Lonely Moms Club #5
BTS is back ... but where are the Labubu
DIARY OF A LONELY MOM
In the midst of June chaos, one moment stopped time for me. It was in the middle of the 5th grade graduation/ luau, which I helped chaperone as a class mom. I walked past another mom and saw her wiping tears from her watery eyes. Her burst of emotion was everything I was trying so hard to hold in. That mom and I have never interacted before, but in that moment, I felt connected. I gave her a feeble frown to let her know I felt her pain. This was a day—actually a week—all the 5th grade parents had been thinking about for so long. Our babies moving onto middle school.
I’m sure that mom was crying because her kid is growing up. Maybe there’s more to the story behind her tears. But for me, it’s also a reminder of time. They’re growing up—and we’re growing old.
I spent much of June crying during little moments—from my daughter’s last band concert to reminder emails from the teacher.
It’s not just about my daughter becoming a tween, but also that I’ve grown with her. Her childhood is my motherhood. I hope I did her justice during the first decade of her life. When she’s older and talking about her childhood, she’s going to talk about me as a mother. And I want her to look back with happy memories. I hope she forgives the times I was stressed and burnt out and yelled. The days I had anxiety over my health and needed to rest.
I hope she remembers I was there for every school event. That I made sure I had a remote job so I could pick her up from school every day. The nights we read together in bed before I signed her reading log. The tiny moments that were so big for me.
If elementary school was a winding road, then I know middle school will bring mountains. And we’ll climb them together.
EXPERT TIP: GROUNDING
I’ve been doing grounding exercises to help detox mercury. But there’s more benefits, too. In Vagus Nerve Deck: 75 Exercises to Rest Your Nervous System, certified somatic trauma therapist, Melissa Romano, shares a calming exercise called Feet On the Earth.
“Connecting your feet with the earth allows you to absorb the earth’s negative ions,” says Romano. “These switch on your body’s calm mode, acting as invisible enhancers. This connection leads to better sleep, reduced inflammation, improved blood flow, and healing.”
Romano shares 5 steps in the card deck:
1. Find a natural surface like grass, a beach, or soil—a direct connection to the earth’s energy.
2. Safely place your bare (or socked) feet onto the ground.
3. Take slow, deep breaths to center yourself.
4. Wiggle your toes or gently shift your weight between your feet.
5. Just a few minutes of this grounding practice can settle nervous energy.
“Enhance the experience by taking a mindful walk, maintaining your focus on the sensations rising from the earth to your feet,” says Romano.
BTS IS BACK— Intro to K-Pop
BTS members Jin, J-Hope, Jung Kook, Jim, V, RM, and Suga during their first Weverse Live after reuniting.
I’m 44 years-old and proud ARMY. I just got into BTS last year. First, I had a client for my PR work— therapist Jeanie Chang (who speaks on the connection between BTS songs and mental health)— put them on my radar. Then, the BTS song “Spring Day” had a significant role in the K-drama series Marry My Husband. But what really got me to explore BTS was watching the acclaimed Korean drama, Lovely Runner. I fell in love with all the songs from Eclipse, the fictional K-pop band in the series, and decided to check out more K-Pop. That led me down the rabbit hole of BTS and now I get to go on this wild ride for their comeback! I streamed Jung Kook and Jimin’s military release during my son’s soccer game because I had to see it live. Now that all the members have completed their service, ARMY (BTS fans) are anxiously awaiting their tour and new album.
I used to work in the music business and spent my teens and 20s at concerts. Going to concerts, interviewing bands, doing PR for bands, and writing about them was therapeutic. It took me away from a toxic home and trauma, gave me something to always look forward to, made me happy, and helped me set goals. (My love of boy bands inspired my romance novel, The Comeback Tour).
When I became a mom, I felt disconnected from the punk rock world that previously held me up. But now, discovering K-Pop, I feel like I gained a part of myself back. I stream songs all day long and they boost my mood, help combat my mental worries because I focus on the songs and not what-ifs, and simply bring me joy.
Check out my BTS FAVES Spotify Playlist.
