Michelle,  Shannon and I –  Nice pimp hat, no?

Sorry I’ve been absent lately. I spent the large part of this week in Baltimore attending the Social Fresh conference. Fabulous experience for marketers! Such a refreshing conference with tons of relevant, actionable topics.

*Um, yeah… I am fully aware that technically today is Thursday so I have no right acting like this is a Wordless Wednesday post but “Text Free Thursday” just didn’t have the same ring to it and I really meant to get this up yesterday, so there.  (I may need some more sleep.) I’ll be sure to blog more about the experience in the next few days.

I am the number one mom of the world.

El numero uno. The awesomest of awesome. The bomb.

Why? Because I (well, sort of) gave them a little taste of Disney this week.

Disney came to Baltimore to put on a Disney Summer Social and our family was lucky enough to be included in their festivities! (The boys were beside themselves with excitement. If there is one vacation they ask for again and again – it is another trip to Disney.)

We had a lovely time socializing with blogging pals, meeting new friends and catching up on everyone’s family adventures. It was a real treat!

The boys were fascinated to learn about these new updates to their fav Disney adventures:

• “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios taking riders to the planets Coruscant and Tatooine. (We. Love. Star. Wars. Nuff. Said.)
• Wild Africa Trek, in Disney’s Animal Kingdom taking small groups of visitors on adventures into unexplored areas of the Disney savanna to learn about wildlife.  (My firstborn is pretty much destined to work in a zoo. His love for animals sometimes outways humans.)
• Lightning McQueen replacing Herbie the Love Bug on stage in Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. (Our family loved this show. We saw it twice. Fire! Fast cars! Stunt men!)
• Enhancements added to the  Haunted Mansion. (Great experience. Just enough to scare but not too much!)
  

As for me, I have been dreaming of running the Disney Marathon, okay, actually of earning the Goofy medal for a long time.  (And now there is a TINKERBELL 1/2 MARATHON! You know she is my favorite, right?) I was kinda thinking of asking for Disney Marathon entry for my birthday present this year but, it seems a little over the top. Then again you only turn 40 once, right? (Husband? Are you reading this?)

The Disney event was a lovely ending to our summer. Which got me thinking of ways to extend summer break just a bit longer. Hmmm…. Disney cruise, anyone?

Disclosure: I attended the Disney Summer Social event with my children and received some goodies and treats.  I was not asked to post nor compensated for it.  All opinions expressed are my very own.

Up until Saturday night I could honestly say that I was not a fan.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t DISLIKE monster trucks, per se. I had simply not been exposed to the whole world that is monster truck madness.

But that evening we were invited to attend Monster Jam’s “Havoc in the Harbor” at the Baltimore Raven’s M&T Bank Stadium as guests of Feld Motorsports.

INTENSE? You could say that.

My boys were over the moon with excitement. We were instantly converted from family-who-didn’t-know-what-they-were-missing to HUGE FANS.

People, there were trucks skidding and sliding, flipping over, twisting around, losing parts and even CATCHING FIRE. What is not to love about that!? I was even biting my nails at one point…. ME! The girly-girl who wore a maxi-dress to the festivities. (I think I was subconsciously trying to declare my femininity in an overly testosterone-laden arena.)

My pal Keyonte and I rocking the girly wear!

We are most definitely converts...

In case you are a newbie like me, you’ll find some of these facts fascinating:

• The custom designed trucks are each about 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide, weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds and sit atop 66-inch-tall tires.
• They can generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. (Crazy!)
• Monster trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

My little boys (and their dad) were never happier. Need more convincing? Watch below:

What could be cooler than that?

Training for the Baltimore Marathon Officially Begins!

Okay, friends, there is no turning back. This weekend marks the formal and official no-turning-back-now start of  training for the Baltimore Marathon. I’m really excited about this race because it is my pal Lori’s first marathon (whee!) and the first time I’ve ever run the full course in Baltimore. I’ve run the 1/2 four separate times so this is an exciting step for me. (Of course, Katie will also be joining us as well. She is a warrior, that one.)

Below is the plan that will be guiding our training team for the next four months. You can keep track of the actual mileage via my Daily Mile account. (Also located on the right sidebar of this blog)

Date / Mileage

July 2 / 9
July 9 / 10
July 16 / 7
July 23 / 12
July 30 / 13
August 6 / 10
August 13 / 15
August 20 / 16
August 27 / 12
September 3 / 18
September 10 / 14
September 17 / 20
September 24 / 12
October 1 / 20
October 8 / 4
October 15 / Race

(BTW – This training schedule is courtesy of Hal Higdon. And ever-so-slightly modified by me. Natch.)

