As much as I love the YMC site and community, I understand everything must change, transform, modernize and be re-energized. So I put together a comprehensive survey asking YMC readers to share their opinions on the good, bad and ugly of the Yummy Mummy Club.
I was very clear that I didn't want anyone to feel as if they had to sugarcoat their responses. Give it to me straight. I'm a big girl. I can take it.
Well, I asked and you gave it to me. And I thank you. Having said that, some of the feedback was hard to hear. But I heard you loud and clear.
Here are some of the big take-aways I gleaned from your responses.
- The look of YMC is outdated. We need a design revamp!
- You love our content but get frustrated trying navigate throughthe site to find it. We have to find new ways to layout our articles and blogs to enhance your surfing experience.
- Many YMC Bloggers are very well read and well liked, but according to your feedback there are too many bloggers
- The fact that the articles are "real" and written by and for moms is important to you (as it is to me too!)
But this feedback was the hardest for me to swallow - as more than a few respondants made comments that YMC didn't give them the feeling of being inclusive; that it's a "snobby club" almost "highschoolish" and "cliquey".
I have to admit, that was hard to hear. The very basic premise of YMC when I launched almost five years ago was to be absolutely INCLUSIVE - once you have a baby in hand you're in the club so to speak.
Clearly I need to better understand what we're doing wrong. So, I'm going to be brave and ask you to share your thoughts in the comments below on how YMC has faltered and how we can create an entirely inclusive community where every mom feels welcome.
Again, don't worry about hurting my feelings. Lay it on the line. And I promise I'll listen.
I heard rumblings about this, but didn't realize how close it was to becoming a crappy reality - Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to successfully start charging Canadian consumers like us per byte - just like they charge us for our data plans on smart phones.
What does that mean for moms like us, who spend hours on our computers surfing, watching online TV and playing interactive games with our kids? It means our internet bills are going to SKYROCKET. Once again, the consumer gets gouged by big, greedy corporations.
The worst part of this is the CRTC has just made a decision that paves the way to making this a reality.
And here's what drives me insanely mad. Why are these big ISP providers doing this to us? There's the obvious answer - to make way more money on us now that the internet is firmly entrenched in our daily lives. But worse --> Telecom companies like Bell and Rogers want us to be watching their autocratic TV networks and be forced to continue subscribing to their channels where they control what we see, versus streaming online where we control the experience.
This is Bullshit! We need to send a clear message to Ottawa that we do NOT agree with this these already greedy and PROFITABLE ISP providers being able to indiscriminately add new fees to our internet bill.
We've seen moms band together to crush advertising campaigns that send the wrong messages about motherhood, like the Motrin PR disaster. Because you complained, the ad was pulled. But can we change the government's mind and beat big business?
For starters, CLICK HERE for the petition you can sign!
Also - share this post with as many people as you can. Start talking this situation in social media - Twitter, Facebook, your blog! Let all digital moms and dads know how we're about to get screwed again by big business.
Do you think moms can change the system. I think we can!!!
I just got "done". And it felt great.
A perk of being a guest on TV talk shows is that often there's a makeup artist onsite to do you. On the rare occasion, it's a makeup artist who is so good you learn new cool techniques or discover new products.
I was asked to be a guest on the Kourtney and Dave Show, a new parenting lifestyle talk show on CMT featuring the country singing husband and wife, who in their spare time, are also raising 3 young kids.
Before going on set, I had the luxury of spending close to an hour in the makeup chair while British ex-pat makeup artist Kerry Vaughn worked her magic on me.
Here's some of the cool products she used on me that I am racing out to buy this week:
Benefit - Eye De Puffer: So she dabbed this stuff on, it started to tingle and then my bags began to shrink a bit. It. worked. Apparently this product isn't available in Canada so I'll have to do some online shopping.
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Garnier Tinted Eye Roll On: Who new? Kerry swears by this under eye roller with concealer which she uses as a second stage of losing the bags and darkness under your eyes. This product is available at most pharmacies.
NARS Nico: This is the powder Kerry used to set all the other layers under my eye. There seems to be a theme here. Clearly I'm needing extra help in the tired eye department. This is a very light powder she lightly brushed over concealer. There is some magic ingredient in this powder with light reflecting qualities, which apparently works wonders.
Benefit Pore Minimize: This is the makeup base Kerry used on me. She applied it with a freaking airbrush, actually blowing the base on me which felt very decadent. This airbrushing technique is effective because it sprinkles the slightest amount of base onto your skin, which you build on. The problem is you can't really do the airbrush thing on yourself because you need to have your eyes closed while spraying. Kerry loves this brand of makeup because it cuts any red in your skin.
TREND WATCH: While she did me, Kerry shared what she's seeing on the runways that dictate the makeup look for spring 2011. And it's not pretty. Expect an emphasis on pale eyelashes and very light to no eyebrows. Shimmer on eyes. 80's bold blush that sits very high on cheekbones. Bold matte lips complete the look.
Are you in?
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