Friendship: Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones to Make Others Feel Loved
March 7, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 4 Comments
Today an amazing thing happened. A gal from my neighborhood stopped by my house. What’s amazing is the reason why.
I opened the door to her big smile. She seemed a little embarrassed and anxious and all at once blurted out, “I miss you!” She shrugged her shoulders and the smile appeared again and she said, “I’m trying to reach out to the people I care about.” I quite literally wanted to scoop her up. What do you do with such amazing kindness?
I probably acted cool, calm, and collected. But, what she did was HUGE! She stepped outside her comfort zone to make me feel loved. And she succeeded!
Then I got to thinking about something that has been on my mind for a while. How often do we take advantage of opportunities to reach out to others right when we feel like we should? You know the nudge, right? You feel like you should go up to someone, or include her in your group, or help her feel part of the crowd, or stop by her house to let her know you miss her, or invite her to do something when you think she is the busiest person in the world and wouldn’t possibly have time for you. But, if you’re anything like me, sometimes it seems a little weird or uncomfortable or awkward. After all, what will that person think? How will she react? Will he think I’m stupid?
I can tell you from very recent experience (as in 5 minutes ago) that I didn’t feel like this gal was anything but lovely!
What’s even more awesomesauce than my feelings of being cared about is that now I want to go and help someone else feel this way. It feels AMAZING to be cared about like that, but the thought of spreading the love is even more appealing and exciting!
What will you do this week to spread seeds of friendship, step outside of your comfort zone, and help someone feel loved?
Photo courtesy of Flickr.Mom 2.0 and the Beet Jell-O Challenge—Are You Mom Enough to Take It?
February 24, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 10 Comments
Aren’t Jell-O jigglers the funnest snack evs? Props to Kraft for creating such a colorful treat that moms and kids alike can enjoy. These wiggle worm wonders make me want to jump up and dance. Oh! The power of food.
And while we’re on the topic of the power of food, let’s talk about what transpired from this gal and this gal connecting last year over a juicy Jell-O chat and this gal jumping on the Jell-O bandwagon during a #gno Twitter party, changing this gal’s and this gal’s palette, perhaps, forevs because of it.
Ready for the Mom 2.0 Beet Jell-O Challenge? Are you mom enough to take it? Let’s see!
Like I said, Rachael and Holly connected at a #gno Twitter party. The topic may have been on parenting or shoes or green living, but Jell-O became all the rage when the two discovered they had a common bond. Rachael tried to tout her Thanksgiving Jell-O as the worst concoction evs and Holly adamantly declared her grandma’s beet Jell-O as victor of worst Jell-O recipe known to man. Even though I had seen a pic of Rachael’s Thanksigiving Jell-O, I was “Ewwwing!” over the thought of beets and Jell-O combined (not to be confused with the sound a sheep makes, but rather a child’s squeal of disgust).
Then, life went on. Jell-O conversations went back to wiggly, jiggly happiness and talk surfaced about the Mom 2.0 Summit and what to wear to the Mad Men party. As it turns out, #gno Twitter parties and Jell-O have a positive way of bringing people together, because after connecting online, Rachael, Holly (descendant extraordinaire of the Beet Jell-O recipe creator, featured on far left), and I decided to be roommates.
Then we heard the news! So you get the same sensation we got, you must pause, click here, and read Holly’s post to get the full effect.
Have you clicked yet? Here! Click here! I’ll wait!
Yes! She was bringing Jell-O and we were invited to take the Beet Jell-O Challenge! You saw that the recipe had three kinds of Jell-O—all fruit flavors, my favorite. But, did you also see that it had pickle juice, pimentos, and celery? Oh! And lest I forget to mention the mayonnaise. Yes! You heard me right. MAYONNAISE (pimento flavored mayonnaise at that).
We put it off as long as we could. We tried to recruit challengers. We tried to rally supporters. But, when Rachael and I returned to the room late one night, there it was. Open, ready, and waiting for us with five onlookers seeing if we were mom enough to groove to the beet.
