Resourceful Mommy's take on blogging conferences

I have yet to attend a blogging conference. I was all set to hit BlogHer in Chicago with Daria from Boutique Cafe but our sponsor had to pull out at the last minute. Because of the high price tag (conference plus flight plus hotel) neither of us could attend. We ended up moving right around that time so it all worked out for the best, but I was still a bit sad I couldn't go. Then I heard about all the swag drama and how many gals didn't even attend sessions because they were up too late partying the night before at one of many VIP events. I ended up feeling rather glad I didn't fork out the money--if I want to stay up late with girlfriends I can easily do that locally and I get to sleep in my own bed!

With the plethora of blogging conferences out there it's hard to know which ones to attend. For many of us it's not in the budget to attend more than one or two a year. Not only is money hard to come by but also babysitters, and if I'm going to finagle a babysitter (my mother-in-law) and spend my family's grocery money on a conference it sure as heck better be worth it.

That's why I love Resourceful Mommy's recent post: "The End of Blogging Conferences?"

Someone a few years back invented the first blog conference and likewise the blog conference format, not realizing, of course, that the format would be repeated over and over and over. ..."

She goes on to highlight what makes a typical blogging conference and why it needs to change. Plus you simply MUST check out the photo she includes in the post. I am still laughing! I feel her post is spot on and definitely worth a read. And if you're not following Resourceful Mommy on Twitter, follow her here: @ResourcefulMom. In my opinion she's one of THE women to follow.

What's your take on blogging conferences, and even conferences in general? High quantity but low quality? Do you have a favorite conference you make sure to attend?

Rachael Herrscher's take on the FTC's new guidelines

Whether you've been blogging for a short while or forever you've probably heard of the FTC's new disclosure policies for bloggers. If you haven't then I'd like to know where you've been on vacation and can I go next time? Many of us feel the FTC is taking it too far in what they deem necessary to keep blogs, especially those doing product reviews and/or endorsements, on the up and up.

I love this post from Rachael Herrscher, friend and woman behind TodaysMama, which you can find on Entrepreneur.com today:

"Why I Think the FTC Has Walked Into Crazy Town"

I couldn't agree with her more, especially on the whole Darwinism feel at the end. And her disclosure statement? Fabulous.

If you have a few minutes--or even if you don't--take the time to read Rachael's post and comment if you feel so inclined. I find it interesting to hear everyone's opinions on the FTC's new policy, especially those who feel it's a step in the right direction. All I can say to those select few is, "Really?!" (Perhaps Seth & Amy should do a bit on this for SNL's next Weekend Update...)

Quinn Curtis & CreatedByChicks.com

Today I wanted to feature one of my favorite mompreneurs, Quinn Curtis of CreatedByChicks.com. Quinn is also the woman behind CreatedByMom.com, a fantastic site featuring products created by, you guessed it, moms. She is also the woman behind the Moms Who Make It Conference that took place this past summer here in Utah. She is all about empowering creativity in women and her new site, CreatedByChicks.com, features women who are successful at channeling this creativity.

Throughout the week Quinn features creative "chicks" on her site. She's had everyone from Etsy shop owners to women bloggers to moms who've turned a great idea into a real business. (And no, I don't just love her new site because she had georgie tees on there in a past post!) Every woman she's featured has been an interesting read and I think I've "hearted" every Etsy shop mentioned on CreatedByChicks.com. I've also loved getting to know some of my friends a little better, including Carina of The Jet Set (@Jet_Set). I knew she was pretty amazing but had no idea how über talented she is!

Speaking of talented Quinn also is a freakin' powerhouse of talent when it comes to blog and site design. She is finally offering her design services to the public and I couldn't be more excited. She is currently in the process of designing my new blog, from header to buttons, and helping me incorporate it into a WordPress theme. I gave her an idea of what I wanted and she took off running, pretty much hitting it spot-on the first try.

