My workday is unpredictable. Some days my mornings start bang on time. I put all three kids on three buses with everything that each could possibly need for the day — backpacks, books, lunchboxes, etc. — and head down to my office to work without a problem. Oh, how I love those days!

Other mornings, my day just seems doomed from the beginning. We oversleep. There is no clean laundry…or more precisely the outfit that one of my girls needs is still in the laundry. I spill milk on the floor…and yes it is possible that I shed a tear at cleaning the floor at such an early hour. One of the kids dawdles and dithers and dallies and misses the bus. I realize that I have practically nothing to make lunches. Another kid calls from school about a missing notebook or homework assignment. Basically, my day does not get off to a good start. You know how it is?

On days where everything is off track and I find myself on the road to school with a missing lunchbox or folder or P.E. uniform, I am grateful to have the next best thing to my desk in my pocket. I like to call it my “office away home.” What am I talking about? My smartphone.

Almost two years ago, I did not have a smartphone. If I was away from my home office, I had no way to check email or tweet or post to Facebook. As a social media marketer and blogger, without a smartphone my hands are literally tied behind my back.

I was asked to test drive the HTC Rhyme phone. The Rhyme is an HTC smartphone available through Verizon Wireless. The Rhyme may seem like just another phone in the Android market, but it is the suite of accessories that make the phone a hit with anyone on the go.

• Comes with a docking station for charging.
• The phone rests on the dock to charge.
• I moved the charging dock from the kitchen to my office to my bedroom — very easy to move from room to room
• Unlike regular charging cards you don’t need to fumble in the dark as you try to locate the charging cord hole. Instead, just place the phone on the docking holder to charge. I never had a problem aligning the 3 pins on the back of the Rhyme with the corresponding 3 pins on the cradle part of the charging dock as the dock is contoured to cradle the Rhyme.
• While the HTC Rhyme rests in the dock, you can use the phone as an alarm clock or a music player. We listened to music while I prepared dinner and the kids did their homework.

Ever hear your phone ring, know that the phone is in your purse, but not be able to find the phone no matter how much digging you do? Just me? The HTC Rhyme comes with the Charm. You attach the Charm to your phone  using the headphone jack. The Charm will light up to let you know about calls, messages, and more. No more digging around in your purse…just pull on the cord attached to the HTC Rhyme to find the phone! Although I didn’t use the headphones, the flat wires would lead to few to no tangles.

The setup of the phone is very similar to the HTC Thunderbolt I currently use. I found all my favorite apps in the Android Market. I set up the Rhyme to mirror as much as possible my Thunderbolt. I use the extended battery with the Thunderbolt, so I missed the battery power. The Rhyme screen at 3.7″ WVGA super LCD is smaller than the Thunderbolt’s 4.3″ screen. I found both screens easy to use and read.

The only downside to the phone was that the opening on the side of for inserting the charging cord is covered by a flap. When I tried to insert the charging cord in to the phone, I fumbled quite a bit. Most of the time you can simply place the phone on the docking station. However, if you need to transfer data from phone to laptop/PC you need to connect the phone to the computer via the charging cord. I was able to insert the charging cord in to the phone, but the little flap was awkward to use.

The bottom line is that both phones are great for moms, dads, and even teens on the go. My two teens both found the Rhyme fun to use. One has a cell phone and the other has a multimedia phone, so both enjoyed exploring all the capabilities of the HTC Rhyme and its platform, HTC Sense.

You can purchase both phones in time for the holidays:

• HTC Rhyme is $199.99 at Verizon with a 2-year contract or check out amazon.
• Find a cute purple gel skin to fit the HTC Rhyme at amazon.
• HTC Thunderbolt is $149.99 at Verizon with a 2-year contract or find it on amazon.
• I bought an extended battery with door for my HTC Thunderbolt.

I was sent an HTC Rhyme to facilitate my review. I returned the Rhyme at the end of the review period. Earlier in the summer — during BlogHer 11 — I participated in a focus group with other bloggers where I was given an HTC Thunderbolt phone. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

I should be doing this assignment. The subject matter is interesting. I need to get it done tout suite. But, I’m not. The pile of papers to my left comes in to view about every 4.4 seconds but I’m not dealing. My coffee is lukewarm and could do with being reheated. Nope not going upstairs any time soon. My feet are cold. A pair of slippers might help. You guessed it. I’ll suffer with cold tootsies.

