Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference

Three years ago I discovered a new tribe of women called the Arkansas Women Bloggers.  My friend Lyndi of NWAFoodie introduced me to the group and brought me into the folds of other bloggers in our state.  At first I didn't always feel connected since many of the bloggers wrote about being a mommy as opposed to my blog genre around fitness and running.  But I stuck with it and kept looking for connections with other bloggers in real life compared to just the virtual connections we normally find with other bloggers.  After getting to know some of the ladies better I was able to see that blog genre doesn't matter, friends can come across many different topics! 

Fast forward to this weekend and our annual gathering at the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference.  After that first year, the conference name has been a misnomer since it hasn't actually been unplugged! Sometimes the wireless service was spotty but for the most part we were able to be connected the whole weekend...and tweeting during sessions was highly encouraged too! Got to show some sponsor love! (I even won a prize for tweeting during one session!) 

Chef Donnie Ferneau sharing his secrets for cooking success! Hint...it involves a 500 degree oven! 

This year there were 100 bloggers at the conference and a few guys were let in as speakers, sponsors, and conference friends! There were so many sessions to choose from that it was hard at times to decide which to attend.  Mixed in between the sessions were some great keynote speakers from P. Allen Smith and Sophie Hudson aka BooMama.  There were also fun activities like the New Balance of Arkansas 5K run...which I'll recap in another post.  

P. Allen Smith talking Arkansas, farming, and supporting Locally Grown / Made initiatives.

One of the messages that many of the speakers echoed was the trouble with comparison.  Comparing yourself to others doesn't serve you any purpose. (It's okay to know your blog statistics but only for a purpose...don't spend your time stressing over page views or comments!) The message was that only you can determine what is your measure of success and that is true in blogging just as in life.  The other thing that you have to remember is that blogging is the outside you that you choose to share with the world and it isn't fair for you to compare your inside self with the outside self that someone else has chosen to share.  It's highly likely that there is more beneath the surface that you can't see that would change your comparison.   

Sophie Hudson, aka BooMama, delivered one of the keynote addresses.  She based part of her speech on the lyrics of the Bruno Mars song Treasure.  
Give me your, give me your, give me your attention baby
I got to tell you a little something about yourselfYou're wonderful, flawless, ooh you're a sexy ladyBut you walk around here like you wanna be someone else



It's true...we all sometimes get caught up in comparing ourselves to someone else and forgetting what a treasure we are as the one and only unique you that we all are. There is only one you and there is a reason for that which translates back to your blog and that only you can determine your goal for your blog.

Blog branding - determining your blog brand attributes and brand promise to deliver to your readers.

Another thought that I took away from the conference was the notion that we have been blessed for one purpose...to bless other people.  So true...and such a simple yet powerful statement.  It was great to spend time learning and being inspired by the other members of the Arkansas Women Bloggers.  If you have the chance I highly encourage you to meet up with other bloggers in real life whether at a meet up or a blog conference.  I look forward to sharing more of my learning from the conference over the coming months and possibly even introducing you to some of the other ladies from Arkansas Women Bloggers! 

It's time for camp!

Today is my Friday at work and I'm so excited since I'll be taking time off tomorrow to head off to camp.  It's time for the annual Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged blog conference!  The conference is in its 3rd year and it really is more comparable to camp than any of the large big name blog conferences.

This year about 100 bloggers from across the state will be meeting up at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center for a weekend of fun and blog learning.  The site offers either hotel style lodging or bunk style cabins but really the agenda is so full of fun that we'll probably only be in our rooms for a minimum amount of time.

This is my 3rd year to head off to #AWBU for camp.  The first year was at the Ozark Natural Science Center about 45 minutes from home.  Last year we headed to the Ozark Folk Center State Park which is a unique gem within our state located in Mountain View.  The organizers of #AWBU always pick a beautiful spot to gather and I'm sure this year will be the same.

The conference begins on Friday evening with a visit from P. Allen Smith. This reception will feature foods prepared by the Foodie Friday participants.  Foodie Friday is an optional add-on to the weekend that is a 1/2 day program of topics for those who write about food.  Every so often I share food on my blog and I think that is something that I could do more of so I have signed up to do the Foodie Friday program.  I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate foods and recipes into my blog more but it definitely interests me since it is so important to fuel your active lifestyle with good foods!

