Happy Chaos by Soleil Moon Frye AKA Punky Brewster

Not long ago I blogged about my Twitter Wins on my post : Thank You Twitter.  On the same day I got lucky and won Soleil's new book.  I wanted to share my news & wish you all luck with Twitter too!  Maybe you can score some cool winnings as well. While you're there look me up! @lifebycynthia.  Happy Tweeting.

I grew up watching Punky Brewster on Television. I can hardly believe that the spunky little girl played by Soleil Moon Frye is now a mommy of two!  Thanks to Twitter and @TargetBaby, I am happy to announce that I just won a copy of her new book Happy Chaos!  I'll be sure to share my review of the book.  I am a new mommy, so we shall see how long it takes me to find time to read!

Weekend Recap

Goodie Bag Party Favor

I have a tiny window to put together a post and decided to use that time for a very quick (and haphazard) recap. Forgive the mind-spew.  Once I have more time I PROMISE to share a more organized post!

K.O.'d

We helped friends celebrate two birthday parties in one weekend. Fun, but exhausting.  At least they were on separate days!  Trust me, we have pulled double events on one weekend day. That can take quite a toll. ESPECIALLY with a toddler in tow!  Luckily,  our guy is mellow - so even if overstimulated and lacking a nap, he is still pleasant.  POOPED by the end of the day, but in no way a terror.  Well... not that we have experienced yet. Knock on wood. Not YET.  Thank goodness for that.  Thank goodness for NOW.  We are smart enough to know that this can change at the drop of a hat!  Will we be prepared?  Probably not. But at least we are open minded and willing to adapt.

Note: If you look closely, you could see our son rolling his eyes at me under the star shaped sunglasses!  He's humoring me by letting me put them on him.  I'm loving his "hurry up mom, take the picture already" expression!

I hope that you all had a great weekend.  Please share your stories of your adventures. Or - if you have tips to share on how to handle a toddler meltdown, I'll gladly accept those!  It may come in handy for the future.  Thank you.

Thank You Twitter

I have to admit that it was a slow go for me to fall in love with Twitter. At one point I HATED it.  I now think that I am starting to fall in love. And the feeling just might be mutual. Please read my post from March where I talk about hating Twitter: The Ex Factor.  It will provide a bit of a back story for you.

I want to apologize now for that comment.  I was wrong.  I am still in the courting phase with my Twitter relationship. Twitter is certainly wooing me in ways only topped by my dear husband.  Twitter IS paying attention.  Just like my attentive hubby.  No, I'm not all about gifts but Twitter is certainly bringing gifts my way (not candy & flowers).   Tell me what lady doesn't like a thoughtful gift?  OK, I could say that Twitter has given me the gift of new friendships -  because it certainly has given me some wonderful connections.  I actually mean GIFT-gifts (BTW, I would gladly take candy & flowers if you're listening Twitter).

Two of the biggies:

• I was honored with the gift of a BlogHership.  I got word of it through a Tweet, applied, and won!
• I received a FREE HP Veer 4G SmartPhone by Tweeting my phone woes to the #ATTPhoneFairy.

So I owe my BlogHer '11 experience and my new phone ownership in great part to Twitter.  We're friends now.  But on the verge of bigger and better things.

I do (an have) thank BlogHer and ATT for the gifts that I received from them.  I just now need to thank Twitter for giving me the chance to connect with them. So, THANK YOU  Twitter - my matchmaker.

Today, one little Tweet ago...I wrote this Tweet and NOW:  I am getting a case of  Metromint water sent to my office.  Just because I'm vocal.  These peeps in my office better be extra nice to me if they want me to share!

Happy Friday all! Be vocal! And don't forget to say THANK YOU. Do good, get good.

Wordless Wednesday: Just About A Year Ago

BlogHer '11: My 15 Minutes of Fame

Today I read a tweet entitled: BlogHer Conference Update -- August 12, 2011 | BlogHer.  Cool.  Since I attended the conference, I wanted to read the write up.  I open up the attachment and lo and behold!  I see my face!  Admittedly, it is not the most flattering of photos since I am clearly in mid-speech!  I was telling my new blog buddies what I blog about.  I am thrilled all the same.  What a great souvenir of my BlogHer moment!

