My Epic Playdate

What would you do on an EPIC PLAYDATE?



I know exactly what I would do.  Actually there are a million scenarios exploding in my mind.  But to start it off, I would fly my nephews in from San Antonio, Texas.  We miss them so much.  I can't help but feel close to them out of all the nieces and nephews because I am a mom of boys.  And my sons love their cousins.  C and I would pick them up from the airport, sign the boys out early from school and surprise them.  And then we would blindfold them and whisk them off to Vegas.  Just kidding!  I think we would stay at a swanky hotel in Hollywood, order in, eat out, walk on Hollywood Blvd. check out all the characters, do some shopping, sightseeing and hang out by the pool.  Doing all the fun tourist stuff just because we can!!!

The last time our nephews were out here together was in 2008.  We had a blast.  We enjoyed hanging out at their hotel in Anaheim because the pool was open 24 hours a day and it had the best view of Disneyland's fireworks without actually being at Disneyland.  The kids really let loose and so did we.  I wish we could do it all over again!



Hyundai is hosting their own Epic Playdate and it sounds AWESOME!!!  It is going down on April 27th from 9am-5pm in Santa Barbara, CA.  Some of the most popular bloggers on the planet will be hosting this epic event.  Would you like to camp on the beach with Dooce, BoingBoing and Oh Happy Day?  Perhaps a paint fight with Mighty Girl or eating ice cream sundaes till you can't no more with Girls Gone Child...  There will be hula hooping with How To Be A Dad!  Crafting with Oh Joy and Say Yes To Hoboken! (Okay I just totally made that one up because that would be dreamy for me)

Sounds fantastic, right?  You can enter to win a trip for four to Hyundai's Epic Playdate Weekend!  It is an invite-only event so you definitely should get in on this (I know I am) because there are FOUR GRAND PRIZE PACKAGES up for grabs!

To enter, you must have a Pinterest account and you must choose Clever Girls Collective when the form asks "How did you hear about us?"

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Karen Walrond Inspired Me #culturefanclub

I'm slow when it comes to finding good blogs to read.  I'll admit that.  I had no idea who famous blogger Dooce was until I found a copy of It Sucked and Then I Cried at my local Goodwill last year.  Yep, thats how out of touch I am when it comes to bloggers.  I wish everyone would go back to sharing their favorite blogs that way I wouldn't have slept so long on Karen Walrond.  Her blog, chookooloonks.com is beautiful, inspiring and uplifting.  Thank goodness for hearing her speak on "How to be Extraordinary" at Niche Mommy '12 or I don't think I would have found her blog or followed her on Twitter.

Last month Karen opened up a form promising a postcard from her to the first 100 (or so) to sign up.  I made the cut and received my postcard last week!   Not only is the photo gorgeous but the quote and note from her is lovely.  I kept it in my purse all week and was genuinely inspired to do the same.  I wanted to do something!

We love snail mail - receiving it and sending it.  Inspired in part by Karen Walrond, a fan club I was involved in on a forum in the early 2000s and a mix of my own ideas, #culturefanclub was born because I am your fan!  I will be sending out photos, art, books, sweets, letters, postcards, anything!  It can be something little, maybe something big.  That is the beauty of me being your fan.  I would love to send everyone something but the reality is that there will be a total of 24 parcels going out.  2 for each month.  There are no strings attached - All I ask is that if you receive something from me, please let me know it arrived by tweeting or instagramming me @raisedbyculture and/or using the hashtag #culturefanclub

Sound good?  Fill out the #culturefanclub form!