I have an email to write. A series of posts from our summer travels. A review that needs to get done. My to-do list is very long. I’ll get to everything. I always do. For now, I need to get off my chest that I am not doing anything of consequence right now. In a few minutes I’ll be back at work, but for now the only task I need to do. The only assignment that is going to get done. The only thing I will be crossing off my to-do list is this blog post.

Writing on my blog is becoming a rarity. Sure I post about reviews, giveaways, and any place we visit as a family. But, actually writing a blogpost about what is going on with me or with my family is rare. I want to change that. I know that my giveaways are on the upswing. I’m getting more comments and traffic to my giveaways now that I am promoting them more. But, it is the blogposts about nothing, something, or really about anything to do with me that I want to start writing more of.

Do I think that anyone out there is dying to learn more about me? Well, not “dying” exactly but I know that I have a point of view…something to say. I know that when I go to blogging conferences, people I meet tell me that they like my blog. Of course, these people may say that to everyone they meet. But, a number of the people I meet are PR types who “know” blogs. I have been told that I write a good review post. I know that I have a knack for matching a story to a product I am reviewing or making an anecdote fit in to a post. I wish I could be more loose and willing to take a risk with the other posts I write on this blog.

I find that I put restrictions on myself that are hard to blog through. I won’t blog about

• my children’s real names
• our last name
• the exact location we live in
• the schools the children attend
• their teachers…friends…grades…classes
• the exact name of their sports teams or the organizations they play for

So, what do I write about? [dead silence] Took me a moment to think of an answer to this one. While I may put restrictions on what I blog about, I do blog about

• products, services, travel destinations that we love
• our general location — between DC and Baltimore
• the activities the kids do minus the details
• anything we are going to do as a family, but I generally only post after we have done it

Instead, of worrying what I CAN’T blog about, I should focus on what I CAN blog about. How do you blog through the times when you have trouble blogging?

Last week was quite a week. Last week was the second week of school…it felt like week 40. No honeymoon period for us. We are full tilt in to the whole school thing. Volleyball practice. One of the kids made the Varsity team. And swim team…you know that’s no small commitment. And we have a kid who literally wants to do EVERYTHING. I kid you not. That kid would sign up for sword fighting if he could.

So we’re busy. BUSY. VERY BUSY. Last year my husband was my go-to guy for the taxi service. 3 kids + 2 parents = Lots of driving. This year our car pool never took off. And the other car pool was too tricky to even contemplate let alone plan. So I am doing the lion’s share of the driving. What about Coach Dad? While I am ferrying our high schooler hither, thither, and yon, he is at his high school doing his part as one of the school administration team.

I knew when he accepted the job that it would mean a lifestyle change for me. No more picking up the phone and calling for backup. But, the perks of the job will hopefully outweigh the lack of driving assistance. The one perk I am super psyched about is that we can actually plan a vacation. He gets set weeks of vacation. We’re still tied to the school academic year, but will have a little flexibility here and there.

So what else have I been doing?

• I was quoted in this article about breastfeeding. I laid it on the line. I’m usually not that candid on my blog about what makes me tick.
• Earlier this month, I weighed in on RedBook on the weighty issue of to help or not to help your child with his school project. I was up against @SelfishMom in this battle. Who was the victor? What side did I come down on? Click here to find out.
• You know I am the Community Manager of a Forum — the MomSpark Forum — that is fresh off a successful promotion of all things BlogHer. I lived, ate, and devoured anything BlogHer11 related on Twitter, Facebook, and through emails and blog postings. No item too small. No detail too insignificant. So, now that BlogHer is over the Forum is open once again for you and the rest of the blogging community to post your giveaways, your tips and resources on Disney, your questions on blogging and social media, and deals. If you have a deal or a coupon or a discount, post it to the MomSpark Forum. We love our community of bloggers!
• And last but not least is Yoursphere. I’m running a Mom Ambassador Program. We invited a group of moms who blog to blog about THE place fot kids and tweens…Yoursphere.com.

So, what’s up with you? Kids back in school? Do you have a new job? New routine? Spill it…I would love to know about how you are doing!

I’m your man…uh…mom….I mean woman for the job. As a mom of 3, I entered the blogosphere late…very late. My youngest was already 5 years old. Can you say scramble? That’s right I had to scramble and race and forage for stuff to post about.

12-, 10-, and 5-year-olds are interesting and fascinating creatures on any day or hour of the week, but there’s a catch. You can’t blog about practically anything to do with their lives. You can mention their names, of course. You can’t add details about school, subjects, teachers, academics issues good or bad, ditto for behavior.

