Will You Be My Friend? & Giveaway

I finally caved in and joined Facebook. It's only been about 2 days, but I like it. I'm reconnecting with old college friends. I'm a bit overwhelmed by everything that you can do on Facebook. I like the simplicity of Twitter much better. Just will take some time to figure it all out.

I also created a Passion & Art Facebook Fan Page. Won't you become a fan? I'm also doing a giveaway over there too. All you have to do is become a fan and comment on this discussion. One lucky commenter will win a $25 grab bag of Passion Parties goodies. If you refer a friend who becomes a fan and comments, both of you will win a $25 grab bag. For more details, head over to the discussion.

See you over there!

Everything is Better With Apple Pie

My day started off before the crack of dawn. I awoke to my poor Sophia vomiting on me in my bed. My wonderful husband stripped and washed the sheets. He even gave Sophia a bath to wash out her hair.The poor kid was miserable for most of the day, just laying on the couch and watching a lot of tv. With me next to her on vomit watch. Sounds like fun, huh?

Thankfully by late afternoon, her appetite was back, her meds kicked in (for her fever) and she was singing and dancing again.

After she went to bed, I made apple pie with a crumb topping. Hubby peeled the apples even. Methinks he needs a gold medal for all he did today. I baked the pie to in my trusty cast iron skillet. I can't believe I didn't start baking sweets in it until this year.

Once the pie was in the oven, I actually sat down and watched tv. Without my laptop, without flipping through a magazine, and without doing some sort of craft project. It felt weird. I definitely have a hard time sitting still. Once I got used it, it felt nice.

The pie came out great. Waiting for the pie to cool was tough. Thank goodness for Top Chef! Apple pie was the perfect way to end my crazy day!

Blogalicious Winner

Congrats to Rosa! She won the free pass to Blogalicious.

She won with her comment:

I would love to see "The Beauty of Different" sponsored by Disney Interactive Studios

The registration specials are still good. It's not too late to register, so don't forget to check out the latest news! The last day to register is September 25.

Arrrgh! Don't forget to talk like a pirate today!

To Smartphone or Not To Smartphone?

Hubby and I have been debating on if I should cross the smartphone threshold. I have this sad little Motorola Razr. About 2 months ago, it started acting crazy and I could only charge it by hooking it up to my computer. For some reason, it's working normally again. I guess it's time to go cellphone shopping as I use this phone for my Passion Parties business.

My girlfriends (and business colleagues) tell me I need a Blackberry. I feel like I'm already plugged in too much: email, Twitter, blogs, and more. Some of it is for work but a lot of it is for fun too. Will I be too addicted if I can access all this from my phone? Will it make me unable to be fully present when I'm supposed to be having quality time with Sophia? Those are my main concerns.

My calendar is half electronic now, thanks to Google Calendar. I'm even sending myself text reminders of my to-do lists. Am I being a Luddite? I love my paper calendar. I like pulling it out my bag and seeing the entire month at a glance. I've even printed out my monthly view Google Calendar so I could carry it around in my purse. I guess I wouldn't need to do that if I had a smartphone.

Why all the internal debate? My friend Leticia from Tech Savvy Mama is giving away a TMobile MyTouch Phone. After reading the review, I discovered I can use it for my Gmail as well as Google Calendar!

Devra from Parentopia spoke about mommy guilt this week at our Mocha Moms meeting. She sets a self-imposed limit with her tech time. She doesn't plug in while her kids are getting ready for school and when they are home from school, she doesn't plug in either. She wants to be 100% available for her kids. Her kids are older than Sophia, but I think that's a great idea.

With the new baby coming, I know I'll have to work my business when I can squeeze it in. Once he's on a schedule, I can go back to a schedule myself.

Maybe I do want a smartphone? That MyTouch looks sleek!

PS Don't forget you a few more hours to win a pass to Blogalicious!

The Joy Diet

Ever the overachiever, I signed up for Jaime Ridler's The Next Chapter series. We're reading Martha Beck's The Joy Diet. I've never read Martha Beck except for her articles in O Magazine, but I know many of the bloggers I follow quote her quite a bit.

