'In Mother Words': Bring Your Girlfriends and Your Tissues

Want a good laugh? How about a good mascara-smearing cry? I think I have the perfect girls' night out for you.

I was recently invited to preview 'In Mother Words' which is currently playing at the beautiful Geffen Playhouse. More of a series of monologues rather than a play, 'In Mother Words' takes the audience through the phases of a parent's life from pregnancy through the empty-nest stage via the funny, poignant and touching words of celebrated writers including Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley (Steel Magnolias) and Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck. The cast changes, but the lineup I saw featured actors Jane Kaczmarek, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, James Lecesne and Amy Pietz, who really reminded me of Marissa Tomei. From far away. And through my tears.

And boy, will you cry. From the mother recounting the harsh words hurled at her and her adopted children, to the details of an autistic child's first date, to the couple suddenly aware of the silence in their home after their children have moved out - there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Or should I make that my row – my friend and I, my contest winner and her guest seemed to be out to set the record for Worst Attempt At Stifling Sobs and Biggest Wad Of Crumpled Kleenex In Lap. Although, a friend who arrived at intermission said she was handed an entire box of tissues as she entered the theater so I'm guessing we weren't the only ones making a scene.

But there were laughs, too, like Marco Pennette's autobiographical vignette about gay parenting and we all stopped crying momentarily to laugh out loud at Cheryl L. West's piece, where a mother gives her daughter advice on keeping the machinery well-oiled post baby. Although by that point I think I was just crying nonstop, but now mostly because I was seriously afraid of what I was going to look like when I emerged from the theater, makeup smeared beyond repair and nose rubbed raw.

(We all came out of there wanting a nice drink to soothe our nerves. But be warned the bar only takes cash. More crying.)

I've been recommending 'In Mother Words' to all of my girlfriends whether they're moms or not - it's the perfect play to take your mom, who will no doubt be sobbing by the end of the segment about kids leaving home. Just be prepared to keep your lap free for all of her tissues.

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'In Mother Words' is playing at the Geffen Playhouse through May 1, 2011. Check here for details and to purchase tickets.

Also check out Girls Night Out, a post-show event at the LUXE hotel with hosted bar, food, photo booths and makeup artists that is FREE for ticketholders. Other FREE events include Wine Down Sundays (music and pre-show wine tastings), Lounge Fridays (pre-show champagne and appetizers from WEST Restaurant) and Talk Back Tuesdays, a pre-show discussion over Peet's Coffee.

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Disneyland Hotel: I Remember It Well. Sort Of.

Around the holidays I was invited to stay at the Disneyland Hotel while attending a blogger's event at Disneyland. In case you're not familiar with the hotel, it looks like this:

Actually, that's not how it looks today - that's the picture that's been stuck in my mind since the 60's. Rattling around in there with Monkees songs and episodes of Leave It To Beaver.

 [ MY BRAIN ]

Here's how the hotel looks today:

Memory is a funny thing. The one thing that I remember, unequivocally, is that the coolest thing about the hotel was the Monorail going directly through the lobby. In fact, I distinctly remember stepping off of the Monorail and practically right into the gift shop. Yes, that Monorail would blaze straight through the hotel, mere feet away from guests toting suitcases and children running in from the pool. It was the 60's, a time of free love and reckless transport.

Except it turns out that the Monorail actually never ran right through the hotel, it ran near the hotel, a fact I wasn't willing to accept until my husband showed me some vintage photos that happened to be on display in the lobby. Even then I thought he was just playing with my head, like the time he tried to tell me that the Cleavers weren't a real family and Beaver wasn't his real name. Yeah, right.

But the Monorail just running near the hotel is fine, in fact it's one of my favorite things about the place. After a short stroll through Downtown Disney, you can actually enter Disneyland by going through security and showing your passes at the Monorail station, avoiding the long lines that you usually find at the main entrance. (Although one of the times we did this, there was a delay with one of the cars and we ended up waiting far longer there than the time it would have taken us to walk to the main gate.)

