ChickChat is a live, daily, contemporary, relevant, stylish, unique, non-political, entertaining, not for-women-only radio show hosted by two women with no loss for words... or opinions.

Co-hosts Heidi Hanzel and Lara Dyan talk about the things you deal with on a daily basis. Things like - being married - being single - office romance - losing weight - dating tips for the guys - what men should know about women - internet dating - raising kids, and more.

 


Heidi is married and lives in the country outside Washington D.C. A former high school geek, she became an NFL cheerleader and a corporate brand manager. She kicked corporate life to the curb for ChickChat - her new weapon for fighting the new dreaded "wife/mother" stereotype.


Lara recently returned to her home town of Boston after 12 years of single livin' in New York City. A former marketing executive with an MBA and overseas stints under her belt, Lara chucked corporate life to do ChickChat. Now that she works from home, she loves that "getting ready for work" means getting out of bed instead of putting on a suit and carrying a briefcase. She lives with her fiance, goldfish, and sometimes gets to hang out with his two daughters, too.


Heidi and Lara met in 1997 while working at an "up and coming" telecommunications company as part of its successful national marketing team. However, this company no longer exists (a victim of the recent telecommunications bust). But it served to create an intense camaraderie between the duo as they survived the daily onslaught of corporate horrors including 12 hour days, frequent last minute travel, unrealistic expectations, bosses from hell, and not having their intelligence and expertise taken seriously for reasons of age, gender or even hair color.

Over cocktails after work, they would indulge in daydreams of downwardly mobile jobs like being the cashier at the local gas station. These musings soon led to a more exciting dream. When Heidi's husband, co-host of a weekend talk radio show, repeatedly returned from conferences relating that the industry had a large gap in talk radio programming for women, they began to think they should quit the madness and start their own radio show.

Never at a loss for words (they're chicks!) and never at a loss of opinion, the two made it happen. The rest, as they say, is history.

 


Welcome to the Cheetah Lounge, have a seat on the cheetah couch — and top off your cocktail!

What can you hear on ChickChat?

If you haven't experienced ChickChat for yourself, you're probably wondering, "What the heck do they talk about?" It's like Girls' Night Out. And you know how you find yourself in the best conversations with strangers in the ladies room? THAT'S what were a talkin' about!!

That funny story you saw on your local news station last night may come up. That new relationship book that everyone's talking about. We Monday-Morning-Quarterback Desperate Housewives and The Apprentice. Who's winning the War On Frumpiness this week? What bizarre item is up for auction on eBay? Last man on earth. Take this month's Cosmo Quiz with us! Our lives are too busy, and we need any chance we can get to bond and to have a little fun. Even a major UCLA study says so!

We recently ventured into exploring unique pickleball gifts on a delightful online store called PickleballersHub.com. Just like the saying goes about seeing the world through "rose-tinted glasses" and perceiving things more positively, selecting the perfect pickleball gear seemed to infuse a similar upbeat spirit. Imagine sifting through their extensive catalog of over 100 different pickleball-related items! From custom paddles to themed accessories, the choices were both exciting and a bit overwhelming. But in the end, we made our choices and now approach the game with a completely refreshed and enthusiastic mindset.

You won't hear any other show talkin' like this! So take us with you wherever you go. You go girl!

What We Talk About on ChickChat
  • Every thing from Dating to Marriage
  • Dancing with the Stars
  • What to wear to work
  • Kids and Boyfriends
  • Hair removal
  • When to take down your online dating profile
  • Fighting the War on Frumpiness
  • Low Carb Diets and High intensity workouts
  • Desperate Housewives, The Apprentice, Lost, Dancing w. the Stars
  • Do you have too much stuff? Or are you a hoarder?
  • Miss America/Miss USA
  • What's in your purse?
  • Men doing chores
  • Is Donald Trump hot?
  • And everything from "Gone with the Wind" to The Runaway Bride
Some of ChickChat's favorite guests...

