Getting my kicks on Route 66: running through the Disneyland Resort

photo credit: Josh Hallett @hyku

Of all the magical events in store for the attendees of Disney's Social Media Moms Conference, the one I was most looking forward to was the 2 mile fun run.  I've always wanted to do a runDisney race, and although this wasn't an official race, it's the next best thing.  I can't think of any fun run more fun than this one (shades of Dr. Seuss there): what could be grander than running through the Disneyland Resort?

I'm going to the Happiest Conference on Earth!

Today's Travel Tuesday post is less about where I've been, and more about where I'm going:  to the Disneyland Resort!  Okay, I've been there before, but this time is different:  I'm going because I'm attending one of the most sought-after conferences in the mom-blogging space: the Disney Social Media Moms (DSMM) conference.  It's a four-day conference for social media savvy moms (and dads!), and like all conferences, we'll be attending panels and sessions -- but there are a few things about this conference that make it unique:

Wild nights: kissing and telling in the age of Facebook and social media

As a blogger, my life is pretty much an open book.  But there are times when my sense of discretion overrides my desire to tell a good story.   For instance, let's say that a blogger friend of mine went to a cocktail party thrown by some fellow PTA moms.  Let's suppose that it was a ladies-only cocktail party, with champagne and desserts.  Let's further suppose that there was an additional item on the dessert menu -- man candy, in the form of attractive, well-muscled bodybuilders serving drinks.

Theoretically, the aforementioned blogger would waste no time whipping out her camera and snapping photo after photo of these divinely muscled hunks, right?  And who could blame the aforementioned blogger and her friends for wanting to pose with aforementioned hunks?  With all that champagne coursing through everyone's body, one can imagine that most of the moms would be more than happy to let go of their inhibitions and enjoy a night of slightly naughty, but harmless fun.  Everyone would have a great time, and it would quickly become known as the Best Party Ever.

But what would happen the morning after?  Naturally, my blogger friend would never embarrass her friends by posting any of the photos she took that night.  In fact, she'd probably send all photos to her friends (along with a promise never to let the photos see the light of Facebook) and delete them from her own phone.  No, the issue my blogger friend would have would be what to do with her own photos.  Should she blog about them or post them on Instagram as she does with practically every event in her life?

I can totally relate with this hypothetical situation.  Alfie says that I look at every event in my life as blog fodder, every photo as an opportunity to post to social media, and I suppose there's some truth to that.  But the events I share are usually have to do with Bonggamom the mom, or Bonggamom the wife.  Rarely do I write about Bonggamom the woman -- which is ironic, since "Finding Bonggamom" is about rediscovering my identity as an individual.  But if there's one thing I've learned since starting this blog, it's that being a mom is a part of who I am, and I couldn't let it go even if I wanted to.  And as a mom, I wonder if photos of me with a shirtless hunk on Instagram (if they existed -- we're talking about a friend, remember) might embarrass my kids, make me look like some kind of cougar so desperate to recapture her youth that she just had to tweet and Facebook the moment she got within 2 feet of an amazing male chest.  No matter how amazing that chest was.

I would struggle with my decision, go back and forth with my finger hovering on the Post to Facebook button, long after the champagne giddiness and euphoria had ended.  But in the end, I would probably choose to keep the photos on my hard drive, and decline to share them with the world -- even the most innocent photos where the guy had his shirt on.  Even though I'd love to share my story of how, just for a night, I ditched my boring old PTA mom image, I'd keep the details of this slightly amusing story to myself (and Alfie, of course -- we have no secrets).  It's not the kind of thing my daughter would want floating around the internet when she becomes President of the United States or wins a Nobel Prize.

Fortunately, I don't have to face any such dilemma, because all of it happened to a friend, not to me, and it's all theoretical.  At least, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

See you at BlogHer PRO 2013!

Having missed all the excitement of BlogHer '13, I've resolved to end my 2-year BlogHer conference hiatus and attend BlogHer '14.  But with two international trips already looming on the summer 2014 horizon, I can't say I'm attending BlogHer '14 for sure until I figure out when and where it will be.

I've been so fixated on stalking BlogHer's twitter feed for conference updates that I almost missed the news about a great BlogHer conference being held right here in Silicon Valley: BlogHer PRO 2013.  In many ways, BlogHer PRO is actually a better fit for me because I've been blogging for such a long time now that I'm more interested in conferences that deal with taking blogging to the next step rather than introducing the basics. I also missed out on BlogHer PRO 2012 because we were in the Philippines (my timing sucks!), so I was determined to catch this year's conference, at least.

