OpMom Out and About

Written by Marla Trevino on May 8, 2008 – 3:05 pm -

In need of a pretty cool salon?
The OpMom gals went out to a fabulous party here in Houston, at Azur Salon. The party was to celebrate clients and friends of the salon. And since Carrie loved her haircut from Azur, and I am booking my appointment next week, let’s just say we made the cut. Our friend Monica Danna invited us, and we happily accepted! We walked into this cool, modern design salon, and were in the immediate presence of friendly faces and champagne! I can’t speak for anyone else, but that is pretty much my idea of the beginning of a great evening.

We had a blast meeting new people and catching up with friends we had not seen in a while. Katie Laird and Imelda Bettinger were all about taking pictures that evening. They click and mingle so well. (See Imelda pics, Katie pics, and some of my blurry pics)

The food was delish and the fun was just as awesome. As if food, spirits, and friends aren’t enough… they send everyone home with a really cool gift bag with full size products of Aveda, and Kerastase Soleil products. WHAT. Yes please, and thank you!

Out of this gathering came talk about an OpMom meetup complete with mani/pedi’s, and rumors of a Houston fashion event that if produced, everyone will be talking about. There are some cool ideas, and great support, and friends in this community. I for one am happy to have stumbled into it.


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OpMom.com Mother’s Day Giveaway

Written by Carrie Pacini on April 26, 2008 – 8:04 pm -

We truly LOVE our OpMamas and we want to give back to you!
Love and attention from mom is what everyone craves, now lets get you a fabulous goodie bag and help to keep your happiness tank full!


TO BE ENTERED YOU MUST:

1. Sign up at OpMom.com

2. Then JOIN the “Mother’s Day Giveaway” MomCircle

If your already a member of OpMom.com, go JOIN the Mother’s Day Giveaway MomCircle.

As a member of the Mother’s Day Giveaway MomCircle you are entered to win some AWESOME, SUPER-tacular stuff from great companies like Zappos.com, Lands’ End, Hachette Book Group, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Eco-tools, and Thymes

Now here are the details:

1 GRAND PRIZE:
(1) $250 Zappos.com Gift Card
(14) Books from the Hachette Book Group
(1) Set of Eco-tool Brushes
(1) Thymes Sweet Leaf Baby Collection

1 FIRST PRIZE:
(1) $100 Lands’ End Gift Card
(1) $50 Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift Card
(14) Books from the Hachette Book Group

8 SECOND PRIZES:
(14) Books from the Hachette Book Group

Zappos.com $250 Gift Card

Seriously, one of my favorite online stores. I was so happy to hear they were contributing to our Mother’s Day Giveaway. First of all, they have a huge collection of name brand shoes and fab clothes for the entire family. The best thing ever is the lightening speed shipping. It’s like Magic really. Customer service, amazing. I have spent time with them on the phone if a shoe didn’t work out for my children or me they help me get what I need, and I can return it with no cost to me. I truly heart Zappos! So what a great addition to the big GRAND Prize.


Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group is giving a collection of 14 Books to the Grand Prize Winner, as well as the 1st Prize Winner, AND 8 of our 2nd Prize Winners! That’s 10 collections! That’s pretty cool. With this book collection your brain will be swelling with the answers to getting healthy, becoming fearless or starting and ending your day right. After reading all of these titles you will be floating around the house with intelligence and wisdom on just about anything under the sun.

The 14 book collection includes the following titles:

How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, by Charla Krupp

10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better by Charla Krupp

Bobbi Brown Living Beauty by Bobbi Brown

Kim Cattrall Sexual Intelligence by Kim Cattrall

Sew U Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics by Wendy Mullin, Eviana Hartman

Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50 by Michael Cunningham, Connie Briscoe

On Becoming Fearless: …in Love, Work, and Life by Arianna Huffington

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Days: From the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch

Heart of the Home: Notes from a Vineyard Kitchen by Susan Branch

Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer

Ending Your Day Right: Devotions for Every Evening of the Year by Joyce Meyer

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles by Gloria Feldt, Kathleen Turner

Your Best Life Now For Moms by Joel Osteen

EcoTOOLS

Our grand Prize Winner will receive a set of ecoTOOLS. With all this talk about going GREEN. Now you can save the planet by applying your makeup! With ecoTOOLS you will feel better about the earth every time you apply your makeup.

