If you haven’t already checked it out, the MomDot.com site has gotten a face lift and they’re on to good things!  In fact they just announced a 20 day Social Media Crash Course for bloggers.

So first play 20 Questions with Trisha below, leave a comment, then head over to MomDot to see their new digs and join their Social Media Crash Course. You can also find more of Trisha (and me…I am a member) on the MomDot blogger forums.

Let’s give a giant Aloha to Trisha of MomDot!

Name: Trisha Haas

url: http://www.momdot.com

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/momdot

left to right: BabyGoodBuys, Trisha, GoodGollyMissBlondie on a Momdot Brandcation

20 Questions, This or That?

1. Morning or night person? Definitely night. I could probably work until 3am. Wait. Is that morning again?

2. Lefty or righty? Right. But my daughter is a lefty.

3. Bikini or one piece? Are you kidding? Absolutely 1 piece. I don’t care how thin or thick I am…the fact is nothing makes my rear end look 19 again. I wear a swim-dress.

4. Beach or Mountain? This may surprise people, but I do love to look at a mountain. I have been up and down and all around mountainous areas. The biggest issue I have with mountains, aside from the cold, is the fact that someone always  expects me to sleep in a tent on a mountain. Ugg.

5. Lipstick or lip gloss? I like matte lipstick, but if I had a choice, absolutely lip gloss. It looks so pretty in a tube and rarely lies on what color it actually is.

6. Real Housewives of Orange County or New York? Haven’t seen either one.

7. Sweet or salty? Generally sweet. Although I no longer buy soda to drink (and haven’t in over a month now!), I haven’t given up Hershey bars.

8. Disneyland or Disney World? Disney World. Anyone that has gone to both will say the same thing.

9. Cat or Dog? I have 4 cats and I could kill them all. I would like to tell you that they need less work than a dog, but I would be lying. Dogs kinda scare me.

10. Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake? Both! Justin Biebers CD “My World” is a really pure voice and the music is clean. Its something my 5 year old and I can both listen to. If you do get it, the song “Up” is quite beautiful. However, I grew up on NSync and Justin Timberlake has come quite a long way. I just wish I could fine more pictures of him with his shirt off…

11. Lady Gaga or Madonna? I grew up with Madonna and I own every CD of hers…its literally like 10 or 12 or I don’t know, I lost count. That being said, somewhere after “Ray of Light” she lost me and got weird. Not weird in a good way, weird in a “I make 500 million dollars a year so I don’t care what this CD sounds like” kinda of way. I like Madonna circa 19080-1990. True Blue, Erotica, Bedtime Stories…
I also think Lady Gagas entire CD is brilliant. Her lyrics are phenomenal….my recommendation for something not on the radio? Paper Gangsta.

12. Minivan or SUV? I think Minivans are pimp, but you won’t catch me in one. I own a Ford Explorer and my next purchase will be a Lexus.

13. People Magazine or Newsweek? If you are in a doctor’s office- Newsweek. If you are getting your hair done? People.

14. Red or white wine? In my fridge you are more likely to find Asti Spumante but that new Arbor Mist Pear Pinot Grigio is tastiefied!

15. Coke or Pepsi? I’m not even going to answer this…

16. Mac or PC? Man I so want a Mac. But its probably because of the cool commercials. I use a PC and as you can see, it does me just fine.

17. Blog or vlog? I blog but I prefer to Vlog. I just don’t think anyone prefers to listen.

18. Blogher or Type-A? Brandcation! MomDot has a small, 30 person meetup that we are doing every few months based entirely on relationships and learning while hanging out with friends- sans classes. I am of a firm believer that you cannot network in 5 minutes but you can build a lasting friendship over dinner and drinks. We are fortunate enough to have brands support that same relationship building and lower the cost of the meetings-hence Brandcation-but don’t let the name fool you. Our upcoming meetups have some power packed punches that are sure to help bloggers grow in an Organic way.

