Scene: Walking back from the park. It was 75 amazing degrees in Kansas City today.

The little angel is reclined in the only stroller we still own, a purple-flowered umbrella jobby. (The park is a mile away.) She has her legs crossed and is waving the water bottle around like a wand as she warms to her subject.

Her: Mommy! I'm going to tell you a story now.

Me: Okay.

Her: This is the story of the three pigs.

Me: (respectful pause)

Her: The first pig was named <LITTLE ANGEL>. 

Me: She sounds very nice.

Her: Shhh! This pig built a house out of FEATHERS. Can you believe it?

Me: That would be hard to do.

Her: And then a wolf came along and blew the house over. Can you believe it?

Me: That's too bad. Then what happened?

Her: Then the SECOND PIG, whose name was AUNT STEPHI, came and built a house out of DIAMONDS.

Me: (choking with laughter) That sounds right.

Her: But the wolf came and blew over the diamonds. And Aunt Stephi ran away.

Me: Excellent. Then what happened?

Her: Then the last pig came, and her name was RITA. And she was the SMARTEST PIG OF ALL.

Me: Of course she was!

Her: And she built her house out of BRICKS.

Me: And could the wolf blow it down?

Her: NO. So the other pigs came to live with her.

Me: Did she build them rooms of diamonds?

Her: Yes, of course she did. Seriously, Mommy.

Me: Excellent story, dear.

Her: And then there is this other story about THREE MICE.

And so it continued, all the way home.

Over dinner, she told the story to Beloved, who also appreciated its sparkling humor. Then she sang a song.

Her: This is not a real song.

Me: Why not?

Her: Because I just made it up.

Me: That's why you need to write it down. Because as soon as you write something original down, it becomes real.

Beloved nodded.

Me: It's called COPYRIGHT LAW.

Her: That is so cool!

Me: It doesn't mean it's good, but at least it's real.

Her: I can't believe I made up something real.

Isn't writing great?

Never mind yesterday’s snow, there’s still plenty of fall fun to be had. And in my latest monthly column as Minimalist Mama at Shoestring Magazine, I share my favorite ways to enjoy frugal fall fun for the whole family, each followed by a bonus tip rooted in the spirit of giving. Enjoy!

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, April shares her two favorite plastic bag alternatives: snackTAXIs and Lunch Skins. Read on for more information about these fabulously stylish and eco-friendly lunch and snack packing solutions, as well as to learn how to win a trio of snackTAXI and Lunch Skins products (entry closes at midnight, October 21):

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From April:

“Before I had my daughter, I didn't use many Ziploc bags. I had always been conscious of the plastic waste before parenthood. But the pacifiers that must be kept clean, the tidbits and snacks for every trip out of the house, and the sandwiches and munchies that can overrun the life of a family with a child are staggering. I simply had no clue that we would contribute such a hefty amount to the 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags discarded globally every year. I cringe thinking about it. I had always been so careful before, but when I had my daughter I didn't feel I had options that let me curtail our usage while still doing what we needed to get out of the house.

When I came out of the fog after her first year, my more alert self was beyond a little horrified and we did some quick changing to more reusable containers. Thinking ahead a few years, we'll be staring daily school lunches in the face and after-school snacks on the go. Even now, our every outing requires a bag of snacks. That would be a lot of plastic if we didn't have an alternate plan. Thankfully it was easy to reign it in right away, especially since there are the wonderful reusable bag products by snackTAXI and Lunch Skins. Reusable containers are nice, but sometimes you need a bag -- something that folds flat and takes up no room when empty, something that fits the space you have available. And, as I found out, sometimes you need several kinds and sizes.

I still use plastic bags on occasion, but not without thinking if a snackTAXI, Lunch Skin, or reusable container would work better. It's really cut back on our use of disposable bags. It may not feel like a dent in the 500 billion, but at least we're contributing to the problem less than we were, and that makes a difference. As it is, we have several of each brand, so we usually have the right combo for what we need. I save the plastic bags for when I need their benefits the most—like transporting spill-y, gooey shampoo in my luggage. The rest of the time I go for the reusable as often as possible. Even if it's not 100 percent, it's an easy improvement on a huge global problem.

