Yesterday was a really good day. It could have been awful. It was a 50/50 chance. The first half of the day had to be spent in Northbrook at Whole Foods for one of my AWESOME Health Shows. The September shows are always harder on my kids because they’ve moved on from Summer frivolity to Fall social obligations. Plus getting them up early leaves them cranky and tired. Face it today was my 43rd WTTW concert since mid May, and my actual 54th concert of the entire Summer. That’s a lot of singing! But I digress.

At the beginning of the show the kids were a little rambunctious, trying to one up each other in front of the merging crowd. But they soon settled down, thanks to a great group of kids and tweens in the huge audience that ultimately assembled. But especially thanks to food from Matt’s Cookies, Enjoy Life Bars, Kettle Cuisine soup and Lifeway Kefir yogurt, (some of the onsite sponsors of my concert who thankfully had food to sample and nourish!). By the end of the show, the cookie high had worn off and the real sibling drama was starting. All three kids were bored, hungry, and ready to throw down. I needed to get them to “higher ground” fast or they would eat each other.

The only reason my kids got in the car this morning was because I promised to take them school clothes shopping at Woodfield Mall after the show. With that in mind I decided hat it would be in our best interest to eat at Ikea. (Well, my best interest because I was craving salmon!). From Whole Foods Northbrook to Ikea in Schaumburg is about a 30 minute drive. A dicey 30 minutes as my “Big Kid Pacifier”, also known as my 2005 Chrysler Town and Country minivan DVD/CD/Radio system, went dark a couple of days ago, without warning or explanation. (Any suggestions about how to remedy that will render me your friend for LIFE!). Dear me, now the kids had to…dun dun dun…talk to each other to pass the time! NOOOOOOOOOO! My 7 year old did some advanced planning this morning. She brought along her Leapster, plus a new board game I got in the mail from Blogher. She wanted to play the game with me during the car ride. (Don’t ask me how I was going to manage that, because I really didn’t have a plan when I said yes, I just needed her to get in the car!) However, once we got in the car headed to Ikea she was fully engrossed in her Leapster, and not interested in dividing her attention to play the game. (Whew!) So she passed the game along to her big brother and sister, literally. I thought they would just kick it under the seat, but to my absolute amazement they started playing…together. No I’m serious. I saw it with my own two eyes through the rearview mirror. My 9 year old and my 12 year old played a game, in the car, that was meant for 7 year olds and younger, and they didn’t fight or condescend or complain. Hallelujah!

So what was this miraculous game? Animal Mastermind Towers, new from Pressman Toy Corporation this Summer. As a kid I loved to play Mastermind. It felt so good to ultimately unearth the color combination and beat my opponent. This new game has equal strategic satisfaction, but is more appropriate for younger children than Mastermind is. Its still has the essence of Mastermind. You have to determine through guesses what the order of the animals are in your opponents tower. But it’s more interactive because they have a tower as well. Both players are trying to reach the end of the game with a correct guess. You get an identical pile of animal cards as are in your opponents tower. Then with each turn you ask your opponent if one of their animals is higher or lower than another. With each answer you arrange your animal cards to create a potential order to win with. When I played the game with my 7 year old the night before I taught her a strategy for identifying the placement of the animals. She understood the theory, but needs more playing time to really master the application. However, in the car I listened to my older two discover their own strategies in real time, as they became acquainted with the game. Playing the game in the car, without benefit of a true hard surface to lay out the animal picture cards on, made them rely more so on their memories. This added an additional challenge to the game, which ultimately made it more age appropriate for them and kept their interest piqued.

Woo Hoo! Three cheers for Animal Mastermind Towers, the game that saved our day!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 1 Post: Some or all of the products or services mentioned were provided to Miss Lori free of charge.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

HomeMade Pizza Company. It started with an idea and 13 years later it’s a community sensation. That’s what it looked like to me when I went to their grand opening on Wells Street. People were lined up all the way down the block. What for? Why for pizza of course. (An institution in this fair town. Truly.) But lets back up a moment. What makes this pizza soooo special? Well, the secret ingredients in this pizza, that make it so desirable, are heart, determination, and courage. Owner and creator Eric Fosse got his heart set on an idea, then he had the courage to dig in deep to bring his idea to life, and lastly, despite pitfalls, he remained determined to see it through. Eric holed up in his basement with his brother in-law for two years mixing, experimenting, crafting and creating the perfect recipes to feed his dream. He opened his first store and guess what?…it wasn’t a hit. So of course he decided to…open another one. No, I am serious. As he says it, he was too fool hearty to quit. Now there are 18  HomeMade Pizza Co. stores in Illinois alone! Plus there are additional locations in Minnesota, and Washington D.C. (Doesn’t look very foolish to me!)

This dream hasn’t been a singular effort. It’s been a true labor of family love. From Eric’s wife, to his brother in-law, to his daughters. It wouldn’t have come to fruition without the sacrifices and selfless contributions of the entire family. It takes a village to raise a dream.

I’m all about families, especially giving families back time. I think it’s the greatest gift they can receive. That’s another reason why I am really hip to the idea of HomeMade Pizza Company. I can call and order just what I need for my family, and pick it up on the way. At home, while we are all getting settled down and washed up, our dinner prepares itself, (with a little help form a hot oven.) It’s hot, fresh, and most importantly, easy. Woo Hoo! Love that. Because truly, I have to get dinner on the table in 15 minute or less or else my children will start to eat each other. (You think I’m kidding.)

At the grand opening event in Old Town they had a truck full of fresh tomatoes to illustrate HomeMade Pizza Company’s commitment to local produce, and fresh ingredients. They were giving out cartons to everyone. (Hey, you had me at tomato!) Keep in mind, they don’t just have pizza’s, they have salads. $3 salads Monday’s through Wednesday’s this Summer as a matter of fact. And then there are the homemade cookies! (BONUS!) I would show you a picture of the finished product, (which I was given as a gift when I attended the grand opening), but my children gobbled it up as soon as I took it out of the oven. (They have the third degree burns on the roofs of their mouths to prove it.)

