Brag Worthy Stuff: The Smart Backpack

So, since I live paycheck to paycheck, and I'm a techy kid, it's hard to find really good stuff. One of the these things I found was a "smart" backpack. In this sense, smart doesn't mean voice activated, but you can charge your phone with this thing, normally they're water/rainproof and have an anti-theft lock. At first, I wanted the Lifepack Solar powered Backpack, but at $160 it was a little out of my price range. Instead, I found the ZYR Travel Backpack for $26.99. It is water resistant, have an anti-theft lock and a usb charging port and a 3.5mm audio port. This checks off everything on my list that the Lifepack one had, except the solar charging. For the $130.00 difference, I've been pretty happy with it.

 I'm not very feminine or girly, so the neutral grey was nice, I could dress it up or down how I liked, and the slanted zipper pocket gave it a unique style that I liked. There are two side pockets for drinks which I appreciated, since I am a mom. To top it off, most backpacks like this are huge. They want to offer a huge pocket for an 15.6" laptop, and that often makes the shape as a whole huge, but this one is nice because it has to expand to fit that big of a laptop. It's not difficult to expand, but since I don't keep my laptop with me at all times on the move with the kids, I appreciate not having a massive turtle shell backpack as I make my way through the crowds. I can easily switch things out and it goes from a handy mom daypack or a tech savvy bag any time I need.

Lastly, the lock was a huge thing for me. It's a 3 number combo lock, which I could set to whichever I wanted. There are directions for setting it the first time. If you're like me, you may forget what the combo is, in which case, visit this link for resetting the code. It really helped me!

I always pretend The Doctor will come or some giant disaster will happen and I need to be prepared for the worst, so having a good backpack that can carry my essentials is important. Charging on the go, a bag that'll protect my stuff from basic splashes or light rain and a lock that'll distract someone until I notice them stealing my stuff is all important to me. The organization isn't bad and construction on my bag seemed fairly reliable.

Overall: 8/10

The Downside: The slanted front zipper seems to fall easily due to gravity, and there's no solar charger, you have to have your own mobile battery to charge on the go.

Clean Up Time!

Mom problems: Why do I have to clean up my kid's room when I don't want to clean my own room?!

It's hard to convince myself to get up and move in the mornings. My kid is 2 right now, and he calls me when he's awake because he knows I lock the door from the outside for his own protection. This way the morning mess stays in his room, and he can't get out to the dangers of falling off a couch when he bounces on it, or accidently turning on the stove, or even climbing on the table to reach his playdoh on the top shelf (mom hates playdoh for the little pieces left over). Those are the dangers of the regular house that I keep in check while I'm awake. Mommihood, right? But once I'm awake, and he's alive and active, I let him out and keep tabs. In the meantime, I dread the mess in his room. The diapers on the floor, the laundry everywhere, the books all over room. It sucks!

So again, the question: Why do I need to clean their room if I don't want to clean my own?

Answer: You're the example. When they're young, you're showing them that this is something normal. Having a clean space to live and walk in. When they're older, it should be more their responsibility, to have pride in their stuff, but again, for the health of it. The motivation is hard, but getting them to pick up their stuff is teaching them to do it at home, which extends to school and later life in general.  

Girls Vs. Boys, Let's Change It Up

Girls like pink, princesses and dolls.
Boy like blue, fighting and cars.

That's always been the stereotype.

I'm raising my kid as a new generation mom, I know I am. Not because I'm declaring it. It's because I've seen it in my actions; in what I teach my kid; in my words.

In our new generation, we still have princes and princesses, we still have cars and power rangers and we have blue and pink. But in this generation, my little boy likes Anna and Elsa from Frozen. He snuggles stuffed animals and rocks baby dolls in his arms. I'm raising him to be a boy who isn't afraid to like what he likes. It doesn't mean he'll be gay, it doesn't mean he's a wuss. In fact, my little mommy's boy is a real meanie some times. He pushes, he hits and kicks. He watches Ninja Turtles and Thomas the Tank Engine and likes watching planes and wrestling. He is a boy biologically and physically, but he has other interests that cross the lines sometimes.

