People of BlogHer '14

It was a great weekend in San Jose! The following are people that I had the pleasure of meeting during the conference, in no particular order. Long, long overdue. My apologies.

Simply Recipes Elise Bauer

Samantha from Airplane Rides and Guacamole Sides Samantha has an amazing story. I won't ruin it for you here but you want to read her. She is inspiring!

Destiny from  Suburban Wife, City Life

Kendra from Simply{Darr}ling.com

Williesha from Nerdy Thirtysomething Life

Lexi from La Primera (How on earth had we not met before? If we have, I don't recall and I'm a jerk but after all of these years being friends online it was great to see you in person! Even if we had to go to Northern California to do it.)

Kimberly from Manifest Yourself

Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama

The Ginger Warrior

Salma from The Write Balance 

Bridget from Saving My Sanity

Sharon from Midlife Boulevard I can't wait to dive in here a little more!

Finally, I had the honor of hearing Libby Kranz speak at the Listen to Your Mother Open Mic night. Her daughter Jennifer recently passed away from a brain tumor and now Libby, and other family and friends are fighting pediatric cancers. Please visit their website Unravel Pediatric Cancer where you can find out about their nonprofit efforts and read more about Libby, Jennifer, and their family on the Love4JLK blog, linked on that page. Beautiful.

Why I Continue Blogging... (part 2)

Nothing like starting a 2 part post and then dropping off the face of the earth. Sorry y'all. If you don't know what I'm talking about you can go and catch up by clicking here.

Connecting the dots to new friends with old connections. Yes, that's where I left off.

Every conference or event that I attend now I get to meet someone new. Sometimes that someone is a friend of a friend, sometimes just a stranger that I sit next to in a session. Occasionally you don't even have to be at an event to meet the people there.

"Huh? She's gone off the deep end with that one." I guess I'll have to explain.

My good friend Carmen was at an event in March and met the women there. During introductions, one of the other attendees mentioned that she lived in the same town as I do. Twitter intros ensued and a few weeks later I have a brand new blogging friend in my very own home town.

Meet Caryn of The Midlife Guru. Turns out that we have a few other mutual friends, were at the Blissdom conference at the same time last year, and have lots and lots in common. Who knew that a frozen yogurt meet-up would last for 1 1/2 hours with promises of other events and more yogurt?

This is what I love about blogging. Our blogs grow and change and bring us face to face with new friends that we would never have met otherwise. That's why I keep at it.

Why I started blogging... (part one)

My story, the one that is specific to me and when I started blogging is under my About tab. I stand by that, but here is the rest of the story....

The part that isn't there is the sense of belonging, the friendships and connections. Earlier in 2007 I had started reading blogs because of an article in a magazine. At the bottom of the page was a web address that changed my life. (And my free time, truth be told.) I visited that blog, and another and another, and I was hooked. Through the summer I started having a longing to join this community of moms that had an online life. But me? I was no writer. But that conference in Chicago? Man, I really wanted to go. 4 days away from my kids and household responsibilities sounded like heaven.

I started gingerly. My early blog posts are painful to read now. I hadn't found my voice, didn't yet know what to say, but I kept at it. And I kept it a secret. I was afraid of failing at making real friends online and having anything worthwhile to say. I didn't have a specialty, a passion, or a niche. But I kept at it. Reading and commenting with my silly blog name hoping to make some friends along the way.

Community is a funny thing. You start by standing on the fringes, smiling and interjecting to seem a part of the crowd, and little by little you're not on the fringes anymore. You're (read: I'm) certainly not in the center but there are so many around you that you can't see the fringes anymore. You've become a part of the group while you weren't even looking.

At my first BlogHer Conference in the summer of 2008, my goals were simple. Learn a little something, and meet (most of) the women that I read regularly. Looking back, I rocked those simple goals. The unexpected icing on the cake however, was that some of those women that I casually wanted to meet have now become some of my closest online and real life friends. It's crazy to think that I have known Carmen, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Michele, Gwendolyn, Casey, and Yvonne (among many, many others,) for seven years. As in life, I'm closer to some than others but seven years? Because I "wanted what they were having" and joined a circle of women writing about their lives online?

It's both simple and so, so complicated.

