Your Opinion: The Anti-Gym

The first I heard of The Anti-Gym was a radio ad in which one guy castigated another guy for having “man boobs.”

I remember chuckling incredulously to myself, thinking “Did I hear that right? Man boobs?” Radio ads rarely get my attention, with the exception of the Bud Light “Real Men of Genius” ads, but The Anti-Gym ad definitely stuck with me.

Then I saw a TV spot on the local Fox affiliate during a football game this fall. This one featured two girls – one who was obese and eating straight from a pie tin, and her friend who was long and lean and searching fruitlessly for a bottle of water.

Again, I tittered at how such an “in your face” message and delivery had made it onto TV. In such a politically correct and emotionally sensitive world, how were ads like these being approved for broadcast? What kind of backlash

Made by Angie’s Funky Baby Wipe Container Giveaway

Join Mile High Mamas this weekend for a fantastic giveaway extravaganza, including five family four packs of tickets to the All About Kids Expo and a designer throw by Max Daniels. Congratulations to Karen J, Monica R., and Laurie H., winners of our Baby Butler Hands-Free Bottle Holder!

My life is all about cleaning up messes, whether it is on little faces, hands or bums. So why not do it in style?

No, I’m not talking about sporting the latest Gucci but rather using Made by Angie’s handmade baby wipe containers. Decorated with fabulous fabrics, they make the perfect baby gift and essential addition to any cool mom’s purse or diaper bag. At least this is the reasoning I gave to my husband when I bought one last month.

[photopress:wipecontainers.jpg,full,pp_image] Angie started her company three years ago to fill a void in the baby accessory market. Bored with her plain wipes container that she pulled out of her diaper bag several times a day, she craved

A story of moodiness, timeliness and procreation

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

Thus are the immortal words of Yoda.

He evidently was not talking about baby making.

My husband Jamie and I are happily settled into the daily trauma of having two children who kick our butts. But looming over us is the knowledge we are supposed to have a third. I knew it the moment I had Baby No. 2. Because isn’t that what every woman wants to know right after childbirth?

I recently went to retrieve my birth control prescription and discovered as of January 1st, it is no longer covered by our insurance company. Do I take this as a sign that it is time? Or simply a sign that our insurance now sucks?

Baby Butler Hands Free Bottle Holder Giveaway

Congratulations to Linda J., winner of our Learning from A to Z calendar!

[photopress:butler.jpg,full,pp_image]When I first heard of Baby Butler, I was enthused that some kind of manny (a male nanny) might be included. As usual, I was wrong. But this hands-free bottle holder is one-of-a-kind and close to my heart. Why? Because it was developed by a dad to make our lives easier.

While caring for his children as his wife worked, Jeff Archambault quickly learned what a challenge it was. As he gained a whole new respect for what moms do every day in raising their kids, he realized how valuable a helping hand would be. Feeding his newborn was his first job. But Jeff sometimes wanted to be able to read to his 3 year old, or answer the phone, or even feed himself. That’s when the idea for a Hands Free Bottle Holder came to him.

Mama Blogger of the Month!

Each month, Mile High Mamas will feature a different mama blogger from our blogroll (our listing of Colorado’s hottest mom blogs). We have chosen hilarious Sarah from Imaginary Binky for our first spotlight. Not only is she juggling a baby and a comedian husband but she also set the insane goal to blog every single day in 2008. Let’s check in to see how she is doing….
[photopress:Sarah_Porter_and_family.jpg,full,pp_image] 1) Where on earth did you come up with the blog name “Imaginary Binky?”

My son Amos is a great sleeper. Iâm jealous of how well that boy can sleep. When heâs slumbering, off and on his mouth will move as if he is sucking on an imaginary nipple or binky, which I suppose is a comforting thing for him. I look at my writing and my blog as a comforting thing for me, so Imaginary Binky is my own pacifier to calm the savage beast. I liked the name so much that I came up with the tag line: âImaginary Binky â Suck on This.â? Itâs sassy and saucy, just the way I like it.

