My sincere apology....

Image: Uniqlo t-shirt by Mshades

Dear Readers...or what's left of you:

I owe you an apology.
I have been very slow and unreliable in my posting to this blog.

Now, let me fill you in on all the crap that's been keeping from you:

1. I Went on vacation...

blahgity, blah, blah

2. Went to see a friend who recently had her 4th child

This makes 4 kids, age 5 and under...so it was an I'm-never-complaining-again reminder that twins ain't so tough and sometimes having twins is actually easier!

3. My dear friend's mother passed away after a long an valiant fight with breast cancer.

This was no ordinary woman. She had a closet where her clothes and accessories were lined up in rainbow order. She was a true girly-girl in a house full of boys. She was an incredible cook, a world traveler, and....a twin.

I'm not sure what was more painful.
Watching my friend bury his mother or
watching her twin struggle with the last goodbye.
(Rest in Peace Mrs. B.)

4. My 95-year old Grandfather passed away.

The hardest part of this was the reminder of what life used to be like when I was a kid. A reminder of all those who have passed on (my dad, uncle, grandmother, etc.) and a reminder of how much I miss them all.
(I love you Grampy.)

5. I acquired a company.

I had recently started working with my friend JessicaKnows on her Buzz Cooperative business. Soon after I came aboard she realized the option of going back to work looked pretty good. Her fabulous self went and got a job (I mean, within weeks!) and so began talks of me taking over Buzz. I then completely freaked out and called my friend/sidekick/frack-to-my-frick, Linda and forced her to be my partner. So, I'm now a CEO. Go figure.

And there you have it.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled google reader.
Janine

Part 2 Backstage Experience at Yanni Voices in Baltimore

More on Yanni Voices....Did you check out the Concert review and videos?

The Mom Media Meet & Greet with Yanni Voices

After the concert we were lining up with about 70 other people for the Yanni Voices meet & greet. I, of course, did not have the right credentials because I never do, but does that stop me from getting in line? No.

Anyway, we're chatting and then we hear the lovely Krystal from YanniWake come walking down the line calling, "Who are the mommy bloggers? Mommy bloggers? Anyone here a mommy blogger?"

And then like a trouble maker I ask, "Can we be the Mom Media?"

Krystal, "Sure! Follow me!"

We jump out of line and she escorts us behind a curtain where all 4 vocalists come and chat with us. We all look at each other and say a little silent thank you to @BarbaraJones, @ToThink, and the whole team at One2One Network.

And then I turn on the Flip and hand it to my trusty friend Barb...

This was my backstage experience at Yanni Voices.

I am still recovering.
Next up - an interview with Leslie Mills...and Tango lessons with Ender (ok, that might not happen but I can dream).

Janine

Yanni Voices Show at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena

Ok really? You can bring a glass of wine into the shows at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena? The night was starting off great. And that wine might be what lead to this...

Dancing with the Stars: Ender and Me!

Photo Credit: Resourceful Mom

Whether you're a Yanni fan or not, a little wine, some good company (Barb, Amy & Jill) and the amazing musicians and vocalists of Yanni Voices in Concert will put a smile on your face, and, at times, a little shake to your booty.

Here's Why:
This Yanni show is not at all about Yanni. It seems to have been created to highlight all the other musicians and performers on the tour. Of course Yanni himself is a great host for the evening, but the real stars are the four new vocalists (Chloe, Leslie Mills, Ender Thomas, Nathan Pacheco) and the incredible musicians including the violinists, the percussion and drummer, the classical guitarist, and the harpist.

Here are the highlights from the Yanni Voices concert in Baltimore as I experienced them.

Ender Thomas came out in a hot pink shirt and tight pants and the Grandma sitting next to us whipped out her binoculars. No Joke. I can only imagine what she was focused on....can you?

Leslie Mills' satin vocals and fabulous wardrobe.

Dueling drums....honestly, amazing.

Chloe performed Change and I swear she was really crying.

A family of young girls (ages 12 to about 7) sitting right in front of us completely enjoying the concert!

Classic Baltimore moment...the mom of the girls comes shuffling through mid-song with nachos and a 20 oz beer (see - loving the 1st Mariner Arena!)