The making of the friends. That's what this life, online and off, is really all about, isn't it? After all these years that's what blogging was, and still is about. Connecting the dots to new friends with old connections.

To be continued.....

People of BlogHer '11

I've been doing this for a few years now... the following is a list of the people that I met (and exchanged cards with) at BlogHer in San Diego last week. It is by no means exhaustive. There are many people that I spent time with and didn't exchange cards with. Please also check out my lists from 09 and 10 for links to other great blogs and their writers that I've met in past years. If I forgot you here please leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can visit!

Kim from Mommy Knows

Kay from Buck$ome Boomer

Rhea from OhRheally

Kathleen from Life with Boys

Holly from CultureMom

Michelle from Honest and Truly

Melisa from Suburban Scrawl

Lynn at Walking With Scissors

Laura from Adventures in Juggling

Heather from Domestic Extraordinaire

Gwendomama

Lua from Miss Lulu Blogs

Megan from Sunshine Wonderland

Jean from Gluten Free Doctor

Careless Camper (Not what it sounds like!)

Brie from Capital Mom

Just One Miss

Kim from Crazy in Alabama

Karoli from Drums and Whistles

Renee from But Why Mommy

Aimee from Greeblemonkey

A special shout out to my roommates and suitemates: Liz, Christina, Shannon, Elizabeth and Jenn. And, of course, my BlogHer wouldn't have been complete without Carmen. I love you ladies more than you know. Now, can we go meet by the pool now?

What I Learned: Gatorade Moms

This is not a compensated post. I was given some Gatorade products to thank me for my time but no way told what to write. Thank you to the Gatorade team for an informative session and I hope I can pass along the knowledge to my readers.

It's that time of year again. Not only are we getting our kids back to school, we're also getting them back on the field. My son started football 3 weeks ago! Yes, that means practice in dessert-like heat. If you have kids starting sports practices too then this information is for you.

While at the BlogHer conference I was lucky enough to be invited to a special sports' moms session hosted by Gatorade. It was one of my favorite sessions of the conference-I felt like it was written for me and where my kids are in their journey.

Some of the interesting things I learned were:

• During exercise it is better to gulp your water or sports drink vs. taking small sips. The stomach will empty faster, leaving less 'sloshing'. Who knew?
• For athletes that need to lose weight for a weigh in, (Hello, exactly what we're doing right now with my HB#2,) increasing protein and vegetable intake and only reducing carbs, (not eliminating them,) is the best way to go. The carbs supply energy for those intense workouts, and if they are skipped your child can feel light headed, or worse.
• Athletes need protein within 30 minutes of their workout for essential muscle repair and recovery.

Please don't take it from me; I'm no expert. Go to the Gatorade Moms website for recipes, real mom stories, and articles on health and nutrition for young people. While you're there make sure to take the BECOME pledge. Let's all help to make the young people in our lives the best they can be. On the field or off.

PS-I shot some footage for them and will let you know how it turns out later in the fall when they publish it. It was really fun!

Re-Entry

Yeah, yeah, BlogHer, blah blah blah.

I went. I Tweeted. I came home with an insane longing for the internet to move in next door.

Desperately behind since my kids started school about 16 hours from when I pulled in my driveway.

Laundry under way.

Desire for the weather here to be just as nice as it was in San Diego. (Please, oh please, oh please!!)

Got my parents off this morning and taking today to decompress and regroup.

Have so so so much to share with you all. Soon.

XO

Monday, Monday

 I know you all love a list, right? Just go with it, will ya?

• I did end up getting that car. I am insanely in love with it. It is the nicest car I've ever owned and we got a smokin' deal. 
• Making the deal took all week, which means that I'm a week behind on getting all of my stuff done for BlogHer.
• On Saturday I started and finished my Back to School shopping. Granted, the only item that needed to be purchased was skater shoes for HB#1, but still. 
• On Sunday I made a menu and a massive grocery list, then did the shopping for the whole week.
• My To-Do list for Monday includes getting every thing done in the house: bathrooms, laundry, ironing, and hopefully packing.
• (Who am I kidding. The packing will get done on Wed. morning at the last minute.)
• My awesome parents are coming to help with the kids this week because Headless Dad has to work all next weekend, so I feel compelled to do things like wash sheets and scrub bathrooms. (Yes, Mom, I'm doing it anyway.)
• Tuesday is my Whatever-is-left-Day. Please-oh-Please let it be a day that I can have fun with my kids and relax a little. (Yeah right. I'm not holding my breath either. A girl can dream, right?)
• I also have to pack one kid for camp-he'll go and come home while I'm in San Diego. Weird.
• In the midst of all this I still have to get my kids to football and piano and try to stay sane. (Who am I kidding, right? Sanity is not my strong suit.)
• Good News! I lost 3 lbs. last week! The real teller though was the white jeans that I wore for my reunion a few weeks ago. I wore them again last night and by the end of the evening they were almost falling off. Loving that!
• Do you have your tickets yet? I do, and I can't wait.

