Pop-Up Pantry: So good no one will think you cooked it yourself

True story: When I was in my 20's, a friend and I were put in charge of dinner plans for a group of us celebrating a friend's birthday. We did what all normal twentysomethings would do: We concocted an elaborate hoax and a web of lies intended to fool those close to us.

Instead of cooking, we bought a ton of really good Chinese food and told everyone we'd made it ourselves. (Because who has time to cook when it's the 80's and you're busy trying to score Duran Duran tickets or searching for the perfect shoulder pads?) Behind closed doors, we emptied take-out cartons into skillets and woks, making sure they sizzled extra loud for added effect. We forbid anyone from entering the kitchen lest they lay eyes on us reheating wonton soup or catch a glimpse of the stack of empty containers outside the back door.

Years later when we came clean to our friends they pretended that they'd known all along that we hadn't cooked, because "That meal was way too good for you guys to pull off." We instantly regretted not having stirred the duck sauce with our feet.

But flash forward to now, and it's no longer a dirty secret to serve pre-prepared food to your guests. We're still busy, and realize it's perfectly fine to have a little help if we need to work or would rather hit the town. (Although how many times do you really need to see Duran Duran?)

Get in mah belly, you crazy mushroom crostini and bastilla.

A couple of weeks ago i was introduced to a great new company called Pop-Up Pantry that offers three-course gourmet dinners created by top chefs, delivered to your door for the price of takeout and with minimal preparation. (Although Pop-Up Pantry is a subscription service, sign-up is free and you are never obligated to purchase.)

At the company's loft in L.A. we got to sample some of their fare: Delicious dishes including Lamb Korma with Biriyani Rice, Hoisin Ginger Braised Shortrib and Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble from chefs like David Yeo (Le Cirque, Tavern On The Green), Rod Aglibot (Koi, BLT) and Beekman 1802 (Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge from The Fabulous Beekman Boys.) 

Pop-Up Pantry headquarters: We came, we saw, we stuffed ourselves

Pop-Up Pantry founders David Hauslaib and Tom Balamaci created the company because of their love of food and the lack of access to fine dining for foodies living outside of major metro areas. (And for people like me, who live within five minutes of some really good restaurants but don't always feel like going out to dinner.) The food is prepared, then frozen, vacuum-sealed, placed in an insulated box after preparation and delivered via UPS or FedEx – and are designed to go from package to table in 30 minutes or less. Man, that's way quicker than ordering and then waiting for sixteen cartons of Chinese food to show up.

Chef David Yeo making magic aka Onion Soup With Cheese Toasts

Besides the dishes mentioned above we were lucky enough to taste Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts, Bastilla (my favorite, and created by chef David Burtka who you will know as Neil Patrick Harris' partner) and Stuffed Peppers – it was all amazing and definitely fare that I would expect from a first-rate restaurant.

Founders of Pop-Up Pantry aka David Hauslaib and Tom Balamaci aka Really Nice Guys

David and Tom are really nice, accessible guys who are not only passionate about their food, but about their customers as well. They seem really concerned with finding out who their consumers are, what types of dining experiences they're looking for and striving to meet those expectations. Has your local restaurant ever invited you over and asked what types of food your teenagers like to eat? I didn't think so.

I didn't tell them my Chinese food story, but David and Tom if you're reading this – know that I will definitely be ordering from Pop-Up Pantry soon but would never try and take credit for the wonderful dishes you've created. Although there is that friend's birthday I've promised to cook for...

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Go to PopUpPantry.com to find out more about their services, pricing and menus. 

And wait - it gets better: Pop-Up Pantry recently announced that in support of those affected by Sandy, they will be donating $1 from every online ordered placed to City Harvest, the world's first food rescue organization dedicated to feeding the hungry men, women, and children of New York. In conjunction, they are also offering customers $5 off every meal when they use the code “SANDY” at checkout

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I Wanna Be Your Superhero: Kirby's Helping Kids

I'm totally suspicious of people knocking on my door. I automatically think it's either an axe murderer or a rug salesman, both of those being equally scary and equally unwelcome. Most people who want to get in touch with me would either text me or email me and would never dream of knocking on the door. Man, I guess I just gave permission to all the axe murderers and rug salesman to email me now.