Dueling violins - insane



Crazy Brazilian harp thing....doubly insane!


Nathan Pacheco gets a standing ovation and we learned later on that his family was in the audience.

Next: My Backstage Experience at Yanni Voices



Janine

Guest Post! JP Laqueur on The Verizon Hub for Families

Photo Credit: Techfever on Flickr

I was invited to get a first-look at the Verizon Hub home phone in New York last week but couldn't get up there in time. Thankfully fellow marketer, blogger, and all-around good guy JP Laqueur (full-disclosure, he's my brother!) was able to take my spot and here is what he experienced.
__________________________

So today I had the privilege of seeing the new Verizon Hub firsthand. Verizon Wireless has done a great job with the first generation of this product. The Hub is aptly named as well.

Verizon Hub connects family members

Verizon envisioned this device from the start as something that would tie an entire family together in the one time and place they are likely to meet each day: the kitchen at breakfast. And they built its features and capabilities around that typical family experience.

Mom or Dad can quickly check weather, messages or news while they make coffee. They can we real time traffic updates before staring the commute. The kids can even watch short-form videos of their favorite shows while they eat breakfast.

But the Hub goes beyond breakfast too. It's calender feature allows all family members to keep track of events and it will soon integrate with Outlook and other calender systems. At dinner Mom or Dad can also call up recipes to help whip up a quick dinner.

And the Hub has a messaging interface that integrates neatly with your Verizon Wireless phones. The kids can instant message the Hub remotely to let Mom or Dad know about soccer practice change. And anyone can leave a message on the Hub like "went to Kmart. Back in 30" in lieu of paper notes.

Cost of the Verizon Hub

The Hub costs $200 then $35 a month and it must be accompanied by a new or existing Verizon Wireless account. It can support up to 3 handsets in the house and uses a VoIP connection and the home wireless network rather than a land line - making it convenient, fast and easy. It's also very upgradable. Verizon pushes updates to the device (new videos and recipes) all the time.

The next generation of the device will be even smaller and more integrated into the 7-inch screen. All in all it's a great initial product an likely to get even better. For busy Verizon Wireless families it's definitely worth a try.

JP Laqueur is president of Idea-Ware Inc. and blogs his random thoughts on marketing advocacy, technology and life at The Madvocate Blog.

Mom It Forward and Make a Difference

Congratulations to Jyl and Carissa from Mom It Forward on the launch of their new site, the way cool chip in widget, and the upcoming LIVE #gno parties/fundraisers that are going to happen all over the US and Australia on April 18th!

What is Mom It Forward?

Mom It Forwrd is the newest trend in mom groups and makes giving back fun, sociable, accessible, and stylish. The Mom It Forward mission is “to change the world one mom at a time” by strengthening women, helping them become the best moms they can be, and providing support.

Who is Mom It Forward going to help?

The answer to this is always changing. At the Blissdom conference in February MOM IF members helped serve food at a homeless shelter. Recently Mom IF Utah members held a family service project to benefit kids who are abused or neglected. The LIVE #GNO event is raising money for The Pope Foundation which helps women and families support themselves through a concept called microfinance. The Pope Foundation took the microfinance one step further and created 2 more businesses to help their movement. (Read all about this in the Mom IF Fundraiser FAQs)

How you can help Mom It Forward?

1. Chip in via the widget above.

2. Grab the widget and place it on your own blog, website, Facebook page, My Space page, etc.

3. Attend or even help organize one of the local LIVE events taking place April 18th.

4. Donate $20 or buy some of the the Pope Foundation's Basa Body line of products and you'll automatically be entered to win one of three gift cards: $250 Disney gift card, $150 Amazon gift card, $100 Target gift card.

I'll be helping with the DC event so let me know if you'll be there too!

Counting my blessings,
Janine

Make-A-Wish makes all the difference

This little girl had half of her brain removed...


One of the best things about being a blogger has been meeting people who make me stop and think. One of those people is Dwan, aka MommaDJane who I had the pleasure of meeting online and then IRL (in real life) at the Blissdom 09 conference in Nashville.

Dwan is one of those people that no matter what life throws at her (and she's had some serious curve balls) she keeps plugging along with a smile and always with a hand ready to help others.

