New & Improved

I've been trying to find a theme over at Wordpress that speaks to me and I've finally found it! Head over to the Happy Healthy Hip Parenting blog at its new address!

Thanks so much for helping me create such an amazing readership over the last two years. Please help continue to support me by subscribing to my blog and visiting regularly at its new location.

I couldn't have done it without you!

Next Generation Parenting

Through Facebook, I was introduced to a parenting blog with great articles and resources. Next Generation Parenting. Founded by a husband and wife who have a baby on the way, the site is set to launch in early 2009. They're looking for bloggers to contribute to their site. Already, I'm impressed with the content that I've come across, from the article on Teaching Kids about Money to that of fingerprinting your child - the articles are relevant, interesting and include some fabulous contributors, all in one site.

Head on over to read articles categorized under education, teenagers, communication, child development, safety, special children, motherhood, entertainment and several others.

You can also join their Facebook group to be kept up to date on the latest articles and resources.

Proud Mama

Michael Phelps has made history with his 8 Gold Medals and a World Record. One medal after the other...

What's amazing to me is the fact that, not only was Michael diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but he was also raised (along with his two sisters) by a single mom.

This isn't unusual, really. Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton, and Bill Cosby were raised by single moms. Even Barack Obama was brought up in a single parent home.

What bothers me is that there's many different definitions of "single mom," and it's usually one that is the complete opposite of who I am.

I admit, my son's father and I went through a stressful and drawn-out divorce (due to me and my bitterness), but now, we get along great and I don't know what I'd do without his support. My son is with his dad right now, thousands of miles away. My son's father is more involved than many dads. We're lucky to have him.

Yes, I'm a single mom, which - to me - means that I am single and I am a mom. Nothing in those two words hint at whether or not there is a father figure in my son's life but, there is. My son has many men in his life that act as positive role models for him. Right now, my son is spending 8 days with his dad on the East Coast, while I teach a parenting course and visit my family and friends back home.

I get to meet my sister's youngest son (only 8 weeks old) for the first time today. I'm thrilled to finally meet him and spend the week spoiling him and his older brother. I haven't blogged about it much or talked about it only because it's difficult for me to be so far away but it gets easier as time goes by since I have so much to focus on, besides how quickly time flies by...while I'm having fun.

I am also going to spend time with my friends from college, meet my best friend's (from high school) fiance, and, of course, get caught up in my reading - both on line and in print.

I look forward to sharing my travel experiences here so stay tuned for stories from the Midwest, where people are known for being real, honest and sincere. Minnesota Nice. I can't wait to be back home.

Moms Like Us

My mom is my behind-the-scenes partner. I don't think she realizes how much of an impact she has made on my career as a writer. Although, she probably remembers more about the beginning of my writing career than I do since I started writing at an early age (on her typewriter).

She's the one who introduced me to Alltop and she continues to send me links, articles, blog posts and websites that always leave me wondering what I'd do without her...where I'd be.

Just yesterday, she sent me a link to a new site dedicated to connecting moms, locally. Of course there's a site for me here in San Diego and it also covers many cities throughout the country.

So far, the cities include:

• Baltimore
• Boston
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Dallas-Ft. Worth
• Denver
• Detroit
• Hartford-New Haven
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
• Minneapolis (Twin Cities)
• New York City
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh-Durham
• Sacramento
• San Diego
• San Francisco (Bay Area)
• Seattle-Tacoma
• St. Louis
• Washington, D.C.

Head on over to connect with local moms in your area!

Mommy Daddy Blogs

New Parents (they're parents and they're new to me) added to my blogroll:

• Whiskey In My Sippy Cup
• Cheaper Than Therapy
• Playgroups Are No Place for Children
• My Minivan is Faster Than Yours

Who Is Louder During Sex?

Lust in Paradise, a blog over at Psychology Today, asks a very important question: Who is louder in bed? Of course, they're referring to a sexual encounter between a man and a woman (one of each, I believe) and the answers so far have been unanimously, the female.

What's your take on this subject? Do you agree that women are the more vocal during sex? And if so, why is that typically the case? Men are known to be more visual so is there a biological reason behind this? I have more questions after pondering this very simple question...Which reminds me of a recent article over at The Daily Bedpost.

Roll With It

New editions to my blogroll:

Hip Parents

• Her Bad Mother
• It's My Life. Laugh If You Must
• Mommy Daddy Blog

Happy Shopping

• The Little Seed
• Psychobaby
• Life Size Kids
• Eurochild
• Boden
• babystyle
  

Hip Sites

• Inhabitots
• The Parent Spot

Hip Design

• Inhabitat
• 407 Furniture
  

I'm always looking for hip and unique sites to mention and share. Share your own discoveries with us by adding a comment and link.

Don't forget to check out the sites listed on the sidebar. If you find a link that is not working, please let me know so I can update or delete, if necessary!

The Well-Read Child

I enjoy reading blogs devoted to books and literacy. After all, my career (the one that provides a paycheck) is in children's publishing.

The Well-Read Child is my new favorite (among many). Just today, a review was posted about The Rookie Mom's Handbook, written Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss.

With 250 activities you can do with or without your baby, this book would make the perfect gift for new or expectant moms.

The Morning After

Last night's party was a great success! It was so wonderful to meet the happy, healthy, hip parents who came out to mingle, celebrate family and enjoy a night out.

I want to give a big thank you to Alicia from Java Mama for her support and help during the drawing last night. The upcoming schedule for parenting workshops that Happy Healthy Hip Parenting offers at Java Mama will be announced soon.

Another thank you goes to Stacey from San Diego Bargain Mama for her support and promotion of the event. Stacey took pictures during the event and will be sharing those with our on line commUNITY shortly! Keep your eyes out for your face to appear.

Finally, a thank you is extended to Christine from The Neighbourhood for providing - and selecting - my attire for last night. She owns a fabulous boutique in University Heights which is a great place for men and women to discover wares from the latest designers. Christine hand selects her inventory and works with each customer to provide them with the perfect fit. She's great. Stop by.

The Airport Lounge was a fantastic venue for the event and we were all treated like First Class passengers so I look forward to heading there again to enjoy more great food and fabulous cocktails. The female DJ was a hit so a few of us took advantage of the dance floor and relieved some stress and worked off the drinks we were enjoying.

I was so pleased that everyone who came walked away with some great prizes. There are still several to be given away, so if you'd like the opportunity to win even more, we're creating an additional chance to win. SUBSCRIBE to this blog OR the weekly Parenting News You Can Use newsletter to be entered for this drawing.

Here are the additional prizes that will be given away:

from eBags.com
5 people will receive coupon codes to use on line

from Kaboost:
a Kaboost Portable Chair Booster

from Seal Press:
one copy of Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined,
edited by Andrea J. Buchanan & Amy Hudock

one copy of Andrea J. Buchanan's
Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It

one copy of The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide: Field-Tested Strategies for Staying Smart, Sane, and Connected When You're Raising Kids at Home
by Melissa Stanton

5 people will receive a copy of Rebecca Woolf's
Rockabye: From Wild to Child

The biggest prize that was given away last night was the Enrollment (for 2) to the upcoming Parenting Retreat held at the La Jolla Marriott. You can learn more about this weekend course on the Happy Healthy Hip Parenting website or you can simply call or email me with questions and I will be happy to provide you with more details.

Thanks to everyone who joined the celebration last night. The Happy Healthy Hip Happy Hour is destined to become an annual event here in San Diego, and in other cities around the country.

I'm grateful that you have chosen to become a member of the Happy Healthy Hip Parenting commUNITY. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas for next year.

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