Whole Phamily: a Cultural Commentary with Tips for Life, Parenting, and Good Stuff

Rage is Outrageous: It Just Depends On Your Perspective

2012-01-31T01:09:00.003-05:00

Like so many things in life, the way you approach it makes all the difference.

Take the word "rage." In the jam band music scene, the word rage over the past few years has emerged as a positive description of a way to enjoy the live tunes. As in: "We're gonna rage tonight." Meaning, "we're gonna groove to the awesome music and have lots of fun with good friends in a safe environment." It is 100% positive. The first name of the keyboardist in my favorite band is Page. It is typical to refer in a congenial way to the side of the stage where he performs as "Page Side Rage Side." Some folks are taking this word and using it in a positive way in the music scene. My friend Karen, The Tiny Rager, maintains a thorough, meticulously-cataloged list of current music happenings in New York City as well as detailed music reviews of various shows. Where she finds the time, I do not know! Another person takes wonderful professional photographs of various music shows at Rage It Proper. Nifty stuff.

Speaking of being proper, Derek Blasberg, the fashion writer, is a champion of proper behavior for women, as I have mentioned recently. His books are funny but true.

My grandmother, Martha Miller Loonin, may her memory be a blessing, was a proper, elegant lady. She helped me keep up with current trends. One summer in camp she sent me a package that contained "crazy ET headgear" that was "all the rage." Here is her letter to me:

Letter to me in camp by my Grandma Martha Loonin z'l . Note the 3rd paragraph "it is all the rage around town"

Here is the type of headgear she sent:

Wouldn't it be fun to bring back this early 80s rage inspired by the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Where, you ask, would a mother of 3 school-aged children don such headgear seriously? No, not when I visit the Nordstrom shoe department. Not at my friends' 40th birthday parties, which seem to be endless at the moment. Not when I am waiting at the ice rink for lessons to end. Perhaps at a raging music venue where folks know how to let loose and have fun. Or maybe on Purim. Or maybe both. The headbands that Grandma Martha sent had much longer, boingier springs.

Boingier. That is a good thing. We should all have more boing in our lives.

And now, the negative rage.

Of course, we all know about road rage. Not good, not good. Los Angeles, where this term originated, is a frustrating place to drive, but folks gotta find more ohm and calm when behind the wheel.

At a local gas station-mini mart, I noticed their store-brand slushy-type food coloring-laden junky drink. Here is one of them, called Red Rage:

Cumberland Farms is absolutely correct that ingestion of a Red #40 drink will create great rage, despite efforts last year to dispel this theory. The science exists to prove that.

And this makes me very sad.

Parents buy this garbage for their children, and then they start yelling at them 10 minutes later when they start bouncing off the walls. Couple it with a game on the DS of some birds that also have an angry rage face like this image, and you've got a lot of negative vibes.

Of course I realize that it is intended to appeal to children. My boys love that image. And the taste of the drink. And they love to play Angry Birds. They aren't stupid. The stupid one would be me who allows it even as a special treat. And I don't like the word stupid. It is a very poor word choice.

Why can't we turn that negative rage into a positive rage of a good time? Usually we drink water and minimize our food coloring and high fructose corn syrup intake. We listen to good tunes and have fun.

I guess it just depends on where you are coming from.

I'm gonna put on my purple glitter alien headband and help the children to bed.

Boing, boing, boing...

All this rage stuff makes me want to just get positive.

Here is some George Harrison playing "Here Comes The Sun." Rage it in the most outrageous way.

Kombucha, The Mother Of All Beverages

2012-01-29T22:04:00.002-05:00

I Am A Mother, Too, And Haven't Yet Gotten To Making You!

So many people around me don't like the taste and smell of kombucha. Let me correct that statement: so many people in my sphere have never even heard of kombucha. I brought a bottle of it recently to a community dinner and the husbands all drew a blank, although they were interested to learn about my unusual drink. Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage from certain yeasts and bacteria known commonly as "the mother." It tastes like a very mild version of beer. It is not alcoholic like beer, though, despite that it was taken off the shelves a couple of years ago for fear that it actually was high in alcohol content. I like the taste, and it has taken me all too long to start brewing it on my own.

I buy the popular brand by G.T. Dave, who started brewing it in his parents' home in Beverly Hills.

I imagine if I lived in Berkeley or Portland, I would be a huge dinosaur, since everyone and their mothers there are brewing the stuff.

