tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21014234751348739082024-03-05T09:22:30.811-05:00Jacqueline (Sayevich) KasianDiscussing what it's like being a working mom, business, design, etc. jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-57043926861386923062017-04-10T00:01:00.001-04:002017-04-10T00:03:46.361-04:00Top 5 Thanksgiving Weekend Movies<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;">After a heavy
meal filled with turkey, stuffing and cranberry, there is nothing I’d rather do
than curl up on the couch and watch a good movie. When people talk about
holiday movies though, they mostly think of Christmas movies. Well there are
also some great Thanksgiving themed movies out there and I thought I’d share my
top 5.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Home for the Holidays</span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;">– Directed by Jodie Foster,
this movie is another one of those Thanksgiving classics. It’s basically about
a 40-year-old single woman who loses her job right before Thanksgiving and has
to leave her daughter (who is about to have sex with her boyfriend) to go home
to spend the holiday with her ridiculous family. Her parents are kind of
overbearing, her one sister is bat-shit crazy, the other sister is ridiculously
stuck-up, and then she has a younger gay brother who is kind of the joker.
Anyway, it’s a pretty funny movie that I think most people can enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Trailer:</span></span><strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: blue; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugVJ78VDLH4" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugVJ78VDLH4</a></span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;"><br />
<strong>Son-In-Law</strong></span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"> – Yeah okay, I know
this is a Pauly Shore movie and while I’m not a big fan of him, I absolutely
love this flick. A small-town girl, Becca, who is totally culture shocked,
meets this guy named Crawl (her RA) in college. She makes herself over and
starts to have a blast. When Thanksgiving comes around she realizes that Crawl
has no family to visit so she invites him to spend the holiday with her family.
Her family are conservative farmers and Crawl is a total outcast. They also
pretend to be engaged so that she doesn’t have to deal with her boyfriend at
home trying to propose to her. Ultimately the family accepts Crawl. It’s one of
those silly cute movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ImPG1KzSI" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;"><span style="color: #9b2421;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ImPG1KzSI</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b><strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Pieces of April</span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"> – I’ve totally gotten
some flack for loving this movie. I’ve always been a fan of Katie Holmes plus
Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Platt are in this movie and I think they’re great
actors. It’s basically about this girl April who lives in NY, has an
African-American boyfriend and is trying to get Thanksgiving dinner ready for
her family. She’s not really much of a cook and she realizes her stove is
broken. Anyway, her family is coming from PA and they’re not thrilled with the
idea and on the way to April’s they’re trying to come up with nice memories of
her and are having trouble. It’s a cute movie and Katie Holmes is adorable in
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6pGSKGdho" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;"><span style="color: #9b2421;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6pGSKGdho</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Planes, Trains &
Automobiles</span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"> –
Who doesn’t love John Candy and Steve Martin in this 1987 Thanksgiving classic,
directed by John Hughes? This movie is totally hilarious and is great to watch
with the family. It’s basically about this guy with really bad luck that works
in marketing and is just trying to get home for Thanksgiving from New York to
Chicago. His flight is canceled so he tries other means of transportation. He’s
also stuck with this guy he met on the plane who is a shower curtain ring
salesman and is one of those people that just never stops talking (and talking
and talking). Anyway, they have some pretty funny experiences together and the
end isn’t totally surprising but it is certainly a little sad and very
heartwarming. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you. If you haven’t seen this
movie then you really should try to watch it this Thanksgiving weekend – your
family will love it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBBuH8Taobc" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;"><span style="color: #9b2421;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBBuH8Taobc</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://missgrownup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fyc.png" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: #9b2421; font-family: inherit , serif; padding: 0in;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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href="http://missgrownup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fyc.png" style='width:49pt;
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<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/JACQUE~1.KAS/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png"
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span></a><strong><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">For Your Consideration</span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"> – Just one of many
hilarious mockumentaries directed by Christopher Guest and co-written by Guest
and Eugene Levy (maybe you’ve seen <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">This
is Spinal Tap</span></span>, <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">A
Mighty Wind</span></span>, <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Waiting
for Guffman</span></span> or <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Best
in Show</span></span>?). This movie has got a great cast starring Jennifer
Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins,
Michael McKean, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara and many more familiar faces.
Basically this movie is about a bunch of actors that are cast in a new film
called <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Home
for Purim</span></span>, which is about a Southern Jewish family in the 1940s.
They have a lesbian daughter that comes home, a brother that comes home from
the navy and a really sick mother. They all unite to celebrate the Jewish
holiday of Purim. The writers are fighting with the director, and ultimately
the movie executives force the writers to change to <span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Home
for Thanksgiving.</span></span> Anyway, I don’t want to say much more about
this movie because it’s totally hilarious and worth checking out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif; padding: 0in;">Trailer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90b8pVBIWkY" style="font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; transition-duration: 0.25s, 0.25s; transition-timing-function: ease, ease;"><span style="color: #9b2421;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90b8pVBIWkY</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit" , serif;">Originally
Posted:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://missgrownup.com/top-5-thanksgiving-weekend-movies/" target="_blank">Miss Grown Up</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Black
Friday, Cyber Monday – shopping season is here!!! If you have a new mom in your
life, let me offer you some holiday shopping advice before rushing to the mall
to pick up a ridiculous baby-themed tee. One of the really cool gifts I got was
a new mom survival kit. It had some fun things like condoms, a sleep mask, and
chocolate, but it also had nightlights, pocket tissues, and gift cards to
Starbucks and Babies R’Us. If you’re not in the mood to get creative, follow
the list of gift ideas I’ve put together that a new mom is sure to love. When
in doubt, get her something she can really enjoy and use on herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before
getting into the gifts she’ll love, here are a couple things NOT to get her.
