happykatie :: katie rocks out the interwebs

Quickie book review: "The Master Cleanser"

The Master Cleanser

by Stanley Burroughs

Actually, the Master Cleanser hasn’t completely changed my life yet but it’s got me on the right path.

This book is, obviously, a must-read for anyone about to embark on a Master Cleanse (aka: lemonade diet… but I abhor most phrases that involve the word ‘diet’ as I feel like it’s always taken the wrong way…).  Author and Master Cleanse founder Stanley Burroughs is quite brilliant, although I took some of the philosophy with a grain of salt but it’s really not over the top, like Dr. Bronner’s soap bottles or anything similar :).

What you don’t find in the book is real, actionable ‘how-to’ instruction.  I mean, it’s there but it’s kind of muddled.  I’m a ‘give it to me direct, straight and multiple times’ kind of girl—so I’m relying on other sources to really guide me through our upcoming cleanse.

No worries though, this was a great book and very quick/easy read.  Definitely recommended, especially if you are a glutton for punishment and can't wait to NOT eat food for 12 days.  Yay.

Check out what else I'm consuming by visiting the sidebar to your left or by clicking here.

Thanks to HSAE for a fun Social Media discussion!

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I had a great time with the Houston Society of Association Executives today at the Social Media for Association Roundtable.  They are really a fun-loving and curious group which (if such words were ever used as proper nouns) could be my middle name.  Many thanks for the warm welcome!

If anyone is in the Houston area and is interested in some free Social Media training, the company I work for (Schipul - The Web Marketing Company) offers regular classes and would love to have you.  Plus we have a foosball table and lots of toys to play with, so you'll have a grand old visit. 

Free is awesome, just like this Social Media class.  The details:

Social Marketing Seminar
Presented by Schipulite Kim Lange
Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Fri 18-Apr-08 1:30 PM to Fri 18-Apr-08 3:00 PM

Cupcake week approacheth - Martha Stewart style

Martha Stewart's Cupcake Week start on Monday (March 31st), so get ready for some frosted happiness on the boob tube.  Scheduled cupcakes:
- Monday - Martha's coconut cupcakes
- Tuesday - a special April Fool's Day cupcake from cookbook author and baker Karen Tack
- Wednesday - Meyer lemon raspberry cupcakes
- Thursday - chocolate graham cracker cupcakes with toasted marshmallows and adorable cupcake pops
- Friday - Mexican chocolate-pudding-filled cupcakes

Yes, I did just list days of the week and their corresponding cupcakes and, yes, apparently you did take the time to read them.  Behold the magical power of the Cupcake.  Resistance is futile.

If you are uber-talented, you can submit your own cupcake creation to the 'Cutest Cupcake' contest.  Thanks to my Mom for looking out for my sweet tooth and sharing this with me!!  :)

Social Media Marketing for Associations roundtable tomorrow!

I am very excited to be speaking and leading a panel of great Houston association gurus tomorrow at the Houston Society of Association Executives Social Media Roundtable.

Social Media Marketing for Associations Roundtable with HSAE
Katie Laird Strategic Advisor
Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Fri 28-Mar-08 11:30 AM to Fri 28-Mar-08 2:00 PM

If you're in the area do drop by - I'll be giving a brief Social Media 101 overview and then we'll dive into a discussion on what's great, good, blah and otherwise for local associations branching out into the Web 2.0 world.  If nothing else, you'll get to see me at my most hyper and this time I have pictures of cupcakes in my presentation - does it really get any better than that?!?

You can also find my slides tomorrow on Slideshare:  www.slideshare.net/happykatie

Scrapblog wants you to 'Get Crafty!'

Check out Scrapblog's new 'Get Crafty' vidcast!  Their premiere episode looks at online photo cropping tools that Scrapblog has recently updated.  I look forward to when they showcase not only their own *awesome!!* software, but bring in outside designers and external creative influences as well. 

About Scrapblog's 'Get Crafty!':  Get Crafty! is the new show produced by Scrapblog that will showcase designers, new features and crafty ideas for preserving your digital memories. Get Crafty will introduce you to online scrapbooking and new techniques that will rekindle your love of crafting.

It's embarrassing that i haven't Scrapblogged more, but you can always find me here:  www.scrapblog.com/happykatie.  Perhaps now that I've gone public I'll shame myself into working some more Scrapblog magic...

I still heart things that are del.icio.us -- links for 2008-03-26

My del.icio.us auto blog posts are on the fritz and it makes me antsy...  so I'm posting today's post manually so you can have them and I don't get sad when they don't show up.  Yes, I am just that anal. 

Most of my links revolve around food as it is a pretty hot topic on my mind right now with the Cleanse coming up and everything.

