Save Our Kids from the Corporate Machine - Sign the Petition!

And yes, I understand this message is coming from me, and I've never claimed to be anything but the material girl I am and always have been and always will be.

But sometimes the corporate culture just goes to far. I'm talking about marketing junk food to really little kids, advertising violent movies to preschoolers, and putting soda machines in schools and McDonalds advertising on report cards. That's not good for anyone - and I'm not talking in a vague sort of way. I'm talking in a huge rise in childhood obesity and diabetes kind of way. More violence kind of way. Kids self-esteem being linked to what they own and don't own.

So please, take a minute and read the petition from the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood. And if you agree, please sign it twice. One time to be submitted to the Democrats and one time to be submitted to the Republicans.

Upper West Side Relics

I cannot believe this. I went to Oppenheimer Prime Meat's and Seafood today. And there it was in the window. Yet another "LEASE AVAILABLE" sign staring me in the face.

I could not be more broken-hearted. This was the place I was going to miss most when I left the Upper West Side for the bleak suburbs beyond. This is the place that made my special occasions special. This is the place I got brisket for Hanukkah. Roast chicken for Rosh Hashanah. Short ribs for Pesach. Bologna for the kids. Burgers for Mike.

And worst of all, it will give away the fact that I am not a great cook - I just have (or should I say had) a fantastic butcher.

To those of you not fleeing the Upper West Side for lands afar, I think the time has come to take back your neighborhood. No more Oppenheimer. No more Jake's Fish Market. No more Little Extras. No more Liberty House. No more Ivy's Books, MurderInk, Embassy Florist, or Happy Burger.

The time for (real) change is now.

Molly's first day of camp

Today was Molly's first day of summer camp. Luckily, there was a spot for her when I called woefully late and asked if she could enroll for the last three weeks. Unfortunately, there was no such luck in finding a space for Kelly, who made it clear that she did not think it was fair there was no space for her but telling me when we went to get Molly, "but I see other little kids here. It's not just big kids like Molly." Sadly, Kelly does not really have a grasp of state licensing rules that dictate a 4:1 teacher/child ratio in her age group but only a 7:1 ration for Molly's age, hence how Molly was able to get a space and Kelly wasn't. However, as consolation, I know that it would take the full three weeks for Kelly to actually want to go to camp, and by then of course, it would be ending.

A little follow-up to the official moving post

Thank you to the reader(s) of my blog! News has traveled quickly about my departure from the great city of New York. But I need to clarify - it is not 100% official. The previous post was brought on because our landlord was wonderful enough to grant us a three month extension on our lease, so we can move as of September 1. However, we could also renew our lease for 9 or 12 months on September 1, instead of vacating the apartment and moving out to the suburbs.

My guess is that we will move, but we still haven't found our country home, so it's not a done deal. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks - as always - to everyone who takes the time to visit and read my blog. Leave a comment so I'll know you were here.

It's Official: Big City Mom is gonna be Small Town Mom

Hastings-on-Hudson mom to be exact. I'm excited for the real-life move, but not so excited for the virtual move. I love Big City Mom. I can't imagine loving a Small Town Mom url the same way.
What do you think? Can a Small Town Mom still hide behind the guise of a Big City Mom blog url? Or is time the blog moved here?

I Heart New York

Have you ever noticed how Bostonians have the biggest inferiority complex? They always have to tell you how it's the best city, when in fact if it was the best city they wouldn't need to keep talking about how wicked aweseome it is. That's what I like about New Yorkers. They never go around telling you about how great New York is... they just know that it is.

And that knowledge is all a real New Yorker needs to be sure that they are in fact living in the center of the universe.