Did you get a big box, or a small box?

This article from the Atlanta paper claimed that "When it comes to gift boxes, women like 'em small."

I have to admit, I think my favorite gift box was small and blue and held something sparkly. And I think my husband's favorite gift box might have been the big one from his mom that held the massage chairpad. Maybe this article rings true after all.

What was the best box you opened?

How Many Shopping Days Until School?

I enjoyed reading this survey about back-to-school shopping, although I was quite surprised that the average family spends more than $500. I guess that number really shoots up as your kids get older. Mine are just 3 and 7, so the supply lists include lots of gluesticks and crayons. We have tax-free days in GA as school gets closer, so we'll probably make a big event out of shopping that weekend (and save a whole six dollars or so!).

Call me a geek if you will, but I luv back-to-school shopping. and I'm sure I'll pick up a few things for myself!

I recently learned about a new website "inspired by Barbie:" http://www.webelieveingirls.com/. It claims to be "a new global online forum" -- "the first to give parents a voice ...and an opportunity to actively engage in a discussion about the state of girls around the world today." They picked a good name -- who could argue with it? The dialogue doesn't appear to be too rich so far, and not so different than other sites I've been on. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Chick Food: Are you buying it?

According to this article in USA Today, more than 1,000 new foods and drinks targeted at women have been launched in the past four years (per Mintel). Brands like Luna and the Republic of Tea are touting nutritional benefits aimed at females.

Are you buying them?

Personally, I think some brands do it well -- speaking directly to the need for taking care of yourself combined with convenience (like calcium-fortified OJ). But others seem to be trying to create more a "clique" feel -- and that doesn't click with me, since I have a family to feed (not just women).

More Women Online

This report from emarketer shows that the majority of Internet users are female. The companies that study just adults are still showing men in the majority, but if you're taking into account the entire population, women rule. I know that in my house, I'm online more often. But that's mostly a function of the fact that I work in an office, and my husband is a personal chef and Mr. Mom.

I Believe in the Power of the Wife-Ometer

I was amused to read about the "wife-ometer" of Shigeru Miyamoto in BusinessWeek. He says "The wife-ometer measures one variable—the interest level of my own wife" -- and claims that measuring new games on the wife-ometer "helped revive Nintendo."

Welcome to Our Speaking Female Blog

This article from Ad Age talks about mommy bloggers, and even quotes a friend of Zeno's -- Maria Bailey. And here I am, a blogger who happens to be a mom, starting a new one. I agree with Lolita Carrico, founder of Modern Mom (another blog I read), who says that "marketers are getting hip to the fact that they need to address moms more directly." At Zeno, we look at an even bigger picture -- that marketers need to address females more directly. We can help you do just that.