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After last weekend with tons of fun in Houston, I was given an opportunity to check out the main website to get tickets to concerts at the Houston Rodeo .  The first thing that I noticed was the line up while the rodeo is going on.

When I was growing up, I grew up going to the rio grande valley livestock show/rodeo and listening to mostly country music, so I was excited about the concert line up in Houston.  From Alan Jackson, Tim Mcgraw, and Brooks and Dunn, I think I just might have to convince my husband that it’s a good idea to go back to Houston!

I haven’t been to a rodeo or livestock show in a long time, and I think it would be cool to experience something else besides the RGV stock show.  The great part about it is that there are groups for varying tastes of music, including Mary J. Blige and Selena Gomez.

From what I can tell, it would be a blast to get tickets to any of the concerts, but if I could only choose two to go to, I would go to Brooks and Dunn and Mary J. Blige.  Not to mention getting to go on all the rides and having unhealthy food like funnel cakes or whatever they happen to have.  Sometimes it’s nice to just let your hair down, let the wind blow through, and have a good time even if it means indulging a little here and there.   Besides, from checking out the ticket prices, it wouldn’t be unreasonable (depending on where you’re willing to sit) to check out multiple shows.  Let me know if you’re going to the rodeo in Houston, or if you’ve ever gone, and what your take on it is.

Yeehaw!

~Hale Mom

*Disclosure- This is a sponsored post brought to you by Teamone and RodeoHouston, but in no way has affected my opinions or words that you have read today.

After reading Loralee’s article, “Hey Jealousy, Every Blogger Was a Newbie Once,” it made me think about ways to overcome that green eyed monster called jealousy.  It’s one thing that most people have to deal with, but it’s what you do with those thoughts and energy that decides where your own actions will take you.

When you get these feelings, do you wallow and sulk about how everyone else is getting all these fabulous offers and success for this and that, and just leave it at that?  Does seeing successful people make you sick if you’re not joining in the party?  Or do you think about the ways or things that you can take action on TODAY to get you to your ultimate goal of success?  Like Loralee wrote, “…EVERYONE has feelings of negativity, jealousy, inadequacy, the key is to try to make those turn into motivation and to not let them keep [you] from [your] goals.”  Part of having a healthy mindset is getting past negative feelings and forging ahead despite the obstacles of negative feelings to turn them into action and goals, if they are not already set or realized.

I certainly haven’t reached my goals of success, but I’ve just started blogging a few months back, and I am constantly trying to figure out ways to keep moving forward. The sight of success from others, motivates me to get there too.  So what do you do to turn those negative feelings of inadequacy and jealousy?  I’ve compiled a short list of actions (that I do as often as possible,) that you can take to overcome your obstacles and enter into a healthy set of thoughts and actions to realize your own potential.

Take action TODAY:  You know those things you put off and don’t really “have time” to get around to?  Check them off your list.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Start small and just finish something.  I sometimes struggle with following through with things, and it takes a concerted effort to check something off my list, but when it gets done, boy does it feel good.  Once I’ve completed one thing, it gets me revved up to tackle more items on my to-do list.  Having a feeling of accomplishment is good for your overall being, and helps you realize that you are adequate and actually a pretty cool and awesome person.  Even if no one else sees the result, you know that you finished your project, and that energy can and will spill onto other projects.

Get Specific with yourself:  You see all sorts of people around you realizing their success, but what success do you want to see? Do you want to have a book published, or do you want to make a movie, write a script, or just be able to make a full time income working from home while your kids are running around?  How much money do you want or need to be making each month?  Make a list of what has to be fulfilled in order for your to feel successful.  Of course, these things may be a constant work in progress, but if you never put it in writing, you may just never realize what you’re reaching for.  Be very specific when drafting goals, and you will realize the pieces that are missing or that must be done in order to reach those goals.

Get help:  No, you don’t have to check yourself into a hospital, unless you are on the verge of a break down or something.  There are many resources for small businesses, but also don’t hesitate to talk to others that you see as successful and you would like to emulate, and ask them questions that you have.  Of course, don’t abuse that, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know, and there are free resources such as score to get advice from other small business owners that are willing to help.  Also, ask different people and find out different perspectives to form your own idea of where you want to go, because one person’s passion may not be yours, and passion is important to success.

Eat Healthy:  A very vague statement, but there is much to be said about eating a balanced diet.  Our bodies are made of amino acids, and these are the building block of proteins, which are critical in the production of neurotransmitters that allow your brain to function and make all sorts of connections and make communication.  The important role of neurotransmitters is on mood, and can determine whether you are in a motivated and focused mood, or just feeling sedate and completely frustrated.   It’s crucial to know that if your body doesn’t have all the essential amino acids to complete cellular replication, then the body will actually stop protein synthesis, and will not continue until all amino acids are available.  Crazy, right?  Well, this can be attributed to bad moods and feeling of frustration, so make sure to get plenty of protein, whole grains, and even dairy in your diet.  If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, there are still ways to meet these amino acid requirements, it just takes more work.

Get Rest! I know I’m always cranky and think in a negative way if I haven’t gotten enough sleep.  Stop racking your brain over what to do next, or how you’re going to be successful, and just take a nap, or go to bed already!  You’ll feel refreshed, and will be happier and in a better mood to conquer the world.

Speaking of that, I’m getting pretty tired, and I still have tons of things to get to (tons of housework and more editing.)  I hope that this list is something you find useful, and will help you get passed the negative feelings of jealousy and inadequacy to help you manage these emotions into positive actions that will change your way of thinking and lead you into success.  After all, we all deserve to be successful.

Cheers!

~Hale Mom

*Disclaimer–Any statement in this post is solely for informational purposes, and should not be replaced for advice from a professional such as a doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist.

After two action packed weekends, back to back, I felt the need to take a few days away from blogging to get my brain back, and to let it all sink in (and give daddy, baby and my bed, some special quality time without mommy hacking away.)  WOW!  I had an earth shattering time!  It all started with winning a contest at Westin La Cantera in San Antonio, and I had an AMAZING time!  In the same day that I heard the news about the contest, I had to jump on an opportunity to volunteer for the Mom 2.0 conference and glad that I did.

It all started with everyone dressed to the nines in a Mad Men themed party, and everyone ready to meet and mingle.  I hadn’t been to a party in over two years, so I was afraid I had lost my touch for being social, but I managed…barely.  It wasn’t very hard when there were so many ladies that flashed a warm smile and ready to talk to me and hand me their business card.  AHHHH!  I forgot about business cards!  Rookie mistake, indeed.  I’ll never make that mistake again.

Moving forward, on the first day of conferencing, I was very intimidated by all the super smart and beautiful women, but then after listening to the keynote speakers Gretchen Rubin and Heloise, I knew I was going to get vast amounts of information and fall into place.

After my interview with Heloise, and realizing what amazing and warm woman she is, I found my footing and hit the ground running (still editing video, so watch out for that in the next day.)  I still can’t forget what Heloise said that really resonated with not only myself, but many other women, “Before you post anything online, think twice, because what you write may affect someone…it may also affect you and your family ten years from now.” Another reason why I took a few days away from blogging.

A major theme of the conference was being genuine and authentic.  Sometimes when faced with opportunities, it may be tempting to write up glowing and flawless reviews.  The consensus from all the successful mom bloggers is to be true and authentic to yourself and opinions, and you will be able to hold your readers because they know they will come to your blog not just for a good read, but because your opinion is valued.

The first panel I attended really made me think about how this whole blogging thing has become more than putting words to print and can actually be a full time income, not just a few dollars here and there.  As a stay at home mom, I’m constantly thinking about how I can make the most of my time and how I can stay at home with my daughter and still earn a full time income.  I’m sure that many other mom bloggers are constantly thinking of the same thing, but the first panel really gave much information on how it can be possible.  Being authentic is the first, and maintaining an active voice.  Companies value a real and honest opinion, so if you want businesses to work with you, be genuine and authentic, and don’t fall into the passive voice.

The next, is to figure out how you will make your blogging into full time income.  There are many resources that are out there, and some that were mentioned were small business resource centers, and score.org.  Not to mention, there are many grants that companies and the government accept applications for, that do not charge fees, and are free to apply for.  It’s great to know that there are non profit companies out there, like The National Institute of Small Business Grants that educate business owners and entrepreneurs for free.  If there’s only one thing I took away that I’d like to share to other mom bloggers that was shared with me, is to be S.M.A.R.T in establishing your blogging as a business and what you want to achieve–be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and have a Time-frame.

My personal goal is to be at home full time with my daughter while running a full time business and income by the end of 2010 to bring my husband home as well.  I know it’s possible because there were many women at the Mom 2.0 conference that have achieved such success.  In other panels, there was even a lawyer to answer any and all questions, ready and willing to help.  Many topics hinged around the FTC regulations about disclosing relationships with businesses as well.  (Oh yeah, I also won a stroller from Scandinavian Child, which I can’t wait to get!)

Day two kicked off with the panel: Bloggers, Brands, and the New Publishing Paradigm, with Heather Armstrong, Gabrielle Blair, Maggie Mason and Stephanie Smirnov, and I felt very invigorated by the discussion and words that were shared.  The biggest thing I took away from this panel was that it’s important to maintain your voice, and finding a good fit for your message when working with businesses, and having an active role in communities.  Decide what your readers want, and give it to them.  Many nuggets of good advice, and things that I need to work on.

In the breakout sessions, I think the panel that sticks out for me on day two was the Ready, Set, Optimize Panel, discussing ways to become more user friendly, and SEO friendly.  Biggest thing: Get simple, and organized(think journalistic style,) and track your user actions to better optimize (with keywords) your site for future use.

There’s plenty of information I’m still processing, and I’m still trying to get some video editing done, but just wanted to share some nuggets of information.  I tried my best to attribute where words came from, but if you notice anything I missed, please feel free to point it out.

