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American Idol Ladies Night: The Re-Cap

It's after 9 pm on the east coast and that can only mean one thing. American Idol is over and I'm enjoying every minute of "Glee" on Fox. But now that we've hit a commercial break, I'm going to launch into my assessment of tonight's edition of American Idol. The ladies were up tonight and I don't know whether the mandate was to select boring ballads from the 60s and 70s, but for some reason, several of the contestants went with song choices that didn't really showcase their voices.

Let's tackle the best and worst performances of the night. Starting with the worst. Sad to say, but I think Paige and Katelyn were out of their league tonight. Paige took on "Smile" and I expected her to perform some vocal acrobatics when she took the stage. Instead, she played it safe and told Ryan that she let emotions get the best of her - she was thinking of the Michael Jackson rendition of the song and it made her sad. That comment of course won her votes with my son - who demanded I text my vote for Paige but I held firm and said there would be no votes cast in her favor tonight.

As for Katelyn - she decided to take on one of my favorite singers of all time - Carole King. But when she starting belting out "I Feel The Earth Move," it felt as if she was either working in a karaoke bar or was a singer at a wedding. While my kids defended her performance saying that wedding singers are really good, I explained that wedding singers don't get record contracts - referencing one of our favorite movies of all time "The Wedding Singer."

As for my favorite performances of the night, Crystal by far was head and shoulders above the rest. Taking on Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason to Stay Here," Crystal easily belted out the song and seemed so comfortable doing it. Being on stage in front of a crowd is where she belongs and I cannot wait until she records her first album - my personal prediction is that she will win the whole show, but we're still several months away from the final round. My second favorite performer is Lacey. She's gorgeous - looks like a cross between Martina McBride with a Cyndi Lauper hair color twist and her voice belongs on a CD. I personally would prefer to see her as a country singer, but maybe it's that Martina McBride thing that has me thinking she'd pull of "This One's For The Girls" really well.

As for the other singers, Didi, Lilly and Siobhan are also pretty strong contenders who I'm sure will sail through this week and make it into the final 12. So there you have it - check it out and see if you agree and get ready to catch the men Wednesday night! I must leave you now...time to watch the rest of Glee. Oh, how I love my music shows!

They don't have this week's performances online just yet...so enjoy Crystal from last week.

Posted in: Blog, TV on 03/09/2010

Must See Webcast: Passions, Priorities & Community

I recently participated in a one-of-a-kind live web event that was held on behalf of the R Baby Foundation, which was established in 2006 to organize and fund efforts to improve the outcomes of medical care for infants, particularly those who contract certain viral infections within the first month of life. The R Baby Foundation is dedicated to helping newborn babies with often-misunderstood viral infections and other infectious diseases receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting education, research, treatment, training and life-saving equipment.

I had so much fun moderating the webcast along with the incredibly inspiring Emily McKhann, co-founder of The Motherhood. Panelists include R Baby founder Phyllis Rabinowitz, along with seasoned and successful mompreneurs: Brenda Berg, Nicole Feliciano, Lauren Parisier and Kimberly Seals Allers.

The session featured candid insights, intimate confessions and thoughtful advice from women who have built their lives and their businesses around their passions and priorities. In case you missed it, you can watch it below!

R Baby Foundation "Live" (Unedited) from TrakVu.com on Vimeo.

Feeling inspired but don't know where to start first? Well, have no fear. Yours truly is launching an innovative fundraiser on behalf of RBaby. Starting today until Mother's Day, I am offering one on one PR 365 consultation for your brand. And if you book a 30 minute session with me, I will donate the proceeds to the RBaby Foundation. Email me at beyondpr@gmail.com for details of how I can help you build your brand and you can help RBaby make a difference!

Posted in: Events, PR 101 for Moms, PR 365, TV on 03/06/2010

The 411: The Miracle Worker on Broadway

I recently attended a preview for "The Miracle Worker" on Broadway starring Allison Pill, Abigail Breslin, Matthew Modine and Jennifer Morrison, and I'm here to let you know it's a must see production that's ideal for parents of tweens and teens.

