Frustration

It’s hard to write.

October 4, 2011 by Diana 33 Comments

I’ve had a tough time writing on here lately. Really writing. I feel like everyone I know is listening and reading. Which is and isn’t true. Many people I know don’t read this. Many people do.

I am so keenly aware of it though that it’s beginning to hold me back from what I write about. And I hate that.

I have a few things I want to write and I feel if I did I’d hurt someone’s feelings. It’s nothing personal, but it does intertwine with things others are going through or have said. It could easily be taken as personal.

So I don’t write it.

This bothers me. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, Confessions, Opinions, Random, Writing · Tagged With: Blogging, Frustration, Paranoia

Lunch Wars: From Students to Consumers.

September 29, 2011 by Diana 1 Comment

In college, I researched and wrote a paper on childhood obesity; school vs. parents. Who was to blame more? The parents who bought their children fat and sugar laden food? Or the schools who enticed students with it at every turn? What I found while researching it was shocking – the way the schools pushed brands on students of the companies that supported them (Pepsi, Coca Cola, Nestle, etc) was almost unbelievable.

In Lunch Wars, Amy Kalafa takes on the schools – challenging what we are serving our kids, but not only the quality of it, the way it’s marketed to them. From soda machines in every hall, candy at the lunch register, a la carte items from pizza to donuts, and even materials in the classroom that came with branding or mentions on treats.

When you start to read Lunch Wars, it almost makes you sick to see page after page of research that comes up with the same conclusion. Our children go to school as students, but enter the lunch room as consumers. Big companies know that brand loyalty and recognition starts young. They have an almost terrifying amount of power on our school system. A system that is in desperate need of money for everything. So Pepsi comes in and makes a deal: use our product. Install it in your school halls. Put our emblem on your athletic gear. Use our name for your “fund raisers”. Push our product at lunch, have it available at all times. And in return, we’ll pump money into your school for whatever you might need. [Read more...]

Filed Under: BlogHer Book Review, Opinions · Tagged With: FAIL, Frustration

Facebook: Inactivism at its Finest.

September 27, 2011 by Diana 28 Comments

People. May I present to you the definition of inactivism:

Inactivism: Sporting different color magnetic ribbons or bumper stickers that say “Free Tibet” on your car. It may be a “support our troops” yellow ribbon, a pink breast cancer ribbon, or any number of preposterous incarnations meant to capitalize on this trend. When you put stickers and magnets on your car, you aren’t doing anything to support the cause. Thus, inactivism.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=inactivism

So let’s put this in Facebook terms, shall we?

Hitting “Like” for a cause – however noble that cause may be – does not make a difference if that’s all you do. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Opinions, Random · Tagged With: A funny, FAIL, Frustration

The Benefits of Babywearing Your Toddler

September 15, 2011 by Diana

I’m a writer for Attachment Parenting International, and this post is being featured on their site today. I hope you’ll jump over and browse the great articles they have for all parents and caregivers on topics from picky eaters to toddler activities to working mom stories. And discipline. Because we all know how I’m doing in that area. :/

If you’re new here, welcome! Take a look around; recent and popular posts are in the sidebars, you can subscribe by email or in your reader, or find me on Facebook or Twitter. This is a newly redesigned site by Dana from Designs by Dana and The Vintage Pear, so please excuse anything I’m still working on putting together.

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Bella is 22 months. Sam and I still babywear her many times.

To some, this might seem a little crazy. She is perfectly able to walk and we own a stroller she loves. She isn’t as easy to carry anymore, and it requires some maneuvering to get her in an arrangement we’re comfortable with for a while.

But Bella had severe reflux when she was born. Because of this, she threw up for the first 6 months of her life around the clock. We tried every babywearing device we could think of to help; Moby, slings, wraps, Bjorn, Ergo – but nothing helped. I remember clearly the time Sam wrapped her forward facing in the Moby to walk around and she projectile vomited all over it and the floor so much we had to take her out and wash it. I had to use layered burp cloths when I wore her facing me – and each time she’d throw up I’d pull one out, shove it in the diaper bag and keep going.

The reflux ruined our love of wearing her. It was hard for her to enjoy it either. I felt awful that it was so difficult for us to be close. I eventually tucked most of our carriers away because it was frustrating to clean them and only be able to have them on for a few minutes at a time.

When she turned a year old and was no longer throwing up, I decided to try again. I bought a ring sling, got out the Ergo. I don’t know how to explain it, I simply felt a need to be close to her in some way that we had missed before.

Parenting Between the Extremes

September 12, 2011 by Diana 56 Comments

I hate even writing this, but I can’t imagine there aren’t a few moms out there in the same boat and I need some help. And really, if you’re sitting here reading while smirking and thinking, “I knew she would one day,” please leave.

Friday I smacked Bella across her bare bottom. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Attachment Parenting, Babies, Confessions, Family, Natural Parenting, Parenting, Sam · Tagged With: FAIL, Frustration, Motherhood, Reasons to save for for therapy

Procrastination. How I loathe thee.

September 5, 2011 by Diana 20 Comments

This post has been in the works for, oh, 6-9 months. Maybe longer. I just never got around to writing it because it seemed like there was always tomorrow. Or the next day. Or whenever.

And now look.

The thing is, I am a terrible procrastinator. When it comes to things I have to do, I put them off till the very last minute. No matter how much I stress, how it eats away at me, how much I tell myself I’d feel so much better if I’d just get it done; I can’t. It’s true with many things, but I’ve noticed it’s especially true about writing. [Read more...]