It is so exciting to me that our video of Oliver in his ISR swim lesson has gone viral on YouTube. To me, this must mean that there is an active interest in ISR swim lessons and I think that is just wonderful! At the time I am writing this we are just 25,000 views away from reaching 4 million views!! Can you believe that?! If you haven't see the video yet, please watch below. Then click on over to my blog post about our Our Amazing ISR Experience. Thank you!
Went from workaholic working 40+ hours a week, to getting downsized and being a stay at home mom (SAHM), and now doing something somewhere in between. Loving life and its unexpected curves and turns.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The most elaborate marriage proposal I've ever seen
The internet is full of marriage proposals.... from the simplest recorded with a camera on a phone to flash mobs orchestrated in shopping malls. No matter how simple or elaborate, they are enjoyable to watch. They fill your heart with love, laughter, hope, and romance. But this one takes the cake. The time, money, and resources this must have taken is just unbelievable. I'm thankful for creative people in this world that make things like this and share with the rest of the world. I love this couple and I don't even know anything about them. Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
April Cash Mob Announced to Raise Funds for New Downtown Muskegon Arcade and Bar
An
April Cash Mob will be held to benefit two local entrepreneurs’ arcade project.
Muskegon is no stranger to the “Cash Mob” concept. West Michigan Jobs Group
(WMJG) has organized several Cash Mobs in the Muskegon area over the last year.
A cash mob is a gathering similar to a flash mob, typically organized through
the use of social media, where a group of people meet at a locally owned
business and each spend at least $20 in cash. The idea is to keep as much
money in the local economy as possible and increase exposure to the business.
"This
time we wanted to support a business that isn't even operational yet.
West Michigan Jobs Group's goal is to support local, independent and
sustainable businesses to nourish Muskegon's economy and create more jobs,” said
Amanda Shunta, vice president of West Michigan Jobs Group. “One way of doing
this is by helping new businesses get off the ground."
WHAT: Cash Mob to support proposed
arcade/live music venue, Nick & Tim’s
WHEN & WHERE: April 25, 6-8 p.m. at Cherokee
Restaurant—1971 Sherman Blvd, Muskegon
WHY: Entrepreneurs Nick Leisenring and
Tim Updyke have purchased the building at 136 W. Webster Ave in downtown
Muskegon, with a vision for a distinguished arcade and drink house offering a
unique combination of retro gaming and modern technology in a casual
environment. In addition to the arcade, live entertainment ranging from
local and regional bands to comedians will also be a focus of this
endeavor. Leisenring and Updyke started an online crowd sourcing campaign
on the site indiegogo.com and have been seeking donations
through social media to help offset the cost of the massive renovations needed
for the building. The cash mob will further help them to reach their goal
of $250,000.
“We knew
it was a high goal when we set it, but we have seen amazing things happen from
crowd sourcing sites and thought it was worth doing," said Updyke.
The cash
mob will take place in the banquet room in the Cherokee restaurant where there
will be board games available for all ages to enjoy. Donors to the Nick
& Tim’s project will receive a "perk” based on the level of their
contribution.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Make Pere Marquette Accessible for All!
My friend Stephen Draft-Peppin and I are working on getting a grant from the Community Foundation for Muskegon through their "Love Your Community" contest. From the contest description: "Inspired by Peter Kageyama’s message encouraging citizens to declare
their love for their community, we will award grants to six projects
that demonstrate and share the love! Examples of these “love notes”
include last year’s winning projects such
as Movies on the Beach, a Play It Forward benefit concert for the
Snurfer Sculpture, Portraits of White Lake photography class &
exhibit, and more. All of these ideas were created by the people, for
the people, using $500 to get them going."
Our project is about making Pere Marquette (in Muskegon, MI) more accessible for those in wheelchairs, strollers, or limited mobility. We would like a ramp/dock going from the base of the pier into the breakwater area where the water is calmer and beach is smaller. This would allow a person in a wheelchair to get right up close to the water. Right now there is a walkway going from the restrooms out to the beach, but it stops short of meeting the water. So someone in a wheelchair would still have to manage going through the sand somehow. Another piece to this is that the pier itself is next to impossible for someone in a wheelchair or stroller to get down due to the uneven ground. This really needs to be smoothed out. We can't possibly do this all with only $500, but we're hoping this will draw more attention to the problem and the powers that be will do something about it. It's worth a shot!
