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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Meeting Bloggers in Real Life

BlogHer in NYC was overwhelming and amazing at the same time. What I loved most about the conference were the impromptu encounters I had when I met bloggers for the first time either in the lobby, at a table or randomly walking – these short conversations were simply pure awesomeness. And finally getting the opportunity to say “Hi, I’m Heather” to readers and bloggers that I have known for so long was surreal.

I have to be honest though, because of a conference this size it’s very hard to meet up with everyone you want to meet up with. And trying to read someone’s name tag from afar was tough and then up close it was so awkward because you started to appear as if you were staring at their boobs or their crotch trying to read their name – so I started to give up. And even though I had cell phone numbers of peeps I planned to meet, it still was a challenge to “find” each other – within a sea of 2,400 peeps, trust me, this was not easy.

But I was really great about taking pictures…for like the first two hours. Then I got caught up in the actual conference and meeting peeps that I forgot to take pictures. Isn’t that always the way? Now I am kicking myself because I so wish I had visual memories from some of the amazing parties and events I attended like Getting Gorgeous, Sweets in the City or The Mouthy Housewives.

Anyway, check out the cute video I created with the minimal amount of pictures I did manage to capture. I am happy to be home with my family and returning to this awesome space. This conference certainly reminded me of one thing – it’s how much I love this blog and how much I adore you for reading.

And please leave a comment telling me whether you would be interested in reading a “what I learned” post about a conference of this magnitude. I don’t want to write another BlogHer post if you are all tired of reading about it – but if there is sincere interest that would benefit most, I will publish my experience so please give me some feedback! And if you want to hear audio, click the media file below first for the full effect:

02 These Are Days

It’s Time for BlogHer 2010

There are so many reasons for my recent (hard to conceal) anxiousness and excitement of attending BlogHer the most sought after blog conference of the year. First, a special thank you is in order to momAgenda, the amazing sponsor who made this trip possible for me. I am honored to be working with momAgenda as I fully endorse this brand. If you haven’t checked out the latest products and updates be sure to do so! There are so many back-to-school must haves for us moms and we all love that back-to-school shopping don’t we?  And if you are not following momAgenda on Twitter, do it now. She is one of my favorite tweeps!

So aside from attending the workshops and listening to some of my bloggy idols speak at the conference, here are some other reasons I am thrilled about attending BlogHer:

  • To connect, network, and meet the bloggers in real life who I have come to adore. Awesome.
  • To carry a cute clutch as I walk out for the evening without worrying that a sippy cup will fall out. Perfect.
  • To put on some nice heels and feel good about myself in a brand new outfit without worrying about spit-up or snot plastered all over it. Nice.
  • To have some quality adult conversation without being interrupted by two little voices. Wow.
  • And most importantly, to be inspired.

So as I venture into New York City over the next few days I will not be posting until I return. I will also not post a Featured TMC Blogger this Friday so we’ll catch up on that next week as well. I have a feeling this experience will be overwhelming and surreal (among many other things) at the same time…

I’m going into this with a full heart and eyes wide open – and what do I look forward to aside from seeing my family when I come home?

Sharing this crazy experience with all of you. 

The Most Fabulous Vintage Pearl Giveaway

***This contest is now closed. Congratulations Anne! An email has been sent.***

The Vintage Pearl began in 2007 starting out as a small business. However, when you discover this line of jewelry and wear a piece from The Vintage Pearl you will understand how this business has grown immensely over the last three years. Every piece of jewelry is made entirely from sterling silver using only the finest materials within every design. I previously reviewed a piece from The Vintage Pearl collection at Theta Mom so when I was contacted again to offer my fabulous readers another giveaway, I was very happy to oblige! This is a business I fully endorse because they offer custom, quality jewelry at a very affordable price.

So take one look at their full website and you will be hooked. Aside from the gorgeous necklaces that they are known for, The Vintage Pearl offers everything from keepsakes to beautiful bracelets and even something for the special man in your life.

You can follow the blog for new products and updates and also follow The Vintage Pearl on Twitter.

The Vintage Pearl loves Theta Mom and this readership so they are offering one lucky reader a $75 gift certificate to shop at The Vintage Pearl! Is this an amazing giveaway or what? And what’s even better is I made this so easy for you to enter!!!

Simply leave a comment telling me how you would spend the $75 by visiting The Vintage Pearl and be sure to follow my blog publicly and tell me you are. That’s it!!!

