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Erin Zammett Ruddy
Erin Zammett Ruddy is a seven-year survivor of chronic myelogenous leukemia and the author of the acclaimed book My So Called Normal Life, which was published by The Overlook Press in 2005. She has chronicled her battle with CML in the award-winning "Life with Cancer" column for Glamour Magazine, where she was an editor for eight years. Up until recently, she also wrote a daily blog on glamour.com that gave hope, laughs and support to thousands of young adults with cancer.

Erin is a frequent guest speaker and sits on the board of directors for both the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's New York City chapter and Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, founded by Denise Rich. She has raised tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research and has appeared on several television programs, including Nightline, The Today Show, Dateline and Good Morning America. The University of Tennessee graduate lives on Long Island with her husband and two children. She is a full-time freelance writer (her work has appeared in Glamour, Playboy, Modern Bride, Real Simple, Redbook, and Parenting). Her cancer remains in complete remission.


Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - 11:01
Parenting through hurricane Irene—with photos!
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
As I’m sure you heard (or experienced) we had a hurricane on the east coast on Sunday. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been but it was bad enough that we, the Ruddy family, are still without power. There are tons of trees and power lines down all over our neighborhood. We lost a few big limbs off some of our oaks but none did any damage. We also got away without a drop of water in our basement. We are lucky that for us it’s been more of an adventure/lesson in preparedness than anything else. Here’s how Irene went down for us….Read Full Post
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 08:54
What’s the worst thing you’ve ever found in your car?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Alex got in my car the other day and said, “Dad says your car is a junk bus, mom.” And if I’m being completely honest with you, he’s right. There are a few things you should know about me: I make my bed before I go downstairs in the morning. I can’t leave the house if there’s a dish in the sink. I get on my hands and knees to wipe up crumbs from my kitchen floor several times a day. In other words, I am not a slob. But when it comes to my car, well, I let things slide. A lot of things. Over the weekend I helped my sister pick up some trees and in order to do so had to take out the kids’ seats and flip down the back seats. D’oh! Let’s just say you could have fed a family of five with the amount of food I found in there. It gets worse. Here, in no particular order, is what was discovered in my car:Read Full Post
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - 09:00
Are you a lake person or an ocean person?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Considering I grew up on Long Island playing in the waves of the Atlantic, it should go without saying that I am a salt-water girl. And I am, through and through. I love rough, unpredictable seas and the change of tides and the taste of salt on my lips and the beautiful shells and sea glass that roll in. And, not for nothing, my hair looks amazing—all tousled and voluminous—after a day at the beach. I also love the feeling of being near an ocean and honestly can’t imagine living far from the coast. It gives me a sense of stability and freedom and an escape (because, you know, I could always swim to England if things got bad here…). That said, I do have a lot of love for lakes. And after spending our summer vacation up on Lake Michigan, I have rekindled that romance and am so happy my kids will get to know both kinds of H2O….Read Full Post
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 - 10:00
How comfortable are you around your mother in law?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
On a scale of 1 to 10, (1 being you don’t speak to her unless spoken to and 10 being you walk around naked in her house), I’m a 12. When Alex was born, my mother in law, Debbie, came to stay with us for two weeks. Among other TMI she was privy to, there was this little gem: At every feeding, I would hold my boob in one hand and she’d stand behind me and hold Alex’s little hands back while I’d shove said boob into his mouth. (Have I mentioned how much I loved breastfeeding?) Debbie is a nurse and the gentlest, most easy-going person I know so I’ve always been able to let my guard/bra down in front of her. But I am starting to wonder if I need to dial it down a little…Read Full Post
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - 11:04
The cutest/hippest kids tee ever (that also happens to be for a great cause)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
You know how tee shirts that support good causes are usually kind of…boring. Or bright. Or stiff. Or covered in logos you’re just not sure you want to sport? As you can see from the photos, this is not one of those tees (and as I can tell you from holding this tee, it is super soft, curl-up-in-my-arms cotton). The inspiration came from a two-year-old pediatric cancer patient, Milo, who lost his battle with leukemia last year.Read Full Post
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - 09:19
The easiest, healthiest most genius ice cream trick ever
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
I don’t know about you guys, but we’ve been hot here on Long Island. Hot like the second you get out of the pool the sweat starts rolling again. Hot like a tee shirt and shorts are too many clothes. On Saturday, when it reached 100 degrees and we had exhausted swimming and playing in the hose and lego castle building (and lots of bitching and moaning for no reason), I decided to head to the kitchen, where Alex, Nora and I made banana ice cream—using only bananas and taking all of five minutes. Here’s how it’s done:Read Full Post
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - 09:27
Bossypants: Are all little girls divas or just mine?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Nora just turned 18 months and she is the cutest, sweetest, funniest little thing. She’s independent, fearless, tough as nails, and, I’ll say it, a tad on the sassy side. And by sassy, I mean downright bossy. I know all kids are egocentric and want what they want, when they want it, but Nora takes it a step further. It’s not so much what she says, but how she says it. With authority and a high pitch and a piercing look that makes you jump when she says jump. Oh, and everything she says ends in an exclamation point. Everything! A few of her favorite phrases:Read Full Post
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 09:39
How much girlfriend time do you get?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
I spent last weekend on the eastern end of Long Island with four girlfriends (and without children or significant others). It was, in a word, magical. Being with my girls, most of whom I’ve been hanging with since childhood, was so rejuvenating and soul-nourishing and just plain fun that I can’t believe I waited this long to do it. Friday and Saturday were the first consecutive nights I’ve ever spent away from my kids and/or Nick that didn’t involve a: a cancer thing or b: a wedding thing (and I’ve only had a handful of those things since the kids were born). In other words, it was something I did for no other reason than I wanted to do it. Imagine that? And being with friends I’ve known since before we wore bras or makeup meant there was absolutely no pressure to be anything but myself (and that I didn’t wear a bra or makeup the entire time). While we did cover some serious topics—relationships, family, Bethenny Frankel—we mostly just chilled and reverted back to the lazy days of summer. I.e., riding bikes, lying on the beach, eating ice cream and staying in our bathing suits way past dark.  

