I haven’t spoken a lot about BlogHer because I’m organizing my thoughts and the content I gleaned into information I hope you’ll find valuable.  I’d much rather put together something of value then to simply recap the sessions and events I attended.  One of my favorite “events” was an afternoon playdate hosted by Mom Central, Step2, and Infantino.  The event was held in a private house out on beautiful Coronado Island with scenic views and a cool ocean breeze. This brings me to my first tip, inspired by the day’s event:

A beach playdate perhaps?

1. Location is everything!  Think about the age, gender, and interests of the children attending the playdate.  Think about the time of year and the season. You may decide that an afternoon out at the park is perfectly suited for 4 year old boys while an afternoon tea party with dolls would be ideal for 4 year old girls.

Healthy treats are definitely called for but this is a cute idea!

2. Have kid-friendly snacks and lots of them! If your child is anything like my children, they’re hungry all. the. time. That’s because they’re running and jumping and splashing and playing.  They’re also learning and growing.  In today’s society where food allergies abound, be certain to speak with the parents of the children attending to ensure that each child can enjoy the snacks provided.

3. Be prepared with kid-friendly activities.  If your playdate is at a venue, then you may skip this tip altogether. But if the playdate is at your home, you’ll want to think about the kinds of activities that will engage children so as not to get bored which equates to mischief.

4. Give them something to remember the day.  It could be as simple as the art they created during the playdate or a photo snapped during the playdate.  They’ll be talking about the fun they experienced long after the playdate is over.

I thought that the afternoon playdate theme was perfectly suited to showcase the latest from Infantino and Step2.  You may remember that about a year ago, I partnered with Infantino and Mom Central to test out and showcase some items from their new baby collection. And my son has been a huge fan of Step2′s outdoor toys, play kitchens and outdoor toys.

On display were products from Infantino’s new Comforting Play Collection, designed to calm and soothe babies.  Blogger teams worked together to create gift baskets that were then donated to families in need.

Step2 also had several of their products on display, including their new ride-on toys (which we JUST reviewed), play kitchens (which we are currently reviewing), and activity tables.

Not only was the event highly interactive and engaging, I walked away with some tips and information about the brand and a sense that I had made a difference by helping to put together gift baskets for needy families.

No compensation was received for this post. I was invited to an “afternoon playdate” hosted by Mom Central, Infantino, and Step2 and received a gift bag.

To keep me connected, I’m taking the brand new Samsung Focus Windows Smart Phone!  Of course you’re probably thinking…why?  Why a new phone?  Well, I really like tech gadgets and I wanted to test out the phone’s ability to keep me organized while juggling the numerous events and activities I will be engaging in this week.

This morning, I received about an hour’s worth of instruction and guidance in order to help me feel comfortable with the phone.  Before I even got on the phone with the rep, I was already working on setting up my Twitter and Facebook accounts.  If you’ve read any of my tech reviews, you know that I always like to see how far I can get without opening up a manual.  With just a bit of exploring, I found that I could download apps,

In a word, the phone is intuitive.  There is always a learning curve, but if you’ve ever used a smart phone, you won’t find this Windows Phone difficult to acclimate to.  I’ll have a full review after I’ve had a bit more time with the phone, however here are a few of my initial favorite features:

1.  Customization: How nice would it be to turn a phone on and have everything you personally need right there on the home screen?  Windows makes it easy to make the start screen exactly how you want it.  At present, my start screen includes  my email, Twitter, and Facebook and Foursquare accounts, my husband’s contact information, Internet Explorer and AccuWeather.  No more searching the phone for this information. It’s accessible the moment I turn the phone on with the touch of the screen.

2.  Facebook integration:  Once you set up your Facebook account, the phone will sync your contacts and you will have your friend’s and family member’s contact information.  You’ll also be able to write on their wall and keep track of their status updates under the People tab.

