Lisa M. Frame

Parenting

Rwanda Path to Peace 10th Anniversary

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Macy’s is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Rwanda Path to Peace line of baskets and their partnership with Rwandan artisans. Rwanda was a country torn apart by genocide in 1994. Nearly one million men, women and children perished within three months in this tiny country no bigger than the state of Rhode Island. The Rwandan genocide resulted from the conscious choice of the elite to promote hatred and fear to keep itself in power. This small, privileged group first set the majority against the minority to counter a growing political opposition within Rwanda. Yet, it seems fitting to be celebrating the Rwanda Path to Peace anniversary during this season of thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, in the United States.

Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary with limited edition baskets to decorate your home with and create great talking points about trade not aid.

After the genocide, a few women came together and did what women in Rwanda do. They talked, they cried, and they wove baskets. There were women of both sides of the ethnic divide, practicing skills of weaving they all learned from their mothers and grandmothers. When Macy’s began carrying the baskets it was the first example of a major American retailers committing to a Trade-Not-Aid product line. Even though Rwanda is largely out of the news these days, Macy’s has kept that commitment alive.

The Rwanda Path to Peace baskets represent centuries of Rwandan culture. Celebrated by all sides of the ethnic divide, the baskets became the symbol that all Rwandans could embrace, becoming a vital tool that helped foster reconciliation among the Hutu and Tutsi tribes.

As a firm believer in trade-not-aid, I have collected several baskets from the Rwanda Path to Peace collection, which I use to decorate my home. They’re a constant reminder that my purchases give back to the people who need the income the most. Macy’s commitment has been one sustained over 10 years and is not the flash-in-the-pan organizations that go into countries promising help, yet doing very little.

This support has also included me adding pieces from Macy’s Heart of Haiti line, as well as pieces given to me by my dear friend Leticia purchased directly from the artisans on her trips to Haiti. They are unique talking points, which allow me to continue discussing these initiatives when asked about the pieces on display.

Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary with limited edition baskets to decorate your home with and create great talking points about trade not aid.

This holiday season, I’m using my baskets to display peppermints for guests; underneath the peppermints is a penny. When I was a little girl, the Little House books were my favorite. “Little House on the Prairie” contains one of my favorite Christmas scenes. “Laura and Mary never would have looked in their stockings again. The cups and the cakes and the candy were almost too much. They were too happy to speak. But Ma asked if they were sure the stockings were empty.” In the stockings was a shining, bright new penny for each of them.  Can you imagine?

Doing this is a reminder of the simple things, to cherish them, that life is still lived that way, and conditions are much worse in other parts of the world. It’s an ego check and a reminder to never let my id take control.

Macy's Rwanda Path to Peace is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary with limited edition baskets to decorate your home with and create great talking points about trade not aid.

About Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace:

Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace program brings the age-old art of Rwandan basket weaving to customers in the United States, with product available in select Macy’s stores and on Macys.com. The vibrant colorful baskets range from a classic 9-inch fruit bowls to a large 16-inch statement piece, with retail prices ranging from $30 to $60.

“As an early and dedicated advocate for this program, I am so proud of the decade of work we have been honored to do through our Rwanda Path to Peace project,” said Terry J. Lungdren, chairman and CEO of Macy’s, Inc. “Through this program, Hutu and Tutsi women, representing both sides of devastating genocide have come together to wave baskets of peace.  From my first visit to Rwanda, my life was permanently change by the strength of the weavers I met – knowing what they have endured and all they have taught us about courage, forgiveness, and grace. I want to thank our customers for continuing to support this effort and for helping us make a difference in the world.”

For more information about Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace visit macys.com/Rwanda.

Disclosure: I received a basket from Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace. 

Many thanks to TechSavvyMama for allowing me to use her photos. I’m reorganizing my photography studio and have everything in boxes. 

First day of school blues

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School starts tomorrow and I’ll be feeling lost. It’s been this way every single August since The Kid started school. After spending days with him, laughing, joking, adventuring, etc., I’ll be home alone. Just me, my thoughts, and work.

The quiet creeps in and it’s palpable. A type of loneliness hard to describe to others who’ve not been in your shoes. This year, it’s worse. He’s starting high school. I only have a few more summers with my partner in shenanigans. Quite frankly, I’m a mess.

As parents, our job is to raise this young people to go out into the world. It sucks. Sure, there are times, like when he’s experiencing the male form of PMS I’m ready for him to do his thing. But when you’re contemplating going back to the corporate world and he says “Mom, not yet. I’m not ready for you to go. Just a couple of more summers with me.” Well, you stay. And I’ve not regretted a single moment.

I’m very aware how privileged and lucky I am to have been able to stay with him. It’s been a true blessing and there were many sacrifices made for me to be able to do this. Sacrifices I’d make all over again.

All for my boy. This wonderful young man who has been my constant companion for 14 years. I’ll miss you when school starts, Buddy, but I’ll adjust. And, eventually, we’ll get into a whole new routine before sweet summer rolls around again.

