Cultural Exchange 2.0

Many of you know I do a weekly blast through my local Facebook Group & Blog Stuff To Do With Your Kids In Kitchener Waterloo, but not many of you know why I do it.

In KW there are two sets of FREE/LOW COST Children's Activities.  The first is for Children 6 and under.  The second is for those 13 and up.

If you have a child the age of 7 to 12 you've got a dilema. YES there are all kinds of organizations IE Minor Sports, Drama Schools, Music Lessons etc. to sign up for, but the costs are very high and if you want to do more than one it can be difficult on a budget.

If you're child is very young there are FREE library programs, Early Childhood Centres, Playgroups etc.

If you're a teen there are EYEGO programs, youth festivals etc.

They've forgotten about the tweens here.  They aren't old enough to go places without their parents, but too old to be amused by sing a-longs and cut and paste projects.

There are lots of events in KW but without budgets for advertising it's difficult to get the word out about them (we used to live for the summer, being many of the outdoor festivals offer fun for all).  That's why I do the weekly blast, I research for family events happening locally & glady welcome info from others about great KW happenings and get the word out to the parents in this area.

I saw a "problem" & I found a way to do something about it.

Today THEMUESEUM (a place I fully support any opportunity I get) hosted #CulturalExchange2 which was an evening to meet local candidates and hear their views on Arts & Culture in KW.

I think my "problem" would count as Culture based one.  I figured if I complain about this problem I should be taking steps to rectify it and saw this as an opportunity to hear the opinions of others, about this, and other topics surrounding the Arts & Culture Community in this Region.

I loved the way that the event was set up.  Thankfully it was NOT a debate.  I hate the me vs. you, or it's all their fault type of discussions.

The event was set up as groupings.  Each Candidate had 3 mins to talk about Arts & Culture.  Then the candidates were rotated from table to table to discuss with the attendees their thoughts on the topics.

Our table had an Artist, a CBC advocate, a Social Media/Venue pressence and a MOM.

Being that I am NOT shy I spoke to everyone that came to our table (that's why we were there right?) about Arts & Culture in KW.  I feel we (our table)were heard and I think that candidates felt the same.  One thing did strike me as extremely memorable.  One candidate asked if I was an artist, to which I replied no and explained my "problem"/reason for attending.  I brought up the point that many TEEN events are not well attended because they lose them over the TWEEN years and wonder why they don't come back.  I also mentioned that experiencing new things is also a part of the learning process and the TWEENS may have carried that on to TEEN years had they been given that encouragement from the Arts and Culture sector. The candidates and attendees at the table did not realize that there was such a gap for tween kids in KW.  I hope they do something to change that now that they have been informed. 

Many thanks to THEMUSEUM for hosting an event that opened eyes from both sides of the table.

Following Fans

There are all kinds of blog tours (blog carnivals, memes however you refer to them) to help gain blog readers. There are also comment loops to increase traffic and twitter parties almost every night to help you gain followers and get people reading your info.

What I've noticed a lot of lately are a lot of "Hey want to follow my Fan Page?" requests. I myself am included in this request statement.

No matter how much you update, send invites for followers, add Like buttons linking to the page, etc. I've found it hard to gain followers on the Fan Pages I admin and keep the Fans engaging on the Fan Pages.

My Facebook Profile and Twitter Profile are growing steadily and I am thankful for that, but it seems unless you are a HUGE corporation a lot Fan Pages don't increase in numbers the way that other networks do.

So I've Got A Plan....

Following Fans!

It works like the blog tours, but with a few simple rules if you would like to participate

• You must have a Facebook Fan Page that get updated AT LEAST once a week (preferrably more to keep your audience engaged)
• Remember to be HELPFUL to the pages you LIKE (Thumbs Up, Comments etc)
• If you REALLY REALLY REALLY like their content, make sure to add it to your Page Favorites

Remember the more you give the more you get!

