I had a chance to see an advance screening of the film Babies last week. It’s a really cool film because it shares intimate moments of 4 babies’ first year of life. The babies live in Japan, US, Mongolia and Namibia.

It’s humbling. You see things that remind you that diapers do not reach all corners of the world. And our focus on keeping our babies germ-free and on soft blankets is in sharp contrast to the baby laying on his belly on the dirt. It’s fascinating and eye-opening.

Babies is in theaters Mothers Day. It’s more than a sweet movie – it’s a film that will leave you grateful for much and questioning  material needs vs wants (hopping back and forth from the Namibian baby’s sparse environment to the US baby’s toy-filled one will do that to you.)

Watch the trailer to see if resonates with you or visit the website for more info. You can read more of my thoughts on it at the Mom Culture blog on Metro magazine.

the patridge family matriarch

I took this funny Parents.com quiz about what TV Mom I’d be…I’m Shirley Partridge! No question about it, I have a little “C’mon world, there’s a song that we’re singing…” in me. BTW, she’s much hipper than you would think, per the quiz result’s description.

You can link to the quiz here, and read my pre-Mother’s Day salute to Moms in film, tv, music, literature and painting for Twittermoms.com where I’m the arts&culture feature contributor.

Mom Culture featured artist Wendy Clinch, aka The Ski Diva (www.theskidiva.com), is clearly a die-hard ski fan, but take a look the biggest fans of all in this photo from 1969:

Why are they the biggest fans? Because from what I can tell, they appear to be side-stepping up the mountain on this “chair lift!” No mediocre fan is enduring that.

And how about this — skiing in a dress. As if it’s not already embarrassing enough to have a wipe out, you’d have to contend with a dress flipped up over your head.

And finally, this one…because nothing says skiing like a pretty tank top!

(visit snowskiart.com for more cool vintage ski posters and photographs)

kitchen pantry scientist's nature walk bracelets!

My friends at Kitchen Pantry Scientist and Unplanned Cooking have whipped up a sinfully delicious treat in the form of a parody about blogging.

If you write a blog, if you read blogs, or even if you never read blogs but happened upon this one by accident, you will have a good laugh with their vlog.

Check the video out here if you want Kitchen Pantry Scientist’s easy science projects to do with your kids, or here if you want see the video and then get some of Unplanned Cooking’s kitchen tips and humor.

(from Mom Culture’s blog on Metro magazine)

If you like art and you enjoy food, keep reading.

If you like facts, there are few more impressive than those about the arts in Minnesota:

• more theater seats than anywhere outside of New York
• Minnesota Orchestra’s Osmo Vanska was a nationally-recognized Conductor of the Year
• home of the beloved Prince

But the fact that has me most “wowed?” The Twin Cities’ Compas organization was one of the first 3 groups in the country to connect artists and kids through schools! The other 2 organizations were, not surprisingly, in New York and Los Angeles. Forty years later, Compas is still successfully enriching our kids’ lives.

The impact of seeing an artist and doing art with them in your school cannot be underestimated. Just look at these photos! (see photos at Metro site) Not only do I want my children there, I want to be there! CONTINUE READING AT METRO MAGAZINE SITE…

disclosure: mom culture is a sponsor of Compas’ Art of Cuisine benefit but wholeheartedly believes in Compas’ mission to make arts accessible to all kids and would write about them anyway

For those of you who lost sleep last night wondering if I managed to contain the rising dough within the confines of its container – I did! Not only that, but the bread turned out fabulous and I can admit that only because I owe all my success to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. They make it too easy! I actually took photos of my bread but haven’t yet downloaded them – it looked just like the one on the book cover, though…seriously!

I bake cookies (mostly ones that require chocolate), but I’ve never baked bread.

Since baking artistically sounds like the best way to bake, I’m following the directions in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Not only do I like a new baking challenge, but I am committed to doing this before interviewing one of the book’s authors, Zoe Francois.

I’m in the dough-rising phase and a little afraid of how big the dough is getting — it doesn’t quite look like the one I saw in the video on their website. Will it take over my kitchen…?

I hope mine looks like the one on the cover!

Welcome to Mom Culture Ultimate Blog Party people! Mom Culture is a culture fix for your inner grown up!

Each week I interview a nationally-recognized artist working in any medium. Artist’s insight (the kind of stuff you’d ask them over coffee), plus a sample of their work gives you a culture fix at your own convenience in a matter of minutes. See this week’s featured artist, as well as a list of past artists, over here (the “online” section.) And if you happen to live in Minneapolis/St Paul, the “Live” tab shows you the Mom Culture events where you can get your culture fix in person.

By making arts & culture easily accessible, Mom Culture helps you fit back into your life the pop culture, high culture and everything in-between that fell out of your life when you became a busy parent. Mom Culture keeps you in-the-know while giving you back balance and enrichment.

I also have a chance to write creatively for Momlogic.com, as well as contribute to Twittermoms.com as the arts&culture feature contributor and keep a Mom Culture blog on the website of Metro magazine.

I feel as at-home watching reality shows and sitcoms as I do strolling through a world-class museum…I’m just a culture-lover of all kinds. And on a personal note, I’m a former New Yorker living in Minneapolis for the past 5 years with my husband and 2 kids. If I were hosting you in person, I’d offer up apps or dessert (I could live on those!) Wine or beer, but I also have a seltzer maker so spritzers are definitely possible. Music – yes, an eclectic mix of anything from Cesaria Evora to MGMT to classical.

Thanks for stopping by – looking forward to reading your comments and visiting you, too!

Sometimes we get signs from the universe that we’re not in sync with our lives. For instance, the other day I left the house with my phone in hand … my landline. (Yeah, I still have one of those.) Another time, my friend got out of her car while it was still running. But let’s give credit where it’s due: It was in park. And one recent morning, I accidentally poured orange juice instead of milk on my son’s cereal. (Maybe I was thinking he was my mother, who purposely puts orange juice on her cereal — which I think is a sacrilege, but she’s from a foreign country, so I forgive.)

What I’m about to reveal, though, is another story altogether. Continue Reading My Article at Mom Logic

This week’s artist, Great Northern, hails from Los Angeles. In case you find yourself there – whether as tourist or resident – this is a website and app you’ll want to know about:

Mom Maps – both online or on your iphone as an app, it will tell you about where the “kid spots” are…playgrounds, infant spots, restaurants and so much more that are kid-friendly. They also have 17 other cities’ kid-centric amenities so check it as you venture out for summer travel.

You’ll need Mom Maps to subdue the young ‘uns in-between the excellent cultural outings in LA you’ll want to do which you can learn about at, Culture Spot LA, a fantastic website of information on all things arts-related in LA and surrounding areas.