Wednesday, November 24, 2010

#Bellaboo Twitter Party with Monique Coleman 11/28 at 8pm ET!



CALLING ALL MOMS & DAUGHTERS!

Please join us for a very special Twitter event:

Bellaboo Skin Care’s ‘Let’s Make the Change on Real Beauty and Self-Esteem’ Twitter Party Sunday, November 28th at 8pm ET

We will be discussing important issues regarding self -esteem with two very special guests: Bellaboo creator and founder Snezna Kerekovic (@BellabooBabe) and actress and talk show host Monique Coleman (@GimmeMoTalk)!

Australian-based Bellaboo is a totally natural skin care system for young skin. It is better for your skin and the earth because they’ve left out harsh chemicals and instead based our skin care system on 99.5% natural ingredients! While proper skin care can help with improving how girls see themselves from the outside, Bellaboo believes often we need to work on the inside stuff as well, and Bellaboo strives to help girls do just that! Also, Bellaboo products are now available in select U.S. stores and on Drugstore.com!

In addition to a special offer to be announced during the party, Bellaboo will be giving away ‘Girl on the Go’ kits to five (5) winners selected from those who both register (see form below) and attend the party! We will also be giving away five (5) more ‘Girl on the Go’ kits (pictured here) to winners randomly selected from those who both register and tweet the following at least once anytime between now and the start of the party:

Join me for #Bellaboo Skin Care’s Self-Esteem Twitter Party 11/28 at 8pm ET! Special guest: actress Monique Coleman! http://bit.ly/bellaboo

The winners for all prizes will be selected randomly from those who enter and qualify.

PLEASE VISIT OUR PARTY PAGE TO LEARN MORE AND TO REGISTER!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

TweeParties Launch Twitter Party 8/25 10pm ET!


Calling All Twitter Party Fans! Join me Wednesday, August 25th from 10:00 – 11:00 pm ET as we celebrate the official launch of TweeParties, Inc.!

TweeParties, Inc. is a new social media marketing company dedicated to hosting online, live events such as Twitter parties. TweeParties also strives to be a source of information for those attending the parties (check out our Twitter-wide Party Calendar!) as well as a resource for companies wanting to promote their brand in a fun, interactive environment. For more information, visit the TweeParties web site.

During this party, we will chat about all things social media—why you use Twitter, how it benefits you, and what impact it has made on your life! TweeParties will also be giving away two $25 Target gift cards and TweeParties prize packs valued at $20 each! To register, please follow @TweeParties and fill out the registration form found at the TweeParties Launch Party page!

For an added bonus, register and tweet about this party beforehand and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Target Gift Card! Here’s how:

1). Fill out registration form at the TweeParties Launch Party Registration Page
2). Tweet the following tweet at least once between now and 9:59 p.m. ET 8/25/10:

Join me for TweeParties Official Launch Twitter Party 8/25 10pm ET! To register: http://bit.ly/bfY98P #tweeparties

3). Tweet as often as you like. Each tweet counts as one entry. Leave a comment on the TweeParties registration page each time you tweet the link. YOU ONLY NEED TO REGISTER ONCE (not each time you tweet). The winner will be selected at random and announced at our party!

Event Details
Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Time: 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET
Host: @TweeParties
Hashtag: #tweeparties
Custom TweetGrid Link: http://is.gd/ekppf

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Fun Twitter Party July 16th! Family Movie Night!

Join TwitterMoms as we tune-in to watch The Jensen Project on July 16 at 8/7c!

Hashtag: #jensenproject

About the Film (See clip below!)
The world is hanging by a string. Can this family pull it together?

After a 16-year absence, Claire and Matt Thompson are reintroduced to The Jensen Project — a secret community of geniuses conducting advanced underground research to solve the world’s most difficult problems. The former scientists, accompanied by their tech-minded teenage son Brody, are thrust into a frantic pursuit to keep a potentially dangerous technology from falling into the wrong hands. As the family races against the clock to stop the group's rogue faction, they discover an important truth. In this high-pressure, high-tech world, sometimes the smartest thing we can do is lean on each other.

