I’m notorious for always playing catch-up. If it’s not on work, it’s on sleep, bills, exercise…you name it. I even have to play catch-up with my book club sometimes!

Argh.

It’s aggravating and stressful. But with the new year, I made a commitment to get my catch-up pile caught-up and to make it a new habit to stay that way. Here’s the strategies I’ve been employing…so far, I’m making headway.

Be Realistic. There’s only so many hours in a day, a week, and a lifetime. So be realistic in what you commit to. Can you really take on another volunteer project without sacrificing either your personal or family time? Can you take it on without hindering your effectiveness elsewhere? If you’re a freelancer, I highly recommend using something like Freshbooks or another timer for your desktop so you know exactly how long tasks take you; I’ve often budgeted only 30 minutes for something but later found out it took me 75 minutes instead.

Prioritize. What do you really want to do? This is applicable whether you’re a dealing with a work situation or a personal one. What’s important to you? After working far too much last year, I decided that I was going to prioritize my clients and work with only the ones I liked best. Not only was it a relief, it was nice to be able to devote my full energy in just a few places.

Focus on One Thing Each Day. Endless to-do lists can be totally overwhelming. What’s the most important thing you need to get accomplished today? It might be a load of laundry or it might be a 10-page proposal. Whatever it is, tackle that first and devote your full attention to it; then, work on the rest of the list.

Schedule When You’re Sharp. What time of day do you think most clearly? For me, it’s right around 4:15 a.m. The house is quiet and I’ve had one cup of coffee. From 4:15 to 4:30 is when I sit down and plan out my entire day. By employing a realistic approach to how long things really take me, I’m much better prepared to set a realistic goal for the day.

photo credit: ASurroca

Cold and flu season is definitely upon us. And while I’m no doctor, I try to believe that my methods of getting rid of germs are pretty effective. It goes something like this:

1. Quarantine sick person
2. Fill them with over-the-counter meds to alleviate discomfort
3. Provide a cooler full of popsicles and juice on ice to limit amount of time they must mingle with non-sick family members
4. Provide a baby monitor (regardless of sick person’s age) so they can easily call for help should they need it
5. Sanitize every surface in sick person’s room once they are feeling better

In my quest to find ways to appropriately care for sick kids and spouses, I’ve come across several other moms who have a unique view on “the sickness.”

My first stop was over at Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva who describes her family’s experience with the “respiratory funk” and offers up both toddler- and mommy-approved tips for avoiding the spread of germs. I have to admit, her plan is way better than mine.

Motherhood WTF? takes a look at the issue of jealousy among siblings when one is sick and the other is not…it’s not always rational, indeed. And it kind of reminds me of that episode of Arthur when D.W. is jealous that Arthur has the chicken pox and she pretends to get them too by drawing all over herself…only to be discovered when Grandma Thora pops her in the tub and her spots are miraculously gone.

And pediatrician Vincent Iannelli, M.D. doles out legitimate, practical medical advice on both avoiding the flu and what to do if you’re exposed but haven’t had a flu shot. It’s worth looking at, even if it’s not hysterically funny because, after all, he is a professional.

Finally, you need to make sure you have the appropriate supplies in the event your child gets sick…check out how to get flu ready before “the sickness” even hits your home.

photo credit: lauren grace picture place

OK, time for a mental health break. A good friend once tried to convince me that the bad things that happen in life are just information. Information. Simple really. Something to allow you to think on and then decide which way to go.

Where I get all tight and anxious, she sees the opportunity to learn. I try to remember that when I’m stuck, when I’m scared, when I’m in need of some inspiration…all the world is information. But do you do something with that information? That’s the rub.

Sometimes growth and change can be so unknown, so scary, so insurmountable that we stay put. We stay where we are. We bury our heads against the new information and yell out, NO! The world IS flat! I can see with my own two eyes, feel it with my feet. The world is flat!

The idea that the evils we know are better than the evils we don’t know stagnate and terrify us (I can’t help but think of Donald Rumsfeld’s known unknowns, unknown knowns, unknown unknowns…boggles the mind!).

