Friday, January 14, 2011

What is your take on this subject: Gender Neutrality in Toys

I am a geek. I prefer things that are different than "mainstream" (whatever that means anymore!) I like video games, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, MMORPGs (if you know what that is you are a geek too!!)
Anyway you get the point. I would rather go to the renaissance faire than the mall. I am also currently designing the castle that I hope we can move into one day. That is not a metaphor for a big house, I want a literal castle. 

So I am a reader of Geekmom . This week however seems to be a slam fest on Disney Princesses. While I am a big geek and usually enjoy their articles, this one I did not enjoy at all and even find myself angry about it. 

I have three girls the oldest of which just turned 5 last November. The 5 year old is very girly, loves pink and anything that has a crown on! The 3 almost 4 year old loves all toys and really doesn't show a preference to anything except tea parties. The youngest turned 1 in September and she has only shown a preference to baby dolls, giving them bottles etc. NOW.....I have many girly toys, pink, frilly, ruffles glitter and sparkly etc. HOWEVER, we also have buses, cars, match box cars and tools. The middle one likes tools and cars, the oldest does too but the preference is the girl toys. I have even remarked to my husband before that the oldest one kinda skipped over the whole baby doll thing and went right into Princess stuff, Disney or otherwise. The middle one loves the tea party and organizing things, especially tiny things. The youngest makes everything into a baby, stuffed animals and all, and likes to feed them and hug them. 

I also watch a little boy the same age as my youngest. He plays with all the baby toys and the girl toys, but he plays with them differently than my girls do. You wanna know why? Because he is a boy not a girl. 

At what point in time did it become a crime to like girly things if you are a girl? How is it not OK to like the princesses and to dream of those things? Why can't  my girls watch Cinderella and be happy? I really HATE and yes I said HATE when people try to tell me to give my girls positive, strong, independent role models. You wanna know why? Because their role models aren't the Disney Princesses or Princess Fiona or Miley Cyrus. Their role models will be me and their grandmas, aunts and cousins. I don't think that the toys they play with now will make them believe that a prince will come rescue them someday, or even that they need rescuing, that is for us as parents to help them learn about, NOT the Disney Princesses!

I am a traditional person and unlike a lot of people I recognize the fact that men and women have different roles to play in the family. I also recognize that  some of those roles are the traditional "1950" roles that a lot of people want to get rid of! I can not stand when a woman tells me that she can't cook and that her husband will just have to get over it. WHAT THE HECK!?! If a man ever said that to a woman she would go insane and call every friend she knows and probably beat the crap out of him.  How would you feel if your husband told you that? How about if you are moving and he says he can't carry the heavy stuff and that you will just have to get over it?!

Personally for me the traditional roles fit our house. I keep the house, we do the bills together and we both cook. My husband works and I stay home with the kids. This doesn't make me feel like less of a person, or less of a female. It makes me feel good actually and I am tired of women telling me that I shouldn't feel this way because its a traditional role or a gender role etc. There are just some things that women are better at then men and vice versa and once people can accept that then maybe all this garbage about boy toys and girl toys will stop. 

If you are a female and you like boy stuff, great wonderful good for you. If you are a female and you like girl stuff, great wonderful good for you. It doesn't make you any less a girl to like boy stuff or girl stuff, you are still a girl no matter what.

My .02

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Merry Christmas!!

I have only made one post for December because as I do every year I get overwhelmed with things to do! I am making a vow right now to start earlier next year, like in February!! 

Remember the reason for the season and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!








Wednesday, December 15, 2010

SVGCuts!!

I can tell that this is going to be my new obsession!! I LOVE this site! They are having an awesome giveaway right now called The 12 Days of Christmas. I am trying to win a SCAL2 for my mom for Christmas.

Check out the contest and check out the images, they are amazing!!


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A HUGE giveaway on Today's Mama

There is a huge giveaway on Today's Mama, I mean HUGE! I'm talking about a Wii, 360 with Kinect, a DSi AND $1000 gift card to game stop!!!!! WOW!!!! Go here for more details on the contest and grand prize!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlistand GameStop (link to:http://bit.ly/gamestop10are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
That we get to go see the grandparents in North Carolina. This would be the first Christmas ever that the entire  family is not together if we don't get to go.
2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Every year it has been something different, normally we would get up then wake the kids up, but this year will be different because both of my husband's kids will be here for Christmas morning and they are old enough to wake up early and try to sneak downstairs. This year will be fun!
3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
A new house, or a van
4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
We do lots of art projects, coloring, painting, and crafty things. We go to a Christmas Eve service, drive around looking at Christmas lights, this year we are going to walk downtown and look at the store windows.
5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
Monopoly!! That was a HUGE part of our Christmas every year, in fact so huge that my brother still collects Monopoly items.
6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
Coloring lots of Christmas pictures the month before Christmas, Christmas Eve candlelight service. One gift on Christmas Eve.
7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
Charlotte, NC where my parents live and my brothers and their familys
8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
A playstation 3
Rock band 3 for the 360
Harry Potter Wii games!!


Go to Today's Mama for more giveaways!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Rag Dolls

OK so I made some of these a long time ago and I think they are very cute. You can read the original post here. What I am wondering is will these things sell? Or  is the market too flooded for rag dolls? I will be making one of these for my youngest for Christmas. Just wondering what the odds are of them selling and if you think they would, what would you charge?






I need to find someway to make some $ for Christmas this year so we can go to Charlotte to see the grandparents etc. If you think these would sell, please leave me a comment. If you don't think they would sell please leave me a comment! =)

Linking here








Monday, November 15, 2010

Turkey Dress

So my idea came from here but I didn't use the template. Actually I didn't follow these directions either. I just saw it and made up my own thing. I did use the template here for the skirt, although next time I make a circle skirt I will own a serger because ironing and hemming a circle skirt is next to impossible. 

Here are the pics








Linking up here




Monday, November 8, 2010

Countdown to Harry Potter!!

We are about 10 days from Harry Potter 7.1!! I can't wait! I have been a fan since about 2001. I have read all of the books about 10 times each and have all of the movies. I even dressed up as Professor Trewlaney for the book release party for book 7!


Not exact but close, while walking in someone yelled out "They can't make you leave Trewlaney!"

I thought that was awesome!

Anyway, in celebration of movie 7 part one coming out I made a tiny display on one of my built in shelves.



I have more stuff, but it is all in storage in NC. =( I will make a much larger display when part 2 comes out next summer.