Window to my World Wednesday: Ode To Spring!

Promise of Spring.

My first sighting of blooms that signaled the arrival of Spring. So dainty and pretty only to be ravaged by the freaky weather we have Sunday night last week. Trails of massacred blooms from trees line my street right now. A harrowing display of the damages done by the hail. So grateful that I captured this lovely bloom...

Enjoy the Spring and may the pollen let you be!

Holy Hail and Tornado Sightings!

So much for hoping to compose a great post to publish tomorrow! What do you know? our freaky weather tonight has put a big dent on my thinking cap and scared me out of my wits to even think straight enough for a decent post!

While some towns in NC are being ravaged by Tornadoes, here in Charlotte, we were peppered with hail, severe thunderstorms and heavy rains. Not so inspiring! Imagine hundreds of pebbles being thrown at your glass window at a speedy rate in 5 mins while it's thundering and lightning flashing outside, you think you'd be scared too?

The great thing is, our house windows, my car windows are intact in spite of the forceful impacts of the hail. Well, that's as far as I can see in the dark. We'll see in the morrow. Crossing fingers and toes!  
So, here's the rest of my weather-interrupted post tonight presented via Whrrl.

Powered by Whrrl

Sand, Sun, Beach @ the Bahamas! Want it, win it!

Yes the Bahamas! Land's End in partnership with Islands of the Bahamas and iexplore.com is currently running a fabulous sweepstakes where the grand prize is a 5-day/4-night trip for four to Harbour Island in The Islands Of The Bahamas! What a great way to look forward to summer!

Simply visit Land's End The Hub to enter and discover fun games, polls and a chance to win other exciting prices! I personally love the Shoreliners word game.

When You're Sick, Your Blog Get Sick Too!

Needless to say, I'm sick today. Has been for a few days. And in spite of my best intentions to post an article, meet some deadlines or previous blog commitments, I'm just at a disadvantage.

So, here I sat trying to catch a glimmer of a wonderful thought in the quandaries of my delirious brain in a hope of coming up with a short but interesting enough post. Unfortunately, the only interesting thing I can come up with is lay down on this couch and rest my weary body.

But no despair, I've compiled a list of interesting stories for a fun read that I hope you'll find enjoyable nonetheless:

• My Entry to Voice of the Year at Blogher : Mom on Gas Que Horror

• My Entry to Mabel Label BlogHer'10 : Bringing the Human Touch Back - When internet is gone!

Conference 101 tips and advices plus experiences:

• Disney Social Media Moms - What will you celebrate?
• Conference Season: Proven Techniques to make you a Pro in the Game
• How to survive your first major conference
• Beary Fabulous time with Maxine Clark - CEO of Build A Bear Workshop

And of course the Fabulous Giveaways:

• Win $1000 + More by Little Remedies
• Win 2 Boxes of Panda All Natural Licorice Made in Finland
• Get CODE for discounted tickets to Disney Live! Mickey's Rockin' Road Show
• Plus more fabulous items for giveaways coming up! Watch out for them!

These should keep you busy for a while. And don't forget, if you're going to Blogher, list your name and blog URL in my growing BLOGHER LIST so you can connect with other Blogher Attendees pre-conference. And if you're an NC Mom/blogger, get included in my Twitter NC Momblogger list for local event opportunities.

Enjoy and wish me well!

Healthy Living Healthy Savings: Kid's Eat Free!

One of my great pet-peeve is not finding a whole lot - sometimes none- of discount coupons for organic and natural products. And for families who lives a frugal life like mine, it can get frustrating trying to budget everything at times while still living a healthy affordable lifestyle. And when it's free the better! This is the reason, I'm rounding up valuable discount coupons for that purpose. I hope you find them useful:

Family Dinner night: Kids eat free! A healthy treat for the family. Thanks to Earth Fares' conscious effort to help eliminate childhood obesity epidemic.