Wipes, diapers, diaper cream… Don’t get her things for her baby. Unless you
know exactly the brand and size she needs, you’re just adding to the clutter in
the house and the pile of crap she needs to return to the store. Plus all those
things are for the baby – not her. Also, don’t get her anything for cleaning
unless it’s something she has asked for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Okay
– Now what you SHOULD get the new mom in your life:</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Professional house cleaning </span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– It’s
no secret that having a baby doesn’t leave much time for house cleaning. If
this new mom likes things neat, hire a professional house cleaner to clean her
home from top to bottom. My parents gave me this after I gave birth and it was
the best present I could have asked for. The cleaning woman they hired was a
personal friend and for 3 sessions she charged $60 each for green/organic
cleaning. This will also depend on the size of the home. We have a small
2-bedroom townhouse and it was already relatively clean. If you don’t know
anyone and live in central NJ, I’ve heard great things about <a href="http://www.maidformommy.com/"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #9b2421; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">http://www.maidformommy.com/</span></a>.
If you’re not in the NJ area, check out Molly Maid or ask around your
neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Mani/Pedi gift certificate </span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– Who
says a new mom can’t have nice nails? It’s tough to feel pretty when you’re
breastfeeding every 2.5 hours and barely getting a chance to shower or shave
your legs. This gift will not only give her the chance to sit and relax for an
hour but it will also be a total self-esteem boost. This probably wouldn’t cost
you more than $35 or $40. I recommend you choose a salon that is close to her
home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Massage or facial gift certificate </span></i></b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">– </span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once
again, new moms don’t get to relax much (if at all). A massage or facial could
be JUST what the doctor ordered. It’s not likely she will purchase this for
herself but she will totally love you if you get it for her. My hubby got me
this for my birthday and it was definitely the present I enjoyed the most.
Massage Envy has 1-hour introductory massage sessions for $49, which makes this
gift totally affordable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Gift card for Babies R’ Us</span></i></b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"></span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> –
Babies are expensive and everyone can use a little extra dough. Trust me,
eventually she will find something she needs and will be more than thankful for
your generous contribution to her growing family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l9 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">A night or day of babysitting </span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– She
would probably love a chance to go out and have a date night with her
husband or friends that she probably rarely sees now. If you’re good with
babies and she feels comfortable with you watching her child, let her know that
she can count on you for a night of her choice. Just keep in mind, if you
rarely see her or her kid then don’t offer this because chances are she won’t
feel okay leaving her child with you. A lot of people have offered to watch my
son but they have barely spent any time with him so obviously I wouldn’t be
okay leaving him with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Professional photo shoot </span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– My
father-in-law and his wife hired a professional photographer for our son’s baby
pictures. The photographer was amazing and she took such great pictures that I
will treasure forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">A great </span></i></b><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #993300; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/skip-hop-lady-bento-diaper-bag-black-white/-/A-14263082#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=diaper bags" title="Diaper Bag"><span style="color: #993300;">diaper bag </span></a></span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– Okay
so I got this one for myself. The one I got from my baby shower broke (that’s
what I get for putting a pretty one vs. a practical one on my registry). I
decided to spend a little more and got a really beautiful and classic looking
bag with tons of pockets, zippers and space for everything baby-related I need
to carry around. Not to mention it doesn’t exactly look like a diaper bag and
it’s gender neutral so my husband doesn’t feel weird carrying around something
too cutesy when he is on daddy duty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo8; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #993300; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.landsend.com/pp/womens-supima-sleep-t-robe~244106_59.html" title="Comfy robe"><span style="color: #993300;">Comfy robe</span></a> </span></i></b><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">&</span></i></b><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #993300; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> <a href="http://www.victoriassecret.com/sleepwear/robes-and-slippers/satin-slipper?ProductID=84355&CatalogueType=OLS" title="Slippers"><span style="color: #993300;">slippers </span></a></span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– Those
feedings in the middle of the night are really tough. You’re just so exhausted
and it helps if you have a comfy and warm robe and slippers to crawl into
before sleepwalking your way into the baby’s room for 3AM mealtime.<b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo9; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26%23153;+-+7%22+LCD+Digital+Photo+Frame+-+Black/9379567.p?id=1218095151827&skuId=9379567" title="Digital picture frame"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #993300; padding: 0in; text-decoration-line: none;">Digital picture frame</span></i></b><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #9b2421; padding: 0in; text-decoration-line: none;"> </span></i></b></a>– For the
working mom, give her a digital picture frame she can put on her desk. We working
moms miss our children terribly throughout the day. A small digital picture
frame would be a perfect temporary solution for when you’re aching to hug and
kiss your baby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo10; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> Local food delivery for dinner<a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+PowerShot+A4000+IS+16.0MP+Camera+-+Silver,+Free+Bag+%26+Free+8GB+Memory+Card/9999192600050001.p?id=pcmprd192100050001&skuId=9999192600050001&st=Canon_Free_Case_Mem_70413&lp=4&cp=1" title="digital camera"><span style="color: #9b2421;"> </span></a></span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– Makes life so much easier when you have to cook one less meal. Find out a local restaurant she likes and order dinner takeout. Better yet, just get her a gift card so she can choose when and what to get. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo10; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Originally posted: <a href="http://missgrownup.com/10-gifts-for-new-moms/"><span style="color: blue;">Miss
Grown Up</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-9453894229489410482017-04-09T23:54:00.004-04:002017-04-09T23:54:56.145-04:00Baby Music That Won't Drive You Crazy<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There’s
only so much Baby Mozart I can handle before wanting to blow my brains out.
