Blog conference season is among us with the Blissdom Conference only two weeks away. There will be many bloggers attending their first blog conference this year. Conferences can be be overwhelming even to veterans, so never fear if you are having a little anxiety about attending your first conference. I attended my first conference in 2009 when I went to BlogHer in Chicago. Why did I pick the biggest conference as my first blogger conference? I am not so sure, but it helped get my feet wet.

Here are my 5 tips to survive a blog conference.

1. Check out the conference hashtag on twitter such as #blissdom. Start conversations or even reply to people in the stream. Get to know other attendees before you even get to the conference. Plan to meet-up at the conference. You will not feel so alone once you get there.

2. Do not try to attend all sessions and every party. Your body and your voice will get too worn down. It is not worth the tired feeling. Take time and relax in your room. Drink water and eat a healthy snack to re-energize while you are in the room. Your body will thank you!

3. Leave the heavy laptop at home. All the muscles in your body will be aching from carrying the huge laptop bag around with you. Believe me, I am speaking from experience. A tablet, an iPad or netbook works perfectly as each of these technology devices can be easily stored and are very light-weight.

4. Pack comfortable shoes. I know we all want to be fashionista’s but there comes a time that we need to pamper our feet. You will do a lot of walking at these conferences and blisters are not fun at all on your first night. I am unfortunately speaking from experience once again. Pinterest can be your best friend to find super and stylish shoes.

5. Bring business cards. You will network your little heart out at these conferences. There is no way to remember everyone that you connect with so in return you cannot expect everyone you meet to remember you and your blog.

Tiny Prints have such creative business cards that will help you stand out among all the attendees. You want to make a great impression as this is your personal brand you will be representing at the conference.

Just remember to relax, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation and you will do just fine. Let me know if you would like to connect. Remember, I was once a conference newbie

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Life is so much more grand when friends join other friends to make a difference. Who said we need to sit in our house and only look at our walls without letting anyone in? Life just would seem so miserable to me. I have a heart to help others and be there for others. Now, granted life is so busy right now with my work schedule and all day on campus three days a week, that I do not have as much time available these days. This busy schedule pulls me away from helping others like I would want too, but I still can manage a bit of online time right?

Friends as we all know, autism has been on the rise for the past few years. Now, I am in no way or fashion going to get in a debate here on why the increase. I do know though, that more awareness needs to be brought to our attention. If we all work together, we can make a difference. Recently, I was made aware of the Autism United Organization. Their tagline is “If we join together, we can make a difference.” This statement is 100% truth.

I see through my computer screen every day how much my sweet and dear friend Nan has to go through during her child’s autism journey. She loves her son unconditionally and is such an awesome mom. She is committed to all his daily therapies, his daily medicines and his well-being. She is his voice. Even when insurance shuns them and are not willing to pay for his therapies anymore, her husband and her work hard to ensure he still receives his therapies. I try each day to be there for her, support her with words and love, and just lend a listening ear. Can you imagine if she had no one to talk to and had to keep this all bottled in? I would not even want to begin to imagine.

When is the last time you reached out to a friend? When is the last time you gave encouraging words to make their day better? Let’s put our woes behind us and remember that others are going through a different struggle daily. It helps to build a community just as Autism United as done. Here are a few of their objectives:

1. Raise autistic awareness
2. Bring together a community of people dealing with Autism
3. Share stories of inspiration
4. Provide quality information and help to those in need
5. Work with top autistic research facilities
6. Provide special education and developmental learning resources

Moms… let’s all join together and make a different for Autism Awareness. Will you please?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

How do you keep up with the latest trends? My girls are the ones that have to keep me up on the latest trends. Who knew that I could be so involved in social media, but be so far behind on the latest kid trends. Thankfully, my girls are fashionistas and love to dish on the latest trends when I pick them up in the carpool line. The latest trend to hit here in NC is the PocketBac holders from Bath and Body Works.

The girls love to use these holders on their lunch bags, their back packs and their little purses. It is so cute and actually a trend that I am loving for healthy reasons. The girls love to use their hand sanitizer now after they eat lunch, come in from playing at recess at school or any other activities they may be taking part in during school hours.

The holders range from $.50 to $4.00 here in NC. Of course, my frugal self allow the girls to purchase the $.50. Also, the miniature sanitizers are on sale right now for 5 for $5.00. I hope this trend will stick as it is an affordable one, a cleaner one and shall I say fashionable one?

According to the girls, they test out each others different sanitizers and see which ones they like the best during class. I have to say, well thought out marketing for the Bath and Body Works team.

Technology is surrounding us more and more every single day. Most kids received some type of technology gift for Christmas. I will go ahead and admit, my girls both got mini laptops for Christmas. Several kids got the new Kindle Fire, or an iPod touch, or even an iPad. Technology can rule your kid’s life if you do not set forth technology rules. It can also ruin your kid’s eye sight.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time for children and adolescents to two hours per day, recent studies are finding that children ages 8-18 are spending more than 7.5 hours a day consuming electronic media, from computers and smartphones to e-readers and tablets. How will this increased use impact our tech-savvy children’s eyes?

Digital eye strain, or computer vision syndrome (CVS), is a term for any number of eye or vision- related problems that can occur from using a computer or digital device. Symptoms can include blurry vision, difficulty focusing, dry or irritated eyes, headaches and even neck and back pain. I know I can relate with several of these symptoms. My eyes can get so dry and I have to get up and leave the computer. Most of the time, I have to grab a wet washcloth in order to stop the burning. If this is happening to me, you know it can/will happen to your kids.

How can you prevent computer vision syndrome? VSP shares their tips.

Watch the time. The best way to avoid CVS is to take frequent breaks to refresh the eyes— follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, make sure your child takes a break to stare at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Also make sure to limit device usage to around two hours a day. This can be a challenge, but the average usage is almost four times that! For children two and under, avoid digital devices all together.

Create a kid-size work space. When working at adult desks, children sometimes have to crane their necks, look up at the screen or sit uncomfortably to do work. Avoid this issue and set up a small desk with an adjustable chair that provides good back support.

Keep the proper working distance. The distance between your child’s eyes and a screen should be approximately the distance between his or her elbow and knuckle. If your child is leaning too close to the computer screen or holding reading material close to his or her face, it could signal an underlying vision problem.

Schedule regular eye exams. Children’s vision changes often and it’s important that they have the best vision possible when using digital devices to help avoid CVS. This starts with a comprehensive examination by an eye doctor, not just a school screening. Children should have their first eye exam at six months of age, then at three years, before starting school and every year after that.

Go outside. Playing is healthy for the body and mind. Research also shows that two hours of outdoor play each day can help prevent nearsightedness. Of course, sunglasses are non- negotiable. Children have larger pupils and are susceptible to more UV damage than adults.

Let’s band together and help avoid Computer Vision Syndrome. Remember there still is life outside of technology. Kids do not need technology 24/7!

Thanks to Nathan Bonilla-Warford, O.D., F.A.A.O. for providing these awesome tips. He practices at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Bonilla-Warford has lectured on visual care of children, the importance of vision in personal development, and options for controlling nearsightedness.

I don’t know about you, but around our house we love to be silly. We love to be silly with songs so VeggieTales silly songs rank high in our household. Stress, intense pressure from school, a fall, or even just having a bad day can be turned around quickly with a case of the sillies.

Your day can go from bad to awesome with a simple song. I present you the newest silly song from VeggieTales. Get ready, be silly and have fun with “Bubble Wrap.”

We are so excited. One of our favorite movie’s Finding Nemo is coming in 3D to theaters in September of this year. We have a sneak peek for you right here at One Moms World. Enjoy!

The last three weeks have been such a roller coaster. We found out on my precious M’s birthday that her allergies were unfortunately causing several problems. The first correction to be made was to have surgery. Many children have these surgeries each and every single day. No harm done, and I just figured that it would be the same for us. That is what I get for thinking right?

M was scheduled for surgery two days after Christmas. We would write notes back and forth to each other trying to squish all her fears. I kept reassuring her that everything would be okay and she would be a new girl for the new year. What I meant was, she would be able to breathe better and in return get a good night’s sleep. Even though her nerves crept up on her the morning of surgery, I was proud of her for putting on such a brave face. They wheeled my sweet girl back to the operating room and I waited in recovery room. I worked to try and keep my worries at bay. She had her tonsils removed, adenoids removed, tubes put in her ears and allergy testing all done during surgery. After about one hour and half, a nurse greeted me with good and bad news. Good news, her surgeries were a success. She did not even bleed any during surgery. The bad news, she tested positive for 23 different allergies. I can deal with this as L has several different allergies. I was just ready for the nurse to quit talking and direct me to my sweet M.

After, hugging my sweet girl very tightly, I let her finish waking up and get adjusted. We were able to leave three hours later. I assumed this would be the finale and my little girl would be on her way to being healthy again. For 14 days, she followed the strict schedule perfectly. She did not have any problems and did not complain at all. Day 15 this all changed unfortunately. She woke me up around 4am and she was bleeding out of her mouth. It was not a bad bleed so we got it stopped with salt water and headed on over to the ER. They did more salt water and sent us back home to follow-up with ENT. We followed up and everything seemed to be alright. The very next day, I get a call from school that M is bleeding yet again. Tears filled my eyes and I hurriedly made my way to the school. M leaped into my arms with such big tears. We both were crying. This was taking a toll on her and she was scared. We went straight to see her surgeon. Once again, we were reassured that everything was going fine and she was 98% healed. He said, I am pretty sure she will not bleed again but if she does, please call me immediately. I tried to stay calm and reassure M that she was doing a great job.

Fast forward two days, this becomes a nightmare. M woke me up at 12:45am and blood was going everywhere. My precious girl how can this be happening? I jumped up fast and went straight to the fridge to make a huge cup of cold ice salt water. The bleeding was still going and fast. I began to panic. Please Lord, let us get this bleeding to stop. This was by far the worst bleed yet. It took five cups of cold salt water to get the bleeding to stop. The bleeding was just shooting out from the back of her throat. We hurry and get into our vehicle and make our way to the ER. It is pouring the snow and we slide. Lord, please just get us to the ER. We made it and I am trying to comfort M as I am driving.

As we get into the ER, the doctor is very concerned and calls M’s surgeon immediately. They want her admitted right away. The surgeon comes over and I can tell by the looks on his face, he was worried. He said, I just really thought this would not happen again. I hope you have not lost faith in me. Absolutely, not. He was our saving grace and he comforted us both. He grabbed M in his lap and immediately said a prayer over her. We were headed to an emergency surgery. It was M’s artery in the back of her throat.

M was so scared. I was scared. All I wanted was my baby girl to just be okay and get over this bump. They put in the IV while she was awake which they did not do last time. The pain across her face just broke my heart. I knew it had to be done though. As she was being prep for surgery, our family and church friends were arriving at the hospital. We were being surrounded with prayers and love. I felt calmness come over me and knew M was going to be just fine. After about another hour and half, the surgeon greets us. She did wonderful in surgery. He pulled her palate very tight and double stitched over the artery. He also, recauterized her blood vessel in her throat.

She had to stay in hospital for two days but was such a trooper. The surgeon said in his 22 years of practice, this had never happened. Leave it to my M to defy the odds. The first day I was worried as she just slept and slept and slept. She refused to eat, but who could blame her? This had taken a mental and physical toll on her. Just today, I finally got her to eat her first bites. Praise God!

I feel like we have made it past second base and running towards home plate. We are almost there hopefully. She cannot do any activities for 3 weeks and you better believe I am watching every move she does. I keep reliving the scenario and it just breaks me down. I could not sleep last night well because of all the nightmares from this. I know without a doubt that my faith and prayers from everyone has got us all through this. I never want to experience this again. She did lose a lot of blood and has to build back up her red blood cells and hemoglobin. The surgeon ordered her to eat lots of red meat. I absolutely cannot stand red meat, but will do anything for my sweet girl.

I am proud of you M. You are one strong little girl!

My sweet fashionista L has always put her best fashion on since she was about 3 years old. She has her own style and that is what I love about her. She creates the cutest outfits and those particular outfits always included dresses, skirts, tights, leggings, fashion pants but no jeans. She would downright refuse to wear jeans so I gave all her jeans away.

A couple of weeks ago, she said “mommy, I really would like to have a pair of jeans.” As I picked my mouth up off the floor, I happily obliged. We got online at Gymboree as they were having a huge sale with nothing over $15. I purchased her two jean outfits. Now, these were not plain jeans. I had strict orders that the jeans include designs on the legs.

The outfits arrived at our door yesterday, and I was eager to show them to L as soon as she got home from school. She was a happy girl. She told me this morning, “mommy, I really like these jeans because they have designs on them.” I am in no hurry to have her wear jeans everyday as I love her in her dresses and skirts but it will be a nice change for her.

She is just so precious in the jeans and they seem to make her look taller.

I will have to say, we are huge fans of Gymboree. I just love the quality of the clothes and they always have such adorable themes. No, I was not paid to say that.

We have been waiting on a big snow and it is still yet to come, so we will welcome any amount of snow we can get. We were greeted this morning as we awoke with a beautiful winter wonderland. Was it a huge amount of snow? Actually, it was not. Maybe 2 inches? The amount did not seem to matter in the sparkle of M and L’s eyes. Just watching the pure joy escape them as they put on their ever abundance of snow clothes, brought me back to my childhood. There would be no worries in the world, only fun times going down the sledding hill with my brother. Now my two girls are getting to experience the same excitement.

Hearing the laughter, seeing the smiles was pure winter delight. I escaped five minutes before they came in to create a delicious warm drink for a winter snow day. I greeted them at the door with two cups of hot chocolate and we sat and discussed their sledding stories. Now, this is the winter life!

Out with the old and in with the new is the old saying everyone says each New Year. I took that saying literally here at One Moms World. We had a face-lift which I am very excited about. Check out the cool colors and the new navigation. Let me know your thoughts. If you are reading this update through your e-mail, take a couple seconds and click-over. I don’t *think* you will be disappointed.

We have also added a sister site to One Moms World. I am very eager to introduce you to One Moms Photography. My passion of photography is going to grow in the year 2012. I am doing a 365 Day Photo Project. I will be posting one photo each day that I take on that specific day. It will be from all walks of life from animals to beautiful landscape to inspirational people. I am already on Day 2 so click on over and subscribe with the email feature to see a daily photo in your e-mail. It is that easy.

Sneak Peak at Day 1:

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am so excited to see what 2012 will bring for us!