Category: ARWB Events

#AWBU 2013 Update ~2 1/2 Weeks Away

It is almost time for #AWBU 2013 and we are getting excited, are you? Here is a little update.

If you have not checked out our speakers and sessions, do that now. If you have chosen the #FoodieFriday Add-On, go check out that fabulousness.

For Foodie Friday attendees: Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and we will start the program at Noon sharp. We have a lot to cover and will stick to the schedule, so do not be late, you will not want to miss out. Grab a bite to eat on your way, we will have snacks and drinks throughout the day but no lunch as programming starts at Noon.

Full Conference attendees: Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and the conference begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.. We will have a reception with food, so come hungry. Also, Natural State Distributing will provide a wine tasting at the reception, but the rest of the weekend is BYOB. Please take note of this as we will not be “turning the truck around” for you guys this year (if you were at #awbu 2012, you get that). Again, we have an informative, fun-filled weekend planned so come ready to learn, meet new gals, interact with brands, and no, you will not get a ton of sleep. I urge you to take advantage of all the wonderful offerings this weekend, our tribe rocks.

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We are happy to announce that New Balance Arkansas will host a 5K on Sunday morning. If you are a runner, be ready. If you would like to walk, that is more than fine and could be a fun time with the other gals strolling the route. If you are not interested in running or walking, we need cheerleaders! We would love for you to pop a squat along the route and take pics, Instagram, Facebook and Tweet sweaty pictures of your fellow #AWBU gals. There might be a reward for doing this, hint hint.

This year, we have added the AWBU Handmade Marketplace. We have some extremely talented artisans among our bloggers and they will be peddling their wares on Saturday evening. In addition, we have eight, yes EIGHT, published authors in attendance that weekend and we will have a time for your to purchase their books and have them signed. Great Christmas presents ladies! Some will take credit cards, but most cash and checks, so be prepared.

We are excited that for our annual cookout, Hotdog Mike will be there cooking some of PetitJean Meat’s famous hotdogs. We will have vegetarian options throughout the weekend. If you have specific food concerns, please email Stephanie and let her know so she can make plans.

We have a lot more in store for the weekend, we will keep you updated, but also there are things we are keeping under our hats. Don’t you love surprises?

If you have not filled out the survey I sent out, please do that NOW. The shirts are in WOMEN sizes, so that changes some people’s mind on what they originally told me.

If you have any questions, let me (@theparkwife) know. We look forward to another great year at #AWBU!

AWBU13 Handmade Marketplace Preview Guide

Jerusalem Greer and I (Julie) are SO excited to be presenting the premier Handmade Marketplace event at #AWBU13 this year! Jerusalem brought the idea to me back in May and I knew it was something we should explore. Turns out we were right because we have a great lineup of vendors.

The coolest part is that these vendors aren’t just random people. The vendors are the bloggers and speakers that will be attending the conference. These vendors are your ARWB sisters!

Below is a preview of who will be setting up a table. Some, but not all, vendors will offer credit card sales but most will only be able to accept cash or check. There isn’t an ATM at Camp Ferncliff so come prepared! Several vendors will have items in the $3-$5 range, most books will be in the $20 range and some artwork and clothing items will be $40 or more. Everyone should be able to find something in their budget.

Interested in selling something? Contact julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com. The deadline to signup is August 23rd. Registration is free for all conference attendees, we just ask for one product as a giveaway.

Authors

Keynote Speaker – Sophie Hudson – BooMama
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon

Heather Davis – Minivan Momma
TMI Mom: Oversharing My Life (Volume 1)

Jerusalem Jackson Greer – Jolly Goode Gal
A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking Crafting and Coming Together

Elizabeth (Liz) Owen – Mabel’s House
My (not so) Storybook Life: A Tale of Friendship and Faith

Tracey Eyster – Be the Mom
Be the Mom: Overcome Attitude Traps and Enjoy Your Kids

Tricia Goyer – Family. Words. Community.
Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Series
The Big Sky Series
And more…

Robin O’Bryant – Robin’s Chicks
Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves
A Second Helping: A Collection of Popular Columns

Angie Albright – A Growing Season
Edible Ozarkansas Subscriptions

If you own Kyran Pittman’s (Planting Dandelions) Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life, bring it, she would love to sign it. She will not have books at the conference to sell. You can find it here on Amazon.

