Two Knives

StealthBadger was right, I don’t want to post things like this on my new blog, but I sure as heck can still do it here. So, seven facts about me:

1. It took me ten years to get my B.A.

2. I grew up with four brothers, all older than me. That explains how I can talk my way out of most situations.

3. At different times in my life, I’ve wanted to be: a writer, a chemist, a nun, and an actress. Not in that order.

4. If you find me at the bottom of the river, you’ll know I was murdered, because I HATE THE WATER.

5. I own a Hummel.

6. While reading seven things about SB, I had to look up BDSM. 

7. I refuse to tag people for memes. Oh, maybe you knew that.

Visit me at Corporate Babysitter.

I quit working about 18 months ago to enter the world of SAHMs.

My job as an events coordinator with a for-profit higher eduction company had left me a tad, well, wrung out. Depleted. Wasted. I was a quivering mass of jelly and bones piled in the corner of my office at the time I quit.

Husband: So, what are you going to do with all your time now?
Two Knives: I don’t know. I thought I’d write a little.
Husband: Oh.

I had been yearning to write, as many of us do, because I thought I had something to say. I also wanted to figure out exactly what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life so that I could start a grown-up career. And stop counting meatballs.

The idea of writing a blog did not occur until several months later. One daughter was in school, the other in preschool parttime, so I had a few hours free every day. I decided to just do it.

I dove in head first. I started posting with only the goal that I post almost every day. I found the exercise of writing and posting, without the time for second drafts or feedback, invigorating. I joined a couple online communities. I posted comments on other people’s blogs. And people began to read mine.

In the midst of all the writing and posting and commenting, something happened: a theme emerged. As much as I wanted to be funny and write about parenting and housework – I couldn’t. I kept returning to the topic that really made me angry: corporate marketing directed at children.

Angry? I should say really pissed off.

Some days, I would scan the jobs openings at local nonprofits to see if something caught my attention. No more corporate jobs for me, no sir. After all, I had taken courses in nonprofit management along the way to my master’s degree. And I wanted a new job I could be passionate about.

But my mind kept coming back to the children’s marketing issue. 

Then I started to realize something. Perhaps the anger I felt wasn’t so much anger. Maybe it was — passion?

Could this be what I was passionate about?

Then I got this really crazy idea: Why not do something? Why not create a nonprofit? With an agenda I could be passionate about?

Can you do that?

I guess you can. I’m pleased to introduce Parents for Ethical Marketing and its blog, Corporate Babysitter.

If anyone’s still reading I want to thank some people: those kind bloggers who befriended me at the beginning and kept me going: Roy, Jessica, Zesty, Liz Strauss, and StealthBadger; bloggers Chilihead, Amy, and Mom for their tremendous support and encouragement; & Mel, for his ear and editing kindness.

And most importantly, thank you to my husband, who has tolerated my obsession, maintained enthusiasm for it, and supported me one hundred percent.

Thanks for reading. Now, let’s get to work.

I’ve answered Chili’s call for five holiday gift-giving ideas. You’d think shopping and Two Knives would be like oil and water. Not necessarily true.

1.  Maybe you already know about Etsy, for all things handmade? My favorite is shop is Beeper Bebe. I dare you to resist this:

No parts to fall off, safe for baby, and made from recycled materials. By a mom. I dare you.

2. Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt. What to do with all those t-shirts that don’t quite fit? This book is a great gift for someone who likes to sew, or a good reference for you if you want to make something to give yourself. *Helpful hint for additional recycling fun: buy it used at Amazon.

3. Northern Sun is just down Lake Stree a few blocks from my house but offers everything you’d ever need in “activist” t-shirts and accessories. Suggestions: I embarrass my offspring button or the popular Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History on just about anything. Warning: Lefty, so if you are politically sensitive you’d better stay away.

4.  No links here but a great idea if you have a child in your life and you are Christian and you ususally have a Christmas tree (otherwise skip to #5): I give my daughters an ornament each year that signifies something special about that year (a piano, for example, the year that piano lessons started). Each girl also has a special journal, in which I chronicle the year, the ornament, and a bit about its meaning. The journal is kept in a special box with the ornaments and only comes out when the oraments do. Each year they look forward to opening the box and we usually end up telling and retelling stories surrounding the ornaments. Bonus: they’ll have some ornaments of their own if/when they have their own Christmas trees and won’t have to rely on a starter set from Home Depot.

5. Tried and true: Kid’s Art Notepads from Family Fun. These are darling with a young child’s drawing on them. Of course, if you don’t have young children, feel free to use my daughter’s drawing of the human head pinata.

More and more ideas at: