Top 10 Tuesday - ZANNALAND!

My fabulous blogging friend and fellow Walt Disney World Moms Panelist OhAmanda does Top 10 Tuesday every week and each week I think “I really need to participate in this!” but I always either have a different topic on tap, or can’t think of a list in time. So this week, I’ve finally found a topic to join in with. Below are ten of the many things I am looking forward to tomorrow, when we arrive at Walt Disney World for the first-ever Social Media Moms Celebration. One thing I am NOT looking forward to is the fact that Amanda will not be there. *sobs* However, she just got back from Blissdom and taking part in amazing workshops there AND seeing Harry Connick Jr. so that is slight consolation I guess. Anyway…

10. Being able to be at Walt Disney World both as a blogger and as a Moms Panelist – WITH my family. Moms Panel training was so amazingly fun, and though I wouldn’t change it for the world, the fact that my husband and children will be with me this time around, is a treat. I really love how Disney put together the registration that way, to include families.

9. Celebrating J.’s birthday (the 10th) at Disney. I suppose I could’ve been quiet about this whole thing and let him think I planned a huge celebration at the new ESPN Wide World of Sports just for his birthday, but the hundreds of strangers crashing the party might’ve given it away…I’m confident it’ll still be a special day for him and hope I can force him to wear a Disney Birthday Button!

8. Diving into the world of Social Media/Blogging conventions feet first by attending my first conference at Walt Disney World! I am hoping this is just the first of many. Watching friends and fellow bloggers attend BlogHer 09, Type A Mom 09 and now Blissdom 10 has definitely wet my appetite for blogging conferences I must attend next year. I’m hoping to get to BlogHer ’10 this year too. Working on sponsors for that now! The fact that it’s my first one and Disney’s first one seems like a perfect fit.

7. Dole Whip! I don’t really need to say more.

6. Getting to hear the speakers Disney has secured for the conference. Guy Kawasaki. Chris Brogan. Maxine Clark. Just to name a few. As a new-ish blogger I’m all ears for any and everything I can learn about the process and how to improve as a writer and communicator. I figure I might as well start off at the top, right?

5. The special events Disney has planned for us. Sooo, I may have mentioned this is DISNEY, yes? And my love for all things Disney? And my recent super fabulous Disney Moms Panel training trip (which I will continue writing about soon, promise!) where I experienced quite a bit of pixie dust? This is DISNEY. Can you imagine the special surprises they have planned for us? There have already been reports leaked about the performers who will be at Thursday night’s Epcot celebration (entertainment subject to change). I can only imagine what else they have in store for us.

4. Meeting new friends from twitter. In the course of expanding my blogging topics and connecting with others who are attending this conference, I’ve made a ton of new friends whom I cannot wait to meet in person at Disney. I feel like I should probably wear my twitter handle on a t-shirt or print out a poster size version of my twitter picture so I can ensure people know who I am because I don’t want to miss anyone!

3. Meeting old friends from twitter. Another benefit to this celebration being held at Walt Disney World is many of my Disney fan friends from twitter were eager to attend as well. Because of that, quite a few of them will be at the conference and I will get to meet them too. People that have been with me from my start on twitter and followed my journey onto the Moms Panel. It will be great to finally put faces to the names, in person.

2. Staying at the Polynesian. I mentioned in my previous post about the Social Media Moms Celebration that the Polynesian was one of the few resorts I had not stayed in. It has always been one of our family’s favorite spots for dining and visiting, so the fact that we will get to sleep there too, experiencing all the resort has to offer guests, is a real treat.

laurajoannetiana — 2 of our fearless Moms Panel leaders: Laura Spencer & Jo Anne Wallace, who make everything more fun! (Oh, and those royal-looking people would be the gorgeous Princess Tiana and the debonair Prince Naveen!)

1. Meeting up with my Moms Panel friends/Disney cast members. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to reconnect with a handful of the wonderful moms I just met during Moms Panel training. I feel like our time together ended too soon and am so excited to be able to hug, laugh and just hang out again. I kinda just want to run around the Polynesian at night in our pj’s and pink jackets like a big slumber party…but I’ll restrain myself. In addition, I’ll be able to see the wonderful cast members that make the Walt Disney World Moms Panel and the Disney Parks social media team so successful. Hopefully I’ll be able to meet up with a very special Canadian cast member and enjoy #7 with her.

In other words – I’M EXCITED!!! If you are attending, what are you most looking forward to? Please, please look for me because I am terrible with associating twitter names with real names and I don’t want to miss anyone. See you tomorrow!

It’s hard to believe Sesame Street is turning 40 today, but it’s true. This pioneering children’s television show has stood the test of time and continues to adapt and appeal to new children every year. In honor of today’s anniversary and inspired by my new blogging friend OhAmanda‘s Top Ten Tuesday, I thought I’d put together a list of my personal Top 10 Sesame Street Songs and Skits.

Each link below is a video from YouTube and will open in a new window so you can view them all at your leisure – Sesame Street’s birthday has slowed YouTube a bit with all the views.

10. R.E.M. – Furry Happy Monsters
9. Ladysmith Black Mambazo – African Alphabet Song
8. ladybug picnic
7. Martians Find a Phone – Kids, that item is a PHONE-shocking, I know! It had a cord and no buttons!! How did we survive?
6. Teeny Little Super Guy I remember looking in my cabinets and wishing he was there!
5. Herry & John John Count to 20 (LOVE John John!!)
4. Fly in my Soup! Waiter!!
3. Container of Milk, Loaf of Bread and a Stick of Butter I still say this every time I have to make a grocery list.
2. 1-12 Pinball Song I think this just sums up the 70’s.
1. Lowercase n This will always be my favorite.

While discussing my Top 10, my husband of course chimed in with his own picks and we soon had many more than 10, so I thought I’d add some of his favorites that weren’t in my list, as a bonus! I truly feel his favorites have shaped him has a person, since he’s sitting here laughing hysterically as he watches the videos.

5. Doin’ the Pigeon This was part of J’s courtship dance for me. 😉
4. Phone Booth Rock Again, kids – this is called a “phone booth” if you needed to call someone while not at home, you used this, and a DIME to make a phone call. Crazy.
3. Bert & Ernie Fishing Heeere fishy fishy!!
2. It Ain’t Bad to Get Mad This Goat is okay with his anger issues.
1. Kermit the Gorf He was laughing to the point of tears watching this, perhaps I shouldn’t be blogging that though…

Suffleupagus has always been my favorite

Of course these videos are just the tip of the iceberg of 40 years of amazing songs, parodies and skits. The humor back in the 1970’s was hilarious and free spirited. Though political correctness has changed the focus a bit, there are still some great parodies out there even now – they just released a Sesame Street version of “Mad Men” which is pretty funny. Popular musicians and actors will also still continue to make appearances, making the show much more enjoyable for parents as well.

We left off a lot of the more popular favorites, “C is for Cookie”, “Rubber Duckie” etc. but I hope you’ll comment here and share your favorites so we can all remember this epic show together!