Please lend a helping hand..

Bloggers/Readers, We need YOUR help!!

So yesterday I started a little campaign for my sister. A little over a year ago she went in to labor with my nephew Carsten. Carsten has down syndrome, but is the most adorable baby ever. He rarely fusses and is an extremely well behaved little boy. He is currently a year and 3 months old. I promise to get some pictures of him up soon.

The meaning from this post is to raise awareness for down syndrom babies. My sister (Chelsey) found out in the earlier stages of her pregnancy that she had a downs syndrom child and that he had the chance of not living at birth. Everything went well with the birth and Carsten is very healthy. Chelsey would like to start speaking about the prenancy and birth of a disabled child. There are a lot of parents out there that undergo abortions after they find out their child is disabled. Well my sister is here to educate you on how loving down sydrom babies are and what to expect month to month, year by year.

Please do me a big favor and follow her on twitter: @Carstensmom
Once you add my sister please tweet with the following: RT @cfritchle PLEASE FOLLOW @carstensmom she is my sister and is starting a campaign for kids with disabilities.

Thank you all for reading this and thank you for reaching out and helping the cause. I will give you updates on how things are going. I know my sister would like to do a mini tour to get the word out as soon as she has built up enough credibility. Meanwhile she will soon be doing some local events in Washington State and Oregon. In the end, we hope to touch a city in each state in the US. We will then determine traveling internationally. If you would like for Chelsey to speak please contact me via twitter (@cfritchle).

Looking back.. SOBCon 2009 video

After posting the last video, I wanted to be sure to include this one as well. I look back on this video from time to time and today was one of them. I wanted to share this with the rest of you!

What is SOBCon you ask? Let this answer for you..

Video made by: Ramsey Mohsen

SMC Chicago: SOBCon style!

The night before SOBCon a great group came together for the SMC Chicago monthly meetup. A great video was created by Big Teeth Productions showcasing the April event. Pay great attention and you’ll see  my name pass you by. Enjoy!

Unbelievably inspired by SOBCon 2009

I’ve been to some great panels, I’ve seen some incredible speakers, and I’ve met great people, but none of this measures up to my phenomenal experience at the Successful Outstanding Blogger Conference (“SOBCon”) here in Chicago last weekend (May 1 – 3rd). I’m going to be honest, I’m having a hard time even pin pointing where I start with this blog, or what I should say first. But I truly believe that I definitely need to start by thanking my company for the opportunity to become more educated along side of sponsoring this wonderful conference.

I honestly came in to this conference expecting lectures and that’s all. Sure, I knew the conference would be worth wile because of the amazing host of Liz Strauss and the list of great speakers. I also knew it would help in a lot of ways to get help in the areas that I struggle the most in. My goal out of this conference was to represent my brand. I didn’t expect SOBCon to have any influence on my personal life at all. Boy… was I WRONG!! The first day I overcame the fear that has been haunting me in my career with Social Media from the early stages. My fear was voicing my opinion when I had objections. I was always afraid of sounding less noticed when replying to an email that might not have the correct answer.  I’m afraid that in my career I’ve let a lot slide by me because I was scared to be that “little” voice saying “I disagree!”, or simply telling someone that I knew of a better solution that could possibly help the company. This is when I watched failure because I didn’t acknowledge the problem. I didn’t think I mattered. To be completely honest, I found this negative mechanism and choked on it and more importantly upchucked it every where In hopes to one day never see it again (silly analogy, i know). This happened to me on Friday night the Hotel 71 event. In the cab ride home is when I realized that I wasn’t being true to myself. During Fridays session Chris Brogan and Julien Smith inspired me by the telling the audience “You have to have trust to build”. This can be taken in SO many ways. In fact it hit me spot on with inspiration to do what I think is best. To believe in myself to accomplish personal and professional goals. I was inspired, but more importantly it made me realize that I needed some sort of change. So from that day I have been true to myself. Some have noticed and some haven’t. It’s not a matter of change for others, it was a matter of change for myself!

I learned SO much in the 2.5 days that I attended SOBCon. The interaction and the willingness of some of the top bloggers was astonishing. More importantly the experience and new friendships that I gained will never be forgotten.

Thanks SOBCon – I’m looking forward to many years to come!

Lock the deadbolt on your way out!

I am the latest to fall victim of a home robbery. Sadly it happened a day after I told a friend I thought theft would rise with the failing economy. Last Tuesday my Condo was broken into and lots stolen. I was on the bus heading home from the gym after a long day at work. My headphones were blaring and I was actually feeling pretty good after an intense workout. Well I got off the bus and looked at my phone and noticed that my partner had called 5 times. This is usual to have that many calls back to back to each other. We are both big texters and rarely talk on the phone given we do it all day at work. Plus it’s way easier to text at work rather than call these days. That way you’re still in touch with your loved ones even through a busy day.  I noticed the 5 missed calls and panicked right away. I knew something was wrong or that something happened. I called my partner back right away and the conversation was very hesitant. Needless to say, I was right outside the condo building when I saw the missed calls. We then noticed that all of our stuff had been rampaged through. Stuff was out of the usual order and valuables were taken. Some that were gifts, sentimental, and some that you’d think belonged to only us. Hell, my new car fund was even taken (quarters totaling $10-15) but the TV was still sittin’ pretty thank god! (52 inch flat screen). It was clear they were after specific items (money and personal info). I also thought they might have been interrupted during the process because of some key things they didn’t take. If they were, thank god who ever interrupted these crazy fools. Our condo was one 1 of 4 in the building broken into.

