Food for Thought Friday

Who is this woman and what is she doing at Target?

I'll give you a hint.....Secret Service had to "sweep" the store almost an hour before her arrival.

Maybe she's returning some of those Missoni items she couldn't sell on Ebay. Ya think?

Food for Thought Friday

Despite the fact that REM has just broken up, it isn't in fact, "The End of the World as we Know It."

My fellow Americans -- In case you were planning on hiding out under your bed today, counting your blessings and saying goodbye to your loved ones, let me put your fears to rest. NASA has now confirmed that any remaining fragments from the satellite set to fall to earth today will not hit North America.

Apparently, the space agency has somehow determined that the debris (which they say could be as heavy as 300 lb chunks) will likely land in the ocean when it likely falls to earth sometime around 6:30pm ET. Most of the remnants of the ailing satellite will burn up once it enters our atmosphere, but nearly half-a-ton could hit the ground or sea. Witnesses to falling debris will likely see something akin to a fireworks display and NASA officials say that in the entire history of the agency, nobody has ever been injured by falling satellite debris.

So, you can safely go ahead with your weekend plans. It's official -- the world will NOT be coming to an end -- at least not today.

Phew!

Independence Day

If you're a child of the '70s, as I am, no self-respecting, forward-thinking household was complete without a copy of the groundbreaking record, "Free to Be....You and Me." Who can forget those heartwarming and sometimes hilarious classics sung by the likes of Marlo Thomas, Mel Brooks, Diana Ross, Alan Alda, even the late, great, Michael Jackson. Where else can you hear a song like "It's Alright to Cry," belted out by a professional football star? Others like, "William's Doll," shattered stereotypes and promoted acceptance and tolerance long before it was en vogue.

Thank goodness my parents raised such an evolved kid, because my 3-year-old son came to me the other day and announced that he wants to take ballet lessons. Now, honestly, I didn't even blink before saying ok. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this scenario. I know I may be in the minority because I've since mentioned this to other moms who laughed and told me they'd never permit their sons, despite their young age, to take a class meant for girls.

I do know of at least one other boy who is planning to sign up for the class, so my little guy won't be alone in his gender. But even if he was flying solo, I think it's so great that he can assert his independence and I want to do everything I can to encourage my kids to make decisions based on what they enjoy as individuals and not as what society deems appropriate.

Besides, Natalie Portman is engaged to marry a total hottie who is an accomplished ballet dancer. And look at Mikhail Baryshnikov.....his time in tights hasn't appeared to hold him back. Hello! Who would watch Dancing With the Stars if the only ones hoofing it were women?

So whether it's soccer, baseball, drama or dance lessons, I'm taking my cues from one of my favorite tunes off that iconic album.

Don't Dress Your Cat in an Apron

Don't dress your cat in an apron
Just 'cause he's learning to bake.

Don't put your horse in a nightgown
Just 'cause he can't stay awake.

Don't dress your snake in a muu-muu
Just 'cause he's off on a cruise.

Don't dress your whale in galoshes
If she really prefers overshoes.

A person should wear what he wants to
And not just what other folks say.

A person should do what he likes to -
A person's a person that way.

Food for Thought Friday

Eating out with kids is always an adventure. It's like not unlike watching an episode of Jersey Shore -- it's loud, obnoxious and you often question what made you want to do it in the first place.

It's always tricky picking a restaurant that will please everyone in our family. We try to rotate so everyone gets a chance to choose. My kids are pretty adventurous and we've made an effort to expose them to a variety of ethnic tastes so it's not unheard of for them to crave Indian or Middle Eastern fare.

As a mom, I'm always looking for healthy alternatives to cooking at home and fortunately, a few national chains have stepped up to the plate (literally), offering fresh, organic meals that appeal to kids and their parents.

One of our "go-to" spots has always been Sweet Tomatoes, a salad buffet that also features soups, pizzas, fruit, pastas and of course, the obligatory frozen yogurt. That's why I was even more pleased to read that they recently earned a "green" seal of approval for adding more organic offerings to their menu. They've also made a concerted effort to reduce waste, conserve energy and water and implement non-toxic cleaning products in all their restaurants.

