am I the only person who doesn’t care about the Black Friday? The waking up early, the standing in line, the crowds (mobs) of people. All for what? To spend money! No thank you, I’ll just stay home and buy nothing.
http://www.thecowgoddess.com/2007/11/21/buy-nothing-day-2007/
I’d decided nothing good can come from checking my email before church on Sunday’s. So, together, Paul and I decided that we will turn off the computers Saturday night and leave them off till the kids fall asleep Sunday night. Family day. No computers. Unplug.
Warning; This is my personal rant. This is what works for MY family. If your family isn’t doing this, my place is not to judge you. We can all only do what we feel is best. Ok, now on with the blog….
Skye’s all girl. It amazes me how she’s naturally attracted to girly stuff even though she’s surrounded by boy toys. I have to admit that I’ve kept her away from the Disney Princess game. I didn’t BAN it entirely but I don’t go out of my way to encourage it either. For LOTS of reasons including; the sense of entitlement that comes with being a ‘princess’, we won’t be playing that game here, no one is better than anyone else. No one is entitled to anything. You have to want it, to work at it. You don’t just get ‘it’ by being cute. It’s not good to just get everything you want in life. Sure it would be nice, but you have to have some disappointments. But the biggest reason is the consumerism. I do fight hard to keep my kids out of the marketers hands (and my wallet too!).
In early 2000, when Andy Mooney was hired by Disney’s Consumer Products division to help combat dropping sales, the idea for the Disney Princess franchise was born. Soon after joining Disney, Mooney attended his first Disney on Ice show. While waiting in line, he found himself surrounded by young girls dressed as princesses. “They weren’t even Disney products. They were generic princess products,” he mused. Soon after realizing the demand, the Disney Princess line was formed.
Despite limited advertising and no focus groups, the various Disney Princess items released became a huge success. Sales at Disney Consumer Products rose from $300 million in 2001 to $3 billion in 2006. Today there are over 25,000 products based on the franchise
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So, needless to say I don’t need their marketing practices influencing my family or my children. I’d like to think of us as more than consumers. Once we start consuming it starts consuming us. We become monsters, wanting more, wanting it all. Well, I just think there is more depth to life than that. Happiness comes from within. Not Target.
All that said…. the other day at the library Skye sees a CD-ROM with THE DISNEY PRINCESSES on the cover. She says ‘mama, that my size’ in other words, that’s for me!! I said OK, let’s pick ONE and check out a book on her. So she picked Ariel. She wasn’t really interested in the book, but oh well. I guess I realised I can’t keep it from her forever. And I do expect that from about 3 to 6 or whenever she will be interested. And I will allow it, in limited quantities and highly supervised.
While on the subject, what’s up with this??
http://www.parentdish.com/2005/11/30/blogging-baby-size-six-disney-movies-where-mom-dies/–
BTW, don’t think Carter gets out free on this. If we go see a movie, we DON’T buy every piece of garbage that is associated with the movie. First of all, it’s garbage, likely made in China (with unfair work conditions and lead paint!), and it’s play time is about…hmmm.. a day?!?! Maybe?!?! Now, if we are still interested in a movie, we can rent a game or maybe find a book based on it.
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/articles/featured/trashingwalle.htm
If your interested in learn more about consuming kids I recommend this site
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/
and mamas of girls (or anyone really!) I HIGHLY recommend this book. It’s a real eye opener!
http://www.amazon.com/Packaging-Girlhood-Rescuing-Daughters-Marketers/dp/B001GVJC10/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226224216&sr=8-1
more reading on marketing to children. these practices get really questionable (at least by some..)
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/articles/featured/stuffingourkids.htm
Disney; Keep those little consumers coming!! Even if it costs them there health (with products I consider not ‘food’)
http://www.alternet.org/story/43181/?page=1
I’ve always thought of my blog as more of an online scrapbook than a journal/diary (hence all the happy go lucky posts) but I’m still mad.
I was hit last night alone in the car. Our neighborhood has a series of yield signs, nearly no stop signs. Last night I was on my way our solo and some idiot kids zipped from across Inkster to our side and blew their yield and crashed right into me. I saw the accident was unavoidable so I sped up and got out of the way as much as I could. But it still hit our passenger rear and our car us undriveable. Ok, so accidents happen right? I didn’t cause it (I’m actually a very safe driver!) but the chickens#$ts ran away. They never even stopped. I was spun around into a 180 and I saw the look in their eyes while they sped away. My temper came out in my and I was so mad I followed then 3 blocks. Got the first 3 letters of their licence plate. Then some neighbors chased them down a bit more, but they were gone. The police found their front end. I doubt the car drove much further.
So now the hassle. Cleaning out the car. Maybe getting new car seats (have to research this, no air bags went off but I was always told ANY crash needs new car seats). Rental cars (hopefully our insurance covers). None of this is a big deal. I’m OK. It could have been so much worse! What if I would have had to gone to the hospital? September is proving to be a bad month for us and accidents (Carter got 3 staples last September).
Anyway, life’s way of telling me to slow down from all we’ve been doing lately…
I guess it was the fact we went back to school before labor day every year that I just assumed Summer was over Labor Day weekend. My birthday (the 11th of September) I called a Fall birthday. Well last year I had an awakening! My birthday is a SUMMER birthday. DUH. So, just because everyone else is going back to school and calling summer over doesn’t mean we have to. I fully plan on celebrating summer till the Autum Equinox (September 22nd). We will still go swimming (well to the beach, on nice days, the pool will be closed). We will still run though the spriklers. We will still enjoy our garden. UNTILL FALL!! I even considered not starting homeschooling till then, but Carter is itching to get at it already 
My friend S planted these for me when we moved. I’m so happy she brought these over. It might be the best variety of sunflowers ever.
Great for cutting too
How nice was it this year to take a break from all the excess? I know a lot of people must have not had jobs because of it (stylists, limo drivers….) but still it just loved it. A nice break, if only for a year!
Today is the last day of the year. Carter wants to do something ‘really big’ today Tonight we will take the kids to a neighboring city’s NYE celebration complete with countdown at 8pm. Just so excited to find something kid friendly to do.
2007 has been a good year all in all. We did A LOT of things this year, went a lot of places. Too bad the year has to end with a drama filled Christmas. Maybe a new year will give a new start.
Happy New Year everyone!!
Why does it seem like everything breaks after a year? My socks, purchased a year ago, have holes in them. The remote, isn’t working right (even with new batteries). The list is endless. Have companies planned for this? Of course they have an interest in you making more purchases, so have they done the research to see what exactly they can do to make their products last just.one.year?
Just some random (crazy) thoughts in my head today as I get ready.