$75 Sponsored Blogger Opportunity for Preschool Math App – Deadline to Apply 8/6/13

Blog Opportunity

I have been compensated for this post

One of the goals of MommyBlogExpert is to share resources that help other moms and women that blog. So I didn't want you to miss this sponsored opportunity that I highly recommend you apply for if it's a match for your blog's content.

3 of my kids tinkering with a computer, Vintage family photo

Tech-savvy bloggers are currently being sought who are interested in writing about mobile games for children or educational topics and reviewing a preschool math education app. The client is a company that has created a unique mobile app that is designed to help preschool age children learn math concepts like counting, identifying colors, sizing shapes and objects in a fun and engaging way. 

Bloggers selected for this campaign will be compensated $75 for your time in testing the product and writing the review post. The developer will also provide a free version of the $7.99 app for you to review, as well as another free version to give away to your readers. 

Applicants that are chosen to participate in this compensated opportunity will be notified and given instructions for your post by this Friday, August 9th.

If this is a fit for you

Sign up HERE 
by Tuesday, Aug 6, 2013

FTC Disclosure: I am a Mom Ambassador for this brand and have been compensated for 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.

Twitter Party Calendar This Week August 4 - 10 w/ Prizes - Constantly Updated

Twitter Parties

Updated 8/9/13 - Sneak Peek at Coming Weeks Too!

Get all the details in this free constantly updated Twitter Party Master Calendar listing tons of family friendly parties including specifics on prizes you can win and links to RSVP and participate. Includes Twitter Parties in the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to check back often every week as new events are added on an ongoing basis -- often with new prize-winning opportunities added several times per day. You'll also get a sneak peek at Twitter parties coming up next week and in the month ahead. Now listing Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ parties with prizes too.

Be the first to know when the latest Mommy Blog Expert Twitter Party schedule goes live by following MBE on Twitter, Facebook and/or by subscribing to this blog right now.

THIS WEEK

Monday, August 5

Tiny Prints Back to School Pinning Twitter Party at 2 pm ET with @Tinyprints. Prizes: TWENTY FIVE (25) winners will get various school supplies; TWO (2) winners get iPhone cases and TWO (2) winners get iPad cases; ONE (1) Grand Prize winner gets an iPad and an iPad case. #TinyPrintsSchool RSVP

Foodies Night In Twitter Party 4-5:30 pm ET with @cookingwcaitlin @foodiesnightin @savorthethyme and others. Prizes: TBA #FNIChat Details

Weekly Traveling Moms Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @travelingmoms @kimorlando @debmomof3 @cindyrichards chatting about last minute travel. Prize: $25 Amazon or iTunes giftcard. #TMom RSVP

StayMade Girls Night Out Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @staymade @momitforward and others. Prize: ONE (1) StayMade bedding set ARV $150. #gno #kickstarter RSVP

Tuesday, August 6

Scope Mouthwash Keep Life Fresh Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @ScopeMouthwash @SheSpeaksUp @LisaSamples @Zipporahs @SuuperG @SugarJones @StacyKnows @StacieinAtlanta. $1000 in Prizes: $100 Walmart giftcards and an iPad Grand Prize. #KeepLifeFresh RSVP

BeachBody Twitter Party at 2 pm ET with @FormulaMom @7onashoestring @beachbody @teambeachbody. Prizes: Insanity (ARV $120), P90X (ARV $120), 1 bag of Shakeology, and one lucky winner will win their choice of Beachbody workout. #Beachbody RSVP

Weekly Tech Tuesday Twitter Party celebrating new Windows store at Best Buy at 3 pm ET with @KristinaLibby of Microsoft. Prize: ONE (1) ASUS VivoTab. Participate with hashtags #Windows #WinChat 

Back to School Savings Twitter Party at 3 pm ET with @prettyfrugal @asavingswow @savingsmania @aleamilham @savings @savingsclasses. $460 in Prizes. #schoolsavings RSVP

Electrolux Keeping Cool: Summer Parties Twitter Party at 3 pm ET with @Clever_network @ElectroLuxUS. Prizes: EIGHT (8) $50 American Express giftcards. #PerfectTemp RSVP