Panda All Natural Licorice Review and Giveaway

Family Reviewed Product with @dalefg

UPDATE: Congrats to Cynthia Conley! Random.org generated her as the winner. Thank you to all who participated. Watch out for another fabulous giveaway coming up!

I'm not a licorice eater, my hubby is! But after trying out Panda's All Natural Licorice products, I'm now a new convert. The review video was done same day products were received. It's an honest to goodness impromptu opinion. Thank you to Panda for giving me and my family the opportunity to try their yummy licorices and transforming my picky taste buds into liking licorice! Love it! - not to say, I love their Panda logo too! Enjoy the vid!

 

The BEST PART : One lucky reader will get to win 2 boxes of this delightful yummines!!!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Panda home site then leave a comment here telling me which flavor you would like to try or your favorite!

Extra Entries: (please leave separate comment for each entry)

• Subscribe to Zen MamaVentures
• Follow me on Twitter: @MaricrisG and Tweet about this giveaway : Enter @MaricrisG New Giveaway! Win 2 boxes of Panda All Natural Licorice from Finland! http://bit.ly/bP1xfs 
• Follow me on Facebok 
• Grab my button and link back to me
• Follow me publicly on Google Friend Connect
• Become a Fan of Zen MamaVentures on Facebook 
• Add my Zen MamaVentures to your blogroll
• Blog about this giveaway (3 entries - leave a link)
• Subscribe to Zen MamaVentures via email

Deadline: Mar 28th, 2010 @ 12:00AM EST. You must leave your email address so I can notify you if you win. Winner will be announced Monday, Mar 29th. Random.org will be used to select winner. Open to US addresses only, 18 years and older. Winner will have 24 hours to response or another winner will be drawn.

Goodluck Everyone!


**Panda has provided free samples of their products for review and sponsored the giveaway**

Think Green!

In honor of this green color-inspired day, 

Greetings

From the Green Army Man

 ...The Green Giant

The Green Martians...

And Me!
A Happy St. Patrick's day!
Lots of luck to all of us today...
Wear green and never get pinched!

Healthy Living Healthy Savings: Great deals on Organic products

 My Earth Fare Bounty of the week

Living on organic or natural products doesn't come cheap. I can attest to that! And while couponing is a great money-saving tool, it is not always a luxury offered on most organic products. So when I find a great deal on organic finds, I'm more than happy to share them.

Earth Fare: Free 5 pound bag is coupon is good until Tuesday, May 16. The $1 OFF coupon is good until 3/24/10 - Got mine today!

To print this coupon: Highlight the image and then check "print selection" option before printing.

Deals on my bounty:
Stonyfield: 5/$4 Sale ends 3/30/10
Milk Chocolate covered Almond: $6.99 lb Sale ends 3/30/10
Sunspire Sundrops: $6.99 lb Sale ends 3/30/10
Gaia Essential Oils: $2.00 off coupons while supply last 

Check this out for more deals:

• Fare Deals
• Weekly Deals

SuperTarget :  Free Physicians Formula All Natural Bamboo Compact Mirror and Brush - after mail-in rebate. $5.99 value. Great for the Eco-conscious!

My Bamboo compact and Bamboo Silk Face Powder Refill

 Peek-a-Boo!

The compact is innovative and the design is very attractive! Both top and bottom swivels to open and is refillable. Magnets are used to lock the compact and hold the powder refill in place. The powder refill is $8.99 and also made of Bamboo powder.

Enjoy! If you have any deals on organic products, please share them. I would love to get my hands on them. 

Flip side of Zen: 5 Bizarre Ways to Relieve Stress

Trying to live a stress-free life is never ever going to happen no matter what other so-called experts might say. Stress is born with us. It's our twin. Our nemesis. Our prosecutor. And will stay with us until we end up 6ft under the ground. Not sounding overly dogmatical (sorry, I like using big words), Stress just like Samson, has it's own Delilah or weak points to point it bluntly and can be managed when done right (or in an uncanny way).