Based on the true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, "The Miracle Worker" takes you inside the lives of the Keller family - where you first discover how Helen lost her sight and hearing and watch as her family continually refused to send her to an asylum despite the fact they couldn't control her dangerous outbursts.

At 13 years old, Abigail Breslin is brilliant in her role as Helen. Without uttering a word, Breslin is incredibly believable as a blind and deaf "wild child" who is desperately trying to connect with those around her. Allison Pill is awe inspiring in her role as Annie Sullivan. Pill is a true spitfire in this show - combining tenacity, humor and empathy as she guides Helen to a major breakthrough. Feature film star Matthew Modine makes his Broadway debut in "The Miracle Worker" and breathes humor and compassion into the role of Helen's father, Captain Keller. And mothers will instantly connect with Jennifer Morrison, who portrays Helen's mom Kate Keller, who never gave up on her daughter, despite the painful effects Helen's condition had on her family.

I recently spoke with one of the show's producers, Lynn Shaw, who joined me as a guest on Blog Talk Radio where she shared the inside story of how the current stage version of "The Miracle Worker" came to fruition. Plus, Lynn reveals some amazing behind the scenes stories from the show's rehearsals and tells us how she got her start as a theatrical producer. Listen in and enjoy!

If you're interested in taking your family to see The Miracle Worker on Broadway, visit the show's website today for show times and tickets. Plus, if you happen to attend a Tuesday evening show during the month of March, you'll get the chance to participate in "Talk Back Tuesdays" where the cast answers questions from audience members. Fans will be thrilled to know that Abigail Breslin poses for photos and signs autographs for those audience members who stick around to meet her after the show. Hope you get to see it and enjoy the show as much as I did!

Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Recommends, TV on 03/04/2010

Amazing Singing Mom on Ellen!

Posted in: TV on 03/02/2010

Grandma Takes on a Robber

Posted in: TV on 03/01/2010

The Power of Half: Book Review & Excerpt

The one thing I love about going on vacation is getting the chance to kick back and curl up with a few great books and luckily, the folks at Houghton Mifflin sent me an advanced copy of The Power of Half, one American family's inspirational story of giving, written by a father-daughter duo, Kevin Salwen, a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal and Hannah Salwen, a junior at the Atlanta Girls' School.

When Hannah and Kevin were stopped at traffic light near their home, their lives were forever changed when Hannah noticed a homeless person begging on the street and then glanced over at a man driving a Mercedes Benz. As she contemplated the disparity between both men, she suggested to her dad that if the driver in the fancy car downsized to a vehicle that was half the price, he could potentially donate the rest of the money to the homeless man and perhaps help him off his feet so he could rebuild his life. The conversation continued at home when Hannah shared the story with her mom and brother and before long, after several family meetings, she convinced her family to sell their multi-million dollar Atlanta home so they could donate half of the sales to charity.

The Power of Half is told from the point of view of Kevin and Hannah which makes it a perfect read for adults and kids (tweens through teenagers). We even have an excerpt from the book - check it out and then order it today on Amazon because for every book sold, $1 will be donated to The Hunger Project, a foundation which helps women, men and children in Ghana by not only feeding them but by empowering them with the tools to become self sufficient and potentially start their own businesses.

About 111 women die of breast cancer every day in the United States. A million teenagers get pregnant each year. Someone dies every thirty-one minutes because of drunken drivers. I'm not writing this to bum you out. But you might be thinking, There are so many problems, there's no way that I or any one person could solve anything.

When civil-rights activist Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a public bus in 1955, she never dreamed of the impact she would have on millions of lives. "I didn't have any idea just what my actions would bring about," she said years later. "At the time I was arrested I didn't know how the community would react." The reason Ms. Parks didn't get up is that she knew the racist laws were wrong.

Rosa Parks is just one of the thousands of influential people whose actions changed the views of many people today. Think about Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Greg Mortenson, John Woolman, Madame Curie (if you don't know them, check them out; they're all remarkable). Sometimes small acts significantly affect a large group of people. But even when they don't, they can have a big influence, maybe on just one individual.

