Lian Dolan's Blog, page 20

The Chaos Chronicles Podcast is Back! With laughs, information and an author interview with Kristin Radcliffe

Yup, I’ve come out of retirement! I missed you, too. I kick off my renewed effort with an interview with author, mom and Satellite Sister Kristin Beckstrom Radcliffe, MSW, LCSW. Her new book is Willow Wonders Why Do I Worry?  Kristin wrote this charming and education picture book with her 11 year old daughter Wynne who deals with anxiety and OCD. The goal of Willow Wonders is to educate kids, siblings, classmates and parents about life with anxiety or what it feels like in Wynne’s brain every day. Thanks to Kristin sharing her story and bringing her wonderful sense of humor and courage to The Chaos Chronicles.

To order Willow Wonders

Here is the link to the publisher:
http://www.littlecreekpress.com/store/willow_wonders.php

To Connect with Kristin:
https://www.facebook.com/WillowWonders



Also on the Chaos Chronicles:






Wed, 30 October 2013
The Chaos Chronicles: Author Interview with Satellite Sister Kristin Beckstrom Radcliffe about her book Willow Wonders

The Chaos Chronicles returns! back behind the mic with:

Building better Classroom Environments for Boys from Time.com. Here’s a link to : Christina Hoff Sommers: 3 Things Schools can do to help Boys Succeed

Kid, Parents and Online Obligations

Willow Wonder: Why Do I Worry: a new book about childhood anxiety and OCD with author Kristin Beckstrom Radcliffe. For more information, click here: http://www.kbradcliffe.com/Willow-Wonders.html

Direct download: cc103013.mp3

Category:Specials – posted at: 5:49 PM

Three Things to Like When Your Spouse is Out of Town: Betrayal; Yogi Tea; and Paris in Love by Eloisa James

Ah, bliss. A little marital vacation then back to marital bliss. My husband is out of town . Really, poor guy, in Vegas for 6 days of nonstop meetings and nonstop meals. For a runner and all-around healthy guy, this is a Worst Case Scenario. For me, it’s a few days to forego contacts lenses, family dinners and grooming. After a busy early Fall, I’m happy to be home and logging some serious sleep. I’ve embarked on a fall shape-up and eat better program. I’m boosting my pro-biotic intake after my spring bout with MRSA. And, I’m ripping through a few good books and some sexy TV shows.  Here’s this week’s List of  Three Things to Love: Home Alone Version

 

Paris in Love by Eloisa James  If your travel budget for this Fall doesn’t include a trip to Paris, then just pick up Paris in Love and you’ll feel like you’ve made it to the City of Lights.  I just finished this delightful memoir  and I wanted to spread the word. ( Not that best-selling romance writer Eloisa James needs my help!) Writer and Shakespeare professor James takes a sabbatical and lives out my personal fantasy: A Year in Paris with her family.  Motivated by her mother’s death and her own bout with cancer, James and her family sell their possessions and absorb all that Paris has to offer for a writer, her husband who is an Italian literature prof and their kids, a teen and a tween. Her ‘memoir’ is a loose collection of what started as Facebook posts and became a charming, smartly-observed chronicle that combines random thoughts, insightful commentary and well-crafted essays.   Of course, there is food, art, window-shopping and some truly fantastic fashion advice. But there is also heart.; several of the essays brought me to tears. If you only know Eloisa James through her Regency Romances, pick up Paris in Love to get to really know her. It’s a wonderful vacation for the reader, funny and moving. Click here to order at Amazon. 

Casting game: How about Stuart Townsend as Elizabeth the First Wife's Rafa?

