Friday, November 9

4:00pm – Chevy Road Trippers Reception
Teams of moms have signed up to drive to Savannah in new, clean smelling, fully loaded Chevrolets. The teams will gather in the Manic Mommies suite for a special champagne welcome with Erin & Kristin and representatives from Chevrolet.

5:30-6:30pm – Registration open
Let the fun begin!

6:30-9:00pm – Welcome Reception
Join us for cocktails, light dinner and a special welcome from the Manic Mommies.

9:00pm to whenever – Fun on your own
Grab a gal pal and get set to explore Savannah at night!

Saturday, November 10

7:30am – 5K Walk/Run Sponsored by Brooks Running – Meet in Lobby
Whether you walk or run, start the day off on the right foot and join us for our first 5K.

8-9:30am – Continental Breakfast open — Harbor Ballroom
Grab breakfast with others or take something back to your room while you freshen up.

9:30am – Savannah Trolley Tour–Meet in in Lobby
(90-minutes)

“Enjoy a fully narrated sightseeing tour of one of the largest National Urban Historic Landmarked Districts in the United States. As you journey through our Historic District, you will ride along cobblestone paved streets beneath moss-draped oaks and experience the “Old South” with her stately mansions, beautiful squares, romantic riverfront and abundance of artifacts.”

Trolleys will pick up at 9:30am and return us to the hotel at 11:00am. Get a 90-minute overview of this historic city and make some new friends along the way!

11:00am –  Chevy Joy Rides – Grab the keys and go!

Meet in driveway out front

Take a spin in a new Chevrolet. 

11:45am – Lunch and Live Podcast recording with Erin & Kristin–Harbor Ballroom

1:00pm – Chevy Joy Rides continue all afternoon. Meet outside, front driveway.
3:30 – 5:30pm
Mom U. Sessions/Afternoon Refreshment Break

Breakout #1

4-4:30pm; 5-5:30pm

“Car Care for Moms”
by Beth Grotz of General Motors

Outside, front driveway

Knowledge is power, and when you’re getting your vehicle serviced, a little goes a long way. At this car care seminar, you’ll learn about regular maintenance, some do-it-yourself tips, how to talk to your technician like a pro and recognizing problems before it’s too late, all in a relaxed, confidence-boosting environment. This was one of our most popular sessions last year! Don’t miss your chance to look under the hood in this no-pressure environment.

Beth Grotz is General Director of Customer Care for General Motors and has been a frequent guest on Manic Mommies.

Breakout #2

3:30-4:30pm Grand Ballroom F

“Raising a Compassionate child: Easy Ways to Help Your Kids Develop Compassion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Respect”
by Heather Jack

Many people believe that our children are more self-centered, more disrespectful of authority, and more depressed than ever before.  In addition, well-documented reports confirm that youth are more preoccupied with money and fame than previous generations.  There is growing concern that overconfidence, materialism, and a lack of compassion for others is becoming an epidemic. However, the attitudinal shifts among our youth are neither inevitable nor irreversible.  By working with our children to develop their individual sense of compassion and responsibility, we can reconnect them to their friends, neighbors, and the larger community.  This session will explore the easy ways that we can help to develop our children’s natural tendencies towards empathy, kindness, and respect towards others.

Heather Jack founded The Volunteer Family in 2003, a nonprofit organization that helps families, especially families with children, find opportunities that they can do together. The Volunteer Family became a national organization which enabled over 20,000 volunteers to choose from among 30,000 opportunities in their own neighborhoods.

Breakout #3

4:30-5:30pm Grand Ballroom E

“Let’s Make A Deal: Negotiations in the Workplace”
by Shannon Levesque

John F. Kennedy once said, “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” And yet for many women, negotiating in the workplace—whether for a better job, more flexibility or more pay—is incredibly difficult, resulting in job dissatisfaction, resentment and even, hurt feelings. In this session you’ll learn how to get in the job hunt and sell yourself, how to stay true to your objectives, prioritizing what matters and how to compromise to get what you want.

Shannon Levesque is an associate vice president of strategic recruiting at a large financial services firm in Massachusetts. A Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) with an MBA degree, Shannon is experienced in the areas of employee recruitment and operations, organizational development, employee relations, benefits administration and compensation. An adjunct faculty member, she teaches Human Resource Management courses to undergraduates.

Breakout #4

4:30-5:30pm Grand Ballroom D

“All Children are Special”
by Dr. Robin DesRochers

Little Johnny seems so shy! Why does Sally write her letters backwards now? Benjamin won’t play nicely with the other children. Rachel can’t write her name……All parents want the best educational experiences for their children. All children are different with regard to personality, temperament, motor skills, communication skills, social abilities and academic strengths and weaknesses. So, how do you know if your child needs special services to reach his or her full potential? Dr. DesRochers discusses “red flags”, intervention services, and the process of determining whether or not your child needs/is eligible for special services to thrive educationally.

Dr. Robin DesRochers, B.S, M.Ed, Ed.D (Education and Child Psychology) has been a guest on Manic Mommies and has helped both Erin & Kristin obtain support services at school for their boys. In addition to running a licensed day care center and preschool, Robin teaches psychology at the college level and works as a private advocate for families, assessing academic readiness of children and navigating the complex process of negotiating and securing special education services under the rights provided by law.

6:30-7:30pm – Cocktail Reception– Harbor Lawn
Join us for a special 40th birthday toast to Kristin!

7:30pm – Dinner on your own 
Party on the town or turn in early. It’s your Escape!

Sunday, November 11

8:30-9:30am – Morning Yoga with Jennifer Hess–Grand Ballroom E

10:30am – Brunch and Keynote, “Recalculating” with Donna Adamo–Harbor Ballroom

Donna Adamo

Creating yourself takes courage and energy! You’ve got it inside you. You know it’s there. Maybe you just don’t know how to get where you want to go. Donna Adamo takes us along on the wild ride of her own journey–from raising children as a single mom, to sneaking off to college, before ‘falling’ into her job as a television news anchor. During the economic downturn in 2009, Donna lost the job she loved, forcing her to recreate–and recalculate–once again. Donna shares her humorous, yet inspiring story of losing it all and finding it again…and the three most important ingredients to success.

Noon – ESCAPE 2012 ENDS

Enjoy the rest of the day in Savannah or take one of the Chevrolet courtesy rides back to the airport.