EXTRA, EXTRA!! O-MAMA Hits in the Chicago Tribune and Oprah Radio's Dr. Laura Berman Show


Opinionated MAMA founders Michelle Tingler and Debbie Devine recently travelled to Chicago where they did two GREAT interviews to spread the O-MAMA's message of empowering America's moms and giving them a voice in our country's most important conversations. 

First, they were interviewed by Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune - an O-MAMA for sure!! - who wrote this fantastic story!!  http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/family/sc-fam-0520-omama-web-site-20100520,0,4755394,full.story
We loved her idea of "swapping" headlines!!

Then Michelle and Debbie went in studio at Oprah Radio with sex and relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman to share their Opinionated MAMA opinions on everything from successful blended families to talking sex with your kids and much much, more!  Take a listen to an excerpt of their interview by clicking here: http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Empowering-the-Moms-of-America-Audio

Now that's a great road trip!!  Great job O-MAMA's!!!

California Blooms Mother's Day Rose Giveaways


Make your mother and Mother Nature proud this Mother’s Day by selecting only the freshest, boutique-grown and eco-friendly roses from California Blooms (www.californiablooms.com) to show all the beautiful women in your life how much you appreciate them.

California Blooms is the premiere online and mobile retailer for the highest quality, responsibly grown roses, and their sophisticated presentation and convenient ordering make this gift buying decision a no-brainer.

The long stem roses are available in a one dozen ($39.00) or two dozen ($59.00) rose bouquets and can come with a glass vase for an additional $8.00. In addition to ordering online, they have just launched an easy to use iPhone app. New iPhone App users save 20% off their first order.

“The superior quality and freshness of our roses is evident in every bloom, meaning that the gift of love and gratitude you’ve sent to Mom will grace her home just that much longer,” says Mark Skorlich, CEO of California Blooms.

California Blooms bouquets can be purchased online at www.californiablooms.com or on your iPhone via the new CalBlooms App currently available at the iTunes App Store http://www.itunes.com/app/californiablooms.

Several Blogs, Websites and Magazines are hosting California Blooms Mother's Day Rose Giveaways, including the following:


Deserving Students from HOLA Receive Special Gift from Bravo Sports


Bravo Sports recently donated 50 skateboards complete with helmets and pads to Heart of Los Angeles, is a thriving center that serves Los Angeles' Rampart community with programs in academics, the arts and athletics. The organization is unique in the quality of instruction and individual attention it provides to youth ages 6 to 19.


Heart of Los Angeles seeks to empower and enrich the lives of young people ages 6-19 by providing quality academic, arts and athletics programs. HOLA provides opportunities that these youth cannot get anywhere else, inside or outside of school.

HOLA's youth attend overburdened inner city schools, live in communities that are heavily impacted by illegal drug trafficking and gang violence and many are children hindered by poverty and immigration status.

Bravo's recent gifts were presented deserving students in all grade levels who have shown dedication to their studies and who are working hard at school.  HOLA was especially excited to present them with a reward that "got them off the couch and living an active healthly lifestyle". 

Click here to get the whole story!
http://www.heartofla.org/news/bravo-skateboards.htm

Way to go Bravo!!

LEONARDO PAIS TAKES SOLO CEO POSITION AT BRAVO SPORTS CORPORATION

Steve Caiozzo Joins Bravo Sports as CFO


Santa Fe Springs, CA – Bravo Sports Corporation, a world leader in the recreational and sporting goods markets, is proud to announce that longtime Global Bravo Sports Chief Executive Officer, Leonardo Pais, is now leading the company domestically as well as globally. In addition to continuing the company’s commitment to creating the best products for the best value in the world, Pais will now also take on additional day to day responsibilities within Bravo Sports in a move designed to further align the domestic and global strategies of the company.

Having shaped Bravo Sports into a global presence for the past 15 years, Pais has made Bravo Sports the world leader in performance poly urethane wheels while also expanding their product offerings to include many diverse and dynamic products from some of the world’s most recognizable skate brands such as Tony Hawk and Kryptonics to active children’s toys such as scooters, trampolines and pogo sticks both for licensees such as Nickelodeon, Disney and Mattel and under the Bravo Sports owned Pulse brand, as well as outdoor recreation products such as canopies, beach chairs and umbrellas.

