Tag Archives: best humor blog

The lovable hater behind ‘People I Want to Punch in the Throat’

I’m gonna be honest here kids. I check my blog stats obsessively and I know when you like a post… and when one’s as popular as a Baby Ruth floating in the pool.

My book review posts are not getting as much love as I’d like.

But stick with me on this one!

I need to draw your attention to a hilarious memoir I reviewed this week called People I Want to Punch in the Throat. It’s written by a fellow blogger who loves to point a figurative finger at overachieving, annoying people– particularly maddeningly doting know-it-all parents– and call them out on their crap.

People I Want to Punch in the Throat cover on carpoolcandy.com

Not only will you LOL, you may stand up and cheer when she eviscerates the mom who tries oh so subtly to completely exclude her from a toddler playgroup…or those who are certain their child is a prodigy and/or headed for the Olympics.

Here’s a taste….

Mann needs only a few sharp details to accurately sum up distinct personalities. There are the judgmental, designer-sunglasses-wearing “Dolce moms,” the self-interested garage-sale-trolling jerks who hope you won’t break a big bill she affectionately calls “$50 people” and the freaky, pill-popping moms known as “Superusers.”

She loves to pick on extreme parents, who spoil and overschedule their kids. Stories about catty, cliquey moms — similar to the evil sisterhoods in movies like “Heathers” and “Mean Girls” — zero in on complicated female relationships.

Mann deftly uses humor to underscore how intense and humbling mothering can be, which will strike a chord with parents who feel less than perfect.

“Now the Mommy Wars are all about who can out-mom their neighbor. The judging is not about who spends the most time with her kid … or who has the most important job; it’s been ratcheted up to who can breast-feed the longest and in the most unusual places,” Mann writes.

You can read the complete review here.

I’ll keep it short and sweet. Read this book. It will take you about 2 days of side-splitting giggles to get through it and I guarantee you’ll thank me.

See… that wasn’t so bad, right?

I’d love to hear what makes you click or not click on a post in the comments.  I’m listening!

 

My guiltiest pleasure and other personal tidbits

Good news! One of the cool bloggers I met at BlogHer13 last summer was kind enough to nominate me for a blogging award called the Liebster. I’ve never heard of it, but who am I to turn down an award nomination?

(It’s an honor to be nominated…I’d like to thank the academy…you like me you really like me…this moment is so much bigger than me…I’m king of the world!….my blog is great but really Beyonce’s blog should have won…)

You get the point. liebster award logo on carpoolcandy.com

Now I must pay it forward. First, I answer 10 questions posed by the nominator, the always amiable Amy of amynameisamy.com/. You should check out her blog here because she’s a terrific writer (I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it) who shares my affection for TV and pop culture, and offers relatable insight about her experiences with divorce and being single again, and as a mom of four kids.

Next, I pass on the love to other bloggers whom I admire and nominate them for this mysterious Liebster award. Hopefully it starts a chain of happy reading. You might find a new favorite blogger, and some hardworking bloggers may get much deserved recognition.

So here we go. I hope my answers will enlighten and/or entertain.

How did you pick your blog’s name?

Carpool Candy was once a column on AOL/Patch.com before I turned it into a blog. I wanted to come up with a memorable name, I’ve always loved alliteration, and I wanted it to say what I write about. Carpool covers the family life, and candy covers the pop culture. I also liked that the message was sweet.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 13-​​year-​​old self?

I’d tell myself to relax and not worry so much about what people think. I’d also tell me—just like my dad used to—that there was a great guy out there somewhere brushing his teeth, watching the Brady Bunch, and arguing with his parents just like I was…and when the time was right I would meet him. That’s you, Wilson. If I had believed my dad, it would have saved me a lot of heartache.

What’s your favorite TV show?

Tough to pick one, so here are some of my greatest hits: Family Ties, 30something, West Wing, Oprah, Sex and the City, Sopranos, Friends, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, Modern Family, New Girl…I should probably stop now.

What are four things you cannot live without?

Things, not people, right? TV, Lip balm, yoga, chocolate.

Who is your favorite fictional character?

In TV, I’d have to say Mary Richards from the old Mary Tyler Moore show and Scarlett O’Hara.

Gone with The Wind poster

What is your most prized possession?

I have a really nice watch that I love. It’s classic and makes me feel like a grown up. Wilson and I split the cost of it many years ago. I saved money from my paycheck, and he chipped in his winnings from a March Madness rotisserie pool.

Describe yourself in three words.

Ugh, how stressful. Mom, wife, journalist or loyal, creative, fun

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Twitter, and dessert every night

What single quality do you most appreciate in people?

Genuineness

What’s your favorite post that you’ve written? (Link, please!)

