What to say about the Fall Momz Share event?

Should I start by telling you about how I completely forgot my pants (yes, I said PANTS) and had to go back and fetch them? Or perhaps let you in on the secret that I later discovered that I also forgot my bra? (Ridiculous much?)

Maybe I will skip that part and begin my tale with the scruptious food from Piv’s Restaurant or the social media themed cupcakes.

Hmmm….But if I did that I would be missing the heart of the event, which is the bloggers themselves. These women are my tribe, my peeps, my virtual therapists and without them I am fairly certain I would go stark raving mad. When people ask me why in the world I spend my time planning these events, I tell them about the women of Momz Share. That is all the explanation they need…

Come to think of it, it might be best to instead tell the tale with pictures…

The Fall event was hosted by the awesome and fantastic Jill of Scary Mommy and brought to life by the Momz Share power trio: Sunday Stilwell, Lara DiPaola, and yours truly. (Okay, obvious self-promotion but, DANG, we worked hard y’all!)

I would just like to take up a little bloggy space to send out my heartfelt thank you to some of the people who made this night a success:

Pivs Restaurant – Seriously? Their food rocked. I had no idea what to expect. If you live in the Baltimore area, stop what you are doing and go to their restaurant. Right now.

Sponsoring this event was Washington Family Magazine. I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with Jolie from Washington Family for some time now. They are fantastic and super supportive of moms who blog!

A big shout out to Amy Phillips of Social Pollen who was another event sponsor. Not only did she provide hands-on help for all sorts of WordPress issues, she also brought the killer social media cupcakes. Honestly? Social media cupcakes? Phenomenal, just like her.

We were also treated to our first splendor station courtesy of Leiann from Love and Kindness.  She gave lotioned hand massages and we all fell in love. Not only are her lotions and candles to die for, she is also a terrific example of a mom entrepreneur.

I can’t go any further without mentioning the photographer, Eddie Winter of Edward Winter Weddings. He went above and beyond to make everyone comfortable and captured the essence of Momz Share perfectly. I admit to being a little biased here because, well, he is my brother. That being said, his work speaks for itself. He was the consummate professional and put everyone at ease. (Plus he is way cute, if I do say so myself…)

One last shout out to Michael Guill of 107 Designs who streamed our video LIVE on Saturday night. It was our first time live streaming and it was mighty fun! (He is not only tech-ily gifted, he is also one hell of a dishwasher.)

Other sponsors of our fall Momz Share event that I have to mention are Madeleine from La Papillon Spa who hosted a fun Twitter beauty Q & A contest last week and Melanie and Theresa from Sisarina. Sisarina designed our new Momz Share website. Stunning, right?

If you head over to the Momz Share site later this week, we will have a full accounting of all of the amazing people who provided giveaways and gave support to Momz Share.

Remember, if you live in the DC, MD, VA, WVA, PA area – you are always welcome to attend!  Our next event will be announced soon!

Tags: DC Metro mom blogger, Maryland, mom bloggers, Momz Share, networking, virginia, washington DC

This might come as a tremendous surprise to you but I had a night out on the town this past Friday.  I know. Truly amazing… an ACTUAL girl’s night out.  No one is more surprised than me.

I met up with a group of inspiring mom bloggers from across the great state of Maryland.  We convened in Baltimore (Inner Harbor) at La Tasca.  Now, I’ve been to La Tasca a time or two and was thoroughly familiar with their fabulous tapas and Sangria. But this time we were treated like royalty by Santana (manager) and Brad (waiter extraordinaire). The food was, of course, delish!

It was so nice to get to know the ladies BEHIND the blogs.  Some things surprised me and some exceeded my imaginations.  All in all, I had a terrific time surrounded by inspiring women and made some new friends.  Can’t ask for a better girl’s night out than that, can you? (Unless you have a driver and are thereby free to consume vast amounts of Sangria.)

So without further adieu, let me introduce you to the gals: (Be sure to check out their blogs and give them a shout out on Twitter) From left: Safire from Living in Maryland (@safirecat), Parenting by Dummies (@thenagainphoto),  Lara from Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom (@dipaolamomma), Joanne of Barely Domestic (@BarelyDomestic), Mary from Pajamas and Coffee (@marymac), Moi, Scarymommy from Scary Mommy (@scarymommy) and Lolli of Better in Bulk (@1momof5).

Different styles, different voices but all will make you smile and are worth your time.

Not only was I treated to some fabulous conversation but we also received treats at this meetup!  A big thank you to all of the businesses who gave made us feel like a million bucks: Dunkin Donuts (@dunkindonuts) for hooking us up with gift cards, travel mugs and t-shirts! (Seriously. Coffee heaven for me. Ohmygosh! Thanks MaryMac for torturing them into submission getting the donation!) We also got some great stuff from Shaklee by Clean Mama (@AboutShaklee), Piggy Paint (@PiggyPaint)  and WAT-AAH! (@WAT AAH).  And a big shoutout to Lara from Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom for spearheading the treats as well as organizing this little meetup.  She is a true cheerleader, not to mention Tapas connoisseur.

My hometown of Frederick also came through IN A BIG WAY for the Maryland Mom Bloggers. Muchos gracias to: Candlelight Ghost Tours of Frederick, Dancing Bear Toys & Gifts (@dbeartoys), Maryland Ensemble Theatre FUNCompany (@mdensemble), Author Kristin Kish Whyte – “One More Minute” children’s book  (My neighbor!) and Maryland Life Magazine (@marylandlife).

Did I feel like a queen?  Why, yes. I did.  Was I inspired? Of course!  In the end I discovered that we are all moms who desperately love our children seeking to connect with one another out there in the blogosphere.  See, we are not so different after all.

Tags: barely domestic, better in bulk, Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom, living in maryland, maryland mom bloggers, mom bloggers, pajamas and coffee, parenting by dummies, scary mommy

I’ve worked in the public relations, marketing, and event planning fields for over 15 years. Hard to believe, actually.

Anyway, as such, I am constantly fascinated by the industry and how it is embracing technology. (Or not.)  One of the more interesting things that I have discovered is WalMart and it’s 11 Moms campaign.

As a marketing professional, I think it is real and genuine.  As a mom blogger myself, I think it is brilliant.  I applaud them for their efforts.  Moms are a powerful online force. (Just ask Motrin.)

These ladies are smart, savvy and unique.  If you haven’t found them yet … I suggest you take a look.

BTW – there are more than 11 now.  Here are some of the originals as a starter:

http://www.jessicaknows.com / Jessica Knows – Jessica (Note: Jessica is no longer one of the 11 moms.  Her thoughts are here. I’m keeping her link though because her blog is terrrific.)
http://www.geekmommy.net / GeekMommy’s WebLife – Lucretia
http://www.thedomesticdiva.org / The Domestic Diva – Heather
http://www.momadvice.com / MomAdvice – Amy
http://www.classymommy.com / Classy Mommy – Colleen
http://www.beingfrugal.net / Being Frugal- Lynnae
http://www.dealseekingmom.com / Deal Seeking Mom – Tara
http://frugalupstate.blogspot.com / Frugal Upstate – Jenn
http://www.kingdomfirstmom.com / Keeping the Kingdom First – Alyssa
http://www.couponcravings.com / Coupon Cravings – Erin
http://www.thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com / The “Cents”ible Sawyer - Denise
http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com / From Dates to Diapers – Christine

Tags: geekmommy.net, jessica knows, marketing mom power, mom bloggers, social media, Walmart 11 Moms