How Do YOU Join in the fun?  Just put the info the boxes below

1. The Name Of Your Facebook Fan Page
2. Your Email (it won't be displayed)
3. The URL for your Facebook Fan Page (IE http://www.facebook.com/Those2Girls6DegreesOfUs)

When you hit submit it will make a clickable link to your Fan Page. What are you waiting for? Submit yours & start checking out the others listed. A little LIKE can go a LONG way!

Eminem Dr Dre and Those2Girls

Driving home today the new Eminem/Dr Dre I NEED A DOCTOR tune came on.  As I'm singing along I came to the realization that their solid friendship is a lot like Diane & my friendship, with the exception of the F-Bombs & Rap Skills.
I know that sounds WHACK (Gangsta enough for you?) but it's true.

We always have each other's back no matter the situation.  We believe in each others goals and are always open to see what new challenges/fun/adventures are coming our way.  We know what Dre & Marshall are talking about when they say about others talking SMACK (see I can do this).  We've been told that we're draining, loud, intense, our ideas won't work, we will fail miserably trying, I could go on, but just like that DUO we don't let any of that noise get in our way.

Why did I write all of this?  Diane needs some cheering up.  She's been ill all week (& truthfully for the better part of month) and needs some encouragement.  She's frustrated and feels that the doctors, pharmascists, natural food store services reps etc. aren't listening to her

But I'm listening.

Sometimes I lean on her, sometimes she leans on me.  Sometimes she's Eminem & Sometimes she's Dr. Dre.

Take a listen & you'll know what I mean



When she's back to perfect health, who knows what we'll tackle next.  Do you have someone like this in your life?  Who's your Eminem?

Boobfest from my Perfect little Perch

Last June I was fortunate enough to attend Boobfest.  No it's not a festival of boobs, but it is a festival FOR boob health!
Dee aka @CocktailDeeva spoiled us all with food, fun and fabulousness all for an important cause.  She raised funds to participate in the Weeknend To End Women's Cancers.

That was last June

Flash forward --> Dee has been very inspiring to the women who converse with her online & in real life. 

• She and sparked a movement with her #BeKind video
• Turned shoe swapping into a benefit for local food banks.
• She taught us all how to use technolgy to start convos with our kids via her #DearDaughter video
• Is always supportive of the people around her

January 1st everyone was announcing their resolutions.  Right now I am so VERY thankful for all the wonderful things that happened in 2010 I decided my resolution was to #PayItForward .  I told Dee that my resolution was to help her with whatever I could this year.  I'm glad she knows I'm true to my word.

I got a message from Dee saying that this year she wanted to add a twitter element to BOOBFEST 2011 & would I be interested in hosting the twitter party right from her party.
I immediately said yes!  Not only was I excited, I was honoured that she would entrust a part of her event to me aka the #TwitterFairy.

I had my only little spot which I called my #TwitterFairy perch.  I was able to interact with guests at the party and with the online donaters.  It was the best of both worlds.

Not only did I get to know more about the online participants, I also had a great perspective of everything going on in the KITCHEN PARTY.  (See what what happened here), which included capturing my now FAVE pic of Dee

When the online & in person parties ended the donations totaled $11,000.00

We'll DEFINATELY Drink to that

(thanks Diane for taking over camera duties!)

Please know that the fundraising continues over at Boobfest.ca where you can contribute to Dee's 2011 walk.

I can't begin to describe what an amazing night it was, but I hope this #TwitterFairy earned her wings!



Twitter Hashtags & Twitter Parties! Are you in the LOOP?

Hi Everyone!

I know of two twitter parties this week.  Wednesday night @YMCBookalicious is having a book club one & Thursday is the @Boobfest twitter party.  I've been telling people about them, but then this happens...

I hear "but they are so confusing"
So I respond with "FOLLOW THE HASHTAG"
Which then I hear "what does that mean?"

