Happy Birthday Dr. Suess!

Published on Monday, March 3rd, 2014

Who doesn’t remember how exciting it was to read their first Dr. Seuss story? In honor of that spirit, I am joining a crew of kindergarteners on Tuesday to celebrate the good doctor’s birthday with lots of cool activities from PBS Kids. You can have your own party at home while watching the new episodes of The Cat in the Hat knows a Lot About That! starting Monday morning!


The REAL New Year has started, finally…

Published on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014



I can’t ever get my act together in the New Year until I get through the PBS Winter Press Tour, which, for me is a biannual week of joining my fellow PBS Kids VIPs together with the Television Critics Association to review the new season’s offerings from PBS. Yesterday I hugged Abby Cadaby, Count von Count, Elmo, and Cookie Monster, heard about how we are all descended from fish, and enjoyed an amazing panel of TV nostalgia that is still making me smile from ear to ear, including George Takei, Jimmie Walker, Ray Romano, THE Bob Newhart (especially near and dear to my heart, since our chance encounter in the Bel Air Camera parking lot).

As always, the tour inspires me with the collection of what are truly treasures of talent – people who do what they were meant to do, and are the BEST at it. Which brings me to the final session of the day – the inimitable Kristin Chenoweth. I have always loved her in everything she does, but seeing her live is indescribable. It’s hard to believe that this 4′ 11″ beauty could emit the sound that this woman can – she literally blew us away with old standards and a few of her own favorites. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

I’m still basking in the sensory feast, and look forward to seeing all the great new shows – watch your local PBS affiliate listings, and – HAPPY NEW YEAR!


For the Love of Cookie, it’s Season 44 on Sesame Street!

Published on Sunday, September 15th, 2013

I have been saving this fun video I took at the PBS Press Tour in August so I can share it in celebration of the newest season on Sesame Street – welcome number 44! The Critter, Cookie, and I talk about cookies, family, friends, neighbors, and…self control. Noting how quickly we can point to a good bakery, we need a little help in this area.


Counting Blessings at Summer’s End

Published on Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Thank you all for all your kindnesses, comforting comments and private messages with regard to my last post. Your support really has helped me to get back to the business of being me and taking care of my family. In loading these photos that might have been posted back in June, I realize how much we pack into a short time, and we have MANY more happy occasions to report on than sad.
I would say that the ultimate highlight of the season was the marriage of my beautiful friend Tammi Jones to the handsome Michael Tanaka of Atlanta. Tammi, being the elegant event planner that she is, hosted one of the most beautiful and FUN weddings I have attended in my life. Beyond the gorgeous setting at he foot of the Hollywood Hills was the kickass DJ, delectable dinner and adorable kids’ table – we danced the night away with some of my bffs and took home memories for a lifetime. Bittersweet is that Mrs. Tanaka has relocated to Atlanta, but we can always visit!

Other gracious invitations we were fortunate to accept were: PBS SoCal hosting us to see Sesame Street Live!, a sexy brunch hosted by Beats by Dre, shopping day at the Children’s Place, Natalee Thai’s hosting of twenty of my bloggy pals to try their summer menu, and an adorable Paris themed birthday party for the Critter’s pal Miss Strawberry.

Coming soon: PBS Press Tour, Steve Songs at the Levitt Pavillion, and whale watching this Thursday. Remember when we went last year? Getting to Long Beach by 8:30 am will be a practice run for what it will be like to have to rise early again in preparation for back to school next week. First grade may be the perfect time to give my Critter a new nickname. More on this later – thanks again for your support xoxo


Steve Songs gives the Bloggers Musical Love

Published on Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

I am just speechless over the song that Mr. Steve of PBS Kids wrote for us bloggers! He included all of our blog names!


The New Guy on Sesame Street – Mando!

Published on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

I was one lucky mommy today – I was one of the first people to see the newest character on Sesame Street here at the PBS Annual Meeting! A huge search was undertaken to find the perfect person to join the cast and Ismael Cruz Cordova is THE guy.

I got to talk to Ismael after this adorable performance about Spanish words that sound alike and I can see why he was chosen. I will post ALL about it soon – enjoy the video of Mando and Rosita and all will be revealed when I get back to the ‘hood.


Sid the Science Kid premiere – Hooky in Hollywood

Published on Saturday, March 23rd, 2013

While it certainly would have been a worthwhile event for the Critter to play hooky and skip school, we had the good fortune that his school had what is mysteriously referred to as a “Pupil Free Day”, so no such infractions had to be committed. It was a great morning in Hollywood for a premiere, and the folks at PBS SoCal hosted a nearly full house of excited kiddos to watch the first Sid the Science Kid feature length film, which premieres Monday March 25th on PBS. The film is chock full of learning tidbits, from critical thinking to simple machines, to complex computers and how to work as a team, which all combined to captivate all said kiddos for the entire movie – a mom’s dream!

