I got an iPad for Christmas last year. And since then, my children have completely taken it over and claimed it as their own, so much so that when I’m looking for it, I’m damn near asking them for permission to use it.

“Hey, babies, where is the iPad?”

“It’s in my bed,” my 3-year-old says, nonchalantly.

“Can you go get it for me?”

“Can you download a game for me?” he asks in return, hitting me with the megawatt smile that makes me forget who I am for a second.

“Just go get it, ” I say. And off he goes to get his my iPad.

I realized the other day that out of the 100+ apps we have on the iPad, approximately 15 or so are for me. The rest are Disney books, puzzle games, alphabet tracing apps, etc. Kid stuff. Since I’ve purchased and downloaded I don’t know how many apps over the past year, I figured I’m pretty qualified to give my take on what’s worth the purchase price and what are the best apps you can find for free. (Note: Many of these apps are also available on Android phones/devices.)

animals 100 lite (free)

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This app has a pretty extensive list of animals to view, from dolphins to gnus, to turtles to woodpeckers. It also tells you what each animal eats and what sound they make. My son could sit and play with this game for hours and it was fun to sit with him and quiz him on the different animals.

BY GERRI KIMBLE

Building a home library can be expensive, so it’s nice to have several ways your children can read all the books they want.

1. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – I learned about this organization from a pregnancy message board, and quickly signed up when my daughter was born. This is a cool way your child can get a FREE book in the mail every month until he or she turns five (regardless of income and no strings attached).  The Imagination Library works with organizations in your community to provide these books, and their purpose is to foster a love of reading early.  The books have been great:  classics like The Little Engine That Could, fun books like Roar of a Snore, and award-winning books like A House is a House for Me.  It’s always fun to open the mailbox to find that free book!
2. Sites like Zulily and Totsy – If you haven’t signed up for these sites geared toward amazingly low prices on kid’s apparel, then DO IT.  Not only do they sell clothes and shoes that are super kind to the wallet, but you can usually find a deal on books and toys, too.
3. Book Store Memberships – Purchasing a membership to a large bookstore chain could very well be worth it.  Not only do you get a percentage off purchases, but it applies when books are on sale, too.  And there are a few times a year when books are super-cheap to make room for others (especially online), and it’s worth the $20 or so to become a member.  The icing on the cake? The one I have offers members free express shipping on all orders (no minimum purchase), so that makes it even more worth it.
4. Thrift Stores, Yard Sales, and Hand-Me-Downs – I’ve found some awesome books at my local thrift store.  They were surprisingly clean and in good condition, and the selection was pretty good.  While yard and garage sales are hit or miss, finding that one house that has children that who have outgrown all their books is like finding treasure – lots of books for a little of nothing.   Then if you have friends or family whose children are older than yours, let them know that you’re there when they’re ready to get rid of those books.  They’ll be glad to pass them down to your children!
5. Public Library – This one is a no-brainer, but people sometimes forget how beautiful a place the library can be for the child’s imagination (and your wallet).  The selection is endless, and the books are all yours.  Sure you have to scan a card and can only take them home for a few weeks at a time, but they’re always there for you when you want them.  That in itself makes the public library our #1 source for books!

Books are awesome, but free and inexpensive books are even better!

I meet a lot of fabulous women on this blog. It is probably one of the top two reasons why I keep on posting every day. I get inspired and uplifted by your stories and it all makes me what to be a better mother and a better person.

A couple months ago, Jessica and Emma contacted me. (See their smiling faces right over there?) They are the moms behind the blog, Stethoscopes and Sippy Cups, where they are chronicling their journey through medical school.

Both women had their kids while in high school. They’re about to start med school in a couple weeks. When asked if she ever feels like giving up, Jessica gave one of the best answers I’ve ever heard in terms of motivation:

I would say to really sit down and visualize your goals; break them down into smaller components so you are less overwhelmed. What exactly do I mean by this? It is probably best to use an example.

One of the high school parents I have mentored over the years really wanted to be a nurse, but she had many obstacles in her way that were preventing her from achieving this goal. We sat down and made a list together of everything she needed to succeed, ranging from a car to full-time childcare for her daughter. We talked about ways she could obtain each component, such as the use of childcare vouchers or living near public transportation.

