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Cara's Finds
-- Parents online. Parents magazine has always been a favorite of mine. Well, I just discovered their new redesigned website. It's great! Now it's easier than ever to find information based on your child's age. Plus, check out ParentsTV for both educational and entertaining videos. -- Cause this is thrillllleeer! This month marks the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller. I'm not the only one that can break it down like a zombie. Perhaps you've seen the Thriller Wedding Dance. If you like that, check out this Dirty Dancing re-enactment. I love it! Tela's Finds -- I always say I really like the people I work with—it really helps with the whole getting up, leaving my son, and going to work every day thing. The money helps, too. Anyway, I have a sense the people that work on the TV show Scrubs must really like their co-workers, too. Check out this cute engagement video. -- To keep on keepin’ on with the YouTube videos—does anyone remember Kids Incorporated? I sure do—I LOVED THAT SHOW. And how could I not? It produced such modern day superstars such as Stacey Fergueson, aka Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, and Martika of the Toy Soldiers song fame (younger WMAGs might recognize it in a remake by Eminem). Also, Jennifer Love Hewitt was an alum. Here are is the old intro and some super sweet videos. Oh, and my BFF from middle school totally hearted Ryan Lambert—what every happened to that guy?
Sometimes, my job is pretty cool. Like today, when BlogHer cofounder Jory Des Jardins came to talk to our company about how BlogHer could help our clients.
To a packed house of eager ad folk, she introduced BlogHer (the number-one community for and guide to blogs by women) and how it helps connect advertisers with the Web's most sought-after "connectors." She outlined the BlogHer Ads network (which WMAG is part of), the BlogHer conferences (which I giddily attended last summer), and the BlogHer community in general.
Meanwhile, I sat there all excited because there was a picture of me at BlogHer '07 on one of her slides. Yes, I'm a dork. Afterward, Tela and I (along with MommyBits Shannan, whose hubby works with us) introduced ourselves to Jory and chatted about blog stuff.
Jory was so cool, smart, down-to-earth--I really enjoyed meeting one of the savvy women behind such a kickass organization. And it felt good to know that BlogHer is just as honest and upfront with the advertisers and marketers it deals with as it is with us blogger-mamas. Not something you see every day!
 I hope everybody had a happy Thanksgiving! I sure did. My parents came to visit and we all made a big turkey feast together. I was in charge of the mashed potatoes and got, shall we say, a little overzealous. Hubby had bought a five pound bag, and I decided to cook up the entire thing. (Hey, I'm bad at math - calculating servings is way beyond me.) So, in addition to all the leftover turkey, we had leftover potatoes. A LOT of leftover potatoes.
You know what they say: When life gives you extra mashed potatoes, just make potato soup. And that's just what Mom and I did. If you've got some extras in your fridge, here's what to do.
Easy Potato Soup
Ingredients:
- Leftover mashed potatoes
- Butter
- Onions
- Celery
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
- Cheese, if desired
Directions:- In a large sauce pan, chop onions and celery and sautee in butter until tender
- Add mashed potatoes
- Pour in milk until the potatoes take on a soupy consistency
- Warm over medium low heat until heated through
- Sprinkle in cheese so that it melts
- Serve with crackers and/or sprinkle a little bacon over the top
How about you? Do you have any good recipes that can help fellow WMAGs use up those holiday leftovers? Do share!
Since it looks like maybe a few of our WMAGs were like me, and most likely avoided the shopping centers at all costs this weekend--I present you with the "Cyber Monday" deals. Of course, I don't condone that you shop during work hours--everything should be done before or after work, or maybe on your lunch hour (that is, if your lunch hasn't been scheduled over.)
First, try CyberMonday.com. It the motherload of Cyber Monday deals.
Next, if you're broke like me, check out Threadless.com. Right now, all their T-shirts are only a mere $10. I already picked up a few for family members. Tip: Search by size--because of the popularity of the sale, things sell out quick. Better to search by size that way you know what you can get, rather than look at the stock, go to buy, and see your size is not in stock. However, if you really like a shirt that's not in your size, you can always ask them to re-print it.
If you haven't even begun your shopping yet, you should check out the Cool Mom Picks Holiday Gift Guide for really cool gift ideas separated by age--from babies to grandparents and sitters to mamas-to-be. Click on the button below to go straight to their holiday gift guide--but don't forget to check out their Safer Toy Guide, too. Both guides also offer all sort of discount codes and offers.