I just picked up my copy of the book from the library today. After skimming the table of contents and reading the introduction, I know it's going to be a challenge for me. The first chapter is about doing nothing, I mean nothing for 15 minutes a day. I am so in trouble.

We officially start this Friday. It's not too late to join, just visit The Next Chapter: Joy Diet blog and join in. Each week, we'll read a chapter and write our thoughts on it. You can also go to the blog each week and share the direct link to your post so that can share it with others participating, as well as read their take on it.

Over the course of our journey we will spend a week each with:

• Nothing
• Truth
• Desire
• Creativity
• Risk
• Treats
• Play
• Laughter
• Connection
• Feasting

How delicious is that! The concepts seem so simple but I know that all of us have challenges implementing or dealing with them.

Last November I participated in The Next Chapter: Soul Coaching by Denise Linn. It was tough to post everyday, but I gained so much out of it. I hope you join me each week as I share my journey.

Doing nothing. Wow. I haven't even read chapter 1 yet, and I have no idea how I'm going to do it. I'm sure Martha Beck has a solution.

Win A Blogalicious Conference Pass!

Have you heard about Blogalicious? It's an awesome blogging conference organized by the wonderful ladies at MamaLaw. Blogalicious 2009 will provide women bloggers of color an amazing opportunity to come together to celebrate their diversity and their love for blogging.

For three days, black, Latina, Caribbean, Asian-Pacific, and Native-American bloggers, among other nationalities, will enjoy a weekend of entertaining discussions and extraordinary events, all experienced in the company of exceptional women. The conference runs Oct 9-11.

How cool is that? Now don't fret. You don't have to be a minority or have a vagina to attend. Honest. All are welcome!

A couple of weeks ago, they had a special for conference registration and it was too good to resist.
I got on the phone with my OB and she cleared me to travel to Atlanta for the conference. My birthday is October 8, so I hope you can come and help me celebrate.

Let me tell you how awesome the conference will be. Not only will it be a great weekend of networking, but some amazing bloggers will be speaking and sharing their amazing experience. Check out the agenda.

There will also be FREE childcare, thanks to sponsor Huggies. You don't even have to find a sitter for your kids! They're going to be entertained and fed while you get to enjoy time with other grownups. You can even apply for the Chevy Carpool, where you'll receive a cool Chevy to drive to Atlanta. The last day to apply is September 15 (TOMORROW).

So go register today! There are currently some amazing conference pass specials. These are for a limited time and a limited quantity, so take advantage of them before they are gone.

Student Pass - A special discounted price of $75 per ticket is now available for students. A Student Pass admission gives you access to all conference activities BUT you'll have to present current college or university student identification at conference check in and you'll have to be at least 21 years of age to party.

2 for 1 Pass - A special discount of $350 for admission for 2 will be offered to you and a friend if you register together. Admission includes all the perks of a regular admission - just at a discount.

Party Pass - For those of you who want to network a little and party a lot, this pass will give you admission as a conference attendee to the exclusive Blogalicious events on Friday and Saturday nights and will give you access to the Exhibitor Marketplace during the day on Saturday.

Skip Pass - If you only want to attend the general sessions, then this pass is for you! For a special price of $100, you'll get admission to the Saturday Morning Keynote Session; Keynote Luncheon (includes lunch); Town Hall Session; Coffee & Snack Breaks; and the Exhibitor Marketplace.

Don't sleep because these offers are for a limited time only!

You can also win your own pass, right here on my blog! I would love to meet you in person. There are several ways you can enter the giveaway to win a full conference registration (hotel and travel are on your own). Those who are already registered are not eligible for this contest, sorry. Please make sure you leave an email address for me to contact you.

1. Leave a comment on which speaker or breakout session you couldn't miss for the world. (See agenda)

2. Tweet about the giveaway (with link) and leave another comment with the link to your tweet. If you're feeling lazy, you can use this tweet:

Enter to win a free pass to @Blogalicious09 (via @thienkim) http://bit.ly/3cYFh

3. Blog about the giveaway, link back to it and leave your post link in a comment.

I'll draw a winner by this Friday, Sept 18, 2009.