“Thanks to the vision of our entire executive team, Bravo Sports is poised for growth and continued success in the outdoor recreation industry and I am excited about our plans to achieve the goals we have set,” says Pais. “We look forward to continuing our tradition of providing exceptional quality, value and experiences to our customers with our established brands and with the exciting new products we have in development.” Adding, “It has been my pleasure over the last 10 years to work side by side with Tony Armand in positioning Bravo Sports as a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of sporting and outdoor recreation products and we wish him all the best in his new endeavor.”

Pais joined Bravo in 1995 founding the European Distribution and Manufacturing division in his native Italy. In 1999 he moved to the US as the president of Bravo, becoming CEO shortly thereafter in 2000. Prior to joining Bravo he was a Business Unit Manager for Head. Previously, Pais split the duties of Bravo Sports CEO with Tony Armand, who is slated to take over as the CEO of Shock Doctor in May.

Additionally, Steve Caiozzo has been appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Officer joining the newly reorganized Bravo Sports executive team. He comes to Bravo with over 25 years of experience in accounting, finance and operations and 8 years as a CFO. “Steve has a solid financial background and a great understanding of what it takes to run a global company. We are truly fortunate to have Steve join our senior management team,” says Pais.

Having spent most of his career in the high-tech and aerospace industries, Caiozzo served fourteen years at Wyle Electronics in progressive financial management roles before accepting an opportunity as Controller, Worldwide Channel Sales at Cisco Systems. Most recently he served for eight years as CFO, VP Finance & Administration of Capo Industries. He began his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen. In this new role, Caiozzo will provide key financial leadership necessary to guide Bravo Sports through growth in the areas of strategy and operating performance.

ABOUT BRAVO SPORTS
Bravo Sports, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California, is a global leader in the recreational and sporting goods markets. With offices, factories and warehouses in the United States, Italy, Thailand and China, the Company’s operations truly span the globe. Since 1965, Bravo has provided the highest quality and most innovative products to sports and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. With a stable of market-leading brands including Pulse™, Quik Shade™, Moto Shade™, Airzone™, Tony Hawk™, Birdhouse™, Darkstar™, Kryptonics™, Hyper™ and Variflex™ to go along with industry leading licenses with outstanding partners like Nickelodeon, Mattel, Cartoon Network and Disney, Bravo consistently seeks to exceed the expectations of its consumers and customers alike. At Bravo, the goal is simple – to create simply the best products for the best value in the world.

OPINIONATED MAMA IS "PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS!"

Opinionated MAMA Offers American-Made Clothing, Gifts and Accessories in Their New Online Store

San Clemente, CA – O-MAMA.com - short for Opinionated MAMA - is proud to announce the opening of the new O-MAMA Online Store (http://www.o-mama.com/store/) offering apparel, gifts and accessories for opinionated mamas and their families. O-MAMA.com, an online resource for America’s moms featuring current news and events from a mom’s perspective, has made a commitment to “talk the talk” and “walk the walk” by featuring only products made in the U. S. A., because CHANGE BEGINS AT HOME!

“We are so excited to launch our O-MAMA Online Store for those moms who want to show and share their commitment to the O-MAMA mission and support US workers and businesses with our line of exclusively American-made O-MAMA products,” says O-MAMA founder Michelle Tingler. “Sure, it would have been cheaper to buy all our items from China, but Opinionated MAMA is ‘putting our money where our mouth is.’ We want to keep jobs here in America for our family, friends, and neighbors.” In addition to product descriptions and pricing, the store also lists the city and state where each product is made.

FINALLY! A Instant Canopy Designed For Individuals

Calling all soccer moms, baseball moms, park moms,beach moms and more.


Finally, an instant canopy light weight enough to carry yourself and designed for one person to assemble. No more asking your husband or the kids’ coach for help!
Santa Fe Springs, CA –– Quik Shade™, a Bravo Sports brand, is proud to introduce a revolutionary instant canopy designed for individual use - the GO Hybrid Backpack Canopy™. Lightweight, easy-to-use and comfortable to wear, the new hands-free Quik Shade GO Hybrid Backpack Canopy™ is the first canopy product to feature simple assembly for individual use. Convenient size and weight, the canopy is easy to transport or store, and is certain to become the must-have for comfort and protection from the sun.


The Quik Shade GO Hybrid Backpack Canopy™ retails for $79.99 in Electric Blue and Lime Green with matching backpacks and is available at your local Sports Authority and other sporting goods stores.

Featuring comfortable, padded backpack straps, storage pockets and an ultra-light structure, the new Quik Shade GO Hybrid Backpack Canopy™ is an essential for every soccer mom, beach-goer and outdoor enthusiast. The reduced size and weight of the canopy makes it easy to store in the trunk of a car or a closet, and easy enough for one person to carry and erect. However, when open, the canopy is spacious enough for four people. Adjustable legs also allow for use on bleachers.

ATTENTION AMERICAN IDOL FANS...WIN A YEAR OF ROSES! NO SINGING REQUIRED...


Enter the California Blooms "Pick An Idol" Sweepstakes by visiting the California Blooms Facebook Fan Page and voting for your favorite Idol. www.facebook.com/californiablooms

Each vote equals an entry into a random drawing to win a weekly prize of a Free bouquet of 24 roses, and the Grand Prize of A Year of Fresh Roses for one lucky winner.


If you are one of the lucky winners, you can send the roses to anyone you'd like in the USA, including yourself!

 

INSTANT SATISFACTION

From the old school Beverly Hills Hotel to the Las Vegas strip to Miami Beach and the Florida Keys, every hotel hotspot has expensive cabanas poolside for VIPS.

With the Quik Shade line and the Quik Shade Décor line, you can recreate your favorite Five-Star cabana at your own home at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to rent a cabana for a day at the hotel. (cocktail waitress/waiter not included!) http://www.quikshade.com/

Here are some of our favorite cabanas and instant canopies to transform your backyard in an instant.


 
Tiki $159
Mykonos $199
Trinidad $189

Pulse Scooters Brings New Technology To Extreme Scooters

Sante Fe Springs, CA --From the first-of-its-kind Slither Drift Scooter to the old school-style NEW Pavement King, PULSE Scooters from Bravo Sports are ruling the road. Designed and built with the next generation of riders in mind, the Pulse line is all about extreme tricks, 2010 technology and speed. Kids and their parents can’t get enough of their fast-paced action and the smooth ride.

“As kids are becoming experienced scooter riders, they are looking for new tricks and new ways to ride,” says Tony Armand, Bravo Sports CEO. “The success of the Pulse line of scooters is our commitment to providing new technology to an old favorite.”

PULSE is proud to announce the entire line of Pulse products, as well as the NEW Pavement King and NEW Road Rager scooters. Available nationwide at Target, K-Mart, and Toys R Us and other retailers nationwide. www.pulsescooters.com http://www.pulsescooters.com/


1. NEW! Pavement King –With a nod to retro, wood skateboards and surfboards, the Pavement King features a 9-Ply laminated wood deck with additional fiberglass ply’s for strength and durability. It also has signature large wheels and grip tape protected graphics. $69.99; ages 5+; in stores in end of March.

2. NEW! Road Rager – With aggressive, age appropriate graphics, this aluminum construction scooter features big wheel, is super light weight and has a steel rear foot brake. $89.99; ages 8+; in stores in end of March.

3. Slither Drift Scooter –The first innovative three-wheeled scooter of its kind, the Slither offers the ability to pull off tricks and maneuvers that are simply not possible on any other scooter or wheeled good thanks to the two large front wheels offset with a single rear wheel housed in a pivot-mounted swivel truck. The Pulse Slither translates the fun of riding a snowboard, skiing or surfing into a street toy. $59.99; ages 8+

4. Xcelerator Kick ‘N Go – Larger and faster, the Xcelerator is great for kids who want to get speed. Unlike traditional scooters that require constant pushing off the ground, the Pulse Kick 'N Go uses a unique chain and kick pedal self-propulsion system, allowing the rider to achieve blazing speed and tight maneuverability while maintaining a balanced stance on the deck. $89.99; ages 8+

