Funkidivagirl.com

Writer’s Workshop: A Panini Haiku

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:38:10 +0000

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering and combining two prompts: 2.) Create and share a Whrrl story and 3.) Write a Haiku that describes what you love about an ordinary day.

A PANINI HAIKU

Noon. My stomach growls.

Piping hot panini press,

make me a sandwich.

More check-ins at My Kitchen

My daughter got into the spirit of making a Haiku as well:

Lillies bloom in spring

Snow falls in winter brr brr

I bloom in summer.

Making a Haiku is strangely satisfying. Try it!

Things I Like: Paddywax Candles

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:27:55 +0000

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

Every year around the Christmas holidays Paddywax Candles has an open house at their factory store here in Atlanta and every year my family attends. We eat cookies, drink cider and stock up candles. We give some candles as gifts, but most we keep for ourselves to burn throughout the year. We always stay at the open house far too long because not only does Paddywax sell great candles and it’s hard to shop quickly, but the company is also run by a fantastic couple, David Duncan and Gretchen Hollingsworth. My family knows David and Gretchen socially, so we end up chatting with them forever. I am always amazed by how they manage to run such a successful business and a successful household. The success of the company takes extremely hard work, but on any given day I see either David or Gretchen picking their daughters up from school with one of their three dogs in tow. The Paddywax office and factory has a busy, yet relaxed vibe–just like David and Gretchen themselves–and because their girls are often underfoot, there is always plenty of laughter and whimsy as well. It seems like the ideal way to run a company–and a family.

During our last visit to the open house, our daughter disappeared with David and Gretchen’s girls back into the factory; with little cloth bags in hand, they were on a mission to find bits of hardened candle wax. David took my husband and I into the factory to retrieve our daughter and show us how Paddywax Candles are made. As David gave us a tour, he explained that Paddywax Candles is a boutique operation; the candles are made in small batches, hand-poured and hand-dyed. I was a fan before the factory tour, but now that I have seen first-hand the detail and quality control that goes into each candle, I am even more impressed.

These are beautiful, high-quality, great-smelling candles. If you love candles like I do, then you will love Paddywax Candles. You can buy them online or in retail stores across the country. If you want to know when they have the open house or other special events and deals, you can fan them on Facebook and follow @paddywaxcandles and @thecandlemaker on Twitter.

Go Chili Dawg! It’s Your Birthday!

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:17:12 +0000

Writer’s Workshop: Slow Motion Rider

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:51:21 +0000

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 4.) Can you almost stop time with your words? Write about the fastest ride you ever had, but describe only a few seconds of it…as though it was happening to slow motion.

I love roller coasters. Disney World is more my speed these days than Six Flags, but still I love a good thrill. Space Mountain and Expedition to Everest (my favorite ride at Disney World) are very fast. Tower of Terror, not a roller coaster but nevertheless a thrilling ride, is probably the fastest and the most what-in-the-world-was-I-thinking ride. But my time-stopping slow mo fast ride happened on Disney’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Actually it’s what happened before I got on the ride that made time stand still.

As I have said before, I am not afraid of too many things (except sharks) but lately I have become extremely claustrophobic. This is a new, surprising development for me because I am generally a calm person; I’m pretty unflappable. I have explored the pyschological reasons for my anxiety, but I won’t bore you with the underlining issues. I have noticed that I get particularly anxious when all three of my triggers are in play at the same time: heat, small spaces, and crowds. I can handle each one individually, but when they are all together in a no-exit environment, I can go from zero (calm) to sixty (get me out of here!) very quickly.

Disney World is the perfect storm for a claustrophobic panic attack. During peak visiting times, like our last Disney trip, the ride operator crowds the lines, which are often inside narrow hallways without any ventilation, and the lines move slowly. I have no problem with small, crowded, hot spaces as long as I move through quickly–it’s staying in those spaces that freaks me out. I was anxious about the line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster because it is one of the most popular rides at Disney World and I knew the line would be crowded and slow moving. However, I do not like the descepancy between my roller coaster-loving self and my claustrophobic self, so I decided to take the risk. I wouldn’t have even considered riding if we didn’t have the special media Fast Passs that allowed us to start in the shorter line. As my husband and I joined the line inside a dark building, these are my thoughts:

This is the Fast Pass line? It’s long.

My heart is pounding so fast, this can’t be good.

Why do they keep these buildings so dark? Why is the ceiling so low?

There are so many people in here.

Is there a way out? Where is the nearest exit?

Take off my coat. Good. Okay, at least I’m not hot.

I refused to packed in like a sardine and they can’t make me.

My husband looks concerned and asks me if I’m okay.

I tell him to stop talking to me; I need to concentrate.

I think if I keep a wide path around me and not let myself get crowed, I can handle it.

Two people-length. Don’t let anyone get closer than two people away.

Focus. Focus on the flower on that girl’s sweatshirt. Like in birthing class.

We are going around a bend. Uh-oh, I know how these lines twist and turn.

I can’t take it anymore. It’s the fear of the unknown, so I ask a lady next to me who has obviously ridden before: What comes next? Is it much further? Does it get more narrow and darker? She assures me that we are almost there.

We enter a room. Thankfully they don’t pack too many people in the room, but it is dark and I can’t see the exits. There is no way out and I start to panic. My heart is pounding so hard.

I fully expect to faint right now. Not that I ever have, so I don’t know what that means. Still.

I can barely breath. This can’t be good for my oxygen level.

What will happen if I faint? Will anyone notice?

James is watching me. That’s good. He’ll notice if I hit the floor.

Take deep breaths. In and out. In and out. Deep and slow. I can do this.

Count to ten. Haven’t I read that somewhere? Count to ten slowly.

It seems to be working. I haven’t fainted yet.

I really need to learn how to meditate.

Oh, it’s Aerosmith talking on the screen. Pay attention.

If I wasn’t so freaked out, I would think this is cool.

This video is way too long. Finish already!

Oh, the doors are opening. Freedom!

No wait. We are in some sort of cage.

A cage! Are they kidding me?

Where is James? Doesn’t he know I’m hanging by a thread?

At least there are no closed doors. Just keep the people away; don’t let them crowd me.

Finally I’m out the cage! I’m free!

And just like that my anxiety subsides and completely disappears. The room is big, I’m in cool air and the people are more dispersed. The line is moving fast and it’s almost my turn to ride. I switch from anxious to excited and hop in the car with a big smile on my face. I love roller coasters! This is why I fought my claustrophobic demons and I’m glad that I did. The roller coaster takes off like a shot and I am flying through complete darkness with Aerosmith music blasting in my ears.

WOO-HOO!

A Mother’s Agenda

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:48:22 +0000

If you saw the post-it that I had on my blog all week, then you know that I had special work to do. I had the week all planned out to really concentrate during school hours and get it all done.

Monday

My agenda: Work on project.

What happened: Girly wakes up vomiting and continues all day.

The result: No work gets done, but I am there to comfort my daughter when she needs me.

Tuesday

My agenda: Make up for a lost day and work on project even harder.

What happened: Girly is still too sick for school, but well enough to talk all day.

The result: No work gets done, but I’m glad that I helped her to feel better.

Wednesday

My agenda: Take a well Girly to school, puppy to daycare and really lock down to work on project. It’s midweek and I can still get in 3 good days of work if I really concentrate.

What happened:

9 hours in the ER.

The result: No work gets done. For 9 hours I was cold, uncomfortable, hungry, tired and worried. But I was blessed to be there. Blessed to hold her hand, distract her from the needles, watch old Full House re-runs, help her pee in a cup and smooth her hair while she falls asleep.

