Red Cup Happiness

Before I even start this post, I feel I need to show some love to my Caribou...Caribou Coffee. I love Caribou. It is my main coffee love. But alas, here in Texas, we do not have any Caribou Coffee shops. So, my coffee world pretty much revolves around Starbuck's. However, even if we did have a Caribou close by, this time of the year, I only have eyes for the red cups!

I see the red cups out and about town now, and I get that instant holiday glow. I love November and December -- undoubtedly my most favorite time of the year. And, really, we all really know why red cups make people happy. Starbuck's, like one of my other dear favorite companies, Disney, just flat out knows what they are doing.

Red cups somehow make me forget that I am paying $5.00 for a latte. Red cups erase the "corporateness" of companies and the fact that, in retail, the holiday season starts in early October these days. Red cups make me happy. They just make me happy. For those cherished moments every morning when I drink my coffee at my desk, before the craziness of the day sets in. For the happy thoughts they bring to mind -- happy thoughts about family, the holidays and everything for which I am thankful. For the warmth I feel when I drink those yummy holiday flavors. For the glimmer and sparkle in my kids' eyes when we get them a hot chocolate, in a red cup. They just make me happy.

As the red cup revolution grew, Starbuck's, like most savvy companies and social media users, jumped all over building a community around their famous beverage holders. The Starbuck's Holiday Village® does not "officially open" until November 13, but, shed no tears! You can provide this savvy social media company with your email address, and they will notify you when the village is open and ready for visitors. What better way to engage their customers?? Combine their red cups with a fun, festive, holiday website (which they will promote the crap out of on their Facebook page, via Twitter, etc.). 

For all those out there who find reasons to complain during the holidays (about Target bringing out holiday items before Halloween, about the hassles of the season and about whatever else), might I suggest holding a red cup, even for a moment? And remember, we have the power within ourselves to control what the holidays mean to us. For me, the red cups trigger all the joy of the holiday season. It is a choice I make -- to not let any external factors have influence on what the season means to me and to my family.

Happy red cupping, everyone!

Typos, people, typos

We all know social now plays a huge and important role in an organization's overall marketing these days. We all know the benefits to creating that online, social community around your product, brand and/or organization. This post is not at all about that. Rather, this post is about all of those posts. A rant - my two minutes on the soapbox. Here goes.

We, as social media specialists, have, in my mind, a responsibility to our communities to use proper grammar and spelling. Nothing irks me more than to see typos (intentional or unintentional) on an organization's social post. An unintentional typo means you did not take the time to proof your post before making it live. That is just lazy. An intentional typo means that you are giving into this whole idea of a "new" "texting" language. Please. Please, please, please, please, please. Nowhere, ever, is ur acceptable. It is not acceptable from a teenager. It is not acceptable from an adult. And it is certainly not acceptable from an organization. The other big (huge, really) pet peeve of mine is the non-use of apostrophes. Dont is NOT a word. Stick an apostrophe in there, for crying out loud!

Recently, I encountered two Facebook posts by companies I respect, containing ridiculous typos. The first caused annoyance, because I did not notice the typo in the URL until after I clicked on the link and was taken to a "Page Not Found." Clearly, this company's social media person had manually typed the URL (first mistake -- cut and paste, my dear. EVERYONE knows that!), and then did not take the time to review the post before publishing. To make it even worse, the typo in the URL was within the company's name. Really? Really??

The second one I came across was a common, simple mistake that we have all made one or more times: hte. Yes, reversing the h and the t in the word "the" -- most likely it happened because the individual was typing quite quickly (this happens to me all the time). I can understand this typo, most definitely. I cannot, however, accept it. Again, proof your posts before you publish them!!

My rant is over. Please resume your normally scheduled day.

(Note: I proofed this particular post close to 100 times before I published it! J) 

Best. Job. Ever.

