“FTC Regulations and Me,” webinar and panel discussion focuses on PR and blogger impact

Join Brian Solis, principal, Future Works, Ted Murphy, principal, IZEA, Mary Engle, associate director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission and myself for “FTC Regulations and Me,” (#ftcme) a webinar panel, on February 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. CST to learn how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” impact online promotion.

In October 2009 the FTC announced the new guidelines which address endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers.

The guidelines affect personal blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Many professionals who rely on online communications as part of their promotion arm wonder how these changes impact them.

Panel participants are regularly sought out by industry peers to talk about the regulations and will address common themes they’ve identified:

• Who is doing it right? Case studies, examples and best practices
• An Overview of the FTC Guidelines, straight from the source
• Dispel guideline myths and rumors
• How to disclose in 140 characters
• Developing a disclosure policy
• Among others…

Registration for the “FTC Regulations and Me” Webinar is now open!http://j.mp/ftcweb

To ensure this information is accessible to as many professionals as possible, Citrix graciously donated all webinar capabilities.

Discount From Total Image Consultants!

Ginger Burr, of Total Image Consultants, was interviewed on Connecting Women Radio, on image consulting, improving your wardrobe, and why you should.

Burr is offering a   10% discount on my "Jump-Start Your Personal Style," "Ginger's Mini-Wardrobe Makeover" and "Who Taught You How To Dress?" to our  listeners and readers.  Use "connectingwomen" at www.totalimageconsultants.com.

Deals and Discounts You Can Enjoy

Enjoy some Deals and Discounts that were sent especially to us at Connecting Women Media for you!

• Little Passports is offering a Free Trial! You can try Little Passports for free! Sign-up for a subscripiton and you will receive their first month's Explorer Kit absolutely free.  Click here.
• The City of Rockford, in Illinois, is offering lots of deals and discounts for you to enjoy their city. With great money-saving packages and specials, there's never been a better time to plan your weekend getaway to Rockford!  Click here.
• In an effort to help to educate Americans about the importance of taking care of your cardiovascular system, Np2 Nail Perfection is donating 10% of all sales of red nail polish to the American Heart Association.  Click here. 
• Save up to 25% Off on 2010 Poland Culinary Vacations.  Book by February 28, 2010.  Click here.  
• Just in time for Valentine's Day, California Blooms is offering 15% off especially for you! 
  ENTER COUPON CODE – AE210.  Click here. 

TLC GUIDES YOU THROUGH LOVE AND SEX THIS VALENTINE'S DAY WITH "SEXTISTICS: YOUR LOVE LIFE" One-Hour Special airs February 14, 2010 at 9pm ET/PT

On Sunday, February 14 at 9pm ET/PT, TLC invites you to spend Valentine's Day learning all you need to know about finding true love and sustaining a healthy relationship with SEXTISTICS: YOUR LOVE LIFE. This one-hour special reveals all the startling answers and staggering statistics about love, sex, and romance that you've always wanted to know but were afraid to ask, such as: Is there a smoother path down the rocky road of love?  Do details such as height, money, and even body hair really matter? 
SEXTISTICS: YOUR LOVE LIFE breaks down cutting edge science and statistical data including how many sexual partners and orgasms the average American has in their lifetime, what physical signs you get from someone who is attracted to you, and what the latest divorce rates are for couples who marry in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Whether you're single, married for 50 years, or experiencing everything in between, these lessons are invaluable for men and women of every age. With large scale visual stunts, interviews with renowned relationship and sex experts, and candid real life experiences from people on the street, SEXTISTICS: YOUR LOVE LIFE presents viewers with a unique, modern and relatable guide to  love and romance.
SEXTISTICS takes viewers through each stage of a relationship, from why we find each other attractive, to navigating through the ritual of dating and flirting, then plunging into the first phases of love, and finally guiding us through commitment, marriage, sex and infidelity. The hour finishes with interesting and reassuring science and statistics about the realities of long term true love, and provides a new and refreshing take on our most fundamental emotion.

SEXTISTICS: YOUR LOVE LIFE is produced by Touch Productions for TLC.

