I don’t know if it’s because I have only slept like four hours in the last three days, or because my youngest just started full day kindergarten, but I am such an emotional wreck lately.
This Summer has been a whirlwind, and I think it may have finally caught up with me. Actually, never mind just this Summer, this year has been crazy. Although I love everything I am doing, I am tired. I have so much fun everyday, between the kids and working. I know I am so lucky that I can say that.
In the craziness of our life I was also trying to live in the moment of being home with Chloe. It was so hard for me to imagine her going to school. This is huge. Not just for her, but for me as well. This is the first time in about nineteen years that I have not had a little one home with me while the kids were in school. It is scary. Now I am thinking of me and what to do with my life. It is so overwhelming, but crazy exciting at the same time.
I have no idea what lies ahead for me, or for any of us. I hope this new school will be a great fit for Jake, and Chloe will shine with her independent personality. Chelsea starts her sophomore year tomorrow, and I know she will rock it like she always does.
I guess I am just hoping for a kick ass year. Oh yeah, and maybe a little more sleep.
It’s the end of the Summer. The kids are back in school, and routines are getting somewhat back to normal. Most of our back to school shopping is done, except for a few last minute things. Chelsea and I went shopping to finish up, and also go grocery shopping. Not only did we need food in our house, we needed to get all the stuff for our annual Labor Day picnic. We were not convinced that everything we were going to buy was going to fit in the trunk. We love a challenge, so we knew this was going to be good!
Check out our video of our shopping trip. Do you think everything we bought fit in the trunk?
Make sure you check out www.GirlfriendGetawayCTChevy.com for more information on the Chevy Malibu and how you can get a $40.00 Spa Finder Gift card just for going for a test drive! There is also the chance to win a trip for two to Ireland!
Disclosure: I received gift cards for participating in this campaign.
My sweet girl has her first loose tooth. Tear my heart out. My emotions are a wreck. Not only is she going to loose her first tooth, today was her first day of kindergarten. This is going to be one crazy ride, and I look so forward to it!
Okay people! The CT Chevy Girlfriend Getaway campaign is offically underway! Those of you that follow me on Twitter or Facebook have seen me hinting about something fun coming up with Chevy…THIS IS IT! I am super excited to be part of this amazing campaign!!
I picked up the car at a launch event on Wednesday. Not only did I get to pick up this awesome Malibu, I got to meet @Moomettes and @TheMommyologist. It was a blast! Had a fun lunch and met so many nice people.
We are going to be blogging and video blogging on the Girlfriend Getaway website for the next month all about our experiences with the Malibu. I can’t wait! This is going to be a lot of fun. I will be taking you along on some FUN “missions” with my Malibu, so keep checking back!
Beginning August 30th, if you visit any of The NEW CT Chevy Network Chevy Dealers and test drive a new Chevy Malibu, you will receive a $40.00 Spa finder gift card. Woot! How cool is that! Test drive a cool car and then head over to the Spa! You can also enter to win an amazingly cool Girlfriend Getaway trip for two to Ireland! Check out girlfriendgetawaychevyct.com for more information!
SafeSocial, a new AOL product that launches today, can help you protect your children, even if you aren’t a social media expert. SafeSocial helps you:
· Find out where your child has online accounts
· Know who your child is “friends” with online
· Get notified if your child is in a conversation about violence, suicide or drugs
· See photos your child has posted online, and others’ photos in which your child has been tagged
Another benefit? You can monitor all this activity without being a “helicopter parent.” Your child will have to agree to be monitored, but you won’t need to connect with them on the social media accounts, or hover over their shoulders in person.
Guest Post by Regina Lewis, AOL Consumer Advisor
These days, your teens’ “friends” aren’t just the kids hanging out in your kitchen and family room, they’re hundreds of contacts on their “friend” and “buddy” lists. More than 50 million teens (ages 13 to 17) are online worldwide and the average number of “friends” is 130. For many teens, these numbers are even higher. It’s not unusual to have more than 500 “friends” and more than 1,000 profile photos.
So, how can you realistically keep up with your child’s vast circle of “friends” and ongoing status and photo updates?
1. Become a “Friend”
For starters, you can become your child’s online. They’ll need to accept your friend request. This can be easier said than done. In some cases, you may get push back. It’s your call how strongly you press.
There are more private alternatives. A new product called SafeSocial lets you privately see everything you would as a “friend” and even more. Many kids prefer this route. Remember, you’re not “spying” on them; you’re simply doing your job as an informed and involved parent.
