A Mom 2.0 Story {why I'm opting out this year}

Once upon a time, some fun + well-connected women planned a cool kicky conference called the Mom 2.0 Summit. They scheduled the 3-day conference for February 2010 and labeled it as a place to "talk shop with social media influencers, industry leaders, and leading brands."

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A curly-haired Arizona mama with green eyes and a dimple in her left cheek thought, "Now, wouldn't that be fun? I'd meet blog friends (old + new), learn excellent new skills, and have a truly terrific time!" So she bought a ticket...

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But then the date started nearing...and every time she looked at her baby's sweet, gummy smile, her heart went pitter-patter. And she thought, "No way! Not at all! I would rather eat limp broccoli (yuck) and wear harem pants (ugh) than leave this little one behind!"

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So she looked at plane tickets for her whole family and her eyes popped out of her head. "EEK! GADS!" she said with a startled whisper, "Those prices just won't do!"

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So...she's opting out. She feels sad that she won't be able to mingle with Susan & Janice (@5minutesformom), Nell (@casualeveryday), Nicole (@momtrends), Marie (@makeandtakes), Gabrielle (@designmom), and so many others. She won't be able to have brilliant and useful conversations with marketers and moms. She won't be able to dust off her cowboy boots and do the boot scoot boogie deep in the heart of texas.

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But she WILL be able to cuddle with her baby and make cookies with her 3-year-old and lounge around in her pajamas if she wants to. And she WILL be able to do silly, spontaneous dances in her living room to her favorite country tunes.

And, truth be told, that feels...right. For her. In this season of life.

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THE END.

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P.S. I have a Mom 2.0 Summit ticket for sale for $375 OR BEST OFFER (that's $74 cheaper than the current rate!!!). E-mail me at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter @stephsday if you are interested.

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33 comments on “A Mom 2.0 Story {why I'm opting out this year}”

  1. I can totally understand your post. It's why I've never been to a conference myself. My kids are 6 and 8 and I still dont' think I could leave them not even for one night.

    I am hoping to get to Mom 2.0 as I live in the same town but as finances are now that may not happen. I will have to wait till it gets a little closer before I make my final decision. Thing I love about it, is that I can still come home at the end of the day and kiss my babies goodnight.

    Enjoy every moment with your little one, they are only little once conferences will still be around next year or the year after. :)

  2. Stephanie, I am so sad that I won't see you at Mom 2.0, but I'm happy for you!

    I remember how hard it was for me to wean Sophia earlier than I wanted so that I could attend BlogHer last year.

    You're doing the right thing! They grow too fast and we must savor each second.

    We'll see you soon enough.

    Enjoy!
    Susan

  3. Good on you for making a choice! That let's all your energy be in one spot!

    I would think that such a media savvy conference might have some potential to have a live streaming video component with some interactive webinar interchanges thrown in....so you could bake cookies and 'metaphorically speaking' eat them too!

    Gk out!

  4. I'm sorry you have to sell your ticket but I understand completely! I wish there was some way you could make it to Blissdom! I'm only going because I'll be taking my best girl Ivy- it's a no brainer i'd rather be home with her if she couldn't come with me! (which is the plan so far for blogher -staying home this year- as of now)

    you can follow along on Twitter as you snuggle safe at home!

    Steph

  5. I totally understand what you are saying...it's just too hard to leave the kids behind. At the same time, it's sometimes too stressful to bring them! I brought my kids to Blogher 08 because I was still nursing and it just exhausted me to no end. Plus I felt torn btw my blogging life/friends and my family.

    I went this year without kids and although it was less stressful, I missed them a lot.

    This year I have another nursing baby, so I doubt I'll be going to any conferences.

    although after reading the above comment, I want to go to the EVO conference! :)

  6. Hey there! Happy New Year! Thanks so much for the shout out in your current post. :)

    Totally appreciate this post! And I think I have a great solution for you.

    The Evo Conference is in June in Park City. It will be similar to Mom 2.0 in the sense that you will get to meet awesome bloggers as well as interact with amazing brands. The wonderful part is that you don't have to leave your babies at home?

    The Canyons resort has a world class day care and day camp that is not more than 2 minutes from the ballroom and breakout classrooms. If you chose to put your kids in there, you could literally visit them at every break... or more often if you'd like.

    Or... bring them to a session with you! The conference is for women and moms and because of that, we all understand exactly what you're feeling.