So when you go to a HomeMade Pizza Co. you aren’t just buying a freshly prepared pizza ready to go home with you, and come to life in your oven. No, you are bringing home a pie that is a slice of an even bigger pie in the sky dream. A dream that has come down to earth and become an appetizing reality for your community and for your family. Homemade dreams, HomeMade Pizza.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 1 Post: Some or all of the products or services mentioned were provided to Miss Lori free of charge.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Last week I published a post about determining your blog worth. After Blogher 10 and speaking at The 2nd annual Social Media Master’s Summit I realize that this question is heavy on many people’s minds. Social Media has empowered all of us in an economic time that was making many of us feel powerless. With the communication explosion that is social media comes opportunity. Opportunity has been knocking on the door of a number of bloggers. So the big question is how do you get opportunity to come to your neighborhood? That’s exactly what we’re examining.

The first step, as I mentioned last week, is to understand who you are and what you have to offer. We do that by examining our own blogs. But since it can be hard to be objective about ourselves I encouraged you to buddy up and evaluate each other’s sites. Hopefully you have taken some time to look at your blog and other people’s as well. Was it hard? Looking within, really looking within, can be uncomfortable at first, but ultimately it’s a great lesson. The goal is to understand what you are projecting to the World and make sure that is in line with what your inner intent is. On top of that you want to make sure that your blog functionality is in place. Do you have your contact points, disclosures, pr guidelines etc… Chris Brogan has an in depth article posted this week with some great suggestions always worth reading.

Now armed with a better sense of the real estate you have to offer it’s time to talk numbers.

There are lots of ways to monetize your blog. You can be paid to publish, to tweet, to serve as an ambassador…but for the purposes of this post I want to talk about ads. Ah yes, ads. I start with those because they are the one‘s that are most closely related to print, so we can have a frame of reference with which to work with. “Reference you say Miss Lori? Why whatever are you talking about?” Well, when people ask me what they should charge for ads on their blogs I ask them what paper would they most associate their blog readership and coverage with. Are you a Pioneer Press? A Chicago Parent Magazine? A Milwaukee Journal? Or are you kicking but like the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle. “But Miss Lori I am not a newspaper!” No, you are most definitely a blog. But looking at newspaper and magazine ad rates is a great way to get a sense of what brands are used to paying. It’s a unique opportunity to learn a language brands are familiar with while learning to operate in the unregulated World of social media. it gets you thinking. I recommend looking at the flat rates not the CPM’s, (cost per thousand impressions), especially if you are just developing your blog muscle. (It takes a lot of braun to back up CPM centered ad rates.)

Now that you have a head full of numbers it’s time to think more pointedly about your blog. There aren’t many articles out there that specifically look at blog ad rates, however, there is a good one from Jennifer James of Mom Bloggers Club. She details her ideas about blog ad rates quite specifically by examining three blogger archetypes. She suggests ad rates for 300 x 250 banners or widgets ranging from $15-$100 depending on a bloggers’ reach. Jennifer is very savvy. There is a great deal of useful information on her web mag beyond ad rates. Although, as she will tell you, her ad projections only scratch the surface of what is possible, but it’s a great place to start.

Before we can really identify your base rate we need to discuss what these ads should look like so you can identify “who” you should be pitching to. On YoungEntrepeneur.com there is a great article that examines the genesis of your ad world. Amongst other things they list 4 prominent factors they feel go into determining your asking rate for an ad:

• Traffic Size
• Location of the ad
• Subject of the blog
• Audience

These four points are absolutely on target. You have to know the power of your blog.

• What is your reach?
• What can an advertiser reasonably expect from moving into your blog neighborhood?
• What kind of square footage will they get for their advertising dollars?

(Yes, I am back to the real estate references. But hey, it works! We all talk about how social media is a community. A community is a part of neighborhood. And what makes up a neighborhood? Real estate!)

I also think it’s important to identify the pockets of the company you are dealing with. Business are different. I believe in never asking for something from someone that I know they can’t possibly deliver. You may, for example, have a different rate card for non-profit business versus corporations. You may have a local rate card for smaller businesses in our area. You may have a value exchange rate for ads bundled with campaigns you are posting about. It’s your real estate. You can zone it any way you like.

Now the old adage, “nobody wants you until someone else wants you” remains true, even with blog real estate. With that in mind, if you don’t yet have paying ads for your blog you should get a tenant to “ad sit” until you get a paying renter. Park an teaser ad in your ad space. Just as you would dress up your home for an open house to make potential buyers envision themselves living there, so should you do with your ad column on your blog. Let brands see what is possible.

Last but not least, remember your ads tell a story too, not just your posts. Your ads should be relevant to the content that you typically talk about. Look for ads related to products, campaigns, and brands you are passionate about. And by all means make sure that the actual ad art work is quality that raises your real estate value and doesn’t undermine it.

Stay true, stay authentic and be profitable.

These are just a few of my ideas. What’s worked for you?

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Okay, it’s time to talk seriously folks. Brands, PR and most especially Bloggers, it’s time to talk worth. Right off the bat let’s get one thing straight…your services are never FREE. Say it with me… “I never work for free!” NEVER! Even when you are doing something “Pro Bono”, you aren’t working for free, you are simply waiving your usual fee. I can hear some of you mumbling, “That’s just semantics Miss Lori.” That may be true, but they are very important semantics, because they speak to your self worth. And let’s be clear, they are not only speaking to you, but to the professional World you are trying to work in. What you think of yourself has a huge effect on what the World thinks of you. If you want the World to take you seriously, to see you as a professional, then act like one. You’ve heard the term “dress for success”? That’s what this is. You are dressing for success.

Now a couple of weeks ago I started by talking about how you should be B.I.G. with brands when you meet them in person. Then earlier this week I talked about the pages you should have on your blogsite. Now we are going to talk about RATES.

The one question I have heard from both big and little bloggers is, “How in the World do I set my rates?” It’s a tough task for many people in industries across the board. However, it’s particularly difficult in the blogging industry because it is so new and we don’t have industry standards to refer to as a starting point. We are inventing the wheel right now, so to speak. But not to worry, this can be done. There is a great article on the Freelance Folder that identifies 3 things that freelancers should consier when they are setting their rates;

1. What you need
2. What your competition charges
3. What the market will bear

These three points are very good, broad based factors to consider as a freelancers. You know your business expenses, (or at least you should). Write them down and be clear about what it costs monthly to run your business with insurance, phone, internet, transportation, conferences, tweet up bar bills…. The other two points, we’ve already established, are still in development, so to speak.

