Drops of Awesome

Personal Blog of Author Kathryn Thompson

Stuff

Wii Wii Wii All the Way Home

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**As of December 2010 I no longer have ties to Nintendo besides that I enjoy and purchase their products.**
Alert, alert. I’m so excited. The Wii is soon going to be able to stream Netflix movies directly from the game console. I’ve been hoping for this development for months because although it’s fun to watch streaming movies huddled around our small computer monitor, I’d prefer the comfort of the family room couch. They announced the development this morning and I already know about it because I’m a “Nintendo Enthusiast.”

I’ve been loving and periodically blogging about the Wii since I got it for Christmas 2 years ago in one of Dan’s greatest gift-giving coups ever. We take care of it and feed it all of the games and accessories it needs and it keeps us entertained. Right before Christmas this year, Nintendo contacted me about becoming an Enthusiast. The terms are vague. There is no contract. Basically it means that I keep loving Nintendo and they periodically invite me to things and send me free stuff if they can find any games we have not already purchased. (They had a hard time doing this for Christmas.) I’m sure they’re pleased when I write about Nintendo but it’s not required. I like this arrangement.

The one event we’ve attended so far was a holiday party at a local retirement home for seniors where Laylee and I got a chance to play games “with the grandmas” and then the retirement home got a free Wii and a bazillion games. It was a great experience for both of us.

Anyway. There’s my full disclosure. Prior to Christmas of this year I wrote about Nintendo because I’ve loved them since I was in elementary school and have spent a bucket-load of money on their products. After Christmas of this year, if I write about Nintendo it’s because I love them and am spending a bucket-load of money on their products. They also sometimes send me free games and press releases now. The End.

Anyway, if you have a Wii and a Netflix membership, you can go and reserve the game disc that will allow you to stream videos by following this link. www.netflix.com/Wii Happy Streaming!

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Howling Holidays

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Between bouts of illness, we had about 24 hours to squeeze in some fun last weekend. The planets aligned just in time for us to head out on a short vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA. They were hosting a special blogger event with discounted pricing and a blogger breakfast meet-up and we couldn’t pass up the chance to go back there. We had so much fun the last time.
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This time they were promoting their Snowland experience, the lodge decorated from top to bottom with snowflakes, sparkles and lights. Santa was there and a few times a day they did a “holiday show” and had a real fake indoor snowfall. Of course it also still had wolves and things that are great and lodge-like things. Hence the name.

gwl5I’m a big fan of Great Wolf Lodge. I love the way my kids’ gray matter explodes when we go there. They can’t put into words how much fun they’re having but they keep spontaneously giggling and their faces are split into ridiculous half-insane grins the entire time. Since we got home, Magoo’s been saying “Thank you for the Great Wolf Lodge,” every single night in his prayers. I also really like that all the employees, no matter what their job title, greet you and make eye contact when they see you in the halls.

There were a few things I don’t like. I don’t like this:
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The check-in line was insane. It’s nice that business is so good at the Lodge but they need to find a more efficient way to process all those visitors.

I’m also not a fan of animatronics.
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We missed the nightly story time last year because we were frolicking in the water. This year we were sure to dry off and get there in time for what turned out to be sort of an underwhelming, hard to hear, semi-creepy animatronics extravaganza followed by a real live story time. The kids enjoyed it but I think they would have been happier in the water. I know I would have.
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Wanda shocked us all by tolerating the whole experience quite well. Being inside the water park itself was like stepping into a giant white-noise machine and put her quickly to sleep. She was warm enough in her little swimmy suit with a towel wrapped around her and in a year she’ll be having a blast in the kiddy area. Her only trouble came late that night when everyone else was sleeping and she wanted me to stay up and rock her on the couch while watching Jeopardy on mute.

You know how unfulfilling it is to watch Jeopardy on mute and never know if your answers are right? What is – VERY frustrating? Luckily within minutes of starting that late night ritual I got a text from one of my blogging mom friends who was hanging out with some of our ladies down in the restaurant. They’d all put their children away and were enjoying some nocturnal girl time. They took turns passing Wanda around until she was zonked and I headed back upstairs and put her to bed. It was lovely and much more fun than mute Jeopardy.

Overall I’d still recommend taking a trip to a GWL if you have one near you. Your kids are guaranteed to have an awesome time and you’ll likely enjoy yourself too, especially if you like your children. Personally, I’d rather go when they’re back to doing what they do best without all the plasticky holiday noise. I don’t really want my kids to associate Christmas with lavish water parks and crazed animatronic moose and trees singing carols. I guess I’d rather have them associate it with storm troopers and old dead artificial foliage.

Read my other review for more details on why we’ll likely be back. Also – a tip – pay for the buffet for one meal and then bring the rest of your food from home. The restaurant was okay but nothing fabulous and it’s worth the money to watch your kids freak out over the sheer volume of choices they have to choose from in the buffet.