If you're a working moms that's no longer worried about how you are going to manage Thanksgiving, but instead looking forward to those great Black Friday deals, WMAG is here to help you out. Personally, I am not one of those people who shops on Black Friday--never have, probably never will. I just can't handle those crowds! I was at the mall this past Saturday and between trying to keep O from kicking off his shoes, pulling the tags off clothing, screaming (and I mean SCREAMING) "BYE" to everyone we pass, and manuevering the stroller through the tiny, TINY aisles, I won't be ready for another trip to the dreaded mall until December 24. Or maybe I'll do everything online. (I say that every year, but I never seem to get it together in time to account for shipping...) Anyway, enough about me. Here are some resources to help YOU, WMAGs: http://www.theblackfriday.com/ http://www.blackfriday.info/ http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ Have fun!
 It's the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and I'm trying to get all my work done so I can enjoy the holiday with my family. All I can think about is that yummy turkey dinner my mom and husband are going to be whipping up two days from now. So in light of my pre-holiday schedule, and in the name of taking it easy this week, I'm not going to post a recipe. I'm going to ask you guys what you're doing for the holiday. Any special dishes on the menu? How will you be preparing your turkey? We're frying ours, which I absolutely love. The bird gets crispy on the outside, moist on the inside - yum! The only downside: no gravy for those mashed potatoes.
So, WMAGs, share! And if you want to post your favorite Thanksgiving recipe, go right ahead!
I hope everyone has a wonderful day with their families.
Playaway Digital Audiobooks are all-in-one player/book combos. They sent three our way to test drive. Here's what we thought:
Susan's Take
Think of Playaway audiobooks like those museum audioguides you can check out for a few extra bucks to make your tour more interesting. These things just couldn't be easier. I think my grandma could figure them out (the true technology usability test). Everything you need to listen to an entire book is included and totally effortless to operate.
I've been listening to I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (the 3.5-hour abridged version). I plugged it into my iPod car adapter and have been laughing my way to and from work for several days. I definitely recommend it for anyone who doesn't have or want an iPod, but loves listening to books.
Tela's Take
Easy peasy. Those two words pretty much sum up the Playaway Digital Audio book.
With semi-frequent trips to my parent's house five hours away, it was always such a drag to either:
- Find a desirable CD book title that was actually in stock at the Cinci library (that has yet to happen)
- Rearrange my iPod to make room for an audiobook
Now, with Playaway I don't have to. This self-contained, easy-to-use unit doesn't take up precious music space on my iPod, and I no longer have to scour the local library for titles I thought I'd "maybe" like--and deal with constantly changing out all those CDs. With holiday trips to my parents coming up, I should have picked a book from Playaway, but instead I got a Playaway filled with children's stories and songs. I'm cheese. Anyway, like Sue, I plugged it into my FM transmitter, and O and I sing the morning and evening commute away. Like I said: Easy peasy. You might be wondering why, in the past, I didn't just purchase an audio book from a bookstore. It's because I never imagined myself relistening to a book--rereading, yes, re-listening, not so much--so I didn't want to spend the cash. That's another reason why I like Playway: They have a RePlay Rewards plan. With Replay Rewards you can load the player with new titles, for a discounted price AND free shipping. How sweet is that? Cara's Take I'm listening to Mommies Who Drink. No, it's not a self-help book. It a humorous autobiography about a woman and her group of friends who live in Hollywood. They put their wild lives behind and are now surviving motherhood. The Playaway would be ideal for a vacation. Right now, I can't find the ideal time to listen to it. A car adaptor would be nice to have. But, overall it's very easy to use and actually may be a great gift for my father-in-law.
Win One!
Win a Playaway Ready-to-Go Audiobook title of your choice by sending an email to workingmomsagainstguilt@gmail.com with the word "Playaway" in the subject line by midnight, Friday, November 23rd. In addition, Playaway is offering a 20% discount to WMAG readers. Just enter the code WMAG20 at checkout.
 Cara's Finds
-- For thinking moms who don't have time to think. Mom Logic is a new online destination for moms, offering everything from entertainment news to advice. And how cool is this... they've mentioned WMAG a couple time on their best of the today's mom blogs feature!