I am a Disney fanatic. I was as a young girl. I was as a teen. And as a young adult. I am today. But the best part of my Disney addiction today is that I get to see it through the eyes of my children. Which, and Disney sure knows this all too well, somehow makes it more magical. I like the characters. I like the movies. I love the parks. I am ecstatic on the cruise. My favorite, though, are the princesses. Maybe because I'm a gal. Maybe because I have a young daughter who is "waaaay into the princesses, mom." Perhaps it is because, as a mom, we all sort of feel like Cinderella every now and then (as my dear friend reminded me just this past weekend). Or maybe because I am a hopeless romantic and flat out just love love. Whatever the reason, you can imagine this social media specialist's excitement when I tumbled deeper and deeper into the Facebook world of Disney and peeled the many, many, many layers back to reveal that EVERY princess has her own Facebook page. GET OUT! Sign me up for that gig, NOW!

Let's break this down. Some lucky Disney employee out there gets to be a princess every day. Live the life of a princess through the fabulous (and, as Disney now makes it, magical) world that is Facebook. While this social media manager Facebooks all day about the legal industry. Or send out tweets about our wonderful achievements. Wow. The comparison is just too freaking sad for me to contemplate any longer. So, for the time being, I will just "like" all of the princesses' Facebook pages and continue to live magically through them (and that lucky, lucky dog who gets to be them every stinking day!).

Check them out! Tell me this wouldn't be the ultimate job! (well, if you are a crazed social media person like I am!)

Ariel (my red-head's favorite princess): https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleMermaidAriel

Cinderella: https://www.facebook.com/Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty: https://www.facebook.com/DisneySleepingBeauty and Princess Aurora: https://www.facebook.com/SleepingBeautyPrincessAurora

Tiana: https://www.facebook.com/PATFPrincessTiana

Belle: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyandtheBeastBelle

Rapunzel: https://www.facebook.com/TangledRapunzel

Jasmine: https://www.facebook.com/AladdinPrincessJasmine

Snow White: https://www.facebook.com/DisneySnowWhite

There are more... the list goes on and on! But to make it easy on us, there is one page for them all! https://www.facebook.com/DisneyPrincess

So, when you are feeling more like the Cinderella before the ball, visit any of these pages to be magically transformed into a princess!

Everyone Has a Story

On June 1, 2010, I lost my faithful companion of 11 1/2 years to cancer. Of course it was painful. I cried for hours. Days. And even now, more than two years later, I think of her and my eyes still swell up with tears. I left the vet's office that morning, after saying good-bye, and I drove myself to work. The road was blurry through my water-drenched eyes, but I made it downtown. I went into my office and closed the door, where I cried a bit more.

Sure that day, and the days to come were painful. Fond memories and pictures flooded my mind. Losing a pet is not easy. But for me, for my family, this was the final piece of a year that had been anything but easy. It started on June 30, 2009, when our son was born. With a club foot. It went down from there, when he was diagnosed with craniosynostosis and whisked into major head surgery when he was just nine months old (he is doing great today!). It was followed by us losing my husband's dog. And it ended with Kelsey being diagnosed with cancer and us slowly watching the disease take her from us.

Two things happened on the day we put Kelsey down. The first was an outpouring of support and sympathy over Facebook. People I had not spoken to or seen in years. And one very nice lady that I really do not know, nor have I not met her, but came to know her through a friend on Facebook. It was amazing and heartwarming. And it actually lifted my spirit. Because what they did not know was that on that June 1 day, my tears were not just for Kelsey. They were for a stressful (beyond belief) year where, as a mother, I had no choice but to plow through for the sake and well-being of our son. My body saved the tears for a later day.

The other thing that happened that June day was that I seemed to be the one everyone else was turning to -- to listen to their gripes about how someone at work made them angry or how their spouse ticked them off. Or I had to listen to stories of "dilemmas" on where to have their kid's birthday party or which new car they should buy. And this was the one that tripped me up. I had one person knock on my closed door (closed because the tears were still coming) asking me if I could donate to a charity that was near and dear to her. I felt so guilty, but that was the one thing that broke me. I held back, and I simply told her I just could not at this time.

I walked away from that June day having learned two valuable lessons. The first is that we are all human, and kind words go a very, very, very long way. It does not matter if those kind words are over Facebook or other social platforms. Or if they are in person. Or via a card in the mail. Everyone needs to hear kind words every now and then -- so I promised never to get too wrapped up in my life that I forget that.

The other lesson I learned was that everyone has a story. It is true. Everyone has a story. It is not up to us to judge if that story is "valid". If that story measures up to our own. Everyone has as story. Accept it and move on. BUT the lesson I truly walked away with was that we can learn from each other's stories, if we have enough space in our hearts. On that June day, I didn't really want to hear anyone else's story. I had too much pain of my own that day -- I did not have any strength left to carry anyone else's. But I tried. And I listened. So, the second promise I made was to be mindful of this in the future.

Our stories define us - for better or worse. I guess the hope is they make us stronger and better people. That might not always be the case, but I sure strive for that every day. I share with you here two organizations that  mean the world to me these days. If you are interested in learning more about club feet and other pediatric orthopedic conditions, you may do so here via Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. This is my son's hospital, where his doctors and physical therapists corrected his foot so well, unless you know what to look for, you will never know. I recently read an article about a current University of Arkansas cheerleader who is a patient at TX Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. She is an inspiration, and her story reminds me of how much I love this hospital.

The other is the Children's Craniofacial Association. While our son's craniosynostosis was very mild compared to other children, I still find this association inspirational. They are really working hard to prove that beyond the face is truly a heart.

Social plays a big role in people's lives. I love what these types of organizations are doing over Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. I absolutely love it. It brings families together -- families who are going through similar situations who may have otherwise not found each other. It gives us chance to hear those kind words. And to realize that we are not alone in this great big world.

Please, please share your story that defines you and/or your family. I realize now I have enough room in my heart to learn more J

App Addiction?

I'm just going to say it. I think my three year old is addicted to the iPad. Yes, I do believe he is. Every day, I hear "Mommy, can I play on the iPad?" On days when the answer is no, you can pretty much bet on some tears. And on days when the answer is yes, expect many, many, many, crocodile tears if it is taken away or if he is told to turn it off, and, I don't know, come to dinner or something. Yes, in my book, this classifies as an addiction.

So we are undergoing detox.

Which, as you can probably guess, is not easy with a three year old.

"Mommy, can I play on the iPad?" No, not today. Not tomorrow. Not for a very long time, my sweet, adorable child. Go play with  your "real" toys. You know, those trains. Or those cars. Or those dinosaurs. Or heck, go bug your sister. Anything. But no playing on the iPad. No matter how much I want to say yes, just so I don't have to see any tears. The answer is no.

In the olden days, it was the TV. The constant debate was how much time is too much in front of the TV. More recently, it was straight up video games. Now, we are faced with the parenting decision of, first, yes or no to the iPad (or other tablets), games on your phone, etc., and, second, how much time is too much. The nice thing about the olden days was that the TV was stuck in your house. You could physically leave your house, or just force the kids outside, and the TV was not an issue. Those tablets and phones? Yeah, that great thing about them being portable, all of a sudden is not so great anymore.

I hear parents say things like "I only let my children play with educational apps." Or "I only let my kid play when we are running errands." And my favorite is "We only let our kids play on the tablets or our phones when we go out to dinner." Really? At the dinner table (because, I don't know about you, but to me, the dinner table is the dinner table, regardless of where that table happens to be)? I think my three year old's app addiction is a syndrome (for adults and children alike!) that is here to stay.

Studies and articles are out there now, addressing things like Smartphone addition. If there is a spectrum of addiction, I probably fall in the middle. When I am awake, outside of family time like meals, I do check emails, texts, etc. quite regularly. But nothing, and I mean nothing, interrupts sleep time -- mine OR the kids. In fact, I silence all things on my phone every night. But I think there is definitely something to this addiction thing. And I may joke about my three year old, but there is a small voice inside of  me that warns not to let his iPad time get out of hand.That same voice that warned our parents not to let us watch too much TV.

So, the detox will continue. And his time playing with his trains and cars, and yes, even his time bugging his sister, will continue and grow.

Plus, Mommy needs iPad time, too! After all, it is MY iPad!!

Share your thoughts on how you handle "app time" in your house. Is it allowed? Limited? What apps do you have for your children (our favorites right now (or prior to detox) are Shoe the Goose -- specifically Cake Doodle and Cookie Doodle)? Do you have a set time during the day when you will allow for "app time"? (We will save the discussion on at what age do you get your child their own Smartphone for another post!)

