SavvyBlog

Topic —  From the Editor's Desk

Minnow’s Five Things

May 15, 2013
Minnow Hamilton

Pocket

Angelina had a double mastectomy, moms are misbehavin’ at Disney and we all need more naps. Baby mugging is big and Pilates is a lot tougher than you think. That’s what caught my attention this week.

1. News of Angelina’s double mastectomy, after she was identified as having the BRCA1 gene, went viral yesterday. It hit every paper, homepage, radio station and news broadcast. It was a brave statement to make on her part and is a very positive step in raising awareness of this gene. Then I looked at my inbox and read a press release about the effects of radiation when treating breast cancer. Interesting, I thought. Then the phone rang and a PR rep started a conversation with, ‘I thought with the news of Angelina’s double mastectomy, your readers might be interested to find out more about breast cancer treatment options.’ To which I responded, ‘So, you’re saying that our readers will suddenly be interested in learning more about breast cancer because Angelina just announced that she does not have it?’ It was a brief phone call. But it left me thinking…the Canadian Breast Cancer Association tells us that one in four women in Canada are diagnosed. That means we all know someone who’s been affected—a mother, an aunt, a sister, a colleague or a friend. Most of us know a lot more than just one survivor or victim of breast cancer. Do we really need Angelina’s announcement to remind us of this horrible disease? I may be too cynical about Angie, but I just sometimes wish we paid less attention to the celebs and more to the humans around us. I hope when it comes to serious issue like breast cancer we do.

2. In the world of crazy mom trends, the latest digital obsession with taking photos of your kids seems to be the baby mugging trend. It’s not as horrible as it sounds, these moms are not mugging babies—they are taking pictures of their babies with a coffee mug over them so the baby looks like he/she is popping out of the mug. They’re very popular, so who am I to judge?

3. What’s crazier than baby mugging? The ostrich pillow. This might not really seem mom-related at first glance, but who gets more tired than moms? Perhaps this is just what a sleep-deprived mom needs at the office for a little pick-me-up. As long as it doesn’t replace chocolate, I might be willing to give it a try.

4. And here is more shocking mom-behaviour news. Lisa Thornbury, a mom blogger and one of our Savvy Storytellers recently went to Walt Disney World with her family. She has a special needs daughter, so was eligible for a guest assistance pass which essentially allowed them to skip the very long lineups. Then she realized there were people who had figured out a way to beat the system. Apparently, wealthy Manhattan mothers are now hiring disabled tour guides to join their families on trips to Disney so they can skip the lineups themselves. Here’s more on what Lisa refers to as the ‘disgusting, deplorable story.’

5. Finally, a more personal note about the state of my physical health—which I thought wasn’t that bad until last week. My esteemed business partner Sarah invited me to join her in a new Pilates-style, full-body conditioning workout class at Studio Lagree in Toronto. It’s not the traditional Pilates class that I am more familiar with, but I agreed to go as I pride myself in being pretty good at the Stott flavour of Pilates and thought I could nail it. Two days of salt baths and five days of stretching later, I can finally walk comfortably again. It is that hard. It’s all abs, core and butt work, so if you’re in good shape but want to be in better shape, you should try it. The sign at the top of the stairs says it all. Good Luck!

Have a great week.