I’m a mess. I keep crying randomly. And different things pop in to my head, like, “his little body was dragged on the pavement…” or, “I shouldn’t have been so far in front of him…” and I just lose it. I just can’t express enough how grateful I am that he’s not more seriously hurt. I really believe an angel must have been wrapped around him.
When I think about how close I came to losing Eric, I can’t even breathe.
continue reading
I have a busy, crazy, beautiful full life. For that I am grateful. Sometimes I feel like writing about it.
Showing posts with label #disneysmmoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #disneysmmoms. Show all posts
Monday, September 12, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Treasure Map {Wordless Wednesday}
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Saturday, April 2, 2011
Girlchild's Quinoa with Pancetta & Peas
Anna likes to invent recipes – a hobby I whole-heartedly support!
Here's how it goes: She lists a bunch of ingredients and gives me a format (dessert, dinner, etc) and I have to turn it in to something edible.
While we were at the Disney World, we had the pleasure of attending the celebration dinner for their Magic of Healthy Living contest winners. It was pretty awesome to see the mighty power of Disney focused on helping families lead healthy lives. My kids were skeptical of the ultra healthy dinner that was served, but it got us talking about healthy food, which led to the following recipe:
"You take smashed up peanuts and some peas, and pancetta and add all that to quinoa, plus three tablespoons of chicken broth. And olive juice, honey and a squeeze of lemon. And then you add a little parmesan cheese, garlic and arugula."
Here's what we actually did:
Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer until liquid is almost completely absorbed. While there is still a bit of liquid, add about 1 cup of frozen peas.
Meanwhile, lay the pancetta out on a baking sheet. Broil until crisp, flipping each piece about halfway through the process. Total broil time is only about 4 minutes. Warning: never walk away from anything under the broiler! I usually grab a glass of wine and sit on the floor watching it, which the kids seem to find amusing.
Let the pancetta cool on the sheet, and grate about 1/4 cup of parmesan.
Mince a garlic clove and add to the juice of about 1/2 a lemon.
When the quinoa is done (liquid is about all absorbed), add the lemon juice & garlic and stir in. Turn heat off, and stir in parmesan. We then put that whole concoction in a bowl and crumbled the crisp pancetta over the top. I was afraid if we mixed it in, it would get soggy.
Crisp pancetta = awesome. Limp pancetta = meh.
You'll notice the peanuts, honey and olive juice didn't make it in to the recipe. The arugula kind of did, as we made my all-time favorite salad: Arugula with hearts of palm & shaved parmesan. The dressing is one clove of garlic, fleur de sel, fresh pepper, the other half of the lemon from earlier, emulsified with some fruity olive oil. Lemon juice + garlic + olive oil, as my dear friend Gwenn says, "emulsify like nobody's business."
We served the quinoa and salad with some broiled mahi mahi and toasted Pugliese bread.
In fact, after we removed the pancetta from the baking sheet, I rubbed the bread around on the sheet and then toasted it. Mmmm. Pancetta drippings.
The Girlchild was very pleased about her recipe, and how the whole meal came together. I love cooking with her, and of course she ate everything because she helped make it. My kitchen ended up a bit messier than if I had just made dinner myself, but I wouldn't trade this time together for a cleaner kitchen, that's for sure.
Anna was more smitten than usual with the hearts of palm. In fact, she claims our next cooking adventure will be a "Hearts of Palm Custard!"
OK. I'm not sure what to do with that, but I'm sure we'll come up with something!
Here's how it goes: She lists a bunch of ingredients and gives me a format (dessert, dinner, etc) and I have to turn it in to something edible.
While we were at the Disney World, we had the pleasure of attending the celebration dinner for their Magic of Healthy Living contest winners. It was pretty awesome to see the mighty power of Disney focused on helping families lead healthy lives. My kids were skeptical of the ultra healthy dinner that was served, but it got us talking about healthy food, which led to the following recipe:
"You take smashed up peanuts and some peas, and pancetta and add all that to quinoa, plus three tablespoons of chicken broth. And olive juice, honey and a squeeze of lemon. And then you add a little parmesan cheese, garlic and arugula."