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Machines That Rule the World

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Laylee continually finds new ways to boss Magoo around. Today they were playing in the ship they made and she told him to steer to the left. “No. I’m going this way,” he said, which was funny because he doesn’t know right from left. He just resented being told what to do. They picked at each other for a minute when Laylee finally said, “You have to go left because I said so and I’m the GPS.”

She’s smart enough to know who wears the pants around here, who has absolute and total power and control over our lives. It’s Diane, our GPS. She says, “Go right,” and we darn well go right. She says “Continue 3.5 miles,” and we continue. Sometimes she has to recalculate because we, in our incompetency, make a wrong move, but she always sets us straight with new directions.

“Okay,” Laylee continued to the acquiescent Magoo, “Turn left. Now keep right for 2 point miles. Now turn right and arrive at destination on left.”

Magoo continued to follow her directions.

“You know what a destination is? It’s the place you want to go.”

The place who wants to go? Huh, Laylee? If a GPS can boss Mom and Dad around, then the sky’s the limit really.

“I’m the GPS. Go get me a drink and polish my shoes peasant boy.”

Full Disclosure – FTC Regulation and the Blogosphere

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The FTC is in the process of placing new standards on bloggers who review products for compensation. They do not distinguish between monetary compensation and compensation by way of product samples. I’m not sure if product samples that are then given away as prizes will be included in this forbidden zone of review topics. I have done this several times in the past , reviewed a product for my blog and then passed along the review copy to my readers in the form of a giveaway.

I’m all about full disclosure. If Laylee were providing me monetary compensation to blog about how cute she looked in her ballet recital, I’d for SURE let you know. It’s kind of the other way around though. I think I paid about 3 million dollars to see her in that green tutu for 5 minutes and it was worth every penny.

If a company is compensating me to write about their products, I sure as heck am not going to act like I just happened to discover this lovely $200 set of maternity clothes by happenstance. Your trust is more important to me than that. But if I gush about it, the gushing is sincere.

This blog is primarily the documented journey of my life as a mother, a woman and an attempted humorist. Within those roles, there are often products I use and love and want to tell you about. Sometimes I do. Nearly every day I am also offered free products to talk about on my blog. I say “no” to the VAST majority of these offers either because I don’t think I’ll like the product, I feel like my blog is turning into something too commercial (It was never meant to be a “product review” site.) or because I just don’t feel like doing it that day.

My policy is this —

I will never review a product for monetary compensation. I personally believe that being paid cash to endorse a product on a personal blog is not in line with my values or the intent of this writing outlet.

I will never accept free product with the understanding that I will write a positive review about the product. First of all, I try not to accept a product unless I think there is a good chance I will really like it and want to tell my readers about it. On the few occasions that I have received a product I did not particularly like, I have either offered to send it back to the company, given it away with no review attached hoping someone else would like it, or given a review that points out its failings.

Where book reviews are concerned, I do not talk about books I do not like unless I’m trying to offer a buyer-beware type of warning. I do not always point out that a particular book was sent to me by Harper Collins or some other publisher as a review copy, because of the low price of the items and the frequency with which they are sent to me, but I only review about 1 in 10 books sent to me. I don’t want to waste my time talking about a book that I wouldn’t recommend anyway. Now you know. Some of the books I review are sent to me by authors, book publishers or publicity firms. I will give honest reviews regardless of how I obtained the book.

The practice of receiving something, reviewing it and then giving it (or one of its clones) away has three benefits:

1. I can give an accurate review of a product only if I actually get my hands on it and try it out. Isn’t it nice to hear that I wore those maternity clothes and washed them a ton and they still didn’t ball or pill?

2. When my readers get free stuff, I usually get a boost in readership, which I like.

3. I love to get great free stuff and therefore love to give it away. Isn’t it so much more fun to plan and pick out the gifts you’ll give for Christmas than to see what you’re going to get. I, like Oprah before me, really enjoy finding something great and giving it away to someone who’ll love it. I believe my serotonin levels rise when someone who desperately needs a stroller gets one for free because I was able to give it away on my blog.

So there you have it. All reviews and giveaways on this blog express my actual and true opinions. If I say I really like something, I really really like it. I do not pretend to be an expert in consumer safety so if your little Jimmy wins a trike on this site and then the handlebars fall off, resulting in catastrophic facial injury, I am not liable for his sad demise. I am not Consumer Reports or an independent safety testing agency. I did not, for example, attempt to light my maternity clothes on fire to see if they would burst into flame.

I just periodically want to tell you about stuff I like.

