OC Family The Glamorous Life Association

Dysport: The European Botox comes to the OC

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 09:35:00 GMT

I have a lot of jokes about aging. “I keep running from gravity but it keeps pulling me down”, “I don’t have a forehead. I have a FIVEhead” and the favorite…“It’s that time of year when I make the really big decisions in life; Bangs or Botox”. And as you would suspect behind that cliché attempt at comedy is a real anxiety about my ever changing face. Some mornings it is like whole things shifted in the night, like my head has its own plate tectonics and it just had a 8.9 quake and I am left with the after effects of shifting continents and mountain ridges. And not to mention the temporary housing issues.

It doesn’t help that I do not get enough sleep, can find no money time to get regular facials and chances are I am still not drinking enough damn water. On top of that, I choose to live this little life of mine as a blogger and video host. So I am often faced with photos of me, taken by others, posted on the internet that leave me…speechless. I have come to accept that they are not bad photos. They are just showing what I really look like. See the real problem is that in my head I am still 27, a perfect size 6, cellulite free, and not a wrinkle in sight….and with one look at a photo I have to accept the reality.

And the reality is; I am a 39 yr old housewife….who looks exactly like…… a 39 year old housewife. (and not the glamorous OC housewives of TV land. Just like the regular normal generic brand kind.)

So today I decided to go try something. It is called DySport. And it is basically the European version of Botox. (before you all ask, I went to Dr. Lambros in Newport Beach. He came highly recommended. With 9 million years of experience). The first meeting with a plastic surgeon is very very awkward. Marcy why don’t you tell us all about it?

So I waited in the room with the paper on the table. He came in and said hello with a smile and in my head I am thinking “Oh my god. Does he see a million things to fix on me?”. Instead he said ‘you look great!’ (I think he thought I was 50. In which case I do look great. Except that I AM THIRTY NINE) which was also followed sometime later with the news that my eyes are two different sizes. Um, thanks for THAT doc. Now I have something new to obsess about. He asked me what I was there for (as if it wasn’t OBVIOUS)….so I lifted my bangs and said “THIS. I need these wrinkly things to go away.” Before long he was breaking out a tiny needle asking me to smile, frown and wrinkle my nose and then bing, bang, boom…..he poked it in about 8-10 spots and we were done. Took all of 10 minutes, and no pain. You feel the needle go in a tiny bit (these are smaller than regular medicine needles) but you do not feel the DySport liquid going in (which I feared). So now I wait. It might start working as soon as tomorrow. Or maybe a week. Depends on metabolism and other stuff.

The end result, besides being excited about possibly improving my face is that I am really glad I took this step. I took action to take care of something that really was bothering me. It was holding me back. And mainly really just made me sad. The mirror has not been my friend lately. Hopefully now, I will at least know I am taking a small action against this damn aging thing.

Oh have I mentioned I AM TURNING 40 this year????

This is not easy stuff people. And don’t tell me 40 is the new 30.

It isn’t

It is FORTY.

But at least I won’t let it win without a fight.

UPDATE: Before and After photos of me HERE!

$150 Naturalizer Shoe Give-Away!

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:37:00 GMT

There are two seasons in Southern California.

Oh, I know they try to teach the kiddies a myth about FOUR seasons a year- Making them color in orange/yellow/brown leaves at the beginning of the year, then create pathetic cotton ball snowman art work before Christmas (for kids who are more likely to associate swimming in their pool than playing in the snow over that holiday. But whatev.) And this is followed by classrooms decorated with ladybugs and flowers until finally it is all about images of smiling sunshines and beach towels. So I know they try to tell us there are FOUR seasons. But the reality is there are TWO seasons here:

Flip Flop Season and Boot Season.

That is all.

I get equally excited about both. Early spring I make a run to grab my favorite flip flops in every color (Old Navy ones for me), and then in late summer I start stopping by the mall just to get an idea of the new boots for the season. This year, I already found these beauties by Naturalizer.

(Yeah I know. I thought they only made like old-lady comfort shoes too. But turns out that these ARE comfort shoes and well, I am actually technically old.)

These boots are so comfortable it is insane. It has convinced me to go try some of their other dress shoes too….maybe just maybe I would be able to wear cute heels for more than 2 hours at a time.

Upon bestowing my love the boots on the fine Naturalizer folk, I was able to get them to give me another pair to GIVE AWAY.

Well actually it is a gift card for $150 for you to buy ANY PAIR YOU WANT of Naturalizer shoes.