So to vote for our project please click on this link and then click "like" beneath the picture. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151176291418605&set=a.10151176290668605.469748.100319078604&type=3&theater
Thank you so much for your support!!
Additional photos from our project:
Our project is about making Pere Marquette (in Muskegon, MI) more accessible for those in wheelchairs, strollers, or limited mobility. We would like a ramp/dock going from the base of the pier into the breakwater area where the water is calmer and beach is smaller. This would allow a person in a wheelchair to get right up close to the water. Right now there is a walkway going from the restrooms out to the beach, but it stops short of meeting the water. So someone in a wheelchair would still have to manage going through the sand somehow. Another piece to this is that the pier itself is next to impossible for someone in a wheelchair or stroller to get down due to the uneven ground. This really needs to be smoothed out. We can't possibly do this all with only $500, but we're hoping this will draw more attention to the problem and the powers that be will do something about it. It's worth a shot!
So to vote for our project please click on this link and then click "like" beneath the picture. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151176291418605&set=a.10151176290668605.469748.100319078604&type=3&theater
Thank you so much for your support!!
Additional photos from our project:
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
West Michigan Jobs Group gives a damn!
Here is a letter that my cohort, Elizabeth Council, wrote to the Chronicle about our non-profit organization, West Michigan Jobs Group. Read Letter. We wanted everyone to know that our group does give a damn and what steps we have been taking to make Muskegon a better place to live. Also, we want to motivate others to do the same thing we have done. It was completely grassroots, we didn't really know what we were doing when we got started, and it all just came together and took off. Anyone can do it!
Letter: Pulling together, Muskegon: West Michigan Jobs Group gives a damn
Letter: Pulling together, Muskegon: West Michigan Jobs Group gives a damn
Friday, March 2, 2012
Two Years as a Stay At Home Mom... or Whatever It Is I am Doing
It has almost been two years exactly since I was downsized from SuperMedia. In those years, I have enjoyed precious time with my kids, started my own company, and most recently become somewhat of a community activist. Overall, I would say I am happier than ever.
What I have not mastered yet is the art of cooking or the desire/motivation to clean on a regular basis. I cooked from scratch about a week ago and was incredibly proud of myself and then realized how sad it was that it made me proud to cook from scratch probably only one time in the last 2 years. But I guess it's better than not at all! Turns out that cleaning is so much harder when you don't work full time! Who would have thought? The house is a disaster almost immediately after cleaning. When I was working, no one was in the house to mess it up. I never took into consideration how much messier a house gets when it's occupied all the time.
So what am I? Am I a stay at home mom? Am I a mom who works from home part-time? I feel the need to have a job title. Some moms try be cutesy and say they are a "Domestic Diva" or the family's "CEO/COO", but I don't feel that either of those jobs define me either. Domestic Diva to me sounds like June Cleaver with Prada shoes... which I am anything but. Being a "CEO" (Chief Executive Officer) would imply that I am the top dog in charge of the total management of an organization (family). A "COO" (Chief Operating Officer) implies that why I would be in charge of the operations of the family, but I would still be second in command to the CEO (which I would assume would be my husband in this scenario). While sometimes this may be the case that I may be more aware of the operations, to-do lists, schedules, events of the household, I am neither "top dog" or "second in command." My husband and I have an equal partnership. We make all major, and even many minor, decisions together. And even though I am with the kids for more time during the day, the quality of time he spends with the kids is just as great.
Even without an official title or becoming more domesticated, I have accomplished some things that I am proud of. Six months after I was let go I gave birth to my handsome son, Oliver. He has brought so much light in our lives. He truly is the opposite from his sister, Hope, and that keeps us on our toes. Oliver is so happy, easy going, curious, and energetic. I am happy that I have been able to spend the time with him to really enjoy his personality and watch him grow each step of the way. Hope recently turned 4 years old, started preschool, and comes up with new questions everyday to stump me with. She spoke the other day of Vacation Bible School and I asked her what she was hoping to learn about this year in VBS. Her response: "Electricity." She told me she wants to know how daddy's computer can run. Not sure she'll learn that in VBS, but it impressed me she had even thought about the concept of electricity or even knew the word.
My business with Net Owl Media has been steadily growing. We are getting more and more business through referrals and family and friends. I am hoping it continues to grow this year and hopefully double the business we did in 2011.
