September 2010

A Night In The Life Of A Working Mom

September 30, 2010 at 5:07 pm, by Sue Erneta

I love my job and I love my kids but sometimes the two combine for nights like this:

Run out of work. Must make two subways then catch the New Jersey transit train to Secaucus so Pablo can pick me up. We have to get the girls by 6:30 p.m. because daycare closes at 6:30 p.m. Closed means closed. As in, we’ll be penalized $3 per kid—that’d be $6!—for every MINUTE we’re late. So run, run, run.

Made my trains. Thank goodness. Pablo picked me up. Twenty minutes to talk to my husband about everything else that’s happening in our lives before the kids take over. Selling the house… blah, blah blah… work…. blah, blah blah… his family, my family, blah, blah blah.

Tons of traffic. Oh my God—are we going to make it? What? The street is closed? We park nearby and Pablo jumps a fence to grab the girls with just minutes to spare. (Yes, he seriously jumped over a fence.) The girls are in the car and the chaos begins. “Stop taunting me!” Lily the 2-year-old says to her 5-year-old sister, Sophia. They’re fighting over which song they want to hear. They each want whatever the other one doesn’t want, of course. “Sophia, did you just hit her?” I ask. My cell phone rings. “Oh, hi Realtor. What? The people who wanted to come for a second showing want to come tonight? At 8pm? Okay—as long as they realize that Lily will be sleeping and we’ll be home.” Oh crap, I think. What state is the house in? Certainly not prepped enough for potential buyers!

We get home. Pablo takes the girls and starts dinner while the whirling dervish (that’d be me) bolts upstairs and begins scrubbing bathrooms and making beds (Don’t judge, we leave the house at 7 a.m. All four of us. Dressed and ready to go. That’s harder than you think.) Oh no, where I am putting this dirty laundry? I guess I’ll throw in a load. I’m hiding toys under the bed. Hiding EVERYTHING under EVERYTHING.

I go downstairs to make sure Sophia does her homework. Yes, kindergarteners have homework. (It’s usually just drawing and writing which she loves to do in her spare time but hates to do when it’s called homework.) After potty time, several books and lots of singing, Lily finally goes to bed. By the time the potential buyers arrive to see the house, it’s spotless and quiet. Dinner is cleaned up, all signs of real (crazy) family life are hidden away and we are positioned on the couch reading books to Sophia. We are the picture of calm. Just another quiet evening at home.

Phew. What’s your typical evening like?

---

Sara’s Tech Tips: How To Connect (For Free!) Via Sykpe

September 30, 2010 at 3:54 pm, by Ladies' Lounge

The holidays are about being with family, but sometimes the miles between loved ones makes it impossible to be together in person. Whether you have a son or daughter studying abroad or a family member who moved across the country, Skype makes it possible to bridge the gap. Skype is a free video conference service that allows you to talk—and see each other—when meeting up in person isn’t an option. And it’s easy too! All you need is a computer, internet connection and web cam (many computers made within the past few years have built in cameras). Follow the steps below and you will be chatting in no time.

1. Download Skype from their official website. Select “get skype” at the top of the screen and follow the prompts. When you get to the “download now” screen, you will see options on the right side of the screen to pick the version for your operating system.

2. Once you have the program, when you open it for the first time it will prompt you to create an account or sign in. It’s a super-quick process to create an account, so go ahead and do that and then continue.

3. Now that you’re set up, you need to find someone to Skype with! If family members or friends already have accounts, search for them by going to the “contact” tab and clicking the button to add new contacts. Search by either email address or phone number and then once you’ve found your friend or family member, add them. If the person you want to call doesn’t have an account, have them complete the first two steps too.

4. You’re all set to make a call! The person on the other end needs to be there with their computer on, so it’s often a good idea to set a time you’ll be Skyping so you make sure to catch them. When you’re ready to go, just select the person in your contact list and hit “call!” Happy (video) chatting!

---

Have You Entered Our Spa Getaway Contest Yet?

September 30, 2010 at 11:19 am, by Mandy Hendrix

No? You better hurry! We’re giving away seven amazing prizes, including trips to U.S. and international spa resorts so you can relax and be pampered. Here’s the catch: You must enter by midnight tonight, E.S.T. in order to win.

