Kutnick's Korner

One of the benefits of spending a lot of time alone is the ability to listen to and explore music. Over the years I have really opened up my mind to all kinds of music. I love listening to old music. I love sharing music with others. And, I truly don't know how I would get through many of my days without it. Here's my list of songs (not in any particular order) that I listened to the most in 2011. They aren't necessarily my "favorites", but they made strong IPod appearances. It doesn't mean that these songs were released in 2011. Some of them I Shazamed. Some of them were sent to me by friends. Some of them are pretty old. Some are really new. Some are fun. Some are classic and soulful. Some are happy. Some aren't. But, I hope you take at least one of them away with you to enjoy in 2012. The Scientist-Coldplay For You-Tin Sparrow Magnolia Mountain-Ryan Adams Alex Chilton-The Replacements Cuyahoga-R.E.M. Fade into You-Mazzy Star Stop for a Minute

I didn't used to be superstitious. Or, at least I don't remember being superstitious when I was a kid. But, as my years have progressed, so have my superstitions. I've kind of collected them over the years. Some of them I don't even think about. I silently carry them with me. And, some of them I think about almost every day. I was talking to a friend recently, who isn't superstitions, and he asked me how my belief in superstition would rub off on my children or on parenting? I had never thought about it, really. I thought it was a good question. It all kind of started when I was a freshman in college. I was walking through the crowded streets of Madison the first week of school with my best friend who is really, really superstitions. Out of nowhere, or what I thought was out of nowhere, she says, "Bread and butter." I looked at her like she was nuts. She had proceeded to tell me that we had been split up between a lamppost, and when two friends get split

Here are some of things that I sometimes find myself saying to my kids: We didn't have Iphones when I was your age. We didn't have DVRs when I was your age. That's right...we couldn't just pause live TV. We didn't have On Demand. We watched what was on the 5 channels that we had and went to the bathroom when there was a commercial. Really, you like commercials? Well, you wouldn't like them if you HAD to watch them all the time like we did. We didn't have portable DVD players. When we drove in the car for 6-7 hours, we looked out the window. We had records, eight track tapes, cassette tapes and walk mans. I didn't have a computer until I was in 9th grade. And, typing was called typing. Not keyboarding. Generations do this. They talk about the way things were against the way things are. That's how it's always been, and I suspect that's how it always will be. But, one of the times when I don't find myself talking about how things were di

On a day with perfect conditions and perfect harmony it is hard to be a parent. I don't care if you have babies, young kids, teenagers or even adult children. It's hard. And, I've only had babies and young kids so far....I mean...don't get me wrong-it's amazing and great, but it still comes with regular, ordinary, everyday challenges. But, one of the biggest challenges, in my opinion, is taking care of your kids when you are sick...and they aren't. Now, if they're sick and you're sick at the same time...everyone is on equal playing fields. But, if they are fine (which of course you hope that they are)... and you aren't..That’s where it gets ugly. Starting Wednesday I got sick with what I am now thinking was a 24-hour stomach flu virus thing. I was completely out of commission yesterday (Thursday). Thursday morning after literally being up sick all night, I packed their lunches, gave them breakfast and sent them off to school. I felt like I

I woke up this morning and there were a ton of leaves on my front lawn. Between my parents visiting two weeks ago, the start of a new job under two weeks ago, a girl's weekend in Madison last weekend and the Jewish holiday kick off this week, I don't think I stopped to officially acknowledge that it's actually fall. Until, today. Usually, I am a total nerd with my calendar in front of me stating "It's the first day of fall. It's September 21st." But, this year I kind of missed the official change of season ritual. Let me restate. It's not that I missed it. My kids have been wearing sweatshirts and fleeces. I have worn my down vest and raincoat. But, for the first time I actually wasn't paying attention to the date. This is highly unusual for a weather centric person like myself. So, today I have been trying to figure out when it actually became fall. Four weeks ago I was at the pool in a bathing suit enjoying long, gorgeous summer nights. Two wee

