01Apr

On Saying “No”: Disney Social Media Moms Conference

disney

I've been blogging for five years now and every year I've quietly hoped to be invited to a blogging conference called Disney Social Media Moms. It's a very big deal in the social media community, or seems to be. Besides getting an opportunity to delve into the world of social media with other women for a weekend, you get to bring your family along to experience Walt Disney World in a very magical way with Disney as host. When I didn't make the cut the first year, I thought I'd make it eventually. But when I didn't make the cut the next year, I began to Read More

12Sep

LiveHealth Online: A New App that Helps Simplify Parents’ Lives

livinghealthonlinecollage

Last week my daughter and I got treated to a very special "health" day by the wonderful women at Cool Mom Picks. She was treated to a cooking class; I was treated to an afternoon sipping mimosas and learning about a new app, LiveHealth Online, that can, quite simply, create healthier, safer lives. With the click of a button, you can have access to a physician who can advise, prescribe medication and help you save time and worry. The event was held at Havens Kitchen in New York City, a beautiful space dedicated to the preparation and enjoyment of yummy, Read More

31Jul

Welcome to My Mid-Life Blog Crisis

midlifeblogcrisis

Well, if you've been paying attention to my streams as of late, you might have noticed some serious changes taking place. In the course of six months, I changed the name of this blog to The Culture Tripper, changed it back to The Culture Mom, started a new site The Holly Chronicles which I've since shelved and done some irreversible damage to my social media channels. What was my reason for my midlife blog crisis? The reason? Couldn't really tell you other than the fact that I must have had a mid-life crisis and taken it out on the Internet! In all Read More

30Apr

Ch…Ch….Changes are Coming!

changes

  Sorry for the change of name and silence this week. Let me explain what happened. I've been talking about rebranding for quite a while. I started another new blog in the process (TheHollyChronicles) but have since realized that this site is more important. Eager to change the name, I finally came up with a good fit: THE CULTURE TRIPPER. After months of hemming and hawing, I told my designer to make the change while I was recently out of town...on a cruise ship! When I saw the changeover while sailing the seas, I freaked out. It's no one's Read More

13Apr

Blog Hopping: Why I Write

Write what you love

I have always loved to write. I thrived in Honors English Classes in high school, writing short stories and poetry and was on the editorial team of the school newspaper. I went on to major in Journalism in college and spent some time in the CNN newsroom before moving to NYC to work in television programming and production. Eventually, I ended up working in publishing where my writing skills really came into play. But it wasn't until I started blogging that I truly captured my journalistic spirit, returning to my roots in writing. From travel to culture Read More

21Mar

How NOT to Pitch a Blogger

How NOT to Pitch a Blogger

The amount of pitches that land in my inbox is often overwhelming and...wrong.  I don’t mean to complain. I am grateful that I am even considered by publicists in my 4th year of blogging and when the right one lands at my fingertips, I am thrilled. I know when I get a pitch that is right for me. It’s generally when I can tell my blog has been sought out for a reason, usually because the person at the other end of the pitch understands my niche and knows what works here on The Culture Mom or beyond in my freelance writing world. I have written about Read More

16Oct

A Two-Faced Martha Stewart

marthastewart

I just went through my inbox and counted nearly half a dozen pitches that I've received from Martha Stewart's people over the past few years. Over and over, I have explained to her publicists that I'm a culture and travel writer and that my niche does not include anything remotely domesticated or crafty. But their pitches keep coming, with constant requests to attend events and this question is asked of me regularly: "Can I send you hi-res images and you can post about the line?" Since these people are associated with the Martha Stewart brand, I've been Read More

01Jan

Evolving and Entering 2013

2012/2013

I'm determined to reflect and write an account of 2012, as I do every year. It helps to think about my achievements, as I am ending the year on a bit of a low.  I wasn't sure why I feel this way around this time of year until I saw this tweet from one of my favorite writers and actresses, Lena Duham, and realized I'm not the only one: Then I realized that if she, the queen of everything creative and successful, can feel this way, I'm not a total loser.  I have so much to look forward to in 2013 and I need to focus on the good in my life.  I'm at a Read More

26Nov

Time to Rebrand

Screen Shot 2012-11-26 at 10.35.56 PM

When I started to conceptualize this blog in late 2009, I spent months agonizing over everything.  The URL, the logo, the content, my writing.  I was not technical in the slightest.  I remember starting out on Blogger.com and writing my first post.   I remember thinking, what do I have to say?  I wanted to start a travel blog, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to travel enough.  And then this came out, my first blog, titled "No...Wire...Hangerrrs!" Joan Crawford said it in the classic film “Mommy Dearest”. We never forgot it. Such a great line. Read More

27Sep

Thank god for mothers.

Screen shot 2012-09-26 at 11.58.03 PM

Last week when I was asked to guest blog over at the Katie Couric Show, there was no way I could refuse.  The guest was Barbra Streisand, a Hollywood icon and someone who's music, movies and career I've followed my whole life (haven't we all?).  Fortunately, I was able to step out of my everyday life and spend the afternoon in the studio and witness an hour with Barbra.  I spent some time in the green room, avoided the lines to get into the show (bypassing the 2,000 on the waiting list) and was captured in a photo with Katie Couric herself after the show Read More