 

The highlights (hard to pick since the entire 48 hours rocked):

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Tuesday, July 5, 2011 - 10:52
Are you good at being the bad guy?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
I’m just surfacing from a weekend of beaches and boats and late nights and BBQs and sparklers and s’mores…and mornings that come way too early. Nick and I were so spent we actually celebrated the 4th by ordering Chinese takeout and watching Weeds. Then passing out at 9:30 p.m. Very American, huh? The first part of the weekend, I’ll admit, was adult fun (we went to a wedding rager Friday night and did a boat trip with friends on Saturday—my babysitters scored), but the second half was all about the kids. Sunday and Monday we were out on the north fork of Long Island with my sisters, their families and my sister’s best friend, who has a condo on the water out there. It was an impromptu trip—we piled in the car at around 3 p.m. on Sunday—and it was fantastic. There’s a huge lawn in front of all the units which all face the Long Island Sound. Boats, a beach, a pool and a laid-back, we’re-all-friends kinda vibe. It’s a gorgeous spot and it’s made for kids. Almost to a fault…

 

Read Full Post
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - 09:47
Would you ever throw a “no gifts allowed” birthday party?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Last week I got an invitation from a friend who’s having a birthday party for her two little girls. Shortly after the Evite arrived, I got an email from her apologizing for the invite and saying that she feels guilty overloading us with her family’s parties (her son’s bday was the week before). Then she said, “I wanted to write no gifts on invite but am always torn if that looks tacky or weird? Erin maybe you can devote a blog to that question!” I immediately wrote back and told her A: We were very happy to be invited and B: We were even happier to have something fun to do with our kids on a Sunday afternoon and C: I would definitely blog about it. Because I feel her pain.Read Full Post

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