Tracy Odell

I'm Executive Vice President of CafeMom, Publisher of The Stir, and the mom of two young boys. I live in Brooklyn, unabashedly adore reality TV (even the really bad shows), and use too many exclamation points(!) in my writing. Other fun facts about me: I love airports, hate small talk, read a TON of books, and I gave birth to an 11-pound baby at home.

Sipping on:

Coffee by day, Wine by night

also find Tracy here:

Tracy's Latest Posts

We Tried It
I Took My Son to Work Today, But It Was No Ordinary Day (VIDEO)

posted by Tracy Odell April 26, 2012 at 5:02 PM in Big Kid

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Occasionally an invitation comes along that you can't turn down. You rearrange your schedule and make it work at any cost. Today I was invited to spend Take Your Son/Daughter to Work Day at the White House with Michelle Obama. As a result, my son now thinks that a typical work day for me involves long train rides, cool Secret Service agents, and trays of delicious oatmeal raisin cookies that always seem to magically be refilled.

We watched as Michelle Obama held court with about 200 kids whose parents work in the Executive Office of the President, answering their questions and later we had the opportunity to ask a few stumpers of our own. Michelle connected beautifully with the kids, modulating her answers so they were just right for the 5-year-old boy or the 14-year-old girl asking the question.

Here are few of my favorite questions and answers:
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Moms Matter

Election 2012 Round-Up: Stay Informed

posted by Tracy Odell November 11, 2011 at 11:51 AM in In The News

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Here are some political stories we found interesting this week ...

1. Jill Greenlee, assistant professor of politics at Brandeis University, discusses her research on how becoming a mother affects a woman's politics. [The Brian Lehrer Show]

2. Rick Perry does damage control after his debate gaffe with a funny top 10 list on Letterman. [USA Today]

3. Herman Cain does damage control of his own -- expressing regret for his "Princess Nancy" comment that he made during the same debate. [Reuters]

4. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords spoke with a clear voice in her first TV interview since she was shot 10 months ago. [Huffington Post]

5. A proposed Christmas tree tax is met with bah humbug sentiment by many pundits (and presumably Santa Claus, though we couldn't reach him for comment). [Michelle Malkin]

What surprised you most this week in politics? Any predictions for the week ahead?

Image via theresasthompson/Flickr
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Here's Your Chance to Participate in an Upcoming Republican Debate!

posted by Tracy Odell November 1, 2011 at 12:49 PM in In The News

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Have you been watching the Republican Presidential debates? Do you find yourself yelling at the TV and wishing you could ask the candidates a question? Well, wish granted, for one mom ...

We're going to send one lucky CafeMom member* to the Thanksgiving Family Forum -- a family discussion with the Republican candidates -- on November 19 in Des Moines, Iowa. YOUR question will be asked and you can finally get the answers you've been craving.

Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum are confirmed to be there. Mitt Romney has also been invited. The debate is sponsored by The FAMiLY LEADER, in conjunction with CitizenLink (the family advocacy arm of Focus on the Family) and the National Organization for Marriage. It will be hosted and moderated by top political pollster Frank Luntz.
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Hanging Out With Michelle Obama: 5 Things I Learned

posted by Tracy Odell October 18, 2011 at 3:41 PM in In The News

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First Lady Michelle Obama holds a roundtable discussion on Let's Move initiative and motherhood issues in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, Oct. 17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Yesterday I had the privilege of spending an hour with Michelle Obama on behalf of CafeMom and The Stir. I was joined by editors of other women-focused websites and together we had an intimate and wide-ranging conversation with the First Lady.

Michelle answered all our questions with a down-to-earth charm that immediately put us all at ease. It felt like having a chat with your girlfriends -- that is, if your girlfriends just happen to come with a professional photographer, fancy china, and everything you say is recorded and transcribed for posterity.

Before I get into the meat of our conversation, here are the two things you're dying to know:
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'What Do Pirates Eat?' and Other Tough Kid Questions Answered (VIDEO)

posted by Tracy Odell July 5, 2011 at 3:04 PM in Toddler

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When kids reach a certain age, the creative, but tough questions start rapidly coming at you. If you're lucky, you'll know the answers to a few of them.

Q: Where does chocolate milk come from?

A: Duh. Chocolate cows.

But, the majority of the questions are real stumpers in one way or another. There are the ones that require some deep introspection on your part.

Q: Why isn't daddy's mommy around?

A: Um. Let me grab a tissue while I think about how to answer this one.

And there are plenty of ones that simply require having Wikipedia bookmarked.

Q: How old are dinosaurs?

A: One sec, while I look that up!

My 4-year-old son is a walking question factory, so I was excited to take part in a new video series that aims to answer those crazy questions kids ask.
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