I buy this at Whole Foods, or when I am in the New York area, Fairway

photo from www.kombuchakamp.com

It was written about in the NY Times two years ago.

Here is one instructional video about how to make it:

Maybe I should go to Kombucha Kamp. That site looks like a good place for me.

Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce Went Viral Last Fall...Where Was I???

2012-01-29T13:04:00.002-05:00

(Disclaimer, my daughter Concealed Light peeked her head in just now as I am watching the video below and said, "Inappropriate.")

Certainly not at spin class, otherwise I would have been enlightened much earlier...

For my Mah Jongg ladies (that would be you, mom)...

For my gay friends (that would be you, Tim, my coworker at HBO who was from the South and wore silver spandex glitter pants to our annual party at Tavern on the Green...actually I am sorry for being so stereotypical, I only partially recall that you loved Barbra.)...

For guys named Elliot (as in her first husband)...

For anyone who appreciates the date April 24th (meaning, you are a true Barbra Streisand fan. That would be my mother, not me.)...

Click this caption below this photo to get to the video of the Barbra Streisand song, by Duck Sauce (DJs Armand Van Helden and A-Trak, Alain Macklovitch a Jewish guy from Montreal), that went viral last fall (yea, currently over 60 MM views on YouTube... that would be millions for those of you who are unaware of Wall Street abbreviations):

no, I do not own this image. I copied it from some web site. Not worth suing me. Would rather just embed the YouTube video, but Spinnin' Records doesn't want to allow that, which I think is utterly ridiculous. Come on, my Dutch friends, you will be doing the world a complete service if you allow embedding on folks' websites. Oh well, I still love Holland. You do bikes, mass transit, congeniality, tulips, world peace and coffee shops very well. Apparantly food, too. Did you see the recent NY Times article about the improvement of Dutch food'? No hard feelings, 'kay?

http://youtu.be/uu_zwdmz0hE click that link will get you there, too.

Did you see Philadelphian DJ ?uestlove in there?
Kanye West, also
Ezra Koenig
and more current musicians whose work I really don't know!

Thank you Katie, my most awesome spin instructor for the most excellent new tunes! As a full-time mom who doesn't get to a single dance club these days (did I ever?), I rely so much on Spin Class for the good new tunes!

And here is Why I Know The Significance of the Date April 24th. Again, Thank You Mother!
(start at around 3:00, and then Barbra gets to the punchline, which she CHANGED in the TV version of "I'm Five" to April 29th! Oh, Barbra, you are too much!)

Finally, here is NPR's coverage by Guy Raz, a star reporter at NPR and a few years younger than me at Brandeis, about "Why Club DJs Love Barbra Streisand."

Here is some Vampire Weekend, with Ezra Koenig, in case you had no clue who that was...

Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

2012-01-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

It was news to me when we moved to Philadelphia last summer that Goldenberg's Peanut Chews are a local product.

Since I'm a sucker for 70s nostalgia (makes me feel 6 years old again), I naturally love this current ad campaign. Not quite the same font, but reminds me of the video in this recent post about a classic 70s movie.

Kind of funny that the company has been around since 1917, and yet it has the 70s look it. If they were really going old school, wouldn't they have invoked flapper (1920s) or art deco (1930s) imagery?

I guess they were at a loss for what would be Old School 1917.

For the Kosher among us, I do know that it was a sad day in the late 80s or 90s when they went from parve to dairy. They were a favorite handout at my Jewish day school by one of the rabbis. I heard through the grapevine that he was very sad about that. There were no longer a reliable and readily available non-dairy sweet treat in every drug store.

I was never a big fan, but I like their ad campaign.

Leon Leonwood Bean, You Always Did Good By Me

2012-01-28T19:57:00.003-05:00

Growing up in New England, the old-money world educated in prep schools was always within a few minutes' drive away. When The Official Preppy Handbook came out in 1980 when I was not even yet a preteen, I read with great interest its various humor essays and studied its diagrams about WASP culture.

If I wanted to see a 65 year-old bluish gray haired, elegant woman sporting navy blue slacks covered in green embroidered whales, all I had to do was head down to the local A&P supermarket. A Preppy Yuppie could easily be seen coming off the 5:07, Burberry coat in one hand, Prince racket in another. These type of folks were never part of my family's social network, but there is one thing that we definitely had in common. The L.L. Bean Boat and Tote Bag.

