GIVEAWAY: Listen, It's [Dot] Complicated

"A successful woman is one who can build a firm
foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her."
[modified from an original quote by David Brinkley]

Several months ago the amazing folks at Zuckerberg Media contacted me about reading, reviewing, and offering up a giveaway of Randi Zuckerberg's Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives. If you're not sure who Randi is, but you recognize that obviously recognizable last name, yes, she's related to the illustrious Mark of Facebook fame. What you might not know is that Randi was the mastermind behind some of Facebook's most amazing and groundbreaking live streaming initiatives and relationships with big dogs like CNN and ABC.

As the master of her own company and life now, having written this stellar read about her experiences at Facebook and how she got out and launched herself, she's also a published children's book author. Her first masterpiece? Dot., a book for children about putting down the tech and enjoying life. In this children's book, the flutters and noises of technology are found outside, too, whether it's surfing down a hill or listening to the twitter of the birds. It's a beautiful pairing with her Dot Complicated book for adults. I envision myself sitting down to reread Randi's book someday with Ash sitting next to me with Dot. Sort of a his and her's experience, except in this case, it'll be a tech savvy mommy's and a tech savvy baby's experience.

In Dot Complicated, Randi is casual and paints one of the most vivid pictures of a life experience I've read in recent years. As a work of nonfiction, her honesty and candid reflections about being "Mark Zuckerberg's sister" and her breaking point when she realized that she had to get out and do her own thing in a big way. Her narrative is inspiring and I have no doubt in my mind that she's paving the way for future generations of women -- both through her children's book and her book for more adult-like individuals.

I also have to applaud her realistic approach to technology and how it is shaping our lives in positive and negative ways. Early on in the book she says the following:

The famous science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." He was right. New technology is a kind of magic and today we can do things with ease that were impossible just a few years ago. Like magic, each new innovation has advanced our society and our potential. Of course, the seductive glow of these magical devices can also blind us to some of their downsides and effects." (57)

Her jaunts into her journey took me back to the days of AIM and the melancholy of being a teenager and college study.

Remember the effort you'd make to choose the perfect IM profile picture, or the time you invested in crafting the perfect "away" message? I admit that I spent way too much time selecting vague but meaningful lyrics from the latest song I was obsessed with. Plenty of times I would announce my presence online with "I believe I can fly," "I saw the sign," or "I get knocked down." (71)

Yes, I used to have "Sleep, those little slices of death" (a la Edgar Allen Poe) as one of my away messages. I was the original when it came to super vague and sometimes frightening posts in the "social" sphere.

Randi's take on the merging of the public and private spheres also had me rolling my fist in the air Arsenio Hall style.

"It can't be that we're going to have to adjust to a world where we cannot share anything but our utmost public and sterile information. Sharing the personal stuff with others is an essential aspect of what it means to be human. If our online lives are to be as fulfilling as our offline ones, and if those two lives are to be fully integrated, then as we go forward we need to find a way to bring back personal information online. We must be able to post some pool pics without the whole world finding out, even if one of our friends is feeling a little overenthusiastic with the share button that day. (80)

Preach! Now that's a manifesto. As someone whose life is very public by my own choice, I can't say enough about the truth in Randi's sentiments. I don't believe in separating the two, and neither does Randi. Huzzah!

I will say that one thing that slightly bummed me out, although not in a big way, was her reflections on being a Jewish woman and mother. A quick reference to Chinese food on Christmas a Jewish woman entrepreneur does not make.

That aside, probably the most valuable piece of actionable advice Randi dishes out is that everyday, you have to pick three from the following and that's it. You can't do it all, so pick three and make them work. And don't feel guilty about it either.

• Work
• Sleep
• Family
• Friends
• Fitness

I remember reading this before Ash was born and thinking "YES! What a great approach to life." Have I enacted the "pick three" philosophy? No. But guess what? Starting tomorrow, I'm going to because, let's be honest, I've been trying to pack four of those into every day (sorry, fitness). And maybe, maybe someday we'll all work for a company like FullContact in Denver, Colorado, which pays their employees $7,500 bonus if they don't take their phones with them on vacation. A girl can dream, right? (168)

Oh, and I don't forget: 

"The more successful you are and the more you have to say, the more people will be mean to you on the Internet. The only way forward is to embrace your haters. Don't be afraid of the keyboard cowards. Engage them." (237)

Have I sold you yet on Dot Complicated? If you haven't read the book already and are seriously jonesing for some mind-blowingly awesome writing, storytelling, and inspiration, hold tight! It's time for a giveaway. 

To be entered to win:

• Comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a copy of Dot Complicated!
• Share this blog post to Twitter and/or Facebook for an extra chance to win. You must include in your comment that you've posted on these social sites for the extra chances (i.e., "I'm commenting on your blog post to win this awesome book, and I also shared on Twitter and Facebook.")
• Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

I'll draw a winner at random on Wednesday, March 19 at midnight (EST). 

