Entries from October 2008 ↓

I just discovered HangPROUD.com, (being me. living free.) a female empowering website last week. Founded by Diane Prefontaine and Carla Alpert, this site encourages women and girls to stop the negative chatter and be a force for positive change.

In the corner is the phrase “snap out of it,” It makes me chuckle.

They define HangPROUD: To stand united and embrace our unique beauty and individual strengths to make powerful changes in our lives, communities and the world.

My absolute favorite part of this website is the eMentoring feature. Grown women can sign up to be mentors. Girls can sign up to get a mentor. The owners of the site will pair like-minded girls and women together. The relationships happen via email, Facebook, Skype, etc.

Why didn’t I think of that?

HangPROUD is about redirecting wasteful negative conversations about ourselves so that we can use this time to make powerful changes in our lives, communities and the world! it says on the Pay It Forward feature. There you’ll find real ways to make a difference in the world right now.

They even had a HangPROUD scholarship fund. They donate 10% of the proceeds from their eshop, which will to partial scholarships they hope to be able to award in 2009. The above t-shirt is just a sampling of some very cool stuff you could buy to support the cause.

The site even includes instructions for how to host your own HangProud Self Esteem party for girls 10-14.

There are also workshop guides for middle schools and they will even host parties and workshops for women over 25.

Oh, and they have a lovely story on me in the Day in the Life feature.

The world can not have too many forces of positive change for women and girls.

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If you’re like me you give some thought to giving your kids career advice. We’re big on academics and when Ainsley says, What should I do when I grow up? We are clear, You must do something that makes money. You choose what it is, find your purpose, but you must be able to take care of yourself.

As a writer I have found it difficult to make my way in this profession. Not because I’ve had difficulty finding work. But, because I’ve had difficulty being PAID good money for the work I do. This is going to change for me any minute. I know it. I’m currently accepting offers to be paid good money for what I’m doing here. Feel free to email me at traceesioux@yahoo.com to send offers.

I’ve flirted with the idea of pushing my children towards medicine and scientific professions. All you have to do is look in the want ads or interview your friends about how much money they make to realize that:

1. Life is easier if you have money.

2. Science, technology, medical left brain thinking pays more money and those jobs are always available.

I write because I love it and I’m meant to do it, but I’ve many times wished I had just gone and been a physical therapist like my friends Christy and Cindy. It just would have been easier, more stable and secure.

Then I listened to this guy Daniel Pink on Oprah’s Soul Series talk about how creative people – people like myself, writers, artists, designers, spiritual leaders, talkers – right brain thinkers are inheriting the earth and its economics in the very near future. In fact, he believes it is already happening and we should prepare our children for creative professions. Because those will be the secure and stable ones.

Daniel Pink wrote A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
and he says that left brain activities, like accounting, mathematics, computer and science careers, are the ones that will be outsourced or we’ll make software and machines to do that work during our children’s careers.

The more secure bet? Right Brain Careers that involve creativity, innovation, individuality, design, empathy, and meaning, story telling, big picture thinking.

Is it a coincidence that these attributes and skills have also been traditionally feminine skills which we have always rewarded in girls, but which have also traditionally made far less money and carried less social value?

Watch it for free on Oprah’s Soul Series - he’s got facts to back it up and it’s a convincing argument.

It might change the way you talk to your kids about their future professions. It might change how you react when your 17-year-old announces she is going to art school.

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A new series of books for 9 to 13 year old girls may actually promote good health, says an article by Tara Parker-Pope titled Healthful Messages, Wrapped in Fiction.

This could be this generation’s Judy Blume. Seriously, is there a woman out there that doesn’t feel eternally grateful for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

We must, we must, we must increase our bust!” {{{flashback}}}

Following anecdotal evidence from parents about how much the Beacon Street Girls books helped their daughters Duke University actually started studying the effects.

The Duke researchers studied 81 girls enrolled in the university’s six-month childhood obesity program, called Healthy Lifestyles. Thirty-one girls were given a copy of “Lake Rescue”; 33 others got a 2006 Beacon Street book, “Charlotte in Paris (Beacon Street Girls) (Beacon Street Girls)
,” that carries a positive message of self-esteem but doesn’t focus on weight or healthful eating. And 17 girls received the regular program counseling, but no book.

After six months, the girls who got “Lake Rescue (Beacon Street Girls, No. 6)
” posted a decline in average body mass index scores of 0.71; those who didn’t read the book had an average increase of 0.05, the article says.

One hypothesis is that while reading is sedentary it’s better than snacking in front of the TV.