If your palate is a bit more sophisticated, you might check out one of the dining options participating in Share Our Strength's "Great American Dine Out", kicking off on Sunday. This nationwide fundraiser allows a variety of culinary establishments to donate a portion of their proceeds to hunger relief organizations. With an estimated 16 million kids in our country going hungry on a regular basis, the need could not be greater.

I do find it a bit unsettling that my going out for a nice meal helps those who are going without food. But hey, if it raises money for a good cause, then I guess the end justifies the means.

For more information or to find a list of restaurants in your area, click here.

Fashion Week is right on Target

Don't hate me for not reminding you that today was the day that Missoni launched their limited edition collection with Target. Do you mean to tell me that you didn't have this marked on your calendar months ago when it was first announced?

I actually was going to blog about this yesterday, and I did in fact have this on my calendar, but I thought most readers would think I was a bit nutty to be writing about such things.

Apparently, there are a lot of other nutty moms out there.

I sauntered into Target near my son's school today at around 9:10am, shortly after I dropped him off. Sadly, all I saw were bare racks of women's clothing and accessories with the Missoni logo on top.  Assuming the clerks had yet to stock the merchandise since the stores had only opened an hour before, I asked a saleswoman when the items would be for sale. She laughed and told me that they were already sold out. Women had camped outside the store and run in like vultures when the doors opened at 8am. One cashier told me that one customer spent more than $3,000 at her register.

In a panic that I'd missed the fashion opportunity of a lifetime, I called my mom in Florida and told her to immediately go to Target and collect every item she remotely thought I might want. They were all returnable, I reasoned, and I figured many would be soon fetching high prices on Ebay. In the meantime, having only an hour before a doctor's appointment, I drove to a Target farther outside the city and found many items still available. The iconic Italian fashion house has outdone themselves reaching out to the masses with everything from shoes, handbags, clothing for men, women and kids, dishes, sheets and towels, paper goods, hair accessories, candles, pillows...even bicycles.  I filled my cart like their was no tomorrow. I can only imagine that this is what Charlie Sheen must feel like at the Playboy mansion.

It turns out, there is no tomorrow, at least where Missoni for Target is concerned. Within hours, stores all across the country were stripped clean of the zigzag patterned motifs. The Target site crashed repeatedly throughout the day, leaving many without access to a local Target in the lurch. As of this writing, there are nearly 10,000 Missoni for Target items listed on Ebay, some for more than eight times their retail value.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I bought so much that American Express put a fraud alert on my card thinking that it had been stolen. They called me to advise me and I meekly admitted that yes, I was making a purchase for that amount at Target. Half of what I bought will likely go back since I grabbed multiple sizes rather than trying things on in the store. And some of my impulse purchases will be returned or given as gifts. Plus, my mom still owes me a birthday present this year so I figure a fraction of it will be covered.

All I can say is that today, my drab mommy wardrobe got a boost from an unlikely source. I've always coveted Missoni but more from afar and not from within my own closet. I'm sure the ladies who shop at Neiman Marcus would shudder to think that the label is now slumming, but I for one think it was a brilliant move.

However, I'm not sure my husband will agree when he sees the bill.

If you're feeling lucky, try logging on to the Target site to see what's left.

In Memorium

I've struggled for some time now with what to write about on this heartbreaking anniversary. Like all of you, I remember exactly where I was when I watched the horrible events that seemed too surreal to be true. Still single, I was on the phone with my friend Barrie, both of us tuned in to The Today Show trying to make sense of what we were seeing. I remember sitting in complete silence for long stretches as the flames engulfed the buildings and newscasters struggled to make sense of the senseless. I'm not sure why we stayed on the phone when neither of us was talking for most of the time, but I guess we both felt the need for some connection at what seemed a total disconnect from reality as we knew it.

On September 11, 2001, my father was a commercial airline pilot for a major carrier and just happened to be scheduled to fly out of New York that day. For a brief time when I could not reach him by cell phone and the news had yet to report the airline that had been hijacked, I imagined the worst. When he finally phoned, safe from the cockpit where all planes were on indefinite hold, I could barely contain my emotions. I was so thankful he'd been spared, but so completely overwhelmed with what was happening. My brother also lived in NYC at the time and was able to see the smoke and smell the debris from his apartment in Gramercy Park.

