The Back Labor Blog

R Baby Wrap Up

- March 11th, 2010 by julia

The energy around R Baby Foundation is swirling and quite remarkable. My in-box is brimming over expressions of gratitude for our roundtable but also with offers to do more to support RBF. The response to last Friday’s event has shown me just how powerful philanthropic moms can be. And this is right in line with my vision — the one where I am clear about just how much can be done through connecting for good.

My hypothesis for the day was simple — bring acomplished, strong, motivated, influential women into the room, introduce them to each other and to R Baby Foundation. Give them access to each other both personally and professionally. And of course, give them the tools, motivation and interest in applying their influence to the work of  improving pediactric emergency care. Then, webcast out and tweet in a rich dialog with women everywhere — offering an intimate yet inclusive experience that all links right back to RBF.

Did it work – I would say so. Here are some stats for starters:

219 people viewed the event (from both USA and Canada).

30 people attended the event live

567 tweets happened during the event

Take a look!

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

Baby’s first tweet….

- March 10th, 2010 by julia

New Yorker Magazine, March 15, 2010

Have you ever wondered what happens after a twiterbirth? Here it is…perfect, really!

Jenni et Jules, tres Belle!

- March 9th, 2010 by julia

What do KIRO TV personality and all around adorable pregnant woman Jenni Hogan and Forty Weeks go-to-gal (ok, she is in charge) and always super lovely Jules Galpin have in common?

Well for one they both speak with very cool accents (alternatively, they both think I speak with a very cool, Philly girl goes to DC and looses her accent after multiple classes in voice and diction) accent.

Next, they are fashion forward, cute as a button and have great hair especially pregnant.

Also, they are smart enough to hang out with me – which means they get the inside line on what’s new and noteworthy in pregnancy fashion

Both are craving all sorts of silly foods (Jules is quite addicted to the pasta salad from the Chevy Chase Market for example).

What’s more – both are radiant and glowing (Jules is using Basq to get her glow on Jenni got a big box in the mail from Belli)

And I believe both are having girls – Jenni’s girlie bundle of  joy  is confirmed, Jules’ TBA baby-girl is just my expert opinion

And what else? Well,  they are both are ordering the newest piece from the NOM colection at BellyDance Maternity — really this one is the perfect spring dress – I am an instant fan!

NOM Bree Beaded Dress

I will post pictures of both Jenni and Jules in this piece soon – stay tuned!

Baby Boobs – always the tell

- March 8th, 2010 by julia

I’ve said it for years – forget the bump-watch, it is a useless exercise (and usually ends up to be bloat not baby). The trademark Forty Week prediction test is all about the breasts.   And really, I don’t go looking for it – the thing with expectant breasts - they find you. And they have.  Last night, while having my own little Oscar’s moment - I got a little dose of  “baby on board”  from  the stunning Guiliana Ranic. And this is not gossip, rather pure excitement/speculation from me for Guiliana and Bill. I would love to add her to my short list of pregnancy dream-girls (think Jenni Hogan) What do you think?

Guiliana Ranic before (left) and last night (right)

Steal My Look!

- March 7th, 2010 by julia

The feedback from Friday’s event has been incredibly positive. I am thrilled that we’ve ignited the interest and opened the hearts of so many to R Baby Foundation. It was a most remarkable day.  And I must add, one for the fashion records — everyone looked so beautiful! So I’d thought I’d share a little inside line on our looks and in specific, how to steal mine.

Hair:  Blow, 14th Street – but of course (the official pre-event salon of Forty Weeks!). Kyle did a fantastic job of giving me just the right coif!

Brows:  Red Door (really, really) — Bethesda based Nahid has been the keeper of my brows for as long as I can recall – and she earned that title yet again.

Make-up:  Buffy and co  produced flawless and individual looks for each of us. And, she did this as a gift to the Foundation. I could not take my eyes of off the stunning panelists. Here are a few of us, pre-program:

Beth Feldman, Lauren Parisier, Brenda Berg, Phyllis Rabinowitz, Nicole Feliciano and me!

My dress:  Alice and Trixie – which I found locally (Luna, Bethesda) when I was helping IRLer Jamie Bernstein look for a dress – she ended up helping me!

