I’m Going to a Conference and I’m Going to Bring…
Throughout the years I’ve attended my fair share of conferences. Residence Life, sorority (Phi Sigma Sigma – LITP!), Stroller Strides… all awesome and inspiring in their own rights, though quite a few years ago at this point.
Disney Social Media Moms Philly Celebration was my first blogger conference; I chatted about the overall experience here. Leading up to the big day, there was a lot of discussion about what you should bring along and expect on the event’s Facebook page.
While this list isn’t the end-all-be-all, here are few things that worked for me and might help you out for upcoming conferences!
1. A BIG OL’ SMILE
Hey there, hi there, ho there! You’re as welcome as can be! – Valerie, Jamie, myself and Beth
many thanks to Beth of http://columbus.macaronikid.com/ for this pic!
First and foremost, a smile and an attitude of gratitude. With those two things, you cannot fail. Everything else in this post is secondary. I was fortunate enough to meet Valerie, Jamie and Beth at the start of the day, along with some other lovely attendees. They immediately put me at ease and gave me… confidence.
2. CONFIDENCE
For the Disney Social Media Moms event, you applied and then you were invited based on your application. Other conferences are done via registration. Whether it’s by invitation or registration, chances are you want to be in attendance, and conversely the conference coordinators want you to be there!
Nerves are natural and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat nervous at the start of the day. In fact, I’m always a bit nervous meeting new people. It must be a remnant from my shy teen years.
I’ve come to find that when I look good, I feel good. This is a common theme for most people, yes? I hemmed and hawed over what I was going to wear because I wanted to be comfortable, but adorable.
I landed on the dress (Modcloth) immediately but shoes are always a bit tricky for me because I live in running shoes. I took an Instagram poll on which shoes I should wear with my Ready, Wheeling and Able bicycle dress and the overwhelming response was the nude shoes.
Except the first time I wore them, I got a huge gash on the back of my heel. No bueno!
So I wore the red shoes to the conference and my tootsies were thanking me for it. Plus, people were thinking that I was going for the Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz look. Bicycles. Blue dress. Ruby red shoes. I TOTALLY DID NOT SEE THAT. (Pat pat, Meridith. Way to be observant.)
My point is that I totally love my bicycle dress. I adore my little red shoes with the kitten heels. I felt comfortable and confident and ready to take on the world. And the conference!
3. BUSINESS CARDS
Just as your smile and confidence present who you are in person, business cards are a big factor in representing you and your brand, especially after the conference is over.
Using the header from our blog on one side and the Scoot a Doot logo on the other side with our information, we tied our blog/twitter/Facebook and business cards together for consistency. We ordered a bazillion (or five hundred) from Vistaprint.
Trading business cards is nearly as much as fun as pin trading!
Some of the cards I collected along the way.
As you go around and chat with people, you share cards. That way you can stay connected post event and you’re not wasting time scribbling down contact info on scraps of paper. Additionally, many conferences have door prizes. How do you enter? Business cards, of course.
4. MAKING THE ROUNDS
The doors to the conference room opened at 8am and everyone rushed in to grab seats and explore. Being Disney, there was something to do or look at every which way.
Not going to lie, I was all over the place. I wanted to take pictures and I wanted to talk to people. There was so much to do, so much to see! AND I WANTED TO DO IT ALL.
This is very clever on Disney’s part because the picture opportunities are a built-in ice breaker.
Rocking My Disney Side with Disbroads Tania and Kristen
Give Disney fans props and proceed to party! This photo booth style set up was perfect for people who wanted to take pictures. Plus, you get to make friends with the people around you to ask if they’ll take your picture. Or heck, take a picture with you. Win win!
The bummer is that you won’t get to talk to everyone. I saw people I recognized from Facebook, Twitter, and past runDisney events who I would have loved to chat with in person but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time to make all the rounds. There’s always next time! (Or later – hint, hint – check out number 6.)
5. YOUR THINKING CAP
The clacking of keys from laptops, the quick and nimble fingers flying over Smartphone screens, the scratching of pens and pencils on paper… there was no doubt that it was a social media conference. For me, one of the big questions was: How do you par down what you choose to share and where?