As for the rooms, I found them to be clean and comfortable and able to fit my husband and I, our two teens and one of their friends. Also, there was this lamp and 'magic' mirror that were a big hit with my girls:

It turns out that we weren't in one of their newly remodeled rooms, that apparently feature beds with light-up headboards. Which is just as well – when I mentioned that to my husband he just groaned and said sarcastically, "I'm crushed we missed it," which is what I would expect – I mean he wasn't jumping up and down about that lamp and mirror, either. I'm wondering if there isn't some sort of special Disney Man Suite, one that features shrunken heads on the bedposts, sawdust on the floors, skeleton hands holding the lamps and a toilet seat permanently in the 'up' position. (Disney Hotel Design People - call me!)

Also, if you are staying at the hotel, or even just in the vicinity, I suggest taking a stroll through the lobby. While we were there they had some beautiful vintage celebrity photographs on display, and then there's this huge collage of Disney memorabilia. I only got a portion of it here, but you get the idea:

 (Do you see eyes behind that mask? Kinda creepy, or most clever security camera ever?)

We didn't have time to use the Neverland Pool, which looks like it would be fun for the kids – it was recently remodeled and features a pirate ship. Here's a photo from their site. I think it's time for that woman sunning herself in the first chair to turn over:

I do recommend the hotel, especially for it's close proximity to Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney. The service was excellent, as I've found it is in any of the hotels on the property. The one restaurant we ate in, Steakhouse 55, was good but pricey for breakfast, but that's expected for any hotel dining. Overall the hotel is a sensible choice for families and anyone going to the park on multiple days who are looking for accomodations close to the park.

Now, if they could only get that Monorail to run through the lobby...

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Geffen Playhouse Giveaway: And the Winner Is...

Sorry for the delay in picking a winner. I threw my back out (true story, I swear) and everytime I tried to sit up and do anything on my computer my back would feel like it was being rolled over by a tanker and I'd scream out in pain. And yes that's as sexy as it sounds.

I used the magical List Randomizer at Random.org to swirl up the names of the entries, and this is the one that rose to the top:

Congratulations Kathleen! Your tickets will be on hold at the Geffen Playhouse on Saturday, February 19 for the 3pm show of In Mother Words. See you there!

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My Fresh & Easy Super Bowl Party Was Intercepted

I'm not sure if you heard, but there was this big football game on TV yesterday. I think a few people went to go see it in person at a big stadium, too, although I'm not sure why you would want to do that when the line for the bathroom is much shorter at home. (Sometimes they're cleaner, too. I said sometimes.)

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market offered to provide some food and drink for a Super Bowl party, so I decided to invite my family over to watch the big game. We're the only ones who don't own a huge plasma screen TV, although ours was considered big back when we bought it in 1958. Needless to say I had to lure everyone over with the free food, even though I knew I'd have to endure some more cracks about our "sissy miniature TV" (my 90-year-old mom is pretty harsh.)

This is what the nice people at Fresh & Easy delivered on Saturday. It's just a sampling of what they provided – they sent over enough of food for 15 people. (As well as those roses in the background, which they gave me because they felt bad for the delivery being late. Don't you wish the cable guy was as conscientious?)

Unfortunately, as usually happens when you spend two days cleaning your house in preparation for guests, the party Gods laugh in your Lysol-smeared face. My 14-year-old woke up with a 102° fever on Sunday morning, and we had to cancel the whole thing. She was pretty miserable, and I didn't want to spread the germs to the rest of the family, especially my elderly mom – you think she's harsh when she doesn't like your TV, you should see how she gets when she thinks you've given her a cold.

So most of the food is in the freezer, but we did have one of their Vegetable & Cheese Trays, some of their Buffalo Roasted Chicken Wings and we cracked open the Spinach Artichoke Dip, my daughter's favorite which made her feel a little better and apparently pairs well with ibuprofen. We're thinking of rescheduling the party to sample the rest of the food, even if there isn't  football game to watch it with. Maybe a Grammy party? Hopefully we'll have a new TV by then, one that's in color and has sound.

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Win Two Tickets To 'In Mother Words' at the Geffen Playhouse

Need a little culture? How about a play about parenting written by a group of funny, witty women including a Pulitzer Prize winner and presented at the beautiful Geffen Playhouse? And how about if the tickets were free and also included a food and drink reception after the show? Okay then, read on!

