You see, Baby B (now almost 4 years old and pictured above) is eminently qualified to assess the vehicle. It is because of her and her brother, Special K (now 7 months old), that the “need” for a minivan has emerged in our family. We often have have to shuttle 6 people around which results in driving two cars – a big no-no in a family that does its best to minimize our carbon footprint. So we’ve been in search of the 7 seater – how hard could that be, right? Well, if that were the only criteria, probably not so difficult, but here’s how the discussion goes:
- Baby B: I want to be able to get in the car myself (SUVs are much more difficult for most kids to get in than the low to the ground minivan)
- Mom: But the minivans looks so … (well, we’ve all been there)
- Dad: Only electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles please
- Special K: wants to know if his stroller will fit in with the third row of seats up
- Grandpa: Does it go fast (yes, with the kids out of the house, he’s going through midlife crisis with fast cars)
And of course there was the original criteria of 7 seats. It’s not that long a list. Yes, we looked at the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna, the Nissan Quest, amongst others on the minivan side. So functional, but so … blah! On the SUV side, we looked at the Tahoe and Yukon Denali hybrids (so big, but not very roomy), the Escalade (basically, we’re not cool enough for the Escalade), and a few European clean diesel options. There really wasn’t a car that met all of our criteria … until the Model X.

The falcon wings definitely change the cool factor. It’s all electric, so has zero emissions. They say it’s likely to get about 200-270 miles per charge depending on what battery option you choose (60 or 85 kWh). That’s certainly enough for an every day commute, but probably not very convenient for a road trip. For grandpa, I’m happy to report that it goes zero to 60 faster than a Porsche 911 (though Baby B did not get to experience that first hand). All of those things we knew before our in person visit.

But a few things stood out as Baby B and I saw the Model X in person this weekend.

1. The trunk is quite roomy. It reminds me of both the SUV and Minivan with their third row seats up in that the trunk is pretty small, only a few feet wide. However, what’s different is that the trunk goes VERY deep. We took a picture, but you can see that the indentation will allow for one of those super big suitcases or Special K will be happy to know that even his colossal stroller will fit comfortably.

2. The trim and interior look very sleek. This is not your grandmother’s mahogany look. It has sleek, modern lines that could seem harsh for some, but as you know, we here at Paper Culture are a sucker for this type of design. It certainly leans a bit toward the sporty side. The ipad like electronics pad seems to be the command center for the vehicle, but we weren’t allowed to sit inside, so it’s hard to say what it actually does. One downside though, it didn’t seem as roomy as we were led to believe in the announcement. It looked pretty cramped in the third row, but the flexibility of the seating was definitely better than most SUVs. The seats look like they can move independently which really helps out the spacing. And yes, you can stand up in the car with the doors open – for those of us who are parents who try this all the time, that’s certainly a winning feature.

3. The Falcon Wings are pretty darn cool. Somehow when I think of doors that open upwards, I always think of Michael J Fox and the DeLorean in Back to the Future. Well, the future is apparently right around the corner. In fact, Baby B openly wondered: “Daddy, does the car fly?” On the downside, I do wonder how many garages will actually accommodate those doors. The Tesla reps claim that it should fit in most standard garages. But most people I know pack their garages pretty tight and it’s not exactly a compact wingspan.

So how much does this thing cost? They haven’t finalized the prices, but it appears it will range from $60k-$90k depending on the options chosen, with the biggest variance being the battery. It’s certainly not an affordable option, but surprisingly it’s in the same price range as the Yukon Denali hybrid, it’s cheaper than the Escalade Hybrid and it’s in the same range as the European cars. It will certainly set you back more than a typical minivan though. I can’t say I’d recommend this car on value and who knows what the reliability will be (I do know some folks that sprung for the Tesla Roadster and have not been super happy with the maintenance).

But it is the first car that I think we’d fight over in our family both with and without the kids. My wife won’t kill me for making her drive a Minivan. It certainly meets my eco commitment as an all electric vehicle (and really pushes me to want to finally getting around to installing solar because the cost of electricity makes running this puppy pretty expensive). At the end of the day, I believe the Tesla Model X should be commended for taking a surprisingly staid category (the Minivan) and merging it with one of the top selling categories in the US (the SUV) and creating a concept that truly is new. The market needs thinking like this and both Baby B and I walked away suitably impressed.

