Category: Blogging

I’m Going To The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration - Looking For Sponsors To Bring With Me

I am so excited! I’m going to Disney World! And it’s for my first bloggers conference! And we’re going to see Pooh! And Mickey! And we’re staying at the Polynesian! And we’re going to see Pooh! I am so pumped for this! I am really looking forward to meeting other bloggers, as well as learn how to use social media most effectively to communicate with others. This will help me network with others and learn the most effective ways to represent companies that I’m working with. This conference is sold out.

About the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration

The Walt Disney World Resort near beautiful Orlando, Florida is the setting for this first ever, family-friendly social media conference for moms. You’ll experience special events, conference sessions and private parties taking place across the 40-square mile entertainment complex. You’ll have a chance to experience the fun and fantasy of Walt Disney World while hearing from captivating speakers such as Guy Kawasaki, Maxine Clark, MaryEllen Hooper, and more.

I am seeking partial sponsorships to this conference, to help cover travel expenses. If you have or represent a family friendly company and are interested in having me promote your business please contact me asap.

In return for your partial sponsorship I will:

Place your company or product badge in my sidebar for six months.
Write a post introducing you as a sponsor.
Mention you as a sponsor in any post where I write about the conference.
Wear your logo clothing, not only to the conference but also while in the parks.
Wear your product (if it can be worn).
Put your company or product on the back of my business card. (MUST CONTACT ME BEFORE END OF THIS WEEK FOR THIS)
Write a post quarterly mentioning any news or new products you’ve got.

Please contact me to discuss sponsorship for your company, product or client. Thanks for taking the time to consider my request.

Jan 27, 2010 | 1 comment | View Post

2009 Mom Knows It All Holiday Gift Guide

2009 mom knows it all holiday gift guide

Mom Knows It All Holiday Gift Guide has just launched with the hopes of helping families to get ready for the holiday season. The guide will contain family friendly gift ideas for all ages and all budget ranges. Products will come from all categories and price points. Visit often because the gift guide will be a fluid one, meaning that items will be listed individually and in one central location on the gift guide page. A number of companies have generously offered to sponsor giveaways as well.

Have a product you think should be included in the guide?

I still have room for items in several categories including toy, game, gadget and household. Visit the gift guide page to learn how to submit an item for consideration.

Nov 19, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

I’m A CVS Caremark All Kids Can Grant Winner!

I recently received some very exciting news. Back in March, TwitterMoms gave me a heads up on the CVS Caremark All Kids Can campaign. My youngest son has Down Syndrome. I thought it was perfect timing for a campaign like this and I wrote a post about the importance of inclusion. The title was “With Inclusion, All Kids Can“.

I’ve learned that I am one of five bloggers that CVS chose to receive a $1,000 grant to the nonprofit of my choice that supports children with disabilities. When I read the email I had such mixed emotions. It made me happy, sad and very proud all at once. I am totally thrilled to have been selected as one of the winners.

I’ve chosen the National Down Syndrome Society to receive the money. I chose them because their mission statement parallels my own beliefs. Their vision is what I wish for my son. “The mission of the National Down Syndrome Society is to be the national advocate for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The National Down Syndrome Society envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities.”

A big thanks to CVS Caremark All Kids Can for selecting me as a winner and to TwitterMoms for giving me a heads up about the CVS Caremark All Kids Can campaign in the first place.

Jun 11, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Today On New Jersey Moms Blog - Priorities

I have an article on New Jersey Moms Blog today. It’s called Priorities - A Six Pack And Stuff. It’s about what happened when I took my thirteen year old son TJ to the emergency room recently. I learned something about his priorities. I’d love it if you clicked over and checked it out.

Just when I thought I had the game figured out the rules changed.

Jun 06, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

Pitch Bloggers

Trisha Haas from MomDot recognizes that an ethical blogger is a professional blogger, which is the type of blogger that PR professionals want to work with. To that end Trisha has created a fantastic group called Pitch Bloggers, a group dedicated to connecting PR professionals with ethical bloggers with the goal of using the best methods to promote products. It’s free to join, all you need to do is submit an application and sign an ethics agreement. The ethics agreement doesn’t ask you for antyhign unreasonable, it simply asks you to promise that you will conduct your reviews in a timely and professional manner. This site is a wonderful way to network and contains a lot of really helpful resources. Any blogger interested in bringing their product reviews to the next level should definitely be checking this group out. Members have access to forums where they have the opportunity to chat with other members and PR professionals. Members also receive a badge to put on their blog to let PR and marketing folks, and other bloggers, know that you’re a member of this reputable group. I’m thrilled to have been accepted into this group and look forward to learning a lot from them.Thanks for letting me join Trisha!

May 26, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Proud of my Mom

I have to share this. I am so proud of my Mom. She started writing more and really put her heart into it on her blog Here And There a couple of months ago. I wasn’t sure if she’d enjoy it or how well she’d do but I think she’s doing a great job. She responds to just about every comment she gets, even the ones for giveaways. You’re doing a great job Mom! I love you and I’m proud of you. I like that we now have another thing in common that we can talk about. I like reading some of your thoughts and stories. (That’s how I know that you killed the plant. I love you anyway so there’s no need for you to call Westgate.) Maybe we can both go to BlogHer next year - together!

For my readers that have visited her blog - thank you! She gets so thrilled to read and reply to her comments and I get a big kick out of seeing her delighted like that. She’s a great lady and a great Mom.

Apr 12, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

A welcome giveaway for Mom

I’m having a little giveaway to introduce my Mom to the rest of the world. She’s got her own little piece of the internet, it’s a blog called Here And There. My Mom’s name is Pat. and she’s pretty awesome. She’s a retired teacher, mother of four, grandmother of one girls and two boys. She writes about family, food, pets, travel, Disney, weight and health issues, and saving money. She’s started doing product reviews and is looking forward to doing more of those. She’s been enjoying writing on her blog a lot and I’ve enjoyed talking with her about it and trying to help her. I’d love to thrill her by sending her a bunch of traffic, so I’m holding a small giveaway as a sort of a little sitewarming. I’m sure you all remember what it’s like to be a fairly new blogger, excited to get a couple of visitors and comments. That’s what I want to do for her, she’d be thrilled.

GIVEAWAY

The winner will receive a coupon code good for one game of your choice over at Big Fish Games.

HOW TO ENTER.

Visit HereAndThere.US and leave a comment on any post there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for an entry.)

You can earn unlimited entries this way, just leave a comment there and then here (pun intended) for every entry you want.

BONUS ENTRIES

1 - Fave her blog Here And There at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here. Her Technorati fave button is in her sidebar.
1 - Place her button on your blog AND leave a link here. Her button code is in her sidebar.
1 - Blog about this giveaway, including a link to Here And There, then leave your link here.

Leave an additional comment for each bonus entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Friday 03/13/09 at 11:59 pm est. Only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winners will be selected randomly. The winner must contact me within 2 days to confirm they wish to receive the prize. Good luck to everyone!

Mar 08, 2009 | 20 comments | View Post

Please help me get to know YOU

The song from The King and I is in my head now.

“Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.”

I’d like to learn more about my readers so that I can make this blog the best it can be, both for you (the reader) and myself. I’d really appreciate it if you could take one minute (two at the most) to take a quick survey (short and sweet, 7 questions). None of the questions are required but the more information you can share with me the better. No names required, feedback is given anonymously. Answers will not be visible to the public and they will appear, as if by magic, inside a spreadsheet in my Google Docs.
Thank you.

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Mar 03, 2009 | 1 comment | View Post

February’s Top EC Dropper

I decided that at the beginning of each month I’d like to thank my top Entrecard droppers for the previous month.

My top Entrecard dropper for February is Karen from The Pond, who dropped on me from one of her three blogs a total of 42 times. Thanks Karen! I really appreciate it. You’re a terrific online friend.

Mrs Mecomber from New York Traveler and Lynne from Sewing Mom were my #2 and #3 droppers for last month. Thanks to you as well ladies!

Mar 02, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Support Bloggers Give

Earlier this week, while traveling through some of the blogs I regularly read I noticed a cause named Bloggers Give mentioned. I liked what I read and wanted to learn more about how to help so I added it to my to-do list. Before I had a chance to learn more I was contacted directly by Louise from MomStart.com about Bloggers Give, after she read some of my blog. I’m still frequently surprised to learn that people notice my blog so I was tickled pink and very honored to learn that someone that stands out in the blogging community noticed it and asked me to help with this cause.

Bloggers Give is a non-profit organization that was founded by Trisha from MomDot.com. The organization is collecting items for The Center For Courageous Kids.

The Center For Courageous Kids is a camp in Scottsville, Kentucky for seriously ill, disabled and special needs children and their families. The camp, founded in 2004, gives the children the opportunity to be with other children with similar conditions while allowing them to have fun and feel good about themselves in a safe place. Registration is free, which is awesome because in this case the camp isn’t any old camp and free encompasses much more then most people realize. I’m not talking about tent camping, or a bunch of kids at a week of sleep away camp. I’m talking about facilities, equipment, programs and staff specialized to the children’s needs.