With every little humorous detail of their lives off limits from tweeting, Facebooking, and blogging about, I was left with no choice but to get all McGyver on my blog. I literally had to grab a nugget of information and spin it in to a tale that was worthy of my blog. I oftentimes had to get creative and dredge up a story from long ago to illustrate the topic I was blogging about. But, I did it and continue to do it. I blog about my kids and our family in a way that will not injure or humiliate or jeopardize my kids’ futures. My older two read my blog. Not once have either of the girls questioned something that I have written about them.

So why am I mentioning this… My special gift is that I can make lemons out of lemonade. That’s right I can take a product that I need to write a review on and draw the reader in to the review by telling a story that is both honest about how we liked the product and protective of my kids’ feelings. I know what are the necessary elements of blog reviews. I write 3-4 reviews a week that highlight the key features of the product while showcasing our family’s real-world interaction with it.

I submitted this post as part of an application to be a Yahoo Get-It-Guide Guru.

Ever wonder about those pitch emails? Who is sending them anyway? This was just the video I needed as I start my day. I got the link from a social media pal. Thanks, L.!

TypeAParent Conference was less than two months ago. No review post from me until now. No tidy, neat as a pin wrap up post in the days after the conference. I even missed adding my wrap up post to the wrap up linky post. Why??

The answer to the “Why” is the reason I don’t write regularly on this blog. Summer! Yes, summer is the reason.

I left for #typeacon the morning of my children’s last day of school. As I packed lunches, wrote the thank you notes to accompany the teachers’ gifts, and put the children on the school bus for the last time, I was itching to get on the road to Asheville.

You see TypeA was my first blogging conference. I’m in my 3rd year of attending. I feel a kinship to the bloggers at this conference. I wrote about my experience at TypeA in 2010 here. And here too! Here’s my wrapup post for TypeA 2009, as well.

TypeAMom…uh…TypeAParent has become kind of a tradition for me.

The first time I journeyed to TypeA was the fall of ’09. I truly did not know what I was doing. I had a blog and that was it. I was persuaded by a local blogging friend to go to a conference. The idea of traveling hundreds of miles seemed nonsensical. The fact that I managed to get two sponsors is nothing short of amazing. But, get sponsors I did. I bought a sort of smartphone-ish type of phone that would do twitter, Facebook, and let me check email.

I found a roomie — the same local blogging friend. My roomie and I found another driving buddy. And off we set to a sort of girls’ weekend-learning conference-adventure.  I certainly had no idea what I was getting myself in to. No idea.

TypeA — 2009 — was truly an eye opener to me. I arrived knowing I had a blog and could write a review. When I left, I had the smallest inkling that I could one day make money off my blog and blogging. Two years later I am making the whole monetization happen…in my own way. It’s not easy that is for sure. It’s not a particularly lucrative business either, but it allows me to be a writer even if I am playing a writer on the internet as I like to say.

Attending a 3rd year in a row was like returning to a comfy spot on the couch. The friends I met and got to know at ’09 are my friends for life. We may not see each often, or even see each other again, but I know I can call on them for advice or friendship. Online friends rock.

In case you were wondering about my “playing a writer on the internet” gigs, here’s where you can find me:

• TypeAParent — You can find me writing about this and that. I even liveblogged a few sessions from TypeA 2011.
• I blog hyperlocally at the Ellicott City Patch.
• I write about raising tweens and teens in Baltimore on the Examiner.com.
• I do travel updates on Washington, D.C., sights on Oyster Locals Blog.

Now that I FINALLY have my TypeA wrapup post up I need to get cracking on my BlogHer 11 post now while I have everything fresh in my mind!

I was given a free ticket to TypeAParent Conference 2009 and 2011 as I am a TypeAParent writer.

“BlogHer is what you make of it.” A wise friend described BlogHer this way.

I knew what she meant. I pondered how I would tackle BlogHer last year. I wanted to get the most out of a new-to-me experience.  I knew I would be overwhelmed. I planned. I plotted. I Mapquested and Hopstopped. I was prepared…as much as I could be. I arrived in NYC last summer armed with my Cozi calendar, a list of MapQuested directions, cell phone numbers of friends, and a folder of eventbrite confirmations. I was overwhelmed, but in an organized way if you know what I mean.

Once at BlogHer in New York, the force of the BlogHer juggernaut hit me like a blast of heat from a subway grate. It was a HOT experience. I was overwhelmed. Tired. Exhausted. My hands and feet ached by Sunday. My feet from walking in flip flops and my hands from hauling swag bags and my enormous laptop bag. Why did I carry my laptop last year? Who knows?

