12 months + 104 blog posts = 2010

Yeah, I never said I was good at math.
But I just looked and this year was rather pathetic for this little blog o' mine.
It started out strong....12 posts in January, 14 in February and 20 in March.
And then...it just stopped.

What's my excuse for such lackluster blogging for the last eight months?
Work. Life. Kids.
All of which aren't really excuses.
So, really I have no good excuse for not blogging.
I just didn't do it.

If I have one "resolution" for 2011 it is this - I will blog more.
Really.
I will.

But for now, let's talk about 2010, shall we?
As I type this post, we have about 8 1/2 hours left in this year.

And what a year it's been.
(Um, you might want to grab a snack...I just realized this post is rather wordy).

I've been to Walt Disney World FOUR times.
Yeah, four times.
I've met so many incredible people on those travels.
I've formed amazing friendships.
I can't wait to go back!

Oh, and I got a job.

So, let's recap a bit, shall we?

January - Kevin and I made our first solo trips (i.e. sans kids) to WDW - he had a trade show to attend for work and I tagged along because aside from my plane ticket (and our park tickets) it was FREE, and you can't beat free. The trip was fast, but fun. And we had the chance to hang out with Don and Mary - two of the nicest people I know. Kevin and I had a marathon day at the Magic Kingdom - 12 hours with no rest - but it was so worth it!

February - Despite Mother Nature's best effort, I was able to escape the Blizzard of 2010 and made it to Orlando (two days early!) for the first-ever Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. I could write an entire blog post (or 10) about the awesomeness that is #DisneySMMoms. But if you want to read about it (again) you can read this, this, and this. The three day event was the most amazing, incredible, awe-inspiring thing I think I have ever experienced. Aside from the hotel (The Polynesian!) and the food, and Joe Jonas, and the magic around every corner ... well, it came down to the people. And the women I finally met in person (after "knowing" each other online for many months) are amazing, incredible, funny, talented, beautiful...and some of my very dearest friends. I would list you all - but you know who you are. I cannot wait to see you in March 2011!

March - For some reason, I wrote 20 blog posts in March this year. I think I just had a lot to say. The biggest thing about March - other than the day Emma shoved a potato chip up her nose - was that Kevin and I decided to surprise the girls with a trip to Disney.

April - We're going to Disney World! Again, Mother Nature tried to spoil my plans with a torrential rain event ... but we fooled her and left a day early on our road trip to Orlando. Which meant, we had an extra day in my favorite city. Chalk that up to a #win for us. The trip to Disney was beyond magical, of course. I had the chance to spend some time with Rora and Maria, and we were able to meet Princess Tiana (yay!). I didn't ever want to leave Disney, but we had to because I was starting a new job.

May - I started a new job. It sucked. A lot.

June - Still at the new job. Still sucking. A lot. But wait...there's a light at the end of the tunnel maybe. I see a job posting in the paper. It sounds perfect. I apply and get an interview. Funny thing? The interview is exactly one year after my last day at the university (the job that vanished thanks to the economy in 2009). Could this be a sign?

July - Oh. Em. Gee. July 6, 2010 - I got the job! I nearly cried when the HR person offered me the job. It's a communications manager position. Full time. Full benefits. I tell my "boss" on July 7 that I'm leaving. He doesn't even look up from what he's doing and merely says "OK" - then kicks me out of the office two hours later (well, OK...technically he told someone else to tell me that I had to leave that day). I have never been so happy to walk out of a building in my ENTIRE life. It really was the second worst job I've ever had (the first would take an entire book for me to discuss...maybe another time).

August - The new job is good. Yeah, that's the word - good. I like what I'm doing. And I realize that I'm not blogging nearly enough. And, Olivia golfs in her first golf tournament...she's a natural!

September - Holy crow! My Olivia starts first grade!!! How did that happen??? I was worried (of course) about how she would adjust to all day school...but, as usual, Olivia was perfectly fine. She loves school. I'm happy. And, my blog turns five years old. Happy Bloggy Birthday, Fishbowl.

October - Two words: Epic October. Yeah, my fourth trip to WDW was a whirlwind 34 hour adventure that was in a word - epic. It was basically a last-minute trip - fly down on Friday night and home on Sunday morning - but it was so worth the delayed flights and sheer exhaustion. JL and Jackie picked me up at nearly midnight at the airport and then we were on the GO the next day. Read about it here. While E.O. was amazing, I also saw my dreams of making the Disney Moms Panel vanish yet again. It was devastating, but everything happens for a reason.

November - Um...I voted. And ate turkey. And yeah...that's about it.