Susan's Finds-- Hey good lookin', whatcha got cookin'? How about something healthy? SparkPeople, a popular diet website, recently launched SparkRecipes to share healthy recipes from its community of 1 million members. The site also offers a free recipe calculator to analyze the nutritional values of your favorite recipes.  -- Take your dream job for a test drive. Thinking about a career change? Before you make the big switch, all willy nilly-like, consider trying on the new job for size with a VocationVacation. You pay to get paired up with a mentor who's already an expert in the field of your choice, spend a few days on the job with them, and decide if you want to pursue it. That includes alpaca ranchers, chocolatiers, jewelry designers, pro wrestling ring announcers, and wine sommeliers. Funny, I didn't see advertising copywriter on the list ... maybe I should sign up to be someone's mentor?  -- Cruise through some interesting blog posts this week. Who knew how cool Vanessa Williams was? Not me, 'til I read this ModernMom Q&A with the former Miss America, Ugly Betty star, and Working Mom Against Guilt. ...Ever wonder how TV producers have handled pregnant stars over the years? Stroll down memory lane with the Mental Floss Confessions of a TV-holic blogger's account of preggo stars on hit TV shows, from I Love Lucy to The Nanny. ...How will we look back on ourselves as parents? I found Giftie Etcetera's self-evaluation of her parenting choices quite refreshing and enlightening. I wonder how I'll measure myself in a few years. Tela's Finds -- Babies love to dance. So, Babies Love Disco is a pretty darn cool idea, in fact we wrote about it before. Now, there's some talk on the cincymoms.com boards to get it in the 'Nati, but if you live in one of the areas that already has this super-cool baby club, let us know if you've gone, and if it's cool (and worth the $$). It looks cool.
I’m shy. Ask my friends and people I interact with on a daily basis, and they’ll tell you that statement is a bunch of poo. But I assure you, I am. Or I was.
Before I had O, I’d keep to myself in most public settings. You wouldn’t see me chatting it up at the grocery store or trying to make small talk with someone I didn’t know.
All that has changed. I love being a mom so much—and it’s something I know so little about—that I want to talk to all other moms with kids around O’s age and find out all there is to know about their babies. And I want to share any information I might have that could help them. I also want to talk to moms with older kids—to learn what’s to come. You could say I've become a little bit of a mommy stalker. But that doesn’t mean I’m good at my new second job—because I kinda suck at small talk, but still I make feeble attempts.
The other day I stalked a mommy in the grocery store. She had a cutie a few months older than O, who was singing in the grocery cart, munching on a granola bar. First, we had a brief exchange about how old her son was, and she told me that the granola bar was the third thing he had eaten since they entered the store. I shared my O’s non-eating ways. After an awkward laugh, we parted ways.
Then I spotted my new mommy friend in the bread aisle! She was reaching for one of the new 1/2 loaves of bread from Klosterman.
I ran up behind her and almost knocked her down as I grabbed for a loaf.
“I’VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR THESE,” I practically shouted.
And I had. I’d been longing for a smaller loaf of bread for months—O and I never seem to get through a whole loaf before it goes bad. I even thought of calling or writing bread companies and telling them about my super idea. And then I spotted a billboard for the new Klosterman 1/2 loaves a few weeks back (Was someone was in my brain?). I was thrilled! But I had yet to find any of these 1/2 loaves in a store.
“So have I, I saw the billboard a few weeks back,” the mom said, as she backed away from me. (She saw the billboard, too!) “But that’s all they seem to have.”
I looked in my hand. I was holding a 1/2 loaf of Cincinnati Rye. I’m not even sure what Cincinnati Rye is, but I’m pretty sure I don’t like it. Ewwww. I dropped it back on the shelf.
“Well, I don’t want that,” I said. “Is that all they have?”
“I think so,” she said. But then she pointed to a display behind me. “Oh wait, there they are.”
“OH WOW. THANKS SO MUCH,” I said—a little too exuberantly—as I grabbed up a loaf. And that was the end of our conversation. We pushed our carts and went our separate ways.
I’m glad I’ve become something of a mommy stalker—this mommy stalking episode got me a cherished 1/2 loaf of Klosterman whole-wheat bread. But there’s lots more mommies to stalk out there—and lots more to learn. So watch out. You might just meet me in the grocery store or mall. I promise, I don't bite.
