As I counted down the seconds until the year 2012 arrived, I became reflective on all that 2011 brought to Experimental Mommy.  There certainly were some Mom-umental Moments and I thought I would share them with you!

6.  Attending KRAFT’s BlogEats Conference:  Even though I can’t successfully boil water or make an ice cube, I found myself standing in the world famous KRAFT kitchen attempting to make recipes from delicious KRAFT products.  It was so much fun and I even got to ride in the Wienermobile!

5.  Meeting Drew Brees:  In November, I was invited to attend a press event to unveil the new Vick’s VapoRub commercial starring Drew Brees and his son, Baylon.  Putting my arm around him and taking a picture was definitely a “pinch me” moment for this Saints fan!

4.  Networking at BlogHer San Diego:  This was my first trip to San Diego and I fell in love with the City.  Simply gorgeous.  On top of the scenery, BlogHer was spent networking with blogger buddies and brands I love.

3.  Helping St. Michael’s Special School with my Pampers Miracle Mission:  I am honored to be on the Pampers Baby Board and was even more thrilled to be given $1,000 to help a charity in my own hometown.  Purchasing supplies needed by the school and delivering to the students was an experience I will never forget.

2.  Rediscovering myself at Callaway Gardens:  This was a family vacation that will live in infamy!  From ziplining to doing a backflip on a trapeze, I conquered many of my fears and learned to believe in myself.

Cecelia, Stacey (Mom Central) and I

1.  Successfully planning and hosting Reviewers Retreat 2011:  Easily one of my best accomplishments to date!  My business partner (and friend), Cecelia and I began the first and only blog conference geared specifically towards building mutually beneficial relationships between product review bloggers and brands.  It went so well, that we are holding Reviewer’s Retreat 2012 in Charlotte, NC on June 3-5th!  Early bird tickets will be on sale through February 29th.  Join us!

What were your “Mom-umental” Moments of 2011?

Renee and I at BlogHer 2010 in NYC!

But, BlogHer isn’t all about the sessions….it’s also time to connect with blog friends in real life an paarrttyy.  It is amazing how fast our social calendar has filled up, but I wouldn’t miss any of it.  I am so excited about meeting with brands such as Tide and Downy, Lovable Labels, Clever Girls Collective and P&G.

What a difference a year makes!  Last year at BlogHer ’09, I was the new kid on the block.  I wasn’t sure what to expect and just hoped to learn something valuable.  That conference turned out to be a turning point for me as I met another review blogger and started a wonderful partnership, the Double Duty Divas.  What began as a way to help moms who work outside the home network, quickly grew into a Review and Ad Network with over 200 members.

Fast-forward one year later to BlogHer ’10 and we were ready to hit the ground running.  Again, I hoped to learn valuable skills at the conference, but this time I knew it was more about the connections and relationships with other bloggers and brands.  And what’s the best way to network?  Party!  Cecelia, Renee and I tried to attend as many events as we could (and perhaps overscheduled ourselves!) in order to meet new friends, catch up with old ones and learn something in the process.

On the way to the Hallmark event!

The first stop was American Girl where we enjoyed a relaxing lunch in the Café with dolls…yes, grown women with dolls.  Don’t judge me.  It was fun.  After checking in at the hotel, we tried to catch a cab to the Social Luxe Lounge.  Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful and decided to try a Pedicab.  Never.Again.  I saw my life flash before my eyes, but we made it in one piece to the party.  We all had the opportunity to get our hair and nails done, enjoy a relaxing shoulder massage (which we needed after that PediCab ride), and check out the new products from Avery, Ghirardelli (the new luxe milk chocolate was to die for) and Yummie Tummie.  We ended the night by attending the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) party on the rooftop of the Empire Hotel where we learned all about safety in many common situations.  The setting was gorgeous and the atmosphere was truly relaxing (I even got to watch an outdoor ballet performance by Juilliard!).