Coincidentally, I was looking up Oprah’s Master Class – talk about information! – and there, staring back at me was her quote: “There is something to be learned from every experience.”

Same thing, but different.

You might think that I’d launch into some existential crisis I’m having right now. But guess what? I’m not having one. I’m actually pretty happy, humming along doing my work, both mommy and professional. It’s weird to be consumed with the idea of learning experiences when I’m not being tormented by one, you know?

And that’s my whisper. I think this is in front of me because even small things can be transformed and transformative.

All I know is this: the more I learn, the less I know, but the hungrier I am to find out more information.

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

Note: As much as I’d like this post to be a tangent on a certain television show that exploits children’s self-images for the sake of beauty pageants, I won’t. But that might be coming later down the line…now back to your previously scheduled programming.

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I like to think that I’ve got a pretty healthy body image. I run several times a week, eat healthy for the most part, and splurge without guilt (meaning, if I want a peanut butter smoothie, I’m eating a peanut butter smoothie).

So, when New Year’s rolled around and my twelve-teen read off her resolutions, I was devastated that the #3 slot was taken by the hope that she’d lose 15 pounds. At 5′ 6″ tall and 140 pounds, she’s far from overweight. In fact, she’s far from needing to lose weight. A competitive swimmer, a snowboarder, and a sprinter on the school track team, she’s constantly in motion and, as a mom, I’m proud to say she beats boys in pull-up competitions on a regular basis.

But she still feels she needs to shed 15 pounds.

That night, as I climbed into bed, I asked the hubs what he thought about it. I told him that I thought I was setting a good example with my own lifestyle, so why did she still think she needed to lose? Was it those pesky pencil-thin teenage girls at school that hadn’t hit puberty yet? Maybe I shouldn’t let her watch television anymore. In my head, she had already hit eating disorder and was on her way to rehab (which is definitely not meant to be a joke because eating disorders are a very serious topic and problem).

But when I stopped fretting for one second, the hubs looked at me and said, “Well, what did you expect? You’re constantly on a mission to lose weight.”

What?!? No I’m not! I’m happy with where I am, except for that last 10 pesky pounds from the baby that’s now turning two…and maybe those love handles that won’t go away, no matter how careful I am…and perhaps the hint of crow’s feet I’m now developing and …

Oh. Oh no. He was right. While I didn’t think that I had been openly criticizing myself, apparently I had. Or maybe I hadn’t, but my behavior made her feel like I was unhappy with the body nature has given me.

Oh dear. This calls for a recon mission for sure. But now what? How do I love me enough to get my daughter to love her? And that, my friends, is the question.

Stop and Think

Sounds easy, right? But think about the last time you ate something you “weren’t supposed to have.” Did you say it out loud? I know I did. Even better, I looked up the calories on Lose.it! to log it in an app! I bet it happens more than you even realize.

Exercise Is Not A Chore

This is something else I’m totally guilty of. When I go for a run, I’m the first one to say, “Uh, I’ve got to go take the dog for a run.” What I should be saying is, “I’m looking forward to my run today because I feel so good and strong and clear-headed when I’m done.” How do you portray exercise?

Rethink Your Magazine Subscriptions

Surprising, right? But think about how you feel every time you get a SHAPE magazine with a bikini-clad, six-pack-showing-off super model on the cover. I don’t know about you but I think, “hrm. I wonder how I get those abs?” If I’m not thinking about all the air brushing that went into that cover, my kid sure as heck isn’t it.

While these are just a few things you can do, they’re a good start. Try it for a week, just to see how many times you catch yourself. I bet you’ll be surprised.

photo credit: lululemon athletics

Another milestone has passed – proof that you can’t keep your baby from growing up: the first dental exam. I don’t know if we were early or late with it, but we scheduled our younger daughter’s first visit to the dentist just after her 2nd birthday. We’ve been brushing her teeth (I should really say ‘tooth’) regularly since her 1st birthday, but now that she’s got a mouthful of teeth I figured it was about time. Plus, our older daughter just about knocked out a tooth on the playground, so teeth have taken center stage.

