See Disney's Mulan for less! (50% off, plus an honest review!)

Hi, it's Marley! I'm doing a guest blog post for mommy!

I just came back from the Alliance Theatre in Midtown (Atlanta)! It was a lot of fun, and we got to see a play about Disney's Mulan--you know, the one from China!  If you've seen it, wasn't it cool?  I absolutely loved it, because it was such a brave story, plus it was very pretty!

Wait, but before we saw the play, we got to do activities, and then you got a stamp on your brochure for every activity you did.  There was a musical instrument petting zoo, and I played the clarinet!  Plus I got to make a fan, and I learned how to do Chinese Ribbon dancing, which was very fun! Sage did crafts, because she always wants to paint and draw things like daddy.

One of the coolest things is that when I saw the cast in the brochure, the woman who was pretending to be the real Mulan didn't even look like herself on the stage!  There were other characters too: Mushu, the dragon, the MatchMaker (even though I don't even know what that is!), the Emperor, Mulan's grandmother, Mulan's dad, and some bad guys who wanted to hurt the Emperor!

Mushu the dragon was very, very funny! He was always chatting, and he made me laugh a lot!

I really enjoyed the part when Mulan decided it didn't matter if she was a girl, because if boys could fight in the army, then she could too!  Even though she was very scared that she wouldn't be able to act like a man, she at least tried, and trying is good because you should never say you can't do something.  Aaaand, she ended up saving China, even though she was a girl!  Cool, right!

Mommy asked me about my favorite part, but I didn't have one, because I liked all of it, a lot! Mommy asked me too if I would recommend that parents take their children to see Mulan, and I said "YES!"  My friends would have enjoyed the songs that Mushu and Mulan sang, and all the cool backgrounds on the stage.

Okay, that's a wrap! Oh, and Mommy said that if you want to take your children to see it, you can read the note she's going to write after she's done typing my words,  so you can get tickets for low money!

Okay, that's all for now! BYE!

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That was fun!  So, if you want to take your little Princes and Princesses to the show, which runs through March 19th on the Alliance Stage, grab your tickets HERE, and use promo code DISNEY to receive 50% off adult tickets! SCORE!

Disclosure: We were provided with four (4) complimentary tickets to the show in exchange for a request to review the play.  

Middle School Matchmaking?

Um, okay...WHAT?  Tell me you wouldn't hightail it to the school the moment you heard about this and make some matches of your own, such as foot to asses and the like!  This is beyond infuriating!

Some are saying it's not a big deal, because it's not like they're marrying them off.  Rrrriiiighht...I'm not havin' it!  This is what I'd be doing!

What do you think? Harmless and cutsie, or sending the wrong message?

Toothless on a Thursday & MSNBC

Quick: What does MSNBC's TodayMoms and a toothless 5 year old have in common?

They're both related to my beautiful babies! *Squeeaal*

Marley lost her two front teeth on Monday, and I'm mamarazzi up in here, because I can't stop taking snapshots of her in this milestone phase. I LOVE IT! No clue why, but I've been looking forward to that phase for about 2 years now (I know, weird!), so I'm gonna carpe diem and drain my camera batteries until Sage reaches that precious two-front theethless phase.

Speaking of Sage (how's that for a segue? Tight, right?), her streaker phase landed me a cool feature on MSNBC's  TodayMoms blog!

Check out my story here.   What's your Olympic mom story?

Dear Veteran Parents: A Tell Me When Wednesday

10 Questions To Which I Desperately Need Answers

(Here's to hoping you can help.  C'mon, I'll give you five dollars?!)