Audrey (one of the founders of Getting Gorgeous) and I

Believe it or not, I managed to do all of that before BlogHer officially began!  On Friday, we started the day attending a meeting with my friend, Zachary from Coffee for Less.  If you own a single cup coffee machine like the Keurig, you should definitely check out Coffee for Less to supply your K-cups!  Because we were exhausted from the night before, we couldn’t wait to head to the Getting Gorgeous Event held by Audrey McClelland and Vera Sweeny where I found my most favorite “Swag” of the conference, the MiracleBody jeans.  I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and try the leggings….I am told that I can pull it off.

Now that I was feeling gorgeous, it was time to hit some sessions!  I attended a “Pitch Me” session that was absolutely fabulous!  I learned so much and intend to share it with you in another post.  After touring the expo hall (the P&G Home Away from Home was stunning), we were ready to devour some cupcakes at “Sweets in the City” hosted by Complicated Mama and The Big Toy Book.  It was here that I met Kelby Carr who was so nice and offered lots of great advice to Cecelia and I.

Renee, Cissy, Crystal, Kate and I at Robeez

After getting a sugar high, we ran to the Robeez (pronounced Rob-eez…who knew?) event and finally the Christmas in August party hosted by Hallmark.  The Hallmark event was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.  Entering the penthouse, I was overwhelmed with the smells of the Holiday season.  Here I discovered the Recordable Books from Hallmark and I just fell in love.  Lots of good food, decorating cookies, pictures with Santa and mingling with friends made this party a real joy.

Saturday, we got the chance to host our own meet-up at Starbucks with our Double Duty Diva network.  Coffee for Less and SnuggStuff provided the swag and everyone enjoyed their morning coffee while meeting the Divas.  We took our morning drinks on the road to Scholastic where we learned all about the new releases and literacy initiative.  I remember ordering books from the Scholastic catalog and now I love seeing the excitement in my daughter’s eyes when she comes home with her selections.

The Divas hit BlogHer '10!

After lunch, we managed to squeeze in another session on Monetization and then it was off to dinner with Tide.  For those of you who have read my blog for a while now know that Tide is one of my favorite brands.  For obvious reasons, the Tide Loads of Hope project is near and dear to my heart and I cannot wait to work with them later this month for the 5 year anniversary.

Honestly, I have no idea how I managed to fit all of this in one short weekend.  But looking back, I wouldn’t change one single thing.  I think BlogHer ’10 was a success for me personally and professionally and has made me excited about the future of Experimental Mommy and the Double Duty Divas!  Thanks again to Corky and Co. and Escalate Network for making my trip possible!

In July, I had the honor of being one of American Girl’s Parent Partners to help promote the “Shine on Now” project.  This charitable initiative “harnesses the collective power of girls to help others in need. Through Shine On Now, American Girl is calling on girls across the country to help the company give $1 million in clothes, books, dolls, and money to the following four organizations: Kids in Distressed Situations, Save the Children U.S.A., National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, and National Wildlife Federation.” I am pleased to announce that through the help of young girls and the Parent Partners, American Girl reached the goal!

Last week, I traveled to New York City for BlogHer 2010 and I was invited to the American Girl Cafe for lunch on Thursday and again to meet several other Parent Partners for brunch on Sunday.  Because I have never been to an American Girl store, I could not wait to see what it was all about, and I was NOT disappointed.

Walking in to the store, it is hard not to feel like a little girl.  I was immediately enchanted by the rooms of dolls, accessories and clothes.  As I explored the store, I stumbled upon the Doll Salon.  Did you know that you can bring your American Girl doll and actual hairstylists give your doll a brand new ‘do?  You can even get your doll’s ears pierced!  I absolutely HAVE to take my girls back!

As we ventured to the Cafe on the third floor (yes, THREE floors), I started to realize that visiting the store is more of an experience than “normal shopping.”  And when I entered the cafe, it was like stepping into my daughters’ dreams.  There was pink to the right, pink to the left, hair bows and flowers on the table, dolls to play with and lots of yummy treats.  Of course, I had to get the full experience and select a doll to sit with me.  Ok, I know I am NOT five, but you just can’t eat at the American Girl Cafe and NOT play with a doll, right?  I realize that we probably looked quite strange, but I had a blast.  Until…….

