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

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.

 

 

 

 

Those Ungrateful Kids...

As a follow-up to JKL's hilarious Halloween joke, take a look at the Christmas present version:

 

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.

This totally made my day... (and I'm too lazy for a real post)

"I told my kids I ate all their halloween candy" from JKL:

 

Canobie Lake Park Fun

I love amusement parks. I was that kid who rode almost everything, leaving my less adventurous friends holding my stuff at the foot of the roller coaster. So it comes as no surprise that I get immense pleasure from taking my kids to the amusement park, satisfying my own kid-at-heart desires to see them have the same kind of fun I had at their age.

Considering their ages (almost four and five-and-a-half), local Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH is a great spot.  They're not quite ready for the big kid rides and are shy around characters so Canobie Lake is perfect.  In under an hour, we can pull in to the free parking lot and be having fun without heavy duty lines or the steep ticket prices commanded at other nearby parks.  And although the park does have tons of attractions for little kids, my seven and ten-year old niece and nephew had a blast as well, riding everything from the bumper cars to the featured Boston Tea Party log ride.  Too small to ride, my own kids stood by and loved getting soaked by the wall of water that hit them every time the ride dropped.  That was an experience in itself!  

If you have young kids, Canobie Lake Park offers a kiddie area that has about 15 or so rides.  Many are parent-friendly while others are kids-only (thankfully!).  Family favorites include the Alpine Swing (a scaled down version of the scary adult swings) and Flower Power.  For a full list of kids rides, visit here.  There are also plenty of family rides that are kid-friendly.

While we'd been to the park before, this was our first visit to the water park (included in admission).  Castaway Island "is the largest water play complex of its type in New England, with over 180 ways to get wet! Bring your bathing suit and splash away the day... and it's all included in your general one-price admission to the Park! The ride features water cannons, 9 water slides, waterfalls, and dozens of other ways of getting wet on a hot summer's day."  Don't forget to bring bathing suits and towels!  My kids LOVED this part of the day, which we saved for last.

Food is puh-lentiful at CLP.  Seriously, everywhere you turn are vendors and lunch stands.  While the food is relatively reasonably priced, similar to other amusement parks, quality is average at best.  I did see a grill over at Castaway Island with hamburgers and hot dogs and I would probably check out this option first next time. 

2011 ticket prices are:

General Admission Price: $32
Under 48" or Over 60 Years: $23
After 5pm: $22
Ages 3 & under: FREE!

For more info, visit www.canobie.com.

"I received complimentary park tickets to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own."

Gloria Allred Went To Law School For This...

NONE of these things are not like the other...

    Allred and Ginger Lee, former porn star

Rachel Uchitel, former Tiger Woods "mistress"

 
Hooters applicants who say they were secretly filmed while undressing by former Hooters manager.

Allred, violating a baseball bat.

 

Why Celebs & Public Figures Should Never Cheat

Disclosure: I wrote this post after the Tiger Woods scandal broke, but I'm hauling it out again, in light of the recent debacle involving Arnold Schwarzenegger, a mistress who resembles Charo, and a love child who is the unfortunate innocent victim in all of this.

______________________________________________

Humor me for a minute: When you think about the "perfect" life, what comes to mind?  It doesn't have to be your version of the perfect scenario, just what you might envision somebody's ideal situation to be.

 

Let me go first -

 

How about tall, good-looking, extraordinarily rich beyond my wildest dreams, enjoying the ultimate success in my chosen field, a beautiful spouse & great kids, blah blah blah.

 

Sounds nice, right?

So why isn't it ever enough?  I mean, this seems like the golden life.

No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.  No one knows the reasons why people step-out on their spouses.  And while I don't believe that everyone who cheats is necessarily a serial cheater, I do believe that there are often deeper reasons as to why one feels the need to fill a space outside of their marriage.

 

But I also believe that public figures have a different set of rules than the rest of us.

 

Double standard?  Maybe.  But if I go out and pursue fame and fortune, it means I'm making a choice that puts me as well as my family in the spotlight.  With that comes certain responsibilities.  I feel like public figures should take an oath much like doctors swear to practice ethics in medicine, so should public people practice ethics in their lives. 

 

Because unfortunately, celebs and public figures do not have private lives.  I don't endorse it, I just deliver the facts.  It's just how it is.