Betrayal  Creatively, I’m back in outlining mode for my next book which for me means a LOT of media consumption as inspiration. I happened upon the pilot of Betrayal in a hotel room one night and wow! Hooked! I’m all for bad behavior if it’s fictional!  Set in Chicago and involving politically-connected families ( Are there any other types in Chicago?) , this is like The Good Wife minus the procedural. Let’s get straight to the adultery on this one, shall we?  Neglected Artist Wife meet Connected Fixer Husband and, viewers, start your engines.  It is adult content, so be warned. But if you are wondering was Stuart Townsend’s been up to since his break-up with Charlize, you’ll find him here. And looking good.

Yogi Teas  I’m a coffee achiever but I’ve learned to love tea, once I let tea into my life. I love my yoga studio. because they have tiny cups of Yogi Tea on hand after every class and the combination makes me feel super ( and superior0. It can be hard to find Yogi Tea, but it’s worth the effort. This week, I’m enjoying the Detox and the Cinnamon Vanilla Healthy Skin blend. But check out all the Yogi Teas here.

 

 

I have 2.5 more days until my husband returns. That mean 3 more yoga classes, Top Chef: New Orleans and cottage cheese for dinner!  I’m also finishing The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. (More betrayal!) 

 

What do you love about being home alone? 

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Related Posts: 

Happy  to announce my new bi-monthly column in Pasadena Magazine called Very Pasadena.  As you know, I love magazines and I love  writing for them, so I couldn’t be happier. The first column happens to be about my conversion from Outsider to Full Pasadena, thanks to my native-born husband.  Click to read, Heart Transplant

Satellite Sisters Podcast is now Twice a Week! We are now producing tow Satellite Sisters shows a week. If you have tuned in, please do. You can find Satellite Sisters on Stitcher Radio ( free app! great porduct!) and iTunes as well as right here on our site satellitesisters.com  

 

Three Things to Like This Tuesday: Citrus Mango Mint Iced Tea, Steve from Blue’s Clues on The Moth and yes, dishwasher detergent

 

It’s back! Three Things to Like This Tuesday: My weekly review of new products, media, delightful recipes and events . This week, Citrus Mint Iced Tea, The MOTH Podcast with Steve from Blues Clues and dishwasher detergent.

#1 Citrus inspired recipes: Citrus Mango Mint Iced Tea and Shrimp Tacos  I am an unabashed fan of all things Ocean Spray. I’m fairly certainly that if you cut me open, you’d find Cranberry Juice running through my veins. My devotion is well-known ( I’m a card carrying member of The Cranberry Club)  and occasionally, the Ocean Spray people send me new products, like their new line of  100 % juice drinks like Citrus Tangerine Orange or Citrus Mango Pineapple Juice. Wait, what? Mango?

Ever since my niece’s wedding, where they served the MOST DELICIOUS ICED TEA, I’ve been trying to recreate the Citrus Mango Mint concoction at home. My younger son has been cheering me on.  I’ve had several failures, until I tasted the new juice. Was this the missing ingredient that would be the key to recreating the magic? Yup. I found a great recipe on the Ocean Spray site for Citrus Mint Tea  and followed it to a tea. The Result?  A delicious refreshing mango=splashed iced tea prefect for famiy gatherings. The key was seeping the mint in with the hot tea. Let this ice tea chill completely. It’s actually better the second day, like a great soup or stew.

Many fantastic recipes for Fall on the Ocean Spray site.  Or click on the Citrus-marinated Shrimp Tacos above for a fantastic, easy recipe made with Citrus Tangerine Orange juice. My family loved them.

 

  #2 The Moth Podcast with Steve from Blue’s Clues  For those of you with kids of a certain age, say from 13 to 18, you will remember the original Steve from Blues Clue’s. Steve of the Green Striped Shirt and the perennial “Golly, Gee” expression.  Steve who walked away from his Captain Kangaroo Kingdom to pursue other interests. I loved Steve and wondered what had happened to him. He tells a beautiful, funny, haunting story about identity on The MOTH this week. 

http://themoth.org/posts/episodes/1105-2

 

#3 Cascade  Platinum

This may be the one and only time I rave about dishwasher detergent. But if your water is as hard and unrelenting as mine, you may understand. Our water doesn’t just leave spots it destroys entires dishwashers! So I am happy to pass on a complete dishwashing detergent victory with a new product called Cascade Platinum. Thanks, Cascade for saving my dishwasher.