Cecelia’s doll had a little accident….oops…..

Thank you so much, American Girl, for hosting me at your wonderful store.  After meeting the dedicated professionals who represent your brand and the other Parent Partners, I am honored to be a part of your “family.”

I should be sleeping.  Renee comes to get me at 5:30am for the airport as we board a plane for BlogHer 2010 at 7:00am and leave the Big Easy for the Big Apple!  But, here I am, awake.  Frankly, I am too dang excited to sleep and I am going pay for it later (in retrospect, the large sweet tea at 10pm probably was not the best idea ever).

So, while I have a moment, I thought I would thank the sponsors that are helping me attend the conference.  First, Corky and Company Coats has been so kind as to sponsor both Cecelia and I, and we couldn’t be more pleased to represent such a great company.  Both my girls wear these coats and get compliments every.single.time we go out in them.  They are amazingly soft and cuddly! Secondly, I would like to thank Escalate Network for their generous sponsorship as well.  I recently joined this affiliate network and attend a webinar held by the owners.  I have honestly not been a part of an affiliate network that has been more personal that this one.  I have been able to chat with Escalate Network directly, been offered advice on how to best promote the deals and have been able to monetize my blog!  Check them out if you are interested in learning how to make money from your blog! Finally, I have to mention A Touch of Whimsy Designs who designed my business cards!  The owner, Gina, is amazingly talented and could not be nicer.  I look to her anytime I need party invites, gift tags or mommy cards.  You can find her on Twitter, too!

I will be meeting up with my fellow Double Duty Divas while at the conference and plan to announce some EXCITING NEWS!  If you are a review blogger, you do not want to miss what we have in store!  Follow us on Twitter and search the hashtag #DDDivas!

See you in New York!!

If you have been following my blog (and if you haven’t…where ya been?), you know that I was fortunate enough to attend BlogHer 2009 a few weeks ago. I left the conference with a lot to think about. I had high expectations from this Conference. Along with meeting new friends, I wanted to learn tips and techniques to make my blog better than before. What can I improve and how do I get there? While some of the sessions were less than stellar, I left with one thing on my mind:

Do I have a relationship with my readers? If I weren’t offering incredible giveaways, would you keep coming back?

It’s ok to say no. Really, it is. The purpose of my blog is to review products that would be beneficial to busy Moms and Dads, to educate readers with a real Mom’s opinion on popular (or not so popular) products. But, the thing that I would like to improve on during Year 2 of The Not-So-Blog is personal relationships with my readers. Purpose being that if you get to know the woman behind the words, maybe you will pop in on my little space in the blogosphere even if I am too darn tired to put up a new giveaway! LOL!

So, I thought I would start by sharing a few random facts about me:

1.  I am 5′ 3″.

2.  I am not all that happy with my weight.  I really need to start up “Think Thin Thursdays” again…who’s with me?

3.  I am a review blogger.  I am not ashamed of it and hate that I am made to feel guilty for what I set out to do in the first place.  Then again, I am in control of how I feel, so I will not apologize for it.

4.  I am ethical and not only so I can display a badge on my site, but because I WANT to and it is just who I am.

5.  I love my job.  I work outside the home full time.  Even if it was financially feasible for me to stay at home full time (which it is not), I would not quit.

6.  I am close to my family.  I love the fact that I can pick up the phone and call my family whenever I need them and they will be there in a heartbeat.  I hope I am as good of a Mom as my Mom is to me.

7.  My friends are precious to me.  I fear that my blogging life is getting in the way of my real life.  I am making an effort to let my friends know that they are important to me.

8.  I struggle to find balance in my life.  There must be a way to fit it all in!

9.  I have a hard time saying NO.  Working on it.

10.  Yes, I am from New Orleans.  Yes, Hurricane Katrina flooded my house.  No, I was not rescued off a rooftop (I had the good sense to leave).  And YES, I came back on my own free will.  New Orleans is home.