Here's what we actually did:
Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer until liquid is almost completely absorbed. While there is still a bit of liquid, add about 1 cup of frozen peas.
Meanwhile, lay the pancetta out on a baking sheet. Broil until crisp, flipping each piece about halfway through the process. Total broil time is only about 4 minutes. Warning: never walk away from anything under the broiler! I usually grab a glass of wine and sit on the floor watching it, which the kids seem to find amusing.
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| broiling pancetta |
Let the pancetta cool on the sheet, and grate about 1/4 cup of parmesan.
Mince a garlic clove and add to the juice of about 1/2 a lemon.
When the quinoa is done (liquid is about all absorbed), add the lemon juice & garlic and stir in. Turn heat off, and stir in parmesan. We then put that whole concoction in a bowl and crumbled the crisp pancetta over the top. I was afraid if we mixed it in, it would get soggy.
Crisp pancetta = awesome. Limp pancetta = meh.
You'll notice the peanuts, honey and olive juice didn't make it in to the recipe. The arugula kind of did, as we made my all-time favorite salad: Arugula with hearts of palm & shaved parmesan. The dressing is one clove of garlic, fleur de sel, fresh pepper, the other half of the lemon from earlier, emulsified with some fruity olive oil. Lemon juice + garlic + olive oil, as my dear friend Gwenn says, "emulsify like nobody's business."
In fact, after we removed the pancetta from the baking sheet, I rubbed the bread around on the sheet and then toasted it. Mmmm. Pancetta drippings.
The Girlchild was very pleased about her recipe, and how the whole meal came together. I love cooking with her, and of course she ate everything because she helped make it. My kitchen ended up a bit messier than if I had just made dinner myself, but I wouldn't trade this time together for a cleaner kitchen, that's for sure.
Anna was more smitten than usual with the hearts of palm. In fact, she claims our next cooking adventure will be a "Hearts of Palm Custard!"
OK. I'm not sure what to do with that, but I'm sure we'll come up with something!
I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some other fun perks. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Run baby run
I'm running a half marathon on Mother's Day. It will be my first b i g run since Hood To Coast in 2004. I did run a quarter marathon on Mother's Day in 2006, five months after Anna was born. But that's pretty much it for b i g runs. I've been really happy to run 3ish miles several times a week with some hot mamas in the neighborhood, but we really haven't been running together much for a month or so.
so anyway... I'm nervous about today.
According to our training schedule, I should have run about 10 miles, broken out into three runs throughout the week. I ran three miles. One time. That's it.
Today we run eight. 8 miles. 8 miles when I haven't been keeping up on my training for two weeks.
I know I'll be fine if I warm up sufficiently and take it slow. I know I can get through it – that's not the issue. I don't want to cause an injury that I have to live with the rest of my life! Ok, now I'm being dramatic.
After my three miler earlier this week, Girlchild says, "Mama, why is exercise only for grown-ups?"
«cue sound of tires screeching to a halt»
Obviously, I need to do more to incorporate "exercise" into our daily lives.
Sure, they get a lot through their regular activities. Just yesterday, Brian had them playing at the park —running, climbing, jumping— for 2.5 hours. But I think there's something more important than just doing the activity. If my kids are to grow up fit and strong with a commitment to healthy living, then they need to realize that exercise is important and know that it's just something you HAVE TO DO every day.
Like brushing their teeth and reading books. That doesn't mean it can't be fun. But we need to call it exercise, so it becomes habitual and normal. Wouldn't that be so much easier than trying insert "exercise" when they start going to the (oft-dreaded) PE classes in school? I'm heading over to Disney's Magic of Healthy Living site to see what they say about it. Disney has committed to providing families with healthy living resources, which we learned about at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.*
I'd be interested in knowing how other parents handle this, though. Do you set aside "exercise" time, or sneak it in with everyday activities?
*I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
so anyway... I'm nervous about today.
