The Poopsie Collective

Activities for Toddlers: Sorting

written by STEPHANIE

My 16 month old daughter is high energy. She is quick, she is busy and she wants to be stimulated all the time. I have felt at my wits end with her the last few weeks looking for activities to keep her occupied. Here is the latest that I have to say was a pretty big hit!

What you’ll need:

- Cheerios in a large bowl

- Muffin tin

- Measuring cups

- Tupperware containers (very small)

I set her up on the coffee table because it’s her height and allows her to move around. She doesn’t like being in a chair. She first sampled the goods, happily munching on her favorite snack. Then I showed her that the Cheerios could be scooped up with the measuring cups and dropped into the muffin tins. She got it from there and went to town meticulously moving Cheerios between containers and eating a few more along the way. Then she stuck her hands into the bowl of Cheerios and giggled while she gripped them in her fists. 

After about 20 minutes, she expanded the game from the table and onto the floor, dropping Cheerios first one by one, then by the handful. The dog sat nearby waiting for her turn to clean-up. When my daughter then picked up what was left in the bowl and started to take it away from the table, I steered her back, at which point she lost interest and wanted to play with the kitchen towels that she carts around the house in her doll stroller. 

I picked up the containers on the table, asked the dog to take care of the floor droppings and we were done! Easy set-up, easy clean-up, and my daughter was delighted by the game. 

Next time? I will use multi-colored snacks to introduce an additional sorting element.

Do you have an activity your toddler enjoys? Please email us at poopsiecollective@gmail.com … We’d love to share it with all our readers. 

TV Moms Who Have it All Figured Out

Written by ERICA

Confession time…or for anyone who knows me, this is less of a confession of some deep, dark secret and more of an obvious exclamation of a fact. I live for TV. Or more accurately, I can’t live without TV. I’ll never forget back in High School when I had to do some stupid (not so stupid after all) exercise and calculate how many hours a week I spent watching TV. Turns out, it was a lot. And it’s still a lot. If you consider 15+ hours a week to be a lot. Personally, I don’t. But I’m deluded. Ok, so we’ve established that I’m not normal, I have an addiction to the remote, and I’m questionably beyond help. Hi, my name is Erica, and I’m a TV addict. (Hi, Erica.)

My love of TV isn’t always a bad thing. It’s not like I locked myself in my bedroom and refused food when Buffy the Vampire Slayer switched networks and Buffy “died” (albeit temporarily). Oh wait, I did. Crap. 

It’s not always like that! I swear! Sometimes TV is really helpful! I mean, I learn a lot from the vast collection of shows I study. Maybe not The Bachelor… all I learned from that show’s 16 dreadful seasons is that tube tops are never ever (EVER) flattering unless you give up eating entirely, and most girls look like they have Bell’s Palsy when they cry.  But TV can teach you a lot. For example, when it comes to motherhood, some of my biggest role models are TV moms. Yes, I know they are fake moms. (And yes mom, you are also on my role models list, just not this list.) So they’re fictional characters, does that make their experiences and lessons any less helpful? 

So here’s my list of the top 5 TV moms and what I’ve learned from them that I will carry into motherhood and beyond:

5) Joyce Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, mother to Buffy Summers)

Oh Buffy, my hero, my obsession, my ultimate example of strength, style, awesomeness and power mixed into one pretty little lady. But despite the fact that I am madly in love with her (Buffy the character, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress who embodies that character), I can recognize that to be her mother must SUCK. Ha, get it? Suck? As in, vampires suck your blood. Whatever, it was funny. Being Buffy’s mother cannot have been easy. Your kid is off saving the world night after night, and on top of all that, she’s also banging a dead guy with fangs. Actually, 2 dead guys, both with fangs: one with a soul, and one with a proclivity for human blood. Not an ideal situation for a mom who’s trying to keep her daughter safe, healthy and happy. But Joyce Summers accepted her daughter, she supported her, she made friends with her friends and somehow she was able to be the strong role model Buffy needed at all times. 

Lessons Learned: acceptance is key, and no matter how strong your kids may seem or pretend to be (or in Buffy’s case, actually be), at the end of they day they need your strength behind them.

4) Cindy Walsh (Beverly Hills 90210 (Original), mother to Brenda & Brandon)

Moving to a new city is tough; I speak from experience. Moving from the Midwestern burbs to Beverly Hills is debatably the toughest. Your once-upon-a-time perfect twins are about to be faced with bad boys (Dylan McKay, swoon), drugs, slutty girls, BMWs, eating disorders, legacy keys, troubled teens, pregnancy scares…the list goes on. Now Cindy Walsh isn’t exactly my type of mom, I mean, she wore mom jeans and had the bowl haircut (which I could blame on the style of the times, but then again, Kelly’s mom was always super cool). But despite her style, Cindy always made a home-cooked meal. She always opened her home to troubled friends in need of a stable adult figure. She and Jim actually loved each other. She was the glue that held the Walsh family together. Something I hope to be for my clan.

Lessons Learned: a home-cooked meal goes a long way, and though it often seems like a thankless job, sometimes just being present and welcoming in your home is everything.

3) Ashley Marin (Pretty Little Liars, mother to Hanna)

First of all, if you don’t watch Pretty Little Liars, get involved. This show is AMAZEballs. Anyway, Ashley Marin (PKA Sydney Andrews on Melrose Place) is a lot of things, but the top of the list when it comes to her best mom qualities: intelligent, witty, and real. She knows her daughter isn’t always making the best decisions. She knows people make mistakes. She gets that high school girls can be bitchy. She also knows that sometimes to be a good mom, you have to give your kid space. And most importantly, she knows when her kid is lying just by surveying her twitchy face. I presume that face-reading is a must-have skill for moms of teenagers.

Lessons Learned: study your kid’s facial expressions starting, like, yesterday. And let them learn from their own mistakes; but be there, be open and be honest with them.

2) Cameron (Cam) Tucker (Modern Family, father/mother figure to Lily)

Fine, not a “mom” per-se. But a mother figure for sure. He’s a party planner extraordinaire, expert clown, stay-at-home-dad, loving husband and hysterical father. Also, he rocks the drums, sings to little Lily and loves to accessorize. And while I’d rather look like Claire Dunphy (so pretty!), she’s a little too high-strung for my taste. Cam is the perfect mix of protective, intense, involved, fun-loving, and funny.

Lessons Learned: a good birthday party goes a long way, it’s important to be silly with your kids, and a well-crafted outfit is always appreciated, even on a toddler.

1) Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights, mother to Julie and Gracie Belle)

And now, for my # 1 TV mom hero. AJ is shaking his head right now because just the other night I turned down watching an episode of Friday Night Lights so that I could catch up on The Vampire Diaries. Vampires over football any day, AJ. Write that down. That said, Tami Taylor is just the absolute coolest, hottest, most amazing mom I’ve ever seen (on TV). She ALWAYS knows what to do. Always. How does she freakin’ do that? She handles everything (motherhood, being the school principle, being the football coach’s wife, town politics…) with such grace and ease. She seriously makes it look so simple. Daughter caught boning the team quarterback? No problem. School bad boy (oh Timmy Riggins I adore you so) needs a place to crash? Sure. Husband gets a gig at TMU while you are 8 months pregnant and stuck in Dillon as the school counselor? Peace of southern pie. She is supportive, she is understanding, but she also speaks her mind. And her family always (ALWAYS) comes first.

Lessons Learned: loving and supporting your family is your number 1 job, stand up for what you believe is the best thing for your loved ones. And roll with the punches, because no one is perfect and try as you might, nothing works out exactly as you plan.

Celebrity Styling Advice for Mamas: Interview with Taylor Jacobson

written by STEPHANIE

“Your baby’s arm feels like a dildo,” Taylor Jacobson confessed, shocked and a little embarrassed. Taylor isn’t like anyone you’ve ever met before. Her physical presence is notable, sure. She is petite, thin as can be, and all lashes framed by white blonde hair. But that’s just a small part of her equation. The sh*t that comes out of her mouth is f*cking fantastic. When she met my daughter, before finding similarities between her appendages and sex toys, she literally said, “ew.” The thought of a tiny person throwing up on her without notice, then pissing and sh*tting themselves, was too much. But she showered us with a wardrobe of BabyGap anyway and dressed me for a black tie event. She patiently offered gown after gown to accommodate my giant, nursing breasts. To say the girl has a heart of gold is putting it lightly.