So here is the dealio. You can get up to 3 ways to enter. Go check out their site and then…

1. Leave a comment over on this site and…

2. Go ‘like’ The Glamorous Life Fan Page then leave another comment here and…

3. Go follow me on Twitter and leave another comment here.

(you can do one or all three)

I will select the winner next Friday (9/24)

Good Luck to all!!!

What to expect at the acupuncturist.

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 10:12:00 GMT

Today I went and paid a lady I don’t know to stick needles into me. That’s right. I did it. I tried acupuncture to help with my back pain. I will spare you the medical details but lets just say I suffer from severe back pain ever since I had kids. I broke my tailbone with both of them, then developed chronic sciatica. What all that means is, when my back goes out (and it can be for no reason at all. Including waking up wrong) I have a level 10 pain from my toes to my neck. Sometimes making walking a challenge. Fun huh?So I am in the middle of recovering from one of those episodes (not the good TV kind that are over in 30 min either) when it was suggested I try acupuncture. Suggested by who? Oh by a contact on Facebook of course. You know where all wise medical decisions are made. And after announcing on Facebook that I was going to do it…I got more than a few emails from people curious about the process. So guess what? I am gonna tell you what to expect.

1. Office was in a strip mail. Next door to a Sewing Machine repair shop. My joke about needles and that being ‘convenient’ was lost on the staff.

2. Arrived early. Filled out the usual medical forms including insurance info. Yup. Most insurance cover it now.

3. Went into the consultation room (and office) and chatted with my practitioner. She asks me lots of weird questions. And got very specific. I started with’um, my back hurts can you fix it?’ and in 20 minutes I was telling her about the flow of my period, color of my urine and more. And? she asked to see my tongue. Which was followed with a disconcerting ‘Hummmm’. Then she looked at my hands. And in a surprised way said “oh my. You didn’t tell me you have low blood pressure! (which I do) and you didn’t say anything about having a hard time staying asleep (which is true)”. I was more than a little freaked out at this point. But she went on to explain how acupuncture can help blah blah blah. To be honest I was tuned out. My back was killing me. And I was eyeing any horizontal area in there. I needed to lay down.

4. After the way-to-personal meet and greet she took me to a little room. It looked like a massage room and sounded like a massage room with that weird Enya music playing. So it turns out you don’t get naked for acupuncture. This was a big question for me. But I did remove my skirt, down to undies and left my top on.

5. After grunting and groaning thru my back pain as I positioned my self on the table face down (head into a little doughnut hole thingy), she began. First sterilizing my skin with alcohol and then BAM the needles go in.

6. You don’t feel the needles go in.BUT…

7 If you are totally broken like me, once the needle is in the muscle- the body gets concerned and seems to send out a search party…so all of a sudden after the needle has been in for 10-20 seconds you get a twang or twinge or something at the site. Then it goes away. It is not pain. It is just a ‘sensation’.

8. I am feeling pretty damn zen at this moment in my underwear with my head in the hole of the table, while a lady puts needles in my back. I was proud of myself. Especially when she announced she was done ‘with the needle therapy’. I was looking forward to napping for a few minutes why those needles did what ever in the heck they are supposed to do. And then she says…

9. “Now I will hook you up to an electronic stimulator. And this will activate the muscles involuntarily and will help stimulate the nerves.” Ohhhhhkaaaaaayyyyy. This was news to me. I had not planned on being electrocuted- but whatever. I was half naked with metal needles sticking out of my back. It would be hard to drive home like that…so I agreed and let her ‘hook up’. (don’t believe me? I took a pic of the thing when I was leaving the room.)

10. What came next was odd. She would turn on the needles one at a time. It felt like a little pulse with most, and with others? Entire muscle movement. Hey my butt is moving and um, I wasn’t making it do that. It was a strange sensation.

11. I did that for 15 minutes. She left me alone and told me to relax. Which I think was her way of trying to be funny.

12. Her assistant came back and took out the needles (didn’t feel it at all) and then coated me with a ‘cooling hot gel’. I thought I didn’t understand her broken English. But I understand now. It went on freezing and by the time I got home it was burning HOT.

Oh the back pain? Let’s just say I had NO TROUBLE getting off that table. Or in my car. Or out of my car. And right now I can see my son left his belt on the floor, and I plan to BEND OVER and pick it up. Do I feel 100% cured? No. But remarkably, tremendously IMPROVED. I am going to let her do this a few times over the next couple weeks. Then just down to tune ups after that. It is very possible this is going to be a life long thing for me.It is amazing what you will consider when you are pain. But I am so glad I gave this a try….

