Geek in Heels - Page 70

Oct 17, 2011 • In Baby, Claire, Geek, Personal, Science

So This is What They Look Like on the Inside…

Yesterday, we discovered 2 new teeth in Claire’s mouth — one on either side of her top front teeth — making for a grand total of 6 teeth at the age of 12 months.

(So far, all of her teeth have come in pairs. Is this normal?)

The best part? She did not exhibit any signs of teething prior to our discovering these new pearly whites. If you can recall, the first four were hellish: waking up 5-6x per night, constant whining and crying, extreme clinginess, and so forth.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this will be the norm for the rest of her teeth!

And, to celebrate, I will share with you a picture of a child’s skull before losing their baby teeth:

(image source)

Completely horrifying yet strangely fascinating at the same time, wouldn’t you say? 😀

ONA’s Roma Camera Insert Bag Review and Giveaway!

Sorry, this giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced here shortly!

Late last year, the web was abuzz with the introduction of a laptop + DSLR bag that was not only functional and well-made, but beautiful as well: the ONA Union Street Bag.

I knew it would be perfect for my fashion-conscious husband, who commutes to work with a laptop and likes to bring along his DSLR wherever he can.

I immediately placed myself on the waiting list — the bag had became sold out as soon as the blogosphere began to buzz about it — and gifted it to J as his birthday present earlier this year.

We both love the Union Street bag. J gets compliments on it all the time, and I could definitely distinguish ONA’s high craftsmanship and quality of materials compared to other camera bags.

So when ONA recently contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing their new Roma Camera Insert and Bag Organizer, I couldn’t be more ecstatic!

As with most amateur photographers with a DSLR on their hands, I tend to stick with one or two lenses and do not carry around much accessories. And because I prefer my DSLR to my phone camera or my 4-year-old point-and-shoot (which now only gets used once every few months), I like to bring it out when I go out…

…the problem being, of course, that I don’t like to carry around a separate camera bag.

In order to get around this problem I usually wrap my camera in a scarf and just place it in my purse, which any idiot can tell you is not the smartest thing to do.

Enter the Roma Camera Insert and Bag Organizer.

The Roma is constructed of the same durable waxed canvas exterior (dubbed Waxwear) with leather details, just like the Union Street.

The interior is well-padded, and comes with an adjustable divider:

As you can seen, I had no problem whatsoever fitting my DSLR into the Roma (pictured here is a Canon Rebel T1i with the 17-55mm f/2.8 lens, which measures about 5″ long):

Here I have added my going-out essentials to the Roma: a wallet, cell phone, some makeup, and sunglasses. As you can see, the five exterior pockets — in addition to the extra room leftover on the inside — allow for plenty of space!

Lastly, a picture of the Roma inside my medium-sized purse — it fits perfectly, and I still have some room to spare!

I can’t say enough how much I love the Roma, and it seriously could not have arrived at a more perfect time, because I had been seriously thinking about purchasing an insert to protect my DSLR. 🙂

Now, for the part you’ve all been waiting for…

ONA has very graciously offered to give to one of my readers a
Roma Camera Insert and Bag Organizer!

This giveaway will allow for four methods of entry rather than my usual three, so please pay attention to the rules…

Each reader is eligible for up to four entries via the following methods (each method will grant a separate entry):

Leave a comment to this post answering the following question: how do you usually travel with your camera?
If you haven’t done so already, go to the Geek in Heels Facebook Page and “Like” the page. Then click on the ONA’s Roma Camera Insert Giveaway link (located right under the profile picture, or just use this link) to enter the sweepstakes.
“Like” the ONA Facebook Page, and leave a separate comment to this post saying you’ve done so.
Follow both @geekinheels and @onabags on Twitter and tweet exactly the following: I just entered for a chance to win the @onabags Roma camera insert via @geekinheels and you can too! http://bit.ly/pT6KCw

You can increase your chances of winning by using all four methods of entry. There is only one entry allowed per person, per method — for a total possible number of four entries — and any additional entries will be promptly deleted. (Yes, I have ways of checking this. And yes, this will only cause me to get annoyed at you.)

For the complete list of rules, go to this link.

