The Momtourage http://themomtourage.com/site/index/ Chelsea Kaplan's Musings About Life After Birth en chelsea@themomtourage.com Copyright 2008 2008-11-12T14:18:00-05:00 Do something good - in the name of shoes! http://themomtourage.com/site/do_something_good_in_the_name_of_shoes/ http://themomtourage.com/site/do_something_good_in_the_name_of_shoes/#When:14:18:00Z Robeez, the makers of those little shoes you know you all put on your babies, recently launched its fourth annual Season of Giving campaign, a charitable initiative to donate shoes to infants in need during the holiday season. Here’s how it works: For every Happy Holidays e-card sent from the Season of Giving website, Robeez will make a $5 product donation via its charitable partner, Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.). It’s easy: one card = $5 worth of Robeez footwear; 10 cards = $50 worth of Robeez footwear, and on and on!

A little bonus: For taking the time to send an e-card, Robeez is offering senders a chance to win one of seven new Shoes and Socks Gift Sets. The initiative ends December 20. It only takes a few minutes, so visit seasonofgiving.robeez.com and …

MORE...]]> Fashion, Holidays, Shopping 2008-11-12T14:18:00-05:00 Breast Cancer Awareness Month Giveaway! http://themomtourage.com/site/breast_cancer_awareness_month_giveaway/ http://themomtourage.com/site/breast_cancer_awareness_month_giveaway/#When:17:44:00Z As I’m sure you all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. To do our part, The Momtourage will be donating all of its ad revenues this month to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Additionally, we’ll be donating a dollar for every new mailing list registration we receive this month! To encourage you all to sign up, we’re giving away all sorts of fantastic Breast Cancer awareness pink items this month (remember - to win any of our giveaways, you must be registered for our mailing list!). 

First up: one of my all-time favorite things on the planet: The no!no! at-home laser hair removal device.


Pink no!no!, $250, sephora.com.


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MORE...]]> Beauty, Contests and Giveaways 2008-10-01T17:44:00-05:00 Set your radios! http://themomtourage.com/site/se/ http://themomtourage.com/site/se/#When:02:12:00Z At the risk of sounding like a broken record, six months after having my second child, weight-wise, I’m still nowhere near where I’d like to be . Sigh. That’s why this afternoon (Wednesday) at 2:00 PM EST, I’ll be joining Broads Molly and Christine of XM Radio’s “Broadminded” (tune in on XM Channel 155!) to try Hello! SkinnyJeans, your good ‘ol classic denim staples made with a high nylon/elastane content that sucks in your gut, butt and thighs. The credit for this find goes to Momtourage member Alison, who read about them in a magazine and said we needed to get some ASAP.

We’ve tried other slimming jeans before, so the Broads and I are looking forward to comparing these bad boys to other varieties. Catherine Hart, the founder of Hello! SkinnyJeans claims her jeans are the best because they’ve got “scooped out” thighs, which drastically separate and …

MORE...]]> Fashion, Radio Appearances 2008-10-01T02:12:00-05:00 Monday Mom Must-Have: Ouidad Krly Kids products http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_ouidad_krly_kids_products/ http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_ouidad_krly_kids_products/#When:04:31:00Z The other day, Momtourage members Jen, Alison and I were eating lunch with our kids and we all noticed how curly-headed those four little buggers buggers are. Granted, that’s probably what you get with a group of nice, Jewish kids, but still - it’s pretty remarkable, especially since the corkscrewed gang resembles a scoop of Neapolitan ice cream - one blonde (mine), two brunettes (Alison’s) and one redhead (Jen’s). Curls like theirs are pretty are pretty enviable, and always bring comments; wherever we go, people always make all sorts of “Look at those gorgeous curls!” or “He looks just like a little cherub” remarks. I always thank people when they compliment him like that, and to those who make the angel reference, offer them the opportunity to take him home and discover that’s he’s actually a little devil just how angelic he truly is.


MORE...]]> Life in the 'Hood, Beauty, Contests and Giveaways, Monday Mom Must-Haves, Momtourage, My Boys 2008-09-29T04:31:00-05:00 The most shocking revelation EVER! http://themomtourage.com/site/the_most_shocking_revelation_ever/ http://themomtourage.com/site/the_most_shocking_revelation_ever/#When:15:27:00Z
The next thing you know, People will tell us that the sky is blue.

Clay Aiken: I’m a Gay Dad

By David Caplan

Following the Aug. 8 birth of his son Parker, singer Clay Aiken is following through on a promise he made to himself as a new dad: to publicly acknowledge that he’s gay.

“It was the first decision I made as a father,” Aiken, 29, tells the upcoming issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.”

Aiken says he expects the news may overwhelm some of his fans. “Whether it be having a …

MORE...]]> In the News 2008-09-24T15:27:00-05:00 Happy Half-Birthday, Little Bro! http://themomtourage.com/site/happy_half_birthday_little_bro/ http://themomtourage.com/site/happy_half_birthday_little_bro/#When:02:01:00Z Little Bro had his 6-month birthday on the 14th. I can’t believe it’s been six months. Time flies when you’re having fun - and even when you’re not.

