November days of Thanks...to Pop Culture Icons

There are so many things I'm thankful for. Obviously, the husband and kids are pretty high on the list. Amazing friends who support and laugh when needed. Health of course. The ability to buy really cute tall boots at the Michael Kors store with a discount card.

But this blog is not about that. So while listening to "Super Bass" this past weekend and watching my kids break it down, I said to Phil, "What would our lives be like without Nicki Minaj?" He laughed it off but seriously, she is such a talent! And some of her best work is when she is the "feat" artist...for a while you couldn't escape her on the radio with songs like Bottoms Up with Trey Songz, Check it Out with Will.i.am, 2012 with Jay Sean. Wikipedia confirmed this, saying she was the first artist ever to have 7 singles on the Billboard Top 100.

And my ringtone when Phil calls is "Your Love" which often prompts me to call him "Shawty" when calls (Shawty, Imma tell you this once, you da illest...)

Pink Friday (though I think every single song on there has an EXPLICIT label- had to get on iTunes and look for the clean versions) is very very good. I love Moment 4 Life and Right Thru Me. And really- who doesn't like Super Bass??

Gotta give it up to the girl for pure fashion weirdness too. Love her wigs and her Gaga-esque accessories. What's wrong with a little flair from the girl from Queens? Wiki says she went to LaGuardia High School in NYC (the Fame HS for performing arts) and actually went in for dance instead of singing b/c she lost her voice the day of the audition. Did you see her on SNL making fun of her mega-booty? VERY FUNNY.

So today's pop culture thanks goes out to one of the most talented and original female rappers, a staple on my mixes and DJ sets.

There are many hot Ryans out there...

But my new favorite hot Ryan is of the Gosling variety. Don't get me wrong- I love Ryan Kwantan's hot-and-stupid Jason on True Blood, and Ryan Reynolds could not be cuter (especially with Sandra Bullock in The Proposal.) Ryan Phillippe was cute before he cheated on Reese, and the hardest working man in showbiz, Ryan Seacrest, deserves some props.

But after seeing Crazy, Stupid Love last weekend and then Drive today (squeezed in a matinee before the kids got off the bus- don't judge), I have to say that my heart belongs to Ryan Gosling. He has the best swagger ever in Crazy Stupid Love and the best smoldering loner look in Drive.

Enough of my school girl crush: a quick movie review for those looking for some entertainment advice. At this point, you will probably have to catch Crazy, Stupid Love on DVD when it comes out, but I truly feel like this is a DO NOT MISS romantic comedy, from someone who doesn't even like rom com's. I don't like them usually because they are schmalzty and predictable, with actors who may or may not have actual chemistry. Phil (who missed his calling as a casting director) claims that there is a wheel in Hollywood that 10 actors and 10 actresses are on at any given time and when a romantic comedy script presents itself, the wheel is spun and voila! Katherine Heigl and...Josh Duhamel! Kate Hudson spins and gets...Matthew McConaughey! There are those that have fallen off the wheel due to age (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks) but others are still on it after many many years of Rom Coms (Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock.) It's always exciting when a fresh new talent makes the wheel (Emma Stone)...And yet again, I digress.

Crazy Stupid Love is about a middle-aged man who is our new everyman ala Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell. He married the beautiful Julianne Moore, his high school sweetheart, but somewhere along the way, he lost the love spark. The movie opens to a scene where they are having dinner and while he declares he wants the Creme Brulee, she says she wants a divorce. Steve starts drinking his sorrows at a bar, and is observed by the uber-cool Ryan Gosling, a young 20 something who says he wants to help him. Steve Carrell loses his New Balance tennis shoes and buys some cool jeans ("Repeat after me...I am cooler than The Gap.") He learns to pick up women from his hot young friend and hilarity ensues. I won't give the rest of the flick away, but there are a few fun twists and though the happy ending was inevitable, it was also rewarding.

Drive was a darling at Cannes, winning the Best Director award. Perhaps I'm biased from his sexy smirk, but Ryan Gosling made this film. He gets a lot of comparisons to Steve McQueen, who was a little bit before my time, but I do know he was the definition of cool. This one looks to be on the surface an action film but it much more rounded than that. It was edge-of-my-seat thriller at times and also an understated drama. We don't know much about Ryan's character (we never even heard his name- he was called The Kid and Driver a few times) but he was still quite deep. The scenes between Ryan and Carey Mulligan (loved her in An Education) were filled with a palpable chemistry and such a sweetness. The only drawback (for me) was the EXTREME violence, which was so shocking and gruesome that I had to look away at least 3 times. The movie evokes a lot of feelings and a lot of adreniline.

CSL is more of chick-flick, though husbands will enjoy it. Drive is more of a guy flick, though wives will enjoy it. And if you haven't gotten enough Gosling from those two, rent Blue Valentine. Not the happiest movie about love and marriage, but two great performances from Michelle Williams and my boyfriend. And to think...he's Canadian?!?

Something Wicked this way comes...

Last night was opening night for Wicked at the Fox Theater, the first of a 4 week stint. I have been searching for discount tickets for weeks for this show (I really hate to pay full price but would've done it if I couldn't get a deal) and came across a new deal site specifically for tickets- concerts, plays, sporting events. So I must make sure my readers of this entertainment blog know about it...www.goldstar.com. You can sign up for their daily or weekly deals newsletter, similar to Groupon. They had a special for $50 Wicked tickets for Wednesday and Thursday only, so I grabbed two and texted the sitter and my bestie, Kim.

