Genesis Moments - A Writer's Journey

Cassandra's Angel: A Single Book Creating a Mammoth Change My World Ripple

Last Thursday night, I had the honor of meeting the talented and incredible Gina Otto who shared with a small group of us her inspiring and growing passion to change the world.

Gina is the author of Cassandra's Angel, an award winning children's book which follows the journey of a young girl who wants to please but hears story after story that she's not good enough and she internalizes those stories to believe that she's bad or she's a mistake.

An angel arrives to remind her to let her light shine no matter what and to not let "stories" others tell her bring her down.

But, Gina hasn't stopped with writing one book. She's taken this transcendent message and created a worldwide movement, a musical bus tour and a website to help youth start with a dream and pursue it with passion. Her energy is unstoppable and I believe she inspired us all at dinner to look beyond ourselves, to examine the stories in our head that stop us from being who we need to be.

The book and the movement reaches  beyond cultural boundaries and touches all generations. I do feel that, as Christian, I would add that God has a plan for each of our lives and we do let many things stop us from being who God wants us to be. Life has to approached with balance and wisdom but we can dream big and it's often in the process of pursuing a dream, whether you actually achieve the dream you started with, that you become who God means you to be and do what HE designed you to do.

See a brief video clip of the Change the World bus tour below and see Gina talking for yourself. Catch the dream, be inspired, make BIG things happen in your own life!

 

So much to say ..... so little time!

This last few weeks has been a WHIRLWIND with trips to NYC, celebrity opps, charity events, toys shows, a new full time job in PR & social media and so much more. I really do want to get all the footage and pictures up on this blog. It's coming peeps! Eventually! Until then, I appreciate your patience!

Inspired by #TimetoPlay plus my faves from the show! @TimetoPlay

The Time to Play toy show always sounded like so much fun but time was tight in past years and I declined the invite. This year, I thought, I'll go and look but I bet it will be all baby stuff and now that my girls are both teens, one in middle school and one in high school, I won't see anything they will like. Maybe I'd find a few ideas for my nieces and nephews for Christmas.

Can you say, BLOWN away?

And, I can tell you I'm not being paid to say this. I did get some cool toys to take home but I was so inspired by all the great things for middle school age kids this year that I've decided to officially create a middle school gift guide. To make sure it looks right, I've also decided to totally revamp my website and make it cleaner and easier to see everything.

So, some of the awesome toys I saw will be coming up soon in the gift guide as I work on it but I did create a little video of some of the time I spent at the show and I will get that up later tonight. I do want to highlight one of my favorite dolls from the event along with some of my kids' first impression faves.

My favorite from the show was Heart for Hearts Girls. I have to say I've seen a lot of dolls in my daughter's lifetime and wow . . . what gorgeous dolls with really cool real-to-life stories. We came home with Tipi from Laos, that I will be giving my niece for Christmas. Each doll comes with a special bracelet for the wearer too. Purchases support World Vision.

And then there's faves from my kids who oohed and aahed over the toys coming out of the bag. They loved the Moshi Monster school supplies, the BuildaBear Teddy with XBox activation code to bring their toys to life, the Orbeez Mood Lamp and of course, the Disney doll of Selena Gomez and the Justin Bieber doll made by Bravado. They are at that collector age now. They understand when I say "DON'T OPEN THAT BOX." I loved the fireworks display by Uncle Milton's Toys too. Great for girls or boys. But, I will have all those pretty with pictures in my upcoming gift guide.

And, of course, I was completely enthralled with the entire line of Annoying Orange paraphernalia coming up. I kept going back just to look at that crazy little fruit with a human face, known for it's snarky YouTube videos. I can't wait until that comes out in full force! Great stocking stuffers.

I have enough video footage to put together a little video but today's a busy today so I'll try to get that up by later tonight.

Thank you Litzky PR for creating this FUN event!

 

Udi's Gluten Free Foods Are Great for Guests!!

Just to be clear from the start, I do not have celiac disease and there's no evidence that I need to eat gluten free foods; but, ya know what, I love to entertain and as more cases start to spring up I find that I have friends and my children have friends who come over and need gluten free foods.

As a gracious host, I want to provide that for my guests. Udi's Gluten Free Foods is truly one of the few brands I can count on to give me the ingredients and recipes to make my event super successful.