Also, if you were in attendance, please share something you learned at the conference.  Karma is a powerful thing, and we’re all here to be successful in a healthy and happy sort of way, so if there was something that you learned in a panel, please share it and we will all be smiley and grateful!

In the mean time, stay tuned for behind the scenes interviews from the Mom 2.0 2010 conference.

~Hale Mom

*Disclosure–This is a sponsored post by BusinessGrants.org, but in no way affects my words or opinion of the Mom 2.0 Conference.

The first day of the #mom2summit has come and gone and all I have to say is OH! Duh! Everything is starting to click. I’m new to blogging and little by little things have started falling into place, but it’s been mostly trial and error, and talking to some pretty cool and very smart women, and of course having the chance to be involved in the Mom 2.0 conference.

Now that I’ve had time to digest everything, and get a bit of rest, I feel re-energized and ready to go, but alas it’s only about 3:30 AM, and it seems that some are just getting to sleep after all the excitement.  I can’t wait to get back to the conference at talk to tons of women about what makes them great, but what is making them successful and to learn from their stories.

I wish I had been able to update and get online more from the conference, but there has just been so many people congregating in one place try to get their dose of connectivity, that it just seems that the internet will not work for most unless you have your own dedicated mobile internet service, or are receiving paid hotel service in your room.

Right now the best thing I have to mobile internet is on my cellphone, but it’s been spotty at best.  Eh, it’s been nice to be able to soak in so much information and not feel like I have to immediately tweet it (if I’m even lucky to get a signal, or even beat the other 300 women to the punch,) or blog about it.

If I could come up with something clever and witty to say, I’d do it, but I’m just not as cool as many of the other moms that are on top of their twitter game. Props to you, avid twitter moms.

The top things I’ve learned at the #mom2summit Mom 2.0 conference on day 1:

1. Bring TONS of business cards. You never know who you will bump into, and having a card on hand with every avenue of communication you have available, because opportunities just might pass you by.

2. Ask TONS of questions. Smile, don’t stress, have fun, and ask as many questions as you have until you understand or having gotten a working understanding of the knowledge you seek.

3. Moms are smart. Never have I ever been surrounded by so many amazing women. I have to admit, it’s a bit intimidating, but it’s mostly inspiring, and a kick in the butt to get things rolling and exploring my options as not only a “mom blogger,” but also as an entrepreneur.

All I have to say (right now) about the #mom2summit Mom 2.0 conference in Houston is that there are oodles of great minds waiting to share a wealth of knowledge. If you’re shy, don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions, especially the ones that are bugging you. Take a moment to jot down a few questions you’d like to have answered, and ask some of the panelists, or just get out and talk to people outside of your comfort zone. Furthermore, don’t forget to talk to other companies that are in line with your theme or message to your site, and get your word out (if you have one.)

I’m working on video interviews of the speakers and attendees, so please stay tuned. Being overly ambitious as to when it will be ready isn’t my thing, but believe me, I have tons of great interviews and video just waiting for those eyes of yours, so check your tweets, so follow me, and I will follow you back (for you tweeters) and I’ll be rolling video out as soon as it’s all edited and ready for you to enjoy.

Day 2 of the #mom2summit is quickly approaching, and many ladies are nestled cozily in their beds, so snooze it up, and I’ll see you in the morning, if you’re there. If you’re not, stay tuned for an inside, behind the scenes look into the conference!

Cheers!

~Hale Mom

(@thehalemom)

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Here I am, with only about a day to prepare myself for the Mom 2.0 Summit this weekend.  I’m supposed to come up with a party dress with 1960’s influence/flair, Mad Men Sytle, and I still have no idea what I’m going to wear.  Well, I have a dress, but not sure if it will look right for the theme, but I might just go with it.

I found this site to do pin curls, so I may end up doing one of those hairstyles.  As far as the dress goes, I guess I will have to do a shopping trip tomorrow, and explore my options.

On an other note, my daughter no longer takes breast milk.  I was a bit sad about this, but it’s allowed me a lot of freedom, and although I have to prepare bottles now, it’s a bit simpler.  Funny how I dreaded this day, or even dreaded doing the bottle thing, but it’s a lot simpler, and my daughter doesn’t demand to eat as often.

I have more energy, but my daughter and I still cuddle and have a special bond that I don’t think would be as durable if I had not nursed her.   Ahhh, my baby is growing up, but I love her more and more, and I think that I could not supply all of her caloric demands like formula can right now.

She’s growing so big, and I couldn’t even keep up with her, but I’m glad I have more freedom to do the things I have to do.  Now I can even hire a babysitter if I need to, and allow my husband and I some time to have a date night.  For instance, I would not be able to go to the conference if my daughter was still nursing, because it’s always been impossible for me to ever express milk.

Anyhow, with only about two days, look out for word from the Mom 2.0 Summit.  I’ll be posting on my site, and possibly on the Mom 2.0 site as well, but not absolutely sure.

I Look forward to meeting all the mom’s blogs that I’ve had the pleasure to read.

Cheers!

~Hale Mom