Please Help Support "Lucas' Heart", A Table at The Kawasaki Disease Foundation Gala

This month, we have much to be thankful for. While some people are using Facebook to post 30 different things they are thankful for this November, I am really thankful for two main things - the health of my children and the love and support of our friends and family.

November and December are hard for me since these two months mark anniversaries of times when I had to worry about the health of my babies. November brings memories of tiny Zoe, being born at 4lbs 15oz and then not gaining weight. December sends me in my downward spiral, recalling when Lucas was in the hospital with Kawasaki Disease. 

And this month, I'm thankful that BOTH of them are healthy, vibrant, smart, hilarious, sweet children. 

Over the past month I've talked a lot about Kawasaki Disease and the 4th Annual "To Save A Child's Heart" Gala. Many of you have offered to help in some form or another, and for you, I'm also thankful.

I know that our budgets are stretched thin this month. I know that you are being asked to donate to many things, but if you have any room, Jason and I would appreciate a little help in honor of Lucas' little heart. 

As I said before, we are lucky when it comes to our KD experience. We had an amazing pediatrician who recognized the symptoms, we walked into an amazing hospital and were practically met at the door by the number one KD doctor in the US. But unfortunately, our situation is not the norm. 

And that's what we are raising money for - the parents and the children who do not have the resources we did at their fingertips. 

I would love to have a table at the gala dedicated to Lucas, his little heart, and any future hearts that may one day be affected by KD. 

Will you help?

I'm hoping to raise $1500 - and any amount you can give is greatly appreciated. 

HipMamaB San Diego: Peter Pan Comes to Broadway San Diego

I am so excited because PETER PAN, staring Cathy Rigby, is coming to San Diego November 13-18th, 2012.

Going to the theater is such an amazing things for kids. I still remember my mom taking me to see Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan when I was about Zoe's age, and I can't wait to share that memory with my kids. 

PETER PAN is a unique, family friendly attraction of spectacle and fantasy.  The thrill of flying, timeless magical moments and a captivating hook will mesmerize young and old alike.  The legend you thought you know, is now the adventure you never dreamed possible…

Tickets are on sale now and as part of Broadway/San Diego's 2012-2013 35^th Anniversary Season Package.

Enter the code: MOMMY and SAVE 25%*!

Have you taken your kids to a theatre production at the Civic Center yet? Which play did you see? 

*25% off code “MOMMY” for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday shows is only active through November 12^th, which is the day before Peter Pan opens.

Playing With: The SONY XPERIA Tablet S

As part of my ongoing Sony Moms program, this month I had the opportunity to play around with the latest XPERIA Tablet S. Now I will preface this by saying I'm an Apple girl and have been for awhile. That being said, there was an Android-based "learning curve" for me when playing with this product. But it's just like anything new to you - at first it doesn't seem "right," but when you figure it out, you're golden.

So, what did I like about the XPERIA?

1) The "folded magazine" design. I can hold it quite well. That turned-over look gives you something to grip when holding the tablet. 

2) That it's "splash proof." The main point of the tablet being resistant to splashes is so that you can use it in the kitchen for recipes, which makes perfect sense. But I also see it as kid proof. You never know what's headed your way with little fingers around... Apparently some of the tablet been having some issues surrounding this feature, but Sony did release this statement on the topic: 

As we had announced previously, while all other functions of the device still work as intended, a limited number of our new Xperia Tablet S released in September 2012 may not meet our splash-proof specification. A free inspection program to correct the issue is now open and available to our customers. The program provides customers with an easy process to repair or replace their affected device, at no charge. More details and instructions on the program are available at http://esupport.sony.com/news/460/US/EN.

3) The Guest Mode - The Guest Mode allows you to share the Xperia Tablet S with friends and family with a different look and settings for each user. Additionally it has a restricted app access to areas you don't want anybody to see. This is perfect for sharing the device with your kids, as it allows you to have your apps and them not to have access to them. This is nice because I feel that I can hand over my tablet to the kids and not have to be worried they may come across my Stupid Zombies addiction. 

*I had a chance to review this product as part of the #SonyMoms program. I did not receive compensation for the post nor did I get to keep the tablet. 

On the election….

The other day I noticed a new banner hanging outside a local printer store. It read "Real Americans For America Vote Romney."

This is not a new statement; in fact it's been going on for years. But for some reason this one I took personally. I think the whole "birth certificate" issue with Obama is downright disgraceful, and is nothing more than thinly disguised racism. And maybe I take it more personally than some, as I was not born inside the borders of the country. While both of my parents were born here, I am "An American Born Abroad." Seriously, that is the official title on my birth certificate. And because of that, I was told at a very young age that while I can purchase property in Barbados (Holla! A benefit 37 years unused) I could never be President of the United States. So does this make me less of an American? Or would no even think twice about it due to my blonde hair and blue eyes?

One of Lucas' classmates is a distant(ish) cousin to Romney, so politics and rhetoric copied from parents is running wild in 3rd grade. We've been open and honest with Lucas that we vote for candidates that fight for rights that we believe in - but he doesn't really get it. In his 8.5 year old mind, he doesn't understand why a woman and a woman and a man and a man can't get married. He doesn't understand the significance of an African American president, since Obama has been POTUS since he was 4. This is his "normal". And how do you explain "women's rights" to a child whose mother has worked his whole life? And let's not even get into trying to explain to him why for years he was denied health insurance…He can tell you the technical reasons, reciting words he's heard Jason and I use for years, but until he graduates college and has to pay his first deductible on his own, he won't be able to grasp the importance of it all.

The thing that is killing me about this election is the fact that if Romney wins, all of this is at risk. The beliefs that many of us - the need for true equality, the power of diversity, and the idea that Americans are all in this together - have ingrained in our kids are at risk. Forget taxes, forget the economy -  those things WILL figure themselves out. But basic things like birth control choices and racism… how CAN we go back?

Last week a friend of mine posted a note his daughter wrote to Obama on his Facebook profile. This letter broke my heart. It broke my heart because how does a parent explain these things to their kids? We can say the words, read all the books, but HOW can you look your child in the eyes and really get them to try and grasp something that is so foreign to them? And better yet - why should we have to?

We need to keep moving forward - not backwards. Not for us. For this amazing generation of kids that has been placed in our care.

Update on Monday, November 5, 2012 at 9:52AM by HipMamaB

I love this. Obama responded. 

Also, The Huffington Post covered the story... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-mcgonnigal/obama-responds-to-10-year-olds-heartfelt-letter-about-her-dads_b_2074213.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices

Such an amazing story.

Fashion FLASH: What Women are Wearing In Paris RIGHT NOW

As I type this, my good friend, Maria, is in Paris. 

Sigh. SO. JEALOUS.

Maria and I connect on a lot of things, but obsessing over clothes, but what to wear for specific occasions is something we are blood sisters on. So for the past few weeks we've been going back and forth on what she NEEDED to buy to wear while on her fantasy 10th Anniversary trip to Paris. She's now been there are few days, and today I got a few updates on current trends straight from the streets of La Ville-Lumière.

So what are the four must haves for Fall in Paris? 

Boots. Leather Skinnies. Leg Warmers and Finger-less Gloves. 

Apparently the chic women of Paris are rocking short boots. From moto style to cowboy style, booties are the rage. But what are they wearing them with?

Leather skinnies/jeggings and LEG WARMERS. Yes, apparently knit leg warmers are running city wild on Parisian legs. 

And then we have the fingerless knit gloves. 

While my first thought is Madonna circa 1984... look at how cozy those look!

So, there you have it. The Paris "must haves for Fall 2012."

Now I'm headed to the mall!