1. Healthy Recipes For Great Eating - vegan and mostly raw
   Always nice bumping into another raw food cooking site - they sell a good-looking cookbook too.
   tags: vegan+recipes vegan cooking+vegan recipes  

2. swell vegan
   tags: cooking+vegan vegan cooking recipes food blogs+vegan foodblog 

3. Don't Get Mad, Get Vegan
   tags: vegan blogs+vegan blogs+cooking food recipes cooking  

4. Cake Maker to the Stars
   tags: blogs+food blogs+vegan vegan recipes food

5. Vegan Myths: vegan nutrition + vegan health misconceptions
   Vegan myths that won't die
   tags: vegan health nutrition articles  

6. SoulVeggie
   tags: vegan food blogs+vegan

7. the urban vegan: 25 money-saving kitchen tips <br>for frugal vegans
   25 ways vegans can save money (and be happy, healthy and full)
   tags: vegan diy finance cooking 

8. Babble Playground
   tags: parenting community  

9. Hezbollah Tofu
   Vegan recipe dedicating to translating Anthony Bourdain recipes into vegan loving
   tags: vegan cooking+vegan 

10. Moby's Vegan Blueberry Pancakes Recipe at Epicurious.com
    tags: cooking+vegan vegan recipes 

11. Vegan Molten Chocolate Cakes « Diet, Dessert and Dogs
    tags: recipes vegan+recipes vegan cooking+vegan

On not always appearing as one might expect

This post is about 1) super duper chocolate cupcakes and 2) making changes within that may or may not make one outwardly super duper.

I like cupcakes.  A lot.  But the problem with cupcakes (which I absolutely love, or did I already mention that?) is that they are filled with dairy, sugar and sweet-tasty-glorious-fat.  In short, cupcakes = tempting waistline busting time bombs.  How depressing.

Enter the amazing cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and, as of Monday, enter the amazing Vegan Molten Chocolate Cupcakes (seen above).  They are tasty, but filled with things that make your body happy like zucchini, spinach, flax seed meal and sunflower oil.  HEALTHY!  CUPCAKES!  YUM!

Which brings me into the entire idea of changing what's within to be tastier and more lovely on the outside.  Adam and I are going on the Master Cleanse starting Saturday, ditching our tofu-eating ways for 12 days straight for spring water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne. 

We are a little scared and a lot excited.  I think that one of the biggest gifts we can give to the Bunn as parents is being healthy healthy healthy - plus we'll have way more energy to dance to David Bowie, which Ella is quite into right now.  Wish us luck and be sure to check in on our updates as they come.

links for 2008-03-24

• VIsual artist Marea Judilla
  A gal from my high school days - always amazingly talented - Rea Judilla. She's just lovely and I'm sure that her artwork will be equally gorgeous now as it was way-back-when.
  (tags: art art+prints)
• The Internet Marketing List: 59 Things You Should Be Doing But Probably Aren't | Conversation Marketing: Internet Marketing Strategy Blog
  Great list of 59 things that are essential to conducting a growing business with a strong onlien presence.
  (tags: business howto seo web+marketing)
• Raw Food - LifeAndLove.tv
  (tags: raw cooking+raw food+raw)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all of you Church going, hat wearing and egg finding lovelies.  It's interesting how a holiday changes according to your life status.  I used to be an excited little girl in a poofy Easter dress going to Church with my family and racing home to find well-hidden Easter baskets.

These days the best thing about any holiday is just waking up and finding the small excited Bunn bouncing in her bed ready to play.  Which in a way makes every single day feel like another holiday, another special occasion.  Life is good.

From today's Writer's Almanac:
Exactly 265 years ago today, George Frederic Handel's oratorio Messiah premiered in London (1743). Handel was born Georg Frederich Handel in Halle, Germany, in 1685. In 1712, he relocated permanently to England after living in Hamburg and Hanover, Germany, and in Italy. His main claim to fame was as an opera composer, and in 1719 he co-founded the Royal Academy of Music in London, through which he tried to introduce English theatergoers to Italian opera. When that goal more or less failed, Handel turned to writing oratorios in the English baroque style. Messiah was written in just three weeks, from August 22 to September 12, 1741 — an amazingly short time for an epic piece of music.

links for 2008-03-22

• Smena Symbol User Manual
  (tags: manual photography lomography smena symbol)
• Smena Symbol User Manual
  (tags: cameras smena lomography manual howto)
• Original Girl Scout Cookies Recipe at Epicurious.com
  (tags: recipes+baking girlscoutcookies food baking)
• Venture Hacks — Everything you ever wanted to know about advisors: Part 1.
  (tags: business advisor strategicadvisor)
• Entrepreneur.com - Blog Network - Top Shelf Reading Picks
  Book and blog reviews for small business and entrepreneurs
  (tags: business reviews entrepreneur)
• How to Save Money - Mahalo
  (tags: howto lifestyle tips finance money)