Here's what I have done with our L.L. Bean Boat & Tote Bag. Our Shoe repair shop sewed on each patch for $5. Should I fully cover with patches? Might be overkill. It really needs a Hotchkiss or Andover patch to round out the look.

We took ours to the swim club and to the beach at my grandparents' (which was most definitely not down in Cape May or up in Newport). The annual display of fireworks was a common place we brought our boat bag. We took it on a trip to Nantucket. I saw many in Tanglewood. My dad took it on his fishing trips with his buddy Donny. There were only a few colors and it was only available with an open top. I don't even recall too many sizes. We always had a big bag, the size of the one above. And we had it for years. Many, many years. Until the handles unraveled.

It didn't really matter who you were or where you came from. The bag itself was durable, affordable, and well-designed. It still is. LL Bean's boat bag was always a go-to reliable. Nowadays you can get a zippered-top bag. What an innovation! And the varied sizes and colors! And now, there is free shipping!

Oh, L.L. Bean How I Love Thee.

Food Tip #3: Girl Scout Cookie Mint Pie

2012-01-27T12:36:00.001-05:00

It's Girl Scout Cookie time, and you know what that means.

That means I bought 3, count 'em, only 3, boxes of Thin Mints. But wait, how do I manage even those 3 boxes which are so easily hidden away from my husband and children? It's not even like I love Thin Mints. I would rather eat homemade chocolate chip cookies. But they do have that addictive quality that even I, not an ardent chocoholic, have trouble with when it comes to eating only 2.

That brings me to Girl Scout Cookie Mint Pie. We entertain a lot on the weekends (Shabbat dinners and lunches), and tonight we have a table of 9 people for dinner.

That means I am all good with this pie. Everyone will get a slice and maybe there will be leftovers.

My mom found this recipe in Theatrical Seasons: Encore! a cookbook published by the Syracuse Stage.

It is essentially a meringue with crushed Thin Mints and nuts folded in.

I added a sorbet filling, so it is more of a crust now.
You could add whipped cream.
Or eat just plain.
Just make sure you have guests over or you will eat the whole thing.

It is sublime.

Girl Scout Cookie Mint Pie

preheat oven to 325

16 Thin Mint cookies, crushed
3 egg whites, room temperature
dash salt
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 additional Thin Mint cookies, crumbled

Beat egg whites till soft peaks form.
Gradually add sugar till stiff peaks form.
(yes, a Kitchen-Aid mixer is what I use. Ideally, freeze whisk and bowl first for ultimate egg whites)
Fold in vanilla, crumbs, nuts.
Spread into a greased 9 inch pie pan.
Bake 35 minutes.
Cool in fridge 3 hours

1 pint chocolate sorbet, softened at room temp for 15 minutes

Spread sorbet into pie.
garnish with Thin Mint cookie crumbles

Cover with Stretch-Tite (my preferred plastic wrap).

Freeze 1 hour at least

Cut into pie slices and your guests will be singing to high heavens.

*N.B. to my Jewish and Kosher readers: Lest you be thinking, wait, how is Rachel serving this to her guests which is obviously on Shabbat and I am assuming correctly she cooks meat on that day, since the hechsher on the box is OU-D which means they are Dairy, and is Rachel this huge apikores?

Rest assured, dear reader, that I am a savvy mama and consumer as well as Kosher food eater. I have full knowledge, in case you didn't, that the Orthodox Union discontinued its OU-DE designation years ago because the whole conecpt of Dairy Equipment, which is what the DE stands for, was apparantly too confusing for the average individual. I do not consider myself to be the average individual. We fully hold by Dairy Equipment and Thin Mints have zero dairy in them (they are made on shared equipment, as the box states). Don't try to convince me there is a trace of dairy in these cookies. It would say Milk as an ingredient. No, no, this are fully OU-DE, and our practice is to remove all the meat food from the table before we serve DE food. However, you might have a different practice and that is ok. You might be that individual who doesn't remove that meat from the table. And guess what, you're still good! You might be that more machmir person who no longer holds by DE because you have joined the wave of humras that have swept our people. And that is ok, too (I realize I might be exaggerating or misinformed, thinking that people aren't holding by DE because of humras. Your Talmudic interpretation may not really be a stringency but a middle of the road thing. Nah, it ain't middle of the road in my book if you don't hold by DE. Could be you aren't well-versed on the halachot of DE. Am I, you ask? If you're curious about if there is a nafkamina involved, I really couldn't answer because I am the furthest from an illui that you'll every meet. Oh, if I could only match up to Elie Weisel and Rabbi Weiss HaLivni. Now, those men could really take this whole DE rant somewhere. Who am I, anyway, just a pisher. Back to the DE discussion, if I feel sad if you don't even hold by DE. You just won't be enjoying this fully acceptable dessert after your Shabbes meal. There's always Shavuos. Girl Scout Cookies don't go bad. They have enough preservatives in them to last a while. Oh, I guess if you're Cholov Yisroel all of this is a moot point, to which I say: Chassidus totally rocks! And if you're not chassidish, I am curious why you don't hold by Rav Moshe's tshuva on this issue. (Assuming of course you are living in the United States. And maybe Canada? I am not really sure on that. Naturally if you are in J-Burg or Zurich or if you're lucky enough to be traveling through India and for whatever reason you have found yourself on www.wholephamily.com then this assumption is clearly irrelevant. At which point I let you know you have wasted way too much of your time reading this horrific paragraph.)

