The Honest Company

Last week, actress Jessica Alba and author of Healthy Child Healthy World, Christopher Gavigan launched their new product line, The Honest Company.  Both parents felt the need for a line of safe, sustainable products that would ease parent’s concerns about exposing their child to dangerous chemicals.

The Honest Company is a line of eco-friendly, handsomely designed, affordable family products.  To help simplify the life of busy moms everywhere, they offer a monthly subscription service on daily used products such as diapers, wipes, bath and skin care products. Go to Honest.com to learn more about their product line and shop. You can even sign up to receive a FREE Discovery Kit that includes a sample pack of their products!

DeliverLean: Fresh, Delicious Food Brought To Your Door

What’s better than cooking a healthy, delicious meal? Having that same meal delivered fresh to your door. DeliverLean makes it convenient to get lean by preparing tasty, portion-controlled meals that are so delicious. Since I have very specific dietary preferences, I was very interested in this company and the menu choices. They offered two of us a day’s worth of meals, and were impressed with the quality and taste. Our choices included French Toast for breakfast, Turkey Francaise for dinner and a carrot muffin that was divine!

DeliverLean’s meals are packed with lean proteins, fresh vegetables and complex carbs that are full of vitamins and nutrients, giving customers the energy needed to tackle a busy day. All menus are approved by licensed and registered dietitians that work on-site and all menus are additive-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and low-sodium, providing the best fuel for client’s bodies. They offer an array of savory meal plans catered to each individual’s needs including plans for men, women, vegetarians, diabetics, celiacs and those interested in a paleo, gluten-free or HCG diet.

DeliverLean was established in September 2011 by health-conscious foodies and savvy business professionals Scott Harris and Olga Kuzenkov as a solution to save people time and energy, while simultaneously providing a nutritious and delicious way to attain a healthy body weight. Insuring DeliverLean’s position as the category leader in taste, the company recruited culinary masters Andrew Whiteman and James Donato from two of the most notable private aviation catering companies in the US. With an impressive list of clients from President Barak Obama and Jay-Z to Prince Bandar of Quitar and the SuperBowl, Whiteman and Donato have served some of the most exclusive palates in the world and now DeliverLean is making the same cuisine accessible to the masses.

DeliverLean is currently available in South Florida from Jupiter to South Miami. There is no more convenient way to shed post-holiday pounds or better your health this year than with DeliverLean! Offering a 5-, 6- or 7-Day Meal Plan, go to www.DeliverLean.com for call 888-730-5326 for information. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for daily giveaways and helpful tips to stay healthy.

SheStreams Conference Update

The SheStreams Conference is only a couple of months away! We hope that you will be among the social media savvy women networking and learning at this one-of-a-kind conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Last week, we had our team meeting at the host hotel in Fort Lauderdale. This is the (conference) room with a view!

We are so thrilled to share some exciting news with you regarding ticket prices at SheStreams. You can now register for the special AT&T  SheStreams full-conference rate of $200!

Take advantage of this special AT&T SheStreams discounted rate by registering here. Like SheStreams 2011, this event will sell out. Attendance is limited in order to create an intimate environment that can support hands-on workshops and stellar networking. Please take advantage of the AT&T Discounted Ticket rate before tickets sell out.

 

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Happy New Year! As 2011 is in the books, it’s almost hard to believe it. Almost. The year was packed with travel, both personal and business along with plenty of conferences, expos, trade shows, etc. We’ve had a good year filled with new opportunities and growth, and I have many of my friends and fans to thank for it. To avoid offending anyone, I have to stick with general thank-you’s to my colleagues whom I am lucky enough to call friends – you know who you are.

In no particular order, I am listing a few of the highlights of 2011 and what’s on the books for 2012.

• All those trips for business meetings paid off as I surpassed the million-mile mark with my airline of choice. My points enabled my family to travel to South Africa using mainly frequent flyer points. It was an amazing trip.

• Moms across the country and the globe celebrated another successful National Mom’s Nite Out. Our fantastic network of bloggers and respective corporate sponsors helped make this another successful event where moms mingled, shared and spent time enjoying much-deserved pampering!  Join us on May 10, 2012 for another series of amazing online and local events. Keep up with the latest info at http://www.facebook.com/momsniteout and at http://momsniteout.com/.

• Midway through the year, my fourth book was published. Power Moms: The New Rules for Engaging Mom Influencers Who Drive Brand Choice, offers a guide to engaging with Power Moms— a new breed of influential mothers who help spread the word about products and services. I also point to celebrity and political moms who use their “star” power to affect purchase decisions.

