Kara Wahlgren

wordsmith. grammar champion. picture taker.

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An Ongoing List of Things I Might Be Doing When I’m Not Writing

July 22, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

A few months ago, I photographed an engagement session at Independence Park. While I was angling the bride and groom to avoid having a ton of tourists milling around in the background, it hit me: People had traveled from all over to see this place, and here it was, practically in my backyard, and I hadn’t been there to visit since middle school. I’d shot a couple of weddings and e-sessions, but hadn’t actually walked over to the Liberty Bell, or stopped by Constitution Hall. There are so many local things I’ve been “meaning” to do, so I want to see how many of them I can check off the list! I’m including links for anyone else local to Philly/South Jersey/the Jersey Shore.

♥♥♥

[X]  Go to Longwood Gardens.

[X]  Do an art project on “second Sundays” at Philly’s Magic Gardens.

image from phillymagicgardens.org
image from phillymagicgardens.org

 

[X]  Walk through Batsto Village.

[ ]  Get Indian food at Shamong Diner. How have my kids never eaten at a Jersey diner?!

[ ]  Hang out on the nature trail and draw whatever we see.

[ ]  Go “swimming” in Rubbermaid bins. (Stealing this idea from my resourceful friend Jamie.)

[ ]  Go “treasure hunting” in a block of ice.

[ ]  Visit Independence Park and actually see the Declaration and the Bell!

[X]  Walk the High Line in NYC.

[ ]  Go to the Top of the Rock. I saw a Jimmy Fallon taping at Rockefeller last year thanks to an awesome childhood friend with an extra ticket, but I’ve never gone up to the roof!

photo by Flickr user prinsrichard via Creative Commons

 

[X]  Make smores in our fire pit. We’ve owned the pit for four years and haven’t made a single fire yet!

[X]  Pick your own berries. This is a freebie because we do it every year 🙂

[X]  Go camping. The boys went without me last year — I want in this time!

[ ]  Camp in our own backyard. I mean, we live in the woods, right?

[ ]  Go to the FunPlex water park.

[ ]  Go to the Smith Memorial Playground in Philly and slide down the big wooden slide.

[X]  Do “Boo at the Zoo” at the Philadelphia Zoo. The boys loved this last year.

[X]  Go back to “Day Out with Thomas” at Strasburg Railroad and Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Ronks.

Filed Under: random Tagged With: things to do at the jersey shore with kids, things to do in philly with kids, things to do in south jersey with kids

HUFFPOST: For the Love of Olaf, Can We Stop Dissecting Frozen?

March 2, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

There’s something I need to address about Frozen: I’d like everyone to please stop addressing things about Frozen. Seriously. I’m burnt out on Frozen stories. If I read one more article micro-analyzing this movie and digging up all its supposedly dirty secrets, I’m going to cryokinetically build a meat freezer and lock myself inside.

HuffPost-parenting-writer-frozen

 

There was the complaint that Elsa and Anna’s eyeballs were bigger than their wrists, thus creating an unrealistic dimorphism between genders. Because realism is obviously a huge concern in a movie with a talking snowman and a girl who can build an ice castle with a few sweeping hand gestures. 

Then there was the revelation that Frozen‘s “secret villains” are Elsa and Anna’s parents, which is kind of like saying Scar was the secret villain of The Lion King. They exiled their daughter for being different. Maybe they meant well, but I doubt anyone thought they were heroes.

Also, apparently Frozen is the most progressive Disney film ever. For starters, it doesn’t end with true love breaking a spell for the princess (spoiler alert ahead in case you’re really worried about spoilers even though the movie came out five months ago). It ends with the love of family breaking the spell, which is groundbreaking except the same thing also happened in Brave. Also, we get a fleeting glimpse at a two-dad family, which is cool. Granted, it’s so fleeting that there was a bit of a debate about whether that was actually the shopkeeper’s hubby and kids, or just a dude with a really tiny wife. Still, that split-second scene spawned even more blog posts about whether Frozen was pushing a “gay agenda.” No, really. (That same blogger complained that the movie is “anti-obedience”; if you’re worried about that, stick to Finding Nemo so your kids realize that the first time they defy you, they’ll probably be kidnapped by an Australian scuba diver.)

Then there was a round of discussion over whether a deleted scene, in which the sisters actually hung out during their formative years, would have changed the game of the movie. Yeah, it probably would have — I’m guessing that’s why it was deleted. In Cars, there was a deleted scene in which McQueen’s engine was transplanted, Body Snatchers-style, into a road paver. It was all kinds of creepy. Deleted scenes are usually deleted for a reason.

There was also the backlash over Elsa’s transformation during “Let It Go” — the knee-high slit in her skirt is too sexy and her hips are entirely too swishy. Never mind that the gloves she peels off were literally used to suppress her power — the scene was compared to Sandy’s bad-girl makeover in Grease. (One girl builds her own kingdom and the other takes up smoking, but sure, I guess it’s the same.)