Our dentist, and her office staff, know kids! There are many toys, kid-height tables to play on and a movie rolling in the waiting room. Now, I don’t typically like TV as a babysitter but it’s a diabolically brilliant tool to keep kids waiting patiently. Especially when the TV is mounted on the ceiling just above the dentist’s chair.

Best of all, the office has an office dog, Sonic, who is tiny and chill and really likes to snuggle. My girl was smitten at first glance. She even got her picture taken with the pup while she was in the dentist chair.

All this to say that pediatric dentistry has come a long way since I was a kid and the entire experience was fun for all of us. This is by design, I know, but I think making the office visit fun goes a long way toward making children happy to return for frequent cleanings and check ups.

Sometimes I think that dentistry is a racket, what with the cost of crowns, root canals, hell even cleanings. And don’t even get me started on dental insurance! Total crooks. But. For kids, I can see the need for preventative care.

Things I learned: cheese, fruit Popsicles and sugarless gum (with Xylitol) are all great snacks. Dried fruit, toffee and Graham crackers, NOT. No big surprise there (except gum?) but a good reminder. The rule of thumb, stay close to nature – because really, that mom really knows best – when choosing snacks.

Also a cool tip: if you want to see the plaque buildup on your teeth, put food coloring in water, swish and wherever the color sticks, there’s the plaque. You “should” be able to just brush until the color is gone.

If you want more dental info, Colgate (of course) has some information, as does the America Association of Pediatric Dentistry.

photo credit Finizio

I used to think that the definition of insanity was doing things over and over and expecting a different result. Come to find out I was wrong. Actually, it’s the definition of parenting.

See, I keep having these expectations. That’s my down fall. I expect in terms of outcomes. I expect that my older daughter will sit properly in her chair and eat her food with her fork and knife. She’s 4. She knows how to do this. Or I expect that she’ll get dressed – in her clothes, NOT her pjs or her baby sister’s clothes or her tutu costume – in the morning. Without being reminded umpteen times.

And yet so clearly I see my role in this. I remind her (read: nag) many times giving her the opportunity (!) to correct her behavior. She’s 4. She should want to please me. She should want to show me how capable she is. Right? Right?

But I get ahead of myself. Did you notice how I started off the bat talking about expectations? I can feel my anger tickling my insides, just waiting to shoot all through my body even just writing about our mornings.

I don’t know exactly how this happens but each morning, invariably pre-coffee, my older daughter is wound up like a top, spinning about doing exactly what she wants, when she wants to and I bounce off of her, getting angrier and angrier, when she doesn’t listen.

And that’s my trigger. Not dawdling per se but the passive-aggressive snubbing of the rules/routine/my wishes. I feel snubbed. This goes way back to my own childhood where respect was a biggie in our house, as was the booming voice who demanded it more that elicited it. I see that now. Lot a good that does me.

And sure enough, the second I feel disrespected I feel my anger puff up my chest.

Four years into this experiment called frustration parenting, I’m learning – slowly – that it’s not the product, it’s the process. Just like grad school. Or any school. Or anything, really.

Process. Check.

Taken that way, the anger dissipates. Some.

I read an article by Elizabeth Pantley, author of the No-Cry Sleep Solution, on parental anger. Her advice is simple: know your triggers, have a plan, learn, be flexible, let your love guide you. I’m still stuck on knowing my triggers and creating a plan. Tell me, if I make a plan and my plan is what will see me through the angry times, then how do I fold ‘be flexible’ in? Just wondering.

I’ve got a ways to go I think.

I write this not as an ‘angry mommmy’ or anything. But I do find that I get angry at times, usually the same times each day. I don’t think that I’m alone in saying that parenting is frustrating and experiencing frustration creates anger. Am I the only one who feels this?

