Congratulations to the winner, Marlene from Calgary, AB.
Happy shopping!
Tuesday, July 27
Winner - CSN Giveaway!
Wow - this giveaway was a hit! There were 165 entries, and the number chosen by random number generation at random.org is...number 74!
Monday, July 26
Make Meals More Fun With The Lunch Punch!
I love this product! Created by an Australian mother of three, The Lunch Punch cuts off crust and turns bread, sandwiches, etc. into fun edible shapes. It minimizes waste by using most of the bread (and their site suggests keeping the crusts to use for meatloafs, feed animals, etc.)
I received two sets of The Lunch Punch for my little crust-boycotters to review: the Match and Munch puzzle shapes:
and the Critter Cutters:
The Lunch Punch is thicker than a regular cookie cutter, so it can go through a whole sandwich. (You can still use them to make cookies, too!)
I have used them on my girls' toast and sandwiches several times, and they just love them. They can hardly decide which shape they want when I give them the option. The funny thing is, it took them a while to trust that the crusts were indeed cut off...they kept leaving the outside borders, thinking that they couldn't possibly be part of the bread! Now they get the hang of it, though.
You can check out their Lunch Punch website for more information, including some brand-new products:
Vrrrm! transportation shapes:
and Sandwishes:
Coming soon, they even have Landwich continent shapes!
Each set of four costs around $15, with some of the profits going to charities. Although I'm not always in favour of "putting on a show for the kids", toast and sandwiches are quite common around our house, and it doesn't hurt to jazz them up and give the girls a bit more motivation to eat them.
If you're interested in making a purchase, go here to find out how to order Lunch Punch shapes in different countries.
The Lunch Punch is a hit around our house, and will certainly spice up Frannie's school lunches! She'll be the envy of her Junior Kindergarten class!
Disclaimer: I was provided with the above-mentioned products for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.
P.S. On a completely unrelated note, thanks to Kingston Girl for your kind words, and good luck with your Build a Better Blog Challenge! (If you haven't visited her yet, you should!)
I received two sets of The Lunch Punch for my little crust-boycotters to review: the Match and Munch puzzle shapes:
and the Critter Cutters:
The Lunch Punch is thicker than a regular cookie cutter, so it can go through a whole sandwich. (You can still use them to make cookies, too!)
I have used them on my girls' toast and sandwiches several times, and they just love them. They can hardly decide which shape they want when I give them the option. The funny thing is, it took them a while to trust that the crusts were indeed cut off...they kept leaving the outside borders, thinking that they couldn't possibly be part of the bread! Now they get the hang of it, though.
You can check out their Lunch Punch website for more information, including some brand-new products:
Vrrrm! transportation shapes:
and Sandwishes:
Coming soon, they even have Landwich continent shapes!
Each set of four costs around $15, with some of the profits going to charities. Although I'm not always in favour of "putting on a show for the kids", toast and sandwiches are quite common around our house, and it doesn't hurt to jazz them up and give the girls a bit more motivation to eat them.
If you're interested in making a purchase, go here to find out how to order Lunch Punch shapes in different countries.
The Lunch Punch is a hit around our house, and will certainly spice up Frannie's school lunches! She'll be the envy of her Junior Kindergarten class!
Disclaimer: I was provided with the above-mentioned products for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.
P.S. On a completely unrelated note, thanks to Kingston Girl for your kind words, and good luck with your Build a Better Blog Challenge! (If you haven't visited her yet, you should!)
Friday, July 23
Take Your Family To Mont Tremblant
You should definitely not take your family to Mont Tremblant. Well, unless you love beautiful scenery and a relaxing atmosphere. Tons of activities for kids and grownups alike. Oh, and great accommodations and fabulous food. I guess if you're in to all of that, you could maybe consider visiting.
My mom retired from teaching this year, and we decided we would take a family trip to celebrate. After weeks of deliberation (in province or out? bring kids or no? weekend or week?) we finally settled on Mont Tremblant, Quebec, a place none of us had ever been. This is a town known primarily for its winter ski scene, but a summer trip can also be fantastic, as we learned.
