wishbone clover

Cube Dog: The Extra Portable Pet Dog App

Thank you to Cube Dog (a Clever Girls Collective client) for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes.

I don't usually participate in Clever Girls series, but this one was too fun and cute to resist: Cube Dog, a customizable dog that lives on your iPhone. You can take it with you anywhere, and play with it any time, without ever worrying about barking, bad behavior or allergies. And it's so cute!

Doubters, and IRL dog owners might be asking, "How cute could an iPhone pet be?" to which I reply, "OMG, SO FREAKING CUTE!"

I'm serious, when you "pet" your Cube Dog, his or her eyes turn into hearts. Like this:

That's Tanya, one of my Cube Dogs, sitting on my sofa. Isn't she a doll? And how neat is the feature that lets you take a picture of your Cube Dog, with your iPhone, actually in your house?

The graphics are surprisingly advanced and 3-D, which I think is why it pulls you (ahem, or why it pulled me in) so quickly. You can customize the color, the eyes, nose, the ears. And so many hair style options! (Okay, clearly THAT was the big selling point for me!)

Check out this video introduction to Cube Dog:

 
To use Cube Dog right now, you need an iPhone® 3GS, iPhone® 4, iPod touch® (3rd generation, except for 8GB model), and iPod touch® (4th generation). All compatible devices must be running iOS 4.0 or higher. There is a note in the iTunes store that they're working on supporting earlier versions of iOS 3.x in the future. You can get the latest news on releases, contests and new features by following Cube Dog on Facebook.

If you have a compatible phone, and you're in the market for the most carefree pet ever, download the free app and check out Cube Dog!

While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Ford Gets It Right in Three Different Ways

Ford made the busy month of January even more exciting when they asked my company, Clever Girls Collective, to find 25 green and tech bloggers to participate in a Ford-hosted Driving Green event during the North American International Auto Show.

In Detroit. In January. Brrrr!

Despite the spectre of frigid temps, we were delighted to say yes, and quickly put together a kick-ass roster of talented and thoughtful Clever network car enthusiasts.

I have a long history with Ford, which includes a fabulous "40 Whatever" trip in a Ford-provided Mustang with my business partner (and BFF) Stefania, a side-story with Fake Scott Monty (more about him at the end), plus a family that only drove Fords for the first 25 years of my life, and for 50 years before that. Scott Monty, the head of social media for Ford, is a leader in social media strategy and execution, so it's always a bonus to work with him on a project.

That's a long way of saying, I was already a fan and excited to join the group as a green blogger, and to represent Clever Girls Collective. But as always, my opinions are my own.

Three Things Ford Gets Right

1. Ford talks to women

For one thing, Ford reached out the Clever Girls Collective network, which is predominantly women, to include 25 of our members in the Driving Green event. We sent (including me) 23 women and 2 men. Ford invited another 75 participants, most of whom were from major sites like Fast Company, Gizmodo, and the New York Times.

I give Ford huge props for including the Clever network bloggers, who have (relatively speaking) smaller, but highly engaged audiences. It speaks volumes about their understanding of how women make major purchasing decisions: We discuss it with our friends.

This inclusive attitude toward women was also noticeable at the Auto show itself. Ford set up a very nice "private" lounge area for the bloggers, where we could recharge our electronics, get lunch and cold drinks. Thoughtful. Good hosting.

They also brought in several senior executives to do interviews with us in that lounge -- everyone had a chance to speak one-on-one with them, regardless of the size of our publication or audience. Also, there were no restrictions on what we could ask.

It was dramatic to go from that environment to rest of the auto show, where few (if any!) of the women were acknowledged or engaged by other car companies. One other car company did a little online outreach, and invited several of the bloggers to their hospitality suite, which was smart. But once we got there, she was the only person we spoke with -- and she was from the PR company, not the car company itself. She was very well informed about the product, but it was a far cry from getting to ask Ford's head of sustainable design about alternative fabric choices.