Now on Freelancewitch.com they go a little deepeer and lists 9 factors for setting your rate;

1. Your costs
2. Profit
3. Market Demand
4. Industry Standards
5. Your Skill Level
6. Experience
7. Business Strategy
8. Your Service
9. Your Client

All of these ideas make very good sense for kick starting your brain in the direction of rates. But some people aren’t at the point where they truly understand market demand, their skill level, business strategy and the like, simply because they don’t fully understand what it is they are contributing to the industry exactly, and how that fits into the great big money puzzle in the sky. Well, I have an exercise for you. Well, not just you. You and a fellow blogger. Yup, it’s a buddy exercise like the mirror game or the trust fall, but a lot less nerve racking.

You know how when you look in the mirror it’s really hard to see past your perceived flaws. People tell you you look good and all you can see is the jiggle under your arms and the ripples at your thighs? That’s really quite normal. People always have a hard time seeing the whole picture when they look at themselves because they are emotionally invested. That’s why you need a buddy to tell you the truth. “No, you don’t look fat in those jeans. Yes, that top is really flattering, but it would be better if you added a scarf.” Get it? So, I want you and your fellow bloggy friend to swap blogsites. I want you to evaluate each other’s site as though you were a real estate agent evaluating a potential property for sale. You the agent must look at the property objectively and decide what the high points are, what needs to be worked on, and what is unique to the market. You need to check out the neighborhood and see how well the property stands up to the surrounding properties… You get the idea. “Why are we doing this Miss Lori?” Because you need to see your blogsite as other people see it before you can even begin to asses it’s value for potential brand tenants to sublet space. So have a friend click through the pages and determine:

1. Is the site format inviting and easy on the eye?
2. Does the site contain all of the necessary pages including; contact, about me, disclosure, PR guidelines and a top notch home page?
3. Is the content relevant?
4. What is the most talked about category?
5. Does the blog contain reviews, contests, or giveaways? How are they being received?
6. Is it easy to get from one topic to another?
7. Is there room for ads on the page?
8. Does the blogiste have a human presence; IE Do we as a the reader have a clear sense of the author and what they care about?
9. Is the writing professional; IE Has it been proof read resulting in very few typos?
10. What is the level of engagement? Are there many comments and tweets about the individual posts?
11. What, if anything, is unique about this author and their site?
12. Who would you say, based on your evaluation, is the audience for this site?
13. What brands, if any, specifically come to mind when reviewing this site?
14. Does any other blogger come to mind when paging through this site?

Really dig deep in your evaluation for your friend. They are counting on you to tell it to them straight. But guess what? This isn’t just for them. By evaluating someone else’s site you will be better prepared to evaluate your own ultimately. I promise.

So go forth, do your homeowrk and then on Monday, we’ll start talking numbers.

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

This week I had the great pleasure of speaking on a a panel about brands and bloggers at the second annual Social Media Master’s Summit conducted by Windy City Social. The panel included Kim Moldofsky of Mom Impact, Danielle Smith of ExtraordinaryMommy.com and Esther Crawford of ShePosts.com. We were brought togetehr to offer our expertise to an audience filled with bloggers who want to work with brands and th brands who want to work with bloggers. We covered a lot of ground during our one hour panel. coming away form the presentation it became clear to me that there are still many bloggers out there who don’t know how to set up their blogs to be a magnet for opportunity. So I have compiled a list of the top five pages that I believe a blogger needs to have on their site to attract opportunity and be information ready for the future.

1. Create an About Me Page.

If you want to receive pitches from brands and PR agencies. They need to know a little bit about you and what you are passionate about. Of course you will still probably receive some of those “Dear Lucy” letters like Danielle Smith talked about at the Social Media Master’s Summit. You know the one’s that come to the wrong name, and have to do with products and opportunities that have nothing to do with anything you are interested in. However, you will lessen that chance by making the information available that allows PR people to match you with the right opportunities and the right brands.

2. Create a Contact Me Page.

A Contact Me page helps brands and PR people who have been attracted to you by your content, your voice as Kim Moldofsky mentioned yesterday at The Social Media Master’s Summit. When Kim vets bloggers for brands the most frustrating thing she encounters is the inability to find contact information. So make sure you list the best possible way for someone to contact you on your site.

3. Create a PR Guidelines page.

As Esther Crawford of She Posts talked about in the Social Media Master’s Summit, Be authentic, be professional, be responsible, and then don’t sell yourself short. Your contribution has value and should be treated as such. But if you want to make a deal like a professional then you have to make sure that you present like a professional. So I suggest that you create a page just for PR folks. Let them know how you like to work, and what you are interested in doing.

4. Create a Disclosure Statement.

Lead with your integrity. I have modeled my own disclosure statement off of the disclosure statement of my fellow influencer The Selfish Mom. What I liked about her statement was the number code. It makes identifying the type of post that I am disclosing simple and concise. But remember, to be in compliance with FTC guidelines you must include the disclosure text in the body of your post. (Thank you @Justicefergie for reminding me of that.)

5. A top notch Home Page

Now I know what you are thinking. “A home page is kind of a no brainer, isn’t it Miss Lori?” Yes, having a home page is pretty standard. However, it’s not so much about the page rather what’s on it. You need to make sure that your content is creative, impactful and well written. Know your craft. Proof read your work and make sure that your thoughts are clear and concise. Know who you are and convey that through your posts. Humanize your information and let your voice be heard. Because ultimately a brand is hiring a person, not a blog.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 7 Post: Miss Lori was provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

This Summer I have been serving as the Ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women BetterU Program. A twelve week online course to help me be better by becoming better acquainted with my own body, and how to get it to properly function. I essentially started the program just after I turned 40 in May, and now, 12 weeks later, I have reached the end. It’s really hard to believe. What a journey! Week 12 is all about reflection and review. I need to go back over the key lessons of the program and remind myself of why they are so important in my continued journey to be better.

1. Identifying your personal benefits and barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. Creating a plan of action with SMART goals

2. Make small, simple changes to your lifestyle to be more active and eat healthier foods. Add, delete or replace ingredients to make your favorite recipes healthier.

3. Tracking physical activity and foods with a paper or online log. Fitting physical activity in at home, work and when traveling. Making healthy choices when eating away from home.

4. Building a team of support people. Doing strength/resistance exercises.

5. Knowing your Body Mass Index (BMI). Making over your weight (knowing your daily calorie needs, setting a weight loss goal).

6. Knowing the physical activity recommendations. Distinguishing low, moderate and vigorous intensity activity. Shopping heart-smart at the supermarket.

7. Knowing appropriate levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Identifying behaviors you can change to control your cholesterol.

