It’s been two weeks since I attended the Blogalicious 2012 conference in Las Vegas and what a great conference it was! I may be a little biased since I helped the Blogalicious team organize the agenda and speakers, but overall and aside from that, I truly enjoyed this year’s conference. It was great to feel such a sense of community, reconnect with bloggers I hadn’t seen in a while, and meet new ones!

I was able to enjoy various aspects of the conference, including several sessions, sharing my views on the Community Jam session, attending sponsored events, and even some networking. Sometimes sitting in the hall near the session rooms chatting with fellow bloggers is just enough. Great conversations and ideas begin that way.

I also chatted with a few of the bloggers about CVS/pharmacy, a partial sponsor of my Blogalicious trip. After sharing that I had partnered with CVS for the conference, I asked them what they like about CVS/pharmacy. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

• Denisse Icaza from Ahorros Para Mamá said, “I love CVS! I like how easy it is to save money there using coupons and the ExtraCare Rewards program. The program is so easy to use and understand, that when people want to start using coupons I always tell them to start learning at CVS“.
• “I like the discounts I can get with my ExtraCare card. I also like the convenience of the MinuteClinic when I need it. It’s been a sanity saver more than once.” Christie Glascoe Crowder, {chatterbox christie}
• Dariela Cruz of Mami Talks shared: “I love to go to CVS because it’s a one-stop with a great range of products from pharmacy needs to household items or kids’ school supplies! I also love the fact that now they have ATMs!”

Personally, CVS is convenient, something that is very helpful when you have two young kids as I do. It’s really easy to stop in on my way home for a gallon of milk, a necessary product that we seem to run out of quite often due to baby boy.

Blogalicious had a great vibe this year and from what I’ve heard from other attendees, just about everyone felt the same way. When a group of people share an interest and work together to further a community and industry, it shows. But, more so, it renews people’s energy, sparks creativity, and promotes collaboration. I feel Blogalicious 2012 did just that for our community of bloggers.

Did you attend Blogalicious this year or follow along from home? What was your major take-away from this year’s conference?

Disclosure: CVS/pharmacy supported my trip to Blogalicious 2012 as a sponsor. As always, all experiences, stories, and views are my own.

All photos © Eric Payne Photography and Be Blogalicious

The last week of April began what has been a month of travel, conferences, and fun. It kicked off with a bang, though, as it all started with a trip to Walt Disney World to attend Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration!

This was our third year attending this family-inclusive conference and as always, we had a great time. It’s great to be able to take the family along and have events that are for the whole family! It definitely makes it easier when trying to balance work and life.

Speakers at this year’s Social Media Moms Celebration included Chris Brogan, Peter Shankman, Ramon De Leon, Amy Jo Martin, and Lisa Druxman. They each spoke on a variety of topics, ranging from how they use social media in their businesses, to how they balance out their lives. It’s fair to say that the overall message from the speakers was that you need to create your own success and find the fun in life.

Here are some of the snippets I shared via Twitter from the presentations we heard:

The Social Media Moms Celebration also included a day of mini-sessions, of which I attended a Doc McStuffins presentation. I was able to learn more about this new show on Disney Junior and hear from the show’s creator about the inspiration behind Doc McStuffins – she saw a need for helping children learn about doctor visits after being in and out of the hospital with her son his first year of life. It was also very interesting to find out that when she pitched the show to Disney, her son was about 8 months old and the show did not premiere until he was almost 5 years old!

Between pirate-themed family dinners, a night-time visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and a sneak peek at the new resort, Disney’s Art of Animation, my family really enjoyed themselves. Personally, I was able to reconnect with many friends from our blogging community and learn more about how Disney world provides families with many opportunities to create memories. One of the strongest statements made during the conference that resonated with the majority of attendees was that we only have eighteen summers with our children to make lasting memories before they leave our house (traditionally). Wow, right?! Eighteen years! That’s it!

What are some of the more special memories you’ve been able to create with your children so far?

I encourage you to search the #DisneySMMoms hashtag on Twitter to find links to more posts from other Disney Social Media Moms Celebration attendees. I’m sure you’ll get a variety of stories from the conference and a wealth of information about Walt Disney World!

