Monthly Archives: April 2010

My Homedics Shiatsu Pillow – my personal massuse and stress reliever

How would you like to hear that for one low payment of $39.99 a masseuse will visit your home at the snap of your fingers and give you a stress and pain relieving back and neck massage?  Wouldn’t that be nice?  Ever since a car accident 9 years ago I suffer from neck and back cramps and on top of that I have two kids, a business, and a home to take care of which as I’m sure you are aware, can lead to a good amount of stress which leads to painfully tense neck muscles.  My husband isn’t always home to give me a neck rub but I have the next best thing, a Homedics Shiatsu Pillow.

I am enjoying my Homedics Shiatsu Pillow as I write this.  My body is swaying back and forth to the shiatsu motion, my lower back is nice and warm and my muscles are relaxed.  I have an old iJoy massage chair that does the job but I can’t go upstairs and sit in the chair every time I feel tense or when I’m not home obviously.  I can however take my Shiatsu Pillow anywhere and is an amazingly effective alternative to a massage chair or an actual massage.  I am extremely impressed with how strong the shiatsu mechanisms are.  I was expecting more of a light shiatsu massage with some vibration but this is the real thing!  The Homedics Shiatsu Pillow is about half the size of pillow and fits nicely in any chair.  I find it gives a particularly deep and tension relieving massage when I sit in a hard chair such as the chairs below.   Do you like my office space? – I’m working in my dining room today.

The soft plush Shiatsu Pillow conforms to your body and there’s even an option to add heat to your massage.  The shiatsu pillow is perfect for use on your neck, back, shoulders and more. Finally, moms can relax while the soft plush pillow kneads away muscle tension, pain and fatigue! What a relief!  That’s worth $39!

Homedics’ Shiatsu Pillow would make a great Mother’s Day gift, don’t you think?

List of Flash Sale Websites and INVITE Links For YOU!

Whenever you see this icon – that means that it is an invitation link!  Click here to jump to the online flash sale website list.

Parents are always looking for ways to save money and shopping at Target and Old Navy seems to be the thing for a lot of moms these days.  However, we still need to maintain style and uniqueness via ours and our kids wardrobes and accessories, right?  Buying clothing and accessories from online flash sale websites is a great way to build yours and your kids wardrobe without spending a fortune… and gets you away from Target and Old Navy every once in a while.

Online flash sale websites including Gilt, Rue La La , and ideeli offer exclusive sales on top brand name fashions at scheduled times.

Online Flash Sale facts:

  • Most flash sale websites are by invitation only – we are giving out invitations below!
  • Once you are a member of the flash sale website, you will receive emails to alert you of upcoming sales.
  • Most online flash sales last for a 24-48 hours
  • Some Sample Sale sites offer just women’s and men’s clothing and home goods but some offer brand-name and designer children’s clothes and toys
  • Most sample sale websites feature select styles from high-end designers and luxury brands.
  • YOU MUST HURRY ONCE A SALE BEGINS! – The keyword here is FLASH, which means that these sites don’t have dozens of each item in stock therefore you must add items to your cart quickly or the items you want may be gone before you know it!

I’ve found some adorable items at online sample sale sites like super cute socks for Madelyn at Gilt Group, Cynthia Rowley sunglasses down from $150 to $49 at Rue La La (for me of course), and HauteLook had a big SIGG kids sale event during which I bought a few SIGG bottles for my family.  Click here to sign up for HauteLook.

Do flash site websites offer kids stuff?

Some flash sale websites feature only well known designer and luxury brands for women and men but some including Gilt have a section just for Children’s items where they feature the most adorable items that you might not otherwise find or buy because of their originally high prices.  The flash sale sites on which I have found the most children’s items are Gilt and HauteLook.

Flash and Sample Sale Website Invitation Links:

Gilt 

Rue La La

ideeli

Hautelook

Editors’ Closet

Beyond the Rack

Zulily

Hey mommies! We are giving away a 12×12 Photobook from Vistaprint

Last week, my husband packed up our printer and brought it with us on our Spring Break vacation so he could print a few photographs of our 3 year old daughter in his spare time (ha!) during our vacation.
Why?  Because Madelyn, our 3 year old, has been commenting on the fact that we don’t have any framed photographs of her up.   There are a couple of photographs of both kids on the fridge, but that’s it.  There are dozens of photographs of Sebastian (10 years old) all over the house, but not one framed photograph of Madelyn.  See the photograph to the right.. the frames to the right are full of photographs of Sebastian while the frames to the left are empty.  That’s so sad.   Needless to say, Tim didn’t print photographs while we were in Orlando last week.. we were a little busy.  I am however, determined to print and frame enough photographs to fill the blank spaces in the frames to the right.. before her 4th birthday, May 9th.  Please say a prayer for me!

