A Morning with the Mommy Bloggers

Thanks to my real-life mommy blogging friend, I had the opportunity to attend a panel and breakfast hosted by Maria Bailey (I know that you don't know who she is but trust me, the mommy bloggers do). Maria is at the forefront of helping companies access the "Mom Market." And she has brilliant ideas.

This most interesting panel was an opportunity for marketing and public relations folks to connect with mommy bloggers. I am definitely mulling over some of the discussion points. Right now, I don't review too many products (other than the occasional book) or do give-aways on my blog. Even though I receive a fair amount of pitches, very few of them seem to be a good fit for me. I am hesitant to use this space, which I intended to be about my time with my two little ones, to sing the praises of swim diapers in a way that would hardly be genuine. This blog has been a gateway to some great opportunities for me (more on my latest project coming soon!) and I am certainly open to all sorts other possibilities. I definitely recognize that there are lots of new opportunities for mamas like me that didn't exist even as recently as two or three years ago. So who knows? Exciting possibilities may await.

The best part of the morning was the rare chance to be in the company of some like-minded mamas. I don't know too many people who blog. Many, many of the people I do actually know think that my blogging is quite odd. Sometimes I even have a hard time articulating why I blog .

Listening to some other eloquent, thoughtful, and smart women talk about why they blog had me nodding my head in agreement. Blogging is a creative outlet, a social networking tool, and a therapy session all in one. Most importantly, blogging gives me a connected feeling -- an "I know and I understand" feeling. I felt lucky to be in the company of other mamas who "know and understand."

Speaking of lucky, I always seem to come away a winner at these mommy blogger events! At the Chicago Moms Blog Party in December, I walked out with a brand new Graco Swing. This time, I won a signed copy of Maria's new book (and it looks like an interesting read).