I am so impressed with the energy and persistence I have witnessed in New York City recently. This is what I am talking about! This is the America I romanticize about in my head. A place where people are empowered to speak their minds.

While there have been a ton of videos showing police brutally beating protestors and spraying pepper spray on large and small groups, I have also witnessed a sense of community and growth. The fact that this protest began without clear goals is amazing. Major media outlets did their best to ignore the protest with many national television programs not mentioning it until day 17 of the protest. Today the White House was asked about the President’s awareness of Occupy Wall St. and if he was concerned for the protesters or the protest! But what has me really impressed is the first official statement from Occupy Wall Street. Not so much because it encompasses everything I believe in, rather because it was created during a protest, discussed and and voted on by participating demonstrators. The synergy that is enveloping this process of dissent is amazing wonderful and I feel privileged to be a witness.

Asherah is walking well now and her stroller days are numbered. I thought a $25 umbrella stroller from Cookies would cut it until she was ready to walk everywhere, but that was wishful insane thinking on my part. The umbrella stroller is demolished and looks really dirty and I need to invest in something a bit more sturdy to get us through to the next phase of her toddler-hood.

I know, I know get a Maclaren just like everyone else in NYC but I just can’t won’t purchase a Maclaren. I just can’t….So I have my eye on the Chicco Capri. Super light weight, reclines and a weather system can be purchased for rain and super cold days. Will it get us through the winter?

I have had great success with Ingelsina strollers in the past, so maybe I’ll get the Swift Trip because it has a rain cover and cup holder. I will be out trying a few different stollers here and there over the next couple of weeks. I really don’t want to get stuck with a piece of crap stroller so while I may purchase the damned thing on line, I am trying it in the stores first!

Any suggestions of what worked for you and why would be really appreciated. Of course if you live in a suburb and your stroller has lasted 3 years because it only gets used at the mall…well you know thanks but no thanks….

I have been really enjoying this young woman’s voice. Ari has really captured my imagination. Angels walk on the earth and we all have different jobs. I feel empowered to continue my work when I hear Ari, doing hers.

In Love by arilourdes Thankful 4 by arilourdes (goddess child) Smile by arilourdes

I am very excited to tell you all about this new guide that has been recently unveiled. It is called the Bleuleo Guide and is NYC’s most comprehensive and relevant city guide for parents  — and thought you might find it helpful in navigating the city with kids.

BlueleoGuide features over 6,000 NYC resources in the areas of Afterschool Programs, Things To Do, Birthday Party Venues, Entertainers, Private & Public Schools, Tutors, Special Needs Classes, Pediatricians, Mommy Classes & Groups, Childcare Agencies, Kid-friendly Restaurants, Children’s Stores, Birthday Cake Shops and Charities.   All categories are searchable by neighborhood, and our upcoming iPhone app will show you the resources that are closest to you.

I wish I had an iPhone so I could use the upcoming app, but alas……

I am pooped. Taking a break for a few days. Peace.

I so can not show the blog of this week to my husband. He has been begging me to do my blog in this style since I started and I just cant do it yet.

http://adiaha.com/ is the first mom vlog that I have found. I love this site. In my opinion Adiaha has a lot of courage to be doing this. I personally wont vlog because I have insecurity issues with my looks and I cant stand to hear the sound of my voice on video.

Adiaha has multiple videos on her site for a person to view. The vlogs range from motherhood to music to her random thoughts on life.   Read More!

Thank you Lucy! You are terrifically kind to do such a kind and funny thing!

David SON is a son, father, husband, friend, musician and last but not least an artist. It is under the last title that I have had the opportunity to experience his genius. He designed my logo for this site. We have never met in life but we continually have mind melding experiences. He is generous of spirit and is always willing to lend a helping hand. I was looking for a way to expose folks to his work and found this forum, my blog, a perfect platform. Without further adieu, I present to you, a snippet of the of the man known as, David SON {{HANDS CLAP}}……

Me: What kind of artist are you? What is your specialty?

David SON: Title’s are tricky, although, design, brand strategy & imaging have been constant in my aura.  Since 13 / 14 I started to involve myself w/ these technologies.  Photography & marketing came in the later years.  My specialty? Wow! I would say musick & dance.  I am a multi-disciplined artist.

In my experience everyone has an idea of what they deem beautiful. I call this a person’s beauty philosophy. What is yours?

