I Believe Reading To Your Children Is A Gift

February 2, 2012 By 2 Comments

I’m the mom who read to her pregnant belly.  So, it should come as no surprise that reading to my actual small people brings me great joy as well. For me books have always been a great escape.  I can get lost in the words, in the story, in the art created on each page by yet another brilliant author.

My husband hopes to pass on his love of all-things-sports: baseball specifically. Me?  I want to raise readers.

I think a love of reading is a gift.  It is a journey, an adventure, a full-life expansion of your imagination.

And friends, the joy I felt as first my small girl began to read words aloud – slowly forming sentences….the comprehension dawning on her face like morning sunshine? There is no comparison.  And now, my small dude is experiencing the very same thing.

We read to them.  They read to us.  We read together.

And it is divine.

Is it not?

My small girl is now devouring a few chapter books each week.  She comes home from school with stories about BOOKS.  She asks to ‘stay up for just a few more minutes to read’.  I am raising a READER.  This is good.

I believe reading to your child and with your child is a gift…. a gift of emotion, of self, of love and of future experience.  You are setting them up to learn, to grow and believe in something bigger than themselves.

What a treasure!

Do you have a favorite book to read with your small people?  When mine were itty-bitty, I loved, “Goodnight, Moon”, but “The Velveteen Rabbit”  will always be my favorite.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Content, I Believe, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , , ,

How To Connect On Social Media (#1 Tip from @RickiLake)

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Social media has changed the world forever. In just 140 characters or an update to your Facebook status, you have the potential to connect with a complete stranger in the same town or across the globe. In an instant, Friendships are being formed. Business is taking place. People are connecting. And the world will never be the same.

But it isn’t that easy…

Many people are standing on the sidelines of social media, unsure of how to jump into the conversation and contribute their thoughts. There is uncertainty about how one can form bonds with people they have never met “face to face.”

Are you one of many asking the question, “how?”

That is why we are here and you can know one thing for sure… You are in the right place! We have teamed up with Ricki Lake, one of the most engaged celebrities on social media, to share 5 tips for connecting with people in an instant on social media.

Watch this video to hear Ricki Lake’s #1 Tip for Connecting on Social Media

2. Be Respectful.

Leave judgment at the door and respect that other people on social media have beliefs and opinions that are their own. This is what makes them unique! Just as in offline relationships, if you want to make friends, you have to be one first. If you want people to respect you, start by being respectful of them.

3. Be Inspiring.

People like social media for many reasons. Many will share that they feel uplifted and empowered to live their best life by connecting with inspiring and positive people. If you want to make a lot of friends on social media, be inspiring. Be encouraging. Be a friend.

4. Be Generous.

The more you offer to help others in life, the more “likeable” you will be. When on social media you can help others by supporting their work. Take the time to mention people, and give them positive feedback. When you re-tweet or share the content of others they feel good and are more likely to appreciate and connect with you. Remember, “it’s not about me, it’s about we”.

5. Find a Fun Community!

Following a hashtag community on Twitter or joining a group or community on Facebook is a great way to connect with people who are like you and who are usually looking for the same type of connection you are looking for. Twitter and Facebook are the largest gathering of individuals on the planet. Communities are simply small groups within. Think of communities on social media as you would small break-out sessions at a very, very large conference. The name on the door is the community. Pick the door that tells you that you share common interests with those on the other side. Then, open the door, step inside and say hello via a tweet or a post on the Facebook wall. You will be surprised that many are waiting for… you!

If you are looking for a community that is based on friendship and connection, please join Ricki Lake and the Friends of Ricki for a very special announcement and a first hand look at social media connection on Ustream at http://ustream.tv/rickilake and using Twitter hashtag #FriendsofRicki at 5pm PST this Wednesday, February 1. We look forward to seeing you and connecting with you there!

Do you have any ideas or questions about making connections on social media? Please leave your thoughts in the comments and let’s discuss.

Filed Under: Guest Blogging, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The First 100 Days of School Project

January 31, 2012 By 3 Comments

20120130-235037.jpg

It may be hard to believe based on the sneaky little smile on my small dude’s face…. but this little guy actually stayed home from school today.  It was a headache.  Yes, just a headache.  Normally, I might have dismissed it, but the first words out of his little mouth when I woke him for school were, “Oh, Mommy…. my head hurts so badly!”  So, I knew he didn’t have time to form a fib.  And he held his head the entire time he was getting ready for school.