Fall is one of my favorite times to make a spa appointment, as holiday excitement–and streams of guests–always seems to kick up right after Labor Day. (I assure you that scheduled R&R is the cure.) Here’s some tips from Mayra Ramirez at the YHI Spa in Paradisus Punta Cana, to help ease the summer to fall transition, in case that spa appointment gets bumped for yet another family gathering.

• Get rid of parched summer skin with a sugar body scrub. Follow with a rich moisturizing cream so that skin stays supple.
• Forget the shower and take a warm bath instead. Add a few drops of olive or coconut oil, which helps skin retain moisture.
• Aloe vera isn’t only for sunburns. Use it raw on your face or body or look for it in creams to help reinforce the skin’s natural protective barrier.
• Dry outside air can wreak havoc for your skin. Make sure to cover any exposed body parts when the temperature drops.

Still dreaming about a luxury spa vacation? Check out each of the prizes in the Spa Getaway. And don’t forget to enter!

---

How to Save Cash on Flowers

September 29, 2010 at 6:32 pm, by Beth Roehrig

I love flowers (lilacs are my sentimental fave) so it’s a shame that I don’t keep them in the house more often. To be honest, money is a factor. I can’t count how many times I’ve dropped $10-$15 on a simple bouquet, only to watch it drop all its petals within a couple days. Wah-wah.

That’s why I talked to floral designer to the stars Eric Buterbaugh, who’s serving as head judge on Logo’s new reality show, The Arrangement. Watch the series, premiering October 4, to see 10 designers battle it out in extreme floral challenges.

While Eric specializes in elaborate creations for the Hollywood A-list, from Halle Berry to Salma Hayek (the above design was made for her), he really wants everyone to enjoy the beauty of flowers: “They make your space a happier place.” Here, his tips for getting the most blooms for your buck. Read more

---

Helping Their Gardens and Students Grow

September 29, 2010 at 2:24 pm, by Amelia Harnish

Inspired by Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, environmental and health activist Kelly Meyer decided to stop complaining about the lack of healthy options for her children and do something about it.

With friends in Los Angeles she started Teaching Garden, an initiative to put gardens and corresponding nutrition curricula in local schools. She thought the best way to teach healthy habits from the start would be to provide kids with a garden, where they could learn hands-on about where food really comes from: “the ground, not the vending machine or the cereal box,” Meyer says.

Studies show that healthy kids perform better in school, and with 1 in 3 American children now obese, it’s clear more schools could use a program like this one.

As part of the kickoff of NBC’s Education Nation summit Monday, Teaching Garden and the American Heart Association (AHA) invited a group of New York City schoolchildren to Rockefeller Center to announce their goal of putting 1,000 gardens in schools across the country over the next two years. That’s Meyer, above, far left, with AHA chairperson Debra Lockwood, TV funnyman Jimmy Fallon and 5th graders from KIPP Infinity School. Read more

---

Do Good: Vote for Cookies!

September 29, 2010 at 1:17 pm, by Rachel Shippy

In the spirit of Doing Good, here at LHJ we like to recognize those making a positive difference in the community and the world.  Here’s a great way for you to do the same! Vote for one of our favorite charities, Cookies For Kids’ Cancer, through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, so they might be the lucky recipient of $20,o00!  The Samsung Helmet of Hope charities in the running are ALL wonderful, but Cookies is especially close to our heart. Today is the last day to vote and the winner will be announced on Friday, so get your votes in now and tell your friends.  Show some love for Cookies For Kids’ Cancer and Do Good by helping them do the same.

---

Do Good: Real-Life Fairytales

September 27, 2010 at 10:31 am, by Amanda Wolfe

Maybe I just needed a little warm-fuzzy on this gloomy, rainy day here in New York. But I am loving the heartwarming Facebook Fairytales, a sort of less-cheesy Chicken Soup For the Soul of the social networking era. There are, of course, plenty of slightly-stalker activities to do on Facebook (why, exactly, do I need know so many intimate details about people I haven’t seen in 15 years?), and plenty more time-wasters (Farmville, anyone?).

But the story of the parents who were finally able to adopt a child after posting their plea on Facebook, or the young mom dying of kidney failure who is now alive and well thanks to a kidney from a friend of a friend found via the site…  well, they got me. If you have a soft spot for acts of kindness and do good stories (and c’mon, who doesn’t?), I bet they’ll get you too.

---