But it was the experience of a close cousin that brought the events home to me on that day. Having just moved back to the United States from Israel (partially due to her family's concerns over terrorism), she had recently taken a job in the World Trade Center. Fortuitously late for work that day, she was on the subway when the attacks occurred. When she arrived at the site all hell was breaking loose and she was at the scene just as the buildings fell. She told me she took off her shirt and placed it over her nose and mouth so she could breathe among the dirt and dust and just started running, thinking that she'd jump into the water if she came to the edge of the island. Thankfully, she emerged from that day physically fine, if not emotionally shattered.

We all have our stories. We all share in the collective memory of 9-11. My children will learn about this horrible atrocity in history books while we watched it unfold in real time in person or on live television. I remember feeling that, for a brief period following the attacks, society became a bit more civilized. Americans seemed to feel a sense of camaraderie as if we were "all in this together" and many of us acted with such kindness and respect toward one another. Like the buildings themselves, harsh exteriors fell away leaving only a shell of what had been and a human race striped bare of emotion was forced to rebuild from the ground up. I remember feeling that I wish it hadn't taken such a tragic event to create such a positive byproduct, but alas, like the day itself, it was short-lived. All too soon we resumed our lives, many of us as if nothing were amiss, save for the additional hassles at the airport and occasional stories of rumored terrorist plots.

But for so many, life will never be the same. Over the past few weeks, I've read countless stories of families who lost loved ones and have spent the past decade trying to glean meaning from the lives of those that were cut tragically short. Many have established memorials, camps, scholarships and other philanthropic endeavors to help bring light where there was once only darkness. Children have grown up without mothers or fathers, getting to know their lost loved ones through pictures and second-hand stories. It all seems so unfair. Yet, we go on. We have no choice but to move forward while this horrific day recedes further away in time.

There is a Jewish tradition that calls for a memorial candle to be lit in a house of mourning immediately after a death in the family or to commemorate the anniversary of that death. While my family was fortunate enough not to have lost any immediate members on 9-11, we will light a candle today for all of those who lost their lives. I pray that their souls and those of their families have found peace and that while their lives were extinguished that day, that the spark of their being lives on through the good deeds and memories of those who loved them.

As a young girl, one of the first times I really came into contact with the idea of grief was through reading the book, "The Diary of Anne Frank". It's been years since I've read the thoughts and brilliant observations of the teenage Anne who suffered such a terrible fate but remained an optimist til the very end. So much of her writing still rings true and as I struggle to come to grips with the pain and suffering that characterize this day it's her profound words that bring me comfort.

"I don't think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains."

I pray that my children and my children's children never know first-hand of such loss and devastation. I wish I could say the world today is a different (safer and more positive) place than it was 10 years ago. May we all do what we can to move in that direction during the days and years to come.

Food for Thought Friday

“They shouldn’t be thinking about the fact that it’s been 10 years. For them, it’s every day.”

-- Andrea Russin of Princeton, NJ speaking about her twins who were born four days after their father died in the 9-11 attacks at the World Trade Center. 

The art of disconnecting

A friend recently sent me a link to this very refreshing email message and I just had to pass it along. First of all, if this "Josh" truly exists, he is a G-d among men (and husbands). Second, in this age of constant access, what a creative and yet honest way to get his point across.

Below is the out-of-office email, written by Josh Kopelman prior to leaving for vacation. Josh, wherever you are, I salute you!

I am currently out of the office on vacation.
I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email and won’t be able to respond until I return — but that’s not true. My blackberry will be with me and I can respond if I need to. And I recognize that I’ll probably need to interrupt my vacation from time to time to deal with something urgent.
That said, I promised my wife that I am going to try to disconnect, get away and enjoy our vacation as much as possible. So, I’m going to experiment with something new. I’m going to leave the decision in your hands:

• If your email truly is urgent and you need a response while I’m on vacation, please resend it to XXXXX@XXXX.com and I’ll try to respond to it promptly.
• If you think someone else at [the company] might be able to help you, feel free to email my assistant, and she’ll try to point you in the right direction.

· Otherwise, I’ll respond when I return…
Warm regards,
Josh

Food for Thought Friday

Does this new coloring book about the events of September 11, 2001 inspire healing or hatred? Is it patriotic or propaganda?

You be the judge.

See more of the book and images here.