I’ve had some trouble finding albums that are appropriate for my baby so I
decided to create my own playlist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br />Here’s
a list of 10 songs my baby and I love:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. Hold
You In My Arms – Ray Lamontagne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
River – Joni Mitchell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
Lullaby – Ben Folds Five<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. This
Is The First Day Of My Life – Bright Eyes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.
Carry You – Dispatch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7. You
Can Close Your Eyes – James Taylor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8. When
the Night Comes – Dan Auerbach<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9. Tree
By The River – Iron & Wine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.
Golden – My Morning Jacket<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Originally posted: <a href="http://missgrownup.com/baby-music-that-wont-drive-you-crazy/"><span style="color: blue;">Miss Grown Up</span></a></span></div>
jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-70935953184757905022017-04-09T23:54:00.000-04:002017-04-09T23:54:01.328-04:00Responses to Rude Pregnancy Comments<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
you’re pregnant there is no hiding it and one of the things you learn early on
is how to deal with unwanted advice and rude comments. I’ve put together some
of the most common remarks I’ve received and the number of ways I have
responded. By the way, get used to it! Once you have the baby, you’re bombarded
with even more comments and unsolicited advice of what you should and shouldn’t
be doing. Consider it practice and try to have a sense of humor with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">OMG! You’re huge!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">I’ve never been a skinny girl and have always been a bit chubby. When I got pregnant I was super careful about my diet (for the most part). I did end up gaining too much weight (about 50lbs!). Several people (even total strangers) commented on my size and it made me so uncomfortable. I’ve never been totally okay with my size to begin with. I’ve used all of these answers depending on whom I was talking to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actually, I’m carrying pretty small now – wait till I’m 9 months
pregnant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanks, but the doctor says I’ve gained a healthy amount of
weight so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OMG I know! I feel like a whale but I’m pregnant so that’s my
excuse – what’s yours?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wasn’t so skinny before I got pregnant and I’m kind of
sensitive about my weight. I’d appreciate you keep your comments to yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actually, I’ve lost a couple pounds so thanks a lot asshole. (I
lied but it made me feel better).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Oh you’re having a girl – girls take away the mothers beauty. That’s why you have so much acne.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had
crazy pregnancy acne (thank God it goes away!). An unbelievable amount of
people would guess I was having a girl because of it. A lot of my family
friends were really insensitive about it. I had to hear how my baby was taking
away my beauty and that really sucked. Even a cashier at Loews said I was going
to have a girl because I had so much acne.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m having a boy – but thanks for telling me I’ve lost my
beauty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You should read up on pregnancy hormones before making comments
like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wow that’s fascinating logic – what medical school did you go
to?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s rude of you. Would you mind not commenting on my acne?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeah it sucks, but it sucks even more having strangers point it
out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Are you dilated at all?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ll
never forget this random woman at the pool that asked me if I was dilated. I
was huge and ready to pop – being that I was 6 days late. For some reason
people think that it’s okay to ask personal questions about your vagina
when you’re pregnant.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are you brain damaged at all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gee I don’t know. I haven’t stuck my hand up my vag to check
lately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Umm, not yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s a personal question about my vagina. Did you really just
ask that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t know. </span></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0px;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-size: 16px; text-indent: 0px;">Belly Rubs</b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s
hard to hide being pregnant. You walk around with a huge belly and some people
think it’s okay to walk up to you and touch it. I especially had some family
friends that I wasn’t exactly that close with come up to me and rub my belly.