10 Reasons Why the Excalibur Was the Worst CES 2011 Hotel

Last week I went to the Consumer Electronics Show with Sheila/@xiaolinmama, one of my Clever Girls Collective business partners. We're great travel buddies, and loved hanging out with so many awesome women tech bloggers. And the show itself was filled with fascinating gadgets, plus we met Bill Walton and Levar Burton.

There was just one slight freaking huge problem: the only hotel room we could get was in the Excalibur Hotel, a.k.a. the biggest shithole on the strip.

I know, you think Circus Circus is bad, and the Luxor is laughable. But I stand by my judgement on the Excalibur and as proof, I offer you these ten "Worst Hotel" points:

10. The room was missing the "do not disturb" sign. And didn't have a room service menu. And the safe was broken.

9. Speaking of room service, it was only available from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., so no late night dessert parties in the room.

8. There was gum on the lampshade

7. No guard at the guard stand by the elevators. Safety first!

6. No wifi. There was a single, plug-in internet cable, which Sheila and I had to share

5. The heating system had two settings that alternated automatically: blazing hot and frigid. Comfortable! Not!

4. Lame bedding -- just a sheet and a light, light blanket. Which was fine when it was blazing hot in the room, but wretched during the glacial hours of 1-2 a.m., 3-4 a.m. and 5-6 a.m.

3. A shitastic voicemail waiting for us every day, offering 40% off the Criss Angel Mindfreak show. Like anyone wants to see that tool. Now, if they'd been offering a discount on the Thunder From Down Under show (naked Australians! yes!), you'd be reading a very different blog post.

2. Flabby, shirtless bartender in the accurately named bar, Dick's Last Resort, acting out a "cum shot" with a bottle of something fizzy. While singing. To a leering crowd.

1. IS THAT A BLOOD STAIN ON THE TOWEL? AND ON MY PILLOW CASE?!?!

 

Visiting Ford Again!

January is a busy month! Last week I was in Las Vegas at CES, and this week I'm a guest of Ford Motor Company at the NAIAS Driving Green event in Detroit. Racking up the frequent flyer miles!

I'm really delighted to be here in Detroit, and to have 22 of the bloggers from the Clever Girls Collective network here with me.

Ford has a well earned reputation for being environmentally forward thinking, and their green program is truly impressive. They're making a big announcement today -- we're all speculating it's about electric cars, but whatever it is, I'm sure it will be smart and well planned. 

More later, but for now check out my interview with Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. Did I mention they also have an impressive group of women working for them, too?

 

Ford Motor Company paid for my travel and accomodations at the 2-day Driving Green Technology event. I was not compensated in any other manner for my time. My opinions posted here are my own.

 

Bare by Solo -- Plastic Cup Convenience Without the Guilt

Over Labor Day weekend I took a took a "working" vacation with my three partners of Clever Girls Collective to Parajo Dunes on Monterey Bay. We made it fun by bringing our families, who wouldn't let us spend the entire time online updating Facebook and Twitter.

It was a gorgeous location, and in between serious social media strategy planning, we had a great time relaxing. That mostly meant eating and drinking as often as possible.

Imagine for a moment what all of that eating and drinking means in terms of dishes. Eight adults, five kids, and ice cream cake. Bottomless bowls of pasta. A case (or a few) of wine. 

The dishwasher was overwhelmed.

As anyone who's ever gone on a group vacation knows, salvation lies with disposable plates and cups. But as anyone who's ever been to San Francisco knows, there's also lot of green guilt that goes with anything disposable.

Fortunately I had a secret weapon: Bare by Solo.

Back when I was writing for Green Daily, and posting rather often on the importance of compostable coffee cups, the company invited me to try out the line of recyclable and compostable tableware, and to be on the Bare by Solo Advisory Board.

I was delighted to accept, and they sent me a bunch of plates and cups so I could experience to the eco-friendly convenience first hand. The trip to Parajo Dunes was the perfect place to test out the different sizes and styles.

Bare by Solo plates and cups are made from recycleable and renewable resources, like corn instead of petroleum. They are microwave safe, and even better, they don't melt when they come into contact with moisture. I totally love them, especially because I hate doing dishes, but I'd had to give up my Costco paper plate habit when I crossed over to the "green side."

