blogging

Cuddle Covers

May 10, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

Cuddle Covers was a big hit in my house, in my car, under my daughter, under my dog.

Yeah, it's a keeper and that's straight from the mouth of a budding teenager who I thought would be too old. And what I found out is: you are never too old for fun snuggles like you get with Cuddle Covers. (Man, that sounds like a marketer talking which I am not . . . well, at least for this product . . . . .) But, really, this is a cute one that I would definitely consider buying down the road as a present for someone else.

From the website, it appears that Cuddle Covers come in a variety of styles and you can cover your own pillow or buy an official Cuddle Cover pillow. Cuddle Covers come as Berry the Bear, Louie the Lion, Kit the Cat, Max the Dog, Don the Dinosaur, Izzy the Unicorn.

We are on the go ALOT these days. One more big trip next week and I am looking forward to life calming down for a litte bit. Or at least until summer hits. We have a big road trip planned as we always do to my mother's in North Carolina. I have a feeling I know which pillow will be in the car for the trip. Since I drive the whole 10 hours, I don't get my turn with Berry the Bear. Maybe once I get there. Anyone out there offering chauffeur services for review? Just kidding. . . . but not really.

Cover your own pillow or buy one from Cuddle Covers.

Zip 'er up!

Good for ALL ages!

{Disclosure: I received a Cuddle Cover and pillow for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.|

Filed Under: blogging, Product Reviews

Travel: What you will see as a Disney VIP

May 5, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

I was multi-tasking during this year's Disney Social Media Moms Conference, thanks to the awesome Rayovac outlet centerpieces and despite the warning by the adorably hilarious Mary Ellen Hooper to turn off my cell phone, when somewhere off in the distance a voice broke through my conscious, halting my attempts to compose an semi-intelligent email on the small screen of my Droid in a dark conference room.

"107, anyone? 107?"

"Oh, Oh, Oh, Me, Me, Me."

107 was the lucky little number printed on a conference badge I wore around my neck and the very same number just pulled to win the V.I.P tour of Disney World! Yeah, wow, is right! Here I was invited by my dear friend Jo-Lynne to come to this awesome conference and I won the BIG prize, to go in any park on any ride with a special front-of-the-line tour guide for SIX hours.

Woohoo!!

But, that's not all. In a move not that far from rewards you see on the TV show Survivor, they told me I could invite not ONE, not TWO, but up to TEN people on the tour (including myself).

Because so many others were already booked on other awesome tours, like the African Trek (which I am totally doing that next year if I get invited back) or they brought their own families, I took only two others but I was not disappointed with my choices! Thank you, Debbie and Amy. You make great park buddies! {Missed you, Melissa and Jo-Lynne!}

Debbie and I stopped by the Yacht Club gift store to become real Disney Tourists!

You can see us almost being blown away below. (Just kidding. That's the Disney Magic Shots which are so way cool!)

And, because, we were provided with a very cool tour guide, Lorie, I wanted to share some of the tips I learned during our time at Disney on a celebrity worthy 6 hour guided tour.

Whew, almost lost our friend Amy there.

1) Go left, everyone turns right in lines.

2) Go early to favorite rides, especially the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which does not have a fast pass.

3) Getting a VIP tour means skipping long lines and getting through the park quickly where you can then relax in shows or at one of the many awesome eating places later in the day.

4) Work around the shows you want to see. Pick shows before or after your tour if you really want to take advantage of the rides.

5) Stand to the middle left in the haunted mansion. For some reason, it's the better place to be.

6) Star Tours has over 50 different scenarios. It's come a long way since I was younger.

7) Ask Disney photographers who aren't walking around with live characters about "Magic Shots," animations they can add to your photos. For example, the balloons you see above, Tinkerbell, etc.

Getting a VIP tour also means a private car delivers you into parking spots park right behind rides and you walk right into the park like a celebrity. No long walks or tram rides. A mirror on the way in reminds employees, "Who are you keeping safe today?"

9) But, getting a VIP tour does not mean you will get a view of the underground happenings. But, then again, we didn't think to ask either.

10) You are also responsible for your own food.

