been there

Announcing The Motherhood/Been There "How Wii Want to Get Fit" Giveaway!!!

Everyone - big news! We're giving away two brand new, sparkling Wii consoles and Wii Fit games and balance boards, thanks to Nintendo!!!!!

In the unlikely event you haven't heard of the Wii Fit, that might be because they only arrived in stores this week. The Wii Fit has 40+ exercises and games (like yoga, aerobics, ski jump, snowboarding, tightrope walking, hula hoop, strength training, stretching), and all sorts of other great wizbangs, like checking your "Wii Fit Age" and BMI, weight tracking and goal setting.

Here's what you do to enter The Motherhood/Been There "How Wii Want to Get Fit" Giveaway:
We're thrilled Nintendo has asked us to give away, here and on the Motherhood.com, the Wii console and Wii Fit balance board and games to two lucky winners!!!!

Tell us your "Been There" fitness journeys. If you're a blogger, post to your blog and link back here. If you don't have a blog (and following CityMama's lead), only if you don't have a blog, post your entry here in the comments below.

Possible topics include:

-- balancing health and motherhood
-- ups and downs of your personal fitness crazes
-- funniest workout story
-- proud moment in fitness (doing a triathlon or achieving a goal)
-- how a Wii Fit will improve your life
-- the crazy lengths you'll go to to make sure you use your Wii every day
-- or, in keeping with the Wii advertising campaign, "How will it move you?"

Get talking about health, weight, fitness - in as few or as many words as you like - and you're entered. If you blog this, put a mention in the comments with a link to your post. Make sure you put in a valid email address so we can be in touch if you win.

The contest ends on Friday, May 30th and we will announce the winners on Monday, June 2, 2008. (Family members can't enter - sorry Mom!).

To get inspired, here are a couple of links on the Wii Fit:

CNN review

New York Times spread

Wii are really look forward to reading everything you have to say!!!! Jump right in - don't be shy - Wii can't wait to hear from you!!

Oh, and if you really want to test your luck, our fellow Wii Ambassadors are hosting their own Wii and Wii Fit giveaways -

Stefania at Citymama
Tracy at Mother May I
Dana at Mamalogues

And for a very fun read, Jenny at Three Kid Circus has chosen the winner of her contest and the entries are hilarious!!

Wii Fit Fun

Here's a great combination - a bunch of really fun women, yummy mojitos and munchies and a Wii Fit!

Cooper and I hosted Wii parties last summer for our friends and had a fantastic time, so we were psyched when Nintendo asked us to throw parties for the Wii Fit.

First of all, let me just say, the invitation couldn't have come at a better time for me. I am in just about the worst shape of my life and have been bemoaning how bummed I am that bathing suit season is practically here and how bored I am at the thought of going to the gym, taking up running, or doing much of anything else to kick my sorry self into gear. It's a big drag and I haven't been doing a thing about it. For way too long.

Soooo ... give me a new system that's fun, hilarious and totally distracting, and oh - it's a workout too - and I'm there.

But, back to the parties. Cooper and I both had a bunch of girlfriends to our houses to try out the Wii Fit's 40+ games and exercises. Let me just say, you need to do this with your girlfriends. It was crazy funny.

At my house, the highlights were watching Dottie do the ski jump, Priscilla boxing her heart out (with her sister Sara cracking up), Lianne doing some wild hula-hooping, Betsy getting a Wii Fit age that is five years younger than she actually is, and Jill balancing. Me ... well, my proudest moment was when I tried the ski jump, flubbed it and became a big rolling ball of snow with skis sticking out, crashing down the mountain.

Here are some pics from our parties--

And my personal favorite -- all of us plopping to the floor for a break and a snack, only to realize we had create a circle around the Wii Fit Board - our own campfire-kumbai-yah moment around the Wii:

I've turned over a new leaf and am exercising like the old days, only this time I'm downhill skiing, running past waterfalls, heading soccer balls coming at me, and breathing through yoga positions -- all in my family room.

Thanks Nintendo and to your great team that put the parties on!

We had a blast and loved being a part of the roll-out of the Wii Fit. Your team of engineers are inspired and they've come up with one very cool system. We love it!

