Bloggy Boot Camp San Francisco 2010

This past Saturday, I had the privilege and the pleasure to attend Bloggy Boot Camp in San Francisco at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square. I have to say the SITS Girls sure do know how to put on a blogging conference. This was my first blogging conference, I had no clue what to expect, I didn't know anyone. I kinda felt like the new kid at school - much to my surprise there were a lot us new kids.

The conference was held up on the 32nd floor, the views were amazing. The elevator reminded me of the Tower of Terror though, have I told you how much that ride scares the crap out of me. Waiting in line to check in two ladies who rode up the elevator with me, Jenn and Holly, and I started talking. It was great to spend a few minutes connecting with someone before "the bell rang".

One of the things that I absolutely loved at this conference was the assigned seating and changing tables for each presentation. It forced us to sit with different people and network. It would have been all to easy for people to cling to their friends, whether they traveled together or just met on the elevator. I even got to sit next to Sugar Jones, she was rocking some gorgeous shoes and a beautiful dress. She hooked me up with some info about a Twitter chat for Latinas in Social Media within two minutes of meeting her. This was the type of environment that was created, we were all there together, to learn, to share, to support, to laugh, and we sure did laugh a lot.

The conference was casual and we were allowed to be relaxed, there wasn't anyone walking around making sure we were paying attention; laptops, netbooks, iPads were out at the ready to take notes, tweet out key bits of information, follow everyone else at the table. Clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me, clap three times if you can hear me. Tiffany did a great job facilitating the day, using her skills to bring us to attention and adding important information to speakers' presentations. And, did I mention that Tiffany is SO pretty?

I'll give a quick synopsis of each presentation and then sum it up into what I think is the key to everything I learned.

• Jessica talked about vlogging - video blogging. She gave us some important tips on doing it well. She's a very funny woman and I loved her presentation. Oh, in case you're wondering, please don't hold your breath on seeing a vlog here anytime soon. 
• Julie talked about privacy and your blog. The link will take you to her post with the outline of the presentation. She gave us great information in a down-to-earth no b.s. kind of way that was fun and entertaining, she tells a good story. In a nutshell, make informed decisions about what you share on your blog, there are some very savvy people out there. Ultimately, it's up to each one of us to decide what we're comfortable with.
• Ciaran talked to us about creating our own brand and how to feel good about working with PR folks and other brands. In essence, if you're authentic and transparent it's cool, if it feels icky don't do it. Reviews are not evil, they just have to be done well.
• Jennifer had us pondering all the ways in which to use social media. There are so many sites and applications that you can use to connect with people. Very popular to talk about was Twitter, of course. Twitter is useful in so many ways but ultimately you've got to engage with people for it to be of some benefit. This was a great way to get everyone chatting again after lunch, this was a very involved discussion with people showing each other their laptop screens sharing their favorite Twitter applications. Twitter, LinkedIn, Four Square, Whrrl, Facebook, and the list keeps growing.
• Linsey had us look at the legal and professional aspects of blogging, especially when someone starts to make money from it. We talked about everything from incorporating, buying domain names, taxes, income, reviews. This presentation was filled with a ton of information.
• Ted talked to us about the OpenSky Project and the trend to "Relationship Commerce." I think most of us would be happy to purchase items based on the recommendations of our friends than to go blindly into a purchase. The main point for me was about establishing, maintaining and taking care of our relationships. 
• Kristy talked to us about the actual writing part about blogging. This was a great way to wrap up the day. The point is that it all needs to match - voice, tone and personality. There's things to do when we get writer's block and sometimes we've got to just write.

We had a great after-party too. It was fun to talk to more people and just relax. I made a lot of new friends this past Saturday, I hope to continue growing those relationships. I can't imagine how much longer this post would be if I named everyone.

I've still got a lot of information in my head that I need to process. There will definitely be changes to the way I continue on this blogging path but I'm not 100% sure of what those will be.

This was the one sentence take-home foundation for the conference: Be yourself, be consistent, and most of all, take care of those relationships.

Summer is over...

For all intensive purposes, summer is over here at my house. In some ways I'm glad but mostly I'm sad. It didn't feel like summer, especially considering the weather never really warmed up. This was the coldest summer in the San Francisco Bay Area in the past several decades, I don't remember exactly how many years, but it's been a really long time.

Mr. Bubbinsky has been back at work since August 2nd, we didn't do much for the 3 weeks he was off after summer school ended and before he had to report back to work. Classes started this past Monday, he's teaching one class in addition to his administrative duties. He's teaching Spanish 3, which is relatively easier than teaching one of the history classes. He loves being able to stay in the classroom at least one class per year.

