ChildsPlayPR Mommy Blogger Event - More Fun Than Work, Yet Overflowing With Great Consumer Brands for Families and

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

Who says being a Mom has to be all work and no play?  The answer is ChildsPlayPR, for one, which hosted Southern California's top 50 Mommy Bloggers to its first-ever Bloggers Brunch event in the Los Angeles area.

How fortunate we were to be invited to this opportunity to meet an assortment of consumer vendors as colorful as the brightest rainbow and to see and learn about some innovative new products that enhance living for the entire family.  That's not to mention how wonderful it was to finally chat with Child's Play Communications President Stephanie Azzarone, the award-winning dynamo who organized this event, up close and personal.   Another side benefit was getting to catch up and mingle with my blogging friends -- almost all busy moms and bloggers -- whom I don't often get to see since we are spread out throughout the metropolitan five county Southern California area that encompasses hundreds of square miles.

The best things about this event were many -- here are but a few of the highlights

• It was an intimate gathering, not a mega conference with hundreds or thousands of attendees like Blogher or the Consumer Electronics Show -- two other important industry events that mommy bloggers like me should attend.
• The brands displaying their wares and who were answering our questions at ChildsPlayPR's Brunch may have been few in number but so was the ratio of brands to bloggers.  In fact, this mom personally feels that we received much more attention than we're accustomed to from all the top-tier vendors in attendance.  In just a few hours all of us had the opportunity to talk one on one with representatives ranging from Pottery Barn Kids, Summit Toy, Nickelodeon, Coldstone Creamery, and Toyota to Bandai, Pajama Jeans, Temptress, and Dyson Vacuums.
• In contrast, the blogger raffle prizes supplied by these companies were plentiful, totaling thousands of dollars in value all tolled.  I wasn't one of the lucky ladies to take home one of those really big prizes though.  But, don't worry, I didn't go home crying either.  That's because woman who joined this meet-up received multiple gift bags, one from each of the brands that participated.  Watch MommyBlogExpert for a separate post soon with additional photos from the event as well as details on all the goodies that were gifted to us bloggers.  
• From the moment of arrival at the seaside Manhattan Beach, California's boutique and trendy Shade Hotel outdoor atrium where the event was held, ChildsPlayPR and the consumer companies pampered us guests.  We were greeted with Mimosas in champagne glasses, followed by a lovely light brunch - lunch of salads and omelets made to order, and finished off with some really scrumptious Coldstone Creamery ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  On top of it all, all ladies attending received makeovers by Temptress Cosmetics.
• Most importantly, many new business contacts were solidified between bloggers and the brands who attended that day.  For example, thanks to the connections made at this particular gathering, I've already worked with Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band twice, having been invited to their Paramount Studios set to interview the entire cast of the show as well as to conduct a back stage interview after the group's live musical performance last weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.  I'm also talking with other family shows at Nick for future posts, too.  Also, my work is cut out for me in the months ahead as I've also lined up a number of product reviews with other brands I met at this ChildsPlayPR interactive event, all of which will eventually be published on this blog.

About Child'sPlayPR and Child's Play Communications
Child's Play Communications, hosts of the 2010 Child'sPlayPR Bloggers Brunch in L.A., held similar events in New York in for the past two years.  The company specializes exclusively in public relations, social media and word of mouth for products and services targeting moms.  Based in New York, this is the first agency ever to focus on that market niche, connecting companies with moms for more than 20 years.  Stephanie Azzarone, president of Child's Play Communications, is pictured at left.  A video of the ChildsPlayPR 2010 Bloggers Brunch in L.A. can be viewed here.

FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert attended this hosted ChildsPlayPR event in addition to receiving various products in gift bags from the vendors mentioned in this post who participated .   MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.    

Easy Green Organic by Anna Getty, Much More Than Just Another Cookbook - It's About Eco Living at its Finest - BOOK REVIEW

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

WIN Anna Getty's New Book - See bottom of this post for giveaway details

Anna Getty is a woman on a mission.  Not only is she an heiress, chef, actress, fashionista, and author of multiple books -- to mention just a few of her talents.  She is also a mom who lives and promotes living green in every facet of her life.

