A Mom Blog

Disney Social Media Moms Celebration Kicks-off with a Bear and a Tigger

Nanette — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:22:37 +0000

A Bear and a Tigger kick off the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2013! The 4^th Annual Disney Social Media Moms Celebration began with a warm meet and greet welcome from Winnie-The-Pooh and Tigger and some oh so scrumptious deserts my kiddos enjoyed.

While we waited our turn, the kids colored pictures on the ipads set up. Just like the interactive ques in the parks, the kids were entertained while waiting in line.

We obviously weren’t the only ones excited to be there though. Tigger was his usual bouncy, tiggerific self. He seemed quite excited to greet my princess.

@DisneyLiving provided this fun filled event which included not just the special meet and greet with Pooh and Tigger but also provided us with an opportunity to check out all of the wonderful new Winnie-The-Pooh line of products.

Oh how all of this brought back such wonderful memories for me. When my first child was born we used Winnie-The-Pooh as the theme for his room. It was perfect for either a boy or a girl. And my Bug still has a soft spot in his heart for Winnie-The-Pooh. Makes me wish there was another baby in my future but there isn’t.

Disclosure: I paid to attend this conference and received discounted room rates as well as other perks to enhance our Disney experience. All opinions are 100% my own.

Back from the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration

Nanette — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:16:30 +0000

Hi! I know it’s been a few days but I am just now getting to writing again. We attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World this past week and then extended our stay a couple of days (both at our own expense though the conference did provide a discounted rate for the conference dates). It was a great, amazing, fun and exhausting time both during the conference and after. A totally worth it kind of exhaustion though. You know the kind I’m talking about right? The kind that has you so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open but if someone said you could go back tomorrow you’d do it in a heartbeat. Yep that’s the kind of tired I am. We all are.

Of course you know how it is when you get back home from a trip. There are bags to get unpacked, piles of laundry to get done, anything you didn’t get to tidy up is still lying around the house and of course today the landlord comes to check on something. Sigh.

Oh well, such is life.

I have so much to share with you. I hope you had the chance to follow along online with the conference. If not, just check out the twitter stream #DisneySMMoms There are lots of recaps being posted. I’m in the process of writing up a ton of posts so I am hoping you are ready to read about our adventures and share in the information I gleaned from the conference. And yes there will be lots of pictures. Who doesn’t love to see pictures of Disney right? For now, I’ll just leave you with these little gems:

Invisalign The Clear Answer to Straight Teeth

Nanette — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:10 +0000

This past weekend I was fortunate to be invited to be a guest to learn not only about blogging but also about Invisalign. This is something I have been looking into for a while now. So when given the opportunity to learn about Invisalign from an orthodontist, Dennis E. Halford DDS MS, who is trained in its use and his teen patients, I was not going to pass it up. And on top of that, I get to share that information with you and get compensated at the same time. I took lots of notes, but I’ll just give you the highlights and the reasons why I would love to try Invisalign for myself.

The benefits of Invisalign:

They are removable unlike the metal braces of days gone by. That means you can eat what you want. No more restrictions on popcorn, granola bars, chewy candy, etc., plus brushing your teeth and keeping them clean is easier. Thus making your dental hygienist’s job easier too.

Less pain. Metal braces and adjustments hurt. They just do. Not just when the adjustment is done but the wires on the teeth do tend to cut into your gums and the inside of your mouth – cheeks, lips, etc. I know I’ve been through that pain. I can’t even tell you how much wax I went through with mine.

Less frequency of appointments and length of time at them. I remember having to go every week to get my braces tightened. That meant a lot of time I’d have to miss classes or work time to make my appointments. Which by the way, took anywhere from 30-45 minutes on average. The appointments for Invisalign are much more spaced apart. 8 weeks according to Dr. Halford and the typical amount of time in the chair is 15 mins. That’s a lot less missed class and/or work time. A good thing for both parents and students.

Like I mentioned earlier, I also got to hear from Dr. Halford’s patients. They weren’t anything like I was when I had my braces on. I was so self-conscious and didn’t smile ’cause I just didn’t feel pretty with my braces on. As teens or young adults no one wants a mouth full of metal. These kids were smiling from ear to ear with their aligners on. They were proud of their smiles and both were still in the process and had some time to go.

Invisalign and self-esteem. One of Dr. Halford’s patients told us of a teen friend of hers who has the metal braces and she doesn’t smile and wishes she had Invisalign. I believe that, cause I’ve been there too. I don’t know if I even have a photo of myself actually smiling within those 2 years I had my braces on. That’s pretty sad now that I think about it. As teens we always worry about what we look like. A mouth full of metal did not make me feel pretty, in fact it probably did the opposite and made my self-esteem even worse.

Cost. Can you put a dollar amount on your child’s smile? or his or her self-esteem? I’ve checked out the pricing and really it isn’t much different than the price of metal braces. And Invisalign is covered by most insurance companies as it is considered an orthodontic appliance.

