For years I was a complete Reality TV Snob. I would not deign to lower myself to the ranks of those held in thrall by the un-real reality displayed for the voyeuristic pleasure of the average American. Then two things happened that changed everything. I got tired of fending off my daughters’ incessant begging to watch American Idol, and one of my best friends and her daughter moved in with us. This friend, I soon discovered, was a devotee of not one—not two—but MANY reality TV shows.   While I allowed my children to view the televised and heavily-funded peep shows under the supervision of my friend, I refused to participate. I would look away and hum to myself as I hurriedly passed by the TV on my way to more wine. But after a few weeks, the laughter and enthusiasm bursting forth without me was more than I could bear. As I passed by, I would pause, steal a peek, and before I knew it I was one more casualty of evil reality TV producers.   I star ...

When my younger daughter, Gabi, was about five years old she went through a period of extreme stubborness--manifesting in the refusal to admit lies, stealing, and the like. It was an experimental time for her and one that gave me the opportunity to reinforce both the boundaries of my patience and the sad truth that, for a time at least, the parent holds all the cards.   She could be caught red-handed with missing items from other members of the household and would blatantly and dramatically deny having anything to do with it. Throwing herself on her bed, wailing, and kicking were signs that she really meant business. One day the proverbial straw broke the proverbial camel's back. I decided that I must pull out all stops to impress upon this deceptively sweet little girl the dire consequences of traffiking in lies and theft.   Sitting across from me and her father the tiny Gabi was given the lecture to end all lectures, peppered with tales of the ultimate punishment ...

  I have a taste for books about Americans living in Europe.  Some of my favorites include Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island, Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun.  Now I can include a delicious new addition to my list: Kathleen Flinn’s memoir, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, wherein Flinn writes about her experiences as a student at the Paris campus of the world famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.     Kathleen Flinn always loved to cook, but she didn’t make it her life’s work.  Instead she stuck to a path that started in journalism and led to a climb up the corporate ladder to an executive position.  When she was abruptly pushed off the ladder through a layoff, she heeded the advice of a good friend to pursue her dream of studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.  What follows, including detailed accounts of ...

I spend a lot of time at my computer. Writing, editing, emailing. I email contributors, subscribers, advertisers, photographers, staffers at MediaOne and friends of the magazine. But, I've found that connecting with other women is sometimes as easy as doing a little looking.I've recently discovered Twitter and I'm hooked. Through this avenue I've discovered so many extraordinary women and ideas. There are moms out there making and selling really cool products , women who can help you add some , moms who motivate other moms to get fit, even a site whose motto is "Parenting by experience, not expert opinion."I just found another great site using the cool phrase: Mom it Forward. From there, I joined an online party called Girls Night Out (#gno for your Twitter experts) and met women from all over the country. We talked about everything from the Wii fit to sassy teens to kids dressing up as super heroes. So, if you're looking to find some interesting women to inspire you, make you laugh or ...

Over the last few weeks I've noticed the proclivity towards saying "happy holidays," as a greeting or departure phrase.   I realize that those who use "happy holidays" at all cost may be sensitive to those who may or may not celebrate Christmas. They may have been beaten down by the political correct movement or they may not celebrate Christmas themselves. But, really...what is wrong with returning a "Merry Christmas" with a "Merry Christmas?"If someone were to say "Happy Chanukah!" to me, I'd just say "Happy Chanukah!" right back.  So, when I say "Merry Christmas!" to someone and get a "Happy Holidays!" back, I feel a little like I've been spurned. Even if one doesn't celebrate Christmas, the common courtesy of returning the well-wishers phrase of good cheer should prevail. I'm okay if you celebrate Kwanzaa, Festivus, Chanukah or Winter Solstice. Technically, a "holiday" is a day of festivity or recreation when no one works. So, can I say "Happy Holiday" on Presidents Day ...

This last weekend, I went to my parents' home for a family Christmas party. After eating and talking, we all settled down into the family room for the singing of Christmas carols and sharing our silly talents with each other. When I knew we were going to share our "talents" I started writing about my childhood. I think about my childhood more at Christmastime, for some reason, than at any other time during the year. Writing down these memories was a great way to look back on my unique life experiences and be grateful for the way they shaped me.My kids are always requesting that I tell them stories from my childhood....“Tell me a story about when you were a little girl,” they beg. My children, now tucked in their warm beds, are curious if I was ever playful and lighthearted tonight. I’ve been running around all day with the stresses of work. At home, I’ve been the no-nonsense mom when dealing with their quarrels with and complaints about each other. I don’t ...

I just read an article sent to me about Gamma Women. Definition of the term: "Gamma women are collaborative and inclusive, feel empowered by information, value relationships, are eco-conscious, fit their work to their personal and family needs, and want to share their time and talents with others."I guess that makes me one of "them." Although I am not crazy about the word "empowered," it's interesting that this definition describes me to a tee. The definition also describes many of my friends—all of whom I'd describe as (shudder) empowered. The definition says these Gamma women "feel empowered by information." Are we?Do we really have more enriching lives because of all the technology?When I sit behind a computer—typing, emailing, editing, writing, blogging, tweeting, approving copy, approving layout, shopping, Facebook-ing, or otherwise—am I empowered or just busy? ...

  A few weeks ago I grabbed a copy of The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti from the new book display of my local library.  As the clerk checked out my books, she noticed this one adult selection among a stack of books for my kids.  She raved about how much she enjoyed it.  Her glowing review matched cover blurb praise from the likes the Kirkus Review, Booklist, Junot Diaz, who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and Elizabeth Gilbert, writer of the bestseller Eat, Pray, Love.  And so, the question begs to be asked: did I like the book?  While I think The Good Thief proves Tinti to be a very good writer of vivid and engaging prose, I keep mulling her story over in my mind and I’m not certain that it satisfies.      The Good Thief, set sometime in 19th century New England, tells the story of Ren, a twelve-year old boy who was left as a baby at Saint Anthony’s orphanage.  Not only is Ren an o ...

Most weeks, I work out six days a week. My sanity depends on it. I have to work off the stress of life with a grueling, hard-earned sweat.  Part of my weekly workout regimen is three early-morning spinning classes. For those of you who don't know what spinning is: imagine you're on a stationary bike in a dark room with blaring music and an instructor yelling out for you to "increase your resistance" on the bike to climb an imaginary hill or "pedal faster" on an all-out sprint where you don't move an inch. The classes are an hour of (if you do it right and don't cheat) strenuous effort.  Most of the people who attend regularly love the high of having worked out so hard, so early in the morning.There are only 25 bikes in the spinning room at my Gold's Gym. In the winter months, more people show up for spinning than in the balmy late spring or hot summer months. The class size dwindles in the warmer months. People sleep in or workout outside. But, the regulars remain steady. We ...

Every once in a while I accidently stumble across a good read that I have to let others know about. The little gem I want to share with you over the next 12 weeks is entitled “Sex on the Brain” by Daniel Amen, MD. I really enjoyed this book because I learned some new information despite my many years of education and exclusive focus on the human body and associated sciences. I hope you’ll consider adding this one to your personal library. The first chapter of this book discusses the connection between regular sexual activity/enjoyment and longevity. So if you ever needed one good reason to have sex with your spouse more often, here’s your one good reason. Did you know that physical touch causes a release of oxytocin, a hormone which lowers the stress hormone cortisol? Now there’s an easy way to get rid of the bad effects of stress. Dr. Amen also points out numerous studies that link increased disease and death rates among folks who don&rsquo ...