XiaolinMama

Reviewer's Retreat

This weekend I am off to the romantic Poconos, PA to speak at the Reviewer's Retreat - Nuts and Bolts of Review blogging.  A while back I met the two powerhouse founders, Cecilia and Bridgette founders of Double Duty Divas and conference organizers.  They immediately impressed me with their professionalism and their keen eye on a growing and important sector in the blogosphere - Review blogs.

What are Review blogs?  I have been writing product reviews for quite a while - everything from laundry detergent to iphone apps to theme parks. I love doing them. I feel honored when someone asks, but I generally turn down a product I know that is not a fit for me or my family.  But not all reviews are crated equal.

In the couple of years, more and more blogs are popping up that are created solely for reviews. While some blogs unfortunately are simply a place for a product press release cut and paste job, the vast majority of these new sites are filled with original content from writers who spend a lot of time and effort testing and reviewing products couched in the story of their lives.  Honestly, before I buy most things, I look it up on google and see what pops up.  But I weigh each review based on the following questions: Is there a review from someone I know?  Is the reveiwer credible and thoughtful in their write up?  Was the review balanced? 

I am looking forward to the conference to learn more about this genre. Tips for making my reviews better and to meet some of the amazing women who make my shopping easier!   

Laundry Room Love

If you have been reading @xiaolinmama for a while, you know that I have kids who play soccer, are slobs and like to roll around in grass.  You also probably know that I am horrible in the "cleaning department".  So whatever I use to clean my house or kids has to actually work, safe to use and smell good. I have been a long time fan of Method products.  Seriously, you could visit any bathroom and my kitchen and find Method products - dish soap, hand soap and counter wipes.  

A few months ago, the fine folks at Method sent me some product and asked me to invite folks to take part in a video project called "Laundry Room Love".   Have you heard about the "People Against Dirty" campaign powered by Method?   I gotta say the crowd sourced video is super cute and inventive. Check it and the Method Facebook page.  How can you not be a "Person Against Dirty"?  I am totally against any people in my house being dirty - heh! and well leaving dirt anywhere near me. (Spoken like a true mama!)  You get a $2.00 off coupon, just for checking out the video. 

Product Review: 50 loads per bottle, it says.  We put it to the test at our house immediately. First of all, each bottle takes on 50 loads! All of that in a bottle that is the size of an Arizona Ice Tea can, but prettier.  Love that! The well designed bottle freed up a ton of space in my laundry closet.  The scents are nice as well, I am partial to the French Lavendar Scent and Peony Blossom. The detergent worked great for regular loads. I needed to add some bleach for softball pants and soccer socks, but overall worked like a champ.   I plan on buying more of it.  We cracked open one bottle over a month ago and it's still going strong.  We do an average of 4-5 loads a week.  At $14.99 a bottle, seems like a great deal.  More space, good smell + actually works.  Kudos!  

Disclosure: I received free samples of Method Detergent. All opinions are unpaid and my own. So there.

Joining the Sharks Bandwagon

Living in the Bay Area, there is no shortage of sports teams to route for - the SF Giants, the A's, the Warriors, the 49ers and of course, the San Jose Sharks.

This year we have fallen in love with them at our house.  We've watched every bit of the playoffs - cheering and yelling at our favorite players the whole way.   I am partial to the goalies - and dang Niemi, you are killin us! 

Tonight, we are lighting candles in hopes that the Sharks win Game 7 and move on to take on the Canucks!   Go Sharks!

We're Headed to Disney World!

Since launching my company, Clever Girls Collective, I have been working like a dog.  So much so that my brilliantly astute daughter felt the need to ask her daddy, "Why does mommy work harder than you?" HA!   It has been rough - worth it, but rough.  So I am doing what all  working moms do - try to make the kids forget about not seeing me at ALL their soccer/softball game by taking them to Disney World!  

I am headed to the Disney Social Media Moms conference this week. Mixing work and pleasure, I am bringing the whole family along so we get to spend some forced quality time. We are all looking forward to a break - I am considering not bringing my computer.  I am looking for a book to download to my ipad.  Iam hoping for sunshine and a nice lawn chair.  I also have high hopes that there is a good Bloody Mary bar somewhere in the Magic Kingdom and that no one makes me ride anything that is will make my palms sweat.  

Hi kids.  It's me Mom. Remember me without my lap top?  

Banana2 conference - Asian American Bloggers Gather

I had the privledge of attending the Banana2 conference. Asian Pacific Islander bloggers from all over the country gathered in Los Angeles to explore API issues, learn about blogging and just meet up face to face.

There was a good mix of newbie bloggers, veteran API advocate and AsAm rockstars in the social media world.  There was a Blogger 101 session led by the awesome Michele Woo,  the brilliant Cynthia Liu (and fellow Momocrat) spoke on the Advocacy panel and Jason Sperber of Daddy in a Strangeland shared his experience writing his parent blog and founding the Rice Daddies group blog.  <BTW, that guy better come out with a book or anthology!> It was kinda like summer camp, but shorter. Loved it. 

Some highlights:

• Niche bloggers: Not surprising at all, the breadth of blogs written by APIs spanned the rainbow -from hard core API advocacy issues, pop culture, food to sex.  While there were too many panelists to be able to hear their full stories, I heard enough to need to add all of these to my daily reads. Made me proud of what an entrepreneurial bunch we were.