Pamper Time Can Lead to More Sex

When I was at home stretch of my pregnancy with Sophia, many moms kept telling me to get lots of sleep and "me" time. I laughed because I figured that sleep with a newborn was overrated. Or that I totally knew what I was doing as a first time mom and get lots of sleep. HA!

I didn't realize how much me time (or pamper time I like to call it) was hard to come by when we decided that I would be a work at home mom. I thought that being a mom also meant to devote as much as my time as possible to mothering my baby. WRONG. It made me crazy. Add that to post-pregnancy hormones, breastfeeding, and lack of sleep. Yep, I was a bitch, with a capital B.

Thankfully my hubby realized before I did that I need time away from him and the baby. Back when she was little, it involved a one woman date with my iced mocha and some art magazines at Borders Books.

Nowadays, pamper time involves a super hot bath (I'm cooking the baby, as hubby jokes) with the latest bubbly concoction or bath salts I've acquired. The most important part of this is a pile of magazines. I'm a totally magazine whore. I love reading magazines. With a 3 year old keeping me busy, the short articles in magazines are about how I long I can focus on reading. Sometimes if I'm being an overachiever, I'll listen to some crafting podcasts while I read magazines.

So I run my bath, light candles, and load up on O. Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Entertainment Weekly, Wired, Discover, Smithsonian, and whatever else I haven't read yet. I might only get through 1 or 2 (if I'm lucky) magazines, but it's the potential, right? When the water gets cold, I'll let out some water and add more hot water! I soak and read until I'm all pruney. I try to do this at least once a week.

Every woman needs something they love to do outside of kids and life partners. By spending time doing something that you love that doesn't involved your family, you are showing them how important it is to be your own person. Not to mention that they'll appreciate you more.

I'm a big advocate of pamper time, and bring this up at every Passion Party I do. Pamper time is especially important so you can transition your brain out of mom and housewife mode for "I'm hot and sexy" mode. Who wants to worry about dirty laundry or unloading the dishwasher while you're trying to get it on with your lover? That's definitely a mood killer.

I know sex isn't the most important aspect of a marriage/relationship, but it's definitely at the top. Sometimes when you're parenting young children, sleep might seem sexier. Intimacy will help you reconnect with your partner. Having sex makes you want more sex. Crazy, right? Plus it burns calories, bonus! If you need extra motivation, pick up a fun lotion, lickable goodie, or battery operated helpers to try out. The anticipation of trying them out makes great foreplay!

Do you have pamper time? Or me time? What do you like to do?

Photo via Dennis Wong

Parenting in the Strangest Places

When you have a 3 year old that talks non-stop, you have the most interesting conversations in the most random places.

Head over to DC Metro Moms to see how we came to talk about sexual orientation in the bathroom of McDonald's.

Homemade Ice Cream

As a kid, I've always wanted to make my ice cream. Which would never occur to my immigrant Vietnamese mother. Why make things from scratch when you can buy them already made at the store? Luxuries that we Americans are used to were rare (if even available) for my parents when they lived in Vietnam. Wal-Mart is a mecca for them. Anything they want, they can buy. They worked hard to move to the States and to be able to afford the things they like.

Of course my sister and I have the opposite mentality. We attempt to re-use and recycle. We even go thrifting (to the horror of my dad who doesn't understand why we would buy something used when we can afford something new)! To them, shopping at the thrift store reminds them of when they first immigrated to the States and all they could afford were used dishes and furniture.

Anyway, I took Sophia to one of our favorite places, Whole Foods to hang out with one of our favorite people, Chef Egg. August's class was homemade ice cream! No ice cream maker required. It was so easy, you can make it at home in 10 minutes!

We love the Half Pints classes at Whole Foods. They're free and they teach kids to have fun making/cooking food. Check out your local Whole Foods page for the calendar of events. Our Silver Spring location will have one about after school snacks later this month.


First, add sugar, vanilla extract, and half & half to a quart sized ziptop bag (recipe will follow after pictures). Make sure bag is zipped closed completely. Squeeze to mix everything up, making sure you don't feel anymore grains of sugar. You can add any other flavorings you want in this step too: crushed berries, smashed bananas, chocolate syrup, etc.


Add lots of ice and sea salt to a gallon sized ziptop bag. Place sugar & half & half bag into larger bag. Close it up and start shaking. (Love that action shot) Shake and shake. Then shake some more. If you have leakage, you'll have to start over (we did). It takes about 10 or so minutes. Don't get to vigorous with the shaking as you might break open the inside bag. Once the ice milk (that's what you're really making) is to your desire consistency, remove it from the ice bag.

Squeeze all the ice milk into a cup, add your favorite toppings and enjoy! As you can see Sophia added lots of whipped cream and strawberries.

Double Bagger Ice Cream Recipe (courtesy of Whole Foods)

1/2 cup Half & Half
1 drop of vanilla extract
1T of sugar
1 Ziptop bag, quart sized

4C of Ice
4T of Rock Salt (Chef Egg used sea salt)
1 Ziptop bag, gallon sized

Mix the half and half with the vanilla and sugar in the small bag. Place ice and salt in the big bag. Place small bag inside the big bag and shake for 5-10 minutes until the ice cream is solid. Scoop out of bag and enjoy.

The Burden of Perfection

I fear my daughter has inherited my weakness of desiring perfection. Maybe it's an older child trait or part of my parents' expectation of being the best, but always aiming for perfection is something I catch myself doing quite often.

Sure, I mostly brought home straight A's on my report card. I also dreaded bringing home that one B+. Worried that I had disappointed my parents. Knowing the look my dad would give me when he saw it. "Do better next time," he would say and sign my report card. Instead of enjoying learning (which I loved), I focused on the result. Yes, I'm a nerd and learning came easily. I never really had to study except to memorize dates and random facts. That meant I went to college with horrible study habits.

Last weekend when I attended the Passion Parties training in New Jersey, Sunday was entirely dedicated to Elizabeth Hagen, who spoke about organizing. She gave us all postcards with this quote:

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.
--Michael J. Fox

I immediately taped it to my computer monitor when I got home. I've known for a while that my desire for perfectionism gets in my way of success, of accomplishing all the things I want to with my life. Often times, the want for perfectionism paralyzes me. I am unable to take action for fear that it will not come out the way I wish it to be. So instead of enjoying the process I'll take to get there, I stress about the outcome.

There's a lot of self talk involved when I realize I'm stalling on a project for the very reason. (I think many perfectionists are also great procrastinators. Ha!) Maybe it's fear of what will happen once I complete the project. Human beings dislike change, even if it means it's for the better. I just have to write down what steps I need to take, then take the first step. Little steps don't seem so scary (like SARK's micromovements). Just focus on one step at a time.

So why this perfectionism talk? I fear Sophia may have inherited it from me. She is so bright, so inquisitive, wanting to grow up so fast! When we did arts & crafts before, she simply created just for the joy of it. Somewhere along the way, she has started focusing on the outcome.

She wants to be like me so much that she compares her art to mine. "I can't draw it. It won't be perfect," she said today. My heart broke. Three is too young to worry about perfectionism. I haven't forced my fight with perfectionism with her. With her art, I don't focus on how her paintings or projects look once completed. I usually tell her, "Tell me about your painting. What is your favorite part about it."

I'm not really sure how to change her view on making her art perfect. I'm worried it will seep into other aspects of her life. She wants to do so much and is so hard on herself. Today she refused to craft because it wouldn't come out perfect (her words). Then she got herself all worked up. She's upset because doesn't know how to write or read yet.

I tried to explain. "Three year olds aren't supposed to know how to read and write, sweetie. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to read and write. That's why you're starting preschool soon." I asked her if she wanted me to teach her how to write her name. I found some printables online for her to practice the letters in her name. (Great for her eye hand coordination by the way.)

That was a temporary resolution. I know that perfectionism is an ongoing battle for me. I don't want it to be one for her too. I'm just not sure how else I can teach her. Where should I go from here?