Marcy is dying for you to stop by her other home on the internet. And while you are there maybe you could pick up stuff on the floor for her?

I hate the school year as much as my kids.

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:31:00 GMT

Every year around this time, I reflect on another summer gone and really for me it is the closing of a year. I know most people do this kind of reflection at Christmas or New Years or even on birthdays but for me it has always been the end of summer….and the beginning of a new school year. I remember as a child myself eagerly awaiting the new school year. The idea of a ‘clean slate’ and a fresh start was magical to me. It was the ultimate in do-overs. And now, as I fill up new backpacks with freshly sharpened pencils and crisp lined paper, I am over come with a sense of melancholy. My boys are growing up. And there is not a damn thing I can do about it. Suddenly I panic and start the mantra in my head “I haven’t done enough with them and they are slipping away”.

So in between my tears I thought I would do something to help me put it in perspective. So I made this video. I honestly made it for just me. I never had intended to post it or share it with anyone. I made just to help me remember, and cherish and soak up the amazing goodness that is MY BOYS. And their relationship as brothers in particular. Each of them would not be whole without the other.

So for the 7 or so Jack & Tucker fans out there I decided to go ahead and put the video up…..And if you do watch it, pay attention to the first song. It is very special to me. And really captures how I feel about being a mom.

Update: Song is 'Faith' by Kristen Andreassen

Read more by Marcy and why she hates the school year by visiting her at her home here.

New haircut. New hope.

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:16:00 GMT

Going to the hair salon is like a little trip to the ‘hope store’ for me. I walk in with unrealistic expectations. I make jokes when they ask “what would you like today? “Oh whatever hair cut makes me look like a supermodel. And 40 lbs thinner would be nice” They laugh politely. But I am only half kidding. What? Are you telling me there aren’t any kindasorta totally overweight, nearly 40 super models rockin the runway this season? Whatev.

But what happens when I have fresh color, bangs cut professionally (um, meaning not cut in haste as I walk out the door using the old gift wrapping scissors from the craft drawer) and a fresh round brush blow out is nothing less than amazing. I probably look maybe 5% different than when I walked in. But I FEEL 100% better. Suz took this photo on a day I had my hair cut recently. And the iPhone? Oh she wanted to document (for blackmail later I am assuming but I am beating her to it) that I listen to ‘kids; music on my iPhone. Why yes I do thankyouverymuch. Oh and SO DOES SHE. So there. We are even. As even as my bangs.

Visit Marcy at her other home Marcywrites.com

Kids in the Kitchen: Pancake Dumpling anyone?

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:38:00 GMT

As we all know. I love summer. And I love my boys being home with me. The other day while at the grocery store, the check out girl said ‘bet you can’t wait for school to start’ and I said ‘nope. I love summer. I like my kids’….naturally she rolled her eyes about as subtly as Snookie gets a tan. We marched out. All three of us with smiles on our faces. On the way home Jack said ‘She thought you were kidding. But you really do like us huh?’And today is a perfect example of why summer with my boys is so cool. Of course life goes on when the kids are home and that means mommy had an important mid morning conference call with Disneyland that could not be avoided. When the boys asked if I would turn on the stove so they could make pancakes I said no. But I gave it some thought…and decided. SURE. It can’t be anymore dangerous than roasting marshmallows at camp right? So I chatted on my call, while my little chefs created behind me. And create they did. They made Banana Pancakes, MnM pancakes and my all time favorite invention EVER a pancake-filled-with-syrup pot sticker.It was inspired. And delicious.See how yummy summer is?
hey! come read tons more by marcy here.

Discovery Science Center Summer Camps

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:34:00 GMT

Today is my first day of summer.What? No really. Okay it just FEELS like it.
Because from the very moment the last school bell rang on that last day of school I have been on a marathon race. From daycamp to daycamp. To the airport and back. Entertaining guests. To visiting in-laws out of state and all the other craziness a fully scheduled summer looks like. But today we have nothing. And nothing ahead of us for the month of August.With my boys attending all these day camps in Orange County I have become somewhat of an expert on them (in my head.) And boy was I surprised by Discovery Science Center’s camps the boys went to last week. Jack learned some computer programming and walked away having designed (with code!) and entire video game. And Tucker learned by doing (lots of science-y craft projects). But I made a rookie move when I booked these camps. The boy’s classes started and ended at different times. Which meant I had more than enough time to sit around and be bored out of my mind OR hang out inside the museum and partake in the very cool new TinkerToy exhibit. I giggled as I watched my nearly 12 yr old Jack fall in love with this classic toy all over again. (Oh we stopped by the Grossology section. And it was well, GROSS). So next summer (or this summer. There are some sessions left), when you are looking for an affordable, educational and FUN day camp I would highly recommend checking out Discovery Science Center’s offerings.

