Cruisin'...

I just got back from a 7-day cruise to Alaska with my parents and siblings. My folks are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year, and this was part of that celebration.

What great fun! Lots of laughs, beautiful scenery, fabulous ship (Holland America's "Volendam") and wonderful service. A great way to travel, to be sure. Another cruise is definitely in my future somewhere, this time with my hubby and kids. My parents actually won a 7-day cruise on this cruise, so they're all geared up to go again as well. Cool anniversary present!

I was terrified to go on the cruise because I kept hearing about all the food, and I have worked so hard to lose weight that I didn't want to gain it all back in a 7-day cruise. Neither did I want to go on a cruise with all that food and eat only lettuce.

Read more of the story here: www.PraiseWalker.com

Summer Vacation Video Scrapbook SALE

It's that time of year. The kids head back to school. The nights get cooler. The Christmas things enter the stores. And you wonder, where did the Summer go? Well, let's find it! Scan through your photos and videos from June, July and August, find the highlights of your family's Summer Vacation, and choose your favourite summer tune. For just $99, Small Wonder will turn those items into a fun recap of the Summer of 2009!!!

Here's a sample...

Summer Vacation 2009 Sample

And don't forget to keep the camera handy for all those school year moments!

Shawna Toth
www.smallwonder.ca

Web Video... Want It! Need It! Gotta Get It!!!

It is the fastest growing trend on the web right now. Video! YouTube, Metacafe, MySpace TV...and many more sites offer the ability to share video with anyone or everyone. And more and more business sites are adding video to attract customers. Why?

Well, it has been common knowledge since the mass distibution of televisions that the most effective form of advertising is video. But creating a TV ad and buying airtime is expensive, too expensive for most small business owners.

Web Video makes things so much easier. You already have a website, and you spend time trying to attract people to it. There is nothing like video on the front page to get their attention and keep them there. You can demonstrate the advantages of your service, or the features of your product. You can take as much or as little time as you like. It doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars to produce, and there are no airtime costs.

One of the big bonuses to Web Video is you can upload your video to YouTube (and/or any other video sharing site) and make it available for the whole world to see, driving even more traffic to your site.

Web Video can be compelling and entertaining. It can bring people to your site, and keep them there. It will allow you to fully explain and sell your product or service, and allow potential customers to get a strong sense of how you can help them. It's true. Sometimes words are not enough, especially when it comes to doing business on the web.

Shawna Toth
www.smallwonder.ca

Exhibitors wanted!!

Apart from everything else that I do, I also organize a semi annual Mom/ Kids Sale in Okotoks.
The Mom to Mom Show and Sale is a semi Annual event that takes place in the Spring and Fall. It is held at the Okotoks Centennial Centre.

This Sale brings Moms, Dads, Grandparents and kids together to buy and sell their gently used baby and kids items. Everything from Valco Strollers, Nursing pillows, Cribs to Gymboree clothing can be found here!. Over 75 tables will be filled with a lot of great finds.

Another great addition to the sale is the Kid's Marketplace. This is a special section that features local products and services suited for parents and kids.

We also support local charities by donating alot of baby and childrens items at the end of the sale.

Attendance is expected to be full as this show has received a reputation for being one of the better shows within the Calgary Area.

Tables are available for rent for businesses and Moms alike!. There is a definate need for any unique businesses out there!. Okotoks does not have enough variety and it would be great to reach a new customer base!.

Contact myself at envirolife@shaw.ca for more info

Blog link exchange

Looking at doing a blog linkage exchange, anyone interested in posting a link to my blog in exchange for me doing the same...please contact!

simplyconnected@shaw.ca
403-829-6783

Oh, my.... I am lovin' this...

So yeah, I figured that seeing as how my girls will be going to school full days this year that I would take on the task of running the Calgary Moms Trade Fair here in Calgary. At first I was freaking out with making the decision wondering if I would ever fill the booths... well it's almost done. :) I'm so happy that I took this on. I am feeling very confident about it now and believe that it will be great!

I am planning on coordinating the trade fair 2 times a year in Feb/March and Sept/Oct. I am so excited to see how much bigger this could get.

I just have to say that I am VERY thankful to Sara, my past partner, for running the show for the first 2 years that it was held. Thank you for getting the ball running, teaching me the in's and out's of the show and for making this so much easier for me! :)

Thank you to Donna, for helping out this time around. You are a huge asset to the show! :)

Anyways.. just wanted to share my excitement and spread some love!

In Success & Joy,

Britt Raposo
www.CalgaryMomsTradeFair.com

101 Video Scrapbooks by Small Wonder

This time let's talk about more business related uses for Video Scrapbooks. There are so many ways to use your video and digital still camera to enhance your small business.

• Website Video-Produced video on websites is fast becoming the most common and powerful tool for selling your product or service. There is nothing like actually seeing something in action to convince consumers to buy.
• Business Plan Video-Including video of your proposed or current location, product or service samples and your personal explanation of your proposal could help investors see the value in backing you.
• Training Video-Many, many large corporations use video training to cut down on costs and standardize training information. Use it to train new employees, provide overall company info or for franchising.

And the list can go on and on. Events, investor relations, expansion. Small Wonder provides you with an affordable way to enhance your small business using video production.

Shawna Toth
www.smallwonder.ca