Sweet Vidalia Flavors of Summer Twitter Party at 4:30 pm ET with @rebeccalangcook @cookthestory @VidaliaOnions. Prizes: Vidalia Onions, summer foods and $50 Visa giftcard. Plus an outdoor entertaining package from Sears valued at $5,000 or $1,000 cash. #flavorsofsummer RSVP

Kitchen Play Summer Cook Chilean Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @Kitchen_Play @FoodsFromChile. Prizes: FIVE (5) Crates of food from Chile, each valued at $25. #CookChilean RSVP

Master Lock Back-to-School Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @Resourcefulmom @MasterLockUS. Prizes: ONE (1) Grand Prize that includes iPad 2 plus a Homework Station prize pack (ARV $626). TEN (10) Homework Station prize packs valued at $227 each. #MasterBacktoSchool RSVP

Gracie B. Back to School Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @angejim0531 @danielle_framed @ShopGracieB. Lots of prizes including $75 Gracie b giftcard. #shopgracieb RSVP

Rock the Lunch Box Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @HonestTea @AnniesHomegrown @Stonyfield @OrganicValley. Prizes: TBA. Participate in party with hashtag #RocktheLunchBox

Be Simply Smart Back to School Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @verasweeney @audreymcclellan @BeSimplySmart. Prizes: TBA. Participate in party w/ hashtag #Back2School Details 

All U Me Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @Allume @Lifefordessert @SarahMae. Prizes: Win a ticket to Allume, jewelry or one of several other prizes. #Allume Details

Macaroni Kid Back to School Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @supahmommy @macaronikidHQ. Prizes from Band Aid, Cheerios, Brother Creative Center and other major brands.  #MacKidTips. RSVP

American Latino Expedition Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @American_Latino @REI. Prizes: From REI. #ALEx13 RSVP 

Old Navy AirMiles Back to School Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @OldNavyCA @Airmiles. Prizes: TBA. Participate in party with hashtag #MyONStyle

Protect A Bed Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @Protect_a_Bed. Prizes: TBA. #Summerdreamin RSVP 

Healthy Kids Twitter Party at 9:30 pm ET with @melissamoog @itsabellyHQ @ginarau @eatingarainbow @thelunchtray. $300+ in Prizes. #HealthyKids Details

Wednesday, August 7

Back to School Tech Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @mommylovestech @staples. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Staples giftcards; ONE (1) 7" Tablet valued at $99. #StaplesHasIt RSVP

Kissimee, Florida Summer Sequel Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @KissNewsWire @TheSpringMount6 @mmc67. Prizes every 15 mins. #SummerSequel RSVP

Marshalls TJ Maxx Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @audreymcclellan @verasweeney @TJMaxx @Marshalls. Prizes: TBA. #MarshallsTJMaxx Details

Learn With Homer Back to School Twitter Party 8:30 pm ET with @Learnwithhomer @strollerballet @triplethreatmom @momalamode. Prizes: TBA. #Learnwithhomer RSVP

Thursday, August 8

Kmart 1 Million Meals Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @Kmart @Tapinfluence @shopyourway @bakesale4NKH @typennington @grillhappiness and others. Prizes: SIX (6) $25 Kmart giftcards. #1MillionMeals Details

Kohl's Back to School Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @Kohls @MomCentral @MomCentralChat. Prizes: SIX (6) $50 Kohl's giftcards. Participate in party with hashtag #KohlsBTS Details

23AndMe Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @techlicious @suzannekantra @c2cmom @wellconnectdmom @23andme. Prizes: TWO (2) 23AndMe DNA Test Kits MSRP $99. #techtea RSVP

Raising Money Smart Kids Twitter Party at 4 pm ET with @theonlinemom @followpiggy @clairesstores. Prizes: FIVE (5) $50 Virtual Piggy Giftcards and 1D inspired gift baskets from Claire's. #virtualpiggy Details

Lands End Back To School Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @LandsendPR. Prizes from Lands End. Participate in party with hashtag #LEBTS 

Movies on Demand Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @MomSpark @MomSparkMedia @MoviesonDemand @SippyCupMom @Simplybeingmom @SweetTmakes3. Prizes: $20, $50 and $75 Visa giftcards; Grand Prize is $200 Visa GC + MOD Survival Kit. #MODSummer RSVP

Fast Fixin Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @savingugreenmom @fastfixin. Prizes: $20 Fast Fixin product coupons every 15 mins; Grand Prize is $40 Fast Fixin coupons. #FastFixin RSVP