So don't get discouraged because you can't solve a whole problem alone. As the British philosopher Edmund Burke said, "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." I know exactly what he was talking about. Before our family project I kept telling myself that no matter how hard I tried or how much money I gave, I would never be able to fully solve any of the world's big problems. When I worked at Café 458, the Atlanta restaurant for homeless men and women, I saw dozens of people come in looking depressed and lonely. But still I didn't see them as individuals, but instead as a group, "the homeless."

Then one day at Café 458 I heard two homeless men talking about a college basketball game that I had watched with my dad the night before. I snapped to the realization that these people are people. How stupid and rude I had been to see them as different from me. I realize now that having that epiphany was a big step for me. In that split second of comprehension, I switched from seeing them as a group of people to viewing them as individuals. When I started seeing people in need as individuals, the problem of homelessness and hunger seemed smaller and I felt like I could make more of a difference. I also started believing that I could help because the problem was on a personal level.

Activity

Think of a person from your community who inspires you. Look beyond his or her specific actions to the kind of qualities that person brings to work or volunteer activities. For example, some people are better at creating new programs than at actually putting them into action; other people are doers, ready to take someone else's ideas and run with them. Is that aunt in your family a problem-solver? A good listener? An inspirer?

Now think about your strengths in the same light. If you took your best characteristics out into the world, how could you use them to make a difference? Are you patient? Maybe you would be a good tutor. Are you musical? Maybe you could be playing the guitar at a nursing home (and bringing your family along to sing -- no talent required). We all have gifts the world can use.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Kevin and Hannah Salwen. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin and Hannah Salwen, authors of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back

Author Bios
Kevin Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, was reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journalfor over 18 years. After his tenure at The Wall Street Journal, he started a magazine, Motto. He serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, and works with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Hannah Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, will be a junior at the Atlanta Girls' School, where she plays for the varsity volleyball team, and is her grade's representative to the student council. She has been volunteering consistently since the 5th grade at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Cafe 458, among others.

For more information, please visit www.ThePowerOfHalf.com. For every book sold, $1 will be donated to the The Hunger Project.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club, TV on 02/22/2010

Presenting Grandpa Fix-It!

About a month and a half ago I had the great fortune of interviewing make-up artist extraordinaire Bobbi Brown and her dad Joe who had recently published a children's book. What struck me from our conversation was how close it hit to home. You see, Bobbi told me she had surprised her dad on his 70th birthday with a children's book she created for him from stories she had told her family for generations. And then it hit me.

My own dad had written stories and had given them to me about a year and a half ago hoping I'd figure out how we could get them published. As life zipped by, I realized after my conversation with Bobbi and her dad that I had never fulfilled my father's dream and as he too approached his 70th birthday, it was time I got my act together! And so, with less than two months to go, I reached out to an illustrator I knew - who happens to be the wife of a former junior high school friend. After sending over countless photos of my family, she instantly captured the faces of my children, niece my mom and my dad and within two weeks, she had miraculously created all the illustrations we'd need for the story.

From there, I reached out to my publisher at Plain White Press, Julie Trelstad and she agreed to do the layout for the book and after she received the images and had them scanned into her computer, she literally laid out the story within one day.

Next up, we found a publisher who could turn the book into a hardcover edition and then with Julie's help, created a publishing imprint for the Role Mommy brand, assigned an ISBN number for dad's book, and within a few weeks it will be available for sale at Amazon.com. In the meantime, checkout dad's reaction and here him read the story - it's a classic. Without further ado, please enjoy Grandpa Fix-It.

Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Confessions, TV on 02/21/2010

Jennifer Garner Offers Men Valentine's Advice

All I can say is I heart Jennifer Garner. She's a gorgeous actress, mom and wife to Ben Affleck and she stars in the new film "Valentine's Day" which despite whatever reviews it's getting, I am so going to see it and I'm taking my daughter with me! Happy V-Day to all our Role Mommies...hope you enjoy this clip!

Posted in: Blog, TV on 02/14/2010

A Girl's Gotta Laugh Contest

I don't know about you, but every time I walk into a card store and sift through the selection of greetings, I always think to myself, man, I would so love to be a greeting card writer in my next life. Well guess what? Thanks to Hallmark and Ovation TV I can stop dreaming and so can you! Starting now, you can enter a new contest called "A Girls Gotta Laugh" The objective of the contest is to create a funny card that helps any mom laugh about the crazy reality of motherhood.