The giveaway begins as soon as this entry is published — October 17, 2011 @ 12:00pm EDT — and will run until October 21, 2011 @ 11:59pm EDT. The winner will be announced here on October 22 and will also be notified by email (so please use a valid email when entering so that I can contact you if you win!) or via a Twititer DM.

Good luck, and thanks for reading!

(Now, it’s time to save up for ONA’s Brooklyn! :-))

Defying the Halloween Birthday

How much does psychology come into play when it comes to the day a woman gives birth?

As it turns out, more than what you might expect.

Using 11-years’ worth of U.S. birth certificate data provided by the National Center for Health Statistics, Yale researchers have found that there are higher instances of birth on Valentine’s Day, a holiday traditionally linked with positive symbolism, while Halloween — a holiday which traditionally conveys negative symbolism — has lowered birth rates.

Take a look at the following graphs, provided by Try Nerdy:

While the overall increased likelihood of giving birth on Valentine’s Day jumps by 5%, a whopping 11.3% decrease in births was seen on Halloween across these years!

Although I know quite a few women who say that they would love to have a Halloween baby, I personally am keeping my fingers crossed that BebeDeux (whose due date is November 3) will not be born on this holiday — not due to the negative connotations, but because I prefer not to have my child share her birthday with a major holiday.

I have stated over and over again that I’m hoping for a November 1 birthday so that her birthdate will be binary: 11-1-11! (J wants her to stay in there longer because he wants a 11-11-11 birthday, born at 11:11:11!)

I also have another ulterior motive for wanting a November birthday: my mother’s birthday is October 27, and my sister’s is October 28. Additionally, my cousin’s twins were born on Halloween (contrary to the data above)…and I would prefer that BebeDeux does not share a birthday with another member of the family, or even a birthday month with four family members. That being said, I admit that an October 29 birthday wouldn’t be too bad, as my mother, my sister, and my second daughter would have birthdays right next to each other’s.

I know that there are a million circumstances beyond my control, but if the hormonal mechanisms responsible for determining birth timing are affected by psychological factors as the study suggests, I believe that my chances of my getting a preferred birthday for BebeDeux are better than I thought!

Besides, I can remember just last year, wishing and hoping for a September birthday for Claire (her due date was October 3)…and she was born 4 days early, on the last day of September. 🙂

If you have children, would you say any psychological factors affected their birthdays?

Music Typewriter

I love typewriters.

I have studied music since the age of 5.

So how can I not fall in love with this Keaton Music Typewriter, which allows the user to type musical notes on blank sheet music?

According to musicprintinghistory.org:

The Keaton Music Typewriter was first patented in 1936 (14 keys) by Robert H. Keaton from San Francisco, California. Another patent was taken out in 1953 (33 keys) which included improvements to the machine. The machine types on a sheet of paper lying flat under the typing mechanism. There are several Keaton music typewriters thought to be in existence in museums and private collections. It was marketed in the 1950s and sold for around $225. The typewriter made it easier for publishers, educators, and other musicians to produce music copies in quantity. Composers, however, preferred to write the music out by hand.

Too bad there are currently less than a dozen known to exist.

The good news is, if you have the money to spare, you can pick one up on Etsy for the low price of $6,000!

Via Neatorama.

Wedding Invites & Favors of the Year [Super Mario FTW!]

I know I used to blog for a wedding community, but it’s been more than 3.5 years since my wedding and frankly, the subject just doesn’t interest me much anymore.

BUT.

Once in a while I come across pictures from certain weddings and I can’t help but think, ‘DANG! Why didn’t we think of that? If only we were getting married again…’

(FYI, J and I have no intention whatsoever of renewing our vows. The first time around was stressful enough.)

Esther and Ryan’s wedding is one prime example. Notsomuch the wedding itself (which I’m sure was awesome too), but the handmade invitations and the favors.

And can you guess why I love their invites and favors so much?

The title of this post says it all (duh). And get this — not only are they Super Mario-themed, they are designed after the original Super Mario Bros on the NES.

Feast your eyes on these, my fellow geeks…

The front of the “cartridge” is intricately detailed and well-thought-out: the “Tanouye” used in place of the Nintendo logo is the bride’s maiden name; the “Watkins” in the Official Watkins Seal is the groom’s last name; and 10-08-11 is the date the couple set for the wedding. Additionally, 10-08 was decided because it was a wordplay on the bride’s last name.

