• Fun in Chicago,  Pretty Pictures,  Review

    Sporty, Luxurious, Electric, Family Time at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show!

    I venture to say that a day spent around (and in) shiny, colorful, beautiful new cars is enough to put a smile on most people’s faces. I know that I had a great time last last week when I was invited by General Motors to attend the Chicago Auto Show as a part of Social Media Day (Kudos to the organizers of the Chicago Auto Show, by the way, for recognizing the power of social media!). I had some great experiences and learned some interesting things there, starting with what I heard during our breakfast. The room was full of us social media types as well as Chevy Volt owners,…

  • I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  My Kids Have Mad Skillz,  Reflections on Parenting

    Pamela Druckerman’s “Bringing Up Bebe” Stirs The Pot On Parenting

    There’s been another dust-up in the news this week, and this time the big story is how great the French are at parenting. I mentioned it briefly in yesterday’s vlog, and I really need to expand on it because parenting and its various styles is a topic for which I have endless passion. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here to read the Wall Street Journal essay/excerpt by Pamela Druckerman, author of “Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting”.) First, let me give you the disclaimer: I am not ragging on the author OR the book, which I have not read.…

  • Blessings,  Jew Stuff,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    On Knowing When To Make The Leap

    I feel the need to start this post with a disclaimer: I usually don’t bring up religious stuff here unless it’s of the general variety. In relaying this particular story–which has an element of religion included–I want you to know that I am not trying to push my religion on anybody, and hope that you will just find it interesting. Years ago, I was selling health club memberships full time. I had been an employee there for a few years and worked part-time in different departments before landing in Membership. My full-time status came as a result of Jim having been let go from his job in the economic turmoil…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Music,  Too Funny To Ignore

    Lenny Kravitz In Chicago: A Summary In Tweets, Pics, And, Of Course, A Few Words…

    It seems like months ago when I first wrote about the Lenny Kravitz concert in Chicago for which I, at the time, only hoped our family would be able to procure tickets, but it’s been less than a month. In that time, my sister and J got the tickets for us (two in the fifteenth row on the floor and three on the second row of the front balcony) while Jim and I were on our cruise by setting up an elaborate “Lenny Ticket Headquarters” which was made up of several computers, with phones on standby. They worked really, really hard to get those tickets. After they got the tickets,…

  • Fun in Chicago,  Review

    Go Red Girls’ Night Out In Chicago, Take Two!

    You’re going to be seeing a lot about Go Red For Women this month. Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s campaign to bring attention to heart disease in women. (Tomorrow, February 3, is “National Wear Red Day”!) I have been asked to share information with you (in exchange for a complimentary ticket) about the Go Red For Women Girls’ Night Out in Chicago on Wednesday, February 29. It will be a night of shopping, fashion, food, and mini spa treatments (not to mention cocktails by Spicebox Whiskey and Lulu B) at the Alhambra Palace restaurant from 7-10 p.m. Guests are asked to bring a gently used purse…