The Memorial Day one remembering my dad’s Naval service in Vietnam was one I’m proud of and I love that I had vintage photos and a letter from my dad to support it. You can read it here.

liebster-blog-award0 logo2

Now it’s my turn to nominate some bloggers I love. I think you’re supposed to nominate those with smaller followings but in the spirit of keeping it real I’m going to nominate the blogs I actually take time to read because they’re that good:

http://dishuponastar.blogspot.com/ ….(extremely honest take on celebrity gossip. informative and funny.)

http://averagemomswearcapes.com/ …(mom/journalist who writes refreshingly honest posts about everything from raising boys to fitness to surviving what she affectionately calls, “the cansuh.”)

http://www.raisingcolorado.com/ … (I don’t even know her, but I feel like I do because her writing is both intimate and hysterical. and she always has great pix to supplement. I can’t explain it, you have to be there. go now. read.)

 http://chewnibblenosh.com/  (this food blog is well written and demystifies cooking.  it has easy to follow instructions on what’s for dinner and makes me feel like “I could make that!” instead of “that aint happenin.”)

http://www.peachesandcoconuts.com/  …(can you tell I like funny writing? if you do too, try this blog on for size. she’s a slightly neurotic stay at home mom in a 2-mom family, and she’s not afraid of oversharing.)

Here are 10 questions I pose to the bloggers::

–what’s your favorite part of blogging?

–what part of blogging makes you want to tear your hair out or cry?

–who are your writing (or other) heroes?

–what is your fantasy job/aspiration?

–if you could have dinner with any 3 people living or dead, who would they be?

–what are three things you can’t live without?

–what is your guilty pleasure?

–describe your ideal weekend.

–what are your favorite magazines?

— which famous person bugs the crap out of you?

–share your favorite post that you’ve written and tell us why you dig it.

You can find more details on the Liebster Awards here. Do yourself a favor and take a minute to check out my recommended bloggers. It will be your good deed for the day. You might even thank me.

A word about blogging and some of my fav bloggers

JakeKeepingScore kids sports blog

I’m coming up on the first anniversary of carpoolcandy.com. It’s an intense commitment but rewarding in so many ways. You can’t improve as a writer unless you write consistently and this forum allows me to do that, while hopefully entertaining you at the same time. I try to blog three times a week and that routine provides a mental challenge to come up with ideas, while keeping my writing muscles active.

But a large part of being a blogger is promoting your posts and finding new ways to get more readers. That part is not my forte.

I know there are a million sites I should be looking at and contributing to, but I can’t seem to find the time. I’m working and running a family so just getting the blog out feels like a triumph most days. The thought of selling myself is not motivating. But I know that’s part of the game and I want to be a player.

Blogging is a solitary vocation. Sharing your personal stories and opinions is a risky and often terrifying experience. That’s why when I meet a fellow blogger, I’m instantly intrigued and enamored. Only other bloggers know the fear of staring at a blank screen. Or the aggravation of technical problems that zapped one of the best paragraphs you’ve ever written. Or the gut punching nag in the middle of the night you feel when you posted something negative about another person’s work.

There are plenty of crazies out there who blog for attention and shock value. There are more whose prose makes me squirm and wonder how they can proudly hit the publish button.

But then there are those who make me laugh, cry, and envy their talent. I’m celebrating some of my favorite fellow bloggers today. I may not be good at touting my blog but I love to promote others. Some are friends, but most I met through writing. It’s hard to keep up with so many blogs  so while I don’t read them all religiously, I am spiritually connected to each one.

Check them out when you have a moment or save this post in your email to look at later. You won’t be disappointed.

Gossip/celebrities/pop culture:   http://dishuponastar.blogspot.com/  This celebrity-obsessed writer cracks me up with her shameless commentary on all things Hollywood, with a New York point of view.

chewnibblenosh food blog

Food:    http://chewnibblenosh.com/ This blog will make you want to flee to the market and spend a day in the kitchen, even if you hate to cook. I love her voice, most of her recipes are simple and family-friendly, and her photos are gorgeous.

Design:     http://jlatter.com/category/news/  This LA-based interior designer has great taste and style, and a curiosity about how things are made. She’s into the texture and artistry of objects– both old and new– and turning your passion into personal style in the home.

Parenting:    http://www.ratedpthemusical.com/blog.php This actress and mom of two wrote a brilliant musical about parenting called “Rated P for Parenthood.”  Now she blogs about those mom moments when you want to stop and soak it all in….or soak your kids with a rubber hose.

peachesandcocnuts humor blog

Humor:     http://www.peachesandcoconuts.com/ From this hilarious writer’s “about” page: A lady-loving lady who has finally come to terms with her inner Jewish mother. I blog for you because there is no “i” in u-terus. Need I say more?

Sports:    http://jakekeepingscore.wordpress.com/  I can’t write about favorite bloggers and not include my son, Jacob’s, sports blog. He only writes once a week and I rarely understand everything he says, but for a 13-year-old he’s  a terrific storyteller with a unique point of view. Sports fans love it.

These are only a few of the many blogs I read, and I’ll feature more from time to time. Let me know what you think. I’d also love to know which of my posts you click on more– family life or pop culture– or does it just depend on the topic? Any insight into what readers like is greatly appreciated.