Donny and Marie Named Hosts of NBC Special America's Favorite Mom

Stop the presses!  Just found out that my favorite 70's brother and sister duo have just been named hosts of NBC's upcoming America's Favorite Mom special, sponsored by Teleflora and Redbook Magazine.  You might recall that we blogged about this competition a few months back - family members and friends can nominate their favorite moms and America votes on who they think should win the coveted title.  As soon as word got out about this competition, my own parents whipped into action down in Boynton Beach and while it took them 2 months to figure out how to upload a photo, little old me, Beth F. from Scarsdale, NY was nominated on the site.  Now here's the bad news...

I think I've only received about 10 votes - all of them from my parents.  So it looks like I'll never get my moment in the sun crooning with Donny and Marie.  Oh, what a thrill it would have been to have chimed in on "I'm a Little Bit Country."  

Guess there's always next year. Now back to details on the special - the contest is still not over, visit www.americasfavoritemom.com right now to cast your vote (that's right Beth F. from Scarsdale, NY is among the thousands of candidates).  Then on May 11, tune in to NBC to watch who wins.  They're also presenting awards to moms in all different categories so if you haven't been nominated yet, tell your family to get their butts in gear.

For more information on the television special and the America's Favorite Mom Contest, click here.

Love Our Children USA

Over the last few years, I have had the honor to be a part of a wonderful organization, Love Our Children USA, the non-profit leader dedicated to strengthening families by breaking the cycle of violence against children.  The organization's founder, Ross Ellis has become a dear friend of mine and while she was never able to have children of her own, she has the biggest heart I have ever known.  She works tirelessly to protect children from issues like cyberbullying to child abuse, to suicide prevention to offering positive parenting resources to those in need of advice or support.

Yesterday, Ross spearheaded a wonderful event called National Love Our Children Day.  Held at Spotlight Live on Broadway in NYC, the event attracted several personalities, including host Cameron Mathison (All My Children & former Dancing with the Stars alum), the Today Show's Meredith Vieira, Tru TV's Ashleigh Banfield, actor Frank Grillo, Menudo, The Dey and many more!  

The event featured a slew of wonderful activities for kids - from a Kea & Joby kids fashion show - Cameron's wife Vanessa is the creator of this adorable fashion line; to karaoke with celebrities - it was a riot watching Meredith, Ashleigh and Frank sing "Dancing Queen," there was fun comedy improv for kids, a performance by Menudo that got all the girls on their feet (and some moms too), face painting and tons of karaoke with kids.  To catch a clip of Meredith crooning "Achy Breaky Heart," visit MomLogic.

In fact, my own daughter even had the chance to get her moment on stage when she and her friend Samantha sang "Fabulous" for the crowd.  And, the performance even appeared on the Jumbotron in Times Square!

For those who couldn't attend the event, there's also an online auction going on right now until April 14 at CharityFolks.com.  If you want the chance to bid on the chance for a dance lesson with Cameron Mathison, tickets to the season finale of "Dancing with the Stars," producer tickets to "American Idol" and much much more, then visit Charity Folks today and start bidding!  To find out more about Love Our Children USA and the incredible work they are doing to honor, protect and respect children and families nationwide, then click here - there's a great original song on the site from the new group Naturally Seven so pay a visit and if you can, make a donation to this incredible charity.  

Check Out Letter Ice!

Role Mommy receives lots of emails all day long from people and companies pitching their products and I love it when I receive something that I know will be a instant hit with parents and kids. And that's what happened when the founder of Letter Ice sent over some pics of their ingenious product. What better way to get kids to learn their letters and numbers than by putting in an ice tray!

The founder of this company initially tried it out with a creative marriage proposal, spelling Will You Marry Me in ice and realized that it would be a perfect product for parents and kids. If you want to order the product today visit Letter Ice now and tell them Role Mommy sent you!

In the Heights - Amazing New Musical!

I'm feeling incredibly indulgent this weekend.  My husband and I are having date night on Friday and Saturday and to be perfectly honest, while the kids may be torturing the babysitter, we're having the time of our lives!  Last night, we had the chance to go see a brand new musical on Broadway called "In the Heights."   The show has been receiving rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times to Time Magazine and critics are saying "In the Heights" could even be the next "Rent." Well, as someone who first saw "Rent" when she was as young as some of the cast members (no I'm not eligible for disability but I'm starting to feel a bit outdated), the theater critics are right on the money and then some.