Dreams That We Dream Of In Hawaii

2012-01-26T14:25:00.002-05:00

For reasons unknown to me, it appears to me that many people confuse Australian artist Jason Mraz's lovely tune "I'm Yours," which hit the tops of countless international music charts, with Hawaiian artist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's beautiful remake of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

You likely have heard both.
They have a similar sound.
It turns out both official videos were filmed in Hawaii.
You possibly know the name Jason Mraz.
You less likely know about Iz, and about his tragic death too early in life.

Here is the Official YouTube video of "I'm Yours"

And here is the Official YouTube video of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Years back, Dan Zanes, one of our favorite family musicians, suggested that a ukelele revolution was passing through the world.

Boy, was he ever right.

It's a Rainy Day in Philly

2012-01-26T08:38:00.000-05:00

The Wolfman's Brother's response to this classic Sesame Street segment is:

"Yes you can go outside if you have boots."

Oh, that intelligent 4 1/2 year old of mine.

Not Your Mama's Uncle

2012-01-25T07:33:00.001-05:00

This offered great comic relief this morning to the Wolfman and Concealed Light.

If only Uncle Moishy still sported those glasses which have now become hipster, he could pretty much fit in at a Williamsburg bar.

For the sake of the Jews out there who love his work, I actually contacted his management company, Suki and Ding, a few years ago to tell them it would be simply great if he had a YouTube channel. Think of all of those yeshiva kids in Brooklyn (i.e. my cousins) who are allowed to access certain things on the Internet but not others? Uncle Moishy is signed, sealed, delivered, and most of all approved, and it would be a boon to his fame and notoriety!

You think they take my advice?

An Age of Miracles...Before You Go To Sleep, Say a Little Prayer

2012-01-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

Do Western people think of overt miracles happening on a daily basis in their very own lives? Certainly, the types of miracles that appear in The Bible which detail discussions between man and God do not happen in our day. Plagues such as blood on the Nile River are of the past. No sea is going to split open and an oppressed people will just prance on through to the Promised Land. These grandiose, larger-than-life miracles are difficult for some to believe, and yet.

My esteemed teacher Rabbanit Chana Henkin taught me a few lessons about everyday miracles for which we should be grateful. The daily sunrise at a beautiful shoreline. Waking up after a night's slumber. The first flowers of a fruit bearing tree. The appearance of a rainbow serves as a reminder of the covenant between God and Noah that the world will never again be destroyed, as was the case after the Great Flood.

TV On The Radio is a Brooklyn-based band which came out with the song "Golden Age" a few years ago. Only today did I watch the video.

I presume the use of symbols connected to no organized religion was purposeful: I like it. I love their glasses, too. The white-clad-angelic figures versus the dark-clad-law enforcement-evil figures set the stage in a place somewhere between heaven and earth. Except that eventually the presumed bad guys (the fuzz) end up turning good, grooving and sending out love-hearts. The angels send their symbols of peace upward. Are they turning into animals that will be ultimately used, in a positive way if you can believe it, for animal sacrifice (korbanot)? I don't purport to fully understand the genius behind that one, but it is there.

Everyone loves a rainbow, but do viewers realize its symbolism with regard to the promise of world peace, unity, and ultimate redemption? This video got a lotta rainbows coming down from the heavens. It's all good.

Thank you to TV on the Radio for an artful, insightful interpretation of the world's state of affairs. Let's hope it keeps getting better and better.

