Time for a Little Heart to Heart....

Speaking of diseases that try to destroy the women we love...

Friday, February 3 is National Wear Red Day. I will be wearing RED! (Note to self: Do some laundry.)

The National Go Red For Women Foundation focuses on bringing awareness to women's heart disease. Why only women and not men and women? As a person who has had male loved ones with serious heart disease, I was curious, too.

Their website explains it quite well, I think:

In the past, heart disease and heart attack have been predominantly associated with men. Historically, men have been the subjects of the research done to understand heart disease and stroke, which has been the basis for treatment guidelines and programs. This led to an oversimplified, distorted view of heart disease and risk, which has worked to the detriment of women.

Because women have been largely ignored as a specific group, their awareness of their risk of this often-preventable disease has suffered. Only 55 percent of women realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. The Go Red For Women movement works to make sure women know they are at risk so they can take action to protect their health.

We women are always the caregivers and rarely think about providing care for ourselves. It's time to put a stop to that oversight and place ourselves higher on the To Do list than the laundry and soccer practices! I mean, it's pretty freaking hard to multi-task if you're having a heart attack...

Though this short movie is meant to be light-hearted, it's not meant to downplay the seriousness of women's health and I think the point is pretty clear:



This February 29, Sassy Moms in the City will be hosting a fabulous event to draw awareness for women's heart health! Girl's Night Out will boast raffles, music, mini spa services, etc. FUN STUFF. Fun stuff that brings women together. Women that are all wearing red, joining forces, and remembering the reason behind our red dresses is to Fight Heart Disease and spread awareness of how to do so.

I just so happen to LOVE red dresses!!
* Sassy Moms is providing me with a complimentary ticket to help them spread the word for their event. Don't tell them (cuz I really want to go!), but I would have done it for free.

Pride doesn't exist when we're talking about Cancer

So, I was at Quigley's Irish Pub with some of the Chicago Blogger Gang (word) last week. Brandie was sitting next to me, being the bad influence that she is*, trying to get me to get up and do my jig.

"Oh, I'll do it!" I said. "Tell you what: you walk around and have people donate a buck for your Avon walk and I'll get up and do a full-on Tracey version of an Irish-jig-meets-Elaine-from-Seinfeld."And Brandie, being the sweet and delicate flower that she is**, blushed and giggled and wouldn't walk around, approaching random strangers for money to watch her friend dance.

GO FIGURE.

And Me, being not-quite-drunk-enough to TRULY embarrass myself in a bar full of very cute 20 something's, never did get up and do that jig (though, truth be told, it may have had something to do with the killer boots I was wearing and my fear of twisting an ankle in freaking JANUARY).

I came home that night, slightly inebriated, and fast-talking my husband's ear off about the Fabulous! Idea! I had and even went so far as to scribble my idea for said Fabulous Blog Post on a box of baby products I will be reviewing in a week (on tv! Again!). Yes. I wrote a drunken note to myself on baby products while drunk. (though only slightly drunk) Thankfully it was only the shipping box and I won't need to show it on television. Whew! My reputation is saved!

What is this Fabulous! Idea! you ask?

Well, Brandie has spent the last year beating the beast that is breast cancer away with many sharp, pointy sticks and other assorted weaponry. Now that she has cleared several hurdles, she's committed to walking in Avon 2 day Walk in Chicago. While I already personally donated to her walk, I really would like to help her earn a little more towards their goal. Sooooo....

I shall dance a jig!

Complete with Elaine kicks and embarrassing facial expressions. All it will take for you to witness this loveliness is a dollar or two, donated to Brandie's Avon Walk account. Avon doesn't take Paypal donations -sad face- but if you would like to donate via credit card or personal check, you can donate to Brandie's group. Or you can donate to Brandie's personal Paypal account that she will use towards her walk (Brandie185 at gmail dot com). Just comment below that you've done so, and I'll include it in the tally. Once we get to $50, the music shall commence.

Come on! A buck to see me dance? It truly is a treasure worth witnessing. Just ask anyone at BlogHer11...

Or weddings, random bars, or my kitchen for that matter...

Edited to add: Please tell me the amount you've donated so that I can start a count!

Current donations are at: $5.00

*We all know who the REAL*** bad influence is....

**Ha HA! She is no delicate flower. She is kicking cancer's ass as I type this. Only a Warrior can do that.

***It's true. I am a baaaaad influence...

The John Hancock Observatory

Looking for a different view of Chicago? Want to experience the height of the city from an alternative perspective? The John Hancock Observatory offers a cozy cafe with utterly breathtaking views of Chicago's lake, pier and North side. Within walking distance of Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile, you can spend the entire day enjoying the city!

Me, way up in the sky, enjoying the view of Lake Michigan

If your little ones are antsy to get active this winter, why not head on up to the 94th floor for indoor ice skating?!? That's right, you can ice skate 1,000 feet in the sky for only $5 (additional to JHO admission). Either bring your own skates or rent theirs for only $1. I don't think I've ever found anything downtown that cost a DOLLAR... Check for times and availability to pre-book your skating session as this is a popular event.


* Disclaimer: The John Hancock Observatory is a sponsor the the LTYM Chicago show. While sponsors will receive a comp. post on my site, all words and opinions remain my own.