But recently I opened the door to find this:

It didn't look scary at all, so I opened it up. Then my paranoia took over and I thought of Pandora's Box and was certain that I had just unleashed evil on the world, but then I saw this:

Kirby's Return To Dream Land! And Kirby CAKE POPS! Not scary or evil in the least bit. In fact, the total opposite of scary and evil – cute and delicious. Although that one cake pop in the top left does look like a rug salesman that came by once.

Here's a trailer for the game:



This was yet another awesome gift I received as a Nintendo Ambassador. It was sent to give my girls and I a chance to check out Kirby's new game, but more importantly to announce Nintendo's partnership with the Starlight Children's Foundation – a foundation committed to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and injuries by providing entertainment, education and family activities.

And they've come up with a clever way to get your kids involved: Just as Kirby uses his 'Super Abilities' in the game to help his friends, Nintendo is asking kids all over the country what 'Super Ability' they'd like to have to help others. They can go to the Super Ability microsite to download a coloring sheet and describe their 'Super Ability' – it might get posted on the Nintendo site!

And as a total non-sequitur and because ever since I heard the words 'Super Ability' I couldn't get the Entourage theme song out of my head, here it is so you can have it stuck in yours. Hey, it beats listening to the doorbell ring.



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Fair Trade: Not just coffee

A few weeks ago I was invited to a breakfast hosted by Fair Trade USA to see a presentation by Ashley Koff, an author, registered dietitian and spokesperson for World Fair Trade Day (recognized on May 14 this year.) I have to admit that before meeting Ashley and hearing her speak, I had only associated Fair Trade with the coffee I've seen on the Starbucks order board. Well, that and the heated exchange between my two daughters regarding a clothing swap. Oh wait - they called that UnFair Trade.

In a nutshell, fair trade is a movement that seeks to ensure that farmers and workers in developing countries get a fair price for their product, which would in turn enable those farmers to practice sustainable agriculture. So, by purchasing products that carry the official Fair Trade logo, you're supporting this fair system of trade while at the same time protecting our planet. Sounds like a win-win situation to me, unlike the hoodie-for-five-tank-tops deal my daughters were brokering. 

So what are some of the items that you can buy that are Fair Trade certified? I got a few products to bring home to sample including coffee, olive oil and chocolate (which was awesome, by the way), but you can pretty much find anything you can think of from food items that you use everyday to exotic spices to clothing (Koff was wearing an outfit that day that was Free Trade certified.) There are wines, beauty items and plants and flowers. And for those of you who want to engage in outdoor activities with an entirely clear conscience, there are even soccer balls that carry the Fair Trade logo. Score!

It was eye-opening for me to learn a little bit more about Fair Trade and to see the benefits of advocating the cause. I can't say that I'll be living an entirely Fair Trade existence from now on, but I have been seeking out more products that bear the certified seal, and I especially want my daughters to have a bit more of a conscious approach to their consumerism, whether it be the food they eat or the tank-tops they're buying. And yes I gave them a Fair Trade lecture before I handed over that chocolate bar I brought home.

Like most things that are good and good for you, it may take a little more effort to find Fair Trade products. But I love this idea for starting a Fair Trade commitment - make your daily cup of coffee or tea a Fair Trade certified cup. Of the more than 100 categories of Fair Trade Certified products available in the U.S., coffee and tea are the most common and easiest to find and available in almost every grocery chain, most coffee shops and many restaurants. So have your latte and help the world! And now I'm off to find a Free Trade donut.

Look for products that bear this Fair Trade certified logo. Find out more about Fair Trade here: Fair Trade USA 








Photo: Stock.Xchng
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The Children Speak: I interview my daughters about texting, sexting and safety

This is sponsored content from
BlogHer and LG Text Ed

If you remember from my post a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that as part of my ongoing participation in the LG Text-Ed program I would be interviewing my daughters, ages 12 and 14, about their views on cell phone usage and safety. Lo and behold, the children were interviewed and it wasn't as painful as I thought.