This week marks an important change in my life. It’s my first week working for myself, and not for an employer. Yes, I left my job and decided to try to make it on my own as a freelance copywriter. After seven years working at advertising agencies, I am finally ready to make the jump into freelance. (I’ll define “ready” in a moment.) The last two years, I worked a 30-hour week schedule. It was great and worked well for my family at the time. But with changing family demands the opportunity to go freelance seemed like now or never. Becoming a freelance copywriter has been a goal of mine for a long time. But, before there was always a reason why I wasn’t ready. We needed a steady second income. We needed the health insurance coverage. I needed to secure more clients. Yep, pretty big reasons. And they’re still BIG reasons why I shouldn’t have quit my job. But, something changed in me and I was no longer nervous about making the jump. I was determined as ever to make it work. What’s the worse that can happen? If I fail, I’ll just have to find a job working for someone else again. But, I’m so motivated to build a little business for myself; plus gain more flexibility that I’m not going to let myself fail. That's right, I'm going to have my Mary Tyler Moore-hat-in-the-air moment and make it after all. I’m excited and scared to death all at the same time. But, as I said before, the working mom can achieve anything she puts her heart, soul, and mind to. So hang on to your seats as I chronicle this new chapter of my life. And wish me luck—I need it!
 One of my favorite cold-weather comfort foods is beef stroganoff. It's hearty and yummy, and it sticks to your bones. Here's my mom's recipe. Try it one of these blustery fall nights with some roasted brussels sprouts. Yum!
Easy Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
- Round steak, cut into strips, or good old ground beef for more of a hamburger texture
- One medium onion cut into longer pieces (Omit if you don't like onions - it's no big whoop)
- One clove of garlic
- One can of mushrooms, drained
- One to two cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Rice or egg noodles, whichever you prefer
Directions:- In a deep frying pan, brown beef and set aside
- In the same pan, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil or a bit of the reserved beef fat
- Add beef again, and pour soup over the mixture. If one can doesn't seem enough, add another.
- If soup seems too thick, add a tiny bit of milk but just a TINY bit. The sour cream at the finish will thin the mixture considerably.
- Pour in mushrooms
- Add salt and pepper
- While the soup mixture heats and bubbles, cook the rice or noodles
- Just before serving, add a dollop or two of sour cream to the soup mixture. Blend until it's nice and creamy.
- Serve the stroganoff over the rice or noodles
Routines are a necessary, but not so fun, part of being a working mom. We don't just fall into them, either. We purposefully craft and hone them to make sure our kids are taken care of, our jobs get done, and our homes don't fall into complete chaos (we hope).
But as important as routines are to our daily lives, it sure feels good to change things up. I've found myself busting up my routine a bit recently, resulting in feelings of goodness:
- A couple of weekends ago, I took a 1/2 vacation day from being a mom. I got my hair done (including a shocking new color and cut!), read a novel, ate at Panera, and did a little outlet shopping with my friend. Usually, I spend nearly every waking minute with my fam on the weekends, but on this day, I enjoyed some me-time. It was delightful!
- Last week, I went to my first after-work happy hour in recent memory. We were saying goodbye to two of my favorite coworkers, so I simply couldn't miss it. I got a little tipsy, gossiped and laughed, and remembered how I used to be cool. Well, cooler than I am now, anyway.
- This weekend, Jay and I decided we need more us-time (sans the kiddo). So while she took her marathon afternoon nap, we got the fireplace going (with the help of some oil-mix engine spray--real safe and healthy!) and cuddled and talked. We realized we need to do that kind of thing more often, instead of just going into chore-mode. But next time, we'll use one of those fire-starter logs instead.
- Last night, I had a date with my dad. He came over for dinner, then we went to a free jazz concert at the University of Cincinnati (which happens to offer one of the country's top jazz programs--lucky for us!) Jay isn't nuts about jazz, so he stayed home with Cassie. My dad and I got to hang out together and enjoy some terrific live jazz--one interest we've always shared.
Next time you get a chance, I highly encourage you to break up your routine with something fun. Like L'Oreal says, you're worth it.