 

Ten Things to Like this Tuesday Halloween Edition

Ten things to Like This Tuesday: Read Watch Listen

Random Thoughts on the Emmys: Funny Women Win, Bob Newhart’s Tears and my Best Dress

the lovely Kerry Washington in a gorgeous dress

I wasn’t going to watch the Emmy’s because I don’t watch “Breaking Bad.” so I figured I miss all the references, but then Liz texted me a photo of her Emmy Make-up and I was in. A clean, fresh, non-smokey eye ? If Liz could go non-smokey eye, the least I could do was tune in. Some Random Thoughts…

 

Well done: Will Farrell, Jeff Daniels, Ellen Burstyn and Stephen Colbert.

Very Happy for the Colbert Report which has risen to another level this year. A well-deserved victory over the Daily Show.  And I loved when Stephen said that his mom never worried about him.

Best of the Night; Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She looked great and she did great. A little pre-production goes a long way. Her acceptance speech with her bag man from Veep ,Tony Hale, was spot on. She’s the best. Really.

(Derek Hough, take note. ‘Holy Crap!” is not really a speech. But I loved that dance number.)

Runner up: Tina Fey who has reached a point in her career where she so confident in her creative voice, she is always dead on funny. And she looked beautiful.

Bronze Medal: Sophia Vergara. Could she be more delightful?

Women taking home trophies for Best Writing and Best Directing in a Comedy in the same year? That must be a first. Could it be a trend?

Oh, no. Because then they read the list of writers for the Late Night Shows are they are 98% men.

Loved the song-and-dance from NPH, but could have used fewer off -color jokes from the host. Sorry, Neil. Not your best for me.

Glad to see the Deschanel Sisters coordinated their outfits just like the Satellite Sisters.

Is Conan O’Brien still on TV? And is that show Political Animals ever coming back?  Should I get Showtime?

Most Pleasant Man on Earth: Tim Gunn

Loveliest Dress: Kerry Washington

That was Unfortunate: Clare Dane’s Dress

The In Memoriums were well done but very sad. And. so was that tape of Walter Cronkite announcing President’ Kennedy’s death. Hard to rebound from the downer energy.

I didn’t understand Sir Elton John’s tribute to Liberace. Sorry. And Carrie Underwood’s version of Yesterday was a head-scratcher for me.  But I loved Bob Newhart’s tears.

I wonder if Ben Affleck is jealous of Michael Douglas.

Little Known Fact: I have Juliann’s Hough’s Haircut. And that is where the similarities end.

Dylan McDermott, welcome to TV.

 

You Random Thoughts?

 

 Related:

Random Thoughts on the Golden Globes

 

 

 

 

I’m Hosting a Podcasting Webinar this Wednesday and Upcoming Events

If you couldn’t make it to BlogHer13 and are interested in adding a podcast to your blog,  I’m hosting a ‘how-to’ podcasting webinar and there are still spots available. I’m part of an online conference put together by VoiceBoks that features webinars on all kinds of topics over the next few days for a very reasonable price.

My podcast webinar is on Wednesday, September 18th at 7 pm EST/4 pm PST. I’m excited because I’ve never done a webinar before and when I was asked to be a part of this online confernce, I thought, “What the heck? I can webinar!” It’s a learning experience for all of us!