While their answers were pretty much what I expected, I was surprised to see that fights via text and online are fairly common and something both my girls had experienced. I was also a little taken aback by how my 12-year-old was less than willing to tell us, her parents, about certain issues. And for the record I don't ever ask her about things in a "bad cheesy voice" and then write about it on my blog. Oh, alright maybe sometimes. Well, maybe kind of often. On a related note she's grounded for five months.

To start things off, relax, kick back, grab some popcorn and watch this intro video my 12-year-old made:

The Interview:

(I'll be referring to the girls as TWELVE and FOURTEEN. Don't worry – those aren't their real names. In real life they go by FIVE and SEVEN.)

Q: How many texts do you send in a day? Receive?

TWELVE: I send and receive around 30 texts a day. But each text isn't a long, droning conversation – it's more like "Hey" or "sup"

FOURTEEN: I probably send maybe ten texts per day and receive around fifty texts per day, majority of them being from Twitter.

Q: Do you only text people you know well?

TWELVE: I usually text my good friends most often, but I do text some people I don't know for homework questions or for some other reason.

FOURTEEN: I only text people I know well.  If I don't know them enough to trust them, they wouldn't have my phone number and I wouldn't have theirs.

Q: If you had something extremely important/personal to share with a close friend how would you contact them and why that way? (In person, on the phone, text, or all three?) 

TWELVE: It depends where I am and how important it is. If I'm at school I'd usually tell them there, but if I'm home I'd just text them if it's important. But if the text is personal then I'd probably just wait till school to tell them, or tell them to delete the text after since some of my friend's moms check their texts.

And I NEVER use the phone because my parents can hear in the other room, so if it's personal I wouldn't really want them overhearing. If I did my mom would say "So who's your friend you were talking to?" in a bad cheesy voice, as well as making little comments after, then write about all of it on her blog. No offense mom! *nervous laughing*

[Editor's note: Hahahahaha! See 'grounded' joke above.]

FOURTEEN: I would probably call them unless I knew I was going to be meeting them in person very soon for another reason. If there's a lot to say and I have the chance to call them and talk to them on the phone I'd rather do that than through text messages.

Q: Have you ever been bullied or harassed through a text? If so, how did you respond? Did you tell your parents about it?

TWELVE: Well my friends and I joke a lot, so I don't think that counts. But I usually don't go up to bullies and give them my number so I haven't really been harrassed by text.

FOURTEEN: I don't remember ever being bullied or harassed through text messages. But if I ever was, I probably would tell my parents about it.

Q: Have you ever had a fight or argument via text or online?

TWELVE: YES. YES. YES. YES. That actually happens quite often.

FOURTEEN:  I've gotten into "heated arguments" via text I suppose, but I've only gotten into "fights" online, I would say. 

Q: If so, how was it resolved? 

TWELVE: Well, it depends who's fault the fight is. If it's their fault I kinda guilt them into saying sorry. But if it's my fault, I'd probably say let's just forget it and move on, and then we're friends again. And If it's a small fight then I'd usually solve it over the interwebs, but if it's big and involves grudges, I'd probably solve it at school.

[Editor's note: TWELVE, please see me after the interview for tips on how to say, "I'm sorry."]

FOURTEEN: The online "fights" usually just died down quickly, since most of them took place when I was much younger.  We pretty much would just ignore one another.  I remember once, my close friends stepped in on the fight online and stood up for me, which made a big difference.

Q: Do you ever send texts to your friends that are of an extremely private nature, meaning it would be HORRIBLE if it was leaked to your friends? 

TWELVE: Sometimes, like texts about people we know. But now I've gotten into the habit of using code-names so that if anyone saw it that's not in my circle of close friends no one would know who we were talking about. But even if we used their real names and  the wrong people saw the texts, it wouldn't be HORRIBLE more like embarrassing or awkward. If it's really that HORRIBLE I'd rather just tell them in person.

FOURTEEN: Yes, I do send private texts to friends, but nothing too drastic. Just things like maybe crushes or saying something about someone. It would be kind of bad for it to be leaked, though.

Q: If you knew that one of your friends was sending inappropriate photos of him/her self to someone, would you say something to them? Would you tell your parents? 