There is no doubt about it; being her mother is number one on my agenda always.

(She’s fine now.)

Be Right Back

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:54:13 +0000

Cooking Groovy: Ooh Lala Crepes

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:44:12 +0000

In honor of National Pancake Day yesterday, I decided to forgo the free pancakes at IHOP and instead make pancakes for my family at home. More specifically, I decided to make crepes. The fact that I have never made crepes before didn’t stop me one bit; I knew that I could find a recipe online and that I probably already had the ingredients at home. I used a basic recipe from WikiHow, but I added more milk, maybe as much as a cup more. The batter has to be thin. If it’s too thick, like pancake batter, add some more milk. A YouTube video by Foodwishes.com was also very helpful in helping me learn how to work the crepe batter in the pan. It was a little tricky at first, pouring just the right amount of batter and knowing when to flip the crepe, but by the third crepe I had it down (and I ate the first two “bad crepes”).

Now that I know that crepes are so easy, I’ll be making them all the time!

Disney World’s Social Media Moms Celebration 2010

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:59:07 +0000

I was invited to attend Disney’s first ever Social Media Moms Celebration in February of 2010 and since I love Disney, I jumped at the chance. If you’ve been reading my blog within the last month, you have seen this badge proudly displayed:

Since our families were invited to join us at the Social Media Moms Celebration as well, I took my kids out of school for three days. That was quite a hard decision for me, but besides our normal fun at Disney World, I knew that my family would experience special Disney magic on this trip and I didn’t want them to miss it. Because my mother joined us on the trip as well, my husband was able to be an attendee like me and go to all the conference events; I was happy to share this with him and glad that he could join me. There’s so much to tell about this fantastic event that you might have to read this blog post in stages, but do read it all because it’s an event worth hearing about.

The Social Media Moms (and Dads)

Quite awhile before the event at Disney World tweets were flying with the hashtag #DisneySMMoms and all the attendees were connecting via Twitter about what to wear, what to bring, and just general excitement about the event. This is when I absolutely love Twitter because I “met” people that I hadn’t previously been following and developed a rapport even before we met in person. Indeed most people knew each other’s Twitter name instead of real names and upon meeting each other it would go something like this: “Hi, I’m Sherrelle.” I would get a pleasant smile and handshake. Then I would say, “I’m Funkidivagirl on Twitter” and the smile would turn into a big grin and the handshake into a hug because we would realize that we “know” each other already. A Facebook page was created with multiple discussion panels and one dad even created a Ning site for the dads to meet. Yes, this was a social media event alright! While at Disney World it was fun being with old friends that I know in real life or have met previously at other conferences while also meeting new friends. There was never a dull moment or lack of somebody to talk to; everyone was friendly and engaging. My husband, one of the few male attendees, remarked that at a predominately male conference there would never be so much chatter on an early morning bus to breakfast. Hey, we talk a lot online and it doesn’t stop in person!

The Hotel

Our conference fee included three nights at the Polynesian resort and I was very excited because I had never stayed there before. It is one of the few resorts on the monorail line and that was very convenient for our families to be able to travel around Disney World while we were in the conference sessions or at media events. The hotel room was HUGE compared to the other resorts that I have stayed in (Animal Kingdom, Saratoga Springs and Riverside) and my family of 5 was very comfortable. There was plenty of space for our clothes and enough room to lounge about or for my daughter to play. We had a beach view and if it hadn’t been so cold, it would have been very nice to sit on the balcony. We were able to watch the water parade from our balcony; my kids loved that. Since we were there for a specific event (and it was very cold, I have to say that again, I mean freezing), we didn’t get to experience all the hotel amenities like the beach and volcano pool, but I have a feeling that we will return to the Polynesian on another visit.

The Conference

Our first conference event was a breakfast with Guy Kawasaki at Epcot’s American Adventure. He was a fantastic speaker and talked to us about how he uses Twitter. First of all, I loved how he–and all the speakers–assumed us to be social media savvy and talked to us like peers (as they should have). His speech was both informative and engaging as he took us through the various ways to use Twitter: to sell, to search, for customer service and to gain more followers. I learned many take-away points about how to take my Twitter game to the next level.

The big conference day on Friday was an all-day event at the Contemporary Resort and Conference Center. I was not a fan of the Contemporary years ago, but lately I am loving it; the decor has changed from an out-dated 70s look to more of a hip, sleek W Hotel. And you can’t beat the convenience of the monorail stopping right inside the hotel.

The first speaker of the morning was Maxine Clark, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. Her story of a “dream”–a dream that is now a gazillion dollar business–was perfect for the location and backdrop of the Cinderella castle behind her. Our tables were decorated with Disney Princess Build-A-Bears and my daughter is still upset that I didn’t win the raffle for the bear at my table.

Next up was Marissa Jaret Winokur, actress and Tony Award winner for her role as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. Marissa did her speech interview-style; it was funny and entertaining, but the audience mostly connected with her talking about how she juggles being the mother of a young child and her career.

I think Kathy Ireland’s speech was the most surprising to us all. We knew her as a once super-model and yes, knew that that she had an extremely successful lifestyle brand and business, but didn’t know just how inspiring she is as a woman, wife and mother. This is a woman who has her priorities in order–faith, family and then business–and really tries to live her life accordingly. She has been married 22 years to an ER doctor and commercial fisherman (who knew, right?) and together they have built a personal life and business that has not been free from trouble, but that is real and true. I know that I became a fan and I would venture to say that the whole audience–including my husband and other men–did too.

Chris Brogan followed Kathy Ireland and while he said it was a tough act to follow, most attendees were eagerly awaiting his moment on stage. Known in social media circles as a “rock star,” he’s an entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author. We all knew this as he has a constant presence on Twitter and well, everywhere. What we didn’t know was just how funny he was! While he talked to us about how to make our blog posts better, more engaging, and more community-oriented, he also had us rolling in the aisles. I am breaking one of his rules now, “make blog posts shorter and more concise,” but at least I am following another rule “be helpful.” Chris was around for most of the conference days and was very accessible for questions and conversation with all the attendees.

The conference ended with a very funny comedian, Mary Ellen Hooper, who had everyone in stitches about her observations both in social media and real life.

The Press Events

Part of our time at the Social Media Moms Celebration included media press events with traditional media (print and television) as well. Our first event was at ESPN Wide World of Sport’s Milkhouse (a very nice facility with posters of athletes wearing milk moustaches). There at the Milkhouse we learned “What’s New, What’s Next” at Disney World.

One exciting thing that I have to come back for is “Summer Nightastic,” which includes the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade. Just watching the video clip brought tears to my eyes as it is my most favorite thing at Disney, and currently it is only shown at Disneyland in California. Other fun events of “Summer Nightastic” include new drop sequences for Tower of Terror (I won’t be riding that–once is enough), a special fireworks show and the return of Sounds Like Summer concert series to Epcot.

The Disney Cruise Line has some big things in store for the next few years; in 2010 the Disney Magic will sail to Europe for a 5-month season and in 2011 the Disney Wonder will sail for the first time to Alaska. I’m not a fan of cruising, but I think that Disney can entice me to try one of their cruises because they look like so much fun as well as luxurious (I’m all about luxury on vacation). However, I think that I will be the only one in my family to try the AquaDuck, a water roller coaster that goes out over the water, on the new Disney Dream.

Disney World is about to undergo the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history–a three-year construction project to expand Fantasyland. When it’s done, the expansion promises to make Fantasyland even more magical than it is now. Each Disney princess will have her own village for an immersive encounter, there will be a new ride with Ariel and friends and the classic Dumbo’s Flying Circus will expand to twice it’s current size as a brand new circus-themed attraction. Two new themed restaurants, Be Our Guest and Gaston’s Tavern will provide fun culinary experiences. I’m really looking forward to the new Fantasyland!