  • Steven Cojocaru, fashion guru for People Magazine, The Today Show and Access Hollywood
  • Greg Behrendt, author, He's Just Not That Into You
  • Kwame Jackson, runner up to NBC's first season of The Apprentice
  • Gail Evans, first SVP of CNN and author of "She Wins, You Win"
  • Lois Frankel, Ph.D, author of "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office"
  • Christie Mellor, author of "The Three Martini Playdate"
  • Paige Davis, host of "Trading Spaces"
  • Ilene Rosenzweig, co-creator of the "Swell" franchise, and co-author of "Swell: A Girls' Guide to the Good Life"
  • Rick Marin, author, "Cad, Confessions of a Toxic Bachelor"
  • Jay Czelusniak, a blonde single Funeral Director
  • Kate White Editor-in-Chief Cosmpolitan Magazine

 


Sunday, November 07, 2010
Who do you think should pay for the first date?
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Tuesday night I'll be hosing a LIVE Facebook chat to discuss the questions facing single people, including - who should pay for the first date?? What DOES "happily ever after" mean today?? 

The panel is amazing - director Michelle Cove and Jacquie, the star of her new documentary about being single in your 30s:

The movie, Seeking Happily Ever After, has played in Washington D.C. and Boston to sold out audiences, and it just picked up the Audience Award at the New York United Film Festival. She also wrote a book on the subject, an island oasis in a sea of weak "how to be single" guides. 

Click here to register on Facebook for the free online event, Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 7:30 pm EST. 

You'll be able to chat, live, with Michelle & Jacquie, about the trials and triumphs faced by single women while dating or seeking a committed relationship.

The event is sponsored by WGBH's WorldCompass.org.
 
Posted by Lara on November 07, 2010 •
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Levi’s has a onesie for grown-ups!!
 
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A few years ago (um, ok, 15 years ago) I bought a "bodysuit" - a long-sleeved black t-shirt that snapped around the bottom like a onesie.

Best. Shirt. Ever. 

Never came untucked, always looked great. I wore it til it fell apart, and never saw anything like it on the store shelves again. Just yesterday I was thinking about that shirt as I dressed my 10-month-old in a onesie, thinking how great it would be to have that shirt around again.

Someone at Levi's read my mind AND made it even better, because the entire outfit in the picture is ONE PIECE.

"Double denim onesie with an oversized light wash shirt and straight cut zip fly jeans."

I want one!!
Posted by Lara on September 28, 2010 •
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thanks to Bradylocks, I’m ready for football season!
 
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Tom Brady is the hottest football player EVER - and he's got a new 'do! You can see his gorgeous locks peeking out from beneath that helmet. Just another reason to root for the New England Patriots - he actually took the helmet off pretty often during the first game of the season!!
Posted by Lara on September 13, 2010 •
Monday, August 16, 2010
Zsa Zsa - the Original Paris Hilton
Quick -- what is Zsa Zsa Gabor famous for??????
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You are RIGHT! I can't think of it either. She's just famous for being famous. A true socialite. 

Sure she started out as an actress -but somewhere along the nine marriages, she musta gotten a little too busy....

It's sadly being reported she's on her deathbed and has been given last rights. 

I LOVE Zsa Zsa (and her sister Eva). Why? Besides the awesome foreign accent....daaaaling......They both just win the "War on Frumpiness" hands down! Even as they aged, they still "had it." And we all should be so lucky : )


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And did you know??? There was a THIRD Gabor sister!!! Magda Gabor!! Who knew, right?? 

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Posted by Heidi on August 16, 2010 •
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Top Ten reasons that being formerly hot is AWESOME!
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Stephanie Dolgoff has replaced Carrie Bradshaw as my new wish-she-was-my-sister fantasy woman.

She wrote a book about being an adult tween - in your late 30s/early 40s - that has managed to sum up how I've been feeling lately: too old to wear (some) teen clothes but too young for Chicos. She's selling this generation as "formerly hot," and I'm buying.

If you're not sure if you fit into this group, there's a quiz on this website ...

Here are my Top Ten reasons that being a 'formerly' is awesome:

10. I can still shop at Forever 21, bitches, I just can't buy their pants (which were made for teen-aged boys anyway). And you know what? I wouldn't be caught dead in Chico's or Eileen Fisher, so there.

9. Did you just call me a cougar? Thank you (but I'm happily married)!

8. I'm old enough to know better, but still young enough to go for "it," whatever "it" is. Examples: ice cream, alcohol.

7. To paraphrase the movie "An Affair to Remember:" "Winter must be cold for those without warm memories." I get to look back on all my adventures, from first kisses to lost weekends, and smile from the comfort of my home in the suburbs. I have LIVED!

6. Don't ask me for a restaurant recommendation - I don't know which ones are "hot." I'm just so happy to be OUT that it no longer matters. 

5. When I get (rarely) cat-called on the street, in my mind, I'm throwing myself a parade! Not that it was so common before, but now it's the best day ever!