In Mother Words, written by some of contemporary theater’s most talented voices including Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley (Crimes Of The Heart), humorously takes on the subject of motherhood. The play is making its West Coast debut at the Geffen Playhouse with award-winning actors Jane Kaczmarek, Saidah Arrika Ekulona and James Lecesne.

I've got TWO tickets to giveaway to In Mother Words for Saturday, February 19 at 3pm. This would include the reception from 4:30 to 7:30pm.

Here's how you win: Leave me a comment here sometime before Midnight on Wednesday, February 9. (Make sure you leave a valid email address.) I'll use random.org to pick a winner and will announce it on Friday, February 11. Good luck!

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Nintendo 3DS Launch In NYC: Best. Week. Ever.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Nintendo and BrandAboutTown, I was able to attend the launch party for the Nintendo 3DS in New York City. To say it was a wonderful trip is an understatement – let's just say when Nintendo launches something, they don't mess around. I'm still reeling from all of the excitement, the food and of course the blistering NYC cold. Did you know that it snows in New York? Also they pay no attention whatsoever to 'Don't Walk' signs which was both frightening and exhilarating.

But on to my trip!

We stayed in the fabulous Empire Hotel, which made my teenage daughters insanely happy, since it's the hotel from their favorite show, Gossip Girl. (I decided to turn the trip into a family vacation, and brought my family along. You can read about that adventure here.)

There we were, in an iconic hotel across from Lincoln Center in New York City, and what's the first thing they did when we got into the hotel room? Set up my laptop and pop in a DVD of X-Files that they had brought with them. I love my little fangirls.

On our first night, all of the Nintendo Ambassadors had an elegant dinner at the swanky Asiate on the top of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I want to stop right here and declare that it was there that I had THE MOST AMAZING PIECE OF MEAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE. It was called Wagyu Beef, and is apparently a type of Kobe Beef. Seriously, I couldn't stop thinking about that steak. I could go on about it's juiciness and it's fine marbling but I don't want to scare you.

This is the view of Columbus Circle from Asiate. Also, a cranberry sphere, which I'll explain later in mind-numbing detail. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the Wagyu because I was in a coma while I was eating it.

The next day we went to the Nintendo World Store, which was like being in video game heaven. Nintendo generously gave us some spending money, and we scooped up some t-shirts and DS games. I bought Just Dance 2 for myself so I could bust out some Ke$ha moves in the privacy of my own living room. That's my daughter, hugging her shopping bag – it really was like the mothership calling her home.

Also, the store had a Nintendo 'museum,' where they laid out the history of the game. (I was surprised to learn that the company started from a playing card company.) I love these old consoles – I'm sad to say that I'm so old that I remember owning one of these. Along with a bow and arrow and something called a 'pager.'

And, as if they hadn't spoiled us enough, they took us all to a salon, fed us food and champagne, and got our hair did and our makeup done for the big launch event that night. Someone must have tipped the Nintendo people off to the fact that my party prep was going to consist of just running a comb through my hair and putting on some ChapStick.

Finally it was on to the party, and it didn't disappoint. A beautiful space, plenty of pleasing beverages and lots of killer food being passed around on trays. I got really good at hunting them down and grabbing my fill – it gave me an idea for a new 3DS game, where your character goes on a dangerous hunt for beef skewers and tiny gourmet polenta pizzas.

That's Samantha Ronson DJ'ing!

And of course we got to try out the fabled Nintendo 3DS! (I'm going write about the actual device and the games in a later post.)

Each game had their own cleverly themed area with their own game experts standing by – here are the spaces for Nintendogs+Cats and Steel Diver. I tried out every one of them, although I was better at some than others. I discovered if you don't know a thing about football, Madden NFL Football is probably not for you. However, I kicked several asses playing Super Street Fighter in spite of the fact that the only physical altercation I've ever had was a shoving match with Andrew Sherman in second grade.

 

That's my trip in a nutshell, although I want to leave you with this totally unrelated photo of an elevator that we found in a jazz club near our hotel. I love New York. Thanks, Nintendo for taking me there!