Alice and Trixie Austin Dress

My Shawl: DVF’s new linen scarf has been as early go-to favorite and once again made the look! This was part of my February spree and really has already earned it’s keep!

DVF Linen Gauze Scarf in African Sugar

My necklace  – I stumbled upon this piece at another local (Bethesda) haunt South Moon Under — I was on a mission for chunky (after IRL Alice and I failed on Valentine’s day to find something in Georgetown) and found this:

Leslie Danzis three loop with staggered tassel mesh necklace

Of course there was Spanx and boots (from another local -Bethesda’s own Zelaya)  in the picture too.  Frankly, I am ready for that season to end, but I digress!

Not bad for a girl who had no clue what she was wearing the week before the event! Thank you all for the incredible feedback. What a day – for fashion and for the Foundation…

A Whole Lotta Love

- March 6th, 2010 by julia

I am still buzzing from yesterday’s energy. It was positively electric and contagious – and frankly game changing.  Yesterday at the W, Union Square (to whom I owe lots of love and thanks), I gathered some of the most remarkable women I know to talk Priorities, Passions and Community. We came together in support of the R Baby Foundation and of  each other – the results were big and bold – the stuff that lives on in your heart and mind forever.

Before we went live – I tried to express my gratitude to all the women in the room. Incredible moms and business women, bloggers and influencers who have been my friends (some new, some for many years) go-to women and partners – dedicated, reliable and encouraging without fail.  I tried to articulate just what it meant to have such accomplished and caring women answer the call for me and for R Baby.  And as I spoke I caught the eyes of these beautiful women  -one by one – and what my words did not say, I know my heart did – “Namaste” – from the beauty and spirit in me to the beauty and spirit  in you – and you know – that was the it, the moment, the mood and the energy.  Share your grace and yourself with me and I  will share mine with you – and together we will make amazing things happen. And we will…

We went live and got to it – sharing and discussing our lives in the raw. We all took great care neither to sugar coat nor to scare but rather to tell the truth about mompreneurship and our lives. The questions and the answers inspired a great deal of chatter on-line (over 500 tweets came in filled with questions, stories and encouragement). The information resonated and inspired. There is no question that anyone who participated walked away full of new considerations, ideas, inspiration and motivation.

We spoke a great deal about right brain thinking, intuition (gut listening as I called it) and questioning as cornerstones of our success. We talked about intention, clarity and family. We talked about what we’ve lost and what we’ve gained. We shared our source of motivation and support as well as our rituals. It was all there!  We talked about our roles in helping to improve the state of pediatric emergency care not only by raising funds and awareness for RBF but also by empowering other women and their families to know their rights and responsibilities in an emergency medical situation. And of course, to exercise these knowing, as we do, that all emergency rooms are not created equal. The message and the meaning got through loud and clear. As my friend Ciaran Blumenfeld remarked (not in the room but certainly present on this project) – you’ve got to push, you’ve got to question, you’ve got to demand – both in your mompreneurship and also in any medical situation – show tenacity  be your own advocate.

How will I ever adequately thank Emily McKhann and Beth Feldman for bringing the day to life through their incredibly engaging and vibrant moderation? Or Laruen Parisier, Nicole Feliciano, Brenda Berg and Kimberly Seals Allers for bringing their whole selves to the table to share the absolute truth about their lives as mompreuers stunningly raw and honest. Or my friend Phyllis Rabinowitz…pregnant and breathtakingly strong and vulnerable all at once – how to thank her for sharing the story of her harrowing loss and her journey back again to fight ( as she does every day ) to improve the quality of emergency medical care so that no parent, no family should suffer the tragedy of losing a baby?  So really – I am not sure I can or will ever get it just right. The words, the deeds the expression – though I will try.

In the meantime – please watch our not yet edited version of Priorities, Passions and Community. Share it with the women in your life.  This is my way of trying to both hold on to and share the wisdom and the love in the room yesterday – Namaste.

