Monthly Archives: July 2009

As soon as I find out more about Rick Going’s shoes, I’ll give you the full scoop on this party.

The two second version: I got to hang out with incredible people, at an incredible house and develop an unhealthy girl crush on Rick Goings’ wife Susan. I’m dazzled and pleased to report that Tupperware has donated $1.5 million to the Boys and Girls Club.

More later, I promise, I’m still just standing around with stars in my eyes.

Jane returned from her sleep away camp a little aloof, but basically the same kid. She was tired and slept for about a day and a half. She made friends, and had a great time in spite of having neither hot water nor mirrors.

Doing the laundry made me understand Jane’s week away from us. As I opened the bag, I was instantly transported back in time by the heavy scent of campfire. Glitter, horsehair and dirt fell out of the corners of her bag. It was camp, as camping should be.

Last week I finished my early summer project. Scanning the kids’ schoolwork onto a hard drive. Remember the boxes of paper your mom used to have, every test and worksheet piled high into a stack of termite bait? I just take a day at the end of each semester and scan the work into a portable hard drive and I’m all done. I feel great about it, and it seems like such a perfect solution to the paper problem, but I forgot one thing

our home.

Two weeks ago as I was finishing up the school work scanning project, and our friend Jon came buy. He looked at what I was doing and said, “I’m involved in a start up…”

So Jon showed me Home Data Guard. Home Data Guard (HDG) is essentially a remote file cabinet for your important documents. They’re using Amazon for their secure servers, so it’s well encrypted (meaning you’re quite safe from identity theft). In many regards HDG isn’t very different than any other cloud computing data storage site, except they’re just like you.

Home Data Guard was born from tragedy and rather than being a tech company in a tech space, they’re a home company bringing you tech. Make sense? The interface is clean and simple and they guide you through which documents you need and why.

Here in Los Angeles my big preparedness is for an earthquake. I often worry what would happen if both my house and my bank came tumbling down. I stash flash cards and hard drives in my safety deposit box, but what if…

Home Data Guard has one thing no one else seems to. For a small fee they send someone to your home to scan and organize all the documents. For all of you who are taking care of a parent or grandparent, this is sensitive stuff. Sometimes a third party can keep the busy work from being the family drama. Oh, and apparently your insurance agent would appreciate a little organization too.

I think Home Data Guard is a good idea, but they’re user interface is great. Look at this fantastic PDF checklist.

I don’t really want to be pregnant again, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to get up at night. I know with all certainty we can’t afford a third tuition, but still

I want a baby.

Last night we had two families over and there were babies. Not like the lumps of newborn, but actual crawling, squealing, smiling, pacifier sucking baby girls. One was chubby and bald and the other had the leanness of a cruiser, but she still had the yummy creases at the knees.

There were diaper changes and some crying, but these are second children and the mothers were calm. They reminded me of the best moments with my kids. My daughter took their four year olds on walks, and my son taught them to wear a baseball glove.

My kids were the big kids, and I’m proud of them. It’s strange for me to see Jane and Alexander as the tall people in the room, the authorities. The role models.

When I looked at the babies snug in their slings or playing with baby jar lids, I realized once again, how every moment is magical. I’m trying to imagine looking back at today and thinking that my kids are little now, but it’s getting a little more difficult each week.

I lied to a group of people for a prolonged period of time. I knew I was lying, many of them knew I was lying, and I would do it again.

It was the right thing to do. I am a liar.

In December of 2006 my friends and I told the hospital staff that I was the AIDS patient’s sister. We did so because his partner of 14 years had no legal rights without waving a sheet of paper in front of their faces every time he opened his mouth.

I am a liar. My Steven has been dead for two and a half years. For some reason I miss him terribly today.

I’d lie for him any day, but if California repeals Prop 8 you might make it easier on someone else.

You can stop worrying. It’s dug its own grave.

The Wall Street Journal published this article in April. Included in the article was this paragraph:

Blogger Jessica Gottlieb of Los Angeles accepted $250 to steer her readers to a recent Sears promotion: “For all you Moms like me who are having a mini (or maxi) meltdown due to the economy, let me give you the best tip ever,” she wrote. In the post, she is pictured wearing a $39 Sears dress.

Someone in Nebraska (I say someone because they don’t put their names on their editorials) spun it off to this:

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Internet entrepreneur Ted Murphy, CEO of IZEA, has arranged blog campaigns in which he offered bloggers money to write favorably about Sears products. Jessica Gottlieb of Los Angeles accepted $250 to promote a $39 dress, for example.

I’ve got thick skin, and I can take it on the chin every now and again, but I’m not able to do that any longer. That The Journal Star hires professional journalists and then continues on a path of mediocre reporting is shameful.

I’m not a journalist, but I know that real journalists and their editors fact check. Anyone in the world who wanted to find me would have a very easy time of it.

Here’s what’s wrong with the article, and it’s really only the tip of the iceberg.

• IZEA doesn’t ask for positive reviews. They never have.

• I was pictured wearing the Sears dress months before the campaign. It delights me to mix couture, vintage and discount items.

• I have never recommended a product to you that I wouldn’t want for myself.

It is clear to me that whoever wrote the article at the Journal Star needs a refresher class in journalism. I’d recommend Journchat on Twitter. It’s every Tuesday night and Sarah Evans does a stellar job.

I was on the phone with The Journal Star, but apparently it’s vacation time and they can’t do anything until Monday. Lucky me, I have no journalistic standards or integrity, I can do this.

*This post is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Twitter, Journchat, or Sarah Evans. It’s all just free stuff that makes Mommies a little bit savvier than reporters had hoped.