{"id":3689,"date":"2011-08-19T05:31:25","date_gmt":"2011-08-18T22:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=3689"},"modified":"2011-08-19T05:32:42","modified_gmt":"2011-08-18T22:32:42","slug":"my-bountiful-days-at-blogher-day-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/my-bountiful-days-at-blogher-day-two\/","title":{"rendered":"My Bountiful Days at BlogHer Day Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Cunningham<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you missed my first article on the BlogHer conference I just attended, be sure to see My Bountiful Days at BlogHer Day One<\/a>\u00a0post. \u00a0BlogHer really kicked off on Friday, August 6th, with speakers, presentations, full Expo hours, and more parties in the evening.<\/p>\n

In the morning I attended my first yoga class, put on by Pfizer. \u00a0My roomie, Marisa of SoCalMarisa.com and I arrived right on time with our eyes half-open. \u00a0Yoga mats were all rolled out for the 50+ people who had signed up. \u00a0Apparently, the parties the night before did a lot of people in 1\/3 of those who registered didn’t show up. \u00a0Marissa and I conveniently selected mats in the back so as not to embarrass ourselves. \u00a0Popular San Diego-based yoga instructor\u00a0Amy Caldwell\u00a0led our morning session.<\/p>\n

Being a regular bootcamper, I enjoyed the calming pace of yoga. \u00a0It was very serene looking out at the San Diego marina. \u00a0Fortunately, I didn’t knock over many people during my tree pose and those I did knock over didn’t get hurt \u00a0too seriously.<\/p>\n

After it was over, Marissa and I enjoyed a nice breakfast and headed to the Expo hall to meet an exhibit hall full of companies who came to BlogHer to establish relationships…(or at least hand out products) with bloggers. \u00a0Here are some of the fun things I did at the Expo:<\/p>\n

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BlogHer Expo<\/span><\/h2>\n

Lee Jeans:<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0A Lee Jeans consultant assisted me in trying on about 5 pairs of Lee jeans. \u00a0She recommended a dark pair of skinny jeans for me. \u00a0I’m not the skinny jean type, so I decided instead on a lighter color bootcut jean. \u00a0They will be sending me a free pair in the mail. \u00a0They are very comfortable, I’m looking forward to their arrival.<\/p>\n

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Dove Bars:<\/strong><\/span> When I heard Dove was going to be at the Expo, I was beside myself. \u00a0(Desserts are a\u00a0fetish\u00a0of mine along\u00a0with tech). \u00a0I planned on getting a Dove Bar 1-2 times a day during \u00a0BlogHer. \u00a0Unfortunately, there was so much to do, I only made it to the Dove booth twice, and let me tell you, you know I must have been busy to only get there twice…that’s so unlike me! \u00a0One day Dove gave out hand dipped Dove Bars. \u00a0It was like heaven! \u00a0The chocolate was so soft and velvety. \u00a0Yum!<\/p>\n

Hershey<\/strong><\/span>: \u00a0<\/span>Hershey had a wonderful room set up to resemble a house and back patio. \u00a0Throughout the “house” were places to cook\u00a0marshmallows\u00a0on a skewer over a small\u00a0Bunsen\u00a0burner fire. \u00a0Graham crackers and milk or dark chocolate were close at hand to make S’mores. \u00a0Score! \u00a0This was one of the reasons why I didn’t make it to get a Dove Bar one day. \u00a0Hershey also handed out\u00a0chocolate\u00a0brown lunch bags to take home for the kids.<\/p>\n

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Tropicana<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> \u00a0Tropicana was showcasing two of their new juice flavors. \u00a0To increase interest, Tropicana offered free\u00a0manicure’s. \u00a0I signed up and later they tweeted a time to stop by for my manicure. \u00a0Tropicana treated guests to samples of their juices as our nails transformed. \u00a0We could choose from two colors…pink or yellow…which matched the colors of their new juices. \u00a0My nails looked great and I was ready to conquer the day.<\/p>\n

Dr. Scholl’s: \u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Hat’s off to Dr. Scholl’s. \u00a0They handed out these great slip-on feet saver shoes, called Fast Flats, complete with a little leather-like carrying\u00a0\"\"pouch. \u00a0They have a rubber sole and are very flexible so they can be folded, put into the pouch, and placed in your evening bag. \u00a0I took them with me in my purse as I gallivanting from party to party. \u00a0Then, I hit the wall. \u00a0I could not walk in my slick new heels one more step. \u00a0Having the Fast Flats felt like sinking into a comfortable chair\u00a0after running a marathon…nice! \u00a0The Dr. Scholl’s are a must for\u00a0any fancy evening out.<\/p>\n

Scrubbing Bubbles:<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0Scrubbing Bubbles transformed a huge room in the Marriott hotel into a pampering suite. \u00a0Before the conference, we signed up for either a massage, manicure, or pedicure. \u00a0It felt like I really got away from it all, a nice oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the conference. \u00a0The Scrubbing Bubbles staff were super friendly, there were hors duerves, delectable desserts, and a relaxing sitting area to chat with other bloggers while waiting for our turn. \u00a0I opted \u00a0for the pedicure. \u00a0 I chatted merrily with the blogger next to me as the pedicure\u00a0technician worked gingerly around my open blisters caused from my ultra-cool but ill-fitting shoes I\u00a0brandished\u00a0the night before.<\/p>\n

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HTC<\/strong><\/span>: \u00a0<\/span>Before the conference, HTC offered bloggers the chance to meet with them to tell them about what we liked\u00a0and disliked about our personal phones. \u00a0I signed up and thought it was a one-to-one session. \u00a0To my surprise, there was about15-18 of us in the room and we were a part of a focus group. \u00a0In addition to our likes and dislikes, they asked us to create the ideal phone. \u00a0We worked in groups to flip chart this ultimate phone. \u00a0To reward us for our time, each one of us was given a HTC phone, gift-wrapped with our name on it. \u00a0They asked us ahead of time our carrier to ensure we could use our phones right away. \u00a0I was given the HTC Sensation 4G. \u00a0Although it’s similar to my MyTouch 4G, it is much faster to switch screens and load videos.<\/p>\n

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Evening Parties<\/span><\/h2>\n

I had another full session of parties on Friday night too. \u00a0A late entrant into the Friday night party schedule was a company called SoftCup.<\/p>\n

SoftCup<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"SoftCup had a full celebrity line-up and even though my evening was fully booked, I couldn’t help but want to attend, even if for a short time. \u00a0Amanda Beard, 7-time Olympian winner and Mario Lopez would be at the party, as well as a performance \u00a0by Ryan Cabrera<\/a>. \u00a0I just couldn’t pass up a chance to meet Mario…and those dimples, ahhh! \u00a0The party was held at on the rooftop of a swanky hotel. \u00a0SoftCup hired pedicabs to bring us to the party. \u00a0Their signature drinks were great and they used Cake Vodka in the drinks for extra sweetness…ultra yum! \u00a0I talked a little with Amanda. \u00a0I\u00a0\"\"<\/a>recognized her right away, tall, slender, well-spoken. \u00a0Unfortunately, I found out Mario wouldn’t be arriving until later and it was time for me to go. \u00a0I’m guessing, you’re like me, you’ve never heard of SoftCup before. \u00a0SoftCup is a latex cup that can be used instead of tampons or pads, giving you more flexibility and confidence. \u00a0Apparently, the cup can last up to 12 hours before replacing. \u00a0Interesting. \u00a0They gave us a fancy SoftCup bag, a package of SoftCups to try….and a sample bottle of Cake Vodka (!) to take home with us (sweet!).<\/div>\n
Swag Nation<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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\"\"We attended this party about 1 1\/2 maybe 2 hours after it started. \u00a0Really, the party was about done by the time we got there. \u00a0There really wasn’t much going on so we only stayed about 25 minutes. \u00a0We signed up for Swag bucks at SwagBucks.com<\/a>, spun a wheel…won a key chain, then received a swag bag and left. \u00a0I have to say, the NibNobs cake bon-bon in the bag was incredible. \u00a0Good thing they only gave me one because I could have eaten a whole box!<\/p>\n


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Cheap Sally Dance Party<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This was the best party of the night. \u00a0Great food, open bar (I think, can’t remember now), and a great\u00a0atmosphere. \u00a0The scene was at a chic nightclub in the Gaslight District. \u00a0The nightclub had three levels to it, the top level being the rooftop. \u00a0Collective Bias and Cheap Sally did a nice job with all the details. \u00a0The rooftop was the main place to party, with cabanas lining the perimeter to learn more about the party sponsors. \u00a0One sponsor, Vix\/Impanema Flip Flops\u00a0\u00a0was handing out very cool flops. \u00a0Unfortunately, they had no more flops my size,\u00a0gargantuan, so I got a smaller pair to give to my 8 year old daughter with monster size child\u00a0feet. \u00a0It was hard to leave this party. \u00a0A bunch of us gathered up and decided to hit the next party together. \u00a0It was at this point that I needed to put on my Dr. Scholl’s Fast Flats… Ahhhh. I was so grateful to have them with me. \u00a0Unfortunately, my roomie had forgotten hers.<\/p>\n

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Kick Off Your Heels<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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This party was put on by Stiletto Media<\/a> on the 6th floor outside terrace of the Omni Hotel. \u00a0They too had a signature drink, the \u00a0Purple Stillitini , complete with a stiletto\u00a0pink heel\u00a0stirrer. \u00a0Their best sponsor was GM. \u00a0I loved talking with GM, a very friendly bunch. \u00a0GM offered everyone a $25 iTunes gift card just by tweeting that we met them at the Kick Off Your Heels party. \u00a0They provided\u00a0chauffeur\u00a0service to and from the hotel to the party, which wasn’t as far as several of the other parties for the night. \u00a0We used their\u00a0chauffeur\u00a0service when leaving the party – needing a fleet of cars to caravan us\u00a0back, as our group had amassed to 14 at this point. \u00a0We were very impressed with GM’s friendliness both at the party and\u00a0with the drivers and driving\u00a0coordinators. \u00a0Way to go, GM! \u00a0Very nice party, too, Stiletto Media!<\/p>\n

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What a full day Friday was. \u00a0I met some really nice people in the elevator, on the expo floor, at some of the conference\u00a0sessions, and at the parties. \u00a0I started off alone at the first party, picked up one new friend…and by the end of the night there were 14 of us! \u00a0I’d like to say a big thank you to all of the individuals…many of them bloggers…who created these parties, came up with sponsors, and worked extremely hard to ensure the hundreds of bloggers who attended would have a great time. \u00a0We all really enjoyed the parties and could see the great effort that was expended for our enjoyment.<\/p>\n

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Day two of the WellConnectedMom.com’s first womens’ blogging conference, BlogHer. Pampering, sampling, learning, parties, meeting great women, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,802],"tags":[805,803,807,813,823,812],"class_list":["post-3689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moms","category-trade-shows-conferences","tag-blogging-conference","tag-blogher","tag-clever-girls-collective","tag-kick-off-your-heels","tag-parties","tag-stiletto-media","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/08\/amanda-and-mario-400.jpg?fit=400%2C266&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}