She is presently enrolled in college courses and is well on her way to success, but she was initially afraid to take that first step. In her eyes, her situation seemed overwhelming and impossible.

I want to stress to teen parents that they should never be afraid to reach out for help. If you lack a direct support system, there are many wonderful organizations available to you that were created for this purpose. I would also stress to teen parents that they should not be intimidated by time.

Many feel as though it would take too much time and money to complete college, so they forgo education altogether. The time is going to pass regardless; how do you want to spend it?

It’s so true. If you’re scared to do something, or fear that it will take too long, just remember that (God willing), that time will pass anyway. If you think, “Man, by the time I finish school, I’ll be 27,” ask yourself – would you rather be 27 and at your goal, or be 27 and still at the starting line because you never took the first step? Food for thought.

Read the interview with Jessica here. The interview with Emma can be found here.

Okay, well, not quite. At least, not yet.

Today is the first day of my Couch-to-5K program. By the time you read this, I should have finished my first run. On Sunday, I set my alarm for 6 a.m. (just so I won’t be tempted to just keep on sleeping to my normal wake-up time of 6:30) and plan to be out the house and on the street by 6:10.

Why am I doing this? A couple reasons. I can’t seem to do anything exercise-wise lately. My mind has been preoccupied on the book and now summer classes have started. My workload doubled in the past two months and exercise got kicked to the curb.

But another additional reason is that I have no real form of stress relief. Cupcakes used to be my go-to comfort food, but as I move away from emotional eating, I realize I have nothing to replace it with. Consequently, I’m drooling and spending way too long in the bakery section every time I go to the store. It might be easier to pass up the cookies, cakes and donuts if I was spending time getting physically fit.

Getting in my morning run is also designed to get my days off to a better start. Right now, my routine is something like this. I work late every night – 2 a.m. or so – and then I crash in the bed. My husband gets up to go to work at 6 and I bury my face in the covers, trying to squeeze out a bit more sleep before the kids wake up. Never mind – they’re up. I drag myself out of bed, give them breakfast, change their clothes and try to eek out a bit more work before we officially start our day.

I’m hoping with the 6 a.m. run in the morning, that I will get back to the house and be wide-awake by the time they start calling for me. I want to start my days on purpose – to take control from the moment I wake up until the moment I surrender to sweet dreams. Wish me luck.

Let me start this post by saying, without this song…

…my daughter would not be here. I said “Yes” one too many times and nine months later, here she came. LOL.

Marsha Ambrosius’, former lead singer of Floetry, has been teasing me with a solo album for YEARS now. YEARS. She’s been releasing mixtapes and leaking one song at a time. I love her because she makes real grown folks music that definitely makes sure there will be lots of events going on in my house.

But now it is March 1st and her long-awaited solo album, Late Nights and Early Mornings is HERE. I listened to her album on Bossip last week and IT IS FIRE. You should be able to tell by the ample use of all capital letters.

In case you’re not familiar with her music, let me introduce you to some of  my favorite songs of hers and I dare you not to go get pregnant. LOL

Getting Late - This song reminds me of college, of that guy you know is not right for you, he’s going to break your heart…but he’s here and he smells good and why is he sitting so close…ooh, his lips are soft…

Take Care – Discovered this song in early 2010 and have been playing it regularly ever since.

Let Me Go – Turn the speakers down before you listen to this one. Nice beat, moaning, great lyrics…don’t play this one until after the kids are sleep!

I’m picking up my copy today. Go get yours.

*Disclaimer: I have not been compensated for this post. Just love her music and think it’s a nice addition to your current collection.

So I gave you some pointers on blogging on Monday. In a nutshell, you should write for yourself first, be consistent with your posting and for all that is good and holy, please use spellcheck.

My last bit of advice in that post was about promoting your blog. If you’re going to take the time to write every day (or every week), you might as well have an audience, right? No need in screaming in an empty room.

But one thing most bloggers don’t grasp right away is that it takes time for a great blog to blossom. Not a good blog, where you get decent traffic and a few PR pitches and maybe a couple thousand followers. I mean a GREAT blog. Where you’re able to speak on topics with authority, because hello! Who knows it better than you do? Where you’re able to pay off a couple decent sized bills each month with blogging income, if not live off your blog entirely.

