Twas the night before #DPCON13

Twas the night before #DPCON and all through the house

A blogger was typing while choosing a blouse

Her bag was all packed with the utmost of care

With hopes that her bloggy friends would also be there

The kids were all sorted to spend time at daycare

While mummy cavorted with faded pink hair

Bloggers and brands, mamas and dads

Would soon be together with pens and their pads

Breakfast would be served at the earliest of times

And then would begin the learning at nine

Kindness and the blogosphere, adversity too

Nothing with us bloggers is ever taboo!

As the grumbling of tummies begins to be heard

Lunch at Curzon Castle would swiftly be served

I wonder what food they'll have for as there

I bet it'll be a delicious and scrumptious affair

The afternoon will continue with blog education

I hope there's no fight for the Belkin charge station

From products to writing and photos and vlogs

We'll all be exhausted like over worked dogs!

But fear not my blog pals and hear there's to be

Plenty of refreshments, I'm talking coffee and tea

Perked up by caffeine the next session will see

Us learning about possibly making money

This rhyme could go on but I'm starting to feel

Tired and worried I'm unorganised still

Excitement is burning inside of my brain

I really can't wait to see you all again

And bloggers I haven't met in real life yet

To me it will be such a pleasure I bet

To put faces to blogs and stories I've read

I'm the tall girl with pink streaks on my head

Please say hello if you see me, I can be a bit shy

But once I get started I promise I won't cry

Thank you Digital Parents for bringing us together

The next two days will be fab, no matter the weather!

V.

Are you going to the Digital Parents Conference tomorrow?

Excited, much?

Linking up with the #IBOT crew at Essentially Jess.

March mini goals with pink hair

Dear Reader

How are you?

I am really well thanks.

I am OK but I'm going to make out like I'm awesome!

I have pink hair, if you hadn't noticed on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Or on the left column of this page. It is not like the picture I showed my hairdresser, which you can see below. I nearly cried at first but then everyone (maybe it was you Dear Reader on my IG feed so thank you) told me it was awesome so I've come to like it a bit. It sure is different and makes me feel young but sometimes I feel a bit 'muttony', if you know what I mean. No one likes mutton dressed as yoof.

The picture on the left is the one I showed my hairdresser. The picture on the right is me.

I just thought I'd give you a little rundown of how I want this month to go. You know, to make myself accountable.

Yesterday, on the 1st of March, I decided that I was going to achieve the following:

1. Publish a blog post every single day from 1 March through to 31 March. So here I am posting. I hope to complete The dad question series and my 2013 KISS SMART goal series.
2. Get back on my health kick! For fucksake woman (I'm talking to me now, not you Dear Reader). Stop putting junk in your gob Vanessa. It only makes you fat and feel like shit and get bad headaches which make you take prescription painkillers which make you get constipated and moody as all hell.
3. Get stuck right into uni on the first second week and not get behind like the last couple of attempts at study. Yes, I'm enrolled again. I'm doing "Engaging Media" this study period. I WILL NOT FAIL! Not that I ever have failed before but in striving for high distinctions I have withdrawn because of the anxiety that kind of pressure causes me. Ps mean degrees or so say the losers I mean other students.
4. Attend the Digital Parents Conference and learn lots about blogging and social media and meet heaps of people and smile and make lots of new friends and don't be afraid or anxious or late.
5. Attend the Australian Virtual Assistants Conference and learn lots about running my own virtual assistant business and meet heaps of people and smile and make lots of new friends and don't be afraid or anxious or late.
6. Try not to be overwhelmed by the fact that I am attending two conferences back to back and have to meet not one but two lots of different people as well as sit, listen and absorb new shit information for four days in a row.
7. Enjoy myself, be happy. Take deep breaths. 
8. Enjoy being with Noo and my niece Mala. Kids are meant to be fun not work all the time.

OK, so that's my eight mini goals for March.

Have you set yourself any goals to achieve in the lovely month of March?

Yours in friendship

V.

PS. I love that it is autumn! Hello funky winter clothes and snuggle up doona nights.

ProBlogger Training Event 2012: The conference, the people, the outfits

Finally I am back in front of my laptop and a Blogger new post page. The last week has been a whirlwind of activity: packing, travelling, conferencing, meeting, eating and more. In so many ways travelling to Melbourne for The ProBlogger Training Event was one of the best things I've done in a long time.

Flying to Melbourne and attending a conference on my own got me out of my comfort zone and made me smash down boundaries that I'd had surrounding me for most of my life. Meeting new people has always been something I've had difficulty with, and in fact, I used to actively avoid it. You know what I mean: walking up to a stranger and saying hi. Small talk. Relating to people face to face at a party without half a dozen alcoholic beverages on board. It is hard! But I did it.

Here's what happened.

The conference

Some great presenters at #PBEVENT and @problogger Darren Rowse in a school dress
Afternoon tea delights that I resisted for Droptober!

