Random acts of kindness. Have you ever performed one? Have you ever been the beneficiary of one? Earlier this month I was thrilled to be a part of an afternoon full of random acts of kindness, sponsored by Chevy in conjunction with an organization called ePIFanyNow.org. (The “PIF” stands for “Pass It Forward”.) It was a great opportunity, and a memorable day for many reasons. When I received the invitation, I was asked to put together a team. Each team would be driving a Chevy Volt around town, on their way to putting smiles on strangers’ faces. My team? Rita from Look, It’s Megryansmom!, Amy from ParentSphere, and Dawn from…
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Hallmark Celebrates the Moments Between the Milestones
You may have heard the term “Hallmark Holiday”. It’s got a mostly negative connotation, indicating the speaker’s belief that the holiday he or she is talking about was created specifically to sell greeting cards. (I’m guessing that the insertion of the Hallmark brand is only because they are the most well-known company, which also happens to produce high quality products. Ahem.) Putting that term aside for a moment or three, what’s wrong with a little extra celebrating in general? Whether you buy greeting cards or make them, or even if you choose to celebrate in ways that don’t involve giving cards, isn’t it great to be able to take the…
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Bump Club And Beyond, Live From The Microsoft Store In Oakbrook (Come And See Me!)
As both the mom of two older teenagers (16 and 19) AND someone who is extremely active online and savvy about social media, I often marvel at all of the resources younger moms have at their fingertips today (and I don’t even think they realize just how lucky they are!). I mean, truly. Baby has a rash? Kid has separation anxiety? Not sure where to get those environmentally-friendly diapers the neighbor was talking about? Need a little bit of moral support or adult interaction? Moms nowadays can use the internet to search for answers to any question and get that needed interaction with just a couple of clicks. When my…
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I’m With The Brand! No, Really. I Am! #CleverRockStar
If there’s a smurf that’s good at smurfing a smurf, it’s definitely Clever Smurfs Collective. The smurf smurfed a smurf a couple of smurfs ago in San Diego, and smurf was smurfed by all! Okay, let me try that in English, since you might be a little rusty in Smurf. Clever Girls Collective (are YOU a Clever Girl? No? You should be! Click here to check out the site and apply!), which is made up of an awesome group of ladies who I really admire for both their business sense AND their spunky nature, threw one heck of a party at BlogHer ’11 in San Diego. The party, which took…
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ComedySportz Chicago Brings The Funny!
Every single person in my family loves comedy. Whether it’s stand-up or improv, on television or in person, we just love it. That’s why, when the fine folks at ComedySportz offered us complimentary tickets (with no obligation to write about it, I might add), it was like Hanukkah around here. We caught the show last week, and it was a total riot. Upon entering the building (ComedySportz is located at 929 W. Belmont), we were directed upstairs to the bar and waiting area, where we looked at a wall display detailing the history of ComedySportz Chicago and hung out for a bit before the house opened. When it was time…
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Vail Resorts: The Experience of a Lifetime
Recently I was an invited guest to a Cubs game at Wrigleyville Rooftops, hosted by the folks at Vail Resorts. I was really excited to make some connections within this company, because a dear friend of mine works extensively with them and I have heard nothing but good things. To prepare for my introductions, I cracked open a book did some research online, and I was thrilled that the mission of the company is really in line with my personal beliefs about success in the hospitality industry. Growing up as the daughter of a hotel manager who has always cared deeply about the customer encounter, I quickly developed strong ideas…
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Fast Pass (and Blue Man Group Tix) Giveaway #2 WINNER
We have a winner! Congrats to Kristen/DVC Mom! Her number came up and as soon as I hear from her, I’ll get those tickets in the mail! Stay tuned…I have one more giveaway to go, and yes, I DO have more Blue Man Group tickets! Thanks for entering, everyone!
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It’s the #MelisaSkydeck Fast Pass Giveaway #2, Now With Blue Man Group Tix!
Hello there! It’s me, Skydeck Chicago Ambassador Melisa, with my SECOND giveaway! This one is even better than the first one, I must say, and I think you’ll agree. First, I have a pair of Skydeck Chicago Fast Passes (value=$35 each) up for grabs. Fast Passes can get you express access to the elevators (and in turn, the Ledge!), and can come in really handy on busy days. Second? I am actually tossing in two (yes, TWO!) free tickets to Blue Man Group in Chicago, at the Briar Street Theater. (I had some tickets left over from the swag bags at my book launch event, and BMG generously gave me…
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Cupcake Coma, Courtesy of Sprinkles
You guys, I can’t even. Today I attended one of my favorite events ever. EVER. I was invited, you see, to enjoy cupcakes and champagne at Sprinkles Cupcakes in Chicago with the Founders (Candace and Charles Nelson). In the kitchen. Cupcakes? Yes, please. But seriously, I have been wanting to get to Sprinkles for a long time: I had been hearing the buzz about them for a few years, and in fact my go-to gift for friends’ birthdays a couple years back was a basket of Sprinkles Cupcake mixes, purchased at Williams-Sonoma. At that time, Sprinkles was only located in California. (You may have heard of them because Katie Holmes…
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Bristol Renaissance Faire: There’s An App For That!
Okay, so…the Bristol Renaissance Faire. You already know from my multiple posts about them (as well as my videos!) that I love the heck out of those folks over there. I recently learned that there is an iPhone/iPad/iPod app (of course!) out there that can enhance your enjoyment of the Bristol Renaissance Faire. (What better way to enjoy the 16th century than to bring the 21st century along, right?) (No, seriously.) RenGuide, developed by Pocket Logic, LLC, is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or controlled by the Bristol Renaissance Faire but it seems to be quite amazing. It’s got an interactive map, schedules, merchant information, coupons, and even a language…