Ok, now that I spilled a few facts about me, introduce yourself!  Tell me something about you!  How did you find my blog?

With all the hullabalo about the fabulous BlogHer parties and networking opportunities, I barely even noticed that there are actual classes and seminars, too!

If you are looking for me, I will be firmly planting my butt in a chair at the Geek Lab (after all, I am most comfortable in a lab, LOL!) learning WordPress, HTML, Photoshop, and SEO so I don’t have to annoy the heck out of my bloggy friends anymore. If I am going to grow this blog, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet when it comes to all the technical behind the scenes stuff (oh yes, there is an actual woman behind the curtain here at The Not-So-Blog!). In my short year of blogging, I have learned more than I ever thought possible, so I cannot wait to dive in and learn more!

My BlogHair

In fact, I leave in under 48 hours! Holy Moly! I haven’t packed a THING, but at least my hair is cut and colored (the gray hair was not too becoming for this 35 year old)!

But don’t fret, I am leaving you in the capable hands of Jennifer, the Not-So-June.  Maybe she’ll post a recipe or even share a new giveaway with you while I’m gone! 

Come and find me at BlogHer ’09 to learn more about the wonderful sponsors that helped me get there! Check out the gorgeous Gina B Bella laptop bag from Kolobags and receive extra entries to the giveaway! Find me in my Bomb Mom T-shirt to receive a goody bag filled with some awesome swag!  And for the mommies with young ones, I’ll be holding a drawing for a stroller liner and handing out some great items from New Native!

I’ll be posting and tweeting as much as I can from BlogHer!  Make sure you check back to keep up with all the excitement!

In just two short weeks, I will be headed to Chicago to attend BlogHer ’09!  I am a blogging conference virgin, so I have no idea what to expect.  Being the planner that I am, I printed out the agenda of classes, seminars and networking opportunities and started to make my itinerary (highlighted in color coded sections, of course!).  My spirit was high (or maybe it was the sharpie fumes), either way, I was thrilled to be able to attend the “blogger event of the year!” 

Then, I started to hear about fellow bloggers receiving invitations to private parties sponsored by incredible companies such as Nikon, Disney and Energizer.  I searched my inbox only to find that my invitation to any such party must have been lost somewhere in the world wide web. 

All of a sudden, I feel like the wallflower of blogging.  Where did this insecurity come from? So, I started searching for anything related to BlogHer parties so I could learn how to get my foot in the door (who doesn’t wonder what’s behind the curtain?), and I ran across an article entitled, “divine secrets of the BlogHer ‘08 sisterhood,” a post written by Stephanie Klein after she returned from last year’s BlogHer event.  This exerpt speaks volumes:

“It’s really like walking around a constant, 3-day, pledge class, wondering when you’ll finally be able to fully relax and be inducted into the sorority of women. It’s scary in a way that shouldn’t be. I hear way too many people mention “private parties” with apologies. “Oh, are you going to the Nintendo dinner?” she whispers. No. I wasn’t invited. “What about the private party at the suite upstairs by this sponsor? Oh, did you go to the sponsored private cocktail…” Since when did blogging become so elitist? It really is just another way, ironically enough, to feel rejected.

Until, that is, you aren’t. Until those moments where you connect immediately to someone you’ve read before. To someone who just gets it, with whom you share all the unspokens. And then it all changes. Your outlook, your enjoyment, and what you get out of it all. What I was reminded of most at my first BlogHer experience, at the most basic level, is what it’s like to go about making brand new friends, without relying on insincerity, or flattery, without bonding over mean girl moments. How fragile all of us can be, how nervous, how eager we are to be liked. And how ridiculously satisfying it is to connect with strangers who are now suddenly so much more.”

Whoa.  How true!  This article made me take a step back and re-focus on why I wanted to attend BlogHer in the first place.  I cannot wait to go learn from the best, reconnect with old friends, make brand new ones, and star-gaze at the bloggers I have come to admire.   While invitations to private parties sure would be nice, it is only icing on the cake.  If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be at my own private party at the pool.  Come join me!