A few weeks ago I traveled to Texas with a posse of mom bloggers to visit AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), and learn about their new technology that aims to make buying a computer a whole lot easier.
Before we entered into the land of high tech however, we were treated to the breathtaking loveliness of the Barton Creek Resort and Spa. No Hotel 6 for us!
This beautiful hotel and spa is located just outside of Austin, and it’s fabulous. After a few sensational spa treatments, it was off to Lambert’s restaurant in downtown Austin for authentic Texas barbeque. Lambert’s is a must do if ever in Austin…even for a vegetarian like me. Delish.
The next day we traveled to the amazing campus of AMD, a gorgeous batch of eco-friendly, modern buildings nestled beautifully into Texas cowboy country.
It’s computer geek nirvana.
Each of us was presented with a beautiful red Toshiba Satellite laptop to use throughout our time at AMD, and then take on home with us.
Now, I must be straight up and say that PCs have always frightened me.
I’m a MAC girl….always have been and probably always will be. I grew up with Apple. They’re what I know. They’re where I’m comfortable.
But as we were led through the new technology AMD has produced to make PC buying and navigating easier and less intimidating, I started to let my MAC bias back down a bit. I get why people go with PCs. They are significantly cheaper, they are the work horses of the computer world, and I’ve heard time and again that the gaming capabilities are a bit more advanced. But I definitely needed some convincing that buying a PC could be any easier than walking into an APPLE store and chatting with their geniuses.
Leslie Sobon, VP of World Wide Product Marketing for AMD made it all very clear.
AMD has created a new program called VISION, that you’ll soon see in all those PC buying places like Best Buy and Walmart. And VISION is meant to help all you PC loving people find exactly what you’re looking for.
You see, the PC powers that be finally realize that most of ya’ll don’t care how many bites and rams and mega bites a computer has . You just want to know if you can watch your DVDs, produce a few cool videos, do some photo editing, or see things in HD. Thus the creation of the new VISION tags.
The new tags will help to insure that the next time you walk into a big box store longing to know in plain language what you’re going to get when you fire up your new computer, you’ll get it. And you can leave the cryptic techie language to the geek squad. Simply look for these VISION tags wherever you buy your PC, and it’ll all be a little less intimidating.
HERE is a sneek peek at what these cool new tags will look like.
I flew away from Texas slightly less snobby about my love affair with Apple and a whole lot more impressed with what goes on behind the scenes in the land of high tech. It’s definitely still a man’s world in that business, but let me tell you…there are some super smart kick-arse woman shaking things up.
This product has change my life. I hate wrinkles, but hate ironing boards more.
Tide Swash is meant to be used in a pinch, and probably not to replace your ironing completely. But in my case, I can get away with SWASH for most of my daily
wrinkles.
Just to clarify, I have not been paid by Tide. I received a free sample of this product at the Getting Gorgeous event in New York City.
Enjoy this long holiday weekend super mamas and papas. Summer is fading fast… now go out and PLAY!
Congratulations Heather! This beautiful book truly is a treasure.
NOW for some other great news…if you didn’t win, Anitome is offering a 40% discount to Hoo-dee followers through the end of August with the coupon code discount1. How great is that?
So, go head over to Anitome and order yourself one!
Enjoy your day mamas, and I’ll see ya bright and early on ABC7:)
You can find out all you need to know about these jeans and where to find a pair of your own HERE
Robert Verdi, celebrity stylist, was also at the Getting Gorgeous event to tell us about the jeans and give us other style advice.
Here he is explaining more about Miraclebody jeans. Um, he was a complete doll and I did shoot a rockin’ interview, which I can’t seem to find on my camera at the moment. Dagnamit.
Do you hate breast cancer too?
Energizer now has a way for you to help raise some much needed jack for breast cancer research. C’mon, you’re already spending too much time trolling Facebook for long lost Jr. High crushes. Let’s use our FB addiction for good for once.
It’s easier than playing Farmville and your “friends” won’t block you for it.
Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure events will take place weekly from July to November in 15 places across the country, including:Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Michigan, Twin Cities, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix and San Diego. Thousands of walkers are expected to train and participate in the events nationwide.
Energizer is supporting walkers in a much-needed way – by providing a place to recharge their equipment, bodies and spirit — and stay connected to family and friends at the end of each long day of walking.
The Energizer tent at 3-Day for the Cure camps will feature:
Laptops to empower walkers to share their experiences and stay connected with family and friends, as well as create awareness for the cause by posting a ribbon on the virtual ribbon tree at energizer.com/komen
The Recharge Station, where participants can rent Energizer® Energi To Go® portable power items such as the EnergiStick™ and XP 1000 portable cell phone chargers, as well as flashlights, lanterns and battery-operated games
Complimentary chair massages, generously donated by members of the American Massage Therapy Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy
Time for walkers to connect with the local Keep Going® blogger, who will be available to engage with walkers, discuss the 3-Day for the Cure experience, and share their stories of motivation and perseverance
“We are proud to continue our support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and of walkers across the country as they unite for this important cause,” Olsen added.
“The Energizer Bunny® symbolizes the determination and resolve that the walkers are tapping into as they trek 60 miles in just three days, and we hope that they will feel motivated to keep working for a cure. We are excited to share this profound experience more widely this year with our Keep Going bloggers, inspiring a deeper sense of community and connection to the cause.”
“Energizer has been a great partner through the years. Their support allows Komen to fund community-based breast health programs and research focused on decreasing breast cancer incidence and mortality in the next decade,” said Katrina McGhee, senior vice president of global business development and partnerships at Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “As we continue on this decades-long mission to eradicate breast cancer and save lives, we are inspired by the spirit that Energizer and the 3-Day for the Cure walkers bring to this important cause.”
For more information about the company’s support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or to become a Keep Going® blogger, please visitwww.facebook.com/energizerbunny, www.energizer.com/komen, or email keepgoingbloggers@blickandstaff.com.
This beautiful book has so many fantastic and creative sections that a 2 minute vlog just doesn’t do it justice. And although it looks a bit intimidating, after the first year, it’s only meant to visited once each year after that to add additional information.
I highly recommend that you check out their website to get a better look. You can find Anitome at anitome.com
AND if you leave a quick comment, that enters you to WIN this amazing book. It’s the biggest give-away yet here on the Hoo-dee! So go ahead and enter!
Enjoy your weekend super mamas! I’m off to get my roots touched up and start shopping for all the loot on my kid’s back-to-school supply list. Good times.
This past weekend in New York City legions of bloggers descended on the isle of Manhattan for the BlogHer10 conference. This conference now in it’s 6th year, drew over 2,500 bloggers along with scores of leading product brands, PR types, and marketing executives.
I flew in Friday for two days of blogger/brand related parties, networking, and most importantly reuniting with some of my favorite women on the planet…my on-line tribe.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing bits and pieces of my whirlwind weekend in the city that truly never sleeps…especially when filled to the brim with bloggers.
Today, I’m giving you a glimpse into a party held at The Modern, in honor of The Nate Berkus Show premiering September 13th on NBC. The show’s dynamic Executive Producer Terry Murphy addressed the packed room of women bloggers and gave us behind the scenes info. on the show and what we can expect from it’s first season. And then it was Nate’s turn. And, as usual, he had us before hello.
I was thrilled to interview Nate Berkus at the start of the evening. He’s a guy I’ve come to know through my Harpo Producer husband, Jon. Jon and Nate have worked on several projects together and Nate is Jon’s go-to-guy when it comes to picking those really special occasion gifts for me. I know, how lucky am I?
From the first time I met Nate, he’s made me feel comfortable and like he really wanted to hear whatever it was I felt like telling him.
That’s just who he is…the guy you can ask if your shoes match the dress, if the lamp should go, or what he honestly thinks about those real housewives of NYC.
But there’s also an intelligent depth behind his charming and adorable eyes as well. Nate cares about people…and their stories. And you get that as soon as you enter his personal space. Nate’s more than a guy with impeccable taste and epic hair. And he’s about to show the world that too.