(Between the time I started drafting this post and when I published, I am happy to report detox is going very well. I do think he has forgotten about the iPad.)

Education by Social Media?

My daughter started kindergarten last week. She is the first of my two to enter kindergarten (We won't go into details on the tears, the separation anxiety, the emptiness in the stomach -- all on the part of mom! She never looked back!). Both of my kids went through a private, education daycare/school, so learning in a classroom setting is not new to her. And while the preschool used social media, for some reason, the public schools' use of social media and digital communications is astounding to me! Good grief! How times have changed!

Teachers communicate by email. The school communicates by email. PTA communicates by email. Everyone has a website. Teachers have blogs. And, this is the one that really amazes me, school districts use Facebook! Now, I know those of you out there with older kids are saying, yeah? So? You have been in this era of education via social media for a few years now. For me, it is strangely an adjustment. Let's just think back...

How did we survive growing up in an age without even, gasp, computers? Y'all remember the first computers, right? Weren't they just used for playing Pac-Man? Or Centipede? Or Frogger? We were just excited when our Atari was finally connected to a color TV! Teachers and parents connected via parent teacher conferences or paper notes back and forth. There was no email. There was certainly no social media platforms! And remember when, on those snowy mornings, you would listen to that AM radio station to see if your school was closed for the day? Now you just check Facebook. And maybe turn on the TV. But that is really just to see the weather report. Oh wait. You probably have The Weather Channel's app. You don't need your TV at all!

Social media has changed our world - the world of parenting. I think it is both great, and scary, that there are now all of these ways to communicate with my daughter's school district, school and teacher. I hope that, while these new avenues are exciting, convenient and helpful, I never lose sight of the fact that face-to-face encounters will always be the best way to learn about what my daughter is doing at school.

Being a new social media specialist, I, of course, cannot help but believe I could help many of these schools develop a solid, interactive (and active!) and fun social media presence. Of course I could! J

Check out what some schools are doing on social media. If your child's school has a presence, share your thoughts on what is working best and how you depend on their social media activity.  If they do not have an active presence, perhaps they would be open to the suggestion. After all, "everyone is on Facebook, Mom!"

School districts:

https://www.facebook.com/northcantoncityschools

https://www.facebook.com/friscoisd

https://www.facebook.com/allenisd

https://www.facebook.com/LivoniaPublicSchools

PTA's using social media (great idea!)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Corbell-Elementary-PTA/208159142288

Parents forming groups on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/138304562920138/

Becoming (more) social

M-F, and then some, I am a social media and content management marketing professional for a "big law" firm, managing every little thing associated with creating and maintaining and growing their online presence. Every hour of every day, I am a mother of two. For me, it seems more and more of my life is spent online, whether it be for work or during my mom time. I think everyone agrees (some reluctantly) that this is only the tip of the iceberg for the online/digital world. But it dawned on me the other day: I go to a multitude of websites, apps, social media platforms, you name it, every day to find different information. And while others before me have attempted to combine everything into a "one stop Internet shot", that is (and probably always will be) difficult to do. "Content is King!" I preach daily to anyone at my office who will listen. That will always be true. But although content will (and should) always rule, everyone sees content differently. Writers and marketers see content one way. They hope it is the way that their audience/customers/clients will see it. But many times, the audience sees the content another way. That is the tricky balance to obtain. That one sweet spot where writers and marketers AND their audiences see the content in the same way. If you ever reach that sweet spot, let me know!

I found myself doing too much socially for work. My time on social media turned from a fun and exciting way to keep in touch with friends (old and new) to 10 hours a day posting and tracking our social media activities at the office. I need to reach my own sweet spot -- where I can combine the two. Where all that I learn and experience using social media at work can translate into a forum to share, discuss and relate to others out there in my exact shoes, in some of my shoes or, those who would rather go barefoot.

This is my attempt. This blog (which will hopefully grow to other avenues, as well) is an opportunity to combine both of my worlds into one. From social media learnings to mom learnings to everything in between...here I go. I am becoming even more social.