Category: Product Reviews

Was BlogHer Worth It?

I was looking forward to going to the BlogHer conference in NYC so much that it rivaled the wait for Christmas. And I really, really LOVE Christmas.

After a month or so of mental build up and a few days of intensive tweeting, the conference went by in a three-day whirlwind. In a way it felt like it took forever and at the same time I feel like I’ve been pummeled from head to toe with an angry swag bag.

Since I had never been to a blog conference before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was really hoping to walk away from the event with a bunch of new contacts, a notebook of ideas to implement and a couple new friends.

So, did I do that?
Here’s the breakdown:

In the Good Pile

  • I have 17 pages of handwritten notes to go through. The plan is to create a list of Action Items and then slowly chip away at each task.
  • I have 31 business cards from the conference – a mix of fellow bloggers and possible sponsors. I need to click around on each contact’s links. Bloggers I like will go on a frequent read list and sponsors I like will go on a ‘need to email’ list so I can follow up with them.
  • I was offered a few guest posting and sponsorship opportunities from a few different brands – a couple of them fit fantastically with Pocketful of Joules and I’ll definitely be following up on them. In one case I need to devise a plan to use the product, blog about it and also create a giveaway for my awesome readers so that you can receive the product for free!
  • I was able to meet up with bloggers/twitter friends that I only knew in the online world and had a great time getting to know them in real life. Three of my total favorites that I was able to hang out with were: Lauren from Filing Jointly, Diana (who’s business card I can’t find right now but I really liked her) and Marcella, the Social Media Manager for Citrus Lane (as you know I’m kind of obsessed with Citrus Lane and their monthly box program)!

In the Bad Pile

  • This year’s BlogHer had over 5,000 people signed up to attend. It’s great that the conference is popular, but there were so many bloggers at the event that I found it difficult to make one-on-one connections with people. So many times I’d run into someone, talk to them a bit and then never see them again. As much as I wanted to leave with a few new best buds, it was really hard to break through the crowd to find them.
  • There are always a couple bad seeds out there. Two bloggers I met were total asshats and I’ve already thrown away their business cards so I don’t make the mistake of following up with them.
  • Apparently some bloggers were sponsored by multiple brands that paid for them to attend the conference. Which is totally fine. But I was a bit disgusted and turned off by some of their blatant shilling of their brands – both in person and on twitter. It’s cool to support and thank a brand or two, but to have a dozen different brands sponsoring all areas of your trip and wardrobe and to have to tweet/talk about them nonstop is just a bit too much for me. At least with television infomercials I can fast forward with my tivo…
  • On my train ride home I totally misheard the conductor (the speaker was turned way down low…) and got off at the stop BEFORE my stop. So instead of getting home around 10:45, I didn’t walk in the door of my house until almost midnight. BOO!
Yes, I played with Lauren’s tentacles and it was everything I thought it would be.

Random Bits O’ Fun:

  • Celebrities I saw: Martha Stewart, Katie Couric (both interviewed at BlogHer), and Matthew Broderick (on the street outside of his latest Broadway play).
  • Most embarrassing: When I blurted out to my new friend, Diana, “PLEASE tell me your ring is fake” upon seeing her engagement ring. It wasn’t. It was also a crapload of carets and super sparkly. Absolute mortification.
  • I’ve still got it: The secret to walking around NYC without being hassled is that you need to put on your “Stankface” before you leave your hotel. Basically, you don’t make eye contact with anyone, you don’t look up at the buildings and go “Oooooh, look how tall” and you walk like you’re pounding the runway on America’s Next Top Model. I pretty much rock at this and not one random person tried to mess with me. Meow.
  • Lauren from Filing Jointly totally let me play with her tentacles. And no, that’s not a euphemism for anything naughty.
  • I brought home an absolute ton of swag. In fact, I’ll be writing a whole blog post on JUST the swag I got.
  • This trip was my very first time being away from my (almost) 6 month old since he came home from the hospital and I totally did not cry once. I missed him and my husband though and was happy to come home on Sunday. Even though Jack learned this terrible horror movie kind of scream that scares the crap out of me and the dog.*

Random Pictures from my BlogHer weekend:

The view from my room — totally wish it was New Years so I could see the ball drop!
My brand-spanking-new blog business cards!
With another blogger (not even sure we exchanged names) at the Stella and Dot booth. Obviously I’m a pretty, pretty princess.
Lauren from Filing Jointly and Me — we didn’t get around to hair braiding and she’s afraid of pillow fights. However, she did bring me an awesome gift for letting her crash with me!
Oooh, look a fake fire and smores! I’m not sure if this was before or after I gaped at her ring.
Yeah, that’s me with the Jimmy Dean Sun. Because I’m totally THAT cool!