The other media event we attended was a ceremony at Epcot’s World Showplace honoring volunteer families from around the world as part of Disney’s Give A Day, Get A Disney Day. Just 6 weeks into the program 600,000 people have committed to or completed their volunteer activity–this is more than halfway to Disney’s goal of 1 million volunteers.

It was a thrill for me to see Kermit The Frog because I’m a big Sesame Street fan, but most of the audience loved Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He urged the audience to shout with him “move those balloons!” to reveal the Guinness World Record-certified world’s largest canned food sculpture–more than 115,000 cans. Later that day there was a volunteer event to dismantle the sculpture and pack the canned food into boxes for distribution to food shelters.

The Cast Members

I know from past Disney media events that I have attended that Laura Spencer, Social Media Manager and Leanne Jakubowski, Director of Social Media, do everything first class, so really I didn’t expect anything less than what was presented. Disney as a company is impressive in their execution of excellence, but it’s the customer service that makes Disney stand apart from similar experiences. From the bus drivers to the cast members who held the flashing light to always point us in the right direction, we were always taken care of. When it was cold outside, we were given hand-warmers and heaters. When it was dark, we were given flashlights. When it was raining, we were given umbrellas. Our comfort, safety and enjoyment were always the first priority of the cast members; I don’t think we could have asked for a better experience.

The Dinners, Parties and All-Out Fun

Oh, but it was not all work; we had time to play as well and let me tell you, when Disney throws a party, they know how to get down! There was a DJ at every dinner and the kids were encouraged to dance and play. The food was plentiful and tasty. Here are some highlights from the different events:

Wednesday night was our first event at ESPN Wide World of Sports and WOW, it was fabulous. The characters, dressed in sports gear, visited all the tables for photos. The food was tail-gate fare (originally supposed to be served outside, but it was too cold) of burgers, hot dogs, make-your-own nachos, sausages and beer cheese soup. Cracker Jacks and peanuts decorated the tables. My daughter went wild for the display of cotton candy. It was a really fun event and set the mood for all the fun yet to come.

Me & Laura Spencer

After a breakfast with Guy Kawasaki, we spent all day at Epcot with our families. My family loves Japan in World Showcase; my daughter learned origami and we bought our favorite Japanese candy. We also spent the day looking for hidden Mickeys; we found a really cool one in Epcot’s France.

Thursday night’s event was held outside at Epcot’s Future World and it was cold, but hand warmers and heaters kept us warm. The food was prepared by–surprise!–Chef Robert Irvine from Food Network’s Dinner Impossible. We had tasty little dishes inspired by the Disney Princesses; my favorites were the seafood shepherd’s pie (with lobster and scallops) and the cheesecake push-pops. My daughter is a huge fan of this show and was so excited when Chef Irvine briefly took the stage to explain his dishes; we can’t wait to see the show when it airs on Food Network sometime in the spring. After dinner we were treated to a concert by a new band, Allstar Weekend, winners of Disney’s Next Big Thing contest, before the big stars Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato took the stage. The concert ended with fireworks. It was a great ending to a fun day spent at Epcot.

Our last dinner party on Friday night was held after hours at Hollywood Studios. Originally the event was supposed to be on the set of Lights! Motor! Action!, but the rainy day forced the dinner inside. Characters were present to dance with the kids while we dined on a buffet dinner. But after dinner was when the fun really began because we had Toy Story Mania, one of the most popular rides at Disney World and easily a two hour wait in line, ALL TO OURSELVES! Yes, that’s right, they opened up the ride just for our group! My kids were so excited and even I entered the building screaming. We ran in, grabbed our glasses and rode over and over again trying to beat our high scores, because guess what?–we could; there was no wait! It was so much fun! Across from the ride Buzz, Woody, Jessie and Bullseye were waiting just for us, to take photos and interact with the kids (and adults too–I was excited to see them!). This was such a fun way to end the conference; as you can see from the photos, we had a blast.

Chris Brogan & my husband James

Chris & James battled; Chris won.

You can also check out this 12 second video of Chris and James on Toy Story Mania.

The Goodies

Ahh, the goodies; Disney gave freely and it was all good. We got a big bag ‘o goodies when we checked-in: watches, a game kit, a blanket, a laptop bag and my favorite, a desktop box of post-it notes. What can I say; I like post-it notes! After the ESPN dinner we were given a really cute hat. During the conference there were many raffles for gift baskets, purses, Build-A-Bears and the most coveted prize of all–an overnight stay in Cinderella’s Castle (insert copious oohs and aahs here). Cinderella and Prince Charming themselves presented the golden key to the lucky winner, who, alas, wasn’t me. What I wouldn’t give to stay in Cinderella’s suite! During the conference we were given cute pink polar fleece jackets which really came in handy due to the cold weather, but also useful for identifying each other in the parks after the conference was over. We also left the conference with a plush Mickey doll and a red sequined Mickey bag–both which my daughter took as her own.

Our conference fee included 7 day park hopper tickets, with add-ons like the water parks, miniature golf and Disney Quest. While we didn’t use the water parks because it was too cold, my mom took my kids to Disney Quest on Friday while I was at the conference because it rained all day. Having the park hopper tickets was fantastic and we did use them for the two days that we stayed after the conference as well; I wish that we would have been able to take advantage of the full seven days.

The park tickets were great. The gifts were great. But the ONE THING that made this trip over the top, the ONE GOODIE that was beyond fantastic, beyond fun and simply mind-blowing for my family was this baby right here:

Yes, it is unassuming, but I hope you understand the seriousness of this little white card: this media Fastpass allowed us to NOT WAIT IN LINE for any ride that had a Fastpass, which are all the most popular rides at Disney World. Soarin‘, a 90 minute wait? Not for us; we slipped in our card and bam! Fastpass tickets came out with times stamped for that very minute. Expedition to Everest is out of Fastpasses for the day? Not for us; we still get Fastpasses! Because we never had to wait in line, I was able to talk my husband into riding all the roller coasters with me. I usually ride by myself on family trips; he hasn’t ridden with me in over 10 years, but this time he rode them all. I even talked my kids into riding Expedition to Everest (who normally don’t ride roller coasters); my son loved it and my daughter still isn’t sure about how she feels. Because of the Golden Ticket, as everyone at the conference took to calling it, my husband and I rode Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster for the first time together and loved it; we highly recommend it as a “must ride” attraction.

The Rest of My Trip

My family stayed an extra two days after the Social Media Moms Celebration ended. We moved out of the Polynesian resort to the Sheraton Safari; it was off-property but only a 10 minute drive into Disney World. I was very nervous about staying off-property because I have never done it before and let me tell you, I will never do it again. You would think a Sheraton would be nice, but the hotel was old, out-dated and the rooms were tiny; it is not a place that I would recommend. The only good thing about it was that we used my husband’s hotel points and we didn’t pay a dime. I don’t think it was worth saving the money; although we had a car, we didn’t have the convenience of Disney transportation nor were we allowed Extra Magic Hours. And I didn’t like being “out of the magic” and into the chaos of that section of Orlando. My advice would be to stay on-property or if you elect to stay off-property, do your research.

Because we had the Golden Ticket, we were tired from the conference activities, we stayed off-property and it was freezing, we didn’t get up early and out to the parks like we normally do. We were with the chaff, not the wheat as we prefer to be. True, with the Golden Ticket we were King of the Chaff, but chaff nevertheless. It was a busy week at Disney and lines were long for food and non-Fastpass rides. My original mantra, “get to the park before it opens” still stands; it makes for a much less-crowded and more pleasant park-going experience.

