The Pollyanna Principles - Principle #1 (part 2 of 7)

Hildy Gottlieb introduces the Pollaynna Principles.

Giveaway: iRobotRoomba530 by Care.com

Care.com will select one winner each day from 5/18/09 - 5/31/09. Winners will be notified by Care.com on or around June 1, 2009. All fourteen winners will receive one iRobot Roomba 530, MSRP $299.

No purchase necessary. Join Care.com as a free basic or premium member to enter or send an email with your name, address, phone number, and email address to roomba@care.com. You may also enter to win by mailing a hand-written 3"x5" card to Care.com, Inc., 1400 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and email address.

Already a member? Simply log in to enter.

On Finding Happiness

Cheryl Phillips of Daily Blonde appeared on Connecting Women Radio. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Connectingwomen/2009/05/15/Connecting-Women. Cheryl wrote a post for Connecting Women.

I read this quote in Vanity Fair magazine. It’s not funny or sarcastic. It is just straightforward and mirrors my thoughts on life exactly. I think this is something all women should have as their mantra.

"As women, we have more of a tendency to be people-pleasers, and I know a lot of women who are not vocal about what makes them happy. I was like that in my early 20s, but not anymore. I spent a lot of time not being clear about who I was and what was important to me. It’s easy to be taken advantage of if you’re not honest. I knew that dance of trying to please a man, trying to guess what they want you to be, and I got really tired of that, really confused and frustrated. I decided I was sick of trying to figure out what everybody else wanted, and I should just decide what I want, and be honest, and not spend all my time guessing. -Katherine Heigl

With each year of my life comes change. Some in the form of a new creases under my eyes. Some in the form of a hidden strength that finally surfaces. I spend less time worrying about the creases these days and more time giving myself kudos for finally having strength in areas where I was painfully weak.

Bottom line: I know how to balance that fine line between doing for others and doing for myself. When I finally learned to put myself in first position, people around me became happier. When I removed negative people from my life, or at least ignored them, I started to breathe again.
I am often known as a funny chick. That's my favorite side. (Well, when it comes to a photograph, I prefer to my right side at a slight angle. Mostly because I haven't quite mastered the strength of not having chocolate...often. Hips don't lie.) However, humor is just something that comes naturally for me. The rest of me is a work in progress and a project I want to keep working on. I actually enjoy evolving and becoming a stronger "me" every day. That is how I've found happiness.

I don't have a degree in psychology and I am so not a fan of self-help books. What I do have first hand experience in is a life that has been an interesting mix of love, fun, disappointment, sadness and times spent just treading water. Otherwise known as surviving. It has been an on-going lesson in the search to be content...with myself.

How have you found happiness in your life? Have you learned to put "you" first? It's not as easy as it sounds but the rewards are great. Try it...today.

Review: Care.com


Often times, we rely on family or friends for recommendations on babysitters, nannies, senior care or pet care. However, there may be times when family or friends may not have recommendations to give you. Have no fear, Care.com is here to help make your choices easier.

Navigating on Care.com is simple and clear. There are tips on how to use the site. There are articles that relate to different types of care. You type in your zip code and how many miles out of your zip code when you are searching for a care giver or even a tutor. You can even request special things like have own transportation, no smoking, and what language they speak. A list of caregivers will appear, and you get to see how their age, experience, years of experience, and how much they charge.

Care.com also allows you to do background and criminal checks on a caregiver. You can view their references and videos and many more.

Did you know you can post jobs on Care.com? If you are a nanny, babysitter, tutor or some kind of caregiver, you can review jobs. You can type in your zipcode and see what kinds of offers are available.

Care.com is a great resource for individuals and families and also all caregivers. I kind of think of this as a database of finding a great caregiver or reviewing job posts for care giving. I would highly recommend this site for anyone who is in need of some kind of caregiver. Visit http://www.care.com for information.

The Future of Media May Be Uncertain, but Aspiring Media Professionals Make Their Own Future

Laryssa Wirstiuk of Too Shy To Stop was interviewed on Connecting Women, May 9th. Go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/connectingwomen to listen to Laryssa's interview.

Given the state of our economy, finding any job is a challenge. Entry-level jobs are few and far between, yet hundreds of thousands of new graduates are seeking work. Landing an entry-level job in media, a currently-very-confused industry, is an even greater struggle.

Thomas Edison once said, "Everything comes to [s]he who hustles while [s]he waits." I can’t stand it when my peers whine about their unemployment, complaining that no one wants them. Trust me: as long as you don’t give up, someone will eventually want you. However, you need to be prepared for that moment.

I am currently seeking my first real job in media, which means I’m by no means an expert in job-hunting. However, I do know how to hustle. How do you hustle and, like Edison, hustle while you wait? Make sure you’ve sent your resumes and cover letters; then, tackle one or more of the following items:

Volunteer – If you’re really passionate about working in media, you would do it for free, right? Everyone has to pay the bills, but you can volunteer an hour or two a week in exchange for relevant work experience. Show your future employer that you love what you do so much that you’d sacrifice a Saturday.