Want an extra entry? Copy and tweet the following as often as you like: Leave a comment @ThetaMom to win $75 to shop @TheVintagePearl http://bit.ly/dguKQd Please RT

*This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on August 14th. One winner will be selected at random using random.org and will be contacted via email. I was not provided a product or compensation for this post. These are my own, honest opinions about The Vintage Pearl which are reflective of my experience from a previous review.

Featured TMC Blogger: Mom-Nom

TMC welcomes Tiffany, author of the blog Mom-Nom. I met Tiffany through this very community and have enjoyed watching her blog evolve in such a short time. She even made the smart move to WordPress not too long ago! She also has an amazing story to tell and this is why I adore her blog so much. Like so many other TMC women, she is an honest and open blogger, telling the truth even when it hurts. So be sure to check her out and read her compelling story. This is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hi. I’m Tiffany and I’m addicted to social media.

When I’m not twittering until my fingers bleed or hiding in the bathroom with my laptop so I can blog without my husband calling me an internet weirdo, I can be found enjoying the company of my family – Mr. B, my son, Bubs & daughter, Bubbette {names have been changed to protect the innocent.} 

I started Mom-Nom.com in November 2009 {Originally titled: Feels Like Home} as a way to relieve stress and work out anxiety after nearly losing Bubs in a motorized vehicle accident in July 2009. And slowly but surely it has morphed into a place where I discovered my voice, my personal anthem and my strength.

Which may sound cheesy, but I kid you not, it’s true.

At the time of the accident I was 39 weeks pregnant and we had been living in our first home about a month, so you can imagine the stress I was under.  After taking some time to heal {all of us}, post accident & c-section, I returned to work and found myself dealing with a wide variety of emotions, which led me to the world wide web…which led me back to The Bump {where I frequented before the accident. don’t judge me.}…which led me to blogging.

I started out aimlessly writing about my family and lifestyle and I thought people might care to hear our story and how crazy I was becoming. {Britney Spears is a great example of how people love to watch someone completely lose it. I thought I had that going for me…}  I let my warped sense of humor lead the way and rambled on and on about pregnancy tests failing me and getting knocked up every time I laid down.  I talked about my lack of a sex life and how I lost it…a little.

And yet, eight months later I’m still blogging. {Imagine that!} But now people actually read it. And some brave souls actually comment. Bless their hearts.”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter!

New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*Instead of leaving a comment here, please show some love directly on the blog of the Featured TMC Blogger. Have a great weekend ladies!

Keeping Your Sanity

As much as I love the summer sometimes I feel like it’s one of the busiest times of the year. In recent weeks I have found myself caught between 900 pool parties, baptisms and other commitments in the midst of managing the blog and working from home. {And let’s not forget that my son is not in pre-school during the summer months and I need to entertainment him 99% of the day and my 22 month-old daughter is at just, well, at a really F-U-N age.}

So as super busy moms, here are my top three tips for staying sane and striking some sort of balance among the chaos called summertime:

1. Make Daily To-Do Lists: Time management is the secret to maintaining some sanity and I am such a list girl. I swear by them. I actually handwrite and prioritize what I need to do on each given day. The key to implementing the list effectively is whatever does not get done by the end of the day is the FIRST thing to be placed on the new list for the next day. I prioritize tasks from everything related to work, home, the blog as well as personal commitments. It takes me roughly ten minutes to create the list each day (which I recommend drafting the night before so you anticipate the next day’s activities and schedule) and it’s the most organized, productive and well spent ten minutes I make each day. It keeps me organized, on target and sane.

2. Learn to Say No: I have such a Type-A personality so I have struggled with this but ever since the birth of my second child I truly have learned the power of “no.” There just isn’t enough time to commit to everything without feeling stressed out so it IS totally ok not to attend that invitation to a pool party or summer BBQ. It’s ok to delegate some tasks out to others and not take on so much yourself. It’s ok not to cook one evening if you are tired – I can’t tell you how much easier my evening is with the kids when I don’t have to cook. Order out or eat out with the family and give yourself a break. 

3. Take a Time Out: Every mom needs some time alone without having to worry about a sippy cup falling out of the purse {unless it looks like this} or a diaper needing to be changed. I have said from day one on this blog that I’m a better mother when I have time to regroup and re-energize. So be sure to grab some “me” time and put yourself back on the list because you certainly deserve it.

And if all else fails? Drink some red wine – it’s guaranteed to keep you sane, one beautiful glass at a time.