Besides riding Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster for the first time and my family finally experiencing my favorite ride at Disney, Expedition to Everest, we used our limited time to experience our favorites. Again, we didn’t see Indiana Jones at Hollywood Studios. Next trip we have to do that, but it was just too cold this time. We ate at Casey’s on Main Street in Magic Kingdom; eh, it was okay as is most of the food in that park. We rode the ferry from Magic Kingdom’s Ticket & Transportation Center for the first time because the monorail was packed and we really liked it. We were going to the park to see the Spectromagic Parade and caught the ferry just in time to view Wishes from the top deck; that was a nice vantage point to see the fireworks and highly recommended (although you do miss hearing the accompanied audio track). As always Spectromagic was beautiful and magical; we were prepared for the cold with our new Disney blankets from the conference, but it wasn’t too bad that evening….not with all our layers: a short tee, long tee, hoodie, winter coat, hat and gloves. I told you, it was freezing.

The Spectromagic Parade was a great way to end our magical 5 days at Disney World. I am so happy that I was invited to attend the Social Media Moms Celebration and I hope that this is just the beginning of many other media opportunities for me at Disney World. Me and The Mouse…we’re becoming tight. :-)

*Full Disclosure: I was invited by Disney to attend the Social Media Moms Celebration. While I did pay a fee for this opportunity, the total package of 3 nights hotel stay, meals and 7 day park tickets for my family of five was offered at a greatly reduced rate. I paid for my own transportation to Disney World and all meals and accommodations after the end of the conference days. All opinions expressed are my own.

How To Save Money At Disney World

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:51:17 +0000

I’ve just gotten back from the first ever Social Media Moms Celebration at Disney World and let me tell you that it was FABULOUS! I’ll be writing about that later this week, but first I wanted to give you a few tips about planning your own vacation to Disney World—specifically how to save money.

My family has been to Disney World a few times and we plan to return often; it is one of our absolutely favorite vacation spots. But as anyone who has been there knows, it is not an inexpensive vacation. Fortunately, a little knowledge and research before your trip can help you save money. I’ve taken a Disney vacation when money has not been a concern and I’ve been to Disney when I’m literally counting every penny that I spend. In either case, I try to spend money on “the good stuff” and save money wherever I can.

Don’t pay for water. Bring in your own water bottle. This is by far one of the easiest ways to save money at Disney World. A bottle of water in the parks can cost a few dollars, but if you bring in your own empty bottle and refill it throughout the day, you could save $12-$16 per day just in water alone. Refilling a water bottle also cuts down on the consumption of soda. The Florida sun is brutal and you need to keep hydrated, but it shouldn’t cost you money to do that.

Limit snacks. Pack your own snacks such as pretzels or crackers to stave off hunger or boredom in line, but allow each person one Disney snack a day. You’re on vacation after all and Disney World does have some fantastic snacks. My family never leaves Magic Kingdom without having a Dole Whip.

In another park it might be the Mickey-shaped ice cream bar. Epcot’s World Showcase is a great place to have a churro from Mexico, crepe from France or red bean ice cream from China and we always make sure to get a mango pie at Animal Kingdom. We enjoy Disney snacks, but each person is only allowed one special snack per day. By limiting my family to only one purchased snack a day, we can save $20 per day. This tip not only saves us money, but it is healthier for our bodies as well.

Eat breakfast in your hotel room. My family does take advantage of a few Disney breakfast buffets or character meals during our vacation, but most of our breakfast is consumed in the hotel room. Either I bring food from home (we drive to Disney World) or go to the grocery store when we arrive. Most Disney hotel rooms have a small refrigerator big enough for yogurt, juice and milk. Add some cold cereal, fruit and bagels or muffins and that’s a complete breakfast. Breakfast groceries for a week would cost about $50, while eating breakfast out every morning would be $200 or more for the week–and that’s just a quick counter meal breakfast. A character breakfast or buffet costs my family $70 per meal, not including tax or tip. Eating breakfast in our hotel room saves my family tons of money, but it also saves us time because we can eat and get dressed in shifts; we like getting to the parks early to beat the lines and heat.

Share a meal. Disney World serves huge portions, especially at the table restaurants, so if you aren’t on the Dining Plan, share a meal. Most of the time the meals are too much food for one person to eat anyway. By sharing a meal, even just one meal a day, my family can save $175 over the course of a week’s vacation.

Check for special offers. The official Disney World website is the place to find special offers for Disney World resorts and packages; the button is located on the upper right corner of the home page. All of Disney’s officially advertised deals are here and depending on the time of the year, there can be some great deals to be had. Last spring break vacation my family took advantage of the “Buy 4, Get 3 Free” offer and our hotel at Saratoga Springs, the Dining Plan and park tickets for 7 nights cost the same as 4 nights. This saved us about $1,650.00 and because of the savings we were also able to stay in much nicer hotel than we had on a previous trip.

Let kids use their own money for souvenirs. My kids often get money from relatives for Christmas and birthday presents, but really have nothing to spend it on at home. Disney World is the perfect place to spend some Grandma Money. What parent likes to deny their child–especially at Disney World? But saying “yes” to every desire can really add up. Kids are usually better consumers when they spend their own money and really think about their purchases instead of asking for everything that they see.

Buy souvenirs wisely. Disney World is full of wonderful things to buy and your kids are going to want everything, but you should save your souvenir money for the good stuff. Anything that you can buy in the mall at the Disney Store or Target back at home, don’t buy it at Disney World. Instead, take advantage of the special items that only Disney sells. Personalized mouse ears are always fun to buy. My daughter loves going to Once Upon A Toy in Downtown Disney to buy new parts for her Mr. Potato.

Many of the gift shops outside of popular attractions have souvenirs related to that attraction. For instance Tower of Terror has really neat hotel-related souvenirs and the gift shop at Star Tours is a perfect place for Star Wars fans. Epcot’s World Showcase is a fun place to buy souvenirs from around the world. My family’s favorite store is in Epcot’s Japan; we love Japanese candy and wind-up toys so this is where we spend our money. It’s different, fun and not something that we can buy anywhere.

I hope that I’ve given you some tips about saving money on your next vacation to Disney World. For a more detailed review of my trips to Disney World please read my 3 part series, How To Do Disney World Like Funkidivagirl. You can read about all my Disney World experiences, including media events that I’ve been invited to, in the catergory T as in Tango: Disney World. If you have any questions about Disney World, please leave me a comment and I will try to answer.

And come back later this week to read about my FABULOUS time at Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration!

Get Happy: 20 Songs That Put Me In A Great Mood

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:57:19 +0000

We all have them, those “blah” gray sort of days. Days when we don’t feel like doing much of anything, but we have to anyway because our work/children/spouse/project demand that we do. That’s when I put on my Get Happy playlist because these songs never fail to put me in a fantastic mood. All of these songs either morph me into a happy, Sunday-afternoon-at-the-park sort of mood or make me want to get up and dance. I’ve got good music and I’m good to go.

“Love Shack” by B-52s

I secretly think that I am a member of the B-52s; I have the white go-go boots already. ”Love Shack” is my number one song to put me in a fantastic mood. It makes me want to dance around and do the pony. I would kill this song at karaoke!

“Pump” by B-52s

If you think the B-52s greatest hits are old school, think again. Their latest release is just as rocking as songs of old. ”Pump” is classic B-52s: addictive guitar riffs and esoteric (or just crazy) lyrics. Listening to this song makes me wanna swing my hips wildly while shaking a tambourine.

