Baxtron{Life}

Thursday, August 9

Highs & Lows

#BlogHer12 Recap Pt. 2

If you missed part one - you can find that here. Otherwise lets continue on the adventure, mmkay?

Friday, BlogHer'12 Official Start >>

So I woke up early and excited to start the day - a day planned to the very minute using the trusty "BlogHer12 App" as well as mapped out on my Google calendar created just for this event. I knew it was going to be a long busy and tiring day, but my excitement and motivation to attend my first conference kept those thoughts mostly out of my mind.

The newbie breakfast was great - I immediately ran into one of the lovely ladies I planned on meeting up with, Kat from Living like the Kings, and in turn met her friend, Gina from Running to the Kitchen. The food was basic - nothing extraordinary - but still better than continental so I was pleasantly surprised. During the breakfast several conference planners welcomed us and gave us a bit of a rundown. To tell you the truth, I was so anxious and excited (and hungry) that I heard very little as I chowed down on my food.

Next up we headed to the main ballroom for the opening address and speed "dating". It basically went like this:

"Hi, I'm Courtney"
"Hi, I'm so and so""What do you blog about?"
"Here is my business card - do you have one?""Nice meeting you!"

You guys first low point here - I didn't make business cards! Yea - (hang my head in shame) even with the free offers out there I just couldn't carve out the time to make quality cards - so I chose to make NONE! Zero, zilch! And seriously that is a regrettable thing - always have like 500 on you. You just never know when that will make it or break it. I did have previously made cards on me, but I only had about 50 so I wanted to be sort of elitist about who I gave them to (BRANDS!) - sorry to anyone I lied to and said I didn't have a card - I truly didn't bring any to speed dating though - so it was partially true!

Moving on...after the cluster that was speed dating - I scurried quickly and made a last minute game time decision to snag seats at the Brand-Blogger Connection, and I'm glad I did because that place got packed and ended up cutting people off at the door. The panel and discussion was alright. I mean when I get down to thinking about it, I'm not sure I heard any groundbreaking new insights on how to work with brands or develop good relationships with them. Ehh. I did get to briefly say hello to Jenny (NY Melrose Family) and Kelly (Live Laugh Rowe) but I'm so bummed we were never able to spend much time together.

The rest of the day was a blur of sessions mixed with coffee breaks, wall sits near electric outlets, random chance encounters with really great people, so-so food, and complete burnout exhaustion.

Highs >>

The Martha Stewart keynote! Oh my gosh. I love Martha - what woman doesn't...but now...I am even more infatuated with her down-to-earth, lovely presence. While she was up on stage, it almost felt like I was sitting on my own deck having coffee with her - and just chatting, she is AMAZING! Oh my goodness! During the keynote - I sat with Melissa (Growing Up Geeky), Kami (The Momma Diaries), Kat (Living Like the Kings), Natalie (Growing up a Wife) & Mindi (Simply Stavish).

Another highlight was meeting Ashleigh from The Mommy Stop, it was so funny - we were both in "Bootstrapping your Book." Both of us are originally from Seattle, but left our home city (and miss it), both blogging for just about a year - both got into blogging to write more in preparation to write a book...both left exhausted and overwhelmed by the session. Seeing the trend? You should go introduce yourself to this lady now - she's awesome!

Another highlight for sure was the private party held by Naughty Monkey - I was able to attend thanks to the lovely Natalie (Growing Up A Wife). I have to say this party was a MIXED high and low - the party itself wasn't fantastic or hopping or glamorous - but getting a sneak peek at their Fall line was definitely awesome, as were the salted chocolate brownies by Robicelli's that we were eating by the handful.

The last high from Friday was - surprisingly - the Expo hall. It was after my final session that day that I decided to just take a stroll in the expo hall and see what was there - and I was blown away. The sponsors of BlogHer went all out - it was really like nothing I've ever experienced. A total gold mine of key contacts with PR Firms, Brand Managers and some actual developers/owners. I decided at this point that I would throw out my session schedule for the following day and just spend as much time as I could in the Expo Hall. And this is a great segue into the lows of the day...

