My Kid was the Red Robin Denver Broncos Kickoff Kid

Have you ever had an experience that you know, without a doubt, will be something you and your family will remember for the rest of their lives? Something so unbelievably cool that the sounds and smells resonate in your body for days afterward?

I have and so has my family. Monday night football will never be the same for us. This Monday my son, Henry, was the Red Robin Kickoff Kid for the Broncos season opener against the Raiders. Forget that we lost the game. Forget that the screw-ups and penalties were numerous. Henry and I were the only non-staff members on the field, running back and forth with our “body guard” to be close to the action. A member of the Broncos staff was assigned to be Henry’s coach/assistant and his job literally was to make sure Henry was safe and to pull him out of the way if the ball or gigantic players  were in danger of taking him out. I did not have a bodyguard, I had to fend for myself and I was ok with that! This was the best game ever!

Henry’s job for the entire game was to retrieve the tee any time the Broncos had a kickoff. There are some big boys on that field but they are as graceful and disciplined as can be. I created this video because there are no words to describe how incredible it was to be right in the middle of it all.

How on earth was this possible?

You can enter your child (ages 6-12) for a chance to be a Red Robin Kickoff Kid at a Broncos home game. There will be 6 prize packs given away to Colorado residents! If chosen, your child will get to retrieve the tee after each Broncos kickoff and enjoy the game from the sideline. In addition, you’ll receive:

• Two sideline passes with access to the field 1 hour prior to game time.
• Two Broncos jerseys
• Two stadium seats
• One year Broncos Bunch Kids Club membership

Over the past few years, my involvement with social media has brought some incredible opportunities for myself as well as for my family. One of the best brand relationships I’ve had to date has been with Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. When they asked me to be a judge for the Kids Cookoff last spring, I was instantly impressed by how much they believed in their brand, but more importantly how much they truly cared about kids. This is a company I feel good about and I’m proud to have been able to participate in another opportunity with them. Thanks Red Robin!

My Kid was the Red Robin Denver Broncos Kickoff Kid

Have you ever had an experience that you know, without a doubt, will be something you and your family will remember for the rest of their lives? Something so unbelievably cool that the sounds and smells resonate in your body for days afterward?

I have and so has my family. Monday night football will never be the same for us. This Monday my son, Henry, was the Red Robin Kickoff Kid for the Broncos season opener against the Raiders. Forget that we lost the game. Forget that the screw-ups and penalties were numerous. Henry and I were the only non-staff members on the field, running back and forth with our “body guard” to be close to the action. A member of the Broncos staff was assigned to be Henry’s coach/assistant and his job literally was to make sure Henry was safe and to pull him out of the way if the ball or gigantic players  were in danger of taking him out. I did not have a bodyguard, I had to fend for myself and I was ok with that! This was the best game ever!

Henry’s job for the entire game was to retrieve the tee any time the Broncos had a kickoff. There are some big boys on that field but they are as graceful and disciplined as can be. I created this video because there are no words to describe how incredible it was to be right in the middle of it all.

How on earth was this possible?

You can enter your child (ages 6-12) for a chance to be a Red Robin Kickoff Kid at a Broncos home game. There will be 6 prize packs given away to Colorado residents! If chosen, your child will get to retrieve the tee after each Broncos kickoff and enjoy the game from the sideline. In addition, you’ll receive:

• Two sideline passes with access to the field 1 hour prior to game time.
• Two Broncos jerseys
• Two stadium seats
• One year Broncos Bunch Kids Club membership

Over the past few years, my involvement with social media has brought some incredible opportunities for myself as well as for my family. One of the best brand relationships I’ve had to date has been with Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. When they asked me to be a judge for the Kids Cookoff last spring, I was instantly impressed by how much they believed in their brand, but more importantly how much they truly cared about kids. This is a company I feel good about and I’m proud to have been able to participate in another opportunity with them. Thanks Red Robin!

Moms In Business Unite Denver Conference #giveaway

Women ask me all the time, “How did you transition from being a stay at home mom to a woman in business?”

I’ve heard the question many times but each time I’m asked I still have to think about it. It didn’t just happen, I clearly had a drive and desire to do something with my skills. I began by writing copy and doing general free-lance marketing for small businesses. I helped people I knew or who I’d been connected to by friends or family. Once all three of my kiddos were in school I had already built up a bit of momentum but what really helped was making connections via social media and attending workshops and conferences.

One of the most important people in my network has been Maria Bailey, founder of BSM Media, who just released her 4th book and is absolutely “IT” when it comes to marketing to moms. She has been a strong influence and mentor to me from the beginning. Maria will be the keynote speaker at Moms In Business Unite Denver on September 21st. MIBU is a one day educational conference that offers four different tracks for women in every stage of business or product development. Also, Wendy Robbins, who co-starred with Kelly Ripa in the TV series Homemade Millionaire and currently works for HSN will be present and offering advice to women businesses. The price of the conference ticket is less than any comparable event I’ve seen anywhere. $85 for a full day of education including lunch is pretty amazing. I’ll be there as an afternoon panelist and would like to take THREE of  you with me! I’ll be giving away conference tickets to three lucky BB readers!

The Moms in Business Unite Conference has been designed to provide a unique learning opportunity for all women business owners–moms and non-moms alike. We’ve structured the Conferences to ensure that plenty of networking time is available, and because MIBU offers multiple tracks, we provide attendees with the choice to attend the sessions that are most relevant to where they are in their business.

Breakout sessions are focused on four main areas:

Track A – Getting Started: Perfect for the woman/mom who wants to learn how to start her own business. These empowering sessions will provide a solid foundation for any entrepreneur to get started!  

Track B – Running Efficiently: Ideal for the woman/mom who has her own business, but wants to learn how to run it more efficiently. These sessions are packed with useful information, providing immediate value to any business!

Track C – Next Level: Exactly what a woman/mom with an established business needs when she’s considering taking it to the next level. These motivating sessions will provide valuable inspiration to take the next step!

Track D – Inventor Fast Track: Got an idea? These sessions will give women/moms a tangible action plan to bring their inventions to market, covering all major components to take them from “concept to cart.”

 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED congrats to Daria, Tara, and Liz. You will receive an email with info on tickets!

Enter to win a FREE Moms In Business Unite – Denver Conference Ticket!

Just post a comment below letting me know what you hope to learn and why you’d like to attend #MIBUDenver. That’s it!

Winner will be chosen on September 13th by random.org all entries must be received by 12:01am 9/13/11 – winner will receive one free conference ticket *does not include transportation to and from the conference venue.

*This post has been sponsored. I will be attending the conference as a panelist and will attend the event at no charge.

I’m getting old-Time to run a marathon!

Over the past year or so I’ve been creating a “40 Before 40″ list-a bucket list of things I’d like to accomplish before I turn 40. There are several things on that list that I’ve been able to check off, others that may or may not happen, and several that I am determined to make happen because they are important to me. I haven’t published the list, I’ve mentioned it but haven’t been able to bring myself to put it out there. If you are wondering why, you can read about that in a post from early this year, here.

This August I will turn 39 and one of the items on my bucket list is “Train for and complete a full marathon”. Since training for a marathon is a fairly time consuming process I have just over a year to get this sucker done. This spring I started to take my race training more seriously and even joined a group training for the Denver Rock n’ Roll Marathon in October.  When I finished my very first half-marathon about 7 years ago I felt fantastic and in my mind didn’t think I’d ever have the desire to train for a full marathon. I also wasn’t sure my body would ever stand up to the distances required during training, never mind running fast enough to finish within the course time limits of most marathons. In those 7 years I’ve gotten stronger, started practicing yoga regularly and then last summer while I was running up the ski mountain at Beaver Creek (for fun), I realized that my body can do amazing things and if I really wanted to I absolutely could finish a marathon. So, friends…. I did it, I am officially registered for the Denver Rock n’ Roll Marathon on October 9, 2011!!!!

There’s no backing out now-it’s on the blog, it’s a done deal….

What is on your bucket list? What are you doing to reach your goals?

Random Act of Zhu #2 ~ Ronald McDonald House Denver

Merry Christmas Eve dear readers! I can’t help feeling giddy when I think about the crazy festival of happy giggling that explodes in my house every year on Christmas Day. I know that we are a fortunate family and that there will be others this evening and tomorrow morning that won’t experience the same explosion of magic that my children will. Thanks to an amazing donation from the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets my children and I know that there will be at least 104 smiles on the faces of children in need this Christmas Day.

I am grateful to Cepia, LLC for including me in their “Random Act of Zhu” holiday toy campaign. They sent me 104 Zhu Zhu Pets and Kung Zhu Hamsters to distribute to local children in need. You may remember my first “random act”, it was so rewarding that I’ve literally been floating from the experience and I intend to become more involved with Denver Safe House in the future.

100 bloggers X 100 Zhu Zhus = 10,000 smiles!

The site of my 2nd Random Act of Zhu has special meaning for me because when my children were younger we were part of a playgroup and every holiday we would donate gifts to the Ronald McDonald House Denver. I remember the first year that we donated we took all of the kids to pick out gifts and then when we delivered them a very kind woman in reception took us on a tour of the facility. Our kids were too young to truly understand what their gifts would mean to the families spending Christmas away from home but to this day I remember the tour and the conversations we all had.

The Ronald McDonald House’s main focus is providing comfortable, low-cost housing to out-of-town mothers and fathers needing to be near their hospitalized children. Many children from rural parts of Colorado come to Denver for treatment and the Ronald McDonald House makes it possible for these families to be near their children during what can be a frightening time in a child’s life. The Zhu Zhu Pets that we brought to the house this week will bring smiles to the children who receive them and joy to the hearts of the parents who are able to celebrate the holiday with their children.

The Ronald McDonald House Denver facility is a 35,000 square foot residence with 31 bedrooms with private baths, and includes 2 kitchens, a laundry, 5 TV lounges, dens, and indoor/outdoor play areas. When we visited yesterday the house was decorated for the holidays and favorite childhood characters lurked in every corner….

My First Random Act of Zhu: Destination SafeHouse Denver!

Tis’ the season and thanks to Cepia, LLC , the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets and Kung Zhu Hamsters I am having tons of fun spreading the cheer! Last holiday season “Random Acts of Zhu” was established as a way to provide toys to children in need. This year they are at it again, just imagine:

100 bloggers X 100 Zhu Zhus = 10,000 smiles!

I was thrilled when they asked me to participate but when the doorbell rang and actually saw all of the boxes, I could barely contain my excitement!

My kids love Zhu Zhu’s and the thought of putting a smile on the face of a child who might not otherwise have much to smile about this holiday-well, it makes me giddy!

I chose SafeHouse Denver for my first Random Act of Zhu (RAZ). SafeHouse Denver operates the only shelter in the City and County of Denver that exclusively serves victims of domestic violence. SafeHouse also runs a non-residential Counseling & Advocacy Center where they provide non-emergency support services for women and children experiencing domestic violence.

SafeHouse Denver assists women, children, and youth in reclaiming their right to a life free from domestic violence.

I enjoy meeting the fantastic group of women that make things happen at SafeHouse Denver. They had never seen a Zhu Zhu pet before and they were giggling with delight because each child would wake up to one of these furry friends… and they’d be running all over the house!

Bloggers are well positioned to make an impact on the local level, and when companies like Cepia, LLC reach out to us big smiles happen. For safety and confidentiality reasons I won’t get to see the smiles on the faces of these particular children, but the smiles on the faces of the women I handed the little critters over to made feel great!

My next “RAZ” will shower Zhu Zhu’s on the Ronald McDonald House of Denver. I’m also trying to coordinate another RAZ for early next week with my kidlets in tow – I’m like a regular Blonde Santa Claus … stay tuned for pictures!

I Am Burger Expert! December 9th Webcast to showcase The 5th Annual Red Robin Kids’ Cook-Off Championship

I am preparing my palette and elastic waist band pants for The 5th Annual Red Robin Kids’ Cook-Off Championship tomorrow, Thursday, December 9th. I’ll be joining other Red Robin judges and Colorado-based culinary experts on the judging panel for this year’s contest.  Yes, I, The Bantering Blonde, am a culinary expert of epic proportions… well, an expert in Burger consumption anyway!

10 kid chefs from across the country will compete in the fifth annual Red Robin Kids’ Cook-Off in hopes of having their burger creation named the next grand-prize winner. As part of the competition, all 10 kids will make their burgers for a panel of VIP judges and culinary experts. The winning gourmet burger will be sold in Red Robin® restaurants in summer 2011 to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and featured in a free cookbook available online at www.redrobin.com.

To support the young chefs, Red Robin is featuring the 10 finalists on its website, www.redrobinkidscookoff.com, for fans to view, share with others and vote for their favorite kid-invented gourmet burger.  The kid chef with the most online votes will be named “Fan Favorite” at the Championship event.

By tuning in, you’ll have the opportunity to watch these 10 kid chefs prepare their gourmet burgers in an exciting ‘Iron Chef’-like competition, and see the grand-prize winner and Fan Favorite announced live!

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., has been serving up wholesome, fun dining experiences in a family-friendly environment for more than 40 years.  Red Robin, the “Smiling Burger®” expert, is famous for serving more than two dozen high-quality, Honest to Goodness® gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries®, as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees and signature Bottomless Beverages™.  There are more than 430 Red Robin® restaurants located across the United States and Canada, including corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin… YUMMM™!

Minimum Requirements to listen to broadcast:

The Windows Media Player software, downloadable free from http://www.microsoft.com and at least a 56Kbps connection to the Internet.

If you experience problems listening to the webcast, send an E-mail to: webcast@multivu.com.

Town Hall Children’s Theater Seussical Jr. Delivers Kid-tastic Performance

It was a lovely night on Main Street in Littleton, Colorado tonight – the tree lined streets have been transformed into a twinkly holiday wonderland!

We attended the Children’s Theatre performance of Seussical Jr. at the Town Hall Arts Center. This fun 60 minute production showcases the talents of several local children, teens and adults.  It’s the perfect length program for kids and the fast pace of events on stage kept my kids engaged and smiling throughout the whole performance.

Dr. Seuss fans will love following the adventures of Horton the Elephant as he searches for the lost “Who Clover” and protects/incubates an abandoned egg. Cast member Jona Alonza delivers the most animated and endearing performance of the evening in her role as the very silly, one-feather-tailed bird, Gertrude McFuzz.

The journey from the “Jungle of Nool” to “McEligott’s Pool” highlights Dr. Seuss character favorites such as The Cat in the Hat, Yertl the Turtle, and the imaginative boy Jojo. The colorful set and creatively adapted costume design was everything you would expect from a Seuss inspired production. This was a fun and kid-tastic outing that had us singing and quoting Dr. Seuss silliness all the way home. YOPP!

Thank you to the Town Hall Arts Center for inviting our family to review this performance, we truly enjoyed it!

Remaining Performances:

December 13, 20 & 21 – 7:00 p.m.

December 20, 21, & 22 – 10:00 a.m.

Location: Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 West Main Street, Littleton, CO 80120.

Cost: Adult: $15.00; Child: $10.00

Chowin’ Down With @GlutenFreeGirl, Shauna James Ahern, at Udi’s Gluten Free Foods In Stapleton, CO

Did you know that “The Mile High City” is leading the frontier in gluten free product innovations and start ups with five gluten free companies headquartered in the region? I didn’t until today!

I was invited by one the most popular of these companies, Udi’s Gluten Free Foods, to sample some of their yummy scrummy gluten-free recipes and to meet nationally known author Shauna James Ahern. You may know her as @glutenfreegirl, author of the memoir Gluten-Free Girl, based on her popular blog, GlutenFreeGirl.com.  Shauna was kind enough to take a few moments to talk to me on video and share a bit of her journey after being diagnosed with Celiac in 2005.  She also spoke about Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, a new narrative cookbook co-written with her husband, and Colorado native, Danny (aka “the Chef”).

Shauna is just as full of life in person as she is on her blog, so be sure to keep an eye on MomActive.com for the video, excerpts from the cooking demonstration, and more pictures of the amazing gluten free foods prepared by the chefs at Udi’s Gluten Free Foods in Stapleton.

MomActive will be covering the gluten free lifestyle, including an in depth look at Celiac Disease throughout the rest of November. If you’d like to share your story via guest post or appear on the MomActive MomTV webcast please email me direct at fiona.bryan @ MomActive.com. We would LOVE to hear from you!