Local Hems Online Boutiques Offering Free Shipping for the Holidays

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) November 22, 2011

Local Hem, the online boutique shopping platform, is giving online shoppers yet another reason to support small businesses this holiday season: free shipping. Local Hems online boutiques offer something for every taste and budget from designers like Elizabeth and James, EMU Australia, Freebird by Steven, 80%20, Prairie Underground, Plenty By Tracy Reese, Three Dots and more.

Launched in September 2011, Local Hem aggregates the online storefronts of a carefully selected collection of brick-and-mortar womens boutiques. Each boutique chosen to join Local Hem offers exceptional customer service, and a high quality, hard-to-find selection of merchandise. Founder and CEO, Colleen King, noted, By carefully selecting which boutiques we present on Local Hem, we are able to demonstrate to shoppers worldwide that it can be just as convenient and pleasurable to support small boutiques as it to shop chain retailers. Our boutique owners put tremendous care into offering above-and-beyond service and Local Hem shoppers pick up on that in each step of the buying process.

In the spirit of the holiday season, every Local Hem online boutique is offering a free shipping deal, with many of the boutiques offering complimentary gift-wrap as well. Local Hems newest arrivals include faux fur vests and coats by Rachel Zoe, lace shrugs and cashmere sweaters by Velvet by Graham and Spencer, Splendid knit dresses and tops, Three Dots party dresses and Lisa B. wool tights. Local Hem is celebrating their first holiday season with a sweepstakes for a $ 100 Local Hem gift card, which can be used at any of their online boutiques. The contest will run through November 30, 2011; details can be found on the Local Hem Facebook Fan Page.

ABOUT LOCAL HEM

Local Hem is an online boutique shopping platform allowing visitors from anywhere in the world to shop a selection of the best independent, local boutiques online. Visitors to the site can discover and shop boutiques by location, category, designer or specific trends. Each online boutique is handpicked for Local Hem based on its commitment to offering unique, high-quality merchandise and customer service, resulting in a carefully curated selection of the best local boutiques.

For more on Local Hem, visit their Facebook Fan Page or follow them on Twitter @localhem.

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Christian Movie Connect Takes 2011 Gideon Online

Monroe, LA (PRWEB) August 03, 2011

Christian Movie Connect (CMC), the newest Christian video podcast in online Tinseltown hosted by film producer and media personality Cheryl Ariaz Wicker, will be at the forefront in providing week-long coverage of the events at the much-anticipated Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival, taking place Aug. 6-11, 2011, in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. CMC, now live online at ChristianMovieConnect.com and on iTunes, will feature interviews with the actors, screenwriters, and filmmakers participating in this years event. The CMC coverage of Gideon will include daily podcasts and blogs of the previous days activities beginning on Aug. 7 and running through Aug. 12.

Interviews for the week will include The Grace Card star and comedian Michael Joiner; writer, producer and creative media professional Brian Bird, who is a 25-year veteran of the Hollywood film and television business; Gideon festival directors Rodney and Lori Marett; award-winning filmmaker, music artist and songwriter Dave Moody, who is also the producer of the upcoming Season of Miracles; and Broadway, film and TV veteran, Clarence Felder, who stars in "All for Liberty" with his director/writer/co-star, wife, Chris Weatherhead.

Gideon provides an opportunity for attendees to gain knowledge and inspiration from workshops in all aspects of Christian media, view the newest Christian movies in the festival, and network with other media professionals.

On the film side of the conference, workshops topics ranging from film budgeting and video production, to visual effects and marketing. The faculty of Gideon lecturers are experts in the entertainment and multi-media industries, among which include Hollywood cinematographer Arledge Armenaki, who will be filming the CMC podcasts and taking viewers behind the scenes of this action-packed week, and Cheryl Ariaz Wicker, who will be introducing viewers to Gideon personalities in one-on-one interviews. Among the inspiring faith-based films to be shown are Cutback, Pitching Hope, Courage, New Hampshire, Jamaa, Decision, The Lamp, The Shunning, Beware of Christians, The Grace Card, All for Liberty, Pendulum Swings, and My Finish Line.

CMCs producer and host is film producer Cheryl Wicker, known for Flag of My Father, with John Schneider, GiGi Erneta and William Devane. She is also a celebrity interviewer, having interviewed the top names in Christian entertainment over the past 10 years including award-winning recording artists, best selling authors, national speakers, filmmakers and Hollywood actors. It is my desire to support faith-based, family friendly and values based entertainment in all forms, says Wicker. Media is a powerful force. Christian Movie Connect is a way to get the word out about movies that matter and help them make the maximum impact on the culture.

Those who tune in to the podcast this week will be treated to one-on-one interviews in addition to man-on-the-street interviews that will allow viewers to catch a glimpse of the action at the Gideon Film Festival. For more about the 2011 Gideon, visit gideonfilmfestival.com. To view the daily video podcasts and catch the daily blogs from Gideon or for the regular weekly podcasts following Gideon, go to http://www.christianmovieconnect.com or locate CMC on iTunes.

About Cheryl Ariaz Wicker:

Cheryl Ariaz Wicker is a multi-faceted media professional of 12 yearsan award winning producer, media personality and publicity expert. She most recently produced the film Flag of My Father, starring John Schneider, Gigi Erneta, and William Devane. The film which garnered the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 2011 GI Film Festival has also aired on TBN. Her film and television career includes credits in a variety of roles in programming for CBS, ESPN, BET, PAX, and Disney.