11) Normally this privilege costs $300/hour and we had a six hour tour!

12) Relax and enjoy. Ask lots of questions! The tour guide has lots of great insights for the same or future visits.

And, the tour guide drove us right up to the last dinner of the conference at the new Art of Animation Resort where we reunited with several Philly women! We have to go a long way these days to see people from our own back yard. Fancy that!

Philly Women Reunite!

Check out all the photos of our tour on the embedded Flickr Stream below. I was trying out my new Sony camera from Christmas and captured some excellent shots of all the topiaries created for the Epcot flower show too. {I was so happy to meet Sony rep Drew earlier in the trip who showed me some tips on how to use my Sony a65!}

What a truly magical adventure!! If you can afford it, go for the VIP treatment!!

Filed Under: blogging, Current Affairs, Featured, Travel

Third Annual Food Blogger Bake Sale is Coming Up on April 28

April 10, 2012 By speppel 2 Comments

This year, Bloggers without Borders is working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale & Gaby Dalkin on this year’s National Food Blogger Bake Sale! With nearly one in five kids in America struggling with hunger, it has never been more important to increase access to feeding programs that can help kids connect with the food they need to be healthy and live. For the last two years, this blogging community has shown its support for Share Our Strength, always raising more money than the year before.

Last year we raised $25,000 through 26 bake sales.
This year, we have set a challenge: to raise $50,000!

With just $1 connecting a child to ten meals, you can help Share Our Strength ensure that the more than sixteen million kids facing hunger today never go hungry again.

Get Involved in Your Community!

Here’s a list of bake sales that are already taking place. If you’re interested in participating in a bake sale, please reach out to the host. If there isn’t a bake sale taking place in your area, maybe you’d like to host one – more details on how to host a bake sale below!

Host a Bake Sale This Year!

The first step in hosting a bake sale is registering at www.GreatAmericanBakeSale.org/signup. Registering will get you access to online fundraising tools and they’ll send you a poster and informational booklet. Additional tools and resources can be found in The Bake Sale Resources Center. They’ve got top TEN tips for your bake sale, flyers, stickers, pricing tips and much more!

Once you’ve done that, e-mail Gaby Dalkin (whatsgabycooking@gmail.com) & me (sarah @ peppel .com – on behalf of Share Our Strength) with the following information:

Name
City/State
Blog
Preferred Email address

FAQs
General questions about Great American Bake Sale can be answered through FAQs.

Filed Under: blogging, Current Affairs

Face2Face with Therapon, Ulta and More!

March 20, 2012 By speppel 1 Comment

What a lovely Saturday last weekend! I woke to beautiful weather and a happy household.

I got up, walked, got dressed and went down to the Desmond in Malvern where I met my friend Jo-Lynne who organized a wonderful pampering morning called Face2Face. There we were treated to a mini-facial by Christina of Therapon Skin Health, make-up by Ulta Beauty and manicures by ladies from a local nail salon.

{Can you believe I actually went OUT OF THE HOUSE without MAKEUP to a room of BLOGGERS with CAMERAS? Now, that's brave, I tell ya.}

And, of course, there were nice swag bags too. I came home with a number of goodies including a 4 step Theraderm Skin Renewal System including: a cleansing wash, fruit acid exfoliant, OPC reparative gel, and an enriched moisturizer. I can tell you now – I am glad they numbered the steps on the bottles.

I've been trying the system the last two nights and it's kind of like coming home after the hairdresser does your hair. You want to do it exactly the same as the expert but you feel a bit insecure the next day. Can I do this? Can I really fit this many steps into my routine?

But, I tell you, ohhh, your face glows when you are done. It feels so nice. I am a convert. At the event, we heard a bit about the background of Therapon and the amazing Dr. Beckman.

James S. Beckman, M.D. is a board-certified plastic surgeon and chemist, a life member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the founder and CEO of Therapon Skin Health^®. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Arkansas Medical School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1970, followed by a surgery residency at the University of Arkansas Medical Center in 1975 and a plastic surgery residency at the University of Tennessee in 1977. Dr. Beckman set up his private practice, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, in 1977 and served there for 24 years. In response to skin concerns voiced by his patients, Dr. Beckman began developing unique products to restore skin to its optimal health and enhance the effects of plastic surgery.

