Review: The Daring Book for Girls

Annabella: Mommy, is this a boy book or a girl book?

She's referring to my old paperback copy of The Black Pearl, by Scott O'Dell, which she found on my parent's book shelf. She's recently gotten into her four year old head that everything is divided by gender - people, colors, toys. I try not to let it bother me when she wants everything to be pink. But like so many lapses in my parenting, I am not consistent. Consider my response to her request for a pink bike.

Me: You cannot get a pink bike because when you grow out of it, you will give it to your brothers.

Annabella: But mommy, you said it was OK for boys to have pink things.

The book question also throws me. I want to say that there is no such thing as a "girl  book" or a "boy book," but this is not true. In fact, 2007 seems to be The Year of the Gender-Specific Book, at least for kids. Consider The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn and Hal Iggulden that came out in May. It's a collection of knowledge that all boys should have and that the authors argue is missing in the age of video games and cell phones.

I'm not sure if the success of this book spawned a return to old-fashioned boyhood, but it has spawned a lot of similar books, with very similar covers. First there was How To Be the Best At Everything (The Girl's Book) and How To Be the Best At Everything (The Boy's Book) and now we have The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz.

I had high hopes for The Daring Book since I'm a fan of both of these writers. They're veteran authors on this topic, popular mommy bloggers, and also the founders of Mother-Talk, a blogging network that I write for. And from what I understand, this book was written, in part, as a response to the chatter on the blogoshere about The Dangerous Book for Boys: Why did it have to be just for boys? And what would a similar book for girls look like?

This is tough territory. I want my daughter to be tough and to know that she can do anything boys can do. But I also recognized that a lot of gender is hard-wired and if we try to keep our daughters from girly things, it might backfire on us.

In her New York Times Magazine article What's Wrong With Cinderella from December 2006, Peggy Orenstein describes what might happen when we try to explain feminism to a four year old.

"What if, instead of realizing: Aha! Cinderella is a symbol of the patriarchal oppression of all women, another example of corporate mind control and power-to-the-people! my 3-year-old was thinking, Mommy doesn't want me to be a girl?...By not buying the Princess Pull-Ups, I may be inadvertently communicating that being female (to the extent that my daughter is able to understand it) is a bad thing."

In the Daring Book for Girls, Buchanan and Peskowitz navigate this tough territory well, with activities that are both gender specific (Let's face it, most boys would not be interested in "Princesses Today" or "How to Tie a Sari") and gender-neutral (Hiking, How to make a lemon-powered clock, How to make your own handlebar scooter.) And then there are those section with activities that should be taught to girls, but sadly, often aren't (Stocks and bonds, How to change a tire, How to negotiate a salary.) I'm even finding it useful for girly things that I'm sure my own mother taught me, or wanted to teach me, if I hadn't rebelled against all things girly (How to make your own fudge).

Annabella and I are slowly working through this book and I hope we'll reference it for years to come. I'm also planning on getting it for a few different of my friends who, like me, are confounded by the difficulties of raising a strong daughter in world where the cards seem stacked against us.

Disclosure: The Parent Blogger's Network sent me a copy of this book so I could write a review.

iPod Resurrection

Perhaps you remember that a few months ago my red iPod Nano decided to go for a swim with the help of my four year old and was ruined because I have the patience of a four year old. I have since purchased a new Nano and I'm getting used to it, especially since I finally found an armband that fits it with the sensor for my Nike Sport Kit, thanks to a useful article at iLounge.

Meanwhile, my old, red, dead iPod has been sitting around on the kitchen counter. Some, like my husband or the Fly Lady, might call this clutter. Others, like me, might call it a talisman against further gadget disasters.

So, you can imagine my iSurprise when I returned home from a run and found my old iPod playing in our iGroove.

Me: How did you make it work?

Marco: I plugged it in and turned it on.

It turns out that everything but the screen works just fine. Now it's basically a big iPod Shuffle that's not quite as user friendly. I feel pretty stupid assuming it was broken because nothing appeared on the screen when I tried to charge it. So, my plan now is to take it to an Apple store and plead my case to them to fix it for free. I only bought it in February of this year, but the warranty doesn't cover accidents.