TWELVE: Yeah, if it was one of my good friends. I'm not sure I'd tell my parents though because it's not really any of their business, plus that'd just be a weird, awkward discussion. But I'd make sure they'd stop, I can usually talk my friends out of almost anything if I care enough.

[Editor's note: IT IS SO OUR BUSINESS.]

FOURTEEN: I would DEFINITELY say something to them. I don't think I'd be able to live with the fact that one of my friends was doing that. If they didn't stop even after I had told them to several times, I would possibly tell my parents since it could turn into a serious issue.

[Editor's note: FOURTEEN, listen to your sister.]

Q: Would YOU ever send an inappropriate or intimate picture of yourself to someone via text? If yes, how would you feel if they shared it with someone else - or many someone elses, including lots of people you do know, and lots of people you don't know?

TWELVE: No, ew! That'd be weird. And slutty.

FOURTEEN: I would never even THINK about sending an inappropriate photo of myself to someone else, even if they were my HUSBAND.  I know how that stuff usually ends.

[Editor's note: Hahahahaha! Looks like everyone is TRYING TO GET GROUNDED TODAY.]

Q: If you were giving advice to a younger sibling or a younger friend who was just starting to text, what kind of warnings would you give him/her about being safe and smart?

TWELVE: I'd say not to text alot, and then freak them out by telling about this thumb disease you can get from texting too much. And that you shouldn't text random strangers, and not to text when driving your big wheel.

FOURTEEN: I would tell them to only give their phone numbers to people who they trust, obviously not to "sext," and to not text or respond to texts from anyone they do not know or do not know well.

Q: Here's a question for FOURTEEN only, who will driving in two short years. [Interviewer stops to dry her eyes.] What do you think it would take for you to stop texting/checking email/dialing the phone WHILE driving? Money? A written contract w/Parents? A pact between friends? Etc?  

FOURTEEN: I don't think it would take much for me NOT to do that. I don't think I would be texting or e-mailing while driving, anyway. Calling, MAYBE, but only if it's using a hands-free device. If I had to stop talking on the phone at ALL while driving, I would probably need some sort of alert that would go off when I tried to call someone or receive a call while driving, reminding me NOT to do it.

Can we got to Starbucks now?

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Have you had a conversation with your teen or tween about texting, sexting and safety? If not, what's holding you back?

As before, BlogHer will match LG’s donation of .50 to Dosomething.org for every comment on this post, so please leave a comment with your thoughts on this topic – Dosomething.org will get $1.00 for each and every one.

You can see a roundup of other participating bloggers' posts on the BlogHer/LG Text-Ed page.

Thanks to everyone who left a comment with a question suggestion on my last post, not only for helping me out but for helping out Dosomething.org as well! 

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Teens, Texting, Cell Phones & Other Catastrophes

This is sponsored content from
BlogHer and LG Text Ed

Because I'm channeling my inner school teacher today, I'm going to start this post off with a little quiz. Then I'm going to ask your help with something. It's like being in biology class and then being asked to pound the chalkboard erasers.

First the quiz:

According to recent studies, 75% of kids from ages 12-17 own this:

A. Justin Bieber backpack
B. Spare key to parent's liquor cabinet
C. Cell phone
D. Combination Partridge Family/Brady Bunch Sand Painting Kit

If you guessed 'D' you're incorrect but I can tell you share my vision of utopia.

Obviously the answer if 'C.' Although, 'B' could also be correct, in which case parents – I suggest you conduct a thorough search of your kids Bieber backpack.

With all these tweens and teens owning cell phones, the topic of cell phone safety is a big issue right now: sexting, texting while driving and cyberbullying are all things we should be discussing with our kids. As part of my ongoing participation in the LG Text-Ed program, I'm going to be interviewing my daughters, ages 12 and 14, about their views on cell phone usage and safety. I'm going to require them to put down their cell phones while I interview them - that way they can't text things to their friends like, "omg my mom interviewing me so lame."

Now, here's where I need your help. Leave a comment below giving me a suggestion for a question to ask my teen and tween daughters regarding texting, sexting, texting while driving, cyberbullying or anything else relating to cell phone usage or online safety. 