If I could send a smell out through this post, I wouldn’t even do that to you. Horrific! Pungent! Wretched. And the taste? EXACTLY THE SAME! The picture here is pre challenge. What would follow, if anyone had captured it, would be Rachael wiping off her tongue with a towel and me heaving over the toilet. We may have lost our lunch so to speak, but we mommed up and took the challenge. Would you?
And this isn’t over? We’re bringing Jell-O back in a big way at Evo Conference this summer where we hope to continue the Jell-O challenge for both best and worst Jell-O recipe evs. Jell-O shots? The rainbow mold? Beet Jell-O? Can you beat them? Get ready, get set, CREATE!
Full Disclosure: Neither Kraft nor its Jell-O brand compensated me in any way, shape, or form to write this post! In fact, they don’t even know about it! I just heart the brand, its product, and its memory-making experiences that much!
Disclosure Part II: Kraft Jell-O is not an official sponsor of Evo Conference.
Top photo courtesy of Flickr. Other photos courtesy of Holly.
Mom 2.0, Religion, and Politics—The Story of Three Mormons and A Bloggess
February 23, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 11 Comments
You know how you’re not supposed to talk about religion or politics and especially not at the same time and definitely not in the same post? (Who made that rule BTW?) Well, let me be clear right from the get go that I’m breaking those rules, because this here post is about both! Consider yourself forewarned.
Back in November, my friend Rachael and I pitched to speak at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Houston, which took place last weekend and was awesome defined. Where else can you chat with her even if momentarily, check out her style, share life goals with her, be inspired by her, laugh til you cry with her or cry til you laugh (whichever comes first), lunch with her, have your chest painted by her, be dazzled by her vibrant soul, want to hug her til you die, squeal in delight when you meet her IRL or see her again even though it has only been two weeks or act like you’ve met her before when you haven’t but thought you had, and party with her, her, and her all weekend long? Awesomesauce, right? (Which is an even higher level of plain awesome in case you aren’t familiar with the term!)
To my surprise, the lovely Laura Mayes, hostess extraordinaire of this smashing shindig and author at Blog Con Queso selected me as a speaker. Wait! Let me interrupt myself. Yes! You heard me right. Blog Con Queso! My soul mate, right? She had me at queso, which is cheese in Spanish. Cheese and Spanish on the same site. Hold me back! What’s not to love? And there’s so much more I could share about her awesomesauceamazingness (two words I’ve always wanted to combine), but I digress.
So, the topic was selected and Rachael and I were excited. We booked a suite and sent out invites for roomies. What do you get when you combine Jyl and Rachael with an Amy, Holly, Jenny, and Laurie? Beet Jell-O! I’ll reserve that for another post, but as a preview, think beets, three kinds of Jell-O, mayonnaise, and pimentos. Did I forget to mention pickle juice. But again, a story for another time.
Back to the panel. We found out in January that Allison had been added to our panel. We are all friends IRL, so score! But we did kind of step back and say, “Hmmmmm! Three Mormons on a panel. Interesting choice!” Should we dress like Big Love and confuse people? Should we start with a thought and a prayer? Should we let people think we each had 9 kids or reveal that we are bringing down the average at 2.5 a piece? Oh! The fun we could have! And then the news arrived.
Our fourth panelist would be none other than Jenny! As in Jenny Lawson. Wait! Jenny Lawson! Isn’t that The Bloggess? Isn’t she the rockingest, funniest blogger evs? And totally irreverent in a sweet yet sarcastic sort of way? OH! MY! GOSH! She could totally say the prayer!!!! This panel was going to rock.
