On Thursday night, the kids and I were invited to an advanced look at the Maryland Science Center’s new fully interactive exhibit Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World presented by Terminix.

What a night.

Hosted by Harry, a Chinese praying mantis, and his insect friends, Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! takes visitors on a unique multi-sensory journey through the habitats, sights, sounds and social structures of some of  nature’s smallest and most important contributors.

Your kids will adore it.

{My boy’s favorites were the scorpion and tarantula. Shocking, I know.}

My advice? Visit on a weekend when the special programming is in full swing.

On weekends trained entomologists from the Audubon Insectarium, allow you to get up-close-and-personal with the stars of the exhibit… the bugs!

Their specially designed interactive games and competitions had us in stitches. What kid wouldn’t want to know how far they can spit a cricket? Or root for their fav roach in the Roach Race, or  hang out in the Bug Petting Zoo?

Or even try an insect delicacy cooked up by the Bug Chef? Yes. You read right. THE BUG CHEF. If bug cuisine is on your bucket list, then this exhibit will be right up your alley…

{See how much I love my readers?  Yes, I ate a bug for my blog. It was, not surprisingly, rather crunchy. My kids haven’t kissed me in days.}

Important deets:

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! will be open during regular museum hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note special weekend programming.) Entrance to the exhibit is included in museum admission. For ticket and admission information, call Maryland Science Center at 410-685-2370 or visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org for more information.

In case you got a big, nasty WARNING page shouting at you when you attempted to visit my site… FEAR NOT.

The site has been scrubbed.

But since it was reported as a problem site, we’re still working on getting those nasty messages removed.

Sigh.

Why a hacker would target little ole me, I have no idea.

But they did.

Thanks for sticking by me.

Mothers around the world rejoice! 

Have I got a find for you…

#mom (hashtagmom) is a service that automates calling or texting your mother when you arrive at a location using Foursquare and the #mom hashtag. That means anytime mom is worried whether or not you arrived safely, you can let her know immediately.

I have to tell you, even my own mother loves this! (And she recently boycotted the Internet to the point of cancelling her email account.)  To sign up,  go here, enter your mother’s cel number, select your preference of  a text or call, and connect it to your Foursquare account.

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

A weekly vlogging series addressing topics about mom life.

Talk about stepping outside of my comfort zone!

Have a vlog you would like to share? Link below:

Looking for fun things to do with your kids in DC?

Play Today DC is a local family friendly website that is all about connecting families with kids’ classes, events, and activities happening in and around DC. Along with a calendar of events, Play Today DC allows a parent to register for the activities right on the site. No more playing phone tag with the kiddie gym! Play Today DC is free for families to sign up and enjoy. (Now in Beta version in Northern Virginia, currently serving Falls Church, Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, Reston and Vienna.  Expanding to serve other cities in the DC-area soon.)

JOIN THEM AT THEIR LAUNCH EVENT:

On Saturday, February 4th, 2012 Play Today DC will host a free  “Find the Fun Fair” event at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna, VA from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  There will be tons of great activities for families including a moon bounce, face painting, snacks, music, plus raffles and giveaways. (Plus and iPad giveaway! See below for details)

SWEEPSTAKES OPPORTUNITIES: 

Visit the Play Today DC Facebook fan page, become a fan and you are eligible to win an iPod Touch in their online sweepstakes! (Value $199). Print out the Play Today DC Facebook fan page, include your name, email address and phone number and bring it to the Find the Fun Fair on Feb. 4th  and be entered to win an iPad at the fair. Wow, right?  (Value $499). For more details, click here.

Disclosure: I received compensation in return for writing this post. That being said, I’m all about making lives easier. Who isn’t?

A new lifestyle retreat for working mothers is debuting in the DC Metro area this April. {re}Treat Yourself – a lifestyle redesign getaway for working mothers – is the brain child of a woman I admire greatly, Stacey Ferguson. (See her Working Mom Spotlight here)

The event was born out of Stacey’s own frustrations, “ I have always been frustrated at the lack of practical lifestyle resources available to parents, specifically moms juggling family and career. So many mothers I know, myself included, are struggling with keeping all of the balls they have to juggle in the air; it’s a major source of stress that is rarely addressed.  After searching high and low for an outlet like without success, I decided to create one.”

Gotta love a woman who gets out there and just makes it happen!

The {re}Treat Yourself  event in April is the first in a series of lifestyle redesign experiences she has planned.  This 2-day event is all-inclusive and will offer busy mothers workshops on topics like: fitness and relaxation; meal planning; developing support systems and nurturing relationships; defining personal style; home and office organization; creating an ideal family life; and much more.

