One of the benefits of being a professional social media influencer is the travel. Working in social media these past couple of years I have had the opportunity to travel to many amazing places, but my favorite so far has been Disney. At the Disney Social Media Moms Conference the week 4 #SoFabColor bloggers and I all got to try our hand at travel blogging, but there are a number of women of color out there who do it regularly, and with flair. They are my #SoFabColor Bloggers for week 6:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chelle and Crystal  @browngirlsfly

http://www.browngirlsfly.com/

We are women (sisters actually) who love life on the road, experiencing other cultures, other languages, the joys and pains of human existence first hand.

We have a moderate travel budget, but have made it our obsession to find ways of stretching it as far as humanly possible.

BGF is for everyone — regardless of age, gender, cultural background, or locale — and the majority of its content is focused on universal themes like travel inspiration, packing tips, stylish gear and great stories.

But, we also happen to be American women-of-color who have often wondered why we don’t encounter more people who look like us on the road.  Maybe it’s limited funding or a cultural preference for locales like the Caribbean and Africa. Or maybe it’s simply fear. Who knows?

Whichever the case, we’d like to give an extra dose of encouragement to all the brown girls (and brown boys) out there.  So, some portion of our content will serve that purpose.

But, travel has a way of breaking barriers, broadening perspectives, and deepening understanding.  So, whoever you are, regardless of your background, we’d love for you to join us in the discourse.

Ekua   @girlunstoppable

http://girlunstoppable.com/

Ekua’s peregrine nature happens to go well with her love for finding and capturing beauty and humor in the unexpected. Her wanderlust was cultivated early, starting with her first big trip at age two which took her from California to England and Ghana to visit relatives and family friends. While she was in Ghana, the travel bug, in the form of a potentially malaria-ridden mosquito, bit her for the first time. It turns out that it was not spreading malaria, it was actually transmitting wanderlust. The bug has been following her around ever since.

Oneika  @OneikaTraveller

http://www.oneika-the-traveller.com 

I’m a gal in her late twenties who has an intense passion for travel, culture, and language. I have been to over 50 countries and am always the verge on planning my next trip. I grew up in Toronto, Canada (though, if you really want to get specific, I spent my extremely formative teenage years in Mississauga, Canada). Most recently, I was an English Literature and French teacher at a international high school in Hong Kong, but I am currently taking a brief sabbatical. I am an aspiring polyglot who speaks English and French fluently. I also speak intermediate-level Spanish, and know about three  five words of German.

Evita   @evierobbie

http://nomadnesstv.com/

After graduating with her B.A. in Television and Film production, from Iona College, Evita Robinson  (Evie) hit the world running, or creating, rather. Within weeks of graduation, in 2006, she attended the New York Film Academy, studying Digital Filmmaking in Paris, France at  La Femis film school. There, the seed for evierobbie media. was planted after receiving acclaim for the films created through the duration of her program.

Tracey  @bktraveladdict

http://www.brooklyntraveladdict.com/

How was your trip?”

It’s a simple question, right? We get it every time we come back from any destination.However, 48 hours into my trip to Ghana in December, I realized that I had come way too far (and paid way too much) to come back to the US, send out a Kodak gallery of photos, and tell folks it was “nice.”Nice would be a travesty of verbal injustice.

My trip to Ghana was literally a life-changing experience and I wanted to remember as many moments as I possibly could before my Betty White memory got the best of me.

So I decided to write. First a quick recap of my 10 hour voyage. Then a few thoughts on celebrating New Year’s in a completely different (but beautifully similar) culture. And after a few posts, something crazy happened. I realized people were reading! Like, reading what I had to say and asking about what I was doing next. I was blown away.

So I kept writing, satisfying my initial goal of chronicling my travel adventures and creating a new goal of bringing my readers along with me on my carefree journey around this global playground called Earth. My hope is that these stories will inspire readers to remember that there is a massive world out there to be explored, and while work is important (especially if your work is your passion), never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Andrea and Teri  @Travelistatv

http://www.travelista.tv/

Andrea’s work and travel assignments have taken her to more than 35 countries around the world. She has lived in Italy, Spain, France, Los Angeles, and New York, and her fascination for global art, style, and culture comes through whether she is cooking with chefs, dancing flamenco, or celebrating the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona.

As the Cultural Enthusiast of Travelista TV, Andrea enjoys interviewing cultural experts, designers, artists, and chefs, musicians, and has produced cultural travel segments in Greece, Portugal, Thailand, India, South Africa, and numerous other exotic locales.

With her Travelista partner Teri, she executive produced and hosted the Travelista Inspired Journeys series presented by Ford on BET.com. She has co-hosted red carpet interviews for AOL; interviewed fimmakers at the Sundance Film Festival; and was featured in the series “All Girls Getaway” for Fine Living Network; and on The Mo’Nique Show on BET.

A true global coolhunter, Andrea is also the creator of the The Velvet Circle, a lifestyle company focused on art, style, and events in Italy and New York. Most recently she produced segments for Wine and Fashion Florence, Pitti Immagine, Art Basel, and New York Fashion Week, spotlighting fashion photographer Nigel Barker, model Alek Wek, model Angela Lindvall, and actors James Lesure and Lauren Hutton.

Teri has lived and traveled in various parts of the world including France, South Africa, and Brazil working, studying and recording her journeys. She has traveled to over 45 countries and speaks Spanish, French, and conversational Italian.

As a true adventure seeker, Teri has hunted with the Kuku-Yalanji aborigines in Australia, canoed with the Emberá Indians in Panama and spent time in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to learn samba.

Teri is also an independent producer and director with projects ranging from feature films to social and cultural documentaries. She co-directed her first feature-length narrative film entitled “Hey Diddle Diddle” (2009), which recently aired as a mini-series in 64 million households. Teri is also in post-production on a documentary on the Election Day in Harlem. To date, she has produced and directed over 500 short form videos for Travelista TV, Time Warner, and other media clients.

Along with her partner Andrea, she has appeared in Uptown Magazine and been featured in the Fine Living’s series called “All Girls Getaway”. Teri has interviewed celebrities on many red carpets including Kid Rock, KRS One, Kevin Bacon, and Ruby Dee.

Maureen  @UrbanTravelGirl

http://urbantravelgirl.com/

Ciao, and welcome to UrbanTravelGirl, a blog featuring my thoughts on black women living globally through international travel. I’m a passionate believer in the ability of travel to not only transform the way we see the world, but ourselves.  As an African-American woman, I’ve developed an even stronger sense of who I am by visiting more than 30 countries and territories — and by living outside the United States. I spent nearly one year working as a freelance writer in Florence, Italy and NOW live in the charming French village of Samois-sur-Seine, a 40-minute train ride south of Paris.  I don’t believe in letting other folks define ME — and you shouldn’t, either!

I hope to spark conversation among African-American women who love (or WANT) to travel abroad, who are never happier than when we’re in new and challenging foreign environments. I want to hear your comments about my trips – and I want to hear about yours. Wondering whether it’s cool to travel solo to Paris, or how you’d be received as a black woman in Rome?  Put it out here and we UrbanTravelGirls will jump in and give you the scoop. Looking for some fab, locals-only restaurants and boutiques in Florence, Barcelona or Buenos Aires? I’ll dish about it and hope other chicas visiting here will also share.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, hit the road, discover your own global bliss — and let’s chat about it!

So whether you are looking for travel ideas, or just looking to live vicariously through the travels of others, these women have a lot to offer. But don’t just take my word for it, go check them out for yourselves. You never know what might be waiting for you in the World unless you go searching.

Go #SoFabColor!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

I love my Marketainment work the most when I have the opportunity to work with clients that are great parenting partners for my community, and for me. Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice is just such a client. As a Tropimomma I have learned so much about the company and the fantastic product it produces through interviews, first looks and company insight. But last month I had the penultimate opportunity to go deep. While attending a conference in Orlando with my kids, we took a side trip to an Orange Grove. Not just any orange grove, mind you, the Paul Fabry family grove currently showcased in a series of commercials for Tropicana Pure Premium. Listen, Orjnage has always been my favorite color so it’s no surprise that  orange juice has alwyas been my favorite juice. But I appreciate OJ for so much more than its’ fabulous color after spending time with Paul and his daughter Sarah amongst his life’s work, acres and acres of orange trees. Best of all I was able to share every second of it with my own children. Now I want to share it with you.