"In the Heights" was conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda who also wrote the music and lyrics and stars in the lead role as Usnavi, a Washington Heights deli owner who struggles to keep his business afloat as he longs to return to his family's home in the Dominican Republic.   Miranda is an incredible talent who has managed to combine traditional musical theater with hip hop and rap and has kept audiences mesmerized with his lyrics, talents and heartfelt performance.  You can tell he put his life into the project and he shines throughout.

I'll wax poetic about the other actors in a minute, but what was also nice about our experience was that we got the chance to sit next to a very sweet couple whose great niece, Rosi Lani Fiedelman is a dancer in the play and they were on the edge of their seat waiting to watch her make her Broadway debut and even though I didn't know her, I was cheering right along with them.  Incidentally, the dancing is great too and makes you want to enroll in a few salsa classes! 

Now why is this show great for moms?  Simple - it's a generational musical that shows you how the decisions and dreams you pursue in your life can impact your future.  As the characters struggle to forge an identity in a neighborhood on the brink of transition, we watch as each of them confronts a major turning point in their life as they turn to family and friends to help guide and protect them.

The performances from this tight-nit ensemble cast captured every emotion under the sun and had me laughing and shedding tears by the end.  Isn't that the measure of a perfect show?  From Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) who has spent her life watching over families and friends living and working on the block, to Daniela, the sharp-tongued hair salon owner played by Andrea Rubin who instantly lit up the stage with her voice and picture perfect comedic timing, to the gorgeous voices of Karen Olivo (Vanessa) and Mandy Gonzalez (Nina) to top notch performances by Christopher Jackson, Robin DeJesus and veteran actors Priscilla Lopez and Carlos Gomez, "In the Heights" is the kind of musical, that you can see over and over again - just like theater-goers did more than a decade ago when "Rent" first debuted on Broadway.  

Watching "In the Heights" made me take stock in the decisions I've made in my own life when I graduated high school and had big visions of becoming a writer and one day performing on Broadway.  Well, at least one of my dreams is finally being followed at the moment and the other...well, you never do know what the future may bring - but if you follow the message of "In the Heights" it's important you hold onto your dreams as long as you share them with family and friends.  

To watch a preview or to order tickets to "In the Heights" Click Here.

Date Night or Moms Night Out at Simply Italy!

Now here's an amazing way to spend an evening with your significant other or your best girlfriends. Thanks to TravelingMom, my hubby and I had the chance to take an incredible cooking class through Select Italy, a company that offers cooking classes at a SoHo Loft in New York City (on Bowery Street) and in Chicago too. 

But this is not just your average cooking class.  Select Italy has partnered with Eatalian - a company based in Italy that supplies top chefs who fly into both cities to teach culinary afficionados how to make fratelli, gnocchi, grilled lamb, mouth-watering desserts and more!  The owner of that company, Chef Andrea Tiberi, led our class and was absolutely phenomenal!

Plus, once you finish cooking each course, you get to sit down at a cozy dining room table and mingle with the other attendees as you sample delicious Italian red and white wines along the way.  Once you're ready to leave, Select Italy presents you with recipes for everything you cooked that night so that you can attempt to re-create it at home and impress friends and family.  And if you really love your Italian cooking experience, Select Italy can arrange an unbelievable vacation for you to Italy where you'll stay at the best hotels, visit top restaurants and wineries.  I personally love their Italian vacation in a Ferrari but I don't think we'll be doing that anytime soon unless Ferrari comes out with a minivan version.

So if you're looking for something fun to do with your partner or your friends, then take a cooking class with Select Italy - trust us you'll be raving about your experience in no time!

Win Duracell Rechargeable Batteries!!!

If you're an avid Role Mommy reader then you may have remembered a few months back when I ranted about the fact that every toy my kids received over the holidays required batteries and a few days after everything was all juiced up, the batteries would inevitably give out and the toy pretty much never worked again. 

Well, thanks to the folks at Duracell, I don't need to buy new batteries anymore! No, I haven't won a lifetime supply of batteries (although that would be nice), they've now got rechargeable batteries that come in its own charger and the first five people to send us their mailing address will win one for themselves!  Just think - your digital camera won't give out anymore right when your kids finally give you that perfect pose and that annoying spiderman crawling action figure can creep all over your house for hours of uninterrupted fun.

