While I’m not a psychic, I do know a little bit about entertainment, trends, moms, politics (well not really) and tweens. So here’s my top 10 predictions for 2012 – see if you agree.
1. Ryan Seacrest will be named co-host of Live with Kelly. It’s inevitable – he just has to sell his mansion and figure out how he’s going to host “American Idol” from L.A. but Ryan Seacrest is totally Big Apple bound. Besides, “Live with Ryan and Kelly” has a way better ring to it than “Live with Kelly and Andy.”
2. Pinterest is poised to become the hottest new site in 2012. Forget Foursquare and Stumble Upon. Now that you can create a bulletin board with videos, links, photos and more, Pinterest has the ability to attract all ages and drive traffic to websites and blogs in an organic way.
3. Goodbye Nate and Oprah, hello Katie and Ricki. Looking forward to seeing the daytime talk shows that will be hitting the airwaves next Fall. My money is on Ricki since new moms, tween moms and moms to be can relate to her realism. And I love that she nearly grabbed the mirror ball trophy this year on “Dancing with the Stars.” Go Ricki and welcome back to talk!
4. The Road to the Presidency – my gut tells me that Mitt Romney will get the nod and his running mate could be Chris Christie. Either way, I don’t think that’ll be a strong enough match for the Obama camp. While the economy has yet to rebound, the health care situation is still a bit of a mess and he doesn’t have the support of Congress, he did find Osama Bin Laden and finally get rid of him; he captured Moammar Khadafi and got rid of him too and finally started bringing troops home. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but at least we’re headed in the right direction.
5. The Rise of the Ezine – Sure, I have a personal interest in this one, but trust me when I tell you, people like to read publications online. I happen to live for my New York Post and People Magazine apps so here’s hoping that Project You Magazine becomes an app in the New Year and reaches millions of parents worldwide! Incidentally, I’m also loving the brand new Editions App from AOL where you select the sections you want to read and a magazine miraculous is created just for you.
6. Another Trash TV Reality Star will Emerge – While I don’t know who it is just yet, I’m sure that 2012 will launch the career of another talentless person who doesn’t deserve the spotlight but will get it due to their awful behavior. Will they come from MTV, Bravo or TLC? That is the question
7. Meryl Streep will win another Oscar. Put Meryl Streep in a movie about Margaret Thatcher and trust me when I tell you, she will win the Academy Award for best actress this year. Here’s hoping that Octavia Spencer nabs the supporting actress category for “The Help,” but my money on the top prize is Streep. And best movie…I say “The Help” but something tells me it’ll be something I haven’t actually seen in theaters.
8. Young Adult Books will surpass traditional best sellers First there was “Harry Potter,” then there was “Twilight” and then came the “Hunger Games.” And now, I’ve seen a commercial for a new book geared towards tweens and teens written by James Patterson. Who needs the boomers or GenXers when you’ve got socially savvy kids who are actually reading a lot! Thank goodness for little things.
9. Mediterranean Cuisine is the New It Food – Now that we know that fish, olive oil, hummus and other delicacies from the mediterranean are good for us, look for plenty more Greek restaurants to pop up in your area. We went to one restaurant that actually delivers! So long Chinese, you’ve been replaced by Greek food!
10. Apple will come out with a new iPad, a bigger MacBook Air and yet another iPhone: The year would not be complete without me buying the previous year’s model of an Apple product only to find out the latest version is available in the New Year.
A Can’t Miss Event for Parents, Teens & Tweens
If you’re a parent of a tween or teen, then you won’t want to miss our next Moms Night Out event at the White Plains Library on Tuesday, March 24 as we tackle important issues facing adolescents today including cyberbullying, peer pressure and self esteem. Appetizers will be provided by Dinner in Hand. The event will take place from 7-9 pm at the White Plains Library, located at 100 Martine Avenue.
Guests panelists include:
NICOLE SHEINDLIN
From the Journal News…
When Nicole Sheindlin was growing up, dinnertable conversation at her house revolved around fairness and public policy, rather than childhood squabbles and petty grievances. The daughter of two judges–Judge Jerry (a former New York Supreme Court justice) and the famous Judge Judy–this Larchmont resident and legal-aid attorney says she grew up “with law in her blood.” A year ago, Sheindlin, a petite mom of three, who for years has worked in the Bronx helping families in crisis, launched what ultimately turned out to be another full-time job: the Her Honor Mentoring Program. (In fact, she recently left her job to take over management of the program, full-time, thanks to a private grant.)
She and Judy (her stepmother), created the 25-week program, to help at-risk girls at Mamaroneck High School. The goal was to pair these juniors and seniors (the first in their families to go to college) with dynamic women mentors in the community, to show them that having a career you are passionate about leads to confidence and independence. Now in its second year, Her Honor has now expanded into another school district welcoming Mount Vernon High School students to Her Honor for the 2008-2009 school year. With their new expansion, Her Honor has more than doubled the amount of mentoring teams in just twelve months.
(Pictured in photo: Nicole Sheindlin, Judge Judy Sheindlin and Camille Murphy, director of Westchester’s office for Women)
MARI MANCUSI
When it comes to writing, award-winning author Marianne Mancusi doesn’t like to play by the rules. A multiple Emmy award winning television producer, she sold 11 novels to three publishers (Dorchester, Berkley, Dutton Children’s) in less than three years. While best known for her time travel romantic comedies, Marianne also writes a vampire romance series and other books for teens.
Her latest book, Gamer Girl was released by Dutton in November 2008 and is currently part of Scholastic’s book fair. Gamer Girl was also selected as an American Library Association Quick Pick for reluctant readers.
Mari has worked in television stations around the country, including Orlando, San Diego, and Boston. A graduate of Boston University’s College of Communications, she currently produces for a nationally syndicated lifestyle show. She currently lives in Jersey City. To find out more about Mari, click here.
JEANNE MUCHNICK
Jeanne Muchnick is a multi-tasking mama who has been writing about her two girls ever since they were born. She’s the former Editor of Baby Magazine and former InTown Senior Editor whose parenting stories have also appeared in a variety of national consumer magazines including Woman’s Day, Healthy Kids, Parents, Parenting, Pregnancy, FamilyFun and more. She lives in Larchmont, NY with her two teenage girls: Corey and Sydney, her husband, Mark and her flat-coated retriever, Chip.
PROTECT YOURSELF ONLINE WITH TEENANGELS Teenangels are a group of thirteen to eighteen year old volunteers that have been specially trained in all aspects of online safety, privacy and security. After completion of the required training, the Teenangels run unique programs in schools to spread the word about responsible and safe surfing to other teens and younger kids, parents, and teachers. One of the most active chapters of Teenangels is based at the Ursuline School in New Rochelle and their teen experts will be on hand to offer important tips to parents and children about protecting oneself online.
Teenangels was founded in 1999 by leading cyberlawyer Parry Aftab, Executive Director of WiredSafety.org – the world’s largest online safety and help organization and 501(c)(3) corporation.
Dr. Joel Haber, Phd. and Spokesperson for the Online Mom – Dr. Joel Haber, PhD is the author Bullyproof Your Child for Life. He will be speaking on behalf of The Online Mom – an organization and web site devoted to providing the knowledge, the advice, and the tools that will help all parents protect their kids and encourage responsible behavior as they make the most of the new digital world.
To RSVP for this event, please visit the White Plains Library or email us at beth@rolemommy.com.
If you missed our last event (Women Who Make A Difference) and want to check it out, then watch the video below!