pastime

Storytelling

Posted on November 12, 2010 Written by Tonya

I love reading and my taste in books is as eclectic as my taste in movies, music, clothes and men. Lucas LOVES books, too and my heart swells every time he toddles over with one in hand, ready to climb up on my lap and have me read to him.
I read the text and ask him to point out different things in the pictures and he is happy to oblige and ask “what’s that?” over and over and over again. I know when a book is a hit, when his eyes light up and he asks me to read it again. We visit the bookstore and library often and I spend a lot of money on books. I always have, it’s a family trait or disease, I’m not sure which.
We have books everywhere! I have at least three boxes in our garage, a nightstand of the “next ups” and an entire book case overflowing and at just 17 months old, Lucas’ collection is growing rapidly, too.

He has board books, cloth books, tiny little books and big over-sized books. Right now, he is really into books with flaps and has torn many completely off. I dutifully repair them and hand them back to him until the next time.

He has a ton of books that he can play with (chew) and “read” on his own then there are the “special” books, the ones he’s not allowed to play with without adult supervision, the ones way up on the top shelf of his closet.

These are the books that only come out at bedtime; Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Corduroy, Caps For Sale and practically the entire Dr. Seuss collection. Like many of you, I grew up reading these books and they remain special to me today. I believe Lucas knows the difference between these beautifully illustrated hardcover classics and his other books. If he doesn’t, I hope he soon will.

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This post was written for the word game, Word Up, Yo! hosted by the self proclaimed Nerd Mafia: Natalie (Mommy of a Monster), Kristin (Taming Insanity) and Liz (a belle, a bean and a chicago dog).

If you like words too, play along!
This week’s word is eclectic.

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Save The Ta-Tas

Posted on September 16, 2010 Written by Tonya

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. – Steven Wright

I am putting all my walking to good use and have signed up for the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

This will be my third time participating in this event and second time with my sister, Leah.

I walked in LA in 2001, San Diego in 2008 (while 12 weeks pregnant) and this time, I’m tackling San Francisco.

If you’re not familiar with the 3-Day for the Cure, it is an amazing walking event that covers three days and 60 miles. Yes, you read that right, I will be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, sleeping in tents, meeting some incredible people and hearing stories of survival and bravery along the way.

Fortunately my life has not been directly effected by breast cancer, but this is a cause that is very important to me.

In 1990, I found a small lump on my right breast and had it checked out immediately. It was only a cyst. I had it completely removed in 1997 and have been getting yearly mammograms ever since.

I was lucky.

Many are not.

Unbelievably, there is still not a cure for breast cancer and one person is diagnosed with it every three minutes in the United States. That’s why I’m walking, to help do my little part in finding a cure and I don’t believe mailing a check is enough.

Lucas, I hope you find a cause someday that is important to you, and that you do whatever you can in your power to defend and fight for in a bold way.

More Breast Cancer Facts (courtesy of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure Web site):

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of death among women worldwide.

More than 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year.

More than 465,000 die from the disease each year.

A woman dies from breast cancer every 68 seconds.

Incidence rates are increasing five percent annually in low-resource countries.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure partners or funds programs in 50 countries to end suffering from breast cancer.

Komen Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker, a Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control for the U.N.’s World Health Organization, is urging global health officials to include cancer in global health agendas.

Each walker is asked to raise at least $2300 and so far I am half way there. This is not a fundraising plea, but if you are feeling generous, please let me know and I can tell you how to donate.
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All’s Fair In Love And Advertising

Posted on September 13, 2010 Written by Tonya

After running into three co-workers last week from three different jobs I have had, I couldn’t help but wonder if Corporate America was trying to tell me something. It also made me think about what I used to do before I played with blocks and organized play dates.

For as long as I can remember I have loved everything that about advertising, marketing and promotion.

I love the science behind branding, audience development, public relations, event planning, direct marketing, product placement and all that goes into selling a product or service. There is nothing random when it comes to marketing and to me, that’s the beauty of it. Good advertising is very calculated and well thought out. It’s clever and sneaky and stays with you and if it’s really good, wills you to pull out your wallet.

I am a pop culture junkie and growing up, I memorized jingles and slogans and covered the walls of my bedroom with advertisements I liked that I’d tear out of magazines. Some of my all time favorite campaigns are for Absolut Vodka, Coca Cola, Nike, Got Milk? Gap and Target.