Bloggers of all types descended on Etihad Stadium for two days of networking, inspiration and learning. We all came for different reasons with different goals. Most of us bloggers lucky to have attended will write a post conference blog post. Rather than me going over the details again, here are some of my favourite posts from sites I didn't know about until now:

bluewiremedia.com.au The Best 9 Things I Learnt at ProBlogger Event

This is an excellent, easy to read rundown of some of the important lessons from both days at the conference. It is particularly useful to me because the author, Adam Franklin, went to some of the talks that I missed. I particularly like the point he learnt from Chris Guillebeau that blogging is 50% connecting/50% creating or curating content. Makes me feel less guilty about 'wasting' time on Facebook and Twitter.

asseenin.com.au 5 things I learnt from the ProBlogger Training Event

Clear and concise with an emphasis on the ProBlogger Event theme that from little things big things come: even if you're starting off small or you are an introvert, by just focusing on building your brand, being true to yourself and giving it just 15 minutes a day you too can make something big.

copyrightmatters.com.au 20 small #PBEVENT actions that will make some big goals happen

This is another great piece with a different take on the information provided. Belinda has taken away the core message to take action with this awesome list.

The people

From top left clockwise: bricks+clicks, A Cajun Down Under,
The Crafty Mummy, babblingbandit.me, Diet Schmiet 

When I arrived at the Alto Hotel I immediately recognised my first uber blogger as she was checking in. Kerri Sackville looked exactly like she does on her press photos: very attractive and immaculately put together. Just like when I met some other big name bloggers at Blogopolis earlier in the year, I was a little star struck. I think I even stuttered a bit when I introduced myself in the lift when we were making our way up to our rooms. But at least I had the guts to do that!

My chief goal for the two days was to meet people and meet people I did! Some of the cool bloggers I met included:

Deb at Diet Schmiet - Deb and I have been online friends for a while so I was really pleased to finally meet her in the flesh. She was the life of the party and quite the little matchmaker, bringing together bloggers who wanted to meet one another.

Tonya at Crafty Mummy - Lovely person. Really approachable and friendly.

Travis and David at Tackle Nappy - These two are daddy bloggers! Very friendly blokes indeed. We had some interesting convos at both the conference at at the networking dinner.

Christy at A Cajun Down Under - I was really glad to meet Christy. I generally love Americans and Christy is no exception. We escorted each other back to the hotel after our big night out at the Friday night networking cocktail party. I'm really glad to have found her blog too. There's some great recipes in there!

Dorothy at Singular Insanity - Dorothy is a fellow sole parent, raising not one but two boys on her own and I take my hat off to her. She is fiesty and passionate, despite all that she has been through. I really loved meeting her at the Friday night cocktail party.

Michaela at Five Frogs on a Blog - Hilarious woman. Just read her #PBEVENT wrap up at Badly behaving cutlery, shark penises and broken moustages. Or check out this picture (enough said, no?):

Funniest blogger at #PBEVENT

The outfits

I did my best to put a bit of effort into my outfits for my trip to Melbourne. Aussies all know Melbourne is the fashion capital of Australia. I didn't think my usual uniform of black leggings, t-shirt dress and Converse would cut it somehow.

Day one at the conference I wore this ultra comfy black Virtu dress, paired with orange beads (also Virtu) and some super cool (in my mind anyway) Pamela Mann designer tights. 

For the networking party I went for this Marco Polo black and white striped dress I bought last year but have only worn twice before. The rose necklace I bought at a really cool shop along King Street Newtown in Sydney. Wish I could remember the name of it so I could link in here. 

The boots I wore are from Camper and are the most expensive shoes I've ever owned! I felt great all weekend and was particularly pleased with my Virtu purchases. And there's nothing like a bit of shapewear underneath to keep all the lumpy bits in position.

I took so many clothes, shoes and handbags with me but only wore a fraction of them. Totally ridiculous but it is always good to have options!

What did I learn?

So, what did I learn at the conference? As far as blogging and how to monetise the babblingbandit.me, I didn't actually take in a lot if I'm honest. I have to go over other bloggers posts as well as relisten to the audio (which you can too with a Virtual Ticket) to absorb the more practical lessons from the two days I spent at Etihad Stadium.

I did however learn that I am not as shy as I think I am. That I can talk to relative strangers and not fall apart with embarrassment. That despite my ongoing issues with anxiety I can test my limits and build my confidence by doing so.

I learnt that as much as I love my son, every parent needs a break every now and then, for their own sanity as well as to be the best parent they can be.

I learnt that while meeting new people is hard, I am very good at holding on to long lasting friendships that I know will last a lifetime no matter the distance. Catching up with some old mates while in Melbourne made me feel so happy and extremely lucky and grateful that these people, even after five or even 10 years apart, are still a part of my life.

Did you go to #PBEVENT? What were your highlights?

V.