The photos tell the story better than I ever could:
Here is the gorgeous Cap Tremblant residence where we stayed. Mom and Dad had a one-bedroom unit, and we shared a three-bedroom unit with my brother's family. Check it out - and for less than $200 per family each night. (Warning: the units are NOT air-conditioned, and we went during one of the hottest weeks of the year. Probably the only negative I can think of.)
This was the view from the back:
Even if you're saving your pennies, just walking through the village was beautiful:
I can't review many restaurants, but I can tell you about my sister-in-law's cooking! We actually didn't eat out often, as my brother's wife LOVES to cook, so she looked after most of the meals. There is, however, a wide assortment of food options, both the child-friendly and the high-class.
Dad and I stayed with the kids one evening while the other adults went to the Casino (not really my cup of tea) and the men looked after the little ones when Mom, Ashleigh and I went for massages, which I thought would be a great retirement gift for Mom after so many years of hard work!
Except for the fact that Maggie decided this was the best time to demonstrate to us that she suffers from motion sickness (on the six hour car ride), it was a fantastic trip, and the best part was the time spent together. My girls love to play with my brother's two kids, and the grownups enjoyed time together in the evenings after the kids went to bed, which we never have. We taught my parents a couple of new card games, and my board-game loathing father even played "Battle of the Sexes" with us!
We timed this trip so I could pop in at a friend's baby shower near Montreal on the way home, and that's how we wrapped up our adventure!
Now, if your family is in to skiing, you might prefer to look in to a (more costly?) winter getaway instead, but as far as the ten of us were concerned, our four days in Mont Tremblant were all we could have asked for, and a great value as well.
If you're looking for ideas for travel in Ontario, check out:
Our Family Trip to Toronto
Our Family Trip to London
My mom retired from teaching this year, and we decided we would take a family trip to celebrate. After weeks of deliberation (in province or out? bring kids or no? weekend or week?) we finally settled on Mont Tremblant, Quebec, a place none of us had ever been. This is a town known primarily for its winter ski scene, but a summer trip can also be fantastic, as we learned.
The photos tell the story better than I ever could:
Here is the gorgeous Cap Tremblant residence where we stayed. Mom and Dad had a one-bedroom unit, and we shared a three-bedroom unit with my brother's family. Check it out - and for less than $200 per family each night. (Warning: the units are NOT air-conditioned, and we went during one of the hottest weeks of the year. Probably the only negative I can think of.)
This was the view from the back:
And for the kids...and kids at heart! (There were actually several different pools, including an adult geyser pool, and several hot tubs - my favourite!)
Our residence was a short drive (or shuttle ride) from the actual village of Mont Tremblant. There are other (more expensive and noisier) accommodations right inside the picturesque little village, if you'd rather be closer:
While in the pedestrian village, we did a bit of shopping (some of my favourites included a year-round Christmas store, Roots, and a candy shop), had lunch (just at Casey's, but there are several options) and took the kids on superfun alpine luge rides. (See photo of Daddy and Frannie.) I even did it too, although I have to admit I was a bit brake-happy.
You can also take free gondola rides over the village, or longer, enclosed rides over to the Casino. For an extra price, there's a kids' splash pad, bungee trampolining and rock wall. You could also pay to ride the Panoramic Gondola to the top of the mountain, where you can disembark and check out the view, hike, or even enjoy brunch!
Even if you're saving your pennies, just walking through the village was beautiful:
I can't review many restaurants, but I can tell you about my sister-in-law's cooking! We actually didn't eat out often, as my brother's wife LOVES to cook, so she looked after most of the meals. There is, however, a wide assortment of food options, both the child-friendly and the high-class.
Dad and I stayed with the kids one evening while the other adults went to the Casino (not really my cup of tea) and the men looked after the little ones when Mom, Ashleigh and I went for massages, which I thought would be a great retirement gift for Mom after so many years of hard work!
Except for the fact that Maggie decided this was the best time to demonstrate to us that she suffers from motion sickness (on the six hour car ride), it was a fantastic trip, and the best part was the time spent together. My girls love to play with my brother's two kids, and the grownups enjoyed time together in the evenings after the kids went to bed, which we never have. We taught my parents a couple of new card games, and my board-game loathing father even played "Battle of the Sexes" with us!
We timed this trip so I could pop in at a friend's baby shower near Montreal on the way home, and that's how we wrapped up our adventure!