Now Dwan needs some help as she and her family raise money for the Make-A-Wish 5k Walk THIS Saturday (3/28) !!!

MommaDJane and her daughter Gabby knows first hand what an blessing the Make-A-Wish foundation is for families with children who are facing life-threatening illness and operations. As Dwan explained on her own blog,

"Gab had a stroke during utero and therefore was born with Cerebral Palsy. At nine months old she started having seizures. With the help of steroid shots, seizure medication and lots of therapy we had been able to keep her healthy and active until she was about 4. Her seizures at this point became monthly, weekly and then daily. Since she had brain damage caused by the stroke her epilepsy was only going to get worse. The Neurosurgeon informed me we had to do surgery to remove the abnormal brain tissue in order to stop the seizures, the convulsions were lasting 20 minutes each time and she could no longer even go to school. The surgeon believed if we did not remove the left side of the brain (which was the damaged part) then eventually her right side (good side) would suffer stress and start having seizures as well." read more

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, two weeks before her surgery, Gabby and her family were wisked away to a place where dreams really do come true.
Go here to see Gabby's own Make-A-Wish trip!

If you would like to help this amazing family raise money so that other children can enjoy their wish (no amount is too small) you can Go here to donate.

Ringling Brothers Circus is "Over the Top"

Wow.
Wait, WOW!

That's how we felt leaving the Over the Top show of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus last week.

First, we were invited by Mom Central and Feld Entertainment to join them for a meet & greet with performers before the circus.

The girls loved meeting some of the circus stars....

The Twoer with Pepe & Royo

and I loved meeting some of my blogging stars (now friends)!

Jill (Musingsfromme), Jodi (Jodifur), Me, Erin (CouponCravings)

Blog Idol Jessica (APISS), Me, and L (who was more hungry than impressed)

Then we headed over to the floor of the circus for the All Access Pre-Show event which I highly recommend. It does not cost extra AND you get up close and personal with some of the performers (Mr. swears the stilt walker nearly tripped over him but I'm thinking it's all part of the act), their costumes, and the crowd please...getting to see on of the elephants paint.

Stilt guy had a bone to pick with Mr.

The Main Event itself was incredible! From the motorcycle cage to the lions to the Bounce guys...we left feeling completely WoW'd and wanting more!

Bounce guys...waaaay cool

Did you miss the DC show?
Don't worry, tickets are still available for the Baltimore and Fairfax, VA shows!

Baltimore: 1st Mariner Arena –> March 25th – April 5th
Wednesday March 25th at 7:30 pm
Thursday March 26th at 7:30 pm
Friday March 27th at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm
Saturday March 28th at 11:30 am, 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday March 29th at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Wednesday April 1st at 7:30 pm
Thursday April 2nd at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm
Friday April 3rd at 7:30 pm
Saturday April 4th at 11:30 am, 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday April 5th at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Fairfax: Patriot Center -> April 8th – 19th
Wednesday April 8th at 7:00 pm
Thursday April 9th at 7:00 pm Friday April 10th at 1:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Saturday April 11th at 11:30 am, 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday April 12th at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Thursday April 16th at 7:00 pm
Friday April 17th at 10:30 am and 7:00 pm
Saturday April 18th at 11:30 am, 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday April 19th at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm

Use DISCOUNT code: MOM when ordering on www.ticketmaster.com to get 4 tickets for just $44!

Bonus:
Pepe and Royo turned the camera on us and snapped a really cute photo of our family!


Janine

The Ultimate Blog Party 09 - My first!

WELCOME Partiers!
Can I offer you some coffee? No? Well that's all I drink these days so it's that or water, or wine so you choose.

This is my first evah Ultimate Party Blog and with 5 Minutes for Mom and I can't wait to meet new bloggers and add to my blog roll. (Check out my UPB Prize too!)

For those of you stopping by, here's just a little about me.

My name is Janine and I have 5 year old twins (actually they are now closer to 6 than to 5 but I'm holding on to 5 as long as I can) and last Halloween my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.
Yes, Halloween. No, it was not a costume wedding...until much later when the silly masks came out. And oh by the way, I fit into my wedding dress this year!