Most recently, there was a post from a mom who believes “Let It Go,” the movie’s anthem of self-acceptance, actually serves as a “protest song” for kids who are fed up with the banishment aspect of time-out. Because a two-minute time-out is just like being exiled in your bedroom for a decade. 

My personal analysis? Frozen has double the princesses. It has a big anthem with small words for toddler-sized divas. Elsa’s superpower, in its best moments, is the visual equivalent of Spider-man shooting glitter, which is awesome. If you think Frozen is going to shape your kid’s development, don’t worry — you have way more pull than that. It’s just a movie. I watched The Little Mermaid a few zillion times as a tween, and I never had the urge to run away with a sailor or wear a shell bra. 

So if something about Frozen is bothering you, I think you know what I’m about to say: Please, for the sanity of moms everywhere who can’t handle another analysis of Frozen, let it go. Let. It. Go. LET IT $%^&ING GO.

If you want to know the secret, hidden, subliminal agenda of Frozen, look no further than Kristen Anderson and Bobby Lopez’s Oscar speech: “Never let fear and shame keep you from celebrating the unique people that you are.” Oh, and it’s totally possible to pull off a braid with formalwear.

This post was reprinted at Huffington Post.

Filed Under: random Tagged With: disney frozen, hidden messages in frozen

4 Reasons I Actually Like Traveling with Kids

May 30, 2013 by admin Leave a Comment

I’ve spent the past few days researching toddler-friendly vacation destinations, which means I’ve spent the past few days reading countless suggestions on message boards that perhaps we should just stay home. The  argument, in a nutshell, is that vacations aren’t as important as everyday togetherness for keeping your family unit strong. (Duh.) And since kids seem to like the mundane stuff best anyway — the playground, the hotel vending machine, the rental car — why bother going anywhere?

I’m sorry, but where’s the logic in that? That’s like saying, “Birthday cake isn’t as important to your health as eating a balanced diet the rest of the year. Don’t waste your time!” The thing is, even the mundane stuff is more fun when you’re away. I liked grocery shopping at the IGA in Montreal as much as I liked visiting the Notre-Dame. My kids loved “riding the red car” at Disney World — um, that would be our rental Prius.

travel-with-kids

I’m not saying we’re the most worldly family ever, but if the opportunity to go to Europe came up tomorrow, I’m not going to say no just because I might have to pass some time in the cultural wasteland of a Parisian playground, eating my weight in beignets while my kids go down the slide. That sounds amazing.

Vacationing with kids is different, but in some ways, I actually think it’s better. Here’s why:

1. Kids can pinpoint the true awesomeness of a city in three seconds flat. Whether it’s the playground, the street food, or a nice guy on the bus, kids have sonar for fun. They get the “authentic experiences” that travelers wax intellectual about because kids aren’t trying to impress anyone. (Where are the locals hanging out? Probably the playground.)

2. Kids give you a permission to be a tourist. It’s hard to blend when you’re lugging around a three-day zombie disaster supply kit in your diaper bag and your traveling companion has eschewed a “basic black” wardrobe in favor of wearing Angry Birds pajamas all day. But here’s a secret: Remember that time before you had kids? When you dressed like a local and memorized useful phrases like “Waar zijn de dichtstbijzijnde pannenkoeken?” You probably weren’t fooling anyone then, either.

3. Kids are the great equalizer. Nothing bonds you to your fellow travelers faster than being the other parent using a national monument as a time-out seat.

4. Kids see things like kids. When I was a kid, I thought the countries in EPCOT were the actual countries. My husband still gets nostalgic about his vacations at a rainy campground in New Jersey. I don’t think that Monte Carlo would blow my kids’ minds any more than the Hot Wheels aisle at Target already does. Yes, kids are easy to please — but is that really a problem? Is it so bad to go on vacation with someone who thinks that any hotel with an ice machine is a five-star resort and any restaurant with free crayons deserves a Michelin star? Or would you rather travel with someone who thinks the Louvre was too underwhelming, Disney too manufactured, or the Grand Canyon too dusty? (Yep, that was an actual complaint on Tripadvisor.) I’ll waste time traveling with my kids any day.

Filed Under: random Tagged With: family travel, traveling with kids, traveling with toddlers

How to Fake Your Way to Being a Facebook Foodie Mom

March 2, 2012 by admin 1 Comment

I literally just spent 10 minutes giggling at this magical little section of Nickelodeon’s nickmom site. It almost — almost — makes me forgive them for bringing Max & Ruby into our household.

My personal fave was the most recent post, the Foodie Mom. Quick — go read it and come back.

…riiiiight!? I think everyone has one or two or five of them in our social circle. And, um, I’m definitely NOT that mom in my circle.

Look! I made pastries!

My friend Brianne is one of those moms. Hopefully she’s not offended by me putting her on shout. After all, her foodie-ness made her an excellent college roommate to have — we were probably the only people on campus using our liter of Smirnoff to make penne alla vodka. Nowadays she runs her own little corner of the blogosphere called Cupcakes and Kale Chips, where she shares recipes like “parmesan balsamic-caramelized onion smashed potatoes.” (I didn’t make that up.) Most of her meals have, like, seven unique side dishes. Meanwhile, I pat myself on the back if I don’t screw up beef stew. (Side dish?! I don’t know, heat up one of those Steamfresh bags. What do I look like, a diner?)

