Chatting with Kathie Lee Gifford

Last week, I mentioned that I went to an event hosted by Hayneedle.com, an online furnishings retailer in celebration of National Hammocks Day and to announce the nationwide campaign of Childhelp.org, a national organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect.

After learning about the organziation, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathie Lee Gifford,

I attended the event with gaynycdad.com so they asked if we would do the interview in tandem. I did not care so we waited with the other writers. After about 10 minutes, we were whisked away to the interview room.

Kathie Lee was gracious in introducing herself to Mitch and me. Before we started the interview, she asked us if we wanted a drink.

"Are you drinking?" Yes, I having a champagne. I could not resist having a drink with Kathie Lee, how fun is that to say, "I had champagne with Kathie Lee Gifford."

Q: How long have you been working with Childhelp.org?
A: "I have working with them for close to 20 years, trying to make a difference the best way I can. Did you know that every 10 seconds, there is a report of child abuse? That is a startling statistic."

Q: What is a parenting tip you can give parents?
A: "Structure is the key to parenting. Children need to have structure in their daily lives"

Q: How many hammocks do you have? This question came from gaynycdad.com
A: Three, one in all of our houses.

At that point, we talked about a wide range of subjects from parents needing to decompress from all the gadgets, cellphones, technology and yes, it might be a seque but swinging in a hammock is a great way to relax and reduce stress. "In these economic times, parents are under so much stress that relaxing is a way to reduce neglect and child abuse."

All in all, we had a great conversation. My only regret is that I did not tape the conversation. She was so nice and great conversationalist, she made it to easy to talk to and it was hard to write what I did, I was too busy talking to her. I must admit, I had a great time.

And I am sure you are curious, and I would be remiss to mention. She looked great.

At the end, she asked her assistant to send us her book, Party Animals. It came today and it was addressed to my daughter. That was truly nice and shows a lot of class in my book.

Practical Advice from Model Veronica Webb

Last week, I had the pleasure of conducting my first celebrity interview with International Model and Television Personality Veronica Webb at the Skinny Cow event.  As she mentioned, she has been modeling for twenty five years which means I have been a fan for that long. Yikes! Let me say for the record and not to superficial but you know want to ask,  she looked fabulous,  her skin was flawless and skinny but not too skinny.  She is just as perfect in person as in her photos.

I must admit I was a tad nervous but she couldn't have been nicer and patient with my questions. She even styled me at the end. Of course, I couldn't help but volunteer for a makeover if she ever need a single mom to make over. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

1. How did you become involved with Skinny Cow? 
a.  I have been talking about nutrition for years and I have been eating Skinny Cow since the 90's,  mostly the ice cream sandwiches.  I think it's quality product made with skim milk and has low fat content. Perfect.

2. As a mom, how do you juggle home and work? 

a. You don't have a choice but everything is a tradeoff. I also try to integrate an exercise routine that requires no appointments and no equipment. I run while my kids scooter.

She was quite clear that she has the same struggles as all working moms -   how provide for her children (she has two girls) and be there for them at the same time.  Her job is too look good for work. While she has to go for mani/pedis, she would prefer to be hanging with her girls. 

3. From a single mom's perspective doing it on my own, I am always trying to get my daughter to try new foods, do you have any tips on getting her to try new foods? 
I  signed my daughters up for cooking school at an early age. I get them involved with cooking the meal so they can take pride and ownership in their cooking and they are more likely to eat what they cook. Another tip is instead of watching cartoons, turn on the Food Network. They are memorized by the weird stuff the chefs are cooking.

4. You have always been a fashion trendsetter, what are your top three must haves for the summer? 

• Kitten heels
• Statement jewelry
• A Side part

At the end she was asking me questions mostly about BlogHer. Yeah for me.

All in all a great experience.

Originally posted on NYC Single Mom.com. NYC Single Mom also blogs at NYC Singlemomreviews.com, NYC Momsblog, NY Metropolista and travelingmom.com