EcoTOOLS is the premiere mass eco-conscious cosmetic brush and bath accessories collection featuring Earth-friendly materials such as bamboo, recycled plastic bottles, loofah (a natural vegetable) and animal-free (vegan) taklon bristles. Every mom can incorporate green into her beauty routine with this naturally-chic beauty gear! In addition, ecoTOOLS has partnered with 1% For the Planet, an organization that provides financial support to environmental initiatives. This means that 1% of all annual sales per item will be donated to this terrific cause!

Sweetleaf Baby collection by Thymes

OF course we didn’t forget the baby! Our grand prize winner will also receive the Sweetleaf Baby collection by Thymes. We understand that above all, moms put their children before themselves so here is something to bath your little bounce of joy in! Inspired by the naturally precious nature of newborns, the Sweetleaf Baby collection uses only the finest of ingredients found in nature to ensure baby’s precious skin is soothed and protected. The complete collection includes everything from a gentle, tear-free Baby Wash & Shampoo to a delightfully mild Baby Blanket Wash, to leave linens fresh with a lingering soft fragrance. Available at www.thymes.com

Lands’ End $100 Gift Card

Our 1st Prize winner will receive a $100 gift card from Lands’ End! They have been such an important part of dressing families. They have kept us looking tip top for years and have been online since 1995! I love love the new swim wear collection they just launched and believe it should be on every mamas list for the summer. This amazing swimwear will keep you looking hot all summer long. They have swimwear options made for all sizes and shapes! Check them out below. I’ll take an Isola Please!

Slenderizer Swimsuits: Built with a revolutionary fabric with slimming power, these suits can slim a silhouette in seconds. The suits range from tankinis and one-piece tanks to skirted styles and halters with all-over slimming power.

Beach Living® suit separates: Available in new cuts, styles, colors and prints, these separates include swim tops with adjustable straps that can be worn three different ways, side ties on swim skirts and bottoms that can be shortened or lengthened.

Isola: Inspired by the elegance of Venice, these suits bring fashion from the runways to the beach with designer touches such as ruching, silver hardware, side piping and emphasized necklines.

Custom Suit: This suit provides a customized and supportive fit for each woman’s one-of-a-kind body and is available in multiple prints, patterns and solids.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift $50 Gift Card

Our 1st prize winner will also receive a $50 Gift Card to Earth Mama Angel Baby! I just love anything that looks angelic, and at Earth Mama Angel Baby they have it down. Earth Mama Angel Baby® is the only line of 100% natural skin and body care products to support the entire birth process. They use the highest-quality, certified-organic or organically grown herbs and oils for our teas, bath herbs, gentle handmade soaps, salves, lotions and massage oils. Their products are 100% toxin-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and free from all artificial preservatives, fragrances and dyes. PERFECTO.

This Is The End of the World’s Longest Blog Post. Now Go WIN!


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Posted in OpMom Giveaways | 118 Comments »

Dinner with Guy Kawasaki: Chicks, Guns, & Eating Crow

Written by Carrie Pacini on April 26, 2008 – 10:28 am -

After Guy Kawasaki’s terrific “Art of the Start” presentation at the Houston Technology Center Thursday night, a few of us really lucky ladies got to go have dinner with him and talk shop. Well not exactly “shop” in the literal sense, unless you’re running a gun shop, boot shop, sleazy law firm, etc. Let’s just say it was a perfectly casual conversation and a great end to a memorable night. But first let’s review how the evening started good, and went uphill to amazing from there.

