Silicon Valley Moms Blog

Sandblasting and Extractions

For the last several months I’ve had the opportunity to go to an esthetician to get my eyebrows shaped.  As crazy as it sounds, I love this time.  I live for this half hour when I lay down on a heated table, close my eyes and have someone else fret over me. 

I call it my mini-massage.

My esthetician is a perfectionist.  She frets over a single hair.  A common conversation she has with herself over my head goes something like this, “Hmm.  Well I’m almost happy with your eyebrows… but I want to take one more hair off of this eyebrow.  But if I do that I’m afraid it will make the other eyebrow unbalanced.”

I sit there and smile.  Truth be told, I’d be perfectly happy walking out of her office each month with not a single hair left above my eyes.  Just being able to lie on her table while she manipulates my eyebrows is treat enough. 

A few months ago Sandra began telling me about a procedure called microdermabrasion.  I know all about microderm and have been itching to try it out, someday. However, when finances are tough, as they always are, it’s difficult to justify my $20 eyebrow shaping once a month, let alone this much more expensive and oh so unnecessary procedure.

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Silicon Valley Moms Meet California First Lady Maria Shriver - The Video

Last week the Silicon Valley Moms Bloggers and friends had the special opportunity to meet with California First Lady Maria Shriver to discuss her book "Just Who Will You Be?". Bonnie brought her video along to capture the discussion: Here are the videos split into 4 sessions:

Video 1-

Silicon Valley Moms Meet California First Lady Maria Shriver

On Tuesday, California First Lady Maria Shriver joined Silicon Valley Moms Bloggers and friends at Books Inc in Palo Alto. Ms. Shriver, a best-selling author and award-winning journalist, not only signed her just released book, Just Who Will You Be?, but shared with us her inspiring, wise, candid and down-to-earth lessons. We also had the chance to taste the new ice cream Lovin Scoopful, which donates 25% of its profits to Special Olympics and other causes.

As always with a group of bloggers, many went home that night and shared their thoughts, pictures and videos. On the Silicon Valley Moms Blog Sarah liveblogged a full transcript of the night, Bonggamom shared what happens when you add Maria Shriver to your busy day, BirdieRoark blogged quotes from the First Lady and BonnieG posted with thoughts on Maria Shriver's journey . We have a full video of the event that will be loaded to our site very soon. Here are some of the links to our contributor's personal blogs.

Plain Jane Mom (post and video)
It's Never Easy But It's Always FUN
Finding Bonggamom
Mod Mom
Who's The Boss?
Med Nauseum Blog
Laptop Television
Just Peachy Baby Blog
Tippytoes and Tantrums
JPD Mom
Go-Go Mommy
New Mom Central
TechMamas
Xiaolin Mama
SFBay Style
Siliconmom
Me Too You
Chalk and Cheese Chronicles
It's My Life
CityMama
This Week For Dinner

From Silicon Valley Moms Group:

• Quotes From Our First Lady
• Maria Shriver's Journey:  Up Close & Personal with Silicon Valley Moms Blog
• This is what happens when you add Maria Shriver to your day
• Full Transcript - Maria Shriver Private Book Signing
• Thank You, Maria Shriver!

From The San Jose Mercury News:  State's first lady gabs about her life, new book

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing public items from the SVMOMS: Maria Shriver Book Siging Event group pool. Make your own badge here.

Maria Shriver’s Journey: Up Close & Personal with Silicon Valley Moms Blog

“Change doesn’t have to be huge, but it may have to be deep.  A deep change for me was realizing I’d have to take the time to know what I feel, in order to know who I am and who I want to be.”

As I read these words from Maria Shriver’s new book, Just Who Will You Be?, I felt as if I was peeking into a page from her personal journal.  Last night, I got the chance to meet Maria up close and personal at a private book signing, hosted by Silicon Valley Moms Blog at Books Inc, Palo Alto.

Maria kicked off the evening by calling our time together a “neighborhood girls night out” and treated us to a sampling of Lovin’ Scoopful, a yummy new ice cream that’s close to her heart.  Maria, along with her brother and “two other guys”, came out with this ice cream, donating 25% of proceeds to go to Special Olympics.  (I was surprised to find out later that this creamy ice cream is only ½ the fat and 1/3 of the calories.  I should’ve eaten the whole scoop, rather than holding back the last few bites!)

