6/18/08

Fuel Costs Affect Child-Care Budget

By: Kristin Varela

As with many parents, the end of the school year signals big changes for my family. The benefits of summer (long, sunny days, mud pies and swimming pools) are tempered by reality (I'm a single work-at-home mom who has finally made peace with the fact that I simply can't do it all). So this summer, rather than attempting to perfect my juggling act, I've decided to hire a part-time nanny. So what's the problem, you ask? High gas prices have stolen my dreams of hiring a nanny!

After spending countless hours hemming and hawing, and then having a fantastic pity party (with streamers and confetti), I finally started my search. I didn't think I'd have a hard time finding an edgy, modern-day, eye-candy-esque manny with Mary Poppins-like tendencies. He'd add cultural diversity to my children's lives while cooking, cleaning and hand-washing my frilly knickers.

Well, I didn't find exactly what I was looking for -- please try to contain your shock -- but I did narrow it down to two fantastic options. The first candidate gracefully bowed out, citing high gas prices, after making the 22-mile drive -- that's one way -- for the interview. The second asked for a raise immediately, again referencing gas prices.

This has me wondering how the rest of the familial world is dealing with high gas prices as it relates to child-care providers. Is it appropriate to offer a raise or a fuel stipend, or do I provide my new nanny with a mileage reimbursement plan similar to any other workplace? In the comments section below, please tell our readers (and by readers, I'm selfishly referring to myself) how you're dealing with rising fuel prices while keeping your Mary Poppins-like manny. Also, feel free to leave his phone number below. Thanks.

6/3/08

Baywatch Crew Now Driving Hybrid SUVs

By: Lori Hindman

Los Angeles County's lifeguards are world famous for their skills, their courage and their ability to fill out a red swimsuit. They make up the largest lifeguard organization in the world, and now they can also be famous for being the first lifeguard organization in the country to "go green" with environmentally friendly vehicles. 

Ford recently announced that the first of 45 custom Escape Hybrids were delivered to Los Angeles County lifeguards. Previously, the Baywatch crew drove a fleet of four-wheel-drive Nissan Frontiers on 72 miles of public beaches in Southern California. When Nissan axed its sponsorship of the lifeguard department, Ford was stepped up to the plate.

According to Capt. Perry Harvey, it's been a very positive partnership from the beginning. Once Ford landed the job as the guards' new sponsor, they "really went over and beyond customizing these trucks," Harvey said. "They wanted to make sure that we had everything we needed for our conditions and environment. Kudos to Ford."

Ford engineers spent hours bouncing around in the deepest, softest sand L.A.'s beaches have to offer, testing tires and towing capacities under harsh conditions. The new Escapes have a custom-designed utility box to hold and organize equipment, from paddleboards to defibrillators, while still leaving room to transport passengers when necessary (you know, like for the occasional found kid/lost mom reunion).

The guards at Zuma Beach, near Malibu, were the first to receive their new rides. So far, feedback has been, like, totally stellar. Lifeguards gain visibility and maneuverability in the sand (unlike that jogging stroller I've been lugging across the beach), and the new "mobiles are still that rockin" yellow that the kids love. I was actually wondering how I could go about testing one out in the harsh conditions of Costco and my neighborhood park.

The best part, though, is that the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV out there, so it emits less carbon dioxide during one lifesaving shift than grilling a couple of burgers on the ol' BBQ! �Cause, dude, there's already plenty of yuck in the air in L.A. Trust me.

5/30/08

New GLK Among Movie's Supporting Cast

By: Lori Hindman

What does it take for a mommy to get a high-fashion night out on the town? How about just a movie in the theater that doesn't include animation or super-special-effects superheroes? For me, it takes leaving my (wonderful) husband at home with the kids on assignment from the Chief Mama herself. That happened last night, as the stars aligned and I got to see an actual grown-up movie -- and not just any movie, but the glamour-packed "Sex and the City." Mercedes-Benz hosted a fashionably fabulous sneak preview for its customers and a few lucky journalists, including me.

Relax, I'm not going to spoil the movie. I'm not going to tell you how it ends, or even about the shoes. I am, however, going to tell you about the cars. In case you missed it, taxis aren't the only things these girls ride around in.