I still subscribe to too many magazines and in some cases (don’t tell my husband) it is solely for the advertisements.

I was lucky enough to work in marketing for almost 12 years. I have been on the client side and worked on the fast-paced agency. For the record, the client side is WAY better. It’s nice to call the shots.

I have developed marketing campaigns to sell everything from cell phone plans and cable service to books about birds and webinars on outsourcing. I miss it a lot… working 50+ hours a week and tapping into that side of my brain and I’m not going to lie, there have been many days since becoming a mother that I have wished I was sitting in a three hour meeting discussing the launch of a new product instead of changing a diaper or chasing after a toddler.

Maybe I’ll go back… someday.

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This post was written for the word game, Word Up, Yo! hosted by the self proclaimed Nerd Mafia: Natalie (Mommy of a Monster), Kristin (Taming Insanity) and Liz (a belle, a bean and a chicago dog).

If you like words too, play along!
This week’s word is random.

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Is This Heaven?

Posted on August 5, 2010 Written by Tonya

If I were so lucky to be placed in time out, and trust me, I deserve one more than anyone I know, it would be at a book store.

Any one will do, but I’d prefer a delicious independent book store, like Warwick’s in La Jolla or Book Soup in Los Angeles. Barnes & Noble or Borders will certainly suffice.

Any amount of time spent in a book store is sure to set me straight, calm me down and breathe new life into my misbehaving cranky self, and if I could spend a few dollars, I’d be an absolute angel upon my return to reality.

Book stores are my heaven on earth.

My head becomes a little lighter and I instantly breathe a lot deeper upon stepping into a book store. It is quiet, safe, peaceful, smells wonderful and it full of one of my favorite things: books.

I love to be surrounded by books.

Books are my friends.

Books are my escape.

Books remind me of my mom and dad and their love of reading and how grateful I am to have it too.

Books make me think, use my imagination and take me to far away places full of interesting characters and complex plots.

Some day I will have a library of my own, but for now I have shelves and shelves and boxes and boxes of books. Some I’ve read and can’t bring myself to part with, some belonged to my father, but most are on my ‘to read’ list. I’m always reading something. Currently it’s Love is a Mix Tape: Love and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield.

Book stores are the perfect place to get lost in. I love wandering from section to section or finding a cozy corner to sit back, relax, soak it all in and read.

I have been a naughty girl, won’t someone PLEASE put me in a time out?!

The best is yet to be.

I wrote this post for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop – Prompt #2: If you were put in “time out”, where would you want to be placed and why?

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I Spy

Posted on June 13, 2010 Written by Tonya

Your dad has been away on a business trip all weekend and a part from a few hours today, when I had a luxurious massage followed my lunch with a friend, it has been just you and me.

You have been an absolute joy (see Friday’s post for my thoughts on that) and I have realized that if I could earn a salary for watching you, I’d be a millionaire!

I love to spy on you as you try to figure things out; like how the wheels turn on your toy train and how if you push a button, the music comes back on. You appear so deep in concentration as you move from station to station in your bedroom… from the toy box over to the book shelf, on to the basket that holds all of your stuffed animals and then to the window sills. You are very busy and always seem to be on an exploration. You are deep into cause and effect and how things work right now and it is fascinating to observe.

You make very calculated movements, as though you think your next step though before you bolt off to do it. This is such an incredible characteristic to witness take shape as you learn more about the world around you and one that you most definitely did NOT inherit from me.

You are really smart. I know, I’m your mother so I may be a bit biased, but you know to turn a book around when it is upside down and when you see a funny picture, you actually laugh.

I sat and stared at you for at least 5 minutes while you rediscovered a book that you hadn’t seen in a while. You flipped slowly through it, page by page and giggled quietly to yourself at the smiling babies that you saw inside and when you were done, you started right back at the beginning. I watched you do this four times in row. It was so endearing and I didn’t even know it, but tears started rolling out down my face.

Maybe I was still on a “spa high”, maybe my hormones are on overdrive (will they EVER return to normal?!?) or perhaps, and I’m banking on this one, I’m simply in love with my son and everything he does.

Today was a good day, but as always, the best is yet to be.

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National Start! Walking Day

Posted on April 7, 2010 Written by Tonya

Walking is one of my favorite pastimes.

