So I’m playing catch up on a bunch of work that has been put off since my move.. I know I’m just a couple of months behind on this, and I’m hoping I can do it justice…
This year, as part of the Walmart Moms, I was given the choice of two conferences to attend, BlogHer and Type A Parent. I’ve been to and experienced BlogHer for two years in a row, and this year, being in CA, it was going to be a long trip. I had never attended Type A, and darn it… it’s in my own state! I had heard some good things about it, so Type A it was. Not long after I decided to go there, @TypeAMom asked me if I wanted to be a mentor… Of course I said Yes!!! What an honor!
What was I hoping to learn there?? Well, I wasn’t sure. I was just excited to see friends, visit Asheville, and attend some sessions… Something I hadn’t really been able to do in a long time. I started off on Wednesday… I drove… yes.. I drove over to Asheville… I had a driving buddy too 🙂 Liz (@blueviolet) lived not too far, so I picked her up on the way! It was so much fun driving with her.. I probably talked her ear off at times… I can’t help it.. I’m a talker.. Â Anyway, driving to Type A was a lot of fun…
Liz and I arrived somewhere in the early evening…  I checked into my room, and awaited my roomie’s (@YoungMommy) arrival. She arrived not long after I did, with her little Timmy… I was excited to get to meet him, and he was just as cute as he is in his pictures…Next, I checked in to the conference, got my badge, and bag o’swag.. which by the way, was full of cool goodies… Somehow though, I missed out and they didn’t have any of the Mabel’s Labels in my name… I was sad.. I was totally looking forward to sportin’ *MommyBrain* labels and showing them off .. I’ll just have to order some! LOL… Anyway.. I finished digging through all of my goodies just in time to find some dinner.
Day 1 was pretty much driving, arriving and preparing for day 2. Thursday was all about business, literally. Sessions were geared towards the business aspects of blogging… Writing a pitch, building your traffic, how to write an ebook, and blogger outreach were just some of the subjects covered on Day 2. The fun stuff for the day were the Dodge relaxation lounge, where they offered some awesome massages, and a quiet place to sit and converse with fellow bloggy friends. I even got a quick trip to Walmart & Kohl’s in that afternoon with @SuperJennBlogs!! How cool was that!?!?!  That evening brought the Dodge Welcome Reception where dancing was just  practice for what was coming on Saturday!
Friday brought more sessions… more friendship, more conversations, and more time to meet and mingle with some of the brands and sponsors of the conference.  The afternoon was fun! At lunch, we had a Mentor Meetup where us mentors sat at different tables, and other attendees came in to sit with us and pick our brains about blogging, conferences, and random bits of knowledge… It was a lot of fun being able to share what I’ve learned over the years! I ended up taking a break that evening and enjoying the pool and hot tub with @HighImpactMom, @HeatherSolos and @LucretiaPruitt. It was nice to relax, and have some awesome conversation.
Saturday had to be the highlight of the weekend for me. I started off with a brisk morning walk with Together Counts, headed in to breakfast, and checked out the Mom Market. After that, I, along with @SuperJennBlogs, @AmandaPadgett and @WindowSeatBooks took off on a little field trip to The Biltmore Estate. That trip is a whole post all it’s own. I will say that the photography opportunities, and tips I got that day are forever in my mind! We got back just in time for the WhoNu Cookie Snack Break… Ok.. Let’s just skip that part of the day… ummmm…  The Weekend ended with the Ubisoft Dance Party in which I was part of a team that competed in a Just Dance 2 dance off. We had a blast that night and it was a great way to end the weekend…  I had to get back to my room, pack up and get ready for the drive back across my lovely state of NC the next morning. The weather promised to be really nice, so I was looking forward to the drive home with @blueviolet!
Sunday morning, I got up and had a good breakfast before Liz and I headed out to our side of NC.
All in all, my experience in Asheville ware pretty darn cool. It’s a beautiful town, with a lot of character… It was awesome meeting up with old friends, and making new ones. It’s one of the great things about being a part of the blogging community and being able to attend conferences!
I can’t thank @TypeAMom enough for giving me the chance to be a mentor this year! It was a great experience! Thank you also to Walmart for providing me with hotel and travel accommodations!
I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart provided me with my travel and lodging for Type A Parent Conference. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.