While I am looking through photographs on my computer to print for Madelyn’s frames, I am going to flag a bunch of photos starting from the day she was born so I can finally create a scrapbook for her.  Her scrapbook may not be as elaborate as Sebastian’s, it will most likely be a Photobook.. from Vistaprint (why not?) but at least we’ll have something to look through.  I love both of my kids so much.. it breaks my heart that I haven’t spent as much time on organizing and sharing photographs of her as I did when Sebastian was younger.  I am much busier now than I was when Sebastian was her age, but that doesn’t take the guilt away.  So, enough of the sad stories..

I am so excited about this giveaway because a lucky reader is going to win a personalized 12 x 12 Photobook that will be cherished forever.

These days it seems we all keep our photos online.. as we should for security and longevity of our memories.  However, there’s nothing like having hard copies of your photos to share with your friends & family!

  • The winner will get to choose from hard cover, leather cover, or linen cover and will receive instructions for ordering their 12×12 Photobook from Team Mom.
  • The Photobook includes 26 pages and a variety of layout and design options and free 14-day shipping.
  • The value of the giveaway is over $50.

Here’s how to enter:

  • Tell me in the comments below why you should win.. easy, huh?
  • Tweet this giveaway (limit 1 tweet per day.. and follow @mommyinsider so I know you Tweeted)
    Tweet this: Photobook give­away – a $50+ value. @mommyinsider @VistaPrint http://wp.me/plszx-13z
  • Entries accepted through May 10th, 2010
  • OR fill out this form:


Vistaprint also offers such great products as Birthday Invitations, Custom T-shirts, and Personalized Mugs.

Disclosure: TeamMom and Vistaprint are offering this great giveaway to TheMommyInsider.com readers.  I have not received compensation of any kind for this post or giveaway.

Our exciting Spring Break visits to Busch Gardens and Kennedy Space Center

I realized today that I am still recovering from Spring Break which was last week.  I am mentally exhausted.. trying to catch up with work and life and on top of normal work and life to catch up on, my 10 year old has CRCT’s this week at school and I’m the one having nightmares.. no kidding!

We went to my home town, Orlando, for Spring Break.  While in Orlando, we visited a couple of great family destinations, Busch Gardens and Kennedy Space Center and I couldn’t have been more pleased with our visit to both places.  The kids were just amazing and they both had fun.. which as you know if you have more than one child, can be difficult to accomplish when they are far apart in age.  My kids are 10 and 3.

Our 1st big outing: Busch Gardens Tampa

Our first big outing was a visit to Busch Gardens Tampa where we spent over 10 hours.   I wish we could have gone a second day as we weren’t able to go on nearly all the rides we wanted or visit all the exhibits and shows. That’s to be expected though when you have two kids of such different ages, 10 and 3, and 4 adults with varying tastes in rides and shows. The highlight of our Busch Gardens visit was in Busch Gardens’ new Sesame Street Safari of Fun and boy.. do I wish I brought swimsuits for the kids! Both kids enjoyed Sesame Street Safari of Fun.  I wasn’t sure if Sebastian, 10 years old, would like it so much as it looks like it’s geared for a younger crowd but he LOVED it and was Madelyn’s big helper when going through the rope maze and over the tree house bridge.  We didn’t get to do many of the rides in Sesame Street Safari of Fun and could have easily spent 3 or 4 hours just in the Sesame Street Safari of Fun section of Busch Gardens so I hope we can go back soon so we can go on more Sesame Street rides.  I particularly enjoyed Snuffy’s Elephant Romp (pictures below).

Here is a bit I wrote about during our first 1/2 hour at Busch Gardens which was amazingly stress-free and yummy!