Did I mention headaches make me nervous?  So, home and snuggles for the small dude.  Oh…. and a FOUR HOUR nap in the middle of the day.  At the very least, he must have been behind in sleep, yes?

So…. he missed his 99th day of school, but he will be present and accounted for on his 100th day.  And he will have his 100 Day Project in hand.  We debated: Cheerios?  (Nah… everyone will do that) Peanuts? (No can do: allergies) Marshmallows? (Big sister did it last year) Collect baseball cards? (Not edgy enough – they’d just be in a stack because good heavens, Smith boys don’t put tape on them!)

We finally – thanks to Delaney’s brilliant thinking, settled on making the small dude’s name out of 100 chocolate chips.

20120130-235106.jpg

Now…. we could have done his full name: Cooper… if we wanted to use a) a bigger piece of paper or b) make his name smaller.  Coop wasn’t having any of it.  He counted the chips, chose the paper and put his name on it.  I negotiated a little help with the glue because I didn’t want chocolate chips glued to my kitchen table.

I’m fun, but not THAT fun.

Are you doing any 100 Day Projects?  I would love to see them – and I know my small people would too.  Share the links in comments!

 

Filed Under: Featured Content, Good thing he's cute, Recent Posts, Small people Tagged With: , ,

Setting Your Financial Goals for 2012: Making Money With EBay’s Selling Inspiration House

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

So, you are one of those people who makes resolutions each year.  And this year, you’ve decided to spend less and save more.

Admirable, truly.  But not always the easiest resolution to keep.  Let’s face it…budgeting is hard and making massive changes to a static budget (meaning your family income isn’t changing) is more than a little bit of a challenge.

So… you start with the basics:

  • 1) You write it all down.  All of it.  Yes, that coffee from Starbucks too.  You don’t know what to trim until you know what you are spending.
  • 2) Determine how much you would like to save.  Write this down too.
  • 3) Start to pay with cash only.  If you don’t have it in hand, you can’t buy it. Set aside money each week for groceries, gas, eating out, etc.  Once you have used those funds… you’re done for the week.
  • 4) Make Money. (What?)  Yes…. Make extra cash to add to what you can spend and save each week.

How do you do that?  I have just the suggestion for you – and the inspiration to get you started.

EBay.

But before you start to think I can’t….filling your head with excuses, know this: You Can.  And that money is already right at your finger tips.  It is in your home.  eBay has newly created the Selling Inspiration House to walk you through your home, room by room, pointing out not only items you CAN sell, but items that are currently selling well on the site.

You choose the room.

eBay highlights the best options in that room. Take your bedroom closet for example: shoes, vintage Levis, handbags, dresses and outerwear are all things you could list.

And even better… wondering what the going rate for those items might be? Stick with the Selling Inspiration House.  You’ll find those answers there too.

It is so much easier to get started than ever before.  EBay is taking all of the guesswork out of the process.  And don’t forget, you can always take a look at  the basic tips for begin­ners.

Good luck with that budget…. (and with that selling!)  Can’t wait to hear what you make!

Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am working closely with eBay, however, all opinions and experiences shared are mine alone.

 

Filed Under: Checking this out, Featured Content, Recent Posts Tagged With: , , , ,

I Believe: ‘Be Yourself’ Should Be The Motto My Kids Live

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sweet.  Sassy. Spunky.  Smart.  Silly.

Funny.  Fabulous.  Fantastic. Fickle. Going on Fifteen.

Delaney is all of this and more.  She is one of the youngest in her grade.  She is a kind soul and prone to checking with her friends before she makes a decision.  She feels deeply.  She is emotional and sometimes has a hard time sitting still. She is good at soccer, excellent at softball so-so at math and has the voice of an angel. But don’t ask her to sing, she hates the spotlight. She is quickly learning that working hard can mean beautiful results.

And I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.

In this picture, she was deliberately posing for me.  This is ‘her’ simply having fun.  She is not worried if she ‘looks ok’, ‘sounds ok’, is dressed ‘just right’ or if anyone else is watching.  She was just being Delaney in all her beautiful, freckled, messy-haired (and apparently gansta’-posing) glory.