My Twofer: L on left , M on right

We live outside of Washington, DC and we try to take advantage of the free museums as much as possible and as much as we can stand getting around the, um, tourists. Honestly, I consider myself a New Yorker at heart having grown up outside what I will always refer to as The City. Washington is a great city and does have a lot of life....but c'mon. It's not NYC. It's not The City. It's DC.

I can be a little snarky (no! really?) and silly, and a little bit rock-and-roll (shhh, don't tell anyone but I have a tatoo). But most of I'll I'm just me.

I often blog here about the silly things that come with raising twins, who are girls, and the neuroses I suffer trying to make decisions that hopefully won't screw them up too much (like the time I told them no matter what they should not pee in the port-o-potty on the farm field trip and they should hold it until they get back to school - yeah, that kind of stuff).

Me in Nashville at Blissdom 09

I have been blogging for not quite a year and found it has given me a great place to be creative, keep memories alive for my children, and make new friends...yes, friends. As strange as this blog world is, I've been able to meet some online friends in real life (IRL - new term for me) and have yet to be disappointed.

Remember to check out UBP Prize #USC 71
Enter to win the adorable North Country Lamb Print from Golly Bard. This print is perfect for the nursery, a bathroom, or even a quiet little corner of your room.

And here are the prizes I'm hoping to win:
#89 — $100 gift card to HomeGoods
Provided by: HG Openhouse

#113 — $25 gift certificate to Office Max (two winners)
Provided by: Multi-Tasking Mama http://www.multitaskingmama.com/

INTL 1 — Available to English speaking bloggers. Custom Basic Blog Design
Provided by: Sweet ‘n Simple Design

If those are gone I'd be more than happy with any of these: #s 16, 22, 31, 37, 69, 118, INTL 28, and, um I'll be adding to this list!

Thanks for stopping by and let me know you did so I can visit your party too!

Janine

Kajeet Giveaway! The kids cell phone that parents love. {Contest CLOSED}

***UPDATE 3/4/09****
This contest is now closed. The winners are:

The three participating blogs eached picked a winner using Random.org. Then I took those three names and used the List Randomizer from Random. org to come up with the grand prize winner and runners up.

The Grand Prize winner of the Samsung M300 Kajeet Phone goes to....

@auntiethesis from http://auntiethesis.blogspot.com


The runners up and winners of the Kajeet prize packs are....

@minnemom from http://minnemom.com/
Maybe Mama from http://juryreview.blogspot.com/

Congratulations!!!

Thanks for participating and don't forget, if you didn't win you can still get 15% off the cost of a Kajeet phone by using promo code: JANINE when you visit www.kajeet.com!
____________________original post_____________________

Lord knows when the Twofer hit their tween years they will want a cell phone, and frankly, I'm not completely opposed to it. The world can be big and scary and a little crazy, and as a responsible parent with a tendency to be a little neurotic, I'm thinking a cell phone offers some security.

Which is why I'm so happy to have already found Kajeet!

When I first read about Kajeet and explored the website I was really impressed with the level of parental control, and the flexibility of the program. Here's what I liked:

Affordable

With Kajeet no contract is needed and you can pay-as-you go for $.10 a minute.
But for less than $5 a month you can have 10 minutes of call/text time and if you go over, it's just $.10 a minute as opposed to $.32 a minute most "family plans" charge for overages. See the comparison:

Compare Kajeet's Basic Plan ($4.99/month) to most Family Plans

Parental Controls

Parental controls mean that you can work with your tween/teen to manage when the phone is used (Time Manager), decide what numbers and texts to allow (Contact Manager), and even decide who pays for which phone calls. So calls to Grandma can come out of the parent wallet encouraging more calls to Grandma!
The GPS Phone Locator allows you to find the phone at any time. And all of these controls are easy to manage online.

Giveaway

You can enter to win a Samsung M300 Kajeet phone that will come with a $5.00 credit!

This phone does everything kids want it to do (text, photos, games, etc.) and the Kajeet service has everything you as a parent will love.

What's more, I have 2 Kajeet Gift Sets that will go to two runners up!

Here's how to enter:
Choose 1 of these or do all 4 for 4 chances to win!
1. Leave a comment with your favorite Kajeet feature.
2. Subscribe to this blog (click on the RSS button for posts just above the Kajeet image in the right column)
3. Email this contest to 5 of your friends and cc me: scarytwins at yahoo dot com
4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (and leave comment here with link)

**Special Note***
For another view of Kajeet visit my new blog friend Toni's blog, The Happy Housewife, on Thursday (2/26) where you can double your chances of winning and then stop by MommaDJane's Blog on Saturday (2/28) where you can enter AGAIN!

Contest ends Tuesday, March 3rd at 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and announced Wednesday, March 4th.

If you don't win the free phone, you can still get 15% off the cost of a Kajeet phone by using this special code at checkout: JN0005

Good luck, and happy phone shopping!
Janine

Another book, an extra hug, a photo and a reminder of what I have

Just because they looked cute

Yesterday I was checking in with a blog hero, Anissa to see how her daughter Peyton was doing after a horrific day getting blood drawn. You see Peyton has cancer. Peyton also recently had her port removed and the family celebrated a Cancer Free day. So this bloodwork would determine whether the party could continue, or if the family would get back on that roller coaster of fear, pain, sadness, worry, and general suckiness. (The results, after a loooong 2 days were good...silent cheer!)

I then caught a tweet by local blog star Jessica about a little angel named Vivi. Of course I went to Jessica's blog and read the post and then HAD to go to Vivi's own blog. And then the tears started.

But I wasn't done. From Vivi's blog there were several other links to blogs about children who are battling cancer, and the parents who are putting on brave faces, celebrating milestones, or in some cases, learning how to say goodbye.

By the time I was done it was after midnight, my eyes were puffy and red, and my heart ached and ached. I think there were a few hiccupy-breaths in there too - you the kind you used to get when you were little and just wailing? Yea, I had that.

But today I woke up a little different.

• I actually read not one, but two books to the girls this morning (I never read before school as we're usually late from the minute we're up!).
• I took extra time to sit with the girls when they got dressed (instead of yelling to them to hurry up as I make lunch).
• Then something unusual happened - they both asked me to put their hair up in a ponytail, my fave! So I took the time to do that too.
• They were so cute in their little skirts with their hair up that we took extra time to take some pictures.
• We were definitely late to school, but I gave them each an extra long hug and kiss before they went into the building.
• I then kept my promise (the same promise I have broken 3 days in a row now) of making chocolate covered strawberries today after school

Today I was a different mom...a better mom - I'm not afraid to say that. I'm improved. I give thanks to those parents who reminded me to appreciate what I have and to take that extra time. I will hug, and kiss, and squeeze, and help, and read to, and cook with, and tickle, and tuck in and everything else more now to honor the parents who can't.

What will you do?

Janine

Welcome Blissful Buzz readers!

If you have found my little piece of the blogosphere through Blissful Buzz than welcome! I hope you come back and visit again soon.

For my regulars (you know who you are...mom, cousin Jess), my roommate from Blissdom 09 asked me to be a contributing writer to her Blissful Buzz column on Blissfully Domestic.

Feeling Blissful myself I said sure!
Check out my first article and leave a comment there so they know I'm one of the cool kids.

Thanks!
Janine

A Sassy little shop with a Twofer discount

Welcome to Day 4 of A Little 2 Sassy's Blog Tour!

My bloggy friend MommaDJane just introduced me to a rock star twin mom named Kristina. Not only does Kristina have her own business, A Little 2 Sassy, but she makes much of the merchandise herself!

Kristina gets a Twofer Thumbs Up for finding the balance between being a wife, mom to 3 kids including twins, crafter, and business owner. PLUS - she's giving all Twofer readers a 15% discount when you shop and use code: 0809mamma15

I'm loving these Croc bows

They make Crocs acceptable as party shoes!

And the headbands...



But for me?

This Giraffe print wallet for only $19.99 is a must-have.

My belt collection could benefit from some bling...


Be sure to stop by A Little 2 Sassy and check out all the goodies. Read the Sassy Story and then tell me how you are going to use your 15% discount!