5. Nitrous Kick ‘N Go – The Pulse Kick 'N Go ain't your daddy's scooter. Reengineered from the original Kick 'N Go scooters from the 1970s, the Pulse Kick 'N Go offers a super fun and smooth ride with a revolutionary new propulsion pedal design. Built to be smaller, lighter. $119; ages 5+

Click here to see the latest Slither Drift Scooter video as seen on Nickelodeon, Nick Toons, Cartoon Network and Disney XD: http://www.pulsescooters.com/Home.aspx

Coolest House On The Block

My Favorite Everything is a great blog about the favorite things of a busy gal-on-the-go who knows how to get things done.

Her latest blog featured the favorite things of Kellie Swaim of Bravo Sports and her list of must-have toys and products to make your house the coolest on the block.

Among the items featured, my own personal favorites are the trampoline (really, what kid doesn't like to jump!?) and the Quik Shade cabana (talk about instant gratification!)

O-Mama Hosts Inaugural House Party - Three Easy Tips To Setting The Stage

This last Saturday night we went to the Inaugural House Party for O-Mama.  The party was such a success and so much fun that we decided to tell you about it in a few posts so you could get the full picture and get some ideas of your own so you can host your own O-Mama House Party.

Must-Have O-MAMA House Party Decor and Food:

#1 - Fun Cocktails - Red Martinis for Republicans and Blue Martinis for Democrats (make note of the cute colored sugar for the rim of the glasses!)

#2 Make A Statement With Your Dessert Bar - This dessert bar by Meringue Bake Shop was to die for!  I love the mini cupcakes with the O-Mama Logo. An added bonus to the table of treats -- it made the party not only taste like heaven but it also smelled like it!
#3 - Have Conversation Starters - I loved the idea of hanging conversation starters from balloons.  So clever.
Another easy way to start a conversation is put a bunch of topics in a bowl like this:

Stay tuned for party pictures and other fun ideas!

Parents Magazine Features Vazu Kids' LOOK WHO IS COMING Children's Book


We love the book Look Who Is Coming!  It is such a cute book for any child but the story of how it was created for a son with Autism is inspiring to all parents.   Parents Magazine loved the book so much that they included it their April Issue. 

Zuma, the book's author, just wrote us this note about seeing her book on the pages of a national magazine:

They featured the book under health/autism - did a such a neat job describing! It is on the bottom corner, and the photo of the book is so clear and bright, can't miss it! Thanks so much!!!


Wow, it felt weird to read our names ... But I can get used to it :))))

Thanks again,


Zuma

WHAT A WEEK....

One of things we love most about this business is that you NEVER know what the next day is going to bring... We had a great week here at TO Media Co., with exciting requests and inquiries for all of our clients from the likes of Family Circle, Parenting, two national radio shows and Lifetime television.  So exciting!!

And tomorrow night we will top off this incredible week with the Inaugural House Party for O-MAMA.com at the home of founder Michelle Tingler with some of OC's outstanding Opinionated MAMAs and a whole lot of great conversation and fun. Can't wait to celebrate!! To learn more about O-MAMA and how you can host your own O-MAMA House Party with the opinionated moms in your life, log on to www.o-mama.com.


On top of all the excitement, we helped out our favorite Nashville-based PR company Triple7 PR (http://www.triple7pr.com/ - we love you Carrie and Ashley) with a little shoot for The Doctors with celebrity chef and author Rocco DeSpirito.  Such a pleasure to work with him again as well as the fantastic team from The Doctors! You HAVE to check out Rocco's latest cookbook, titled Now Eat This... it is packed full of healthy eating tips and fantastic healthy "makeovers" for some of America's all-time favorite recipes (Fried Chicken, Macaronit and Cheese and even Mayonaise get the full nutritional treatment!) and is climbing the bookselling charts like a rocket!!  I can't wait to try a few myself.  Check back for tune-in info on the episode.

Happy Friday Everyone!  Hope this great momentum rolls right through the weekend...