Well, there's no missing BlogHer PRO 2013 now, because I've been invited to join the keynote panel discussion on the final conference day!  I'll be in the company of some great bloggers, including Beth Blecherman from TechMamas.com, Jim Lin from Ketchum PR and Busy Dad Blog, and Sarah Penna from Big Frame.  We'll be talking about something near and dear to my heart: how brands and bloggers can work together.  If you want to join us, (I might need a cheering section, or at least a few people to wave and signal from the audience in case I have spinach stuck between my teeth), check out the BlogHer PRO registration page for all the deets.  Or enter my giveaway for a BlogHer PRO conference pass. Either way, I hope to see you there!

Finding our Superhero powers at the Family Forward Retreat

Last week the whole family packed up and flew to Orlando to spend five days at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the Universal Studios theme parks.  We had won a vacation and entry to Mom It Forward's inaugural Family Forward Retreat, so we were well aware that this was a special, once-in-a-lifetime treat.  We knew we would enjoy the theme parks.  We knew we would enjoy the hotel.  We knew we would enjoy all the perks that came with being Family Forward attendees (special meet-and-greet opportunities with characters, a Blue Man Group show, an exclusive Harry Potter dessert party, fabulous swag).

But we had absolutely no idea how much we would enjoy the Family Forward Retreat itself.

Orlando, here we come!

This is a photo of the first time I visited Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida (I'm the girl on the right).  I don't even remember what year it was because this is a scanned photo and I never got around to writing the date on the back of it!  Judging from the culottes my cousins are wearing and the Laura Ashley dress I'm wearing (with running shoes?? wth??), I'd say this was in 1997.  I visited again in 1999 (I can't even find a photo of that visit), and that was the last time I went.

Until now.

Something amazing has happened:  we are flying to Universal Studios Orlando and spending 5 days at the Mom It Forward Family Forward Retreat!  Even more amazing, I won the whole trip!!

Business trip or pleasure junket?

Bay Area mom bloggers from last year's Cars Land press event:  Techmama, SV Twin Mom, bonggamom, Xiaolinmama, The Silent I

This week I'm traveling to the Disneyland Resort for a press event: they want to make sure everyone knows about the newest section of Fantasyland, Fantasy Faire, and they're celebrating the debut of Disneyland Park's new live show, Mickey and the Magical Map.  Even though my time there will be filled with interviews and film tapings, there's going to be a press party and we do get lots of breaks to explore the parks.  And even though I'm going solo (the kids are outraged, but they've missed enough school to visit the Philippines last December), any visit to the Disneyland Resort is a great one, and I'm really looking forward to my trip.  Okay, I'm DYING to start my trip.  What with end-of-school activities, next year's PTA activities, the usual afterschool carpool runs and my regular work, life has gotten way too hectic, and this trip is starting to feel like my only chance to take a breather from everyday life and grab some time for myself.

A new look for Finding Bonggamom

Spring is near, and change is in the air!  You may have noticed that Finding Bonggamom has a new look.  I've been meaning to revamp my blog design for quite a while now (in fact, it was on my Forty before Forty to-do list), but I never got around to doing it.  It's time for a blog makeover!

I'm still not decided on the final look for this blog, but there are a few things I definitely want to do.  First, I want a less crowded, less cluttered look.  Second, I want to be able to display larger sized photos.  Eliminating one of my sidebars will accomplish both.  Third, I'm done with the dark background.  Fourth, I want a few less frills -- but fifth, I don't want the new version to be unrecognizeable, so I'm in the process of figuring out what I want to keep and what I want to drop.  This is a work in progress, so pardon the dust, and wish me luck in finding a look that works!

Social Commerce Panel at Social Media Week

February 13-17 is Social Media Week; people in 12 cities around the world, from New York to London to Paris to Tokyo are gathering to learn about emerging trends in social and mobile media and share ideas on how to best apply them to major industries and individual businesses. Keynote speakers include the CEO of Google Brazil and the White House Director, while individual sessions feature top executives and key influencers like Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer, Mawaan Rizwan, one of the most popular YouTubers in the world..... and Bonggamom.

Yes, me!

Coke for breakfast (and other fun things I did in Atlanta)

Last week I was invited by BlogHer and Coca-Cola to visit Coca-Cola's headquarters in Atlanta and have some Conversations with Coca-Cola. It was part workshop, part presentation, part focus group, part party-- and all fun.Here's what I enjoyed most about my trip:

Pah! Who needs an Oscar when you've got this?

It has been a while since I've been picked to join a blog meme, so I was surprised and delighted to find that blogger Biz e-Mom nominated me for a Stylish Blogger Award. I have to admit, I'm not the first person in the world one would associate with the word "Stylish". Here are seven reasons why:

Bonggamom around the Blogosphere

My second post has been published on the Creativity for Kids blog! It's all about saving money on summer camp fees by organizing your own camp with a group of friends. I've done several "Cousin Camps" with my sister, her sister-in-law and all our kids and it has been a blast for everyone. Now that my sister is back in Manila, she will be sorely missed, but Curatrix and I can still get our kids together this summer... Cousin Camp must go on!

I'm this week's Creativity for Kids blogger!

A couple of weeks ago Alfie pointed to the kids' window art and asked why I hadn't taken it down yet. "Christmas is over, shouldn't the decorations go back into storage?" "No, dear," I said patiently. "That's their window art. That stays up permanently." I know this stuff looks out of place in a Craftsman home, but hey, it's also a home with kids, and I think the window art gives our back entrance a warm, whimsical feel. I even wrote a post about how much I love them over at the Creativity for Kids blog, where I'm the Featured Blogger of the week. Check out my post, and don't forget to take a peek at my bio, which has my awesomely cute baby picture (garish 70's jumpsuit aside) and some funny facts about me.

Back on BlogHer

Being a review blogger is probably as close to my ideal job as I could get -- especially when I'm blogging as a BlogHer Reviewer. I get to try all kinds of new products, I get to host great giveaways, my blog gets great exposure, and I get compensated for my time. What more could I ask for? How about the chance to blog about topics near and dear to my heart? I was quite excited when BlogHer invited me to host a new review series, the Jimmy Dean D-Light "Better Breakfast, Better You" program, because it meant my post would live right on the program's landing page. And since there are 25 chances to win $100 at stake, you can be sure that thousands of people are going to be heading to the landing page and reading my post! Hopefully they'll remember the name Bonggamom -- and if they do, I'll have BlogHer to thank for it. Click here to read my post, and enter to win $100 with 25 other BlogHer reviewers.

I'm Welch's Fruit Snacks Blogger of the Month

Welch's Fruit Snacks recently launched a Facebook page where they showcased selected Facebook fans and bloggers -- and I was surprised (and pleased) to see that I've been featured as their Blogger of the Month. I did a review of Welch's Fruit Snacks a couple of months ago and I guess they were flattered by how my kids fought over the samples that were sent to us. It's just a little thing -- it doesn't come with any prizes, job offers or telegrams from the queen -- but it's still nice to see your face pop up on someone else's Facebook fan page!

Audrey's Giveaways

My review blog, Bonggamom Finds, is today's Featured Blog on Audrey's Giveaways, a popular review and giveaway blog. Audrey was kind enough to include my blog button and links to a couple of my ongoing giveaways. Thanks, Audrey, for the linky love! I hope you get lots of good karma for doing this!

Bloggy Bootcamp -- What I learned

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~Eartha Kitt

I've been blogging for 4 years now, and when I meet bloggers who've been at it for a year, six months, three months, they take it as a sign that I know it all. "Wow, you must be an expert at this!". "You must know everyone in this room". "

Um, no. I'm still the blogger who hides in a corner and pretends to be occupied with her phone, peering out occasionally in the hope that she'll see a familiar face. And I still feel like I have so much to learn! I started my blog with no deliberate intention of growing traffic, making money or pursuing world domination. I just blogged.

But even though I still feel like my main priority is putting up posts and saying what I have to say, it hasn't escaped my attention that there are tons of simple tricks and tips you can follow to get more people to pay attention to what I have to say. I'm starting to wake up to things like SEO, hits, and Google Analytics. And I've been receiving all kinds of IRS forms from people I've worked with on my blog, which means I have to start considering tax implications. So in many ways, I'm still just a newbie who needs to listen to the wisdom of the bloggy gods and goddesses out there.

That's why I signed up for Bloggy Bootcamp, a one-day blog and social media conference held in several cities around the US (I attended the San Francisco event). From the name, it seems to suggest that it's a crash course for new bloggers, but I thought it was a great experience for bloggers of any level.

For one thing, the conference is kept small -- just about 100 bloggers -- which makes it much easier to socialize and network. Participants are assigned to different tables for each session so everyone gets to meet everyone and actually hear each other speak. I met some great bloggers, including a woman who's won one of my giveaways, the wonderfully talented Ciaran Blumenfeld (and I've actually won one of her giveaways), and a woman who's about to host her own cooking show on television. When I heard that, I immediately posed for a photo with her -- I wanted to make sure I got caught on camera with Miri Leigh, the next foodie tv celebrity!


