Socal Mom

links for 2008-07-05

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-slansky-/a-modest-proposal-for-the_b_110821.html
  Happy Independence Day! I think this is a good idea.
  (tags: politics flag oldglory lapelpin)

Guest Post: SoCal Dad Does Wimbledon

Greetings my fellow peeps and peepettes. This is Gareth, husband to SocalMom. But you can call me Sir.

After many years idling in the background, I have finally been honored with the opportunity to post on here.

I can’t mess this up. So, no bad language or inappropriate innuendo allowed, just intellectual witicisms. Dunno if I can do that. Oh well.

The End.

…….. Gareth.

Uh, for my inaugural post, I am in Wimbledon, on Court Number 1.

But first some background. The only reason I am in Britain at all is because of Wimbledon.

But this post wouldn’t be as entertaining if I didn’t tell you all (I have lots of fans) of the lead-up to my Wimbledon trip. And you know what ? Everything in this post you are about to read is travel-related, which is what Donna’s blog is all about. How thoughtful of that is me !! Um …. how thoughtful of me is that ?

links for 2008-07-04

• Why BlogHer is the Best Conference Ever
  (tags: blogher bloghercon blogher08)

So Much to Blog, So Little Time

I may be putting up several posts today - or I may not. It depends on whether I've got wifi in the cabana we have rented for the day.

Yes, we are out of town again and I have lots to say about that. But I still haven't finished the posts about our Palm Springs trip last week... and I'm expecting my husband to do a little write up of his visit yesterday to 1st court at Wimbledon!

In the meantime:

The Summer Travel Get Road Ready Contest has ended and a random drawing has produced three winners!

Reader Rhoda has won the second prize of the Get Road Ready kit with products to make it easier to travel by car. And the winners of the two Nintendo DS game consoles (and Crosswords games to go with them) are Kelby Carr, and Elizabeth of Busy Mom.

I have a new post up at Los Angeles Moms blog... and one of my MOMocrats posts can be seen at Huffington Post.

Watch this space... there's more to come...

links for 2008-06-30

• Hullabaloo
  Analysis of that magic, mystical "center" the Democrats think they must move to... except no one seem to know where that really is any more
  (tags: politics liberal democrats election barackobama)

My Little Girl is Growing Up

Road Trip Summer continues! We're on our way to another nearby destination... in the meantime, if you haven't entered my Summer Road Trip contest, you need to do so NOW: I'm accepting entries until midnight (PST), June 30. Winners will be drawn on July 1.

I don't enjoy shopping for clothes - not for me, nor my husband - and especially not for my daughter, who has had the audacity to develop a mind of her own. I've learned that I need to hang back in the store and let HER discover the items she likes (because if I show them to her, it's an automatic "No").

It was so much easier (and fun) when she was little. Back then, she didn't really care what I gave her to wear.

I practically cried when she got too big to wear Gymboree, and in the last few years, I had to wave goodbye to Children's Place and GapKids, too (although the latter isn't because the clothes don't fit -- she just doesn't think they're cool). I sadly accepted my fate as a LimitedToo shopper, and then (all too soon) became a regular at Abercrombie, Hollister, Aeropostale and American Eagle.

I was relieved that her middle school required the kids to wear a uniform of sorts: mainly white or navy polo shirts and blue or khaki jeans. The girls dress it up a little by layering white and navy t-shirts under the polos -- but in the scheme of tween-age fashion, it's simple and easy.

The problems come up when we have to attend an event where jeans and t-shirts won't do. This week, we will both have to dress up a little... which is how I found myself shopping with Megan this afternoon.

It wasn't pretty.

The problem is that my middle schooler is smaller than the average 12-year-old. She's too old for the typical kid's styles... but can't carry off any of the Junior dresses she actually liked.

This afternoon, we hit just about every store in our local mall -- without luck. She even consented to re-visiting those aforementioned kids' stores (LimitedToo, Children's Place and GapKids). Even I had to admit that the pickings were slim. The closest style we found was at Macy's, but it was emblazoned with a Hannah Montana logo -- which for a 12-year-old, was a deal-breaker.

And then Megan reminded me of the pretty party dress that has been hanging in her closet for as long as she can remember. It had belonged to the daughter of our pre-school's office manager -- and when Megan left to start kindergarten, the woman gave it to me, because she thought it would look good on Megan some day.

Seven years later, that day has come.

links for 2008-06-27

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/washington/25epa.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1214488964-gppNJ/LxbhmJmAgb0diOrA
  Yet ANOTHER example of Bush appointees who politicized a department and screwed us over.
  (tags: politics bush environment epa greenhousegases globalwarming pollution)
• Joe Lieberman Must GO
  Why the hell is this guy still caucusing with the Democrats?
  (tags: lieberman democrats republicans congress)
• An Honor That Bush Is Unlikely to Embrace - NYTimes.com
  I don't mind naming this public facility after our current President.
  (tags: bush politics)

Cabazon: Desert Shopping and Swimming

My plan for today's post was to write about the Palm Springs area and what a bargain it is for travelers in the summer months (when demand for desert uh, warmth is on the low side).

Megan and I were going to leave the house early, check in to our Rancho Mirage hotel and then check out the local sights, like the Aerial Tramway and...

...well, that was the only activity I was aware of here. I figured we woud spend the rest of the day shopping at the River complex, and hanging out at the pool.

That was before Megan turned on her newly charged cell phone and found a text message from a friend, who happened to be staying at the Morongo Casino and Resort, out in Cabazon... which we would be passing by on our way to Palm Springs. The Desert Hills Premium Outlet mall is located right next to the resort... I had always wanted to check it out (for some reason, my husband never seems to want to stop and shop when we're traveling) and Leesa and her family were planning on having lunch there. So why not?

While there, Leesa's family invited us to come and hang out with them at the resort's fabulous pool. So instead of an awesome aerial view, we ended up spending the afternoon at an Indian casino... and it was good.

Road Trip!

Don't have much for you today. I am in major need of a recharge...

...so I'm off on a short road trip -- which means that tomorrow's post will actually be about travel!

And in the meantime, I have a new post up at LA Moms Blog.

I did want to remind you that you still have one week to enter my Summer Road Trip contest over at my review blog, SoCal Stuff. First prize is a Nintendo DS handheld game system plus a Crosswords DS game to play on it!

links for 2008-06-24

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/friday-talking-points-36_b_108401.html
  (tags: election barackobama johnmcain)