Dearest Veteran Moms and Dads,

1.  When do children STOP using walls, window sills, and sheets as canvases for intricate artwork?
2.  When will I lose that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach when one of my daughters yells?
3.  At what age will my daughters stop crying when they're told the word "No"?
4.  Will my children forgive me when if I slip up and say things like: Shut it up! or Do you want to bleed today?
5. Have there been revisions to laws that prohibit parents from administering running drop kicks on kids who ...
5.  How do I convince my almost 6-year-old daughter that she is NOT actually my peer?
6.  How come my children think I owe them explanations for my decisions?
7.  Would you like me less if I admitted to...
7.  Will there come a time when I'll feel all caught up and NOT like I'm drowning in all the must-do's and should've-probably-done's related to my role as their primary care-giver?
8.  Will my children ever have an enlightening response to the often asked question: Why in the world would you do that?
9.  When is it legally okay to utilize wresting moves on my hard-headed child who ...
9.  Will there come a time when I don't have to use the cut-throat sign to get my children to behave themselves in public settings?
10.  So, um...what exactly is the criteria for Bad Mom status? Is this on a sliding scale, or are there certain definitive qualifiers against which I should check my behavior on any given day?

Answers?    Insight?   Anyone?    Bueller?

Disclaimer: I don't consider myself a bad mother at all--far from it.  I'm just...freakin...tired, and often frustrated, and I have questions, and since some of your children are older, you should have answers, right?

Will The View on Octomom be any different this Wednesday?

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Nadya Suleman, mother of 14 children, has probably been ragged on more than Mike Vick and Tiger Woods combined!  Will ABC's The View serve up more rag-fest for Nadya, or will we actually be surprised by what we find out? I don't think the opinions of her can actually get much worse:

"One of the things wrong with America today"
"I liar, a scammer...and toxic"
"A Pimp whose product is her children"

Ouch, those are harsh words to hear spoken about somebody's Mama!!

I don't know about you, but some days, I can barely manage with my two, much less adding TWELVE MORE to the equation! Maybe the children would turn out okay, but I would be nothing shy of certifiable!!!  Well, this Wednesday at 11AM Eastern/10AM Pacific, Nadya will make her first appearance on ABC's The View!

What do you think the women of The View will ask Nadya?  Will they get all fluffy and bore us to death with all the already-asked questions? Or will they ask the questions we really want to know?  Is there anything left for us to know after her liberal media rounds?

She's already been leaned in on by Dr. Phil and the rest of the world, but she's yet to face the firing squad that is Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, and Elizabeth Hasslebeck! I can only imagine what the Twitter buzz will be like while this episode airs.

I was probably one of the only people in the world who didn't follow the Octomom debacle as it unfolded (and unfolded, and unfolded,...), but I am curious to see what she has to say now, and more so, what The View co-hosts are going to ask, because you know Whoopi comes with it!!

Will you be watching? Or are you feeling kinda who-cares-at-this-point about Octomom?


Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

I am Mommy, Hear Me Roar!

My blog homie and fellow writer Tara over at The Young Mommy Life has a brilliant post called, "Because I'm a mom, that's why!" and I had to share.  Check out her list, because believe me, you'll be able to relate to something on that list!  Some of her listed items had me yelling "ooh, me too!" at my laptop, and I laughed at myself so hard I figured I'd do myself a solid and create my own list.  Of course, I'm looking forward to reading about some of your you-know-you're-a-mama-when... topics.  C'mon, share!

I am Mommy, Hear Me Roar: 

13 admissions to which my fellow mommies can probably raise their hands in agreement.

1.  I've developed what is certainly a top contender for "The World's Meanest Side-eye Stare" competition. The young 'uns in our house quiver at it, and they'd better!

2.  I use my saliva to remove various pieces of lint, snot, and crumbs from my children's faces.

3.  I'm an expert level eavesdropper, a skill honed from listening in on my daughters' conversations with each other, where I learn more about their personalities than I could ever have imagined.

4.  My purses contain roughly 3 items that belong to me, and pieces of 12 items that belong to one of my daughters.  Contents include juice boxes (opened and unopened), kleenex, mini kiddie books, socks, gloves, library book rental receipts, shoe laces, cereal bits, etc.

5.  I've become Tourette-like in my random blurting out of phrases such as "La-la-louuu" (Dinosaur Train) and "Hey, D.W., Whoooaaahh! Hey!" (Arthur).

6.  I'm officially a wine drinker, because it does a mama good at the end of a particularly "energized" day with the girls.