Monday was also the first day of Mr. Skinny's sophomore year. I still have a hard time with the realization that he is 15 years old. I remember the first day of Kindergarten like it was yesterday, but it wasn't. While at times I get sad at how much time has passed and how grown up he's getting, I'm excited to see what this year brings, he's already changed some of his habits from previous years. We've had our fair share of struggles with him and school. He doesn't like school, he hasn't liked school for a long time. I credit a bad experience with a teacher in 2nd grade with a lot of that. Not completely, but a lot.

I think Mr. Skinny is also having a hard time with transitioning from summer back to the school year. Transitions have always been hard for him, it takes him a little bit to adjust to a new school year. However, since he's a teenager with crazy, raging hormones anyways, this year he's acting out a bit more. We're in a difficult position to maintain balance between staying consistent with consequences for behavior and understanding his difficulties with transition. There are still often many times when I just come to the conclusion that I just don't know what to do. Parenting a teenager is hard.

Mr. Snugglebunny starts 2nd grade this coming Monday. He's growing up a lot too. We had more to do to get ready for back to school with him. He's going to a new school for 2nd grade, we moved a year ago and although we're not terribly far from his old school the commute this past school year was getting to me. We know the principal at the new school and are in line with his educational philosophy so we know that we won't have to worry about that at this school. A friend of mine from high school also has 3 kids enrolled so we've got some peer parental support also.

I enrolled in classes at the community college that start next week so it's back to school for me also. I've got some online classes so it won't be too difficult in terms of having to physically go to school. Last semester I was enrolled in two in-person classes and I wasn't able to complete them due to the physical toll actually driving to school twice a week took. This semester will be better, I'm sure of it.

We did take two weekend trips. They'll get their own posts.

Are you ready for summer to be over?

Dear Right Hand...

Dear Right Hand,

Please don't ever stop working. I know my reasons are selfish, being a right handed person I don't know what I would do without you. I know I was being silly when I first asked you on Sunday, but I really mean it. I need you to work, always. I've been giving it a lot of thought though and there are so many things that you do for me, I can't imagine not having you in working order.

I know there are times when you hurt and are uncomfortable. I hope that at those times I am able to take care of you as best you need it.

Thank you!

The Amazing Traveling Owen Hat

I just finished the test knit for the Owen Hat, a Tabitha's Heart design, and boy did Owen have some adventures along the way... I present to you... The Amazing Traveling Owen Hat.

After spending a few days in the house, Owen decided he needed to get out for a little adventure. He chose the San Francisco Giants' Stitch n Pitch game as his first stop.





It was a bit sunny but it was windy and it got cold... Owen enjoyed most of the game (until my fingers got too numb to knit anymore). Owen was on the edge of his seat when the umpires had to go to the back to decide on a play using Instant Replay. Boy, was he relieved when the umpires confirmed that the SF Giants had indeed scored a homerun.

Owen enjoyed his experience at:


He liked to see all the people leaving the stadium, it was almost 11 pm - way past his bedtime but he just had to admire the 24 palm trees in honor of Willie Mays in the plaza.



The following day, Owen enjoyed a yummy lunch at Panera. He even convinced me to bring home a baguette so that we could eat it with butter. (Notice Mr. Bubbinsky's blinging watch...)



After lunch Owen went to Crissy Field in San Francisco and enjoyed watching the kids on the beach


and a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge


Today, Owen had an amazing brunch


and then he went bowling, first he was in charge of the score (I won the first game).


Then he thought he might want to try his luck at bowling a frame himself but he's missing some key parts in order to do that successfully.



Owen loved watching wrestling practice, no one wanted to practice with him though because of all his points...



Owen finished his afternoon by warming Mr. Bubbinsky's head on a cold, windy walk to the store.



Owen has gladly found a new home with Mr. Bubbinsky, who knows what other adventures he'll have. I have a feeling Owen will be taking a trip to Yosemite very soon.

I've knit several Tabitha's Heart patterns, I highly encourage you check out her patterns to find your next knitting pattern. I'm still working on the Arwen Wrap.

Summertime...

It's been a whirlwind of a summer. We've been non-stop since my kids finished school. There's been something going on everyday and it seems that some days we have to schedule in the time to breath.

My husband ran summer school again this year - 5 weeks of summer school while also tending to some of his regular administrative duties. Big snag this year: his summer school secretary quit. 3 business days before summer school was scheduled to begin and not having done the work that needed to be done before she left. This is where I step in and I had 5 1/2 weeks of busy work. It was fun to be working again, particularly in an environment dealing with a lot of people. There were many stressful moments but overall, I enjoyed myself. And after 2+ years of no steady income the paycheck didn't hurt either.