 

So this is why I think it should be against the law for celebrities to cheat.  For real.  They are paid more money for less work than 99% of the much harder-working population (16 hour days on the set? BOO FRICKIN HOO).  They have at their disposal PLENTY of cash to put toward therapy if they're feeling a little despondent.  I mean, aren't there better ways of dealing with problems than to go out and embarrass your entire family (not to mention yourself) by having sex with someone else?

 

So based on the simple fact that when you're being watched, you should behave, my advice to celebs is simple:

 

You're being watched!  Behave!

 

I mean, even a child knows this...

 

(Originally posted on December 2, 2009)

James Frey on Oprah. Again.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey is one of my favorite books.  It was powerful when I first read it back in 2005 as a memoir, and it was riveting when I re-read it recently, knowing it was part fiction/part true.  I don't know exactly which parts were embellished but no matter what genre of book A Million Little Pieces falls under, I do know that it was one of the most compelling reads of the decade.

I remember when the book took a spot in Oprah's coveted Book Club, and James Frey showed up on Oprah to collect his accolades.  I remember, even more vividly, the day he took the hot seat across from what appeared to be an outraged Oprah, after reports that the book was not all non-fiction spread like wildfire. 

On that second show, Oprah called Frey a liar.  She put him on the spot, demanding answers about the story and what was truth and where he took creative license.  She was mean, she bullied him, and it was uncomfortable to watch.  She behaved as if he had personally affronted her in some way, and that he had committed some heinous crime.

How's this for body language?

Throughout that interview, Frey didn't really make excuses for himself, instead he submitted to Oprah (which made me slightly insane).  He not only took responsibility for altering facts in the book, he almost lied about why.  He blamed himself, his disease, his ego.

Realistically, James Frey spent 10 years writing a book based on his experiences - not a memoir - that he wanted to sell.  When no one wanted to publish his work of fiction, he was advised to package it as a memoir.  So he did.  And it sold.

And I'll bet almost every single memoir writer out there takes creative license in their writing.  Because for the most part?  Our lives are boring and not book-worthy.  And no one can recall so many details from their past in order to weave together a cohesive story.

This week, the Queen of all media had James Frey back on her show, in a two-day interview nonetheless, to sort of apologize and sort of exploit James Frey.

The first half of the interview included a lot of questions about how Frey felt after the public hanging, what he did, said, and thought.  I felt like Oprah had no right to intrude on Frey's emotional state after ripping him to shreds on her show in front of THE WORLD.  My thoughts during the show ranged from, man, she has a lot of nerve, to, why is he answering that?  Why was he there?  Why didn't he tell her producers to fuck off when they came calling?

But I don't need anyone to tell me why - it was Oprah after all, and maybe Frey thought he could get his side of the story across now.  After all this time and damage.  All I know is I would not have trusted Oprah, her producers (who apparently told him total lies about how the second show would go), or anyone on her staff if I were James Frey.  Incidentally, Frey has written two novels since the memoir debacle and I read both - and both were awesome.

The best thing to come out of the recent Oprah/Frey show was that Oprah Winfrey acknowledged that her own ego, and her own feelings of being "duped" after providing the golden endorsement, both having played a role in her intense anger toward him at the time.  While she did not apologize for what she said, she did feel sorry for how she said it - and I was glad to see some humility come through.

I guess the moral of the story for me is that we are all just people.  Not all things unfold as it might appear and there are two sides to every story.  I hope that Oprah learned a lesson from this and that James Frey will continue to find success in the literary world as well as continue down his road of sobriety.

If you haven't read A Million Little Pieces, I HIGHLY recommend it:

NYC... What is it about you?

My girls and I hit the road Friday afternoon and road-tripped to New York City, home of the best matza ball soup, candy store, and Aunt.  K, maybe "road-trip" is a bit of a strong word to use for a 3ish hour drive, but any drive with a 3- and 5-year old in tow is somewhat of an adventure.  Despite the fact that my kids are good car companions, there were many snacks consumed, too much TV, and not enough napping.

We are no strangers to the City and visit about once every few months.  We've pretty much been to all the regular attractions including the Bronx and Central Park Zoos, the Museum of Natural History, the Children's Museum, and even the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey.  We saw Pinkalicious: The Musical a few trips ago, and are regulars at Patsy's.

This weekend though, we had no plans.  And it was GREAT.

Friday night we decided to trash our plan to stay in and head to a local Asian spot - Amber.  It doesn't hurt that my kids eat just about everything and I can take them anywhere.  (This probably speaks more to my love of food than theirs, but whatever.)  We headed home after a delicious and not crazy expensive meal of sushi, lettuce rolls, miso soup, edamame, and shumai.  Totally successful Friday night.

Saturday we made our way to NJ to visit a friend and her family.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids played outside while the grown-ups caught up.  A trip to Target ended the day perfectly and we went back to the city.  Of course, these fun activities were just details between meals so obviously we had dinner to think about upon our return.  My sister, ever looking out for good, kid-friendly local joints, suggested Ditch Plains, the newest resident in the space that used to be home to a local favorite, the now defunct Rain.  Let me tell you, this place was awesome.  The sister restaurant of Landmarc, the new version is brighter, closer to home, and the menu has fantastic kid offerings.  Granted, my kids wanted mussels and hot dogs (a lovely combo), but for dessert they opted for s'mores (yum) and a homemade ice cream sandwich (again, yum).  I had the spicy salad with shrimp (my ode to Jenny Craig) and we also tried the Sloppy Dogs, their take on a chili dog (but better).  If my 5-year old hadn't been exhausted and whimpering for the first 20 minutes, it would have been the perfect evening.  It was great though, as it was.  Note: if you're looking for a romantic spot, this place is not it.  At least not at 5:30 - 7pm when it's stroller central. 

So, I feel like NYC has all these wondrous fantastical magical spaces and places speckled throughout and so I set high expectations each trip.  This one was no different and I thought it a good idea to check out Alice's Tea Cup, a cutesy "tea room" with several locations throughout the city.  My girls are very into Alice in Wonderland so I knew they'd be psyched, and they were.  They loved trying on the fairy wings that hang from the coat hooks in the waiting area (and they didn't even beg me to buy them!).  They enjoyed being trusted with real tea cups, and they really dug their food.  I admit, I was nervous with no children's menu to speak of, and the slight menu having not a huge selection, but what we did order was not just good - it was AMAZING.  Who knew poached eggs on spinach (ok, set atop buttermilk biscuits) could be so delicious?  K - forget that: one kid had "french toast" which was really bread pudding and tasted unreal, while the other had chocolate and banana crepes.  Based on the fact that this place is a theme restaurant (sort of), I fully expected to pay a lot of money for not great food.   I was SO WRONG.  It was absolutely delicious and reasonable (relatively speaking since only in NYC does one pay $55 for four people for breakfast).  But it was worth it.

So our little unscheduled jaunt really turned into one of our best trips this year.

And those s'mores didn't suck either.

An Evening of Chocolate & Wine at Boston Chocolate School

Chocolate and wine.  Like yin and yang, these two indulgences do in fact count as a dynamic duo, at least in my book.  So when I was invited to the chocolate and wine tasting course at Boston Chocolate School (be still my beating heart, I know), I was ALL IN. 

Held at the beautiful College Club in Boston's Back Bay, the setting for the evening of decadence is elegant and sophisticated.  I actually toured the charming property prior to the event, and was surprised to find that it's also home to a lovely bed & breakfast, with clean, New England style rooms at affordable rates.  

The class offers a reasonably in-depth look at chocolate and wine pairing.  If you have an affinity for either of these treats and a sense of adventure, the wine and chocolate class is for you.  We learned about different wines, as well as the all-important five C's of wine tasting (see, swirl, smell, sip, and savor) and about the pairing of each wine with each chocolate.  The gourmet chocolate was El Ray made in Venezuela, and is the highest quality chocolate known to me man.  Seriously, it was GOOD.  While each variety (we tried six types) tasted different depending on their cacao content, it was really fun to note the pairing.  Being encouraged to indulge in chocolate is definitely something I need more of in my life!

As a person who is an admitted chocolate addict and a rookie wine enthusiast, the interactive lecture was a blast.  Both the wine guy (new to Boston, Harry Silverstein) and the chocolate guy (Boston Chocolate School's own Tim Brown) were engaging and knew their stuff.  I promise you, you didn't know there was SO MUCH to know about the intricacies of chocolate and wine!  And even if you are not a huge wine and chocolate aficionado, the evening offers such a great break from the norm.  It would make an awesome date night (talk about unique!) or a great gift for outside-of-the-box thinkers. 

For more info, visit here.

"I was treated to An Evening of Chocolate and Wine courtesy of Boston Chocolate School to facilitate this review.  All opinions are mine."