This is not a spiritual blog. Just in case you thought that.

Bindi: Every Women's Like, or Dirt on Your Face?

2012-01-24T09:57:00.001-05:00

I thank my friend Abby for introducing me to bindi, which are Indian facial stick-on gems. Abby's sister appears in this wedding video I blogged about recently. We used to live across the street from Abby, and I sometimes saw her daughter wearing bindi. They are not Indian, but does that matter? Saraswathi Vedam, the midwife for my first two children, is Indian and she is quite wise. Bindi are fun and girls love them. What a beautiful way to liven up one's female self. I respect its Indian and Bangladeshi spiritual roots, but since I am Jewish I choose to not place bindi in the traditional between-the-eyebrow location.

Indian bindi can be found at your local Indian clothing store

I bought this package when I was last in Manhattan. I went to 28th and Lexington, sometimes referred to as Curry Hill, and found hundreds of different styles. You can get bindi on Ebay, naturally. I wore bindi later that night, and my new friend, Cute Indian Girl, complimented me. Yay.

My brother, The Goalie, saw my daughter, Concealed Light, wearing bindi this past weekend for her Aunt Reba's birthday celebration. The Goalie said, "Um, I think you've got some dirt on your cheek." Thanks a lot, Uncle Goalie. We all laughed about it.

Don't think my mom is going to like this ridiculous photo of me.

I did not go out with the faux nose pierce.
I am laughing terribly at that photo.

And if you want to see Saras, who I hold in the highest regard when it comes to childbirth, look no further!

Mommies Are People, But Am I A Grownup?

2012-01-24T08:59:00.002-05:00

On our drive this weekend to visit my parents and to celebrate my sister's birthday, my children and I listened to the "Free to Be You and Me" soundtrack. The close-quarters of being in the minivan enabled me to ponder this song, and I started thinking about how it has poignantly come full-circle.

there is a YouTube video here, so if you get this in an email link you might need to click through to the wholephamily.com website itself to see this video link

Like so many children of my generation, I grew up listening to this record.
I picked it up again in college and then started thinking of its message that all people can be whomever they choose to be. I doubt my mom ever read Ms. Magazine cover-to-cover like I did in 2004 while nursing Conealed Light in New Haven (I have been told I need to clarify that Ms. is pronounced mizz, and it was part of the foundation that backed this record), but she knew the good stuff and Free To Be You and Me was it in the 70s.

When I was little, I was the girl listener, envisioning all of the mommies and daddies and all the things they can do. And now I am the mama. And while I haven't become a professional baker, doctor, or funny joke-teller, I have done a lot of things so far.

This song sends the message that parents can and should shoot for the moon. And that college isn't necessary to get there. I have told Stango that our children can become skilled tradespeople. He doesn't see it my way. Despite that I am the first woman in my immediate family to obtain a college degree, I wonder if it is necessary. Can't Concealed Light become a pastry chef if she so desires? Can't The Wolfman apprentice as an electrician? Better yet, he can become the pastry chef and she can become the electrician. Two years ago, my former HBO colleague James Altucher made a compelling argument for this in "Don't Send Your Kids to College." One of the reactions to Altucher's argument was that unless you are a superstar in your field like Bill Gates or Madonna, a college degree is still necessary.

As for me, I am a mama. With a lot of interests (read any one of my blog entries and you will get an idea). While it is still hard for me to swallow the reality pill that makes me a grownup and not a little girl riding her banana seat bike in 1979, Marlo Thomas' message for children and adults alike is fresh and current in 2012. And because of that, a tear of joy rolls down my cheek.

Drawings From The Film Beginners By Mike Mills

2012-01-20T06:57:00.001-05:00

I was recently gifted with this book, a limited edition companion to the film Beginners by Mike Mills.

courtesy of Reprizent

Thank you, Michael Arkin! (to the blogosphere: I also wrote Michael a thoughtful, hand-written note of thanks. Long before I was acquainted with Derek Blasberg's work, I was trained in proper etiquette by my mother).

My college boyfriend's father was gay. I remember the great secrecy and emotion surrounding him telling me about his father in the early 90s. Times are so different today for the gay community and this film gives a broader historical perspective about the lifestyles of closeted gays in the 20th century.

I have been told that I will like Mike Mills' style if I like Wes Anderson's. This is too delicious!

