December 10, 2011

Taking your kid (and your camera) outdoors

“Keep it simple. Not just in your nature photography but also in your approach to hiking with a child. You don’t need a ton of equipment (for taking pictures or for the baby) and you should definitely leave it to the great outdoors to provide the awe. No need to overcomplicate anything. If you’re stressed out while hiking with your baby, you’re missing the point of the activity.”

It’s not always pretty but it can be done. More tips on how we’re doing it in my guest post on Megan’s blog, Made with True Love….

(Check out her awesome ideas for taking pictures & videos of your baby while there. She provides me with a lot of inspiration for making better videos!)

November 27, 2011

This blog contains very little *actual* medical knowledge.

According to my insightful Lijit stats*, it turns out that the vast majority of people who come to my blog from Google do so by searching for something cervix-related.

I feel sorry for these people. Mainly because they get a post like this, which helps no one but makes me laugh. It worries me that someone might go looking for their cervix at a kegger. Or the Bermuda Triangle.

But the people I don’t feel sorry for?

The ones who found my blog by searching for ‘Squirrel Munch-A-Bunch’.

Because they’re awesome and I’m pretty sure we could be friends.

*Full disclosure: I no longer work for Lijit, but I am a stockholder. And I freakin’ love the stats they provide.

December 1, 2009

Best of 2009: Trip

From Los Angeles to New York, I was all over the map this year.

However, there was one trip in particular that was by far the most magical…

elopement

Duh.

November 9, 2009

Blog Comments from Mom

I love my mom.

Mom and Dad

But I also love to make fun of her. I’m pretty sure she knows that. We are a family that likes to laugh and this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time that she’s been the subject of my jokes.

(Don’t even get me started about when she was sentenced to federal prison. A comedy tsunami.)

With that disclaimer out of the way, I really enjoy it when my mom leaves comments on my blog. She doesn’t do it often but when she does, there is definitely a reason for it.

Sometimes she’s adding detail and perspective to an experience I’ve tried to recount…adding in her memories of the event. Like on my dysplasia post, when she shed light in the comments about one aspect of wearing a spica cast as an infant that I hadn’t thought much about…

The Bone Dr. had to cut the cast off about every six weeks because it would stink because of the urine and poop that would get on it. Since I was a Pediatric Nurse and worked with the Dr., he always let me take you up to Peds and put you into the bathtub and scrub you. Your skin got real scaly under the cast. You always liked that! Then I took you back to the cast room and he would put a new one on. That happened a number of times. What an experience!

Awesome Mom. Thanks for the visual. I hope you weren’t eating while reading this.

Other times, my mom is very excited about something I posted. And she just can’t hide it.

On the engagement post I wrote, lots of friends left comments and kind words. But my mom had to make sure everyone knew how happy she was, by leaving the following comment…

NO ONE COULD EVER BE HAPPIER THEN THE ONES WHO HAVE KNOWN TARA THE LONGEST…MOM AND DAD. IT DOES OUR HEARTS GOOD TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY IS ADAM ROMANTIC, AND JUST RIGHT FOR TARA. HE IS ALSO JUST RIGHT FOR OUR FAMILY! SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM AND TARA AND THE ENTIRE ANDERSON FAMILY!

Does she know she’s screaming? And does she know that she’s congratulating herself and the entire family? While screaming?

The final example of the perfect blog comment from my mom is one that showcases how badly she wants grandchildren. This is not a secret and I think she sees the comment box as an opportunity to publicly dole out some virtual guilt.

I wrote an innocent post about the eraser collection I had as a child and this is what she had to say about that…

You forgot to mention the erasers are from all over the world. One of the reasons for collecting them, as mementos from the various countries we visited, was the fact they were small enough to pack, I also have an eraser collection, which wull be willed to my first grand-child, Motivation, Huh? Mom

It’s subtle. And you could miss it if you blink. But the guilt is carefully crafted and I do believe that last bit could be construed as a bribe.

However, she hasn’t commented in months and I’m left wondering…

Mom, why don’t you comment anymore? Is it because I haven’t been commenting on your blog?