Sanbelle Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @VeraSweeney @AudreyMcclellan @BabySanbelle. Prizes: TBA. Participate in party with hashtag #Sanbelle

Women & Career Twitter Party at 8:30 pm ET with @GoGirlFinance @EmilyBennington. Prizes: FOUR (4) Rain bath and body products packages. #Women&Career RSVP

A Day to Remember Book Launch Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @lydsrich. Prizes: FOUR (4) signed copies of the A Day to Remember book plus FIVE (5) other prizes. #BFFsRemember RSVP

Cafe Yak Mom Inspirations Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @cafeyak. Prizes: TBA. #Mominspirations RSVP

Friday, August 9

Blue Orange Games Spot It Party Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @blueorangegames. Prizes: The new Spot It! Party Game from Blue Orange Games. Participate in party with hashtag #spotitparty

Weekly Verizon Wireless Twitter Party hosted by @theonlinemom at 3 pm ET. Prizes: TWO (2) Nokia Lumia 928 white smartphones; ONE (1) JBL Home Speaker + $125 Verizon giftcard. To be eligible to win participate in chat, use hashtag #VZWBuzz and RSVP

Saturday, August 10

Walgreens Answers Twitter Party at 2 pm ET with @Kellysluckyyou @amomsimpression. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Walgreens giftcards #Walgreensanswers RSVP

Teen Choice Twitter Party at 4 pm ET with @TBSAgency @spellbinders @dollarcraft @modpodgerocks. Prizes: TBA. #Share5 RSVP

The White Queen Royalty Twitter Party with @clever_network @menageatrois at 11 pm ET. Prizes: Visa gift cards, Menage a Trois wines and The White Queen book. #whitevsred RSVP

More Twitter Parties constantly to be added for This Week to this list as soon as they're scheduled. So stay tuned for updates as they happen by following this blog.


NEXT WEEK

Monday, August 12

Dole 4 Kids Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @jmanmillerbug @savvymomnyc @cbtweetchat. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Walmart giftcards. #Dole4Kids RSVP

Big Hugs Elmo Twitter Party at 3 pm ET with @momspark @momsparkmedia @thisiscori @sunandsipcups @kappavelvit. Prizes: FIVE (5) Big Hugs Elmo toys ARV $59.99. #BigHugsElmo RSVP

This is Style Twitter Party at 6 pm ET with @SearsStyle @Sweeptight @CBRachelle @MommyTesters @DentistMel. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Sears giftcards. #ThisisStyle RSVP

Weekly Traveling Moms Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @travelingmoms @kimorlando @debmomof3 @cindyrichards chatting about packing tips for a family trip. Prizes: FOUR (4) Shutterfly $29.99 vouchers. #TMom RSVP

Tuesday, August 13

Walgreens App Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @RobynsWorld @TheRebelChick. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 giftcards. #WalgreensApp RSVP

Weekly Tech Tuesday Twitter Party at 3 pm ET with @KristinaLibby of Microsoft. Participate with hashtags #Windows #WinChat Details Soon

Family Mobile Saves Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @kellysluckyyou @WiCProject. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Walmart giftcards. #Familymobilesaves RSVP

Manwich Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @resourcefulmom @dadarocks. Prizes: FOUR (4) winners get a $50 grocery giftcard, Calphalon pot and branded merchandise. Grand Prize is a $100 GC, Calphalon pot and branded merchandise. #Manwich RSVP

Wednesday, August 14

Live So Fab Twitter Party at Noon ET with @cleverhousewife @turningclockbac. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Visa giftcards. #LiveSoFab RSVP

Clip For School Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @formulamom @momwithadotcom. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Safeway giftcards. #Clipforschool RSVP

GoAZO Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @smiley360 @AZOProducts. Prizes: EIGHT (8) AZO Maximum Strength full-size products and TWO (2) Blinged Out Traveler Mugs plus chance to win $25 giftcard. #GoAZO RSVP

Conagra Back to School Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @iheartpublix. Prizes: Publix giftcards. #backtoschoolwithconagra RSVP

It's the weekly @theonlinemom Twitter Party at 9 pm ET. Prize: TBA. To be eligible to win a prize RSVP & participate in party with hashtag #TheOnlineMoms.

