HLS Day 2: Holy Quinoa, Batman! Plus the 4 Things I Learned That Changed Me
So, before we begin round two of the conference recaps, I have to admit a shameful confession. Until Friday, I’d never had quinoa. I’d heard about, read about it and thought about it but never actually tasted it. However, after my first forkful of red pepper roasted quinoa, I was hooked. No looking back now, I just need to learn how to properly pronounce it. I’ll admit, I thought it was key-no-wah. Nope, it’s keen-wah. No wonder people kept looking at me like I was crazy.
2. Katy Widrick is the bomb.com. Her session on monitozing your blog changed my life. I had no idea the extent to which you could make it rain, if you will, on your blog. Now all I need to do is find someone to sponsor me and really work on getting more freelance work. (You can still check me out every week on She Knows!) Plus, Katy is so sweet and so down to earth. I sort of want to be her new BFF.
I loved getting to know my roomie in real life!
3. Bloggers are real people, too. I should copyright that and make it a bumpersticker. No, but really, it’s amazing how down to earth everyone is and how, well, real they are. Even people like Tina, who is a superstar, is the nicest person in the world. I didn’t really know what to expect but I definitely didn’t think they would all be THIS nice, this helpful, this funny and relatable. It’s so amazing to meet bloggers in real life because, just like me, they have amazing stories to share, conpleteley unrelated to their blogs.
4. A positive mantra, like only social sweets, can help change how you eat and understand the emotions you tie with food. Plus, a positive mantra gives you something that your readers can take with them long after they’ve read the last world. Dawn Jackson Blatner, the keynote speaker and person who coined positive mantras, was SO informative and really interesting to listen to. I can’t say I agreed with everything she said (no free food? not realistic) but this positive mantra business is something I can get on board with. I just need to figure out why mine is! Any suggestions? I was thinking Live Real, Eat Real, Be Real. Too long?
I loved the sessions, but I really learned the most when I was talking, laughing and mingling with my fellow bloggers. I’m even more in awe by how amazing our community is.
[Photo courtesy of Meghann from Meals and Miles]
Oh and the quinoa at lunch? Blew my freakin mind friends. Maybe after I learn how to say it without sounding moronic I’ll tackle making it.
You're forgiven for not having had quinoa before, even though it's awesome. I mean, even the hotel labeled it as "quinona" on the signs.
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