19. Blogger or WordPress? If you want to take your blog to the next level? WordPress hands down. You wont find the kind of versatility that your visitors will be looking for over the next few years. And let me give this word of advice…if you have any inclination that you will be blogging for a long period of time, start out with a domain name, wordress(.com), and your own hoster. Changing all that out is really a headache and scary to some bloggers. Blogging will treat you as professionally as you treat it. It all depends on your goals.

20. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. I asked for a recommendation for a booster seat on twitter the other day and with 9000 followers, only 1 answered. I asked on facebook with only 600 friends, and 10 answered. Twitter is about advertising yourself, like a big moving bulletin board, Facebook is about sharing and chatting. Pick your poison.

Have anything in common with Trisha, let her know in the comments! Thanks Trisha for playing!

Give a nice big Aloha to….

Name: Renee Adams

Site Name: Me, Myself and Mommy

Url: http://memyselfandmommy.com

Twitter name: @MeMySelf_Mommy

Facebook Page: http://tinyurl.com/mmmfacebook

20 Questions…This or That?

1. Morning or night person? Despite my best efforts I am a night owl. I am really trying to shift to becoming a morning person, but I’m just too stubborn.

2. Lefty or righty? I am a lefty. I spent my youth with smeared school papers and a black hand.

3. Bikini or one piece? One pieces just do not work on my body. I have been a bikini girl my whole life, although I am anxiously waiting for a new takini to arrive in the mail.

4. Beach or Mountain? Beach – my soul belongs with the ocean. Although, Hawaii is one of my favorite places because you can have your toes in the sand and a mountain behind you. {yes!}

5. Lipstick or lip gloss? Lip gloss. I look ridiculous in lipstick. We’re talking looking like a clown ridiculous.

6. Real Housewives of Orange County or New York? Neither. I’ve never gotten into Real Housewives. I am shamefully addicted to The Bachelor/Bachelorette and Big Brother. We’re all allowed a few guilty pleasures right?

7. Sweet or salty? I believe in chocolate covered pretzels. They are the perfect PMS food.

8. Disneyland or Disney World? Since I’ve never been to Disneyland, I have to say Disney World. Short story for you – Steve and I went to Disney World when I was seven months pregnant. I cried like a baby for nearly an hour because we missed the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. Someone who worked at the park told us that they weren’t going to start for another half an hour, so we rode the Haunted Mansion. We got off the ride to hear the last firework go off. I was devastated. Funnel cake and lemonade didn’t even make me feel better; I just wanted to see Tinker Bell fly out of the castle.

9. Cat or Dog? We have neither, but I really want a puppy. I’ll take a kitten too.

10. Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake? I do not have Beiber Fever. I was a Timberlake fan back in the day, but not in a “OMG I love you kind of way.”

11. Lady Gaga or Madonna? Gaga – she dances on the edge of brilliant and insane and I think it’s fantastic.

12. Minivan or SUV? SUV. Period. Amen.

13. People Magazine or Newsweek? Neither. I’m not into celebrity gossip. I get my news from the TV and the Internet. I will tell you that one of my favorite parts of staying at a hotel is waking up to find USA Today in front of your door.

14. Red or white wine? I would love a glass of wine, but we gave up alcohol to join our church a few years ago.

15. Coke or Pepsi? Coke. The first sip after you crack open the icy cold can is the best. It burns all the way down. I also love a good fountain Coke. Do not give me Coke that came from a plastic bottle; that’s just sinful.

16. Mac or PC? We are a PC household. We would love to convert to Mac, but they’re too costly for our budget right now.

17. Blog or vlog? Currently I blog, although I’m toying with the idea of adding some vlogs in the near future.

18. Blogher or Type-A? I’ve never attend an event hosted by either, but I have played around on Blogher some.

19. Blogger or WordPress? I use WordPress. I like having the control that Blogger doesn’t give you.

20. Facebook or Twitter? I use both. I use Facebook to stay connected to friends and family. I also have a Facebook fan page for my blog. I use Twitter a lot for my blog and meeting new internet friends.