Critical thinking of perception is beauty.  When my children dictate to me I’m amazed, considering their ages, how do they know this? So, that mystery is beauty to me. My beauty philosophy would be, that which brings about a mystical journey via and/or ending with a comforting nostalgia.

Me: Musick? tell me more about your music and how it all got started.

My music, wow! I haven’t done anything in two – three years because I want it to be perfect. I could simply research my outsourcing options but I’d rather work from the inside out first. Or at least attempt to form my own ideas for once.  So, my first performance ever was at a hair show. I did these things 2-3 times a year with family. It was hair/fashion show.  I was 13/14 years old wearing size 13 gucci shoes / over-sized tailored garments, dancing in front of small amount of all types of hood elite. Amongst models changing backstage, being surrounded by what I only saw on TV and all I gotta do is dance?? I owe it all to Che.[http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Salon&w=73652036%40N00]

After the fame I resonated to music somehow. I used to go to a bunch of spots, but at Nur Temple [http://www.nurshrine.org/] for parties , one character [http://www.myspace.com/illsocieti] would always be freestylin, he was from Philly and I never saw a cypher this close! I only saw Rap City and grew from that. From that moment on I saw I could do it myself.

So now I no longer strive for BET/MTV status. I simply have goals to produce completely in-house and outsource for bi-products.  Growing organically inspires my music, thats why I haven’t pursued it, it is a love of mine and I will let us come back together with fate and that’s coming very soon, I feel it.

Me: Why are you an artist?

David SON: I have no choice, in second grade around this age I was obsessive about words. I would write down the word and definition then trace the word that is being defined. I’m guessing this was the first stages of graphic design.  The word “package” used to sound really good to my ears and made me want to receive something just by hearing it. This must have been the start of me wanting to vocalize my feelings.  Also, for some reason, Sammy Davis Jr.’s tap dancing, James Browns footwork and Michael Jacksons overall was embedded in me.  So somehow all of these things are being done now – at once! How? Hmmmm….Magic!

Me: What have been some of your largest obstacles in becoming the artist you are today?

David SON: Actually being the artist.  I’m distracted w/ having the responsibility of generated commerce, I asked for it. So, to me, being an artist, you create freely, yet, as a “designer” you manifest client dreams.

Me: Tell me about your creation process.

I’ll speak artistically because consumer relations grow organically. When its just me and the family we first think of what we want for as long as possible, then we figure how we can conjure it up or mix it down.  My musick comes from voices in my head – as the instruments play, melodies lay over them in my head first, how they come out is alchemical.

Me: What works are you most proud of?

This network that I am growing with.  We’ve only expanded to one partner but we are in our infant stages.  Our client list is healthy & we’re about to hit the market.  So these things combined keep me going.  The fact that me and my better half can work simultaneous it means the world to me.

My work? You can get anything from these…

www.somethinofnothin.net
www.somethinofnothin.net/08
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sondolo/sets/72157611419249720/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sondolo/sets/72157607144806190/
http://www.behance.net/sondolo
http://somethinofnothin.net/musick.htm  (Great Music!!)

I couldn’t find an embed code so here is a link to the entire episode without commercials or editing.

No really, my cyberhomegirl, Quel has entered a contest over at Momversation. In order to vote you will have to become a member (men can be members too!) It takes under 5 minutes to create the account! It would be wonderful for my homegirl to win, so go and VOTE NOW!

Earth Birth is an organization co-founded by an acquaintance of mine, Rachel Zaslow, which assists women in war torn Uganda in having safe and humane birth experiences.

What is particularly special about the Earth Birth is it’s grass roots approach, which is very practical and not at all pretentious.

Earth Birth is an NGO run by midwives to foster an international women’s health movement that encourages and promotes safe and peaceful birth as an act of social justice and community healing. We offer a holistic approach to women’s health care that is both community centered and internationally connected. We build clinics and community centers and offer trainings for Traditional Birth Attendants and Educators. Our goals include community sustainability, lowered maternal and infant mortality rates, lowered mother to child HIV transmission, access to supplies, access to trauma counseling, the ability to articulate ones story and the facilitation of positive and empowered childbirth experiences.

Earth Birth is an NGO that is fully funded by donations and has partnered with Lovemore in order to reach it’s goals. Lovemore is the brain child of two sisters who simply ask us all to “to spark a change in the way we think, inspiring each and every one of us to bring more love, peace, and joy into our day-to-day lives.” When you purchase any Lovemore product a portion of the proceeds goes to Earth-Birth.