Frankly Fatherhood

Holiday Pet Peeves

Labor day has come and gone which means one of two thing; neither of which I really understand.
1st - I am no longer allowed to wear white. Someone please explain this to me later. 2nd - it won't be long before i am hearing all about Christmas sales. It's only halfway through September and soon the focus of society will be on a holiday all the way at the end of December. WHY?!?
If you want to forget about Halloween that's fine, it's your call. Personally I haven't dressed up or made a jack-o-lantern in years, but I have never lost sight of the fun in Halloween. Now with my son in my life, I get to relive the fun all over again. But what I can understand is why Thanksgiving is constantly overlooked.

Soon, the only time I'll hear the word "thanksgiving" is sandwiched in between "after" and "sale". To say this bothers me would be an understatement. Thanksgiving may just be my favorite holiday. maybe it's because this is the only holiday that truly centers around food. But mostly because of what I really think it means.
To me Thanksgiving means it's time to surround yourself with family and forget about your worries for a while. It's a time to be happy you are spending time with those who are around you, and to remember the times with those who are no longer with you.

How can this holiday be so easily overlooked and thought of in no way other than the day before "Black Friday". How did Black Friday become a bigger Holiday than Thanksgiving?? I just don't understand. Perhaps I never will. In closing, I ask you please, after Thanksgiving dinner is over, spend an extra half-hour at least with those you are with. Play games, tell jokes, or just sit and talk for a while longer before you run back to the football game on TV or run to the ads to map out your Black Friday onslaught. Football seasons and sales are infinite, holidays with family are not.

NATHAN

Frankly Fatherhood

I Pose to You This Question

Warning: The following blog represents the opinion solely of the person
writing this blog and in no way represents the opinions or beliefs of
Miranda or Hart of Stone Crafts.

What has happened lately? When did we as a country become so caught
up in everyone's self-esteem and feelings? Has society gotten soft?
Ok, so that was three questions that I just posed, but I feel like
they are important questions. We have become so obsessed with everyone
feeling great about themselves that it has, in my opinion, become
counter productive. I know some of you, probably most, will disagree
and that's fine but at least keep reading and let me tell you where
I'm coming from.

Now a days parents have to be extremely careful how they
discipline their children. I firmly believe that it is more than OK to
spank a child for misbehaving but many parents won't or don't for some
reason or another. But think about it, if you are my age (26) or older
I'm sure your parents at one time or another spanked you or washed
your mouth out with soap. And more than likely you deserved it. If
someone saw you spank your child now, even if they saw him/her acting out of
control, they would call child services on you for child abuse.
And when did it become necessary to make everyone feel "special"
for showing up and participating? When I was a kid playing sports we
didn't get a trophy because we came out and joined the local Little
League. No, if we got a trophy it was because our team earned it. While
I fully understand that sports are nothing more than games that are
meant to be fun I believe that sports are a great way to teach life
lessons (OK Miranda, stop mocking me so you can finish reading). After
a certain age no one cares if you just show up. You have to be
productive, you have to earn everything. Teachers don't hand out "A's"
because you showed up, you have to work hard and earn your A. You
don't get a job just because you filled out the application and showed
up for your interview. You have to earn it by impressing the potential
employer.

And when did we start glorifying losing? Sports should also teach
you not only how to win with class, but lose with dignity and pride.
Which finally brings me to what actually made me want to write this
particular blog. That stupid Pizza Hut commercial with the two boys
talking about how losing is so great because now the coach will take
them out for pizza. THIS IS WRONG PEOPLE!!! Don't make it sound like
losing is the best thing in the world. Don't make it sound like losing
deserves rewards. Losing is a way of bettering one's self. That goes
for sports and life. Losing is a chance to learn from your mistakes
and improve on the things you saw that you did well.
I am in no way saying that it's not OK to lose, it happens, we've all lost at something.
What I'm saying is you have to know that what ever
happened you tried your very best and you learn from the experience
and have faith that you will do better next time.

So I ask again, has society gotten soft? I say yes. Please, tell me what you think.

- NATHAN -

~Featured Fathers Friday~

via Nathan, my Husband:

Crafting for the not so Crafty Husband

If your husband/boyfriend is anything like me he is not the craftiest man on the planet. He may wonder why you do things like scrapbook, knit, quilt, sew, build tutus, etc. It’s pretty much the same as when you wonder how we can spend all day watching sports, working on our car, playing video games, etc. But I have found a few ways to be involved with my wife’s crafting without actually having to be crafty. Here is a small list that you can share with your husband/boyfriend if he isn’t doing them already.

1. Watch the baby/child: Take the kid(s) for a car ride or a walk. Take them to the park to play on the swings or the slide. Or just simply take them to the living room

away from where the crafting is taking place. This is especially important if the child is at home all day with mom and hasn’t given her any time to breathe let alone relax. Give her some time alone to relax and craft while you play and talk with your child.

2. If asked a question or for your opinion give an honest answer…the real honest answer: If you are asked about a fabric or color choice, tell her what you think. She may laugh at you or even ignore your opinions from time to time but don’t get mad, she asked for your opinion because she wants you to get involved. More than likely, if she is like my wife, she will go with her own choice in the end anyway, because she feels she

is “better at this stuff”.

man's choice

Women's choice

LADIES: if you ask and don’t like the honest answer we give you, i.e. what looks good in our eyes, don’t get angry with us; remember you asked for an honest answer, and that’s what you got.

3. If she has to go out and get materials for her crafts, go with her. I know, I know, craft stores like Michael’s, A.C. Moore, and JoAnn’s are not exactly the places we like to go just for fun. But it gives you

a chance to spend more time with her and talk about anything and everything, crafts or otherwise. Not to mention it’s a chance to figure out exactly what it is she is

making with all that stuff she’s buying, and hoarding in every free corner of your home.

4. And finally, do your own things…together. One of the things I do is play my video games in the bedroom while my wife is doing her craft projects at her desk, all after our son has gone to sleep. This way we can both be doing something we enjoy, even if it’s not the same thing. This allows us to be in the same place, spending time together.

So there is my list of ways to help the non-crafty man craft with his wife/girlfriend. Hope it helps!

Featured Fathers Friday

This is my first attempt at a link Party, and it's a new concept from what I've seen around the blogosphere. Every Friday I am going to get my Husband to become a guest writer for Hart of Stone. He will bring all of you readers a male point of view on all the crazy stuff that us women do.

I would highly encourage everyone to give this a try and maybe we can get a new trend started!!!! (and my apologies if this is already a big thing and I missed the boat)

RULES
1. get your man involved
2 if other women do this, why not join their blogging network? Not required but it's always nice to see a new face.
3. LINK UP!!