OK peeps. Wish me luck on my UberBusy Monday!

Buying a Car

Can you believe at 43 I've never done this on my own? It's kinda freaking me out.

As some of you know I'll be a 'shuttle driver' at BlogHer next week. Hopefully you'll be watching for this car:

Unfortunately I can't get as many of you in at a time as I was hoping, but it will have that new car smell, right?

Cross your fingers for me, because otherwise you'll all have to be calling a taxi, while I'm hitch hiking to San Diego...

BlogHer '11-The Essentials

This year will be my fourth BlogHer Conference. I've learned a few things and I'm happy to share!

The Basics:

• Make plans to meet your roommate/best blogging pals before you go in to the ballroom/breakfast area on the first day. It will be jam packed and with 3,000+ attendees you'll never find anyone. Meet first and go in together.
• Alternately, it's totally ok if you go in alone. There will be plenty of other people that are sitting alone or looking for someone to sit with. Introduce yourself, give your elevator pitch, then ask questions. This is a networking conference. Use it. (Honestly. I follow some awesome bloggers that I never would have found if it hadn't been for the previous 3 conferences.)
• If there is someone that you really MUST meet, connect through email or Twitter before you go and make plans to meet. Concrete plans. I have missed the same person all 3 years. No Lie. (I'm looking at you, Pauline.) Don't let this happen to you!
• Take your business cards and exchange them with people. For the love of God, please make sure you give one to me. I cannot remember everyone I meet. I iz getting old. Giving me your card guarantees a blog visit from me in August and a mention on my People of BlogHer post.
• Look over the session schedule before you go. (I've only made this mistake once.) You should have an idea of what you'd like to learn about before you get there. You can, of course, change your mind, but having a basic idea is helpful. Believe me, your head will be swimming with information and knowing a little ahead of time will ease the crazy.
• Don't sit in a session that you're hating. It is NOT considered rude to get up and leave. Since sessions are not repeated you should change sessions if there is another going on at the same time that you're interested in. You paid for your ticket; get the most out of it.
• Take notes. I can't type fast enough to keep up with all of the speakers so I make sure I have an notebook with me. It helps. A lot. It also keeps me focused on the speakers because if I have my computer open I'll often check Twitter or Facebook instead and miss something funny or important.
• Conversely, if there is not a session that you're interested in during a time slot, don't feel obligated to go. Use your time to 'recharge' yourself and your gadgets in your room, chat with friends, get a coffee or glass of wine, visit the Expo Hall, or get outside. The weather in San Diego is beautiful and I'm certain it will be cooler than where you live. Enjoy the sea breeze and fresh air!

What to pack:

• Casual outfits for daytime: capris and tops, or casual dresses are perfect. Like everyone says, be comfortable. 
• Evening changes are optional but can be totally fun. I mean, who has regular occasion to wear these?
  

  

  Sarah's Awesome Skull Heels, BH'10 (Goon Squad Sarah)
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Wear what makes you feel good and confident-whether it's dressy, business-like or casual. There will be plenty of people in all of it, so wear what makes YOU happy. The rest of us honestly don't care. 
• Related: Every year I have packed an outfit for every day and one for every night. I end up only wearing what I put on in the morning because I'd rather visit with people and continue having fun than take the time to go upstairs and change. Lesson: one extra outfit is fine, more than that is TOO MUCH.
• Make sure to pack an extra bag. No, really. You'll get plenty of shopping bags, swag, etc., but what you WON'T get is an extra suitcase to pack it all in. It is cheaper to pay your airline for an extra bag than paying to have it shipped home. Hit the mall, (or ask your friends,) and find a duffel bag that is sturdy enough to check. Pack it flat on the way there, then you can stuff it full of all of the fun stuff that you'll get at the conference!

