CityMama

Who wants a Nintendo Wii + Wii Fit? Come on, you know you do.

Yes. And booze helps.

It's true. I am giving away a Wii + Wii Fit. Let's talk fitness, shall we?

There was a time in my life when I used to dance every day. All through elementary, junior high, and high school. Even in college, I didn't give up my dance classes. I could never imagine a life without some form of dance.

Then I switched majors halfway through college and had to work my ass off to finish school on time because there was no way I was staying in LA for one moment longer than I needed to. That meant the dance classes went bye-bye.

When I started working full-time, not being a morning person, I only had evenings to work out. Looking for that dance connection and inspiration, I went in search of a fun workout program with an emphasis on music and movement. And I discovered:

Jazzercise.

Yes. Oh, yes.

Jazz hands! (Actually, it wasn't like that.)

Hot Links--5/15/08

And when I say hot, I mean it's like 100 degrees in my house hot.

Like, I got no patience you better listen the first time hot.

Like, don't touch me hot.

But this stuff? Is cool:

I am currently loving (my latest PR freebie) Danica Aromatics perfumes. I wear perfume every day and prefer floral scents (specifically white florals) with just a hint of citrus. Danica Aromatics. Spicy or fruity fragrances are not for me, hence, I am not a Chanel No. 5 wearer. My current faves: "I am rich" (No, no I am not) and "I am me." (Well, yeah. I guess I am.) They come in spray or a slim roll-on you can tuck into your purse, my personal pref.

Have I mentioned that it's hot? This means (ugh): it's bathing suit weather. It also means that I need to right now thank Lands' End for making appropriate-yet-cute bathing suits that I can comfortably wear even though I am not and have never in my adult life been a size 2. All of my swim suits (I like the mix/match) are from Lands' End. Yes, they are pricey but some I've had for years even though I wear them almost daily—between trips to the pool and month-long stays at my mom's in Hawaii—during the summer. There is almost nothing I love more than swimming, so thank you for not making me look like a total dork at the pool, Lands' End. Customer for life.

And speaking of pool, I just bought this book—Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks—in anticipation of all the backyard parties we'll be having this summer.

And lastly, keeping the booze flowing:

Gary Vaynerchuk's book tour is coming to a city near you!  He'll be in San Francisco on May 28. I fell in love with him the moment I heard him describe a Chateauneuf du Pape as smelling like a Slim Jim. Watch one podcast and you will be hooked. Line, sinker, and all. I replied to one of his Twitters asking when he was planning on being in the SF area and he replied with a link to his tour dates. ( find/follow: garyvee) Then he asked me for help promo'ing his book and I said, "Absolutely." So here we are. Seriously. Go watch one of his podcasts and come back here so we can discuss! You will learn a lot. I have.

A dream, my dream, come true

I'm going to be a published author.

As in a published author in a real, live, honest-to-goodness, bound book. That can sit on a shelf. In a bookstore. Or in a house. That I can show my kids. And they can show their kids. For which we will be having a local signing/par-tay  because this (for me) is HUGE. (More on that later).

I have an essay that will be included in a soon-to-be-published "mommy blogger" anthology edited by Rita Arens: Sleep Is For the Weak. Please read Rita's take on how it came about here. The book has been a long time in the making and no one has worked harder to make it happen than Rita.

Rita: THANK YOU. You are made of one million awesomes. I don't know how else to say it.

I'm in great company alongside these lovely and talented ladies and gents:

Amalah
Binkytown
Birdie's New Mexico Time Machine
Finslippy
Friday Playdate
Fussy
IzzyMom
Laid-Off Dad
Mom-101
Mommy Needs Coffee
Mommytrack'd
Motherhood Uncensored
Not Calm (dot com)
Paper Napkin
Rancid Raves
State of Grace
Surfette
Surrender, Dorothy (our esteemed and hard-working editor)
Sweetney
The Modernity Ward
The Naked Ovary
Three Kid Circus
Woulda Coulda Shoulda

Sleep Is For The Weak begins with a foreward by Stacy Morrison, Editor-in-Chief of Redbook magazine.

Our book is now available for pre-order from these fine purveyors:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

BookSense (a collection of independent booksellers and my personal preference for ordering copies)

I would love it if you pre-ordered the book so my mom's pre-order isn't hanging out all by its little lonesome. Support your favorite blogger parents! Let's all show Rita just how much all her hard work has paid off!

I cannot wait to have this in my hands.

John Edwards endorses Barack Obama!!!

Five words I have been waiting to hear since my candidate, John Edwards, suspended his presidential bid.

Thank you.

Thank you, John Edwards.

OBAMA/EDWARDS '08!!!

With apologies to the cyclers among us

You know those bikers? The ones that wear the spandex everything and aerodynamic mirrored sunglasses? I have three thoughts in rapid succession whenever I see them on the street (and they seem to go to my town to spawn):

1. Hey Lance, why aren't you at work? It's 11:15 in the morning! (Or 2:45 in the afternoon!) How is it that you have so much free time during the middle of the day to do your bike ridey cycling thing?