Walking is my favorite form of exercise.

I love to walk.

I walked almost 500 miles while I was pregnant and I average 70-80 miles per month now.

I took you on your first walk on July 1. You were less than one month old.

I have walked almost 120 miles (over the course of six days) for breast cancer awareness and will do it again this October.

I enjoy walking on the beach, through my neighborhood, on a treadmill or all over the city of Paris and I am not afraid of hills.

Walking led me to running, which led me to countless 5Ks and a half marathon, a feat I never thought I could accomplish. I still enjoy running occasionally but not as much as walking.

Walking clears my head, helps me stay in tune with nature, allows me time to catch my breath, chat with a friend on the phone, or listen to my iPod.

There is nothing better than a new pair of sneakers. Yesterday I broke in my 15th pair of Nike Air Pegasus. For me, it is the ONLY shoe to walk in.

I keep track of every mile I walk, calorie I burn and time it takes.

I have the strangest tan lines and never leave the house without sunscreen.

Walking is good medicine. Studies show that just one hour of vigorous exercise, like brisk walking will increase your life expectancy by two hours.

Today is National Start! Walking Day and I encourage you to move your feet… one step at a time.

The best is yet to be.

Day 43/100

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I Am A Sucker For Awards Season

Posted on February 1, 2010 Written by Tonya

I love watching the Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys and the coup de grace…the Oscars! I just love the red carpet. I’m the girl captivated in front of the TV watching the arrivals to see what everyone is wearing; the designer dresses, who’s with whom, the extravagant jewels, the hair, the makeup, all of it!

Thanks to my dear friend, Lindsey, I have been lucky enough to attend both an Emmy award ceremony (2007) and a Grammy night (2005). What a complete thrill!! Two nights I will never forget. There really is nothing like being there live.

Last night, I had to settle for watching the 56th Annual Grammy Awards from the comfort of my bed (which isn’t a bad place to be at all these days) and it was best Grammy show I had seen in a long while. There were, of course the multiple wardrobe changes and all the glitz and glamor of previous years, but the performances were breathtaking.

I was floored right out of the gate by Lady GaGa and Elton John’s opening medley of Poker Face, Speechless and Your Song and then Beyoncé kicked it in to high fierceness with If I Were a Boy and her rendition of Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know, and the Michael Jackson tribute was very touching, but it was Pink that had me with my jaw on the floor.

USA Today described her performance best: “The famously feisty singer/songwriter showed her dreamier, more buoyant side. A vision in white (until she disrobed, revealing a flesh-colored body suit), Pink sang sweetly and surely, even while suspended by wires, twirling in midair and soaked in water.”

If you weren’t a fan of Pink before this, I bet you are now. It was a beautiful performance and the lyrics to the song she sang, Glitter In The Air are too good not to share:

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don’t care
It’s only half past the point of no return
The tip of the iceberg
The sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning
The breath before the phrase
Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?
Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone
Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?
Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It’s only half past the point of oblivion
The hourglass on the table
The walk before the run
The breath before the kiss
And the fear before the flames
Have you ever felt this way?

There you are, sitting in the garden
Clutching my coffee,
Calling me ‘sugar’
You called me ‘sugar’

Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Laugh so the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself
Will it ever get better than tonight?
Tonight

Of course, another huge highlight of the night for me was seeing my all time favorite, the Dave Matthews Band perform. Dare I say that Dave even looked rather dapper. Unfortunately, they lost out to Taylor Swift for Album of the Year, but I still heart DMB, their music always makes me smile.

The best is yet to be and I’d be lost without music.

Beach Therapy

Posted on January 27, 2010 Written by Tonya

I love the ocean. I love the way the ocean smells. I love the way the ocean calms. I love the vastness and the way the ocean makes me feel so small. I mostly love our walks by the ocean.

I took these photos of you today with my phone, so they aren’t great.

I can tell you love the ocean too. You were enthralled with the wind, seagulls and sand.

“The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

The best is yet to be.

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My ipod Has Schizophrenia

Posted on October 14, 2009 Written by Tonya

I believe that everything is better with music and I love all different types; from bubble gum pop and jazz to Jay-Z and Radiohead (okay, Radiohead is one of your dad’s favorite bands, not mine, but I do have a two of their songs on my iPod).