All in all, I arrived in NYC on Thursday with an excitement level of a 4 year old hyped up on sugar and left feeling vaguely overwhelmed and absolutely exhausted.

So, the question is… Was it Worth it?
Absolutely.

My main reason for attending the conference was to learn more about professional blogging. I’m going to be launching a blog at my day job in higher education and wanted to be sure I do it with as few kinks as possible.

My secondary reason for attending BlogHer was so that I can learn more about personal blogging. After stumbling through with Pocketful of Joules for the past 1 ½ years, I really want to focus on improving and growing my blog. I learned a lot at the conference and have a hugely intimidating list of ideas that I can implement as soon as I have the energy, time and money to do so.

All in all, I’m feeling overwhelmed yet inspired. Which I’m going to count as a win for BlogHer!

*Honestly, this new scream sounds like he’s a cross between a possessed demon child and someone in true terror running from an ax welding mad man. It’s horrible!

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Is the Tot Swap Worth It…. Part Two

I totally was not planning on writing another blog post about the Tot Swap since I just did one last month, but I really couldn’t resist. I promise I’ll keep it short!

When I attended the Gaithersburg Tot Swap I got almost everything I needed to last us through the next 6 months or so. Knowing that, I wasn’t sure if I should take the time to attend the Timonium sale.

The tipping point was their Facebook status update that they had over 80,000 items at today’s sale AND most items were 50% off since it was the last day!

This sale slut just couldn’t stay away from those bargains! And I’m really glad I went because I got a super awesome {yet random} assortment of things.

Before I get to my awesome haul, I need to show you the hands-down weirdest item at the sale:

Yes, that’s right. It’s a Chia Obama! Who WOULDN’T want to grow a chia pet on the head of our president?!

Okay, here is what I got:

House Stuff — two super cute melamine trays ($1.50) and a set of Target curtains ($2)
Dog Toys — Potter needs some love too! I got this “holiday dinner” doggy toy set for only $4 and it includes a turkey, baked potato, corn on the cob, roll and braided dog toy. YUM!
Jack Clothes — the pants are 9 month sized (YAY) which we really need for Fall. The swimsuit outfit will come in handy for Ocean City in a couple weeks and the onesie/toy combos for $1 were just too cute to resist. $7.50 for all!
Great prices on this dump truck (which makes fun noises), two books and stacking train set! $9 for all!
Some BIG Toys — super cute plush rocking/rolling horse ($15), stand up Baby Einstein table ($7.50) and rolling/pushing Lion ($7).

I spent $56.18 for everything and we are now totally set for Jack for quite awhile! And no, we didn’t bring home the Chia Obama…

Here is Jack enjoying his new rocking horse (or saying, “oh crap…I’m falling off!”)

Reviewing Citrus Lane: The July “Bon Voyage” Box

Let me start out by saying that I was extremely excited for this month’s box. Within the next few weeks Jack will be taking his first plane trip to Chicago and also spending a week down in Ocean City on the beach with my family.

The July “Bon Voyage” box from Citrus Lane!

When I found out that the theme for July was “Bon Voyage” with the goal of making traveling with your baby both easier and more fun, I may have yelled out “Wheeheewww” in the office and then had to explain myself to my boss.

Citrus Lane did something new this month and released a YouTube video review of the box before it was shipped.

I think that the video was really cool and a neat idea, but in my opinion they should have waited to post it until a week after they shipped the boxes out. Part of the fun is the anticipation of receiving the box in the mail and then the surprise of what goodies are inside. I tried really hard to resist watching the video, but gave in and was totally disappointed in myself afterwards. It was like finding all your Christmas gifts in the closet the week before Christmas – it totally takes away the fun of Christmas Eve!

