Observations from a Jew on Christmas

I have to preface this post by saying that I grew up in a Jewish community and wasn't exposed to Christmas other then on TV or driving through downtown Cleveland to look at Christmas lights.

You spend how much?
My very good friend was in tears because she only had $750 to spend on Christmas. I honestly had no idea that people spent that much. Hanukkah may be eight presents but the presents are things like a box of crayons or chocolate money that we call gelt. I have had rants in the past about the sheer consumerism of the holidays but honest to God, I did not grasp the magnitude of it until my girlfriend told me that she usually spends around $2000.

Cook until you drop
Clearly if you've seen a photo of me then you know that I enjoy pastries. I've recently learned that my gentile friends spend days making cookies and pastries. This has got to be my favorite part of the season (this is a big hint to make me cookies). Another Christmas tradition, at least in Tucson, is to make tamales. Oh my heck are they good.

So to recap - I am open to pastry and tamales if anyone wants to bring me some :)

Everyone assumes that you celebrate Christmas
It's really weird for me, even after living in Tucson for 16 years, to have people wish me a Merry Christmas. That wasn't something that happened often back east. I appreciate the good wishes, I appreciate the thought of people on FaceBook sending me Christmas Trees and Christmas Ornaments but truthfully it's insulting. I wrestle with myself knowing full well they are not intentionally being prejudicial but rather they are just being happy in the holiday. I do wonder what would happen if I ignored Christmas and wished everyone a Happy Hanukkah and sent them dreidels and gelt on FaceBook 300,000 times.

Holy Consumerism Batman!
I don't think this even needs an explanation other then WOW.

Expectations are high
It amazes me that people have this fantasy of how their Christmas should be. Some of my friends work themselves up into a panic trying to make their Christmas perfect. One of my best friends buys herself something every year just so that she has something to open. She takes her 5 year old son shopping and has him pick something out for her; she pays for it and wraps it and then hides it until Christmas. Yes I do feel bad for her and I love her so I try to give her something to open from me because her Christmas is made or broken by the presents.

What's up with the cards?
I don't get the whole Christmas card thing and I always feel bad when I get one because I don't reciprocate - however if you send me a photo of your family it will live on my fridge for years.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, (or don't), have a safe, joyous and healthy new year.

Insights From Cassie Lopez

How could you succeed in your life without the full knowledge of what is going on?

I had the honor of receiving a palm reading from Cassie Lopez. Without me providing insight into my life; Cassie read and explained the various lines on my hand extremely accurately. She was able to identify places in my life that needed work as well as keys to my success. Not only was my reading with Cassie insightful but it helped me to get "unstuck".

If you have questions, if you feel "stuck", or even if you are just curious - I recommend that you ask Cassie to guide you through.

Cassie's goal is to travel the world giving lectures, motivational workshops, coaching businesses, training yoga teachers and also to write and perform original music that inspires and opens love in the world.She also offers phone readings for people in other areas. She wants to keep teaching her Transformational Tarot Workshop and has worked up some really good information and approach to teaching it.

Contact info:
Cassie Lopez
www.cassielopez.com
mcassiemarie@gmail.com
801-643-8063

We Won't Be Going To The Boom Boom Room

Oh well I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Another cloth diaper company paid top dollar to ensure that they would be the only cloth diaper company there and frankly I'm feeling good about that. I'm jazzed that we were on the radar in the first place.

There is always next year...

We Were Invited To The Boom Room

Don't worry if you don't know what it is, I didn't either. It's a gifting suite during the Golden Globe Awards. If we attend - we need to bring about 50 diapers that we give away to the stars for free.

This is a good opportunity to get media coverage and I just so happen to be in LA during the time it's occurring and the synergy is hard to ignore. It is in less then two months which doesn't give me much time to pull together an eye catching display.

I do have some concerns though. First of all if I am giving away free diapers I'd much rather give them to disadvantaged families. Secondly, it's not cheap to have your product there - not only are we supplying 50 units but we have to pay for a table and such. Additionally I'm a bit intimated by the whole Hollywood scene. How are they going to take to a big ole hippie chick, (OK actually I'm small but you get the drift), in their midst? Lastly, Happy Heinys bills themselves as the diaper to the stars and I have no desire to take over that market. I don't want to step on any toes especially being such a young company.

On the positive side - LolliDoo(TM) will get excellent exposure and possibly national coverage. Hollywood is going green and the media even coined the term "Hollywood Eco-Babies". I believe so strongly that LolliDoo(TM) Diapers are the best choice for families, the environment and our American economy that passing up the chance to get the word out on a large scale seems irresponsible. I am really proud of LolliDoo(TM) and the opportunity to talk to people about it, letting them feel the soft the recycled fleece , giving them our back story - is imperative to our success.

Just look at all this press going on for the Boom Boom Room:

http://www.fushionmag.com/celebrityswag/gbk-and-boom-boom-room-celebrate-2009-golden-globes/

http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/09/25/celebs-gather-at-the-boom-boom-room/

http://sugarsprinklesbananasplit.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

I am leaning towards going - although it doesn't align with all my values I don't feel like it compromises my integrity either and a direct result can be reaching millions of people which will put me in a position where I can help disadvantaged families, hire a larger workforce and keep our babies healthy all at the same time.

Doulas NOT ALLOWED

My friend Tera posted this on FaceBook today. As a midwife and doula (they spelled it wrong) - she was understandably upset. As a woman reading this I felt so violated.

Just read this from the DONA website

Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth

• tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
• reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
• reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
• reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Other studies have shown that having a doula as part of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40% and the request for an epidural by 60%.

Now why would a "woman's clinic" take away her support system? I am guessing that the clinic doesn't want someone advocating for the mother. Maybe they prefer to have "control" over the birth. Maybe they use scare tactics, maybe they are just plain mean. For whatever reason it's time to make a stand.

Lets call this clinic and tell them that:

We are in charge of our births

We decide who will and will not be our support

We will use any safe method we choose to manage pain (Bradley for one)

We deserve an advocate

We will not be bullied, scared or discriminated against.

We are women, HEAR US ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Aspen Woman's Clinic.. Give them a call 801-374-5000- Let them know you don't like their SIGN!!!

Conversations with Zoe age 4

My daughter Zoe had an uncanny way at looking at life. Here are some recent conversations:

While we were driving in the van Zoe shouts, "Mom look! It's a bury garden!"

"What's a bury garden?" I ask.

"Well Mother,(I don't know why she calls me Mother), A bury garden is a place where dead people go to bury themselves and then they turn into dirt and people plant flowers over them."

Can you guess what a bury garden is? A cemetery



Zoe has been insisting for quite awhile now that she needs a cell phone. She asks me for one at least once a day. Today I told her that she could get a phone when she was older. "But Mother - I am a 4 year old teenager!"


I was driving with Zoe in the van and we were having a conversation about where we were going. I told her we were going to the corner of Broadway and Campbell. She asked me if that was the name of the place and I said, "No those are the cross streets to where we are going." Zoe thought about it for a minute and said, "Mama May (my grandmother) lives on Tigers Street." The last time we visited my grandmother was in January and for the record she lives on Lyons - which none of my older children could name.

Zoe asked me to escort her to the bathroom because she's scared of skeletons, ghosteses and lobsters

Zoe warming up after a swim in "Lost Vegas"


Teaching yoga to her siblings

Zoe is fascinated with dragons

I've Come To Like Michelle Duggar

I know, she's not a real popular person at least amongst my circle of friends and she has a very different value system then I do but I can't help but admire the woman for one big reason.

She is a natural childbirth and VBAC advocate.

I tuned into her show last night anxious to see her granddaughter make her way into the world. I was pleasantly surprised to see her daughter-in-law deliver little Mackynzie at home, peacefully and safely.

Congratulations to the Duggars.

Now, if we can get them to switch from disposable diapers to cloth...