Tweens and Cell Phones: Talk About Out-of-Control
The other day I’m in the neighborhood bakery—just looking, of course—and I notice several leftover Valentine’s Day cookies marked half price. The heart shaped treats are decorated “Be Mine†and “Cutie†in pink and white icing, but one stands out from all the others. This rejected cookie has red icing drizzled with the words “Text Me.†Seems innocent enough, but I’m actually sad about the reflection this rejected cookie has on our society. Are today’s teen falling apart just like the stale cookie next to the cherry stolen? Disheartened, I leave the pastry shop with a Styrofoam cup of coffee and a piece of glazed donut from the sample plate. Continue reading
Mom Catches Bieber Fever
Go ahead and make fun of me. I can take it. I’m a big girl. I openly admit that I’m a fan of 16-year-old singing sensation Justin Bieber—you know, the cute kid with the flip hairdo, no pimples, and the guts to dance on stage alongside his mentor Usher like no other white boy I ever saw.
Even though I don’t have the pop star’s poster on my bedroom wall yet, I still felt like a giddy teenage groupie (they’re called “Beliebersâ€) when I took my 12-year-old daughter Sari and a bunch of her girlfriends to the opening night of the wildly anticipated movie “Never Say Never.†Continue reading
Chocolate Makes Everyday Sweeter
When it comes to Valentines Day, if I had to choose, I’d rather my husband give me chocolate than long stemmed red roses, unless the flowers are the edible kind. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but chocolate is her secret lover. Continue reading
Teen Brain Baffles Parents
Being a teenager is tough, and so is parenting one, especially in today’s fast-paced, high-tech world where, for the first time, kids are the ones teaching us about social media and how to navigate our way into the future. Honestly, without their help, I’d never figure out how to operate the television remote control or know how to add new contacts into my cell phone. Teenagers consider themselves masters at multi-tasking. They do homework while they watch television, text their friends, play on the computer, and listen to music, all at the same time.
“It helps me relax and focus on my studies,†says my son Jack, 15, who used to collect baseball cards and now accumulates apps on his iPhone.
Whatever.
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Prop B Vote Goes to the Dogs
The recent midterm election was a nail biter for me, and not because the Republicans took over the House, or that the hotly contested race for the Congressional seat in Missouri’s third district was still up in the air when I woke up the next morning, or that California rejected the legalization of marijuana. More than anything else, I answered my civic duty on behalf of all dogs, and I’m not referring to the politicians themselves. Continue reading
Happy Hour Fashion Show Benefits Dress for Success
What does a Jewish mom enjoy more than eating out, shopping with her gal pals, and doing a mitzvah at the same time so that she doesn’t feel guilty for leaving her husband at home with the kids and a sink full of dishes?
I can’t think of anything.
So here’s an opportunity to do all of the above—cocktails, couture, and a good cause—at the third annual GNO (that’s “Girls Night Out†for those who still like to spell out words) on November 4, 6-9 p.m., at a trio of my favorite food and fashion hotspots in Wildwood Town Center.
The evening kicks off with wine and appetizers at a popular contemporary European restaurant Table Three where guests will salivate over goat cheese and spinach dip and the newest fall fashions from Heels (over-the-knee boots are big) and Pure by Jen (gray is the new black), which are conveniently located walking distance from each other on the cobblestone Main Street. Admission is $25 and benefits an international non-profit organization called Dress for Success, which promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women right here in St. Louis by providing them with professional attire, as well as a network of support and career development tools to help them thrive in their careers and lives. In fact, since opening its doors in 1998, Dress for Success Midwest has served more than 25,000 women with the goal of suiting 1,500 ladies this year.
“This incredible organization outfits these women from head to toe—all for free—so that they can get ready for a job interview and reenter the workforce,†says Rosemary Barry, owner of Heels, whose business donates shoes every year. “Every year the Girls Night Out event raises about $500 for a different cause, and this year we ask participants to also bring an item of apparel, footwear, or an accessory to help women feel good about themselves.â€
Finally, everyone goes home happy (and tipsy) with a complimentary tote bag filled with lots of goodies, including jewelry, a scarf, cosmetics, move tickets, coupons, and other surprises.
For reservations and more info, call 636-273-4000 or 636-458-8588.
It’s Business Unusual for Working Moms
I’m an official blogger because my story on survival tips for the WAHM (Work-At-Home-Mom, not George Michael’s band from the 80s) appears on Hybrid Mom, a one-stop shop for mompreneurs who take their jobs of raising families seriously, whether they want to share practical business advice, kid-friendly recipes, beauty and health tips, opportunities to win free stuff, you name it. Read all about it here.
Hadassah Audience “Eats Up” Chocolate Stress Busters Speech
For all of my friends who were too cheap to fork over $50 a plate at the Hadassah Great Plains Region banquet on June 5, 2010, at Hilton St. Louis Frontenac (yes, the same night as the Liza Minelli concert at Powell Symphony Hall and Rabbi Shook’s retirement party), here’s my presentation on “Women and Stress” and how chocolate solves all of life’s problems. If you would like to book me for your next event, please contact my agent, uh, that would be me.
Click here to watch me conquer any fears of public speaking in 30 minutes. And remember that the camera adds 10 pounds.
You’re Invited to a Hadassah Weekend Getaway
What would you rather do on a Saturday night—go see the legendary Liza Minnelli live in concert or listen to me talk about ways to balance stress in your life?
Well, considering the VIP tickets are already sold out at Powell Symphony Hall for the famous singer, why not join me at the Hadassah “Jeans and Jewels†banquet on June 5, 6:30 p.m., at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac where I will lead a lively discussion on how to manage our hectic lives and achieve happiness using my personal favorite coping mechanism, which I’ll divulge only to those who attend.
The Hadassah Great Plains Region Board Retreat, called “Juggling Without The Struggling,†takes place June 4-6 and features two other speakers who you don’t want to miss. Annette Sondock, the national chairperson of the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel, which is the most advanced medical and research center in the Middle East, brings her expertise in organization, leadership development, and fundraising, while Rabbi Dale Schreiber, a chaplain in Oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, shares her insights on spirituality and healing. The weekend is filled with lots of learning, laughter, and sisterhood that you just can’t get from a Broadway star like Liza.
It’s an honor for me to hang out with this Hadassah group, which is part of the largest women’s mass membership organization in the United States with more than 300,000 members, associates and supporters. Plus, Hadassah raises more funds than any other national women’s volunteer organization. The Great Plains Region Board encompasses six states and includes women of all ages and backgrounds, but their commonality is working tirelessly to enhance the quality of American and Jewish life through its education and Zionist youth programs, two hospitals in Israel, and personal enrichment and growth for its members.
To top off the weekend, everyone is invited to join us on June 6 for the “Walk on Sunshine,” a one-mile family fun walk at Queeny Park that has raised more than $400,000 for groundbreaking brain tumor research and treatment. Click here for more information on the walk.
For more information on Hadassah, go to Hadassah.
Go here to make a reservation for the retreat.
Meanwhile, enjoy these videos of Liza Minnelli in the musical Cabaret.
Share Your Confessions Here
Typically Jews don’t make confessions. Instead we carry our guilt like heavy bricks on our backs the way our ancestors did when they were slaves in Egypt.
So, I’ve created this sacred place in the blogosphere where moms everywhere can go and release their sins. Feel free to send me your’s at any time.
I’ll start.
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