Here are a few tips for families visiting Busch Gardens Tampa:

  • Bring swimsuits for the kids (and yourself if you want to join in the water fun!)
  • Bring plenty of water and baggies of snacks
  • Bring a few grocery bags to put wet clothes in
  • Bring baby wipes and/or a wet washcloth
  • Wear sun hats and sun screen
  • Buy the meal plan for each family member – it’s worth it
  • Try to visit for two days

What’s exceptional:

  • Hand sanitizer is provided throughout the park without having to go into a restroom!
  • The landscaping is beautiful
  • Walkways are wide enough to not be crowded even with lots of strollers
  • Ride wait times were very reasonable
  • Food options are great (fajita chicken, fresh fruit, carrots, etc)
  • Strollers are accommodated throughout the park

Follow Busch Gardens on Twitter – @MyBuschGardens


Find more photos like this on Atlanta Moms

Even though I grew up in Florida I had not been to Busch Gardens Tampa and am so glad I got to go with my kids for the first time.  My kids had a blast and were absolutely wonderful there.  Neither of them got fussy or impatient which when coupled with beautiful weather, a wonderful atmosphere, and nice people, made our experience at Busch Gardens a great one that I won’t forget.

Our 2nd big outing: Kennedy Space Center – coming soon!

2011 Blog and Social Media Events and Conferences

Scroll down to find upcoming conferences.

We want you to be in the know.  If you are a ‘mommy blogger’ (AKA a mom who writes a blog) I’m sure you hope to attend the latest and greatest blogger and social media events.  However, you might not be aware of all of the great blogger conferences going on and before you know it, you’re reading posts on other blogs about how great the BlogHer conference or ___ cruise was and you wished to the high heavens that you were there.
The Mommy Insider Blogger and Social Media Events Guide features upcoming social media and web events, parties, and conferences that we think mommy bloggers, website editors, and those who are interested in blogging and social media will appreciate learning about.

Is your event not on this list? Contact us at least one month before your event with details about the event and we’ll try to list it here in The Mommy Insider Blogger and Social Media Events Guide.


January 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

Blissdom 2011 
When: January 27-28th, 2011* *Wisdom Workshops held on 1/26 &  Free Day on 1/29
Where: Opryland, Nashville, TN
Cost:
$399
Twitter: #Blissdom, @Blissdom

Altitude Design Summit
When: January 19-22, 2011
Where: Salt Lake City, UT
Cost: $395
Twitter: @AltSummit, #altsummit

FoodBlogSouth 2011
When: January 22nd, 2011
Where: Birmingham, AL
Cost: TBD
Twitter: @foodblogsouth


February 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

Ungeeked E’lite
When: February 10-12th, 2011
Where: Sao Paulo, Brazil
What: unGeeked offers an intimate and engaging learning environment opportunity for attendees. Our forums are limited to intimate seating of 200 to 300 attendees.
Cost: Registration opening soon
Twitter: @ungeeked

NC Mom Bloggers’ Beach Conference
When:
February 24-27th, 2011
Where: Ocean Isle Beach, NC
What: This conference will offer an opportunity to bring the best  Mom Bloggers together to work & discuss topics related to their field with other social media influencers, while maintaining a relaxed, unhurried, unforgettable experience. [source: Ocean Inn website]
Cost: $159+ with Early Bird rates available
Twitter: @onemomsworld, @carolinamama, and @CheleChestnut – These ladies are Ocean Isle Inn Ambassadors and may be able to answer your questions about the conference.

Design Bloggers Conference
When: February 28-March 1st, 2011
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $395+ with Early Bird rates available
Twitter: @DesignBlogConf, #designblogconf


March 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

The Texas Style Council Blog Conference
When: March 12 & 13th, 2011
Where: Austin, TX
Cost: $45
Twitter: @txstylecouncil

Bloggy Bootcamp Conference
When: March 19th, 2011
Where: San Diego, CA
Who: Those looking for a day of information, fun, & networking
Cost:
Early bird rate of $110 before 12/1/10.  $135 thereafter
Twitter: #BloggyBootcamp, @BloggyBootcamp

Disney Social Media Moms Celebration
When: March 17-20th, 2011
Where: Disney World in Orlando, FL
Cost: $375
Twitter: #DisneySMMoms

SXSW 2011
When: March 11-20th, 2011
Where: Austin, TX
Who:
Lovers of music, film, and new/social media
Cost:
$450-900 by 9/24/10 OR $525-995 by 11/12/10 OR $600-1050 by 1/14/11 OR $675-1150 by 2/11/11 OR $750-1250 walk-in rate
Twitter:
@SXSW

UnGeeked Elite Orlando
When: March 3-5th, 2011
Where: Orlando, FL
What: A very educational and engaging three days of connecting with CEOs, VPs, Directors of social media, marketing, advertising, sales, recruiting and public businesses who will attend our open forum. [source: UnGeeked Elite website]
Cost: $233+
Twitter: @UnGeeked

BlogHer BET (Business, Entrepreneurism, & Technology)
When: March 24-25th, 2011
Where: Mountain View, CA
What: BlogHer is creating a space for 100 ambitious women to attend BlogHerBET to meet 50 role models and mentors…business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists and top-level service providers. [source: BlogHer BET website]
Cost: $199
Twitter: @BlogHer #BlogHer 


April 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

MOM 2.0 SUMMIT
When: April 14-16, 2011
Where: New Orleans, LA
Cost:
$449 
Twitter:
#Mom2Summit

Bloggin’ Mamas Cruise
When: April 29th-May 2nd, 2011
Where: Aboard a 3-day Royal Caribbean Cruise!
Cost:
$449 full rate after
Twitter:
@blogginmamas


May 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

Camp Blogaway Bootcamp for Food & Recipe Bloggers
When: April 29th-May 1st, 2011
Where: So. CA (Angelus Oaks, near Big Bear in the beautiful mountains)
Cost: $325
Twitter:
@campblogaway, #campblogaway

Bloggy Bootcamp Conference
When: May 7th, 2011
Where: Boston, MA
Cost:
$150
Twitter:
#BloggyBootcamp, @BloggyBootcamp

Reviewer’s Retreat 2011
When: May 15-17, 2011
Where: Great Wolf Lodge-Poconos, PA
Cost: $165
Twitter: #RR11

FitBloggin’ 2011
When: May 20-21st, 2011
Where: Baltimore, MD
Cost:
$250
Twitter:
@fitbloggin, #fitbloggin

SheCon 2011
When: May 20-22nd, 2011
Where: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Cost: First 500 registered get ticket for FREE!
Twitter:
@sheblogsnetwork, #SheCon11

Eat, Write, Retreat 2011
When: May 20-22nd, 2011
Where: Washington, DC
Cost: All-inclusive early bird: $649; Conference-only early bird: $499 (early bird rates until 2/11)
Twitter: @tastestopping, @eatwriteretreat


June 2011 Blog Conferences, Expos, and Events

Travel Blog Exchange 2011
When: June 11th – 12th, 2011
Where: Vancouver, Canada
What: Conference for travel bloggers and travel marketing companies to connect and learn
Cost: $80+

Type-A Parent Conference
When: June 23rd – 26th, 2011
Where: Asheville, NC
What: Type-A Conference will feature killer sessions, opportunities to network with bloggers and companies, and some of the brightest speakers in social media. [source: Type-A Parent website]
Cost: $79 and up.  Super Early Bird rates available through January 28th, 2011.


July 2011 Conferences

EVO Conference 2011
When: July 7-9th, 2011
Where: Park City, UT
Cost: Early Bird Rate $175 by 8/4…$199 by 9/30
Twitter: @EvoConf, #evo11

Savvy Blogging Summit 2011
When:
July 14th – 16th
Where: Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs, CO
Cost: $250
Twitter: @savvyblogging


August 2011 Conferences

Food and Light Workshop
When: August 2nd-3rd
Where:  Rembrandt Yard Art Gallery & The Kitchen Upstairs – downtown Boulder, ColoradoBoulder, CO
Cost: $650

BlogHer ’11
When: August 5th-6th
Where:  San Diego Marriott and Convention Center, San Diego, CA
Cost: $298
Twitter: #BlogHer11  and #blogher

Becoming Conference
When: August 12th and 13th
Where: Asheville, NC
Cost: $93 – $100. 50
Twitter:  @becomingconf

WordCamp San Fransisco
When:
August 12th – 14th
Where: Mission Bay Conference Center, San Fransisco, CA
Cost: $50
Twitter: #wcsf

Bloggy Boot Camp – Chicago
When: August 20th
Where: Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel, Chicago,  IL
Cost: $140 (sold out)
Twitter:  @bloggybootcamp

BlogPaws 2011
When: August 25-27th
Where: Vienna, VA
Cost: $179
Twitter:  @BlogPaws

2011 International Food Blogger Conference 
When: August 26th-28th
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Cost: $350
Twitter: @ifbc


September 2011 Conferences

BlogHer Handmade 
When: September 15th-17th
Where: St. Paul, MN
Cost: $225
Twitter:  @blogher

WordCamp Albuquerque
When: September 16th-18th
Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cost: $25 or $150
Twitter:  @ABQWordPress

She Streams Conference – New York
When: September 23rd-24th
Where: Crowne Plaza Times Square, NY
Cost: Prices vary
Twitter: @shestreams

Conference information shown here was copied directly from the respective conference websites. Please refer to the conference/meeting’s respective website for additional information, rate increases, or other conference information revisions.