My Big News and a $100.

It just dawned on me that I have had some super exciting news that I haven't officially shared!

You all know how I feel about the importance of optimism and resiliency in the successes I've had in my life and how important it is to pass those on to my son.

Did you know my company is named "Bright Future Managment"? Doesn't get more optimistic than that!

A few months ago, I was contacted by a PR firm representing Pepperidge Farm.

They were interested in interviewing me for a faculty position for Fishful Thinking, an initiative that offers parents tools for fostering optimism in kids.

Now, as the director of one of LA's largest and oldest private summer camps, I get contacted to participate in all kinds of things for kids... usually, I pass, as I want to spend all my free time with my boys.

But in this case, the message and the presentation was so incredible, I jumped at the chance and agreed to the interview.


Within the first 5 minutes of the interview I was out of my mind excited. Fishful Thinking headed by Dr. Karen Reivich , was new, innovative and well executed.

I LOVED that they were looking to moms to send the message.

When I got the call a few weeks ago that I would be one of 10 moms flying to NY to learn more about the program and meet Dr. Reivich in person, I beyond was thrilled.

So, I leave this weekend to embark on an exciting new journey and can't wait to share the info with you.

I can absolutely say, without a doubt, that my optimism and faith that I can achieve amazing things has been the key to living the life I love.

You all know how much I LOVE a good contest.

And, I feel so strongly about the Fishful Thinking Initiative, that I am giving away a TWO $100 gift cards to Target.

Yes, two people will win a $100. each {I've had these cards sitting around from our credit card points and was waiting to do something special...}

Head over to Fishful Thinking and take a look. Then come back here and tell me the best feature. I will know if you really went over there, so do this right!

Post about the contest, linking back here and to Fishful Thinking for an additional FIVE entries.

Contest ends Sunday, March 7th at midnight.

Comments

Teresa said…
1. I blogged about this generous giveaway with links at http://slowingdownabit.blogspot.com/2009/03/r-family-diaries-target-gift.html
TRigell at aol dot com
Teresa said…
2. I blogged about this generous giveaway with links at http://slowingdownabit.blogspot.com/2009/03/r-family-diaries-target-gift.html
TRigell at aol dot com
Teresa said…
3. I blogged about this generous giveaway with links at http://slowingdownabit.blogspot.com/2009/03/r-family-diaries-target-gift.html
TRigell at aol dot com
Teresa said…
4. I blogged about this generous giveaway with links at http://slowingdownabit.blogspot.com/2009/03/r-family-diaries-target-gift.html
TRigell at aol dot com
Teresa said…
5. I blogged about this generous giveaway with links at http://slowingdownabit.blogspot.com/2009/03/r-family-diaries-target-gift.html
TRigell at aol dot com
What an amazing opportunity! Congrats!!
Karin said…
I like this idea: "Shake Off the Frustration Dance"
***helping children modulate their frustration by teaching simple calming exercises. When her kids were young, she developed a "shake off the grumpies" dance that they did whenever frustration got too strong. They'd stand up, shake their heads, arms and legs and shake off the frustration***
Deanna said…
I think the best feature is the activities for parents and kids! I think it's a great way to teach kids life skills, keep them active and to spend time with them will doing it!
Gaspegirl said…
OK... I posted it on my blog - have fun this weekend!
As I am said…
Wow. I totally loved the site. My favorite activity is the Positive Frustration. My 3 year old has been having some anger issues and when he's frustrated he tends to throw things. I am excited to teach him a different way to deal with his frustration. P.s please count me in for the draw.
Heather said…
I am so glad I read your post about this program!! It sounds fantastic! I can't wait to use some of the activities with my boys. They are so easy to understand how to do and why you should teach each trait (positive frustration is my favorite!). I also love all the extra sources and books they list on the site!! Thanks for sharing and have fun in NY, wish I could be there!! :)
Anonymous said…
I like how it inspires parents- to teach their kids how to think optimistically about themselves.
Some children have low self esteem
I like the childrens games as well
ashlomb at yahoo dot com
Anonymous said…
(5 entries!)
blogged about it
http://jepeux.blogspot.com/2009/02/paper-avenue.html
ashlomb at yahoo dot com
Reva Skie said…
I think the best part is the Q&A with Dr. Reivic. Sometimes you have questions but you don't want to look like an idiot in front of your own doctor.
I loved the activities provided for emotional awareness. All of them have a practical focus and can be geared toward younger children (mine is 3). This is something we're working on, so I will be going back to the Fishful thinking site for inspiration. Thanks for sharing, Tiffany!
Aunt Julie said…
First of all, let me say that we all LOVE Goldfish. Second of all, I'm so THRILLED for your great opportunity, and JEALOUS that you get to go to NYC. I'll bet they'll really do up the visit right, so you'll have to tell us all about it. Thirdly, will AVA be lonely while you're gone? 'Cause I VOLUNTEER to help her stay active while you're gone! And LASTLY, being a BIG GOLDFISH FAN and all, I've always love the game FISH OUT OF WATER...we've been playing it since the kids were little.

Tar-Jay, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Anonymous said…
good website..liked the question and answers from the doctor and the fact that it included questions from parents with teenagers. wish there was a bit more for parents with teens though.
Shelley said…
I have entered a bazillion contests and I never win, but my kids are the real winners with this website. Thanks for turning me on to it. I love the activities guide. Most parents want to help their child but just don't have any idea how to go about it. I love this site and have signed up for their newsletters and email updates to keep me informed in the latest information. Thanks again.
Anonymous said…
What an opportunity!! Very cool for you! I enjoyed the activities to do with different age groups. My son is a bit of a "I would rather be in front of the tv mom" kid...so I am always turning it off and trying to keep his booty entertained...so I like age specific activities!
Shelley said…
I have posted about this Fishful thinking on my blog
www.ouisaforpresident.blogspot.com
for the 5 extra entries.
I hope you have a great time in NY and bring back lots of blog stuff for us to hear about.
Being involved in sales & marketing my whole life, it was great to see the site emphasizing optimism, something I was trained to do. It truly is something that can be taught to children at a young age through parents. Remember to always turn a negative into a positive. That's how I live my life daily and instill in my own children
Casey's trio said…
Ahhhh..you get to meet Cecily from My Chaos my bliss-So cool! I love the interactive website for kids. My girls would love the goldfish characters for sure. Can't wait to hear about your weekend in NYC! Have fun!
GreenJello said…
Oh!! I know who she is-- she helped write "The Optimistic Child", one of my favorite books.

Looks like she's teamed up with cheddar goldfish now. :)
sassy stephanie said…
What a cool project and DAMN look at all of your comment love!
Tracy said…
I liked the book club feature. They had some good books on there.
Amy said…
Hello there, Just letting you know I did a post today about your giveaway and left you an award. Stop on by and hang out. Good luck with your trip.
Sharon said…
What a great idea and a great site! I love the activities for parents and kids, especially the frustration dance! I have one child who is easily frustrated and I need to help him know that it's all part of learning and life!
Simply AnonyMom said…
I really like the activities page. I think it is really neat games they hae and broken down by age is a good thing. I think we (as in the kids and I ) will play statue maker later today!

What a great giveaway!
Jenny said…
Wow that is a great site. i wish i would have known about that before. Anyway I like the activites with kids and to help build up optimism and hopefully self esteem. Thanks for sharing.
Brittany Ann said…
I really liked the quiz. I thought it was cool that after every answer it shared a blip about what your child is thinking and feeling. But I thought it might have been better if they'd summarized everything. All in all it seems like a well put-together sight. Congratulations on your involvement!
Unknown said…
Wow! What a wonderful compliment and opportunity. Optimism has helped me throughout my entire life. I call it faith. My boss says my positive attitude gets on his nerves. His pessimistic attitude gets on everyone elses, so I am okay with that. lol
I am off to blog about Fishful Thinking and your wonderful giveaway. I would so love to win. My 16 yr. old is ready for anew bedding set and decor for her room. She would be so excited!
Unknown said…
Hi Tiffany. Here's the link to my blog post. What a great site that is. I went in and took one of the quizzes and read 3 of the articles. I can see why you are so excited to be a part of this. Have fun!
Unknown said…
Ooops...in all of my excitement I left out the link. So sorr. Here it is:http://tammysprinkle.blogspot.com/2009/03/power-of-optimism.html
Tina said…
I love this. I sub a lot for all grade levels and I could see myself having some of the students do the shake off the frustration dance. The parent activities are awesome. I will share this site during kindergarten round-up.
I love that you said yes to this opportunity.
Alison said…
I think it's a great site--I have bookmarked it so I can use the activities with Miss Pink, who like me tends to be hard on herself. I definitely want her to be optimistic and resilient!