2. The sound of those bike cleats (or whatever they are called) ranks #2 on the Most Annoying Sounds In The World list right after "Three-Year-Old Whine." I think more than the tappy sound, it's the way people walk when they are wearing them that bugs me the most. They look like mincing ducks on their way to a golf game to be played over hot coals.

3. What are you doing? You're at a red light. You aren't going anywhere for at least a minute. Put your feet down already.

Any given Sunday you can find me here

"What do you want to do for Mother's Day?" asked J.

"Go to the farmer's market," I replied. It's the only thing I ever want to do on a Sunday morning.

Mother's Day Breakfast: A buckwheat crepe filled with fresh crab, asparagus, avocado, tomato, and lemony creme fraiche.

Dazzling chard.

You can smell this rotisserie chicken from across the market. It pulls you towards it. When you purchase it, you are given a whole lime to squeeze over it. The potatoes under the chicken catch all the delicious drippings.

First cherries of the season. Amazingly sweet.

My Mother's Day sweet peas. Along with peonies, they are my favorite flowers. Hope you had a very happy Mother's Day!

First MOMocrats podcast!

Take a listen and let me know what you think!  Your feedback wanted and most appreciated!

Note: The intro is long because we wanted to share the history behind the creation of MOMocrats. And, I pause so much because I was hearing a wicked echo in my phone...very distracting. Hopefully we will get all the kinks ironed out for next time!

Where'd the Wii Fit post go?

Hang tight. The Nintendo peeps have to review my contest and make sure it complies with their rules. I will repost it as soon as they give me the green light.  In the meantime, start thinking about your most embarrassing fitness moment...preferably involving Dolphin shorts and hi-top Reeboks.

They say it's your birthday...but it's not.

Whoever decided to have summer-birthday-having kindergarteners celebrate their birthday during the school year needs to be slapped. This seems to be a universal thing round these parts. I have no problem with the fact that some kids get to celebrate their birthdays during the school year (because that's when they are!), and some kids don't. That's life, kids!

Bunny had two pool parties last year. Two cakes. Two rounds of gifts. One party was in Hawaii at her Tata's club where they catered it to Bunny's exact specifications: fried chicken, chili, pizza, and plenty of passion-orange-guava juice. Party number two was in California at the local pool where she got to eat sammiches and swim with her friends. She gets to be outside for every birthday party if she wants to, while all the winter birthday kids are at Pump It Up or Chuck E. Cheese's. (PS Having a summer birthday means never having to go to Chuck E. Cheese's. Thank gawd.)

Six Random Things, Six Kick-Ass Blogs

Mocha Momma told me to do this. When Mocha Momma tells you to do something you do it because, well, she is a high school administrator and she might suspend you. And then you'll never get into the college of your choice. Not that I would know anything about that.

Plus you know me. I put the "me" in meme.

Here are the rules.

1. Link to the person who tagged you. Check.
2. Post the rules on your  blog. Check.
3. Write six random things about yourself. Gonna do that in a second.
4. Tag six random people  at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. Pulling up my BlogLines now.
5. Let each person know  they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. ...or maybe I'll just let them have a nice surprise in their Google Alerts. 
6. Let your  tagger know when your entry is up. Aight.

Random Thing Number 1: For the past year, I've been under contract with a site to post some links and things in my sidebar. The contract said I couldn't swear. So I didn't. Because sometimes that's what we bloggers do when we need preschool money. The contract is up. The links are removed. And now you know why I haven't said fuck, shit, or cocksucker for a year. /Exhales.

Random Thing Number 2: I sing to musicals in the car. Loudly. And in whatever accent the character has. My favorites: Chicago, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, and yes (sigh), Les Miz. (I saw them all on Broadway, except for A Chorus Line. I saw that twice: once in Honolulu, once in San Francisco.) And I just downloaded the Enchanted Soundtrack. For my kids. Once a drama geek, always a drama geek.

Random Thing Number 3: I wear earplugs every night while I sleep. I worry that it will cause long term aural damage because my ears aren't able to "breathe."  Eh? What's that you say?

Random Thing Number 4:  My mom gave me a necklace four years ago and in that time, I have never taken it off. Even if I wear other necklaces, I wear that necklace, too. I'm afraid if I take the necklace off, something bad will happen. I have attached way to much agita to this sitch. It's what I do best.

Random Thing Number 5: When I see pregnant women, I wish I were pregnant, too. I miss the fluttery feeling of a baby inside of me. I wonder when and if that feeling will ever go away?

Random Thing Number 6: I have better-than-20/20 vision and a very rare blood type.

For this I am tagging six blogs/bloggers who brang it:

• Whoorl who is busy getting all famous.
• I'll have the smoked salmon plate and tea, in Paris, with Put Your Flare On.
• Kristy. She Just...radiates radiance.
• V-Dog. My zucchini and truffle-loving home grrrl.
• Grace who gets me and I get her because we have that island simpatico thing going on.
• Wishbone Clover. Bad Kitty because I love, Colleen because she likes parts, and Cheap Girl who can draw hers.