So don't delay - send us your address to beth@rolemommy.com and your family could wind up winner!

To return to Role Mommy, click here.

College Roadtrip

Took the kids to see College Roadtrip today and I have to say, it was a really cute film.  I have to admit, I've loved Raven Simone since she was a little cutie patootie on "The Cosby Show."  Today, she is such a great role model for young girls and it is so refreshing to see her as an intelligent young woman attempting to get into Georgetown University in Washington D.C. while her dad (Martin Lawrence) tries to steer her toward Northwestern, since it's only 45 minutes from her home.  While the film was perfect for kids (the pig was a favorite of my son's); I personally loved the relationship shared by Lawrence and Simone.  

While we laughed our way through the film (Donny Osmond is over the top hysterical), there were some tear jerker moments at the end that made me think about the fact that while my daughter is only 8, time flies so fast and by the time we turn around, she too will one day be contemplating her college future.  In fact, after the movie, I asked if she'd go away to school when she's older and she firmly announced that she wanted to stay close to home.  Somehow I think she'll be changing her tune in 10 years but for now, she's still my little girl and I'm going to enjoy every moment I have with her and my son!

So if you're planning on going to see College Road Trip, it gets the official Role Mommy thumbs up!

Dapper Tags

Here's a great find for new moms who find themselves leaving the house with all the essentials they'll need to take care of baby.  Now there's no reason for you to forget extra diapers, wipes, formula, a camera and more!  With Dapper Tags, all you need to do is attach your list of essentials to your diaper bag and you'll never find yourself leaving home empty handed.  The tags come in lots of stylish colors and are simple to use, so order your dapper tags today - your baby will thank you for it!

Role Mommy Giveaway Central

Our good friends at Nickelodeon have just given Role Mommy readers the chance to win the latest DVD release of The Backyardigans:  Tale of the Mighty Knights which just arrived at stores nationwide!  This latest DVD takes your kids back to the days of chivalry in pursuit of King Pablo's runaway egg.  A rock opera soundtrack follows knights Uniqua and Tyrone as they encounter a grabbing goblin, a mischievous fairy and a mighty baby Dragon, in their greatest escapade yet! 

If you want to win a copy of the DVD, send us a product review or funny story to beth@rolemommy.com.  If we post it on our site, we'll ship the DVD right out to you.  So get cracking and send in your story or review - your kids will be thrilled you did!

Here at Role Mommy, we pride ourselves on finding great books for busy moms to read. For the most part, when we receive a book that we love, we instantly write about it (or we eventually write about it when we have a free moment). So when this new book arrived with its adorable cover, we were completely bowled over the moment we started reading it.

In Rebel without a Minivan, the fabulously gifted syndicated humor writer Tracy Beckerman shares an incredible collection of essays on what it's like to be a former city slicker living life in the burbs with her two kids, husband and a dog. No matter which story you select, you'll find yourself laughing out loud and completely relating to Tracy's identity crisis as she leaves a television career behind for the road less glamourous - living in a town filled with soccer moms, loads of laundry and minivans. While there are dozens of humor books available today about moms juggling the demands of family, Rebel without a Minivan is a gem and a Role Mommy must-read for anyone in need of a good laugh! Click on the Amazon link today to buy a copy and visit Tracy's website, Lost in Surburbia to sign up for her weekly column. Tracy has also been a contributor to Role Mommy for many years and every time she gives us a story, she has us rolling in the aisles!

Award-winning Storyteller Launches New Website

We've just found a terrific site for preschoolers and kids on the road to reading.  At The Story Home, get ready to be entertained by San Francisco storyteller Alan Scofield.   Scofield is an accomplished actor who has entertained thousands of Bay Area kids and is now taking his storytelling talents worldwide.  On the site, you can listen to a host of fabulous stories and even download them right to your Ipod.  From animals, to holidays, to original tales, The Story Home will have your kids mesmerized.  Alan's stories are perfect for bedtime, so if you're kids are in the mood to kick back and escape to a faraway land, then click here and pay a visit to The Story Home! 

Sign Up for New Contest to Nominate America's Favorite Mom!