What I really, really love about Quinn's design services is the extensive list of options. You can have her do everything from total and complete blog design to a simple button or Etsy shop header. She also has a lot of à la carte choices for those who need add-ons to her current packages. From what I hear her schedule is filling up quickly so if you're on the lookout for a new header, button, business card, baby shower invite or some other creative work I'd get in touch with her soon or your New Year's resolutions may include "get on Quinn Curtis' design schedule before 2011."

You can find a link to Quinn's design services on CreatedByChicks.com or over on her new Etsy shop. Don't forget to subscribe to CreatedByChicks.com or you'll miss out on some truly creative women, fabulous Etsy shops and great ideas for gift giving this holiday season. --Emily

P.S. If you visit her Etsy shop do me a favor and "heart" it while there. I'm all about spreading the love, Etsy style!

Some blogging tidbits

With my new blog in design phase I've been doing a lot more thinking about how I can make my next blog a successful one, and by success I mean more than 50 visitors a day. I'm not all about the stats or the ad revenue but I do want to reach as large an audience as possible for those rare occasions I have something to say.

If you're always on the lookout for some new tips and tricks for your blog then here are a few posts I found super nifty. I plan to reread them and apply them when I'm finally ready to unveil my new site. If you have any other helpful posts/advice/sites you think are perfect for the beginning or even experienced blogger, do share!

Easy SEO Tips to Optimize Your Blog
A very short and simple post from MomDot with some easy tips. This is probably a really good one for beginning bloggers but even more experienced bloggers may have forgotten the importance of a good blog post title.

Get Friendly With Google: Five Easy SEO Tips
BlogCoach is one of my most favorite blogs of all time and their "Grow Your Blog" series is a must-read for any level blogger. This post features five easy tips for helping with your blog's SEO.

Media Kit Template for Mom Bloggers
Sometimes it's nice not to start from scratch when it comes to creating press materials. This is a handy little media kit tweaked for mom bloggers. You can download it from Scribd, and because it's a Word document, you can do your own tweaking! You know often it's really and truly all about your media kit.


What's Technorati and How Does It Help Me as a Blogger?
This post from a mom blogger I met while participating in MomDot's "America's Next Top Blogger" does a really great job explaining Technorati and how it relates to your blog. I'm still a little fuzzy on this one and so I appreciate a post written so even I can understand it! (While reading this one check out Life Starring the Kids & Me's other fun posts!)

Did I miss a recent helpful post on blogging? If so feel free to link to it in the comments below! --Emily

I know a blogging secret

Okay, so it's not really a secret since you'll find an entire blog post all about it, but it is something new to me and something I'm pretty sure not many mom bloggers know about. (Or perhaps it's just me that didn't know about it because I find myself constantly out of the loop...could be all that time spent away from the computer buried in mystery boxes, canned goods and old yearbooks.)

Last week @Jet_Set shared this blog post with me:

Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance

Yes, you read that correctly, a "secret blogging alliance." Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? The post goes into detail about how dinner and drinks between two bloggers turned into a group of bloggers pooling their resources to support each others' blogs, in turn helping those blogs grow faster than they could have on their own.


I still don't understand the ins and outs and will definitely be reading it in its entirety again, but it does stop and make you think how you too could hook up with like-minded bloggers to help each of your blogs grow--and we're not just talking upping the number of comments on your posts. You'll find out just what is a blogging alliance, what those bloggers do as members of the alliance (upwards of 13 things) and a few insights by the post's author. You can read "Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance" here.

It's kind of that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" way of thinking...and I like it! --Emily

Image by and[w], shared via Flickr.

How moms are making money blogging

When we started this blog it was simply an extension of georgie tees, a way for us to share news about our tees, tips about being mompreneurs and some of our favorite things, from fashion to food. And I still see this blog somewhat in that light, but as I've met other "mom bloggers," especially those who are making money from their sites, it's occurred to me that perhaps I too could make a little extra spending money for our family.