According to our training schedule, I should have run about 10 miles, broken out into three runs throughout the week. I ran three miles. One time. That's it.
Today we run eight. 8 miles. 8 miles when I haven't been keeping up on my training for two weeks.
I know I'll be fine if I warm up sufficiently and take it slow. I know I can get through it – that's not the issue. I don't want to cause an injury that I have to live with the rest of my life! Ok, now I'm being dramatic.
After my three miler earlier this week, Girlchild says, "Mama, why is exercise only for grown-ups?"
«cue sound of tires screeching to a halt»
Obviously, I need to do more to incorporate "exercise" into our daily lives.
Sure, they get a lot through their regular activities. Just yesterday, Brian had them playing at the park —running, climbing, jumping— for 2.5 hours. But I think there's something more important than just doing the activity. If my kids are to grow up fit and strong with a commitment to healthy living, then they need to realize that exercise is important and know that it's just something you HAVE TO DO every day.
Like brushing their teeth and reading books. That doesn't mean it can't be fun. But we need to call it exercise, so it becomes habitual and normal. Wouldn't that be so much easier than trying insert "exercise" when they start going to the (oft-dreaded) PE classes in school? I'm heading over to Disney's Magic of Healthy Living site to see what they say about it. Disney has committed to providing families with healthy living resources, which we learned about at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.*
I'd be interested in knowing how other parents handle this, though. Do you set aside "exercise" time, or sneak it in with everyday activities?
*I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Renew Our Vows?
Brian and I were married in July of 2001 and had our own version of a fairy tale wedding. Really, it was wonderful and I feel no need to recreate it or redo anything about it.
I've kind of poo-poohed people renewing their vows, because to us, the vows we took are forever. No need to renew. The idea of renewing implies that they're stale or old.
However...
While I was a the Disney Social Media Moms celebration, I learned about a new special promotion that Disney Fairy Tale Weddings has rolled out for their 20th anniversary. All this year, they're offering a special vow-renewal package for $1,991 ~ in honor of the year they started in 1991.
"In honor of the platinum year, Disney has also created a specially priced wedding package perfect for vow renewals: the Memories Collection. Throughout the 20-month celebration, couples are invited to create new memories through intimate ceremonies at Walt Disney World Resort. The Memories Collection includes up to six guests, including the couple, a floral bouquet for the bride, solo violinist, transportation (three-hour limousine charter) and a professional photographer for one hour.
I've kind of poo-poohed people renewing their vows, because to us, the vows we took are forever. No need to renew. The idea of renewing implies that they're stale or old.
However...
While I was a the Disney Social Media Moms celebration, I learned about a new special promotion that Disney Fairy Tale Weddings has rolled out for their 20th anniversary. All this year, they're offering a special vow-renewal package for $1,991 ~ in honor of the year they started in 1991.
"In honor of the platinum year, Disney has also created a specially priced wedding package perfect for vow renewals: the Memories Collection. Throughout the 20-month celebration, couples are invited to create new memories through intimate ceremonies at Walt Disney World Resort. The Memories Collection includes up to six guests, including the couple, a floral bouquet for the bride, solo violinist, transportation (three-hour limousine charter) and a professional photographer for one hour.
Ceremony locations include: Conch Key Marina at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Narcoossee’s Landing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Luau Beach at Disney’s Polynesian Resort."
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| Who wouldn't want a ride in Cinderella's carriage? ©Disney |
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| Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings Pavilion adjacent to the Grand Floridian resort on the Seven Seas Lagoon. ©Disney |
I wonder if I could talk Brian into a return trip?
I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Princess Wedding Dresses, a la Disney
Last week, I was treated to a Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Platinum Soirée at Walt Disney World which TOTALLY made me want to renew my wedding vows there. The Fairy Tale Weddings Pavilion at the Grand Floridian is so beautiful and magical, and Disney's attention to detail and guest experience management have made me a believer.
