From the category archives:

Social Media Event

My Interview with NBC

February 17, 2010 in Announcement, Journal, Social Media Event

: Image via CrunchBase

This afternoon Scott Gordon, with NBC Channel 5 Local DFW news, contacted me through my blog for an interview. The story being featured was on social media and exposing yourself to the public. Scott Gordon brought to my attention today that there is a website called ‘Please Rob Me‘ where tweets involving Four Square updates are being auto-generated into a stream announcing that the twitter user is not home and therefore implying their home is empty making them fair game for robbers. I must admit I was a little shocked to hear someone went to all the trouble of setting up a site just to prove a point. It’s a little creepy if you ask me. On the other hand I also think it’s a little far fetched. I am a strong believer that there are cynics out there for everything. Anytime something becomes popular or successful there has to be someone out there to point out the bad side. That’s just the balance of life, in my opinion.

When Scott Gordon came out to my home for the interview and chatted with me about social media he asked me if I would continue using twitter and Four Square the same. Will I stop using twitter? Absolutely not. I think anyone who participates in social media should always think twice about what they publish online. If you are tweeting or checking in on Four Square then you might be more cautious of where you check in. For example I may check in that I had lunch at a sub shop today but I’m not going to check in when I’m visiting my friend at her home and share her address publicly. Everything has it’s limits and the fine lines, only the user can determine where their line is.

Four Square is an app I have on my iPhone, a game of sorts. You can check in at local places and earn badges or compete with your friends for a high score. However it is not GPS auto-generated like some may believe. Just because someone is a Four Square user does not mean everyone knows where they are all the time. If I am at a location that I don’t want the public to know, then I don’t check in. It’s that simple.

Social media networking is a large form of communication nowadays. If I go out to dinner and have a nice meal, I share my experience via twitter. The same goes for a live event or even a movie I watched. This weekend I will be attending a social media conference and I am sure I will live tweet and possibly even live blog the event. That does not mean my home is empty so go rob me. Matter of fact I’ll have a childcare sitter and dog sitter staying at my house. Just like most people, just because I run to get a sub sandwich doesn’t mean another member of my family isn’t home or that my home isn’t safe from robbers. Whether you are active in social media or not, you should take precautions when it comes to your safety. I remember when I was a young child before social media was even well known my home was robbed while my parents were at work and I was at daycare. Who did the cynics blame then? Was the company my parent’s worked for at fault for listing them as an employee on public records, therefore announcing they weren’t home during the day?

My response to Scott Gordon ‘when you’re live on the air talking about local news, everyone knows you’re not at home, right?’ So really… what’s the difference? If someone wants to know your information, they’ll find out. There are a million ways out there right now if someone is knowledgeable. The local store clerk could have her license plate run, address found and house rob before her shift ends. Social media isn’t the only to blame.

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Mom 2.0 Summit

February 13, 2010 in Announcement, Social Media Event, Texas Bloggers

I was contacted this week and asked if I wanted to volunteer at the Mom 2.0 Summit conference next week. The conference is held in Houston and since I am in Texas as well it’s not too far of a drive. I have wanted to attend this conference so bad but didn’t think I could swing it this year. This great opportunity opened the door for that and I can’t wait. Lizzy is going with me so I’ll get to share the drive with her which is exciting. We had so much fun last week on our drive to Blissdom. We are also slumber partying with Rachel in our hotel room for two nights.

I will be working the registration desk so if you are going to be there then don’t forget to stop by and say hello! I can’t wait to meet all the wonderful attendees and hear the amazing speakers.

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Valentine’s with Sprout

February 9, 2010 in Announcement, Social Media Event

While I was at Blissdom this past weekend I got the chance to have breakfast with a few of the PBS Sprout Band of Bloggers. This was a great experience and I loved not only meeting some of the other women but spending time chatting with them as well! You can see a list of the other Band of Bloggers listed on Sprout’s website.

Sprout Shout Out Below:

A special Valentine’s Day program brings together two dinosaurs in entertainment, literally, with Barney & Dorothy from The Wiggles pairing up for the first time to host Sprout’s Valentine celebration, Sunday Feb. 14 from noon – 3pm ET. They will read special Valentine messages sent in by viewers, sing songs about friendship, create a few crafts and introduce upcoming episodes. Your kiddos won’t want to miss it!

I’m just loving that the Great Sprout Tuck-In program has joined with the Pajama Program to bring new pajamas and new books to children in need. What better holiday than Valentine’s Day to open your heart, teach your children how to give and help others in need. There are several ideas on the website for donating. You could do something as fun as hosting a pajama sleepover for your children and let each child bring a new nurturing book or new set of warm sleepwear to donate. You can download the form from the website to ship in your donations or donate right from the site.

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Blissdom Conference – Day One

February 5, 2010 in Journal, Social Media Event, Texas Bloggers

Our drive from Texas to Tennessee in the Equinox was great. I loved chatting with Erica and Lizzy the whole entire way. The vehicle was amazing and the company was awesome but the weather was rainy the whole twelve hours. We also stayed up a little too late I’d say. Wednesday night when Erica and Lizzy arrived at my house it was a little late and since it was our first time spending time together we, like most women do, chatted a little too long and before we knew it, we were climbing in bed at 1 AM. UGH! Then back up and on the road by 5:30. So of course after the long drive we arrived at the hotel and checked in around 6 PM.

