How do you thank a blog conference that lets your inner child play not just for the two days of the conference but way afterwards? For introducing you to great brands and fun experiences? How about for winning an amazing raffle?
With a great recap post of course!
The Blogger Bash conference kicked off with Sweet Suite where hundreds of bloggers played with new toys, indulged in sweet treats and left with tons of swag! The conference was created by Laurie Schact (Toy Insider, the Big Toy Book), Joey Fortman (Real Mom Media), and Charlene DeLoach (Charlene Chronicles), the conference featured 10 themed parties over the course of two days.
We were serenaded by the Kidz Bop kids singing and were able to customize our own badges and unleash our creativity with Crayola right from the jump! Pretty cool right?
And as I LIVE for mascot shots, I was pretty stoked to be greeted by the one and only SNOOPY!
We were serenaded by the Kidz Bop kids singing and were able to customize our own badges and unleash our creativity with Crayola right from the jump! Pretty cool right?
And as I LIVE for mascot shots, I was pretty stoked to be greeted by the one and only SNOOPY!
You can follow Snoopy via instagram and tag your peanuts pics with @Snoopygrams and #snoopy!
With the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie coming out soon (August 8th) and their faces splashed across a wide variety of School Supplies for Back-to-School, be prepared for the #TMNTMovie Madness!
Who was your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
The Skylanders Trap Team had their own suite (I was lured in by the cupcakes!)
The Ultimate Adventure awaits as you explore Skylands in search of the escaped villains!
There was also a Rabbids Invasion!
And as a horror genre lover, I was super excited to find out that McFarlane Toys is launching a Building Block Set for The Walking Dead.
I can now own my very own The Walking Dead apocalypse, my work here is done folks!
Blip Toys won my heart with Hello Kitty Dance Time, I've been a fan of HK since I was a little girl!
They also have Olaf from Frozen:
and this one above even won them an industry award! Each doll comes with a stand and the hands and feet have suction cups attached to cling them to any smooth surface. They will dance to any song or sound, including your voice!
Above: I even got a great summer read, the glass kitchen signed for me by the Author Linda Francis Lee!
Above: Check out the cute Butterfly Print Tote by MZ Wallace! (Perfect for me!)
Above: Little Pim is the #1 Language Learning Program for Kids!
Above: MiP is the Balancing Robot, with GestureSense technology, ANY hand motion controls MiP!
Above: Also by the folks at WowWee are Elektrokidz which bring back memories of Troll dolls, except these dance to the beat of the music you are listening to!
I started riding horses at a very young age, I would have loved this equestrian playset when I was younger.
Above: I did geek out a bit when I saw the Care Bears! Which is your favorite Care Bear Butterfly?
Above: If you like Scrabble and Upwords, you will love Bananagrams, plus it comes in cute banana packaging to store it!
Above: Johnny Rockets hosted a lunch, where there was a Ketchup Artist! See her creations below:
Above: So does that make it a 'Ketchup of Liberty'? LOL (Sorry, couldn't resist!) I am a big fan of the Patty Melt at Johnny Rockets!
Above: We even got to make our own Shakes!
Above: I have a funny feeling that LeapTV is going to be a popular Christmas Gift this year! With Body Motion your child is the controller! (and yes there's a Classic Controller also!)
Above: It was a Beados Beads Butterfly that drew me to this table!
Above: I know why the caged bird sings! LOL These birds can record your voice and play it back to you! These look just like the Parakeets I had when I was younger (and these are even better because there is NO poop to clean up!) And by the way they also have a Little Live Pets Butterfly House! (Guess who will be hearing from me about it!) Whether you opt for the Little Live Pets Bird Single Pack or the Butterfly House you can't go wrong!
Above: Sorry butterflies but screen shots of the game in action of Disney Infinity 2.0 were verbotten, but I can disclose that Marvel's The Avengers Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Venom, Nick Fury, Iron Fist, Nova, Star Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax and Groot are here and it's available for pre-order!
Above: You know just how much Ascending Butterfly loves all things with wings!
Above: Anything Christmas related always has my full attention and this display from Elf Magic caught my eye!
Above: The Elf Magic Elves are recognizable by the magic snowflake placed on their hearts by Santa. What Elfcapades will your Elf Magic Elves get into in YOUR home?
Above: Things with wings alert: Just Pretend Kids stopped me in my tracks with their supercute costumes, isn't this fairy princess costume adorable? And guess what?