Here’s Carrie’s recipe for an awesome night in 3 easy steps:

Step 1. Get to listen to a totally incredible presentation from startup guru Guy Kawasaki in a small, personal venue. It was funny, intimate, and if you didn’t get something out of it for your business, you were freakin’ asleep. Or dead. Or too busy Twittering.

Step 2. Have OpMom called out by Guy (and w00ts from friends in the audience) when he was going through his Alltop demonstration. Guy announces “Is OpMom here tonight?” My husband practically sprains my arm raising it into the air! This is being streamed live on the web. Things are good.

Step 3. Get immediate props from Guy for your work. While sitting there with Guy at dinner, he shows me an email from his PR firm about a cool blog post they discovered that was about his new “Adoption” section on Alltop.com. If you’re a regular reader here you know that the blog post was written by…me. So he hands me his PDA to read the email as proof. Amazing.

And I was in good company – there were some truly awesome Houston media power-chicks at the table:

Jenny Lawson (www.theBlogess.com)
Laura Mayes (www.Sk-rt.com)
Erica O’Grady (www.peanutbuttermedia.com)
Tracey Wallace (www.truelightresources.com)

So what did the group talk about at dinner?
That’s a total secret, unless of course you go read Jenny’s blog, which I know will recount everything from the adult beverage count to the dirty jokes in perfect, gory detail (I mean, she was taking notes in a little book, what else should we expect?).

And being in Texas, Guy – with his sweet new Lucchese boots – brought out our best Southern-fried conversation. Yep, we talked about guns and eating awesome hillbilly foods like squirrel and crow (I don’t mean the latter in the metaphorical sense). On the sort-of-business front, we talked about frivolous lawsuits, stupid lawyers, bad branding, food/restaurants (because Erica likes my cooking – thanks!), this summer’s BlogHer conference, etc. We also learned that Guy holds business meetings in an ice skating rink because I think he likes hockey more than meetings. All interesting pieces that made up a very cool evening. And I’ll leave the bar tab recap and R-rated content to www.thebloggess.com. Her storytelling ability and great sense of humor is worth the visit.


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Posted in OpMom Good Times | 5 Comments »

Angelina Jolie has it bookmarked, so shouldn’t you?

Written by Carrie Pacini on April 24, 2008 – 4:40 pm -

OK, I had to do it.
Seriously though, our friend Guy Kawasaki has added to his Alltop.com news aggregator. This time in the family blogging space, with adoption.alltop.com. Alltop’s been called the world’s largest magazine rack. Guy isn’t just growing Alltop for the sake of growth – this type of info is golden when it comes to people in search of niche content.

Dramas, Joys, Challenges
I spent some time going through the adoption sites and blogs, and they include everything from funny to touching to practical. I found myself losing track of time going through the stories, dramas and joys of so many families whose lives have been blessed – and challenged by adoption.

A couple of blogs that are included in adoption.alltop.com are:

ADOPTION ANIMAL HOUSE – A mother and daughter separated by closed adoption, reunited since 2005, working their way out of the fog and into reality.

JULIAS’ JAM – an adoptee interning at an adoption agency who blogs.

These are real people, with real stories willing to share. It has motivated me to start a group on OpMom.com to share this knowledge with other moms that might want to connect with others who are adopted or looking to adopt.

So major props to Guy and Alltop for a great addition to the rack. And please be sure to tell Madonna, since she needs all the help she can get to keep up with Mama Jolie.


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Posted in OpMom Resources | 4 Comments »

SWEET! Parent & Child magazine recommends OpMom.com

Written by Carrie Pacini on April 23, 2008 – 12:05 pm -

I had NO idea of this until Robin, a friend of mine, was at the dentist office thumbing through magazines. She calls me and literally is like:

Robin: Carrie! Holy Crap! Great Job!

Me: (with a croissant in my mouth) – What?

Robin: OpMom

Me: Uhhuh, yes, what are you talking about?

