MomsThoughts™©

Last night 8 friends all went out to dinner and a movie...and what a movie it was!  

We went to see Magic Mike. I have a few thoughts. Of course. :)

As for the movie itself: It was a very fun movie. The dancing and the cast were the best part. Obviously.  All the men were VERY hot. The story was cute too - but not necessary. :)  This is such a fun movie to go see with a group of girl friends.  It is definitely not too raunchy or dirty - not porn at all (although I should admit, I have never seen porn so maybe I am not the best judge of this?)  

I did come away with three observations: 

1) I still don't get why movies will show women's naughty bits but not men's. I don't get what the big deal is. Maybe because I am a Nurse by training - to me - those dangly bits are just another part of the body. Are American's more hung up on body parts than the rest of the world? What is the big deal? Its like an elbow, ear, ankle, penis...its a body part. Hollywood is always comfortable showing women nude...not men though...why?

 2) My group was the last to leave the theater and we were shocked and disgusted to see the mess left behind. Remember,  this theater was packed 100% with women, mostly Moms I would venture to guess. WHAT A FREAKING MESS...I was shocked. Does this shock you? Do you clean up after yourself or is clean up included in the sky high ticket prices??) 

3) If you are a single guy looking to meet women, wait outside the theater.  At the end of each show, out pour literally hundreds of women just looking to meet  their Magic Mike!  :) 

Learning Doesn’t Have To Stop Over Summer!

As my children were growing up I had one important goal for Summer:  I did not want the time wasted.  I grew up with days spent playing and learning.  Most days of my youth were spent outside with friends and we only came home for lunch and dinner!  It was a great way to keep our imaginations engaged and being creative.  We also went to camp, beach, pool etc...  I wanted my kids to have the same great childhood memories.  What I didn’t want was summers spent in front of the tv or playing video games.  These are my suggestions for some non-traditional ways to fill your children’s summer with learning, laughter and memories.  

1. Join 4-H:  Local 4-H clubs are not just about agriculture and county fairs.  Although the 4-H does still play a very active role in the County Fair and agricultural activities, they also offer every possible type of club you can imagine at minimal costs.  My children participated in performance clubs, karate and public speaking.  The clubs are designed to be fun but please know, they will also learn a great deal!  

2. Local Theater: Another favorite in our house was always “Theater Camp” .  A lot of local and community theaters offer programs for children over the summer.  Our particular theater camp offered a combination of classes in Dance, Voice and Acting.  The classes were fun and culminated in a performance for the community!  They also had a camp trip to NYC to see a Broadway Show each summer.  This was always the highlight of Summer for both my children.  (Even if you don’t have an aspiring performer, there are a lot of fun and valuable lessons to be learned in these programs! They are great for building self-esteem, developing public speaking skills, etc... )  

3. Pool Clubs:  Many area pool clubs offer summer Swim Team.  What most don’t know is you do not have to be a member of the pool club to join the Swim Team.   The children are given a lot of instruction on swimming, strokes, etc...while competing with different area clubs. It really is a lot of fun!  

4. Bible Camp:  All different churches offer Bible Camp and again, you do not have to be a member of that church to sign your children up.  It is not CCD or religious instruction!  It is often a lot of game playing, arts and crafts, etc.... There may be a religious lesson included in some of the activities, so if you are ok with that, this can be a lot of fun for little or no cost at all.  

5. Surf Camp:  If you live on the coast, this is a “must”.  I know watching a child learn to surf can be nerve-wracking.  That is why I highly advise leaving this to the professionals.  Surfing can be a lot of fun.  It can also help increase your child’s awareness of how to stay safe with a healthy respect for the ocean.  Professionals will instruct your child how to master surfing in a fun group setting on the beach!  They will also teach ocean safety!  (Most local surf shops offer surf camps in the Summer!)

Of course there are plenty of traditional camps to engage your child.  My daughter spent summers at Girl Scout Camp out in the woods.  It is down and dirty and focuses on building self-esteem and “girl power”!  My son enjoyed the local YMCA sports camps!  The bottom line is get your little darlings up and out bright and early!  Fill their days with friends and activities and they will have fun memories to last a lifetime!  (And you will have time to take care of the chores and maybe even finally finish a book or two!)  

If you are one of those moms who avoids computers, the time has come to change your ways.

It’s time to embrace technology and all it has to offer. If you are unsure how to navigate the world of Twitter, visit Youtube and search “Twitter Tutorial”. You will be tweeting like a pro in no time and here are five reason you should:

Sales: Twitter is a great place to find sales, discounts and even free perks. I have enjoyed some pretty nice discounts and freebies from Twitter. You will need to start by following your favorite retailers and by joining the website Klout.

Community: The people who matter in your local community are most likely already on Twitter. Your children’s school district probably has a twitter account. You will get updates immediately. Your local churches, restaurants, theaters even your dentist probably has a twitter account. Its a great way to stay connected to your community.