Now, if your family is in to skiing, you might prefer to look in to a (more costly?) winter getaway instead, but as far as the ten of us were concerned, our four days in Mont Tremblant were all we could have asked for, and a great value as well.
If you're looking for ideas for travel in Ontario, check out:
Our Family Trip to Toronto
Our Family Trip to London
Wednesday, July 21
Read It: The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a few years old (written in 2003), but I just read it for the first time and I was blown away. It's the kind of book-reading experience where you want to keep sneaking away to devour just another few pages.
This novel was our latest book club selection, and tells the story of Lily Owens, a young girl in South Carolina in 1964. She has fuzzy memories of her mother's death years earlier, and suffers varying degrees of abuse from her father. Events cause Lily and her black nanny to escape town, and they head for Tiburon, where they are taken in by May, June and August Boatwright, three black beekeeping sisters who just happen to hold answers to Lily's deepest questions.
I honestly couldn't put this book down, as the story was so compelling and the writing so beautiful. I had already seen the movie, and I usually don't enjoy a book as much if I've seen the movie first, but some of the plot details were fuzzy in my mind, so there were still times I was surprised. I had Dakota Fanning's voice narrating the story in my head, but that's okay.
Some other reviews say it even better than I could:
"It's as if Kidd loaded up a take-home plate with treats, and you said 'Oh, I couldn't', and then scarfed it down in the car on the way home." - Entertainment Weekly
"You'll want to tear through the pages. Restrain yourself. The beautiful language and seamless unfolding of this well-written story deserve more. [It] merits sweet time and savoring." - Southern Living
If you're looking for some terrific summer reading, look no further.
This novel was our latest book club selection, and tells the story of Lily Owens, a young girl in South Carolina in 1964. She has fuzzy memories of her mother's death years earlier, and suffers varying degrees of abuse from her father. Events cause Lily and her black nanny to escape town, and they head for Tiburon, where they are taken in by May, June and August Boatwright, three black beekeeping sisters who just happen to hold answers to Lily's deepest questions.
I honestly couldn't put this book down, as the story was so compelling and the writing so beautiful. I had already seen the movie, and I usually don't enjoy a book as much if I've seen the movie first, but some of the plot details were fuzzy in my mind, so there were still times I was surprised. I had Dakota Fanning's voice narrating the story in my head, but that's okay.
Some other reviews say it even better than I could:
"It's as if Kidd loaded up a take-home plate with treats, and you said 'Oh, I couldn't', and then scarfed it down in the car on the way home." - Entertainment Weekly
"You'll want to tear through the pages. Restrain yourself. The beautiful language and seamless unfolding of this well-written story deserve more. [It] merits sweet time and savoring." - Southern Living
If you're looking for some terrific summer reading, look no further.
Monday, July 19
What To Give a New Mom
When Frannie was born, one of the most special gifts we received was something that wasn't even for her. My friend Anne visited us in the hospital and dropped off a gift bag full of little wrapped items. She explained (or I think wrote in the card) that the gift was for the Mommy (me!) and my instructions were to open one gift each day until they were gone.
I'm a rule-following kind of girl, so instead of tearing everything open, I actually followed the directions, and each morning, no matter how bleary-eyed, I would detour into the walk-in closet where I kept that bag and pull out another item. On those surreal days when I felt like I had a tiny, strange animal attached to my body, it gave me a sense of self to know that there was a little treat waiting just for me.
I can remember magazines, edible goodies, a scented candle, and "sleepy-time bath salts"...which I finally finished just a few months ago. Every time I used them the aroma took me back to those newborn mommy days.
Anne was generous enough to give a gift to Frannie too, but her gift for me has certainly left a lasting impact. That's why I followed suit when my cousin Kerry recently had her first child, an adorable little boy (if you can call 10 lbs 13 oz little!) Here's what I put in her package:
Anyway, Kerry loved it, and if she kept on track, all items are now open and hopefully being enjoyed.
Just wanted to share that idea with all of you!
I'm a rule-following kind of girl, so instead of tearing everything open, I actually followed the directions, and each morning, no matter how bleary-eyed, I would detour into the walk-in closet where I kept that bag and pull out another item. On those surreal days when I felt like I had a tiny, strange animal attached to my body, it gave me a sense of self to know that there was a little treat waiting just for me.
