Oprah's Surprise Extravaganza!

I woke up this morning still rubbing the stardust out of my eyes.  Tuesday was the filming of Oprah’s Surprise Extravaganza where a celebrity line-up representing the Oscars and the Grammys did not disappoint. 

Filmed at the United Center in Chicago, they had to reschedule a Bulls play-off game for the show.  Chicago locals will tell you that no one but Oprah could ever dream of making that ask.  Yes, Oprah knew about the show, but the celebs and their farewell messages were a surprise.  Check out a sample of the line-up. 

Beyonce, Usher, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Maya Angelou, Madonna, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Patty LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Rascal Flatts, Michael Jordan, Jerry Seinfeld, Queen Latifah, Kristen Chenoweth, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Jamie Fox and countless others.

Although celebs were the main draw, one of the most powerful moments of the evening was a presentation by hundreds of Morehouse State graduates.  Oprah funded a college scholarship program for young men who wouldn’t have the means to fund a higher education on their own.  Many of these men were in the foster system, homeless or gang members and thought they had no hope of ever earning a college education.

Because of Oprah, these men are now executives, doctors, lawyers, hedge fund managers, fathers and role models.  They filled the stage and brought Oprah (and the audience) to tears with their stories.  Education is the key and knowing that someone believes in you is what can push you to overcome barriers and succeed.  

In the words of Glinda from the Wizard of Oz (and Oprah’s favorite quote) - “You always had the power.” 

Two shows were shot over a five-hour period and will air on Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24.  Oprah’s final final show is top secret and will air on Wednesday, May 25.  Set your Tivo and DVRs!

BTW - in case you were wondering, there were no big giveaways.  Boo.  

Oprah - Here I Come!

Who has two tickets to be in the audience of Oprah’s Winfrey’s final show?  This girl!!!  I am so excited that I can barely stand it.  Plus, I am bringing my mom.  We are going to have a blast. 

About a month ago I visited Oprah.com and entered the online lottery for tickets to her final show.  I’ve tried to get tickets for years and haven’t been successful.  This time was no different.  I promptly got a rejection e-mail a few days later. 

Fast forward to Mother’s Day when I happened to check my e-mail early in the morning.  At the top of my inbox was an e-mail from Oprah Show Reservations informing me that two tickets were now available for the final show.  A mere stroke of luck or a miracle to mark the celebration of my very first Mother’s day?  I’ll let you decide.

I’ve been an Oprah fan for as long as I can remember.  I realize that not everyone is a fan, but for me, Oprah has always represented strength and opportunity.  She has taken risks and overcome adversity to pave her own path to success.  She makes it a point to encourage everyone to give back to their communities and always be proud of who they are and where they came from.  These are all lessons that I will teach the Pipernator

The moral of the story is that you can’t win if you don’t play.  In your personal and professional life, take some risks and challenge yourself.  Sometimes, your luck will turn around when you least expect it. 

 

The show films on Tuesday, May 17 and airs on Wednesday, May 25.  Check back next week for a recap of the show.  I promise to dish about all of the behind the scenes details of the show.  Fingers crossed for tons of celeb sightings and giveaways.

My First Time Celebrating Mother's Day as a Mommy

My house is a disaster zone - and I couldn't be happier.  Everywhere I look there are toys, bottles, tiny socks and cheerios.  Reminders of the little princess that is upstairs fast asleep.

As I celebrate my first Mother's Day, I almost can't remember what life was like before Piper arrived.  Sure, we had a clean house, disposable income, slept in on weekends, went out to fancy dinners and took last minute trips.  But what we have now is even better.  We have a family and I am a mommy.  Has it really only been less than a year that I became a mommy?  It's amazing how you can love some one so incredibly much and completely unconditionally.

My favorite part of the day is when I pick Piper up from daycare.  As soon as she sees me or even hears my voice, she goes crazy smiling, waving her arms and crawls towards me as fast as she can.  I seriously drown the poor kid in hugs and kisses.  Even if I've had the worst day at work, everything melts away as soon as I scoop up the little munchkin.

On this Mother's Day, I also want to celebrate my mom and mother-in-law for being such great wommy role models.  And thank you to Piper for choosing me to her mommy.  It has been quite a ride so far and I can't wait to see what's next.

Naked Baby at Applebee's

Naked babies and artichoke dip don't usually mix.  That is until Piper visited an Abblebee's in Niles, Michigan.

Piper recently embarked on her very first road trip - a five hour drive from Chicago to Livonia, Michigan to her Aunt Shanae's wedding shower.  Armed with food, snacks and toys, the drive there was a breeze.  Our superstar traveler slept and played for the entire trip.