Through the non-profit organization West Michigan Jobs Group that I am Vice President of, I was able to organize two, going on three, Cash Mobs in the Muskegon County area. The cash mobs have been helping local businesses through both sales and publicity and has gained recognition through the Muskegon Chronicle, Mlive, and even had an article featured on msnNOW: 'Cash Mobs' flood local businesses with shoppers Makes me happy that it has really taken off the way that it has. The community has really embraced it and it truly has been helping locally owned shops.
With the fall of the Muskegon Summer Celebration, a new music festival has emerged and I was asked to be on the board of that acting in an advisory position to the management company that will be overseeing the festival. This has been very exciting to me to see a festival come to fruition nearly from the beginning and building on the strengths of what "Summer Cel" had to offer and improving on some opportunities that the festival had going.
I wouldn't have been able to accomplish all of this if I hadn't been a "stay at home mom." My friend, Hannah, told me when I first got the news that I had been downsized: "You won't be working, but I know you will always be working." Okay, I may have paraphrased, but that's the gist of what she said. She couldn't have been more right.
Thanks to the Timeline on Facebook I was able to go look back again at what my status was on March 18, 2010, the day I lost my job:
"I was looking forward to this day because it was the day I was going to hear our new baby's heartbeat for the first time and get to announce to the FB world that I'm pregnant! So I heard the heartbeat, everything's good, and then I get to work and I got let go. Three of us lost our jobs due to "reduction in force." So my great day turned crappy pretty fast. So surprise everyone! I'm pregnant and now unemployed!"
That status brought 48 comments, the last being from my best friend, Andrea:
"I can't wait to meet baby #2 and good luck with your new life :) There is no limit to what you can do. You have always been an inspiration to me. I can't wait to see what wondrous new things will come of all this! Let me know if you need anything. Love you girl!"
Reading that and the other positive comments brought tears to my eyes now when looking back because I realize that these people knew I would do great things in the next couple years that I didn't even know I would do. I am thankful for the time that I now have to devote to my family, friends, and community to make all of our lives better. So my "downsize" turned into a huge "upgrade" in the quality of my life. I couldn't have done any of these things without my enormous support system. You all make it better.
What I have not mastered yet is the art of cooking or the desire/motivation to clean on a regular basis. I cooked from scratch about a week ago and was incredibly proud of myself and then realized how sad it was that it made me proud to cook from scratch probably only one time in the last 2 years. But I guess it's better than not at all! Turns out that cleaning is so much harder when you don't work full time! Who would have thought? The house is a disaster almost immediately after cleaning. When I was working, no one was in the house to mess it up. I never took into consideration how much messier a house gets when it's occupied all the time.
So what am I? Am I a stay at home mom? Am I a mom who works from home part-time? I feel the need to have a job title. Some moms try be cutesy and say they are a "Domestic Diva" or the family's "CEO/COO", but I don't feel that either of those jobs define me either. Domestic Diva to me sounds like June Cleaver with Prada shoes... which I am anything but. Being a "CEO" (Chief Executive Officer) would imply that I am the top dog in charge of the total management of an organization (family). A "COO" (Chief Operating Officer) implies that why I would be in charge of the operations of the family, but I would still be second in command to the CEO (which I would assume would be my husband in this scenario). While sometimes this may be the case that I may be more aware of the operations, to-do lists, schedules, events of the household, I am neither "top dog" or "second in command." My husband and I have an equal partnership. We make all major, and even many minor, decisions together. And even though I am with the kids for more time during the day, the quality of time he spends with the kids is just as great.
Even without an official title or becoming more domesticated, I have accomplished some things that I am proud of. Six months after I was let go I gave birth to my handsome son, Oliver. He has brought so much light in our lives. He truly is the opposite from his sister, Hope, and that keeps us on our toes. Oliver is so happy, easy going, curious, and energetic. I am happy that I have been able to spend the time with him to really enjoy his personality and watch him grow each step of the way. Hope recently turned 4 years old, started preschool, and comes up with new questions everyday to stump me with. She spoke the other day of Vacation Bible School and I asked her what she was hoping to learn about this year in VBS. Her response: "Electricity." She told me she wants to know how daddy's computer can run. Not sure she'll learn that in VBS, but it impressed me she had even thought about the concept of electricity or even knew the word.
