An open letter to Toy Manufacturers

Dear Sirs and Madams

Congratulations – your marketing and packaging techniques make walking down a toy aisle a veritable delight and pleasure. With a large arrow and starburst pointing at every button and lever to activate the toys while still in the box, my toddler can’t resist pushing and pulling everyone of them. Matter of fact, your point-of-purchase techniques are so strong that they instill literal fits in my child if we pass the aisle and don’t put 1, if not 2 of your toys in the cart.



However, what is most impressive, above all, is the time, technique and patience required by the average consumer to actually remove your product from the box. I mean, in some cases it takes me a good 2 minutes of just turning the box over and over to even figure out where to start. But I think I am finally figuring out your techniques and have my toy-removing tool kit at hand whenever I need to successfully separate toy from packaging. Some handy items I have are scissors, x-acto knife, a pairing knife, tweezers, a file from my husband’s tool box, a Phillips head screw driver and even my teeth, most of which are all used at once to dissect a toy from its beautiful packaging. The screwdriver being the newest member of the kit, imagine my delight in ravaging through layers of tape and cardboard to find a mystery piece of plastic lodged in the underbelly of a box that required a screwdriver that one would use to repair eyeglasses. Oh what joy was had by me. Your consideration in making sure I get some fun before my child can is uncanny.

One point of note, in your focus groups on the packaging, I am impressed that the parents never reported that while this task is quite fun with every new purchase, there is one small side effect. That is the joy that I get to share with my child while I struggle (is that the right word, maybe discover is better here) to release the toy from no less than 12 pieces of industrial tape, she is also continuing said fit from the store while pulling on my legs and trying desperately claw at me to get the toy. Did you find these results to be common, perhaps we are the anomaly to your group.

In closing, ladies and gentlemen, can you please let me know what type of degree is required to develop and design these sheer armors of packaging that also display the best face of the toy. Is there a Fisher Price campus in the Ivy Leagues that I should start saving for in my child’s college fund? Clearly if ever there were a job to me as creative and non-customer focused as possible I think it is this one. Maybe my child will thrive, as your technology keeps getter better and better.

Keep up the good work!
Beth

My thoughts on Social Media

So in the spirit of openness, I am in Interactive Marketing meaning I work at a digital agency in Atlanta and we do some great, great work.

This blog, Mommy...wines, allows me to combine 2 things I am passionate about, my family and all the great things I get to do in my career.

I am featured on the IQ Interactive blog with my thoughts from a marketing perspective, so I just wanted to share with everyone to see the non-mommy side of me.

Check it out: The Media of Social

The size of things

Like most women who reach my age, your doctor tells you it is time to get the "baseline" mammogram - more on that in another post, but it really was not that bad. But since the girls had to go through that procedure, I decided to treat myself to some new undergarments, yes ladies it was time for new bras. However, since I had been pregnant and nursed Lexie for an entire year, I had no idea what size I was. So I made an appointment to have an "official" fitting - to see what I really needed, at Intimacy Atlanta.

OK so this was an experience. By making my appointment online, I had to self select what type of "support" I needed in my new brassiere. You have to fill out a brief survey and with a straight face answer questions related to support, enhancement, lift and comfort...OK thought, I am a grown up I can handle this. But then I get to the store....

I made a reservation to not have to wait, but this store was hopping, hopping...no sign of the recession here. It is the epitome of girly, from the bronze corset pulls on all the drawers and cabinets to the names of dressing rooms such as Oprah, Coco Channel and Princess Diana. As I wandered around waiting for my fitting, I was in shock at the amount of paraphernalia being produced to help with the appearance of your girls. From pieces of plastic to keep your straps in place, to silicon pads to keep you always looking "smooth", to pastey type of things to give you "lift" when you can't wear a bra, you dream it they have it. So the fitting itself went fine, it's really very clinical, not that I expected something different. I was amazed and overwhelmed at all the different types of bras you can choose from. But that was not the amazing discovery of the day...

After finally getting the right fit and selecting the styles I liked, my helpful saleswoman asked me..."So guess what size you are?" After a few wrong guesses, she told me (drumroll, please) that I am a 32 D!! Yes, you read that right D...D as in d'oh, dern and damn. Before I was pregnant I always wore the typical 34B because without ever being fitted, this is what I thought I was. But no, I have a stripper cup size now. Maybe this is how the powers that be are paying my husband back for all those months of pregnancy and mood swings.

So Ladies, if you want a lift in more ways than one I highly reco getting a professional bra fitting. I will say I feel great and I think the better bras have a slight slimming effect. Besides, I am still glowing from the new found confidence I have from knowing that I finally have a decent rack.

Everything is better through your child's eyes

So I got it, today It all clicked. There I was sitting in church, proud of myself that we got to church on time, all three of us, and watching the time tick away constantly readjusting my menu/brunch time as the service went long. As I looked around at everyone in their Easter finest, it all came together. Why did I stay up late setting the table, getting easter baskets ready for the easter bunny and then wake up at 5:30 am so we could be first in line for the easter egg hunt at 8:45? For Lexie, for my family, of course. I saw the same weary/stressed/anxious look on all the other mom's faces too, we all do it, every holiday. But have they gotten it too?