So here’s my plan (see, I’m learning, I’m learning!): Let’s start with triggers – mine is not listening. Good. I know that and and I know it will happen. When it does, I plan to breathe. Yup. Simple and easy. Breathe. Now, I heard a new phrase, ‘listening ears.’ I’m gonna ask my girls if they have their listening ears on. I might have to check underneath their messy hair. I might have to acknowledge that they most definitely DO NOT have their listening ears on and go hunting all around their little bodies for ears. This might take a while but hopefully it’ll make us all laugh a bit. And from there I’ll let the process lead us. I’ll focus on their little smiles and bouncy ringlets to let my love colored glasses see me through the tough spots.

And that’s my plan to keep plugging away at this thing called insanity parenting. What’s yours?

Oh, and now that we’ve talked angry, let’s cultivate the happy.

photo credit: Furryscaly

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Marvelous. Each time I see this I get lost in the magic of it. The sense of something bigger than us guiding us, en masse. A silent, collective knowing of which way to turn.

So as we end this year – and for some, myself included, this time of year is bittersweet – I thought I’d share a bit of wonder.

Joyeux noël et bonne année.

All of a sudden, people around me have been talking about running. Like marathon running. I’m in awe. One friend I know (hi Susan!) seriously completed 2 half marathons in November and aside from pulling her hamstring trying to save a falling bowl in the kitchen, is training for more. So when I heard of skin care for athletes, I was totally excited to give them a try.

Yes, I’m living vicariously through my friends. I am NOT training for a marathon. Or doing anything else more strenuous than the occasional elliptical or yoga routine. Emphasis on the occasional. Also, as a good friend, I thought I could recommend a good after work out treat.

That said, the skin care line called Skin Care for Athletes is pretty amazing even for the weekend athlete. And, if stressed out muscles qualify for special pampering (as this skin care line implies) then boy do I have a stress knot in my right shoulder.

So on the to products. I tried the Tri-Body Wash. The smell of aromatherapy is strong, but fresh. A tad medicinal. I feel like it’s a bit of a masculine smell for me. It’s supposed to ease muscle aches and pains as well as help minor scrapes, scratches and insect bits. Oh, and it removes grease, chlorine and dirt from your body. They thought of everything!

I also tried the Tri-Body Massage oil and Freshening spray. The oil I rubbed into my shoulder knot where all my stress migrates. The oil seemed a tad Ben Gay-ish, sort of camphor smelling. It tingled, then warmed slightly – of course that could have been an old tape playing in my brain associated with the smell. But it did feel like that. Really. My knot melted a bit at least and the smell didn’t linger.

Truthfully, I don’t know what to use the Freshening spray for. Maybe if I was out running marathon and I wanted to liven myself a bit, then I’d do a quick spray down mid trek. But if I were running I wouldn’t be holding the spray to be able to do that. Maybe in the car on the way home? This one smells quite good – more lemon + aloe vera-y.

I sort of love the idea of a skin care product line designed to pamper the skin of people who REALLY put their skin through the ringer. Just having it makes me want to work out more.

My only lasting reservation is that it seems a bit masculine for me. That could be the packaging…there is absolutely nothing girly or spa-conjuring about it, just straightforward. This is not a knock against it. I’m certain that’s by design to appeal the the serious athlete who just wants good product without all that frou-frou.

Thanks Skin Care for Athletes for giving me a try. I think my marathoner buddies would really appreciate this so I’m going to re-gift it to my hard working peeps.

I’m mostly a western medicine type of mom. I mean, I get my girls vaccinated, I give them ibuprofen when they have fevers and, in general, rely on my pediatrician’s advice for any and all health related matters. I mention this because I’ve been using an all natural antiseptic spray that I actually think is quite good.

Oh, I’ve got no problem with non-all natural sprays or creams. It’s just that I ran out and a company called Omyst asked if I’d try out theirs, just to see. So I have been. And I like it.

Typically, I use it for scrapes and scratches that are mostly OK. If my kid is gushing blood then well, off to the doctors office we go.

I don’t know why I feel like I have to qualify myself so much. Maybe it’s because sometimes ‘all natural’ can be interpreted as ‘crazy train’ when it comes to medicine. Or maybe that’s just me. Omyst all-natural medicinal spray contains Calendula, Rose, Yarrow, Wild Roses, Plantain and Alcohol.