Janine

Today I'm over at JessicaKnows (BLOG IDOL)

For real. This is BIG. JessicaKnows asked me to guest post and I was bouncing in my seat! You see I not only went to Blissdom, I landed a few great interviews with Nathan Pacheco, Ender Thomas, and Chris Mann.
Jessica asked me to write about my tips for interviewing a celebrity and you can see that I learned quite a lot...mostly from making mistakes.

Video of the interviews below. Take it easy, I'm a beginner.
But watch out Joan Rivers - I'm coming to a red carpet near you!

Ender and Nathan from Yanni Voices


Chris Mann

Chris Mann interview from twincident on Vimeo.


You can see photos of me with my interviewees over at JessicaKnows.
Stop in and tell her how I did!
Janine

Tips for Your First Blog Conference

Some day this blog will return to the 'twin mom' roots but having just returned from my very first blog conference, Blissdom09, I have the need to share my tips with others who might be afraid to take part.

Before I left I was afraid I'd feel lonely (having no real blog friends), out of my element (Feedburner does what?), and defeated (because of my traffic...I appreciate you dear readers more than you'll ever know).

But upon returning I can tell you I have lots of blog friends, I am a member of an incredible movement that recognizes the power of women/mothers/bloggers, and I am motivated and energized to put what I've learned to work!

So if you are afraid of taking the leap - don't be!
If you are even slightly interested and can afford a blog conference - GO!
Here are some tips to help you feel more comfortable:

1. Get a roommate
Email some of your favorite bloggers, readers, or twitter friends to see who else is going and who is looking to share a room. This does two things: cuts down on the cost of the room and sets you up with an automatic friend! Before heading down to the conference I called my roommate and flat out told her I'd be sticking to her like glue. Luckily, this was her first conference and she felt the same way.

2. Get a list of mobile phones
Before you leave chat with some of the attendees (see #1) and get a few cell numbers so that you can text and arrange to meet when you are down there like I did with Renee. You'll feel better knowing you've got a few 'friends' already and trust me, they quickly become your friends/sisters/supporters.

3. Bring a notebook
I had the right idea in my earlier post and I'm glad I followed through. The notebook came in handy during sessions, to jot down the names and blogs of the people I was meeting and wanted to connect with later, and even for keeping track of the conference schedule. On the way home I had everything in one place as I started notes for this post and for future posts. (Also check out JessicaKnows' Moleskin notebook.)

4. Bring business cards
For me, business cards helped me stand out. Not just because I used an envelope, but because it was what I used to break the ice and talk to people. I usually asked them for their card, then asked if I could give them mine. A number of people had seen my post and immediately we had something to talk about. And if I had never heard of their blog, I asked. Plus, now I have a database of people I can turn to for advice, partnership, and support. I hope they feel the same way when they look at my card.

5. Participate
Don't be afraid to ask questions at a session. People remember you when you ask a good question and will often approach you and mention it.
If there is a cocktail hour, go.
If there is a karaoke party, ask one of your blog idols to get up there with you and sing Dancing Queen.

photo courtesy MommaDJane on Flickr

Renee, me, BLOG IDOL White Trash Mom, my roommate Linda

Sugar Jones invited me to sit down at breakfast with Mandi, Lisa, and Rachel and we later explored downtown Nashville. Introducing myself and approaching people was how I found one of my new BFFs MommaDJane.

6. Meet the Sponsors
Check them out before you go so you know what to say to the people representing the companies. Without the sponsors there would be no conference, or it would be really expensive to attend. Reach out to them if you have a chance, say thank you, and if you feel compelled, post about them!

I know I became an even bigger fan of Yanni Voices (thanks to Disney Pearl) and Chris Mann (thanks to Sony Music). I'm going to start using Lijit, start buying Little Debbie 100 calorie snacks - probably at Walmart, and start wearing cool Crocs boots as soon as I use my gift certificate!

Would love to have your suggestions too!
Janine
More posts on Blissdom09 here:
What to bring to a blog conference
Help me get dressed for Blissdom09
Diving head first into the shallow end of the blogging conference

What to bring to a blog conference

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG I'm starting to freak out now!

I'm going to Blissdom 09 in just a few days and this is my first ever blog conference, the first time I'll meet ANY of my bloggy friends and blog idols in person, and the first time I've been away on a work (?) sort of thing in a loooooong time.

So yes, I'm a complete dork and already started my outfit list (and thank you everyone for your cocktail outfit votes!) and now have compiled a list of other things I think I should bring.

I'm hoping some of you more experienced bloggers and conference goers will weigh-in here.

Here's what I have so far:
1. Wine - wait, maybe that shouldn't be number one...makes me look like I have a problem. But I do, I'm nervous! OK, we'll take that off #1 and I'll buy it down there, but it's not leaving the list completely!

OK, start over
1. Laptop - because my faithful readers (all 2 of you) don't go on vacation just because I'm hanging with my blog peeps and getting all fabulous n stuff.
(Question - do people actually bring their 'puters to the sessions too?)

2. Business Cards - of course I don't have any but that isn't going to stop me. I've come up with a very creative if not handy little calling 'card' that I will reveal here:


This business card is actually a small envelope in which my fellow bloggers can store all the other cards they will be collecting. (Notice the Twofer stamp?) If you think it's hokey I don't really want to hear it because it took me a lot of time to make them and, well, at least it's memorable.

3. Mobile Phone - like this one:
not to stay in touch with my family you silly people, to do some LIVE Tweeting!

4. Snacks- I'm just one of those people that completely loses focus when I get hungry, so I'm planning to pack a few granola bars. (I will share so if you feel your blood sugar running low, c'mon over.)

5. Notebook- Because I will be meeting so many cool people and getting invited to participate in all kids of fabulous things, I better bring a notebook to jot everything down.
And here is where I really Geek'd out...I took a minute this morning to organize my notebook with an area for the schedule, people I meet, my questions/goals, and session notes. Plus, I put some paper clips and sticky tabs so I can highlight certain things if needed.


Again, I can take criticism, but at least I've put some thought into it.

6. Wine - is it appropriate to mention that now here?

7. A good book- because sadly enough the thought of waiting and waiting in an airport and on an airplane brings me a certain kind of joy. The kind of joy you just don't get unless you're used to two 5-year olds constantly asking you questions, whining about being hungry, arguing, and basically needing you.

8. People Magazine and Us Weekly - always a treat when I travel and always a great source for small talk. Plus, I'm going to use them for 'research' for a new writing role I may take on.

9. Lists - I am spending some much-needed money on this conference and to make sure I get the most out of it I better prepare all my burning questions for my blog idols. I also want to make a list of ideas I've had, and new projects I'm working on so that I remember where I'm looking to partner with someone.

10. _______________________You fill it in! Please leave me your #10 in a comment. Did I overlook something really obvious? What have you wished you had with you at a conference? If there's enough interest, I'm happy to compile the list and post it after the conference.

Thanks for your input and Blissdom 09 Here I come!
Janine

Help me get dressed for Blissdom 09!

Blissdom 09 is going to be my first ever blogging conference. I'm excited to meet so many amazing women, learn some digi skills from my roommate Linda, and get inspired for v2 of this little time suck I call my blog.

I'm also a little overwhelmed....

because there is a cocktail party...

and I haven't been to a cocktail party in a very long time.

What do I wear???

That is why I have begged, cajoled and harassed you into visiting my blog.
I need you to help me choose from 3 outfits.

Here are 3 outfits shown in crappy photos I took with my phone and a little description. I could put each outfit on and model it for you while my husband plays photog with our Nikon D40 digital SLR camera, but that would make too much sense and make this blog look way more professional than it really is.
Also, I'm lazy.

So do the best you can with what I have here.

Outfit A: conservative yet classy

Pencil skirt with pink blazer paired
with my favorite (only) Prada purse, and peep-toe pumps

Outfit B: fun and funky

Black velor coat with embroidery, satin shoulder blouse,
skinny jeans (not shown) and black mules

Outfit C: the dress

Dark navy dress with red satin slingbacks and a
kelly green quilted satin clutch (not shown) for more color

Your job?
Leave a comment telling me what is most appropriate for a blogging conference cocktail hour: A, B or C

I will forever be grateful!
Faithfully yours,
Janine

My second award!

Thank you to DJane over at Blogging Momma for honoring me with the

When Life Hands you Lemons, Make Lemonade blog award!

