Category Archives: Real Life

Real Life :: A Trip to the Farmer’s Market

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It’s been raining. Raining cats and dogs. We’re talking torrential downpour. But yesterday? We had sunshine! Glorious, warmth on my face sunshine! I hear it won’t last, but it just put us all in a much better mood. It had me dreaming of summer and yummy fruits. One of our favorite things to do is take a trip to the farmer’s market.

The colors, the smells, I love it all! And the taste of fresh, organic produce is like no other.

Now I have to confess, Wolfie may be the world’s biggest sweetie….but he’s also the world’s pickiest eater!! I never thought I would have a finicky child but there you go. Our tactic is to try and expose him to as much as possible. He may not eat it, but at least he is familiar with the various fruits and veggies.

Wolfie loves to run around and help us collect everything we need. (And yes, he does like grapes! Halleyloo!)

I loooooove this beautiful spring mix with edible flowers. It’s soooo pretty. The first time Wolfie saw edible flowers his mind was blown! He wasn’t into the slightly peppery taste, but he tried a little nibble none-the-less.

Rainbow chard is one of my favorites.

If you have a younger child, it’s fun to do a mini scavenger hunt at the Farmer’s Market. Ask your kiddo to find an orange fruit. Or a yellow vegetable.  How about a purple fruit or vegetable with an interesting shape.  Or a red food you’ve never tasted before! Try it and see what it tastes like! (Yeah, Wolfie wasn’t buying that one. “I found a radish!” “Do you want to try it?” “No thank you mama!” all chipper. Harumph. Foiled again…)

Most Farmer’s Markets offer little samples of all the fruits which can be really fun for kids. We love to try all the different apples or peaches and compare! Delicate raspberries are one of my faves. Greg is a blueberry man!

Mmmm. This *says* ORANGE JUICE, but really? It was fresh-squeezed BLOOD ORANGE JUICE. Oh man, it was sooo tasty!

Beyond the fruits there are so many other tasty treats to try. Our Farmer’s Market has powder sugary funnel cakes, crepes, curries and falafels…and loads of baked goods. We also love to swing by the flower booth and select something bright and sunny for the house.

Do you have a great Farmer’s Market in your town? Or do you have your own garden?? (Even better!) I can’t wait for spring to reeeeeally come. Winter was cozy and all but I’m ready for some full blown SUN ACTION!

Three Tips for Emergency Preparedness

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Image via: Invisible Elephant

Hey friends,

Japan’s earthquake and tsunami is a tragedy that deserves not only our financial and emotional support but it is also a wake up call for anyone living (or visiting) earthquake areas.  There is nothing scarier than thinking about what would happen to your loved ones if any sort of disaster hits–be it earthquake, fire, hurricane, or heavens knows what. But an ounce of prevention can help you sleep better at night and maybe just save you and your loved ones some grief.  So, here is some information I pulled together over the weekend for my own needs that I hope can help you too.

1. Have a plan, Stan

The Red Cross recommends that families have two meeting places—one near where you live and one out of state.

Think about choosing an out-of-area emergency contact person. It may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service.  Everyone should have emergency contact information in writing or programmed into their cell phones.

Make sure you figure out the best route out of your home and practice getting out ASAP a few times a year. Know how to turn off your water and gas. Know whether or not it is safer to remain in your house or to get out.  They say you have THREE SECONDS to react to an earthquake. That’s not much time.  Make sure you know what you want to do. And the same goes for fires, hurricanes and everything else Mother Nature can throw at you.

There is a lot of information online about how to survive earthquakes in general. A lot of people are interested in the “triangle of life” that was mentioned in a recent TIME article.  That same article also mentions that you should not stand in a doorway for safety during an earthquake.  Who knew?  FEMA has its own  recommendations of what to do in an earthquake.  Just taking 10 minutes to update yourself on those facts can be a lifesaver.

2. Put together your emergency kit

Really, it’s not that hard—it’s just one of those things that is probably on your to do list and has been for awhile.  Plus, it is super easy to make your own emergency kit—you just need a free Saturday afternoon and a trip to your local Home Depot, Target or supermarket.

Here are some things you might want to add to your emergency kit:

  • First aid kit
  • Food:  best to pack high protein foods that can last awhile.  A jar of peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit, granola bars, canned tuna or chicken. Stay away from foods that need re-hydration or lots of water like beans or pasta.  And remember to pack that can opener, friends!
  • Water: It is best to put aside a gallon a day per person. You can store it in those two liter soda bottles.
  • Invest in a good hand-crank radio and hand-crank flashlight.
  • At least $100 cash.
  • Copies of your birth certificates, insurance plans, drivers licenses.
  • Copies of house and car keys.
  • A back up favorite softie/toy/game for your kiddos.

Here are some great links to get you started:

You can also buy your own ready made pack at one of these places (and I’m sure more await with a quick Google search):

Don’t forget to make/purchase emergency kits for your car and for work too!

And remember to store it in easy access—not in the garage, basement or pantry.

3. Educate yourself and your family:

Natural disasters aren’t a death warrant. They can be survived with safety and aplomb.

Remember kids always seem to understand a lot more than we give them credit for, so letting them know that it will all be OK in the long run can really help them cope with it.  Kid’s Growth has a terrific post about that. And there are several resources available too to help them deal with any potential natural disaster nuttiness out there. Like the book, I’ll Know What To Do or FEMA’s Website for kids is another great resource.

LA City Mom wrote a quote from parenting expert Betsy Brown Braun, the author of, Just Tell Me What to Say, has some great advice.

She writes that the single most important message to convey is: “You are safe. I know how to keep you and our whole family safe. That is my job. We are all safe now, and we will continue to be safe.”

