The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

A Blog For All Seasons

If there's one thing that I did learn at BlogHer, it's that everyone blogs for their own personal reasons.  Since we spend most of our time blogging in a bubble, it's nice to get out and remember what brought us here in the first place. 

I started A Daily Grind as an extension of my business.  That, and the fact that I'm actually a trained writer (shocking, I know) is what inspired me to sit down and put words out there for whoever wanted to read.  At the time, I didn't realize I was joining a "tribe" or would soon be labeled a "mommy blogger."  Cuz, really, I never thought of myself that way until someone told me that's what I was.

And really, I'm not sure I like labels (unless they say Tory Burch or Marc Jacobs, that is).

Over the course of the conference, I was asked "so, what's your blog about?" like 127 times and 127 I stumbled.

"Ummm..., it's like about, uh, I guess... stu-uff?"

Cuz really, I didn't know what to say.

So I spent a little time thinking about it.  What is this blog about?  And what I came up with is not a one-word answer.  My blog is like me - all over the place, sometimes disorganized, but it always has a touch more personality than you'd think on first glance.

It's true, I do reviews and giveaways here cuz, hey, someone's gotta put applesauce on the table. ;)  But I do reviews and stuff because I really do like trying new products and also because I know the influence bloggers can have when they write a truthful and honest review.  I know this because I know the influence other bloggers have had on my brand.  So if you're you're a company or even just an individual with a product and you're on the fence about whether or not bloggers can help you, give it a shot.  I bet you'll be happy with the results.

But as much as I like spreading the word about the latest and greatest, I feel like my best posts, the ones that really reflect my true personality are those that really come from the heart.  Anecdotes about something that happened in my day, my rants and raves... Those are the pieces that tell a story about me. 

So next time someone asks me what my blog's really about?  I'll probably answer simply: me.

Ode to BlogHer by Telling Dad

This is funny cuz it's true...

PBS Kids Interviews ME!

Not sure why I felt the need to keep waving at the camera, but anyhow...

BlogHer '09 - The Good, the Swag, and the Ugly.

So I'm back.  After almost 5 months of like OMG, what should I wear, I'm finally back from BlogHer '09 and if nothing else, I met some very cool people, some moderately cool people, and some people that I'm sort of embarrassed to share oxygen with.  But whatever.  Here goes.

I have to say that my experience was mostly good.  I really liked the opening remarks and the stats on bloggers and women made me feel proud to be part of this community.  The sessions I attended were engaging, if not all a variation of each other.  Some highlights included Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks encouraging bloggers to know their passion, and Jessica Bern's hilarious story about calling her dentist to complain of vaginal itch (ya, it related to blogging. At the time.).  Oh, and I laughed like crazy at Danielle Henderson's rendition of her blog post entitled stuck in the middle with you.  Read it.  You won't be sorry.  It's about her vagina and it's funny.

I met some awesome people.  But perhaps my favorite meeting was that of Jozet of Halushki fame.  Why?  Because on Friday night she was the strict scary "bouncer" who wouldn't let me in to the MamaPop party because my name was mysteriously omitted from "the list."  Then on Saturday night she became one of my new favorite people as she inadvertently took the seat beside me (sucks for her!) at an intimate dinner for 6 people.  Seriously, this girl started on my shit list and ended up my new bff.  There goes my bitch sessions about her.  (Don't worry, many others to take that spot.)

But almost as shocking as the total turn-around made by @Halushki was the fact that I actually was totally unimpressed with many of the people I was looking forward to meeting.  Girls who are typically fun to tweet with, others who I've worked with on Alex Casey Baby who I thought might be interested in meeting me were tripping over their own egos as they headed in the other direction.  WTF!!  Ladies (and you know who you are), GET OVER YOURSELVES, K?  Seriously girls, you're running blogs, not the world, so take it down a notch.  And you're not that skinny. 

Speaking of taking it down a notch, I'm so not into all this debbie-downer drama about the swag.  My opinion is this - these companies rely on swag to promote their products.  They are at these events because we are their target market.  It actually matters to these companies that we try and hopefully talk about their stuff.  Now, I'm not talking about those ridiculous bitches who stood in line at the fab TypeAMom party, walked in, grabbed a swag bag and left.  No, those are really icky women who do deserve to be banned from the free shit.  And I'm also not talking about those classy ladies who knocked over pregnant women and children in search of a free pen or laundry detergent sample.  I mean people like myself, who walked the expo floor and was happy to pick up free shit that I thought I or my family might enjoy.  ALSO(hold on, I need to climb higher on that soapbox o' mine), these sponsors who are handing out evil swag are also helping relieve some of the financial strain of getting us to the conference.  I mean $200 for a ticket is not a huge deal (I got earlybird ;) and $199 for a room that can be shared is also do-able so you know, think before you tweet, people.