Not to be forgotten, of course, {re}Treat Yourself will also offer attendees opportunities for pampering, downtime and a chance to tackle items off of their to-do lists, in addition to coming away with concrete takeaways to simplify and enrich their lives.

The event is slated for April 13^th and 14^th, 2012 at the AAA Four Diamond Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA. Registration is now open. For more information or to sign up, visit: http://Events.JusticeFergie.com

If you are a working woman who desperately needs time to relax and recharge, I urge you to give this weekend some consideration. I know the quality of Stacey’s events and I am certain she will once again knock this out of the park. It looks spectacular!

I’m feeling the need to address the elephant in the room. I want to talk a little bit about that thing we all wanted to get into but DIDN’T. That thing we are all mopey and stressed out about.

That thing we didn’t get an invitation to attend. (And by we I mean me, and maybe even you.)

Ouch. It stings.

Getting an invitation means that you are special. It means you are important. It means that you are SOMEBODY. And not getting an invitation… doesn’t. Or so we let ourselves think.

Here’s the thing to keep in mind… you ARE somebody. Just because you weren’t included this time, that doesn’t mean you don’t matter.

Deep inside you know exactly what I am talking about. You know that you are being overly sensitive and possibly irrational. You‘re feeling vulnerable and uncertain.

Trust me, I know.

Image via Glenda Otero

I felt the exact same way when the news rolled out across Twitter. I frantically checked my email and spam boxes. I stalked the hashtag. I started mental comparisons between myself and the bloggers who made it in. (It was slightly pathetic, I admit.)

Once it became clear to me that I did not warrant an invite, I went through a dramatic, albeit short-lived,  period of self-doubt and depression. “Why do I bother to blog, anyway? I’ll never be as talented or influental as them. I can’t believe I even thought I might have a chance. They probably don’t even know I exist. I should just call it a day and give up.”

Yes, friends. I actually considered giving it all up. As in shutting down my blog and never returning. 

And for what? For an invitation.

Sigh.

It is so hard in this blogosphere to keep everything in perspective.  My (and/or your) lack of an invitation wasn’t a rejection… there were simply not enough to go around. There are a ton of bloggers out there and only a finite amount of openings.

Someone is going to have to sit this round out.

And that someone is … us. Plain and simple, really.

Social comparison is a dangerous trap that many fall into online because it is so easy to do. The truth is, we all need to be extra guarded and vigilant when it comes to our self esteem or we will end up unfulfilled and unhappy.

Compairing yourself to others is nothing short of toxic.

I personally plan to give a mental high-five to all of the folks proclaiming their excitement over being included in this year’s festivities. I encourage others to do the same. They deserve to have a fantastic time! Who knows? Maybe next year we’ll be the ones who get a surprise in our own in-boxes… or not.

I am incredibly humbled and excited to announce that I have been selected as a 2012 Stiletto Woman in Business Award Finalist for Mom Entrepreneur of the Year, Social Media Influencer of the Year  and Blogger of the Year.

*Blink*

I know. Even typing that sentence is surreal.

Seeing my name listed among so many other incredible women, takes my breath away, to be sure. (You can view all of the finalists online here.)

In case you are unfamiliar, the SWIBA Awards (Stiletto Woman in Business Awards) are an initiative of Stiletto Woman Media which focuses on empowering women in business.

CEO Karlena Wallace had this to say, “The Stiletto Woman in Business Awards honors the monumental efforts of everyday women business owners, particularly those operating smaller entities that often go under the radar. These leaders redefine conventionalism and create their own success, all while changing lives.”

Wow.

Although I personally do not feel I deserve to be included in such a prestigious group, I do heartily applaud what this organization is all about.

Empowering, coaching and mentoring women is a passion of mine. (No matter what side of the fence I happen to be on at the time.)

My heartfelt appreciation (and shock) at becoming a finalist in the 2012 SWIBA Awards.

Wow. The week really flew by!

I must confess that I slightly feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck.

For starters, my baby turned 11 years old on Wednesday. It just boggles the mind, I tell you. Wasn’t he just a drooling mess in a onsie only yesterday? Sure seems like it to me…

In the midst of the birthday fun, it has also been a big week at the office with a couple of projects colliding into one small timeframe. (Isn’t that how it always happens?)

I tried to document my day yesterday but it was such a complete trainwreck that I think I fell short. At least I got a workout in. It had to happen at 4:30am but I am proud to say that it did indeed happen.