As a result, her Facebook updates are usually along the lines of, “Just made the boys a filet mignon with a red wine reduction and a side of braised cauliflower…now onto the honey-glazed pecan tartlets!” (I’m talking out of my ass here, so apologies if those aren’t real food terms.) I usually read these posts while my kids are eating Goldfish crackers out of a Tupperware bowl. Look, I try to feed my kids healthy food as often as possible, but sometimes it’s 12:15 and they’re melting down and only McCain smiley-face fries will placate them.

So I figured I’d come up with a helpful little guide for making your Facebook food posts sound more impressive than they are. With a little bit of clever wording, you too can be a Facebook foodie!

  1. Skip the brand names. Cheerios become “toasted oats,” Eggos become “buttermilk waffles,” and Pizza Rolls become “mini-strombolis.” 
  2. List ingredients. Add oomph by rattling off the (pronounceable) ingredients from the label. Today we’ll be having pasta with tomato puree, cheddar, and paprika extract…or, y’know, Spaghetti-O’s.
  3. Don’t forget the details. Here’s where it all comes together. Did you serve PBJ and potato chips? Or did you serve roasted peanut spread with grape jam on whole-grain bread with a side of thin-sliced potatoes fried in soybean oil?
See how easy? 

Filed Under: random Tagged With: cupcakes and kale chips, facebook, facebook foodies, moms on facebook, roost

Live Blogging the Oscars Even Though I’ve Only Seen Two Movies This Year

February 27, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

As far as I can remember, the only Oscar-nominated movie I’ve seen ths year was Bridesmaids. Well, I also saw The Social Network, but that was nominated last year, or maybe the year before.

So naturally I feel obligated to live blog and offer my extremely educated opinions. Mostly because if I just sit and watch, I’ll die of boredom. I’ll probably take a long ice cream break, shower during the lifetime achievement crap, and fall asleep at 10:05. Here goes.

The Oscar I usually watch.

The Oscar I’m watching tonight. Decidedly less informed about this one.

8:37 p.m.
Martin Scorcese’s daughter (I’m assuming that’s his daughter?) looks as enthralled as I am.

8:43
I honestly thought Hugo was animated. (My husband just said, “We can be in Mordor by sundown!” Because he looks like Ian McKellan?) (The guy from Hugo…not my husband.)

8:47
I was more excited about the Ellen commercials tonight than the show itself. I can go to bed now. Just kidding! I haven’t even had ice cream yet.

8:52
Why are we retrospect-ing already? The show’s been on for 20 minutes.
I appreciate the irony in J-Lo saying a woman’s dress should be loose enough to show she’s a lady. She looks like boobs in Saran wrap. And I can see 50% of her butt cheek.

9:00
Are we reminiscing about our first movie? Mine was Follow that Bird. Starring Big Bird. He gave a convincing performance.

9:05
Seriously? My two year old is awake? Go back to sleep!

9:06
I miss Sandra Bullock’s face. I mean that literally — I miss the face she had last year.

9:11
I freakin’ love Melissa McCarthy. I hope everyone voted for her.
Oh. Nope.

9:13
Okay, now I love Octavia Spencer too.

9:20
Let me just say this is a 100% accurate portrayal of focus groups.

9:22
Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper! Girl crush and boy crush!

9:25
“Let’s get out of here, we’re editors” will probably stand as my favorite acceptance speech of the night.

9:26
“Hugo.” “No, HU-go.” I just threw up in my mouth.

9:30
Snack time. Why aren’t Reese’s Eggs available year-round?

9:36
Cirque du Soleil = awesome. OMG IS THAT GIRL SPINNING ON ONE ARM EVEN KIDDING? Insane.

9:42
Nominees for Best Documentary: Hmm? Huh? What? And Who?

9:46
My husband is officially asleep. That pretty much cuts the number of people paying attention to my obnoxious commentary in half.

9:58
Okay, so I just took a Words With Friends break….did I miss anything? I’m guessing no.

10:09
Mind-reading bit = not funny at all. Brad Pitt has a lot of kids! Martin Scorcese directs movies! Ha ha ha haaaa I should go to sleep.

10:12
It’s Lightning McQueen!
It’s Lightning McQueen!
It’s Lightning McQueen!
It’s Lightning McQueen!

10:25
I’m losing interest. Even Angelina can’t save me now.

10:53
Just spent 25 minutes on Pinterest. Looks like the show has stayed mostly boring.

10:56
Governers Awards? I’m going back to Pinterest.

11:11
Make a wish! I wish I were asleep.

11:20
Jean Dujardin is a handsome man.

11:29
Yay Meryl Streep. I’m going to sleep. <-- That's poetry.
Sorry, Best Picture. I’m trying to care enough! But I don’t.

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