Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Weed, Then Shop!
Weeding a garden is one thing; weeding through closets is another! If the owner of the closet is a tween or teen girl, the collection can be especially daunting. Items that no longer fit. Items that were her favorites. Items that are no longer in fashion. Items that have spots, tears or missing buttons. Items that look good on a hanger but hang oddly on her. Items that fit but make her look too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, too old or too young. Items that she loves but you find too revealing or too childish. Plus, the items that she wears every day!
Before school resumes again, take time to weed. Invite your daughter to join you. Explain that money is tight everywhere right now and before you finance further clothes purchases, it would help you both to see what she has. It may even free up space for your daughter to store other treasures. Besides, making order from chaos is satisfying for its own sake. You can sweeten the deal by offering to help wash or iron your discoveries. Suggest that once she has finished, you will take her shopping.
First discuss destinations for the items you plan to sort.
* Items to keep: Acknowledge and validate your daughters taste. She has pretty, serviceable clothes. She also has sentiment, like all of us, and ought to be permitted to keep some useless (to adults!) items if she loves them.
* Items to share: Clothes in good condition that can be given to a sister, cousin, neighbor or friend.
* Items to repair/wash/iron: Clothes she likes and wishes to fix up.
* Items to donate: Clothes that are still wearable can be given to a second-hand store or advertised on craigslist (or similar site.)
* Items to throw away or put in the scrap basket: Even your daughter may admit that some things are beyond hope.
Second, weed! This can be a fun time to try things on, laugh about what used to look good, and discover how much she has grown. It is also an opportunity to muse with her about how much the clothes cost and how many resources--water, heat, energy-- were consumed to produce them.
Third, talk about what she still needs and what she wants. This tight economy makes us all aware of our budgets, and this process makes your daughter part of the family's planning. Having completed the weeding process, you both can see what she has and what she needs.
Finally, go shopping. The preceding steps inspire girls to make careful and deliberate purchases, behavior appropriate for our current economic climate-and a life skill.
For ideas, try zelaz.com
Before school resumes again, take time to weed. Invite your daughter to join you. Explain that money is tight everywhere right now and before you finance further clothes purchases, it would help you both to see what she has. It may even free up space for your daughter to store other treasures. Besides, making order from chaos is satisfying for its own sake. You can sweeten the deal by offering to help wash or iron your discoveries. Suggest that once she has finished, you will take her shopping.First discuss destinations for the items you plan to sort.
* Items to keep: Acknowledge and validate your daughters taste. She has pretty, serviceable clothes. She also has sentiment, like all of us, and ought to be permitted to keep some useless (to adults!) items if she loves them.
* Items to share: Clothes in good condition that can be given to a sister, cousin, neighbor or friend.* Items to repair/wash/iron: Clothes she likes and wishes to fix up.
* Items to donate: Clothes that are still wearable can be given to a second-hand store or advertised on craigslist (or similar site.)
* Items to throw away or put in the scrap basket: Even your daughter may admit that some things are beyond hope.
Second, weed! This can be a fun time to try things on, laugh about what used to look good, and discover how much she has grown. It is also an opportunity to muse with her about how much the clothes cost and how many resources--water, heat, energy-- were consumed to produce them.
Third, talk about what she still needs and what she wants. This tight economy makes us all aware of our budgets, and this process makes your daughter part of the family's planning. Having completed the weeding process, you both can see what she has and what she needs.
Finally, go shopping. The preceding steps inspire girls to make careful and deliberate purchases, behavior appropriate for our current economic climate-and a life skill.
For ideas, try zelaz.com
Monday, August 10, 2009
New Perspectives on a Pop Icon
I had the wonderful opportunity to take my daughter to the Beyonce concert when she was in town last week. It was truly a memorable, thought-provoking experience!
First, Beyonce is incredibly talented. She writes much of the music she sings, and has a voice that is truly stunning. She's also beautiful. But beautiful in an impressive way. While the lights and make-up artists can enhance anyone's beauty, she strikes an athletic, healthy frame on stage that clearly declares - I'm talented, successful and I have a positive message for girls and women! I wasn't familiar with her music, save for one or two hits, but I was wholly impressed at the content of her music: girls can stand on their own, you don't need a man to be whole, and beauty comes in many forms and figures.