For me, I tried to tweet information on Twitter that I thought were interesting and different. Fun little tidbits which would interest people who weren’t at the conference. I also didn’t want to be so absorbed with being on social media, that I missed what was going on around me (it’s been known to happen). Therefore, I stuck to pen and paper for most of my notes – occasionally hopping on to Twitter/Facebook/Instagram to share things during down time. Find what works best for you and roll with it!
And remember, bring all your electronics juiced up and ready to go. Electrical outlets are a hot commodity!
6. TIME AKA HOOKING UP BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACTUAL CONFERENCE
If you have the opportunity to spend time before or after the event with attendees and feel comfortable and safe doing so, it’s a great opportunity to extend the experience. Attendees and hopefuls of the Philly event created a Facebook page to connect prior to the event. A few opportunities were set up prior and post the conference with nearby vendors, thanks to Aunesty.
Since I was local to the event, I didn’t have too much time to spend sans mom hat, so sadly I didn’t get to partake in those. However, Destiny, Jamie and I were able to make Cheesecake Factory happen!
Like I said earlier, I was a little nervous going into the day but by the time the conference was over and I was ready for lunch, joining up with these ladies seemed like the fantastic idea. We were able to prolong the magic, chat about the conference and life. I felt like I’d know them forever!
There you go! Just a couple of little tips and tricks that I found to be helpful during my first social media conference. Did I miss something? Have you found something helpful that you’d like to share with me and readers? Please comment!
Take a Hike
While I was recovering from my divorce, I read this book, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It’s a true story about a woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, an 1,100 mile trek completely alone. It was a soul-searching journey, the heroine literally pushed herself to the brink of survival and she was surprised to find what she was capable of. When I finished the book, I craved this journey. I wanted to see what I was capable of. I wanted to push myself to the brink to ignite that appreciation for life and self that this woman found on her trip. I wanted to feel the exhaustion and muscle soreness and blisters and raw pain that she described. I wanted the solitude and time spent in my own head in complete silence, free of distractions and petty worries and facebook and calorie counting. I wanted to get back to my true self. I had a list of people I wanted to forgive: my ex-husband and his girlfriend, my parents (for perceived injustices I sustained as a teenager), my friends who were no longer my friends, but most of all, myself. It’s at the top of my things to to do before I die list. (Both the hike and the forgiveness)
The Whole Pacific Crest Trail
The part of the trail I may actually get to hike some day.
I’m a momma so taking off for three months to hike isn’t feasible. But since reading, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the therapeutic benefits of communing with nature. It offers me the humble reminder that I am not the most important thing on this planet and that humans haven’t produced anything that can compare to magnanimous structures found in nature. The Pacific Crest Trail is sectioned off into smaller hikes that are more realistic for someone like me and I’ve got my eye on the John Muir Trail which runs from the Sequoias to the Redwoods.
I want to go to there.
In the meantime, I’m getting to spend some time on some other trails. I recently hiked The Narrows at Zion National Park, with my kiddos and my extended family. Five and a half hours of rocky water trail through a canyon surrounded by walls of slate and sandstone. It was magnificent, there’s just no other way to describe it. Also, I’m a total Geology nerd so I was lost in striation heaven.
Look! A Deer!
We also spent some time in Bryce Canyon. We hiked the Navajo Loop which connects to the Queens Garden trail. The hike was a little over three miles, but there was a steep descent and a steep climb out of the canyon. My little ones stuck it out for this too. I had to literally push my son up the last few hills, but he did it! I think I was more proud of his accomplishment than he was.
I’m also very interested in doing some trail runs and overnight backpacking hikes. Ragnar has an overnight trail relay series and I want in. The only question is…who’s going with me?
Do you trail run? Have you read this book? Did you know they’re making it into a movie? Do you want to hike the John Muir trail with me? How do you get back to your true self? Let us discuss!
Like a Girl?
To start off, if you haven’t already seen this video that’s been circulating the internet the last few days, give it a watch now. I promise, it’s worth the 3 and a half minutes. And then, we’ll tell you what we think it means to do things ‘like a girl.’