College was the best four years of my life. And, I am not exaggerating. I have visited my Alma Mater many times over the past 16 years. Weekend trips. Day trips. With my husband (who also went to UW Madison). With my kids. And, with one or two friends here and there. But, this past weekend I went away with 7 of my college friends to Madison. We had been talking about doing this for 5 years. We would start the dialog. And, we'd get excited. But, in the years of career switches, weddings and babies we found that we couldn't get our act together. It just wasn't the right time. So, after 5 years of dialog...5 years of not accomplishing this goal. We found a weekend that actually wasn't a conflict for all 8 of us. We booked the hotel. 6/8 of us booked flights. Football tickets were purchased. And, baby sitting arrangements (husbands and grandparents) were made for the 15 kids between the 8 of us. Busy work schedules were cleared. And, we finally made it happen. It se

It's always an interesting conversation to talk to people and reflect back events with the question of "Where were you when..." My earliest memory of where was I when...was when Natalie Wood drowned. I didn't really know who she was, but I knew she was famous. I remember my mom being upset. The next one was when John Lennon was shot. My mom and I were running errands. It was raining. We were in her big brown, two door Oldsmobile, and it came on the radio. It was 1980. I was 7. The next big one for me was the Space Shuttle Challenger incident in 1986. I was in Junior High school. Health class. And, it came over the loud speaker. I remember when on this one really clearly. There was the big earthquake of Northridge, CA in 1994. I remember when I happened to be home from college on Christmas break in Sherman Oaks, CA (where I grew up) and at 4am (or so) my parents came rushing in to grab me from my bed from stuff falling everywhere. I was 20. I remember when OJ

I never thought I would call myself old fashioned. But, I think I am on the topic of activities and homework. I believe that today's kids have too much on their plates. Last spring I saw the documentary-Race to Nowhere that addressed the overload of homework and pressure, and I feel like we are just at the beginning. I only have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartener. I have tried my hardest to not over schedule my kids. My daughter wanted to do dance, gymnastics AND soccer. I told her she had to pick two. So, she picked gymnastics and dance. She has nothing after school on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I think that's reasonable. I do need to add Sunday school to her plate of commitments. My son wanted to play soccer and hockey (house not travel). After doing the house sports of basketball and baseball paralleled with house hockey last year, I made him pick one. He picked hockey. Not soccer. Okay. Hockey is Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes Friday night. He also has an optional clini

It's Sunday morning. Quiet. Not a lot of activities have started yet for my kids, thankfully. And, my son was picked to be the "Top Dog" next week for his class. Top Dog can also be referred to as Star of the Week, Star Student. You get my point. Projects like these, even with my 3rd grade son, need parent guidance. Now, back in the 70s/80s I don't remember having this Star of the Week honor, but if I did I'm pretty sure that I would work my hardest to create a "brag" sheet about me. I would want it to be perfect for my teacher. And, I would want to finish it as soon as I could. My son, who is like my emotional twin (he also looks like me)...is definitely not my homework twin. Aside from getting him to read every night, getting him to sit down and do homework (even the fun stuff like Top Dog journaling) is a major struggle. He's a procrastinator. I am the complete opposite. I am trying to instill the value of do it now, so you won't have to dea

Traditionally, I seem to get an itch to clean my closets right around September 1st and May 1st. Before I quit my job in 2010 and had more extra money to spend, it was more of an "Out with the old in with the new" kind of a thing...Now, it's just an out with an old kind of a thing. I always find it interesting...the things that I hold on to. One of my favorite things is a bottle of Four Season's Hotel replenishing spray that I/we bought on our honeymoon. That was 12 years ago. The stuff in the bottle has officially reached "gross" standards, but there it sits. Waiting for another year to pass on by. I don't think it would be good karma throw it away. So, I don't. Another interesting thing is my retainer. I was supposed to wear it at night for the rest of my life starting in 7th grade. That didn't happen. But, my retainer has followed me from LA to Madison (college) and to 5 residences in Chicago. I never open the case. But, I know it's ther