Lows >>

If a picture could say a thousand words. After just 8 hours at BlogHer - I felt like I had just run the NYC Marathon (or really, what I imagine it would feel like - though with probably less excitement). I was so tired I couldn't even think. My mind was just on auto-pilot. And if you see the picture of me above in the Expo hall - I look like I am stoned, but I assure you I'm not - just so beyond healthy levels of exhaustion.

My gripes for the conference begin with the wi-fi not working in the hotel. Followed by not very exciting or creative food (sandwiches for lunch) - followed by the expo hall running from 9-5 (what! during the sessions so if you wanted to go you'd miss something!).

I didn't have the energy to do Voices of the Year - most of my time was spent in the recharge station just trying to rest for the Sparklecorn Party. Oh yes...this was supposed to be a huge highlight - but you know what I realized? I'm just not that into the loud music drunk-fest party scene anymore. And sleep is more important to me than it ever has been (perhaps because it is so elusive now!) So I stayed at Sparklecorn long enough to grab a couple glow necklaces, take a couple of pics and turn toward home.

Details on Saturday to come...stay tuned.

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Just Do It

Klout: Why You Should!

Are you confused about Klout? Does it make you excited and terrified at the same time? It should! Not really sure if it is accurate? Afraid of Klout assigning a number to you? Well, guess what - even if you aren't signed up for Klout, chances are you already have a number by your name. And as Klout continues to develop their social influence measurin' algorithm - it is going to be a contributing factor for how others evaluate your true influence! Soon the days of just viewing numbers - (how many followers on any given media) will be gone - and all that will be left is the big word for your true influence - "ENGAGEMENT!"

Klout is the strongest measurer of engagement to date - and people are already experiencing perks of higher scores on Klout. I read this article recently and it began to shift my perspective on the importance of being able to measure engagement across multiple platforms. I also realized that beyond Klout's hit or miss perks - there are actually establishments: hotels, restaurants, airlines - etc. willing to throw in perks to people of influence. We've all read from time to time how someone with a massive following has been wronged by a brand and until they actually used their influence to grab their attention they were ignored - but not afterwards - no - brands are learning (sometimes the hard way) that online influence is something to be reckoned with.

Why don't you go ahead and get signed up today! And then come back and get a boost in your score immediately:

Today Angela is hosting her first ever link up - Kickin' it on Klout - K+ Blog Hop!

What is Klout? It's a way of measuring your 'influence' online by measuring social media to see how much you engage others.... for more on metrics and whatnot, click here. I'm super excited to have some fantastic co-hosts here with me.

Please say hello to:

Courtney from Baxtron{Life}

Paige from Eloping Stethoscope

Jessica from Boys Oh Boys

Julie from Jam's Corner

Rules:

1. Give a +K to the hosts, and please give them a K+ for the topic listed below:

Ang: Blogging

Courtney: Blogging

Paige: Beauty

Jessica: Blogging

Julie: Networking

2. Give a +K to at least 3 people who are above you in the Linky list

3. Tweet or share via Facebook when you give +K to someone.

4. Add people as your Influences if you really care about their topics

5. Grab the Button

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Was it YOU?

Giveaway Winners

Before I post my second part of my crazy BlogHer '12 experience - I have a couple of housekeeping items to take care of! I'm talking WINNERs! Congratulations to the following readers for picking up some good loot while I was away! <3

My friend Kim from Singledou[b]t won Brooke's giveaway!

And Courtney from Thoughts from the Birdhouse won the Lovely July Group Giveaway!

Both Kathy B and Josephine K. were the winners of

Amanda's Top Dog Ad Space Giveaway!

Are you sad because you didn't win?

Did you know I have more great giveaways going on right now - many with low entries:

Organic Mami - Custom Lotion & Lip Balm (ONLY 15 HRS LEFT!)

Summer Splendor Giveaway ($500+ in prizes!)

