Twomims

Expecting MIM and guest blogger Laura Unverferth shares with us her top picks for her new bundle of joy. Check out Laura’s other great finds on her design blog Ruffle or her baby blog Little Frills.

I’ve always loved Dwell Studio’s transportation series…from the baby bedding to the bibs. A perfect color palette and pattern for the nursery (if it’s a boy). They have designed all the matching accessories you would ever need.

This little orange rocker from Argington is my favorite…they have several really beautiful children’s furniture collections, made from renewable and sustainable harvested wood.

I just purchased this print from Sweet William’s shop on Etsy…a great mix of modern and vintage imagery. I cant wait to frame it!

Im a huge fan of Warhol, I was so excited when I found his children’s book Andy Warhol’s Colors.

This ‘just hatched’ canvas from Dotty Spot Designs caught my eye…clean and contemporary decor that you can customize with your baby’s name and date of birth.

Finally, an ad campaign we can relate to! We love the celebration of the late nights, the messes, the juggling and the imperfections of parenthood. Huggies really nailed it with their recent ad campaign from JWT. Not only is the content a breath of fresh air, but the execution is edgy and worlds apart from the warm fuzzies that baby advertising normally gives us.

When my personal vacation photo resembled their vacation ad, they got me. How well do you think they know their target?

Photos by Doulgas Adesko

Here at MIM headquarters we’ve developed a term that we think can really catch fire: “The Third Shift.” Let’s see if this sounds familiar: Wake up, frazzled race to get out the door, work, come home. First shift over, put on mom jeans for second shift. Dinner, baths, homework, clean up dinner, playtime, break up fights, monitor television use, bedtime for kiddos. Then a nice glass of California Red Zin, a TiVoed episode of Oprah…
No. Get on up! It is time for the Third Shift. This is the time when you prepare for the next day. What happens in Third Shift? Bottle washing. Lunch packing. Sorting socks, you name it.
Of course, if you brought work home like most MIMs do, there is a healthy debate going on if it belongs under the header “third” or “fourth” shift. I think the idea of adding a fourth shift seems depressing, so I will include working at home as part of “preparing for the next day.”
There is some solace in designating this part of the day as a “shift.” Giving it its own daypart and grouping it all together somehow slightly elevates the grunt work. It is a way to mentally feel in balance… Work? Check! Family? Check! Home life? Check!
Not that you ever needed it, but we just found another reason to love Friday: No third shift.

Alternate title: Flying on a new airline

As part of the collective belt-tightening we’re all enjoying, the airline industry has found a new tighter notch — eliminating more flights and routes. Which means that those of us in a secondary market have less choice.

Want to go to California? Here’s when the plane leaves. Don’t like it? Well, go fly with those guys.

And this is precisely what happened. I had a true MIM Moment where I had to take a later flight so I wouldn’t miss my little girl’s first birthday party. In doing so, I ended up on a carrier with whom I have no status. This means:
No seat selection
No express line for security
No priority boarding
N0 room in the overhead bin!

I am reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry argues to Elaine that he HAS to have the first class seat, because he’s flown first class before. And therefore would know what he was missing. As I type this from the middle seat in Row 19, I definitely know what I’m missing.

Now, let me balance all this prima donna talk with a link to one of the funniest clips I have seen in a long time. It is comedian Louis CK talking about people who take flying for granted.

I had big plans for a recent half day off from work: finish painting a mural of ‘mod’ pink trees on my older daughter’s wall.

We had talked about the trees and she seemed excited, especially since they were going to be PINK.

So I settle into the project. Things are going well. The glossy paint I chose looked amazing against the eggshell finish of the wall.

By the time she arrived home I had one nearly finished. I tell her, “I have a surprise for you!”

We excitedly run up the stairs. I open the door. She squeals. She laughs. MIM moment = shining success! Mom of the Year!

Then she abruptly stops. Turns, looks at me and deadpans, “Why is it trees?”

I am thrown. She’s not happy! I stammer, “But we talked about this. You said you liked trees in your room… remember? It’s pink trees.” I instantly feel like I am at work. (“But we said we’d try progressive and daring at the briefing. I thought we all liked the idea…” Grasping.)

Then she gave me a look that was a glimpse into my future – she morphed into a teenager before my eyes and said, “I like flowers. I want pink flowers.” And that was it.

Yes, this girl knows what she wants. Wonder where she got that from?

Just a starter list.. Own it, ladies!

1. You would use a term like “back out a schedule” or “plan for execution” when planning a baby shower.
2. You read a magazine for fun and take note when a brand has introduced a new campaign. You then dissect the new campaign, figuring out the new strategy behind the shift.
3. You have purchased designer maternity jeans.
4. You have pumped-in-style in airport bathrooms or in a high-rise-office bathroom.
5. You attack discipline books with the same calculated methodology as an RFP.