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs&w=560&h=315]
Bec
I’ll admit, this video made me cry. Like a person who cries. Like a girl, but only because I am, in fact, a girl. I also cook like a girl, and dance like a girl and parent my kids like a girl. And yes, I run like a girl.
I think back to my younger years, and I can definitely recall hearing that I ran like a girl. And it was decidedly NOT a compliment. I distinctly remember thinking “but I AM a girl!” And the only thing worse than telling a girl that she ran like a girl, was telling a boy that he ran like a girl. Because girls are what? Slower than boys? Weaker than boys? Less athletic than boys? Men and women are inherently different in a number of ways, but none of those differences means that one is superior and the other inferior. They just means that we have differences.
Confidence is myself as a person has been something I’ve struggled with my entire life. I still struggle with it. And that started in adolescence, as it does for many people, male and female. I see those fears and insecurities in my own children, both in different phases of adolescence. So I’m teaching my son that it’s okay for him to cry, to talk about his feelings and to understand that just because someone is not athletic, doesn’t mean they are in any way lacking (we live in a VERY sports oriented town). I’m teaching my daughter that it’s okay for her to be good at sports, to be tough when the occasion calls for it (soccer field, defense) and to love her body and herself. I’m teaching them both that what determines their worth as people is their character and that they can do anything, and be anything, that they set their minds to. And through teaching them these lessons, I’m learning to love myself, to celebrate my strengths and accept my shortcomings, and to be proud of the GIRL that I am.
Because, you know, I’m pretty freaking fantastic…for a girl person.
Mer
It took me a really long time to find the confidence in myself that I so sorely lacked growing up. Until very recently (we’re talking three years ago) I was of the mindset that I didn’t and couldn’t run… unless I was being chased. And in the event that I was being chased, well, let’s just say it probably wouldn’t end well for me.
That was because I was raised hearing it. I wasn’t athletic. I didn’t do athletic things and I didn’t tap into my athletic side. I was pretty and somewhat smart, although my friends were smarter. In high school I had a friend, Erinn who could do a ridiculous number of pull-ups, like the boys, so naturally she was a tom-boy. Rather than a STRONG girl. Erinn was also the one lapping me and nearly everyone else during the mile, for the record.
Don’t put limitations on our children. And hey, while we’re at it, don’t put limitations on yourself either.
I can and I will! And you can and you will too!
Cam
Once a week I play dodgeball with a primarily male team. And when we pick teams, guess who’s last to be picked? Me. Every single time. I’m constantly finding myself trying to prove that I’m just as good as the boys. The truth is, I can’t throw as hard as them and my reflexes aren’t as quick. But I hold my own. I can catch pretty well and I play smart. I make good decisions when it comes to timing and positioning. So yeah, I play “like a girl” and I’m just as badass as any of those boys. I think as a woman, I have to realize that I have different physical strengths than men. But different isn’t bad. In fact, it’s downright necessary.
This video moved me to tears because I have a young daughter and she is strong and mighty and I don’t ever want her to forget the confidence she has right now. I know the world is going to try to tear her down, boys and girls alike. I already see her struggling to be a girl who loves karate and rough-housing and who also loves sparkly unicorns and nail polish. She wants to be a tough badass, but she doesn’t want to lose that femininity. And why should she have to? Gender stereotypes are suffocating our society. Think of the way we’ve hindered the growth of our world by keeping half the population at bay. What are we afraid of? Turn us loose. We’ll show you what kicking ass “like a girl” looks like.
Jess
When I stumbled upon the Always commercial the other night (on Tumblr, because I’m obsessed), I watched it three times in a row. With everything that’s going on in this country right now, all of the eyes on women’s rights (or lack thereof), the message felt especially timely to me.
Part of me is so relieved that I have a little boy, because, while there are many lessons I have to teach him about things like equality and feminism and consent, he won’t have to deal with the inherent, built-in issues that come with being a girl. There are so many ways in which society tells girls and women that they are less than. How do you bring up a girl in this world to know that she is enough? Especially when many of us women still struggle with this as adults? It’s a huge task. A daunting one. Such an important one.
