LIVE from Chicago

I'm sitting in a room full, I mean - FULL - of bloggers - women who are writers and who either get paid (0r not) for what they, I mean WE do all day!

We're just SECONDS away from the major announcement this year. They're just making us wait a few minutes before letting us know where BlogHer 2010 will take place and everyone here is bracing themselves and praying that it'll be in their hometown.

At my table are a few women from the Denver - based carpool are hoping that it'll be there and I have to admit that it would be a beautiful place for a conference.

OMG! They're making us WAIT....I swear. This is crazy. I'm getting text messages from my Blog Her Carpoolers ' roommate from somewhere in this room, but where is she? Is she broadcasting LIVE as well?

THERE SHE IS!!

I can see her. She's at the next table and it looks like her coffee mug ...

NEW YORK CITY

Hilton New York
near Rockefeller Center
August 5 - 7, 2010

Woo-hoo!

Oh, and I'm going to head to the GM booth today so that they can set me up with another Test Drive with the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

2010 Chevy Equinox

So, the 2010 Chevy Equinox has been awesome to drive. It was dropped off at my place in San Diego around noon on Monday. I grabbed the keys, signed the Loan Agreement and it was mine. I headed out that afternoon, driving through traffic in Riverside, past the lights of Vegas and finally stopped long enough to close my eyes for a few hours in Cedar City, UT.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, I got in the car and headed straight to Denver, stopping along the way for gas and potty breaks. I somehow scheduled it just right and was able to pick up Sugar Jones at Union Station in downtown Denver just before the traffic rolled in for the Rockies' game.

We literally ran into iGrandmaTV (actually, her friend backed into us when we were parked outside the Union Station). We ended up crashing the Denver Podcasters Meetup and learned about some great sports blogs and podcast sites. We also enjoyed some great beer from the Wynkoop Brewery and visited with some friends.

Sugar took the wheel this morning and now we're making a much-needed pit stop for some shut-eye so we can be ready to land in Chicago mid-morning tomorrow. We had a blast along the way, tweeting and laughing our way through a lightening storm and pulling over so the State Trooper could pull over a car ahead of us. Phew!

There are so many awesome features on the Chevy Equinox that we're enjoying, like the leather seats with the red stitching (so cute!) not to mention the rear-view video camera that allows you to see what's behind you as you're backing up. Oh and your side mirrors rotate down towards the curb as well when you're in reverse so you can see how close (or how far) you are from the curb when parallel parking.

No need to worry about blind spots with this vehicle either, since there's small windows behind the second row seats that let you see that space that is typically out of view. The driver's seat has memory adjustments for two drivers so Sugar and I have both been able to save our settings for where we're most comfortable.

The best thing about the car, in my opinion, is the handling. It's very smooth and with the V6 engine, we were able to pass some pretty slow travelers which allowed us to stay on track after getting slowed down by road construction. The cruise control has awesome settings that allow you to slow down or speed up with a roller button. The fact that it also gets 32 MPG (highway miles) also helped us cut down on our gas expenses!

Since we have no passengers (yet), enjoying the back seat, we'll have to wait until our route home to test out the DVD players but I have a feeling we'll all be pleased with how that works! The back seats are very flat so child or infant car seats will be snug and secure.

The automatic hatchback door also comes in handy as we're usually heading towards the car with our hands full. We're still getting used to "Dolly," the GPS voice we've named for her sweet hospitable charm but she's growing on us as is the XM Radio that we're enjoying as we sing along to the 80s hits that keep us awake.

And, speaking of sing-alongs, Sugar will have some travel games for our trip back West, including a karaoke something or other that is sure to be entertaining. We'll be taking song requests all weekend...

Keep on following us as we journey through BlogHer:

Twitpic:
SugarJones
Hip_M0M

Twitter:
Sugar Jones
Hip_M0M

Thelma & Louise - Part 2

Our Chevy vehicle will be delivered next Monday. They promised me it would be dropped off to me between 11 am - 1 pm. I hope it's not like when the Cable Guy promises to be there within a certain time frame. They're notoriously late and even though I'm driving on my own, I do like to have a schedule to follow. (Those of you who know me are laughing right now because I am notoriously late.)

Sugar Jones is relying on me to pick her up in Denver on Tuesday so I'll have to haul butt to get there before the day is over. We're going to spend the night downtown (Is there anything going on in downtown Denver on a Tuesday night?) and our plan is to be in Chicago by the night of the 22nd or early morning on the 23rd. That is if we don't get arrested for disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace along the way. Have you read those weird state laws in Iowa?

Feel free to follow along via the BlogHer website, our own personal blogs (Happy Healthy Hip Parenting and Sugar in the Raw). We'll also be updating the Twitter feed along with our own (@sugarjones, @hip_m0m) and Whrrl along the way!

According to Google maps, it's a 2,062 mile drive, which should take us approximately 30 hours total. We plan on driving 15 hours per day so here's our estimated route:

Monday, July 20th
Depart San Diego, CA
(overnight in Las, Vegas)

Tuesday, July 21st
Stop in Denver, CO

Wednesday, July 22nd
Arrive in Chicago, IL

For those of you who live along the route, help us out! Let us know where we should stop for food, restroom breaks or if we can come over for a home-cooked meal!

To check out the other carpools heading to Chicago, follow the Interactive Map to see where the Seattle group is or The Blogrollers from Atlanta!

DriveHer

So, you know when you tell your kids that they're driving you crazy? I say that often and usually my son knows I'm joking and he'll say the same thing to me when he's in a silly mood. Lately, though, I've been thinking about the whole driving thing and how I'm about to head out on a roadtrip in a few weeks that'll take me over 2,000 miles - without my son. Now, that's crazy!

Even though my BlogHer trip is not (yet) sponsored, it is, sort of. You see, Chevy, the carpool sponsor, will be providing me with a brand-spanking-new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid to drive from my house here in San Diego to the Sheraton in Chicago. They may even be able to provide the 2010 Chevy Equinox if it arrives in time! Either way, I'm taking a much-needed bathroom break in Denver to pick up my dear friend and fellow San Diegan, Sugar Jones!

The last time I drove halfway across the country was when my friend from college convinced me to move to San Diego ten years ago. I had never even stepped foot in California before, but there was a lot of drama going on in my life at the time and I really needed a change of scenery.

I knew nothing about San Diego, other than what I had heard about the perfect weather and beautiful beaches. Is there really anything else you need to know after growing up in Minnesota?!

My friend's sister joined us on the road trip and we had a blast, stopping in Breckenridge, Denver and Albuquerque along the way. We had so many crazy experiences, met a lot of cool people and spent a lot longer on the road that we had originally anticipated.

I love Chicago. I used to drive there with my friends for the weekend during college. We'd check out the museums during the day and hit up the bars at night. I don't know when we ever slept, but I have a feeling BlogHer is going to be pretty much the same. Seriously, we'll all be partying like it's 1999!

How I really feel about GM: The ultimate test-drive

I purchased my ticket to BlogHer at the end of February since I knew that it would eventually be sold out, like it had been in the past. I was able to get in before the price went up but I had no idea how I would get to Chicago or who I'd end up hanging out with. All I knew is that I had to be there this year.

Money is always an issue for single moms, but this year, especially, I've been watching my spending and limiting any unnecessary expenses. So, when Rockin' Mama contacted me about joining her carpool, I said, "Yes," right away. I mean, I agreed so quickly that she had to ask me several times if I wanted to think about it.

These are the sorts of things that one should not think about for too long, or all of the negative aspects of driving cross-country in the middle of the summer start to take precedence above all other thoughts. For example, stinky feet and armpits at 80 MPH is worse than slow-moving BO. Trust me - I've driven across the country before.

Exactly ten years ago this June, I picked up and moved to San Diego with my girlfriend. The two of us and her sister drove from Western Wisconsin to San Diego with a 17' U-Haul truck. My friend's Mustang was pulled along behind on a lift.

I'll share the whole story another time but for now, just know that after that experience, I vowed to never again drive cross country in anything other than a car, truck or mini-van.

Mommy Mandy will be joining Rockin' Mama and I (aka Hip Mom) as we trek from Southern California, through NV, AZ, UT, CO, NE, and IA before reaching our final destination. in IL. Traveling in such tight quarters with people we barely know is bound to create a bit of drama and, although I don't consider myself high maintenance (all of the time), it should definitely make for an interesting ride.

It is expected to take us a few days to get there (2,065 miles) and we'll be blogging on our respective sites about the journey. If you know of some good places to stop in the cities and towns we'll be driving through, please let us know. We'll be looking for some great little restaurants to make us some yummy and healthy meals. We'll also be recruiting volunteers to invite us to their house for dinner, or inside for potty breaks.

As for our vehicle, GM is, once again, the sponsoring carpool provider for this year's BlogHer conference, so we'll be able to test drive one of their Chevy vehicles - in every sense of the word. We'll also be testing each other's limits so stay tuned for more details on when we'll be leaving and how we plan on surviving the drive without killing one another - or ourselves.

No matter what you think of GM and their role in the economy, we ask that you support us as we leave our kids behind, jump in the driver's seat (we'll be taking turns, of course) and make our way to the Windy City in, hopefully, an SUV or something big enough to carry us and all of our equipment (ie. shoes, make-up, clothing, food, beverages, reading materials, laptops, etc.).

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering - YES - we do plan on stopping in Vegas and Denver for some fun. Sponsors interested in helping us with the cost of gas, snacks or meals & lodging should contact us ASAP. Since there's three of us recruiting, we're bound to have some pretty major investors helping us get across the states, safe and sound.

Who's in?

Surprised by Joy

by Steve Goodier

Stan heard in church about a Denver, Colorado family facing a rather bleak Christmas holiday. Medical bills robbed them of any extras; they would not even have a tree. Stan's pastor asked him if he would get them that tree.

So Stan and his son Jay headed up into the Colorado Rockies in the family pickup. However, the truck skidded off the icy road and hit a boulder that shattered the windshield. Jay was showered by glass slivers and suffered from shock and crash trauma. Stan was uninjured, though somewhat shaken.

Cars sped past that day – maybe 200 of them. Only two stopped to help. A gentle, dark-haired woman took the boy into her car to comfort him while her husband and another man helped Stan move his truck off the road. Then this kind couple drove father and son to Stan's home and quietly left without identifying themselves.

Stan was discouraged that he was unable to cut a tree for the family that his church was trying to help. But later in the month, the pastor asked if Stan might deliver a food basket to the same unfortunate family. He found the house, but he could hardly find his speech when the door opened. For standing there before him was the same couple who had stopped to help him on the mountain road when so many others had passed him by.

There is a strange power in love. Some folks may call it an amazing coincidence. Others might say it was divine providence. But I choose to think that love has its own power, and that sometimes these kinds of mysteries are better left unanalyzed. Let them remain mysteries. And enjoy the wonder of it all. For whenever we choose to be kind, we just might be surprised by joy.

Read More...

Five Percent

In every relationship, we should keep in mind that each of us needs to give 110%, that way there is no question of someone not doing their part or pitching in. It's never going to be an equal balance of give and take so even better advice is to not keep track at all. Simply give and you will receive (just as many others from history have said).

If you are looking for ways to give more, keep in mind the 5% rule, suggested by Neil Rosenthal, and based on his experience as a marriage and family therapist:

"...Make sure you hold yourself accountable for doing what you say — consistently — over time. Saying or thinking it isn’t enough. You must do it and then continue doing it. That’s what a happy, healthy, committed love relationship requires of all of us. And it sure beats being in a marriage counselor’s office being guided by someone else to do it."

Neil Rosenthal is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Denver and Boulder, specializing in strengthening intimate relationships.

Parenting Party 2009

There's less than one week until this year's Parenting Party and already I'm getting questions about where next year's event will take place.

I hadn't really thought about it until the idea was thrown out there...take the Official Poll found on the sidebar...Las Vegas, Miami, Portland?

Help me decide!

Snow Days

In exactly one week, I'll be heading to Denver for a long overdue snowboarding weekend!

I'll be staying in the River Run Village at the Keystone resort and I am so looking forward to enjoying another visit to Breckenridge. It's been years since I've been there, and years since I've been on my snowboard but it'll be a nice getaway, and a weekend that I will remember for years to come.

But enough about that. I discovered recently that 5 of the 10 Top Ski Resorts are in Colorado. I have got to go there more often. Here's the list:

#1. Aspen, Colorado
#2. Crested Butte, Colorado
#3. Lake Tahoe, California
#4. Steamboat Springs, Colorado
#5. Keystone, Colorado
#6. Vail, Colorado
#7. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
#8. Whistler, Canada
#9. Park City, Utah
#10. Mont Tremblant, Canada