November 2012 - The Culture Mom

30Nov

Believing in the Power of Travel to Change the World

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Travel has had a profound change on my life. I first went to Israel when I was 16 to spend a few months of my high school career there and came back to America a changed person. I never imagined the world could be so beautiful. So I returned several times as a young adult to study during my University period. While I was there, I worked with Holocaust survivors, I worked with children at the famous Israel Museum in Jerusalem and I worked at Yad Vashem in the archives of one of the most famous Holocaust Museums in the world. But my most rewarding work Read More

29Nov

Golden Boy: A Night of Legendary Theater

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The other night I was treated to a night of great, legendary theater. There were a few reasons I was excited beforehand. For one thing, the show was written by the legendary Clifford Odets . It also stars Tony Shalhoub and I adore the Lincoln Center Theater. I've been a member for nearly 20 years and it has been one of my greatest NYC pleasures. Lastly, this play is a big of theater history - it's 60 years old. It premiered in 1937 to great fanfare. But I had reservations about the show and wasn't sure if it was truly for me. Still with all of the Read More

29Nov

My Visit to the Rockaways: No One Should Have to Live Like This

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Today on my way home from spending the morning volunteering at St. Carmillus Church & School in the Far Rockaways, my head spun with torment. Torment for all the people living in poverty. Torment for all the people living in fear. Torment for the people desperate for a chance in life. Torment for the young children I saw come into the church for clothes to cover their small bodies. Torment for the mothers and fathers trying to provide for their children. Torment for all the people still living without heat. These people feel abandoned. I saw no Read More

26Nov

Time to Rebrand

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When I started to conceptualize this blog in late 2009, I spent months agonizing over everything. The URL, the logo, the content, my writing. I was not technical in the slightest. I remember starting out on Blogger.com and writing my first post. I remember thinking, what do I have to say? I wanted to start a travel blog, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to travel enough. And then this came out, my first blog, titled "No...Wire...Hangerrrs!" Joan Crawford said it in the classic film “Mommy Dearest”. We never forgot it. Such a great line. Read More

23Nov

Exploring NYC with My Tween

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This past week was an adventure for both my 9 year-old daughter and I. We ventured into NYC several times for some real mother-daughter time. We spent one night celebrating American Girl’s newest historical character, Caroline Abbott, while learning about her home in Sackets Harbor, NY, and its role in the War of 1812. There were 1812 re-enactment actors from Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, which was recently designated as a historically significant site on New York State’s ‘Path Through History,’ dressed in period attire, there to Read More

21Nov

Our New Thanksgiving Tradition

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I wasn't looking forward to Thanksgiving. With my mom unable to join us this year, the holiday leaped out of nowhere and threw me for a loop. Two days ago I had a blank slate before me, which I needed to fill in order to provide a fruitful holiday for my children. Having never witnessed the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Blow Up after living in NY for more years than I'd like to admit, I jumped at the chance today when I was invited to a special event at the New York Historical Society which overlooks West 77th Street where it all takes place. First Read More

20Nov

Getting Back on the Make-Up Train with Benefit

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On Saturday my daughter and I headed into NYC for an event at the Benefit Boutique in Soho. It was coined a "Bonding Over Beauty" event for mothers and daughters. We hopped on the train with her girlfriend and sped into town, all eager for a day of pampering. Who doesn't deserve that? Even my daughter, at age 9, knows that she deserves one every now and then. She learned that from me. Back in the day, pre-marriage, I actually wore make-up and guess what brand it was....Benefit! I remember taking a trip to the brand's flag ship store in San Francisco Read More

20Nov

Chilling Out in Mesa at Fushsia

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My visit to Mesa was so relaxing. Yoga in the desert, tea at the Ritz Carlton, a morning hike, time to go shopping and even a visit to a spa called Fushsia. The spa trip was unexpected and certainly welcome. My regular life at home is pretty hectic and there is not much time to focus on myself. With work, the kids, my husband , my friends and family, my "to-do" list is long and never-ending. The amount of time I get to spend on myself is minimal. In the heart of Mesa, a tranquil city in the heart of Arizona, there is a spa that was created Read More

19Nov

A True Travel Adventure: Paddle Boarding on the Salt River

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While recently on a visit to Mesa, Arizona, I was taken on a real adventure: paddle boarding on the Salt River. I will admit upfront that I did not stand up on the board like you're supposed to. When we arrived, I was ready to stand up and paddle but was advised by the instructor that the winds were pretty bad and she didn't recommend it as a first-timer. Looking back, I wish I had tried, but I really enjoyed riding around the river in the middle of the desert on my knees. I took deep breaths, ogled at my surroundings and as I thought about Read More