• My team and I launched a new conference in New York in September called SheStreams Conference. We hatched the idea in the first quarter of the year as a conference designed to look beyond blogging and stay ahead of the curve in all things video, podcasting and branding. The conference featured an all-star lineup of guest speakers and sessions and was truly a labor of professional love. This year’s conference will be in my hometown – Fort Lauderdale – on March 30 and 31. Who wouldn’t want to visit sunny Florida during Spring Break? For info, go to http://shestreamsconference.com/

• MomSelect and MomTV are two channels that continue to grow and offer opportunities for moms to connect with each other and companies. Many thanks to the moms (and dads) on both fronts for being conscientious, supportive and dedicated to growing their own brands through these channels; a win-win for everyone!

On another personal note, I will watch two of my four children head off to college in the Fall. We are still making the final decisions, but it has been quite a senior year for them (and the entire family) as we filled out dozens of applications and wrote essays that could fill volumes. I am so proud of them, and even though I consider myself a strong person, there just won’t be enough Kleenex.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year. I look forward to a fantastic 2012 and hope you do, too!

Holiday Crunch Time

As we head in to the final countdown for the holiday weekend and with Hanukah already here, I’m posting a few items that crossed my path in the last few days while I was out shopping. They caught my attention because I interviewed the company or brand reps at the Time To Play Toy Showcase in September. It’s interesting when these toys become the hot item to have for holiday gifts!

Skylanders

A cool game that includes action figures that become online characters, Skylanders works with many gaming systems and retails for about $70. Available in major retailers, this is the must-have for kids!

 

20Q

A great game for family and friends!

 

Twitter Event: Lands’ End Procrastination Destination on 12/16

Calling All Present Procrastinators! Lands’ End is Hosting Procrastination Destination Twitter Event

Do you wait until the last minute to purchase presents?  Lands’ End is your Procrastination Destination helping holiday shoppers with a Twitter Event on Friday, December 16, 2011 from 10:00 a.m until 2:00 p.m. CST (11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST) at #lastminute.  Participants can tweet along for a chance to win festive prizes, learn about great values, retweet offers and answer trivia questions.  Each hour will also be designated Power Hour –  participants will have the chance to win one $250 Lands’ End gift card for each hour the #lastminute event trends.  Randomly selected attendees will have the chance to win more than 24 great giveaways over the 4-hour period.

Date:  Friday, December 16, 2011

Time:  10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m. CST; 11:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. EST

Hashtag/Location: #lastminute

Be Sure to Follow: @LandsEndPR

@LEPRMolly

@LEPRMichele

@LandsEndPRAdam

@LEPRMariella

Twitter Event Schedule:

Schedule:

10 – 11 a.m: RT Fleece Be with You (Mommies with Style)

11 – 12 p.m: Personalized Presents (Mom Spark)

12 – 1 p.m: RT Presents for Procrastinators (Mom Select)

1 – 2 p.m: Gifts for the Decorating Diva (MomDot/Emily Hendersen)

For more information, please contact: Molly.Hawkins@landsend.com

Crumbs Cupcakes: A Sweet Treat for any Occasion

Crumbs Bake Shop recently invited me to a taste testing event – what could be better than getting to try out a bunch of delicious cupcakes?!  To my surprise, I quickly learned that Crumbs is not just a cupcake shop but a full service bakery. 

Once everyone arrived, we quickly dove in to all of the goodies.  First a plate of their cookies was brought out, they were just as delicious as their cupcakes. 

Next up, were their newest cupcake flavors – Red Velvet, Cannoli, White Hot Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie.  All were unique and scrumptious!  My favorite was the White Hot Chocolate, a vanilla cake filled with white chocolate mousse, covered with vanilla cream cheese frosting and topped with mini white chocolate chips, marshmallows and a white chocolate drizzle.

While we munched on all the sugary snacks, everyone had a chance to speak with Crumbs Co-founder Mia Bauer. Mia, a mother of 2, and her husband Jason started Crumbs eight years ago as a neighborhood bakery.  Within that time, the bakery has grown to nearly 50 stores throughout the country.

With the holiday season in full swing, there are plenty of reasons to give these not-so little gems a try. To find a Crumbs location near you or to order some of these sugary goodies online, visit Crumbs.com

Kindercare Winter Camps – Kids Learn and Have Fun!

 

I cherish the time with my family during the holidays. Every year, as I prepare to deck the halls, I’m always looking for easy ways to entertain my children but also keep their minds active. While my kids are out of school this winter break, I’ve found KinderCare winter camp is a great solution that offers a balance of fun and learning.   From the magic of flight – to the science of chemical reactions –  children can learn through educational and hands-on themed activities.  The camp also provides moms, like me, with peace of mind knowing our kids are having fun and learning, while we run last-minute errands or finish our holiday shopping.

With activities including “Bubble Trouble,” “Volcano Blast,” “Helicopter Propellers,” and “Balloon Rockets,” your children will soon have visions of mini rockets and airplanes dancing through their heads.  KinderCare winter camp is offered for both preschool and school-age children during the last two weeks in December.  For more information, and to find a KinderCare winter camp near you, visit http://www.kindercare.com. You can also find science experiments to do at home by logging onto www.kindercare.com/camps. KinderCare offers programs that kids think are cool and parents know are smart – and that also combine loads of fun with a healthy dose of learning.

Need A Boost? Get an energy Phix! Review + Giveaway

Being a mom is a full-time job, regardless of whether you are a stay at home mom, a working mom, or a bit of both. Sometimes 24 hours in a day just isn’t enough, and through all the unexpected twists and turns that a seemingly normal day brings, every mom could use a little extra boost.

I work long hours and at the end of many of those long work days, I have to get on a flight and head to a different part of the country or the world. To maintain my energy I exercise every day, I eat a healthy and well-balanced diet, and I drink plenty of fluids. I think that these three things are key in staying focused, healthy, and full of energy.

Regardless of my healthy daily routine, sometimes I do find myself needing a little boost to get through the rest of my day. A new client, Phix Energy <http://www.phix.com/> , offered to send me some of their energy drink mix to try out.

Phix Energy is a sophisticated energy drink mix and herbal supplement blending green tea antioxidants, energy-restroing NADH and Yerba Maté for enhanced vigor, with added vitamins and minerals to keep you feeling healthy. Phix powders are natural, vegan, and gluten free and come in 3 flavors: Citron, Tropic, and Teaberry.

I decided to share the drink powders with my girls in the office and we all gave the drinks a test. After sampling the flavors, we each decided on our personal favorites. Teaberry was the most popular with its mixed berry tea flavor. We tried the drinks around 2pm, a popular time to feel a lack of energy and lose focus in the office. Those in the office that were tired before trying Phix, remarked that they felt more alert, but not jittery at all. Those that weren’t tired before trying Phix, noted that they still felt energized.

If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to grabbing a soda around 2pm to get a little pick-me-up, I’d definitely suggest giving Phix http://www.phix.com/  a try. Learn more about Phix by visiting their website <http://www.phix.com/> , following them on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/thePHIXisin , and liking them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/DrinkPhix !

Want to win a free sample of Phix? Leave a comment letting me know why you could use Phix in your life, and one winner will be randomly selected to try it out!

Disney, Times Square and Mary Poppins…Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

There’s no place like New York City right before the holidays and it’s even better when the city plays host to another one of my favorite destinations- Walt Disney World!  That’s what happened the weekend before Thanksgiving when Walt Disney World and all its’ magic took over Times Square.  I was fortunate to be a part of the Magical invasion with my two daughters and several of my New York City friends, including Andi of MamaKnowsBreast and Rebecca Levy of Kidvui.

The day’s excitement started out with a backstage, first-of-its-kind tour of the historic Amsterdam Theatre where Mary Poppins plays on 42nd street.  The tour was amazing to say the least.  My girls loved the history lesson and the stories of ghosts that haunt the building.  We even got a sneak peek at the costume storage area. Not only were there props from Mary Poppins but also Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid.

 

After sweets and treats that were certain to make the medicine go down, our group walked the crowded streets to Times Square.  Here we were able to take part in an interactive projection on to the front of the Disney Store. There we were, bigger than life on the screen that towered over Times Square. Best of all my girls interacted – virtually, of course, with Daisy Duck.  It was all captured in digital images that were later projected on a lifestyle version of Cinderella’s Castle in Times Square.  They loved seeing themselves on the big screen and, as with everything social media, it was posted on Facebook immediately!

The evening’s highlight was seats at the Mary Poppins show.  The play was fabulous.  I have always thought it was important to introduce theatre into the lives of my children and Disney never lets us down. The performance was wonderful and well worth seeing.

Remember, for all of your Disney World questions, you can visit the Mom’s Panel at http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.com/home.aspx.  They are a great source of information for all things Disney, and always offering advice that parents can understand.