Top ten reasons why I love Pamela Paul

I got to talk to Pamela Paul a little while back, and had a fantastic conversation. Here're the top ten reasons I love this woman:

#10. She wrote Parenting, Inc. (which has the killer subtitle - How We are Sold $800 Strollers, Fetal Education, Baby Sign Language, Sleeping Coaches, Toddler Couture, and Diaper Warmers - and What it Means for Our Children.

#9. She calls Baby Einstein "one of the most successful bamboozles in American parenting":

"There is no evidence that Baby Einstein makes babies smarter. It shouldn't be surprising that babies are mesmerized by them. Twenty years ago, babies would give "Days of Our Lives" the same attention, and they probably got more out of "Days of Our Lives" because they were looking at actual human faces, and not the random blaring chaos of Baby Einstein.

"Truth in advertising would have been for Baby Einstein to be called "Couch Potato Kiddie," with the marketing message, 'Get your child started watching TV as early as possible.'"

#8. She tells the story of the Bugaboo stroller - how a smart marketing executive realized that if women were spending $300 on a pair of shoes, certainly they'd spend a lot more than that to transport their most precious cargo (up till then the average price for a stroller was $170 with a top price of $300), and then promptly got a placement for the $800 Bugaboo on Sex in the City, which kicked off the Bug frenzy.

#7. She tells us that American kids get 70 toys a year (that's all?), and by giving them so much, everything becomes less special. She remembers how much she loved stickers as a kid and was thrilled each time she got a new one, but now that her daughter has a colossal book of hundreds of stickers, they've lost their magic.

#6. She wrote this beautiful, lump-in-the-throat, inspiring article for Time Magazine called "Last Wishes" that convinced me I HAD to talk to her about her new book.

#5. She's a mom of two kids, doing her best to keep things grounded and real for them as they grow up, just like the rest of us.

#4. She calls the baby-proofing section of any baby supply store the "Wall of Death" because manufacturers want us to believe there are 76 new ways for our kid to die in our kitchens so we'll buy their stuff.

#3. She still likes to shop, and she's smarter than the average mom about it. As Pamela says, "Question before you purchase things whether what you're doing is to assuage your angst, guilt and fear, and if it's actually going to make a material difference for your child."

#2. Her book is funny, fast and smart, and she uses great anecdotes to tell hilarious, wacko stories about how marketers are doing their darndest to have us believe - pick one - a.) the world is way more dangerous than it seems; b.) for our kids to excel in life they really MUST have every single advantage (i.e. expensive, overstimulating gizmo on the shelves or that your neighbor has); or c.) there's nothing too expensive, too over-the-top, too indulgent -- too much -- for our precious kids.

And the number #1 reason I love Pamela Paul is she is an incredible, amazing mom who, while she's crazy-accomplished, is easy to talk to, has lots to say about a topic she's researched the heck out of, and is funny, engaging, totally relaxed. If she lived down the street, I'd be wanting to have regular coffees or cocktails with her.

Thanks, Pamela, for a great conversation!!! There's much more to include that's doesn't fit into the nifty 'top ten' countdown, so if you want to hear more from Pamela, here's the link to her interview on NPR Morning Edition and a fantastic interview with her on Salon called The Parent Trap.

Here's the link if you want to buy Parenting, Inc. Please do!!!!!

sk*rt has a new name! Welcome kirtsy!

Gabrielle Blair is an amazing, amazing woman and she and the previously known as sk*rt team have come up with the most wonderful solution to a pesky, necessary name change: kirtsy. Isn't that awesome?!?

Lots of great giveaways celebrating the new "kirtsy" name, so please go check it out! And get a badge while you are there!

Congratulations Gabrielle and the whole kirtsy.com team!

A Song for You from MomsRising

Therese Borchard and Beyond Blue

We are so honored to be included today on Therese Borchard's brilliant Beliefnet blog, Beyond Blue! Her blog is filled with great, important information, and is such a good, compelling read.

Therese asked us some really interesting questions and you can read our answers here.

Also, Therese included The Motherhood charter in a post which I was so excited about.

What a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day!

Thank you so much Therese, it was so much fun to work with you!

My brother on cabbie TV (and NBC)

Yesterday morning early, I got an email from my friend Jamie who was in the backseat of a cab in New York City and had just seen my brother on the cabbie TV (taxis in NYC have their own TVs for riders now). Turns out, Guy had been on NBC last week and cabbie TV had picked up the segment, so all day yesterday riders got to see him talking about how he fixes a particular brain ailment. Watch the segment and see if you don't agree with me -- didn't he do great? (That's him right there on the screenshot.)

Think of all those riders stuck in midtown traffic who got to be distracted by my super talented brother!! Way to go, Guy!

Letting Go - The Campaign for Love and Forgiveness

My lovely and amazing friend Erin from Manic Mommies just shared this site with me and I, in turn, wanted to share it with you -- it is really pretty cool: Letting Go, the online ritual of forgiveness.

In recent months I have seen the holistic, mother nature, new age light -- yes, I learned to meditate and even spent some time walking a labyrinth and on New Year's Eve attended a "cleansing" ceremony with a Native American shaman -- all new to me, but really wonderful experiences, so, I am now all over this kind of thing.

With "Letting Go" you can, of course, work on virtually "letting go" of all kinds of "hurts" or things that are holding you up by intentionally concentrating and thinking about the act of releasing whatever your burdens may be. And forgiving.

I just did the "ritual", and it's thoughtful and well done. It was created by The Campaign for Love and Forgiveness because, "we know many Americans walk around every day with a hurt or burden they'd like to let go of. So we've designed a private, interactive ritual that allows Internet users to release something they may have been unable to before now."

Try it out and spread the virtual love and forgiveness!

momScore

Emily and I are long time fans of the amazing and inspirational, Dr. Val Jones, Senior Medical Director of Revolution Health.

In everything she does, Val is dedicated to helping people be healthier, happier and making life a little better for everyone. She has a huge heart to match her considerable intellect and we are honored to know her and call her our friend.

Today is a perfect example of why we support Val and Revolution Health one hundred percent.

In their most recent "making the world a better place" move, Val and the wonderful, smart, committed people at Revolution Health have just now introduced an amazing tool for moms: momScore.

momScore evaluates and rates maternal and early childhood health in each state. You are psyched if you live in Vermont (#1), Connecticut or Minnesota (#2 and # 3) and not so happy about being a mom in Mississippi, South Carolina or Louisiana (bottom three). Pennsylvania is 22nd. Not too good, PA.

The deteriorating maternal health statistics in this country are profoundly disturbing and unacceptable. Way to go Revolution Health for shining a light on the states and helping to set the stage for making big differences in the lives of moms and kids across the country.

Here's a little bit from Revolution Health on why they created momScore:

For a nation that prides itself on quality of life, the U.S. has taken a statistical tumble in terms of maternal health. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the rate in which women are dying during or shortly after pregnancy is on the rise. Our rate of maternal mortality currently ranks 41st in the world -- behind Ireland, Spain, Bosnia and many other nations.

Meanwhile, out of the 28 goals listed in "Healthy People 2010"-- the Department of Health and Human Services' list of major health priorities -- maternal, infant and child health goals are falling short. Researchers believe that our rising maternal mortality rate is due to increasing levels of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. In addition, growing racial and economic gaps could contribute to existing prenatal care inequalities.

And here are some details from today's Revolution Health press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 7, 2008 – Revolution Health today announced momScore, a first-of-its-kind health index that provides nationwide state rankings for maternal health – the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. The health index, including state-specific metrics, may be viewed by going to www.RevolutionHealth.com/momscore/.

Vermont, scoring 94.5 points out of a possible 100 points, led the nation, followed by Connecticut (90), Minnesota (88.5), Rhode Island (88), Massachusetts (87.4), New Hampshire (86.6), Maine (84.5), Hawaii (83.5), Wisconsin (82.7) and Iowa (81.2).

“We believe it is critical that consumers have the information and tools they need to make smart health decisions for themselves and their families. With momScore, our team has collected information about the critical factors that influence maternal health in every state, displayed this information in one place and provided easy-to-understand, comprehensive rankings,” said Val Jones, M.D, senior medical director at Revolution Health. “momScore demonstrates how clear information can promote awareness of important maternal health issues. I hope that this health index will also encourage states to compete with one another for higher momScores by improving the quality of care and access to health services for moms and babies.”

Go check out your state's momScore and let us know how your area stacks up!