Disney and Alfred Angelo unveiled a series of seven Princess-inspired wedding gowns last fall, and they were available in stores in February of 2011. They're really beautiful, and I love that they each tell a little story about the personality or style of the muse princess. My favorite is Snow White... probably because of the nature motifs!
Here's the original Cinderella dress, which I think is just dreamy. Why can't wearing wedding dresses be an accepted practice for old married ladies like me?
One of the treats of the event was getting to see an exclusive preview of the "Cinderella Platinum Anniversary Gown" created by Alfred Angelo in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Disney Weddings.
You know what is totally silly and embarrassing? When the model walked down the aisle wearing this dress, I actually got all misty-eyed. Seriously. It's not even a real wedding, and I've never met this person. I can't help it, I'm a sap.
I don't have a good picture of the dress in person (probably because I was all silly sappy), but Disney Go To Girl has a great one on her site here.
I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Disney and Alfred Angelo unveiled a series of seven Princess-inspired wedding gowns last fall, and they were available in stores in February of 2011. They're really beautiful, and I love that they each tell a little story about the personality or style of the muse princess. My favorite is Snow White... probably because of the nature motifs!
Here's the original Cinderella dress, which I think is just dreamy. Why can't wearing wedding dresses be an accepted practice for old married ladies like me?
I don't have a good picture of the dress in person (probably because I was all silly sappy), but Disney Go To Girl has a great one on her site here.
I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Travel with my Family
Wow, I have so much to process and write about from the fantastic trip we took to Disney World. I was fortunate enough to be included in Disney's Social Media Moms Celebration March 17-20, and I'm still pinching myself. It was overwhelming and unreal, to be honest. I learned so much, experienced so much, and met some pretty incredible people ~ all of which I'll be writing about soon!
But the biggest headline from the trip is that my family travels well together.
Fairly early into my relationship with Brian, we realized that we could travel well together, and we were so relieved! It's not that it would have been a deal breaker – or maybe it would have – but since we both love travel, it's nice that we are such a good team.
As we were tucking the kids into bed upon returning from this big trip, Brian told the kids how proud we are of them for also being such good travel team members. I got all mushy when he said that. I'm sure it's just because I was so tired... But how sweet, right?
And really, the kids were awesome. We've been on many trips together, but nothing this complex or scheduled. We were trying to squeeze as much as possible into this trip! They were such troopers, and I just couldn't be prouder of my little team.
I saw so many families at the parks sniping and yelling at each other, and just generally being unkind. It was so sad, and made me that much more grateful that we all discussed it and agreed to be nice to each other. It made the whole trip better. Don't get me wrong, there was tension at times. But we were committed to not taking any frustrations out on each other.
I actually came back from this trip more in love with my husband, and more in love with my kids. That's pretty good for a 10-day extravaganza.
I'm so grateful. And so proud. And already planning our next trip!
But the biggest headline from the trip is that my family travels well together.
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| On the river boat from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney |
Fairly early into my relationship with Brian, we realized that we could travel well together, and we were so relieved! It's not that it would have been a deal breaker – or maybe it would have – but since we both love travel, it's nice that we are such a good team.
As we were tucking the kids into bed upon returning from this big trip, Brian told the kids how proud we are of them for also being such good travel team members. I got all mushy when he said that. I'm sure it's just because I was so tired... But how sweet, right?
And really, the kids were awesome. We've been on many trips together, but nothing this complex or scheduled. We were trying to squeeze as much as possible into this trip! They were such troopers, and I just couldn't be prouder of my little team.
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| At the airport for our red eye flight, way past their bedtime in jammies & backpacks |
I actually came back from this trip more in love with my husband, and more in love with my kids. That's pretty good for a 10-day extravaganza.
I'm so grateful. And so proud. And already planning our next trip!
I attended the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World. Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, the conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, the conference and meals for me, several amazing meals for our entire family, park hopper passes for each of us, and some pretty incredible swag items to take home. Disney did not ask me to write about this event, and all opinions are my own.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
*#@$!*#@%!!!!
OK, I bought these super cute shoes at DSW: they're comfy and walkable and, you know, gold:
Riiiight?