People tend to forget that they’re touching a part of your body – they wouldn’t
do that if you weren’t pregnant. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve stepped back and put my hands in front or turned away from
the person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve rubbed their belly back and laughed about how inappropriate
it was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You do realize you’re rubbing a part of my body now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I weren’t pregnant you’d never consider it appropriate to
touch my stomach. Why do you feel it’s okay now?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can you please not do that – it makes me uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Originally posted <a href="http://missgrownup.com/responses-to-rude-pregnancy-comments/"><span style="color: blue;">Miss Grown Up</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-82127081168245195122017-04-09T23:50:00.002-04:002017-04-09T23:50:27.739-04:005 Things to Prep for With a NewbornI’m an avid blog reader and have read about the good, the bad and the gross. But nothing truly prepares you for motherhood. So here is my list of the top 5 things I was unprepared for with a newborn.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Breastfeeding.</b> The children in my family were breastfed and there is no doubt that breastfeeding is the healthiest option for your baby. So naturally I was 100% invested and totally gung-ho about breastfeeding for the entire first year. I bought a new breast pump (EXPENSIVE mistake!) and a bunch of lanolin cream. Some women don’t have problems and find the whole thing to be wonderful. Without going into much detail, I had an awful experience. My husband and I came to the conclusion that everyone would be much happier if mommy wasn’t crying over the sink at 4AM holding warm compresses. I was a shirtless and miserable mess and my son was going hungry. We are all so much happier with formula. There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing between formula or breast milk. This is a personal choice and don’t let anyone make you feel badly about your decision. Only you know what is best for your baby and your family.<br />
<br />
<b>Lack of Sleep. </b>Everyone tells you to rest while you’re pregnant because you won’t get much sleep once the baby comes. Holy crap – I wish I had listened. I knew I’d be waking up in the middle of the night for feedings but I had no idea how difficult it would be. Waking up every couple of hours for diaper changes and 45-minute feasting sessions SUCKS. And everyone tells you to sleep while the baby is sleeping. That would be a great idea if you didn’t have to wash 5 loads of laundry a day, try to keep up with cleaning, making dinners and taking care of whatever pets you have. I honestly don’t know how people handle more than one kid. Also, if you’re anything like me, I can’t seem to force myself to relax. I tend to literally collapse when my body has exerted all its energy. If you can make yourself sleep while the baby is sleeping, more power to you. The good thing is, you do get used to it and it’s not so bad after a couple months.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Grumpy Time.</b> Every evening at about 6 pm we are greeted with crying and screaming and all around grumpy baby time. Yes, it’s a solid few hours of pure face screaming. We have found ways of dealing with it – he loves to be sung to and it turns out I have a pretty cool kid. He likes Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, FUN, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jeff Buckley. My husband’s co-worker also gave us a DVD – The Happiest Baby on the Block, which has been magical and you should just go ahead and buy that. Trust me.<br />
<br />
<b>Errands. </b>You can pretty much say good-bye to running out to the store to just grab a few things. A quick trip to the supermarket has been replaced with either trying to find a sitter, dragging someone to come with you to push the cart or stroller around, sticking the car seat into the cart (which only works if you need a couple small items) or walking around with the baby carrier on your chest. Going anywhere has become a challenge and so much planning is involved. We have been lucky though. My mom comes over almost every weekend so my husband and I get some alone time and have a lot of date night opportunities while Grandma gets her time with the baby. But yeah – your life changes so drastically and sometimes I miss my freedom.<br />
<br />
<b>The Love. </b>Since I’m not a heartless b*tch, I knew I’d love my baby. But you just can’t explain a mother’s love. There’s just no feeling stronger and there is no feeling better than holding your child in your arms and gazing into his eyes. I’ve never been the kind of woman that goes nuts over cute babies so I was a little worried what kind of mom I would be. All those hormones have made me more emotional and the love I feel for my child is unexplainable. I don’t think anyone could understand it until they experience it for themselves. If I could, I would move mountains for him. There is literally nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for my child.<br />
<br />
I could continue because there is a lot we weren’t prepared for. But I’ve realized that it’s just not possible to prepare for everything and sometimes you just must roll with the punches. Everyone wings it the first time around. Last note – anyone and everyone will suddenly consider it their obligation to offer unsolicited advice and it’s important to remember that you call the shots. Ultimately you should listen to your gut. You will know what is best for your child.<br />
<br />
<i>photo credit: iVillage </i><br />
<i>Originally published Miss Grown Up
</i>jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-73218966020447722422011-10-08T12:08:00.000-04:002011-10-08T12:08:29.176-04:00Occupy My StreetAt first I wrote it off as a silly protest by a bunch of hippies and unemployed folks that have nothing better to do than ask for ridiculous demands from multi-national companies and our government. <br />
<br />
I on the other hand have gone to work every day for the past two weeks, working my ass off to make sure I do a great job. I get paid a decent salary – far less than what salary.com says I should be making but hey – it’s a job and I’m one of the few people that actually enjoy what I do for a living and like the people I work with. <br />
<br />
My salary is exactly the same as my older sister when she graduated college – 17 years ago… But I have 8 years of industry experience under my belt and 17 years ago the rent on my sisters apartment was half of what I am currently paying. <br />
<br />