Any iPod experts out there have a better idea?

Review: That Baby CD & That Baby DVD

"There are two types of people in this world: Those that grasp just how cool Neil Diamond is and those who don't."

So say the liner notes of That Baby CD that was recently sent to me by the kind folks at Parent Bloggers. The CD is filled with acoustic cover versions by well-known artists like Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, and Joni Mitchell.

At first listen the CD became part of Annabella's regular bedtime rotation. I can't tell you how much it warms my heart to hear my 4.5 year old daughter sing along to Joni Mitchell's Circle Game. This song was a favorite of my parents when it came out in 1968, and I remember using their old record/tape player to record it on tape so I could add it to a mix I brought with me to college.

The bedtime CD that Annabella plays after we read books and before she goes to bed is usually something she enjoys by herself, but I like the music on this one so much that I usually stick around for a few songs too. 

The creators of That Baby CD, mom and pop team Lisi and Rob Wolf, also created a companion DVD called That Baby DVD. I didn't ask Parent Bloggers to send me a copy, because we try not to watch TV in our house, but they sent me one anyway and I have to say that I'm glad.

Imagine this scenario: It's 5 am and two, two year old boys are screaming their heads off for scrambled eggs with cheese while one four year old girl who will no longer eat scrambled eggs is persistently insisting upon a waffle sandwich with peanut butter, and presiding over this chaos is one mom who might have had a mom's margarita night out the evening before, which entitles one husband to be blissfully earplugged upstairs.

That's the sort of situation we're in when my kids watch That Baby DVD. And they love it. What's not to love? It's really fun music that they already know from the CD and videos of cute kids dancing and some simple animation.

Beyond the fact that it occupies my kids for it's entire 30 minute length, I can't tell you a lot about the DVD since I am usually busy making scrambled eggs with cheese and a waffle sandwich with peanut butter. Sometimes it even gives me time to make and eat my own breakfast and for that I give it very high marks.

The creators of the DVD say it's appropriate for ages 0-5 and from the parts I've watched I agree. I also don't think that any kid of any age who has a steady diet of Noggin, Disney, and Pixar would be captivated by this. But if you're not after captivation and you just want something playing in the background while you all dance around the room, this'll do nicely.

To purchase a copy of That Baby DVD or That Baby CD (or both at a package price), visit the That Baby DVD Web site. Enter the code PBN to get a 20% discount. There's also a no questions asked money back guarantee and you can get a lifetime replacement on your DVD and/or CD. See the site for details.

If you want to hear an interview with the creator of the DVD, Rob Wolf, listen to the Motherhood Uncensored podcast on 12/5. 

Jumping Monkeys Episode 25: Z Recommends

This week we interview Jeremiah McNichols who runs the sites Z Recommends (with wife Jennifer and daughter Z), PRIZEY, and Toy Instructions.

Also, read the Z Recommends pics for digital cameras for kids.

Listen at TWiT

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SPEND: Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide

SAVE: Design Mom Marketplace

GIVE: Let's Say Thanks

AUDIBLE BOOK PICK: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

OTHER LINKS:

• World Agaists Toys Causing Harm's WATCH list of the most dangerous toys of 2007
• Bad Behavior does not doom pupils, study says
• The Derringdos

LISTENER FEEDBACK:

Jess recommends the Flickr Guest Pass. Leo also recommends Smug Mug.

Jumping Monkeys Episode 24: Fids and Kamily Awards

On this episode we're happy to be joined by kids music journalists Bill Childs of Spare The Rock, Spoil the Child, Amy Davis of The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What to Think, and Stefan Shepherd of Zooglobble. These three fabulous parents have joined together for the second year in a row to present the Fids and Kamily music awards.

Listen to the show to hear how the winners were chosen, to listen to clips from the top five, and to hear about the current state of kids music. Plus, our regular links (see below)

If you've even thought about buying music for those kids on your holiday gift list, this is the episode to listen to. Get reviews of all the winners at The Fids and Kamily Web site and get links to buy the CDs at The Pokey Pup.

