Cutie Booty Cakes

Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 - Giveaway!

2012-01-06T16:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Ubisoft for providing me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 and sponsoring this fitness diary series. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

This is my final fitness diary entry documenting my experience with Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. In my video I highlight my entire workout with the game and my overall opinion of it. I can tell you that I highly recommend this game if you have the XBox Kinect. As a matter of fact, if you leave a comment on this post you are entered to win your own copy of the game!

Fitness Diary - Week 4 Family Workout!

2011-12-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

My son has been my partner in crime since I started my journey to fitness. He has been my biggest cheerleader and has participated in all of my fitness activity! I love being a role model for my son because he has already established that exercise is a natural part of life and something that we all should do. He has run with me, danced Zumba, done workout DVDs and now he loves Your Shape Evolved 2012.

Although he cannot get all of the moves, just having him up and moving with me is enough. Here in Georgia, we have one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the nation. At four, my son understands the importance of exercise and because we make it fun, it isn't a chore for him. Fitness games are such an easy way to incorporate exercise that the entire family can do and believe me, if your child is anything like mine, if you miss a day you will be reminded!

This is especially essential during the winter months when exercising and playing outside may not be an option for everyone. Having fun exercises that can be done indoors is a necessity and Your Shape fits the bill!

Holiday Attire!

2011-12-22T13:13:00.000-05:00

One thing I love about the holiday season is having the opportunity to dress up. When I look at my wardrobe I mostly see workout attire and comfy yoga pants. On a regular day that is my uniform yoga pants or workout pants and a comfortable top. I might switch things up and wear some jeans but I usually take the ultra casual route.

But give me a reason to glam up and I am ready to go! I was sent the Boogie Woogie dress from Shabby Apple that I'm wearing in the photo above and I can tell you that I received compliments the entire night! I wore it for a speaking engagement followed by a holiday party and folks just loved the dress. I felt so comfortable too.

From the soft cotton top to the satin floral design on the skirt of the dress, this one is a winner! And it is just one of many women's dresses from Shabby Apple that can be both for a date night, holiday adventure and just when you want to look pretty! Shabby Apple is offering a 10 percent discount for all of my readers simply use the code - cutiebootiecakes10off at checkout. Also, be sure to like the Shabby Apple facebook page for discounts and specials!

I know I'll be wearing my dress frequently. I love the style, fit and of course a little black dress is a staple for everyone's closet!

Disclosure: I was sent a Shabby Apple dress for purposes of writing this post but as usual, all opinions are 100% my own.

Holiday Dinner with Friends

2011-12-20T10:08:00.001-05:00

This post is sponsored by Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account!

Oh, the holidays! Just when you think things are winding down for the year, the whirlwind of holidays is upon you. I am anticipating going home for the holidays but before that happened I wanted to break bread with some friends. We tried a new Mexican place in Midtown Atlanta, the food was delicious and the libations were flowing (okay, that is an exaggeration, since we had no designated drivers we all only had one drink).

The conversation was great and we discussed everything under the sun from Christmas shopping to the Real Housewives of Atlanta! After a dessert of tres leches and flan (it is the holidays and we had to indulge) it was time to settle the bill. Sometimes this can be the most awkward moment of an otherwise outstanding time but in this case it was simple!

All of us had opened a Serve account before we'd met for dinner. I utilized my smartphone to help settle the bill. I simply tapped split the bill and it quickly calculated the amount each of us owed - including the tip! Since I didn't have cash with me, my friends footed the bill. HOWEVER I paid them back on the spot by transferring the money from my Serve account directly to them by email!

We were all impressed with the ease of the transaction and thought of many ways we could utilize serve in the future! I will no longer worry about those awkward moments at the end of meals, Serve has it covered for me!

Remember to sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found by clicking here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Paying it Forward this holiday season!

