Jenny’s Life Klass: How NOT to behave at a blogging conference

JLK blog conference

Well, hello there my pretties and welcome to another edition of Jenny’s Life Klass. For those of you who are new to the Klass, let me give the you the rundown. It works like this: I tell you what to do, and then you do it, and your life gets awesomer. Easy-peasy right? Let’s get started!

Today’s edition of JLK is very timely as Emily and I will departing in about 72 short hours for the fabulous conference, Mom 2.0 Summit (thanks to our amazing and generous sponsor, Lands’ End). It’s our fave conference ever and we can’t wait! But before we leave, I thought I’d better teach this Klass on how NOT to behave at a blogging or social media conference. So listen up, fellow attendees. I’ve been the victim of these bad conference behaviors and I want to keep you from being a victim as well, or even worse – a perpetrator! Please don’t break these conference rules and make me DM Emily snarky comments about you on Twitter. I beg you. Here goes!

1) Shut your face when a speaker is, you know, speaking. Although the concept seems fairly simple, I’ve seen attendees screw this one up at conference after conference. When someone that you have come to hear and learn from is talking into the microphone, you should in turn, NOT be talking. {Take a moment and let that set in.} This applies even when a speaker is talking during a meal. I know we all look forward to meal times as social happy fun time, but sometimes a meal time speaker is on the agenda and they deserve your r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Plus, you should be shoving food in your mouth (because who knows when your next meal is on the agenda??) instead of flappin your flippin’ gums. So please to zip it, lock it, and put it in your pocket, mmkay? Don’t make me make YOU sit criss-cross applesauce. That could lead to a whole host of other distractions. And possibly a whole other Jenny’s Life Klass.

2) Don’t ask the speaker a question that is unrelated to their talk during Q&A time. That’s just awkward for all of us, but especially the hallowed speaker who has to figure out how to be gracious to your dumb self. This will also result in me immediately sending Emily a hilarious text at your expense. So basically, the two coolest people at the conference will be silently laughing at you. Can you DEAL with that kind of shame? I hope you never have to find out.

3) Don’t ask the speaker a “question” during Q&A time that’s not actually a question but an inappropriately long telling of your entire life story. Oh conference attendee, if you don’t take away anything else from this Life Klass, take away this: when someone else is on stage, it is not your turn to be on stage. You wanna try and corner that speaker after the session and give her an oral history of your life from birth to blog, go right ahead. But please do not try it when dozens of others are waiting to ask applicable questions from the experts. Or I. Will. Cut. You.

4) Don’t block the buffet. Look, I know sometimes you have to take advantage of the moment when you finally connect with that brand representative or blogger you’ve been dying to work with. But please, for the love of all that’s holy, hold your life-changing meeting AWAY from the food line. My blood sugar is low, I have food allergies, and I’m eating on a schedule dictated by the conference organizers so MOVE IT TO A TABLE SO I CAN GET TO THE GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN SKEWERS! Ahem. After all, if I pass out from hunger in line next to you because you won’t take your business away from the bacon, your meeting is going to be interrupted by my lifeless body landing at your feet. So. Move along.

And finally, and most importantly:

5) Don’t put Baby in a corner. In this Dirty Dancingesque scenario, YOU are Baby. You are also Baby’s father, who put her in the corner, and Johnny the hot dancing man who springs Baby from the corner and takes her onstage to show the world her true talent and potential. There are tons of opportunities at a blogging/social media conference –  to connect with other bloggers, PR reps, brand managers, and knowledgeable speakers. But you won’t benefit from any of those opportunities if you don’t get out of the fishing corner and start shaking some hands. And raising your own. My boss, Shelly Kramer, likes to tell women to “raise your hand”. Make yourself seen and heard, take a chance! If I hadn’t raised my hand and spoken with Shelly after the panel she spoke on at last year’s Mom 2.0, I wouldn’t be working for her today. And working for her has been a great blessing in my life both personally and professionally. So get out of the corner, Baby, and get into the spotlight. Show us what you can do! Hot man-dancer totally unnecessary (but also totally optional. If you like props).

All right, Klass! These are your directives for your next blogging and social media conference. I hope all of my fellow attendees at Mom 2.0 this week get an A+. You know I’ll be grading with a red pen!

See ya at the Ritz,  my loves!

Post to Twitter

Jenny’s Life Klass: How Not to Dress Your Daughter

LifeKlassFinal

Welcome to another edition of Jenny’s Life Klass! If you’ve missed our past installments, let me catch you up. Basically, how this works is: I tell you what to do, and you do it. All clear? K, let’s jump in! Today I’m going to tell you what kind of clothes NOT to put on your precious little daughter.

You see folks, Valentine’s Day is in the bag, which means Easter bunnies and swimsuits have invaded all the department stores. And along with that comes a bevy of special-occasion dress choices for your little girl.

Now if you’ve got a little girl, you may have noticed that, as Emily so brilliantly articulated awhile back, it has become difficult to find clothes for a six-year-old that don’t make her look like a streetwalker.