Yes, it does take time to build that. I’ve read stats that it takes 2-3 years of doing things the right way to build your brand to point where you are calling (more of) the shots. Read on. Let’s grow your blog.

1. Can people share your blog posts? It’s wonderful that you can share your hot posts on your personal Facebook page, or your Twitter account, or by e-mail. But can your readers share it? Do you have the “Share This” buttons on your posts? Do you actively encourage people to share your posts? No, you can’t say, “Please retweet!” to everything you post, but if it’s legitmately an urgent matter (you’re raising money or tweeting about an important hot topic), then by all means, ask away.

1a. If people do share your posts, thank them. Acknowledge them. Trust me – they’ll appreciate it and they’ll do it again.

2. Do you have a Facebook page for your blog? Is it just one more place for you to have to update and monitor? Um, yes. But is it worth it? Yes. You know your readers are on Facebook all day anyway. Most have only “Liked” a handful of Pages. Put relevant messaging with links back to your blog…and you quickly see where this can get you, right? (Looks like I might have to write a third post on building an audience on Facebook…)

3. Can you tag people? Send people links to your blog? With social media, it’s so easy to do a virtual “wave” to get the attention of people you want to show off in front of. Got an inspiration to write a blog post after reading an issue of Parenting magazine? Let them know that. Hit up @Parenting on Twitter and let them know, much like I tapped @BabyMakingMama (a bloggy buddy and a top blogger) to share my post with her.  

4. Comment on other blogs. I can’t stress this enough. Comment and people follow you back to your blog. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a comment on here and then followed the commenter back to their blog and then promptly got lost for an hour and half reading their hilarious/inspirational/intellectual blog posts. Comment on other blogs. Be seen!

5. Put that URL everywhere. In your Twitter bio, on your Facebook page, at the bottom of your e-mail, on your business card, on the tip of your tongue.

6. Reply to your commenters. Sometimes I know it feels like you barely have time to write the posts, much less take the time to reply to your readers. But I’m telling you, people appreciate it when you reply. Especially if your comments section allows for people to subscribe to comments.

7. Pick one blogging community and dominate it. It is so easy to get sucked into the allure of populating the net with your latest posts, but once you set up profiles on TwitterMoms, MomBloggersClub, 20SomethingBloggers, MyBlogLog, TheBump, etc., etc., well, how in the heck are you gonna remember all those passwords??!?! I don’t know about you, but my memory is shot and I have no intention on hitting “Forget your password?” every time I’m in the mood for a little shameless self-promotion. That’s why I recommend to pick one community. Make your mark. Leave comments (!!!).

8. Not really connected to promotion but…have your blog professionally designed. Yes, a straight-from-Blogger template gives you everything you need to be a great blogger. But once you’ve hit about 50 hits per day and gotten about 1-2 comments per post? You need to build. You know how I suggested you blog for a month and don’t tell anyone? Part of that is because you don’t want to go all out making your blog all pretty and then you discover, “Eh, I hate blogging,” and there goes money down the drain. But once you discover you like blogging and you’ve got a little audience, invite more readers by making it pretty. Sounds petty but I’ve only skimmed blogs that don’t look “lived in.” You know, they’ve got a little bit of personality and individuality.

Whew! It is almost midnight and I need to go to bed. I’ll be back with more tips. Leave your questions in the comments and I’ll answer them later this week!

I posted this before, but head over to www.PinkLadyGumbo.com. Like, right now. If you have no clue what you’re having for dinner tonight (or the following night, or the following night), please check out this blog. If you are tired of the same ol’, same ol’, run – don’t walk – over.

I’ll just post some pictures, let you drool and let the mouth-watering goodness speak for itself, okay?

Looks tasty, right? And she shows you step by step how to create these meals so even if you’re not comfortable in the kitchen, she’ll teach you how it’s done.

Please support my buddy. Us bloggers have to stick together, right?

You know how your kid gets in one of those moods where they want to watch an episode of say, Wonder Pets or Wow Wow Wubbzy and you know that it’s not on right now? Or, you have to finish a project or get dinner on the table and damn the programmers at Time Warner for only showing reruns of Batman  or some other show your kid is sooo not interested in.