Guess what my *#@$!*#@%! puppy did???
That's right. He chewed one up. Grrrr.
I was feeling really upset about it... like ALL DAY! At some point, I remembered that in comparison to being swept away in a tsunami, this really isn't that big of a deal. Then, I was reading Oh Amanda's blog, and she has a whole page dedicated to little kids who need prayers. Gah.
Oh, I feel so fortunate to have healthy kids.
And dang it, we're going to Disney World.
With or without cute shoes.
I have so much to be thankful for. And yes... I do get to be upset about my shoes being chewed. But a little perspective certainly helps.
So now I'm over it! {kinda}
***UPDATE***
I sent this link to DSW via @DSWshoelover on twitter, and they're sending me a gift card to get a new pair! Yay for customer service!
Riiiight?
Guess what my *#@$!*#@%! puppy did???
I was feeling really upset about it... like ALL DAY! At some point, I remembered that in comparison to being swept away in a tsunami, this really isn't that big of a deal. Then, I was reading Oh Amanda's blog, and she has a whole page dedicated to little kids who need prayers. Gah.
Oh, I feel so fortunate to have healthy kids.
And dang it, we're going to Disney World.
With or without cute shoes.
I have so much to be thankful for. And yes... I do get to be upset about my shoes being chewed. But a little perspective certainly helps.
So now I'm over it! {kinda}
***UPDATE***
I sent this link to DSW via @DSWshoelover on twitter, and they're sending me a gift card to get a new pair! Yay for customer service!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Dinsey
I keep waiting for someone to post about how excited they are to go to Dinsey.
I know, it's not going to happen. Or will it?
I live for funny typos.
Please, somebody post about Dinsey.
It will make my day.
I know, it's not going to happen. Or will it?
I live for funny typos.
Please, somebody post about Dinsey.
It will make my day.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
giddy
I stopped at a consignment store to check into water sandals for the kiddles to take to Disney World, and just HAD to buy this little number for the Girl:
It's a Tinkerbell-inspired princess dress!
Now, she hasn't been in a princess mood for a while, just OBSESSED with dinosaurs. It's been a couple months since she's insisted on wearing princess clothes or a tiara, so I didn't know if she'd be in to it or not.
Oh, em gee. She took one look at it and stripped off her clothes to put it on. Once on, she had the hugest permagrin, and this deep gutteral laugh just took over her whole body. Seriously, shaking and jumping up and down. Then... screaming laughing running laps around the house. Laughing laughing laughing.
Next, she needed to put on princess shoes. Then, she insisted on making a mask. Mask? OK! I helped her make this:
When my parents arrived at the house for dinner, she ran up and said, "What do you think of my look? I'm the Queen of the Fairies!" {squeee, resume laps and laughter} I tried to get a picture of her, but she couldn't stop moving.
Is she a little excited? Just a tad. To be honest, every time I see the little countdown to the right, my heart skips a beat. I'm tempted to run laps and scream, too!
I'm so looking forward to not only this UH MAZ ING family time at Disney World, but also to meeting all these inspirational women. And I'm certain that the information I'll learn at the conference will be life-changing. I just know it.
So yes, I'm giddy. Yes, I've been informally packing for months. Yes, I'm religiously stalking the #disneysmmoms hashtag. Like the kids, I CAN'T WAIT.
Now, she hasn't been in a princess mood for a while, just OBSESSED with dinosaurs. It's been a couple months since she's insisted on wearing princess clothes or a tiara, so I didn't know if she'd be in to it or not.
Oh, em gee. She took one look at it and stripped off her clothes to put it on. Once on, she had the hugest permagrin, and this deep gutteral laugh just took over her whole body. Seriously, shaking and jumping up and down. Then... screaming laughing running laps around the house. Laughing laughing laughing.
Next, she needed to put on princess shoes. Then, she insisted on making a mask. Mask? OK! I helped her make this:
When my parents arrived at the house for dinner, she ran up and said, "What do you think of my look? I'm the Queen of the Fairies!" {squeee, resume laps and laughter} I tried to get a picture of her, but she couldn't stop moving.
