Extraordinary Mothers and BlogHer

So again I am writing about BlogHer as I am entering into a contest at Extraordinary Mothers to win a full conference pass! First off, you may be thinking: What is BlogHer? Well BlogHer is a conference where everyone from the blogging world comes together and shares ideas, thoughts, and knowledge. Why do I want to go? Because I really think I could benefit and grow from it.

I started blogging in August 2008 and I have not stopped since. I am hooked and could not imagine not blogging or reading blogs for a day. I am constantly checking out my favorite blogs, finding new ones, making bloggy friends, and my blog has been a savior for me. As a SAHM of a 24 month old and 8 month old, I don’t get out much. The house we are in is not permanent and so I never joined a moms group and I figure what is the point since we are going to hopefully move. (We bought this house and rehabbed it to sell and got stuck with it because of the housing market. It is much too small for the four of us!) I also don’t have any friends around me with kids so we don’t see each other much because I feel we really don’t have anything in common. I don’t know how to not have a conversation without mentioning my kids and I know for a non-parent that can get boring and sometimes be too-much-information.

So to escape while my sons are napping or get away at night while my husband is with our boys, I blog. I sometimes get so caught up and lost in blogs that I forgot where I started and what I was planning on doing. I remember a year ago thinking blogs was just a phase and I thought it was dumb. Now I am addicted and I am trying to go full force. I want to learn everything and write everything. I love that I can read similar experiences and share my own. My husband makes fun of me and others do not understand, but blogging is really not something I can fully explain. It is just everything to me and I love that it is there when I need it and I can always find what I need. I also love sharing my thoughts, ideas, saving and making money ways, and reviewing new products. Without blogging I don’t know what I would have leaned on, otherwise than tv, and I have actually became good at it. I feel like it is keeping me in tact with my writing, the news, opportunities, networking, and so much more.

BlogHer is everything I am looking for. As a relatively new blogger, I feel I could really benefit from networking, learning more about blogging, and I think I need to go to get out of my shell. You see I used to be a very outgoing and social butterfly. Then I have my boys and slowly I developed a shell and became shy around others since I really didn’t know what to talk about and what was going on in the world outside of Playhouse Disney and Noggin. I know I would be completely scared and intimidated around other bloggers at the conference, but I think I need to be.

I think BlogHer is just what I need to keep me in check and get me back to who I used to be. I want to be the best that I can be on my blog and I believe I can learn so much to become a better writer and blogger. I hope someday to have a blog that has many loyal readers and I know I can do it. I also need BlogHer to grow and meet some new people, and I think it is a sign that it is being held in Chicago. I hope to meet some moms who I can meet up with and have play dates with. I actually live only about 30 minutes from where BlogHer is being held and how could I not go. If I wait until next year, who knows where it will be and then I will have to add travel expenses to the cost. My husband and I did not exchange Christmas presents but rather he said I could buy a ticket to this conference, but I still am trying to justify the cost when in today’s economy $200 is a lot of money.

I know that I need to go and I should go and I would love to be selected by Extraordinary Mothers as the lucky mom to win their giveaway.