Come see what I mean…(oh, and I made my 6 ft. 7 husband Jon work the camera).
He’s been dreaming of this two week adventure for 6 months.
He’s completely ready, willing, and able to be away from home.
He’s beside himself with excitement.
He’s really happy.
And I am sick to my stomach.
I live in a place where sleep away camp is de rigueur. Kids routinely go away for four weeks at a time by the age of 8, into the deep woods of Wisconsin or Michigan without much adu at all. It’s what these kids do.
But I grew up in rural Western Pennsylvania during the 70’s and 80’s, where sleep away camp meant a few nights at Camp Cherry Hill with the girl scouts and as many sleepovers as you could stuff into 6 weeks. I have no frame of reference for this whole summer camp thing. I’m ill-prepared for this.
We’ve offered this independant venture up to Max for the past two years knowing our kid would respond with a faint “no thanks”, preferring to hang here for the summer, with us.
And we were always kinda relieved and thrilled when he routinely met our expectations, and said he had no interest in going away.
But this year, somewhere between the first day of 6th grade and oh, Christmas, a switch was flipped. One of his best buds who has gone to camp for two years had been telling him epic tales of the glory of amazing “camptivities” and bon fires and night hikes, and a store where you can buy candy every night if you want. And Max took the juicy, “come to sleep-away camp” bait, and has been unwilling to release his jaw from that little worm for anything.
This year he was going.
And he did this morning.
There we were at 8:30 AM standing in front of the YMCA, with his REI stuff sack and Army Store duffle bag bursting at it’s green seams, sending our first born into the wild.
And there I stood, lump firmly planted in throat, wearing giant sunglasses and a fake smile to mask the inevitable flood of maternal emotion. My conscience urging me “don’t let the boy see you cry, don’t let the boy see you cry, stop yourself woman!” I waved as hard as I could, giving him the thumbs up as I strained to see his sillouette through the tinted bus windows. Then, without any fireworks or fanfare, they pulled away toward Michigan. Next stop… the cabin, canoe, and kid encrusted promised land of Camp Echo.
I’ve armed him with everything he’ll need to stay safe, comfy, semi-clean and happy for two weeks “on his own”. He’s had private swim lessons for the past 5 weeks so that he can “rock” the swim evaluation, there’s a letter already on its way to his cabin, 3 cans of suncreen and bug-repellent in his duffle, money in his account for a camp sweatshirt and that promised nightly candy run, and a new copy of Camp Foxtrot (the book he begged me to get him), in his backpack.
We’ve talked about making good choices while he’s away, brushing his teeth everynight, making use of the showers at least every other day, and the importance of hydration. We’ve done all we can to get him ready.
But when you see your kid disappear into the distance, setting off to explore uncharted territory without you, your forced to gulp this uncomfortable cocktail of pride, and fear, and joy, and loathing, shaken not stirred.
Really, it’s more like a swiftly swallowed shot of what you’ve known was coming since you were handed this kid.
Someday, he won’t need you as much.
He’ll make good decisions all on his own and remember to brush his teeth for more than 10 seconds without you yelling “longer!!” from the other room, and he’ll be really happy…apart from you.
And that’s exactly what you’ve been working toward all this time. It’ s a tasty shot in the end.
Help donate school supplies to classrooms with Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward!
This Back to School season, Elmer’s is celebrating by partnering with Adopt-A-Classroom to help make a difference in classrooms across the country.
How can you help?
It’s easy to join in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward – all you have to do is write a post on your blog to donate a virtual bag of school supplies. For every post written before 12pm EST on August 12, 2010, Elmer’s will donate $10 to Adopt-A-Classroom, up to $10,000. You can give as many virtual bags as you want!
ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES
Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.
Let us all salute the woman for whom these iconic short shorts were named. When we were 25, this look was perfectly acceptable. Now, as we all approach 40 and beyond we just need to know how to tweak the look a bit.
