07.29.11

The Spotted Monkey: Featuring Handmade and Unique Finds

The Spotted Monkey is owned by a mother and daughter team who launched this company in November 2010. They aim to provide consumers with unique, hard to find quality products that promote and support mom and woman-owned businesses, just like their own! Their mission is also to seek out and promote handmade and eco-conscious companies. Sounds pretty fabulous, right? Well, The Spotted Monkey also carries unique lines from across the globe from places such as France, Asia and Australia to name a few. In fact, they just introduced products from Germany and Amsterdam this month.

The two women behind this brand are constantly inspired to find the most unique and fun items/gifts that fit your little ones as well as your own life. They are committed to providing consumers with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, offering many award winning exclusive products that you’ll only find at The Spotted Monkey! They offer products that make navigating and shopping the site so easy in categories such as Living, Playing, Wearing, Going as well as Kids, Moms and Décor.

You’ll find so many unique products like the adorable Cocoon Couture Owl Bean Bag designed in Australia that would compliment the décor of any little girl’s bedroom.

One of my other favorites is the Dabbawalla Mod Pod Backpack crafted with neoprene-like fabric that protects and insulates. Each bag is sewn in Taiwan by a woman-owned facility that supports fair labor practices.

Now, I couldn’t leave you moms that have boys out, so check out the adorable line of handmade hats for boys, like this Blue Brimmed Cabbie Hat:

The Spotted Monkey is not only their company name, but it’s also their own line of knitted toys such as The Spotted Monkey Rhet:

The Spotted Monkey is currently offering Theta Mom readers 15% off every order now through August 15th. Just use the code ThetaMom at checkout. Don’t forget to follow The Spotted Monkey on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest deals and news, including new products from around the world.

Theta Mom® abides by word of mouth marketing standards and believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The Spotted Monkey is a proud sponsor and I was compensated for this post. However, all opinions expressed are purely my own and the content of this post was not influenced in any way.

{ 2 Comments }
07.27.11

10 Things You Should Do Before Attending BlogHer

Heading to BlogHer and feeling excited? Maybe a little anxious or nervous about what to expect? Take it from me, I attended last year and there are some things you should know before you attend one of the BIGGEST conferences of the year…I am sharing ten rules to live by, especially if you are a newbie:

1. Don’t go it alone. Bring a friend or be sure to be to make plans with someone else. You are about to step foot into a sea of THOUSANDS of bloggers (which for the record, mommy bloggers only represent a percentage of the folks who will be there. Add in the fashion bloggers, foodie bloggers, photography bloggers, frugal bloggers, craft bloggers, and the list goes on) so if you don’t have a game plan as to how and with whom you are going to spend your time, you may feel a bit lost. Be sure to connect with at least ONE other person before attending this conference.

2. Get specific cell phone numbers of about 10 bloggers you REALLY want to connect with. In a massive sea of thousands of bloggers, you will not get to meet everyone you are hoping to meet. I guarantee it. Right now, you’re probably tweeting, “Can’t wait to see you at BlogHer” and “So excited we will finally meet at BlogHer” but the reality is, there’s a BIG chance you won’t meet up at BlogHer. Your list of cell phone numbers should be your short list; a select group of people who you are flying miles across the country to meet. The #BlogHer11 twitter stream that entire weekend will be crazy and it will be hard for you to keep up, so having cell phone numbers and actually dialing the person you want to meet is much more effective. {Believe it or not, I was calling and texting those peeps in the SAME room STILL trying to find them. Yes, this conference is THAT big}.

3. Make sure your Avatar is up-to-date (within the last year or so). If your avi displays long blonde hair and yours is now brown and short, people are NOT going to recognize you and when you meet someone for the first time, all they have to go on from memory is your little avatar – so make sure it represents the real YOU and not the little hottie you used to be like 15 years ago.

4. Put your ego in check. Not everyone is going to “recognize” you. Again, you will be attending this conference among thousands of bloggers so unless you are @Dooce, you’re probably not going to be easily recognized and this will happen over the entire course of the conference. Yes, this conference is THAT big.

5. Make a schedule. Be sure to print out all of the sessions, activities and private parties (including specific room numbers and addresses of each) to have an idea of what you are doing each day by the hour. Of course this may change and you may not even follow this schedule altogether BUT at least you will have an idea of what the hell you are doing. If you don’t have an itinerary in your hand you will be wasting some valuable time standing outside of sessions, looking confused and trying to figure out where you want to go – have that ALL mapped out before you even board the plane.

6. Plan outfits and jewelry ahead of time. I know this sounds crazy, but you will agonize over what to wear if you bring 5,000 choices. Pack knowing in advance what you plan to wear for EACH conference day (including what to wear at night for the parties) so that you aren’t wasting precious time in your hotel room over what to wear. Having outfits planned ahead is one less thing you’ll have to think about when you are actually there.