“Back to Love” by The Brand New Heavies

Most of The Brand New Heavies music is funky and groovy–perfect for creating a sunny mood. But this song has the benefit of uplifting lyrics as well. It’s a message that everyone needs to remember: “…we seem to lose our way, somehow got lead astray, that’s why I’m here to say, got to get back, get back to love.”

“Groove is in The Heart” by Dee-Lite

Do you see a pattern here? I like groovy music. Peace signs, disco balls, go-go boots–give it to me, baby! This song is a flower-child dance party, with a 90s house beat. I dare you to listen and stay in your seat.

“Cherish” by Madonna

A bouncy, feel-good beat and sing-aloud lyrics about love keeps this song on my Get Happy playlist. True, I can’t get the image of Madonna wearing all that lace out of my head, but I don’t hold it against her. How can I? I used to dress like her!

“I’m Every Woman” by Chaka-Khan

This song makes me feel like I can conquer the world. Chaka is belting out those lyrics with the force of nature. By the end of the song when the music crescendos, all I need is a cape and a big W on my chest and I’m ready to fly!

“All This Time” by Sting

Soul Cages is one of my favorite albums by Sting; the writing is incredible. Even though this song is about his father’s death, Sting’s poetic lyrics and great music makes it a up-beat tribute instead of a dirge. You can feel the maritime intentions in the song–the waves rolling, the sea breeze, the boat rocking. I love the beach and this song takes me right there.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

Yes, I know it’s clichéd, but despite the over-use of this song, it still puts me in a good mood. With the disco ball twinkling, I can hear the DJ saying, “It’s time for ladies only skate, ladies only.” In my tube socks and shiny shorts, I can see myself gliding around the roller rink.

“P.Y.T” by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson showed his talent through many songs, but whenever I play this song I feel his passion and happiness. And that happiness is then transferred to me. I don’t try to moon-walk though.

“I Like It Like That” by The Blackout All-Stars

There aren’t that many lyrics to this song, it’s all about the beat. Latin music is made for dancing; the horns and Congo drums make me want to throw on a twirly skirt, some high heels and do the merengue.

“Haven’t You Heard” by Patrice Rushen

Another song with limited lyrics, “Haven’t You Heard” is all about the music. Patrice Rushen is an incredible musician and arranger and her blend of jazz, funk and R&B always has me tapping my toes and bopping my head. This is perfect Sunday afternoon, life-is-good type of music.

“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince

A musical genius. I love many a Prince song and different songs put me in different moods. ”Let’s Go Crazy” is Prince in a zany mood and the song makes me feel zany too. With lyrics like “let’s look for the purple banana ’til they put us in the truck” how can you not get in a great mood?

“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol

I love to rock out to this song. À la Jennifer Beals I want to wear ripped sweatshirts and leg warmers while dancing a scene out of Flashdance. Or sometimes I play it really loud in my car when I’m frustrated and it never fails to make me calmer and more in control.

“The Biggest Part of Me” by Ambrosia

This is my singing in the shower song, the one that makes me croon into my pretend microphone. Singing this song I have my audience in the palm of my hand; all eyes are closed and they’re doing the church wave. This image never fails to put a smile on my face.

“Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5

Smooth, jazzy and groovy, “Sunday Morning” is what I want to hear while taking my dog for a walk. Sometimes walking my dog can be a chore, but a song like this puts a skip in my step. My dog thanks you Maroon 5.

“Flashlight” by Parliament

After the 9 second intro, right when the song really begins, I want to jump up, land in a splits, jump up again and do a James Brown spin. From there I would go into an impressive robot dance, then snake on the floor. If only. Instead, I do my own version of a funky dance.

“8th Wonder” by Sugar Hill Gang

The beat is fresh and the rap lyrics memorable. It’s my ring tone and I have a mini-dance party every time someone calls me. An interactive party song asking you to sing along, how can you stay in a bad mood reciting lyrics like: “If you’re ready to party and you’re ready to jam, scream it out and say ‘I am (I am) somebody (somebody),’ now you know you are. You go ah, ah, ah-ah, ooh, ooh.”

“Love of My Life Worldwide” by Erykah Badu (featuring Queen Latifah, Bahamadia & Angie Stone)

I used to love “Funk You Up” by Sequence back in the day and Erykah Badu took a good thing and made it even better. The addition of Queen Latifah, Bahamadia and original member of Sequence, Angie Stone, adds multiple layers to an already smoking song. If I could break dance to this song, I would. Alas, I have to settle for wearing my shell-tops and doing a quick Kid ‘N Play step.

“Woo” by Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu was on fire with the Worldwide Underground album. This song puts me in happy mood, but more like a mellow, funky, happy mood rather than maniacally happy. I can’t be bouncing off the wall all the time. Right here I’m tipping my fedora over one eye, sipping a glass of Prosecco or champagne and bopping my head to the beat.

“Good Life” by Kayne West

It samples one of my other Get Happy songs, Michael’s Jackson’s P.Y.T., and it gets me hyped. Although Kayne’s version of the good life is not the same as mine, still I throw my hands up in the air and scream, “I’m good.”

A Totally Random Shopping Day

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:11:23 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter then you have seen me tweeting with the hashtag #DisneySMMoms. SM stands for Social Media, in case you had other things in mind. I’m going to a Social Media Moms Celebration at Disney World (check the badge to the left) and I’m really excited because #1 I love Disney World and #2 I get to meet other women in social media. This time my family is going with me and my mother too.

Like my other recent trip to Disney World, it’s tricky packing the right clothes for business and pleasure while still being comfortable enough to navigate the parks and since it is a media event and it’s highly possible to be on film, fashionable and cute too. I decided on my outfits last week, but still needed to pick up a few things, so I went shopping yesterday.

My first stop was TJ Maxx. It’s always hit or miss, but if you hit it good there are deals to be had. I hit it on a good day. I went there for a black skinny belt and found a Michael Kors belt for $14.99. Nice, because I hate paying a lot of money for a belt. Next I needed a container for my puppy’s toys and I found one to match my living room. Check; that was off my list. I really should have left then because that’s all I had come to buy. But you know TJ Maxx is perfect for finding things that you never knew you needed, like a new brush for the puppy. And body scrub, I could always use that. Didn’t I just lose my small umbrella? I found another one to replace it. Hmmm…we could use another piece of luggage for our trip and how about I found matching luggage to my laptop bag that I bought online months ago? That was just spooky. TJ Maxx is like that; sometimes it’s a bust, but sometimes they have everything you need want didn’t know you needed, but had to have anyway.

Next door was Old Navy. Ugg, I hate that store. It has a certain smell when you walk in, you know? I think I identified it as rubber. It’s all those cheap flip-flops giving off fumes; they are on display now even though it’s freezing outside. I went in there because I needed some sweat pants for the drive to Disney World; I don’t really own any sweat pants except for cute Lucky Brand capris and it’s too cold to wear them. Old Navy, as usual, was a bust for me. The sweat pants were too big and too much money for how cheap they looked.

Gap, big brother to Old Navy, would have some sweat pants I thought. Since the puppy was at daycare and I had time to spare, I went to the mall, thinking that I would go straight to Gap and still make it home in time for lunch. Gap didn’t have sweats either, just yoga pants. I must say that I used to love Gap, but it has been rather disappointing to me the last few years. Just “meh”.

Ahhh, but there is one store that never disappoints me and that’s Anthropologie. I LOVE THAT STORE–the merchandise, the layout, the smells; it is truly a shopping paradise. It wasn’t crowded yet so I poked around and found a really cute necklace on sale; it will complete on of my Disney outfits perfectly.

A relatively new store to our mall is Madewell. I had low expectations, thinking that it was going to be like American Eagle or something similarly teen-booperish, but I was pleasantly surprised; it’s like a well-edited, more fashionable Gap. I didn’t buy anything this time, but I have bought a great-fitting tee from there. I’m really digging Madewell.

On the way to the mall my iPod car adaptor cassette tape died, so next I went to the Apple store. I think my husband feels the same way about the Apple store that I do about Anthropologie; he can stay in there forever just soaking up the atmosphere. I hung for a bit, longer than I usually would shopping alone, because I needed a new iPhone case. An Apple employee took great pleasure in helping me choose a new case, opening up the packages and actually putting them on my phone for my approval. It was a very pleasant experience.

By now it’s lunchtime and I am too hungry to go home to eat. The Corner Bakery is right across the hall, but I’ve been impressed by Panera Bread’s new menu, so I head there instead. I decide on the Fuji Apple Salad, but since there is a long line I look up the nutrition information while I wait. This is when I just love my iPhone even more than I normally do, which is pretty darn much. By taking a few minutes to look up that information, I was able to make a better choice of ordering the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad instead.

My last stop was J. Crew. I want to shop at J. Crew; their catalog models always look so freshly scrubbed and happy, but for a few exceptions the clothes really aren’t my style and I just need to quit fighting it. It’s like when I was a teenager in Minnesota wearing Izod sweaters and penny loafers; it wasn’t me then and it’s not me now. I bought a tee shirt yesterday, against my better judgement, and now I have to take it back because it looks hideous on me. I just need to stick with the shoes and accessories at J. Crew and leave the clothes to others. Ironically, Madewell, the new store that I like, is owned by the same company that owns J. Crew.

So all in all, despite the tee that I have to return to J. Crew and the sweat pants that I didn’t find, it was a good shopping day. I love when that happens!

Writer’s Workshop: Calm In The Face of Danger

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:55:55 +0000

*This week I’m participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 2.) Explain a time there was an emergency. What “mode” did you go into? Freaking out, calm and collected, etc.

As a mom, of course there are several instances over the years when my kids have been in physical danger because, well, kids tend to live on the edge without regard to bodily harm. I’m a pretty calm person anyway and as a parent I am the calm one while my husband is the “you’re going to put your eye out with that thing” parent. He’s the one freaking out when they climb to the top of the jungle gym at the playground while I carefully spot from below without comment. While I let my kids experience more of the (unsafe) world than my husband is apt to do without my unflappable assurance that “they’ll be fine”, he is more cautious about their health in general and is quick to assess when the kids are getting sick. Both kinds of parenting have their advantage and the kids are lucky to have us to balance each other out.

But still, you never know how you will react in a dangerous situation until one happens (I consider a dangerous situation an emergency). I experienced two separate situations with my son involving a dangerous dog and both times I was able to act quickly and calmly.

In the first situation, my son was almost attacked by a loose Pit Bull in front of our house in New Jersey. I know that Pit Bulls as a breed are not a danger, so don’t send me comments saying that I am anti-Pit Bull, but this particular dog happened to be a Pit Bull with a neighborhood reputation for being pretty vicious. I was standing on my porch talking to a neighbor and my son was on the sidewalk next to the neighbor; he was about 5 years old. Out of nowhere this dog comes charging across the street–headed straight for my son. Now the details get a bit fuzzy for me after that, but as my neighbor tells it, I reached over the porch railing, grabbed my son with one hand–”like the hand of God” said my neighbor– and pulled him in the house while shutting the door with the other hand. This all happened in a matter of seconds in one soundless swoop. With my son safe inside I grabbed the phone and called the police, because my neighbor was still outside fighting off the dog. Thankfully he was able to use his briefcase as a shield because the dog was relentlessly jumping and biting; the briefcase was covered with bite marks. The thought of what that dog could have done to my son, who was the perfect height to have been bitten in the face or easily knocked to the ground, is quite scary. I guess the split second thought of it was enough for me to spring into action and use resources that I didn’t even know I had.

The other dog incident happened here in Atlanta, about a year or so ago. My son (much older now, but still afraid of dogs because of the pit bull) and I were walking past a big grassy field where we saw a man playing ball with his off-leash dog, a Boxer. The dog was running all over the field and not necessarily chasing the ball; just running crazy. When the dog saw us, he ran towards us at top speed. At first I wasn’t that concerned because I thought maybe he wanted to play, but as he got closer I could see in his face that wasn’t the case. Meanwhile the man stayed where he was and called to the dog, who wasn’t listening, but he didn’t move to come get the dog, so we were on our own. Unfortunately, the path that we were on was long and wide open; there was nowhere for us to go. As the dog circled us snapping and growling my son was hopping around, but I know that is NOT what you are supposed to do in that situation, so I wrapped my ams around him to make him be still and said to myself ”there is no way out; one or both of us is going to get bitten.” I remember thinking this very calmly and steeling myself for the pain sure to come. Just then the dog spotted another walker on the other side of the field and took off barking and growling at them. The owner was still in the middle of the field calling to the unresponsive dog. We took that opportunity to get out of there as fast as we could, still pretty shaken up.

Ouchies Bandages Giveaway: We Have a Winner!

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:17:52 +0000

The winner of the Ouchies Giveaway is…..Diqueta McCoy! Diqueta, you win your choice of 2 Ouchies tins.

Thanks to everyone for entering the Ouchies contest. It seems that we all agree that kids shouldn’t have to suffer their boos-boos wearing bland, boring bandages. Where were these when we were little? Heck, I may sport them myself now; I’m really digging the tattoo bandages!

You can buy Ouchies on their website or in your local retail establishments.

*The winner was picked by random.org.

My Violin Virtuosos

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:27:54 +0000

Warning: this is a shameless “my kids are so talented” post. I’m a mother; I can’t help it.

Have I ever mentioned that both of my children play violin? No? Well, they do and I’m impressed because I don’t play an instrument at all. The violin is not an easy instrument to play, especially for little kids; if they start young, it takes six months just to learn how to hold the bow correctly.

My daughter has been playing about 18 months, since age 6 1/2. She has come a long way in her lessons, when she used to cry if she didn’t play the piece correctly the first time. This was her first recital and I was so proud of her; she remembered all of the notes and played with confidence.

My son started playing at age 4, so he’s been playing 10 years. Here he is at age 5 playing for his kindergarten class on his birthday:

When he was six years old he got an amazing opportunity to play for Joshua Bell. I think the group played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, but they brought the house down. He carries this photo in his violin case for inspiration.

Besides private lessons like my daughter, he also plays in the school orchestra and a city orchestra here in Atlanta. This video was taken at the same recital, given by their private teacher. The piece that he played, “Haydn Concerto in G Major”, was about 7 minutes long, but I edited it down to just a few excerpts.

The kid has skills and that’s not just the mamma in me talking.

Ouchies Bandages Giveaway [Closed]

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:59:29 +0000

*This is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too. For this review Ouchies sent me two tins of bandages, but the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ever since my daughter started school, she has become a walking medic case of bumps, bruises, scrapes and scratches. Most of these are minor and all that’s needed is a magic kiss from Mommy and a bandage. Wearing the bandage is important–even for the tiniest of cuts–because it lets the world know that she is hurting and could you please throw a little sympathy her way?

My daughter was thrilled when I was asked to review Ouchies Adhesive Bandages because just that day she had gotten a small wound. She’s an artist, so she immediately went for the Make Ur Own bandages. They come with permanent markers, so she got to work right away on her masterpiece.

(photo by Ouchies)

That bandage went on her real wound. But just for fun we opened up the tin of Ouchies 4 Girlz and put them all on her arm to get a better look. The colors and graphics are fantastic. My daughter really liked the different designs, especially Tattoo and Flower Power.

