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Showing posts from January, 2014

I'm trying not to give you cancer.

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Kids, I'm trying not to give you cancer. I just want you to know. For the love of brown apples and bud-riddled potatoes, dammit, I'm trying with all the mom-love I have in me to spare you. From what I gather, it's a losing battle. I refuse to believe that people want to give you cancer - carelessly smattering our household goods with body-rocking chemicals. I do believe, though, that people are competitive. And in this competitive market where shelf-space comes at a premium, I believe people who own products - simple products like apples and potatoes, or more complex ones like detergent and wet wipes - find it difficult to gain an edge on their competitors. So they try to make their product better by creating a "problem" with the product that most consumers didn't even know existed. Apples turn brown when you cut them. To most, that's not a problem; that's just the nature of an apple. Potatoes grow buds. To most, that's not a problem; that&#

Things I want my daughter to know before I forget them (what with the red wine and all).

Dear Sweet, Squishy Daughter of Mine, I need you to know something. And I have to share it now, else I risk forgetting when it really matters.  There are a lot of people, females in particular, who will be sending you messages across your lifetime. Trend setters. People who think they know what's wrong with the world, how to close the gender gap, and people who think they know how to fix everything.  Let's get specific. Lately, there have been extensive discussions, blog posts and campaigns around outward appearance. In one camp, people want you to know every corner of your body, of your face is beautiful no matter what. (It is.) They want you to unlearn how to spot physical characteristics that females have been trained to see as imperfections. This is, without a doubt, a beautiful way of thinking. To accomplish this "flawless" vision, there are a number of instructional blog posts I can reference that will help me convince you to not care about your