Today I discovered that while I do this for Lexie to have a great life and fond memories of her childhood, I get some pretty great times out of it as well. By doing so much and planning so much to make it perfect for her ( later I am sure there will be many posts on my OCD, perfection issues) I am the one who ultimately gets the benefit out of it. That never clicked for me before...I always have the mantra "do it for her, do it for her" completely ignorant to the enjoyable days and fond memories I am creating for myself.

You see today was not any different than any other Easter, except that I did not feel so obligated by any of the plans. Typically it feels like, we HAVE to go to church, we then go eat, some family dysfunction issue arrises with extended family and we all leave a little angry at one another. But not today, today was great. I was so emotional at church today, proud when the Reverend smiled at us in the pew, so happy to run through the garden to collect eggs in the hunt with Lexie and my husband, followed by a very enjoyable brunch and heavy-duty baseball watching with the entire family. Simple, yet it was probably one of the best Easter's I can remember.

It all came together so nicely and while I like to take credit for it, I mean I did put a lot of effort forward, trying so hard for her has made it all so much better for myself. When I see Lexie enjoying herself and exploring the day's event, I get so caught up that it just over fills me. Watching her is all I need to know that whatever is taking place is the best place to be/see/do for that moment. As long as she is enjoying herself, the husband and I have succeeded and all the other pressures just fade away. And that is all I need to make me feel satisfied, that is it for me. I did not know this before today.

The "eve" before the next holiday when I am cursing myself for being up so late to wake up so early because I have overcommitted myself to get it all done, I won't be doing it just for her, I will be doing it for us...all three of us. And when I look around and see Lexie and the husband smiling and enjoying themselves, giggling with joy, I will just melt away. I can't wait!

Lexie::20 Months

So Lexie - you have hit the 20 month mark, the BIG 20, 2 decades...yes, yes, I know it is only in months. But, you are leaving the baby behind more and more every day. Your vocabulary is amazing and you mimic everything you hear - both good and bad. You know your very first verb tense "eating" and are stringing together more and more sentences each day. We are having conversations now which is pretty cool.

However, we have also officially started the "terrible 2's" - meaning you cry if you don't get your way. I know this is your first test of the wills - BTW, I will always win during the fight to get you in your car seat - and while I know it is natural, Daddy and I are seeing the first try of our patience. But oh well, it is great to see your personality take on more and more. Daddy mentioned the other day that there are now longer periods were you entertain yourself and it is fun to see the quizical expression on your face as you explore.



Your favorites this month: Monkeys - both real and stuffed, Calliou seems to be winning over Elmo, if ever so slightly and you will dance anytime you hear music.

You are refusing to sit in your high chair to eat and want to sit at the table like a big girl, but that's OK, we like have you at the table with us. Potty training is underway, so I apologize in advance to anyone who Lexie talks to about the potty and what they do in there, but we are very intrigued.

So here is to your 20 months......thanks for the adventure!

We are having (had) a girl

So I consider myself lucky, my first child is a girl. I was so happy to hear “a girl” from that fabulous Sonogram Technician. Yes, I am one of those women who really, really wanted a girl (there are a few of us out there) - not that there is anything wrong with boys. I am a girly-girl and I am so happy to get to share that with someone who lives with me every day. So yes, I have a pink nursery; yes I buy every cute dress I see; yes I am starting a collection of Disney princess movies.

But now we are approaching the terrible 2’s and that joy of a girl is hitting a very sassy reality. You see, I am a type A person - I get my way all the time. I don’t know what it is like to not get your way. Lexie is learning her mannerisms from me, and oh boy are they showing. Like when she told me “Hold on a second” when I told her it was time to get out of the tub (have I mentioned she is 20 months old). Or when she does her coy/shy thing to relatives who want to hug/hold/play with her. Or her fake cough/cry - I mean really she works it hard, do they give out Oscars for the toddler set?

So now the fun part of motherhood for me is see my attitude first hand. My BF’s mother is the only one who openly admitted to me that I was in for trouble when I was pregnant. Even though I prefer not to call it “trouble” I like to think of it as the ”learning-how-far-to-push-mom-and-dad-to-get-something” phase. Also, don't moms and daughters hit a "rough" patch in the teen years...oh no, what has the joy of having my little girl turned into.

Oh well for now, I will continue to turn a blind eye to her every growing sassi-tude (which we still call cute for now), enjoy buying everything pink under the sun, and blissfully watch Little Mermaid for the umpteenth time.

So who do I think I am anyway?

So the basics stats: my name is Beth and I will admit to being in my mid-30s, living in the South - Atlanta to be precise.  I have always been overcommitted to work, if I could bottle my work ethic I think I could make a fortune.  Professionally, I am in Interactive Marketing - a fancy way of saying I build websites (even though technically I don't build them, I oversee the whole shebang, Account Service for you agency types).  While in the midst of my success career path, I met my husband - the yin to my yang, cream in my coffee and all those other soulmate terms.  He and I have done well and glad that we went through all that young 20s BS before we met one another.  Where I am hyper, he is patient, so it is a good match.

After we had the nice house and took trips we wanted, it was time for baby.  Luckily, it did not take us long, and Lexie arrived a short time after we made this decision (well not short, but within a year, there is gestation and all).  She is now 20 months old at the launch of this blog and WOW!  She has opened my eyes in many ways, allows me to say things I never thought possible and finally given a big workaholic (me and the husband) a reason to leave the office at 5pm.

Oh, and let me not forget my first babies, our cats Henry & Callie - I mean if I am talking about my whole family I would be remiss to forget them.