My little girl will be raised the same way. She'll have pig tails in her hair, wear whatever tutu she wants and be free to play with Matchbox cars if that's what she wants. If she wants to emulate her brother and dunk baskets and hit home runs than I'm totally fine with that. She will learn to fight off boys on her own and speak her mind. Martial Arts and dance classes could be in both their futures.

She will learn it's ok to say No. So will he. He will learn No means No, so will she. It means stop. They both will learn it's OK to be different, it's OK to stand against your peers and do the right thing. Ask the loner if they want to play, be that friend that means the world to another, even if it means playing with something the opposite gender normally likes.

I'm honestly OK if my kid gets picked on for going against their gender stereotypes. I don't want it going too far, but if a group of boys calls my boy a sissy because he plays dolls with a girl, or another boy, I'll tell him "Good for you." If my little girl gets called a boy because she wants to run and climb a tree over gossiping with girls, I'll say "Have fun!". My kids will break the stereotypes and I'll back them 100%. Not because I want to break gender lines, because they will be doing things that they honestly like.

Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "Yeah, this is what every parent says they'll do, and it never happens." And you're right, I don't know how my kid will be when I'm not around. I like to think I'll teach them the right things, though. Already we're showing my boy all sorts of girl and boy things and he gets to choose and sees what becomes of his choice. Our girl will be raised the same way. When you think of adults, as long as it's your choice, good or bad, you're typically ok with the outcome, only because it's what you chose. Even if the choice was bad, it was your choice so you accept the consequence a little better. Same with kids. They don't always like what happened, but it was their choice. When I explain to my kid that it was his choice and review his process, he realizes the chain of events and is calms down.

In today's world, there's so much talk about gay, straight, bi, trans, pan, etc. which gets so confusing as you're growing up. It's confusing even for adults, and it's all sexually related. Kids don't understand all this and they really shouldn't since we can mostly agree that kids under 18 shouldn't be having sex. I honestly don't believe kids know what their orientation is until they experience puberty at least. So why we let toddler toys dictate how our children will turn out in 10 years is quite silly to me. Let them use their imagination and play all they want. Let's let our kids choose their path in their own time.

Weightloss... My Journey, tips and tricks in a nutshell.

This is a big post, for sure. It can branch into a million different things, but I'll try to focus this as just a summary. Side note, I was inspired to write this when I made Yonanas "ice cream" for my kid and realized it was a great way to hide real fruit.

My Journey:
It sucks! Currently, I'm 162lbs, 4' 10", size 6 shoes and a 38 DD boob size. Short, big boobs and tiny feet makes me a little off balance, fun to stand next to since I make you feel tall, and a great pillow. I was an average 135lb through out high school, sky rocketed to 150lb through out college, and up to 185 while pregnant. Being short is fun when you're not disproportionate. When you are, it's often humiliating, and a struggle with learning to love the person you are. Even today, I'm not quite there. I've found myself near tears when I'm clothes shopping. I'm always looking for ways to exercise without knowing I am, and eating healthy without knowing it, in hopes to drop those last 30-50 pounds. I've done diet pills, tried not eating, Sensa, Weight Watchers, exercise, less carbs, less sugar, less everything, it's hard and yields little results for me. To sum it up, my journey is long, hard, and still in progress.