We met, I kid you not, two hours before we went on stage in our suite and talked for a few minutes about our panel and spent the rest of the time getting to know each other. Six words: Most.Meaningful.Part.Of.My.Weekend! That girl has soul… in the most genuine, sincere way. Since the three of us already knew each other, we wanted to bring Jenny into the group. We taught her the Mormon gang sign (see pic above) and decided that we could all be sister wives if Mormons practiced polygamy. OK! That last part is a half truth (the part about us deciding to be sister wives). Or maybe a lie (we don’t practice polygamy). But, who wouldn’t want to be a sister wife with The Bloggess, especially after screaming WOLVERINE at the top of your lungs? Seriously! We went against the urge to introduce her to the missionaries (but only because we were about to go on a panel in a few minutes… that’ll be saved for our next trip to Houston).
So, we get to our panel where Jenny made us all jealous we weren’t wearing a wig. Then, she became the Czar of Martindale (you must read Jenny’s blog for background here). I told you! Religion and politics at one time. She’s officially in government now in a rule-the-world-sort-of-a-way. Double jealousy except for the part where a cat is her boss, because that flat out terrifies me and I’ve had some pretty freaky bosses. But, with her new powers, she saved a baby. Although, I’d like to think it was because of her prayer. She prayed to save babies from falling down wells, which was interpreted as “stages,” because a baby crawled up on our stage, nearly fell off, but was saved. Yes! She prayed! Tell me Mormon girls aren’t only way fun sober, but highly influential!
For the serious part… We had fun sharing the ins and outs of making meaningful connections via the integration of online and offline campaigns. Sound like mumbo jumbo? I could go on all day long about my passion for this topic, but suffice it to say that we spoke about how bloggers and brands can work together online and offline to make a meaningful difference. What’s not to love about that, right?
While this was a definite highlight of my conference experience, I’d be remiss if I didn’t spotlight some others:
- Hearing Jenny snort. Nothing makes you laugh more than when your friend snorts.
- Taking funny face pictures with Amy.
- Sharing said pics with Marie, Allison, and Rachael over chips and guacamole. Who doesn’t love appetizers and tears of laughter all at once?
- Talking with Heather in the airport, swapping both BYU and tailbone stories. Any relation? Hmmmm! Something to consider.
- Taking the beet Jell-O challenge that no one other than Rachael and Marie was brave sane enough to try.
- Watching Precious with my roomies. Oh! The tears!
- Winning a weekend stay in the Executive Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston.
- Finally turning my dream of being 5′9 into a reality. Thanks White House, Black Market for your awesome sales rep that talked me into trying on shoes that were 100% not my style. They rock my world!
- Eating my fair share of apple dippers with caramel sauce while wearing a McDonald’s hat bag on my head at the #Cheezbergher party.
- Getting seconds of Barilla’s Three Cheese Tortellini. Mmmmmm! Let me say it again: Mmmmmm!
- Taking in the beauty and talent at the Mom 2.0: Defining a Movement art exhibit. Breathtaking!
Dying you missed Mom 2.0? Don’t worry. Join the adventure in April 2011 in New Orleans.
Wondering how to connect with bloggers and brands before then? Check out Evo Conference in the magnificent Rocky Mountains this summer. Early bird ends soon!
[Photo at top courtesy of Flickr. From left: Marie, me, Laurie, and Amy. Photo in middle: courtesy of Design Mom. From left: Allison, Rachael, me, and Jenny. Photo at bottom courtsey of Jenny on the Spot. From left: me and Jenny.]How Basketball Is the Secret to a Happy Marriage
February 12, 2010 by Troy Pattee · 3 Comments
My close friend, Mike, married the woman of his dreams at a very young age. In fact, he was the first one married from our high school class. At the time, I thought he was an idiot for getting hitched so young, but now, 25 years later, he’s still happily married. The secret to his marital success dumbfounded me when I discovered it, because it was such a simple concept. Let me explain.
For the first few years after high school, our group of friends met weekly to play basketball, shoot the bull, and re-live the salad days of our youth. We would run, play, and talk well into the night. Our married friend Mike was there every week. And while I was glad he was there, I always wondered why Mike would choose to spend one night a week with a bunch of sweaty single guys if he was so in love with his beautiful wife.
