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My Experience at The Blog Workshop Conference 2013 #TBWC13

**I received free admission to this conference in exchange for promoting this event. No other compensation was received**

I’ve never personally gone to a blog conference. I’ve always wanted to but it seemed nearly impossible for me. I have 4 kids one of which is only 2 months old and breast feeding. My hubby’s job requires him to work year round at any time. He got called in Christmas morning this past year! I also work outside my home part-time at a local trauma hospital. My hubby and I work opposite shifts too. Trying to align schedules to plan anything on top of all the sports my boys do is a real challenge sometimes.

This is me attending the conference

When I found out about The Blog Workshop Online Conference I just knew I had to give it a try. There is so much I know that I need to learn to make my blog become what I want it to be.

The Blog Workshop Conference 2013 had educational and relevant topics by qualified speakers. The speakers were all well versed and gave a good explanation that even beginners can understand. One topic I didn’t understand is SEO. Prior to the conference I only had a general idea was SEO was and why it was important. I knew some of my clients would specify keywords they wanted used and anchor text but I never really understood how important those things are. Now I know why they are important and how I can use SEO to make my blog better. They even offered resources to help with this. Oh and FYI they are having an SEO Workshop in June if you’re interested.

This was the list of topics discussed and the schedule. I liked that it was in the evening so even people that work during the day can attend. The cost for the whole conference was $175. If you think about other conferences you attend in person they cost about this much or even more for admission. Then you need to think about a place to stay, food, plane ticket or gas money, etc. This is $175 period. If you want to get technical you could include the cost of ink to print out the workbook. You don’t have to print it out, but I highly recommend it. It was great for me to take notes, right down my questions, and write down resources.

Being the first year for this I think they did a great job. It was a good time and the convenience of obtaining this knowledge in the comfort of my home made this conference well worth it.

Wounded Warriors Charity Football, Andrew Hawkins, and AVEENO

**I am an AVEENO ambassador. I am sent some of the newest product to try and keep. No other compensatin has been received**

It was a beautiful day here in South Central, PA, 73 degrees, sun shining. This day ended up being a bit more exciting than I initially anticipated. Thank goodness I had AVEENO to help.

My dad had signed up to play in a charity football tournament in our town called Wounded Warriors charity Football Tournament. Teams paid an entry free to play in the tournament. What you have to know about my dad is that, even though he’s 50 something he works full-time and plays flag football with his friends and some family almost every Sunday. The event would raise money help wounded veterans coming back from combat tours overseas.

They’re in a huddle in this pic. My dad’s the one in the white hat.

So back to AVEENO, I put on my AVEENO Clear Complexion BB Cream. I love this product because it provides light coverage for my skin while protecting my face from the sun with it’s broad spectrum 30 SPF. It also helps moisturize, which my skin needs. I also applied. This is a new addition to their Clear Complexion line and I’m really enjoying using it.

I also applied AVEENO Protect + Hydrate lotion sunscreen with broad spectrum SPF 30. Another new product. It also come in SPF 50 and SPF 70. I used this product on my son too because he was going to the Wounded Warrior tournament with me to help cheer on grandpa. It’s sweat and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It doesn’t clog pores either. You can guess from the product name that it also moisturizes too. FYI: Did you know May is melanoma awareness month? It’s true so don’t forget your sunscreen!

Well there wasn’t much cover from the sun except 2 pavilions that I kept the baby under. My son played at the playground they had there almost the whole time so he was in the sun quite a bit.

The BB cream kept my face looking fresh and kept it protected. This really came in handy when we got to meet and take pictures with Andrew Hawkins wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals!

Andrew Hawkins is from Johnstown, PA which is just a stones throw away from us and he was awesome enough to come and show support for this great charity event. He was so nice and so approachable. He was walking around talking with people and taking pictures with a lot of people. My son is quite shy and he called him by his name and said “Come on we’ll take a picture”. It was so nice to see someone in his position give back to his community and be so kind to his fans and neighbors. I really thought it would be one of those things where he was there for maybe half hour then take off but he stayed and talked to people for a long time.

It was great to be able to go and show support for the cause, my dad and his team, and to see an NFL football player giving back to his community. It was a great day. If you’d like to show your support for the Wounded Warriors charity you can donate on their website: http://www.warriorcharityfootball.org/ or purchase a Wounded Warriors football tournament T-shirt (all under the “Donate” tab at the top of their page). I got the shirt, put money into a raffle, and donate for the Rally for Ryan fund while I was there which I talked about in a previous post.

Teas’ Tea Half&Half Green Tea with a splash of fruit perfect for warmer weather

I’ve worked with Teas’ Tea a number of times and I have never been disappointed with any of the products I’ve tried. Since I’ve tried a variety of their products I can honestly say they make a superior tea that I’ve personally never found a comparison to. This time I had the please of trying the Teas’ Tea Half & Half product. It’s green tea with a splash of fruit flavor.

The weather is finally starting to warm up here in South Central PA. I’ve been out walking with my baby girl and my 3 yr old son. I’m trying to drop some of the extra pounds I put on since having my daughter 2 months ago. Teas’ Tea can help me with that. How? I crave some flavor in my drinks. I do like water but sometimes I want something sweet. It’s easy to reach for some sugar loaded lemonade or soda but it’s not going to help my cause. Teas’ Tea Half & Half products are lightly sweetened with only 50 calories per serving. The are made with the highest quality green tea leaves. They come in 5 delicious flavors.

I received the Teas’ Tea Half & Half Coconut and the Teas’ Tea Half & Half Acerola Cherry. My 3 yr old actually wanted to try the cherry flavor so I poured him a small cup and drank the rest of the bottle myself. The flavor was amazing. I mean a truly clean green tea taste with just the perfect amount of cherry flavor. Even my 3 yr old liked it.