But whatever, I’m 27 years old, and I have a full-time job with vacation time, benefits, health and dental insurance. I’ll be done with my MBA in a couple months and I’m wondering what other degree I should go back for once I finish because lets face it – I know I don’t make enough to pay back my student loans. <br />
<br />
Just last week we emptied out our pantry and returned as much as we could to Shoprite and A&P because we desperately needed money. Every week it’s a struggle between our bills that continue to pile up. “Okay, well AT&T is generally okay with letting you set up a date to pay later without charging you a late fee but oh Sallie Mae wants money NOW and you can’t get to school or work without your car insurance bill getting paid.” Next week we will revisit AT&T vs Comcast vs PSEG. <br />
<br />
I guess what I’m trying to say here is I get it now… I’m working, paying taxes, continuing my education, doing everything I should be doing yet I can’t afford to live. Now let’s get 1 thing straight – I live in a crappy 1 bedroom apartment with my boyfriend and 1 adopted cat. There’s no lavish lifestyle I’m trying to uphold but I’m 27 and I’d like to have a family and children one day but right now – I sold off half my pantry just so I could get toilet paper, garbage bags, cat food, eggs, and dish soap. So having children and buying a house seems like its just impossible. <br />
<br />
We don’t go out and spend endless amounts of money; our credit card bill is pretty low compared to most our age and it’s not about living beyond our means. We don’t shop for brand name clothes – we get what we need and we try to get as much as we can that is from thrift stores or exchanging things with our friends so even though it’s not new – it’s new to us. Yes, I am tired. I am frustrated and I do want to see a fundamental change in how things work. <br />
<br />
But just like most others – I have no idea how to start or what to specifically ask for. I certainly am not asking for a lot – I’m one of the lucky ones. But seriously – the only reason I’m scared to graduate with my MBA is because I know that on my current salary there is NO WAY I can afford to pay back my student loans. Is it too much to ask for education to be free or at least reasonably priced? Do textbooks every semester seriously need to add up to be over $800? <br />
<br />
But whose fault is it? The big evil companies that come out with products I love and use all the time? NO. Is it the government? Maybe but what do I want them to do about it and how could they do something in a way that benefits our country as a whole? I know it’s not just about me and other people in my situation… <br />
<br />
I don’t know all the answers and I don’t even know all the questions to ask. But I do know this – I realized now that I am part of the 99%... And I’m not some lazy, uneducated kid with nothing better to do with my time. I’m a soon-to-be MBA grad with 8 years of experience and an empty pantry.jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-14230821233242476602011-02-16T08:34:00.006-05:002011-02-16T21:29:17.037-05:00The Secret Social Media Marketing<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="274" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s2hVanSaAds?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="427"></iframe><br />
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I've been trying to get an answer to this for a while and I've come to a conclusion... <br />
<br />
The question: When you have a blog, facebook, twitter, linked in and you're using these sites - how do you get people to be engaged when you're trying to get your message out there?<br />
<br />
The answer: We are all looking at it the wrong way... It's not about getting our messages out there and getting people to talk about us. It's all about them - how to get information on them to make our products or services work better for them.jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-67188300994634763092010-09-08T13:58:00.004-04:002011-02-16T21:30:09.042-05:00Should you do the Social Media "thing"?<object width="427" height="274"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i-IwvxSCbis?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i-IwvxSCbis?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="427" height="274"></embed></object><br />
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<br />
So here’s my gripe. I always here people talking about whether the social media “thing” is a good thing or if it’s a bad thing. Here’s my problem… Who cares – it doesn’t matter. It just is what it is. When the cell phone became popular did people talk about the positives and negatives? Probably – but I think I only know 1 person who is an adult who doesn’t have a cell phone. In fact, I don’t even have a home phone – just a cell phone. <br />
<br />
So here’s the deal. It is what it is and the face book, the twitter, the whatever are all avenues of communication that you can use to communicate with whomever you want. <br />
<br />
Yes – if you’re dumb about it and say things that are inappropriate or can cost you your job then maybe you deserve it. Just be smart about it. If you partied at a kegger this past weekend do all of your clients and co-workers really need to know that? Probably not – keep that crap to yourself or to your personal and private facebook page.<br />
<br />
Use your blog, twitter accounts, linked in account and public facebook pages to share your knowledge, your thoughts and opinions and most of all information that people will find interesting and helpful. It’s all about being real, authentic, and actually giving a crap about others. <br />
<br />
The bottom line… If you really don’t care then don’t bother. It is time consuming and it takes effort to keep up with. But at the same time – if you do care and actually have things to say that can help others then why keep it to yourself? Put yourself out there, position yourself the way you want others to see you. You hold the power in your own hands now. <br />
<br />
Is it a good thing? Yes! Should you do it? Yes – if you give a crap. <br />
<br />
That’s all. <br />
<br />
Happy New Year to all my fellow Jewish Friends.<br />
<br />
By The Way - <a href="http://thecynicalgirl.com/">http://thecynicalgirl.com/</a> Laurie Ruettimann - Amen sister. Read her blog. It's great.jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-51941388507855859742010-09-03T20:27:00.002-04:002011-02-16T21:30:36.431-05:00Stop Using Word or Publisher to Design<object height="274" width="428"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAngTx0iQeQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAngTx0iQeQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="428" height="274"></embed></object><br />
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<br />