Naturally, I have great affection for Christopher Plummer, who stars in this film, as he will always be the Captain singing "Edelweiss" in my memory.

She Was Not Asking For It, From One Dov to Another

2012-01-20T06:39:00.002-05:00

Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel. photo source: www.dovcharney.com

“Last month, an innocent, modestly dressed 8-year old girl, Naama Margolese, living in Beit Shemesh, described being spat on and vilified by religious extremists - - all men who believed that she did not dress modestly enough while walking past them to the religious school she attends.”

-Dov Linzer, “Lechery, Immodesty and the Talmud,” New York Times, 1/19/12

Well-spoken. Well-said. Well-written. Kol hakavod (kudos).

This op-ed piece is written by a very wise Rabbi named Dov Linzer in New York.

photo courtesy of Rabbi Dov Linzer's Facebook profile

I wonder if he knows that he shares the same first name as the wise, creative, successful shmatta tycoon Dov Charney in Los Angeles who is noted for his provocative American Apparel ad campaigns.

Does Mr. Charney knows that yeshiva girls and Jewish women are forever grateful for his interlock pencil skirt which enables them to dress both fashionably and modestly? Hypersexualized ad campaigns? No matter. You make the goods and the smart shoppers have found your shmattas and wear them in a tznius (modest) way. I hope he's kvelling. What a way to repurpose an item in an all good way.

Jewish women time and again prove that they are wise beyond their words and actions.

Thank you to both Dovs for your good work on this earth.

Thank God It's Friday, Hollywood Disco-Style

2012-01-20T06:14:00.001-05:00

This comes via my friend Big Josh aka The Coach. He is such a gregarious soul, dare I call him a social butterfly? xoxo to Big Josh, and I can't agree more with this song, part of the film that launched Donna Summer's career!

As I played field hockey in high school (though about 10 years after this film, and therefore no red tube socks), I naturally love the opening sequence with the girls getting on the bus and their field hockey sticks in hand.

Thank you, Barry Bernstein and Rob Cohen, writer and producer respectively, for this beacon of light!

(there is a YouTube video link below: If you are not seeing the image, click through to the website itself and it will appear. Sometimes in the email digest you won't see it)

My-Not-So-Random Connection to Tara Stiles, My Favorite Yoga Teacher

2012-01-20T02:07:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, I decided to stop simply thinking about yoga and start doing it.

So, I went to the Kripalu website, hoping to find some good yoga YouTube videos. Without rhyme or reason, I clicked on a couple of their graduates' profiles. At the 3rd click, I got to Tara Stiles. I never heard of her. Something drew me to her name specifically. I don't believe it was random.

Tara's outlook and style speaks to me. Her whole lifestyle is yoga. She recently YouTube blogged about eating salad for breakfast. Not such a novel idea, but coming from her lips it sounded magical and attainable. She has a great YouTube on doing yoga in bed right as you're waking up. Of course, normally I stretch anyway in the morning, but she showed me how to take it to the next level. Her videos are not just instructional, but also entertaining with her dry-wit sense of humor. I love how she starts off her videos with the following standard phrase, "Hey guys, how are you, I'm Tara Stiles." Totally chill.

She is Deepak Chopra's yoga teacher and also the proprietor of Strala Yoga in Manhattan.

Looks like she's doing a new series for LIVESTRONG Woman.

there is a YouTube video here, so if you are reading this as an email feed, you might not be able to see it. click through to the website www.wholephamily.com and you can see the video link.

Since I have no current plans to visit Strala Yoga, I continue to rely on her most excellent YouTube channel.

Thanks, Tara!

An Advertisement I Loved in W Magazine

2012-01-20T01:41:00.001-05:00

I love W Magazine not just for its articles but also for its smart, artful, zeitgeisty advertisements.

Here is a Marc Jacobs ad from their Spring Fashion Issue, which appeared in the first few pages.

It could be Berlin or Amsterdam.

It could be Jason Schwartzman's character from The Darjeeling Limited*.

It could also be New York, since there is a Prius-looking car in the background.

It's got that International Style mid-century modern building in the background.

Or it could just be some dude in Manhattan wishing he were back in Holland since they are the masters of city cycling.

*One of my favorite films. My life is most definitely a living Wes Anderson film, with a bit of ta'am (Jewish flavor) thrown in.

Hostess Gift #1: Glendale Organic Grape Juice & Taza Chocolate

2012-01-20T01:18:00.000-05:00

We get invited to friends' homes frequently for Shabbat lunch on Saturday afternoon after synagogue. There is always good food, many children, and yummy challah involved. The traditional gift to bring is a bottle of wine or other readily edible food for that meal, but I put together something a little more original.

Glendale Farm Grape Juice from the Finger Lakes, NY with waiter-style table crumber. Buy NOW as by Passover 2012 it will no longer be under the O-U

Organic Glendale Farm Grape juice, 2010 vintage.

Waiter-style table crumber

Tag made from PEZ candy cardboard package.

Bringing to our hosts for shabbat lunch.

Table crumber is essential for the challah crumbs! Easily found in Judaica stores and Kosher food markets. Or, just ask your waiter at Maialino if he has an extra to spare.

With children, grape juice is a necessity for the kiddush (blessing over the wine). It is a 100% acceptable substitute. It's even legit for adults to use it.

Enter the upscale organic Kosher grape juice. Mix half with seltzer for a "juicy beverage," or, what many folks might know better as a spritzer. Call it homemade soda, it's all the same goodness. We have been buying this for years at Fairway in New York City. It is available via special order through Whole Foods on the East Coast. You need to order a case, and only this size bottle, 22 ounce, is available. [If you are familiar, they used to be in a bottle that looked like the Santa Cruz juices bottle (not kosher), but those days are currently over].

I spoke with the proprietor of Glendale Farm recently. He explained that the juice is now in a bottle that looks like his competitor Kedem (which, in my opinion taste-wise doesn't stand any comparison) because the Orthodox Union gave him no other option. This is getting political and not my bag...

He was not bought out by Kedem.

He is hoping to get certification for his 2012 vintage with the OK Laboratories.

I plan to bring one bottle from my stash coupled with a nice bar of Parve Taza chocolate (also available at Whole Foods).

Taza chocolate is Parve, organic, made locally in Somerville, MA, under the OU

Go here to see more Taza Chocolate

Go here to see more Glendale Farms (he is a small company, very under-the-radar, but highest quality).

More V Magazine, And Oh the Advertisements!

2012-01-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

I got to V initially because I was subscribing to W.

And I got into W because, like guys who read Playboy "for the articles," I found such interesting information there. I learned about Richard Gere's B&B in Bedford. And Michael Steinhardt's private animal sanctuary. And so much more.

I strive for information and it also helps me with my wardrobe. I think Derek Blasberg would like all of this. Derek, I will blog about you another time. You are *the best.* I heart Derek, even though we haven't met in person.

But check out this awesome LV ad:

The see-through bag reminds me of what all the women have to carry when they work in the department stores. A total upgrade for Bloomie's employees. And the ice cream shop chairs: Oh, how Peppermint Park (which I hope to blog about another time). It was an end of a Manhattan era when they shut them down. Derek, ask some of your friends who grew up in and around Manhattan. They will tell you how much they loved Peppermint Park. And, nary a good reminiscence online.

And of course, about one year ago I blogged about Smashbox Studios.

Factors got some style and class.

This is their newest ad in V Magazine.

I am grateful to be literate.

My New "V" Magazine Arrived Today

2012-01-19T10:24:00.001-05:00

If you look carefully, you can see the mini Tootsie Roll on resting to the right of and just below Justin's left shoulder (to orient yourself, put yourself in Justin's shoes...now that's a tough one, but c'mon, you can do it).

And that is why I love V.

They placed one Tootsie Roll right in front of him.

Not a fan of his work, but if that ain't art, I don't know what is.

Alas, I couldn't imagine that my favorite band is in this issue, despite that they sell out New Years at MSG year after year after golden grand year.

And that is all good with me.

Favorite Birthday YouTube Video: Altered Images

2012-01-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

It is my friend Seth's 40th birthday today, and I just posted my favorite thing to post on friends' Facebook profiles when it is their birthday. It jazzes up the typical "Happy Birthday." I mean, c'mon, that is so unoriginal.

FYI, Sixteen Candles was one.of.my.favorite.movies.growing.up.

My sister Reba and I can go on ad nauseum with the quotes. Naturally, I longed for a Jake Ryan in my life. Never did happen. But Stango is way better.

Don't Be Shy If You Want World Unity

2012-01-19T05:30:00.002-05:00

I'm getting back onto my Harold and Maude kick lately. I don't care what is out there about Cat Stevens from the past. I don't care about the current politics. What is in a name, anyway. Break down the barriers and just have lots of love, love, love. Yusuf Islam still believes the same message: peace. We'll get there.

