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

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...

 

 

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?? 

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?

Take-off in Style with Fashion from Planewear

Let's face it - traveling with children is not always fun.  But while we can't control delays, mid-air meltdowns and changing-table-free flights, we can control how cute our kids look on-board.   For fashionable flight-wear, check out Planewear Apparel - comfortable, unique, travel-related apparel complete with an aviation theme.

Onesies embroidered with fun sayings like "First-Class", "Precious Cargo" and "Jet Setter" are perfect for babies up to 18 months, while bigger kids will take to the skies in tees that say "Runway Model", "Future Pilot" and others.  The line also includes little pants for babies, hats and booties, and an adorable bib that says, "Chicken or Beef?"

The product of a former flight-attendant turned mom, Jennifer Longley created this unique line with comfort, style and quality in mind.  Made from 100% Peruvian Pima cotton, each piece promises first-class comfort.  And affordable too!  Onesies are just $22, t-shirts are $20, and gifts sets including 4-pieces are $48 and $56.  Perfect for any little jet-setter-in-training!

Win it!  Win a t-shirt for your toddler - simply visit Planewear Apparel and decide on your favorite item.  Come back here and let us know!  For a second entry, subscribe to this blog's feed (or let me know if you already have).  A winner will be chosen on Friday, May 22nd.  Only open to US residents.

My Mom Went to Florida and All I Got Was...

One really good time.

I've been MIA, but not without good reason.  My family took a much needed vacation to Florida.  Far from relaxing (we do have 2 kids under 3), it was really fun and I definitely come back bearing tips, tricks and places to hit should you decide that you need a break from the cold. 

Let me start by saying that the beginning of February is the *perfect* time to go on vacation.  There are no crowds and if you're like me, you're sick of snow and desperate for a getaway.  And if you have kids, Florida is an easy, East-coast convenient destination.  And while I was excited about the prospect of warmth, the week before we took off, I dreaded travel day.  But you know how the anticipation is always worse than reality?  Here's how I made that true in our case:

• Curb-side check-in.  While I'm typically pretty certain that airlines are all run by monkeys without kids, this is one evolution that is invaluable.  We hopped out of our cab when we got to the airport and from the cab, put our bags down at the check-in counter.  From there, they were whisked away, not to be carried (by us) again until we landed.  This left two free adults to look after two rowdy kids.
• Use the Family-Lane at security whenever it exists.  You finally get to cut the line, legally!!
• Bring a portable DVD-player on the plane.  Whatever if they watch 3-hours of Dora.  It's better than 3-hours of running up and down aisles.  Oh, and I took all my own advice.  It (pretty much) worked.
• Rent car seats from your car rental company AND HAVE THEM PLACE THEM IN THE CAR prior to your arrival.  You don't want them to install it (who knows if they will do it properly) but having them in the car at least expedites the car rental process (which is typically excruciating after a plane ride).
• RENT ALL YOUR BIGGER ITEMS!  The days of traveling with a portable crib, high-chair and stroller are over!!  Now there are companies who specialize in renting everything from double strollers to sand toys to baby bath tubs and cribs.  For the last several years, we have used The Baby Travel Company and let me tell you, the service is second-to-none.  You can order online, or call Clara, the wonderfully helpful owner, and tell her what you need.  Their brand-name items are spotlessly clean, in perfect condition, and new (unlike other rental companies who are offering strollers from the dark ages).  They drop-off wherever you are and pick-up at your convenience.  For a few dollars, this is the way to go.  I can't say enough about the Baby Travel Company.

As for activities, we discovered some new ones, based on the fact that our first week of vaca was COLD and the beach was not an option.  Here goes:

• Miami Seaquarium.  It doesn't happen often, but once in a while I find myself pleasantly surprised by one of these attractions, and the Seaquarium was one of those unexpected experiences.  You can walk around and just view the animals (like at a zoo) but the best part is that they have shows that start every few minutes.  We saw all of them.  We watched the dolphins perform from the top-deck of the giant tank (but we stayed out of the "splash zone" to avoid being soggy for the rest of the day).  Another dolphin show featured Flipper (from the show, Flipper), and it was performed in the lagoon used as the set for the original show.  The Sea Lion show was the best but all had one thing in common - healthy looking animals performing with humans who were really into it.  It was clear they weren't merely going through the motions.  But rather, they appeared to really love the animals and did a a great job performing with them.  A must-see. 
• Monkey Jungle.  I wasn't looking forward to this excursion.  After a rather lame visit to a similar type place last year (with parrots), I was expecting the worst.  The trip there was long (it took about 1.5 hours from North Miami) but once we arrived we had THE best time.  Essentially this place is a 30 acre reserve where monkeys roam free.  Throughout is a cage for humans.  The concept is that the monkeys live in a natural environment and visitors can observe them as such.  You can feed the monkeys (see video below) and there are short "shows" during which the monkeys are fed real food, so they come running from every which direction giving visitors a great opportunity to really view them.  We were even treated to a monkey fornication show - not my choice in entertainment, but entertaining nonetheless. 

 

We played in the park at South Beach, the playground at Aventura Mall, and tried to hit Wannado City in Sawgrass.  A very cool concept, Wannado is an indoor "theme park" where kids can be anything they want to be like a fireman, a TV director, a doctor, a chef or an actor, and they actually perform their roles using scaled-down real-life tools.  Kids can ride the fire truck or the ambulance and they even get paid for their jobs.  Keep this in mind though - parents are discouraged from participating so your child should be at least 4 or have older sibs to keep him or her comfortable.  My almost-3 year old wasn't ready for the independence needed to really get into it.

In all, a really fun trip.  Even though my 16 month old didn't sit down the entire trip home, even though American Airlines lost our luggage, even though Mother Nature didn't cooperate until week #2, it was a successful trip.

And now I need a vacation from my vacation.

  

Diary of a Hot Blogger

The weekend of the Hot Blogger Calendar shoot has come and gone, and I must say, not only was a great time had by all, I'm thrilled to announce that there are actually faces and bodies (in some cases, hot faces and bodies) attached to all those handles and avatars.  Not that I was ever worried.  Well, maybe a little.

It all started with a crazy idea.  An idea then snowballed into 359 nominations, over 25,000 votes, and millions of visitors to the site.  It culminated in a weekend in NYC, with one Mexican dinner (thanks to Peter Shankman for covering dinner), one early 9am photo shoot, half a bagel with cream cheese, many hot blogger jokes, and hundreds of pictures.  Jane and Sarah (the rainmaker's in this particular instance) are so cool.  Though Jane and I are old friends (by online standards), I hadn't met Sarah until now.  Take it from me, she's enthusiastic and cute, and cool.

As for the photo shoot, it took place at Some Studio and the space was great.  Not too big, nor too small, but more importantly, there was plenty of place to park!  Unfortunately, most of my pics were taken before the make-up person arrived, rendering me perhaps too pale and sleepy-eyed for my (or the camera's) liking, but hopefully the few that were snapped by super-photographer-heroes Bill Waldman and Meg Wachter post air-brushing, came out well. 

But really, the beauty of the weekend was meeting the other bloggers.  I admit, I didn't get a chance to hang out with everyone (or even meet everyone at a dinner that felt more like a crowded bar-scene than an intimate soiree), but I did get to chill with some awesome people.  Peter, the only person more prompt than I (if that's at all possible), was seated at the dinner table when I arrived on Saturday night.  We chatted about HARO and The Daily Grind, a bit about Alex Casey Baby and then gossiped  about common Twitter friends.  It's not often I meet someone I feel I can learn from (especially in a loud Mexican joint), but Peter is one smart and interesting guy.  Shout-out to you Shankman!  

I also hung out with Backpacking Dad and his lovely wife, who actually traveled cross-country for this little gig.  Chic Shopper Chick is as cute in real life as she is in pictures, and of course, my old friend Katja from Skimbaco helped me put away a chocolate souffle a la mode (looked WAY better on her, btw).  I briefly met Amy from Permission to Peruse but I did see some of her pics and that girl can rock a camera.  For moral support, nobody could beat Sharon and Barry (who is a Dustin Hoffman look-alike, might I add), Jane's 'rents.  Thanks for the snacks and coffee! 

As for everyone else, catch you at HBC shoot 2010. 

    Lest I forget, shouts to the Bangladeshi cab driver who gave me his card and told me to call him when I got done Sunday night.  Guess I forgot. 

My Mom Went to Vegas...

And all I got was -  A VERY RESTED AND RELAXED MOMMY! 

I'm back from 4 debaucherous days in Vegas, and I must say, Viva Las Vegas!  Initially very nervous about leaving my children in the hands of their nanny while Mom & Dad traveled West for the ABC show, I worried that I wouldn't be able to relax enough to have a good time.

Boy, was I wrong.

We arrived on Friday, about 9:30 local time.  Arrived at our hotel via limo (after all, this is Vegas), the Venetian (sick, sick place), and went foraging for food (obviously).  What we found was a mini version of Venice, complete with cobblestone streets and gondolas, Italian eateries and (believe it or not), a blue sky.  Who cared that our bodies screamed 1am?  In "Venice", it was a perfectly perfect afternoon.  What better time for a big-ass bowl of pasta?

The following morning, we threw on our sneakers and walked the 4.5miles that is "the Las Vegas strip" to see the hotels, casinos, and shops.  It was my mission to take in the attractions at every hotel, and really get a feel for Vegas.  We started at the Wynn, and walked all the way to New York New York and back, stopping along the way to see the gorgeous botanical garden at the Bellagio, walk the streets of "Paris", and hear the lions roar at the MGM Grand.  After spending the afternoon at one of the gorgeous pools at the Venetian, we had a leisurely dinner at Tao.  Unfortunately, jet-lag hit hard and we couldn't enjoy it as much as we'd have liked but we did manage to stay awake for a few mojitos.  

Day 2 was the ABC show for me.  After breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel, I headed out to the Las Vegas Convention Center to hit the millions of booths on a quest to find new and exciting products for Alex Casey Baby.  Stay tuned for a super-cool new shoe & socks line, adorable sleep sacks, wood furniture, amazing wall art and so much more.  But enough of that, back to the fun stuff.  After hours at the show, I returned to the hotel for lunch, a dip and somehow found myself inside the curtains at elusive Tao Beach among the most beautiful Vegas has to offer (for free viewing).  After deciding that L. Lo was probably getting ready for the VMA's in LA and not sunning at Tao Beach, I was able to focus on people-watching: the lay-person version.  Though I've never been anywhere quite so pretentious, it was so much fun to observe the shenanigans (and gyrating) at this day-time nightclub.  These people are very serious about two things: sunning their perfect bods and dancing in their bikinis.  Thinking it would be uncool to laugh and point, I sipped my $17 cocktail and watched.  All the while, I anticipated my BIG night out at the Hard Rock Hotel for dinner at Nobu.

One word: YUM.

We ate everything.  Spicy lotus chips with tuna, eggplant with miso, rock shrimp tempura, spicy tuna... and a bento box chocolate dessert.  Finally,we rolled out of there to check out the "dancing water" at the Bellagio.  I felt like I had to hit it in order to call the trip complete, but it wasn't really high on my list of exciting things to do.  I was wrong - it was AWESOME.  Set that night to my favorite Frank Sinatra tunes, this free show is truly something to see.  Who knew watching water could be so beautiful?  After watching a few more times (it lasts a few minutes and re-starts every 15), we walked limped our way back to our hotel - who knew crossing one street could take 20 minutes? in heels.

Day 3 - A day of intense decadence.  We started at breakfast and, it being the eve of my birthday, I decided dessert at breakfast was called for.  After nutella-smeared croissants we found a spot at the shallow pool and settled into our in-pool chaises.  It was here that I received the strangest "compliment   I've had in years - while lounging in the hot tub, I was told that I look great "for a mom."  But I didn't really care, after all, I was still on a sugar high from breakfast.  And it was a perfect day with103 degree sun speckled with several spiked lemonades, mojitos and, oh ya, an enormous bowl of pasta bolognese at an Italian cafe in "Venice."  Around 4:30 it started to rain so we packed it in and relaxed in our cozy room.  Just me, my husband, and a candy apple the size of my head.  Who says happiness doesn't grow on trees?

Our final night in Vegas and my official birthday celebration.  We were destined for dinner at the N9ne at the Palms, home to the Real World suite, much of Britney's Vegas tomfoolery, and the best Blackjack table I met the entire trip.  After padding my wallet a bit, we headed off for dinner where we ordered, well, everything and ate, well, some of it.  While it might seem impossible that we could still fit in our "hot Vegas clothes", we did and we enjoyed.

And that was it.  We didn't see any shows.  We saw no topless dancing girls (outside of the pool area ;)).  We just took in Vegas, explored and went back to our roots.  Our younger, more rested, sexier roots.  And while we had the most amazing time on our first real venture away from our family, we missed our kids and were happy to get back to them.  Not to mention the fact that we were one more meal away from exploding.

That's not to say I'm not already planning our next kid-free vacay... 

Vegas Baby!

I'm off to Vegas this afternoon for a few days of fun work, vacationa tradeshow, and diningnetworking.  Though these plans have been in place for a while, I am suddenly panicked!!  First of all, how will I know that the girls are tucked in as they should be?  Kissed a zillion times per day and giggling several hundred times an hour?  Will they think I've abandoned them?  Neglected them?  Will they be able to put their grief aside long enough to have fun at the playdate we have set-up for the weekend?  To enjoy the spoilage by Grandma once she arrives?  The cupcakes and new toys I stocked up on to ensure they know they're loved even in my absence?

Ok.  I guess they will be fine.  But will I?  In any case, I will make the pilgrimage, reluctantly, and indulge only in the work event I am going for .  I will notswim in the pool at the Venetian or eat dinner at Nobu.  I will not have a massage at the Canyon Ranch Spa or go to Tao Nightclub.  I will only work and work some more to a) bring stories of the latest and greatest for the publications I write for and b) bring the latest and greatest for my webstore.

See you Wednesday!

Flying With Kids

I came across a link to an interesting article in the Orlando Sentinel today while perusing the Twitter pages.  Written by @momsatwork, the article discussed a recent survey on airfarewatchdog.com in which they asked fliers this question: Do you think it would be a good idea for airlines to have "family sections"?

According to the writer of the piece, the feedback was that people were split on the issue, some believing it was a good idea and others not so much.  But my question is this: if we designate special seating for families, how will this affect other travelers?  And where will the segregation end?  Should we have special seats on the bus and train as well?  What about in restaurants?  Perhaps we should designate an entire airline to family travel.  Or maybe, particular flights could be reserved for families and if others choose to travel on this plane, buyer beware!

My family travels by air several times per year.  I have well-behaved kids but I couldn't have predicted that my toddler would not nap before the flight and be exhausted and cranky by the time we boarded.  She cried when her daddy tried to hold her on his lap and only wanted me.  Traveling also with my then 3-month-old, my hands were full, but we made it work.  Through a series of baby exchanges and seat re-arranging, we made everyone happy with minimal tears.  While I don't necessarily believe we need entire  flights devoted to families, I do think a section might be nice, but I worry about the logistics of such a thing.  I mean, what if the family-section isn't full but other sections are?  Should travelers be forced to sit in this area for lack of other spots?  Would said traveler be compensated with a lower rate for having to fly in the dreaded family section?  Could the airlines afford this?  Can they force people to sit in a special area anyway?  And where would the area be?  In the rear near the toilets or in the front for easy boarding and de-planing?  I can only imagine how high-paying business-class travelers would react to such news.  I can only imagine how everyone andt heir mother would react to the whole idea - CHAOS!  

After giving this some thought, I doubt this would ever come to pass.  That said, it's my opinion that parents need to be a little more respectful of other travelers when with kids.  If your child wants a snack and it's earlier than a typical snack-time, in-flight is not the time to be counting minutes.  Nor is it the time to restrict toys and crafts.  I'm not saying it should be an all-out free-for-all, but my message is to think like your child, and bring any and everything you think they might even *remotely* need to keep them happy and distracted.  This includes, toys, snacks, special stuffed animals or blankies, and DVD's.  And to all the child-free fliers out there, bear with us.  We're doing the best we can.  Honest.