Being Connected

So the past year has been pretty huge for me.  In 10 months I have gone from a corporate drone who loathed going into work every day to a WAHM who gets up every day energized and loving my new life which is AWE-SOME!

I have been so lucky and so blessed to meet great friends like @InfoSara, Anne Green, Optimom , Holly Pavlika and many others who I don't have the space to name through Twitter. I first started dabbling in Twitter and Social Media because as a media person,, it was my job to stay on top of what was going on and nothing had more going on than Social Media.

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't get Twitter in the beginning. (and am willing to admit that the person I followed was Kim Kardashian..I know, I know) So I followed celebrities but for the most part, none followed me back (except for Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt but we'll save that story for another day) 


Thankfully I quickly got bored of them all, and searched for people while semi-like me were smarter, stronger, & that I learned so much from.  Twitter is a place where people are different and you can always find someone like you or at least will say something nice when you`re having a bad day. Trust me, ask for some good vibes on a bad day and see the response you get.

Last fall, when I quit my job 2 conferences were happening; Blissdom Canada & She`s Connected At the time I was insanely jealous as I read the tweets of women supporting & learning from each other but also learning how to support their dreams and families with their passion.  This was one of the most important things I learned from their conference tweets & blog posts. We all know that following your passion is always amazing but you know what is even more amazing. Getting to fulfill your passion and get paid for it. (Can I get a woohoo!) 


So of course when the Blissdom Canada tix went on sale I snapped one up, which was lucky as they sold our in 90 mins, and on Tuesday was thrilled to discover that I was selected to attend She`s Connected (WOOT WOOT!) I am both thrilled and terrified to meet all these women and have dusted off the treadmill & started researching outfit choices.

I think when it comes to getting paid, we as women tend to play down the value we have and discount it as just a `hobby` or `something to do while the kids nap` but in truth brands WANT & NEED us. More and more, they are competing in an increasingly crowded space for the attention of consumers.  I am happy to report that thanks to the team at She`s Connected and Blissdom we are finally getting the recognition we deserve.

So thanks to both Blissdom Canada & She`s Connected - can`t wait to see you both this fall!

P.S. If you do want to attend She`s Connected click the badge on the right and apply. Newbies, Oldies, big-time bloggers, small-time bloggers, all are welcome. Heck, if they invited me it just proves there is a chance for everybody :P 

Five Blogs I like to Follow Friday

Today is Friday and if you're Catholic it is actually "Good Friday" although am not sure what is so good about it if you read the Easter story this actually should be a pretty bad day for us according to my nephew but I digress....

In an effort to force myself to actually write more on my blog, I am getting over the whole 'every post has to be deep, important and perfect' and since for many of you you actually have a day off your paying jobs I thought I would borrow from on of my fave things on Twitter which is Follow Friday.

If you want to hear the long story behind Follow Friday click here but for those who aren't familiar with it using the #FollowFriday or #FF hashtag alerts your Twitter followers to other people you think they should follow.

Due to this trend I have found many amazing bloggers over whose blogs I alternately laugh, swoon, & sometimes even cry over. So with no further ado here is my 1st edition of Five Blogs I like to Follow Friday or #BILFF in no particular order as there is no way I could rank these.

• Enjoying The Small Things Kelle Hampton is one of those amazing artists who can truly make you feel like you know her and her family by her posts. Her daughter Nella's birth story is one of those posts you have to read at home alone and when you have an hour or so to fully digest it and have a good sob session.

• Mom Without A Map Sarah is a blogger that I can totally relate to. Our sons are around the same age and I feel like whatever I am going through she seems to write a post at just the right time.

• Fearless Formula Feeder Regardless of where you fall on the Boob/Bottle spectrum, I find her posts refreshing, well researched, and extremely supportive of all mothers. Her Fridays feature a different story every week on each mother's decision/battle/struggle on feeding their baby is powerful and reminds us that behind every mother there's a story to hear.

• How to Survive Life in the Suburbs Love this blog, she can write about issues both big and small and I love that am entertained with both kinds of posts. As a fellow suburban mom, I feel like she gets me and she has great balance between her roles as a mom, wife, and woman. Plus, she is uber-supportive and nice to new bloggers. :)

• Suburban Bliss This blog isn't shy about being honest about motherhood and even the occasional drink on a playdate which is why I love it. She doesn't sugarcoat and stands up for herself.

So there it is, just the first 5 of some of my favourite blogs. What are yours? Stay tuned next Friday for more great blogs.

Happy "Good" Friday everyone!