(Sorry, but you'll have to save your questions on raves and Forever 21 deals for another time.)

But here's the best part: BlogHer will match LG’s donation of .50 to Dosomething.org for every comment on this post, so please leave a comment with a suggestion – Dosomething.org will get $1.00 for each and every one. 

So PLEASE – ask away. And don't be shy – unlike biology class you won't be graded.

You can see a roundup of other participating bloggers' posts on the BlogHer/LG Text-Ed page.

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Tranquilli Regali Jewelry: Not Your Momma's Keepsakes

When my oldest daughter was born, a friend's aunt gave me a 'mother's locket.' It was a gold-plated, oval-shaped pendant with 'MOM' spelled out in curlique letters and small pearls surrounding a space to put a photo of my baby. It was a keepsake of the miraculous birth of my first child.

It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen.

Of course I never told her that, and I did keep the pendant. In a drawer.

Which is why I was so excited when my friend Michele came out with her own line of jewelry, Tranquilli Regali, and among them keepsake items that I would actually wear. In fact, she'll be making me one using a photo of my two daughters, now 12 and 14, but she told me first she needs a photo of the two of them really close together. After she said that we both just laughed and laughed and realized how impossible that would be and I told her she would just have to make me two separate pendants.

I've known Michele for a long time. Her husband and mine have known each other since high school and are in a band together, and they were one of the first of my husband's friends I met when we were dating. Obviously he ignored their advice to 'get out while you still can.'

Michele spent 21 years at Disney in event planning before starting her own jewelry line, and moms everywhere should breath a sigh of relief – keepsake jewelry that you can actually wear.

Here's her business in a nutshell, in her own words:

As a mom, I always found it hard to find custom personal jewelry pieces that represented my children. It was rare to find anything other than engraved pieces, and I could never find jewelry that would incorporate their photo. So after all these years of purchasing overpriced, mediocre personalized jewelry, I decided to start my own line. School spirit is huge at my son's school among the parents, so in the line I also incorporated custom pendants and key chains with the school crest, the student's sport and jersey number.

I've had a love affair with jewelry most of my life. My maternal grandmother loved jewelry and always wore a lot of lovely pieces. Even as she got older, she was always decked out in her jewels. To this day I still think of her whenever I hear the tinkle of a charm bracelet .

The unusual, hard to remember name: 'Tranquilli' Regali Fatti a Mano, came from 'Tranquilli', my maiden name, and 'Regali fatti a mano' meaning 'Handmade Presents' in Italian. 

But mom keepsake jewelry doesn't make up the entire line – there are some beautiful vintage-inspired pieces and as she mentioned, a line of pieces to show your school spirit. She even has – and I can hear some of my friends squealing now - keepsakes of your pet. Me, I refuse to get a piece of jewelry with a photo of my cat until the lazy bum learns how to bury his own poop.

The holidays are fast approaching, so check out Tranquilli Regali and give your friends the gift that keeps on giving. And that won't end up in a drawer. Also, place your order in October and a portion of your purchase will go to Breast Cancer Research.

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Baby you can drive my car, but put your phone down first

This is sponsored content from
BlogHer and LG Text Ed

I admit it – my kids text and drive. Well, at least they text while I drive. If I have a message I HAVE to get out while I'm at the wheel, I hand them my phone and dictate what I want the text message to say. It's my new method during those times when I'm running five minutes late (very often) or need directions (rarely) or forget to tell my husband to make that cappuccino a double (with alarming frequency.)

My two daughters are 12 and 14, too young to drive (thank goodness) but not too young to hear about the dangers of texting and driving. They know it's against the law, and they do know that before that law was passed they saw their mom occasionally read or send a text at a stoplight. Only once or twice. Okay, maybe five times max.

What does worry me are other parents who text while driving, other parents who at some point may have my kids in their car while they're driving and doing said texting. That scares me, as while I appreciate the “im going 2 b late but im bringing donuts” message I don't want to get it while they're rolling down the freeway at 65 miles per hour. So I've instructed my kids to speak out if they see someone texting while driving – nothing accusatory, more like, "Hey, Ms. B how about I send that text for you so you DON'T GET A TICKET (and we don’t die)" kind of thing. And I will certainly think twice before ever letting my kids get in that car again. Free donuts be damned.