Get Googly Eyed and Help a Friend!

I had a request emailed to me, and I thought, of course I'll help! I love anything with googly eyes!

A friend (of a friend) has a 9-year-old daughter who is participating in the Yaldah Magazine Jewish Life Photo Contest, and voting ends at midnight tonight! This 9-year-old entered her photo -- Funny Hamantaschens, and she needs your vote.

So take two seconds, and help a little yidden out by clicking here and choosing No. 22 by Flora Ginsburg!

A Passover Opportunity for Students

The folks at MatzaFun Tours contacted me about promoting this contest, and I think my readership is the perfect target. 

Have a high schooler? In college? We want to hear what Passover means to YOU and why!

Here are the rules:

• In 500-750 words, please tell us what Passover means to you. It can incorporate a personal experience, a historical event that inspires you when celebrating Passover, text from the Hagaddah that stands out to you, or an idea totally your own!
• A strong command of the English language will be a factor in the decision.
• If you have been to our program before, incorporate that experience into the essay.
• The deadline for the essay is Friday, March 18, 2011 at 12:00 p.m.
• Part of the contest is to update your Facebook status, invite at least 10 friends to the Facebook Page, and Tweet (if applicable to you) about the contest, helping to promote Matzafun’s program. 

The special prize is to get your piece PUBLISHED in a well-respected Jewish newspaper! To submit your work and to ask questions about the contest or Matzafun Tours, please e-mail us! 

Good luck everyone!

Best Giveaway Ever: A Cheese Basket!

As I quipped to my husband a few nights ago, "There are those who need a coffee fix (me), there are those who need a chocolate fix (also me), and then, Tuvia, there are those that need a cheese fix (me!)."

As a perpetual snacker, I've been known to grab a slice of cheese to hold me over before a meal. The  more cheese on my pizza, the better. Grilled cheese? My favorite comfort food. On (Gregorian) New Year's, we dined on cheese and crackers, and for our Super Bowl Party, we prepared a wide array of cheesy treats (including cheese fondue, thanks to some guests). And, of course, my favorite kind of cheese? That which pours out of my husband, Tuvia, who, because of my love of all things cheese, has been deemed the Cheeseball ...

But where am I going with this? Well, a giveaway, that's where I'm going!

The amazing folks at Anderson International Foods, who are behind the delicious lines of (mostly) cholov Yisrael cheeses Natural & Kosher, Les Petites Fermeries, Organic & Kosher, and the new Pure & Kosher, dropped the most amazing basket of cheeses at my front door late last week to review (of course, it arrived right after we'd gone out for burgers so I had to wait three hours before cracking into the cheese, which I did, at nearly midnight). Of course, the variety and amount of cheese had my eyes popping, and Tuvia was more than gracious in helping me in sampling.

My favorites? The Goat Cheese Medallions with Cranberries and Maple Syrup (chalav stam). This is one of those moments when I wish there was taste-o-vision, because this cheese is more like dessert in its flavor. Like eating a thick, creamy sweet drop of yogurt or ice cream. Even Tuvia was a fan of this one. Oh! And? It's gluten-free! Hoo-rah!

There also was the Processed Olives Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which, let's be honest, sounds a little crazy, right? After tasting it, however, the flavor of black olives emanates from the cheese, and I'm very much looking forward to making a gluten-free pizza with this. How? The cheese is round, so I plan on throwing some pasta sauce on a pita, putting the round cheese on top, and going for it. It's the cheese and olives in one! Brilliant!

Having never had Havarti (chalav stam) before (do I live under a rock?), Tuvia and I were eager to crack the package open. With crackers in hand, Tuvia gave it a go and really liked the flavor, likening it very much to our favorite cheese -- Muenster. The flavor was muted, but it was creamy and delicious. He also cracked into the Sharp Goat Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which piqued both of our curiosities. Tuvia said the hints of goat cheese were very strong, but he ate half a block on his own anyway!

We have a lot of cheese left, and I'm stoked that a lot of it is kosher for Passover, too. So, I'm not going to lie, we're saving a lot of it for Passover cheese cravings -- including the Goat Cheese Medallions (chalav stam), Goat Mozzarella with Fine Herbs (chalav Yisrael) and Goat Mozzarella with Red Peppers (chalav Yisrael). What I do have to say overall about these cheeses, however, is that they're classy, upscale, and they won't break the bank. I'm no cheese snob, but I'd put out any of these cheeses on my cheese plate any day.


But I'm sure you're wondering -- how can I win a basket of delicious kosher cheeses? Here are the details -- read them carefully!

• The giveaway runs through Friday, March 4, at noon (EST). 
• To enter, you must post a comment on this post with an original cheese recipe from your arsenal -- and if it's gluten-free, you'll make me a happy camper. Original can be a recipe you found that you adapted, I just don't want you to Google "cheese recipe" and put something here!
• The winner will be chosen at random, but must provide an original recipe in order to win. 