So here is the way I follow twitter parties.  1st I use tweetdeck.  I have instructions about tweetdeck on this post. Twitter for pals not yet on twitter
Further down on that post I explain tweetdeck.

Now that you have tweetdeck all fired up there is a trick.  A hashtag which is essentially the number sign  #  and it makes whatever is right beside it searchable.
In tweetdeck if you click on the hashtag, a new column pops up & lists every tweet with that hashtag in it, and updates the stream as new tweets come in.

If for some reason tweetdeck is not your preference I've started using a different site that it works on as well
Kurrently.com searches both Twitter & Facebook for that hashtag & constantly auto-updates it as well.  Plus in the left column you can pick the speed you want it to update.

Test it with our FAVE hashtag #TiaraARMY Send out a tweet & put #TiaraARMY in your tweet.  Everyone following the #TiaraARMY hashtag will then see it in their feed.

How does this help? Well first off you will connect with a bunch of new twitter folks that have the same interest as you.  Second you can participate in TWITTER PARTIES!

What are Twitter Parties? Well they are a convo about a common topic.

Wednesday (March 30, 2011) night @YMCBookalicious will be hosting a Book Club Twitter Party for Jodi Picoult's  "Sing You Home" You can read more about it here Rembember to use the hashtag #SingYouHome to particpate/follow along.  Wanda is great & will help you get the hang of it!

Thursday (March 31, 2011) night I am lucky enough to be hosting @CocktailDeeva 's @Boobfest twitter party.  Make sure to register here to "Help Save First Base" (that always makes my chuckle).  With you registration you have the chance to win some fabulous prizes while helping this very worthy cause.
For more info on Boobfest, make sure to check out Boobfest.ca

Don't worry about twitter ettiquiette (which will be a separate post) during a twitter party because they move very fast!  Just make sure to keep a positive attitude & remember to have fun.  Who knows you might form a friendship or two via the twitter party. 

If you have any advice or favorite sites you use for hastags/twitter parties, please leave it in the comment section!  I'd love to here about it too!

& remember if you have questions be sure to hit me up @Those2Girls

Happy Twittering All!

International Women's Day 2011 And What I Did For It

Today marks 100th International Women's Day.  Usually I take this day to talk about how I'm very lucky to live in a country where I have rights as so many women around the world do not.  I also talk about how thankful I am to the women who fought for those rights, and how we need to appreciate everything they went through to do that.

This year I decided to talk about something different.  I decided at 7:30am this morning after I watched this


It's about my label... and it's about a post.  A post that I have re-written several times.  A post I submitted to a few sites regarding my family situation.  No one ever published it.  I figured my story wasn't worth it then.  I made me think it was too harsh for others to hear.

Until this morning.....

___________________________________________________________________________

The Truth Is...  I'm a Single Mom

But I’ll never tell you that when I first meet you. Why? Because you’ll treat me differently. It’s happened before. It’s like the episode of Sex In The City when Miranda is trying to buy an apartment and she says “It’s just me” everyone is taken aback by it all.


I wasn’t always single, but at no point after my son was born did I refer to myself as a Married Mom, so why would I start calling myself a Single Mom? I’m a Mom and a good one at that! (cue the roaring crowd).

I love meeting people. I love hearing their stories. I dislike when they start out with “Well I’m a Single Mom” I just smile and nod. Your marital status should have no bearing on who you are. It’s about you, not who you’re with. If you are married and happy that’s great! If you’re single and happy why can’t that be great too?

Apparently a lot don’t see it that way. Once people do find out that I’m single I hear the most awkward things “but you seem so cheerful I would have never guessed you’re alone” or “do you find the holidays tough financially and emotionally being a Single Mom?” I don’t know how to respond to those statements. I usually just stammer something about I’m fine and all is well, but really I think that the person inquiring thinks less of me.

Really what is a Married Mom? Obviously she’s a Mom that’s married.