Ok I’ll be honest I’m a bit apprehensive when it comes to coconut flavored things. I don’t like things with coconut flakes in it. I just don’t like the texture. Coconut flavored things are ok but sometimes they just don’t get the flavor right and I still don’t care for it. This was not the case with the Tea’s Tea Half & Half Coconut. It had a lovely hint of coconut that did not overpower the tea. I enjoyed this and so did my son.

Besides the healthier low calorie benefit, green tea is also known for cancer prevention, hearth health, blood oxidation, immune system booster, weight loss aide, and more.

Teas’ Tea also has an refreshing sounding recipe ideas on their site

Summer Champagne Cocktail – chill champagne with with a splash of Half & Half green tea lemonade or green apple

For another idea, mix Tea’s Tea Half & Half lemonade with seltzer or tonic water and add a slice of lemon

You can find Teas’ Tea on the following social networks:

www.Facebook.com/itoen.teastea

www.Pinterest.com/ITOEN

www.Twitter.com/ITO_EN

You can purchase Teas’ Tea Half & Half products at select Whole Foods, Wegman’s, Teas’ Tea website, and Amazon.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Bellavita, fashionable covers for your iPhone

**I received the below mentioned product in order to complete a review. No other compensation has been received***

If you own an iPhone then I’m sure you’re aware of all the neat covers and accessories you can get for your phone. I’ll admit I’m a newbie iPhone owner. I just got an iPhone 4s about 2 1/2 months ago. Why I didn’t make the jump to iPhone sooner is beyond me. I’m loving mine.

I love to personalize my phone to fit my personality. From ringtones, wallpapers, cases, and other accessories you can truly make your iPhone look like it belongs to you and make it unique. BellavitaUSA.com has a gorgeous way to cover your iPhones with genuine leather wristlets and wallets for the iPhone 4, 4s, and 5 that come in a variety of colors.

I received the Bellavita USA wristlet in the color Vita Violetta which is a really pretty purple color.

Bellavita USA iPhone accessories are made from genuine leather and they have a lifetime warranty. When you receive your Bellavita case it comes in a nice gift box with a card to register your case for the warranty.

For this review I will be speaking specifically about the iPhone 4/4s wristlets. They also have leather iPhone wallets available too however.

The wristlets are available in 7 different colors so it’s easy to find one to coordinate with your outfit or coat. The wristlets have a removable strap you can put on your wrist, you can remove it, or the lobster claw type clasp allows you to hook a key to it so you have everything in one place.

The inside has a clear pocket to put pictures or an id in. There is also 2 other slots to put money, credit cards, or other cards in. Your iPhone slips in on the right side. The wristlet snaps shut with a metal snap closure to keep your phone and other items inside, safe.

I only have 2 complaints about this wristlet. My phone shifts in the phone pocket on the right side. If I don’t shift it over it can partically cover the power button on the top of your phone. I need to shift it over in order to plug my charger in and also sometime when I use it when I need to use the screen or read something in the upper or lower left corner. It’s not a hug shift, just enough that you have to do it in order to do those things sometimes. The only thing that holds the phone n the pocket is a little leather tap that tucks under the phone once it’s in the pocket.

My second complaint is, when you use it you either have to take the phone out of the pocket which I don’t like to do because I’m afraid I’m going to drop my phone and break it. Another option is to fold the side with the credit card slots and stuff back to use the phone which is also not ideal, especially if you’re in a public place because everyone can see your personal info and cash if you do that. I tried to show this a bit in the YouTube video I did below.

Right now, BellavitaUSA.com has a contest on their site to win a Bellavita USA wristlet or wallet. Ends June 2013.

You can find Bellavita USA on these social networks:

On Twitter: @BellaVitaUSA
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellaVitaUSA
On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/bellavitausa/
On Instagram: http://instagram.com/bellavita_usa

Alphabet Anatomy book: Learning Letter and their Lives

**I received a digital copy of this book for review as well as a monetary compensation**

Linda Jones began writing poetry in 1994. Much of her poetry was published and sold in the scrapbooking market. Alphabet Anatomy is her first published children’s book series.

The idea of the Alphabet Anatomy book is to learn about what the letters do behind the scenes when they’re not busy making words. Personally, I like the idea of the book. I think it adds life to the letters and maybe gets kids imaginations going a little bit.

The book has a visual of each letter in their “behind the scenes” like in illustrations done by Branson Jones one of the author’s sons. (She has 4!) Linda know how important it is to set a good solid reading foundation for our children’s future success as it is the basis for future learning.

I received a digital copy of the book and read it with my youngest son who is 3. I had my older son take a picture. Wasn’t the best picture but I think you get the idea.

As I stated above. I like the idea of the book. I thought the illustrations were cute and kind of made it more engaging for my son. The description of what each letter “does” makes sense and helps to form the letter itself. There were a couple that kind of raised questions with my son.

The letter D is in some water, looks like it could possibly be the ocean. The straight side of the D is a ladder and the description is:

“D climbs a ladder, circles right in a dive, swims back to the ladder and comes out alive” My son seemed kind of concerned and wondered why it would not come out of the water alive. I had to reread it myself a few times until I realized it meant that when it does that, the letter D is formed or “alive” I guess. At least that’s my best positive interpretation for my 3 yr old son.

For the most part my son and I liked the book. If I were to read it to him again I might try to make a few of them a little less concerning for my son. The rhymes made a nice flow to the story however. The illustrations were engaging. The book was just the right length for my 3 yr old’s attention span.

You can find Alphabet Anatomy on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alphabet-Anatomy/396110660453360

and on their website: www.alphabetanatomy.com