For more information on RBF please visit www.rbabyfoundation.org

R BABY LIVE, FROM NY – BE THERE

- March 4th, 2010 by julia

Bringing like minded people together is really one of  best party tricks (after showing off my Gumby-like flexibility and encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics that is) – connecting the dots well is just what I do.  And I consider it a day well spent when a connection I’ve made works well,  makes a difference and in the best case, makes the world a better place – benefiting all involved.

Friday promises to set a new standard for connection for good. I will be with my bloggy friends, my business friends and my beloved R Baby Foundation. We will join together to raise funds and awareness for improved pediatric emergency care.  We will share in a roundtable focused on passions, priorities and community - examining how these there elements lead to success for women. It is my hope that all who participate in the roundtable will walk away with not only inspiration and connection but also a clear vision as to how they will step up and make a difference.

What I know is that each one of you has the power (and the goods) to ignite your passions, set your priorities and engage your communities in what is important to you. So tune in (webcast details are below), tweet in (#RBabyLive) and get ready — the world is about to change – for good!

Lauren Deen’s Squash Fries – it’s what’s for dinner

- March 2nd, 2010 by julia

At the request of my new(ish) friend Amy Oztan,  I will now share with you the best recipe from my old friend, Lauren Deen’s new cookbook – Cook Yourself Thin Faster. Of course, this is IMO – you may have your own fave – so don’t let me bully your belly.

The always adorable, Lauren Deen

If by some chance you don’t know the beautiful, talented and oh so witty Lauren Deen you should. And if her books (Kitchen Playdates, Cook Yourself Thin and her latest, Cook Yourself Thin Faster) are not on your shelves they should be. Actually they should be much loved, mussed and dog-eared at this point.

I love Lauren for many reasons not the least of which is that she loves food – real food. And she lives what she loves with total authenticity and for me, this is always the true standard.  Not only is Lauren a Blue Ribbon graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she has enjoyed an exciting and award winning (hello, Emmy and James Beard awards!!!) career as food producer (think Ina Garten, Bobby Flay and Martha Stewart), cookbook author and passionate volunteer (Lauren developed a program to teach healthy eating and cooking classes in NYC public schools). Basically Lauren is someone you have got to admire and adore – I do! She hangs with some good peeps too – fellow mega-vores (and people I would and have traveled a long distance to eat with) Nicole Feliciano and Jennifer Perillo count her among their own.

So without anymore oozing or goozing (and without mentioning that she totally owes me a make-up for our last lunch date) or further ado:

Cheese “fries”

Serves 4

103 calories per serving

1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Pre-heat the oven to 450 and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil

1. Cut squash into ¼ inch “French fries”
2. Toss the squash with the olive oil and spread on the pan. Season with the salt an pepper
3. Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan until the squash fries are roasted and golden, tossing and turning the fries midway through baking
4. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.

A Toast to March

- March 1st, 2010 by julia

Here is the scene – March 1, 2010:

Driving home from the gym this AM, latte in hand.  I am doing well, imagining that age has not at all touched me despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary – (my driver’s license says I turned 43 last week!). I am ready for some change and am out looking for it.  My senses are on high alert for signs of spring—it is March after all. It is time…

And then I see it! Little heads of daffodils trying to make their way to the light. And I smell it – air that has a tinge of earth to it. And I feel it – wind that does not slap my face, but rather dances giddily by. And of course, I hear it too. Adam Durwitz (as always singing just for me, the ageless woman in the SUV) – It’s been a Long December, and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last… I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower, makes you talk a little lower –  why yes, yes it has been an endless winter and yes I am ready to laugh and yes, yes it is time.

So here’s to an easy March and warmer days and let’s get this thing started – in like a lion, out like a lamb and oh yes – beware of the Ides of March!

Goddess

- February 26th, 2010 by julia

Jenni Hogan in Maternal Amercia from Belly Dance

Here is Jenni Hogan in a rich chocolate brown Maternal America Dress. Thank you, thank you Belly Dance Maternity for finding this gem for our belly beauty! I think this is my favorite Fashion Friday yet! I would like to see a little more layering on the necklaces and some great textured tights – but Jenni informs me she is having accessory anxiety at the moment. We will let it slide!

Jenni you are a glowing Goddess — enough said!