The Internship: Just a Funny Movie or A Real Life Foot in the Door?

Just The Cathartic Adventure My Family Needed

June 13, 2013

The Internship: Just a Funny Movie or A Real Life Foot in the Door?

By Lorraine Duffy Merkl

A New York City mom interviews a human resources expert for advice on going back to work.

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) don’t exactly fit in with the other interns at Google. “They have more life experience than the age of most of our interns,” is how they’re described in the new blockbuster The Internship. After the two 40-something salesmen are laid off, they take internships at the leading search engine, which they hope will… [more]

June 12, 2013

My Family’s Cape Cod

By Caroleen Mackin

A local mom’s insider tips for the perfect Cape Cod vacation.

Cape Cod means more to me than just a place to vacation; it is where my extended family gathers every summer, and the place where I am the happiest. Although the drive to this beautiful part of Massachusetts is long and often snarled with traffic, the rewards are worth it (and you can always fly or take the train!). Every summer when we… [more]

June 12, 2013

Just The Cathartic Adventure My Family Needed

By Eric Messinger

Our editor goes bowling in the ‘burbs after his daughter’s bat mitzvah and it turns into a memorable family moment.

Following my daughter’s bat mitzvah service and celebration two Saturdays ago, in the wake of all the soaring emotions and communal joy, my family has been going through “re-entry” into our normal way of life back here on Planet Reality. For reasons I’ll explain, last Saturday, a week after Elena’s Big Day, we found ourselves in very different circumstances: at… [more]

June 5, 2013

Advice For My Daughter At Her Bat Mitzvah

By Eric Messinger

Our editor has a simple, but powerful, message for his 13-year-old girl at her mitzvah celebration.

It’s custom for parents to give a speech at their child’s bat mitzvah, to welcome all the guests and congratulate their child. At my daughter’s bat mitzvah celebration this weekend, I had a few goals: I didn’t want to go on for that long, I didn’t want to lionize her (every other aspect of the day did that), but I… [more]

June 3, 2013

NYC Museums On The Cheap

By Hillary Chura

Our Le$$er Parenting blogger Hillary Chura divulges some of the city’s best deals for affordable museum visits.

Tour the New York Fed to educate kids about the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Federal Reserve System, photo from newyorkfed.org

One of the best things about living in New York City is the abundance of museums. Or at least that’s what I hear… What with trying to pull kids away from tidying their rooms (ha!) and attempting… [more]

May 29, 2013

A Ritual With Universal Parental Appeal

By Eric Messinger

Our editor’s bat mitzvah wishes for his daughter.

My family and I belong to a Manhattan synagogue with a large congregation, which, despite its numbers, is a welcoming place because of its character and the manner of its rabbis, cantors, teachers, and others who make it run. For the past five years, they have guided my daughter, Elena, to the upcoming weekend and her bat mitzvah. Last night… [more]

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Meet Our Bloggers

ERIC MESSINGER
Eric Messinger is the Editor of New York Family. Still, that doesn't seem to give him any more credibility with his wife and children.

TALI ROSENBLATT-COHEN
Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen is a mother of three who lives with her husband and children on the Upper West Side. An indoorsy type, books are her only hobby. As such, she is a former literary agent who currently writes, edits, and when all goes well, reads.

HILLARY CHURA
A business reporter who has written for The New York Times, TIME magazine, The Associated Press, Advertising Age and other publications, Hillary Chura now spends most of her time ferrying children to and from school, desperately wanting to nap, and tirelessly trying to parent for le$$ in New York City. She was reared in North Carolina and currently lives in on the Upper East Side with three boys--her husband and their two sons. Hillary gets most excited when she finds Southern prices in Manhattan stores.

DJ DUCKWORTH
Growing up as the perfect second child in a family of three, DJ Duckworth swore she was never having kids...up until the moment she actually gave birth. She's been writing and reporting on life since she could form letters and speak to anyone who would listen. DJ has worked as a television anchor and reporter, as well as a yoga instructor. This well-traveled Arkansan now lives in Manhattan with her husband, her son, Corbin, and the world's most amazing wiener dog, Leo!

CAROLEEN MACKIN
After spending almost two decades in her marketing and advertising career, Caroleen H. Mackin turned the page a few years ago to spend more time with her family and succumbed to an obsession with traveling, both near and far. She hopes to share some of the places she has discovered along the way, and some tips for planning your own family trips. She lives on the UES with her husband and daughters, ages 10 and 12.

LORRAINE DUFFY MERKL
Lorraine Duffy Merkl is a published author whose debut novel, Fat Chick, is an Amazon.com bestseller. She is also a freelance journalist and an award-winning advertising creative director/copywriter for print, television, radio, and interactive media in which she specializes in entertainment marketing. She is an NYC native, who hails originally from the Bronx, but currently resides on the Upper East Side with her husband, Neil, college-bound son, Luke, and teenage daughter, Meg.

MARIA RILEY
Maria Riley is a Writer and Social Media Consultant. A Southern transplant now raising a teenage daughter in New York City, she writes, blogs and tweets from a new New Yorker's perspective. You can follow her adventures at LifeofRileyNYC.com and connect on Twitter @LifeofRileyNYC. She lives on Roosevelt Island with her husband and daughter.

GABRIELLA ROWE
Gabriella Rowe is the third generation Head of School of the family owned and operated Mandell School. After working as an investment banker and management consultant for 12 years, she returned to the Mandell School in 1999 and has been responsible for leading the School through its strategic expansion from one of New York City's most highly sought after preschools into a pre-eminent early childhood through 8th grade school. Gabriella also serves on Community Board 7 which plays an important advisory role in New York City Municipal Government affairs. She has two sons and is an avid sports fan. Follow her on Twitter @Gabriella_Rowe.

NATASHA SCHLESINGER
Natasha Schlesinger is an award-winning art historian and New York City mother of three: Sophia (15), Julian (12), and Annabelle (10). Eleven years ago, Natasha founded ArtMuse, which offers interactive and engaging thematic art tours for kids and adults to museums and art galleries in New York, Paris, London, Rome, and Florence. She is also a co-founder of ArtXplorers, a multi-media platform that brings art to kids through virtual art tours and arts and crafts videos as well as developing products. Find her on Facebook and on Twitter: @ArtXplorers

LANI SEROTA
Lani Serota is the mother of two young girls, besotted wife, sleep aficionado (both her own and that of children), and celebrity child name enthusiast who loves a good giggle. When she is not working at one of her three jobs, taking advantage of everything New York City has to offer, or procrastinating, she loves to write. Lani lives with her husband and two daughters on the Upper East Side.

JOE WACK
Joe Wack currently teaches science to elementary school children in the Bronx. He lives in Harlem with his wife and 3-year-old son.

BARRI WALTCHER
Barri Waltcher is a New York City-based career advisor who helps women navigate the transition from parenting back to a satisfying career. She is the co-founder of Mind Your Own Business Moms (MYOBmoms.com) and a frequent speaker on career topics. Barri has two teenaged children and, like her clients, she has made her own transitions, from lawyer to full-time parent (with some excessive volunteering on the side), to a career she is passionate about. Please send your career questions and topic suggestions to BarriWaltcher@gmail.com