Seriously... I shouldn't need to be saying this. But you people need to stop designing your own logos, letterhead, business cards - whatever... Unless you are in fact a graphic designer then by all means - design your little heart out. But if you are a lawyer, plumber, or anything other than a designer then STOP doing it! Please! People are going to be nice and say it looks great but I'm going to be real with you. Chances are, it looks like crap. Most of the logos I have seen that people made themselves or had their 14 year old daughters make have just sucked. You'd have no idea what the company is, what your service is, and it says NOTHING about you. <br />
<br />
Here's what you want... A brand. You want a brand image so that you stand out from everyone else who does the same thing as you. So hire a real designer who actually has experience and someone who has a strong portfolio. Because ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. It matters if it resonates with your customers and you are not your customer. <br />
<br />
Okay I'm done.<br />
<br />
For now.<br />
<br />
Wait. I'm not done.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKvozRahYTJCOKXkDEe1INUNpIO1knVgfizCqGdUe69_b8Huu4HhVgMV0lbPk8I_Jg_ZRHhvfDV_w6-ybDi920IRw4iXhfrzmg6-xwcqO3E-8Dy3xtcd8O7BxXLotIdIFa9-1gtWiznpE/s1600/bad-logos-awful-fonts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKvozRahYTJCOKXkDEe1INUNpIO1knVgfizCqGdUe69_b8Huu4HhVgMV0lbPk8I_Jg_ZRHhvfDV_w6-ybDi920IRw4iXhfrzmg6-xwcqO3E-8Dy3xtcd8O7BxXLotIdIFa9-1gtWiznpE/s320/bad-logos-awful-fonts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.bizcardfail.com/2010/07/logo-fail-10-ways-to-avoid-making.html">Image stolen from: </a><br />
http://www.bizcardfail.com/2010/07/logo-fail-10-ways-to-avoid-making.htmljkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-17565526384596980772010-09-02T09:06:00.001-04:002010-09-02T09:07:34.849-04:00Follow up - I need to stop making odd faces<object width="428" height="274"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhFXs5rdK2M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhFXs5rdK2M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="428" height="274"></embed></object><br />
<br />
I had just got off a skype call so I was in video cam mode. Anyway - I can't believe how many times I said "ummmm" in that first video. And I do know the appropriate times to say "scary" or "scared." <br />
<br />
I have no problem admitting that it is kind of weird to be shooting these videos and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. But I like the idea of it because it's much easier for readers to get to know you when they can not only read what you say but also listen and watch you. <br />
<br />
I'll be shooting some more video over the weekend. I welcome any advice/comments!<br />
<br />
Thanks!jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-88973282870985824612010-08-30T09:13:00.003-04:002010-08-30T09:18:04.391-04:00My very first ever video blog entry!<object width="428" height="275"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jDRopoBDxC0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jDRopoBDxC0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="428" height="275"></embed></object><br />
<br />
I'm kind of excited about this... Video blogs, vlogs, not totally sure how must people refer to them, either way - it's such a great concept. If you don't feel comfortable writing or simply feel like you would have an easier time showing your personality and style through a video then give it a shot. <br />
<br />
The best way to build credibility and position yourself as an expert is to put yourself out there. Don't be scared to share what you know!jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-7390306219058662452010-07-12T18:01:00.002-04:002010-07-12T18:01:30.836-04:00Technology Addicts<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cjsayevic%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBOK6jJeShIdr4egs93hp1QgZ-yjhWw-dQ6w8vk3rmAf4p03lOPlcLpwwGjHNP3sbe6W-L7qHTReLzZUSHmEyXsURW6u6CXroiqp6ZojBgL_9ajXKNbezmIu3q80Lg2gT14i7_NLirKvd/s1600/kids-addicted-to-technology-189953080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBOK6jJeShIdr4egs93hp1QgZ-yjhWw-dQ6w8vk3rmAf4p03lOPlcLpwwGjHNP3sbe6W-L7qHTReLzZUSHmEyXsURW6u6CXroiqp6ZojBgL_9ajXKNbezmIu3q80Lg2gT14i7_NLirKvd/s320/kids-addicted-to-technology-189953080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Last night I went to the movies to see Grown-Ups. It was a funny movie – while I’m no movie critic, I would give it a B rating. Anyway, the point of this post is not to talk about how great the movie was. It’s really about the boy that looked about 15 that sat next to me and the girl that looked about 15 that sat next to my boyfriend. Throughout the entire movie they texted and were on facebook. I’m pretty sure if I were to ask them some general questions about the movie they wouldn’t be able to answer them. While I understand the importance of multi-tasking I am sad at how children are so attached to technology. Although I am a huge technology enthusiast I can’t help but think that it is severely affecting the quality of life of our children. It’s an incredible thing that has changed the foundation and platform of business but then again, cake is a wonderful thing – in small portions and it must be balanced with a healthy diet. Similarly, technology needs to fit into a balance along with face-to-face friendship and communication and outdoor activities. I still believe that it’s important to focus marketing efforts online for businesses. But as for our personal lives – take a look at your own life and your family – are you addicted or do you think you can handle watching a movie without checking your phone… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-49325002541036816822010-07-04T12:52:00.000-04:002010-07-04T12:52:06.988-04:0010 Blogs to Boost Your Social Network Savvy<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/200472/10_blogs_to_boost_your_social_network_savvy.html">10 Blogs to Boost Your Social Network Savvy</a><br /><br />I haven't looked deeply into this yet but the little I have seen has certainly shown great value and relevant information so be sure to check it out.jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-16401962555738721442010-07-03T23:53:00.002-04:002010-07-04T00:02:46.486-04:00Just Google It<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEoXev4UxQX3MIIHS4ruTfkZ1fyJ18LW5vAWJLNuXqK2awIbMp4S94iMJV-HleM5d6IclPjLS8O4ABZzkRIqIynw8MWuMCqaBSOpRS8pPO2biKqsDUx6WXhhHFa8-myOvQ6DzzZvMz3BD/s1600/image002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEoXev4UxQX3MIIHS4ruTfkZ1fyJ18LW5vAWJLNuXqK2awIbMp4S94iMJV-HleM5d6IclPjLS8O4ABZzkRIqIynw8MWuMCqaBSOpRS8pPO2biKqsDUx6WXhhHFa8-myOvQ6DzzZvMz3BD/s400/image002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489896569362174114" border="0" /></a><br />Today I was in the Milltown Parade with my good friends at Friendly Electric Heating & Air. It was a lot of fun - despite being bombarded with crowds of people wanting beads from me. On the way back from the parade I was sitting in the back of the car with a 13 year old and