Listen To Your Mother Auditions are here!

As you may know, I am thrilled to help bring the national show, Listen to Your Mother to Chicago this year. My partner, Melisa Wells of Suburban Scrawl, and I have been working really hard to make the 2012 show something really special. We've even found a fabulous restaurant, Uncommon Ground on Clark Street to host our audition night! I can't wait to try their delicious sounding crab cake sandwich while listening to all of your amazing pieces. I especially want to thank Uncommon Ground for their generous donation of their space! You're sure to find it as comfortable as we do and maybe you'll even stick around to chat with fellow writers over a cup of coffee and a creme brulee!

Naturally, for the show to come together, we're going to need some truly special speakers! Interested? Of course you are! Because you guys all have stories to tell and we want to hear them. If you live in the Northern Illinois area and want to audition to read your piece about motherhood, please read audition announcement details below. Remember that this is not a show for ONLY MOTHERS. If you are a man, woman, child, teen, adult and have been influenced by motherhood? Then you qualify!

CALLING ALL WRITERS, ASPIRING WRITERS, OR PEOPLE WITH A STORY OF MOTHERHOOD TO SHARE!

Chicago’s first ever LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show needs YOU!

(The show is scheduled for Sunday, 5/6/12 at a downtown Chicago venue to be announced soon.)

All ages, genders, ethnicities, varieties of writers are invited to audition for the show—-NON-MOTHERS WELCOME. Bring your own original humorous, poignant, and soulful words about the beauty, the beast, and the barely rested that is motherhood (or about your mother/person who raised you).

Auditions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY on Sunday, February 26 (3:00-10:00 pm) at Uncommon Ground, 3800 North Clark Street, Chicago.

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN AUDITION: please send an email to Tracey at mctrickyb@sbcglobal.net with the word “AUDITION” in the subject line. Please include your name and availability. Appointment slots (15-minutes each) will be first-come/first-serve until all slots are filled. AUDITION PIECES SHOULD NOT EXCEED 5 MINUTES. Please time yourself reading aloud before auditioning and edit if necessary. Shorter is fine. Shorter is great!

On audition day:
1. Bring a copy of your piece that will not be returned.
2. Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before your appointment to fill out an audition form
3. Previously published work is accepted as long as author retains full rights or has express permission to read the work for the event.

Commitment as a cast member includes two rehearsals TBD in March/April, and a pre-performance run-through at the theater.

Many LTYM Alumni had no professional writing or stage experience, some had never spoken in public—all will tell you of the amazing experience of sharing their story before their community.

Don't I WISH

A good husband is a man who, upon seeing a picture of his wife in a hippie skirt and fringed vest, says "When was that taken?" and then, when you guffaw and say "College!" he then replies, "Huh, you could have said last year and I would have believed you."

Smart man.

There are worse ways to go, I suppose.

So, I'm yawning and driving home from Disney on Ice last night, listening to Corinne and her friend giggle their blond heads off about, oh, everything. I couldn't help laughing at their discussions about gas and bodily functions (girls really can be just as gross as boys). And then it became a competition about everything from who had the most fun to who could yell the loudest (a tie) to who was the most tired.

"I'm sooooo tired!"
"No, I'm sooooo tired!"
"I'm more tired!"

Giggle. Giggle. Tee-hee.

"I'm so tired, I think I'll take a nap right now," I interjected at the steering wheel.

"Ok!" said the friend, "You can just scootch over and I'll drive and if a policeman pulls me over and says 'lemme see your license' I'll show him your license. And if he says 'This doesn't look like you' I'll just tell him that I've had some work done recently!"

And I died from the laughter that burst from my gut.

Right there. Death from laughing.

There are definitely worse ways to go.

Kenmore Knows

Kenmore knows what we want and how we want it. I always walk away from the Kenmore Live Studio thinking that their products are absolutely awesome. This weekend at the Kenmore Blogger Summit in Chicago was no different.

Why yes. That is me with a Google YouAreHere dot on my bum. You aren't really surprised by that, are you?

Forget the fact that we got to meet people from Google (YES. Google) and listen to a fabulous speaker from Wired.com. Forget about the fact that Kenmore and Sears provided each attendee with an awesome small appliance of their choice after feeding and housing us all for the weekend (I chose a new vacuum to replace my former, slowly dying, love...). We can even forget about the amazing prizes that 2 people were given (a 50/50 stove and the most beautiful refrigerator in the world...). Kenmore also knew that we wanted to be listened to and heard.

And we were.

Our ideas, our comments, and our experiences are what matters to the company and I left that summit feeling as though we were valuable resources who were truly important .Jim, aka Busydadblog, adding one of his Lunchbox Daily drawings to the whiteboard of ideas...

I also left with a coupon code for 30% off of any regular-price Kenmore small kitchen appliances, cookware, bakeware & kitchen gadgets. Anyone can use the offer at Sears.com and Kmart.com only. It does exclude sale, clearance and major appliances and expires on 2/4/12 so use it fast! Enter the code 30KENMORE at checkout.


*Disclaimer: I was given product during this summit that Kenmore also paid for but all opinions of their products and company are my own.