There is much to be learned from Ruth Gordon's character in Harold and Maude. And we have Cat to thanks for writing those words.

So, go ahead, do some cartwheels and have lots of fun.

I'm going to the gym.

More Shtuff Folks Say...This Time It's Those New York (Jews) Again

2012-01-19T05:08:00.002-05:00

Oh those New Yorkers. Clever they are. Watching this video reminded me of my first subway ride alone in Manhattan in January 1995. I know that My People are so small in numbers, and yet it warmed me when I overheard two women on the subway talking about upcoming bar mitzvah plans.

Eliot and Ilana Glazer capture good stuff here. And when you include the words shlep (Yiddish for "lug stuff." Not derogatory) and schmuck (Yiddish for "complete and inane jerk." Fully derogatory, yet accepted as ok to use in casual conversation.) in your "generic" parody of the original Sh*t Girls Say, you gotta remember that in New York you don't have to be Jewish but it don't hurt to be. Pat Kiernan, what do you think?

Why is it that countless Elliots and Eliots are yidden (Yiddish word for Jews. Not derogatory). One of life's mysteries. Also, guys named Yale.

From Rihanna to Eddie Murphy in 30 Seconds Flat...Mama Say What?!

2012-01-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

(disclaimer: if you really want to get it done in 30 seconds, do not watch the embedded videos!)

Yesterday, towards the end of spin class, Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" came on the speakers. Ever so conveniently placed, indeed I didn't want the music to end, since I was finally getting my spin groove on. I am not very contemporary with popular music, so I owe much of my knowledge and exposure to it via my excellent spin instructors. In truth, I don't connect much to the music: the beat seems somewhat empty to me. I am a classic rock and Jam band type of mama. I don't like how women are objectified. I certainly don't want my children watching this video. Stango would definitely not be into it.

Rihanna is beautiful despite the fact that I don't agree that she uses her body, sex and overall image to sell herself. Isn't that Hollywood, though? She has made a career out of it, and I give her that. I am sure she is a hard worker.

Ever interested in connections, I love how she borrows from Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" when she says "mama say mama sah mama makusa"

Ever thirsty for knowledge, I researched that phrase, which, according to this Wikipedia entry, has its roots in Makossa music, which is popularized in Camaroon cities.

Call me an ignorant American, but I don't know much about Camaroon.

Except for this classic scene from "Trading Places," where Eddie Murphy pretends to be an exchange student from Camaroon.

Which leads me back to the City of Brotherly Love, where this film is largely based.

It is my new city and it is a good one!

Knowing Where Your Children's Stories Come From

2012-01-18T12:01:00.001-05:00

Despite growing up strongly identified as Jewish (kosher house, Hebrew day school, liberal Orthodox synagogue), my parents were totally fine with me watching the Sunday morning Davey and Goliath series. Who cared about the cross in the beginning of the show: they offered a good message, and they were cute. I knew that it was from a church, but I knew that wasn't my church.

Jump from 1977 to 2012, and to my surprise, just today at my grocery store I noticed on the rounder of spiritual/inspirational books (which just so happens to be located right next to the Kosher section, go figure!) the following:

Who knew that Jan & Stan Berenstain were coming from a Christian perspective!

Invoking Jerry Seinfeld's famous phrase, "not that there's anything wrong with that," I am beginning to realize that it actually is a good idea to know where my children's values are coming from. As strongly-identified Jews, I want them to have Jewish values. We have plenty of Jewish children's books, but publishing is a tough industry, and sadly there aren't many high-quality Jewish children's picture books.

Interestingly, there was a Strawberry Shortcake book on this rounder as well. Was That Character From Cleveland also a Christian? This character is owned by American Greetings, a company owned and operated by the Rose-Stone family in Cleveland. That family has done tremendous acts of kindness in philanthropy for the Jewish community. When Strawberry debuted in the early 80s, my mom collaborated with her friends to collect a few copies of the NY Times Sunday Magazine so I could have a full display of the multi-page advertisement showing various parts of Strawberry Shortcake's body.

Do these things matter, really?

At the end of the day, the message is the same: be a good person, do acts of kindness, give charity, help the elderly. And if my children learn that from Mama Bear, I think that is ok.

But, if know where you come from, who you are, and where you are going...

that is ideal.