Two things you MUST do to make the event work for everyone:

1. To view discussions and comments you must go here – this is where the event is taking place: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23jensenproject

2. To make comments and/or replies you must include #jensenproject somewhere in your tweet on Twitter. This is the only way your comment can be seen by the group.

Please RSVP at Twittermoms!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bellaboo Skin Care: All-Natural Products for Teens, All-Natural Approach to Self-Esteem




I love learning about companies that aren't simply committed to creating great products, but are also committed to having a positive influence on the lives of those who use them.

Bellaboo Skin Care is one such company. Ever heard of them? If not, soon you will. Bellaboo hails from Australia and they're just starting to make an impact on the lives of girls here in the U.S. Their goal is not only to provide girls with all-natural skin care products---chemical-free face washes, moisturizers, masks, exfoliators, blemish serums---but also to help counter the media's unrealistic definition of beauty and to promote higher self-esteem in girls.

Bellaboo was founded by Snezna Kerekovic, an ex-beauty editor and mom who had a hard time finding skin care products for her daughter that did not contain a cocktail of chemicals. Snezna set out to change all that, and in doing so created Bellaboo Skin Care---a line of products made from natural, nurturing botanicals that are more beneficial for young skin than our common chemical-laden ones.

Rather than trying to guess at what girls wanted in skin care, Snezna formed the "Bellaboo Crew"---a group of girls aged 13-20 who weighed in on what teen girls really wanted: products that are unique, natural, effective and socially conscious.

The result? I decided to see for myself. I tried the cleanser, exfoliator, mask and moisturizer. I figured I had samples that would last me a week or two, then I'd be back to my regular routine. I'm no teen, but after having the Bellaboo experience, I'm kissing my shelf of Neutrogena cleansers and moisturizers goodbye! Each item smelled amazing and felt even better on my skin. I really think my skin looks better for it. And I'm not the only one---my hubby agrees! All Bellaboo products range in price from $9.99 to $14.99 and are now available at Drugstore.com and Rite Aid. None are tested on animals and all come in recycled packaging.

Bellaboo is also committed to improving girls' self-esteem. In an age where super-skinny, airbrushed supermodels grace nearly every magazine cover, it is now more important than ever that girls realize how unnatural those images really are. To learn about Bellaboo's take on the issue and read their action plan, check out an article recently posted on their site, "Ban the Beauty Brain Wash." My favorite point encourages girls to create a 'Circle of Confidence' by directly trying to boost the confidence of their friends and other females around them. Now that's the true definition of what the teen girls on my block might call 'wicked!'

Or grab your daughter and watch this moving short documentary created by Bellaboo, where real girls talk about their feelings about body image and self-esteem:



To learn more about Bellaboo, visit their website at BellabooBabe.com.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Calling All Parents! Twitter Party!


Join us for an evening of fun, giveaways, and tips on how to raise kids with higher self-esteem!

At our Parents Nite In(spired) Twitter Party, June 9, 2010 from 9-11 PM EST on Twitter! All you need is a Twitter ID (sign up for free at Twitter). Then follow @Gis4Girl and @DrIngrid and our hashtag, #parentsnitein.

Our special guest host, NYC psychologist and relationship coach Dr. Ingrid Schweiger (DrIngrid.com), author of Self-Esteem for a Lifetime: Raising a Successful Child from the Inside Out, will be on hand to answer any questions you have and offer parenting tips based on her experiences, both professional and personal.

We'll also be giving away dozens of prizes and mentioning special offers during the party from the following mom-founded businesses: The Boys Store, Chit Chat Beauty, Fashion Playtes, Ficklets, G is 4 Girl, iTwixie, Pigtail Pals, Raecole's "The Goddess Box," Sweet Pea Kidz Too, and copies of Dr. Ingrid's book!

To register or for more information, visit our Parents Nite In(spired) Twitter Party Page or email me at erin@gis4girl.com.

Monday, April 12, 2010

10 Tips for Managing and Organizing Your Family


We moms are essentially the CEOs of our families. We run the house and plan daily itineraries for everyone in it, including ourselves. And like any CEO, we're constantly on the lookout for ways to manage more efficiently. Today I want to share with you 10 tips that I've found extremely helpful for better managing and organizing my family. Feel free to leave comments if you have any tips to share that have worked well for you!