Have anything in common with Renee?  Leave a comment! And visit her blog!

Here’s a little more about the kit from Belli’s website…

❀ Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator is an invigorating body scrub rich in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Sweeps away old skin cells to reveal healthy skin. Features green tea, ginseng and peppermint oil. Use Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator to prepare skin for other Belli treatment products.

❀ Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash is pure and balanced cleansing for your entire body, even your most sensitive areas. The safest daily cleanser for pregnancy, this moisturizing wash features the anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea and cucumber, and the relaxing aromatherapy of lavender and chamomile

❀ Eye Brightening Cream revives and illuminates tired eyes. This advanced eye brightener hydrates delicate skin, lightens dark circles and minimizes the appearance of fine lines. Vitamin K enhances circulation and is shown in research to reduce the appearance of dark circles.

❀ Body Firming Serum is daily skin support specially formulated to lift and firm your breasts, buttocks and abdomen with our advanced serum that improves tone, suppleness and appearance. Helps restore, repair and nourish slackened skin. Features shiitake mushroom extract to increase elasticity and rice proteins to help maintain healthier, smoother looking skin. Think of it as a multi-vitamin for your skin.

❀ Foot Relief Cream is an aroma-therapeutic, anti-bacterial, moisturizing massage treatment that comforts swollen, tired feet and relieves calf cramps. Featuring peppermint, tea tree oil and shea butter, Foot Relief Cream leaves skin feeling cool and refreshed.

Sounds awesome, right? Whether you’ve had a baby recently or have a friend that is about to pop, this is the giveaway for you!

How to enter:

Leave a comment of your absolute favorite (for me…the cleavage…I loved it!) or absolute worst thing (swollen ankles anyone?!) about pregnancy.

You can get extra entries by leaving a comment on any of my other posts or tweeting. Just leave a new comment for each comment or tweet that you leave.

Ends 9/14 midnight Hawaii time

Discount!

I told my husband about these peculiar dreams and he immediately said that someone (me?!) is trying to tell me something.  He declared it was my brain telling me to stop it with my Coke habit. Coca-Cola people.

I hate it when the hubby is right.

Coca-Cola is my weakness. I have one a day…just one. Although it’s one 20 ounce Coke a day. Yeah I was fooling myself…that’s actually almost 3 cups of Coke daily. Bad for my pocket book, bad for my teeth, bad for my body and bad for my dreams, evidently!

And after seeing this sign that my son made after hearing of my weird dream, I think it’s time I really really really try to break the habit. (My son did just have a D.A.R.E. presentation at his school on Friday. Already he’s turning against me!)

So here I go! Just say no to Coke! (and bear with me folks, I just may be a tad bit moody).

Wish me luck!

Now it’s time for you to share your posts…life stories, funny stories, promos, giveaways, reviews, sales, hot news…share it!

Leave a link, click on a link…keep the Hula Shake shakin!

photo from GoVisitHawaii

Happy Monday!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We ended ours with a walk through the Hyatt in Kaanapali. That’s the fun thing about living in a vacation destination town…all the cool hotels (and pools!). The Hyatt is a beautiful place to visit even if you are staying elsewhere while on island. They have flamingos, cranes, parrots and the coolest of all…PENGUINS! It’s pretty awesome, penguins in Hawaii…it’ll blow your child’s mind! It’s a must do (and free!)!

Now it’s your turn…What’s shakin?!

Leave a link, click on a link, keep the hula shake shakin’!

Group shot courtesy of Kim Moldofsky.

(The following is my “behind the scenes” take on my recent trip to the Kenmore Blogging Summit. I always wonder how these blogging trips go and I’m sure others do too…so here you go!)