7.  I refer to bodily functions in kiddie-speak: Pee-pee, poo-poo, and pupsie—even when I'm speaking to someone over 25 years old.

8.  My car radio is no longer my own.  My girls can't listen to many of my CDs, and the ones that are appropriate don't appeal to them, so they sing over the volume—no matter how high—until I give in, which I usually do, because they're expert noise makers, and because...I'm tired!

9.  The two people who inspire me most in the world are still too short to ride most rides at the county fair.

10.  8PM is my most favorite time of day, EVER, because that's my daughters' bed time.

11.  My neat-freak status has been pried from my reluctant hands by the two newest additions to our family.  Their built-in Edit/Undo feature is perfect for ensuring that no room is too close to neat, or no adult too poised to trip (over a rogue toy, book, or kiddie shoe).

12.  I'm still waiting for that point in parenthood when I supposedly become more patient, understanding, and all that crap those elements that make for a better parent.

13.  The best question my mom or mom-in-law can ever ask is: "Can the girls spend the night tonight?"  DUH! When exactly would I say no to that? When I'm clinically insane, that's when!!

13 Reasons the Disney Social Media Moms Conference Gets The Execumama Stamp of Approval

Last week, I had the pleasure of taking my family along to Disney's first Social Media Moms Celebration Conference, and we had an absolute blast!

There were so many wonderful elements throughout the 3-day event, and all I can say is: don't miss the next one! Here's a top twelve list for you.  I'm leaving out a gazillion details here, but these are the ones that left the best impressions on my family and me.

1.  Disney got the memo and remembered that when parents are forced inspired to be with their children for hours on end in a theme park, they need "grown up beverages", and chocolate, and cheesecake, and other carbohydrates.

2.  I got to meet some wonderful fellow bloggers, and create (and in some cases, build upon) budding friendships.

3.  They served the best batch of brownies I've had in years.  Actually, the come a close second to these, but still, they were DIVINE!

4.  I learned the importance of reserving judgment in a very big way.  One of our speakers was Kathy Ireland, and when they announced her, I was thisclose to yawning and rolling my eyes—boy was I all kindsa WRONG!  She is an incredible woman with an impressive resume and a will to succeed that has me giving her imaginary high-fives every time I think about some of the gems she dropped on us during her talk.  Kathy left me with the impression that she is an absolute powerhouse whose roles as mother, wife, business owner and woman of strong faith all serve to keep her sane, happy, and productive.  What an Execumama!

5.  I got to hear Chris Brogan speak, and he was freakin excellent!

If you care anything about social media, you've at least heard about Trust Agents, the New York Times Best Seller he co-authored with Julien Smith.  But what I didn't know is how engaging he is as a speaker, and how he can use odd analogies about tongue-kissing, handshakes, and 3-way bras to drive home points about building a brand name without pushing away your potential clients.  He is knowledgeable, comes off in a very authentic manner, and oh, dude is hella funny!! Seriously, someone tweeted that he's basically a great stand up comedian who happens to know a lot about new media marketing, and I'm gonna go ahead and concur!  

6.  I met Regina.  I'm sorry to say that's all I can write about that, but the people who sat at "the naughty table" with me will know what I mean *Insert sinister grin here*

7.  Two words: Media FastPass.  Who knew?  Dude, not only were we able to minimize our in-line time at ANY of the theme parks, we got priority over regular FastPass holders, so the longest time we spent in any line was 20 minutes, which is what, 2 seconds in Disney time?!  The Media FastPass was a perfect compliment to the 7-day Park Hopper that was included in our conference packets! Bananas, right?! Yeah, SCORE!

8.  We stayed here!

Our room at Disney's Polynesian Resort was beautifully decorated with dark woods and polynesian-inspired designs, and my family and I loved it! They even taught hula dance in the lobby, and the staff was absolutely wonderful!