December - Well, here we are. The end of the year. The holidays are nearly over (whew)...and I have to say the highlight of this month was finding out that I am attending the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. I can't wait to experience this event again - and room with Tracie, JL, and Ashely...at the Grand Floridian!

I think 2010 was a pretty good year.
I had fun. I got a job.
I laughed a lot.

And now, as I look forward to 2011, I wish all of you a very happy new year and much love, laughter and magic for next year!

xoxo

A very 'social media' Christmas

Merry Christmas!

(Here's the link to the YouTube page)

If this doesn't put you in the holiday spirit....

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Bah. Humbug.

I will admit it right now - I am still not finished with my Christmas shopping.

Last week was crazy - between work and dealing with my husband who has MRSA (don't fret...he's fine now...but he 'almost' ended up in the hospital), and everything else in between, I didn't get much done.

So, this morning Emma and I ran over to WalMart (ugh, I know).
I need to pick up some stocking stuffers and some other 'necessities'.

It wasn't super crowded yet, so I thought "this will be easy peasy lemon squeasy."

And so...the story goes...

Em and I were standing in the holiday decorations aisle, just browsing and looking at Disney ornaments. My cart was about 1 1/2 feet away from me. On the other side of the aisle, there was another woman and her cart. Suddenly, this third person - whom I will call Mrs. Grinch - appears behind me and PUSHES MY CART DOWN THE AISLE WITH HER CART.

Yeah.
Really.

She didn't say "excuse me" she didn't ask "could you move your cart so I can get through, please?" She just pushed my cart out of the way, nearly hitting Emma in the process.

This was not going to end well.
For her.

"Um, yeah. That was MY cart you just SHOVED down the aisle."

"Yeah, so? What was I supposed to DO? She (pointing at the other woman in the aisle) just came barreling down here and I couldn't get through."

(For the record: the "other" woman wasn't barreling anywhere, she was merely standing in the aisle)

"Well for starters you could have said excuse me. And not pushed my cart out of the way. And not been such a blatant moronic idiot."

"Whatever."

"Yeah, have a merry freaking Christmas too, you jerk."

OK, granted....that was not a merry thing for me to say.
But she's lucky I didn't say what I was thinking because the expletives I was forming in my head were amazing.

I just don't understand why some people think they are entitled to be rude and stupid around the holidays.

I mean seriously - it's WalMart people.
You were in the $1 holiday aisle.
What was so important that you just HAD to push me and my daughter out of the way?

Bah.
Humbug.

I don't like snow. At all.

Yesterday winter arrived - with a lot of baggage.
Rain to snow, ice, wind, and freezing temperatures.

Let it be known - I dislike snow.
In fact, I think I might actually hate snow.

Sure it's pretty when it sparkles in the sun.
But then it gets all dirty and gross.
And it's slippery.
Very, very slippery.

It rained yesterday morning.
Then it got cold.
And then it started to snow.
So, under the snow was a lovely layer of ICE.
And the snow came down, down, down.
And down some more.

I'm guessing there's probably close to six inches of the white crap out there.

And if I didn't have to actually DRIVE anywhere in this weather, maybe I'd like it.
Then again, maybe not.

My office was actually "delayed" today - we didn't have to be in until 9:30 a.m.
I was still late.
It took me 45 minutes to drive from my house to downtown Toledo.
Forty-five minutes.
It normally takes me 25 minutes, tops.

I slid into a parking lot at one point, a mere mile from my house.
My "anti-lock" brakes did some crazy grabbing/locking/completely freak me out thing when I tried to stop on the snow/ice.
I drove like my mother-in-law the entire way to work - no faster than 30 mph, regardless of the actual speed limit.

And then the sun came out.
"Great," I thought. "The sun will help the salt and the roads might be OK on the way home."

Ha.

The roads were horrid at 5:30 tonight.
First and foremost, it is apparent that the city snowplows totally skip the roads near downtown. They were still snow covered. And icy.
And SCARY.
It took me 20 minutes to drive less than a mile.
I slid several times.

And, there was an indicator light that kept appearing on my dash - a car skidding out of control is how I describe it.

(Dear Chrysler - that is NOT a cool indicator light...it makes my pulse race. You might want to rethink it next time you design a minivan.)

As I turned a corner, nearing my neighborhood my brakes did their 'thing' again and I slid around the corner. I'm quite certain I stopped breathing for a few seconds.

By the time I got home - 45 minutes after leaving the office - my hands were shaking, my head was pounding and I was nearly in tears.

And so, it's official.
I am over winter.
I want to live somewhere without snow and ice and subzero temperatures.

Five question Friday

So fun!

