Gimme a V! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! What's that spell? VOX!
What better way to tell the world how much you love Vox than to announce it on Facebook? That's right: Vox now has an official Facebook page! Become a fan of Vox.com on Facebook and let your friends know what you really care about: staying connected with friends and family through blog posts, photos, videos and comments.
Once you're a fan, you can also add photos and videos to the page, write on the wall, and connect with other Voxers in ways you may not have previously. Plus, it's a great opportunity to let people know about your Vox blog, or start discussion topics. To become a fan, just visit the official Vox.com Facebook page and click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
Once you've joined, why not post a response to the current discussion topic? Just post a link (and a brief description, if you'd like) to what you consider one of your all-time best Vox posts.
What are you waiting for? Become a Vox.com fan on Facebook today!
My wonderful dentist, Gwen, commissioned a wine-themed wedding cake for her very intimate reception at her sprawling custom-built, Tuscan-inspired estate in Tustin Hills. She and her fiancé, Dave, are wine enthusiasts, they have a climate-controlled wine cellar in the bottom level of their house, as well as a champage room, and even a grape-crusher and wine bottling machine!
Instead of one large cake, we did individual cakes for each table, with different wines commemorating events in their life...the Dom Perignon bottle was popped when Dave proposed, the Veuve Cliquot marked the completion of the house, etc...can you tell they like wine?
Each wine bottle was copied exactly as the original, and the cake "boxes" were different flavors of cake and matched the logos on the wine bottles.
UPDATE: I think the dogs like them! Look Here so see Magnolia's approval!
BIG NEWS in the Hapa household: No baby, no engagement ring, but I did get an ICE CREAM MAKER!!! And when you think about the years of pleasure I'll get, it's pretty darn good.
Recently, I went on a walk I had been meaning to do since I moved to Cardiff. I visited the Self-Realization Fellowship -- a non-denominational meditation center, affectionately known as Swami's to the surfers and local community. I read about their meditation garden, which sounded like a nice walk. And indeed it was. Here are a few photos.
I get a lot of email forwards from friends; I often even enjoy them (especially if work is boring that day). However, there are some best practices which I wish people would follow to make email forwards more enjoyable or at least tolerable. Here are mine; feel free to add your own.
- Remove all headers, signatures and email addresses from the forward. Spammers collect that information, and that's often how we get on spam lists - making us all more targeted for viruses.
- Remove the FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW: from the subject line. One FW: is plenty.
- Don't look dumb and spread rumors and myths. Check the validity of your email on Snopes.
- You will never get money, or some cool thing to pop up on your screen, or save lives... by forwarding an email. And you will not lower gas prices, either. You can, however, annoy your friends and put them and yourself on spam lists. When in doubt, see #3.
- If your email is going to get me in trouble at work, label it with "NSFW". The last thing I want is my boss staring over my shoulder at some naked dude.
- Unless you already know I agree with your politics, don't send me something political. If you really want to express your political opinions, talk to me or start a blog.
Thanks.
Although we typically post on Team Vox to let you know about things that are going on with Vox (to, uh, state the obvious), once in a while, we like to let you know about other cool things that are happening around the blogosphere. And we think the idea of four hilarious mommy bloggers traveling across the U.S. on their way to the BlogHer '08 conference - all the while blogging and video blogging the journey - is one trip you will not want to miss.
Four adventurous bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Group were selected to participate in the Summer Road Trip '08 and blog about their travels, hotel stays, media appearances, time away from their families, and life on the road. Six Apart helped them partner up with General Motors, who provided the blogging mommies with a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV to help make their journey comfy, safe, and a little more green.
In case you're not familiar with them, SV Moms is a group of over 200 bloggers who showcase the ups, downs, outrages, struggles, victories, and everyday humor of motherhood. There are currently nine regional and demographically tailored sites that give mothers from D.C., New Jersey, the Deep South, Rocky Mountains, L.A., and Silicon Valley a powerful voice and sense of camaraderie across the country. Whether you're a mother, a child, or just a person who enjoys a good blog, you'll really love reading the words of these amazing women.
The moms buckled into their Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV on July 11th and even got an encouraging message from Katie Couric to kick things off! They are currently somewhere in the middle of America making their way to San Francisco where they'll attend an SV Moms Group Party, as well as BlogHer '08.
