The Column for February 2nd
Music to my Ears
If my 21 month old son had an ipod his playlist would include Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes, Hi-5 , the All American Rejects , Ro drigo y Gabriela and the Shins. His current musical taste is an eclectic mix of Mom and Dad’s indie rock favorites and the guests on Jack’s Big Music Show. He is quite the music fan and shows an appreciation for everything from Beethoven to the Beatles, emo rock to jazz. Thank goodness for all the new kiddie bands coming out now, because I can’t imagine having to listen to Barney, Raffi and the Wiggles day in and day out.We like to expose our children to all kinds of music so they can be open and yet discriminating. When he was just a few months old, we went to see the orchestra at the Kimmel Center and he managed not to cry for 20 minutes! And at a free outdoor rock there was Happy Feet, where he and his 5 y.o. brother sat transfixed by singing and tap-dancing penguins for nearly three hours.My son’s love for music goes beyond listening. He feels it in his bones. At his Music Class, he is an active participant, singing, dancing and bangin’ on the drums. His favorite instrument is the guitar. Tired of his Little Tikes pretend-guitar, he’s taken to strapping on big brother’s electric Fender. And with a look of fierce concentration, he plucks and strums a Milo original. This goes on for about a minute and then he lifts his head to acknowledge the audience and raises his hand in a fist. Rock on, dude! -- MT
FEATURE: DAN ZANES: A Musical Treat
It's House Party Time
I often try to stay away from making New Year’s resolutions; for fear that I will not live up to the commitment. However, this year I made a vow to do more Family-oriented activities. So as I flipped through the January’s edition of Metro Kids, my eyes widened as I came across an event not to be missed. I felt like someone had just given me the opportunity to score the golden ticket. To make sure that I was on the same page as to what my children considered to be a fun Family activity, I posed the question to my 5 year old. “Kim, would you like to go see Dan Zanes?” I thought that I would have to follow-up my question with an explanation as to who he was & what songs he sings. However, Kim turned toward me with the biggest grin ever and said without hesitation, “Yes!” “He is on Playhouse Disney.” “He sings “Malti”.” Then he broke out into his rendition of “Malti”. It was too cute for words. Of course my 2 year old, Nicholas, tried to sing along. Okay, I thought, the Kids were sold. Now I had to convince the Husband. I waited until the Kids were asleep and then proceeded to present my case. It didn’t take much coaxing to get him to say, “Yes.” He actually knew of Dan Zanes and that his music is often featured on the Disney channel. I quickly signed on to the Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts site & scored 4 tickets to the concert at The Gordon Theater. We are not exactly within arms reach but we will be in the building. There is an excitement building in our house. Everyday I am asked, “When are we going to see Dan Zanes?” My reply, the same as yesterday and the day before that, is “Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 1pm.” “Are you excited?”, I chime. “Yes, Yah”, they respond in unison. Then, Kim breaks out into his rendition of “Malti”. Nicholas always follows suit by singing his own version of Mah-ti as he calls it. I would have to admit that our all time favorite Dan Zanes song is “All Around The Kitchen.” It is contagious. You don’t want to stop singing it. It makes you want to get up and dance. We can’t wait to “Catch That Train!” with Dan Zanes and his circle of Friends. If you want to learn more about Dan Zanes and his music, visit www.danzanes.co m. -by Ngina Berry-Williams
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
EZINE Vol. II, No. 2
The Column for the week of January 19th, 2007
BACK TO COOL: Hair and Now