3.  Camera Function:  Photography is an integral part my experiences.  With a dedicated camera button, I can take photos quickly without having to unlock the phone (perfect for capturing those important moments).

Along with the features above, the Windows Phones integrated email and calendar functions make it easy to stay connected and organized.

For more information about the phone, visit Windows Phone.  You can also follow along on Twitter #windowsphone

No compensation was received for this post.  A phone and 30 days of service was provided which helped facilitate this review.

Photo Credit: sqback

I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by. It feels like just a short time ago that I was in New York learning, networking, and engaging with other women in social media. When the announcement was made that BlogHer would be in San Diego, I was excited and relieved. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to make another coast to coast trip for the conference that has truly helped grow me as a writer and a professional in this space.

Despite the fact that this will be my fourth year attending BlogHer, I believe there is great value in attending conferences specifically focused on social media for women aspiring to grow their community and their brand. I have made some amazing friendships and brand relationships through conferences like BlogHer. I have learned how to take better photographs, gained enough confidence to video blog, formed lasting friendships, and created amazing brand relationships. So what’s on tap this year? Here are my goals for BlogHer 2011.

1. Relationships and Community. My number one goal for attending BlogHer is to spend some time with women I only see once or twice a year, create new friendships, meet representatives from the companies I’ve been working with, and establish new brand relationships.

2. Social Media. Is Google + the new Facebook? How do I keep up with Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, etc. and still create compelling content on my site? What is the future of social media? Despite the fact that I’ve been blogging for over 5 years, I still have many questions. I’m always eager to learn and this is a top priority for BlogHer 2011.

3. Writing. I love to write…I hope that this is evident in every single post I write. Sometimes the busyness of life causes me to stray from this passion of mine, but attending conferences like BlogHer inspire me to get back to the roots of why I started this site. Listening to women who are much better writers than me is inspirational. I always come away renewed and fresh with new content ideas.

4. Media: Perhaps you’ve noticed my love for photography…or my dabbling in video blogging. The visual aesthetic of my site is as integral as the content. Every social media conference i’ve attended offers sessions on photography and video blogging and they are always full to capacity. I want to be better at creating a site that is not only compelling to read but compelling to look at.

5. My Brand: Anyone who has a blog, in essence, has a brand. My husband and I have so many ideas about engaging in this space and conferences like BlogHer are valuable in helping those ideas come to fruition.

And maybe…just maybe I’ll have time to sneak away for a walk on the beach…

Photo Credit: pcuoco

Will you be attending BlogHer? Do you see the value in attending social media conferences, and if so, what are your aspirations?

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Invitation Consultants. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Social Media conferences such as BlogHer have been invaluable to me and the development of this site.  Incredible brand relationships have been formed because of BlogHer. Lasting friendships have arisen out of late night chats outside of hotel rooms.  And, I’ve traveled to states and cities I may never have visited had it not been for conferences like BlogHer.

BlogHer 2008 is still so fresh in my memory.  Rockin’ Mama had been around less than one year, I had not worked with many brands, and I had no idea what to expect.  Fortunately, San Francisco was much smaller than it is this year.  Private parties were few and far between (and I was even invited to a few by some fellow bloggers), the lobby housed brand representatives (as opposed to the dawn of the expo hall in 2009), and bloggers filled the sessions to capacity, eager to learn and build their brand.

If 2009 was overwhelming (particularly because I was pregnant), New York City was one big party (did I just say that?)!  I’m not sure if it’s because many PR firms are located in Manhattan and the surrounding vicinity, but there was no lack of private parties last year.  I was actually hoping that it might be a bit quieter this year.  But in the last few weeks, brands have stepped up and the number of private parties is likely to match or even exceed BlogHer 2010. My only wish is that I could be in multiple places at the same time since there are so many women I want to catch up with that I rarely see, brands I’d like to meet up with (both new and familiar) and sessions I want to learn from.

