November 2013 - The Culture Mom

29Nov

Giving Tuesday with Mommy Nearest

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I've written about a lot about advocacy and how helping others is an important part of my family life. I once read that it’s important to start teaching how to give back at a very young age, as young as age 3, and that it’s best to treat the act of helping as a family activity. I actually started to encourage the act of volunteering when they were both less than a year old. Every week we would go to an old age home and play on a rug in the middle of a roomful of the elderly. It filled my heart with pride knowing how much our presence was appreciated Read More

27Nov

Holiday Gift Ideas for Tweens

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Last weekend I went to the Kidzvuz Holiday House Party and got the complete low down on truly awesome picks for holiday gifts for tweens. If you've been wondering what to get this year, look no further. They had all the right bases covered for the two kids in my house, starting with... Travel: We are a traveling family, so I was happy to find out more about Hilton Homewood Suites, for extended travel or residential style visits. As a family, we always like spreading ourselves out, making our own meals, having a swim and chilling out with comforts. Read More

25Nov

Passports with Purpose: Supporting Education

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Two years ago I participated in a travel blogger's fundraiser called Passports with Purpose. The goal was to raise money for Room to Read, an organization I have close attachment to as I work for them in my local chapter. The program funded the establishment of two libraries in under-served communities in Zambia. The program put books in the hands of kids that don’t have them and it was very, very rewarding. Last year I wasn't involved, but they raised money to build wells in Haiti with Water.org. Not only did they exceed their fundraising goal of Read More

25Nov

NY Hall of Science’s Gingerbread Village

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What has 2,000 pounds of icing, four hundred pounds of candy and four hundred pounds of gingerbread dough and is at the Hall of Science? Between now and January 12th, you can head over to the New York Hall of Science to experience Gingerbread Lane, what could potentially be the world’s largest gingerbread village and a contender for the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread exhibit. We headed to Queens on a recent Saturday afternoon for a glimpse of the life-sized gingerbread village. Chef Jon Lovitch, the executive sous chef at the New Read More

24Nov

Where to Spend Thanksgivukkah in New York City

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This year Hanukkah is coming very early. It starts the night before Thanksgiving which means we have to celebrate during our traditional meal, so for this reason it’s being dubbed Thanksgivukkah. The convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah is happening for the first time in over 100 years this November and there is no better way to celebrate than in NYC. This year there is so much to do throughout the holiday. I've gathered some details here: Eat sweet potato donuts at Zucker Bakery, 433 East 9th Street For Thanksgivukkah, Zucker Bakery on the Read More

23Nov

Defending GoldieBlox and LEGO Loving Girls

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My daughter and I just watched the new ad for GoldieBlox toys (click above to watch) together and I asked her to tell me what she thought it was trying to say at the end. Her response, direct from her mouth: "Girls want more than pink toys. Girls can do anything they want when they grow up. Oh, and we have a brain!" Amen! What better message is there out in the world for my 10 year old daughter than this? As a staunch feminist, I try my best to encourage her to do and be anything in the world that she wants, but right out of my womb she wore pink Read More

21Nov

Cool Rainbow Loom Tips

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I love the Rainbow Loom. It's artistic, creative, stimulating, thoughtful, time-consuming (in a good way), educational and, most of all, fun. My kids can spend hours upon hours making different designs and they're often at their most focused. When they first got their kits, they read instructions and made simple pattens but over time they've started to watch instructional videos and are now coming up with the most amazing concoctions. My husband and I proudly wear our bracelets to work everyday and we both get questioned constantly by our colleagues Read More

21Nov

Empower a Woman w/ FashionABLE

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I've written about FashionABLE scarves here before. I'm become slightly obsessed with them. Not only are they beautiful, but every time I buy one, I am investing in a woman. I am helping the fight against poverty. Just check out the story above, Kalkidan is one example. Let me explain. In an effort to create sustainable business in Africa through scarf making; instead of making women dependent on charity, FashionABLE helps make women a vital part of a developing economy by employing them to make these beautiful creations and by giving them Read More

20Nov

Wordless Wednesday: A Look Back in Time

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Time is flying. I can't believe that my kids are 9 and 10. They're changing all the time, as well as their interests, their skills, their likes and dislikes. They're growing up fast and I can't seem to turn back the clocks. There are moments that are so beyond beautiful and meaningful and I tell myself to stop and embrace these times, but as you know, times flies and we get so wrapped up in our everyday lives that it's often hard to take time out and think about the times that are no longer. While creating this year's holiday card, I took a look back Read More

19Nov

A Night Away Without the Kids at Water’s Edge Resort & Spa

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When I was invited to spend an evening at Water's Edge Resort & Spa in Connecticut, it sounded like the answer to my prayers. It had been many years since my husband and I got away on our own. I just looked it up on my blog and it was in 2009, before this blog was even born. We don't have much family support where we live, so it is never easy to orchestrate childcare so we tend to take our kids with us when we travel. Thankfully, when this invite came, the timing could not have been better. We've both been working overtime with long commutes into Read More