I moved from Manhattan in 2003, the year Wicked opened on Broadway, and didn't get to see it then. It has since been through Atlanta one or two times and I was busy with babies or some such. I tried reading the book and only got through about 1/3 of it...it was really dark and just not my thing. Now a few of the songs have made their way to popular culture (Rachel sang, "Defying Gravity" on Glee last season) and the two original actresses in the show have both had guest starring roles on Glee: Kristen Chenowith as April Rhodes and Idina Menzel as Rachel's real mom. But I didn't really know what the show was about.

At it's heart, it's a friendship tale. Elphaba was born green and unloved. Her heart was not wicked, but mostly misunderstood. Her sister, Nessarose, was the favored one and was wheelchair bound, for which Elphaba blames herself. She meets Galinda (who later shortens it to Glinda) at boarding school, who is blond and perky and everything Elphaba is not. She is such a funny character- her made-up words for things had me laughing out loud. (When she got to Oz, she declared it "Sooo Ozmopolitan!") But the two girls end up helping each other and becoming friends and drawing on each other's strengths. Elphaba's strength is her intelligence and natural gift of witchcraft, while Glinda wants to help her become popular (another hilarious song.) Elphaba becomes outraged at the way people begin treating the animals, by putting them in cages and not allowing them to speak, so she travels to Oz to get the Wizard's help. The Wizard turns out to be the one behind the whole silencing of the animals, and so Elphaba escapes and is declared by all of Oz to be Wicked. Glinda stays, lured by the popularity of being the right hand of the Wizard. I won't spoil the rest of the show for anybody who hasn't seen it...but it does such an amazing job with the songs, special effects, and very clever storyline of bringing in the tin man, cowardly lion and eventually the scarecrow too.

In the end, the two witches sing a song to each other called, "For Good" where Glinda says that she doesn't know if its true that people come into each other's lives for a reason, but she "knows I am who I am today because I knew you." And Elphaba tells Glinda that "whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend."

It couldn't be more fitting that Kim and I saw this show together. She was my first friend in our subdivision, we have shared 3 nannies (only 2 of them were crazy), the ups and downs of life and loss and love, and lots of laughs. She is such an amazing person- fiercely loyal to her family and friends- and one of the strongest women I know. When we moved to Texas, Kim and Em were our first visitors and when we had the opportunity to move back, Kim paved the way (how many friends would stand in line for you to ensure your kids' spot in preschool??). I cried with her when she lost her friend to breast cancer, and walked 60 miles with her on the Susan G. Komen walk. When I made the decision to stop working and stay at home with the kids, Kim was so supportive and never made me feel like my job is less important than hers (even though she is so accomplished in her career.) We would do anything for each other, and it feels so good to know that I have her on my side. Like Elphaba and Glinda, she has helped re-write my story by being my friend. (And if we have to pick which is which, she is so the super smart green witch and I'm on the one with a closet full of glittery shoes. :)

So you have almost 4 weeks to go see this show...it makes for a lovely date night but an even better girlfriend night. However you get there, I say just go!

The new Fall TV Season is upon us...

I have always loved TV. It was fitting that I got into the biz as a media buyer, and got to meet lots of B, C and D list celebs at network parties (a few A listers too, but very few.) I got to write our cable bill off for tax purposes because I was supposed to watch TV. Our ad agencies would get the full pilot episodes of the new shows and we could screen them through the summer so we would know what we wanted to watch. And in our 20's, in between going out, we had plenty of time to watch our favorite shows.

And then kids came along, and I got out of the biz. And then started watching less and less TV. And when kids started getting old enough to have a voice, off went Oprah and on went Martha Speaks. (It is only recently that they have refused PBS Kids for the cartoons on Nick, Disney and Cartoon Network. I draw the line at iCarly and Suite Life-type shows...Mia does not need another example to show her how to be sassy.)

So here we are, 2011, and I only have a handful of shows I consider appointment viewing. And I have decided now that Phil is traveling like a fool, I am going to start watching TV again. I took to the Internet and my trusty Entertainment Weekly and filtered through lots of previews and reviews. Below is my tentative schedule for fall viewing:

Daytime- Now that Oprah is gone, who do we turn to? I do like Ellen but sometimes I want topical, not funny. Enter Anderson Cooper, the silver-haired fox from CNN, with a daytime show that is supposed to be like the old Phil Donahue. LOVE.

Monday- Probably going to stick with the CBS comedies that night. I already really like How I Met Your Mother and am interested in how Ashton is going to make Two and a Half Men funny again. And after seeing Bridesmaids, I have to turn on Mike and Molly, which I missed last season. The new gem in this bunch is called Two Broke Girls and it looks a little Laverne and Shirley, an old favorite. It has Kat Dennings in it, and I really loved her in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Indie film darling = I'm in.

Although the casting is always interesting (and this year is no exception...Chaz Bono? Clooney's ex? Nancy Grace?) I don't watch Dancing with the Stars because I have no idea if the stars dance well. They all look pretty good to me and then the judges tear them apart. I watch a singing competition because I can tell if people can sing but I can't tell a waltz from a tango. Well, actually I could but barely. BUT- I'm not watching the Sing-Off either because 1. Nick Lachey is painful and 2. My friend Georgia almost got on with her a capella group but got cut, so I'm boycotting.

If I stayed up past 10, I would check out The Playboy Club on NBC for costumes and kitch, but it probably won't happen.

Tuesday- This is a FOX night, starting with Glee, one of the few shows I have watched from the beginning. It has meandered a bit this last season, but I still find the message a very good one and the characters are endearing. (see pic of twins above as tribute to Sue Sylvester.) The other new show on after Glee is New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, another indie-film darling. I am sensing a pattern here.

Am also curious about Ringer on the CW because I like Buffy but if I don't get hooked right away, I'm out. Too many shows, too little time.