After a great weekend of celebrating Aunt Shanae's upcoming wedding (of which Piper will be a flower girl) and receiving lots of hugs and cuddles from family, we headed out on the trip back to Chicago.  About an hour and a half from home we stopped for lunch at an Abblebee's.  Piper was in a great mood and excited to stretch her little legs.

Once inside, we were enjoying an appetizer when it became clear Piper needed to be changed.  I scooped up a diaper and a travel-size pack of wipes and headed to the bathroom.  My little angel had one of the worst poonamis to date.  We're talking poop squished up to her shoulder blades and out the sides of her diaper.  After I spent a good 10 minutes scrubbing Piper down with wipes I realized that the extra outfit I had was out in the car.

The look on my husband's face as he saw me walking back to the table with a naked baby was priceless.  It was the mommy walk of shame...and I was mortified.  By the time he got her a new outfit from the car, Piper was making new friends, had become the star attraction of Applebee's and she was loving every moment of it, waving and laughing.

I am going on record now with the prediction that Piper will grow up to be an actress...or maybe even a politician.  When she makes it big, I will be sure to embarrass her by sharing the story of the great Applebee's incident of 2011.

 

Dark Circles Be Gone!

Almost any wommy will tell you that coffee and under eye concealer are absolute necessities when trying to navigate early morning meetings, without much sleep.  I have tried countless brands of concealer and have finally found a favorite, along with a few other wommy drugstore must-haves.  As for coffee, as long as it's hot and has caffeine, I'll drink it.

• Amazing Cosmetics concealer is literally amazing.  A small tube for $28 will last you months.  The trick is to only use a teeny tiny amount.  A little goes a long way with this stuff.  I guarantee your dark circles will go deep undercover.
• TRESemme fresh start dry shampoo is a life saver for those days you don't have time to wash your hair.  A few sprays, a brush through and your hair will look and smell freshly washed. 
• Clinique Almost Lipstick in blackhoney looks dark in the tube, but goes on sheer and compliments virtually every skin tone.
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto waterproof mascara will make your eyes appear more awake and your lashes look long and glossy.  It works better than the more expensive brands I've tried. 

I am a self proclaimed beauty product junkie and will basically try anything that claims to be anti-aging, skin brightening or glossy.  But I've found that the best way to perk myself up doesn't cost a penny.  As cheesy as it sounds, a smile and a good laugh are easy ways to brighten your face and lift your mood.   Give it a try.  I promise it will work.

Give That Girl a Set of Wings

Piper makes friends everywhere she goes and our trip to Scottsdale to visit Nina and Papa Jimbo was no exception.  This was Piper's first flight and I had visions of her having a meltdown capped off by an explosive poonami moments after take-off.  What happened instead taught me a very valuable lesson - never underestimate my daughter.  She turned out to be an all around traveling super star.

Piper sat on my lap playing quietly throughout the entire flight to Scottsdale.  She charmed our neighbors on the plane and other passengers greeted her by name at the baggage claim.  I figured we got lucky on the flight to Arizona, but was still edgy about the flight home.  Once again, Piper came through with flying colors.  She even helped a flight attendant hand out drinks, while clapping and smiling at other passengers. Come on, who can resist a happy baby.  

Besides getting showered with attention from Nina and Papa, Piper hit quite a few milestones during our trip.  She turned nine months, got her first haircut, went swimming in an outdoor pool and pulled herself up to standing for the first time.  Talk about packing a lot into a short period of time.  Why is it that the work week always seems to drag, but a week of vacation seems to fly by at warp speed!?  

Babies and children are much more adaptable than we give them credit for.  Sometimes I think we are the ones who put the pressure on ourselves and them. 

Make Me a Bird

Tomorrow, we're embarking on our first trip with an infant.  Yep - nine-month-old Piper will be flying the friendly skies...or at least I hope they're friendly.

Pre-baby, I used to be a frequent business traveler.  I would cringe if I got stuck behind a family with children going through airport security.  It usually took them forever to get through with their kids, strollers and gear.  Ugh!  Even worse was seeing someone with a baby about to board the same flight as me.  I would pray that they sat nowhere near me.

Ironically, I am now going to be one of those people struggling with a stroller, diaper bag and squirmy baby.  I've gotten tons of great tips from other wommies like making sure Piper is eating at take off and landing, so that her ears don't hurt, or packing lots of snacks and toys to keep her occupied.  Frankly, my biggest fear is that we will experience an infamous Piper poonami minutes into our four-hour flight.  How lovely will that be for everyone in an enclosed aircraft!?

Luckily Piper is a happy and laid back baby, so chances are everything will go smoothly.  Just in case, I am going to make sure she is dressed super duper cute.  At least that way she will charm everyone before the meltdown occurs and she can get by on her cuteness.  Don't judge me for playing the cute baby card.  Desperate times call for desperate measures :-)

Stay tuned to hear how it al goes...