The last week of April began what has been a month of travel, conferences, and fun. It kicked off with a bang, though, as it all started with a trip to Walt Disney World to attend Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration!

This was our third year attending this family-inclusive conference and as always, we had a great time. It’s great to be able to take the family along and have events that are for the whole family! It definitely makes it easier when trying to balance work and life.

Speakers at this year’s Social Media Moms Celebration included Chris Brogan, Peter Shankman, Ramon De Leon, Amy Jo Martin, and Lisa Druxman. They each spoke on a variety of topics, ranging from how they use social media in their businesses, to how they balance out their lives. It’s fair to say that the overall message from the speakers was that you need to create your own success and find the fun in life.

Here are some of the snippets I shared via Twitter from the presentations we heard:

The Social Media Moms Celebration also included a day of mini-sessions, of which I attended a Doc McStuffins presentation. I was able to learn more about this new show on Disney Junior and hear from the show’s creator about the inspiration behind Doc McStuffins – she saw a need for helping children learn about doctor visits after being in and out of the hospital with her son his first year of life. It was also very interesting to find out that when she pitched the show to Disney, her son was about 8 months old and the show did not premiere until he was almost 5 years old!

Between pirate-themed family dinners, a night-time visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and a sneak peek at the new resort, Disney’s Art of Animation, my family really enjoyed themselves. Personally, I was able to reconnect with many friends from our blogging community and learn more about how Disney world provides families with many opportunities to create memories. One of the strongest statements made during the conference that resonated with the majority of attendees was that we only have eighteen summers with our children to make lasting memories before they leave our house (traditionally). Wow, right?! Eighteen years! That’s it!

What are some of the more special memories you’ve been able to create with your children so far?

I encourage you to search the #DisneySMMoms hashtag on Twitter to find links to more posts from other Disney Social Media Moms Celebration attendees. I’m sure you’ll get a variety of stories from the conference and a wealth of information about Walt Disney World!

Photo: Josh Hallett

There I was washing dishes at 7:30 in the morning while my kids sat at the dining table eating breakfast. As is customary for my baby girl, she blurts out her random thought of the day with no context beforehand. This time it was, “Mommy, why are there no new Choo-Choo-Souls on Disney Junior?”

I explained that they probably recorded them all a while back and maybe they’re not making new ones anymore. She responded with, “Well, you should talk to Disney Junior about that.”

“Really? I should?”

“Yeah! You’re a blogger! You can tell them.”

And, that’s when I realized that my six-year-old thinks I’m influential. Apparently. Her little brain has a notion that because I own a blog I can then “talk” to Disney Junior and ask them to make new Choo-Choo-Soul episodes. It’s fascinating that she thought of this all on her own. I have never told her anything about using a blog to make suggestions, create change, or anything of the sort.

I took the opportunity to let her know that you don’t need to be a blogger to make suggestions. I told her anyone can make suggestions about TV shows, radio programs, etc. – not just bloggers. In a way I guess this was her first lesson in understanding the “a pen is stronger than a sword” saying. I didn’t tell her the saying, but this conversation was definitely her introduction into understanding the concept of creating change in the world.

In social media, we hear about influence a lot. As bloggers, we are considered influential by the marketing industry, brands, and even amongst ourselves. We claim influence and see our blogs as outlets for using our voice to affect others. Perhaps we affect others by providing ideas, tips, motivational content, and even suggestions on services and products available for you to purchase. Many use their blogs to affect change in other areas, such as causes they are passionate about and philanthropic efforts.

My six-year-old believes that through my blog I can influence Disney Junior to create new episodes of Choo-Choo-Soul. Perhaps she’s on to something. Maybe not that exactly, but maybe this site can affect change somehow, somewhere.

Are you considered influential by your friends and family because of your blog?

Photo: Louise Docker/ Flickr

If you have young children at home, then you may be excited to find out that a new 24-hour Disney Junior channel will be coming on March 23!  The current Disney Junior block will continue on Disney Channel as well, but your kids can now enjoy their favorite shows throughout the entire day.

The new Disney Junior channel will include shows like Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, plus will launch with new shows like Doc McStuffins and a weekend full of Disney movies. In addition, the Disney Junior channel will feature past Disney shows such as, Higglytown Heroes, JoJo’s Circus, and Rolie Polie Olie. My girl loved JoJo’s Circus when she was younger and her first birthday party theme was even JoJo’s Circus, so this is pretty exciting for our family! Now, we can share these shows with baby boy as well.

Other new shows coming to Disney Junior are Sofia the First, about a little girl princess, and Oki’s Oasis, the first western for preschoolers, starring Mandy Moore as the voice of Oki. You can check DisneyJuniorTheChannel.com to see if the new 24-hour Disney Junior channel will be available in your area.

What are some of your children’s favorite Disney shows?