I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter break. My family is definitely enjoying the time off from our normal routine. We’re hiking with our pit bull Cocoa, watching too much HGTV and Gossip Girl, cooking, sleeping late, playing tennis and seeing friends.
Our family started the holiday season with a holiday party we co-hosted at our home with my fabulous friend Jessica Gottlieb (some of you probably read her popular blog). When Jessica and I realized we’re both friends with the same inspiring mom whose 11 year-old son is battling Leukemia, we decided to host a party to raise money for our friend’s huge expenses that aren’t covered by insurance (hospital parking, tutors for a year of missed school… and so much more) as her son continues his multi-year chemotherapy treatment. Los Angeles is a big city, but for one night we brought together a “village” for our friend who was deeply touched by the outpouring of generosity. We raised $5,500, including a contribution from Beyond The Brochure. You can see the photos and read about this very special party here.
Gratitude extends to all of you who read this blog and buy the book! Thank you!
We went to see my daughter’s first performance in the Viewpoint middle school Jazz Band. Wow! The band opened the Holiday Concert with jazzy versions of Winter Wonderland and Frosty The Snowman. All those hours and hours my daughter spent practicing the guitar, taking lessons, learning the songs, getting to the 7:00 a.m. class every week were so worth it. I’m waiting for the DVD since I didn’t take any photos. The band was amazing!
If you have a kid who plays club sports, you know that tournaments are year-round so we’ve been in Orange County for the past two weeks for basketball tournaments. My son loves sports, plays hard and doesn’t get rattled when his team loses (huge losses both weekends). I love his competitive spirit and good sportsmanship.
Here are some good reads from around the web:
Time’s Up For Time Out. A discussion of parenting discipline techniques through the decades in The Atlantic.
Trying To Make Mom Friends Is The Worst. Like the author, I too underestimated how hard it was/is to make mom friends. But, when the stars align, really great mom friends are everything. In New York Magazine.
The Last Thing I Expected People To Say About My Daughter. If you’re a mom who had kids later in life i.e. your mid-late 30s, did anybody ever ask if you’re their grandmother? This has never happened to me (thankfully!). One mom writes about her experience being mistaken for her daughter’s grandmother and her husband the grandfather. On Mom.me
If you haven’t checked out the hilarious (ficticious) Los Feliz Daycare on Twitter, it’s a must-read. Here’s one very funny Tweet. #Repost: 
Let’s be social! Like Beyond The Brochure on Facebook. We post a lot of stuff on Facebook that’s not on the blog! Are you more the email type? Get our posts in your in box by subscribing (enter your email in the “subscribe” box on the right sidebar of the blog. Or, buy the Second Edition of our book at Amazon.com or your local bookstores!