Robin: OpMom is in Parent & Child magazine as one of the top 5 Social networking sites for moms.

Me: WHAT? (on the web searching for this article)

IT’S TRUE!
Turns out, OpMom was ranked as the recommended #3 “Mom-Friendly Social Networks” out there. YAY, it does exist! Check it here. Let me just say that I was already a big fan of this magazine, but now, even more! I really like that the focus of P&C magazine is something my husband and I are really big on, and that’s building that link between home and school.

I feel like OpMom is my third child and I can’t say enough how happy I am that one of my favorite reads thinks it’s pretty cool too. Also, congrats to the other 4 sites listed: BigTent.com, MothersClick.com, MomSpace.com, and 5minutesformom.com.

THANK YOU Jaine Murphy and Parent & Child magazine! : )


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Posted in OpMom News | 2 Comments »

Family Matters Radio & Carrie on Moms 2.0

Written by Marla Trevino on April 18, 2008 – 10:14 am -

Yes, I know we have twittered this a few times, but now we want to shout it to anyone who might of missed it the first few times, plus give some background info.

Family Matters Radio and OpMom have partnered to continue the conversation off-air. And in kicking it off our very own host of OpMom, Carrie Pacini was the featured guest on April 12. The Moms 2.0 talk was AWESOME and we want to say thanks to Caroline and Jacquie for the show!

Who is Family Matters Radio?
FMR features nationally recognized guests, newsmakers, celebrities, and best selling authors that talk about things that matter to you and your family.

Now your able to share your thoughts on these topics, ask questions and get answers from the hosts, Caroline and Jacquie themselves.

Great Recent Talks
Just to give you a glimpse of topics FMR hosts, in a March 2008 show, they talked with Kristine Carlson, wife of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff author Richard Carlson, about her husband’s sudden death and the importance of treasuring each day as an incredible gift.

And in a February 2008 show, they spoke with Dr. Greg Baer about The Secret to Real Love.

In the words of Jacquie, “With our partnership with Opmom we are turning on the microphones for you. This is your chance to “sound off” about hot topics that you care about – sometimes these are issues in the news. But mostly they are things that women like us and like you are thinking about.”

Check back in the “Off-Air with Family Matters Radio” MomCircle on opmom.com and keep up with the latest talk. To listen to the Moms 2.0 April 12 podcast with Carrie Pacini, click here. After you listen to it, let us know what you think by posting a comment in the FMR MomCircle on opmom.com OR here on The OpMom Blog!


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Getting a ‘Tox’ Refund

Written by Carrie Pacini on April 9, 2008 – 5:23 pm -

mud bath


Detox Mud Treatment? Umm, never again.


Well, well – I’ve been feeling pretty smart over the past few days. I was miserably sick for about 7 days. Flu? Nope. Random, debilitating depression? Not a chance. The best reason I can figure for this random, week-long illness was (seriously) because of a detox mud treatment, called the Hungarian Spa Kur, I received at a local spa. I purposely chose a homeopathic, natural path to alleviating stress and prevent myself from getting sick in the first place. Nicely done, right? I mean with all the toxins and pollution out there I thought maybe I could do my body good.

Heidi, one of our opmom.com members, is also concerned about pollution in our city. She recently started a MomCircle on being Environmentally Conscience where Joanie says “I am getting really serious about going Green.” She encourages others to figure out their carbon footprint and take some simple steps towards leaving a smaller ecological footprint. All good advice, which is why I think for now I’ll just stick to recycling and carpooling.


Back To My Nightmare


I’m typically a one-Tylenol sort of gal. When my son was born, they gave me a labor-inducing treatment that was supposed to take about 24-48 hours to take effect… and there I was 15 minutes later in full labor. So needless to say I am super sensitive to outside forces. Fast forward and I’m in bed for 7 awesome-tastic days, treating my body to two cycles of antibiotics in the process to get “well.” And no, dear friends, the irony of antibiotics saving me from homeopathy wasn’t lost on me as I lay there for a week.