2. Curb the Comments
If your child is reluctant to accept you publicly as a “friend,” be sure not to push your luck by excessively commenting on their page once you are granted access. Grandparents can be over-commenting culprits, too. Often teens find this “embarrassing” and it may even lead to having them “un-friend” you. It happens all the time.
3. Get a Report Card The new parenting tool SafeSocial offers a time-efficient and thorough way to keep tabs on your children’s social networking without being too intrusive. It delivers an easy-to-read report card providing a 360 degree view of their overall social networking— what they’re saying and doing and who their friends are.
This answers one of the biggest issues facing parents all over the country—feeling like you need to spend hours each week monitoring your child’s online activity and still not really being sure if you’re seeing everything (they can filter your view) or what you might be missing (what’s happening on their friends’ pages).
4. Watch the Friends
All friends are not created equal. Some your children may know well, some they may barely know at all. You can get a good feel for their entire list via SafeSocial’s Friend Engine, which takes an extensive look at your kids’ friends and checks them against more than 50 databases to see if they may not be who they say they are. You’ll be alerted when an adult becomes a friend of your child, when someone looks suspicious or has no or few other mutual friends with your child.
5. Loaded Language and Photos
Specific words that may come up in strings of conversation— sex, drugs, alcohol, suicide and so on and suggestive or violent language will be flagged, so you can hone in on the suspect dialog versus reading every post. This helps prevent missing something inadvertently.
You can even opt to be immediately notified via an email alert. This piece could prove priceless in protecting your children’s safety and managing their reputations.
While every conversation and image is archived, you can adjust the settings to simply view those that are called out. This lets you give kids more privacy as they mature. You will also see all photos, including those other people post of your child. Young people tend to push the envelope with photos and videos, so checking out this section of the report card is critical.
Overall, social networking is an integral part of many teenage lives and an opportunity for your kids to learn to express themselves in a creative and responsible fashion. It’s too big a trend to ignore. You can embrace it with these new tools on your side. For more information, visit www.safesocial.com, www.safety.aol.com and www.reginalewis.com.
AOL Consumer Advisor Regina Lewis (www.reginalewis.com) is a national TV and radio contributor and Internet trend expert. She knows the tips, tricks, secrets and shortcuts for making technology work for you.
I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what I was in for. I had no idea how hard it would be to write a post about it.
But here it goes….
I went to BlogHer for me. I went to meet friends that I loved. I went to see where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to do with myself. I wanted to see where I fit in. Find myself, be myself.
I did it.
That is the experience I had. I was myself. Even if I was annoying. Sorry! I met so many friends that were even better in person than I could have ever imagined. I met some friends that were nothing like what I expected them to be, and was hurt by it. I made so many new friends that I left feeling so lucky and loved.
I know my place, and I like it. I know where I want to go. I am more excited for my journey now than I thought I could be. I am more confident in myself than I expected.
I know that I walked around looking lost most of the time. I hate that I met a Blogger that I truly admire and never told her how awesome I think she is. But I DID somewhat speak to her, that counts, right? I love that I got to dance like a fool with two of the greatest friends I have made online. I will remember that forever. I conquered my fear of heights on the Kodak Bus Tour, and ate food off the street from the Halal cart. Twice. Something I said I would NEVER do.
I went to DinHer Thursday night, met amazing women and will forever think of meatsweats every time I eat a hamburger. What more could I want?
Everyone went to BlogHer for different reasons. Everyone wanted to get something different from the experience. For some people it was important to meet with brands. Some people just wanted to soak up all the information from the sessions. Some wanted to go to the parties and meet old and new friends. I’m sure most wanted to do all of those things to some extent. I left on Sunday with amazing memories. I had just the right experience for me.
I am a very lucky girl.
Did you go to BlogHer? I’d love to hear about your experience! Please leave me a link to your post in the comments!!
So, I’m going to this little blog conference called BlogHer. You might have heard of it. If you are on Twitter I’m sure you are sick of it if you are not attending.
I am going to New York City tomorrow and not coming home until Sunday. No kids. No husband. Just me. And for real, you are getting me. I did not buy new clothes, or get my hair done. I will be in jeans most of the time. At least I think so. I do have other stuff I am bringing to wear, but I really just want to be comfortable. I really want to be me. Not so everyone else can see who I really am. But so I can see who I really am.
It has been a long year since last years BlogHer. I was fairly new to blogging and not really sure where I fit into the whole thing. I did not feel like I “belonged” at BlogHer. Who was I? What do I bring to the table? There were going to be amazingly talented women there. Women I admire. Women I read. They deserved to be at BlogHer.