This year there are some interesting sessions on food photography, kids, cooking and health, video blogging, professional blogging, and social media marketing. There are also some amazing brands I am excited to connect with including Infantino/Step 2, Playskool, Disney, Ford, Snapfish, Hershey’s, Lee Jeans, and more! Lastly, I’m anxious to hug my dear friend Amanda, eat chocolate with Shannon and Tanya, escape to the beach with Katie, Liz, and Aracely, talk photography and social media with Sheena, par-tay with Stacie, Niri, Alicia, and Desiree, and catch up with all of the gals I haven’t seen in a year!  I also can’t forget about hanging with my Moms LA gals!

Are you going to BlogHer this year?  I’d love to meet up with you if you are! Leave me a comment…even if it’s to say hi at a mutual session or party!

 I’m Going to Sparkle at BlogHer ’11!

I’m back!  I’ve just spent the most memorable 10 days in the city that never sleeps.  Last year, around this time, BlogHer announced that they would hold it’s annual conference in New York City.  I couldn’t purchase my ticket fast enough.  And because we live all the way on the other side of the country, our vacation was decided in that moment.  For a year, my husband and I dreamed and planned our trip. Where would we stay?  How long should we plan to be there?  What would we do?

Two weeks seemed too long with two children under 3, and one week wouldn’t give us enough time to recover from jet lag and late night BlogHer events.  We decided on ten days…in an apartment…with the babysitter my parents.  I wanted to see a Broadway show and visit American Girl Place.  My husband wanted to tour the High Line and eat at Morimoto.  My son wanted to ride in a taxi…and take the subway.    We did most of that and so much more.

Every day this week, I’ll highlight the city, although I’m in no way an expert.  In fact, I highly encourage you to visit Carol or Nicole…local New Yorkers who are experts on navigating the city with kids.

If you had one week in the Big Apple….what would you see and do?

{Photos: All rights reserved}

American Museum of Natural History

Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity 3

Times Square

Images obtained via Nikon D90.  All rights reserved.

]]> http://rockinmama.net/2010/08/wordless-wednesday-rockin-new-york-city/feed/ 6 http://rockinmama.net/2010/08/blogher-bound-2/ http://rockinmama.net/2010/08/blogher-bound-2/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:37:36 +0000 caryn http://rockinmama.net/?p=17462 Whew!  It’s been a very busy few days.  I worked shifts back-to-back over the weekend in order to have some much needed time off!  The last few days we’ve been shopping, packing, and prepping for our time in New York City, hence, the lack of blogging.  The next few days will be a bit busy and I may not have a lot of time to post (which is the ironic part of a blogging conference).  But come next week, I’ll be bursting with information to share and get your feedback on.

If you’ve been to my Twitter page recently, you may have noticed a change.  This is just a sneak peak into what’s to come on Rockin’ Mama including the near launch of a website that’s been in the works since I was pregnant with my daughter.

Please be patient with me when it comes to responding to emails, comments, closing giveaways etc. as computer access will be sporadic.  Once the weekend is over, things will hopefully return to semi-normal.  I’m so excited about the trip and I hope to see and meet some of you if you’re heading to BlogHer.

By the way, did you know that Access Communications recently released their report on How Women Are Shaping the Internet?  If you take a look at their top 50 Mommy Blogs, you may notice a few familiar faces.  : )

{Photo Credit: grngobstpr}

In less than two weeks, I’ll be on a plane to New York City for my third BlogHer convention.  It’s hard to believe that three years ago, I didn’t even know what BlogHer was.

I want to start by thanking Bumble Bee Foods, for their generous sponsorship.  On Thursday, Bumble Bee Foods is hosting a reception at the Viking Demo Kitchen in New York City.  Chef Scott Leibfried will be in attendance demonstrating three Bumble Bee Foods recipes throughout the evening. For those of you who are attending, there will be giveaways during the 8:00 pm hour for two Viking professional hand blenders (sweet)!.  If you aren’t attending the event, there will be a Twitter contest throughout the duration of the conference.  Anyone who tweets with the assigned hashtag (which will be announced at the event) will be entered to win a one year supply of Bumble Bee Foods products.