2011-12-19T09:38:00.001-05:00

This year I have been truly blessed. I have had the opportunity to work with a number of different companies and honestly despite having to deal with some personal issues, this has been a very good year for me. As a mother, I try to instill the importance of making a difference in the lives of others to my four year old. With all of our blessings I like to "share the wealth" and the holiday season has been perfect for doing that.

I have been able to go food shopping with my son and let him know that all of the food was for individuals that are less fortunate than we are. I explained that we are able to help others because of my work and the kindness and generosity of companies I work with. This season I've been able to donate food for Thanksgiving, Christmas and donate clothing and personal necessities for families that are struggling this year.

In addition, as a Mama Bear Ambassador for ArcticHome, I am able to spread the word about making a difference in the lives of Polar Bears by purchasing limited edition red Coca-Cola cans and donating a dollar to the cause! Not only are the white cans available but the red cans are too. If you are planning on purchasing Coca-Cola for your holiday festivities, these cans are perfect and can help you pay it forward!

Have you found the Arctic Home red cans? Remember you can donate to Arctic Home through logging on to www.arctichome.com, texting package codes to the package code to 357357 to make a $1 donation to WWF or donating points through MCR.com.

I've shared some ways my family has paid it forward this holiday season, what are your favorite ways to give back?

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Coca-Cola, but Coca-Cola is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this post. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Coca-Cola.

Fitness Diary - Week 3 Cardio Baby!

2011-12-16T17:53:00.004-05:00

As a parent I reconsidered the importance of my health.....

2011-12-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

It is funny how being responsible for another individual changes your entire outlook on life. After giving birth to my son I quickly lost the baby weight and kept it off for most of the first year of his life. Although I wasn’t actively exercising, nursing my son and just being busy kept the weight off. However, before my pregnancy I’d been overweight so I should have focusing on trying to lose the pregnancy weight and some! When I stopped nursing I continued to eat as if I was still burning an extra 500 calories daily, a big no no. I soon tipped the scales at over 200 pounds!

You can read the rest of this post on ABC's Million Mom's Challenge page! While you are there leave a comment and be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a donation in your name to Global Giving! Be sure to sign up for the Million Moms Challenge

Fitness Diary Week 2 - Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012

2011-12-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

Me after a workout - don't try this at home kids! LOL

Based on the photo above, it is obvious that working out with Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 certainly works up a sweat! I took this photo after an hour workout and this photo has not been retouched - all of that dark blue on my shirt is sweat. Although I live in the South I SWEAT, I do not glisten like other Southern Belles!

This week I want to tell you about an aspect of the game that I really like - to say I "enjoy" it would be a stretch but Toning is really good. Similar to other aspects of the game, the toning section has a number of different options. You can do a three minute workout or a thirteen minute workout or even a combination.

I took a photo of the actual screen as I was working out but it is sideways and I can't post it like that. I have no idea why it won't work but I'll do my best to explain. One of my favorite aspects of doing toning is that not only do I see my training but I see myself. It is like looking in the mirror. This is great because I utilized weights when I worked out and I was able to correct my form. LOVE IT!

The thirteen minute toning program is an all-over body program, working the large muscles in my legs and my arms too. This is exactly what I need. By doing this a few times a week I know I will lose inches and tighten up! Abs too! Can't forget the ab workout. Total body toning.

Next week I'll be talking about the different cardio options on the game. And I am sure that you are wondering how my weight is looking.....well, I am down 2 pounds this week. Go me!

Send a message of hope to a Hospitalized Child This Holiday Season!

2011-12-06T19:04:00.000-05:00

Watch the Video, Share the Hope with Children's!

Watch this video 'Share the Hope' and then share your own hopeful message with the young patients at Children's. Let them know you're thinking about them – this holiday season, and all year long.

http://sharewithchildrens.org

The holidays are no time to be in the hospital. I know first hand how it feels to be hospitalized just days before Christmas. I cannot tell you how very happy it made me when volunteers and the hospital staff tried to make things as festive as possible during the holiday season. My fondest memory was hearing a choir caroling in the halls. I was lucky enough to be discharged from the hospital before Christmas but sadly that is not the case for everyone.

