Author Archives: Kristi

The most glorious baked good in the Capital Region

I didn’t admit to it then …

“Turn away,” said the ultrasound tech. “It has its hand on its gender.”

We were at my 20-week scan, a two-hour appointment where they looked at everything from the valves on the heart to the length of the pinky fingers and thigh bone.

This was also the appointment where we could learn the gender. We’d known since the day the little plus sign appeared on the stick we weren’t going to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. I’d made that clear to the tech before she squirted the gel on my abdomen.

Now she’d ruined the surprise. Continue reading →

What’s your Travoltified name?

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Something — or several somethings — always comes out of awards shows that trumps the awards and the gowns and run-on speeches. Basically, they’re those things we — the media and the public — just can’t, um, let go.

This year, it was John Travolta’s mishap.

The former “Grease” hottie made headlines for more than just his odd hairdo Sunday. Travolta introduced Idina Menzel — the Broadway standout and Taye Digg’s wife — as “Adele Dazeem.” Menzel was coming on stage to sing the “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.”

Within minutes, Adele Dazeem had her own Twitter handle (and the made-up name trended for two hours on the social networking site). And now Slate has created a widget that allows you to find out how your name would sound if it was Travoltified.

Check it out here.

Sincerely,
Kurtis Brazent (FKA Kristi Barlette)

Five reasons why I don’t post pictures of my daughter on Facebook

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People often ask why they haven’t really seen pictures of Little C since that first batch taken (thanks to Lori VanBuren) shortly after she was born. The answer is multipart, so I figured I’d address it here rather than on Facebook.

1. I have, quite literally, made a job out of using social media (and teaching others to use it well). One of the most-common complaints is that people post an excessive number of photos of their children. Because my profile is used to brand-build and entertain/inform/engage readers, I’m ultra aware of what people like, and what they don’t.

Although, I will say I am one of the (few, maybe) who really loves seeing cute pictures of kids — and much prefer them to cat or food photos.

Continue reading →

Brother and sister end up on Kiss Cam (with video)

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I’ve never been a fan of the Kiss Cam, or other JumboTron antics. The interactions are always awkward, and people look up — to check themselves out on the screen — rather than straight ahead, treating all of us to their double chin or Adam’s apple.

One of the many other problems with the Kiss Cam: sometimes it focuses on people who do not want to kiss one another. That’s what happened at a Minnesota Gophers game where the camera focused in on a man and his sister. Rather than panning away when they didn’t smooch, the camera stayed on them.

Finally, the brother took action.

Watch below.

WFLA News Channel 8

Stay out of my bathroom

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I’m obsessed with the cleanliness of bathrooms. This became particularly challenging while pregnant when I used everything from a stump in the woods in Maine to what amounted to a hole in the floor at a gas station in the heart of Brooklyn to a clogged (and rather scary) toilet at a McDonald’s outside of DC to relieve my ever full-feeling bladder. A BJ’s-sized package of Clorox Wipes would not have been enough, in those situations.

But those are the places I can’t control. At home, I can, and I like “our bath” — AKA the master — to be ours. It’s not for guests, or delivery people or anyone else who is in our home.

I want to be able to leave things out (like the squirt bottle post-delivery) and not worry about the fact there may be a glob of toothpaste in the sink because R is oh-so-good about not leaving the water running when brushing his teeth. Plus, a bathroom is a “personal space,” almost more personal than the master bedroom, and I don’t want to share.

Apparently, George Constanza’s former friends felt the same way.

11 reasons it’s easier to be a stay-at-home mom

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I am, for now, a stay-at-home mom. Sure, technically I’m on maternity leave. But, other than FLY 92, I’m not working for a paycheck, which means I’m (at least temporarily) part of the Pinterest-loving SAHM club.

One thing I am doing during my career hiatus is spending plenty of time on social media (feedings every three hours will do that to ya) and I see so many stories debating the merits of being a stay-at-home parent versus a mom who goes into work each day.

Each, it seems, believes their choice is the toughest one. They lament and complain and get defensive and finish each diatribe with “but it’s so worth it” as if that disclaimer somehow makes the whining acceptable.

I’m going to dare to go the opposite direction and say my current situation is the easier one. Here are 11 reasons why. Continue reading →

My three most-interesting Facebook friends

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I don’t use Facebook like most. For me, it’s a professional tool. This means I don’t know-know at least 96 percent of my friends.

It also means I look at the site differently. I skip long, rambling (often mundane) status updates and focus on trends (ex: is everyone posting about the weather, Justin Timberlake coming to the TU Center or a car crash that made headlines for nearly a year?)

I don’t care to see the photo of your sassafras rootbeer, but will notice if, say, one dozen people post about sassafras (then it’s a food story). And I won’t hesitate to have fun with those passive- aggressive, nasty updates people post that are clearly directed at a single person. On those, I comment with “did you mean to send this as a DM rather than post as a status?”

More often than not, they remove the offending post. Continue reading →

Six reasons not to find out the gender of your baby

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R and I decided not to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. This approach was a surprise to friends, family, colleagues and readers who know I’m so type A I practically plan a bowel movement.