On another note, I have a ton of activities packed into a very short amount of time.  Here is a small list (ahem) of the companies I am planning to connect with via scheduled events, meetings, etc.

Nikon (I just got the D90 which I’ll be sharing more about very soon)

American Girl Place

Toys R Us

The Sak

Nintendo

Cake Lingerie

The Madame Alexander Doll Company

Kellogg’s

Scholastic

e.l.f.

Chuggington

Hallmark

And a few that I don’t have anything scheduled with but would love to meet up with (maybe one or two of them will read this post)

FAO Schwarz

Fisher Price

And…I really want to go to the Today Show, meet Martha Stewart and attend a Nate Berkus-inspired fashion show!  (one can dream, right?)

So…are you going to BlogHer this year?  If so, who do you want to connect with?  I’d love to meet some of you!

{Photo Credit: windscafe}

No compensation was received for this post.  As a member of the Bee Squad, I receive product samples and information.  The company is also sponsoring my trip to BlogHer 2010.

Speaking of BlogHer, I had a fabulous maternity wardrobe sponsor:  Maggie Maternity.  I showed you a little preview of what I was going to wear right before the trip.  I received a beautiful Summer Sleeveless Maxi Dress in Navy and a stunning Pearl Necklace with Sculpted Sterling Silver Roses Clasp which I wore on Friday for all of my events, including a Nintendo Dinner sponsored by Brand About Town and a Nikon party.

Here is a bit more information about Maggie Maternity from the site:

Maggie Maternity brings a whole new meaning to how we dress when we are pregnant.  Our collection of maternity clothing makes dressing while expecting beautiful and effortless. Flattering and comfortable, our designs were borne out of necessity. We wanted simple unfussy clothes.  These are staple items that are far from the usual maternity basics.  Our stretch jersey fabric is incredibly comfortable and flattering.

My shopping during my first pregnancy was limited to a few online venues, which sufficed at the time, since all I was doing was staying home in bed.  This pregnancy I’ve been able to work, travel, and socialize, which means I needed a few staple pieces suitable for casual and formal/professional events.  The dress I received, first and foremost, is super comfortable.  I love the lightweight, stretchy fabric.  It’s definitely a dress I can wear for casual and more formal events and I know I’ll wear it right until I deliver (and after as well as I’m trimming down!).  I chose blue since I find it to be a bit more casual but if you’re looking for something even dressier, I would recommend choosing red.

To be honest, I didn’t immediately think of jewelry when considering my maternity wardrobe.  But when a piece was suggested to me by a representative from the company, I realized how much of a difference it made to the dress.  The Pearl Necklace with Sculpted Steriling Silver Roses Clasp definitely “dressed up” the piece and I felt like I was glowing for the 2 formal events I attended (one at The Signature Room at the 95th, the other at the Flatwater Restaurant).  The necklace is made of sterling silver and is a strand of gorgeous pearls.  You can actually either wear the rose clasp in the front or the back which will give the necklace a different look.  It’s very versatile.

Overall, I was highly impressed with the style and quality of the items I received from Maggie Maternity.  Some of their pieces are on sale right now, so do check them out if you’re pregnant and looking for some stylish wardrobe pieces.  I’m actually interseted in their Maggie Box which is a set of four, staple wardrobe items.  With this box, you could add a few colored items and be set for your entire pregnancy!

Just a few housekeeping items…  Giveaway winners will be chosen next week.  Be sure to watch your inbox!  Review and giveaway postings will be light this weekend and very much BlogHer oriented.  For all the latest happenings, be sure to follow me on Twitter.  And I apologize in advance if I’m a little slow responding to emails.

I’m very much looking forward to meeting many of you who will be attending!  Please catch up with me if you’d like.