There are 1280 children staying at the Children's Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA) this holiday season. I know their family, friends and the hospital staff and volunteers are making it as homey as possible but at the end of the day they are still hospitalized. Won't you take a moment to send a bit of holiday cheer to one of this children? And also be sure to watch the video, for every view Verizon is donating $1 up to $25,000 for CHOA. This holidays season a simple short message and a view can make the difference in the life of a sick child.

Hanes Virtual Sock Drive

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm highlighting a very easy way for you to give back AND you don't have to spend any money! Hanes is having it's 3rd annual virtual sock drive to donate socks to the needy this holiday season!

Help us get to 250,000 socks donated by simply clicking on the image above or click HERE! Hanes sent me 250 pairs of socks to donate and I am giving the men's socks to the homeless identified by my son's school and the other socks are going to a special charity that I will be doing an event for later this month! More to come on that........ In the meantime, Click and share, click and share! Help the needy this holiday season!

Giving Back this Holiday Season!

2011-12-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

I love the holiday season! The pretty lights, the music and the general atmosphere, it is just a magical time of the year. One of my favorite things about the holidays is having opportunities to give back! This week, I plan on highlighting awesome opportunities that I've had for spreading some holiday cheer and also will give you an opportunity to do so - virtually!

First up, the holiday grocery haul at Walmart. I was given a $50 giftcard to see how much food I could purchase. This coincided with a food drive at my son's school - perfect! The school has a list of items so I took the list and went shopping. I think I did a pretty good job and I know the children will enjoy making the sandwiches for the homeless! This is a win win project all around! I'm happy to donate and help teach the kids about the true meaning of Christmas! Thank you for the opportunity Walmart!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and have been compensated for my time to write this post and make the video. As usual, all opinions are my own!

My fitness Diary

2011-12-02T17:57:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Ubisoft for providing me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 and sponsoring this fitness diary series. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

It is no secret that I run half-marathons but I have been keeping a dirty little secret....I've gained weight. I could blame it on stress but at some point I have to take responsibility. And I've reached that point. Over the last eight months or so I've gained about 20 pounds. Not good. Not good at all. But about three weeks ago I decided it was time for a change so I started managing my food intake and to date I've lost about 7 pounds or so. I still have more to go and that is why I will be chronicling my fitness journey with you. It keeps me honest!

For the next five weeks I will discussing my experience with UbiSoft's Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012. I can already tell you I'm a fan (you may remember I taught a class utilizing the game at the Blogalicious conference) but I want to see what type of results I garner after 5 weeks of working out with it.

Today I weigh in at 173 pounds. Let's see where this journey takes me....this week I spent time really getting started with the game. My favorite warm-up is jumping rope, it is strenuous but I feel good and ready to workout after a few minutes of doing it. One of the things I really like is that because this game utilized kinect I look like me on the screen when I'm working out and my hands are totally free. If you've never experienced this - you must!

For cooling down I really like doing the Zen "workout" basically it is Tai Chi. I feel totally relaxed after I complete my workouts. You may be asking what about the workouts themselves? Well, I get to design workouts based on the things that I like! So in the upcoming weeks I will be highlighting a few of my favorites.

For now, I've admitted I'm starting a fitness journey again, given you my weight (gasp) and let's just see where Your Shape Evolved 2012 takes me!

World AIDS Day 2011

2011-12-01T09:56:00.001-05:00

It is difficult for me to comprehend that AIDS has been around for 30 years. I can recall the early days of the epidemic, when my aunt was a nurse on the AIDS ward when no one else wanted to help "those people." I remember her stories of people bleeding out and the doctors being clueless about what to do other than make them comfortable. Over the past 30 years we have come so very far....but AIDS continues to be an epidemic in Africa. In the United States African-American women make up 12% of the female population and 66% of the new HIV/AIDS cases.

