First off, let me say I fully support the right of every woman to whip out a boob wherever she pleases to feed her child. Second off, let me say, I am a very modest person and don't really want to flash nip at random strangers. So what's the best way to breastfeed an infant in public?

Got you beat, SwissClogs . . .

Happiness all around!!

I'm looking for a gift for my sister. I'd like to do something American-made. I'm thinking candles, cosmetics, art & decor, jewlery, stationery, you know, gifty-things, in the $50 range.

We've had a lot of boy diaries. Here is one about girls...Elisa

OK it’s my turn. I’m having a girl and while I am at time beyond happy that she appears to be healthy and that I will someday have someone to get pedis with, there are other times I am terrified.

Go ahead, read in dim light and only drink one glass of water a day. You'll be just fine, according to
this Newsweek article

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Can I just tell you how annoying my MIL is? With BIL’s wedding last weekend and Thanksgiving coming up, I have seen quite a bit of her and I swear I could throw a brick at her head.

Should parents be required to revisit their high school years? My initial reaction reveals my uber-geeky nature: "Sounds fun!" But I might feel differently if actually forced to do this...-Erika

Today's New York Times had an interesting article about a teacher who assigns homework to the parents of his high school English students. They are expected to write essays on the same topics their kids are studying. If they don't comply, their kid's grade suffers.

The point, he said, is to keep parents involved in their children's ' education well into high school. Studies have shown that parental involvement improves the quality of the education a student receives, but teenagers seldom invite that involvement. So, Mr. Frye said, he decided to help out.

''Parents complain about never getting to see their kids' work,'' he said. ''Now they have to.''

Some parents, he added, seem happy to revisit their high school years.

''There was one parent last year who would write pages and pages of stuff. It was great, so good to read,'' said Mr. Frye, who graduated from Montclair High in 1994.

Others are more resistant. ''When my daughter told me about the homework, I looked at her and said, 'You've got to be kidding me. I graduated. I'm done,''' said Lydia Bishop, a local real estate broker whose daughter Vanessa was in Mr. Frye's class last year. ''I did it very resentfully, but I did it.''

I like products. I admit it. I like choices. I'm the kind of person who stares at the wall of lotion at Target and thinks, too bad they don't make exactly what I'm looking for. When I find a good product, it makes me happy. When they stop making it, I feel very sad.

Of course, we all know that Things Don't Matter and You Can't Buy Happiness. And I have all these theoretical objections to capitalism and consumerism but at the end of the day, I really do love a good product.

I think it would be fun to make a list of my favorite things (because thinking about my favorite things really does improve matters, as Rodgers and Hammerstein suggested). And I want to hear all about your favorite things, too!

Disclaimer: I am not a paid endorser of any of the products listed below but would be happy if someone offered me the position.

Without further ado, here is a list of my favorite things, in no particular order:

So I don't give gifts specifically for the thank you, but sometimes the lack of one really bugs me. Case in point, I sent someone a birthday gift over three weeks ago and have yet to receive so much as a quick e-mail thanking me. I'm a busy woman, working full time, raising a prechooler, running and whatnot, yet I can manage an e-mail right away, a phone call in a few days, and/or a thank you note in about two weeks' time. It's just rude not to acknowledge a gift.

My son had the flu last week (no we did not get the flu shot, yes I will do so in the future) and we gave him Tamiflu. My sister said Tamiflu really helped her when she had the flu to recover quickly so I thought we'd give it a try.

Four days into his five day regimen, he broke out in hives. On the advice of the nurseline, we took him to the ER. They dosed him with a steroid pill and recommended a double dose of benadryl. He's hive-free now.

I didn't question that it was a reaction to Tamiflu, but on the way home I had a thought--he also ate two peanut butter sandwiches that day-- waaaay more than he's ever eaten.

This may or may not be the final chapter in the I am so mad at my day care series. It all depends whether I decide to take them to conciliation court.

Apparently Consumer Reports is withdrawing its recent study showing infant car seats failing at alarming rates.

http://www.cnn.com/...

The studies they conducted were flawed in that the conditions of their test approximated a 70 mph crash, not a 38 mph one.

Well, that's a relief, I guess.

Just wanted to let y'all know.