Ode to BlogHer '09

So my friend Greg over at Telling Dad, unfortunately wasn't at BlogHer '09 but of course heard all the buzz and couldn't control himself from singing the events. He is one of the only dads on the MomDot forum and we truly *heart* him over there.

Here is your warning: go pee right now, even if you don't think you have to. Grab a kleenex to wipe your tears from laughing so hard.

Oh, and the cleavage sugar packets line....totally about me! Kim managed to flick a packet of sugar into my cleavage. So thanks for the shout out Greg!!

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BlogHer 09- Would I do it Again?

I'm not so sure. Not to say that I didn't have an incredible time meeting with some of my favorite bloggers and the connections I made but the conference itself? Not my thing. I didn't attend any classes but only because I didn't want to. I personally don't think I need some self-proclaimed blogging guru to tell me how to blog. I blog for me. And I blog the way I want to blog. Besides I belong to an extremely helpful community already, so anything I need to know, I ask them.

It was pretty sad to see women tackling each other like football players over swag. Seriously? I know the economy is bad but reality people! The invite only parties were in my opinion, obnoxious. And not just because I didn't get invited to any but thats not a great way to network with new bloggers. The cocktail parties that I did attend were not all that great. Way too many people. People were cliquey and not interested in connecting with new people. So basically if you didn't know them before BlogHer, you probably wouldn't know them after. I can count on one hand how many bloggers I met that I didn't know online before.

I really only went to meet all the girls that i've been friends with online in real life. I walked away with some great friendships that will last a long time. It was awesome meeting everyone in real life and just hanging out like old friends. I had a great time touring the city of Chicago with my girls. Chicago is a beautiful city.

Oh, and I met my long lost twin...Kadi from Womb at the Innsane. Yes, we were separated at birth:

And of course, when there are large groups of women together for a few days you can always count on drama, fights, drunks, and nudity. Did you think stuff like that wouldn't happen when there are 1200+ women together??

So, would I do it again? Probably not. For the amount of money I spent while there and to get there, I'm not sure BlogHer was all that worth it. I would much rather do a Momdot meetup and just spend more time building the relationships i have already made. It would be less expensive, no stupid boring classes and it would be more intimate. Which makes it much more meaningful.

Well those are my thoughts for now on this past weekend. And i'm sure once i've had more time to process everything i'll have more to say.

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BlogHer Video Fashion Show

I've decided to show off my BlogHer dresses to you all in a little different way. What better than a video fashion show!! I'm so excited for BlogHer next week and I absolutely LOVE my dresses! Enjoy!

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Let the Countdown Begin

What countdown?

BlogHer that is.

I know you are probably going to be reading posts about BlogHer until your eyes bleed and I'd like to say I promise not to over indulge you all with it......but I am just so frickin excited!!

It is now four weeks away and seriously I couldn't be more excited. I almost hope the next few weeks drag so that I can enjoy the anticipation of it all. This will be my first blogging conference and the first time I will meet any other bloggers. I am so looking forward to meeting in person some of the amazing writers I have gotten to know and love through their blog. And I'm looking forward to finding some new reads.

I have been excitedly trying to figure out what to wear. I've never been before so I really have no idea what to expect. I've been shopping with BlogHer in mind and have bought a couple really cute dresses. I'm bringing two suitcases, and no not for all my shoes. But to bring home all the swag i'll get. See, I am smart ;) . I just ordered my business cards the other day too. I'm gonna have business cards?!!

Ok, so if you've been reading my blog for a while and read my post from when I traveled to Philly , Washington, D.C. , and Vegas then you would know that it's the little things that excite me. I have done more traveling this year than I have in the past 10! And thats not that much. This will be the 2nd time out of the Eastern time zone...ever, and this year! Obviously, i've never been to Chicago so I really want to get a chance to venture out and see some of the city. I'm so touristy like that.

Okay, thats all for now. Sorry this was so scattered but that's how I get when I'm all pumped up!

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Glitterful Felt Stories BlogHer '09 Scholarship

Glitterful Felt Stories loves bloggers and have decided to host a BlogHer '09 $100 scholarship! One lucky blogger will win $100 cash to take with her to BlogHer '09. Since I recently got a ticket to BlogHer, I am in desperate need of scholarships! I'm a little behind the eight ball because of getting a ticket so late. With this scholarship I could pay for the Momdot blogger dinner that I plan on attending, or I could put it towards my hotel room or even airfare. So many things I need this money for.


At Glitterful Felt Stories you can find felt stories based on books, numbers and math felt sets, glove puppet with felt sets, and fingerplays & songs. I know first hand how hard it is to get kids interested in literacy and I personally love the idea behind this product. Promoting literacy in a fun, educational, and interactive way always get's an A plus in my book.

Want to know about Glitterful Felt Stories!

Shelby Barone is the founder and owner of Glitterful Felt Stories. She has an amazing passion for literacy in young children. She was a preschool teacher for over ten years, and has her degree in Early Childhood Education. During her time teaching her passion for literacy began. She was able to see how much young children can benefit from reading and the use of felt stories. She has been creating and donating them to local schools, teachers, churches, libraries and charities since 1995. It was not until the past couple of years that she started to sell her felt stories to help with the cost of her youngest son Tyler's medical expenses, who suffers from a life threatening disease called Neutropenia. . The charities loved how she created her felt pieces using glitter and sparkles to help catch the children's eyes, that they started calling her Glitterful Felt Stories! Glitterful Felt Stories still donates most of their inventory to local charities. Their goal is to get children excited about reading....one story at a time!



The winner of the scholarship can give away 2 felt stories to a reader of their choice that leaves a comment in their post. So ya see, just by leaving me a comment here to help me, you're giving yourself a chance to one of these great gifts!! How cool is that?!

So please help me win this scholarship by leaving me a comment about your favorite Glitterful Felt Stories.

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Miss Blondie Wants to Represent You at BlogHer '09

Guess who just got a ticket to BlogHer??!!!

MMEEEEEEE!!!

Can you tell I am just a little excited?! BlogHer released some tickets to the waiting list which lucky for me I was at the top of. So I went ahead and purchased my ticket. Now I need airfare and a room and as a single mother it'll be a little tough to swing. So I am looking for some gracious companies to partially sponsor my trip to BlogHer.

BlogHer is one of the biggest conventions of the year for bloggers and companies to network and establish relationships. Bloggers have an incredible way of spreading the word about companies and can really be used to your advantage. With the costs of advertising on the rise, bloggers are the least expensive way to advertise. Think of how large the internet is, and how many people can read what a blogger has to say about a product. More and more companies are choosing to advertise through bloggers and are seeing the positive effects it can have on their products. So I am here, to ask you if your company will be represented at BlogHer '09? If your answer is no, then you should consider partially sponsoring me to represent you at BlogHer in Chicago. Your competitors will be there, so why not you?

What is a partial sponsorship? Well, instead of sending someone from your company and having to pay their full way, I am asking for $200 from a few great companies to send me to BlogHer to represent you.

As a representative for your company I will: advertise you in my sidebar for the rest of 2009; I will hand out your business cards, swag bags, or samples of your products and make sure they reach as many people as possible; and of course I will blog about your company. I will make sure your company is represented to the fullest.

I am willing to do almost anything to get sponsorships for BlogHer, even if that means walking around the conference wearing a hot dog costume handing out your business cards I will. However, something less humiliating will be fine as well. I'm sure together we could figure something out.

If you would like me to represent your company at BlogHer '09 and will provide a partial sponsorship please email me at missblondie919 at gmail dot com. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

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