Learning from A to Z Calendar Giveaway!

Congratulations to Rowan M., winner of our Myself Belt giveaway!

I stumbled upon Learning from A to Z as I looked for a hands-on calendar for my daughter. I had already tried cardboard calendars that ended up becoming a slate for baby graffiti.
[photopress:TellMeAboutToday_1_2.jpg,full,pp_image] With 12 innovative and educational products, I fell in love with Learning From A to Z’s “Tell Me About Today” calendar. Part of my adoration stemmed from the embroidered soft, colorful, machine-washable fabric that complies with all Consumer Safety Administration standards. Oh, and did I mention it was washable?

This interactive calendar teaches children about the weather, the seasons, months, days of the week, years and also sequence and basic calendar concepts.

Stock

Yesterday was Cowboy Day at my boys’ school, in honor of the National Western Stock Show, which has been held in Denver for over a century. If you aren’t from the west, you might hear the words “stock show” and picture shares of Apple and Google framed for cooing admiration.

“Stock” is actually an all-encompasing word which means large groups of future dinners housed in one dome-stadium-sized barn full of hay and poop and Wrangler jeans. People and animals come from all over the U.S. to show their prize steers, lambs, chickens, and belt buckles. There are rodeos. There are auctions. There are cowboys and cowgirls. Hee haw!

I forgot yesterday was Cowboy Day.

Avalanche Ranch: A Cut of Crystal River Valley Heaven – Part II

Editor’s note: This family travel feature will not make any sense unless you first read Part I. Plus, who would want to miss the memorable details of our sleepless night and a sordid discourse on kissing cousins.

As an adventure-travel writer, I was always traveling…and adventuring. If I wasn’t backpacking, I was skiing, hiking, canyoneering or biking. Respite and recovery were never on my agenda.

Until I had children. And then R&R became my life’s mantra.

I had plans for our trip to Avalanche Ranch. Big plans. Our little family would go sledding, skate on their pond and snowshoe along Avalanche Creek. We would then sip hot chocolate by the fire and venture into Aspen for some gastronomic delights.

But then we got three hours of sleep and I realized what family travel is really all about:

Avalanche Ranch: A Cut of Crystal River Valley Heaven – Part I

Editor’s note: Mile High Mamas will be featuring a different family-friendly destination each month. If you have any favorite haunts you would like to recommend, please email us!

“Do you see those snow chutes up there?” my husband Jamie queried as we gazed up at an imposing spectacle of snow, clouds, trees and sky. “If I were to build a place called Avalanche Ranch, I would put it right at the base of that mountain.”

Good thing Hunky Hubby is not in the lodging industry because last I checked, building in the path of an avalanche ain’t exactly prime real estate.

As it turned out, Avalanche Ranch was right around the corner. Before long, we pulled into the family-friendly spread nestled discreetly in the Crystal River Valley. Located about 45 miles west of Aspen, it is its neighbor’s antithesis: unassuming and affordable with untouched grandeur.
[photopress:IMG_8457.jpg,full,pp_image] Avalanche Ranch is situated on 36 acres with 13 cabins and a ranch house. Winter boasts ice skating,

Myself Belts Giveaway

Congratulations to Lori P. of Broomfield, winner of our Bella Tunno smock!

I have been in the ~~throes~~ woes of potty training lately. One of the many challenges is access. Namely, if my daughter Hadley miraculously does decide to go, she cannot finagle her belt. It seems like a no-brainer that manufacturers would make a belt that children can navigate on their own.

Enter: brainiacs Danielle Eason and Talia Goldfarb. These two moms developed award-winning Myself Belts, the first belt intended for one-handed use that makes dressing and undressing an easy and accessible thing for a child of any age. Popular with Hollywood’s hottest moms like Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cindy Crawford, Myself Belts comes in a number of different styles. The functionality of the belt assures all tots feel independent and self-confident as they can now secure their pants on their very own – any place or time!

[photopress:myselfbelts.JPG,full,pp_image] The belts range in size from XS to 7/8