Simple or complex issues. Whether you have just a few teeth out of alignment or need some major adjusting, Invisalign might be an option. You can take the Invisalign Smile Assessment to find out. Check with a physician who is trained/certified and uses Invisalign to find out. There is even a handy Invisalign Doctor Locator available to you. Do you know of anyone who has used Invisalign? If you do, what did they think? I’m curious ’cause I am ready to get in to see if Invisalign might be an option for me!

For more information you can visit the Invisalign Website, follow them on twitter or like them on Facebook.

A Child’s Art, A Parents Treasure

Nanette — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:02:08 +0000

There is nothing like your child’s art is there? I have the first drawing (sribbles) from both of my children to me. They are such treasured gifts to me. No, I know we can’t keep every drawing, every picture or painting they draw though I wish I could. My kids draw a lot! And that makes me happy.

Anytime my child wants to express themselves whether it be in music, drawing, crafts, etc. I do my very best to encourage them to keep that skill and talent alive. I still have some of my drawings from when I was little. Just looking back over the few I have from the kids over the years gives me such a warm feeling and such joy.

Today was another such day. Since being allowed to take an elective and selecting Art, my Bug certainly has begun to foster that love. He found an app online to make pottery which he is obsessed with right now. It’s pretty cool actually. Then in Art class they got to make their own piece of pottery. He’s been telling me every day about it and each step along the way to it’s completion.

I think it’s absolutely beautiful. But more than that, it is amazing to see how proud of himself and his accomplishment my Bug is. Nothing brings my heart such joy.

Making the Right Decisions – IEP Meetings

Nanette — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Back in early February I wrote a post when facing a really big parenting challenge. I had to make a choice, a hard choice as to my son’s education. Was removing him from his reading intervention program going to damage all he has done so far? Will allowing him to be in a general education classroom set him up for failure? Could he manage in a general education classroom and succeed? All these and a billion more questions raced through my mind over and over again for the days leading up to the IEP meeting. For those of you who may not know what that is, the term stands for Individualized Education Plan.

Once he was removed from the reading intervention Bugs’ entire schedule changed. This of course worried me. Again with the million questions…could he handle all the sudden changes to his schedule and the new teachers and student in his classes? Would they welcome him or not understand him?Oh the uncertainty is what drives me just a little bit nuts.

While socially he was showing great improvement with the change and he dealt with all the sudden changes quite well I still wasn’t quite sure how he was doing educationally speaking.

Well, he got through his first full six weeks of classes. Progress reports came home just the other day. And I just have to tell you, I knew something was up when he walked to the car after school with his little smirk and he waved at me. That smirk turned to the biggest smile as he tried to be coy. “mom, I got called to the counselors office today.” Worry wart that I am, I asked why, is everything ok? So he proceeded to tell me step by step what happened and then he surprised me!

He handed me a school honor roll window sticker to put on our car! Bug made the HONOR ROLL! For the very first time ever he made the honor roll. He was so proud of himself and had every reason to I might add. I was beyond happy! I could feel my eyes well up with tears. I’m so proud of him. So did I made the right decision? It looks like I did. On to the next challenge!

Disney Social Media Moms 2013

Nanette — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:34:48 +0000

The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration for 2013 at Walt DisneyWorld is just a day or so away. The excitement is building for not only those going but also for those anxious to follow along on various social media outlets. You can bet Instagram and the #DisneySMMoms twitter stream will be filled with photos and updates from the conference and surrounding events. I know I will be tweeting and sharing conference nuggets with my followers and friends. It is a very exciting time! I am not only thrilled to be going but I am also grateful I could afford to (thank you hubby).

Being selected as a Disney Social Media Moms attendee will give me the chance to hear two of my favorite speakers from the Disney on the Road event I was able to attend last year, Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller and Entrepreneur and former radio host Dayna Steele. Both were amazing to listen to. Plus Host Rene Syler has given us all the chance to get to know a little bit more about each other with her Life Lessons series highlighting attendees. It is just so much to take in and do our best to keep calm. Do you have any idea how many times I have used the word Squee” in the last few weeks?

Oh and the clues! They have been so much fun. Just take a look:

I love surprises but I just couldn’t help trying to figure out the clues none the less. I am having so much fun with the clues and sharing them with my family. It has been such a bonding opportunity especially for me and my daughter. It may sound silly but Disney really does bring families closer together.

Disney goes way out of their way to make every moment magical. And I must say I’m not even there yet and the pixie dust scattered thus far is simply amazing. I know I am not the only one unable to even think of anything else right now. All my brain is thinking is DISNEY, DISNEY, DISNEY.

I don’t think my husband ever really realized how much I loved Disney until Disney Social Media Moms opened the floodgates for me. There is no closing that floodgate now.

I hope you’ll be following along with the adventures and fun. Keep any eye on the #DisneySMMoms hashtag on twitter and follow @DisneySMMoms to hear all about it.