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Here are our two go-to reusable bag brands:

snackTAXI

This hand sewn bag (made in nearby Plainfield, MA) has a vertical Velcro closure, so you can fasten it tighter or looser, depending on the contents. I like it for all kinds of things, but especially for Cheerios and Rice Krispies and other little foods, since I can fasten it tighter and there's no gap for the contents to rain all over the inside of my bag. The outside of the bag is 100% cotton and the inside has a polyurethane coated nylon that is free from heavy metals and pthalates and other bad things. They have plenty of different designs, so each person can pick their own lunch or snack bag for the day.

Snack Taxis come in 6" x 4.5" (snack-sacks) and 7.5 "x 6" (sandwich-sacks).

Lunch Skins

This stylized bag is made from a printed white fabric that feels like smooth sail cloth. The white makes it easy to see if it's really clean or not. It has a horizontal Velcro closure. You can't change how loose or tight it is, but it's a very sturdy hold with a structured shape. It's not so great for tiny items (the aforementioned Rice Krispies that are a favorite for my daughter) that might want to sneak out of the fold-over top, but most food stays put. It's ideal for sandwiches because it fits them so well, a bit better than the snackTAXI. It's a snug but easy fit, so the sandwich is held together by the shape of the bag. No more sliding ham and cheese, or half-opened PB&J.

Best of all from Lunch Skins is their new snack size bag. It's the same size as the plastic Ziploc snack bags—a size we use often for quick trips and little munchies. This bag alone makes a major play in our lives. When you have 2 cheese sticks and a handful of crackers, you don't want to have to use a big bag. Or perhaps two chocolate chip cookies? They don't look so lonely in this small bag. These smaller bags are the perfect complement to their larger size.

Lunch Skins come in two sizes: 6.5" x 6", 6.5" x 3.5"

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A couple of final comments:

First, regarding food quality, one thing that I have always hated about plastic bags is the general smoosh factor. You can have a gorgeous sandwich and in a plastic bag it's completely unprotected from its surroundings. The only thing it does is protect the surrounding from the inevitable mess. Both the snackTAXIs and Lunch Skins are slightly thicker and add a bit of armor to the food, without adding bulk or weight. The food is more intact. The cookies are less crumbled. And the sandwich? Well, it's far less demolished and dense, and therefore far tastier.

Second, the question I get the most from other parents and babysitters is how to clean them. It's the same for both: EASY. Reusable is nice as long as it doesn't get disgusting, right? Most of the time, a rinse out at the sink with warm water will be all they need. Every now and then, they need s little scrub to get a spot of melted chocolate off. When it's really bad, like after a fully loaded PB&J has stuck to the edges a bit or chocolate chips have melted from a cookie all over it, I just rinse it once or twice and put it on the top shelf of the dishwasher, opened over the spokes like a glass. Easy breezy. I do it without even thinking about it.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Amy!
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Now, want to win a trio of snackTAXI and Lunch Skins products? Here's how:

Rules:

Leave a comment below about this giveaway to enter to win. Be sure to include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (including just first name or first name + last initial is OK).

One comment permitted per person; US entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive one snackTAXI sandwich-sack + snack-sack, and one Lunch Skins snack sized sack (set gender neutral patterns; $24 value).

FTC Disclosure: I got this shirt for $0. Everything else you see in these photos is mine.

Rita Arens Disclosure: No, I didn't dry my hair before embarking on this experiment.

So, does everyone know that Kristen Chase of Motherhood Uncensored fame (and also contributor to an awesome book called Sleep Is for the Weak) is the Mominatrix? She writes a sex column for mommies, oh, yes she does. And she's so good, she scored a book deal.

Coming in 2010, bitches.

So Kristen sent me a t-shirt and asked me to upload a photo of myself to her Mominatrix Flickr group. Sounds easy, right? How the hell do all these bloggers take photos of themselves?

 

Stolen from Amalah.

 

Stolen from Fussy.

 

And hello, Dolly, the Mominatrix herself.