Once you open the invitation you are further delighted by little details…

The three “block” inserts, when turned over, consist of: (1) the directions, (2) registry information, and (3) the RSVP card:

The inside of the invitation:

Even the back of the invitation stays true to the original NES cartridge, with some changes to the wording:

Don’t you just LOVE it?!!!

Now, on to the wedding day favors which were laid out for each guest…

When you first open up the box, you are greeted with an adorable card:

The back of the card thanks the guest in 4 different languages, each representing the different ethnic groups represented by the the bride (½ Japanese, ½ Korean) and the groom (½ Caucasian ½ Mexican):

A second card kindly reminds the guest of which dish they had requested for the reception:

This is what you see if you chose the beef dish:

And this is what you see if you chose the vegetarian dish:

At the bottom of the box is a small pouch:

And it is filled with none other than gold coins! (Filled with chocolate candy, I presume.)

Wasn’t that just about the cutest wedding favor you’ve ever seen? I soooo wish I were a guest at this wedding!

And just because the seating chart was also too awesome not to share:

See more details at Larry T Quach’s Art Blog, who helped design and create these masterpieces!

Via Reddit.

Purposely Distancing Myself from My Daughter

With less than 3 weeks to go before my due date with BebeDeux, I have been slowly making preparations for our new life as a family of 4.

The hardest part of this transition has had to do with Claire. Because for the past couple of weeks, I have been purposely spending less and less time with my firstborn.

I know that she is in good hands with J’s parents. And while I wouldn’t be lying if I were to say that I have been enjoying getting some extra rest, it is becoming more and more apparent with each passing day that Claire has grown less attached to me.

I may even go as far as to say that I am no longer her favorite person.

For the first time in her life, she will stretch her arms out to others when I am holding her. For the first time in her life, she does not cry when someone takes her from me. And for the first time in her life, she no longer cries when I leave the room.

I am happy that Claire is growing more independent. I tell myself that this is for her own good, so that the transition to having a younger sibling at such a young age — they will only be 13 months apart! — will not be so traumatic for her.

But I can’t help but be a bit sad at the same time.

I hope that one day, she will read these words and understand that I only have the best intentions for her.

The Difference Between Pixar and Dreamworks Animated Films

For what it’s worth, I still say the best film of the ones that are listed here is Shrek. What about you?

Via Geek Tyrant.

When Toilet Paper is Not an Option

Admit it. We’ve all been there. Doing a #2 in a public/semi-public restroom, only to realize that — oh crap (literally) — there’s no toilet paper!

What do you do?

This is precisely the reason I try my best to have a pack of tissues in my bag at all times. But on the few occasions I didn’t, I have waited until the bathroom was empty, loosely pulled up my lower pieces of clothing so that nothing was touching my skin, waddled over to the next stall and helped myself to some toilet paper from there.

I have never asked a stranger to pass me some toilet paper (although I have been asked several times over the years).

But what if it’s a one-person bathroom? And there are no other stalls? And for once, you are wishing the restaurant/office/store/etc is not trying to be eco-friendly by installing hand dryers with no paper towels in sight?

THEN what do you do?

This was actually a question posed by a then-popular Korean drama called 내 이름은 김삼순 (“My Name is Kim Sam Soon,” or “My Lovely Sam Soon”) which aired in 2005. I remember catching a few episodes back then, and re-discovered it on Hulu just recently. (Did you even know there’s a Korean drama section on Hulu? I didn’t!)

According to the main character, Sam Soon, how one reacts in this situation depends on his/her bloodtype (like Japan, Korea is big on blood typing):

Type A’s would wait for help.
Type B’s would utilize the two finger method (use your imagination).
Type AB’s would scrounge for used toilet paper.
Type O’s would just wipe later.

Sam Soon actually has a more practical method than the four outlined above: she would use her socks!

My blood type is O, but I personally wouldn’t choose to wipe later. Can you guess what I have would do? 😛

What about you? What would you do, and is it consistent with your blood type?

Reasons to Fear Canada

by Sean Carman

Ninety percent of population is massed within 100 miles of northern American border.

Seems not to mind that one of its provinces has turned almost entirely French.