 Cara's Finds
--Make hand-washing fun. Since cold and flu season is here, I wanted to make sure my kids were doing a better job at washing their hands. So yesterday I bought SquidSoap. SquidSoap by Airborne stamps a red dot on the palm of your child's hand as he or she pushes down on the pump. It takes 20 seconds of hand-washing to remove the stamp. So far, it's a hit with the kids. And I'm happy, too. UPDATE: After closer observation, it turns out it takes my kids about 2 seconds to wash the stamp off. Sheesh! Not wasting my money on again on this.
Susan's Finds-- The nine lives of Cincinnati's only jazz club. For my fellow jazz fans in the Nati, you'll be happy to know the Blue Wisp Jazz Club will live on. Since the longtime owner died last year, the Wisp's future has been in limbo. But now, a group of local business folks have bought it and plan to keep this swinging club open. All I can say is, thank you. The Nati is a better place for it. -- Keep up with the life and times of Hollywood mamas. ModernMom just launched a new blog called Mommywood. This week, it featured famous moms (and moms-to-be) Keri Russell, J. Lo, Cate Blanchett, and Julia Roberts. And if you can't get enough, also check out Celebrity Baby Blog. Personally, I get my fill while waiting in line at the grocery store. -- Techie talk for working moms. Shameless plug alert: Monster.com interviewed yours truly for an article about how working moms use technology. They also talked to our blog pal Amy Sandoval of Work It! A Blog for Working Moms. Check it out!
 For all you coupon-clippers (and printers) out there, the future is here! You can now automatically load coupons for your favorite brands on your shopper card with P&G eSAVER.
Once you register on the site, just select the coupons you want. Then, next time you're at the grocery store, buy your usual stuff. Instead of pulling your random stash o'coupons (and other junk) out of your purse, you just scan your card and watch the savings rack up.
Right now, eSAVER is only for P&G brands--like Bounty paper towels, Mr. Clean wipes, Folgers coffee, etc.--at Kroger stores (as well as Ralph's, King Soopers, Fry's, Smith's, Dillons, QFC, JayC and City Market). I imagine other companies, brands, and stores will soon follow suit, though.
Anyway, I love it! Thought you would, too.
Heading to a tailgate party or fall barbeque? Take along this simple and delicious pizza dip. It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and make, and it's been devoured in record time whenever I've taken it anywhere!
Quick Pizza Dip
1 container (8oz) chives & onion cheese spread
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Bagel chips
- Heat oven to 350°. In ungreased 9' glass pie pan or 1 quart shallow baking dish, layer cream cheese spread, pizza sauce, bell pepper, pepperoni, Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese.
- Bake 10-15 minutes or until dip is hot and cheese is melted.
- Serve warm with the bagel chips.
I was in the office a little earlier than usual the other morning when I overheard a disturbing conversation. It went a little something like this:
A male co-worker asked some female co-workers about a previous night's meeting, "How did it go last night?"
"Ugh, awful!" the one female co-worker exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was bad," the other remarked.
"Can't you girls just get along?" male co-worker asked.
Inside I groaned. I couldn't believe he would say such a thing. Unfortunately, I've come to expect it from some men, even though it's not right. However, I thought this guy would know better. But things were about to get worse.
"You don't even know," the other female co-worker said. "She wore a blouse cut to HERE and her bra was showing and she looked about 12."
"Yeah," the other female said. "And she's DEFINITELY not. She's way older than us."
"You girls," the male co-worker sighed. "So catty."
Now I was boiling. Both because the women would stoop to insulting someone on such a frivolous, physical level (actually acting sort of catty) and that the man would comment on it in such a demeaning fashion.
Why do women do this to one another? Do you ever see men talking to another man over a cubicle wall about some guy's outfit?
"Did you SEE Ted's pants today?"
"Positively dreadful. I wish he would realize it's not 1985. Zubas called, they want their pants back."
"And that hair! Did he even brush it?"
"And he REALLY needs to do something about those roots."
And would you ever hear a women calling out males as being "full of testosterone " and "needing to take it out on the football field"--in FRONT of other men?
Maybe you do. I don't. And when something like this happens, it gets my goat. I wish we, as women, "could all get along," as the male co-worker said. And I wish men, especially senior-level, example-setting types, wouldn't rely on such stereotypes--joking or not. Getting equal pay, promotions, and benefits when it comes to the working world is hard enough. It gets even harder when people behave like this.