Is she a little excited? Just a tad. To be honest, every time I see the little countdown to the right, my heart skips a beat. I'm tempted to run laps and scream, too!
I'm so looking forward to not only this UH MAZ ING family time at Disney World, but also to meeting all these inspirational women. And I'm certain that the information I'll learn at the conference will be life-changing. I just know it.
So yes, I'm giddy. Yes, I've been informally packing for months. Yes, I'm religiously stalking the #disneysmmoms hashtag. Like the kids, I CAN'T WAIT.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
It was random
Who got in to Disney Social Media Moms? I think it was random. I keep feeling like I need to justify my presence in the lucky few who got in. That's me, projecting. I've got to get over it.
Disney is putting on this event for "Social Media Moms." No definition of what that means. It doesn't mean you have to make money or get free stuff from your blog. It doesn't mean you need 10,000 followers.
This event is clearly not for A-list bloggers, it's just for "social media moms." I'm active on Facebook and Twitter (or as my boss says, "Tweeter"). I've recently started this blog. I tweet for my employer, and started the zoo in both before they even thought it was important. Also, guess what? I'm a mom. So there. I'm a social media mom.
I don't need anyone else to tell me that I don't have the klout score of so-and-so. Or the rankings or stats of anyone else. I know. I'm ok with that. We all have different goals and we all have to start somewhere.
As for who got in and who didn't?
I think it was random.
My registration confirmation email is time-stamped 11:10 a.m. PST. I'm sure I was one of the very first to get registered. But I've read the posts of many others who had the same or very close time stamp who did not get in, and many with much later time stamps who did. So I think Disney must have had a system failure, accepted too many registrations, somehow couldn't discern who's was submitted when, and were faced with what to do about it. I think they must have randomly chosen from those who had been allowed to submit a registration.
I wish they would issue some sort of statement so those of us who got in could stop feeling defensive about it and those of us who didn't get in could move on, content that it wasn't personal. Not that it would make things right — this was clearly a fail on several levels. But it would at least stop the speculation.
I'm a little bummed that my excitement is tempered by this pall hanging over the process. Not too bummed, mind you, I'm SO THRILLED to get this opportunity. I've been scouting around the blog conferences for about a year, trying to decide if it was worth the investment of time and money at this point. This conference is a perfect marriage of learning, networking, and family time. And an amazing price. So yeah, I'm glad I got in.
I just wish it had gone down a little differently.
Cheers and pixie dust.... • ·*°`º*· • . • ·*°`º*· • ·*°`º*· Swank
Disney is putting on this event for "Social Media Moms." No definition of what that means. It doesn't mean you have to make money or get free stuff from your blog. It doesn't mean you need 10,000 followers.
This event is clearly not for A-list bloggers, it's just for "social media moms." I'm active on Facebook and Twitter (or as my boss says, "Tweeter"). I've recently started this blog. I tweet for my employer, and started the zoo in both before they even thought it was important. Also, guess what? I'm a mom. So there. I'm a social media mom.
I don't need anyone else to tell me that I don't have the klout score of so-and-so. Or the rankings or stats of anyone else. I know. I'm ok with that. We all have different goals and we all have to start somewhere.
As for who got in and who didn't?
I think it was random.
My registration confirmation email is time-stamped 11:10 a.m. PST. I'm sure I was one of the very first to get registered. But I've read the posts of many others who had the same or very close time stamp who did not get in, and many with much later time stamps who did. So I think Disney must have had a system failure, accepted too many registrations, somehow couldn't discern who's was submitted when, and were faced with what to do about it. I think they must have randomly chosen from those who had been allowed to submit a registration.
I wish they would issue some sort of statement so those of us who got in could stop feeling defensive about it and those of us who didn't get in could move on, content that it wasn't personal. Not that it would make things right — this was clearly a fail on several levels. But it would at least stop the speculation.