Last year, I attended the session for BlogHer newbies on Friday morning (very helpful and a good way to begin BlogHer), two conference sessions (one super helpful and one only so-so), and I think a lunchtime keynote address. I regretted buying the conference pass when I attended so little of the conference, but I did eat breakfast and lunch both days so the pass was kind of worth it in the end.

I spent most of my time offsite at parties and events. I spent zero dollars on food as I ate at the events and ate at the conference breakfast and lunch sessions. I spent almost all of my ready cash on taxi fares. My BlogHer was less about the conference sessions and more about making connections. The connections were so valuable. Even though I was only in the Expo Hall for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, I made the most of my interactions with PR reps.

I was kind of a loner. I had a “I’m gonna do it all and get it all done” approach to BlogHer 10. Having a buddy or two in tow wouldn’t have worked with my BlogHer plan. When I arrived at a party/event, I headed straight to the food and drink area. With a plate of food and a glass in hand, I felt less conspicuously alone. Eating gave me something to do in those few moments as I scanned the room for a friendly face. Once I found that friendly face or group of faces I would join the group to chat and connect. I might move to the next party with that group or I might head out to the next event by myself. I probably missed out on some bonding with this approach, but it was worth it since I really wanted to connect with brands.

I’ll post in the next few days about BlogHer 11. How I tackled the conference. What I liked and disliked. The refreshing San Diego breezes. Traveling to a conference with family. And of course photos.

In the meantime, you might want to join the discussion over @MomSpark’s #BlogHer11 Forum on:

• What you thought of BlogHer 11?
• Was BlogHer a new experience for you? If so share about your BlogHer here.
• Do you know where BlogHer 12 will be?

I work for MomSpark Media as the Community Manager for the MomSpark Forum, including MomSpark’s BlogHer Forum.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know I tweet. A lot. It’s what I do. I have made a science — at least in my own mind — of keeping my tweets pithy, on point, concise, and informative. All within the 140 characters or less. I want you to not only read the tweet, but click on the link.

My tweeting has been in overdrive lately. I’m kind of a machine. Tweeting all hours of the day. My main focus is on what else…BlogHer. It seems that I dream about the BlogHer hashtag. I wonder if I dream in 140 character chunks?

I’m a sharer by nature. Ask my kids. I’ll share pretty much anything with my kids except perhaps my Starbucks coffee drink. I have some limits to my generosity.

The past few months as parties, events, and sessions were announced I have posted news about those events to Twitter and the forum I run. I am the Community Manager of the MomSpark Forum. The MomSpark Forum is part of MomSpark Media.

Today I posted on the Forum about packing for BlogHer AND a family vacation. How will I get a Mom, a Dad, a Teen, a Tween, and a Kid all packed for a trip to San Diego and Los Angeles AND pack the Mom for BlogHer? I posted my packing strategy on the Forum. I’m cross posting here:

For more…oh so much more about #BlogHer, visit the MomSpark Fourm. You will find discussion threads on packing, of course; but also what to wear, parties and events, the brands that will be at BlogHer, celebrity sightings, and oh so much more. I want to give a shout out to our fabulous community…many of the posts were added by MomSpark forum members. Love our community of bloggers!

A few months ago, I caught up with Richard Blais — the winner of Top Chef: All Stars. On a stop on his road trip with his family, he took time to talk to me. He’s a great guy!

Anyway, here’s the transcript from my interview with him…

–

Musings: What have you enjoyed doing since Top Chef?

Blais: Top Chef: All Stars and the new show on the Science Channel — part of Discovery Communications — Blais Off.

I own several Restaurants called Flip Burger Boutique in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta.  I work with a company called Sous Vide Supreme that has established a line of products named after me. Sous Vide Supreme is built for home cooks.

Musings: What prompted you to audition for Top Chef?

Blais: I didn’t audition. Top Chef producers were recruiting talented chefs. Some chefs are referred to the show. While others are chosen through standard auditions. I got a cold call from casting director.

I am fascinating by the “art of casting” a show.

Musings: What was Top Chef like?

Blais: I won Top Chef: All Stars and was a finalist for Top Chef: Chicago. Experience was good. I loved the experience of the show. It was “like improv” — you never knew what would happen during each cooking challenge. The experience that comes from improv was tremendous.

It was challenging with cameras on 24 hours a day. I was mic’d all the time.

Musings: Did you find some of the contestants “hamming it up” or some trying to get more screen time?

Blais: It’s a TV show there will always be those people who want to get screen time however they can.