Thankfully we have homeowners insurance. We all bitch and moan about insurance but I have thanked myself 3 times for having it. Anything I can have insured is! First – my very first house burnt down (my childhood home), Second – my car was stolen in December, and now this. I think I’ve mastered the worst luck that one has ever experienced in 24 years. Don’t feel bad for me; these things have made me who I am today and definitely more wise.

The point of this blog is to assure that my readers and friends know the importance of keeping your home safe and secure. I’d hate for you to experience this same crap we did. But I have questions for you! When you leave your house, do you lock the door AND the deadbolt too? Do you make sure your sliding glass door is locked and has a door stopper? Are the windows locked? These little things can save your butt! Also – have you thought about getting an alarm system installed? Even living in a nice neighborhood – we unfortunately are targets too!

The only reason these thieves got into our house was because the deadbolt was left unlocked. We locked the main door lock (the one on the knob) but didn’t take the extra time to lock the deadbolt. Nobody’s fault, we just never have locked the deadbolt… even after I requested to. These people are pro’s – they know their stuff. Popping a lock probably takes them seconds to do… and trust me, they’ve practiced before. There was minimal damage to any of the doors.

Now I’m left with an uncomfortable feeling inside knowing someone was in my house. They shall be prosecuted. I now have a set of golf clubs next to my bed at night. Better stay the eff away!

Check your bank statement fool!

I’m writing this on part of a personal experience and on part of stumbling across an article about this today. Do know that I’m now one of those that keeps a running balance after this incident. A few weeks ago I flew down to Miami to enjoy a weekend on the beach with a loved one and close friends. We flew on American Airlines and enjoyed a great mini vacation in Miami. When checking in to my flight at O’Hare, they must have had some technical difficulties with their computers when charging me for my bag check. American Airlines had a glitch on my billing statement totaling a $150 charge for what should have been $15. It makes me question how safe we are with the economy the way it is. There have been a lot of layoffs and people are losing their jobs left and right. With this happening the crime rate starts to rise. People get desperate for money so they start to do things to scam people. There’s also a lot of struggle in the airline industry. It wouldn’t surprise me if this extra charge was on purpose. Most probably wouldn’t even catch this mistake – it shows that watching your bank account is well worth it. Make sure the charges are correct, it’s easy for a creditor to easily over charge you. I learned to always keep my receipts. My bank didn’t even fight the dispute – they credited my account right away.

It really makes you wonder how many people don’t realize they are being scammed in this poor economy. Individuals and companies can both easily scam you so be sure check your statements!

Gloomy weather = productive day?

Growing up I used to love gloomy days. I grew up in Eastern Washington where the sun shined almost daily. This changed when I moved to Seattle and spent nearly 3 years there. But like a friend just mentioned (@JessiO) “I love rainy days in the office. Makes me more productive bc I feel like I’m not missing anything.” I find this very true. I’ve realized that I definitely get more done when the weather is crappy. When the sun is shining and it’s gorgeous out, I tend to think off-key. I want to be out and about enjoying the warmer weather. What’s your approach on a gloomy day? Do you get alot done too?

Here’s to a productive Monday!

Welcome to the EX-35 family!

Yes, a big welcome to the family! This wasn’t just by Infinity, but by 2 friends as well. There are now 3 of us total (within our friends group) that have the Infinity EX35. I can’t wait until we are all at the same house one day with all 3 EX’s next to each other. That will be a Kodak moment for sure! At first we debated: “Should we get the same car that 2 of our friends already have?” The questioned haunted us for some time. It more so haunted the “other half”. The thoughts of owning the same car as 2 other friends swarmed through our heads for about 3 weeks. It mostly effected the other half. In fact, I think I’m the reason we ended up purchasing the EX35 anyway. In the long run, it’s what we both wanted. I finally spoke up and said “It’s not a big deal! If 2 of them already have it the 3^rd person isn’t really going to matter”. I was right; we made sure that our friends would be okay with the purchase before we financed the car. They, of course were totally fine with it thankfully.