Most places in society just aren’t accessible enough for these children. They’re just not built that way and could present physical, social and emotional issues. I have a special needs child. I can’t tell you how huge the need is for places like this camp, and how much they mean to the families. I’m talking about places that welcome your children with open arms, just as they are. Places where there are other families like yours - people who understand what you feel, what you deal with, what challenges you face and what you go through ever day.

Back to Bloggers Give. I am proud to say I think their mission is a great one and that they need help. I’m proud to be able to say that these are bloggers, like me, and that they see a need and want to fill it. It makes me feel proud to call myself a blogger. So, if you are asking me to do a product review, please consider donating a second item to the Bloggers Give cause. It isn’t mandatory for you to do it in order for me to review your product but I guarantee it will make you feel good. And I’ll find a nice place on this site to put your banner up or link to you, letting the world know you want to help make a difference.

If you’re a fellow blogger, please consider joining in this cause with us. Readers, you don’t have to be a blogger to help, you can get in on this and help too!

To learn more about Bloggers Give and how you can help visit http://bloggersgive.com.

THIS IS ALSO CROSS POSTED ON MY REVIEW BLOG VALSVIEWS.COM).

Feb 01, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

I want to go to Blogher. Want to help me get there?

I started this blog years ago but have only blogged regularly for about 18 months now. Since 2007 I’ve learned a lot about myself - as a person, as a Mom, as a wife, as a friend, as a blogger and as a shopper. I’ve grown to love blogging and have been fortunate enough to have had a lot of fun, made some great online friends, worked with some great companies and checked out a lot of new products here and on my review blog Val’s Views.

I’ve known for months that I want to to to BlogHer 2009. For those of you that don’t know, BlogHer is an annual conference for women bloggers. This year’s conference will be taking place on July 23-25, 2009 and the theme is “In Real Life”. I had hoped this year’s conference would be on the East Coast to minimize my travel expenses, figuring I’d drive and only have to cover the registration and the room. In the end it was decided to hold BlogHer in Chicago this year. I really want to go but with it being held in Chicago there’s just no way I can afford the trip on my own with my husband looking for work. I would need approximately $1,000 in order to be to attend - $200 to register for the conference ($300 if I register on March 1 or later), $400 for the room and $400 for the flight. That’s a lot of money that we don’t have now and aren’t likely to have any time soon. So I forced myself to tell say “I cannot afford to go to BlogHer this year” out loud, in an effort to make it real so I’d forget about how much I wanted to go and move on. Nope. After saying it out loud not only was it real but I wanted to go even more.

So here we are. I still want to go. So I’m looking for either a full sponsor or several partial sponsors so I can go to BlogHer. To be blunt, I want some of your company’s money. I don’t expect money for nothing, that’s silly. Here’s some of what could come from my attending BlogHer. What I could do for you, as it were.

One of the biggest reasons I want to go to BlogHer is for the knowledge. I want to learn from other bloggers on how to be a better blogger. The better of a blogger that I am the better I can work with you to promote your products. Another of the main reasons I want to go to BlogHer is for the networking. The more effectively that I network with other bloggers the more effectively I’ll be able to get the word out about your products. I’ve communicated with some of these women online for some time now and would love to be able to meet them and learn from them. I would really appreciate being able to meet representatives from companies that I’ve worked with already, in order to thank them. I’d also appreciate being able to get my name out to new companies as well.

To potential sponsors - I would really love to talk to you about a full or partial BlogHer sponsorship and how we can work together to create a successful and beneficial partnership between us. Whether you’d like to be featured in my sidebar for a year or have a whole bunch of your products reviewed - I’m open to your suggestions and ideas. I thank you for your time and consideration.

To my readers - I’ll be entering contests and anything else I can find that offers a full or partial scholarship to BlogHer so it’s a safe bet you’ll see it mentioned now and again. Thanks in advance for understanding. My blogging will only improve by attending BlogHer, making my content more enjoyable and my giveaways even better.

The Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ’09 Contest is the first contest I’m entering. Mabel’s Labels has generously offered to award one lucky blogger a full sponsorship (flight, registration, room) to BlogHer if they win the contest. To enter the contest they want to know the rewards and benefits of blogging, which I’ve included here.

