Pardon My Absence

Hello? Anybody there? *crickets*

I do not blame you for teetering away from my blog the past couple of weeks as it has been pretty humdrum.

It's been probably one of the most busiest times for me and my family this year and I was not prepared for many things that have occurred.

No matter how much control we think we have over our lives, reality check, there's only so much we really do have control over.

Is it just me or does this saying fall true for you too? --> "When it rains, it pours."

How does one find the right balance when working from home, blogging, keeping two small children (including a baby) fed, entertained and unharmed all while sneaking in a quick bathroom break or cup of fresh & warm (not microwaved 2-3 times) coffee?

If you have succeeded at this, do share your tricks. This exhausted lady wants to know.

Seriously... by the time hubby gets home, I'm literally standing by the front door, baby in arms, hair a mess and ready to run and hide for more than 10 minutes and jump into a warm bubble bath... with wine and a relaxing stream from Songza.

So please, please pardon my absence. I am so grateful for my readers and your interest in my trivial domestic (yet still pretty cool and pseudo glam) life and everything in it.

Stick around. I promise there will be more awesome sauce content coming soon. 

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Why A Blogger Won't Want To Work With You

In the short yet very assiduous and fulfilling time span that I've been a Blogger, I've been so happy and fortunate enough to get connected and work with such innovative and brilliant brands of all shapes and sizes.

In the beginning when I began getting the emails from brands very interested in working with me to help promote their business, it was all so exciting!

Of course my initial reply was always "Yes!" because not only was I scoring some great freebies, but I was also  helping my blog get more recognition for working with this so and so and not to mention the giveaways.

Well, that was the mind frame of a very amateur (and slightly misinformed and uneducated blogger).

As the pitches came and went, I started to ask myself "Do I really want to work with this brand?" and "Will I lose credibility as a personal blogger (initially wanting to express and share my thoughts and stories) because all I'm doing now is just reviews & giveaways?"

Don't get me wrong, I have a multitude of Blogger friends that are strictly review & giveaway blogs that I absolutely adore and respect, hey, that's there niche! More power to them! I have nothing bad to say about that.

But, the reason I say this is because I want people to understand that if I'm to write my honest opinions and thoughts on a product (and the brand that it's attached to), they better be a product (brand) that a) I have already used or am very familiar with and admire or b) a product that sparks my interest and would fit well with my family and those of my readers.

The worse experience I had first of all, included another blogger's name in the initial email, then took weeks to reply to my emails, icing on the cake -- never replied back to me when I chose a winner for their giveaway (basically leaving me with a disgruntled winner). It wasn't until 3 months later that my winner finally received their prize.

Another pitch that got me annoyed to say the least was asking me to review their product via PDF attachment and website (with no physical product getting in my hands). How on earth am I suppose to write about something that I'm very new to without having to pay out of my pocket? What if I don't like it?

I just wasted my money.

Oh and let's not forget Miss/Mr Robotic. You know, that "person" that reaches out to you only to sound like they copied and pasted their email and don't even attempt some decent conversation?

*sigh*

Came across this wonderful post on Rafflecopter's Blog and definitely had to share it. Will share the 2nd part once it's up!

Many of these are the main reasons why Bloggers DON'T want to work with a Brand.

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I'm going to be CONNECTED at She's Connected!

The things that I admire and respect most about other women are their positive influences and their drive.
What is amazing about being a social media addict (for lack of a better word) and a blogger is that you can connect with so many women just like you and learn from one another. Also, have your thoughts and opinions voiced the way you want to.
Because face it, not many women (or people in general) are very comfortable in face-to-face interactions. Although they may not be the greatest in voicing their thoughts in person, they are AMAZING when doing it behind a laptop. :)
And there's nothing wrong with that.
In fact, many brands are recognizing that now. The power of the written word. The magic behind the woman's voice. Even more so, the oh-so-effectual Mother.

I began my blogging journey about 4 yrs ago actively, but mainly for personal reasons relating to family matters. It was private and nobody except close family & friends had access to it.
Recently, I came to notice other blogs and was inspired and touched by many articles I've read from other women like me.  Being a PCOS & Infertility ambassador and going through a rough rollercoaster trying to conceive, I thought instead of making my journey private, why not share it so that perhaps I may inspire and touch other women too?
Then, I started noticing the rewarding careers behind women bloggers in PR, enthusiastic and working with wonderful brands for marketing purposes, getting paid for it and all from home!
And I thought to myself, I can totally do this!

For most of you that do not know me well, I have a strong background in Entrepreneurship and Business. I am always looking for that perfect Work-from-home opportunity where I can balance work and life.
I love being a mom, but I can't sit still. I have to be doing something aside from my regular supermom duties.
I then also started getting hooked onto the convenience and inter-activeness of Facebook and Twitter.
What great platforms for communication and connecting! I quickly became addicted.

Which is why I was beyond excited and honored to be given an invite to the upcoming She's Connected Conference in Toronto on Sept 29-30!

A great opportunity for women interested in learning more about social media influence and connecting with brands and also to network with other digitally connected and influential women.

I am looking forward to attending and already booked my hotel at the Sheraton Centre. Thankfully because I'm such a newbie and don't really know anybody that will be attending (aside from some that I chat with frequently on twitter), my hubby will be staying at the hotel for the night as his office is just walking distance. :)
That's definitely reassuring to me. And I'm also thankful for my mom taking 2 days off work to care for 2 1/2 yr old while I'm gone. It's always good to have a great support system.

I can't wait to learn and network during this wonderful 1 1/2 day event! Thanks so much to Donna and the team at She's Connected for inviting me to this event and I hope to meet you all there!
For more info regarding this conference and She's Connected, visit:
www.shesconnected.com or shesconnectedconference.com.

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