Truth be told, the spray, when it hits your skin, feels like it might just burn. I sprayed myself when I cut my finger with a knife. But it never actually got to the burning, stinging part. I could feel the spray go into my cut and I thought “oh no this is gonna hurt” and then nothing. It just felt like it was working.

I’ve sprayed my girls boo-boos and my oldest even requests it for just about any time she falls down. I think she feels that I’m doing something to help her and that makes her feel taken care of. So sweet!

So, I’d recommend Omyst.

I’m not going to get all woo woo on you, don’t worry. That said, I am finding a new found love/need for meditation, something that very few mainstream people talk about and even fewer do.

Boil it down to the essentials and it sounds like something everyone – and especially moms! – should be doing, like it should become the next Angry Birds or something, only calmer. And less moving of fingers. Meditation is clearing the mind. Think of it as a mind enema…no, no, bad visual, sorry! How about housekeeping for the mind? There, that’s better. Mind housekeeping.

Oh, I know there are experts out there who I should be quoting. There are people much more informed than me, obviously (enema? I mean c’mon!). But I bring it up now because I figure if a busy mom who has a very long to-do list running in her head at all times can pick up meditation, and use it to focus, you might be able to as well.

What good are experts when they come off as intimidating?

Personally, I get a little frustrated with yoga instructors or zen practitioners or other close talking whisperers who exude “centeredness” when they talk about meditation because no matter how much I might wish to emulate their calmness, I know it won’t happen. I’ll never be a yoga expert. I’ll never practice zen. I’ll never (and friends can attest to this) speak in whispers.

But I can meditate, come to find out. Well, I can try anyway, and that’s the point.

Again, I’m sure there is a profound road map to meditation out there in the ether, but I don’t know it. I know this. When I meditate, I think of three things: what do I think? What do I feel? What do I want?

I always thought mediation was getting rid of all thoughts. Of having a blank mind. That’s why I have never been able to feel like I can do it. My mind races with thoughts. They come at me at all speeds, some zipping in interrupting, some lingering about lazily. But a friend just told me how she learned to meditate and something clicked. I can do this!

The best part is that having these three things to focus on really quiets the rest of my thoughts down. Just taking a few moments to study what I think, feel and want crystallizes the path to take.

And the second best part is that I feel like even taking two minutes is helpful. Maybe not as helpful as 20 or 30 minutes, but still, it’s something. It’s a place to start. And it’s kind of addictive, checking in with myself to be sure that I’m being true to me.

As a life-long people pleaser, I tend to factor in all this extraneous crap and then go about my business with too many agendas floating about. It’s exhausting. Maybe you can relate? Or maybe you’ve just got a lot on your mind and find yourself feeling like you are in danger of spinning off your axle.

If so, then give meditation a shot. I heard through the grapevine that even Oprah mediates EVERY DAY. She has a spot set up in her place of work so that she can do it, though truth be told you can do it at your desk or, if you are home, anywhere. Maybe not the car though. That could get dangerous, like mental texting.

And you gotta think Oprah is busy, right, with a $2 billion empire to run? So being busy is NOT an excuse!

So tell me, are you ready for a little mental housekeeping? Bring it. Or should I say “om”?

photo credit: lisadragon

Do you like the thought of carrying a water bottle but don’t like the bulk/weight of it? Sometimes that’s what I think and my internal whiney voice says “oohh, I need to bring some water with me but it’s too heavy. It’s too bulky.” Truly, it’s a lame excuse, one that I know is lame and yet, as I wander dehydrated through the day, I use it over and over.

That’s why I was a little tickled to try the new Vapur ‘anti-bottle.’ It’s like that collapsible bag inside Camelback backpacks that carry water – the kind with the long straw tube that goes over your shoulder and into your mouth. Cool invention.

The Vapur bottle is cool. It works similarly, only you don’t need the tube and it fits inside whatever bag you’re carrying. Or, on the outside. Vapur comes with its own carabiner so you can attach it to yourself, if you’re into that sort of thing.

