Don’t know where to take your kids in this sweltering heat? If you’re visiting New York City, you won’t want to miss SPY: The Secret World of Espionage. Keep reading to find out how you can win two tickets!
Ever get the chance to see an umbrella that turns into a device that can assassinate a world leader? Or see a shoe phone that was used by a real spy and not Maxwell Smart? Want to climb through a laser maze and then disguise your voice so that nobody knows it’s you? Then do we have the place for you!
We recently hosted a fun and educational event for parenting bloggers and their families at the newest interactive attraction at Discovery Times Square… SPY: The Secret World of Espionage. This amazing exhibit offers visitors the first-ever public exhibition of treasures from the collections of the CIA, the FBI, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and H. Keith Melton, the renowned author, historian, and international authority on spy technology. For the first time ever, SPY grants guests unprecedented access into the real world of espionage by providing a first hand look at the weapons, surveillance cameras and disguises used during some of the biggest spy cases in history. Take a look…
SPY’s extensive collection of espionage-related artifacts, both historic and contemporary, come straight from the unparalleled 10,000-plus personal artifact collection of H. Keith Melton, author of several books on the subject, including the best-selling The Ultimate Spy and the forthcoming Spy’s Guide to New York City. The remaining artifacts and surveillance videos come from the collections of some of the world’s leading intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the FBI and the NRO. There has never been a shortage of intrigue in the world of spies, and the artifacts and interactives in SPY vividly tell their stories, past and present, through actual tools, technologies, and testimonials.
Among the extraordinarily rare items are:
Charlie the Catfish, one of two CIA Robotic Catfish
Sleeping Beauty, the British WWII Two-Man Submersible
Cockpit of the A-12 Oxcart Spy Plane, one of only nine remaining in world
The photography bucket from a CORONA satellite
KGB Pinhole Drill Kit, used to spy on the US Embassy in Russia
Check out the awesome video trailer my niece Dani shot of our experience:
Of particular interest to New Yorkers will be artifacts, video surveillance tapes, and other items from the collection of the FBI related to “Ghost Stories,” the infamous Anna Chapman Russian spy case that beguiled New Yorkers and, indeed, all Americans just two years ago. The case is arguably the most successfully foiled clandestine operation in contemporary American history, and visitors will see shocking, recently declassified surveillance videos of the undercover Russian spies in New York City, along with many of their personal belongings and tools.
In addition to the fascinating artifacts, SPY will allow visitors the unique opportunity to experience first-hand the technologies and tools utilized by intelligence agencies across the globe. Visitors will see and hear from real spies telling their personal stories, including from Oleg Kalugin, the former head of KGB Counterintelligence in Washington.
The entire family will find this exhibit fascinating, there is something for everyone. Visitors to SPY will find an educational, entertaining introduction to spy skills and techniques that have not previously been displayed, Melton noted. “New York will get a thrill equivalent to opening an envelope marked ‘top secret.’ Espionage is so much more than what you see on TV – there are real dangers and incredible technologies involved, and SPY lets you experience it all. For the general public, visiting SPY will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Tools, Tricks, and Technology of “The Secret World of Espionage” is now on display at Discovery Times Square located at 226 West 44th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenues). The interactive exhibition is open Sunday – Thursday, from 10am – 8pm, and Friday – Saturday, from 10am – 9pm, with the last allowed entry 45 minutes prior to closing each night.
Want to enter to win two tickets to Spy: The Exhibit? Then enter below and you and a guest may be escaping into the secret world of espionage!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Mojo Coach: The Impact of Our Daily Choices
By Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®
Every choice we make throughout our day brings us further or closer to the health, relationships, level of financial success and lifestyle we want most. Every choice we make gives us a new opportunity to learn, grow and evolve…or stay stagnant, small and stuck.
Every choice we make opens the door to a new way of thinking, acting and behaving…or pulls us further into an old belief system, pattern or way of living that no longer serves us. Every choice we make is a decision to move forward…or stay behind.