News: No where else delivers breaking news faster than on Twitter. Remember when Bin Laden was killed? Word spread like wildfire on Twitter despite the White House’s attempt to contain the news so the President could break it. Local, regional and world news are immediate on Twitter.

Connect with people: Whether you are a crafter, quilter or just like the Real Housewives of Anywhere, Twitter is the place to connect with like-minded people. You have real time, direct access to experts, celebrities and politicians. The playing is fieldis leveled. Where else can you tweet with Marlo Thomas and Cory Booker in the same day? You can search for jobs and find out who is hiring. The ability to connect with people is endless. (*not all celebrities do their own tweeting, however it has been my experience that most do!)


Know What Your Kids Are Doing: In my opinion, this is the single most important reason to join Twitter, especially if you have teenagers. You can make a “Twitter List” of all your children’s friends and their friends. And then sit back on any given Saturday night and watch the interactions unfold. It will be revealed in short order who is funny, smart, and who is intellectually challenged. You will often see who is drinking, smoking or otherwise engaging in bad behavior. (Since you don’t have to “Follow” the individual to include them on a “Twitter List”, they most likely will never know you are reading their tweets!) I guess some may consider this an invasion of privacy, but we have warned our children for years about putting info out in the public domain. They have been given fair warning.

Now that you are convinced you need to join Twitter, once you sign on, the first person you should follow is @MomsThoughts  I will be happy to show you around!

Anne Cahalane is a Howell mom of two and host of The MomsThoughts™ Show. 

*Originally published in the Asbury Park Press : http://blogs.app.com/learning/2012/05/17/family-matters-moms-get-connected/

One thing we can be sure of in this world is change is inevitable.  Sometimes it is a very welcome event, sometimes it comes as a surprise, sometimes it is not what we wanted or planned for at all.  However it happens, change is inevitable.  

I suppose the "secret" to dealing with change successfully lies all in how you respond to it.  You can dig your heels in and refuse to change.  I think the world will then just move on without you.  Or you can find the best possible way to deal with change while always being true to yourself, your goals and your ideals.  

Generally, I am one of those people who likes change. I have always been that way! I like new adventures.  I like when things get shaken up a bit.  I like to grow.  Even when I don't see it coming, I try to embrace change and see the possibilities.  

Ok...I know, you want to know what the hell I am talking about.  There have been a couple of changes in my life recently.  Big changes.  Emotional changes.  The new hip I got in February brought a lot of change.  I feel a freedom I haven't known in years.  I feel empowered!  (Its not to say I still don't have "bad" days but overall this new hip is a new lease on life!)  Another significant change will be my daughter leaving for college in less than 3 months.  This is huge.  I feel I have less than 3 months to make sure I taught her everything I needed to and wanted to...in order for her to be prepared to go out into the world.  I also know I am going to miss her like crazy.  We share so many things in common she has become my best friend.  Who will talk Broadway with me and go see a show with me spur of the moment?  Who will listen to Scott Alan cds with me endlessly and love every minute of it?  Who will laugh with me at all the funny tweets and things we read?  I am, quite honestly very surprised by how emotional and scared I am of this change.  All selfish reasons of course.  Because for her, I couldn't be happier or prouder.  This is what I wanted for her from the moment she was conceived.  This is what I planned for her.  I always parented with the goal of raising a competent, intelligent, self-sufficient, responsible adult who will go on to boldly experience all this world has to offer.  Her adventure is just beginning and a part of me wishes I could do it all over again with her.  So many adventures and possibilities await her!  

And a final change that has me adjusting, rethinking and planning is the growth of this radio gig!  What a wild ride this has been!  What fantastic opportunities it has brought!  When I tell you the learning curve has been enormous, it is not an exaggeration!  I have gained so much knowledge from guests and also from all the behind the scenes work!   And now, with all the excitement and growth, we are experiencing some growing pains and working through them.  I am sure we will all land right where we need to -- it just gets passionate working towards that end! Working with five passionate women with vision is exciting, thrilling and challenging!  We do all challenge each other to be our best and to bring our best game and I LOVE that about our team!   To think 6 months ago, I had never even thought about radio and now I am so in love with this platform, I can't wait to take it to the next level!  So, here it is:   I am currently working out a way to bring to you a LIVE show!!!  A radio show where guest and you - yes YOU - can call into me - LIVE!  This was always my goal and I am more determined than ever to work out all the technical details in order to make this happen.

You may have figured out these three big changes are all related. They have all converged at this exact time in my life for a reason. I feel like my life is entering an entirely new phase. I am slowly leaving the role of "Mommy" (in a hands-on, needed daily, hourly kind of way) into a new Anne. A smarter, stronger and more thoughtful Anne. I feel ready to embrace this next phase. I feel better physically, definitely wiser and more thoughtful from the experience of being a parent and a little fearless because of this radio show.

The fact that you have taken the time to read my blog and visit my site means the world to me.  I thank you with all my heart for your support and friendship. I hope you embrace the changes coming too!  I can't wait to hear from you and to talk to you all on my show!!!!!  

XOXO
Anne