Let's face it – texting is here to stay. And unless they come up with some sort of mind-melding communication device to replace it, texting while driving will definitely be an issue in 1-1/2 years when my oldest daughter gets her learner's permit. Or as my husband and I like to call it – 'All Cars Off The Road' Day.

What have you told your kids about texting and driving? Have they ever seen you text while at the wheel?

Give me your thoughts on these questions. For every comment left on this post a donation of 50 cents will be made to DoSomething.org, up to $5000.

And for goodness sakes please do not text your comment in while driving.
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Celebrities, Hot Dogs, and A Time For Heroes

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend the A Time For Heroes Celebrity Picnic put on by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation. What a great day, filled with activities, games and celebrities -- David Duchovney, Billy Crystal, Joel McHale, Dick Van Dyke and Carmen Electra were just a few that I saw. I was invited by my friends at Kodak, who were one of the sponsors of the event and hosted a booth tricked out in a safari theme -- all the celebs were flocking to it for the chance to take a photo in front of their cool backdrop. I heard I just missed Olympian Evan Lysacek showing off his impressive hardware. Of course, I'm talking about his Gold Medal.

The Kodak booth was definitely the big celeb hangout, and I would have just stayed there all day if it weren't for my 12-year-old and this weird thing she wanted to do called eating. I was like, "Hey, I just know Mark Wahlberg is going to be coming through here any minute and I just want to feel his arm," and she was all, "But we've been here for two hours and all I've had is an old mint from your purse." Sometimes kids and their weird priorities make me sad.

But speaking of priorities, the real celebrity of the event is Elizabeth Glaser, the late wife of actor Paul Michael Glaser. Here's her story:



I've heard and even written about the picnic, which is now in its 21st year, so it was an honor to be among the guests. As you may have guessed, celebrity picnics are way more blinged out than anything you or I might have. For example, forget about lugging a rusty hibachi and cooler filled with Costco hot dogs to the park -- this picnic had a Pink's Hot Dogs booth serving up their famous chili dogs. Wanna do an activity with the kids but are tired of collecting rocks and cigarette butts? How about sitting down and making a drum while sitting next to Joseph Lawrence? Yes it's true -- I was getting crafty with Joey from 'Blossom.'

Definitely one of the highlights for my daughter was getting to take a photo with Erika Christensen, who stars in one of our favorite shows, Parenthood. She couldn't have been sweeter, and most of the celebrities were pretty accommodating given that they were being stopped every two seconds to pose for a photo. Joel McHale even called my 14-year-old on her cell phone to say 'hi,' which was very nice of him even if he did say to her, "Hey, your mom's very cool and maybe a little bit creepy." Who knew he could see that perfumed letter balled up in my hand?

I heard they raised $1.3 million that day to help the Foundation fight pediatric AIDS. It was an amazing day, but in spite of all the games, food, music and activity, the real reason for the event was always in the forefront, especially when Jake Glaser got up to speak and thanked the crowd for coming out to support a cause that so greatly impacted his life and meant so much to his mother.

I do have lots of photos from the event, but as guests of Kodak and out of respect for the Foundation rules we were asked not to post any non-approved photos publicly. I'll have some photos from Kodak's photographer up soon.

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Kevin Jonas, Lunchables, Field Trips and Why I Can't Be Trusted With a Camera

Last week my daughters and I were invited to an event that combined three of their favorite things: Field trips, meeting celebrities, and getting out of school early. Technically the field trip wasn't theirs -- the event was to kick off Lunchables "Field Trips For All" program, and Kevin Jonas was the celebrity they got to meet. I had to pull them out of school an hour early in order to make the media check-in time, and if the attendance office lady at their school is reading this, yes this was the 'personal appointment' I was referring to. Also, as you can see I was totally joking when I said I was pulling them out early to visit their dad in prison.