Stuff that sucked.  There's not too much to moan about but since you're here... The food was god-awful.  While I'm typically a fan of Ragu and did enjoy the upbeat decor in the buffet area, I don't know if I'm alone in the fact that I would've loooved a vegetable or two to go with my heavily sauced chicken and my hearty meat upside-down pie thing.  However, I'm grateful for their support, yada yada, and actually do buy their products (seriously, I do).  Once I glimpsed the Mexican fiesta going on on Saturday I hit the door for some actual protein (which I got but not before almost having it out with a restaurant manager, the waiter, and due to a monstrously hungry stomach, my lunch-mates).  But hey, a little scurvy never killed anyone.  ;)

The parties were fun.  The free crap was a treat.  I even didn't mind seeing cute little babies here and there (as long as I'm not the one getting up to feed 'em, we're all good).  The down-side to any event featuring 1400 women?  DRAMA.  A drama-free zone it was not.  Obv.

I wasn't on the guest list for most of the little corporate soirees but I'm totally fine with that.  I don't need a list of names above and below mine to feel part of something and I don't need brands to covet me in order to feel good about myself.  While I felt that these private parties interfered with the general feeling of community surrounding the weekend (like, if you bother to travel to a networking conference, why spend so much time with peeps you already know?), I really have no strong opinion on this. 

But the real event after my own heart?  CheeseburgHers and fries at 10pm.  I mean really, as a girl with a weakness for junk food and fast food, McD's sure don't have to buy my love with a sponsored event.  But I'm sure glad they did.  :)

NOTE: I reserve the right to update, add to, or even publish additional posts about BlogHer as my memory allows...

 

 

Aloha from Hawaii!

Well, not really.  But I just got my very first spray-tan so I look like I've been in Hawaii, but a girl can dream, right?   

A spray-tan?  Why in the world would I need a spray-tan?  Well, it's been raining like, almost daily in Boston and that cute sun-kissed look I was counting on acquiring during my week-long trip to the beach went up in smoke rain and I just feel cheated.  Cheated because summer is the one time of year that I don't really need much more than some mascara and lip gloss and cheated because I was looking rather pasty during the few months when I should be looking healthy.  So I morphed into that girl that I might otherwise make fun of and stripped down for a total stranger while he (yes HE) painted my body with a shade of bronze that may or may not be too much for my bad white self.

But it's done so I may as well use this experience as fodder for my blog. 

So I chose the salon based on a review I read in Allure Magazine.  I figured, if it's good enough for these been there/done that editors at this in-the-know rag, it'd be good enough for me.  So I called and made an appointment and got the run-down on how to prep for my body-painting session.  I showed up on-time and here's how it went:

I sign-in with the cute, young girl at the desk (why do tanning salons always make me feel 100 years old and 200 pounds?) and after I dole out my $35, she lets me know that Brian would be doing my spray-tan, unless, that is, I was uncomfortable with a man seeing me (almost) naked.

"Ummm..." I stammered, "I guess it's fine."  I was feeling a tad self-conscious but under the circumstances I was going to just go with it.  So I go to Room 16 and change out of my clothes into what amounts to no more than a loin cloth and a bandeau and wish for the hundredth time today that I wasn't at war with carbs.  But it's too late.  The door opens.

"I'm Brian," he says, and I notice that he doesn't even glance toward my body (thank God) but he maintains eye-contact like it's his job (which it sort of is), "are you ready"? he asks.

I am.  Brian (who btw would be too young for me even if he liked girls) applies cream to the palms of my hands and my fingernails and we discuss what shade I should get and he begins to spray me.  While my overwhelming emotion is that of feeling ridiculous, I'm also sort of intrigued by this whole thing.  10 minutes and 3 coats of paint later, I'm done. 

I hang myself out to dry, get my clothes back on, and leave.  On the way out I'm eye-balled suspiciously by a college-age blond girl and I wonder if she is thinking that I'm old.  I am actually on her turf.  I am on the same block as BU.