7. Don’t worry about the parties that you didn’t invites to. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing but YOU. I guarantee you didn’t get into every A-list party and you know what? You are not alone. There are tons of other bloggers who are in the same boat and the conference itself offers their own parties each night so you will always have somewhere to go. Don’t get hung up on what you think others bloggers are doing. Just have a good time with the bloggers  and the groups YOU are with.

8. Wear flip-flops. Nobody, I repeat, nobody will be looking at your feet. In fact, everyone will be checking out your chest because they’ll be squinting when they come up to say hello as they try to read the little name tag that’s plastered across your boobs. You will be walking more at this conference than you have in the last month so be sure to wear something comfortable since nobody will be looking at your feet!

9. Let go of your expectations. Don’t have ANY pre-conceptions or expectations about this conference. As my mother always taught me, “Expect nothing and you shall never be disappointed.”

10. Have fun. Bottom line? This conference is the chance of a lifetime – the odds of attending a conference of this magnitude may not come around again for you for another couple of years – so be sure to enjoy it and make the most of every single minute you are there.

Feel left out already since you are not attending this year? No worries, because my bloggy friends Liz and Jessica have put together a really fun online event that will give you the chance to linkup and meet some new bloggers who are also not attending!

{Follow the hashtag #SummerBlogSocial on Twitter and check out their links for full deets! They even provide specific writing prompts to get this party started, so be sure to join in!} And if you are attending BlogHer, have a blast and give everyone a big hug for me!

{ 28 Comments }
07.25.11

Piggy Paint: Nail Polish as Natural as Mud

Piggy Paint is a woman-owned brand founded by Melanie Hurley. She is a mom of two small girls, two little girls who happened to love painting their fingernails. After painting their nails with traditional nail polish, Melanie shuddered at the idea of having her children put their fingers in their mouths after using polish that contained harsh chemicals with a terrible smell. This resulted in a relentless quest to create a polish that would be non-flammable AND made with only natural ingredients, making a polish that is completely safe for little fingers and toes.

Piggy Paint is a non-toxic, eco-friendly nail polish that is made in the USA! It’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, BPA, ethyl acetate and acetone – it’s only formulated with natural ingredients. This formula is odorless and hypoallergenic, gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin! So Theta Moms, say good-bye to those harsh smelling polishes full of chemicals and hello to Piggy paint – “It’s as Natural as Mud!”

Piggy Paint offers a line of many different fun and vibrant colors of nail polish. I reviewed the color Sweet Pea for my own little sweet pea. It’s super sparkly, light and oh-so-cute! My first experience painting my little girl’s nails was a wonderful experience because I knew that the product I was using was ultra safe – the safest on the market. I won’t ever have to worry when she puts her fingers in her mouth upon using this product and I don’t have to deal with the nasty smell of those other polishes!

Looking to try out more than one color of Piggy Paint? Then be sure to check out the variety of fantastic Gift Sets available for purchase and Piggy Paint also offers it’s very own safe Nail Polish Remover that you’ll want to add to your shopping list! Trust me when I say, once you use this product you’ll never want your kids to use anything else!

Piggy Paint is offering Theta Mom® readers 10% of everything at Piggy Paint right now! Enter the code thetamom10 at checkout. This offer is good through July of 2012! Don’t forget to follow Piggy Paint on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with the latest deals and news from this amazing brand.

Theta Mom® abides by word of mouth marketing standards and believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. Piggy Paint is a proud sponsor of Theta Mom and I was compensated for this post. In addition, I was provided product to facilitate this review. However, all opinions expressed are purely my own and the content of this post was not influenced in any way.

{ 18 Comments }
07.21.11

A Standing Ovation

When I collaborated with fellow bloggy friend Gigi on a recent post regarding my blogging journey, I wasn’t sure how it was going to be received. All I knew for sure was how I felt and that my instincts are usually spot on. As a working blogger, I knew if I was facing some challenges there had to be others in the same situation perhaps looking for answers as well.

When Gigi and I shared our concerns with one another, my mind was at ease because for the first time, I knew I wasn’t alone. Our conversation also reiterated that fact that this topic needed to be put on the table, one I think that many blogging conferences will need to address in the near future. As social media continues to move at a rapid rate, more and more bloggers are finding paid opportunities (all of which have stemmed from their blogs) so this is not an issue that’s going away. Rather, it’s something every blogger will experience at some point in his/her career and like other topics I have faced with an open heart, head on – I am so glad I put this out there and I know Gigi is, too.

My mind is still reeling from the comments and I am still processing many of them.

Your honest, heartfelt words solidified WHY I continue to blog – that my writing to someone, somewhere, somehow still matters.  

I read the words from Emily and was reminded that if a reader has a REAL connection with you, they will continue to come back and support you – that the tribe you worked so hard to build will still be there.

I don’t think it gets any better than that.