Wednesday- The NBC comedy Up All Night looks very funny, with Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett. Great cast plus who cannot relate to this that has kids. I'm then back over to Modern Family on ABC at 9, it is so stinkin' hilarious and full of heart. I love all of those characters. That show is what a sitcom should be.

The other show getting lots of buzz is one at 10p on FX called American Horror Story starring super dreamy Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights. It's spooky and bizarre and created by the Glee guys, so I'm thinking it's worth a DVR. (10p is very hard! Do you know what time I have to be up every morning to wake these ungrateful kids!?!)

Will I sample The X Factor? Probably. It's hard for me to not watch a paired up Simon and Paula again, I have missed their dynamic. But I don't know if I will commit. We'll see.

Thursday- This used to be a big night for me, but I've stopped watching Grey's Anatomy about 2 seasons ago and all the other shows I used to watch that night moved. So, what's good now? NBC has their solid comedy lineup with The Office and Parks and Rec but I'm okay if I miss them, not really appointment shows. I like Big Bang Theory but the show after is a new one on CBS with Kevin Dillon and he really bugs me. I hate his character on Entourage and I think he is actually like Johnny Drama so no go. If I watch X Factor, I will probably turn on some of the results show. And the big new drama on for Thur night is called Person of Interest on CBS...created by JJ Abrams and also stars creepy Michael Emerson from Lost. It looks very good and is getting tons of buzz.

Friday and Saturday- do they even have shows on these nights?

Sunday- One show I will NOT be watching is The Amazing Race, who I am bitter against since they did not call Jamie and I for an interview after submitting a very funny audition tape. ha. I wish I watched The Good Wife from the beginning because so many people say it is one of the best shows on TV and I think Julianna Margulies is amazing and will probably win an Emmy. But I'm not starting now. If I'm in the mood for funny, the FOX lineup of cartoon sitcoms with the Simpsons and the new Allen Gregory, Jonah Hill's new show, are a sure bet. But as for new dramas, ABC has an intriguing Once Upon a Time, where a bunch of fairy tale characters have been trapped in a Maine town and cursed into forgetting their true identities. It's got lots of flashbacks like Lost and I'm a fan of that type of storytelling. And my DVR will also be set for Pan Am, another 10p show on ABC, that looks like Mad Med and stars indie darling Christina Ricci. Need I say more?

It's a pretty full TV schedule I have laid out for myself and about 150% more TV than I've been watching the past few years. But I'm up for the challenge. The laundry may pile up and the house may be cluttered, but come 8p those kids are going to be in bed and the remote will be in hand.

For my 10 readers, feel free to give me feedback...do you agree or disagree with any of these picks? Or let me know what you think of a show after it airs.

Happy viewing!

Fro-Yo Pro

Two blog entries in one week? It must mean that the kids are back in school and I have time, glorious time, again! Today I am on the subject of frozen yogurt...a personal passion of mine since I could count calories. There are so many new yogurt places popping up all over the place- but beware, not all fro-yo is created equal.

Fro-yo comes in many flavors and forms. You can buy it in the supermarket, but packaged fro-yo is typically not very good- you're better off with light ice cream if you go the grocery route. But the soft-serve frozen yogurt sold in a small parlor operation, with a variety of fruit and candy toppings to heighten the experience, is what this post is really about. The flavors range from typical (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) to the more exotic (honeydew, pistachio, dulce de leche). I often taste some of these flavors (almost every fro-yo parlor has a small spoon or mini cup to sample), but I always purchase the flavor that's called either "plain" or "original tart" -- something like that. It is creamy and delish, and when topped with fresh fruit, some nuts, and maybe a sprinkle of chocolate bar pieces, there's nothing better.

First off, just let me say that the first and best tart yogurt I discovered was at Bloomingdale's NYC, at their restaurant called Forty Carrots. Phil says that I have a thing for quirky, off-the-beaten-path restaurants like department store dining, but I contend that some of the best lunch dining really can be found in department stores. There's a restaurant on the top floor of Barney's NY (called Fred's...pretty funny) where I have never had a bad meal and I ALWAYS see a celeb. In Atlanta, the cafe at Nordstrom is DELISH. With kids, I have fed them dinner at Costco and Target more times than I can count... but I digress.
The best fro-yo that is not available here is at Bloomie's, so the next time you are in NYC, go there to shop and take the elevator to the 7th floor to Forty Carrots, and enjoy the greatest yogurt on the planet. I get mine with a side of their signature melba sauce.

Here in the 'burbs, there is no shortage of yogurt dens. Some of the first places to come on the scene are still solid choices:

If you are shopping North Point Mall, there is a Yogen Fruz in the food court. They put the toppings on for you, I think you get choice of 3. This is a flat rate S,M,L situation...unlike most of the other places that charge $.39 per ounce and you control the toppings.
If you are seeing a movie at Regal Medlock Crossing, there is a place a few doors down called Yogur-Le-Hee. It's got an asian flair to it (many of them do) and has some funky flavors like pomegranate and green tea. They also control the toppings for you, but I think that makes it a little more sanitary in most cases.

Since these two emerged, at least a half dozen have popped up in our area.

MENCHIE'S: This is a west coast favorite. I'm a fan of the one in Crabapple that was below my old Pilates studio. Pumpkin flavor was delish. Place is very clean and fun.
PINKBERRY: Also a Hollywood favorite that has been franchised out here. Closest ones are in Marietta or Buckhead though. Phil gets this at work after a chicken salad sandwich to complete his girly lunch experience.
SLIMBERRY: Opened within the last few months very close to our house on Old Milton Pkwy. Very limited flavors and the toppings have looked squirrelly at times. The kids like it because they have a chocolate fountain to put chocolate sauce on your yogurt and they have two iPads at the tables for use while you dine in. Kids are sold easily on gimmicks.
TUTTI FRUTTI: On Windward Pkwy, in the same shopping center as the Original Pancake House and Cracker Barrel. It's next door to a Smoothie King, so I wonder if that is a little bit of competition for the same audience? Anyway, it's got the asian vibe to it with funky flavors and toppings. Overall a decent choice.
YOGLI MOGLI: Several Atlanta locations- I've tried the one in Sandy Springs, on Windward Parkway, but I most often frequent the one next to our Publix on Old Milton. It's got the best location for us and has always been clean with fresh-looking fruit. Good for people watching if you sit outside and also to meet for a mom date (as I am doing next Wed with my friend Leslie.)
YOGURT MOUNTAIN: The best of the best. This is a little bit of a trip for us, located on 141 and Sargent road, near the Portrait Innovations. But has great flavors and the best selection of toppings that I've seen. Very large seating area and bright, colorful decor. Worth the trip.

I don't know if all of these places will survive...the competition is fierce for the yogurt consumer. I'm thinking Slimberry is the first to go- it's mediocre and in a shopping center that has had several closings lately. I'm sort of wishing I would have jumped on this bandwagon and opened a franchise a year ago. I think somewhere on North Point Parkway would be a good location to open one, so you don't have to go into the mall if you are craving a yogurt fix. Perhaps I'll open one next to the new Nordstrom Rack opening in the spring, so I can have two of my favorite things in one place. I'll have the steal the name Yoforia since that's as close to heaven as we're gonna get in Alpharetta.

In Da (Kroger) Club

There's a new club that opened about 3 months ago here in the 'Phretta...I have been wanting to go to blog about it but as my FB friends know, it's been a crazy summer. So when my friend Tricia suggested a girls night for her and Julie's mutual birthdays, how could we resist?

The place is called Shlok (www.shlokniteclub.com) and it's pretty close to the Kroger shopping center on State Bridge. Please do not confuse it with the term Shlock, which according to UrbanDictionary, means, "When your penis is so long that, to hide it, you are required to tuck it down your pants and shove it into your sock (becomes awkward if wearing shorts)." It's an Indian word that means song. We went on Saturday night, after a yummy dinner at the new Twisted Taco on Medlock Bridge. The upstairs patio of that restaurant is filled with Cougars and their prey. But not so for Shlok, much to our relief.

We arrived in a minivan, which is how I like to roll. Two robust bouncers stood outside and gauged the wrinkles and the transportation and didn't card us. There was no cover charge. We walked in to a two-dance floor space complete with a small couch and VIP area (!?!) There were probably about 30 people there upon arrival at 10:30 and it probably peaked at 50. As the bartender explained to me, "We are just finding our audience, so right now it's like having your own personal dance club!" Saturdays are Latin and Pop nights, so the DJ played a pretty eclectic mix. The music was everything from old MJ and Prince to Usher and Enrique and a bunch of songs in Spanish that I had to Shazam but Julie knew. He took requests and played them pretty quickly. And was very accommodating to announce my friends' birthdays. The TV screens above the bar advertised the event as ESCAPE Saturdays with the awesomely cheesy tagline- "OTP will never be the same..." Well duh! It's not everyday we get a nightclub next to the Great Clips that my kids get their haircuts!

The crowd was a mix of ethnicities. Some Indian men were watching all of this crazy Western dancing until one of them lit up a cig and were escorted out. There were some Latinos that nailed the salsa dancing and otherwise a good mix of black and white, old and young, male and female. NOT a meat market at all. The ladies and I just danced and sang and had a good time. The one guy who dared to try to infiltrate our circle asked me how we all knew each other and I told him our kids were all friends so he backed off. Our greatest entertainment came early in the night when a couple started showing a GREAT DEAL of public affection. (see above picture of giggling with the couple to the left.) Hey, what can ya do, they were trying to spice it up a little I guess.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the white hot Alpharetta nightclub and will definitely go back again when I get the urge to shake my groove thing. But next time I'm gonna figure out how I can get in that ultra exclusive VIP area. I guess I gotta lose the minivan...

Surviving a Road Trip

I'm sure my 15 followers have been wondering where I've been this summer. Well, we took the Party-of-Five on the road for two (very) long trips. The first started mid-July in Richmond for a lovely outdoor wedding of Phil's nephew Jeremiah. Usually one hears "outdoor" and "mid-July" and starts sweating just thinking about it. But as luck would have it, the weather was perfect and the personalized fans distributed at the entrance of the ceremony were unnecessary. The recommended hotel for the wedding was the Hotel Sierra in the suburb of Short Pump...the first hotel that I've ever stayed in that is attached to a mall. Highly recommended for dining and entertainment options, and last-minute accessory shopping.

Our trip took us to New York City for two days, an exhausting but exhilarating experience for both us and the kids. I didn't know how much we could fit into a 48 hour period, but we managed to squeeze in almost everything we wanted to show them. (if anyone is looking for a guide to NYC with kids, shoot me a note.) We then drove to Philadelphia, for a short visit with my brother and his family. Then we caravanned with some other family members to New Haven, CT for my niece April's wedding. Though New Haven had record 104 degree days, the town was very picturesque and the wedding was beyond beautiful. Except for the bride being taken out on a stretcher, I would say it was fairy tale. Actually, maybe the fall from dancing so wildly will make it epic- the stuff of legends for future weddings.

A two day road trip home on Saturday and Sunday followed.

