Last week was a crazy one at my house! Our twin daughters, Genny and Bridget turned three years old. For weeks, the first thing Genny has been asking me when she wakes up is “Is today my birthday party, mama?” “No, Genny, but soon,” I reply. “Tomorrow?” she responds. I decide to tell a white lie “Yes!”. I know that she has no idea what all these time references mean so this way I keep her happy and avoid any possible three year old meltdowns.
Three, I’ve learned from experience, is the first birthday where kids have a real interest in their party so the pressure was on! Now, anyone who knows us knows that we get a wee bit carried away when we throw a party. So this year I was proud to show great restraint by planning the event at an art studio where they take care of everything but the cake. What a relief, I thought. I can invite their whole class -17 kids- and not have to deal with the menu, mess and mayhem. But then I found that I was really missing the planning process so in a crazy moment of ignorance decided to add a “part two”. Let the fun continue back at our house! Suddenly I’ve got 30 people – 15 adults and 15 children (under 6 years old) descending on our house 30 minutes after the first party ended. Part of me thought “I’ve got to be crazy” and the other part knew it would be great fun.
If you’ve never been to one if these soirees, let me give you a little peak at what goes on. It’s a bit hard to describe but I would say “happy chaos” sums it up.
Our kids – all 15 of them – have literally grown up together, spending 12 hours a day in daycare/school. As a result, the parents have become quite close. We do mini versions of this just about every weekend so we have it down to a science. An argument over a toy breaks out, a child scrapes their knee, someone is stuck on top of the jungle gym, someone else is thirsty – we can always count on the parent in closest proximity to take care of business. It’s what I call “seamless collaboration”. And when it’s time for dinner, an assembly line forms to dish out and serve 15 plates of hot dogs, corn and watermelon.
After dinner, while a handful clean up, the more energetic (aka younger) parents kick off the crazy dance party. (Tip: every family must have a kid party playlist ready to go. My personal faves are Rock Lobster and Shout!). This is intended to burn down the last bit of energy left in these kids! Once that’s done, time for a movie. Lights down, PJ’s on, pillows and blankets on the floor – and on comes the Wizard of Oz. Old school, yes, but those munchkins are guaranteed to mesmerize any small child. And they’re done way before those creepy monkees come on. Now the parents can relax, tell some funny stories and have a night cap before clean up begins.
Yes, my house was trashed. Yes, we were beyond exhausted. Yes, we can’t find our video camera, sunglasses and door knob. But it was all worth it: to celebrate the girls big day with great friends and make memories to last forever. Rest assured, there will be many more to come so I’d better rest up!
This weekend I took a trip out to the city of brotherly love to visit my brother Kevin. While there, I went on a unique tour within the City Center that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Philly.
Prior to visiting Philadelphia, I had never known that the city is the Mural Capital of the World. Once you make your way around, you can immediately feel its effects. The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program is one of the nation’s largest public arts initiatives of its kind. Their mission is to engage in art education and community public art collaborations, and to increase public access to art.
The Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, an effort to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city. Since the Mural Arts Program began, they have produced over 2,800 murals and educated over 20,000 underserved youth in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.
Due to its success, cities across the world are turning to Philadelphia to see how they can replicate the program for their own community…including Brooklyn.
I am amazed with how the community holds such pride in these impressive works of art. It gives the city a much cleaner and artistic presence that you don’t often get in many urban locations.
The Mural Arts Program offers weekly and daily public, guided and trolley tours that visit five neighborhoods (City Center, North, South, West Philadelphia and Broad Street).
Working at a company with mostly women, when you hear screams down the hallway, there is a good chance they are rejoicing the recent engagement or pregnancy of a co-worker. Recently Danae Danta got engaged during a weekend away in her hometown Miami, and Ashley Crooks is less than a month away from her wedding.