The contest launched on Feb 8th and deadline for submissions is Feb 22.

To learn more about the contest, then visit Ovation TV which offers tips and instructions to create an award-winning greeting card plus there's a direct link on the Ovation site where you can visit Hallmark and enter your work.

Now the question for me is, what should I write about? A funny moment with kids? Me dreaming of going off to a faraway land where nobody calls my name (that name being Mommy) or a realistic card of me behind a bathroom door with everyone including my cat attempting to barge in.

Do you have a funny mom moment that you can turn into a greeting card? Well visit Ovation TV today and find out how your creation could wind up being sold in Hallmark stores and broadcast to more than 35 million homes!

*Sponsored post

Posted in: Events, Role Mommy Recommends, TV on 02/12/2010

Valentine's Day Trailer

Totally looking forward to seeing this movie this Valentine's Day...how about you?

Posted in: TV on 02/11/2010

Older Entries

02/05/2010: Refreshing the World, One Idea at a Time

02/02/2010: Skating with the NY Rangers

02/02/2010: E*Trade Baby Mail: Role Mommy Fave Find

01/31/2010: Hilarious American Idol Audition

01/29/2010: A Family is Just a Family Trailer

01/28/2010: Introducing: Role Daddy!

01/27/2010: LOL Clip of the Day

01/25/2010: Role Mommy Fave Find

01/24/2010: See Mom Run on Better TV!

01/20/2010: Hilarious Commercial of the Day

01/15/2010: Anita Renfroe: Comedy Role Mommy

01/01/2010: 2009 Role Mommy: I Heart Tina Fey

12/24/2009: Who Will Buy?

12/22/2009: See Mom Run on WGN-TV Chicago

12/21/2009: See Mom Run: Maryland

12/09/2009: I Am Mommy

12/07/2009: Sleepless in Seattle

12/07/2009: Jetta Setting in L.A.

12/01/2009: Dare to Dream

11/28/2009: The Role Mommy Fave Five - Nintendo Edition!

11/24/2009: See Mom Run on KYW Philadelphia!

11/24/2009: See Mom Run Hits Charlotte

11/23/2009: Role Mommy on Mom Space TV!

11/22/2009: And Now For A Little Music

11/19/2009: See Mom Run: My Most Harried Moment

11/16/2009: Marilyn Russell's Mom Moment

11/12/2009: See Mom Run Through the Philly Burbs!

11/11/2009: See Mom Run: Getting Our Groove On

11/08/2009: See Mom Run: The Media Blitz!

11/03/2009: Ready for The Catwalk

10/22/2009: The 411 on Halloween

10/16/2009: Cupcakes, Sneakers & Stars...Oh My!

10/16/2009: Balloon Family on CBS Early Show

10/14/2009: Jillian Michaels Gives Mom Bloggers a Fitness Ultimatum!

10/11/2009: See Mom Run...Let The Tour Begin!

10/10/2009: Celebrity Role Mommy: Elisabeth Rohm

10/07/2009: Celebrity Role Mommies...

10/06/2009: Exclusive Sneak Peek - The Good Wife on CBS

10/03/2009: The Accidentally on Purpose Tweet-Up

09/28/2009: The Good Wife on CBS

09/24/2009: Building a Successful Family Business

09/21/2009: A Red Carpet Ready Home Party!

09/14/2009: A Final Farewell to Patrick Swayze

09/06/2009: Video du Jour

09/01/2009: The Vermont Fave Five

08/31/2009: A Perfect Day in the Big Apple

08/23/2009: Gotta Love Mommy Madness on MyLifetime.com!

08/22/2009: TNT Season Finale Sneak Peaks!

08/12/2009: A Family Play Day with Kool-Aid & KaBOOM!

08/06/2009: An Inspiring Day at Citi Field Stadium

07/25/2009:

07/25/2009: Lee Woodruff on Living with Purpose

07/23/2009: Melissa Chapman on CNN!

07/20/2009: Weight Watchers I Hear You Calling...