Then a quick 5 days back home to do laundry, squeeze in cheer camp, LifeTime camp, a Sweet and Sassy party, tutor sessions and some playdates- then off again to Augusta for my 20th HS reunion (really it was 21 years but it didn't get organized last summer), followed by an overnight stay at my sister's in Tampa (a wonderful respite after almost 9 hours in the car), then to Miami for 4 days to visit our friends the Criados that we knew from TX. Our kids are the same age and play together wonderfully, allowing Valerie and me the needed time to talk uninterrupted. Since Valerie is from Miami, she showed us the town, hitting South Beach (both nightlife and the beach), Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and down into the Keys. We got to swim with dolphins, an amazing experience and not one we'll soon forget. On Friday, we drove to Boca Raton and spent two days with my newlywed niece April, fully recovered from aforementioned stretcher incident. She and her husband Jon were superb hosts, and enjoyed our kids enough to take them for an overnight. Not sure if they will want 3 kids after this weekend, but they had fun nonetheless, as did us all.

Then Sunday we drove 10.5 hours home.

Between the two trips, we put about 4000 miles on the minivan.

Anyone who has traveled with young children knows that this is no small feat. And although this is usually an entertainment blog, I am diverting to a quick advice blog on some of my best tips on surviving the long hours in the car.

1. CAR FOOD: It's a guarantee that road trips will make you fat. You are stuck in the car, bored and tired. What better way to break up the monotony with snacks and candy? So just make sure you get the good stuff (aka worth the calories.) For me, that's Haribo gummy bears, Raisinets, M&M's (Phil likes peanut, kids like plain, I like peanut butter) and anything with chocolate and caramel. The kids respond well to candy for good car behavior. So stock up!

2. FAST FOOD: It's also a given that you are going to have to eat some meals on the run, and with kids this is their preferred source of lunch and dinner. So if you can upgrade to a Moe's or Panera or Jason's Deli by waiting until you get to a larger town, then do it. But if your stop is in the middle of nowhere, you are forced to get McDonald's or Wendy's or if you are really lucky, Chik-Fil-A. I make myself feel better about feeding this to the kids by making them get chocolate milk to drink and fruit instead of fries. And for the record, the Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken salad is really not a bad adult option...

3. MOVIES: Bring a minimum of 12 movies on a 2000 mile trip. And even then, it won't be enough. So be prepared to find a redbox or blockbuster express machine and get some supplemental movies. These are rented for $1 and can be returned to any box along the way. Places like McD's, Walgreens and RaceTrac have these right outside their stores. And I purchase kid new releases at Target the week they come out, when they are on sale for $15. I justify this spend because with 3 kids, they will watch a movie at least 5 times, so that's really $1 per viewing. Since you will be listening to the movie (unless you make them wear headphones or you listen to your own iPod), make sure you have ones you like to hear. For us, that includes Megamind, Kung Fu Panda, Fantastic Mr. Fox or any of the Disney ones with a good soundtrack, such as Lion King or Beauty and the Beast.

4. OTHER SCREENS: This includes Nintendo DS, Leapster, iPod Touch, iPad, etc. Really anything else that is electronic that can hold their attention when the movie doesn't. Borrow what you don't have and charge them up before the journey! I am not usually a screens kind of mom, but road trips require desperate measures.

5. THE COUNTDOWN: This I have found is the answer to the "Are we there yet?" question and particularly good for the long driving days, with 7 or more hours. Just take the hotel tablet and pen from your last visit and write "8 hours" on one page followed by 7 on down to 1 hour. The whole family takes satisfaction is tearing off the page and whittling down the trip in a quanitifiable way. Everyone knew how much longer every hour and I never had to hear the dreaded question again. The countdown is key for the way home, when you have less to look forward to. For us it was getting to see our kitties, Zoe and Mario. So we'd say "5 hours to ZoeCat" or "3 hours to MarMar" which Phil turned into "30 Seconds to MarMar", a play on a band name...

I am surprised to say that our road trips were not terrible...and in fact, would do them again. Flying to all of these destinations would have been cost prohibitive for the 5 of us, but we ended up having a great summer vacation with so many laughs, fun adventures and lasting memories.

And as much fun as summer has been, I am still pretty thrilled that SCHOOL STARTS IN ONE WEEK! Then I can get back to my regularly scheduled entertainment blog and life as I know it.

It's no French Riviera, but...

Many of you have probably heard my complaining about the hubby being on a business trip that happened to take him to Cannes for 10 days. I vented to our Publix Apron Meals lady, Elinor from Long Island, about it, and she told me to go buy myself some really nice shoes and a new handbag to make myself feel better. And who am I to refuse her wise advice?

So...on the shopping front, there are sales galore out there right now. Lots of stores have their summer apparel on clearance plus another 40% off. And with the weather in the South, our summer lasts through October, so go buy a sparkly tank at Ann Taylor or some city shorts at the Gap and you'll still have money left over for a little fro-yo.

I'm trying to keep the kids busy aka not on my nerves so we've been to the $1 Studio Movie Grill kids movie two weeks in a row. It's pretty fun for them, since as we all know kids have no problem watching movies 100 times. Last week it was the last Shrek movie, this week is Megamind (personal fave. very quotable.) The novelty for them at SMG is that they get to press the red button for a waiter to bring us cokes and popcorn. So what if the $1 movie is really $25 in concessions? It's still a good two-hour time kill on a hot summer day.

We've been to our neighborhood pool so many times that the kids don't even take their toys home at night any more...they just collect them from the lost and found the next time they play. Still, I take a little bit of pride that Izzy's hair is getting her summer blond back and that Mia and Jackson have some wicked tan lines from all of the hours we've logged outside.

