August 2011 - The Culture Mom

31Aug

I’m Not Alone. Just Ask Twitter.

Inspired by my friend at BitchinWivesClub and her article "School Can't Start Soon Enough," I have to be honest about what's been going on in my life. My kids have been home full time. Camp ended. School doesn't start in my town until September 8th. And to be honest, the time has felt like an eternity. I hate to admit this publicly as I know these days, these years, are flying by. All the moms around me seem to love the long days of summertime. No routine. No schedules. Freedom to do whatever. Many have gone on vacation over the last half of Read More

27Aug

What Takes a Real Hero

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I got a card in the mail today from a local address. Curious, I opened the card and read this on the front: "Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me. But waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero." - Brian Andreas It was a thank you card from a family in my community who's son passed away this summer. He was five years-old. I had made a donation in his memory and the family was thanking me for my expression of sympathy. I had been feeling terrible since I heard the news about this Read More

26Aug

Giveaway: Family Pack (4 Tickets) to A Show of Your Choice at Symphony Space

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Symphony Space in NYC continues to amaze me with their stunning programming for children. I've written about them in the past, and I'm happy to tell you about the upcoming seasson, they are offering the Just Kidding series and Thalia Kid's Book Club, a cornucopia of family-friendly performances and author events. From September through May, Symphony Space continues their tradition of offering New York families ground-breaking programming from around the U.S.At the end of September, they'll be featuring the FREE Secret Mountain Sunday celebration concert Read More

25Aug

Curing my Summer TV Drought with The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks

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Just when I was about to give up completely on summer television comes along a fab new Internet only show on AMCTV.com called The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks. It's very Woody Allen, very Freudian. It's a homage to Allen, who I adore, not only because it uses narration and black and white video, but also because it's about an actor/writer (played skillfully by Adam Goldberg) who is having an affair with a young protege. He feverishly tries to sort out his life, while writing bits of it into his scripts. His therapist, played by Read More

24Aug

My 7 Links Challenge and Why I Made it 8

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I usually don't respond to chain letters or emails that ask me to answer questions and forward them to other people. I don't fill out questionnaires that offer loads of personal information about me either. I don't forward jokes and I don't share recipes and pass them on. I'm just not into that kind of thing. But when I got a request from one of my favorite bloggers turned IRL friends, Rebecca from BeccaRama, I couldn't say "no". First of all, I was flattered to be short-listed; secondly, the topic is blogging, which I love to talk about. It's a Read More

23Aug

School’s Almost Here and We’re All Leaving Home

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This coming back to school season has special meaning for me. I feel like I've graduated. Both my kids will be in school full time, until 3pm everyday. My daughter is 8, my son is nearly 7. The occasion is momentous for all of us. For me, it marks a milestone in my own life. The pre-school years are over. No more 9am drop-offs and 12pm pick-ups. No more having to fill the day with constant activity. No more school days filled with just playtime. This year both my kids will have more intense academics, they'll both have homework. They'll have 6 Read More

21Aug

A Star is Born

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Picking out clothes for my daughter isn't as easy as it used to be when she was younger. I used to go shopping and she loved everything I brought home. Usually, I just picked up any item that was pink or purple, and it was an instant hit. Unfortunately, we no longer always see eye to eye. I bought her home a pair of shoes last week that she nix'ed, and I can tell that her fashion sense is fast forwarding itself past my own, and she now looks to some of her friends and heroes, like Selena Gomez, for fashion advice and approval. It's sad but true. Read More

21Aug

Traveling with Kids: Lunch at the Hotel del Coronado

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On my recent visit to San Diego for Blogher, I went a day early to stay with some very good friends. They picked me up from the airport and we headed right to Coronado Island with her two young children for lunch. I had been flying all morning and was quite hungry and ready to enjoy their company. I have been to the Hotel Del Coronado many times, yet I have yet to stay there. It is a luxury hotel right on the water. In the 1990s, my mother and sister were staying there while I was visiting friends in the city. I have vivid memories of spending Read More