Asher-Sears Photography

I am now able to cross "Have my photo on front page of BlogHer website" off of the bucket list! It's already quickly being bumped lower and lower on the page as more posts are put up. But at least it was up there at ONE point. I'm giddy!

Also pictured is Nicole Aro of  The Sunlight Foundation which is a non-profit.  I met a few ladies that are involved with non-profit organizations.  She was kind enough to ask if I wanted company at breakfast since I was eating alone.  It touched me even more that she came up to me because there were PLENTY of other empty tables available.


NEW Comment via Facebook:

BlogHer '11: Day 1

Too tired to blog about my BlogHer experience as there is SO MUCH to say! I will post a few photos though. I didn't bring a camera since I didn't have a buddy to snap photos for me/of me/with me. I will bring one tomorrow. I apologize in advance for the poor quality photos taken with my DumbPhone.  I think I was the only one in the entire Convention Center without a SmartPhone or a Tablet! OH - and the only one without business cards. Well...I ordered some but not in time. Boo.  Oh Well.

Note: No pictures of me with fellow Bloggers = I was feeling shy!  No shyness though with the Sponsors.  Weird, I know.




One of the Welcome Banners & Attendees Registering



Meeting Room for session that I am in charge of the Mic.
I scoped it out early for Saturday's Session, just planning ahead!



EXPO Floor: Awesome sponsors!  Met really sweet people.



Diane Amos & Me: That's the power of Pine Sol, baby... 



Cookie Monster, Elmo, and ME.  I plan on bringing our son  before the conference ends.



Brawny Man & Me

NEW Comment via Facebook:

Smile!

I am a former brace-face. A two-time brace face at that. Once as a teenager and then again as an adult. Guess what? I lagged and didn't wear my retainers (again) and YES, I need straightening AGAIN.  This time as a 40 year old I am not going to do the "brace-face" look.  No metal mouth momma for me!  SO...I'm looking into Invisalign and hoping that those of you who have experience with the process can share your knowledge with me.  I am still looking into our dental plan to see if it is even covered.  I looked through their directories and have found a few providers in my area.  It's a start.  I wanted to document my journey starting here with the researching phase. I am excited to get the ball rolling.  I've contacted the company and attached the information that they have provided me in hopes to share with those of you who may be interested as well.

If you haven't learned by now, I'm a "sharer". I enjoy sharing. It's probably a big reason why I enjoy blogging so much.  I get to be a big mouth about what I know, what I learn, what I like, and what I don't.

Growing up my Mom ALWAYS said "sharing is caring" - it was annoying at times to hear, but I listened.  If I had only listened and WORN my retainers as a teen ...

	Dear Cynthia, Thank you for your interest in Invisalign®. Choosing to straighten your teeth is an important choice in life. To help you decide if Invisalign is right for you, we'd like to share a little more information with you about how our treatment works. When you're ready to make your decision, we'll be ready to get you started. 1. Your doctor will take an impression of your teeth and create a digital 3-D image to plan the exact tooth movements for your treatment. 2. You'll receive your first set of customized aligners about one month later. These are created for you to wear at each stage of your treatment, gradually moving your teeth a little at a time. 3. Most patients only need one checkup every four to six weeks. 4. A full treatment typically includes 20–30 aligners and often takes less than a year. "I've heard stories of people having food stuck in their metal braces and I didn’t want to go through that. It’s so easy..." – Christa / Property Manager "I wanted my teeth straighter, but I didn’t want to be in pain. My aligners are so comfortable compared to the metal..." – Martin / Financial Analyst More Success Stories I haven't taken any action yet. I have called an Invisalign provider but have not made an appointment. I have an appointment scheduled. I have gone to my free consultation, but I'm not in treatment yet. I am now in treatment! Visit us on