While there was far too much crotch waving and "booty" shaking for my taste, and the back-up singers had cleavage like nobody's business, there was a lot to celebrate about this concert that was filled with teen and preteen fans.
We fall for the tabloids so easily these days, looking to exploit the flaws of the famous. I'm sure Beyonce has her own set of skeletons, like we all do, yet, on stage I saw an engaging, focused singer who is taking her fame seriously. Her concert tour gives a portion of its proceeds to hunger, and ticket holders were encouraged to donate canned food at the entrance.
Her outfits were stylish and indeed refreshing. How she successfully managed eight costume changes WHILE singing the entire time left me wondering. Yet, each outfit was tasteful, well-fitting, and not suggestive or sultry.
To top it off, her band was ALL women. Sure there was a fair share of men running the mixers and lighting on the floor, but on stage, save for four male dancers who appeared occasionally, she touted 13 female musicians, all accomplished and at the top of their game: a drummer and bongo player, two keyboard players, three back-up singers, a lead guitarist who could twang with the best of them, a bass player, and four instrumentalists who clearly loved the work they were lucky enough to do.
My personal favorite was when she donned a floor length sequined gown and sang "At Last" in front of 1960s video clips from the Montgomery bus boycott, Freedom Ride buses and black protesters being arrested for claiming their equal rights. I think much of the footage was lost on the audience, but when she showed a clip of our President dancing at the inauguration with his wife, Michelle, the entire Target Center erupted in cheers of joy and encouragement.
Yes, indeed, Beyonce in concert was an amazing, lasting experience. She has found a way to subliminally connect with young and growing minds in a positive, uplifting way.
I left the concert with my daughter smiling ear to ear and with a new-found appreciation for this pop icon. She's taken her gifts seriously and graciously and is helping make the world a better place. Thanks!
First, Beyonce is incredibly talented. She writes much of the music she sings, and has a voice that is truly stunning. She's also beautiful. But beautiful in an impressive way. While the lights and make-up artists can enhance anyone's beauty, she strikes an athletic, healthy frame on stage that clearly declares - I'm talented, successful and I have a positive message for girls and women! I wasn't familiar with her music, save for one or two hits, but I was wholly impressed at the content of her music: girls can stand on their own, you don't need a man to be whole, and beauty comes in many forms and figures.
While there was far too much crotch waving and "booty" shaking for my taste, and the back-up singers had cleavage like nobody's business, there was a lot to celebrate about this concert that was filled with teen and preteen fans.
We fall for the tabloids so easily these days, looking to exploit the flaws of the famous. I'm sure Beyonce has her own set of skeletons, like we all do, yet, on stage I saw an engaging, focused singer who is taking her fame seriously. Her concert tour gives a portion of its proceeds to hunger, and ticket holders were encouraged to donate canned food at the entrance.
Her outfits were stylish and indeed refreshing. How she successfully managed eight costume changes WHILE singing the entire time left me wondering. Yet, each outfit was tasteful, well-fitting, and not suggestive or sultry.
To top it off, her band was ALL women. Sure there was a fair share of men running the mixers and lighting on the floor, but on stage, save for four male dancers who appeared occasionally, she touted 13 female musicians, all accomplished and at the top of their game: a drummer and bongo player, two keyboard players, three back-up singers, a lead guitarist who could twang with the best of them, a bass player, and four instrumentalists who clearly loved the work they were lucky enough to do.
My personal favorite was when she donned a floor length sequined gown and sang "At Last" in front of 1960s video clips from the Montgomery bus boycott, Freedom Ride buses and black protesters being arrested for claiming their equal rights. I think much of the footage was lost on the audience, but when she showed a clip of our President dancing at the inauguration with his wife, Michelle, the entire Target Center erupted in cheers of joy and encouragement.
Yes, indeed, Beyonce in concert was an amazing, lasting experience. She has found a way to subliminally connect with young and growing minds in a positive, uplifting way.
I left the concert with my daughter smiling ear to ear and with a new-found appreciation for this pop icon. She's taken her gifts seriously and graciously and is helping make the world a better place. Thanks!
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