Write outreach materials for a non-profit
Send letters to the editor of your local paper
Offer to contribute to a website that you frequent

Freelance – If you feel really ambitious, and you have the time, approach local business owners and ask them if they need any writing or marketing assistance. Think about the type of media job that you want and find a way to create it for yourself. You may not get benefits and a steady paycheck, but you’ll display an entrepreneurial spirit and drive.

Place a classified ad that describes your services
Tactfully demonstrate to a business owner how you can improve their business with your writing or marketing skills
Familiarize yourself with freelance job boards and websites

Keep a journal – Media is rapidly changing and evolving, and very few people can really keep abreast of the issues. Keep a journal of your thoughts about media or maintain a folder of news clippings/digital bookmarks that catch your eye. When the time comes to interview for a media job, you’ll be opinionated and well-informed.

Start a blog and encourage yourself to post on a daily basis
Visit industry websites (Mediabistro, Ad Age)
Query your social networks

Collaborate – Many young people are in the same boat! Gather friends who seeking similar jobs; practice viewing them as potential collaborators rather than as competitors. With two or more heads together, maybe you will come up with an idea that blow everyone out of the water!

Begin an online community and share your thoughts about media
E-mail news articles to your contacts and encourage them to share too
Don’t be shy about networking

Hustle while you wait. By the time you get to the interview, you will have so many interesting things to share. We will eventually find our dream jobs in media!

Guest Post by Laryssa Wirstiuk of Too Shy To Stop.

Mambo Sprouts Launches Healthy Recipe Contest

Mambo Sprouts opens its annual Mambolicious Healthy Recipe contest, calling for tasty original recipes featuring natural and organic products. The contest promotes natural ingredients and aims to get a wider audience involved in choosing ingredients that are both healthy and eco-friendly.

All cooks are invited to get out their aprons and submit original recipes that incorporate one or more of our sponsors’ products into a healthy recipe and enter it into one of the following five categories:

Savings Savvy: Tasty, generous portions on a tight budget.
Kids Eat Smart: Healthy and nutritious meals kids will eat.
Quick & Easy: Recipes that can be prepared and cooked in 30 minutes or less.
Classic Alternatives: Recipes for people on special diets such as gluten-free, diabetic, or wheat-free.
Desserts with a Twist: Desserts that are both healthy and delicious.

Winning recipes will incorporate one or more products from the Mambolicious contest sponsors including Jane’s Krazy Mixed-up, The Ginger People, Ian’s, Lightlife, Brown Cow, SAN-J, and Equal Exchange.

The contest will be judged by Peggy O’Mara, a natural living author and publisher of Mothering magazine; Chef Keith Snow of HarvestEating.com, a social network dedicated to seasonal cooking; and Kimberly Lord Stewart, award-winning food journalist and author of Eating Between the Lines: The Supermarket Shoppers Guide To The Truth Behind Food Labels.

“I’m excited to see the recipe submissions,” said O’Mara. “This contest is a wonderful opportunity to highlight how easy, affordable and delicious healthy food really is.”

The first place winners in each category will receive gift cards and an assortment of natural and organic products valued at approximately $600. One grand-prize winner will take home $2,500 cash plus products and prizes with a total package value of approximately $4,000!

Recipe submissions could be randomly chosen to appear in the new Mambo Test Kitchen video series. Visit www.mambosprouts.com/events/recipecontest09/test-kitchen.html to see the featured selections.

This year, Mambo has added a video category and invites people to submit their own cooking videos to Mambo’s YouTube Group page at www.youtube.com/group/mambolicious. One video winner will be selected to receive a prize package.

Submissions will be accepted from May 4 to June 15. Full rules and an online entry form can be
found at www.mambosprouts.com/events/recipecontest09.

ABOUT MAMBO SPROUTS: Mambo Sprouts Marketing is a full service health, natural and
organic foods and products marketing and promotions company. Through their online, mail and
in-store programs, Mambo Sprouts reaches over 2 million proven N&O shoppers quarterly.
Mambo offers manufacturers and retailers a complete range of customized programs including:
the industry's first and only natural product co-op mailer featuring an optional custom solo mailing; Mambo Sprouts natural and organic product Messenger newsletter and coupon books distributed quarterly to 385,000 N&O consumers; MamboTrack, offline and Web-based market research services; offline and online mail list development; Go Mambo!, Mambo Sprouts’ mobile promotions van that travels throughout target regions distributing product samples and coupons at major events and festivals; Web marketing including natural product instant e-coupons, sample offer promotions, and a monthly targeted health e-newsletter. Mambo Sprouts is based in Collingswood, New Jersey.