Cell phone safety and parenting with Safely

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Cell phone safety is a growing concern for parents and is something that can cause issues in school, at home, and on the playground. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids who text send an average of 118 messages in a typical day. That’s where a firm set of rules, and safety apps used to protect young texters, come in handy.

Peanut is 12 and has an entry level smartphone that was being phased out when we bought it last year. We made the decision to buy one as he was starting middle school and knew he’d be staying after for different activities. He’d have an easy way of contacting us if his activities were running late and we wouldn’t be stuck sitting in the parking lot for an hour waiting on him. Due the level of maturity he exhibited, we knew that a few ground rules for his phone would be set up and let him know that if he chose not to follow the rules, he’d lose his phone.

Smart Phone Rules for Kids

What works for us may not work for everyone else. It’s a process that has to fit each family. However, I can tell you that these rules are understood and we’ve had no push back. We run software that lets us see the search history on his phone, as well as the time he’s spent on online on his mobile. Are we being overprotective? The way I see it, while he’s mature enough to have a smartphone, he’s not mature enough to handle everything the internet can throw at him and it’s our job as parents to protect him.

My friends and I have discussed the appropriate age for a mobile phone and it really boils down to the maturity level of your child and following your gut instinct. Does a child need a phone before middle school? Unless there are serious extenuating circumstances, no. There is very little realized self-control in the tween and teen  years, let alone any younger.

64% of teens with cell phones have texted in class; 25% have made or received a call during class. — Pew Survey

Apps are another hot topic regarding mobile phones. I deal with apps the easy way, I’m the only one who knows the password. If someone wants to download an app, they come to me and make a case for it. Yes, even my husband. We also have to have a prepaid credit on our phones for an app to be downloaded. Once I realized we’d spent over $1,000 in music one year I removed the link to our credit card and never connected it again. Since I manage the finances, no one argues with my logic.

With a few simple rules, kids can have the phone they want and parents can have peace of mind. Sure there may be hiccups along the way, but with firm, clear guidelines, smartphone ownership and your kids can be as simple as snapping your fingers.

Great resources for SmartPhone Safety:

Safely — One of my favorite resources for nurturing growing independence is Safely. With their family GPS Locator (available through AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile), Drive Safe (available through Sprint) and Phone Control (available through Sprint), you’re can breath a little easier knowing they are helping manage you mobile phone safety.

You can also download SafelyGo from the Google Play store free of charge for your Android phone.

AT&T Smart Controls for Wireless — AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless enables you to provide your children with the freedom and security of a mobile phone while setting sensible boundaries for its use.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Safely Go, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Safely Go is available for free on Google Play

A simple gesture…

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Spring break has been in full swing around here, along with copious quantities of pollen.  I have been trying to let Peanut enjoy his days off to the fullest knowing that with the end of his break comes crunch time before end-of-grade testing (EOG’s).

However, we were cleaning up his room and I ran across his iPod shuffle. My little geek has moved up to the iPod touch courtesy of Santa Claus, but still held on to his little blue 1gb toy that he bought himself with the allowance money he had saved.  It was nice for him to reminisce over, in his words, “obsolete” technology. Have I ever mentioned that he is a 60 year old man trapped in the body of a 9 year old?

What did he do with his little shuffle? Instead of keeping his first little geeky purchase, he decided to give it to a family friend. She is just realizing her electronics curiosity, however due to a very serious year long illness has not worked and money is tight. My husband and I had discussed purchasing her an iPod, but he said “Mom, let’s give this to KT. She could use it and it would make her happy to have it while exercising”.

Go ahead, let you heart melt just a little more.  The only thing I could think was “what a freaking precious kid I have” and “holy shit, I have done a good job as a parent”. It was a moment all parents wish to have. Eye-opening, awe-inspiring and soul fulfilling.  My little man showed me depth, compassion and giving that is beyond his years and will help shape him, as well as me, for years to come. He reminded me that it’s the little things that count and that while many would keep their “stuff”, he freely gave his.

How did KT react? Same way I did, with tears. It’s been a long trying year for her and it made her week. While she isn’t a mother, she has plans to be and gave me the highest compliment I have ever had. “I hope one day my kids can be as giving as Peanut”.

For Peanut? He was cool and collected. He didn’t want thanks, only to see joy.

Just as it should be.

SavvySource: Powered by Parents for Parents

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I want to introduce everyone to a new widget on the right hand side my blog!  For those of us that are parents, parents-to-be, or families with pre-schoolers, you will find me linking to SavvySource!

Visit savvy source groups & quiz

Many people don’t know that along with running A Daily Pinch, I am also the Charlotte City Editor for SavvySource.  Stacy Boyd founded SavvySource after finding the resources for parents to inform her in the pre-school decision process to be limited at best.  So she turned to where all Moms turn.  Each other.  It was out of this effort that SavvySource came to be.

We have been called “Facebook for Moms” due to the personal “mom to mom” interaction on MySavvySource.  Our writers are experts in their field and give friendly, down to earth, usable advice.  Many of the groups are run by the City Editors, all bloggers and parents.

Come on over and check us out.  You’ll never know what you’ll find.

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