When I received the invite from Kenmore to attend the Kenmore Style National Blogger Summit and participate in a focus group, I was floored!  Being a homeowner of a fixer upper I am super duper interested in all things that have to do with house and home. And appliances, well they are like the icing on the cake (and isn’t the icing THE BEST part of any cake?! YES!)! So to fly to Chicago (which has fast become one of my favorite cities) and to chat it up with the folks at the classic Americana brand, Kenmore, well, sign me up!

I’ll be honest. As the date approached I was worried with what to wear? Would the other bloggers like me? Would I fit into this “mommy blogging” travel/focus group thing?  And I’ll be really really honest..when I saw the list of bloggers attending, I did start to think “Is this going to be like that movie ‘Dinner for Schmucks?’ Oh God, am I Jessica Gottlieb’s schmuck?!” I soon threw that idea out of my head and channeled my inner more confidant Sarah…the one on my right shoulder. She won out and I was soon excited, jazzed and very much looking forward to connecting with these bloggers and the folks at Kenmore.

After a long, and non-sleep producing, red-eye flight from Maui, I arrived at The Wit, our hotel for the weekend.  Once checked in, any and all doubts went out the window, as I gazed through it to my view of Lake Michigan through the tall Chicago buildings.

That night called for cocktails on The Wit’s swanky bar, The Roof. After sitting at the reserved table all by lonesome and asking on twitter if this was indeed a joke, I soon saw Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing and Meagan from The Happiest Mom.

With some chick chat (and a yummy cherry alcoholic concoction), my heart settled down. I was not a schmuck. I was indeed part of this mommy blogging group and it was fantastic! Food, drinks, good conversation…my first night left me with even more excitement for the next day when we would travel to Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates.

Friday morning we were whisked away in a bus about an hour outside of Chicago to the Sears headquarters. If you’ve grown up in the States no doubt you have been to Sears, bought a Kenmore appliance or just simply know this iconic Americana brand. Here I was, little ol’ Ohana Mama all the way from Hawaii entering the mecca of appliances!

Once all settled in we previewed Kenmore’s all new products.  Yes, Kenmore has completely redone ALL of their appliances. We learned of the thought, research and design that went into this major overhaul and finally got to touch, see, (heck smell) the appliances. I was impressed with the giant French Door refrigerator and was blown away by Kenmore’s Elite Washer and Dryer. This bad boy can actually talk over the phone to give you a diagnosis!  Yes, people, the Kenmore Elite washing machine “talks” on the phone! We saw it all. From washing machines, to refrigerators, to stoves, to dishwashers to smaller appliances, even A/C units (is it sad that I was waaaay into the A/C unit? It’s hot here year round folks. Hot.).

We were then treated to a lunch and a cooking demonstration by Sears’ own Chef Billy Parisi. And finally we were divided into two groups, with half of us off to discuss washing machines and laundry and the other half off to talk about refrigerators…two major staples in any busy home! The Kenmore family really wanted to get our point of view, wanted to learn about our needs and wants, likes and dislikes and listened to our suggestions.

The Summit ended with a cooking show live at the Kenmore Studios in downtown Chicago. It was Mommy Bloggers vs Foodie Bloggers and while the mommy bloggers kicked major bootie, the foodies won..I mean come on…it’s in their name. But good try ladies, you did us proud!

The Kenmore Blogging Summit was only my second blogging trip and while it started with some jitters, insecurities and what-ifs, it ended with a renewed respect for Kenmore, some new blogging friends and new RSS feeds in my reader. Thanks to the awesome Kenmore folks!

Disclosure: Kenmore took care of us, shared really cool information and appliances with us and then paid us for our time in the focus groups. They also put us up in the hottest (as in cool) hotel in Chicago…they know how we roll… or at least how we’d like to roll when we don’t have kids in tow!  Kenmore also paid for my twelve hour flight, one lay over and hours and hours of “me” time.