The June box arrived at my house a few days ago and here is what I found:

Nom, nom, nom…Hippo likes baby food!

• Tiny Love Harry Hippo Stroller Toy ($7.99 value) This is a really cute little stroller toy and when you pull on its string it does a little wiggle. I already have a few different stroller toys, but this one is a bit more compact. I will definitely be taking this on the plane and using the (much more awesome than usual) clip to attach it to the seat in front of us.

Potter thinks that the bracelet is really cool, but not really his mommy’s style. Isn’t it weird how both me and my dog think alike?

• Chewbeads Bangle ($14.50 value) Hmm… A bit of a mixed reaction on this. I really, really like that they included something for the mommy, which is also useful for a teething baby (it’s made of 100% silicone for chewing). It’s not really my style to wear normally, but if Jack likes it than I can try it out. However, since Jack was sleeping during today’s photo shoot, Potter got his chance to admire the bracelet.

• California Baby Travel Set ($7.50 value and 10% off code) I’m familiar with the California Baby brand because my doctor recently recommended it for their baby sunscreen. The brand is pretty expensive, but since Jack is a preemie, it makes sense to use the best stuff possible (especially because you’re not even supposed to use sunscreen on your child until they are 6 months old). This month’s box includes shampoo/body wash, lotion and diaper rash cream in the perfect sizes to throw in our suitcase.

• On-the-Go Baby Laundry Detergent ($1.99 value) Now this came in PERFECT timing for our trip! I’m hoping to not have to do any laundry on any of our upcoming trips, but if I do these little packets are perfect for washing yucky clothes in the sink. I will definitely be throwing a couple packets in while packing.

• Me4Kidz Diaper Bag Buddy ($5.95 value)This is a pretty awesome little kit – it contains: disposable diaper trash bags, antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, latex free bandages, organic tush wipes, single use thermometer, and a coupon for wipes. And look how tiny it is — not only can you keep it in your diaper bag, it easily fits in a purse or even your glove compartment!

Look how tiny!

• Ella’s Kitchen Organic Baby Food Stage 1 ($1.69 value) Jack started food a week or so ago (so far his favorite is green beans) and I’ve been keeping my eyes open for good baby food options. I plan on making some myself, but still need some pre-packaged stuff to use when traveling. This pouch is 100% organic fruits and vegetables with no additives. The best part, no refrigeration is required, so they’re perfect to keep in the diaper bag for emergencies.

• Sincerely Inc – 10 Free Postagrams ($10.00 value) I’m going to consider this the only thing I’m not too excited about. In theory it sounds nice, using a free Postagram app you can turn your photos into printed, personalized postcards right from your phone. I just don’t know if I’d actually bother to use this. I guess only time will tell!

So, was this month’s box worth it?
Yes.

I didn’t have any “oh my gosh I love this sooo much” moments like I did with the hat, book and teething toy from the May box. However, I think most of what we received will come in handy over the next couple months. Best of off, it contains things that I wouldn’t have necessarily bought myself, but seem fun to try out. So, I’ll consider that another win Citrus Lane!

One thing I’d like to see in the future though – it would be great if they could let us know the next month’s theme when we receive our box. That way we can get excited and keep that anticipation going a little longer!

Here’s my typical disclosure: I was not rewarded by Citrus Lane for reviewing their box on my blog. I review the boxes, because I feel like other mom’s would be interested in seeing what they’ll get if they sign up for the monthly service.

HOWEVER, if you decide that you would like to sign up for your own
subscription and use my link, I will receive credits on my account. As an added bonus to my fabulous readers, you can get 10% off the cost of any subscription (normal cost $25 each month). You’ll save $7.50 on three months, $12.50 on six months, or $25 on twelve months. To redeem the deal, click on my link and enter the word SPRINGFUN when checking out.

Check out my other Citrus Lane box reviews:
March 2012: Dining Out
May 2012: Fun in the Sun
June 2012: Little Artists