Photo: Josh Hallett

Today’s the day! We’re heading to Walt Disney World for the Social Media Moms Celebration!

Learning, fun, family, and friends? Yes, please! We’ll share insights with you soon, but in the meantime, follow along with us on Twitter and Facebook!

There I was washing dishes at 7:30 in the morning while my kids sat at the dining table eating breakfast. As is customary for my baby girl, she blurts out her random thought of the day with no context beforehand. This time it was, “Mommy, why are there no new Choo-Choo-Souls on Disney Junior?”

I explained that they probably recorded them all a while back and maybe they’re not making new ones anymore. She responded with, “Well, you should talk to Disney Junior about that.”

“Really? I should?”

“Yeah! You’re a blogger! You can tell them.”

And, that’s when I realized that my six-year-old thinks I’m influential. Apparently. Her little brain has a notion that because I own a blog I can then “talk” to Disney Junior and ask them to make new Choo-Choo-Soul episodes. It’s fascinating that she thought of this all on her own. I have never told her anything about using a blog to make suggestions, create change, or anything of the sort.

I took the opportunity to let her know that you don’t need to be a blogger to make suggestions. I told her anyone can make suggestions about TV shows, radio programs, etc. – not just bloggers. In a way I guess this was her first lesson in understanding the “a pen is stronger than a sword” saying. I didn’t tell her the saying, but this conversation was definitely her introduction into understanding the concept of creating change in the world.

In social media, we hear about influence a lot. As bloggers, we are considered influential by the marketing industry, brands, and even amongst ourselves. We claim influence and see our blogs as outlets for using our voice to affect others. Perhaps we affect others by providing ideas, tips, motivational content, and even suggestions on services and products available for you to purchase. Many use their blogs to affect change in other areas, such as causes they are passionate about and philanthropic efforts.

My six-year-old believes that through my blog I can influence Disney Junior to create new episodes of Choo-Choo-Soul. Perhaps she’s on to something. Maybe not that exactly, but maybe this site can affect change somehow, somewhere.

Are you considered influential by your friends and family because of your blog?

Photo: Louise Docker/ Flickr

Sometimes I have ideas and thoughts I want to share, but I don’t always have the time to sit down and write a full post. And, by the time I do, the thought seems to have passed. For this reason, I’ve been thinking of doing shorter posts mixed in with regular content. But, first, I’d like to know if this is something you would welcome. Please take a quick second (literally) to answer the poll below and let me know! Thanks so very much!

If you can’t see the poll, please click here to answer the one question.

When I was asked to join the Check-in for Checkups program as a social activist, I was highly intrigued by the mission of the campaign. The goal of Check-in for Checkups is to help the Children’s Health Fund provide health checkups to children in need. This is being accomplished through a partnership with Clorox where for every healthy habit shared on checkinforcheckups.com by folks across the U.S., Clorox is donating $.10 to the Children’s Health Fund, up to $100,000. This means that if they reach their goal of 1 million check-ins this summer (that’s $100,000 donated), then half a million checkups can be provided to children who need them. How very cool, don’t you think?

To help raise awareness of the Check-in for Checkups campaign, I’ll be hosting a Twitter Party next week, along with Clorox and the Children’s Health Fund. Our discussion will focus on healthy habits and you’ll have a chance to learn more about how you can help the Check-in for Checkups program just by sharing your healthy habits. During the chat, we’ll also be debuting the first Check-in for Checkups video from Bethenny Frankel, “Random Acts of Wellness.” Plus, there will be giveaways, including autographed copies of Bethenny’s book A Place of Yes and Clorox prize packs.

I hope you’ll be able to join me next week for this Twitter party as I think it’s such a great cause and I’m excited to be a part of it. Here are the details so you can make sure to add it to your calendar.

What: Clorox “Check-in for Checkups” Twitter Party
Date: Thursday, August 11, 2010
Time: 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
Where: On Twitter via #checkinforcheckups
RSVP on Facebook (not required to attend)

See you there!

Disclosure: I am currently working on a compensated campaign with The Clorox Company for the Check-in for Checkups program that benefits the Children’s Health Fund.

At this very moment, I’m making my way to San Diego for the BlogHer conference happening this week. I’m looking forward to connecting with fellow bloggers, brands, and PR representatives I’ve collaborated with or have yet to meet. As is the norm for BlogHer, the agenda is packed tight, with multiple events happening each night. Of course, there are also conference sessions and meetings to attend during the day. It’s going to be a busy three days!

While I’m away learning more about the business of blogging, you can catch up on previously featured posts. I’ve highlighted some favorite posts in various topics below. And, hey, if you’re attending BlogHer as well, make sure to say hi if you see me!

Parenting Stories

• Raising Beautiful Girls: Conversations of Body Image
• Marketing to Kids as a Parenting Tool
• Raising Multicultural Children and Providing Positive Messages

Work-Life Balance Tips

• 7 Tips for Finding ‘Me’ Time
• How Do You Define Balance?
• 5 Resources with Tips for Finding or Improving your Work-Life Balance

Latino and Puerto Rican Culture

• Latino Terms of Endearment
• The Importance of Keeping Cultural Traditions Alive
• My Quinceañero – Reminiscing on a Latino Tradition

Puerto Rican Recipes

• Recipe for Puerto Rican Carne Guisada
• How to Make Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules in a Rice Cooker {Rice with Pigeon Peas}
• Bistec Encebollado Recipe {Puerto Rican Cubed Steak}

WAHM Resources

• Sample Daily Routine for Working from Home
• 5 Tips for Working from Home for the WAHM
• 10 Places to Find Work at Home and Freelance Jobs

What matters to you?

Everyone involved in social media is attempting to leave their social footprint of influence by building a strong and consistent message. This message must be genuine and must resonate with others. Building your brand is a time consuming and difficult process. You must consistently be on message and make certain that you are heard on multiple platforms.

An influencer – in my opinion – does not simply rely on amassing thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook fans. She makes certain that the message being delivered is helpful and simple to digest. An influencer must also understand the criticality of listening. We must listen not only to learn but to understand. This is the only way to truly connect with others. We must understand the needs of others and be able to help them solve issues. This level of engagement helps you to establish yourself not only as an authority but as an influencer in the space.

Building an online presence or brand is an integral part of creating an image that resonates with the social web. Focusing on what matters should be about building a positive persona that is reliable, personable and most importantly, engaging.

Thinking about ways to engage and be trusted by peers is an integral part of becoming an influencer in any space. I believe that becoming an influencer entails three important factors that shouldn’t be disregarded when on the journey of building that positive online reputation.

Choosing quantity over quality

If content is king then SEO is queen and should be the main focus on brand building.  While many say posting frequently will get you ranked higher, it does not necessarily mean that you will gain readership.  If your content doesn’t serve some kind of purpose, it won’t get you too far.

My advice: just keep it simple. Create a schedule that works for you, stick to it and be consistent.

Not engaging

If you are up to your eyeballs in analytic tools and plug-ins while neglecting to interact and make a concerted effort to show your human side by joining in on the conversation, then I think being a part of the social web is pointless. You must take part of the conversation in order to be a part of the conversation.

Not listening

If your idea of connecting is taking to social networks for self-promotion, spamming and making it all about you, then clearly the point of listening is being missed.  It is very important to take note that consumers trust peer recommendations more than ever and will not easily fall for the catchy jingles and slogans anymore.  Not listening to those who define your market could be costly.

With so many ways to take part in the social web, it is very important to always stay true to who you are, your purpose and clearly identify what matters to you.

As you know, I’m very close to giving birth to our baby boy. I have about two weeks left, unless the baby decides to make a grand unscheduled entrance beforehand. Things are quite hectic in our house as we prepare for his arrival, but also for the many other events happening in December: baby girl’s birthday and birthday party, holiday-related events/parties, and of course, Christmas itself. December has always been a busy month in our family, but this year it’s even busier with the new addition.

I’ve been busy working on scheduling posts for when I go on maternity leave, wrapping up business items, etc., in an effort to leave things “in order” for when I take some time off. You may remember that I have a loose plan for preparing for the upcoming changes in our family’s work-life balance. I’ve definitely had to slow down the last few weeks as I get further along in the pregnancy and focus on the must-do tasks before I run out of time.

Because of all that, you may find that some days I have more to share than others. So, today, I want to share other blog posts that you may be interested in reading. Some are mine and others are from within my blogging community. All are worth a click.

Around my Community

The Kids Are Alright – Marta of My Big Fat Cuban Family shares how this year’s Thanksgiving was very different for her and why she’s ok with that. I saw a bit of my family reflected in this post, so it was a wonderful read.

Spanish Tips for Semi-Latinas – Marta’s Tiki Tiki Blog partner, Carrie, shares some humorous tips for speaking Spanish even when you don’t know how.

Exploring Culture as Part of Your Curriculum – Ideas for integrating learning about a culture into a homeschooling curriculum.

Twitter Moms Sponsor Campaigns: Contest Or Call For Submissions? – She Posts covers the Twitter Moms debate on whether certain campaigns should really be called contests.

Green Eggs & Facebook: 15 Social Media Tips from Dr. Seuss – Applying lessons from Dr. Seuss to social media.

Mentioning Me

Women in Blogging: 125 Fearless Female Bloggers – Kristi Hines of Kikolani provides a list full of interesting women bloggers and includes yours truly! Some amazing women are featured, so definitely take a minute to check them out.

Spotlight on Melanie Edwards: Blogger & Entrepreneur – Angelica Perez of New Latina aims to empower Latinas to be successful and live balanced lives. She frequently highlights Latina businesswomen, bloggers, and artists. Click over to read my interview on New Latina.

Written by Me

Tubes Tied or Vasectomy? – I debate whether or not I want to have a tubal ligation as we approach the birth date and have no plans for more children.

Keeping your Online Personal Brand Consistent – Tips for developing your personal brand and keeping it consistent across social media.

Do you have some blog posts to share with us? Either your own or others you found useful and worth a read?

Photo by Kristile Cain (LittleTechGirl)

Exactly one week ago, I was in Miami Beach enjoying the always wonderful tropical breeze you just can’t get in Orlando. It reminds me so much of Puerto Rico and as soon as I enter the Broward County area on 95 South, I begin to smile. “We’re in Miami.”

I was there last weekend attending the Blogalicious Weekend conference. I had heard many great things about this conference from those who attended last year in Atlanta. But, nothing compares to experiencing it yourself. It was a jam-packed 3-day weekend full of really good sessions and content, networking, and of course, friends. I really did not want it to be over.

Our ¡Parranda! was a success and we couldn’t be happier. It was awesome seeing everyone enjoying themselves, dancing, laughing and letting go for just one night. All of the hard work that Ana, Carrie, and I put into organizing the party was absolutely worth it. Huge thanks to all the sponsors, and the Blogalicious ladies, who helped make it a reality for us.

I spoke on Sunday morning, along with Carrie Ferguson Weir and Roxana Soto on a panel sponsored by Café Media. Titled, Latina Bloggers Give You the Tiki Tiki About Marketing, we spoke about how to work with brands and PR agencies, how to turn pitches in your favor, and touched on the existing stereotypes in marketing to Latinas. As soon as I have my notes put together and the tip sheet that the 3 of us compiled available, I’ll post.

The Blogalicious 2010 conference buzz is still going for many. I’ve been reading many recap posts from a variety of bloggers that attended this year. Here are a few for you to explore.

• From Tiki Tiki Blog:
  • Blogalicious Link Love
  • Getting Our ¡Parranda! On
• James Andrews (@keyinfluencer): My Recent Presentation on #SocialTV: Relationship Between Social Media + TV
• Love That Max: The beautiful bodies of Blogalicious
• Blogs by Latinas: Blogalicious Weekend 2010 Recap
• Huffington Post: Latina Bloggers and Blogalicious
• Professor Diva Diaries: Blogalicious 2010
• Funkidivagirl: What’s So Special About Blogalicious?
• Sista Sense: Blogalicious Lessons
• Midtown Chic-a: Blogalicious Takes Over SoBe
• Parenting by Dummies: Wordful Wednesday. Blogalicious 2010.

I’m looking forward to next year’s Blogalicious conference and hopefully it’ll be hosted somewhere not too far from Florida.

If you attended, what did you most love about Blogalicious?

Disclosure: My trip to Blogalicious 2010 was sponsored by Qué Rica Vida. All experiences and opinions are my own.