Envision Your Reign

Parades and pageantry go hand in hand. They're a great way to show pride in your local communities, promote your title, have fun during your reign. Parade participation creates memories that last a lifetime. Here are some tips on how to make this occasion festive and fun.    1. Secure your participation as soon as possible.   Contact the event organizer or the city if the parade is sponsored by the city or town. Complete the parade entry form or application. Pay the parade entry fee (if applicable).    2. Secure a vehicle . Whether you have your own pick-up truck, convertible or float, you'll want to have some type of transportation. If you don't, contact a local car dealership to requests sponsorship (use of their vehicle). Paying the entry fee in advance and allowing the dealership to advertise with their banner will be a plus for them. The advertising will be a tax deductible expense.     3. Get a car magnet. Contact a local sig...

1. She's too young... If she's not achieving those big state or national titles, she could very well be performing at her very personal best, but may be "out-performed" by older girls in her division. There's a huge developmental gap between age 4 and age 7, yet, pageants may have them competing in the same age division, which puts older girls at a huge advantage. Girls may peak at different stages, or ebb and flow into their sweet spots.  Age can be a major factor throughout her pageant journey. 2. Low Self Esteem.. .Older contestants will tend to have a variety of personal issues ignited by puberty, society's unrealistic standards of beauty, or personal hardships. It takes a super confident contestant to fight through these challenges to win. Ishta showing a confident smile before her competition 3. Too focused on "winning"... because when she doesn't win, her self confidence plummets, sending her through a downward spiral of...

1. "Hi, my name is...." You can bet money that at least 30 other contestants will say the same exact phrase. Don't do it. 2. "In my spare time, I like to..." There are a million other ways to convey your hobbies without saying explicitely "In my spare time, I like to...". Be creative! 3. "When I'm not....you can find me...." It's so overused, I'm sick of taking about it. 4. "Once again..." Really? They just heared it 15 seconds ago. Don't waste your seconds by repeating information. Use them to take your intro to the next level...a memorable one. 5. "Thank you, have a nice day." Another time-waster. A sincere smile will convey gratitude. It's all in the delivery, not just the words. Leave that out of your speech. Read Don't Make Theses Mistakes During Personal Introduction and How to Write a KNOCKOUT Personal Introduction Speech  for more tips on how to make your speech S...

I could spend the next year counting the number of times I've heard a speech that sounded like, " Hi, my name is Mary Lou Smith and my favorite color is blue. When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian. Once again my name is Mary Lou Smith. Have a great day." The key to writing a knockout personal introduction speech is that you have to be original; you have to be creative, you have to be innovative and tap into the contestant's personal strengths that make her unique. An awesome intro will have nuances of imagery sprinkled with figurative language that grabs the audience and judges' attention, makes them laugh and think-- Hmmmm, this is a truly interesting person-- and it draws them in, engaging them to listen through the entirety of the speech. A knockout personal introduction will be so powerful that when the contestant leaves the stage, the judge can still remember exactly what she said. A personal introduction speech that...

Alyssa as 2014 Miss Massachusetts Princess - Photo Credit Carl Evans Photography As pageant moms, we may tend to get a little over-zealous during the craziness of pageant week or during the weeks leading up to it. One thing to remember and instill in your daughter is that it is not about the crown. Its about being the best possible version of yourself, setting goals and working to achieve them, and making life-long memories. Then, if you happen to get a sparking crown in the process, it's like icing on the cake! Ella Cox during her Casual Wear Routine Envision your reign

Hannahlaura S. Photo by Steve Drury 1. Budget . You want to be able to fund the pageant journey without going broke. The sure-fire way to start off right is to make a budget. State pageant expenses including entry fee, wardrobe, and lodging could range from $1,500-$2,000 depending on how many optional contests you enter and how well you're able to keep wardrobe costs down. Don't forget to add the cost of photos and coaching if you need it! National pageants- including entry fees, airfare, lodging and expenses can range from $3,000-$5,500. To help manage your money, open a separate savings account for all your pageant-ing expenses and decide which fundraisers or jobs you'd need to do to make it work. Jordyn at her national pageant! 2. Plan Ahead . Make a calendar of all the pageants, events, camps and vacations you want to do this year (so you won't have any conflicts). A very wise thing to do is to plan to attend your out of state or national pageants eve...

The natural pageant world is going through a transition, a shift, if you will, on style. What's  "in" what's not, what's appropriate, what's over the top. For about three years or so, we've seen a shift in interview wear from two-piece suits, to dresses in all age divisions. So, the question is: Should my daughter wear a suit or a dress for her next pageant? At one point, two-piece suits were all the rage from Jennifer Roberts knits to custom made shantung silks to off the rack Kaspers. The problem with that, however, is that they are either super expensive, or impossible to find, which forced people to go custom made (which can also be expensive and risky). Today, you'll find many contestants placing and winning in the less expensive alternative with off-the-rack options from Dillard's to Nordstrom. You have to be cautions though, because there are so many options when purchasing off the rack, you can end up buying somethi...

When I had my first pageant mom experience, I was green to everything. Even though I had what I thought to be massive amounts of 'pageant-ing' researching under my belt, it didn't prepare me enough for some of the things I encountered once we got there. Looking back at some of those old photos, I chuckle because I would NEVER choose any of the hair, make-up and wardrobe selections we went with at that first pageant in a million years. I will admit, my daughter looked a hot mess. The irony of this is, that we'd spend so many endless hours toiling over what to wear, hair, make-up, shoes, etc., that we neglected the most important part of the competition all together: interview. It's been said that the competition is won in the interview room. I believe this wholeheartedly! From experience, once interview becomes the main focus of your pageant prep, that's when you begin to see higher scores and higher placements. Here are my tips on things to keep in mind wh...