Weekend WTF?!?

Courtesy of my cousin:  REALLY??  Indians aren't allowed at beaches in Goa?!?

Just wrong.

That being said:  Have a great weekend!

Weekend Links

-Many of us struggle with how to remember 9/11 without frightening our children.  Here's a great solution--take part in the 9/11 Day of Service.

-Teach your kids to smile big--it might ensure that they have happy marriages one day.

-Yikes:  According to this study, babies as young as 6 months already judge people on the basis of their skin color.  

-Cookies for breakfast?  Sure--some "cookies" are just fine.

-And:  Thanks to everyone who emailed asking about posting photos of my sister's wedding.  For the time being, hope this photo of P&J, which I think captures much of their fun and whimsy, makes you smile.

Weekend Links

I'm back!  And I still can't sum up the beauty, wonder, craziness, and hilarity of my sister's wedding so, instead, here is some of the random stuff I am digesting in the post-wedding fog.

Worst birthday present idea ever (even for the post-feminist little girl's birthday party?)  The  poll dancing doll??

New studies show that "overbooked kids" are a myth--once again, it is just us, the parents, who are stressed.

"Fair and Lovely," meet "Dark and Beautiful."

I'm usually proud of myself for remembering to bring D's lunchbox to school.  So imagine my inadequacy quotient when I saw the handmade notes this mom puts into her kids lunchboxes everyday.

In for some guilty pleasure this long weekend?  Check out how some of Bravo's Real Housewives go back to school shopping for their kids.

Weekend Links

I'm addicted to lots of things--but pregnancy? Nuh uh.

Got $221,000. Hope you do. Per kid. That's the new figure on what it will cost a middle-income family to raise a child through the age of 17.

Still have some cash left over after that statistic? Take a peek at the new diffusion line by Rachel Roy for Macys--love this dress.

Check out the case for why exercise won't make you thin. Will let you know when I find the article that says eating donuts will...!

And hell must be freezing over--here is a blue-ish eyeshadow color that actually looks good on Indian skin. Sorry for any Wet-N-Wild flashbacks.

Weekend Links

Confused about how to celebrate the Fourth with young kids? Check out these tips.

Sick of enforcing the 7:00 go-to-sleep ritual? Read about one mom's case against bedtimes.

Still haven't planned the "family summer vacation"? Cookie Magazine has you covered with a bunch of awesome-sounding, family-friendly road trip itineraries.

Have some extra time this weekend? Maybe you can make your kids a modern playhouse?!?

Have an awesome, safe 4th!

Weekend Links

Need a baby-sitter for your date night? Head to Ikea.

Check out this video about the age-old axiom: Brown guys have no game.

It's officially summer--try some of these ideas to enliven a love of nature in your kids.

It's not too late: CoolMomPicks has put together a Father's Day gift guide including everything from Star Wars cufflinks to personalized baseball caps, all available online. And here are some ideas on how to celebrate the dads in your life, without spending a penny.

I love this easy-to-do photo wall, and love the idea of not having all my prints wrinkling in a box.

Indian fashion has changed quite a bit since I was little and the sartorial highlight of a Bombay visit was taking a trip to Benneton. Check out some of the newest offerings, edited by Vogue India.

I immediately fell in love with Namita Kapoor's art, juxtaposing classical artistic technique with pop culture and Indian iconography--and I think you'll fall in love too. Watch out next week for my interview with her.

Weekend Links

If the President has time for date night, none of us has any excuse.

Vegetable-infused ketchup--yay or nay?

Check out these awesome, kid-friendly, kick-ass ottomans--coveting.

FINALLY, somebody adds the unspoken wrinkle to the work/life balance debate: When "opting out" isn't an option.

What are your thoughts on year-round school?

And have you heard about the Patel Club? Invitation (by virtue of your last name) only. But, have no fear, if you are dying to get married and you can't get into this group, you can always marry yourself.

Finally--if you need a pick-me-up, check out all sorts of people, things or events that have failed more than you...! Failblog.org chronicles--well--failures, such as this sign below. Whoops...!

Weekend Links

Some people think your creativity peaks at age 30. Find out how to keep those creative juices flowing, so that your best work is still ahead of you.

Forget the drama over John and Kate's marriage--the drama over Kate's plastic surgery is far more interesting! Has your view of plastic surgery changed post-motherhood?

In the tradition of spending money to make money--how about picking up one of these awesome piggy banks to help teach your kids about saving?

Be prepared to covet--Sephora's Top 10 Lists make me want to try about a gazillion new things.

Check out this trailer for Leena Pendharkar's new movie, Raspberry Magic, "a coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old girl who believes she must win the science fair in order to bring her father back after he runs out on the family." Can't wait to see it, in part because it was primarily filmed in the Bay Area (and in part because the filmmaker is rad).



And--can it be?--Number 5 is alive...again?!?

Lastly, a general note: Big thanks to everyone who comments on my blog. Sometimes some of you ask me direct questions and I would love to respond, but I have no way of getting in touch with you. Please feel free to send these questions to deviswithbabies@gmail.com, or to include your email address in your comment.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Video: Boys will be boys

Nature, nurture; Nurture, nature. Check out my adorable nephew A., proving the adage--boys will be boys...

Weekend Links

Good news: More teenagers claim to like their parents. But they live in Canada.

Everyone knows organic is good. But it's also expensive. Check out this guide for a list of which conventional produce contains the most pesticides. Rule of thumb: If the produce has a tough or inedible skin or rind (think: avocado, pineapple), conventional is probably okay.

