Merry Christmas!

Best Christmas EVER!!!

I skated with kids, wrapped gifts to raise funds for Habitat, and spent time visiting some elderly ladies in a nursing home and shared in the joy of Christmas.

Thank you to all of the volunteers at the Laura Sims Skatehouse, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, and Little Brother Friends of the Elderly for inviting me to share the holiday with you. Thanks to Kate Hertzog, Manager of Civic Engagement at the United Way for all of the referrals. Finally, thanks to my kind and patient husband for driving me around and sharing this Christmas journey with me!

Christmas Volunteer-a-thon

First, I want to wish all of the Christmas celebraters out there a very Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas, I turned to my good friend, Kate Hertzog, Manager of Civic Engagement at the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, for some ideas on how I could use my title to give back to the community this year, specifically on Christmas Eve and Day.

In just a few minutes, I'll be heading to the Laura Sims Skatehouse in West Philadelphia to ice skate with over 200 kids and hand out Christmas stockings. Here's a link to the article in the University City Review newspaper. Then, it's on to the Neshaminy Mall, where I'll wrap gifts to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County. (Incidentally, I led a volunteer group years ago that did construction work on Habitat's Cherry Street project in Norristown. It's great to have an opportunity to reconnect with this organization.) Tomorrow morning, I'll spend a few hours visiting residents of Tucker House Nursing Home in North Philadelphia, as a volunteer for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly.

Have a wonderful, safe, and Merry Christmas!

What's Wrong With World Peace?

One of the best aspects of pageantry is the friendships that you form, and I'd like to introduce you to one of my pageant friends, the brilliant and successful Ronica Licciardello. She has begun Pageant Consulting as one of the many services she offers at Ronica Communications. Her many years of competition coupled with an Ivy League education have given her great insight into what it takes to be the best and how to achieve that goal.

For those of you striving for pageant perfection, visit Ronica's new website What's Wrong With World Peace and make sure to sign up for the free email Newsletter, which is full of great tips, discussions and interviews. Ronica interviewed me for an upcoming edition and I really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on my year, thus far, as Mrs. PA US and my love of pageantry.