Conventional Vs Organic Dairy Twitter Party 9-10:30 pm ET with @Bookieboo @GMOInside @Stonyfield and others. Prizes: TEN (10) Stonyfield gift baskets that include a $50 Whole Foods giftcard and assorted Stonyfield branded products plus THREE (3) GMO Insider Kits. #GMODairy RSVP

Thursday, August 15

Bag it Forward Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @Elmers @amomsimpression @marriedcoupons. $500 in Prizes. #Bagitforward RSVP

Stories From the Bright Side Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @HappySuperfoods. Prizes from Munchkin, bibbitec and Happy Family. #HFbrightside Details

Buddy Fruits Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @socialmoms @mommygoggles @buddyfruits. Prizes: FIFTEEN (15) $20 Giftcards + Buddy Fruit prize packs; TWO (2) Buddy Fruits Back to School gift baskets; ONE (1) Year's supply of Buddy Fruits valued at $400. #BuddyFruitsB2S RSVP

WWE SummerSlam Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @WWEMoms @Lisasamples @skconcepts @wrestlingaddict @mommyjenna @rachelferrucci and others. Prizes: A Longchamp bag, Michael Kors wallet, Brookstone Wine Chiller and more. #WWEMoms Details

Essential Embrace Bravado Twitter Party at 8 pm ET with @resourcefulmom. Prizes: FOUR (4) winners get Essential Embrace nursing bra + $25 same as cash giftcard. #essentialembrace RSVP

Friday, August 16

Weekly Verizon Wireless Twitter Party hosted by @theonlinemom at 3 pm ET. Prizes: TBA. To be eligible to win participate in chat, use hashtag #VZWBuzz and RSVP


COMING SOON

Sunday, August 18

Back to School Pinning Twitter Party at 6 pm ET with @BloggyMoms. Prizes: TBA. Details

Tuesday, August 20

Create Pet Home Twitter Party at 7 pm ET with @CharlotteReed. Prizes: Pet products TBA. #CreatePetHome RSVP

Wednesday, August 21

I Heart My Nail Art Twitter Party at 1 pm ET with @sweeptight @therebelchick @megancordry @cleverpirate @SallyHansen @Walgreens. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Walgreens giftcards. #IHeartMyNailArt RSVP

Thursday, August 22

Hunger Heroes Twitter Party at 11 am ET with @dentistmel @marriedcoupons @cbtweetchat. Prizes: FIVE (5) $100 Sam's Club giftcards. #Hungerheroes RSVP

Beautiful Lengths Twitter party at 9 pm ET with @Pantene @SheSpeaksUp @Walmart. Prizes: Prize packs include Pantene Beautiful Length shampoo and conditioner, Walmart giftcards, and hair accessories. Grand Prize is a $250 Walmart GC. #BeautifulLengths RSVP

Tuesday, September 3

Bloggy Moms Guide to a Better Blog Twitter Party at 9 pm ET with @bloggymoms. Prizes: ONE (1) Bloggy Moms Guides eBook + $500 giftcard. #BloggyGuide RSVP

About this Weekly Twitter Party List
Compiled by MommyBlogExpert.com Twitter Parties are listed free of charge in this weekly schedule. However keep in mind that each party is run by a different brand and/or hosts and MommyBlogExpert, unless specified otherwise, is not responsible for any dealings readers have with these events including, but not limited to, prizing of any party on the calendar. If you'd like to add an event to the Mommy Blog Expert Twitter Party Calendar email janis@janiselspas.com with Twitter Party in the subject line including all the details and links in the body of your  message.

Also available, for a nominal fee, to host, co-host or serve as a panelist for your own brand Twitter party. To inquire, please email janis@janiselspas.com for information with Twitter Party Consulting Query in the subject line.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert does attend some Twitter parties as a guest and also works as a host, co-host, and panelist on others. However, I 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.

Tips for Preparing for Retirement

Retirement

4th in a series of 5 posts

Managing our own financial affairs now while we are young with agile minds and bodies is truly important and should begin as early in life as possible. It's ideal to begin actually saving for retirement when you are still in your 20s and just starting out in your career. By the time we approach middle age it's time to start seriously thinking about how you will make retire happen. Since women still have a longer life expectancy rate than men do this is particularly critical if you are female. But men certainly also need to be concerned about how they will manage financially later in life.