That’s why I love this commercial so much – it is a quick, powerful tool to show that the stigma against females is hurtful and untrue and emotionally dangerous. Little girls need to see these positive reinforcements – they need to hear it, too, and believe it. They need to know the sky is the limit. Being female doesn’t dictate what you can and can’t do (beyond a few physiological things, of course).
I was going to add pictures of us, being awesome girls, but sometimes, the words are more than enough. Tell us what you think about this video. What do the words ‘like a girl’ mean to you?
Product Review: Taffy Activewear
About a month ago, I posted about becoming an ambassador for Taffy Activewear. Since then, I’ve had ample (get it?) opportunity to road test the Taffy line, and I wanted to give you guys a full review. Because talking about this line of activewear, which I am 100% in love with, is my jam. If you are a plus-sized woman, and are in the market for activewear, you’re going to want to read on.
When I’m looking for activewear, I’ve got five things in mind: style, fit, quality, variety and price.
Style: When it comes to being stylish, Taffy has got it going ON. Before I found Taffy, my typical workout top was a Men’s 3XL grey t-shirt. To say I looked like a box is gross (and I do mean gross) understatement. I felt frumpy and lumpy and all around dumpy. Now, with my ever-growing collection of Taffy tops, I can go out for a walk with my girls, or to a Zumba class, and feel cute and chic.
Taffy Essential Top in White. Fab.
Fit: Clearly, this is a key element in clothing purchases. How do they fit? I’ll be honest, my non-activewear size is just outside of Taffy’s range (1X-3X or 16-24). But being that activewear tends to have some stretch, the 3Xs do just fine for me. Taffy items are generously cut to accommodate our curves. The Essentials Racerback tank is especially forgiving of my broad shoulders. And their tops are longer in the torso than most I’ve found (this was awesome for me, being that I am a 6’0″ glamazon). And when your workout gear fits well? It just makes things easier. No one wants to be that girl out walking while pulling the bottom of her shirt down.
Quality: Let’s be real, whether you’re plus sized or not, your activewear takes a beating. You are stretching and squatting and SWEATING in it. (Hi, it’s 82 degrees here today.) While I might occasionally get a couple wears out of a sweater, there is no way workout clothes aren’t getting washed each and every time they get worn. My Taffy products have held up really well over the last couple of months. The craftsmanship of the products is great. So we’re 3 for 3 so far!
Variety: If you are a clothes horse (and I am), I think you’ll be more than pleased with Taffy’s selection. Like sleeves? They’ve got ’em. No sleeves? You’re good too. Long pants, capris, tanks, tees. It’s all there. And colors. So far, I’ve got red, black, pink, green, white, blue and I’ve got my eye on a super cute cheetah print. Like the style, this means I get to feel cute when I hit the track, and not like I’m wearing the same thing over and over.
Just part of my ever-growing Taffy collection.
The Taffy Logo. Adorable.
Price: Okay, for many of us, this is the most important factor. You want a cute, quality product, but you don’t want to have to give up your first-born to get it, right? Right. And if you’re trying to lose weight, and you don’t plan to be in a specific size forever, you really don’t want to fork over and arm and a leg for one tank top. Taffy pricing is comparable to other plus size lines, typically a bit lower. Tops are in the $30-$40 range, pants are just under $50, and their most expensive item right now is the Taffy Essentials Jacket. And at $64, I can tell you that is a lot less than what I typically see jackets going for. (And if you buy it in white, you will be so happy that you will wish it stayed cold forever. I mean, not really, but you know what I mean). And then, there are sales! Taffy has some really great stuff on sale right now. And as if that weren’t enough, you can you my Taffy Ambassador code, BEC15, to get 15% off and free shipping. Sweet deal just got sweeter.
So, that’s it. Taffy exceeded my expectations in every category. I’m so happy to have found them, and I couldn’t be prouder to represent their brand. If you guys have questions, just give me a holler in the comments. I’ll be happy to continue waxing poetic about Taffy!