(photo by Ouchies)

This is what she had to say about Ouchies: “It’s padded nicely and feels like silk. I like that it’s bright and shiny and I like the cool designs, like a comic book. They are not plain like most or babyish like the ones that you get at the doctor.” She wore Ouchies to school and her friends thought that they were “cool.”

There are other Ouchie designs for purchase, 4 Boyz and Mr. Men & Little Miss for both boys and girls, so there is design that your kids are sure to like. Ouchies was started by a family who was tired of boring bandages for their children, and I totally agree; who says that a bandage has to be boring? I like that Ouchies are a good quality bandage that doesn’t sacrifice function for style.

You can find a retail store near you that sells Ouchies by going to their website or you can even order online. Nordstrom sells Ouchies here in Atlanta, which is perfect for me because I shop for my daughter there anyway. But you lucky reader you, YOU don’t have to go to a retail store because Ouchies is giving away 2 tins of bandages–winner’s choice–to a reader of Funkidivagirl.com.

To enter:

1. Fan Ouchies on Facebook

2. Then come back to Funkidivagirl.com and leave a comment on this post, telling me that you became a Facebook fan of Ouchies. Make sure that you leave a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win.

A winner will be chosen via Random.org on February 3rd. Good Luck!

The Most Disgusting Thing I’ve Ever Done

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:26:28 +0000

I’ve done some gross things in my day. Being a parent, it comes with the territory. I’ve cleaned up my share of explosive diarrhea. One time my son vomited a whole meal’s worth of chili. From the top of a bunk bed. It took me 2 days to get chili out of the carpet, off the walls and in the cracks and crevices of the bed. Fun times.

But nothing–NOTHING–compared to a recent experience that I had with my dog.

I was just getting out of the shower when I heard my husband yelling, “Sherrelle, come quick!” Thinking something was wrong with one of the kids, I ran downstairs in a towel where I was further summoned outside. Throwing on a coat and my slippers I go out into the winter morning to see my son standing on the sidewalk holding our puppy, Chili Dawg. And in his mouth is a dead squirrel.

Let’s stop for a minute and rewind. Did you notice that my husband called me outside? To take a dead squirrel out of my dog’s mouth while he watched from the porch? And this is not the first time that I was asked to handle a dead squirrel. When my dad removed a dead squirrel from our attic he handed it down to me in a trash bag, because he knows that my husband (who was standing right there) wasn’t going anywhere near it.

I’m not squeamish, but even I have my limits. A dead squirrel in a trash bag is not the same as one hanging out of my dog’s mouth. Oh, let me clarify: this wasn’t a dead squirrel (like from the attic); my dog had picked up squirrel road kill on his walk. It was about 3/4 of a squirrel–minus the head–with blood and guts spilling out. Yeah.

I actually tried to find photo online to accompany this story and there were many to choose from. For some disturbing reason people take photos of squirrel road kill. But I couldn’t bring myself to use a photo…my stomach turned just looking at the Google images. I don’t believe that I will ever look at a squirrel the same again.

As disgusting as it was–AND IT WAS DISGUSTING–what choice did I have? My kids couldn’t do it and my husband wasn’t going to do it. My dog’s health depended upon me removing the squirrel from his mouth. Which was not going to be easy, I could tell. He had a death-grip on that squirrel and no amount of cajoling or bribing him with treats was working, so I put on rubber gloves and pried his mouth open. To do this I was very close to the dead squirrel and the smell and site of squirrel guts was over-whelming. I dry-heaved several times in the process, but finally pried the squirrel out of Chili Dawg’s mouth and threw it on the ground. I disposed of most of the squirrel pieces before one final heave told me that I had reached my limit. My husband (watching from the porch) saw that I could go no further and finished picking up the last bit of squirrel guts from the sidewalk. I spent the next half hour sitting on the porch washing Chili Dawg’s face and brushing his teeth.

Still naked under my coat.

And that was the most disgusting thing that I’ve ever done.

Geeky Updates

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:57:56 +0000

It’s been called to my attention that my RSS feed was not working like it should be, so I did some geeky work and fixed it. If you were having trouble with subscribing to my RSS feed before, please try it now. You can click “Subscribe To Feed” on the right side of my blog page to do that. Or, if you prefer, you can subscribe by receiving an email by clicking “Subscribe By Email.”

And if you’re not subscribed to Funkidivagirl.com, you really should be!

For those of you spend much of your time on Facebook (and who doesn’t?), good news!–I just added Funkidivagirl.com to Facebook Networked Blogs Directory. Just go to my networked blog and click “follow” and when I update my blog you can read it on Facebook. This is not to take the place of coming to my website, but just another way to read Funkidivagirl.com.

You might have noticed that I put a couple of new badges on my blog home page. Click on the Facebook badge to become a fan of Chili Dawg (he does have some good status updates). And you can see my latest 12 Second video right there inside the badge by clicking the “play button.”

Okay; the geeky updates are over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Things I Like: Snap Caps

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:41:55 +0000

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too. And if someone ever does pay me for a review, you will be the first to know.

Shopping with my daughter at Sprong, a local children’s shoe store here in Atlanta, we came across the cutest accessory and we just had to share. Here’s my cute daughter modeling her necklace. She wears it everyday.

First you choose a cord in one of many colors available and then you choose a bottle cap design to “snap” on to complete your necklace. Yes, I said a bottle cap! The design is on a bottle cap! There is a powerful magnet on the back that snaps onto a metal ring, but the best part is that when you want to change your design, you just snap it off. And there are TONS of designs to choose from! I think it’s ingenious.

(photos by M3 Girl Designs)

The necklace is $8 and each bottle cap design is $8 as well. We just bought the cord and one bottle cap on that day, but we will buy more bottle caps every time we go to that store. I think it will make a great birthday present for any young lady. I’m also thinking ahead towards Christmas when Snap Caps will make perfect stocking stuffers.

Besides being the cutest accessory that I have seen, I love Snap Caps because they are made by 2 young ladies. You can read all about them on the M3 Girl Designs website, but these sisters started this company with their own money and they are quite successful. I admire their creativity and entrepreneur spirit. From what I understand there are now knock-off companies selling a similar product, but my daughter will be supporting M3 Girl Designs’ Snap Caps–while looking fabulously cute at the same time.

Help For Haiti

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:28:16 +0000

Like you, l am devastated by the destruction in Haiti. But aren’t you amazed at the response for help? It’s been incredible. Of course there is more help needed. This comprehensive list was sent to me by Mocha Moms. If you want to help Haiti, please try any of the links below.

Two great links on how to help:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/13/haiti.earthquake.how.to.help/?hpt=Sbin

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/haiti-disaster-relief-how-to-contri bute/

In addition:

Action Against Hunger – International agency has hundreds of staffers in Haiti. Already working to distribute food and safe drinking water, build latrines and provide hygiene kits. Click or call (877) 777-1420.

American Red Cross – Has already pledged $1 million toward relief effort. Donors can send a $10 donation by texting “Haiti” to 90999.

American Jewish World Service – Has launched a relief fund to support a networ k of charities. Log on to donate as little as $36. Click or call (212) 792-2900.

AmeriCares – Has pledged $5 million worth of aid to Haiti, and is working with partners on the island to deliver food and medical supplies. Click or call (800) 486-4357.