Today we went to Lake Lanier Islands Waterpark with friend Jamie and her boys. On Wednesdays through the summer, it's half price admission with a coupon from Chik-Fil-A. So for our family of four, we got in for $58 which is less than $15 per person. And we got a full day of entertainment. We arrived right at 10 when the doors opened and were able to ride all of the slides 3 or 4 times each before a line started. And I don't know if this was an unusual day, but it was not very crowded at all. We spent some time on the beach, playing a find the buried pennies game for a free dippin' dots (Wilson won) and a sand castle contest for a free Icee (Mia built a Sand Cat pictured above and won for creativity.) Though there are not as many slides as at White Water, the clientele is better. And it's closer. And cheaper. Walt Weiss' kid almost died at White Water. But anyway, it was a big day for me because I realized that all three kids are now tall enough to ride almost all of the slides. So we had a blast going down together and racing on slides and partnering on tubes. I could play again! I didn't have to splash with a baby in the lil kids area. These are fun days of being a mom, though. But please don't let Phil know that. I'm still telling him how much I'm suffering...

Summer of Run

Let me start off by saying that this summer is NOT what I'd thought it would be so far. Lazy days, sleeping in, no schedule...it's a stay-at-home mom's dream! The crowning glory of 10 months of getting up to make lunches, get everyone dressed, carpool, school functions, room mom duties, after school sports and activities- all for the bonus of a summer of fun. Except that with 8:30 swim team practice, 9:30 tennis camp, Lifetime Fitness classes at 11, cheer camp at 2 has made this summer (so far) way too busy! Next week is VBS in the afternoon so at least I have 3 hours per day of solitude again. Can't wait.

In the meantime, I've been on the run too with lots of entertainment updates to give. Two date nights last weekend (!!! What can I say? We both needed it!) and the first was drinks and dinner (Aja and Wisteria, respectively) and the second was The Hangover 2. Actually, I saw Hangover 2 and Phil saw Bridesmaids because he already saw Hangover with my dad last weekend. I did not think this to be odd...both movies started at the same time and I was already slated to see Bridesmaids with friends later in the week. But when I told my friend Jody, she thought it was hysterical that we would have a date night and see separate movies. To me, the movie experience is a personal one...I don't want to talk during the movie nor do I want anyone to talk to me. But evidently, I am in the minority and couples are supposed to see the same movies for the social aspect. Whatever.

Anyway, now having seen both Hangover 2 and Bridesmaids, I will tell you that I laughed out loud in both of them and they are both good solid comedies. Hangover followed the formula laid out in the first one (Stu's tattoo instead of tooth, cute Buddist Monk instead of baby, questionable Taiwanese stripper instead of Vegas stripper) but it was still hilarious in parts- with very quotable lines (especially from Alan) and was a great 2 hour escape.

I liked Bridesmaids better though...it was fresher. And because I'm a chick and can relate to poor Annie, who was feeling totally left behind when her childhood best friend announced she was getting married. And the humor in the competition with "new friend" Helen, who was beautiful and perfect. I crushed on the Irish cop and got my heart broken when they broke up. And most of all, I loved the scene when Maya Rudolph's character told Annie that everything was changing and she wasn't going to be 5 minutes down the street anymore. Good female friendships are so rare- and so important- and I was sitting in a theater with so many of my closest friends that I started tearing up. And I thought about some of my friends from school that I love but don't get to talk to very much because we don't live 5 miles down the street anymore. Or some of the friends I've made in New York and San Antonio- wonderful women that I would talk to everyday if we lived closer. Such is life, but I still wish I could own a private island and inhabit it with all of the people I loved.

My other review for this week is the Katy Perry California Dreams show at the Gwinnett Center. I looked for tickets months ago but didn't find any good ones so I forgot about it until last week. So I started scouting for tickets and found some below-face-value floor tickets from a broker on Craig's list. My aforementioned friend Jody came with...we both have young girls and listen to our fair share of Katy Perry. We both breathed a sigh of relief when the broker's tickets got us in the door but when we got to our seats (row P) and there were 2 girls already there, we figured the jig was up. But the usher checked and moved those girls out and voila- we were in! I regret to say that we missed the opener, Robyn, who I discovered last year when Entertainment Weekly called her the "Swedish Madonna." (Download "Dancing on my own" if you haven't heard of her...she's good pop fun.) But we got there in time to get a Katy Perry inspired cocktail (whipped cream infused vodka anyone?) and mingle.


Katy opened with "Teenage Dream" and her set was like a funky candyland with lollipops and candy cane railings. She showed a weird Alice in Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory video of her and her pet, Kitty Purry, going through the cat door to a strange world where she ultimately ended up with the cute Baker's Boy. At one point in the show she climbed on a cotton candy cloud and traveled to the middle of the arena. Jody and I were impressed with how sweet the place smelled (whether from the cotton candy or pumped in scents like cherry chapstick on "I Kissed a Girl"). She must of had 15 outfit changes- all very colorful and outrageous and adorable. Her enthusiasm totally makes up for her kind of thin voice. And I say this as the highest compliment- Katy Perry is an entertainer, not a singer. The crowd (95% female) loved her and so did we. Though she cussed a couple of times and her songs have some lewd innuendos (such as the song about wanting to see your peacock), it was pretty harmless if there are moms that are thinking about taking their kids to the show. My sister is going to see her Friday in Tampa and I encouraged her to take her girls...this show was meant for them. And for the rest of us that just want to live the teenage dream.

The fun doesn't end folks...swim meet tonight, Chelsea Handler at Chastain on Friday, and friends from Boston in town this Saturday. And Sunday I sleep.

Never Say Bieber

I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks...in addition to mother's day, my birthday, girls beach weekend and end of school activities, my computer died on me last week. Phil took it in to the Apple store and they said I was at maximum capacity and very close to permanent freeze up level. So now I am on a fresh new beautiful MacBook Pro. It glows like JLo and I love it!