Speaking of winners, we're still looking for a winner for our contest to win copies of the Peanut Butter PC. Listen for details. And keep listening for more contests. Thanks, JR!

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LINKS FROM THE SHOW

SPEND: Computer Guy Action Figure

SAVE: Black Friday Ads

GIVE: Rattle-n-Roll Holiday Cards

AUDIBLE BOOK PICK: The Emporer's Children

Review: Day Runner

To do or not to do, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of organization through an erasable wall calendar and color coded storage cases or to take arms against a sea of disorganization with my Gmail and my Outlook Calendar and by opposing end it. To be organized - to sleep, perchance to dream; and by a sleep to say only until the twins wake up at 5:30 AM, the heartache and a thousand natural shocks.

My apologies to Shakespeare, but the question of whether to use high or low-tech organizational tools to organize the lives of five human beings is a big one. I admit it's got nothing on Hamlet's ruminations on killing is uncle, but sadly it's more real to me than that.

Between Outlook and Gmail I have a lot of tools to help schedule our lives, but as a family we still rely mostly on our wall calendar. It's always easier to have something on the wall that we can point to and look at, without having to open a computer.

When the Parent Bloggers sent me Day Runner's Family Matters kit, which includes an erasable wall calendar, appointment book, erasable door reminders, color-coded activity folders, and storage cases, I was really looking forward to trying out more of these low-tech solutions to organizing my life.

I appreciate how color coding each member of the family could help a family with older kids, but right now my kids aren't involved in enough activities to warrant that kind of organization. Plus, we currently use a Shutterfly photo calendar with pictures that I like to look at. The erasable wall calendar is much larger and sort of bland and I am unwalling to offer it that much wall space in my kitchen.

The erasable door reminders are a great idea. Unfortunately, they don't work very well with our doorknobs, so we stopped using them after a few days.

The bottom line is that these tools seem to be perfect for someone who's not comfortable organizing their life online. I, however, am not that person. With the exception of my wall calendar, I like having my address book, work calendar, and other organizational stuff on my computer. The less paper there is, the better. Maybe I'll change my tune when my kids start bringing home papers and doing more than one activity at a time. Or maybe by then they'll be able to organize themselves. Perchance to dream.

Right now my organizational system (or lack of one) works for me. If you have kids that are involved in a lot of activities and you're looking to upgrade your organization system (and you have round doorknobs), check out Family Matters.

Coming up on Jumping Monkeys

We've got lots of really fantastic guests coming up in the next few weeks, plus a new sponsor - Kajeet. We hope you'll tune in.

Coming up next we're thrilled to welcome back Bill Childs (pictured here with co-host Ella) and to also chat with Stefan Shepherd of Zooglobble, and Amy Davis, of The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What to Think. They'll be announcing the 2007 winners of the Fids & Kamily Music Awards, so get ready to hear some great kids music.

Then we'll welcome Marianne Szymanski of Toy Tips Magazine. Marianne used to appear on TechTV and has also appeared on Oprah, Rachael Ray, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and in the New York Times. She'll have all kinds of tips on how to shop smarter for your kids this holiday season.

We're also really excited to welcome Jeremiah McNichols of Z Recommends and Toy Instructions. Jeremeiah's going to tell us about his newest project, PRIZEY, an awesome directory of online giveaways.

A few weeks ago we played the fabulous title track from Lori McKenna's new album, Unglamorous. We're looking forward to talking to Lori about what it's like to be an acclaimed singer/songwriter and the mother of five.

We're also have holiday gift ideas, more links, more giveaways, and more Leo bouncing on his exercise ball. Listen at TWiT or subscribe at iTunes, so you don't miss anything.

Jumping Monkeys Episode 23: The Milk Memos

Today we chat with Cate Colburn-Smith and Andrea Serrette, authors of The Milk Memos: How Real Moms Learned to Mix Business with Babies. Find out how two IBM professionals managed to make the transition back to work, while still nursing their babies. Also, get lots of tips on work/family balance.

