The Daily Krier

While being treated for severe back pain this past weekend, I was talking with my chiropractor about what I do for a living and how stress is affecting my back.  As we discussed my social media efforts, the chiropractor made a comment about how she didn’t understand what the fuss was about or how she could use something like Facebook for her business.  Having reviewed their website when I first started going there, I was shocked. Read the rest of this entry »

While it sounds kind of dirty, trust me, it’s not.  Read on.  A colleague and I were on the phone the other day with the coordinator for an upcoming event that our CEO is speaking at.  As we were discussing other ways to get visibility at the event, the topic of sponsoring the Mingle Stick came up.  The what?!?  Yes, you read that right - there is something called a Mingle Stick.  Intrigued, we asked for more information and soon I found myself on the company’s website.  What a fun idea!  And the name of the product practically BEGS people to talk about it.  If you haven’t checked it out, I encourage you to do so.  Then you can ask your colleagues and friends - “Do you have a Mingle Stick?”

I received a postcard in the mail earlier this week from the high school I attended, requesting that I call the 800 number to update my biographical information.  I called the number and updated all of my information (personal and professional) and heard the rep on the phone say “so can South High depend on you to support them financially by purchasing a copy of this directory”?  Huh?  Directory?  I asked the person, “You mean a directory is actually being printed, hard copy?”  His response?  “Well we are printing a soft cover version, too.”  My rebuttal was to point out that many websites and social networking sites exist where people can connect with former classmates for no cost so why would I purchase a directory? (My 20-year high school reunion was last year and the group that pulled it together created a site just for the reunion where pictures and messages could be posted, bios updated, etc.).  To which the rep says, “Well I have just the option for you that I think fits your needs.  We are creating a CD that you can buy that has the names and biographies of all South High graduates for over the past 50 years through to the graduating class of 2009.”  I could barely contain my laughter.  A CD?  Really?!?  It actually made me a little sad that this is one of the fundraising efforts underway — it’s so out of date.  Surely there are better ways to raise money — ways that incorporate social media and don’t waste money printing directories that will be out of date tomorrow.

Today is my older son’s 3rd birthday.  I can’t believe he’s 3 already.  He’s turning into such a handsome young boy with such a great personality. He’s very inquisitive, talkative and full of imagination.  I’m amazed at how he thinks things through and the questions he comes up with.  His favorite song is “Hot Pants” by the B-52s.  Seems funny but there is a reasonable explanation there.  As we’re in the midst of potty training he has had the occasional accident and one day came home in a pair of pink pants as those were the only spare ones available at day care.  Well he loves music and loves to dance so when he came home that day in those pink pants and said he wanted to dance, well one song came to mind.  Just this morning, for example, he was watching the movie “Cars” (his favorite) and actually decided he’d rather have music on instead so he could dance.  So on came “Hot Pants” and he jumped around the room, giddy with excitement.

So as I watch him grow, I can only hope that I’m raising a good person, one who enjoys life, treats others well, is inquisitive, kind and smart.  He’s on that path already and I truly enjoy being blessed enough to witness his development.  Happy Birthday my sweet boy!

As we start the second month of the year, I’m amazed at how quickly time continues to pass.  My older son turns 3 on Saturday and I wonder how he got to be 3 already.  Seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital to a half packed up house as we moved 3 weeks later.  Every weekday it seems like I race around, anxious to get to the weekend to spend more time with my family.  I feel like I’m always counting down to that next big event (Joshua’s birthday party this Saturday), the next vacation (not planned at this point), warmer weather (not coming soon enough), etc.  Have we as a society become so conditioned to work toward that next deadline or event that we’re not content to simply relish the here and now?  And is that healthy?  It seems like all of us are driving for more, better, faster but what does that get us in the end?  With contant focus on the next event are we enjoying the time in between at all?