She is also the producer and host of Christian Movie Connect, a broadcast quality video podcast featuring interviews with top Christian filmmakers, actors and industry professionals. When she is not producing, Wicker runs a Christian entertainment marketing company, Premier1 Studios, which specializes in branding, publicity and social media. As a true advocate of positive, values-based entertainment, Cheryl also writes for Examiner.com as the National Christian Movies Examiner and blogs about the industry on ChristianMovieConnect.com.

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Boulder Tech Startup BlogFrog Powers Online Community for Abc News and United Nations Foundations Million Moms Challenge Campaign

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 19, 2011

Today BlogFrog is joining ABC News and the United Nations Foundation to help launch the Million Moms Challenge. This first-of-its kind initiative will connect millions of Americans with millions of moms in developing countries around the world to engage on the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children's health -- moms here helping moms worldwide.

The Million Moms Challenge provides a vibrant community that connects moms across the globe by using the latest social media strategies together with world-class broadcast and digital news platforms to shine a light on the extraordinary challenges faced by mothers and babies in the developing world. The community will also feature personal stories of motherhood from over 900 mom bloggers participating in the movement.

Stories based on compelling characters and innovative solutions will be featured on ABC News broadcasts including Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline, and 20/20, as well as other ABC News platforms including ABCNews.com and ABC News Radio. The initiative will lead up to a one-hour prime time special on maternal health anchored by Diane Sawyer on December 16, 2011.

There is so much we can do together so many simple ways for us all to link arms to make sure every mother and child has a chance to lead a healthy life, said ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.

The Million Moms Challenge will focus on things mothers care about: the right nutrition to support their pregnancies, skilled attendants to assist in safe deliveries of newborns, and vaccines that allow children to survive to celebrate their first birthdays and beyond.

As part of the initiative a dedicated website (http://www.millionmomschallenge.com) will provide a live, interactive forum for some of the nations top mom bloggers to share their stories and ideas through blogs and video posts in real time with moms and midwives in the developing world. Viewers who want to know more and get involved will find ways large and small to make a difference in their own communities and around the world. The Million Moms Challenge wants a million Americans to join the movement by signing up on the Challenges website and /or on Facebook.

As the largest network of mom blogs on the web, we are honored to power the Million Moms Challenge community and enable women from across the globe to connect, share and learn about safe childbirth and childrens health, said Rustin Banks, co-founder and chief executive of BlogFrog. "The Million Moms Challenge campaign demonstrates the power and influence that is created when like-minded people engage in conversations about passionate topics that matter."

You dont have to be a mom to help a mom, said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. A healthier tomorrow for our world starts with healthy moms and babies today. The Million Moms Challenge gives us the chance to make history by sharing stories, ideas and sparking a global conversation that will help the United Nations build a global partnership for healthy lives, she added.

In addition to BlogFrog, the Million Moms Challenge partners include African Medical and Research Foundation, CARE, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAVI Alliance, mothers2mothers, ONE Campaign, Partners in Health, Riders for Health, Save the Children, UN Foundations Shot@Life campaign, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, White Ribbon Alliance, and WorldVision.

The Million Moms Challenge is a joint effort of ABC News and the UN Foundation, in conjunction with corporate partners Johnson & Johnson and BabyCenter. BabyCenter will encourage its 10 million moms in the US and 14 million moms overseas to join the Million Moms Challenge. For the first 100,000 people who sign on to the Million Moms Challenge, Johnson & Johnson will donate $ 100,000 to some of the biggest NGO partners helping moms and babies overseas.

The Million Moms Challenge is part of an ABC News year-long global health series Be the Change: Save a Life, which is sponsored in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For more information about the Million Moms Challenge visit http://www.millionmomschallenge.com. To get involved in the conversation about healthy moms and babies around the world, follow @AMillionMoms on Twitter and use the hash-tag #AMillionMoms. You can also like Million Moms on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/millionmomschallenge.

For more information:

BlogFrog contact: Courtney Walsh / courtney(at)theblogfrog(dot)com / 303.875.9007

ABC News contact: David Ford / david.ford(at)abc(dot)com / 212.456.7243

U.N. Foundation contact: Eric Porterfield /eporterfield(at)unfoundation(dot)org / 646.637.6438

About BlogFrog

BlogFrog is an online community platform used by bloggers and brands to enable readers to interact with each other, engage in like-minded discussions, and share rich media content. The companys community and sponsored conversation technology platforms help brand marketers build relationships and trust among women and mom consumers online. BlogFrog is a private company headquartered in Boulder, Colo. Visit http://theblogfrog.com or follow @theblogfrog.

About ABC News

ABC News is responsible for all of the ABC Television Networks news programming on a variety of platforms: television, radio and the Internet. Its flagship program is World News with Diane Sawyer with other programs including Good Morning America, Nightline, Primetime, 20/20, and the Sunday morning political affairs program This Week with ChristianeAmanpour. With an average television and radio audience of 180 million people in a given month, ABC News surpasses the competition. More than 2,400 affiliate stations broadcast ABC News Radios global news coverage. In addition, ABC News NOW is a 24-hour news and information network currently available to 44 million users across cable, broadband, and mobile platforms. NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, provides live and packaged news, sports, and weather reports, as well as footage of news events, to 200 ABC affiliates and more than 30 domestic and international clients. Visit http://www.abcnews.com.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turners historic $ 1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public/private partnerships to address the worlds most pressing problems, and works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through campaigns and partnerships, the organization connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Visit http://www.unfoundation.org.

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