I spent a large portion of my professional life working on the fight against AIDS both domestically and abroad. I've lost friends to this disease and also experience joy for my friends that not only continue to live with it but fight everyday to ensure that people are aware that it has not gone away but there are things that we all can do to prevent it.

In 1993 I had the opportunity to see the original AIDS quilt laid out on the mall in Washington, DC. It was truly one of the most moving moments of my life. Each quilt represented a life lost to AIDS. I get teary just thinking about it. Things have changed now and HIV is no longer a death sentence but most importantly we can end maternal to child transmission by the year 2015! One has partnered with (RED) to encourage us all to make panels for a virtual quilt and pledge to fight and have a generation AIDS free by 2015! My panel is above and you can see it in the actual virtual quilt HERE.

I am happy to be a One Mom ambassador and spread the word about this exciting movement. Make your panel today and pledge to join ONE in the fight against poverty and disease. I'm sure you are aware of the (RED) movement and I implore you this holiday season to purchase at least one product so that money can go to the fight against AIDS. You can pledge by creating a panel for the (2015) Quilt. A virtual quilt made of panels by folks like you and me and a ton of famous people too!
Let's end maternal to child transmission by 2015! We can do this!

I'm a Mama Bear!

2011-11-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite picture of my son and I. Although we are living in the digital age, this was taken at an event and sadly I only have a hard copy (my apologies for the poor photo quality). If I had it digitally I'd be sure to send this photo as my holiday card. They say there is nothing like a mother's love for her son and this photo epitomizes the love that we share for each other. It never ceases to amaze me when we are out around town and people ask if he is my only child. Apparently it is obvious that he is the love of my life and even when I am reprimanding him he clearly has me wrapped around his little finger!

Momma Polar Bears are equally (if not more) protective of their cubs and the Arctic Home website has an interesting feature where you can learn facts about Polar Bears and actually track five live Momma Bears! The momma bears in the Arctic are on a mission to both protect and feed their cubs in their quickly diminishing environment.

As a mama bear myself, I will do whatever it takes to ensure my son has the things he needs. Most recently he has taken to sleeping in the bed with me and although I know some frown upon co-sleeping, I figure he is only young once and at some point it will be difficult to even get a hug or kiss for him so I take advantage of all the cuddles I can get now! For me this is going the extra mile because I enjoy having my bed to myself but we are currently in a major transition in our lives so this is the very least I can do for my son. And of course, I will always do more!

What is your personal mama bear story? Share it here in my comments or tweet #arctichome with your story. Also, don't forget to purchase the special white mama bear coca-cola cans and make a donation to save the environment!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Coca-Cola, but Coca-Cola is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this post. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Coca-Cola.

Say Anything and Win an iPad!!!!

2011-11-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

When I attended Blogalcious last month I had the opportunity to meet the founder of North Star Games, Luke. A table was set up with various games from the North Star line including Say Anything. In this game you answer a question and the answer with the most responses win. I am currently playing the game on facebook and answered the question - If I could train a monkey to do anything, what would I train it to do?

As a result of my playing along, North Star Games will be giving my charity, The Lupus Foundation of America a $1000 donation! As part of a total donation of $5000 to the charities of the participating bloggers choice! Take a visit to the contest on their Facebook page, vote for your favorite answer to the question and you will be entered to win an iPad!

The contest ends on Monday, November 28th so hurry up and vote!!!!

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

It is Thanksgiving Eve and families across the country are preparing for the big day! Turkeys brining, pies are baking but the big question I want to know is how do you handle dinnertime at your house? Do you have a kids table? Do the kids eat first?

Vist Mom's The Word on Dinner and give your best suggestions and ideas for dinner time. I'm sure we can all learn from each other!

Disclosure: I'm a Mom's The Word on Dinner ambassador and have been compensated for this post.