Leave a comment Ma and let me know you’re not dead on the side of the road.

October 25, 2009

Shots on Goal

Oh hai list of goals that I wanted to accomplish for this year. Long time, no see.

Enter snowy day and the perfect time to sit down and revisit said list. After blowing dust off the blog post, I spent some time thinking about what I’ve accomplished. 1

With the hopes of keeping myself accountable, here’s how I’ve been progressing:

#2. run another marathon.

timberline

This was one of those goals that got slightly amended. I did not have time to train for a marathon, but I did have time to run a different half-marathon in a new state. So that’s what I did instead. (Perhaps before I’m 40 I’ll get another notch in my marathon belt.)

#3. elope.

Done. And done well.

elopement

#4. work on improving my green thumb by growing beans and helping with the community garden.

With the help of my ever-loving  and most patient husband, our garden was bountiful and prosperous.

#5. pay down credit card debt.

Two cards down, a few more to go.

#6. write more letters.

Do thank-you notes count? 2

#10. play another season of Ultimate Frisbee.

It wasn’t a championship season like last year, but we had a lot of spirit. 3

#11. do more push-ups.

The ladies of the Lijit office do (almost) daily push-ups together. Nothing beats a little muscle pump in the afternoon.

#14. roller derby!

rollerderby

Saw my first bout last month and although I’m still undecided on whether or not I should try out, I’m a big fan.

#16. get scuba certified.

Thanks to Weaver’s Dive Center, I’m all set. Belize, here I come!

#24. throw a kickass wedding party.

How about not one, but two kickass wedding parties?

#29. put money in my savings account every month.

So far, so good. 4

The results are a little rough, dear readers.  I’m almost two-thirds of the way through the year and I an only done with one-third of my list.

However, to make myself feel better, I will rationalize that a full third of the list are all goals that are in progress, which means that they will be crossed off at some point:

#1. more yoga.

#8. incorporate strength training into my workout routine.

#9. reach out to my old friends.

#13. give more bodywork

#17. blog more. 5

#20. get rid of unnecessary stuff.

#21. say yes more.

#22. reach outside of my comfort zone.

#23. swim.

#27. be sure my loved ones know how I feel about them.

#28. dance more.

#30. acknowledge gratitude daily.

So, what about that pesky last third of the list? For one reason or another, these goals are the ones that will probably need some adjusting 6 in order to accomplish.

These represent the worst kind of to-do’s–easy to type but much too broad and vague to actually do:

#31.  practice compassion.

#32. forgive and forget.

And then some goals are difficult to achieve because of the money involved:

#19. buy more vintage clothing.

#26. get the tattoo on my ankle redone.

Not to mention, there are the things left that I keep meaning to do…

#7. perform stand-up at least once a month.

#12. explore new parts of Colorado.

#15. experiment with video

#18. learn basics of Photoshop.

#25. volunteer my time with a cause close to my heart.

#33. learn how to juggle.

but that take up more time or energy than I had realized when first creating this list. But I’m figuring it out as I go…and my progress reflects that fact.

It’s just a shame that rocking the footnote plugin wasn’t on the list. 7


  1. Don’t worry. It’s not much.
  2. If you’re reading this and you haven’t received your thank-you note yet, it’s because we’re planning something extra special for you.
  3. That means we wrote good cheers, brought baked goods to games and only one won game.
  4. Of course, in addition to going in, it also comes out some months.
  5. Hey, I’m trying…
  6. Massaging, tweaking, shifting
  7. Because once I start, I just can’t stop…
July 29, 2009

BlogHer 09: The one where I reconsider how to burn calories

I interrupt the lackadaisical posting schedule with a highlight from my time spent at a little gathering of female bloggers that recently occurred. Blame it on the estrogen for a post filled with sex toys. You’ve been warned.

There was some serious swag in the party bags this year. Not Sundance or Academy Award level, but the best stuff I’ve seen at a BlogHer conference yet.

Take the Room 704 party. Women patiently waited not just for the party to start, but for a brown bag full of goodies.

Cleaning supplies? Some of those.

Lip gloss? Some of that.

Vibrator from party sponsor Eden Fantasys?* Yup.

Getting the swag bag was an unexpected surprise since I was simply there for the free alcohol party. In the middle of one conversation, I heard women chanting my name and looked around to find the source of the noise.

Turns out my business card had been drawn from a fishbowl and I have won another sex toy.**

In case you’ve lost count, Mom and Dad, that’s two vibrators. Yes, BlogHer is a blogging conference. (Also? I have no idea what one would even do with such a massager.)

Talking to my roommate the next morning, I retold my tale and showed her my prize from the night before. She smiled and mentioned that she had reviewed that very vibrator on her blog a few weeks before.

What luck.***

I joked with her about missing that post but after waiting a minute, I asked her to tell me what she thought of this particular model.

Shaking her head, she started to laugh. “It didn’t do much for me,” she said.

She must have sensed my dejection because she added one last thing obviously designed to make me feel better.

“But I’m not as athletic as you…”

When your vibrator is more of a workout than anything else, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of even using one?****

*It bugs me that the company name isn’t spelled Fantasies. Is it because I used to be a seventh grade teacher? Or because I work for a company whose name is always misspelled?

** Does this count as drama Kevin and Elaine?

***Because this meant that I didn’t have to write a review.

****Don’t feel like you have to answer this question. Especially if you are my mother.

July 7, 2009

Giving Boulder Love, Day 18: Blame it on the Beer

This is Day 18 of a 21-Day Salute ™. Obviously, this was not a consecutive 21-Day salute and obviously I have some issues when it comes to time management. Sorry cute innocent blog series–real life got busy there for a bit.

I’m in Boulder because of the beer. Not just because I love drinking it, but because my ex got a job brewing beer here. We moved from Houston so he could brew and that was six years ago. My life has changed in many ways since then but my love of Boulder beer has not.

igniteboulder5

In all honesty, one of the many things that has kept me from posting here was a little event called Ignite Boulder. Along with my good friend Elaine*,  I was able to present about beer in Colorado to over seven hundred people at the Boulder Theater. For five minutes, we educated and entertained the crowd. It was awesome. I had so much fun preparing for the presentation (and I don’t mean the pints that were consumed for inspiration),  I thought it only best to share.

(You’ll have to imagine the audio for now. But we were funny, have no doubt.)

If you haven’t checked out an Ignite event in your area, I strongly suggest it. It’s a night of creativity, humor and education. And if you haven’t checked out any of the beer that Colorado produces, then you should definitely get on that.

igniteboulder2Photo courtesy of Stepan Mazurov

Whether you’re enjoying a pint of Avery, Mt. Sun or Boulder beer, it should taste even better since you’re supporting the local economy, drinking a beverage brewed with passion and keeping my ex off the streets. I’ll drink to all those things.

*Elaine was the genius behind the idea for our preso and you can read her take on local beer here. Also? Elaine was the impetus behind getting me out of my posting funk. She dropped the words “baited breath” in a blog comment…fully knowing that I would be worried and waiting for her to exhale. Are you happy now Elaine?

June 8, 2009

Giving Boulder Love, Day 17: A BirdDog in the hand…

This is Day 17 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to share a little bit of what I love about living in Boulder. After slacking off for a couple few err, four days, I’m back and ready to finish this biatch. While I’m at it, you should know that this post is about a product that was *mostly* made in a town not far from Boulder. I’m not perfect but hey, at least I’m honest.

I wanted to throw a party.

And I also wanted to work with BirdDog Press, aka Allison Bozeman, aka super sweet self-described “momecopreneur” with an amazing portfolio of design work and an even better Southern accent.

birddogpress

So I decided to outsource my wedding party invitations to Lyons, Colorado.

I first met Allison at the Chicks who Click after-party in January and it was somewhere after the third Rio margarita that we first talked business.  I don’t know that either one of us remembers much about that conversation but a seed was planted.