So I meant to write about the Zac Brown Band show a couple weekends ago (see above pic)...twas a fantastic performance by some very talented guys. As stated before, I only dabble in country music, but this band offered so much for the crossover fan. In the middle of a song, they would play a verse of Van Morrison or Kenny Rogers. They did win the Grammy for Best New Artist for a reason. If I can get Phil to belt out "Chicken Fried" then you better believe they were rockin'. I probably need to add that the show was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, which is the go-to venue for the suburban set. We don't set foot at Lakewood any more and Chastain is too pretentious. But we'll go see a band we are only marginally interested in because it's in our backyard. So that's why we didn't see too many Wranglers or Lee Jeans- this show did not scream hard core country fans. The uniform for any girl under 25 was sundress + cowboy boots. The male accessory was a cold beer. But I digress from a concert review to a fashion critique.

My latest reco in DVD viewing may come as a bit of a surprise. But with 60 degree temps two days in a row (that's freezing for Atlanta for May), I picked up the new Justin Bieber movie, Never Say Never. The girls were very interested but I had to force Jackson to watch. He claims to hate The Biebs, as I have heard many young boys say. I'm not sure where this hatin' is coming from...are elementary school boys just programmed to hate what girls love? or perhaps they are just jealous. But it can't be because he is talentless- after watching this movie, I'm a total Belieber. This boy started playing drums as a four year old! And guitar not long after. He's a small town boy with a dream...and managed to sell out Madison Square Garden. He's got an amazing voice, endless energy, and is a great dancer to boot. Aside from being from Canada, I couldn't find anything wrong with him. It's a very uplifting movie, and a must-see if you are trying to groom showbiz kids (as I am unsuccessfully.). Even Jacks said, "His mother must be very proud of him."

I'm thisclose to buying the "The Future Mrs. Bieber" T-shirt at the mall...you smile, I smile.

Glee does Fleetwood Mac

Last night's Glee was great on many levels, not the least of which was that all of the songs came from the seminal Fleetwood Mac 1977 album- Rumours. Yes, I was only 5 when it came out but remember, I have 5 older sisters who all lived the heartache of Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. As a general rule, I really don't like Jurassic Rock. I have a list of classic rock songs that if I never hear again in this lifetime, I'll be fine. (Another blog for another time.)

Fleetwood Mac is the exception to that rule. I loved "Landslide" well before Smashing Pumpkins or Dixie Chicks covered it. I went through a witch skirt phase, like my favorite gypsy Stevie (and in fact, just pulled a black one out of my friend Jamie's goodwill pile). I wanted to name my daughter "Rhiannon." In middle school, I had this cassette tape in my collection and a cute boy saw it and thought it was the Timex Social Club's radio hit (How do rumours get started? Started by the jealous people and they get mad seein' something they had and somebody else is holdin'). Of course I didn't correct him because A. He was cute and B. How uncool was it to have a 1977 Fleetwood Mac tape in your 1984 collection?

My sister Diane (pictured above) and I had many discussions over whether we liked Christine McVie or Stevie Nicks (which later prompted the now famous opinion switch exchange, which we do with just about everything. It goes something like:

Joy: Who do you like better, Christine McVie or Stevie Nicks?

Diane: Definitely Christine McVie, she has a much better voice.

Joy: Yeah, she's pretty good. I dig her. But I think Stevie is talented too.

Diane: Um, yeah, I guess you're right, Stevie is a cool singer.

Joy: And a really great songwriter too. She's way more interesting than Christine.

Diane: I love her raspy voice!

Joy: And she had to go through this break up with a band member in front of the whole world!

Diane: Definitely Stevie Nicks, definitely!

This can be done with two actors, movies, albums, foods, etc. Diane will switch with you if you talk her into it. My friend Hiedi thought this was so funny that she started doing it with her sister.)

So how excited was I that Glee sang all songs from Rumours last night? And a good plot too. For a while there this season, I feel like it has meandered a bit. But last night, they brought April Rhodes back (my Broadway fave, Kristin Chenowith.) Her "Dreams" duet with Mr. Shue was pretty much perfect. And the big reveal about Sam's heartbreaking secret got me choked up. The Glee club bought back his guitar!! I even didn't mind the super cheesy "Don't Stop" number at the end- I had a big grin at the love and support this group of kids provide for each other. What is wrong with me that I can't wait to find out who will be prom king and queen?? I'm re-living my adolescence but with better music.

Need some new songs for your iPod?

Probably my biggest consumption in the entertainment world is music. Growing up in a house with 6 siblings, silence was never an option. Oddly, instead of treasuring the quiet, I find it unsettles me. So I have background music on almost all the time- kitchen, car, gym, shower etc. Thus, I always look for new songs to keep it fresh.

I listen to all kinds of music, but probably pop/alt rock the most. As we move into spring and summer, there are always good pop songs on the horizon this time of year. Gaga just released a new single, "Judas", and I'm quite simply almost always going to like a Gaga product. The whole Adele CD, 21, is great. I love, love the new Foo Fighters CD..."These Days" is a gem but the entire thing reminds you of just what a great rock band they are. It's made me go back and listen to their older stuff and appreciate them more. I heard a familiar voice on my Alt Nation Sirius station the other day and had to download- Crystal Castles has a song called "Not in Love" featuring Robert Smith of the Cure. Has a good beat and I can dance to it. I'm a total Gleek and love the Warblers too. Their version of Pink's "Raise Your Glass" should have won them Regionals. J. Lo is so hot right now, being the most beautiful woman in the world and all, and I dig her new single, "I'm into You." I don't dabble in country music much, but Kelly Clarkson has a good duet with Jason Aldean currently on the radio. And I do like his song, "Dirt Road Anthem"- it's almost like a country rap song. And speaking of rap, even though we have listened to Wiz Khalifa's "Roll Up" and "No Sleep" many many times, we still have not settled the debate as to which one is THE song of Spring Break 2011. (I say the former, Phil says the latter. The kids are split. If you do let your kids listen to Wiz Khalifa, download the clean version. And if they get a look at the record cover and ask you what "rolling papers" are, tell them that Wiz is just stocking up on toilet paper...)