Hey lady stop trying to kill my son k?

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:22:00 GMT

I am not sure how I forgot to post photos of my son with SCORPIONS all over him. But somehow it slipped my mind. Could be the effects of trauma.

The other day while visiting this place, we came across this old school house that had the most curious cabinet filed with well, curiosities. Quickly a woman dressed as some kind of Indiana Jones counter-part encouraged my kids to open all the drawers and to TOUCH EVERYTHING including the many live THINGS on the shelves. That exploration resulted in Jack holding a REAL giant fish eyeball up to his own. Yeah I nearly puked, but calmly said (after the photo of course) “how about we put that back. I mean we don’t want to damage it”. Then before I could react the Ms. Indiana Jones sister was putting live scorpions ON MY CHILD. Look closely, there is one on his hat climbing on his cheek.

This was followed by cockroaches, worms and many more creepy things.

Naturally, my boys thought this was the best part of their visit.

The real comedy came when I tried to strike up a convo with Ms. Indiana Jones lady, thinking she was just ‘in character’ I asked her if she had any pets at home. Granted not the best question, but I was trying to be SOCIAL with a lady who was trying to make me scream. To my surprise she said ‘oh I have all these things at home too. I am off to Borneo next week to find more specimens.’. SO it turns out she was not IN character.

SHE IS THE CHARACTER.

Now that is authenticity people.

{More by Marcy}

Peanut's 60th Celebration!

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:25:00 GMT

As a child, I was fairly totally certain the character on Peanut’s cartoons was named FOR ME. Now I know that idea would seem crazy to most kids. But I was far from ‘most kids’. I was weird. So I walked around thinking Charles Schulz somehow created the character Marcie for ME. And I had plenty of reasons. First the resemblance. It’s uncanny. And she was the ‘comedic foil’. I always wanted to be the comedic foil. Or even comedic plastic wrap. I wasn’t picky.

Says Wikipedia: Marcie is a bespectacled fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic stripPeanuts. She serves as comedic foil and best friend to tomboy Peppermint Patty, plays a supporting role in some of Snoopy's heroic fantasies, and displays a romantic interest in Charlie Brown, who seems to love her back. Marcie made her first named appearance on July 20, 1971

That’s right folks. She made her debut when I was one year old. Coincidence? I think not.So when I heard it was the 60th anniversary of Charles Schulz Peanuts…I knew I wanted to help in the celebration. So I stopped by Knott’s this weekend to take a peek at good ol’ Knott’s Camp Snoopy*. I went hoping to I was looking to find Charlie and yes, of course my beloved Marcie.

Right away I saw a clear bias. Lucy had her own stage…..

and Snoopy had his own ice show.

We took a break and asked these two Knott’s regulars where all the Marcie merchandise was, but they were pretty clueless.This house looked promising. We knocked, but no answer. Where was Charlie? Where was Marcie?

Jack went to jail to see if maybe Marcie was hiding in there…..
We found the very huggable Snoopy and eventually a few small Charlie Brown items. But clearly Snoopy is the rock star in the Peanut’s Merch gang.
Well happy birthday to the whole Peanut’s gang. And especially MARCIE. I have loved you all, all my life. Charles Schulz’s cartoon strip, written for adults about children has a longevity that reaches past generations with universal themes of disappointment, failure and friendship.
And of course the love of a silly dog.Next week I will be interviewing Jill Schulz (Charles youngest daughter) about the Peanut empire and what lies ahead. If you have questions you would like for me to ask- please leave in the comments here.

Things I learned researching this post:
There is a Charles Schulz museum that looks really cool.
This is the official online place to still read the comic strip.
There is only one figurine of the Marcie character. And I must own it now.

*Have you not been to Camp Snoopy? It is a big part of Knott’s Berry Farm (which you know from THIS and THIS) I am a huge fan.

MORE MARCY

Family Field Trip to OCMA

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:25:00 GMT

Every know and then I start to wonder “Have done everything in Orange County? What else is left to explore?” And then I get hit over the head with a jewel of a place like OCMA. Oh and it is not like this place just opened or anything. Nope- it has been in existence MY WHOLE LIFE and I have never been. And I am gonna admit this right now…I never even heard of this place. I know- this just makes me an idiot. Especially since I have been driving my kids up to Los Angeles to go to the giant LA County Museum of Art for a culture fix…when OCMA was right in my backyard.Doh.So we went. First we got some ‘Understand Modern Art’ spray from the gift shop. (Yeah we do the gift shop FIRST.Hey life is short.)