On our second and more sober meeting, Alli brought samples of her work carried in these…

littlesuitcases

and she listened as I told her that I didn’t have a lot of time or money. I was having a laid-back wedding party and wasn’t looking for an invitation that was going to be too fancy for the event.

With some creativity, Alli made it happen, reusing scraps she had left over from other projects. I trusted in her completely and was not disappointed. The invitations turned out beautifully, handmade and printed by Alli on 100% recycled paper.

woodblocks

It’s easy to appreciate the source of all this inspiration when you check out Allison’s studio. She let me hang out and watch her work one afternoon. The space is almost as energetic as she is…

birddog2

and the letterpress was a sight to behold. It was amazing to see Alli get that huge machine going. And the lovely paper magic she makes with that letterpress? Breath-taking. The finished product is a little bit vintage, with extra attention to detail, typography and lots of character. To drool over Allison’s creations, check out her blog. To make them yours, check out her Etsy store.

Allison’s work is wonderful but, more than that, she’s a fun lady to have collaborating on your side. I’m already scheming on what to have her make for me next, although I know she’s busy.*

*Word on the street is that she’s making business cards for a special Boulder someone

[photo credit: theHandmaiden and Andrew Hyde.]

June 3, 2009

Giving Boulder Love, Day 16: Seth Addict

This is Day 16 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to share a little bit of what I love about living in Boulder. Thank you sir, may I have five more days?


Not chocolate again…

sethellis2

Yes actually. But not any chocolate. Artisan organic gourmet truffles made thirty blocks down the street from where I live.

These things are almost too beautiful to eat.

sethellis3

The famous blueberry truffle

Almost.

I had heard talk about Seth Ellis chocolates sometime last year but only started to pay attention when they were featured in an article about Foodzie in the NYT.

But the real magic happened when a lovely lady gifted me a box of these extraordinary delights as a thank-you.

sethellis1

Little pieces of melt-in-your-mouth delicious art

Um, no, thank you.

Let’s just say I spent some quality time with Seth Ellis in the Kansas City airport, savoring a box of his assorted truffles and waiting for a delayed flight.*

If the taste wasn’t good enough, the branding and design inspire as well. Heavy on the art-deco and as lovingly created as the chocolates, the packaging and artwork only add to the quality of the product.

blueberry_flat_giant

When I go to check out Seth Ellis Chocolatier online, I’m greeted by this message…

sethellis4

and that’s totally what I’m doing.

To experience Seth Ellis truffles, you can buy them locally or order online through Foodzie.

*I didn’t eat the entire box. But I’ll admit that I did think about it. More than once.

[Photo credits: Seth Ellis Chocolatier, Foodzie and di.wineanddine]

June 2, 2009

Giving Boulder Love, Day 15: Battle of the Chai

This is Day 15 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to share a little bit of what I love about living in Boulder. Turns out I’m also a glutton for punishment and like undertaking random challenges.

chai

I’m a dirty chai kind of a girl and I’m proud of that. When ordering at the coffee shop across the street from my office, the barista asks which variety of local chai I’d like.

That’s what life in Boulder is like…competing chai producers, both within city limits, are vying for my business. So I’m actually letting you know about two local companies in this post. (Don’t say I never went the extra mile for you…)

I offer you a Tuesday night match-up of Bhakti Chai vs. Third Street Chai.* To be honest, I’ve had both brands at local coffee shops but have never purchased a bottle of either. I think chai tastes better when someone else makes it.

thirdstreet

bhakti

After sampling both, I prefer Bhakti. It’s not as sweet as the Third Street variety and has a spicier flavor. Bhakti also scored points with me for coming out with a flavor last year that I fully support…

barakti

But that’s just my two cents.

Thing is–I don’t drink chai much and would like to ask those chai drinkers who know their stuff to shed some light on this topic for me.

Which one do you prefer? Bhakti or Third Street Chai?

[Photo by alykat]

*You should have seen the boxing poster I attempted to make with the companies logos. I ran out of time but it would have put many amateur boxing federation flyers to shame. I could have been a contender…