I also just realized when I went to their website, that they also offer catering, online ordering and great recipes. And, even more fun, I see that my friend Jo-Lynne is writing some great posts from her gluten-free journey here.

Here's my favorite recipe I see I want to try from the site:

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Bread Pudding

And I totally need to get some of this granola!

Udi's Granola

Oh, these are great at parties:

Hamburger Buns

Chocolate Muffins

 

Enjoy the ideas! Let me know what you do to entertain your gluten free guests!

 

 

 

 

 

 

48 Hours Special on Bullying in The Digital Age THIS FRIDAY, September 16

Today, I was honored by a invitation to a roundtable of mom bloggers and a panel of very special people who created and "starred" in this Friday's 48 Hours Special on Bullying in the Digital Age.  

Tune in September 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) and I promise you WILL be inspired to be more involved in your child's life.

Joining us in the CBS studio were the following:

Susan Zirinsky, Sr. Executive Producer with CBS News, 48 Hours

Tracy Smith, Reporter, 48 Hours Mystery and Correspondent, CBS News Sunday Morning

Lisa Cagno, Mother of 14 year old Johnny, featured in the upcoming piece for the bullying he endured.

Liz Vachon, Social worker who created the "Can't Bully in School Progam."

There are so many highlights of our discussion that I don't know where to begin. For now, you can see a trailer for this week's special below. I will say that I have almost made it through what they call the terrible middle school years. I have one in 8th and one in 9th and what they tell me shocks me but I am glad they feel free to talk! I want it that way. More pictures are coming!

Follow @48hrs #bullying #wordscankill on Twitter during the special for updates on the bullying website CBS will be launching to provide resources to parents, schools and children.

Interesting New Family Site: Ohanarama

 

I am checking out a new site for families tonight! Ohanarama. I love the name alone! It's great. You can connect with family miles away, play games for prizes as a family and it's friendly to kids under 13, the cut-off age for Facebook. You do need to enter your birthday and email to sign up so parent supervision is necessary for pre-email kids.

But,what is it? Here's an intro to the FAQs:

What is Ohanarama?

Ohanarama is a safe and fun environment where family and friends come together for great (and educational!) gameplay and a playful social atmosphere. On Ohanarama you can challenge or be challenged by family members in age appropriate gameplay. You and your family can also work together as a team and challenge other families for bragging rights. At Ohanarama, our goal is to connect families around the world with a social, fun, all-inclusive online experience.

Who can play games on Ohanarama?

Ohanarama educational games are designed for children ages 5–12. Other Ohanarama games are just plain fun for everyone. Ohanarama is the most fun when you get your whole family involved and play games among your family members or compete as a family against other families.

For educational games, our approach to game play includes systematically tailoring content to the actual user -- so a second grader doesn't get the same game play as a fourth grader.

Ohanarama is free to play for everyone, but those who wish to take advantage of some of our advanced features or for kids to earn points they can redeem for real world rewards, you may need to purchase in game currency.

Read more here!

How fun! I can't wait to see it grow.

 

“The real differentiation is that we’re not a single game. We’re a platform for family bonding.” -Jane Hoffer, Co-founder and CEO AND a Philly mompreneur!

Growing Up: Is My Daughter Ready For Contacts?

My daughter never really thought about contacts too much. She knew people wore them but her thick-rimmed purple glasses with little rhinestones flowering down the sides were right up her alley.

And, then, the hinge broke.

And, she wondered.

Hmmm. . . . contacts could be interesting. 

And, then we learned about Bausch & Lomb Soflens daily disposables and she said,

"I want to try them!"

We have pretty good eye insurance and I was offered some free to review, and so I said, "Okay, let's do this."

It's one of those things I didn't really feel strongly about either way. I've talked about all kinds of things with my daughters but we really hadn't covered this ground since they were a bit young before. It wasn't something I really thought yeah or nay about; but more - when can she handle it? And, is her eyesight really bad enough?

Her daddy wears contacts. I never had. I was a little worried about her trying contacts when she wears glasses that help her both with her focus when writing and distance.

Apparently, through further research and a visit to the eye doctor, we learned that only one eye needs distance sight which means she could wear one contact and perhaps low-power readers when writing. That worked for her because those little readers come in a ton of cute colors these days. She could change those almost as daily as her contacts if she wanted!