I am a FAIL. So I need you to tell me which looks least asinine to upload for Mominatrix support. They are numbered.

 

1. Wow. That's not the right way to do it.

2. Yep, that's not right, either.

 

3. Casual? Not so casual. Clearly staged. Also? Where to look in the mirror? This sucks.

 

4. Still can't figure out where to look.

 

5. Maybe if I stuck out my chest more? My hand is SO BIG.

6. Stick out chest AND SMILE?  Still, nothing.

 

7. ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

 

8. Eh?

9. Or eh?

Yesterday, I had the privilege of listening in on BlogHer and Sunlight Foundation's conference call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The call lasted about an hour, and there were so many questions I wanted to ask. I didn't even have time for one, though I thought the other callers asked some good ones.

As Speaker Pelosi was rattling off her talking points, she mentioned that the Senate bill was way different. Of course, we weren't talking about the Senate bill, but I found myself wondering not only what the differences are but how are we, the American people, supposed to know which will pass? And they're so different? Eeek. Methinks its time for a letter-writing campaign.

This is what Speaker Pelosi said:

• Women pay 48% more for healthcare than men do -- the House bill prevents "gender rating"
• The House bill won't allow insurance companies to deny you coverage or charge you more just because you have the "pre-existing condition" of pregnancy, a C-section or domestic violence.
• 79% of women with individual policies currently have no maternity coverage
• The public option in the House bill (there is no public option in the Senate bill) would offer income assistance to anyone making up to 400 times the federal poverty level, or roughly $80k. Insurance would be required.
• The House bill requires:
• • No dropping of coverage if you get sick
  • No co-pays for preventative or wellness visits
  • No need to change doctors or (if you like your old plan) insurance plans
  • Yearly caps on what the consumer would pay out-of-pocket
  • No yearly or lifetime caps on what the insurance company will pay for healthcare
  • No pre-existing condition refusal to pay
  • Americans must get insurance and companies must pay for insurance.
  • You can choose your insurance out of a pool in which insurance companies and the public option compete.
  • The public options allows Americans sick of insurance companies a Medicare-like plan.
• This whole thing won't add to the deficit because the public option won't require advertising, etc. and will be just like Medicare with 85% of premiums going to pay for healthcare. (WTF? I like this bill, but that is crazy talk.)

I found myself wondering if the public option would have better technology and friendlier civil servants than other government services (cough, DMV), but I do believe we need a public option. My comment on BlogHer:

I know I personally have had a hard time getting a handle on thetalking points and what they mean to both me and to the larger Americanpopulace. I know what would be best for me, but I'm also worried aboutwhat would be best for others -- particularly those whose very life ordeath or quality of life hangs in the balance when it comes tohealthcare coverage.I personally feel health and medicine can't be a for-profit businessand operate ethically for any period of time. Our current state ofaffairs evidences that every day. I'm not sure this bill will fixthings, but I want to learn more.

Some more information and questions rolled in after the call, including comments about Massachusetts' attempt at public healthcare, Medicaid, disability and C-sections. Click here to sign a petition from MomsRising and contact your elected officials.

If you have opinions, pro or con the House bill, feel free to discuss in the comments and send me the posts you've written on the matter. Be aware I only tolerate civil disagreement and won't allow mudslinging on this blog.

If you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Head of the Charles this weekend, consider one of these family friendly fall festivals: Auburn Fall Festival (Auburn), Fall Fun Festival (Boston), New England Wild Flower Society Fall Family Festival (Framingham), Green Meadows Farm Harvest Festival (Hamilton), Homestead Hayfest (Newton), and Rockport Harvest Festival (Rockport).

Kids need to move, and never is that more evident than when our craft and book loving kiddo reaches the end of the day without enough climb time (envision Laurel leaping off of furniture). And if you’re looking for a way to combine literacy and exercise (particularly on a raw day like today), check out the Literacise exhibit at the Boston Public Library. This exhibit is based on local author Irene Smalls's book Jonathan and His Mommy and allows kids to benefit both mind and body by moving and grooving their way through a kid-sized interactive book. Literacise opened in early October and runs until March 2010.