I used to pull out a DVD for these situations, but once the kids had seen the episodes a gazillion times, the DVDs didn’t hold their attention long. Instead of running out and buying new DVDs, I can admit that I’m lazy – and cheap! – and found more than enough videos online to satisfy their “More Dora!” requests. Check out your options below and thank me later. (Click images below to go to the sites.)

 Home of, I’d argue, some of the most popular kids shows – Dora the Explorer, Wonder Pets, Go Diego Go, Max and Ruby, Yo Gabba Gabba, Olivia, Blues Clues, Little Bill and the list goes on and on. NickJr usually keeps its popular shows on air multiple times a day, but check out NickJr.com for your favorite show at your fingertips.

Full episodes available? Yes

Cost: Free

Commercials:Yes. This is the only issue I had with the videos on NickJr.com. Why are there commercials for CoverGirl and other adult products? I mean, maybe it’s preferable to say, bombarding kids with a bunch of toy commercials. And it’s obvious they’re targeting the mom that’s watching the videos with the kid – what two-year-old is gonna say, “Mom, you need some easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl waterproof illuminating lash mascara!” Um, no. Plus, the commercials are kind of frequent and kids hate that.

Now, I know that most kid shows are designed to be educational (at least somewhat – Sesame Street raised the bar on that one – see below). But I always think of PBSKids as the “smart channel” with all those “smart shows.” My kids watch a few PBSKids shows, mainly Curious George. (Am I the only onewho thinks the Man in the Yellow Hat should have lost custody of George a looong time ago? Dude is negligent, truly.)

Full episodes available? Only for certain shows

Cost: Free

Commercials: No

Ahh, my favorite! I am not ashamed to say that I STILL get excited when Sesame Street is on. It’s so catchy and smart and fun and Elmo is still the cutest character on TV. Hands down.

Full episodes available? Not full episodes but clips for certain segments

Cost: Free

Commercials: No

If you have a Netflix account, more than likely you have the unlimited streaming online option,  meaning you have TONS of kids’ shows to choose from. Thomas and Friends, Barney, Care Bears, SpongeBob, VeggieTales, all the Dora you can stand and more. Honestly, I’m surprised Netflix hasn’t marketed it to moms – “Pay $8/month – get 30 kid-free minutes a day!” LOL.

Full episodes available? Yes, ma’am

Cost: At least $4.99 a month for the lowest plan. Allows only 2 hours online viewing per month. Upgrade to the $8.99 plan for unlimited viewing.

Commercials: Nope.

My kids’ favorite TV shows first came from Playhouse Disney. I’m an “old school” young mom and I had them watching the shows that I remembered – Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Yo Gabba Gabba frightened me (and still does). But now I’m a fan of their new shows, like Special Agent Oso and Timmy Time.

Full episodes: Yes

Cost: Free

Commercials: No

These are my favorites, but there are a couple more options – Hulu.com for shows for older kids, and Amazon.com’s Video on Demand has episodes available, but you have to pay $1.99 per episode in most cases. Those are just meh, in my opinion.

Did I miss any of your favorite places to watch shows online? Let me know in the comments!

Lawd, why can I finish anything I start? I’ve got midterms coming up, a huge project at work, and the strong nagging feeling like my kids are getting the short end of the stick.

In other words, it’s Tuesday.

I want to give you a beyond brillant 800-word post about the beauties of being a young mother, but a couple of short, unrelated tangents might have to do for right now.

1) October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Ladies, if no one else tells you, know that you are loved and you are precious. You deserve a long, happy life, free of fear and intimidation. It can be brutually hard to make that first step to liberate yourself, especially if you have children, but the end result – peace of mind – is worth it. If you are in an abusive situation, talk to someone. Call 1.800.799.SAFE and they will help.

2) Who saw this video posted on our Facebook page? Family of six has a $4 weekly grocery bill. Just looking at this makes me envious, but I know I don’t have enough time to obsessively watch coupons and scour for the best deals. What are some of the ways you cut your grocery bill?

3) Do you believe these stats? The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior just released its 2010 study of more than 5,000 people aged 14 to 94. (Looove that they included the 90-year-olds. Woop, woop!) Authors of the study report that almost 80% of 14-17-year-old boys used a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse. I don’t know if I believe that stat – seems inflated to me. It would be fantastic if 80% (or higher, really – folks it’s 2010) of teens used condoms the last time – and every time – they had sex. But maybe I’m biased. Do you think the actual percentage is higher or lower?

I used to read at least two to three books a week before I had kids. I used to dream about having bookshelves full of books in my house, with soft, comfy chairs to sit in and read, sipping my tea as I turned the pages.

Now if I want to read one of my books I have to go digging through one of the dusty crates I have in the bedroom closet. Motherhood has really left me with no time (or energy!) to read. How ridiculous is that? No energy to READ?

I’ve been meaning to do a post about new books that are worth reading when you find yourself with a little downtime. It’s long overdue, but here’s what I’ve come across lately that are really good reads:

 The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex: A No-Surrender Advice Book for Naughty Moms by Kristen Chase

I’m a big fan of Kristen’s blog, Motherhood Uncensored, because hers was one of the first ones I stumbled on after having my daughter that I could relate to. Her quest to find a wedding dress she could breastfeed in? Hello! That’s so my life!

So when she came out with this book I knew I had to pick up a copy. She’s a work-at-home mom who managed to pump out a book, daily updates on her blog and other websites, all while taking care of her three little ones while her pilot husband has extended leaves for work. Oh, and she found time to lose about 40 pounds by becoming a Shredhead. She’s pretty motivating.

I love this book because it is full of info that I would’ve never thought of. For instance, thinking about buying a sex wedge? Just use your Boppy. (Once the kid is done using it, of course.) Who knew that $40 for a breastfeeding pillow would spice up your sex life? Pick up a copy and go from a “good mom” to a “naughty mom.” {NOTE: Birth control not included.}

Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet by Elizabeth Rogers  

This book does pretty much what the title suggests. Save money. Save the planet. It has a special section for home, food, kids, pets, work, electronics, health and beauty, transportation and holidays.

I found that I do a lot of the tips in the book already (buying in bulk, quit buying bottled water, etc.) because I’m cheap. But some tips were pretty useful – like the recipe for homemade Play-Doh. You know how many tubs of Play-Doh I’ve bought over the years and I could’ve just mixed some flour, water, cream of tartar and food coloring? Ugh, indeed.

Mommy Prayers: Help for the Missing Binkie, the Late Preschool Pickup, the Birthday Party from Hell, and Other Everyday Absurdities by Tracy Mayor

Can I just say how hard I laughed out loud with this book? It says this book is geared toward young moms, but it’s really geared toward new moms. I’m not sure how much of it I can quote, but take this prayer for example:

Prayer for My Five-Minute Nap

• Dear God, I cannot go on. It is four in the afternoon…and I have hours and hours to go before I manage to get to bed. I am quite certain I could crash to the floor this instant and sleep like a rock for a week. Please, can I have just five minutes to pass out? Please let my chattering little monkey not notice that her mother is gone. Please let her be oblivious as I quietly lose consciousness…

Not actual prayers, but “prayers” we moms sometimes have to make that would sound ridiculous coming from anyone else. I highly recommend this book if you’d like a quick laugh or to be reminded that no, it’s not just you, honey.

What books have you read lately that you would recommend? Leave a link in the comments if you can.

Well, not really, but this bit from comedian Louis C.K.’s stand up special….well, this is so true. {WARNING: NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK unless you have headphones. He curses…a lot, but I forgive him because as a parent sometimes you need a little foul language to combat the endless loops of Yo Gabba Gabba and Handy Manny that play in your head.}

While at the reception for the Young Mothers @ The Margin launch last Thursday, I met these two beauties you see in the photo above, representing Text4Baby, the brand-new initiative from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

You might have heard of it by now, but in a nutshell: Text4Baby sends up to three weekly text messages to pregnant women and new moms, to give them access to local resources and information on common questions they might have. So far, more than 23,000 women have signed up for the service.

What kind of info does it provide? Pretty much everything you can think of: immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, prenatal care, emotional well being, drugs and alcohol, labor and delivery, smoking cessation, breastfeeding, mental health, birth defects prevention, oral health, car seat safety, exercise and fitness, developmental milestones, safe sleep, family violence, and more.