Welcome to “Meet A Blogger” where I play 20 Questions with a blogger each and every week. It’s “This or That” style…I ask, you answer. Wanna be featured? Just fill this out! http://tinyurl.com/2etmcay

Let’s get this party started!  Give a nice big Aloha to…

Name: TerriAnn

Site Name: Cookies & Clogs

Url: http://www.cookiesandclogs.com

Twitter name: @cookiesANDclogs

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/cookiesandclogs

20 Questions…This or That?

1. Morning or night person? Night.

2. Lefty or righty? Righty.

3. Bikini or one piece? One-piece, trust me it’s just better that way.

4. Beach or Mountain? Beach, love being near water.

5. Lipstick or lip gloss? Neither, Lip Glaze from Revlon ColorStay.

6. Real Housewives of Orange County or New York? Neither, I’d rather watch the Amazing Race and I don’t need other people drama.

7. Sweet or salty? Sweet, can’t you tell?

8. Disneyland or Disney World? Disney World, never been but it’s sure to be better than Disneyland. Disneyland Paris was depressing. My family actually prefers Legoland.

9. Cat or Dog? Dog, they are so cute and loveable. We can’t have one at our place but that’s okay because I don’t want to pick up the poop.

10. Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake? Timberlake, Beiber’s hair bugs me – GET A HAIR CUT!

11. Lady Gaga or Madonna? Neither can sing! Christina Aguilera has the voice and Whitney was awesome before she went ‘downhill’.

12. Minivan or SUV? Neither, sticking with good-size German sedans.

13. People Magazine or Newsweek? Neither, I hate reading.

14. Red or white wine? Neither, not a fan of the taste of alcohol.

15. Coke or Pepsi? Coke, just can’t kick the habit.

16. Mac or PC? PC, but just took the step toward alternative-ville with a new iPhone.

17. Blog or vlog? Blog, too shy to get myself on video and many vlogs I have seen are pretty boring (not referring to any in particular).

18. Blogher or Type-A? Probably Type-A (due to momdot influence).

19. Blogger or WordPress? WordPress, lovin’ the plug-ins but not the updates.

20. Facebook or Twitter? Both, what’s a blogger without her social media networks?

Have anything in common with TerriAnn? Let her know in a comment!

Chi Town

This past week I traveled to Chicago for Kenmore’s Blogging Summit. It was a fun and relaxed yet informative and chock-full, of a  good time! I’ll have more on that in another post so I can share all the nuggets of cool things I learned about and got to see. So stay tuned.

I also got to spend 36 hours with my older sister, who flew in from Michigan for a girl’s weekend in the Windy City. It was a blast! While short on time, it was full of long talks, loud laughs, good food, even better drinks, some serious shopping, and best of all, I was able to give my big sis a hug. Awe.

OK, time to get this hula shake shakin’! So share those posts about what you are up to! Of course giveaways, reviews and sales are welcome too!

So leave a link, click on a link…keep the hula shake shakin’!

Welcome to a brand new feature on The Ohana Mama where I play 20 Questions with a blogger each and every week. It’s “This or That” style…I ask, you answer. Wanna be featured?  Just fill this out, then look for an email from me with your 20 questions. http://tinyurl.com/2etmcay

Let’s get this party started! Give a nice big Aloha to…

Crystal and I when we met in person on her visit to Maui last Spring with her family. She's also a TravelingMom.com

Name: Crystal

Site Name: Traveler’s Barista

Url: www.travelersbarista.com

Twitter name: @Travlersbarista (yes it’s missing an “e”)

Facebook Page: http://tinyurl.com/299raej

20 Questions…This or that

1. Morning or night person? Definitely Night!  But my two year old doesn’t seem to understand this. He prefers to make mommy rise-and-shine by 7am.

2. Lefty or righty? I’m a Lefty and really wish one of my kids were too. Still a chance my son might be. I think it makes me just a little bit Special!

3. Bikini or one piece? Bikini, but not too sure how many more years I have to pull this one off. That reminds me, I need to get to the gym today!

