For a long time I've enjoyed Meredith's blog at Like Merchant Ships. Today she pointed us to a new group blog to which she's going to be a contributor: Blissfully Domestic. Not only does it look delightful, her post today hits one of my pet peeves...birthday party favors.

I know I'm old. But I came from a day when the gifts were for the one having the birthday, and no one felt like they had to send all the attendees home with gifts as well. Somehow our hyper-egalitarian culture began to feel that inviting you to a party, complete with games and snacks and dessert and perhaps a whole meal wasn't enough, and you needed to receive, in exchange for your time and the expense of a gift, a plastic bag of baubles to feel complete. I never fell for this, even when I was still giving kids' parties. But the pressure has increased and woe is the mom who doesn't fall in line with the expectations of her child's second-grade friends' moms. Enough! Moms of 21st century America, stand up and be real women!

Anyway, go take a look at the new blog. As with any blog, and especially group ones, I don't concur with 100% of the opinions or advice. But this one promises to have lots of great ideas and perspectives from women who appreciate the domestic arts...

Labels: Children, Homemaking