Triangle Mamas

Friday Roundup, the fourth one

Welcome back to the Friday Roundup, actually occurring on Friday this time! We are on the ball here at Triangle Mamas.

I loved Abby's post about being a bloggy fan girl. We all have certain bloggers that we would love to meet, and Abby talks about her encounters with two of them at the Type-A-Mom conference last weekend. Go by and weigh on who your "must meets" are in the blogging community.

Andrea devoted a post to her experience at Type-A-Mom as well. She came back with an arsenal of information and a fire for doing great things with her blogging. It's contagious. Makes me think twice about my own blog and what I might do with it.

Cyndi got inspired at Type-A-Mom too. She is the proud new owner of her very own domain name! Also included in that post is the infamous picture of some Triangle Mamas trying their best to pose like Casey taught them. One of them, I won't say which one but it is probably me, looks completely ridiculous. Like spew your Diet Coke ridiculous. And yet, just by being behind the camera, Casey still manages to make it a good picture. She's amazing.

Someone told Ilina this week that she spent "too much time with her kids" for her business to really go anywhere. Aside from being rude, that is a completely absurd comment. Who, especially another mother, would tell a mother she spends too much time with her kids? Absurd. What do you think? Would you ever say you spent "too much time" with your kids?

Melissa is celebrating her tenth anniversary this week. I adore the picture of she and her husband, then boyfriend, that she posted. It is so awesomely 90's and full of young hopeful love. Happy anniversary, Mel!

I've had to break out my tissues all week for Erin's blog. There is a beautiful post about her sister, but I'm linking to the one about Knobs. A friend lost to cancer years ago. The fact that Erin still writes to Knobs' mother sums up for me what a wonderful woman she truly is.

Of course I have to link to the interview Sue did of Cyndi today on Motherhood and Me. Not only is it a great interview, but it Triangle Mama to Triangle Mama! 

Finally, over at Don't Take the Repeats, I'm going on and on about Katy Perry again, but this time, I think she's actually really funny. Of course, she's on Saturday Night Live and not Sesame Street, so there is that. 

Happy weekend to everyone. If you have a moment, how about leaving a comment about what you are doing this weekend? We'll be laying low around Chez Canape. Moving the kids' rooms around, painting, working on the house. Nothing too exciting. How about you?

Friday Roundup, and yes, I'm aware that it's Monday

When you are headed to a blogging conference, the last thing on your mind apparently, is blogging. I completely forgot to do our Friday Roundup last week, but since Abby actually posted (her words, not mine), I've decided Monday is in fact, not too late.

Don't take it personally - you know, the fact that I forgot about this blog last Friday. I also forgot to take all of my pants to the conference. Except for one pair of unopened leggings from Kohls. The package said large, but unfortunately, the leggings in the package were a small. I, in case you have not seen me lately, am NOT small. It made for an interesting dilemma in dressing myself.

We had a wonderful time at Type A Mom in Asheville this past weekend, even though we didn't get to play Rockband this year. That was a smidge disappointing, but we are going to plan better for next year. Having Sunday be the second full day sort of threw off my whole footing. I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting that.

So last week, here is what we were talking about:

Melissa is continuing her fabulous MomComm Mondays where she gives out tips on social media. Last week she had some great ideas for Twitter. Check out 9 Things to Tweet About from Adventuroo.

Make sure you have a chance to meet Sue's little Queen B. She is such a cutie, I can hardly stand it!

Over at Tales from a Marketing Mama, Erin is contemplating the effects of the addition of another baby to their family. She is due with number two, and feeling a little nervous about it. I can totally relate.

Andrea's getting sentimental about The Price Is Right and completely cracking me up. I love it too, by the way, Andrea.

Ilina's time volunteering at her sons' school inspired her to write a post in praise of teachers.

"You don't slap your own ass in pilates." If that doesn't make you want to go read Cyndi's post on the pole dancing class she tried through a coupon on Living Social, then I don't know what will.

I was delighted to see that Abby posted her guide to painting furniture this week. I was getting ready to paint the furniture for Christopher and Colin's new room, and the only guides I could find on the internet were ridiculously involved. I KNEW my friend Abby had a better way, so I called her to ask. The resulting conversation had me in stitches. Click on over to see her incredibly efficient, effective, and hilarious guide to painting furniture.

And me? Well, I opened my big mouth about the Katy Perry skit that Sesame Street released on the internet this past week. It was a little song she did with Elmo where she was playing dress up in a very adult costume. I wasn't alone in that opinion. Enough parents complained that Sesame Street won't be airing that clip in the new season, but Mel on BlogHer thinks it was a big to-do about nothing. 

So that's what we have been up to. What's new in your world? Oh, and do you live around here? We would love to add you as a contributor. The pay stinks, but the community is lovely. Let me know.

Type A Mom Conference, Rock Star Style

Thursday morning, I said goodbye to my baby boy for the first time, and hit the road with Abby for the Type A Mom Conference in Asheville. As I confessed on my own blog, I was tentative, and made the decision to go mainly on the low cost and location.

For bloggers who aren't looking to connect with marketers or advertisers, sometimes the blogosphere, especially the mommy blogosphere becomes a little clouded, and the idea of attending a conference can be confusing.

"What? You mean you just want to write? You don't want a sponsor? You don't make money from your blog? You don't do giveaways? You don't want free products to review?"

There are a lot of us out there who don't.

There are a lot of us who do things, just because we like the idea of spreading joy and sharing good blog karma. Hopefully, our little RockBand party did just that because I know that getting to spend the weekend with the most amazing women on the internet did me a world of good.

And, no, we weren't sponsored by Nintendo or Activision. We were sponsored by our husbands who let us haul all that stuff with us to Asheville, just so we could have a good time with all the gals. I can't even say we were sponsored by the hotel, although they did bring us a nice TV into Mulligan's to use after lots of begging, boob showing, and eye batting.

Thank you to everyone who came by the bar and played with us. Also, thank you to everyone who ignored our Tweets that kept coming through saying we were getting ready to play and then didn't. We had a heck of a time finding a TV in the hotel that was made post-1973.

Triangle Mama's own Ilina, on guitar.

Triangle Mama's own Abby, on screaming vocals.

Triangle Mama's own Marty, reliving her rockstar days, but this time on drums.

We were joined by a host of others, and I would really like to link to each and every one of you, so if your picture appears here without some linky love, please leave me a comment and I'll add it. Or, of course, if I have mislabeled someone. I just couldn't meet and remember everybody who came by!

Ilina, Cutest Kid Ever, and Jessica get down with their bad selves.

MomSpark founder Amy on guitar. Heavy metal black fingernails were a bonus.

From left to right we have Gina from Moneywise Moms, who was also Julie the cruise director for a good part of the evening. She knew how to work the Wii better than anyone. That's Corrina, Down to Earth Mama, and Caroline, Morningside Mom, on background vocals, while Modern Mami and Jessica lead the choreography.

Amy, Resourceful Mommy, had a hand up as a former percussionist, or a stick up as the case may be.

Jon Bon Jovi never sounded better. This fabulous duo of Janine of Twin Mom Blog, and Jessica of Jessica Knows tore up "You Give Love a Bad Name." It was tres awesome.

Plus, Janine was also the brilliant blogger who brought up the point in the town hall meeting that now, whenever she mentions something on her blog that she likes, she feels like she has to disclose that she wasn't sponsored or paid to talk about it. Which I totally agree with, and already had to do in this post.

So thank you again, ladies, for playing with us and making this past weekend spectacular. It was an honor to spend it with you all.

Marty also blogs about her non rockstar life at Don't Take the Repeats. She rambles in 140 or less on Twitter as canape.