The Bluebird Patch

The day has finally arrived. The Bluebird of Happiness is heading to Country Inn & Suites. The hotel has implemented several environmentally friendly changes as part of their commitment to exist in harmony with their surroundings and reduce their environmental footprint, while providing a better yet less expensive service for all their guests.   I will be sharing photos and tweets over the internet.  Please make sure you follow @countryinns on twitter. Country Inn has also created the hashtag  #LoveThisCountryATL so you can follow the conference live.  Talk to you soon. I really need to start packing :D                                facebook.com/ countryinnstonemountainga

Children's healthcare of Atlanta is notorious for going above and beyond for their patients. This time it was Olivia King's turn to shine and we were invited to watch the event unfold. A fter essentially spending her childhood in hospital rooms at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, Olivia King finally got her chance to celebrate her birthday in good health – and in VIP fashion. Olivia celebrated her sweet 16 on Monday, June 25, just one day before she got to be honored at the Atlanta Dream Kids Day game against the Indiana Fever. Olivia’s journey has been anything but easy. When she was three years old, she experienced complete liver failure. Olivia was airlifted from Nashville to Children’s at Egleston where doctors determined she would need a liver transplant. In November 2000, she received a split liver transplant and doctors discovered she was also suffering from cystic fibrosis. The disease had attacked her digestive system, further complicating her

Facing tough economic times, most charities saw drops in charitable giving this year. Connecting celebrities to support a cause needs to be more than just lending their name. Supermodel Cynthia Bailey (RHOA) has always shown a commitment to help her community by supporting charitable causes. This time her agency, Bailey Agency School of Fashion, is joining forces with Show Me the Way Foundation, for an All-Star model casting call for children ages 5-17. Show Me the Way Foundation (SMTWF) is a non-profit organization that provides mentoring and positive group activities for youth infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS and other terminal health issues.   Image via Rolling Out Magazine Want to attend? I will be there supporting this wonderful organization. Here are the deets: WHO: Supermodel Cynthia Bailey (RHOA) and the Bailey Agency School of Fashion will partner with Show Me the Way Foundation for an All-Star model casting call for children ages 5

1. Bobby Flay Beef Burgers with Peanut-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce     Bobby Flay makes this extremely good barbecue sauce by spiking tomato puree with two forms of smoky chile—ancho chile powder and chipotle in adobo sauce—then adding peanut butter for sweetness. The sauce takes some time to prepare, but by doubling the recipe, it can be made in one large batch and kept in the refrigerator for up to  two months.     2. Andouille and Beef Burgers with Spicy Mayo and Caramelized Onions.   Prolific cookbook author James McNair has been chief judge of Sutter Home Winery's burger cook-off since it began in Napa in 1990. One of his books, Build a Better Burger , includes every winning recipe. Some past winners—and McNair's Louisiana roots—inspired the burger here.   3. Minetta Burger  Minetta Tavern has become known for its spectacular hamburgers. The restaurant's namesake burger is made with a blend of beef short rib and brisket

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost You know those days when you just want to escape the suburbs and you drive down the winding road with no specific course and you let God lead the way? Well, that's exactly what happened this past Father's Day. We had just finished watching a movie when our kids asked us that dreaded question... what are we doing next?? Honestly, I had no idea. I went into a panic mode. We are on a tight budget, and we have no friends or family close by that we can visit. Going to a restaurant or a paying attraction was out of the question. So what to do? Where to go?? On the spur of the moment I told my husband to just drive. Drive?? Drive where? He replied with an incredulous look on his face. I don't know I told him. Just drive down the road and let's see where it takes us. And for the next 25 minutes that was exactly what we did. We dro

I can't remember a time this boy didn't have a LEGO in his hands. LEGO's has always been an important part of Exol's development. He can do anything with them. He can build lighthouses, gigantic spaceships, to anything in between. I called him the "Alton Brown" of LEGO for his unique ability to lecture anyone he comes into contact with. Is funny how LEGO has allowed me, to sneak peek into my son's future. Exol only likes building, he do play video games but his true strength lies in designing and building. If you come to his room and open his desk you will find a bunch of papers with drawing of designs he comes up with. I love how he always write Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 and so on on every single paper.  Exol's spatial visualization ability makes him a great candidate for the LEGO Mini Apprentice Program. Exol's perceptual and cognitive abilities enables him to complete any task faster than a regular person. Exol's natura

  The Coca-Cola "Happiness Machine" has landed! You may have heard of the seemingly ordinary vending machines that deliver surprises to unsuspecting passers-by. One of these Coca-Cola Happiness Machines has struck again, this time in Atlanta. Starting in time for the first day of summer today, a Happiness Machine is delivering unexpected moments of happiness to randomly selected guests outside the World of Coca-Cola.  The Coca-Cola® Happiness Machine will be outside the World of Coca-Cola in Pemberton Place from Friday, June 15, 2012 to Monday, September 3, 2012! The Happiness Machine will create moments of happiness by giving randomly-selected visitors fun summer prizes during our "Summer Moments of Happiness" promotion! The promotion will be live within selected activation days and hours during regular business hours (approximately 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET) outside The World of Coca-Cola in Pemberton Place.  The machine will dispe

If you love storytelling and puppetry I have great news for you. The Center for Puppetry Arts has a brand new show that will steal your heart. The Little Pirate Mermaid , is new spin on the familiar Hans Christian Anderson/Disney fairy tale.  Featuring over 40 handcrafted puppets, the show takes advantage of marionettes as they are a perfect medium for creating a sense of weightless, “underwater” floating. The magic continues as the story goes above the water for lots of pirate ship fun, including a naval battle, an attack by a monstrous squid and hilarious antics between the sailors and pirates. By combining a well known fable with some high seas adventure, Center for Puppetry Arts crafts a show that is completely shipshape and a thrill for boys and girls of all ages. Our favorite part were the scenes of the old sea hag and the sea monster attacking the pirate ship. From the scenery, to the puppets, to all the different light effects The Little Pirate Mermaid is

When you can no longer justify the uniqueness of a product, the quality, or even the best price what do you do? You offer something that money can't buy – happiness. Many brands believe the “happiness formula” has unlimited marketing potential and are trying to figure out how to use happiness to increase employees' productivity and attract more customers. Jennifer Aaker, a m arketing professor Stanford Graduate School of Business believes that marketing happiness could be one of the few ways businesses can still appeal to people in a manner that feels authentic. "The idea of brands enabling happiness and providing greater meaning in the world is powerful," Aaker says. "People have an aversion to anything that feels overly manufactured."    From Campbell's Soup making your happy place anywhere you have your soup by offering a "smile in every spoonful, JetBlue roadside billboards promising you will "jet happy", Amazon