This Made My Day!

I'm so giddy! I woke up today and found out that you can now find my "Calling All Citizen Journalists!" article (which was originally posted in ChicagoMomsBlog.com , a syndicated site) on these news sites.

Centre Daily - Pennsylvania

Miami Herald - Miami, Florida
Fresno Bee - Fresno, California
Charlotte Observer - North Carolina
News Observer - North Carolina
Island Packet - South Carolina
The State - South Carolina
Belleview News - Democrat - Southwest IL, and ST. Louis

And here are some sites that linked/mentioned the article:

• The Society of Professional Journalist - http://www.spj.org/cja.asp -linked from the main Citizen Journalism Academy page

• SPJ News - http://www.spj.org/spjleadsr.asp?REF=99 -The Society of Professional Journalists

• Highlandwire.org p - http://highlandwire.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=26 - Local

Calling All Citizen Journalists!

I find it incredibly amazing that The Society of Professional Journalists is embracing us bloggers as the new media breed. Actually we bloggers (especially mommy bloggers at that) already know that we are the new media force, but having SPJ’s nod of approval gives blogging the credibility it deserves. True to their form in “encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior”, SPJ established Citizen Journalism Academy. It is a one-day intensive workshop in bringing the journalism basics to those who are “practicing journalism through blogs, Web site production and interaction with sites maintained by mainstream news organizations.”

I attended the very first Citizen Journalism Academy workshop here in Chicago at De Paul University this past Saturday. Personally, the real reason I wanted to attend is because I noticed that there is a whole topic about “Staying Out of Trouble”. As an active blogger, legal mess may be inevitable if you are not aware of certain practices. And with ChicagoMomsBlog.com (whom I write for) now in syndication, we are of course being read more by the masses. I am also as active with my 3 other blogs/sites (SugarMyBowl.com, FilipinaMoms.com, and MomViews.net) all of which are more reasons for me to make sure that I am consciously keeping the media ethics and law in mind.

What I got from the workshop is even more than I expected. Mike Conklin a Chicago Tribune veteran of 35 years was in attendance to share his wisdom amongst MANY others like Christine Tatum, the present editor-in-chief of Infoition News Services who has also served as the past national president of SPJ. So you see, we were truly in good hands. Ms. Tatum herself was kind enough to even give me a one-on-one advice on certain disclaimers that I should have in my product review site, MomViews.net.

Surprisingly enough, there were even seasoned journalists there that are taking refreshers. We were a good mix of participants, but I was the only Mom Blogger. I was for sure that there were more of us going. Everything from reporting and writing basics were covered. We even talked about new tech stuff (my favorite) and looked into many websites that can help you research (research is very important – that’s one way to stay out of trouble). Want to stalk someone? Boy, do I have the sites for you to research that person on! Ok, that’s just a joke. But really, my eyes and ears were opened up to a whole new level.

With all this being said --- I truly recommend that all of you bloggers take this workshop. For a measly small amount of $25.00, it is so worth it! Thank you SPJ for the opportunity. And if you are ever back in Chicago for more Citizen Journalism Academy classes, you can bet that I’ll be there!

SPJ Citizen Journalism Academy’s next stop ---- North Carolina and then Los Angeles! You have got go! Go to http://www.spj.org/cja.asp for more information.

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The article below was written for and originally posted in the ChicagoMomsBlog.com

My TV Debut

FilipinaMoms.com was featured in Kababayan LA TV Show last month and as the Founding Editor for this site I was asked to be interviewed via satellite. I was mighty nervous in the interview and with no actual person in front of me other than a the CNN camera man, an earpiece, and the 2 second delay via satellite...I did the best that I could. Oh and of course my pre-interview classic mj goof-ups.

A big thanks to Janelle So and the Kababayan Show for the FilipinaMoms.com feature!

Dwibblet and The Magical Amulet

As soon as my 2nd grader found out that he had to write and make a book for a school project, he just knew what he would be writing about. Since he was about 3, he came up with a penguin character named Dwibblet. He loved that name so much that he uses it with anything that needs a screen name. And now, he came up with a story behind that imagined character. His illustrations were as fun as reading his story and he even named his real teacher and all his classmates in it. I am so proud of the book and was given an A+. I wanted to share this with you guys and I hope that you will enjoy reading it.

My 7 Minutes Of Fame --- or Mistake?

Today was incredible. First off, our dear friend Jill Asher the Silicon Valley Moms Group founder that owns ChicagoMomsBlog.com (the collaborative blog that I also write for) was on The Today Show to talk about Mommy Blogging and it was so exciting to see her there. As I said to Jill on her voicemail today – she looked like a moviestar! Great job Jill! Click here to watch video. But not after reading the rest of my story ok!

Meanwhile, I was preparing for my own TV debut heading to the CNN studio here in Chicago for a guest interview in a US-based Asian TV show called “Kababayan”(meaning countrymen) – a program that tackles topics and issues on or about Filipino-Americans. I was invited to come and talk about the blog I had founded called FilipinaMoms.com. It sounded like I landed a pretty good gig without a hitch – but wait until I tell you what had happened before the actual interview.

Days before today, I made sure that my parents come (for the baby) early so I can at least look half way decent compared to what I’m accustomed to lately. It was a rainy morning and today’s forecast was dismal. But I’m not going to let that dampen my spirits – No siree! I planned that THIS DAY, I will actually do my hair instead of just tousling it up away from my face. This day, I will actually put on make-up like you are supposed to instead of the quick dotting of foundation that covers my blemishes. And this day, I will wake up with enough sleep so I can be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed just for the interview. I was glad to see my parents arriving enough for me to look and feel great. Just as I had imagined, my hair ended up looking fierce and my make-up fabulous.