Here’s a list of all the topics over the next few days:

Lynn Bardowski- Monday, September 16 4PM PST (7PM EST) “Learn How to Create An Amazon Best Seller in One Year”
Lisa Mason- Monday, September 16 6PM PST (9PM EST) “The Power of Social Media”
Becky McNeer- Tuesday, September 17 4PM PST (7PM EST) Cooking Demo
Jennifer Bilbro- Tuesday, September 17 5PM PST (8PM EST) “How to Become a Brand Representative”
Dino Dogan- Tuesday, September 17 6PM PST (9PM EST) Triberr Tutorials
Lian Dolan- Wednesday, September 18 5PM PST (7PM EST) “How Podcasts Can Uniquely Add Value to Your Blog”
Lexie Lane- Wednesday, September 18 6PM PST (9PM EST) Closing Speech

To register, please click on the link below. Have fun with this.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9133880939396679424

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

 

Other upcoming events:

Booktalk and Signing at Flintridge Books, La Canada CA. This Thursday, September 19th at 7:30. For more information, Click here.

Cancer Support Community Ladies’ Night Out fundraiser. Auctioneer!  Friday, Sepetember 20th . For more information, Click here.

MomFair Los Angeles. Conference for moms headed back to work. Panelist for discussion on Book Publishing. October 3rd. For information, click here.

Mother’s Club Fall Food & Wine Fundraiser ,  Emcee. October 19.  For more information, Click here. 

 

Happy 30th Birthday, Chicos ! Gifts for all the Satellite Sisters from the new Catalogue

This weekend on Satellite Sisters, we celebrated Chicos 30th Birthday. Because that’s what the new catalogue– The Book of Chic–  told  us to do right on the cover. Plus, we’ve had some up close and personal communucation with the Chicos team, so we wanted to be there for them to party on the Big 3-0.  I picked out gifts for all my sisters– and now they should go out and buy them for themselves because that was not part of the deal.

You can listen to the Satellite Sisters show here.

A few photos for the Satellite Sisterhood in case you were wondering. You can visit the Chicos website here: :

 

For Julie, because at Chicos, “Leopard is a solid.” And, I think that’s true in Dallas. Plus check out the fact that the BELT and the STATEMENT NECKLACE are built right into the print! I know Julie with her cute fugure could pull this off. Go for it, Julie!

 

For Liz, because she owns the Long over Short Tunic Look, the Softly Chic Veronica Top.  This comes in 5 solids, but I think when you celebrate 30 years, you should go with Cheetah. Great Price point, Liz. Buy’em all for yourself. Because you only turn 30 every 2 or 3 years. 

 

 

For Sheila, because Chicos believes you should Wow Your Week! And what teacher couldn’t use a little WOW on a Friday aftrenoon? I say, ditch the cozy clothes and try FAUX LEATHER.  Hello, Ms. Dolan!

 

For Monica, the color of the Season: Teal. (Is it me, or isn’t Teal the color of, like, every third season?) Anywho, Monica is one of the Satellite Sisters that can pull off this stunning color. I see Holiday Parties in her future with the Camilla Cardigan. 

 

 

 

For Me? I’m going to embrace Unstoppable Sparkle, because I have a LOT of books events over the next few months. And I’m going to need a little faux pizazz by the end of October. The Violet Necklace matches my book cover and my mood.

 

Best wishes to Cher and all our friends at Chicos. An amazing company with a great attitude toward making women of all ages and stages look great.

 

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Related Posts:

The Chicos Sequined Pants Part Deux

Conquer Mommy Brain: Discussions, Classes, Essays, Podcasts and TV

A common refrain I hear from moms is, “ I love my kids… but I miss my brain.” You get so wrapped up in the logistics of your life, you succumb to Mommy Brain.   Too many details, too little time… and where are my car keys anyway?

Motherhood doesn’t have to mean a lower IQ, but you need to commit some energy to staying engaged.   Try some of these easy tips to Conquer Mommy Brain.

Brawn or Brain? I say the Kitchen Cousins are both.