Nobody knows for sure what lies ahead

MBE partnered with Genworth for this post

Broaching the subject of retirement can be overwhelming and downright difficult because really no one wants to get old. I know that's how I feel now -- I'm a Baby Boomer and am now in my 50s and my oldest child just graduated from high school. I honestly don't want to have to think about all that old-age stuff.

The reality is, though, that none of us can stop the passage of time. So we may as well look for opportunities in our future and leverage them for the better by educating ourselves about what's most important right now.

Me at my son's high school graduation

To start, there are some vital questions to go over with your financial advisor when it comes to discussing retirement readiness.

• Does my current mix of portfolio asset holdings provide long-term growth potential as well as liquid cash that I can spend as I need it?
• Will my income at retirement keep up with inflation?
• What if I outlive my financial resources?
• How about if I'm struck with catastrophic illness that drains my bank account?

Speaking of retirement, if you're lucky enough to be taking that big step this year, definitely do your research online to find timely and practical advice in this article to help you decide whether or not to remain in the workforce in your lifelong profession or to start a "second career." As a reminder make sure you sign up for Medicare on time so you will receive the maximum benefits as soon as you're eligible.

I'll drink to that! MommyBlogExpert.com

Seriously. The main point is whether you're set to retire this year or in twenty years, there's plenty that each of us can be doing now to get ready.

Knowledge really is power. It's time to leverage it.

About Genworth
Genworth, headquartered in Richmond, VA, offers a range of services to client living in all 50 U.S. states. Among the products available are retirement income, life and long term care insurance and mortgage insurance. For more information visit Genworth.com and their Twitter and Facebook pages.

FTC Disclosure: Information for this post is sourced from Genworth Financial in partnership with the SheHeard Influencer Network, however all opinions are my own. 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.

Tapsbook iPad Photobook App Makes Sharing Scrapbook Style Albums Easy for Busy Families

Technology

This is a compensated post

I'm a busy mom that stores way too many photos (we're talking thousands of images) on each of my various Apple mobile devices including my iPhone 5, iPad 2 and iPad Mini as well as my Mac Mini desktop. If that sounds like you, too, then it's great to have company and you are going to want to check out a new free iOS 5.0-6.1 app for iPad called Tapsbook that I just discovered.

iPad Mini and iPad 2, MommyBlogExpert.com

Tapsbook allows you and I to easily collect and gather photos from all the places where they're hiding out: on mobile devices and cameras as well as on Facebook, Google+, Picasa, DropBox and in your local libraries. But Tapsbook doesn't just help you organize all these images in one compact and accessible place, it's also a secure cloud-based visual storytelling platform that makes it a breeze to sort, edit and build beautiful heirloom quality photobooks and other creative keepsakes that you can then share digitally with family and friends.
  

Screenshot, Image from Tapsbook

I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this app and try it out before it was just released and wanted to tell you about some of the reasons why I think this is a great resource for families to share photos among each other. Tapsbook is aptly named because all you have to do is tap your screen a few times to create and share your precious photo collections with those you care most about. 

I know I can't wait to turn the images you see below that I shot last summer at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France into a photobook all about our family vacation to Europe that I'll be able to share with friends.

MommyBlogExpert.com

MommyBlogExpert.com

Setting up Tapsbook is simple. Once you've downloaded the app to your iPad, it will take just a few minutes to sign up by entering your email address, name and unique password. The next step with the click of a button is to link all the places where you have photos stored so that they'll be automatically imported into the app whenever new pictures are taken. That way your photos will always be up to date. 

The scrapbooking fun then begins as you choose photos you'd like to include in a particular photobook simply by swiping, dragging and dropping them where you want them. The last part, of course, is the best--sharing what you've created with loved ones to enjoy anytime, anywhere.

Watch this video to see for yourself how easy and fun this is to work with...




What sets Tapsbook apart from other photo sharing apps

• Provides automatic discovery and building of stories
• Generates beautiful, personalized story pages
• Offers instant sharing and automatic updates
• Paves the way for an innovative, fast and fun experience

Remember to protect all the photobooks you make by choosing your own cloud based storage provider to keep them safe.

TapsBook is available now and it's free, so why not download it right now from the iTunes Store?