I am also engaged and have been trying with every inch in my body to let the PR girl inside of me stay there, but it is not as easy as it may seem. With less than five months till the big day I couldn’t control myself any longer, so recently I created the sacred “production schedule.” While I was trying to go with the flow of planning, it wasn’t until I created this master to-do list that I was able to feel at ease. And now after attending my best friend’s wedding this past weekend, I couldn’t help myself making a mental note of a few key learning’s. So this is what I learned:
- It really does go by as fast as they say it does, so make sure to take some time to soak it all in
- The music is the key to a good party and this weekend was a great example because the dance floor was packed all night long
- While everyone appreciates the beautiful flowers and good food, the real smiles come from the joy in sharing in someone’s special day
And to quote the mother of the bride from this weekend , “If only 75% of what the party planner says will happen does, it will still be absolutely amazing”
In a past blog I wrote, I confidently declared I was not a foodie. However, upon dining at Upper East Side gem, Sfoglia, my taste buds beg to differ. Yesterday was my sister, Amy’s birthday. Being the New York City enthusiasts we are, we scoured restaurant reviews for the prime location to celebrate her big day.
Agreeing on Sfoglia, I was excited because, well, the Web site gallery spoke for itself and they had a six week waiting list for reservations. After our reservation was secured, I might as well have made their Web site my homepage as I practically perused the site daily. From the images of rustic décor to the charmingly mismatched tables and chairs—I knew I would love this place. Amy and I spoke about fifty two times yesterday to discuss our evening attire. Amy, of course had a beautiful new necklace and birthday-worthy top. I had…well I had Amy’s closet to choose from—that’s what big sisters are for, right?
Once we arrived at Sfoglia, the vision before me was better than any Web site could have depicted. Stacked cans of Italian tomatoes mixed with vintage novels greeted us on a shelf interspersed with the perfect amount of tea light candles. But what I didn’t realize was once the first bite of orecchiette and sausage hit my lips, I would be transported to a world where food took the lead and ambience was just the supporting cast. Spicy and savory tantalized my taste buds all at once– I tried the spaghetti squash with ricotta and it was more delectable than I ever thought a root vegetable could be. And oh the chicken! Yes I said chicken – cooked under a brick (no clue if that is customary, but it impressed me nonetheless).
While tin ceilings, exposed brick and mason jars are three of my favorite things, I’m going to have to add meal offerings to that list. Even though I’ll never stop looking at the interior surroundings of a restaurant before I dine, I am really going to have to start looking at the menu reviews!
Happy Birthday, Amy!!
When it came my turn to post again, I decided to take the lead from several of my MMC colleagues who have recently reflected on a variety of topics – Danae Danta on her New Year’s Resolution; Sarah Pfeiffer on what makes her a New Yorker; Anne Court on turning 30.
Two years ago my brother TJ moved to Vietnam. His motives were multifacited but most notably he embraced the opportunity to live and gain journalistic experience abroad. As Managing Editor of AsiaLIFE magazine, there is a lot to learn from him and his amazing journey.
- Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump – TJ applied for a visa, packed three bags and bought a plane ticket…to a place where he knew only one person, didn’t speak the language, didn’t have a job and didn’t have an apartment. While this is an extreme for the majority of us, taking a plunge (even a small one!) can be absolutely exhilerating.
- Commitment and passion will always get you to where you want to be- His passions may have evolved over the years but TJ’s dedication has never faltered. Know what you are passionate about and stay committed to getting where you want to be. Accept that there are bound to be detours along the way – who knows though, they might turn out to be a little refreshing.
- During life’s happiest moments it is somewhat unbelivable how much champagne you can consume – The unscheduled but impecable timing of TJ’s first trip home and my engagement proved this point beyond a reasonable doubt. I think we can all agree that whether you are toasting a success, a milestone or just a good day, life is definitely better with champagne!
- There are times in life when you have to try really, really hard not to cry – It may be a cliché; however I’ve never been great with good-byes and they get a lot harder when your brother lives almost 9000 miles away. Sometimes you have to suck it up in a tough situation – they are usually difficult for a reason. More often than not they will prove a critical piece to your long-term success…and in hindsight you’ll probably wonder why you thought they were so difficult to begin with anyway!
