The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

I eat my feelings.

And I bet I'm not the only one who does. Matter of fact, isn't most of the food industry reaping billions per year preying on people just like me? Oh, it's been a tough day, I deserve a big, fattening, delicious, nutrient-deficient meal that I'll regret in an hour. I wrote the book on this topic.

Kids are annoying me? Ice cream.

Work day is not going as planned? Sushi lunch (and I don't mean thinly sliced, fat-free sashimi).

Guy in the left lane taking his time while I'm rushing somewhere totally unsafely? Steak!

Oh, my love-hate relationship with food seems to haunt me day in and day out. Just so happens, my good friend, Susan, is a health coach and every morning, she wakes with the birds to post some food-related fact on her Facebook page. There's almost never a morning when I can't relate to what she's talking about, because she has a way of speaking to her followers rather than AT them that helps make her tips and factoids resonate. Like, she speaks in a way that makes you believe she too has these problems and overcomes them or was once in the shoes of an average (or below average body), while in truth, she's 11 feet tall and slim and beautiful as a rose.And she's nice to boot which is just annoying.

But I digress.

This morning, I awoke to this visual that hit me over the head. Check it out:

OHMYGOD this is me! It's sooooooo me. I want to do better in my habits, but I feel like it goes deeper than just wanting chocolate. It's like, I MUST HAVE THE CHOCOLATE, I'M A SLAVE TO THE CHOCOLATE and that's not really normal.

I'm going to print this and spend some time thinking about it. In the meantime, if you live in the Boston area and want to engage with a fantastic health coach, click on Susan's name and giver her a call. She's awesome. And no, she doesn't even know I'm writing this.

Cirque du Soleil's Totem is Amazing

I don't get to the theatre very often. A crazy busy schedule coupled with an admittedly short attention span (I know, sad) puts theatre low on my list of priorities. But given the opportunity, I never regret being treated to an evening of escapism.

And that's exactly what Totem, the latest Cirque du Soleil show to hit Boston, offers. Prepare to forget the stresses of the day the minute the show opens, with its unbelievable costumes, almost inhuman performers and intimate "big-top" setting.

Having seen several Cirque shows in my life, I know what to expect each time, but the story lines are always different and its the accompanying theme that predicates the music, the vibe, the direction the performance takes. 

If you've never seen a Cirque performance, you don't know what you're missing. Seriously - you can't imagine that human beings are capable of such unbelievable acrobatics. The skill required to perform the acts that are presented so perfectly, is almost hard to put into words. Cirque performers were made to be Cirque performers. They're like a breed unto themselves (in a good way).

The music in Totem gets your adrenaline going from the first act. The costumes look as real as if they actually were born onto the skin of the performers. If you've seen the show, you might understand why my favorite character was the Crystal Man who seems to come out of nowhere and literally light up the set during the course of the show. Of course, mostly I was jealous of his crystally, sparkly outfit.

Totem is like the circus on acid. I can't think of a better way to describe how Cirque differs from a traditional circus. With neither a traditional circus ring nor animals, Cirque shows rely completely on the performers and music to draw in the audience. And it works. While I saw a few children at the premiere, Cirque shows are intended for adults and are far too sophisticated for a child. Though who wouldn't be wowed by the surreal synchronicity of six unicyclists who juggle metal bowls - sometimes without using their hands - while keeping balanced. Some of it is impossible to describe - you'd have to see it to believe it.

Totem is in town until July 15 - click here for tickets. For other cities and dates, click here.

I received two tickets toTotem to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

A Simple Day

Like most everyone else, weekends are somewhat sacred in our house.  Unfortunately, too many of them get eaten up by errands, (other people's) birthday parties, commitment, and some silly thing or another so after spending Saturday doing my own thing, I reserved Sunday - for which the forecast was a warm, sunny day in New England - to do one of my favorite things: hit the beach.

It's getting easier now that my kids are getting older.  At four and almost six, they can carry their own snack, (almost) carry their own mini beach chairs, and play together.  Where a trip to the beach used to mean a cart load of stuff, eyes in the back of my head times two, and equal parts anxiety and fun, it's not like that anymore. 

For me, the beach - especially the New England beach - is a safe place.