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So Civilized: Tea By The Sea at Getty Villa

Around the holidays I was invited to experience the new Tea By The Sea at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. I'm more of a coffee drinker, but I love going to tea – it's one of the few times I feel like my life takes on an air of civility. Plus, 'going to coffee' just doesn't have the same ring to it, and I never feel all that civilized when I'm knocking back coffee from a paper cup while sitting next to some stranger who's watching cat videos on his laptop.

Tea By The Sea is a new offering by the museum – a Mediterranean tea that's inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that are grown in the Getty Villa's gardens. (It was explained to us that they don't actually use the ingredients grown in the garden, since the gardens are public and there are issues with pesticides and other handling concerns.) The tea takes place in the Founder's Room, an upstairs space featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Villa. (It's a few flights up, so I suggest you take the elevator. Then again, I get winded just stepping up into my van so what do I know.)

Along with our tea we were served a selection of sandwiches (my favorite was the prosciutto and brie with fig jam) a delicious variety of scones and breads and a nice selection of wines. See how civilized that all sounds? Plus it was laid out on this beautiful table – so fancy! I just wish someone had told me that big glass wasn't there to hold my iPhone.

I should also mention that we were served a mouth-watering variety of desserts – some beautiful tartlets and a dessert that I hear the Getty kitchen is famous for, Mrs. Garrett's Carrot Cake. It was sublime, but unfortunately no one else there was old enough to get the Facts Of Life references I kept throwing out. Damn - where's that stranger with the laptop when you need him?

Tea By The Sea takes place every Thursday at 1pm. At first I thought the timing was odd and a little inconvenient, but now I see the brilliance in it: No weekend crowds, and perfect for those of us who could use a little mid-week escape. Not that I'd admit to being so indulgent that I was going to tea in the Palisades on a work day – I'd probably just say I was going to a business lunch. With J Paul Getty.

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Tea By The Sea
When: Every Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
Location: Getty Villa, Founder's Room
Admission: $36 per person (Wine and prosecco are available for a small additional charge.) See website for sample menus and to purchase tickets.

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The Nest Case Can Make You A Brilliant Conversationalist

A couple of weeks ago I was having lunch with a friend and her 4-year-old son and she was desperately trying to keep him occupied while we tried to have a conversation. For some reason he wasn't feeling our discussion about belly flab and mood swings. So finally my friend whipped out her iPhone and cued up a couple of videos for him to watch. It's a dangerous idea to hand an expensive electronic device to anyone who's using ketchup as finger paint, so it was a good thing I had my Nest case handy to prop up her phone. What's a Nest case? Here check it out:

(Contrary to what you may think, that picture on the right is not just a clever ploy to get you to watch this video again.)

It's a sturdy case for your iPhone that has grooves that enable you to use the case as a stand. Slip the bottom portion of the case off, slide your iPhone out and set it in either the vertical or horizontal position. Great for using it to stand up your phone vertically when you're using it as a clock, or horizontally to watch a video. Or maybe you use it when you need your alarm clock to wake you up to watch a video. The possibilities are mind boggling. At least for someone as feeble minded as me.

Besides the sturdiness and the dual functionality of the case, I love the design - sleek, clean and simple. It's the first iPhone case I've had that still looks good after a couple of months of use and seems durable enough to withstand my constant handling - not to mention a run-in with a 4-year-old, a bottle of ketchup and sixty solid minutes of Yo Gabba Gabba.

So in conclusion, the Nest case will not only protect your phone and stand it up, but will enable you to have more insightful, meaningful, uninterrupted conversations. If you don't believe me meet me for lunch with your 2-year-old and I'll tell you all about my hangnail.

The Nest case is currently available for iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch.

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Small legal print to satisfy legal people: I received two Nest cases for the purpose of this review. I gave one to my husband for his birthday and he loves it. He may or may not know that I got it for free but I guess I'll tell him now.

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Fresh & Easy: I'm Stalking Your Cranberry Walnut Loaf

I got a box full of Holiday goodness from Fresh & Easy the other day. My 12-year-old insisted on staging a full-on photo shoot before we touched anything. It took awhile because the pine cones kept insisting we only shoot their 'good side.'