It's time to mobilize your family and get them to cast their votes. But it's not a vote for president we're after - oh, no this one is way more important. Role Mommy just found out that Teleflora, Redbook and NBC have teamed up to search for America's Favorite Mom and as my mom feverishly fills out the application but can't figure out how to upload a photo of me, we are wasting precious time!

So as I miss out on being entered into the fabulous competition, it's time you Role Mommies out there get motivated, convince your savvy eight year old to record a video message or have your husband nominate you. Who knows, if you win you can wind up in Redbook Magazine, or on the Today Show or on an NBC reality show and you an even have a flower named after you! And that's not all. There are cash prizes too! If you submit your application for Most Humorous Mom before February 29, you can win $5000!!! Then, from March 1-March 31, they'll be looking for the Most Inspiring Mom and then all you former cheerleaders and prom queens can lobby for the coveted spot of Most Popular Mom from April 1-April 25! And trust me, you want to enter this round. The most popular mom wins $25,000!

Plus, the winning mom from each day will be featured on a grand finale one-hour primetime NBC television special airing on Mother's Day, May 11, 2008 at 7pm, ET. At the end of the program, a celebrity host will crown one mom "America's Favorite Mom" showering her with thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, including an 18K gold, heart-shaped pendant trimmed with dazzling diamonds and a rose named in her honor. Hmmm....the Beth Flower...or the Feldman Flower or the Beth Alyse...has a nice ring to it. I better hop off and teach my mom how to upload photos! Times a wasting! And I'm certainly not the most popular mom, but people do tell me I'm funny! If you want to nominate a mom for this amazing contest, visit America's Favorite Mom today!

Three Lovelies Recommends...Great Fashion Discounts

So yes, we all agree that the cold winter weather gets old quickly. While we welcome the chilly temperatures during the holiday season (who doesn’t love a winter wonderland?!), as soon as New Year’s Day arrives, we’re ready for it to go away! The good news is that the post-holiday months are full of amazing sales. Now that retail stores are getting ready for Spring, you can cash in on some great winter discounts. Keep in mind, we still have at least two more months of cold weather! Below are a few leads to get you started, so let the discount shopping begin! 1. Bluefly.com – a winter coat extravaganza, items from designers including Tocca, Michael Kors and Via Spiga are between 50-75% off. My favorites include the Via Spiga black bouclé Melara wide collar coat and the Kenneth Cole Reaction beige wool plaid trenchcoat, this is a sale you can’t miss! Via Spiga Melara Kenneth Cole Reaction beige wool plaid trench coat 2. Anthropologie.com – winter accessories are supposed to be fun, they add a splash of color to an otherwise monotone winter weather ensemble. Choose from great hats, scarves and gloves (all on sale!) including a twinkle beret, ice princess mittens and the challah scarf. Twinkle Beret Ice Princess Mittens Challah Scarf 3. Piperlime.com – with a wide selection of shoes, great discounts and a price match guarantee – what’s not to love about this site! For those with limited time (which is pretty much everyone reading this!), shop by brand, size, width, color or price to shave some minutes off your shopping experience. Whether you’re looking for a great deal on boots or a hot pair of heels for a special occasion, there’s no doubt that you’ll find a least a few pairs that you love. 4. ThreeLovelies.com – suede, patents and textured materials are not only big for the winter season, but are universal enough to keep in your closet for years to come. ThreeLovelies.com is currently offering 25% off all bags, my top picks include the gorgeous chocolate suede day clutch by Aleya NY and the exquisite red python tote by Deepa Gurnani (also perfect for Valentine’s Day!). Aleya NY chocolate suede day clutch Deepa Gurnani red python tote 5. Nordstrom.com – this is an AMAZING sale with items between 33%-70% off! You may need to dedicate a bit of time to perusing this sale, there is a ton to choose from. Highlights from the sale include the Laundry by Design Front Tie Sweater at 60% off, the Theory Judyanne - Metallic Shift Dress at 40% off and the BCBGMAXAZRIA Wide Leg Pinstripe Pants at 40%. Whether you’re looking for work or weekend, this sale is definitely one to checkout! Laundry by Design Front Tie Sweater Theory Judyanne - Metallic Shift Dress BCBGMAXAZRIA Wide Leg Pinstripe Pants