Life Lately: Halloween, Mom Mixer, NJ Women's Expo

It was a crazy busy weekend that started with my daughter's Halloween party and parade to follow. Frankly, I am glad Halloween is over. It's not one of my favorite holidays, and this year it was especially tough since it was Harper's first Halloween since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

But at the end of the day, I love seeing the kids dressed up and excited about all the candy, even if they can't devour all of it.

This year, we had a little zombie among us.

On Saturday, we attended the Mom Mixer hosted by Colleen and Whitney. My girls were thrilled with all the toys that were showcased. And of course, it doesn't hurt to rub elbows with Elmo.

The Surprise Kitty was a HUGE hit!

On Sunday, we walked in the Meridian Momtourage fashion show at the New Jersey Women's Expo. This was our third year participating in the fashion show, and it's always a fun time. I have to say, my girls love being in the spotlight. I swear, they were made for modeling.

Tonight, I sit here writing this post when I should be packing for our vacation. We are leaving tomorrow for 10 days in Florida. I am looking forward to some time off and some unplugged time with my family.

I've got my stack of magazines ready for the beach and the pool. The girls and I had manis and pedis tonight, so we are beach and pool ready.

Bring on the vacation!

0

Meridian Health Introduces Meridian SoundingBoard

It’s not a novel concept for a company to ask for customer feedback. We are accustomed to seeing customer satisfaction surveys come in the mail or pop up in our Inboxes. But when was the last time you were asked to join the conversation and give your opinions about how an organization can improve the health care experience in your community?

Meridian Health is putting out the welcome mat and launching an innovative initiative in the form of an online community, Meridian SoundingBoard. Meridian is reaching out to people in Monmouth and Ocean counties to sign up and join the conversation about the health care experience in the community. Meridian cares about your healthcare experience and wants to hear what you have to say.

Meridian wants to understand what the health care experience should be like, and what direction new programs and services could take at Meridian in the future. They understand that when it comes to health care, the community knows what is needed best, and they know a great health care experience is built on many building blocks.

When you invest a little of your time and much of your opinion by helping Meridian to improve the health care experience in your community, and you see some of your feedback implemented, you will know you’ve contributed something important to the well-being of your community.

What's in it for you? Well, in addition to providing opinions and valuable feedback from a patient perspective, joining this community has other rewards too! Just for joining the community you earn entry into a drawing for $150 cash prize. When you complete surveys, you’ll have chances to win great prizes, including $100 cash prizes, and more!

Click below to join Meridian SoundingBoard and to take the first step in making your health care experience an even better one!

JOIN MERIDIAN SOUNDINGBOARD TODAY!

0

Ocean Medical Center Unveils State-of-the-Art, $82 Million Emergency Department {PHOTOS}

I've logged more hours in local emergency departments during the past 6 months than some people do in a lifetime. I've seen the good, the bad, and the the ugly.

On March 4th, I was invited to take a private tour as part of the Meridian Momtourage team of the brand new, 82 million dollar emergency department at Meridian Health's Ocean Medical Center. The tour was conducted by the hospital president Dean Lin, who couldn't have been more proud of this impressive facility.

Mr. Lin started the tour by showing us some of the incredible artwork displayed throughout the emergency department. He noted that great care was taken in choosing artwork that would have a calming affect on patients and visitors.

Mr. Lin pointed out that the artwork was carefully selected and many pieces follow a seaside theme and span generations.

This piece featuring lily pads is visually appealing and calming.

Mr. Lin showed us the blueprints for a planned serenity garden, a place where visiting family members can escape for some peace, relaxation, and quiet.

The main reception area resembles a 5-star hotel lobby with it's gorgeous wood and modern design.

What were formerly referred to as "waiting areas" are now called "family lounges" and are designed to be inviting and comfortable spaces.

There is a dedicated pediatric area, complete with private showers. This kind of personal touch goes a long way. Private showers are a must when you are required to remain with your child at all times.

I feel privileged to have this state-of-the-art facility just miles from my home. It feels more like a spa than a hospital. And the staff, according to Lin, is ready to make you feel as if you are at a hotel rather than a hospital. With a strong focus on customer care, the Ocean Medical Center Emergency Department is committed to each and every patient who walks through the door.

You can find both Meridian Health and Ocean Medical Center on Facebook.

I was not compensated to write this post. All opinions are my own.

0

Meridian Health's Red Dress Event #reddress

February is National Heart Health month, a month that the American Heart Association dedicates to helping fight heart disease and raise awareness in women with its Go Red For Women campaign.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and surprisingly is more deadly than all forms of cancer.*

Unfortunately, many women are unaware of the symptoms to look for and therefore, often pass off heart disease as a more common ailment such as acid reflux or general muscle aches and pains.

Last night, as part of the Meridian Momtourage team I attended a charity event sponsored by Meridian Health to help raise awareness of heart disease in women. There were informative speeches by health care professionals and moving speeches by heart attack survivors. The general message was that we can't fix what we don't know. So, the more we know about heart disease in women, the better armed we are to manage it and prevent it.

As someone who has 2 of the risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure and high cholesterol), I know first hand how difficult it can be to manage those risk factors. But I know how important it is for my heart health.

The event was held at Watermark in Asbury Park, a hip, upscale restaurant and nightclub that was the perfect setting for a fun and festive evening. There were heart healthy bites to eat and red cocktails created just for the event.

It was a sea of red.

Ladies dance the night away at Meridian Health's Red Dress event

Actual dresses that have been featured in the annual Red Dress fashion show were on display throughout the venue.

There were plenty of opportunities to mingle with experts. Here, Carly (far right) and I chat with Dr. Brett Sealove, a cardiologist who practices at Monmouth Cardiology Associates, which happens to be the practice that I go to. However, I see one of Dr. Sealove's colleagues. Also pictured is Cindy, a Meridian team member.

And of course, any Meridian event is not complete with a little pow-wow with my fellow bloggers. Carly and I catch up!

All photos appear courtesy of Meridian Health.

It was a fabulous night for a great cause!

For more information about Go Red For Women or to find out how you can help fight heart disease, visit Go Red For Women on Facebook.

You can find Meridian Health on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*According to the American Heart Association

0

Get Your Teens and Tween Organized

I learned the hard way, but you don't have to. For 5 tips to getting your teens and tweens to get organized and stay focused, be sure to check out my post on Meridian Momtourage. It's a lot easier than you think when you follow these 5 steps.


You can see the post in its entirety here:

http://community.meridianmomtourage.com/profiles/blogs/5-steps-to-take-to-keep-your-tweens-and-teens-organized-and

0

New Jersey Women's Expo ~ 2013

Last year I was invited to moderate a panel discussion with 3 physicians and U.S. women's soccer gold medalist Christie Rampone at the annual New Jersey Women's Expo. I loved having the opportunity to run the discussion on behalf of Meridian Health and Meridian Momtourage. Not only was it something that was a bit different from my day-to-day writing, but it was also informational.

This year, I was invited to moderate a panel at the Women's Expo once again. The physician panels that are part of the New Jersey Women's Expo are a great way to get expert opinions and advice from doctors without having to actually go to the doctor.

This year's topic was women's health as we age and life balance. Both were very timely topics for me as I am approaching menopause and am starting to experience many perimenopause symptoms. This can be a very confusing and frustrating time in a women's life. It was great to hear some options from the experts.

Here I am post-panel discussion with the physicians.

The physicians are (from l. to r.,) Dr. Jorge Corzo (physical medicine and rehabilitation), Dr. Denise Johnson-Miller (breast surgery), Dr. Asaad Samra (plastic surgery and hand surgery), and Dr. Karl Strom (bariatric surgery).

Here I am completely engrossed in Dr. Corzo's response to one of my questions.

It was a wonderful discussion and these doctors were some of the most down-to-earth physicians I've had the pleasure of working with. They were so easy going and knowledgeable.

Today, my daughters and I returned to the Women's Expo where we participated in a fashion show.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a ton of pictures. We were busy getting our hair and makeup done, and it seemed a bit chaotic at the time. So between shuffling me and my girls from one spot to another, I barely snapped any photos. Plus, I didn't like my hair. But my makeup, which was done by Mary Kay, was really pretty. The hair? Well, I don't know what the hair ladies were thinking. But I was completely unimpressed.

So, yes, I know I sound vain, but I was walking in a fashion show. We all should have been spectacular.

But here is a picture from Meridian Health's Instagram feed. I promise when I get more pictures, I'll add them to this post. My girls and I are on the far right.

Photo credits: Meridian Health

0

Talking To Your Kids: When Good Celebrities Go Bad

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've most likely heard about or even seen Miley Cyrus' performance on the Video Music Awards a few weeks ago. While I'm not so sure that was fit for adult audiences, I can't even imagine my daughter witnessing Cyrus' gyrating and twerking all over Robin Thicke.

Thankfully, my 11-year old didn't see the debacle, but she did hear about it. All about it.

So you know what that means...I had the distinct pleasure of having the whole "good celebs gone bad" talk with her.

I was pretty certain that I wasn't the only parent having this chat with her daughter. So, I put together a few tips to make that talk go a bit smoother. You can find the full article over at Meridian Momtourage.

Just in case you missed it, you can see Miley in all her gory glory here.

Get More: 2013 VMA, Artists.MTV, Music, Miley Cyrus

0

Scenes from the Meridian Momtourage Photo Shoot

I've been writing for Meridian Momtourage for over 2 years now. Momtourage is an interactive website community for mothers in New Jersey, specifically Monmouth and Ocean counties. I signed on a mom blogger to write articles primarily about women's lifestyle and parenting, but I've been focusing more recently on technology in the parenting space.

Meridian Health re-launched Momtourage last week to offer a more interactive experience for its members. In addition, Momtourage expanded its mom bloggers to include some niche bloggers such as a fashion blogger and a travel blogger.

Part of the re-launch included updating the mom blogger photos, which, of course, meant a photo shoot. The other mom bloggers and I met up in Asbury Park with the very talented Meridian photographer Jacki.

As an amateur photographer, I am never comfortable on the other side of the lens. I'm always thinking that my lipstick is bleeding or my mascara is running, that my clothes are wrinkly, or that one piece of hair is out of place.

Photo shoots drive me crazy. I'm anxious to see the photos. This shoot was a bit different as we were all Instagramming the whole time. We were able to get a  sneak peek at some of the shots. And Jacki is so easy going and fun that it's impossible to be nervous.

Asbury Park provided the perfect backdrop for an edgy and trendy photo shoot.

Social media mavens, Chrissy, Cristie, and Carly are busy tweeting, Instagramming, and Facebooking.

Carly and I are looking as natural as we could. We were instructed to get as close to those doors behind us without actually touching them since they were filthy. They haven't been cleaned since Hurricane Sandy struck. They were so dirty and sandy. My natural inclination was to lean back against them. I was trying so hard not to do that!

Jacki and Alix, Cristie, and Carly chat between takes.

The set...

A group shot of the Meridian Momtourage mom bloggers.

Be sure to check out Meridian Momtourage on Facebook where you'll find more photos and information.

Fashion note: I am wearing a color block dress from Old Navy accessorized with slingback heels from Payless and a bracelet from Loft.

0

Meridian Momtourage Launches Brand New Site Design

Today Meridian Momtourage launched a brand spanking new site design, including interactive features to further engage its audience.

Meridian Momtourage is a community-based site where local New Jersey moms can learn from each other, share experiences, and grow together to make motherhood a fulfilling and enriching experience.

The site is owned by Meridian Health, but don't be fooled. Not all topics on the site are health related. You can find everything from health to food to fashion and more on the site.

Through expert physician articles, member discussions, and in the trenches blog posts from contributors who are actual moms with real-life failures and successes, Meridian Momtourage caters to the expectant, new, and experienced moms.

Head over, create your profile and start mingling today!

Disclosure: I am a member of Meridian Momtourage's Mom Blogger team. I was not asked to write this post nor was I compensated for writing it.

0

The "Little Things" with Bill and Giuliana Rancic #paintthetownpink

Twenty months ago, Bill and Giuliana Rancic seemed to have it all. Successful careers in television and business. Bill was working alongside Donald Trump and some of the top names in real estate. Giuliana was interviewing A-list celebs on the red carpet.

But their lives were missing one key component: a baby. Both wanted to be parents more than anything else. As they embarked on their third series of IVF treatments, Giuliana's fertility specialist recommended that she undergo a mammogram as a precautionary measure. The mammogram that was to be a precautionary measure resulted in a positive diagnosis of early stages of breast cancer for Rancic.

She was devastated. "Rocked to the core" in her own words. Rancic underwent a double lumpectomy and radiation which were later followed by a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

Fast forward 18 months and Rancic is cancer-free. But it has hardly been a painless road to travel. There were some very dark days.

I recently had the tremendous opportunity to sit down with Bill and Giuliana Rancic to chat with them about their experience with and triumph over cancer and about the newest addition to their family, their son Duke.

The Rancics were at the Jersey shore to participate in Meridian Health's Paint The Town Pink event, a month long celebration that focuses on raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research. The Rancics were the guest speakers at a Cancer Care event sponsored by Meridian Health at the Algonquin Arts Theater in Manasquan.

The media lounge consisted of about 10 reporters and members of the general media. In round-robin style we went around the room and asked individual questions of the Rancics.

Q: How did you get through it, the battle with breast cancer?