Music is an incredibly powerful thing; it has the ability to uplift and motivate like nothing else. Just the right tune can put a smile on my face, a spring in my step, a wish in my heart or tear in my eye. It can make a long boring car ride more bearable and household chores dare I say, more fun to power through. It gives me that little extra something to go another few minutes on the treadmill.

I play music for you everyday. I have 15 days or 5316 songs on my iPod, so there is A LOT to choose from. My Essential playlist (otherwise known as the playlist of music I would have to have were I ever to find myself stranded on a deserted island and could only take one playlist), which you have probably listened to the most, includes 100 of my all time favorite songs. It is as eclectic as the rest of my music library. The first 10 songs are:

1. Ghost In You – The Psychedelic Furs
2. Rump Shaker – Wreckx-N-Effect
3. Melissa – The Allman Brothers Band
4. Anna Begins – Counting Crows
5. Love – Matt White
6. Peek-A-Boo – Sioxsie and the Banshees
7. Theme from “A Summer Place” – The Lettermen
8. Hallelujah – k.d. lang
9. Pig – Dave Matthews Band
10. Crazy – Patsy Cline

Each song is gorgeous, haunting and fun in their own special way. I think you can figure out which is which. 🙂

Music to me is like the sense of smell for others. It helps trigger a memory and hearing a certain song can bring me right back to that moment in time. For example, “Drive” by The Cars was my first slow dance, “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star was the song playing on the radio when I got into my first(!) car accident, “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure will always remind me of dancing the night away in Newport Beach with my college roommate and our boyfriends, “You are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder is the song my sister sang at my wedding and “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer will always make me think of my dad. Actually, a lot of songs remind me of my dad, but that one in particular. He couldn’t get enough of the video featuring the scantily clad long legged chicks.

I am not a very good dancer, but I can carry a tune and you sure seem to like it when I start to move and groove and belt out with the chorus. I hope I am instilling in you an appreciation for music, if not a move or two you may bust out later in life.

The best is yet to be.

Bibliophilia

Posted on October 4, 2009 Written by Tonya

I don’t know if it’s because both my parents were educators, because they read to me as a child, or because I loved (and love) hanging out at bookstores and libraries, but my first word was “book”.

I read to you everyday. Sadly, aside from children’s books and parenting reference guides, I haven’t done much leisure reading since you were born. I love reading and I miss it very much. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. Historical fiction modern day fiction are suspense novels are my favorite.

I love how books can transport you to another place and time and introduce you to interesting characters that you don’t normally encounter in your day-to-day life. I enjoy the relaxation of reading, especially when hours have passed and I don’t even realize it because I’m so enthralled in a good book. Sitting quietly with a juicy epic is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures and brings me a lot of peace.

My Book Facts:

I am a founding member of a book club called JUGS (Just Us Girls) that my friends and I started almost seven (!) years ago and I live for our monthly meetings. Our discussions are always lively, fun and thought provoking. If it weren’t for our group, there are many books I would have missed out on.

I will never start a book without finishing it, no matter how much I may want to throw it into the fireplace (i.e. Saving Graces, a terrible JUGS selection).

I always start books in bed.

One of my very best friends is in my life today because we initially bonded over books. Thank goodness for Kay Scarpetta!

Since 1999, I have kept a list of every book I have read maintaining an average of 35books per year. My father also kept a list of the books he read and I often turn to it for recommendations.

My Top 10 favorite books (in no particular order) are:
1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
10. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Love her or hate her, I believe Oprah Winfrey single-handedly got our nation reading again when she established her book club in 1996. I am currently reading her latest selection, Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan and so far it’s fabulous.

Quotes I have collected about books and reading:

“To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.” – Anonymous

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” – Cicero

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. – Groucho Marx

“Each time we re-read a book we get more out of it because we put more into it. A different person is reading it, and therefore it is a different book.” – Murial Clark

“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” – Charles Jones

“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.” – Louis L’Amour

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” – Dr. Seuss

“Do your bit to save humanity from lapsing back into barbarity by reading all the novels you can.” – Richard Hughes

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him, and travel in his company.” – Andre Gide

“Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” – P. J. O’Rourke

My personal favorite:

“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde

Ah, so many books, so little time!

The best is yet to be…one page at a time.

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Storytelling

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