- It doesn’t matter how old you get, your parents will always worry about you – And for some reason, when they can’t get a hold of you, they’ll assume your sister Kate has a secret bat phone she can contact you with. So call your parents. Regularly.
- Miles will never truly separate you – But when they try, thank god for social media!
I recently celebrated my 30th birthday and as a woman this is ‘supposed’ to be some kind of milestone that most fear. For me, turning 30 has been a gift. It’s given me a chance to look at the last decade and see how far I’ve come, how much my priorities have changed, and how lucky I truly am to be alive in this world.
In 10 years, I’ve…
- had just about every hair color imaginable (including purple, blue, green, and fire engine red),
- bought an apartment,
- graduated college,
- attended so many rock concerts that I probably have permanent ear damage (totally worth it),
- got married,
- lived in Germany and Spain,
- been a nanny, waitress, receptionist, and actress,
- and, had a 30th birthday party where people gave a bit of a shocked look when I revealed my age and repeatedly told me that I don’t look 30!
Also turning 30 has allowed me the chance to get excited about the next 10 years. I know that there will be ‘unexpected’ events outside my control but I’m excited for the next decade in during which I’ll hopefully become a mother, finally go on that honeymoon, buy a bigger apartment, fall deeper in love with my husband and bond with my mom over her grandchildren. It seems I gain wisdom, patience, insight, power, and freedom every year. While I don’t know what’s in store for me in the years ahead, I imagine that when I hit 40 my list of the last 10 years will astound even myself. What are the next 10 years going to hold for you?
My husband and I have a tradition. Every year we ring in New Year’s Eve by spending the first half of the evening partying with our kids- complete with party hats, dancing, games and lots of Happy New Year shout outs. Believe it or not, our house gets pretty rockin when all three kids get those noisemakers going!
The second half of the evening is all about us. Once the last child is down we open up the champagne, enjoy a beautiful gourmet meal and start our annual planning session. Planning? That doesn’t sound very romantic, does it?
Maybe not but it definitely sets the year off right and brings us closer together.
We start by opening up a fresh new notebook and creating pages for the following categories:
- Proudest achievements
- Best moments
- Biggest regrets
- 2010 GOALS
We take about an hour or so brainstorming these topics. We reflect on the year, talk through our favorite memories and mutual frustrations. Think of this like creating your own personal montage movie scene. It brings some clarity to our lives, which as we all know, can often be a bit of a blur as we dash from one thing to the next.
Here is a glimpse at our discoveries:
- Proudest Accomplishments? Finally cleaned the scary attic. Goal for 2010 - tackle the even scarier basement!
- Best moments? Hanging out with our friends at the town pool on summer weekends, going on a Fall weekend getaway without the kids. So Goals for 2010 would be: Join pool and plan another getaway!
- Biggest regrets- didn’t see enough adult movies. Goal? See at least 6 films this year (sad, I know but at least its achievable)
We came out feeling incredibly blessed to have great jobs, friends and family and that our frustrations and regrets can often be minimized by refocusing our priorities on those things that bring us the most joy and satisfaction. I highly recommend you try this exercise – either with your partner or by yourself. Just make sure your goals are SMART ones (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) and check your progress at least quarterly to see how you’re pacing.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”
For the MMC team, it’s the last (official) work day of 2009! The office is buzzing and the piles of cookies are finally disappearing as everyone is gearing up for a much needed holiday break. Personally, I have a lot to reflect on this year. One year ago today I sat in my home office, too pregnant to put on my own boots, wondering if the uncomfortable stomach pain I had been feeling since I woke up were actually contractions. Despite my best efforts to evacuate her sooner, a year ago tomorrow my unbelievably amazing daughter, Teagan was born.