You would think that all this was an indication to a great ending, but little did I know that a number of disasters were looming around the corner. The comedy started just when I got dropped off in front of the Tribune Building at 11:45 where the CNN studio is located and enough time to feel comfortable for my 12:15 on air scheduled via satellite interview from Los Angeles. But to make this long story short – let me bullet point it for you.

• 
  From the lobby I walked straight to the elevators only to be stopped by security because I bypassed a whole line of security check in. How could I’ve missed it?


• 
  When I got to the CNN office, they were baffled why I was there 2.5 hours ahead of time. 2.5 hours?! Checked by thru my email and apparently my eyes missed the letters P.S.and T. on the end of 12:15. You know, Pacific Standard Time…meaning 2:15 Chicago time! Trying to look cool obviously failed.


• 
  So I had to kill time – 2.5 hours! Hurray – freedom to shop in Michigan Avenue is always exciting, but did I mention that it was said to be raining all day? Do I need to even say that my make-up melted and my fab hair-do became a frizzied wet-do?
  


• I dragged my spirits all the way to Walgreens and bought some hair shiner and brush hoping to salvage the DO that still ended up into a DON’T even after a few minutes of trying to look decent again.


• 
  Got to the interview and was briefed on some questions. My microphone was hooked through my dress and my earphone put on. The camera guy assured me that I looked fine blah…blah…blah…He was truly just being kind.


• 
  Show started, I was listening in on the cyclone news that happened in Myanmar from my earpiece and when it went to a commercial the show host; Janelle So, said that a Filipina Mom is guesting on the show and make sure to stay-tuned…or something like that. As soon as I heard that, my heart started racing and I started breaking into sweats! Uuggh..Can you say wet rag once more?


• 
  The 7 minute interview went and gone and I THINK I sounded dumb and probably looked like an ass. And the more I think about it tonight, there are so many things that I wish I could’ve said. Shoulda…Woulda…Coulda…a little too late.

The producer said that the video will be online soon, and I don’t know if I really want to share it with people now. So many have heard about it, and so there is this pressure to share. I can only hope that I was not as bad as I thought I was.

All Wishes Granted!

This Sunday morning I woke up with my 2 boys playing with their new game Monopoly Jr. in the kitchen table. My 8 year old was reading the directions in how to play the game and directing my 5 year old son the rules. I enjoyed watching and listening to them because this kind of cooperation between the two of them always break into one of them crying on the end. But not this time. It took a long while until they got tired in playing before they decided to just sit in the couch and talk. My boys are clearly maturing.

They talked about yesterday's celebration of my middle son’s birthday. We invited his entire preschool class and their families to join us in watching Aladdin – the musical (Yes, the Disney version). My boys enjoy watching theatre and we knew this was going to be a treat for him. And to double the fun, having 73 of his friends and their families there will be extra special.

The children’s production at Emerald City Theatre did an awesome job. They were funny and interactive with the kids. The Genie and Iago were especially outstanding and Aladdin was charming (who by the way is Filipino! More power! Hehe). OK – just to be a little bit of a theatre critic here – I must say that they were a little weak on a few lines that could’ve been hilarious if it was delivered timely and a little too strong on lines that are funny for adults but too hard for kids to comprehend. In all fairness, I know that it is the very first day of their showing and I’m sure that they are learning on how their audiences respond to those certain parts. Oh and uhhmmm --- they were a little off-tuned (cringe) on the end part of “A Whole New World” song, but I’m not sure if it really bothered anyone. Ok, enough critiquing already – this was after all a children’s production and I was nitpicking on things that anal retentive ones like me are probably the only ones who noticed. Princess Jasmine announced my son’s birthday at the end and the whole theatre audience greeted him loudly as one of the theatre crew member handed him some presents. All in all, It was magical to say the least, most especially to my birthday boy and all his little guests. And really, that's the most important part of all.

Thank you to Melissa of the Emerald City Theatre and the rest of the crew who tirelessly answered my non-stop questions and in helping this mama make it more special for my boy! Everyone was so friendly and it was such a great experience that we may just do this again! I highly recommend your services for parents who are looking for a fun, highly entertaining, and educational party.

After the show, everyone was also invited to continue the party for some food and more fun at the Horner Park. There were more guests that came to the park as well. I’m glad that we decided to get a party room since it was a little rainy. There were noodles (for longevity of course), chickens, hotdogs, and much more. The kids enjoyed running around the huge room and the parents got to chat with each other. The Genie cake was another highlight for the kids and it surprisingly didn't take long to gather them all for the traditional blowing of candles, Happy Birthday song, and group pictures. As each child left the party, we handed out Disney tin boxes stored with cars and sweets for boys and Princess Jasmine necklaces and sweets for the girls. The party was a hit!

As soon as we got in the car to head home, all 3 of our children fell asleep. Each one of them with a smile on their face. This will be a memorable day for the family. Happy Birthday Baby! I can’t believe how fast you’ve grown! I hope we granted you all of your birthday wishes. We love you like crazy!

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And oh --- this party would have never been possible without the uncles, aunts and grandparents who helped me set-up at Horner Park. Thank you so much family!!!