Strollerderby : cocktail playdate

Ahead of the curve: Cocktails healthy

Melissa Summers — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:34:00 GMT

It's been well established I like the cocktails, even though some people think that makes me an irresponsible twit. It turns out it makes me an irresponsible and slightly healthier twit. My husband and I often have a cocktail made with pomegranate juice in the evenings after he's had a long run (no, I don't run but I need antioxidants too!) and we joke about it's high antioxident content and how it's actually a 'restorative health drink'. But it turns out, we were right.

Researchers found that adding ethanol, the type of alcohol found in tequila, rum, vodka and others, boosted the antioxidant ingredients in strawberries and blackberries. (Come on pomegranate!). Antioxidants are chemicals found in colored fruit or vegatable which stop cell damaging free radicals. People who eat these fruits and vegetables have less heart disease, cancer and some neurological diseases. You fell asleep? Me too. Logan's tried several time to explain the antioxidant/free radical thing but I fall asleep every time. Just get the shaker out.

This study was not funded by me personally. It was accidentally discovered as researchers from Thailand with the US Department of Agriculture were exploring ways to keep strawberries fresh during storage. Now go get healthier!

Moms Too Drunk to Tackle Today Show "Momtini" Debate?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:24:00 GMT

The last time the Today Show ran a segment on mother fuddlers, the blogosphere lit up with heated debates about mixing alcohol with playdates. Personally, I mix my alcohol with gin, but to each her own. This time around, however, all seems quiet. For now.

Maybe that's because Today Show guest Stefanie "So Hot She Must be Anorexic" Wilder-Taylor yesterday debunked some people's perceptions that moms who drink around their kids are loutish lushbags. She was funny. She was intelligent. She asked for more beer. Who wouldn't like her?

No one that I could find. And I searched -- I swear to god. In putting together this list of the blogosphere reaction to the latest segment, I couldn't find an anti-drinking stance anywhere following the show yesteday. Maybe, and most likely, I'm just a moron -- but I'd like to think people have come to see this issue for what it really is: B.S. Who doesn't drink in front of their kids? Who doesn't drink because of their kids?

Z Recommends offers blogger solidarity with "Mothers for Social Drinking " blog badges. Go get one. Now!

IzzyMom has had enough of the non-debate. "Christ…it’s no wonder we’re NOT all self-medicating after dealing with such nonsense for two weeks in a row."

A Mommy Story believes moms can, gasp, make their own damn decisions. "Personally, I don't think moms are scared of being called a bad parent. I think we're sick of being told that anything we do could make us bad parents, as if we are incapable of making reasonable and sane parenting choices."

Suburban Bliss Melissa Summers, who got unfortunately railroaded when she was on the Today Show the first time this topic came up, rejoiced when host Meredith Viera was asked her opinion and stumbled. OK, rejoiced is a weak word. "I think I had an orgasm at that point."

Desperately Seeking Sanity has no problem with a few drinks, just watch what you say: "Just please refrain from telling me I’m a horrible mother….I might have to console myself with lots of alcohol and that would endanger my children and it would be all your fault … KIDDING!"

MamaKBear loves her some Jose Cuervo.

Elizabeth McDonald at 451Press wonders when parents will stop judging each other and start teaching their kids to make awesome margaritas.

To include some type of counter opinion, Viera herself defended her role in the debate, saying last week she thought making a comparison between moms and babysitters was fair - although she does enjoy a drink "from time to time."

The way I see it, drinking occasionally isn't her problem. Not drinking all the time is.

I'm sure I've missed a lot of great voices in this debate, so if you're not sick of it -- let me know about them and I'll update this. I'd especially like to hear from the anti-drinking side, if only to silently mock you.

(Photo from I'm Not a Wino, Not Yet a Girl -- check her out.)

Cocktail Playdates Redux on the Today Show

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:02:00 GMT

Because of the heated reaction to The Today Show's segment on cocktail playdates which aired on 1/26/07 Meredith Viera and company decided to update the segment this morning by bringing back Dr. Janet Taylor (the mental health professional-slash-mother of four) and Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, the author who was featured drinking white wine while her kids played in her back yard.

The Today Show must have received an overwhelming number of emails and letters in support of "martini moms" because today's piece was livelier and less judgmental. Instead of focusing on "what if something should happen...you're a bad mom..." it was more about showing that one drink at a playdate is not a huge deal. Dr. Taylor even seemed to have softened her stance by saying that she doesn't have a problem with playdate drinking, but if you are drinking to self-medicate, then you might have a problem. Well, duh.

I'm happy they addressed the gender bias and how no one talks about men drinking at a party, but the moment women are involved, judgments are flying. I'm also happy there were no lame references to iVillage polls. All they had to do was take a stroll around the internet to see how moms and dads felt about this NONissue.

Wilder-Taylor even got a laugh out of the set when she said that modelling responsible drinking was not "splitting a beer" with your husband. She thinks everyone should "get their own beer." Meredith Viera even closed the segment by saying she could use a drink "right now." Oh really, at 8:00AM, Meredith? Do we need to talk?

[graphic credit: Suburban Bliss]

Cocktail Playdates: What's the Big Deal?

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:15:00 GMT

Did you catch the Today Show this morning? Melissa Summers was on with Meredith Viera discussing the "cocktail playdate" phenomenon.

When Melissa told me she was going on the show, I was worried that the producers would try to paint those of us that might like to have a cocktail or glass of wine at playdates (no, not every one, and not at 9:00 AM although some days...) as a bunch of irresponsible alcoholics, but my impression was that it was a very balanced segment.

The moms they interviewed were all women I'd be happy to have over some afternoon to share a bottle of wine. And Melissa is right, if you have a problem with that we probably can't be friends. And people that criticize moms who drink responsibly BECAUSE WE'RE ADULTS, are just looking for an excuse to critize, well, anything.

The Today Show polled iVillage members and 57% disapproved of "momtinis." I think the numbers would be different if they polled on a site like Babble. So what do you think? Have you ever shared a bottle of wine or mixed up a batch of mojitos with other parents while your kids are around? Or should alcohol never mix with children?

[graphic credit: Suburban Bliss]