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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, November 2, 2010 - 09:00
Halloween 2010—a peek at our crazy fun weekend
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Our Halloween weekend was a huge success. It started with Friday night pumpkin carving and watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown by the fire. Saturday we took the kids to breakfast at a fun retro diner that had converted into a haunted house (we had to read the menus using flashlights!). Then I took Alex and Nora to a friend’s kiddie party while Nick recovered from the breakfast outing. Saturday night the kids slept at my parents’ and we went to a kick-ass adult costume party a friend threw. I hadn’t dressed up for Halloween since college, and while the planning and prep were anxiety-inducing (your costume-shop options as a woman are basically slutty nurse, slutty referee, slutty teacher, slutty taxi driver, etc., etc., etc.), I ultimately had fun with it. Nick and I wound up going as scandalous Tiger Woods and Lindsay Lohan—see below for the photos. On Sunday we slept in (needed) then rounded up the kids and got ready for trick-or-treating. First we went to my cousin, Katie’s, neighborhood, then to my sisters’. Alex was awesome, turning down a lot of candy because it had peanuts and calling to me from front stoops several times, “Mom, do skittles have peanuts?!” It ended with the kids zonked in their beds and Nick and I eating Chinese food in front of the fire. Utterly exhausted (so much so that we just put a bowl of candy on our front stoop—but we never get any trick-or-treaters anyway…). It was a fantastic weekend from beginning to end. And it will be hard to top this Halloween. Hope yours was great too! What did your kids go as? Did any of you dress up? I have to say, I am into it!Read Full Post
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 10:02
When was the last time you were alone? (Like REALLY alone)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
On Saturday night Nick went out for a guys’ dinner with my brother in law and I stayed home with Alex and Nora. Happily. The kids went to bed soon after Nick left and then I had the house to myself. I ate pad thai, drank a glass (OK, two) of wine, sat in front of a roaring fire, watched a super-cheesy romantic comedy (so cheesy I won’t tell you the name) and enjoyed the silence. There was no one to talk to, no one to listen to, no one up in my grill. And you know what? It was the best Saturday night I’ve had in a long time. And I’ve had some good ones lately. Read Full Post
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - 11:52
Mom oversharing—are you guilty?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
There is pretty much nothing I won’t tell people about my life. I started a column in Glamour magazine only days after I was diagnosed with cancer. Then I wrote a book about my life with the disease, then a blog (can you say, “shameless plug day”?). When I got pregnant, I started posting over at Project Pregnancy where I shared anything and everything I was thinking/feeling/craving. I am a full believer in full disclosure. And, well, unless this is your first time reading this blog, you know I have a tendency toward mom TMI.  (I wrote a whole post about my not-so-stellar mom moments, like, um, eating food that had fallen out of Alex’s mouth.)

 

I like this about myself and I think people like it about me. I actually have an aversion to people who don’t overshare…what are they hiding? But when it comes to stuff about my kids, I try to hold back…a little (except here, naturally, where my job is literally to spill it). It’s not because I would mind telling people about Nora’s poop, it’s that I don’t want to be the mom who talks about my kid’s poop…. except to Nick, where it’s fair game and, quite frankly, a daily topic. Do you guys know what I mean?  

