I agree with all those things. One thing I like is...well, personality. I want to read the about page and feel like I know something about the person writing the blog. You can do this in many ways, but I love things like the favorite posts that they've written and things like that. It just helps me get to know the person and see if they're the right fit for what I'm looking to do.

Great....now I have Dolores O'Riordan's voice stuck in my head.

Wish I could of been there...but you know that :-)

You mind "carpet baggers." The cream rises to the top. The real are real and will last - the rest: they'll leave. I'll try to do my part by not putting too much cheese on the trap....

As a marketer, I hate the term Mommy Blogger. If more people understood the dynamic differences between one blog and the next, we probably wouldn't pigeon hole people into set terms. But alas, most people don't get it and most marketers don't take the time to actually READ blogs.

I wrote a response to Erin's post on my personal blog http://nosenseoftime.org - I see many of her points even as a marketer. Since I'm more on the sidelines, I didn't think of her as knocking review blogs on a whole but rather the type of blog that reads like ad copy, with very little thought or personal voice. Maybe I read her wrong but I think it's about authentic voices - you can be authentic when you review something. You say where you got it (bought it, received it, etc) and you write your opinion. You write it with your own voice. When I do outreach, I offer suggestions but make no specific requirements on the part of the blogger because I'm seeking an honest, authentic voice. Sometimes I don't get it right and don't get the blogs that do it to my standards - yet there is still a return there (which is why marketers use them and thus propagate the cycle)

Anyway - This is a great discussion that we all need to have - whether you're a mommy blogger, a normal blogger, or people that operate brands like myself.

I thought the show was hilarious. I didn't see it as a low point....

Make me run. Drag me out! Please!

I used to be an elite runner in HS. But I do have flat feet. I think that in combination with the extra weight is the problem.

I used Gyminee but it was such a pain to update. I need something I can update with an iPhone app or something easy - so I can do it while I'm eating or I forget.

And yes - I plan on doing some weigh-in's. I need a good scale, which my gym has. I just need to GO there first....