The holistic living expert's latest title, Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic, may look like another healthy, organic cookbook judged just by its front cover.  But, once opened you'll have a whole new perspective and will read, see, and learn so much more.  This is actually Getty's second title for Chronicle Books.  Her first book published last Fall, I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas, was selected as both one of the best gifts for 2009 last year for Thanksgiving and Christmas .

Some similarities do exist between the old and the new -- for example the strong influence the author's daughter and husband have had on her wonderfully elegant prose.  Another is the beautiful photography by Ron Hamad.  All this is artfully interspersed with shocking but motivating statistics, resources, and all manner of valuable information on what each of us can do to help our planet while also living more richly.  Besides that, both soft covers are practical filled with how to advice for creative souls while also appealing to the many more pedestrian readers who likely will appreciate these equally as conversational pieces and as coffee table books that are inspiring just to thumb through.

What sets Easy Green Organic apart from its predecessor, though, is that while Getty's first publication draws from nature and is focused on how to create gifts, decorate and entertain for the holidays, her new book just released this month is all about cooking, eating, and living organically year-round.  Notably, in the more recent title, there are 75 more pages to absorb and enjoy -- thanks in large part to Dan Goldberg, noted food photographer who has teamed up with Hamad -- to create some particularly delectable color visuals to accompany the recipes.

In this clip from the publisher's site Getty's neighborly style, energetic poise, intelligence, ability to entertain, and panache as a cook all shine brightly

It's hard to choose what is the best thing Easy Green Organic has to offer us because it covers such a broad range of territory.  On the one hand, there is the opportunity to learn about what sustainable farming and shopping organic is all about.  How we can embrace these things to help us cut down -- or even more ideally, eliminate all together -- exposure to pesticides through the produce our families eat.   

For sure, having access to food that is not only good for us but absolutely delicious as well is also the goal.  In this book, Getty answers these desires by sharing new and inventive recipes that are both healthy and easy to prepare such as "Baked Portobello Mushrooms With Avocado and Pesto" and "German Potato Pancakes With Turmeric Pear Applesauce and Chive Creme Fraiche," plus many more similarly tantalizing dishes.  

All love is not lost just on the adults, either, in this book.  Kids are going to love her ideas, too.  I mean, what  youngster is not going to like these treats?  "Sweet Potato Fries With Maple Barbecue Sauce," that are baked rather than fried,  "Juliet's No-Fail Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips," and much more.

Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic, $24.95, was published in 2010 by Chronicle Books and is available at major booksellers.

Easy Green Organic Book Giveaway Contest 
WIN this book.  To enter this MommyBlogExpert Book giveaway, simply read this review and leave a comment below this post telling what you like most about Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic.  Don't forget to include your email, Twitter or Facebook info so we may contact you in the event that you are the winner. Eligibility: must be legal resident of the U.S. to win with limit of one entry per person.  Contest ends at 11:59 pm PDT on May 15, 2010.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received a copy of the book reviewed.  For this MommyBlogExpert giveaway contest a copy of Easy Green Organic is being given a way to one lucky contest winner.  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post or giveaway contest.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.    

Fun Crafts for Kids to Make With Recycled Materials to Celebrate Earth Day

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

This list of ideas and links to fun crafts kids and families can make with recycled items in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day which falls on April 22nd.  Any of these projects would be fun for teachers to make at school with students or for moms and dads to make with their children at home.

Once again Disney's Family Fun Magazine & Website comes through with some very clever robots you can make from tin cans and household bric-a-brac.  Whoever thought this idea up is brilliant.  

Get the How Tos for this project and others here 32 Family Fun eco-friendly arts & crafts projects.

My kids and I will be working on another recycling project idea we got from the current April issue of Family Fun, so stay tuned and we will be posting more about it later. 

Making art out of reclaimed materials is good for the Earth and fun at every age.  What have you and your family made?

Please post the links to other ideas you like and don't forget to include links to the recycled projects you and your kids have made to share with us.

FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert and family are long-time subscribers to the print edition of Family Fun Magazine.  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.