TMZ, People, Entertainment Weekly, feel free to contact me about purchasing the rights to this one-of-a-kind "before they were stars" photo.


For another thing, the venue was awesome:

I felt like a princess in this gilded room, up on the 32nd floor of the Westin St. Francis. Who wouldn't be inspired by the sweeping views?

But really, the main reason that Bloggy Bootcamp worked for me was the speakers. Each one of them gave me something to think about. Here were my favorites:

* The hilarious Jessica Bern got serious -- sort of -- and gave some great tips for producing vlogs that people other than my family might actually click on and watch. Jessica rocked the house during her humor session at BlogHer, and even an elevator ride with her is entertaining, but it turns out she puts in quite a bit of effort into her vlogs -- sometimes one clip will take her up to 30 tries to get it right! My main takeaways from her session were Keep it Short, Watch the Lighting/Hair/Camera Angles, and Be Yourself.

* Ciaran Blumenfeld talked about ways to review products without selling your soul to the marketing demons. I'm well aware of the schism between "content" bloggers and "review" bloggers, and I happen to maintain separate personal and review blogs so I can comfortably do both, but writing a product review that people want to read is a tricky business, and I'm always looking for any tips I can get. Some great insights from Ciaran (pronounced Sharon): Get over the concept that review bloggers are swag whores (okay, I'll readily admit that I am a swag whore, but even whores have ethics, right?), Weave a story around your review, Don't be afraid to return a product if it's not what you thought it would be, and Don't review products that don't fit who you are. In other words, Be Yourself.

* Jennifer James is living proof that you don't need to be a bitch to build an empire. She's as sweet and warm as can be, yet her Mom Bloggers Club (of which I'm a member) is a force to be reckoned with. She spoke about the various social networks bloggers should explore in order to build their online presence, advising new bloggers not too get too overwhelmed and be active on the social channels that work for you (another form of Be Yourself). She kind of threw a bucket of water in my face when she reminded me that you get what you give, and if you want to build a community of followers, you need to participate accordingly -- respond to tweets, follow people who follow you, comment on other people's blogs, etc... So simple and yet so true. Jennifer, you've given me a great mid-year resolution!


* My friend Linsey Krolik, that kickass twin mom, runner, blogger and lawyer, gets my award for "Coolest Dressed Speaker", with her city shorts and flirty peeptoe heels, but it's the content of her session that really stood out. Linsey led us through some of the legal ramifications of starting a blog and taking it up to the next level -- copyrights, trademarks, business plans, Cease and Desist letters, incorporation, etc... -- so you can imagine how many hands shot up during Q&A time. No, she didn't say Be Yourself, but I'm sure she meant it.


Swag was kept to a minimum, and honestly, the speakers were so good that even a swag whore like me didn't miss the giant bags at all. Not that it was bad swag -- the Goldfish crackers came in handy at the end of the day when I was starving, and my kids have taken to the Mastermind game so well that they are all creaming me at it -- but it was sessions, not swag, that made the event memorable. So there's another lesson I learned: You don't need lots of swag to have a good time at a conference. Oh, and Be Yourself.

I'm an Ad!

Those aren't my kids, and that's not my Flip camera.... but that is my name on the ad! I stopped by my blog this morning and was greeted with this nice surprise -- a BlogHer ad network spot featuring yours truly and the $200 giveaway courtesy of Flip Video that I'm currently running as a BlogHer Reviewer. I know it's silly and self-centered, but I can't help feeling tickled that this ad is running on millions (okay, maybe thousands.... or maybe hundreds.... or tens?) of blogs and people get to see my lil' ol' blog.

Which reminds me.... I'd better go and make sure that there aren't any typos or funky graphic glitches for people to point at when they land on that post!

Child's Play Bloggers Brunch -- where the grownups get to play, too

The sun was shining, the breezes were blowing, and it was the perfect day to take a stroll along Manhattan Beach with the kids.... NOT! Actually, it was the perfect day for Alfie to take a stroll along Manhattan Beach with the kids, and for me to connect with some great bloggers and companies at the 3rd Annual Child's Play Bloggers Brunch. When I received the invitation I nearly wet myself with excitement, since I know Child's Play PR and Team Mom always manage to round up blogger-friendly companies who want to share their latest product lines with us -- and since the event coincided with the kids' spring break, I found a way to make it happen.

That's Child's Play PR president, Stephanie Azzarone, in the blue suit, surrounded by panelists Caryn Bailet from Rockin' Mama, Ciaran Blumenfeld from Momfluential, MC Milker from The Not Quite Crunchy Parent and SV Moms' very own Jill Asher.


I didn't know anyone except Jill, since all the bloggers present were from Southern California, so I put on my sociable hat and got to meet lots of wonderful women, including (I'm using Twitter names since it's easier to go through my Twitter stream than sort through all the business cards right now!) @mommasinthehous (who fakes the best Filipino accent), @sweatpantsmom (who was looking gorgeous sans sweatpants), @amysfunny (who really is funny), and fellow SV Moms Group bloggers like Elise Crane Derby and Donna Schwartz Mills. I love expanding my network of bloggy friends!


The sponsors were friendly and only too happy to show us their latest product lines:

The Pottery Barn Kids representative admitted that they are just starting to wade into the waters of blogging PR and social networking, but with their awesome products I'm sure it won't be long before the blogosphere is buzzing and tweeting with PB Kids giveaways and reviews.


Bandai had all the latest toys for boys and girls. 3Po and Jammy are really into Ben 10 ever since Santa gave them a Ben 10 Alien board game for Christmas, so I'm hoping I get to review some really cool Ben 10 stuff.




Needless to say, the goody bags and giveaways were awesome. Bloggers received samples from (in clockwise order, from top left) Bandai, Pottery Barn Kids, Summit Toys, Cold Stone Creamery, and Nickelodeon. They also had giveaways for even more prizes, like a $500 certificate to PBKids, a year's worth of Cold Stone ice cream, toys, toys and more toys, spa certificates and 3 Dyson vacuum cleaners. Sadly, I didn't win any of those, but I did win a tube of mascara worth $85. I have no idea what they put in it -- ground up diamonds, perhaps? -- but I will soon find out, and I'm looking forward to dazzling everyone with my $85 eyelashes.

Anyway, no one could possibly be disappointed with the Child's Play brunch: great weather, great food (they served Mom-osas, made-to-order omelettes and Cold Stone Oreo ice cream sandwiches), great people, great companies, great prizes, great giveaways. What's not to love? Oh, and did I mention that I drove all the way down to LA for this*? Yup, 800 miles round-trip -- and it was totally worth it. Thanks, Child's Play, for letting the grownups play too!



* Okay, I didn't really drive 800 miles just for this event. Alfie drove half the distance. And we did go to Disneyland as well. And I did get to walk around Manhattan Beach with my kids for, like, 5 minutes.

** Disclosure: I received a bagful -- okay, two bagfulls -- of goodies from the sponsoring companies (but you've probably already guessed that). I'll blog more about those on my review blog, Bonggamom Finds.

The Ultimate Blog Party has started!

5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party couldn't come at a better time -- it's Spring Break next week, so I'm ready to partay! I join this bloggy event every year because I get to discover new blogs, put out my own bloggy welcome mat to new visitors, and get the chance to win some great prizes.

If you're new to this blog, hello! I'm Bonggamom. You can find out more about me on this post. And here's my contribution to the party -- have a cupcake:

So what's this party all about? The Ultimate Blog Party is a virtual party celebrating online friendships (you can find more about it and join the party at 5 Minutes for Mom). And as with all the best parties, there are party goodies! This year, as always, there are a ton of amazing prizes up for grabs, and I'd be crazy not to put my name on the list to enter to win (and since I'm not crazy, I've linked up -- I'm link #923 on the Ultimate Blog Party's Family Friendly list, link #375 on the Facebook list, and comment #500 on the UBP main party page). My top 3 prizes would be:

63 – One lucky winner will receive a Razor® Rip Rider™ 360
Provided by: Busy Mommy Media
Follow here: busymommymedia or Visit Our Fan Page: Busy Mommy – Surviving Motherhood One Mess at a Time

104 – Shoot Me Now is giving away one $50 Visa Vanilla Gift Card.
Provided by: Shoot Me Now!
Follow here: shootmenowblog

112 – $50 Amazon Gift card
Provided by: Robyn ~ Our Homeschool Home
Follow here: RobynOHSH or Visit Our Fan Page: Robyn Our Homeschool Home

And if my top 3 picks are already chosen, I would love to win prize # USC 39, USC3, USC8, USC15, 31, 32, 37, 49, 52, 55, 61, 71, 73, 67, 87, 113, or USC36.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a link to your UBP party post in the comments and I'll make sure I stop by and say hello. Happy partying, and I hope you all win the prizes you asked for -- unless I asked for the same thing ;)