I took him for his 6-month checkup today and thankfully, he seems to be doing well. At 18.5 lbs and 27.5 inches, he’s in the 75th percentile for both height and weight, which is where he’s always been (and, interestingly, Big Bro has always been too). He got one oral vaccine and three shots, which was just so sad. His eyes got so wide when the nurse jabbed him with the first needle, and then he let out that terrible silent cry - you know, the one where the poor kid is in such intense pain and shock that he can’t even make sound at first. Poor dude.

Granted, I’m completely biased, but Little Bro is one adorable kid:
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MORE...]]> My Boys 2008-09-16T02:01:00-05:00 Bribery is everything http://themomtourage.com/site/bribery_is_everything/ http://themomtourage.com/site/bribery_is_everything/#When:01:37:00Z I’m nearly two weeks into potty training Big Bro, and sadly, it hasn’t been going too well. He’s definitely “ready” (or as “ready” as he’ll ever be), and we’re having decent success at home, but when we’re out, he rarely wants to stop what he’s doing to tell me he’s gotta go. Therefore, we’ve had our fair share of accidents - and a lot of them have been full-on gross, if you catch my drift. Just this week we had one at school today, one at the park the other day and another that same day when Momtourage members Meredith, Jen and I were at Chicken Out eating lunch with our kids. Ugh. I know we just started, but already, I am so over it and so frustrated. Obviously, I can’t communicate this to my kid, as …

MORE...]]> Life in the 'Hood, Food, Momtourage, My Boys, The Madness of Motherhood 2008-09-11T01:37:00-05:00 Monday Mom Must-Have: A weekend away with your husband http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_a_weekend_away_with_your_husband/ http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_a_weekend_away_with_your_husband/#When:02:30:01Z This past weekend, my parents came in town and watched the boys while my husband and I got the hell outta Dodge (a.k.a. Chevy Chase, MD). As much as we love the little critters, Little Bro’s 6:00 a.m. wake-ups and the stresses related to potty training Big Bro were seriously taking a toll, and we were both so in need of a break.

We went to fairly nearby St. Michael’s, MD and stayed at the GORGEOUS Inn at Perry Cabin. Interestingly, a good part of the movie “Wedding Crashers” was filmed there. Remember the senator’s house where Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s character’s go stay? It was this hotel, actually (check out the web site - you’ll totally recognize it). It’s right on the Chesapeake Bay, and wow, it was beautiful. We slept late, got massages at the hotel’s spa, hung by the pool, …

MORE...]]> Life in the 'Hood, The Madness of Motherhood, Travel 2008-09-08T02:30:01-05:00 Set your radios and enter to win our latest giveaway! http://themomtourage.com/site/set_your_radios_and_enter_to_win_our_latest_giveaway/ http://themomtourage.com/site/set_your_radios_and_enter_to_win_our_latest_giveaway/#When:13:58:00Z Need to drop a few pounds? I do - like, a “few” times seven or so. In the meantime, it’s all about Spanx, the miraculous shapewear from Atlanta girl (woo hoo!) Sara Blakely. I hate to admit that all of those “Have you lost weight?” comments I’ve been getting recently can’t honestly be answered with “Why yes, and thank you, you wonderfully observant person!”. My seemingly svelte figure is completely the result of my wearing Spanx’s Hide & Sleek Girl Shorts and Slim Cognito Body Shaping Cami. Sara, you deserve a Nobel Prize.

This afternoon (Tuesday) at 1:00 PM EST, I’ll be joining Broads Molly and Christine of XM Radio’s “Broadminded” (tune in on XM Channel 155!) to discuss the newest offerings from Spanx: the Bra-llelujah! Full Coverage …

MORE...]]> Life in the 'Hood, Fashion, Radio Appearances, Shopping 2008-09-02T13:58:00-05:00 Monday Mom Must-Have: Whitney English Vinyl Stickers http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_whitney_english_vinyl_stickers/ http://themomtourage.com/site/monday_mom_must_have_whitney_english_vinyl_stickers/#When:01:00:00Z Big Bro’s gearing up for his first full year of preschool. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:15 until 12:15, Mom he will experience three hours of bliss a day filled with art, play, snacks, story time and socializing. I’m not sure who in our house is the most excited.

Of course, there’s a huge list of things I need to pack for his little cubby - a bag of extra clothes, a bag of diapers, a little tote bag, etc. - all of which must be “clearly labeled with his name”.  Sure, I could take a Sharpie to everything, but because it’s Southern, slightly preppy me, I had to do it a little cuter. For my labeling, I’ll be affixing some “Madras Navy” vinyl stickers from Whitney English (printed up with his name on them, of course) to all of his things.


MORE...]]> Monday Mom Must-Haves, My Boys 2008-08-26T01:00:00-05:00