I tried it while traveling via air this weekend and it mostly worked. Here’s what I thought:

Why it’s really good:

1. You can fold it, smush it or roll it into just about any crevice in your carry-on bag. Empty, of course. You can’t do any of that with it full, but then again you’re not going to walk through security with a full bottle of water now are you? At least not these days.

2. You have water at your fingertips. Not costly water from the airport. You know how they charge you $50 for a bottle of water?!? But water fountain water. Good old pure tap water, like nature intended

3. It’s refillable. (And what goes with that is, it’s washable)

Why it’s just OK

1. Vapur holds 0.5L of water, so not all that much. I found that I refilled it A LOT. I tend to like large quantities of water, which of course is why I don’t like carrying bottles with me. 1L of water IS heavy and bulky (can you hear me whining?)

2. It doesn’t really stand up when full. Well, it kinda does, but it takes a little fussing over. The top does close quite well so even if it falls over, the water won’t spill. Unless of course you’re like me and forget to snap down the spout and then, yes, it does spill. But that’s just user error.

3. The carabiner clips on just about anything. Then you have a bag of water bouncing around, hitting things.

Why it’s not good (for me, anyway)

1. My first impression was that it looked like a catheter bag. This is my issue and probably a holdover/flashback to dealing with my Dad in the hospital before he passed away. And then I felt like I was walking around with urine dangling from me. I’m not trying to be flip about this, really I’m not. Somehow traumatic things tend to make a LONG LASTING impression on us and so my past experience formed my association to this bag of water. It’s awful but it’s true. Unfortunately, you only get one chance to make a first impression and that was mine.

2. I kept spilling the water. Yes, I’m a spaz. This I know. But still. Either I’d put my mouth on the sport top and squeeze a blast of air into my mouth then sputter and dribble water once that came rushing up OR I’d let the air out first before putting my mouth on the top and spill water just as I the water was gushing to the top. It’s the bag design, I keep telling myself (but seriously folks, that’s probably just me being a dufus).

3. I question how clean a dishwasher can get a collapsable bag. Even if it looks clean and the water tastes clean, I still wonder, is there bacteria chillin up in there?

I applaud the folks at Vapur for working to improve the bottled water situation. I loathe plastic bottles, not only for the possible leaching of chemicals but for the landfill clogging. And, as I’ve said, I don’t like to carry around big bottles. This handy dandy bag is way better for the environment in oh so many ways! Plus, it makes use of perfectly clean tap water.

Truth is, I’ll keep on using it because it feels like I’m being good to Mother Earth while being good to myself even if it’s not perfect. Even if I do prefer stainless steel bottles. But everybody with me…’they’re heavy.’

And hey, did I get some comments while traveling! Just about every person who asked me about it thought it was one of the coolest things they’d seen. So there’s that.

Thanks, Vapur, for giving me the opportunity to test drive your anti-bottle. You can see all their products on the Vapur website.

photo credits: Vapur

For all you new mommies out there researching baby names, what to pack in your diaper bag for the first time and all sorts of other new mom kernels of wisdom, here’s something you may not have thought about. A lot of these things took me by surprise, but most of all was the knowledge that my body was no longer my own. And yet it knew just what to do.

While some books may include a list of things to expect, I found that talking to seasoned moms was the best way to see if what was happening to me was normal or if my body was the only freakshow out there.

You might know about the continued bleeding, large and heavy (sometimes engorged) breasts and no sleep. But here are a few more things…don’t let them scare you…its all normal and natural.

1. Big nipples. No longer lovely little orbs perfect for pasties, your nipples triple in size, and often get darker. Ahh, the better for new eyes to ‘see’ and lunge for.

2. Night sweats. I swear, it was as if I went to bed after showering but I forgot to towel off. Seriously. Wet. Be prepared with a few towels.

3. Leg cramps. Why, I have no idea. I thought it was anxiety.

4. Anxiety. Everything got me nervous. Somehow I forgot how to breathe. Luckily this is a reflex, and there is nothing to worry about when it comes to breathing. It will happen.