8. Knowing appropriate levels of blood pressure. Managing your stress.

9. Knowing appropriate levels of blood sugar. Making heart health a priority.

10. Checking your family history for heart disease and risk factors. Encouraging your family to make heart healthy choices.

11. Knowing the risks associated with smoking and secondhand smoke. Advocating for a smoke-free community.

12. Advocating for women’s heart health. Finding new opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating.

Check and check! So, how did I do overall? Hmm well…

The program itself isn’t a weight-loss program, but ostensibly the idea is to get your body working correctly and to do that you need to get your eating habits in check and include more nutritious foods, in reasonable proportions. As well, you are to increase your level of exercise, and decrease your level of stress. Ostensibly by doing so your body will change a bit, hopefully for the better. I think I am pretty much the same clothing size that I was when I began the program in May, but my clothes themselves are fitting differently. Although, my eldest daughter hugged me the other day and said she felt like she could wrap her arms further around me now. So apparently I am definitely BETTER for hugging it seems. (Not a bad byproduct). However, I think the most noticeable change is in my face. But you be the judge. Do you see a difference. Here is a picture of me in May, and here is a picture of me now. Do I look BETTER? Well, I’ll tell you this, I feel BETTER because now I know BETTER.

In reflection it is definitely important to continue to keep track of my numbers and to increase my walking and reduce my eating, but there is more to this program than that, and I was really reminded of that fact this month. Last week, my old friend Tab Baker died of a heart attack. Tab and I met on the theatre circuit so many years ago. We only did one show together though, Thunder Knocking on the Door at the Northlight Theatre. It was a World premiere, but that isn’t why it is so memorable to me. It’s because during the show I was pregnant with my first child. Everyone in the cast went through my morning sickness, my first kick, the news about the sex of my child. They went through it all with me. And Tab in particular was right there to help me process all of it. Funny thing was he was playing the devil in the show, but he was such an angel to me. One of his favorite phrases was “I ain’t mad at ya.” But the truth is I am mad. I am mad that my life kept me so busy that I lost touch with my friend and wasn’t even aware of struggles he was experiencing in the last years of his short, but brilliant life. I am mad that eventhough his heart was big, huge really, filled with talent and love, his heart muscle needed to be better. But most of all I am really mad at his heart for giving out and taking him away from all who loved him. Tab was only 51 years old.

So when I look at this 12 week program, and I see all of the pieces that we need to be aware of to help our hearts function better, and give us a better quality of life overall, I can’t help but think of Tab. And in doing so I feel as though there is a week missing. Because even though the heart is a vital organ; a muscle that pumps blood throughout our bodies, sustaining our lives, powered by exercise, good nutrition and calming rest. It also requires something else. Something less tangible, but immensely important. It requires joy. The heart needs joy. I bet you thought I was going to say love. Yes, love is a good too, but I think that joy speaks to the heart of things so much more. (Yes, the pun was intentional.) Joy is more than happiness, it’s more than love. Joy is buoyant, it’s spectacular, it’s smile inducing. When you think of joy you think of a celebration. Love can be melancholy, happiness is so subjective, but joy…well there’s no mistaking that heart pumping feeling. Joy gives us something to reach for, to hope for, to dream about. Joy gives us incentive to martial on to the next day, and the next, and the next.

So, as we close out week 12 and go off on our merry way, let’s do so with the goal to eat better, sleep better, exercise better, and treat our bodies better of course. But let’s also make a pledge to seek out more joy. Let’s give our hearts something to really pump for. Because let’s face it, a joyous U is always a BetterU.

SMILE On!

ML

R.I.P. Tab

This is a Level 2 and a level 9 post, Miss Lori is a Go Red BetterU Program Ambassador for the Summer of 2010

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Next week Tuesday at 1130 I will be doing one of my favorite things to do , talking. I know big surprise huh? I do love to talk, especially when talking helps others. That is certainly the goal of the panel that I will be speaking on at the Windy City Social Social Media Master’s Summit at the Blackstone hotel in Chicago. I am siting on a panel with some really AWESOME women: Kim Moldofsky of MomImpact, Danielle Smith of Extraordinary Mommy and DanielleSmithTV, and Esther Crawford of ShePosts. We’ll be talking about brands and bloggers, and how they can do more together.

Of course I hope you will join the Summit to see me, but there are many other, even more impressive people to come out for. In fact, we are thrilled to announce that David Aramano of Edelman and Ramon Deleon of Dominoes have joined the amazing Social Media Masters’ Summit Line-up.

David will be talking about building your brand through community management and Ramon will talk about WOW! Marketing, infusing your brand with an energy that people can’t resist.

More details are below.

EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS TODAY!

Social Media Masters’ Summit
Tuesday, August 24th

9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Early Bird Pricing $249 – Ends Thursday, August 19th (Use code WCS10 to save 10% when you register in advance)
Blackstone Hotel
636 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL

Our 2nd Annual Social Media Masters’ Summit was created to bring together hundreds of PR professionals, brand marketers, bloggers, agency contacts and consultants to connect and share social media best practices.

Sessions Include
• WOW Marketing – Infusing your brand with an energy that people just can’t resist – Ramon Deleon, Domino’s Pizza
• Great Brands Working with Bloggers – ConAgra, Kenmore and General Motors
• Building Off-line Relationships with On-line Connections – Christopher Barger, Global Communications Director, General Motors
• Kenmore Live Studio – Reality TV Meets Product Trial – Betsy Owens, V.P. Kenmore
• Creating a Podcast that will entertain, educate and drive traffic to your website, Beth Rosen, 4 Keys Media
• Building Your Brand Through Community Management – David Armano, VP Edelman Digital
• Great Bloggers Working with Brands — Staring Esther Crawford, Miss Lori, Danielle Smith and Kim Moldofsky
• Creating Your Irresistible Offer – Liz Strauss

Register: http://socialmediamasterssummit.eventbrite.com/

Hope to see you there!

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“National Learn-to-Read Challenge” Launches August 16

Children’s Television Personality and Celebrated Mom Blogger Miss Lori Helps Kids Get Excited About Reading through Educational Online Games

(June 16, 2010) Beginning on August 16 and continuing until through September 30, 2010, Blake Publishing and Reading Eggs will launch the first-ever “National Learn-to-Read Challenge.” For six weeks, children from the ages of 3 to 7 will be able to sign up for free, at ABCReadingEggs.com (www.readingeggs.com), and participate in this national literacy event for youngsters. (Sign up today at Reading Eggs.com for a free trial using the access code “MISSLORI”.)