Beyond Borders – Has established an Earthquake Emergency Response Fund to take donations earmarked for the most urgent needs, including food and medicine. Click or call (866) 424-8403

CARE – Has deployed emergency teams to Po rt-au-Prince and will soon start distributing high protein biscuits from its warehouses in Haiti. Click or call (800) 521-2273

Catholic Relief Services – Has committed $5 million of its funds for emergency supplies. Already has food and relief supplies on the island, and is distributing plastic sheeting, mosquito netting, and water purification tablets. Click or call (800) 736-3467

Childcare Worldwide – Has staff in place to distribute food, clothing, blankets and medical supplies. Click or call (800) 553-2328.

Direct Relief International – Has shipped two containers of medical supplies and plans a $2 million aid package. Plans to airlift via FedEx this week. Click or call (805) 964-4767.

Doctors Without Borders – Has already treated more than 1,000 victims in four tent facilities. Is working to treat severely injured people in need of surgery. Click or call (888) 392-0392.

Feed My Starving Children – Plans to distribute high-protein meal packs to children and adults. Click or call (763) 504-2919.

Habitat for Humanity – Working to provide temporary shelter for poor families affected by quake. Click or call (800) 422-4828.

Haitian Health Foundation – Anticipating total depletion of their resources and taking donations and money and hoping to address anticipated flood of refugees leaving Port-au-Prince. Click or call (860) 886-4357.

Hope for Haiti – Stands ready to send doctors, nurses, medical supplies and equipment. Click or call (239) 434-7183.

International Medical Corps – Has representatives at Port-au-Prince’s main hospital, providing medical care. Click or call (800) 481-4462.

Medical Teams International – Initial response includes sending a six-person team with enough medicine and orthopedic supplies to help 12,000 people for a week. Click or call (800) 959-4325.

Operation USA – L.A.-based organization sending medical supplies and appealing for pledges and corporate donations of health care supplies, water purification tablets and food supplements. Click or call (800) 678-7255.

< p style=”margin-bottom: 4px”> Oxfam – Has 200 staff members in Haiti, including a 15-member emergency response team. Click or call (800)776-9326.

UNICEF – Venerable agency focuses on the youngest victims, pledging that every dollar will go to aid. Click or call (800) 367-5437.

World Concern – Soliciting cash as it helps in the rescue effort and provides drinking water, food and blankets. Click or call (800)755-5022.

Yele Haiti – Wyclef Jean’s grassroots org. Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 via your cell phone.

You can also find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information, or through USAID’s interactive website, which has a list of NGOs and instructions on how to help.

The U.S. State Department Operations Center said Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti should call 1-888-407-4 747. Due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording.

Skee-Wee My Sorors!

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:27:16 +0000

Today my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, was founded in 1908 on the campus of Howard University. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African American college women. I pledged Zeta Alpha chapter at Arizona State University in the 2nd semester of my sophomore and I think it was one of the best things that I have ever done.

Surprised that I am a sorority girl? I was surprised myself that I wanted to pledge! I never thought of myself as a “sorority type” because I was artsy and a bit strange, but a friend talked me into going to an information “tea” and I liked what I heard. Truth be told, the existing members didn’t quite know what to make of me when I entered the room for my interview. I will never forget: I wore a long black dress, black boots and a black hat. And there they were…in their pearls and silk dresses. I was out of place for sure! But they took a chance on me (I think I had good recommendations) and every one of them eventually came to love my quirky style.

Pledging was rough–I’m not going to lie–but it was not physically harmful in any way. The most challenging part was trying to do all that was required of a pledge and still study for my classes. Honestly it is almost impossible to pledge and not have your grades slip a little and mine did; I made it up though and still graduated with honors. From an outsider (someone who is not Greek), pledging looks stupid and senseless. While I admit that many of the things that we were asked to do were stupid and senseless, it was all to teach us how to be “one unit” and look out for each other. Sort of like the military. And of course once we were in the sorority, we got our chance to mess with the new pledges. Once my roommate was the dean of pledges and so I had special torture privileges because they came to my room everyday. Lucky for them I was in my senior year and busy, so I didn’t demand too much, but just to be mean, my Big Sister name was “Chilly As In Ice–Not Nice”. Ha! I loved messing with them, but once they were in, I was as sweet as pie. One of my pledges is a good friend to this day, so she has forgiven me. :-)

I don’t know if I would have pledged if I had gone to another school or if my experience would have been so great somewhere else, but at ASU I have the best memories. Having been an only child my whole life, I experienced sisterhood like I had never felt before. I lived in the sorority dorm with my sisters and every day was so much fun. My line sister and roommate Sondra became one of my best friends. After graduation we never again lived in the same place and the chaos of life caused us to not even keep in touch that much, but I saw her recently and it was like old times; we sat in a restaurant for 5 hours talking non-stop. There is a bond there created by Alpha Kappa Alpha.

I could give you a history lesson about all the community service that the sorority does or how we are dedicated to seeing women succeed in college and beyond, but for me it was all about the sisterhood. Many of my sorors were in my wedding and one of my favorite memories of that day is when they surrounded me and sang our sorority hymn. That song still always makes me cry.

*Dictionary Sidebar: “Soror” is what we call each other and “line sister” refers to the people who pledged with us. Oh, and if you don’t know, “Skee-Wee” is the sound that other AKA’s make to greet each other or just let other people know that we are in the house. It’s really high-pitched and has been known to break glass.

And talk about having fun! We threw parties, went to other Greek parties, participated in school-wide Greek functions, took road trips to other colleges and had many late-night pajama parties. Of course there was friction sometimes–have you ever known a group of women to not have friction? But in the end it always came down to one thing: we were sisters.

On a road trip to a SDSU step show

At UCLA stepshow

ASU was not a very diverse school, that is to say, the black people were scarce. And it is also one of the biggest schools in the country, an easy school to feel lost and alone in if you don’t have a crew. I was far away from my Minnesota home and I only knew one other person on campus before coming to school; joining the sorority gave me an instant family and a place to belong. And not just in my own sorority. Because most of the other Black Greek Organizations were relatively small chapters like ours, all of us were one family. Of course there was friendly rivalry, but with so few of us at the school, there was no room for dissension.

I have many, many fond memories but one of the best is when I got “kid-napped” while pledging. It is not unusual for fraternities members to try to kidnap a pledge and for that reason pledges were never supposed to be somewhere alone. However one night I had to study in the library and for whatever reason, I went alone. When I was done studying I left the library and unlocked my bike to ride back to my dorm room. Just then two members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (our brother fraternity) surrounded me and I had nowhere to run. Since I was going to be in trouble anyway with my Big Sisters for being kidnapped, I figured that I might as well have fun. I asked them to take me to Haagen-Dazs for ice cream and they did, but when we got there, they only had 7 cents between them! They were broke! I had to buy my own ice cream, can you believe it? It was so ridiculous that I still have the 7 cents taped in my scrapbook. Wait–It gets worse. When they returned me to the library to get my bike, it had been stolen because they whisked me away right after I had unlocked it. And they were too broke to replace it! Eventually I shamed them into scrounging up 1/2 of the money for a new bike and good faith between our respective organizations was restored. And yes, my line sisters and I totally got blasted for my kid-napping. It’s funny now, but it wasn’t funny then.

Really I could go on and on with all kinds of stories. It’s funny because many people who have met me after graduate school don’t even know I’m an AKA. I don’t have a license plate and I rarely wear my letters. I’m not currently active in a graduate chapter. I do not feel the need to let people I meet know about this part of my life; more often than not it is my husband who will tell others about my sorority membership. Yet, my sorority is something very dear to my heart. I have fantastic memories of my college years and I know it is because of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Thank you Alpha Kappa Alpha for having a vision more than 100 years ago of sisterhood and service. This quirky, artsy girl will always proudly wear her pink and green. Skeeeeeee-Weeeee!