A Meeting of the "Mommies": Disney's "On The Road" Social Media Moms Celebration

Me (on left) and Michelle Stepney (right). Michelle's "Ready for your Closeup" presentation was AWESOME!

Anyone who is a Mommy knows that it truly takes a village. This notion is totally embodied in Disney's efforts to bring Mommies of all backgrounds and ethnicity's together to discuss the role social media plays in their lives and careers in addition to balancing family and work. It was my pleasure to attend last week's Disney "On The Road" Social Media Moms Celebration in Bethesda, MD.  I mean c'mon, I grew up on Disney so anything attached to the brand generates immediate excitement. And I love Disney's recognition of social media and the value that those of us who work in the industry of social media, can extend the Disney brand. The voice we lend. With that being said, it was less a promotion of "Disney" and more just a coming together of like minded women.

I was extended an invitation in the 11th hour but I was nonetheless thrilled and flattered too even though I emailed my co-host, Danielle Gray aka "Dr." at like midnight Friday morning stating that I couldn't even fathom how I would muster the energy to make it to the conference that day with a never ending list of "to-do's." But God-willing, I got the kids off to school and even thought it was pouring rain and although I arrived late, there was still plenty of dish to spare. Danielle sent energy vibes my way that surely paid off.

My feet may be kicked up but trust I was working. It was every Mommy for herself when it came to the few very few available outlets. You can't tell from the pic but this was one heck of a balancing act I was pulling off.

The air of support as I listened to speakers and sat amongst Mommies who are entrepreneurs, Bloggers, bizness owners or simply looking to get their foot in the door was awesome. The energy was amazing. And there is nothing like being surrounded by women who just get you and understand your reality. Such is what I try to bring every time I take to the airwaves of Bag Ladies Radio. I set up shop and lent an ear to the expertise of those who spoke. The networking was plentiful. There were alot of familiar-faced Mommies. The tales of exhaustion and trying to manage family life and domestic responsibility all while being the boss were hilarious. The reaffirmation of how imperative family support is was reassuring. And the dish was great! Ya'll know I'm a fiend for stimulating conversation. And for swag. Check it out!

Bag O' Swag

"The Swag"

Follow me on Instagram @bagladies for more chronicles of this event.

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For #BagLadiesLIVE segments, showtimes and more, visit www.bagladiesradio.com. Click to follow me on IG and Twitter @ bagladies.

Catch up on the dish you missed by going to www.bagladiesradio.com/listen. Click the iTunes button or scroll down to OnDemand and press play.

I THOUGHT IT WAS MY DAY ...

"The Throwdown"

This pic is totally indicative of how I spent Mother's Day ...Throwing down in the kitchen. How on a

My lil' ones and I after church. I love my BFF for this dress. 

day that is supposed to be "my own", did I get tasked with cooking???! Additionally, I was a babysitter. Of course not as it applies to my own three but my brother, who relieved the Mother of his three and came over so they could hang out with my three ...Proceeded to make a b-line to my basement and crash leaving me to watch over 6 lil' ones (my brother and I both have twins + 1). But what can I say, he surprised me in the morning with a touching card ...And he accompanied me to church. My oldest who is 8 played the role of the oldest well. I was so impressed, I gave her an even bigger kiss and hug before bedtime and thanked her for looking out for not just her younger brother and sister but her cousins too. She was my second pair of eyes while I was trying to avoid burning the grub. As I watched while slaving away in the kitchen, the kids playing and frolicking in the yard, I was touched by how close they are and how well they get along and play with no care in the world. It was very nostalgic and reminded me of how my cousins and I used to do the same. When younger it seems like no biggie for family to come together but upon becoming an adult with kids of my own, I realize how much effort it actually requires. It's so easy to become consumed by everyday living, family can sometimes be put on the back-burner.

"The Cousins" My brother and I both have twins + 1

Although, I might've preferred to kick my feet up and be pampered on "my day", all was well and I had a great day and realized as I was "throwing down" in the kitchen, that I'm becoming more and more like my Mommy every day. Who knew I could get as excited as I was yesterday over new-found recipes and a full cooked meal??! I did that! Who knew?