As she gets older and starts to worry about all of the external things that attempt to tear away from our small people’s desire to stay true to their heart – I will pull this out to remind her of her ‘silly’, of her ‘sassy’, of her ‘Delaney’.

20120130-003922.jpg

I believe “Be Yourself” Should Be the Motto My Kids Live…

and that means it should be the one I LIVE as an example.

What do you believe?

Filed Under: Featured Content, I Believe, Inspire, Recent Posts, Uncategorized

P&G Media Event: “Have You Tried This Yet?” Hosted by Celebrity Stylist Irma Martinez

January 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I grew up with P&G.  When my mom used to tuck me in….  I could smell her enter the room.  The last thing she did before she went to bed each night was cover her face in what was then Oil of Olay – now just Olay.  I could still pick the scent out of a line-up if asked to try.  It just smells like home to me.  I now use the same cream, though an updated version and I wonder if my sweet girl will have the same association.  I bet she will.

I also bet she will automatically reach for Tide and Charmin, for Crest and Vicks, for Cascade and Pampers.  All of the brands I gravitated towards long before I knew they were P&G.  I brought them into my home because they WERE home to me.  I grew up with them, I trusted them and knew they did everything I expected, from cleaning my clothes to whitening my teeth to fighting my cough.

This past week, I spent a little time in Miami with P&G learning even more about these brands.  I know…. MIAMI.  I do so love it there…. (what’s NOT to love?? and yes it was 80 degrees the entire time!)

20120129-210856.jpg

20120129-210928.jpgI digress….  I wasn’t there for the scenery….. though I did have some beautiful time to reflect.  The purpose of my trip was a P&G event called, “Have You Tried This Yet?” Hosted by Celebrity Stylist, Irma Martinez, I, along with media and a handful of other fabulous bloggers (Audrey McClelland, Vera Sweeney, Coleen Padilla and Ashley Nuzzo) spent one full evening being treated to demonstrations of the newest P&G products.

20120129-210820.jpg

Let me take you there….

 

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Checking this out, Featured Content, Featured Videos, Video and Vlog-It! Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Little Beauty Basic – My Style

January 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

I will be honest, I don’t wear a lot of makeup….. but at the same time, I rarely leave the house without ANYTHING on anymore either.  A *little* seems to go a long way for me….or at least it goes a long way towards making me feel good, and that’s what really matters, yes?

So, just for fun…. and because my lovely friends at Babble told me they were wondering if I had any make-up musts, any hair styles I trend towards…any products I love…  Here’s the scoop:

If you know me…  you know that I almost always wear my hear down.  It has been long, long, long ever since I stopped reporting and those crazy TV stations couldn’t make me have an’anchor bob’ anymore (don’t laugh – you know what I’m talking about!)  Sometimes I add a little curl, sometimes it’s mainly straight, but really?  It is just down and long.  Probably fairly boring – I should branch out.  It is on my ‘do it before I turn 40′ list.

As for make up – my ‘musts’ start with my eyes.  I have small eyes.  Itty bitty eyes.  So small, you probably don’t ever notice the color… at least no one ever did *before*.  Mascara was always the ONE thing I refused to leave the house without.  And my number one choice in mascara has been Cover Girl’s Lash Blast Volume for years.  I can’t live without it.  And now?  To supplement that?  I have fallen in love with Xtreme Lashes.  And I have a divine friend/stylist, Autumn LaTour (STL Makeup) who does an amazing job.  No, they aren’t traditional fake lashes – they are extensions to your individual lashes that help your lashes to grow thicker and stronger.  And for the first time in my life, I’ve been given compliments on my eyes.

And finally….LIPS.

It is the only other ‘must’ I feel compelled to cover.  If I’m wearing mascara and something on my lips I feel mainly makeup complete.

I haven’t been a big lipstick girl in years, so I typically opt for gloss….possibly because I have never been able to pull off bright colors…or it could be that I stopped wearing anything for a time when my small people were really small (I kissed them too often – and babies covered in lipstick starts to look a little bizarre after awhile)

So my ‘go-to’ for my lips: I cannot live without Bare Escentuals, Buxom Lips.  It is a lip gloss to die for and I have to thank my friend Alli for bringing it into my world.  Is it wrong to say it has changed my life?

So there you have it….  a few of my deep, dark beauty secrets.  Let me know what you think if you try any of them – AND, better yet – what are your favorites??

 

Filed Under: Extraordinary, Recent Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts