Join Avon at the #gno Twitter party this Tuesday, March 16 from 9-11 ET (8 CT, 7 MT, and 6 PT) for an awareness raising conversation about how to take action and help end domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. There is so much we all can be doing. Share and learn tips for ways in which you can empower women around the world and make a difference.

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, March 16, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! Check back Tuesday for the link. (Use hashtags #gno and #avoniwd.)
• Topic: Ending Violence Against Women World Wide
• Who: @avonprnewsflash @dianascimone
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win this week’s giveaway. Deadline: 3/17
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_momIF).
Photo courtesy of Flickr.


Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

In 2008, Avon Products, Inc. and the Avon Foundation introduced the company’s first-ever global fundraising product, the Women’s Empowerment Bracelet, designed to save and improve women’s lives worldwide. Now, just two years later, Avon sells an entire line of Empowerment products including a necklace, and the NEW T-shirt, and ring.

This week’s 10 lucky winners will each receive the entire line of Empowerment products, including a t-shirt, necklace, bracelet, and ring. Along with these stylish empowering products, you will also receive a booklet informing you on ways in which you can help further the cause to help end violence against women.

Entry Requirements

Please do the following three things to enter for a chance to win and leave a separate comment for each:

1. Follow @avonprnewsflash on Twitter.
   XXX
2. Click here, check out the Avon Empowerment line, and leave a comment on this post, sharing which product you’d enjoy.
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3. Post these messages on Twitter and leave comments here with a link to your tweets:

GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win @avonprnewsflash Prize Pack (10 winners) http://bit.ly/cLwTzZ #avoniwd#gno PLS RT
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Join #gno Twitter chat 3/16—9-11 ET w/@avonprnewsflash 2 lrn tips 2 hlp end violence against women http://bit.ly/9S7rzL #avoniwd RT

Extra Entries

The following four entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry each. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.

1. Share a tip for how to prevent or raise awareness to end domestic violence, sexual abuse, and/or human trafficking.
2. Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
3. Become a Friend of Mom It Forward’s Google Friend Connect (see box in right sidebar).
4. Subscribe to the Mom It Forward RSS feed (click on orange heart at the top of the right sidebar).

Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, March 17, 2010. No more than one entry per person via each of the methods listed in the Giveaway details. The odds of winning a Giveaway depend on the number of entries. Winners will be selected randomly by Mom It Forward. All decisions of Mom It Forward are final. Employees of Mom It Forward and the Giveaway sponsor are not eligible to participate. All entries received after the Giveaway closing date and time will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants who are residents of the US 18 years and older. Void in Maine. Void where prohibited. Taxes on Giveaways are solely the responsibility of the winner. Winner agrees to permit Mom It Forward and the Giveaway Sponsor to use her or his name, voice, photo, or likeness for reasonable promotional and marketing purposes for up to 90 days after the end of the Giveaway. Mom It Forward and Sponsor are not liable for late or misdirected entries, entry errors, or transmission problems. Mom It Forward reserves the right to terminate the Giveaway in the event of technical problems, or to correct typographical or technical errors, or to amend these rules. All participants should review the Mom It Forward disclosure and privacy policies. By entering, participants agree to release and hold harmless Mom It Forward, Sponsor, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with a Giveaway. Mom It Forward will provide the name of the winner for any Giveaway, upon request, for 90 days after that Giveaway’s entry period ends. Unless otherwise provided by the Sponsor, no substitution, transfer, or assignment of prizes is permitted. Non-winning entries from one Giveaway are not carried forward to future Giveaways.

But what’s more meaningful to me is what’s happening in the nation’s capitol surrounding the topic of women and more specifically, women making history.

Yesterday morning, Vital Voices and Avon hosted a Breakfast Meeting of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women. According to the US Department of State, “Secretary Clinton founded the Vital Voices Global Partnership, a leading international NGO dedicated to supporting emerging women leaders, after the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing to promote the advancement of women as a U.S. foreign policy goal.”

As I sit here miles away from Washington D.C., I ponder about my role models. Who are the women that have made or are making a positive difference in my life? Who do I want to be like? Whose characteristics and qualities do I want to embrace? Who empowers me?

What about you? Who are your female role models?

What about these gals? Ten winners of the International Women of Courage award recognized last night at the Vital Voices Awards Dinner. One article quotes: “We are honoring women from around the world who have endured isolation and intimidation, violence and imprisonment,” Clinton said. “Many have even risked their lives to advance justice, freedom, and equal rights for everyone. Their stories remind us of how much work there is left to do before the rights and dignity of all people—no matter who you are or where you live—are respected and protected by the world’s governments.”

Imagine being able to get a glimpse into these women’s lives. Powerful! What can we learn from them? How can we, too, show courage and make a difference?

She recently returned from 18 months in Ukraine. While there, she learned about IWD when some locals asked her and my father-in-law what we did in the United States to celebrate.

My mother-in-law had never heard of IWD so she explained that we celebrated Mother’s Day here. Their Ukrainian friends’ response: “But what about the women who aren’t mothers?”

Touche!

While the US hasn’t declared IWD an official national holiday, it has dedicated the entire month of March to Womens’ History Month and the United Nations and many organizations, including prominent companies, put on conferences during this time to further promote and address women’s issues and rights focusing this year’s theme on “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.” (Click here to read conference summaries and progress/challenges.)

So, why is this important? What does this have to do with me as I sit behind my computer in my little corner of the world and you as you sit behind yours?

I watched this video and marveled at how relentlessly Iranian women are fighting for a chance to enjoy the gender equality freedoms I take for granted. I read this article that stated, “A growing number of countries have legislation that supports sexual and reproductive health and promotes gender equality. Nevertheless, maternal mortality remains unacceptably high, too few women have access to family planning, and violence against women remains a cause for global shame.”

I sit here behind my computer with the opportunity to work and provide for my family and I am haunted by a scene of 12-year-old girls dancing in the night market in Bangkok right out in the open with hardly any clothes on for all to see, for some to take advantage of. Taken from their homes. No mothers to care for them. I couldn’t take it in. I didn’t know what to do. Global shame doesn’t begin to describe the anger and helplessness that I felt in that moment and still feel 8 years later as I write this post. I turned my head. I kept walking. What could I do? The scene has never left my mind. But maybe there is more I can do. Maybe there’s more we all can do to further equality and rights and justice for women everywhere.

I am excited to be partnering with Avon to promote their commitment to help end violence for women world wide in support of IWD.

As I have researched and watched the #iwd hashtag on Twitter, here’s ways to learn more or get involved:

• Check out this site, which has a searchable database of events listed by country and state/city. Is there one in your area? Next year, Utah is going to be on that list!
• Choose an issue that speaks to you, like this one on maternal health perhaps, and look for ways to support the organizations that are dedicated to progressing these causes.
• Check out organizations like Vital Voices and attend one of their celebrations this week.
• Read this article and learn five things you can do to help support IWD.
• Watch the videos below and others like it to be more informed on global issues and how you can help.
• If nothing else, tweet your support for IWD (#iwd) and connect with women globally who share your support. Maybe together we can all make a difference!
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As parents, we constantly have to make sure that our kids are stimulated and learning. As individuals, we want to connect with our own communities and pursue some of our own passions too. Finding the time to tend to our children’s as well as our own needs seems like a challenge too many of us are familiar with. That is exactly what happened to me when I stayed home after my second daughter was born.

I LOVED my kids. After all, THEY were the reason I chose to stay home. But I also stayed home to do a few other things that I wanted to do for years and years like give more energy to my blog and write children’s books. Somehow, I assumed I could do everything all at once! When I figured out how disconnected my two worlds were, I determined that somethings had to change.

That was when I started working on Memetales. At Memetales, we believe that while we try to be the best parents for our children, we owe it to ourselves to share our own creativity. Memetales allows you to do both by showcasing great children’s picture books in a space where parents can not only select quality books for their kids, but also share their own creativity.

Memetales helps parents tap into their creativity and love of reading in a variety of ways:

• Write and/or illustrate a children’s book.
• Choose a book for your child(ren) and create and share educational activities to accompany it. For example, crafts, activities, blog posts, and/or videos!

Moms, dads, crafters, artists, homeschoolers …we are an incredibly talented community inspired by our children every single day. A number of us have blogs rich with content that other parents and educators would love to use. So why not brand ourselves around the great things we are already doing?

Memetales is a website where you can read books, discover activities and crafts, and show off your creations. At Memetales, you will be inspired by the books and the awesome contributions from the community. We hope you will even join our Creator Community and share your own creations! We also hope you take back just a little bit (or perhaps a lot!) of richness and inspiration to share with your own children. We are about the stories we all have to share and the people that share these stories.

So hop over and check out Memetales. Do give us lots of feedback and help us grow, since Memetales is just a little baby with a bright and shiny future!

Check out this post from Allison, a creator at Memetales, from the blog No Time For Flash Cards to learn more about Memetales.

I opened the door to her big smile. She seemed a little embarrassed and anxious and all at once blurted out, “I miss you!” She shrugged her shoulders and the smile appeared again and she said, “I’m trying to reach out to the people I care about.” I quite literally wanted to scoop her up. What do you do with such amazing kindness?