I'm so glad to have paper plates in my life again!

My favorites are the stylish square plates, which come in three sizes (I like to think of them as "cake", "grilled cheese with side of fries" and "steak plus two sides") and are made from renewable sugarcane. They're a nice color, and are equally perfect at a cookout or at a dressy party.

I also really liked the clear keg cups, which are made with 20% post consumer content, and are recycleable. Since that isn't super-super green, we cleverly re-used them all weekend. This was made easier by labeling the cups with our names, so no one would accidently sip a vodka on the rocks when they were expecting to taste a gin and 7 up.

My least favorite, even though they are way better from an eco-friendly perspective, are the Bare Natural compostable cups. I love that they are all happy for the earth, but I have to admit, they're very "hemp ghetto" brown. It's really hard to make a table pretty with cups the color of craft paper.

With the holidays coming up, I definitely have the "cake" size square plates on my party planning list. The clear cups are totally fun for punch, as long as you have a clearly marked RECYCLE HERE spot to make is easy for the revelers to clean up.

Thanks to Bare by Solo for including me on the Advisory Board, and for providing the Clever Girls with some respite from dishes on our vacation weekend.

Have you tried the line? Definitely share your experience and reaction in the comments below, and I'll include your feedback when I talk to the folks at Solo. Somehow, I think the "Red Cup" people are going to understand why I want those compostable cups in something besides oatmeal greige.

Small Business Saturday Spotlight: Joy O Designs

Thanks to American Express for sponsoring my writing today about small businesses. American Express is presenting Small Business Saturday, a way to honor the local merchants who are the backbone of the economy, this Saturday, November 27. They're offering statement credits to people who shop at small businesses, advertising for small-business owners, and donations to Girls Inc. for "Likes" of the Small Business Saturday page on Facebook. Join the celebration by clicking the "Like" button and then visiting the Facebook page to learn more about the program and read the terms and conditions that apply.

I love Best Buy as much as the next 100" flatscreen HDTV-craving person, but whenever possible I like to patronize local businesses, especially when I'm shopping for gifts. You get amazing service, and beautiful, unique items.

One of my all time favorite small businesses is Joy O Designs. She creates simple, elegant and gorgeous designs, and even better, her line Kyler by Joy O is entirely eco-friendly.

Silver hoops have always been my go-to style for earrings, and over the years I've had many favorites. A few years ago, I had a surprising urge for gold hoops. Specifically rose gold. A friend introduced me to these Joy O Grass Handmade Hammered Hoops and the rest is style history. I wear these, or the ones I subsequently ordered in silver, almost every day. You can see them in pretty much any photo of me taken in the past 4 years!

My super-fashionista sister is also a fan, so we trade Joy O gifts every birthday. Even though our styles are so different, Joy's designs, like the simple thin cuff, works for both of us. And for Cameron Diaz and a bunch of other celebs, like Anne Hathaway, who also love the whole collection!

Joy is based in SF, and I've had the pleasure of meeting her in person. She's just as lovely as her designs, and puts her heart and soul into every aspect of her business. If you're shopping for a jewelry-loving lady this weekend, I highly recommend checking out this local small business Joy O Designs and Kyler by Joy O for special and wearable pieces your girl will pick out of her jewelry box every day!

 

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I am also a partner at Clever Girls Collective.

New Shutterfly Holiday Card Designs - Plus a Special Offer for Bloggers!

Getting mail rocks. Real mail, meaning letters, postcards or thank you notes. The very best mail comes in pretty envelopes, and holiday cards are the prettiest of them all.

Even though I love to receive cards, for the past couple of years December has come and gone without me sending any. But this year, thanks to our new Clever Girls Collective client, Shutterfly, I'll be sending out fabulous holiday photo cards, and I'm getting them done early!

Shutterfly has a huge variety of holiday card designs, with everything from Thanksgiving cards for the super early birds, to Christmas cards and Hanukkah cards for the traditionalists, and New Year's cards for the people (like me, usually) who can't quite get through their To Do list in December.