We ended up getting an amazing deal on the car. We took $12,000 off the sticker price along side of the best package they offer in the EX! I know the car industry is in the dumps, so I figured the deals are definitely out there. The good thing about it is we’re both very good negotiators. BUT finally, “the other half” got the nerve to do this alone and told me stay away for this one and to join my friends for St Patties weekend celebrations. So I did, I mean… who in their right mind enjoys the process of buying a car? It sucks, you’re at the dealership all day, it exhausts you, and you’re SO over it by the time you’re done. This is exactly what car dealerships hope for. They want to exhaust you and take time with the numbers (when they run numbers back in forth with their manager) so that you get tired and wore out. When you get tired you start to care less and you tend to get impatient. Well, this is when they stab you with a sticker price you don’t want but you take because exhaustion has already settled in. Unfortunately, they tried just this – but we ended up standing up (gathered our things and started to to walk off) and refusing the offer and clearly stating that we will only sign if the deal is for what we originally asked for. Stick to your guns people! They are salesman; they tend to trick you into stupid decisions. Be strict, be precise, get what you want from them and get out of there.

Earlier in the car shopping process we had some drama with the Infinity of Chicago. A little over a month ago we signed papers on getting a car shipped to us from California. Well, when the cars arrived in Chicago – they were impounded. Tow trucks were taking the cars directly from the truck and to the tow yard. The police even had the streets blocked off outside the dealership. Obviously this deal turned sour or the dealership was going under! We are lucky the dealership didn’t go bankrupt or we’d be screwed because we already signed the papers. As hard as it was to go back to Infinity (not the downtown store) we did. They really worked with us and treated us with a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t and cleared up all the drama. In the end I believe the black on black car looks a lot better than their dark current color we initially had picked out. Also, we ended up getting a better package in the EX than what we originally signed for. So in the end it was worth it.

Thanks Infinity of Lisle! We are pleased with our new EX35 AWD Journey!

Photos of our new baby

VIA vs. McCafe (Starbucks I’m still loyal)

Honestly kids, friends, family, whoever…this Starbucks VIA isn’t too shabby. Considering the amount of money we pay for a latte, cappuccino, espresso, red eye, or even just drip these days, I think the new VIA is perfect for a great mornings start! At first I was a little skeptical about this product – doubting the taste that a coffee vendor could provide out of a package. I wasn’t sure it would be worth the money at first, especially one that consisted of being “out of a packet” but I had to test it being the loyal Starbucks fan that I am. This happens when you grow up in Seattle. Starbucks is like McDonalds in Chicago. They are on every corner, literally. The first Starbucks I ever visited was the very first one at Pikes Place Market in Seattle. I visited this very first Starbucks as much as I could just to see the old machines at work and see what it took to become such a booming company. It’s beyond belief; everything in the store is still original. Pretty awesome – I recommend it if you’re ever in the Seattle area. Plus, Pikes Place Market it’s pretty stellar.  So yesterday I ending up buying 2 packs of 3 VIA’s (which would be equal to 6 purchased drinks totaling about $24) for $6.04 including tax. I know that Starbucks is somewhat struggling and they are trying to keep up with competitor prices which has been hard for them. It doesn’t help that McDonalds has their “Free Coffee Mondays” and reasonably priced coffee in such an economy facing a serious recession. It’s smart marketing on their part to advertise “Free coffee Mondays” in such a way to get people to come in and sway away from Starbucks. Who would have thought that McDonalds would become such a powerhouse for coffee? They even have a “Beverage Specialists” in each location with a McCafe. They stopped expansion of the McDonalds McCafe due to an economy facing a recession. My bet is they will continue to add them just not as quickly as planned.  The funny thing is – the coffee isn’t half bad and they seem to keep adding more and more to their McCafe menu.  They are on average a dollar cheaper than Starbucks when it comes to ordering a late. This really is sending a bold statement to Starbucks. But I think the fact that they came out with the VIA so quickly and at such a crucial time, it will benefit them. It should really take off and help Starbucks regain the grounds they’ve recently lost. There is so much to compare the 2 companies to though… think about it, the McCafe and the Starbucks “Value Meals”? To me, that seems like they are going after one another. But when will Starbucks come out with a dollar menu? Pastries for a dollar? We could only wish, huh? Let’s not even consider comparing stocks here. That’s a whole different ballgame. After all is said and done, I’m still a loyal Starbucks fan and I always will be. But let’s face it Starbucks… LOWER YOU’RE EFFIN PRICES FOR A CUP OF COFFEE! I now only pay for you on payday!

This leads me to ask one question: Who are you loyal to and why?

Hello media world!

Welcome to the wonderful, exciting, and crazy but fun world of Chase. I have done quite a bit of writing in the past and figured it’s time to share, to get more involved, and most importantly… to have fun with it! Please be understanding that I’m new to this, but my thoughts are very involved. They will of course continue to develop over time. I have some old writing that I’ve done, I will share as time passes by. I also must admit, I’m quite a media junkie so hopefully you’ll get involved with the blogs to come. From fashion trends, cooking, traveling, being social, and of course… all the awesome celebrity gossip! Expect laughts, giggles, and a new way to put a smile to your day.

Until next time…