I can remember magazines, edible goodies, a scented candle, and "sleepy-time bath salts"...which I finally finished just a few months ago. Every time I used them the aroma took me back to those newborn mommy days.
Anne was generous enough to give a gift to Frannie too, but her gift for me has certainly left a lasting impact. That's why I followed suit when my cousin Kerry recently had her first child, an adorable little boy (if you can call 10 lbs 13 oz little!) Here's what I put in her package:
- a set of colourful pens
- a little blue lined notebook
- a package of candies
- a tube of Lansinoh cream for nipples (this is a MUST for nursing moms)
- a hair accessory
- some 'milk' moisturizer
- a parenting magazine
- lip balm
- hand sanitizer
- "A Cup of Comfort For New Mothers" book
Anyway, Kerry loved it, and if she kept on track, all items are now open and hopefully being enjoyed.
Just wanted to share that idea with all of you!
Friday, July 16
Head Snugglers: No More Slumping!
When I was approached about reviewing the Head Snuggler, I was intrigued. It's such an original idea: a product to keep little ones' heads from slumping over when sleeping in a carseat or stroller, but I had several questions...plus I wasn't sure what my girls would think of it!
Interested? Well, you could win a Head Snuggler of your own, and more! Follow this link to enter the Biggest Slumper contest, and you could win a Travel Prize Pack worth $250! It includes a $100 gas card, 2 Head Snugglers, a $20 Bugalug gift certificate, The Little Black Book For Busy Families 2010, a nutrition book, a stainless steel baby bottle, a bearview mirror and assorted travel games! There are also 10 individual Head Snugglers to be won. All you have to do to enter is snap a shot of your little slumper, and upload it to the site. The contest ends August 3rd, and entries are low, so it's worth the effort.
What will they think of next?
My sleepy little slumper
As I waited for my Head Snuggler to arrive, I checked out their website, where many of my questions were answered. Yes, it's safe (and there are expert opinions to prove it), and it can be used for children of any age, from an infant seat right through to older kids (it goes over the vehicle's headrest).
I received a chocolate mesh design to try out (there are other colours available), and waited for a long road trip in order to put it to the test. Frannie rarely falls asleep in the car anymore, and we avoid travelling at Maggie's naptime, but the 6 hour trek to Mont-Tremblant was the ticket.
The Snuggler fit over her carseat easily (I had to thread the top strap through a hole in the cotton/spandex fabric), and then I just waited for her to fall asleep. Once she did, I reached back (my husband was driving!) and attempted to pull it down. She woke up and protested. (Remember, she's two.) At one point, half-drowsy, she agreed to it, and even pulled it down over her eyes for a bit, and then promptly pulled it back up. The website suggests that it will take some time for a child to get used to a Snuggler, and I think that's certainly true in Maggie's case.
That said, I think the Head Snuggler is a fantastic, creative idea which solves an age-old parenting problem, and that it's best started on a smaller baby who will adapt, or an older child who gets the idea. It would be a perfect gift for a new mom, or for one of those moms who already has everything. At $20, the price is also right.
What will they think of next?
Thursday, July 15
Kids' Books About Canada Winner!
Congratulations to Maria B. of Vancouver BC who has won four great Scholastic titles:
- You Can't Do That In Canada!
- Crazy Canadian Trivia
- Go Green, Canada!
- 101 Canadian Jokes
Maria's comment was # 27 out of 62 entries, and her number was chosen through random number generation. She said "I love the diversity in Canada!"
Enjoy the books, Maria! Another great Scholastic giveaway coming up next month!
Wednesday, July 14
Laurie Gelman: My Exclusive Momterview
I was very excited recently to have the opportunity to speak with fellow Canadian and former host of The Mom Show, Laurie Gelman. Laurie has two daughters, nine year old Jamie and 5 year old Misha, with her husband Michael Gelman, executive producer of Live With Regis and Kelly. She chatted with me from her family's home in New York City.
This Mom: What's happening for you with work these days?
Laurie Gelman: I'm working for Babycenter.com here in the US, doing their TV appearances, so for example if they pitch a segment to The Today Show, I would go on. I'm going to start blogging for them as well. It's only a part-time job, but I'm happy to be at home with more time to focus on the girls. I got to be the class mom this year, and I could write a book about that!
TM: We don't have class moms anymore. What was your job description?
LG: Organizing the class parties, collecting money for various things, getting the teacher's gift. It's a time suck like you wouldn't believe, but it really gets you into the classroom! {Note to self: I need to suggest the reinstatement of class moms in my school.}
TM: Your husband has a very busy job as well - do the two of you talk shop much at home, or are you able to leave it at the door?
LG: Well, I actually stopped watching the show {Live With Regis and Kelly} a while ago, because I'm just not home at that time of day. We TiVo it, but it's really not part of my day unless he asks me to watch for a particular reason. So when he gets home I'll ask him who was on the show that day, and sometimes he forgets because he's already moved on to planning tomorrow's show!
TM: And what about your work-talk?
LG: Oh, well, he's always full of advice for me and my career! It's actually funny because I've done a few demo segments on the show, and we'll be doing a run-through of, say, a fashion show, and I'll be sitting there quiet. He'll ask why I'm not talking, and I'll say, "Oh, I'm running through what I'll say in my head, I want to be fresh for the show," and he'll say "No, this is my show and I want to know what you're going to say!" So in those moments, he's my producer and not my husband!
TM: I read somewhere that Regis actually played a role in getting you two together. Is that right?
LG: Oh, he likes to say he did. I met the two of them at the same time, when they were down in Miami and I was interviewing Regis, so he was there when we met. You should have heard his speech at our wedding: how he saw the connection, and just knew...and then seven short years later we got engaged!
TM: You grew up in Canada...now that you live in New York, are there things you miss about your home country?
LG: I miss the candies. You can't get Crunchie bars here, or Smarties. {No Smarties? I struggle to listen to the rest of what she has to say, as I try to wrap my mind around a country without Smarties.} Canada has a really special cultural feel. When I get off the plane and head out on the QEW, I just get a feeling like "I'm home". It is such a nice place to live.
TM: I recently did a post on the importance of raising children with a religious faith. You've spoken openly before about converting to Judaism for Michael. Could you tell me a bit about that?
LG: I really wanted us to have a united front, which to me meant taking his name, and agreeing on how to raise the kids. We agreed they should be Jewish, so I made the jump. I think it gives them a strong sense of family when we're all united this way. It plays the biggest role around the holidays, but the Jewish faith is rooted in cultural things; it's not just a religion, so you live the Jewish life every day, even if you only go to Synagogue on holidays. The prevailing sentiment is that you should leave a place better than you found it.
TM: Would it have been a dealbreaker for Michael if you didn't convert?
LG: Well, he intimated that it was a dealbreaker, but that wasn't until five years in to our relationship, so I don't know. He is a man who asks for so little and gives so much, so when he asked me to do this, and I knew it was important to him, I couldn't say no.
TM: You live with your family in Manhattan...which is one of my dream trip destinations. Just for future reference, where are the places you think tourists must go when they're in New York City?
LG: Well, you have to take a run around the reservoir in Central Park. It is one of the most invigorating and beautiful things to do. Walk down 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Centre...oh, and come during the Christmas season...the way they light everything is just magical.
TM: {Do I tell her my winter-visit fear? As a fellow Canadian, will she judge me? I decide to go for it.} I've always heard Christmas is a great time to visit, but I absolutely hate the cold! Shouldn't I come during the summer, so I can really take advantage of all of the sights?
LG: No, you really should come in the winter, and it's actually not that cold! Not as cold as you're thinking...only 40 degrees {believe it or not, I had to Google this conversion - it's about 4 degrees Celsius - might be bearable}, and you really have to skate in Wollman Rink in Central Park. It's amazing the way you can see the skyline while you're skating. And take your kids to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!
TM: Many of my Canadian readers know you from your five season run as cohost of The Mom Show. What was the best thing about doing the show?
LG: More than anything else it made me realize that I wasn't alone in my dysfunction as a mother. Everyone has the same worries, fears and inadequacies. When Jamie was born, I really thought I was going bananas because I had visions of horrible things happening to her. Then I realized that most mothers have those thoughts, and feel like they are bad employees when they're raising their kids, or that they're not paying enough attention to their husbands, or whatever. The show was really a way to make yourself feel better.
TM: What was the worst thing about it?
LG: Being away from my family three days a week! Misha was only a year old when I started, but eventually we trimmed things down so there was only 30 days of shooting in a year. We'd start Monday morning, and I'd leave by noon at Wednesday and be home in time to put the girls in bed, and I only had to do it for ten weeks.
TM: Do you think you'd be doing anything differently in your career right now if you hadn't become a mom?
LG: I'd probably still be covering entertainment! The reason I left The Early Show is because I realized my heart just wasn't in it. I was sitting there interviewing Jude Law, and I was thinking about whether I'd left enough breast milk for Jamie...and then I realized that Jude had stopped talking, I didn't know for how long, and I had no idea what he'd said. Fortunately The Mom Show offer came soon after that!
TM: What do you like to do when you have time to yourself?
LG: Read! I love to read any kind of fiction, historical, whatever. Right now I'm working on the third book in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series.
TM: What about couple time?
LG: We're really an active family, we play tennis, we ski. We love wine, so we'll do wine tastings, and we're both gourmands, so we enjoy a nice dinner out.
TM: When it comes to products, how would you finish the sentence: "This Mom Loves...."
LG: This Mom Loves the ice green tea at Starbucks, venti with three pumps of classic! I love chocolate, but who doesn't? I love Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Jergen's self-tanner, the foam kind that dries in a minute....my splurge is Cle de Peau undereye cover. For the kids, Target is my one-stop shopping. I like Butter sweatshirts for the girls....and Amy's Organic Pizza.
TM: Anything else you'd like my readers to know?
LG: Just that even though I married an American and live here now, I still do love my country and hope to one day move back!
TM: Is Michael aware of this?
LG: Oh, he loves Canada! When he was younger he once wanted to buy land in B.C., so I wouldn't be surprised! Stranger things have happened!
TM: Thanks, Laurie!
This Mom: What's happening for you with work these days?
Laurie Gelman: I'm working for Babycenter.com here in the US, doing their TV appearances, so for example if they pitch a segment to The Today Show, I would go on. I'm going to start blogging for them as well. It's only a part-time job, but I'm happy to be at home with more time to focus on the girls. I got to be the class mom this year, and I could write a book about that!
TM: We don't have class moms anymore. What was your job description?
LG: Organizing the class parties, collecting money for various things, getting the teacher's gift. It's a time suck like you wouldn't believe, but it really gets you into the classroom! {Note to self: I need to suggest the reinstatement of class moms in my school.}
TM: Your husband has a very busy job as well - do the two of you talk shop much at home, or are you able to leave it at the door?
LG: Well, I actually stopped watching the show {Live With Regis and Kelly} a while ago, because I'm just not home at that time of day. We TiVo it, but it's really not part of my day unless he asks me to watch for a particular reason. So when he gets home I'll ask him who was on the show that day, and sometimes he forgets because he's already moved on to planning tomorrow's show!
TM: And what about your work-talk?
LG: Oh, well, he's always full of advice for me and my career! It's actually funny because I've done a few demo segments on the show, and we'll be doing a run-through of, say, a fashion show, and I'll be sitting there quiet. He'll ask why I'm not talking, and I'll say, "Oh, I'm running through what I'll say in my head, I want to be fresh for the show," and he'll say "No, this is my show and I want to know what you're going to say!" So in those moments, he's my producer and not my husband!
Michael, Jamie, Misha and Laurie
TM: I read somewhere that Regis actually played a role in getting you two together. Is that right?
LG: Oh, he likes to say he did. I met the two of them at the same time, when they were down in Miami and I was interviewing Regis, so he was there when we met. You should have heard his speech at our wedding: how he saw the connection, and just knew...and then seven short years later we got engaged!
TM: You grew up in Canada...now that you live in New York, are there things you miss about your home country?
LG: I miss the candies. You can't get Crunchie bars here, or Smarties. {No Smarties? I struggle to listen to the rest of what she has to say, as I try to wrap my mind around a country without Smarties.} Canada has a really special cultural feel. When I get off the plane and head out on the QEW, I just get a feeling like "I'm home". It is such a nice place to live.
TM: I recently did a post on the importance of raising children with a religious faith. You've spoken openly before about converting to Judaism for Michael. Could you tell me a bit about that?
LG: I really wanted us to have a united front, which to me meant taking his name, and agreeing on how to raise the kids. We agreed they should be Jewish, so I made the jump. I think it gives them a strong sense of family when we're all united this way. It plays the biggest role around the holidays, but the Jewish faith is rooted in cultural things; it's not just a religion, so you live the Jewish life every day, even if you only go to Synagogue on holidays. The prevailing sentiment is that you should leave a place better than you found it.
TM: Would it have been a dealbreaker for Michael if you didn't convert?
LG: Well, he intimated that it was a dealbreaker, but that wasn't until five years in to our relationship, so I don't know. He is a man who asks for so little and gives so much, so when he asked me to do this, and I knew it was important to him, I couldn't say no.
Misha and Jamie Gelman
TM: You live with your family in Manhattan...which is one of my dream trip destinations. Just for future reference, where are the places you think tourists must go when they're in New York City?
LG: Well, you have to take a run around the reservoir in Central Park. It is one of the most invigorating and beautiful things to do. Walk down 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Centre...oh, and come during the Christmas season...the way they light everything is just magical.
TM: {Do I tell her my winter-visit fear? As a fellow Canadian, will she judge me? I decide to go for it.} I've always heard Christmas is a great time to visit, but I absolutely hate the cold! Shouldn't I come during the summer, so I can really take advantage of all of the sights?
LG: No, you really should come in the winter, and it's actually not that cold! Not as cold as you're thinking...only 40 degrees {believe it or not, I had to Google this conversion - it's about 4 degrees Celsius - might be bearable}, and you really have to skate in Wollman Rink in Central Park. It's amazing the way you can see the skyline while you're skating. And take your kids to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!
TM: Many of my Canadian readers know you from your five season run as cohost of The Mom Show. What was the best thing about doing the show?
LG: More than anything else it made me realize that I wasn't alone in my dysfunction as a mother. Everyone has the same worries, fears and inadequacies. When Jamie was born, I really thought I was going bananas because I had visions of horrible things happening to her. Then I realized that most mothers have those thoughts, and feel like they are bad employees when they're raising their kids, or that they're not paying enough attention to their husbands, or whatever. The show was really a way to make yourself feel better.
TM: What was the worst thing about it?
LG: Being away from my family three days a week! Misha was only a year old when I started, but eventually we trimmed things down so there was only 30 days of shooting in a year. We'd start Monday morning, and I'd leave by noon at Wednesday and be home in time to put the girls in bed, and I only had to do it for ten weeks.
Laurie with Mom Show cohost Catherine Marion
LG: I'd probably still be covering entertainment! The reason I left The Early Show is because I realized my heart just wasn't in it. I was sitting there interviewing Jude Law, and I was thinking about whether I'd left enough breast milk for Jamie...and then I realized that Jude had stopped talking, I didn't know for how long, and I had no idea what he'd said. Fortunately The Mom Show offer came soon after that!
TM: What do you like to do when you have time to yourself?
LG: Read! I love to read any kind of fiction, historical, whatever. Right now I'm working on the third book in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series.
TM: What about couple time?
LG: We're really an active family, we play tennis, we ski. We love wine, so we'll do wine tastings, and we're both gourmands, so we enjoy a nice dinner out.
TM: When it comes to products, how would you finish the sentence: "This Mom Loves...."
LG: This Mom Loves the ice green tea at Starbucks, venti with three pumps of classic! I love chocolate, but who doesn't? I love Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Jergen's self-tanner, the foam kind that dries in a minute....my splurge is Cle de Peau undereye cover. For the kids, Target is my one-stop shopping. I like Butter sweatshirts for the girls....and Amy's Organic Pizza.
TM: Anything else you'd like my readers to know?
LG: Just that even though I married an American and live here now, I still do love my country and hope to one day move back!
TM: Is Michael aware of this?
LG: Oh, he loves Canada! When he was younger he once wanted to buy land in B.C., so I wouldn't be surprised! Stranger things have happened!
TM: Thanks, Laurie!
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