With ice cream in our tummies, all the mom bloggers were all ears.  For the next 30 minutes, we listened and laughed with Maria, as she opened up about her journey to self-discovery and answered questions from the group.  Maria was as candid, down-to-earth, and humorous in person, as she is in her writing.  Passionate and kind, she was even more beautiful in person than she already is in her photos!

A Teacher Fretting About School

I am a public school teacher and I work in one of strongest academic districts in the Bay Area.  The school I teach at routinely ranks in the top five in California.  It's that good!

My school is also a 'choice' school, meaning that it is students come from all over the school district.  You have to choose to send your kids there.  Therefore school admission is based on a lottery.  When a child's number is called a parent almost always pulls their child out of their current private or public school to enter ours.

I know what great teaching is all about.  I've seen both sides, the good school environment and the bad. 

This is the best.

So why am I fretting about school? 

Simple.  I don't live in the school district in which I teach. 

Teachers can't afford to buy a house there.

Katie Couric and the Mom Bloggers Video

As you have probably heard (cause gosh, we can't stop talking about it!!!), a few "Parent Bloggers" from  Silicon Valley Moms Blog, New York City Moms Blog, Chicago Moms Blog and DC Metro Moms Blog had a rare (and wonderful) opportunity to spend a Friday afternoon with Katie Couric.  Here is a video of our visit with Katie Couric from CBS, from her You Tube channel: 

... and just in case you missed Katie's writeup on CBS.com, here is what she said about our meetup: Meet The Parents (Who Blog)

 

Mom Bloggers Meetup with Katie Couric - RECAP!

Want to hear more about our meetup with the fabulous-we-want-to-be-her-new-BFF, Katie Couric? Then click over to the post on the CBS Couric & Co. blog titled "Meet the Parents (Who Blog). Or take a look at the You Tube video of the event on Katie Couric's channel. Click on the "continue reading" link at the bottom of this post to see the You Tube video loaded on our site. And for more fun, here are the posts from our contributors:

• Meet The Parents (Who Blog):  Katie Couric from CBS News
• If You Knew Katie, Like I know Katie:  Kelcey from New York City Moms Blog   
  
• K-K-K-K-Katie: Holli from Baby Faith
• Katie Couric Knows Yiddish:  Nancy from New York City Moms Blog 
  
• Girl Crush: Kelcey from The Mama Bird Diaries
• You Had Me At Katie Couric: Beth from Role Mommy Confessions
• Meeting Katie Couric: Stacy from Laptop Television
• My Afternoon With Katie Couric - No. Really!:  Danielle from FoodMomiac
• Our Own Little "Digital-Era Sweatshop: Liz from Mom-101
• Meeting Katie Couric: Kimberly from Petroville
• Katie Couric:  "Mommy Bloggers" Heart You: Joanne from PunditMom
• Kudos To Katie:  Amanda May from New York City Moms Blog
• Katie Couric Rocks It With The Mommy Bloggers: Amy from The Ladybug And Her Blogging Mama
• Once More, Amy Is Famous: Amy from Mums The Word
• Original post on New York City Moms Blog about meeting Katie Couric.

Katie Couric Meetup With Mommybloggers

LATE BREAKING NEWS.... The Silicon Valley, DC Metro Chicago and New York City Mom Bloggers (and their special guests Mom 101 and Lisa Stone) met with  Katie Couric!!

We will update you as events unfold........

A Boy and his Toy

Gunplay is such a hot topic.   Should we let our kids play with guns?  Should we ban them altogether?  Are moms who let their kids play with toy guns ‘bad’ moms?  Will I raise an overly aggressive child if I allow him/her to play with guns?  Will my children and I be shunned by the other moms and dads if we own a toy gun?

These thoughts have all gone through my head. 

Am I making the right decision?  Will my decision harm or alter the course of my children’s lives?

Well today I’m outing myself.  My children each have a toy gun.  Don’t shoot! 

And my husband and I gave those guns to our kids at Christmas.

Phew, I said it.  I can just feel the looks of shock and horror coming across the computer screen!  And frankly, I understand.  With all of the school shootings and other highly publicized atrocities occurring within our country, it’s no wonder many moms I know shudder at the though allowing their child to know about, look at, or touch a toy gun.