Maggie Maternity — Review and Giveaway

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So I’m pregnant and I know a guy, a guy (well gal) who works with Maggie Maternity and wanted to hook me up with some maternity clothes to review on my blog. The clothes looked gorgeous and more expensive than I’m used to paying for maternity clothes so I said, “Sure.” Besides, on their site they mentioned that Angelina Jolie was seen wearing their tank top at the Cannes Film Festival and I thought it would really do her self-esteem some good if she found out she was wearing the same clothes as me.
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So they sent me their summer box and I was a bit skeptical because everything in it was black. However, I know black is slimming (which I need) and decided I’d try and wear it mostly in air-conditioned locations or on overcast days (which we have a lot of here).
I was pregnant with both of my other kids primarily during the winter and nearly everything I have is dark, thick and long-sleeved. When I wear it, I boil.

That is not the case with these clothes. Despite being black in color, they’re very lightweight and breathable. They really are perfect for summer. The fabric is a Spandex/Rayon blend and feels amazing next to my skin. These truly are the most comfortable clothes I have ever worn, maternity or otherwise, including pajamas.

maggie-maternity1I decided to do my serious testing of “the box” when I was running our PTA fundraiser. The event lasted for 4 days and I spent much of my time on my feet working with kids and walking around the school. For 3 days I wore at least one piece from the box and felt like I was walking around in my most comfy PJs. The best part was that I got compliments on everything I wore. Words like “elegant,” “classy,” and “why are you so dressed up?” were thrown at me.

I felt super cute when I wore them and again, you can’t beat the comfy. After my 4-day test was over, it had sort of become a tradition to wear them… every day. I wear at least one piece almost daily. I wear them to church, to the park, to dance recitals and just lounging around the house. When we leave for summer vacation, they’ll be the first things I’ll pack. I’ve washed them all several times and they are holding up great. The look of the fabric has changed slightly but they haven’t balled or pilled.
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They are machine washable but should be laid flat to dry. I hang them on a drying rack. I love them. Honestly I’m a very cheap person and I look for bargains in maternity clothes because you wear them for such a short period of time, but if I get pregnant again and my size has changed, I plan on buying another set of these in my current size. Because they’re so versatile, you wear them so often that it makes them worth the price. The sizing is a bit generous. I was wearing a 14/16 when I got pregnant and I got the biggest size they make (4) which says it’s a 12/14 equivalent and if anything they’re a tad on the large size.

The pants are probably my favorite piece because of the way they’re designed. You can wear them folded over at the beginning of the pregnancy but then pull them up as you get bigger or to avoid showing a waistline under your shirt. They work well as take-your-kids-to-the-park pants or you can dress them up with a classy top and wear them to the ballet and no one knows that you secretly feel like you’re wearing nothing on the bottom. The skirt is a close second favorite. It looks great and is cooler for summer weather.
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If you’re pregnant, plan to be, or know someone who is, you should check out the site. For now, leave me a comment on this post and I’ll enter you to win a $100 gift certificate to Maggie Maternity. I’ll chose a winner on Thursday at noon PST.

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Everyone But Papa Survived

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My parents were out visiting from Montana this weekend and we wanted to hang out with them in a relaxed way, a way that didn’t involve driving into downtown Seattle to see something quintessentially Seattle-like.

titanicInstead, we ate steel-cut oats, played games and explored the Titanic… in Redmond. Country Financial is sponsoring a free traveling exhibit of artifacts from the world’s most famous shipwreck and it happened to be in Redmond this weekend. I was pumped to go. I think my parents were a little less than pumped but they just wanted to hang out with and spoil Laylee and Magoo so they came along for the ride. Maybe their reticence was due to the fact that my dad had a premonition he wouldn’t make it out of the exhibit alive.

There’s something about that boat that’s always fascinated me long before Leonardo DiCaprio cavorted around on the silver screen. I’ve seen movies, documentaries and pictures about the events surrounding the disaster and the efforts to recover the artifacts from the ship and I’ve always wanted to go down in one of those bubble ship things and, I don’t know, look for ghosts and jewelry and such.
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The exhibit was set up in a mall parking lot with a few huge semi-trucks linked together to form an impromptu museum. We got our picture taken in front of a backdrop of the grand staircase and each of us was given a boarding pass with the name of an actual passenger on the Titanic. They told us that at the end of the exhibit we could find out if our passenger survived or not. Is it just me or does Magoo look a bit trepidacious about spending his Memorial Day weekend entering things called “exhibits” that look like giant trucks smooshed together, where the chance of survival is highly unlikely?
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In a fun gesture, the exhibit organizers gave local bloggers special treatment, letting our group skip the lines and giving us permission to take pictures inside, although picture taking was not allowed by people who do not publish their thoughts, opinions and whims online. The coolest thing they handed out to the geeks in attendance was a certified piece of coal that was actually retrieved from the titanic. I’m not sure what to do with said piece of coal. If I had a coffee table, maybe I could put it on there on some sort of special gilded dish and wait for people to ask me about it. In all likelihood its usefulness will only come next time I play Two Truths and a Lie at a sleepover party and I’ll say, “I have a piece of coal from the Titanic in my sock drawer.”
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As we entered, I heard one tween boy rush ahead, “Come on mom. Let’s just hurry through. I just want to see if we survived.” Laylee and Magoo seemed equally unimpressed by the artifacts although they peeked inside each case and listened intently as we explained what an iceberg was and how the ship crashed and sunk. They have a great and strange love of all things morbid.