Each day we make hundreds of choices. We choose what we wear, what we eat, how we relate to those around us, how we care for our bodies, our minds, our spirits, how we “show up,” how we nurture ourselves and those we love and so much more. For most of us, so many of these choices are so habitual, we fail to recognize them as a choice at all because we don’t even realize we’re making them. So, with this in mind, here are a few key areas in your life where daily decisions are continuously being made. I invite you to take a look to see how those daily decisions are moving you closer or further away from the life you truly want.
Health-‐nutrition/fitness/wellness
Nutrition-‐what food choices are you making? Are you filling your body with real, whole, nutrient rich healthy food or processed, nutrient void, calorically dense “sub food?” Are you choosing to fill your body with chemicals, toxins, substances and ingredients your body is unable to recognize, metabolize and process? Imagine a few years into the future. If you
continue with the choices (including the portion sizes and eating behaviors you currently have) how will these choices impact your body? Will they lead to a lean, fit, healthy body filled with energy and vitality or will they possibly lead to weight gain, sluggishness, ill health, conditions, even disease?
As far as fitness is concerned, are the choices you’re making creating a lean, toned, flexible and strong body? Note how active you are and the way you move throughout your day. As a result of your daily activity (or inactivity) are your muscles, tendons and ligaments becoming stronger and more pliable? If you were to continue with your current level of activity, how will your body look and feel years from now? Will those choices keep you healthy, keep you flexible and improve your quality of life because you’ll be able to maintain your health, strength and stamina?
Relationships — How do you relate to those your love? Is your current method of communicating bringing you closer or further away from having loving, positive and supportive relationships filled with love, fun and intimacy? Are you expressing yourself in a way that if you continue, over time, would your relationships improve…or become strained? How about with friends, associates, coworkers and acquaintances? Take a look at the current way you speak, handle and sustain these relationships. If you continue making the same choices as to how you’re currently communicating, over time will they thrive…or fizzle?
Business/financial — Are the daily actions you’re currently taking to grow your business leading to more opportunities, more prospects, more deals, better relationships with your clients and better financial results? Are those daily actions growing your business, your platform, your reach, client base and reputation…or keeping you from moving forward? Are your daily activities productive and bringing you closer to the type of business and financial success you want? Are the daily choices you’re making supporting your career growth? Taking the same choices you’re currently making and looking a few years into the future, will those choices have helped…or hurt your chances for financial and career success?
Personal development — Every day we’re filling our minds with things that enable us learn and grow or things that keep us stagnant. For example, what TV shows are you watching and what messages are you allowing into your mind? Are you watching violence, vulgarity or listening to gossip, negativity, criticism and judgment? If so, over time how will these daily choices have impacted you? On the other hand, if you chose to only allow positive messages into your mind, can you see how this choice will impact you later on? For example, if you’ve made the choice to take 10 minutes each day to read, meditate, journal or learn something new, what impact would that choice have created in the future for you as opposed to a daily decision which may currently be filling you with negativity and fear?
Lifestyle-‐relationships/stress control
When it comes to your lifestyle, are the current choices you’re making creating a lifestyle that’s filled with joy, passion, purpose and fulfillment…or stress, overwhelm and unhappiness? Take a look at the small, daily actions you’re taking in regards to how you spend your time. Are those choices leading to greater joy and happiness or is the time filled with tasks you find unsatisfying, unrewarding, unproductive and unfulfilling? Take a look at the daily stressors in your life. You’re making a choice as to how you act and react to every one of them. Are those choices creating the health and wellness you want or will they leading to stress related issues and overwhelm?
All of the questions above are meant to create awareness as to how seemingly small daily actions, compounded over time bring huge results. Unfortunately, we don’t see the impact of those small daily actions until they’ve lead to a profound result…good or bad. I invite you to “course correct” any small daily actions that may possibly be leading to a negative outcome. Of course many things are out of our control but if there’s one thing constantly within our grasp, it’s our right to choose the thoughts, behaviors, actions and habits that lead us to wherever it is we want to go.
![image003-1_media[356].png](https://www.rolemommy.com/image003-1_media%5B356%5D.png)
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®, founder of www.TheMojoCoach.com is a leading health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, self-‐improvement expert and THE secret behind some of the healthiest, most dynamic, energetic and successful people today. Sign up for your “10 FREE Strategies to Get You Lean, Sleek and Sculpted”! (These are complete programs and videos) and take the FREE “Mojo Lifestyle Assessment” to see how you score.
Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider
July 4th BBQs are around the corner and this recipe is the perfect addition to any party. Enjoy!
Salmon with Mustard Maple Sauce
Sauce:
1 TBS Canola oil
3 TBS water
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
2 TBS Maple Syrup
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped scallion green and white parts
Fish:
4 6 oz. salmon filets
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together until fully combined. Make the sauce up to a day ahead and store in a covered bowl or Tupperware in the fridge.
Pan fry, steam or grill the salmon. Remove from heat and let sit for one minute. If sauce is cold, heat up for a minute until warm and pour over your fish
Serve with couscous or rice and a salad. Enjoy!
For more great recipes from Alma Schneider, visit her at Take Back the Kitchen.
REDBOOK HAPPY HOUR TWITTER PARTY WINNERS ANNOUNCED
We had so much fun tonight during our Redbook Magazine happy hour party thanks to all our incredible participants and our co-hosts Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali at Partybluprints! The hour was jam packed with fabulous tips, laughs and prizes and we’re here to announce all the winners below. If you did win, please make sure you fill out this form and we’ll get your prize out to you ASAP.
Two shoppers will take home a $50 Target gift card
And the winners are:
@jeevonkay
@lllsummer
Two fabulous foodies will win $50 Whole Foods gift card
And the winners are:
@St4ceyNicole
@SecretsofKristi
Two digital divas will win a fabulous Beauty Basket compliments of L’oreal Paris
And the winners are:
@RutheMomof
@kymnasium
One stylish tweeter will win a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses
And the winner is:
@Reinaheather
20 REDBOOK subscriptions are up for grabs!
And the winners are:
@a_biro
@beeacutie2
@countrypoohbear
@mummadear
@Amanda_Ferg
@raarm85
@southernpurse
@TamaraBenningto
@didyouyarnthat
@sunrae17
@cnaes
@LuckyMe18
@unkatchable73
@martiferg
@shopgurl
@BethRosen
@sistaffo
@teenscanearn2
@NicoleRPR
@NotJustAMommy
In case you’d like to try out some of the fabulous recipes featured by the editors of Redbook Magazine, let your fingers do the clicking for some great summer entertaining options.
Could Summer Camp be a Place Where Eating Disorder Behaviors Begin?
It is amazing to me how early on children are aware of body images. My eight year old daughter has been talking about not wanting to get “fat” or “chubby” for two years now. I have no idea where she came up with that… we try to encourage healthy eating, without talking about fat vs. skinny. As parents, there is such a fine line between wanting your children to eat healthy, but also letting them eat ice cream and birthday cake, because they’re kids and that’s what kids do! You can try to teach healthy habits and eating in moderation, but when you are not around, you have no control.
More than 10 million American children attend a camp each summer. Because these children often spend weeks – and sometimes months – away from parental supervision, Eating Recovery Center, an international center for eating disorders recovery, urges parents to be aware of summer camp triggers that may contribute to the development of an eating disorder in their camp-going children. We are looking to send our daughter to an overnight camp next summer and I do worry about her being influenced and feeling the pressure of fitting a certain body image.
“Every year, Eating Recovery Center sees many young patients who cite summer camp as the place where their disordered eating behaviors either began or intensified,” said Jamie Manwaring, PhD, primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents. “It is important to recognize that summer camps do not ’cause’ eating disorders; however, camps’ environments can often be triggering for a child with the genetic or temperamental predisposition for an eating disorder.”
Potentially triggering activities or situations may include a competitive athletic environment, exposure to bunkmates’ or friends’ disordered eating behaviors, an intense focus on health and nutrition or anxiety about trying to “fit in” with new camp friends. Without ongoing parental supervision, children who begin engaging in disordered eating behaviors will often maintain, or intensify them throughout the duration of camp without their parents’ knowledge.
To help parents plan a healthy, fun camp experience for their children and proactively practice eating disorders prevention, Eating Recovery Center offers these five tips:
1. Look into the way meals are structured at your child’s camp. Are mealtimes staffed so that camp counselors sit with campers and are available to notice if a child has stopped eating or drastically changed his or her eating habits?
2. Do some comparative research if you intend on sending your child to a sports camp. Children with a family history of eating disorders may be better suited at a camp that is focused on recreation and fun, rather than one that is focused on competition and intense fitness.
3. Send your child to camp with positive messages. Emphasize to your child that the goal of summer camp is to have fun and meet new friends. Remind your children that you love them for who they are, not what specific activities they excel at, and that it does not matter if they are the fastest runners or strongest swimmers at camp.
4. Check in with your child while he or she is at camp. Use phone calls, emails and letters as an opportunity to ask open-ended questions about his or her camp experience. Look and listen for any sudden changes in your child’s overall outlook.
5. Keep an eye out for signs of eating disorders when your child returns home from camp. Is your child eating smaller portions or restricting certain foods altogether? Has eating become a power struggle? Has your child’s exercise regimen significantly increased or have you “caught” him or her exercising in secret? Do you suspect purging after meals? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it may be time to seek help for a potential eating disorder.
“When parents see children after they have been away at a month- or summer-long camp, changes in body weight, overall health, general demeanor and outlook can become that much more noticeable,” explains Dr. Manwaring. “If your child exhibits worrisome behaviors after returning home, do not wait to seek help. With eating disorders, the earlier the intervention, the more successful the treatment will be. Early intervention saves lives.” As scary as it may seem, so many young girls, and boys, can develop an eating disorder and I for one will definitely take these tips into consideration and stay on top of it!
Eating Recovery Center Urges Parents to be Proactive in Planning a Healthy Summer Camp Experience and Vigilant for Signs of Eating Disorders Once Children Return HomeFor more information, please contact us at 877-218-1344 or info@EatingRecoveryCenter.com or confidentially chat live on our website at www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com.
An Inspirational Lunch with Debbie Phelps
Written by Role Mommy contributor, Danielle Feigenbaum
Recently I was fortunate enough to attend an intimate blogger lunch with my new hero, Debbie Phelps. During the past week I read her memoir, A Mother For All Seasons. Reading the book, I felt like she was sitting next to me, telling me her life story. I was blown away by this single mother who worked as a teacher and now as a principal, all while raising three elite swimmers. She has two daughters and a son whom you may have heard of… record-setting gold-medal winner Michael Phelps. As hard as it was, she drove those kids to swim practice and swim meets and supported them 100%. So much of her life was dedicated to her children’s dreams.
I wanted to know her secret, how did/does she do it? Her advice was simple, take things slow and enjoy life. How often do we say we should do that and then forget? Not anymore. I am determined to channel my inner Debbie Phelps and have more patience with my kids, help out in my community more and support my families’ dreams. My daughter, age eight, recently had a piano recital where she chose to play a difficult song and even though there were only about 50 people in the audience, I was a nervous wreck! I held my breath while she was up there at the grand piano and felt like I was going to throw up. How in the world does Ms. Phelps sit at the OLYMPICS and watch her son swim in front of billions of people, competing for gold?! It’s amazing.
Listening to her speak with such enthusiasm and a huge smile on her face was truly inspiring. As if all that wasn’t enough, Ms. Phelps also serves on the Century Council and is an Ambassador for Ask, Listen, Learn, which encourages kids to “Say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.”
Ask, Listen, Learn has an important message: kids and alcohol don’t mix. As unbelievable as it may seem, the average age of a person’s first alcoholic drink is eleven! It is never too early to talk to your “tween” about alcohol and Ask, Listen, Learn can help. According to the 2011 Monitoring the Future Study, nearly one third of 8th graders report they have tried alcohol once in their lifetime and 15% report they have been drunk. That is a pretty scary statistic. Through fun games for the kids to sound advice for parents and educators, Ask, Listen, Learn is a wonderful resource.
We as parents need to be good role models by drinking responsibly and not supplying underage children with alcohol!
I feel lucky to have met Ms. Phelps, her daughter Hilary as well as members of the Century Council. Even though my children are still young, this information will be very helpful in the years to come. I admire Ms. Phelps for taking time out of her busy schedule (getting ready for her trip to London!) to bring attention to this important cause.
Bubbe’s Book Reviews
Summer is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s time to start diving into some great books. Thanks to my mom, I’ve got a treasure trove to choose from and trust me when I tell you, my mother knows her books – she’s even in two book clubs – one in Florida and one in Southampton so she singlehandedly has her finger on the pulse of what’s hot among women this summer (in addition to Fifty Shades of Grey of course).
Check out some of my moms favorite picks:
The House of Tyneford by Natasha Solomons is both a love story and an historical account of the time period preceding World War II. The story begins in the spring of 1938 in Vienna, where it is no longer safe to be a Jew. Elise Landau is a 19 year old Jewish young lady living a life filled with elegant parties, champagne, and affluence. However, she is forced to leave her family and become a parlour maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay and life changes for her when Kit, the son of the master of Tyneford house comes home. It is a love story that is beautifully written filled with incredible descriptions of Tyneford that at times, have you feeling that you are actually at the house with Elise.
The DoveKeepers by Alice Hoffman is another book that I strongly recommend. Once again this novel is historical fiction. Based on the historical setting of Masada when in 70 CE(common era) 900 Jews held out for months against the Roman armies. According to the historian Josephus – two women and five children survived. The story is told by four women who have you mesmerized by their stories and their ability to survive in a setting filled with terror famine and unbelieveable conditions. The author did an incredible amount of research and the story is just outstanding.
Molokai by Alan Brennert is historical fiction that is an outstanding read. The story is set in Hawaii more than a century ago and it is a deeply moving novel. Rachel Kalama is diagnosed with leprosy at the age of 7. Her parents take her to a local hospital and from there she is sent to Kalaupapa – which was an actual colony for lepers on Molokai. The novel follows her life from age 7 to old age. Her resilience and will to live under incredibly difficult conditions is unbelievable. This novel will have you crying and smiling, but what will really tear at your heart is the fact that this was an actual place where individuals diagnosed with leprosy lived their lives without their families.
The Mojo Coach Weighs In: Why Do We Overeat?
The Who, What, When, Where, How and Why of Weight Loss
By Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®
One of the most common reasons why many of us struggle with weight loss and weight
maintenance is because we fail to look at the: who, what, when, where, how and why we
actually gained the weight in the first place. Once we’re able to ask ourselves these questions
and come up with some insightful answers, we can understand how to finally create a weight
loss plan that actually works. The first place to start is with the who of weight loss.
1. Who triggers you to overeat? It can be a boss who triggers us to grab foods to calm or relax us
after a stressful day at the office. It can be a friend or partner who encourages us to overeat
because they want a “food buddy.” It can be someone who shows their love for you through
the food they’ve prepared and we eat to avoid hurting their feelings.
2. What types of foods you are eating? Are you having a problem with your food choices, eating
too much junk food, takeout, prepared or fast food? Are the foods you’re choosing high in fat
and sugar? Are your portions too big and you’re finding yourself “economy sizing”, “super
sizing” or “value sizing?” Are you choosing foods that don’t satisfy or fill you adequately? Are
you taking in too many liquid calories?
3. When are you overeating? For many people, weight issues stem from over eating the same
foods at the same time. For example, many moms find they over eat their children’s snack
foods, between 3-‐4pm. Others find that late night snacking while watching TV is the place
where they’re taking in too much.
4. Where are you doing most of your overeating? Many people find that they overeat at the
kitchen counter while preparing food and snacks for others. Others find that the living room
couch after a long day is where the damage is done and still others can blame weight gain on
the Saturday night breadbasket at their favorite restaurant.
5. How you’re over eating? You can be eating socially, mindlessly, binge eating or eating
emotionally. With social eating you’re not hungry, but you’re simply eating to be a part of the
group or the experience. You may be concerned about being judged, criticized or questioned if
you don’t eat what everyone else is eating so you use the opportunity to eat foods you’d
normally limit or avoid. With mindless eating, you take in extra food as you’re passing it to
others, when you grab something as you see it on the counter or someone’s desk, eating while
preparing food or eating while reading, watching TV or doing anything else that takes your
attention away from concentrating on what you’re eating. Poor food choices or eating to
improve our feelings or mood are the most common reasons for binge eating. For example, a
diet high in sugar often encourages binge-‐eating behavior because the sugar provides a quick
energy surge followed by an energy crash. That crash encourages a high sugar binge in order to
regain that energy so quickly gained and lost. With an emotional eating binge, we overeat to
calm, numb or relax. It’s used as a means to self soothe and self medicate. It’s a technique
we’ve employed to deal with our stress, fears, anger, frustration or hurt and we eat to
encourage a boost of serotonin, one of the body’s “feel good” chemicals.
6.Why are you overeating? Questioning yourself after a binge is one of the best times to ask
that question. With compassion and without judgment, simply ask yourself “what do I really
need?” or “what was I really looking for?” Rarely is it food and more likely it’s compassion,
security, sleep, friendship, a fulfilling project, satisfying relationship, enriching and meaningful
job, more confidence or simply a call for a better way to handle your stress.
The more we understand the: who, what, when, where, how and why of weight loss, the better
we can create a plan that works for us…not against us. While it may take some effort to come
up with the answers, every answer you find brings you one step closer to gradual yet lasting
weight loss.
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®, founder of www.TheMojoCoach.com is a leading
health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, self-‐improvement expert and THE secret behind some of
the healthiest, most dynamic, energetic and successful people today. Sign up for your “10
FREE Strategies to Get You Lean, Sleek and Sculpted”! (These are complete programs and
videos) and take the FREE “Mojo Lifestyle Assessment” to see how you score.
5 Reasons to Visit Jamaica This Summer
As we head into summer, there’s one thing I always look forward to – VACATION! It’s been almost a year since we’ve gone away as a family and typically, we take several road trips along the northeast. This year, we’re mixing it up and throwing a bit of the caribbean into our vacation plans. You see, last August, we were invited to check out Jake’s Hotel & Resort in Treasure Beach Jamaica and to say my family fell in love was an understatement.
So why are we going back to Jake’s this year? Here are five reasons why we can’t get enough of southern Jamaica:
1. We love the incredibly kind staff, the tropical cottage accommodations and the amazing ocean views.
2. Getting the opportunity to venture out to sea with Dennis, an expert boat captain who knows every nook and cranny of Treasure Beach. Stick with Dennis and you’ll spot wild dolphins, explore a new fishing reserve, jump off a pier near Black Safari Jungle, spot crocodiles and sample local fare at the world famous Little Ochi.
3. Participate in one of a kind sports camps with professional coaches from the United States. This July, Jakes is offering its first ever sports camp for kids. If your child is a soccer lover, then this could prove to be the ultimate camp experience for them.
4. Dining under the stars with Jake’s Farm to Table dinner. Every month under the full moon, Jakes invites guests to dine with the farmers of Treasure Beach who share some of the island’s most incredible fruits, vegetables and local dishes. Favorite fruit we discovered in Jamaica: Sweet Sop which tastes just like vanilla custard…YUM!
5. Swinging from vines at YS Falls. Another incredible experience complete with an amazing driver and tour guide, Darren, a picnic basket for four, spectacular waterfalls, swimming pools and a zip line that’s frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.
So if you’ve never been to the caribbean in the summer with your family, check out Jake’s – it’s become our kids’ favorite vacation spot and something tells me we’ll be going back for many more years to come.
-thumb-540x349-3768.jpg)
Take Back the Kitchen with Alma Schneider
Garlic Scape Pesto
I love seeing garlic scapes in the Farmers Markets because that means it’s time for garlic scape pesto. I ran out of walnuts for the pesto but found that almond butter worked great as a substitute. Spread this pesto on toast with eggs or cheese or use it just like pesto on pasta for a change of pace.
Garlic Scape Pesto:
1 cup chopped garlic scapes, about 6 scapes
1/2 cup almond butter or sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of salt
Puree in a food processor until creamy consistency of pesto
For more great recipes from Alma Schneider, visit her at Take Back the Kitchen.
