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I will call this post a ‘Mommy Moment’ and you can decide if you agree or not…

The other day I was at a store and overhead a little toddler counting. She had beautiful flawless skin, big bouncy curls and expressive brown eyes. She was adorable! She counted to 20…then to 30…and finally stopped at 50. Her mom beamed and she smiled at me when she was finished because she knew she had a small audience. Amazed, I asked her mother how old she was. She was three and a half. “Good job,” I said enthusiastically. I was lying.

My mind immediately started racing. Was this normal? Can all kids her age count to 50? Are my young children on track? Is she ahead of the curve? Are my kids behind it? Thoughts were racing through my head and I wanted a computer so I could Google it until my heart was content.

Luckily, the non-mom side of my brain kicked in and squelched the mom racket. The fact that this little girl could count had nothing to do with me or my children. This was someone else’s moment, not mine. I realized how easy it is and how nature it feels to be competitive with other children. Which makes me wonder, are other parents ever genuinely happy for someone else’s child? I sure hope so. After reflecting on my actions, I’d like to congratulate that bubbly little girl on her impressive counting skills. She deserves it.

MommyQ is a huge fan of Britax car seats. While not every car seat we have is Britax, we do have two that are and I’m constantly impressed by them. I blogged about the new Britax Advocate Convertible Car Seat earlier this month and want to mention the new Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seat.

In addition to the fun ‘Cow Bay’ print – yes, I’m a fan of all types of animal prints! – the list of features is impossible to ignore. This is why Britax is one of the leading car seat manufacturers around:

• Tangle Free, 5 Point Harness with 7 harness heights and 2 buckle positions for a snug and secure fit
• True Side Impact Protection shields from vehicle intrusion, contains head and  body, and keeps head, neck and spine aligned to limit injury and distributes crash forces
• Anti-Rebound Bar stabilizes child seat by minimizing rotational forces associated with front and rear collisions
• Ergonomic Carry Handle allows comfortable carrying of child in carrier by contouring to forearm and body
• Extra Large Canopy protects baby from rain, harmful UV rays and blocks wind
• Front Harness Adjuster provides easy front adjustment when loosening the harness system
• Easy to Install Seat-to-Base design self-guides carrier into proper locked position

This is just a partial list! Check out all of the features at BabyEarth, where you can buy a Britax Chaperone for $230.

For most of my life I have been the poster child for bad hair. It’s not that my hair isn’t healthy or decent, it’s the fact that I never knew how to style it until I reached my mid-20s.  Trust me, if I posted photos of the various hair disasters I have sported over the years, this blog would be an overnight success. Unfortunately, I am not man enough or woman enough to go that route for publicity. To make this less painful for everyone, I will categorize my downfall. Welcome to my hair nightmare!

Uneven Bangs
It all started back when I was in elementary school. My first foray into the bad hair lifestyle was uneven bangs. Bless her heart because she meant well, but my mom consistently cut my bangs an inch too short and totally uneven. A week later, nobody could really tell. But since these infamous bang trims always occurred the night before Picture Day, these lopsided moments were captured on film – FOREVER.

Perms
In the fifth grade I discovered that sleeping with my hair in braids gave me this big, frizzy, kinky hair the next day. It was awesome! Over time, my mom and her poor tired fingers got tired of braiding my hair hair every night ,so I started begging for the next logical step. A perm!!!!

Perms Continued
My first perm was quite a milestone in my bad hair diary. I still remember gagging on the stinging, stinky, highly toxic solution they used back then. I held a hand towel over my mouth and nose while the perm processed because the fumes made me sick. After the watering eyes subsided and my new ringlets were dried, I had the huge, puffy, curly hair I had always wanted. It was heaven. Needless to say I permed my hair for many years after that. Then I cut it all off.

Rat Tail
This is when I officially deserved the title of ‘bad hair’ because I cut my hair super-short and had one loooong strand in the back. Yes, folks! MommyQ had a rat tail. It was even a few shades lighter than the rest of my hair. I had this hair style in the seventh grade and it rocked. Other kids were jealous of my rat tail. And my Hunt Club jeans, parachute pants and faux Member’s Only jacket. I also had a killer black pleather skirt that I wore with turquoise opaque tights. Oh, yeah. I was a fashion nightmare.

A Rainbow of Colors
My final faux pa happened when I realized you could buy hair color in a box. I did bright red for a long time and then switched it up by turning my hair into a wacky shade of blondish-red that does not exist in nature. One time I actually had spots in my hair, a debacle resulting in 6 hours at the hair salon in JCPenney, on a Sunday, trying to get it all back to one color.

CHI Flat Iron
Thanks goodness for the invention of the CHI Flat Iron! It saved me from a lifetime of hairstyle don’ts! I can’t even remember my life pre-CHI, but I know it wasn’t pretty. Thank you, CHI Flat Iron for heating up to an insanely hot temperature that people should never have near their heads, eyes or ears. Your ceramic plates are my hair saviour!

If you haven’t heard of Inglesina strollers, it’s time to get acquainted. Inglesina is recognized as one of the leading international manufacturers of juvenile products including strollers, high chairs, car seats and accessories. During my stroller research as a new mom, I got to know the Inglesina brand because of their vintage prams. The Classica Pram is something to behold!

Inglesina also makes sporty strollers like the Zippy, Trip and Swift. All three of these colorful strollers come with a long list of great features that moms on-the-move appreciate. The Zippy is the fully-loaded version, next is the Trip and last is the Swift, a scaled-down umbrella with lots of perks.

The Zippy starts around $349, the Trip is $169 and the Swift is $119.  You can find all three strollers, as well as many other Inglesina products, at BabyEarth.com.

A few years ago, when Angelina Jolie-Pitt was not a Pitt, this was the diaper bag she was spotted toting around town. I love the fact that it’s Pewter, so it goes with everything! It’s the ‘Emily’ Diaper Bag from Storksak and you can get one for around $175 at Nordstrom. If you’re not a pewter kinda gal, it also comes in a yummy bronze.

It may look like a normal bag, but it has tons of storage compartments and insulated pockets, not to mention a padded changing mat, detachable bag, mobile pocket (who doesn’t need one of those!) and wipe-clean lining. Go ahead, it’s still cool to be like Angie.

If you’re looking for an even more indulgent diaper bag, check out the Felix Ray ‘Emma’ Diaper Bag. Pleated details, a bow and goldtone studs? FUN! And you’ll be paying for that fun too. It retails for $450 at Nordstrom.

Tonight I stayed up later than usual to see how David Letterman would handle his much publicized apology for the joke he made last night. I think it’s human nature to squirm a bit when we have to admit to doing something wrong.  No matter how small that something may be, it’s difficult to take the blame.

Letterman began his show as normal with a clever monologue. When the camera returned, he was seated at his desk and began his apology. He started off by talking about the joke without going into great details. He said that all comedians know if you have to explain a joke that means it wasn’t funny. He never blamed his writers or staff. He said the joke was entirely his responsibility and he was wrong for saying it. He apologized to both Palin daughters by name, as well as to Governor Palin and the rest of her family.

It is so refreshing to see someone exhibit such professionalism. Remember folks, this man is a star. He could’ve easily hid behind any number of people or just brushed off the entire situation without ever addressing it. This was not acting, nor was it done to save his job. David Letterman apologized because he is passionate about what he does and recognized he went too far. Yes, a man who makes snarky jokes for a living can make a mistake. I applaud him for being above excuses and facing the fire. Bravo, Letterman. You just gained a new fan in MommyQ.

MommyQ is on a mission to reveal the most desirable black & white crib bedding sets around. In February 2009, I found seven beautiful bedding sets in black & white including solid white sets. Last month I spotted this adorable B&W organic set from CottonMonkey and blogged about it on Droolicious. Today I found this set from Bebechic and it’s on sale!

The Moderno 3-Piece Crib Set features playful pinwheels. The simple motif makes for a clean look and the Apple green trim adds just enough color to make it fun. The set is currently on sale for $464 at Dimples & Dandelions.

Talk about something you would’ve loved as a kid! Get a load of this hilarious Fisheye Camera. Your kiddos can take goofy photos with ease, thanks to the special lens that actually makes distorted cool. When I was a kid, my sister and I would’ve spent hours laughing and giggling with this camera.

We had our own photo album of bloopers that we made with construction paper and tape. No Snapfih albums back then. We would pick the absolute worst photos from the pile and give them clever little titles. The infamous ‘Book of Mess Ups’ was a cherished household item. I remember one photo that was an extreme close-up of my sister, so she looked as white as a sheet. The title was about pilgrims and the Mayflower. Who knows, but as a kid it was HILARIOUS. Believe it or not, the book was lost and we have no idea where it is. I sure would love to see it again. I bet it’s still funny.

Anyway, the Fisheye Camera uses standard 35mm film, so you can develop the goofiness easily. Retails for $54 at Chasing Fireflies.