And … without the kids in the car, yes, I admit, I’d want to test out that 0-60 faster than a Porsche claim (please don’t report me!) and with those DeLorean like falcon wings – I just might be able to tell Baby B that yes, the Tesla Model X can fly!

To all the rad dads out there, this one’s for you, Happy Father’s Day!

My friend Ed believes the “… the art from my kids still is the best but the smallest thing I refer to constantly is my Weber grilling cookbook. [It's] very suburban of me but I always check it for recipes and especially cooking times for different cuts of meat.” Handmade gifts are truly original and thoughtful and a fun and crafty way for a parent and child to spend time together. I wouldn’t have immediately thought to purchase dad a cookbook, but I guess, one related to barbecues (and the foods he enjoys) makes a pretty nifty gift.

Ian in Atlanta says he enjoys spending time doing an activity together with his family, “Often we go to play mini-golf,” and that makes him happy enough. With competing schedules, it can be hard to get the clan together. What’s up with golf and dads anyway? A colleague of mine mentioned that this year he and his brother are going to play golf with their dad after he realized, “the last five [gifts] were stacked on the table unopened”. Dedicating a window of time to just hang seems like a real winner. Some of my fondest memories of spending time with my dad were of the ones like these.

Pierre, a father of twins claims, he enjoys an “exceptional meal provided by his family.” Yep. Cooking and eating together is filling and fulfilling. Everybody has a favorite meal too so it’s easy to plan for. That said, my buddy Jason enjoys eating out at a nice restaurant with his family. His son Max is a tween so sharing a meal in public has become enjoyable again for Jason. It’s easy to see why studies that show families who routinely eat together also seem happier in general.

And sometimes it’s just the gesture of an every day occurrence that makes Father’s Day fun. Chris, here at Paper Culture, enjoyed Baby B running up to him to say, “Happy Baasahrs Day” (a two year old’s attempt to say, “Happy Father’s Day”) even though she tripped as she came to give him a hug.  The moment made everyone laugh and we feel, these priceless moments are the ones  parents enjoy and get a kick out of.

We hope that however you choose to celebrate the caretaker and father in your life this weekend, that you will be able to continue to cherish him for more than just one day a year. Happy Father’s Day to all!

from the Wall Street Journal

Note: Usually, we’ll be tackling more light hearted, everyday topics, so please excuse the random politics interruption.
1. The Dictator Angle
Amy Chua’s advocacy of banning playdates, sleepovers and television in pursuit of “straight A’s” and former President Mubarak’s 30 year reign with iron-fisted control of the media and daily life are simply two forms of dictatorship: one in the house and one of a country. But the singular lesson is that the power of “the individual” is an overwhelming force too strong to suppress, whether it’s the democratic movement of a country or the individuality of a child manifesting itself. So even if I wanted to subscribe to Amy Chua’s household dictatorship methods as Baby B’s father, it’s a fruitless exercise because Baby B is bound to prevail.

2. Not so Black and White
However, simply proclaiming Amy Chua and Hosni Mubarak as yesterday’s dictators is far too easy and simplistic a path. In fact, in follow up interviews with the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times and many other publications, Amy Chua has made it clear that her book is not the black and white advocacy of being a Tiger Mom. In fact, it’s a self reflection of how it is in fact hard to repress the individualism of your children (as she discovered with her second daughter Louisa). Similarly, condemning President Mubarak as a worthless dictator is equally simplistic. Without his conviction to implement Sadat’s Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel, the path of Middle East politics would no doubt have been dramatically transformed. And I would argue that short of Saudi royalty, he has been the most important bridge between the Arab and Western worlds. The lesson for Baby B is probably not really a parenting lesson, but moreso one of life in general. Whether in the media or in daily conversation, people love the sensationalist headlines. Baby B – don’t just listen to “conventional wisdom” but form your own opinion. Things are not always as they seem and more often than not, information has been “packaged.” There’s almost always two sides to a coin.

courtesy of CBS News

3. When is Success Really Success?
Amy Chua’s daughters did get straight A’s and one of her daughter’s performed at Carnegie Hall. The people of Egypt rose as one in a powerful show of democracy that toppled a 30 year reign with minimal bloodshed. Are these successes to be celebrated?