On Saturday, the conference kicks off with a full range of topics.  There are multiple sessions throughout the day and each time slot offers 3 different topics for you to choose from.  Some of the topics I'm really excited for are "Blogger to WordPress - Logan Lovelace"  and "Smart Phone Photography- Julie Kohl" and "SEO – What Does All That Data Mean?."  Last year at #AWBU was the first time I heard much about SEO and honestly I haven't done much to improve my blog's searchability since then so I'm looking forward to learning more during Jackie's talk.  I began my blog using the free service with Blogger and have wondered over the last year if I should make the move to WordPress but it terrifies me.  Logan's session is going to be a hands on demo taking one of the attendee's blog through the conversion.   Sprinkled throughout the sessions will be opportunities to network with other bloggers and also learn about some fabulous companies based out of Arkansas.  

Just hanging out with Smokey the Bear during a long run at #AWBU in 2012! 

Sunday morning there will be a 5K run sponsored by New Balance.  I'm looking to it because it can be very hard to get my workouts in during #AWBU.  Last year I went on a 6.5 miler during #AWBU and had fun goofing off on a short run the next day.  I also showcased some of the photography tips that I picked up at the conference in that post.  I think I'll have to get up again at o'dark hundred on Saturday to fit in a long run since this year #AWBU falls just 2 weeks prior to my half ironman.  I can't abandon all my fitness for the weekend...this is when you really have to plan out your workouts.  (I'll do my bike workout on Sunday night when I get home from the conference but will have to fit in my long run there.)  After the run, we'll have two more sessions with more great topics for both the technical side of blogging and the motivation/inspiration side of writing.  

Attending this conference is fun for me but also stressful since I'm an introvert in large social settings. Meeting new people is always intimidating to me so I'm glad that I know several attendees from the past two years.  I also discovered that my neighbor is going! I didn't even know that she had a blog and it's full of cute ideas.  I'll be sure to share some of the tips and things that I learn in upcoming posts but first I'm going to go knock this day out and be super productive at work so that I can relax and enjoy my vacation day at camp tomorrow! 

P.S. If you live in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, or Alabama you should check out the Women Bloggers groups for your states.  I have enjoyed the mix of bloggers within our group since I primarily read sports/fitness blogs it is nice to network outside of that genre and learn about technical aspects as well.  These blog groups were founded by Stephanie The Park Wife and she is an amazing individual with a great idea to help women bloggers gather, connect, and grow with other bloggers in their state.  

New Shoes For Me and You Too!!! Giveaway!

It's officially back to school season and that means it's a good time to update your wardrobe.  The changing seasons are always a good sign that it's time to update with a couple of new pieces.  As athletes we have to remember to update both our fitness and non-fitness wardrobes! Stay tuned to the bottom of this post for an exciting giveaway!

I got started on updating my wardrobe with some new shoes purchases...

First up, I took advantage of the tax free holiday in August to pick up another pair of Saucony Grid Omni 11 running shoes and SuperFeet DMP insoles. These insoles ensure that I have great stability and support for my feet.  I've noticed less blisters from this pair of insoles so that's a big bonus on top of the tax free savings!

Next, I moved into specialty apparel.  I had an evening wedding to go to and wanted a new dressy sandal.  The shoes were pretty comfortable until the dancing portion of the evening.  My foot kept sliding forward and the peep toe was hurting from that.  I love fancy shoes even though I don't wear them that often.

New flats on the left, old on the right.

In my everyday shoe crusade, I was looking for a new black flat to replace a pair that have no structure or cushioning to them and found a cute pair on sale.  Unfortunately, I need to break them in...thankfully I had some extra shoes at work because just a few hours into the day and I had cut both heels.  I think I'll check out the Pinterest rage for breaking in your shoes and see if that works!

And lastly, the shoes that I have been most excited about.  Cowboy boots! Last month I told you all about attending the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference.  One of the sponsors was Country Outfitter and part of their sponsor program provided paid registrants with the opportunity to participate in an outreach campaign.  I was so excited since I've never had boots before and I was even more excited to go on a fitting adventure and find out that cowboy boots would fit my legs!

I spent hours pouring over the Country Outfitter website reviewing the different brands and styles.  In the end I decided on a pair by Tony Lama the Women's Dusty Cherokee boot.  One of the big things that I was looking at was toe shape...and their site helps you search by brand, boot type, or toe box!  We got our boots at the conference just in time for a fun party where we learned some jig dancing from a local fiddler.  The boots were super comfy and felt great!  I wore them with a denim skirt and can't wait to include them in my Friday casual wardrobe this fall at work. 

Rocking out my Tony Lama's during the conference!

Chances are you are just like me and spend a lot of your time in running or other athletic shoes.  It's time to refresh your casual wardrobe and Country Outfitter is here to help.  One of you will win a $150 gift certificate that you can use to update your wardrobe with some new boots.  I just know that you'll love them too.  This contest is open to both men and women since Country Outfitter stocks boots for all, even kids!

Did you get that...$150 gift certificate can be yours!!! All you have to do it enter!


To enter:
MANDATORY - follow this link to submit your email address so that you too can receive occasional updates on new products and exciting announcements.  Leave a comment telling me you have completed this step!

Bonus Entries - Leave a comment for each that you complete. Please make sure your comment identifies you or your email so that I can contact you if you win.

1) Like Running with Whit on Facebook here
2) Like Country Outfitter on Facebook here (They run some great contests so you'll enjoy their page!)
3) Share this Giveaway via Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest by linking back to this contest post. 

Important Notes:
Disclosure: Country Outfitter provided me with boots to review free of charge. 
Eligibility: Contest is open to US Residents and must be 18 years or older to enter.  No purchase necessary to win. 
Timing: Contest entries will be accepted until September 30th.  Winner will be announced on October 1st!

I Met a Fella at #AWBU

Well that probably caught your attention but I must report that I'm still in fact single! I did however meet a handsome fella while out on a run this weekend during the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference in Mountain View, AR.  And a random side note...there was actually a marriage proposal at #AWBU.  Gina got engaged to her long time boyfriend Tom in a very touching proposal!

Back to the run...I got up early on Saturday and headed out at o'dark hundred to get in a run.  I was glad that I packed my head lamp and Knucklelights because it was dark at 5:45.  Mountain View was still quite sleepy that early in the morning which let me pay attention to the sounds of my run.  There was the rustling in the trees as a bird took flight and several times I heard cows mooing yet I never saw a cow.  I also kept hearing roosters crow as the sky lightened and I discovered that trucks are very popular in a small town.  The blog conference started on Friday and one of the sessions was all about blogging with your senses.  Starting my run in the dark without headphones really helped me to focus on the sounds which I don't normally pay much attention to during a run. 

I took a very odd approach to this run and it is one that I don't often recommend...the unplanned route! Yikes, what a scary concept but a really fun way to explore an unfamiliar town.  The joy of a small town though is that you can't get too lost.  I decided to head East on Main Street and explore further into town since I had come in from the West.  I had heard rumor that there were some fast food joints and stores in town and I wanted to try to find them without having even looked at a map of the town.

Surprise, surprise I was on the right path.  My run on Main Street took me past some small local shops at first and then off in the distance I started to see lights.  I kept running through the main intersection and passed a horse farm and across the street was the handsome fella that I mentioned earlier.  You might remember him from back when you were in school since that's when I first met him...

Smokey the Bear! Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires. 

I have always loved Smokey the Bear and I'm not kidding that even as a high school and college kid I got excited for the 4th of July Watch Hill parade just to see Smokey the Bear in the final truck.  It was always like Santa riding in at the end of the Macy's parade except in Watch Hill for 4th of July is was Smokey! Anyway, he was kind enough to pose for a picture with me and then I got back on track with my run. 

I arrived in Mountain View on Friday with a headache and decided to run into the Walmart that I had passed earlier on my run.  I had packed $20 in my water belt and knew that I could pick up some $0.88 generic over-the-counter medicines.  I quickly shopped for the headache medicines and a bottle of water.  I stashed the medicines in my water belt and then enjoyed the new sound from the shaking pills in the acetaminophen bottle as I continued my run. 

Not the most flattering pic but look how handy my Camelbak water belt is!

I ended up with 6.5 hot and humid miles and felt great even with the hills.  I finished up and returned to my cabin to get ready for the conference.  The cabin was quaint and had some cute peg hooks that were just perfect for hanging up my wet clothing to dry.  I decided it would make a cute photo for my blog since I forgot to take many pictures while I was running. 

My first photo...this is what I would have ended up with before the conference.

My final photo...this is what I was able to do when I slowed down and used the tips that Jenny Marrs had given us during her photography session.  It was fun to see the progression of the photos as I worked on the styling and lighting in the pictures.  I'm excited to keep practicing these tips and others that I learned over the weekend. 

More to come on my fun weekend at camp with #AWBU!

AWBU Foodie Prep Work

I shared a few weeks ago that I am headed to the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference next weekend.  One of the opt-ins for the conference was a Foodie Friday program and agenda hosted by my friend NWA Foodie!  I decided that since I love Food I was a good candidate to attend!