The first step in picking a holiday card design is selecting your photo. But Chief and I had so much fun this year, I had trouble deciding. Since it's so easy to "design" your card, I was able to quickly try out several different photos and designs.

I love the elegant simplicity of the Pretty Packages design, which complements a black and white photo, like this one of us at my brother's wedding:

For a more subtle photo (or at least one where the colors are a bit muted) this Winter Woods Sky design is perfect! (If you're new here, yes, I'm wearing a Star Trek uniform, and yes, that's William Shatner.)

A more bold, graphic design balances a photo with a field of bright, solid color, like this one. I like the curvy but clean lines of Retro Red Diamonds, and as a bonus, proceeds from this card also benefit the American Lung Association. (Uh, Manilow. I told you it was a big year!)

 

I think a photo with a bit of action -- whether it's patterns on your dress, or strangers in the background -- stands up well to a card with intricate detail, like Swirl Damask Noir.

Of course, if you can't pick just one, then the solution is simple: a collage design like Family Wall Blue Christmas Card.

Are you feeling inspired? Get over to Shutterfly and start designing your own card! And if you're a blogger, click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

Disclosure Statement:

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly, a Clever Girls Collective (my company's) client. Participating bloggers are reviewing the new Shutterfly cards and sharing their faves, and have been compensated with coupon codes for 100 free cards. Clever Girls Collective endorses Blog with Integrity, blog transparency and full disclosure, as I do.

 

My Ultimate Family Vacation(s) Plus a Giveaway!

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

I love to travel, so I'm always happy to pack my bags, whether it's for work, play or family obligation. And I'm always planning the next trip!

My favorite family vacations involve multiple generations, with lots of people coming and going, and possibly a pet or two. In thinking about my ideal family vacation, I realized that it's actually multiple trips. And it's not just being a travel-lover, it's because I want to include everyone!

Although we don't have children, my husband (Chief) and I are lucky to have a lot of family. Both sets of our parents are divorced, with three out of the four remarried to our wonderful step-parents. Combined we have six siblings, three of whom have spouses and children. With nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and my very active 94 year old grandfather (look out ladies, he pinches, no really), we're well into double digits when tabulating how many bedrooms the rental house needs to have!

With so many people, it's impossible to find a one-size fits all solution, but since this is a fantasty I'm going to plan enough vacation to satisfy everyone! Here are a few vacations that Chief and I would love to host, with open invitations to our families to join us:

August on Cape Cod
A giant house on the beach in Falmouth, with weathered shingles and dormer windows. Six or eight bedrooms, including a dorm style room in the attic where the pre-teen cousins all sleep. There's also a partially enclosed porch, for sunset and fireworks watching.

The back yard has a crooked clothesline, covered with faded red and white striped towels that are perpetually damp, plus mismatched, sandy bathing suits.

Every night the grownups sip icy white wine spritzers and light beers, while the kids play tag and get bitten by mosquitos. We eat lobster so often that we (almost) get tired of it.

September in Sicily with a side trip to Lepcis Magna
I'm half Sicilian on my dad's side. A few years ago he, my stepmom and brother went to Sicily, and it was a magical trip. (Well, magic and terrifying, if you factor in the part about Italians driving on steep mountain roads!)

Their pictures and stories, plus the lure of seeing my "heritage" put this island on my Must See list. Then I did some research and found out that you can rent a villa, on a cliff, with a pool overlooking the Mediterranean. Count me in!

Activities on this trip to Sicily include taking photos, visits to archeological sites, and incessant imbibing of:

• vodka tonics with fresh lemon
• olives
• fresh seafood
• fresh pasta
• wine
• arancini

We also charter a disturbingly rickety, but ultimately safe, private plane, and visit the Roman ruins of Lepcis Magna in Libya, because heck, we're practically there anyway. The return trip is made possibly the by the pilot distracting handsomeness, and a well-appreciated flask of Limoncello.

Who's with us on this trip? It's a grown up excersion that definitely includes the extended Italian side of my family, including all of the aunts, uncles and cousins -- but probably not the nieces and nephews. You don't have to be old enough to drink in Italy, but it helps.