Excessive politeness only makes sense as cover for something truly sinister. But what?

Citizens seem strangely impervious to cold.

Decriminalization of marijuana and acceptance of gay marriage without corresponding collapse of social institutions indicate Canada may, in fact, be indestructible.

Has infiltrated entertainment industry with singers, actors, and comedians practically indistinguishable from their American counterparts.

Consistently stays just below cultural radar yet never quite disappears.

Parliamentary government and common-law judiciary appear to function acceptably yet remain completely inscrutable.

Never had a “disco phase.”

Seemingly endless supply of timber, donuts, and Scotch-plaid hats with earflaps.

Keeps insisting it “has no designs on America” and “only wants peace.”

Plays a mean game of pond hockey.

# # #

(image source)

Pognae Baby Carrier Review

Baby carriers are big in Asia. This is especially the case in urban areas where there is limited space and the majority of the population choose to take public transportation rather than drive.

And where there is demand, there is supply. A great variety of quality supply, I might add.

The Pognae is one such baby carrier. Made in, and popularized in Korea, the Pognae is currently one of the most popular soft structured baby carriers in Asia and Europe.

I had read about the Pognae in various mommy boards even before Claire was born. Many mothers touted the Pognae as a cheaper alternative to the popular Ergo, without sacrificing the quality. Not only that, the Pognae offers an additional feature: a mesh cooling vent which is great for those summer months, or if you have a baby who overheats easily.

However, I decided to go with the BabyBjörn because it was more accessible at the time (ie, we could add it to our baby registry). And while I used the BabyBjörn with Claire, I didn’t love it, and I admit that my shoulders would start to hurt after about 15 minutes of use.

So when my friend Donna recently asked me if I would like to try the Pognae, I jumped at the chance. You see, Pognae has recently expanded to the U.S. with the launch of the website www.pognaeusa.com. Go check it out for yourselves — I guarantee you’ll be absolutely delighted by the 7 adorable designs!

I decided on the “Mild” design and my Pognae arrived within just a couple of days. Almost immediately, I fell in love with its cute carrier bag:

Inside the bag were: the Pognae carrier, the attachable headrest, and an attachable pouch which can be used to store small personal items.

One thing I immediately noticed about the Pognae were the exceptional quality and materials. The 100% cotton fabric is soft and breathable, the foam is soft yet resilient, and there is reinforced cross-stitching in all areas that would require additional support.

I unfortunately could not try the carrier myself because of my overly pregnant belly (perhaps the optional waist extender would have worked?), but other members of the family used it on Claire with limited success. I use the word “limited” ONLY because my daughter does not like carriers in general — she loves to be held, but once she is in your arms, she will whip her upper body back and forth, flail her arms about, and try her best to guide the person carrying her to where she wants to go. Carriers restrict her movement so she will only stand them for about 15 minutes at a time. (And no, she will NEVER fall asleep in someone’s arms, carrier or not.)

But in the 15 minutes during which Claire stayed docile in the Pognae? I would say it was a great success. 🙂 Here is she, comfortably resting in the Pognae with J and my MIL:

Like the Ergo, one great benefit of the Pognae’s design is that the majority of the weight does not rest on the carrier’s shoulders. Rather, the weight is evenly distributed between the shoulders and the waist, so that the person doing the carrying gets tired less easily.

While it is unfortunate that Claire does not like carriers, there’s always a good chance that BebeDeux will, so I will be eagerly awaiting the day when she will be large enough for the Pognae. (According to the FAQs, the Pognae can be used for babies and small children weighing between 12 lbs and 45 lbs. With the optional infant insert, your baby can weigh between 7 lbs and 12 lbs.)

Now, for the best part. For a limited time, the Pognae can be purchased at www.pognaeusa.com for $89 (regular price is $110).

Additionally, for the entire month of October, you can use the coupon code PinkPognae and Pognae USA will donate 5% of your purchase to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in addition to giving you a 5% discount on your purchase!

What are you waiting for? Go purchase your own Pognae today! It would also make a great gift for an expecting friend, or a new mother!

Disclaimer: I received a free Pognae for purposes of reviewing it on this blog. I was not compensated in any other way. Every word of this review is 100% my honest opinion.