Meet Paul Fabry and his orange groves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Did you know that only about 10% of the blossoms on an orange tree will turn into oranges? You do now!

Click here to view the embedded video.

How do you know when an orange is ripe enough for picking? The oranges will tell you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do your children understand and appreciate what you do? Paul Fabry’s daughter Sarah does. She is the next generation of Fabry growers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Like blossoms on an orange tree this is only a smattering of the things I learned from Paul Fabry on that gorgeous Florida day in April. He has such a wealth of information to offer about oranges, farming, education, life choices, raising a healthy and connected family and more. But all you need to know is that he pours all of that knowledge into his groves producing the best oranges for the Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice that you serve your family. We are all connected when you think about it. And isn’t that what America was supposed to be about? Communities sustaining each other, one farm to family at a time. I am proud to be a part of this circle of life. Aren’t you?

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 4: Miss Lori was compensated for including a product in pictures or videos in this post.

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

 Miss Lori has a formal relationship with Tropicana Pure Premium as a “TropiMomma” blogger; however, all opinions remain 100% her own. 

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.

Visions of motherhood dancing in my head… or actually my phone.

Last Mother’s Day I spent the day at my son’s basketball tournament.

This year I was at my daughter’s volleyball tournament.

In between there have been trips to Washington DC…

and Disney!

Holiday’s, both scary…

and toasty!

Concerts

Birthday’s

Movies

Crazy Hair Days

Big Hair Days

Smooth Hair Days

Girl Time

Boy Time

 Us Time

Through it all I am constantly reminded of how precious motherhood is and how blessed I am to be one.

Happy Mother’s Day!

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

What I really love about social media is that it is social online and offline. I have made more friends, really good friends, through my networking in social media than I have through any other outlet in my entire life. I am always expanding my personal network in this way. However, when I look to expand my professional sphere a great place to turn to is a blogging network, like Collective Bias Social Fabric and others. Just listen to what my SoFabColor Disney bloggers had to say about Networks while we were in Orlando:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Though I love to connect with bloggers and influencers at events like #DisneySMmoms it is great to have so a rich community of women to gather with here in my own city of Chicago. That’s why for week 5 of my SoFabColor series I am highlighting bloggers of color from my own back yard in Chicago.

Sidney  @HystericalMom

HystericalMom.com

I am a loving mother of 3 rambunctious boys, a 16 yr old and a set of adorable 4 year old twins. I am totally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of testosterone in my house.  I enjoy all kinds of tech toys and that makes me a special kind of girl, at least that’s what the voices in my head told me. They also said I was a queen and a princess, but I don’t have a crown or an unlimited budget, so I need to tell them to hush…. Some days, I will write about things I like – gadgets, coffee, music – and other days I will write about small business owners I think you should check out.  But mainly, I will write about the random things that pop into my head at any moment of any day.

Antoinette  @SisterSavealot

SisterSaveAlot.com

Antoinette is a proud single mother of a 5 year old diva. During the day she works for a large Chicago non-for-profit agency as a youth program coordinator. She lives in a major city where prices are high and deals can be found (if you look for them). Antoinette is passionate on living on less and wants to help others do the same. She teaches coupon workshops in and around Chicago at local churches, community groups, and in home Coupon Parties. Antoinette is also a writer on the award winning blog Chi-Town Moms and is also one of TLC’s Extreme Couponers. The goal of Sister Save-A-Lot is to help you save money by sharing the latest coupons, sales and rebates available. By letting Antoinette do the work; you will save time while saving money.

Kris  @Littletechgirl

Littletechgirl.com   KrisCain.net

Kris Cain is a Chicago area mom to 2 sets of twins, photography nut, gadget addict, web designer, and blogger who has worked in IT for over 13 years. She has experience building and troubleshooting computers both personally and professionally. She has been a secretary. She has worked an IT help desk fielding calls and troubleshooting software and hardware issues. She has done field support wandering the campus installing, replacing, and troubleshooting hardware and software. There is a good reason why jeans are still her favorite thing to wear. That is what you wear when you have to carry dirty computers all day! And now, she works behind the scenes on the network administration side. Kris is a true geek. She does not just play one on the internet.

On her blog, LittleTechGirl.com she writes about her love of gadgets, social media, and anything else that crosses her mind. You can find her from day to day on Twitter and Facebook. She is Tech Editor on Mom Blog Magazine, Featured Writer on Type-A Parent, Contributing Writer on Blogher.com, and National Apple Gear & Chicago Tech Gear writer on Examiner.com.

Patrice  @Afrobella

Afrobella.com

Afrobella.com was created in August 2006 to fill a void that existed in print and in the blogosphere – a continual celebration of natural hair and women all shades of beautiful. Afrobella readers are enlightening and entertaining, intelligent and glamorous, friendly, fabulous and fun. If you love the skin that you’re in and the beautiful natural texture of your hair, if you enjoy learning about different cultures and listening to eclectic music, if you have an obsession with makeup and fashion and all things fabulous — then this is the blog for you.

Lovette  @iLuvvit

Awesomelyluvvie.com

I am: Ratchetness Royalty. Pop Culture PrimaDonna. Titan of Trifling Truths. Renowned Roaster. Majestic Murker. Superb Side-eye Artist. Grand Goon. Highborn Hoe-Slayer. Bodacious Blogger. Witch of Wit. Admirer of Alliteration.

But you can also call me Luvvie. My loves include newsboy hats, patterns of all sorts (pinstripes, argyle, houndstooth), rice, everything red velvet and shoes!

I think the day the Lawd was giving out sense, I missed it because I fell asleep after I went back for a second bowl of Rice.

I’ve been blogging for 9 years and 5 have been here on AwesomelyLuvvie.com. My foolishness seems to amuse some folks so I won the Black Weblog Awards “Best Humor Blog” in 2009 and have been a finalist ever since. I was also chosen one of BlogHer’s “Voices of the Year” 2010.

It seems that I’m addicted to blogging because I’m also the head behind DumbestTweets.com, a site that compiles the stupidity that happens on Twitter (which is apparently a lot).

But really and truly, I just want to travel, eat red velvet everything and save the world in fierce shoes.

Karyn  @thefabgiver

thefabulousgiver.com

I’m Karyn Brianne, affectionately known as KB. I’m a lifelong Chicagoan who bleeds orange and blue and has never met a pair of stilettos that I couldn’t walk in. In addition to my day job in public relations, I am the co-founder of The Red Pump Project, a nationwide HIV/AIDS nonprofit raising awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. The Fabulous Giver exists for three purposes: to share fun and stylish ways to give back, to share my personal journey to live a charitable lifestyle (KB’s Journey), and to promote great causes.

Kiratiana  @Kiratiana

Kiratianatravels.com

Eight years later, after traveling around the world on a travel fellowship, writing for a community newspaper, living in Paris for one year, working for the Olympics for three years, I finally accomplished my goal, my first travel guidebook: Kiratiana’s Travel Guide to Black Paris. In conjunction with the book, I decided to start a travel blog: Kiratiana Travels: Let a Black Girl Show You the World. I don’t just want to show people how to travel every other year….I want to do it EVERYDAY! This travel blog will do the following:

1)     Highlight my personal experiences of traveling throughout the world through photos, videos and personal essays.

2)     Highlight people around the world who have made travel and living abroad a significant part of their life.

3)     Show YOU how to travel.

4)     Bring you interesting articles about different cultures around the world.

My goal is to inspire people to travel and live abroad.

Natasha  @HFofNicholes

HousefulofNicholes.com

Here I am! I’m Natasha – the Chief Everything Officer of the Houseful. I like to think that I am superwoman, but sometimes my fits of crying or extreme frustration level my thoughts. I am a minister’s wife, and a mom of four. I have crafter’s ADD and I’m not ashamed to admit it. While I’m attempting to rule the world, I’m trying hard to keep factual documentation.

I love reading, libraries, JoAnn Fabric’s – seriously, I need stock in the place – picking fabric, learning new crafting techniques, planning parties, and snuggling with my babies.

I encourage you to go and visit the sites of all of these fabulously colorful women. But don’t forget to check your own backyard. I bet there are a lot of amazing influencers you can tap into right in your own city. Go ahead and open your door to the possibility and the opportunity. Be sure to let me know what you find.