Swanky, posh, hip, modern and hot – these are a few of the adjectives out there to modify “mother” (as in swanky moms, posh moms, hip mama, modern moms and hot mommas). Yes, that would be you and me. So tell me, why I do not feel quite so posh, swanky or hip, let alone, hot as I sit here dressed in my ratty outfit with disheveled hair. Maybe these words are meant to be aspirations. As a suburban mama, do I actually WANT to be swanky or posh? Modern and hip? Wasn’t I once considered hip and cool? Did I really have to relinquish these modifiers to motherhood?As a once-upon-a-time-on-the-cutting-edge (in my mind at least) City girl, I decided that this year I would bring back a little of my old self. After all, being mom doesn’t mean giving up being me. Yup, that’s what I told myself as I sat at the salon and I asked the stylist to chop off my mane. It was cathartic! I looked good and felt even better. I didn’t cry like in those make-over reality shows because it wasn’t the first time I cut my hair short. The first time was after my first son was born, it cost a lot of money at a swanky (!) Philadelphia salon, but hey, it was worth it. I think SAHMs like me have less pressure to keep up appearances (we aren’t in the office, where other ADULTS as opposed to our adoring children and their similarly-dressed stay-at-home-moms, can see us and criticize our outfits and makeup).We end up with hair in a ponytail, makeup-less and wearing whatever’s comfortable and clean, which usually means-- the ubiquitous track suit . Aargh! Following fashionistas’ advice I’m trying to make a change and avoiding sweats as much as I can except when I’m at the gym (which is rarely and that's gotta change too) or at my son’s mommy-and-me gym/music class . I’m thinking to myself --how can I be swanky and hip if I don’t look swanky and hip? Right, ladies? BTW, do clean jeans and a black shirt be considered an upgrade? Clinton and Stacy will probably not agree with me, but hey, it’s a start right? *
FEATURE: Delightful Dinner Options
A look at the assembly line prep kitchen trend
Forget fast food – beat the dinner deadline with these “nearly homemade” options – drop by “Super Suppers” or “Dinner by Design” – two local places that offer meals that are meant to be frozen and cooked when you need them. You can make them at their kitchen facility, assembling the pre-shopped, pre-cut recipe. (Look ma, no clean up!) or Pick up the meals ready-made. One afternoon while the baby was napping, I dashed off to one of those strip mall prep kitchens and opted to prepare six super dinners. The gleaming stainless steel stations enticed with pre-cut and pre-chopped ingredients, herbs and condiments, measuring spoons, uncooked (frozen) meats and Ziploc bags. There were recipes in each station, and all I had to do was scoop and measure spices, oils, herbs, veggies and meat and toss them into my plastic bag. No fuss. No mess. (I was left on my own, although the owner and employee that welcomed me were very nice.) It seemed fun at the time as I enjoyed pretending I had a sous chef who assisted me. And in less than two hours, I had bagged six entrees good for six people, ready to be frozen for future meals. The whole adventure cost $130 which when you think about it is likejust , $21.66 per entrée (definitely cheaper than a restaurant!) and $3.61 per person. Great, huh? Except I didn’t have six hungry mouths to feed -- just me and my hubby and the two kids who were happy with a simple meal of rice and fried chicken, which meant we would be repeating some of those meals and what if DH didn’t like it? Well, whaddya know -- back home, we realized some meals tasted good, some were so-so. The menus change from month-to-month so you can always choose your entrees to avoid the dishes that aren’t quite your taste. I don’t know that these pre- assembled entrees are any more nutritious than any old frozen dinner, but I suppose if you had the extra cash and if you were really pressed for time, then this would be a good way to stock your fridge and still feel like you had a hand in “cooking”. All told, it was a fun afternoon but it’s not something I would do regularly although I am curious about the dinner parties places like Super Suppers and Dinner By Design (both in Mt. Laurel) host. *Quick Facts: Prices range from $129 -$230 (6-12 entrees) Places to check out: Super Suppers in Mt. Laurel, Dinner By Design also in Mt. Laurel and Let’s Dish in Marlton.