Whatever, my hypothesis is that the girls were INSPIRED by positive media about healthy bodies rather than subjected to negative media about girls bodies.

What’s that they say, 99% Inspiration and 1% Perspiration.

This is worth checking out. Can’t hurt. As the article says, the worst that can happen is your daughter read a good book.

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I don’t know about your kid, but Ainsley loves the anticipation and the creative process of planning and preparing for her birthday party as much as the actual party. Both of my kids love to cook. I just channel my mother.

!. Print own birthday invitations and hand deliver them. Or, buy a package at Dollar Tree. Ainsley drew a rough draft and her Daddy made her an original design on the computer.

2. Parks are FREE. Picnic tables, swings, and slides. (clean your house in case it rains and you need a backup plan).

3. Make your own cake. We went to Betty Crocker’s website and watched “how to” videos for about 20 cakes. Zack wants the train or the dinosaur when he turns three. Ainsley loved the Princess Castle and the Princess cake. I wanted simple and fell in love with these great ice cream cone cakes. Cutting out forks and plates saved us $$$. It took us all evening on Friday to make them, but it had to have been as much fun as the party. This is where I spent my $33 for ice cream cones, candies hidden inside the cones, cream cheese frosting ingredients, 2 cake mixes, I splurged $8 on the reusable, easier to clean silicone cupcake cups.

4. Punch recipe: 2 litter bottle of sprite and 1 large jug of fruit punch. Mix in pitcher over ice.

5. Use a table cloth you already own and use normal utensils. There really is no reason to buy special cups, plates or forks for birthdays.

6. Skip decorating. You brought cool cakes and you’re at a park.

7. Free entertainment. Now, we are super-lucky. My in-laws are professional missionary mimes & clowns. But, you might know a guitar player, a singer, someone who does puppets, or a sunday school teacher who tells a mean story with charades. Ask them to share their talent as the entertainment for your kid’s party. They will be honored. If you don’t know anyone bring glue, construction paper, paint, markers and scissors and let the kids make something.

8. Yard Games – bring the horse shoe set, croquet, volleyball, soccer ball or football.

9. Recheck your guest list. Invite only people you like and won’t judge you. If there is someone who usually comes to your parties that often criticizes – just don’t invite them.

10. Put a smile on your face and have a low-maintenance, easy-clean up, low-expense good time. A child’s birthday party shouldn’t need to be financed.

Oh, and there’s still time to leave a comment to win a Juku Couture Doll.

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Ainsley was my hero on Saturday night.

So, I’ll tell you about our really cool $33 birthday party for Ainsley tomorrow.

Jeremy was out and I was having a snugglefest and popcorn night on the couch with the kids. Pure bliss. We had just watched a reptile show on PBS and Zack was drowsy in my arms and I was carrying him to bed.

Is that a belt? A black rope? A scarf? An electrical cord?

It’s a SNAKE!

IN MY HOUSE!

I ran to the other side of my Thank God it’s 30 feet long living room! And Ainsley ran over to join me on top of a green vinyl wagon wheel chair in the corner.

Let’s get out of here, Ainsley said.

Okay. Wait. If we leave we won’t know where it is. I have to watch it or there will be a lose snake in the house.

I’m scared Mommy.

Where’s my phone? I don’t know where my phone is.

What are we going to do?

Go across the street and get that guy to come and kill it.

I don’t know him. It’s dark. I’m scared to go knock on his door. What will I say? Can’t I go to Victoria’s and get her dad?

OK. Go to Victoria’s. Ask him to come kill it. The hoe is in the garage, I can’t go get it. Tell him to bring a hoe.

And in her nightgown, in the dead of night, Ainsley hopped on her bike and rode as fast as she could down the block.

There’s a snake in our house! Get your dad to come kill it! she screamed over sobs.

As he hacked away at the black snake – which was fighting back and striking at his ankles – I fought back my own hysteria to calm my 7-year-old daughter down.

We’re okay, Ainsley. I want you to look in my eyes and take a deep breath. In two- three. Out – two – three.

Finally, the head of the snake snapped and the body of it writhed separately. Yes, it lived briefly after it was decapitated. My neighbor was kind enough to take it with him.

Thank you so much kind neighbor for killing the snake in my house. Ainsley’s been calling him our “savior.”

All of us huddled fearfully in my bed.

I had to take 3 sleeping pills and had one of those dreams where you’re screaming and no one can hear you. I jerked awake every time one of the kids touched me.

Ainsley’s my hero. She thought out loud and problem solved and kept her cool while she went and got help. She was even able to sleep.

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