Recent Opportunities and question about Swag

I have had several people ask me questions lately about the "swag" we received at the Blogher conference and the opportunities I have had being a blogger and what that means.
I have to admit that it has been a lot of fun meeting new people and companies and that most bloggers I have dealt with are more than happy to help you in any way they can.
The MomSelect Swag Suite at the Blogher conference was a very popular place to be. Maria Bailey (founder of MomSelect and Co founder of MomTV )and BSM Media were in charge of that and they had a line out the door. They had some trouble getting some of their products delivered on time...so when the response was so huge..they had to shut the doors for a few hours to restock and get things organized before they could open back up.
Here is a list of the things they had for the bloggers (for those of you who have asked what kinds of things we received.) By the way...I am not trying to brag in any way here..I am trying to thank those involved for all they did for us and the companies for all the samples and products they handed out to us.
These were things that were available. They had them spread around the room and started us out with the Land's End Backpack to use as a goodies bag. I did not pick up everything because not everything was appropriate to my family.

AdoraPet DVDs - Triplets will love to watch it.
Beaute de Maman Samples
Build-a-Bear Workshop Bears -So cute!
CharcoCaps
Cultural Care Au Pair Memory Card Game
Cystex
Disney T-shirts/hand sanitizer
Easy Mac Cups
Enfamil Gift Bags
ItzaBitza DVD Game
Kindermusik Gift Bags
Lands' End Backpacks - Wonderful...to give to one of my boys to use.
Latitude Tools - Great level, can't wait to try it.
Moving Picture Books
My Princess Party To Go- Princess favors
No-Slip Grippies Tights
Paci-Plushies
Precious Moments Baby Clothes
Seventh Generation Organic Tampons
SoftLips I threw in my purse...nice
Wisk

It was fun to get all these things...but I would have loved to have just visited with Maria and others I have not been able to meet at Mom TV and Mom Select.

I have also had the opportunity to work with Walmart in a promotion to remodel one of my teens bedrooms. You can follow the progress of that and there will be a chance to win a make over yourself at the end of that.

I was asked to attend a P&G Bounty Experience today at COSI (Center of Science and Industry) in Columbus. I will be posting on that later in the week.

I have had many other opportunities lately and hope to have even more in days to come.
As a Mom blogger I will let you know that I look forward to working with more companies and other bloggers. I will be honest about what I tell you about and if I should promote something...it is because I like the company or product. They may offer to sponsor me or give me a product to review...but if it is not something that would be beneficial to my readers..I don't really care what they offer me...I won't be a part of it.
I will also post about contest or do a post because of a contest (as part of this one is) but again...if I don't believe that it is something I should post about or don't feel good about it..I won't do it.
But I am more than Happy to blog and thank others for the opportunities they are giving me or the products they have introduced me to.
Thanks!

It's True - I am an official Mann Fann and I now Have a Mann Crush! (t-shirt that is)

If you have followed my blog you might remember that I did a post about Chris Mann after BlissDom in February of this year. He is a great singer with lots of personality and likes to woo us bloggers!!
He sang at the People's Party the first night of BlogHer. He had a table set up and I went up to him to ask if when his CD was coming out. He said to me, "I remember you, you were at BlissDom." I do have to say that I was surprised...and pleased. (ok...let's hope its not because I am like this freak tall old woman who drools all over when I hear him sing? LOL)

Anyway....to get on with my story... I told him I would like another picture with him before the weekend was over because I had such "bug eyes" when I got a picture with him and @alihooper at BlissDom.

(Yes..embarrassing picture...) So nice guy that he is, he says to me, "Well let's just get it right now." So he moves his table and comes out with me to get the first picture above with me in the orange jacket. And of course I have the "bug eye" thing going again!! I don't know why...I keep doing it in pictures lately. Trying to give myself an eye lift maybe?

But I did find out his CD comes out on August 11th! Also the itunes download etc... (I don't understand all that other stuff....amazonmp3, rhapsody etc..) But it comes out on all those formats on AUGUST 11th!

After I left that party I saw a few woman with these T-shirts that said Mann Crush. I asked them where they got them and they said that Chris gave them to them. I thought....hmmmm I really WANT one of those. After declaring myself a true Mann Fan it seems only fitting doesn't it? {picture me running back.... kicking woman out of my way and screaming through the crowd..."I have to get a Mann Crush T-shirt..outta my way!!" ..you heard of the swag stories at BlogHer..but did you hear about the Mann Crush T-shirt stories? LOL }
Actually, I saw him later and asked him about the t-shirt. He said he was out of them but he would save me one and give it to me at BowlHer 2 nights later..but I needed to send him a direct message on Twitter to remind him. (I sent 2)
BowlHer night comes...it was a great party by the way. He came over sat down and told me he had brought me the shirt..and he would get it for me in a few minutes. He got called away. {Saved by the bell}

A little bit later I saw him talking to a @banteringblonde and @childhood (they are sooo nice by the way) and I walked up to wait my turn. (It did remind me of the Bachelor show...crack myself up!) Anyway...he got up to get my shirt and I had to get another picture of him with my shirt (and the BowlHer boa) and do my best not to "Bug My Eyes" out. I'm shameless!