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?
We let the girls open one gift on Christmas Eve (usually from their grandma who lives out of town). Then the rest is opened in a flurry of paper and ribbon on Christmas morning.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie or candy?
Favorite cookie - my mom's peanut butter kisses. Hands down. They're super simple (peanut butter, sugar, and eggs with a Hershey kiss on top).

3. What's the worse Christmas gift you've ever received?
Well, I didn't "technically" receive this - my husband did - but the worst gift ever has to be the diabetes blood sugar monitor he was given last year. By his mother. And for the record, my husband doesn't have diabetes. It was a 'precautionary gift' from his mother. "Just in case" he ever wanted to check his blood sugar. Yes, I'm quite serious. [Oh, and you can't return a gift like this. Believe me, we tried.]

4. Christmas song that you love?
O Holy Night. Silent Night.
Both make me cry.

5. How many trees do you put up?
One. And a half.
We put up the "real" tree in our living room - complete with oodles of Disney ornaments. Then, the girls put up a Disney Princess "mini tree" in our family room. It's pink. And has princess ornaments. Naturally.

Thanks to Mama of All Trades for sharing this...and to My Little Life for the original link.

Join in the holiday fun!

Magic, mom, Mickey and social media (again!)

Yesterday afternoon my e-mail inbox received a sprinkling of pixie dust that still has me pinching myself today - just to make sure I'm not dreaming.

I'm still walking around on cloud 9 with a silly grin on my face.

Because, you see, yesterday I received confirmation that I am attending the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration!

I was lucky enough to attend the first DisneySMMoms (it's so much easier to shorten the name like this!) in February 2010. It was the most amazing, incredible, magical, epic...(did I say amazing?) event.

In addition to learning more about social media in a few days than I thought possible, I also came away with an incredible group of friends - and they are friends I miss on a daily basis.

(Read about my 2010 adventures here, here, and here).

After February's event those of us who attended kept talking about DisneySMMoms - how great it was, would there be another event, would we be invited - and somehow we all managed to keep the hashtag #DisneySMMoms alive for an entire 12 months on Twitter. The chatter was reaching near manic levels recently with so many people hoping, wishing and praying for a chance to attend.

I'm not going to get into all the registration stuff here - mainly because I didn't go through the actual process - Tracie, who is one of my roomies (along with Ashely and JL) was the "lucky" person who had to contend with the "yellow circle of doom" on her computer screen. (A seemingly never-ending spinning circle that appeared on screen as the pages loaded).

And then yesterday, at about 2:45, the e-mail appeared in my inbox.
I was 'in' and I will admit this - I cried when I read the word "congratulations!"
I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference - and it goes beyond the Disney brand.

Anyone who knows me understands my love of social media.
I absolutely ADORE social media.
I live on Twitter (basically).
I am beginning to love Facebook again (sorry about that Facebook, but for a while you just bored me).
And then there's this blog.
I love my blog.
I really do.
I feel terribly guilty when I neglect it (which has been happening a bit lately).

(There is also my 9-5 job where I am responsible for all social media for the organization - Twitter, Facebook, and a new blog).

So you see, attending this conference is HUGE for me.
I am beyond excited for everything that awaits us in March!
The fact that it is at Disney (at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, no less!!!) is just the cherry on top of this whole kitchen sink sundae.

I know how lucky I am to have been chosen to attend this conference and I am sending out a huge THANK YOU to Disney and Leanne and Laura.
You have made this blogger's dream come true (again).
I cannot wait to see all the #DisneySMMoms in March!
I just KNOW that this year is going to be more amazing and more magical than this year!

'Tis the season (I suppose)

Dear Mother Nature,

OK. I get it.
Today IS the first day of December.

But seriously.
Did you have to make it SNOW just to prove that we're THISCLOSE to a long, cold, miserable winter?

I mean really.
It's a bit overly dramatic, don't ya think?

"Snow showers??"
Have you looked outside?
It's snowing big fat flakes and IT'S STICKING!!!!!

This is not acceptable.

Yesterday's weather?
Yeah, that was acceptable.
Mid 50s, breezy, a little rain.
I could handle that all winter long.

But this snow on the FIRST day of December?
Not so much.

If this is your way of saying "Hey kids, hold on to something...it's going to be a very bumpy - and COLD and SNOWY - winter!" .... that is not OK with me. Because you know, we just did the whole snow/blizzard/brutally cold temps thing....and it wasn't any fun.

So how about this...

Let's give props to Al Gore and the whole 'global warming' thing and change the winter weather in northwest Ohio to something like this: nothing colder than 50 degrees, a little rain now and then, and no snow.

OK?

Thanks.

Yours truly,
Traci