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010 - 08:30
Do you think you can have it all? (I’m currently trying…with mixed results)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
As a wife/mother/professional/etc. I think it’s important to occasionally step back and take stock of your situation, to think about what you want from life and whether you’re getting it. Here’s what’s on my list: I want to have a great marriage, I want happy kids, I want to have a solid social life (both with my kids and without), I want to have a body I like, if not love, I want to get eight hours of sleep, I want to cook healthy and delicious dinners for my family, I want a clean and organized house, I want to enjoy my work and make good money doing it, I want to entertain (and be entertained), I want to network, I want to drink wine, I want to read good books, I want to learn new things (both with my kids and without), I want a flat stomach. Read Full Post
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 - 10:46
Our day at the pumpkin patch (complete with gratuitous family photos)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Fall is officially here. I know because I have Wicked on my toes instead of Watermelon, there is always a football game blaring from somewhere in the house, my hair is a lot less frizzy and…we now have a family of pumpkins squatting on the front stoop. Saturday was our big outing to the pumpkin farm. And by outing I mean one hour and fifteen minutes (the kids could have stayed all day; Nick burnt out). We packed it all in though. Alex flew down the bouncy slides a few times, ate his first candy apple (after which he said, “Mom, can I get a real lollipop now, one that doesn’t have an apple inside?”) went on a hayride, walked through the fields and examined about two million pumpkins before we picked our winners. Oh, and I took about two million photos. Had I known I was going to snap so many, I would have dressed Nora in a cute outfit (i.e., one that matched and that actually fit her and that didn’t involve hot pink, which, frankly, clashes with my hair) but she pulled it off, I think. Here are some highlights:Read Full Post
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - 10:14
How Often Do You Have a Family Dinner? (How Often Do You Enjoy it?)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
In an effort to get back to some semblance of reality after our summer-o-fun, Nick and I have been trying our damndest to get our children—and ourselves—on some kind of normal weeknight schedule. Read Full Post
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 10:03
Ever come across a mompetitor? (Are YOU one?)
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
A friend posted this video on her facebook page yesterday and I had to share with all of you—it’s a little parody of those super-duper, super-annoying, competitive moms who think they know it all/act like they are better than you/truly believe their kids poop doesn’t stink. It’s hilarious and definitely strikes a chord and rings a bell. I’m sure we all know a mom or two like this. Take a look and let’s discuss…Read Full Post
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 09:41
Confession: I'm not really a baby person. Are you?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
OK, there’s something I need to get off my chest today. Over the weekend—and over some drinks—I told a bunch of friends that I am not a baby person. Despite being what I like to think is a good mother and loving my kids unconditionally, I’m just not gaga for babies. My friends—none of them mothers yet—all kind of chuckled and looked at me like I was crazy for a minute. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me at all. Let me explain… Read Full Post
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 - 09:35
Thank you note etiquette: Would you send a stock card?
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
Saturday was the big birthday bash for Alex. The final count was 97 people! By far the biggest party we’ve ever hosted at our house, and we’ve hosted some biggies. We had the most perfect sunny day, which helped make it a huge success. Our backyard was overflowing with sunflowers, balloons, squealing little kids and, of course, a giant bounce house. As for the food dilemma, I wound up making—with help from my sis—a yummy coleslaw, green bean salad with walnuts and shallot vinaigrette, and a spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese and balsamic dressing. I ordered a delish pasta salad from this place (turned out I was on deadline on Friday and couldn’t add “prep six pounds of pasta” to my to-do list). And then we had about four million warm pressed assorted Italian paninis that were dynamite, if overly abundant. I made people pack Ziplocs full as they left and we still had a ton to eat the next day. Oh, and the passed sliders and pigs in a blanket were a major hit. Read Full Post
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 - 10:24
Alex's Birthday Bash—Yes, I'm Cooking for 100
by Erin Zammett Ruddy
The Parenting Post
I’m not sure how this happened, but there are almost 100 people coming to Alex’s birthday party. A good portion of that number is under the age of seven and most of them are family but still, that’s a lot of bodies. And a lot of mouths to feed. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier. We didn’t even have a party for Alex last year so this one is all about making up for lost time. It’s also to celebrate the end of an amazing summer (it said so right on the invite) so the over-the-top festivities are not just for the little man. Who, yes, I know, will not even remember this party. If I’m being completely honest, I’m mainly throwing a bash because I love to entertain and I haven’t had a single party this entire summer and we’ve done a lot of work on our backyard and I want to show it off (miraculously Nick kept the lawn and all the flowers I planted alive during the rainless summer). Read Full Post

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