OTHERS

Sara Torbett – The Rosy Life
Photography Prints – You can preview her work here.

Stephanie Hamling – Southern Girl Soapery
Handcrafted Soaps and Bath Products

Cyndi Minister – The Twisted Purl
Yarn and Fiber Creations

Julie Kohl – Eggs and Herbs
Lavender Sachets, Original Art, Recipe Card Binders

Gracie Dilday – Grace Your Walls (Daughter of Jody Dilday)
Decorated Arkansas Carvings

Terra Butler – Ahoy Friend
Mixed Media Art – You can preview her work here.

Stacey Valley – An Awesome & Amazing Life
Baked goods including Mexican Chocolate Cake and Toffee Chocolate Bars

Keisha Pittman – Big Pitt Stop
Dresses and Car Seat Covers (You can preview her work here.)

Jeanetta Darley – The Splendid Things
Aprons and Crocheted Creations

Smokin’ Hot! {Foodie Friday}

By Debbie Arnold, Dining With Debbie

You may have followed along recently when nwaFoodie, Lela Davidson and I challenged one another to this little Fourth of July #Virtual Smokeoff. We had such a good time hosting that event and participating in Lyndi’s giveaway of a Masterbuilt electric smoker. Hubby and I, of course, won by a not-too-small margin with our All-American Independence Day Ribs prepared in our Cookshack© electric smoker.

What I couldn’t tell you at the time, but I can tell you now, is that Cookshack© has generously donated one of their amazing electric smokers as a giveaway to one of our #FoodieFriday attendees. I was beyond excited to learn that they wanted to do this and could hardly contain my excitement for the past several weeks.

Cookshack© will ship one of our lucky gals the Smokette Elite (SM025)© electric smoker. This is the same model that Hubby and I have, and I sometimes think he loves it every bit as much as he does me. It’s just that awesome.

Cookshack© technology has eliminated the need for labor intensive manual operation of old-fashioned pit barbecue smoking. From delicately smoked salmon to fiery jerky, you can easily master the techniques needed to turn out smoked foods that your family and friends will love!

You still have time to get registered for the #AWBU conference and the Foodie Friday add-on, but don’t delay. Our spots are limited. Not only will you get to enjoy five incredible sessions led by talented, professional speakers, you have a good chance to take home this fantastic electric smoker as well.

#AWBU 2013 Foodie Friday Speakers Announced!

by Debbie Arnold of Dining With Debbie

When Stephanie asked me several months ago if I would consider working on the AWBU pre-conference we affectionately call Foodie Friday, I was certainly flattered, but I also knew that I know food. I love to cook it. I love to watch it being prepared. I love to grow and harvest it. And, it goes without saying, that I love to eat it!

I wanted your Foodie Friday this year to focus on the foodie in you. Whether you are a food blogger or not, we all love a good meal and want to prepare nutritious meals for ourselves and our families. With that in mind, it’s exciting for me to announcement this year’s line-up of Foodie Friday featured speakers. They come to you with outstanding credentials and a willingness to inform and assist you. Do not hesitate to see each and every one as a personal resource.

And, of course, no Foodie Friday would be complete without the return of our traditional, creative, fun-filled…and highly competitive AWBU Foodie Friday Iron Chef Competition which involves all of you who are attending.

This year’s judging panel is composed of some of our state’s best-known foodies and food bloggers. They all know how to share a good meal, and they know how to have fun. Trust me. Each one has been encouraged to join in the fun (and probable harassment) of the event.

No, they may not accept your bribes.

You are coming, aren’t you? How could you miss it? I look forward to seeing you the afternoon of September 6 at Ferncliff Camp in Little Rock. Come on down…or up…or over. Whatever. Just get here.

