Playing House

I was bored one Sunday (which rarely happens, BTW) and decided to view the selection of movies and programs On Demand.  I came across Playing House and was hooked right from the first episode.  The friendship is realistically portrayed and the show is quite funny...actually, very funny.   

The main characters, Maggie and Emma, are best friends from childhood.  Maggie is pregnant and finds out that her husband has been doing some naughty things online with a German woman; Emma is a workaholic who was living in China, but after flying in for the baby shower, decides to stay to help Maggie raise the baby.

The first season focuses on Maggie preparing for the baby, as well as trying to deal with the marriage breakup.  Emma is having to face people and situations she left many years ago, including her mother and ex-boyfriend, and is figuring out her life now that she's back home.  We also see how Maggie and Emma manage their friendship now that they're living together as adults.  (I'd recommend watching the "Totes Kewl" episode, as it hysterically deals with what happens when friends have the same crush and are not honest about it).

In a recent article called Playing House: Finally, a TV Show Gets Female Friendships Right, Julie Beck writes:
"Though watching such friends together can be alienating when you don’t get their references, Playing House does a good job of inviting us into Maggie and Emma’s friendship. We see its flaws as well as its virtues. They reminisce a little too fondly about mean things they did in high school, they gang up on Mark’s wife, they pick at old sore spots from the old fights and misunderstandings that never quite resolved themselves: You work too much; you dreamed too small. Like any important relationship, friendship takes effort."

So, after spending the entire day watching the first season, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that USA renews it for a second one...pretty please, USA?!

More Articles to Share

I'm thrilled to share two more articles I was interviewed for.  One is on the pros and cons of mommy cliques, and how to cope with them.  The other is on some of the friendship changes that take place in your mid 20s, and how to manage them.

Mommy Cliques by Lucy Adams

An excerpt:
"When functioning well, however, mom groups lighten life’s load. Securing a circle of support can be critical to a woman’s well-being. A group of women with a common tie makes a great sounding board for each other when working out solutions to problems. The group is a safe place to vent frustrations and receive encouragement. Group members bring out the best in each other. They cheer on successes, and when crisis strikes they arrive with casseroles. A strong clique of female friends provides a sense of place and belonging in a world in which families are far-flung from their roots."

Why Friendship Changes In Your Mid20s by Danielle Page

An excerpt:
"Expectations change. According to Nicole, all friendships come with expectations — expectations that our friend will show up when we schedule plans, expectations that our friend will call us back when she had to take another call, etc. It’s not unusual for expectations to change as you become busier and have more responsibilities. Maybe your friend can’t spend as much time with you, or isn’t there for you during a difficult time due to her own busy schedule, so you have to shift your expectations of this friend.
 
It’s important to acknowledge that one friend can’t do everything or be everything. Learn to honor your friendship’s limits, and to appreciate what your friend does do."

Enjoy!

Town Vibe Fairfield Magazine Article

I'm excited to share an article I was interviewed for in the July/August 2014 print issue of Town Vibe Fairfield Magazine:
From Cheerios to Cocktails by Eileen Weber

Enjoy!