A good friend of mine just put her house on the market about a week ago.  Yes, it’s the middle of winter in Wisconsin but she’s already had good activity in terms of showings.  Even before the house was officially listed, she had been posting messages and pictures to Facebook to start creating a buzz.  Once it was listed she posted that, too.  I’m encouraging her to take it one step further by asking her network to help spread the word.  Tweet about it and ask people to retweet, ask friends to post on Facebook, etc.  They already have a video of the home, which is fantastic.  That’s the beauty of social media — you have access to a large universe of people thanks to your friends, their friends, etc.  She’s got a wonderful house in a great part of Milwaukee so it shouldn’t take her any time at all to sell it.  So if you’re in the market for a charming cape cod in Glendale, get in touch with the realtor.

Now that it’s been a few days and I’m mostly comfortable with using my new Droid, I decided tonight was the night to jump in and learn more about the numerous apps that are available for download.  I had downloaded 2 or 3 right when I activated the phone (thanks to the helpful reps at Verizon Wireless), but really got into it tonight.  Right off the bat, I’ll say that I’m not going to get into an argument with any iPhone users about how many more apps the iPhone has over the Droid. My point is that for a new Droid user, I’ve found a ton of really cool apps that I’m really excited about.  My faves so far?  Children’s Health (as a mom w/2 young boys I can see this coming in VERY handy); Google Sky Map (it’s super cool); Healthy Recipes (good for the New Year resolutions); Key Ring (allows me to get rid of all those annoying “rewards” cards that I carry in my purse); ShopSavvy (scan a barcode and find the item plus compare costs at various stores); and Twidroid (Twitter app for Droid) to name a few.  It is pretty overwhelming with thousands of apps out there.  What struck me as I was perusing the “market” for apps was how devices like the Droid can put all sorts of  resources, tools and more right into my hand, all easily accessible in one spot.  Maybe one day I won’t need to carry around a purse — I’ll have everything I need in my mobil device.  Sounds cool at first, but what would I do with all my cool purses?!

For the past couple of weeks my husband and I have been looking for a new refrigerator, with most of our research done online.  We have ventured out to a few stores which was a bit of a nightmare with two small children in tow.  From a shopping perspective, we hit the jackpot at Steinhafels.   This two-level megastore had all sorts of things to make the outing with two boys under 3 a lot easier.  First are the escalators up to the 2nd floor, followed by the car-like carts at the landing.  They each climbed into one and off we went in search of the free cookies.  Right next to the cafe is the play area, which overlooks the warehouse below.  How cool for them — seeing forklifts zoom around!  That was a bigger hit (almost) than the cookies.

So hats off to Steinhafels.  Even though we didn’t purchase anything there (turns out they don’t sell appliances), they made our time there much easier than the other stores we visited.

My husband bought me the new Droid for Christmas and while I was a bit hesitant at first, the more I play with it, the more I love it!  So many fun apps and cool features.  I know the iPhone fans out there will disagree with me but I don’t have one so I can’t compare them side by side.  As they continue to make enhancements the phone will get even better but honestly I haven’t found anything wrong with it right now.  I stopped in at a local Verizon store the other night so they could transfer my contacts from my Blackberry to my Droid and while I was there one of the sales reps showed me a few tricks that have led to longer battery life already.  Plus, I’ve received 3 emails from Verizon thanking me for my upgrade, asking for quick feedback (2 questions, literally) and providing 5 quick tips for getting the most out of my Droid. Very nice!

I enjoyed Christmas so much this year, because my older son is almost 3 and was totally into it.  He got so excited about each present, it was just adorable.  My younger son is 18 months so he wasn’t as fascinated as my older son.  Needless to say, the house is strewn with new toys and books, most of which is Cars-related.  The other really cool toy we got was a Wii with the Wii Fit from my parents.  I didn’t expect to be as into it as I have been.  Christmas Eve night we bowled, played archery, table tennis and sword fighting (ask my husband about the last one — LOL!).  It has really brought out my competitive streak!  And today I spent 45 minutes doing fun Wii Fit stuff — aerobics, hula hoop, yoga and strength training.  I love that it tracks your progress and stats in so many ways.  Too much fun!  I hope you had a fun and relaxing holiday as well.