Two years after calling his 11 year old daughter a pig, Alec Baldwin tells the world that he would gladly throw her into a volcano. Not even Tina Fey could make that funny.

But this is just hilarious: A compilation of Bad Paintings of Barack Obama. And this is the funniest thing I have seen in recent memory.

Lastly, thanks again for all the emails and questions about the juice cleanse. If you want a full account of everything I ate and drank for the week, please email deviswithbabies@gmail.com and I will send you all the information. No need to email again if you have already asked me for this, I will include you on the message!

Weekend Links

Sunday is Mother's day. Recognize...!

If you don't want to go to brunch with ten million other families, how about whipping up something simple and gooey and delicious--here's an easy recipe for lemon bars, courtesy of Cookie Magazine.

Too cool for FTD? How about a DIY bouquet?

Here are some ideas on how to pamper your wife, mom, grandmother without breaking the bank.

And here is a great guide for last minute gift ideas that you can buy online--everything from statement jewelry to personalized pillows.

Enjoy your weekend!

Weekend Links

We've been mulling over some changes in our childcare situation. Au pair? Nanny? Daycare? So many options, I thought I had them all sort of under my belt. But here is one thing I hadn't heard of:



Thanks for all the emails and comments on my cleanse. More details on that next week. Have a great weekend!

Weekend Links

Got gum? Snap away--gum may be healthy for you.

Eureka--one piece of furniture your kids can draw on! And the coolest crayons ever with which to draw.

Check out this good, do-able advice on how to get out of the mac-n-cheese rut.

Need a beauty pick-me-up? Indian Makeup Diva teaches you how to look polished in 5 minutes flat.

Weekend Links

This is one stigma I will never have to deal with: One mom on how she feels ostracized for still nursing her toddler.

Take solace: Money problems makes your marriage stronger. But maybe not if you are a Facebook junkie.

Check out the coolest rattles I've seen in a long time--perhaps this time around my child will prefer modern minimalism to glaring lights? Right?

Re-create Freida Pinto's makeup look--a step by step guide.

The latest "why didn't I think of this" product: Cliffs Notes for all the parenting books out there--on everything from sleep-training to healthy eating to sibling rivalry.

And this one might make you cry: A nine year old little girl dying of cancer has a list wish to "marry" her 7 year old sweetheart.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Links

Some of what I am reading this weekend. While I'm breastfeeding. All the time...:

-Never really thought about it too much but it's true: There are very few examples of good parents on t.v.

-Stop the presses: I'm not as hot as I think I am. And, apparently, neither are you.

-Having pest problems? Here's a solution that is being tried in India: Marry your infant off to the neighbor's dog.

-Did you read about the baby gorilla abandoned by its mother? The story broke many peoples' hearts but, luckily, the 2 month old baby is currently doing well...and is in search of a name...

-And lastly, in preparation for Sunday's Oscars (my money is on Slumdog), check out this gallery of the glamorous pregnant stars who have walked the red carpet over the last 15 years. I looked just as amazing when I was pregnant for sure...!

Weekend Links

Some of what is deviing our babying this weekend:

Did you hear about this toddler who is taking the art world by storm? Apparently this little Australian tot is creating abstract art that gallery owners put on par with that of modern masters.

And I bet you've read about the woman who gave birth to octuplets this week--but did you know she plans to breastfeed all 8 babies?

My husband and I got to see Aziz Ansari perform live in San Francisco last week and we should all be so lucky. The kid is hilarious. Check out this clip with one of the funniest first sentences I have ever heard:

And this clip is good for a few laughs as well: Mike Meyers and Manu Narayan (from "The Love Guru," which about 2 1/2 people saw) with their rather sad Indo version of "More than Words" (or "More than Verds," as the translation may be).



Finally, Pooja from littleguruskool wanted to thank you for all your comments. Look out next week for my "In Focus" with Dr. Susan Taylor, who crafted a line of skincare specifically for brown skin. Here, Pooja's response:

Thanks everyone for your feedback & suggestions! I will certainly keep them in mind when producing future titles. Little GuruSkool books and DVDs are not available in bookstores yet but I'm working on it. Meanwhile, they can be purchased online at www.littleguruskool.com and www.amazon.com. A couple of you mentioned seeing other Indian children in the books - it's a great idea! The DVDs do feature Indian children so I hope your children will enjoy watching them. If any of you would like to be informed of new titles and new happenings at Little GuruSkool, please subscribe to our newsletter at www.littleguruskool.com - the link is on the homepage. Very encouraging to hear from you all - keep those comments coming!

Weekend Links

Happy Friday! Some weekend reading:

Check out this guy's case for why "Slumdog" is over-rated, and his indictment of his own profession (movie reviewing). Or, if you can't get enough of Jamal and Latika, watch them do a little dance on Ellen.

If you missed it--take a minute to read Obama's open letter to his daughters, and to all the children of America.

Weigh in on the Washington Post's question: Are dads less prone to whining than moms?

Read this list of the most disturbing "children's" movies of all time before renting any DVDs this weekend.

Scratch your head over this: Krispy Kreme tries to give away free donuts to celebrate Obama's inauguration...and incurs the wrath of pro-lifers.

And, get inspiration from one of my favorite sites, OhDeeDoh, which showcases "the lazy mama's method of memory keeping"--yes lazy, perhaps, but also super-cool and unique. And worth checking out.

(In case you are wondering: Indian Auntie is inundated with titillating questions on etiquette and manners--check back in to see what she says, and who she offends, next Friday.)