Interested in running but don’t know where to start? CHECK OUT MY VIDEO on the subject.

On another note…

DC METRO FOLKS, DO NOT MISS THIS. Gotta give props to my friend Sunday of Extreme Parenthood who found this fabulous gem of a race -the Run For Your Lives Zombie Obstacle Course 5K.

Brilliant.

Will I be there? Are you kidding? I MUST be there. Running with zombies? Hellz yeah! (Even though technically is is the weekend AFTER Baltimore. So, the zombies might have the advantage on me that day.)

If you are in the area, you should really hope over to the website and check it out.

If you have read my blog for any length of time, then you know that this December I hit the big 4-0 milestone. I’ve gone through various stages of emotions regarding this fact, I’m ashamed to admit. First was excitement, then irreverence and finally, full speed ahead to panic. Before you jump to conclusions about my “panic,” let me clear one thing up for you – it is not about the age. It is about accomplishments. It is about getting “my house” in order. It is about goal setting.

So, this morning I put together a list of 40 things that I want to do prior to the big 4-0.  I’ll blog about them as I accomplish them. Crossing my fingers that I manage to get it all done!

Personal

• Finish decorating my bedroom.
• Complete the picture mural in the living room.
• Begin writing a book.
• Bring back the pink hair or get a nose piercing.
• Learn how to skateboard.
• Have my first girlfriend’s weekend away.
• Visit the beach.
• Buy an expensive night cream.
• Buy a new (read: slinky) dress to wear to a fancy function.
• Get an extravagant pedicure.
• Adopt a mantra.
• Buy iPhone 4
• Complete a Bible study.
• Join a book club. (online or in person)
• Take a cooking class.

Blog / Online

• Finish the blog redesign along with You Tube, Twitter, About.Me and new blog cards.
• Launch a new web series.
• Get that big content idea off the ground.
• Land a really cool partnership.
• Nab a cool guest post opportunity or meet a blogger that I’ve always admired.

Fitness Goals

• Lose that 15 pounds.
• Run the Baltimore marathon.
• Finish a Body-For-Life round.
• Try Yoga.

Professional

• Join the board of directors or take a leadership role in an organization.
• Finish decorating my office.
• Find an organizational system that works perfectly for me.
• Do something outside my comfort zone.
• Write a white paper.
• Land a speaking engagement.
• Attend a conference or take an online course in my industry.

Family

• Take each boy on a special day alone.
• Run a 5K with one or both of the boys.
• Spend a romantic night away with my husband.
• See a musical, play or performance.
• Take the boys to New York.
• Go to a theme park.
• Call my sister(s) every week.
• Have tea at a tea room with my mother and sisters.
• Take a family hike.

You may ask yourself, WHY am I telling the world this nonsense? Because my dear friend, if it is out there then I HAVE TO DO IT. Accountability is a good thing.

So excited to announce that the official Momz Share website is live!  So very, very excited!

What you can expect from the new site:

• News about blogger networking events in the Baltimore / Washington D.C. Metro Area
• Guest posts by fantastic bloggers on important topics.
• Features on area bloggers and much, much more!

It is time for me to weigh in on the New York Times article.  Yeah, THAT article.  The one I was quoted in. The one that everyone is freaking out about.  News to you?  Well, then I invite you to take a moment to read it.  It is okay. I’ll wait….

I wasn’t planning on speaking out on it, I was perfectly content to let it ride and read what others were saying.  They were all much more eloquent then I, anyway.

But then I started musing about a couple of things:

1. Who EXACTLY is the adversary here?  The author?  Or perhaps the powers that be at the New York Times?

2. Why was everyone so riled up? Perhaps there was there a bigger issue at stake?  I think the answer to that is a RESOUNDING YES.  It is a bigger issue. And I am not alone in my thinking, Kelby Carr believes the same. Mom 101 wrote a letter to the New York Times. And PunditMom also addressed the issues behind it.

So what pushed me over the edge to take to my own computer?  Two things, actually.  My quote was being misinterpreted AND I personally spoke to the author, Jennifer Mendelsohn.

Yep. I reached out to her.

