ve even heard of some of the brands they carry like Hot Dots, GeoVision and Smencils.  Check out their web site to find out more. Find out what local stores sell these toys and go see them for yourself!

Click here to read part two of our review.

Disclosure: The Librarian was given toy samples in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

***The Gen X Moms are no longer writing as a group (too many scheduling conflicts) but you can continue reading about my adventures with Rocky on my new blog at:

http://www.jedismama.com

In a Dinner Rut? Some Quick Fixes

Are you tired of eating – and cooking – the same exact meals night after night, week after week?  Does it feel like you could cook each night with your eyes closed?

Here are some easy solutions:

 (1)  Re-create your restaurant favorites

Let’s face it.  We often eat out because need a break from cooking.  But, we also eat out because we like the food.  Yesterday, I had no idea what to make for dinner and thought about some favorite meals when I go out.  I really enjoy a lot of restaurant salads and decided to re-create Barbecued Chicken Salad, a meal I have ordered at several different restaurants.  It’s always on a base of regular house salad – lettuce, cucumber, tomato, shredded cheese.  Then, there’s usually corn and black beans, so I open up a can of each of those (and rinsed the beans).  Then, I coated 2 chicken breasts with a favorite barbecue sauce and grilled them on the George Foreman grill.  To top it off, I put a little barbecue sauce in to a bowl with ranch dressing.  Voila!  I had barbecue ranch dressing without having to buy an entire specialty bottle.  I also made my version of California Pizza Kitchen’s BLT pizza a couple weeks ago.  It was just as tasty, a ton cheaper, and added some variety to our dinner menu.

Try re-creating some of your favorite restaurant meals at home.  Think about the different toppings you have had on pizzas, the different ways you have seen pasta prepared, and the restaurant sandwiches you really enjoy.  Bring those in to your own kitchen.

(2)  Flip through those cookbooks

If you’re anything like me, you have a huge stack of cookbooks.  Open one of them, and flip through it.   You don’t have to make anything in it, but I find it tends to help me generate a lot of ideas to help mix things up.  I may see 2 ingredients combined in a way I never would have thought of, such as a pork and nectarine stir fry I came across.  Sometimes, I also come across a recipe that will remind me of a dish I used to make, before I entered my current rut.

(3)  Turn on the TV

I can’t watch the Food Network for a half hour without seeing some new technique or cooking method that I have never tried.  I have picked up such ideas as roasting cherry tomatoes to put on salads or pasta and boiling green beans with my pasta (same water at the same time) and then tossing them both with pesto.  (Although mine comes from a jar, not a food processor.  Sorry, Rachael!)

(4)  Take matters in to your own hands

I have a friend who recognized she was in a rut and asked for help.  She sent out a note to several of her mom friends on Facebook and asked us what we have been cooking lately.  She asked us to send her recipes for favorites in our own rotations that she could add to hers.  Not only did we help her out, but we also got to read what everyone else was making to expand our own cooking repertoire.

I also subscribe to daily emails from

These recipes have been posted by home cooks, and many of them are reviewed.  They feature a recipe each day, and at least half of them seem worth trying.  I love having new recipes to try, and I love it even more when they’re tried and true successes.

These methods certainly work for me!  Have your own tips or methods?  Please feel free to share them here! 

Organized Activities Are Cramping My Style

I always swore I wasn’t going to be one of those mothers whose children are in 50,000 different activities a day and who spend all of their time driving their children from place to place. So for a long time, I resisted organized weekly activities for Mouse.

Also, I’m kind of cheap.

We go to the library for storytime every Tuesday (free!) and we also have a swimming lesson (not free) on Tuesday nights. Those used to be our only activities, but then Mouse started exhibiting some speech delays so we had his evaluated and were recommended speech therapy twice a week. And because he was a late walker (17 months), they also recommended a “mommy and me-type gym class” for his “emerging skills.”

So off we went to speech therapy and…

Where I am now known as “Grandma.”

Sheesh.

So now our week is:

Monday: Speech therapy (morning)

Tuesday: Library (morning) and swimming (evening)

Wednesday: Gymboree with Grandma–I mean me (morning)

Thursday: Speech therapy (morning)

I know it doesn’t seem like much to most people, but I am very unused to having 4 mornings taken up right off the bat. Plus it’s been very hard to go to playdates because many of them are at the same time as our above activities.

But mostly it’s just cramping my style. I liked being able to lounge around the house eating bon bons at my leisure. Now we have a schedule to stick to. And it’s only going to get worse from here. *sigh*