Even though I love Twitter, I can honestly say that I’ve never had an official obsession with the site. In fact, I always found pride in the fact that I’ve never really been officially obsessed with any social network. But that, my friends, was before Pinterest. When I first received an invitation to check it out, I dabbled around with it but didn’t really take the time to explore and get all into it. However, [...]
Lovely Ladies: Audarshia of 312 Dining Diva, Patrice of Afrobella, DJ Niena Drake, and Aramide of The Sassy Peach As a perfect way to end 2011, Red Pump partnered with Swish Dreams, Afrobella, and Blogging While Brown to host a coat drive for U Can Chicago. You know that I love to party for a purpose, and the coat drive was just that. Thanks to DJ Niena Drake, we were able to host the event [...]
Today is January 4th, otherwise known as my mother’s birthday and my deadline for completing my 53-hour service challenge. Well, the GREAT news is that in 3 weeks, I was able to log 43 hours of community service (yay!), but I didn’t hit my goal of 53 (not-so-yay). However, I am not a quitter so I’m extending my challenge through MLK Weekend which is perfect because Chicago Cares is hosting their annual MLK Serve-a-Thon on [...]
Happy Monday, folks! Did you all have a great weekend? I had a great Saturday with a not-so-great Sunday thanks to a nagging cold and an agonizing Bears loss. But, it’s all good today. It’s a sunny 40 degrees in Chicago, which we will definitely take considering that it’s the middle of December! On Saturday, I participated in two service projects which I discovered on the Chicago Cares website. The first was Birthday Bingo at [...]
Last week, I announced that I am challenging myself to clock 53 hours of community service between now and Wednesday, January 4th. Everyone was incredibly supportive, but many wondered why. Well, it’s no secret that I lost my mother in 2008 after a long bout with multiple sclerosis. On January 4, 2012, she would’ve turned 53 so there’s the reasoning behind that. My mother loved to help others. She tutored foster kids when we were [...]
Chicago event and PR maven Sarah Vargo knows a thing or two about amazing women Each month, she’s hosts her “Divas” event recognizing women in the culinary arts, entertainment, writing, and more. Each December, she rolls out the red carpet for Chicago women involved in philanthropy and yours truly is (once again) one of the honorees. If you’re free this Thursday (12/1) from 6-9p, please join me and my fellow honorees at J Bar (610 [...]
On November 10th, the American Cancer Society and TheMotherhood.com present “The Pursuit of Healthiness Powered by Social Media,” an online symposium discussing how women can leverage their influence online to improve public health in their respective communities. I am honored to be one of the panelists and will join a dynamic group of women around this issue. My fellow panelists are: Gina Carroll, Moms Clean Air Force Renee Ross, Fellow ACS Blogger Advisory Council Member [...]
I’m posting this a little later than I planned but this morning, I was really inspired by a series of tweets posted by Jesse Jones. Jesse is the creator of “U-Logy 101,” a motivational program to help you find and do what you really love. He spoke at Blogalicious over the weekend and I had a chance to meet him after his session. He’s not only very kind but also passionate about his work. This [...]
A couple of weekends ago, I had a chance to be a part of something truly amazing. My friend, Josh Mercer, held a girls’ sports and empowerment clinic through his Swish Dreams Educational Foundation at a school in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. From the second that I walked through the door, I feel the energy and excitement buzzing in through the place. Josh has been running a series of successful clinics for a few years [...]
A couple of weekends ago, I spent a few days with a group of amazing women as part of The White House Project’s “Go Run” leadership training. I still need to write a full recap of the events, but it was a powerful experience. I learned so much from TWHP’s leadership team, the speakers, and all of my conference mates. Over the course of two and a half days, some of us clocked 25 hours [...]