The menu consisted of mini meat-loaf, cornbread, fried cabbage and mashed potatoes. The kids devoured it in no time flat and proceeded to ask for seconds. My Mom asked about leftovers after her and my Dad returned from a late brunch. I told her, "ask your grand kids." My brother eventually wandered upstairs half-sleep to find that the kids were well fed and fine. He betta be glad I saved him a plate. How did you spend your Mother's Day??

For #BagLadiesLIVE segments, showtimes and more, visit www.bagladiesradio.com. Click to follow me on IG and Twitter @ bagladies.

Catch up on the dish you missed by going to www.bagladiesradio.com/listen. Scroll down to OnDemand and press play.

ANY EXCUSE FOR A #MOMSNITEOUT IS A GOOD EXCUSE!

I in the stripes and Ericka and Kacey from poshmumsy.com and Yvonne and her pet "Tory" from pinkdollhouse.org 

Why not? A lil' leg for a nite out.

A Mommy of three myself, any excuse for a nite out is a good one. I was turned onto National Mom's Nite Out by blogger bud Keri Henderson, Editor of
adivastateofmind.com.

#MomsNiteOut is basically a celebration of "Mommyhood" with national events across the country. The kids were with their Dad so why not? Yesterday's event held at The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City and hosted by the DC based event planning firm, District Fete had a hefty social media presence and included a fashion show, makeovers, store savings, and swag free goodies. I reconnected with a couple blogger buds and met some new buds of whom I had previously connected with via Instagram but hadn't had the pleasure of meeting until yesterday.

Being as though the event took place at one of my fave local shopping destinations, I certainly didn't leave empty handed. But this post is not meant to be another "shopping confessions" so I will keep the goods to myself. Your best chance of sneaking a peek, is following me on Instagram @ bagladies.

For more on #MomsNiteOut, visit momsniteout.com.
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For #BagLadiesLIVE segments, showtimes and more, visit www.bagladiesradio.com. Click to follow me on IG and Twitter @ bagladies.

Catch up on the dish you missed by going to www.bagladiesradio.com/listen. Scroll down to OnDemand and press play.

Mommy Midday is Back! Kids + Fashion = Good Dish!

Although we love to dish about many topics. Tonite's #BagLadiesLIVE brings together two fave topics of "dish", KIDS + FASHION which makes tonite's show a perfect platform to re-introduce "Mommy Midday."

www.styleofwhitneyalana.com 

Bag Ladies Radio is all about the reality of life, living and being a woman. As such, the reality of a lot of our listeners lives is that they are “Mommies” too ...As am I (Lady Erin), and my cohost @BabyShopa. We are joined tonite by Children's Wardrobe Stylist, Whitney Alana to dish about hot trends in kids fashion, how to define your child's style and more. Being as though fashion is always a hot topic amongst the Bag Ladies cast, tonite's show could be an all-nighter! 

If you wanna ask a question of tonite's guest or have your own kids + fashion commentary to share, please tweet with hashtag #BagLadiesLIVE attached.

We air at 7:30p EST. Visit www.bagladiesradio.com/listen to eavesdrop on tonite's show or if you want to stay mobile, simply call in and listen at 347.327.9510.

www.bagladiesradio.com/listen

The tone of Mommy Mid-Day is personal and intimate and consists of one-on-one interviews with featured guests. Mommy Midday speaks to the highs and the lows, the joys and the woes of parenting in an effort to further support the Bag Ladies Radio audience and the reality of their lives. Mommy Midday lends support to those women amongst the Bag Ladies Radio audience, navigating "Mommyhood." 

Visit www.bagladiesradio.com and stay connected for more on Mommy Midday and upcoming segments.
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Catch up on the dish you missed by going to www.bagladiesradio.com/listen. Scroll down to OnDemand and press play.

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And for more on segments, showtimes and more, visit www.bagladiesradio.com.