07/19/2009: Music to My Nose: Pets on a Plane

07/17/2009: My Regis & Kelly Fix

07/15/2009: Ready for My Close-Up with SnazL & ELF Cosmetics

07/11/2009: Mommy Me Time

07/09/2009: The Lego Fanatic

07/07/2009: Win a $900 Maclaren Stroller!

06/30/2009: On the Road with Role Mommy

06/28/2009: Inspirational Video of the Day

06/28/2009: Test Drive Anyone?

06/26/2009: The Michael Jackson Fave Five

06/09/2009: Role Mommy Interviews Kelly Ripa!

06/04/2009: Priceless Movie Moments

06/01/2009: Sneak Peak of "The Good Wife" on CBS

05/31/2009: Susan Boyle Sings for the Crown

05/27/2009: My Mom Makes it To Traveling Mom

05/20/2009: How Sweet It Is...Kris Wins American Idol!

05/17/2009: Ask Grey's Anatomy

05/17/2009: Saturday Night Live Finale

05/15/2009: Mommy Mandy's Role Mommy

05/05/2009: Role Mommy on Better TV

04/30/2009: Jennifer Garner's Bad Boo Boo

04/28/2009: A Woman's World - Episode 6

04/27/2009: 10 Year Old Girl Wows Britain's Got Talent

04/25/2009: Who is Your Role Mommy?

04/19/2009: I Wish I Were 17 Again!

04/07/2009: A Woman's World...Latest Episode

04/05/2009:

04/02/2009: Does this Remind You of You?

03/31/2009: April Fool's Alert...Stars Prank People on CBS

03/29/2009:

03/23/2009: Gotta Love Those E*Trade Babies

03/21/2009: Meet Role Mommy Founder Beth Feldman

03/16/2009:

03/14/2009: Food Network Host Robin Miller Chats with Role Mommy

03/06/2009: Happy 97th Birthday Oreo!

02/26/2009: Mom's Night In at Classy Mommy's House!

02/18/2009: New Year, New You...The Recap!

02/13/2009: Disney's American Idol Experience

02/05/2009: One Degree of Beth

01/31/2009: Mom Bloggers Lunch & Laugh with Monica Potter

01/28/2009: New Year, New You...The Recap!

01/26/2009: Role Mommy at the Ritz...The Movie

01/25/2009: Mom Bloggers Lunch & Laugh with Monica Potter

01/20/2009: The First Dance

01/19/2009: U2 Performance at the Inauguration

01/10/2009: Chandra Wilson's Important Message for Parents

12/28/2008: Adorable Video Alert...Arianna vs. Beyonce!

12/06/2008: A Role Mommy Relaxation Event

11/26/2008: Role Mommy on the Run...The Thanksgiving Show

11/23/2008: Funny Parenting Video of the Day...

11/09/2008: Glamour Reel Moments...The Premiere!

11/04/2008: Barack Obama Wins the Presidency!

11/01/2008: My Glamour Reel Moments Getaway

10/13/2008: A Tribute to Dorit Shapiro

10/04/2008: This Video Will Touch Your Heart

09/26/2008: Join Team Guiding Light for the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk!

09/24/2008: Another Celebrity Shout Out for Gal to Gal!

09/20/2008: Join the Gal to Gal Virtual Walk!

09/17/2008: Mom's Night In

09/14/2008: Thank you SNL!!!

08/20/2008: Mom's Night In

08/16/2008: Moms Night In...with Role Mommy!

08/06/2008: Peeing in Peace...The Book!

08/03/2008: Moms of Reinvention

07/13/2008: Exclusive Screening of The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick

07/10/2008: Cool Red Carpet You Tube Contest

07/03/2008: Peeing in Peace...The Video!

06/24/2008: The Jeannie Tate Show Goes to Italy!

06/21/2008: Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid

06/06/2008: TBS Comedy Stars Brunch with Bloggers

05/26/2008: Video of the Week!!!

05/11/2008: Who is Your Role Mommy?

04/28/2008: Peeing in Peace...The Book!

04/20/2008: Passover at the Feldmans

04/17/2008: Wii Fit Review

04/14/2008: Role Mommy Fit For Life - Part I