But first let me address my own quote.  I was quoted as saying “We all live online.”  Yes, that is  what I said BUT it was part of a bigger discussion about putting our lives out there online and relating to each other and finding companionship.  I actually wrote an article for Maryland Life Magazine in the March/April 2010 issue talking about “mommy bloggers” and connecting with others via the Internet.  (I personally prefer the term DIGITAL MOM, by the way.) Some have misconstrued my quote as me saying “we live way too much online.”  NOPE. Not what I meant. At. All.

Anyway…. back to the author.  I reached out to her because I was wondering her thoughts on all of this.  I was wondering how she was holding up and frankly, I was wondering if she felt a backlash. I know that when women mobilize we can be a force to be reckoned with.  My opinion on the whole piece was that the GRAPHIC and the HEADLINE were insulting and DEGRADING. Now, I don’t claim to know much about the newspaper industry but one thing I do know is that the author has no control over any of that.  And if you read the headline and look at the graphic, well, they have exactly ZERO to do with the story she wrote.

My own dealings with her at the conference were very pleasant and were consistent with our phone conversation afterwards.  She has actually posted her official response on her blog.  You might want to hop over and give it a read. If you read through the comments on her blog post (which incidentally have been closed at this point) you can deduce that she has indeed felt the backlash.  It is a shame, really.  It marred what would have been one of a writer’s most glorious moments. (“Oh My Gosh, I am published in the New York Times!!!)

You know what I wish?  I wish I had the name of the jerk who put the headline and graphic on that story. THAT is where the real prejudice and bias begins.  HE is the person we should take to task. (I am assuming it is a HE but I could be wrong.)

I invite you to re-read the article and IGNORE the headline and graphic.  Try to read it without being insulted by those two things and you may not come away with the same anger.  Or maybe you do. We each interpret things a bit differently.  Who am I to tell you how to feel?

I encourage you to read the articles I referenced above by Kelby Carr, Mom101 and Pundit Mom and weigh in for yourself.  Where do you stand on the controversy?  Was it fueled by the author or by a deeper more cultural bias?

Yesterday my family and I were invited to experience a brand new exhibit called “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious” at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore.   What a blast!

My childhood hero!

Now, we had been to Port Discovery years ago with the kids and, of course, we loved it. But this trip was entirely different.  They were completely engaged and were begging for us not to leave. It was three stories of kid nirvana. (THIS kid included!) My personal favorite has always been the Egyptian exhibit.  Last time we visited it, the boys were too young to appreciate it.  This time?  They were running around like maniacs trying to find codes and checking out the mummies. I think we were in that exhibit for a good 30 minutes.

The newest addition to the museum, and the reason for all of the celebration,  is the Curious George area.  This exhibit, which was developed in partnership with PBS KIDS, is an interactive dream for little ones weaving in  math, science, engineering into a colorful fun adventure-land.  Even my oldest son was captivated by it.  Two words: mini – golf!

I highly recommend bringing your kids out to Baltimore for a day of family fun.  Port Discovery is a gem for the kiddos! For more information on Port Discovery and all the exhibits they offer, click here. FTC Disclosure: My family and I were invited guests to the opening celebration of the Curious George exhibit. All opinions are mine alone.

If you don’t live in the Washington DC area then you are probably blissfully unaware of the SNOW APPOCALYPSE ARMAGEDDON 2 that is supposedly approaching our area at a rapid pace.

There is a huge blizzard warning in effect.  It is nuts around here.  Apparently, tomorrow’s storm is supposed to be even bigger than this one.

So people are panicking. Schools are closing. Things are being cancelled.  Mayhem, people!

So I decided to do a little Vlog about the madness and keep you up to date on whatever happens. 

Can I just say – DISNEY ON ICE – is coming to my town!!! (Baltimore)

I am so excited about this! I am a huge figure skating fan and have never had the chance to go see something like that live and in person.  And considering we just took our big family trip to Disney a couple of months ago – this is perfect timing.

So you can only imagine my reaction when I was contacted by the Disney On Ice folks to be a guest at the show next week at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore!

Why would I tell you this?  Because they are letting me offer my blog readers a discount on tickets!

Here are the details:

You can get a four pack of tickets for just $44 Monday-Friday (You must purchase a minimum of four tickets, however, more tickets can be purchased at $11 each.)

If you can’t swing it during the week you can still get $4 off per ticket for weekend shows.

Tickets are on sale HERE simply enter the coupon code MOM. (One thing though – This offer is not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating. It also  can’t be combined with other offers. Service Charges, Facility & handling fees will apply)

Hope you enjoy!