FTC Disclosure: I was compensated for my time and effort to test the app and write this review. However, thoughts here are my own. 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. 

Coca-Cola Steps to Wellness Challenge - Mommy Blog Expert Wins First Place at BlogHer 13

Fitness

During BlogHer 2013 Chicago last week there was a new activity that I really was excited to join in called the Steps to Wellness Challenge, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company. Luckily I'm not extremely overweight, but blogging is a sedentary profession and I can definitely afford to lose a few pounds and get in better shape. So I was thrilled that the oldest soft drink company in America was integrating a fitness element into our annual conference for the first time.

The view from my room at Sheraton Chicago, MommyBlogExpert.com

First Lady Michelle Obama talks about motivating kids to "Get Moving" to fight unhealthy lifestyles. I'd take it one step further: To combat the obesity epidemic in this country, all moms need to model good diet and fitness habits for our children. And there's no better place to start than at BlogHer where influential bloggers who have the power to change public opinion flock each year.

Me at the Hasbro Party at Hard Rock Cafe Chicago

For this challenge Coke offered everyone registered for BlogHer (more than 4,000 mostly women bloggers, according to the official organizers) a cute red heart-shaped pedometer to wear throughout the conference. Stakes were high: the Grand Prize, valued at up to $3,500, was the winner's choice of either a personal trainer or nutritionist for a year. There were also several smaller prizes that would be awarded to runner ups.

Incognito, during a rare minute sitting down, MommyBlogExpert.com

Last Thursday night, Coke started issuing pedometers to attendees at the Night at the Expo opening event. However, I wasn't able to pick up mine until first thing the next morning, so there were definitely others ahead of me before I even took my first step. I love competitions, though, and I also really enjoy walking, especially to see a great city like Chicago on foot. So it didn't take any convincing to get me to jump into the game. 

Keep in mind, I'm the mother of four kids born in a year (a son, followed by girl, girl, boy triplets) and I'm in my mid 50s now. I've never run a marathon, either, and I don't work out at the gym regularly, but I do love to snow ski, bicycle ride, and play tennis as well as walk 2-3 miles per day, 7 days a week at home.

Here I am running in this Samsung Galaxy 4S booth shot

This is my third BlogHer, so I knew that I'd be doing a lot of walking (and some running to save time) anyway over the long weekend, between official BlogHer events and the Expo Hall and to and from the more than a dozen off-site private parties I was invited to. So -- as a personal challenge to myself -- I decided just for the fun of it to push myself as much as I possibly could over the two day competition.

My Coca-Cola Pedometer, MommyBlogExpert.com

Early in the contest I stopped by the Coke Wellness Station in the Expo Hall and was truly surprised to find out that I was in first place. Not long after, though, I discovered I had slipped to second or third place. Knowing I'd lost my lead position motivated me to work twice as hard to get even more steps in. The more I walked, jogged and ran, the more steps my pedometer recorded and the better I felt. In fact, just seeing these ever increasing digital numbers encouraged me to push myself far past what I had thought possible. Talk about an endorphin high that I hadn't felt in years.

I received this cute workout towel at the Coca-Cola exhibit

Shortly after the contest ended, to my surprise, a friend told me Coke had tweeted out that I'd won the Steps to Wellness challenge ...

Congrats @mommyblogexpert on winning the #StepsToWellness challenge at #BlogHer13! 37,808 steps & 18.9 miles walked, that's impressive! ^DD
— The Coca-Cola Co. (@CocaColaCo) July 27, 2013

Thanks to Coca-Cola and all the steps I took in Chicago during BlogHer 13, I'll soon be doing something that's been on my bucket list for way too long. Over the next year, I'll be working with a personal trainer to finally realize my dream of being in the best physical condition of my life. Guess what else? My teen children are actually proud of this great physical accomplishment. 

Stay tuned for more posts as I document my progress!

Chicago skyline at dusk, MommyBlogExpert.com

Find out more about what Coca-Cola is doing to fight obesity HERE

FTC Disclosure: I've attended multiple BlogHer conferences and have also been a speaker at this event. I paid for my own 2013 full conference ticket. As disclosed above, I did win the Steps to Wellness Challenge grand prize from Coca-Cola. However, this post is purely voluntary and I did not receive any compensation for writing it. Thoughts here are my own. 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.