Upgrade your Media  Sure, every mother deserves a few guilty pleasures when it comes it TV watching, but resist a steady diet of Housewives, Bachelorettes and those guys with the ducks. TV is excellent these days. Take advantage of the great writing, acting and directing. Start small: aim for at least one thought- provoking hour of TV a week. Non-fiction types should try a documentary on History or Frontline on PBS. Love culture and art? Check out the Sundance Channel for one of my faves, the series Iconoclasts, which pairs two great artists from different fields in conversation. Network TV has Elementary, Shark Tank ( Yup,  very good business advice on that show) and  The Good Wife (okay, that’s a little soap-y!). Cable is an embarrassment of riches in terms of great writing and directing with great shows from Justified to Veep to almost anything on BBC America like Broadchurch. Any, if you’re wondering if  Kitchen Cousins on HGTV counts as a ‘guilty pleasure’ or a Brain Builder, I say both.

Make The Wait Worthwhile   Motherhood can mean a lot of waiting—in carpool lines, in doctors’ offices, at sports practices.  Use the wait wisely! Take out that tablet and fire up the New Yorker or Harpers. (Or Coastal Living  because a mom’s got to dream, doesn’t she?) Review the list of most e-mailed stories at The New York Times website to stay on top of the latest.  Stimulate while you wait!

Use Technology on your Time   There are thousands of fascinating, free podcasts available online at your convenience.  And podcasts are like Netflix: once you crossover, you never go back. Figure out how and when to listen to shows on your time, and you’ll never turn on the same ol’ stuff on the radio again.You don’t need an an i-anything to take advantage of podcasts; you can listen right from your home computer while making dinner. I’ve been hooked on art history lately and have listened to most of the podcast lectures at the Norton Simon Museum site. Moving onto the Met next!  Other podcasts to check out are Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippet , The History Chicks and Stuff You Missed in History Class.  Like politics, find The Bugle with John Oliver. Or for one hour of a mix news, life, and humor, try my Chaos Chronicles weekly podcasts.  Or how about the Satellite Sister Word-write festival, our interview with authors series. Click here: 

Walk and Talk   Reinvigorate your mind and body with power walk/discussion combo.  Find an exercise partner with similar interests and commit one walk a week to discussing current events, an op-ed piece from the paper or the latest book you’ve read. Make a point to talk about the world at large before you talk about your laundry at large, at least for the first mile! Debating the latest from Capitol Hill may even burn more calories!

Go Beyond the Book Club   Too easy to talk yourself out of book club because you can’t get out the door thanks to the kids homework? Here’s one trick that’s worked for me: putting my money where my intensions are! Lots of theater companies or orchestras have really reasonable season ticket packages available.  Spend the money up front on the tickets, and then put the dates on your calendar. It’s harder to bail out at the last minute when you’ve bought the ticket! Plus, live theater or live music is always a treat.

How do you stay on your game intellectually? What shows, podcasts, papers,  writers or live events do you love? Comment here.

Related Posts:

Ten Things to Love This Tuesday

Books to add to your Holiday List. 

 

It’s Game Day, Moms! Back to School Skincare Giveaway for the Men in your Life!

Hi all–

A few months ago, one of my trusted skincare sources, Ginger at Natural Skin Shop, sent me  some samples of a new skincare line for active men called Game Day.   As you know, I have a house full of active men (Some one whom need to be reminded on a daily basis to wash their faces! Ah, teen boys.) I put the Game Day products in my son’s bathroom and told them, “Give them a try. Tell me what you think.”

Honestly, they loved them. And I could tell by their skin that they were effective and lived up to their promise. They really loved the all-in-one Game Day Shower Gel + Facial Wash, the perfect product for guys who don’t want a lot of steps in their skincare routine. (Sold at a great price point, btw.)  I handed out a few smaple to their friends who all came back with rave reviews. (To read about the Game Day Product Line, click here)

And really, my boys smelled good and sometimes, as a mom, that’s enough.