5. Endorphins/oxytocin. Once over the hump of learning how to breastfeed, it actually becomes something nice. Sometimes. That’s when the endorphins kick in.

6. Ridges in your fingernails. Sometimes, when breastfeeding, the baby sucks out so many delicious vitamins and minerals that your body starts to miss its own supply. Fingernail ridges are one indication. Check out prenatal vitamins. But, rest assured, the baby will always get exactly what the baby needs. You, on the other hand, may not. Good reminder to take care of mama!

7. Unpredictable pee. Somehow, with all that happened in your nether regions, your bladder and bowels got shoved aside, so to speak. And any muscle that isn’t worked out weakens a bit. I wasn’t incontinent really, just that I couldn’t feel that I had to pee until I HAD TO PEE. RIGHT NOW. So I just got used to peeing even when my body wasn’t giving me the signals. A girlfriend of mine leaked every time she went running for up to a year after her girl was born. She got really used to pads.

8. Constipation. If you want to read the definitive work on constipation and new mom-hood, or just constipation in general, Google “Dooce and constipation”.

9. Belly flab. There is no nice way to put this. After birth you will still look 3+ months pregnant. For quite a bit. Yes, breastfeeding helps your body get back to its pre-baby shape, kind of. But not really. Just accept it for a while. And think about all the work your poor stomach muscles have been doing and give them a break.

10. Tastebud/food tolerance changes. I can no longer eat onions. Truthfully this started during pregnancy, but it never left me. And I don’t miss them.

If you’ve been through the pregnancy ringer what was the most surprising thing that happened to you?

photo credit: christyscherrer

Who says your vajayjay (as Oprah calls it) can’t have style? I mean, if all the rest of you is decked out, looking fly why not your pooty? Nothing like adding a little color down there, even if you are going to just throw that applicator/paper away. I sooo get this. I soooo get the need for this. I soooo want these tampons by Kotex! Totally. Natch.

Ok, I’m sooooo clearly not the target market for this new ad campaign/design for “U by Kotex”. Are you? Oh, and if I haven’t lost you men yet, don’t stop reading because there really is a ‘silver lining’ to this…

Have you seen any ads or videos yet? It’s ridiculous in my book. Colored plastic applicators for tampons. Pads with an ‘edgy’ new look. They even have a “designer series” called “Punk Glam.” If that weren’t enough (and it is, it is!!) you can design your own and submit it for possible printing.

And what’s the deal with the ‘stop the weirdness’ slogan that accompanies this campaign?

Why is this all necessary, I ask? Doesn’t a woman simply go to the bathroom, presumably alone, and take care of business, tossing the packaging in the bin, never to be seen again except in the landfill? Why would I need for my feminine products to look cool?

Well, what first comes to mind is that I’m no longer a teenager. Sad, but true. Those years are well, and I mean well, behind me. So, no, this campaign is NOT aimed at me.

But I can wrap my head around a high school girls’ bathroom, where many girls are needing to, ahem, you know, clean up. I can see the need for sharing of tampons and pads – your period does tend to sneak up on even the most prepared person. It happens, believe me. And I guess having a bright pink plastic, rather than a white paper, wrapped tampon could be seen as being cool. A pad with designer packaging rather than a plain-jane one could be anything but bland. But isn’t the function still all the same?

That’s where the Break the Cycle campaign comes into play. Apparently over 3.5 million women/girls and hey, maybe even men, have gotten on board to make talking about periods not so uncomfortable. Not so weird. It is natural after all. What a woman’s body was made to do, like breastfeeding. As an aside, don’t you find it funny that people get all squirrelly when the coochie and a woman’s tatas are talked about in terms of their ACTUAL function, but oh man, when spoken about playfully as in how they can both be used for entertainment, well bring it on! I find that funny.

Anywhooo…I applaud Kotex for demystifying the issue of talking about, and dealing with, a period. And, yes, I do see that having a ‘tween’ design can make these products less scary, less bizarre for the first time. So hats off to that. Hey, I might have even talked myself into joining in the 3.5 million voices eager to chatter on about how having a period isn’t a taboo thing to chat about.