Musings: I saw you at the Metro Cooking show in DC. Do you do many shows per year?

Blais: I do demos. I do shows all over the place. One part of my business that is hard to understand is the shows, demos, and lectures. A big part of business is the demos. I guest speak at culinary schools, universities, and colleges for students and faculty in food service and food science programs, as well as molecular cooking programs.

Musings: Do you work with any of the Top Chef contestants?

Blais: We all know it each other. We’re like a Fraternity of cooks. You get to know each other well on the show. Some of us might be doing the same events.

Musings: Are you based in a restaurant?

Blais: Yes, I have a boutique restaurant….Flip Burger Boutique.

Musings: Did you train the show? What did you do to prepare to be on the show?

Blais: I did a little bit of preparation, but it is hard to train. You need to be aware of time. Cook in 15 or 30 minute blocks of time. Need to be prepared for the environment. Pace and timing. Getting used to working in the environment of challenges where you have to work with whatever equipment, ingredients, or time constraints you are given.

Musings: What was your favorite challenge?

Blais: The Restaurant Challenge! The Restaurant Challenge is a favorite of contestants. I love the QuickFire Challenge. The Top Chef Challenges make for a “fair playing field.” You must have pacing and timing to succeed.

Musings: What about your new show? Tell me about it.

Blais: It is called Blais Off.

Musings: How did you come up with the show?

Blais: Ian — one of the producers — hooked up with the show. Blais Off  is a show with a mission to get people to cook in a more exciting way. “Making eating an experience.”

I am always excited to show people new food I have created.

Musings: So tell me more about the show.

Blais: I am a traditionalist. It is important to start with a base flavor . On two of the shows I focused on pizza and hamburgers. These are foods people are familiar with. I want to re-engineer the food., not deconstructing the food. My goal is for you to try it and convince you that you can like it.

Sous vide — I worked with Sous Vide Supreme. Sous Vide Supreme have many applications for the home cook.

Musings: If an average person was trying to cook like you do where would he/she get the ingredients or as I like to say it “chemicals” that you use?

Blais: I have a wall of jars. You can find all of the ingredients on terraspice.com. You can find ingredients, for instance, xanthum gum at Whole Foods.

Chemicals? Well chemicals is not the right word. I prefer to use the terms: Emulsifier. Hydro carbon. Natural roots. As all products have natural roots.

Musings: What advice would you give to a young person about becoming a chef/cook?

Blais: Many decide to become a cook at age 18/19. I would advise teens to spend a couple of days in a restaurant. Ask the chef if they can hang on Saturday afternoon. Most chefs will say yes. Get the feeling of what it is like to work in a restaurant. Ask yourself if you really want to work in a restaurant.

There is a romanticism of the craft of cooking. I spend 14 hours per day cooking. Kids need to know that it is not all Top Chef.

If kids are still interested in becoming a cook, look at culinary schools. Can you afford it? Is it what you want to do for your career?

Musings: That brings me to… What s your background?

Blais: I worked in the restaurant field for a number of years. I studied at CIA in upstate NY, where I now teach.

Musings: Speaking of your new show — Blais Off — is there a dish you wouldn’t change?

Blais: There is always room for progress. I am not out to destroy tradition. But to make food more exciting.

Musings: Is there an ingredient you don’t like to use?

Blais: There is no one ingredient, but I am not a fan of organ meats or offal or kidneys. I will try them but I am not a fan.

You can find Richard Blais…

• On Twitter @RichardBlais
• On Facebook
• On the web – RichardBlais.net — and — TrailBlais.com.
• On the street…stop by Blais’ Flip Burger Boutiques in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta.

I’ll say at the outset that a good cook I am not. In fact my children know that I am quite capable of cooking Cajun food and not in a good way. We never need to check the batteries in our smoke detector…let’s leave it at that shall we.

Speaking of good cooks… The competition on Top Chef is among the best in reality shows. The Quickfire Challenges are tense and separate the good cooks from the wanna-be cooks. A poor choice of ingredient. A miscalculation of time. A poorly plated dish. Leads to the elimination of one chef after another.

Richard Blais was a most memorable Top Chef contestant. He was a finalist in Top Chef Chicago. Blais was the chef who did not shy away from ingredients or cooking techniques. Although I had not heard of “sous vide” cooking before Blais, I was soon intrigued by what technique or food he would create next. Recently he was won Top Chef: All Stars.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of catching up with one of the Top Chef finalists — Richard Blais. He was on the road with his family. I appreciated that he stopped on his journey to chat with me. I’ll post the interview tomorrow…