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

Last year I had the opportunity to host a Kellogg’s Love Your Cereal breakfast with friends and family. We learned more about Kellogg’s cereals and had a chance to ask questions directly from a Kellogg’s representative. This year, I’ve once again partnered with Kellogg’s and was part of the Ama Tu Cereal (Love Your Cereal) team they sponsored to the Blogalicious 2011 conference. I’m happy to partner with Kellogg’s again, as they’re a company that has been a part of my life since I can remember.

In Puerto Rico, and throughout much of the Caribbean and Latin America, we have a bad habit of calling things by the most popular name brand that makes it. So, for example, all pain killers are Tylenol, regardless of the actual brand. Likewise, for much of my childhood I heard my mami saying, “Quieres con fleik?” which translates to “Do you want some corn flakes?” It didn’t matter that she might have been talking about Frosted Flakes instead. Another way we referenced Frosted Flakes in our house was to simply call it “El Tigre” (The Tiger), due to Tony the Tiger of course! To this day, Frosted Flakes is still my brother’s favorite cereal and it’s probably my husband’s too.

As part of my work with the Kellogg’s Ama Tu Cereal team at Blogalicious, I helped provide information on how Latina moms responded to Kellogg’s Breakfast in America survey. The survey found that 9 out of 10 Latina moms want their kids to eat breakfast every day, but unfortunately, 40% said their kids did not. However, almost 40% did say they ensure their children have breakfast daily. Additionally, Latina moms are 20% more likely than moms overall to get up early to prepare their children’s breakfast. And, it was found that Latina moms are 17% more likely than moms overall to say their family brings breakfast to work or school.

I know that it gets hectic in the morning as the entire household works to get ready for school and work. I admit that my husband and I are not good about eating breakfast and most days skip it. However, we make sure baby girl eats breakfast every day. It’s not always fancy, and sometimes it is a bowl of cereal, but she always eats something in the morning.

What are some favorite breakfast foods for your family?

Disclosure: Kellogg’s was a sponsor for the Blogalicious 2011 conference and I was compensated for my work.

Cereal photo: Mike Johnson – TheBusyBrain.com

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.

In about four weeks, I’ll be heading down to Miami to attend the Blogalicious 2010 conference. I was unable to attend last year’s inaugural conference, but have heard so many good things about it: the content, the networking, the people. In case you’ve never heard of it or don’t know much about the Blogalicious conference:

“The Blogalicious Weekend conferences are aimed at celebrating the diversity of women of all ethnicities in social media. Over the course of 3 event-filled days, savvy, influential and talented women bloggers will ignite a sense of unity within the multicultural blogging community as well as educate marketers on the importance of our demographic in today’s marketplace, all while networking, building relationships, and promoting inspiration and success for each other.” ~ Blogalicious Weekend website

Looking over the agenda, I see many great sessions and speakers lined up. I’m excited to be speaking on a panel myself and that several bloggers I know are speaking as well. A few sessions I’m looking forward to:

• Building your Social Media Tribe ~ Ana Flores, Spanglish Baby; Sheila Dowd, Lookiloos, Momocrats; Jennifer James, Mommy Too! Mag, Mom Bloggers Club
• Social Media Moms ~ Jeannette Kaplun, Todo Bebe; Jennifer Hutcheson, Mami 2 Mommy
• Bloggers as Brand Ambassadors ~ Emily McKhann and Cooper Munroe, The Motherhood
• Latina Bloggers Give You the Tiki Tiki About Marketing ~ Roxana Soto, Spanglish Baby; Carrie Ferguson Weir, The Tiki Tiki Blog; Melanie Edwards, ModernMami.com – session sponsored by Cafe Media

If you’re not convinced yet that you should head down to Miami to attend the Blogalicious conference and join me in the fun, let me give you two more reasons: a party and a free conference pass.

¡Parranda! mix.mingle.baila

Along with Ana Flores and Carrie Ferguson Weir, I’m very excited to be co-hosting the first official party of the conference, kicking off right after the conference’s Welcome Reception on Friday night. It’s sure to be loads of fun – great music, food, and drinks – all con sabor Latino! It doesn’t matter if you can’t roll your rrrs, you’ll definitely have a good time at our Parranda!

Want to attend ¡Parranda! during this year’s Blogalicious Weekend conference? RSVP is now open for the party! The party is open to all, but space is limited due to the venue, so you’ll need to RSVP. Simply go to the eventbrite page to RSVP.

And, after you RSVP, be sure to grab a badge for your blog/site and let others know to join the ¡Parranda! fun! Stay tuned as more information on the location of the party will be provided very soon. In the meantime, don’t forget to follow us on twitter, join the Parranda buzz using the #ParrandaParty tag, plus connect with us on facebook to stay informed. More information about ¡Parranda!, the hostesses, and sponsors, can be found at parrandaparty.com.

Blogalicious Weekend Conference Pass Giveaway

Blogalicious would like to give one of you a free conference pass to attend the conference.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below answering one of the following questions:

1. If you’ve been to Blogalicious before, what did you most like about it?
2. If you’ve never been, then what are you looking forward to?

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Win #blogalicious10 conf pass from @modernmami. Ends 9/15. http://bit.ly/blogalicious10pass #giveaway #contest #blogalicious @beblogalicious
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing why you want to attend the Blogalicious conference; make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, September 15 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Once a winner is selected, a discount code will be provided to him/her to use for free registration.

Additional Rules:

1. Winners cannot be current conference ticket holders.
2. Winner must claim pass AND register no later than Sept. 17th. After Sept. 17th the pass will go to the next winner. Ticket is non-transferable.

Good luck and see you in Miami!