And, so we are out of the trial ones that the doctor gave us and we are getting antsy to get the rest but she seems excited so we'll keep going down this road until someone tells me to turn around. I'll talk about the fitting visit in my next post about on this topic! 

 

Disclosure

 “I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Bausch + Lomb and received Soflens daily disposables to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

 

Chevrolet Launches Military Salute Program in Pennsylvania. Nominate someone you want to honor.

I got this interesting press release today that look share-worthy:

Chevrolet to honor and thank servicemen and women in Pennsylvania by celebrating their time at home

WHAT:
As part of its longstanding commitment to the military, Chevrolet is proud to announce the Chevrolet Military Salute in Pennsylvania – a program that encourages people to nominate active duty Pennsylvania military servicemen and women who they’d like to honor, for the chance to win a Chevy-style celebration in their hometown.

Nominations will be accepted from August 22 to September 23 on the General Motors’ GMNortheast blog, www.drivingthenortheast.com. Five finalists will be selected from the entries received and profiled on the blog. People will then be able to show support for their favorite finalist by casting their votes online. In October, the Chevrolet team will roll into the chosen serviceman or woman’s hometown for a celebration they’ll never forget. For your chance to nominate a loved one or vote visit, www.drivingthenortheast.com

WHEN:
Nomination Period:         August 22, 2011 – September 23, 2011
Judging/Selection:         September 26, 2011 – October 4, 2011
Winner Chosen:         Week of October 2

WHERE:
Pennsylvania

WHY:
Chevrolet’s commitment to the U.S. military runs deep.  

Its relationship with the military began in April 1940 when Chevrolet negotiated their first military contact building explosive shells. By the end of 1941, military trucks and aircraft engines were also being produced in Chevrolet plants. Seven Chevrolet plants across the country were awarded the Army-Navy “E” for excellence, in recognition of their contributions to wartime production.

Chevrolet Military Salute was launched to recognize and honor the sacrifices of men and women for their country, extending the brand’s support of the military. This support includes other programs such as Chevrolet’s military discount, ongoing collections for Cell Phones for Soldiers, and partnerships with military organizations like the Achilles Freedom Team and the Travis Manion Foundation.

  

About Chevrolet
Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly” solutions, such as Chevrolet Cruze Eco with an EPA-estimated 42 miles per gallon highway, and the Chevrolet Volt offering 35 miles of electric driving and an additional 344 miles of extended gasoline range, according to EPA estimates. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com

Guest Post: What Would You Do If You Were Offered a $100.000 Blogging Job?

Thank you, Katja Presnal for this guest post!

Imagine it:

blogging from home,

by the pool

or from your favorite coffee shop

and making $100,000 next year?

If I'd say YOU have an opportunity to have it, would you take it? (Heck yeah!)

 

 

Read more, and then TAKE the opportunity, and run with it.

I have this theory that you can have anything in life, you just can't have everything. Of course there are things like being healthy, or finding love, that you can't just shop online and have delivered to you by FedEx. But for many things in life I truly believe in the old saying if there is a will there is a way. We so often live in the imaginary world of untils, ifs and buts and put our dreams on hold until we have gotten the promotion or if we meet the love of our lives. And how often we say we would go on a vacation to Europe but we don't have the money?

I have some news for you. Your happiness was not determined for you, your life story was not pre-written for you. YOU are in charge of your own life and you have all the possibilities to make your life the way you love it. Secret to your success is YOU. I have been able to travel around the US and Europe, spend time with my family and be a work at home mom, while having a successful career and owning my own business.

If I can do it, you can do it too.

And back to what you really want to hear: the $100,000 blogging gig that is just waiting for you.

Cheap Sally is a couponing and money saving website that shares over 20,000 coupons for dining, recreation, bills, entertainment, home maintenance, groceries and much much more. Over 400 new coupons are added to site daily and provide customers an average savings of 15%.  

Cheap Sally is looking for a blogger to join their team - virtually! - for the year 2012 to blog about deals and coupons for their site. If you have passion for saving money, you think you can be the next big name in frugal blogging and want to work from the convenience from your home, this might be THE opportunity you have been waiting for.

Apply now, you have no excuses not to! We so often see amazing opportunities and think "it would never happen to me". I used to be one of those people too. Then I stopped putting myself down, and started taking risks and just giving it a try - and what do you know, sometimes you just have to show up to "win it".