But as the year has gone by, and I have taken this time to really look at my life. All of it. Blogging included. I have realized I was an idiot. I deserve to be at BlogHer. Everyone does. We all bring something to the table. We all have our voice. I cannot compare my self to another blogger. No one else has my life or my voice.
So this weekend is so much more than just a conference to me. It is a part of my journey. I am still finding my way. Still learning who I am.
I am finally going to meet so many people that I truly admire. Friends that I have gotten to know so well. Friends that know me so well. We are there for each other, even though we are so far apart. Now I can hug them and let them know how much I adore them. How much they are a part of my journey. How they have changed me. For the better.
I am going to BlogHer to feed my soul. To be me. To learn more about me. To get inspired to be better. As a person. As a writer. As a friend and a Mother.
I am so excited to finally be able to share with you something I have been working on. My OpenSky Shop! i know some of you were wondering what the countdown clock was all about, and this is it. It is a count down to the day my shop will be open.
My shop launches August 10th!
What is OpenSky? OpenSky is an online shopping experience all its own. It is all about buying from people you know and trust. Think of it as an online Main Street of family owned shops. MY shop will be a shop where you can actually ask questions about products, and I know your name and what you like. If you need something, I will try to find it for you. I will only sell products I know and love. Just like I would call my friends and tell them about something that I just bought, I will be sharing that same information with you.
One of the products I will be selling in my shop is the Skooba Skin. Love it. I had been looking for a laptop sleeve for my mini for awhile. I have a bag I put my laptop in, but wanted something to also protect it, when I was traveling. I liked the Skooba Skin because I can use it in a bag, or on its own. There are handles that fold over so you have the option of using it alone. I am taking it to BlogHer with me, so if you see me come over and check it out!
It is going to be a BLAST! I can not wait to share all of my favorite products with you!
If you are interested in becoming a seller on OpenSky click HERE
If you are interested in becoming a supplier on OpenSky click HERE
We went to our first WNBA game last Saturday. We saw the Connecticut Sun play. It. Was. Awesome. We really had no idea what to expect, and the kids had never been to any type of professional Basketball game before. Watching the high school basketball team play while waiting for your older sister to dance did not prepare them for how much fun they were going to have. How much fun ALL of us were going to have.
What a great night out! We love going to Mohegan Sun. My kids think it is the coolest place ever. Every once and a while we will take the kids there to walk around and eat at Johnny Rockets or one of the buffets. So when I told them were were going there to also see a CT Sun game, they were so excited. I have been telling all of my friends that they need to go. Such an awesome family night out. So family focused, and the players were AMAZING. My kids were in awe of them. The game was close and my son did not take his eyes off the court. The CT Sun won! It was awesome! We were very lucky and were able to get a couple of autographs after the game. I cannot wait to get back to another game.
Check out this video of our night!
Looks like fun right? Well I am so happy to let you know about a special discount for my readers!!
You can buy tickets for just $14.00! (reg. price is $21.00)
Just go to http://bit.ly/WNBASunTix , enter promo code WNBABLOG to purchase tickets and experience the WNBA’s exciting, affordable, family-friendly, entertainment! You will need to create an account in order to use the code, simply enter your email address, create a password – and get your discount!
Not only is a Connecticut Sun game a blast, it is super affordable! Go order your tickets now!
I am so happy to be participating in Elmer’s #bagitforward campaign. This week the kids and I went shopping for school supplies to donate to our local elementary school. We had a really great time, and the kids loved the idea of doing something to help kids. Check out our Whrrl story at the bottom of this post, and see all the cool stuff we were able to donate!
Now we are giving out virtual bags of school supplies, and for each post Elmer’s is going to donate ten dollars to Adopt-A-Classroom!!!
Did you hear that???
Elmer’s is going to donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom! $10 for each virtual #bagitforward post!
Who are you going to give your backpacks to? Leave me a comment and let me know if you are participating. Can’t wait to see your posts! Make sure you leave the link to your post on the #bagitforward site! And don’t forget to check out my Whrrl at the bottom of this post!
HOW CAN YOU JOIN? It’s easy.
* Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
* Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
* You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
* The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
* The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
* In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:
ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES
* Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
* Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
* Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
* Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
* Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
* Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.
Okay...when I switched to Wordpress, my Google Friend Connect decided to hate me. If you were following me before, you need to re follow. For the love of all that is Holy...it will not transfer for me. I gave up. Yeah, I'm a total slaker...