For more information call (856) 833.1933 or visit www.mambosprouts.com

Speak Now For Kids Campaign

We all want healthy children, so we will do anything to make sure our children are healthy by making sure they live in an environment and have all the required essentials, such as health insurance, and maybe a little extras essentials when we can.

However, did you know that about 9 million children in the U.S. don't have any kind of health insurance including government assistance? Craziness. There is no excuse why children can't be offered some kind of health insurance despite their parents' financial abilities. All children must be covered with health insurance. That is why I want you to know about Speak Now for Kids Campaign.

Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform is a national campaign sponsored by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.). N.A.C.H. is joined by national partners and supporting organizations from around the country who all care deeply about how children will be treated in health reform. Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform urges parents, family members, health care providers and other advocates to tell Congress why children matter in health reform – through stories, photos and videos.

Let your voice be heard through stories, videos, pictures, or even just your thoughts because you care and want to see all children in the U.S. given the right of health care insurance.

Go to Speak Now For Kids.

Giveaway: VADO digital video camera

*Thank you to New Baby for donating this VADO camera from Creative Labs to our fun event. Please check out New Baby and consider adding your own vlog!Last weekend we had the opportunity to meet a wonderful new parenting advice search engine, Mamapedia, and now we'd like you to try the site out for yourself with our new contest, "What Can I Learn Today?" One grand prize winner will win a VADO digital video camera!To Enter:1. Visit Mamapedia and ask any parenting question.2. Choose how you want to enter - or choose all three for more chances to win:
  • Comment to this post with your question and the answer you found
  • Blog about Mamapedia on your own site sharing the question you asked and the answer you found
  • Vlog about Mamapedia and your question/answer at New Baby.

3. Fill out this secure form to let us know that you entered.

It's that easy! Then join us for another SiteWarming Party on Twitter Saturday, May 23rd from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m eastern time to find out who won! There will also be several great door prizes.

Good luck!

*This contest is open to all U. S. residents 18 years or older and ends May 23rd at 9:00 p.m. eastern.

*This contest courtesy of Momfluence - Rocking the Cradle and Shaping the World.

Review: Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets


I have been accepted as a Purex Insider, where I get to test products and give feedback. I am excited because I am not the biggest fan when it comes to laundry.

I received Purex® Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. I was kind of skeptical looking at the product, thinking one sheet can be used in three different ways? Not only as detergent, but softener and anti-static as well. My husband was sure it wasn't going to work.




After I loaded the clothes into the washer, I placed one Laundry sheet and let it run its cycle. Then I transferred the same load into the dryer along with the same Laundry sheet and let the dryer run its cycle.




When the load was finished, my husband and I were impressed that the clothes were clean and smelled nicely!

I was relieved to see how easier washing the clothes became! I am planning on using Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets.

Quotes of the Week

I asked my Twitter followers (known as Tweeps) what were their favorite quotes on "Inspirational" or "Inspiration".

I got some awesome responses. Enjoy!

* "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly"- R.F. Kennedy. (submitted by @RozHannibal).
* "If you get up one more time than you fall, you will make it through" - Chinese Proverb. (submitted by RozHannibal).
* "Please be patient with me because God is not through with me yet."- James Cleveland. (submitted by @annyjacoby).

Enjoy these quotes! You can also click on the bold names to go to their Twitter page.

"What's bothering your green conscience?"


Franke James spoke with Connecting Women Radio, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/connectingwomen on Green Conscience. Here is a sample of what her Tweeps on Twitter shared with James on Green
Conscience.

Product Review: Joey Totes


I had the privilege of trying out Joey Totes. I received a Joey Set, which consisted of large, medium, and small totes. I was excited to try them out because I am always looking for ways to save money and help the environment.

Helping the environment and saving money are interdependent--mutually exclusive. When you go green, you tend to save money. When you save money, you tend to help the environment. Let's be real--going 100% going green overnight by saving money in every area can be overwhelming. My advice is start one step at a time.


It has been over a year since I bring my own reusable bags when I grocery shop. It takes time and discipline to remember to carry the bags. By bringing my own bags, I don't have to pay for the store's bags, therefore don't have to throw away either.

First time we used Joey Set was when my husband was doing the laundry. He needed an extra basket/bag to put an extra load. He and I looked at the Joey Set and had the same idea. We put one load of laundry in the large Joey tote. Hubby dumps the load of laundry into the washer along with the tote bag to wash. However, we let it air dry.

Once the tote air dried, we folded the totes into small pouches and put them in the car for convenience. Now, one I go grocery shopping, I carry the pouches along with a grocery list. You can't help, but smile when you see those totes. Not only are they strong and durable, they are also cute and somewhat modern.

Joey Totes is offering our readers 10 percent off of their website. Be sure to use the codeword: connectingwomen.

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