I'm a little bummed that my excitement is tempered by this pall hanging over the process. Not too bummed, mind you, I'm SO THRILLED to get this opportunity. I've been scouting around the blog conferences for about a year, trying to decide if it was worth the investment of time and money at this point. This conference is a perfect marriage of learning, networking, and family time. And an amazing price. So yeah, I'm glad I got in.
I just wish it had gone down a little differently.
Cheers and pixie dust.... • ·*°`º*· • . • ·*°`º*· • ·*°`º*· Swank
Friday, December 3, 2010
Disney Social Media Moms: still waiting...
The Orange Circle of Frustration is haunting me.
While I didn't have any trouble registering (I was in and out by 11:12 my time), the orange circle spinning while the page was loading was still nerve-racking.
For many, the orange circle syndrome lasted for more than an hour!
Well, even though I registered right away, I'm still waiting.... and waiting... for the confirmation.
Which I'm calling a validation/verification because I really have no idea how the decisions are made about who gets to attend.
I'm seeing a lot of tweets and posts of people getting denied access, but I still haven't gotten the follow up email from WDW.
So the orange circle is haunting me....
I was just at a playdate, and they had stickers on their wall that used to be a sun, but is now this:
I think the other mama thought I was pretty strange when I asked to take a picture of her Orange Circle of Frustration. Although I think she'll see it in a new light when she's sitting by her son's bed, waiting and waiting for him to go to sleep!
While I didn't have any trouble registering (I was in and out by 11:12 my time), the orange circle spinning while the page was loading was still nerve-racking.
For many, the orange circle syndrome lasted for more than an hour!
Well, even though I registered right away, I'm still waiting.... and waiting... for the confirmation.
Which I'm calling a validation/verification because I really have no idea how the decisions are made about who gets to attend.
I'm seeing a lot of tweets and posts of people getting denied access, but I still haven't gotten the follow up email from WDW.
So the orange circle is haunting me....
I was just at a playdate, and they had stickers on their wall that used to be a sun, but is now this:
I think the other mama thought I was pretty strange when I asked to take a picture of her Orange Circle of Frustration. Although I think she'll see it in a new light when she's sitting by her son's bed, waiting and waiting for him to go to sleep!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Disney Social Media Moms
Well, I just registered for the Disney Social Media Moms conference.
I've been wanting to attend a social media/blog conference for about a year, but since I'm not in to monetizing my blog, it's never seemed like the right investment (of money and time away from the family).
But this conference presents a unique opportunity. Not only is it fabulously priced, it welcomes the family!
So... I can learn more about social media (about which I am passionate and nerdy) AND have some fun with the family?
Count me in!
I hope I get to go, but there are a lot — and I mean A LOT — of people who want to go, and space is very limited. I go back and forth on wondering who should really be attending this conference. Sometimes I think it's me, sometimes I don't feel like I'm quite the target demographic yet. I don't have 10,000 followers on twitter or 5,000 Facebook friends... but really, do I want them? I have great relationships and I value them. So is more really better? Nah. Anyway, I'm grateful that I got my registration submitted.
If I get in, AWESOME. If not, it wasn't meant to be, and we'll go to Mexico instead... :)
I've been wanting to attend a social media/blog conference for about a year, but since I'm not in to monetizing my blog, it's never seemed like the right investment (of money and time away from the family).
But this conference presents a unique opportunity. Not only is it fabulously priced, it welcomes the family!
So... I can learn more about social media (about which I am passionate and nerdy) AND have some fun with the family?
Count me in!
I hope I get to go, but there are a lot — and I mean A LOT — of people who want to go, and space is very limited. I go back and forth on wondering who should really be attending this conference. Sometimes I think it's me, sometimes I don't feel like I'm quite the target demographic yet. I don't have 10,000 followers on twitter or 5,000 Facebook friends... but really, do I want them? I have great relationships and I value them. So is more really better? Nah. Anyway, I'm grateful that I got my registration submitted.
If I get in, AWESOME. If not, it wasn't meant to be, and we'll go to Mexico instead... :)
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