The goal of the Challenge is for parents to register at least 50,000 children and start them on their journey to becoming great readers. Children’s Television personality and celebrated mom blogger Miss Lori is serving as Ambassador of the Reading Eggs “National Learn-to-Read Challenge,” which promotes the importance of reading as a vital educational building block.

“When a child learns to walk they inhabit their environment…when a child learns to read, they inhabit the World,” said Miss Lori. “By employing the equation ‘enrichment + encouragement = accomplishment,’ the Reading Eggs program is not only good literacy, it’s also great math.”

According to the National Research Council, children’s reading skills affect how they learn and will ultimately influence their chances for success. Youth who have not developed basic literacy by the time they enter school are 3-4 times more likely to drop out in later years, according to the National Adult Literary Survey, U.S. Department of Education.

“We created Reading Eggs as a unique, fun online world where children learn to read,” said Matthew Sandblom, Managing Director of Blake Publishing. “Reading Eggs supports each child’s learning by offering individual, one-on-one lessons that allow youngsters to progress at their own pace. We’re excited to share the program for free with 3-7 year-olds nationwide during the Challenge.”

The Reading Eggs program, created by a highly experienced team of early childhood educators, writers and program developers, focuses on a core reading curriculum of phonics and sight words, using skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. It supports what children learn at school to help them continue to improve. With interactive animations, games, funny songs and lots of rewards, Reading Eggs motivates children to return to the program again and again.

Reading Eggs, which launches in the United States this summer, has received rave reviews from teachers, parents and even children who previously struggled with reading. In fact, a recent survey of more than 700 teachers shows that 97.2% would recommend the program to other teachers. Additionally, 99.6% of parents said they would recommend the site to their friends and 93.4% note an improvement in their child’s ability to read since they started using the program.

Sign up today at Reading Eggs.com for a free trial using the access code “MISSLORI”.

You know why August gets on my nerves? Because I feel like the World is rushing me through it. “How,” you ask? By talking incessantly about going back to school. Now I realize that there are many unfortunate souls who actually have to return to the hallowed halls of learning in this crazy, hot, ultra Summer month. And I truly feel for them. I actually think it is criminal that any child has to goto school in August. ( I am sporting a “FREE the kids” t-shirt as opposed to a “Free Steven Slater” T-shirt.) But that is a bigger nut to chew. So, for our purposes here, I am going to focus on my children and my plight.

I have still got my feet firmly planted in Summer. (Well, maybe not firmly. Because of the heat wave they are very sweaty!) But all of the advertising is forcing me to think about September. And now they have brainwashed my kids! My kids are not only thinking about going back to school, but they are talking about it too! My kids want to go shopping and buy jeans and boots. (It’s a hundred degrees outside people! I don’t want to see a boot unless it is snowing!) But I am no match for the lure of hip hoppety back to school ads on the tv. So I have to give in.

I log onto the school websites that I have been avaoiding like the plague, and pull up that which I truly dread the most next to taxes, back to school supply lists. (AHHHHHH!) Let me say it plain and clear. I HATE BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING! I do. I really do. Mostly because it means that I am fast loosing a grip on Summer, and soon my children will no longer be around for frolicing. (Yes, I frolic…occassionally…in between concerts.) I much prefer awaking without the panic of getting lunches made and homework finished, before getting hurriedly into the car and screaching our way to school. School supplies represents the first steps back to that life. Ugh!! But it is my duty, and so with hung head, heavy heart, and soon to be empty wallet, I begin my odessey known as “back to school shopping”. (Cue scary music).

Now the first problem I must solve is the three separate lists. I must combine them so I have a maseter shopping list. It’s so hard to have to keep referring back to each list. Makes me crazy. (And let’s face it I am crazy enough already.) Once I sew these three mosterous lists together I must peruse the leftover supplies from last year that have been accumulating dust in my garage. Although I have to be sneaky about it, because eventhough these supplies have never been used my kids, like many other children, have a tendency to turn their noses up at the “last years model” of supplies. (No, it doesn’t make sense to me either, but I just work with it.) I hide the “out of fashion” supplies until I can mix thm into the new bags. Oh yeah, I’ve got this thing licked! Once I determine exactly what I need to buy I hit the circulars. It’s a hunt for the best buys in town. I circle and make notes, like the good student I am. With my store circulars mastered I plot out my driving course to get the most done in the least amount of hours and miles. You think I am kidding. I really do all of this. It’s the only way I can stay same through the process. Well, it was the only way. But this year I thought I wouldn’t go it alone. This year I thought I would reach out to you, my community, for help. Many of us are in the same boat, so why not help each other out?

I would love to hear from you about your back to school shopping trips. Even more I would love to hear about any special deals that you may find that you can pass along to all of us so that maybe our wallets don’t have to be completely emptied.

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

BTW for all of you Chicago folks. Governor Pat Quinn  signed legislation to create the state’s first-ever sales tax holiday. From August 6 to 15, the 5 percent state portion of sales tax will be waived on school-related items. Local government sales tax still has to be paid, which would be 4.75 percent in Chicago.

The reduced sales tax rate will apply to all school supplies — paper, pencils, chalk, crayons, tape, glue, etc. — as well as shoes and clothing that costs less than $100 apiece, including uniforms, outerwear, gloves, hats and mittens.

My 2nd Grader

My 5h grader

• 7 two pocket folders
• looseleaf paper (wide rule)
• 7 spiral notebooks
• Assignment notebook with calendar (Agenda)
• # 2 pencils
• pens – black and red or green for grading
• colored pencils, markers (no permanent),or crayons
• highlighter
• eraser
• scotch tape
• glue stick
• scissors
• pencil pouch
• ruler
• protractor
• calculator
• post-it notes
• pocket dictionary and thesaurus
• ream of copy paper
• box of tissue
• paper towels
• cleaning spray (Windex or other brand)
• book covers
• pencil sharpener (enclosed only)

My 7th grader

I just got back from Blogher, the premier blogging conference that was held in New York City. I had such a lovely time talking to women and men about the American Heart Association BetterU program at the Go Red For Women booth on the expo floor. As the Summer Ambassador for the program, my pitch was simple: Get better so you don’t die. That’s what it breaks down to for me. And week 11 is a big piece of that surviving puzzle for me, because week 11 is all about cigarette smoke. (Or evil in a cloud as I refer to it.) I have never smoked and I never will, because if I were to do so I most assuredly would stop breathing. No, I’m not just being dramatic. I have always had trouble with cigarette smoke. Being around it makes my lungs tight. Too much exposure makes me profoundly ill.