It was also a treat to be able to chat with Lisa Henson, daughter of Jim Henson and CEO of Henson Studios, THE studio for all things creative involving puppets and digital animation. You may remember the awesome time I had at on the lot, where I got to see how Sid and Wilson and Ditch were created. I was really happy that I was able to tell her how proud Mississippi is of her family, and what a fan I have been since childhood. To see the empire that creativity built is truly inspiring – make sure to tune in on Monday!


The Value of Public Television

Published on Thursday, October 18th, 2012

When the Critter was about eighteen months old I found this Feist video on SesameStreet.org. He was completely enraptured by it! I now had five minutes to go to the bathroom or make a phone call and know that my wee one was entertained. But that was only the beginning of the benefit of this discovery – The Critter counted to four AND sang the Whoaaaaa part of the song, the first time either happened, EVER! This was the beginning of many special moments of discovery with the furry and funny monsters that I will always remember, and in which my baby began his education – I credit this program and others on PBS with his ease (so far) in learning to read in kindergarten.

Since then I have developed a relationship with programming and people at PBS and write about them frequently. I believe that there is no more valuable resource for our children AND adults to learn and broaden horizons.

Government needs to trim fat, but our public television is not fat. It is the steak on the plate in a sea of potatoes. Support PBS!


Going with the Flow…

Published on Friday, October 5th, 2012

I realize that if you don’t follow me on Twitter, then you may think I’m not writing because nothing exciting is going on. I you do follow, you’ll know that the end of summer was full of awesome activities with a the finale of the Critter going to kindergarten. This has been a HUGE transition, probably more huge for BeverlyHillsDad and me, because the ante is up. Lollygagging is over. There’s homework and tardies count (of particularly terrifying note to me). If my five year old isn’t turning in homework it’s because MOM didn’t get him to sit in the chair and do it. There are folders, backpacks, lunch and a snack that need to be filled properly. There are days that are designated wear and eat a certain color day. I had a minor breakdown at midnight the night before yellow day when I realized there were no bananas for Critter’s lunchbox, and came back to my senses with triumph when I remembered there were lemons in the fridge. Right now I am fantasizing about Halloween, and just spent way too much time arranging the gum in a bowl in my kitchen, but I seem to be in there so much lately, I wanted it styled.

So you see, I’ve been getting the hang of kindergarten and the ever changing life as a mom. As much fun as this is, the gum could be called a cry for help. I actually knew this a couple of weeks ago, and am now getting back to spending more time with the parts of my livelihood that feed my creative energy. Last weekend I sat on a panel moderated by Jessica Gottlieb along with Romy Schorr and Candice Berneman Khan at the BLP ConnectHer Conference. A group of about 200 attendees spent the day at the Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica, a gorgeous hotel, which, by the way, was a project I worked on in my early design days in LA – I hand picked all the seashells in the lobby! Over the day I spent time with these and so many intelligent, compassionate, accomplished, stylish, sexy, women like Jeannine Chanin Penn, Donna Tetreault, Ali Landry, Lisa Steadman and Wendy Bellissimo. We shared some highs and lows of our respective professions, and what worked for us and what didn’t. It was a really generous (and gorgeous) group who were all there to learn how to do business better, but the theme broadened into the fact that we all have lives that go on during (and WAY after) business hours, and how we all manage it. The tide of women in business is no longer to fit into an existing model, but to create what fits into our lives – and to own all the parts of how we do it. I feel really blessed to be able to maximize my time with my Critter, and have work(and play) that works with us. In the spirit of this, it may take me a while to share more of what we experienced, including but not limited to: our trip to the Pebble Beach Concours, the making of a video with ET, PBS Press Tour ( I met Martha Stewart!!!), and loads of the style photos I know y’all love.

Speaking of travelling and making it work: I will be attending the Bloggy Boot Camp Las Vegas next weekend. I had so much fun last time I went to this conference, I couldn’t pass up a chance to do it in VEGAS baby, and I’ve also roped 90210Mom and Ashaa to go with me. There will be no juiceboxes or flats allowed.

And last but definitely not least: I am really amazed to be the guest of Coca Cola at their world headquarters to participate in Conversations with Coca-Cola, a social media conference. When they called to invite me, I assumed it was because they heard how much Diet Coke I drink. I’m really excited to see behind the scenes and know more of how the most venerable brand in the WORLD operates. Jamie will be there with me, representing from Los Angeles – stayed tuned!


Going Downtown to Soar with Reading 2012

Published on Friday, August 17th, 2012

< We had such a great time at the Soar With Reading event at the downtown Library. It was absolutely a blast for the Critter and his pal Miss T, who also attended. The kids were so engaged and danced like crazy with Susan Reed and Steve Songs. We took some fun photos with Hooper and SuperWhyatt, read a book in the children’s library and then were really tired and needed to go home. It was my first time at the Central Library, so i now really want to go again and see the collections, as well as spend some time looking at the public art, the building and its architecture. When it’s not 102 degrees!

I know you’ll love the video of Steve Songs singing the theme song to the performance – you can check out a few more videos of the day on BeverlyHillsMom’s YouTube Channel.