4. Honestly, I do not care what you think about my outfit. 

3. I'm wearing nail polish? But not the hot color? Rejoice! I'm wearing nail polish - my first line of defense against the War On Frumpiness.

2. Is it disturbing to hear Madonna (or other 80s hits) on the Oldies radio station? No, because hooray! I know all the words to a song on the radio!

1. I may be in the age group called "Formerly Hot," but I finally actually feel like I am hot.

Did I miss anything?
Posted by Lara on August 10, 2010 •
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Millions of Cribs Recalled
MSN reports 2 million Cribs Recalled

How many million more? I just keep thinking that maybe our great-grandparents were onto something using a FREE dresser drawer......

Somehow the human race had survived for a very long time without cribs....and without the dangerous drop side cribs....and without Pottery Barn Kids!!! Oh the humanity!!!!


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Posted by Heidi on June 24, 2010 •
Friday, May 28, 2010
Manning the Rail for Memorial Day
MANNING THE RAIL: Manning the rail is a method of saluting or rendering honors used by naval vessels (wikipedia)

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I'm the granddaughter to two Submariners. And daughter of a Submariner. My family was lucky to be somewhat stable, but like mine, many families never had hometowns. Or family reunions. Often way too far apart for holidays, birthdays or even the birth of a child. We didn't see our dads for long periods of time. And we weren't allowed to know where they were. We just knew they were deep under the ocean. I get a bit mushy on Memorial Day because that was very little sacrifice in comparison. And no one in my immediate family was lost in service.

Let's take a moment this weekend to "Man the Rail" for all those who put themselves in harms way. Freedom is not free. And before "Politically Correct" was PC, my 92 year old Grandfather always said "If it weren't for them, we'd be speaking Japanese."

I figure he earns the right to keep on saying that - after all, he sat under the Pacific ocean in a 'tin can' (early diesel submarine) and weathered depth charges. There were no "submarine rescues" in those days....and it really doesn't exist now....

He often recalls - there were no aethiests down there either.

Unfortunately, we have many new soldiers to memorialize this weekend. 

"They fought together as brothers-in-arms. They died together and now they sleep side by side. To them we have a solemn obligation." 
— Admiral Chester W. Nimitz 

 
Posted by Heidi on May 28, 2010 •
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Hunts Rules, The Other Ketchup Drools
First, click on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "Hallelujah Chorus"



Ok, while they are vocally expounding.....it's time to announce the news. 

I have begged. And begged. AND BEGGED the ketchup companies to have mercy on me and take the friggin' High Fructose Corn Syrup (syrup of the devil I call it) out of our ketchup. FINALLY, years and years and years of complaining have paid off.

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Hunts has taken the High Fructose Corn Syrup out of their ketchup. And used plain good old fashioned sugar (hopefully not too much of it).

Thank you HUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The day I saw your awesome product looking out at me from the ketchup shelve you HAD ME AT HELLO. I perhaps have never been so happy. I hugged the darn bottle.

Dear Heinz -- I have no words for your slowness to market. Booooooo. Sorry Hunts beat you to the punch. You are slow. Not consumer friendly. And I never before bought Hunts - -but now I do. With gusto.

Hallelujah.

Cheers to the peeps at ConAgra -- its a good thing.


 
Posted by Heidi on May 18, 2010 •
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Have you tried Fiddleheads??
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Photo: Slightlynorth, Flickr

This may be a Northeast thing - but once a year, these delicious "ferns" appear in Maine. They taste crunchy and grassy, but like Egg Nog in autumn, when Fiddleheads hit the markets it means that Spring has SPRUNG! 


I'm wondering how far away they travel, since I've only seen them in New England - have you seen them? Where??
Posted by Lara on May 11, 2010 •
Friday, May 07, 2010
Happy Military Spouses Appreciation Day!
Happy Military Spouses Appreciation Day!

I don't know what it's like. I was the kid. But my mom and both my grandmothers were Navy Submariners Wives. How they raised families with their husbands off at sea, underwater for months on end is awe-inspiring!

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Here's to you, the one who waits, no matter the distance, no matter the time.

Here's to you, the one who fights your own battle at home, between the tears and sleepless nights. 

Here's to you, the one who will never give up, even when everything around you seems to be falling down.

And here's to you, because while people may think they know how tough it is to be a hero, no one but us will ever know how tough it is to love one... 