And, here's the morning crowd who joined me! {Another group came in the afternoon. I hear we were a bit more subdued in the am.}

{Disclosure: We were treated to a lovely morning with no obligation to post about it but I because I wanted to – and all thoughts and opinions are my own! }

Additional thanks to swag bag sponsors: Lands’ End for the canvas totes filled with lovely gifts from Lunchskins, Unforgettable Moments by PaylessShoes, Heartwork Organizing, Happy Family Food, Bendables and Divalicious Chocolate Dessert.

Filed Under: blogging, Featured, Product Reviews

LISTERINE® Healthy Habits of A Lifetime Oral Care Challenge: Teaching Timeless Lessons

March 16, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

Our three week challenge with LISTERINE®, REACH® and Walmart may be ending but everything we learned along the way helped us all cement healthy dental care habits for a lifetime.

We began with a box full of supplies you see in my previous post: LISTERINE® in various bottles, colors and flavors; REACH® toothbrushes and dental floss; and, tips from leading dental experts on Walmart.com.

Brush, Floss, Rinse®. Yes, what a great motto for the whole family. At first, my two teen daughters were a little taken aback with the LISTERINE® Smart Rinse that colors the grunge and bacteria coming out of your teeth when you rinse and spit. Still, both girls admitted to swishing after brushing more than flossing since apparently flossing takes too long in the morning when they barely have time to put jewelry on, which was quite important to my eldest daughter. Who cares about missing or rotten teeth which you can distract with glittering gold? LOL. Yeah, time to get some priorities straight.

Both girls rejected the idea of using a schedule to remember and I was mostly proud of the responses to my frequent grilling:

Did ya brush? . . . . Yes, mom.

Did ya rinse? . . . . Yes, mom.

Did ya floss? . . . .um, yes . . . . mom. (Okay, we have some work to do here. )

And, then came the biggest event of all: braces. My 13-year-old has been waiting, not so patiently, for the day she could be outfitted with a mouth of metal to close the gap in her two front teeth.

Because we were already a week into our challenge, the lecture from the orthodontist about the importance of cleaning one's teeth thoroughly came at a perfect time. Then, my daughter was loaded up with more supplies including a thin plastic "needle" to thread the floss through the braces, pulling the floss up into the teeth and out the other side. Very interesting.

Personally, I used the Cool Mint and the Total Care Zero Listerine. I found that I rinsed regularly after brushing but tended to floss only once a day, sometimes in the morning and sometimes at night. Taking the time to floss is definitely a commitment. I also used a Reach Total Care "whitening" toothbrush and I do think it made a difference in my teeth, which made me very happy! Getting teeth white is hard especially when you assault them with several cups of coffee and tea daily.

My husband was a whole other story. He brushes twice daily and sometimes uses a water pick but he rarely flosses and I don't think he used the rinse but I can't be certain. He usually uses the sink after me, morning and night, so I didn't notice.

Two more side benefits of all this cleaning and rinsing were both the fresh clean taste in my mouth and actually wanting to eat less so I wouldn't mess up my cleaning (which is great for me since I need to lose a few pounds right now.

Thank you, Listerine, Reach and Walmart!

{Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.}

Filed Under: blogging, Product Reviews

Project You February/March 2012 Issue

February 26, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

Open publication – Free publishing – More beth feldman

Filed Under: blogging, Book Reviews

Taking the Listerine Challenge for National Children's Dental Health Month

February 21, 2012 By speppel 1 Comment

I have spent 14 years ingraining good dental habits into the lives of our two lovely daughters, brushing twice daily. But, I will have to say that I have not encouraged flossing and rinsing with mouthwash like I should perhaps. Apparently, brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth. Hmm. . .

And, then there's my own colorful trips to the dentist where every hygienist lectures me over my bleeding gums after they gouge out every evidence of plaque with their iron arm flossing. My gums have always been sensitive. It got worse when I had babies and I was never good at flossing myself.

And, so, in honor of National Children's Dental Health Month, I've agreed to a three week challenge to join my children in a more regimented routine of brushing, flossing and rinsing twice daily. This blogging promotion actually comes at the perfect time because my 13 year old is about to start braces soooo . . . developing the habit of rinsing after brushing to get in and around all the metalwork is going to be really important.

You can see in the pictures that we received a whole host of supplies from Listerine® & REACH® for our experience: Listerine® SMART RINSE® Anticavity Flouride Rinse, Listerine® TOTAL CARE Zero {Alcohol} Anticavity mouthwash, Listerine® CoolMint Antiseptic mouthwash and REACH® TOTAL CARE toothbrushes and dental floss. (And, a calendar for keeping track.) The mouthwash comes in a variety of flavors and so I see a mouthwash taste testing coming on! And, then there's the cool toothbrushes for Mom with whitening action and tongue cleaners. I will give more detail on these items in my follow-up post once I have used them for awhile.

Follow our bloggy fun using the #healthyhabits hash tag on Twitter. Learn about better oral health care habits by visiting www.walmart.com/AHA/Listerine/Reach where dental experts like Dr. Lott offer super duper tips for your family!

Filed Under: blogging, Food and Drink, Product Reviews

Busy Blogging Days

February 21, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

So much to write, so little time to write it. I have plenty to share and very little opportunity to write it all up.

Here are some upcoming posts in the works:

1) The Listerine Challenge with The Motherhood

2) New York: Toy Fair 2012 & Breakfast with Maria Bailey, MomSelect and lots of cool new toys like Annoying Orange, Shoulder Buddy, ZhuZhu's new friends Xia Xia, and more.

3) New York: Fun with the family! (My twin brother and family and mom came to town and my sister and I showed them around New York City. Lots of pictures coming. Great for Wordless Wednesday!)

4) Yes, I'm going to Disney Social Media Moms Con! Woohoo!

5) The 7 Habits of Happy Kids Game (from Toy Fair) and so much more!

6) New Social Media Consulting gigs are making life very exciting!

And then, there's the flower show tomorrow and the series on Freelancing I am writing over at DIYFrugal.com and the author interviews for the Voice of Grace and Truth, and, and, and, . . . . . and it just keeps going on and on from there.

Life in my brain is getting very crowded. Whew. Stick around, it only gets more fun from here.

Filed Under: blogging

3 C's of Pinterest: Creativity, Curation & Community

January 7, 2012 By speppel 1 Comment

After creating a few of my own Pinterest boards, I see why it is the talk of the online town, a new form of self-expression, a way to collect favorite images and to create petite panels of personality. These little walls of photos are becoming dream boards, idea centers and yes, an online status symbol.

She who pins, wins. Well, there's nothing you win tangibly, like cash or coupons. Ah, but true blogging never was about the cash or coupons. It IS about self-expression and as more and more data was added to the Internet over the last couple of years, curation of existing data became the buzz.

But, people still need show their own two cents and cleverness. Pinterest brings together the best of the Internet, the 3 C's: Creativity, Curation, Community.

Creatively, you can collect images of projects you want to complete some day, crafts & cakes you may want to attempt, clothes styles you like and much more. Just add the "pin" option to your browser toolbar and you can pin away whenever you see something that you want to remember; and, with so much to remember & distract us these days, this is a blessing.

As a curator, savvy pinners create a number of boards with general titles they can add to as they browse the Internet. I found when searching the boards of the others, it helps to keep your title as general as possible if you want your board to be found. For example, I started a Quilts board, beginning with the title "Quilts I want to create" and then, "Unique Quilts." But, when I searched for quilts under the boards section, only boards with the simple title "quilts" came up. Therefore, I changed the title of that board to simply "Quilts" so that others might find mine when they search.

Note that each image links to a website somewhere. For the sake of the community, you are supposed to pin a variety of things, not just images with website links to your own sites all the time. Hello, brands, this means you too! Don't commercialize this yet, please.