Things I've found you DON'T need to pack:

• notebook 
• pens/pencils
• water bottle (Often there more than one sponsor company that are handing them out, plus there are refill stations.)
• attitude

Let me know if you're going to San Diego. The best part of the conference is meeting everyone that usually lives in my computer!

A sampling of my previous BlogHer Conference posts:

Why I'm Going to BlogHer (08)
Getting to Know Me, BlogHer 09
(Add Witty Title Here) (10)
People of BlogHer: 2009, 2010

Over There, Over There!

Sending you Over There to find out what this is all about..... I'll give you a hint. It's a long over due post about NYC and the BlogHer conference!

On Traffic, Blogging, Stirring the Pot, Monetization, and Who the Hell am I, Anyway?

One of my lovely and talented roommates at the BlogHer conference has been going through a sort of identity crisis of late. Not a personal one, really, but a blogging one. On Saturday afternoon, sitting in our room before the evening's keynote address we talked about our blogging identities; what we blog for and about. (I wish we'd had more time for that conversation, it could have lasted all weekend.) 

I began blogging almost 3 years ago because I wanted to join this community that I'd been reading. Women, writing about their lives, making friendships that have no physical boundaries, heading to great cities once a year to visit and learn and laugh together. Sounded like just what the doctor ordered for me after sitting in my house for 7 years nursing, changing diapers and driving the carpool.

I've never been much of a writer. Yes, I have an English degree, but if my grades from college are any indication I'm only mediocre. I have forgotten all the rules of grammar, half-learned in a summer class, from a professor who thought I was cute and liked to give me Necco candies, communion-style. I write like I speak, in half-thoughts, fragmented sentences, with too much punctuation added for pauses where sighs and hand gestures would be. My blogging, I suppose, is my coffee date with my readers, only without the cussing thrown in. You'd get that if you were in my kitchen.

Shannon asked, (I'm paraphrasing here,) "What kind of blogger are you? What is your specialty?", and it got me thinking, again. I've tried to answer that question over and over, for a year or more, and all I can come up with is that I'm a "Nice Blogger." Boring. But! I don't like controversy or ugly disagreement. I shy away from conflict even in my real life, so putting it here, on this blog, is not my cup-of-tea, so to speak. There are things that I think I do well, and in my previously professional life I actually taught people to do those things, but it doesn't translate so well on a blog. See: I can carry 4 full water glasses in one hand at a time. Wordless Wednesday, maybe, but not so great for that traffic-getting, pro-blogger, propel-me-onto-the-A-list kind of post, right? See also: I can alphabetize a 16-foot rack of cd's in less time than you could probably even get through a 4 foot section. Great skill when I was doing that job; again, not translatable to blogging.

Headless Dad sometimes will listen to me talk about what I've read on other peoples' blogs. His interests lean heavily toward the political and when I read something that he would agree with, I share. He keeps telling me that I should write about politics; that it would get me lots of traffic. Probably true. But if you read the paragraph above you know that I don't like conflict, and politics, like few other subjects, is polarizing and brings out the trolls. Not light on the conflict, that subject 'politics.' Even he and I don't talk about it much, nor do I typically talk politics with my family or friends. I don't like to stir the pot, really. I know my position on issues, (conservative, if you must know,) but having to defend them in such a public forum, when others do it so much better than I could, makes me afraid that I'd just end up sounding stupid in comparison. Not the image that I want to portray.

Nor do I want to alienate friends that I've made here. Many of my friends, (and yes, they are friends,) completely disagree with me on public policy. Or I disagree with them. Whatever. Do I think I'm right? Of course. Do they think they're right? Certainly. Do I think that my thoughts on any subject would sway anyone? Not on your life. Those kinds of debates raise my blood pressure and push me to say things like, "Who would like a fresh cocktail? Cheese ball? How 'bout those Broncos?" (Which, if you live in Denver, can be a heated subject all on it's own, especially with Tebow in the blue and orange, but I digress...)

No, politics is not my thing. I'm not a working mom that can tell you how to balance all of the things that you have to get done. I don't home school. My kids are not prodigies or have special needs. My marriage is solid but no where near perfect. I'm a terrible Christian. I'm not thin or fat, nor am I an exercise or health food fanatic. My house does not look like a magazine and you can often find dropped food drying under the dining room table waiting to be vacuumed up, some day. I have trouble with our family budget. I have shelves over the bar that desperately need to be dusted, and a bathroom that perennially smells like pee thanks to the little boys that live here. I smoke and drink and cuss, but don't do it around you because I want to be polite. I don't like to rock the boat.

So where does that leave me? The mediocre writer that shies away from conflict, with no other skills or passions to write about, who wants to have a slightly larger readership so I could have a pedicure once a month instead of once a year? (See top of left sidebar for the reference, if you're unsure.) Or, if you want to know the truth? I'd love to be able to pay off the balance of what I spent on going to the BlogHer Conference with the money that I make here. There. I said it. I want to make money on this. And, as a little peek into my ego, I'd love to be a blogger that was sought out, recognized, on someone's list of "Oooh! I'd love to meet her!"

I don't really know where this is going, as a post, or as a direction for this blog. I think I'm capable of lots of things. I 'run' in lots of internet circles, have a diverse group of internet friends, a small but seemingly devoted group of readers. Is it worth alienating some of them (you) for a little traffic? No, absolutely not. Yet, growing this thing, making it bigger and more profitable, at least in dollars and cents, is becoming important to me, and more importantly, important to our family's bottom line.  Just how to do that and stay true to me is the real question, I guess. But who is the true-blogging-Me? What is my draw? Like Shannon said, What kind of blogger am I?

People of BlogHer '10

I did this last year and it was really well received so I thought I'd do it again. These are the NEW people that I met at BlogHer in New York City. Some I've seen around the web before, others I haven't, but go check them out. I enjoyed meeting each and every one of them...it's the #1 reason to go to the BlogHer Conference each year. (Please note: if I met you last year, your link is included in my BlogHer People 09 list. No haters please! See also: if I didn't get your card then you're most likely not here. Leave a comment so your link will be here as well!)

Liz from Everydaygoddess.net

Kristin from OurOrdinaryLife.com

Lynn from walkingwithscissorsblog.com

Caitlin from Mabelslabels.com

Angie from Awholelotofnothing.net

Sugar from SugarJones.tv

Linda from LindaSellers.com

Kizz from TellKizz.com

Molly from No Baby, No Blog

Silver from SilverThinks

Melissa from Stirrup Queens

Cindy from Elephant Soap

Missy and her mom (sorry, I don't remember her name!) from Bitten and Bound

Liz from CoolMomPicks.com

Emily from DesignHERmomma.com

Suzanne from TwentyFourAtHeart.com

Darryle from I Never Signed Up For This

Margaret from Just Margaret

Velma from A Smeddling Kiss (OMG! She has a headless boy of her own! Check it out!

Anne-Marie from This Mama Cooks

Debbie from I Obsess

Gwen from Not Really

Ellen from Love That Max

Vanessa from ChefDruck Musings

Alicia Peiffer from Making Time for Mommy

Suebob from Red Stapler

Kelli from Cafe Kel

MFA Mama

Tricia from Once a Month Mom

Lisa from Mommedy

Robin from Bellaventa

Faiqa from Native Born

Mariana from Ms. Fabulous

Anna from An Inch of Gray (omgomgomg! She's my sorority sister! Squeeeee!)

Jill from The Perlman Update  (omgomgomg, so is she!)

Liz from SayYestoHoboken.com

Julie from Angry Julie Monday

Kelly from Mrs. CPA

Sue from Happy Meals and Happy Hour

Kate from A Big Piece of Cake

And last but not least, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting 2-time WNBA champion Kelly Mazzante. Get information on the Kelly Mazzante Foundation on Facebook!

*Sigh* That was exhausting. It took me 3 days to complete this in between all of the other stuff that I've had going on. Please visit all of these wonderful women-they're all worth the click!

Re-Entry is a Bitch or "Back to Life"

This has been running through my head for the last 4 days, and they won't let me embed, so I guess you have to go click it. Bastards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVtCFolzgeg&feature=av2e

At least I'm getting my exercise dancing around the house.