What is a Single Mom, well that’s a whole new can a of worms

She could have always been single, and raised a child on her own. She could have been married then widowed. She could be divorced with full custody. She could be divorced with split custody. The scenarios are endless. Great Moms are great no matter the circumstances. We all run kids activities, wipe runny noses, wash too many loads of laundry, and wish for a few more hours of sleep.

That’s the group I want to be in with. So The Truth is … I’m a Mom
_______________________________________________________________________________

There is it my label about me being ME
Thanks to Mabels Lables for sparking something what would have been labeled as just another TUESDAY Morning.

How Tweestock Made Brantford My 2nd Home

It all started on Twitter (of course it did, all the great things do).

@unmarketing 's Scott Stratten sent out a tweet.  He was working on the #unbook at the time & asked how business owners felt about Trade Shows.  I messaged back asking him if he would be interested in hearing about it from a show organizer's point of view (I am never afraid to ask, I figure the worst people can say to me is no & I'm okay with that).  Scott said SURE & I was very excited to be given this opportunity.  Fast forward several months and not only did Scott read my take on it, HE QUOTED ME IN THE UNMARKETING BOOK!

(this is my current claim to fame.  I spent most of the summer saying, not only am I in a Book, I'm in a book THAT PEOPLE ARE READING-this is a big deal to this little KW Gal). 

I can't thank Scott enough.  It's brought a lot of attention to MeFest and my co-host Diane & I are eternally grateful for it.
But we're also thankful for a whole other reason.
We gained a new set of Friends because of it.  They live in Brantford Ontario.

Diane and I headed off to the Unmarketing Book Launch in Sept 2010.
It was the first time I got to meet @LindseyJay face to face.  She brought @Trevor_Cherewka with her.  The four of us chatted about tweetups and how they have so many in Toronto and area, but that's a lot of travelling for us.  Lindsay said that Trevor organizes Tweetstock in Brantford and how fun it was.  We said that it's just down the road from KW & we would love to attend the next one.

A few weeks later Trevor messaged me asking me if we would speak at the next Tweetstock.  I agreed, but unfortunately Diane wasn't available.  This posed a bit of a problem.  If you know or follow me, I'm very social.  I love the back and forth of a conversation, coming up with ideas, learning about new things, so this would be easy right?  I found myself standing in front of a group of people talking to them about using twitter in an engaging way, only to find out most of them weren't on twitter.  So my talk became a bit of a ramble but after the speaking part I went back to having convos with the people in attendance and really loved how they were open to trying twitter (and taking Tiara pics!).

Since then I have been back to Brantford several times and my new pals have come to events in KW as well.  I was so excited to hear that the @TweetstockCA team were going to have both @KathyBuckworth and Scott Stratten for #Tweestock4 , but then quickly saddened by the fact it was the same day as TEDxWaterloo.  Just because I didn't think I could make it work it didn't stop me from helping my pals get the word out about such an #EPIC event!  It took until the week of the event to get all the quirks worked out so that Diane & I could arrange to GO TO TWEETSTOCK4 !!!  Yes I was that excited when I found out I could be there.  Upon arrival we were welcomed with open arms Literally (I warn people that I hug & take lots of pics).  The event was fantastic take a look here.  We had friends from London to Oakville that made the trip and the energy in the room that day was UN-believable (see how I threw that in there).

Hours later we arrived at the after party only for me to realize that I left my camera behind.  All of my pals hopped on twitter (remember the people who didn't have twitter just months earlier) and were messaging the organizers and the @SandersonCentre to let them know what had happened.  The following day I was informed that my camera was found and for fun Trevor tweeted out that a camera was found.  So many tweets came in saying that it belongs to @Those2Girls .  It made me feel so good to know that so many people were looking out for me.

As you can see I do have my camera back in my possession and speaking with Diane I said, once this weather breaks I can see us spending most of our time in Brantford (aka now my 2nd home).