Archives for May 2016

Make Magical Disney Park Memories with MemoryMaker

May 27, 2016

Although it’s been several weeks since we went to Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I still can’t get over the fun we had!

I find myself looking through our photos and reminiscing on the good times we had. Thanks to Disney’s PhotoPass service, my family and I were able to have unlimited photos taken by photographers throughout all of Disney Parks (and even on rides!). Plus, MemoryMaker ($149) allowed me to download all of our precious pics right to my phone through the super easy My Disney Experience app.

From popular attractions like Main Street at Magic Kingdom to character meet-and-greets at Epcot, Disney’s skilled photographers captured all of my family’s the priceless moments. Oh, and did I mention the quality of the photos? We’re talking super hi-res images that look top-notch professional. In addition, some of the photographers will add some digital “magic” to your images like balloons or some other fun element to make them even more special. It’s all so simple too—after the photographer snaps your winning shot(s), he/she will scan your MagicBand and your photos will be available on your phone for download usually within 20 minutes, but sometimes it may take longer to appear in your app.

Although the MemoryMaker was included as a perk for us DSMMC attendees, I would absolutely purchase it for future trips. It enhanced our trip tremendously and our photos will last a lifetime!

Take a look at some of my favorite memories (Ava is the center of attraction!):

Ava being taken up and away at Epcot.

As a BG, no trip to Disney World is complete without a photo with Princess Tiana!

You know, Ava just chatting it up with Alice from Alice and Wonderland!

Ava thought she had outgrown Doc McStuffins, but once she saw her, her tune definitely changed!

This was actually the last photo taken on our trip. Although Ava was super sad that it was our last day, she was happy to take this photo with her dad.

If you’ve visited Disney World, have you used MemoryMaker? If so, what were your thoughts?

*I was invited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration where I received deep discounts, perks, etc. but all opinions are my own.

Category: Arts and Entertainment, Gumbo Mix, Misc. | Leave a Comment

Disney Social Media Moms Celebration: 4 Surprising Things I Learned About My Family

May 23, 2016

There are trips and then there are EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME! Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the 7^th Annual Disney Social Media Moms Celebration (DSMMC) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and it was an experience that I won’t soon forget.

First, being invited to the exclusive, invite-only conference was an honor in of itself. Created with us moms in mind, the 4-day celebration was more than I could’ve ever imagined. Plus, this conference welcomed my family as well! The sheer excitement of surprising my kids with this unexpected trip was literally keeping me up at night. The thrill of knowing how much their little faces would light up with the news that we were going to Disney World had me beaming with glee.

Just when I thought my excitement couldn’t get any more intense, we received the cutest Mickey Mouse-inspired luggage as a surprise gift from American Tourister, one of the conference’s sponsors. That unexpected pixie-dust drop-off completely elevated my anticipation. At that point, I could no longer keep our secret (I of course told my husband) to ourselves.

American Tourister Disney-inspired luggage available here, $99.

After spilling the beans to the kids, (whom by the way fell to the floor upon hearing the news), my packing and planning shifted into high gear. I bought all new dresses for Ava to wear for her anticipated character meet-and-greets. Then, I immediately downloaded the My Disney Experience app to learn all about what the resort and parks had to offer. To say I began immersing myself in all-things-Disney would be an understatement!

From the moment we received our MagicBands until our departure home on the Disney Express, our time at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was out-of-this-world amazing and sprinkled with pixie dust throughout!

Filled with so many memories and an abundance of information, it’s hard to include everything into one write-up, so this will be my first recap in a series of posts.

Here are the four most unexpected things that I learned about my family while at DisneySMMC:

My daughter is a daredevil. While I’ve never been a huge fan of rollercoasters, my daughter, Ava, on the other hand is a true thrill-seeker. At only 6 years old, she was so excited to ride some of Disney Parks’ most popular attractions. In fact, she braved Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom and rode The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train rollercoaster THREE times at Magic Kingdom!

My son is character-shy. Prior to our trip, my two-year-old had been happily reciting all of the Disney characters he wanted to see: “Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto!” But when we arrived, his tune changed. He was afraid of them—even Mickey! Even his big sister tried to encourage him to take photos with them, but to no avail. The goods news is that after seeing them over the course of our visit, he slowly began to warm up. During our Typhoon Lagoon outing, he actually waved to Donald!

I have a sappy side. It’s no secret that many moms turn into mush when their kids do something sweet. Well, when I saw the Huggies-produced Mother’s Day video, you’d need buckets to catch the tears that fell from my eyes. Watching my babies say, “Happy Mother’s Day,” on that big screen reduced me to a mound of mush. I’m not overly emotional, so the tears that streamed down my face were proof that I do have a sappy side!

My husband is my superhero. Well, this isn’t exactly a shock or surprise; I mean I did marry the guy! But the way he cares for our children and me is just mind-blowing. He’s so attentive to our needs and that was displayed 100 times over during our time at Disney. From schlepping our bags to going on rides with Ava, he is truly my Prince Charming.

As previously mentioned, I will be sharing more posts about my DSMMC adventure so be sure to check back for updates!

Have you ever attended the DSMMC? If not, have you ever visited Disney World? Please share!

*I was invited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. All opinions are my own.

Category: Arts and Entertainment, Featured, Features, Gumbo Mix, Misc. | 1 Comment

Move Over Beyoncé, There’s Another Lemonade to Rave About

May 16, 2016

While the world is still buzzing about Beyoncé’s epic “Lemonade” album, there’s another lemonade that deserves just as much attention, and this one happens to be an actual beverage!

Me & the Bees Lemonade is a refreshing line of homemade lemonade whose founder is only 11 years old. Founded in 2009 by a then 4-year-old Mikaila Ulmer, the Texas-based brand started as a lemonade stand and has since flourished into a full-blown business.

After getting stung by two honeybees, Mikaila’s curiosity turned into learning everything she could about the insects. To her surprise, she discovered that the furry creatures weren’t just a nuisance, but an integral part of our food chain. That’s when she decided to use honey as her personal way to help the bugs that once caused her temporary pain.

Made from her great-grandmother’s recipe, the flaxseed-enriched lemonade is available in four delicious flavors: Ginger (my fave!), Iced Tea, Mint and Prickly Pear and are high-fructose corn syrup, preservative and additives free! Plus, a portion of all of the profits goes to organizations working hard to further help honeybees.

Click here to find out where you can purchase Me & the Bees Lemonade.

Tech giant Microsoft is helping Mikaila to grow her business with a Small Business Makeover, creating a Windows 10 app to help with ordering, labeling, fulfillment and more.

I recently caught up with the 6^th grader at Microsoft’s Dream.Create.Do. event in New York City to chat all about her business, her favorite subject and what she likes to do in her spare time.

Check out our quick Q&A below:

BGG: How did you come up with the delicious flavors?
Mikaila Ulmer: Mint was the original. My company is based in Austin, Texas so there’s so much Prickly Pear here. So it’s like a cactus plant. in Texas so I thought it would be a great idea to use into my lemonade. It has a great unique taste and there’s no other Prickly Pear lemonade! My brother does pretty much everything I do—so, he wanted to create a ginger flavor of my lemonade. As for Iced Tea, it’s very popular in South Carolina where my great granny lives, so I decided to mix iced tea in my lemonade and make it like an Arnold Palmer.

BGG: Where can we buy your lemonade?
MU: We’re sold in L.A., Atlanta, Seattle and Whole Foods Markets in the southeast region of the country. We’re also sold in many local stores throughout Texas. We’re looking to go national with Whole Foods Markets!

BGG: What’s your favorite flavor?
MU: I love them all, but I enjoy drinking the ginger one in the morning because it has a nice kick. When i’m super sluggish in the morning and I don’t want to get up, it will get you up in 5 seconds!

BGG:What’s been the best part about running your own business?
MU: Going to different events and meeting a lot of cool poeple. The other day I met the CEO of Microsoft and I did an entire presentation with him. Also, I had the opportunity of speaking at Microsoft’s YouthSpark at We Day, where there are so many inspiring people . I went to the one in L.A. and Seattle and they were both really fun.

BGG: I know you’re a busy young lady, but what do you like to do for fun?
MU: I like to rollerblade, garden and hang out with my friends. Most people think that I run my business all day without making any time for myself. School is the priority, then the business, but I always make time friends and my brother.

BGG: What’s your favorite subject in school?
MU: I love my history teacher; he’s super fun! He makes learning fun. I also like science because we get to go into caves at school.

BGG: How do you use Microsoft to help run your business?
MU: I use Office 365 to do PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets and Word to type up different documents. I also use Microsoft Skype and Sway to inspire other kids. Sway is a creative way to present things in less than five minutes. I’m also learning how to code with Microsoft spark hub so I can help run my website. Oh and I also use my Surface Pro and my Microsoft band.

BGG: What do you the most about your Microsoft Band?
MU: You can send texts on it! It’s pretty cool.

Have you ever tried Me & the Bees Lemonade? Did you ever have a lemonade stand when you were a kid?

Category: Interviews | 1 Comment

The Period Shop: A Place to Celebrate Our Cycles

May 13, 2016

Periods. We women all have them. It’s something that unites us in femininity, yet it’s still a rather taboo topic. Well, that’s about to change! Thanks to U by Kotex, this weekend women in New York City can celebrate their menstrual cycles by shopping for kitschy and practical items that will get them through that special time of the month.

Inspired by Sarah M., an NYC-based college student’s Tumblr page denouncing the stigma attached to shopping for feminine products, she dreamed of having a place where women could get items without feeling ashamed of this ‘unmentionable’ natural occurrence that we all experience. Enter U by Kotex. Through their #PeriodProjects initiative, the Kimberly-Clark brand brought her vision to life in a gorgeous girly space filled with products that would probably make your great-grandmother blush.

I got a sneak peek of The Period Shop during a media preview and it is out-of-this-world cute. The ultra-feminine setting is inviting and comfy.

From tampon-emblazoned sweatshirts and pins to walls filled with chocolate bars, you can buy ultra-feminine merchandise including attire, accessories, home goods, beauty products, food and snacks, and of course U by Kotex products too! Plus, female DJs and musicians will be providing the soundtrack to this one-of-a-kind experience. The best part is that all proceeds from The Period Shop will be donated to Susan’s Place, a transitional residence that provides homeless women with housing support and a safe, supportive environment.

This pop-up shop is such an awesome concept and sends a great message. We shouldn’t be embarrassed by our bodies and what they do. Remember, without periods none of us would be here!

If you’re in NYC, don’t miss it!

The Period Shop is open to the public from Friday, May 13 – Sunday, May 15 and is located at 138 Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Do you have a specific craving or weird habit that you do during your period?

Category: Gumbo Mix, Misc., Travel & Lifestyle, Wellness | Leave a Comment

Ikuzi Dolls: Representing the Diversity of Black Beauty

May 12, 2016

Like many little girls who were born in the 1980s, I was obsessed with Cabbage Patch dolls. I remember writing letters to Santa Claus pleading that he’d leave one of the yarn-haired dolls under my Christmas tree.

Fast forward 30 years and now I have the pleasure of watching my 6-year-old daughter obsess over her gorgeous Ikuzi Dolls.

Ikuzi Dolls are available here, $80

Unlike the dolls of my era, Ikuzi Dolls come in a variety of shades to reflect and celebrate diverse skin tones. The beautifully crafted dolls are also decked out in designer African-inspired outfits that serve as a stylish nod to our rich heritage. Plus, the dolls’ facial features, hair texture and eye colors have all been thoughtfully crafted with us BGs in mind.

Ava holding her “Dark Brown” Ikuzi doll.

Founded by Ozi Okaro, a mom of four who was inspired to create dolls that looked like her daughters, the collection is a lovely representation of black beauty.

It’s so important for our young girls to see beautiful images of themselves and these dolls provide just that. Plus, Ozi aims to add more skin tones and hair textures to reflect the world’s growing diversity. Wondering if the dolls have names? They don’t. Ozi encourages children to use their imaginations and name their dolls as they see fit. Traveling this summer? Don’t worry, Ikuzi dolls come with a super cute pink carrying case that makes transporting easy.

If you have a little girl in your life, these dolls would make the perfect gift for her birthday, kindergarten graduation or simply as a “just because” present. You’ll bring her joy while supporting a black-owned business. Now that’s a win-win!

**Use the code: KARLA at check-out and you can get $10 off your purchase!

What was your favorite doll growing up?

Category: Gumbo Mix, Misc., Parenting, Travel & Lifestyle, Wellness | Leave a Comment