So without further ado, the speakers:

Chef Donnie Ferneau ~ Cooking Like a Chef

Meenakshi Budhraja MD (@gastromom)~ You Are What You Eat

Kelly Brant ~ You Stole My Recipe! Copyright, Plagiarism, and Recipes

Stephanie Parker, aka Plain Chicken ~ The Business of Food Blogging

Chef Liz Bray ~ Searching for Perfection

Click here to read more on the speakers and the big reveal of our “Iron Chef” competition judges. AMAZING!

Registration Questions? Email Stephanie at theparkwife@gmail.com.

#AWBU Conference Update {A Month Out}

I love this journey we set out on three years ago we so cleverly call #AWBU, yes we are creative like that. It has been a journey of incredible opportunities for those that have attended the annual Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference. There is something spectacular about face-to-face conversation, sharing our experiences in the blog world and in our lives with the people that we normally just see the avatars of on the web. I love that this small, state-focused conference brings the ladies from the Natural State together to empower, encourage, and connect. We have built such a beautiful tribe. And, there is always room for more.

This year, we have stepped it up a notch, or twelve. The speaker line-up is incredible. Thanks to one of the Arkansas companies that truly gets social media, Petit Jean Meats, Alabama-gal Sophie Hudson, of the popular blog Boomama.net blog and Entertainment section writer for The Pioneer Woman, will be our keynote speaker. Warning: her humor and joy will be contageous. We also have gals from some of the other The Women Bloggers states. From the great state of Mississippi (where The Park Wife was born and bred), Robin O’Bryant of Robin’s Chicks, one of the 17 Funniest Moms on Twitter. She recently spoke at BlogHer and I met her at Blissdom, you guys will be enchanted by her. And, Oklahoma! Many of you met Heather Davis, yes Minivan Momma, last year at #AWBU. She will be heading back down this way to impart her wisdom upon us, and making our sides hurt from laughing so hard. Taylor from Texas is a blogging spitfire, you will love her!

And, speakers from our wonderful state of Arkansas. These women make my heart happy. So many that have stepped up to make this wonderful community grow, willingly sharing their knowledge and experiences with others. Please go visit the #AWBU 2013 Speaker page, there are so many that I can not adequately praise these women enough right here.

welcome-to-AWBU

We will have sessions in Techie Stuff (highly technical term, I know), Writing, Business, and Life Development. Go check out the incredible list of sessions here.

You will not want to miss this years conference. If you have not registered, tickets are limited, you need to not put it off, go do it NOW!

And remember, for the conference and all year-long, focus on the fabulous with an open, positive, kind heart and welcome the possibilities in gathering, growing, and connecting.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at theparkwife at gmail dot com!

The Weekend That Changed a Blog

by Karen Weido

I started blogging in 2010. I didn’t know too much about blogging other than it could be a place to record our family activities and memories. I soon discovered that blogging was so much more. It could be a community. It could be friends. It could be a brand. But I had no idea how to get that.

I discovered Arkansas Women Bloggers just after the new site launched. I signed up and started following all across social media. Soon there was talk of the 2nd annual conference – Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged (better known as AWBU). It sounded like fun and something I needed to attend.

I actually tweeted myself to a scholarship for that 2012 conference. As attendee lists began coming out, I started reading blogs from these women in Arkansas. I soon found out I was way behind in the blogging game. Maybe even over my head? My blog was small, tiny actually. At most I had around 20 page views per post. Some of these blogs I read got that many comments on one post! I suddenly found myself a little terrified, but still excited, about my very first blog conference.

I headed north for that first conference and found myself face to face with Arkansas Blog-ebrities (you know, bloggers who are celebrities). Did I introduce myself? Did I try to talk to them? I soon found I didn’t have to make that first move. These women who had this blog thing figured out were also nice and outgoing, and very welcoming of a very tiny fish in this big blogging pond.

I spent the weekend soaking it all in. There were promotion tips listed on chalkboards. There were storytellers that told us how to make our blog our own. There were experts that shared their knowledge. I took it all in. I took in an entire notebook worth of notes. I left my first blog conference with more knowledge, confidence and determination than I knew I had. I was ready to enter the blogging world full force.

I came home and started putting some of my new knowledge to use. I started treating my blog as more than a blog and more like my corner of the world. I made friends with some of the Arkansas bloggers and found out that they were as willing to help as I was eager to learn. I worked hard and often referenced my many notes that I had from the weekend. I noticed my following starting to increase. Those graphs on Google Analytics started heading up.

Over the past year, I’ve watched my blog become my brand. My hard work has paid off through blog ambassador programs, paid opportunities, and life experiences. My blog has grown in ways I couldn’t have possibly dreamed a year ago. My blog has value and it is a place where I can tell the world my story.

It all started at the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference. It was a weekend that truly changed me and completely changed my blog. It was a weekend that I’m looking forward to experiencing again in September. I’m already registered for AWBU 2013. Are you?

See you there!

Karen lives in South Arkansas with her husband and two kids. Somewhere between chasing kids and her full-time job in healthcare marketing she blogs at Ting’s Mom Blog. You can also catch her sharing it all on Twitter and Instagram.

The Handmade Marketplace at #AWBU13

We are so excited to announce the first annual Handmade Marketplace which will take place at AWBU13!

We are continually impressed with the talents of our group and we want you to have the opportunity to show off. This year at AWBU13 we will be having a Handmade Marketplace where you can buy/sell/trade all of the wonderful things that you make.

Artists, crafters, authors, and chefs alike are invited to bring your creations to the conference and participate in a Handmade Market Place on Saturday evening! Bring your paintings, your knitted items, your books, your homemade jams and jellies! We invite everyone who has something marketable to share it at the Homemade Market Place.

Don’t have something to sell? No problem! You get all the fun of looking around and shopping for all of the wonderful wares available at the Handmade Marketplace!

Here are all the JUICY details!

The Handmade Marketplace will be held from 5-7 PM Saturday Night at AWBU13 inside of a covered pavilion near the dining hall at Ferncliff. Space will be limited so you will need to reserve a spot soon!

We will have 1/2 and Full tables available for you to set up. You will need to provide your own table covering and any display items you will need. Outlet space will be very limited so please plan accordingly. Setup can occur any time after lunch and before 5PM but you will likely want to keep it simple so you have time to enjoy everything that will be offered at AWBU.

There is no cost to rent a booth space but there is a catch. First, you must be registered for AWBU13 in order to reserve a space. Secondly, we are asking that every participant donate a minimum of ONE item that can be used as a giveaway or door prize during the conference. And that’s it!

We hope you are as excited about the Handmade Marketplace and we are!

Please send an email with “Handmade Marketplace” as the subject to julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com if you are interested in reserving a spot or if you have any questions. The deadline to reserve a spot for the Handmade Marketplace will be August 23. Once your registration is confirmed we will send you additional important details.

Getaways for Arkansas Women Bloggers {Travel Giveaway}

We mentioned to you recently that we have some incredible upcoming opportunities for our registered “members” of Arkansas Women Bloggers – remember that sunny Saturday sneak peak of the new splash park in Rogers that many of our bloggers participated in while half the state was sweltering?

The neat thing is that it doesn’t cost you a dime (just a few minutes of your time) to join our little community. We don’t ask you to sign up so that we can ping you with crazy telemarketing offers… we do it because Arkansas Women Bloggers is a community, and we aim to constantly gather, grow and connect our community. Plus, the more active bloggers we have involved in our little community, the more amazing things we can do for you! Even more important than registering your blog, though, is being an active participant. We want to see you visiting each other’s blogs, commenting on the site, participating in the link-ups and lifting one another up.