Seriously...you do need to go listen to some of his music on Chris Mann Music and you too can become a Mann Fan... and no sorry, ...I'm not giving away my Mann Crush T-shirt!
Thanks Chris for being such a real guy and being so nice to us older drooling mom bloggers! Next step...To become one of your official Mann Boo! (LOL)

Blogher 09 - The Nikon Party (my favorite)

I have to admit being invited to the Nikon party was the highlight of the trip for me. I didn't get a direct invite from Nikon (I wish) but I did get an invite from Mommy Brain Reports (Monica) and that was just as thrilling. She was one of the VIP invited and extended her guest invite to me! (Thanks to Beth from The Plus Size Mommy)
This is Sugar Jones from Sugar in the Raw on the left and Monica in the center. We were in line here for the limo's to take us to the party at the Flatwater Restaurant in Chicago.
That is Monica to my right. (She was a wonderful date! LOL).
I hate to say that I do not remember everyone's names so I apologize and if anyone sees these pictures and can fill in names for me...it would be greatly appreciated! Everyone was really nice though.
Sugar is the 2nd one in, then Danielle from ExtraOrdinary Mommy, Arianne from To Think is To Create, and Lori from A Cowboy's Wife. I felt very special to be in the same limo with these wonderful bloggers!

Monica had a scheduled interview with Carson Kressley (from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and How to Look Good Naked) when we first got there. Beth from Plus Size Mommy also got to interview him..so they did it together. I was happy to snap pictures during it.

It was also special to get a picture with him myself.

The Flatwater Restaurant was wonderful! We took an elevator down to the restaurant and there was an outdoor patio with bar and seating. That is Can Can from Mom Most Traveled getting a massage.
Chair massages, hair and makeup stations and a red carpet to walk and get pictures with Carson was the highlight for many. Sugar is looking beautiful!! (not that she isn't in the first place)

Oh...here go my "bug eyes" again...LOL

I had a great time talking and getting to know Monica and Melissa from Consumer Queen. They are both just soooo sweet! Both of them are Walmart 11 mom's and could have acted like they were "too good to hang out" with little ol' me. But did they? No...they were wonderful to me and treated me with total respect. They are sooooo cool!! (#jeff)

Here we all are again along with Kim from Crafty Mama of 4. She has been nothing but nice to me from online to Blissdom to Blogher.

Here is a photo of me with Vdog from Vdog and Little Man...she was one of the famous Elevator 13 drama with me!!

Yes....good friends, old and new...wonderful treatment... wonderful food and drinks...fun celebrity....beautiful restaurant....fantastic sponsor...Nikon...what could be better?

Blogher 09 - Day 2

I started off going to the "Newbie" breakfast. I had Sara Patterson from Label Daddy recognize me and she introduced me to Toni Patton and Miranda Kuskie. They asked me to eat with them...(that is soo nice when people do that)

I had done a review on the Label Daddy labels..so it was really fun to see who I had been e-mailing and talking to on Twitter.

I walked all through the Expo Hall and got to visit all the vendors.
This is Nina from Sprout. I have to say that I do not know the show, but I thought the triplets would know it..and thought it was fun she was there.
The All detergent Fairies...what a riot!
Great day! More to come on Friday night!!

Heading to Blogher! I will take you with me on my blog!

I am heading to Blogher in Chicago today. For those of you who may not know, Blogher is a blogging conference. It takes place this weekend and from what I have seen there are supposed to be around 1,500 bloggers there.
If you are on twitter you will see #Blogher all weekend. That is people talking about it.
There are many big sponsors who are going to be there. Companies are realizing that going to the mom bloggers they can get the word out about their companies and products to a huge amount of people.
Chevrolet is giving bloggers cars to drive if they carpoole together. They had to apply for it ahead of time.
Quaker Oats is going to be there, PepsiCo is going to be there.
Carson Kressley from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is going to be at the Nikon party. So yes Nikon Camera is hosting a party (I got invited as a guest of one of the VIP woman who were asked)
The Michelin Man is going to be there for Michelin tires.
Paula Dean is going to be there.
The list goes on...
I will be going to the Nikon party on Friday night and then hopefully over to MomAFluence party after that.
On Saturday night I will be going to Bowlher. Yes...it is a bowling party. MomTV is sponsoring that. It will be video streamed live.
There is so much fun to come!
I will take pictures and post daily my adventures.

Packing for BlogHer - Make that list!

Are you going to Blogher? I am and I am so excited. I have a list of all the things I have to pack. Problem for me will be trying to get it into one suitcase that isn't too big for the airlines. I am flying United and I have to pay $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second. Doesn't sound like a lot, but coming and going it will add up!
I am also going to be selling pouchees at the Swap Meet (Make sure you stop by....they will be on a "BLOGHER SPECIAL" and without shipping cost when you buy from my table.)so I sent my pouchees ahead of time. So that is one less thing to worry about.
On the #GNO twitter party last night I said something about making a list and someone said she didn't have time to make a list. What? I can't imagine all the things I would forget if I had not been making the list along the way remembering all the little things.

Here are a few examples of the things that I think would be very easy to forget.


*Camera
*Phone
*Laptop
*Power cord for phone
*Power cord for laptop
*Charger for phone and download cable for camera to computer.
*Extension cord (to plug in during sessions if you aren't right by an outlet)
*power strip
*Mini video camera and batteries or charger
*business cards
*Poken
*Itinerary
*Confirmation numbers for flights/hotel reservations
*Blogher confirmation, party information
*swim suit
*extra cash


Those are just a few of the easy things I think there would be to forget. Of course all your clothes, shoes, undergarments would already be on the list.

Let me know if I reminded you of anything that was not on your list and tell me what are some other things you can add to the list that someone might forget?

Momfluence & Type A Mom Are Having a Party at Blogher!

There are going to be so many really cool things to go to at BlogHer and this is one I just found out about through www.plussizemommy.com
Momfluence and Type A Mom are going together along with their sponsor HP to have a first ever LIVE sitewarming party at Blogher!

If you have a ticket to BlogHer already then you also need to register to try and win the $500 HP scholarship Oh my gosh wouldn't that be great to win to help with the expenses?

This should be sooo much fun!! Hope to see you there.