August 2010

How Much When: IRL and Virtual Safety for Kids

by Blogging Angels on August 30, 2010

Remember those long ago summer days when you used to hop on your bike in the morning and not return until dinner? Remember walking to school when summer was over? Remember when there weren’t internet predators? Or even an internet?

Today, kids face a totally different set of safety issues than we did…and a lot of the same ones, too.

This week, The Blogging Angels talk about when kids should be allowed to do what. From going to sleepaway camp, to walking to school, to getting their own cell phone.

How much independence should we – can we – give our kids?

Listen in on our conversation, and then leave your thoughts below. How much freedom can kids handle?

You can also subscribe to The Blogging Angels on iTunes!

Here’s a list of links to some of the sites we talk about in this podcast.

Which of these game sites are your kids obsessed with: Road Blocks, Club Penguin, Fantage or all three?

Read more about the mom who put her nine year old on the NYC Subway alone and lived to tell the tale at Free Range Kids.

Get information on how to keep your kids safe online at Bitmoms.com

Find safe routes to school and become part of keeping NYC school kids safe at Schools Unite Network, SUN.

Thinking about sleepaway camp? Try the Camp Lady. No charge to you and it helps. A lot.

For more information on internet safety from a mom who knows, check out More Than Mommy on about.com.

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Swag, freebies, and responsibility

by Blogging Angels on August 23, 2010

The terms “swag” and “freebie” get thrown around the blogging world with wild abandon.  But what do these terms really mean?  What constitutes swag, and is a freebie really free?  Are these products yours to do with what you wish, or are there unwritten rules about giving away or selling “free” products?

This week The Blogging Angels discuss the strange phenomenon of this new-ish form of advertising, where products are spread far and wide to mom bloggers in the hopes that something good will get written.

Join The Blogging Angels for our second podcast, What is Swag?

You can also subscribe to The Blogging Angels on iTunes!

We love to talk, but some things you have to see for yourselves.  Here are some links from the podcast:

Yup, we’re still talking about BlogHer, since swag is always a contentious issue at the mother of all female blogger conferences.

Despite the fact that Amy wasn’t invited to the Nate Berkus launch party, she still loves him and will be his new show‘s biggest fan.

Did Verizon overstep its bounds demanding that a blogger un-sell the phones she received to review?

Amy’s sponsor for BlogHer10 was eBay Classifieds, a free, local classified listing site.

Heidi writes for Techlicious.com, check it out!

We mentioned the new-ish FTC guidelines for paid product endorsements a few times – check them out for yourself, or take a look at PR pro Sarah Evans’ excellent summary.

Beth Feldman (Role Mommy) didn’t want to get paid in Pop Tarts.  Who can blame her?  They’re tasty, but they don’t pay the mortgage.

But what about getting paid in Jill Sander clothing (as Rebecca’s aunt did) or Frigidaire appliances (as Amy did)?  They won’t pay the mortgage either, but would their value make it more worthwhile? Hmmm…

Amy discloses her brand relationships in a way that borders on ridiculous, but at least you can’t accuse her of being vague.  Check our her disclosure page here, or steal this version for yourself.

The NJ Moms Blog and NYC Moms Blog (along with the rest of the SV Moms Group blogs) are no longer posting anything new, but there’s still a wealth of old posts to be read.

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And don’t forget, we’re looking for a tagline to end each podcast with.  Leave your suggestions in the comments, and we’ll give a big shout out and link to you if we end up using yours!

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BlogHer Post-Mortem

by Blogging Angels on August 16, 2010

The swag has been unloaded, the business cards gone through.  Your feet are finally not sore, but your head is still spinning. Yes, BlogHer 2010, held August 6-7 in New York City, is over.

BlogHer, for those of you who don’t know (or who do, but couldn’t make it), is an annual conference of women bloggers.  This year, 2400 women (and a few men) showed up for a whirlwind weekend of informative sessions, inspiring speeches, wild parties, big brand events, new friendships, minor controversies, major swag, and a healthy dose of community.

In our inaugural podcast, The Blogging Angels talk about it all: The Best and Worst of BlogHer 2010.

We are big name droppers.  Here are some links from the podcast so you can see what all the fuss is about:

The mother of all blogging conferences : BlogHer

Don’t tell us you don’t give a tweet.  Try out  Twitter for yourself (and follow us while you’re there)

Wanna do some good?  Check out Bloganthropy

Think you can’t run for office?  Think again and read all about The White House Project

Who had the best product giveaways at BlogHer? SocialLuxe Lounge and Getting Gorgeous

And who showed women how to use tech in new and interesting ways? Microsoft Suite and Firefox Suite

And a shout out to a fab blogger we all adore and who stood up to Padma’s intense judging: Melissa Chapman

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