Oh, I at least got my pics on flickr. Go check 'em out. They're totally not tagged, or titled, or captioned yet. I'll get to that someday.

'Cuz, my family needs to eat, right? Right?

(Add Witty Title Here)

I leave for BlogHer in a few hours. I packed my clothes last night and have to add the last few things this morning. I'm having a dilemma...do I pack my DSLR and the Kodak, or just the Kodak? I'm actually thinking of not even packing my laptop, to tell you the truth.

BlogHer, the third year is so different than BlogHer the first. Then, it was clothes and shoes, Oh My! This year I didn't even shop for it. Honestly, you people never see me anyway so how do you know if I bought a new dress or not? We dug through my closet and found my cutest outfits and cutest shoes, with a couple of back-ups thrown in just in case, and called it a day. (Thanks Mom and Aunt G!)

I'm not bringing a daytime bag for my stuff....I'll either carry my regular carry on or one of the swag bags that we'll get. (Holy cow, we got a lot of bags last year!)

If you're going to, or already at, BlogHer, please come and see me. Introduce yourself, punch me in the arm, something. I'm still in a coma from the weekend's festivities and not sure that I'll recognize you, or be functioning, really. Please know that I'm just tired but would love to meet you. Seriously. And if I seem like I'm not all there, it might be true, but it's me, not you. Really.

The one thing I'm really excited about is the Kodak Bus Tour on Thursday afternoon. Watch for my posts about it over at Reviews and Giveaways. Cool stuff. Let's hope I can stay awake after my all night flight!

Oh, and for a few lucky women at BlogHer, you'll get one of these beauties. It's the return of, in my not so humble opinion, the best swag ever at BlogHer. See you soon!

Really? BlogHer, What?

Party: Complete.
Family: Still in town.
Packing for BlogHer: Not even thought about. Yet.
Kids start school: In one week.
Stuff to do: Infinite.


Freaking out to commence: Now.

BlogHer '10

NYC-HERE I COME!!!!!!!

photo 

Who's in?

Happy Birthday, Carmen!

One of my best blog pals is turning 40 today. Go leave her a comment-hopefully she'll get at least 40. (She's only got 25 so far: GO!)

I love you, friend. There's no one I'd rather get a tattoo with!

Memories of BlogHer '09

Do you look back on events and wonder "What an (a@@, jerk, airhead, choose-your-adjective,) I was!"?

BlogHer is/was a great experience. I would recommend it to anyone. I have loved meeting my blogging idols, my readers, the writers that blow me away with every post. Getting to go to a new city to play with new friends has been great.

Funny thing though. I most vividly remember the awkward moments-yes, regarding myself.

There was the moment that I tried to introduce myself to someone that was in the middle of a circle of old friends and she hardly saw/heard me. (Totally my fault for doing that at that moment.) Seriously, she doesn't remember it at all.

There was the introduction to someone and I ate my size 9 1/2's commenting on her blog name, thinking it was spelled one way, then nanoseconds later I realized it was spelled another way with a totally different meaning. Ugh. Such a jerk.

One night (day? It all runs together,) a big-to-me blogger enthusiastically introduced herself to me. I must have been totally out of it because I think I mumbled something stupid like "oh hi." Um, she is pretty big. She came over to talk to me. In retrospect "OMG!!!!!!! SHE WANTED TO TALK TO ME!!!" but at the time I remember acting all "meh." Totally one of those moments that I want a do-over on. I big-pink-puffy-heart her, and I really hope that my memory is bad and she remembers this incident waaaay different than I do.

I have dozens of stories like these throughout my life. Remind me and some day I'll share my dating blunders with you. For some reason being at BlogHer amplifies my awkwardness.

Why do we remember things differently than they happen? I mean, I hope that I remember these things differently than others do, but I don't think so.

Better late than never...

My BlogHer 09 set on Flickr. (Why, yes, I am a Flickr idiot and created two sets. With overlaping pictures! Double your pleasure, double your fun, I say.) Where you'll see more like this:

My love, the divine Miss Amy.

Hey!

Wanna see me quoted AND win $100 gas card? Head on over to BlogHer to see how to win!

What are you waiting for? GO!