Throughout my career I have encountered countless creatives, each with their own distinct collections. I have seen several art directors that collect robots (quite common), photographers that collect old cameras (even more common.) But what always stick out are the really unique collections, the ones no one else has. The largest collection of salt and pepper shakers, Pee Wee’s Playhouse memorabilia, vintage porn. I was once at a lecture given by Mervyn Kurlansky, one of the founding fathers of Pentagram, he collected hotel shampoo bottles. I now work with someone who collects old lunch boxes. That’s the good stuff.

I have always longed for my own eccentric collection of trinkets. I don’t collect buttons, old 8-tracks, posters or vintage toys. I have no eclectic, excentric collection to call my own, but I’ve always wanted one.

Recently as a brainstorm exercise I had to write about something I collected. Once again I was reminded that I was probably the only Creative Director in the world that did not have and exciting collection to talk about.

I dumped out my glass canister of matches, the one collection I do have, and photographed it for the exercise. This this is what I wrote…

I started collecting match books in high school, it was a great way to remember traveling and different meals and occassions that I had shared with others. A lot of people write the date and who they were with on each match book, but i don’t really need to. I can remeber almost every restuarant, where and when it was, whom I was with and sometimes even what I ordered. Each matchbook is a moment in time and a memory for me. Looking through these is like looking through a photo album.

The Red Eye in New York, my husband asked if it was ok to order an entree that cost more than a pair of shoes he bought earlier in the day (it was worth it.) Chilpancingo in Chicago, my account person asked, and received their recipe for Lava cake. My bachelorette party at the Luxor in Las Vegas (enough said.)  Random matchbook from a smokeshop in Zurich where my husband purchased Cuban cigars. Zoe in St. Louis, I was timing contractions on our way to dinner with friends, days before my first son was born.

And thus, I validate my matchbook collection. Alas it is not a collection of tiny tea sets from antique stores and flea markets. It may be standard and boring and definitley not one of a kind, but it is mine.

So I have to admit a little foul play. The other night I got a call from a research company. Usually the first question they ask is if you work in marketing or advertising. This time, I coyly answered, “No.”

One week later, I received a 30 minute pilot for a new sitcom in the mail to review. Before I watched the show, I was asked to fill out a booklet that had me essentially choose my top brands within different product categories. The compensation for taking part in the survey was coupons for free products; diapers, wipes, groceries, etc.

During the sitcom, which was awful, there were commercials. Some of them were very old, and some of them were what appeared to be animatics for new commercials. After the sitcom was over, I was asked to break the seal on the second booklet, and once again was prompted to select my top brand picks from the same product categories to receive MORE free products.

At this point, I was thoroughly confused. Was this research company really testing a pilot for a new sitcom, or a vehicle for brand testing within my demographic?  Was I expected to pick the same brands in each category twice to show brand loyalty? Or could the opportunity to try new brands for free convert me from the brands I am loyal to?

Here’s what I did as a mom, not a marketer. The brands that I am, and have been eternally loyal to (Huggies, Crest, Tide, Scotch Brite) I stayed loyal to, and opted to get 2 free packages each of these products. Not even a free trial could get me to switch from my staples. Brands and products that I am not particularly loyal to, I opted to try something new (candles, dry pasta, spices.)

What did I learn from myself? Brand loyalty is a hell of a thing. If not even a completely free, full size product can get trial or conversion, what can? Can any amount of couponing or promotions get a loyal brand buyer to switch? Maybe some, but not this MIM.

As for the pilot I tested, it was so bad that I can only hope it was a joke.
As for the brand testing, I was impressed, and would love to see how it turns out.

This week the entire family got the flu. The summer flu, the high fever, achy, coughing, terrible flu. One by one we dropped like flies. First it got my husband, then me, next my 1 year old, and lastly my 3 year old. I, of course, was allowed to stay sick for the shortest amount of time. Who else would take care of this sickly brood?

The first day, was oddly wonderful. My husband lay on one couch, me on the other. We dozed in and out of sleep in front of the TV all day long. I couldn’t remember the last time the two of us were alone, all day long, doing absolutely nothing. We had short conversations, as we passed the box of tissues back and forth. Taking turns getting up to replenish the Gatorade and ibuprofen.

At 4pm we got the call, the “your kid is sick, come get them,” call. The four of us spent the evening curled up on the couch, watching movies together. The next day we took the boys to the doctor, together. Again, I couldn’t remember the last time a trip to the doctor wasn’t something that I crammed into my already busy schedule, in between meetings and conference calls.

All in all, those 2 days were the most amount of time that we had all spent together at our house, doing nothing in a very long time. I loved it. Being sick gave us the instant excuse to escape the normal routine, the obligations, the responsibilities, and just be. Almost like a snow day, there was no need or reason to go anywhere, or do anything, and just be. As the dishes piled high in the sink, and dirty laundry covered the floor, the four of us snuggled in on the couch together.