Bizarreness:

a) Smash Plates - Japan has special places for smashing and throwing plates for those stressed out or angry. 200 Yen for one session (about $2.21). Free to scream and cry.

 Mobile smashing plate truck

b) Head Kenzan Massager - A florist tool turned into a stress-relieving contraption. Made in Japan. Doubles as a weapon?

 3. Relaxation Drinks - The only substance drink not regulated by FDA. It's Ok to drink yourself crazy.Popular with Teens. Wonder why.

iChill, Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda, Drank, Vacation in a Bottle, and Blue Cow

 4. Smoke Tobacco - Nicotine gives the brain the ultimate high but also lung cancer along the way. Not to say the premature wrinkles. But still the number 1 choice by most?

5. Laughter Yoga - Yoga without the yoga. The only key exercise is to laugh your heart out. It's ok to look like a clown too. Laughter Yoga Clubs are all over the world.

What is your stress-busting formula?

$1000 big bucks - Here's how you can win it !

By now you know I won a ticket to Blogher and I'm going! What you don't know is that it will cost me about $1000++  to cover my hotel and travel expenses. So, sans sponsor,  I have to find ways to raise the money to make this long-time dream come true. No truer!

Now here's a fabulous proposal. If you help me, I not only get my $1000 dream money, you also get to win $1000!

But this is serious my friend. And I'm counting on you! What I need you to do is click on that little cute rascal button on my right sidebar that say Vote for Me. Or here below:

Simply Enter your Name and Email address and voila! you're done (well, for the day that is). For us to win, you have to vote daily. And help me tweet about the contest daily.

Tweet: Vote daily for @MaricrisG to win $1000! http://bit.ly/blDE13 #LittleRemedies

Here's what we'll win if you partner with me - Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• $1000 cash
• A Flowerbud.com bouquet
• A Dancing Deer Baking Co. brownie sampler

All Grand and First Prize Winners will receive a gift kit containing:

• One (1) Little Remedies® Baby Travel Kit
• One (1) package of Little Allergies™ Allergen Block
• Three (3) books from Workman Publishing Company
• One (1) Brainy Baby® DVD
• Two (2) tubes of Baby Aquaphor® Healing Ointment
• A three (3) month subscription to LoobaLee™
• A coupon (value up to $17.29) for a free container of Seventh Generation® laundry detergent
• A 10% discount from Dancing Deer Baking Co.
• A 10% discount from BlueAvocado™

Isn't this awesome??? So, are you with me!? Let's vote in!

• Contest begins Mar 10,2010
• Ends : April 26,2010
• Winners will be notified by email before May 31, 2010
• Read the Contest Rules

"Like the famous cliche' says: Desperate times calls for desperate measures..." I need your help!

Springing forward to Spring!

I can't wait for Spring! It is one the seasons I love besides summer. Not only because it signals the end of winter (I'm so done with the cold), it is also when my daughter was born. Yes, my very own Spring baby! (not necessarily related to spring chicken!).

And with the onset of Spring, open windows, fresh scent of flowers abloom and pastel colors play in my mind. Then the special part of Spring is of course, my daughter's birthday! This year, we will revamp her room and transform her kids bedding with designs inspired by the beauty of spring and  of her favorite color Pink! I prefer simple, pretty designs. Something like this:

A Kathy Ireland Home design

Remember I met her at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference

and it's great to see some of her product line is as pretty as her.

Or this:

 PEM America Beautiful Garden Set

My daughter and I are already oogling at all the beautiful choices in kids beddings. It may take us forever to decide! CSN stores carry these brands and a whole lot more! If you're looking for great deals, they have it! Check 'em out. As for me, The Pinata might have to wait...

Watch out for this:

• A great review and giveaway sponsored by CSN. Think of  Conference season. The giveaway item will be very useful for you as a traveler. (hint, hint)

*This is not a sponsored post but CSN Stores will provide an item for my next review and giveaway.

Window to My World Wednesday: No one was harmed writing this post

Window to my World Wednesday

I had a good laugh at this one! It was what greeted us as we walked inside Earth Fare to do our weekly grocery shopping. I thought I'd share a smile or two!