Above: You don't have to be a kid to enjoy playing dress up! Left: That's ME Ascending Butterfly (in pink wearing a pink tutu no less!) and Right: My blogging buddy Laura from My 3 Ring Circus
Above: In the 'Why didn't I think of that?' category is Zipz, a premium single serve wine with the look of traditional stemware but 'Clean Wrapped' to keep each glass fresh!
The Elements Associates Social Suite also offered a wide variety of brands and experiences that were a bit more 'Lifestyle' based than they were toys so needless to say I spent the most time there!
We were the first to see the new Miii jewelry collection by Joseph Nogucci, each Miii helps to commemorate a milestone or memory and they are made from semiprecious stone beads. (I like the Buddha's!)
I also got to celebrate the 70th Birthday of Smokey Bear who posed for photos and shared birthday cake! Want to join in on wishing him a Happy Birthday? Sign Smokey's online card!
Above: So I got to experience the magic of 'green screen' first hand, here is a picture taken with my personal camera, and below is how it looked after the green screen magic:
Above: VOILA! Via the Magic of Green Screen, I'm chillaxing in the forest and my friend Smokey is whispering in my ear!
Above: My friends at COVERGIRL were offering Manicures and Makeup Touch-Ups! The look on my Makeup Artist's face when I told her I was already wearing my Ready Set Gorgeous Liquid Foundation (I'm #220) and COVERGIRL Clump Crusher Mascara and Gloss was priceless! I've already featured it here so you know just how much I love the #instaGLAM Collection by COVERGIRL.
AutoTex Pink encouraged bloggers to help "Wipe Out Breast Cancer", for every purchase of AutoTex Pink Wiper Blades, a donation is made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You can get them in black with a pink ribbon or in pink. 'Pink' your car for the cause butterflies! You can purchase them HERE!
We also got to take home Washdrops, a green car wash solution, it's quick, easy and environmentally responsible, what's NOT to love? + No hose or rinse required to get a beautiful shine. Now all I need is the beamer......
Above: Major "After Party" Props go out to the team who organized "The Angry Birds After Party" - there was food - think actual hotdog stand with never-ending hot dogs, Tacos, hair be-dazzling, sweets and treats and of course 'signature cocktails'. Because after a day of play, grown folks, need 'Grown Drinks'!!!
Above: Angry Birds Stella will debut Fall 2014!
Above: Signature Cocktails included: "The Hella Stella" - a citrusy cosmo with Clementine Vodka, Triple Sec, Cranberry and Fresh Lime Juice, "The Willowrita" - with Silver Tequila, blue curacao, fresh lime juice, sour mix and splash of OJ (this one was my fave, but I am a Tequila Lover, so no surprise!), and last but not least, "The Holy Gail" - Join the dark side with a refreshing mix of blueberry vodka, raspberry liqueur and lemonade.
Above: On the last night of the conference, I passed a jar filled with candy, instead of just collecting our business cards, we were asked to fill out a paper with our cell phone numbers and our best guess as to how many starbursts candies were in the jar. I ventured a guess. And I as I milled about and saw kids actually standing there to count I honestly thought I had no chance of winning. So imagine my surprise when I got a text telling me my guess was the closest to the actual number of starbursts in the jar! I WON!!! I got this beautiful Jansport Backpack filled with a Kindle Fire HD and a cover for the HD as well as AT&T Unite for GoPhone by NETGEAR. I am honestly still pinching myself! I will post a review of the service once I have fully tested it out, but I love having my own Mobile WiFi as I don't trust public WiFi and I feel way more secure having my own!
Above: It was difficult to get all the amazing items included in our post conference 'big box of awesome'. Instead of having to lug our swag haul home, it was mailed directly to us! Notice the Butterfly Wand in the middle? However did Just Pretend Kids know? I love that our days of allowing our inner child to roam free doesn't have to come to an end!
My Take:
Sweet Suite was such a fun way to connect with so many amazing brands in a casual environment that allowed for conversation and great 'hands on' experience with fun products. It was fun seeing products that aren't even out on the market yet, and I have to admit it was a bit like Christmas in July come to life.
I can't even venture to pick a favorite experience, there was literally that much to choose from. I am sure I will find something I missed and if I do, I'll include it an upcoming Wordless Wednesday.
I still can't believe I won such an amazing raffle too!
Which of these brands would you most like to connect with? Which toy is your or your little ones favorite?
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FTC Disclosure: While my conference ticket was sponsored, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.