My older son had to attend summer school this year. Freshman year was somewhat difficult for him and the result was summer school for him. Two classes and then football practice after school. Those were very long days for him, from 7:30 am to 6 or 7 pm he was at school. This summer he also turned 15 (now I feel old) and got his ears pierced. He's been wanting to pierce his ears for over a year now and it finally worked out for him. His football team went to football camp in Lake Tahoe for three days, he had a great time which I'm happy about. Now he's trying to complete the required community service hours before football practice starts again on August 9th. He's also attending wrestling practice, he wrestled for the school in the winter and then continued with freestyle wrestling in the spring. He wasn't able to participate much during the summer due to football practice.

Our little one went to sport camp. He absolutely loves it at camp, this was his second summer attending. He got to play sports and games from 9:00 to 2:30, it came him a chance to burn off some energy. That's always a big plus in my book. The summer wrestling session started too and now he's going twice a week to learn more technique. He's been wrestling since the spring freestyle season and he absolutely loves it. He's ready for 2nd grade and moving to a new school much closer to home.

I've been trying to keep up with reading, knitting and my RSS feeds. It's been a lot to manage with everyone's schedules but I'm doing the best I can, it's all I can do.

Spring Reading Thing 2010 Update

I've been reading a bit more again and wanted to look at my list that I created for this challenge. It looks like I haven't read much from my list although I did read other books not on my list.

• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - read
• The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - read
• Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
• Size 12 is not Fat by Meg Cabot
• Goodbye, Jimmy Choo by Annie Sanders
• Tangled Up In Love by Heidi Betts - read
• Dying In Love by Elaine Viets
• Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
• Escape from Bridezilla by Jacqueline de Montravel
• Women Who Run with the Wolves - Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD
• 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch
• Buddha in your Backpack by Franz Metcalf
• Dance of the Spirit by Maria Harris
• Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
• The Knitting Goddess by Deborah Bergman

Not on my list but read during the challenge:

• Waking up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster

I've got a lot of reading to do still but looking at my list on the sidebar, I'm not doing too bad on how many books I've read so far this year. Still aiming for at least 52 this year, I'm almost at 20% of that. I think this summer will be a good time for catching up.

Starting Out - Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 1

This week I will be participating in Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, organized by Eskimimi. Each day this week I will be writing a post about a topic related to knitting and crocheting, as well as visiting other bloggers to read their posts as well.

I learned to crochet when I was a little girl by watching my grandma. She used to crochet doilies with the tiny aluminum crochet hooks. She also crocheted little outfits for the Baby Jesus that went on the Nativity Scene. I learned to knit in April 2008 after I quit my last job - the job that caused me to burn out and exacerbated my Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

I had wanted to learn how to knit for a long time, inspired by my Grandma's crochet, I had always been in awe of people who could create something using two pointy sticks, using a hook made much more sense to me. I had purchased various learn to knit kits at bookstores and craft stores but I had been too nervous about trying to teach myself.

In April 2008, I had been to the craft store to buy something and I noticed that they had a flyer for a free knitting class. All you had to do was purchase some knitting supplies and you could learn to knit, get help on a project, knit with other people, and so on.

I gathered up all my knitting stuff and headed down there, I remember it was a Wednesday morning. I was nervous because in all reality I felt dumb that I hadn't been able to teach myself, and I was nervous that I was going to mess up and not be able to "get" it. The teacher, Shirley, asked me what I needed help with and she asked me what I knew how to do. I told her nothing, and she asked me if I knew how to cast on, at that point I didn't even know what cast on meant.

Shirley helped me pick a set of knitting needles and a skein of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. After I paid for it she patiently sat with me and showed me how to cast on. I had to try several times to get it right, when it comes to learning something like this I am definitely a visual/kinesthetic learner. After I felt comfortable with the cast on, she showed me the knit stitch, which turned into garter stitch.  Within two hours, Shirley had taught me to cast on and to complete row after row of knit stitch. I went home armed with my new knowledge and knit, knit, and knit some more. I felt so accomplished.

The next time the group met, I went in with my scarf ready to learn how to get the stitches off the needle. Shirley taught me to bind off. I bought more yarn, cast on again and then she taught me how to purl. She instructed me to knit one side and purl the other side resulting in stockinette stitch.

The other ladies in the group were great, some of them were working on sweaters, blankets, socks, hats - all things I never thought I'd be able to make. At that point I was convinced I would only ever be able to make a scarf.

2 years later I've knit scarves, hats, a shawlette, one fingerless mitten (the other one is waiting to be finished) and one slipper sock (the other one is also waiting to be cast on). I've experimented with cables (I LOVE cables), with lace (LOVE lace), twisted stitches (LOVE them, except when I make a mistake). I've test knit several patterns. I've learned different techniques and I've tried to teach others to knit also.

Who woulda thunk it?