The winner will receive an amazing cheese basket from Anderson International Foods delivered right to your door, and your recipe will be featured March 10 on the Sincerely Brigitte blog of Anderson International Foods CEO Brigitte Mizrahi, a French cheese connoisseur and the woman behind the four lines of cheese currently on the market today.

Also, be sure to "like" the Sincerely Brigitte Facebook Page and follow Brigitte on Twitter! Good luck everyone!

Designers at the Ready? Project Frumway is On!

I always get excited when I see a Jewish person on reality TV. I don't know why, but for some reason I think hope that they'll do some sort of good for the Jewish cause. Crush the stereotypes and perform in excellent and unique ways. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they do, but sometimes it's just a disaster.

Bravo Irina!

There are always a few Jewish chefs on Top Chef or Next Food Network Star (my favorite cooking Jew was always Evangelos "Spike" Mendelssohn -- he's part Greek, part Jewish, and that name is amazing). There have even been a few spotted on the popular and addictive Project Runway, who touts its season six winner as Irina Shabayeva, a Georgian Jew.

But there's something missing from these shows. From the cooking shows, it's kosher food. From the fashion shows, it's modest fashion. So what's a Jew to do? I enjoy these shows as much as the next person, but you sometimes have to wonder, "Well, that's great, but what about me?"

Enter New York NCSY with "Project Frumway," a charitable fashion show and fashion design competition for women of all ages. The project was created and will be run by both yeshiva and public high school girls, and it promotes "positive body image, fashionable modesty, self-confidence, and self-esteem." The project allows for women to learn about the importance of tzniut, or modesty, while creating a fun and glamorous atmosphere in which to learn about it! But it's more than just a project, it's a fashion competition, which engages girls and women to compete in creating the most fashionable, modest outfit. The winner's design will be produced by a Jewish clothing designer in the New York area (how. cool.) and it will be featured on the "Project Frumway" catwalk on March 1, 2011.

The overarching goal here, which I think is quite admirable, is to teach girls that it's possible to be fashionable and to respect one's body at the same time. Amen! Especially considering that mainstream media picked up on the connection of Orthodox Jewish girls and eating disorders. It's time to teach girls what feeling beautiful and being beautiful really mean!

Want to enter the competition? Here are the details:

• The competition is open to girls and women of all ages. 
• Designs must be modest (3/4-length sleeves, neckline, below-the-knee hemline) and reflect a Spring-line, casual wear.
• All submissions must include:
• Sketch of design.
• Detailed paragraph describing design including materials, colors, lengths, neck lines, target demographic.
• Your contact information: name, phone number (home and cell), email, school (if applicable), and age. 
• Submissions are due no later than Friday, February 4th, 2011.
• Email your designs to projectfrumway@nyncsy.com or mail/drop off at NY NCSY / 555 Willow Avenue / Cedarhurst, NY 11516
• The cost to submit a design is $5 (talk about inexpensive!). Each additional design will cost $3, and you may submit as many designs as you like. 
• Note: NCSY reserves the right to change the winning design's color and/or patterns, depending on availability.
• The top design chosen will be made by a local dressmaker and featured at the fashion show on March 1, 2011 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Lawrence, NY. The winner may elect to model the design herself, or she may choose someone else to model it. 

Need more info? Check out the NCSY website! Good luck, and happy designing!

Help Me Go to Israel!

I know, I know. I'm asking a lot of you, my faithful blog readers, but this one is seriously BIG, and I need your help FAST and in BIG numbers.

I'm a graduate student without income and without funds to call my own. If I could attend the Second Annual Jewish Bloggers Convention in Israel on my own accord, you know I'd be there. Israel and Blogging all in one shot? That's my dream vacation. Unfortunately, right now I'm just slated to watch from a computer somewhere with Tuvia, chatting with fellow bloggers in the little chat room while all the in-person attendees get to share in the joys of LIVE blogging goodness.

LUCKILY, there's a contest. Yes, a contest for someone, some special and one-of-a-kind blogger to snag a free trip to Israel for the conference, sponsored by Nefesh B'Nefesh. In addition to the free ticket, I'd be blogging about one of the families making Aliyah on the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight. All you have to do is go to the website, vote for me, and write about it on your blog -- make it happen, for me. The flight would be Monday, September 7, 2009.

What's in it for you? Israel tchotchkes and lots of photos of the entire experience.

Google Chrome YOUR Kippah!

Tuvia discovered the Google Chrome Icon contest, and I concocted the CARAZY idea to make a Google Chrome Kippah out of one of the old relics he had sitting around (I think it's from a 1986 wedding). Who knows if we'll win, but this little 60-second clip was fun and quick to make. Here's hoping we make the cut!





Note: The video had to be 60 seconds or less, so if it seems chaotic and frantic, oops!