• Show me the Money:  Every conference I go to, people want to know how to make money on their blog.  "When can I quit my day job and become a bajillionaire?" is the question I get most.  The desperation to be the "next big thing" is the feeling permeating many blog conferences.  So Banana2 was refreshing in that many of the bloggers, blogged because they were issue advocates- education, health access etc or journalists.  On the other hand, my guess is there was a large number of bloggers in the room who blogged about general life style issues - fashion, cars, diets and pop culture. The vast majority of these bloggers were younger and newer to the field and came to the conference trying to figure out what the whole "blogging field" was all about.

While the conference did not explicitly address the issue of how to take their blogs to the next level, I heard the question often during breaks and at the post party.  I think the majority API bloggers are just at the beginning of figuring out how to monetize their blog  and could stand a bit of direction on how to get their awesome blogs found by mainstream audiences.  

The API community is pretty tight.  Many of the more prominent blogs have demonstrated that they are good at building communities.  For example, several artists on one panel talked about how they raised money for projects via their blogs and websites from their fans and constituents.  In my experience if bloggers can crack the nut on showing engaged readership, then the money will come.  But success is rooted in good writing and treating one's blog as a business.   

• Brands That Get It:  I was impressed to see American Airlines and McDonald's coordinated by Imada Wong Group at Banana2.  For a small gathering, the companies showed that they "got it" - API bloggers had a unique platform that deserved to be taken seriously.  While sure the oatmeal was tasty, I was most impressed that the folks from American Airlines, were there participating in the conversations, asking questions and meeting bloggers.  This is how you build relationships.

I had a great time and would definitely attend again. This gathering reminded of just how powerful bloggers of color are, how far they have come and how far they still have to go. I'm thrilled to be part of this community.

Happy Valentines Day

Battletag: An 11 year old Slumber Party's Review

Imagine 7 eleven year old boys spending the night for a birthday party sleep over. (Crazy-I know.)  My son convinced me that pizza, brownies and his XBOX 360 + Kinect was all the boys needed for a guaranteed good time.  Seemed like a good idea, but as the day approached we began to worry.  That is a lot of boy in one house - we probably need to come up with something outdoors for them to do... and so it began, the quest to find an activity that would engage them, exhaust them (so I could get to bed at a decent hour) and be fun enough for all 8 of their personalities. Enter Ubisoft's newest offering BattleTag aka, party savior! 

Xiaolinmama and the GotoMom on Mommy to Mommy TV

Some days I marvel at the fun I get to have blogging and working for myself at Clever Girls Collective. This is a recent video I made with the brilliant Kimberley Blaine aka @thegotomom for MommytoMommyTV. Sponsored by Sony, the series is light and covers topics moms want to chat about. NO not diapers, but celebrity gossip and ways to destress + shopping!  Awesome huh?  

We also review products - like Sony cameras, baby products and other items that we find that we are just cool.  Kimberley, the rockstar that she is - is the regular host and she  has a battery of co-hosts, all fabulous in their own ways.  It was such a great experience, I think I may want to do more vlogging! Stay tunned. 

Check out the video filmed at the gorgeous Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach - um swank!  (And I've stayed at some nice places - this one takes the cake.) I wish I coulda stayed there a week!  I am bringing the family for sure this summer. Join us!

Hope you enjoy the show.  Tell me - you want that Sony DSLR Camera don't you?  At 7 frames per second, it is hard NOT to take a good picture. Trust me!  More in dept review coming soon!

Sony Dash Giveaway

 

The Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer has been sitting in my kitchen for a few weeks now and I love it! My kitchen is cluttered with a ton of gadgets and appliances, so adding anything that takes up a vital power outlet has to be pretty special.  As a tech geek, I want/need access to Facebook updates, my Pandora stations, and the latest celebrity gossip. The Dash does a good job of keeping that all handy, so I am not tempted to set my laptop next to the mixer.

The Dash takes some work to get it set up. But once you go through the process of going online to set up your account, inputting your Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Pandora account information then you are golden. There are over a 1000 Dash apps you can download to make your Dash – YOUR Dash. Horoscopes, sports scores, jokes of the day – you name it there is probably an app. My kids love the gold fish bowl app. When one or both of my kids walk into the kitchen afterschool, they touch the screen to hear a fish air bubble pop. EVERY.DAY. Never gets old with them . (BTW-I am fully supportive of anything that helps me not get a REAL fish for a pet!)

Elizabeth Edwards You will be Missed.

I had the honor of meeting Elizabeth Edwards in 2007, as she began campaigning for her husband John.  I was undecided at that point, but was so impressed by this amazing woman that I thought if "John had just a fraction of my new BFF’s Elizabeth’s forethought, grace under fire, intelligence and sincerity, then he has my vote."

Over the years, I followed her community work. Her determination to not let cancer beat her, her ability to motivate people to action and conversely, to find peace with what life presents.  She was the kinda gal you wished was your BFF and someone you had in your corner. She inspired me to talk about my lack of health care and to get involved. Today, her death caught me off guard. She reminded me that there is still much work to be done and that every day counts. May She Rest in Peace.