I probably acted cool, calm, and collected. But, what she did was HUGE! She stepped outside her comfort zone to make me feel loved. And she succeeded!

Then I got to thinking about something that has been on my mind for a while. How often do we take advantage of opportunities to reach out to others right when we feel like we should? You know the nudge, right? You feel like you should go up to someone, or include her in your group, or help her feel part of the crowd, or stop by her house to let her know you miss her, or invite her to do something when you think she is the busiest person in the world and wouldn’t possibly have time for you. But, if you’re anything like me, sometimes it seems a little weird or uncomfortable or awkward. After all, what will that person think? How will she react? Will he think I’m stupid?

I can tell you from very recent experience (as in 5 minutes ago) that I didn’t feel like this gal was anything but lovely!

What’s even more awesomesauce than my feelings of being cared about is that now I want to go and help someone else feel this way. It feels AMAZING to be cared about like that, but the thought of spreading the love is even more appealing and exciting!

What will you do this week to spread seeds of friendship, step outside of your comfort zone, and help someone feel loved?

Since I first moved to Provo, culture has sprung up everywhere. It abounds in Utah County with many museums, theatre, and yes! even amazing dining choices. One restaurant in particular has taken it upon itself to offer both cuisine and culture.

On Tuesday, March 9, Communal Restaurant will host its inaugural Dinner Club, bringing an idea to downtown Provo that will celebrate both art and food with a fixed four-course menu of Communal’s critically acclaimed food and an exhibit by renowned Utah artist Brian Kershiznik.

Dinner Club will be a monthly tradition at Communal. The purpose and format of March’s Dinner Club is a first for downtown Provo, not just for the style of dining but for blending a local artist’s work into the evening. Patrons will have an opportunity to meet the artist and all of the paintings on exhibit will be for sale and on display at the restaurant for a month after Dinner Club.

I’m not sure what the March menu includes, but after enjoying a long lunch there with these four fabulous gals and trying nearly everything on the menu, I can assure you it’ll be tasty! If they have soup, make sure to ask for a double bowl. Super YUMMILICIOUS!

March’s Dinner Group price is $42 per person, with wine pairing available for an additional $18. Reservations are available at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. To reserve your seat, call 801-373-8000.

Entry Requirements

Please do the following two things to enter for a chance to win and leave a separate comment for each:

1. Follow @memetales on Twitter.
   XXX
2. Visit memetales.com, check out the variety of children’s books available, and leave a comment on this post, sharing which book you think your children would enjoy.
   XXXX
3. Post these messages on Twitter and leave comments here with a link to your tweets:

GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win a Kodak zi8 pocket video camera from @memetales http://bit.ly/bXK7xJ #memetales #gno PLS RT
XXXX

Celebrate children’s literature and reading at http://memetales.com PLS RT

Extra Entries

The following four entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry each. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.

1. Join the Memetales creator/blogger community (no cost to subscribe). Be sure to check your e-mail and confirm your subscription to be qualified for this extra entry.
2. Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
3. Become a Friend of Mom It Forward’s Google Friend Connect (see box in right sidebar).
4. Subscribe to the Mom It Forward RSS feed (click on orange heart at the top of the right sidebar).

Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, March 10, 2010. No more than one entry per person via each of the methods listed in the Giveaway details. The odds of winning a Giveaway depend on the number of entries. Winners will be selected randomly by Mom It Forward. All decisions of Mom It Forward are final. Employees of Mom It Forward and the Giveaway sponsor are not eligible to participate. All entries received after the Giveaway closing date and time will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants who are residents of the US 18 years and older. Void in Maine. Void where prohibited. Taxes on Giveaways are solely the responsibility of the winner. Winner agrees to permit Mom It Forward and the Giveaway Sponsor to use her or his name, voice, photo, or likeness for reasonable promotional and marketing purposes for up to 90 days after the end of the Giveaway. Mom It Forward and Sponsor are not liable for late or misdirected entries, entry errors, or transmission problems. Mom It Forward reserves the right to terminate the Giveaway in the event of technical problems, or to correct typographical or technical errors, or to amend these rules. All participants should review the Mom It Forward disclosure and privacy policies. By entering, participants agree to release and hold harmless Mom It Forward, Sponsor, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with a Giveaway. Mom It Forward will provide the name of the winner for any Giveaway, upon request, for 90 days after that Giveaway’s entry period ends. Unless otherwise provided by the Sponsor, no substitution, transfer, or assignment of prizes is permitted. Non-winning entries from one Giveaway are not carried forward to future Giveaways.

Smart Device.

The Droid has inserted itself into my daily life right next to my toothbrush and my Mountain Dew. We wonder how we lived without cell phones, right? I’m wondering how I managed without a walking hand-held laptop like the Droid.

I made a list of things (other than cell-phone/email) I’ve recently transformed the Droid into and the list was so long my notepad started complaining.

My Favorite Things About the Droid

• Voice Activated Browser: Hands down this is my favorite feature of the Droid. I’ve searched for Easy Oreo Truffles, Gymnastics in my town, Brandon Mull (for the tween reader in my house), and it never fails. Awesome when you are in a hurry or away from a phonebook or laptop. Look at how readable the webpages are.

• Pandora: Think about this. You don’t need radio. Satellite radio? Forget it. With Pandora on your phone you have your own radio station, and with a data plan you take it with you anywhere you travel! The sound quality is fairly good even without earphones. How about at the Gym? I love my tunes while treadmilling, but even with a few hundred songs on a playlist I get tired of the same songs. Pandora on my Droid solves jogging boredom! (Note: You wouldn’t fiddle with it while driving, now would you?)

• In the Kitchen: Seriously. The whole world of recipes in a little black box. Imagine Foodwhirl.com or Epicurious.com or iVillage.com sitting on your countertop, helping you stir creamy alfredo for dinner, or reminding you to whip the egg whites before you combine solids and liquids for Easter morning waffles. This is the digital recipe book I’ve been dreaming about. (Be careful not to drip chocolate cake batter on your friend… I mean phone!)

• Photo to Flickr to Twitter: Sometimes you need to share an image Right That Second. The 5.0 megapixel camera on the Droid spits out amazingly clear images. I never need to miss a shot again. At the park, during a kid concert, after interrupting little wanna be me with lipstick all over her face—CLICK! Picture taken. Set up your Flickr2 Twitter account and you can email, save, and share your image with a few swift taps, beeps, and wooshes!

• Backseat Crabby-Pants: Kids driving you crazy on a long drive? Believe me, I know. We live 75 miles from the nearest Costco. We are in need of serious munchkin entertainment on those trips! Droid Got Apps? (and games?) Oh yeah, Droid Does. Hundreds. Amen. (Good luck getting it back from your tween by the way…)

• On the Go Shopping and Cost Comparison: Let’s say you are looking for shelves for your tween’s bedroom and you’ve walked into a big box store and found something that might work. But, last night you were browsing around a few websites with similar products. What to do? Pull out your Droid, quickly look up the price of the online shop, and compare with and without shipping. Brilliant.

• GPS map program: I’m in the Target parking lot. I need to find the Gymnastics Studio in town. I use the voice activated browser to locate the address, I click the map and Droid asks: would you like to open the Maps App? Well yes I would, thank you. It opens and I click to get directions from WHERE I AM at that moment. Who needs a separate GPS thing-a-ma-bopper?

• I’ve also ask Droid to become my Timer/Alarm Clock, Calculator, and Calendar. It was happy to oblige.

• Social Media: Of course. The phone is all set up when you first turn it on directing you to log into your gmail account or create one, plus Facebook is ready to activate, and Twitter is easy and free to download the app of your choosing. I don’t use text messages a lot but the set up is easy and clear.

My Least Favorite Things About the Droid

At first the soft keys at the bottom of the phone were diving me nuts. They are so sensitive, when you have turned on the camera if you barely move your thumb over the ‘back’ key, it turns the camera off. I’m getting better about how I hold the phone for different functions and that problem is getting better.

I was ALL about the slide out keyboard of the Droid. However I find I’m using the on screen keyboard way more than the pull out keyboard.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Droid is on sale right now when you renew or start a contract with Verizon. You get 2 for the price of one! $199 for two Motorola Droid phones. One for you and one for your kid (who will take your phone anyway…) I think it’s a fabulous price. $100 for a phone that’s really a walkabout laptop. Yay!

Overall— When my Verizon account expires this month, I am all about purchasing either the Droid or the little sister Eris.

Join the #gno Twitter party this Tuesday, March 9 from 9-11 ET (8 CT, 7 MT, and 6 PT) to chat about and celebrate reading and children’s literature!

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, March 9, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us here on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #memetales.)
• Topic: Let’s Play—Getting Our Kids to Love Books and Reading
• Who: @ajpassey @booksbyTara @carissarogers @cindyhopper @Gyldenege @inevergrewup @memetales @momtriedit @noflashcards @reneeAtShens @seanplatt @simplekids @teach_preschool @thinkmaya
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win this week’s giveaway. Deadline: 3/10
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_momIF). If you would like to include your blog, please enter it next to your name. Make sure to include your twitter URL in the URL line. Please do not enter your blog URL there.

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.