9.  I got to see Laura Spence's shoes, but dangit, I didn't get a picture!  As a member of Disney's Public Relations team, Laura does a fantastic job making Disney's invited guests feel so comfortable and tended to.  However, I think her real job is to remind us that Disney is about people (and apparently fly fashionistas!), because Laura is very much one-of-the-girls, which always makes me want to give her employers the thumbs up on hiring her in particular!  One of her cohorts, another warm-spirited sweetheart is Leanne Jakubowski.  She's a part of Disney's Social Media team and she also feels very much like one of the girls! That must be a part of the whole Disney Magic thing, choosing the people with whom we easily connect.  I met Laura and Leanne during the African American Mom Blogger conference last year, and I remain impressed.  These women are excellent at their jobs, as evidenced by the well-crossed T's and perfectly dotted I's throughout the conference.

10.  Holy Kaw! I got hear Guy Kawasaki speak!! Who knew he was so down-to-earth and of course chock-full of valuable information!   I remained in detailed note-taking mode as he spoke, because he dropped some gems on us about how to maximize our Twitter experience.  Much appreciated, Guy!!

11.  I got some serious inspiration from a Teddy Bear!  Well, not exactly the bear itself, but from Maxine Clark, founder of Build-a-Bear Workshop.  Her story was the ultimate if-I-can-make-it-so-can-you tale of persistence and vision, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to hear her first hand accounts of how she took her vision from a concept she shared with a childhood friend to the uber-successful brand it is today.

12.  Disney gave me a great medium through which I was able to remind my children that there's always time to do something for someone in need.  Disney's Give a Day. Get a Disney Day campaign efforts allowed us a great opportunity to create care kits that included toothpaste, soap, shampoos, towels and other essentials for shipment to Haiti.  We also planted several trees that will serve to green various Southern states.  My Greening Youth team would be so proud!

13.  Last but not least -- the swag!! Yo, we got hooked up! The laptop bag, the commemorative watches, the travel game set, the shirts, the caps, the plush toys, the picnic blanket, etc., etc, etc.! I could do an entire post about the swag! Good lookin' out, Disney!!

Overall, the event gets a hearty 8.5 out of 10 on the Execumama grading scale, which is excellent considering it was their first! Save for the -30 degree temperature (okay, I exaggerated a tad), and the fact that we had to sit outside on the rain and cold with our children on the last night of the conference due to lack of sufficient seating at the Hollywood Studios restaurant, it was awesome!

Okay, now for a few fabulous choice candids from my not-very-fabulous camera phone!

The Testosterone-factors (I didn't name them, I just reporting here, folks!)

Scott from @unmarketing and another gentleman whose name I didn't get :(

Offspring.

Post-park Knockout times three.

Want more deets? Check out The Chatterbox Radio Show for details on what we learned about social media and about Disney's off-the-chain awesome expansion plans.  You can also read an incredibly detailed post that puts mine to shame, which is why I'm linking to it HERE! 

The VIEW from here is sweet!

Aaaaw yeah...I'm doing my old school running man followed by forehead wipe and Elvis lip curl right now, because I'm so excited about participating in ABC's The View brand ambassador program!

Yep, the very same "The View" that can stir up rather emotional perspectives with topics that speak to people from all walks of life.  I'm a fan of Whoopi's tell-it-like-it-is perspective, plus it's a great way for me to catch up on what's going on in the world after days of facing nothing but my MacBook Pro and my daughters' ever-expanding activities calendar! Plus, I'm happy to find out and share that I can watch entire episodes on The View's Web site, so whatever I miss, I can watch at 2AM when all is still in my house--SCORE!

So what I'll be doing is what I do best: offering my Execumama perspective on topics that are either of interest to me or relevance to my readers courtesy of The View.  Of course, it's no fun if my homies don't holla back, so I'm very much looking forward to your two cents as well!  

Oh, and let's not forget about the opportunities I get to pass on to you!  Want a chance to win a trip to New York City to attend a taping of The View?  Well, The View and Mom Central are giving you that opportunity! Enter the contest by February 28th here:  http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22A5X7KF2CZ

Happy Viewing! 



Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Browniephoria! Mommy Escapes: A mid-week teaser for chocolate-infused nirvina

Here's the thing: CHOCOLATE SAVES LIVES.  No really, it literally does.  It's a well-document fact, and as one who prides herself on offering insight and resources that may just help her fellow Execumamas thrive in the beautiful chaos called life, I must share this, and you will thank me...profusely. 

There isn't much to complain about in life when you have:

A) A girlfriend who makes slap-yo-mama delicious Godiva Chocolatinis

B) Other girlfriends with whom to share said Chocolatinis.  And not just regular girlfriends, either, but ones who are not only fun to be around, but inspiring and brilliant in their own rights

C) The pièce de résistance, a delicious husband who is made even more delicious by his gift for making what I call Browniephoria: Alcohol-infused brownies!! I know, right!  Want some? Of the brownies, not the hubs! *Side eye*

Here's the recipe:

1.  Your favorite brownie mix in a box 

2.  1/2 cap full Godive Liqueur

3.  2 Tablespoons Tia Maria Jamaican Coffee Liqueur

Pour contents into large bowl per the directions.

Before mixing add:
1/2 cap full of Godiva Liquor
2 tablespoons of Tia Maria Coffee Liquor (Jamaica)

Blend per the directions, then just before pouring mixture in baking pan,  

Mix in :
1/2 tablespoon of Amaretto Liquer

Make sure the mixture is as far away from the heating coil as you can get so it bakes slowly.  Bake per the directions.

You're welcome.   Use it sparingly—perhaps a three times per year type of thing—as we are still members of the #HotMamaSociety and will not sacrifice our health for anything, not even brownies! Oh, and you should probably wait until Friday night to do this, because it's er...um...intoxicating.  I'll leave it at that.

Behold! Browniephoria! 

Enjoy! 

 

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GIRL POWER! What does your world-changer have in store for us?

Even though we know our children are incredible, and smart, and creative, and will eventually be enhanced versions of us and all the people we've invited into their worlds, there are still those moments that stop us in our tracks and have us torn between a prideful smile and celebratory tears because...well, because...they are so very awesome!!

I know quite a few awesome girls and boys who I have no doubt will enhance the world with their particular lights.  I celebrate them in prayer and in writing as often as I can, and I hope you do to, because they need us to remind them just how amazing they are.

Sage-niambi, our now 4 year old (as of Monday, 2/8) announced to Kris and me that she's invented two new machines because she wants to "use her smartness to help people in all of the world".  I thought she could tell you better than I could.

Mommy Escapes: A SADE ALBUM GIVEAWAY!

If there is any truth to the whole "Fountain of Youth" bit, there's a strong chance song siren, Helen Folasade Adu, (bka SADE) might just have found it.

Tell me she doesn't get better each time she comes back on the scene?  And she stays busy too! Another true Execumama! I LOVE IT!

Remember Diamond Life, her debut album?  Me too! And when I started seeing the Twitter buzz about Sade's new album, Soldier of Love, I was extremely excited!  Get the details on the official Sade Page HERE.

Here's the official word about the album:

The group, best known for their mellow, melodic hits like "By Your Side" and "No Ordinary Love," will release their first album of new material since 2000, Soldier of Love, on February 9th.

Among the new tunes is "Babyfather," a record that according to the songstress herself is "about how great it is to be a parent, what a great honor and privilege that is, and what a terrible thing that is to waste," Sade recently told PEOPLE. "As long as you feel good about yourself, you can be a good parent, and then it becomes an endless fruitful cycle," she says.

Indeed, Sade, I love that quote!

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF "SOLDIER OF LOVE"?

Then you're in the right place! Here's how THREE (3) Execumama readers can win their own Mommy Escape courtesy of SADE's timeless sound!

Complete all three steps, then leave a comment letting me know you've completed them all:
1.  Become an Execumama Fan on Facebook by clicking HERE
2.  Register on Execumama.com by entering your email address on this page
3.  Visit the official Go Red for Women site and tell me one thing that piqued your interest (I had to include this because I'm still marveling at the statistics!!)
**Be sure to leave me your email address in case you win!