A Day in the Life: Jess
Welcome to my exciting day in the life! It began with waking up. Always a good sign. Some other things happened after I woke up, including:
- My child woke up (ready to party)
- My husband woke up
- We all ran around
- There was a little getting-myself-ready action
- There was a lot of getting-Bug-ready action
- There was a LOT of sweating from getting-Bug-ready action
- No pictures were taken during this time because it was too hectic, but trust me, it all happened
- As per usual, our morning routine ended with running for the cable car to get Bug to daycare!
An old picture of cable car cuteness.
Once I sweated my way down three or four hills with Bug and dropped him off at daycare, I headed down a few other hills (THIS CITY IS ONE VERY LARGE HILL) to wait for the bus.
Dear MUNI, are you there? It’s me, Jessica.
Then it was off to the second day of a two-day off-site meeting for new managers, put on by my company’s parent company. Follow that? Me neither. It’s okay!
Notes, an iPhone and coffee. Not much else a girl needs, am I right? I spent the first part of the morning learning about business-y/manager-y things, but there was the small matter of USA playing Germany in the World Cup, which NBD. EXCEPT VERY BIG DEAL. Thankfully, my friend Heidi was kind enough to text me updates throughout the game.
I got overstimulated by emojis.
Also thankfully, our first break of the day coincided with the end of the game, so we crowded around someone’s iPad to see the last four minutes and confirm that – phew – the US was indeed going through to the knockout round! Victory! America!
It’s okay, America! You still made it!
It should be noted that I had no idea I liked soccer until the World Cup. But it’s great. It makes me sweat and feel like I am on the verge of death due to stress whenever I watch it. What a time to be alive!
More business-y/manager-y things happened after lunch, and then we were lucky enough to sit through a presentation about the history and making of champagne (yesterday, the CEO of a beauty brand presented to us, as well as a luxury retailer. Kind of a jackpot situation). Did you know that champagne (champay-nyuh if you are French) can only be called such if it’s made in the Champagne region of France? It’s true. Fascinating stuff. I feel so lucky to work for a company that puts on events like this for their employees. I learned so much!
And drank champagne. I mean,whatever.
So delicious, I can’t even.
After a networking happy hour, it was off to my humble abode to see my precious family, after a pit stop to pick up some dinner for myself. Had to absorb the champay-nyuh somehow.
Ah, the bus. We meet again. It was packed. Hopefully you can pick up the vibe here – I didn’t want to take a picture of faces because generally strangers frown upon that. Weird.
Was digging this girl’s bag, too.
Hello, family!
Literally so excited to see me.
Before I dug into my food, I picked up after said precious family, because that’s what moms are for.
The before:
Surrounded by barbarians.
And the after:
Moms get stuff done.
FOOOOOOOOD from one of my favorite Mexican places nearby.
Me: “Hey food, be delicious.” Food: “OKAY!”
Tried to shake off this little vulture, but he was persistent so I caved and gave him some morsels.
Then we moved on to the Get Bug to Sleep portion of the evening, which typically includes a bath (not pictured for obvious reasons), some playtime, milk and PJs and then crib city.
And that brings us to now, when I’m stretched out in bed, and will be ending the evening with some intense reading.
And that’s all she (I) wrote! I wish I could share the noise of the ambulance that seems to be driving right through my bedroom right now, but alas. You will have to imagine it.
So! Are you Team USA or Team USA? Who’s tuning in for the match against Ghana on Tuesday? Who’s your favorite player?
*chants* I believe that we will win!
7 reasons I shouldn’t have reached my 10th birthday
I was am a klutz. I own it.
I fall down the stairs, ricochet off walls and trip over air regularly. (Just ask my boss, husband or running pals.)
As summer officially started this year, I found my mind wandering back to how I spent my summers as a kid in central Pennsylvania. I was what you’d affectionately call “a spirited pool rat.” As I look back, I recall several “near disasters,” most of which took place in the summer months thanks to my impulsive personality.
So today, dear friends, I shall share with you my top 7 close calls. And let me say, this list in no way suggests poor parenting by Mom and Dad. It’s all thanks to my own curiosity and/or stupidity.
- I fell from a moving car. Truth. I was 3 or 4 at the time and my dad was driving my sister and me to the pool when the incident occurred. Sissy and I shared the front seat of my dad’s Thunderbird. I was on the outside. Seat belts? We didn’t use them back then. I found myself wondering about the locked car door. I knew if it was locked it wouldn’t open from the outside and when unlocked, would open no matter what. But would the locked door open from the inside? I wondered. In retrospect. I should not have tested this theory when the car was still moving. I clicked the lock into place and pulled the handle. I tumbled onto the pavement and rolled onto a nearby lawn. The car screeched to a halt, my dad scooped me up and took me home. Aside from nasty road rash all over my body and screaming bloody murder when my mother applied the medicine, I was fine. More than anything I was peeved that I wasn’t allowed to go to the pool that day.
In the pool, where I loved to be
- Stabbed with a dart. I was 9 when Sissy and I bought a dartboard at a garage sale. We couldn’t wait to use it, but mom kyboshed hanging it on the wall, even in our messy basement. She didn’t want holes in the walls, apparently because of our wretched aim. Our solution was not brilliant. We took turns holding the board while the other whizzed sharp darts at the target. Neither of us had great aim, but a few turns in, one dart reached its mark – in my upper left leg. Blood started spurting. I still have a scar. And I no longer play darts.
- Head first into the shallow end. I absolutely knew better. But alas, no one was around to stop me when I dove into the two-foot section at our pool club when I was 8. I was new to swim team that summer and I knew the older kids started their long course practice from the shallow end. I wanted to be just like them, so I dove into the packed pool and landed on my head. I actually saw stars raining from the sky and thank God that I didn’t actually hurt myself. No one noticed, by the way, not even a lifeguard posted nearby.
- Climbing the roof. This activity drove my mother nuts. She repeatedly told Sissy and me to stay off the roof of our house, but we rarely listened. Every chance we got, Sissy and I would crawl out my bedroom window and onto the roof. I realize now, had we fallen off the top of the back roof, we’d have fallen 3 stories. I slipped on the shingles nearly every trek, but never slid off the side of the house, thank goodness. A family friend jumped from the second-story one summer and hurt his arm. Mom kept a much tighter leash on us after that.
- Underwater at a water park. I never admitted this story to, well, anyone, because I was so embarrassed it happened. On a family outing to a water park, I headed into the park’s huge wave pool. I was a strong swimmer, but somehow got caught in the underwater current and stuck in a cycle with the wave. I couldn’t get above water for air for what felt like minutes. (I’m sure it wasn’t that long, but it was far longer than I was comfortable with.) I panicked, underwater. I remember some kind adult grabbing the back of my swimsuit and yanking me up. I avoided waves pools for years after that. Once I finally ventured back in, I always stopped once the water reached chest high.
- Reckless sledding. As the lone girl in most of my childhood playgroups, I became a bit of a tomboy. I often would try to keep up with the guys, even when I knew I couldn’t. One winter, we decided it was a brilliant idea to sled down a steep hill – and over a ravine at the bottom. I never made it to the ravine, as my sledding skills were weak. My friend landed in the ravine, injuring himself slightly. His neighbor, however, didn’t fare well at all. His sled jumped the ravine, but the boy landed on his head. His trip to the hospital ended our fun.
- Walking pneumonia. This one was for real, kids. I was 5 and was laid out on the couch for months. I apparently spent time in the hospital and my mother tells me that she thought I was going to die. All I remember from this multi-month illness was a great aunt hovering over me for what felt like months on end, eating ice chips and wanting to play with my sister. Oh, and a celebratory trip to see E.T. in the theater once I was officially “on the mend.”
So there ya go! Tales of my klutziness, stupidity and curiosity that could’ve ended it all well before my 10th birthday. I share this with you, so when your kids act up this summer you know you aren’t alone.
We all make bad choices. We all have had at least one close call. And we all have some pretty spectacular memories as a result. Just be sure to learn from those mistakes.
Were you impulsive like me? Did you flirt with disaster? Tell me all about your brush with death as a child. Don’t have a such a moment? (Good for you!) then please share a favorite summer memory from your childhood.
The City of Motherly Love – Philly’s Disney Social Media Moms Celebration
Immediately following the Disney Social Media Moms conference in Philadelphia last Thursday the text messages, tweets, and phone calls started rolling in asking the details of the event. I might have been a little excited about it and may have talked about it non-stop for the weeks leading up to it. #yesitotallydid
The short answer: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
The long answer: Um, how much time do you have?
Seriously though, it’s taken me a few days to coherently put together this post because there was so much I took away from the five hour morning session.
It wasn’t even just about what was said, it was the entire experience; in particular the camaraderie with people I was meeting for the first time or whom I’d only conversed with via social media. To not only put a face to the names (and in some cases put a real name to the screen name) isn’t something that happens nearly enough, in my opinion. Having face time (not the app), and being able to look someone in the eye while chatting about common interests and goals is what life is about!
Breathing the same air as Disbroads Tania and Kristen was pretty spectacular.
What can I tell you about Disney’s Social Media Moms Philly event, without sounding too much like a toddler in my storytelling (and then, and then, and then) and also without leaving anything out? Summarizing is difficult, but here are a few kernels of wisdom I gleaned that are applicable to life in general.
Disney are fun makers and as such, are memory makers. My one and only college spring break experience was Disney. My husband and I honeymooned there eleven years ago. Brooke and Vic joined me for my first 13.1 experience at the Princess half marathon in 2012. I’ve adored bringing my children there as the years have galloped past at astonishing speeds. The list goes on!
Disney has a wonderful recipe of mixing magic, Imagineering, and an enthusiasm for connections. Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager for Disney Parks blog, shared a favorite story of a very special lost teddy bear finding his way back home… but not before having a little fun in the parks. The blog post really touched readers because it encapsulated values that we love to see within people and within our favorite companies.
Applying this to my life is definitely not as magical as in the Disney Parks but I do try to incorporate the same type of thought process through my days. I choose positivity, gratitude and overall goodness and gravitate toward those who do the same.
This guy knows all about making memories!
Three of the speakers were Huggies brand MomInspired grant winners and while I don’t have a current business plan for which I’m seeking a grant, I definitely related to the moms on this panel. Lead by Maria Bailey of Mom Talk Radio much of the conversation was based on how to balance time as a mom and time working on their projects.
Well, let’s just say that this was my tweet earlier today…
Yep, rookie mistake. Maria made the point of suggesting that you make sure to look at the white of your children’s eyes when they are speaking to be present within the conversation. As such, I shut down the computer and took them to the pool club where we all played in the pool together for two and a half hours. (Now one is napping and the other is reading. Sweet blissful quiet, you are welcomed with open arms!)
The ladies on the panel told us about their products, shared a bit about their thought processes and also how they went about getting to where they are today with their ideas. Dispensing one piece of advice has to be incredibly hard to do because Amy, Kristi and Jen all worked very hard in following their dreams but they each narrowed it down.
Prior to the On the Road event, the organizers requested each of the attendees to share their favorite Disney Side picture and for me, that was like asking me to pick my favorite child! Pretty much impossible! However, I finally went with the picture that I have on my Meet Meri page because I feel like it encapsulates my love affair with Disney pretty thoroughly.
We were surprised with by HP’s Noah Lomax with this bit of awesomeness…
HP Photo Card Pack with one card that had ME showing my Disney Side. Sweet!
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE REAL LETTERS.The fact that we were provided with this adorable card (is it narcissistic to say this?) and a stamped envelope to send along to anyone we so desired. I’m only a little obsessed with postage, you will find me window shopping for custom envelopes on sites like http://www.agenvelopes.com.au/ instead of browsing facebook and social media. Mom and Dad, I hope you enjoyed getting real mail from your adorable daughter.
These days the written word is very often limited to those we read on the computer screen, however I do believe there is something very special about receiving correspondence via the letter carrier. This gesture from HP was appreciated!
The day wrapped with health and fitness guru, the Mojo Coach, Debi Silber. I found myself nodding in agreement with many of the points she made during her presentation.
Debi explained that as moms, we are capable of doing so much. And because of that, we do so much… until we can’t. We get overloaded, bogged down, and take on too much until the wheels fall off (or the mom starts pulling her hair out of her head). That was something that really spoke to me.
Because yes. YES, YES, YES.
It’s why I carve out the time that I need to go to the gym, to get a run in, to go to a Disney Social Media Moms conference (even though it was the last day of school): to make time for me. My belief system, my internal monologue, used to be a lot of excuses… reasons why I couldn’t or shouldn’t do something. It has been updated in the past couple of years to I can and I will.
It’s all interconnected; a lot of what this conference encapsulated was finding and maintaining balance, embracing off-the-wall ideas (or 10pm typos that turn into something wonderful à la Gary Buchanan – ahem, the DIAPER DANS anyone?) and looking to tap into the childlike wonder that hides within us all.
Have you ever been to a social media celebration? This was my first but I would love to participate in more – I had a blast! There’s so much more I’d love to share about this one that I just might have to do another post.
Back in the (Running) Saddle
After a several-week hiatus due to some asthma ridiculousness, I’m back to training for the Disneyland Half Marathon. What whaaaat.
No, seriously, WHAT WHAT?!
I’m so behind in training that I’m a little paralyzed about how to get back on track. I should have run 8 miles this weekend in order to be up-to-date, but instead ran about 2. The good news: Mister Jess and I are signing up for a gym so I won’t have to drag myself up the hills of San Francisco, muttering expletives to myself the whole way. The bad news: …hmm. Yeah, I’m still behind.
I have 65 days left to train, people.
Now, I know this doesn’t seem like a super dire situation, but since I’m running with Cam and Mer, I want to make sure that I’m not going to be holding them back (I can hear them saying, “no no no, you’re not going to hold us back, it’ll be fun no matter what, yay team!” right now). And I definitely don’t want to have a miserable time along the course because I didn’t get my ess (that’s shit in short-hand) together. Also, I’ve never run a race longer than a 5k, so I am kind. Of. Freaking. Out. Here.
Part of me thinks I should just try to quickly catch up to the longer weekend runs I’m supposed to be doing. However, I’m enough of a running novice to know that I’ll probably end up injuring myself doing that, and then my whole fun weekend and half-marathon-finisher status thing is a moot point.
So, here I am asking you all for advice once again. In times of question, I either run to Google or you super-smart peeps. How can I get back on my half training track by August 31st? Talk to me in the comments!
A Day in the (Thug) Life – Cam
Welcome to the jungle! I am currently on summer break so you’re going to see a lot of boring pictures in this post. But I thought you’d all might like to know what a teacher does with her summer vacation. I know it’s supposed to be ONE day, but I kept forgetting to take pictures. So I have many days rolled into a synopsis.
Mon-Fri my alarm wakes me up at this god-awful time.
And I usually look like this…
And I am usually met with this face. Sookie likes to sleep on my chest. Because she’s trying to suffocate me.
I head out to my first workout, Body Back. After my divorce, my parents added on a suite to their house so my kids and I could live with them. In-house babysitting is awesome! Of course, everyone is still asleep at this time. This particular day we were doing circuits in the studio with a one mile run. I fuel before the fun with banana and almond butter on an English muffin. And I sweat. A lot.
Look at my new, new shoes! Skora Core are the love of my life right now, thanks to the recommendation from one of our readers, kylejkranz .
I come home to find this…I don’t know about you other parents out there, but my kids are obsessed with watching YouTube videos of other people playing video games. They don’t actually want to play the video games, just watch other people do it.
Summer break is off to a monumentally boring start.
After we lounge and eat breakfast, I’ll head out for my second workout of the day.
This day, it was Cardio Barre. Some days, it’s yoga.
That yoga mat towel is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Without it, my mat is like a slip and slide.
After I get home and shower, I try to work on homework. I’m taking classes to earn a Professional Certificate in Common Core instruction.
I usually start off working and end up reading YA fiction.
On this day, my kids had karate so we headed on down to the dojo. After my hammock nap, of course.
Kicking ass and taking names. They are very excited they both earned a stripe today. After karate, we went to Islands for dinner. They have amazing veggie tacos!
After karate, I had some new patio furniture to put together so I broke out the power tools.
Bitches get shit done.
My day usually ends with me fighting my kids to get in bed.
And then I drink a bottle of wine whilst watching Orange is the New Black. Like a boss.