It's a place I can think clearly, whether I'm jumping waves or sitting in my chair staring at them.  I can breathe deeply - I almost believe the sea air helps me sleep better (bottled beach air!  just $19.99!).  There's just something about a long beach day that equals luxury, decandence, relaxation.  Especially after a long week at school and work.  Especially when I'm surrounded by people I love.

We ended the day eating dinner while looking at the ocean in a nearby seaside town.  We hit the candy store, walked with the throngs of early toursists, begged for ice cream and finally, fell asleep on the drive home, the sand still attached to our toes.

It was a simple day. A perfectly, simple day.

The Rockettes did it again

And again.  And again.

On Saturday morning, we hit the Wang Theatre for what is most definitely one of my favorite family shows, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes.  If you have any holiday spirit, you have to catch this show.  It just infuses you with that Christmas feeling (and this coming from the Jewish girl). 

Last year the show impressed us.  And this year, the Rockettes lived up to our expectations, and even surpassed them with a freshness to the show. The performance included those scissor perfect kicking legs, hot little outfits, Santa (Mrs. Claus was conspicuously MIA - did the big D hit the North Pole, too?), the cute dancing bears and an amazing Nutcracker scene.  Props to the young ballerina dancing Clara who is such an incredible talent!

Included in the show is the traditional sleighride, those fantastic wooden soldiers, and of course the nativity scene (camels on stage, Mom?  Are they real?).  My personal favorite part was the new "New York at Christmas" scene, complete with the Rockettes in glamorous white coats and hats taking a tour of New York City in a life-sized double-decker tour bus. As the bus changes position and direction, the new 50-foot LED screen backdrop gives the illusion that they are moving from one major attraction to another. It has a 3D-like effect and was really awesome.  As in AWE-some.

You know, I think the best thing about the Rockettes show, apart from the dazzling effects, amazing costumes, those legs, the legs, and the legs, is that it's completely suitable for everyone, age three to 93.  Seriously.  Before we bundled ourselves up in our coats and mittess to head away from the magic and back to the real world, my daughters made me promise that we would visit the Rockettes again next year.

And promise I did.

I received four tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

The Rockettes return to Boston!

It's becoming a bit of a holiday tradition that our Jewish family hits The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes show in December.  I mean, it's only our second year, but I can definitely see where this is going.  Because even before we knew we had seats, we were talking about it at breakfast. 

"Mommy, you know that show we saw last year with the dancers and Santa and the presents?"

"Yep," I answered.

"Let's do that again," said my five year old daughter.  And I agreed.

We soooo loved it last year.  Not at all what I was expecting, the famous Rockettes are more than a bunch of perfect legs.  It's a terrific story including all the holiday faves - Santa and Mrs. Claus, the elves, Santa's Helpers, many of Santa's toys, the Wooden Soldiers, and so many other holiday characters.  Even for this Jewish bunch, it got us in the spirit of things.   And a visit to the gorgeous Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater is a treat in itself!

We are so looking forward to this year's show, which features brand-new scenes and songs, spectacular new sets, dazzling new costumes, an amazing 50-foot LED screen, and a new finale.  We can't wait to see the incredible precision dancing of The Rockettes, and especially the new number “Christmas in New York,” featuring a chorus of Broadway-style singers and a life-sized double-decker bus!

You too can take your family to see The Rockettes at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater between now and December 28th, or select a non-peak show and save 25% off* your tickets:

How to Buy Tickets at 25% off*:
1. Log onto: www.citicenter.org/radiocity

2. Select a NON Peak Performance (not bolded) between Sat, Dec 7^th – Dec 28^th for your 25% off discount:

12/2/2011 at 8 pm

12/16/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm

12/3/2011 at 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm

12/17/2011 at 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm

12/4/2011 at 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm

12/18/2011 at 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm

12/7/2011 at 2 pm

12/20/2011 at 2 pm, 7:30 pm

12/8/2011 at 2 pm, 7:30 pm

12/21/2011 at 2 pm, 7:30 pm

12/9/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm

12/22/2011 at 5 pm, 8 pm

12/10/2011 at 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm

12/23/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm

12/11/2011 at 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm

12/26/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm

12/13/2011 at 7:30 pm

12/27/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm

12/14/2011 at 2 pm, 7:30 pm

12/28/2011 at 2 pm, 5 pm

12/15/2011 at 2 pm, 7:30 pm

Bolded Performances = Peak Pricing/no Discount    

3. Enter Promo Code: ROXMOM11
*Offer is not valid for Gold Circle - $130 seats, for which there are no discounts. There is a 8 ticket limit on this event.
Pricing                                                Peak                Non-Peak
Orchestra (Pit & Rows A-D):             $130.00                 $130.00
Orchestra (Rows E-O center):            $99.00                    $89.00
Orchestra (Rows E-O sides, P-EE):    $83.00                   $73.00

Mezzanine:                                       $83.00                   $73.00

Balcony (Rows E-J):                          $83.00                   $73.00
Balcony (Rows K-S):                          $74.00                   $64.00
Balcony (Rows T-Z):                          $58.00                    $48.00
Balcony (Rows AA-FF):                     $29.00                    $25.00

Prices include a $3.00 Facility Fee.

I received four tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Clickit!togiftit! offers egifts for friends and something special for you

I'm something of a shopaholic.  Forget time of year, I am one of those who derives serious pleasure from spending money all year round, not just at holiday time.  And I love shopping for other people which is weird, I know.  But what makes buying stuff for other people even better, is when I get something out of the deal too (I'm not that selfless).

Clickit!togiftit! is an egifting site that offers digital gift cards to dozens of great places.  Stores like Banana Republic, The Children's Place and Gap, and restaurants including Cheesecake Factory, Chili's, and Not Your Average Joe's are all represented too. What makes this site different is that they offer revolving promotions, so when you buy an egift for a friend, you get something too.

For example, right now, if you buy a $100 gift card to Maggiano's, you (the purchaser) will get a $20 gift card and a one-year subscription to Food & Wine Magazine.  If you live in Boston, Finale is offering a $5 rewards card with every $25 egift (and they have the best molten chocolate cake EVER).

Other promos going on now include:

• Gift a $25 Uno’s eGift card and get $5 to use yourself
• Receive a $10 egift card at The Children’s Place for every $40 you send 
• Give a specially designed Williams-Sonoma egift and they will give $5 to will make a $5 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®  

If you are in a hurry, at a loss, or just plain lazy, check out Clickit!togiftit! and I assure you you'll find something over there that will be appreciated by the people on your list.

Clickit!togiftit! is a client, all opinions are my own.

Come to a 3 MUSKETEERS Like-Up at the W Hotel in Boston!

It's very appropriate that I've been invited to co-host a "Like-Up" on behalf of 3 Musketeers, because my name is Jill and I'm a chocoholic. 

The event, to unveil 3 Musketeers' reformulated chocolate bar, will be a couple of hours of chocolate tasting and other fun, all at the beautiful W Hotel, located in the heart of Boston's Theatre District. 

• When: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
• Where: W Boston, 100 Stuart Street , Boston, MA 02116
• Why: Over 90% of Americans surveyed wanted more sleep, vacation and chocolate.  This event will definitely satisfy one of those needs, and raffle off chances to indulge in the others.
  

And I'll be there!

To RSVP, click here (and let me know you're going!).  And be sure to Like 3 Musketeers on facebook, too!

Still undecided?  Check it out...

Disclosure: I’m an official co-host of this event, and will be compensated for my participation.

 

Stopping to Smell the Pine Needles

Yesterday, Columbus Day, my kids and I were both relieved of our regularly scheduled duties and were free to spend the day together.  Sure, we have weekends together but with packed weekdays filled with school, work, the intermittent playdate and such, there's not much time to put food in the fridge or get haircuts and so weekends are busy too.

But yesterday was totally, completely free.  No visitors, no plans, nothing but us and a record-breaking day of sunshine.  So we hit the road and headed to one of my favorite local spots.  A state park, this not-so-hidden gem has a beautiful pond and a 1.7 mile trail around the water, complete with private divets for swimming and other fun. Being October, we left our bathing suits at home, but we had our sneakers, our bags to fill with rocks (which we would later paint), and our sense of adventure.

