July 2011 - The Culture Mom

29Jul

Summer Travel Read: Those Who Saved Us

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Do you ever buy a book that appeals to you immensely but sits inside a drawer of your night table for months until you pull it out, remembering how wonderful the back copy and cover looked in the book store when you bought it? I suppose it was a year ago that I picked up Those Who Saved Us by Jenna Blum. Maybe not quite so long, but it bothered me for a long time that I wasn't reading it. I knew in my heart it was a book that would hold meaning for me on so many levels. Like the author, I helped interview Holocaust survivors with the Shoah Read More

26Jul

NYC Giveaway: The Ohmies – Win a Family Pack

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By popular demand, performances of THE OHMIES: MORNING WISH GARDEN – an exceptional all-new theatrical experience for pre-schoolers now playing at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at 416 West 42nd Street in New York City – have been extended through September 25. Tickets are on sale now at the box office and atwww.ticketcentral.com. Kids ages 3 through 8 will dance, stretch and giggle during THE OHMIES: MORNING WISH GARDEN as their new BFFs -- Bella Butterfly and Carlin Caterpillar – take them on an engaging journey to wake up Mr. Sun so that their garden Read More

24Jul

Summer Travel Read: Visit from the Goon Squad

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I always take several novels when we go on holiday. It used to be impossible to get much reading done, but now that the kids are slightly older, it's getting easier. One of the novels I took on our recent trip was A Visit from the Goon Squad, the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner, by Jennifer Egan. My book club actually chose it for our next meeting in September (August is a vacation month for most people), but it was pure coincidence that they chose it as I was already midway through the book when they made the selection. As much as I enjoyed the book, I'm Read More

23Jul

Sympathy for Amy Winehouse

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This afternoon I was lying sick in bed, tapping away on the computer, briefly noting the tweets flashing at the top of my screen, when one made me look up in disbelief: "Amy Winehouse reported dead in her home at age 27." I quickly went online to see if the rumor was true and couldn't find anything. For several minutes, there was nothing reported, so I thought it was another of those Twitter fake death rumors. Then Huffington Post released an update reporting her death, and then all the news outlets began to follow their lead. Surprisingly, CNN was Read More

23Jul

Two Great London Spots with Kids

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One of the best things about London (there are so many) is that all its museums are free. So, true, while London is not a cheap city, this is one of the many perks about it (others being its amazing architecture, theater, shopping, parks - shall I go on?). Not only are the museums are free, but they are some of the finest in the world. May they continue to be free so that everyone who lives and visits can continue to visit and explore each one. London's Science Museum is no exception - it is indeed magnificent.It was founded in 1857 as part of the Read More

23Jul

FREE NYC: B&N and Books for Kids Storytime Fitness Event

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How can you combine reading, advocacy, kids and fun? The Culture Mom is about giving back, and this is a perfect example, especially when your kids are involved., and this event is a terrific example. Barnes and Noble and Book for Kids, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy among children, with a special emphasis on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged kids, would like to invite you to attend A Storytime Fitness Event, a fun-filled day of readings, fitness, and games at Barnes and Noble on the Upper East Side, TOMORROW on Sunday, July 24th, Read More

22Jul

Bella’s Chinese New Year: A Cultural Literary Experience for Your Child

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When my virtual friend, Stacey Zolt Hara, asked me to review her new children's book, I was honored. Stacey is one of my favorite tweeters, as she's always tweeting about travel, something she clearly lives for and loves as much as I do. She is constantly retweeting my articles as we clearly have a lot in common, particularly the fact that we are moms with a zest for life who want to show our kids the world and, in turn, we see it through their own eyes. Her book is called, Bella's Chinese New Year, and I suspect it is based on the real life Bella, Read More

22Jul

Our Visit to the London Museum of Jewish Life

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I'm very interested in Jewish life around the world, so on our recent visit to London when my kids and had just a few hours to do some exploring, I led them to the city's Jewish Museum called the London Museum of Jewish Life. Located in one of my favorite London neighborhoods, Camden, it was rather easy for us to get to from our hotel in Belsize Park in an old Victorian building. The museum was founded in 1983 as the Museum of the Jewish East End with the aim of rescuing and preserving the disappearing heritage of London's East End – the heartland of Read More

21Jul

Tips for Taking Your Kids Abroad

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Every year when I return from an international trip with kids, I feel charged up. I love showing them faraway places. To be able to say we're in a place with thousands of years of history is energizing. To be able to show them castles, cathedrals and synagogues from the 19th century is quite a thrill for me. My husband and refuse to give up our love for travel because we have kids. Rather we embrace the fact that we do and take them to far away places whole- heartedly. I jotted down a quick few notes on my recent trip, to remind myself and you to Read More