Brie Brie Blooms Archives - Over The Top Mommy

I will totally admit that I’ve been excited about attending Blended Conference since the 2015 date was announced! Actually I may have been excited about it for even longer than that! I truly can’t wait for September 18! I love conferences, I love road trips, and I LOVE Blended!

Blended is a blogging conference in Arizona, started by Wendy from Around My Family Table. In its first year, it began as much smaller event, with just a small circle of Arizona food bloggers and food enthusiasts in attendance. That first event was so successful that it transformed it into a larger conference the following year, to include bloggers of every niche. It has become Arizona’s premiere blogging conference! This year, Blended will be held September 18 & 19 at Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. You should save that date on your calendar and grab a ticket for Blended here. Did I already mention how excited I am to attend?

I’m so honored to be a Blended ambassador this year. It was the first blogging conference I attended when I was a brand-new blogger. I’ll never forget how much I took away from that amazing weekend, back in 2013. They say “you’ll never forget your first blogging conference” and I think it’s actually very true!

So, let’s talk about some of the things that are bound to happen if you attend Blended Conference this year….

You’ll learn something new: Whether you blog for fun or are trying to build your own unique brand, you’ll definitely learn something new at Blended. Actually, I think you’ll learn many new things. I know I learned a ton at Blended last time. There is an amazing lineup of speakers scheduled already. Have you seen yet? You’ll have so many opportunities to ask questions about things you’re dying to know about, relating to the world of blogging and social media. You’ll also find that you pick up a lot of tips from other bloggers you end up networking with.

You won’t go hungry: For me, this is an important one. (Can you tell I’m a foodie?) I can guarantee that you will not go hungry at this conference! Between the meals and the snacks, you don’t have to worry! Also, there’s usually an “unofficial” Blended dinner after Saturday’s conference, that all are invited to join, so the eating continues!

You’ll leave with some fun swag and might even win a prize: Not only did I go home from Blended last time with two bags of really fun swag, but I also got lucky and won one of the prizes in a drawing. I know there’ll be plenty of those this time around too. Everyone loves swag!

You’ll get to meet a bunch of the Arizona Bloggers and maybe even gain a “Bloggy BFF”!: The circle of Arizona Bloggers is pretty big and they’re all pretty awesome! Being able to add them to your social media network is a definite plus. The Arizona bloggers were some of the first social media superstars I got to know in person and since attending that year, some of them have become some of my good blogger friends. It’s wonderful to know such incredibly positive, helpful, and supportive women. These are the kinds of qualities you can appreciate when you’re building your “tribe”.

I actually met one of my “Bloggy BFFs” at Blended. She was someone I’d looked up to online and when I met her I think I was “fangirling“! (Do you know Heather from Brie Brie Blooms? Well it’s her!) After eating lunch at the same table that day, we realized how much we had in common and we have become great friends. What’s even more fun about it is that our daughters are friends too. They both claim to be kid bloggers too, so they’ve also got that in common. Bloggy friends are the best!

You’ll most likely develop “Conference-itis”… If you’re not sure what that is yet, it’s when you get the itch to attend another conference right after you’ve just attended one. Maybe we should call it getting “Conference Fever“? I can’t get enough conferences under my belt. It’s one of my favorite things to do!

You’ll get to meet me!: I’ve saved the best part about attending Blended for last…you’ll get to meet me! I’m not trying to toot my own horn here, but I’m really fun to hang out with AND I’m a great friend to have!

If you haven’t had a chance to browse the Blended Conference schedule yet, click here. Tickets are already on sale and you can still grab one at the early bird price until May 1, by clicking here. Arizona Grand Resort is offering unbeatable rates for Blended attendees. You need to take a peek here.

I hope you’ll be joining us at Blended Conference!

Leave a comment below if you’re attending so we can connect more beforehand too!

Connect with Blended Conference on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

I was provided with a discounted ticket to Blended Conference as part of the Blended Ambassador Program. All opinions are 100% my own.

It’s almost a month later and I still smile when I think about how much fun I had at the Blended Conference. Blended was a one day event held in Tempe, Arizona at the Double Tree by Hilton. It’s a beautiful property to stay at and when you check-in you’re always greeted with a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie! (They were so generous that we got a cookie when we checkout out, too!) In the case of Blended attendees checking in, each one of us was also given one of these adorable Shamrock Farms coolers, which were filled with goodies for our hotel room. There was a bottle of half & half, some milk, 3 flavored sour creams and chips to dip them in! Shamrock Farms was one of the generous sponsors of the conference!

Blended was my first blogger conference and I wasn’t sure what to expect prior to attending. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was excited to meet both of the SUPER ladies responsible for the great conference, mainly because they’re both named Wendy also! I just KNEW we were meant to meet! I was also excited to hear all of the guest speakers’ presentations! Normally, I’m not a shy person but I would say I was bit intimidated going in, just because I’m so new to the blogging world. Although I’ve been a blog reader for years, I hadn’t actually sat down to blog on my own until this past summer. I brought my best outfit, a pad of paper for note taking and a stack of my pretty new business cards that were designed by Tania Fischer Designs. (And seriously, my cards turned out SOOO cute! You’ll see them in this picture amongst some my new blogger friends’ cards that I got at the conference)

It was great to connect with some of the other ladies at the informal meet up on Friday night in the hotel bar. It’s always exciting to meet some of the bloggers in person that you’ve only communicated with online. It was even more exciting to chit chat while we enjoyed some Fairytale Brownies (another one of the conference sponsors) that were in a giant basket on the table! What a great conference sponsor to have! Mmmm!

On the morning of the conference, while I was getting ready, I may or may not have had a solo dance party in my room! I’m not used to having a big giant room all to myself where I can make as much noise as I want! With my coffee in hand, I dressed in my signature color, pink, and headed over the conference room. It was just the best day! I learned so much from each of the amazing guest speakers, (click here to see the list of talented ladies who presented), talked with some of the conference sponsors that were actually present in the back of the room, ate tons of yummy food, and met so many other bloggers like myself. I also appreciated the break-out groups that were led by Wendy Wright of Choosing Love and Arizona Moms Network and Wendy Bevill O’Neal of Around My Family Table, because you could basically ask them ANY question you might’ve had about the blogging world. As if all of that wasn’t enough, they then held a raffle for some awesome prizes, including each of the centerpieces in the room. I actually won one of the centerpieces which had been provided by Fry’s Food Stores! My daughter was ECSTATIC when I brought it home!

At the end of our day, we were each given two huge bags filled with even more swag that had been provided by the sponsors! (Click here for a list of ALL of the Blended Conference sponsors)

These are just some of the business cards I collected!

Two fun peeps I met that day: Heather from Brie Brie Blooms & Laura from Pink Cake Plate

And after the conference, we kept the party going over at Joe’s Crab Shack! As you can see, Laura & I are NOT afraid to wear a bib!

The entire event was just an amazing experience and I cannot wait to go back next year!

So….the word on the street is that next year’s Blended will be a 2-day event! I’m crossing my fingers that it is! To sign up to receive information about next year’s event, click here. I hope to meet you there!