Of course, Mercedes is WAY too classy for some over-the-top, in-your-face, could-it-BE-any-more-obvious product placement. Instead, in "Sex and the City" Mercedes is a subtle constant in the background, like when Mr. Big is chauffeured around the city in a black S-Class. Mercedes even offers a sneak preview for the masses when Samantha, living in L.A., goes shopping on Rodeo Drive in a hot-off-the-runway GLK. The GLK is Mercedes' first small SUV offering (think BMW X3). Back in the Big Apple, the girls attend a fashion show sponsored by -- you guessed it -- Mercedes-Benz.

So Mercedes is in the movie. So, by the way, is Jennifer Hudson, and she's terrific. I don't know what she drives, though. I think I was too distracted by the fabulous Louis Vuitton bag she was carrying to notice.

5/28/08

Functional Artist Puts Talent Into Cars

By: Kristin Varela

At a recent Girl's Weekend that introduced the 2009 Audi A4 to lifestyle media, I had the exciting opportunity to spend the weekend chatting up Heather Shaw, who is an interior designer for Audi/Volkswagen. As a Gen-Xer with one of the hottest jobs in the automotive industry, Heather is the envy of many.

Heather's parents started her in art classes when she was 6. By her teen years, she was an accomplished artist searching for an outlet for her passion, "functional art." At 19, Heather was ready to go out into the world and purchase her first brand-spanking-new car (at 31, I still haven't done that). The time she put into researching her new purchase led to a fascination with transportation design, drawing a direct line to her profession as an automotive designer (at 19, weren't most of us still stealing the frat boys' boxers?).

After design internships with Kawasaki and Volvo, Heather landed at the Audi/VW Design Center in California. Her passion is sustainable, effective design, using environmental art, technology and organic nature as her inspiration. While Heather doesn't specifically design cars for any one gender, she notes that if vehicle design is good enough for a woman, it's almost always good enough for a man. I can think of entirely too many other circumstances where that's also the case.

"Women bring different experiences to the design process," she said. Well, yeah...

5/28/08

W Hotels Fancy-Up Drop-Off Service With MDXs

By: Kristin Varela

I know you need a break. You knew it too, the moment you pried your eyes open from a dead sleep at 4:50 this morning to the sound of a little munchkin calling, "Mommy... MOM! I'm starving!" It only got better from there as you stumbled out of bed, stubbed your toe on that big-ass dog bone Buffy dropped next to the bed, threw on your robe (missing its belt tie since the kids used it to make a soccer goal outside three weeks ago), and attempted to make breakfast for a family of four. All this while holding your robe shut with one hand, concocting something resembling French toast despite the fact that the eggs in the fridge expired last week and you had to throw them out. Yes, you deserve a break, and I have the perfect solution for you.

W Hotels, which happen to be a favorite of mine for both business and personal travel (no snooty staff or stuffy, dusty tapestry curtains), has teamed with Acura to cater to the overworked, the overstressed and the privacy-deprived (i.e., every mom on the planet). All 18 North American W Hotel locations (I sampled L.A.'s Westwood property last week) are offering free chauffeured Acura MDXs to hotel guests. OK, fine, like everything in life, there are limitations: The service is only available within a pre-set driving radius, and technically this is a drop-off service.

"We wanted consumers to experience Acura luxury first-hand, and W Hotels offered the perfect venue to do this," said Susie Rossick, who works in advertising for Acura.

Did she say "first-hand luxury?" Sign me up!

The next time you need to indulge in a little escapism to help get you through, try this: Escape to a W, sleep until your eyes open refreshed, regenerated and on their own time frame, throw on a plush spa-like hotel robe -- belt tie and all -- have room service bring you French toast, then stumble down to the Bliss spa for a prenatal massage or a fantastically indulgent pedi. Cap the fantasy off by scheduling a cute chauffer to fight L.A. traffic for you in a swanky new MDX. Then head over to Sprinkles to pick up some treats for the kids. That tells the little ones, "Mommy needed a break, but she loves you enough to bring back cupcakes." Oh, and it's OK to take a little lick out of the cream cheese frosting on the carrot cake cupcake. I won't tell anyone.