BACK TO COOL: Hair and Now
Swanky, posh, hip, modern and hot – these are a few of the adjectives out there to modify “mother” (as in swanky moms, posh moms, hip mama, modern moms and hot mommas). Yes, that would be you and me. So tell me, why I do not feel quite so posh, swanky or hip, let alone, hot as I sit here dressed in my ratty outfit with disheveled hair. Maybe these words are meant to be aspirations. As a suburban mama, do I actually WANT to be swanky or posh? Modern and hip? Wasn’t I once considered hip and cool? Did I really have to relinquish these modifiers to motherhood?As a once-upon-a-time-on-the-cutting-edge (in my mind at least) City girl, I decided that this year I would bring back a little of my old self. After all, being mom doesn’t mean giving up being me. Yup, that’s what I told myself as I sat at the salon and I asked the stylist to chop off my mane. It was cathartic! I looked good and felt even better. I didn’t cry like in those make-over reality shows because it wasn’t the first time I cut my hair short. The first time was after my first son was born, it cost a lot of money at a swanky (!) Philadelphia salon, but hey, it was worth it. I think SAHMs like me have less pressure to keep up appearances (we aren’t in the office, where other ADULTS as opposed to our adoring children and their similarly-dressed stay-at-home-moms, can see us and criticize our outfits and makeup).We end up with hair in a ponytail, makeup-less and wearing whatever’s comfortable and clean, which usually means-- the ubiquitous track suit . Aargh! Following fashionistas’ advice I’m trying to make a change and avoiding sweats as much as I can except when I’m at the gym (which is rarely and that's gotta change too) or at my son’s mommy-and-me gym/music class . I’m thinking to myself --how can I be swanky and hip if I don’t look swanky and hip? Right, ladies? BTW, do clean jeans and a black shirt be considered an upgrade? Clinton and Stacy will probably not agree with me, but hey, it’s a start right? *
FEATURE: Delightful Dinner Options
A look at the assembly line prep kitchen trend
Forget fast food – beat the dinner deadline with these “nearly homemade” options – drop by “Super Suppers” or “Dinner by Design” – two local places that offer meals that are meant to be frozen and cooked when you need them. You can make them at their kitchen facility, assembling the pre-shopped, pre-cut recipe. (Look ma, no clean up!) or Pick up the meals ready-made. One afternoon while the baby was napping, I dashed off to one of those strip mall prep kitchens and opted to prepare six super dinners. The gleaming stainless steel stations enticed with pre-cut and pre-chopped ingredients, herbs and condiments, measuring spoons, uncooked (frozen) meats and Ziploc bags. There were recipes in each station, and all I had to do was scoop and measure spices, oils, herbs, veggies and meat and toss them into my plastic bag. No fuss. No mess. (I was left on my own, although the owner and employee that welcomed me were very nice.) It seemed fun at the time as I enjoyed pretending I had a sous chef who assisted me. And in less than two hours, I had bagged six entrees good for six people, ready to be frozen for future meals. The whole adventure cost $130 which when you think about it is likejust , $21.66 per entrée (definitely cheaper than a restaurant!) and $3.61 per person. Great, huh? Except I didn’t have six hungry mouths to feed -- just me and my hubby and the two kids who were happy with a simple meal of rice and fried chicken, which meant we would be repeating some of those meals and what if DH didn’t like it? Well, whaddya know -- back home, we realized some meals tasted good, some were so-so. The menus change from month-to-month so you can always choose your entrees to avoid the dishes that aren’t quite your taste. I don’t know that these pre- assembled entrees are any more nutritious than any old frozen dinner, but I suppose if you had the extra cash and if you were really pressed for time, then this would be a good way to stock your fridge and still feel like you had a hand in “cooking”. All told, it was a fun afternoon but it’s not something I would do regularly although I am curious about the dinner parties places like Super Suppers and Dinner By Design (both in Mt. Laurel) host. *Quick Facts: Prices range from $129 -$230 (6-12 entrees) Places to check out: Super Suppers in Mt. Laurel, Dinner By Design also in Mt. Laurel and Let’s Dish in Marlton.
Friday, December 29, 2006
HAPPY NEW YEAR
With the New Year around the corner, I figured I'd start a new blog and solemnly promise to update it regularly. It should be easy as this will mirror the twice monthly zine I email out to other suburban mamas (lucky you!)
So...have you all recovered from the Holidays? We have but alas, there is the accounting to be done. What??? We spent how much #$&@(#$& on presents? But it was all worth it when we saw our children's faces on Christmas morning.
Happy New Year, mamas.
Here's a little something I whipped up in between holiday festivities www.suburbanmama.com -- it still needs work, so bear with me. Also the ezine will be back in your email boxes in January. I am giving away (YES, FREE!) some ad space for a month -- so if you are interested, please contact me.
So...have you all recovered from the Holidays? We have but alas, there is the accounting to be done. What??? We spent how much #$&@(#$& on presents? But it was all worth it when we saw our children's faces on Christmas morning.
Happy New Year, mamas.
Here's a little something I whipped up in between holiday festivities www.suburbanmama.com -- it still needs work, so bear with me. Also the ezine will be back in your email boxes in January. I am giving away (YES, FREE!) some ad space for a month -- so if you are interested, please contact me.
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