Go #SoFabColor!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

When talking about improving mental health I have often made suggestions about things you can do directly for yourself, like sleep, goto a spa, or even sing. But something that should never be overlooked is the act of doing for others, and the positive return that it can yield both for you and the receiver of your generosity. Small acts of kindness have a big impact.

When I was at Disney for the Disney Social Media Moms conference last month I was so thrilled to connect and reconnect with some fantastic bloggers and influencers. They impress me, not just with their content creation, but their overall contribution as parents, community members, and just plain human beings. It was a lovely weekend filled with Disney magic and surprises. Each night bigger than the next. The final night though, was the biggest of them all, and for reasons I didn’t expect.

I had just arrived at the last Disneysmmoms party, a sneak peak at their newest Disney resort, Art of Animation. It was spectacular! As we walked in the building Disney cast members lined both sides of the aisle applauding for each and everyone of us as if we were the stars of a show walking a red carpet. It was a gas! But even that fanfare paled in comparision to what happened to me next. While waiting at the food table to fill my plate, Cooper Munroe of the Motherhood came up behind, She is someone I am always thrilled to see. Earlier in the day she ad I had participated in a brainstorming session concerning the innovation, education and philanthropy. As she has before, she wowed me with her insight. I loved trading ideas with her. I was inspired to surpass my own thresholds of creativity . It was a good time. But now we were out in the fresh air with our families for another good time…a party. Cooper came to me not to continue our innovation conversation from earlier in the day, and not to engage in a new conversation about the resort we were presently visiting. Cooper came to me for something else all together. She gently hoisted my right arm up in the air, and slipped a beautiful blue and white bracelet on my wrist. All she said was something to the effect of, “such a beautiful outfit deserves a little extra something.” I can’t tell you her exact words because I simply don’t remember, I was so taken aback. I gasped in elated surprise, and hugged her. She returned my embrace and then floated off into the crowd. It was over as quickly as it begin. A small ripple in time, but the wake of it has stayed with me. I don’t know exactly what motivated Cooper to do what she did, what I do know is that  with her spontaneous gesture she made me feel “seen” and “celebrated”, and that felt really glorious. Cooper’s small act of kindness touched me in such a big way, inflating my mood and my smile, that I won’t soon forget it. I intend to repay her by continuing to perform small acts of kindness in my own right for others. Best regift ever!

Have you ever done something for someone else for no apparent reason other than you wanted to? Try it on for size. I bet it will fit. A small act of kindness is one size fits all… just right.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 7: 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. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

I am so excited to bring you more from my week four group of #SoFabColor Bloggers. I had the great fortune of spending time with them and their families at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. So many insights they have to offer about life, family and of course social media. I have captured a few nuggets in this compilation video just for you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But don’t just take my word for it that these omen are powerful, be sure to visit their blogs  and see their brilliance in action on their own sites. There are a vast array of fantastic influencers in our community if only we would take the time to click on what they have to offer. You never know the kind of light you can shed on your own life by opening the door to someone elses.

Go #SoFabColor!

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

I’m back! From Florida, and to week four of my #SoFabColor Influencer list. I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Conference in Orlando. I was one of about 15 African-American Social Media Influencers, equaling about 10% of the total number of attendees. (An increase from past years.) I took advantage of having such phenomenal women readily available to me and caught their brilliance on video just for you. I will share their insights through posts and video the rest of this week, but first let me introduce them to you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Desiree Peeples @MommyReporter

MommyReporter.com

Desiree Peeples worked in traditional broadcast media for almost ten years, but after a layoff and a baby she began blogging as a way to keep up her journalism skills. She eventually launched MommyReporter.com, a news and information site for social media moms, as well as The Better Mom Show, a unique daily podcast with an emphasis on making mommy life easier.  She is a social media trainer, manager and consultant, with an emphasis on working with churches and church leaders in helping them to digitally connect with their congregations while building an online presence.

Joyce Bewer  @MommyTalkShow

MommyTalkShow.com

MommyTalkShow.com was created by Emmy award-winning TV journalist Joyce Brewer.
The video blog and web show unites her passion (Motherhood) with her profession (TV News). MommyTalkShow.com tapes a monthly talk show at family-friendly locations around Atlanta. E-mail Joyce@MommyTalkShow.com to learn how your Atlanta gallery, studio, medical office, play space, etc. can be featured on Mommy Talk Show, showcased in professionally produced marketing videos to use on your website and promoted on social media.

Lorraine Robertson  @AskWifey

RunWifeyRun.com

I launched Run Wifey Run because I’m always running – running my household; running my career; running a personal chauffeur service for my kids; and running – literally – for my health … and sanity. Ahem.  

I do my best to balance marriage, motherhood and all the mayhem with a writing career that I love dearly. I’m on a mission to to be the healthiest that I can be and hope to inspire others to do the same. I just shed 25 pounds for my 40th birthday and I’m training for marathon number two – The Chicago Marathon. I recently published my first book; frequently write for several national magazines; I’m a Fox5 TV My Atlanta Moms host blogger; I blog at TravelingMom.com sharing destination running tips as Marathon TravelingMom; I write often at My Brown Baby; I’m on the American Cancer Society Blogger Advisory Council; and you may have seen my wedding on TLC’s “A Wedding Story or caught me on The Travel Channel’s television show “Great Cruises: Why Not the Mediterranean?”

Michele Dugar  @MicheleDugar

SweetLifeWithMichele.com

Stylish, Simple, & Soulful,
Ideas for Home Entertaining, Family Life, & Decor

Plenty of cool finds, practical tips and inspirational ideas to help you make the most of your home and live the “sweet life”.

Brandi Jeeter  @Mamaknowsitall

Brandi was a part of our Week 2 #SoFabColor list. It was great to meet her in person at #Disneysmmoms 2012.

Valerie RoweKamp  @CharmedValerie

CharmedValerie.com

I’m Valerie Rowekamp aka “CharmedValerie”.  I’m a wife, mom to 2 boys, and  I lead a charmed life by taking the time to enjoy the magic in every moment (sounds corny but it’s so true).

I’ve been a dancer, college cheerleader, nanny, spokesmodel, Dallas Stars Ice Girl, and social media coordinator.

I’m your typical Sagittarius, extremely resourceful, creative, goofy, extroverted, passionate, and scatterbrained.

Christy Matte  @MoreThanMommy

QuirkyFusion.com  QuirkyTech.com

Christy is a Boston mom blogger, freelance writer, speaker and consultant. She holds an M.Ed. in Technology in Education and has a background working with non-profits, informal education, and young people. Christy has presented on topics ranging from Internet safety to how to craft a useful product review. Her speaking experience includes BlogHer, Blogalicious, Blissdom, the Consumer Electronics Show, and Engage Expo (now Digital Kids). She has been featured as an Internet Safety expert on a number of radio shows, as well. Christy has been blogging since 2001 and is a respected member of the mom blogging community. She co-founded Boston Parent Bloggers as a way to share her enthusiasm and expertise, as well as create a tighter sense of unity among mom and dad bloggers in the New England area.

 

Jackie Harper @freeismylife

Jackie was celebrated in my week 1 #SoFabColor list. We first met at the 2010 #Disneysmmoms conference. It was fantastic to reconnect with her again this year.

Renee J. Ross  @ReneeJRoss

CutieBootyCakes.com  ReneeJRoss.net

A self-confessed social media junkie, Renee leverages the power of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of important social and health-related causes.  Over the last year, Renée has lost over 50 pounds and utilized social media to document her journey.

Renée  was named as one of the top Moms in digital media in Nielson’s Online 2009 Power Moms list. She is a member of the Walmart Moms Social Media program.  She is a contributing editor for BlogHer.com and a member Hanes’ Social Media Comfort Crew.  She has been a spokesperson for EA SPORTS Active and was recently featured in national commercials for this product.

Renée has appeared in Parents Magazine, Southern Living, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. She has also been featured on MSN’s Health Channel webisode series Kellogg’s The Victory Project.

Deborah J. Mitchell  @TVProducerDeb

TheBloggerConnection.com

Multimedia producer Deborah Mitchell accesses her extensive career in television fusing traditional media skills with social media tools to provide guidance to aspiring online personalities in polishing and expanding their brand identity. Mitchell, whose experience includes creating and executing television show proposals from inception through program development, also provides valued counsel to traditional media companies seeking to identify and develop viable talent and stories for the Web.