Natalie Blair Ad Space Giveaway (LOW entires - 3 days left)

Mimi Baby Boutique Giveaway (Jewelry Gift Set - LOW entries!)

Nominate your favorite July post and win adspace on BaxtronLife in September!

This Post Sponsored By:

Wednesday, August 8

Oh Hai Derr

Blogworking Wednesday

Last month was a massive success with Blogworking Wednesday!

It was so exciting to see 110 blogs that linked up!

The giveaway was a massive success too!

For now, this blog hop will remain a monthly blog hop,

but it may go biweekly or even weekly in the future.

A little history of the blog hop from Paige:

"When I first started blogging, my favorite thing was finding new blogs that I just loved and girls that I connected with! So, the idea of "blogworking" which plays on the word "networking" came into play. Whenever my husband asked what I was doing when I was looking for new blogs, I'd tell him I was blog-working. Soon after, the idea of a blog hop popped into mind and you have what you see today."

These lovely ladies are the cohosts of the blog hop, so please go check out their blogs and follow them! Paige @ Eloping Stethoscope (Permanent Host) Jazmine @ Life as a Young Mom (Permanent Host) Jessica @ Before the I Do's (Guest Host) Kendra @ Adventures of Brad and Kendra (Guest Host) Courtney @ Baxtron{Life} (Guest Host) Niki @ Gumdrops and Gloss (Guest Host) Grace @ Betwixxt (Guest Host) The rules are simple. 1. Add your homepage link to the link up list 2. Be nice and spread the word! Grab the button and post it somewhere! 3. Find and follow at least two other blogs. 4. Show some love to the hosts and follow them too!

Want to get updates from my the Eloping Stethoscope? Follow her on Twitter or like her on facebook! She will love you forever and follow you back :)
Facebook!
Follow @paigers91

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Tuesday, August 7

Highs & Lows

#BlogHer12 Recap Pt.I

As promised I'm here to give you a run down of my experiences at BlogHer'12! Over the past couple of days I've had the chance to read a few posts from others who attended and can see that each person really had their own unique and authentic experience with the conference. I've read both good and bad (as well as some ugly.) I'm going to share how I felt - what I took away and whether it was all worth it to me.

I think the easiest way to explain it is to go day by day, with so much to cover, I'm going to plan a couple of posts, so come back later in the week for the 2nd (and maybe 3rd?)!

Thursday / BlogHer'12 Kick-off

Highs >>
I was invited to attend Avenue Q Musical (with a guest - I chose the hubby) via MamaDramaNY. The musical was hilarious - highly inappropriate at times - but incredibly funny nevertheless. The cast was amazing - our favorite hands down was: Darren Bluestone! It was nice to see a show, because, regrettably, it is not something we often get the chance to do - even though we live a short way from Broadway! I think the best part of the experience - apart from the show itself - was discovering MamaDramaNY - a consulting group that connects theatre & moms (mom bloggers!?) I'm excited to partner with them again!

Prior to meeting up with the hubs to attend the show - I snagged up my conference badge at the Hilton and then headed off to the first "private party" I had been invited to: "California Dreams" presented by Single Edition Media & sponsored by FootPetals. The party was at the Terrace Club - a rooftop deck near Rockefeller. Cotton candy and cocktails were served, and party-goers were invited to spin a wheel for FootPetals surprises. I nabbed up a couple packs to try out and look forward to seeing how they work. They CLAIM to solve the "finger toe" problem - you know - when you slide in your stilettos and your toes are like fingers gripping the outer edge of your shoe to keep your foot from falling out? Anyway - I left the party with a bit of swag - provided by AVON and a few other brands.

**Side note - all my single ladies, all my single ladies - make sure you check out Single Edition Media - they are into connecting brands with bloggers who are single and share from that perspective.

At the end of the night - hubs and I headed to Times Square in search of ice cream. We settled on Coldstone. Both of us picked outside our usual flavors - him indulging in a chocolate chip mint brownie and I, quite brilliantly, choosing coffee lovers (at near midnight!) If you've ever wondered if the chocolate dipped waffle cone bowl is worth it - I'd have to say absolutely not - I'm not even sure what that stuff is that they call chocolate - its more like flavored wax and its nasty.

