How many times have we had an ordinary day? Thought it was boring, not even worth a reflection. Many people wish they’d had an ordinary, boring day last Friday.
By now most Americans have heard about the young man who changed lives, destroyed lived, took lives, killing 26 people (20 are children between 5-10 years old) at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
There are many articles you can read on the subject, Who was he? Why did he do it? Was he mentally ill? Who’s fault is it?
But right now it seems prayers for those in pain, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, and maybe reaching out in some way is the important thing. Click here for more ways to help.
And remembering, especially while we are in the “holiday season”, the season of miracles, we can adjust our Miracle Glasses and recognize our ordinary day is a cluster of miracles taken for granted.
Our hearts go out to all those directly affected and the innocent souls who lost their lives.
Please leave a comment on GiveMeMilk about your Ordinary-Day-Miracles…
Wonder what happens when dads go wild? When they’re super-committed dads operating at the extreme end of creativity and business savvy, they end up with StoryBots!
Before we get to StoryBots, let’s connect the story dots…
●Gregg and Evan are brothers from the east coast. Jerseylicious to be specific. ● Photo by Steve Labadessa/ BusinessWeek
Fast forward: ●Evan is (brilliant) creative end. ●Gregg uses his business sense and sees opportunity for a new kind of media company. ● (photo from JibJab blog) ●Together in 1999 they create JibJab. www.JibJab.com ● ●Together in 2000, the dot.com crash, they went broke. But along with their ability to see and integrate the currents of technology, business trends and traditional human need for humor, connection and cerebral stimulation, the 2 young guys have the freedom to take risks and producing edgy, roasting material.● Their 2004 Presidential election satire video has unexpected popularity. JibJab wisely uses this as a spring board, putting http://www.JibJab.com at the tip of typing fingers.
Fast forward again: ●Evan & Gregg have added wives…then children(in that order). Now what for the edgy, sometimes ●raunchy, JibJab?
●The kid’s market. JibJab produces JibJab Jr., iPad apps for personalizing children’s books using child’s photo and name. Their latest, and maybe their greatest to date, of their clever and playful creations…StoryBots!● www.StoryBots.com
● I had the pleasure to meet Gregg and Evan at Time To Play 2012 where they showcased StoryBots. I decided to show you the StoryBots for letter A, because StoryBots is “A”mazing.
These are excellent learning tools that will allow your child to absorb the lessons through play and in an age appropriate style. Kudos to the artists who developed these adorable and relatable cartoon images, music and lyrics. I feel very grateful I will be able to offer this to my children as soon as they’re ready.
Look at these precious characters! It’s hard not to fall in love with StoryBots, not to mention Gregg and Evan, the wildly creative, smart, playful dads-next-door.
I did not receive compensation for this post. The only thing I received was promotional material which included a few songs and 2 StoryBots letters, all of which you can find for free on YouTube.com. My commentary here is from my heart because living in a country where our educational system is failing our children I’m forever grateful that we have thoughtful, talented people producing products that are valuable beyond itself. Please support business’ such as JibJab/StoryBots that are of the few (very needed) brands that while making profit are looking to improve quality of life.
Up’s and down’s, good & bad economies, humble beginnings or humbling moments…we all have different stories, but none of us (social media moms & mompreneurs) who are trying to ‘make it’ are without rocks on our road. In another word, challenges. At the Disney On The Road SMM conference it was great to hear some polished, powerful women (and moms!) tell us how it was “On The Road” to their success. CHALLENGES ARE WHAT MAKE US BETTER
It was Maria Bailey www.momtalkradio.com who launched the word passion over the room at the Disney On The Road conference for social media moms September 19, 2012 at Melville Marriot in NY. She opened up the floor for passionate successes:
who shared candidly what it took for them to “make it”.
Susan Cuehlo told about her past, about her drive to succeed and her passion. When a participant asked Susan for advice about starting a blog and how can she get many readers, her advice was to take the angle she felt most passionate about. Another participant, Maria from www.BiCulturalMama.com chimed in, speaking from the heart; follow the ideas and angles that are most meaningful to you and not only will you feel fulfilled, you will attract the people genuinely interested. I appreciated Maria from www.BiCulturalMama.com ‘s generosity and realized that we have so much to learn from each other. PASSION & FROM THE HEART
Even the fact that I’m writing this at midnight is because Esti Berkowitz www.PrimeTimeParenting.com inspired me. Esti honestly asked Britt Menzies www.StinkyKids.com how to work our SM biz while having another job, raising small children and managing a household. Esti, in all her cuteness, talks about falling asleep on the keyboard. Who can’t relate?! …because the only time to write the review is when we should be sleeping! Britt confirmed it’s a challenge. Britt says she doesn’t believe in balance, she believes in juggling. She answers her blackberry even when she’s with her kids, juggling being a mom and creating a business. Also it’s her way of being honest about who she is, realizing she must go beyond old limits. BALANCE vs. JUGGLING
Maria Bailey www.momtalkradio.com said something similar when telling us about her kids. It seems now that her kids are on their own they are emulating Maria’s work ethic and public speaking talent. Maria said unintentionally she’s taught her children (who are now young adults) how to succeed by being the model. BEING REAL & GOING BEYOND OLD LIMITS
I walked out of the conference feeling light and thinking about what this morning’s Disney On The Road conference meant in my world; a morning that I had to set up babysitting for, prepare bottles and breakfast and lunch for my 2 year old, worry about how my 2 year old’s rash was and if I should be at the pediatrician’s rather than this conference. And I realized that’s what this conference is all about. Being present in life means we are in action, “on the road”. Our roads are not that different than the roads of Maria Bailey, Susan Coehlo, Britt Menzies and Debi Silber. When we are “on the road” we will be confronted with rocks and twigs and startled by an occasional deer. We must … BALANCE vs. JUGGLING, acknowledge our PASSION and OPERATE FROM THE HEART, GO BEYOND LIMITS. Above all we need to stay the course…stay “On The Road”…eventually it leads to success.
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(HTV’s Surprise Gardener)