Listen to my Intro to K-Pop Spotify playlist featuring BTS (and member solo projects), BLACKPINK (and member solo projects), The Rose (indie rock), and others.
July is my summer of K-Pop concerts—stay tuned!
THE SHOPPING OLYMPICS FOR PARENTS
It’s not even the holiday season and the toy craze around Labubu plush keychains is on another level.
When I was little, my mom waited in lines for Cabbage Patch Dolls. Now, I’m stalking PopMart online and my local Asian gift store to get my daughter a Labubu. IYKYK.
These bag accessories were made famous by BLACKPINK’s Lisa and now it’s impossible to get an authentic one. Beware: There are fake “Lafufu” dolls everywhere and my daughter and her friends know all the tricks.
How to know your Labubu is real (according to Google):
Packaging:
Matte finish and muted colors: Authentic Labubu boxes have a matte finish with a smooth texture and muted color palettes.
Holographic QR code sticker: Look for a holographic sticker with a QR code on the back of the box.
Clean printing and embossed details: Authentic packaging features clean printing and embossed details on the series name.
Toy Features:
Nine teeth: Authentic Labubus have nine teeth.
Inward-pointing ears: The ears of a real Labubu are pointed inward towards each other, not straight up and down.
Non-spinning feet: The feet of a genuine Labubu should not spin or move.
UV logo on the foot: Shine a UV light on the foot, and you should see the iconic Labubu silhouette.
Accurate colors and details: Authentic Labubus have consistent colors and details, while fakes may have faded colors, mismatched details, or poor workmanship.
Here’s what I’m doing to get an authentic Labubu:
Get PopMart app.
Sign up for email alerts for new drops.
As soon as the email comes, go to the app and add product to your cart. (I was able to do this!!)
When drop time comes (usually 9 or 10 pm EST) stay up and try to complete the order reserved in your cart.
And that step is where I recently got stuck! I had my order in my cart and then it kept timing out due to high traffic. It wouldn’t let me add my mailing address, and then 30 minutes of pushing buttons later, once I got it added, the items were no longer available. Talk about defeat! I was so close. I wish once they were in your car they were held there. But at least I was one step further than my last try, when we didn’t have them pre-saved in our cart and we spent an hour trying to add them at drop and just kept getting the “all items have been reserved” message.
My local bubble tea stores gets legit Labubu and the other day, I saw their Instagram story 30 minutes after they posted. By the time I saw and got to the store, the line was out the door and all were sold out.
My daughter says I might care more than her—and at this point she may be right. I have gotten designer MZ Wallace bags at half-price, a Rebecca Minkoff denim vest for $27, and other deals on my own wishlist of items. And here I am, being defeated by a plush keychain!
Do you feel my pain?! I know the authentic ones are up for sale on StockX—but they are overpriced, so that’s my last resort.
But I’m also having fun with the rush to the store, the excitement, and the mission. Can I do it? Wish me luck!
SUMMER MUST-HAVE PRODUCT
When Nat Pat emailed and offered me a sample of their all natural mosquito repellent stickers, I jumped on the opportunity. Living in a lake community brings a ton of mosquitos. My son in particular always get bites that swell to the size of golf balls at times. I struggle to find the right, safe products to use when we're outside. The one product I did love seems to have been discontinued so this opp came with perfect timing!
I tested out these citronella patches at the 4th of July fireworks and shared with all the families. Everyone said they have always seen patches and have been wanting to try. The kids loved sticking them on and tried to sneak more than one!
I love all the cute stickers and of course chose a music-themed smile face for myself. Since I have so many allergies, I have never used a spray repellent (so many ingredients) because I am always worried about having a reaction. But I had no fear-and no bites- last night!
Nat Pat patches will become a new spring and summer must-have product for our family. Thank you!!
Do you want your product featured in Lonely Moms Club? Are you an expert who can share tips to help moms lift themselves while raising kids? Contact me! joelle at joellesperanza.com and put Lonely Moms Club in the subject line.
Thanks for reading.
Dream Big,
Joelle
Official site: www.joellesperanza.com
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