I remember many years ago performing an industrial in Las Vegas, (a mini, live theatrical production in promotion of a particular brands’ objectives). I spent nearly a week in a sealed hotel that allowed smoking in the rooms and all over the casino floor. I remember trying in vain to hold my breath from the elevator to the front door so I wouldn’t have to inhale the poison. I could actually feel it eating away at me on the inside. And that’s exactly what it did. Because by the time I got home from the trip I had the worst case of bronchitis and walking pneumonia that I have ever had in my life. It took my voice away for weeks. (This was really hard since I was just starting rehearsals for the National tour of Showboat!) It was a nightmare, all because of cigarette smoke.

I do a fairly good job of avoiding cigarette smoke in my everyday life now thanks in part to stricter rules about public smoking. Also as a result of recent laws banning smoking in bars and restaurants, I can finally have a social life, whereas before I used to get stopped in my tracks at the door if when opening a blast of cigarette smoke would come my way. However, the worst thing for me right now is when I hug one of my littlest fans after a concert and smell cigarette smoke on their clothes. That truly breaks my heart. Because I know what that exposure is doing to them. I know how much danger that exposure is putting them in. Yes I said danger. About 38,000 deaths are caused by other people’s smoke each year. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke, and exposure increases a child’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks.

When I was a child my parents smoked, both of them. I suffered from countless ear infections and upper respiratory infections. At the time there weren’t studies pointing to the connection between those chronic illnesses and second hand smoke exposure, but I could feel it. I used to beg my parents to stop. I would brazenly flush their cigarettes down the toilet. I would get punished for it, but it wouldn’t stop me. I would just go and do it again. My parents loved me and wanted to keep me safe. If they had known, truly understood how their cigarette smoke was hurting me, they would have stopped. But at the time they just thought I was inconvenienced and being bratty. They did stop eventually, when I was 9. What made them stop? Something that happens to a lot of smokers, my dad got sick. He had to have a triple bypass surgery. You see cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 440,000 of annual deaths. Smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems), and atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries). It was that build up that happened to my Dad. His doctor told both of my parents to quit or die. (Again, pretty straightforward.) So they did. And they are both still with me today.

The decision for my parents to quit was easy, but the actual quitting was hard, as it is for many people. Make no mistake – nicotine is extremely addictive. Cigarette smoking isn’t a little hobby that you put down and walk away from. Your body becomes dependent on it, and so does your mind. Smokers have to work very hard at untangling their associations with cigarettes. Their smoking routines per se. As well, they have to purge the nicotine from their bodies and teach their systems to survive without it. Luckily nowadays there are many products and programs out there designed to help people be more successful at quitting.

Let’s face it, even if we don’t smoke ourselves, we all probably know someone who does. So we need to come together as a community to help them breathe life, not smoke. We can do this by making it a priority and getting involved. The American Heart Association encourages us all to give our support to the following efforts:

• Support strong federal laws. Learn more about federal regulation of tobacco
• and regulation of tobacco as a women’s health issue.
• Support the establishment of smoke-free workplaces and clean indoor air policies.
• Support increasing tobacco excise taxes at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Support the funding of tobacco control and prevention programs.

Then together we can make the air cleaner, our lungs freer and our lives longer.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 2 and a level 9 post, Miss Lori is a Go Red BetterU Program Ambassador for the Summer of 2010

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

I just returned from Blogher and boy are my arms tired! (Hee! Hee! that was for Liz Strauss! SMILE!) Actually they are from all of the stretches I was doing at the Go Red For Women Better U Program booth. But that’s another post for later. What I want to talk about here is why I am ENERGIZED. I’m energized because on the expo floor at Blogher I had some really thoughtful, productive conversations with brand representatives from P & G, Pepsico, Nintendo, Johnson and Johnson, Nickelodeon, and 1800Flowers to name a few. Almost all of the representatives were new to me, and only a handful had first hand knowledge of my work on PBS and with Miss Lori’s CAMPUS. So I was going in COLD, as we say in sales. Yes, sales, because that is what I was doing, selling myself. (Wait, that didn’t come out right.) I was selling my BRAND. (That’s better.)

When I visit booths on the expo floor I am shopping for a connection and then I am selling my expertise. I’m not there to grab as much swag as I can, (says the girl with the 48lb suitcase.) No, I am there to do business. Network. Connect. How do I do this? Well there’s a long answer to that short question, which I am going to delve into in a series of posts here over the next few weeks. But for our purposes today I want to talk about one idea. That is to be “B.I.G.” on the expo floor. “What do you mean Miss Lori. I have to wear high heeled shoes?” No, (although I won’t lie to you being tall has it’s advantages in a crowd), you need a “B.I.G.” presence and approach. I will spell it out for you.

Be BOLD in your approach. Be INTELLIGENT, INSTIGHTFUL, and INVENTIVE with your IDEAS. Be GENTLE with your speech. “B.I.G.” (Well, technically B.I.I.I.I.G., but let’s not be picky.)

• Know the brand or product you are stepping up to. Have an idea about how you could fit into their forward marketing scheme before you walk up to the booth. However, be mentally available to throw your outline out the window and be creative on the fly.
• Know who YOU are; your strengths and your accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to share them, lightly, in conversation.
• Don’t interrupt. Listen. You might be surprised by what you hear and learn.

This doesn’t come naturally to you? You are not alone. That’s the response many people have to the thought of “taking the stage” with a rep IRL. And make no mistake, you are “taking the stage”. But that shouldn’t hinder you. Remember the first letter is B for BOLD, but it can also mean B for BREHEARSAL. (Okay so Rehearsal actually starts with an R, cut me some slack. I am trying to be cute and make a point at the same time. We can’t be BRILLIANT all of the time.) Park yourself in front of a mirror and practice talking about yourself. Once you can really look yourself in the eye and say who you are, and what you are good at in this here blogosphere, break out that video camera and do the same thing. Get your kids involved, or a friend, and have them interview you. Cultivate your comfort level with your own pitch through repetition, and then you will be more confident being “B.I.G.” on the expo room floor.

Blogher may be over but there are still a whole slew of conferences coming up on the horizon like Type A, BlogWorld and my favorite, Blogalicious. Plenty of chances for you to rework your game and go in “B.I.G.”. Listen, if you don’t believe in you why should anyone else. Get your game plan together and be strong, but go “B.I.G.”!

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m finally home! What a weekend. So much went on my head is still spinning. But you don’t want to hear about that, you want to know who won the rest of the #Blogbaskets from 1800Baskets.com. Well, I don’t blame you. Saturday and Sunday I did a number of kamikaze contests involving pics and video. As a result some great people came away winners.

On Facebook Andrea correctly posted a video identifying this basket.

The Adirondack Breakfast Basket (retail value $49.99)

But Alka Bahl posted a great video too so he won Country Handcrafted Cheese Basket (retail value $74.99)

On Twitter 5 fabulous Blogher attendees found me on the floor of the Expo Center and participated in making a video which earned them wonderful gift baskets.

@Adisneyfamily The Big Love Fortune Cookie (retail value $34.99)

@MyChicagoMommy Cucina Ristica (retail value $119)

@mommasreview Denarii Lavendar Spa (retail value $64.99)

@LiveLaughLoveCJ Regal Oak Grandeur (retail value $59.99)

@aliciamarie112  Happy Birthday Belgian Chocolate Covered Oreo tin (retail value $39.99)

Other great Tweeters won a baskets by posting pics of me

@heija Sonoma Wine Country Escape (Retail Value $79.99)

@mommasreviews Grand Baby Cakes (retail value $59.99)

@lexiquin B is for Baby Gift Block (retail value $99.99)

And now for the winner chosen at random from our survey responders…Drum role please….

Charolette LeBlanc @Charolette524 has won Farmstead Largest Fine Fruit Gift Basket (Retail Value $79.99)

CONGRATULATIONS  EVERYONE!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 9 and a level 11 post

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Goooooood Morning! My goodness it was a long day yesterday. I never even got a chance to get over to my own site and join the #Blogbaskets conversation. No worries though because there were a dozen people who were brainstorming creative ideas for new 1800Baskets Gift Baskets. There were three women in particcular who were conversing away, exchanging ideas and building on each other’s thoughts, Robin, Petula and Sarina. And since they all THREE did such a great job, I’m going to call all THREE of them WINNERS of the Day 3 #Blogbaskets giveaway! CONGRATS!!!

Would you like to know what you have won? Step right this way!

Robin you have won the BOUNTIFUL SWEETS GIFT BASKET (retail value $89.99)

Petula you have won the BOUNTIFUL FRUIT AND GOURMET GIFT BASKET (retail value $89.99)

And Sarina you have won the APRES  RAIN SPA Gift Basket (retail value $79.99)

But That’s not all I gave away yesterday I also had two Kamikazee twitter CONTEST winners.

was the 15th Tweet to win The FRIEND ON THE MEND DOCTOR’S HOUSE CALL KIT Gift Basket (retail value $39.99)

was the 21st Tweet to win the HUNTINGTON SAVIGNON Gift Basket (retail value $89.97)

So much giving and we’re not even done yet. So much more to come today, but you will have to stay tuned to my Miss Lori on facebook fan page and my twitter stream at #BlogBaskets #MLBH for information about those giveaways. But I’ll give you a hint. the word of the day is VIDEO!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 9 and a level 11 post

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Morning Everyone. Ar you here just to see me? Nooooo! You’re here because you want some more 1800Baskets gift Baskets aren’t you? Well, of course you are. And I don’t blame you. So enough with the small talk let’s get to the rules for today’s giveaway. We had such an amazing conversation on my facebook fanpage yesterday I wanted to have a similar one here for all the WORLD to see. (LOL!). So the contest is about conversation. We’re going to talk creatively about giftbaskets. I want to hear your ideas about what kind of fantastical, (now I know I made that one up!), gift baskets you would love to see available and what AWESOME names you would have for them. And I don’t just want you to post your ideas. I want you to feed off of other peoples ideas as well, comment, add to, improve, whatever! Let’s brainstorm together. Then at the end of this day, 10pm ET, today Friday August 6, we’ll see who has contributed the most to the conversation and they will win. Clear and simple. What will they win? Cue the curtain…

Bountiful Sweets Gift Basket

(Retail Value $89.99)

Commenting here isn’t the only way to win something today. I will also be tweeting and facebooking (is that even a word?), some random prize opportunities as well. So make sure you are a fan of Miss Lori and are following me on Twitter so you can check in throughout the day. I’ll be using the hashtags #MLBH and #BlogBaskets on my Blogher gifting adventure so you should too. The most important rule though is that you have FUN!  Because that’s what gifts and gifting should be. FUN! And 1800Baskets totally gets it.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 9 and a level 11 post

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

First things first we have a winner from yesterday’s giveaway. Drum roll please……Congratulations to Tiffany Sparks. You have won the Margarita Party Time Gift Basket from 1800baskets. Now you can get your #Blogher or #NoGoBlogher party started right! Hooray!

Day one of my five days of #BlogBaskets Giveaways done. Now for day two’s wrap up.

Today we amped it up a bit over on facebook. fans participate in an indepth discussion about baskets. Really listening to each other and contributing great content. I said the winner would be the person who contributed the most times to the conversation organically. But I lied. I’m instead picking the top two people. And they are not only winning baskets for themselves but one to give away to their favorite person! We are spreading love and conversations! So drum roll please… The winners of the facebook chat off are

Dee Pearlstein and Shannon Schulte!

Congratulations. Now you can join Tiffany for some #Blogher and #NoGoBlogher partying! What did you win? Oh yeah, I guess you would like to know that wouldn’t you.

Dee’s 1800Baskets Gift Baskets are:

Arbor Afternoon Gift Basket

(retail value $49.99)

“The sun is shining. Birds are singing. It’s the perfect time to create an instant Summer picnic. This classic woven wood basket is filled with picnic-perfect treats like honey wheat braid pretzels, Walkers® Olde English Royal Toffees, and much more. Engaging conversation not included.”

Sheer Vanilla Spa Gift Basket

(Retail Value $69.99)

“The Source Vérité Sheer Vanilla Spa Basket is a gift that surrounds the body in an intoxicating essence that’s exotic, delicate and thoroughly romantic.”

And Shannon’s 1800Baskets Gift Baskets are:

Parisian Fruit Gift Basket

(Retail value $69.99)

“Add gourmet flair to any celebration with an elegant wire basket filled with the freshest fruit and epicurean snacks. Choose from a selection of Comice and Taylor’s Gold pears, navel oranges or 2 different types of seasonal apples, fresh from the The Fruit Tree™ orchards.”

Denarii Lavendar Spa Gift Basket Deluxe

(Retail Value $69.99)

“Send the spa to her. This Source Vérité Denarii Lavender Spa Basket is a gift of sweet lavender, basil and rosemary essence that soothes the skin and the senses. They’ll coo over creamy body butter, refreshing body Spa scrub, luxuriant body lotion and the other body care products that both rejuvenate the spirit— and slightly spoil her.”

And can you believe it, we aren’t even half way through yet! Make sure you RSVP to enter to win the big basket on Sunday. Click here to take survey Otherwise stay tuned. Tomorrow will come sooner than you think.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 9 and a level 11 post

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Okay who wants to have some fun? Who wants to win some prizes? Who’s ready to do both?! Well that’s just what 1800Baskets and I are teaming up to do for you. Click here to take survey

I leave at 6am Thursday to begin my whirlwind of a weekend in New York City, known more popularly as Blogher. Although for me it’s more like Blogblurr because there are so many things that I will be doing from Thursday to Saturday that it will be hard to keep my head attached to my body! But I promise to stay in tact though because I have work to do …for you. I am going to be your virtual fun master, made all the more special with wonderful gift baskets provided by the virtuouso of joy, 1800Baskets. How much joy you say? Well, they have given me 21 magnificent baskets to give to you! Yes you! And the best part is it doesn’t matter if you are going to Blogher or not, you can take part in the fun! No one need turn into a Green Eyed Monster here because everyone is invited to the party! But this isn’t your typical party. Noooooo! Because this party will last for FIVE DAYS! (Well, it’s not a typical party for me, but maybe you live a more raucous life. Just sayin’). I am going to do a variety of things through that time to amp up the fun and keep you involved. You won’t want to miss it. So how do we get started? Simple..

Let’s get this party started!

Day 1 is my final prep day so I’m going to make it easy on me you. Today I want to hear from you about what you would do with this basket to make your own party fun!

It’s the Maragrita Time Party Bucket!

(retail value $59.99)

“Mix 1 part deluxe Margarita party snack bucket with tempting Margaritaville® Margarita Mix and you have the perfect recipe for a fun and flavorful fiesta.”

“Arriba!”

Comments are open from now until midnight, today August 4, 2010. Just leave me a message about how you would use the Margarita Time Party Bucket to create a party of your own. I will choose a winner using random.org. I will post the winner before I get on my United flight at the crack of dawn Thursday morning! (“I’m leaving on a jet plane…”). SIMPLE!

(Open to US and Canada only. The basket will be shipped directly to you from 1800Baskets.)

Want additional entries? Of course you do!

Become a fan of Miss Lori on facebook

Become a fan of Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on facebook

Become a fan of 1800Baskets on facebook

Tweet this: “#Blogher or #NoGoBlogHer I’m joining @MissLori & @1800Baskets 4 #blogbaskets fun! #MLBH http://su.pr/2mnPIB “

Update your facebook status to read: “#Blogher or #NoGoBlogHer I’m joining @MissLori & @1800Baskets 4 #blogbaskets fun! #MLBH http://su.pr/2mnPIB “

(For each extra entry to count you must leave an additional comment on this post alerting me to each individual action.)

But that’s not all! I will have more contests all throughout the five days of #BlogBaskets Fun. Be sure to follow my #Blogher10 tweets with the hashtag #MLBH (Short & sweet for “Miss Lori BlogHer”.) Then when you see me add the hashtag #Blogbaskets you’ll know it’s prize time!

Don’t have time to follow, but still want to win a prize. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. All you have to do is RSVP ( Click here to take survey ) and you will automatically be entered to win a Farmstand Finest Large Fruit Gift Basket!

(Retail value $79.99)

“Choose the best farm and field has to offer with our Farmstand Finest Large Fruit Gift Basket. Juicy navel oranges, green D’Anjou Pears, crisp Red Delicious and Fuji apples along with sweet Pineapple, seem to have fallen from the trees into a rustic basket. They’ll also love the tangy summer sausage, chocolate covered pears, handmade Rogue Creamery® cheddar cheese and other treats. Arrives handsomely presented in a collectible seagrass and wicker basket.”

The winner will be chosen from those who RSVP using random.org, and announced on Sunday August 8th at 10am ET, (from the comfort of my Hilton hotel room bed!) Open to US and Canada only. The basket will be shipped directly to you from 1800Baskets.

There you have it. Something for everyone #Blogher or #NogoBlogher! So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment and then go RSVP. Click here to take survey Your basket awaits!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 9 and a level 11 post

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Okay who is running a little late with their preparations for #Blogher10. Hands? Anyone? Well, I am seriously pushing it. I haven’t even figured out all of my outfits yet. Lucky for me Lane Bryant has sent me a gift card to get some extra pieces, or that one very special outfit to feel fabulous this weekend in New York City. Not only did they send me a gift card, but they also sent me a coupon code to make my gift card go that much farther.

Why am I telling you this? Well, first of all because I want to make sure I am in complete compliance with the FTC disclosure rules. But even more importantly, I am telling you because my code is meant for sharing. Oh yeah! No we can all look fabulous whether we are going to Blogher or not. Not bad huh? Definitely not! And not just because of the savings, but because the savings are on some pretty amazing clothes.  No, seriously. Today’s Lane Bryant is not your mother’s Lane Bryant. I learned that myself when I visited the LB headquarters earlier this Summer.

How can this be? For one simple reason, a year ago Lane Bryant was buying 90 percent of their clothing from the market. And now?...Now they design 90 percent of their  clothing in house. Yeah! I bet you didn't know that! Pretty amazing right? It's nice to know someone is designing clothing with us in mind. And by "US" I mean curvalicious, fantabulous, plus size WOMEN! Hoorah!

So, guess where I am going Wednesday after I perform my concert in Millennium Park with my last remaining hours before I leave for New York? I’m going shopping baby! Oh Yeah! Join me and we will be curvalicious, fantabulous, plus size WOMEN together…with extra money in our pocket.

Here’s your phone and online Lane Bryant savings code!: 050007943

Gift Cheque gives you $25 off your purchase of $75, or $50 off of your $100 purchase, or even $75 off of your purchase of $225 or more! Good through August 24, 2010

SMILE On!

ML

This is a Level 1 and 9 post,

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista , ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. She is the  Chicago Family Entertainment Blogger for Examiner.com and a Discussion Leader for MomsLikeMeChicago. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.