She sat down with us and shared her genius styling advice for the Moms of America. But honestly, the Women of America should take notes as well… the girl is good. 

Poopsie Collective: What pieces should every woman/mom have in her wardrobe this spring?

Taylor Jacobson: Every woman should own a great blazer, a LBD (little black dress), and a black pump. Blazers go with everything. You can dress it up or down. The LBD is seasonless. You can always repeat it with different accessories. Also, a great statement nacklace, a fun pump, bright colored clutch. And black pumps never go out of style. They are classic and chic. Invest in a good pair!

TJ: A mistake that lots of women and men make is over styling. You never want to look like a collage. Keep it to one trend, and remember that less is more!

TJ: SPANX IT!!!!! I live for them. No one is perfect and they smooth out every line. Trust me, no one walks the redcarpet without them. 

TJ: Accessories!! Clutches, shoes, and jewels are easy ways to update your look. Aldo and Steve Madden make super chic and affordable shoes and clutches that work for all occasions. BCBG Generation makes fabulous, trendy, faux jewels. Look for statement cocktail rings, layering necklaces and cuffs. 

TJ: I’m working on a new reality show called ‘LA Style (wt)’. It follows the new generation of fashion stylists in LA. It will be airing on Oxygen later this year. 

TJ: I love the excitement of the ever changing world of fashion. I love when my clients rock it on the red carpet. And everything inspires me, from art to people, and places, and movies… life!

Taylor was raised on the mean streets of Beverly Hills, and has worked tirelessly styling for films, shoots and celebrity red carpet events. She is probably best known for her work as Rachel Zoe’s right hand on Bravo’s ‘The Rachel Zoe Project’. She has an impeccable work ethic and is known for being a perfectionist on the job. She headlines the new show, ‘LA Style (wt)’ on Oxygen, which airs later this year. 

Many thanks to Taylor, from the PC team, for taking time to chat with us. You’re a rock star!

Facebook: Acknowledgement for Moms

Written by BROOKE

I know you have one of these friends too. On a daily basis her Facebook status usually says something like the following:

“Gave birth, ran 12 miles, canned tomatoes I grew in my own garden, cleaned my baseboards with a toothbrush, made my family an organic dinner, took some to the neighbors, whipped up a batch of homemade bread with wheat I ground myself and now I’m pooped! Time for The Bachelor!” 

Gag. Overachiever. Why does she have to post that on Facebook? Does she want the rest of us to feel bad about ourselves? Job well done. 

And then, the other day I did it, too. I Facebook-bragged about cleaning. It was only my pantry; I cleaned it out and organized it. It was something that had been on my to-do list for about, umm, four years (not joking). I did it. And, well, I knew something. I knew that my KIDS were not going to open up the pantry and say “Wow mom! Look how clean and organized this is! It must have taken you all day! Good job, thanks!” I mean, if they said anything remotely like that I would have keeled over and died right there on the spot. No, they just wanted to know where their snacks were now. And my husband? Well I SHOULD be able to count on him to acknowledge that type of thing but let’s be honest. He’s also pretty much only worrying about snacks. I learned the lesson about him and acknowledgement when I proudly showed him one of the cupboards I had spent all day reorganizing in the kitchen shortly after Zach was born. I was SO proud of my productivity. His response? To open up another cupboard, unorganized and overflowing with stuff, and say “What about this one?” I gave up on him after that. 

So what’s a mom to do? I mean come on, I spent ALL day on this project! So I did it. I wrote about it on Facebook. And you know what? It made me feel good! I got the virtual pats on the back from my mom friends. Even those virtual thumbs up brought me a little smile and made me feel like, see, I’m doing a good job here! 

I even took a picture of part of my organized pantry: the snack basket I made for the kids (which turned out to be an epic fail but that’s for another post!)  

And the best part? I didn’t have to post the next day that we stayed in our pajamas and watched movies all day. Nope, no one has to know about that. So now, instead of rolling my eyes at my friends who post about their productive days, I acknowledge them. I tell them, “good job supermom!” or “I could never do that!” After all, isn’t that what we’re all looking for? A little pat on the back for the thankless job we do every day. Thank you Facebook for giving us moms a place to be acknowledged for all the hard work we do.