Hosea Feed the Hungry and the Homeless

2011-11-15T09:38:00.015-05:00

There are numerous people in the Atlanta area who are hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving. Hosea Feed the Hungry is a non-profit organization that provides food and necessities to needy people in the Atlanta metro area. Every Thanksgiving they provide thousands of people with a meal, clothing, and grooming. I volunteered to set-up for the Martin Luther King day event earlier this year and am familiar with the work of Hosea Feed the Hungry. When Walmart challenged me to buy a Thanksgiving meal for under $40 I immediately knew that I'd donate all of the food to Hosea Feed The Hungry.

Not only was I able to get an entire Thanksgiving meal including a turkey, yams, collard greens, corn, stuffing, rice and a sweet potato pie - I was way under budget with a grand total of $29.08! Since I was donating the food I had to rely on some canned goods but I know that even with fresh produce I would have come in under budget. You too can go to Walmart for all of your Thanksgiving essentials and perhaps make a donation to your local food bank this holiday season!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was compensated for this post but all of the opinions are 100% as usual!

Dinner Redux - Giveaway 3 $100 AMEX Giftcards!

2011-11-14T16:36:00.002-05:00

As a Ragu Mom's The Word on Dinner ambassador I was asked about my utilization of leftovers but instead of leftovers I like to call it lunch/dinner redux! In the photo above I used a piece of salmon that I'd cooked the night before in my lunch salad. It was amazing and I enjoyed it. Since my son doesn't really like to eat salmon outright, I made muffins with the remaining salmon, froze them and reheated when my son wanted one. Sneaky way for me to get him to eat protein but no food goes to waste!

I want to hear about your favorite meal "redux" using leftovers. Ragú is sponsoring a giveaway of 3 $100 Amex giftcards just in time for the holidays! Leave a comment with your meal and be entered to win!!!!

Contest open until Friday, November 25th at 10PM EST.

Celebrating More Birthdays with ACS and Tiny Prints

2011-11-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Last week I ran my fourth 1/2 marathon - it feels funny typing that especially since before last October I'd never run a single one! My exercise and training for these events does help me in my personal journey to better health and studies have shown that regular exercise can help in the prevention of cancer. In both my first race and my last, I not only ran for myself but I also raised money for the fight against cancer. As a member of the American Cancer Society Bloggers Advisory Board I've had the opportunity to see first hand the work that ACS is doing to ensure we have a world with More Birthdays. And am happy to announce the partnership they now have with Tiny Prints an online stationary boutique.

You can now purchase the ACS Tiny Prints Collection of More Birthdays cards. I personally really love Tiny Prints and have used them for holiday cards, thank you notes and now birthday cards! The cards are fully customizable and I took the opportunity to create a few cards. The first card I personalized was for my honored hero Melissa.

I ran the Savannah 1/2 marathon in her honor and wanted to send her a special card to commemorate the event. She is fighting non-Hodgins lymphoma and although it is not her birthday, I want to remind her to celebrate every day as if it is her birthday.

I also made a card for another girlfriend, her birthday is coming up in December and I choose a third card simply to have on hand for the next time I need a birthday card. There are nine different cards to choose from and 5% of the purchase price goes to the ACS, additionally, if you make a purchase of any type from the ACS page, 12.5% of the proceeds are directed to ACS.

If you are shopping for holiday cards or specifically birthday cards, choose Tiny Prints and make a difference in the fight against cancer!

Disclosure: This sponsored post was written in conjunction with the American Cancer Society/Tiny Prints card collection launch. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Snow in Atlanta!

2011-11-12T19:34:00.002-05:00

Okay, not really! But today Mekhi and I went to Centennial Olympic Park for the kickoff celebration for the "12 Days of Arthur Christmas." We had a ball snow tubing and playing on the snow.

Visitors had a chance to win a prized appointment with the Phipps Santa Claus tomorrow - if you are an Atlanta resident you know appointments with Santa sell out quickly - and guess what? Mekhi will be visiting SANTA for the very first time! Here is a listing of the rest of the free events for the 12 Days of Arthur Christmas - on the final day the movie will be released!