Cara's Finds
--Doggie Leia and Vader. I didn't find much of anything to share this week--except for this video. It just made my morning. They're not amused!
Tela's Finds
-- For those in the 'Nati proper, check out the Design Within Reach warehouse sale this weekend for some pretty sweet deals on pretty sweet furniture. Here's a coupon for even more savings.
-- This might only be a funny for those in the ad/marketing world, but oh how funny it is. The video is mighty long, however, for my attention span anyway. If you watch the first few seconds, you get the point and a smile. (Thanks to this week's guest blogger Marla for sharing!)
-- Improve your vocabulary and feed the hungry--all at the same time. It's easy at FreeRice.com.
-- If you're still feeling charitable, help kids get some shoes. For every pair of shoes you purchase at www.tomsshoes.com, they'll donate a pair to a kid in need.
Susan's Finds
 -- Discover what's hot in the Momosphere with a Digg-like site called Mom Blog Network. Launched recently by the folks who do MothersClick, it's "the world's first site developed exclusively to showcase the ever-growing community of mom bloggers." Do your part: Rate and add your faves (hint, hint).
 -- Gear up for holiday entertaining. Kraft just launched a new Holiday How-to Center to help you impress your guests this season. Get recipes and menus, decorating tips, instructional videos, and more.
-- Tiny laptop, tiny price. Because my hubby reviews laptops for a living, I got the inside scoop on a new laptop that seems perfect for working moms. The brand-new Asus Eee PC 701 4G costs around $400, is small enough to fit in your purse (unless you're one of those tiny-purse people), and covers the basics (Word, email, Web, etc.) quite well. You might want to check it out for your on-the-go computing needs.
Let's roll out the ol' welcome wagon to Marla Reichard, a new WMAG guest blogger. She's a Working Mom Against Guilt with an adorable son and hubby. The Reichards moved recently from Cincinnati to Boston, and she shares some of her experience here. The Nati sure misses you, Marla! -- Susan
By Marla Reichard My husband and I have lived in 4 different cities and 3 different states in the last 12 years. By some people’s standards, that’s not a lot of moving, but to others, we’re nomads. We have the whole moving thing down to a science. Our last move, though, was quite different from our other ones. Recently, we moved from Cincinnati to Boston and besides the sticker shock over the cost of living increase, the major difference from our previous moves is that now there are three of us instead of two. We have a 17-month-old son and moving with him this time has made the whole process different. By far, the biggest challenge with this move has been making new friends. Our old broad criteria for friends (are they nice? do they like beer?) has been replaced with some fairly specific requirements: they must live somewhat close to us and have at least one kid.
Now, this may seem a little ridiculous. I mean, some of our friends in Cincinnati (and various other places we’ve lived) didn’t live close by and don’t have kids. But the difference is, those people knew us BEFORE our little guy showed up. The friendship was already established, so it can survive our now crazy schedule and dealing with a toddler.
It’s entirely different when your kid is throwing raviolis across a restaurant table at someone you’ve known for years versus one of your new coworkers who made the mistake of telling you to bring the whole family for beers after work. I joined a local “mommies” group and I’ve met a few nice women through that. It’s tough, though, because a lot of the women in the group are stay at home moms, so their activities tend to be scheduled during the day, when I’m at work.
I’ve tried talking to some of the other mothers at daycare since they’re working moms, too, but with everyone’s pickup and drop-off schedules varying, I sometimes won’t see someone I’ve met for several weeks, and even then we’re often passing one another on the way in/out.
Some well-intentioned, out-of-town friends have tried to introduce me via email to people they know in Boston, but they usually don’t meet the location and/or kid criteria. I’m sure some of them are nice people, but is some single guy living in one of the “hip” areas in Boston really going to want to haul his cookies out to the suburbs to hang out with me, my husband and the kid? Um, no. From past moves, I know it usually takes us about a year to establish some friends and have a new place feel like home. Who knows if the addition of our son will make that process go faster, or cause it to take even longer? Having a toddler is great for starting conversations with total strangers, especially if they have kids, too. Of course, having a toddler is terrible for carrying on conversations because within seconds they’re off and running with you chasing right behind.
No matter what, I’m sure that in a year we’ll feel more settled. In the meantime, I’ll continue to go to as many mommy group activities as I can and keep stalking the other moms at daycare.
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