Where Was I Last Weekend? In LA for the Emmy Awards, That’s Where

2010-08-31T16:51:04Z

I have never attended a red carpet event before and I hope it’s not my last!

I was one of three lucky bloggers including Angie from Bakerella.com and Aly from AlyWalansky.com who were invited to Emmy weekend to cover the festivities on behalf of Duncan Hines, the official dessert sponsor of the Emmy Awards. And as was expected, it was amazing!

Friday, August 27, 2010

I got in early Friday afternoon and while I waited for my room I sipped a few complimentary beverages in the SLS Beverly Hills‘ Trés Lounge. Lovely!

And then Friday night, we got all dolled up and attended the Performers Nominee Reception at the Pacific Design Center where we were literally rubbing shoulders with Emmy nominees from Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men) to Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) and even Glenn Close. Yes, it was surreal!

The red carpet was exciting to see. The paparrazi were everywhere, but, of course, were not allowed into the party. The red carpet was glamorous and posh. Cameras flashed, celebs smiled. It was fun to watch!

Inside, the party was spectacular, beautiful people were everywhere (after all we were in LA), food and drink were plentiful, and of course the Duncan Hines cupcake suite was a huge draw. There were literally only a few cupcakes left at the end of the evening.

Towards the end of the evening, each nominee received a certificate for their Emmy nominations. Here’s Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights.

And the oh-so-fabulous, Glenn Close.

Photo by Bakerella.

At the end of the evening, Eric Stonestreet from Modern Family jammed out with the band. If you are a Modern Family fan, you know why this is one of my favorite photos of the weekend.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Saturday we had the day off. Of course, I hit the beach. I am so tired of going to LA and not seeing the beach. That had to change this time. And it did!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sunday was perfect. The weather was beautiful. The red carpet was even more fabulous than Friday night and the stars were stunning. It’s amazing how tiny the stars are. Yes, TV does add 10 to 15 pounds. The people you watch on TV are tiny, tiny little things and are so gorgeous in person.

I took a lot of red carpet photos that you can see on Flickr. My favorites, though, are:

Al Pacino

Steve Carell

Betty White

and Paula Abdul!

I would love to thank Duncan Hines for inviting me out to cover their sponsorship of the Emmy Awards. It was such a great fit to be the official dessert sponsor.The entire team did a marvelous job and everything turned out beautifully. I’m so thrilled I got to be a part of it.

Foodie Tuesday: Chocolove Chocolate Bars

2010-08-03T19:30:54Z

Like mostly everyone who really loves coffee shops I have a favorite of my own. It’s a local coffee shop right around the corner from me that’s small enough that everyone knows your name, but large enough to really have amazing coffee, awesome baristas, and well-chosen foods. Not only do I love their cupcakes they also sell other foods like chocolate and breakfast bars.

I picked up a chocolate bar I’ve never had before, a dark chocolate bar from Chocolove. I’ve never had this brand before, but as someone who tries dark chocolate on a regular basis I can tell you this is amazing dark chocolate!

Sometimes you’ll find dark chocolate is too bitter or doesn’t taste rich enough. Chocolove’s dark chocolate bars have 70% cocoa content and is just strong enough. The dark chocolate isn’t overstated and the blend is delicious. In fact, I’m going out today to buy another one, it’s that good.

On the Net: www.chocolove.com

Here’s How Easy It is To Use Hallmark’s New Recordable Storybooks

2010-08-02T18:40:24Z

As I mentioned last month I am a Hallmark Storyteller this summer. I will be sharing the wonderful new Hallmark Recordable Storybooks with you through the end of this month.

Last month I shared All the Ways I Love You. This month I am sharing My Little Princess and as promised I have included video to show you how very, very easy it is to record your story for a loved one.

Thank you to my youngest daughter who was my videographer and to Hallmark for sponsoring this storytelling series.

Hallmark’s Recordable Storybooks Help You Stay in Touch When You Can’t Be There

2010-07-01T13:45:08Z

I have partnered this summer with Hallmark as one of their Storytellers to share their recordable storybooks with you.

This month I recorded All the Ways I Love You by Theresa Trinder and illustrated by Aaron DeWitt. It is a sweet story of a parent’s love for their child. What makes Hallmark’s storybooks so remarkable is they allow a loved one who can’t be with a child to still read them a story.

In my case, I don’t get to see my young niece often, so this is a perfect way for her to still hear my voice even though I am states away.

