Bruce Littlefield's Life 101

American icons – Disco Queen

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:06:25 +0000

Donna Summer, the “Queen of Disco,” has died at 63 after a battle with cancer. I remember in elementary school my friend Tammy winning two copies of “Hot Stuff” (on 45!) in a radio contest. She kindly gave me one and I listened to it over and over again on my turntable. Yep, ‘memba those? Donna Summer was an icon of 70s disco, winning five Grammy Awards and igniting dance floors around the world, not to mention my little dancing South Carolina heart and my make-shift disco in our garage. Thought today that I’d post an illustration of me disco dancing drawn by The Bedtime Book for Dogs artist Paul Heath and point you to this beautiful video of Last Dance. All I’ll add is that Heaven Knows there’s some dancing inside the Pearly Gates tonight.

Gardening – Potting geraniums

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:30:21 +0000

Now, that I’m officially finished with my book tour… (Have you gotten your copy yet?!) … I can get to some serious gardening at Edgewater Farm. For me, gardening is the ultimate therapy. If you’re upset, you can aggressively yank some weeds. And if you’re happy, you can talk nicely to the flowers. Despite the insanity of life, the early warm weather kindly helped me get things at the farm ready for summer more quickly than usual. I got a new coat of paint sprayed on all the outdoor furniture and pots. (That urn is a garage sale find!) And, I’ve gotten all the containers planted with geraniums. I adore geraniums for two reasons: #1) They bloom all season long and #2) They are very forgiving to even the brownest of Thumbs.
One of my simplest, yet most important, Life 101 ideas: Plant something and take care of it. Your life will blossom along with it.

American History – What a day!

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:02:46 +0000

First, President Obama made history by announcing to the world: “I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
Then, I’ve just learned that my new book with Zach Wahls, My Two Moms… looks like it will have “bestseller” written on it! If you haven’t read the book yet, today might be the day to order it.
A basic civil right: All God’s children should be able to love who they want to love.
If you’re in New York, Zach and I will be in High Falls, NY (the Catskills!) for a book signing at 2 pm Saturday, May 12th at Spruce Design & Decor. Please come join us. It’s a big, happy week.

Gossip! Daily Show behind-the-scenes

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:14:40 +0000

A lot of great things are being said about Zach Wahls. During his appearance this week on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart said of our new book, My Two Moms: “This is a wonderful book. You will love it, you will weep at times. It is an incredible demonstration of the power of real values.” But more, of Zach, he said: “These are the values America stands for. And I don’t think I’ve met anyone that represents them better than you.” Watch The Daily Show appearance here. (at left, the moms, Jon Stewart, Zebby, Zach & me)
From the mailbag, one father wrote: “your book helped me finally realize that families are families. Period. They come in all sorts of colours and sizes but, at the end of the day, they all deserve reverence and respect.” Amen. Here’s to that!

Gossip! Zach’s Big Adventure

Bruce Littlefield — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:46:54 +0000

Our book signing in NYC was a success! And I had the opportunity to bring together two of my favorite people–Barbara Corcoran and Zach Wahls–and two of my favorite books–Shark Tales and My Two Moms. Set your DVRs, catch Zach Wahls on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight and Barbara Corcoran on Shark Tank on Friday night on ABC. And if you haven’t grabbed yourself a copy of those books, DO! You’ll love them I promise. Shark Tales: How I Turned $1000 into a Billion Dollar Business will improve your life. My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family will improve the world.

My Two Moms with Zach Wahls

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:46:21 +0000

Meeting and working with Zach Wahls has made the last year a true blessing. Zach is incredibly intelligent, kind, and courageous… a 20-year-old who is a sterling example of a good human being. His speech before the Iowa Legislature became YouTube’s most watched political video of 2011, and for the right reasons: yes, he bravely stood up for his family, a family that deserves equal treatment under the law, but more, because he respectfully showed that love=love=love. In our new book My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family, he expands on the speech and discusses the virtues his parents helped instill in him, like “trustworthy,” “courteous,” “reverent,” and “loyal.” Please get yourself a copy of the book (from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore) and help us spread Zach’s message about good American values and help us create a constructive conversation about marriage equality and human rights for all. And if you missed his appearances on David Letterman the other night or CNN’s Piers Morgan, they are a MUST watch!

Bruce in the National Enquirer!

Bruce Littlefield — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:12:50 +0000

This week I returned to New York with a slew of messages from people saying they had spotted me in the National Enquirer. I’m happy to report my inclusion was not due to a) celebrity facelifts gone awry b) cheating scandal or c) UFO abduction… but rather, how to strike gold at garage sales. The funny thing is that every person that wrote to tell me said something along the lines of “I was standing in a long checkout line…” or “I never buy it…” or “I was at my hairdressers…” Oh, come on. Let’s be honest… We are all enquiring minds.

Travel – Secret Travel Tips

Bruce Littlefield — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:02:47 +0000

My Mexican adventure was filled with fun. My favorite thing was reserving a masseur on the beach for two days… Sounds expensive, right? Nah. It’s all in the negotiation. $150 a day for 4 people! I was loosey goosey until the flight back. DELAYS! Due to the tornadoes that barreled through the mid-west. But here’s a Life 101 secret to all you weary travelers: if you’re ever stuck in the airport, immediately ask where they’ll be giving out the cots and blankets. (They are in limited supply.) Spending a night in the airport is no fun, but with a cot it almost felt like camping. And all that matters is I’m back!!!

Travel – Gone Tanning

Bruce Littlefield — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:21:11 +0000

Perhaps the hat gives you an idea of where I’m spending the week. I’ll be sitting on the beach with a good book in one hand and a fun cocktail in the other, gearing up for what looks like to be a busy spring and summer. While I’m away, make sure YOU are planning something fun. I have always taken Barbara Corcoran’s Life 101 advice from our book Shark Tales. Barb says you must always have a vacation scheduled on the calendar. It not only gives you something to look forward to, but a very real something to prove to yourself that all that work is for an exciting reason. A planned vacation is like a dangling carrot. This is my week to finally take a bite!

Life 101 – Easter Fun

Bruce Littlefield — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:48:36 +0000

Somehow the Easter Bunny always finds me. Last night, while dining at La Cunard in Kingston with friends, including the lovely and dear Mary Niblock (at left), the Easter Bunny hops by the window, right in the door, and comes over to our table with hugs and fun for all. I love a good crazy tradition, especially when it causes a scene. Speaking of scenes, here’s some vintage Easter fun I had teaching legendary newsman Harry Smith the joys of a glue gun. Hope your Easter was HOPPY!