In the end, everyone but Papa survived. Pretty good odds, I’d say considering the odds of the actual passengers on the ship.

This sign puts a lump in my throat:
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Go to the site and have a look to see if they’re coming to your town. It was a cool exhibit and the price was right. It’s a great chance to teach your kids a little history and maybe instill in them a healthy fear of ice. It may be good in a watered-down glass of ginger-ale when you’re pregnant but when you least expect it, it’ll tear a hole in your hull and send your one true love on a one way trip into the frigid drink.

*Besides the lump of coal in my stocking, some silly putty and the chance to cut in line, I was not compensated for attending or writing about this exhibit. I just appreciate a company willing to support the arts and education in these tough financial times so I’m giving a shout out to Country Financial.*

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Stop Second Guessing Yourself

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stopsecondguesstoddlercoverJen Singer of MommaSaid.net recently sent me a copy of her new book Stop Second Guessing Yourself – The Toddler Years and I’m really enjoying it’s no-nonsense crash course in raising a child through the crazy times. I’m pretty sure Magoo is officially no longer a toddler although he’s still crazy and I’m getting a bit nervous about heading back into toddler-land a couple of years from now. I’m afraid I will have forgotten everything. Luckily Jen covers just about every topic imaginable in her book. Hopefully it will be like riding a bike and I’ll have no problem slipping back into the power struggles, the messes and the non-stop thrill seeking.

To help with my transition, she wrote me this letter:

Dear Daring Young Mom,

You sure do take your title seriously, because only a daring mom would go for the trifecta — a third baby — especially after you’d successfully navigated the toddler years and were pulling away from all its tantrums and teething and poop. But now? Here you go again.

It’s been a few years since you had a toddler around (which might explain why you’re so cheerfully willing to do this all over again), and it’ll be here soon enough. I just published a book about toddlers, so I’m well versed on all things 1- through 3-year-olds, from the potty training (you’ll be singing about pee again) to the milestones you won’t tell Grandma about (i.e. gets naked to answer the door).

Right now, you’re just waddling behind your older kids, but in about a year or so, you’ll be running after a little one shouting, “Get back here!” and “Stop that toddler!”

Right now, you’re looking forward to that baby smell and all that cuddling, but it won’t be long before you’re putting back all the Tic Tac boxes that your toddler had reshelved under the People magazines at the supermarket.

Right now, you’re thinking about cute “wittle” baby socks, but soon enough you’ll be turning the car back around to go retrieve a Barney light-up sneaker tossed into the intersection.

It’s coming, and you’ll remember it all again as it happens all again. All of it, from the first words to the first big kid underpants, you’ll remember it. And you’ll embrace toddlerhood in all its glory and love your kid, just like you love her/his older siblings. But this time, you’ll think twice about starting all over again, won’t you?

Best of luck,
Jen Singer
Author, Stop Second Guessing Yourself — The Toddler Years
Creator, MommaSaid.net

Chrubol with a Capitol CH

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Magoo has developed a great love affair with markers. He likes to write all over his body with them but only if they are of the non-washable variety. We’ve been upping the consequences each time and at this point anyone under the age of 30 is forbidden from using non-washable markers at all.

It’s not like he draws a cute little flower on his toe, or writes his name on his bicep. No. Recently he drew multicolored tiger stripes all the way up both arms, starting at the wrists. Laylee knows the rules and she loves nothing more than to be the enforcer. For a while there, every time I would punish Magoo, she would lean in conspiratorially and loudly whisper, “MOM! I AGREE WITH YOU!”

So it didn’t surprise me the other morning when we were sitting in our living room, having a serious meeting with someone we’re hiring to do some work for our family, and Laylee came in and quietly but frantically waved this note in my face. The kids had been warned not to disturb us during this meeting but she knew something had to be done. Apparently there wasn’t time to find a piece of paper.
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Translation: Magoo drawed on himself again now. Stop him right now. He is in TROUBLE!

Chrubol indeed. He had given himself a nose which he was quite proud of.
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It was this deed that moved me to outlaw all un-washable markers. Hopefully when he does this in the future it will not take 4 days to wear off and on the 3rd day, his nose will not look painfully bruised. I think a man should have to earn that look with a good honest rumble.