If you’re thinking you’d like to go to a blogging conference but find the idea a bit overwhelming, I’d suggest considering next year’s Type-A Mom Conference. There were somewhere around 300 people there this year, and while that isn’t exactly cozy, it’s much, much smaller than some of the bigger events. Nice though it is to be firmly ensconced in my normal life again, I had a wonderful weekend.

The Introspective Stuff

Firstly, it’s OK to have a life outside my kids sometimes. Rockford was tired by the end of the weekend, but he did a great job keeping Poppy & Pete clothed and fed and even entertained. I knew he would, because he’s a rockstar dad, but this was the first time maybe ever that I’ve done something entirely on my own without feeling guilty about leaving the three of them.

Second, the internet is full of kind and lovely people. Case in point: I did end up having a wee panic attack. I wasn’t staying at the conference hotel, so I sat down and tried to wait for it to pass before I gave in to the desire to bolt. But then Samantha sat down with me and said, “You’re an introvert, aren’t you?” And she was so breezy and relaxed and easy to talk to that I was soon feeling much better. As if that wasn’t kindness enough, Casey offered me a spot to lay down for a nap. Which, of course, I took, because I am never one to say no to a nap.

The Blogging Stuff

“Monetizing” was a major topic of discussion at the conference. I’ve done a bit of freelance writing in the past and I might do it again someday, so I was entirely in agreement with all of the people who said it’s important for bloggers to remember that their words have value. As far as making money off of this site goes, though, the ads on the site bring in enough money to pay the hosting fees. I’m not relying on Butterscotch Sundae to pay any bills other than that, and I don’t foresee that changing. And I’m just fine with that.

Probably the most contentious issue was Doing Reviews. There are companies that will provide a free product or even pay a blogger to review a product, and a lot of people say there needs to be a line drawn between paid and unpaid reviews. I’ve been compensated for reviews in the past, but I can definitely see where that could leave the appearance of impropriety, as my mother-in-law would say. I’m thinking about changing my personal policy on accepting those, but I’m not sure that I want to say no to them entirely. I’d like to do something like donate any compensation from reviews to a charity. (I’d love to hear your input on what you’d think of that.)

Another big take-home message for me regarding reviews was: Don’t review things that don’t fit with your blog’s focus. Since the focus here is Whatever’s on the Minds of the Folks of ButterscotchSundaeLand, this doesn’t rule all that much out. I can tell you that there will still be reviews here, but I will be certain to turn down any offers for cigars or stillettos or other things that would be inconsistent with my message. Whatever that means.

So! The conference was awesome, and I may have even made some new friends. I may also now be a blog conference junkie. Anybody want to pay my way to Blissdom?