Take advantage of their money-saving deals on organic, whole and natural foods:

• Fare Deals
• Weekly Deals

Raising a Zensible Child: Awards = Rewards

How do you reinforce a positive influence in your child to do better? My simple, no fuss formula is to recognize my daughters' achievements with rewards. And we do this with great caution. We have been very selective at how we reward her and what deserves a reward to emphasize the importance of why she's being "paid" for a job well done. We're not capable of raising and living with a spoiled brat, so none of that here!

Three reward guideline is put in place at the very beginning (and we abide by it but yeah, we're occasional pushovers, so it's negotiable on a case-to-case basis) :

a) Pre-set reward $$$ limit : We've set $10 (no more, no less) spending budget.

b) Autonomy : Free to choose where she can collect her reward as long as it's within the budget.

c) Earn extra reward: Additional points are given if she gets purple color on her agenda book.

This Sunday, she collected her reward for two major awards she got from school that both came with an officially signed by the principal certificates along with the addition of purple colors (indicating exemplary work) on her daily agenda book. She makes us proud!

Where did she collect her bounty? Where else...

 

Build A Bear Workshop @ Carolina's Place Mall

Found her cuddly bear's sister on the shelf - We got hers at
BABW @ North Lake Mall

Proud of her Bounty - She can be a great model for BABW

if you ask me!

We availed of their promotional Easter Basket (available from March 5- April 4, you get a free Easter basket and a free candy for a $20 purchase). Just because we love Maxine and her bears! Thanks to the $5 coupon I got from Disney Social Media Mom Conference. Helped us stay within budget! Thank you BABW! Always my little girls' first choice. She's celebrating her birthday in April. Oh joy!

As a mom like me, how do you recognize your child's great achievements? What's your style Mom?

Related Item:

• 7 Things I'm grateful for 
• Holly The Moose - You call this ugly? 
• Beary Fabulous time with Maxine Clark -CEO of Build-A-Bear 
• Disney Social Media Moms - What will you celebrate? 

When it comes to my kid safety comes first - Safety Tat Review and Giveaway

UPDATE: Our winner according to Random.org is number 23!

Winner on this site is Tiff and winner on Rivyoohoo is Momof3heather via Charlotte Moms Like Me. Congrats Ladies!

Being a parent, the safety of my child is always a top priority. This is specially true when we're in public, crowded places or events. Keeping track of my daughter is always crucial. With the 2,185 children reported missing each day, no parent would ever want their child added to that statistic at all!

Today, we celebrated Chinese New Year Festival and Open house at Lake Norman Tai Chi Center which means, we're distracted running the event and can't totally keep track of my daughter 100% . Not a happy thought knowing the studio will be crowded and we know she will be on her own on certain times. Knowing her being a kid, she gets adventurous. And you know what happens with kids when they do that!

Thankfully, she has something on her arm that gave me a little assurance. She was wearing a customized Safety Tats temporary safety ID tattoo containing my phone number with a fervent instruction on what to do if she wanders off and can't find her way back to the studio.

Proud of her Tats!

I'd say Safety Tats is an ingenious idea. My daughter and I love the concept. She loves sticker tattoos which also made Safety Tats an instant winner with her. The stickers are made of *micro-thin elastomer with medical grade adhesive that is hypoallergenic, skin safe and lasts for weeks. Best of all, it's easy to apply and easy to remove!

Now because Safety Tats understand how you feel about your child, they are offering Two (2) of you Moms a chance to win one sample pack of their Quick Stick Write-On! of your choice (boy or girl). And here's more, just for playing the sweepstakes, you'll get a 10% discount off an order of $15 or more using this code: ZenForYou (must be typed as seen). Discount coupon good through March 15, 2010. 

How to Enter:

Visit Safety Tats and leave a comment telling me which of their other product you would like to try.

