Kutnick's Korner

I always find myself extremely introspective when life change happens. Today I found myself thinking a lot about my past and the present because school starts tomorrow. Summer is over. Not the season but the vacation away from school life. Schedules happen. Bedtimes matter. Homework begins. In these moments I think about my own personal experiences in grade school as I watch my kids move up the #s each year. This year actually marks the first time in 9 years that school is essentially free (aside from property taxes aka suburban tuition, school supplies, lunch and a small registration fee), and it also marks a time where both of my kids are in an official numbered "grade", 4th and 1st. I remember every one of my teachers K-6. I remember feeling like a big kid on my first day of kindergarten. I also had a lot of reflection today when I thought about 1st and 4th grade because I had the same teacher, Mrs. Ermilio, for both. Mrs. Ermilio was a demanding teacher, but she was m...

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th. I was born on Friday, July 13, 1973. And, while some people won't work on the 13th floor of a high rise.... or sit in the 13th aisle of an airplane...I look at 13 as my lucky number. Tomorrow marks my 39th birthday. The last year of my 30s. It does not seem possible. Where did 30-38 go? Why do the days go slowly and the years go fast? Fortunately or unfortunately (depends on how you look at it), I am a goal-oriented person. I sell advertising, and I am constantly surrounded by the word "goal". It is amazing to me how much I want to hit my goal or surpass my goal. It's just how I am programmed. But, lately I have lost sight of personal goals. Life gets busy. So, I have decided to put a list together as I enter my 39th year, and see where I land in 366 days. I would I really would like to enter 40 gracefully as a woman should. And, I keep telling myself that 40 is the new 30. Right? I know that have to keep focused on what is important. ...

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...