Day 2, Sunday, November 13, 2011

Exclusive Santa Sightings

Phipps Plaza

Enter-to-win Appointment between 6:00PM-8:00PM

Attend the Snow Celebration at Centennial Park on 11/12 to enter-to-win an appointment with the ultra-exclusive Phipps Plaza Santa which includes a photo and video package.

Day 3, Monday, November 14, 2011

Very Merry Breakfast Benefit

Denny’s Norcross

9:00AM-12:00PM

Bring a donation for Toys For Tots to the Denny’s Norcross restaurant, located at 5534 Jimmy Carter Blvd, to receive a free Grand Slam gift card and Arthur Christmas goodies. Open to the public.

Day 4, Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sugar & Spice & Storytime’s Nice

Central Library, Downtown Atlanta

10:30AM

Join Arthur Christmas at the Fulton County Central Library, located at One Margaret Mitchell Square in Downtown Atlanta, for storytime with Santa’s milk and cookies. Activities to follow. Open to the public.

Day 5, Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Arthur’s Reindeer Round Up

Atlantic Station Central Park

3:00PM-6:00PM

Meet Santa’s Reindeer before they depart for the North Pole at Atlantic Station’s Central Park, located at 1380 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, and don’t forget your camera for a free photo op in Santa’s sleigh. Open to the public.

Day 6, Thursday, November 17, 2011

Operation: North Pole Post

Imagine It! Children’s Museum

10:00AM-2:00PM

Arthur’s Letters to Santa Campaign kicks off at the Imagine It! Children Museum, located at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive Northwest, Atlanta, with activities and giveaways. Visit www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org for more details.

Day 7, Friday, November 18, 2011

Arthur Lights Up Lake Lanier’s Holiday Village

Magical Night of Lights Holiday Village

5:00PM-10:00PM

Join the Arthur Christmas party in Lake Lanier Island’s Holiday Village at the Magical Night of Lights Opening Night Extravaganza to make ornaments and letters to Santa and the chance to win prizes! Visit www.lakelanierislands.com for more information.

Day 8, Saturday, November 19, 2011

Grandsanta’s Grand Screening

Regal Mall of Georgia

11:00AM

Calling all grandparents and grandkids! Grab your favorite ugly sweater and attend a very special screening of Arthur Christmas! The best sweater will win a GRAND prize. Attend any of the events listed above for opportunities to win passes to this screening at the Regal Mall of Georgia theater, located at 3379 Buford Drive in Buford.

Day 9, Sunday, November 20, 2011

Rock Around the Ice Skating Rink!

Centennial Olympic Park Ice Skating Rink

1:00PM-5:00PM

Arthur Christmas takes over Centennial Park’s Ice Skating Rink with activities, games, photo opportunities and giveaways! Visit www.centennialpark.com for more information.

Day 10, Monday, November 21, 2011

North Pole Portraits

Zoo Atlanta

10:00AM-1:00PM

Discounted tix and free pix in celebration of Arthur Christmas! Receive $3 off general admission to Zoo Atlanta, located at 800 Cherokee Avenue SE , Atlanta, for up to four people with a donation of ONE new toy for Toys for Tots. And, pose for a free photograph featuring scenes from Arthur Christmas. Visit www.zooatlanta.org/arthur_christmas for more information.

Day 11, Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Arthur’s Ice-Stravaganza!

Georgia Aquarium

10:00PM-2:00PM

Visit the Georgia Aquarium, located at 225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, for a North Pole-Palooza! Arthur’s elves will construct his very own Igloo featuring scenes from the film. Visit www.georgiaaquarium.org for more information.

Day 12, Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Jingle Bell Rock Party!

Arthur Christmas is released in theaters across the country!

Regal Atlantic Station

11:00AM-3:00PM

Join the opening day bash at Regal Atlantic Station, located at 261 19^th Street NW, Atlanta, for ornament decorating, wrapping competitions, prizes for ugly sweaters and more!

We will be sure to check out more of the events and look forward to seeing Arthur Christmas!

The Pursuit of Healthiness Powered by Social Media Live Chat 1PM

2011-11-10T08:50:00.001-05:00

For well over a decade I devoted my professional life to public health. I battled HIV/AIDS here in the United States and lived in South Africa working on the epidemic there and in Zimbabwe. Shortly after my son was born I left my position as State AIDS Director for Georgia, leaving behind a staff of 35 and a budget in excess of $100M because I wanted to focus on my child. I did however continue my public health work, consulting for an early childhood literacy program based called Reach Out and Read based in pediatricians offices. When my contract ended I was blogging with intensity and it seemed natural for my love of public health to continue in the blogging realm. Little did I know at the time that social media would not only help me to raise awareness about important health issues for others but it would help me too.

I've blogged about HIV/AIDS, asthma, cancer, and loudly shared my journey to healthy living on my blog. Although I am a work in progress, by sharing my experiences I know I can help others. I lost over fifty pounds and chronicled it on my blog - now I find myself up about twenty pounds and I am writing about that too. Being overweight and the health issues that arise as a result of it are pr

Today, I have the wonderful opportunity to share my pursuit of Healthiness utilizing Social Media during A LIVE CHAT on the MOTHERHOOD today at 1 PM. I will be joined by a host of AMAZING LADIES including Karyne Briane of the Red Pump Project, Gina of the Mom's Clean Air Force, Simone I Smith (wife of LL Cool J) and Tonya Lewis Lee of Healthy Baby Begins. I cannot wait to be a part of this chat and hope that you will join us.

The American Cancer Society organized this chat and I am a proud member of their Bloggers Advisory Council. Hope to see you there!

My Fourth Half-Marathon!

2011-11-07T17:27:00.000-05:00

There is so much to tell about the Savannah Rock n Roll ½ marathon that I almost don’t know where to start. As many of you know, I ran this race as a member of Team in Training and raised over $1600 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I surpassed my fundraising goal and ran this race in honor of my friend Melissa, a young mother of three who is currently battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Another special aspect of this race was running it with my good friend Lorraine of Run Wifey Runas part of her Race & Relax on the road series. With Race &Relax we were treated like VIPs and the food - outstanding! But I’m getting ahead of myself.We (Lorraine, her sister Nicole and partner Christie) hit this road on Friday morning to Savannah and made it in by 2:15pm.

To read the rest of my race report click HERE

Save the Polar Bears!

2011-11-02T16:05:00.000-04:00

You may not remember but a couple of years ago (I can't believe how quickly time flies!) I hosted a radio show called Green & Gorgeous. Jennae and I talked about going green a little at a time. I still am very interested in sustainability, our environment and am working on truly living a green life. When I was invited to the launch of the Arctic Home campaign, a partnership between Coca-Cola and the World Wildlife Federation, I immediately said yes! And I am now a Momma Bear ambassador for the program!

So, what is the partnership? Well, Coca-Cola is turning its iconic red can white for the very first time in history!

See the momma bear and her cubs? She will do anything to protect them.

Whenever you see a white can or white top on a bottle, look for the package code, and text

357357 to make $1 donation to the World Wildlife Federation.

For every $1 donated, Coca-Cola will match it up to $1 Million!

You may be wondering why this is important? Well, the Arctic is the only place where polar bears live and the ice there is melting at an alarming rate. At the launch, we saw the preview of the IMAX movie following a mother and her two cubs - where there is usually 50 miles of ice in the arctic, there was only 10 miles leaving her cubs in closer proximity to the male polar bears that prey on them. "The WWF has a vision to help protect the polar bear’s Arctic home. This includes working with local residents to manage an area high in the Arctic where the summer sea ice will likely persist the longest. This area—potentially covering 500,000 square miles—could provide a home for the polar bear while protecting the cultural and economic needs of local people."

If you are not a coke drinker ( truthfully, I am not but I love this campaign and do drink other Coke-Cola products) you can simply donate online at ArcticHome.com This interactive site is truly amazing and I suggest you check it out even if you choose to donate by text!