Then we participated in making art for Charles Long’s “100 lbs of Clay” exhibit. Which is like a passive art piece. The artist basically brought a whole heck of clay and dropped it off and said ‘you want art? make your own’.And I loved it. So did the boys.

Here are their pieces which were added to the collection.
But don’t worry, this place is FULL of amazing ‘pre-made’ art. Really wonderful works by very established artists.
I am rather fond of the Jack. Both of them.

They have new exhibit called “15 Minutes of Fame” which focuses on portrait photography thru the years. This is an extremely well currated grouping which includes photos taken by Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams and many many others. I particularly loved the pairing of portraits of artists placed next to one of their artworks. Brought a personal touch to both the artwork and the portrait. A juxtaposition I had not seen before.

Naturally my kids loved it all. If you haven’t taken your kids to a modern art museum I highly encourage you to do so. They are never too young and often they relate to the art in totally new ways. These museum visits are always followed by a flurry of creating when we get home. I am currently walking around a new ‘installation’ in my living room made of recycled materials (read cereal boxes from the pantry).

I heart art.And OCMA does too.Oh have I mentioned it is basically a stones throw from Fashion Island? Perfect place to visit before your next shopping/lunch day.OCMA participates in Target Free Second Sundays (2nd Sunday of the Month).
Yeah you heard me.FREE.
What on earth are you waiting for?
Click here for OCMA site.

Marcy will take you all over Orange County with her Family Field trips. Come read more here.

So you are moving. Now What?

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:36:00 GMT

You pick up the phone one day and your husband says ‘honey, the company wants me to move to _______.” In most cases the first reaction is ‘hell no and heck no and NO WAY’. You give reasons that seem concrete “But we just got the yard re-done! But Billy likes his school! But I can’t move away from my parents!”…..and you are met with either silence or facts about the new location. After a few weeks- it becomes a reality, and believe it or not and against your protests you are INDEED MOVING. In your heart you know this is best for your husband’s career and ultimately best for your whole family. And when you are SAHM you really can’t use the argument ‘but my work is here’. Nope. YOUR work is wherever your family lives. And that family is MOVING. So accept it. And get busy…you have a lot to do.

Get The House Ready To List

Now this painful but you need to take down all those perfectly framed photos of little Billy. And the wedding photos? Yeah those need to go too. New buyers get subconsciously depressed thinking they will be moving into SOMEONE ELSE’S home. Make your home void of any ‘personal touches’. Make it look like a model home. Bare minimum furniture. Bare minimum accessories. And no personal photos. NONE.

Clean Like Crazy

Not just the kitchen, but also the porch, the yard, heck it is even time to degrease the driveway. Clean = NEW in most buyer’s minds….so the cleaner your home looks (and smells) the more comfortable the new buyer will be with ‘turn key’ move-in.

Start Packing NOW

Get rid of absolutely anything that you can do without. Move it into a POD system or a storage unit. Even the garage is better than having in the house. Yup, that means the giant lazy-boy rocker you knew was too big for the family room but you had to have it…it needs to go. Rooms get bigger with every piece of furniture you move out.

Be Available

None of this ‘call for appointment to see home’…nope- you want to be open for business from 8:00am to 6pm. Allow your realtor to put a lock box on the house. Afraid someone might see the house when there are dishes in the sink? That is okay. It is better than them not seeing the house at all.

Get Organized

You can research and locate everything you will need in your new life online. Dry cleaners, daycares, doctors etc. And don’t forget have all school and medical records sent to your new choices. The more you can do before the move the better off you will be.

Smile And Enjoy It

Moving can be a huge opportunity for you and your family. You are now able to make new friends, see new places and enjoy each other like never before. Enjoy it. Moving can be a huge blessing in so many ways. Is it stressful? You bet. But it gives you an opportunity to show yourself and your husband how you can bend and not break. Just think how impressed your family will be when you take it all in stride. You can do this. Yes you can.

Photos courtesy of www.movingmage.com

Marcy Massura writes weekly for OCF. She has moved (cross country) four times in 10 years. She also has done several years of home staging for realtors. So moving is in her bones. You can find her daily at The Glamorous Life Association. She encourages you to come visit no matter where you live!

My kids left me.

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:39:00 GMT

A while ago I mentioned I was more than a little excited about my kids going to camp for a week. I dreamed, plotted and planned all kinds of things I could do during that week SANS KIDS. Turns out I totally underestimated the depression I was going to slip into as soon as my babies hopped on a boat in the Long Beach harbor to make the journey to their best fantasy camp on Catalina Island. Today is day one. But here is a recap of the drop off.We took a mom & sons photo that makes me look pregnant. (um I am not thankyouverymuch)
Consulted Zoltar for our futures. And checked our ‘stick up’ hair in the mirror of a store by the dock.

Then we watched the boat arrive. And got teary as we said good bye….

But they boarded bravely with a wave back.
…and then they sailed away.

Oh my god I love those kids. And I am thrilled I can give them experiences like these. But man o man this is hard.Oh and in case you are wondering what I finally decided to do this week of freedom?Cleaning. And painting. And little home improvement things.
Because I live the glamorous life.

Are you an 'Amish Mom'?

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:43:00 GMT

I have a good friend, I have lovingly nicknamed "Amish Mom". Let me explain the origins of her silly nickname......Amish Mom has chosen to have one TV in her house. And this single TV in her home (we have three ) does not have a Wii, Playstation or an XBox connected to it. Her kids are not killing aliens on the one computer (we have three of those too) in her home, nor staring into cell phones, iTouches, IPods, Gameboys or PSPs at the dinner table. Because they don't own any of those items.

You see, Amish Mom has made an unconventional choice to keep her children as electronically distraction free as possible. Don't get the wrong idea, Amish Mom is not the churn-your-own-butter-homeschool-in-the-base ment-mommy-will-make-you-a-prom-dress lady you might be picturing, although her kids did give my kids a weaving LOOM as a Christmas present once, but I digress.... The reality is that she is a sophisticated cultured business woman who has every reason to jump on anything that would make her life as a working mother of three easier. And let's face it- these electronic toys make parenting EASIER in many ways. Not only are they perfect time wasters in restaurants and car rides, but they act as strong collateral for reinforcing discipline decisions. The phrase "Put down that Gameboy until your homework is done" can be heard in millions of homes across America.

Now Amish Mom and I are very close friends. We share similar tastes in design, parenting styles and even ethics and yet we differ on this one parenting decision. To sum it up, I am pro EVERYTHING with

a battery and she is anti EVERYTHING with a battery. So one night during a recent visit (we live in different cities) after the kids were put to bed (and after two or ten glasses of mommy-juice, er...wine) I started telling her the usual stuff, the regurgitated media fluff that I barely believed as it was coming out of my mouth "But they are great for hand-eye coordination" and the popular "They will feel different from their peers" and the crowd favorite "It will help them in their career". She just looked at me and laughed. And I had no choice but to laugh back. Because her kids were FAR from deprived. They lived an exciting, action packed lifestyle including summering in Italy, playing many sports and taking music lessons. Then there are the camp outs, hiking trips and all the rest. They are all well adjusted popular children who, even though they are not my offspring, I can say they are also intellectually advanced. No question about it, they are living wonderful happy childhoods. Full of fun and yes, even the occasional loom to entertain themselves.

So then why is this issue, this one silly difference in our parenting choices so important to me? Why do I tease her constantly and yes, even get tipsy and try to convince her to change? I mean who am I? Some kind of Tech Nazi? Clearly my need to make her conform to my parenting choice is my issue, and not hers. And has nothing to do with skills developed by Mario Bros or the 'health' (ahem) benefits of Dance Dance Revolution. No my friends, this was something to do with me. And me alone.

So I have been giving it some thought and I think I have concluded we all get a small sense of validation when we see others make the same decisions we make. When we hear that the fellow moms are allowing their children to take a selt-belt-less school bus on a field trip, we suddenly feel like 'See? I am not crazy'. When I stopped breast feeding my first child because it was no longer working for us, I took huge solace in a neighbor mom who explained she had to make the same tough decision years earlier. Let's face it, we are all pretty much flying blind here. This whole parenting thing is one big experiment at best. We fall back on our own childhoods as guidelines for parenting decisions. Which is fine, except that we are living in different times, and facing wildly different parenting choices. I know for a fact my mother never had to struggle with allowing her pre-teen to get a Facebook account. A decision I actually had to make this week. And a decision I did not make alone. I discussed it with all the other moms in my world, and made what I felt was the right decision for my child. And if you haven't guessed, Amish Mom is really not going to approve.

But guess what? I am okay with that. Which I am taking to mean I am making progress. Pretty soon I won't care at all what others think of my parenting decisions. Or will I?

More musings by Marcy can be found by visiting The Glamorous Life Association, where comedy and humor drive nearly all of her parenting decisions. Copy at your own risk.

Secret messages of profile pics.

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:56:00 GMT

Along with this new world of social media, comes new unspoken rules and understandings. One of the most significant aspects of all social sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linked in etc) is the Profile Picture. Not to make you stress over it more than you already do, but CHOOSE carefully. That pic tells the internet a lot about you….

Your Pet: You have no children. Or they have moved out. Leavin
g you with only the affection of your beloved lhasa apso to keep you company. Facebook is your last effort to connect with the outside world.

Your Baby: You have not lost your baby weight. So rather than post your chubby photo, you use the baby instead. Oh, and you actually, honestly and truly believe you have the cutest baby on the planet. (it’s the hormones. it’ll wear off as soon…)

Your Kids: You have spent the last 1-10 years taking 9 million photos of your kids, and have not one single decent photo of yourself. Your husband only took photos of you when you were breast feeding…boobs motivate him.

You as a child: Since all you do on Facebook is talk to people from your school days, you felt like this would make it easier for people to remember you. Plus you sorta live in the past. Which is sad.

You with spouse: Even though you are on Facebook of your own free will, your significant other wasn’t too thrilled about it, and said things like ‘Facebook is just a fancy dating service’ and is convinced you are planning a secret rendezvous with your high school sweetheart. So you were HIGHLY encouraged to use a photo of the two of you to make it clear YOU ARE HAPPILY MARRIED.

You with spouse on your wedding day: Still driving the I AM MARRIED message home. And chances are you were married within the last 2 years and still think it is ‘so awesome’. Give it time. Plus you think you looked pretty damn hot on your wedding day. You want to share that hotness with the world. Thanks for that.

You/photo taken by you into a bathroom mirror: you are too embarrassed to ask anyone in your life to take a photo of you for you to use on Facebook. Instead you try to take your own photo, and end up looking like half human half white light from the flash reflection. Still, it is better than using your pet. So there is that.

You drinking cocktail: You are trying to send the message “I am full of fun and good times. Let’s party!”, but what it really says is that you are trying to hard to look carefree and could possibly have a drinking problem. I mean past the age of 21 who brags about the ability to drink? This photo above all the others says “Jealous Much?”. I equate it with the status update that mentions golfing/spa visit/ or an unexpected expensive gift from your husband. We get it. Your life is BETTER THAN OURS. Thanks for sharing.

A celebrity that sorta looks like you, but not really: Just done to confuse people. Knock it off. Plus you are just waiting for someone to say “Oh my god I never noticed how much you look like Katie Perry! I thought that was you!”

A Simpson Cartoon (or other): Grow up much? Chances are you have a Simpsons/Superhero/Tron poster in your garage too.

YOU: You are none of the things above (or all of them) but you have mean vocabulary skillz and know the meaning of ‘profile pic’. You don’t over think things and are a rule follower. And you are okay looking at a teeny tiny pic of yourself over and over again. Just a little note: it is super cheating if you post a photo of you wearing sunglasses. EVERYONE looks good in sunglasses. Same goes for hats. Hatless photos only for men. After all- how are supposed to tell if you are bald or not?

(Not written with ill intent.
I love you all and your crazy profile pics. Honest.)

Need more comedy? Visit Marcy here.

How to use :) correctly online!

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:35:00 GMT

Want to insult someone, convey an inappropriate romantic thought or even issue a threat all under the guise of sarcasm?

Or maybe you want to the the typed equivalent of “Just Kidding!”?

Well, my friends it is none other than this :)

The typed happy face. And it is a passive-aggressive girls dream.

Come see what I mean.

Marcy can be found here doing awesome things at the world's best comedy blog ever. :)

Blogging classes for you!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:14:00 GMT

So the other day I was a teacher.

I held the first of hopefully many sessions called ‘Marcy’s Blog Academy’. Which is a very ambitious name, considering it was in my family room and not so much academy, more like just comfy. But I digress…I ‘taught’ on the subject of working with advertisers, finding brands, helping brands find you and creating a media kit and more. Oh and there was wine. And cookies. So you know, I was pretty much in heaven. And much to my relief those who attended said they actually learned stuff. Which is the point right?

This first session was by invite only, but I am putting together another one (late July) and would love to have you come.

Considering topics:

Blog to Book: self publishing how-to and how-not-to.

Self Promotion: Help ‘them’ discover you.

The ABCs and 123s of using photos and videos on your blog.

Creating a blog for a business: not as easy as it looks.

Blogging is not a dirty word: understanding your value.

Blogging Babies: Raising a blog from infancy and beyond (a how to start a blog class)

Let me know if you are interested in attending, and if so which of the above topics interest you. If you know of anyone in the Southern California area that might be interested please help spread the word.

But I totally need a motto for the academy.

I am thinking “Where learning is optional, but wine is required”.

_______________________________________________

Check out the main page for The Glamorous Life Association, where everything ends in wine eventually.

Making memories and GoKarts

Mon, 31 May 2010 19:14:00 GMT

I went out to run an errand on Saturday and I returned this scene. Every tool I own scattered about, with the Dangerous Book for Boys right there in the middle of it all. It turns out, the boys used their dad’s generosity and my absence in their favor- and convinced him it was time to build the gokart.(we have been planning to build one for um, years now.) So off they went with the book in hand to the local hardware store, where the man patiently helped them find all the parts needed. By the time I arrived on the scene they were knee deep in axels and washers and figuring out a steering system. They worked all day. In between watching hockey and playing…but lo and behold it was complete.

Except for one thing. The seat.

So I walked up stairs and took the little toddler chair I had kept all these years and offered it to the boys. I was shocked that this upset my Tucker. His eyes filled up with tears and he said ‘but that was when we were little mom’. I explained to him, the chair wanted to grow up with them, and would be happy to be used for their go kart. Finally he agreed and off we went to modify it a bit and add it to the newly christened “ikart”. One run down our street in their creation and he seemed perfectly okay with the chair seat. And so am I. These are the days childhood is made of…

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Going for the gold, but happy with the silver

Mon, 24 May 2010 05:48:00 GMT

A few days ago I was notified Jack was going to get an award for his stellar math skills. Which I can tell you come 100% from TheHusband. Cuz I have little to no math skills. So I was invited to his classroom for the little presentation. I took the opportunity to take ‘spy’ photos of Jack walking into class, and sitting in his seat. You know, photos of him in his element. Because once he started middle school I feel so out of the loop. So it is fascinating to see how he behaves and carries himself at school.

And then he got his award, given by his all time favorite teacher EVER. Seriously, this guy left a big marketing and engineering career to TEACH. And he loves it. And it shows.Hey Jack let me get a photo of you with your silver medal!

Um, Let’s try that again.
Much better kid.(btw the HAIR? Yeah, that is on purpose.)

Never give up on a kid. Even your own.

Tue, 18 May 2010 07:30:00 GMT

This week my boys go into their Little League AAA play-offs. They are going in as the first place team. Which is kinda astonishing to me.
You see, Jack took 3 years off from sports. He played baseball one year and to say he ‘wasn’t all that good’ would be an understatement. It was the longest season of my life. I never prayed so much. “Please Lord. Just let him hit the ball ONCE. PLEASE.” So when he didn’t want to play the next year we FULLY supported that decision and directed his energies into surfing, guitar lessons and martial arts. But three years passed. Three years of Jack watching his younger brother play every sport known to mankind. And kinda kicking butt doing it, ending up on one championship team after another. And then this year Jack asked if he could play baseball again.I am gonna be honest. I tried to direct his energies into soccer. Or tennis. Or basically anything other than baseball. I did everything short of telling him “um, you kinda sucked at baseball”. Eventually I had to give in and reluctantly signed him up for the season. Happily both boys made the same team (yeah cuz Tucker is playing with way older boys. Cuz like I said he is a sport phenom or something) and the season started. Jack told me all he was shooting for ‘was average’ and ‘not to look like an idiot out there’. I told him to have fun and just do his best. I mean what else was supposed to say?

Well, almost right away. I was shocked.
Jack was actually not all that bad. In fact, within in weeks he was AWESOME.He is now the teams solid #5 hitter and more importantly he is having the time of his life.So lesson learned.
Never give up on a kid. Like ever.Cuz sometimes, they can surprise you.Jack’s sorta ‘blue steel’ look from the dug out.He now proudly calls himself a “Gock” (a geek and a jock).This photo sorta sums that up.

Apparently we are all too pretty to be models

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:01:00 GMT

Okay so here is a graphic of the Fall 2010 models selected by the people at Louis Vuitton to represent them on the runway and in print campaigns.

Apparently LV is going for a concentration-camp-anorexic-large-alien-head-suicidal-depressed look this year.

Except for what’s her face in the last photo. She is just insane apparently. The nerve to SMILE for a photo.

But seriously folks, have you ever seen weirder looking women?

I am certain none of them are smiling because they are all so damn hungry.

Poor little things. Someone should save them.

Marcy's book is now available. I know. Cool huh?

(click the image for a preview)