4. Beach or Mountain? Beach and if I can be specific, a beach on Maui with my family! The best vacation we’ve ever taken thus far.

5. Lipstick or lip gloss? Lip gloss…or better yet, Vasoline! I get all kinds of funny looks when I whip out my little jar of Vasoline from my purse. “What?!…I have dry lips people!”

6. Real Housewives of Orange County or New York? Neither.  I have no time for TV these days. My life evolves around cartoons and the internet.

7. Sweet or salty? That’s a tough one. Going to have to say sweet, but not in a chocolate kind of way. Maybe a fruit smoothie or strawberry shortcake

8. Disneyland or Disney World? Disney ANYTHING! I love Disney and can’t wait to share Disneyworld with my kids and a Disney Cruise someday!

9. Cat or Dog? A Pet free home is how I like it.  Plus we just found out my son is allergic to both, so it works for everyone. No need to feel bad about not having them in the house.

10. Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake? Hands down, Justin Timberlake! No explanation necessary. LOL

11. Lady Gaga or Madonna? Madonna was the musical highlight of my childhood and now Lady Gaga is on my radio. YES, I like her music…but don’t necessisarily like her videos or persona – I suppose that may be how our parents felt back in the day about Madonna, she was so risque…really? What do they think now?

12. Minivan or SUV? You mean, crazy soccer mom driver or cool and collected mom? I think I’m pretty cool and collected without french fries stuck between my seats. Sorry Minivan moms!

13. People Magazine or Newsweek? More of an internet news reader. If it pops up on my twitter feed or my Msn home page, I’m in the know. If not, then I’m like a deer in the headlights!

14. Red or white wine? Hate to say that I can’t drink wine. Gives me migranes. So wish I could be that cool sophisticated wine drinker, but instead I get to the be lush with the hard liquor drink in my hand (which I drink about twice a year for the record)

15. Coke or Pepsi? I quit soda a few years ago for health reasons and I’m really glad I did.  Unfortunately I’m still ADDICTED to coffee!

16. Mac or PC? I’m a PC gal all the way (HP to be exact), but don’t get me wrong, I love my iphone!

17. Blog or vlog? For now I’m a blogging girl. I get extremely nervous in front of the camera and it hasn’t come to me yet. I have ONE vlog posted while ziplining and I haven’t had a chance to do one again.

20. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook for family and close friends - and twitter for strangers who become friends and end up on my Facebook page anyways!

Leave a comment for Crystal and stay tuned for more “Meet A Blogger” on The Ohana Mama!

So here I was with a broken dishwasher, sink full of dishes and pruney fingers. When what do I get? An email from Kenmore inviting me to a Blogging Summit in Chicago. Fate had struck! Me= broken dishwasher. Kenmore=Dishwasher maker! Talk about taking consumer research to a whole new level!

What luck! What fate! It was serendipitous, I tell you!

Not really…it was instead the working of a little elf, called Jessica Gottlieb! Evidently she told the good folks at Kenmore about me and sent them my way. Thanks Jess, I’ll pay you later…in wine.

Yes, thanks to Mrs. G, I am headed out tonight on a red eye to Chi town to meet the folks at Kenmore to talk about their new line #KenmoreStyle products. I am very excited as the bloggers that are going to be there are all awesome, plus I’ll get to really check out the Kenmore line (including dishwashers!).

What’s in it for YOU?!

On Friday night they are having a super fun “Mommy Bloggers Vs. Foodie Bloggers” at The Kenmore Live Studio in Chicago. And the really cool part is that YOU can watch or even join us LIVE! Find out all of the details here: http://tweetvite.com/event/kls

I’ve got to go wash some last minute dishes (truth be told, the sink is overflowing right now) and then get packing! I’ll keep you posted how the trip goes. Be sure to check out the invite above and if you can’t make it live, you can follow along on Kenmore’s facebook page where they will be streaming live.