All posts in: Kids

28 Jun 2019

Kidlets In Social Media

As many of you have probably noticed, Yow Yow! has taken a back seat in the last couple of weeks. My first and one true love – my job has consumed much of my time lately, but this isn’t the first time we’ve been here. Over brunch, I started to share with Kevin about how little time I’ve spent writing. If it were up to me, I’d make time every night for it. However, after a long nine-hour day, every day, my brain doesn’t have the energy to even string words together in a sentence. “Is the blog done?” Kevin asked. It’s not, but it prompted me to consider how much further I could take this.

There’s a few more chapters that I haven’t covered in my life that I hope to hit someday, but does it need to be shared? One of those chapters that I’ve pondered is kids. Will I have them or opt out? Does Yow Yow! then become a blog for moms and parents? This trickled down to another topic. I promise I’m getting to the point here. As blog owners, we have ultimate control of what we post and when we post. Those in our lives – family, friends, etc. don’t always get a say about whether or not they can be excluded. So who steps in for the kids?

I read a funny article the other day about a teenage daughter who asked her mom to stop posting about her on her blog and Instagram account. The daughter had a point here! She wasn’t wrong at all and the mother refusing just came off as a little immature to me. There is this boundary that I think about for when kids are in that cute phase vs. when kids figure out what’s going on and want out. It’s not fair to them that they have to have their life documented every step of the way even if their parents choose that path for themselves.

I recently started following an SF mom blogger this year who has an adorable young daughter named Marni. They have the cutest adventures going shopping and eating at restaurants I want to eat at. Her parents began making stickers of her facial expressions and selling them. I’m an owner of her classic “side eye” sticker which I proudly display on the back of my phone case. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t wonder what Marni will think about when she looks back on this in her life. I recently adopted a practice. In the last couple of years, my friends have started having kids of their own. If I’m ever around their kids and they’re being cute, it’s a habit to film a quick video or snap a photo for Instagram Stories. It happens so fast, I don’t even think about it! These days, I ask permission. It’s as simple as saying, “I took this photo/video, are you okay with me posting it?”

I get responses on both sides. Ultimately though, I need to respect that parents are doing what is best for their kids and while I’m okay with my life out in the world, many people don’t wish the same.

13 Apr 2019

Cute Watch Of The Weekend

Mila Kunis took over for Ellen this week and this is the cutest interview you will ever see. We’re actually going to post a string of videos tonight because at the end of the week, that’s all I have the capacity for! I kid. It has been a busy work week and today, Angel and I spent four hours planning our trip to Taiwan. Soon, we’ll really be on a mini hiatus from Yow Yow! but I can’t wait to bring back all this great Taiwan content back home to you all.

07 Apr 2019

A Collection Part 54

For me, birthdays can act as complete shifts in your life. It was decided that this year, I wouldn’t celebrate the way I normally would and opt for smaller gatherings. The morning after last weekend’s wedding, my friends and I seemed to all decide that we were going to change our perspectives on how we had been “doing life.” In my day-to-day, my weekdays are now packed with activities every night while my weekends are seemingly quite open.

I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t it worse to go out and have a night of drinking during the work week? Yes, it’s completely irresponsible, but I don’t make the rules here! I will say, that it does feel great to wake up in the morning on the weekends without a hangover and with a complete and clear mind to tackle the day. It also means I can make it to my 11AM workout class without any regrets.

This moment right now is not in balance, but I have some high hopes that we’ll be able to get there. Eventually.

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06 Apr 2019

Rent the Runway Ventures Into Kid’s Clothing

The popular subscription service announced on Friday that kid’s clothing will now be added as part of their product offerings. Recently valued at over $1 billion, Rent the Runway is keeping up with momentum and expanding their market. The children’s targeted service will allow customers to rent out four pieces at a time and can include any kind of combination of clothing or accessories. These kids are operating on high fashion though and will have their pick of Milly, Marc Jacobs, Fendi and Chloe.

As a child, I could never keep my pieces clean as hard as I tried! If I were to use this service on a little one, it would definitely be for more special occasions. Then again, why rent if you have a washer / dryer? Are we, in general, getting out of hand with subscription services?

“We decided to do kids [clothing] based on the requests and pleas from our subscribers and community,” says Rent the Runway COO Maureen Sullivan. “I think people have realized it’s so impractical to buy your kids more expensive clothing — even though it’s so tempting — based on how infrequently kids get dressed up and how quickly they grow.” 

[Source]

21 Feb 2019

Why Safe Playgrounds Aren’t Great For Kids

I loved this little bite sized clip. Obviously, it’s not something that I considered or even thought of while growing up, but it makes so much sense. Playgrounds are designed to keep kids safe and while there is imagination there, there is a block as well. It does prevent us from really letting that creativity fly.

30 Jan 2019

A Collection Part 53

Tonight I did something for the first time that I’ve never done with these posts. Since I started working on this post over the holidays while I was at home there were a few Christmas themed photos in this batch. As I scrolled through the preview, I didn’t feel that same spark or attachment to them as I once had. So while on my way to finish this post, I replaced those photos. Since we’ve been through 53 rounds of this and I’ve never once replaced any photos before posting, in some way, I felt like I was being inauthentic. Could my readers tell that I had swapped them out? Of course not. But I would know and that kind of ate me up for about 15 minutes.

We haven’t written our resolutions post yet, but this made me think of two previous resolutions I’ve had. A few years back, I had “say yes to everything.” The intent was good, sure. But saying “yes to everything” can sometimes do more harm than good. Sometimes you say yes to things when you don’t want to. Maybe saying yes to things causes you to spend money when you don’t want to. Have experiences that you don’t think you’ll appreciate. The next year I refined that resolution: do the things you want to do. And that has stuck around longer than saying “yes.” So if that’s what I truly believe, why not act upon that when it comes to this blog and my posts?

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23 Jul 2018

A Collection Part 51

For those of you who have been following Yow Yow! for years now, you know that these are some of my most intimate posts. Often times, I’m saying more with the images that I select than in the paragraphs I’m writing ahead of the post. For the first time ever, I’ve selected images that come from only one source. I recently discovered a new Tumblr that has become a fast favorite. Worried at first that I wouldn’t have enough material to use or even that the post would be an inaccurate representation of what I was hoping to convey ended up not being a real concern after all.

It has been a week of being completely stress free and living in my moments without having a plan. I think these photos depict an image of that. I think this is what carefree-ness and whimsy looks like and it’s entirely how I’m feeling. In these photos, you’ll notice that there are some up-close shots of a part of a body or detail zoomed in. I may not have known it at the time when I was picking out the photo, but it ended up being more intentional than planned. I wanted to focus and hone in on one thing specifically as opposed to doing the whole “big picture” thing.

Read more “A Collection Part 51”

23 Mar 2018

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Trailer

It’s a little strange to become emotional over a movie trailer, but when you’re someone that also gets emotional over wedding videos for people that you don’t know – nothing is surprising anymore. Mr. Rogers was a large part of my upbringing. My parents tell me that when I was younger, I adored him. At my age now, hearing that seems a little creepy? Unconventional? But when you’re a child, you’re so impressionable and that kind of innocence is something to be treasured.

This documentary will be shown in select theaters in June. I’m very interested in learning more about the man behind the cardigan and who Fred was outside of my television.

03 Feb 2018

Warby Parker for Little Ones

The eyewear brand is tapping into a new market after having so much success since their launch in 2010. For the first time ever, they are unveiling a collection of glasses just for kids. Frames will start at just $95.

“Over the years, we’ve heard from customers on the hunt for smaller — but just as good-looking — options for their kids,” said Warby Parker’s Co-CEO and Co-Founder Dave Gilboa, in a press statement. And starting Tuesday, fans of the brand will be able to purchase mini specs for their tot-sized offspring at any one of its eight New York City stores during a 12-week pilot run.

These playground-friendly glasses are scaled-down versions of longtime favorite frames — Wilkie, Lyle, Louise, Percey, Chamberlain and Daisy — and will be available in an assortment of equally treasured hues — Peony, Jet Black, Eastern Bluebird Fade, Oxford Blue Crystal, Crystal, Oak Barrel and Tea Rose Fade. The smaller-shaped glasses come in two sizes: A junior size for kids aged eight and up and a junior-junior size for littler ones, aged four (peak adorableness) to seven.

Growing up, I still remember my first pair of frames and as hard as I tried to find the most stylish pair, I never won. Functional sure, fashion forward? Not so much. I’ve been a fan of Warby Parker frames since they began so it’s wonderful to hear that now kids can get in on the action.

[Source]