I was a habitual dieter from 1995-2009. If you do the math, that's 14 years that went like this: Dieting. Restriction. Success. Lose 5. Gain 7. Failure. Soon after I graduated college in 1995, I became fixated on dieting, exercising and losing weight. I started with Weight Watchers and graduated to Phen-Phen until it was taken off the market. People started identifying me as a dieter. Worst of all, whatever I lost came back - and then some. In 2000, due to a prescription medication, my weight skyrocketed. I literally gained 30 pounds in three months. For someone who has dealt with anxiety, especially anxiety about weight, this was my worst nightmare come true. I thought I was "heavy" when  I really wasn't-and then I really, really was. I tried working with dietitians. I tried weight-loss prescription medication and Weight Watchers again. In 2003, at my highest weight, I got pregnant. After my first child was born, I lost all the baby weight and then s

Ever since I resigned from my full-time position at Chicago Parent last summer, I have been searching for the next step. What can I do with my life that makes sense and that I enjoy? I have had a year of self exploration and soul searching to see what to do next. One of the things that I got excited about was teaching exercise. For more than a year I have been taking exercise classes regularly (about three to four times a week). An email came in May looking for teachers to audition. Could I be a teacher? Should I even go for it? Even though I am not a perfect 10 (not a size 10 but a Bo Derek 10), should I put myself out there? It was a hard decision to make, and I thought about it long and hard. I got up the courage to audition. I had never done anything like this before. It really challenged me in so many ways, and I loved getting outside of my comfort level. Then they called me back for an interview. It turns out that it wasn't the happy ending I had hoped for. I didn't

I think it was last week when I was watching the season finale of 90210 (please don’t judge me), and I thought to myself.....I can’t believe my 20 year reunion is happening in a month. 20 years. Two decades. I have gone to college, traveled, moved across the country from where I grew up, gotten married, gotten hired, gotten laid off, changed jobs 4-5 times, had children, moved numerous amounts of times, bought and sold property, lost all of my grandparents, run two half marathons, and the list goes on. I thought about all the songs that have been created since 1991. I think about all the things that I that I have seen and experienced since the day I got my high school diploma. And, I realize that 20 years is a long time. A landmark of time. A long enough time period where I am curious.  But, I think we, the curious ones, are a truly dying breed. Recently, there was an article posted on NPR’s website called “ School Reunions? Nah, I've Got Facebook”. I was sorry to read that most

I have to be connected somehow, in some way, to the outside world. E-mail. Text. Facebook. Twitter. When I started my job at Chicago Parent in January 2005 as an area sales manager, I purchased my first BlackBerry. It was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I could sit anywhere and get my e-mails. A curse because I could sit anywhere and get my e-mails. Before long, texting came into my world, as did Facebook. I felt the need to be reachable when I was selling advertising. Someone always needed me and it was important for me to be able to connect instantly with potential clients. But, right now, I am not selling advertising. I am home with my kids. And, truthfully, there's really not that much sense of urgency in needing to check in. But I am addicted. I AM trying to be better. I've started leaving my phone in the car when I go to the store. When I exercise, the phone goes in the locker for an hour. When I am at either of my kids' schools, the phone is turned of

I have been told over the years that I think too much, that I worry too much. This can be a good and a bad quality. As a teenager and in college, I think it was good. I would think, discuss, have really deep conversations and soul search. But, now as an adult with two kids, I almost want to push a button and turn off 'the think'. In June I made a very big decision, one that I struggled with for many years. I left my job. The first three months I enjoyed the honeymoon stage of everything being perfect and wonderful. It was summer. The weather was nice. Everyone in my family was happy. The pool was open. I wasn't over thinking it. Then fall came and school started, along with it the real job of being an at-home mom. Before long, winter set in. The days feel long and cold and the gray sky really starts getting to me. I promised myself I would try to embrace my inner winter. But, it's a true struggle for this native Californian girl. Many days I really like being home -