My sister came to visit yesterday.

We seriously are opposites.

(Why did I feel the need to say that?)

Except we can both live without Sasson in our food.

(Bad, bad Boricuas.)

My niece and nephew came along because Natalie is on Spring Break.

Since Elena turns five on Friday we went to Make.

(It used to be owned by the blogger behind Our Name is Mud.)

*Doesn’t that make you think of that Primus song?

And the girls painted dinosaurs.

(Natalie on the left. Her dinosaur will be red and brown)

Then we ate at Big Daddys where my sister fell in love with a Purple Frozen Black Cow.

And the guy all the way in the back of the photo.

(Ari – you didn’t just read that.)

Speaking of guys, we both agreed its nice to be in New York in the Spring.

I’m not supposed to talk about guys.

So….

Onto our walk for dessert…

We bought cookie dough and Creamsicles.

And watched the 150 hot firemen put out a fire.

New topic… new topic.

We pretty much did everything to try to forget she got a $115 parking ticket earlier in the day.

(It must really suck to be 9 minutes late to move your car.)

—-

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.  ~Toni Morrison

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In a little over a week, I’ll be at the Housewares Show in Chicago.

One of the exhibiters told me that by stopping by their booth, they’ll donate $100 to a charity of my choice.

Oh really?

Thanks for giving me another task.

#408343 — Find a charity.

Seriously though, why not….

If 50 journalists go to their booth, then $5,000 will be given to charity.

So now I definitely have to stop by.

But I have to find a charity first.

Sure I should have one particular charity I give to but every week I read about another worthy charity.

This week, Drew Barrymore was featured donating a million dollars to The UN’s
World Food Programme.

The World Food Program is the largest and one of the most efficient humanitarian organizations in the world.

Why would I consider the World Food Programme?

Not because Drew gave money.

But because 25,000 people will die of hunger today and 18,000 of them will be children.

And the WFP website says that a gift of $50 will fill a child’s meal cup for a year.

Maybe most importantly, at least 93 cents out of every dollar received by WFP goes directly to the field.

If you were given the chance to see that $100 reached a charity in need, which charity would you choose?

Post the charity and its website below as a comment.

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Back when I was pregnant with Natalie, I had the opportunity to see the Da Vinci exhibit at The Met.

It was hot in there (a few fans with crowds of people) making it uncomfortable for a fat pregnant chick.

But even worse, the chicky in front of me had an epileptic seizure.

Don’t know if it was from the unfortunate heat or some other factor.

It was the first time I witnessed someone having an epileptic seizure.

Not knowing what to do, I stepped back and a woman not too far away rushed over to help.

A few years later, my friend’s little girl was diagnosed with epilepsy.

She’s now very involved with PEP out in LA so I am better informed than I was years ago.

Everything I hear just makes me wish there was a way to stop those seizures for good.

I didn’t even realize people were concerned about that when airing music videos.

Never even knew the Harding Test existed.

But I’m glad it does and happy it is being followed. Kudos to MTV.

Since Gnarls Barkley’s video for RUN may cause epileptic seizures it is not being allowed to air.

(Read the article at Billboard)

Does your child have epilepsy?

Post some resources we can check out so we are better informed.

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I should have known.

Just when I shout my love for Cleveland from the rooftops, I read this –

Goody bags gone bad

Kids today expect pricey birthday-party favors, and parents are getting sucked in

Monday, March 03, 2008

John Campanelli

Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter

At the conclusion of the lovely kids birthday party, with cake and ice cream and games, the hostess bid each guest farewell with a smile and a goody bag. A 6-year-old boy grabbed his, peered inside and said, “This is a rip-off!”

At another party, a mother decided to do the unthinkable and not even give treat bags. A group of 7-year-olds cornered her and complained: “You should have told us before we came!”

Still another mom called her child’s friends to invite them to an upcoming birthday bash. At least one of the kids refused to accept the invitation . . . at least until she told them what was going to be in the gift bag.

When another party ended without swag bags, a group of outraged 10-year-olds bum-rushed the birthday boy and . . . beat him up.

When I was growing up, the birthday parties I attended were different from the ones today but we were all given goody bags when it was time to leave.

The major difference is the contents – instead of paper noisemakers and costume jewelry, today’s birthday party gift bags include iPods and gift cards.

I won’t deny that there will be gift bags at Luke’s birthday party next month.

And I’m in Manhattan – capital of the goody bag craziness.

But I’m personally just a bit more reasonable with the goody bag contents and always will be — no matter what expectations the kid attendees may have.

Planning a birthday party? What will be in the gift bags?

Not doing gift bags at all? Attended a party where the parents got sucked – suckered—in?

Tell me about it!

(Or post a comment below if you aren’t shy.)

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