I'm going to BlogHer!

The results are in... and I didn't win. The full Label Daddy BlogHer '09 sponsorship, that is. That went to two talented bloggers, Miranda and Bridgette. I'll admit I'm kind of bummed about not winning the big prize -- I didn't think my entry totally sucked, did it? -- but their entries were so well-planned, well-executed, well-everything, that I know they totally deserved to win. How could anyone mind losing to someone who actually velcro'd herself to a wall?! Brilliant! So congratulations, you two!

In any case, there's a happy ending for me as well, because I won one of Label Daddy's other BlogHer contests -- their conference pass giveaway over at Momma Findings!! Hot Damn, I think I'm actually going to BlogHer! (okay, I'll stop with all the exclamation points now, my ears are ringing a bit)

Of course, I still have to figure out transportation and lodging. I think I might have to dip into my airline miles stash to minimize the cash outlay. Sure, the only flights that qualify for airline miles seem to be red-eyes or ones with multiple connections, but beggars can't be choosers, right? I'll be spending hours at the airport, but as long as there's wifi around, it can't be too bad (see, I'm brimming with optimism).

As for lodging, I'm hoping to avoid shelling out $200 per night, for 3 nights, at the Sheraton Towers, so I'll need to shout out for some roommates. There's also the option of channeling my inner hobo and staying at the HI Chicago hostel -- hey, you get wifi access, a central location, and just 6 people to a dorm for $33 per night. I'm just wondering whether it's going to be much cheaper than sharing a room at the Sheraton if I have to pay for a cab to get back to the hostel every night....

I'll figure it out one way or another. The important thing is, I get to display that "I'm going to BlogHer" badge and savor the thought of all the great learning, networking and connecting that's coming my way.

Share the Love... please?

Dear blogosphere

Happy Valentines Day! And since today is Valentine's Day I thought I might ask anyone who drops by to share some linky love.... I'd be happy to drop by your blog and leave a comment on any post you want to share! Here are two posts of mine that you're going to love love LOVE so much that you're gonna want to blog about it and tweet it to the rooftops might be of interest:

I'm giving away a CURLS haircare gift pack on Bonggamom Finds. Head on over and join! There aren't too many entries, so your chances of winning are great!

I recently joined the Label Daddy BlogHer sponsorship contest and if you want to watch me make a fool of myself on camera, click here. I'm not fishing for votes or anything (the winner is not decided public vote anyway) but if you leave a comment and tell me what you think of it, it'll make my day -- and if the Label Daddy folks see that nice people have left comments, maybe they'll give my entry a second look :)

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Bonggamom

Making plans for BlogHer

I really need to find a way to get to BlogHer '09. Because seriously, people, BlogHer is a great conference. Whatever your reasons for blogging, at BlogHer you'll find things to inspire you to take your blog in whatever direction you choose. Here are some of the things I know BlogHer can help you (and me!) with :

* Get information and advice on every aspect of blogging -- photography, topics, ethics, monetizing, time management, you name it -- from people who've been there, done that
* Meet your favorite bloggers face-to-face for the first time.
* Meet companies that can help you with your blog -- from technology to ideas to product -- or ways to streamline your life so you can get on with your blog.
* Get yourself noticed!


So I'm researching my transportation options, and I think the most cost-effective one is to hitchhike to Chicago. So I have to work on my sales and marketing pitch. What do you think of my hitchhiking face?

Hmmm. Maybe not. I wouldn't get noticed in a sea of BlogHer hitchhikers. I need something to get me noticed. Not my body, heavens no.


How about that old standby, a cute kid? Families will be more likely to stop for us and it'll send a signal to potential rides that I'm not planning to murder them with an axe in front of my own kid. Nah. Still too cheerful. We don't look desperate enough. Why not just ditch the grownup and go for the whole "help an orphan out" ploy?



Yes, that's better. I'll just have to hide behind a bush on the roadside and jump into the car with 3Po when the nice family takes pity on him and gives him a ride to BlogHer. Now all I have to do is teach him to pronounce BlogHer correctly.
Good -- transportation down, lodging and conference to go. Fortunately, the good people over at Label Daddy and MomDot are giving bloggers like me the chance to win a conference pass to BlogHer '09. Winning a conference pass would mean the world to me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And teaching 3Po to say, "Please help my mama get to Bloggah..."

Send mama to BlogHer!

I'm not above exploiting the adorable-ness of my kids to plead my case for winning the MomDot/LabelDaddy BlogHer '09 scholarship. They were happy to help, because they like seeing their videos up on YouTube. And they're smart kids. They know that if I get to go to BlogHer '09, there's gonna be a couple of perks for them as well:

* More networking opportunities for mama with companies who reach out to bloggers means more product review opportunities for her blog -- and what would a toy review be without a kid to help review it?

* Lots of cool tchotchkes from the conference sponsors and exhibitors. After all, what five year old doesn't want a flashing jelly necklace/keychain or mousepad?

* Going to BlogHer '09 will make mama happy. And as Barack Obama acknowledges, "When momma's happy, everybody's happy".


So here's what 3Po and Jammy have to say:

My BlogHer 09 sob story, or Why I Want to Go

BlogHer 09 is coming up in Chicago, and if it’s anything like last year’s BlogHer, I can’t wait!

Actually, I might have to wait. A full BlogHer 09 conference pass costs $300 and a room at the Chicago Sheraton will run $199 per night. So even if I use flight miles for the plane ticket and share a hotel room and eat peanut butter sandwiches round the clock for 3 days, BlogHer 09 is going to run me at least $600. That’s a lot of money for someone who thinks $60 for a family-of-five dinner is extravagant. So I might have to wait another year. Or two. Or three.

Reality sucks, but the Reality is that I Really. Want. To. Go. Last year I had a taste of what BlogHer was like (I attended a couple of BlogHer parties and the second day of BlogHer 08 -- since it was in San Francisco, I didn’t need to book a hotel room, I just hitched a ride up with a friend both days); this year I want more. It was more than just a social event, it was a networking event, a learning event. So much good came out of last year’s BlogHer. I listened to advice from the best in the business. I started relationships with companies that make great products for kids and moms. I figured out what to do with that pesky built-in flash on my camera. I met bloggers that I knew and admired from afar; I made friends with ones I didn’t even know existed. And oh, I did something for myself, for my interests, and for my future.

There, I said it, blogging is my future. I don’t know how big a role it’s going to play – I’m not an important or influential or well-connected blogger by any means, and my expected annual income from blogging remains firmly in the 3-digit figures – it’s definitely going from less to more, and going to BlogHer puts me on the right track. To this, let’s put it incorrectly, stay-at-home housewife, blogging has been a blessing. It has given me an emotional outlet, a way to stay connected with other adults, a renewed sense of purpose and self-worth. I’m enjoying the feeling of making a tiny bit of money from doing this thing that I love. I love it when my kids and husband tell other people proudly, “My mommy is a blogger”.

All is not lost. I’m applying for a BlogHership. I’m joining each and every Win a trip to BlogHer contest I can find on the internet (if you know of any, let me know!). But if I don’t get to go this year, I’ll survive. Maybe I’ll go next year. Or the next. I’ll still be blogging then anyway, so I can wait.

Thanks to Label Daddy and MomDot for giving bloggers like me the chance to attend BlogHer09 !