5/23/08

Key Advertiser Is Competition's Real Winner

By: Lori Hindman

If you hadn't heard by now, you're probably living under a rock somewhere (which begs the question: How are you reading this?). The verdict is in, and the new "American Idol" is David "The Rocker" Cook. Congratulations, Cookie, from all of us here at MotherProof.com!

I must say, Cook's victory of mature artistry over hormonal teenage insanity has redeemed my faith in the general public. It also, by the way, gives me great hope for November, but that's another blog.

The No. 1 show in America held its finale Wednesday night, and after seeing almost 100 million votes cast, there's no question "American Idol" earns its advertising dollars in spectacular fashion. As one of the show's major sponsors, Ford not only gets prime TV spots, but also some fabulous product placement in the show's Ford music videos, which this year have spotlighted the Mustang and Focus, among others.

To view the videos (including songs such as "Tainted Love," "Ring of Fire" and "Heaven"), visit www.AmericanIdol.com/videos/?cat=506. To top off the love from Ford, both David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta were given Ford Escape Hybrids. Congrats, guys!

5/23/08

Distinctive Wagon Adds to Funny Film

By: Sara Lacey

While my boss is all gaga over the Audi R8 in "Iron Man" (and, really, who wouldn't be?), I happen to be equally gaga over the A6 Avant in "Baby Mama." The movie is funny and so clever, and the car is pretty and, um, clever, too. The product placement isn't overly blatant, which I appreciate, but it doesn't need to be — the A6's grille is so distinctive I couldn't help but notice it.

The car's role in the film was that of the strong, silent type. Kate (Tina Fey's character) owns the car and drives Angie (Amy Poehler's character) around in it. Angie, whose first appearance in the movie features her pulling up in a Suzuki Samurai, can't seem to figure the car out. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but I have to share one laugh in particular.

At one point, Kate and Angie are in the car, and Angie can't figure out how to open the door. I loved this because I've had the same conversation with my kids that Kate has to have with Angie: "Stop pulling the handle when I push the button! Stop it! I can't unlock it when you're pulling the handle! OK, stop it!"

And now I feel kind of like Chris Farley. You remember the part when they're in the car and can't open the door? That was awesome. You remember when Kate says, "I can't unlock it?" That was awesome. Remember how the A6 was in that movie? Cool.

5/21/08

Fire Retardants Linked to Cancer, Birth Defects

By: Courtney Messenbaugh

I can't win. I try to take good care of myself and my family, but it seems almost everything is hazardous to our health these days. You can't smoke, you shouldn't drink too much, you're supposed to say "no" to drugs — OK, kidding, that stuff is bad and we all know it. But what about car seats and infant carriers laden with poisonous chemicals?

Take, for instance, a study that Friends of the Earth recently completed. It found toxic fire-retardant chemicals running rampant in many infant carriers, car seats, strollers and more. Naturally, these chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, neurological disorders and other health problems. Total buzz kill.

In brief, I can tell you that FOE found high levels of these noxious chemicals, called halogenated fire retardants, in 56 percent of infant carriers, 44 percent of car seats, 40 percent of strollers and 19 percent of portable cribs it tested. Not to mention the bassinets, infant/toddler pillows, toddler chairs and walkers that also tested positive for the chemicals.

Visit FOE's website to see a list of baby-product manufacturers who say they don't use halogenated fire retardants. My house seems to be void of any products by these "safe" manufacturers, but you can bet I'll reference it when I purchase a car seat for baby No. 2 arriving late this summer.

FOE recommends asking a salesperson before purchasing your next car seat whether or not it contains halogenated fire retardants, but the employees at my local Babies R Us usually can't even tell me where the restroom is, so I don't know about that. You could also contact the manufacturer to see if it uses these chemicals, just be prepared to be on hold for a bit. FOE says products made with wood or metal are your best choices, as are polyester, down and wool fillings. Now, that seems pretty straightforward — I can do that!

Slowly but surely I am conquering the poisonous beasts that lurk around me and my family in our car and home. Now if only I could conquer that darn laundry beast.