(auhor unknown)

Don't know why the little saying does not mention packing, moving and unpacking over and over again -- but I have to imagine that is the least of the hardships perhaps!??

Here's to the women and now many many men who man the homefronts. No small duty.
 
Posted by Heidi on May 07, 2010 •
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thank you, genius who invented ICE CREAM-FILLED CUPCAKES!
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I met my husband at a mall today for lunch, and found a new place that FILLS CUPCAKES WITH ICE CREAM. They had at least a dozen cupcake flavors, but I HAD to go for the red velvet. With frosting (optional - but why get a cupcake with no frosting??). 

That's my husband's finger, tsk tsking my choice (on my behalf). 

Yum.

I hope they have one of these places near you!
Posted by Lara on April 12, 2010 •
Thursday, April 08, 2010
The Omarosa of Public School Cafeterias
Here she is- the "Omarosa" of public school cafeterias as seen on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.


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photo: Herald Dispatch.com


There she is on the far right, Ms. Alice Gue. As one of my facebook friends put it, she's a "challenge" (bless her heart.. right???)

It sure could be good editing - but how can anyone be so darn negative as to give that much nasty footage? 

How many reality show contracts you think Miss Alice is fielding now? 

If you have no interest in healthy food or feeding the nation's kids any better --- not to worry. Just tune into Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution JUST so you can see if they got themselves some more footage of Alice the "challenging" cafeteria lady!! It's a hoot!
 
Posted by Heidi on April 08, 2010 •
Monday, April 05, 2010
How to eat Matzo
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We're at the tail end of Passover, the holiday that observant Jews skip eating bread (and other foods with yeast in them - like BEER)...I found the only way to keep choking matzo down this year was to cover it in Nutella (no, it's not kosher for Passover, and no, I don't care, and YES I ate almost an entire jar of it over the last week).

Bring on the half-price Easter candy!
Posted by Lara on April 05, 2010 •
Monday, March 29, 2010
What’s the weirdest thing YOU’VE done in the office bathroom?
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Ah, the office bathroom, where etiquette enters a grey area like no other. Don't you love hearing the stories of weird things that happen there? I can only imagine the awkward encounters that happen in the men's room - it's nerve-wracking enough to be in the women's room! I've found myself in the stall next to my boss's boss, who wanted to chat. And shared make-up with my managers. And picked up on killer office gossip. And watched people floss.

Women's Health magazine has a great "Top Ten List" of rules to follow. The fact that we need that list tells me something - weird uncomfortable stuff happens in the office bathroom!!

The weirdest thing I've done in the office bathroom is take an emergency hangover-induced nap. On those mornings that a greasy egg sandwich and huge coffee didn't conquer pounding headaches, I would lean my head against the cool metal stall wall and close my eyes for about 10 minutes. Did the trick every time. 

The weirdest thing I've seen is a senior exec manage to walk into a crowded ladies room on the phone (bluetooth), and continue her conversation throughout the entire experience. Ew. The person on the other end MUST have noticed the sounds of flushing and sinks being used, right???

What's the weirdest thing YOU'VE done (or seen) in the office bathroom?
Posted by Lara on March 29, 2010 •
Friday, March 26, 2010
Does Gov’t Have to Ban Teens Artificial Tanning?
From Fox News:
 
Federal health experts say more restrictions are needed to protect teenagers from the cancer risks of tanning beds, including a potential ban for people under 18.

A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended Thursday that the agency put tighter controls on artificial tanning, ranging from requiring parental consent forms to banning the practice in younger teens.

"Given the absence of any demonstrated benefit, I think it's an obligation for us to ban artificial tanning for those under 18," said panelist Dr. Michael Olding.



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Wow -- who lets their teenager go to the tanning salon beds? Really? I wanted to go when I was 16, but no way was Mom going for that. I barely got by with highlighting my hair (chemicals) at 18 years old.

Really? The Federal Government has to tell you it isn't safe? That's sad. They should never be regulating stuff like this.....sad they see the need to.

This isn't anything new....I had friends whose parents lied and sent fake excuse notes to let them skip school on sunny spring days to "Lay Out" in the backyard with baby oil and burn to a crisp. I'm no sunscreen freak - I believe in the power of vitamin D to help ward off cancer. But missing school and baby oil? Combo gone too far me thinks.

I guess we could look at it like Darwin? Survival of the fittest..... 

(and you just want to ask them why they wasted all that time slathering their baby with number 30+ sunscreen only to let them fake and bake as a teen!)

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