I especially like the Silver Lining games.
SUPPORT said…
That site is great! The activities are my favorite! Please count me in!
count me in! this is awesome!

i went to the site and loved the part about keeping kids positive, positive frustration seemed so cute! im definitely going to use this with my nanny family's kids!
DawnS said…
This is a great site! As much as we go through fish crackers in our home I am surprised I did not know about this! I especially liked the family activities and think that we can really use the frustration dance idea during homework time. Thanks for sharing and for the great giveaway!
Julie said…
Super nice giveaway :)
I like the feature in the site about keeping kids active. We're always looking for stuff to do that doesn't involve any special equipment so this is great!
Julie said…
I posted about your contest at the top of my blog!
www.sporadiccook.blogspot.com
I love the VERY specific activities that are listed that incorporate specific ways to develop positive thinking! Thanks for turning me onto the site
Upstatemamma said…
Very cool program. I think my favorite part od this statement :
The Fishful Thinking program provides the tools parents need to teach their kids how to think optimistically about themselves and how to use their Optimism to overcome life's obstacles,
Upstatemamma said…
I blogged about it
http://therfamilydiaries.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-big-news.html
Upstatemamma said…
Ignore last comment I blogged it here
http://ourlifeupstate.blogspot.com/2009/03/somebody-let-my-family-know-please.html
Unknown said…
What a wonderful contest! The fishful thinking site is really neat. I've bookmarked the section on positive frustration activities. Being inside more during the winter months seems to result in more frustration from my kids. I'm constantly teaching them ways to deal with their frustration and any new ideas are great!
-Monique
Unknown said…
I just twittered about the Fishful thinking site and this giveaway:
http://twitter.com/TheMinnesotan for an additional FIVE entries.
Sara said…
I liked the quiz. My kids are only 4 and 2, so some of the scenerios are above them, but it gave me a good frame a reference to help them when those situations come up.
And who doesn't LOVE fish crackers. And why haven't I seen the "mis it up" bag at the stores yet??
I liked the activities for familes to focus on emotional wellness. I will have to print some of these out and try them with my little ones.
Thanks for sharing this site!
Leland's Mama said…
I love the activities for all ages section!
Hillary said…
i love the site. i just bookmarked it so i can set up a goldfish for my kids.
Aunt Julie said…
Hope all is going well in NYC...BTW, I'm starting a new Pop'rs Giveaway tomorrow!!
I love the stuff about teaching kids positive thinking and the activities that they give! I am excited to try these out!!!!!!!!

I am going to link to you right now for my 5 more entries :)
Julie said…
I like the Activities for Parents & Kids - I'm ALWAYS looking for new and fun ways to keep my kids entertained and active! I also like the Tips for Parents - can always use that!
T said…
This would be great to win..great site..I like the idea of being
optimistic..there is so much news about all the bad things going on in the world today..kids need to be taught how to be more optimistic about life.
Marina said…
What a great giveaway! :) I hadn't heard about "Fishful Thinking". Read through most and looked at the videos...kinda sad that only 42% of kids believe they will achieve their goals! I love the power of Optimism and its role in childhood development.

sounders68 [at] gmail.com
Unknown said…
Oh, that's great!

My fav. part of the website was activities for parents and children. Best of all: Shake off your frustration dance! I do this all the time! Haha!

Mmm, now I want some goldfish! Oh, and a $100 gift card! Yowsa! What an awesome giveaway!
AP Mommy said…
Awesome! Can't wait to hear all about it.

