Coast 2 Coast Mom

Alberto VO5 New Scent Launch - A Scent Is Born!

I recently attended a lovely lunch with Alberto VO5 to help choose their next shampoo and conditioner scent. They've launched the VO5 "A Scent Is Born" sweepstakes on Facebook this week, and you can have your say as to which of three scents you'd like them to produce next - if you "like" their page and vote. Besides sniffing scrumptious sweet smells and eating wonderful food, I learned quite a bit about the Alberto VO5 product lines. I found it interesting to hear that VO5 actually stands for "five [essential] vitamin oils." Alberto VO5 was developed 59 years ago (VO5... Read more →

Happy 80th Birthday, Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup!

This year marks the 80th birthday of Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup. This is noteworthy for our family, not only because we've been slurping a lot of chicken noodle soup this super snowy winter, but also because Andy Warhol and his iconic Campbell's soup art series were among the first pieces of artwork that the Kiddo learned to identify. We were blessed with a fantastic preschool experience that exposed the kids to a dozen famous artists, and every time we saw a Campbell's soup can for months (years?) afterward, he'd talk about Andy Warhol. (Yes, at four years old!) It's... Read more →

From Campbell's Soup To (Going) Nuts

No bones about it, this winter has been a doozy for the Midwest and East Coast. In New Jersey, we've received over 50" of snow so far this season and winter has several more weeks to go! All of this snow reminds me of my wintry memories from my childhood in Michigan, and I'm grateful to impart some of those snow day experiences with the Kiddo. The Kiddo playing in the snow with Zoey We've made snow angels, built entire snow families, carved out snow tunnels, and plastered each other with snow balls. Which is all in good fun until... Read more →

Savory Sides Make Our Holiday Family Traditions

When most peope think of Thanksgiving dinner, they imagine a beautifully carved idyllic turkey surrounded by vegetable side dishes of lesser importance. For my family, it's actually those side dishes that shine in the spotlight and make up the flavors of our holiday memories. Close your eyes and picture your Thanksgiving dinner. What do you smell, see, hear and taste? Are you craving a juicy cooked turkey? Not us. It's the sweet potatoes, the mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, the brocooli rice casserole, the peas and the corn that waft into my mind. It's the scents, taste, and sight... Read more →

Campbell's Wisest Kid NYC Launch

I had a fun recent afternoon at the NYC launch of the Campbell's Wisest Kid campaign. Everyone was excited to see The Wisest Kid answering questions up on the big board overlooking the Campbell's Soup pop-up booth in Times Square. :-) People were wearing The Wisest Kid beards and handing out cans of Campbell's Condensed Soup. The stunning Ana Ortiz was there for the launch, amidst the larger-than-life Campbell's soup can kiosks and she was 100% lovely. I chatted with her about coast-to-coast family life, about wrapping up the first season of Lifetime's Devious Maids, and - of course -... Read more →

Campbell's The Wisest Kid in the Whole World

I'm excited to share that I'm now an ambassador for The Campbell Soup Company's The Wisest Kid in the Whole World program! Thanks to my new sponsor, Campbell's, I'll be learning about Campbell's condensed soups and sharing what I discover with you - along with some other fun opportunities for all of us . . . like The Wisest Kid campaign! While the cute commercials have already started airing on TV, today's the big day when Campbell's introduces The Wisest Kid to the world from Noon to 2 p.m. in Times Square NYC, and I'll be there :-) Campbell's adorable... Read more →

MomTrends Beauty Event at Blowtique in Chicago

While I was in Chicago last week, I attended a fabulous beauty event hosted by the MomTrends team. I was treated to a blowout and mani while I tasted some healthy snacks, drinks, and nibbles. The salon was packed with beauty and lifestyle influencers, and everywhere you glanced, it looked festive and fun. I was excited to see Oribe products on the shelves and workstations when I sat for my blowout. I've used Oribe and Kerastase products nearly exclusively for the past few years and I rave about them both in my everyday life. I always feel like I'm in... Read more →

Katie Couric Milk Mustache Mother's Day Ad Campaign

I’ve been working over Mother’s Day weekend with The National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign to promote their milk with breakfast initiative, and the launch of the new Katie Couric Breakfast Project ad campaign. They’ve sponsored my efforts and given me an inside look at the making of the ads with Katie Couric and her daughters, and I’m excited to share with you all. :-D Here’s a few behind-the-scenes pics from the ad campaign photo shoot of Katie with her daughters, Ellie and Carrie. I appreciate how Katie has made an effort to model healthy habits (like drinking milk) for... Read more →

HEXBUG Toys in McDonald's Happy Meals

Starting today, HEXBUG micro robots will be featured in McDonald's Happy Meals across North America. Created by Innovation First International, the HEXBUG toys are sure to lure kids - and many boys - to the Golden Arches for the next four weeks. While we don't have a McDonald's along our day-to-day routes about town, we usually reserve eating there as a treat for road trips or long days running errands. I have no doubt, however, that we'll be making a beeline to pick up a Happy Meal with these micro robots for the Kiddo. :-) The HEXBUG Happy Meal program... Read more →

Momofuku Milk Bar Treats - Icing on Cake

While basking in the after glow of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, we walked up Fifth Ave to check out the holiday lights and decorations. Even though it was starting to rain, it was a beautiful night and end to our holiday dinner, annual Rockettes show and stay in NYC. The icing on the cake - literally - was walking into Momofuku Milk Bar for some late night sweet treats. :-) We stopped into the Milk Bar at the Chambers Hotel on 56th and picked up some treats to enjoy back at the Hilton Times Square. We tasted the candy... Read more →