Here’s a great example of one of the opportunities we can make available to you: in just a few short weeks, five of our member bloggers will be participating in an amazing #RogersAR Getaway Weekend! These lucky ladies will be pampered and spoiled by the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.VisitRogersArkansas.com), a very forward-thinking tourism promotion organization that understands the value of bloggers better than any other government organization we’ve run across in the entire state!

Our participating #RogersGetaway bloggers will attend a private artist gallery reception in historic downtown Rogers, take a sailing trip on Beaver Lake, visit the awesome new Rogers Aquatics Center and the retro Daisy Airgun Museum for ideas for their own family mini-vacations in Rogers, attend a Rogers Little Theater dinner and performance in the 1927 Victory Theater, shop and be treated to special goodies at Pinnacle Hills Promenade and even indulge in a special spa treatment package!

Yes, we are totally sharing this to make all of you insanely jealous so that you will pay attention, here, ladies! This #RogersGetaway is a pilot program, and we have other similar getaways planned in the near future! So, how do you get in on the action? Here are a few ways:

Register for #AWBU! We will be telling you more about how bloggers can work with tourism organizations like the Rogers CVB at our upcoming conference on September 6 – 8. So, register now!
Make sure your blog is correctly listed in our directory and be active on the site! (Echo, echo, echo…) this is how we choose bloggers for these opportunities!
Follow the #RogersGetaway channels! Like Rogers on Facebook, follow @VisitRogersAR and the hashtags above on Twitter and check out the Visit Rogers Arkansas website, blog, Instagram and Pinterest channels!

Between July2 and August 31, you can earn a chance to win your own family getaway package, and we’ll announce the winner at the conference. Plus, our five participating bloggers are going to have some other #RogersAR goodies to give away (hint: how does a giftcard to shop at Pinnacle Hills Promenade sound?), so you’ll want to be in the loop. Simply visit the link below to enter this giveaway via Rafflecopter.

We’re so glad you’re part of the Arkansas Women Bloggers community – THANK YOU and good luck!

A Rafflecopter giveaway

#AWBU Sponsor Spotlight {Arkansas Farm Bureau}

If you ate today, thank a farmer.

As a former small farmer, I know the blood, sweat and tears that go into producing food to feed our communities. As the state’s largest industry, Arkansas agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of the state’s economic activity ($16 billion annually), and provides one out of every six jobs. That is huge people!

Did you know that Arkansas ranks No. 1 nationally in rice production, and is far and away the leader in baitfish production? The state is second in the number of broilers raised each year and No. 3 in catfish, cotton and turkey production. Additionally, Arkansas is the No. 5 producer of timber, the No. 8 producer of eggs, and the No. 10 producer of soybeans and grain sorghum.

The food, fiber and fuel that is provided by Arkansas agriculture keeps our state, and our nation, growing (and going) in just about every conceivable direction.

FarmBureau Arkansas Farm Bureau is the voice of agriculture in Arkansas, supporting the farms and farmers who are so essential to our state and nation. The Taste Arkansas blog provides inspiration and recipes for the wide variety of foods produced in Arkansas, such as corn, soybeans, catfish, poultry and rice. The ARFB.com website is a wealth of information and links for learning more about the rich agricultural resources in Arkansas. Join us in our enthusiasm at partnering with the Arkansas Farm Bureau – and stay tuned, there is plenty more in the works!

Website: www.ARFB.com

Blog: Taste Arkansas

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArkansasFarmBureau

Twitter: @ARFB

We are planning some wonderful “Farm Tours” for our bloggers. Please email theparkwife@gmail.com if you are interested in being a part of this fun! No farming experience required!

Wordless Wednesday #Bean2Blog Style ~ The Bloggers

Disclosure: The following post is about the 2013 Bean2Blog event, where P. Allen Smith and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board invited bloggers (most ARWB members), fed us a delicious lunch, gave us a cutie-patootie t-shirt and showed us a good ‘ole time that did involve heritage chicken gawking. All opinions are The Park Wife’s, owner of The Women Bloggers L.L.C.

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To read recaps from the gals, go here.