Hopefully this little blog post will inspire someone to prepare for the next natural disaster near you.

What’s in your emergency kit? What’s the most surprising item? We are packing a deck of cards and some scotch! Seriously!

 

A wee surprise prezzie for Alix.

Real Life

Now friends, you have to understand that I HAD to get this for Alix.  I know it’s silly, but really. I couldn’t help myself.

A Twitter handle pin! Oh, and one for me too…

OK–backstory…

I sat next to a lady Sunday who had a necklace like this and knew immediately that I had to get one for me and Alix.  I asked the woman where she got it and she said it was just that day from some local lady who was making them for a lot of bloggers.

Through the magic of the Internet, I found the woman on Twitter and told her I MUST HAVE her pins. One for me and one for Alix. NOW.  Twenty plus direct messages on Twitter and two days later and a drive by in a rented car on the corner of Congress and 6th street I had my pins. One for me and one for Alix.

Let me tell you a bit about the artist, Jennifer Cunningham.  First off, she came up with these genius little pins that are so much fun and really, who doesn’t want their Twitter handle in pin form? Just think how many followers we would have!  This single mama with a heart of gold is making ends meet through her art so she can be at home with her little toddler and her stuff is so much fun to boot! Check out her Etsy shop and buy something.  I know you want that pin or gasp–the necklace featuring your own Twitter handle.  Mmmhmm!

I know many of you are thinking to yourself, hey–what does Galexina have to do with Alix? Oh ho!  Let me tell you a story.  Before there was Alix of Modern Kiddo, there was a Devil-Ette whose name was The Galaxie Girl.  She later changed her name to the Starlet, but Galexina became a handle our Alix kept for many many years in emails, Live Journal posts and her beloved Twitter handle.

And really you should follow our girl @galexina because Alix has truly mastered the art of the witty tweet.

Hope you enjoy it, Alix!

xoxo,

Real Life :: Dottie at SXSW Interactive.

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Everything truly is bigger and better in Texas.

Like the hangovers.

And yeah, there were hangovers. But great conversations and fun times had by all.

I’m happy to say that CNET rocked the house with its streaming Buzz Out Loud party at Cedar Street. Molly Wood and Brian Tong were wonderful and did a bang-up job interviewing all sorts of fancy people that night from Pete Cashmore to Freddy Rodriguez.   And mad props to the CNET marketing team for that adorable cowboy boot beer cozy.

From Flickr user Brian Wilson.

Image via CBS.

We also went to a couple of other parties, but I think my favorite was, of course the Etsy party, where people were crafting it up on the premises!

How cute is that? And they even had a fashion show with Burda. At SXSWi!  Wonderful!

Image via Flickr: Etsy Labs

Oh and they had great bands too…

And I saw lots and lots of panels. Perhaps too many panels. But the one that stood out the most was Guy Kawasaki’s solo piece discussing some findings from his book, Enchantment.  All I can say, is buy the book. If it is one bit as great as the hour I spent listening to Guy, then you are in for a treat.

Image via NeonPunch.

Well, that and going to Jane Goldman’s panels. Jane, who is the co-found and EIC of CHOW is a force of nature and one of the most inspiring ladies I know.  She was on a terrific panel at TECHMunch as well as her own panel at SXSW discussing food criticism.

Image via: Living the Promise.

Hoo boy, there is so much more. So many funny asides and wonderfully smart and clever things that I saw and did but I’m just a tad tired from it all.  But I can tell you this. I’m going again next year!

Image via 30DaysOut.

Next post–Alix’s little surprise!

Real Life :: Shopping & Eating in Austin.

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Hoo boy! Austin does vintage RIGHT!

After going to A LOT of panels and parties and walking my tootsies off all over downtown Austin, I needed a wee break. I needed to center myself with some good ole fashion vintage shopping. And let me tell you, Austin knows a thing or two about great vintage.

With terrific advice from the wonderful baking goddess , Jenny from Vintage Sugacube and the spectacularly clever Beth I headed out with some friends from work in tow in search of some sassy shopping Austin style.

There are many many things that Austin just knows how to do right. Like vintage belt buckles. Well done, Feather Boutique.

And stunning vintage dresses like this one that just took my breath away.

And did you know that Texas has a thing for cowboy boots? Mmhmm… shocker, I know.

I love this vintage Twister game. The graphics make me think that Twister is one step away from a key party!

Owls anyone?

 

But a girl can’t live by vintage shopping alone. She needs CANDY!

Which we found in ample supply at the glorious Big Top Candy store, which brought back wonderful childhood memories of having a quarter to spend on penny candy.

Look, they even had Mary Janes. I love a good vintage candy.

Now we knew our sugar high couldn’t last, so we knew we needed something “more” like some protein.

Friends, Austin is a food lovers paradise.  Like this BRISKET–oh sweet Georgia Brown, this brisket from Franklin’s BBQ. Insane in the membrane. Thank you CHOW Tour: Austin for the recommendations! Brisket, I will dream of you when I’m back in SF…

Oh and I think Texas is also into BBQ sauces too.  Go figure…

I even like their sign. I want to marry this place.

And the food truck scene in Austin is unbelievable.  If it can be eaten, you can get it from a food truck in Austin. And some of them are just button cute too boot, like this little friend!

I loved the fabulous French pastries from La Boite! Again, a terrific suggestion from CHOW Tour: Austin.

And I must admit, this was just the tippy tip tip of all of the wonderful goodness that I tried to cram into my Austin afternoon of fun.  A necessary break from the banana event that is SXSW. More on that later today, hopefully!

Nuff said, Austin!

Oh, and I’ll have to show you the surprise giftie I picked up for Miss Alix, too!