That's all she wrote, folks!  This giveaway runs through 11:59PM (EST) on February 22nd, 2010, and the three winners will be chosen via this method and announced on this blog.  I'm getting a complimentary copy of Soldier for running this giveaway, and I'm very much looking forward to it, because one thing Sade never does is disappoint.

The Myth of the Young Black Family

I'M CURIOUS...

My experience has been that most of my white and asian friends and colleagues seem to think that what Kris and I have going on in our house is somewhat of a rare occurrence.

The thought seems to be (and perhaps I should use a word stronger than "seems" since I've straight out asked and gotten responses that confirmed my suspicion) that young black families only exist in the older generations, and that today, seeing a black woman (especially one in her 20's - early 30's) with a child likely means she's a single mother, or perhaps she has a boyfriend, but certainly not a husband at home, and most certainly not one who works.

HAS THAT BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE TOO?

I've found myself (along with Kris and our girls) being the source of education for my fellow mommies at the various classes and Mommy-and-Me activities to which I take our daughters.  When we're sitting in tumbling class watching our children, I can almost always count on someone commenting on how "nice" is it that I'm married, or how "great" it is that the girls talk about their dad so often (they're basically followers of a weird cult called Daddy Rocks and Mommy's okay too - lol!).  Sad to say, but I've almost grown accustomed to the comments, and they don't even heat me up as much as they used to.  Not sure what to make of that...

We live in a predominantly white area, with healthy helpings of black, south and east asian, and latino families sprinkled in.  That was one of the things that drew us to where we now reside.  We love the idea that our daughters get to be in school with people of various backgrounds who can enrich each others' lives with their own experiences and differences.  Clearly, it comes with a steep learning curve at times, but we keep it moving, because there's no sheltering children from all aspects of this world we're in, beautiful and otherwise.   I remember when a fellow mom blogger homie of mine, Tara Pringle Jefferson wrote a post along similar lines, and I nodded my head in agreement as I read her experience.  But, just like I noted in Marley's video, we take these instances as teaching moments (for our children and for other grown folks!), sharing what we can, and safe-guarding who we must.

HERE'S ANOTHER TEACHING MOMENT FOR US ALL:  This month's My, She's Fly is a celebration not just of a black family, but of a healthy young family with goals, complexities, and joys -- common elements in families of all beautiful shades.  Check out Mommii J and her beautiful crew and tell me if they seem mythical to you!

***While you're there, check out this month's message from the heart, and if you're so inclined, submit your email address for updates on all things Execumama.***

Diary of a Single Mom: Yet another reminder of why you can give thanks

Single mothers know what it means to work!  No knock on the rest of the motherhood crew (myself included), but having been raised by a single mother, I tend to get way too emotionally committed to books and movies that explore the complicated facets of life as such.  This information was sent to me by Bazan PR (I received no compensation—monetary or otherwise), and I am choosing to share this with you.

...a web based original series that stars Monica Calhoun, Valery Ortiz, Janice Lynde, and features veteran actors Billy Dee Williams, Richard Roundtree, and Leon.  DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM chronicles the lives and challenges of three single mothers and their families trying to get ahead despite obstacles that all single mothers face, such as childcare, health, education and finances.  The series is produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Robert Townsend and written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Cheryl L. West.

If you're not a single mother, count your blessings!  Of course I realize that motherhood comes with many joys and complications, and having a partner doesn't necessarily equal Easy Street (far from it, in some cases, right?!).  However, an entirely new level of "complicated" runs all up and through the world of a mother who has to do it solo! Trust me, to this day, I still marvel at how my mother managed to pull of that incredible feat!

If you are a single mother, I commend you.  If your children are happy and healthy, then there is reason for gratitude.  If you are in a relationship with a partner who actively participates in your children's lives, then you too have reason for gratitude.  Check out the trailer of this two-time award-winning series, and remember...you may not have the money, resources, and help you need to give your child the "ideal" life, but your time is one of the best gifts you can offer, even if it's a few minutes in the morning, and a few minutes at bedtime, for starters.