Like everything in life, we live and we learn. I never dreamed I would have so many “key learnings” after just one year as a mom to the little lady we describe most as persistent and tenacious. My husband and I came up with some thoughts on our experiences, most of which we never could have imagined just one year ago.
For example, a top line:
- We spent a lot of time before Teagan was born dreading early mornings but we actually look forward to the extra time we get to spend with her before we both leave for work. In fact, we look forward to every extra minute we get to spend with her. – Vacations are no longer “vacations.” They are a change of scenery. I still need a lot of them. – I never thought I would find so much support and strength in some of my fellow co-workers. I had no idea how much I would need it! – Seeing those little legs run furiously across the apartment each time I walk through the door make every other thought in my head go away. This beautiful little girl is as obsessed with me as I am with her. I love that. I know it won’t always be that way. For now, it’s amazing. – In general, we knew our life would “never be the same again” but we didn’t realize how much we would love our new life.
We can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store for our family, but if it’s even half as wonderful as 2009, we are in for another unbelievable year! Wishing the same for my extended family – our amazing team, colleagues and friends at MMC! xoxo
Happy Birthday Teagan!
I love the month of December. And it’s not just because of all the holiday cheer (and parties), and the coveted MMC Gift Week. Or the festive decorations wrapped throughout the city. Or even the 8 special nights of Chanukah and the time spent with family. I look forward to this time of year for all its traditions.
Everyone has their own unique traditions, and while my family has a few here and there, there’s one that’s always constant. Picture this: It’s a cold, snowy afternoon on December 25th and most stores, restaurants and shopping malls are closed. I’m home in Westchester sitting at the breakfast table with my siblings and parents. “What is there to do today?” my sister asks. The answer is crystal clear – GO TO THE MOVIES.
Every Christmas Day, my family and I go to the movies, followed by Chinese food for dinner (a typical Jewish Christmas). While other families may have similar traditions, my family makes ours one of a kind. We’re all very passionate, sometimes stubborn people not a great combination when it comes to making democratic decisions. Every year it’s the same routine
We spend hours arguing and disagreeing over what movie to see. We laugh at my mom who makes us leave for the theatre 3 hours before the movie begins. And we almost always wind up seeing a bad movie and then complain about what we could have seen instead. And I wouldn’t pass that up for anything.
This year, I’m most excited to see Avatar (10 years in the making!), Nine (musical!), and Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr!). I wouldn’t consider myself a movie buff or even a movie fanatic, but during these cold winter months, especially on Christmas Day, it’s all about honoring our tradition and experiencing the magic of the movies with my family.
Every Christmas Eve, the gloves (or should I say oven mitts) come off as my family prepares for the annual Christmas Cookie Competition – a battle between two households for one prize cookie jar. The rules are simple; make your finest cookie (no brownies/bars/cakes allowed) and may the best baker win! Cookies are judged based on taste and appearance, and extra points can be earned with a clever name or gimmick (think 2 foot Christmas tree made entirely of star-shaped cookies – 2nd place, 1999).
The competition starts long before December, however. All year long, we scour the pages of our favorite culinary magazines and Web sites looking for the perfect recipe. As the most-winning participant of this fine family tradition, I have come to learn a few things about what it takes to create a winning entry:
- Do Your Homework: The research phase is just as important as the day-of the competition. Once you feel sure that you have chosen the right recipe, you can begin preparations with the confidence of a winner!
- Know Your Audience: Every family has its fair share of picky eaters. Don’t count these folks out! Instead, cater to their palates. After all, it doesn’t do any good if only you like the ingredients in your cookie (you don’t get a vote).
- Execute Flawlessly: Time management and presentation are crucial! Don’t let yourself get behind the clock, forcing a sloppy final product. Make sure that you have all the proper tools and ingredients at your fingertips to ensure a smooth baking experience.
These same principles apply to the work we do here every day at Marina Maher Communications. I suppose you can’t help but let a certain amount of your work ethic seep into your home life!
Happy Holidays!