So I go home and ask my 3-year-old if I look any different.  She says no and asks for Goldfish in a bowl.  I grant her wish and check myself out.  First I notice that the soles of my feet are just as tanned as the rest of me except with big brown splotches decorating my heels.  Fab.  I google "how to get spray tan off my feet" and pencil in a date with lemon juice after my kids go to bed.  I also notice a line which is a perfect match for my seatbelt and am able to rub it in.

So it's about an hour later and my daughter starts crying for one reason or another and my first thought is, no tears on Mama!  

So my spray-tan has made me into a bad mother, but I bet I'll look 10lbs thinner this weekend.  ;) 

Update - The Next Morning...  Well, my spray-tan made it through the night but even as I watch my brown hands type this, I'm wondering if I've made a mistake of BlogHer proportions.  PASS THE LOOFA!!

BlogHer Sponsors? Who Needs 'Em...

I don't have a sponsor for BlogHer.  And based on the number of companies/PR firms/monied peeps that I deal with on an excruciatingly regular basis, this might seem strange.  But it's not.  Because I (sort of) wanted it this way.

When I bought my BlogHer ticket waaaaay back when the pricing was still considered "earlybird", it didn't even occur to me that I could actually get a sponsor to pick up the tab.  I know.  Rookie.  And then as I read the Twitter stream and talked to my blog-friends, I realized that it wouldn't take much to actually get this whole ordeal paid-for!  What was I waiting for?

So I created a cute little media package with neat little headings that included, Who Am I?  and What Do you Stand to Gain?  I added the number of unique visitors I get and some ideas I had that would get us (you) noticed at the big event.

And it sat in my documents.

At first, I scolded myself.  How will you ever find a sponsor if you don't actively look?  Put out feelers?  At least tweet that you're looking to represent someone?  Blog about it?

But nothing.

And the weeks and months rolled on.

And shockingly, nobody banged down my door in search of a blogger to sponsor.

And as time marched on, I noticed that most of my peers had sponsors.  What was wrong with me?  So I entered a few "no strings attached" contests, in hopes of being the lucky winner of an all (or partly) expense paid trip to Chicago.  But alas, I'm not one of those who wins things. 

Then it hit me.  I never went out to find a sponsor because I don't think I actually ever really wanted one.  I don't think I wanted the responsibility of representing anyone else's brand at BlogHer.  After all, I am a business-owner myself.  And a blogger.  And a big part of the reason why I'm so looking forward to BlogHer is the prospect of meeting people who might be interested in me and my brand.  And if I'm busy promoting others, I may miss that opportunity.  Next year might be different, but for now, something about representing others just wasn't feeling organic to me.

So there you have it.  I have finally secured an official sponsor for BlogHer '09 - and it's me.  See you there.  :)     

BlogHer Fashion. Selling Out.

I'm selling out.  I'm not only planning my BlogHer wardrobe TWO whole days before I need to pack it, I'm actually going to talk publicly about what the contents of my suitcase might hold.  Blame Audrey over at Mom Generations, whose incessant fashion posts have inspired some shopping and actual thought about what I might wear at what is turning into the fashion event of the year (however, I'll be the judge of that).

Ok.  So here's what I'm thinking. 

Jeans are going to be an integral part of my BlogHer wardrobe for this reason - I can wear them more than once and that would be socially acceptable.  I mean, pair a great pair of jeans with a few cute tops, and I'm good to go.  So my brand new Joe's Jeans will definitely be making the trip. 

• 
• • Dresses.  I'm deciding which dresses might be worthy of this 

event.  I'm thinking a simple black shift dress by Ella Moss paired with leggings and my new peep-toe heels might work.

Next, I'm thinking either my cute maxi-dress (which is actually not that maxi since I'm only 5'2 in heels) or this plain black sundress which can be paired with sandals for day.  Both are super easy to wear and comfortable. 

And that's about as far as I've gotten.  Now the real question is, what does one wear to bowl with Tim Gun?? 

aden & anais - Not Just Another Pretty Blanket

So, we've talked about how aden & anais makes the perfect swaddler.  And we talked about how aden & anais makes the perfect sleep sack.  But guess what?  There's more to this adorable line than what meets the eye.

Consider this: you've just had a baby and you've received dozens of blankets, each more special than the last.  But what in the world will you do with them all?