I'm really excited about the conference which is presented by Country Outfitter.  Country Outfitter has a lot of great boots...the selection is amazing!  They also carry apparel and accessories like jewelry and belts.  Check out my Pinterest posts for some of my style inspirations from Country Outfitter!  There are some other great sponsors for the conference and I can't wait to share more about these sponsors after the conference...including some giveaways!!!

Back to my foray into foodie endeavors...this weekend I decided to try my hand at a homemade Larabar.  I love Larabars and especially love the mini sized bar which is just 100 calories.  I'm working to eat healthier and the mini bar allows me to have a healthy treat or pick me up before a workout.  One thing that I struggle with the mini bars is that I can only find them at one retailer and it isn't the one who I work for:(  The other issue is that they only offer three flavors in the mini bar - Apple Pie, Cherry, and Cashew Cookie.  I really don't like the Cherry flavored bar since it is so strong but the other two flavors are great. 

Recently on Pinterest, I discovered another blogger with a recipe for a Chocolate Pecan Pie style bar.  The recipe was posted by  Life's Simple Measures.  I recreated her recipe and practiced for adding more foodie type postings onto my blog.  I learned from my last foray into the foodie world...I took photos along the way!

I hope you enjoy and visit Life's Simple Measures for some great recipe ideas.  These bars rocked and are super yummy.  I will definitely be making this recipe again.



Four ingredients...super easy!

Ingredients:

6 oz. raw pecans
6 oz. pitted dates
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/3 tbsp. cocoa powder
Water (if necessary)

 

Directions:

1. Place parchment paper in 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2. Place pecans, dates, salt, and cocoa powder in food processor. Process until finely chopped and mixture clumps together. If mixture does not come together, add water, one teaspoon at a time, and pulse until combined. Firmly press mixture evenly into loaf pan. Place in refrigerator until firm.
3. Pull bars out of pan using parchment paper. Cut as desired.

Yield: 8 bars

Layering the ingredients in the food processor.

 



Oops, forgot the shield on the cover!



Spreading out to finish the bars.

Fuel Your Summer Racing Giveaway

This weekend I attended the inaugural Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference at the remote and beautiful Ozark Natural Science Center.  The conference brought together 45 women from across Arkansas and Missouri to talk about blogging and social media.  There was an awesome swag bag for the attendees and so my friends I am happy to share my good fortune with you through a series of upcoming giveaways.  First up is a gift pack from Murphy USA.

Murphy USA operates over 1000 gas stations across 23 states with many of their locations in the parking lot of your local Walmart store.  They are known for offering low gas prices and 93% of the time that they have surveyed it they have the lowest price in town! What a time savings to know you are going to get the best price always.

I was really surprised to learn that Murphy USA is so active in social media.  They have a Facebook page and offer an iPhone app.  I had never ever considered that you could get discount coupons on gasoline purchases but Murphy USA offers various promotions throughout the year including free offers for drink/snack items and even cents off per gallon promotions.  Just sign up for their Murph E-offers program.

To be honest, I am not a devoted brand loyalist for any gas station.  My choice usually depends on where I am when I run low and yes I wait until I get the notice for 50 miles to empty before filling up.  We have a new Murphy Express store that I sometimes go to and one of the things that I like about it is that they have video screens at each pump which help keep me entertained while pumping gas.  They also offer some great specials on sports drinks, sodas, and snacks.

Water bottle, Koozie, Gift Card, Pedometer, and Personal Fan! Oh my!!!

So how does this relate to Fueling Your Summer Racing? Well, if you are like me then you have at least one race on your schedule this summer that requires a road trip.  Murphy USA was very generous to offer up a $15 gift card in our swag bag which you can use towards your gas purchase to help on your travel expenses.  This prize pack also includes a nice big water bottle so that you can focus on hydration while driving to/from the race and even a personal fan in case the heat of summer is too much to bear!

There are several ways to enter this giveaway. Please leave a comment for each task that you complete.  The giveaway will run through Monday, June 20th and a winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, June 21st.  Good luck!

Mandatory: (one entry per task)
Become a follower of my blog.
Visit the Murphy USA Store Locator and tell me the closest store to where you live.

Optional: (one entry per task)
Follow MurphyUSA on Facebook
Follow MurphyUSA on Twitter
Mention this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or via Twitter.

Please note that this gift pack was provided to me as a conference attendee.  I was not compensated for my review of this retailer.