October in Hawaii
If you're sensing a sea-side theme, you're right. And what's not to love? Soft ocean breezes, delicious seafood, relaxing beaches -- all things that Hawaii does better than almost anywhere else, because it's all done with Aloha and umbrella drinks. *Sigh.

Chief and I start this trip with just the two of us in Honolulu for a week, enjoying the uniquely Waikiki combination of a city vacation at the beach.  We stay at our favorite boutique hotel, the New Otani, and eat as much ahi poke as we can stuff into our heads.

From there we island hop to Kauai, and rent a villa on a beach of silky, white sand, where we are joined by the West Coast part of the family (mainly Chief's people). In a show of unity, we all take surf lessons in the relative seclusion of our private beach, and are put to shame by the quickly acquired skills of my youngest brother-in-law.

Your Turn!
I could keep going for all 12 months of the year, but you get the idea. If you are also a travel dreamer, remember to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

You Can Thank Kristy

My delightful (and clever) business partner Kristy Sammis insisted that I check out Jerseylicious, a show about hair, New Jersey, and accents.

For some reason, she thought I would be intrigued.

And then she posted the Jerseyilicious makeover widget on her blog, She Just Walks Around With It (go read it once, you will be addicted.)

So yeah, I did it. I think I look kind of pretty. But I am half Italian, so there you have it. I especially like how my extensions are so outta control that they cover my sister's face.

Classy.

Buy Wine and Be Clever!

It's busy times with Clever Girls Collective. We added a fourth partner, the delightful Kristy Sammis, just celebrated our 1yr anniversary, and we have some BIG announcements coming up.

(I know I've been saying that for a while, but really, soon. Soon.) 

Something I can share with you right now is our new Clever Girls Wine Club. The best part is that everyone gets to be a member! 

Note: It's not a wine club like the kind you join when you go tasting in Napa and find a credit card receipt three days later and remember that you signed up to have 24 bottles of delicious but pricey wine delivered to your house every month.

The Clever Girls Wine Club is actually an affiliate program for our Clever 1000 network of bloggers, and it works more like a clique than a club. We find great wines at special prices, and the network of social media smarties offers it up to their communities. You get a great deal, the members of the CGWC earn a bit of coin for their trouble, and we all get to drink. 

God, how I love a happy ending.

Below you will find the current choices. And remember (meh, you can't miss it, we put it in the description for every bottle) buying three bottles gets you free shipping, which is the most financially clever part of the whole deal. Postage is expensive!

X Winery 2006 X Carneros Chardonnay
CleverGirls Wine Club Price: $12.37 (regularly $18) Plus FREE SHIPPING on 3 or more bottles
About The Wine: Offering crisp, mineral notes on the front palate rounded out with rich, tropical, buttery flavors on the finish.
Noteworthy: “The most obvious question with respect to X Winery and proprietor Reed Renaudin is how can these wines be this good at these prices? Everyone is looking for good values today, and here are some e(X)ceptional bargains.” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate


Bonneau 2005 Amador Zinfandel
CleverGirls Wine Club Price: $15.71 (regularly $22) Plus FREE SHIPPING on 3 or more bottles
About The Wine: Fragrant suggestions of blackberries, dark plums, raspberries and cassis with supporting notes of black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. On the palate, the wine is smooth, juicy and plump with great integration of fruit and spice, with full body and great purity. The finish is long and refined.
Noteworthy: Zinfandel! Big, spicy and delicious. Plans to BBQ? Give this a whirl!


Speedy Creek 2006 Knights Valley Sangiovese
CleverGirls Wine Club Price: $18 Plus FREE SHIPPING on 3 or more bottles
About the wine: The color is dark cherry red, ruby-hued. Nutmeg, potpourri and sweet strawberry on the nose, black cherry and plum palate, and a black pepper spice finish. The wine has a firm tannin structure that relaxes over about 20 minutes.
Noteworty: This Sangiovese won a silver medal at the 2009 Sonoma Harvest Fair after getting a bronze in 2008.