Lows >>
If I can gripe about anything it has nothing to do with BlogHer at all. First thing - I arrived at the theatre for the show - and I was starving. So I decided to "eat on the cheap" by grabbing a chicken skewer and water bottle off a nearby cart. Let me just say that typically we're talking $3 for those items...in most places in the city. But at this cart - $8!!!! I about died. I wanted to curse out or hit the guy for robbing a fellow Manhattanite! After I stopped stewing about it - I was able to laugh and move on.

Then - the last low point was the parents who decided it would be okay to take their young son to see Avenue Q. Friends, can I be honest with you? I try very hard not to be judgmental of other parents and their decisions...but this! It actually took away some of my experience in the show because as certain explicit jokes and language and adult situations took place - I couldn't help but think (and gasp in horror) at what that young boy was being exposed to. To put it in perspective - how about sitting down to watch a family porno with your 8 year old? That is just about how bad it was - doesn't matter if they were puppets - no child should have been permitted. So you see how hard it is not to judge in this situation!?

I ended the night exhausted, and excited for the day ahead!

To be continued...

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First and Foremost a Mom

Stuff I Love + Mimi Baby Boutique Giveaway

Meet Cat >>
First and foremost I'm a mom. When I'm not on-duty with the kids (aka naptime and after they're in bed). I make jewelry for my shop, read as many books as I can, and attempt to keep the house running. Every once in a blue moon I brush off my college drama degree and go work on a play. I'm a bit of a baking addict, I love chocolate, can't eat gluten, hate to drive and am afraid of clowns. I'm also working really hard to teach myself some Celtic flute music.

About your family >>
My husband and I have been married going on 7 years. He's an engineer at an aircraft company, but I can't tell you much more than that. Something to do with lightning. We have three kids ages 4.5, 3 and 19 months who keep us busy!

About your blog >>
I feel like my blog is finally starting to find its own rhythm. I try to post weekly product and book reviews, put together a weekly recipe as often as I remember to take photos, blog about scripture each Sunday, and I host 3 weekly linky parties (social media, getting to know you, and shop hop). Occasionally I'll also toss in a tutorial, a top 5, a guest post, a WIW, a charity spotlight or whatever else happens to be on my heart at the time.

Anything else you want to share >>
I love to get my readers involved and am always looking to promote you all and your projects. I have a Feature Friday slot open to do just that, so contact me if you have something you'd like to share! I'm also always looking for co-hosts for my link parties, products to review, charities to share and any other way I can lend a hand. I love hearing from you so don't hesitate to get in touch.

Check out Cat on Etsy >> Mimi Baby Boutique

Giveaway Time!

Cat has generously offered one Baxtron{Life} Reader a surprise jewelry giftset from her shop!

Enter via the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, August 6

People I Met & Love

Pinning! #BlogHer12

"Pinning!" is a Weekly Pinterest Link-Up

(Share pins, meet others who love "Pinning", get inspired!)

First Time? It's simple just follow these rules:

Please follow your hosts: Courtney & Kimberly

And your Co-Hosts:

Debbie // On the Refrigerator Door

Megan // Absolute Mommy

Lauren // Warm & Fuzzy

then

Link up your Pinterest Inspired Post & Profile below

and

Make sure you link back to the party!

<center><a href="http://www.baxtronlife.com/search/label/Pinning" target="_blank"><img src="http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m307/bagleykim/Pinning.jpg" height="150" width="150" /></a></center>

Each week a winner will be chosen to flaunt the title of "Winning at Pinning" for successfully wowing us with the best Pinterest find. The winner will be featured/announced in the following week's post!

***

Hey lovely! I'm still recovering from #BlogHer12 craziness - there is so much I want to share, so I'm using "Pinning" as my platform for a couple quick shares today.

As I start to unpack and process all that I learned, and the people I met - I wanted to give you a list of people I think are awesome - that I had a chance to chat with this weekend: