The real reason my Cricut Explore is still in the box
I’ve had a Cricut Expression for several years and love it. Made many holiday party decorations, assorted crafts, and even hundreds of Christmas cards one year with it (I don’t recommend that project unless there’s 10 people on your card list!). So when the new Cricut Explore came out in March with the ability to cut SVG files and other files that I could design MYSELF, I jumped on it, $300 price tag be damned!
Nine months later… it’s been sitting in the shipping box, next to my desk, unopened. When my super craft friend Jen Goode bugs me about why its still in the box, I explain how I haven’t cleaned off my card table that I use for crafts since last Christmas so I have no room to use it. But, I think I know the real reason I haven’t opened it.
Read MoreWhat I’m Bringing to BlogHer ’14
Are you going to BlogHer ’14? I am! This will be my first journey to a BlogHer conference. I’ve been to plenty of conferences in my career, but none that seems as, well, laid back as this one. When I found out that BlogHer is going to be in San Jose this year, I decided that it was a good opportunity to finally go since I’m an hour away in no traffic from San Jose. I’ll be pulling double-duty at the conference as I’ll be representing this here blog as well as my other blogs (Girl Scout Guide and Food Askew) and my day-job, Snow Consulting. I’m used to wearing many hats, so it should be a breeze!
Because my co-worker, Ginette, will be coming from Las Vegas, and I don’t care to commute, I’ll be staying with her at the Hilton San Jose, conveniently connected to the San Jose Convention Center. Of course, I have the advantage of being able to pack full size items in my bag, but generally speaking I still won’t. I keep a full set of small travel sized toiletries in my suitcase for travel, and I don’t really feel the need to tote a lot of stuff down when it’s not absolutely needed. Of course, I’m bringing the usual toiletries, clothing, etc. but these are some suggestions of things you might not have considered bringing.
Toiletries
- Julep Mint Condition Pedi Crème – My feet take a beating at conferences, so I like to have a good foot cream that soothes that ache to put on before bed.
- Julep Doublestep Foot Treatment and Friction Stick – I just got this in my July Julep Maven box and I love it. I have wide feet, so it’s awesome on the wider areas that rub the most and take the biggest beating when doing a lot of walking.
- Tea Tree Oil Foot Wipes
– For the same reason as the creme, I like having the wipes handy in case I need a quick foot refresh during the day when I run back to the room for something I inevitably forgot, but really need!
- Dry Shampoo – Always good to have for a quick hair refresh if there’s just no time for a full shower. I like the new Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo.
Office Supplies
- Business Cards – this is non-negotiable! You’re going to meet a lot of fellow bloggers and brands. Networking is crucial and business cards are still a must-have item. I trust PsPrint, but by now you don’t have time for that. Even if you have to go to your nearest FedEx Office, Office Depot, or OfficeMax TODAY to have some made, DO IT. It’s totally worth the investment. If you’re on a super tight budget, buy the kind you can print yourself. They’re better than nothing and a missed opportunity.
- Tablet – I like my iPad because it fits into my stylishly huge purse and it’s easy for quick internet usage if there’s WiFi (I have a WiFi only model) and convenient to look up stuff as a speaker is talking and take notes.
- Notebook & Pens – Because some speakers speak WAY too fast to be able to get everything typed out on that screen keyboard! So I personally find it faster to write things down sometimes. Being Back to School, notebooks are super cheap right now at most stores. Personally, I’ve been using the same composition notebook since 2007 for all my conference notes!
- Nikon D5000 DSLR – Complete with extra batteries, different lenses, monopod, battery charger, filters, etc. Besides being an amateur photographer, it’s always easier to use your own pictures in a blog post instead of trying to get permission to use someone else’s!
- Smart Phone & Extra Juice – My iPhone 4S still works just fine, but in some low-coverage areas the battery can go to hell. So I have one of those USB battery backup chargers AND an external battery charging case, just to be sure.
- Laptop – with cord, mouse, etc. It won’t leave my room, most likely, but I’ll need it for evening work so I don’t get too far behind.
Clothes
- Comfortable Shoes – I love the few different pairs I have of SKECHERS Women’s Work Shoes.
- Cardigan or light sweater – Sometimes conference centers are colder than you’d think.
- An extra of nearly everything – You never know when a glass of wine might get spilled on you and you’ll wish you had another shirt to go change into! It’s worth the room in a suitcase, TRUST ME!
- A Geeky Shirt – This is really only if you’re attending the little geek meet up spearheaded by Williesha Morris (see Facebook group thread). Personally, I can’t decide which fandom to represent. At least I have options. Need one? Try ThinkGeek!
Miscellaneous
- Granola or cereal bars – I always WANT to make it to the provided breakfasts, but sometimes I’m just running too late and I’d rather have a snack with me than have to wait until lunch. Plus, I’m a rather picky eater, so I don’t always like the food that is provided.