Mitchell’s transition from producing traditional national television expanded into the creation of Deborah Mitchell Media Associates in 2010 and co-founding The Blogger Connection in 2012, both of which involve connecting brands and bloggers with event and conference sponsorship opportunities, television placement on local and national programs, media training, social media branding. With an emphasis on preparing talent for on-air and generating story and promotional ideas, Mitchell is proficient in tailoring existing video and live productions onto various platforms.

Melaanie Sheridan  @AdramaticMommy

MelaDramaticMommy.com

My name is Melanie. I’m 38, married to a peach of a man and mom to one really great boy. I like reading, shoes, chocolate, Girl’s Night Out and shopping. Social Media fascinates me! I learn something new about it every day and enjoy sharing what I’m learning with others.

Jennifer James  @MomBloggersClub

MomBloggersClub.com

CEO, Mom Bloggers Club Network – 18k mom bloggers strong.#socialgood advocate Founder @socialgoodmoms,@momblogmag

These women astound me with all they know and do. The best part is they are going to share some of their wisdom with you right here through video. So be back tomorrow. But in the meantime stop by their sites and learn a little bit more about them yourself. I guarantee you will be all the better for the effort, and so will our community. “Go #SoFabColor!”

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

It’s about elevating community and saying thank you. When we are little we learn “Please and Thank You”.Our parents drill it into us. Television shows reinforce the lessons, so do our teachers at school. Laying a foundation of manners is vital in child development in order for them to grow into good people, right? Well, that very same foundation should also be a part of our business platform. Sometimes we forget the importance of saying “thank you” in our professional social media World. Oh sure we say “please buy this” or “please go to that” and “please like me”, but do we say proper “thank you’s” once our community does what we ask? Even more important, do we say “thank you” when they participate without any prompts…show gratitude for loyalty…for just showing up? It is very easy to be so focused on generating the future that we miss praising the present. But in truth they aren’t mutually exclusive. A “thank you” goes a long way.

This lesson is reinforced for me every time I hear my friend Ramon DeLeon speak. He is all about the “thank yous”. He’s the king of video thank yous in fact. And he desn’t just stop at ‘thank yous”, Ramon is all about elevating and supporting his community, your community, my community…the World really. To have him as a friend is to have your own personal cheerleader, pumping you up at every turn. I experienced that in full color today at the Disney Social Media Moms conference. Ramon worked me into his dynamic presentation so many times I actually blushed. He wasn’t plugging me for a return, he was sharing his love of what I do simply because he believes in me. But that’s Ramon, genuine to his core. It would never occur to him not to mention others by name in his own speech, because he knows what I truly believe, “shinning a light on others does not cast a shadow on you, instead it bathes everyone in a glow of friendship and humility.” Social media is the perfect place for all of us to exercise our manners, showing love and respect for members of our community that deserve our attention and support. Just like Ramon. In fact I am thanking Ramon in a way he is utterly familiar with; a youtube video. Why? Because he WOWs me every day with his unconditional friendship.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am taking Ramon’s example with my #SoFabColor series. What about you? Have you shone a light on anyone recently? Flip the switch. You might be amazed by what you will ultimately illuminate.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for promoting a brand or campaign, and inserting links from a specific website in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

What I have loved about social media from the very beginning is the sense of comaraderie. I have never felt so welcome in a space as I have in the social media sphere. It’s been a blessing. That is why creating the #sofabcolor thread was so important to me. I wanted a chance to give back some of the love that has been bestowed on me. I am so appreciative of the response. I take it from the comments that you want me to keep going, so I am back for round 3. I have 8 more bloggers to introduce you too, (and yes they are all fellow Collective Bias Social Fabric influencers). They are unique, dynamic, and of course fabulously colorful.

Yoli  @Yoliouyiya

http://www.yolisgreenliving.com/

My site is authentic to my experience in learning how to be healthy and eco-friendly.

Initially living green, healthy, and/or wellness oriented appeared to be intimidating, expensive, complicated, for tree-huggers, and generally foreign to me. Through trial and error I’ve found ways of making it convenient, cost effective, and achievable at every income level.

The site focuses on aspects of everyday living including seasonal and local eating, shopping at farmers markets, producing home remedies, or travel and tech with a sustainable and environmentally responsible perspective.

Ghada  @OmGhada

http://mamagoesbam.com/

KiwiCanadian expat in New York with toddler, newborn and Kiwi husband. Adventures in parenting, breastfeeding and getting back to half-marathon shape. I write about my experiences settling into our new life in New York. It’s a fine line between living, being a tourist and fitting in as an expat. I hope you will join me  - offer suggestions, ideas and maybe hopefully have a laugh along the way to keep me from crying at some of the craziness.

Celeste  @greenmommy2

www.organicmommytoday.com

I started Organic Mommy Today to help and inform families of all sizes about some amazing Eco-Friendly and family friendly products out on the market today from food to toys. I enjoy staying at home playing with my kids, teaching them how to be the best they can be and to love and live life to the fullest.

Monique  @MayhemMatriarch

www.razingmayhem.com

I’m Monique, currently a Stay Work At Home Mom to four enchanting Minions. I write this blog, I take pictures, I dabble in digital art and web design. I’m a social media maven, super mega geek, I’m feisty, Puerto Rican, an Aries and over {way over} caffeinated. I prefer sneakers over high heels, I am huge into music and will listen to anything once. I’d like to live every day like my ass has been set aflame, but usually lack the gumption.

Lala  @dealfanatic

www.thedealfanatic.com

Why did I start this blog you ask? For a lot of reasons, but mainly because my BFF re-introduced me to using coupons in winter of 2008. And since I am a stay at home mommy with twins, I was more than happy to find other ways to my make my hubby’s dollars stretch a bit further. Sure he gives me slack about bringing home 10 bottles of Purex or 20 bottles of Soft Soap, but best believe he loves it when I bring home 10 Gillette Shaving Blades. Oh yeah! He’s gotten quite comfortable over the past year dipping into our over flow storage/pantry. I will continue blogging long into my gray years [hold on, that's now..hahah]. I have many other blogs I’ve collected over the years. Why? Because I have many different passions. Maybe one day I’ll collaborate them all into one spot but until then, you can also find me here sometimes to:
CupyCakey – doesn’t the name just give it away
Lenz Love – I love my camera, I just wish I could spend more time with it.
Everything on this blog has been done by myself, just little ole’ me…. So you might find from time to time that I’m tweaking things a bit. No…I’m not a programmer. Just driven.

Monica  @sofamilyonline

www.sofamilyonline.com

Sofamilyonline.com is the exclusive family source for current news, new trends, cool ideas and a community of support. Our goal is to create a social, interactive and informative website that is centered on the family. We encourage all parents, who are seeking to build upon the dynamic foundation they are creating for their family, to take advantage of the services and information offered on the site. We are dedicated to making the lives of parents and parents-to-be easier by addressing their questions in the areas of health and wellness, parenting, lifestyle, education, family activities, work and finance, as well as relationships. We strive to create a community of families that can share their own experiences and ideas. We recognize that there are many unique elements to today’s families and encourage families to share within the community. Sofamilyonline.com is the premiere family website, the exclusive source for every parent.

Lua  @MissLuLublogs

www.misslulublogs.com

The motto of MissLuluBlogs.com is: “When you look good, you feel good.” I believe that as women and moms it’s important to take pride in our appearance and health. MissLuluBlogs.com is also a resource for product reviews. I aim to review products that are well-made, well-priced and valuable to improving quality of life and lifestyle.

Raijean  @Swaraiblog

www.swa-rai.com

Swa-Rai is about all things fashion, beauty and lifestyle related. I’m Rai a girly girl who collects everything…shoes perfume, jewelry, purses and clothes. Navigating through this crazy thing called life in heels and sequins!!! If it sparkles, has sequins or shines, then I love it. Living a fabulous life in Chicago…”Life’s not always a party, but it should be.”

I head to Florida for the Disney Social Media Moms conference this week. Which means that I will get to lay eyes on, and wrap arms around, many wonderful social media influencers, basking in their warm glow of friendship and support. We all deserve to experience that whether at a conference or a tweetup or just a dinner gathering of friends. That is what I wish for you. That is what I hope we can build here. One hello at a time.

“Hello friends, how are you. I’m glad you’ve come to play. The day has begun, we’re having so much fun, making the most of this special day. before we begin let’s put on a grin, there’s something we must do. Expand our horizons and make new friends by saying hello to someone just like you.”

(Come by and say HELLO to me anytime on my Facebook Miss Lori brand Page. I would love to met you there.)

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

My children surprise me all of the time, (although rarely by cleaning their room, but that’s a different post.) They shock me with their creativity. Astound me with their intellect. Stun me with their compassion. Basically my kids for the whole of their existence have been amazing me, and today was no different. Today my daughter announced that she had deactivated her facebook account. Now any parent of tweens and teens would probably respond the same way I did;  jaw drop to the floor, quick inhale of air, followed by a rapid double take. I couldn’t believe it. Her facebook page…gone? The page that I could barely get her away from at night, in the morning, afterschool, EVER! Gone?! How could this be? She said that since Facebook switched to timeline many of her posts from years past have been turning up in her feed. That made her think about how the World was seeing her today influenced by yesterday, and she didn’t like it. She said:

“I feel like I have grown a lot (since I first made my facebook page), and I don’t want my past to tag along. I need to let it go. If and when I create a new page I want it to be a fresh start.”

Yoda say, young child very wise.

Monday’s are usually my health and wellness post day. Often I write about my personal journey to lose weight. Thanks to nutritionist David Grotto I was finally achieving some actual success in the Fall of last year. But then my life got in the way. Finances had me tied in knots of fear. My personal life had me deeply depressed. My stress level went through the roof. Add it all up and the sum is pounds, (as in more of them). I have been so distraught about what feels like a huge failure on my part. I’m embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed and so very, very tired. I have been brooding all day today because I felt like I needed to write a post to confess my shortcomings. My best friend scolded me this morning, telling me not to be so hard on myself. (Coincidentally something she has to tell me nearly every day-go figure.) But the voices in my head were hounding me with negative statements. Not new statements, old ones. Ones that have been in my head since I was a slightly overweight kid bullied in school, to an ostracized teen, to an exploited adult.  Voices in my head getting louder and louder all day long. That is until a little voice drowned them out with a big piece of wisdom. When I paraphrase her statement it becomes a mantra that is worth chanting:

“I don’t want my past to tag along. I need to let it go.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

I may have made some mistakes and fallen off my path, but that was yesterday. Today is a new day. So, tonight I am taking my daughter’s youthful, but sage advice. No beating myself up. No harping on past mistakes. No allowing them to tag along with my present. I’m letting go and starting fresh. How about you?

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let’s go green change the scene. Let’s go green join the team. Lets go green, let’s go green. Go Green!

SMILE On!

ML

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

Using the impetus of my upcoming trip to the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Conference, last week I introduced a new hashtag, #SoFabColor. I wrote that my intention was to “leverage my own notoriety to extend some limelight to other influencers of color.” I also stated that,” My goal is to increase the diversity of this great webishpere that we all maneuver in.” To do all of that I shared info about 8 fabulously colorful bloggers. And you, you responded so favorably. It was all very gratifying. So much so that I am back at it again. This week I have another 8 diversity enhancing bloggers to share with you. That’s right, I am showing you the #SoFabColor! Now you show them some love and appreciation please. We will all be better for it.

Laila @OnlyLaila

http://www.onlylaila.com/

I felt there was a voice missing in the blogosphere. Many of the blogs I found are written by married women who either work or stay at home full-time. As a single mom who works full-time it was difficult to relate to their experiences. This blog is how I reflect on my life as a single mom, inspiring things my son says, and inspiring things people do to make this world a better place.

Destiny  @aplaceforus

http://www.aplaceforusblog.com/

No matter who you are or what type of home you have, your in the right place. Sit back, relax and let me hold your hand as I give you the tools and advice you need to create YOUR home.

Jasmine  @DJazzo

http://thebrokins.com/

I am Jasmine. I am a  hyper organized, outgoing, controlling, creative, kind, and very diverse lady. My favorite things to do are to help people, create things, and swear like a sailor. TheBrokins.com started as a way for Sadie and me to chronicle our shenanigans and morphed into a way for us to interact with others, advocate issues we believe in, and generally rant and rave.

Lakesha  @uncommonchick

http://uncommonchick.com/

I started UncommonChick.com because I wanted to have a place to talk about items other than just business and to share my personal thoughts and feelings about stuff that don’t belong on the web design blog. Here, topics span the gamut: lifestyle, weight loss and fitness, personal finance, relationships, funny stuff, spiritual, inspirational, personal growth items and more…

Uncommon Philosophy: Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the salves of the ordinary.

Because being normal is waaaay overrated!

Monique  @Armsofasister

http://armsofasister.com/

I’m a daughter. I’m a sister. I’m a child of God. But I’m really just a kick-ass single mama on a budget!  I like to review books that I’d borrow from the library, buy at the bookstore, or would give as a gift. That includes bedtime story books, middle-of-the-day reading adventures, many bestsellers, but also the newer authors. I like to test and review products/services/events, etc that my family would use. We like gardening stuff, Christian stuff, outdoorsy stuff, and environmentally-friendly stuff. Games, toys, kitchen products (that’s why my baby calls me fat, cause I like to eat, and I’m not too good at the exercising stuff – yet!), crafts, etc. We just like doing stuff and having fun doing it!

Jeannae  @GreenYourDecor

http://www.greenyourdecor.com/

The site was born of frustration and inspiration:

Frustration in my attempts to find sustainable and eco-friendly products while decorating; and inspiration to do something to reduce my own carbon footprint and help style-conscious homeowners and decorators who don’t want to sacrifice the planet for a great look. I’m admittedly no green giant. In fact, not so long ago I used to be pretty oblivious to all things concerning the environment. But you know what they say — once you know better, you must do better. I’m learning a lot as I go along and making steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle every day.

Christie  @ChatterBoxGC

http://www.christiecrowder.com/

Through writing, speaking, and consulting, I help others discover their true passions and entrepreneurial spirit.  The success of my coaching, blogs, online shows, my passion for social media, and relentless creativity has caught the eye of big brands, small businesses, and solo-preneurs.  I help them tell their story through social media.

Dumb Mom is the mom behind the popular humor and parenting blog parenting BY dummies.  Outsmarted by her children daily as she attempts to navigate motherhood, childhood, and everything in between she enjoys sharing her stories of failure and success with you in a humorous, heartfelt, and honest way.  She may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she is definitely the best dressed (an advantage completely lost by being inside of a shed) as she prides herself on being a handbag role model for the masses.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

I got a message from a friend on my facebook page this morning encouraging me to take some time for myself today and to breathe. Well, normally those words are completely foreign to me, but today they were totally speaking my language!  The language of The Peninsula Spa that is. Because that is exactly where I was this morning, between Rush and the famed Miracle Mile of Michigan Avenue right on Superior. And superior it was in every way.

I know that they tell you to put the mask on yourself first. That if you don’t you won’t be able to truly help your loved ones. Well, that’s a great theory, but I really fail in practice.Which is why it shouldn’t surprise you to know that the one time I am finally going to a spa it is for work. But I’m not complaining one bit. I was honored to be invited to experience the “destressification” of the spa services at The Peninsula Spa. Bring on the relaxation!

That’s just what they did too. I started with a delicious green smoothie.

Next I stripped down and cuddled up under a warm blanket to experience a mind melting head and neck massage. At first I was having a tough time washing away my pestering thoughts about work and responsibilities. So I started chanting to myself to help free my mind. “I am powerful. I am beautiful. I am lovable. I deserve happiness. I am a good mother. I am a good friend. I m human.” (Hey we all need a reminder of our worth.)

After a brief rest in the lunge I moved onto the reflexology room. My therapist caked my feet in a scrub, and then added some oil, and then… oh heck, I drifted off to slumber-land so I can’t even tell you what came next. When she was done she told me my feet were tired and that I needed to give them a break. (Apparently while I was resting she and my tootsies had a heart to heart.)

Feet reenergized it was time to move, literally. The Spa doesn’t just offer Spa services they also have a full service gym complete with the most amazing piece of fitness equipment to come along in decades, the Power Plate. I got a personalized 15 minute power workout on the plate. Yes, on the plate. I did squats, planks, scissors, shoulder presses and more. The machine vibrates forcing my body to make thousands of tiny adjustments to remain stable. All the while the plate can help to increase my bone density. No other piece of gym equipment can claim that!

Muscles vibrated and pumped it was time to apply some TLC to my eyes. I was the lucky recipient of a facial Microcurrent Eye Lift. What’s that? It’s a miracle that’s what it is! The therapist used an instrument that delivered a micro electric current and gently rubbed below and above my eye to help stimulate my face and make me appear more awake. I didn’t feel anything bad. It was just like a light sinus massage with some slight flashing lights. Bliss!

So, all of the external components addressed it was time for some internal work. The cherry of my relaxation desert. Yoga. I have always been told that Yoga would do me well, but every time I have tried it, following a television leader or DVD instruction, I have felt very disconnected. Not so in the fabulous Peninsula Spa Yoga room.

It wasn’t just the sky high view, our  instructor was so patient and informative, I felt free to give over to the movement. It was even more eye opening than the Microcurrent Eye Lift!

As if all of the services weren’t glorious enough, the day closed out with a delectable meal. Good food. Good conversation. Good day for Mommy!

I guess I know how to put on my oxygen mask afterall.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 7: 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. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

I love the social media webisphere I get to work and play in everyday. I am so very appreciative of all that is has afforded me these last few years. Not without a lot of time effort and hard work, but the rewards have been plentiful both personally and professionally. For example, my upcoming trip to the Disney Social Media Moms conference. An invite such as that is directly related to the success of the work that I do, which leaves me equally proud and humbled, particularly because I know there are a lot of influencers out there who working hard too, especially influencers of color. Entering this medium I had the extra benefit of a television career to build from. Not everyone has such a foundation. which is why I want to take a moment to introduce you to some influencers that I believe you should be aware of. This will be my first a series of introductions over the next few weeks as a part of a new hashtag that I am starting #SoFabColor. I want to leverage my own notoriety to extend some limelight to other influencers of color. My goal is to increase the diversity of this great webishpere that we all maneuver in. I hope that you will not only give some attention to these wonderful bloggers, but share in the conversation that follows, highlighting people you think I and the rest of the World should be aware of too. I would also like to hear about topics that you would like to see discussed in our effort to be inclusive of all ethnicities in professional social media. Social Media is an extension of the World we live in, and we are so lucky to exist in such a colorful one at that. Let’s celebrate #SoFabColor!

Emmi @Mommysfreetime

http://mommys-freetime.blogspot.com

This blog will be dedicated to showing other moms how to find products and resources to help make their lives easier, healthier, and more efficient! After all, everyone needs a little “free” time!

Brandi @mamaknowsitall

mamaknowsitall.com

 Mama Knows It All chronicles my life as a single, working mom with an energetic, highly lovable and super adorable toddler daughter.  I share my ups and downs, things that we like, things that we do, all in the hopes of inspiring others to enjoy their parenting journeys. You can also find me knowing it all as a iVillage iVoice reporter, and as a writer on Technorati.

Diane @Philzendia

www.philzendia.com

Diane is a mom who enjoys life and all it has to offer.   It’s the simple things in life that keeps her happy.  Through this blog, she wants to inspire moms to find Zen in their lives while offering practical parenting tips and other valuable information to help families deal with everyday issues.

Victoria @veepveep

www.veepveep.com

This blog was named Veep Veep because of my initials and love of cars. I’ve turned down the three four reality shows I’ve been asked to do. But it’s not because I’m camera shy. One day I’m hosting a fashion show on national morning television and the next I’m walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. Many people call me a TV personality. But hands down, the best thing I’ve ever been called is mom.

Kim @Fashioncents

http://fashioncents.tv/

What’s the Fashion Cents mission? To give the world a greater fashion sense…one person at a time (and men, that includes you too). We want people to stop believing that wearing designer logos and high-priced fashions are the only ways to achieve a great style. So if you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a whole new wardrobe, you can never be stylish?We are here to show you that by working within your current wardrobe and adding a few economical pieces, you can look like you just jumped off the pages of the latest fashion magazine. And don’t worry, we won’t only show you what the look is, but we’ll give you the resources to do it yourself (i.e. details of where to buy the exact pieces we show).

Ashley @AshleyThinks2

http://andthelittleonestoo.com/

I have been blogging on and off for over 4 years. About a year and a half ago, I changed my “family journal” into a blog where I talked about my family, did reviews and giveaways, posted recipes and talked about anything else that plagued my mind. I don’t like drama so I try to keep my blog clear of anything that could start it. However, if there is something that I really need to say, I say it.

Jackie  @freeismylife

www.freeismylife.com

 FREE IS MY LIFE helps readers to spend their money wisely by giving them tips on freebies, deals and discounts. FREE IS MY LIFE also posts product and event reviews so that readers know which are worth their money.  And on top of all this great information, FREE IS MY LIFE also runs giveaways every week so that you can win great products and services including gift cards, restaurant certificates, gadgets and electronics, bedding, and household products.

Sheena  @Sheenatatum

http://sophistishe.com/

 

Sophistishe (suh-fis-ti-shee) is a play off of the SophistiChic decorating style. I love decorating, but seldom get to do it often, so I just rearrange my blog 50 million times to curb the craving. Sophistishe stands for sophisticated Sheena or she is sophisticated. I chose this name during my late teens as a way to reflect my growth as a person and need for a more mature image as a blogger (I blogged under a pretty cutesy alias). Sophistishe is my personal journey to finding zen in being human. Using my passion for photography, I often share a mix of family stories and random, quirky, introverted thoughts of mine. Blogging is therapy and an avenue for me to share real things with real people.

I am proud to be a member of the exclusive Collective Bias Social Fabric Network with all of these ladies. I hope you will stop by and show these fabulous ladies some blog comment love. And be sure to let me know with a comment how you think we are doing with diversity in the social media sphere. Things can’t grow without conversation, so let’s get to conversing! #SoFabColor

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for inserting links or hashtags in this post.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

My children and I are headed to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the Disey Social Media Moms Conference and to tour an orange grove for Tropicana Pure Premium 100% OJ in 17 days. That may seem like ample prep time for you, but in my World it’s crunch time. We haven’t received a definitive itinerary, so I can’t plan specific outfits just yet. But no matter what the itinerary says one thing will be a must, a great pair of walking shoes for casing the parks and the grove. When we went to Disney two years ago my eldest daughter experienced a lot of foot pain. So much so I had to hit a shoe outlet to find her a more stable pair of tennis shoes to give her some relief. What we found out soon after that trip was that her shoes weren’t the real issue it was her feet. Her ankles and her arches to be exact. She’s struggled through physical therapy and a variety of different insoles. It’s something we are still struggling with daily. The hardest part is finding shoes that can accommodate her insoles, keep her ankles in line, and present fashionably. (Not necessarily in that order-she is 11 afterall.)

We were recently shopping at DSW in search of just such a pair of gym shoes when our feet led us to something wild and crazy, Fila’s Skele-Toes. What are Skele-Toes? Oh my goodness where do I start? Skele-Toes are the most comfortable, light weight shoes with pockets for all of your toes. Well, almost all. There are actually only four pockets so the two small toes have to bunk in together. (Isn’t that always the way with the smallest ones?) My eldest daughter KA!ANN and I each bought a pair, but after we brought them home my youngest Jaedyn insisted we go back and get some for her too. (Who can blame her!)

KA!ANN and I picked out the Fila Skele-Toes Amps while Jaedyn went for the EZ Slides, but there are several styles to choose from, and a plethora of vibrant colors to boot. Colors that are sure to inspire a happy dance from your feet, Or at least some high kicking.

It’s easy to kick too because the Skele-Toes are super light weight. Hey, when you are planning to spend long hours on your feet, as we are planning to do at Disney, the less weight with each step the better. The key, the Fila Skele-Toes fit like a glove.

Though the micro suede uppers, the bungee lace, and the pull tab heel may make for a sleek glove for your feet, they don’t make for quick and easy dressing right out of the box. It took me a good week or two before I was able to adopt just the right system to get my Skele-Toes on. But in the end I believe they’re worth the effort.

Once I get my Skele-Toes on, wearing these lightweight shoes with my toes fancy free is almost like walking barefoot. So liberating! So comfortable! So energizing!

However, going bare in my Skele-Toes leaves my feet  smelling like the great outdoors; (that is if the outdoors you are in are a back alley in the city, on a hot summer day before the trash has been picked up). Solution: When you buy your Skele-toes, buy a pair of sneaker deodorizer balls right along with them. You’ll thank me, I promise.

My Skele-Toes Amp shoes do feel great on, as long as the weather is good. The Amps aren’t weather proof. I was out walking the dog and a light rain started to fall. It didn’t take much water to leave me squishy footed by the time I got home.

On the other hand, my daughter Jaedyn’s EZ Slides tout their weather readiness right on the box. She hasn’t tested them out in a puddle just yet, but I guarantee as soon as she can find one to jump in she will go for broke. I will keep you posted.

I will keep you posted about all of it actually, and you can follow along at #DisneySMmoms and #SoFabColor. I am sure we will have a lot to report after taking our advanced test run in the greatest shoe test track of all….

DISNEY!

How do you test your shoes? Be sure to check out my Skele-Toes Pinterest board and add some pins of your own.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

*Level 13 The product or service mentioned was bought and paid for with Miss Lori’s own hard earned money that she doesn’t have a lot of, and thus doesn’t like to part with, so it must have been important.

* Level 7: Miss Lori will be provided with transportation, food, lodging, tickets, and/or other incidentals for the orange grove trip mentioned in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn. Miss Lori participates in the Clever Girls Collective, Social RevUp and Collective Bias Social Fabric networks. She is also a Nintendo Enthusiast. A Tropicana Tropimomma, and a FitFluential Ambassador.

Three weeks from today my kids and I are going to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! How? Well, once again social media is serving as an awesome parenting partner for me. In February I received the golden ticket of the social media sphere giving me the opportunity to include my kids in the work that I do, an invitation to attend the glorious Disney Social Media Moms Conference.

You may have seen mentions about it on twitter. The hashtag (#DisneySMmoms) for the event has been going strong since the very first conference in 2010! I had the great fortune to attend that conference, made all the more memorable because I was able to share that with my children too. For my girls it was their first trip. My son had his first visit at age 3, so it was practically his first trip as well. The experience was even more monumental because my youngest daughter was sick. She had been for a year already at the time. Jaedyn went through so much during that time; doctor visits, procedures, needle sticks and more. I was desperate to find ways to lift her spirit, (all of our spirits really). That invitation couldn’t have come at a better time. It was truly magical.

Now, two years later, I am thrilled to say that Jaedyn is better. She had surgery a year ago and has been thriving ever since. Making a trip to Disney now, with her well, means the World to me. This trip is also special because it’s the last year that all three of my kids are in elementary school. My son is turning 14 in eight days, (completing my 34 days of birthdays), and he is graduating from 8th grade in June. High school means big changes on the horizon. And given that Skyler will be in the academic honors program and playing on the basketball team translates to much less time available for family trips. The same is true for my eldest daughter KA!ANN. She is moving on to junior high, an academic center. No way she will be able to take time out for a mid year trip anymore either. So that makes this trip particularly poignant, a way of celebrating where we have been, and where we are going.

However, this isn’t just a celebration of the maturation of my kids, it also pays homage to the maturation of my Miss Lori brand. Being invited to once again attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference is a clear sign that I am on the right path. With the invitation I am assured that the Marketainment work I am doing, through MissLori.TV online and Miss Lori’s CAMPUS in person, is having an impact on the community I seek to serve, and brands, campaign managers and PR people are taking notice. That’s exactly how these kinds of opportunities come about, from hard creative work, dedicated time, and good packaging. It’s not just dumb luck. Disney didn’t pick names out of a hat, they carefully constructed a roster of influencers that they believe will best be able to help them amplify their message to the consumers they are targeting. It’s business. And business is for professionals, not hobbiests.

There are a lot of disappointed influencers out there who aren’t going to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference, but that is to be expected. There are only just so many invites available. Many really amazing influencers didn’t make the list this year, but they know deep down that they will be on another one sooner or later, because this is their business, and they do it well. No need for them to be green with envy, just patient. But what about those influencers who have yet to be invited to big events. What can they do to improve their chances? Well, there is no perfect answer, but there are many empowering actions that can be taken. I plan to use the #DisneySMmoms platform over the next few weeks to share professional branding suggestions to influencers who want to elevate their game. Posts that expand upon ideas I have already talked about; pages you should have on your blog, identifying your brand, how much should you charge for your work, what should you include in a proposal, how to be BIG with brands, best video practices, and more. Hey, it’s like the old song says, “It’s not wear you start, it’s wear you finish.”

While I want to help all influencers, I particularly want to target multi-cultural influencers, because the landscape of our social media webisphere needs more color. (It makes the whole World brighter, don’t you agree?) That’s why I will also be utilizing a new hashtag during this time, #SoFabColor, to draw attention to my efforts to help you be fabulous by sewing skill into the social fabric of your brand. I want to acquaint influencers with a network that offers shopportunities to exercise and strengthen those skills in real professional time. The Collective Bias Social Fabric network is a friend to influencers of all colors, shapes and sizes. Together we want to get influencers educated and elevated.

So, what are we waiting for, there is work to be done. I need to get my family ready for our Disney trip and I need to get you ready for the future. What do you hope to accomplish?

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 3: Miss Lori was compensated for promoting a brand or campaign, and inserting links from a specific website in this post.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.

I went to see the movie Hunger Games with my 11 year old last night. She had already seen it with her classmates last week, but she enjoyed it so much that she wanted to see it again, and she wanted too share it with me. (Proud Mommy moment!) The books by Suzanne Collins were like close friends to both my daughter and my son. They blazed through the series with a feverishness that delighted me. (I love it when my children devour literature.) I myself hadn’t read the books, but I was aware of the content. My daughter herself had talked to me extensively about the plot while she was reading the books in real time. I knew that it was a violent set up, with fights to the death for children in a futuristic World. But the violence wasn’t what she was attracted to, it was the inner struggle of the main character to find her place in the World, and to determine how she could be true to herself and to her ideals. So the violence being dramatized in the movie was a concern for me when my daughter said she wanted to see the movie. I made sure to read several reviews that I felt comfortable allowing her to see the PG-13 flick comfortably.

After seeing the movie she reported that the violence wasn’t graphic at all, and the filming was deliberately herky jerky dimming the impact of it anyway. So, with all of that reassurance I stepped into the theatre confident that I would have an enriching experience with my child, watching her favorite book come to life before my eyes. Well, it definitely came to life…and death, in vivid detail. There were dead children everywhere! Maybe it’s because I am a mother. Maybe it’s because I work with children all of the time. Maybe it’s because every news program I see these days includes a report about the real life murder of a child in this country. I could not take this movie at all. It was really disturbing for me. I know without a doubt that it will be a long time before I will be able to shake the image of the onscreen death of the character Rue, played by Amandla Stenberg, who happens to look startling similar to the daughter I was sitting next to in the movie theatre.

Yeah, see what I mean? Special!

Look, I am not usually faint of heart when it comes to action films. I love the Transporter and Jason Bourne series. And in all fairness the literal violence in The Hunger Games wasn’t over the top. It was all born from the text and the plot. But for me personally it was too much. I woke up this morning seeing the dead eyes of those children in my head. That was not the kind of residual effect I was hoping for from entertainment I paid for. But that was just my personal experience.

My personal experience aside I can use my professional experience to offer a review of the movie technically.

The acting was spot on and produced with ease. Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, and my longtime kid favorite Josh Hutcherson, (who can forget Little Manhattan?), were all magnificent. However, Jennifer Lawrence as the main character of Katniss did a truly phenomenal job conveying her characters’ internal fear and anxiety, while simultaneously portraying her outward mask of stubborn defiance. The scene that really nailed it for me was with Cinna, (played by Lenny Kravitz), during the 30 second countdown to the start of the games. When she had to make her way into the transport tube, her quiet fear was subtle in presentation, but utterly palpable.

The filming style of the movie gave me a bit of a headache, with all of the blurry imagery, but it made sense for the story. As you know, I haven’t read the book, but I didn’t need any explanations to understand the storyline. (Though my daughter liberally shared information with me in a hushed whisper throughout the movie. Bless her heart.) The pacing was perfect, the music was unobtrusive, and the costumes were startling at times, but never ridiculous our out of step witht he mood the design team seemed to be trying to create. In other words, I would give the movie a 10!

Although, bottom line, 10 and all, I still never want to see that movie again. Guess I just don’t have a taste for the Hunger Games, or just not the stomach for it.

Did you see it? What did you think?

SMILE On!

ML

This is a *Level 13 The product or service mentioned was bought and paid for with Miss Lori’s own hard earned money that she doesn’t have a lot of, and thus doesn’t like to part with, so it must have been important.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.

I am in the third quarter of birthday season here at my house. Both of my daughters have already celebrated theirs. Still to come this month are my son, my mother and my niece. So seeing packages outside my door is a pretty common occurrence these days. But today was special. Not only was the box the biggest to cross my threshold in a while, but it was addressed to ME!

Not so far fetched. My birthday is the fourth quarter of Birthday season around here. I have only 41 days left as age 41, and then on May 14th, 2012 I will turn 42!

Since I turned 40 I have been trying hard to make adjustments in my life to improve my overall health, wellness and productivity. I still have some great muscle tone at 41, but I decided to let me son do the heavy lifting.

Once we got the giant box upstairs my kids helped me tear it open and unwrap the surprise.

And a surprise it was. Nintendo sent me a Wii Fit Plus bundle gift box! Included is a brand new Wii, black with a new Super Mario Bros game and music CD, an updated Wii Fit Plus board with new activities and custom routines, and an entire four week exercise program including training tips and pep talks created by Los Angeles based fitness instructor Terry Stanley. Couldn’t be more perfect timing. Like I said, since my 40th birthday, when I was the spokesperson for the American Heart Associations’ Go Red For Women BetterU Program, I have been working extremely hard at getting my health in balance. It has been a huge struggle. An uneven struggle to boot, because when I put effort into streamlining my work-life, I have less focus available for exercise. But when I try to put exercise at the forefront, my work-life gets stressed. And then there are all of my parenting obligations. Those children can’t raise themselves. (Well, they think they can, but what do they know!) It’s hard to be super woman!

Lucky for me my friends at Nintendo seem to understand my plight. In addition to all of the Wii workout items they also sent me not just one workout bag and yoga mat, but two to encourage me to find a workout buddy. Not a bad idea. It can really help to have someone around to cheer you on, push you a little farther, but also just be good sweaty company.

41 days and counting till I turn 42. So, who wants to be my workout buddy? Let’s get #NintendoEnthused so we don’t just get older, we get better!

Are you working on improving your health? What steps are you taking? I can use all of the suggestions I can get.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 1: 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. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.

I’m so excited to announce that I am taking my children on a trip to visit a Tropicana Orange Grove in Florida next month! Here’s the best part: I want you to take a trip too, and Tropicana wants to send you! (How’s that for a vitamin C jolt of great news?) Tropicana is going to send one winner and three guests on an all expense paid weekend trip to Sarasota, Florida. Once there you will be treated to a behind the scenes look at one of the Florida orange groves where many of Tropicana Pure Premium’s oranges come from, meet the growers that grow them, and tour the groves themselves, learning how your favorite orange juice is made! (Now you are awake!)

So let’s get down to the important stuff: what you have to do to get there. You just have to do a little daily orange picking on Facebook. Tropicana has a brand new sweepstakes on their FAECBOOK Page. It’s super easy to take part in it. Like the page, pick the fruit, and you are good to go! All it takes is one entry to potentially win, but from now until 11:59AM cst April 20th you can enter every day, increasing your chances all the more. (Now that’s a treat!) But hey, it’s not just a treat of a trip you can win, 99 other winners will take home a years supply of Tropicana Pure Premium 100% Florida Orange Juice for their families, in the form of 12 coupon’s for 59ou bottles. That’s nothing to sneeze at either! (Because vitamin C helps support a healthy immune system and all.)

So, why is Tropicana being so generous? Well, they are a generous company, but on top of that they want you to know all about where the oranges that they use in their delicious Tropicana Pure Premium 100% Florida Orange Juice come from! WHY FLORIDA OF COURSE! That’s important to you, they know, that’s exactly why Tropicana is heralding this informational campaign. In these tough economic times it is important to know about companies that are supporting American growers. That’s what Tropicana has done. Some of Tropicana’s relationships with Florida growers date back to the 1960′s. That’s a long marriage. Something to be proud of for sure. Tropicana continues to be committed to Florida growers. The proof is in the purchasing. Tropicana is the single largest buyer of Florida fruit, purchasing approximately 11.6 billion oranges from Florida each year. Tropicana’s commitment to Florida Growers is a reflection of its’ commitment to American consumers, the American economy, and by extension, American families.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have been so proud to be associated with Pepsico brand Tropicana for almost a year now working with them as a Tropimomma! I joined the team because I believe in working with brands that are as committed to the families they target as they are to making a profit. I know that Tropicana has my kids’ best interest in mind with every delicious orange that they choose to put into Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, and that makes me feel confident about buying their product.

But don’t just take my word for it, find out more about Tropicana Pure Premium 100% Florida Orange Juice for yourself. Join us next week April 5th, 2012 from 6-7pm CST, (7-8pmEST), for a dedicated twitter party hosted by @SocialMoms. The #TropFloridaOJ party will be filled with Tropicana Pure Premium content and prizes! Twenty $20 Amazon.com giftcards will be awarded during the delicious hour, but you must RSVP HERE to be eligible for the reward.

So come on, what are you waiting for? Help Tropicana celebrate Florida Growers, and you will be honoring your own family all along the way.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a:

* Level 4: Miss Lori was compensated for including a product in pictures or videos in this post.

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

 Miss Lori has a formal relationship with Tropicana Pure Premium as a “TropiMomma” blogger; however, all opinions remain 100% my own. 

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.

My youngest daughter Jaedyn turns 9 years old today. I can hardly believe that my little cherub is growing up as she is, fast and fabulous. But I guess it isn’t surprising, our life is moving so fast, it’s hard to keep up, or get everything in. That’s why in anticipation of Jaedyn’s birthday I ended up throwing together an improptu celebration the day before because a pocket of time opened up and friends were game for fun. An hour before the end of school bell I found out my other two kids were going to be occupied for most of the afternoon so I quickly called the parents of two of Jaedyn’s friends’ got permission to take charge of their kids, packed up a bag of snacks and headed North to grab them up. I didn’t tell them where we were headed, instead I distracted them with a movie in the minivan, (driving cinema).

The movie ended and the kids came up out of their cinema haze just in time to notice a sign.

“NAVY PIER AHEAD”

I was busted! It was lovely to see their excitement, which only increased once we got on the Pier. By now they were positive what our ultimate destination was…BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP! Inside the store the girls were all squeals, oo’s and ah’s. As always the Customer Service team at the Navy Pier Build A Bear Workshop location took excellent care of us from the moment we walked in the door. All three kids got “Birthday Stickers” even though it was technically Jaedyn’s day. She was happy to share the spotlight with her friends.

It didn’t take long for the three of them to pick out their Forever Friends. This certainly wasn’t Jaedyn’s first rodeo. She has celebrated her birthday at this location for the last 3 years straight. She got her very first Forever Friend Daley from this very store on a Spring Break Staycation we took when she was 4. Lots of history here.

With all of Jaedyn’s experience she was able to explain every step of the way to her friends.

One of Jaedyn’s favorite parts of the Build A Bear process is the infusion of the heart. You rub it on your ears so it will listen, your shins so it will chase after you, your head so it will be smart…

Once the heart dance is done it’s time for the stuffing. Jaedyn got to control the pedal herself.

All stuffed it was time to fluff!

The process isn’t complete without a very special outfit. Jaedyn chose a tuxedo for her friend whom she named Hoppy. He needed to look spiffy to meet all of Jaedyn’ other friends back home.

All dressed up it was time to go. So we said a hearty goodbye and THANK YOU to our forever friends at the Navy Pier Build a Bear Workshop.

But we couldn’t leave Navy pier just yet. All of the stuffing and fluffing made us hungry so we stopped at the McDonalds for an electrifying snack!

Next we headed outside to enjoy the unusual temperatures and all of the sunshine. Along the way we got a little silly.

“Don’t get a big head on your birthday Jaedyn!”

So much fun, so much laughter, on such a gorgeous day. Definitely important to stop and reflect.

The bells of Navy Pier.

Forever Friends indeed.

SMILE On!

ML

This is a *Level 13 The product or service mentioned was bought and paid for with Miss Lori’s own hard earned money that she doesn’t have a lot of, and thus doesn’t like to part with, so it must have been important.

Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com , YoungChicagonista ,ChicagoMomsBlog , and ChicagoMoms.com. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter , TOUT and LinkedIn.