The smart folks over at my favorite blanket making company have come up with half-a-dozen new ways you can use your aden & anais swaddling blanket, so you can use your tired brain for more important tasks, like how to get as much milk out of your right boob as your left, and how to pack 6 hours of sleep into 2.  

1. As a portable crib sheet.  I mean, these blankets, made from 100% cotton muslin, are soooo soft, your babe would be lucky to lay around on this all day long.  I mean, do they come bigger?  I'd like to line MY bed with one! 
2. On the floor for tummy time.  Obv...
3. As a boobie shield.  Hide those tatas from the rest of the world when nursing your baby, in style!
4. As a burp cloth.  Because there's no such thing as a burp cloth that is too big.  That stuff can travel!
5. As a sun-shade on your stroller.  Protect Jack or Jill from nosey neighbors while he/she sleeps by draping the blanket over the stroller.
6. As a picnic blanket.  Baby's first picnic!!  Awwwww....

So you see, it doesn't have to be all swaddling all the time, especially since aden & anais blankets are so stylish.  Don't be afraid to show 'em off!! 

And what's more is that the award-winning company has just launched a new line of certified organic muslin swaddles so now baby's blanket is not just cozy, but also good for Mother Earth.  So really there's no excuse, since aden & anais now really offers something for every family. 

WIN IT!  One lucky reader will win one of these new organic blankets from aden & anais.  Simply visit their website and come back here to let us know which is your fave.  A winner will be chosen on Thursday, July 23rd at midnight.  Please, only one entry per person!  Open to US residents only. 

Blogher here, BlogHer there...

Why does it feel like BlogHer is just EVERYWHERE!! 

I'm excited!!  I am!!  But all this anticipation is making me nervous in places I didn't even know I had nerves!  I mean, there's the clothes.  Whatever.  I'm over that.  Then there's the parties.  How am I even supposed to know about them all, much less attend them all?

BREAKING NEWS - I'm no longer a big party girl.  I used up all the hours one is allotted to party in their lifetime in my 20s and I'm still catching up on sleep.  Seriously, I'm still tired!  I grew up in Montreal where the after-parties are twice as nice as the regular parties!  So yes, I'm still tired.

The other thing is, I have heard very little about the sessions themselves (one of the major reasons I'm traveling to Chicago for a 3-day period).  I mean, I suppose I could head on over to the BlogHer site, but since I'm getting almost 100% of my BlogHer info via Twitter and blogs, it seems reasonable to think that this other info should be sprouting up here and there as well.  After attending BlogHer Boston, part of the Reach-Out Tour last summer, I can say that I definitely enjoyed the panelists and am looking forward to more of the same. 

10mins later...  Matter of fact, I just checked out the agenda and I am stoked!!  Only problem I can foresee is that I might have trouble deciding where to be!  So many awesome sessions, only one me!  So do I opt-in to a mommy-blogging panel (a title which I do not necessarily identity with, btw) or should I check-in to the HTML seminar and become more adept at working the code on my blog? 

And if memory serves, the snacks at Blogher Boston were outstanding.  How ever will I fit in snack-time with all this other stuff going on?

And most importantly, how will I find time in my busy sessions & snacking schedule to check out what each and every one of you is wearing?

I don't know what I'm wearing at BlogHer and that's ok.

There.  It has to be said.  Ladies, fellow BlogHer attendees, and family members (who read this blog): I do not know what I'll be wearing at BlogHer next week and I'm totally ok with it.  I mean, I have an idea, after all, I know what's hanging in my closet (those cute new jeans may make the cut) but I haven't been spending much time planning it.  Or talking about it.  Or thinking about it.  Because while I'm excited to go to the conference in Chicago with 1200+ of you, I am not sure why so many are treating it any differently than one would treat any trip/conference/weekend away.

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge any of you who are strutting your stuff in your brand-new (I'd venture to guess sponsored) cocktail dresses on your blog.  I don't.  It's just not me.  And the idea of having a store or designer sponsor my clothing (with a few exceptions - Marc Jacobs, I ACCEPT!) doesn't particularly do it for me.  But I respect your decision to do whatever it is you're doing.  And I also understand that it's somewhat of a treat for many of you to be treated to new clothes.  I get that.  Really, I do.

I'm just shocked by the sheer quantity of tweets/blogs/conversations about what to wear to the event.  I want to look good just as I want to look good every day, but does the fact that I don't feel the need to chat about it with my peers make me weird?

I hope not, but if it does, I'll take weird.

:)