Back in March I gave myself a really excellent gift and started making self-care a priority. And after embarking on various challenges of the shredding and yoga variety, I decided to test my longstanding belief that I'm not built to run by trying the Couch-to-5K running plan. Miraculously, here I am, on Week 8 of the plan and now signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Gobble, Gobble, Gobble run in Davis Square (which, by the way, I thought was a 5K but actually is a 4 miler...gulp).
I’d like to invite you to come run (or walk or wheelchair) with me (and the lovely Sharon and Paige!). I'm giving an early heads up on this in case you want to start training (and also because there are a limited number of spaces for the run), but however you cross the finish line, it will be pretty awesome to give yourself the gift of fresh air and self-care before the Thanksgiving festivities begin. Let me know if you plan on coming!

Today, Sarah recommends Partnership Parenting, a book written to help parents reach mature discussion and calm compromise amidst conflicting parenting styles. Read on for Sarah’s review, as well as to learn how to be one of two winners to receive a copy of Partnership Parenting (entry closes October 17):
From Sarah:

“With one more year to go until my younger son heads off to kindergarten, I’ve started to turn over a new leaf in my parenting arsenal. I devoted a massive portion of my vacation reading -- usually devoted to pulp fiction and chick lit -- to some seriously insightful advice books, in hopes that I could polish out the rough spots in my kid/parent interactions and re-write some of the less effective scripts I rely on when put on the spot. (You know, pot bubbling on the stove, dog whining to go out, phone ringing, and a temper tantrum breaks out in the living room about who touched the puzzle last and thus has to put it away.) And I think the change was worth it; I digested some amazingly helpful books this summer.

One of the top three was Partnership Parenting, by husband and wife psychologists Kyle and Marsha Kline Pruett. Conceived to fill in the gaps between parenting books directed at moms and other books directed at dads, this easy read focuses on the differences between viewpoints that often create conflict between parents when child-rearing situations get stressful. Sort of like Mars and Venus Raise A Kid. The Pruetts point out that many parents receive this advice after getting separated or divorced, when they have to juggle father-time and mother-time and the differences between the two, but this is the first program that helps parents while they’re still together.

Beginning with conversations they recommend couples undertake before the baby is born, the Pruetts guide the reader down a path to better he-said/she-said understanding of the motivations behind our parenting decisions, such as how moms are more likely to protect their children from encountering stressful and possibly disappointing situations, and how dads are more likely to let kids encounter disappointments as a learning tool for the way the world really works. Or how moms are more likely to reason with their children when disciplining or scolding misbehavior, while dads are more likely to summarily dismiss the offender to a timeout without too many words. More importantly (especially when a couple gets to bickering over whose parenting style is “right”), the book discusses the best, most effective and most emotionally healthy approaches to help diffuse the bickering before it starts. And in my household, I know it’s often easy to get to arguing over whose point is the right one and lose sight altogether of why we’re trying to find consensus in the first place.

The books also includes a parenting checklist, to compare your child-raising ideas against your spouse’s and find commonalities and differences (and subsequently to discuss in a civil manner how to reach a compromise), as well as a quiz to see how your idea of developmentally appropriate actions on the part of your child match up with experts’ opinions. It’s amazing how many disciplinary battles, especially with younger kids, simply are the result of parental misunderstanding of what the child is capable of at their age.

In my humble opinion, one of the hallmarks of a good self-help book (or maybe just of someone who’s help-able) is that the advice therein seems like very sensible stuff you would know yourself if you were thinking clearly at the time you needed it most. Partnership Parenting gives parents the tools they need to practice the mature discussion and calm compromise that is the pinnacle of two-parent decision-making, before the three-year-old paints the dog blue while the toddler takes every box of cereal out of the cupboard and crushes it into little piles on the floor. I only wish I’d had this book seven years earlier.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winners Annie & Allison!
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Now, want to be one of two winners to receive a copy ofPartnership Parenting? Here’s how:

Visit the Da Capo Press website, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Partnership Parenting’ in the subject), and name another Da Capo book you’d be interested in reading (other than Partnership Parenting!).

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Saturday, October 17, 2009.