Jan 31, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Bloggy Giveaways start on Monday

The Bloggy Giveaways start up on Monday. I will be hosting at least five giveaways, and at least one giveaway a day, for the length of the carnival. You won’t need any special tech jobs or anything to enter, it’ll be the standard giveaway entries - commenting, social media, etc. I’ll also be hosting giveaways over on Fun, Crafts and Recipes. Hope to see you on Monday

Jan 23, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Family day at the Liberty Science Center

I am fortunate enough to be a member of the New Jersey Moms Blog, part of the well known Silicon Valley Moms Group. Women who write for the New Jersey Moms Blog, the New York City Moms Blog and the Philadelphia Moms Blog recently received an invitation to a private party at the Liberty Science Center. I’d never been there so I thought it would be fun for our family to go.

We set out on our way yesterday morning. I got out of the neighborhood and had remembered my sunglasses, money for tolls, the directions and CJ’s vsmile game. Most impressive, I usually forget at least one thing when I’m driving more then a few miles. After getting on the Parkway I realized I’d forgotten a spare Pull-up. See what I mean! Fortunately hubby had one in his console. One hour later, after meeting up with a couple of rude toll collectors and one nice one, we arrived at our destination in Jersey City, NJ.

The Liberty Science Center is huge. We were greeted at the door and directed to the Jennifer Chalsty Center for our party. I was glad we were in a part of the building that had bathrooms right there, very convenient for those of us working on pottying. CJ can go all day most of the time without an accident so we do everything we can to be sure he can made it to a potty when he needs one. We snagged a drink and a cookie and set out to explore.

I wanted to take CJ to see One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure. This took place in a little miniature inflatable planetarium. During this show Big Bird and Elmo meet up with Hu Hu Zu (sp?) and learn about the stars, sun, moon, the Big Dipper and the North Star. This was a big hit with CJ because he loves the Sesame Street characters. He absolutely loved Elmo, and asked if we could do it again.

Some things were set up right in our area, like the lab where we did some coloring to reinforce what we’d just learned about the solar system. There was also a live hands on animal display, which we unfortunately missed. I was too late to watch it from the beginning but I did get a peek at part of the liquid nitrogen show through the door.

From there we met back up with RB and TJ and headed upstairs to explore. We saw an exhibit about germs called The Infection Connection. One of the displays there sneezed on us. Eww! It wasn’t real sneezy stuff of course, but the whole idea of it was to teach you how forceful a sneeze can be and how germs spread.

We found an exhibit called Eat Or Be Eaten. Here we saw all sorts of live animals including turles, reptiles, frogs, bugs and fish. My pictures didnt come out well unfortunately. Some of the animals were neat. The stick bugs were cool, they look just like a stick you’d find in your yard. We saw a flat frog, that was very cool. We saw a fish that makes himself look just like the rocks. I circled him in purple so you’d know where he was.

We saw several different turtles. CJ really liked these and kept telling me “Mom, turtle!”

We had a great time. There’s only two things I would have changed about the day. The first is that I wish I’d had the opportunity to meet more of the other Mom bloggers. The second is time. Had I known the Liberty Science Center was so big I definitely would have started our day earlier. I’d like to go back another day when I have more time to explore because there sure is a lot there to see. There’s some sort of outdoor display that my husband wants to check out. I really want to take CJ into the I Explore exhibit.

Thanks again to the Liberty Science Center and to the Silicon Valley Moms Group for this fun opportunity!

Jan 18, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Check out the new digs!

I’ve wanted to renovate this blog for a while. I found the header image a while back. When hubby first saw her he said she looked like she was a know it all. How appropriate! She also has a ponytail and glasses. And she’s brunette like me! She’s skinny though. Hmm. Maybe next year.

So when I got home from work I set about backing up and upgrading wordpress. I was so thrilled everything went smoothly. My blog didn’t disappear like it did when I did my first upgrade way back when, so there was no need to beg my host to restore from the tape drives. Then I installed the new theme and made the rest of the necessary changes. I have a couple of minor changes to make but for all practical purposes she’s finished.

So what do you think of the new look? I’d love any feedback you care to share.

Jan 14, 2009 | 6 comments | View Post

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival starts tomorrow!

That time of year is here (again)! It’s time for another Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival. I’ll be running giveaways here and on Val’s Views. I doubt I’ll be needing any weight loss pills this week because I’ll be swamped running at least one giveaway each day on this blog and Val’s Views, and at least four giveaways on Fun, Crafts and Recipes. I love Bloggy Giveaways Carnivals because I love seeing new people visit, finding new blogs for me to visit and making new friends. And all of those giveaways, who doesn’t love those! Remember to drop by often, you don’t want to miss anything. See ya!

Oct 26, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post