    Finally... the rooms. Oh! The rooms! They're amazing! (I'm sensing that I need to write a whole post on this topic! LOL!) They are so affordable. There is one available for $150 that sleeps 5, has a full kitchen and dining area, and three separate areas, including a huge bathroom and separate vanity area. They are perfect for either a family or the best girls' weekend out ever. There's even a timeshare for $350 with 3 adjoining rooms and two bathrooms each with hot tubs that fit 4. You could go in with another mama who is bringing kids and it'd be perfect for two or even three families :).

    Anyway, just wanted you to know that we are set up to accommodate moms and their kids! :) I hope to see you there!

  7. I'm a firm believer that when it comes to your babies, if it feels right - it probably is.

    There are plenty of Mom Summit's in the future. One of them is bound to catch you at the right time.

  8. Totally respect your decision. It was made with love. While I am sad we won't get to meet up in person in Feb., I still think it'll happen one day. Give those cuties and extra big squeeze. They are lucky to have you as a mama.

  9. I think it's great that you are so honest about why you decided not to go b/c it's a great reason! Sometimes it can be hard to pass up good professional opportunities/chances to learn and grow, etc. But I really admire that you weighed the pros and cons and chose what was best for all of you!

  10. I certainly understand why you're not going! I haven't bought a ticket yet, but seeing as it is here in Houston, I thought I might go. What a bummer that I won't have a chance to meet you! :)

  11. This is so sweet.

    I'd have gone though. I could use the quiet. My daughter also has a sweet face but the sweet face is incredibly loud and hurts my ears on a daily basis.

  12. Gotta go what's best for you and your family!

    Hope you find a mom to take the ticket off your hands. That conference is not something that fits me but I'll keep my ears open for anyone looking to go.

  13. It got lost in cyber space...

    All I was going to say was...I went to BlogHer last year and left my son for the first time and it was so heartbreaking...at the airport he was telling me "mommy...don't go" And I was so ready to just forget the whole thing but my parents just told me to go and have a good time...it was only 4 days and by the end I was so sad and missed him terribly....not sure it was worth it really....I'm only going to blogher next year if everyone goes....otherwise, I'm going to sell my ticket....I don't have sponsors for that very reason....that I might have to cancel....trust in your heart that you made the right decision....I'm not going to Blissdom or Mom Summit or pretty much any of those in the first 6 months of her life....I don't leave my nursing babies overnight for any reason.....and I know i was doing a lot b/c hubby was home but now that she's here I'm slowing way down....Miss you....Hugs!

  14. It's amazing how we just "know" what is right for us right now isn't it! Good luck selling your ticket and dust those boots off for a wild dance around the living room with your girls - who says we have to leave the house to play dress up and have fun?

  15. You are a great mom and a great wife (not that those that are attending aren't) It is so great that you are putting your family first and going with your heart on this one. Like the others said, there will always be conferences to go to, and while I know you will be missed at that conference, they can pop on here and see what you are up to. This time goes so fast and every minute that you spend dancing, coloring, sitting, laughing, and playing is invaluable. Your girls will be better because of it!

  16. I'm so glad you posted this, perhaps you can inspire others who are on the fence to wait and be there for the ones that matter the most. Time moves so fast..and we all know there will always be another conference, etc to attend! :)

  17. I'm not going ;) I can't leave my kiddos, especially that time of year. School is still in. I need to be home and me Mama. Plus all three of us (my two older boys and myself) are on a special diet right now that requires me to cook all our meals fresh each day. I just couldn't make it happen this year.

    So, you're not alone ;)

  18. I'd love to go, especially now that my kids are a bit older, but I don't have a sponsor and don't feel like begging for one. I couldn't justify a weekend at the Four Seasons without a sponsor!

  19. I completely understand! When DS was 3 months old I had tickets to see Wicked with a good friend of mine. I would have only been away from him for a few hours and he would have been with his dad. The day before the show I realized that I just couldn't do it and I gave my ticket to a mutual friend. I didn't regret the decision or even care about the money I 'lost'.

  20. I think you are making a wise, but tough choice. With my job I have to travel a lot and it was brutal when Ivy was little. Back then it was harder on me, now when I travel, it is harder on her. Enjoy the time with your little ones- there will always be other blog conferences :)

  21. I'm having the same internal issues of the heart regarding Blissdom and then BlogHER this summer. I went to both last year and absolutely LOVED them both. This year, I would be taking baby Gage with me, but not sure if it would be worth it to me, or fair to him. AGH!

  22. It's amazing how many things we "opt out of" once the little ones come along.... would have been totally bummed in a previous life, but now it feels perfect.
    Good choice, you probably wouldn't have enjoyed the summit as much as you though, missing the little ones. Wait until they're teenagers, then you'll need a getaway!

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