I love the Positive Frustration activities. I haven't seen something like that before and I think very beneficial.
Unknown said…
Hi. Thank you for the great contest. love how tghey teach you to be active with your children. I think this is great and wish more parents could and would do this. Have fun on your Trip and congrats.
Unknown said…
I think it's great that Goldfish provides parents with tools to help teach their kids how to navigate obstacles, overcome failure and achieve what they want.
Nicki said…
I really like the positive frustration activities.

I am a children's case worker, and a lot of my children have difficulty with displaying their frustration in a positive manner... I think this website is great, and even though I'm not a parent, I might use some of the activities with the children on my caseload.

Thanks for the giveaway, Tiffany!
Unknown said…
Wow you are so generous! This is an awesome giveaway.
RebeccaMom said…
I like the optimism facts page! What a great thing that we can teach kids something that will impact them that way :)
What an Amazing site! I love the Emotion Awareness Activities! Wow I love how it talks about how to justify a younger child's feelings, not try to fix them. Trying to fix them will only frustrate them more. Their minds work just like an adults.

I wish I had kids to use this with!
Alisha said…
I love the Fishful Thinking website and the whole idea of fostering optimism. My favorite was the "Keeping Kids Positive" activities.

I also blogged about the contest because I'd love the extra entries. :)
Laura Marchant said…
What an awesome idea and great opportunity!
I love how it has the quiz, helpful tips and activities parents can do with their child/children. Awesome site.
Heather said…
I like all the activities for you do to with your kids. I like the one where you put moods to music, as big music lovers in this house!
Just blogged about it here:http://shaleeclarkmarriedlife.blogspot.com/2009/03/lets-get-something-for-nothing.html
I love the idea of the Mood Music activity for emotional awareness. My little ones love to dance and I would like to see how they change their movements to correlate with the mood of the music.
Amy said…
This is an amazing idea! i love the idea to photography hope, it is a great connection, and just an overall great idea. this whole program is amazing to me since i see so many kids who would really benefit from this and i think it would benefit the kids, and give them so much confidence, and a better way to look at this crazy world!
Anonymous said…
I'm from Canada, and we don't have Target here...

But, CONGRATULATIONS! This sounds like a fantastic initiative. What an honour to be one of only 10 people chosen to go to NY.
Reeni said…
I think the activities aimed at positive thinking is really great! I think once they get in the habit of thinking positive it will stay with them as they grow into adults.
Amber D. said…
The Fishful Thinking is such a great idea. I had not heard of it. As a former elementary teacher, the idea of helping kids stay positive really gets me. My favorite features were the activity ideas, I love how they are divided into age groups and the book club section for me! We did Secret Life of Bees a while back. I will definately be back there!
Heather said…
I love the concept of instilling hope in our children. We all could use a lesson or two on this.

heatherdemke(at)gmail(dot)com
Pseudo said…
I think the fishful thinking site is wonderful. Wish something like that had been around when my kids were younger. I took the quiz with my 16 year old son in mind. He has an extreme personality, and even though he is almost grown, it did give me ideas of how to listen to him when he goes off o a frustrated negative tangent.
Helene said…
What a great idea!!! I like the ideas listed for ways for kids to vent their frustration in a positive manner. I'm constantly trying to teach my kids that it's okay to feel frustrated but there are better ways to express it than hitting one another. The dancing is a fabulous idea that I will definitely be using!

I'm dreaming of all the huge packs of diapers I can buy with a $100 gift card to Target...LOL!!
Unknown said…
I really like the book club feature that they have. I'm looking forward to reading more. Sounds like a great site and program. Thanks.
Unknown said…
Wow! What an awesome opportunity! I visisted the Fishful Thinking site and really like how they provide parents with various activities to do with their kids that can help with frustration, perspective and awareness. My husband and I are both in education and so often we hear parents say "But I don't know what else to do. I've tried everything." This initiative is a great resource to share with them. Thanks for the giveaway, I'm going to link from it on my blog now.
www.jenandroblopez.blogspot.com
Andrea said…
I like the activities for parents and children--especially the "Shake Off The Frustration" dance.
Anonymous said…
What a great honor and opportunity for you! I liked the quiz about whether or not my kids are positive thinkers. One is and one is definetly not!
I know your contest is over, but I just wanted to give you a big congrats!! I was contacted about this opportunity as well, but in the middle of one of our fun stomach flu marathons, and I didn't get back to them soon enough. It sounds like such a fantastic program! :)

Hugs,
Steph
Laura Kay said…
I like the book club template for starting a book club with your friends. The selections of books is nice and it a great to have a jumping off point!
amy & lisa said…
Well I went to visit Fishful thinking and I was very impressed with the site.
ONE of the things that caught my eye is the Photographing Hope. First of all, I love pictures. Second, what an amazing encouraging way to help kids succeed with a difficult project. Certainly brings some hope to them, I would think.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for the chance to win.
Lisa
AiringMyLaundry said…
How nice of you to give away gift cards. Especially to Target. I love Target.

I checked out Fishful Thinking and I especially loved The Positive Frustration Activities. I have an extremely sensitive son who can get frustrated easily. I will definately try to do that Shake Off Frustration Dance. I think it would lighten the mood and maybe (I hope!) cause my son to forget about the fact that he can't quite grasp what 12 plus 15 is.
amy & lisa said…
Just finished posted on my blog about this giveaway and fishful thinking.
Lisa
personallyyouparties.blogspot.com
I'd love to win a gift card! =) I checked out the website, and I like the Activities page--fun stuff! =)

thesweetestpetunia@gmail.com
I'm so glad you directed me that site! I have it bookmarked :)

have a blessed day :)
Shanda said…
Wow, great site! Makes me feel a lot more optimistic about how many Goldfish Crackers my little one eats a week!

I especially liked the Positive Frustration activities and the Hope Photography...but there is a lot of great info on there for moms. I will be posting the link onto my mom's groups Yahoo site for other moms to check out.

Have a wonderful time-they chose well by including you!
Pam said…
Hi,
What a great website. I work with significantly delayed preschoolers and I love the Mastery Activities under activities for parents & kids. I use the last 2 options all of the time in my class: choices and mastery moments, so this section is my fav.
Mastery goes hand in hand with confidence, independence and self esteem - all critical components to a happy healthy child.
I just left a post with a link back to your site: http://playfullysmitten.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Pam
Sunshine said…
Tiffany -- Congratulations. You so deserve this honor, and Fishful Thinking is lucky to have you on board. Great site -- I especially liked the links to all the articles about teaching kids optimism. I'm going to add the site to parent links in our website.
Hope you had a safe trip home! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!
Audrey
Pseudo said…
I linked your contest. Wow. Almost 300 comments. That's a lot.
Francine said…
I went and checked out the website and i really like the kids link that discurssed different topics that children are dealing with like emotional insecurities and all. It was pretty intresting.
Please include me in the contest also. Thanks
Anonymous said…
My favorite part of the site is the quiz! I mean, who doesn't love quizzes? I think Cosmo and Redbook have proved that ;)

I also blogged! http://www.momtobee.com/give-a-man-a-fish/

I even twittered about it too! :)
So exciting - can't wait to hear about your weekend. :0
Tami said…
I love the Keeping Kids Positive! The positive frustration is my favorite :)
Tricia said…
I love that the whole idea is to keep kids positive with the help from their families. I love the different activities and hope to see more added.
Alexis AKA MOM said…
I love the Activities for Paretns & Kids - Keeping Kids Positive! Boy do I need help doing that. thanks so much for the oportunity to win, boy how I could use a little extra! Thanks so much.

Alexis @ Running Away

AlexisRunningAway(@)gmail(dot)com
Dee said…
I love the one on emotions, my girl needs help in this area.