GR: You get through it. You get your old life back. My life is better now. It's fuller. It's more meaningful. My diagnosis and fight has really grounded me.

Q: What is your advice for other men who are supporting women with breast cancer?

BR: Don't be emotional. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you can make decisions based on facts.

Q: What is one word you would use to describe each other and one word to describe Duke?
Describing Duke:
BR: Lifesaver
GR: Everything

Describing each other:
BR: Survivor
GR: Superman

Very powerful words.

Q: After you [Bill] did a show in Red Bank last year for Paint The Town Pink, what made you decide to do another event with PTTP this year?

BR: I was incredibly impressed by last year's event. The people were so welcoming and warm. I loved the cause.

I can't tell you how incredibly down-to-Earth this Hollywood power couple is. If it weren't for time constraints and planned events for later that evening, I think the Rancics would have sat their all evening chatting. They were so sincere in their answers, and they looked directly at the person who asked the question. And they had fun with each other.

Bill would occasionally joke about Giuliana's Italian heritage. And Giuliana would tease him about his quirks. It was reassuring to see how much they love each other.

Photo credit: Meridian Momtourage

Before the media event ended, my fellow Meridian Momtourage bloggers (from left, Carly, Chrissy, and Beth) and I snapped a picture with Bill and Giuliana Rancic.

After the media event ended, the party continued at Firefly, a hip restaurant in Manasquan, New Jersey.

There were cocktails, yummy finger foods, and a meet and greet with Bill and Giuliana.

I didn't miss my chance for another picture!

After the meet and greet, it was showtime! We headed over to the Algonquin Arts Theater where Bill and Giuliana shared their heartwarming and inspirational story. With some fun banter back and forth followed by tears, and ending with lots of belly laughs, this couple is the BOMB, I tell ya!

Lou Russo from 94.3 The Point came out to pose some questions from the audience to Bill and Giuliana Rancic. What a fun, informative, and definitely unforgettable evening.

I want to give thanks to Meridian Health and Meridian Momtourage for making it all possible for me. They generously invited me to participate in the media lounge and the meet and greet. Be sure to check out the Meridian Momtourage Web site for timely articles on parenting, fashion, nutrition, and so much more.

Check out Bill and Giuliana on the reality TV shows Ready for Love on NBC and Giuliana and Bill on the Style Network. You won't be disappointed!

0

Tips for Explaining Tragedy to Your Kids

Have You Talked To Your Kids About the Tragedy in Boston?

It's not easy, but it has to be done. You don't want your children to hear it from someone else, especially not a classmate who barely understands the situation himself.

I'm sharing tips for explaining tragedies to your children on Meridian MomTourage. We've been faced with too many situations lately, and there are likely to be more in the future. Prepare yourself so that when your children come to you seeking answers, you are armed with what to say.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Explaining Tragedy To Your Kids

0

My Latest Contribution at Meridian Momtourage: Say Yes To The Pet

Are you considering adopting a pet? Before you make the decision, be sure to visit Meridian Momtourage and read my post, "Say Yes to the Pet: How to Know When You Are Ready for a Furry Friend".

You can read my full story here.

0

NJ Women's Expo: I Was a Panel Moderator!

I'm still trying to catch up on the posts that I wanted to write just prior to and after Hurricane Sandy. I have a lot to get through after having lost power for a week, catching up for a week, and then going on vacation for a week. I'm easily a month behind.

The weekend before Sandy tore into town, I had the opportunity to moderate a physician's panel at the New Jersey Women's Expo. Meridian Health was a sponsor of the Women's Expo. I was invited to moderate the physician's panel as part of my work with Meridian Health's Web site, Meridian Momtourage. I was honored and excited to be the moderator.

Here I am pictured with the panel which included three female physicians as well as Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Women's Soccer team captain, Christie Rampone. Rampone is also a spokesperson for the K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital.

The discussion centered around women's health issues and what women are facing today as busy women who often put their own health on hold in order to care for their families first. Christie Rampone spoke to living a life on the road with two young daughters and how she and her husband succeed at providing a healthy lifestyle for them despite their hectic travel schedule.

Of course, I stressed about what to wear. I wanted to keep it professional but casual. I ended up going with this silk wrap dress from Banana Republic. Let me tell you it's a very old dress. Like 8 years old. It turned out to be perfect for the occasion.

When I signed on to write for Meridian Momtourage, I never imagined that I'd get the opportunity to do something like moderate a panel. Although new, this was an incredible and exciting professional opportunity for me. I hope I get the chance to do again!

0