As a tech geek, I thought it was really cool to have this be a nationwide service, provided FREE of charge to anyone with a valid cell phone number. (For those of you who get charged for each individual text, this service is still free to you. Your cell phone provider should NOT be charging you for the texts.)

Any of my readers currently pregnant or with their newborn at home? Simply text BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 and you’re enrolled in the weekly updates, which are timed to your due date or the date of birth. The program lasts for up to the first year of your child’s life, so if you’ve grown accustomed to the weekly doses of helpful information, it doesn’t leave you in a lurch once the child is born.

I wish this had been around when I was pregnant – I would have definitely used it. What do you think? Is Text4Baby something you’d like to use or wish you would have been able to when you were expecting?

I will be spending the next three days (Wednesday through Friday) in D.C. for the annual meeting of the National Crittenton Foundation agencies.

So I figured, I’ll be tweeting and posting status updates to the Facebook page, but why not leave you with a little something while I’m gone?

The good folks over at CafePress offered my readers a sweet giveaway – with one lucky reader winning a shirt for themselves and their little one. If you haven’t ordered something from CafePress, let me tell you – there’s something for everyone. And I mean everyone. There are MILLIONS of options on that site. Go ahead and take a look.

I particularly like their kids’ selection. These shirts are my faves:

To enter the contest: Leave a comment saying you’d like to win. I keep things simple, just for you.

Contest ends Monday, March 22. Reminder: You will win TWO shirts – one for you and another for your little one. Once you win, you will be able to go on the CafePress site and pick the two shirts you want.

Have a happy giveaway!

You all know me. I don’t make that much. Plus, I’m cheap.

So the idea of taking my kids to Disney seems like a great idea, but I didn’t know if it would ever happen, seeing as how I’m not balling like that. The one and only trip my family ever took to Disney was after years and years (and YEARS) of saving.

Coming from that perspective, I was eager to hear from the folks at Disney to see how I would manage to get my crew of four down to Florida for a little of that Disney magic.

I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, Disney isn’t the most exciting place for extreme tightwads [**cough** like my hubby **hubby] but for women like me who enjoy making a dollar stretch, getting your crew to Disney on a budget isn’t as hard as I thought. It does require a lot of planning, but that’s what the Internet is for, right? Check out some of these tips I picked up during my African-American Mom Blogger Mixer:

1. Chat with the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. Definitely. Go now. Quit reading. Any question you could possibly have about the parks, including budget issues, is answered here.

2. Mousesavers.com is not an official Disney website, but they feature GREAT deals and inside tips on how to make your money go further.

3. Do Disney as big as you can, keeping in mind that you will want to buy souvenirs. Check the website for the deals and specials Disney offers. For instance, now they have a Buy 4 Nights, Get 3 Nights Free promotion that will save a ton of money.  

4. Color me dumb, but I didn’t know that Disney had a few different tiers of resorts – deluxe, moderate, and value. The value resorts can be had as low as $82 a night (a little lower or higher depending on the season). Don’t turn your nose up at the value resorts. They are still very “Disney” and if you are planning a shorter, action-packed trip, you won’t be spending much time in the hotel anyway. There’s transportation to and from the parks so you can park your car once you get there and take the bus everywhere you want to go.

Any mamas been to Disney lately? Got any tips to share?

I am TOO pumped to tell you that I am on my way to Orlando, Florida for a three-day trip to Walt Disney World, as part of the African-American Mom Blogger Mixer, put together by the folks at Disney and BSM Media.  

What can I say? I’m beyond honored that they would ask me to participate, and I’m pumped that I will be there as they introduce Princess Tiana (from the upcoming The Princess and the Frog) to the theme park.

I’ve been waiting my whole life for an African-American Disney princess and it honestly feels like a dream come true to actually be at Disney only weeks before the movie hits theatres.

(I remember watching Aladdin when it came out and being mystified that Princess Jasmine didn’t quite look like all the other princesses. She didn’t quite look like me, but it was close enough for my tween perspective.)

So I promise to give you the blow-by-blow as soon as I get back (and watch out for some Twitter updates while I’m there: twitter.com/theyoungmommy).

From what I understand, the bloggers are asked at the end of the trip to recommend future attendees – I’ll have to make sure I have my list ready to recommend my readers!