I posted a talk in one of my favorite groups on opmom.com, Alternative Medicine, and asked what others have experienced after a detox mud bath. Leslie says “I have a sister who is a nurse and she tells me those detox things are hogwash???” Thanks Leslie, I know now this is true for me too.


Evil Toxins Released!?


The spa blames the evil toxins I was carrying around in my body, which their treatment “successfully” released and subsequently wreaked havoc on my body. If it really takes a week to get all those toxins out of your system, the sign at the reception desk should read, “Dear Patient: Here for a Detox? Clear your Schedule.”

But still, I don’t want to sit here and just bash homeopathic detox treatments. The reason I did this in the first place was because so many people I know and trust swear by it. But for me, it just sent me running back into the arms of Dr. Pfizer or Merck or whoever else makes those antibiotics that aren’t offered in an affordable generic substitute. Which reminds me, I’m craving a yogurt.


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Skin Cancer? No Thanks. Orange Heels? Not this Mama.

Written by Carrie Pacini on March 28, 2008 – 11:37 am -

pic

Spring has arrived!
Despite the shocking fact that snow is still falling in some places around the country, for most of us spring has arrived in all her pollinated, Claritin-selling glory. These soggy days, mind wanders past the wet and sneezy weather, past those hectic final weeks of school that are still to come, and lands at some point in June where I know I will be expected to be seen in a swimsuit. Now this isn’t some poolside, Mojito-in-hand (thanks anne!), kids-in-college relaxation fantasy – it’s the reality of my pale skin blinding everyone while my kids perform cannonballs and splash innocent bystanders. Despite having a good amount of European and Native American blood in me that would indicate I *might* have the potential for some skin pigmentation, the reality is not!

Liquid sweater to the rescue!
I made it through high school as an avid sun worshiper, blissfully ignorant of the damage I was doing to my skin, just trying to be tan and thin. By my mid 20s, I started realizing that sun exposure was no better than the fat I had been avoiding in my diet. Except it was actually worse: we all know that the sun has permanent effects on your body – in effect the sun is like a cheeseburger that stays on your butt forever. So while I always kept the kids slathered in SPF 70, it took a cancer scare to really wake me up. In 2005 we had a near-miss with Melanoma in my family, and that sealed the deal. Sun was now the enemy, and it was the super-high SPF stuff for me and my husband. He calls it the “liquid sweater.” Whatever, it’ll save your life pal.

Bathing suits! Bottle tans! Spray tans! Help.
So back to my reality check about the number of weeks until bikini season. What’s a busy mom to do who would prefer to…

A) NOT be reflectively white in a bathing suit

B) Age gracefully

C) Avoid skin cancer

The only options are bottle tans, spray tans, etc. So far I am not happy with any of the home spray tans that I have done, and the tan-in-a-bottle deal is usually a nightmare. The blame falls partially on the products, and a lot on the do-it-yourself application. That said, the very best solution I’ve found is the professional spray tan, where you go to a salon or spa and they basically use an airbrush. If you’ve never had it done, just imagine the MTV show Pimp My Ride…but you’re the car.

If you don’t want to spend the cash on a spray tan, which given it’s 7-day max duration is a rare luxury, I’ve found a few things that work ok for home use. Check these out and let me know what you think!

TanTowel
Decleor Aroma Tanner

skincare momcircle
Seriously, I really want to know what works for you! If your an OpMom member I started a SkinCare MomCircle so we can get to the bottom of this…


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Posted in Tips and Ideas | 2 Comments »

Mama Likes Brut

Written by Carrie Pacini on March 5, 2008 – 4:17 pm -

Motherhood, business ownership, and wifely-hood.
All great parts of my life, but occasionally mama needs a glass of wine. One of my favorite sites is Women & Wine – our friend Julie Brosterman has created a great community at Women & Wine that brings women together in the appreciation of all things wine – great finds, cool products, and the best in wine travel and “experiences” (vinotherapy spa treatments, anyone?).