These are just a few to sample. Happy listening!

A Royal Dilemma

I had my first unsolicited question to this entertainment blog- happy day! The query was-

"I am planning to DVR the royal wedding...any suggestions as to which channels? I have 2 DVR's." An excellent question!

First of all, I'm in 150%. I'm setting my clock to get up at 4a to watch it live. Having followed the Royals since a young girl, I am quite excited about the upcoming wedding of the century. And if I wasn't excited before, media coverage this week has made me frothy. I love the detailed stories of William and Kate's early childhood, into courtship, into a long on again/off again romance, to finally the big wedding. The commentaries from the British press give me endless new phrases, such as "Wills is very playful, he's not so serio." And, "Quite simply, he really fancied her." And my favorite, "William saw Kate in a skimpy outfit at a school modeling show and thought 'Now this is a bit of all right!'." (All of these should be said in your best Mary Poppins accent.) I love the speculation on every last detail of the day and ceremony (How will Kate wear her hair? Will they use the word 'obey' in their vows? Will Harry be drunk?). And who doesn't love hearing British upper crust names like Davina Duckworth-Chad or Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe?

But back to the question at hand. Interestingly, the US is has more stories about this wedding than the UK. The coverage is endless. Here's a short list of your options for royal watching, taken from examiner.com:

Friday, April 29 Live Coverage

• BBC 3:00-8:30 a.m. Huw Edwards anchors live coverage from London – If you have BBC or BBC America, this is going to be the sure bet for the best coverage.

• http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/ will be streaming the wedding live. Details in the video at left.

• ABC 4:00-10:00 a.m. Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer will host ABC’s coverage from London. The coverage this week on ABC has been overall pretty good, a few mistakes here and there, but ABC should be a safe bet.

• CBS 5:00-9:00 a.m. Katie Couric hosts live coverage from London

• NBC 4:00-10:00 a.m. Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer, Brian Williams, Natalie Morales, Ann Curry and Al Roker host a special edition of Today from London.

• CNN 4:00 a.m. Piers Morgan, Anderson Cooper and others host live from London

• E! 4:00-9:00 a.m. Giuliana Rancic hosts live coverage from London; E! will repeat coverage immediately after for those folks who can’t bear to either get up this early (or stay up that late in the PT). I can't imagine this coverage being very good.
• 
  

Thursday, April 28

• ABC 8:00 p.m. 20/20 Special with a behind-the-scenes look at what Kate Middleton's life will be like after the nuptials

• Bravo 11:00 p.m. Watch What Happens Live: Royal Wedding Spectacular with Andy Cohen. Again on this one, I can't image this coverage is going to be any more than gossipy.
• 
  

Friday, April 29 Post-Wedding Coverage

• ABC 9:00 p.m. 20/20 Special with highlights from the big day

• CBS 8:00 p.m. The Royal Wedding: Modern Majesty prime-time special with Katie Couric

• NBC 9:00 p.m. Dateline two-hour documentary, hosted by Ann Curry

So, for my money, I'd set my two DVR's for NBC and CNN...because you can't go wrong with the silver-haired fox Anderson Cooper and I have a loyalty to the Today Show.

Will you be watching live, DVRing, or ignoring the whole thing? I love feedback, feel free to post your comments!

Cheerio!

My New Unpaid Job

My brilliant husband helped me come up with this blog- an outlet to share the best of what I've watched, read or listened to lately. I'm adding it to the list of other unpaid jobs that I currently hold: Room Mom, PSR teacher, entertainer, DJ (though occasionally this is a paid job), social coordinator, admin to Phil, matchmaker, house elf, children's stylist, short order cook (cannot call myself a chef while I am still fixing chicken nuggets) carpool driver, personal shopper, party planner, camp administrator, personal trainer, overall bon vivant and now blogger. I like it.

Last week I went to see who I consider to be the Madonna of our time, Lady Gaga. I went into the concert with high expectations and the show did not disappoint. I love that this somewhat homely girl from NJ fashioned herself into this worldwide pop icon. But where she differs from Madge is two ways- first, that she is actually very talented musically. When she slowed down "Born This Way" on the piano, her voice and playing were pretty amazing. Second, where Madonna is ice-queen untouchable, Gaga is a little more vulnerable. She credits her fans for making her brave and strong.

Her sets were pretty extravagant- felt very broadway and that's a good thing. She had 12-15 dancers on stage with her for most songs. Though she didn't have an outfit change for every song (as my friend Becky said she did for her last tour), she did have at least 5 different costume changes, mostly outrageously perfect. The fans, called "Little Monsters", kept their paws up in awe of the Mother Monster. People-watching was at an all-time high. There was a short 40-something asian man sitting next to us who arrived alone but sang every word to her songs. Something tells me he had practiced in a Buford Highway karaoke bar. Lots of youngsters and lots of queens. I felt at home.

She sang all of the hits, with appropriate drama. Overall message of the night was to believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, don't let people bully you or call you a freak, because in Gaga's World, you have a home.

Tix for this were purchased almost a YEAR in advance and were about $200. Ouch. But- I would do it again, and I won't miss her again if she comes back through the ATL. Some shows are just worth it.