10 Tips for Managing and Organizing Your Family:

1). Get a Planner. All CEOs have them. Moms need them even more! Whether its a digital planner (via computer or phone) or an old-fashioned one like I have (made of paper), I've found my planner to be essential to my sanity! From doctors visits to family parties to little reminders I write for myself in the margins, if I didn't have a planner, I wouldn't be half as organized as I am.

2). Plan Your Menus. When I don't plan meals, everyone in my family loses. By planning a menu for every day of the week, and making a shopping list for it, I am better organized, my family eats healthier and we save more money. If you continuously 'wing it' and don't plan meals, you'll ending up spending more by eating some meals out and the hurried meals might not be as nutritous.

3). Cook for Leftovers. When you make a meal, make extra portions to save for quick meals later in the week. Or make extra and freeze them for future leftover nights. This will save you time and help you resist the temptation to head for take out when you need a quick dinner.

4). Delegate. CEOs run companies; they don't perform every job in the company. Neither should you. Enlist your troops and delegate chores, meal-making or other tasks. Even my almost 3-year-old daughter can fold some laundry and put some (unbreakable) plates and cups away. A family needs to work as a team. Let your teammates pitch in and help!

5). Don't Clean...Everything!It's important to have a healthy home, but with a family, keeping a house tidy all the time is next to impossible. Next time you're about to clean something, ask yourself if it's really necessary. If it is, great--scrub away! But if it can wait until you have more time or are going to tackle cleaning on a larger scale (or with the kids' help), save it. You might get a look of disapproval from your mother, but you're in charge here!

6). Learn to Say 'No!" Don't overextend yourself. You can't do everything all the time. It's okay to turn down requests for help from family or volunteering at your child's school. Don't feel guilty about turning down an invite if it's going to bog down your schedule or wear you out. Often I feel compelled to help everyone all the time and ignore my own needs. But saying no now and then is a powerful antidote to the need to overachieve.

7). Set an Alarm. Sometimes, when I'm surfing the internet, I completely lose track of time. Often, I'm snapped back to reality by a waking toddler or phone call. But if it's late and the rest of the family's asleep, I spend too much time on something insignificant when I should be doing something else...like sleeping! If you only intend to spend a few minutes on something, it helps to set a timer to set limits and not spend too much time doing something you don't really need to do.

8). Do What You Can Ahead of Time. I make lunches for the entire family the night before when I have more time. That way, mornings aren't as rushed and hectic. I also make meals in advance, so on days that I work, I'm not rushing home from work and faced with hungry, crabby people. If you plan ahead and do what you can in advance, it makes for more relaxed schedules and happier people all around.

9). Leave on Time. Whether you're leaving for work, school or a family outing, nothing creates more stress than being late for an event. Stop whatever it is you think you need to be doing and make a habit of leaving the house on time. You'll be putting much less stress on your family and yourself in the long run.

10). Make Time for Yourself. Carve out some free time just for you every day. Even if its just a few minutes to yourself to enjoy a cup of coffee or talk to a friend. If you have some time to relax and take care of yourself, you'll be in a better frame of mind to take care of--and manage--others.

Disclosure
This post is part of a blogging contest from the TwitterMoms community. There is a chance this post could be randomly selected to win a $50 Target GiftCard, so wish me luck! For more details, you can view the contest page here (http://icomp.ly/IconApps).

To learn more about Icon Apps, a creator of cool iPhone applications that help people manage and simplify their lives, click here!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

My Pal Writes for Army Wives -- It Premieres this Sunday!


My old college chum Becky is a writer for the show "Army Wives." So when I was contacted by a PR company to mention it, I couldn't say no.

I don't usually write about t.v. shows, but this one I must!

Army Wives follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women – and one man – living with their spouses and families on an active army post. The series films in Charleston, South Carolina and stars Kim Delaney.

In researching scripts, my writing pro pal has visited Army bases and spoken with wives of military men. So while the story lines may be fictional, the heart and soul of the show may be based on real emotions.

If you haven't already checked it out, please do! You'll be hooked!

The show premieres on Lifetime this Sunday, April 11th, 10 pm ET/PT!