Isn’t if funny how our perspectives change over the years? I’ve finally grown up and, as it turns out, Mike understood long before I did the importance of Me Time. Being the know-it-all teenager I thought I was at the time, I was completely overlooking the other six days and 20 hours of the week that Mike spent being a husband, employee, and later on, a father. Not only was the time he spent with us well deserved, it was actually healthy for his marriage (gasp!). At the time, it was something my young mind simply could not understand.
Yet even though I say that I now understand the concept of Me Time, it’s a lot harder to actually put it into practice. Can you relate? For some of us it’s a lot easier to “sacrifice” that time for the greater good of the family. The clothes must be washed. The mouths must be fed. The lawn must be mowed. The bacon must be brought home. We think we don’t have time for Me Time. But the truth is, when Me Time happens, everything else we do gets done better.
To this end, I’ve started skiing again this year. Park City Mountain Resort is my new BFF. And it is all because of my wife. She says it’s because I need to have more Me Time, but I’ve realized having me on the slopes a couple of times a week provides Me Time for both sides of our work-from-home marriage. Not only do I get the adrenaline rush from fresh powder and downhill adventures, but I am happier, healthier, and have more to give to my most important relationships.
What do you do for Me Time? And how does making Me Time positively impact your marriage?
Balancing Life 101 Part 3
February 4, 2010 by TiaHejny · 1 Comment
By Camille of www.makeitworkmom.com
Finally, the most important factor in the balancing act of motherhood and career is YOU! No pressure, but so much, and so many people, depend on you. Aside from trying to meet the expectations of your supervisor at work, you have your own expectations and responsibilities in your personal life that are demanding your attention. Bills need to be paid. Clothes need to be washed and folded. Meals need to be prepared. The house needs cleaning. You may have community or church responsibilities. And on top of everything, your children need you. Unless you take care of yourself, you will not perform at your highest level. And, if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!
- Give health a priority. You need your body to function properly in order to accomplish so much! My back went out last month and I was reduced to lying flat on my back or walking doubled over. It slowed me down and frustrated me to no end because I could not function! You need your sleep. You need some exercise. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you need your fruits and vegetable and all other healthy foods that provide energy and a healthy body. Cupcakes are fine in moderation.
- Lower your standards. We all have good intentions of completing everything on our agenda. However, the reality is that sometimes we just won’t be able to accomplish everything we want to. Life doesn’t follow the same routine every day. There will be disruptions, distractions, and disappointments. Prioritize your agenda according to what absolutely needs to be done, and don’t punish yourself if the list isn’t checked off completely at the end of the day.
- It’s OK to say “no”. You know your abilities and limitations. Don’t be afraid to tell the PTA president you can’t make cookies for the meeting, or the neighbor that you aren’t able to help with a carpool. Stay focused on your own priorities and don’t overload your schedule. I found a great article the other day, sharing the secrets of multi-tasking. During your “me” time, you can check it out for more tips.
- Give yourself “me” time. You need time to unwind, and to focus on yourself and your own development. Maybe it’s spending time scrapbooking or baking. Maybe it’s shopping at an antique store or blogging. Maybe it’s just soaking in the tub. If time is so limited that your only time alone is on your commute, plug in an audio book, or your favorite CD and relish the moment. Get together with your girlfriends for dinner or a pedicure every once in a while, and remember to leave the guilt home!
About the Author: Camille is a thirty-something mommy with two beautiful daughters, Ad and C8, living in two worlds. By day, she works full-time as an employment recruiter/ staffing supervisor, with a 100-mile daily commute, living in a world governed by policies and professionalism. And by night, she transforms into a mother, living in a world where everything is governed by “Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe” and fun. Like so many other moms, she wishes she could stay at home with them, but certain situations require her to work full-time. To learn more about Camille visit www.makeitworkmom.com or contact her via twitter @makeitworkmom.