In any event, here is a bit of a recap of Thursday:

9:00am – Office

What a jam packed day! Multiple conference calls, projects and deadlines to juggle and only 1/2 of a day to do it in. I’m telling you what, I had a hard time breathing. Ever look at your schedule and just PANIC? That completely happened. (Obviously I survived in tact. I’m such a drama queen sometimes.)

2:30pm – ADDY Program Pictures

I probably should explain this one a bit, although I am tempted to just shoot it out to the Internets and let you all think I am nutso. I think I have mentioned before that I am co-chairing the ADDY Awards in my area for our chapter of the American Advertising Federation. The theme is CLUE (as in the game) and we’ve opted for a bit of retro glamour feel for the awards gala. It was requested of us to take some leadership photos in this style. My business partner Amy delved right into it and came up with these costumes. (She is the most creative person ever.) I can’t wait to see the final photos. They will be ridiculous and fun, I am sure!

6:00pm – Big Fish, Small Pond

Drew Ungvarsky, Owner and Creative Director of Grow Interactive  out of Norfolk, VA gave a fascinating talk about developing an internationally recognized, digital team in a small market. Grow works for some of the world’s premier brands and top advertising agencies including Sprint, Google, Toyota, Motorola, and Wendy’s. (To name a few!) He was a fascinating speaker and a really great guy to spend time with.

I got home around 10:15pm last night and collapsed. Can you blame me?

Vera Sweeney is a native New Yorker and mother of two children. She is the founder of I’m Not Obsessed Media, which includes LadyAndTheBlog.com, ImNotObsessed.com and BabyRazzi.com. Collectively, these sites generate over 5 million pageviews a month. Her online destinations cover a broad range of topics including entertainment and pop culture news, fashion trends, beauty product reviews, step-by-step recipe breakdowns, travel tips and her personal parenting experiences.

Vera is also the co-founder, with partner Audrey McClelland, of Getting Gorgeous. This company is dedicated to offering fashion and beauty advice to moms.

Over the years, how have you learned to balance career and motherhood? 

Fortunately for me, I cheat. My husband stays home with me and together we manage our brand. So, between the two of us, our children are never without a parent. We take turns working and being with the kids. I have less guilt when I work because I know my children are just spending time with their father.

But I do keep “office hours”. I work from 7AM to 12PM every day – head down. At lunch, my son comes home from school and I try to limit my time at the desk. I do, however, constantly check my phone for breaking news / immediate requests. 

Is there one particular parenting lesson you’ve learned about raising kids?

I’ve learned that all parents do the best that they can do. When you are young, it’s so easy to blame or to judge or to hate. But as you age, you realize that we are all just trying to get through this life one day at a time. I’ve learned it’s important to not put too many expectations on myself or on others.

Battling stress? Any advice?

Um… amitriptyline. No, in all honesty: reading ‘The Power of Now, Yoga twice a week, and at least an hour each night being completely unproductive.

Tools or products you can’t live without?

Well, how long do you have? Let’s see. My iPhone. Mascara. Nook. iTunes. Tinted Moisturizer. Skinny Jeans, my Mac, Facebook, Instagram, and… an unsweetened Black Tea Lemonade from Starbucks.

Do you have an inspirational quote, motto or philosophy you can share with us?

Everyone has their demons. We all have pasts that took turns for the worse and sometimes when it gets really quiet, it’s easy to sink back into those dark days. Whenever that happens, I whisper to  myself, “Just Look”.

I open my eyes wide and take in my current environment. It’s a way to remind myself where I am. I am here. Married. With Children. Happy. Safe. Loved.

“Just Look” is something I whisper to myself quite frequently. I even plan on getting it tattooed on my wrist. I just haven’t had the time.

Favorite resources, books, or website?

Websites: FoodGawker.com, Pinterest.com, Twitter.com, Google Trends, Polyvore.com

Books: The Hunger Games, The Black Dagger Brotherhood (a bit… raunchy as an FYI), again – The Power of Now, Thin Slicing, Blink, Memoirs of a Geisha. I could go on and on

What is on the horizon for you? Anything new and exciting?

I recently partnered up with Audrey McClelland, Denise Albert, Melissa Gerstein, Holly Pavlika, and Stephanie Winton Wolkoff to create ‘Strut: The Fashionable Mom Show’. We are presenting during NYFW at Lincoln Center on February 16^th. It’s the first show of its kind – highlight IN STORE fashion for moms. We are very, very exited.

 Connect with her:

Twitter:  @VeraSweeney
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/INOmommy
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/veryvera1
Websites:  http://imnotobsessed.com, http://ladyandtheblog.com, http:babyrazzi.com, http://gettinggorgeousevents.com