two 7 year old kids. As we were talking the 13 year old noticed my cell phone - she was very impressed that it was the iPhone4 and she knew all about the apps and said that it was such a cool phone. It might be a little sad at how flattered I was that a 13 year old thought that I, a 26 year old, was cool. As we continued our conversation, one of the 7 year olds mentioned that he will be going to Germany to visit his family. When I asked him what city, he said Italy... I was 7 a long time ago - maybe geography is not something they know very well. But when someone in the car asked a question that nobody could answer, the 7 year old boy immediately said, "why don't you just google it." I was a bit taken back but then it got me thinking... How can anybody think that the Internet isn't the place to be focusing marketing energy. Even 7 year olds turn to google to find answers. If you are a business owner and you are not focusing your energy on SEO and social media then you are truly missing out and falling behind fast. Although it is sad that the kid thought that Italy was a city in Germany - he could always just google it. :)jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-20037329797068507682010-07-01T00:35:00.003-04:002010-07-01T00:40:12.152-04:00Are You Scared of Social Media?There is a serious question that needs to be addressed in ALL businesses that plan on thriving (not surviving) the next decade. The issue is social media. OMG it’s so freaking scary isn’t it? Actually, I find it so exciting but there are many many many many many people absolutely terrified of it. Oh but the legal ramifications – people are talking, what are they saying? They can’t say that – what if they say this – what if they post this picture? LISTEN… People are talking, they’re saying a lot of stuff. Who was it that said that your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room? Anyway, here’s the deal. Social media has totally transformed the way we do business, interact and communicate with each other, customers and vendors. If you want to be successful you have to accept change. Get ready for it and plan on how to implement change. Fighting it will not help. Facebook and twitter and linked in are just a few of the sites out there – there are TONS. And here’s the reality – it’s not going anywhere, it’s not a fad and it is here to stay. If you do not embrace it and join it then you will fade away quicker than pods (remember those?). People are talking about your brand either way. The lines have blurred and perhaps you will see a picture of your employees on the beach drinking a beer all the while you are shocked because they have become facebook friends with an important client. I understand – and it is scary because so much information is available to so many people. But the fact you have to face is that social media has transformed the business landscape. Just pushing your message out there to the public isn’t going to work. People expect personalization now and people want to do business with people not faceless companies. They want accountability and transparency and if you aren’t offering that then you better think fast on how you will compete. It’s late and I’m exhausted. So I’m terribly sorry about the grammatical errors and typos and I’m pretty sure I’ve included an unnecessary amount of run-on sentences…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">POINT IS </span>– Social media is not going away and if you don’t figure out a way to incorporate it into your business structure and marketing then you are losing out and ultimately it will be detrimental to your business. Focus on creating transparency and honesty to get the respect and attention from your customers. Join the discussions and properly represent yourself and remember – people run every business and people want to do business with other people. So stop hiding behind your cubicle walls and join the conversation. If you don’t join in – your competitor most likely already is.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRiW6a9x7R44iR6nZGxgdblTB3Vixox7yDaZykIR5JT0akI4AmHKVapvvPosqfCgTunqFzACreI27kHqfS7JcllVvnfKmC0tLmEOrzust-GaYSfP_WXC8C0vACkM4Zy7SUgsrw7uEiawt/s1600/SocialMediaLand.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRiW6a9x7R44iR6nZGxgdblTB3Vixox7yDaZykIR5JT0akI4AmHKVapvvPosqfCgTunqFzACreI27kHqfS7JcllVvnfKmC0tLmEOrzust-GaYSfP_WXC8C0vACkM4Zy7SUgsrw7uEiawt/s400/SocialMediaLand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488792912288407858" border="0" /></a><br /></div>jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-87696449352479123562010-06-29T11:52:00.005-04:002010-06-29T11:57:58.274-04:00Importance of Customer Service<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZTDMybEuFIWcKWWVhyphenhyphenAr5tGHy-RIJ4vV2n0ebsGGpuNaMlEriiF-GWev75wWT4ARIkRW1hPN5htFCAvG5I_7WIYvV5y2Ij4geRP7juGIuNp8NI1WAz93yK5TDb6za20BxVGx33WOGnbo/s1600/really-bad-customer-service.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZTDMybEuFIWcKWWVhyphenhyphenAr5tGHy-RIJ4vV2n0ebsGGpuNaMlEriiF-GWev75wWT4ARIkRW1hPN5htFCAvG5I_7WIYvV5y2Ij4geRP7juGIuNp8NI1WAz93yK5TDb6za20BxVGx33WOGnbo/s320/really-bad-customer-service.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488224434899699426" border="0" /></a>I had been planning on talking about the importance of customer service in this posting because of what happened to me last week… Briefly, I got the new iPhone4 (yay!). I love it besides the fact that my cheeks are constantly hanging up on people while I’m mid-sentence. Other than that – it’s great! For those of you that don’t personally know me, I’m extremely clumsy. Almost daily I trip over something, walk into something or somebody or drop something… That being said, the Otterbox is an awesome phone case for me because you can seriously throw it against the wall and your phone will remain protected. I’ve tested this several times. However, the new Otterbox for iPhone4 has not come out yet and I was on a mission last week to find a similar product or something that would at least somewhat protect my new expensive toy until I can get my Otterbox case. The AT&T store had sold out of cases so I headed over to Best Buy. I walked over to the phone section where two employees were bombarded with mounds of cases and phones. Both were with a customer and I patiently waited…and waited…and waited… After standing around looking through cases for about 20 minutes I started getting frustrated. Obviously the employee about 2 feet away from me sees my frustration and certainly sees me standing there. But he did not even say hello or say he will be right with me. Instead he said, you can’t open any of the boxes. I said okay, can someone tell me what case I need for this phone. He basically said any of the cases. (wrong…) Most were not going to fit this phone. So I chose three that looked right and ran around the store trying to find another employee to help me. The last thing I wanted was to deal with that jerk again. Anyway – one guy who seemed nice and looked like he might have a clue did not at all have even half a clue. I knew more than him about cases.