Balancing Life 101 Part 2
January 25, 2010 by TiaHejny · 3 Comments
By Camille of www.makeitworkmom.com
The most important thing to remember as you try to balance a career and motherhood is that you’re not in this alone. You have to depend on other players to help you get through your day, and retain your sanity. Depending on your situation, your “teammates” may be different people.
If you’re married, you’re working as a team with your husband in raising your children, so it’s very important to keep the lines of communication open in order to decide which role you will each play.
- Negotiate the workload. At a time when stress levels are low, and both of you are able to focus on the conversation, determine who will be responsible for which chores around the house. If kids needs to be taken to extracurricular activities after school or in the evenings, decide who will be the chauffeur and when. You don’t have to be expected to do everything by yourself.
- Go on date nights. Of course, it’s important to build that partnership/relationship with your husband. So, take time away from being “parents” to focus on your relationship as husband and wife, even if it’s ordering dinner in, and talking, after the kids go to sleep.
If you’re a single mom, it may be easier to feel alone in your quest because you’re the sole provider and the sole parent at home. However, you must realize that there are other people on whom you can depend.
- Recognize your daycare provider. It’s important to feel comfortable with your child’s daycare provider so you can focus at work and not worry about your child’s safety or happiness. Take some time to do something nice for this special person who cares for your offspring every day. Make a treat, give a gift, offer a monetary “tip” every once in a while with a card to thank them for making your life more manageable during the day.
- Network with other working moms. For some reason, it feels better to know we’re not the only ones in a certain situation. Collaborate with friends or co-workers who are in your similar circumstance for tips or suggestions on how they handle things. Also, there are many networking websites for working moms like www.workingmother.com.
- Keep close ties with your family members. Your children’s success and happiness in life comes largely from their associations with exemplary people. Assuming your family fits this description, your kids will definitely benefit from spending time with them. Besides, your family knows your particular situation. They love you and they love your children and are willing to help out in any way. So, ask for help if you feel overwhelmed. If anything, I’m sure your mother wouldn’t mind a phone call every once in a while, asking for advice.
About the Author: Camille is a thirty-something mommy with two beautiful daughters, Ad and C8, living in two worlds. By day, she works full-time as an employment recruiter/ staffing supervisor, with a 100-mile daily commute, living in a world governed by policies and professionalism. And by night, she transforms into a mother, living in a world where everything is governed by “Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe” and fun. Like so many other moms, she wishes she could stay at home with them, but certain situations require her to work full-time. To learn more about Camille visit www.makeitworkmom.comor contact her via twitter @makeitworkmom.
Balancing Life 101 Part 1
January 20, 2010 by TiaHejny · 10 Comments
By Camille of www.makeitworkmom.com
Of all the occupations in the world today, I believe the one most challenging, emotionally charged, and time-consuming is that of motherhood. It is a full-time job in and of itself. Then, if you add a career of any sort to that occupation, you’re dealing with quite the juggling act! Where is the balance? And how do you find it?
First of all, you need to determine what “balance” means for you. For me, balance is achieved when you find a system that allows for everyone to be happy, while still completing the necessary survival chores. In this balancing act are three main factors: Your children, your partner, and YOU! In a three-part series of posts, I’ll focus on each factor and list ways that can help achieve that balance for which we’re all searching.
Probably the main factor you’re mostly worried about in this balancing act are your children. Am I spending enough time with them? Are they happy? Will our relationship be as strong as if I were to stay at home with them? Of course! Here is what I would suggest:
- Lose The Guilt! It’s not like you’re going to a salon every day, getting pedicures and massages for yourself! Your circumstance requires you to be working, in order to provide for your family. There is nothing wrong with that. You can make adjustments to your lifestyle that will allow for time spent with your children, to strengthen that bond you may be worried about. If you need more convincing, check out www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com where four working moms have collaborated ideas on how to “resist the guilt and embrace the journey.”