The cocktail party last night at the Jack Daniels Saloon was amazing of course. Being given the chance to reconnect with friends I met last year and meeting some new ones is a blessing. Communicating with all these fabulous women daily and not being able to see them face to face makes trips like this even more special. Once the opening Blissdom cocktail party was over we headed to the Old Hickey Steak House to join in the Blissful Bites and Bubbles event. The networking continued and I got to meet even more amazing women. I also won an e.l.f. cosmetic set that was valued at over $50. I am so excited and can’t wait to try out the new makeup. I already used the facial cleansing wipes this morning and they worked well.

Breakfast was ate while chatting with Amy, Erica and Nikki and now we are listening to the opening speaker. My eyes are blood shot from lack of sleep but it is all very well worth it.

Until the next update… I’m off to learn!

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Wordless Wednesday – ChevyBliss

February 3, 2010 in Social Media Event, Texas Bloggers, meme

Equinox provided by GM Motors of Texas to drive to Blissdom Conference in Nashville, TN.

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Digiorno Pizza House Party

January 25, 2010 in Journal, Product Reviews, Social Media Event

Sunday I hosted a House Party sponsored by Digiorno Pizza. It was so much fun. The party was scheduled during the first playoff game of the day and while the men watched football all the women shopped. I had a table setup with Scentsy wax for everyone to smell and my good friend, Chrystal, brought her Cookie Lee jewelry display for everyone to try on and shop. I got a very nice new necklace that I can’t wait to wear to BlissDom next week!

We tried six different pizzas during the party. I must say my favorite was the Tuscan Chicken pizza but I also loved the stuffed crust. I think everyone walked away from the party agreeing that Digiorno Pizza is not only as good as delivery but better. Some preferred the thin crust while others enjoyed the self rising. The party was a success and the variety made everyone happy.

Great food, goodies for everyone, laughing, talking and just an all out good time among friends and family. The kids also had a blast with their PBS Sprout goodie bags including coloring books, stickers and tattoos.

Check out my Whrrl story below:

More check-ins at Home

Our turn out was pretty good too. We had a total of eight adults and seven kids.

Full Disclosure: I am a member of HouseParty.com and therefore have the opportunity to apply to host different sponsored parties. Thanks to Digiorno Pizza I was able to host this party with provided pizzas and goodies to hand out to my guests. I was not asked nor paid to write this post and all opinions shared are 100% mine.

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Blissdom’10 Here I Come

January 25, 2010 in Announcement, Social Media Event

I am so excited I am going to be attending Blissdom again this year. I had such a wonderful time last year and the whole experience was amazing. I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it until Erica contacted me about carpooling and sharing a room. Saving the money on the airline ticket and having a roommate cuts the costs in half.

We were planning to drive my Hyundai Santa Fe since that provides plenty of room for us but now apparently it is going to need some auto repair. I’m not sure how much and hopefully it’s just something simple. Although the check engine light isn’t coming on the emergency brake light keeps coming on while I’m driving. Isn’t that odd? And no, the emergency brake is not on. I have even jiggled the handle of the emergency brake, put it on and taken it back off. The light comes on while I’m driving sometimes when I actually apply the regular brakes. I’m not sure if it is driving different or just my imagination but when it comes on it almost feels like it’s pulling as if the brake really was on. So off to the Hyundai Service Center I’ll be going this coming week before making that long drive. I even thought about borrowing my mom’s Toyota Camry in worse case.

So Erica, Lizzy and I are all leaving Fort Worth at 5:30 AM to head to Nashville on next Thursday. I am so excited about the trip but I am so not an early person. I know the excitement will keep me wide awake though. I look forward to seeing everyone again and meeting some new bloggers.

Thank you to my Blissdom Sponsor

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Out of Office Blog Tour

January 8, 2010 in Resources, Social Media Event, Texas Bloggers

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I recently created a Whrrl story about a Mom Blogger event at FedEx I went to with Mom Central. While at this event I learned a lot of different things about FedEx and about all the services they offer. I must say I was surprised by all the different options they have.

Did you know that one of their employees created everything he needed for his wedding at FedEx? From invitations all the way to groomsman gifts, how cool?

FedEx started a new blog titled Out of Office. It is a great resource for all customers. The blog provides articles on topics ranging from home helper, event planning to business building. I personally love the Parent Projects section. The article about repurpose your children’s artwork gave me a great idea. Taking your kids’ artwork that they bring home from school, laminating it and using as placemats at the dinner table. How fun, right? Plus your child would love seeing something they made put to good use. They would be reminded of their accomplishment at each meal. Provides for an easy and low cost decor change as often as you want. Gab brings home different art work weekly and great pieces with each new holiday or season change.

So go check out some articles and welcome FedEx into the social media world.

Full Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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Merry Christmas SITS Girls!

December 8, 2009 in Announcement, Social Media Event

Today is a Christmas gathering for all the SITS Girls. Everyone who wants to participate is creating their very own Holiday cheer post and linking together over at the SITS Girls blog. Just another great way to network together and add some holiday cheer to each others blogs. I just love the SITS Girls, they are a great network to be a part of. I have to admit although I joined their community when I first started blogging over a year ago I haven’t been as active as I’d like. I got back into the swing of things in October when I visited SITScation ‘09 in Las Vegas. It was amazing! All the ladies are so welcoming and just a wonderful group of women. I had a great time learning, networking live and enjoying the party.

So Merry SITSmas to all the wonderful bloggers out there. And even if you aren’t part of the SITS Girls community yet you should be. Go check it out and join us. They believe in lots of comment love and supporting one another. Who could pass that up? Plus it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. If you’d like to learn more about me if this is your first time visiting from the SITS blog then please visit my About page. Leave me a comment so I can come find you afterward as well. I always love meeting new bloggers.