To everyone who commented (and re-commented) on my last post, thank you. Thank you for adding your voice to the discussion. Maybe someone at BlogHer will take note and make monetization a larger part of next year’s discussion topics. I want to move on to a new subject, but before I do, I want to reiterate one important point: I did not say, nor do I believe, that Chris Jordan should not have made her very brief comment about PayPerPost during the panel session. Being a BlogHer sponsor did not give anyone immunity from any kind of criticism, if that’s what it was. Chris has left me two very well written comments and sent me an email, and I understand her position regarding PayPerPost quite well. What’s more, I agree with her, for the most part.

If you are a brand new blogger, looking to earn some income, and you write about technology, business, or health, PayPerPost could be a good resource for you. If, however, you have established and proudly declared yourrself to be a Mommyblogger, then suddenly writing about technology, business, and health (and by health, I mean hair transplants and liposuction) is going to come across as disingenuous, no matter how carefully you write the posts.

I am no longer going to allow others to dictate what I can and can’t have in my content, on my sidebars, or anywhere else on this blog. It’s MINE. I pay the hosting, I do the work, I am the editor, the manager, the proofreader, the copywriter. I won’t accept paid link or review assignments that don’t meet my standards, and I won’t run ads or join ad networks that don’t meet my standards, either. It’s all about ME, ME, ME.

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Now, BlogHer itself. For those of you who didn’t attend, and are still wondering what the heck a blogging conference is like, I’ll tell you- it is amazing. Even if you don’t think you would want to spend two days in conference rooms talking about blogging, how would you like to get pampered from morning ’til night? How would you like to not have to fix breakfast, lunch or snacks, have free beverages and more snacks whenever you desire them, have free Wi-Fi access, get more free sponsor gifts than you’ll be able to carry in one trip, and stay in a very nice hotel? How would you like to attend cocktail receptions with entertainment, waiters passing trays of delicious appetizers, and free drinks?

Oh yeah, and you get to spend two days with other bloggers. People who “get” you. People with whom you can discuss blogging without being asked what a “blob” is. It’s your chance to let your inner geek flag fly, baby, and it is FUN. I said it last year and I’ll say it this year too, everyone should go!

I got so much free swag that I couldn’t get it all into one photo, so here’s the first one:

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I think my favorite swag from this group was the items from Revolution Health. T-shirts for each of my kids, a pedometer, and a small pouch that velcros onto your shoe to hold your house key while you are out exercising. But wait! There’s more!

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At bottom right you can see this year’s version of last year’s “why the hell did you give us a bib?” gift, the Butterball Hot pad. Butterball turkey was a sponsor, and gosh, are they trying to make a statement that women should stay in the kitchen? NO. At least I don’t assume so. I assume that they are saying if you are in the kitchen, cooking, and you need a hot pad, why not think of the Butterball company as you are pulling your creation out of the oven? It’s product placement, pure and simple.

Next year, I want to take some kind of gift. It was fun to get something personalized from people. I missed Kristen’s condom “lollipops” and Mothergoosemouse’s glow stick necklace, but I did get Kari’s flashing duck and my favorite, Jen Lemen’s whole gift package:

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What beautiful art work. And yummy chocolate, which my son ate most appreciatively! I’ve got other stories I can tell, about the party at the Whiskey Sky, Friday night’s Walk of a Thousand Cuts on my Feet, and Saturday’s Fun at the Navy Pier. Plus, I’ll catch you up on what my kids have been doing. And, I’ll keep trying to reply to all of your wonderful comments. I’ve MISSED you, my dear readers, and I’m so glad it’s not too late to get you back.