Yoga in a wine glass!
Julie has a presentation she gives called “Yoga in a Glass.” I haven’t seen it presented yet, but I adore the title alone. I can picture it… my morning Yoga on the mat… and evening Yoga on the placemat. I love it. And I’ll definitely have more on Julie and her site in a later post.

But today, we’re all about Champagne, folks.
As a part of my OpMom webcast series, I recently visited with Tim Smith of French Country Wines about the differences between Champagne and “sparkling wines.” What I wanted to better understand was the quintessential question with Champagne and (decent) sparkling wine, which is how to find good quality at a good price. This involves much more than just reading the latest Wine Spectator review and proving that we know 91 is a higher and presumably better number than 88. Over at www.opmom.com, the moms in our “Matter of Taste” MomCircle group often discuss this issue, so we decided to consult an expert.

Since I love the bubbly but I’m also budget conscious when buying wine, it’s great to get some tips on how to shop and what types of bargains I can look for. And then there’s the issue of what to choose. Most people get very un-adventurous with wine over time and stick to wines they know, because nothing is worse than spending your hard-earned money on a total guess or grocery store employee recommendation. If you find yourself looking at an overpriced wine menu at a restaurant, the situation only gets more frustrating. So, it helps to know what the labels signify, and how to get the most for your dollar when choosing these great but often pricey wines.

Bubbly isn’t just for big celebrations.
So check out the video below, and remember: You can celebrate a quiet Tuesday evening. Every now and then, I’ll have a glass while hanging out with my husband as we watch the kids run around outside. Another great day completed, healthy & happy kids… you know, that’s enough for me to celebrate!

Watch the show below, and be sure to leave comments! PS - any complaints about the annoying “Pop-Up” style text overlay should be addressed to John!


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Posted in OpMom Show | 3 Comments »

Easter is here! Small colorful outfits needed.

Written by Carrie Pacini on February 21, 2008 – 4:00 pm -

Easter bunnies

As I found myself dumpster-diving the clearance sale on Valentine’s candy last week, I noticed the pastel displays popping up where red & pink had occupied since New Year’s. Easter is upon us, my friends.

For parents, that means it’s time to figure out which colorful little outfits will make it into the Easter fashion repertoire this year. Like miniature Kentucky Derby socialites, there will be no shortage of tiny suits, pastel dresses and floppy hats. But where to start? Put away the Mint Julep and fear not, here is a short list of our favorite online boutiques. Some may be familiar, some not, but they’re all pretty cool. Have another idea or a favorite boutique? Submit it in our comments.

Here’s our starter list:

Best Dressed Child – This is a nice source for “traditional” Easter Clothes. They have everything from Smoked dresses to Eton suits for boys.

A Childs Closet – Has most hip brands under the sun like “Room Seven”, Gregory Girl, Indygo and much more!

Forget Me Knot Kids – Is a great store for Baby LuLu and Baby Nay.

Cute Little Clothes has great stuff for boys up to 7 years from cool brands like Tea.

And… a few other non-Easter finds:

Moochie Moo, our cool-but-impractical find of the month. This Australian boutique has amazing stuff… the best in unique toys, cool clothes, kids furniture and Red Envelope-like personalized items. And their service is beyond awesome. I ordered gifts for friends in Brisbane (the Charlie and Lola doll set was a hit), and the owner sent me no less than 4 personal emails confirming the order status, gift wrapping selection, shipping, and receipt. And then sent me a paper credit card receipt via regular mail to the US, with a little ID bracelet gift for my daughter. Obviously this exact business practice can’t sustain huge sales growth, but I really like the concern for detail and quality control. Love it!

LuvCharlie – forget the kids, this one’s for you. Cool, hip fashions at pretty reasonable prices. One of my favorite, most unique blouses came from here, and the service is pretty good too.


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