Monday, June 17, 2013

I'm not a perfect parent

Time to talk about parenting for a minute. I've noticed the last few months an increase in what I call "perfect parenting." You know what I mean... Those parents whose children are always doing something cute and wonderful, never do anything wrong, and those parents that are just the best in the world and never make any mistakes with their kids. I actually saw someone post on social media "I'm thankful I've never made any mistakes with my child." All this got me thinking (which we all know is very dangerous).

I adore my son. He is the center of my world. He is bright, funny, sarcastic (shocking, I know), and has a heart of gold. He has taken up my hobby of cussing like a sailor. His current favorite phrase is "Who pissed in his Cheerios?" He is a typical 9 year old. But there are times I am willing to sell him to highest bidder... Ok- let's be honest- I'd sell him for a case of beer.
One of his angelic moments

I am so not a perfect parent. I readily admit I have made many, MANY mistakes with my son. I have even apologized to him several times for for things I have done. I often joke that he doesn't have a college fund, he has a future therapy fund. When I post something on social media about my son or my parenting, I think it's safe to say no one could ever accuse me of trying to present my parenting skills in a perfect light.



I parent the same way as I appear on social media. I cuss in front of my son; I am sarcastic; I enjoy life. I also treat him with respect and teach him to do so to others.

I get that parenting is hard- I mean it's REALLY dang hard. I fully believe that we as parents need to be there and support each other. Let each other know that it's ok to have a really rough day where you want to just go in a corner, curl up in the fetal position, and rock. Enough of this pressure we put on each other to be perfect- its crap and we know it. And if you don't want to be my friend because I'm not a perfect parent, it's probably for the best- we really wouldn't get along anyway...

Monday, June 3, 2013

Yes, they raised the prices...

It was announced on Friday that Disney would be raising the costs of tickets at Walt Disney World effective yesterday. These increases were across the board, and include Annual Passes and the Premier Passes. Since the announcement, there has been LOTS of discussion about how people feel about the price increase. Well, here is my two cents on the topic- and please realize this is simple MY opinion on the topic.

I am amazed at people who appear to be shocked by the fact that Disney increased ticket prices. I don't understand this. Every year, if not twice a year, Disney raises their ticket prices. Yes, the increases are more than the cost of inflation increases, but come on- this doesn't shock you does it? If you really expect Disney to keep the cost of tickets the same every year, then I want to live in whatever Fantasyland you live in.

Disney is a business. The purpose of a business is to make money. Yes Disney also talks about dreams and memories and magic, but they do this to encourage you to visit and spend your money. The marketing team at Disney is one of the best in the world. They come up with taglines and jingles and promotions that make you want to visit The Happiest Place on Earth over and over and over. And let's be honest, people are going to keep doing that no matter how much Disney charges for a ticket.

Disney is also trying to keep up with places like Universal, and also their own overseas parks. This requires money. And I know, Disney probably has plenty of money to accomplish all of this without raising ticket prices, but they have to answer to stock holders who want to see a profit being turned and increased year after year.

Does this mean I like that Disney raises ticket prices? Not at all... But it isn't going to change the fact that I have an Annual Pass, and will be renewing my AP in August when it expires. I won't be renewing as a Premium Annual Pass, but that's due more to the fact that they have cut back the benefits with that pass. I also hate the fact that they charge as much for a child AP as they do an adult AP, but again, it's not going to stop me from going.

For the first time, Disney separated out the cost of a ticket to Magic Kingdom, making it more expensive than a day at the other three parks. I think this stinks, but it makes sense. They have been pushing experiencing New Fantasyland and Storybook Circus- every ad or commercial makes sure to mention these new areas. But I think it's simpler than that- my thought is when most people go to WDW for a single day, they will head to the Magic Kingdom. It's what people think of when they think of Disney World- I mean, how many times have you heard someone refer to the Magic Kingdom as Disney World? It's like fingernails on a chalkboard for me, but that's a huge perception out there.

My Precious (aka my Annual Pass)
In fact, because of my AP, I end up going to Disney more often, even from Pennsylvania, than I would without it. Over the course of several years, the way my family and I visit Disney has changed, but that's a whole different topic. I love Disney and what it means to me. Yes, it's a business, but it's also a place that is near and dear to my heart. Disney has turned their business into transporting you to a different place when you are there. And can you really say that an additional $35 a year is going to stop you from going to your happy place? I can't... I'll gladly give Disney my money- year after year.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Let's talk bras...

I was perusing the web this morning, when I came across an article about how Jockey (yes, the underwear/bra people) were attempting to redefine how bras are sized. As I continued to read, it should surprise no one that I formed some opinions on this topic.

First, anyone who knows me, is aware that I'm not shy when talking about my lack assets. Let's be honest, when the boob fairy was sprinkling her growth dust around, she forgot about me. And I'm ok with that- I like being the size I am... But that's whole different topic!

Back to the bras... I agree that finding and sizing bras are a nightmare. I recently took a trip to Victoria's Secret and decided to do it right. I let them measure me and tell me what size they thought I should be. Well guess what, even the trained staff there got it wrong. Oh sure, I tried on the size they said I said be... But it was wrong. The band was too tight and the cups were too big. So we tried several more bras until we found one that fit. In my size, the options are limited, but I did manage to find several very nice, pretty bras that I'm very happy with.

Now, I know I can't speak for the more well-endowed gals out there, but I think they would say the same thing. It takes some time and patience, but you can eventually find a bra (or two or three) that works well for you.

So this whole Jockey thing raises several questions for me. First, how do I know that the way the plastic cups fit at home are going to be the way the bra fits me? And how do I know that the band will fit right? And yes, $60 for a bra is a lot of money, but honestly, some of nicer bras at VS run in the upper $50 range, so that's not outrageous. But do I want to spend $60 on a boring beige, black, or white bra that I can only order online and have to fit myself and so on? And your bra size isn't just a size- it's more like a combination to a safe... 9-36 or 10-40, or 2-34. It just seems like a lot of work and hassle for something that doesn't have a lot of upside.

Yes, the bra sizing system isn't perfect, but when you are dealing with a world full of women and none of them built the same way, what do you expect? Several manufacturers have made smaller cups with sizing like "Nearly A" "Nearly B", and so on. And I'm sure that there are other options out there for women who need larger cups. So all in all, to me, it seems like Jockey is trying to fix something that really can't be fixed and making it overly complicated. I think I'll stick with my canonical brassiere size and trying bras on until I find one that works for me...