Granted, there are a few good choices still out there. But they are usually side by side with a more sluterrific choice. Exhibit A, from a national department store we all have in our communities:

dresscollage2

Moms and Dads, I’m not asking much of you here today. Only that you dress your daughter in age-appropriate clothing. Just because they sell it, and just because it’s attractive (because it may be!), doesn’t mean your kindergartener should be wearing it.

Check out this little number. It’s totally cute. For an older teenager. But it’s available in girls’ sizes 4-16! The website description says: “She’ll turn heads in a darling zebra-print chiffon dress with fit-and-flare styling and a one-shoulder look. Pink sequins at the waist add a fun pop of color.”

Totally appropriate for a 7-year-old, right?
Totally appropriate for a 7-year-old, right?

Um. Uhh. My daughter is 6. And she is a very pretty little girl. She does not need to be TURNING HEADS in a one-shoulder zebra-and-sequin number. Because she’s a little girl. Who should be wearing corduroy and smocked cotton instead of sequined chiffon.

Stupid dress designers. Trying to make my little girl se*xy.

Call me crazy, but it really burns my biscuits! Why is this:

sears1

and this:

justice

and this:

justice2

Even available to purchase for girls under age 13?

EEEEK!

If you have purchased any of this type dress for your elementary-aged daughter, here is your homework:

1) Take the dress back or throw it away. DO NOT give it away to another underage child!

2) Cancel your daughter’s spray tan appointment.

3) Take out her tongue ring.

4) Buy the child something with smocking and a big satin sash.

Ready, my friends? Go forth and dress your child in age-appropriate clothing! Buy dresses with not one but TWO shoulders! And cherish the innocence of your little girl while she’s got it. Don’t do anything to speed up its loss. Even if you get a really lucrative offer from a reality TV show.

Because once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

Post to Twitter

Jenny’s Life Klass: What NOT to buy your kid for Christmas

Oh hello there! Welcome to the next installment of Jenny’s Life Klass. It’s been way too long since I’ve written one of these instructional gems, and I imagine your lives are all going to hell in a handbasket because of it. I’m SO sorry! Let me help you get back on track just in time for the holidays with this can’t-miss list of things to NOT buy your kid for Christmas. I repeat, DO NOT BUY THIS CRAP.  Even if little Honest’I and Hashtag (dudes, someone named their kid HASHTAG this week!) are dyyyiinnng to have it! This is not advertorial! Maybe there’s no such thing as bad press, but I’m tryyyying here. This stuff sucks. So, let’s get started!

1) LOL Elmo – I think I’ve made it pretty clear how I feel about the over-use of the phrase “LOL”. Well here’s a prime example. My own kids love and have loved Elmo, but I’d never buy them one that looks (and probably sounds) like he’s having a constant seizure. OR TELLS JOKES. This thing tells jokes! Who wants to hear Elmo tell the same three jokes overandoverandoverandover again? Let me think about it….NO ONE! Have mercy, people. Don’t. Buy. It.

2) Bratz Bratzillaz dolls – Great  news, parents! Now there’s a doll that teaches your kid that being slutty is cool, and witchcraft is cooler! It’s like the worst Halloween costume, ever – IN A DOLL!  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! But don’t take my word for it! The official product description says, “Glam gets wicked with Bratzillaz. These Bratz are the only fashion dolls that help girls achieve their dreams with special witch powers, wicked glam fashions and adorable mischievous pets.”

Really? If you want your darling daughter to become Sabrina the Teenage Whoretch, buy ’em all!

3) Furby – Or as I like to call it, WTFurby?? I am going to have NIGHTMARES just from looking at this picture! For the record, parents, you should never, ever, EVER buy anything for your child that comes with these instructions: “Pet ____’s head, tickle its tummy or pull its tail and see what happens” !!?? Um, uh…the possible scenarios are giving me an anxiety attack. Don’t let the Furby EAT YOUR BABY!

4) One Direction What Makes You Beautiful Doll – Umm, isn’t the name of this doll ironic? OHMAHGAH!!! Please don’t make me explain why you should not buy this creepy, scary, creepariffic, frightening, scary McGary, icky, robot-like boy band doll for your child. Please. Just know that every time one of these dolls is sold, an African village is  burned to the ground. All right, that is probably not true, BUT…bad things will happen if you welcome this thing into your home. EEEEEEEK!

 

5) Power Wheels Escalade – I’m not gonna lie to you, people. If you buy your 3-year-old a $500 Cadillac SUV for a “toy”, you will go straight to hell. 

Allright my friends, that’s the list! Don’t worry, if you’ve screwed up and purchased any of these stinkbombs, there’s still plenty of time to return them! As a matter of fact, your homework is to return them if you’ve already bought one. And if you haven’t committed such an act of treachery, your homework is to go buy something that doesn’t suck and isn’t a colossal waste of money. Do that and you will earn an A+++! Give to a charity in your child’s name instead of buying a WTFurby?!? and you will get extra credit!

Happy shopping!

Post to Twitter