UncoolMom.com

Continuously Contagious

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:33:00 GMT

One of my mother-in-law’s favorite sayings is “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.” In other words, “Choose your friends carefully” (although she also uses that phrase literally in enforcing the “no animals on beds” rule at her house…J). Now it appears there is scientific research to back her up, as well as every wise parent and grandparent who’s given similar advice to their kids. You may have heard of the researchers, James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis, or at least their work. They’ve been in the news this week, as their ...

The Dreaded "B" Word

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:59:00 GMT

In an effort to help my husband and I “see the big picture” better and help my teenager realize that money truly doesn’t grow on trees, I spent most of Friday afternoon and evening with an old software version of Quicken (I didn’t like the new fancier versions) and I set up (gasp!) a budget. Yep, one in which I set up yearly allotments for everything—food, clothes, even school supplies and dog grooming. And while I think I did a pretty good job, Allison was not happy with it one bit. Oh, I don’t think I’m going to ...

Punch-drunk on Punch Cards

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:43:00 GMT

The main zipper on my favorite (and only) wallet jumped the tracks the other day, and I think I know why: too many punch cards. Nope, it’s not too many credit cards (and certainly not cash) that have caused my favorite brown leather four-compartment wallet to bulge at the seams—it’s those darn punch cards and reward cards that every place of business seems to be giving me these days. ...

Saturday Scrapbook

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:23:00 GMT

Thought I'd post a few recent photos, since I haven't posted any in ages...

Scenes From A School Talent Show

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:20:00 GMT

Just like a 4^th of July Parade or apple pie, nothing is more “slice of Americana” than an elementary school talent show, eh? Kids in egg costumes singing a hard rock/rap version of Humpty Dumpty; a boy on piano plinking out “Axel F”; teachers tap dancing; three sisters in red lipstick singing The Star Spangled Banner…Last weekend, Andy and I coordinated the mechanics of our elementary school’s talent show for the first time. ...

Freebie Friday- OxiClean Contest

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:33:00 GMT

As I mentioned in a post from January of this year, I don't make a whole lot of money from this blog (yet!) but I do put a lot of effort into it, so it's nice that companies are starting to send me free stuff that I can keep and/or give away to my readers in exchange for reviewing their product. I think contests are fun-- especially when you win, so today I start an occasional feature of contests ...

The Parental Power in Being a Bookworm

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:32:00 GMT

You’ve heard that some people become a better parent by reading parenting books, but here’s another thought—have you ever considered that reading any book (or magazine or newspaper) helps with parenting? No, I’m not talking about the old adage, “Be a reader and your kids will be one, too” although I think that’s true. I’m talking about the fact that being “into” reading can help you calmly get through some “trying” times that would make some Moms ...

Life-By-T-Shirt

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:19:00 GMT

I think a historian or sociologist of the future will be able to tell a lot about the teens in our current society simply by reading their T-shirts. Oh, I don't mean the ones with Will Ferrell's picture that say "More Cowbell" or Jonas Brothers shirts or even the revamped "Have A Nice Day" tie-dyed ones, although those would definitely add to the picture-- I mean the ones that tell what the kids are doing all the time, at any minute. Seriously, ...

Geek Phobia-- Can We Get A Vaccine, Please?

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:13:00 GMT

America has a lot of long-time, embarrassingly idiotic attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices about a lot of things that make us the laughing stock of the world, and no where is this seen more acutely than in jr. high and high school. For example, what total no-brain started the attitude, so many years ago, that athletic ability rules and that having any kind of smarts or artistic talent is considered geeky? Probably someone who ended up spending their life on ...

Sleepless in Suburbia

pallbee@sbcglobal.net (Uncool Mom) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:48:00 GMT

Conversation this morning just before my teen, Allison, got out of the car to walk into school, and just after she’d complained how tired she was and how she’d stayed up until 2:30 a.m. doing homework and how she couldn’t get up this morning and how she’d forgotten her headband and now her hair would look bad and how she was going to be late to school, and… Uncool Mom : You know, sometimes you’ve just got to put your homework aside and say, I need sleep. Teen daughter: (Getting angry, voice rising) I’m not going to do that!! If I did, I’d fail everything! You’re always saying it’s important to get good grades, so DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE!! (Door slams, she walks up the sidewalk to school)