<br /><br />Ultimately, I was told I had to buy 2 cases in order to open them to see if either would fit and then I would have to exit the store and come back in to return them if they did not fit. REALLY???? There is not 1 employee that can tell me what case to buy? I wasn’t asking about pricing, color, all I wanted was something that would fit my freaking phone. Well I was bad – I opened one of the boxes – it didn’t fit so I neatly put it back. I bought the other case which looked okay. It didn’t fit… I went back in, right up to the guy who initially ignored me and said to him just give me a case that will fit the iPhone4 and has a screen cover. He pointed to another case which I then purchased. It did not have a screen cover. I went back over there and said I need a screen cover. He pointed to one. I purchased it. Only to realize that the screen cover will not fit into the case. At this point I almost started crying. Damn me for being so clumsy that I needed a case so badly. I went over to the returns desk to return all the cases that I initially purchased and FINALLY a girl there was helpful. Well, she was at least nice – not helpful. But she at least tried and was HONEST with me about what she knew and did not know.<br /><br />Yesterday I went into staples while I was trying to hook up a computer I realized I had the wrong plug. The “tech” guy there, while nice and annoyingly flirty had no clue what he was talking about. Had I been as naive as I looked I would have been dragging a huge desktop PC into staples for some random kid to look at it who didn’t have the slightest idea of how to fix it and ultimately probably would have caused more damage than I had to begin with.<br /><br />So… moral of this story… Customers sometimes drive you crazy. But being in business you have to understand that generally people are good and if they are not the nicest, there is probably a reason for it. Perhaps they just experienced the frustration I had at Best Buy. My point is, if you work with people in any business – yours or not… If you care at all about the success of business and like your job you will respect customers and at least try to be helpful and be honest about your knowledge. If you truly care about helping people solve their problems you will at least be able to empathize with their situation, listen to their needs, and offer some kind of solution. If you do not know the answer, be honest about it and try to help them find the answer. Don’t just try to be smart to impress them or because you don’t want to deal with them say whatever you feel. People are smarter than you may think and it will come back to bite you in the @$$. You’re nuts if you think I ever plan on going back to that Best Buy and that was the first and last time I will every turn to a “tech” guy at Staples for help – at least at that particular store.<br /><br />If you just scrolled down to the bottom of this and chose to not read my rant that is fine. Just remember this… Don’t BS your way through helping a customer when you really do not know the answer they need. Be nice… and try to help. If you can’t handle that then you really shouldn’t be working with people.jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101423475134873908.post-78719125722243748062010-06-23T00:08:00.007-04:002010-06-23T09:03:11.820-04:00Don't Go Diving in the Ocean Until You Learn to SwimI used to work a lot with small businesses as a marketing consultant. I had my own company for a little while and almost each client had the same story. They wanted to get onto the "internet/facebook bandwagon". You know - that internet thing is really where they got stuck. But it went much further than they realized. It wasn't just that internet thing that they didn't understand but it was the foundation of their business. Some of my clients had lost sight of why they started their business in the first place and most of them never really took the time to get to know their who their clients were. That's really where the problem was and at that point I realized that I had my work cut out for me. In some ways, they expected me to build something from nothing which wasn't easy. <br /><br />I understand as a small business owner you want to focus on what will bring in money because after all - what's really more important than the bottom line? If you don't have money coming in then how are you expected to survive? I totally get that. But before diving into an ocean filled will sharks and exotic fish, you want to do a little research - about the creatures you'd encounter and the environment. You want to know what you should wear and other ways you should prepare before diving in. Similarly, you want to do some research before starting. Get to know your customers - who are they, what do they think about at night, what problems do they deal with, where do you fit in, how can you help your customers live their lives easier or better? This is an ongoing process - you can't just read a biography and forget about it. Your customers are changing and adapting and you must do the same in order to be relevant. <br /><br />I'll get into the "internet thing" in a later post. But for now, where would you be without your customers? Probably not in business. So in terms of the bottom line - what could possibly be more important than educating yourself on your customers? <br /><br />--- FYI - I'm no expert and am certainly not pretending to be. There's more people than I can name or even know that are marketing gurus out there. I just figure it's about time I choose a focus for this blog and frankly, if there's anything I'm most passionate about, it's business, marketing and graphic design. <br /><br />Here's the post that got me thinking on the purpose of my blog. So my goal is to keep this blog alive, interesting and helpful. Ultimately - I don't want it to suck and it would be nice if eventually people would read it. :) <br /><br /><a href=" http://www.copyblogger.com/does-my-content-suck/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Copyblogger+%28Copyblogger%29"></a><br /><a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/does-my-content-suck/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Copyblogger+%28Copyblogger%29">http://www.copyblogger.com/does-my-content-suck/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Copyblogger+%28Copyblogger%29</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.futureofthebook.org/itinplace/wp-content/archives/drown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 572px;" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org/itinplace/wp-content/archives/drown.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>jkasianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062521408724186789noreply@blogger.com0