SuperFun Adult Drink Pouches FTW!

I totally enjoy kids things more than I'd like to admit.  I'm just that kinda mom.  One thing I've always been envious of is those darn juice pouches.  Why do kids get all the cool stuff?  Love packing them for the beach, at the park, by the pool.  I always think of Summer fun when I see juice pouches.  But maybe this love and fascination goes way back to my childhood, visiting my grandpa in the Philippines for the Summer and ordering a drink from the corner cantina.  The vendor would pour a bottle of soda into a baggie, throw a straw in there and tie the plastic bag.  Sounds crazy, right?  Oh but it was so fun as a kid!  So when I was brainstorming what cocktail I should create for the #NickMomPJParty at #SoFabCon14, I came up with a kid-inspired adult twist I'm calling SuperFun Adult Drink Pouches in Fresh Watermelon Margarita flavor!  I want to attend SoFabCon because I had a blast last year.  I learned SEO, bonded with fellow bloggers and it snowed!  SNOW in Arkansas in May made my life! So if I win, we can be sip sipping these babies at the pajama party!    

Super easy to make and you can find the long reclosable bags at your local craft store in the jewelry supply section!  Cheers!  

For the virgin version, just remove tequila!  You can also add fresh lemonade or lime slices to be extra!  This recipe makes 6 pouches.

  

Like a #collectivebias boss!

The Accidental Keynote #SoFabCon

I have been home a month since SoFabCon and I still think about Jasmine Banks powerful closing keynote.  Every day actually.  The funny thing about all this is - Jasmine wasn't even the scheduled speaker - it just kinda happened.  Something with US Customs at the Canadian border.  But that's okay, sometimes things happen for a reason and I put it in my mind that we were all meant to hear Jasmine's story.  It was beautiful, painful and inspiring.  She made us cry and she made us laugh by keeping it real.  That cliche about a breath of fresh air - this keynote was it.  Everywhere I look online - blogs and Instagram mainly - I see picture perfect homes, food and families.  I have asked myself is this for real?  Is this real life?  Because I know no one like that.  Jasmine calls this stylized content.  I call it cookie cutter.  The majority of bloggers these days are the same.  Pushing out the same perfect content in the same layouts, following the same formula and not breaking new ground.  Yawn.  What works for them, might not work for you.  Don't follow anyone else's formula.  This blogging thing... it is DIY and open for interpretation!      

When I made the decision to monetize, I struggled with authenticity.  Not because I wasn't authentic but because I didn't want to scare off brands or new readers by keeping it real.  Do I sell out or do I stay true to myself?  The answer:  Stay true to yourself.  Brands, bloggers and your readers want you to BE YOU.  


When Jasmine put this slide up, everyone laughed.

What is your story then?

I used to have another blog and rebranded in April 2012.  In November 2012, I had a breakdown.  I was grateful with all the opportunities that were coming my way but I felt like I was losing my voice.  That breakdown was one of the best things to happen to me.

What is your story now?


And then Jasmine dared us to start a #ThisIsMe movement by writing a love letter to ourselves.  And this is me daring you to write a love letter to yourself.  

Send Me To #SoFabCon Because I #LuvSoFab

The minute I heard about #SoFabCon - I knew I wanted to go.  I didn't need any details, I just knew it was going to be an amazing conference because truth be told - Collective Bias doesn't only work with bloggers, they teach and nurture bloggers.  I didn't want any other Christmas gift except for a pass to the conference.

Collective Bias CULTURE is exactly how my family lives.  Their core values are my values.  

- Innovate, Evolve, And Create
-- Be Transparent
--- Be Fun Lovin’ and Happy
---- Be Passionate
----- Be Humble
------ Be Frugal and Scrappy

When I heard that Collective Bias was giving away TWELVE full conference sponsorships with their #LuvSoFab Sponsorship Contest I wanted in - I had not found reasonable flights from Southern California to Bentonville, Arkansas ($500 was so out of my price range) and it would save me a big chunk of change.

I want to attend to meet more of the team that inspires, motivates and truly supports me.  I heard Chief Social Marketing Officer Ted Rubin speak at Niche Mommy '12 and was so impressed that he knew everyone, shared good stories and had killer socks.   This experience would do so much for my blogging career - I can only grow from here on out.  I can't wait to learn more about monetizing, SEO, photography, building my brand and community!!!

So here it is... my submission with a baby, a monkey and a blogger impersonation (done with lots of love)!  SEE YOU IN ARKANSAS!  

I'm Attending #SoFabCon And Other Blogger Conferences...

There is an explosion of blogger conferences and I want to go to all of them!  Attending blogger conferences is addicting.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  My first blogger conference was BlogHer '11 in San Diego.  I went on a whim and had no idea what to expect.  It just made sense to go since it was in my state and I figured, if I didn't learn anything, it wouldn't be a big loss.  I walked away with some sense of what I wanted to do, what I needed to do to get there and I wanted to learn so much more.

I finally narrowed down the list of conferences I want to attend next year.  It was rough.  I made a list of pros and cons for each one - cost, location, dates, sessions, speakers, brands, parties and friends!  If you have your goals in mind, ask yourself these questions:  Are these sessions for me? (Especially if you are a beginner or advanced)  What do I need to learn?  Will this take me to the next level?  Do I like these brands?  Do I know who these speakers are?  Am I a people person?  Let's face it, you need to work a room.  Make friends with bloggers just like you.  Can you woo the socks off brands?  Make a list of questions that works for you.    

My advice:  You need to spend money to make money.  This is what I tell myself and my husband.  This not only goes for conferences but your brand.  This goes for investing in your own domain and business cards.  Every conference I've attended has been an investment and has definitely helped me grow.     

My Christmas gift was a trip to SoFabCon!  I knew I had to make it to this one but the flights are pricey but because the rooms aren't going to kill my bank account and the early-bird price was only $149, I made magic happen.  I can't wait!  I love working with Social Fabric.  I know I'm going to leave this conference with a notebook full of ideas and inspiration!  

Here is a list of cool conferences that I would love to attend - In order by date.  

alt Design Summit www.altitudesummit.com January 23-26 Salt Lake City

Blissdom blissdomconference.com March 21-23 Dallas

Hispanicize www.hispanicizeevent.com April 9-13 Miami

BBC Phoenix bbcphoenix2013.eventbrite.com April 12-13 Phoenix, AZ

SNAP snapconference.com April 18-20 Salt Lake City

Mom 2.0 Summit www.mom2summit.com May 2-4 Laguna Niguel, CA

Camp Blogaway www.campblogaway.com May 24-26 San Bernadino, CA

Elevate elevateblogconference.blogspot.com May 11 Huntington Beach, CA

evo evoconference.com (Unfortunately this conference has been cancelled)

Niche Mommy www.thenichemommy.com (Niche Mommy has been renamed to Niche Parent)
Niche Parent www.thenichemommy.com September 5-7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 

Blogalicious conference.beblogalicious.com October 3-5 Atlanta, GA

What conferences are you attending this year?