Listen to my audio review of All the Ways I Love You. Not only can you hear more about why I love these storybooks, you can also hear how the recordable storybooks sound.

While the storybooks are electronic they are surprisingly lightweight. Here’s a side view of the storybook I just recorded.

The instructions to record the storybook are extremely simple. You can record a storybook in as little as fifteen minutes. While I’m sure you would want to invest more time in your story, it really it that easy to use and record.

Next month I will be recording another story. This time I will post video of how easy the storybooks are to use and share with children in your life.

For more information, visit www.hallmark.com.

Thank You, the Mom Blogging Community

2010-07-01T13:48:33Z

I feel a little like Time magazine in 2006 when their Person of the Year was all os us. I remember writing a scathing blog post about that and calling it a major cop-out. How in the world could Time magazine of all publications not think of someone they considered above the rest? Now I understand. Collectively all of us were changing the way the world got and received information. We were sharing, writing, collecting, curating, and blogging — all in the real time. Yes, indeed, we all were truly Time’s Person of the Year in 2006.

I feel the same about thanking members of the mom blogging community. The more I thanked moms this week, the more I realized I couldn’t thank everyone unless I continued this fabulous series created by Cooper and Emily of The Motherhood until late next year and that wouldn’t be enough. So, while I hope it doesn’t seem like a cop-out akin to Time magazine in 2006, I want to thank everyone in the mom blogging community!

I want to thank everyone who has ever conversed with me about anything I’ve ever written. Thank you for supporting me in my ramblings. I want to thank everyone who has disagreed with me publicly and privately. You helped make me a stronger person, blogger, and thinker. I want to thank all of you who blog about your lives, families, dreams and aspirations. You help so many by sharing your lives with the world even when you least expect to. I want to thank the mom bloggers who aren’t afraid to push back and question. I want to thank the mom bloggers who stand up for fellow bloggers in need and who, no matter how badly we’re portrayed among other bloggers and the media, still live and breathe mom blogging.

I will always be grateful to be a part of this community. Thank you!

The Motherhood asked me to join their team of bloggers who will thank a blogger every day this week, bringing the total thank-yous to 50 by Friday! This content series is sponsored by P&G and their Thank You Mom Reunions Contest. You can enter to win $1000 and a video camera to record a great experience with the special mom in your life.

Thank You, Jen, From Musings of the Mom Jen

2010-07-01T13:52:34Z

Jen may not know this, but in the early days of the Mom Bloggers Club she was very instrumental in helping it become what it is today. How? Jen used to welcome nearly every person who joined the club and made it a warm and fuzzy place to be a member. I would sit at my desk, watch, and think, “Wow, Jen is the Welcome Wagon. She is so awesome!”

The Mom Bloggers Club was very small then, and Jen took the time to be a welcoming voice to other mom bloggers who joined. I have never forgotten that kind gesture Jen made so naturally to so many. Impressions are everything and she gave new members a great impression of the club.

Over the years we’ve talked via Twitter from time to time. I always love seeing her pop up in my Twitterstream and I really hope to meet her one day in person!

Red Wine Benefits Without the Red Wine Feeling

2010-06-23T19:28:40Z

We have heard time and again how healthy red wine in moderation is for us. According to researchers, red wine helps prevent heart disease by lowering our cholesterol levels. Flavanoids have always been heralded as the cholesterol fighting agents in red wine, but researchers have also identified another compound called resveratrol that is made from the skin of red grapes. Resveratrol has been touted as helping to reduce LDL cholesterol, the risk of Alzheimers and also diabetes. It has also been lauded as an anti-aging supplement.

I was sent resveratrol supplements from ResVitale to try and honestly I don’t feel any differently than before I took them. But I suppose they work like vitamins: You guess they’re working, you just don’t feel anything and can’t be 100% certain. I can’t say resveratrol definitively works. Even researchers (Mayo Clinic) can’t answer that question. But, if you’re looking to take anti-aging supplements that also potentially help fight heart disease, then ResVitale is availble at GNC. It’s also organic.

Thank You, Kimberly Coleman, of Mom in the City

2010-06-23T17:34:30Z

The very first time I met Kimberly Coleman in person was at a Disney Mom Blogger event in August 2008, but I had known about her for months before. I was thrilled we got to finally met and I am even more thrilled we’re still friends today!