We haven't had a chance to sample the Pumpkin Pecan Waffle & Pancake Mix yet, but the Hot Chocolate Bittersweet Chocolate Shavings were put to immediate use topping off some homemade mochas. They can also be used to make a rich hot chocolate, or eaten straight out of the can with a spoon and a grin on your face. That last suggestion isn't on the can, by the way.

But let me tell you about my new best friend, the Cranberry Walnut Loaf. It's made by Il Fornaio especially for Fresh & Easy. The label says it's got cranberries, walnuts, raisins, citrus and pecans in it, but I think there are also diamonds, gold shavings and ground-up  leprechaun in there somewhere. It's magically delicious. (Sorry.)

We sliced it up, toasted it and spread a little butter on it and it was amazing. We finished the entire loaf within a couple of days, which says a lot since bread usually goes stale around here before we get around to eating it. We'll say, "Oh, let's make a sandwich," and then reach into the bread box to find something resembling a loaf of bread except it's covered in green spores and has grown some limbs. Don't worry – before we serve it to guests we scrape all of the fur off.

I've gotten a little obsessed with the Cranberry Walnut Loaf. In fact, I went to Fresh & Easy and bought all of the loaves they had left, because I'm going to give it away at my family gathering on Christmas day. Here, I'll prove it to you:

They only had four left, and I may or may not have had to push an old lady with a walker out of the way to score these (sorry, mom.) And since I have like 300 people in my family I'm planning to go back and buy some more. My husband is getting a little concerned with my obsession with the CWL (I've even given it an acronym – true love.) He's even started referring to it as "Your Bread," as in, "Would you like some of your bread with your coffee?" He says it in a slightly sarcastic tone, like he doesn't see its magical powers.

If you're on my gift list, you might be getting a loaf of my new best friend. If you decide to buy a loaf of your own, be prepared to fight me for it.

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I've talked about my love for Fresh & Easy before – here are some other products I recommend. Don't worry – it's a totally natural, harmonious kind of love.

Fresh & Easy Wine Tasting: Don't Make Me Drink Alone

Summertime And The Livin' Is (Fresh &) Easy

eatwell: Fresh & Easy's New Line of Healthy Meals Inspires My Terrible Taglines

Fresh & Easy Market: Be My Valentine

Hello Friend! Fresh & Easy On My Doorstep

Fresh & Easy: My New BFF

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Disneyland For The Holidays

This was originally posted on Uptake.com. Since there are only a few weeks left to see Disneyland in all its holiday splendor, it bears repeating.

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Okay, call me sappy, but one of the things that truly gets me in the seasonal mood is visiting Disneyland when they’re all decked out for the holidays. Well, that and my mom’s lime-green Jell-O, but that’s not for everyone.

If there’s one thing Disneyland knows how to do it’s decorate. I’m wondering how many trips to Target their light technician had to make in order to get enough strings of lights to deck out It’s A Small World and Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle? Not to mention all of the work put in to decorating the floats for the Christmas Fantasy parade – I can’t even get my husband to nail up a wreath and a few boughs of holly without complaining.

And I might be alone here, but I say it’s never too early for holiday music, and there’s plenty of that wafting through the air at Disneyland this time of year. (Note: I’m one of those people that sets the car radio to the holiday station the day after Thanksgiving, and it stays there through December 25. I say don’t carpool with me unless you don’t   mind hearing ‘Sleigh Bells’ every five minutes.)

Kids can even get the chance to see real reindeer at the Reindeer Round-Up. I like to take them here to commune with nature, even if it is in the shadow of a roller coaster and a churro cart. If your kids are like mine, they’ve grown up thinking reindeer are always either animated and named Rudolph, or made out of lights and standing in someone’s front  yard. So to see a real reindeer is a real treat, and you’ll understand if my daughter keeps trying to plug it into an electrical socket.

The best part though, is the Holiday Magic fireworks show. I’ve always thought Disneyland had the best fireworks show around, and  this special presentation always gets me sentimental. Let’s just say  that by the time the snow is falling on Main Street and ‘White  Christmas’ is playing over the speakers I’m a blubbering mess, hugging everyone around me and inviting them back to my place for shortbread and rum. 

I know it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, but if you want to get a headstart on the holidays and infuse yourself with some seasonal cheer, check out the sights at Disneyland. Then come on over to my place and I’ll put on some Christmas music.

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