The most unfortunate thing about this whole day was that I realized that all the high-tech gadgetry in the world can't save me if I'm put on the spot. Because even with my amazing camera that I used to get such awesome photos of Paul McCartney while seated a mile from the stage, this is the best I could do while standing a mere three feet away from Kevin Jonas and my daughters:



Also, I used the video feature on that same camera to capture their interview, but I must have *forgotten* to focus it, and/or adjust the light setting. And I don't know what's up with the sound being all muffled, but if you listen closely you might hear me banging my head against the wall at the end. This is right about when I'd be fired if I was actually getting paid to do this:



But thank goodness my 11-year-old had the camera for most of the event, and managed to get a bunch of great photos. A lucky second-grade class was there as part of an actual field trip, and Kevin did a few activities with them and then posed for a group shot. Notice how this one is in focus!



If any of you have kids in public schools you know how the number of field trips have dwindled significantly due to budget cuts. Where they used to have multiple excursions per year to museums, operas and college campuses, now it appears there is barely enough money for them to have even one. If this keeps up their outings might start consisting of walking tours of the nearest mini-mall. Although my kids would tell you a trip to Starbucks would be THE BEST FIELD TRIP EVER.

This is where the "Field Trips For All" program comes in. Part of Lunchables' new initiative called Project Potential, the program is dedicated to helping kids meet their potential by providing them with enriching experiences they might otherwise not have. And from now until June 1, you can go to lunchables.com and nominate a deserving classroom for a much-needed field trip and 50 classrooms will be selected to go on an educational outing. I say it's a great cause, and certainly better than having your kid come home and tell you all about how a caramel macchiato is made.

Small but important print I was not given any monetary compensation for attending this event nor was I required to write a review. I was given a Flip video camera which I will certainly use the next time I interview a Jonas brother so as to avoid the fiasco that you witnessed here. Amen.
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tags: lunchables | project potential | field trips for all | kevin jonas | natural history museum

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The British Are Coming! And They Look Fabulous

I'm not sure if you know this, but we're right in the middle of BritWeek, a celebration of British lifestyle and culture taking place in California. It was started by producer Nigel Lythgoe a few years ago and is being marked by events taking place from April 20 through May 9 in Southern California and San Francisco. I know, technically that's two weeks so it should really be called BritWeeks. You can take it up with the Queen.

If you're a fan of British fashion (who isn't?) Genlux magazine is hosting The BritWeek Designer of the Year Awards and Fashion Show and I've got two tickets to give away! The event will take place on Saturday, May 8 at the famous Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood and will feature designer Matthew Williamson along with a special tribute to Alexander McQueen and will benefit Dress for Success. A little fashion, a lotta bling, and a little rubbing elbows with celebrities -- all for a good cause. These Brits are geniuses.


And Kodak just made it even better --
they've given me a
Zx1 Pocket Video Camera
to include with this giveaway.
Perfect for getting a close-up
of those Manolos as they walk by.






If you'd like a chance win tickets to this event and the camera, here's what you need to do:

1) Leave a comment below telling me your favorite thing British. London in springtime? Tea and crumpets? David Beckham?

2) Follow @Genlux on Twitter.

3) Become a fan of Genlux on Facebook.

Please enter before the contest closes on Sunday, May 2 at 11:59pm. I'll pick a winner using Random.org and announce it on Monday, May 3.

Offer does not include parking, lodging or transportation to or from the event.

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tags: genlux magazine | britweek 2010 | britweek designer of the year awards 2010

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Be a HERO

Do you have a daughter between the ages of 16 and 19, or do you know some one who does? If so, they might be interested to hear about the HERO Youth Ambassador Program, a school-based organization that provides support to orphans and children living in HIV/AIDS-affected African communities. Reading about some of these teens, who give up their vacations to travel to Africa, makes me have more faith in the state of our youth today. (It makes me even rethink my vow not to let my girls leave the house until they're thirty.)

And now HERO is looking for 20 teens to travel to Africa in 2008. (Juniors and Seniors in High School and College Freshmen are eligible.) What an amazing opportunity for young people who want to heed the call to serve others. Applications can be found here, but hurry - the deadline is March 1.

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