About TLC
TLC's innovative docu-series and reality-based programming include favorites Jon & Kate Plus 8, Little People, Big World, What Not to Wear, 18 Kids and Counting, Say Yes to the Dress, and LA Ink. TLC added to its menu of programming with Cake Boss and Ultimate Cake Off, and continues to expand into the food genre. TLC's daytime lineup includes the Emmy Award-winning A Baby Story. The channel is available in more than 98 million homes in the US, nearly 8 million homes in Canada and through the website at www.tlc.com. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries.

Free sample three-pack of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max

• Starting January 29th, parents everywhere will be able to request a free sample three-pack of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max on Pampers.com. If the sample sent includes a diaper stamped Team USA (randomly inserted in select sample packs), their baby will win a year's supply of Pampers diapers!
• Did you know that a cruising baby in one day can take as many steps as a marathon runner in a race*, and a nine-month old baby can crawl up to 400 meters in 20 minutes**? It's this active play that continually inspires the Pampers brand, and that's why moms and dads are encouraged to log on to Pampers.com beginning February 12 to join in celebrating the development of their own best players. Parents will have the ability to upload a video of their baby crawling from left to right, and randomly selected videos will be compiled into a Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max "Baby Relay" commercial which will air during closing day of the Olympic Winter Games, giving babies a chance to showcase their own playful ability in the same forum as the most elite athletes

Disclosure:  Part of the American Pop Digital Campaign

Tax Season is Upon Us (Two Resources To Use)

Many people often want to live in a paper free home, but often times that may not be the best idea when getting ready to file taxes.  So those commonly heard questions of
                          1.  What papers should I keep?
                          2.  How long should I keep those papers?

Silene Walters of Walters Accounting explains on Connecting Women Radio what kinds of papers a taxpayer should keep and how long.  Listen to the interview here.

Also, Yahoo! Finance offers a great article on those commonly heard questions above:  Paper Records: What to Toss, What to Keep

Learning to say no – Moms Secret Weapon

Happy 2010!  Let this be the year for you!  Below is a post on saying "No", sent by Lynette Chandler of BlogEnergizer.

Are you suffering from mom burn out? Do you struggle just to make it through each day? Moms everywhere are breaking down because they are too chicken to say, "No".
 
"No" may be a tiny, two-letter word, but it can be your secret weapon. And you can say it. Here are some ways you can say "no" without feeling guilty about it:
 
Sorry, I’m taking a break.
The number one reason why you should say, "no" occasionally is simply that you deserve a break. You are chef, chauffeur, dish washer, and more. You job never ends on any given day of the week. You deserve a break. If you feel bad for saying "no", say, "Sorry, I’m taking a break". 
 
My schedule is full.
We tend to jam-pack our schedule full of activities, leaving time for nothing. Cut back on your kids activities. Start a car pool and share driving responsibilities. Do whatever you can to free up some time in your schedule.
 
I don’t have time.
You’re headed out the door, rushing to the next appointment when the telephone rings. What do you do? Do you come to a screeching halt and answer the phone? Let’s say you do, and it’s a family member, calling to dump their latest woes on you. Do you stand, tapping your foot impatiently while you roll your eyes and listen to the sob story? This is a typical scene for many moms.
 
I have another commitment that day.
Say it and mean it.  Regularly schedule in time with your family or time alone and if someone ask for your help during that time look in your planner and tell them you have another commitment.  
 
Instead of rushing to be everything to everyone, stop. Ask yourself if you truly have time for whatever comes up. If not, say no by walking away, turning off the ringer on the phone, or not answering the knock at your door.
 
Always remember that you are a mom—not a super hero. When you have to say no, people will understand; if they don’t at first, they will get used to it eventually.
 
Editor's note: Still having trouble putting your foot down? Sometimes, we just need some extra guidance, a listening ear or a gentle and loving kick in the butt. You might want to give Aurelia Williams's free coaching session (affiliate) a go. She's a life coach and mom of 3 who has adult, teen and school age children so she definitely knows what she's talking about.