Add color accessories to freshen your pre-spring wardrobe

by Julie Meyers Pron on February 10, 2012 · 1 comment

It happens every February. I enter my closet, I look around and, while the racks are full, I despair. I have nothing to wear. And while all the hot stores are offering winter or pre-spring sales, I’m not ready to spend a small fortune on bulky sweaters and velvet pants that I’ll only wear for a few more weeks. A little timely color accessories will boost us through the last two months of winter as we pre-spring our wardrobe. Accessories will always be an inexpensive way to step up an outfit, taking it from everyday normal to Mom Chic.

Last month Stella and Dot, one of my favorite places to buy accessories that finish your look, introduced their spring line, updating with color to fit the color-blocking trend that continues into the spring.

The Serenity Necklace combines turquoise and jade stones offering bright, bold blues and greens. Wear it with a white top or under a very trendy blue or green blouse. If the Serenity Necklace is too big and bold for your style, find it’s cousin, the Jade Pendant Necklace which can be worn the same way but has only one large stone. For earrings, wear the Serenity Necklace with the Essential Ball Studs (in gold) and the Pendant Necklace with the Pendant Drops (the drop of a color stone is very in style this spring.) Pair either look up with the Bardot Spiral Bangle and you’re all dressed up with somewhere to go.

While you’re shopping, be sure to check out the sale items. One of my favorites, the Audrey Cluster Necklace is on sale for $73.50. I wear that necklace all. the. time.

Next week, I’ll continue to talk accessories as I dress a reader’s favorite outfit.

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#VlogMoms 3: What’s the worst parenting advice you received?

by Julie Meyers Pron on February 9, 2012 · 12 comments

Theresa from Rock On Mommies asked this week’s question: What was the best and worst parenting advice you got while you were pregnant with your first? Of course, I couldn’t remember a lot of advice, so I offer my best advice and then I remember the worst.

What was the best or worst parenting advice you received? Comment below, or join us in the VlogMoms linky this week. And take a few minutes to see what the other moms said.

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Wordless Wednesday: Snow!

by Julie Meyers Pron on February 8, 2012 · 0 comments

Little celebrates the snow!

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During and after the conference: Make notes on your business cards

by Julie Meyers Pron on February 7, 2012 · 4 comments

With conference season about to begin (it’s a long one… lasts about 10 months, so get ready!) many business people come home from business trips with a messy collection of business cards. In the past, I would dump the cards into a container and toss them on my desk, waiting to, someday, be organized. However, past experience showed that I usually tossed those cards a few months later because I didn’t remember one connection from another.

Last year, I attempted to organize my cards during the conferences. I made two major changes to my routine. Rather than thanking people for their cards and shoving them in my pocket or bag, to be lost and forgotten, I came up with a system:

1. I carried 3 different colored Sharpies  in my bag and labeled the cards;
2. Next, rather than shoving the cards into the bottom of my bag, I added them to a plastic baggie for safe storage.

The Sharpie Business Card System

Prior to the conference, I purchased three different color Sharpies, each color representing a category:

• Pink – Blogger to connect with later
• Turquoise – Marketing representative
• Green – Other, such as company representative, social media guru, etc.

If the business card stated everything I needed to know, I’d simply draw a dot in the proper color on the card and place the card in my bag. However, many ageny cards do not list the brand a marketer works with (something I learned the hard way at Mom 2.0, when I collected dozens of cards from the same agency, without noting who they represented). On those cards I wrote, in turquoise, relevant information such as the brand, a very brief reminder of our conversation, or our plans to follow up.

Pink and green categories follow similar suit. There were some bloggers who I met that I wanted to connect with later for whatever reason. On those cards, in pink, I noted the reason. Other bloggers or contacts I felt would be perfect for future Splash Creative Media campaigns, so I jotted a note to remind me.

With all the cards protected in the same baggie, they traveled home with me safe, not lost, torn, or wrinkled.

Upon returning from the conference, I divided the cards by color category and filed them with the notes attached.

This system allows me to instantly remember the important connections I made with the hundreds of people I meet.

Other conference-goers use other means to collect business cards. Here’s my old business card organization system, which may work for you, and another blogger’s very creative organization system.

Of course, not everyone is as organized as you and I. So help them along by creating a business cards at Tiny Prints that includes all of your relevant information. (Check out the cards that allow for images. Including your picture helps others to remember your conversation.) Thanks to Tiny Prints for sponsoring this post.

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Taking your Mom Blog to the next level through Social Media Marketing

Teaching children to respect money over buying things

Christmas and Chanukkah were only a month ago, but almost the day after, the kids were already begging for a ride to Target to shop. Their list was a mile long. It wasn’t just things that they didn’t receive from the holidays, it was new “must haves.” And every day, that list of “must haves” [...]