My heart is full today as I write this blog.

This blog has changed my life.

I was a WAHM prior to blogging on a quest seeking something “more” never imagining the community I would find and the real sisterhood that would emerge from it – and I have been lucky enough to have found both.

So damn lucky.

Many have said that I am an inspiration, that I have given others the drive to follow their passion, especially to those on their own blogging path but what they don’t realize is that THEY are the very bloggers who deserve a standing ovation because my blog would not be the same without them right here.

So I am here to applaud YOU, the reader who continues to come back time and time again, for being such an important part of my path – one that I know still has much road left to travel, but a journey I know I won’t be traveling alone.

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07.19.11

Blogging, Freelancing and Maintaining Your Tribe

Today, I’m sharing a collaborative post – an idea I love and don’t get much time to pursue. I couldn’t pass this opportunity up because it’s such an important topic, and quite frankly, I am seeking some quality feedback from you – I could really use your help.

About a week ago, I engaged in a thoughtful dialogue with Gigi from Kludgy Mom. The more we chatted at length, the more we discovered that we’re both in the same place. A good place – full of blessings in many ways, but a place that also has some serious tradeoffs.

We both have been so very, very fortunate in the last year to build out a great freelance writing, social media and marketing career. We’ve each gotten the opportunity to write for some great online publications, work for fun companies, make money, and build up both our resumes and self-confidence.

None of it – NONE of it – would have been possible without our blogs. It has been a wellspring of opportunity, our virtual resume, an online training ground for a return to the workforce.

How did our blogs lead us to these opportunities? Well, we’ve worked extremely hard, every single day, since Day One – like many of you do. We learned about the technical aspects of blogging. We learned about social media. We learned about writing.

Like many of you do.

All of that is fantastic knowledge. But the key is having an audience. We both worked hard to build that, too. We’ve read and commented on dozens of blogs. We interacted on Twitter. We made our blogs a resource for bloggers who were looking to learn. We shared information constantly. We poured out every inch of self into building our tribes, a larger community, and ultimately, a strong readership.

Like many of you do.

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{Heather’s Perspective}: Blogging has literally changed my life. I always knew I had a voice and I wanted that voice to be heard – once I hit publish on that very first post, my blog was born. Little did I know back then that my blog would eventually turn out to be the true beginning of a journey that would lead to some life changing opportunities down the line.

Blogging became a source of my refuge and sanity – an outlet from the daily grind of motherhood.

I reignited a passion for writing.

I engaged in an important dialogue with other mothers.

I suddenly made connections with women from all over the world.

I felt as though I was breaking the silence; that my writing mattered, that I was adhering to a call to action – that I was making a difference.

I was sharing my story and other bloggers were each sharing theirs – and when I met some of these amazing women in real life, it completely solidified the fact that the relationships I was making in the blogosphere were indeed REAL.

Very real.

During this amazing journey, I read tons upon tons of blogs. I met new bloggers daily. I commented on blogs. I had time to email and exchange full length conversations. I tweeted until late in the night…but once my own blog quickly took off, the time that was once dedicated to forming and maintaining these relationships were suddenly replaced with some part-time gigs. With the addition of each new gig, this took some time away from the commenting and the true “core” blogging – the VERY blogging that brought me to this space.

I began to miss my bloggy friends. I missed knowing what was going on in their everyday lives.

I missed my tribe.

I began to feel out of the loop, not able to comment and commit to the kind of blogging upkeep that I once pursued. Yet, at the same time, I was building a new career for myself, one that took precedent over anything else because these were the kind of gigs that put food on the table.

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{Gigi’s Perspective}: We put Herculean effort toward making our blogs a fantastic showcase of what we can do professionally and how much influence and reach we have. And one day, opportunity knocks: a writing gig, a social media job, a marketing contract. One job leads to two leads to four and suddenly, you’re a working blogger.

That same Herculean effort that once got poured into your blog then gets poured into your work. The fantastic writing is now on someone else’s website. Your amazing Twitter engagement is now being done under a company persona. The ideas you had to grow your blog into a business are replaced by ideas for making someone else’s business shine.

Slowly, your personal blog, and everything you’ve built it to be, gets eclipsed because something has to give. You start posting less, or with less quality. You stop responding to comments as much, or at all.

I can take most of the tradeoffs in stride. It’s important to my family financially right now that I work. But there are some things I really miss. I miss my circle of blogging friends – diverse, dynamic, funny and supportive, they have helped contribute to my well-being and success, and I, theirs.

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So, both of us are left wondering – how do we bridge the gap between maintaining our successful blogs and the amazing relationships with the tribes we’ve cultivated while still hanging onto the ability to freelance and work as professional bloggers? If you are a working blogger, how do you find the time to manage it all? How do you keep those relationships within your tribe going? Once we reach a certain point in blogging, can we really have it both ways?

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