DJane has an amazing story and the positive energy she musters up for others while she is dealing with so much is an inspiration.

The rules are that I have to link back to the person who awarded me, add the 'lemons' logo to my blog, and pass it onto to ten more people who express gratitude or good attitude.

The award recipients are (in no particular order):

Tara at Feel Like Home because she is the queen of retweets on twitter and gets through a tough situation with her head held high (and a few new followers I hope).

Minnemom at Travels With Children because her husband is a farmer...a real farmer and her tweets document the trials of farming life in a light, and often humorous way.

Anna at Shoe Smitten because somewhere in history the line was re-written. It's supposed to be, "When life hands you lemons, go shopping for shoes." Right?

Linda at Short Pump Preppy because the photo-shopped photos she makes of herself are friggin hilarious AND I'll be rooming with her at Blissdom09 and frankly, I wanna get that party started off on the right foot!

Lisa at Workout Mommy because I am constantly falling off the workout wagon but a quick visit to her blog and I'm inspired once more.

Renee at Cutie Bootie Cakes because she takes things like watching her son grow up and losing weight and turns them into insightful posts that I love reading (and watching).

Toni at A Daily Dose of Toni because of this post that talks about being thankful in tough times.

Robyn at Robyns Online World because she just didn't mope about knowing she needed a new dishwasher and fridge...she tapped into her blog/twitter network where I know she'll get the best advice.

Debbie at Suburb Sanity because she can laugh at her un-stylish self and make me laugh as well.

Everyone at Travel Savvy Mom because traveling with kids can really suck, but this site has so many great tips, trick, and ideas to make it better...even, dare I say, fun!

Congratulations!
Janine

Diving head-first into the shallow end of the blogging conference

So I did it.
I paid my $100 to sign up for my very first blogging conference, BlissDom 09.

Not only that, I think I'm going to drive...11 hours...(one way)...and share a hotel room...with a stranger (although fellow twittermom and mom blogger)....for 3 nights, and 4 days.

How's that for jumping right in?

Since I started this blog last May I have learned a lot, but not nearly enough.
I have made blogging friends and built a great support system, but I need to reinforce those relationships.

One of the best ways to do that is head to a conference. When I heard BlissDom 09 was in Tennessee I thought that might be doable.

Then when Linda over at Short Pump Preppy said she was near Richmond and would be willing to carpool well I figured if she's crazy, than I'm only 2 more hours crazier than her!

Linda was very persuasive when she booked a room, reminded me registration is only $100 until Dec. 31, and then sent me a cocktail menu for the week.

OK! I'm in!

And actually, I am very grateful to Linda for getting the ball rolling and now I'm not looking back.

I can't wait to meet Linda, and all the other bloggers I've been chatting with.
I can't wait to build more traffic to this blog so I can hopefully earn back the money I'm spending going to BlissDom 09.
I can't wait to drive 22 hours without incident! (think positive)

Already packing my bags,
Janine

Twittermom Blog Swap

"Today's guest post is brought to you by Brandi Schaefer from Bishop`s Room.

This is all part of the TwitterMoms "Blog Swap".

Don't forget to go check out my post over on their site

Nowadays, it is a whole new world for me and being a mom has really changed my perspective.

I want everything to be so perfect for him because that is what he is, perfect.

Sometimes the stress of trying to work, running a household and still keep my sanity get to me though. I`m running everyday, eight to five, trying not to loose sight of what truly matters.

Then comes the weekend and everything is refreshed and at peace again. So, what do I do during those long work weeks to keep from losing it?

I blog. Obviously. I get to meet all kinds of wonderful people, find new things and all kinds of inspiring ideas.

Along with my pens, and folders there iare always recent pictures of my son on my desk.

Retail therapy always helps, even if it is just window shopping.

Merlot

Knowing that my two favorite guys are waiting for me to come home....and that I am loved.

Did I mention the Merlot?

Sometimes, I do wish that I was the one staying home with my son. However, my husband does a wonderful job and it makes me feel good to provide for our family.

So, these are some of the things that I do to keep me sane...What about you? If you stay home with you children, work from home, part time of full... I know we all need to find time to just unwind and just relax. What do you other moms out there do to keep your sanity?