Extra Entries: (please leave separate comment for each entry)

• Subscribe to Zen MamaVentures
• Follow me on Twitter or Facebok 
• Grab my button and link back to me
• Follow me on Google Friend Connect
• Tweet about this giveaway : Enter @MaricrisG New Giveaway! Safety Tat Quick Stick Write-On! Sample pack. 2 winners! http://bit.ly/b6uxxr

Rules:
You must leave your email address so I can notify you if you win. Safety Tats will ship the prize to winners. Sweepstake begins today, Mar 6th to Mar 14th. Open to US addresses only.

Goodluck Moms!

*statement based on Safety Tats product description online.
**Safety Tats provided customized IDs for this blogger to review and sponsored this giveaway**

Year of the Tiger and Lake Norman Tai Chi Center

Today, Lake Norman Tai Chi Center celebrated Chinese New Year to welcome the year of the tiger and held an open house to introduce the new school in the Huntersville and Lake Norman area of North Carolina. Traditional Lion Dance started off the celebration followed by Tai Chi Demos and a guest speaker.

I have help put this event together on the marketing and Social Media aspect of it and it's great to see that it was a success considering the school is fairly new. It was just established January of this year. A good turnout nonetheless. Not bad for a first event. Gratitude goes to friends who helped make the event possible:

• Urbana CitySpa and Tea Bar sponsored the event by providing premium tea drinks for everyone. Owners, Jim and Nancy are wonderful! Jim actually "manned" the tea table at the event. What an honor to have him! They have two locations: one inside Birkdale Village and in Pineville Matthews. If you're looking for a place to relax, unwind or get that spa treatment massage, Urbana is the way to go! Their stores have a very relaxing atmosphere. I can live there forever if I can! Even my daughter love the place and she's only 5 years old! That's the magic of Urbana. A calming, soothing place to escape to.

• Thank you to MomTV for giving me a spot to livecast the event. Unfortunately, I encountered technical problems and was unable to broadcast the entire event in a timely manner. Next time perhaps...

My unremarkable attempt (No one was hurt in this demo)

Now in honor of the year of the Tiger,
Chinese or not, Kung Hei Fat Choy everyone!

More check-ins at lake norman tai chi center

PoweredWhrrl

Related Item:

• Feng Shui Predictions of your Life, Love and Fortune in the year of the Tiger
• Chinese New Year 2009 - Year of the Ox

Conference Season: Proven Techniques to make you a Pro in the Game

It's Conference Season and if you're going to a major conference, it can be intimidating especially if it's your first. Here are some effective techniques to get you started:

1. Attend small ones or even local Mom meet ups just so to get the hang of connecting and yes, socializing with style and confidence. I have attended a few and it has helped a lot.

2. Seek out and connect with those attending PRE-conference. Twitter is a great venue to do this. Then join in on any sites pre-customized for the event to see whose attending. It's always helpful to see a familiar face in a crowded room.

3. Now the best tool to survive a conference, is to go with the flow. Connect. Connect. And Connect. Socialize! Who knows what opportunity it will open up for you. Best of all BE YOURSELF. Don't be afraid to have fun!

4. Last but not the least, DON'T FORGET your BUSINESS CARDS! And make sure to trade them every chance you get. You'll thank yourself for it. Trust me.

Related Item:

• Conference 101: How to survive your first major conference
• It's Official. I'm going to Blogher (Link your blog)  
• Disney Social Media Moms - What will you celebrate?

Window to My World Wednesday : How I tone my Arm

Welcome to another edition of Window to my World Wednesday. Er, more like look at my flabby arms Wednesday...So, are you looking for an innovative way of toning those flabby arms and biceps like mine? Well, look no further! Just look below.

Me and my BFF Kodak Zi8
Need I say More?
Taking a video as long as 25 minutes or more can tone your arm. 
Promise. Try it!

 As Rosie would say it, "We can do it!"

Check 5MinutesforMom  and 7Clown Circus for more WW Entries

or my Window to my World Wednesday for more cool pictures.