While I actually agree with many aspects of Amy Chua’s Tiger parenting (please no flames!), I totally reject the most common Chinese parent stereotype that getting straight A’s and gaining entrance to an Ivy League school is a sign that it was all worthwhile. Similarly, I worry for the people of Egypt because the hardest days are really ahead. Overthrowing a dictatorship is relatively easy compared to solving the unemployment and economic turmoil that are at the heart of Egypt’s current problems. While an Ivy League education and an historic people’s movement are indeed notable accomplishments, history will only see them as true successes based on what happens next. Failure to make something of the Ivy league education or the democratic opportunity will relegate each to insignificant footnote status.

So Baby B – here’s what Amy Chua and Hosni Mubarak have taught me:
- To understand that your strong will and mischievous machinations are reflections of your individuality to be nurtured and not suppressed (or … when you’re wrecking havoc in the house, to remind myself that it’s simply budding individualism in its nascent stages)
- To strive to instill in you an inquisitive nature that will not take “popular” opinion at face value – to be wary of those things that are painted as universally good or bad – because they rarely are (or … that I should really embrace this stage you’re at where your simple response to everything is “why?”)
- To celebrate success, but to understand that sometimes the most celebrated moments, are really only the beginning of much longer and arduous journeys and that often the true moments of success are those that come later and are much less celebrated (or … that Amy Chua had it all wrong – Harvard simply ain’t good enough – you need to also graduate at the top of your class and find the cure for cancer to really be considered a success)

courtesy of Harvard College

… ok, just kidding … sort of.

But before I regale with my poop anguish, I did think about what our Top 5 list would be. It’s not the coolest or most original list, it’s just the ones that really stood out for me.
I’d love to hear what your top 5 list is (and as a bribe – yes, I’m not above that – I’ll give a $50 Paper Culture gift card to the best response by EOD Sunday):

1. Angel Dear Blankets:
   These are Baby B’s security blankets. One of the best pieces of advice I got as a first time parent seems so obvious now: pick a security blanket that’s small, easily washable and easily replaceable.  Angel Dear has a whole set of animals. We have some friends who rotate animals, but Baby B is only about the elephants. We literally have 20 of the blue elephants (excessive perhaps). It’s not so much that we’re fooling Baby B into thinking there’s really only 1 blue elephant, it’s that she’s accustomed to swapping them in and out. In fact, she’s become addicted to our fabric softener so she demands a new one after a few cuddles. And when one gets lost, a few clicks on Amazon and we’re fully replenished.
2. Zoli’s Buzz B Nail Trimmer:
   Have you ever wondered how your baby’s fingernails grow so fast? I remember when Baby B was a wee one and it was never the diapers I dreaded, it was always cutting her nails. I felt like one bad snip and my poor Baby B would be a four finger wonder. The Buzz B is the ultimate solution. Imagine a circle shaped emery board that spins and is soft enough to not hurt your precious one, but has enough grit to file down your baby’s nails with its battery powered spinning action. Just touch the spinning head to the nails and you get a beautifully filed and perfectly trimmed nail with no worries about hurting your little one. But it is true that I worry I’m turning Baby B onto Mani-Pedi’s waaaaaaaay too early!
3. Halo Organic Cotton Sleep Sack:
   
   As we moved from the swaddle to a sleepsack, initially I thought it was cool just because it was easy and quick. I soon learned that a sleep sack has a lot of ancillary benefits as well. Yes, it does dramatically reduce the worrying you do that your baby is getting cold because her blanket fell off in the middle of the night, but that’s the predictable part. The part I didn’t expect: as your baby grows up and becomes a climber, the sleepsack makes it darn difficult to scale the crib barriers. So, we have an almost three year old that hasn’t even started to attempt to climb out of her crib. Our friends who have long since converted to a toddler bed are jealous. The secret is the sleep sack – and organic cotton to boot!
4. Orbit Stroller:
   For the first year with Baby B, I LOVED the Orbit Stroller. With one hand carrying Baby B and the other hand free, I could collapse the Orbit stroller with a quick flick of the wrist and shove it in the trunk in under 5 seconds flat (try that Bugaboo owners!). And in the constant suburban car rush, it seems like life is about getting into and out of the car. The car seat that snaps off the base instantly and just as easily snaps onto the stroller is especially awesome when you have a sleeping baby that you’re moving into and out of the car. The only complaints about the infant stroller was that it was a bit heavy and if it’s value you’re looking for, this is not your leading candidate. But, eventually, Baby B grew out of her infant seat and the concept that she’d grow up with an equally modular Toddler Car Seat was cooler in concept than reality. You see, the toddler car seat weighs a ton (almost literally) and is NOT something you want to be moving in and out of the car. So, we actually have one, but it sits in the car permanently anchored to the seat no different than any other car seat that’s half the price. In theory it snaps onto the stroller base, but I don’t know of anybody (at least in their right mind) that would actually move that thing in and out of the car.
5. Paper Culture Stationery:
   