Through the years we have seen each other a handful of times. This year we’ve seen each other more than any other and we still have Blogher and Type-A Mom to attend! Kim has always been in my corner, leaving comments on my posts and writing such kind blog posts about something I did or a post I wrote. And just last week we were emailing each other — me in North Carolina and Kim on a plane heading back to New York City. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking Wi-Fi in the sky is wonderful and amazing!

If you don’t know Kimberly you should definitely read her blog and follow her on Twitter. She is a fabulous mother and wife, is one of the smartest bloggers I know, works fabulously with brands, believes in partnering with brands (not being used by them!), is very serious about her work as a blogger and treats it as a business, is generous to other bloggers by hooking them up with trips and event invitations, and above all else is kind and helps everyone!

One of the things I love about Kimberly is she will tell you like it is and then tell you why. Kim is very sweet, but don’t take her kindness for blindness. She is not one to be taken advantage of. She always has a ton of advice to share with newbie bloggers and doesn’t mind dropping pearls of wisdom when asked.

Thank you, Kim, for being a wonderful friend!

Thank you, Dawn Friedman, from This Woman’s Work

2010-06-23T02:24:02Z

When I first crept online early last decade I was a mom with two small daughters in diapers. My daily existence revolved around taking care of my girls and when I got the rare opportunity to sit down and log on each day they would circle underneath my legs with their dolls and play under my desk. Once I got online I rushed to read mom blogs. Moms all over the world helped me read and talk to other women and expand my thinking. Mom blogs helped me escape from the perpetual baby talk.

Back in the early days of blogging, our blogs were filled with raw stories and vivid debates and rambling journal entries, just as they are now, but blogging was different then. I hopped from blog to blog soaking up writing strategies and admiring the accomplishments of bloggers I read. One of those bloggers was Dawn Friedman who blogs at This Woman’s Work. I am thanking her because she inspired me to not only blog, but blog well and also not be afraid to reach for my goals. Through her accomplishments I knew anything was possible also in my life.

Around 2004ish, all I wanted to do was get published on LiteraryMama.com. There were very few web sites around like it at the time. Literary Mama appealed to women writers whose specialty was motherhood. Literary Mama was the place to get published back in the day for motherhood writers. When I pitched my non-fiction essay, Dawn was my editor. She was so very patient with me and helped me craft a better piece. I remember feeling amazed at how attentive she was even though I suspected her inbox was overflowing with submissions. I’ll never forget it and for that I want to thank Dawn!

I have always admired Dawn also because of her freelance career. She has written for many print publications that I only wish to be published in like Yoga Journal and Parenting. Plus, I admire her longevity. She has been blogging for much longer than me and is still going strong.

Thank you, Dawn, for being an inspiration to me for over five years! What mom blogger do you want to thank?

Thank you, Ariela, from Baking and Books

2010-06-21T12:05:30Z

This week I will be participating in The Motherhood‘s Thank You, Mom content series sponsored by P&G. Every day this week I will thank a different blogger who has impacted me in some way. It’s funny, some of these bloggers have no idea who I am, but I definitely know who they are. Each has helped shape the way I blog and has given me inspiration for my own writing and goals in my life. For that I jumped at the opportunity to thank them.

Today, Ariela from Baking and Books, receives my undying gratitude for creating a blog that instantly inspired me and gave me renewed energy to blog here at The Mom Salon, even in the midst of all the other sites I have created and update.

I ran into Baking and Books when I was looking for blogs to advertise the Mom Bloggers Club on through blogads. When I saw Baking and Books I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, nor could I click away. But more than that, it was so organized I could click around forever and not get lost! You know how important that is!

From my first visit to my latest I always enjoy all the content Ariela offers from her recipes to the books she reads to the music she loves. I was able to glean enough about her from her blog that I knew I wanted to come back again and again because of the quality of her efforts. I am always appreciative of a beautiful blog that has quality and consistent posts. It’s a rare combination to sustain and it is rarer still to come across a blog like Baking and Books where the blogger snaps their own food photos, comes up with their own recipes, or uses really great recipes from others and tells us why.

Over the years, Ariela’s attention to detail and her recipes from Honey Ricotta Cheesecake to Chocolate Chip Cookie Affogato have kept me a loyal fan of her work.

Thank you, Ariela, for penning a fabulous blog and keeping the recipes going. You’re an inspiration to so many!