Listen at TWiT

Subscribe at iTunes

Voice Your Opinion of the Show

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Write a Review of the Show

OUR FIRST CONTEST: Listen to the show to find out how you can win a copy of Peanut Butter PC. E-mail your answer to Megan@TWiT.tv.

SPEND: Triba: Wellness in Motherhood (thanks, Edward)

SAVE: Fresh Bargains (thanks, Andrea)

GIVE: Bitty Braille Tees (found on Tutus and Turtles)

AUDIBLE BOOK PICK: Then We Came to The End by Joshua Ferris.

OTHER LINKS:

Home Lead Tests Don't Work

Why Beautiful People Have more Daughters

Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker (found on the Pleasure Buzz list of Crazy Baby Products)

LISTENER FEEDBACK:

Gale recommends Trout Fishing in America.

John recommends Zamar for converting YouTube videos to other formats.

Potty Training Thus Far

For those of you who have absolutely no interest in the bodily functions of my children, please go read something else.

Still with me? Hey, thanks! I know, it's gross to some people, but if you're in the potty training stage or not looking forward to the potty training stage, or so glad that you're done with the potty training stage that you can laugh at me, then you can relate.

When I returned from my trip to Austin with my sister, in addition to bringing home many soothing kid-free memories of massages and margaritas by the pool, I also brought home a bunch of hand-me-downs. Some of those hand-me-downs were in the form of Thomas the Train underwear. (Editor's Note: Please delete this entry when boys are old enough to read so that they never know how excited they were to wear their cousins hand-me-down underwear.)

When Milo and Huck caught sight of the underwear they decided that they were ready to wear them. It was 7 A.M. and I was exhausted from the weekend, rushing around the house trying to get a load of laundry in and convince Annabella to get dressed and brush all the things that needed to be brushed and wash all the things that needed to be washed. My guard was down, so I said "yes."

Two weeks later, I haven't regretted my decision. We've had some accidents, especially when one of them is waiting for the other one to go (the joys of twins!). I keep remembering what Clay from the Dad Labs said on our podcast - "It's only pee." Of course, sometimes it's not only pee, which is a little more difficult to deal with, but certainly not as difficult as carrying and then giving birth to two 7.5 lb. babies and then nursing them. (That is, by the way, my way of coping with anything difficult.)

I should mention that the boys have been using the toilet before bed and naps for several months, but they never asked to use it and their diapers were frequently wet throughout the day. At the beginning I asked them every 10 minutes if they had to use the bathroom and then took them every 15 minutes whether they had to go or not. As the weeks have wore on, I ask more infrequently now they even tell me that they have to use the toilet...sometimes.   

Review: Sequoia Survival Kit

Marco's parents live in Montana and we've driven there from Northern California nearly every year since 1999. We've even made the trip for Christmas through a lot of snow and ice. This year for the holidays we're flying, primarily because we've already made the drive out there this year, but also because we've gotten wiser in our old age and we've realized that weather is not always our friend.

If you're still under the impression that weather gives a damn about you, may I recommend a Sequioa Vehicle Survival Kit? The folks at Sequoia Survival were nice enough to send me one of these kits to review for the Parent Bloggers Network.

Here's the thing about survival kits. You hope you never have to use them. So, even though the kit has been in my car for a few months, I'm pretty glad I still can't give you a review of how this really works in an emergency. I like that it's compact. My only real complaint is that I wish our minivan had a compartment for the kit, so it didn't clutter up the car. But really, is that such big price to pay for survival?

Here's what the kit contains:

• 32 oz water
• Meals ready to eat (MRE) for 2 people for 1 day
• 151 piece first aid kit
• Two thermal emergency blankets 
• Two rain ponchos 
• Two 6-hour hand warmers
• Two 12-hour light sticks
• Windproof and waterproof matches
• Crank radio/light and cell phone charger (compatible with most models of Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, and LG cell phones.)
• Multi-function hardware tool
• Leather work gloves
• Duct tape
• Rope
• Cleansing wipes
• Toilet paper
• Notebook
• Pen
• Playing cards

I'm not much of a survivalist, so I'd love to hear from you all if you think this kit is pretty complete or if it's missing some major items. In other words, what's in your emergency kit?