I know now why my dialup hated opening this site!
I also posted about this contest and Fishful Thinking! I so love this idea - have been back to their website a handful of times already!
Unknown said…
Wow I never knew such a thing existed. I think every parent should have to take classes to teach kids about optimism. Can you imagine what your kids would say the first time you told them you were gonna play Blind FINN Bluff with them. How awesome is that.
Unknown said…
And I do know that this giveaway is over but it is such a great thing I wanted to comment here anyway.
I like the ask the Dr. questions section...sometimes parenting needs an EXPERT opinion to reassure us!

Suzanne
Kimber-Leigh said…
can't wait to hear about your time there...

my favorite feature of the website are the tips for parents and the activities tab...some good ideas (i like the statue one!)
Oh Wow! Soooo many comments! I absolutly love this Fishfull thinking idea! Imagine what we could do with a world full of optimism! Thanks for introducing me to it I subscribed to the news letter immediatly.

Amanda
debi9kids said…
I just LOVE the entire program for Fishful Thinking and am so sad I wasn't able to attend :(
I have to say that I love all of the ideas for parents and children to work together, but my favorite is HOPE. I just love the idea of incorporating photography into such a positive experience with the kids. Hope is so important, esp. this day and ageand I love the idea of being able to build that with the kids.
Quite frankly, they have so many wonderful things on that wenpage, that I think I will post about it, albeit later than your midnight deadline, just beacuse it needs to be shared.
Honey Mommy said…
I love the activities for parents and kids. They have some great ideas and activities to help you keep your kids thinking positively!
TisforTonya said…
Per usual I'm one of the last commenters - people would FAINT if I ever made it in early!!!

I ran over and immediately took the fishful thinking quiz... I always describe my kids as "realists" - but apparently that also makes them less positive than they should be - I'm going to have to spend more time there with the kids!
Tawnya Torres said…
I think activities with children would be best. I am always looking for things to do with and for my kids. Congrats!!!!
c said…
Great idea! I love that they give you activities to work on with your kids. Very clever.
Neat site! I really like the Q and A section!
House of Smiths said…
I have to say that the emotional awareness section was my fav. I have three little girls, and they are SO much more emotional then ANY of my friends boys. I want to learn more about how they can express their emotions, without getting so frustrated. I understand that they are only 3 (twins) but I'm a new mom and learning what is healthy for them in this sense. So this was a great section for me.
Shelley
christyzee said…
I just wanted to stop and thank you, I have been wanting to belong somewhere, anywhere for the longest time...I am a very lonely sahm that needs a few 'sistas'! thank you, thank you, thank you...I can't wait to check out everyone's blog!
blessings...
Shangrila said…
I love the Book Club feature, especially since the current book they're reviewing is The Secret Life of Bees-one of my favorites! Thanks for pointing out the Fishful Thinking site, and for the chance to win a giftcard! :)
Daniel said…
i like the wallpaper downloads... i think the graphics are cute and they're going to be on my 3 screens at work!

i've added you to my links on my blog (http://blog.danielkenneth.com)
Candice said…
I know the contest is over. This site really is exactly what my husband and I have discussed for our son. My husbands parents were not positive and encouraging and as a result he is very sensitive to criticism, at times negative, and not uplifting. We have a 7 month old and we want to create an encouraging and nurturing environment where he can grow into what God made him to be with guidance from us, but not put downs. My husbands response to his wanting to become a naturalist as a child was "who will you work for?" That was the end of his desire to be a naturalist and now he has a good job, but could have a job he loves more. If a late entry is possible, we would love to get in on the contest. I think we can get 6 boxes of diapers with 100 dollars...very helpful for a one income family!
Christi said…
What I really liked about the website was the "How To Keep Kids Positive". There really is a bunch of great stuff on the site but that section is so important and a lot of people don't focus it. Good luck!
Unknown said…
Thank you so much for telling us about this site! I have four young kiddos and am a very optimistic person myself but am having trouble figuring out how to get a couple of them to be. I love the activity called Beauty Detours, not just good for kids but for me to stop and smell the roses or look at the pretty tree...so fun! Thanks for a great contest...I will post about this at my blog. www.fonofamily.blogspot.com
Oldest Older 201 – 315 of 315

Popular posts from this blog

OB...No, not another tampon post.

Spring Fling: Funky & Fun Etsy Bag