You might also enjoy these posts from last years event:

Disney Social Media Moms Conference Day 1

Disney Social Media Moms Conference Day 2 – The Speakers

Disney Social Media Moms Conference 2012 Day 3

Living Lactose Free with LACTAID {Giveaway}

Nanette — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:51:32 +0000

I was invited to learn about Lactaid with Registered Dietician Michelle Harrington and Celebrity Chef Melissa d’ Arabian hosted by TheMotherhood.com. Lactaid, in case you didn’t know, is a lactose free milk. Now the reason I agreed to be a part of this particular paid campaign was because in my family we’ve discovered several family members have issues with lactose. We never had any issues when we were younger at least not that I remember, but as my dad got older he has developed issues. My daughter and one of my nephews also seem to have issues with lactose. So I like to learn as much as I can about health issues, especially those that affect my family.

Michelle Harrington, R.D. shared lots of information regarding Lactose – what it is and what being lactose intolerant means. Simply put, lactose is the major carbohydrate in milk and other dairy foods. It consists of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose. Now this I didn’t know: “it is common for lactose intolerance to be progressive; many people develop a lactose intolerance later in life.” I’m guessing this is what happened to my dad.

So what do you do if you can’t have dairy?

Lactose free dairy products such as LACTAID products can help people who have a lactose sensitivity to digest dairy without stomach discomfort. LACTAID is more than just milk their lactose-free products include milk, chocolate milk, cottage cheese, eggnog and ice cream!

A few facts about LACTAID milk:

LACTAID is real milk – 100% lactose free.
Due to the lactase enzyme added to the milk to break down the lactose, the taste is slightly sweeter than regular milk.
LACTAID products are calcium enriched.
We need about 1000 mg of calcium every day. LACTAID provides 500 mg of calcium in each 8 oz. glass. A regular 8 oz. glass of milk only contains 300 mg of calcium.
LACTID products include: milk, chocolate milk, cottage cheese, eggnog and ice cream which is available in 5 flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Strawberries & Cream and Butter Pecan all of which are gluten free with the exception of Cookies & Cream. Nutrition facts can be found here: http://www.LACTAID.com/products

Tips for eating with Lactose Intolerance:

If you are lactose intolerant and consume lactose containing products on an empty stomach you are more likely to feel the effects of the intolerance. Eating lactose with other foods will help you digest it easier.
Yogurt with it’s live and active cultures help digest lactose. Greek yogurt has double the protein and fewer carbs, meaning less lactose and thus is easier to digest. So, if you can tolerate it, it’s a great way to get nutrients and the calcium you need.
Now when it comes to cheese: the harder the cheese, the less moisture or whey it contains resulting in less lactose. Aged cheeses such as Cheddar, Pecorino and Swiss have less lactose.

Melissa d’ Arabian, mom of four girls, NY Times best selling cookbook author and Celebrity Chef & Television Host offered these tips.

LACTAID cottage cheese can be used in various manners: add veggies or pesto to it; use in enchiladas or lasagna, add applesauce, peaches or other fruit to it. She herself likes to blend it in the food processor with an egg so it taste like ricotta.

Melissa also says that when cooking with LACTAID even though it has a slightly sweeter taste, no one typically notices when it’s been added to a recipe. Simply swap LACTAID for regular milk in recipes, cup for cup.

Now for that giveaway I mentioned. Would you like to try LACTAID?

Simply leave a comment by May 17th letting me know you’d like to give LACTAID a try and you’ll be entered to win a coupon for a FREE LACTAID product!

Pack More Fun with American Tourister Colora Spinners

Nanette — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:40:41 +0000

Traveling is fun! It just is for me. What is no fun, is waiting to get your luggage at the airport. One of the things that make that not fun is the fact that there are so many pieces of luggage that look the same. Nothing stands out. Sure you see the occasional bright ribbon tied on so it’s easier to spot. Well, I’ve got that beat this time.

I just received an American Tourister Colora Spinner in bright orange for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Did you know American Tourister is the Official Luggage of Walt DisneyWorld and Disneyland? They are!

The Colora line includes three gorgeous, easy to spot colors: Raspberry, Orange and Lime. I won’t have any trouble finding my luggage on the carousel with these. And I love that they are spinners. I have wanted one for so long. Of course as soon as my kids saw it they wanted to claim it. I just may give in and let one of them use it this time. It will be much easier to maneuver around the airport for my little princess with all four wheels spinning. Just look at all these gorgeous colors!

Even the smallest carry-on, the 20” spinner provides a lot of space to pack more fun. I also like that it has two handle grips which will make it easier to get into and out of the carry on bins on the plane. Plus it has not just one but two front pockets! And … Oh just let me show you.

I am attending the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration this year. It is a conference I paid to attend. I am gifted items such as this and received discounted room rates. I am not required nor was I asked to blog about my experiences or any items I receive in connection with the event. As always all opinions are 100% my own.