Things that have helped, even if I'm not where I want to be:
1. Weight Watchers. I won't endorse them like all the ads. I'm just saying, they've helped. When I tracked appropriately, I saw just how much I was putting in me, and I found ways around it. Also, the solidarity of friends, or strangers with a common goal was nice. Getting people to tell me first hand what helped them was nice, so the meetings were good to go to when I had the chance.
2. Work. I work a basic sales/service job. Always on my feet, running one way or another, it was good. I got my cardio in for sure, and all the lifting was good for muscles. At the end of some days, I was beat! Lifting, moving, smiling and helping is just my job, but it helps a lot compared to the days that I'm stuck at home.
3. Shopping. Oh yes, Baby! I have to control my wallet a lot, but window shopping at the outdoor mall near by is great, so is walking around inside all over. Left and right, and just enjoying the window shopping in general. I can find things I like and only if it's on clearance or a great sale will I actually buy something. I'd often go with my kid in the stroller and roam around. There's bathrooms, food and drinks all around. I'm near some big malls, so I park at one end, and make a point to walk down the whole hall both ways before I'm free to go home.
4. Food substitutes. No, it's not exactly like the sugary, salty foods that I love. An apple chip does not replace a potato chip to my taste buds, and no, I'm not doing cauliflower for bread. You can if you want, but it's just not my thing. I get food on the go a lot, and need a lot of quick grab and go stuff. I do have dried apples instead of chips, I eat frozen fruit in place of ice cream thanks to Yonanas, and I eat sparkling Izzie and Ice drinks instead of regular soda. It's not easy, but when I have the time and money I can do it, and I prep it for easy no thinking situations. My main energy is still Monster drinks with zero sugar and zero calories.
5. Picky Groceries. Locally, our Woodmans is great for food and lots of variety, Costco is great for organics and healthy alternatives and I go to Walmart still for a good low price on select stuff. We're comfortable, but not rich, so we use every advantage we have to save money. Costco is nice, but it's not always good to get 3 lbs of bananas when your family barely eats 1lb.
6. Freeze it. Whenever I do get the motivation to make a smoothie or something, It always calls for fruit, but I don't always have fresh fruit on hand, so I get frozen fruit. It's like it's fresh, so it works well, and I can store it for ages. Same goes for the chicken breasts I get, and the vegetables. We got a second freezer for it all! I've been able to keep frozen Lean Cuisine meals and Lean Pockets in there for ages before I have the taste for them.
7. Stop thinking. Weightloss isn't just a physical thing, it's a mental thing. Don't over think it. Stress and hormones and medicine are all a factor in how your weight fluctuates. If you're on a lot of steroid medicines, it'll increase your weight. Just a dumb fact; I learned it first hand. Also, increased stress will decrease your ability to lose weight, so as much stress as there is with a kid and work and life, try to take a few mintues to zen yourself. Relax and calm down. Don't stress this thing, it's not a race, it's a marathon, and we're all going for the same goal.

I'll stop my list here, but as you can see, I try a lot of different things for a slow struggle with few results, but I do get results. I was 185 when I had my son, and after 2 years I've brought it down to the low 160s. I'm still working on that last 30-50 lbs but it's a never ending goal. In the mean time, I'll keep looking for hidden food and exercise cheats/substitutes that I can do. Good luck moms!

For a rough day.

When you're having a rough day, just remember it's going to be ok. This is one sucky day, but soon you'll go to bed and be able try again tomorrow. Just start with a clean slate tomorrow and you kid will love you no less.

You are still You

Congratulations, you are a parent. You've added one more to your familial circle. Now your whole life is diapers, little shirts, cute hats, and pinterest. Right?

Wrong!
Let you be you still.

This is hard to remember at first. There is a huge stigma that once you become a parent, your life is your kids, and for some that may be true, but I honestly don't believe it.  Sure, your kids are important, very. They're our offspring, and it's our job as parents not to let them turn into tyrants and douchebags. We do our best to find cute outfits, and take time to come up with activities. We search high and low for the right formula to feed them, the right bottles to use, orthopedic pacifiers. It's crazy how much money and time we invest in our kids. So much time and money it becomes too easy to forget ourselves. What about the new knitting patterns, the latest James Patterson book, the sweet tattoo you wanted to design?

For 3 years I was victim of this myelf. The first three years of pregnancy and mommyhood. I was consumed with thoughts of how to make my kid active and involved. I lived on Pinterest and the Bump, thrived on my retail job, and fell asleep early. I found little time for my husband and even less for me. I loved video games, nerd/geek culture (yes science and sci-fi), and lived for making websites. While I could still watch some stuff, I found myself looking for new baby shows instead of new anime shows in my free time.

I've slowly begun getting back to my passions. This has helped my creativity and sanity, and social etiquette. Suddenly not every other sentence out of my mouth is about my kid. Just listen to yourself sometime; you used to think those who talk about nothing but their kids got tiring. You'd pray they'd add in a dirty joke or science reference or even something about work. Now you're on the other end, do your friends a favor, talk about something else.

