FLOTUS Heads to NYC to Discuss Her New Book

First Lady Michelle Obama heads to New York next week to discuss her new book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America. The book is set to be released on May 29th. According to the White House Press Office, FLOTUS did not receive an advance for the book and all author proceeds will go to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks.  

More from the White House Press Office...

First Lady Michelle Obama will discuss her upcoming book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The book offers a look at the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden and shares inspiring stories of Americans from across the country who are actively engaged in community, school, and urban gardens.

Mrs. Obama accepted no advance for American Grown and all author proceeds will go to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks.  Funds will be used for programs that promote gardening and healthy eating and give young people the opportunity to experience the outdoors and lead more active lives, as well as for the continued care of the White House Kitchen Garden.  Random House will also donate a portion of its profits to the National Park Foundation.

In New York, Mrs. Obama will be interviewed about American Grown on Good Morning America, The View and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Tuesday, and on LIVE! with Kelly on Wednesday, with this latter interview scheduled to air on a later date.

VIDEO: FLOTUS Welcomes Kids to a Let's Move! Event with LA Galaxy

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

FLOTUS & Dr Jill @ a Joining Forces service event with Congressional spouses to assemble Mother's Day packages that deployed troops have requested to be sent to their mothers and wives @ home

MOW would like to wish everyone a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

FLOTUS to VA Tech Grads: "People can only define you if you let them."

First Lady to VA Tech: Keep Hokie Pride With You by associatedpress

Livestream of FLOTUS' Virginia Tech Commencement Speech Today @ Noon ET

According to WDBJ7.com...

"WDBJ7 will live stream First Lady Michelle Obama's commencement speech Friday at Virginia Tech.

The commencement ceremony is scheduled to start at noon Friday. It is being held in Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) will also speak at the graduation. He served as Virginia's governor from 2002 to 2006.

More than 5,000 graduates will be honored at the ceremony in Blacksburg."

Click here at noon ET to view livestream.

VIDEO: Joining Forces Honors Military Moms

VIDEO: FLOTUS @ the Ready to Go Rally

Livestream: FLOTUS in Ohio for First Big Campaign Rally

FLOTUS & the President arrive in Ohio for first big campaign rally of 2012. Watch the live stream here http://my.barackobama.com/Watch-Live.

Blogging While Brown, Let’s Move! & Black Girls Run

The 5^th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference will take place June 1-2, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. The conference brings together Black bloggers, social media entrepreneurs and online activists to educate, inspire and expand their influence in social media and technology. Along with panel discussions, keynotes and networking opportunities this 2 day event also includes blogger training workshops. As the Executive Director I am so pleased that this year’s conference has expanded to include 2 full days of programming and features a Business of Blogging workshop and symposium.

Blogging While Brown speaker Ashley Hicks, co-founder of Black Girls Run was a featured panelist on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry show on Saturday. Ashley along with ESPN columnist Jemele Hill and author Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, discussed the impact of Title IX on women athletes.

The panel discussed First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative and how it’s not only important that we encourage our children to get out and play but that we all engage in some kind of physical activity to stay healthy.

I’ve followed Black Girls Run for about 2 years and I was excited about their participation in Blogging While Brown. Perhaps this will be the motivation that I need to get up off my duff and start running again. It’s been years since I’ve laced up my New Balance and hit the track. Not to mention that the Black Girls Run Group here in Chicago meets within walking, or should I say running distance of my home.

This post is my personal invitation to MOWatchers to attend Blogging While Brown 2012 and to join the Black Girls Run Group or any organization near you that promotes physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Let’s participate in our own Let’s Move! and make it a family affair.

You can meet Ashley and her partner Toni Carey at Blogging While Brown when they present "Blogging without Bounds: Taking Your Blog Offline into Local Communities." This thought provoking presentation will discuss what to consider when implementing an offline component to your blog, how to integrate a grassroots movement into your blog, how do you gain buy-in from existing readers, how to create blog loyalist and how do you further extend your blog brand offline.

To learn more about Ashley, Toni and other Blogging While Brown 2012 presenters check out our Speakers page. To learn more about Black Girls Run visit their website and follow them on Twitter @blackgirlsrun

All MOW readers can receive 15% Blogging While Brown registration by using the promo code MOW. Don’t know how to blog? We’ll show you how at our Beginning Blogger Bootcamp.  Don’t miss out on one of the biggest social media weekends of 2012. Register today!

Check out the video of Ashley Hicks on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show. I’m loving FLOTUS working it out on the Biggest Loser.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Flashback Friday: Be Not Afraid

This is my favorite 2008 campaign speech from Michelle Obama, before she became First Lady.