I actually have a URL purchased that I feel will make a wonderful blog and am currently planning just how I want that blog to work, the vibe I want it to have, etc. In the meantime I also want to learn everything I can about monetizing that blog if I feel it's a good fit. I am definitely NOT in it for the money but if it earns money, who am I to look a gift blog in the mouth?

If you too have been wondering how other moms are making money blogging then you need to check out my friend Vanessa's new site, MomsMakeMoneyBlogging. Vanessa is the woman behind such awesome sites as I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids and she is one of the most down-to-earth, wonderful, sincere women I know. If anyone can show you how to earn an income from your blog, Vanessa can. Heck, I'm happy to just sit back and watch her on video, she's that cute! And if I learn something in the process, that's even better!

So check out her new membership site, MomsMakeMoneyBlogging. Her intro video will have you hooked and I can guarantee the rest are definitely worth your time and membership. (And yes, she's really and truly that adorable in person!) --Emily

This week's excuses

Here is this week's list of excuses for why I'm too busy to post regularly this week:

1. As of Wednesday night last week four people in this house have been sick, three of whom vomited for about a 24-hour period (two of which can't make it to a toilet in time).


2. We hit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, San Fran and my Fremont reunion within a three-day period. I drove along I-80 long enough to be able to do it blindfolded.


3. We found a home, discussed buying the home, even had my dad whip up a pretty serious pros and cons spreadsheet and then put an offer on a home. And the offer was accepted.


4. My youngest has refused to nap and prefers taking me by the hand and leading me everywhere she goes, and if I leave the room, even super stealthily, she finds me and puts me back in my place.


5. I have had very little time to actually "hang" with my parents so I'm going to do that instead of sitting here while my butt goes numb.


6. I've been spending way too much time reconnecting with "old" friends via Facebook.


7. Today I spent a wonderful evening with Josh and Rebecca from MomFaves.com and their fabulous little boys instead of thinking of a super cool new blog post to write.

So that's only 7 excuses this time. Perhaps in about 6 weeks I'll have no excuses left and get back to posting regularly. Until then...enjoy the rest of your summer. It's flying by way too quickly! --Emily

Image by Maxey, shared via Flickr.

And the excuses continue...

I would be surprised if this blog still has faithful readers after the latest posts being few and far between. And once again here I am telling you this mompreneur's schedule is still so crazy, so full, so nuts she won't be posting much this week or probably next week as well.

The Moms Who Make It conference (have you nominated a mom who inspires you?) is just over a week away and there is still much to do to get ready: swag bags, gifts, goodies for our backstage bloggers (aka The Sexy Six), nearly sold-out registration for mini-class and full-conference tickets...the list goes on and on. Add to that a #GNO IRL tomorrow night at Rock Creek Pizza Co. in Riverton, Utah for which I'm a panel member, a church activity on Sunday, a few posts I'm behind on for other sites and the biggest of all, the sale of our home.

Our home is officially under contract as of today with a closing date of August 25th. It was listed less than a week before the offer came through. Now we need to not only start packing but also find a place to live!

So wish me luck as I live of Oreos and Diet Coke for the next seven weeks. I will try to post when I can but forgive me if it's not as often as you or I would like. I promise come September life will be back to its normal level of insanity. --Emily

I can post what I want when I want

And Resourceful Mommy is totally on my side on this one. Her recent post "Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" had me smiling, chuckling and nodding my head as I agreed with everything she wrote, from the "Bloggy Ivory Tower" to blogging to feel connected. I'm not as big a blogger as many out there so I haven't experienced first hand the "exclusiveness" some bloggers portray, and I'm so done with people still acting like high school that I could care less. Perhaps that's because my blog isn't my business nor is it my sole hobby; whatever the reason I'm all about the frat parties--figuratively speaking.

"Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" is a must-read for all bloggers, especially women bloggers. And I'm taking what she's written and applying it to my life as it is right now, which is chock full of so many activities/interests/endeavors that writing posts for this blog is at the bottom of my list. Not that I don't love freshly baked--I love what I write about on this blog--but I love a few other things a bit more, including SassyScoops.com, Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, the Moms Who Make It conference (of which I'm co-planning), the sale of our home (hopefully) and of course, my family. That last one has taken a backseat to many things these past few weeks and I intend to move them up to the passenger side ASAP.

So I apologize to my readers if you feel I'm slacking when it comes to blogging here, and I'm trying to ignore the guilt I feel by not posting everyday. Hopefully you will still visit when I have a new post and continue to follow my random thoughts, links, recipes, tips and features. I'm pretty sure they'll pick up come the end of summer and start of the school year. Until then I'll be posting what I want, when I want. Hope that's okay...and if not, I'm sure there's a Bloggy Ivory Tower you can try and storm somewhere. --Emily

One of those weeks---and possibly those summers

This week is one of those where I can hardly see the calendar for all the writing. We have much going on, or rather, I have much going on and so posting will be few and far between. Between reviewing local businesses for SassyScoops.com, meeting with the Backstage Bloggers for the Moms Who Make It Conference to celebrating an anniversary and Father's Day, my head is spinning! And that doesn't include totally cleaning, de-junking and organizing our house since there's a pretty good chance we'll be putting it on the market. That's all this week. I didn't even get into upcoming events like helping plan DesignHer Gals' involvement in BlogHer '09!

So forgive me if you don't hear from me as often as you'd like you're used to; it doesn't mean I've forgotten about our wonderful readers. Life is coming at my full force right now and some things are going to have to be put aside for the time being. (There's just no way I can post AND maintain a clean house 24/7 with six people living in it! Do you know what kind of chaos occurs in the time it takes me to sit down and write a post? It's unbelievable!)

If you want to keep up with what I'm doing you can check out SassyScoops.com and Moms Who Make It, a conference which is sure to be the rock star conference of the year! If you're in Utah or within driving distance of the Salt Lake City area, don't miss it. You will leave empowered--I should know...I've seen firsthand the classes, speakers, panel members and perks planned for this conference! Better get your tickets now before they sell out!

Love to you all! Wish me luck and lots of Diet Coke--I'm going to desperately need both! --Emily

Image by idomusic2, shared via Flickr.

5 Minutes for SEO

I admit it, I haven't set aside the time to really think about SEO for georgie tees or freshly baked. Perhaps it's because I already have so much on my plate and the thought of SEO is so overwhelming that I conveniently block out any and all thoughts of search engine optimization. Life is really good this way (i.e. ignorance is bliss but my search rankings aren't).

But thanks to "SEO Demystified: Breaking it Down Into the Basics," a guest post by Holly Klaassen on 5 Minutes for Mom, I have a new perspective on SEO and renewed energy to jump into optimizing my sites for those all-important search engines!

In Holly's post she breaks down SEO into some very basic points, making the process and application something even I could do--and without a lot of time spent on the more technical (aka overwhelmingly confusing and brain-busting) aspects:

[SEO] can seem especially daunting if you decide to just jump in and start reading some of the most popular SEO blogs (most of which assume at least an intermediate level of SEO knowledge). The reason this is unfortunate is that really, the basics of SEO are just that – basic.

"SEO Demystified" covers the foundations of SEO, technical components, keywords and links in a post that is as clear as it is concise. I'm tempted to throw out all the SEO-related sites that are collecting dust in my Firefox bookmarks folder after reading Holly's post and instead check out her e-book, 50 SEO Secrets for Mom Entrepreneurs. After her SEO guest post on 5 Minutes for Mom, I am one of Holly's newest and biggest fans! And as Holly says at the end of her post, "Go, do some SEO!" --Emily

Follow that blog: The Write Gal

Today features yet another fabulous blog I discovered while one of MomDot's America's Next Top Blogger competitors: The Write Gal. Christy from The Write Gal made it to the top three with Dore and me and only lost when I beat her to the phone to sing Tricia "The Star Spangled Banner." (Thank heavens Tricia didn't record my rendition of this historic song. The world is better off not hearing it!)

The Write Gal offers "advice about writing, shopping and everything else...(is there anything else?)" For many of us, shopping pretty much covers it though you could throw in a little reading and a few girls nights out. Christy loves to write and shop so blogging about both is a perfect fit! She is also a freelance business writer and consultant and a part-time college writing instructor in North Carolina. This girl is super busy! How did she have time to compete? Whew!

The Write Gal features reviews and giveaways, insights into motherhood, some fabulous Wordless Wednesday photos and, of course, a few grammar lessons for us all. I like variety in a blog and Christy's definitely has that!

You can subscribe to her blog and follow her on Twitter and even talk to her about her writing services.

Vote for your fave Utah Mommy Blogger! (Pick me! Pick me!)

I'm not sure how I was nominated (someone must really, really like me) but I am somehow listed with some pretty stellar women in the running for favorite Utah Mommy Blogger. Utah Bubble solicited nominations (I nominated a few on the list but for once didn't nominate myself...LOL) and I miraculously appeared on the list! Though my chances for winning are slim--and trust me, I can think of a few mommy bloggers who should win hands down--I am extremely flattered and honored to be among women from ever popular blogs like Nie Nie Dialogues and C Jane.

If you want to see the post that started it all you can read Utah Bubble's original nomination post and check them out if you'd like. (Thank you, Marie, for the shout-out!)

I'd love for you to vote for me and two other women on the list, though as cliché as it sounds, just being nominated is enough for me. Other mommy bloggers are more deserving than I but at least it give me something to which I can aspire! You can vote for your top three Utah Mommy Bloggers here. Best of luck to all! --Emily

P.S. At least you're not voting on another Britney Spears look-alike challenge!

Picking a host and picking your colors

Today I have two handy resources for you business owners, and they're so self-explanatory I can probably get away with one paragraph for today's post. This is a good thing since I'm trying to get ready for a trip back east to visit LeShan and making sure the kids get fed and bathed and tended is a bit more important than making sure I have super nifty blog posts for our readers. (Don't take it personally--if you're a mom you totally understand!)

The first is a list of the Top 10 Web Hosting Providers from Web Hosting Geeks:

Independent reviews of the best web hosting providers. Cheap professional web hosting services under $10 a month; all web hosting plans include at least one free domain name registration and 30 day money back guarantee. Review your web host--let other webmasters know the best and the worst!

The list includes rank, provider's name, features (space, traffic, price), bonus features and an actual review. Top on the list? Immotion. Bottom on the list? You'll have to check out Web Hosting Geeks' full list for yourself!

The second is a tool I didn't know existed but now that I've seen it in action I totally love it! I Like Your Colors from Red Alt lets you put in the URL from a website whose color scheme you like and then spits out the hex codes for all the colors it uses!

It's not perfect (where did #0000FF come from for georgie tees in the example above?) but it will give you enough colors to get you started. Try it on your own website and see what happens! And bookmark it so you can use it when you stumble upon a site whose color scheme you adore. Have fun! --Emily

$50 gift certificate to Blue Lemon Bistro!

It's 1:00 a.m. and I'm too exhausted to go into detail about th super cool venture I've started with some fabulous gals, but SassyScoops.com is on its way to becoming one of the tastiest--and sassiest--sites in the blogosphere. We'll leave it at that for now. (Lame intro I know, but I can hardly keep my eyes open!)

My point? SassyScoops.com is the reason for today's post announcing the giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to Blue Lemon Bistro. Many of you may remember my post about this delicious new dining experience in Highland, Utah. (If not you can check it out here--I promise it's worth a read.) Well, Blue Lemon is SassyScoop.com's first official fabulous find and we are kicking off our first Follow-up Friday post with a giveaway!

Click here to visit SassyScoops.com and find out how you can enter to win the $50 gift certificate. It's super easy, though I must wanr you, your mouth may water as you browse the menu. And no, it's not open to Utah residents only, though it might be a bit of a drive if you're out of state. Don't get me wrong--totally worth it!

I'd write more but I'm behind on drafting the SassyScoops.com Contact Us and How You Can Get Scooped pages. A sassy girl's work is never done! --Emily

Why I should be named America's Next Top Blogger

Normally today would be a favorite recipe or foodie blog, but I'm scrapping all that in favor of my speech for the America's Next Top Blogger jury, which by the way is made up of seven super fabulous, super sexy, wonderful women!

It's down to the final two and I am here to plead my case to the aforementioned amazingly-beautiful-inside-and-out jury members. To show a little blog/link love, here are the jury members' names and sites. They all deserve a visit, a comment and a new subscriber. In no particular order because they're all #1 in my book:

• Christy from The Write Gal
• Tara from Through Hazel Eyes
• Miss Blondie from Good Golly Miss Blondie
• Sarah from Ohana Mama
• Stacey from Wanna be a Supermom
• Michelle from A Yummy Mummy
• Angela from Angela's Adventures

So with the deadline in less than 10 hours I'm off with my Flip Mino (I would have never survived this competition without it!) to plead my case. And unless I want to self-tape using a mirror I have to do it now before Nathan goes to bed. I've decided to keep my vlog short and sweet. My strategy? A top 10 list as part of the vlog. Here's a preview!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Should be Voted America's Next Top Blogger

10. I'm a reality TV newbie who competed against reality TV junkies in a competition designed by a reality TV junkie and stood my ground.

9. At 3:00 a.m. in the morning I went through three sets of batteries, put my camera on self timer, posed in Victoria's Secret underwear, high-heel boots and false eyelashes all for an ANTB challenge...which I didn't even win! (I have to admit, I thought Miss Blondie's was the best entry--go, K-Fed!)

8. I've shown serious HOH challenge skills. No, they're not as cool as nunchuck skills but they're close! I am now an excellent page refresher and post commenter. I may even go pro.

7. You've seen my Hoover video (I hope) and the huge vacuum I use to clean up the small messes that happen all too frequently. Hoover. Stick. Vacuum. Enough said.

6. The last thing I won was...um...hmmm...I can't remember the last time I won something though I did win a treasure chest (i.e. flimsy cardboard box) full of games from a cereal box back in elementary school.

5. If I win I will put an end to world hunger, ensure world peace, reverse global warming and feature each of the juror's blogs in a separate post on my blog. Well, I'm pretty sure I can pull of the last one at least.

4. My husband is scarred for life after helping jam food into my mouth while I was gagging. He ought to get some reward, and my happiness is always his greatest reward!

3. My oldest daugher has followed ANTB and asks me every morning about the latest challenge and whether or not I won. I want to show her that yes, dreams really do come true!

2. When I thought I'd won the vacuum by winning this morning's challenge I jumped for joy with George and told him he had helped Mommy win. You should have seen his face--he was all smiles! Are you going to disappoint a blue-eyed, towheaded three-year-old?

And the #1 reason I should be named America's Next Top Blogger:

1. "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darnet, people like me!"

Why I need the Hoover Stick Vacuum

MomDot's America's Next Top Blogger is down to the final three, and today's challenge is to beg, grovel, whine--whatever it takes--to fabulous, wonderful Toni from The Mud Bug. The winner receives not only Toni's undying devotion (okay, that wasn't part of the rules but it sounds pretty good!) but the new Hoover Stick Vacuum. Here is my entry, and if you know my kids you know this video only scrapes the surface of the need for this vacuum in my home!

A few notes for you, Toni, since I didn't have time to edit this into the video:

George's preschool friends (unbeknownst to them) are helping me with this competition. They performed these special circus numbers this morning just for you!

• In the first song they're telling you how many days a week I'll use this vacuum (it's more like hourly rather than daily).
  
• In the second song they're telling me to NEVER GIVE UP!
• In the third song George is jumping for joy that I found you and The Mud Bug!
• In the fourth George is literally jumping through hoops to help his mom win this competition!
  
• And the last part shows how my fate hangs in the "balance" depending on your decision.

The rest of the video is pretty self-explanatory! Don't let the 9-minute length scare you. I promise it will fly by--my kids are hilarious and they don't even try! Enjoy! --Emily

Why I need the Hoover Stick Vacuum

P.S. Pick me! Pick me!

Follow that blog: The Mud Bug

We have a full that's hot! thursday for you today with another post (and one soon to follow with the best entry for the latest ANTB HOH competition!). Along with making friends with some fabulous new women I've been introduced to some new blogs like Life Starring Ellie and Eve, which I featured yesterday. Today I have another fab blog for you: The Mud Bug.

The Mud Bug, named after Toni's little boy, features a variety of topics, reviews, giveaways along with parenting advice, recipes and fun insights into the author's family life. With five children I'm amazed at what she accomplishes with her blog! How does she find the time to do it all?!?! Here's a bit about Toni from Toni herself:

As for me, I love to laugh, play with my children and read (although not much time lately for this). I am a very giving person. To me, blogging is relaxing. I get excited when writing a blog post, review, etc. because I know that I am able to give to my readers.

Show this babe of a blogger some comment love by visiting her site, subscribing to her newsletter and/or her RSS feed and returning here to let us know you did.

Though you should do it out of the goodness of your heart, we'll sweeten the suggestion by offering a special code for
30% off
at georgietees.com to everyone who comments below!

Now hurry! Go follow The Mud Bug blog! --Emily

MomDot's "31 Bloggers in 31 Days" blog party!

What's hot this that's hot! thursday? A huge blog party from MomDot. MomDot knows how to throw a party and their upcoming one for May is going to be HUGE! Trisha, MomDot's resident blogging femme fatale, is turning 31 and to celebrate the big 3-1, 31 bloggers are hosting 31 giveaways. That's one giveaway a day for every one of Trisha's 31 years. And the grand prize is this ginormous, fabulous swingset:

For more details on 31 Bloggers in 31 Days you can check out the blog party post here. You can also show Trisha some birthday love by snagging one of the banners and posting it on your site or blog. By the way, the main banner featured in the blog party post (pictured here in this post) is one I created for America's Next Top Blogger. Of course it's my personal favorite but I will let you decide which one to post on your site without the fear of eviction.

So join in the fun, make some new blogging friends and enter for your chance to win some fabulous prizes. What I want to know is, who gets to give Trisha her 31 spankings?!?! Guess we should leave that to her husband... Party on! --Emily

Follow that blog: Life Starring Ellie and Eve

Sorry for not posting yesterday but I'm still recovering from an exhausting week. I have that exhausting-week hangover and it's not going anywhere anytime soon! But for today's wonderful web wednesday I did want to feature a fun blog I discovered while participating in MomDot's America's Next Top Blogger (just one of the perks of being part of a virtual reality show).

Life Starring Ellie and Eve is written by Victoria Arya, a fierce online competitor multitasking stay-at-home mom who can be found in numerous places in the blogosphere. You'll have to read her professional bio--I lost track of all the blogs for which she writes!

Life Starring Ellie and Eve features reviews of fun, cool and trendy gear for babies, kids and moms. It also features glimpses into Victoria's life chasing after her two little girls. As her headers says, she's "one cool momma with a lot to say." Life Starring Ellie and Eve has fabulous giveaways, resources for moms and other fun features. It's a lot to take in but totally worth it!

You can never have enough review-filled, giveaways-galore, total-mom-humor blogs on your RSS feed so add Life Starring Ellie and Eve if it's not there already! --Emily