I don't feel as trapped, when I'm home with my kid for hours on end, and I remember the joy of what was and my kid sees it. He sees what genuine fun is. Think of when someone close to you is excited and happy about something they're invested in, your kid sees that when you're talking about something you love. They don't get what they're seeing, but they see you happy and that makes them happy. It's a great example. When they get older, I'll be able to talk about something relevent to my kid other than their own childhood.

Remember, you are not your kid. Your kid is your kid. They will find their own interests on their own. Yes, play with them, be with them, but don't force feed them everything. Who knows, maybe they'll enjoy something you enjoy, and you can be the one to show them the way.

Also, it's very hard when they get older and want to find some gift for you. You can only buy so many ties and jewelry is expensive when you're a kid. I still have issues finding gifts for my dad, his hobby is family but there's only so many picture frames and "Worlds Best __" mugs.

Not a Pinterest Mom, Class Party Dilema

The pinterest mom. The mom who sees it and makes it, and it looks incredible! Hats, scarves, gloves, giant forts, mini forts, art easels, snackadiums, and more. Some of us love them, most of us envy them, and some even hate them. I'm mostly on the envy side. For the time and carefulness it takes to make that stuff. I'd love the time and patience to prefect my rose carrots, and meticulously cut out edible rabbits that you can eat. And that indoor jungle gym out of pallets, man oh man! Don't even get me started on those avenger crocheted hats that I wish I could learn to make.

My point is, you don't have to be a that mom to make something nice for a class party. I'm crafty, I like crafts. Popsicle picture frames and coloring pages are my forte. I'm a kid too, I like to color and make projects, but I have no where near the knowledge or fortitude to begin some pinterest imitated project. I'm a 90s mom, not a pinterest mom. I've put together cute goodie bags for most of his classes, but I also think of those over bearing parents who want organic everything and no sugar. It's impossible to please all but here's what I do to seem like the conscientious parent.

Goodie bag, plastic, mostly see through with a basic non-denominational, non-sexist message. (i.e. Happily Holidays, snowmen, presents, smiley faces, arrows with hearts, Happy Valentines day, shamrocks, rainbows with pots of gold, sunshine, rain, clouds) Something cute but nothing that screams boys or girls. Hard to do, I know but they're out there. I get mine from Walmart, Target, Party City, Hobby Lobby or Michaels mostly.

Candy. Yes, Candy. Don't put too much in, anywhere from 2-5 pieces per kid is sufficient, small sized is important. You want parents to see you are fun but you're respectful. It's they're choice if they want the kid to eat all the candy at once or just one piece a night. Typically chocolate is good, sometimes something gummy. I try to avoid starburst  or sweet tarts, it's a bit much for little kids, but as they get older it should be fine. Don't do sour or hot for little kids. They're fun but not for kids under 5 who don't know what's coming.

Add in a toy or something non-food. Not all kids can enjoy candy. The sugar, the nuts, the red dye no. 6. It's annoying how many allergies there are out there, but it's real. You don't want to single any kid out, so add in a small toy or a pen or something else fun and gender neutral. Some ideas include: whistle, parachute dude, glow bracelet, jumping frog, little notebook and pen set, stickers, silly straws.

Each little goodie bag needs only a few things. The smaller the kids are, the less they need. The older they are, the more impressive you might think they need to be, but that's not so. Funny thing about kids, they like opening things. Even if they can see it, the satisfaction or opening something and getting to take it out is a little bit of fun. You can put the stuff together in a bag or a box or a tin can, they'll appreciate it. Any candy will work, they won't hate on your kid because they were given some off brand, candy is candy, just make sure it's wrapped. And the toy doesn't matter either, the toy is probably being forgotten about in a day or two anyway, so go for something cheap. You really shouldn't need to spend more than $1-2 on each kid in the end. I will spend about $20-25 in total on bags, toys and candy, but my kid has about 20ish kids in his class so it makes it very simple to just put together a goodie bag and call it a day. I typically don't put names on the bags, you never know who will be added last minute and you never want to single the kid out, so add in one extra just in case. After the party, your own kid can have it or the teacher can decide what to do with the extras.