Parenting in the Loop is at MOM 2.0 Summit
Moon over MOM 2.0 Summit
Sorry, I have not posted in a couple of days but I am at a meeting of bloggers at the MOM 2.0 Summit in Key Biscayne, Florida.
I will be posting about this wonderful experience and catch-up with my posts and you hopefully over the weekend.
MOM 2.0 has connected me to some great blogs that I am looking forward to introducing you to in the next few weeks.
Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!
Lorette 🙂
I am going to the MOM 2.0 Summit this coming weekend and yesterday I went shopping  to get my fashions ready for Miami.
Now as you know, if you read my blog…I am a grandmother so finding fashions that do not look like me trying to be my daughters’ wannabe but still trying to be comfortable for my age and somewhat in fashion is not easy these days.
Yesterday, I went to Chicago for a meeting which unfortunately fortunately was cancelled…turns out it was the perfect day to shop. All the spring and summer fashions were tempting me and my upcoming trip to Miami was all the excuse I needed to get out my charge card and begin my own seasonal make-over.
I find that Eileen Fisher really speaks to my style…it does not speak to my daughters but so be it. I have learned to deal with their criticism and my own comfort.
Shopping
Eileen Fisher’s window displays beckoned me into their Water Tower Store.
I was greeted and helped by Kris…she put together the perfect travel wear for Miami…comfortable…mix and match…fun casual pieces for daytime meetings with of course a little glitz for the evening at the Versace Mansion.
Eileen Fisher has managed to make clothes that are comfortable, stylish and made of natural fabrics. She has the perfect shoes and accessories to give any outfit that extra pizzazz.
Her stores have great dressing areas with plenty of room to indulge in trying on everything that appeals to you. The staff lets you have enough privacy to make selections on your own without any pressure, just gentle guidance if you request it…I love their attention… yet they do not overwhelm you with too many choices.
I had a wonderful day…and am ready for MOM 2.0.
Bring it on.
I was not compensated for this post…all opinions are my own.
Flying with small children sparks anxiety in the most unflappable parent. Aside from having to prepare food and activities to fill the endless hours of travel, we need to worry about the spate of superbugs lurking on every interior surface. Take a page from high wattage germ-o-phobe playbook and learn develop a cootie arsenal a la Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth, Katie Holmes, Jessica Alba and Matt Lauer. Best bets to keep you healthy at 32,000 feet? Â Antiseptic spritzers, airline seat covers , portable air purifiers and a good old nasal spray.
via Katie Holmes part of THE NEW MILE HIGH CLUB | Hollywood Hot Moms.
If you are germ phobic you are not alone. Airplanes are loaded with bacteria and viruses but there are ways to thwart them.
We just traveled roundtrip to the East coast last week and two out of three of us got sick with viral infections that made our “vacation” miserable and carried over to our homecoming.
I, for one, am wondering if any of these suggestions would have helped stave off these ferocious viruses.
Just the thought of carrying any more “stuff” on board makes me crazy …never mind what those around me will be thinking when I begin wiping down my seat and covering it top to bottom with a barrier seat cover.
What do you think…would you be willing to do some “work” to clean the environs of your space on your next flight???
Do you think these suggestions would help prevent infection or do you think that you own immune system will take care of you?
NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!
I am traveling this week…West Coast …LA…. East Coast…Boston/RI…Midwest…Chicago….
Apropos that I would receive this March of Dimes update for the mom that travels.
Passing it on to the moms and dads.
“Way up in the sky mom…
Many working moms have to travel for their careers. I traveled when my children were babies and still travel now that they’re school-aged. I want to share my six tips for traveling working moms and pregnant moms-to-be too:
1.   Pack less: Don’t physically exhaust yourself from carrying heavy bags; especially if you’re a breastfeeding mom, traveling with baby. I remember traveling with my daughter when she was a baby. With baby on board in one arm, I also toted my breast pump bag with the milk containers inside and placed my diapering essentials in my laptop bag.
2.   Check Baggage: Make it easier for yourself and check your non-essential baggage through the airline. If I do this, I pack an extra set of clothing and my toiletries inside the carry on. You also could pack a scarf in your carry on that will work for business attire and matches your extra clothing set. If your checked baggage does not arrive you will be ok.
3.   Mom, use the crayons: A fun activity for you mom is to write your child a note with their favorite color crayons. Then, have your caregiver in charge (a partner, grandma or your daycare provider) read and show it to them while you’re away.
4.   Connect with a click. The caregiver in charge can introduce technology by sending you photos of your kids or scanning a drawing they created. You also can use Webcams, Skype, email or “old-fashioned” voice mail to stay connected.
5.   Keep family schedules on track. One lesson I learned is that life does not stop when mom is on business travel. No matter what work commitments I have I keep my family rolling with their schedules.
6.   Say no to guilt. One of the toughest things for mom is to get rid of that guilt. Minimize negative thoughts and highlight positives. My kids’ favorite thing is pre-taped recorded bedtime stories. The beauty in this is they can listen to my voice telling the story over and over.
What is one favorite tip you have for traveling working moms?
Tags: breastfeeding moms and travel, travel during pregnancy, working moms
via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Way up in the sky mom….
Noteworthy Wednesday!
I went swimming at the Y.M.C.A. Later, in the men’s locker room, a father walked in with his daughter. Occasionally, this happens with babies or toddlers, but the girl was 7 or 8. He put her in a shower stall while he showered, and left her there while he shaved and flossed. Then he brought her to the lockers, where they changed. I was appalled. What do you make of this?
via Too Old for the Men’s Locker Room – Social Q’s – NYTimes.com.
This question appeared in the Sunday NYTimes and it truly raised questions for me.
I have often thought about this dilemma especially when I see kids out for the day with their dads.
Interestingly, I don’t always think about this when I see kids with their moms!
But  back to dad and the “Y” locker room. This scene raises concerns for me…granted, I have not visited a men’s locker room but the women’s locker room is certainly an experience. Some women walk around naked, others cover-up as best they can…they usually do not spend any unnecessary time in the locker room…shower, change, pack up and leave. When young children are with their moms, from my observations, they get changed and leave in fairly short order most of the time.
For me, it seems this dad took entirely too much time while his daughter was hanging out in the men’s locker room.
My own “yuk” feeling is coming to the surface here. Exposing children to other naked adults, personally, makes me uncomfortable. I would have to think of another way of doing my toilette if I were in a similar situation.
Like I said, I used the “YUK” feeling factor to help me in these situations.
My feeling is by 7 or 8 years of age many kids have been in some type of locker room situation at school but “Y” locker rooms of the opposite sex seem to be an altogether different story.
It would be interesting to hear other responses to this issue and how parents deal with this common life situation.
Noteworthy Wednesday!
This is a funny post from another mommy blogger although it probably was not amusing when this situation was taking place.
It is a dilemma that I have never encountered or witnessed on any of my many flights.
I people watch all the time and observe children and the various behaviors that they exhibit, from which I may add, I learn a lot. I also like to see what activities parents bring on board to amuse their kids during a flight so that I might try these when I am flying with my grandchild.
But this  issue is one that can really be a problem when traveling with a potty trained toddler who is afraid of the bathroom on the plane.
I guess my response would be to try to prepare a child ahead of time for the noise in the bathroom and the look of  bathroom before even getting on the plane. I would also make sure that a child tries to use the bathroom in the airport before boarding.
Remember the roar of the engine noise seems even louder in the bathroom and any bumps could be scary, also the flushing sounds are somewhat disturbing to me  so I sympathize if they are afraid…it sounds like the suction could actually take you with it. That suction is also heard when you drain the sink as well so prepare the child and make it a game if you can. Perhaps even the fact that the toilet is metal may seem scary…it certainly is not as friendly looking as the little potty with “Dora “on it that they are using at home. “Dora” seat covers may help but it did no good for the poor child in this scenario.
One thing I do know is that I would not pursue it if my child had a bad reaction to the airplane bathroom and perhaps I would always carry a pull-up or two and a change of clothes until such time as his/her fear was resolved.
Have any of you had this experience with your child and if so what do you advise?
Noteworthy Wednesday
http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com/?p=8534
If you are pregnant and concerned about the full body scans at the airport here is a link from the March of Dimes that may help answer your questions.
Travel with Baby
Traveling with “Baby” is never easy but there are so many helpful items and suggestions in today’s market to make life easier.
I have one of those items in my bag. I think that it could be helpful for those times that you just need to grab something and you just cannot remember which pocket of the diaper bag it is located. So frustrating…
This is an item that you could use in many different configurations but if you want it for Thanksgiving travel you better order it soon.
Here it is.
It is call Cocoon by GRID-IT ….http://www.cocooninnovations.com/