You do not want to miss these entertaining and irreverent bloggers -- or their spontaneous contest giveaways! -- as they blog from the road. Experience the journey at MomRoadTrip.com.
And let us know about your summer road trip - or plane/boat/bus trip - in the comments! (I like to live vicariously.)
I've recently become a convert to frozen yogurt. I never liked it before, because it always just seemed like a cheap imitation of ice cream. I'm not a "light" kind of person. And definitely not a "lite" person. Give me a taste of the real thing, rather than a wheelbarrow full of the second-rate stuff, I say.
However, after having been introduced to Yogurtworld by Miso, I found a frozen yogurt that actually tastes like.... yogurt. I like it. As soon as I was around a Pinkberry, I had to try it, just because I was intrigued by their business strategy (enticing customers to eat $5 yogurt so they can sit in a $400 Ghost chair). And a couple weeks ago, a Red Mango opened in my neighborhood so I tried it this weekend to compare. So, dear readers, treat yourself to my yogurt showdown!
Ambience
Pinkberry: better
Red Mango: good
Yogurtworld: better
Pinkberry definitely has a cool thing going on, with killer branding and those oh-so-chic Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chairs and mod tables. Like most trends, though, after you've seen your millionth Ghost chair, it's not that remarkable. I still think it's a beautfiul chair, but the effect is somewhat dampened when the table has sticky circles of melted Pinkberry* on it.
Red Mango is a sad little copycat of Pinkberry. Even the name. It just makes you feel sorry for it. Sigh.
The Yogurtworld brand is a much more divisive brand. Luxury it is not. Funky, though, and I love it. The store is full of signs touting the amazing health qualities of yogurt, such as: "Improve lactose intolerance", "Prevent acne", and "Promote fresh breath." They also explain why Yogurtworld yogurt is superior to its competitors: "Taste, smell, body, color, finish, texture, our horoscope and lucky numbers, scientific research and lucky numbers."
My sense of humor may be a little "off", but I find Yogurtworld quite endearing.
Variety of Toppings
Pinkberry: good
Red Mango: better
Yogurtworld: best
Yogurtworld is a clear winner in this category. They probably have over 30 different kinds of toppings, including the regular faves as well as fun stuff like Cap'n Crunch cereal and more exotic toppings like lychee and mochi. My usual combination is non-pareils and mochi, and sometimes mini reese's cups. Oh yeah.
Variety of Flavors
Pinkberry: good
Red Mango: better
Yogurtworld: best
Yogurtworld is completely self-serve, with probably around 20 flavors. Red Mango has a decent selection for a regular yogurt place but can't compare to the world of yogurt. Pinkberry is downright disappointing with 2 flavors - original and green tea. Boooooring.
Taste
Pinkberry: good
Red Mango: best
Yogurtworld: better
*Pinkberry cannot actually call itself a frozen yogurt store because... it's not even yogurt! It's fake stuff. Throughout the store they have to say things like, "Would you like a small Pinkberry or a large Pinkberry?" Which annoys me almost as much as Starbucks' "tall, grande, venti" categories which I still refuse to say. Red Mango tastes the most like real yogurt - tart and tangy. Like I said, if you want something that tastes like ice cream, just go eat ice cream.
Quality of Ingredients
Pinkberry: good
Red Mango: best
Yogurtworld: better
Red Mango's toppings and yogurt ingredients look pretty pristine. All natural, no preservatives. Yogurtworld looks good too, although being self-serve their toppings are sometimes spilled all over the place. The yogurt at Red Mango tastes just slightly better than Yogurtworld.
And the winner is...
Yogurtworld, by a nose! The price and choice of flavors and toppings can't be beat. But, Red Mango is within walking distance, so it's a good option for those late night cravings.
Do you live in or around Cincinnati, Ohio? If so, you're in luck because Scott and the Queen City Voxers Group have organized a Vox user meetup!
WHERE: Ault Park Playground. 3600 Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. "We'll look for each other at the playground marked by the red X below. If it's raining, head for the shelter to the north of the [red] X."
To RSVP (which is not essential, but is appreciated), reply to Scott's announcement or send him a private message. All Voxers, as well as their friends and family, are welcome to attend.
If you do attend the meetup, have a great time and please take lots of pictures and send them to me so I can post them in Team Vox for everyone to see!
Thank you so much to Scott for organizing this meetup. Wish I could be there!
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