Click here to 'like' the Game day Facebook page and enter for a chance to win a complete set of Game Day products

So, for those of you with active men(and particularly man/boys) I wanted to pass along the information on a great give-away on the Game Day Facebook Page. Have sons off at school? Thinking the man in your life needs a skin care update?  Game Day is giving away a complete set of products- from the fantastic Shower Gel + Facial Wash to the Shaving Scrub. Head on over to the Game Day Facebook Page to enter.

 

Or if you can’t wait and want to send off a care package to your son , use the code ‘ldolan’ for a 25% discount on all products you order from gameday.com.

 

This is a family run business– and I admire that. A Father/Son brand! So that’s why I said, “Sure, I’ll put something on my  Chaos Chronicles.”  Here’s their story from their website:

Game Day is a father son brand launched in 2013 by my father, Dr. Kerry Demascus, and myself. We set out to offer the highest quality skincare products that even the most discerning sportsman will want to use. We designed the Game Day line under the watchful eye of Dr. Demascus, who has over 20 years of experience and expertise in the field of facial aesthetics. In too many industries products are just pumped out to fill demand. No attention to quality or detail. At Game Day, we are passionate about designing a product that people want and appreciate. There is such a large gap today between high-quality products with attention to detail and the low-quality, mass-produced products. If you are going to do something, do it right. 

Demetri Demascus

Co-Founder & CEO Game Day 

I had a chance  meet some of the Demascus family at my booksigning at the Westport Library. And yes, both mother and son had great skin!

Good luck, Game Day! I’m rooting for you to succeed.

Embrace you Chaos, Lian

Related posts:

Skin Care Tips from Ginger at the Natural Skin Shop. 

 

 

Chaos Chronicles 714: VMAs, More on Happiness and Deep-Fried Bacon Wrapped Pickles

It’s a Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Pickle Special!

Miley’s in one and Lian eats one. 

Yes, I ate a Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Pickle. And I loved it. Find it at Chicken Charlie's at the LA County Fair

 

Plus, More Fantastic Food Finds at the LA County Fair

News of the week: Let’s talk about Miley, shall we? And why she’s ruined the good fun of the Foam Finger for ALL of us. Plus, more on Happiness. To find the Zimbardo Time Paradox Questionnaire, click here at www.thetimeparadox.com

To Do List: Entertain for Labor Day and Not Eat Any More Blooming Onions Ever

The Best Thing Ever: The Blooming Onion at the LA County Fair

Embrace your Chaos, Lian

Related posts:

Happiness: The Chaos Chronicles Special

Labor Day Sangria Recipe

Lian’s Entertaining To Do List

 

Fri, 30 August 2013
Chaos Chronicles 714: Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, More Keys to Happiness & Deep Fried Bacon-Wrapped Pickles

 

Direct download: Chaos_714.mp3

Category:2013 – posted at: 7:46 PM

New Chaos Chronicles Podcast: The Happiness Episode

It’s (almost) All About The Happy today on the Chaos Chronicles podcast…

Direct download: chaos_713.mp3

A Hot Chocolate Study that made me happy ( for a short time)

9 Ways to take a Bliss Trip, thanks to Health Magazine. The article by Kate Lowenstein is not online but you can find lots of other articles on Healthy & Happy here at health.com.  To access and identify your Signature Strengths,  the free Values in Action Inventory of Strengths Survey, click here. 

Click here to get Happier

 

Can a website really make you happier? Well, I’ve certainly enjoyed it for the first day of  ’sharing happy’ with total strangers. Want to join the Happier Community? Click here. 

To read more about Happier founder Nataly Kogan, here is an article by here at The Huffington Post.  Here’s Nataly Kogan’s TedX talk and bio. 

 

 

Plus, a To List assignment for the whole Chaos Crew. Thanks in advance.

Thu, 15 August 2013
Chaos Chronicles: The Happiness Episode. Studies, Bliss Trip Tips and Happier.com

 

 

Related Blog Posts: 

My New Motto: Change is Good

Crabwalking in Suburbia

Embrace your chaos,

Lian