   OK yes, I’m TOTALLY biased, but I kid you not, I never realized how much stationery we would go through. My wife and I have always loved stationery, but we’d send maybe 30 cards a year typically. With the arrival of Baby B, the number of thank you’s for baby shower gifts, for housewarming gifts (we moved when Baby B was born) and for birthday parties seems never ending. It’s fun to create a design that captures your little one’s personality and so convenient to have them on hand at any time. We don’t just use them for thank you cards, but we also use them as actual birthday cards when we’re in a pinch.

But if those were the 5 things we loved, there were 2 that seem indispensable, but that we never really found the product we loved. We’re married to the concept, but are still in search of the ultimate one. We’d love your suggestions, who knows, we may do this again someday!

1. Baby Monitor:
   We have baby monitor addiction. We are the classic undisciplined parents that if we heard Baby B scream, we would be checking in on her every 5 minutes if we didn’t have the video monitor. However, we have the Summer Infant Handheld monitor and the battery is dead so it only works when it’s plugged in. To me the priorities are long range, good night vision. Color is a nice to have and if you have an infant, the new features that have motion detection might be nice, though we’re far beyond that with Baby B. Any thoughts?
2. Diaper Disposal: We have the diaper champ, and let me tell you, it definitely is appropriately part of the diaper discussion because it always smells like poop and functions like the much more un-PC term for “butt.” We initially picked that one because we could use it with any other bag (unlike the Diaper Genie which we’ve tried and not liked any better), but the diaper flipping mechanism always gets caught and it does next to nothing for the odor. It doesn’t even look good – at least if it doesn’t function, it could have some redeeming quality as a piece of furniture, but no.  Our only saving grace is Baby B has been basically potty trained for about a year. But if we ever do this again, we need to find a better solution! Any ideas? (No, I’m not providing a link because you really should NOT buy this product). Just think, we’ve lived for almost 3 years with that terrible poop smell. Help!

And don’t forget, leave your Top 5 list in the comments below and I’ll pick my favorite one for a $50 Paper Culture voucher.

UPDATE: And the winner is Christina Taylor who said:
1. Boppy pillow – Not only was it a back/shoulder/arm saver during nursing, but I turned it around and propped my lil one in it when she was an infant. As she’s grown, she’s used it as a pillow in her playroom.
2. Ergo and Baby Bjorn baby carriers – Ergo worked better for mom, Baby Bjorn fit dad better.
3. Sophie the Giraffe – This teething wonder never left my daughter’s side. And because she started teething at 3 months, it’s her oldest friend
4. Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe blanket.
5. Newmann’s Nipple Cream – Kinda graphic, I know, but this handmade salve worked much better than lanolin and didn’t leave the sticky residue.
I went over these with my wife and we were marveling that we could have added almost all of those things to our list – and yes, I had to consult her on #5 . I’m still amazed at how many people have Sophie the Giraffe – you’d think how hard could it be to produce another chewable toy? But, somehow, Sophie is everywhere! Christina, email us at contact@paperculture.com and we’ll send you your $50 voucher. Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated.

Me and Baby B

So Baby B was really part of the Paper Culture inspiration. I say “part” because our other 3 co-founders (Creative Director, Huiling Chen; CTO, Armando Singer; and President, Anurag Mendhekar) have their own parts of the story which I’ll let them tell. But the other reason I’m writing this blog series is that Paper Culture is so much more to me than just creating great eco stationery, it’s about an opportunity on a daily basis to speak to you, the community of Paper Culture. As you can imagine, our community is full of parents, and as a first time parent, it’s a privilege for me to listen, learn and talk to the community on a regular basis. You’ve not only helped us hatch Paper Culture, but you’ve helped me learn to be a parent.

I hope “Me and Baby B” is just an extension of that daily conversation.