I've been dying to get my kids out there for months but was reluctant about a 1.5+ mile walk with a five and not-quite four year old and well, I wasn't looking to haul a 35lb weight around on my back.  But I decided to go for it anyway.  And it was amazing.

My older daughter, an avid outdoors(wo)man, embraced the moment.  She more than indulged me in my requests to close our eyes and breathe in the scents to recall at a later date.  When I asked her what she was smelling when she breathed in deep, she said, "pine needles, water, and nature." 

My almost four-year old replied, "nothing." 

Points for trying, I guess.

Still, it was a great outing.  Despite the fact that I carried a kid for a quarter of a mile while she smiled triumphantly (stupid Mommy gives in to everything), I was glad to have tested their limits instead of doing something safe (I can't be the only parent who hates the zoo).

We stopped to smell the pine needles.  We breathed in the nature.  And I had two sleepy kids last night.  A day well-spent.

My Haul from Nordstrom Rack

I am a person who loves to shop.  I enjoy the whole process, except the havoc a good shopping haul wreaks on my bank account.  But a recent visit to Nordstrom Rack proved that I, and my whole family, can look great without breaking the bank.

I only learned about Nordstrom’s amazing discount stores recently, when I saw one pop up in Natick, Ma.  Just last week, another store opened in Burlington, Ma., and not only was the store immaculate and easy to maneuver, but the pickin’s were FAB!

Shopping at The Rack, you would never know that you were in a discount store.  The copious amount of designer racks will throw off even the most supercilious shopper.  What they will notice are the unbelievable prices!

The Rack has everything from jeans to dresses to shoes and accessories and outer wear.  You’ll also be able to dress your man and your children from head to toe (literally – including underwear, socks, and shoes).  Their designer shoe area was not lost on me – and somehow a pair even ended up in my bag.  Oops!

Ok, so I did pretty well on my mini shopping spree.  Here’s what I got:

• Franco Sarto booties for $59.90 (originally $139)
• Lucky Brand top for $19.97 (originally $49.50)
• Joe’s Jeans for $79.97 (originally $158)
• Love on a Hanger tank top for $7.97

Needless to say, I left the store feeling VERY satisfied.  I could have bought EVERYTHING but alas, my budget was done for the night.  No doubt that I’ll hit Nordstrom Rack again. Soon.

“I attended a pre-opening day event at Nordstrom Rack and received a gift card to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own.”

Oh, Irene

This weekend, US meteorologists had us all in a crazy panic over Hurricane Irene. Named "the hurricane of the century" before it was even a twinkle in the ocean's eye, Irene sent Twitter and Facebook into a battery-buying, tub-filling, water-hoarding frenzy. Headlines like "Storm roars off Dominican Republic after slashing across Puerto Rico" made the rest of us insane with worry.  When would that storm roar into our city and what would it slash in my yard?

This is Boston.  We are more comfortable being snowed in for days than facing the idea that our lawn furniture could potentially become a projectile missile.

But, as good citizens, we did as we were told.  We spent Saturday morning hauling lawn furniture into the garage.  We sandbagged our patio table so it wouldn't become airborne and be mistaken for a small helicopter before it crashed through the neighbors window. 

I spent $96 on a mini sump pump in the event that my basement started flooding.  Of course, I didn't account for the fact that it was way possible that I'd have nothing to power that baby up with if the electricity was shut-off.  But we did the best we could.

Like the weather guy said, we hunkered down.  Man, did we hunker.  We made no plans.  I made a mental list of every indoor activity that could be done with an almost four- and five year old.  I fielded text message after text message from my vacationing mom on the other (non-hurrican'ing) part of the world asking me if I had bought 48 litres of water.  If I had a wet vac handy.  If I had cleaned out the entire bread section. 

In the end, Irene was devastating.  People lost their homes.  Lives were lost.  Cars floated downstream and Moms allegedly went into labor in cars during the storm.  In North Carolina, about 1,100 homes were destroyed and Irene caused at least $70 million of damage.  Some towns in Vermont were/are completely under water.  

Here in Boston, we saw trees in the streets.  Debris covered rooftops and cars and parks.  But we were pretty much spared of the damage seen in other places.  Thankfully.

Hurricane Irene might have devastated some US cities and towns, but around these parts, the damage pretty much added up to this:

Not bad for the storm of the century.