I am honored to be a Momma Bear ambassador, please be on the lookout for more updates from me about this exciting campaign!

Compensation was provided by Coca-Cola, but Coca-Cola is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this post. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Coca-Cola.

Blogalicious 11!

2011-10-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

I have attended the Blogalicious Conference every year since its inception and the experience just keeps getting better! I had the honor of leading a fitness class sponsored by UbiSoft and utilizing Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. Despite the early time - 7:00a.m., a great group of women joined me for a quick 20 minute exercise. We were able to burn calories and work on tightening our muscles with a brief workout that was NOT easy. I'll be sharing my experience working out with the fitness game over the next five weeks - look for it!

Isn't she pretty????

I was also honored to speak on a panel about working with Brands and was able to highlight some of my work with Walmart (my sponsor for Blogalicious), Ragu, and others.

I was able to hang out with old friends.....

Lorraine, Jennifer, Barbara, me and Karen.

And new friends! Sadly, I was not the best shutterbug so I do not have photos of my new friends but I have to tell you they are awesome and way too many to mention! But I have to note Rene Syler, she is a ball of fire and was a keynote speaker talking about Reinvention of Self. Simply amazing. I am happy to be able to call her my friend.

IF you have not attended a smaller conference like Blogalcious, I highly recommend it. The conference was low-key, fun and full of opportunities for relationship building.

Netherworld Haunted House - A Must See Atlanta Attraction!

2011-10-26T15:58:00.004-04:00

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the spooky, scary and supernatural. But unlike most people, I am not prone to be scared I simply enjoy the thrill of hearing other people screaming and working myself up to scream too! For the past few Halloween seasons I've been lucky enough to venture into neighborhoods where Halloween is a big event. I've actually been in two "haunted houses" that were so much fun and believe it or not, my son accompanied me and had a ball.

This year, I decided to fulfill my curiosity for the "fear factor" by visiting the nationally known Netherworld Haunted House in Atlanta. Netherworld is celebrating its 15th anniversary and after my visit, I wish I'd experienced this before!

This 3D monster greets you at the Haunted House

Netherworld is actually composed of two haunted houses. The short, intense Raw Meat Exhibit and the longer Nightmares. True to my nature, I decided to see Raw Meat first - it was right next to the ticket center and the line was much shorter than Nightmares. The experience began with me crawling through a tunnel so that I could enter the sewer. What followed was an experience I won't soon forget that is not for the faint of heart!

After Raw Meat it was time for Nightmares...and as much fun as Raw Meat was, Nightmares really is the not to be missed aspect of the Haunted House. While waiting on line various creatures greeted me from a man holding a crazy "monster" that tagged me..

To a demon skateboarder

and skeletor

and

Their presence kept the crowd pumped and these are only a few of the characters wandering around. After about a 20 minute wait we entered the Nightmares. The organizers of the experience have this down pat, each group goes in individually which enables you to have your own experience. Of course, screams abound around you which adds to the fun.

My favorite aspects of the haunted house were a circular tunnel that reminded me of something out of the Twilight Zone and when one of the creatures in the house put my friend and I in jail and refused to let us out until we sang a song!

I honestly cannot remember the last time I had more fun. And although this wasn't a "workout" when I left both Raw and Nightmares I was sweating like I'd run a 5k! A word to the wise - go with someone you can hold on to! Netherworld is not to be missed!

Netherworld is open for the rest of the Halloween season - be prepared for long lines this weekend I'm sure but trust me, it is worth it and you will certainly be entertained while you wait! Tickets are $22 for Nightmares and $28 for a combination ticket that includes Raw Meat. If you want to avoid lines altogether you can purchase a speedpass for $50.00 For more info visit the Netherworld website. And if you visit, please be sure to share your experience with me!!!

Disclosure: I was provided with media passes to experience Netherworld but all of the opinions, screams, and sweat belong 100% to me!