Now, think what would you do if you were offered a $100,000 blogging job for next year - what would it mean to you? Where would you blog, would you be able to make some changes in your life? Keep that imagine in your head, and do not let it go away. Feed it like it's your baby, print a picture of a beach where you could be sitting next year this time blogging and tape it to your fridge.

Sure, there will be many others applying too, but if your dream, your image of your future is the clearest, your passion is the strongest, your determination to get the job is the biggest - I trust that YOU will get it.

Now take the first step and apply, and then start gathering your friends around you to vote for the win.

No excuses.

Just do it.

Guest post by lifestyle expert Katja Presnal of Skimbaco Lifestyle. Katja owns the Skimbaco brand and blog network. You can also find her writing for LifetimeMoms.com and she has been featured in Redbook, NY Times, Glamour and other publications. You can connect with her on Twitter @KatjaPresnal.

Is it true? Are Blogging Events the Same to Women as Golf is to Men?

You tell me - Can you see how blogging events for women are not that different from golf for men?

Let me give a little background to this line of thinking.

Early this summer, I heard about an awesome event in NYC this weekend, coordinated by several wonderful blogging women I know. It's a branded event with swag and they said I could bring my kids. I was a little hesitant knowing that my kids have just about aged out of the clothing store being promoted but MANY, MANY women I know are going and I thought it would be fun for myself and my kids.

{Insert husband}

"Why do you want to go? We could do something together as a family on Saturday."

{Romantic heart beats wildly. He DOES love me. He DOES love me. Not that I EVER questioned that but we're going through a seriously busy phase in our lives where our work and hobbies keep us separate ALOT.}

"And, for the money you would spend, we could go to the outlet mall and buy whatever we want."

{Rational mind kicks in. Yes, I just took the girls to a toy showcase in NYC earlier in the summer and it cost me almost $250 to take them with me, between train tickets and food and fun dresses and shoes being sold by street vendors that they simply HAD to have. Sure, we came away with bags of swag but was the cost worth it? I would say yes but is this event too similar and what will it cost us this time?}

"And you want to go with your sister to the Statue of Liberty next weekend after going this weekend?"

{Yes.}

"We should stay home and do something local. Please pick one weekend to go, not two."

{You sold me at "we," honey.}

But, I couldn't let it rest. I wanted to explain the "why." Why is this important to me? Why would I spend the money?

BECAUSE I FIND IT FUN! But, my husband doesn't relate. REALIZATION 101: HE MAY NEVER RELATE.

{Wait, I've already told people I was going and I'd drive. How do I let them down? My husband's "we" still echoes in the back of my brain and I know I'm going to cancel anyway but I need to answer this for all the future events out there in the offing that are already on the schedule for Fall.)

"But, you haven't explained to me why?"

AHHH. . . a lightbulb flickers and grows strong.

Because, blogging events for women are what golf is to men. You spend time and money which may or may not be "profitable" in your business future and you do it because you love the comraderie, the shopping, the connections. And, yes some of those connections are profitable in ways beyond money. And, it's the conversations that take place in real life that makes things happen. The train rides, the follow-up dinners after the event, the little hashtags that bring us together, the exhausted plop on the exhibit hall floor and in comfy hallway chairs where high heels are kicked off and everyone processes the event in their own way, strengthening relational ties with comparison of notes and experiences.

When my husband and I were first dating, we went to see one very hilarious comedian who had an act called "Defending the Caveman." I believe he went on to becoming a Broadway solo act. He talked about the history of men as hunters and women as gatherers. Of course, he applied it the very apropo example of men loving to fish and hating to admit failure by asking for directions and women drawing out their shopping experience to take in all the colors and textures.

But, golfing and blogging are to the hunter and gatherer example what shopping was. Men need to hunt a little white ball while they connect, discuss, plan. Women need to be surrounded by the pretty colors, sounds, and textures of being with women to plan, connect, discuss as they take in the new products being offered and are handed little gifts. Oh, the joy!

At least, that's how I see it. Off my soap box now. If you agree and need a rationalization to give your husband, feel free to use this one!

I told my husband if I stayed home, we were invading his cave and cleaning out our offices, the garage, the pantry and all cluttery spaces before school starting next week (where swag has settled into dusty corners and filled the crevices of our home with STUFF). And, he was okay with that. And, . . . we are doing it together.

What do you think?