My business with Net Owl Media has been steadily growing. We are getting more and more business through referrals and family and friends. I am hoping it continues to grow this year and hopefully double the business we did in 2011.
Through the non-profit organization West Michigan Jobs Group that I am Vice President of, I was able to organize two, going on three, Cash Mobs in the Muskegon County area. The cash mobs have been helping local businesses through both sales and publicity and has gained recognition through the Muskegon Chronicle, Mlive, and even had an article featured on msnNOW: 'Cash Mobs' flood local businesses with shoppers Makes me happy that it has really taken off the way that it has. The community has really embraced it and it truly has been helping locally owned shops.
With the fall of the Muskegon Summer Celebration, a new music festival has emerged and I was asked to be on the board of that acting in an advisory position to the management company that will be overseeing the festival. This has been very exciting to me to see a festival come to fruition nearly from the beginning and building on the strengths of what "Summer Cel" had to offer and improving on some opportunities that the festival had going.
I wouldn't have been able to accomplish all of this if I hadn't been a "stay at home mom." My friend, Hannah, told me when I first got the news that I had been downsized: "You won't be working, but I know you will always be working." Okay, I may have paraphrased, but that's the gist of what she said. She couldn't have been more right.
Thanks to the Timeline on Facebook I was able to go look back again at what my status was on March 18, 2010, the day I lost my job:
"I was looking forward to this day because it was the day I was going to hear our new baby's heartbeat for the first time and get to announce to the FB world that I'm pregnant! So I heard the heartbeat, everything's good, and then I get to work and I got let go. Three of us lost our jobs due to "reduction in force." So my great day turned crappy pretty fast. So surprise everyone! I'm pregnant and now unemployed!"
That status brought 48 comments, the last being from my best friend, Andrea:
"I can't wait to meet baby #2 and good luck with your new life :) There is no limit to what you can do. You have always been an inspiration to me. I can't wait to see what wondrous new things will come of all this! Let me know if you need anything. Love you girl!"
Reading that and the other positive comments brought tears to my eyes now when looking back because I realize that these people knew I would do great things in the next couple years that I didn't even know I would do. I am thankful for the time that I now have to devote to my family, friends, and community to make all of our lives better. So my "downsize" turned into a huge "upgrade" in the quality of my life. I couldn't have done any of these things without my enormous support system. You all make it better.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Muskegon Cash Mob appears on msnNOW
This morning I was going through my usual routine of getting in the shower, dressing, brushing teeth, makeup, hair... all the while checking my smartphone every few minutes because the green light (indicating I have either new email or text messages) kept blinking. Most of the new emails I was receiving was notifications from Facebook indicating that new people have "liked" our Muskegon County Cash Mobs page. We had been averaging one new like or two a day since the last cash mob a few weeks ago, so to have about 5 just in about an hour span was odd. Then I got a notification that someone had posted a link on the cash mob's wall. The link went to this msnNOW article: 'Cash Mobs' flood local businesses with shoppers. The article gives a link straight to the Muskegon County Cash Mobs page! How cool is that?! Through that article, our facebook page began to grow immediately and also received a number of comments on our wall as well. It is the most activity the page has seen.
I am not sure why msnNOW chose the Muskegon cash mob to focus on as we are not the originators of this concept, but it was great that they did! The other odd thing is that the woman who posted the link to the page deleted it almost as fast as she had posted it. So it was sort of a phantom posting just to let me know that this article was out there, perhaps? The whole thing is a bit strange to me, but I am definitely not complaining. The cash mobs concept is gaining great moment. cashmobs.wordpress.com indicates that there have been mobs reported in more than 100 cities now!
Please feel free to contact me or go to one of the sites above if you would like more information on how to throw a cash mob event in your area! And as always, your comments are welcome below as well. Thank you!
I am not sure why msnNOW chose the Muskegon cash mob to focus on as we are not the originators of this concept, but it was great that they did! The other odd thing is that the woman who posted the link to the page deleted it almost as fast as she had posted it. So it was sort of a phantom posting just to let me know that this article was out there, perhaps? The whole thing is a bit strange to me, but I am definitely not complaining. The cash mobs concept is gaining great moment. cashmobs.wordpress.com indicates that there have been mobs reported in more than 100 cities now!
Please feel free to contact me or go to one of the sites above if you would like more information on how to throw a cash mob event in your area! And as always, your comments are welcome below as well. Thank you!
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