- Gum and/or mints – Because no one wants to talk to someone with gross breath. You can never have too many either.
- The nail polish you’re currently wearing – I’ll be wearing some custom Minx wraps, but I always bring my current color of nail polish with me when I travel. I’ve tried several at-home gels and even they are unreliable, so I’m always prepared if my polish chips and I have to do a quick touch up. If you’ve got an elaborate design, I’d stick with whatever color is the base or closest to the tips as that’s the most likely area that might need a touch up while you’re at BlogHer. Don’t forget to keep the polish in a sandwich bag – the bottle is glass and can break, and you’d rather in the unlikely event of a breakage to have the disaster contained, right?
Like I said before, everything else is pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of travel essentials. I used to bring my own water bottle, but I found there was ample water around the conference centers to keep me hydrated. This is the first time I’m going to BlogHer, so I’m glad that I’ll be driving and can easily run to a store to get anything I might forget or, worse case scenario, drive the 60-90 minutes back home if there’s something irreplaceable I forgot at home!
What’s on your packing list for BlogHer ’14?
Read MoreThanks for Nothing, Jerry Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the budget today, which included affiliate nexus language. So, there goes a substantial part of the income of 25,000 small business in California. The Performance Marketing Association reported it earlier today. Executive Director Rebecca Madigan is in Sacramento today attempting to do what she can to benefit Affiliates.
Unfortunately one of the bills that was included also included very vague language about even doing business with California based vendors, hosting companies, etc, so effectively this affects not just the affiliate marketing industry in California, but all small businesses.
Way to go, Jerry, shoot California in the foot.
Luckily for me, I do not make the bulk of my income from being an affiliate. My ventures into acting as an affiliate have been mostly for the learning experience and to try to offset the costs of domains and hosting for my various web-based hobbies.
This does impact my husband’s site, RailroadRedux.com, as he has a large Amazon widget recommending different model railroading books, and impacts my site GirlScoutGuide.com as Fabric.com exclusively carries Girl Scout licensed fabric.
Affiliate Programs Dropping CA Affiliates (Updated As Of 12:45 PM PDT 7/26/11)
- 6pm.com
- 1-800-PetMeds
- Adorama
- Amazon.com
- Amerimark
- Backcountry
- Bag.com
- BagsBuy.com
- Bargain Catalog Outlet
- Barware.com
- BedBathStore
- B&H Photo
- Boden
- BookCloseouts.com
- BrickHouse Electronics
- Brylane Home
- BuildDirect.com
- Cabela’s
- Calvin Klein Jeans
- Camp Saver
- Candelabras.com
- CD Universe
- ChristmasCardsDirect.com
- CKU
- Collections Etc.
- Compact Appliance
- Costume Craze
- CreateForLess.com
- CSN Stores
- Cymax
- Dermadoctor
- Dr. Leonard’s
- Endless.com
- Eurosport
- Fabric.com
- Fingerhut
- FootSmart
- GAIAM
- Garden.com
- Gardeners Supply
- Gettington
- HalloweenCostumes.com
- Hayneedle Stores
- Herroom
- Jessica London
- KingSize Direct
- K. Jordan
- Luggage Online
- Maryland Square
- MetroKitchen
- Movies Unlimited
- MyFavorite Shoe Store
- OneStopPlus
- Overstock.com
- Overstock International
- PC Connection
- PhotoCardsDirect.com
- Potpourri Group
- Powells.com
- Roaman’s
- Shindigz
- Shoe.com
- ShoeBacca
- ShoeBuy.com
- ShopBop.com
- ShoppersChoice.com
- Silkpalms.com
- SmartBargains.com
- Spiritline
- StumpParty
- TABcom
- theWineEnthusiast
- ThinkGeek
- TimeForMeCatalog
- Total Gym
- Woman Within
- Woot.com
- Zappos.com
I’ll keep this list up to date, so if you are a CA affiliate and get dropped by a merchant not on this list, please let me know.
Edited to add: when my husband came home and I told him to remove his Amazon widget, he decided to not just remove it, but to replace it with a message to his site’s visitors telling them why his book recommendations were removed and urging people not to shop with Amazon.com in support.
Read MoreDue to recent changes in California law which negatively affect affiliates, and the fact that Amazon dropped all affiliates who reside in California, I will no longer be featuring deals from Amazon.com. I strongly recommend that you no longer use Amazon.com or any of their services due to the poor way they treat the people that advertise for them.
My Blogs Now Available on the Kindle!
So, all the cool kids are doing it, I thought to myself, why NOT make my blog available on the Kindle? So yes, I went ahead and added all my blog projects to the Kindle store on Amazon! Now for the affordable price of $1.99/month you can read my blog on your Kindle! I also added my other blogs that I rarely discuss here, so please allow me a moment to pimp them as well…
By the way, for my fellow bloggers out there, it’s free to you to add your blogs to the Kindle store. Just go to KindlePublishing.Amazon.com to sign up!
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