- Incorporate your kiddos in your daily chores. Life doesn’t stop because you have kids. Dinner still needs to be prepared, the house (somewhat) cleaned, etc. I keep a play “station” by the kitchen with books and crayons to keep the kids entertained while I make/clean up dinner so we can still interact. Both bathrooms and kitchen have step stools handy for involvement from my little people. And we try to make cleaning together “fun”.
- Schedule “fun” time. No one in your household will survive if you stick to a rigorous routine. Break away from it every once in a while to take your kids to the park, bowling, or on a nature walk. Play dress-up, give piggy-back rides, or read books in a makeshift fort – anything that relieves the stresses you may have felt during your workday and puts the focus on you and your family.
- Maximize the quality of time spent with your children. Because of your work schedule, and by the time your kids go to sleep, you really only get to be with them 3-4 hours every day. Be creative with dinnertime, bath time, bedtime, etc. Take time to have conversations, sing, and play with them. These times you spend with your kids are the memories that will stay with them throughout their lives, much more than memories of a dirty kitchen floor!
About the Author: Camille is a thirty-something mommy with two beautiful daughters, Ad and C8, living in two worlds. By day, she works full-time as an employment recruiter/ staffing supervisor, with a 100-mile daily commute, living in a world governed by policies and professionalism. And by night, she transforms into a mother, living in a world where everything is governed by “Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe” and fun. Like so many other moms, she wishes she could stay at home with them, but certain situations require her to work full-time. To learn more about Camille visit www.makeitworkmom.comor contact her via twitter @makeitworkmom.
10 Goal Setting Tips to Help Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
January 2, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 9 Comments
It’s a New Year. It’s A New Decade. It’s time to think about setting resolutions…or is it? Setting New Year’s resolutions may be a time-honored tradition but unfortunately making last-minute vows during a champagne toast isn’t an effective approach. Research consistently shows that New Year’s resolutions don’t work and that four out of five people who make resolutions fail to keep them.
So, how can you effectively approach making positive changes in your life in 2010? How can you ensure that you’ll stick with your goals beyond January 15th? You’ve got to make sure that your goals possess a “STICKINESS” factor. Here are some suggested steps from Susan MacCaul Siegmund from Mindbloom for doing that:
Mindbloom is a visual inspiration, goal setting and tracking system unlike anything you’ve seen. Mindbloom is a simple, fun and effective way to design the life you want and make lasting changes. Join the New Year’s Revolution by growing the life you want at www.mindbloom.com. X
- Start with the Big Picture: Time to turn off the autopilot and consciously set your vision for the new year. Redefine success in your own terms. What changes do you want to see in your life and roles? Why do you want this?
- Tighten the Focus: Get clear on key areas of focus for 2010. Set priorities based on the roles you play (e.g. mom, entrepreneur, spouse, self, etc.) Avoid being myopically focused on any one role as that leads to imbalance. While you are the queen of multitasking, keep your focus simple! Start with 1-3 priority areas and expand over time. Don’t neglect your “self” role. You’ve got to put on your oxygen mask first!
- Identify Intentions: Set a goal or inspiring intention statement for each focus area. Make sure that your motivations aren’t fueled by “shoulds!” 2010 is a great time to stop “shoulding on thyself!”
- Choose Actions: Break down goals and intentions into small, actionable, baby steps. Ensure that your steps are specific, realistic, achievable and sustainable. You don’t have to know all the steps, just start with one or two.
- Keep Moving Forward: Take small steps on a daily or weekly basis to help you stick with your goals and sustain the changes you want. You’ve got to do your part to make your intentions manifest.
- Introspect: Track progress and journal insights. This will help you to adjust your plan accordingly and ensure that the changes you want come to fruition and are sustainable.
- Network With Encouragers: Identify your personal “circle of support” (the people in your life who support and encourage your growth.) Ask for their support. Research shows that individuals who are trying to make changes benefit from the support of others.
- Encourage Others: Encourage your supporters in return or pay it forward by supporting someone else with their dreams. But, don’t lose yourself in the process.
- Stop the Inner Saboteur: Transform your inner saboteur into your inner ally! Work to understand the disempowering choices, behaviors and actions that might be getting in the way of manifesting your intentions. Instead, consciously choose actions that will shift your experience and empower you.
- Share Successes: Celebrate accomplishments both big and small. Toot your own horn. Share progress with your “Circle.” Tweet. Blog. Journal. Added bonus… gratitude and appreciation are scientifically proven stress reducers and health boosters!
Susan MacCaul Siegmund is a Certified Coach and Mindbloom’s Vice President of Product and Partner Marketing. Her unique career journey spans nearly 25 years and blends together extensive experience as a marketer, certified coach and educator. She is an expert on women in midlife and holds a Masters Degree in Human Development. Picture courtesy of Flickr.
2010 Women and Mom Blogger Conferences to Attend
December 23, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 29 Comments
Looking to take your blog or social media practices up a notch in 2010 and have a little fun while doing it (check out our smiles from BlogHer 2009)?
Here’s some awesome opportunities for girls’ weekends out, errrr, I mean amazing blogging and social media conferences 
, that are perfect for women looking to grow their blogging and social media knowledge as well as their brand connections.
See the list below to compare conference focus, dates, location, audience, number of attendees, and cost.
January
Chicks Who Click—Colorado
A one-day Social Media Conference for Women incorporating networking, education and empowerment with like-minded women, achieving great heights in the area of Social Media.
Website: http://www.chickswhoclick.net/chickswhoclick.html
Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: Saturday, January 23
Audience: Women in social media
Number of People: Approximately 100
Cost: $225
Alt Conference
Where design-minded folks—bloggers, lifestyle sites, and the companies that want to connect with them—get together to make connections, discuss theory and love on all things design. The focus will be on growing communities, marketing, and monetizing.
Website: http://altitudesummit.com
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Thursday to Saturday, January 21-23
Audience: Bloggers and design enthusiasts
Number of People: Approximately 300
Cost: $350
February
BlissDom
Dedicated to making sure each of [its] attendees has a meaningful weekend learning, connecting and cultivating inspiration for her blog, her business, her family and her life. Special focus on writing and business tracks. Also, new this year is a one-day event with 12 different Wisdom Workshops on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Website: http://blissdomconference.com
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Date: Thursday to Saturday, February 4-6
Audience: Women and mom bloggers, women entrepreneurs and social media enthusiasts
Number of People: Open to 500 attendees
Cost: $299
Mom 2.0 Summit
A place for marketers, mompreneurs and social media enthusiasts to get to know one another, connect, converse, and build relationships. This year’s Summit discussions will focus on three smart paths you can take to even more enlightenment in social media, marketing, networks, and brand building.
Website: http://mom2summit.com
Location: Houston, Texas
Date: Thursday to Saturday, February 18-20
Audience: Mompreneurs, mom bloggers, marketers, and social media enthusiasts
Number of People: Open to 350 attendees
Cost: Early bird pricing is $399. Rates increase December 31.
March
Chicks Who Click—Nebraska
A one-day Social Media Conference for Women incorporating networking, education and empowerment with like-minded women, achieving great heights in the area of Social Media.
Website: http://www.chickswhoclick.net/chickswhoclick.html
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Date: Saturday, March 6
Audience: Women in social media
Number of People: Approximately 100
Cost: $225
SITS Bloggy Bootcamp
Whether you are a newbie or seasoned blogger, you’ll walk away with tons of new ideas and new connections. Networking and collaboration is what bloggy boot camp, hosted by SITS, is all about.
Website: http://www.starsandheartsmedia.com/?page_id=12
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Date: Saturday, March 6
Audience: Geared to women bloggers
Number of People: Only 85
Cost: $89
South by Southwest
Five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer.
Website: http://sxsw.com/interactive
Location: Austin, Texas
Date: Thursday to Tuesday, March 11-16
Audience: Those passionate about all things interactive
Cost: Current pricing is $475 for the Interactive Badge. Rates increase January 15.
FitBloggin’10
Website: http://fitbloggin.com
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Date: Saturday, March 20
Audience: Those passionate using blogs and social media to spread a message of health and wellness.
Cost: $99.95 (Early bird special sold out. )
Social Media 4 Small Biz
A two-day interactive, family-friendly conference for small business owners featuring some of the best social media experts, PR professionals, and small business consultants.
Website: http://sm4smallbiz.com
Location: Aliso Viejo (Orange County), California
Date: Thursday to Saturday, March 25-27
Audience: Small business owners with an online storefront who want to get smart on social media
Number of people: Approximately 150
Cost: TBA
April
Chicks Who Click—North Carolina
A one-day Social Media Conference for Women incorporating networking, education and empowerment with like-minded women, achieving great heights in the area of Social Media.
Website: http://www.chickswhoclick.net/chickswhoclick.html
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Date: Saturday, April 10
Audience: Women in social media
Number of People: Approximately 100
Cost: $225
June
Evo ‘10 Conference
At Evo’10, it’s all about interaction—interacting with other bloggers, business women, and brands while evolving your blogging and social media skill set through hands-on, interactive workshops.
Website: http://evoconference.com
Location: Park City, UT at The Canyons Resort
Date: Thursday to Saturday, June 24-26
Audience: Women and marketers looking to connect with each other and evolve their blogs, their businesses, and their brands.
Number of People: Full access passes available to 350 people. Opening keynote and party open to an additional 150.
Cost: Early bird pricing is $249. Rates increase March 1.
August
BlogHer
Offers innovative ideas and [the opportunity to] interact with a mix of social media experts, business bloggers, and brand marketers who have experience building campaigns and working in social media environments.
Website: http://www.blogher.com/blogher_conference/conf
Location: New York, New York
Date: Thursday to Saturday, August 5-7
Audience: Bloggers and businesses
Number of People: Open to 1800 people
Cost: Early bird pricing is $198. Rates increase March 1.
October
Blogalicious 2010
For three days, black, white, Latina, Caribbean, Asian-Pacific, and Native-American bloggers, among other nationalities, will enjoy a weekend of entertaining discussions and extraordinary events, all experienced in the company of exceptional women.
Note: All conference information, including description paragraphs, was taken directly from the conference websites. Please refer to individual websites for additional information, rate increases, or other conference information revisions.Website: http://www.blogaliciousweekend.com
Location: Miami, Florida
Date: Thursday to Saturday, October 8-10
Audience: Women bloggers
Cost: TBA
Tips for Winter Skincare 101
December 10, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 30 Comments
Winter can be really hard on your complexion—frigid temperatures, crazy winds, low humidity and dry indoor air are harsh and damaging. But there is hope! Review the following tips from Origins for ideas on how to treat and soothe parched winter skin.
- Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize. Update your daily evening moisturizer to a slightly richer one. Once a week, throw on an ultra-moisturizing hydration mask.
- Don’t forget your eyes. Hydrating the delicate under-eye area is crucial for looking refreshed and rejuvenated.
- Exfoliate. Twice a week, polish away dull cells and surface damage to reveal a radiant new layer.
- Protect Yourself. When waging battle against the cold elements, rich body creams are the perfect nourishing treat.
- Drink water. Drinking lots of water is key all year round, but especially during the winter months—it’s the easiest way to keep your body looking its best.
- Buy a humidifier. During the winter, air becomes super dry. A humidifier replaces lost moisture back in the atmosphere which will protect and hydrate your skin.
About Origins
The Origins mission is to create high-performance natural skincare that is powered by nature and proven by science. They use potent plants, organic ingredients, and 100% natural essential oils. And our long-standing commitment to protect the planet, its resources and all those who populate it is reaffirmed by our earth and animal friendly practices, packaging, and policies.
Use the following Origins products to keep skin hydrated, well-nourished and looking its best all winter long.
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Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Ginger Souffle
Modern Friction