As for community, I love how they start you off following a number of your friends, which is pulled from your Facebook sign-in or perhaps email account. You don't even have to work at finding familiar people but you will want to follow others as your interests and boards expand. And, I love watching new pins go up on the main board as avid pinners go nuts searching and pinning. You can see who is most active at any given moment and you can "like," comment or repin items in your own boards. In the sidebar, you can see who has been repinning your pins or following your pins.

It's kind of like Twitter in that a whole new language has begun! Wait until all the third party apps get into the mix. I predict we will see Pindecks, Pinsuites, Pinbooks, and much more.

Want to know more? Email if you want an invite. And, watch for Kelby Carr's Pinterest for Dummies coming out later this year and/or link up to her Pinterest Profile Link-up if you have already gotten started. Follow me if you want to see my fledgling efforts on quilts, food crafts, inspirational items, funny things and teenagers. Get in the "game" & have some online creative fun!

{Update: And then, there is the SEO and monetary value of pinning mentioned in this interesting and revealing article by The Nester.}

Let the pinning begin!

Filed Under: blogging

Weight Loss, Quilting and Hugging My Teenagers: New Year's Resolutions

January 7, 2012 By speppel Leave a Comment

Everyone is writing about New Year's Resolutions and for all our SEO sakes, other bloggers are NOT dieting but they do know what makes a popular search item this time of year.

For me, I AM dieting and I do plan to lose some serious weight in 2012 because I let WAY too much pile on in the last three years. Gotta love turning 43.

Life is good, too busy for exercise and yet, it's gotta be done. I gotta move the tush. Move it, move it, move it. But, what really matters is tracking it all. It's the only thing that has ever made the difference: tracking calories, tracking exercise. I have always needed accountability.

On New Year's Eve, a friend suggests the app My Fitness Pal. I love it. And, then I got a friend request. Oh boy, my twin brother wants to share in the accountability. We'll see how THAT goes. Hopefully we can keep it civil. You ate WHAT?!

{Oh, this is rich. He sent me a message: "Cheater!" He thought the tiny update said "Sarah jogged" for the last 5 days instead of "Sarah logged" my entries for the last 5 days. I am so NOT the jogger. Another new resolution: start jogging.}

One a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

But, my personal dieting plan isn't just a commitment to eating less calories. I also plan to take the vitamins I left behind about the time my behind starting growing. And, I was sent Slim Select which uses saffron to abate hunger. I have no idea if it really works but knowing I am putting something in my body intentionally to help me diet also works on my brain. I need to make this work. It's a mental thing.

{Update: Down 5 pounds! Plateaued this morning b/c I didn't exercise yesterday. Must go walking later!}

Fat Quarters

And then there's quilting. I loved learning to quilt just before I got married. Work, kids, other hobbies took the place of my fledgling sewing efforts. But, the old Singer is coming out of retirement. The picture here shows some fun fat quarters just waiting to be trimmed, cut and sewn! I have a special plan but you will have to wait and watch the progress! And, the square packages and batting squares are for easy-sew flannel quilts that will be fun projects with my girls, who I plan to spend the year hugging more than ever! It's hitting me that there are mere years before college and I need to enjoy every moment! I am collecting variety of quilt images on my new Pinterest board, a fun new way to curate images on the Internet!

Last but not least, it is hitting me that I have two teenagers now and it won't be long until they are in college and we are empty nesters!! Time to hug and squeeze my girls more than ever and plan some one-on-one time with each {as I mentally scream to the one who just tried to talk to me – "I haven't finished this post in days. Can you JUST give me a few minutes?" Oh, the irony.}

And then, there's working at the college – I am teaching a new class this Spring on "Freelancing & Shameless Self Promotion" from which I hope to post weekly updates as I develop each topic. And, I have been and will continue working for the very vivacious Debbie Bookstaber in public relations for the lifestyle and toy industry. It's going to be a fun year (hopefully without the 2011 roller coaster of deaths & drama mixed with incredible new job & lifetime opportunities. At some point, I have will have stop and thoughtfully reflect on the sheer craziness of last year but time is at a minimum for quiet reflection these days – yet ANOTHER lifetime resolution.)

Happy 2012 all! It's a presidential election year. Should be interesting! Oh, and learning to use my fancy new Sony a65 camera is a whole 'nother post for another day!