Tag: family

Behind the Scenes Proof: Walmart and P&G Bring Back Family Movie Night

Posted on by MommyQ

Last week MommyQ was lucky enough to take a trip to Portland, Oregon, to witness a “behind-the-scenes” movie experience.  Walmart and P&G invited me to attend, so I could see the guts and the glory it takes to produce a television movie. The movie, “In My Shoes,” is a clever, compassionate and family-friendly project that proves the notion of family movie night is not forgotten.

When I was a kid, I remember sitting with my parents and my sister once a week, usually Friday night, to watch television together. I have to admit, I don’t remember exact titles of the movies we watched, but I do recall the laughter, giggles, communal popcorn tub and the fun. I also know my parents didn’t have to jump up and run to the TV (we didn’t have remotes back then) to change the station because something non kid-friendly was interrupting our viewing pleasure.

From the wonderful folks at P&G and Walmart to the producers to the actors, EVERYONE working on this project is totally aware of the need for family-friendly television entertainment. Even the youngest actor on the set, 11-year-old Jackson Pace, mentioned how important it is to be able to watch television together as a family. (BTW, what a cute little guy.)

I also got to meet some phenomenal women/mothers/entreprenuers as in @MomStart @mamaspohr @eightymphmom @BettyBuzz @OurOrdinaryLife – funny, fantastic and talented, who could ask for more?

Get a taste of what the new and improved family movie night is by watching The Jenson Project on July 19th on NBC. And if you haven’t seen Secrets of the Mountain, you’d better get to watchin’ because it was incredible. Stay tuned!

In Life, Sometimes You Just Don’t Feel It

Posted on by MommyQ

It’s a mixed blessing to be a professional writer. Most of the time, I enjoy writing immensely. It’s a release that allows me to express a tiny percentage of the random thoughts floating through my brain at any given moment. Yet, there are times when typing a quick, lighthearted blog post is an impossible task.

My friends and family have been suffering some devastating losses recently and my desire to write about pricey baby clothes, upscale baby gear and the like has been greatly diminished as a result. When life hands you lemons, sometimes making lemonade is the last thing on your mind. It doesn’t really heal or help true pain. The only thing that helps is the passing of time.

My heart goes out to my friends and family members who are suffering right now. Whether it’s the loss of a life that didn’t last nearly long enough or worrying about a life that may be cut short or mourning a full life that met a tragic end – I am sorry for you all.

MommyQ is taking a short mental vacation to mend, prioritize, re-examine and reflect.  I’m sure my goofball perspective on motherhood, my fascination for animal print everything and my cynical wit will return quickly. Let’s just say, I’m not feeling it at the moment. And I would never want to be a faker. Peace out for now…

Prepping Special Needs Child for Birthday Party

Posted on by MommyQ

singing-birthday-cake

For most families, birthday parties are a no-brainer. You get a cake, buy decorations, invite all of your family & friends and celebrate the big day. As the mother of a special needs child, birthdays are a slightly different reality. Why? Because that inherent excitement about birthdays most children seem to be born with often escapes the grasp of a special needs kiddo.

For example, my son who is ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) does not like loud noises. When a big group of people get together to sing “Happy Birthday,” it would upset him because it was too loud. Many autistic kids are also only comfortable in routine situations.  Since birthday parties are spontaneous types of events, they are hard to prepare for even if you go over all of the different expectations and aspects. (Obviously some non-special needs kids also have these types of reactions to birthday parties too.) It can be an overwhelming event, even if you only have a few family members around.

This is why I think the My Singing Birthday Cake from Ohio Art Company is such a cool toy. It’s ideal for a mildly autistic child because you can prepare for the party through pretend play. You can explain how the candles work, how the cake will be cut and shared. You can also practice the singing with the actual birthday song. I know it might seem silly to “practice” a birthday party, but this would have been a great tool for us to use when my son was smaller. I think it would’ve made him much more comfortable at the real thing.

You can find this cake at Amazon for $50! It was also mentioned on Droolicious.

Giving Kids A Lifelong Sport: Tennis Anyone?

Posted on by MommyQ

My father taught my younger sister & I how to play tennis when we were eight or nine years old. We took lessons, practiced regularly and played on the school tennis teams. My father, who is now 73-years-old, is passionate about tennis and still plays 2-3 times per week. Despite his age and slight limp, he can get around a tennis court. Many of his opponents have learned the “you can’t judge a book by its cover” lesson on more than one occasion.

Growing up, we spent many hours on the tennis court together. At times, my mother would join us and we would play a few hilarious sets of doubles together. I use the term “hilarious” because my mother would play the net like a maniac, flying through the air awkwardly to return a lob or totally missing the ball and accidentally tossing the racket mid-swing. I’m sure onlookers thought we were crazy. I remember laughing so hard, I could barely swing the racket.

Today, after nearly 25 years, my father, sister & I still play tennis together. We don’t play often because she lives in a different state and I get busy being mom and doing mom things. When do play, it’s just like old times. We giggle when we successfully drop shot dad and I still run around my forehand because I prefer backhands. My sister mutters funny stuff under her breath when she crushes her forehand and we both blame the other one when a ball whizzes by us on the center line. “That was yours!?!”

We’re teaching my children how to play tennis, although they are still too young to fully understand the concept. It’s a chaotic scene – me, my husband and my father trying to convince two small kiddos to hold the racket steady and swing. They’d rather chase tennis balls, tug on the net, drag the racket on the ground or use it like a golf club. And that’s all just fine with me.

One day, we will all play doubles together. My kids will laugh at my silly antics at the net and I will marvel at the great shots they make. We’ll spend time on the court talking about nothing special, enjoying the physical activity, the smell of new tennis balls and relishing in the perfect cross-court winner.

I Happen to Like Tori Spelling

Posted on by MommyQ

tori

There, I said it. One of my friends on Facebook recently admitted to liking the new Miley Cyrus song, “The Climb.” I have a lot of respect for people who willingly admit potentially embarrassing truths, so I took her lead and decided to throw props to Tori Spelling, especially in the wake of her mother’s continued public betrayal.

I have to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of Tori Spelling during the 90210 days. In fact, I didn’t really like the show at all. The plot was horribly predictable and the amount of hair gel being used on the boys was obscene. Last year, I started watching reruns of Tori & Dean: Inn Love and was just amazed at how quickly I started to like Tori. She was funny, sincere, sweet, honest, goofy and even vulnerable.

The show didn’t seem overly contrived  me and the whole notion of a Hollywood couple trying to downsize their lives (while pregnant) and renovating a B & B at the same time was pretty entertaining. I haven’t seen the new show, Home Sweet Hollywood, but as a mother with two small children myself, I know it can only be non-stop chaos. The good kind.

Today rumors fly about Tori’s weight and Tori’s psycho mom, Candy, etc. I have no idea what’s true and what isn’t, but I feel sorry for her. When push comes to shove she’s a woman, wife and mother trying to make it all work. That’s no easy feat. If my mom started sending open letters to TMZ about what should be private issues, I’d be mortified.

Maybe this all a big publicity stunt – who knows? If it’s not, It’s just plain sad. And not the good kind.